#I still felt out of place in a barber but it was a step up | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

cottagecheese1 · 7 months

Text

Chapter 2

summary: A few years after your father died, your mother marries a new man, to you having a new family meant new begging's, but what happens when your new begging comes spiraling apart just because of the people that made them. paring: dark stepdad Andy Barber x reader x dark dbf Lloyd Hansen x reader x dark stepbrother Johnny storm x reader x dark bbf Colin Shea.

warnings- (DDLG undertones) stepcest, Johnny is NOT Andy's biological father, he is the adopted son. smut, do not engage if you are uncomfortable with any of the following, spanking, blackmail, p in v, edging, thigh riding, oral, fingering.

Series master list right here

The day was new, sadly, after last night you didn’t know if leaving your room was a good option in the first place, well of course you’d live, but the embarrassment you felt at the moment made you feel like the world was ending. You always felt a little sensitive and awkward towards every little situation that came your way. When you say it in your head it always sounds like a bad thing even though there are worse things in the world, and you shouldn’t even come close to feeling unfortunate in any situation–or thats what your mother would tell you, at a point your life your mother used to make you feel vain–blaming you for your fathers death saying it was your fault, of course you knew your mother had loved you, I mean she was also going through the grief of losing her husband, you shouldn’t be selfish–thats what she would also tell you.

After a long two hours of laying in bed, you rolled in bed and looked at your alarm clock that read 9:23am, and you could already hear the shuffling and laughter of the boys in the kitchen, deciding to just suffer through it and just hope nobody brings up the previous night, they all probably forgot about it by now, right? You could only hope because you sure haven’t forgotten.

Making your way down the hall where the chuckling and the sizzling of bacon started to make itself more present as you stepped into the kitchen, your head automatically goes down towards the floor when the chatter abruptly stops–the awkward sizzling of bacon mocking you as you walk towards the bread.

Andy stops and turns toward you with a small smile while leaning on the marble countertop, finally deciding to break the silence, “good morning honey, I made breakfast if you’re interested, bacon and uh maybe some pancakes if Johnny will save some for the rest of us.” he says the last part while turning towards a shirtless johnny stuffing his mouth full, mumbling out a “sorry”.

You tilt your head up toward Andy, and grab the bread, “no thanks Andy, maybe later–thanks though–well not that I don’t want any it's just-” you stutter out, until Andy interrupts you with a soft chuckle.

Andy walks behind you–tucking a piece of hair behind your ear before he leaned down to press a small kiss to your temple, “Oh pumpkin, what am I gonna do with you hm? With your cute self.” your cheeks tinted red, and besides that you could hear Johnny, and Colin snickering–probably making fun of you.

Not really knowing how to respond, but suddenly another thought comes to mind–where's your mother? Now curious, you turned and asked Andy, face still red as a beet, “um- where's my mom?” Andy half listens to you as he plays with your hair softly.

“She’s on a business trip, won’t be back for a few weeks, so you get to spend some alone time with us.” Andy says as he smirks.

You advert your gaze back to the toaster and give him a quick “okay”, before turning back around he huffs dramatically grabbing his keys swiftly, but before he heads out, he stops before the two chuckling boys.

“You boys be nice, treat her good until I get home, okay? Oh honey, if you need anything just give me a call, okay? Johnny should help you with anything, if not, I’ll be back around 11:00. Be good you two.”, and at that Andy was out the door, now it’s just you and them.

Johnny sighed and got up dramatically, “I’m gonna go take a shower, you kids have fun.” he said as he walked toward his bedroom.

Now it was just Colin and you, but as soon as you heard the toaster pop up, you scurried to your room–not even bothering to grab the butter–once you got to your room, closing the door you sighed and switched your phone on for the next hour.

💼

After another 30 minutes of contemplating if you should leave your room or not, you do. Opening the door slowly, and walking down the hall to the living room, where you thought watching TV would be an option for you, but Colin seemed to be taking up the couch and the entire atmosphere, and God was it intimidating.

Before you could turn away, and advance to the comfort of your own room–Colin stopped you abruptly. He threw his head back over the back of the couch, and called your name out.

“Hey!- don’t leave, come join me, I’m watching 21 jump street, I want you to come watch it with me.”

He sounded so demanding, but maybe that's just his way of expressing himself, so you watch as he scoots over a tad, and pats the spot next to him. This is when you seem to notice he doesn’t have a shirt on under his thin jacket, but you still sit down awkwardly next to him.

Suddenly he scoots closer to you, and wraps an arm around you, pulling you to him slightly as he says “relax baby, just getting comfortable, you wanna lay on me?”

“Oh, well I’m ok right now, I wouldn’t wanna-” he cuts you off by his own words, “cmon baby, I don’t mind, it's just some friendly cuddles, don’t gotta be all shy about it.” he says the last part chuckling.

You stay silent as he speaks again, “Here–I’ll help you.” Coin grunts a bit as he pulls you on top of him, and pushes your head onto his chest, softly stroking your hair. As much as you’d hate to admit it, it did feel kind of nice, maybe because he was nice and warm, and solid–Colin interrupts your train of thought when he speaks again.

“Isn’t this nice baby? All nice and relaxed…You're such a good girl, you know that?” he says with a mischievous glint in his voice while stroking your back, his voice still vibrating off of you he continues, “So, so quiet. Bet you're a virgin huh? All pure and untouched, from the way you're grinding on my dick and acting all innocent about it, you have to be.”

You feel stiff all the sudden, like you can’t move, now you're overly aware of the fact that his dick is poking your thigh. Then to make things worse he leans down toward your ear, “You know me, and Johnny talked about fucking you last night? Or how adorable you would look trying to wrap your lips around our cocks–and the tears that would run down that pretty face as we both fucked you till you couldn’t walk–or talk–bet you're a cock drunk bitch when you have the chance, huh?”

This is when you really started to freak out, trying to shove away from him eagerly, “Stop! Get off me! Andy will come back any time.”, and Colin just laughed at your plea, which made you slightly confused.

“Oh Baby, you poor girl, Andy’s the worst of both of us, if you knew all the dirty shit he’s said about you, you’d be crying–or well you already are–your new daddy just wants to pound you into his mattress until you're crying honey, and so much more.”

Your eyes widened at his statement, that couldn’t be, Andy cared about you..right? The thoughts that ran a million miles in your head suddenly got interrupted by another presence entering the room. Johnny.

Crying out for him as Colin licked and sucked on your neck, making you whimper pathetically in the process, “Johnny, please get him off of me..” you said pleadingly.

Johnny stared at you mockingly as he bent down to your level, where you still laid beneath Colin helplessly. He stroked the side of your face teasingly before he said, “Now why would I do that hm? Not when you’re whimpering so sweetly baby.” Colin then let up off you, leaning back into the couch, pulling you into his lap in the process as you felt your thighs subconsciously rub together.

After Johnny made his way beside you and Colin–sandwiching yourself between them as result, he stroked your thigh up and down, slowly making his way to your clothed core, “Look how fucking red you are, just from some teasing hm? you wanna feel me sweetheart? Don’t even try to hide how wet you are–bet you haven’t even had your first kiss yet.”

You had to be slightly surprised at his forwardness, no you haven’t had your first kiss yet, but you just told yourself that you're waiting for the right person. Colin chuckled at Johnny’s antics, this is also when you noticed that Johnny was not wearing a shirt–or pants for a matter of fact, this realization made you feel hotter all over.

Colin leaned over and looked at Johnny, “You know the old man won’t like it if we take her first kiss without him being here."

Johnny rolled his eyes and scoffed, still stroking your thighs, “Fuck that old geezer, I'm taking what's min-” Johnny got cut off by a loud slam of a door and jingling of car keys jingling. You three looked over toward the door to see Andy in the doorway, his arms crossed intimidatingly.

“what's going on here fellas..trying to break her in without me?” Andy said with a smirk as he reached the end of his sentence. He walked over to you slowly, and took your small face into both of his large hands, “And what about you honey? Having fun without daddy, hm? Good thing I’m here now.” He ends the last of his words with a chuckle.

Pleading for help wouldn’t even save you right now, after what Johnny and Colin just confessed to you–especially Andy–all you can do is hope for the best.

A/n: sorry for the short late chapter ya'll (I edited it at the end because the order was fucked up for those who were as confused as me.)

130 notes · View notes

saintship · 1 year

Note

Omg so happy you dropped the prompt list! Can i pls request no 18 with Soap? He's just got home quite battered with an overgrown beard, so reader is taking care of him? Just domestic fluff really :D thanks!

Prompt #18 - “Can I help you shave?”

This is sexy. Thank you for the ask<3!

Warnings: description of injury, swearing, kissing, fluff

Soap x Reader - Battered and bearded

You ripped open the envelope as soon as you freed it from the mailbox, pulling out the worn paper as you hurried inside and settled on the couch.

Bonnie,

It’s fuckin crazy here. Hasn’t stopped raining for two weeks, I feel like I’ll never get dry again. We’re almost through the thickest of the jungle, then the exfil’s not far. Miss you more than I miss hot water.

p.s. My beard’s taken over, dunno if you’ll recognize me xx

He’s gone insane. -G

You laughed breathlessly at the small note from his Lieutenant, thumbing over the paper where Soap’s pen had etched. The note about his beard made you curious, you’d never seen it past a thick scruff. You read the letter over again, and again, keeping it near you while you made yourself dinner, while you washed your face, while you slept.

The morning came with a clear sky and chill to the air, your windows fogged slightly from the autumn cold. You were still blinking the sleep from your eyes while the kettle boiled when you heard the crunching of gravel outside. You didn’t make it to the door before the door eased open, and you stopped in your tracks.

He was a hair thinner than you saw him last, his tired eyes shining behind an array of scrapes, cuts, and vibrant bruises. Still, he grinned, with a full, albeit uneven, beard gracing his face.

“Hey there, hen..”

You carefully hugged his waist. “Am I hurting you?” You asked.

He lifted you on the kitchen counter, stepping forward to embrace you properly. “On the contrary.”

His head resting in the curve of your neck, stroking your back softly as he melted in your arms.

“Missed ya..”

“Missed you more..”

He leaned back to look you in the eye, smiling slightly. “We gonna argue this soon?”

“Woah..” You were distracted by his quip with the soft hair that he’d grown over the weeks spent on the move in the jungle, stroking his jaw.

“Ah, I forgot.” He itched the hair that had spread to his neck, squinting. “Didn’t even know it was possible for it to get like this.”

“You look good.” You observe.

“I hate it.”

You smile. “Is it uncomfortable?”

He groaned, running both hands over his face now. “You’ve got no idea..”

“And your hair.. we gotta shave down the sides again, hm?” You brushed through his hair where his mohawk had nearly disappeared. He nodded, closing his eyes as he leaned into your hand.

“Wait, I’ve got to try something.”

He opened his eyes. “What?”

You kissed him gently, humming in decision as you felt the brush of the hair on his upper lip before pulling away. “I don’t like it.”

“I liked it.” He grinned lazily.

“Come on..” You rolled your eyes while smiling, leading him to the bathroom.

He got showered, and you swore he was about to start kicking his leg the way he groaned as you washed his scalp. His chest had also gotten a bit out of control, the patterns of hair thickened so they were raised off the skin. He sat in the bathtub to catch the mess as you trimmed that first, leaving the thin layer that he liked.

“I feel like a barber.”

“I’ve never had a barber feel up my abs.”

“You’re at the wrong places.” You retort, at which he huffed a laugh.

“I think I like this one.”

“Lucky me.” You kiss him quickly, but he pulls you back, one hand stroking the sensitive skin under your jaw. But you hadn’t shaved his face; you pulled away.

“It feels weird.” You quirked your lip in thought as you rinsed the razor, adjusting on the pillow you sat on next to the tub.

“Feels weird to kiss me?” He asked, feign offense lacing his tone.

“Uh-huh.” You confirmed, plugging in the trimmer.

“You’re mean.” He decided.

“The worst." You huffed, leaning over to kiss his temple, then his cheek, then a quick one on his lips.

“You ready?” You flipped the trimmer to ‘on’.

He nodded, and you mowed down the first strip, his usual level of scruff remaining.

“It’s so satisfying..” you murmur.

“Glad you’re enjoying yourself.” He teased.

“I could ruin your life right now.” You warn playfully, holding up your tool.

“Oh, you’re cute.” He brushed your cheek with a knuckle, and you huffed, returning to your task. Eventually, the bulk of it was gone, and he rubbed his face appreciatively. “So itchy..” he murmured. “Ah, crivvens..” he looked into the handheld mirror you’d handed him, tracing the scabs and spots being irritated by the hair. “Will you just do it all for me?”

“Clean shaven?”

He nodded, getting up to rinse. You prepared the shaving cream and razor, waiting patiently as he dried off and hung a towel just below his waist. You whistled lowly, making him roll his eyes.

“Quit it.”

“What?” You feigned ignorance, pulling him closer by the hem of the towel. He smiled back at you, his hands resting on your hips gently.

“Alright..” You layered the bright shaving cream over his face, smacking his chest when he couldn’t keep his mouth shut and got some in his mouth. You got it off his tongue eventually, shaking your head at him. The razor glided down his cheek before you wiped it on the cloth John held for you.

“You’re so beautiful.”

His muttering caught you off guard, but a small smile pulled at your lips.

“Thank you for taking care a’ me.” He said softly. You saw the guilt in his eyes, you knew the words he was holding back, but kissed his freshly shaven cheek anyway.

“I always will.”

He was quiet for a moment, and you noticed a few bruises littering his back. “You got pretty beat up..” you note, gesturing to a colorful bruise on his ribs.

“We had to scale down a ravine to avoid their ground team; we were outnumbered and it was safer to run, but I think Price just wanted to get the hell out..”

You nod, pausing the blade while he spoke.

“I’ll try not to hug you too hard.” You slid the razor down another inch of his cheek, and he laughed slightly through his nose.

You rid his jaw of the last of the scruff and tilted his head up to do his neck.

“Don’t slit my throat, aye?”

“Don’t say that..” You applied the shaving cream a bit more generously.

He smiled at your worry. “You’ll be fine, I’ve cut my neck shaving loads of times.”

“I feel like that’s just a different issue..” you started on his pulse point, gliding the blade gently. The result was a clean shave, the skin paler than his usual tone from so much time spent covered up.

“I did it..”

“Proud a’ you.”

He continued to hold your waist, half to keep you steady and half to feel your skin under his palms for the first time in weeks. You worked the blade over his skin until you could wipe away the product and reveal a smooth face, though small cuts and scrapes were littered throughout.

You wrapped your arms around his neck, smelling the product on his skin and feeling the finish on your cheek.

“It’s so smooth..” you hummed.

“Feels so much better, thank you..” he rubbed at his face, sighing.

“I’m glad you’re home.”

You stroke his face before pressing a kiss to his lips, this time, staying there much longer. His haircut could wait just a bit longer, you thought.

#call of duty modern warfare #cod requests #cod mwii #call of duty #cod mw2 #call of duty mw2 #simon ghost riley #john soap mactavish #john soap mctavish x reader #john soap mactavish x reader #cod reader insert #cod x you

308 notes · View notes

bigtreefest · 3 months

Text

Chapter 6: Storm Warning

From: The Rainmaker Series

Pairing: Mob! Steve x Forensic Scientist! Reader

Summary: You have the suspicions you tried to push down for so long, confirmed.

Word count: 4,446

Content/warnings: heavy drinking, kissing, flirting, nervousness, fighting, yelling, Sam Wilson, a switch flip, swears, ANGSTTT, betrayal?

Author’s Note: You guys know that vine where the surfer is making all those sounds talking about the crazy waves? That’s how I felt writing this. *wapahh*

Anyway, can’t wait for your feedback on this one. I’d love to hear what you’ve got to say. Feel free to drop and ask, or a comment, or a reblog!! Those are my life source.

Dividers by @firefly-graphics

< Prev | Series Masterlist | Next >

On Tuesday afternoon after work, you were excited to see Steve. And honestly, you hadn’t been this excited for anything in a long time. Giddy, almost, and it felt completely out of character. You were so used to your schedule and your normal obligations, that the things out of the ordinary seemed like such a burden, but this was anything but. You weren’t sure how everything felt like it changed so quickly.

You pulled up to a modern townhouse on the edge of the city in an unbelievably nice area. Sure, it was gorgeous, and evidently expensive, but its inconvenience led you to believe that this wasn’t Steve’s only place. He probably had a country home, and an apartment in the heart of town in addition to this. This place seemed too relaxed to be where someone who had such an insane schedule, from what you could draw, would live. And that’s the thing, it didn’t seem very lived-in from what you could see through the floor-to-ceiling windows that flanked the front door.

As you rang the bell, you almost expected a house cleaner, or a butler to come greet you, but instead, you saw Steve emerge from some distant hallway. He was in a leather jacket, with a deep blue collared shirt underneath, not dressed down, but not dressed up at all compared to what you’d usually seen him wear to work.

As he saw you though the glass, though, and smiled brightly, you weren’t able to return it, feeling something shift in the air behind you. You whipped around to see if anything was there, but you were just met with an empty street, filled only by cars on the quiet block. It was similar to how you’d been feeling for the past week or so, but every time you turned around, nothing was there, so you tried to brush it off.

By the time you went to face forward again, Steve was at the door, looking down to where you stood on the steps. You nervously smiled up at him as he gestured for you to come in.

He grabbed your bag from you, giving a side hug that squeezed your shoulders, along with a greeting of a kiss on the top of your head. “Welcome, sweetheart. I’d give you a tour, but there’s not really much on this level. All the good stuff is downstairs. I’ll show you where you can get changed if you want.

You nodded along, still in your pantsuit, the product of sitting in the courthouse for another case today. But it wasn’t all bad, because you got to briefly hang out with DA Barber. He let you walk around his office during breaks, looking through his knick knacks. You spoke to his admin, who for some reason had dozens of pens on hand, offering you as many as you wanted. Of course you took a bunch, picking out a particularly nice one for Steve and tucking it in your jacket pocket to give to him this evening.

You walked through the house with its tall ceilings, awe-struck at its simple beauty, despite how barren it seemed. That was only the front entry way, though, because Steve led you down a set of steps to a basement which he had finished and turned into what you assumed was his man cave. The walls were lined with art, interesting and intricate, yet surprisingly complementary to the dark tones that filled the space. In the middle, near a fully stocked bar, sat a pool table. It really was a nice little setup.

Steve stopped just before you got there, though, turning around and showing you where the bathroom was and leaving you to it.

It was a relief to be out of that blazer, and when you emerged from the restroom, you could see Steve had laid out a set of hangers for you so it didn’t get wrinkled. He was leaning up against the bar, ankles crossed across each other, sipping a glass of water.

“So can I get you anything? Water? Coffee? A cocktail? Dinner?”

You smiled and your eyes lit up. “Dinner?” He laughed and nodded, sauntering over to you and wrapping his arms around your waist as yours gravitated to his shoulders.

“Yeah, dinner. I’d say your favorite is already on the way, but I wanted to make sure you don’t get sick of it, so I figured I’d let you choose. Anything you want.”

He leaned in to press a quick peck to your lips that left you chasing for more, to which he happily obliged. You pulled away for breath, putting your forehead against his chest for a second to think. “Why don’t you surprise me. Something good. We’ll save the pasta for later this week. Maybe it can be road-trip food to take down to the farm. Bee will love it, too, I’m sure.”

He nodded, pulling out his phone to send in your surprise order, before walking back over to the bar and grabbing his beer, taking a sip and wordlessly offering you one, which you accepted. Before you took a sip, though, you remembered what you had brought him.

“Oh! By the way, I have something for you!” You went over to your bag, missing Steve’s surprised expression, but hearing a faint “oh?” followed by his footsteps in your direction.

You fished around, speaking over your shoulder intermittently. “It’s not much, but I figured since you sent me all those nice things the other week, that I should return the favor. Plus, I felt kinda bad for kicking you out of my apartment on Saturday.”

Steve set down his bottle, walking to your side when you finally found what you were looking for. “Ah! Here it is.”

When you stood, your face was almost right next to his, so you took half a step back, awkwardly shoving your hand between the two of you. “I got you a pen-But it’s uh… a really nice pen. One of those ones people use to sign official documents and stuff. I stole it from the DA’s office, so I guess it’s not an official gift, but I thought you would like it and I figured you do that kind of stuff a lot in day-to-day life, although I’m not really sure-“

You were cut off from your rambling by his hand over yours, accepting the present, and engulfing your digits in his. You took in a sharp gasp, looking between where the two of you met and his warm gaze.

“Thank you, Sweetheart. I really appreciate it. No matter where you got it.”

You tried to force yourself to swallow, your mouth growing dry at the contact. Even though you had kissed, something about this moment had seemed more intimate than before. You raised your other hand, bracing it against his chest because you were worried that if you didn’t, your jello arm would drop, pulling the rest of your body along with it. “And, um. A deck of cards. I got you a really nice deck of cards. Professional grade.”

You could feel the puff of air that came from his breathy laugh as his other hand came up to meet yours. “Thank you. This really wasn’t necessary, but I love it.” You simply nodded and pushed yourself away from him, trying to break the moment. Sure, you loved being that close, and you couldn’t have gotten a better response, but it was a lot to take in.

You turned around to get out of your own head and attempt to regain some logic since your mind had almost gone empty right there. “So…um..pool, right? You think you can beat me?”

You had pulled in on yourself, arms close to your chest, but pointing toward the table, as you finally brought your body to turn around again and face Steve. You were met with a view of his broad back, carefully setting your gifts on a shelf and reaching for the cues.

“You know, now that I know what your nickname means, I’m not sure. It’s my understanding that you’re far better than you let on and you were keeping it a secret.”

Somehow he had already put you at ease again. He walked past you, towards a brick pillar off to the side of the room to grab the rest of the equipment you needed to start. You rolled your eyes, shifting your feet so you continued to face him. “I wasn’t keeping anything a secret. I just don’t blab about that stuff. And to be fair, you never asked me.”

Steve shrugged as he handed you the cue. “I guess you’re right. And you wouldn’t be mad at me either, for not telling you something you didn’t ask specifically, right?”

That was weird. Was there something he wasn’t telling you? Your eyebrows went from relaxed, to drawn inward with suspicion. “Well, it depends on the thing, I guess…”

You tried to brush it off, and it helped that Steve did, too. Maybe he was just curious and had some sort of surprise planned. Or maybe it was something else, but the way he quickly moved onto the next subject helped you to do the same, as you started the first round.

Steve had let you break to start out, which led to your immediate win. He had a smile laced with several emotions all at once as he watched you move with grace, confidence, and ease around the table. By the time you were starting the second game, Steve breaking this time, you heard someone walking down the stairs. It would’ve concerned you that someone random was in his home if Steve wasn’t acting so casual about it.

“Ah, that must be Sam with dinner. Bar food for the bar mood. I hope you like fries.”

Just then, the figure emerged from the staircase, wearing a suit. Figures. He made a beeline for you, reaching out your hand and shaking it. “Hi, you must be Decks. It’s so nice to meet you. I’m Sam. I was at the farm all those weeks ago, but I’m sorry we didn’t get to cross paths.”

You shook his hand happily before he asked to pull Steve aside for a moment. He seemed really nice, and who could complain about someone who appeared to be a friend, bearing food?

You took the opportunity to open the paper bag, setting everything out on the bar, fries packaged separately from a plethora of toppings to stay crispy. How thoughtful. You began your snacking before Steve came back.

He returned with a feigned offended look on his face. “So, what? I leave for a second and you’ve already started without me? How’s that fair?”

You laughed and looked at him, fry sticking out of your mouth like a cigarette, simply shrugging until he surprised you by jumping forward and chomping off the other end of the fry, cutting it short.

If you weren’t so focused on not losing what bit was left in your mouth, your jaw would’ve dropped in shock. Steve carried on like almost nothing had happened and picked up his cue again, speaking with his mouth half full. “So it’s my turn still, right?”

The games continued on like that, you and Steve going back and forth on who started, taking shots with fries hanging out of your mouths, and you still winning effortlessly. But as the night went on, though, Steve seemed to be getting more focused on the game. He paid more attention to the angle of your shots, and was almost rooting for you to be better than him with a weird seriousness to it. It wasn’t really fun anymore, or at least the excitement seemed like it was starting to fade for some odd reason. He didn’t try to make any more moves on you, instead letting you be in your zone, making you feel like this was hardly a date anymore. It got to the point where he, rejoined by Sam, was just watching, beer long abandoned to sober up and focus. You’d just about had enough of it. Something wasn’t being spoken out into the open air. After this evaluation, you decided to run an experiment. To see if your hunch was right. On what should’ve been an easy shot, you instead moved an inch to the side, and sunk the 8 ball into the pocket before you were supposed to do. The tension in the room got worse and you could audibly hear Steve wince with a soft “shit.”

