#Sorry that was mean. I luv weasels

[gunkbaby]

How do you think Shuu got the boy into this position?

chloroform, scissors, free online shibaru class, and 𝒶 𝒹𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓂 ✨💖

[jinkiezzsstuff]

Hate That I Love You

adam x insecure!tsundere(ithink) GNreader

Summary: You’ve been Lutes friend for a long while, and occasionally you ran into Adam; after finding out about the extermination thanks to him, you become a three party group. Except you can’t accept liking Adam, him being obnoxious and egotistical, you pretend you hate him. That blows up in your face.

Warnings: Suggestive, swearing, angst ish, hurt/comfort i think, insecurities around strength (mental and/or physical), implied but never confirmed virgin reader, readers looks get insulted nothing intense nor specific, descriptive panic attack/fainting, reader throws an object at adam’s head, NO YN, GN, No alluding to or mention of bodytype/hairtype/skin colour. oh possibly OOC adam idk, not proofread so sorry luvs, I think that’s it if not let me know! enjoy :3

Word count: 2K

Your index finger sat atop the straw sitting in your drink, moving it around the glass as you mindlessly listened as Adam ranted to you and Lute, mostly Lute, about Charlie Morningstar. You weren’t an exorcist- no, you actually didn’t know about the exterminations at all…up until recently. Thanks to one of Adam’s childish outbursts, you had a long night with Lute explaining the whole situation to you. Now you were sworn to secrecy, and conversations of the madness that the extermination were and everything they came with, AKA Charlie.

Adam wasn’t ever your buddy, he was just someone who shamelessly attached himself to Lute's hip; but you put up with it because of your good friendship with Lute. Now, he’s somehow weaselled his way into believing you were part of this weird “team” purely based off of association.

“I mean who does this long horned, pointy teeth, pussy mucher think she is?!” Adam screamed slamming his hands against the table, you rolled your eyes at him and his stupid antics. “You’re one to talk,” You replied, his eyes snapping toward you. “You’ve got both horns and teeth. Why don’t you take that funky band mask off anyways?”

Scoffing he rolled his neck side to side. “Because this is my job, my persona, how’re people gonna recognize me without it!? Duh, dumb bitch.” Muttering the insult quickly, he leaned his cheek on his palm and went back to sucking his drink.

“With all due respect sir, this is really bad news, we can’t let Charlie persuade Sera.” Lute piped up, her mask discarded showing the genuine emotion on her face. Sometimes you couldn’t tell if he was a friend, someone she was in love with, an annoying brother-like figure, or just her lazy ass boss. Maybe all of the above.

Which is probably one of the reasons you kept your tiny little crush on Adam to yourself. He was cruel to you anyways, always comparing you to someone faster, funnier, stronger, hotter at least that’s what you told yourself. Instead you chose to be more of a bitch back, acting as disgusted and disinterested as you could, especially when Lute was around as she could sniff out a lie like some psychic canine.

“Yeah, duh Lute i fucking know that. You think I've been jerking off this whole time! No, eyes, ears focused, I haven't cum in days.” He whined, throwing his head back. Lute only scoffed glancing over at you slumped back in your seat barely sipping your drink, eyes casted downward. “You don’t have to be here for this kind of talk,” Lute started saying, her hand inching across the table to yours, but she was stopped by Adam once more leaning forward, gloved palms slapping against the table.

“The fuck are you saying Lute!? We get another fucker in this circle and you wanna cast her out. Un-fucking-believeable. It’s like you want Charlie to win.” Throwing a napkin at Adam, Lute slid her hand away from you. “They’re not even an exorcist Adam, you’re the fuck head who got them in on exterminations!”

“No i didn’t, they walked in on a private conversation.” Eyebrows knitted together you lurched forward, anger fueling you. “Oh piss off Adam, how many times are we gonna go over this stupid situation! I’m not your fucking friend, i’m not ‘in’ on it, i’m here for Lute and you won’t fucking leave!”

Adam had a bored expression on his face while you ranted, unfazed by anything you’d said. Lute however bit her lip clasping her hands together. In a fight between her boss slash friend, and her friend, she didn’t know what to do. “You always have your nose up in Lute's business, it’s so annoying. Lute’s my man, okay she works for me! Guess who comes first in this business chica? Not you.” Adam mocked sticking his tongue out at you.

Standing you picked up your cup whipping it at Adam’s head, he dodge it easily, but your emotionally fueled violence made you quickly regretful as both Adam’s and Lutes eyes looked at you questioningly. You’d never really lost your shit before, and this wasn’t the worst Adam has said, so they were a little confused at your outburst, yourself included.

“Listen, Adam, I’m-“ Before you could finish Adam keeled over, laughing maniacally as you watched. After a few short laughter filled moments, Adam straightened, elbows on the table, hands hammocking his chin as he smiled up at you.

