#Vincent fan fiction

[vincentvalentineweek]

The Nightmare Begins October 13th! 

Vincent Valentine Week returns October 13th! We are so excited to be back celebrating our favorite gothic grandpa, former Turk and overall best boy! 

Prompts: 

October 13-Surprise/Celebrate/Sweet

October 14-Sin/Technology/Coffin

October 15-Materia/Trauma/Protection

October 16-Atonement/Monster/Secret

October 17-Bullet/Weapon/Recoil

October 18-Save/Game/Card

October 19-Status Ailment/Lost/Foreign

October 20-Summon/Mistake/Sleep

Guidelines

⚰️Work must be your own that means no plagiarized art/fic or AI art/fic

⚰️Vincent must be recognizable as a character 

⚰️Work must be Vincent Valentine centric

⚰️Ships, AUs, OCs and collabs are welcome!

⚰️You are not obligated to finish the week or do every prompt 

⚰️SFW and NSFW content are allowed, just tag appropriately. 

⚰️You must wait until the event starts to share work

⚰️Tag #Vincentweek2024, #vvw24 or @vincentvalentineweek to be featured 

[notanotherockstar]

not enough vincent renzi and pierre perdrix fan fiction…..might have to write some myself

[princess-of-thebes-1995]

Yandere and stalking should be in fiction books, movie, etc. Not in real life

[sweetbillwriting]

The Finer Things

The Last Chapter

Characters: Vincent De Garmont, The Marquis, From John Wick 4.

Setting: This story is set in my own universe, so not exactly the John Wick universe.

Warnings: 18+, so many I can't write them all out!

Notes: Thank you @b-afterhours for always helping me ❤️

His long body was stretched out on the bed, from head to toe. He was so tall that he almost touched the end of the bed. He was naked, naked like the day he was born; undressed of all worldly belongings that made him look like a wealthy man. Even his hair was messy from sleep, so not even that could tell you he was anything else than a regular John Doe.

If Ines killed him now, no one would understand that she lived with one of Paris’ richest men; he could just as easily work at the gas station. She weighed a hammer in her hand and looked at Vincent's high cheekbones; if she smashed his face in, no one would even see that he was pretty. He wouldn't even be able to use that to get the cops to care more for his corpse.

“Ines…” said Vincent with a sigh, and he moved his hands, irritated. They were locked to the bedpost with heavy handcuffs she had found among Mylan’s things. She looked at him, amused, with a gun in her right hand and a hammer in the other one. The hammer was that extra touch to it all, and she liked the thought of him getting killed the same way he had murdered his parents.

“I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry,” he said with an American accent, just a hint left of the Parisian aristocratic accent.

“‘I'm sorry?’ ‘I'm sorry’??” Said Ines, upset and hit the hammer hard against the bedpost by his feet. She made Vincent jump and then he laughed off nerves.

“You lied to me! You lied to me so fucking hard!”

Vincent swallowed hard but then cursed for himself. His arms flexed in an attempt to break the handcuffs. He had woken up that morning, handcuffed. He had slept naked because he had thought Ines would come home and would want to feel his skin against hers, but she hadn't just done the assignment he had asked her to do but clearly talked too much. As usual.

“I lied to protect you!” Vincent insisted and sat up against the headboard. Ines regretted at once that she hadn't tied his feet to the lower bedpost.

“Protect me?? You fucking just protect yourself! Fucking sociopath!” Screamed Ines while once again smashing the hammer against the bedpost.

Vincent didn't answer her because he had started to push with his feet against the bedpost, like he thought he could get it to move from the bed frame, but it didn't move an inch.

“Do you even listen to me??”

Ines suddenly pushed the pistol to his ear, and it made him stop his search for freedom.

“Of course, of course,” said he so calmly as he could and swallowed hard. It burned in his throat, like he had swallowed a match.

Ines stepped away but continued to point the weapon toward him.

“Lay down again, now.” She said, still with anger in her voice. Vincent sighed but did what she wanted and planting his feet against the mattress to hide his manhood. Ines gave him a pointed look and rolled her eyes.

×××

“Hello, I'm the new maid to Remy De Gramont.”

Ines tried to sound as professional and collected as she could, and she put her hand out to the man in front of her. The house and her prejudice about aristocrats had made her think the house and its staff would look like Downton Abbey, but the man in front of her had a simple dark blue suit and white shirt. He was in his forties, with blonde, thinning hair and a bored expression.

“Encore un Américain qui tiendra deux mois…” said the man, rolling his eyes. “Montez les escaliers et le vieil homme est là. Espérons qu'il porte son pantalon.”

Ines looked at the man with big eyes, trying to understand him. Pants?

“I'm sorry, I didn't understand. I don't know French.”

The man sighed loudly but then stood silent; it was obvious he didn't know English that well either.

“Gramont. Up. Up,” he said, pointing to the stairs.

“Oh, up the stairs?” Ines asked and pointed.

“Oui, oui. Up!”

Ines smiled and mumbled a thank you, even if she was quite sure he thought ugly thoughts about her. She corrected her black suit jacket over the gray pencil dress she wore. It was a boring outfit, but she didn't need to have a good outfit right then. In her handbag lay a loaded gun, and it was the only thing she needed to feel sexy.

She was nervous, really nervous, but still, a calmness had settled over her, and instead of panicking, she could take in her surroundings more vividly than she otherwise could. It felt like the time had slowed down and the colors were brighter. It was obvious Vincent was right, she would be able to sneak out without problems, the house was completely empty of people. She smiled to herself, she looked forward to this.

She could hear a television from the top of the stairs. Someone talked with an upset French voice, and a man answered even more upset. Then a man laughed, but it wasn't from the television; it was from the same room, but it was a real person's voice. He laughed again with an aged, wobbly voice. Ines walked towards the sounds and came to a smaller room where a big TV stood facing the door opening. It showed a soap opera where two men were deep in an argument. In front of the TV stood a burgundy velvet couch in old style. She understood Remy must be sitting there, but she couldn't see him.

Slowly, she took out the pistol from the bag and screwed on the muffler. She needed to do it fast. Just do it so no one would see her. She couldn't take a deep breath because she was afraid Remy would hear her, so she was forced to act instead of thinking. With three determined steps, she stood in front of the TV, looking at the man sitting comfortably on the couch with his feet on the coffee table.

He was old, far much older than she thought. His skin looked two sizes too big for his weak frame, and his ears and nose looked borrowed from someone much bigger than him. He had a bit of a patchy white beard but no hair. Ines was shocked, but it didn't matter, and she pointed the pistol directly at his face.

×××

“I thought he was younger! Not close to death!” Ines screamed and waved the hammer alarmingly. Vincent watched the hammer spin in her grip and unconsciously pressed his legs harder together, protecting the part that had given him money through life.

“I think I was quite clear about him being old. Feel sorry for me; instead, I was forced to-”

“You weren't forced! You're just a greedy whore!”

“So are you!” Vincent exclaimed without thinking and got a hard slap on his cheek as an answer.

“You're the whore! Say it! Say you're a whore!” Said Ines and laid the hammer on his stomach, pointing to the parts he so desperately tried to protect. "Otherwise, I will pop your testicles like two water balloons.”

Vincent made a sound—a desperate sound—and then looked up at the roof. “Fine. Fine! I'm a whore. Okay?”

“Say that you're a lying, manipulating little bitch-whore!”

Vincent's eyes moved fast from left to right, and then he pushed them shut.

“What did you say?”

"Oh, come on! Don't you try that shit!” Said Ines and sighed.

“I really don't remember! Fuck, I can't remember all the words!” He said it desperately and, by reflex, tried to get the handcuffs off.

“Hey! Lay still!”

He laid down again but made a pathetic whimpering sound that made her smirk.

“God, you've walked around here in your fancy little outfits and looked down on everyone, but you can't even learn five words! Silly little man,” she said, taking the hammer that now laid next to him. “But I should be kind... Just answer me: When did you plan to kill me?”

Vincent looked up at the ceiling with big eyes and clenched his jaw. He laid quiet until Ines snapped her fingers in his face.

“Hello? Hello? Suddenly, it's obvious what a fucking airhead you are. Did you spill out that brain to have more space for Hermes?”

Suddenly, he roared deeply and flung with his body so aggressively that Ines jumped. Even when being handcuffed, his size and strength were intimidating, and his zodiac animal seemed to want to jump out of his chest. For a few seconds, Ines stood in shock and terror until she remembered he was locked to a wooden bar with steel handcuffs.

“I will kill you as soon as I'm free from these bullshit handcuffs! You fucking little... Fuck!!” He screamed the last word so high that she hoped no one was on the same floor. The terror she had felt before slowly turned to amusement while looking at Vincent, naked, trying to make the steel break while flinging around in bed like he was possessed. When she started to laugh, Vincent stopped his movement.

“Shut up!!” He screamed but lost his bravery when Ines pointed the gun in his face.

“Lay down, bitch.”

Vincent was red in the face from trying to get free, and his hair hung down in his eyes. He sighed deafeningly and laid down again on his back.

“Answer my question. When had you planned to kill me?”