You turned around at that. You were right. Something was off about this whole thing.

“Okay, what is going on? Ever since I got here, you’ve been going through waves of being so serious, but that was the last nail in the coffin. I thought it was just because we were both nervous for my first time being at your place, but this is much more than that. I’m sure of it. So tell me what it is. Why are you pushing so hard for me to win?”

Steve couldn’t take his eyes off the ground, rubbing the back of his neck. Sam straightened in a bar stool next to him, his eyes roaming everywhere, not wanting to linger on you and the fire raising in your expression. This isn’t how Steve wanted this to go, but you knew too well something was up. He still stayed silent.

“Steve, why do we have to go back to the farm this weekend and why do I have to practice? Why is Bee not returning my calls, either? What’s riding on this game? Why is it such a big deal? And what do you have to do with this? Why are you so personally invested?”

Steve still didn’t say anything, finally daring himself to look up and into your eyes through his lashes. His expression was troubled. He started to open his mouth, but nothing came out. Suddenly it was all dry from your rage. This was his worst fear, well, besides the unspeakable things Lloyd might have planned if you lost. You were getting impatient, though. Even when Steve wasn’t smooth, he would still talk to you. Talking was something you thought the two of you did pretty well, but apparently not right now.

“Steven. Words!”

Steve let out a sigh, signaling for Sam to give the two of you the room. There was no escaping this now. He’d pushed the limit on the timeframe he had to tell you the truth. “Listen, Sweetheart. You’re right. There’s… a lot… you should know, that I haven’t told you, so let me start at the beginning.”

You didn’t have time for him to try and sugarcoat this. You wanted the whole truth and you wanted it now. And so help you if there was something going on that you weren’t aware about, that was causing you issues you could’ve prevented, someone was getting the brunt of it.

You dropped your cue on the table, stomping over to the beer fridge and grabbing another bottle, hell, why not two, and storming towards a comfy leather chair, throwing yourself down and crossing your legs. “Go on, Stevie. Speak.”

Normally, he would’ve been elated to hear you call him that, but it was nowhere near the tender manner he was hoping you’d use the first time. It was bitter, and biting, and he hadn’t even said anything yet. This was not going to go well.

He sighed and started, eyes on you as if he was trying not to spook a wounded animal, but you were already worse than spooked, you were angry. And no physical wound could hurt more than the distrust you were feeling right now.

“I guess I’ll start with what you already know. You know Bucky and I work with and own a lot of businesses. And you know that Bee’s farm is one of the ones we’re working with, and Bee’s been facing a lot of pressure from Cole lately to sell the farm.”

You nodded along, chugging down your beer and slamming it on the coffee table next to you, ditching the second bottle in favor of something stronger. You walked back over to the bar, not sparing Steve a glance, as you pulled the rolling ladder over to grab the bottle of Macallan off the shelf. You didn’t care what year it was. You just knew it was expensive, and he owed you at least this much after lying.

You stepped back down, deciding to forego a glass, and walked to your seat again, finally looking into his eyes. “Okay, now tell me what I don’t know.”

He hated how hard your eyes had become. How they’d grown dull already where they used to have a sparkle when they reflected his face. “The businesses that Bucky and I run… not all of them are legal. A few of them run outside the law, and at first, it was just because that’s how we were brought up, but we realized that we could change things, so we did.”

You took a swig from the bottle. You did not like where this was going. Steve fidgeted with the pool cue still standing in his hands.

“We were raised in a certain way, to be cutthroat, and unrelenting, and aggressive. Ready to serve our superiors, because that’s what we had to do to survive. To provide for our struggling families. And we were good at it. We were good at following orders, and playing the system, so it put us in leadership at a pretty young age. It seemed like the right thing, especially once both our parents were gone. But as time went on, we saw how damaging what we did could be, and wanted to fix it. Except there were some people who didn’t feel the same way. Some people who were simply power and money hungry and didn’t care who they were hurting. In specific, this one guy named Lloyd.”

You kept nodding along, getting slightly dizzy from the straight alcohol hitting you, and not expecting the lore to go this deep. You thought it could’ve been something more minor. Maybe Steve was in the witness protection program or something, because that could’ve been better than this trip of an explanation.

“Lloyd was a friend of ours, along with his sister. And Bucky was especially close with her. But they both left to go off to college, and we were really proud of them, but when they came back, they were different. Aggressive, uncaring for quality of goods, money hungry. Lillian, Lloyd’s sister became a huge lawyer, used to do his dirty business bidding, and Lloyd tried to start from the ground up, stepping on the territory Bucky and I fixed and taking advantage of people already in terrible positions. We don’t do what he does. We regulate things so people like him don’t take over. And we collected a lot of allies and truly good businesses along the way to help out with keeping the other side under wraps.”

You rolled your eyes waving your hand signaling that he was going on and on and on. “Okay, so you’re a criminal. What does this have to do with my best friend’s farm? And why I’m here right now, evidently practicing pool like my life depends on it?”

He rubbed a hand down his face, looking past you, over your shoulder, and out the window at the far end of the room. “Our business with Bee isn’t on the legal side. It’s on the other one. And it wasn’t until a few weeks in or so that we saw Lloyd was connected with Cole. So we were getting harassed from both ends. From Lloyd on our end, and Cole on hers. I assume she hasn’t been telling you this, but Cole’s been on her ass since Bucky left, and Lloyd has been on ours for months. Bee made a bet to end it for once and for all. A single game of pool. Winner takes all. Friends and family only, no pros, and she wants you to play for her side. She hasn’t been picking up your calls because I told her not to. I wanted the chance to lay this all out on the table for you. So you’d hear it from me. I know you’re a woman of the law, and I work outside it a lot, so I understand if you’re upset about that.”

You clenched your jaw, and if you did it any harder, your teeth might’ve broken. Your breaths were heaving out of flared nostrils. You took another sip, trying to find the proper way to reply to all of this, but your brain was too fuzzed for that. And it’s not like you would’ve wanted to do the right thing even if you were thinking clearly. Yelling seemed like a good option right now.

“Are you fucking kidding me!? She bet the farm on this game!? And you’re what? A crime lord!? But that’s not even what I’m the most mad about. You lied to me Steve. I trusted you and I gave you my time and I let you in easily to see things no one else does, and you lied.”

You tried to stand up, but were becoming too dizzy to do so. You were humbled, only briefly, so you asked another, softer question. “So what really is even your job then? Who are you and Bucky exactly?”

Steve put his pool cue back. “Bucky’s the boss.”

“And you?”

“Second in command.”

“And what’s Sam?”

“Number three.”

You nodded, yelling to Sam who you could still see standing on the staircase, listening to the whole thing.

“Hey! Number three! Can you bring me more fries from over there?”

Sam looked between you and Steve and Steve nodded, a solemn look on his face, letting Sam run over to the bar, and bring you the rest of the basket of fries. Once you’d had your fill, and the carbs soaked up some of the alcohol, you stood up, staring Steve down.

“Okay, fine. Since everyone thought they were best to make decisions regarding my own life, and make stupid ones in theirs without consulting me, I’ll give. You want me to practice more pool? I’ll practice. Rack ‘em.”

Steve wanted to tell you this wasn’t necessary. That he’d made a mistake. That you’ve proven yourself enough and that he was sorry, but his mouth was paralyzed. He believed that the best thing right now was just to give into whatever you needed to stay sane.

You broke the balls with more force than necessary, already getting a striped ball in a pocket, then kept making shots, not missing a single one. You called the eight ball to the far corner pocket before sinking it easily, even drunk off your ass.

“There. Happy? I won’t screw this up. So you can see I’ll do my best to make sure our friend keeps her farm and you get your little business deals to stay protected. I’ll see you on Saturday, tell Gio I’ll be waiting for him outside my apartment, and then hopefully, after I do my job, you and I won’t need to see each other… never again.”

Steve stood with his eyes focusing on you, yet he was zoned out. He should’ve told you sooner. He should’ve seen this all coming from waiting too long. What was worse than you finding out? You getting hurt. And he did that. He hurt you. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if something happened to you because your guard was down because you didn’t know your true proximity to everything, but now that you did, he could see a thousand ways that it would’ve all gone smoother if he would’ve just been honest from the beginning.

You stormed across the basement, back towards where Sam was, and tossed him your keys. “You’re driving me home, Three.”

He followed you out the door, and you didn’t even care that you left your work clothes, and Steve, behind.

Sam drove you home like a chauffeur, after you insisted on getting on the back seat so you could lay down. Now was as good of a time as ever to try calling Bee again, and this time, she finally picked up.

“Hey, Decks. How did your date with Steve go? He told me you were coming over tonight.” Even in your state, you could sense the caution in her tone.

“It was fucking awful, but I think you know that. I can’t believe you lied to me, too. Some guy I just met is one thing, but my best friend is another. And on top of that, I can’t believe you were stupid enough to make this big of a bet and put it on my shoulders.”

She simply hummed. She could probably tell you were drunk, she was one of the few to have seen it this bad before. She sighed before giving her response. “You know me. And you know I wouldn’t have made this sort of a deal if it wasn’t necessary. If I wasn’t desperate. But I’m not worried.”

She was silent for a second, but you let her be. She was gathering the right thing to say, and anything you wanted to throw in that free space would’ve made things worse.

“Decks, no one I know is better than you. When it comes to you as a person and you playing pool. And plus, it’s not like he can bring a pro or even semi-pro to come beat you. You’ve got this in the bag, knock on wood, and I hoped you would understand. The bet and the business.”

You sighed. You wanted to be snarky and mean, but she was just so logical, and you knew how grounded she was with that heart of gold and shit. She was the one who always shared reason with you. But it still didn’t excuse how reckless this all felt.

“Bee, using this skill to swindle people out of a couple bucks hardly counts as being good enough to save your legacy. That farm is your life. I have no quantification of the probability of my win, but I’ll do my best, I guess. I’m getting really tired, now, so I’m gonna let you go, and you and I can talk about your poor taste in men and this little lying streak of yours later.”

And with that, you hung up the phone and the world went black.

Next >

Bonus A/N: Another vine reference: Did you guys [read] that? I’m really scared.

Taglist: @evie-119 @hawkeyes-queen @ronearoundblindly @thedonswife13

66 notes · View notes

whynotshaveme · 1 month

Text

Charity Isn't A Joke

By whynotshaveme

The annual county fair was in full swing, with laughter, music, and the clinking of game prizes filling the warm summer air. Brightly colored lights twinkled around the fairgrounds, casting a festive glow on the crowds that wandered from one attraction to the next. Among the various booths and stalls, one in particular drew a steady stream of attention—a charity head shave booth with a long line of men waiting to be shaved bald.

Kelsey, a teenage girl with flowing blonde hair, walked past the booth with her friends. Her long golden locks caught the attention of many in the crowd, wondering if she'd consider sacrificing her hair for charity. They had grown bored of just seeing men in the barber's chair.

As they approached the booth, one of Kelsey’s friends nudged her playfully. She noticed the stares. "Hey, Kels, why don’t you get in line? Give these rubes a show."

Kelsey rolled her eyes, laughing. "Yeah, right."

Her friends giggled, and another chimed in, "Come on, it would be hilarious! You wouldn't actually have to shave your head. You could just get in the line, take some pictures, and then back out before it’s your turn."

Kelsey smirked. It seemed harmless enough of a prank. "Alright, fine," she said with a grin. "I’ll get in line, but don’t think for a second I’m actually going through with it."

The crowd cheered as Kelsey joined the line, still smirking. As it moved forward, she watched as one person after another took their seat in the barber’s chair. The closer she got to the front, the more uneasy she began to feel. The barber was ruthless. Each head that left his chair left as bald as a cueball. She glanced back at her friends, who were still laughing and chatting, seemingly unaware of her growing anxiety.

When Kelsey was only a few people away from the chair, her unease turned into outright fear. Time to make my grand exit, she thought, before, this joke goes too far enough. She turned to step out of the line, but, as she did, she felt a strong hand clamp down on her shoulder.

"Where do you think you’re going, sweetheart?" a deep voice rumbled behind her.

Kelsey spun around to find herself face-to-face with a tall, broad-shouldered man. It was one of the men who had already been shaved and stuck around to volunteer. "Uh, sorry," Kelsey stammered, trying to laugh it off. "I wasn’t actually planning on shaving my head."

The man shook his head. "You’re in line now, and you’re staying in line."

Kelsey’s heart began to race. "No, really, I need to go. I can’t do this! I've been growing out my hair since I was 8!"

The man’s grip tightened, and his tone grew colder. "I don’t think you understand. You’re not leaving this line until you've had your turn in the chair."

Kelsey’s stomach churned with fear as she realized she was trapped. Her friends were too far away to help, and the crowd around the booth had thickened. There was no room for escape.

Before she knew it, the man was pushing her forward, forcing her towards the barber’s chair. "No, please!" Kelsey begged, her voice trembling. "I don’t want to do this!"

The crowd began to laugh and cheer, their voices cruel and mocking. "Too late to back out now, bitch!" one of them shouted. "Time for a haircut!"

Kelsey was eased into the chair by the waiting barber. He grabbed a cape, draped it over her shoulders, and secured it around her neck. "Looks like we’ve got a fussy one," the barber sneered, "Don’t worry, princess, I'll take care of that attitude along with your hair." Then he picked up his clippers.

"Please, don’t do this!" she cried, trying to pull away.

But the barber was having none of it. He held her in place by grabbing a fistful of her hair and yanking her head back. "Sit still," he growled.

Kelsey whimpered, her body trembling as the clippers were brought to her forehead. The barber drove them straight through the middle of her long, blonde hair as she squirmed and cried in his chair. The crowd erupting into cruel laughter and applause as her hair started to tumble to the ground. They were finally getting a good show.

"Look at her, she’s crying!" someone in the crowd jeered.

"She’ll be crying a lot more when she’s bald!" another shouted.

"Quit your squirming, girl!" the barber snapped, yanking her head to the side as he continued with the clippers. "You will just prolong your time in my chair!"

The crowd’s taunts grew louder, their laughter cruel and mocking as Kelsey’s hair fell to the ground in piles. Finally, the clippers fell silent, and she hoped it was over. Her cheeks burnt with shame as she became a public spectacle. But it wasn't over. The barber reached for a can of shaving cream.

"Can’t leave any stubble, now can we?" he sneered, lathering her head with the thick, white foam. "We need to make sure it’s nice and smooth."

Kelsey’s heart sank as she felt the cold cream being slathered over her head. The barber’s rough hands rubbed it in, coating every inch of her scalp. The crowd watched the teenaged beauty's continued humiliation eagerly.

"Please, stop," Kelsey whispered, her voice barely audible.

The barber ignored her, picking up a safety razor. "Hold still, or you’ll get cut," he warned, as he began to scrape the razor over her scalp.

When he finally finished shaving her, he rubbed her bald head roughly with a dirty white towel, used on everyone before her. Proclaiming her "makeover finally done", he smirked as he removed the cape, letting the remnants of her hair fall to the floor.

But the humiliation wasn’t over. When she tried to stand up, the barber grabbed her and bent her over his knee. "Oh no, you don’t," he growled, pulling down her shorts, "I promised you an attitude adjustment, and you're going to get one, missy."

The crowd cheered as he raised his hand and brought it down hard on her exposed backside, the sharp crack of the spank echoing through the air.

"That’s for making such a fuss!" he barked, delivering another stinging spank. "You’re not getting off that easy!"

Kelsey cried out in pain, her face burning with shame as the man spanked her in front of the jeering crowd. Each spank was harder than the last, her body trembling with humiliation. When he finally let her go, Kelsey collapsed on the ground, her body shaking with sobs and the crowd's cruel applause ringing in her ears.

"Serves her right!" someone shouted.

"Look at the princess now!" another taunted, "Shaved and then spanked."

One of Kelsey's friends emerged from the crowd to help her to her feet. From the guilty expression on her friend's face as they walked away, she knew that she wasn't the same girl anymore. As she felt her head, now as smooth as marble, tears dripped down her face. Her time in the chair had taught her that charity was no joke.

30 notes · View notes

giggles-and-freckles · 9 months

Note

Hey there! Can I get brand new neighbors au with Anakin and Satine?

from this prompt list

“You walk up this every day?”

Anakin passes him on the stairs and laughs. “Getting old on me, Obi-Wan?”

“No,” he cries. “These are steep.”

“Give me the box,” Anakin instructs, dropping his own load at the top of the stairs and coming back down toward Obi-Wan.

“I can handle it.”

“You’re wheezing. Give it here.”

Obi-Wan clutches the large box closer to his chest. “I am quite capable of carrying a box up some stairs, thank you.”

“Then stop complaining so much and do it, old man.” Anakin bounds down the rest of the steps to retrieve the last things from the car and manages to catch back up to Obi-Wan, skipping a few steps along the way, just to annoy Obi-Wan.

“I’d say don’t mind the mess, but I know you will,” Anakin calls over his shoulder as he unlocks the door and leads the way in.

“Good heavens, Anakin, you’ve lived here for a week.”

He flops onto the couch and grins. “And you missed me so much you’re already here to visit.”

“You asked me to drive up with your last things,” Obi-Wan reminds him, taking a seat on the other end of the couch.

The truth is, Anakin wanted to call Obi-Wan the second he drove off in the first place.

Sure, he’s excited about a fresh start. Classes haven’t started yet, but he’s already met some new people and they seem great.

But it’s also terrifying and Anakin hasn’t felt this lonely in years.

“We can order take-out later. I found this place around the corner with great burgers. Nothing like Dex’s, of course, but I’ll survive off of it for the next five years.”

“A degree is typically acquired in four years.”

“But I’m not typical, Obi-Wan. I’m above average.”

Obi-Wan closes his eyes and leans back on the couch. “I don’t think you understand what that means.”

“Of course I —” He’s cut off.

Obi-Wan shoots back up. “What the blazes…”

“You’re kidding.” Anakin stands and storms toward the window, throwing back the curtain to get a view of the street. Just as he expected.

Her.

“What is it?’ Obi-Wan asks, coming up behind Anakin to see out the window.

She continues to lay on her horn.

“Oh,” Obi-Wan says. “Am I in her parking spot? I’ll go move—”

Anakin’s hand shoots out to grab Obi-Wan. “Don’t you dare.”

“But —”

“I’ll handle this.”

If he was flying up and down the stairs earlier, it’s nothing compared to the speed with which he descends them now, billowing toward her car.

She sees him coming and times her horn honking to his footsteps.

“Satine! It’s a Saturday morning! Half the neighbourhood is still sleeping!”

She rolls down her passenger window. “I don’t understand how it concerns me that they’ve decided to waste away their days. What does concern me is this piece of trash in my spot.”

“It’s my —” He fumbles for a word, never knowing how to refer to Obi-Wan when speaking with a stranger. Father? Mentor? Brother? “Friend. He was helping me move.”

She smiles and claps her hands together. “Oh, you’re moving already? Delightful!”

Anakin smiles sweetly in return. “If I were to move, who would stop you from running over puppies and eating children?”

“Is there a problem?”

Anakin groans and looks over his shoulder. “Go inside, Obi-Wan. I’ve got this.”

“The only thing you’ve got is an ego the size of Texas and an apparently tragic barber, if that dreadful haircut is anything to show for it,” she points out, then leans forward in her seat to see around Anakin. “You there,” she calls. “This is your…vehicle?”

Obi-Wan comes to stand beside Anakin. “It is. I was unloading some boxes earlier and parked here for convenience. I didn’t realise this was assigned parking. It’s completely my mistake. If you’ll give me a moment to fetch my keys, I’ll get out of your way.”

She purses her lips into a thin line, clearly unsure of how to respond to Obi-Wan’s kindness. She gives a curt nod. “I should appreciate that.”

Obi-Wan walks back toward the house to retrieve his keys and Satine resumes her glaring.

“Your friend is not a student,” she says.

“Great observation, genius.”

“I’m surprised you have peers who know how to speak in complete sentences.”

“He does his own taxes and everything.”

Obi-Wan returns then, jingling his keys in victory.

“Thank you for being so patient. Again, I’m sorry to have set your morning back.” He turns toward Anakin. “Is there a metered area somewhere nearby? Or —”

Satine opens her car door and steps out. “Oh, never mind that.”

Obi-Wan looks at her — too closely, Anakin thinks. “I’m sorry?”

She pulls a small, genuine smile. Anakin didn’t know she was capable of those. “You’re visiting. It isn’t right that you park blocks away. Besides, my car is small. I’m fine here.”

“Are you certain? It’s really no trouble —”

She waves him off. “Nonsense.” Her smile grows as she offers a hand. “I’m Satine.”

“Obi-Wan,” he says, flashing a smile of his own.

Anakin hates this.

“Well, now that that’s all sorted,” he says, clapping his hands, “Obi-Wan and I have some boxes to unpack.”

“There’s only a few things, Anakin. It won’t take us but a half hour.”

Obi-Wan knows this. Anakin knows this. But Satine didn’t have to know this.

“Are you here for the weekend?” Satine asks.

“Just the day, I’m afraid,” Obi-Wan replies. “I have some things to get done before the work week begins.”

“What do you do?”

“I’m a teacher.”

“Oh, that’s lovely. What do you teach?”

Lovely. She said it was lovely.

Anakin needs to lie down.

#i have SO MUCH MORE grumpy neighbour banter between anakin and satine but it was getting out of control #but just know that they HAAAAAATE each other alright #anakin skywalker #satine kryze #obi wan kenobi #writing prompts

49 notes · View notes

georgiapeach30513 · 2 years

Text

A Little at a Time, Part 5

Summary: you can’t quit running into Andy

Pairings: Andy Barber X Reader

Rating: explicit

Warnings: explicit language, explicit sexual content, smut, unprotected sex, PIV sex, loss of virginity, blood, mentions of cheating, 18+ ONLY

Word Count: 8.5K

Series Masterlist

*dividers by @firefly-graphics

“Uh,” you look over the lengthy menu of the coffee shop. It was more than just a K Cup and CoffeeMate. The menu was extensive, and you just wanted coffee. Exactly how hard was this supposed to be? “Well, what would you suggest?”

The girl slumps her shoulders staring at you. “Coffee.”

“Oh, I, um…I like caramel, and…I prefer creamy coffee. Not too sweet. Mamaw always says you’ll rot your teeth if it’s too sweet. Which she always likes drinking sweet tea all day.”

“What kind of coffee do you want?” The girl says shortly. She definitely wasn’t making this process easier, and still you apologize to her for the inconvenience, and being too dumb to figure out what coffee you wanted.

“Candace!” Another girl steps up behind her. “Please go make yourself useful and make some cold brew. Sorry. She’s…well, she’s just blunt. With very little patience and rarely is up front. Name is Tori. I’m always here. Own the place. What’s the problem sweetheart? Overwhelmed?”

You give her a bit of a nod, and she looks over your body a bit. Smiling as she steps back. “I’m sure you would love some of the seasonal brews, but everybody needs a go to coffee. You look like a caramel girl. Yes?” She was lovely. Much nicer than Candace before her, and it was like she was reading you to determine your perfect drink. “Okay, today, I’m suggesting a caramel macchiato. Don’t be afraid to tell me it doesn’t work. Or are you a tea girl? Judging by that accent I’m guessing it’s the good ole sweet tea, though. You already have the sugar in there?”

“Yeah. Two cups per gallon. I’m more of a one and half cups per gallon, but my Papaw always gives me a side eye. You gotta steep the bags for a long time. Actually I bought me and Mamaw some tea from Ireland, Lyons tea. Have you heard of it?”

“No,” she giggles at you, sliding over a cup of the iced macchiato that another employee had made, and you give it a taste, moaning at how good it was. “I only keep the best beans here. So you’re into hot tea?”

“It’s not terrible. I like a black tea, but herbal tea wasn’t for me. It’s,” she points at a customer behind you, and you raise your cup. Walking over to find a seat. You liked it here. It wasn’t pretentious, and the owner enjoyed having a traditional coffee shop while still trying to have high quality products and trying new things.

You smile, looking out the window. You liked it. You felt comfortable. You pull out a book, casually reading and sipping on your coffee. Settling back in the cozy chair. It smelled amazing here. It was one of the first times you felt comfortable. Apart from any times that the hot Bostonian was around you.

It didn’t make sense that this man you knew very little about had occupied your time so much. How you couldn’t stop thinking about him, and his kind smile. It was like he always appeared just when you needed him. He laughed at appropriate times, and not at you. Cole always seemed to talk down to you, and you had known him for years.

