#WHY WOULD I STOP TO CHECK WHERE THE HURRICANE IN THE US IS.

[essektheylyss]

It is really astounding how many times a person can see the word "unprecedented" and somehow still not lose their goddamn mind.

[dreamwritesimagines]

The Eye of the Hurricane [14] - Wedding

A.N: Here’s the new chapter my loves! ❤️ Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback, you made my day! ❤️I hope you’ll like this chapter as well and please don’t forget to tell me what you think! ❤️

Summary: A wedding can be a good place for clarity.  

Word Count: 3400

Pairing: MobBoss!Bucky Barnes x Reader

Warnings: Violence, stabbing, death, guns, crime, blood, explicit language, dysfunctional relationship. This is an AU, friendly reminder that I don’t condone any of the actions depicted on this story and please read with care.

Series Masterlist

Well, this was going to be fun.

The wedding was tonight and your phone already had way too many text notifications. You would be meeting Becca and Sarah today to get ready, so you had woken up way too early just like Bucky. After taking a quick shower, you made your way downstairs to see him in the kitchen, making coffee.

“Morning.”

Bucky's head snapped up and he turned around to look at you better.

“Whoa,” he said, “This is a surprise."

You pulled your brows together.

“Um, we've been staying in the same honeymoon suite for a while now, in case it has escaped your notice.”

“No no, as in— am I allowed to see you?”

You blinked a couple of times. “What are you talking about?”

“I mean—” he said, motioning between you. “Isn’t it bad luck? If I see you before the wedding?”

You shrugged your shoulders, then jumped to sit on the kitchen island.

“We’re going to get a divorce anyway,” you said. “That whole tradition is for actual couples, not us.”

Bucky pursed his lips and cleared his throat before holding up a mug.

“Coffee, my romantic wife?”

“Stop calling me that, and yes.”

He chuckled, filling the mug with coffee before handing it to you.

“There you go.”

“Thanks,” you said. “So, we’re getting married then.”

“Mm hm.”

“So I’ve been thinking,” you said. “There’ll be a lot of important guests there as well as alcohol. A good way to start alliances.”

“You’re going to use our wedding to make business deals?”

“You’re not?” you asked back and he thought for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders.

“Yeah I see what you mean.”

“And I need to talk to Stark tonight.”

Bucky grimaced.

“I did that earlier this week,” he said. “Would not recommend, it’s not a nice experience.”

You stifled a laugh.

“Well, we need him,” you said. “As much as I hate to admit.”

“I mean—” he started but was cut off when someone pounded on the door, making both of you turn your heads before Becca’s voice reached inside.

“You’d better not be seeing each other right now!”

Bucky threw his head back and you made your way to the door to open the door, smiling already. When you opened it, you found Becca and Sarah standing there and Sarah looked amused already while Becca let out a gasp.

“Just as I thought!” she said, walking past you to step inside and you hugged Sarah when she stepped inside.

“Hey!”

“Hey there,” she said. “I held her back as long as I could.”

“Appreciate it,” you said and pressed a kiss on her cheek, then turned around to see Becca who made her way to Bucky.

“Are you trying to get bad luck? Why are you seeing the bride?!”

“Ask the bride,” Bucky said and you rolled your eyes.

“Come on, everyone in this room knows that this is more of a business deal than a wedding.”

Sarah shook her head slightly and you stole a look at her.

“It is,” you insisted and she held up her hands.

“I didn’t even say anything.”

“And where is my coffee?” Becca asked and Bucky nodded at the coffee machine.

“It’s right there, help yourself.”

“Did mom teach you nothing?” she asked while you leaned your head on Sarah’s shoulder, watching them bicker. “Is this your first time interacting with a guest in your place?”

“We don’t have the time to get coffee Becca, we can get it on our way to the weekend house,” Sarah stated and you checked your phone when you received another text, then heaved a sigh.

“Why is everyone texting me?”

“It’s just my theory but maybe because it’s your wedding day?” Sarah asked and motioned at you. “Give me your phone, you’ll be busy the whole day.”

“Oh my God thank you.”

“I already talked to Steve and Sam and I know when exactly you’re supposed to arrive there,” Becca said. “Which means, if you’re late as you like to be all the time—”

“It’s my own wedding Becca, I couldn’t be late if I tried.”

“Well forgive me if I don’t trust you,” Becca said. “I’m serious, my brother or not, I’ll shoot you if you’re late.”

“Does this have something to with the fact that you don’t know if your girlfriend is coming to come to the wedding so you’re channeling all your anger to me?”

“Bucky!” you hissed and he shrugged his shoulders.

“What?”

“Maybe worry less about my relationship and more about yours since we’re still not sure your wife who happens to be my best friend won’t kill you in your sleep,” Becca said airily and Bucky scoffed.

“She won’t kill me in my sleep.”

“She might.”

“She won’t— Y/N, tell her.”

“My dad raised me better than that,” you pointed out. “You don’t even kill enemies in their sleep, let alone allies.”

A happy smile lit up Bucky’s face as if you had just proclaimed your undying love to him on a bent knee and he motioned at you.

“See?” he asked Becca, pride clear in his voice. “We’re allies.”

“You’d have to be awake for it,” you added and Bucky’s head whipped around so that he could see you better.

“Come again?”

“Because honor—”

“Alright!” Sarah cut you both off. “Let’s go. Bucky, Sam and Steve are on their way here.”

“Yeah they just told me on group chat.”

“You have a group chat?” you asked and shook your head. “Of course you do.”

“Come on,” Becca said as she walked outside and Sarah followed her. You lingered there for a moment before you nodding at Bucky.

“I’ll see you at the wedding then.”

“See you, wife.”

“Stop calling me that!” you said and quickly left the suite before he could reply, trying to ignore the way your heart skipped a beat.

                                                                       *

The majority of the day had gone pretty fast. Thanks to your wedding planner, everything looked exactly how you described her. Barnes weekend residence and its huge yard were already gorgeous, and as the night fell, it looked almost magical. All the guests were seated, Becca and Sarah were already by the altar and so was Bucky, Steve and Sam. Even though you had tried to keep this wedding simple and with as few people as possible, it still looked like there were too many people and you brushed a hair over the skirt of your wedding gown, shifting your weight from one foot to other.

“Y/N?”

Your head shot up and you smiled at your father.

“I’m fine,” you said before he could ask, leaning your back to the wall, waiting for your cue. He kept his gaze on you before giving you a teary smile.

“Your mother would be so proud of you.”

“I haven’t done anything to make her proud yet,” the reply left your mouth before you had a chance to stop it and he pulled his brows together.

“Sweetheart,” he said. “You don’t have to do anything.”

No.

No you did have to.

You hadn’t done anything at all to prove yourself yet thanks to your father pushing you out of the picture so that Ian could be his heir instead of you, but you were going to fix that.

Whether he liked it or not.

“Right,” you managed to say. “Sorry. I’m just kind of nervous, that’s all.”

“That’s understandable,” he said. “But I assure you, tonight will go the way you’ve always dreamed of.”

Well, you had dreamt of actually being in love with the groom when you dreamt of your wedding but your father didn’t need to hear that.

This was going to be yet another thing you would keep from him, along with the car chase incident.

“Your aunt texted me by the way,” he said. “She sends her apologies for not making it to the wedding but she’s going to visit soon, she says.”

You tried not to roll your eyes and nodded your head.

“Great.”

“Y/N, I know things haven’t been great lately but I—” he started but was cut off when the music started and you pushed yourself off the wall, rolling your shoulders back. He offered you his arm, and you took a deep breath, trying to calm your wild heartbeat down.

“Ready?” he asked and you bit inside your cheek, then took his arm.

“Ready,” you said and you both started walking down the aisle.

It was alright. This whole marriage was just going to last until you took over, and then you were going to get a divorce and you and Bucky would go your separate ways.

Bucky, who was now looking at you like you were the most beautiful woman he had seen.

You averted your gaze from his as your father and you reached the altar, and he squeezed at your arm before nodding at Bucky, then took his seat. You let out a breath and stole a look at Becca and Sarah, then turned to face the priest, forcing yourself to focus.

Fine, from an objective viewpoint he did look very handsome today.

Not that it changed anything. He was still the most arrogant man you had ever met.

Your heart was still beating so fast that you could hardly focus on what the priest was saying. You and Bucky had informed him earlier on that you would skip the speeches, considering that you had nothing to say other than lies, and you didn’t want to risk people seeing through your lie.

You could swear your head was spinning but you tried to see through the nervousness making its way through your system. You just needed to do this to take over, and then you’d get a divorce and you were hardly going to think about Bucky after that point, except for—

Well.