Vincent looked up at the ceiling, thinking about refusing to answer, but felt her push the hammer into his ribs.

“When I don't have any use for you.”

He looked at her, and she didn't answer. Without dropping the gun or the hammer, she mounted his narrow hips and sat down comfortably. She rolled her hips over him once before looking at him seriously again.

×××

The old man, Marquis Remy de Gramont, looked at Ines with big eyes and took his feet off the coffee table. He wore silk pajamas in a terracotta shade, similar to the ones Vincent wore. The man looked at her, confused, and then looked around like he expected to see more people.

“Are you a cop?” He asked and leaned back on the couch, like the thought of her being a cop calmed him down. He probably wasn't afraid of cops because they wouldn't shoot him unarmed, but Ines wasn't a cop. She was an assassin.

“Fuck no!” She said but felt her hand shake with nerves. Remy looked around again, confused, but raised his hands slowly.

“Are you here for Laura? Or the bald guy?” He asked but continued to look just as calm.

“What? No! I'm here for Vincent!” Ines didn't know if it was okay for her to say that, but watching that little man with his dry, old hands and cracked lips, she wanted to claim Vincent. Vincent said he wasn't a victim, that he had wanted to be with those men when he was just a child, that he was the one using Remy, but now that she looked at that sorry ass of a man, she felt different about it. Why would a handsome man like Vincent be with a man in his eighties? He was pretty enough to meet a rich, younger man if it was a luxury he wanted. For her, it was obvious Vincent had traits he wanted to hide from the world. Behind that rich, powerful facade, he was just a little boy—a little boy who didn't know his own value. He liked lying on her chest and being close, but it was rarely in a sexual way, probably because sex wasn't connected with love for him. Sex was business; it was a way to get Italian shoes and Russian caviar.

Ines looked at the man in front of her. Even if she didn't want to, she pictured Vincent with him. Vincent let him touch him the same way she did. He had kissed Vincent's soft lips, dragged his hands over his broad chest, and licked the underside of his cock.

“Vincent? What has he done now?” Said Remy with a sigh, like a disappointed father. He sat up better on the couch so Ines could see the white curly hair on his chest peek out from the neckline of the shirt.

“He has fallen in love.”

She said it confidently and calmly. It was not Vincent's plan, but she felt now that she had her own. She didn't just want to kill Remy; she wanted to crush him.

Remy looked at her, surprised, but it changed to another emotion Ines couldn't put a finger on.

“Vincent loves me,” he said, just as determined as Ines.

“Vincent has never loved you. He loves your money. Vincent loves me.”

She waved with the gun while talking, but the only thing that seemed to stress him was her words, but then he smirked.

“He may love you, but he loves you in the same way as he loved Mael. He loves me in another way…”

Remy shifted on the couch again.

“What do you mean by that?”

“You're fun, for now. You give him a short feeling of euphoria-”

“You mean our love isn't real?” Remy shrugged his shoulders with a pointed look. "Still, it's you he wants to kill.”

Remy shook his head.

“Don't you even try. This is your idea. You're like so many others I've met who believe they have a chance with my little boy.”

Ines gave him a disgusted face. It was just too much for a man old to be his grandpa, called him “my little boy” while abusing him.

“Your “little boy” wants you dead!”

“Then he would do it himself, not hire a silly girl to do it! The only one he will kill is you.”

Ines furrowed her brows in annoyance but was interested to know how it would continue.

“He probably told you that silly story about Mael getting killed in the war. He was, but they found him cut open with his heart in his own hand. The Taliban got the blame, but both you and I know who it is who likes to arrange his murders to artwork.”

×××

“You killed Mael??”

Ines slapped Vincent’s cheek hard. He let his face lay to the left with the cheek up she had slapped. She still sat over him, and the gun rested on his chest in a silent threat.

“Why did you do that??”

Vincent didn't answer, so Ines pushed the gun under his jaw, and that made him look up at her.

“He was just dead weight.”

Vincent talked coldly about his former lover, like he had just been a material thing weighing him down.

“No, you got bored. When you thought he didn't have anything more to give you, you killed him.”

“No,” Vincent sighed in irritation. “I lost everything when he died. I had a home, money-

“A partner? You didn't think about mentioning that?”

“You interrupted me! I-”

Ines pointed the gun harder at his jaw, reminding him of who had the power.

“So tell me. The truth this time! Did you mess up your own back?”

“Of course not!” When Vincent felt the gun push painfully against his Adam’s apple, he sighed and looked down.

“He was just so whiny and cried over dead people he didn't even know so, yeah I killed him. Then karma was a bitch, and I got shot right after. Some bullshit irony, but in the long run, it was probably good. No one ever suspected me.”

Ines took away the gun from his jaw, and it made Vincent look up at her.

“That's not true.”

Vincent furrowed his brows.

"Yes, it is?”

“No, I don't mean you're lying. I mean that you don't know everything.”

Vincent gave her a confused face.

“There were some who said Mael wasn't whiny or scared… Or not for the war; he was afraid of you. But they were also afraid of you, so they took back their statement.”

Vincent lifted his head from the pillow and looked at her, confused.

“How do you know this?”

“Remy said it. He said he protected you, out of love.”

×××

“I love Vincent with all my heart, and I know our age difference can be… problematic, but he loves me too, and he doesn't get bored of me. Like with Mael or you. Vincent is a complex boy and has needs that not all other boys need. You're such a need, and right now he needs to play. Then... You will also have your heart ripped out of your chest.”

Ines still pointed the gun at Remy but sat now in front of him on the coffee table. It wasn't like she could deny Vincent was a complex man, and he had been with Remy for many years, swimming in luxury, while they'd only known each other for a few months. That Vincent was just playing with her wasn't impossible, especially now that she knew he had killed his former lover because he wasn't amused by him anymore.

“He says that he loves me,” she whispered with a heavy heart, but Remy could still hear her.

“He probably said that to Mael too. Maybe he said it to his parents too, but he pulled their guts out anyway. Vincent is a disturbed man, and the love you offer him will never satisfy him. I can give him everything.”

Money. Power. Blood. Tailored fashion.

×××

Ines felt a movement behind her as she sat over Vincent. She looked back and saw his cock twitch. He had been hard for a while, but she ignored it as long as she could, but now that she could even feel his twitches against her bum, she felt forced to acknowledge his erection. His precum was smeared over his hip and thigh, and she probably got some on her dress too. She smirked to herself and looked at the blushing hard on, she had neglected for so long, but this was clearly what he liked. Getting death threats and slaps. He really was a disturbed man.

When she turned around, she had succeeded in putting on the same angry mask again and pressing his head down on the pillow by dragging his hair.

“You're such a little fucking liar, a little bitch,” she hissed, and once again, she could feel him twitch. Vincent looked at her with big eyes.

“So you believe him? That I will kill you?” He asked. Ines looked at him, examining.

“You said yourself you would kill me when you didn't have any use for me.”

“So? If you're honest, you would say the same about me.”

Ines looked at him and couldn't stop smiling. All of it was so cute. They would really be together to death do they part. She giggled a little, and Vincent furrowed his brows. He didn't have any idea why she laughed. In her euphoria, it became difficult to not look at Vincent's naked body and the erection that had softened a bit. She didn't want to see that happening, so she took his member in her hand, hot and wet of precum. He grew at once in her hand and made a sound like she had shot him.

“Does this cock belong to me? She said firmly while dragging her hand up and down his length. She moved so she could sit next to him, with the loaded gun resting on his thigh.

“Yes,” Vincent whimpered, and he made a deeper sigh when she rolled her palm over the head of his cock. “But…” he said, strained. Ines looked up at him, and when he looked down at her, she started to undress. He seemed to forget what to say; he just looked at her and spread his legs, inviting her up on his cock.

“But?” She asked and straddled his hips, standing on her knees. His cock lay against her pussy and instead of listening to her, he tried to drag his cock through her arousal. When Ines didn't get an answer, she slapped his cheek again, which made his cock twitch again. It was a nice feeling, even for her, and she longed to have him inside of her.

“Did you kill him?” He asked and now looked at her with big eyes. Ines looked at him for a few seconds before smiling. She dragged her hands over his hands, the handcuffs, and down over the backside of his strong arms.

“Of course I did. Because…”

Vincent laughed in euphoria. “Because?”

“He didn't know I'm just as disturbed as you. You will not get bored of me, because if that happens, I will force you to use your own ribs as hangers for your fancy suits.”

Vincent looked at Ines' big smile with a similar face, and then they laughed together.

×××

Three months later…

Ines and Vincent walked around in the big manor. For Ines, it was almost scarily big, but Vincent looked at home, in more ways than one.

The manor was decorated; big Victorian paintings sat on the walls, and even bigger Persian rugs were lying on the floor. Everywhere there were gold details and porcelain vases.

Ines looked at her boyfriend, who was walking around comfortably with a small smile on his lips. He wore a completely black suit with a longer jacket but a waistcoat with a golden brocade pattern. He was as handsome as always and contrasted so nicely with the snow that lay as a soft blanket over Paris.