You hang your head down low, wondering why you had ever forced yourself to continue in that relationship. It was comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time. You had made yourself believe that was all you were going to be good enough for, and yet he still made you too uncomfortable to ever be truly intimate with him. Every time you were intimate it was always him initiating it. You sniffle, refusing to let yourself cry another damn tear for Cole Turner. He wasn’t worth it.

Andy steps up to the counter, getting a quick head nod from Tori who was already making his regular brew while he scans the shoppe. Landing directly at a table for two with you alone, and one cup on the table. You looked zoned out while reading a book. Mostly touching your hair, or rubbing the bridge of your nose. Not paying any mind to anything around you.

“How long has she been here?” He asks Tori, who smiles at him. “What?”

“She’s a pretty girl. A bit overwhelmed with coffee. Talks a lot. Not from around here,” Andy nods his head, confused as to what point she was trying to make. “She’s probably just visiting. Why waste your time?”

“She’s not just visiting. She’s living here with a cousin,” his eyes go back to you, and you were none the wiser. He was able to actually look at you. You didn’t seem miserable to be here. You were at peace. “I’m going to talk to her.”

“Uh-huh. Is that all?” Andy offers a smile as a response. Grabbing his coffee to walk over to your table.

He stares at your expression, trying to get a better read on you. Poppy had told him to give you time, but you looked good. Happier than the first time that he had run into you. Definitely happier than when you were at the bar. Clearing his throat, you look up at him. With the biggest and prettiest smile, “This seat taken?”

“Oh, lord, yeah…I mean, no. Yeah, sit down. Sorry,” you bashfully laugh, trying to control your breathing. “You like coffee? I mean, of course you do. Unless that’s tea, is that tea?”

“It’s coffee,” he chuckles, and you have to look away. Biting at your tongue, and wiping your hands on your pants. “You come here often?”

“First time actually. Just a walk down the road. You know that you guys have everything within walking distance?”

“Poppy does because of the apartment. There’s houses further out that don’t. I’m guessing where you’re from, you don’t have that?”

You nearly choke on your coffee, trying to swallow it quickly to answer him. Wiping off the bit that spilled on the cup, and apologizing, “No, there’s a McDonald’s and a Dairy Queen. If you want coffee you pretty much have to make it at home. My Mamaw and Papaw they’re old school with the drip coffee, but I like a Keurig and a milk frother and I think I’m doing something special,” letting out a nervous laugh, you can’t help but to stare into his eyes. They were beautiful. That overflowing feeling of kindness and comfort warming you up.

“So what is it that you do Andy?”

“I’m the assistant district attorney, and you?”

“I taught pre-k. Nothing quite as glamorous as you. I put in an application at the daycare. I haven’t heard back from them though. I really need to find a job. I’d prefer not to go through all my savings, and I was blowing through a lot with the food delivery.”

“I think working with children is quite admirable. It can’t be easy,” you shake your head no, starting to giggle. Why were you like this? You never could have an easy conversation, but with Andy it was different. You weren’t trying to be anybody, but yourself.. “Does working with kids make you want them, or make you want to stay far away from them?”

“I’ve always wanted kids. Having a child or two is different than having twenty or more four year olds in one classroom. But they’re just little people, you know? They have their good days and bad days. They’re still learning right from wrong. Being introduced to other kids their own age that have been raised differently. They’re trying to control their big emotions in these little bitty bodies. Kids don’t confuse me. Adults do.”

“Hmm,” Andy had never thought about it quite like that. It made perfect sense. By the time people were adults they should know right from wrong. Should know that cheating on your husband was very wrong. “So…why Boston?”

“My cousin Poppy. I didn’t want to be in a small town around people who spread false gossip around like a bowl of tater salad at a cookout. You have the luxury of not everyone knowing your business here. I know that your inner circle may know, and some outside of that. But imagine going to a grocery store and people commenting about your relationship. Or finding out the immense amount of people that he was cheating on you with. You start questioning maybe I did something wrong, or maybe if I would have done this. But the fact of the matter is he wasn’t a good person, and he didn’t deserve me, and doesn’t deserve the friendship of his best friend. Yeah, he told the town I was sleeping with his best friend. I still don’t understand why he started that.”

“Wow,” you shared too much. Whatever this was is completely squashed because you shared too much. “He sounds like an asshole. How long do you think he was cheating?”

“Too long for me to stay with him. Out of sight out of mind. Figured it would eventually stop. Made excuses that my mind was running all these crazy scenarios only for those crazy scenarios to actually be true. So I’m the idiot.”

“He came home every night?” You give him a shrug, and Andy isn’t sure what to think. Did you really not care, or was there something more?

“I didn’t live with him. He is a cop and had weird hours. I hate being in a house alone. I stayed with him a lot, but lived with my grandparents. Pretty sure a lot of his cheating was while he was working.”

Andy hated this man and he didn’t even know his name, “So…he was engaging in sexual activity while in uniform?”

“He was engaged in sexual activity as a payment to get out of tickets. So I’ve been told. Nobody could tell me while I was engaged. But they like to talk now.”

“That’s illegal. Bribery is not just frowned upon, but is illegal an punishable. I’m sorry. I know, I didn’t do it, but…on the behalf of mankind that does not cheat, and will value a woman’s worth, I apologize. Not all men are like that, so I don’t want you to walk around here thinking that we are. Some are just bad. They’re going to cheat. Women, too. I don’t judge future women for what my ex wife did. That isn’t fair to me, and most certainly not you…uh…other women.”

You catch it, and Andy is fully aware that you caught it. He noticed your eyes light up at the comment, and he starts to relax more. He was hoping you would pick up on the fact that he was interested. Very interested. He would never treat you the way that Cole did. He would want to come home to you every night. “So you didn’t move in with him just because his work schedule?”

“There’s many reasons. I didn’t want to live with someone before marriage, but then I would stay days at a time. It was nice, but there was always something, you know? Something that never felt just right with Cole, and I think subconsciously I knew there was something wrong, so that’s why I never moved in. Even my Papaw wasn’t the biggest fan, he would talk to anybody. He just sat there and stared at things when Cole was around, and never looked in his eyes. That’s a big thing for Papaw. Mamaw…she’s your typical southern woman. She just wants to stuff food in your mouth and hear your flattery. But even she asked me so many times if I really wanted to marry him. I was so far in, I felt like I had to. He proposed, so I said yes. I’ve always allowed people to tell me what I need to do, including not living with someone I wasn’t married to.”

It made sense. This Cole, that Andy was definitely going to be digging more into, had used your obedience and people pleasing nature to shift things in his favor. He knew men just like Cole, and he couldn’t stand them. Here was this sweet woman who was this angelic little ball of radiance. You were personable, even if you overshared a bit. You were eager to make friends, or at least with him. You adapted to your surroundings, and Cole took advantage of that.

He sits across from you, listening to you talk about your hometown, and home life. Poppy was never quite this forthcoming. Choosing more to forget where she came from, but you spoke of this place like it was what shaped you into who you were, and you were proud of that fact. There was a fondness when talking about your grandparents especially.

“Wait, your mom?” He asks when you mention her, and you nod your head, finishing up the coffee, “How does she fit in your life?”

“Oh, that always confuses people. She’s the mayor of the town. When my dad passed, she put everything into her political life, and had no room to take care of me. I moved in with Mamaw and Papaw, and she comes by at least once a week, but she didn’t raise me. I think it was too hard for her. I remind her of my dad. And I don’t have daddy issues. Cole seemed to think I did. No, Papaw was a good father figure for me. He took me fishing, taught me how to play string instruments, even though neither of us can read music. He came to every one of my basketball games, or t-ball. He was always present, always steady. I don’t remember my dad, but I remember every time that my Papaw was there for me. He’d burn the world down if it meant protecting me. I became his other daughter.”

“I didn’t think you had daddy issues, Papaw sounds like a good man. Which string instruments?”

“Uhh…the only thing I’m not great at is the banjo. All those finger picks. Mandolin is my favorite. I can play a fiddle. Papaw used to help me with the stand up bass. I couldn’t hold it on my own. Guitar is his favorite though. They did these picking nights. Yes, in the south some people pick on their front porch, this is a real thing. Mamaw can’t play, but she has this big beautiful church voice, you know? The one that doesn’t need a microphone. You feel her words in your gut. It’s beautiful. Deep and rich. I don’t hate my childhood or my mother’s need to have someone else raise me. I had a good life. My Papaw, he had this thing for buying weird animals. We had these peacocks that roamed around the yard for awhile, and there was a buffalo. He was old and they were going to put him down, but Papaw wanted him to live his last days roaming in a pasture with a bunch of cows.”

“Peacocks randomly walking around your yard. Sounds…interesting. So you lived on a farm?” You shake your head no, and now Andy was even more confused. “A pasture of cows?”

“Oh, that was my Papaw’s brother. The cows were Uncle Sonny’s, but the pasture touched our driveway. Papaw talked to the cows. And of course Barry the buffalo,” you were fascinating. He could sit and talk to you for hours. Your face is so animated with every bit of information you give him, and he just couldn’t learn enough. “We always had a ton of mutt dogs. And they had official names, but Papaw seriously called them whatever name he could think of at that moment. Peanut and Snickers were his favorite names. There was a cat, but she was a useless thing. A few chickens, but he only bought them because they looked cool. There was a goat in the pasture, and Papaw called him Satan. Swore that ugly thing was the devil himself. He just randomly appeared on the porch making a mess of things, or would be on the hood of his truck.”

“Satan makes sense,” you continue talking to Andy, and he listens to every bit. It was like reading something completely made up. It was crazy to think people had grown up like this. You were able to run around completely unattended and barefoot creating stories of far off adventures, and eat apples with peacocks.

You were able to walk down this country dirt road and explore all day long. There was this sense of innocence to you, that he couldn’t place, but with a quick glance at his watch seeing the hours that had passed, he didn’t want this to end.

“Oh, lord, I am so sorry. I could seriously talk the horns off a goat. I’m sure you had something you needed to do. I just sometimes forget all that part of my life. It’s nice to relive my childhood.”

“You’re fine, honestly,” adorable is what you are. From the way you talked right down to your sweet accent, you were adorable. “I’ve loved this. I, uh…I don’t want to seem forward or anything, but I would like to continue this. Over drinks or something?”

“Wait…are you talking about a date?”

“That’s exactly what I’m talking about, but it doesn’t have to be something like that at all. It can be two people who enjoy talking, and someone wanting to show another someone the city of Boston.”

“No!” Andy laughs when you practically shout at him. You wanted to explore something more romantic. This was nice, but Cole never wanted to date. It was always wanting to get you home, and hoping that with enough making out you would actually have sex with him. He had fallen in love with your body, but not your mind. “I would love to go on a date with you.”

“Okay. So…uh, Friday night at seven work? Poppy’s bar? It doesn’t get rowdy until around nine. Nobody is eating food and everyone is drinking at that time, but I promise the food is amazing.”

“Okay. Yeah. Yes…yes, Andy, I think dinner sounds lovely. Seven? Friday? I can do that.”

“I look forward to it,” it was a quick motion, but he lays his hand over top of yours, and you can’t help but to preen up at him. Andy takes a quick look at your beaming face, having to say goodbye again, because his heart was fluttering. It felt like a school age crush all over again.

“Poppy!” Your cousin runs into the bedroom that you had been occupying, and immediately starts laughing. “Help.”

“Where are you going on a Friday night? I’m off tonight, I thought we were going to…Peach Blossom, this is date clothes.”

“Yep,” you agree, pulling something else out of the closet, before tossing it on the bed. “Help me.”

Poppy cocks her hip to the side, looking you up and down. Gauging your demeanor to see if you looked uncomfortable or just nervous, and then back to the clothes. A new pink Victoria’s Secret bag on the opposite of the floor. When you catch her looking, you slide it closer to the bed, hoping she didn’t actually see what she thinks she saw.

“Who?”

“Uh, don’t hate me. But you know that guy I kept telling you I was running into?” Smiling, she nods her head, “Well, his name is Andy.”

“Andy what?”

“Um…I didn’t get that part, but he’s the assistant district attorney, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find, right? Anyways.”

“Did you actually check? I mean, is there an Andy that’s the ADA?” You shake your head no, starting to reach for your phone. “I mean, how do we know anything this man has ever said? What if it’s all a lie?” She was right. How did you know? How did you know anything? You had seen this man at a grocery store twice and at a coffee shop.

“Well…I shouldn’t go on the date then?” Poppy wants to keep the charade up a little bit longer, but the look in your eyes when you start to think about canceling was almost hurting her darkened heart. It was a look she hadn’t ever seen you make when talking about someone you were engaged to. “But…he seems really nice. He was just recently divorced. And we were at the coffee shop for about four hours talking.”

“You talked to that man for four hours? About what?”

“Things. Life things. Like growing up in Georgia, and…Poppy, I really like him. If I can prove that he is in fact an ADA do you think, honestly, that it would be okay? Like surely if he works for the government he wouldn’t kill me right? Or…Poppy!” You scream at her when she starts laughing. She always had an easier time talking to men. She exuded sex appeal. Was a natural flirt with the prettiest lashes, puffy lips, even beauty marks that looked faked.

“Andy Barber is in fact the ADA, you’re fine.”

“You…you know him?” You ask, slinging a shirt at her. “You know this man, and you made me have second thoughts, because I felt he was going to kill me? You’re…you’re mean.”

“Ooh, shot to my heart. And you’re naive. I just want you to be careful. Your track record of one boyfriend and one fiancé, and they’re both the same person just doesn’t do you any favors, but,” her fingers begin lifting up different pieces of your clothing, before pairing the perfect outfit for you, “Andy is genuinely a good guy. He comes to the bar sometimes. Came a lot after divorcing Laurie. That’s how we met. He helped me out with my…well, he helped me press charges, and…this isn’t the time to talk about this because you have a date. And he’s a good man. He was there the night you were at the bar asking about you.”

“And you led me on like that? I can’t believe you, we’re supposed to be cousins and friends. I really like him. Like I like him more than I ever liked…Pops, can I be honest with you?”

“Does it have something to do with that bag of what I’m assuming is new lingerie?” You hate to admit it, but there was no denying the fact that you had bought lingerie just for this evening. It wasn’t overly revealing, and should things not work out, you could still see yourself wearing it. “Can we openly talk about yours and Cole’s relationship?” You nod your head, knowing that eventually this was going to come up. “What happened?”

“When we started dating, I did have that whole save yourself for marriage mentality because that’s what the pastor said. That continued, but then…the first time he touched me I liked it. But he scared me. Not like he ever hurt me, but I didn’t trust myself with him. He always wanted things to move so fast, and never wanted to just talk and get to know each other, and then it got to the point of me saying, well, I’ve already done this, might as well do more, but I never wanted to have sex with him. He wasn’t special enough.”

“But you were willing to marry him? Got that big fancy dress.”

“His mom insisted on that dress. But…I don’t know if I ever wanted to give him that part of me. It was like in the back of my head he never thought I was that special. I fit his idea of a wife. I would look good as the future sheriff’s wife. But I think we were two people that were just going through the motions.”

“And you think Andy is that person?” The big questions. You weren’t positive by any means, but positive enough to get something nice for the occasion.

“I don’t know. What I do know is I have talked to Andy more in the few hours we’ve been together than the three years Cole and I were together. I don’t know if Cole ever listened to me. If he did he would have made me feel comfortable around him. He always wanted to push my boundaries. Always wanted pictures, or videos, and I just wanted to talk. He only wanted to talk if it led to, well you know. With Andy, he listens, I feel comfortable, and I don’t have those reservations. I just want things to happen as they will.”

“I’m not going to give you a curfew, but I want you to at least communicate to me what’s happening. Like if you’re going to his house, tell me. You’re not losing your virginity in this apartment. I’m not listening to that shit. You could do a lot worse than Andy. Hell, you have. Peaches, I envy you,” you didn’t understand where this was coming from, because it was Poppy you had always envied. You wished you had her tenacity and her ability to not take shit off no one.

“You had this charmed life with Mamaw and Papaw. You knew what you wanted, and that was your perfect house with the white picket fence, two to four kids because you didn’t want your kids to be only children. A cute little dog that kept your kids rounded up and happy, and for some unknown reason you like people in power. Like Cole, the police officer, and now Andy. Hell, didn’t you used to have a crush on that one guy that became a fucking lawyer? You have always known what you wanted, and I wanted it all and wanted to try it all. What I’m saying is I see now how you wanted everything perfect, but just remember there’s no such thing. It’s okay to make mistakes, because you will always get back up. You will not let those mistakes drag you down. So go out and make mistakes. Because we’re Jackon’s, we always figure it out.”

“You think Andy is a mistake?”

“I think not going and thinking too much is a mistake. Have fun with Andy. Judging by your bag, have too much fun. If it feels right, it’s right. But don’t rush it either. If you’re having second thoughts, I promise that man ain’t going anywhere. He’ll wait on you,” while you had always been closer to Anna Kate, she always had the ability to agree with you, but Poppy told you what you needed to hear. And you loved her for that. The wild child of the Jackson granddaughters.

“Thanks. I’m going to enjoy myself.”

“You don’t like wine?” Andy asks, laughing when you grimace from the taste. “You liked what I suggested the other day.”

“Can I have that again? I’m sorry that was rude,” you hold the glass up, looking at it, and feeling so bad. “What is this?”

“A merlot. Quit trying to apologize to me, I suggested it, and you tried it. You don’t like it, and that’s fine. What do you normally drink?”

“One old fashioned. I’m honestly not big on drinking. I get…I’m friendly,” he holds a hand up for the waitress, asking for her to bring out two old fashioneds. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“We’re enjoying our food and drinks tonight. So no dry wines for you. Old fashioned, huh? Whiskey. It’s true what they say about southern women.”

“Not always. Poppy likes vodka. My Papaw is the whiskey and bourbon drinker. Mamaw doesn’t drink. You drink what you know. When Poppy, Anna Kate, and I were little we’d sneak to the cellar and get a bottle of Jack Daniels. No, it wasn’t a big wine cellar. It was this creepy underground bunker type thing. You had to walk past this crooked tree. There was this gnarly stick that kept the door closed, but eventually it was a lock because Papaw’s liquor kept going missing. Mamaw said we shouldn’t be drinking, but Papaw gave us the key. We earned a drink after walking past that old shed that had all these pigeons in there and that crooked tree. I always said it was poisoned, and if you touched it you would be cursed.”

“Did you ever touch it?”

“Hell no. I believed that. Didn’t stop us from sneaking down in there. What about your childhood?”

“Single mother. Not much to talk about. I’m more curious about yours. It seems so…almost made up, but I have no doubts you were doing all of this. Lived on a dirt road, never saw cars coming down the road unless they lived down it. It sounds beautiful.”

“You can walk to the house my grandpa grew up in. It’s more a shack than anything. There’s no power lines, because he didn’t grow up with electricity. No running water. It’s falling down now, but that place held magical powers, too. It’s funny the things we take for granted, like being able to bathe when you want to. Being able to take a drink without making sure the buckets were filled with spring water.”

“I’d like to see it someday.”

“I’d like to show you. Sorry,” you answer too quickly, ruining the moment when your foot knocks on Andy’s. “I’m such a clutz.”

“Keep it there,” oh boy. You were feeling things. Feeling things you had never felt for Cole. Things that you had thought you would only feel for your husband, but Andy was proving that all wrong. You were thankful for this tight seating, and Andy’s ability to rub his fingers on your knee.

A surge of heat rushes to your core, and you feel like you can no longer breathe. This was very different with Cole, because you want more. “You okay?” You give Andy a headnod, pepping yourself up to breathe. Just breathe.

“Is it hot in here? Are you hot?” Andy smiles, shaking his head. You were completely flustered, and it made you more adorable. Reaching for a glass of water, you take a big sip, and when his hand starts sliding away, you slam your own hand over his, “No, I like it.”

“Okay.”

“I like it too much,” your eyes go wide with your admission. How was he able to make you feel comfortable, and yet so nervous at the same time? “I hate myself.”

“It’s fine. Come here,” you stand up from your side of the table, moving to sit next to him, and he picks up your hand, placing it over his heart. It was beating out of his chest just like yours. “You’re not the only one, okay? It’s like every time I’m around you, this…this is what I feel.”

“I feel my heart pounding…all over,” you cuss under your breath, because you shouldn’t have told him that. He did not need to know everywhere that you could feel your pulse. Instead of his hand being on your knee it was much higher on your thigh. His thumb caresses your leg, but it stays properly over your skirt.

“Is this okay?”

“Yes. It’s perfectly fine.”

“You should drink your old fashioned. Please, keep talking.”

“And then what happened?” Andy asks, leaning in closer to you. It was getting late, and you could already hear the amount of people that was piling into the bar. But it was just a low hum. The only thing that mattered was Andy beside you. His head starts to tilt, and you rush towards his lips. You didn’t care about that careful build up because your body was aching with a need to touch him.

He slots his mouth against yours, and the kiss was an immediate connection. It seemed silly, but you could feel sparks flying. Lips parting as his tongue slides past your lips, gasping when it touches your own. Your body arches into his, and the hand that has been resting at your side travels up. Far enough up for his thumb to graze over your nipple, and you pull away from him, gasping for air.

“A-A-Andy?” You had to have been drunk off his lips, because what you were thinking in this moment is nowhere near what you normally would, but it felt right. “I don’t wanna stay here anymore.”

“Oh? I’m not quite sure I follow. Did…did I do something wrong?”

“Is there somewhere quiet to go? Like…”

“My place?” You nod your head enthusiastically, and Andy lays down a hundred dollar bill to cover well over the food, drinks, and tip. The two of you standing up, walking hand in hand out to the car.

The further away you get from the bar, the closer you lean into him, but Andy also couldn’t get enough. There was not enough time to touch you like he wanted to. Calculating in his head the amount of time it was going to take to drive you to his house, but he was going to make the most of it.

Every traffic light had him pulling you back in for a kiss. Hating he had to keep his eye on the light, before the two of you would look back out the windshield. His hand that rests on your leg, was dangerously high. He could feel the heat coming off your cunt. Feeling like a furnace that was radiating a blaze of arousal to his hand. You needed relief. He could almost smell how wet you were, and he wanted this night to last on into the morning.

Pulling into the garage, he rushes to your side of the door. Crashing his lips against your own as he struggles to open the door. The two of you hit and knock over too many things off the wall and counter until he stops in the living room. Waiting on you to decide where to go from there. Your chest heaves with a fervent need to have him all over your body, but also wanting to catch your breath.

The couch looks comfortable, so you back him up on it. Letting him fall to the cusions when you ruck up your skirt, and crawl over him. Having to pick up his hands to place on your body, “You’re okay with this?” He asks in between kisses.

“Just touch me,” and he does. He touches you all over. Squeezing and groping. Smoothing over your skin, and before you know it he was sucking bruises on your neck, while your body grinds over him, and you moan at the feeling of his cock growing harder under you. You hate comparing things to Cole, but you had never felt like this.

Andy’s fingers were capable, but still he gives you a moment to decide if you wanted to continue. When he realizes you weren’t objecting, he continues his motions in that spot on your body. Exploring every inch of your supple skin. It isn’t until his finger slides up and down your drenched and brand new panties, that you gasp, stopping your body.

Andy throws both hands up, panting as he stares at you, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, I thought…thought that’s where we were going. I’m…I didn’t mean to.”

“No, no, you’re fine,” you smile, slowly rolling your hips on him. “I liked it.”

“Yeah?”

“Mhmm,” grabbing the hemline of your blouse, you pull it over your head, and he gets to stare at your pretty little new underwear. It framed your curves perfectly. Andy’s hands slide up and down your thighs, causing your kiss swollen lips to tremble.

“Will you tell me if we’re going too far?”

“Yes.”

“You promise?”

“Yes.”

“So, if I do this,” his hand dips back in between your thighs, letting his thumb rub over your soiled panties. “You like that?” You nod your head, and he slips his hand under the panties. Pulling the gusset out far enough that he was just feeling your slick on the lace. “You’ve made a mess for me.”

When he allows his thumb to touch your skin, your eyes close, rolling back in your head, and you let out a deep pornographic moan. “You like this?”

“Uh…huh,” squeaking out your words when he touches your bundle of nerves. Giving the little pearl flicks. Removing his hand, he circles both around your hips. Readjusting you, and leaning you back so he gets a clear view of your covered and weeping cunt.

Moving aside your panties, he stares at your folds, before looking back up at you. Two fingers push into your warmth, and he stares intently as your jaw goes slack. Your fingers dig into his skin as he scissors into you, “You have a tight little pussy. Are you still doing okay?”

“Andy…Andy,” you whimper his name as he slowly pumps into you. He was getting off on your pleasure, and still you wanted more. “I want you. I want you!” His fingers drive into you faster, curling up. Hitting over your spot over and over until your toes curl. Feelings that you had never felt before. Body tensing up as he works you over. Screaming out his name until your juices were pouring out of you, and you couldn’t focus. The room was blurry and spinning around.

