#I tried to call the cops over the radio and they started playing hold music

[gotham-response]

[theswanqu33nsblog]

Let's get in the back of your cop car, officer!

Warnings: mention of p and v, kind of agressive, sex in public, very vulgar language.

Whatever and it didn't matter, you were in the back seat of the car of a police officer, or rather good-for-nothing Colin Zabel, a detective who hasn't had a case since...he was almost murdered in Easttown. And you knew that whenever he arrested you you would get out the next day, or that maybe it would be your last day enjoying your freedom.

It was late Friday night, Colin had arrested you because you accidentally (not actually) stole a perfume from a hidden store in the city, you thought there were no cameras but oh surprise! Detective Zabel always had the area monitored. So you were in the back seat, and a safety gate so you wouldn't try to attack Colin while he was driving, singing some stupid song from the 80s.

"ya' know, you should have known that I'm everywhere y/n" Colin said as the radio continued playing the music in the background, while one of his free hands was tapping his knee to the rhythm of the song. "I mean, I think I've counted the number of times I've arrested you this last month."

Colin laughed, thinking it was a great joke, perhaps to impress you or perhaps to make you understand that behind that tough detective facade (which he was not) existed a good and funny man... although it always went wrong.

"i could care less" You said rolling your eyes and looking in the rearview mirror where he saw you, he chuckled and raised his eyebrows.

"yeah, i already know that..." Colin said, taking even a slower route to the station, somehow he enjoyed talking to your snarky and sass attitude. "Hey you know, the other day..." he started to speak but you interrupted him again.

"i said, i literally don't care" You repeated, looking at him again, he raised his hands in surrender while his feet controlled the pedals of the car, and in his failed attempt at being a good person he almost ran over a cat, causing him to put his hands on the wheel and swerve the poor little animal.

"You should relax your temper a little, you know? I'm just trying to do my job," He said as he got back to driving well and then clenched his jaw a little. After a while, he felt a slight discomfort in his pelvis informing him that he couldn't hold back the urge to pee. So, parking the car on the side of the road and turning off the engine, he looked at you and then said "I'll get off for a few seconds...I have to make a call, don't get out of the car or you know what's happening to you."

He looked at you for a few seconds and when he saw that you nodded, confused that you had paid attention, he got out of the car, closing the door behind him, he left but then he came back looking at you through the window, which made you raise your eyebrow. "I'm sorry, making sure you listen to me."

He smiled and then went behind a tree, while you tried to see what he was doing there, because clearly, not a call, because the idiot left his phone in the car. Colin unbuckled his seatbelt a little quickly, not being able to resist the urge to pee, this would have been easier if he were going to a gas station but he couldn't risk you running away and getting a quick taxi, at least here in the middle of the nowhere. Everything would be difficult for you to escape. Then he unbuttoned his pants, lowering the zipper, and then lightly pulled down his boxers, taking out his member and taking it with both hands, looking for some direction to point to to pee, well, if he peed in the tree he would be like a dog and he doesn't want to mark territory...that would be strange. Meanwhile, you, amid all the movement he made in that tree, were able to see what he was doing, just his ass on full display and that was enough for you to smile and try to contain your laughter.

Finally determined, Colin began to pee in the grass, moving his hips and drawing a smile in the dirt with his urine, then he frowned when he realized what he was doing and looked away concentrating on peeing. You kept watching what he did, a slight movement and that was enough to steal a glimpse of his dick, to be honest you always wondered what he was hiding under those black pants every time he arrested you, So when he moved, you could see enough, a good sized dick and veins decorated it, Colin's hand squeezing it as he shook it after he finished peeing, how could such a stupid action turn you on in seconds? Maybe it was because you were ovulating and starved for sex and it didn't even matter if it was casual. Colin fastened his pants and belt, wiping his hands on his pants and running back to the car, sitting in the passenger seat and closing the door behind him, breaking you out of your thoughts.

"Damn it's...hot out there" he said letting out a sigh, the smell of his perfume again invading the police car.

"You were peeing right?" you asked even though it was already obvious, he was going to ask you how you knew but you interrupted him "you left your phone here."

"yea' right"

He let out a light laugh and then both stayed silent, he looked at you in the rearview mirror, although in fact he was looking at your breasts in that long-sleeved shirt you were wearing, weren't you wearing a bra? Damn, your nipples were noticeable, something that made his pants start to tighten. He cleared his throat, putting his fist to his mouth and then said. "I uh.."

"You have a big cock" you said, being completely honest, you loved intimidating people although you didn't know exactly when, he looked at you with a wtf face trying to process that.

"alright, thanks....???" He said, with a light blush on his cheeks, then he ran his veined hand over his forehead and hair, pulling it a little with his fingers and then he said. "Hey, I've never understood why girls don't wear bras under their shirts, is it fashion or...?"

When you heard that, you didn't hesitate to laugh, sure sure, he had seen your tits.

"it's comfy" you smirked, and then it occurred to you to shake your breasts, making his eyes open completely, and then he would turn around to see you in full display. He lightly licked his lips watching your breasts bounce when you finished doing that, then looked into your eyes swallowing quickly.

"why did you..." He trailed off

"because it's sexy, isn't it?" you said, speaking softly, and leaning into the protection that separated both from back seats to front seats, your face close to his between the holes.

He just didn't think, he just nodded, it had been a long time since a girl had acted that way around him, in fact, since his fiancée abandoned him at the last minute. "How can you know if I like that? or if someone is okay with doing that in front of an officer" he asked you, looking at you between the holes, speaking softly and with a thick voice.

"All men love that" You whispered with a slight smile, looking at his lap he noticed a tent forming in his pants, great. The only thing missing was being turned on by a girl that he had to take to lock up that night.

He just, got out of the driver's seat, took out his keys opening the door where you were, almost pushing you aside roughly so he could get in back there, then he closed the door and put the keys in his vest. He looked at you, and sighed saying. "It's sexier to do it when you're handcuffed."

You could only smile at that, feeling your belly tingle and your panties slowly getting wet at that, looking at him closer, you could notice his prominent jaw, those fucking brown eyes looking at you as if he wanted to take you as fast as possible. He quickly laid you down on the back seat, getting on top of you, and kissing you slowly on the neck, shit it felt so perfectly good that if you had your hands free you would undress yourself in front of him. His hands slowly caressing your hips, and slowly entering your shirt while you couldn't do anything but close your eyes and gasp wishing you could touch him again.

"shhh" you felt the soft tickle of his breath in your ear, making you bite your lip in anticipation, as then his perfect nose slid over your cheek to your lips, and then slowly kissing your bottom lip, his hands moving up inside your shirt. until he touched the curves of your breasts without a bra, squeezing them from below while he kissed you. Two fingers of his right hand, touching your nipples and squeezing and twisting them hard, pulling on them as you let out a small moan that made him smirk. "Are you wet already?" He looked into your eyes, while he squeezed your breasts, biting his lip, and with his knees, pushing your legs to the sides of him so that you were spread open, just as you could have wished before. Who wouldn't...

"Do you have condoms?" You asked, even though you knew the guy probably got no sex, you didn't want to risk any sexually transmitted diseases, he frowned, removing his hands from your breasts and said.

"Do I look like I'm carrying a whole package of condoms?" He asked and then let out a laugh. He looked at the car windows hoping that no one would pass by or a person would come out of nowhere. And it was almost time to open the gift, his fingers undoing his belt while you noticed the sexy veins in his hands and forearms, damn man how sexy he was. After that, he took your handcuffed wrists, and put them above your head so that you were not in the way, finally, lowering his pants a little followed by his boxers, which you could see were black Calvin Klein ones.

It was no surprise, this man gave off the aroma of Calvin Klein, he was just so perfect. His veined hand pulling out his good sized cock, with two veins adorning the length, he gave it a pair of pumps while with the other hand, he lifted your skirt a little, and pushed your lace panties aside. His thumb rubbing circles on your clit making you gasp with desire, he then said. "Shit...you're so wet" The sound of his voice was so sexy that you probably felt yourself slipping into the seat of his car, he continued to rub your clit making you wetter while with his other hand he continued jerking off his cock to make it harder, which was throbbing of need to be inside you, on the other hand, he remained strong enough not to sink into you so quickly.

His finger slid over your pussy slit, expanding your juices as your legs trembled looking at him, slowly grinding your hips, he brought his hand to his mouth, licking the tips of his three middle fingers, and spitting a little, then brought them back to your pussy and rub more.

"Holy fuck! You are torturing me Zabel, just fuck me" You let out a moan, he just let out a playful giggle, and leaned towards you, biting your earlobe, and finally, you felt the tip of his cock rubbing up and down your slit, and his hand that was now free, He took your leg, lifting it on his hip and pressing his fingers into it, slowly pushing his tip into you making you moan, and pulling it out again, finally, he pushed himself inside you all the way, touching the depths of you. He grunted leaned his forehead on your neck and whispered.

"fuckkk, you're so damn tight," he whispered, then his other hand took your other leg, placing it on his hip as well and squeezing your thighs with his fingers, slowly, moving his hips back and forth, while you moaned close to his ear.

"yes...ghhh...Zabel" You moaned slowly as your arms tried to go towards his neck to hug him, but releasing your thigh he aggressively pushed your cuffed arms back against the car door, and put his hand on your thigh again, fucking you a little faster than how it started.

"Don't touch me" he said, as he gasped, you felt his cock was completely hard inside you, his balls slapping against your ass as he ground himself a little and started to fuck you faster, you could hear the sounds of skin slapping or clapping. in the silence of the car, while your moans increased and his gasps the same.

"yes...yes...just like that, please zabel..."

Your moans ran through his ears, while he bit his lip and his cockhead brushed hard against your hilt, resting his forehead more on the small hollow of your neck, you moaned more and more. His hand, slowly spanking you, sliding up and down your thigh, as you tried to push yourself further into him.

"fuck i think im gonna...fucking cum" He whispered shakily, while his hips hit your pelvis hard making you moan even more than before, feeling a strange sensation of wanting to come without anticipation, you wanted to touch him but surely he would refuse so you preferred to hold on to the roof of the car, squeezing your legs. on the sides of him. His cock slid back and forth inside you, making you gasp and drip on the seat, the mixture of juices began to form when his cock was filled with your white liquid and with one last thrust, perhaps very strong, he came inside you. of you, pressing his pelvis hard against yours to make sure your pussy swallows every residue of his semen, your womb totally infested with him, damn, you even wanted to get pregnant by him so you could tie him to you and have him fuck you like this fucking time.

Gasping, he raised his head looking into your eyes, sliding out of you and shaking his cock to release the last liquid into your vagina, then he pulled up his boxers and buttoned his pants. "Now, let's go, you must be locked up tonight"

As if the little moment of sex you had was going to change the fact that you had to go to fucking jail that fucking night. "What if I give you a blowjob?"

He smiled as he adjusted your panties and skirt and lowering your cuffed wrists he said "Then make sure you keep that mouth shut for when you leave tomorrow, I need a good good morning blowjob."

He got out of the back seat, closing the door and returned to the driver's seat, while you took care of sitting down properly, although as if once again your pussy felt the need for him, with your forehead sweating and panting you said. "Oh shit, you're a son of a bitch," you muttered.

He looked at you in the rearview mirror as he took the car out from where he parked it and told you, "but you moaned so well for me, didn't ya, doll?"

[a-vvenger]

favorite crime

pairing: eddie munson x fem!reader

summary: you take the fall for eddie

warnings: angst

a/n: this is based off of the line “i hope i was your favorite crime, cause baby you were mine” in favorite crime by olivia rodrigo

my masterlist

eddie and you were best friends. ever since you had become a regular at his bands events. you had immediately caught his eye.

you were so out of place. dressed in brighter colors compared to the dimly lit bar they were playing in. he had come up to you and stuck up a conversation about music and you hit it off.

the rest was history.

you would join him for some of his hellfire meetings but you never played. the two of you would have smoke sessions at his trailer all the time. you guys spent all of your time together.

it was only natural for you to fall for him.

so now, here you were with dustin, max, robin, and steve in family video trying to find reefer rick.

dustin and max had gone to you first hoping you knew where eddie was but had no luck. and now they had you worried. after they had filled you in you were terrified.

you knew eddie wasn’t capable of something like this. but you didn’t know why he ran. you also knew that there was no chance the cops would believe anything now.

you also knew you’d do anything for eddie munson.

“lipton?” Max asks and you zone back into the conversation.

“like the tea,” robin replies and gives the address.

then you all load up in steve’s car and speed off to the middle of nowhere.

once you reach ricks house, you all pile out and start looking in windows. dustin starts to shout and steve tries to shush him.

you head around the house and see a shed with a small light illuminating the door.

“guys,” you call, “i’ve got something.”

they all follow you to the shed. once you’re all inside everyone starts looking around.

you hear robin and max discussing how someone’s been there and you see steve hitting at a tarp with an oar.

then suddenly, shouting begins and you see eddie holding a broken beer bottle to steve’s neck, dustin trying to talk him down.

“eddie, eddie,” you run towards him, “it’s me. you’re okay. they’re friends.”

“y/n?” he questions with a shaky breath.

“yeah, yeah, it’s me eds,” you say.

“i didn’t do it yknow?” he pleads with you.

“i know, i know, they know too. so can you please drop the bottle?” you plead but he hesitates.

“steve drop the oar, “ dustin orders and steve listens, “eddie we’re on your side. i swear on my mother. right guys?”

everyone nods and agrees, swearing on dustin’s mother.

eddie finally drops his hand and sits back against the wall of the shed. he has a blank look on his face. you walk over to him.

“eddie,” you take his face in your hands, “you’re alright. it’s okay.”

you move your hand to hold his as dustin questions him. you zone out only hearing some of what dustin’s saying about demogorgons, the upside down, mind flayer, blah, blah, blah.

all you can focus on is eddie and how terrified he looks. it breaks your heart.

as he and dustin start to realize things about this vecna creep, eddie slowly starts to squeeze your hand that’s still in his.

you’re not sure why he hadn’t let go yet but you were glad it was there. his hands were soft, fingertips rough from playing the guitar.

as the group makes plans on what to do next, eddie looks over to you finally.

“are you okay?” he asks.

you laugh, “i should be asking you that.”

“i’m okay now that you’re here,” he whispers, making you smile.

you hear sirens rushing by and squeeze eddie’s hand tighter. the group looks out the window and then they decide to follow.

“y/n, you coming?” robin asks you.

you look at eddie, “no, i’m staying here.”

“y/n no, go with them. you’re safer there than with me,” he pleads with you.

“i’m not leaving you, eddie, no,” you argue with him.

he rolls his eyes knowing you’re not going to budge, you are very stubborn.

“fine,” he groans and pulls you to sit next to him against the wall.

“okay, radio us if you need anything,” dustin tells you both and you nod.

*later that night*

“you think they’ll be back tonight?” you ask eddie.

“probably not, too busy trying to be heroes,” he says.

“well then we should probably get some sleep,” you say and start setting up a bed for yourself.

you had gone into the main house to get blankets and pillows earlier. you notice eddie’s eyes on you.

“what?” you say looking at him.

“nothing,” he looks away quickly.

you frown and walk over to him, lifting his chin up with your hand, “what is it, eds? you can talk to me.”

“i know i know, it’s just-“ he suddenly pulls you into a hug, after your surprise wears off you hug back tightly. he’s holding on to you like his life depends on it.

he takes a deep breath and pulls away, “thank you.”

you smile at him, “anytime.”

“let’s go to bed, eddie,” you say as you set up a bed for him next to you.

he hums in response and lays down in the bed you made. he doesn’t sleep though, just stares up at the roof of the shed. he’s too scared to close his eyes. every time he does, he sees chrissy’s dead body.

you roll over to face him.

“eds, you need to sleep,” you say.

he rolls over to face you now, “i know, i- i just can’t.”

“okay okay, just know that i’m here for you,” you say.

“i know y/n/n,” he says and grabs your hand.

you both close your eyes and try to sleep.

*the next morning*

“good morning sleepyhead,” eddie says as you slowly open your eyes.

you roll your eyes at him and smile slightly. you’re about to stretch out when you realize you’re still holding hands. and you’re not planning on letting go so you just sit up slightly.

“any word from the gang?” you ask him.

“nope, i tried them but nothing,” he says.

(a/n: this is gonna go off plot a bit btw lol)

a few hours go by, you and eddie just talking about anything and everything as you usually do when you hang out.

ya know, when eddie’s not being hunted down for murder and all that. it almost feels like a normal day for the two of you.

almost.

until you hear a car door shut outside. eddie grabs your hand and rushes toward the window.

“shit shit shit,” he curses as he sees jason.

“oh fuck,” you exclaim.

you panic, “eddie you gotta go, go now,” you say pointing towards the boat.

“no y/n, come on, i’m not leaving you,” he says.

“maybe i can distract them!” you shout at him, definitely drawing jason’s attention toward the shed.

eddie is scared shitless so he does what he knows best. he runs. he gets in the boat and starts paddling off.

a few seconds later, jason busts through the door.

“where is he y/l/n?” jason shouts.

“where’s who?” you deadpan.

“cut the shit, i know he’s here, you’re never apart,” jason spats at you.

you just shrug at him. then he heads around the house, you following him.

“no, no jason don’t go that way,” you try to get him to return back to the house.

then he spots eddie and he and patrick start running to the lake and swimming.

“no,” you scream, “eddie run!”

as jason and patrick start gaining on him, suddenly patrick is underwater. jason is shouting his name and now you’re terrified.

then patrick’s body shoots up out of the water and his bones begin to snap. you can see eddie just standing on the boat. patrick’s body drops and jason drags him to shore.

“y/n, come on!” eddie shouts at you.

“no!” you know what you have to do and this is your last chance to tell him, “i love you, go!”

he looks at you in shock, tears are streaming down your face.

eddie can’t bring himself to shout the words back at you so, he runs.

you sit by jason on the grass, staring out at the lake tears falling still. you knew what you had to do.

as the cops start to arrive, you see chief powell marching towards you.

“what the hell happened?” he yells.

“i did it,” you say looking at the ground. jason’s head snaps towards you.

“i killed them.”

you would do anything for eddie munson.

[ilovepancakes-gp-blog]

slaughter race, chapter 1 part 1

Cara

Somewhere in the background a song by 'Three Days Grace' is playing. The lead singer is screaming "RIOT" as Cara James grabs the ratchet she is using to tighten a stubborn socket into place. She's humming along to the lyrics, the flashlight stuck in her mouth making it hard to understand what she's saying but she doesn't care. 

Especially on Friday nights when she gets to be out however long she wants as she races in her black 1993 Nissan. It's a sight to behold with its bright blue lights that line the bottom of her baby. The rims which were once black painted a dark purple. 

Once Cara is done tightening the last socket that holds the starter in place, she unhooks the hood strut and slams the piece of metal down. She tries to as hard and gently as she can because the fucking beauty of a vehicle is as old as dirt. 

The grandma of a gift was from her father, given to her just before he was busted for selling hardcore drugs. He's been in prison ever since. Her mother was lucky enough to escape before the cops could cuff her too.

Her favorite factory default ringtone starts to ring in the back of her jeans. With a sigh, she takes the light out of her mouth, turns off her music, and pulls out her black -filled with more scratches than a old child's movie disc- flip phone. A toothy grin spreads on her face when she recognizes the caller ID

"Hange!" Cara bellows into the mic when she flips it open with a snap.

"Fireheart!" They scream back "Are you gonna be out there tonight? I know Erwin is, with seaside, they might try and recruit you again." 

The mention of his name makes her want to drive into a brick wall. She doesn't bother saying that out loud though.

"I'm definitely going, but I'm not joining his scurvy crew of clams." A fit of cackling comes over the receiver. 

"Great I have someone I want you to meet," that makes her stomach drop. They always had someone they wanted Cara to meet or go out with. And after what happened with her and Erwin she's not ready for a new relationship. 

"Hange I don't thi-"

"You don't have to talk to him!" They interrupted "he's an ass anyways, just give him a look! Please it's either him or me tonight sooo" 

Cara gags at the concept of her and them together. In bed. 

"Ya, that's what I thought," they say over a voice that tells her to hurry the hell up. She can't pinpoint who it is but guesses it's the guy she'll be meeting. "Look I got to go, I'll meet you there ya?"

"Mhm sure," she says as she walks to the blue tarp that's laying at the back of the car. 

Once Cara hears the click of the line going dead she puts her phone away and picks up the tarp before throwing it over her black beauty. Because the trashy trailer park she calls home has nosy fucks that like nothing but shiny shit that they can sell for a bag of dust. Now that her only prize possession is hidden from the world. She walks into her tanned colored, single wide to wash off the black oil that still covers her hands.

Afterward, Cara tiptoes to her mother who is laying on the couch probably dead. She bends down and places two fingers on the unconscious woman's neck to make sure a heartbeat is still there. One is and Cara sighs in relief. 

Sex on fire by Kings of Leon is blearing through Cara's bass speakers when she pulls into the designated parking lot. It's packed with other sports cars with great paint jobs and neon lights. She turns her radio off and rolls down both driver and passenger side windows and scopes out who is all here for the show. 

Cara slowly Cruzes by other parked cars that shout and cheer when they recognize the anime stickers that deck out the sides of her car. most of them being Tokyo ghouls. She parks her beauty next to a bright pink honda Civic that has its trunk open. A huge speaker in the back is playing an OG Chris brown song. 

She steps out and immediately spots the Seaside crew, they are a little ways to her left. From the looks of it, the whole group is there with their leader Erwin smith or better known at these events as The Commander. Her stomach drops when she spies the tuffs of blond hair. Before he catches her gaze she looks away to try and find Hange, who should be here by now. 

Just a little bit longer, then she'll get paid and she can leave all those clam fucks in the dust.

[cherrybracelets]

come down [s. reid x reader]

words: 2.6k | warnings: 18+ content, smut including oral (m receiving) and unprotected sex. please do not interact with this fic if you are under 18.

requests | masterlist

going undercover at the club is less than ideal, especially when it involves dancing and grinding with spencer reid

an- this was a request and i absolutely WENT with it so i hope u enjoy this nonnie also this is my first spencer fic and im super nervous so if u like it pls lmk and if you have requests pls send them and check out my masterlist for a playlist with all my fic titles songs lol thx 

You hated it from the moment you walked in the crowded, poorly lit basement they called a nightclub. It was hot, a humid kind of heat that filled your lungs and left a stickiness on your exposed flesh. The lights were strobing, the music pumping loudly as the bass shook the floor. You felt nauseous, exhausted, and most of all, frustrated that Hotch stuck you here with Reid.

“I don’t really understand why Hotch would send me to this kind of... place... instead of Morgan,” Reid shouted to you over the loud music, looking around anxiously.