Technically you were going to have to do business with your ex-husband but that slight detail aside, it was going to be fine.

Blood was muffling your ears as you heard Bucky speak and you dug your fingernails into your palms, then your head shot up when you heard your name.

“Y/N?” the priest said and you blinked a couple of times, then cleared your throat.

“I—I do,” you said almost automatically and Bucky let out a relieved breath as the priest smiled calmly.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” he said. “You may now kiss the bride.”

Fuck.

Fuck, this right here had escaped your attention while planning the wedding and from the look of surprise on Bucky’s face, it had escaped his attention as well. He stared at you for a moment as if he didn’t know what to do, and the priest coughed as if trying to signal him.

“You may kiss the bride,” he repeated and you gave a small nod of your head, making Bucky swallow thickly before taking a step to you. Your heart skipped an excited beat as his arm sneaked around your waist and he pulled you closer, the warmth of his body pressed against yours, then he dipped you slightly backwards, then leaned in to capture your lips in a kiss.

…Oh.

You would be lying if you said you hadn’t dreamed about this before. Back when you still had the biggest crush on Bucky, you would spend hours thinking about how it would feel if he kissed you, even imagining your wedding sometimes but—

You hadn’t thought that his kiss would feel this good.

Before you could even stop yourself, your arms wrapped around his neck as he pulled back slightly, resting his forehead against yours like he wanted to make the moment last. You exhaled, your breath mixing into his but when the applause started, you both snapped out of it. Bucky helped you gain your balance as you tried to catch your breath, then rolled your shoulders back and stepped back from him to smile at the crowd, ignoring the way Bucky’s eyes were glued to you.

                                                           *

You were quite certain you were the first bride who was going out of her way to avoid the groom on her wedding, but in your defense, you had a lot to think about.

Not that kiss.

You had to think about anything and everything except that kiss.

You passed through the huge garden to approach the bar, stealing a look at Leila and Becca who seemed to be in a deep conversation but judging by the small smile on Leila’s face, it was going well. Bucky was talking to Steve and Sam by the corner and Sarah was listening to Winnifred who seemed very enthusiastic to tell her something, motioning at the garden.

Probably something about the wedding.

You ordered your drink and smiled at Ryan who was sipping his drink by the bar and he smiled back.

“Ma’am.”

“Hi Ryan,” you said and looked around. “Please tell me Ian left early.”

“He’s in the bathroom ma’am,” Ryan said and you rolled your eyes.

“Great,” you said. “So are you having fun?”

“I am, thank you,” he said and looked down to his glass. “It’s a nice wedding and you…you look very nice if you don’t mind me saying.”

“Oh thank you!” you said. “You know, if you ever—”

“Mrs. Barnes,” another voice cut you off and you looked over your shoulder, then turned around to see him better.

“Mr. Stark,” you managed to say and the bartender put your glass on the counter. You took it into your hand and leaned back to the counter.

“Tony is alright.”

“Y/N is alright,” you quipped and Tony smiled at you.

“Very well.”

Ryan’s phone beeped and he cleared his throat, then put his glass down and walked away from you to make his way to the house.

“How do you like the wedding so far?” you asked and Tony thought for a moment.

“No one is shooting at anyone,” he said. “I’d say it’s going well.”

“The night is still young,” you said and he chuckled.

“I suppose,” he said. “But the drinks are pretty good.”

“Food is gonna be better,” you said. “We just figured people shooting at people would be less of a possibility if we made them drink first.”

“Your idea or Bucky’s?”

“Mine.”

Tony hummed and ordered his drink while you sipped yours.

“My father says you’re not exactly happy about this wedding,” you told him and he shrugged his shoulders.

“I’m thinking about how it will affect the balance of things now that you mention it,” he said. “Your father is a very powerful man, and you and Bucky uniting families…”

“I understand your concern perfectly,” you said in a calm tone even if your heartbeat sped up. “But I assure you, this will change nothing.”

“Is that right?”

You clicked your tongue.

“In your business it will change nothing,” you corrected yourself. “I’m quite familiar with your deals with my father, and the Barnes family. I’ll make sure they remain as they are.”

“As Bucky’s wife or as your father’s new heir?” he asked back and you arched a brow, but managed to keep your expression straight as the bartender gave him his drink as well.

“Is that what people say?”

“Well you’re marrying into Barnes family, your father still hasn’t announced his heir, and you have a way of making people talk about you lately,” Tony pointed out. “Not to mention, Natasha seems impressed with you.”

Your eyes found Natasha who was drinking with Clint before you turned your glances to Tony again.

“But you are not?”

“I don’t know you enough yet,” Tony said. “I mean I’ve had the time to figure Ian out and let me tell you, I am absolutely not impressed. But you? You’re a mystery.”

“I’m not,” you told him. “I want the same thing as you do. To keep the truce going, and to keep the town safe.”

“So you claim,” Tony said. “Even you can’t admit, this wedding gave you a huge advantage in power and allies.”

“Let’s be serious here Tony, it didn’t give me any advantage over any of the bosses here.”

“Yet,” Tony added and you hummed, then shrugged your shoulders.

“Yet.”

“But you want it to.”

“I want to make sure my family continues the truce after my father retires,” you stated. “I think that’s what we all want, no?”

Tony huffed out a laugh and raised his glass slightly.

“It is,” he said. “But we also want to make sure your fight for the crown doesn’t hurt the town.”

You opened your mouth to say it would never happen, but heard Pepper calling out for Tony so you both turned your heads before Tony cleared his throat.

“I should go,” he said. “I’ll be in touch. Maybe a dinner with the newlyweds?”

“We’d love to host you and Pepper,” you said and he downed his drink, then put it on the counter and walked away. You let out a breath, then finished your drink as well before motioning at another.

“Aren’t you supposed to be with your husband?” Ian’s voice reached you and you rolled your eyes, then leaned sideways to the bar.

“What do you want?”

He held up his hands, gesturing surrender. “I come in peace.”

“As if.”

“Come on Y/N, it’s your wedding,” he said. “I would have thought you’d be in a better mood.”

“I was, then you started talking to me,” you said and he hummed.

“Listen,” he said. “I’m being completely serious here. Congratulations for the wedding, I’m happy for you. I know we’ve had our differences but we both want your father to be happy, and this wedding is a huge relief for him.”

You pulled your brows together.

“A relief?”

“Yeah,” he said. “It’s a relief for me as well. Now you can just be happy with Barnes and focus on your marriage and your family.”

That bitter taste climbed up your throat but you managed to scoff a laugh and motioned for another drink.

“Is that what you think will happen?” you asked him. “Me and Bucky get married and… then what? I get out of your hair?”

“We’re family,” he reminded you. “That’s not what I—that’s not it. You’ll just have different priorities.”

“Did you give the same speech to Bucky or is it just for me?” you asked and he rolled his eyes.

“You know how the business works Y/N, you don’t need me to tell you.”

You bit inside your cheek hard enough to hurt, then reached out to grab your glass of drink the bartender just placed on the counter.

“You’re the daughter of one of the most important men in the business,” he said. “This marriage will be good for the family, uncle knows that. Not to mention…”

You lowered your glass and tilted your head.

“Not to mention?”

“You’re a wild card,” he said. “It’s hard to play you.”

Your grip around the glass tightened and you shrugged your shoulders.

“Maybe I’ll play you.”

“Spouses don’t get involved, you know the rules,” he said with a snort and your smirk widened before you took a sip, keeping quiet. That confident look on his face faltered when you didn’t reply and he pulled back slightly.

“You can’t,” he said as if trying to convince himself. “You wouldn’t.”

“Here you are!” Bucky’s voice cut through the momentary silence between you and Ian and you turned your head to give him a smile. “Was wondering where you were sweetheart.”

“Time for the food?”

“Mm hm, let’s go.”

Ian gawked at you in silence while you narrowed your eyes at him, dragging the tip of your tongue over your teeth.

“You wouldn’t,” Ian repeated, making Bucky looked between you before he casually stepped closer to you without saying a word, as if making sure you knew he was there to interfere at the slightest sign of you wanting him to. Your stomach did a pleasant flip and you downed your drink, then put it on the counter to turn to Ian.

“Enjoy the wedding, Ian,” you said, grabbing Bucky's hand. “And make sure to rest tonight, will you? Tomorrow will be a new day for both of us.”

With that, you walked away from Ian with Bucky right behind you, a proud smile warming your face.

Chapter 15

[lovelyjj]

omfg so i have read a lot of jj fics and never once have i come across a fic where reader or oc is as unhinged as jj. like in s1 when jj finds the gun they’re all like omg that’s so bad put it down but what if reader was like that’s so dope!!! lemme see it bam bam and takes pics with jj and shit. idk and then when he’s holding the gun to toppers head she’s like WORK IT SMOOCHIE!!!! it just makes me giggle

No because I love this idea!! thank you for this!