“Got some bite in you for sure huh babe, ha! I’m not surprised, honestly when i saw you i was like ‘this bitch has a face made for hell’, you probably got up here cause you were unfuckable so, like, virgin. Oh! Oh! That makes so much fucking sense dude! Ha! Bummer, I could smell the weak loser on ya, didn’t I tell ya danger tits?” Adam questioned head turned toward Lute after his animated, and very condescending speech.

Lute only looked down, not responding. Meanwhile you were horrified, you’d always felt a little less than Lute, after all she carried out holy duties, ones that you hadn’t fully known up until recently, so hearing Adam say the same things you thought of yourself, shattered you. Your face felt hot as tears gathered on the waterline of your eyes. You didn’t belong here, you said it for the longest time everyone here was mindless optimist zombies, Lute was your only lifeline, and for a few months you suppose-Adam.

You never hated him, but it’s clear he’s only fond of Lute. You’re the intruder, you’re the odd one. Clenching your fists you didn’t even bother with a come back, you slid out from your table booking it to the door. Tears unwillingly slid down your cheeks, your chest heaving as your throat closed silencing whatever weep dared to exit your throat.

You could hear Lute calling after you but you genuinely didn’t want to be followed by her, you were embarrassed; the last thing you wanted was the strong exorcist coming to witness you crumble. Throwing the door to the building open your wings sprung out on reflex, and after a few quick steps you took off. You couldn’t quite see, or breathe for that matter. Your mind lagged behind you, replaying the moments in your head that matched up to Adam’s insults.

You blinked rapidly as you attempted to focus on the clouds beneath you and breeze around you, but you couldn’t. You choked once more, your stomach convulsing inward causing you to gasp, a sob violently escaping you as you rocketed toward whatever surface you could find. Suddenly you hit something solid, stunning your flight and causing you to spin down, plummeting. As you fell, the breeze stabbed you as you cut into it, your wings sagging and loosely flailing above you, it felt so calm and freeing you didn’t feel the will to stop.

By the grace of god, however, you were caught and roughly smacked against the chest of someone, their arms clutching you tightly. You barely heard a ‘gotcha’ before your vision tunnelled, stomach flipped and you lost consciousness.

——

Waking slowly, your eyes stung the moment they opened, nearly watering at the blinding white that invaded them. Willing yourself to rise, you lazily scanned the room you laid in. A living room, coloured with yellows, creams and whites, it was, in all honesty, way too much. A large portrait of a man with a woman, meticulously scrapped out, hung above the fireplace. You’d never seen this man ever before, and the woman was too scratched out to get any idea on who it was. Suppose these people never existed as it was a painting, but there was something about the man that captivated you so deeply.

“Look who finally rose, sleeping bitchy.” You immediately felt sick, turning your head unsurprised to see Adam standing there smugly. You frowned deeply, it felt nearly impossible to twist your mouth in such a way, but there was no hiding your distaste in seeing the angel. “Why am I here, Adam.” You say scaldingly, eyes closed attempting to shield yourself from whatever foul look took over his face. “Well after your little shit show, a little over dramatic by the way, Lute left to find you, and I went for a fly. Then suddenly minding my own business I see you tryna play asteroid! Then when I caught you, your dumbass went out.”

Sighing loudly you pulled your hand down your face. “Please, admit Lute put you up to it.” Slamming a glass of water down on the table along with a platter of fruit, including oranges, pomegranates and mangos, Adam grunted moving his hand to sit on his hips. “The fuck she did, she’s not getting the praise for this one.” You looked up at him and then down at the fruit and drink on the side table just to your right, you nodded at it. “What’s this?”

You barely whispered out. Blowing air out threw his lips effectively raspberryingring the air, he shrugged. “Stuff for you, duh, you’re like sick or something right?” You nearly smiled at that, you’d never had Adam have that reaction. Quite the array of fruit as well, carefully you picked up a few pieces of orange, as well as mango that had a toothpick sticking up from them you munched down. You hummed, watching like a hawk as Adam walked across from you and sat on the other couch.

“How long was i out?” You questioned after swallowing, gulping down some water feeling the soothing sensation on your raw throat. “Maybe thirty minutes, not long. I texted Lute, I told her you were with me, safe.” That made you pause, you gazed up at him from the bowl of pomegranates you started digging into. “What? Why didn’t she come?” Adam huffed, throwing his hands behind his head and leaned back. “Because I told her not to.” Your mouth fell open eyes wide.

“Why thee holy fuck, would you tell her not to come?” Sitting up straighter you swung your legs over the side, sitting properly instead of lounging. Adam wouldn’t meet your gaze drifting off to the left and right. “Fucking… fuck!” He exclaimed almost in what sounded like exhaustion. Watching him closely, you waited as he seemed to have an inner debate with himself. Then swiftly he gripped his face and ripped off his mask.