“Morgan looks like a cop. We need this guy to approach us, he’s looks for...” you trailed off, trying to find the right words to tell Spencer he wasn’t quite nearly as intimidating as Morgan.

“No, I get it, the unsub likes to be more powerful than the men. He picks scrawnier, weaker ones, like me.” Spencer smiled and spun around for you, trying to show off his thinner physique. You giggled at him and took a long sip of soda water, hoping to god this night would end soon.

“We can’t sit here all night, he won’t notice us over here,” you shrugged, letting Spencer know the unfortunate news that at some point, and probably soon, you’d have to go out and dance.

“I know, we have to seem fun, adventurous, I got it. I just... I’m not the dancing at the club type of guy,” he smiled awkwardly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind his ear.

“It’s easy, trust me. It’s just about feeling your body move with the music. Will you let me show you?” You asked, holding out a hand to him. He grabbed onto it nervously, following behind as you dragged him onto the dance floor.

He was still at first, awkwardly trying to avoid the other clubbers as they danced around him. He watched the closeness of them, the way they moved their bodies in sync with another.

“See, it’s not too hard, right?” You asked, pointing to the crown. “We can do that. Just blend in.”

Spencer modded, but didn’t say a word, just continued to watch, moving closer to you and moving his hips slightly with the music. You watched his body start to move, and he pulled you closer to him, your skin touching, your faces only inches apart. His body moved into yours, turning you around and pressing your butt into him. He grabbed onto your hips and pushed you into him, revealing a surprisingly large cock pressing against you.

He trailed his lips down your neck, pecking you so slightly it left you with goosebumps once his lips departed. Your hands were behind your head, tussled in his soft hair, playing with the curls and tugging slightly when he danced into you. He smelled like honey and mint, and the smell of freshly cleaned laundry still clung to his clothes. He turned you back around to face him, your faces now pressed to each other, hands trailing up and down.

“Kiss me,” he whispered, his right hand now grasped firmly on your jaw, pointing your head up towards him. “It’ll make it seem more real. Kiss me.”

You nodded in obedience, unable to resist this Spencer. You had never seen him like this before, not once in the full year you had been working for the BAU. He was confident, sexy... he was right in front of you this whole time and you had no idea.

You softly put your lips onto his, still unsure of kissing him. He didn’t give you time to adjust, and picked up the pace of the kiss, moving his lips aggressively. His hands were on your ass, squeezing tight with dominance, showing everyone on the dance floor that you were his. He bit down playfully on your lips, kissed up and down your neck and your jaw, your arms wrapped lazily around his neck, pulling him closer.

You forget where you were for a while, losing yourself in this moment with Spencer. It wasn’t until you happened to glance at your watch and realize the time.

“Shit, Spence!” You pushed away from him, panic overcoming you. “We’re almost five minutes past 11. If he was here, he’s gone now!” You groaned, storming off the floor and back over to the tables.

“Hey, woah, don’t worry!” Spencer said, rushing over to you and placing a hand on your back to comfort you. “I’ve been watching this place all night, there were no other couples here tonight that matched his MO except us. He wasn’t here tonight.”

“You promise? I can’t mess this up Spence.”

“I promise. Let’s call Hotch, okay?” He put a hand on your face and you remembered back to the dance floor, the dancing and kissing, and you jumped back a bit.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, turning his head sideways as if he didn’t think twice about what you two were just doing five minutes ago.

“Uh... nothing... sorry,” you stuttered, shaking your head and motioning for him to call Hotch. Reid walked to the hallway so he could make the call, and you stood exhausted at the table, your heart racing from all of the emotion pounding through you. You tried to shake the memory of him, how good it felt to be with him in that moment. How good of a kisser he was, how nice it felt to have his arms around you, his body pressed against yours.

You had always had a little crush on Reid, you were always attracted to him, but never imagined anything like this. You never imagined wanting him to take you back home and absolutely wrecking you. And that’s all you could think about. How good his lips would feel on every part of your body, the large cock he was hiding and how much you wanted to touch it.

Your thoughts were interrupted when you saw Spencer walking back from his call with Hotch, waving to you. He came up to the table with a skip in his step, clearly not affected at all by you two grinding and making out for twenty minutes.

“You ready to get out of here? Hotch is sending the car, he said we could go back to the hotel.” He said, motioning for you to follow him outside. You just nodded quietly, and followed behind, leaving as much distance as you could while still seeing him.

The car was waiting when you walked out, and Spencer was already at the door. He opened in widely and smiled at you.

“After you, beautiful,” he motioned, holding his arm out for you. You just giggled again, the same awkward and charming Spencer back again. You loved him just like this. But you were a major fan of the other, sexier side of him as well.

The ride to the hotel was only a few minutes, and it consisted of mostly silence between the two of you, and a random song playing on the radio. Spencer was checking his emails, which you were pretty sure was just an excuse so he didn’t have to talk to you, because it would be a really weird time to actually be checking your emails.

The car pulled up to the entrance of the hotel and you thanked the driver, opening the door on your side and stepping out. Spencer followed quietly, still not saying a word. You walked into the lobby and started heading towards the elevators, but felt him start to lag behind.

“I’ll, uh, be up in a minute. I just need to make a call,” he said, waving his phone to you.

“Okay, is everything okay?”

“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow, Reid,” you smiled, not wanting to walk away for a moment.

“See you,” he waved, looking away after a few seconds. You walked to the elevator, impatiently pressing the button, wanting to go to bed and forget this night as soon as possible. You knew Spencer would never mention it again, but you wouldn’t be able to look at him without thinking about... all of him.

The elevator ride felt long and infinite, you were only on floor six but you could swear it felt like you passed a hundred floors before it stopped and let you off. You walked to your door, fumbling through your bag trying to find your room key. You walked into your room aggressively and closed the door behind you. You took a deep breath once you were alone, trying to center your thoughts.

You took a few steps forward, deciding if you should shower the night away or go straight to bed. You still felt the air of the club clung to you, and knew you wouldn’t be able to fall asleep until you washed it all off. You threw your shoes off in the corner, shuffling around in your suitcase for something to wear to sleep. You heard a knock on the door and rolled your eyes. A knock at this time only meant something was discovered on the case and you hate to sacrifice another night of sleep. And tonight, you really needed a night off.

You walked to the door, frustration seeping out of you with every step. You undid the lock and opened the door, expecting to see Hotch. But it wasn’t Hotch, it was Reid, a look of contemplation pasted across his face.

“Hey,” he mumbled, leaning on the doorway.

“Hi,” you responded sharply, trying to avoid staring at his lips.

“I called Morgan,” he said.

“Uh, okay... about what?” You replied, confusion lingering in your voice.

“You.”

“What about me?” You said, straightening yourself up.

“Apparently I didn’t handle tonight too well.” He looked apologetic, playing with his hands as he spoke to you.

“What do you mean?”

“Well... I probably should’ve done this...” He stared at you for a few seconds, his eyes peering beyond you, into you. He wrapped his hands around your lower back, pulling you into a kiss. You were surprised at first, your arms in the air trying to find their place. But you cupped his face, pulling his kiss into you, leaving no space between your two bodies.

You pulled him into the room, the door slamming loudly behind you. You felt his hands start fumbling with the zipper of your dress, trying to give himself access to your body. You tugged at the hem of his tshirt, your fingers moving up his stomach, lightly grazing each muscle they passed. He squirmed under you, your light touch tickling him. You felt him smiling through your kisses, trying to avoid laughing as you toyed with his flesh.

“Do you want this?” He asked with a serious tone, breaking your kisses to get your consent.

“Yes, I do. Do you?” You asked, pushing his curls behind his ear to see his face.

“I really do. I’ve wanted this for a while.” He smiled to you, pulling you closer to him and just holding you, enjoying each other for a moment. There weren’t many times in this life with your job where you could stop and be perfectly content with everything that was happening. But here, this moment with him, you truly felt content, safe.

His lips starting trailing up your neck, breaking the only PG moment of the night. You started toying with his belt buckle, and moved your hands down to his groin. He was already hard, and you dragged your fingers up the length of him. He shuddered into your, anticipation flowing through him. You pushed him back towards the bed, wasting no more time as you ripped his shirt over his head.

“Take your dress off,” he commanded, and you nodded obediently, pulling at the zipper and revealing your body. He took you in for a moment, his eyes trailing over you, paying special attention to each curve.

He starting taking his pants off, touching himself through his boxers as he got comfortable on the bed. You got on top of him, grinding your hips into his hard cock and nibbling at his jaw. He messed with the clasp on your bra before undoing it, allowing your breasts to spill out into his chests. His hands travelled up your torso to cup them, squeezing slightly and playing with your nipples.

“I want you in my mouth,” you whispered into his ear, grinding your center onto the base of his dick. He nodded his head, pushing the base of your head down to him. You took his length out of his boxers and ran your fingers up the length. He was large and thick, a perfect pink tip. You brought your lips up to the tip and kissed it slightly, warming him up to your mouth.

You wrapped your tongue around the head, flicking sit quickly in your mouth. He bucked under you, tangling his fingers in your hair and pulling at you with each movement of your tongue. You started to take more of him in your mouth, going deeper until his tip was hitting the back of your throat. He moaned and pushed your head down deeper, wanting to fit his whole length inside of you.

“I want you to ride me, (Y/N).” He said, making you sit up and stop playing with him for a minute. He sat up against the headboard and motioned for you to come to his lap. You crawled over to him on your knees, and he cupped your chin and pulled you to kiss him, your mouth still raw from his cock.

You moved yourself onto his lap and hovered your center over him, grabbing it into your hand and sliding his length into you. You were right, and putting him all in you at once made you wince. You dug your nails into his shoulder and he held you tightly as you adjusted to him. Once you were comfortable, you started rocking your hips back and forth, slowly digging into him.

Reid rolled his head back in pleasure, the feeling of being inside of you, knowing he had fully taken you over. He had his hands dug tight into your hips, pulling you deeper and faster every second. He was biting on your neck, shoulder, chest, moving his mouth across you as you bounced into him. You felt yourself getting closer to climax, your body preparing for release.

“You’re so fucking pretty,” he whispered to you, pushing your hair back from your face as you moved into him. “Do you like it when I fuck you?”

“I do. You’re gonna make me cum,” you moaned, moving more sloppily as you were losing yourself

to pleasure. As soon as you started to hit your peak, you felt his body shuddering as well, knowing he was close. You both finished within seconds of each other, collapsing back on the wedding in exhaustion.

“So... is this gonna be a thing now, or?” Reid asked, furrowing his brow at you.

“Why is that the first thing you would ask?” You joked, pushing him slightly. He wrapped his arm around you and pulled you close, kissing you.

“I could use someone like you... to help me wind down during these cases. It can be a bit... much.”

“Yeah, sometimes you need to literally bang your frustrations out. I’m totally down to bang it out with you,” you laughed, playfully fighting with Reid in between kisses.

“Well now that you worded it like that I definitely want nothing to do with you,” he laughed, pulling you into him and holding you tightly until you both fell asleep.

[etoileholland]

lead me to your door

@mayberosey​ asked: The Tom and reader are neighbors (apartment setting) and every time he passes by her apartment, she plays different types of genres. She would play classical to jazz to rock to indie and so on. Tom finds it endearing that she has such wide range of music taste, but one day it just stops. And it lasts for maybe a week or two. So he’s worried but doesn’t do anything. When he finally hears music playing, the sounds are more mellow and it doesn’t change for a few days. That’s when Tom decided to knock on her door...

Pairing: Tom x female reader

Word count: 1.9k

Warnings: none 

A/N: so I've been on a lil hiatus from writing but I finally finished this so I wanted to share it. Requests are open and I’m personally out of ideas, so please don’t hesitate to send something in. Although please don’t send in any requests about drama revolving around Tom’s girlfriend, I’ve already received a few and I won’t write those xx also the gif isn’t mine, all credit goes to its respective owner

“L, is for the way you look at me. ‘O’ is for the only one I see, ‘V’ is very very, extraordinary…”

Tom smiled to himself when he heard the faint music from the other side of the wall. It was 8am and his neighbour was already playing music. It was something that he had to grow accustomed to when he moved in about a month ago. At first it was a bit annoying to always hear some form of music from the apartment right next to his, but now, he welcomed it.

He was eating breakfast in the kitchen, and the music accompaniment was a nice way to start the day. He mouthed along to the familiar words, a smile erupted on his face as he enjoyed his scone.

Tom had grown to find there was a schedule with the music that he heard from next door. Since today was Monday, it was usually old jazz tunes, like Sinatra, Benny Goodman or Louis Armstrong. Tuesday’s were a mix of contemporary pop music, Wednesday’s were nothing but music from The Beatles, Thursday and Friday were dedicated to Harry Styles, Saturday’s was an array of songs and genres from the ‘60s to about the 80’s, and Sunday's were nothing but sad songs, the theme usually revolving around unrequited love.

He often wondered why there was such a distinct schedule, and why you only listened to sad songs on Sunday’s. It had become a bit of a game for him to try to figure out why, but so far he’s settled on the idea that maybe you had your heart broken on a Sunday, and therefore, dedicated sad songs to that day only.

On the weekdays, the music would stop around 10am, and would pick back up again around 6pm, and would cease around 9pm. It was rare to hear music past that point, which made him think that you went to bed extremely early. And on the weekends, the music would go from noon to midnight, which suggested you stayed up later.

He loved building a fantasy around the person he deduced based on your patterns and music choice, but the truth is that he had never met you. He had no idea who his neighbour was, and he didn’t want to knock on your door in case you were a creep or something.

He figured his neighbour was a female, since he often heard a light airy laugh from the other side of the wall, but it could be a man with a really high pitched laugh. Or you could be married, or old, but he had no idea, and frankly he had no intention of finding out.

Until one day, the music stopped.

It happened abruptly, he awoke one day on a Tuesday morning and realised that there wasn’t any music coming from your apartment. But he didn’t worry since he figured you were either sleeping in, or you had left early for work or something. He was gone the whole day at a rehearsal for the show he was in, so he didn’t think twice about the silence.

The next day, Wednesday around noon, he was hoping to hear the melodic voices of Lennon and McCartney from the other side of the wall, but once again it was silent. Usually at this point in the day, you had already finished the first two Beatles albums, and were quick to put on ‘A Hard Day’s Night’. He began to wonder if maybe you were out of town, but the nagging thought in the back of his head wondered if something bad had happened.

I’ll give it a few more days, and then if I still hear silence, I’ll check up on them, he thought to himself.

—

A week had gone past, and still radio silence. It was beginning to worry Tom, and he knew that he would have to go check on you, but every time he tried, he couldn’t.

He would head out to go to the gym, and would walk past your door, hesitating to see if he should knock. His hand would hover over the doorbell, but always stopped a centimetre away from pushing it.

Maybe they moved, or maybe something really bad happened, he thought, or maybe they’re out of town?

The thoughts swirled around his head, making him anxious and flustered until he decided that he shouldn’t bother you. And besides, how would he even start the conversation?

He backed away from your door, but then swiftly took a step forward and nearly knocked on the dark wood grained door.

What am I thinking? He thought, before beginning to pace the hallway while he thought of the best way to handle this. Don’t be dumb, there’s no good way to start a conversation with them. Would I really be stupid enough to say, “‘Hey, not to sound like a creep but I noticed I don’t hear you playing music anymore?’ or ‘hey, so I’ve never once spoken to you before but I can always hear you from my apartment and I find pleasure in knowing you’re alive but now I hear nothing and I’m assuming the worst?’” They’ll call the cops on me for sure.

He paced around in front of your door for about a minute, until walking back in the direction of his apartment, surrendering to his ever-so-increasingly intrusive thoughts.

—

Today had marked two weeks without hearing music from your apartment, and Tom had grown increasingly worried. If it’s still silent by this time tomorrow, I’ll confront my fear and knock on the door.

Miraculously, he didn’t need to knock on your door at all. When he awoke at 9am on a Tuesday, he almost didn’t hear the faint music playing from the room on the other side of his bedroom wall.

He pressed his ear to the wall and could hear a somber song playing. His eyes nearly welled up with tears when he realised that you were okay. But as the day went on, he grew worried. Tuesday’s were your ‘pop music’ days, but he only heard sad Taylor Swift songs.

Well that’s odd, they only play those on Sunday, he pondered.

The next four days were filled with heart wrenching ballads, somber piano music floating through the air. The nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach never went away, and he knew that he would have no choice but to knock on your door.

He figured the best way to go about it was to inquire about the music, and say that as a caring neighbour, he wanted to make sure all was well.

Standing in front of the mirror, wearing his favourite pair of jeans and t-shirt, he left his apartment and walked over to your front door.

You can do it Tom, just say you’re concerned about their health and well-being.

As he lifted his arm to knock on your door, you had just opened your door and were startled to see someone standing in front of your door.

“Holy shit!” You exclaimed as you closed your door, but Tom put his hand out to keep your door open.

“I’m so sorry, I wasn’t trying to startle you.” He exhaled, stepping back into the hallway.

“I figured, I’m sorry for that, I just wasn’t expecting anyone to be standing on the other side of my door.”

“Me either.” He breathed, holding an arm out and propping himself up against the wall. “Were you about to head out?”

“I was just going to go down to pick up a package from the front desk, but it can definitely wait.”

He nodded his head and unsuccessfully pushed a stray curl away from his face, it falling right back near his eye in a matter of seconds. You stood there admiring the man in front of you, making a mental note of the loose curl in front of his face, and his slightly awkward demeanour. He was handsome, and you found it cute how he was speechless.

“Well, do you mind telling me why you were just about to knock on my door?” You inquired while Tom let out a small laugh.

“Right.” He placed his hand on the back of his neck and took a deep breath in. “I don’t want to overstep, but I was wondering if everything was alright with you?”

He saw a distinct shift in your facial expressions, but he continued to ramble on. “It’s just that I can always hear you playing music from my apartment right next door, and I love hearing it, but I noticed that it stopped for about two weeks. And then when it started again, it was only sad songs and you only usually play those on Sunday’s. Oh gosh, now I sound like a creep for observing that and I promise I’m not, I just thought it was odd and I wanted to make sure you were alright.” He took a deep breath out and paused before saying, “I hope that wasn’t too weird.”

You laughed lightly, before saying, “I’ve experienced weirder. But thank you for checking up on me…” you trailed off, realising that you don’t actually know your neighbours name.

“I-I’m Tom.” He stated, and you told him your name as well.

“It’s nice to meet you Tom, and once again thank you. I just went through a hard patch in my life, and listening to sad music made me feel better, in a way. But it’s nice to know you care, so thank you again.” You smiled, and Tom smiled back.

“Right, well I probably should get going since I know I’ve already made the weirdest first impression,” you both laughed, “but I’m glad to know you’re alright. But if you’re not, my apartment is 2B so you’re more than welcome to come over.” He blushed, gaze fixed on the carpeted floor.

“It was a perfectly fine first impression, but if you don’t mind me asking, do you like my music choice?” You laughed, and Tom’s face broke out into a smile, brown eyes piercing through yours.

“I wasn’t expecting that question, but yes, absolutely. I’ve found a lot of good songs and artists because of you. I’ve been loving FINNEAS’ album, and ELO, so I can thank you for that.” He grinned, the crinkles by his eyes becoming prominent.

“You’re welcome.” You had your door open all the way now, and you could smell that your pizza in the oven was nearly ready.

“Mm, that smells good.” Tom commented, and you looked into your apartment to make sure the oven wasn’t on fire.

“It does, I made some pizza and I think it’s nearly done.”

“I think so as well.” He added, the both of you sharing a comfortable silence. “I’ll let you eat though, but I’m glad to know you’re alright.” He smiled and began to take a step back when you lightly grabbed his arm, surprising you both.

“Wait, would you want to come inside? I made enough pizza for at least two people, and I also have a bottle of wine if you’d want some.” You asked, hoping that your very attractive neighbour would say…

“Yes, I’d love that. Only if it’s okay with you, of course.”

“It is okay, I asked you.” You smiled, and Tom laughed nervously.

“Right.” He half smiled.

“Well, come on in.” You motioned for him to step in, “let’s eat and listen to some music, yeah?”

“Absolutely.”

————

mes anges (taglist): @scarletxwidow @sunflowerhollands @fangirlwithasweettooth​ @taciturnspidey​ @musicalkeys​ @harrysleftchelseaboot​ @quaksonhehe​ @halfblood-princess-505​

[wylanvnneck]

This 2 part fic was written for the Secret Snusband Gift Giveaway hosted by @jurdannet​ and @jurdannetrevels​ for my lovely Knife Wife @lilacs-with-lavender​.

Rating: T for Tyrannosaurus

Summary: Inspired by an episode of my favourite Cop TV show, ‘Castle’, in which a bet takes place with pretty high stakes, although the plotline has been tweaked to fit this fandom. My Knife Wife said she loved the Enemies to Lovers trope so that’s what I’ve (tried to) write here and I hope you enjoy the story of Homicide Detectives Jude Duarte and Cardan Greenbriar and their mutual enmity.

Warnings: Not so graphic descriptions of murder and mention of drugs. (Really not sure what I need to tag, so please let me know if I’ve missed something.)

Posted as a Gift on AO3 | Part 1 | Masterlist

Part 2

------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Lil, It’s 7.15 and I still need to decide on a dress, help!”

The ever helpful Liliver is currently perched on her bed, legs crossed and unruffled in stark contrast to Jude’s frantic rummaging of her sparse closet. She comes across a sparkly orange sequin dress that she holds up for her friend’s inspection.

“Honey. You’d look like a broken disco ball.”

“The girl at Saks said sequins were in.”

“She lied.”

Ugh. Damn Greenbriar for his stupid bets and his stupid dinners and his stupid brain which occasionally stumbled upon solutions. Defeat was a bitter pill to swallow.

She’s contemplating over whether to excuse herself for the night by pretending to have an infectious disease which requires keeping all other humans at a distance of five feet, when the doorbell to her apartment rings.

“Lil, would you mind answering the door for me please?” she asks, conscious of the fact that she was dressed in only her underwear.

“Sure, but when I come back you’d better not be wearing that ghastly hot pink dress I saw in there,” her friend calls as she unravels herself from the cozy mattress and leaves the room.

Foiled again. Jude’s just about out of options and the only thing that she can fathom being worse than having to be Cardan’s fake girlfriend for a night, was having to do so while being completely underdressed and out of place in a roomful of his father’s closest business associates.

“There was a package delivered to your doorstep,” Lil says as she re-enters the room, carrying a white parcel in her hands.

“A package? But I haven’t ordered anything.”

“Open it, maybe there’s a note,” she hands it over. The detective inside of Jude is wary, but she’s too curious to not open it so she gently rips open the package’s wrapping to reveal a large square box tied with a silver ribbon and tag attached to it. ‘Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo’ are the only words written on it. She knows immediately who it’s from and she feels an answering surge of anger along with an emotion that isn’t easy to decipher.