The pogues would always be kept on their toes with you and JJ and your behavior. The two of you always getting into trouble and being adventurous. The rest of the pogues were pretty much used to it by now.

When John B found the motel key you were intrigued. You were convinced that it would lead to something exciting. When you tried to report the sunken boat and it failed, you and the pogues decided to check out where the key leads for yourselves.

It was a no brainer that you were going with John B and JJ into the room. JJ was your partner in crime. You weren’t gonna let JJ have all the fun without you.

The HMS Pogue landed on the shore by the motel. John B and JJ got out of the boat. You followed closely behind.

“Let’s go,” John B clapped JJ on the shoulder.

“Why are all these mattresses out?” John B pondered.

“After a hurricane, they ditch ‘em ‘cause they’re all moldy,” JJ answered.

You, JJ, and John B walked up to the room while JJ tried to convince John B that Kiara was into him.

“This is it.” John B announced.

“Okay.” JJ stated.

“Here we go,” you anticipated what was gonna be inside.

JJ knocked on the door and said in a high pitched voice, “housekeeping.”

John B unlocked the door and the three of you entered the room. You all started looking through things. John B was looking through a bag and JJ was looking at a jacket.

You went into the bathroom and scanned the area. JJ went over to the nightstand and found a map.

John B eventually got the safe open, “holy shit.”

“Uh… JJ, Y/N?”

“Hm?”

“You’re gonna want to see this.” John B insisted.

“Dude dude dude!” JJ excitedly said.

“Oh my god no way!” you exclaimed.

“You grabbed the gun,” John B was mad.

“This is a SIG Sauer.” JJ acknowledged.

“Put the gun back, JJ!” John B whispered yelled.

“This is a fucking spendy gatt, man.”

“Hey! Lemme see it please,” you voiced.

JJ gave you the gun and you felt powerful.

“Bam! Bam! Bam!” you held the gun out in front of you like you were gonna shoot it.

“Y/N, stop,” John B raised his voice.

“Take a pic of me.” you ordered.

“You wanna make our own incriminating evidence?” John B deadpanned.

“Fine I’ll do it myself, JJ get in here.”

You held up the gun in one hand and your phone in the other. You angled the camera so it could get you and JJ. You took some pictures. Then you set the phone on the nightstand and leaned it against the phone.

You put the phone on a timer and went back to back with JJ. You held the gun up near your face and took a couple photos like that.

“These are so sick!” you cheered as you looked at them.

All of a sudden you herd something from outside. John B looked out the window to see Kie and Pope. Then he looked out the window closest to the door. It was cops.

You hid outside the building on a ledge. When the cops left you all got out of there.

—————

Kiara’s idea for a kegger was a good one. You were excited to let loose and enjoy the party. JJ filled up a cup of beer for you which you gladly accepted.

The party was going well, you were dancing with JJ. When you wanted to take a break you went over to the keg. JJ got a drink for John B. But when he was going to give it to him Sarah and Topper walked by.

JJ offered the drink to Sarah, but then Topper said he’ll take it. That’s when a fight started to break out.

John B and Topper were getting into. Then it started to escalate. Topper was drowning him. You were scared because you knew John B could die at any moment.

JJ was getting worried as well. He knew he had to do something and do it fast. The only thing he could think of was the gun.

JJ pulled the gun on topper and pressed the gun to his temple.

“Yeah, you know what that is.”

“Get ‘em jayj!” you shouted.

“Give it to em good!” you yelled.

Everyone else was yelling at JJ to chill and to stop as well as to calm down. You however encouraged your boyfriend.

“You’re move, broski,” JJ warned.

Topper weakly said, “We’re good we’re good.”

Then JJ took matters into his own hands.

“Okay, everyone, listen up! Get the hell off our side of the island!” Then he fired the gun in the air two times.

“You tell em baby!” You raised your voice.

—————-

JJ had the brilliant idea to rob a drug dealer. Everyone gave him a lot of shit for it. They yelled at him and told him they were fed up with his bullshit.

You however encouraged him saying, “Barry deserves it.”

All in all, you and JJ together is a force to be reckon with. You’re both very brave and strong and truly unhinged.

[mouwrites]

hihi it’s the anon from the one req with the prime empire outfit thing :3 !! i was wondering if you could do something similar but with a reader who wakes up before them and makes them food ?? your writing is so munchable (positively)

Yaay good to have you back!!! I cannot express how joyous it makes me to know that people actually enjoy my silly scrawlings 🥹

Ninjago - Making Breakfast For the Ninjas

Kai

He is NOT a morning person

Definitely the type of guy to say “just five more minutes” like eight times before he finally drags himself out of bed

But when he wakes up to the smell of food…

And you’re not next to him…

He’s more than motivated to get up

He follows the smell into the kitchen, sighing to himself when he sees you at the stove

He approaches from behind, wrapping his arms around your waist and burying his face in your neck

“Come back to bed, my sunshine.”

“You don’t want breakfast?”

“…keep cooking.”

He leans on you, half asleep while you finish frying some eggs and bacon

He’s still a little groggy while you eat together, but you can see him waking up the more he eats

You watch him carefully, watching for any signs that might indicate his opinion on your cooking

Polishing off his first plate, Kai blinks the rest of the sleepiness from his eyes

You make eye contact, both smiling softly

Your lips curl into a bigger grin when he asks for seconds

Still, you can’t help but tease:

“What about going back to bed?”

“Nah. I’m up now. Your amazing cooking has worked its magic on me.”

He smirks as you blush, grabbing his plate to get him another serving

Watching you, he can’t help but wonder how he got so lucky

Again, he’s not a morning person, but he’s discovered his new favorite way to wake up

Jay

When Jay wakes up, the first thing he does is check to see if you’re awake

He refuses to get out of bed unless you go with him, and he expects you to do the same

So when he wakes up and you’re not there, he’s a little offended

But then some worry starts to settle in

Did something happen? Surely that must be the case; why else would you break your routine?

Hauling himself out of bed, he hurries around the house, calling your name

He perks up when he hears your response in the kitchen

Dashing in, he stops dead in his tracks when he sees you alive and well, even smiling at him from your station at the stove

You perceive his worried expression, suddenly feeling a little guilty for abandoning him in bed

“Sorry, did I scare you? I didn’t mean to. I just wanted to surprise you with breakfast.”

He sighs in relief, assuring you that he’s just glad you’re okay

He starts rambling about his dream he had, taking a seat at the table while you finished grilling waffles

He doesn’t stop (aside from a quick “thanks”) when you set his plate in front of him

But when he takes his first bite, he freezes mid-sentence

“…is it okay..?”

“Oh my Borg. Y/n. You beautiful savant. This is amazing.”

You smile giddily as he shovels the food down his gullet

When he’s finished, he reclines in his chair satisfactorily

“This absolutely makes up for getting up before me. But next time let me wake up with you, okay?”

Cole

Cole could sleep through a category 5 hurricane

He certainly sounds like one when he snores

So it’s no surprise to him when he wakes up and you’re not there

Actually, that’s what he’s used to

He’ll lumber out of bed and make his way to the bathroom, where he’ll find you getting ready for the day

That’s how you start your day: one a tad later, but always together

When he goes to the bathroom and finds it empty, he’s baffled

He stands there for a solid minute, waiting for the grogginess to leave his head so he can think clearly

Before that happens, he’s enticed by the smell of pancakes

He follows the aroma to the kitchen, where two of his problems are solved

One, he’s found you

Two, you’re making breakfast, so his hunger will soon be satiated

He stands behind you, placing his burly arms and his chin on the top of your head

“What’s cookin’, good lookin’?”

“Pancakes. You want butter and syrup?”

“Mmmm. You know me so well.”

He stays by your side while you cook, trying to keep the drool in his mouth

You make him a high stack of pancakes, which you both know he’ll absolutely destroy

Before he even takes his first bite, he’s already complimenting your cooking

The compliments keep flowing while he eats, bringing a flattered pinkness to your cheeks

When he’s done, he lets out a dreamy sigh, placing his chin on his palm, admiring you

“My partner’s drop-dead gorgeous and the best cook in the world. Wakes me up with pancakes. Pancakes!”

“Only because you deserve it.”

You share a sticky kiss that tastes like maple syrup, which silently prompts you both to go brush your teeth and get ready for the day

Zane

Zane's usually the one to wake up earlier and get breakfast started, so you'll have to be really early if you want to surprise him

He assumes you're just in the bathroom when he doesn't see you in bed, so he shrugs it off and heads to the kitchen

He blinks in shock when he sees you already there, setting the table with omelettes and toast

He hurries over to you, reaching out to take the butter from your hands, but you dodge him

"Nuh-uh, you just sit down."