The face you were met with was like a punch in the gut, yeah he could be compared to men you’ve seen in your lifetime probably at a gas station or cheap bar, but it was Adam. The man you’ve been trying so hard to hate, getting into cussing battles, throwing insults at each other that rolled off the back, occasionally praising each other's insults, forcing yourself to loathe him when you both kinda knew it wasn’t and now it was real. You got to look in his gold eyes, the dark thick lashes accentuating the uniqueness of his eye colour, the chin hair that crawled just under his chin -which you never expected him to have-, his tousled brown hair, thick eyebrows one eyebrow pierced - also a shock to you-.

He looked like the asshole he was, and it made you fucking sick. Trying so hard to hate him had come to this? Him unmasking himself after saving you? Cruel, you wanted to hate him, get over him not know that all he said about him being the hottest, the dickmaster, pussypounder-whatever, was probably true, that he’s hot. You were embarrassed to feel the nasty hum of jealousy claw at you when you could see the woman in the painting in your peripheral, that was obviously him, with some woman. He was wanted, and taken before.

Flicking his tongue over his lips you caught a glimpse of a tongue piercing because of course the pretty boy would get whatever he wanted without worrying about rules. He shuffled nervously biting his lip as you eyed him shamelessly, which to him was judgemental, his nerves suddenly making him feel sweaty. “Why?” You ask breathily, you were too enchanted to care how he perceived that however. His eyes properly met yours, your legs crossed subconsciously at the zap you felt just by a look.

“Youre fucking dumb you know that? You think I hang with Lute when you’re around because Lute’s there?!” Adam stood after the exclamation, his eyes shooting around the room, hands flying to his hair. “I can’t fucking do this a third time! Fuck!” Tossing a vase across the room you watched unfazed by the sudden explosion, after all this was your thing too.

“I only go round Lute like that because you’re there dumbass, i tried easing up on you; just like Lute said! But you, oh noooo little bitch, just had to be so fucking bratty.” Standing over you sneering, you made no attempts to move, not genuinely scared of his anger but instead, perhaps, a little aroused. You in a way understood where his frustrations came from anyway, you in a sense felt the same way. Might be why you lost it earlier, the yearning had gotten too real, and he seemed so focused on Charlie.

“I am so disgustingly attracted to you, not even in a sex way! And I know how to deal with that a lot better.” Swinging his hand out sassily, he smirked to himself. Plopping next to you he rested his cheek on his hand, elbows rested on his legs. Plucking an orange from the table you watched him eat it, juice moistening his lips. “You think i’d peel fruit, save, house and give water to some broad I genuinely hated? No, stupid.”

Laughing dryly, you looked up away from Adam’s intense gaze. You smiled, eyes falling from the ceiling to your lap. “God i fucking hate you,” Adam’s face looked horrified, opening his mouth to speak, you stopped him grabbing his cheeks and pulling into a searing hot kiss. Your lips crashed against each others’ lazily but passionately, opened mouthed and slightly sloppy. It was slow however, a kiss that wasn’t just a kiss, neither of you wanted to haste past such a moment, such emotion. Adam’s arms wrapped around your hips nudging you forward, understanding the message you moved in closer, your body’s pressing against each other as much as you could from the seated position on the couch.

You dug your fingers into his hair, brainlessly playing with different strands as your tongues slid along one another’s without care, tasting the orange he just ate presently on his lips and to tongue. It felt heavenly being up against him, Adam smelt so good, he was so warm and you could feel how badly he wanted this. His body jittered, his hands gripping you like you’d disappear if he loosened. Pulling away and looking at Adam, he made no effort to move eyes still closed like trying to etched this memory in his mind. You hummed lovingly, brushing hair away from his forehead. “You’re a dumb bitch.” He whispered raspily, opening his eyes, although not by much as they lidded with lust.

You smirked at him brushing your thumb against his bottom lip. “I know. You too.”

[solarbird]

Old Soldiers, Chapter 23: how did you know, before I did?

Yep, still working on Old Soldiers. It's really difficult to switch gears between the Oilliphéist and Venom/Fear of Spiders universes, it really is, but it's happening.

This chapter is worksafe. [AO3 link]

[All dialogue in «angle quotes» is translated from the Spanish. Amélie's thoughts are translated from the French.]

Amélie awoke, early. She often woke before Lena, regardless of where they were, but she didn't mind that. Usually, when it happened ahead of the alarm, she'd doze, and wait, so they could rise together. But sometimes, it there was time, she'd slip out, sneak over to the kitchen, make coffee and tea and get out cheeses and creams and preserves and the morning's good bread, delivered, and the scents would reach over, across, to their bedroom, and awaken her partner, and she'd stumble out, eyes still half-closed, usually remembering to put on a shirt, following the delicious smell of breakfast, and she'd say, "y'know what this needs? Bangers!" and she'd grab the sausages she'd bought a day or two before out of the refrigerator and get to work, and everything would be wonderful.