You grab at his wrist, and he stops completely. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

“Do what?” Andy gives you a devilish smirk. Whoever you were with before did not know how to properly care for you if he could never make you squirt like that. “Peaches, what did you do?”

“I think…oh god, I think I peed. It’s not funny. I’m sorry.”

“Sweetheart, has peeing ever made you feel that good? If it has, I'm very jealous of your bathroom habits. Honey, have you never squirted?” You shake your head no, because your body most definitely had never done that before. “What you did was nothing to apologize about. So…what do you want to do now?”

“You?”

“You want to do me?” Now would be a perfect time to let him know you were a virgin, but you didn’t want him to take things slower. You were committed to it being tonight. You wanted Andy. It felt right. There was nothing even remotely telling you to slow down. He made you feel safe, and made you desire more.

“Yes. In the bed?”

Letting you stand up, he grabs at your hand, leading you into the bedroom, when he turns around to kiss over your sticky skin. Hands behind your back when your bra drops to the floor. Grabbing a handful of your tit, he lets his greedy mouth suck on you. You shimmy out of your skirt, and reach towards his pants. Nervously starting to undo his button. Letting the jeans sink to the floor when you palm his boxer briefs.

His breath comes out labored, and he just rips his button up off while you gaze at the thick cords of muscles that made up his arms and chest. Leading you to the bed when he removes his underwear. You glance down at his thick and heavy cock, and have never wanted nothing more. Staring up at him through your lashes when you back up on the bed. Setting in the center, and stare at Andy. He was a god among men.

Andy reaches into a drawer beside the bed, and pulls out a foil packet. Bringing it to his mouth his teeth clench as he rips it open. Blowing the excess out of his mouth before rolling the latex on his fat cock. Placing his knee on the bed, when he looks at you. Not your body, but you. “You sure?”

“Yes,” you whisper, and he crawls closer to you. Adjusting your legs wider to accommodate him and his broad body. Andy runs his fingers through your slit, changing to bring his tip to tease at your entrance. Watching your face as you nod. Staring at only him when he pushes into your tight channel, making your back arch into him. You wouldn’t cry, and you wouldn’t scream, but he had set you on fire.

“Fuck. Fuck. You’re so fucking tight. Shit. What…this is going to come off rude,” Andy struggles to breathe right along with you. Drawing his hips back, when he shoves himself back in. “Was…fuck…was he that small?” You laugh despite wanting to do other things. Trying not to cry even though it stung like hell. Every movement he made was worse than the one before.

Gripping at his back when he really starts thrusting into you. It stung. There was such a fullness to his girth inside your virginal cunt that it overwhelmed you. Nothing could have prepared you for this. “Andy…Andy.”

“Fucking hell,” he leans up a bit, seeing the tears in your eyes as he slows down. Looking down at where the two of you connect to see his cock wrapped in blood. “Oh my god. What happened? Are you okay? Did I do something?”

“I’m fine. Just keep going.”

“You’re bleeding. Did you start your period? What…?” You lift up to your elbows, horrified. He had you so stretched out. No wonder it was slightly painful. You drop down on the bed, mortified. “What is wrong?”

“I’m a…well, I was, I guess this is official, but I was a…uh, well, you see…you’re my first person. This is the first time. I was a virgin.”

“Oh,” Andy is a bit relieved, and a bit bothered you wouldn’t just tell him. “You…you didn’t think to tell someone? I mean, I just assumed. You said you stayed for days with deputy douche bag, and you never had sex?” You shake your head no, still covering your eyes. You couldn’t look at him. “Why? And please, just look at me. I’m inside you, I don’t think things get more intimate than this.”

You slowly let your hands fall to the bed below, looking up at Andy. Things weren’t feeling quite so uncomfortable anymore. Your pussy was adjusting to his width, and you were beginning to love the way the pressure felt, and even more how close he was to you. This was awkward, and still so very right. Even as he starts to pull out, you hold onto him, “Please don’t. I wanted to wait for marriage.”

“Okay, this…this doesn’t make me feel good.”

“No. With him. I went in thinking that’s what I should do, but all those years later, I still never felt comfortable enough to actually have sex. I was beginning to even dread the wedding night. I was using the excuse of waiting until marriage, because I didn’t want to fuck him. But with you…Andy, I wanted this. I wanted you. I’m not saying we have to get married. I’m saying I wanted this. I wanted you, and I wanted you to have this. I felt more comfortable with you than with someone who I had slept with, not sex, but slept beside, and held. I just didn’t want to have sex with him. I didn’t trust him.”

“If you would have told me…”

“You would have made me wait,” he shakes his head no, smiling down at you. You were completely right. He would have made you wait. He would have enjoyed taking you apart slowly. “Yeah, you would. You’re that kind of a guy. One date wouldn’t have been a long enough time.”

“I could have taken time with you. I could have used my fingers to stretch you out a bit more. I could have taken the time, and kissed on you a bit more, tasted you. Slid into you slower, or hell I don’t even know, realize what I had laying in my bed. You deserve more than you were given and if that jackass ever pushed you and made you feel like he was owed this, I’m sorry, but I think you deserve more than I just gave you, too.”

“I’m sorry, but I’m not mad. This wasn’t some romance movie moment, but tonight has been the best night of my life. I came home with you because I like talking to you, and I like the way you make my body feel. I came home with you thinking that just making out would be plenty, but I did want this. I like the way you make me feel, yes, but I love the way you treat me. I barely know you, and still feel like I’ve known you my whole life. I don’t regret tonight. No part of it, maybe the not telling you part. But this feels nice, no?”

“This feels a lot better than nice. I just wish…”

“I don’t need a bed of roses because those wither away.”

“That sounds familiar.”

“It's a country song, anyways, I want you. And this moment. I want you to fuck…make love…have sex, whatever to call it. I want to feel you all over my body. Please…please just — I want this Andy, I want to feel you take control over my body,,” with a deep breath, Andy slowly pulls himself out of you, and slowly sinks back in. “Andy, are you clean?”

“Yeah.”

“So am I. Just don’t come in me.”

“You say that now,” he whispers, pulling himself completely out of you. Looking at your tight but gaping hole. He pulls off the condom, touching his tip at your entrance with a moan. “I do not care what you say or beg of me I will not put my cum in you, and I mean that.”

“Okay. Just…holy shit,” hands on his back, you scratch down the muscled skin as he pushes through your entrance. This was such a different feeling. Skin on skin. Everything became more sensitive, more intimate. And he doesn’t stop until he is fully sheathed into your wet heat. Settling his weight over you. Using his fingers to push back your hair as he starts a slow and steady pumps.

“Uh…uh,” a round of whimpering squeaks exit your mouth, and you want to close your eyes, and want to keep staring up at him. “Andy…An — dy.”

“Does it hurt?”

“Not anymore.”

“And it feels good?”

“So good. So — good. Oh!” He picks up the pace. It had been so long since he had someone like this. He couldn’t remember when he was able to fully feel what they felt like from the inside. He never trusted Laurie. But you were freely giving him every part of you. Every part of you was gripping him tightly; hand on his back, legs around his waist, and your cunt was making it hard to breathe. You were perfect.

He would have made you wait. You deserved that, but this was better than he could have imagined. Your perfect little whimpers, and the way your nails dig into his skin when he hits a certain spot just. Right. There. Lifting your back off the bed, you and him were so close, and fused together.

“Yeah. Yeah, you like the way I make you feel, huh?”

“Uh-huh. Andy…”

“You wanna try being on top? From behind?” You shake your head no, you didn’t want Andy to leave you for any second. “Okay, just this once. You’re gonna have to be a good girl and try other positions eventually, okay?”

“Okay. Andy…Andy. I’m…”

“Trust me, I can fucking tell. You’re doing such a good job. Have you stretched out and full of me. Got you right….right…right…fucking — there,” your cunt clenches down tight. Too tight for Andy to even move. He lets you ride out your high. Your eyes were deep dark pools of lust as you gaze owlishly up at him. Still panting with tears leaking out of your eyes as he pulls completely out of you. Wrapping his hand around his girth, fisting himself before spurting his thick cream up your stomach.

Giving a glance down to your ruined cunt when he rubs over your sensitive bean, “How are you feeling?”

“Overwhelmed,” Andy stares up at his spend laying on your body before gathering it up. Rubbing your clit with the mess, and you sit up. Moaning at his motions, but also everything else, “What…Andy, what are you doing?”

“Sperm dies outside of the body in about two minutes.”

“Do you always do this?” He shakes his head no, and he wasn’t lying. He had never wanted to see his spunk leak out of anyone more than you. Had never yearned to see someone’s cum mix with his own. “Do you want me to go home?”

“I’d prefer you stayed right there. I need to take care of you. Clean you up. Make sure you rehydrate. Snuggle you. Smell you.”

“And have sex again later?”

“No. We’ll do this again,” he slaps at your pussy before standing up, and waddling to the bathroom. “You’ll need a moment to rest.”

“We could try?”

“I don’t want you to think I’m interested in just a tight pussy. Tomorrow, breakfast in bed. We’ll go to the park or something. Watch a movie. Doesn’t matter. Just…” he walks back into the bedroom with a warm washcloth. Pressing it up against your tender sex, and moving up to wipe himself off you. “We can just enjoy each other.”

“But I want to have sex with you again,” you beg, tears forming in your eyes. You were going to be trouble. Your legs were still spread as if he was laying in between them. Your hole was spread so wide, but it was those pouting eyes. You had fully trusted him, and was pleading for more. Your pussy showed the signs of him having been seated so deep inside of you.

And it was like you wanted him to have a front row seat to view it. He doubted you were quite as cunning as that. There was still this confusion of not knowing of what to do. Judging by your conversations, you wanted the same things that Andy wanted out of life. Essentially a perfect match.

Andy had to remember that the two of you were still new. He didn’t want to jump in too deep into this relationship, but he could see something becoming more real. He did not feel things this passionately with Laurie. Didn’t have this strong desire to protect her, stay with her, and dote on her like he did you. She didn’t even want kids. Lied to him from the beginning about that.

You sigh softly, curling into his chest, and he holds you so tight. He should have known the second he pushed through your entrance that you were a virgin. The shock on your face, and biting at your lip as your eyes fill with tears. You were something he hadn’t felt before. Petting his hands up and down your back, he knows he could keep you like this forever.

“Andy, I don’t believe in dating around.”

“Don’t worry,” he takes a deep gulp. “I’ve only got time for one person, and she’s laying in my arms,” there was a soft giggle that vibrates his chest, and he pulls you even closer to him. He is sure there would be hell to pay with Poppy tomorrow, but right now, he just wanted to bask in the loss of your innocence glow. The way you randomly kissed over his chest, and your fingers tickle his belly. He could get used to this. He never wanted you to leave. He knew he needed to chill, but he was also going to let you decide what you wanted to do, and it did not appear that you wanted to be anywhere but in his arms. And he was not complaining.

Masterlist

Taglist: @tis-thedamn-season @marveloustaylortot @pono-pura-vida @sstan-hoe @softsatnin @missusbarnes-rogers @peaches1958 @seitmai @smile1318 @andydrysdalerogers @kittycatcait219 @sarahdonald87 @patzammit @elrw24 @redbloodedgurl @cjand10 @calwitch @sebsgirl71479

#a little at a time #andy barber #andy barber x reader #andy barber x fem!reader #andy barber x y/n #andy barber x you #andy barber fanfiction #andy barber fics #andy barber fic #andy barber smut #chris evans #defending jacob

215 notes · View notes

thebiggerbear · 1 year

Text

Only Ever Holding Onto You - Two - Near Miss

A/N: Hey all! Here is Chapter 2. I hope this is okay. Unbeta'd so all mistakes are my own. My beta was able to give me some notes but was unable to give it a full workup this time around so I apologize.

Song for the dance is In the Still Of the Night by The Five Satins. I couldn't stop listening to it while writing.

Warnings: Language (I guess?); them being idiots

Word Count: 7225

Series Taglist: @deans-spinster-witch; @rieleatiel

This chapter was recc'ed by @winchestergirl2 here.

Series Masterlist

Sighing, you stepped out of your car and glared at your destination: The Boot Heel Bar. You had no issue with the place but you were not exactly in the mood to socialize with your coworkers tonight, a certain ice princess named Hoyt specifically, but here you were. All because Beau urged you to come. You were an idiot and you swore that the man knew it, always utilizing this fact to his advantage and much to your detriment. You could never tell him no, not when he used that face and that tone, so after work you had gone home to change and now here you stood, scowling at the entrance to the local dive bar you all frequented.

You forced yourself to take a deep breath and remember that you only needed to play along nicely for the hour you planned to stay. You also rallied yourself with the thought that Beau owed you a few rounds since you picked up the tab the last time everyone met for a drink. You felt even more bolstered when you remembered that the cute and flirty bartender from last time might be working tonight and perhaps he’d buy you a shot like last time. Aiden — that was his name. That perked you right up and you made your way inside.

Music was blasting loudly from the corner where the jukebox was playing and the place was nearly packed. You scanned the large room and spotted the group of your coworkers surrounding a table in the back. One glance at the bar had you smiling when you saw the bartender you had been looking for. You snuck a peek at your group who hadn’t noticed your presence yet, and you made the decision to head straight to the bar first to get your drink. You didn’t do yourself up and change into this eye-catching outfit and killer heels for nothing.

You were just starting to slink over when you heard someone yell your name. You knew immediately who it was and you closed your eyes in defeat. Despite your best efforts, the group had seen you. After a moment of steeling yourself to face the people you had been trying to avoid for at least a few minutes, you spun around to find Beau making his way towards you, a huge grin on his face and a drink in his hand.

“Hey,” he greeted you happily. “You made it!” He gave you a one-armed hug and you couldn’t help but smile, happy to see him as well. You may not have been in the mood to see anyone else from the department tonight but you would always want to see your best friend.

Beau pulled back, giving you a once over. “Damn, darlin’, you are gorgeous.”

You gave him a playful swat on his chest, frowning. “Are you saying I’m not without all of this?”

“What? No,” he chuckled nervously. “No, what I meant was…you know…you’re more gorgeous than usual…right now… I don’t…” He gave up and took a sip of the drink he had, opting not to say any more that might get him in trouble.

“Calm down, slugger,” you laughed. “I’m just messing with you.” Seeing relief play out over his features, you gave him the once over. He had a nice button-up on with jeans and his usual boots. It also looked like he may have swung by the barber’s after work. “Not bad. You clean up pretty well, Arlen. You have a hot date tonight or what?”

A pink tint rose in his cheeks and it nearly made you laugh again. Beau Arlen was blushing, actually blushing. You knew all of that talk from him about men from Texas not blushing was absolute horseshit. But then you remembered who his hot date might be and you no longer felt like laughing. You hadn’t seen Hoyt at first glance around, but if Beau was here, she was guaranteed to be. This was her favorite bar after all, which she made sure to tell anyone who would listen ten times over the last night there had been a work get together, after she’d drank half the inventory of the place. Beau had ended up driving her home that night though both Cassie and Poppernak had offered. She had been barely able to walk so you could only imagine how elated she must have been when Beau must have needed to scoop her up in his arms and carry her to bed. The thought turned into a stone in the pit of your stomach; you did your best to ignore it.

“Not a hot date really. Well, it’s not a date.” You arched your brows in surprise, not expecting him to finally admit what had fast become an unspoken truth around the department at this point, the whole town really. Even Denise was taking bets on when Beau and Hoyt would officially come out as a couple. Cassie kept quiet each time Denise mentioned it, but you knew she did that out of respect for you, knowing how you and the blonde couldn’t stand one another and all.

Beau, seeing your reaction, began to panic. “No, what I mean is, she’s hot. No, I mean she is but not the date. But there is no date. I don’t…God help me,” he finished in a groan. He then sucked more alcohol down, opting to stay quiet again.

And there it was. Exactly what had been the strain between you both for the past six months, everything you had been fighting about. It felt like you had been sucker-punched though you knew it had been coming. You stared at your best friend, really looking at him, and a feeling of sadness overtook you for a moment. He deserved so much better, he was such a good man, and yet here he was, willingly throwing himself into the lion’s open mouth to be devoured. You hadn’t had the urge to pray in the longest time, but you were pretty close right now to starting up again. The only silver lining was that Emily liked Hoyt (for reasons unbeknownst to you) and due to that fact, there seemed to be a truce now between the latter and Carla. And even if his relationship with Hoyt interfered with your friendship, Beau still had Cassie as a close friend who treated him well. Yeah, good ol’ silver linings. Silver — that reminded you of Patron and that snapped you out of your thought track enough to be able to finally move out of your frozen state. “I’m going to the bar to get a drink. I’ll meet you back at the table.”

Beau’s brows furrowed in question and he gestured to the half empty glass in his hand. “This is your drink.”

“The drink you’ve been gulping down the last two minutes?” You took more notice of the glass and it was indeed one of your favorite drinks. You felt bad that you hadn’t noticed it earlier when he first greeted you.

The pink tinge was back in his cheeks and it made you smile. If nothing else, it was cute and you enjoyed pulling this reaction out of him. Just something else you could tease him over at some point. “Sorry, darlin’. I panicked and just drank it without thinking. But I did get this for you. Let me go get another one and bring it over to you.”

Oh, no way were you going to sit near the smug undersheriff who appeared to be officially now under the sheriff without having some form of a liquid bumper. Besides, you deserved at least one flirty wink from Aiden the cute bartender, especially after what you were going to have to deal with for the next hour. No doubt that if Denise was right and Beau and Hoyt were coming out and confirming everyone’s suspicions, the blonde was going to definitely rub their noses in it and claim her territory for real. You wouldn’t even be surprised if she lifted a leg at some point. You needed the fleeting good feeling one flirty interaction at the bar might give you. It would sustain you enough until you left for the night. Plus, a free shot or two couldn’t hurt in that endeavor.

“No, that’s okay. I’ll get it but thank you anyway. I’ll get you a refill, too. I’ll see you in a few.” You squeezed his arm, smiling, and turned to make your way to the bar before he could say anything. Once you maneuvered around the multiple bodies packing the area, you luckily found an open space at the bar to slip into. You waited patiently for your turn to order after your bartender sent a smile and wink your way to acknowledge you, completing the orders for the couple who got there before you. You tapped your foot to the music and just as the song ended, an arm came around your shoulders making you tense up. As you were about to warn the owner of the arm that if they didn’t move it they’d lose it, a familiar voice spoke in your ear. “I’ve got this round, sweetheart.”

You turned to find Beau smirking down at you. “I thought we were meeting over at the table.”

He shrugged and pulled out his wallet. “You got the tab last time. This time it’s on me. Whatever you want.”

“Wait, you’re buying? In that case, I’m going to order my fourth and fifth rounds right now.”

“Ha ha. In that case, I’ll be your DD tonight.” He flashed you a bright smile.

“I’m not sleeping in the tin can again,” you stated.

“What is it with you and my trailer? Why can’t you just be nice to her?”

“Why can’t you stop calling it a her?”

“Not this again. It’s my home, Y/N. Why you gotta knock it? What’s she ever done to you?” He laughed.

“I’m not knocking it, or you,” you reassured him. “I just won’t ever refer to it as a her. The moment you accept that is the moment I’ll stop calling it the tin can it is.”

Shaking his head, he sighed and retracted his arm from your shoulders. “She deserves more respect than that. She’s housed you when you needed it and she’s taken great care of me. Of Em, too.”

You snorted a laugh. “Em hates that thing almost as much as I do. You know I'm right.”

Beau rolled his eyes but stayed silent. Your smug smirk settled on your face when he pulled out his phone, presumably to send a message to the daughter you had just been discussing. Giving him privacy, you glanced back at Aiden who motioned to you that you were next in line when you noticed the TV screen above his head. Your eyes widened when you saw the headline.

Standing outside of the same building you had been at two days ago was an anchorwoman speaking to the camera in the foreground while in the background there was a group of people with painted signs, shouting or chanting. You couldn’t hear the sound so you couldn’t be sure which but it was definitely one of them.

“Looks like someone’s protesting that place after all.” You turned to see Beau watching the screen intently with you before he gave you another smirk.

You saw an all-too familiar gleam in his eyes and you just knew. “Was that you?”

He shrugged a shoulder and leaned in closer to you, keeping his eyes on the TV. “I may have let it slip to one of our journalist friends what my department had witnessed and the fact that the company denied us access to their cameras.” You gaped at him, shocked at his revelation. If his name was used, he could be in for a whole world of trouble. “I told them off the record, of course.” Relief immediately began filling your body. “And I may have asked Carla if she could recommend a good defense attorney for one Martin Webb after filling her in on what happened there. And she may have also recommended an attorney that he can talk to who specializes in animal cruelty cases, who has gone after big companies like this before for this very thing.” He took another sip of the mostly finished drink he had set down on the counter.

Recovering enough from your shock, you managed to ask, “And the protest?”

“We’re keeping an eye on things but as long as it remains peaceful, we shouldn’t need to step in. I let Helena PD know and they’re doing the same. They’ve got two bodies over there right now, just making sure private security doesn’t try anything and everyone’s safe.” He then met your eyes. “I told you, Y/N, we do our jobs, that’s it. We can’t get involved.” He shot you a wink.

You smiled, thinking back to your conversation where he’d told you that very thing. At the time you had been disappointed but realized he was right to say it. But then again, this was Beau. When hadn’t he thrown the rule book out when something important was on the line? “Who are the protestors? What organization?”

“Let’s just say that Em knows how to fill out an anonymous tip form online and PETA has plenty of those. And she may have used social media to help spread the word.”

You leaned forward and kissed his cheek, surprising him. “Thank you,” you whispered into his ear as you wrapped your arms around his neck. You weren’t surprised at the actions he took because he was always a good compassionate man but in the same vein, you were stunned. He had really thought of everything.

“I’ve told you before, darlin’, I’ve got you,” he murmured, and tightened his embrace around you.

The gratitude you felt warred with the guilt surging inside. You needed to tell him the truth about what you’d done the other day. “I need to tell you something,” you rushed out.

He pulled back and cupped your cheek, stroking your cheek with his thumb. “That you put a call in to the Feds?”

Your brows began to furrow in question and he used his thumb to then smooth out the crinkle in your skin once you nodded.

“Sanchez, right?”

Your jaw dropped. “Yes, but how did you…” You could suddenly feel your ire rising when you realized where he’d probably heard the name. “Did Pops tell you?”

He shook his head and moved in closer to you since someone appeared on his other side. “Once you put that tip in, the agency contacted me. Just for verification purposes,” he clarified. “I told them they should check it out, that our hands were tied and that was why you had contacted them. With my full knowledge and support.” Something that looked like remorse immediately began to fill his eyes and the elation you felt began to dim. Uh oh, why was he getting that look?

“Well, thank you for backing me up on that.” You dug your teeth into your bottom lip nervously. “Beau, I need you to know. I wasn’t trying to go around—”

“I know that.” He chucked your chin affectionately. “Hell, when I saw you take that form from my office, I knew what you were up to. If I were in your shoes, I’d have done the same thing. I’m damn proud of you for it.” His smile faded slightly. “If what you saw bothered you that much, then I know it’s bad and needs to be handled. I’m just sorry there wasn’t more I could do.”

You studied him, smiling warmly. “You did way more than anyone could have or even would have done in your position.” You hugged him again because you just had to. “Really, thank you,” you whispered into his ear.

His hand gently rubbed up and down your back. “Now, I need to tell you something.”

All of your happiness evaporated in a single instant. You braced yourself as best you could. This was it; this was the moment he would tell you that he and Jenny Hoyt were officially an item. You felt sick to your stomach at the thought but you knew after how much he’d just done to help you and what he’d put on the line to cover for you, you had to at least pretend to be happy for your friend. Or at the very least be supportive, no matter how much it turned your stomach that he was choosing someone who guaranteed was going to make his life a living hell when she didn’t get her way or they weren’t getting along. Just like she made yours insufferable every single day.

You forced yourself to take a quiet breath and then moved back, forcing a smile and hoping to hell that you didn’t look as worried as you felt. You must have failed miserably because Beau leaned in and reassuringly stroked your cheek with his thumb, his brows drawn together as he studied you.

So, this must really be bad; perhaps, Hoyt had him wrapped tighter around her finger than you'd imagined. Was there a wedding you’d be forced to attend sometime soon? Or…something worse? You did your best to steel yourself against it but you couldn’t keep your eyes from tearing up or the lump from forming in your throat.

“Listen, Y/N, Hoyt—”

Just then, another voice interrupted. “What can I get you guys?”