“I knew he was arrogant, but this-” She roughly unties the ribbon and tears open the lid  and inside is the softest folded up material that she’s ever seen. Gently, she takes it out and it unfolds, turning into a simple but gorgeous black cocktail dress with an A-line skirt and off the shoulder sleeves, the picture of elegance.

Lil’s silver eyes are wide when she lets out a low whistle, “Damn.”

Jude is speechless.

“Wow.” Cardan’s voice sounds slightly higher pitched than usual before he clears his throat, standing just outside Jude’s doorway. “You clean up nice, detective.”

With a little help from Lil, she had accessorised the dress with a silver choker necklace that had belonged to her mother and a small velvet clutch. Her hair was carefully put up with dozens of little bobby pins and she feels sexy and ready to conquer whatever the Greenbriar family had in store for her.

Cardan himself is dressed in a coal coloured suit, a silky scrap of fabric tucked into his jacket pocket, shiny enough to match his eyes. There’s the faintest shimmer of gold on his defined cheekbones and his curly locks are just untidy enough to look stylish and it’s unfair how handsome he is.

“So do you.”

He steps back and holds out his arm for her in the way that gentlemen did in those historical dramas that Lil was always forcing her to watch and it shouldn’t have made her blush as she clutches the soft fabric covering his arm, but it did. She blames it on the corridor’s harsh fluorescent lighting.

Together they glide to the elevator and wordlessy head to the garage where Cardan’s sleek grey Maserati stands out amidst the other rundown cars belonging to the other apartment tenants, her neighbours, yet another reminder of all the differences between the two of them.

“Your carriage awaits you, my lady,” he opens the door for her, something that most of her few disastrous dates had neglected to do in the past and she’s so used to thinking of him as an indecorous scoundrel that him being so courteous was almost unwelcome. She’s not used to spending time with him outside of work and she’s strangely out of her element.

Cardan goes round and gets in on the other side and Jude secures her seatbelt as he starts up the car and swivels his head around to watch the back of the car before reversing.

They’re cruising along in his car and the only noise is the smooth purr of the Maserati and it smells of the pine air freshener that he’s pinned up to the rearview mirror. She leans back in her smooth leather seat and watches as they pass by buildings and skyscrapers and shops, the city buzzing with nightlife.

“So, what exactly is it that I’ve gotten myself into?”

Cardan takes his eyes off of the road to shoot her a swift glance before focusing back ahead of him, one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the gear stick. 

“Well, it’s a dinner party with some of my father’s closest friends, all of them snobs and all of them with their own agendas. I suppose I should also mention that this party is to celebrate the win of his company’s recent lawsuit.”

“Sounds like it’ll be wonderful.” Her words are dry with sarcasm. She has no desire to spend the night making polite conversation with aristocratic stiff necks who would look down upon her, but a bet was a bet and she had to admit that so far Cardan wasn’t making her regret her decision to agree to his challenge.

He surprises her by letting out a low and husky laugh, “You have no idea.”

There’s an awkward silence. 

“Thanks for the dress, by the way.”

“You’re welcome.”

For the short remainder of the ride the only sound that can be heard are the songs being played on the radio.

The party is in high swing by the time they get there, champagne glasses clink, waiters in their smart uniforms walk around carrying trays of hors d'œuvre  and the low rumble of conversation and piano music fills the air. The private outdoor venue is large and there are fairy lights strung on the bordering walls and tea candles on each table, creating an overwhelming effect.

There’s a slightly raised ramp at the other end of the entrance where a podium had been set up, complete with a banner displaying a fancy script that reads ‘Elfhame Enterprises’, which was the name of Cardan’s father, Eldred Greenbriar’s company.

Cardan has been holding her hand since he opened the car door once again for her and now, standing at the entrance of the party and waiting for his invitation to be accepted by the guard stationed at the gate, he squeezes her hand tightly in his and the act seems unconscious. There’s a tension clearly written on his face. 

For once she doesn’t need to raise her head to speak to him, thanks to her three inch heels and she leans over to discreetly whisper in his ear, “You ok?”

This time the gentle squeeze that he gives her is definitely on purpose.

 “I’m fine.” There’s the smallest of curves to his lips.

A diminutive lady with pale skin and Cardan’s sharp cheekbones and raven hair bustles up to them, a long stemmed wine glass filled to the brim held loosely in her hand. Jewels glistened on her long and low-cut gown, adding to the air of opulence that she exuded. 

“Cardan, you’ve finally arrived. Oh and you’ve brought someone with you!” 

“Hello, mother.” There’s a tightness in his smile. “Yes I did, allow me to introduce you to Jude Duarte.”

Stepping forward she firmly holds out her hand to Cardan’s mother and is graced with the barest of shakes in return, “You may call me Ma’am.” 

Ma’am? 

“Of course, thank you...Ma’am.”

Mrs. Greenbriar gives Jude a long and thorough onceover, dissecting her with cold eyes as if she were a mere insect and the feeling is extremely disconcerting. She looks to Cardan for support, but he looks just as out of depth offering her a look of sympathy with the features that so resembled his mother’s.

“So, Judie, what exactly is it that you do?”

She stands taller and staunchly replies, “I’m a Homicide Detective for the 12th precinct.”

“Ah. I see.” The words reverberate with barely hidden disappointment and distaste and just like that she no longer pays Jude any attention, turning to her son and reaching out to possessively clutch his arm and whisper something in his ear which makes him tighten his jaw further before bouncing off, wine spilling over from her glass.

“That was my mother.” Cardan says, unnecessarily.

“Right.” Jude couldn’t help what but wonder about what sort of a childhood he would have had to endure. Perhaps his mother hadn’t always been so disparaging. It seemed that there was a whole different side to Cardan’s life that she’d never known about.

“She's - hard to explain. I apologise for her behaviour though, she shouldn’t have treated you that way.” He’s sincere, but there’s also an underlying note of sadness. The type of sorrow that you would feel if you were let down yet again by someone that you always gave second chances to. Her heart gives a pang on his behalf. Before she can reassure him he continues, as if desperate to push the subject behind them. “Anyways, let me go get you a drink, what’ll you have?”

To the side of the grounds is a long table covered with a white cloth with various bottles of alcohol lined upon it, their colourful glasses glinting under the fairy lights. Behind the bar there’s a bartender in uniform, smoothly mixing drinks to order as rich elites look on.

“Um, maybe a Martini?” She names the first drink that comes to mind. 

“A Martini, huh? Dirty, perhaps?” His trademark flirty smirk makes a reappearance and Jude knows exactly how to handle it.

“Yup.” She pops the ‘p’ in what she hopes is a seductive manner. “Just the way I like it.”

His pupils seem to darken just the tiniest bit and his mouth makes a slight ‘O’ shape before he promptly turns on his heel in the direction of the bar muttering, “I’ll be right back.”

After a few moments of standing near the entrance, moving only to accept a smoked salmon canape from a passing waiter, Jude pulls out her phone from her purse to find multiple texts from Lil.

So? How’s it going?

If you need me to call and be your ‘family emergency’ so you can escape, I can totally do that, just say the word.

Jude

Jude

Judeee

You alive?

Biting back a grin she reassures her dramatic friend that she was definitely still alive. She’s just pressed send when she senses someone’s stare on her and something about it makes her skin crawl. She looks up and is met by the sight of a tall girl in a jade green V-cut and backless dress with vibrant blue hair. Nicasia.

“Why, Judie, fancy seeing you here!” Jude inwardly grimaces. Nicasia’s voice hadn’t gotten any less painful to hear since their last encounter. Standing in front of her now, she can’t help but think that she looked slightly ridiculous in all her fripperies, opaque pearls dangled from her ears and around her neck, gemstones glistening on her hair and cerulean eyeshadow that completely overshadowed the rest of her face. Strange to think that the last time they’d met, Jude had been plagued with envy, not even really knowing why.

She plasters a carefully manufactured, artificial smile on her face. “Nicky! What a delight to see you again!”

Nicasia’s face twists for a mere second before her cheerful and friendly facade is back in place. “Quite. Although, I can’t imagine how you’ve come to be here.” 

Her words are clearly a question, one that Jude answers beamingly, “Oh, I’m here with Cardan. As his date.”

She watches as the blue-haired girl’s eyebrows fly up her forehead, unable to contain her surprise. Jude knows a moment of smug victory and Cardan chooses this moment to walk up behind her carrying two cocktail glasses in his hands. He stops right next to her, handing her a glass with clear liquid and an orange twist inside it before slipping an arm around her waist, sending a zing up her spine. What the hell did he think he was doing? She briefly considers shaking him off, before realizing that he was holding her this way for Nicasia’s benefit. After all, she was his pretend girlfriend for the night.

“Nicasia! How lovely to bump into you!” His smile is just as fake as Jude’s had been and that fact shouldn’t give her a moment of satisfaction but it did.

“Why hello there Car! Yes your mother invited me, wasn’t that sweet of her? And I was just talking to Judie over here, it’s been lovely seeing her again.” She brings a hand up to her neck and starts twirling a pearl necklace. “I didn’t realise you two were an item?”

Cardan holds her even tighter against him. “Well, what can I say, she swept me off my feet.” 

He turns his face to her and gives her a subtle wink before molding his expression into an excruciatingly sappy look of affection, the kind that only existed in extremely cheesy early 2000s Disney movies. Suppressing a smile she returns the look to the best of her abilities.

“Aww, Honey Bunch, you are too adorable!” 

Go big or go home, right?

Cardan has difficulty not breaking into laughter but he manages to hide the hysteric sound that leaves his mouth as a deep cough and if this charade went on for much longer she didn’t think she could resist cracking up either.

“Only for you, Kitten.” That almost undoes her.

Nicasia makes a low sound of disgust at their little act and barely bothers to make up an excuse for herself before stalking off, her stilettos clicking against the paved pathway. 

“Oh thank God she’s gone, I was afraid that we’d be regaled with ‘Nicasia’s Trials During Sea Travels, A Saga; Part II.’” He’s referring to her last conversation with Nicasia when she had dropped by the precinct to drop something off for him and had ended up spending almost half an hour recounting her issues with sea-sickness. By the end of that half hour Jude had felt like clawing her eyeballs out.

She can’t help but laugh at both his comment and the recollection of their ridiculous masquerade and he rewards her with a look of astonishment, before a slow smile spreads over his face, eyes unbearably soft. “There’s that laugh.”

He’s referring to their conversation at Fair Folk Inks when he’d accused her of being uptight. The recollection should prompt Jude to make a snappy retort, but instead she simply swallows against the sudden lump growing in her throat and her heart is beating quick enough for her to hear. What on Earth was going on? This entire night had felt strangely like being stuck in limbo, her and Cardan shedding their competitive workplace relationship for one that was a lot more informal, a lot more together.

She takes a sip of the forgotten Martini in her hand, trying to push her errant thoughts away. Before she can think of a way to defuse the situation, the tinkling sound of metal being struck against a glass rings out through the night air.

Unnoticed by her, an elderly gentleman in a midnight blue suit that contrasted heavily with his bright blonde hair and owlish bronze eyes had stepped up to the podium. In his ring clad hands he held a wine glass and a fork, explaining the sound that she had heard earlier. Standing a little behind him but at his side is Mrs. Greenbriar, gripping a re-filled glass of wine. There also appears to be someone else standing next to her on the ramp, but the crowd around it is so thick that Jude can’t quite make him out.

“And there’s good ole’ Dad.” Her date for the night doesn’t sound at all enthusiastic about the appearance of his sire at the podium. “Looks like he’s about to grace us with an Eldred speech.”

And indeed, the old man waits until everyone is paying attention to him before he sets down the fork and raises his full glass in the air as he speaks. “Ladies and Gentlemen, as I’m sure you all know; since otherwise all you blighters wouldn’t be here,” there’s a slight smattering of obligatory laughter, “Elfhame Enterprises has recently undergone a lawsuit, which we came out of with a resounding victory against the Seelie Corporation, as everyone knew we would. Nevertheless, let us raise our glasses in celebration and as a toast to many more years of victories and resounding successes!”

United, his entire audience dutifully raises their glasses in a toast and downs the contents, Jude herself takes the smallest of sips from her Martini out of respect, although the alcohol tastes more bitter than before. She had never been a huge fan of these big businesses that bribed and blackmailed and pocketed money for themselves at the cost of so many others and she’d been a detective for long enough to cement that dislike. Then, she makes the startling discovery that Cardan himself had not raised his glass, nor taken a sip, instead, the hand that clutched his drink was doing so so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. Before she has the time to question his surprising behaviour Eldred continues speaking. 

 “In regards to the many years to come for Elfhame Enterprises, well, as you all know I’m not as young as I once was, although I can definitely still party the way I used to,” more polite laughter,

“and it is very likely that I shall be retiring for good in a few years. Until that bittersweet moment arrives however, I am glad to announce that working right along beside me and learning the ropes will be my heir and the man to whom the running of my wonderful company will fall to...my beloved elder son, Dain Greenbriar!”

If a meteor had just flown across the sky and landed two feet away from her, Jude couldn’t have been more shocked than she was at that moment. Cardan had a brother.

She watches in slow motion as the previously hidden figure beside the now jubilant Mrs. Greenbriar steps forward to stand by his father. Unlike Cardan, Dain was the picture of his father, except 30 years younger. His blonde hair was light and shiny and his face was harsh and unforgiving, the angles seeming as sharp as a blade. His handsome but smug smile rubs Jude the wrong way, making her instantly dislike him. Next to her, Cardan wears a shield of uncaring resignation, but whilst she watches him watching his family, there’s an underlying sadness seeping from his countenance and she knows him well enough to detect it.

Jude had always taken Cardan at surface level, he was rich, came from a wealthy family with high connections and lots of influence and he was also a playboy. To her, that meant he had been given an easy life, one where he never had to work hard for anything and got a free pass into doing whatever he liked, so very different from the life that she had lived with her struggling single mother after her father had passed away during an accident at his forge. And now it looked like her disdain for his background had been unfounded. His mother seemed to only care about money and positions, his father was no better and from the self-satisfied grin on Dain’s face she could surmise that he was the golden child of the family, coveted by all and ‘overshadower’ of his younger brother.

The same younger brother whose existence his entire family and their friends seemed to have forgotten about. 

Enough was enough.

She deposits her Martini onto a passing tray and does the same with Cardan’s untouched one which she wrestles from his tight grip, before reaching out to take his hand in hers. He tilts his head and considers her for a moment before surrendering with a slight shrug, his usual debonair sucked out of him. 

“Come on, let’s get out of here.”  She drags him out through the entrance, not stopping to consider if any of the guests was watching them in the turmoil of congratulating Dain and his father.

The moment they’re out of the gates she stumbles into a nearby deserted alleyway, towing a bemused Cardan along with her. They come to a sudden stop right next to a streetlight, and unhesitatingly Jude plonks herself down onto the relatively clean looking sidewalk, with no regard for her new dress. 

“Sit.” She pats on an empty spot next to her.

Cardan raises an eyebrow at her, before giving in and seating himself in the place she’d indicated. Her heel clad legs stretch out next to his feet encased by fancy leather Oxford’s.

“Talk.” She silently encourages him with her eyes.

“I-” He starts, then stops. Struggling to meet her steady gaze he finally bows his head and forces himself to speak. “I suppose you could say that my family has never been the most loving,” understatement she thinks, “and ever since the day I was born I was nothing like my big brother, he talked; I watched, he walked; I crawled and it was always like that. He would excel at school, I used to run riot with my friends. I always knew that they loved him more.

“When it was time for me to find a job, I knew that I didn’t want anything to do with the corporate world, I’d seen what it did to my parents and my brother and I wanted nothing to do with it. So I decided I’d do the exact opposite. I’d try my hardest to fight for justice and go against everything that my family stood for, corruption, money and power. That’s why I became a cop, why I enrolled at the academy, why I used my father’s blood money to pay the fees, so I could give back to the community in even some small way. Needless to say, my parents weren’t very happy with that decision.”

His words hit Jude like a volley of arrows. She’d been so very, very wrong about the man sitting next to her. This man who fought so hard to escape his family’s legacy. Regret rushes through her and reaches out for his hand and squeezes it gently, the way he’d done to her earlier.

“Cardan, listen to me, what your family thinks about you doesn’t matter. I wish that you’d grown up with parents and a brother who loved and treasured you the way you deserved, but you know what? 

“I think you should be proud of who you are. Because everything that you’ve been through has made you who you are today; Cardan Greenbriar, a pretty smart cop - despite what I said earlier, it wasn’t true and I’m extremely sorry for it - and a partner who always keeps up with me and someone whom I wouldn’t hesitate to entrust my life to and the man who manages to charm everyone in the precinct with his magnetism.”

He’s squeezing her hand right back and his eyes are glistening suspiciously as they burn into hers. A shaky smile manifests at her last few words after which he looks down once again and mutters, “not everyone.”

“Huh?”

“Not everyone.” His voice is stronger now when he raises his head again, more combustible. “You said that I’ve charmed everyone at the precinct, but there’s one woman who appears to be immune, despite being the one woman that I’ve had feelings for for quite a while now…it’s you, Jude.”

She can hear the blood rushing in her ears as her heart thumps. He thought she was immune to him? So had she, she’d thought she hated him, but now she’s wondering if what she felt for him was so much more than hate. Yes, he had her hackles rising faster than anyone else did and his occasional arrogance was a never ending source of annoyance to her, but he was also the man who understood her when she was working overtime on a tough case, always bringing her coffee whenever she pulled an all-nighter, always making sure to inquire after her mother’s health, always making sure she had a safe way of getting home. So many times he’d helped her out in little little ways, disguising his kindness as him merely trying to get under her skin and now her oblivious self was finally starting to realize it.

He smells like pine and Cardan in the aftermath of his confession, and he’d called her Jude, not ‘Duarte’ and he had feelings for her and what she’s about to do next was something that she never dreamed that she would do before, and yet, it was somehow inevitable. She leans over and kisses him.  

His lips are so very soft, like a feather, and the moment they meet hers she bursts into flames. This kiss was unlike any that she had ever had before, It was a forge-fire hot conflagration and she didn’t care if it burned her. The flame that had always been there between them is stronger than ever and it felt as though all this time the ‘hate’ burning through them had been hiding a much more powerful passion beneath it.

He brings his hands up to her neck and gently tugs at the bobby pins holding up her hairdo. She barely notices as they skitter to the pavement, leaving her brown locks down for him to pull at. She does the same to him, carding her fingers through his thick curls, curls that felt as sleek as a puppy’s fur against her questing hands.

Panting, he pulls away first and she has to force herself not to follow his lips with hers. Slowly she opens her closed eyes and looks at him, so close now that she can see the slightest flecks of colour in his dark eyes as his breath stirs her loose hair. 

“Wow. That...wow,” he babbles, “I - we should date, that was, I mean-”

“Cardan?”

“Yes?”

“Shut up and kiss me.”

He does exactly that and later, when he asks her out, she has no answer for him but ‘yes’.

The End.

-------------------------------------------------------

Liles, this fic was for you and I hope you enjoyed it. It’s been really fun getting to know more about you through our anon asks and answers and feel free to PM me anytime💕

Once again, I’m tagging: @cupcakesandkittens​ and @aelinfeyreeleven945tbln​

Please let me know (via ask or PM) if you’d like to be added to or taken off of my taglist!

[starryknight09]

Cops eat muffins?

Febuwhump Day 3: imprisonment

Read on AO3.

________________________________________________________

“What’s your parents number kid?”

“Isn’t it supposed to be, ‘you get one phone call?’” Peter asked, using sarcasm to mask his nerves, something he’d picked up from Tony.

“Yeah in the movies.” The cop grunted out, not amused.  Odd.  He almost reminded Peter of Happy.  “Now stop playing around.  Tell me the number.  I don’t have all night.”

“Um…” Peter tried to think quickly.  He really didn’t want to call Tony, his guardian ever since the snap had been reversed six months ago and Peter had found out May had died of cancer in the intervening five years.  Typical Parker luck.  Because as far as Tony knew, he was staying at Ned’s for a quiet night of putting together Legos, not going to some rager in Midtown.  Although to be fair, Peter hadn’t known Flash’s party would get quite so crazy.  Or busted by the cops.

He could call Pepper, but there’s no way Tony wouldn’t find out.  And she’d still have to drive all the way into the city at one in the morning.  He couldn’t call Ned’s parents because he hadn’t seen Ned anywhere around the police station, and Peter knew he’d been up in the bathroom when the party had gotten busted, so it seemed like he’d somehow escaped, and Peter didn’t want to be the one to bust him.  Plus, he was pretty sure Ned’s mom would totally tell on him to Tony.  It was too bad he’d been standing right by the front door when the cops had burst.  Anywhere else and he for sure would’ve gotten away.

“Well?” The cop prodded impatiently.

Who else was there?  Who else?  Who else?  Just when he’d given up and resigned himself to the fact that he was going to have to give them Tony’s number, a genius thought struck him.

“It’s 555-6437.” He answered.

The cop picked up the phone at his desk and Peter fidgeted as he waited in the chair across from him, the place he’d been dumped ever since he’d blown a zero on the breathalyzer test.  Thank god for his fast metabolism.  Any other teenager would’ve failed after drinking three beers.

“And who am I talking to?” The cop asked as he dialed the number.

“Oh um Hap— uh Harold Hogan.”

“Your dad?” The man raised an eyebrow.

Peter nodded.  Sure, why not?  Happy better come through for him.  He owed him after he’d forgotten to pick him after school last week and left him sitting there for hours.  Peter had covered for him and told Tony he’d gone to Ned’s house to work on a project and forgot to let him know.

“Different last name.” The cop stated, but Peter recognized the implicit question.

“I’m adopted.” He answered.  That was actually true.

“Hm.  No answer.” The cop said as he pushed the button to hang up the phone before dialing again.

Shit.  If Happy didn’t answer Peter really was going to have to come clean with Tony’s number.

After another few seconds of ringing, the cop’s eyebrows rose and a bemused expression crossed his face before he said into the phone, “Well I’m sorry to disturb you Mr. Hogan but I’m Patrick McAllister, a cop at the 33rd precinct, and I have your son here, a Mr. Peter Parker.  He gave me your number to call.”

Peter winced.  He could only imagine what was going through Happy’s mind right now.

“No he’s fine.  He was at an underage party where alcohol was being served, so we brought him in, but it doesn’t appear that he was drinking so I just need you to come pick him up.”

The cop paused to listen to whatever Happy was saying.  Peter knew if he concentrated hard enough he could probably listen in but he didn’t really want to know.

“Yes, the address is…”

Peter stared at his shoes as the cop told Happy where to pick him up.  At least that meant the man was coming and maybe he could salvage this without Tony finding out.