This was neither of those sorts of day.

The spider plucked at her web. What is it? she thought. It is... something. What?

She didn't really care all that very much about this mission. Morrison had been someone her husband knew, the person to whom Gabriel Reyes reported. They'd met, no doubt, at some function or other. But his time for shaking the world had passed, taking care of him - justice, of a sort, their way - was important to Lena, and so, she was willing to put Talon behind it. And finding herself thinking about that, she let her mind trace that strand further, further down, lower, into thinner, lesser strands - but strands nonetheless.

And she was very surprised to discover that for some reason she did not know, some reason she didn't understand, something had changed.

Jack Morrison, left to his own devices, was going to do something very bad indeed. And it had to be stopped, before anyone else even knew it could happen.

"How did you know?" she whispered, shifting up, and looking at her wife, sprawled across the bed, arms akimbo, hair even moreso. "How did you know before I did?"

Lena stirred just as the alarm rang the chimes of Big Ben. She blinked, groggily, looked up at her wife, and smiled. "G'morffin'," she managed, flopping over onto Amélie's legs.

The assassin smiled back at her partner, but there was a firmness to it. "Get up," she said, firmly, sliding out from underneath. "Something has happened. I must find out what. Suddenly, I think, this mission may be... important."

-----

Amélie pulled her helmet off, frustrated, frowning. Nothing, she thought. Nothing of interest, at least. No new news items, at least, nothing that affected this situation. No outbreaks of violence, of disease, no disappearances, no interesting thefts, not even any strange new conspiracy rumours reaching high enough to matter, not even to her...

Perhaps Sombra has had more luck, she thought, climbing out of her lotus position and off the bed. Or perhaps we can make it not matter. She pulled on the rest of her field kit, and walked into the safehouse's living room, where Sombra sat, intently, poking at virtual keyboards and screens, Lena and Angela keeping each other company, occasionally watching.

"Anything?"

"Nothing, araña - sorry." Sombra turned around, facing the spider. "If he's done something, it's too quiet even to make my ears. And I don't miss much."

"Gabe's almost here, though. I was about to talk to my old friend again, too. See what he thought about our little video."

"Good," Amélie nodded. "I'll make some coffee. Anyone else?"

Lena waved her off, holding up her mug of tea. Angela smiled, though, and said, "I would. I always liked your coffee."

"Sadly, this is not the best version," the assassin smiled back, fondly, "...but I will do what I can with what I have."

I've missed her more than I realised, she thought, as she walked into the kitchen, glancing over the cluster of information monitors Sombra had set up for her, but seeing nothing new. She pulled the pitcher of water and coarse coffee grounds from the small refrigerator, pulled out a filter, and drained the cold brew into a second pitcher, giving it a taste.

Much better, she thought, pouring two glasses half-full, adding milk, some sugar, and ice, and tasted. Yes. The beans are good. It is just a shame the water is so hard. Still, it will do.

She walked out in time to hear Sombra speaking in increasingly agitated Spanish with her friend in Los Muertos.

«What do you mean, he left?» she said, confused.

«He left! This morning! We'd watched your video and were trying to figure out how to get rid of him without getting ourselves all killed by whatever the hell that was, and he walked in and says he has an outside job, needs to take a couple of weeks to work on it.»

«Well... did he say anything about where he was going?»

«We weren't about to ask, we were just glad he was gone. We're gonna pick up and relocate before he comes back. You're gonna tell your friends in Talon about that, right?»

«Of course I am - and you're welcome.» She thought for a moment. I think he's telling the truth, but we'll have to check... «Did he say anything about where he was going?»

«No - just that he had to get training for some special mission. He wouldn't tell us what, or when, or where - he just made some joke about the animal at the heart of the animal? Which I kind of think probably worked better in English.»

Lena largely kept up, listening as the Spanish went by, and looked confused for just a moment before her eyes went wide, and she whispered, "No!" She looked up at Amélie, who looked confused by the metaphor.

"The animal - the beast. The beast at the heart of the beast," she whispered, as Sombra joked with her friend, trying to weasel out possible training locations without actually sounding like she wanted the data. "I think that means us, and I think... I think the beast means Winston."

Angela's eyes went wide as Amélie tested the idea and nodded, eyes half-closed to slits. It fits, she thought. "It is possible. We must send a warning."

"Embassy security's pretty good. I'm pretty sure he's safe as long as he stays in Geneva," Lena said, nodding, as Sombra told them to shut up, can't they tell she's talking to her friends? And the junior assassin waved everyone into the kitchen.

"I knew we should've just capped him from th' start," she said, closing the kitchen door behind her. "Could've avoided all this."

"I did not take this seriously enough," her wife acknowledged, adding another cube of ice to her coffee, and motioning to Angela if she wanted another herself.

The doctor frowned, not at the ice, but at the entire situation. "I do not speak Spanish, and did not catch enough of your English - what is going on?"