It was his home they were in. His grandparents old manor. His uncle had died mysteriously, and his wife had let him sell the manor to an anonymous buyer. Vincent de Gramont. He was a wealthy man now, having inherited all of Remy De Gramont’s assets. His Little boy, like it had been said in the will, He even let him have the name. That would probably never have happened if he knew what Vincent would do.

“It was nicer when I was younger…” said Vincent with a sigh.

"Or do you just remember it differently?” His girlfriend answered while looking at a painting of a pig eating apples. Vincent stopped next to her with his thumbs in the small pockets of the peacoat.

“Maybe you're right… I guess we can redecorate it?”

Ines nodded with a smile. She loved when he said “we” but didn't want to make a too big thing out of it. Vincent had believed she would do something out of it and became a bit disappointed. He was amused by her enthusiasm for small things and liked that he could feel a bit of it too.

Vincent snuck behind her and laid his arms around her waist.

“Our living rooms, our dining rooms, our eight bathrooms… Our bedroom… Our dungeon…” he whispered playfully in her ear and made her giggle, both of his words and also because it tickled.

“Maybe grandma can sit here then?” She said that and looked up at him. "Pigs are not my thing and grandma is probably more expensive, even if she's ugly.”

Vincent raised his brows high up on his forehead, then smiled, crooked.

“I thought I had told you…”

Ines looked at him confused, especially when he scratched his forehead.

“It's not a Pivoine. It's fake.”

Ines turned around with furrowed brows in shock.

“What? Is it fake? But…”

“It's a good fake. Really good. But I know my art and the test I did in the beginning… The colors are way too cheap.”

“But… But… Why did you take me to Paris then?” She looked at Vincent's handsome face and telling eyes, and he looked down at her with a smirk.

“I knew I could fool some with it, but also… You're quite entertaining.”

Ines laughed and laid her arms around his neck.

“And you tell me this now?”

Vincent pulled down the corner of his mouth with a playful stare, and Ines giggled.

“I love you, Vincent Beaumont.”

“I love you too, my silly little American girl.”

They kissed softly in front of the pig, two murderers in the finest French fashion. When they released each other's lips with a smack, Vincent let her go slowly so they could walk towards the entrance door.

"So, when will Faith be here?”

Ines laughed and played with Vincent's hand.

“In four hours. Will you fix the dungeon before that?” She smiled darkly at him, and Vincent smirked. Before she had opened the door, he took her firmly around the waist and pushed her behind against his growing member.

“I love when you talk dirty to me.”

×

[dtfanzine]

Have you just found out about this project? Or are you still on the fence about applying?

Are you an artist or a writer (or both) who wants to participate in a fan anthology of David Tennant’s works?

Wait no longer, applications close in one week!

Art by @anaquariusfox and @fritzmetzger.

[anna-thesimp]

My Love is Mine All Mine: 5 : All for her

"Hey Vince!" Rody's shift was about to start. Vince's dead eyes look at him and gave him that 'what do you want Rody'.

"I was wondering if you could just...give me a raise...Hehe," Rody sounded really cocky.

"PFFT..HA!" A smerk crawled up Vince face.

"Is that a no or?.."

"Yeah thats a no." Rody didn't seem surprised, he should have expected this.

"Why do you want one?" The smerk dissappear.

Rody starts blushing a bit. "Its for a girl her names Manon." He puts his hand on the back of his neck. "I should have enough money by the end of the week to treat her something but some more, I could give her something special!"

You shouldn't have to work just for her. Date me and you won't have to do any hard work just to impress me. Vince though stop as soon as he spoke. "You make tips be good at your job, and you will have enough for your Project."

Maybe it was just Rody's lack of sleep last night, or him seeing things. But he swore he saw a hint of pink on Vince's Cheek.

"I'm doing all of this for her and she's worth every little penny I have." Rody was very determined for her..Manon. Some reason Vince felt angry, Rody was doing everything for Manon. Every last drop.

The bell ran and costmers where coming. Rody went to do his job. Vince did his...maybe more once the bistro closed.

----------- 250 words

I'm not planning to end this book even after I say the storyline. :)

[slasher-fxcker]

Requests!

Wanting to request a story, headcannon or drabble? See my request information below!

Who I write for?

Jason Voorhees

Brahms Heelshire

Bo Sinclair

Vincent Sinclair

Lester Sinclair

Billy Loomis

Billy Lenz

Michael Myers

Jesse Cromeans (Chromeskull)

Thomas Hewitt

Stu Macher

(I may write for others, if you have a specific request feel free to reach out!) Please note that while our favourite beefy slashers are my main focus, I am open to doing most creepy/halloween-esque characters from a variety of fandoms.

(Can request as many characters as you like, if you don't request specific characters i'll usually do them all if it fits the request)

What I will write?

NSFW

SFW

Headcanons 

Oneshots / shorts

What I will not write?

Incest

Paedophilia

Rape (I will write dub-con)

[spookychick78]

✨Masterlist✨

18+ goes for pretty much everything, so you’ve been disclaimed there ya go🖤🔪

Michael Myers

Fics:

Final Girl

One Shots:

Michael & The Vampire

The One In The Parking Garage

The One In The Parking Garage PT. 2

Michael & The Vampire PT. 2

Wanna Be Yours (Peepaw X GN!Reader)

Headcanons:

Halloween Night W/ The Slashers

Bo Sinclair

One Shots:

You Think You Can Leave Me?

Ghostface

One Shots:

Unknown Caller

Headcanons:

Halloween Night W/ The Slashers

Vincent Sinclair

Coming Soon 

Thomas Hewitt

Fics:

End Of The Line

Jason Voorhees

Headcanons: 

Halloween Night W/ The Slashers

Freddy Krueger

Headcanons:

Halloween Night W/ The Slashers

Chucky (Charles Lee Ray)

One shots: 

Request #1

[tafferling]

Dying Light: Monsters, We.

a fan fiction | Season Two | Blood from Stone

Chapter 10: Given Freely

In which Zofia wishes herself to be an itsy bitsy spider, denying the reality that found her. And in which Waltz surprises her.

>> Read on Ao3 <<

Zofia sat in a cold corner, boxed in by stone. She’d curled herself as tight as she could manage, with her arms wrapped around her legs and her chin awkwardly perched on a knee. Her company was misery, who’d brought three friends along: a pounding headache, fear, and far too much time. Most of the latter, Zofia spent thinking. Sluggishly, at that, with the constant undercurrent of fear making it difficult to give her thoughts a clear direction. She tried anyway. Oh how she tried. Mostly, she thought of getting out, but that got her nowhere. All she came up with was a mess of What Ifs and wishful thinking, while, deep down, she knew she’d have to be patient. To wait. To watch, to listen, to hope something might change that’d give her an opening. Awful, that was. Awful. Zofia slipped her chin between her knees. Her head pounded on merrily. When she didn’t think of flight, she thought of Lady Séraphine and how she’d brought a command down on Zofia like a whip. Was it worse than not getting out? Maybe. Potentially. Was hard to judge, what with her thoughts getting turned around all the bloody while, but if she did know one thing then it was this: she’d not imagined it. She’d have liked to. But even though the pressure that had nearly made her sit while she had not, in fact, wanted to sit, had gone, an imprint of its touch remained. It tickled at her mind, just out of reach; an intrusive thought with a mind of its own, playing hide and seek with her conscience. She chewed on her scabbed bottom lip. Her head came alive with pain. It was very real and not something she could blame on fear or stress or how she liked to catastrophize out of habit alone. No. She knew better. Unfortunately.

>> Read on Ao3 <<

This concludes Part One of Blood from Stone.

[rainydaycafe]

A Shaken Espresso, Please

Pairing: Professor! Stephen Strange au x OC fem! graduate school student (and barista)!

Summary: Professor Strange has a reputation that proceeds him and a finicky taste for off-campus coffee. Enter a graduate school attending barista. This is their story.

Warnings: age difference (older Stephen), and an inhumane amount of fluff with tumultuous thoughts

A/N: hope u enjoy and hope it alters ur existence- send me prompt requests for this story or others and I'll kiss u !

Chapter 2

Professor Stephen Strange had many reputations. 

All of them were accurate descriptions of his person, admittedly. Even if a few of them were a bit hyperbolic and created by those students who were unable to properly keep up with the academic rigor his courses demanded. 

Regardless of these various titles- arrogant, belittling, hardass, irritable, impatient, demanding, extremely intelligent, omnipotent, and plenty more- he was a damn good professor. 

There was a reason why every semester he had an extremely long waitlist of students praying for a spot within his lecture hall and plenty of emails of students looking for a reason to jump the waitlist. 

His ability to teach and to demand only the best was something that somewhat masochistic college students sought despite their better judgment because he truly was the best of the best. 

Everyone knew that his reputation was hard earned as it was common knowledge that Stephen Strange had graduated high school and undergrad a year early. Excelling high above his elder peers in medical school and in his internship before there was an accident before his residency matching which caused him to settle into the life of a well respected professor at Dartmouth College. 

Those who can’t do, teach. 

Neuroscience was his playground, and the biological sciences department was just what he needed to teach courses full of the select few who would actually do well in their hopeful careers. 

Despite his intolerance for laziness and inability to understand it- Stephen did enjoy teaching. It was always a plus to inspire the newest generation of the scientific community. 