You both looked to see the Aiden in front of you, no longer smiling, no longer winking, and definitely no longer flirtatious. One only had to look in your direction to see why; you and Beau were practically in each other’s laps and he had been touching your face a moment ago. To everyone who didn’t know you and what close friends you were, you probably looked like a couple. And even if you tried to explain that you had to lean in close to hear what the other was saying, those people still wouldn’t buy it. That thought made you untangle yourself from Beau, clear your throat, and place your order. Without a hint of a smile, Aiden gave you a nod and moved to make the drinks. Well, so much for that little boost you had been banking on to sustain you through this event. There was no way he was buying you any shots this time, either.

Beau had a hand on your knee, squeezing reassuringly. You knew he only meant it as comfort but you were tempted to tell him that he could no longer be this affectionate with you due to his new public relationship. Instead, you decided to soak it up while you could. If you didn’t know yet officially, then you didn’t know any better, right? You nearly grimaced; since when did you become such a coward, making bullshit justifications to yourself?

Your response to that was to force yourself to ask the question you didn’t really want the answer to. “So, you were saying, about Hoyt?”

Beau considered you for a moment before moving his hand up your thigh to rest right above your knee, rubbing his thumb in soothing circles on your skin. You were usually good at keeping your reactions on lockdown; it helped you time and time again in your line of work. But you must absolutely be failing at it right now.

Instead of answering you, he seemed to switch tacks. “Do you remember that night we saw the shooting star?”

You nodded, wondering why he was mentioning that instead of just telling you outright what you dreaded to know.

He started to smile. “I think about that night a lot.”

You quickly sifted through the memories of that night and then it hit you. He had asked you to extend an olive branch to Hoyt, to try to make it work, when he couldn’t look you in the eyes when answering your question about her, and now you knew why.

“You asked if I made a wish?” You once again nodded your confirmation. “And I told you I already had?”

He wished for you two to get along and now he was going to do something drastic to make it come true. That’s what it had to be, that’s why all of this drawn out suspense was coming from his end. If he didn’t just come out and say it soon, you were going to ask him point-blank. No more pussyfooting around it. It’s not like you didn’t already know; you had suspected as much for the longest time.

Your brows began to furrow again, this time in confusion, when he covered your hand on the bar with his free one, giving you a sheepish smile. “Sorry, I’m a little nervous.” You tried to give him a reassuring smile of your own, not sure if you really did or just grimaced. “I don’t want this to ruin anything between us. Our friendship is really important to me and I… This isn’t exactly how I planned on telling you. I meant to tell you that night on my deck but I chickened out at the last second.” Your heart was starting to pound and your chest started to constrict. You refused to give in to the feeling, though. You were going to force yourself to sit through this, come hell or high water. It was the least you could do for your best friend.

“I’m a cop, I already have a teenage daughter, and an ex-wife who I’m still close with and talk to more than I should. I have a lot of ghosts I’m still dealing with. I’m not the best catch for a girl and I know that.”

You impulsively cupped his cheek with your hand after ripping it from underneath his, causing his expression to be lined with uncertainty and confusion. “Yes, you are, and you deserve the best. Don’t ever doubt it, Beau. If someone truly loves you, they will accept all of those things as part of your package and they won’t think twice about whether it’s something they want or not. Emily is a part of you and if a woman really loves you, she will automatically love her because of that. How can someone claim to love the man but not every single part of him? Emily will always come first and that won’t even be a question in this woman’s mind. In fact, she’ll insist on it if she’s the right one for you.” Something you highly doubted Hoyt was, despite being a parent herself.

Beau’s smile turned from unsure to affectionate in a heartbeat. “And Carla?”

“Alright, I’m not gonna lie, that may be a tough workaround.” You both laughed and you felt a bit lighter than you had a minute ago. “But the right woman will understand when you tell her what Carla and your family have been through this past year, and she won’t feel threatened in the slightest because she’ll know that while you’ll always love the mother of your daughter, you’re no longer in love with her, and there will be appropriate boundaries in place. And everyone has ghosts, Beau. There isn’t one single person walking this planet who doesn’t. What matters is who helps you confront them and keeps them at bay when need be. Your own personal ghostbuster.” You stroked his skin tenderly and looked him straight in the eyes, giving him a soft smile and hoping he would hear you, really hear you. “You, Beau Arlen, are a good man and you deserve the very best. Don’t you ever think otherwise.”

Pink dusted his cheeks once more but you didn’t feel the urge to tease him over it like you had before. He stared at you for a moment and then lowered your hand from his cheek and took it into his. His gaze was earnest and you knew that this was it, this was the moment when everything would change. Your friendship was about to change in a way that you’d most likely never recover from. Hoyt would personally see to it, you had no doubt.

Sure enough, he leaned in slightly so you could hear him, his green eyes focused on yours. “Y/N, we’ve known each other a long time. We’ve worked together, been thick as thieves…you’ve been my partner and you’ve been my best friend. You were there when everything happened in Houston. You got me through my divorce, my grief, and even when Em was taken…” His eyes began to have that faraway look you’d seen one too many times on him these past six months. You knew it still haunted him and would until his last day even though Emily was safe. And you couldn’t blame him one bit. How would you be if it had been your own daughter who had been in danger like that?

You squeezed his hand to urge him to continue.

He came back to you and cleared his throat quietly. “Sorry.” The corner of his lips tipped up in the beginning of a smile. “I know I’m rambling here but what I’m trying to say is that I need you to know that I’ve given this a lot of thought and I think it’s high time that I tell you—”

“Beau, there you are!”

You didn’t have time to process the words or that the bubble you both had been in had violently popped before Beau’s hand was ripped out of yours with force as a flurry of blonde launched at your best friend. His arms came around the body that had just practically jumped into his lap, his eyes wide, and loud kisses were suddenly being peppered alongside his face. Beau stared at you, frozen in shock, and you noticed Hoyt’s triumphant smirk slowly turn on you, her teeth then burying into her bottom lip.

“Y/L/N,” she greeted you coolly.

“Hoyt,” you replied with just as much ice injected into your tone.

Sadly, you were right. A leg had been lifted in your vicinity and Beau not stopping her told you everything you needed to know, everything he had been struggling to get out the last few minutes. Disappointment grew deep within your chest and radiated throughout your whole body. Your instincts had been right; he had been seeing her and he was waiting for the right time to tell you. He deserved so much better than Jenny Hoyt but it was his choice, and clearly he’d made it.

Fortunately, your drinks arrived at that very moment. You turned to thank Aiden, no longer caring whether he was smiling or not. You felt numb as you pulled out some cash to leave on the bar for him. You pushed Beau’s refill in his direction, grabbed your glass, and turned to leave. “See you over there,” you called, taking a sip and wading through the packed bodies.

“Y/N, wait!”

You pretended you hadn’t heard him yelling for you and continued your trek to the back of the bar. You weren’t trying to be cruel but you definitely needed a minute to get your bearings after having the confirmation of the worst possible outcome shoved so forcefully in your face. And a tiny part of you couldn’t exactly look him in the eye right now.

You forced a smile onto your face by the time you reached your group. “Hey, all,” you greeted. Everyone returned it, some more warmly than others, and you gave a wink to Pops who shot you a grin. Cassie scooted over in the booth to make room for you to sit and you gave her a one-armed hug and bright smile as a thank you.

“Where’s Beau? He said he was going to say hi to you and then he’d bring you over.”

“He did but he’s still at the bar. He’ll come over when he’s ready, I guess.”

She tilted her head curiously and studied you for a moment, her eyes narrowing slightly. She was assessing you and you figured that maybe your tone had betrayed your bitter disappointment. You forced a smile and mentally berated yourself for your carelessness. After a moment, she glanced over your head towards the bar area and whatever she saw had her then giving you a sad smile of understanding. You didn’t turn to look; you had seen enough. But it was further confirmation that not only were you not keeping yourself together as well as you should have been, but that your problem was about to become an even bigger one. Hoyt had been insufferable; now openly involved with the boss, she was bound to be a nightmare. “Yay,” you muttered with false enthusiasm at the thought before taking a sip of your drink.

You quickly glanced at your watch and told yourself it was only one hour. For God’s sake, you could do an hour. Time to suck it up and put your big girl panties on. You easily joined in the conversation and many laughs were had as the typical banter began. You pretended not to notice when Beau rejoined the group, a beer in his hand, or the subtle shake of his head he gave to Cassie’s questioning gaze. You also acted as if you hadn’t seen Cassie’s fleeting disappointment followed by the same understanding she’d given you, along with an encouraging smile for him. You willfully ignored Hoyt joining your group at the table with her never-ending pout.

You actually ended up enjoying yourself and stayed longer than you had anticipated you would. Thankfully, Hoyt didn’t maul Beau as she had when you first arrived. Instead she sat there, sulking, wearing that hurt expression every so often. You had no idea who had pissed in her cheerios but if you did, they’d get one hell of a thank you-gram from you. You figured that while the secret about her and Beau was out, perhaps the latter wanted to maintain some semblance of professionalism in front of the department. It was bound to be a dicey subject at work despite everyone already being in the know, especially with Beau being the overall boss, but you knew he’d navigate that as seamlessly as he could. Maybe that was what had the undersheriff suddenly and uncharacteristically quiet with everyone else. Either way, you were grateful.

Predictably, Hoyt had downed several drinks until she was hammered, and this time, Cassie offered to drive her home. Disappointment radiated off of the blonde as she stared sadly in Beau’s direction who asked if she and Cassie would be okay, never meeting Hoyt’s forlorn gaze. She didn’t say a word but Cassie reassured him they would be. He asked her to text him when they got home safely and Cassie promised she would. Pops came to the rescue and helped Cassie get Hoyt out to the car. You had wanted to offer to help, for Cassie’s sake if nothing else, but after tonight’s performance, you just couldn’t muster up enough compassion for Hoyt and you really thought you’d become violently ill if you tried. You sincerely hoped you would feel differently in the morning when work resumed and you’d be able to stomach the smugness you knew would be directed at you from now on.

You checked your watch and it was near midnight. Time to head home. You were about to announce your impending departure when the music changed and Beau’s head snapped up. His eyes met yours, as they had been trying to do all night but you had refused to do so, and you could see a slight glimmer of hope shining back at you. You immediately recognized the song and you heaved a sigh. Crap.

A smirk formed on his face when he realized you weren’t looking away and you had indeed heard that song start up. He got to his feet and made his way over to you, every step making your heart jump higher into your throat. How were you ever supposed to stay mad at him or justly disappointed in something he did or said when he hit you with a boyish grin like that?

When he reached you, he held out a hand. “May I have this dance?”

You glanced behind him quickly. “No one else is dancing, Beau.”

“So? Come on,” he whined. “Dance with me. I deserve it after you ignored me all night.” On the surface, he was teasing you but you could see a faint layer of hurt behind his smile that he worked hard to hide. Crap.

You placed your hand in his and stood up. “One,” you agreed.

His smile softened and he turned to lead you away from the group of remaining guys, who of course were making wolf whistles and calling out what they considered to be jokes. You both ignored them and Beau stopped in a spot, turning to pull you into his arms. You placed your hands on his shoulders, happy to maintain some distance, but he wasn’t having that. He moved your arms around his neck and encircled his around your waist. There was barely an inch of space between you and he began to sway you both side to side, almost keeping time to the rhythm of the song.

“You picked this song on the jukebox, didn’t you?”

That devilish smirk reappeared as expected. “I couldn’t believe it was on there and I just knew I had to play it. For old times’ sake,” he finished in a murmur.

You tried to swallow past the lump forming in your throat but you failed miserably. Truth be told, you’d rather forget some of the memories this song evoked in you. Things he didn’t remember from that one night a long time ago, right after Carla had announced her engagement to Avery McAllister, following their whirlwind romance. Right after the huge blowup Beau and Carla had on the phone when she’d told him the news. And more importantly, right after he’d called you and begged you to come over, saying he needed to see you, his voice breaking as emotions overwhelmed him in that moment.

“I’m sorry, honey.” Your eyes snapped up to his, wondering if every single emotion of yours was showing on your face tonight. “For earlier,” he clarified. “That shouldn’t have happened.”

Stuck between slipping into a sea of unwanted memories and being consumed with disappointment at your best friend’s choices as of late, you forced yourself to become stone throughout. It was the only way you’d make it through this dance and the ensuing ride home. You shrugged an uncaring shoulder. “Not my business.”

You watched as his eyes narrowed, studying you intently. You made sure not to look away and to keep a neutral expression on your face. You absolutely could not let a single trace of hurt or disappointment show through because he would see it in a heartbeat. And that would make things even more awkward between you in regards to Hoyt.

He must not have seen whatever he was looking for, or maybe he had, because he shook his head in disbelief. When you heard his familiar scoff, you fully expected him to walk away from you or give you hell, one or the other. Instead, he did the last thing you thought he would: he pulled you into him more and buried his face into your neck, his lips resting on the juncture between your neck and shoulder, his neatly-trimmed beard rubbing gently against your skin and making you squirm internally. Not that last thing you’d expect him to do because he hadn’t done it before but usually the two of you were alone when he did, or at least not in front of half the department he helmed. You tried to think back to how many drinks you noticed him having throughout the night. You had only seen the drink you had bought him which you assumed he drank at the bar with Hoyt, and two beers. If he had done shots with Hoyt, she would have been half wasted by the time they returned to the group. If he had drunk a round at the bar with Hoyt in addition to his refill, they would have taken way longer to come back. He didn’t appear drunk or even tipsy. You had seen him in both conditions plenty of times; there was nothing indicating to you that you needed to take Pedro’s keys so you could drive him home.

“You’re my best friend,” he confessed near your ear, the puff of air tickling the skin of your neck. It made a memory resurface that you immediately slammed back down. “And that’s more important to me than anything.” He tightened his grip on you and burrowed deeper into you. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Y/N.”

You couldn’t help but tangle your fingers into his hair located at the back of his head. One of the guys made some stupid comment and you simply flipped him off with your free hand, hearing them erupt in laughter. You knew Beau would never hear the end of this and now neither would you. But in that moment, you chose not to care. Something was obviously bothering him if he was clinging to you in plain sight like this, especially with most of the bar’s patrons making up the local population who were more than aware of who Beau was. You tightened your embrace around him and held him that he seemed to desperately need, letting him take comfort in you, just as you had that one night a couple of years ago. A thought saddened you as soon as it popped into your head; maybe he too realized your friendship was now going to change and things would never be the same. That they hadn’t been from the moment you set foot in Helena. That would explain the song choice as well. A fitting goodbye in a way.

Once the song ended, he pulled back and gave you a sad smile. Your heart plummeted to your stomach as you realized you had been right. He cupped your face and pressed a lingering kiss to your forehead. His arms then wound around you in another hug, his lips pressing near your hairline. “You alright to drive home, darlin’?”

“Yeah, I’m okay. Are you?”

Chuckling, he squeezed you tightly before letting you go with a sigh. “More than alright. As a matter of fact, I’m going to close out the tab and get going myself. Want me to walk you to your car?”

“No, I’ll be okay but thank you for offering.” You tried to study him discreetly, looking for any signs of deception on his part. He seemed sober enough but something felt…off.

He gave you a nod and stepped away. “Text me when you get home, okay? Let me know you made it safely.”

“Will do.” Something about seeing him moving further away from you suddenly filled you with sadness, like this really was a goodbye in some form or another.

Beau smiled and turned to head to the bar. You forced yourself to do the same, in the opposite direction. You told yourself that you were just being silly and the revelation of he and Hoyt confirming them being a thing had rocked you to your core, which resulted in all of these conflicting emotions and thoughts rolling within you. And that coupled with alcohol — your intuitive compass didn’t know which way was up. You were fine to drive, you hadn’t lied, but the drinks definitely gave a sharper edge to how you were feeling tonight. It felt as if you were misreading everything.

Before you could take two steps, you heard your name being called. You spun around to see Beau smiling widely at you. He gently took your hand. “Thanks for the dance, sweetheart.” His tone had changed from just before. It was deeper, sounding like warm honey being drizzled over fruit, and you had only ever heard him use it once before with you. That tone, that song, him taking comfort in you, the reminders of that night… You began to panic inside but you managed to smile back at him, giving him a nod.

His eyes sparkled with that familiar glint of mischief that you had seen all too often back in Houston before shit hit the giant shit fan. Back when you had secretly wondered what could happen when someone dared to find out just what that mischief entailed, thinking Carla was one hell of a lucky woman. And that was before you had gotten to really know him and what an incredible person he was to have at your back, on the job and out of it. “Text me. Don’t forget,” he reminded you.

Unable to speak right then, you nodded once more. He brushed a kiss over your fingers, let go of your hand, winked, and turned on his heel, disappearing through the crowd that had thinned somewhat since you first got here. You watched him walk right up to the bar and ask Aiden for the tab, pulling out his wallet.

It took you a minute to peel your eyes away from him and to get your legs working again. Your knees felt like jello and there had been an all-too familiar fluttery feeling deep within your body, as if there had been some strange air bubble doing a flip on a trampoline at the bottom of your stomach…or possibly lower. You shook your head to clear the thoughts swirling in your head and chalked it up to this very weird night.

After grabbing your things and saying goodbye to the guys, ignoring their razzing, you made a beeline for the parking lot, not turning to look back once, afraid that if you did you might do something that would make things infinitely more complicated. Not only were you not the type of girl to pursue something with an involved man but things were already complicated enough. And you were not firing on all logical cylinders tonight, that was obvious. It wasn’t worth ruining what was left of your friendship and making things even more awkward at work.

Breathing in the cool night air helped to clear your head and you knew you had made the right decision. As much as you despised Jenny Hoyt, you supposed you couldn’t entirely blame her for going after what had been unintentionally dangled right in front of her. Beau Arlen was the full package: a good man with a big heart, a great sense of humor, a loving father, respectful of all women in and out of the bedroom, a bright smile with infectious laughter, and a natural born leader with the wisdom and patience to match. How could any woman resist that?

You laughed at yourself because now it was confirmed for you. Your brain was definitely short-circuiting if you were sympathizing with the woman who was now most likely going to tear one of the best relationships of your life apart, gleefully doing so as you helplessly watched. The sooner you got home and into bed the better.

Please let me know if you would like to be tagged for this series.

dividers by @firefly-graphics

banner by @cafekitsune

Main Masterlist

Main Tag List Submission Form

#beau arlen x reader #beau arlen x female reader #beau arlen x you #beau arlen x y/n #big sky fanfiction #beau arlen #beau arlen fanfiction #beau arlen fanfic #big sky fanfic #big sky #only ever holding onto you #only ever holding onto you chapter 2 #thebiggerbear writes

62 notes · View notes

fortheloveoffanfic · 2 years

Text

Better Late....

Andy Barber x Reader. Requested

Summary: Andy confesses his feelings to Y/n......on the day she's set to marry someone else. Masterlist Warnings: Angst, cliche romantic things

Flicking the edge of the ivory invitation with the tip of his thumb, Andy stood before the bridal suite with nerves bundled in his chest and a lump caught in his throat. Frankly, he felt a little stupid and a lot selfish; he knew he that didn’t belong there. Not just physically. Andy knew that he shouldn't have been there, on her wedding day, about to ask for something he had no right to;

A chance.

The words hanging onto the tip of his tongue must have been rehearsed a dozen times, if not more- in front of the mirror, in his car, on the elevator ride up- and still, he didn’t feel ready. He would probably never be ready, but time was running out and if Andy didn’t push himself to confess what he’d been carrying in his heart for the past couple years that day, then he feared he’d have to keep it stowed away forever.

Balling his fist, Andy brought it to the solid, creme varnished oak door in three short, hesitant knocks while dropping the hand with the invitation at his side. Within a couple minutes, the soft click of heels was followed by the door quietly creaking open to reveal a woman in a long, dusty blue, satin dress with delicate thin straps and a cowl neckline. It took a short stretch of thinking, but Andy eventually determined that she was someone he’d seen in framed photographs at Y/n’s place; her older sister; Natalie. “Can I help you?” She knitted her brows, and stunned speechless for a minute, Andy held off on responding. He didn’t know why he’d expected Y/n to be the one to get the door, it was ludicrous but that was how he’d planned it.

“Uh….yeah, um,” he rubbed his palm over his mouth and down the side of his neck wearily, “Is Y/n here?” He shook his head hastily, “Actually, I know she’s here. Obviously,” he chuckled nervously, “What I mean is; can I see her?”

Natalie regarded him curiously, “I’m sorry, who are you?”

“Right, sorry,” again, Andy chuckled dryly, “I’m Andy- a friend of hers. We work together- sort of. Not really,” he huffed, shaking his head, “I work for the D.A’s office and she-”

“I get it now,” she cut him off. With a sigh, Natalie glanced backwards, looking towards the rest of the suite, “Alright, Andy,” she tested his name on her tongue, an edge of irritation hanging onto her tone. It was obvious that she was peeved that he was attempting to bother her sister forty minutes before her wedding, and Andy couldn’t fault her for it, but he also hadn’t come so far just to back out at the last minute. “Why don’t you come in and I’ll go see if she wants to talk.”

With a nod, he thanked her and stepped past the threshold, shutting the door behind himself. Despite still preferring to have met with her directly, the wait wasn’t considerably long after Natalie had let him in; after she’d been gone for about three or four minutes, she emerged from one side of a pair of white double doors, just up the hall on the left and permitted him to go in. Again, he thanked her, and that time she warned him to make it quick.

Upon entering the large room, Andy spotted Y/n instantly- all decked off in soft white, she was hard to miss. Truly, she was a vision. She was standing in front of a gold framed, full length mirror, teasing the edges of her lace, cathedral veil which was fitted to her half updo.

“You look…..”

“Pretty?” She met his awed gaze in the mirror..

“Absolutely breathtaking,” he corrected, prompting Y/n to swallow thickly. He wasn’t wrong, Y/n was the truest picture of a modern, albeit elegant bride. The simple, form fitting satin dress that opened out like a mermaid’s tail with draped, off the shoulder straps; the flowers adoring the bottom of her veil; the pearl buttons running along the side of her silk gloves.

“Thank you,” she said quietly, and as Y/n turned, her dress rustled softly. “If I could just get this…..” Bending her head, Y/n tried to close up the final button on her right glove and Andy watched her fidget with it fruitlessly before stepping forward to help her.

“Let me,” he rasped, reaching out. Surprisingly, she offered her arm willingly and as they stood with only a few inches between them- so close that he could feel the subtle warmth radiating off her and he wondered if traces of her fragrant perfume would seep onto him.

When he got the button done, they both lifted their gazes, allowing them to meet once more. That time though, he swore that Y/n was seeing into him; she was seeing the words on his mind and all his intentions.

And as he stared back into hers, he thought that she might feel the same.

“Why are you here?” Letting out a slow breath, Y/n took a couple steps back, “Cause I doubt its to help me finish getting dressed.”

“It isn’t.” Andy admitted bashfully, struggling to reclaim his usual confidence. Licking his lips, he raked his short nails through his full beard, “I just…..I realize that if I don’t say this today, right now, then I might never get to.” She seemed to know where he was going with his words because Y/n started shaking her head slowly and her eyes went glassy, but she kept her rosy lips pressed together, waiting for him to continue. “Y/n, I don’t know how else to say this,” because from the minute he laid eyes on her, his grand speech, along with the remainder of his courage, evaporated, “But I-”

“No,” she scoffed, shaking her head, “No,” her voice dropped and despite the tears in eyes, he could hear the disdain in that one little word. “No. This has to be a joke because you don’t get to come in here and say….what I think you’re going to. Not today, not less than an hour before I get married,” her voice broke, though more so from fury than sorrow. “You can stop right now and nothing has to change,” she pleaded, crestfallen.

But he’d come too far; she needed to know and if there was even the smallest chance that she felt the same- and he suspected she did- then he had to try. “I can’t…..Y/n, I’ve felt this way for a really long time. I’m in love with you and I think I’ve been in love with you for longer than you’ve even known this guy-”

“Yet you waited until the day I’m marrying him to tell me,” shaking her head, she folded her arms, “God,” she scoffed, “Why now?”

Threading one hand through his hair, Andy strayed towards the bed, trying to make sense of every excuse he’d fed himself. He was too old for her, too jaded, she deserved better.

He was scared. Scared of how different they were, scared of all the ways he could blow it.

“You’re twenty years younger than me and……”

“And what?” She pressed harshly.

“And I was scared. I am scared. The first person that I feel something like this for, since….” He shook his head, not wanting to dredge up the past and complicate things even further, “And you’re so much younger than me. I didn’t think there was any chance that you could ever feel the same. But I’ve spent the last week, maybe even more, turning everything over in my head. Every moment that we’ve spent together. Every time you made me feel like I was worth something. And I think that maybe you feel the same.” There was so much between them that couldn’t be written off as coincidence; pecks on the cheek that came a little too close to their lips, lingering hugs and familiar touches.