"Jack's bugged out, luv. He's headed off somewhere - don't know where, Sombra's workin' on that - t'get ready for some mission, and I think that mission is Winston."

"Winston?!" the doctor exclaimed. "Why? That makes no sense."

"'The beast at the heart of the beast' is what he told Los Muertos, yah? Given what we know about his obsessions, I'm pretty sure we're the beast. Which means the beast at the heart of it is Widowmaker..."

"Let him try," she sneered.

Venom giggled, briefly, before getting serious again, "...or Winston, if y'want the 'joke' t'make any sense, right?"

Angela sipped at her coffee - quite good, still - and thought. "Ana thinks," the temporary Talon field medic said, "...that she knows 'everyone' you are. Given what she said in person, we can assume that means Talon. She also said that I'm involved. Which means she thinks I am involved with Talon..."

"Not wrong, now. Ironic, innit?"

"Quiet, I'm thinking..." she said, not wanting to think about that too closely, "...and if Ana thinks that, then... what? She thinks I am your... contact? Your superior?"

"...her creator, perhaps? Perhaps also mine." Amélie sipped her coffee, still thinking, as the other two women looked at her, surprised, and she shrugged. "That ludicrous set of documents from the investigation - if Overwatch and Blackwatch actually believed the official story about my 'abduction' and 'conditioning' to be who I am..."

"You're thinkin' that all came from her?" asked Lena, half a smile on her face.

"No. But if she went to Jack, after sending that letter to Fareeha..."

"...it could've come from him," Venom nodded. "Yeh. He signed off on both reports..."

"And he's latched onto Winston, because, because..." The doctor stood up very straight, very tall. "Because of your accelerator! Of course! It couldn't just be me, because I am a medical doctor, not a physicist - it would have to be Winston!"

"It almost makes sense," the Widowmaker said, "in an oddly... detached-from-reality sort of way."

"We need to get Gabe in on this," Lena said, shaking her head. "He knew Jack best, before. And that Los Muertos fighter, Delgado. She might know something. She said he talks in his sleep."

"It means bringing her in on this side of the fence," Angela frowned. "Please do not do that."

"He can talk t'her, we can talk t'him. He should still be an hour out of customs, we should try t'raise him. I'll do it."

The door opened, and Sombra walked in, her expression a combination of bemusement and outright disbelief. "You guys aren't going to believe what I think is going on."

"Yeah?" Venom grinned, happy to have an even better reason to kill Jack Morrison. "Wait'll you hear our version. But g'wan, luv - you first."

-----

"How...?"

Ana Amari looked around the pocket valley not too far outside Jalpan De Serra, a hidden spot deep in the nature reserve. Under a canopy of forest, a small, single-storey house sat in good order. But the interesting parts were around it - the cleared, low-level training camp hidden from overhead view, boxed off in most directions by steep slopes and cliffs.

"Pretty sure it was originally cleared during the war," Morrison replied. "Local resistance against the Omnics. Deep cover. Well hidden. People stay away - bad memories, I guess." He chuckled, a little. "I try to encourage that."

He pointed with his rifle over towards a particularly green patch. "Latrines used to be over there, I think. Found a bunch of old tent stakes, too. Probably didn't want anything too permanent, so they'd just tent up and go."

"Either that, or it was a campground," she smirked. "So this is where you go to hide."

"Hide, or think, or train, Ana. Different things, but it's a good place for all three." He gestured towards the house. "C'mon inside. It's comfortable - I've got a combination of solar and geothermal, and there's an uplink towards the top of the cliff. I figure we'll want to get to San Jose a week before Winston arrives, and until then, we should just lay low, and plan."

I don't like it, Ana thought. It is too steep, and the cliffs are too close. "A hidey-hole is also a trap, Jack. You know that."

"Nobody else in the world knows I know about this place, Ana. Not anymore. If there's any safe place in the Western hemisphere..." He opened the door, and threw his knapsack onto the couch against the far wall of the small living room. "...this is it."

[kazosa]

Secrets - SoA: Chapter 16

Summary: Reader has lived in a life full of secrets. When her father dies unexpectedly and sends her on a trip all over the country, she finds out just how much like her father she really is. The end of her trip brings her to Charming, CA where she finally gets some big pieces of her family puzzle put back in place and form new relationships with the people there. Chapter 16: The surprise, the audit lady comes to Charming, messing with Rat, fluffiness Warnings: language, flufffffff A/N: If it wasn’t clear before, this takes place after the events of the final episode, SPOILERS! Italics are for Chibs and his inner thoughts. Bold is for the reader’s inner thoughts. Word Count: 2387 Master List

Tags: @telford-ortiz-teller  @sam-samcro  @tstieff  @yourcroweater  @kacilove26  @hiddlelove  @evilsorceress  @reallynigga21  @suz-123  @between-shades-of-winchester  @caitcrook  @i-was-made-of-nutella @charlottecl  @gunsnrosesislife  @yoonjigu  @mkindoll2016  @confidencerush  @jade770  @lost-in-the-stories  @redhairedmoiraandtheliferuiners

The garage door rolled up and you saw your baby, your worn out, used up, piece of shit, baby. Only she was none of those things now. She sparkled under her new paint. You could tell there were other new parts on your bike, too, either that or someone had polished the shit out of them. Filip was standing to the side looking like Vanna White with his hands showing off your bike.