He reluctantly obeys

While you eat, you can't help but notice his curious glances at you

Eventually he breaks the silence

"Why did you do this?"

"Because I love you. I wanted to treat you."

His gentle smile does little to express how touched he is

You know he's a man of few words, so just having him finish his plate is enough to tell you he liked the meal

You grin proudly to yourself as you gather the dishes

He absolutely insists on helping you clean up, will NOT take no for an answer

While you clean up together, he gives you constructive feedback on your cooking

He figures it'd be more valuable to you than just compliments

And of course it is; he's basically a master chef, and you're getting free advice

Lloyd

For Lloyd, having you by his side when he wakes up is a 50/50 chance

Sometimes he gets up first, sometimes you get up first

So he's not exactly surprised waking up alone

What does catch his attention is the sweet smell of cinnamon in the air

He breathes it in deeply, wondering where it could be coming from at such an early hour

Eventually he gets up to investigate, and to his surprise (and delight) there are fresh-baked cinnamon rolls on the stovetop

And who but his lovely s/o mixing cream cheese icing on the counter?

He leans over the pan of rolls, wafting the smell into his nose

The sound startles you, but you smile when you realize it's only Lloyd

"Good morning."

"Morning. Did you make these?"

"No. A bipedal horse dropped them off."

"Har-har. Well, they smell fantastic, love."

He practically begs you to let him help spread the icing

You later realize that he really just wanted to lick the spoon... and the bowl

You eat the rolls informally as you sit on the counter, not bothering to use plates

Your hands end up stickier than the rolls themselves

Giving up on licking your fingers, you finally decide to go wash up

While getting ready, Lloyd clings close to you, expressing his abundant gratitude

"The rolls were so so so good. Just like you; you're so good to me. I love you."

Apparently your gesture got him feeling all mushy, because you ended up spending the rest of the morning curled up together watching TV on the couch, receiving sporadic kisses on your hands and head

Nya

Nya likes waking up early, but she doesn't like to disturb you

She'll immediately switch to stealth-mode when she wakes up, silently slipping out of bed and into the bathroom

She doesn't even notice that you're not in bed; she's too focused on being quiet

She nearly jumps out of her skin when she walks into the kitchen and opens the fridge, only to hear your voice:

"Hey, I made parfaits—"

"First Spinjitsu Master, Y/n!"

"Pfff—sorry, my flower! I didn't mean to scare you!"

If she wasn't awake before, she certainly was now

You decided to enjoy your yogurt parfaits while watching the sunrise

Spoon in one hand, Nya's hand in the other, you watched the sky grow brighter

Occasionally you would sneak a glance at your girlfriend, smiling to yourself at how beautiful she was, even after barely waking up

Little did you know she was doing the same

You continued to watch even after your parfaits were gone

Just as the sun peeked over the horizon, staining the sky a vibrant orange, you heard Nya say:

"I love you."

"I love you too."

She brought your hand to her mouth, placing a chaste kiss on your knuckles

"The parfait was delicious. Thank you."

"My pleasure. Should we go get ready now?"

"Let's watch the sunrise for a little longer."

Thank you sweet anon for this marvelous request! And thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed! <33

(divider by saradika)

[dyns33]

Sentimental weather

A little Morpheus x female reader

I'm less and less good with titles

It was raining.

No, the word was not strong enough.

It was a real torrent, a storm, a hurricane outside, and no one around Y/N seemed to care.

It must have been that, and the fact that she had found herself in this weird and unfamiliar place when she opened her eyes, that she hadn't been worried for more than a minute, before running under a tree to take shelter.

A raven seemed to have had the same idea, even though he thought it stupid, as he let her know.

"It's dangerous to stay under a tree during a thunderstorm."

"Oh, really ?" replied Y/N, who had the feeling that it was not normal for a raven to be able to speak.

"Yeah. Lightning could kill you. But you can't die here. Well, I don't think so. People can die while sleeping, but I don't know if it kills you for real to die in dreams. The boss says that we're real, but when someone is injured while sleeping, they're fine when they wake up, so I'm a bit lost. I have to say, he doesn't explain very well."

"Ravens have bosses ?"

"Not ravens. Me. I'm the raven, thank you. I'm here to assist the boss. Although I'm not much use at the moment. It's kind of his fault too, he doesn't listen. He's stubborn and sensitive. I've been told this isn't the first time this has happened. I really wish the rain would stop, it's been weeks now."

If his boss didn't explain well, the raven wasn't really any better. He continued to complain about the weather, until Y/N woke up. It seemed perfectly logical that this was all a dream, and she didn't think about it for the rest of the day.

But next night, when she opened her eyes again after falling asleep, she was still near the castle, in the pouring rain.

She was a little surprised, but as if it were normal, she went back under the tree, where she found the talking bird.

"Well, you're back." he noted. "And you don't listen to my advice. Just like him. I've been trying to talk to him all day, but no ! It's still raining."

"I don't understand the connection between your boss and the rain."

"It's because he's sad that it's raining. I mean, I can try to understand. He was in love, I think, even though it had only been a month and she wasn't great. I didn't like her at all personally. He struggles with feelings. Words, people… He struggles. He's had a lot of problems. But it's been weeks now, he has to pull himself together and listen to his good mate Matthew ! I can't fly in his conditions !"

As the raven, Matthew, continued to speak, Y/N looked up at the balcony of the castle and saw a man staring at the horizon, standing in the rain and looking terribly sad.

He must have been the famous boss.

Remembering that it was only a dream, and therefore not caring about the consequences of her actions, Y/N ventured towards the castle despite the raven's protests. Still without thinking, she went to the balcony, finding herself next to the man who was causing this storm.

"Hello." she said simply. "Matthew says you're sad and that's why it's raining."

"Matthew seems to say a lot of things except what relates to his job. He has to report when a dreamer gets lost so far."

"I'm not lost, you can't get lost in a dream. I know perfectly well where I am."

"Really ?" asked the man, without turning to her. "And where do you find yourself, little dreamer ?"

"In my bed. Unless I'm sleepwalking, but I don't think so."

"You think, you're not sure. You are wrong, we can get lost in a dream, and get stuck. Better check where you are."

Y/N then opened her eyes, in her bed, as she had said. The rest of the day passed without her thinking about this dream.

When she found herself again in front of the castle, under the storm, she did not go to join the little raven, who sighed when he saw her pass in front of his tree.

Still in the rain, still staring sadly at the hoziron, the boss made no comment as she came to stand next to him.

"Hello again. I was right, I was in my bed if you're interested. Anyway, Matthew talked about heartbreak. Look, I don't pretend to understand how you feel, and maybe it's not my business, but still, you have to move on. It's difficult, okay, but as the poet said, it's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved. That's life, you have to live."

This time, the man looked at Y/N, and seeing his eyes, she understood that he was not human. There was something powerful and ancient in his starry eyes. There was also something else she couldn't decipher.

"… I said something similar once, to someone very dear to me." he whispered in a strange voice.

"Well, you have to know how to follow your own advice. Of course it may take time and you can ask for help, but I promise you that everything will be better soon. You deserve it. I don't know you, but you make it rain for love and a raven is worried about you, so you must be nice deep down."

The boss continued to stare at her with a strange look, impossible to read, between admiration, surprise, vexation at having been partially insulted and what looked a bit like love. But that was probably not it. Anyway, Y/N didn't ask, too busy waking up. Again, the events of the night didn't really affect her day.

Except maybe when a raven came tapping her window while she was preparing dinner. She looked at it for a long time, wondering if it was a trained raventhat had gotten lost and was asking for food, but without opening.

"Impolite !" he shouted when she didn't open, concentrating on her saucepan.

"… What ?"

"Crude ! Mean ! Reckless !"

"You can talk ? Are you… Matthew ?" she asked as she let him in, unable to remember when she had gone to bed. Because it had to be a dream.

"Yes, it's me. Sorry, I shouldn't have gotten upset, I forget it's weird to see a talking raven. Thanks for opening up, and remembering my name. The other never remembered it, she was mean."

"The other ? Who?"

"The previous one. Look, I guess you didn't do it on purpose, and I'm quite glad the sun came out, but… You could have been careful, really. We didn't need that."

"I understand absolutely nothing."

"Lord Morpheus isn't sad anymore, thanks to you. Hooray. Except not totally, because… He's in love again."

"Really ? That's a good thing. With who ?"

"Who do you think, Sherlock ?" sighed the raven, staring at her.