“Your dad’s on his way.” The cop said as he hung up the phone.  “Said he should be here in fifteen minutes.”

“Great.” Peter said without enthusiasm.  “So...are you going to put me in my cell now?”

The cop barked out a surprised laugh.

“What?” Peter asked, annoyed.

“Why would I put you in a cell?” The man asked, looking like he was working to hold back more laughter. Really, Peter didn’t think the question was that funny.

“Because I’m arrested.  I’m being imprisoned against my will.  Don’t you usually put people behind bars for that?” Peter explained dryly.

The cop burst out laughing.

Peter frowned.

“Man, you watch too much TV kid.” He said a moment later as he wiped at the tears in his eyes.

Peter crossed his arms, feeling defensive.  No one liked being laughed at, and he, in particular, never liked being treated like an idiot.

“Did I take your fingerprints?” The cop asked.

“No.”

“Your mugshot?”

Peter shook his head.

“Then why do you think you’re arrested?”

Peter blinked.  “Because I’m…here?”

The cop smirked.  “Did you break any laws?”

“I was at the party…”

“True but that’s not against the law.  You weren’t drinking and you weren’t providing alcohol to minors.”

Peter frowned.  That first part wasn’t exactly true but he wasn’t about to admit that.  “So if I’m not arrested, why can’t I just leave?”

“It’s against policy.  Can’t release minors without a legal guardian.”

Peter’s jaw dropped.  “So I’m going to get in trouble for nothing?”

“Tough break kid.” The cop shrugged, but Peter could see the glint of amusement in his eyes.  He was clearly loving this.  Well, at least someone was having a good night.

The cop seemed to sense his stormy mood.  He picked up the open cardboard box on his desk and held it out.  “Want a muffin?”

Peter eyed the assortment of chocolate, blueberry, and lemon poppyseed muffins.  They did look good.  

“Aren’t you supposed to be eating donuts?” He teased.

“Watch it kid.” The cop said without any bite.

Peter reached in to grab a chocolate muffin before the man could change his mind.  “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Hey Pat,” Another cop said as he walked over to them twenty minutes and two muffins later.  “The kid’s dad’s here.”

“Thanks Earl.” Pat answered and stood, gesturing for Peter to do the same.  “Let’s get you home.”

They turned the corner around the hallway and Peter caught sight of Happy, standing in the lobby in black sweatpants and a grey sweatshirt.  Peter didn’t think he’d ever seen the man out of a suit.

A second later Happy noticed them and frowned.

“Hey…um Dad.” He practically choked on the words.

Happy just harumphed and looked up at Pat.  “He’s good to go?”

“Yeah.  All set.  He technically didn’t break any laws, but we can’t release minors without a legal guardian.” Pat explained.

Happy nodded and gripped his shoulder.  “All right kid, let’s go.”

“Go easy on him.” Pat called out to them as they reached the door.  “He’s a good kid.”

Happy snorted as he held the door open for him.  As soon as it closed, the man shook his head and said, “Even police officers aren’t immune to the Peter Parker charm huh?”

Peter grinned.  With a comment like that, it didn’t seem like Happy was mad.

“Thanks for picking me up in the middle of the night.” He said as they walked into the parking lot toward Happy’s car.

“What was I supposed to do?  Make you spend the night in jail?” Happy asked gruffly, but Peter knew he cared.

“Technically I wasn’t in jail.”

“Looked like you were in jail to me.” Happy muttered.

“Nope.”

“What do you call what you were doing then?”

“Hanging out at a police station?” Peter tried.

Happy rolled his eyes as he thumbed the unlock button to the car on the key fob.  “Sure kid.”

“It wasn’t so bad.” He shrugged.  “Pat gave me muffins.”

“Only you.” Happy complained as he opened the passenger side door for him and Peter crawled in.

As soon as Happy turned the car on, Peter started toying with the radio dial even though he knew it drove Happy nuts.  He couldn’t handle the man’s taste in music.  He settled on an 80’s rock station as they pulled out of the parking lot.

“You seem in good spirits.” Happy noted.

“Yeah.” He shrugged.  He was.  He’d made it out unscathed.  “If you drop me off at Ned’s house I can just climb up to his window and we’ll be all good.  He lives on 59th and Fullerton.”

“That’s cute.”

“What?”

“That you think I’m going to drop you off at your friend’s house.” Happy huffed out a laugh.

Peter frowned.

“You’re staying in my guest room tonight.” Happy explained as if he was crazy for thinking otherwise.

Peter figured that could work.  He’d just have to make it to Ned’s by tomorrow morning so Tony could pick him up there.

Happy glanced at him and his brow furrowed as if he couldn’t comprehend his continued zen.  “And in the morning Tony’s picking you up.” Happy added.

Peter’s head snapped over to Happy.  “What?  He knows?” He asked, his eyes bugging out.

“Of course he knows.  I called him as soon as I got off the phone with that cop.”

“Why?” He complained in a long whine.

“What do you mean why?” Happy looked at him like he was crazy.  “You got arrested—”

“I wasn’t arrested.”

“—and then you call me and you think—”

“I didn’t call you, Pat did.”

“—that I’m not going to tell Tony, your legal guardian, not to mention my best friend, and the guy who signs my paychecks, that I just had to pick his kid up from jail?”

When he said it that way it did sound kind of bad.

“I was thinking that you owed me for not throwing you under the bus last week and you’d be cool about this.” Peter explained.

Happy raised an eyebrow at him.  “Yeah I owe you dinner or concert tickets or something, not a get out of jail free card.”

“You have no chill man.” Peter groaned.

A second later his phone started ringing.  He pulled it out of his pocket, thinking it was Ned trying to figure out where he’d ended up.

“Shit.” He swore when he saw Tony’s name on the caller ID.

“If I were you, I’d answer that.” Happy suggested.

“I’m going to remember this.” He said, like a threat, to Happy.

“I’m sure you will.” Happy said with an amused smile.

Peter glared at him as he thumbed the accept call button.  “Hello?” He answered nervously.

Maybe it’d be ok.  Maybe Tony would be cool about this.  Peter knew he was no saint.  He’d gotten arrested a bunch when he was younger.  Maybe he’d understand.

“Peter!” Tony yelled.

Maybe not.

[fandomstuff67]

Yet another fix it for 15x20

Third fix it in three days, wow. This fix it will not be the last either, I’ve got a few more planned.

So this one, is a fix it, but only for Dean’s funeral, where everyone should have attended, not just Sam and Miracle. As usual, read below or on ao3 

Celebrating the life of Dean Winchester

Word Count: 2.7k

Sam didn’t know how long he stood there, arms wrapped around Dean’s limp body, sobs pulsating through him with every breath. He didn’t know how long it had been when he finally managed to summon the strength to pull Dean away from the post or how he was able to lift Dean’s body into his arms and carry him towards the Impala. 

The two boys they’d saved were standing outside, clinging to each other in fear and Sam had to muster up a small smile as he set Dean gently down on the ground. 

“Hey guys, just give me a second okay? Then we’ll get you someplace safe.” 

The boys nodded and Sam crouched down beside his brother and reached shaking hands into Dean’s pocket where he pulled the Impala’s keys. 

It took him a few tries to get the key into the doors lock but once he did he gestured towards the kids. “Hop in, okay? I just need a moment.” 

“Is he sleeping?” the youngest boy asked as he looked at Dean. 

Sam had to fight to keep the tears from falling as he nodded slowly and met the boy’s eyes. “Yes, he’s just sleeping.” 

The two boys climbed into the front bench of the Impala and Sam carefully opened the back door and then bent down to pick Dean up again before placing him in the backseat. 

He slid into the driver's seat, again fighting tears as he thought about how Dean hardly ever let him drive the car and how Dean said he rode the brakes too hard. The ache in his chest expanded and he swallowed down the lump in his throat before turning the key in the ignition and pulling the Impala away from the barn.

 He drove to the nearest police precinct and gave a brief explanation of what happened to the cop behind the counter, omitting the details about vampires, before he left the boys in the hands of the law. 

The drive back to the bunker was eerily silent. Sam couldn’t bear to put on any music, knowing that the second he turned on the radio it would be playing one of Dean’s classic rock cassette tapes. Instead, he just focused on the rumble of the engine under the hood, it was a sound he’d been hearing all his life and it had become a comfort to him, just to hear it everyday. 

When Sam reached the bunker he couldn’t seem to get his feet to work. It was like he was glued to the seat, and he pressed his forehead against the steering wheel and let the tears fall again, letting the aching sobs take over him. 

It took him a long time before he had himself under control again but when he stepped from the car and hoisted Dean’s body from the backseat and entered the bunker, his emotions got the better of him again when he saw Miracle waiting for him. 

Miracle wagged his tail and came to greet him, sniffing at his shoes and ankles. “Hey there, boy,” Sam said shakily as he brushed past him and moved down the hallway towards Dean’s room. 

He hesitated in the doorway, even though Dean’s weight was crushing, but seeing the empty room, clothes strewn across various furniture, the unmade bed, the job application Dean had just signed, made him almost want to go lay Dean out on one of the library tables instead. But he forced himself to enter the room, because it was where Dean would want to be, on his bed, not some hard table. 

Once Dean was on the bed, Sam sat beside him and Miracle leaped up onto the mattress and instantly started licking Dean’s face. 

“He’s gone,” Sam said softly when Miracle looked at him in confusion at Dean’s lack of response. Miracle whined and nosed at Dean’s body again before looking back at Sam. “He’s gone,” he repeated. It was the only thing he could seem to say, as if he was trying to get it through his head too, not just the dog’s. 

He knew he had things to do, arrangements to make, people to call, but he felt too numb to do anything. He’d seen Dean’s dead body before, too many times, but this time it was different, this time he wasn’t coming back, this time Sam had to continue without him. He wasn’t even sure if he could do that, but he knew he had to try because it was Dean’s dying wish that he live his life.

Eventually, Sam managed to drag himself to his feet and drop some food in Miracle’s bowl before stumbling to the library where he sat at the table, staring at the five names etched into its surface, his phone sitting in front of him. 

He stared at the black screen for a moment, before he opened his phone and clicked his way through his contacts. Dean’s name was the first one he saw and he only hesitated for a second before he clicked the call button; the need to hear Dean’s voice again was too powerful.

He could hear the phone ringing down the hallway but once it stopped Dean’s voice came from the phone’s speaker. 

“This is Dean’s other other cell, you must know what to do.” 

Sam ended the call and let out a shaky breath. He couldn’t just sit here and call Dean over and over again, he had to tell people what happened, he had to call their friends. 

The next name under Dean’s in the contact list was Donna. His finger hovered over her name for a moment as he tried to control his breathing. When he finally pressed call, and put the phone on speaker, he could feel his heart beating faster as each ring filled the air. 

“Hiya,” Donna answered after the third ring. “What can I do ya for, Sam?” 

“Uh, hey Donna,” Sam replied. He knew he sounded like shit, he knew his voice was tear jerked and rough, that it was obvious something was wrong. 

“Oh no, what’s happened?” Donna asked, instantly worried. 

Sam felt the tears in his eyes again and the softest of sobs escaped his lips. “It’s Dean,” he managed to choke out. “He’s-” he trailed off, trying desperately to get air into his lungs as his chest seemed to be collapsing at every corner. “He’s dead,” he finally sobbed. 

Donna was silent on the other end and Sam could hear the quiet intake of a breath. “I’m so sorry, Sam,” she said after a moment. 

Sam nodded as more tears slid down his cheeks. “Yeah, so um, I guess I’ll be holding the wake in a few days, at the bunker. Um, I want to tell Jody myself, but uh, can you… I know it’s a lot to ask but… can you get the word out, I just… I don’t think I can-” 

“I’ll get the word out, Sam,” Donna cut in. 

“Thanks,” Sam replied. “I gotta… I gotta call Jody, but I’ll see you in a few days?” 

“I’ll be there.” 

Sam hung up and once again tried to get himself under control before he called Jody. 

She answered right away and Sam could hear the voices of Claire and Alex in the background and the sizzle of something on a stove. 

“Hi Sam,” Jody said, a smile in her voice. 

Sam hated that he was about to wreck her good mood. “Hi Jody.” 

“What’s up? You don’t sound so good.” 

“You might want to sit down,” Sam said. 

“Okay…” Jody replied. He could hear her move away from the stove and pull out a chair. “What’s up?” 

“It’s Dean, he’s… he’s dead.” 

There was silence for a moment, and then, “how?” Jody asked, Sam could hear the break to her voice, the shake of it as tears undoubtedly began to fall from her eyes. 

“Vampire hunt,” Sam replied. He sniffed and gripped the phone tighter. “I’m holding the wake in a few days, Donna’s already telling people what happened, but maybe you could help her out? I have to… I have to prepare the-the body, and everything.” 

“We’ll take care of it,” Jody said.

“Great, uh, thanks.” 

With the calls made, Sam sunk further into his chair and shut his eyes, he had a lot to do in the next few days, but for now he just wanted to sleep. 

****

When Sam opened the bunker door five days later, he didn’t expect to see so many people lined up to come in. 

There were Jody and the girls, Donna, Doug, Charlie, Bobby and the rest of the apocalypse world hunters, and lastly, Eileen. 

Sam accepted hugs and condolences from everyone, but he held onto Eileen the longest. “I’m so sorry, Sam,” she said. Sam could only nod as he took her hand and led her into the bunker. 

“So, uh, Dean’s body is in his room, and I figured tonight we could build the pyre,” he said once everyone was inside and had turned to look at him. “There’s beer in the kitchen and I’ll go out to get the pizza soon.” 

“I can get it,” Bobby offered. “You’ve been through enough.” 

Sam nodded in relief. “Okay, thanks.” 

Sam collapsed in a chair next to Eileen and watched as people filed off to find beer or go see Dean. 

“You know, I remember when I first met you boys,” Jody said as she sat down across from Sam, a beer in hand. 

“Yeah, you arrested us,” Sam replied as he raised a beer of his own to his lips. 

Jody chuckled. “That I did.” 

“And I tried to kill you,” Eileen said. 

Sam nodded, the smallest of smiles on his lips. “Yeah.”

“You boys saved me from fat sucking monsters,” Donna added as she came to join them. 

“And Dean killed Lucifer,” Bobby said. 

“He did,” Sam agreed. “And Hitler.” 

“And Hitler,” Jody laughed.

“I never got along with Dean,” Kaia said as she and Claire gravitated towards the table. “But he saved a lot of people, myself included.” 

Claire nodded in agreement. “I remember when I tried to have him killed, he should have been furious, but he never held a grudge against me.” 

“Dean was a good person,” Charlie said. 

“The best,” Sam replied. 

“Hey, Sam?” Claire asked. 

“Yeah?” 

“Where’s Cas?” 

Fuck. 

Through it all he and Dean had really forgotten to tell everyone about Cas. 

“Uh,” Sam choked slightly, eyes focused on his beer. “He’s um, he’s dead too.”

“What?” Claire gasped, horror passing over her face before tears sprung from her eyes and she turned into Kaia’s arms. 

“Dean said the empty came for him, he uh… he never told me why,” Sam replied quietly. “Sorry, I… I didn’t even think… I thought Dean would’ve… a lot’s happened these past few days.” 

Sam watched Kaia lead Claire away towards a corner of the bunker and Sam returned to his beer, taking a long sip. 

Jody reached out a hand and touched his arm gently. “It’s okay.” 

Sam shook his head, once again finding that he was crying. “It’s not. Cas was part of our family and we didn’t even… he didn’t deserve that.” 

“But we know now, we can celebrate his life today too,” Jody replied. 

Sam nodded mutely and let his hand fine Eileen’s again, holding onto her like she was the only thing that was keeping him grounded, and she probably was. 

Bobby went and got the pizza and they ate to the sound of Dean’s favorite songs filling the bunker. Sam hardly managed two bites of food, but he chugged down a few more beers in the pizza’s stead.

After many drinks were had, and many stories were told (of both Dean and Cas), Sam knew it was his turn to speak, sohe forced himself to stand in front of everyone. 

“Thank you all, for coming. None of us really expected to see this day, least of all me. I never thought… I’d be standing here at my brother’s funeral, I always assumed we’d end up dead together. But, Dean would have wanted you all to be here, and I’m sure he’d be proud of all the alcohol we’ve consumed.” That earned Sam a small chuckle from the crowd and Sam smiled at it. “Dean was always there for me, he always looked out for me, and protected me. He always knew he’d go out on a hunt, he always knew there would be a day where he wasn’t brought back to life, and this time, when he died… he chose to go and he chose to stay gone.” Sam paused and gripped his beer tighter. “And Cas, he was my brother too, he sacrificed so much for Dean and me, the last of all being his life. They’re both going to be missed, but Dean wants us to keep going, I’m sure Cas does too, and so that’s what I plan to do.” 

Murmurs of agreement pushed their way through the crowd and Jody raised her beer to the air. “To Dean and Cas.” 

“To Dean and Cas,” everyone echoed. 

After they drank to Dean and Cas, Sam led everyone out to the clearing behind the bunker and together they all began to build the pyre Dean would finally be laid to rest on. 

It didn’t take long, with all of them working together, and soon the pyre was ready, the only thing it was missing was the body. Sam stared at the empty stack of wood for a few moments before he cleared his throat. 

“Right, I’ll go… I’ll go get him.” 

“Do you want help?” Jody asked. 

Sam shook his head. “No, no, I’ve gotta do this alone.” 

Without another word, Sam headed back inside and found his way to Dean’s room. Miracle was curled up at the base of Dean’s bed and he raised his head when Sam walked in. Sam paused to pet him but he quickly stood again and moved to Dean’s side. 

He pulled the white sheet away from Dean’s face and took in his brother one last time. 

“You shouldn’t have gone out that way, Dean,” he said in a choked whisper. “I’m sorry.” He took a breath to steady himself and forced the tears back down. “I’m going to try and live my life for the both of us, I’m going to make you proud.” 

He drew the sheet back over his face and then began to wrap him up in the cloth, tucking it in carefully around his body and securing it with ties. When he finished, he gently picked Dean up and made his way out of Dean’s room. Miracle trailed at his feet as he pushed his way outside and placed Dean’s body atop the pyre. 

He stepped away and joined the circle of people surrounding the pyre and let his hand fall back into Eileen’s. 

“Well, this is it,” Sam said. “Thank you for everything, Dean.” 

“You’ll never be forgotten,” Jody added. 

“Your story will be told for years to come,” Donna said. 

“The great Dean Winchester, who fought angels, and demons, and God himself,” Bobby said. 

“And Cas,” Sam said with a sniff. “Thank you for saving my brother in more ways than one.” 

“Thank you for trying your best to make things right with my family,” Claire added. 

“Thank you both for being there,” Sam choked out. He flicked open his lighter, Dean’s lighter, that he’d dug out of Dean’s pocket the other day. He let the flame sway in the light breeze for a moment before he raised his head to look at the pyre. 

“Goodbye Cas, goodbye Dean.” 

With that, he tossed the lighter towards the pyre and watched as it caught on the dry brush and spread to the top of the wood, engulfing Dean in flames. 

It was the hunter's funeral Dean deserved. 

Miracle whined at Sam’s feet and he let his free hand brush against his head as more tears fell from his eyes. 

The smoke clouded Sam’s vision and he tilted his head to the sky, watching the blue move timelessly above him. He hoped Dean was up there, he was sure Dean was up there, with Jack in charge now there was no way Dean had ended up in Hell. 

He knew he’d join Dean eventually, but he wasn’t going to make that day today, as much as he’d thought about it. He had Eileen, and Miracle, and Dean would be pissed if he joined him too soon.

With a sad smile, Sam turned his gaze back to the pyre and gave Eileen’s hand a squeeze. For now he was going to live his life, just like he told Dean he would.

 Tag list (ask to be added or removed):

@anotherdowneyfan1 @tearsofgrace @quxxnxfhxll @rebelangel67 @professorerudite @adsdragonlover @wantstoflyafraidtofall @goblinwritergay

[ms-rampage]

Eden’s Gate: Aftermath Chapter 4 - Into The Bliss

Warnings: Swearing, Angst, Drug trip (Bliss). Kate and Wheaty being an adorable couple.

Word count: 3.6k

This is a short follow up series to Kidnapped leading up to the nuclear holcaust, and the beginning of New Dawn. 

Summary: Kate tries to get over John and gets a surprising visitor. Paige still suffers with the symptoms from Jacob Seed’s classical conditioning despite being dead. Faith/Rachel learns the truth and secrets about the Winchester family. 

Guest OCs: Joel Winchester [mentioned], Daenerys Winchester [as a infant in Bliss trip]

Guest Characters: Castiel [Supernatural: mentioned], Jacob Seed [mentioned], John Seed [mentioned, and in Bliss trip].

*****

A few weeks have passed, mid September is finally here, and the search for Joseph Seed continues. The lead Paige found turned out to be false, and was just an abandoned, small village with a bunch of mannequins and some druggie. Goddamn cops. Damn pigs with their false leads. 

Kenny, Mark, Nate, Cody, Adrian and a few other locals are putting up 2 more houses on the property. They've been putting them up for almost a month now. Since both Paige and Kate are pregnant, Mark, Nate, Adrian, Marty, and Cody’s families are coming to live with them. 

So building 2 more houses will help with the expanding family of hunters.

Kate and Wheaty have gotten a lot closer, finally making their relationship official, despite them making out several times already. Him learning some things about his new girlfriend, like her knowing how to ride a skateboard. 

"I didn't know you skate!" he tells her. She laughs softly, "Yeah, I've been skating for years now" she tells him. 

She rides around the driveway of her house, showing him some tricks. Landing a kickflip, an ollie and all other basic skating tricks and techniques. 

"Even though I'm pregnant I can still skate!" she jokes. Stops in front of him, while standing on the board. Wraps her arms around his neck, and kisses him. He breaks the kiss after a several seconds. 

"So!" he says, "How did you know that I liked you?". 

She chuckles, "It was quite obvious. You were always nervous around me. Very awkward". 

He laughs, "Well isn't that how most people act when they're around someone they like?. You're a psychologist so you should know!". 

She gives him a quick peck on the lips, "It's a very common sign". 

As they're making out like a couple of teenagers. 

The guys are putting the foundation of the houses, cutting up wood to build the walls.

“Paige!!!” Kenny calls out for his wife, as he looks around for his extra tools and other materials. 

“Yeah?!?” she responds, standing by the back door.

“Can you get me a hammer, electric saw and the jar of nails from the shed. Please” he asks.

She looks down at the 9 month old infant in her baby wrap.

“Umm” she points to their infant daughter, “I’m a little preoccupied here!!”. 

“Please. They’re not on the top shelf” he says.

She rolls her eyes, “Okay, I’ll be back”.