“Surprise!” he gave you the cheesiest grin.

“Oh my God, Filip!”

“No need to be so formal, lass, Filip will do jus’ fine,” he joked, wiggling his eyebrows.

“What did you DO?!” you couldn’t believe it was the same bike. She glowed.

“Gave her a good tune up and whatever Happy thought needed to be done,” he explained.

You looked her over some more. It looked like a full restoration to you. Your dad would have loved it. Going to Filip, you threw your arms around his neck and kissed him thoroughly. He was a fantastic kisser and you could kiss him all day…

After a few moments, he said, “Let’s go for a ride.”

“I almost don’t want to touch her, she’s so pretty…”

“Aye, I know what ye mean,” he said looking at you. “I think ye better, luv.”

You put your helmet back on as quick as you could and flung your leg over the gleaming bike.

“Oh god, there’s new padding on the seat,” you needed to bake Happy some cookies. You stood up and flipped out the kickstarter with your heel. A thought sprung to mind, it’ had been a while since you’d driven anything. Bracing yourself on the handlebars, you kicked over the ol’ girl’s engine and listened to her growl her sexy growl.

“C’mon, Chibby!” you revved the engine, “I wanna go fast!”

He grinned at her as she popped up the kickstand with her heel, folded in the kickstarter and took off like a shot down to the end of the property. He quickly closed the rollup door and locked up. (Y|N) was doing hot laps up and down the long drive at TM. When he got on his bike, she came speeding back, sliding to a halt near him. She had a matching grin on her face.

“Get your ass movin’ old man, you’re slower than molasses!” she was being a sassy thing as she turned around to get ready to go again.

Old man, eh? He started his engine and revved it like she had. He chuckled, “Get off my lawn ye sassy girl!”

She let out an excited “whoop!” and took off down the long drive of Teller-Morrow. He caught up to her as she was closing the gate, leaving just enough space for him to slip through. She pulled the gate closed and he secured it with the heavy chain and padlock. He pulled her to him again, kissing her with all the love he felt, but couldn’t say…hoping she would understand.

“Mmm,” she murmured and opened her eyes lazily. “That was nice,” she smiled that smile.

He would miss her riding behind him, but it would be nice to ride with her for a change and see what kind of rider she was. He sat on his bike and looked over at his ol’ lady.

“Try to keep up, eh, lass?” he winked and rolled on the throttle, leaving her to catch up.

Monday eventually rolled around and with it came the unexpected, early arrival of one Alice Montgomery with the Internal Revenue Service. You were sitting in the TM office trying to set up a computer system that would streamline the office work when you noticed a taxi pulling up outside. You went to the door and leaned against the jamb. A cute lady in a smart-looking suit stepped out of the car and walked toward you at the door. You could just hear the sound of her heels clicking on the cement.

She walked toward you with a purpose and held out her hand to you, “Alice Mongomery.”

“(Y|N),” you were studying her. Taking her hand, “Pleasure.”

“Likewise,” she was curt. She looked around a little, “Shall we go inside?”

You led her in and showed her to the small spot where you had things picked up and indicated for her to sit. She obliged and sat down in the nearest chair to her. Alice put her brief case on top of the table where she was seated.

“Let’s get started, shall we?” she looked up at you.

Alice turned out to be a very down-to-business type of lady and you respected that about her. She wanted to get the audit done just as much as you and she set about moving through the documents immediately. You stayed in the office with her, taking calls and sending the boys out for tows and repos as needed. Alice wasn’t much of a talker, but she was friendly enough. By the time Friday arrived, she’d gotten more comfortable with you and the workings of Teller-Morrow Automotive. She was looking around at the office which had plenty of girlie pictures mixed in with the cars and motorcycles.

“Not the kind of place you’re used to, huh?” she said.

“I’m not sure what you mean,” you said. It wasn’t true, you knew exactly what she meant. “This is just like any other repair shop I’ve ever been in.”

Alice gave you a look that said she knew better, but she let it go.

“Did you have enough time to go over everything we sent Teller-Morrow?” she asked.

“Not really, but they have done a good job here,” you answered. “I do have a question for you, though.” You waited for her to look up at you. “Is there a reason the IRS homed in on TM?”

“They’ve had unusual activity here,” she stared at you then flicked her eyes toward the door. “I’m sure everything will check out fine.”