"… Oh."

"Yeah, oh. So be nice, you've seen what happens when he's down, please don't break his heart."

"But he doesn't exist. You either, I'm dreaming."

"… Shit. I did well to come. So I'll say it quickly, I'm real, Lord Morpheus is real, what happens in dreams is real, you're not crazy, and my boss is madly in love with you now. Digest the information quickly, please."

Just because the raven said it didn't mean it was true, Y/N could be dreaming or losing her mind. But all the same, dreaming of the same thing four days in a row was not completely normal.

If she decided to believe Matthew, it involved a lot of things and questions she would ask him later. Because there was more urgent.

"… He loves me ? Me ? Why ?"

"You are a beautiful soul, noble and pure, wise, who will perhaps appreciate his company despite all his faults. End of quote."

"That's a bit quick, isn't it ? I don't know him at all, you just told me his name."

"Well, that's not bad enough. Some people get married without even knowing that. If he asks you, say yes !"

"Matthew. Stop it immediately."

The raven jumped with her, moved in front of Y/N as if to protect her, before looking genuinely frightened when he saw his boss, Lord Morpheus, standing in the middle of the living room, the arm crossed and looking displeased.

Obviously the little emissary had not asked permission to come here.

"Hi, boss ! I'm… I was…"

"Again saying things you shouldn't. Leave her alone, go back to the Dreaming and help Lucienne in the library."

"Yes, boss !"

Not wasting a moment, the raven immediately flew out the window. Lord Morpheus watched him disappear into the clouds, before slowly turning towards Y/N. Again, it was hard to know what he was thinking.

"My apologies for the intrusion, and the pressure. Matthew shouldn't have acted like that, but he's impulsive and protective, he thought he was doing the right thing."

"… Is it true that you are real and that you love me ?"

"I heard that these two facts were not very clear." he sighed, looking suddenly embarrassed. "I want to do things right, so I intended to woo you, so as not to rush you, and so that you can know who I am. But if my advances are not welcome, a word from you and I will leave."

It was a way out. It was touching of him, because as he said, Matthew talked a lot, and Matthew said a lot of things that might have made Y/N think it wasn't a good idea to hang out with Lord Morpheus.

He was a complicated being, who had trouble with feelings, people, who was dramatic, stubborn, sensitive, with a difficult past, both in general and in his romantic relationships.

But so were many other people.

"Matthew couldn't tell me if we died in real life after dying in a dream." was Y/N's response. "You said we can get lost, so…"

Lord Morpheus considered what she had just said, understanding that it was an invitation to stay, chat with her, and possibly start his court if he wished to. He smiled slightly as he began to explain to her, and Y/N then realized two things :

It wouldn't be difficult to fall in love with this man, as dangerous as it could be.

Matthew was right, he didn't explain very well.

[a-small-batch-of-dragons]

Not a Bad Holiday Season

Hey! I hope you had a great holiday season! I was wondering if you could write something sweet about Virgil and Logan after the secret Santa episode. No pressure ofc, Thank you you’re the best <3 – lapassemirrior

Read on Ao3

Pairings: none

Warnings: none

Word Count: 1225

“No, but that doesn’t work within the context of the other clues…”

Virgil smiles as he ambles down the hallway, listening to the soft mutterings on the other side of Logan’s door. From the sounds of it, Logan’s hardly stopped to breathe since he figured out that the newspaper wasn’t just a newspaper. He hesitates for a moment, just a moment, before knocking on the door.

“Come in?”

“Hey,” he says as he steps through, “wanted to check if you—whoa.”

He thinks he can be forgiven for truly coming to a dead stop when he sees the fucking conspiracy board Logan’s got where his whiteboard usually is. The original newspaper is still on his desk, the eye in the hurricane of notebooks, pens, and paper strewn about, but he’s made copies of certain parts and pinned them to a corkboard. Fucking hell, he’s even got bits of red string connecting picture to picture—if he didn’t know any better, he’d ask if Logan were working with Roman or Remus on some film noir idea.

“Virgil?”

He snaps himself out of it. “Sorry, I, uh, I guess I’m glad you’re having fun?”

Logan’s face splits into an almost manic grin—shit, maybe he really has been spending too much time with Remus. “This is incredible, Virgil, I can’t properly express my gratitude until I’ve completed your puzzle. I have to ask: did you do all of this truly by yourself?”

Virgil scratches the back of his head. “Eh. I may have gotten Princey to help with some of it.”

Logan frowns. “Roman?”

“Well, yeah, he is Creativity too. And he’s—okay, I’m not gonna spoil it ‘cause it’s his idea, but he has this thing he’s doing right now that’s gonna be really, really cool when he gets around to showing it off, so—“

He trails off when he sees Logan still frowning at his desk. He takes a step closer, nudging him with an elbow.

“What’s up?”

“Nothing, nothing.”

“Uh-huh.”

“It really is nothing,” he says, “I suppose I’m surprised that Roman would be willing to…help you with such a thing.”

Virgil frowns. The irritation that Logan had expressed when he’d first looked at the newspaper, the almost resignation he’d had when he’d immediately moved on, it’s starting to show in his face right now.

“L,” he says, trying to get his attention, “why is it surprising?”

“Well,” Logan huffs, adjusting his tie, “you know.”

”I don’t. Can you tell me?”

“It’s Roman.”

“Yeah. Creativity. Making things. Doing stuff for us.”

“For you,” Logan corrects, still not meeting his gaze, “not necessarily for me.”

That’s funny. As Virgil remembers it, Roman had been hesitant to help him at all until he’d told him it was for Logan. Then he was practically climbing all over him to help out.

“But perhaps in the spirit of the holiday, then—“

“Logan.”

Logan stops. He takes off his glasses and pinches the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath. Virgil lets him, waiting until he’s put his glasses back on and sat down. He leans against the edge of the desk and waits.

”That was unfair of me to say,” he mumbles, “wasn’t it?”

“Maybe a bit.”

“I…didn’t mean it to be spiteful.”

“You sure?”

“…maybe slightly.”

Virgil chuckles, rubbing his shoulder. “It’s okay. I know you and Princey have your moments.”

“But I have those with everyone,” Logan continues, staring off into space, “even—even with you. When I didn’t realize what your gift was at first, I…”

“Hey,” Virgil murmurs when Logan’s breath hitches just a bit too much for his liking, “you’re okay. It’s—look, the holidays are a stressful time for everyone, it’s not fair of me to hold it against you.”

“Thank you.”

“And, uh, I think any ARG that loudly screams hey, look at me, I’m a big fucking puzzle kinda fails at being an entertaining ARG—“ Logan snorts— “so I don’t blame you for taking a second to get it either.”

Logan hums, leaning against Virgil’s side. His glasses squish slightly into his ribs and he turns to fix it. “You’re right.”

“And hey, you really look like you’re enjoying it.” He gestures to the board. “You got your red string out and everything.”

“Well, I realized that I could take notes on my computer or in the notebook, but…” He can hear the moment the smile curls up his face. “I decided I might as well have fun with it.”

“That’s the whole point.”

“Thank you,” he says, softer now, turning to look up at him, “I really do like the present.”

Virgil chuckles. “I got that. Glad you’re having fun. What part are you at?”

“Part?”

“How much of it have you solved already?”

“I’ve just gotten to the QR code you managed to hide inside the picture—how did you do that, by the way? No, no—“ Logan holds up a hand as Virgil starts to explain— “don’t tell me just yet, I’ll make a list to ask you once I’ve finished everything.”

Virgil just grins and holds up his hands, stepping back as he watches Logan get up and start working on something again. He wanders over to the board after a moment, looking at all the pieces. Shit, he knew Logan would be good at this, but Janus would pop up if he said he’s a little disappointed that some of the puzzles didn’t take him longer.

Though, he notices with a grin, it doesn’t look like Logan’s cracked the big one yet. That’ll be something to look forward too.

“But enough about that,” Logan says, “did you come here for anything specific?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Pat and Princey are making a fucking feast for dinner and they’ve asked the rest of us to put together a movie marathon. If you, uh, if you’re willing to step away for a sec?”

“Certainly. Give me one moment…” Logan scribbles something else down on the piece of paper and pins it to the board—damnit, he got that one too, he really is good at this, maybe he should’ve made it harder— “there. Alright, what is everyone thinking? There are a few generic thrillers that have come out recently, Remus was talking about a disaster movie—“

“Wait, they made another one?”

Logan rolls his eyes as they head out to the hall. “It’s quite a profitable genre, despite the rampant suspension of disbelief that’s necessary for full immersion, so yes, I’m sure they did.”

“I don’t know about you, but I think not having to think too much sounds like a good thing.”