“Thank you!!” he responds, measuring the pieces of wood. 

Paige walks to the shed they have in the back of their property.

“The stuff your daddy makes me do” she says to Cristina, “You’re gonna be a big sister!. A brother? A little sister?”.

She opens the shed door, a radio on the metal table making an annoying static sound.

“Damn, old ass radio” she mutters as she looks around the jar of nails, and hammer.

Sighing, as she looks around for the hardware tools, “Okay where are you?!?”.

She finds the hammer in a tool box a few inches above her head. As she reaches for the hammer, and grabs it. She bumps into the metal table with the radio on it. The static goes away, becoming clear and an old nightmare of hers comes back.

Only you can make all this world seem right

Only you can make the darkness bright

Paige gasps loudly, drops the hammer, bumping into the shelves knocking over jars, and boxes of tools, grabbing her head. The song plays distortedly, flashbacks from when she was locked in a cage, being tortured by Jacob and going through his trials. Killing those innocent people. His words replaying over, and over in her head.

TRAIN, HUNT, KILL, SACRIFICE. CULL THE HERD.

Her vision turns red, and black. She starts to hyperventilate. Her screams get trapped in her throat.  

Flashing images of dead carcusses of people and animals. The wolves. The Judges. That stupid music box Jacob had to fuck up his victims minds.

Kenny, Adrian, Mandy, Mark, Nate, Kate, Wheaty and everyone else on the property hear Paige’s panicked screams, and Cristina’s cries. They all run to the shed, and find her on the ground screaming, clenching her head.

Cristina crying, and wailing. Only You playing on the radio.

Kate goes to turn off the radio. 

“Paige!!!” Kenny yells, shaking her shoulders, “Paige!!”. She stops screaming, her voice turning hoarse and raspy. Tears streaming down her face, and hyperventilating. 

He takes Cristina from the wrap, and hands her to Mandy, and takes her inside.

“Hey, are you okay?!” Kenny asks, comforting his wife.

She shakes her head, crying into her husband's chest, “No, No. Jacob may be dead but he still lurks in my head”.  He holds his wife, closely, comforting her. Stroking her hair. He, and Mark help her up, and take her inside the house. Sitting at the kitchen table with her mom, sister and Rachel.

“What happened?!” Kate asks.

Stammers over her words, “I-I went to go get a hammer, saw and nails for Kenny. I bumped into the table with the old radio. Then I heard “Only You” play, and I had flashbacks from St. Francis, when I was locked in that cage”. 

Crying softly. Thinking of all that would go away when she killed Jacob a month earlier, but apparently it looks like his spirit is sticking around for a while to torment Paige.

“The images from his stupid slideshow, the trials. Me killing those innocent people under his control with that fucking music box”.

Mandy places her hand on her eldest daughter's hand, “It’ll go away. We’ll work on it”.

Kate clears her throat, “Speaking of Jacob. That day when you kill him, and uh- and I killed John, when we were sent on that Bliss trip. What did you see?”.

Looking down at her hands, Paige says, her voice shaken, “The night dad was killed”.

She turns to Kate, “I saw everything, the whole house went up in flames, and I woke up”.

“I saw the same thing” Mandy says, “Then it was the day I lost both of you”.

“What did you see?!” Paige asks Kate.

“It was from that day Morgan and I exorcised the demon out of John”.

Rachel turns to Kate in confusion, “John got possessed by a demon?!?”.

She nods her head, “Yeah, the demon that was possessing him. Saleos. He had John kill me”.

All 3 of their eyes widened, “You were dead?!?” Mandy exclaims.

Nodding her head, “Yeah, I was strangled by “John”. He couldn’t stop him. I was dead for an hour then Castiel brought me-”

“Cas was there!?!?!” Paige interrupts her, “I don’t mean to interrupt but he was there?!?”. 

Kate exhales, “Yeah he was there, he told me I met an untimely death that wasn’t supposed to happen, and that I wasn’t supposed to die. Where I was, was the final stop before getting into Heaven, like a plane of existence. The Other Side is what he called it. Then he brought me back to Earth, and I went back into my body. He wiped John’s memory of being possessed, me being dead and all that shit. But the memory of him being possessed can be restored by me, and only me. If I were to bring it up to him”.

Rachel looks at all three of them, confused and asks “So you said you were dead?!?”.

“Yes” Kate answers.

“Castiel? Like the Angel?!” she asks, trying to keep up with what’s going on.

“Yeah, the Angel” Paige answers. 

“I also want to mention that same day when demon John killed me, and I was in The Other Side. I finally met dad” she says, her voice going soft.

Mandy and Paige look at each other, then back at Kate.

“You- you met dad?!?” Paige asks in disbelief. 

Kate nods, shedding a single tear, “Yeah, Cas brought him there. I saw that exact same thing when I was on my bliss trip at St. Francis”. 

Paige narrows her eyes at her, and looks around in disbelief, “Wait, so on your Bliss trip. You saw demon John killing you via strangulation, then you were taken to The Other Side or Limbo basically, where you saw yourself talk to our dead dad?! And Castiel was there?”.

Trying to process all that she said, “Yeah, pretty much” she chuckles. 

“Bliss-ception” Paige jokes, “Or death-ception”.

“So what did you and your dad talk about?!” Mandy asks.

Trying to hold back her tears, “I asked him what happened to me, what happened that night when he was killed. Azazel killed him, and that same demon did it to our cousin's mom, Mary, several years earlier in the same way, and that's how most of us Winchester’s go out. I told him that I never got to know him, and he said in these exact words, “I know you didn’t. That’s why you’re here, it was a chance for you to finally meet me”.”

Mandy starts to tear up. Holding her head up with her fists placed underneath her chin.

“Then he asked me “How’s your mother and Paige?”, and the final words he said to me before he disappeared. They still play in my head to this day, they were “I’m always watching over you”.”

All of them crying, softly sobbing uncontrollably. Rachel started to get teary eyed just by hearing all of this. 

“So. So all of you have died, and came back?!?” she asks.

All three of them nod, “I’ve died 9 times” Paige says.

“I’ve died 4 times” Kate says, lifting her hand up a bit. 

“3 times” Mandy says.

Learning about what this family does for a living. Traveling across the country, killing monsters. 

**********

Later that night, Rachel is in her room, sitting on her bed reading.

She gets a knock at her door, “Yes?” she responds.

The door opens, and Kate steps inside, “Hey”, she says.

“Hi” she responds looking up from her book.

“You okay?” she asks, concern in her voice. 

Rachel nods her head, “Yeah, I’m fine”

Nodding her head, “Okay, good. Because umm you looked a bit shaken up from what we were talking about earlier” Kate says, sitting down on a chair by the bed.

Rachel closes her book, setting it down on her nightstand.

“Have you ever met God?” she asks.

Kate nods her head, “Chuck is his name. He’s a writer”

She sits up in her bed, “So when Paige said “We’re all just a part of his story” that wasn’t a metaphor, or anything?”.

She shakes her head, “No. It wasn’t a metaphor or anything. We’re all just a book. We’re all a part of his story”.

Rachel looks down at the floor for a few moments. Kate clears her throat, and says.

“I know Paige, and pretty much everyone living here would be completely against this, but is there anyway, or a chance you can get a hold of some Bliss?!” 

She looks at her with a head tilt, “I may have a vial. Why?”.

Embarrassed, and ashamed to even think about why she wants it. She takes a deep breath, and says.

“Because I, and I hate to admit it, but I want to see John again. Even if it’s an old memory of us happy together”.

Kate starts to tear up, “I don’t know why he still has this affect on me!!. It’s like I can’t let him go. Like he’s entwined with me, a part of me. That day when he died, he looked me in the eye before taking his last breath. I’m with Wheaty now, I can’t be having these feelings for an ex partner of mine that is dead!!”.

“He took your virginity, didn’t he?” she asks, looking at her with soft puppy like eyes. 

Nodding her head while tears stream down her cheeks. 

“Yeah, yeah he was my first time. I wanted to lose it to someone who was worthy enough to take it. John, at the time was worthy enough, to me, to take it, but now I'm starting to think I wished someone else took it". 

Rachel places her hand on Kate’s hand. 

“That’s why. He took something from you that you can never get back, and he left his spawn inside you. Growing”.

Kate’s breathing turns shakey, that ball in her throat making it hard for her to speak.

“I think maybe, seeing him again, maybe it’ll help me get him out of my head” she was able to speak up.

Rachel gets up from her bed, and goes to her closet. Going through one of her bags, and pulls out a small vial of the pale green drug.

“Here” she says, handing her the small vial, “If you concentrate hard enough. You will be able to communicate with John even if he’s dead”.

She looks at the vial, examining it. “So do I drink it? Or?”

“You can drink a little bit of it, or you can inhale it” she answers. 

“Okay, thank you” she says, getting up from the chair, and leaves her room.

*********

An hour later everyone is asleep, Kate is getting ready for bed. She looks over at the vial of bliss Rachel gave her an hour ago. Contemplating whether or not to take a sip, or sniff of it, or just not use it at all.

She locks her bedroom door, grabs the vial, opens it, and takes a long, deep inhale of the hallucinogenic drug. Quickly closing the bottle, setting it down on her desk.

Concentrating hard on seeing John again, and maybe tell him to get out of her head. She’s ashamed to say to herself. Let alone think of it. Her vision starts to get blurry, white, green, red, and disoriented. Everything is tripping out.

Sparks flying, she falls back on her bed. Letting the drug do it’s thing. After a few minutes have passed, feeling like she’s falling. Feeling light as a feather.

*Into the Bliss*

She wakes up in a white, and green wonderland.

The sky green, the clouds a whitish pale green. The sun shining down on her, warming her up.

“Holy fuck" she whispers, “That shit worked”.

A jackalope rabbit sitting at her feet. It hops away when she moves, and sits up.

Her clothes are different from what she was wearing earlier. 

A plain white, knee length flannel dress, and no shoes on. Her hair in a clean well done braid. 

A princess cut diamond ring on her left ring finger.

She looks around, and sees that she’s laying in a field by a huge tree with a tire swing attached to it. 

"What the fuck?!?!" she mutters to herself. 

She continues to look around the blissed out wasteland. 

“Kate!?!” a distorted male voice echos. 

She looks behind her, and sees a figure approaching her through the cloud of bliss 30 feet away. The clouds of bliss as the figure approaches her give off a wing like shape behind them. She stands up, and slowly approaches them.

“Kate!?!” the voice says again slightly clearer but still distorted. 

“John?” she mutters confused, as she slowly approaches the other person. 

“Kate!?” they say again.

It takes her a moment to realize it’s John’s voice. 

“John!?!” she yells out. Slight hope in her voice.

The figure gets closer, and she is immediately brought to shameful tears when she sees that it’s really John.

“John?!” she says again, tears streaming down her face. A huge smile on her face. Just by seeing him she forgets why she wanted the drug in the first place. To tell his ass off. 

“I’m here darlin” he says, smiling, his voice echoing throughout the hallucination.

Those perfect blue eyes staring back at her. Placing his hands on her waist, pulling her closer to him. She places her hands on his shoulders. They stare at each other for what felt like years. Decades. Centuries. A Millennium. Their foreheads touching. 

He looks down at her stomach, his hands placed where her baby bump would be.

“She’s gonna be so beautiful” he tells her.

Confused, Kate looks down, and sees that her stomach had grown bigger. Telling herself it's all part of the hallucination, and that she doesn’t have to go in panic mode.

John kneels down, and kisses her baby bump. 

Feeling the baby kick. Tears running down her cheeks, this is what she wanted, but she knows she'll never have it. This is the closest she’ll ever get to having a family with John. He stands up, and kisses Kate on the lips. Holding her close in his arms. Her arms wrapped around his neck. 

One of his hands on her lower back, the other holding the back of her head. 

He lifts her up, his arms wrapped around her lower half. He slowly spins in a circle with the love of his life in his arms. Kissing her. 

Even though this is all a hallucination and John is most likely buried 6 feet underground. Everything felt so real. Kate buries her face in the crook of his neck as he slowly spins her around. 

It doesn't dawn on her that she wanted to tell John to leave her alone and get out of her head because she's with someone else. Looking like a total clown. 

The sound of a baby cooing, catches her attention. She looks over to her right, and sees a white crib in the middle of the field.  John puts her down, taking her hand in his, and they walk towards the crib.

Looking down at her stomach, seeing it had shrunk back to its normal size from before.

"Okay this trip is getting way too personal" she thinks to herself, "And I hate it!". 

They approach the crib, and see a baby girl who looks about 6 months old in a pink, and white onesie. 

Black hair like Kate’s, and blue eyes like John. 

The name above her on the headboard of the crib says “Daenerys A.B. Seed”.

John picks her up from the crib, cradling her in his arms. Smiling down at his infant daughter.

“She looks just like you” he says, turning to Kate. 

“She has your eyes” she says to him, holding her tiny foot. 

He hands her to Kate. Baby Daenerys looks so much like her with John’s blue eyes. Cradling her in her arms, they look down at their beautiful little girl. Trying her best not to cry again. 

She puts her back in the crib, and turns to John. Cupping his cheeks, and kisses him. Embracing her tightly. She closes her eyes, resting her head on his shoulder. 

He rocks her slowly in his arms. Hoping for this to never ever end. If she could stay here forever with him, and their daughter she would. She would have no problem with that. 

“Kate!!” another voice speaks out from behind her. She pulls away from John and looks behind her. Looking around and seeing no one, just the hallucinations of the Bliss, and it's weird, mutant animals. Thinking it's her father since he was there in her Bliss trip back at St. Francis. 

She turns back to face him and sees another man's face looking back at her. Holding her. 

“Hello sweet-cheeks!!!” Gabriel greets her with a huge smile.

She can literally hear a record scratch in her head as he says this. Eyes widened, mouth falling slightly open.

“Gabriel?!? What are you doing here?!?” she exclaims, trying to release herself from his hold.

“You shouldn’t be here” he tells her, “You need to get out". 

Confused to why her guardian Archangel is here. In her Bliss hallucination, “What?!? Why?!?”. 

“You need to leave, and forget about John” he tells her, “He’s no good and you know that. I'd tell you, but you'll find out in the weeks to come". 

Still confused, and stumped “I-I don’t. What? Tell me what?!!?". 

“It’s important that you get out of here!” he tells her. Cupping her cheeks. 

Shaking her head, “This isn’t real. This isn’t real, you’re a hallucination!!” she yells out.

"You're a hallucination!" he sasses her. 

“Where’s John?!?” she orders him to tell her.

“He was never here. It was all me. I’m more real than your psychedelic drug trip” the Archangel tells her, “I’m real. This isn’t. You need to leave. John is dead. That's it, you can't save him!”.  

Before she could protest against him, Gabriel snaps his fingers and makes a cloud-like portal appear behind her. She looks back, sees the cloud rift portal, and turns back to him. 

"You might hate me for this" he tells her and aggressively pushes her through the rift portal back to her universe.

Kate wakes up in a cold sweat, confused. Not sure how long she was out, she looks out her window and sees the sun rising up from behind the mountains. 

Her hallucination happened throughout the whole night? Even though it felt like it was 10 minutes. Trickster making himself known by pretending to be John and telling her to get over him, move on with her life. What the actual fuck Gabriel?!?.

[not-a-christmas-tree]

i watched the dallas theater company les mis and here are my observations part TWO

i recently watched a modern adaptation of les mis from 2014! i took hella notes bc les mis being set in modern day has a LOT MORE than you would think! i just posted my act one notes, so here are the ones from act two. enjoy! :D

ACT TWO

(Building The Barricade)

oh javert,,,you and your red beret-scarf combo

everyone shakes hands the same way?? they all like. half bro hug. young people ig 🤷‍♀️ 

oh on my own is gonna hurt me huh

éponine has her hands up when she goes to take the letter to cosette that’s an interesting take

jvj looks so done lmao “really bruh just give me the letter i’ll give it to cosette it’s FINE”

omg first time i’ve ever seen éponine not take the money after the letter!! that actually makes so much sense bc she doesn’t take marius’ money when he asks her to find cosette’s house either. that,,,yes that’s good

the modern era begs the question... why didn’t marius just ask for cosette’s number?? i’d assume it’s just a thing that jvj doesn’t allow her to have a phone bc The Cops, but. maybe marius and cosette are the straight version of cottagecore lesbians they just write letters for ~The Aesthetic~

(On My Own)

i was right on my own was gonna hurt me

first time i’ve ever seen an éponine disguise where she actually passes as a boy lmao 

FINALLY A VERSION OF OMO WHERE ITS NOT JUST FORLORN SELF-CARESSING THANK YOU

surprisingly i have less notes here that’s fun i thought i’d have more

(Javert at the Barricades)

WOAHHHHH THEY DID NOT SKIMP ON BARRICADE SET PIECES THAT SHIT IS COOOOOL

oh the barricade scenes are already hitting too hard 

cops are in riot gear cops. are in. riot gear.

oh the javert spy thing that also hits funny because obviously

gavroche is armed with a bat i love you son

FULL VERSION OF LITTLE PEOPLE AT THE BARRICADE AYEEEEE

(A Little Fall Of Rain)

wait hold on why is marius not,,,singing to éponine on “why have you come back here?” he’s like. scolding someone,,, huh??

oh enj goes to help marius with ép!! and he calls over who i assume would be joly i STAN

MARIUS CRIES AFTER ÉP DIES KILL MEEEE

(The First Attack)

i like how jvj does the second confrontation here. he looks less angry and more like,,,compassionate and that MAKES SENSE bc yk. he’s telling javert he’s wrong but he’s not doing it out of spite he’s doing it bc this guy NEEDS to know what he does as a cop and realize that being a cop isn’t just enforcing rules, and it never was just that. 

i do love the exasperated “gO” from jvj that’s kinda great ngl

(Drink With Me)

i’m very sad that there won’t be any exr from these boys

v e r y sad here

i do see grantaire looking PRETTY sad though

bold of y’all to assume that the modern day amis would all be straight

okay i can tell that grantaire really is going hard on the Existential Singing like,,,sure he’s just standing there but like. damn bro

SO THERE A R E LADIES ON THE BARRICADE WHY TF ARENT THEY FIGHTING

BETTER SEE SOME CHANGE THERE

i just realized that the cockades are buttons that is the BEST

(Bring Him Home)

jvj actually looks kinda happy in BHH and tbh i kinda like it?? it’s only on the “he’s like the son i might have known” line but i like it

oh those vowels oh boy they TALL

(The Final Battle)

enjolras is for some reason, still angry...why...why bro....

the staging for gavroche’s death is INTERESTING bc he’s reaching up at the sniper on the tower. hm. i dont hate it

OH SOMEONE ON THE BARRICADE IS RECORDING I THINK!!! GOOD ADDITION!!

i can’t imagine how many blood packs they went through 

oh enjolras’s death okay so. he’s in a like. No Man’s Land almost, and the riot cops come in after him. it’s an interesting take because it almost mirrors the scene in the book, except obvs grantaire isn’t here. they also have an added scene after he dies where cops are checking out and using radios that is. that is EERIE.

jvj walks over to enjolras’s body 🥺

HE ALSO FUCKIN S C R E A M S WHEN HE SEES MARIUS ON THE GROUND GODDAMN MAN O U C H

thenardier steals combeferre’s glasses wow thanks for that added pain

thenardier and jvj have a mini fight oh that’s kinda cool hm

(Javert’s Soliliquy)

javert opens his soliloquy with some SPICY SADNESS OH B O Y he sounds broken already!! start strong!!

emotions go broken - anger - confusion? - mAJOR confusion - hopelessness 

javert can FLY! no legit he’s on ropes

(Turning)

turning is. turning is almost a funeral. 

OH THEYRE N U N S !

nuns are visiting the barricade 🥺 

OH DAMN “what’s the use of praying if there’s nobody who hears?” THAT CERTAINLY HAS WEIGHT NOW THAT THEY ARE N U N S

it has just occurred to me that people have been dead on the floor for like. a solid five minutes 

(Empty Chairs At Empty Tables)

“now my friends. are dead. and gone” he pauses like he’s realizing it just then oh OUCHIE

wait is marius,,,at the barricades? is he legit singing to his friends dead bodies? oh shit oh NO

OH N O OH NONONO THIS IS WORSE

THE BARRICADE BOYS RISE UP FROM THE FLOOR OH N O OUCH OUCH

they group up and salute him and wALK OFF NO OWWWW

*cosette and marius kiss* jvj: *COUGH COUGH*

marius and valjean’s lil conversation is interesting in the way valjean seems to ask marius “who am i?” rather than ask himself. he phrases it in a way that makes me think he’s like. quizzing marius lmao 

(The Wedding)

omg i think baby cosette and éponine are flower girls 🥺🥺

“go away thenardier” *madame mouths ‘dammit!’*

thenardier your boat shoes hurt me

madame: “get up! get up!” thenardier: “stop—STOP IT!” 

TWO GUYS ARE DANCING TOGETHER AND WAVE AT THENARDIER ON “this ones a queer, but what can you do”

yeah i think i found my new favorite thenardiers thank you dallas theater company

fantine sits on the bench when cosette comes by, cosette sits on bench next to her, and fantine tries to touch her but can’t 🥺

jvj just gave a hand-over-heart head nod to cosette but fantine gave it back i,,,ouch

ENJOLRAS AND GAVROCHE ARE WITH FANTINE AND ÉPONINE FOR JVJ’S DEATH

the chain gang is in the epilogue i repeat the cHAIN GANG IS IN THE EPILOGUE

the orchestra rests on the last “say do you hear the distant drums” and that was the coolest thing i’ve ever heard

that final harmony is MONEYYYY and i want to cry

OVERALL NOTES:

this javert has the most interesting interpretation because up until his FINAL SCENE he is the stone cold police officer, and he plays it SO WELL. like i have never been truly angry at a javert up until this guy, and whether that was because it was modern and resonates A LOT in 2020 or he just looks like a cop i want to punch, I DON’T KNOW but he plays it SO WELL and i love it so much!!

these thenardiers are the fucking BEST NGL they are the perfect mix of funny and cruel. madame t is also funny as HELL and i wish i had her talent lmao

i said it before but the police costumes in this show are. woosh. kudos to the costumer i took one look at those guys and was like “haha, no!.” vaguely related to that, i think this was the first time i nearly cried at Look Down like. the first song at the show, simply because of the convict getting the SHIT beat out of him on the floor. that hurt me and i hate that it is completely accurate to what happens in prisons today.

lovely ladies was,,,a LOT and tbh, i feel like it didn’t need to be. obviously it does show how horrible it is for sex workers, but that is why the music is there. the music and lyrics is there to tell what you don’t show visually. (though i do love the male prostitute lmao he took no shit)

i also said this before but the fact that there wasn’t bigger of a relationship between enjolras and grantaire kind of annoys me simply because they are revolutionaries in the present day. you can’t tell me that ALL OF THEM WERE STRAIGHT. with how many people i know now that identify under the queer and trans umbrella, and also how queer they are (to me) in the brick, the absence of any exr in a modern interpretation hurts a little.

in conclusion, this show was fucking FANTASTIC and even though i’m six years late, it still resonates hard given the time we live in today. i think i nearly screamed when i saw the cops in riot gear on the barricade because that is LITERALLY HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. this just reminds me how timeless the story of les mis is because you had to change LITERALLY NOTHING from the story to make it make sense in the modern age, and that is really the lesson you should learn from les mis; these things happen everywhere, and they need to be fixed. 

thank you for listening to my rambling, i am sure i forgot something because there was just so damn much but i hope you enjoyed otherwise! not-a christmas-tree out! :)

[sophfic27]

The Mysterious Watch (You know the one)

Read on AO3

First, Previous, Next

Chapter 3: Small Talk and Ugly Curtains

Word Count: 1,735

The car was quiet for a few minutes as Yaz followed the directions from the phone. Yaz considered turning on the radio but decided against it. She wondered what kind of music Jo would even like. She glanced to the woman on her left, who was watching the scenery scroll past. She wasn’t sure she would ever adjust to Jo being Jo, it was just too weird. She kept going over the differences in her head. Most importantly, Yaz hoped she would have her friend back to normal soon, but she knew it was important to the Doctor that she played along.