Inside jokes, intimate secrets and knowing stares from across crowded rooms.

She had to have felt the same, because friends didn’t look at each other the way they did, and they didn’t have more ‘almost’s than he could count on two hands. It was in the way it felt when she looked at him, like she was seeing all of him, even the parts he wished he could hide, but caring anyway.

“Look, I get it, alright,” he broke the silence when Y/n didn’t offer as much as a letter in response. Slipping his hands into his pockets, Andy bent his head, he swiped at his nose with the back of his hand, “Coming here like this is really fucked up-”

“Yeah,” Y/n cut him off hastily, “Yeah, Andy. It is.”

“But I had to try. Because you’re worth the effort and the risk of getting hurt. You’re worth everything, Y/n.”

“Andy,” her voice broke and he couldn’t tell if the moisture in her eyes was pity or heartbreak, “I don’t know what to do with any of this.”

“All I’m asking for is a chance. One and-”

“I don’t think you get it, Andy,” she pressed, “I’m getting married- today. We’ve known each other for five years. We see each other almost every day. There were so many times you could have said something.”

“I know,” he threaded a hand through his tousled hair again, “I know you’re getting married and that my timing is shit and that he’s probably a thousand times better for you than I ever could be,” he pointed to his chest emphatically and while she kept her face turned away, Andy kept his stormy gaze trained on her, “But I just wanted you to know that there’s someone who’s willing to risk the only friendship he’s ever had for the chance to be with you.”

For a second, he could have sworn she was mulling over his words, maybe even considering what he’s said about giving them a chance. Hope bloomed in his chest; maybe it wasn’t too late. Maybe she really did feel the same and thought that it was worth a shot.

But she didn’t.

“You should go,” Y/n relented softly.

Andy gasped quietly, “What?” Everything felt like it was coming down around him; the foundation under his feet had been reduced to ever-shifting sand while the walls around him caved in. Every thread of hope that had held him together snapped in unison; he’d tried, he’d failed,

It was too late for them.

Or maybe she didn’t feel the same after all.

“You should go,” she repeated finally, she turning to face him, and it broke his heart to see her eyes brimming with tears. Tears that he caused. “You don’t have to leave the wedding, but you need to leave this room.”

Then, as if the universe was insistent on booting him from the bridal suite, a knocking on the doorways preceded a soft voice; “Y/n? Ten minutes. The guys are already at the alter.”

“Coming,” her voice sounded thick with emotion and Y/n sniffled softly. “Right now,” she glared at Andy.

Nodding stiffly, Andy began towards the door, heavy heart weighing down his steps. Twisting the knob, Andy pulled it open. “I’m sorry,” remorseful words were met with soft breaths, “Not about the way I feel, but about everything else.” And with that, Andy trudged out of the room, blindly making his way towards the door.

Accompanied by flawless a rendition of Pachelbel canon in D and on her father’s arm, Y/n started the slow march down the champagne hued, rose petal adorned aisle. Gripping a bouquet of crimson and white roses with deep green leaves peppered in between, she swallowed thickly and tried to push everything from the past thirty minutes or so out of her mind; Andy’s impassioned confession and the conviction in his tone when he accused her of feeling the same.

Was it really an accusation if it was true?

For almost four years, she’d secretly harbored feelings for Andy and for about the same amount of time, Y/n had convinced herself that he didn’t feel the same. He never acted like he did, and he’d been so happy for her when she’d called him about her engagement. It didn’t make sense how easily someone could hide their feelings- then again, she’d pretty much done the same.

“Everything okay?” Her father’s whispered words prompted Y/n to lift her eyes; she hadn’t realized that she’d been so submerged in thought. Head down, and brows furrowed contemplatively; the expression merely an elucidation of the singular question that backed her whirlpool of worries.

Was she making a mistake?

Y/n knew full and well that her thoughts weren’t aligned with those of the blushing bride she’d presented herself as, but she simply couldn’t shake the feeling that she was truly about to take a left turn. Matt wasn’t a particularly bad choice for a spouse; he was kind, listened and respected her- but she didn’t think she’d ever felt with him what she always felt with Andy;

That little ember that roused in her chest when their eyes met. That warmth that started in her heart and trickled towards the very tips of her fingers and toes, a feeling she’d always associated with coming home after a long journey.

Was Andy home? No, she had one of those. So he must have been something a little better; something that she could never accurately describe but only he could ever be;

Love.

Abruptly, right as they reached the midway point between the beginning and end of the aisle and the music reached its crescendo, Y/n stopped. Her grip on the bouquet tightened and the musicians continued, presumably because they didn’t know what else to do, and stuck in a similar dilemma, she looked to her left, seeking out someone she hoped was there.

When her eyes quickly met Andy’s, her lips fell slightly agape and for a split second everything was okay. There was a reason she’d specifically said that he had to leave the bridal suite but not the wedding; because she didn’t think she could get married without him being there. But now that he was, Y/n wasn’t sure if she could get married at all. At least, not to Matt.

But everyone was starting and both their families had spent hundreds of dollars on nice clothes, presents and even plane tickets. Of course, there was also the thousands that had gone into making the day possible and the fact that only a jerk in the truest sense could do something like that.

Though, only an idiot would get married while the man she really loved was standing amongst the guests.

“What’s wrong?” Her father probed, close to her ear.

Maybe she was an idiot.

“Nothing,” again, Y/n swallowed thickly, that time hoping to rid herself of the feeling that she was making a mistake, because it was simply much too late for that. The rings had already been engraved, Matt was already at the altar and the catering had already been paid for- they were long past a reasonable cancellation.

“Nothing’s wrong,” she broke her and Andy’s shared gaze, feeling the cracks in her heart grow a little wider. Practically forcing herself to move forward, Y/n started walking again, all while desperately trying to contain near overwhelming emotion behind glassy eyes, a faltering smile and a tight chest. It was going to be okay, she loved Matt and he loved her, they’re happy together. It would work because they would make it work- she could make it work.

Finally reaching the altar, she watched her father shake Matt’s hand and then plastered on her best look of excitement as she stepped in front of her fiance. He looked the way Y/n hoped she did; bursting with unadulterated joy and eager to get on with the ceremony. “You look….stunning,” he breathed, awe evident in his breathlessness.

With a faint, tight smile she thanked him before glancing over at the officiant expectantly, eager to move forward- for all the wrong reasons. Even as the officiant began though and she held onto Matt’s hands after passing her bouquet over to her older sister, Y/n couldn’t help but scan the crowd for Andy. Again, their eyes locked and that time, even with the distance, she could see when his jaw tightened.

That time, he was the one that looked away first, forcing her to do the same in consequence. She still couldn’t focus though; her mind was run amuck with ‘what if’s and made-up reasons for her decision. The officiant had just finished reading a poem about marriage that they’d asked him to beforehand and had moved on to asking if there were any objections. When a mummer ran through the small sea of guests, Y/n sucked in a sharp breath and turned just in time to catch Andy standing among a row of seated family members. As a lump got caught in her throat, Y/n held the breath she’d drawn is, though she couldn’t quite define the feeling stirring in her chest;

Worry that Andy would cause a scene?

Anger that he would take it this far?

Fear of what would come next?

Hope?

But soon after, Y/n found that none of it would matter because he didn’t say anything at all. Instead, they shared one last stare before he bent his head and shuffled past the two people that remained before the end; Andy wasn’t objecting, he was leaving.

“No,” she gasped suddenly, panic suddenly rising up inside; he couldn’t leave her- she needed him.

Confused, Matt followed her gaze as he stuttered, “What?”

His voice temporarily brought her back to him, only long enough for Y/n to regard him apologetically. “I am so sorry,” gently, she pulled her hands away, “I shouldn’t have….” Once more, she looked over to the direction that Andy was headed in, finding that he’d almost neared the doors that led to the building. “God, I don’t want to hurt you,” Y/n’s eyes panned down to her own shaking hands as she slid the oval shaped diamond fitted to a platinum band to her gloved finger, “You have to know that,” taking Matt’s hand, she pressed the ring into his palm, “But you deserve someone who…..”

She couldn’t even bring herself to say it; admit that she was pulling a move that only an asshole could.

“Loves me as much as you love him?” Matt finished for her. When her eyes flitted to his face, she found that his sullen expression offered a little more compassion than she might have deserved. “I should have seen it,” he admitted, shaking his head mournfully, “It was right there. But I don't know, I guess....I guess I thought you'd...." He sighed, "I guess I thoughtthat you'd see how much I loved and one day....things would be different,” he chuckled dryly before lapsing into a pitiful sniffle, “But if you two could see….what I’m sure everyone else does, then maybe we wouldn’t be here.”

It was a fact she could hardly deny, but Y/n was enormously ashamed that she had not only dragged Matt into her mess but had also racked up a fifty grand bill for a wedding that wasn’t going to happen and waited until she’d been in front of a hundred people to have a life altering epiphany. “I really never meant to hurt you.”

Matt drew in a long breath, “I know,” he sniffled again, “But you should go,” when Y/n took one step down, making everyone gasp loudly, and then hesitated, Matt further encouraged, “Go. I’m a big boy,” with the back of his free hand, he swiped at his face while looking down at the ring, still laying in his open palm, “I’ll get over it….eventually.”

Gathering clumsy handfuls of the heavy skirt of her satin gown, Y/n took long strides back of the aisle, blocking out the mummers and whispers as she headed towards the big, arched double doors. She could probably pick up on some of their words if she tried hard enough but Y/n didn’t care at all.

Approaching the doors, she grasped one of the shiny, brass barn handles and pushed it open. Upon stepping into the Italian villa, Y/n glanced around frantically in search of Andy, eventually spotting him straight up ahead, nearing the front entrance. “Andy!” Jogging as quickly as her elegant stilettos would afford, Y/n called out to him, though she suspected her voice was getting lost in the persisting chatter.

Growing breathless as her ankles started to ache a little, Y/n called out to Andy again, a little louder that time, not only drawing his attention as he neared the door, but also the rest of the lobby’s too. “You’re leaving?” She stopped abruptly, leaving about six feet between them. Her breaths were still a little heavy and her bare shoulders rose and fell with the rhythm of her chest.

Turning, Andy knitted his brows and titled his head slightly to the left, “You stopped your wedding to ask me that?”

She shrugged one shoulder, feigning an air of nonchalance that her tone couldn’t accomplish, “I wanted you there,” she declared halfheartedly. She wished she’d thought of something to say before approaching him, something that at was at least half as heartfelt as what he’d offered her, but Y/n quickly found that all she could muster up was;

“You were right.”

And he deserved better than that, so she kept it to herself.

“Yeah,” Andy licked his lips, “Well, I want you,” he slipped his hands into his pockets and bent his head, “I know you don’t wanna hear it, but its the truth. And I just don’t think I can be friends with you anymore,” as he spoke, she furrowed her brows and inched closer, “Which is pretty fucked up, but I know myself and I know that watching you love someone else is gonna kill me, so if that’s all you’re here to say then-”

Finally reaching Andy, she took his face in her hands, leading him down a little and smashed her lips to his in a heady endearment. It took a couple seconds, but eventually Andy responded with matching passion, hands quickly finding her waist and weaning her closer so she’d arch into his chest. “You really think I left my wedding to say that?” She grinned breathlessly when they broke.

Huffing a chuckle, Andy pressed his forehead to hers while Y/n maintained her hold on his face, humming quietly at the feeling of his beard rubbing against the silk of her gloves. “Honestly, I don’t even know if this is real,” he chortled again, hands deserting her hands to encircle her wrists, “You’re really here.”

“I’m really here,” she confirmed, tipping her chin a bit to swipe another kiss off his lips, “And I love you.”

The warmth of his breath fanned her lips when he sighed quietly, right before pressing a soft, chaste kiss to her burgundy lips, “I love you too.”

#chris evans #chris evans x you #chris evans x reader #andy barber #andy barber x reader #andy barber x you #defending jacob #better late....

166 notes · View notes

secretswiftymarvelfan · 11 months

Text

Court Of Public Opinion - Andy Barber x Reader (Part 4)

A/N: This is the sequel series to Memory Served and will contain major spoilers for that series so go read that one first if you haven’t already!

Summary: As news breaks about who your abductor was, things get more complicated

Word Count: 6.1k

Warnings: Angst! Language! Gas Lighting!

Dividers by me!

Series Masterlist / Masterlist

Chapter 4

Staring up at the trees you watched as the small amount of light dabbled through the leaves, many of which were beginning to take on an orange hue. The last time you’d been in this part the path was covered in blossom, the sweet smell of spring wafting through the air. Now dead leaves littered the floor, the air was turning chilly.

You had missed the entirety of summer. You didn’t see all the kids out on summer break running around and playing. You didn’t see the many, many barbeques that filled the park during the 4th of July weekend. You experienced a summer, but not the summer you knew.

“I’m so glad my nausea is gone but dog shit is gross at the worst of times” Carrie grumbled as she stepped back towards you.

You shook your head slightly to rid yourself of the fog that clouded your mind “Oh sorry I should have offered” You apologise.

Carrie gives you a small kind smile “It’s okay, I could tell you needed space for a moment”

You let out a long guilty sigh as you look down at your feet, kicking some of the leaves “I’m sorry” you apologise.

“Nope, we aren’t doing any of that apologising bullshit,” Carrie says looping her arm through yours as you began to walk “I get it, what happened doesn’t just go away and if you need to talk about whatever you were just thinking about then we got you” she continues nodding down to Nova who wagged her tail.

“I was just-” you start before taking a deep breath “It's weird, to me this place has gone from spring to autumn, there’s a whole four months missing, but I remember summer I was just another person… I dunno I don’t think I’m explaining it well” you sigh shaking your head.

“No I get it, I understand how disorientating it must be, coming back and so much has changed in an instant, it’s like you time-travelled or got stuck in a quantum realm or something” Carrie reassures you.

You couldn’t help but let out a small snort “Quantum realm?” you questioned to which she let out a long and dramatic sigh.

“Harrison won’t let me watch Rom-coms or anything like that because I’m getting too emotional and it’s not fair on him to constantly console me, which I get, I’m a fucking mess at the moment because of these hormones, I cried at a diaper advert yesterday” she explains.

You bite your lips to stop yourself from laughing “A diaper advert?”

“It had a cute baby which made me excited for our cute baby and then sad because it’s still ages until we meet our cute baby” Carries explains making you chuckle “Anyway, so in the meantime we’ve settled on sci-fi movies, they’re not that bad to be honest”

You could no longer hold back your laughter and a real smile appeared on your face “Well you’ll have to give me and Andy some recommendations” You smiled.

“I’ll have a list ready for your next date night” Carrie winks.

Your smile falters for a moment as your mind goes back to your date nights with Andy. Things had been getting better and it felt more normal but still just felt incredibly delicate. You felt like you were just waiting for the moment that he would break and the illusion would shatter. It was why you were trying so hard to be normal, stop letting the shadow of Ransom loom over you. Because in those normal moments, Andy still loved you, you weren’t tainted if he could forget what happened for just a moment then the chances of him leaving you were smaller.

You clear your throat as you pick a straw fibre from your jacket sleeve “Thank you, so what are you planning to do for Halloween?” you ask desperate to change the topic.

Carrie’s eyes instantly lit up because Halloween was her favourite time of the year, she and Harrison always killed it with their costumes. You and Andy tried to compete one year but it was pointless, Carrie and Harrison were the king and queen of Halloween. She then goes on to explain in great detail that the party is called ‘things that go bump in the night’ and that her costume is Kane from Alien.

As she talked you tried to focus on everything she was saying but you began to feel your ears burn and gazes on your back. You glanced over your shoulder a couple of times to see a pair of joggers behind you whispering, they both quickly jog past the two of you though. You shake your head slightly, they were probably just keeping their own conversation low as they passed you so they weren’t rude, not because they were talking about you.

You returned your attention back to Carrie and her elaborate plans to decorate her house for the party. However, you began to notice more people sparing glances your way as they passed by. It made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up from all the attention.

You knew it was inevitable though, this was a small town so people talked, you were still the big news story. You were just glad it seemed to be getting better though, people were calling by the house less. You preferred curious glances over continual questions and having to relive it all over and over again, putting on a brave face when all you wanted to do was tell them to fuck off and mind their own business.

“Oh and we got Nova the coolest spider costume too, you know from that viral video” Carrie continued.

You were about to respond when two teenage girls just appeared out of nowhere in front of you “Oh my god it’s you! You have to tell us everything about him!” One of them said, starstruck looks in their eyes.

You and Carrie exchanged a confused glance, even Nova tilted her head “I’m sorry who?” You ask.

“Harlan Thrombey!” The other girl exclaims, one of Harlan’s books now obvious in her hand.

“Oh… I um-“ you stutter taken aback “he was nice, I only met him a few times”

The girls in front of you continue to fangirl, bombarding you with questions that left both you and Carrie in a state of shock.

“Did he tell you about his new book?”

“What about that Netflix series?”

“Is it true he has a massive collection of knives?”

“Who does he think the watcher is?”

“And ohmygod his Grandson Ransom is so hot! What was he like? I bet he’s so dreamy!”

That last question snapped both you and Carrie out of your shocked states. It felt like a bucket of ice-cold water had been dumped on you, while you could practically feel the heat of Carrie’s anger.

“Excuse me? You do know he abducted her and held her against her will?” Carrie seethes.

“How- how did you even know?” You mutter feeling your stomach turning.

“They announced it on the news this morning,” one of the girls said with a look that said ‘obviously’.

Had you known that? You weren’t sure. The detectives must have let Andy know that they were going to finally name Ransom today. Had he told you last night or this morning and you had just blocked it out? Or had he purposely not told you because he hated that you were tied to Ransom?

“Honestly I don’t blame you, I couldn’t think of a man better than Ransom, he has the looks, the money, the family” the other girl continues and the hearts in her eyes made you want to vomit.

Carrie absolutely exploded after hearing that, she already had the protective mama bear instinct and being pregnant just made it so much stronger. You knew she was completely ripping into the two girls and letting them know exactly how wrong they were but you couldn’t hear her over the ringing in your ears.

You blinked a couple of times when you felt someone tugging your elbow. Your vision refocused and you could see the girls were long gone and Carrie was leading you out of the park and back home. As you walked the ringing in your ears slowly began to subside and be replaced with Carrie muttering about how twisted those girls must be to see Ransom as a hero.

“You okay?” Carrie then asked fully snapping you back into the moment.

You blinked a couple of times and realised you were back home, standing outside your front door. Carrie must have been waiting for you to unlock it when she noticed you weren’t completely there.

“Yeah,” you managed to say fishing your keys from your pocket and unlocking the door.

“Don’t listen to those girls okay, they’re clearly just crime fanatics who refuse to see their hero as the person they really are” Carrie tells you as she follows you into the house, letting Nova off her lead.

You just nod as you walk into the kitchen. As you pass the island you spot a note from Andy saying he’s gone out for groceries and to donate the last of the pasta dishes to the homeless shelter. You breathed out a sigh of relief that he wasn’t in, you didn’t want him to hear about what had just happened. What happened wasn’t normal, you needed normal.

“Do you want me to call Andy?” Carrie then asks gently.

You shake your head “No it's okay” you tell her “I’m fine, he’ll just worry and come straight home when he doesn’t need to”

“Okay, are you sure you’re okay? It's okay if you’re not” Carrie reminds you.

You force a brave smile “Yeah it just threw me that's all like you said they’re immature girls with an unhealthy obsession with a celebrity” you tell her “I just have to remember I have the evidence on my side”

Carrie gives you a proud smile “Exactly, no amount of fangirls will be able to protect him” she says as she wraps her arm around you.

“Thank you though for getting me out, standing in my corner and getting me home,” you tell her with a grateful smile.

“It's nothing just give me and Nova a shout whenever you need it, I should probably get her home now but if you need us to stay we can stay” Carrie offers as she scratches Nova behind the ear.

“No I’m good, you get on home so Nova can have her post-walk treat” You smile down at Nova who was wagging her tail excitedly.

“Oh yes can’t forget about that” Carrie grinned as she put Nova back on the leash.

You follow Carrie back to the front door, as you did so you thought back to those girls in the park. If Andy had been there it would have gone down so much worse, hearing about how people fawned over Ransom, remind him of how you’d been with him, slept with him. You didn’t want those reminders.

“Don’t tell Andy about today” you suddenly say as Carrie opens the door.

Carrie freezes and looks back over at you, her eyes studying you for a moment “I won’t but… I think you should” she says gently

“I will I promise, I just want it to come from me” you lied, you would avoid telling him for as long as possible.

“Good,” Carrie says watching you for another moment before smiling “Just ring me when you need me”

“I will thank you” You smile giving her a small wave before closing the door and heading back to the kitchen.

You moved to make yourself a warm drink to warm yourself back up but then spotted a pile of mail beside the note Andy had left. One of the jobs that had kept you busy was going through all the mail that you missed while you were gone. Andy had already sorted the bills you had but there was still lots left over so dealing with mail as it came helped.

Flipping through the pile you saw a lot of it was for Andy anyway but at the end was a letter for you. When you saw the handwriting you instantly felt sick, your legs feeling weak as you just about managed to sit down. It was Ransom’s handwriting.

Your first instinct was to call Andy but just as you reached for your phone you froze. You had no idea what was in this letter, it could be a confession, a threat, or it could detail everything you did with Ransom. You knew that Ransom liked to play mind games, he would want to get under Andy’s skin.

No, you needed to find out what was in here first, then you would decide if you would show Andy or not. With shaking hands, you ripped open the envelope and unfolded the letter.

Kitten,

I don’t understand what happened. I thought you were happier. Happier with me. I’ve been lied to all my life by my parents, I know how to spot a lie. So I know it wasn’t a lie when you told me you loved me. I’m sorry though I should have told you the truth, but when they told me that you lost your memory I saw my chance. You promised you were going to leave him anyway so I thought that it would be easier for you if I didn’t remind you of him. I see now that it was wrong and I’m sorry, we can fix this and get through this together. I can’t wait to have you back in my arms, my house, my bed, where you belong. I love you kitten and I won’t stop fighting for us.

Love Ransom x

The letter fell out of your hands as you stumbled back struggling to take a breath. Your hand cupped your mouth as you gagged, your legs feeling weak. You couldn’t believe the lies Ransom was trying to sell, how he was trying to convince you that he was telling the truth. You would never leave Andy, not for anyone or any reason.

You couldn’t show this to Andy, you couldn’t have Ransom’s lies poisoning him. You could already feel the doubts and the hesitancy, you couldn’t make it worse by showing him a letter that would remind him of all the horrible things you did.

You had to act fast, you had no clue when he’d be home, you had to destroy this letter. Your hands were still shaking as you picked the letter back up and rushed over to the fireplace. Grabbing some kindling you got the fire going, using a match to set the letter alight and throw it into the fire.

A heavy feeling settled in your gut as you watched the letter burn. It was guilt, guilt that you were even in this position to begin with, the guilt of all the things you did with Ransom, guilt that you were hiding this from Andy. You thought for a second that maybe you should have shown it to him, the police could have done something, but it was too late the letter was just ash now.

The sound of the front door opening had you quickly standing up, Andy poked his head into the living room his brows furrowed slightly “Why’s the fire going?” he asked.

“Oh um it was quite cold after the walk with Carrie so I thought I’d make it nice and cosy” you lied brushing dust off of your hands.

A smile tugs at Andy’s lips “Sounds nice, let me put this away and I’ll make us some hot drinks too” he offers.

“Sounds great,” you say with a sigh of relief that he didn’t question it further, he gives you another smile before going to step away.

All of sudden you considered telling him the truth even calling out to stop him, but when he looked back at you his brows now furrowed slightly in concern you couldn't do it. So instead you walked the short distance towards him, gently cupping his cheek and reaching up to kiss him.

“I love you Andy” you whisper.

Andy tilts his head slightly but still smiles “I love you too honey” he says softly.

Andy let out a long sigh as he set another pasta dish on the draining board to dry only to look over and see so many more left to wash. He’d finally managed to get on top of all the food the neighbours had been dropping around, he took most of the excess to the homeless shelter, some were still in the freezer and the rest had been eaten. He swore if he ever saw another pasta dish for the rest of his life it would be too soon.

He decided to leave it there for now, the draining board was full anyway, grabbing a cloth he began to dry his hands. As he did so his eyes landed on his laptop, he’d been trying not to do much work on the case since all it did was make him feel angry and inadequate. Every time you’d seen him work on it too he could see the look of sadness in your eyes.