Logan chuckles. “Yes, well, you’ve been kind enough to give me quite the puzzle to keep me entertained for a while.”

“I really am glad you like it, L.”

“May I be honest?” Virgil nods and Logan glances around, leaning a bit closer. “Even if it had just been a newspaper, I still would have appreciated it as it came from you.”

Well. Shit. Now he’s blushing. And Logan’s looking at him like that and yep, they’re going to find the others right now.

All in all, not such a bad holiday season.

General Taglist: @frxgprince@potereregina@gattonero17@iamhereforthegayshit@thefingergunsgirl@awkwardandanxiousfander@creative-lampd-liberties@djpurple3@winterswrandomness@sanders-sides-uncorrect-quotes@iminyourfandom@bullet-tothefeels@full-of-roman-angst-trash  @ask-elsalvador @ramdomthingsfrommymind@demoniccheese83@pattonsandershugs @el-does-photography @princeanxious@firefinch-ember@fandomssaremysoul@im-an-anxious-wreck@crazy-multifandomfangirl @punk-academian-witch@enby-ralsei@unicornssunflowersandstuff@wildhorsewolf @thetruthaboutthesun @stubbornness-and-spite @princedarkandstormv  @your-local-fookin-deadmeme @angels-and-dreams@averykedavra @a-ghostlight-for-roman @treasurechestininterweb @cricketanne @queerly-fluid-fan @compactdiscdraws@cecil-but-gayer@i-am-overly-complicated@annytheseal@alias290@tranquil-space-ninja @arxticandy @mychemically-imbalanced-romance@whyiask@crows-ace @emilythezeldafan@frida0043 @ieatspinalcords @snowyfires@cyanide-violence@oonagh2@xxpanic-at-the-everywherexx@rabbitsartcorner @percy-07734@triflingassailantofmyemotions @virgil-sanders-the-gay-emo@cerulean-watermelon@puffed-up-bees@meltheromanstan@joyrose-fandomer@insanitori@mavenmush@justablah65@10paradox10@uhhh-hi-there-i-am-nervous@cutebisexualmess@bella-bugatti-frogetti-baguetti@ultrageekygirl

[universitypenguin]

Chapter 19

The Princess & the Lawyer

Summary: Princess tries to make things right with Lloyd. An arrest is made in the case and fur flies when Detective Roth meets Lloyd for the first time.

Word Count: 4,643

Masterlist

Warnings: References to stalking, murder, serial killings, criminal investigations into violent crimes

Author’s Note: The winds from the outer bands of Hurricane Hillary are just starting to blow up to my area and it knocked out my electricity for a few hours (thanks, Spectrum Internet! 😤) Fortunately, it’s back on now and I can finally post this chapter!

Chapter XIX

Sunlight gleamed off the slow-moving Shenandoah River and reflected across the valley. Lloyd’s cabin was perched overlooking the basin where the river wound around a bend and slowed to a crawl. From your current position on the front porch, the river looked more like a sheet of glass than a body of water. Lloyd had brought you here after you’d been released from the hospital. Landon arrived the next day with a suitcase of your clothes and took up quarters in the basement. His presence had been a welcome relief from the thick fog of tension hanging over the cabin.

“Are you going to talk to him soon?” Landon asked.

You tucked your knees under your chin, wrapped your arms around them, and stared at the ex-SEAL without really seeing him. The idea of apologizing had been circulating on a loop in your head for the past seventy-two hours.

“I don’t know what to say. It’s like there’s a wall of ice between us.”

“Yeah. I didn’t realize a person could get frostbite in the middle of August until I spent a few hours with you two. Is this how you normally fight?”

“No. Lloyd usually blows up. The only person I’ve seen act like this is Zach. And we know how that usually goes.”

Landon winced. There was no softening the burnt of Zach’s temper. Reason and appeasement had no effect on it - once he turned into Jack Frost all you could do was wait until he de-thawed. Landon leaned back in his chair, drumming his fingers on the armrest.

“Finding out the way he did was hard on him.”

You shut your eyes as if doing so would block out the truth of his statement.

“I know. Not telling him was wrong, but the risk of him losing control and doing something reckless was too much. I was trying to protect him.”

Landon’s eyes softened. “Everyone knows how much you try to shield Lloyd, but you can’t always stand between him and the rest of the world.”

“I’ve seen him spiral before. I don’t want to do anything that would send him down that path again… but here we are. He’s barely looked at me for more than three seconds in the last few days and he’s treating me like a barely tolerable houseguest.”

“You have to talk to him. It’s been three days and quite frankly, I’m sick of walking on eggshells around you two. He’s not angry. He’s hurt. That’s why you’re not seeing an explosion of temper.”

“He’s never been like this before and I don’t know what to say. I’ve been trying to figure it out for days.”

Landon shot you a sardonic look. “Princess, get it through your thick skull: Lloyd isn’t angry, he’s hurt. You’ve never seen him like this before because you’re the only one who could make him feel like this.”

“Trust me, underneath that hurt, he’s angry. Lloyd is always angry.”

“Fear lies at the center of anger. He’s afraid your relationship is broken and that’s why he can’t look at you. Come on, take one for the team - and by team I mean myself. Go talk to him.”

“How do I face him after what I did?”

“He won’t bite,” Landon said.

“No, but his razor blade tongue should be registered as a weapon.”

Landon’s phone buzzed on the unfinished porch railing. He checked the message.

“If you’re going to apologize anytime soon, do it now. Zach is on his way up with Bishop. They just stopped in town for gas and they’ll be here in thirty minutes or so.”

You glanced through the window into the living room where Lloyd sat on the couch, laptop in front of him, scowling. Your stomach pitched at the prospect of the conversation you needed to have.

Landon stood up, his chair scraping against the unfinished planks of the porch floor. “I’ll take a walk down to the river and give you guys some privacy.”

“You’re leaving me alone with him?!”

“You made this mess, you clean it up.”

“If you hear screaming, come rescue me,” you muttered.

Landon crossed the yard to the trail leading down to the river basin and disappeared into the thick wilderness.

You were suddenly alone. Your hands clenched until your fingernails dug into your palms. There wouldn’t be a good time to do this. You’d never feel ready for it, and Landon was right - walking on eggshells was exhausting. You pushed to your feet, pulse thrumming in double time and turned the knob on the cabin door with trembling fingers, steeling yourself for the ugly confrontation.

Lloyd didn’t look up when you shut the door. He was too engrossed in his laptop. You paused and took in his furrowed brow as he tapped the down arrow to scroll through a page. Finally, when it became clear he wasn’t going to acknowledge your presence until you demanded it, you stepped forward.

“Lloyd? I need to talk to you.”

His finger paused on the keyboard and even though he didn’t look up, you pressed forward.

“I didn’t tell you about the stalker because I thought Aiden was behind the messages and I didn’t want you to react impulsively. I figured he was upset about losing his job and had decided to take his frustration out on me. That’s why I got in touch with his father. It seemed like the most efficient way to handle things.”

Before you could continue, Lloyd’s scowl deepened, and he resumed tapping the keyboard.

“Where’s the transcript of my interviews with Dr. Nguyen? I thought I saved them to my files.”

“The interviews? Um… there should be a copy in your email.”

He grunted and began typing. A few clicks later, his chin tilted up.

“Found it.”

You pressed a hand to your hot cheek, took a deep breath, and marshaled your courage.

“Lloyd, I’m trying to talk to you. I want to explain-”

He wasn’t listening. His fingers were dancing over the keyboard and he was blatantly ignoring you. Peaking over his shoulder you saw the website of the local news station pulled up on the laptop.

“I need to catch this broadcast,” Lloyd said tersely.

Your shoulders slumped. Repressing a sigh, you sat down and decided to wait him out.

The anchor’s voice filled the small living room, announcing their lead story - a thunderstorm warning and flood watch. You settled in as they turned to their human interest story about Harmony High School students giving back to the community with a fundraiser for the local food bank. Then the ‘Breaking News’ banner appeared on screen and you sat up straighter as you read it.

“Now, to the latest developments in a breaking news story. The arrest of a suspected serial killer has stunned the community of Harmony, Virginia. Leo McKenzie, an evidence clerk with the State Police, has been taken into custody and charged with twelve counts of murder.”

You gasped.

“Hush, I’m trying to listen,” Lloyd said.

“The case drags up ghosts of the past. In 2003, Dr. Shun Nguyen attracted international attention to the town of Harmony when he was arrested and charged with the murder of his girlfriend. Nguyen was widely considered to be responsible for the rash of disappearances of several local women between 1999 and 2001, culminating in the murder of his girlfriend in 2002. However, his conviction for that crime was overturned in 2013…”

The reporter droned on as you watched, growing confused as the cameras showed the Fairfax County Sheriff arresting a man in his mid-sixties with graying blond hair. He was stocky and dressed in a rumpled green button down and khaki slacks. His expression was slack with shock as he was escorted to a Sheriff’s cruiser.