Emilia, however? 

She was completely oblivious to the very existence of Professor Strange and that reputation that followed him around campus. 

Stepping into Professor Barlow’s office on the third floor of the English department, she expected to receive the weekly quizzes Professor Barlow asked her to grade but instead she received the quizzes and a manilla folder. 

“The manilla folder is more of a favor for me,” Barlow said, “Would you be able to take this to Professor Strange? It’s a transfer request acceptance. Since he’s the head of the biological sciences department, he needs to sign off on the approval like I did,” 

“Oh sure,” Emilia said with a smile, “Where can I find him?” 

“Oh shit what time is it even?” Barlow said pulling up his sleeve, “I don’t really know his schedule but if he’s not in his office on the fourth floor then he’ll preparing a lab, I believe,” 

Emilia told him she’d find him and left Professor Barlow with a wave which he returned. 

Professor Barlow was never meant to be the professor she TA’d for considering the fact that she had rescinded her application to be a TA after obtaining a better job elsewhere but apparently her email went unopened because a week before the semester she was the TA to the head of the English department.

He was kind, however, so she didn’t have the heart to just quit and leave him without a TA for a course he so desperately needed one for. 

So she stayed and she was able to find the balance between her job at the cafe and as a TA quite easily since Professor Barlow wasn’t one to rely on TAs too heavily so she just did the little tasks he asked of her. 

The biological sciences department wasn’t one Emilia had ever actually stepped foot in. Or near. So she had to bring up the campus’ map to find where it actually was which happened to be across campus so she made the trek. 

The elevators happened to be commandeered by busy students so she huffed her way up the stairs and took a bit of a break leaning on a nearby wall to gather her breath because those stairs were no joke. 

For a department so well loved and funded a person would assume their stairs would be less steep somehow. 

Deep inside Emilia hoped he would be in his office because she wasn’t sure where the labs were so it would save her some time to find him somewhere that had a label with his name. 

Now that she thought about it as she read the plaques outside of the doors, she had no idea what the man even looked like so she couldn’t even look for him in the labs…

Before she thought herself into a spiral, she read the name Stephen V. Strange PhD & MD on a plaque. 

What could the V be for? 

StephenVery Strange? That got a bit of a giggle out of her but she straightened up because it wasn’t kind to make fun of the names people had. 

Emilia took a confidence boosting breath and knocked on the shut door. 

And waited. 

And waited. 

“Come in,” a deep voice said and Emilia grimaced a bit before opening the door to reveal a man typing away at his computer, not bothering to even glance up at her which was a bit rude perhaps. 

“Are you here to have me read over your lab report for Navigational and Spatial Orientation?” He asked. 

“Uh- no. I’m here for Professor Barlow. He asked me to bring this over to you,” Emilia said, waiting for him to actually look up from his computer to hand him the folder so she didn’t look like too much of an idiot. 

He did, thankfully, and man was he handsome. 

Taking the envelope, Stephen’s gaze lingered on Emilia, and she couldn’t help but feel like she was being studied and she moved her own gaze elsewhere towards the line of books placed on shelf as he opened the file. 

“Mmm, yes, the student who is transferring his master’s from neurobiology to… English,” Stephen said as his eyes glanced at the words, “I got an email about this and meant to respond but I put it off long enough to just forget,” 

Unsure of what to say, Emilia watched him quietly as he read through the words carefully. He had broad shoulders and nice hair. She quickly snapped herself out of those thoughts. 

“You’re not a biological sciences student, are you?” Stephen asked, looking up from the paperwork to pay her his full attention. 

“No, not at all,” Emilia answered with a shake of her head, feeling a bit nervous. 

“I didn’t think so. I would have recognized you. What are you studying?” Stephen asked curiously as his eyes took in her features. Something about the way she seemed to curl under his attention made him want to give her more. 

“English. I’m working towards my masters in English,” 

“English. I never understood the appeal of sitting around and discussing what Keats meant in this poem or what was implied,” Stephen told her with a bit of a smile as he leaned back in his chair, “Seems like an endless discussion,” 

“It’s not for everyone,” Emilia said with a shrug, not finding herself in the mood to defend her chosen career path. 

It wasn’t the first time someone had spoken ill about her career, and it wouldn’t be the last.

“The sciences never caught your attention?” Stephen asked with genuine curiosity since he couldn’t imagine a life where it hadn’t caught his own full attention. 

Emilia thought for a moment, attempting to find the words without being disrespectful towards Stephen’s career and studies as he observed her and got an eyeful. 

“I was never very good. I barely passed high school chemistry and intro to biology in undergrad,” Emilia confessed, “I also don’t do well with math,” 

Stephen huffed out a bit of a laugh, “You just needed teachers who taught well and thoroughly,” He said as he turned to grab a pen to sign off on the indicated line where Professor Barlow had helpfully highlighted in a bright pink circle he knew was meant to mock. 

Considering the fact Emilia didn’t know how to add fractions or any math after long division, she knew she had always been a lost cause but there was no need to have him think she had even more shortcomings so she kept it to herself.

Shutting the folder, Stephen handed it to her. 

“Tell Barlow that I wish Damien the best of luck reading all of those books and poems,” Stephen said, “He wasn’t up to neuroscience, I suppose it wasn’t for him,” 

Emilia knew he was teasing her own words and despite her strong will to avoid it, she blushed and took the envelope and looked down. 

“I will tell him, Professor. Have a nice day,” Emilia said with a smile and short wave that Stephen returned with amusement in his eyes before taking her leave and all but sprinting down the hallway towards the stairs. 

Going down the steps, Emilia sighed a bit to herself. 

There was something almost damning and humiliating when it came to finding someone unobtainable attractive but then adding the fact that they thought little to nothing of your major was really just the icing on the cake. 

Looking up to the pretty blue sky, Emilia took a deep breath and decided she’d dwell on it while walking to work after dropping off the damn manilla folder to Professor Barlow. 

Unbeknownst to her, Stephen was watching her from the window in his office with a smile as she made her way back to what he assumed was Professor Barlow’s office. 

__________

“He actually signed it right away?” Professor Barlow asked in shock, his freshman English student who he had been helping sat quietly watching the conversation, “He usually takes at least two days and even then I have to chase him around,”

“He also said to tell you that he wishes the best of luck to Damien reading all of the books and poems,” Emilia told him. 

“Yeah that sounds much more like Stephen. Curious that he actually signed it, but maybe he liked someone’s company,” Professor Barlow teased, but Emilia just smiled because she knew there was no way her presence in what had to be a holy office in the biology department would be enjoyed. 

_____________

Pinching the bridge of his nose as he exited the lecture hall, Stephen glanced at the clock on the wall and saw it was definitely time for a bit of a caffeine trip because he had not had his morning coffee in favor of tutoring a student. 

With two hours until his next class, he quickly made his way through the building without bothering to glance at anyone in the hall since they’d just serve to make his blossoming headache even worse. 

The on-campus Starbucks and other cafes would be chalked full of students and faculty so he decided his expedition would take him off campus to a smaller yet much more reliable cafe he had discovered the year prior. 

Modern enough to have their own versions of lattes but not enough to be a bit too obsessed with coffee for his liking and comfort. 

It was a 25 minute walk at a leisurely pace but he had never been one to walk leisurely anywhere so he made it in 18 minutes as he ran through his 4pm Ethical Conduct of Research. 

This week they’d be discussing the ethics surrounding research on larger more developed animals to say a rat or a guinea pig. 

Pulling the door open, his eyes quickly attached themselves to the menu to consider his options. 

He had always been partial to a black coffee but had come to the realization that espresso had more impact on him and his energy levels. 

Their shaken espressos had always got him through even the most tiresome of days so he thought it’d be unwise to stray. 

As Stephen was so busy weighing out his flavor options, he didn’t notice who was standing behind the bar munching away on a banana as she read through her weekly reading for Comparative Lit and Criticism during some down time. 

Attempting to make sense of Adorno’s criticisms, Emilia was completely focused but she was soon losing her focus when she heard a familiar voice ordering. 

A voice she had heard a few hours ago. 

“Hello, could I have a large chocolate malt shaken espresso? I’ll add a splash of half and half as well,” Emilia stared at him from over the edge of her reading to see Professor Strange ordering. 

Hoping he wouldn’t notice her at all, Emilia kept her head down as Eliza wrote down “Stephen” on the cup and she began pulling the shots of espresso from the large machine. 

Taking the cup from her coworker, Emilia began to work on the drink and willed herself to not even spare Professor Strange a glance because she didn’t want to gather any unwanted attention. 

Thankfully it seemed that he was busy on his phone so she relaxed a bit as she gathered the ice into the shaker alongside the malt powder. 

Stephen however was not an oblivious man which meant after he had checked his work email he looked up to see the barista was utterly familiar. 

The same girl from earlier was working here, as fate had it. He still didn’t know her name, however, as she hadn’t introduced herself and he couldn’t see a nametag on her apron. 

Smiling to himself, Stephen moved closer to the bar where she shook the espresso and ice together with her back to him before turning around, startling when she saw him there. 