She glanced over to Jo again, and she suddenly became curious about her. The Doctor implied that Jo was fully convinced she was a real person, which meant she would have a background: memories, attachments, a life Jo wouldn’t be aware wasn’t real. Yaz was curious about what she thought and knew, so finally breaking the silence, she asked a question. “So, Jo, where are you from?” she asked, figuring she might just start simple.

Jo glanced over to Yaz. She hesitated for a second before answering. “Huddersfield,” she finally responded. Yaz nodded thoughtfully, the answer made sense with the Doctor’s accent. She wondered if the Doctor had planned that specifically. If not, how much of Jo had been automatically generated by whatever process the Doctor had undergone to become human? Jo cut into her thoughts. “What ‘bout you?” she said.

“Here, actually,” Yaz replied, “I’m from Sheffield.”

Jo nodded, “convenient mission for you, then,” she commented.

Yaz looked at her briefly. “Yeah, it is.” So much for no aliens in Sheffield, she scoffed internally. She decided to press a little further. She was curious to ask about UNIT but decided to avoid it, in the case that asking triggered some realization. Instead, “chasing down aliens. Not really where I saw my life going growing up,” she said.

“No kidding,” Jo chuckled lightly, “when I was a kid, I wanted to be a Doctor,” she said. Yaz blinked but didn’t say anything. “How I wound up doing this, I have no idea.” Jo threaded her fingers together behind her head, leaned back in her seat, and turned her head to look at Yaz more fully. “What did you want to be?” she asked.

Jo was doing the small talk for her, Yaz thought with amusement. She considered how she would answer, and decided the truth wouldn’t be too dangerous. “I was a police officer, actually,” she said.

Jo raised her eyebrows. “You were a cop?” there was a hint of mirth in her voice.

“Well, I was a probationer,” she said. She cocked an eyebrow at Jo. “Why? What’s that look for?”

Jo shook her head lightly. “Nothing,” she said, “just, I’ve met a few police, had to deal with them on the occasional mission. So many of them are so stubborn, refuse to believe even what’s right in front of them.” She looked back at Yaz. “But not you?”

Yaz thought of the first time she met the Doctor. She wondered if Jo’s comment was based on some residual memory of that day, and of her. “Actually, I kind of was,” she mused.

“What changed?” Jo asked.

Yaz suppressed her instinct to respond, “you.” Instead, she went the vague route. “Saw something I couldn’t deny,” she responded. “Once I knew what was out there,” she looked over to Jo, holding her gaze for a moment, “well, there’s really no going back to normal after that, is there?”

Jo studied her. “Guess not.”

Yaz turned her eyes back to the road. “What about you?” she asked, “what were you doing before this?”

Jo looked back out the window of the car. “I was just traveling. Got dragged into this stuff by chance.” A very vague answer, Yaz thought. “We keep up this ‘getting-to-know-each-other’ talk, and this’ll start to feel more like a first date than a mission,” Jo quipped. Yaz scoffed, slightly shocked by the comment. She saw Jo drag her eyes over Yaz from out of the corner of her eye. “Not that I’m complaining,” Jo drawled.

Yaz felt her face get hot, and she looked over at Jo. A smirk played across her face when she met her eyes. Yaz looked away quickly. Her thoughts raced for a minute before she realized they had arrived at the warehouse.

“We’re here,” she blurted, looking for anything to kill the buzzing in her head. She parked and started to unbuckle and get out when Jo stopped her.

“Hang on just a second,” she said. Yaz stared at her in confusion. “We’re going to go in there and talk to the renters and find out what they’re using the warehouse for.”

Yaz suddenly remembered what they were her to do. “Right, so how do we get them to talk to us?” she asked.

Jo reached into a pocket of her jacket and produced a familiar leather object. “Psychic paper,” Jo announced, “this’ll get us in.” She smiled confidently.

Yaz nodded. “Okay, that’ll work,” she said.

Jo went to unbuckle her seat belt as she explained, “since I have the psychic paper and the info, I’ll do most of the talking. Follow my lead, keep an eye out for anything weird that you might see,” she looked up and met Yaz’s eyes, “and use those police skills to see if they say anything shifty.”

Yaz nodded again, “it’s a plan,” she said.

Jo grinned and climbed out of the car, Yaz following suit. She locked the car and they approached the entrance together.

The building was large and relatively plain. There was a set of steel stairs leading up to the door. She could see big metal panels she guessed could probably be opened for loading and unloading trucks. Jo and Yaz climbed the steps together. Jo tried the door, which opened easily. It lead immediately into the main warehouse. The ceilings were high, there were boxes all over the room on palettes, and there was music echoing around the place from a stereo somewhere in the back. The echoes garbled the sound too much to actually identify what was playing. Yaz and Jo scanned the room, but there was no one immediately visible. Yaz heard someone laugh from somewhere to the right of the large room. She and Jo exchanged a look, and she knew Jo heard it, too. They made their way toward the sound. They discovered a small office in the back right corner of the warehouse. Through the window, Yaz saw a man sitting in a chair, facing away from them, and on the phone.

They approached the office, and Jo knocked on the open door. The man turned in his chair to see them, and Jo gave a small wave. He turned to speak into his phone. “Hold on just a minute, mate, someone’s here to talk to me I think,” he said. He waited for a few beats, and Jo gave Yaz an exasperated glance. “Alright, I’ll call you back in a bit,” he said and tucked the phone into his pocket. He stood and wandered over to where Yaz and Jo stood. Yaz took in his jeans, ripped at the knees, his plain grey tee, and his ratty flannel jacket. Unimpressive, but not particularly alien, she thought. “Hi, can I help you?” the guy said.

Jo produced the psychic paper once again, showing it to him. “Hi, we’re from the rental company,” he squinted at the psychic paper and then looked at Jo, “we just wanted to ask a couple questions,” Jo explained. “What’s your name?”

He looked between the two women. He was only an inch or two taller than either of them. “Carl Mason. I’m not in trouble for anything, am I?” he said nervously, “I thought all of our rental stuff was in order.”

“It is, we just need a few details about your usage of the space,” Jo continued. Her voice was level, professional in a way the Doctor rarely was.

Carl looked confused and a little suspicious, so Yaz decided to add in, “don’t worry, it’s nothing bad. We just had an issue with a renter using a space,” she paused for effect, “inappropriately.” Carl nodded, as if knowingly. “So now we need to check in with the renters with more vague descriptions of usage in the application.”

Apparently satisfied, Carl started to walk over to a small filing cabinet in the office. Jo gave Yaz an impressed look. Carl came back with a manila folder. “Well, no issues here, just me and some mates selling our curtains.” He handed the folder to Yaz, and she opened it to find a series of curtain designs.

Jo leaned over to look at the folder. “Curtains?” she asked, looking back up at Carl. Yaz flipped through at least five pages of some of the ugliest curtain designs she’d ever seen.

Carl nodded proudly. “Yep! Me and my mates designed them ourselves!” he announced happily.

“It shows,” Jo muttered under her breath, just loud enough for Yaz to hear, but not so much that Carl seemed to notice. Yaz glanced at Jo, stifling a chuckle.

Yaz closed the folder and passed it back to Carl as Jo said, “Right, thanks, mind if we take a look at some of your boxes? And then we’ll be out of your hair.”

Carl nodded and said, “sure, go for it.”

Jo and Yaz split off to explore the warehouse. Yaz scanned the whole room, looking for anything out of place while Jo pulled open a few cardboard boxes and dug through their contents. Neither found anything noteworthy. They came back together, Jo shook her head and Yaz shrugged slightly. They turned to say goodbye to Carl, but he had already disappeared back into his little office, now typing something on his computer.

Jo looked at Yaz. “D’you just want to go get a drink or something?”

Yaz blinked at her. “Isn’t it a bit early in the day for that?” she said incredulously. Jo just shrugged and started to head for the door. Yaz followed her helplessly, wondering if the Doctor drank. She didn’t remember ever seeing her drink. Maybe it was just a Jo thing. Despite only knowing Jo for a few hours, she thought she was starting to get a better feel for who she was, independent of the Doctor.

[samwinchestershotgod]

devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes, and if i bleed, you'll be the last to know

did someone say samruby ?? i have samruby to spare. (read on ao3?)

“Do you love me?”

Her eyes are wide but they aren’t looking at anything but the floor.

Sam doesn’t answer her. Her blood tastes sweet and cold and he’s lost in it. He hears her, but her words don’t register right away. She pulls her arm back, much to Sam’s dismay.

“Hey--”

“Do you love me?” This time, it’s more aggressive, like she wants a certain answer and she’s afraid of the one she’s gonna get. “C’mon, Sammy, tell me.”

“Don’t call me that,” Sam responds bitterly. “Don’t call me Sammy.”

She smirks. “Whatever. Just answer the question.”

“I don’t know,” he says honestly. “Do you?”

Her face falters for a moment in the moonlight. “No.”

“Then why did you ask?” Sam says, reaching back for her arm. She lets him. She doesn’t respond. In the morning, he’ll look like a corpse. He always does, every morning. It’s a weird side effect from the blood, like it takes all the life out of him for a while before rebooting him. His skin gets all grey, his eyes get all red, and he moves in slow and sluggish ways until he bounces back around noon.

But right now, as the moon makes their shitty motel room bright with the iridescent midnight glow, he looks pretty perfect to her. His hair was a bit greasy and his face was flushed red with the formidable power rushing into him, but he was perfect.

When he stops, she sits down next to him with an air of grace, trying hard to get him to look at her like anything else but a drug.

She reaches over and tucks a stray strand of hair behind his ear because she can’t help it. He melts into her palm because he can’t help it, either. With slow eyes, he looks at her, and she wants to see something other than craving in them, but she doesn’t.

“What?” he whispers, his voice retaining a bit of childlike innocence, like he was wishing he wasn’t where he was anymore.

“Could you love me?” The words fall out her mouth before she can stop them.

Their faces are so close she can smell her blood on his breath. He kisses her instead of answering her question. She kisses back instead of asking again. Maybe she doesn’t want to know that answer.

~

He drains a demon like it’s literally nothing, but his blood feels hot and stable and strong, so he doesn’t even bat an eye.

In the barn, Ruby twirls around in delight, like she’s dizzy with happiness.

“That was fun,” she grins. “I like doing stuff with you.”

Sam grins back at her, though somewhere deep in him, it feels all wrong to smile at a time like this.

The demon they drained-- who posed as a farmer, who was taking care of the horses when they found him-- hangs loosely against the post they tied him to. Sam tries not to look at it too close, or he’ll be reminded that that was once a real person and that he just ruined their chances of ever being a real person again. He shoves it down as Ruby presses the buttons on the little radio in the barn. She giggles and continues to spin around, this time with a bit more flare.

“What are you doing?” Sam asks, his head still spinning a little.

“Listen to music?” she says, as if it should be obvious.

Sam huffs a laugh. “Right now?”

“I’m in a good mood,” she shrugs. “You’re all-” she motions vaguely towards Sam with her hands “-and the weather is nice...why not?”

“We’re in a barn, in the middle of nowhere, with a dead body on our hands,” Sam says.

She groans. “God, you are no fun! Live a little, Sammy. Please.”

“I told you--”

“Not to call you Sammy. Whatever.”  Although her words are harsh, her face is a bit sympathetic, and Sam can tell she feels a bit bad for him. They stand about five feet away from each other, while the staticy little radio sings about the starman letting all the children boogie. She takes five steps towards him, that stupid little smirk on her lips, then wraps her pale (perfect) arms around his waist. His breath holts, but he slowly relaxes as she starts to make them sway.

“Why are you doing this?” he asks honestly.

She holds his hand and shakes him back and forth. “Why aren’t you stopping me?”

She’s right, he doesn’t stop her.

The lightbulb from above creates a ring of light around them, like a halo. She might be a demon, but she looked angelic to him right at that moment.

“Ruby...” he begins.

She looks up sharply. He lets her dance with him but forgets to say anything else.

~

“Have you ever loved anyone?” She asks one night, as they eat french fries out of greasy bags and watch a cop show that was essentially the same episode over and over again. However, they were two seasons down, and she wasn’t about to stop.

“I loved plenty of people,” he responds, his voice catching a bit.

“I meant, like, have you ever loved anyone,” she explains. She doesn’t look at his face. She knows there’s a red glow from her own blood still on his lips, but she doesn’t want to look at it right now. She just stares at the FBI agents breaking down a door on the screen.

“Yeah,” he says slowly. “My girlfriend in college. I was gonna marry her.”

“Yeah, Jessica. I know,” she responds, surprised by the bits of jealousy in her tone. “The demons always talked about her. They said--”

“I don’t want to know what the demons had to say about her.” His voice is icy. She pulls back. She stuffs french fries in her mouth and bites her tongue.

(When they finally raise Lucifer, together, maybe he’d want to marry her too.)

The thought scares her and she tries to forget she thought it at all.

“There was Madison…” he continues. “She was a werewolf. I killed her.” His voice sounds sad again. She tries not to care. “Or Sarah Blake. I don’t really know what happened to her, though.”

“That's it?”

He shakes his head. “No. Well, I don’t know. Sometimes I can’t tell who I love or who I’d be sad to lose.”

“Would you be sad to lose me?” she asks quietly.

He doesn’t answer for a long time. “Yeah.”

“Because of the...?” She hates what the answer is going to be.

“...Yeah.”

When he figures it all out, he’ll be happy. He’ll be powerful. Maybe he’ll actually want her to stick around.

They return to their fries and their cop show and Ruby doesn’t bring it up again.

~

He’s high. Very high. It feels nice and big and bad and small all at once. She steadies him, holding his head against her chest and pressing her cheek to the top of his head.

“Sam,” she whispers in the darkness. “Was it too much?”

“No,” he says, just as quiet. “No...it’s...it’s perfect.”

“Can you feel it? That kind of power?”  She strokes his hair with a cold hand. “You’ll kill her. You’ll kill Lilith, get your revenge. Can’t you feel it?”

“Yes,” he lies.  

He likes it in her arms. It’s like when Jess would play with his hair...but she’s not Jess. She’s Ruby. He doesn’t love Ruby like he loved Jess.

At least, that’s what he tells himself.

“Can I ask again?” He knows exactly what question she wants to ask.

“You can,” he says, “but I’m not sure my answer is gonna change.”

She stays silent. He can’t remember where they are, exactly. They're on the ground somewhere, but the blood’s making him all wonky. He wants Dean so bad it hurts. He suddenly feels like a child, and children want their parents. Or at least, the person who raised them.

“Stop thinking about him,” she says, because she always knows what he’s thinking about.

“Can’t.” His voice breaks.

He doesn’t love her. He couldn’t if he wanted to.

[cassnottiel]

a s7 freddyxdeke au? but also totally ignore this if u dont feel for the ship lol. maybe something like deke and freddy highkey fall for eachother during the first trip, things still end up the same way they did but its a bit more tragic. then deke meets old freddy and he recognizes him asap this time. and he's such a shattered and different person deke's heart is highkey broken by who he's become. maybe some hurt/comf with the whole team of emm. or the team attempting with varying results lol

"Deke, how do you do this?"  Daisy smiled at herself, clad in a green very nice dress.

"I've always had great style."  He said indignantly.  "I still have the leather jacket from the future."

Daisy nodded and fixed her neck line, before offering her arm.  "Shall we?"

Deke and Daisy, arm in arm, walked through the party of politicians and jazz music, up to the bar Mack was standing behind.

"Two of your finest Zimas, please."  Deke said in his own version of suave.  He would have made another joke, but someone caught his eye.

A man his age, standing behind the bar with Mack and Coulson, stocking the liquor.  His hair was slicked back, like Dekes, but he wasn't wearing a tuxedo, favoring a regular white shirt with brown suspenders and tie.  Deke really wanted that Zima, his mouth had gone dry.

When Mack assigned their stations, Deke made up a reason to walk around the bar area, wanting to look for that man again.

He was back behind the bar when Deke got back, and Daisy and Coulson were gone.  He took a seat at the bar.

"Zima doesn't exist."  Mack told him, sliding over a glass of clear liquid.

"What's this?"  Deke brought the beverage up to his nose and smelled it.

"Water."  Mack answered.  "Basically Zima."

Deke rolled his eyes and pushed the glass away.  "I'll take a martini."

Mack gave a weird look.  "You don't even like beer, how would you like vodka?"

"I told you," Deke shrugged, "boot juice."

It was Mack's turn to roll his eyes.  "In the normal world, we call it moonshine."

Deke sighed dramatically and slumped against the bar.  Mack wasn't going to make the drink.

A glass with a tall stem and an olive was slid across the bar.  Deke looked up and met eyes with the other man behind the counter, who winked and smiled.

Deke switched seats so he was sitting in front of the other bartender.  "Thank you, how much is this?"  He reached into his pocket.

"On the house."  The man shook his head.  "Because your friends are working."  He added as an afterthought.

"What's your name?"  Deke asked, then took a drink of the martini.

"Freddy."  The bartender answered.  "You?"

"D-"

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Governor Franklin Roosevelt."  The band stopped playing and the crowd applauded.

Deke turned and watched a man walk stiffly up to the microphone and started talking.

"He's really here."  Mack was smiling slightly, watching the politician up on the stage.

"The governor?"  Freddy started cleaning a glass.  "What's the big deal?"

Mack kept talking, and Deke didn't listen until he heard the words "way ahead of his time."  He whipped his head around and met Macks eyes.

"Or, will be, someday."  Mack covered badly.  Freddy gave him a weird look, before turning his attention back to Deke.

"So, Freddy, anyway," Deke changed the subject quickly, "how'd you fall into this shifty line of work?"

Freddy shrugged and leaned against the bar.  "Well, after my dad kicked the bucket, I was hustling work in the streets.  Mr. Koenig offered me some."

Deke nodded solemnly in understanding.  "I lost my dad, too."  Images of the Lighthouse in over one hundred years flashed through his mind, and he remembered some of the things he did to survive.  "You do what you gotta do."

Freddy understood.  Maybe not all of it, but he knew Deke and him were thinking along the same lines.

The party went on, FDR hadn't died yet, and conversation fizzled out.  Deke drank the water when his martini was gone, stealing glances at Freddy every now and again.

"Deke."  Mack nodded to the other side of the room, where Coulson and Daisy were moving.  The two men at the bar left Freddy to follow.

The service hallway was empty, except for the four S.H.E.I.L.D agents.  FDR wasn't the target.

"The Chronicoms are after someone else, named Freddy."  Jemmas voice crackled over the radio

"Freddy?"  Dark hair and sharp features flashed to the front of Dekes mind.

The four took off running down the hallways, then they heard a suppressed gunshot.  Daisy quaked the robots away and went to finish them off.  They rounded the corner and saw a woman bleeding on the ground and Freddy sitting against the wall.

"What is all this?"  Freddy asked breathlessly, staring at the three men.

"We're saving your life."  Deke answered and held his hand out.  "Let's go."

Freddy looked at him for a second, then took his hand and stood up.  Deke might have held on for a second longer than needed, but nobody noticed.

"We'll keep him safe.  Meet back at Koenigs."  Mack said, then followed Deke and Freddy down the hallway to the back exit.  Their stolen truck was back there.  Mack got in the drivers seat, Deke in the passengers, and Freddy in the back.

"The cops will be on us any minute,"  Deke turned in his seat to look out the back window.

"Any idea why they're after you, kid?"  Mack glanced in the rear view mirror as he drove.

"No, none."  Freddy leaned forward.  "I-I'm just supposed to make a delivery tonight."

"Well, if they wanted to stop him, we better make sure they don't."  Deke looked to Mack.

"Tell us where you need to go."  Mack said to Freddy.

A siren flared to life behind them, the cops were chasing them.

"Faster!"  Freddy yelled, looking out the back window.  "They're gaining on us!"

"This boat won't go any faster!"  Mack yelled back.

"We gotta give 'em the slip."  Freddy told the other two.

"Yeah, and we gotta lose them, too."  Deke suggested.  He felt Freddys eyes on him, and the look on his face told him they had said virtually the same thing.

Mack turned off the engine and drifted into an abandoned alley.  the three ducked down under the line of sight from the windows.  The police car sped off down the street, and the three men sat up in their seats.

Freddy laughed.  "So long, Coppers."

"Where do we go now?"  Mack asked.

Freddy smiled and clapped them both on the shoulder.  "Gotta deliver the goods."  Then he opened the door and jumped out of the car.

Mack and Deke made eye contact, then followed.  Freddy opened the bed of the truck, revealing their other clothes.  "Might wanna get out of those fancy duds, you kinda stick out."

As Mack grabbed his other shirt and jacket, Deke snatched up the radio.  "This is Deke."  He said into it.  "Hello?  Is anyone there?"  Nobody answered.

"What's that?"  Freddy nodded to the device Deke was holding.  

"It's like a, uh, telephone."  Mack tried to explain.  "Deke's an inventor."

"Hello?  Is anyone out there?  Daisy?"  Deke wasn't paying attention to the others.  "Jemma?  Coulson?"  A beat, and still no answer.  "These things suck."  Deke tossed the walkie down into the truck.  "They have, like, zero range."

"It's gotta be plugged into something."  Freddy said, like it was the most obvious thing.

"No, I know how they're supposed to work"  Deke picked up his clothes.  "I can fix it."

"This is the delivery?"  Mack picked up a bottle.  "More booze?  They'd kill you over this?"