But you were out today, over at Carrie’s for the afternoon so it would be the perfect opportunity to do it. Maybe he could continue looking into businesses that were near the site of your crash, ask if any of their employees had seen a damaged car drive past.

He was just making his way around the kitchen island to his laptop when his phone started ringing. He paused throwing the towel on the counter before grabbing his phone and pulling it out to see it was Frank calling him.

Andy didn’t even get a chance to say hello before Frank was ranting down the phone at him “Whoa, whoa, Frank slow down I can’t hear you, what are you saying?” Andy says plugging his other ear trying to hear Frank better.

He heard Frank take a deep breath before starting again “I just picked Mary up from her university class and she’s in an absolute state over Y/N” Frank explains.

Andy’s brows furrow in concern “What? Why?” he asks.

“Some kids in class were talking about Y/N and she got all upset over it, Mary still hasn’t told me exactly what they said but she said it was mean and they said Y/N must be lying” Frank explains.

“Shit is Mary okay now?” Andy curses running his hand down his face.

“She’s calmed down a bit now but she was in floods of tears when I picked her up, I hadn’t told her much about the case because she’s only 8 but I had to explain it all to help her understand it, now she’s upset and wants to talk to Y/N” Frank explains with a heavy sigh.

“Sure, Y/N’s out with Carrie at the moment but tell Mary that she’ll call as soon as she gets home” Andy promises, worrying about how you’d feel having to talk about all this with Mary.

“Thanks, I just can’t believe the nerve of those girls how did they even come to that conclusion…shit” Frank mutters “Have you watched Fox News today?”

“No we don’t watch that bullshit, do you?” Andy huffs shaking his head.

“No but I just turned the TV on and you might want to turn it on, I think I’ve found out why those girls said what they did” Frank says.

Andy frowns walking into the living room and turning on the TV, he quickly changes the channel to Fox News a curse falling from his lips when he sees what Frank meant. Fox News was doing a report on your case but it wasn’t complimentary towards you. The anchors were discussing the case and how they just couldn’t believe Ransom would do what he did. It only got worse when they cut to an interview with Ransom’s parents.

“So what did you make of the allegations?” the broadcaster asked.

Linda shook her head “Unbelievable, my son would never do anything like that” she said playing the part of a shocked parent well.

“Ransom may have made some mistakes when he was younger but he’s not a criminal, he loved Y/N” Richard continues rubbing Linda’s back soothingly.

“So you don’t believe Ransom held Y/N captive against her will?” The broadcaster asks.

“No, she was never held against her will” Linda states with a definitive shake of her head “That’s all lies she’s told”

“When we first met her we were suspicious of her, the romance was such a whirlwind with her pushing Ransom to get married, but we said nothing because he was so in love with her” Richard adds “Now our poor son is in jail for a crime he didn’t commit”

“What the fuck is all bullshit! They can’t be saying this can they?” Frank exclaims.

“It's not a police interview or court testimony so yeah they can” Andy grumbles barely containing his anger.

“So what is Ransom’s side of the story?” The broadcaster asks leaning forward.

“He’s still not entirely sure what happened, he said they got into a fight and he threatened to call off the wedding and that’s when Y/N stormed out of the house and went to the police and made up this whole story about him abducting her, claiming he used her amnesia against her” Linda exclaims, dabbing her dry eye with a tissue “I knew she only wanted him for his money, we’ve told him this and he still loves her”

“Amnesia?” the broadcaster presses.

“Yes 4 months ago Y/N was in a terrible accident and lost her memory, she was already planning to leave her partner Andy Barber so Ransom thought it would be easier on her to just pretend she already had” Richard explains with a long sigh “he explained it all in this letter” he adds leaning forward to pass the broadcaster the letter.

“I can’t believe this, god this family is fucked up” Frank mutters but Andy wasn’t paying him much attention.

All Andy could focus on were the letters now being shown by Fox News. All of them, while addressed to his parents, were love letters to you. It made Andy sick. He knew he shouldn't but he ended up pausing the screen on one of them to read the letter. He read the way Ransom lamented to his parents, how heartbroken he was. He was trying to win the court of public opinion and relying on his grandfather’s fanbase to do so, it must have already gone viral if Mary had heard about it.

The sound of the front door opening had Andy looking over his shoulder “I have to go” Andy muttered to Frank who was still ranting on when Andy hung up.

You had a small smile on your face when you walked in but as soon as your eyes landed on the TV it quickly faded “What is this?” you whispered, your voice breaking.

“Ransom’s parents went on Fox News to tell his side of the story, it’s ridiculous they must have some connection with the owner or something, they even gave them letters from Ransom” Andy explains with an irritated huff shaking his head, beginning to pace back and forth beginning to rant.

“How- how did they know about them?” you whispered.

It took Andy a moment to fully process what you said, and when he did he froze and slowly turned back around to face you “What do you mean how do they know about them?” he asks.

Your eyes widened and you took a small step back “I-I-I- um- I-” you stuttered suddenly getting really flustered.

Andy’s brows furrowed in confusion as he watched you stutter and panic, it was like when he caught a defendant out on the stand. He thought for a moment replaying what you said in the context of the letters, glancing up at the TV he could see that the letter he had paused on didn’t show who it was addressed to.

“Wait” Andy says holding out his hand “Have you been sent letters from Ransom?”

You start fiddling with your fingers, looking down at the floor. It was an answer already but Andy was still praying you hadn’t.

“Yes” you weakly whisper, not looking up from the floor.

“Why didn’t you tell me!” Andy exclaims in disbelief.

“I’m sorry I-I thought about it, I wanted to but I just couldn’t” you apologise.

Andy lets out an irritated huff, he was furious that Ransom had found a way to send letters to you. Prisoners were not allowed any communication with the victims, he must have found a loophole and gotten his parents to forward it on to you.

“Where are they? What did you do with them?” Andy demands, he needed to shut this down now by taking the letters to the police.

“I-I burnt the first-” you started before Andy interrupted.

“You burnt them!” he practically shouted in disbelief “Why would you do that? It’s evidence! They’re going to use this against you and say you have something to hide!”

“Andy I’m sorry i-i-” you stutter shaking your head.

“He’s already doing everything he can to try and get out of this! We can’t be giving him more ammunition!” Andy roars, his anger and fear getting the better of him.

“Please stop shouting- I’m sorry- I’m so so sorry” you sobbed completely breaking down.

Andy’s shoulders dropped as he watched you sob “shit” he muttered to himself walking over “I’m sorry honey I shouldn’t have shouted, I’m angry at him not you” he apologised wrapping his arms around you, breathing out a sigh of relief when you didn’t push him away.

“I regretted it straight away, I didn’t burn them all just the first, the rest I just hid” you admit looking up at him, tears still streaming down your face.

Andy let out a sigh of relief, they still had something to go to the police with “Okay, why didn’t you tell me about them?” he asked carefully.

You took a long, deep, shaky breath before answering “I- I didn’t want you to see them” you whispered.

Andy let out a long sigh “Okay, well we can take those ones to the police because this is witness intimidation and they can put a stop to it, take away his privileges, it’s all going to be okay I promise”

“They can?” you ask, doubt clear in your voice.

“Yes it’s all going to be okay I promise” Andy swears kissing the top of your head.

“Okay I’ll- I’ll go get them,” you say wiping away the last of your tears and stepping out of Andy’s embrace.

You felt sick as you made your way upstairs to the bedroom where you had hidden the letters. You had received one every day since the first one, and each time a new one arrived you considered telling Andy but they kept getting more and more graphic and detailed and you just couldn’t bring yourself to.

You knew it was a mistake now, if Andy was right the police could have put a stop to this already. You just didn’t want him to read all the horrible things you had done. Read how dirty and tainted you were.

Walking back down the stairs you handed Andy the 6 letters you had received from Ransom, brushing your hands down your arms once he had taken them. He quickly flicked through them and you watched anxiously as his eyes darted over the pages. Thankfully he didn’t read them for long so you hoped he hadn’t read the worst of them.

He gave you a tight smile as he reached out to take your hand “We’re going to fix this I promise” he says kissing the top of your head quickly “c’mon let’s go”

You follow after him, nervously picking at your coat that you still wore as Andy pulled his on. You gave him a small smile when he gave you a reassuring one and took your hand. As you stepped outside you spotted a couple of news vans parked outside, Andy must have done too because he picked up the pace towards the car.

He opened the car door for you but as he did so you noticed something had been spraypainted on your garage door. You quickly tap him on the arm and point it out, his back straightening as he turns and spots the words ‘cheating whore’ written in red spray paint.

“Fuckers” he growled “I’ll deal with that later I promise,” he says gently pushing you to get in the car, shutting the car door a little harder than he probably meant to.

As Andy made his way around to the driver's seat, you kept your head down brushing your hands down your jeans and picking at your nails. You kept your head down the entire drive to the police station, not only to avoid the press outside your home but to avoid the stares of passersbyers. It felt like everyone you passed was judging you, no longer trusting your side of the story. Glancing up at Andy you began to worry if he was doubting it too.

Pulling up outside of the police station you could see there was press here too and you suddenly felt sick, your body beginning to shake as you stared up at the building.

“Hey,” Andy says softly reaching out to take your hand “It’s going to be okay, I promise”

You nod your head “Won’t this look bad? Us going to the police?” you ask quietly.

“No, it would look worse if the police came to us, by doing this it’s showing we have nothing to hide and we don’t” Andy explains gently squeezing your hand.

You force a small smile before moving to climb out of the car. Andy followed after you, gently taking your hand as you walked into the police station to hand over the letters. You were surprised to find Inspector Blanc putting on his jacket about to leave.

“Ah I was just about to come find you” he smiles when he spots you.

“You saw Fox News?” Andy asks.

“Yes, it’s a dangerous game they’re playing” Blanc sighs “I was coming to ask if you had received any letters, the others doubted it but if they can get themselves on the news, they can pass on a letter” he shrugs glancing over his shoulder.

“Well it was a good hunch” Andy says passing the letters over to him “There were 7 in total”

“Seven?” Blanc says his brow arching “Why didn’t you tell us sooner?” he asks glancing over at you.

You shrugged your shoulders “I dunno, i-i- panicked- didn’t realise it was something you could stop” you admit “I only told Andy after he saw the news”

Blanc nods as he flips through the letters, reading each one, you nervously gulp as he does so, trying to read the expression on his face “Well given the contents it's understandable” he says “There’s only six here, you said there was seven” he then points out.

“I burnt the first one it- it was a mistake I know but- but those are the more…graphic ones… each one got more intense” you swallow looking down at the floor unable to bring yourself to see the look on Andy’s face.

“We’re guessing he sent them to his parents and they forwarded them on, which is witness intimidation” Andy suggests his hand squeezing yours slightly.

“Damn right it is” Blanc grumbles “C’mon let's talk about this more upstairs,” he says gesturing for you to follow him deeper into the building.

“Thank you” Andy sighs placing his hand on the small of your back to guide you.

You wrap your arms around you tightly as Blanc leads the both of you through the precinct towards the other detectives who instantly stand to attention when they notice you.

“It’s a good thing we didn’t settle on a wager” Blanc states as he slaps the letters into Detective Elliot’s hand.

Elliot quickly flips through them his eyes widening before he passes them over to Wagner to read, you shift uncomfortably as they do so worried that maybe Ransom was planting seeds of doubt in their minds.

“Were you really not going to check if she received any letters?” Andy demands hands clenched into fists by his side.

“We’re sorry it won’t happen again” Elliot promises holding his hands up to placate Andy, he then turns his attention to Wagner “Get in contact with the prison and shut this down, take away all privileges if you have to” he orders.

Wagner nods passing the letters back to Elliot before stepping away to make the call “We’ll be submitting these to evidence, see if we can lift any fingerprints” Blanc reassures you “We can promise he won’t be able to contact you any more”

You breathe out a shaky sigh of relief “Thank you” you manage to say.

“It's the least we can do, have you guys experienced any other negative attention following the news?” Elliot asks grabbing a notepad.

“Yes our garage door was graffitied” Andy sighs glancing down at you, you immediately advert your gaze and look down at the floor.

“Okay we can station an officer outside to prevent any more vandalism, is there anything else?” Elliot asks.

“No” Andy states as you say “I-”

Andy’s brows furrow as he turns to look down at you “Honey? What is it?” he asks placing a calming hand on your shoulder.

“I-” you start again before screwing your eyes shut and shaking your head “It’s nothing” you mutter.

“Honey if it’s worrying you it can’t be nothing” he says softly turning you to face him, hands running up and down your arms soothingly.

“The same day the first letter arrived these girls ran over to me and Carrie at the park, it was all a bit of a blur but they were fans of Harlan and Ransom and said they didn’t blame me for being with him” You admit quietly, looking down at the floor.

Andy’s hands tense for a split second around your arms before relaxing and returning to their soothing rhythm “Why didn’t you tell me?” Andy says his tone soft.

“I didn’t want you to worry” you whisper finally looking back up at him and seeing the pained look on his face “I’m sorry” you apologise as tears collect in your eyes.

“It's okay, it's okay” Andy sighs wrapping his arms around you, pulling you into his embrace and rubbing your back soothingly.

You let out a shuddering breath as you buried your face into his chest and deeply breathed in his cologne which always seemed to calm you. Closing your eyes you could almost pretend none of this was happening, that you weren’t in a police station handing over letters that detailed everything you were guilty of.

“We promise we’ll try and get on top of the press, we can release a statement and do a press conference to dispel the rumours” Elliot promises “The preliminary hearing is in two weeks so hopefully we can collect the final bits of evidence we need to ensure he goes down for this”

“In the meantime, it might be good to get away” Blanc suggests “Stay with a family or-or a friend and have some peace and quiet before the ruckus of the trail starts” he says gesturing with his hand.

“Won’t that look like we’re running away?” you ask glancing up at Andy.

He lets out a long sigh considering it before shaking his head “No because we have nothing to run from, they can try and paint you as the villain all they like but we know you’re innocent and the evidence shows it too” he states “we can go visit Frank and Mary” he suggests.

A smile involuntarily creeps onto your lips at the thought of heading down south to see Frank and Mary “Yeah.. That sounds nice” you nod.

Andy gives you a soft smile before leaning down to press a kiss to the top of your head “Great, I’ll give Frank a call”

You give him another smile hoping that maybe this getaway would be what fixed everything between you. Time away from the press, nothing to remind Andy of everything you’d done.

Sharing is caring so please reblog and leave a comment to really make my day!

This series has no schedule, please don’t ask when it will be updated!

Series Masterlist / Masterlist

I don’t have a taglist but follow @secretswiftymarvelfanlibrary and turn on post notifications to stay up to date!

#NiamhWrites #CoPO #Andy Barber #andy barber fanfiction #andy barber x reader #andy barber x you #ransom drysdale #frank adler

53 notes · View notes

abbatoirablaze · 1 year

Text

Porcelain Doll, Chapter 7

Word Count: 1.7k

Warnings: mentions of drugging/being drugged, injury to ones self, Stockholm syndrome?, soft! Dark bucky, implied unprotected sex/smut, sex pollen

Bucky’s jaw tensed as he heard you moving about upstairs. It was just a few days since the Christmas party, and he knew that New Years hadn’t hit, but it still made him nervous to know that he’d been holed up in your basement.

It was the little things that triggered him, making him remember the patchy moments of when he was locked up by HYDRA.

Above him, you were setting up the living room for your therapy session. Your therapist had made it painfully obvious to you that you were regressing, and had made the Christmas party more of a showing to Bucky, instead of enjoying it for what it was; a holiday party.

“You need to stop your unhealthy obsession, Margo!”

“It’s not an obsession…Bucky kissed me before-“

“And you had sex with Andy Barber,” he pointed out, cutting you off, “you’re focusing your attention on older men, and I can’t help but wonder why? What is your fascination? Is it parental issues? I know that you and your father were close before he passed. Are you missing the affections of an older man in your life? Do you just want the attention? Or is it the drama?”

You stood up, glaring at him, “this is over…you need to leave!”

“Margo, it’s my job to ask the difficult questions.”

“And now it’s not,” you growled, not wanting to continue any longer, “you’re fired! I’m eighteen now, and I’ve surpassed the amount of time that it was mandated that I see you!”

“Fine,” he huffed. Bucky heard the floorboards above himself creak, and he glared at the ceiling from his spot in the basement, “but as Bucky’s friend, I’m going to have to let him know that you have these…feelings…a school girl crush if you will.”

“Get out.”

Bucky wasn’t mad.

He’d been beyond pissed. But there was something about his friend threatening to out you to him that made him transfer his anger to the man that was in his late forties instead of the woman who had managed to lock him up in her basement.

He didn’t blame you when you left your house in a huff, not even twenty minutes after him. He knew that today was your day where you would go shopping and get chores done.

He’d remembered that from when you were at home before college.

And so he planned on using that to his benefit.

In your rush, you had forgotten to fully close the cuffs, leaving him enough room to dislocate his thumbs and slip out of them.

“Friday?”

“Yes Sergeant Barnes?”

“Manual override locking mechanism in the basement,” he said with a smirk, “Password: Tolkien.”

There wasn’t a response.

Only the sound of the door’s lock clicking into place, before creaking open.

Bucky sighed to himself. You were a sweet girl. A smart one too. And he’d be lying to say that he didn’t have feelings even after all of the craziness of you abducting and drugging him.

In a little spot of his mind, it was slightly endearing.

Ever since his wife had cheated on him with Steve, he had become increasingly more resistant to forming relationships. He knew that. It wasn’t a matter of guessing; it was a simple fact. So, when he felt himself developing the feelings, he panicked.

Quite literally.

The day that he kissed you he remembered running home and hiding in his house for two whole days, before he remembered that he couldn’t avoid you forever.

And by the time summer had come, he’d done a decent job of avoiding you long enough that he didn’t say anything stupid or ask you on a date.

But god, did he want to.

“Shit…” he muttered, looking around the main floor. His jacket and wallet were nowhere around. Neither were his keys or his phone.

Stepping to the foot of the stairs, he noticed his jacket on one of the hooks, but he surmised that his stuff had to have been hidden in your room.

It was a short journey upstairs, but he was surprised to see that the master bedroom was not what he had expected it to be.

It was simple yes, with a calm blue-gray wall and a large bed. But each side had a nightstand. On the side that you had slept on there was an alarm clock as well as a charging station for your phone. But on the other side was his keys, wallet, phone, and a picture of the Howling Commandos.

Part of him felt butterflies in his stomach.

You had made it feel like he was already supposed to be there.

“Shit…”

He shook his head and tried to push away his feelings, while he grabbed his items and ran to the dresser on that side. The drawers were full of his clothes. His brow quirked.

How did you have the time to go get his stuff?

How did no one notice you going into his home and bringing stuff over to yours?

Getting changed, he tucked the dirty clothes back into the drawers, not wanting to raise any suspicion. He grabbed his keys, wallet, and phone from the nightstand, and threw them in his pockets.

But just as he was getting ready to leave, he noticed a few small thumb sized baggies on top of your diary. He frowned, realizing that those must have been the drugs that you had been feeding him to make him pass out.

Picking them up as to discard them later, he put them in his pockets, but his eyes caught on the words that were scrawled onto the page. You had written something that very morning.

A page, all about him.

You were talking about how much you loved him, and how eventually he would see that you were only keeping him locked up until he realized it. But that it would be enough time for you to finish your project.

Unsure of what you were talking about, Bucky made his way down the hall, to where your old bedroom used to be.

Pushing the door open, he gasped as he stepped inside.

You had turned it into a nursery.

‘He’s just the sweetest guy…and I think about him all the time. How he was there for me after my parents died. How he rebuilt the house and made it safe for me. How he gave me a voice when I felt like I was alone…it woke something up inside of me. I went from silly little crush to falling in love with him.’

“Bucky?”

Bucky’s eyes snapped to yours, his mind quickly bringing forth the words that he'd seen scribbled on the diary's pages.

‘It makes me wonder what he would be like in the future…if we had a child together. If we created a family together. That kiss made me really see the whole picture. That he feels the same. He may not be willing to admit it all the time, but I know we’re meant to be something.’

“Wh-what are you doing here?”

You were nervous.

He could practically hear your heart racing.

“Isn’t this exactly where you wanted me?” he asked, his voice sounding husky enough to send a shiver down your spine.

“Ho-how did you get out of the basement?”

“I don’t think that matters right now,” he uttered, “What I think truly matters is how you thought you were going to get away with this.”

You swallowed nervously, “I-I-“

But you froze when you saw him pulling one of the little baggies out of his pockets, “and this?”

“Th-that’s not what you think it is, Bucky…”

“Oh…I know exactly what it is,” he smiled, opening it up. Your eyes widened when he blew it in your general direction. Your nostrils twitched, the sensation burning ever so slightly as it made it’s way into your system, “thing is…I don’t think you know what it’ll really do…”

“I-“

“Just a little baggie like this will keep the both of us on edge for hours,” he began. You felt your chest heave as you watched him take off his shirt, and start undoing his jeans. Your eyes traveled down to his crotch where he was already getting hard. Instinctively your mouth watered, “Hydra used to use this to control me and drive me mad…do you know the only way to get over getting sex pollen in your system, Margo?”

“N-No…”

Your skin felt like it was buzzing. It began to feel too sensitive. You began to feel too hot. The fabric was too scratchy against your skin.

“Go ahead, doll…take it off…I know what you're feeling right now. Truth is, I feel it too...” he urged gently, taking a few steps towards you. When you didn’t move, he closed the gap between the two of you. You watched as his muscles rippled with every movement. He reached forward and grabbed at the neckline of your dress. With a simple tug it ripped in half. Another ripple of shivers went down your spine as you became fixated on the valleys and peaks of muscle along his chest. His vibranium hand reached down and lifted your chin until you were staring into the set of steely, lust ridden eyes, “I know you can feel it working in your bloodstream doll. Now tell me…how do you get over sex pollen?”

“I don’t-I don’t know!” you admitted.

"I do!" he admitted. His smirk got wider, his lips brushing against yours, “I’m going to split you in half on my cock, doll…and then I’m going to cum so much…all inside that pretty little pussy of yours.”

You whimpered as his flesh hand cupped your cunt. He licked his lips and looked down at your already soaked panties, “you’re about to get your wish doll…but after this we won't need to worry about locks and handcuffs...you'll be full of me...all to the point where it'll be you that can't move. Doll, it’s you who won’t be able to get out of the bed.”

You whimpered again as he ripped your panties off of you with a single flick of his wrist, "B-Bucky..."

"Don't' worry doll...I take real good care of you," he moaned, his fingers eagerly slipping back towards your core and dipping inside of you. Your body arched against his, your core sucking his fingers in and clenching around him, "god...you feel like a little slice of heaven...my sweet little porcelain doll."

Chapter 8

Tag List: @teambarnes72, @lohnes16

#porcelain doll #marvel #marvel au #the avengers #bucky barnes #big bad wolf au #james buchanan barnes #sergeant james buchanan barnes #james barnes #sergeant james barnes #dark winter soldier #falcon and winter soldier #winter soldier x reader #the winter solider #the winter soldier

58 notes · View notes

buckybarnesandmarvel · 2 years

Text

𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤

pairings: andy barber x reader

warnings: fluff, mentions of smut

summary: you and andy reminisce the day you first met

a/n: my first time writing for our favourite dilf. please be nice xx

- italics are flashbacks-

***********************************************************************

“Andy... wake up, baby.” you whispered.

You smiled as you felt Andy murmur incoherently against your skin as he tucked his head further into your neck. You ran your fingers up and down his back as he huffed.

“Andyyy,” you dragged out the ‘y’, hoping it would annoy him into waking up.

And apparently, it did.

He groaned as he rolled onto his side, opening his eyes begrudgingly. His long eyelashes fluttered as his bright blue eyes light up. You smiled as you took in the pink pillow mark on his cheek and his messy bed-head. You reached out and ruffled his hair as he grumbled and moved away from you.

“Meanie.”

Andy laughed as he rolled over again, pinning you under him. He placed your wrists above your head and held them in one of his hands. The second you were disarmed, kisses were peppered all over your face, neck, shoulders, jaw, his beard tickling you to the point you were writhing and squealing under him.

“And- Andy! Okay, okay, s-stop!” you screamed.

With a laugh, Andy stopped his attack on you and rolled over - again. He pulled you into him as you placed a sweet kiss on his lips.

“Do you remember?”

“I do. Do you?”

“Obviously. You were wondering around town like a lost puppy.” he laughed.

You hit his chest gently, “I was not!”

******

You were new to this part of time. You were a student at the university nearby and decided to explore the quaint town, nearby... only problem, you had no idea where you were going. You wrapped your jacket closer around as the snow came down heavier. You sighed in disappointment as you saw the shutters on the shop windows.