The old clubhouse was still a ruin at the end of the property and you understood what she meant by unusual activity, but that had been years ago. “Is there anything else I need to know about? The boys have always run this shop clean. Does the IRS think otherwise?” you wanted to know. RedWoody and Diosa were on your mind, but if the IRS wasn’t concerned, you wouldn’t be, either.

She looked up from her papers again, “By the way, Jack says to tell you hello. As far as the IRS goes, I’m only assigned to Teller-Morrow.”

It made you feel a little better to know Alice was on board with getting this audit done and that she was in contact with Jack. She was easy to get along with and didn’t need you around much to do her work. TM had been quite busy that week and you felt like you only got to see Filip at night for a few hours when you both finally got back home.

“Alright,” you stood up from the desk, “I’m gonna take a lunch.”

Going to the shop door, you opened it, “Rat, get your ass in here!” You couldn’t help it, Rat was an easy target and you liked messing with him. You hid your smirk as the man in question came trotting over.

“Yeah, (Y|N)?” his eyes were wide.

“What the hell man? Did you think I wouldn’t notice?” you asked him, trying to sound pissed.

He looked down at you shaking his head, “I…I don’t know. What… What?”

“Don’t think you can get away with it,” you said sternly. “Get in here.”

You stepped inside and winked at Alice. Rat followed you in and closed the door behind him. Pointing at your usual spot since you’d arrived at Teller-Morrow, “Sit down and do whatever Alice needs you to do in addition to manning the phones and running the office, got it?” Your voice had lost all of the edge it had before bringing him into the office.

“Jesus, no wonder Chibs likes you. Smartass just like the rest of us,” he realized.

“Sorry, Rat, I couldn’t help it,” you grinned at him. “Seriously though, you do a good job in here. If you need help with anything, just call Chuckie. Take care of whatever Alice needs, too, okay? I’ll be back later.”

“Wouldn’t Tig or Happy be better in here?” he was trying to weasel out of it.

“No Tig can’t stand being in here and Happy scares people, you’re it,” you told him. “It’s just til I get back.”

He sighed and accepted his fate, “Yeah, sure, okay.”

“Alice, this is George, but everyone calls him Rat, he’s your slave until I get back. Anything you need, he’s your guy,” you told her.

She grinned at you, “Thanks.”

“Abuse him as you see fit,” you said as you walked out into the shop.

The boys were all working hard, and you spotted your old man working on the Beemer in the bay furthest from the office. You were sure there was nothing sexier than your man working hard, grease up his arms, his hair tied back with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. You stood in the space between the first bay and the office where you called out to him.

“Chibs!” He turned in your direction, wiping his hands on a rag. His dimples showed as he smiled at you. “Take me home, you sexy bastard.”

If it was possible, his smile brightened, and he threw the rag at the prospect. “Duty calls, boys!”

You walked out of the open bay, aware of the stares and cat-calls that followed you, enjoying every one of them. You went to Chibs’ bike and got on your helmet. It didn’t matter that you had your baby back, you liked riding with Chibs and that wasn’t going to change unless he needed to be gone during the day. You waited for him and appreciated that walk he probably didn’t even realize he was doing. Goddamn, he really is a sexy bastard. Look at him strut.

Hands on your hips, you waited for him to reach you. He looked like he was going to tackle you as he approached. He grabbed you to him and crushed his lips onto yours. Your hands gipped his work shirt. Taking a lunch break with him was exactly what you both needed. It was like you hadn’t seen him all week.

LATER Lying in bed with your sexy Scotsman, you looked at the clock and realized you should have been back at the shop over an hour ago. Chibs had dozed off and you almost had, too. Reaching for your phone, you called the shop. It took a while for Rat to answer the phone.

“TM,” was all he said.

“Hi Rat,” you were apologetic.

“Where the hell are you?! WHYAREN’TYOUBACKYET!?” Rat was on the edge. He was so loud Chibs startled awake next to you.

“Shit,” he rubbed his hand over his face. “You talkin’ ta Rat?”

You nodded and handed him the phone, “Rat! Calm tha fuck down… can’t ye handle it on yer own?... alrigh’… ALRIGHT!” He pushed the end button on your phone and handed it back to you.

“We need to go back?” you said.

“Aye, we need to go back,” he answered. “Tha lad’s havin’ a minor breakdown.”

“We can make it up to him, somehow. He can go home early, or something,” you said walking to the bathroom.

When you got back, Rat had already fled the office and Alice was on her own. There was still plenty of work to be done so you got back to it. Rat left everything piled up for you and had taken messages from the phone calls. As you got things straightened up, you chatted with Alice.

“Sorry I was gone so long. I really needed that break though,” you said.

“It’s okay, I was fine. Rat called that Chuckie guy to bring lunch. He’s something else. Been a long week, hasn’t it?” she observed.