"This is the highest grade giggle juice ever made."  Freddy took the bottle.  "A lot of people would kill to get their paws on the formula."

Mack sighed.  "If we're going to protect you, you need to be honest with us."

Then Freddy said something Deke couldn't understand even if he tried, and then they started driving again, to a train yard.

They carried the four cases of alcohol out of the car and set them on the ground.  

"Who's the buyer for all this?"  Mack asked as Deke looked up at the night sky and fixed his tie.

"Some guy, I dunno."  Freddy shrugged.

"What's he look like?"  Mack tried.

"No idea."  Freddy slipped his hands into his pockets.

"When does he get here?"  Deke asked.

Freddy smiled, like he just said something funny.  "He doesn't.  The meet-up is 500 miles away."

Deke and Mack shared a look.  "That's a lot of miles, we don't have time for that."

"Why'd you have us unload this, then?"  Mack sounded close to angry.

"So you can take the car and go."  Freddy told them.  "This is where we go our separate ways, fellas."  A train whistle blew in the distance, getting closer.  "That's my ride.  I appreciate you saving my life," he looked right at Deke as he said that, "I owe you one."

"We're not leaving you."  Deke said before he knew what he was doing.  Luckily, Mack nodded.

"I don't need no body guard."  Freddy shook his head, the train rumbling closer.  

"The cops that are after you, they're not the type to give up."  Deke said seriously.  "They're gonna keep coming until they finish you off."

Freddy stared into Dekes eyes for a long, silent moment.  Then he nodded wordlessly, and the three men got on the train.

Freddy was fiddling with the small radio, Mack was sitting on the floor of the box car, and Deke was looking out at the passing scenery.

"You really invented these?"  Freddy asked.  Deke looked back, met Macks eyes, who nodded, then back to Freddy.

"Yeah, I did."  Deke took off his hat and sat next to Freddy.  "It's just a prototype."

"And you can talk to someone on it?"  Freddy was smiling in disbelief.  "It doesn't have to be plugged in?"  He met Dekes eyes.  "You must be real smart."

Mack sighed, got up, and walked to the other side of the car.  "I'm going to get some rest."  The look he gave Deke conveyed: don't do anything stupid.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, Freddy spoke.

"Deke."  He said the name like it was a foreign word.  "That's a funny name.  Where're you from?"

"Upstate," Deke said, the answer he gave anyone who asked that same question, "near lake Ontario."

Freddy smiled.  "Is that why you don't understand any slang from the city?  You've never been?"

"I think the slang is horrible and I'm not even going to try to understand, but I like the accent."  Deke laughed.

Freddy nodded.  There was another stretch of awkward silence.

"So, uh," Freddy scratched his head, "at the party, you walked in with a real pretty lady."

Deke furrowed his brow in confusion, then realized who he was talking about.  "Oh, that's just Daisy.  She's a friend."

Freddy laughed quietly.  "Just a friend?  You mean she's not your girl?"

Deke shook his head with a smile.  "No, Daisy isn't anyones girl."  

"That's too bad," Freddys smile sent something through Deke, "I would've thought a handsome guy like you would have girls lined up."

Deke flushed and looked away.  "You're really smooth, you know that?"

"I should hope so."  Freddy leaned forward and offered the Walkie-Talkie.  When Deke took it, their hands brushed.  Freddy leaned farther forward and placed his hand on Dekes arm.

The next thing Deke knew, a pair of lips were on his.  Something that surprised him very much.  The kiss short, but it was hot.

Seconds after it started, it stopped.  Freddy pulled back, looking slightly sheepish, leaving Deke red and breathless.  "Sorry, I shouldn't have-"

Deke grabbed Freddy by his tie and pulled him in again, capturing his lips in his own.  They almost fell back, but Freddy braced his hand on the wall of the car, bringing his other hand up to Dekes hair, still stiff from the gel.  Deke hummed and opened his mouth into the kiss, screwing his eyes shut.

Freddy got off his chair and climbed into Dekes lap, straddling his hips, never breaking the kiss in the process.  He leaned a little too far forward, and Dekes chain fell back.  The two fell to the floor in a crash, and they laughed breathlessly as they lay on the uncomfortable wood.  Deke was about to lean up for another kiss, when--

"Hey, are you--?"  Mack stood up in a hurry, and stopped dead when he saw the two men on the floor.  "Deke!"  Freddy pushed himself up and away from Deke.  

"Whaaaat?"  Deke dragged out the word with a sigh and let his head fall to the floor.

"Hey, if you got a problem with--"  Freddy stood up and tried to look threatening, but Mack waved him off.

"I don't care, just don't do that while I'm in the room!"  Mack ran a hand down his face.

"Do you want us to jump cars?"  Deke sat up shook his head, showing off his messily ruffled hair.  

Mack looked away from the two.  "Either that or stop."

"It's a box car, there aren't doors on the end you can just jump between."  Freddy piped up, fixing his tie.  

Mack shook his head and gestured vaguely to the opposite end of the car, walking back to where he dropped his coat and hat.

Deke pushed himself off the floor and offered his hand to Freddy, pulling him behind a stack of boxes that were there before they got on.  They both sat on the floor, Freddy with his back to the boxes and Mack, and Deke against the wall.

"So," Freddy started awkwardly, "your friend doesn't mind all . . ." he gestured between the two.

Deke shook his head nonchalantly.  "No, he's fine."  He smiled jokingly.  "He just thinks I'm annoying."  The rumble of the train and the slight shaking of the cargo drowned out whatever noise Mack was making, so their hushed voices wouldn't reach him.  At Freddys unconvinced expression, Deke gave a more serious answer.  "Where we grew up, it was different.  It was like a different time," he smiled softly at his own joke, "it wasn't exactly New York City."

"Greatest city in the world."  Freddy smiled sadly.  "My old man took a walk off a tall building after the market crashed.  I'm kinda glad he never found out about this."

"I'm sorry."  Deke reached out and placed his hand on Freddys knee, trying to be comforting.  "My dad, he . . . he left when I was twelve.  Died a few years ago."

Freddy placed his hand on top of Dekes and smiled sadly.  Something crossed his face, and he shifted himself forward.  "When I make this delivery, come with me."

Deke tilted his head slightly.  "What?"

"It's not just whiskey."  Freddy whispered excitedly.  "There's something else, and when I give it to the buyer, I'm going to get back everything my family lost and more.  Come with."  He kissed Deke quickly.  "We can--"

"Mackenzie . . ."  The radio crackled to life.  ". . . can you . . . information . . ."

Deke and Freddy quickly stood up and ran around the pile of boxes.  Freddy stopped short, staring at his open crates of liquor.

". . . Wilfred . . ."  Enochs voice fizzled out as Mack picked up the walkie.

"Enoch, I copy, do you hear me?"  Mack waited for a response, but none came.  Freddy slowly stepped around Deke and toward his shipment.  "Enoch, do you copy?  Over."

"What the hell was he doing?"  Freddy pointed to the alcohol crates and spoke to Deke.  He started rifling through them, making sure everything was there while Mack spoke into the radio.  "Wanna tell me why you're snooping through my goods?"  

Mack lowered the radio with a sigh, stepping closer to Freddy.  "I need to know who and what we're dealing with.  You may not think there's more to this, but I do."

Freddy turned back to Deke.  "So, was that just to distract me?"  His face went from suspicious to angry.  "Keep me busy while your friend looks through my cargo?"  The last few words grew to a yell and Deke shook his head.

"Just let me inspect the bottles."  Mack said calmly.  

"And get me killed?"  Freddy whipped back around.  "I deliver open bottles.  What's that say about me?  That I'm a snoop?"

"You're not curious?"  Mack asked.

"Curious'll get you kill faster than trust."  Freddy looked back at Deke as he said that.

"Let's just get him there and be done with it."  Deke said to Mack.  "It's ripples, not waves, right?"

Mack ignored Deke, instead stepping closer to Freddy.  "Step aside."

The two stood in a silent challenge for a moment, then Freddy stepped aside.

"Deke, give me a hand."  Mack said and picked up a bottle.  Deke hesitated, looking back at Freddy, before slowly following the order.

A gun clicked.  "Like I said," Freddys voice was quiet, "I can't let you do that."

"Put the gun down."  Mack said evenly.

"You need to listen to Deke, here."  Freddy gestured to the man in question with the gun.  "Just let me do my job, and we can all go home."

There was a long, excruciating moment of silence.  Finally, Freddy stepped back and pointed to two boxes.  "Both of you, sit down."  His voice was shaking, barely noticeable, but it was there.

Slowly, the three men all sat down.  Freddy refused to look at Deke.  They sat.  Time passes.  The sun rose over the horizon.  All in silence.  All with Freddy pointing that gun.

"Why don't you come clean."  Freddy said suddenly, the train still rumbling along the tracks.  "You ain't bootleggers, and you definitely ain't from around here."

"Okay, you're right."  Deke sat up straighter.  "We were sent a very, very, very long way to make sure that you don't die."

"Why?"  Freddy asked, leaning forward slightly.  "'Cause I'm this 'thread'?  What does that even mean?"

"It's complicated," Mack looked up from his hands, "but Deke's right.  Our job is to protect you.  How do you know your buyer?"

"I know her, the lady who sent me to do this."  Freddy gripped the revolver tighter.  "She knew my father.  And she's giving me a chance to be something he never could."  He looked at Deke, then, a question in his eyes.  A question of, would you still go with me?

Before Deke could do anything to answer, the whistle ripped through the air and the train car shook.  Mack leapt forward, tackling Freddy.  The gun fell from his hand, and Deke picked it up.

They brought the crates of alcohol out to the pier.  As Mack started looking for whatever was hidden inside, someone spoke from the other end of the radio.

"Mack?  Deke?"  It was Daisy.  "Are you there?"

"Hey, it's Deke."  He picked it up and answered.

"Finally.  We're on our way to you.  You guys have to be ready to leave as soon as we arrive. We have no time.  Where's Mack?"

"He's with Freddy."  Deke walked a little farther away from the pair, but kept his eyes on them.  Freddy spared a glance every now and then.

"Freddy is not what he seems.  He is very dangerous."

"Freddy?"  Deke turned around and watched the water, squinting against the sun.  "Nah, he's alright.  He's just in a tight spot.  We kind of have a lot in common, actually."  Thoughts of the previous night made themselves known in his head.

"No, you don't.  Trust me."  Daisy cut him off quickly.  "Do not let him out of your sight."

"Okay, don't worry."  Deke said nervously, looking back at the man in question, who was staring back at him.  "I-I got him in my sight and my finger on the trigger."

A beat of silence.  "You have a gun?"

"Yeah, it's Freddys."

Another beat.  "Take the shot."

Dekes eyes widened and he stared down at the radio.  "Pardon?"

"That's Wilfred Malick, future head of Hydra."  Daisy said.  "If you kill him now, you'll save thousands of lives in the future."

Dekes stomach dropped.  He stared down at the gun, not listening to Daisy anymore.  He set the radio down and approached the others.

"Mack."  Deke said seriously.  "They're on their way, and we have to leave as soon as possible."

Mack nodded and popped the cork of one of the bottles, and started pouring.  "We'll be ready."

"One more thing."  Deke looked at Freddy, then back at Mack.  "Daisy says this is Wilfred Malick."

Freddy looked between them.  Dekes hesitation and Macks shock.  "My name, so what?"

"She told me to kill him."  Deke couldn't look at Freddy, not even when he heard the sputtering questions.

Mack thought for multiple seconds, paying no mind to the vial of green liquid that falls out of the bottle in his hand.  "She did?"

Deke nodded, glancing at Freddy.  He was staring in horror back.

"Watch him."  Mack said and walked over to where the radio was set down.

Mack started talking into the radio, and Freddy started talking to Deke.

"My guy's here in a few minutes," Freddy sounded desperate, "we can still go, get everything we want in life."

"Freddy," Deke closed his eyes, "I can't leave my team."

"They want to kill me."  Freddy stepped forward and gripped the other man's arm.

"They're my family."  Deke hissed.  "Would you leave your family on a whim?"

Freddy gripped Dekes hand tightly.  "Please, Deke."

He sighed.  Then his head jerked up when he heard something.  A car.  A car with multiple police officers in it.

"Get down!"  Deke yelled and fired Freddys gun at the Chronicoms before ducking behind the wooden boxes.

By the end of the fight, Freddy was on his way to creating Hydra, Enoch was gone, and the rest of the team was in 1955.

- - -

"Deke, I gave you an order."  Daisy said over without looking up from the file she was reading.  "Why didn't you follow it?"

"It was murder."  He responded plainly, tossing aside his own file and picking a new one up.  "You ordered me to murder a guy who hadn't done anything wrong yet."

"It was a tough call, but--"

"I couldn't do it."  Deke cut her off.  His cheeks seemed to go slightly pink.

Daisy scoffed.  "Why not?  You never used to shy away from this kind of stuff."

"Daisy, he kissed me."  Deke looked at her and tossed the file down.  She froze and looked up.  He was definitely flustered, and he looked away as soon as she met his eyes.

"You're serious?"  Daisy lowered her voice to a whisper.  When his face just got more red, she laughed in disbelief.  "Oh, God, you're serious.  You made out with the father of the guy who sent your grandparents to a different planet."

"Don't mock me, I'm having a personal crisis!"  Deke hissed and glanced at the door to the lab.

"Does Mack know?"  Daisy leaned forward.  If possible, his face got even more flushed.  "I'm so sorry."  They went back to reading the files in silence.  Suddenly, Daisy spoke again; "So . . . if it was still 2019 and you met Freddy Malick, would you go out with him?"

"Daisy!"  Deke pinched the bridge of his nose.

"What?"  She glanced up from her file.  He was glaring at her.  "That's not a no."

Deke groaned and tossed his file aside.  "This crisis kind of ongoing, so id you can stop making fun of me--"

"Wait, shut up."  Daisy picked up his discarded file and stared at the name.  "We can talk more about this later."

"What is it?"  Deke leaned over to see what he missed.

"Daniel Sousa."

This man turned out to be important, and they needed to help him.  So, Yo-Yo and Deke went out to retrieve a device for Coulson and Sousa.

After the only words exchanged through the otherwise silent car ride were the directions read from a map, Yo-Yo tried to start a conversation.  "You're quiet."  She pointed out.

Deke tried to play it off as not being an experienced driver, but she could tell he was lying.

"In the 30s, you drove fine."  She leveled him with a look.  "Is it what Daisy asked you to do?"

Deke sighed an closed his eyes for a second.  "A little."

Elena waited.  And waited.  "And?"

"Promise not to laugh."  Deke glanced out the window at the houses.  "Daisy laughed and now I just feel worse."

"I promise."  Elena glanced at the street map again.

Deke blew a long sigh out of his mouth.  "In the 30s, Freddy Malick kissed me."  He was met with stunned silence.

"Is that why you didn't shoot him?"  Elena asked after a minute.  Deke shook his head.

"Not the whole reason."  He glanced out the windows again.  "He was scared, asked me to go with him to start Hydra.  I couldn't shoot him."

Elena sighed and studied the map again.  "Is that why Mack is acting weird around you?  He caught you two?"  Deke nodded wordlessly.  "Wow.  If you need to . . . talk about it, or something, you can talk to me."

"Thanks."  Deke smiled slightly.  "How close are we?"

"We . . ." she dragged the word out.  "We just passed it."

They split up as soon as they entered the house, searching for whatever briefcase they were supposed to get.  Elena drew her gun and walked up the staircase, while Deke explored the ground level.

Deke was walking through one of the bathrooms when he heard a floorboard creak on the other side of the wall.  A man stepped into view, and Deke started backing away, searching his pockets for a weapon that wasn't there without taking his eyes off the person in front of him.  He should have been more worried about the man behind him.

There was a sharp pain on the back of his head, and Dekes world went sideways and dark.

He woke up to someone slapping him, and he gasped and sat up.  He had been lying across the back seat of a car.

"Rise and shine, big brain."  One of his assailants said.  Deke was seeing starts, and not just because it was night.

He was dragged out of the car and into a large house, to a fancy looking study with a man sitting behind a desk.  As soon as the door closed, Deke jerked his arm out of the grip of the men who kidnapped him.

"Here's your scientist, boss."  One of them said.  The man behind the desk was shrouded in darkness, so Deke couldn't make out his face.

He stood up and slowly made his way around the desk.  He stared at Deke for several seconds.  "Leave us," he said to the two men behind the guest, "I want to speak to him alone."

This man knew who Deke was, but Deke did not know him.  The two men left the room, and now Deke was alone with this stranger.

The man reached out his hand to touch Dekes face.  Deke took a step back.  He wouldn't flinch, no matter how creepy this got.  The man seemed slightly hurt.

"Deke."  He knew his name.  How did this man know his name?  "Take a seat."

"I'll stand, if that's alright with you."  Deke tried to sound confident, smoothing out his jacket.

"You look exactly the same."  The man chuckled.  When Deke didn't laugh along, he frowned.  "Do you remember me?"

"Can't say I do, no."  But Deke was getting a feeling in his gut that he knew the man in front of him.

"That's fine, it's been a long time."  The man unbuttoned his blazer.  "The name is Wilfred."

"Freddy . . ." It clicked immediately.  This was Hydra.

Freddy smiled.  He reached out, grabbed Dekes tie, and pulled him in.  Deke did not expect to meet Malick again, and he certainly didn't expect resuming whatever they started in that train car.

The kiss was just as it had been twenty years ago (two days for Deke), hot and short.  Deke had no idea what to do.  He had to get back to the Zypher, back to the team.  But Freddy had him by the back of his neck and was biting his bottom lip.

Freddy moved his hand up until his fingers were tangled in Dekes hair and worked to loosen his tie with the other hand.  Malick had a beard now, and way more confidence.  Deke tried to pull away, but Freddy just gripped his hair tighter and kissed harder.

Deke gasped from the pain on his scalp, and Freddy took that as an invitation to use tongue.

Dekes tie had been fully undone and tossed aside, and the top buttons on his shirt were next.  The encounter had become sufficiently uncomfortable, seeing as he was now more than twenty years younger than the other man.  Deke needed to get out before this went any further.  

Deke brought his hands up to Malicks chest and pushed.  "Freddy," he tried to say, "Freddy, stop."  Freddy did not stop, but he slowed down.  Deke could finally pull his head fully away.  "I can't be here."

Malick sighed and bowed his head, catching both Dekes wrists when he tried to pull his hand away.  If he felt Deke flinch, he didn't care, because he didn't let go.  "So, you're a S.H.I.E.L.D scientist now?"

"Something like that."  Deke said stiffly, trying to free his right hand.  

"I'm guessing Agent Sousa told you about his suspicions?"  Malick squeezed the other mans wrists tighter.  

Deke had never met Daniel Sousa, but he had to play along to get out of this alive.  "I guess this is it."  He blinked and looked around the room.  "Hydra?"

Malick hummed and brought Dekes right hand up to his mouth, kissing it softly.  "I can make a spot for you.  It's not to late."  When he got no answer, he continued.  "You saved my life twenty-four years ago.  I want to repay you."

"Not like this, Freddy."  Deke whispered.  "How did your life get here?"

Malick finally let of him.  "You do what you gotta do."

Deke remembered those words vividly, it felt like he said those words years ago, and not just days.  "I can't be a part of this."  He said.  "My team--"

Malick scoffed and started rummaging around his desk.  "The same team that ordered you to kill me?"

"That was just one persons order."  Deke knew what he was about to say was completely stupid, but he said it anyway.  "Maybe . . . maybe she knew what you would go on to do."

A gun clicked.  The revolver looked so much like the one Malick pointed at Mack and Deke on that train.  Deke threw his hands out in front of him, he didn't know what for, though.  The gesture was useless.

"You're a smart guy.  Start making smart decisions."  Malicks voice didn't shake, and neither did his hand, not anymore.  "I offered you multiple chances to join me.  And you turned down every single one."

"Freddy, please," Deke kept his voice as steady as possible, "put that down."  Malick pulled back the hammer.  "What happened to wanting to repay me?"

Malick thought on that.  Slowly, he lowered the gun.  "Fine.  Get out."  Deke let a relieved smile cross his face, before turning to the door to the study and fumbling with the handle.  "One thing before you go."  Deke froze.  "If I ever see you again, I won't be so generous."

Deke nodded slowly and opened the door.  

- - -

Back on the Zypher, Deke was sitting in the lab by himself, rubbing his head where he had been hit.  He groaned softly when he touched the wrong spot and his head throbbed with pain again.

Soft footsteps made their way into the dimmed lab.  "Do you think you have a concussion?"  

Deke squinted up at Yo-Yo and shrugged.  "Maybe.  He hit me pretty hard."

Elena walked over so she was sitting next to him.  She placed a hat on his knee.  "You left this behind."

Deke smiled slightly and picked it up.  "Thanks."

They sat in silence for a minute, then,  "You okay?"

Deke nodded and winced again.  "Yeah, I think so."

"So, Malick again?"  Elena crossed her arms and leaned against the wall.

"Yeah."  Deke sighed.  "I don't really want to talk about it."

"Your tie is crooked and your hair is messy."  She pointed out.  "What happened in there?"

"I said I don't want to talk about it."  Deke tried to smooth out his hair but flinched.  From the pain of the wound or the memory of Malick, he didn't know.

"Deke, did you and him--?"

"I didn't want to!"  Deke said suddenly, refusing to look at her.  "But he . . . he wouldn't stop."

Elena stared in shock.  "He forced himself on you?"

It took a moment, but Deke nodded.  "It didn't go that far, but," he sighed, "it was really uncomfortable."

Elena hesitantly brought her hand up and placed it on his.  "I'm sorry."  She said quietly.  "That's messed up."

"At least he let me go."  Deke rubbed his eyes.  "He said he wouldn't be so generous next time he sees me."

"That's still not okay."  Elena frowned.  "You're lucky he didn't kill you."  

Deke held his right wrist in his left hand, as if protecting himself.  "It felt so . . . wrong."  He whispered.  "He wouldn't let go of me, and he grabbed right where my metric was."

Elena looked down at where hers would have been, but there was no scar.  Those arms were long gone.  Instead, she wrapped her new arms around Deke, her friend.  They hadn't been close before, but she was willing to change that.

"You'll be okay."  She told him.  "What's that thing Jemma always says?"

Deke huffed out a laugh and returned the hug the best he could in their awkward position.  "The steps you take don't have to be big, they just have to take you in the right direction."

[avintagekiss24]

Magic City [2/2]

Pairing: Steve Rogers x black!stripper!reader

Word Count: 3843

Warnings: smut, sex, language, Avengers: End Game spoilers, canon divergence

Summary: Your apartment is usually empty when you get home after a long shift. Not tonight. 