“I had no idea you worked here,” Stephen said casually watching her ministrations. 

“Yeah, I’m a modern day jack of all trades,” She said without thinking, pausing when she realized, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound rude. It was more of a joke,”

“I didn’t think it was rude,” Stephen reassured, “I don’t see a nametag and I didn’t get your name earlier,” 

Pouring the drink into the cup, she glanced up at him with a smile before looking back down, “Emilia,”

“Emilia?...” Stephen asked beckoning for her last name. 

“Pearson. Emilia Pearson,” Emilia filled in before glancing at the cup where h/h was written, “Did you also want milk or just a splash of half and half?” 

“Just half and half, please,” 

Stephen smiled as she grabbed the half and half from a fridge somewhere underneath the counter and poured some in, showing it to him to see if it was enough. 

“That’s perfect,” 

Snapping a lid onto his drink, Emilia willed any caffeine loving God to make the drink good so he didn’t have any other reason to think little of her. 

Stephen swirled the drink around before taking a sip, giving an appreciative nod. 

“This is delicious, thank you, Emilia Pearson,” He said genuinely, “Have a nice day,” 

Waving bye, Emilia watched as he took his exit and she soon turned her attention back to her reading and banana, but her mind was elsewhere. 

She would have sworn that it was like a curse she had to find people that would never give her a second look attractive. 

It reminded her of having a crush on a celebrity that would never bat an eye if they crossed paths with you in real life. But it never hurt to have celebrity crushes either, nobody was at fault for them being so damn attractive. 

It was impossible to deny that the man was handsome, though. His intelligence was evident, adding to his overall attractiveness and she had barely learned of his existence today so she did not want to imagine how bad her crush would be in a few weeks. 

However she knew she could be grateful that she would probably never encounter him again and that she was probably a piece of dust in his overall busy mind and life. 

Of course there was going to be the off chance of encountering him again when he came around to the cafe, but there was no point in getting her hopes up so she turned her attention back to the reading entirely since she had a discussion post to answer before midnight. 

As she didn’t think of him, Stephen pressed the crosswalk button as he took a sip from his coffee and smiled to himself. 

With his work and his overall attitude towards romance Stephen had never been too caught up on dating or finding a partner as he hadn’t ever considered it and it had never been at the forefront of his mind. 

Which isn’t to say he was considering dating Emilia, but as he crossed the street he wondered to himself if she happened to have a boyfriend or girlfriend to whom she went home to. Someone she confided in and felt relaxed around. 

He didn’t think he’d mind being that person either as he began running through the upcoming lecture he had to give, knowing he’d be receiving emails requesting clarifications on this and that. 

____

The following day was normal and Emilia was grateful as she corrected freshman English quizzes during the gap she had between lectures. 

While it wasn’t too fun having three lectures back to back on Thursdays, the gap between the second and third gave her a chance to finish off assignments. Plus it freed up her Fridays so it meant she was able to work 7-4 and have the weekends off. 

Considering the fact that the quizzes she had graded were pop quizzes given as punishment for speaking when Professor Barlow was speaking, she didn’t think they were all that bad. 

In less than an hour she had finished the quizzes alongside the notes Professor Barlow liked to add either commemorating students for doing well or giving some bit of advice if they didn’t do too hot. 

After the quizzes she felt she was on the brink of starvation so she quickly threw together a salad while blasting music as she sang around her kitchen and waited for the chicken to finish up in the oven. 

“Green eyes, fried rice, I could cook an egg on you,” Emilia sang along as she danced around her kitchen, Late night, game time, coffee on the stove, yeah,” 

Sure her kitchen dance moves could use a bit of work but considering the fact that they had never seen the light of day as she had only ever gone to a club once, she thought they were pretty fitting for Music For a Sushi Restaurant

Pausing, she pulled out the chicken and thought about whether Stephen ever danced around his kitchen but chose to push those thoughts aside because one: she didn’t think he seemed like the dancing type, and two: those thoughts wouldn’t lead to a good outcome. 

All said and done, she was comfortably in bed relaxing by 9:30 scrolling through her phone after having checked multiple times that her front door was in fact locked and that it hadn’t magically unlocked itself. 

Living alone was nice, subletting was even nicer when she didn’t have to pay the full amount of rent and she got to live only a few blocks off campus and only three and a half away from the cafe where she felt she spent an equal amount of time. 

Waking up wasn’t ever an enjoyable experience- save for when there was something exciting happening but that rarely if ever happened so Friday morning made her wish she could just roll over and continue sleeping through the morning and into the early afternoon. 

However her job awaited and all things considered, she really did enjoy paying for life’s necessities. 

Despite her lack of enthusiasm, Emilia showed up that Friday and went about her job without too much hassle throughout the morning bustle that eventually weaned itself out into a much more manageable afternoon hum. 

The morning rush was always heavier on Fridays which kept her busy since Maggie, the owner, was manning the pastry and sandwich area and Nora was on cashier Emilia was on her own but at least the rushes made her shift go by faster. 

Her busyness meant she went about making drinks without bothering to think about them too much unless they had an alteration which she made a mental note about to avoid having someone practically slam themselves into the counter because God forbid there was too much ice in their latte. 

Not even a large, malt chocolate shaken espresso with a splash of half and half. 

“Stephen?” Emilia called out, sliding the coffee onto the pickup counter before her thoughts stuttered as it put together the drink and name. 

Looking up for what had to be the first time in at least half an hour, she saw Professor Strange heading over to the pickup bar. 

He had been watching her busily make drink after drink, calling out name after name, not glancing up for a second. 

“Professor. Hi. Hi Professor,” Emilia said dumbly. 

“Hi Emilia,” Stephen greeted, “Your hair looks nice today,” He noted her hair which was pulled back in two… French? Braids aside from a few strands which framed her face nicely. 

“Oh. Thank you. I like your uh- I like your pants,” Mentally, Emilia slapped herself. 

Complimenting pants was for the girls, not the guys. 

“Well thank you, I didn’t know you could see them over this glass you can barely see over,” He teased her shorter stature and she smiled a genuine smile before apologizing. 

“Sorry, it was the first thing which came to mind but I’m sure they are nice,” Emilia said as she walked over to grab another cup her coworker had kindly placed on the cup when Stephen’s next words were interrupted by a woman rushing up to the counter. 

“Excuse me, sorry, I don’t mean to interrupt you two but I forgot to ask for oat milk on my caramel latte. I’ll get back in line to pay for it but I wanted to let you know before you make it,” A woman said from behind him, causing him to move away. 

“Is it for Stacy?” Emilia asked and the woman nodded, “Okay, I’ll make it with oat milk but you don’t have to pay, it’s okay,” She told her as she waved it off and wrote the change of the order on the cup. 

Looking over his shoulder, he saw the line had decreased and it was only the person left who was ordering aside from a couple of drinks left for those waiting. 

“Did you like your drink?” Emilia asked as she turned her attention back to him, “If you didn’t I can remake it. I didn’t know it was for you or else I would have paid more mind to it,” 

Sipping it again, he shrugged. 

“It’s good, but I can tell it wasn’t made with love like it was on Wednesday,” 

“Let me remake it-” Emilia started but he cut her off. 

“I’m joking, I’m joking,” Stephen said with a grin, “It’s grand. Brilliant. You’re a lovely barista even when you don’t know it’s for me,” 

Unable to find something to say, Emilia smiled bashfully and attempted to conceal her flustered complexion but Stephen was quick to see it. 

“I have an undergrad intro course to teach in forty minutes, so I’ll see you soon,” Stephen explained as he glanced at his watch after feeling he had tortured Emilia enough but the flush on her cheeks was something he thought was cute. Sue him. 

“Have a nice day, Professor Strange,” Emilia wished, and he wished her the same as he left with a smile. 

The slight pep in his step made even the most tedious of courses seem not so bad since his coffee was great and he just felt giddy. 

Emilia continued working, but every so often her thoughts would flutter off to Steph- Professor Strange and his presence in front of the bar that morning. 

It had left quite the imprint on her mind and she couldn’t deny that. 

However when she found herself getting a bit carried away with her thoughts and mentally admiring him for any reason, she caught herself and chastised herself for it. 

Not only was the man a professor at the university she attended, she also knew well enough that she had absolutely no chance with him. 

He was a professional and apparently in a league of his own so he wasn’t about to go around scraping the bottom of the barrel to date her or even consider dating her. It was useless to even think about it because it would only serve to disappoint her. 

Professor Strange would never even think about her in such a way, she was just fooling herself with these tiny spurts of thought. 

It wasn’t even funny to think about how little chance she actually stood. 

But regardless, she still found herself smiling to herself when she thought about his smile and his teasing comments. 

Work went by just a bit faster with that, and Emilia was grateful she was able to enjoy her weekend without a shift dragging on too much. 

__________________

All things considered, Stephen did enjoy his profession. Regardless of the seemingly painstaking hours, faculty, and students it was truly as close to his dream as he would be able to get and it was one which commanded respect nonetheless. 

Academia had never been his initial pursuit since right out of high school he did everything he could to be admitted into his top choice of medical school with as little delay as possible. 