You nodded in response, entering invoices into the new computer system. “Oh, you met Chuckie, huh? He’s a sweet guy. Did Rat do okay? He’s usually really good in here, but it’s been super busy, lately.”

She giggled a little, “Yeah, he was fine. He’s kinda cute.”

“Rat is?” Alice nodded. “Hmm. Want me to set you up?”

You were pretty sure that was why Rat was so flustered when you called earlier.

“Would you?!” Alice was excited.

You laughed, “Yeah, I can do that. What hotel are you staying at again?”

Alice gave you the details and you went to go find Rat before Chibs cut him loose for the day. You found him standing out by his bike, talking to Chibs.

“Rat, don’t go yet, I need to talk to you, but I need Chibs first,” you told him.

“Last time that happened I was stranded for a few hours,” he mumbled.

“What was that?” you asked.

“Okay,” he said, and plopped down on the seat of his bike with a sigh.

You pulled Chibs aside with you, so you could talk, somewhat privately with him.

“Wha’ is it, luv,” he asked. “Ye look serious.”

“Well, Alice has her eye on Rat and I was thinking, if he agrees, that maybe we could go out with them this weekend?” you hoped he would say yes, but wouldn’t be sad if he didn’t. You were just looking for a way to have a date night with your old man.

Did she know what that smile she gave him did? He couldn’t say ‘no’ to her when she did that. He wanted to make her smile like that all the time and if that meant going on a double-date with Rat and Alice, he would do it.

He sighed hard and hung his head, “Aye, lass. If it makes ye happy, we can go. Tomorrow, though, aye? I want ye to myself tonight.” He leaned down and kissed her deeply. He needed to be with her that night. She put her hands on his face and neck as he kissed her… God, I love this woman. When he let her go, her eyes stayed closed a moment.

“Woof,” she broke out of her daze, she agreed, “yeah, definitely tomorrow.”

[lapeaudelamemoire]

I say I am counting on you not to write, but we already know that nobody can be counted on for anything. Human nature intersecting with life: double the odds of fallibility, compound. It's just math. He says "You love him." It's a statement, or a question in statement form. I say "I do," and I don't think that's what either of us at 15 thought that would be the context in which I said that to you. I fucked you anyway, unwinding desire from the individual, pinning it to nothing, formless face, for the first time in the hereafter. How the tables turn, my old love. Time to turn the hourglass over again. It took four years, maybe more, to empty. From answering a stranger in Lublin that the rose on my shoulder (chip on my shoulder) was for you, to answering yes about someone from that city. / This is how I take back my self, my heart, my life - I grow a new one. I steal your language. Your clothes. What I like of your habits, interests, person. Immigrant sleights of hand. I weasel in and then chisel my way out, with loot. Maybe you're an immigrant, but I'm a tourist. I take souvenirs. I leave where you stay. Kiss me and I steal your tongue, your DNA, your breath that is your life. Don't kiss me instead. Keep yourself safe from me. Keep your life away from my searching, transmuting hands that will turn you into a story, caught on a page. I don't need you, but you need me even less. A traffic junction where the cars rush. At stoplights we pause. The highway is busy. [...] Ktoś wchodził, ktoś wychodził, ktoś wreszcie wynalazł perpetuum mobile. Someone entering, someone leaving, someone finally discovered the perpetuum mobile. — Adam Zagajewski, Kawiarni / You speak good Polish, he says. You don't need to learn it; you already know all the things you need to know. Kiss me, I love you, goodnight. And other such things. Please, thank you, sorry. Two-person things. Polite things. Make me tea, yes, but, no, why. Home things. You know how to say 'Kiss me' like a proper Polish person. It's enough. (Ale) nie dwa teraz. Nie nas. It's a ruse. I don't want to need you, I don't ever want to need you, I said, early. So it's not enough. It's doing away with you and anyone else; it's wanting to do without. Hit me up when you go to Poland, the nice Polish-Australian tattoo artist says, the one whose last name I can pronounce almost perfectly (he was pleased with a !). But why would I go to a country to explore it with someone? The dark slice of moon wedged that is me would only be distracted. I'm stealing this, too: The wonder and first-times and all the delights of learning a new language, your language. (Nazywam się, you teach me first. Nazi-what?, I say. You burst out laughing. / So... if this is herbatniki... - where's my herbata? I demand, looking at the plastic Baby Looney Tunes wrappers of tea biscuits you've brought with you. You nearly cry, you laugh so hard. Gdzie jest moja herbata, I know now.) / If I'm too big for my britches, it only means I've grown out of my skin. The clothes tear and fall away. Who are the clothes? What are the clothes? Clothes always falling off me... It's time to do spring-cleaning. Things all the way from when I was 13. I died in August and I'll damn well come back alive in August. They say a circle is a perfect shape. Power of the will, Julius and Augustus. (Shing02, on Nujabes' Luv(sic).) I should hope I've changed, even if you don't notice. Who I was before was clearly not working out for me.