A/N: Here’s the finale to my submission for @wxntersoldiers 5k writing challenge! Again, congrats on 5k! You deserve each and every one!

----

You hold out your hand and wiggle your fingers as a smile creeps onto your face. Johnny shoots his eyes up toward yours and rolls them playfully, before slamming a stack of cash into your hand. You start counting your intake as he leans back in his chair, twiddling his thumbs as he watches you.

“You don’t trust me?”

“Of course not.” You say curtly, keeping your eyes on the green paper as it shifts between your hands.

He chuckles and so do you as you finish counting. You’ve cleared your rent for the month and then some, and it’s only Friday. Tomorrow’s shift will be for those Louboutin’s you’ve been eyeing. You shove your nights pay into your purse and wink at him, before turning on your heel and exiting the office. You say your goodbyes to a few of the girls before pushing out into the parking lot.

You tap the key fob in your hand, bringing your white Audi to life in the back of the parking lot. It hums quietly and unlocks as soon as your close, the lights on the door handles illuminating softly. You sink into the seat as the radio pops on, auto connecting to your phone as soon as you close the door. Within minutes, you’re on the highway, weaving in and out of traffic on your way home. This is why you love Atlanta. It’s two AM and the night is just beginning for most. 

You pull into The Bishop apartments and navigate through the parking lot until you find a space closest to your door. You yawn as you move through the parking lot and up the stairs, stopping once you reach your door to pull off your heels. You slide your key into the door but pause as you realize it’s already unlocked. You lean into the door, pressing your ear against it, picking up the faint sounds of music. 

He still has your key.

You close your eyes and let out a breath as you drop your head back on your shoulders. You’re not in the mood to fight. You can’t call the cops, he’ll just toss them around like rag dolls if they get squirrelly with him. Maybe if you just let him talk, he’ll get the guilt out of his system and he’ll fuck off back to New York with his wife. 

You wrap your hand around the door handle and push into your open living room. You close the door softly behind you as Frank Sinatra flows from the Echo dot in your kitchen. It’s dark, only the light from the moon splashing in through the windows, covering your furniture. The french doors to the balcony reaching off of the living room are open, the soft, warm night breeze shuffles the long, white curtains that hang in front of them. 

You move further inside and toss your purse on your cream colored couch as your finally lay eyes on him. He leans against the railing, his hands gripping the black cast iron as he rests his weight on it. A half empty beer sits on the small table in the corner of the balcony. He was never much of a drinker. What was the point? He couldn’t feel it anyway. You stare at his back, opening your mouth to speak, but close it quickly. You know his instincts have already told him that you’re there.

He hear him inhale deeply and push it out through his nostrils as he tilts his head up toward the sky, “I’ve always loved Atlanta.” He says slowly, “It’s quiet here.” You cross your hands over your chest, dragging your eyes along his back, “You don’t get skies like this in Brooklyn.”

“Is there a reason that you still have my key?” You ask bluntly, “I’m sure your wife wouldn’t like that.”

He drops his head, but doesn’t turn around, “I came and saw you, you know.”

You roll your eyes and take a breath, sucking on your teeth as you squint at him, “What are you talking about?”

“You still exist in that timeline. I was curious, about ten years ago, and I came back and I saw you.” His words fade away as he tilts his head back up to the moon, “I shouldn’t have.”

“Why’s that?” You ask quietly as anger and sadness brim in your eyes.

He turns to face you. He smiles but it’s sad, “Because I kept coming back. I meant what I said. I thought about you every single day for sixty years.”

You turn from him as emotion suddenly fills your chest and eyes. You blink furiously as your lips and chin quiver, staring into your kitchen all the while. You’d seen him. The old man that sat in the corner of the club until you came onto the stage. Then, and only then, would he move closer - but not close enough for you to recognize him. 

“You were so beautiful.” He says, “You have always been the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.”

“Then why did you leave?” You spit angrily, spinning around to face him. Your face is wet with tears as they roll down your cheeks, smearing your makeup, “If I’m so beautiful, and you thought about me for so long, then why did you leave me?”

“I had to.”

You laugh as you turn toward your front door, closing your eyes, “Get out. I don’t want to hear this.”

“Listen to me,” He says, his voice trembling, “You don’t understand.”

“I don’t want to understand!” You shout, “Get. out.”

He moves into the living room but keeps his distance from you, “I woke up to a world that had forgotten me. I woke up to a world that I didn’t understand. Do you know what that feels like?” He hisses, causing you to cut your eyes toward his. 

They’re cloudy, full of so many emotions that you wouldn’t be able to decipher them if you had to. They’re watery as his own tears threaten to spill onto his smooth skin, “Cell phones, automatic cars, all of the noise, it was -” He stops, dropping his eyes to the floor, “She was all I knew. She was the only thing that made me real. When I found out she was still alive, it all flooded back. She kept me going until she died, and I lost her all over again and I felt like I died, all over again.”

You focus on your breathing as the two of you stand within feet of each other, you facing the door, him facing you, “That’s touching.” You whisper angrily.

“Will you just stop and listen to me, goddamn it!” He snaps, “I lost. Everything that I believe in, everything that I’ve fought for, I lost it all when Thanos snapped his fingers. I lost.” He says forcefully, his chest heaving, “I don’t lose.”

“I don’t care.” You snap back.

He covers the ground separating the two of you quickly, grabbing your arm to whirl you around, “And then I met you. And suddenly, my days had meaning again.” You do everything you can to keep from looking in his eyes as you whimper, “You mean the world to me. What can I do to prove that to you?”

“I don’t know, maybe not throw five years down the drain.”

He nods slowly, “I was wrong, I’ll admit that until I’m blue in the face, but you don’t understand. When I found out that I could have a chance at a normal life, I jumped. I didn’t think, I just took it, because that’s what I thought I wanted. Peggy and I had a date that I never made it to.”

“Yeah,” You smile angrily, “Bucky told me all about it.” You finally settle your eyes on his, letting them bounce back and forth between his, “We used to dance too.” You whisper. 

He drops his eyes from yours in shame. You stare past his shoulder and out into the night sky as Frank Sinatra fades into Nat King Cole. You gasp as Unforgettable starts to play, instantly flooding you with old, fragmented memories. Steve spinning your around in your kitchen on late Saturday nights, your laughter filling every square foot of your apartment. You held onto him as he pressed his cheek to your forehead, your giggles subsiding as the silliness faded away.

You and Steve would lose the night to the early sunlight as you slow danced. He’d lay you down in your soft bed as the gentle morning sun flooded into your room. He’d make love to you all morning long, invading every inch of your mind, your body, your soul. His fingers would caress your skin, his lips and teeth nipping and biting at you as he fucked you slow and deep. He whispered his love for you as you came. He held you until you fell asleep, rubbing slow, light circles into the small of your back...

You woke up to a knock one day; a long haired man standing at your doorstep, “I’m Bucky. Steve asked me come.”

You snap back to the present as Steve lifts your chin with his finger. His eyes are red, his cheeks blotchy, “I came back for you, doll.” He whispers, “I couldn’t stand it, not one minute longer.” He takes a breath, “I found Bruce and told him to send me back… I told her that I couldn’t stay anymore. That I need you.”

He drops his forehead to yours, dragging his nose along yours, “I know you still love me, sugar.” He mumbles, “I know you do, and I love you baby. I’ve always loved you, every minute. I’m sorry,” He pleads, panicking slightly as he tries to convince you further, “I’m so sorry baby. I shouldn’t have left you.”

He crashes his lips to yours and you accept them greedily. You raise to your tiptoes as his lips massage yours and slide your hands around his back. He lifts you from your feet effortlessly, wrapping your legs around his waist as he moves through the living room and to your bedroom. 

He detaches his lips from yours to drop them to your neck, pushing your head up toward the ceiling as he nips at your sensitive skin. You squeeze his body to yours as you moan, your body igniting in flames as his warm lips caress your skin. You’ve taken lovers since he’s been gone, but none of them could satisfy you the way he does. Just the feeling of his lips on your body again is enough for you to want to risk everything you have.

That’s why he’s dangerous.

After only one kiss, you want to give him everything.

He tosses you to the bed, watching as you bounce on the mattress. You keep your eyes on his as he stands at the foot of the bed, dragging his eyes along your body. You get shy quickly under his gaze. You pull at the hem of your baggy grey shirt and cross your legs, sliding them along one another. He sets his eyes back on yours as he pulls his shirt over his head and tosses it to the floor. 

You bite your bottom lip as your eyes skip down his broad chest and flat, sculpted stomach. You sit up on your knees and place your hands on his hips, dipping them into his jeans. You press your lips to the center of his chest and let your eyes close as you kiss his skin. You raise your hands to his back and squeeze his flesh as your lips move around his chest. He moans softly as he pops the button on his jeans and undoes his zipper. 

You watch as his jeans fall to his feet, leaving him in nothing but his black boxer briefs. You tilt your head up to his, your chin resting on his stomach as your fingers skim through his happy trail. You cup him in your hand as you blink up at him, your lips parting as he stares down at you. You run your fingers along his cock, massaging him as he hardens from your touch. His erection presses against the thin material as you grope him and return your lips to his warm skin. 

He grabs your hair, pulling it up into a ponytail with his hand as you kiss a hot trail down his abs and through the hair that collects at the base of his stomach. You bite his side, drawing a quick hiss from him as he flinches from the sting. He releases your hair and pushes your shoulders to make you fall back on the bed again. 

He pushes his knees into the edge of the mattress as he places his index finger on your bare ankle. He drags it, slowly, up your right leg, curling it around your calf and up your thigh until it stops at the apex between your legs. He palms you, heat radiating from you and warming his palm. He can feel the wetness slicking your pussy - your thin leggings sticking to your flesh. You gasp as you push your hips into his hand and push your head against the mattress, arching your back from it. 

He pushes his fingers against your clit through your leggings as you start to roll your hips. He climbs onto the bed to lean over you, his lips parting, his warm breath washing over your face. He leans down and kisses you hard, stealing the air right from your lungs. He pulls back with a smack, but his fingers don’t stop. He continues to tease you until you’re soaking - aching - for him. 

He pulls away for only seconds, just long enough to hook his fingers underneath your waistband to yank your pants and panties away from you in one fell swoop. He pushes his fingers into you as soon as you’re free of your clothing; the intrusion causing you to spring forward. You pull at your shirt, discarding it off the side of the bed before your fingers fumble with the clasp of your bra. Your breasts fall free as you toss it, and your pride, to the floor before you fall back to the mattress. 

He fucks you slowly with his fingers. He dips down to splatter kisses at the base of your neck and along your full breasts, nipping at your nipples with his lips. He cups your left breast with his free hand, kneading your flesh gently as he sweeps his thumb over your thick nipple. You gasp as his fingers curl inside of you to stroke your sweet spot. You cup his face in your hands and pull him down to you, moaning loudly as you slam your lips against his. 

“Steve, please.” You groan heavily, “Please baby.”

He withdraws his fingers from you as soon as the words leave your lips. You spread your legs as he settles between them, the tip of his cock brushing lightly against your sticky cunt. You sink into the mattress as his heavy body flattens on top of yours. You’ve missed this so fucking much; his heavy body nearly crushing yours. You wrap your long legs around his waist and flatten your palms on his back as he presses his cock against your opening. 

He slides through your folds, teasing your clit before he pushes inside of you. You gasp, your eyes slamming shut as you raise up from the mattress, pushing your chest into his. Your pussy spreads for him as he occupies your warmth, stretching you in the most familiar way. You take him all, every glorious inch of him until his hips are flush against yours. He doesn’t move right away. He just lays there, his breath heavy and warm on your face, his eyes closed, those long, dark eyelashes splashed against his cheeks. 

He’s missed you too. 

You drag your hands down his muscular back and push your hips into his, encouraging him. I’m right here. He cups your face in his large hands, his fingers digging into the edges of your hair. He pulls his hips from yours - agonizingly slow -  withdrawing from you completely. He pushes back into you immediately and releases a ragged breath, followed by a low, guttural moan.

“Fuck,” He mutters to himself, releasing another breath before inhaling sharply, “Feels so good.”

His words are slurred and jumbled as his hips start to move faster. He nuzzles his face into your neck, his hot breath sending chills down your spine as it splashes along your skin. You dig your fingernails into his skin as he fucks you deep and slow. Just like before.

Tears start to well in your eyes, blurring your vision. You didn’t think you’d be here again, with him, feeling so full and loved and vulnerable and free. You almost don’t want to be here, no matter how much you missed him, no matter how many nights you cried for him. This is what destroyed you. Moments like this, these feelings for him. You swore you wouldn’t do this again, and you meant it. 

You cover your face with your hands as the emotion starts to take over. He grabs your fingers, trying to pry them away but you hold them there, not wanting him to see you completely break. It’s useless. A sob breaks through, and you try to choke it back to no avail. Within seconds you’re a mess, crying hard and unabated. 

Steve pries at your hands again, this time pulling them from your wet face. His eyes search around your face as he takes stock of the damage he’s caused. There’s nothing to say. There’s no words he can construct that will ever take this away. You were collateral damage in his quest to try and find a life, a home, a purpose other than punching and kicking and fighting and killing. You were ruined because of him. He sees that now.

He can’t take it away, but he can help push it down, deep down inside, if only for a moment. He pulls out of you and tucks his hand underneath your back to lift you from the bed. He flips you onto all fours and flattens his hand on the small of your back ad slides his hand up the length of your spine. He pushes down on your back, positioning you to where your head and chest rests on the mattress. 

You lunge forward as he fills you with his cock again. You grunt as he starts a punishing pace, squeezing your ass in his hands. He just wants to make you feel something other than pain. You ball the white sheets in your hands as your lunge forward with his thrusts. The tears quickly subside as your orgasm starts to build in the pit of your stomach. His slips his fingers between your sticky, wet folds and massages your throbbing clit, sending flashes of electricity through your body. 

His skin slaps against yours as you start to fill the room with high pitched moans and unintelligible words. You slam your eyes closed, your wet lashes splaying against your cheeks as he fucks you senseless. His fingers are relentless against your clit, his cock stroking your G-spot, teasing that sweet, long awaited release. Your walls quiver, tightening around him and then releasing him as he pushes you closer and closer to an explosion. 

He pulls his fingers from your clit and pushes them through your asscheeks. He circles your puckered hole with his index finger before he pushes inside. You grunt loudly at the new intrusion, clenching your pussy around his cock in approval. He adds another digit and you inhale sharply, the fullness almost becoming unbearable.

Just when you don’t think you can take anymore - his pounding hips, his devilish fingers pumping and circling your insides - you cum. Hard, fast, deep. You cry out as you reach for your clit, rubbing furiously as it contracts and jumps up and down from your orgasm. Steve’s moans grow louder with yours as he trips over the edge of bliss with you. Soon, your insides are coated with his seed, spurting relentlessly from his slit as he slams into you with every ounce of strength he has in him. 

You bury your head into the sheets as your release consumes you entirely. It feels like forever. It’s sweet and palpable. It’s sad and refreshing. It’s everything you needed tonight. It’s a culmination of everything you’ve thought and felt and wanted and hated since he’s been gone. It feels right. It feels wrong. It brings happiness and fear. As your breathing steadies and Steve’s hips slow, the fog in your mind starts to clear. That’s when it clicks; that’s when you finally get it. 

You’re feeling again. You’ve been empty since he was gone; alone and angry. He had numbed you, made you cold to the world, and only now, in this moment of carnal connection between man and woman, do you know that he and only he could breathe the breath of life back into you. No matter if he’s there in the morning. No matter if he goes back to her. He’s freed you of him -  the old him, the Steve that left you all those months ago. 

Hours pass. You roll over onto your side, scrunching up your face with the sun splashes onto you. You bring your hands to your face to rub your eyes, groaning loudly as you try and join the living. You drop your hand to the mattress and roll over onto your back, stretching out your arm to the other side of the bed. It’s empty, kind of how you expected it to be. 

You sit up and glance at the disheveled sheets beside you. You grab the pillow and bring it to your face to take a deep breath of him. He always smelled so good. You sigh, and drop the pillow before reaching for your phone. A slip of paper floats to the floor as you lift the sleek iPhone from the side table. You stare at it, not sure if you want to read his apology or just let the night before be what it was. 

You decide on the latter. 

An unfamiliar shadow on your nightstand catches the corner of your eye. You turn toward it, squinting at the rusted gold, circular object. You pick it up and look it over, feeling the heft in your hand. You use both hands to pop it open and lose our breath as you recognize what it is. Steve’s compass. But, there’s one stark difference. 

He’d replaced the picture of her, with a picture of you. 

You snap your head toward your bedroom door as you hear the front door push open. Steve appears seconds later, two coffees in his hands, a soft smile on his face, “Morning baby.”

You smile slowly.

The blip is finally over.

It’s a new day.

[sativaaaaaaa]

Mother’s Love || Billie Dean Howard

|| In this one shot you (the reader) are Billie Dean's daughter.||

8: "I just want you to be safe. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you."

9: "Please, just....be safe. Come back to me."

Billie Dean

"Come on Sweetheart just a few more pictures and then I'll let you go. I promise!" I urged as I held my phone back up in my daughter's direction.

"Fine but after this I really have to go!" She smiled before doing a few more poses. I snapped the pictures quickly before walking over to her with my arms out for a hug.

"Okay just give me my hug and you can go." I said as she walked into my arms squeezing me tight. I smiled lightly before hugging her back with a sigh.

"Still having a funny feeling?" She questioned still hanging on to me.

"Yeah but I don't want my uneasiness to ruin your night. I just want you to be safe. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you."

"I promise I'll be okay. I'll text you every hour while I'm out just so you know." She lifted her head and placed a kiss on my cheek before grabbing her keys and phone.

She walked towards the door and I crossed my arms as I watched her walked out. She turned around towards me and raised her eyebrow.

"What ma?"

I took a deep breath before shaking my head.

"Nothing. Please, just.... come back to me."

She nodded her head before walking out of the house. Please let her be safe.

Y/N

I sent my mom one final text as I left the club, letting her know I would be home soon. I got into my car and started driving home softly singing along to the music playing on the radio.

Although I was in my car I had an odd feeling that someone was following me so I checked my rearview mirror and saw a car close up behind me.

"What the fuck?" I questioned lightly as I switched lanes just to make sure that they were following me. As I thought they did the same.

"Aw hell nah. Hey Siri, call Mother Dearest." I said out loud. My phone connected to my cars bluetooth and started calling my mom.

"Hey sweetheart. Are you almost home?" Her voice rang throughout the car.

"Yeah but someone's following me home. Are you by your other phone? I need you to call the cops." I told her quickly as I began to form a plan to lose them in my head.

"Okay and tell them what?" Her voice shook slightly.

"Tell them to have a cop on the corner of Broadway and Hollywood. I'm about 4 minutes away from there. I'm gonna speed up, have them pull me over." I explained to her quickly. She gave me a short okay before repeating everything I said to the 9-1-1 operator.

"Okay honey they said they have two units there, they're gonna pull you over then help you get home. Can I stay on the phone with you? Just until you get outside?" She asked me with nervousness coating her voice.

"Of course. Let me tell you what happened to Jamie at the club. So we were dancing and her like broke in two out of nowhere and she fell into this guy behind her who had been flirting with her all night." I said laughing lightly.

"Oh really? Is she alright?" My mother asked as she laughed with me.

"Oh she's more than alright. Let's just say she'll be busy this weekend." I hinted at lightly as I started driving a little faster.

I glanced behind me seeing the car still but farther away then before. I sighed softly as I turned my attention back to the road. I kept speeding up until I hit the intersection I was telling my mom about.

"I just passed Broadway and Hollywood mom." I interrupted her suddenly.

After a few seconds a police car pulled out of a parking lot and got behind me flashing their lights. I sighed in relief as I pulled over. I kept my foot on the break not really comfortable with being completely stopped.

"What's going on honey?" My mom's voice rang out breaking my train of thought.

"I'm waiting for him to come up to my window or something Ma. Just hold on." I turned back looking at the police car. I saw a hooded figure walk up to his window tapping on it. The officer rolled his window down and then there was a loud bang and blood splattered everywhere.

"Shit! Ma whoever was following me just shot the cop!" I instantly pulled off after that continuing to speed all the way home.

"Oh my god! Where are you? Are they still following you?"

"I sped off. I'm taking the back way home. Have the door open for me please. And have some more cops come to the house." I replied as I turned my lights off as I sped down a few back alleys to get home.

I checked my rearview mirror and saw I was no longer being followed. I let a sigh of relief out as I rounded the final corner to my street. I hurriedly drove the street before whipping into my driveway. Mom was standing in the door way holding a knife just in case.

As I put the car in park I grabbed my things and held my pepper spray in my hand as I quickly got out of the car.

I ran to the front door pushing Mom inside before closing and locking the door behind me. I fell back against the front door as I closed my eyes and caught my breath.

"Oh my god! Y/N you're bleeding!" Mom screamed causing me to open my eyes and look down. There was a gash that cut through my dress and slightly cut my side.

"I think that's from me running into you Ma. I promise I'm fine. Just go get me the first aid kit please." I sighed still out of breath. She nodded before running upstairs to the bathroom.

I slowly sat on the floor as I waited for her. I placed my hand on my side and applied pressure to it to try and stop the bleeding but I couldn't. I was getting light headed and tried so I yelled out.

"Ma!! Ma hurry!" My voice wasn't loud but loud enough for her to hurry back down. She raced over to me with the first aid kit and saw me bleeding a little more heavily.

"Hey hey! Say with me baby girl. You have to stay awake until the police get here okay? They're gonna be here soon just stay with me alright." She urged as my eyes got heavier.

I felt her cleaning and trying to patch up my wound but I just kept bleeding. My vision became blurred and my ears started ringing but I kept my eyes open for as long as I could but darkness clouded my sight.

Billie Dean

I felt Y/N slump over causing my heart to race. I laid her on the floor putting my head against her chest hearing her heart still beating loud and strong.

I sat up quickly and peered out of the window to see if the police were here yet. Thankfully they were just pulling up along with an ambulance. I waited until they were at the door to open it and let them in.

"She ran into me when she got home because someone was following her and she cut herself on the knife I was holding. She just passed out and she keeps bleeding." I quickly explained to the EMT and the police once they were in the house.

"Alright we're gonna give her a couple of stitches and she should be alright Ms Howard." They explained before going to Y/N.

After a few minutes the stitched her up and laid her on the couch. They placed this little bottle under her nose and she woke up instantly coughing.

"Uhh what the fuck was that?" She asked groggily.

"Language young lady." I scolded softly.

"English." She laughed lightly as she laid her head back.

I shook my head at her antics but I was relieved to see she was alright.

____________________

word count: 1405

|| The ending sucks but someone *ahem JJ ahem* was rushing me.||