There was hardly anyone around, but you kept walking, hoping to find somewhere you could go. You passed a large Christmas tree near the town centre, its large branches layered with bright snow. You smiled, looking up, thinking about how that was a perfect picture opportunity. You patted your jacket, before realising you had forgotten it. Stupid. You hated clichés, but it seemed like this day was turning into one.

You shivered as the snow came down, even heavier that before. Your rushed to the side, looking for a bus stop you could maybe take shelter under. You were wandering around for a while, with no luck, before you saw a pair of bright headlights. A man stepped out and you rushed towards him, without a second thought.

******

“I still can’t believe you didn’t check the weather!”

“I forgot my phone, okay?!”

******

“Get in!” the man shouted, due to the distance and the sound of the wind.

You rushed towards him as you got into his car. Looking back, you could tell it was a stupid idea, but all you thought about in that moment, was getting out of the cold.

You sighed as you threw your head back and rested it on the headrest.

“Thank you.” you spoke, slightly out of breath.

“What on earth were you doing out there?!” he exclaimed.

“I just wanted to look around town, but then it started snowing heavily and there was no shelter and I realised I forgot my phone and-”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. It’s fine.” he soothed, stopping your rambling. “I’m Andy.”

“Y/N.” you smiled, reaching out and shaking his hand.

“C’mon, let’s get you warm.”

The two of you talked all the way back to his house, about what you were studying, what he did for a job, how you should’ve known there was a small blizzard approaching. You felt comfortable around him and you knew you were truly fucked when butterflies erupted in your belly every time he touched you.

He gave you his clothes at home, as well as a blanket and some hot chocolate. The two of you talked into the night and you woke up in his arms. He asked you out on a date before you left, and the rest was history.

******

“Y’know, I still remember thinking, you were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.”

“Oh, shut up,” you smiled.

“I’m serious!” after a small pause, he continued. “I still don’t know how I got so lucky.” Andy brought you impossibly closer to him, pressing his forehead to yours. You felt your cheeks heat up, you still got flustered at the close proximity, even after all this time.

“I love you Andy, so much.” you whispered.

“I love you too, sweetheart.”

***********************************************************************

tagging: @wndawtch @chrisevansdaughter @bubblessunshinehoney @chrisdrysdale @newgirlintheneighborhood @youralphawolf72 @littlebluestone @friskyfisher @pbnjparker

***********************************************************************

#christmas collab #wndawtch's and buckybarnesandmarvel's christmas collab #andy barber x reader #andy barber #andy barber x reader fluff #andy barber x you #andy barber x you fluff #andy barner x y/n #andy barber x y/n fluff #defending jacob #chris evans #chris evans character #chris evans x reader #chris evans x you #andy barber defending jacob #andy barber x female reader #andy barber x wife reader

148 notes · View notes

toshisurtsdottir · 4 months

Text

Rape and Retribution - Chapter 2

Toshi is in court, ready to be sentenced. What will Turpin do? Warning: mentions of rape, murder and other bad stuff lol (we all know you're here for that anyway, so it's more of a promise)

“Toshi Vernier. You are charged with the murder of your father, Surtur Vernier. How do you plead?” Turpin’s voice boomed through the courtroom. Toshi didn’t know how the law worked, but she knew that the judge was corrupt and that no matter the jury, he would have the final say in one’s fate. She eyed the few men sitting by his side nervously. None of them seemed overly interested in what was happening here, only Turpin on his seat and the Beadle below were even looking at Toshi.

It was just over a month ago when she told Turpin about Barker. Barker had since then been executed and the lady owning the meat-pie shop below his barber shop had been right after him. Toshi was confident that Turpin would not have forgotten her, but ever since her trial had begun, everything seemed like he was to sentence her to death as well. Still, she had a tiny sliver of hope left in her. “I plead not guilty, your honour.” She said quietly. The Beadle was glaring at her from below, having recognised her by now. She wished she had killed Bamford right after killing her father. Seeing the disgusting man made her want to throw up. Toshi tried to keep her eyes on Turpin then. He leaned back in his seat, taking an agonisingly long time to make a decision. His eyes then burned into her as he leaned forward again, a small smirk on his lips. It didn’t seem sinister though, Toshi felt like it was simply him holding back a genuine smile. “Not guilty, then. Dismissed.”

Toshi almost didn’t hear him at first. She just stood there, eyes wide, frozen in place. The Beadle was saying something then, speaking to Turpin. But Toshi didn’t listen to what he was saying. She was free to go, he had spared her. The coldest, most cruel man of London had shown her mercy. Swaying slightly, she spun around and hurried down the wooden stairs and out of the courthouse, tears flowing. She was free, it had all worked out after all. She was finally free of her father, free of all the horrors he had put her through. She stood on the sidewalk outside of the courthouse and watched the people pass by, a wide, manic smile on her face. The world around her seemed so vivid, so colourful all of a sudden. She could already imagine her life now, working in a small shop if she could find work, perhaps being able to afford a nice meal every now and then. But most importantly: she would no longer be touched and raped by men every single night. It was over.

Just as she was about to walk home, a hand landed on her shoulder, gripping her tightly. She was spun around and faced none other than Beadle Bamford. He pushed her away from him, bringing his cane up under her chin roughly.

“I do not know what you little whore did to gain the good judge’s favour, but be sure that this is not over.” His slimy voice made her want to cut her ears off. She remembered him moaning disgustingly as he rammed into her from behind. The instant rage this memory evoked almost got the better of her, as she instinctively clenched her fists.

“For now..” he drawled, his beady little eyes glistening angrily. “Judge Turpin wants to have a word with you, whore. Come.” He rudely grabbed her by the wrist, dragging her back inside the courthouse. They didn’t go into the courtroom, however. Bamford instead brought her to a different door. He knocked twice and stepped back, pulling her with him. Before the door opened, he leaned in to speak into Toshi’s ear quietly. “Cheer up. If all goes well, I’ll soon be fucking you again as I please. Your father dying doesn’t mean anything needs to change about that.” He took the opportunity to lick her earlobe, causing her to flinch and move as far away from him as possible. She glared at Bamford and was about to say something, when the door swung open.

Now in the doorframe stood Turpin, towering over both of them. His head raised high as he looked at Toshi. “Miss Vernier.” He stepped back a little, signalling for her to come in. Toshi didn’t have a choice as Bamford pushed her into the room. She stumbled past Turpin, coming to a halt in front of the desk that stood in the middle of the tiny room. She spun around to face Turpin and the Beadle, who was about to follow into the room. Turpin stepped in the doorframe again, denying him entry. “You’ll wait outside, good friend.” His dark voice filled the room. Bamford nodded and scurried away, leaving the two of them alone. The judge slowly closed the door to the small room and turned around to face Toshi, who stood awkwardly by the desk, dark eyes staring at him.

Turpin didn’t speak at first. He walked up to her, getting dangerously close, and then went to sit behind the desk. He opened a small drawer and retrieved a glass and flask, pouring himself a big swig of whiskey. He took a sip, letting Toshi wait and wonder what he could possibly want from her.

Finally, he put the glass down and leaned forward, eyeing her up and down. “I must say..” He began “you look a lot more like a woman if you wear a dress.” He smirked, waiting for Toshi to show any kind of reaction. In her head, thoughts were still running wild. So much had happened in the past two hours. She had thought she’d be sentenced to death all morning, then she got the news that she would be free, all while having to look at a man who (as did many others) once fucked her in her own bed. And now she was in a small room in front of Turpin, scared out of her mind that he would change her sentence or do her any other kind of harm. His words completely slipped past her, as she was thinking about all the things he could possibly want from her now.

“Don’t you want to thank me for sparing you?” He raised his eyebrows.

“Yes! Yes, Sir. Of course, my Lord. Thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart, for having mercy on me.” She stammered out. She’d do anything to make sure he would keep it that way.

“Hm. That’s better.” He hummed, nodding and leaning back in his chair. “Excuse me, my Lord, but why have you called me here? Is anything wrong?” She asked cautiously.

“Indeed. My friend, you know him quite well I’ve heard, has told me more about you.” He eyed her, a small smirk on his face again. Toshi didn’t know what to answer to that, she still wasn’t sure where Turpin was going with this.

“He has asked for me to keep you, so that he can have you whenever he pleases. How do you feel about that?” Turpin smirked, taking another sip of his whiskey.

Toshi hated that idea. If that would happen, Bamford would be dead to her feet soon. She was sick of enduring these men. She had killed her father and gotten away with it. She might not get away with murder a second time, but that wouldn’t stop her. If she had to, she’d kill every person in London. Her feelings must have been written on her face, because Turpin chuckled darkly, breaking the silence.

“I take it you wouldn’t like that idea, girl.” He raised his eyebrows again, awaiting an answer.

“I’m afraid not, my Lord.” She tried answering as calmly as possible.

“Good. I find that looking at you is quite pleasing to the eyes. I’ve decided that, since the Beadle is so keen on having you again, you must somehow feel rather good. He’s never had a whore more than once. So here is my offer: you are in need of a new home, are without money and have no food. You will either end up back in court for theft or die on the streets. I offer you to stay at my home, please me when I call for you and do whatever I ask of you. In return, I’ll feed you and keep you warm and clean. How is that for an offer, girl?”

Toshi frowned at his offer. “I would rather find out on my own whether I can make it or not, Sir.” Her tone was less formal now, her anger becoming obvious.

“I am a free woman now, and I will serve no more men. I’m declining your offer. Sir.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest. A devilish smile formed on Turpin’s lips then.

“Oh, you’ve misunderstood. Your freedom doesn’t matter here. It is either me or Beadle Bamford. If I give you to my friend, he is free to use you in ways I assume you are already familiar with. I’m merely offering you to be mine instead.” Turpin sipped from his whiskey smugly.

Toshi glared at him angrily, walking up to the desk and slamming her flat hand down on it. She was about to say something she might regret, but thought better of it. What were her options? If she chose to run, he’d probably hunt her down and get her anyway. He was right, she had no money and no food. She didn’t know how to do any work and would soon have to steal food or money to get by. She leaned down to face him, still glaring angrily at the smug judge.

“I’ll be yours then.” But don’t think for one second I’ll do anything you want me to, she thought.As soon as she said that he downed his drink and got up, a wide grin on his face. “Good girl.”

#RpeAndRetribution #judge turpin #judgeturpinxoc #fanfiction

12 notes · View notes

andydrysdalerogers · 1 year

Text

Sliding Into Home ~ A Bump In The Road

Pairing: MLB!Frank Adler x Abigail Hernandez (OFC)

Synopsis:

After a trade from Boston to Los Angeles, first baseman Frank Adler would seem to have it all. Money, women, an amazing niece, yes Frank should have it all. Except for one thing. One thing that left after a mistake five years ago. Los Angeles should be the chance to start over. Except she is supposed to be in Boston. Not his new medical director.

* A Frank Adler AU x Major League Baseball Story**

Warning: ANGST (i can't stress this enough), second chances, cheating, S~M~U~T!!, slow burn, drug use, abandonment issues, betrayal, domestic violence (i may have missed some), flashbacks

Dividers by me

I do NOT give permission for my work to be translated or reposted on here or any other site, even if you give me credit. DO NOT REPOST MY FICS. Reblogs, comments, likes, and feedback ALWAYS appreciated

Previous: The Next Adventure

Sliding Into Home Master List Main Masterlist

Coffee.

The essential nectar to start any day.

Goes great with a day off and starting the morning slow with a naked woman in his bed.

At least, Frank thinks so as he carries two mugs up to his room. Abby is still flat out on her pillow, and he can’t help but smile. She’s beautiful and his. But the next big step was still to come. He places a mug on her side before doing the same on his and climbing back in. He pulled out his phone and dialed his lawyer.

“Good Morning, Barber and Associates, how may I direct your call?”

“Andy Barber please.”

“May I ask who is calling?”

“Frank Adler.”

“Just a moment.” The line moved to hold music as Frank ran his fingers through Abby’s hair. He heard a click before he heard, “Morning Frank. Kinda early for you.”

Frank chuckled. “Kinda but not for you. How are you, Andy?”

“I’m good Frank, just getting my day started.”

“Same. But I did call with a purpose.”

“And what is that?”

“I want to know what the adoption process would be. To adopt Mary.”

The line was silent for a beat. “Just you or...”

“No, Abby and I want to formally adopt Mary, but I wanted to know the steps, know any obstacles that we may have.”

“No problem.” Frank could hear Andy scratching on something. “Let me look into the original custody agreement and see if we file this in Massachusetts or in California.” He stopped. “I’m happy for you, Frank.”

“Thanks Andy. We’re gonna tell Mary today.”

“Shouldn’t be a problem but I’ll get back two you soon. Give my love to Abby.”

“Will do. Thanks Andy.” He hung up the phone and looked down to see his bride looking up at him. “Morning Cricket.”

“Morning love. How’s Andy?”

“Good. Sends his love.” Frank sipped his coffee. “Asked him to investigate the adoption process. He’s gonna look at the custody agreement and let us know the easiest way and if we have any obstacles. Might take a couple of days.”

Abby sat up. “Really?”

“I told you; I want this and I'm gonna make it happen.”

Abby giggled as she threw herself into Frank’s arms. He adjusted her onto his lap so she could straddle him. She took his face in her hands. “We’ll be a proper family?”

“We already are the day you took me back Cricket. I don’t need paperwork for that, but I want the world to know that Mary is ours.”

She leaned in and kissed him hard. “I think today is a pancake day.”

“Its not Saturday.”

“No, but it’s the first day of the rest of our lives.”

Mary bounced down the stairs, Dodger always close on her heels when she smelled it. “Pancakes!” She races down the last steps to see Abby and Frank cooking in the kitchen. She scrambled onto a high top at the counter. “Pancakes!” she said again.

“Good morning to you too Nugget,” Frank said.

“Sorry, good morning!” she chirped. “It’s not Saturday.”

“I know, love, just felt like having a special day,” Abby said as she flipped a pancake.

Frank set the table with fresh berries, juice and coffee and they sat with Scott joining them. They chatted and ate, their family unit enjoying time together. As they were finishing. Frank cleared his throat. “Nugget, we wanted to talk to you about something.” Scott made a move to leave but Frank shook his head. “I called Uncle Andy this morning.”

“Is something wrong?” Mary looked back and forth with her adults.

“No, honey, nothing is wrong. I wanted to get some information about changing our living arrangements.”

“What does that mean?”

Frank looked at Abby and gave a small wink. Abby smiled and took a deep breath. “What do you think of us asking the court to official adopt you?”

Mary froze. The tension in the room was palpable. “Adopt me?” she whispered.

“Yes, adopt you,” Frank said. “Make me and Abby your parents, officially.” No other noise was heard. Even Dodger knew to stay quiet. Frank watched Mary’s face to see if he could read what she was feeling. When he saw a single, fat tear run down her cheek, he moved from his seat to kneel before her. “Mary?”

“You want to be my daddy?” she whispered.

“Baby, I already am. This is just to make it official.” He cupped her cheek, “I told you before, you’re my girl and now I want the whole world to recognize it. I love you, my sweet girl, my Nugget.”

May threw herself into Frank’s arms and held him tight, sobbing. Frank soothed her, speaking soft words and rubbing her back. As soon as she was calm enough, she launched herself at Abby. “Oh, my sweet girl.”

“Momma, promise you won’t leave again.”

Abby choked. Momma. That one word shifted her axis. “No, Mary, momma won’t leave you again.” She hugged her tighter as Frank wrapped his arms around both of his girl. Scott snapped a photo of the moment.

Where three people became one family.

A couple of weeks went by. Andy had called back the same day and announced that as Diane had waived her rights as a parent and no father was listed, it should be smooth sailing to petition for adoption. “The only thing that may come up is that the natural father can submit a DNA test to prove paternity and contest,” Andy said. “But since Mike is in the wind, it’s unlikely he’ll do this. I’m confident that the adoption would go through without issue.”

The family decided that they would wait to the end of the season to pursue the adoption to allow Frank to concentrate on getting the Dodgers to the playoffs.

Abby was sitting in her office at the stadium when her phone rang. She answered without looking at her phone. “Hello?”

“May I speak to Dr. Hernandez please?”

“Speaking.”

“Dr. Hernandez, it’s Detective Diskant in Boston.” Abby snapped her head in attention.

“Hi, Detective. Is something wrong?”

“No, ma’am, just wanted to let you know that we have Diane Adler in custody here in Boston.”

Abby sucked in a breath. “She’s in Boston?”

“Yes. We have admitted her to the psychiatric ward of the hospital. She is not a danger to herself but since she was wanted for assault and acting strange when detained, the doctor on duty found it would be in her best interest.”

“Wow, ok. Umm, do we, I mean, does Frank have to do anything? As her next of kin?”

“No, we have gotten in touch with her mother, who is fine with everything. Since you are the victim, we wanted to give you a heads up.”

“I appreciate that Detective. I’ll let Frank know.” Abby hesitated. “Do I – do I have to see her?”

She heard the detective sigh. “If we go to trial, yes. But I will be there with you every step of the way. She won’t get to you.”

“Thank you, Detective. I’m at work, so I should go.”

“If it’s any consolation Doc, she’s getting the help she needs.”

“I know. Still doesn’t stop the hurt that my best friend did this to me.”

A couple of hours later, Frank was waiting but the entrance for Abby so they could go home. When 20 minutes went by, he went up to the offices. He found her in her office, sitting in her chair, staring out the window. “Cricket?” She jumped at the sound of his voice. “Whoa, hey, baby, it’s me.”

“Frankie, shit I’m sorry, I was a million miles away.”

“I can see that. Everything ok?”

“Yeah, yeah.” She went back to staring out the window.

“Cricket, love, what’s wrong?” Frank went to kneel in front of her. When a tear rolled down her cheek, he frowned, wiping it away. “Abby?”

“Detective Diskant called earlier. They found Diane. She’s being held in the psych ward.” Abby wiped the tears on her face furiously. “I don’t even know why I’m crying. She put us through hell.”

“But she was your best friend. Basically, your sister.” Frank tucked Abby’s hair from her face and behind her ear. “Fifteen years of friendship just doesn’t go away.”

“I know that. At least I thought I knew that. But,” Abby huffed, “I’m just so angry at her. I’m angry she left Mary. She just threw her away. Who does that? I mean, I want my girl, but I just don’t understand. And then she was with Mike and not with Mike or whatever their messed-up friendship is. And now I’m angry at myself for letting myself be with him.”

“Abby…”

“No Frank, it’s not ok. They did all of this bad stuff to us, and we lost five years because of them. Why? Why did this happen? Why can’t we just have a normal life?” She cried into Frank’s shoulder, sobs racking her body.

All Frank could do was hold his wife. She wasn’t wrong; this entire situation was messed up, but he wouldn’t change it because it gave him Abby and Mary. As she calmed, Frank turned over an idea in his head. “Baby, why don’t you meet with her?”

“What?” Abby pulled back. “Meet with her? Why would I do that?”

Frank shrugged. “Get some closure? Air out all these feelings that you are having and direct them to the person who needs to hear them.” She sat quietly for a few moments. “Look, Cricket, maybe it helps, maybe it doesn’t. But you can’t hang onto these feelings. It will eat you alive. And for the record,” he sighed, “if I had the option, I would ask Mike the same questions. He was my best friend, and he did all of this.”

“Can I think about it?”

“Of course, love.” He kissed her forehead. “Ready to head home? We promised Nugget burgers tonight and Scott has a date.”

“Ooh, with the guy again?”

Frank chuckled. “Yeah, I think so. Let me take you home, my love.”

A couple of days later, Abby is pacing nervously, waiting for Susie to show. “I’m here, sorry I’m here,” Susie says walking into Abby’s home office. “Ready to do this?”

“Yeah, just nervous. I mean Frank said that it would give me closure but just the thought of asking if I can, just makes me want to vomit.”

Susie wrapped an arm around her. “Its ok. I know it’s tough with Frank on the road but it’s only a couple more months of games before their home. Well, unless the make a playoff run.”

Abby rolled her eyes. “Don’t remind me. That first one, with Mary only being a year or so, was brutal. But whatever. Ok, here I go.” She pulled out the card and dialed.

“Boston Metropolitan Police, how may I direct your call?”

“Detective Paul Diskant, please.”

“One moment.” Annoying hold music came on before she heard, “Diskant.”

“Hello Detective, this is Abby Adler.”

“Dr. Hernandez, how can I help you?”

“First, it’s now Adler, had it changed a few days ago.”

“Noted. How may I help you Dr. Adler?”

“I was wondering if there was a way to meet with Diane.”

“Can I ask why?”

Abby chewed her lip. “I need answers. Detective, you have to understand…”

He cut her off. “That she is your sister-in-law and former friend.” She hears his sigh. “Look Dr. Adler, I don’t know if this is a good idea.”

“Paul,” she took a chance on his name. “I need to find closure and a trial won’t do that. I just need to get this off my chest so I can move forward in my life.” She took a breath; “I need to be back in Boston in a couple of weeks. Can you at least consider it?”

There was a beat before she heard him again. “How does your husband say no to you?”

“He doesn’t.”

Paul chuckled. “Fair enough. I’ll make arrangements for you to see her when you’re back. Just let me know the details. Here’s my cell.” He rattles off a phone number. “Is someone coming with you?”

“I might ask my brother to come with me.”

“Abby, just so you know, I’m letting you use my first name. But you make a good argument. I’ll see you when you are back in town.”

“Thanks Detective.” She hung up and turned back to Susie. “He’ll do it.” She stood up and blanched.

“Great.” Susie frowned. “Abby? You look pale.” Abby swayed a little. “Oh my… Marco!” Abby would have to hurt her head had Susie not caught her head. Her brother ran into the room.

“Susie, what the… Abby!” He ran to her side. “Baby, get the car!” Susie ran out the door as Marco scooped up Abby in his arms. “Abby, c’mon princessa, wake up.” Susie drove as they took her to the hospital.

A couple of hours later, Abby blinked her eyes against the harsh light. When she could finally open her eyes, she saw Marco and Susie sitting next to her. “Marco? Susie?”

“Hey Abby girl,” he took her hands. “How are you feeling?”

“Tired. And thirsty.” She tried to sit up but laid back down. “What happened?”

“Doctors say you’re dehydrated. They’ve had an IV in for a couple of hours to give you fluids and some vitamins. What’s going on sis? You know better than this.”

Abby was confused. When was the last time she had anything to drink? The stress of Diane and Mike had clouded her mind. “I don’t know, Marco, I’ve just…”

“Hey, its ok. I’ve called Frank and told him to stay on the road for now. He’s waiting for your call.” A knock on the door turned his head, “oh hey Doc.”

“Mr. Hernandez, Dr. Hernandez, how are you feeling?”

“A little lightheaded and thirsty.” She smiled weakly.

“As expected, given how dehydrated you are. Is it ok to go over your blood results with you and your husband?”

“Oh, Marco isn’t my husband, he’s my brother.” She giggled as Marco grimaced. “Susie is his girlfriend but feel free to discuss.”

“Sorry,” the doctor said sheepishly. “Well, everything looks good besides the lower level of electrolytes, which is expected with the dehydration. But I’m guessing it just boils down to the first stages of your pregnancy.”

The world stopped.

“Want to run that by me again?”

"You’re pregnant. I’m guessing just a couple of weeks, no more than five. You probably haven’t noticed the symptoms yet. But it would have shown on a pregnancy test…” he trailed off. “You haven’t yet, did you?”

“No,” Abby’s lip was trembling.

“I’m sorry. Yes, you’re pregnant. We can do an intravaginal sonogram to check the progress. But for now, I’ll let you finish this IV bag and then rest and hydrate at home.” The doctor moved to leave. “Again, I’m sorry for how I announced it but congratulations.”

As soon as the doctor left, Abby looked at Marco and Susie. “Not a word.” She took a moment. “Oh my god. I’m pregnant.”

“We’re you guys trying?” Susie asked gently.

“No but we weren’t stopping it either. We wanted to wait until the adoption went through. How am I going to tell him?”

“We’ll think of something,” Marco said. “Making me an uncle again.” He hugged his sister.

“Not a word to Frank. For now.” Abby smiled. “He’s going to be so happy.”

Taglist

@patzammit

@texmexdarling

@slutforchrisjamalevans

@firephotogrl74

@before-we-get-started

@tinkerbelle67

@jennmurawski13-writes

@bunnyforhim

#andy's hea #andy's shenanigans #chris evans fanfiction #frank adler #frank adler au #mlb au #dodger au #ofc abigail hernandez #sliding into home #chris evans #mike weiss #johnny storm #baseball au #frank adler smut #slow burn #chris evans au #cliffhanger queen

22 notes · View notes