This was possible with both his work ethic and his eidetic memory at play, setting him well ahead of his peers and setting a good yet arrogant head on his shoulders because he was more than capable of succeeding in the medical world. 

Internship had flown by, and as he had known since he was fourteen- he was meant to be in the neuroscience speciality specifically as a neurosurgeon. 

That was until his car was flipped over at the age of 29 and his entire life was also flipped on its head like he found himself that Wednesday afternoon on his way to buy groceries. 

Oftentimes when the accident had just happened and he was in recovery unable to bear the thought of looking at his hands he thought about what would have happened if he had just stayed home and made a sandwich with what was there. 

But, like anything, it wasn’t enough and he needed more than what was already there. 

Stephen knew that his accident sent a shock through everyone and he was soon in physical therapy attempting to overcome a tremor when he began deciding what was next. 

Never having been wealthy, he needed to work somewhere but he knew it wouldn’t just be anywhere because someone with an MD and a PhD needed more than just a high school biology teacher. 

There just wasn’t any way that he would allow years and years of painstaking work and sleepless nights go to waste all because one path had been blocked off by unforeseen circumstances. 

Being a professor was his chosen plan “b”, but he had opted away from medical school because he knew that even medical school professors needed perfectly steady hands- especially in neuroscience. 

While John Hopkins had been his home for a while, he didn’t want to stay there and just be a model of what happens when things go wrong. 

It was true: those who can’t do, teach. 

Stephen knew he was the perfect example of that but that didn’t mean he wanted to be needlessly reminded every 15 minutes by a curious freshman or an uppity colleague. 

More than qualified, Dr. Strange became Professor Strange at the age of 29 (only a couple of months before his 30th birthday, but he still bragged) and he earned his reputation quickly and it was well deserved. 

Stephen had never suffered fools, and becoming a professor was not going to change that.

The reputation soon began and followed him only a week after his first day when he had a student leave his classroom in tears after she was unable to recall what the hippocampus did as a future neuroscientist.

However Stephen had worked hard and he had encountered his fairshare of possibly demonic professors but they also happened to be the ones which shaped him into the surgeon he almost was and the professor he now was, so he stuck to it. 

“I expect the discussion post to be answered by everyone tonight by midnight. I won’t accept late work. Have a nice day,” Stephen dismissed his lecture hall, praying to some force out there that nobody would stop to ask him about his opinion towards their drafted discussion post because he just wanted to get coffee before his next class. 

Time was limited as when he checked only moments beforehand he only had an hour before his next lecture in an hour. 

18 minutes to walk there and 18 minutes back needing to consider time to set up a couple of minutes before class… 24 minutes to get his coffee in between the two restricted times. 

Thankfully he was able to make his exit painlessly and he found himself pulling the door to his favorite coffee shop only 15 minutes later, shaving off an entire 3 minutes. 

Impressive. 

Ordering his usual, Stephen was almost surprised to see Emilia out from behind the barista bar sitting at one of the tables with a few sheets of paper in front of her as she evidently corrected something. 

A bit disappointed it wasn’t Emilia making his coffee, it soon disappeared as he went over and sat across from her, startling her. 

“You’re out from the inside of your box,” Stephen said with a smile. 

“Hi Professor Strange, I have a 20 minute break so I’m using it to finish off these quizzes for Professor Barlow,” She explained,  “Freshman English is tough,” 

Peeking over, he saw she had written a 62% in green marker at the top of the last test. 

“62? Holy hell. I sure hope he isn’t a sciences major if he’s failing freshman English,” Stephen said, a bit of his arrogance slipping through, and for the first time in a long time he wished he had kept his mouth shut. 

“It’s up from last time. He’s a good writer but he doesn’t test well,” Emilia attempted to defend with soft eyes, knowing that the transition into college level work was tough for some. 

“Or he plagiarizes,” Stephen debated, “But I don’t think we should spend this time debating whether or not a freshman is using his brain. How are you? How has your day been? Any plans?” 

This earned a smile from Emilia who set down her pen and rested her chin on her knuckles as she paid him his full attention which he really found himself enjoying. 

“I am well, a bit tired, but my day has been pretty average. I’m off at 2 so I’m going to go home and take a nap because I couldn’t sleep well last night. After that I’m just doing some homework. Nothing crazy. How about you?” 

Stephen pondered it as he looked at Emilia who waited patiently for his answer. 

“I am also well and my day has been going well so far, although the lecture I taught before coming here dragged on a bit as early morning lectures tend to do but I have no complaints, much less now. After my last lecture which ends at 3 I’m going home to get ready for his PhD faculty dinner that I’m going to with Professor Palmer. Do you know her? She’s a microbiology and immunology professor,” 

The intent listening expression Emilia had fallen, her hands dropping to the table where she grasped at her pen for the sake of doing something with her hands. 

“No uh- I don’t really know anyone that’s a part of the science faculty aside from you,” Emilia told him as her gaze went down towards the table and for some unnameable reason, she felt out of her depth and foolish. 

Stephen had noticed her change in demeanor and he didn’t know how he could change it back to how open and happy it had been just moments prior. He wasn’t given much time to think about it as his name was called from the pickup counter. 

Taking this as her opportunity to leave, even if she still had 5 minutes left of her break, Emilia began cleaning up her papers as Stephen went to pick up his drink. 

“Is your break over?” Stephen asked as he returned to see Emilia organizing her papers. 

“Yeah, I have to get back into my box,” Emilia said with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes, placing the quizzes back into their folder before standing. 

“I hope you have a nice time at the dinner and with Professor Palmer,” Emilia told him and Stephen felt desperate in a way, desperate to get down to the bottom of what had gone wrong and how he could fix it but time was not in their favor as they both needed to get back to work. 

Stephen told her he’d return the next day but she wouldn’t be working. He settled onto Friday when he knew she would be working. 

Again, Emilia smiled but it wasn’t that genuine smile he’d grown to enjoy but either way she bid him goodbye and turned to head back to work and he left to do the same although with a nagging feeling that wouldn’t go away.

The walk back to campus was thoughtful as Stephen tried to pinpoint the exact moment the conversation between them had gone to hell and how he could have been so foolish. It had been going well since Emilia had been open and smiling at him, paying him her full and devoted attention which was nice and suddenly like a book snapping shut; it was over and she had stepped back into her shell. 

Placing the folder back into her backpack which she kept in the break room, she zipped it up with a bit more force than necessary but she needed to find a way to get rid of the stupid whirlwind of emotions that were overtaking her. 

Grabbing her apron and retying it around her waist, she let out a deep breath because even if she felt frustrated she knew that at the end of the day, she was just really sad. 

Ever since Professor Strange had come into the cafe and had made conversation with her, despite her better judgment, a part of her hand actually got her own hopes up about it all. 

“What if” was a dangerous road to travel and Emilia had traveled it nonstop it seemed.

In an ignorant way, she had convinced herself that it all meant something. That he had been coming around because he wanted to talk to her and that he felt that little spark she felt between them but she couldn’t have been more wrong. 

Of course, as an older, well respected, well educated professor he was going to be into people who were also on the same playing field. Not some graduate student who was working two jobs and spent her nights alone in her apartment. 

Heading back out to the bar to relieve Maggie, Emilia thinks about how far out of her league the man is and how it’s actually a bit painful to think about again since it isn’t the first time she’s come to this realization. 

New Hampshire was home to countless intelligent and beautiful women 

Stephen wanted someone who was his equal, not an English master’s degree student who wore an apron to work and whose career path he evidently didn’t think much of.

Emilia’s career path was for her own sake because she loved the possibilities higher education in literature offered and she wasn’t about to start feeling remorse or as though it weren’t a good enough career path because of a ridiculous crush. 

Even though she knew she was successful and was making her way in the world- it was still as disappointing to know that your feelings were not reciprocated both equally at 13 and 25. 

Regardless of her emotional turmoil, however, drinks still needed to be made and caffeine was still a necessity so she got to work. 

_______________________

By the time Friday rolled around and Emilia began getting ready for work she convinced herself that the way she was meticulously picking out her outfit for work was not because of any particular reason. 

Okay. 

So maybe the way she had pulled her hair back into a half up half down style with a clip that just so happened to perfectly match the light cardigan she was wearing which matched her shoes which had the jeans that made her ass look fantastic… 

It was for her own sake, Emilia told herself because when she looked good she felt good. 

It also did not hurt to look great when Professor Strange was going to come by. That was just a fun little addition to it all.

The assumption that he would come in around the time he had last time was correct and Emilia began pulling the adequate shots of espresso as soon as he began ordering, pretending to be nonchalant and feigning ignorance. 

This wasn’t her strongsuit it seemed because Stephen had caught her glancing at him as soon as he stepped foot in the place but he thought it was sweet so he smiled to himself as it gave him the extra boost of confidence he needed. 

Walking over to the bar, Stephen greeted her and watched as Emilia grabbed the shaker bottle. 

“So if someone were to make you a coffee, what would it be?” Stephen asked. 

“What?” Emilia asked in a way she found stupid because the question was clear. 

“You know my coffee order,” Stephen said with a casual shrug, leaning his hip against the counter ever so slightly, “It’s only right I know yours as well,”

Emilia paused her movements as she thought about it.