“McKenzie’s arrest has cast a fresh spotlight on these unsolved cases, igniting painful memories for the families affected. We’ll keep you updated on this developing story throughout the night. Stay tuned for more right here on-”

Lloyd muted the video. You turned to him and for the first time in days he met your gaze.

“Leo McKenzie? The guy who leaked information for the Rolling Stone article?”

“He’s not a bad suspect,” Lloyd said. “Zach found evidence that he’s tampered with evidence before. Plus, he went out of his way to de-stabilize our relationship with the Roth when he contacted Peter Shaw and framed us for leaking confidential information.”

“You think he’s the killer?”

“No. There’s a few holes in the logic, but I’m waiting to see if those can be resolved. The fact that he leaked information to journalists and tried to manipulate the narrative around the case is significant.”

You tried not to be surprised at how quickly Lloyd had gotten up to speed in a few days.

“This was a calculated move,” Lloyd said, his gaze returning to the muted news cast. “There’s enough agencies gunning for the credit on this case that it wouldn’t have taken much more than a well-timed tip-off to persuade the Fairfax Sheriff to make an arrest.”

You nodded. “Right.”

“It’s impressive, really,” Lloyd mused. “Zach is quite the strategist. I hadn’t planned on making a maneuver this bold, but if it gets McKenzie off the street…”

Your mouth fell open. “Zach is behind the arrest?”

“He didn’t run it by me, but I suspect this is what he’s coming up here to discuss. Leo McKenzie crossed him with that journalist and even though it probably wasn’t intended as a personal slight, Zach’s not the forgiving kind.”

“And I thought I was pissed off by Roth’s decision,” you murmured.

“Zach didn’t blame Roth. He went for the root cause of the problem: McKenzie.”

Put like that, the connection between Zach’s interference and Leo’s arrest was undoubtable. You glanced at the clock and saw that he’d be arriving soon. The deadline refocused you on your goal.

“Lloyd, as I was saying, I want to explain why I didn’t tell you what was going on. When I thought Aiden was responsible, I didn’t want to put you in a situation where you’d react before we’d gathered all the facts. I thought what I was doing was appropriate, but in retrospect…”

He stood up and paced to the window and stood there, staring at the driveway. You heard the crunch of wheels over gravel and understood what he was watching for. Zach had arrived. Your eyes closed on a wave of regret.

Great. Lloyd wasn’t listening to a word you had just said.

“Zach brought company.”

*****

Bishop and Detective Roth arrived with Zach.

They shuffled into the living room with the rugged-faced detective trailing behind. He was dressed exactly the same as he’d been the last two times you’d seen him. A white collared shirt, striped red tie, and his holstered weapon prominently displayed on his right hip. His nod of greeting to you was barely perceptible. In response, you crossed your arms over your chest.

Childish, perhaps, but you were still irritated with him and he was interrupting your conversation with Lloyd. Bishop made introductions and Lloyd and Roth immediately began sizing each other up like boxers dancing around a ring.

“I looked into your previous work, Mr. Hansen. You’re quite the character. It seems your investigative techniques involve more theatrics than actual evidence gathering.”

“And your speciality seems to be old cases and old gossip. Slow and methodical hasn’t paid off in the Nguyen case, now, has it?”

“Slow and methodical is standard procedure and I’m a standard procedure kind of guy. It helps me maintain my credibility, which reminds me, your kidnapping conviction got you disbarred, didn’t it?”

Lloyd smirked. “So, you’ve been through my international portfolio as well.”

Roth studied him with an inscrutable expression, then the corner of his lip twitched. “What did you have to do with Leo McKenzie’s arrest? The Sheriff wasn’t supposed to take him into custody until next week.”

“I’d love to take credit but it wasn’t me. However, McKenzie is at the top of my suspect list.”

“What position?” Roth asked.

“Second place.”

Bishop lips pursed. “I can’t believe Sheriff Cerano swept in and arrested him so quickly, considering the history of this case.”

“He’s got enough evidence to hold him, thanks to my team,” Detective Roth said.

“What are the charges?” Zach asked.

“Tampering with evidence, improper release of classified information, and other charges related to his conduct as an evidence clerk. I’d like to apologize for jumping to conclusions and accusing the two of you.”

You uncrossed your arms.

“Are we good?” Roth asked you.

You tilted your head. “Consider yourself on probationary forgiveness. I’ll let you know in a few days if it becomes permanent.”

Roth looked at Lloyd. “Is she always so hardheaded?”

“Sometimes. Usually it’s directed at me, so this is a nice change of pace. Let’s sit down and compare notes.”

Despite the earlier verbal sparring, or perhaps because of it, Lloyd and Roth put aside their differences and shifted into professional mode as everyone assembled in the living room.

“I consider Leo McKenzie our prime suspect,” Detective Roth said.

Bishop scowled. “Why?”

“There’s long term storage of the surveillance camera footage in the evidence lockers. We were able to confirm that McKenzie wasn’t at work on the night of April 18th.”

“Was he scheduled to work?” Zach asked.

“Yes, swing shift, but he swapped with a co-worker. The co-worker reports McKenzie told them he was going to a concert,’” Roth said.

Lloyd crossed his legs. “A concert in the middle of the week? That’s ridiculous. Is there any other evidence against him?”

“He owns a .22 caliber rifle and matches the description of the person Mr. Corbin saw at Shun’s house on that same night, April 18th. He’s been known to smoke occasionally and frequented the same coffee shop where Julia’s book club met.”

“What about access to the chemicals to dissolve her corpse?” Lloyd asked.

“His work as an evidence clerk might explain that,” Bishop said.

“Technically speaking, all the ingredients he needed are available over the counter,” Roth said.

Lloyd grunted. “What about knowledge of the area where the bodies were dumped?”

“He kayaks up there every summer and his uncle used to work in the concrete industry,” Roth said. “At the moment he’s our top suspect. The Sheriff was preparing to arrest him on charges of improperly handling evidence and obstruction of justice. That’s sufficient to hold him for a long while. Virginia law enforcement jointly decided that everyone would be safer if he was off the streets.”

“So, if you have your man, why are you here?” Lloyd said.

“Because knowing he had the opportunity, means, and access to commit a crime isn’t the same thing as being able to prove he did it. That’s why I need your help. We have a window of opportunity to prove a solid case against him, but it won’t be easy. Bishop and I have discussed it with my superiors and we’re inviting you down to Harmony on a full-time basis to assist with the investigation. You’ll even get your own shared office.”

“It’s the conference room, isn’t it?” Zach asked.

“A windowless conference room,” Roth said, his lips twitching into a smirk.

The Detective’s gaze shifted to you and he tilted his head. “If it’s not too much trouble, I’m very interested in seeing the database you were working on for the case.”

*****

The guests stayed for dinner but left quickly afterwards to get back before the storm made landfall. Lloyd took a walk down to the river and you retreated to the living room where Landon was relaxing with his feet up.

“I take it apologizing didn’t go well?”

You sighed. “It didn’t go at all.”

“How come?”

“He wouldn’t hear me out. I managed three half apologies but he wouldn’t let me finish.”

“Are you going to try again, or call it a night?” Landon asked.

Your shoulders straightened. Where was your spine? Sure, all things considered, you weren’t at the top of your game this week, but the ability to make Lloyd listen was a skill you’d mastered a long time ago. If you couldn’t get through to him, then you had lost more of your self-confidence than you’d realized.

“I’m going down to the river.”

“Have fun…”

Lloyd was easy to find. He was on a bench by the water with a legal pad on his knee, reading a handful of loose leaf pages. As he read, he paused every now and then to consult his legal pad and twirl a pen around his fingers. You paused at the bottom of the concrete stairs that led down to the river basin and watched him from a distance.

His alabaster complexion was darker than usual from a summer of golfing and the week spent on the ranch. His thick hair ruffled a little in the wind because he hadn’t worn as much hair gel at the cabin, choosing to smooth his hair back instead of plastering it into place like usual.

You liked the more relaxed look on him. You wished the image matched his mood but the rigidity in his shoulders proved he was just as tense as he’d been since Tuesday.

When you approached he tucked the pages into his legal pad and clipped the pen to the pad. You sat down on the far end of the bench, leaving an arm’s length between you. The wind carried the scent of pine trees and the smell of rain hung in the air as storm clouds amassed in the southeast. The atmosphere between you held a quiet tension, an undercurrent of repressed anger. The gusting winds that rustled the leaves seemed to echo the mood. You shivered as a gust of wind cut through your blouse.