 The taste of coffee itself wasn’t all too appealing to her, and it had never been. A bit ironic with how she worked at a coffee shop but she did enjoy coffee drinks when they were creamy, sweet, and didn’t make her gag with the strength of the coffee. 

From their own menu and, despite her support of small businesses, Starbucks- she always got a brown sugar shaken espresso with extra oat milk.

It hadn’t disappointed her yet and it was the perfect, most delicious- 

“Look,” Stephen said with a nervous strain in his voice Emilia had never been privy to, watching as he shifted his weight uncomfortable, “I’m trying to ask you to dinner,” 

Jesus Christ. 

Who knew a person could be so dense?

“So, Emilia, will you go to dinner with me?” Stephen asked, “I’d like to talk without a counter between us or a time limit,” 

The world seemingly narrows to the man standing in front of her. The professor she had encountered by just the chance circumstances life provided was all she noticed for that moment, even if in the back of her mind she knew that the cashier was watching intently and a few other lingering customers were watching because really, who didn’t love gossip? Plus Stephen had been exactly whispering. 

The world is Stephen- tall, handsome, intelligent, confident Stephen who could probably have any person he laid eyes on wanted Emilia. Small, shy, thoughtful Emilia who often goes unnoticed but not by him it seemed. 

Emilia opens and closes her mouth for a moment but she tells herself to get it together. 

“I- yes,” Emilia finally said, “I would love to,”

The happiness that painted Stephen’s face was enough to light up a city block. 

Was it weird how crazy she was about him considering she didn’t even know him? Maybe. But this wasn’t the time to dissect the inner workings of her affections. 

In another world, perhaps a romantic comedy of sorts, Emilia would have left her shift right then and there to go out with Stephen. Stephen would have also abandoned his Friday lectures and office hours and they would have gone out together. 

A lovely dinner would be shared with them where Emilia would open up and Stephen would also open up, breaking the ice and shaking off the seemingly permanent arrogant exterior he wore with everyone but her for the night. Maybe even forever. 

But this was not that world. 

“Do you live here or something? Can I have your number to contact you?” Stephen asks with the same smile. 

“Yeah I live here under the counter next to the milk fridge,” Emilia responds without thinking, smiling as Stephen laughs but she’s grabbing the Sharpie from her apron and writing her number on a nearby napkin because cliches are cliches for a reason, sometimes. Practicality and all. 

Emilia’s handwriting is neat, it’s cute, and it’s perfect. 

Stephen’s fingers brush her own as he takes it, and they both somehow know it’s intentional so they both share an inside joke smile before Emilia readies his drink by snapping the lid on, sending him on his way with a promise to call. 

The rest of the shift is spent with Emilia attempting to ignore her phone and pretending to ignore the seemingly unrelenting temptation to just sneak into the back like she knows everyone does to check her phone. 

When given the opportunity to check her messages Emilia tries her best to ignore the cold disappointment when there are no missed calls or messages from a new number. While Emilia doesn't think that Stephen is the type of person to ask someone out and then ignore them, she also knows that she doesn’t really know him aside from his drink order and his profession. 

Stephen could very well have plenty of phone numbers to pick and choose from as he pleases. 

This thought dims her mood so she chooses to let it go in favor of wiping the counter off. Again. 

Emilia couldn’t possibly know that Stephen had been staring at the napkin every opportunity he had gotten; saving the numbers on his computer, phone, and even writing it down on a sticky note he stuck into his wallet before his next lecture just in case. 

The same number he had already successfully memorized. 

It’s during her walk home after work when Emilia is planning out her evening’s dinner when her phone begins to vibrate in her backpack, excitement bubbling in her chest as she sees it’s from an unknown number. 

“Hello?” Emilia answers, hoping she didn’t speak too quickly. 

“Hi. Is this Emilia?” The familiar voice which is just slightly changed by a phone call asks, “This is Stephen. Boundary crossing professor and customer,” 

“Hi Stephen,” Emilia says with a grin she can’t stamp down painting her face as she presses the crosswalk button. 

“I hope this is an alright time to call, I just couldn’t wait any longer so I’m calling between lectures,” 

“Oh,” Oh. “No, no that’s fine,” Emilia feels she’s capable of doing a cartwheel at that moment. 

“I ended my last lecture early with the promise of it being so they could prepare for the midterm but I knew that they wanted to get of out there as much as I did so I did us both a favor,”

Emilia imagines Stephen rushing students out of his lecture hall as quickly as possible in order to call her seconds sooner. 

“I’m glad you called,” Emilia confesses, briefly missing someone distracted from crashing into her. 

“I am too,” There’s a pause and Emilia listens intently, “I don’t know your personal schedule but I know you don’t work tomorrow but are you free tomorrow afternoon?” 

Tomorrow!! Emilia thinks. Less than a day away. 

“I’m free,” Emilia has work to do for school but she knows she’d find time during finals week for Stephen. 

“Perfect. There’s this restaurant, it’s a brewery as well. It’s on Wheelbridge. I’d like to take you there,” 

While Emilia knows the area, not the restaurant. It’s not too close to home, but it would be okay. 

“Okay. That sounds nice. What time?” 

“Let’s do 2? I don’t want to interrupt you sleeping in and relaxing. Is that okay? I thought we could have lunch and then somewhere else not too far away,” 

“That sounds lovely,” 

“Great. Perfect. I will let you go because I’m sure you have things to do and I won’t be the reason you are distracted,” 

Stephen didn’t know he was Emilia’s favorite distraction. 

“Tomorrow, then?” Stephen asks, “2?” suddenly sounding hesitant, nervous almost. It didn’t suit him as he sounded unsure as if he needed to make sure it was happening and set in stone. 

“2pm I’ll be there,” 

“Okay. See you then. Bye, Emilia,” 

“Bye-bye” Emilia says before they both hang up and she wants to body slam herself through the Earth’s crust because who says “bye-bye” unironically? 

Instead of dwelling, Emilia saves his phone number carefully and there is absolutely nothing that can ruin her mood. 

Not the way that the leftovers she was planning on having were spoiled, or the way she had forgotten to revise an essay, or even when she couldn’t sleep out of sheer excitement.

[vincentvalentineweek]

Only 100 days until Vincent Valentine Week 2024 kicks off!

[winniethewife]

What am I supposed to do, if there's no you? (Vincent Caldwell x Reader)

Warnings: Hospital scenes, Cancer, Talking about physician-assisted suicide. Angst

Words: 670

A/N: A rather sad Case 63 fanfic appears... So I have had several cancer diagnoses in my family, and this was a nice release for me to write about it this way. I hope you all enjoy!

Vincent sat by her side. This had been their life for the last year. Cancer. When they got the diagnoses, it was impossibly hard. He held her frail hand in his as she sits in the arm chair as they administer the chemo therapy. He looks at her with love and adoration. She looks at him with the same love.

“You don’t have to come with me every time Vince.” She says softly.

“I’m going to be here, I don’t want you to do this alone…Don’t want you to be scared"

“I didn't tell you I was scared… I’m not scared.” She said squeezing his hand slightly.

“I know…but…I want to be here.” Vincent Know she was putting on a brave face for him, she did all the time, for him, for Marie, for their friends….She had always been like this. Keeping all the pain to herself.  “I love you, you know you don’t have to do this alone.” He reassures her.

“I know delusion…I see it in the mirror…I just…Sometimes I just pretend it isn't real. That I’m fine, that none of this is happening.” She laughs slightly realizing she probably sounds foolish for thinking that way. But as His dark eyes meet hers, she knows, he doesn’t think she’s foolish. He admires her bravery. When they leave the treatment facility to head home, He helps her into the car, smiling softly. Once on the road he thinks to himself. How can he make this better?  How can he help bring the light back in her eyes? Vincent takes a glance over at her, she had dozed off, her head resting on her palm as she had been looking out the window. The treatments always make her so tired, the last couple really took it out of her. After he pulls into their home he goes around to her side, gently unbuckling her and lifting her in his arms before closing the car door with his foot, deciding to grab their things later as he gently carried her inside. Once he gets her into their bed he turns to leave when he feels her hand gasp at his. He turns to look at her, her half lidded gaze meeting his.

“Don’t go.” She softly pleads. He can’t refuse her. He climbs into bed next to her and wraps an arm around her, pulling her close, nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck, taking in her scent.

“What can I do darling? I'll brighten up the sky, I’ll run a hundred miles… I’ll do anything to see you happy there's not a day that I won't try. Anything to ease the burden” He whispers lovingly in her ear.

“There’s…something…but I know I'll never get it.” She says softly

“Anything…”

“I hate to make this all about me…But…” She starts but Vincent laughs slightly

“It was always about you my love. From the day I met you. It’s always been you.”

“Vincent…Please…I’m ready…I don’t want to do this anymore…” She says softly with sadness in her voice.

“Wait…you don’t…darling…please.” When Vincent realized what she was saying he just couldn’t bare it. He held her even tighter. “But who am I supposed to talk to? What am I supposed to do?” Vincent felt the tears stinging his eyes, he couldn’t bare the idea. As a doctor he understood it, many states had passed laws to make this a possibility but as her husband, the idea was terrifying

“This won't go back to normal, if it ever was…Vincent…You have to understand…My love.” She carefully rolls over to look at his face, stroking his beard gently.

“Of course I understand…Darling…of course I do…I just…I don’t want to…I just want to keep believing, soon you'll get better I don’t want to live in a world without you…” He says.

“I Know…Just…if I’m ever not getting better…” She hesitates, she looks into his tear filled eyes, and he sees the desperation in hers and he nods.

“You’ll get better soon… Cause you have to…”

~

Series Masterlist

[shitty-hp-prompts]

Sickly Draco AU

Narcissa had always been fairly sickly, but things took a turn for the worse when she was pregnant with Draco; she barely survived the pregnancy and afterwards the Healers warned her and Lucius that there was no way she would survive another one.

Lucius was severely displeased by this news—not because he wanted more than one child, but because the child he had been given was even more sickly than Narcissa herself.

Draco was so sickly that Lucius wound up brokering a deal with the Crabbe and Goyle patriarchs to have their similarly aged children serve as bodyguards, looking out for delicate, frail little Draco—not because Lucius cared for him or his safety, but because if he died Lucius would have to find a new wife to have a new heir, and his and Narcissa's marriage was an arranged one; the contract could, theoretically, be broken—but the cost...

Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle were raised to go wherever Draco Malfoy went, guarding him, watching over him, and always carrying with them emergency medical potions to use on Draco should he need them.

Of course, the reason for them always guarding Draco was kept a tightly guarded secret—most people assumed that Draco was a coward who was all bark and no bite and needed them as muscle to back him up, either because he knew he wouldn't be able to intimidate people by himself or because he was too cowardly to do so on his own.

Better an arrogant coward than a pathetic, weak, sickly little thing, Lucius would say.

Crabbe and Goyle meanwhile were not remiss in their duties and took them very seriously—just like an elder sibling raised being told that it was their duty as the eldest to take care of their younger siblings, Vincent and Gregory were raised with the knowledge that Draco's health and safety was their responsibility, and they took that very seriously.

Anytime Draco showed signs of feeling dizzy or faint they would fall into action, finding excuses for him to sit and rest, supplying him with Pepperup Potions when he began to lag, casting warming spells on him when they caught him shivering—if being a Death Eater didn't work out, they had a future as a truly exceptional live-in nurse or caretaker.

But, back to the point...

The Malfoys, with the help of the Crabbes and Goyles, went to great lengths to hide the extent of Draco's illness. It was impossible to entirely hide how he would get sick every year in the winter like clockwork, but they worked hard to hide just how ill he would get, as well as the fact that he was already in a horrible, frail state year round.

It gets even harder once he begins attending Hogwarts, but thankfully he has Crabbe and Goyle around to help him out.

Until...

Something goes wrong.

Maybe it's in their Third Year when they go to Hogsmeade and Harry scares them with the help of his invisibility cloak, causing them to wind up separated whilst far from Hogwarts, in the freezing snow.

Or, maybe it's in their Second Year when Harry and Ron use Polyjuice Potion to secretly take Crabbe and Goyle's place, unknowingly leaving Draco defenseless and without his supply of medical potions.

Or maybe it's in their Fifth Year when Umbridge confiscates their supply thinking it contraband or something equally nefarious and illegal.

Or maybe it's in their Sixth Year when the stress of it all finally becomes too much and hits the tipping point causing Draco to suddenly collapse in the middle of the Great Hall.

Or maybe it's all of the above.

[sweetbillwriting]

The Finer Things - Teaser

A Vincent de Gramont story

What was he doing there?

And what the fuck was he wearing?

Ines looked at the tall man walking around in the white, bright gallery. He was dressed in a suit with a dark blue velvet dinner jacket even if it was just noon. She couldn't stop herself from giggling when she saw the man, obviously he tried to make himself more important than he was.

She looked through some paper for the next exhibition while the man walked around with a sour face. He was clearly not impressed but Ines didn't care. He was not their target group. Did he wear a costume? Was he a part of some sort of game theater?

With an eye roll she walked up to him. She expected to try to keep herself from laughing at him but that changed quickly when he looked at her. He had piercing green eyes that scanned her up and down like she didn't belong in her own gallery.

"Mostly trash here," he said with a french accent and looked her up and down. Ines couldn't say if he meant the art or if he meant her. She laughed a bit insecure while the man continued to look at her without blinking. He just stood with his hands in his pants pockets. It was clearly not a costume, it was fitted and in fine material but it still was strange, not even a prince would dress like that.

"So you haven't found what you're searching for then?"

He licked his lips and raised his eyebrows in an amused way and then smirked condescendingly. When he turned his back to Ines she took the moment to twist her face mockingly. He was a snob and clearly the sort of snob that didn't even think he needed to talk to express his standards.

"So what are you doing here? I mean… You're at a gallery in Brooklyn wouldn't… Europe be more fitting for you?" Ines said with fake interest. To be honest she just wanted him out. Many of the artists were her friends and she was sure he soon would say something mean about the art.

The man dragged a finger over a display and looked at his finger with disgust and then looked at her and held out his fingers towards her.

"Napkin, please," said he like she was his servant and for the moment she guessed she was. She also felt a bit embarrassed because it actually was dusty. She walked away with obvious irritated steps, heavy against the floor and searched after a napkin behind the desk. Was there none? Come on, she didn't want to give the guy the satisfaction of saying a comment about the hygiene.

"I want to talk to the owner actually," he said with his weird french accent and it made Ines look up. Now he stood with a man in a black suit next to him. He was beefy and she wondered how he could have walked into the small gallery without her having heard him. He stood and held out a box of napkins towards the tall man who wiped his hands with the same disgusted face. She hadn't forced him to touch the dust, so why did he even think it was so gross? She looked at the beefy guy again. He looked like a bodyguard and it made her wonder again who the man dressed in velvet was.

"I'm the owner?" Said Ines confused and got the man to look at her with furrowed brows.

"You?" He asked, voice full of despise.

"Yes? Do you think I'm too trash for that?" She asked and crossed her arms behind the desk.

The man put his hands in his pants pockets again and walked up to her slowly. It felt threatening and for a moment Ines wondered if she should hide in the back, lock herself in and wait for the man to disappear.

He pulled down the corner of his mouth and shrugged his shoulders. He looked at her for a few seconds and then gave her a charming smile that changed his face completely.

"Not at all… I'm here to see the Pivoine painting."

Ines dropped her face and swallowed hard. Few people knew about that painting. Few knew what a goldmine she had at home in her dining room.

"I don't know what you mean?" She tried but her eyes were glassy.

"Yes you do. The Pivoine of a woman eating an apple?"

She could feel sweat breaking out on her forehead and she looked around worriedly. She had been worried about this day for so long, the day someone had told the wrong person about the portrait of her grandmother made by her lover, the world famous artist Pivoine.

The tall man smirked and reached out a hand towards her.

"Let me introduce myself…" Ines took his hand reluctantly.

"My name is Vincent de Gramont and I will make you into a rich, rich girl."

Ines swallowed hard and let go of his hand.

"I know what museums and private collectors are prepared to pay for it but I don't want to…"

"I wouldn't sell it that way. I have other ways…" he interrupted her but looked her straight in the eyes. His eyes were really mesmerizing and it felt like she couldn't say no to him. He licked his plump lips and for a few seconds she admired his looks. Chocolate hair, flawless skin and those lips… She shook it off like the thoughts were something inappropriate and looked down at the desk.

"What would you win on that?"

She gave him a look again but lowered her eyes when she realized he watched her with the same intense stare.

"We can say like this, I need the distraction. And I love a good art deal."

×

[hallucinationhorrors]

There's a whole series of these, they sound just like the sort of spoken-word records Vincent used to do in the 60s and 70s. Vincent visits various haunted rides and tourist spots like the Lizzie Borden house. Great fun!

[anna-thesimp]

My Love is Mine All Mine: 4: Itchy....So Itchy

WARNING THIS CHAPTER HAS GRAFIC DETAILS

Rody's body felt so Itchy as he was trying to figure out what was making him Itch. He scratch his hand, then arm, elbow, neck, thigh, legs.

He couldn't stop itching for a moment. Whats going on? Why can't I stop itching? Why is my body so itchy?

Looking at his arms he saw marks....random marks, like they use to cut meat. He didn't relized but he was scratching his arm so much, he was ripping his skin from his body. It peeled nicely, revealing his muscles, blood, vienes, arteries. Still flowing like before.

What the fuck....Why is it like this?

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!" he heard something from the distant and turned around. A butchers knife was pointed to him, next a steak knife, all knifes lined up pointing at him.

Without another thought he ran as fast as his feet could. A knifes were chasing him like they where controlled by someone else. As they try and attack him they hit the ground.

Rody wanted to be home, he wanted to see Vince. To see her! His legs stop moving the ground felt like he was it was squishy. The knifes attack him, stabbing him inside and out, but he felt no pain...he was in torture.

His eye open as he woke up...it's just a dream.

------ 222 words I wonder what Vincent will think about this?