Lloyd leaned back. “You didn’t need to come all the way down here. It’s getting cold.”

“I’m fine,” you said, wrapping your arms around your torso. “I wanted to apologize. I guess my timing this afternoon wasn’t great. I was only halfway through when Zach arrived.”

“I was still too pissed at you to listen.”

“I gathered as much. I’m sorry for not telling you about the stalking. It was wrong of me to cover it up, especially for as long as I did.”

He sighed, eyes drifting to fixate on the water. “What was it? You thought I’d over react?”

Your hands twisted in your lap. “Yes. Your temper is a force of nature and you don’t have a great sense of self-preservation under the best conditions. You dive headfirst into danger without considering the consequences or your odds of survival.”

“Princess, I’ve faced much worse threats than a vertically challenged lunatic with sharp elbows. I can handle myself. Don’t worry about me.”

“But I do worry about you! I know you can take care of yourself, but as your friend it’s my job to protect you, too - including from yourself! When I decided not to tell you what was going on, that’s what I thought I was doing. After what happened on Tuesday, I know how wrong that was. I’m sorry for hurting you by holding back something I should’ve shared with you as soon as I was aware of it.”

“What was the other half of your apology? I think we got to about this point before I cut you off.”

“I’m sorry for not trusting you to respond with restraint and assuming you’d fly off the handle. Overall, you’ve taken this a lot more calmly than I thought you would.”

His left eyebrow arched. “Calmly? If you hadn’t willingly gotten in the car on Tuesday afternoon, I’d have thrown you in the trunk.”

“And compared to what I thought you might do, that was a very restrained reaction.”

Lloyd snorted. “Don’t be so sure. If Aiden had been your stalker I’d gladly have taken him apart with my bare hands. That’s part of what pissed me off. Your reasons for not telling me were valid. As much as I wanted to tear into you for it, I can’t deny that point. I guess I feel more disappointed than anything. I’ve always struggled with honesty, but with you, it was easy. I didn’t realize that trust was a one-way street.”

You groaned. “If this is you ‘not tearing into me’ I’d hate to have seen what you had in mind earlier.”

He shifted closer and a thick arm curled around your shoulders. You snuggled into his chest as another gust of wind kicked up.

“I really am sorry,” you said. “I’ll say it as many times as you want.”

“Since I’ve been giving you the cold shoulder for the past three days, I think we can call it even.”

You squeezed his waist and burrowed into his arms. “I promise to be more honest with you, even when I’m worried about your reaction.”

His lips brushed your temple. “I’ll try not to sulk so long next time you decide to bottle things up.”

“Is that a whiff of skepticism I’m sensing? You don’t think I’ll be honest?”

“You protect others, Princess. It’s in your nature. But your takeaway from this experience needs to be that lies of omission aren’t how you protect me, or yourself. I need you and I…”

Love you.

Your heart leapt as you filled in the next words, holding your breath to hear him say them for the first time.

“Was that a drop of rain?” Lloyd said.

*****

You and Lloyd made it back to the front porch of the cabin just as the clouds opened up and poured rain down in buckets. Both of you had escaped the worst of the onslaught, but droplets went flying when Lloyd shook out his hair. You squealed when the water hit your face.

“Sorry, honey,” he said, and held open the door for you.

There was no sight of Landon in the living room, so you assumed he’d retreated to the basement.

Lloyd led you upstairs to the loft which housed the master bedroom. He tossed his legal pad on the bed and went to retrieve towels from the bathroom. You stripped off your wet clothes in the closet and found a clean t-shirt of Lloyd's to slip on. When he came out of the bathroom with the towels, you were sitting on the bed leafing through his legal pad.

“Who’s Tate Corbin?”

“You remember Nguyen’s across the street neighbor? Mr. Corbin?”

“Yes. These notes are about him?”

Lloyd rubbed the towel across his damp hair.

“Yeah. Corbin doesn’t have a file, officially at least, so I’ve spent the past couple days putting one together.”

“Why?”

“Because after l reviewed everything Zach has collected on McKenzie, there was one glaring problem. Leo McKenzie isn’t good at chemistry. He failed the class in high school and took the easiest science credit he could in college: Biology 101 for general studies. He passed with a C minus.”

“Not everyone can be a scientific genius.”

“I doubt our killer is a scientific genius, but they know the basics of chemicals, either by trade or education. The brittle bones that were observed in Julia’s remains and the lack of bodies from the remains from the other nine victims points to a chemical dissolution process of some kind. Leo McKenzie doesn’t have the knowledge to perform that kind of a reaction.”

You made a face of disgust at the imagery his words brought to mind and scanned through the file.

“It says he wasn’t named as a person of interest in 2002. Why wasn’t he a suspect?”

“Actually, the first responding officer did raise suspicions about Mr. Corbin. When he answered the door the next evening - this wasn’t long after Shun was taken in for his first round of questioning - he appeared sweaty and pale. Mr. Corbin attributed it to being on a new blood pressure medication.”

“Did he work with chemicals?” you asked.

“He was a merchant marine in the 50s and 60s, working for companies like Odfjell and Stolt-Nielsen.”

“What does that have to do with the case?”

Lloyd’s grin widened. “Odfjell and Stolt-Nielsen were chemical tanker companies. left the industry in the late 60s and settled down in Fredericksburg. He got married, had two kids, and in 1975 the family moved to Harmony where Corbin started a contracting business. His specialty was laying foundations. Between the physical nature of his work and a penchant for jogging and hiking, Corbin stayed in excellent shape. He even hiked the Appalachian Trail from start to finish in 2003.”

“This is interesting, but what about the evidence Roth and Zach collected against Leo?”

Lloyd shrugged. “He’s worth investigating. I’m open to the possibility that he’s the killer, if evidence comes to light that he knew enough chemistry to dissolve a body. But the way Shun reacted when you questioned him about who the killer might be has stuck in my head. He was clearly afraid of someone, so I’ve been trying to figure out who.”

“Right, I noticed that too. He was visibly shaken when I told him about the second body.”

“Shun’s social circle wasn’t extensive, which narrows the potential suspects to his coworkers and a handful of other associates. When I couldn’t establish a connection between Shun and Leo, I kept searching, which led me to Tate Corbin. The guy is a towering ex-sailor with a linebacker’s shoulders. If he posed a threat to Shun, it could explain why Shun didn’t fight the charges harder or point the finger at another suspect.”

You flipped to Corbin’s demographics page and checked the data. “But Tate is eighty-three years old now. Why wouldn’t Shun just take his story to the media?”

“Remember his reaction to hearing about the second body? Someone - probably the killer - put the fear of God in him. Besides, to Corbin, age is just a number. He’s still running half marathons and 10ks.”

“Holy smoke. Do you have his times? Like, is he any good?”

“He’s placing ahead of runners who are a third of his age. The cincher for me is that there’s only one person whose presence at the house on the evening of April 18th can be verified. By his own admission, Tate was at the crime scene and reported seeing a ‘very large man’ lurking around. Conveniently, Tate Corbin is a very large man.”

“You think he lied to the police?”

Lloyd chuckled. “I don’t think he anticipated the interrogation. When he was caught off guard, his brain couldn’t compose an entirely fictional story, so instead of lying outright, he just bent the truth.”

“Should we bring Roth into the loop?”

“Let’s continue piecing things together over the weekend. We’ll let the news about Leo circulate and make sure Tate has a chance to see it. And since we’re relocating to Roth’s conference room on Monday, we can present our findings to him then. I want to have a clearer picture of the case against Tate to make sure he merits our attention before we discuss it with Roth.”

You looked down, pretending to read, and hid a smile at Lloyd’s final comment. Evidently, Roth’s barb about theatrics had stuck its target.

“That sounds like a plan. I think working together will be good for you two.”

Lloyd rolled his eyes. “Oh, please. He’s such an asshole.”

“Mmmhhh. A real piece of work.”

Irrespective of the investigation, Monday promised to be an exciting day. The anticipation of the clash between Lloyd and Roth brought a real smile to your face for the first time in days. And as fiery as their reaction to each other might be, you had a suspicion that they might turn out to be an excellent team - if they didn’t kill each other first.

*****

Next - Chapter XX

*****

Masterlist

*****

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[brideofdiscord-rewritten]

Bride of Discord Rewritten

Chapter 3: The Return

So far, the Gala was a success. Even the snobbiest of ponies were enjoying themselves. While Pinkie Pie kept the entertainment going, Rainbow Dash and Applejack were hanging with the young creatures of far and wide, who acted as transfer students to the ponyville school districts. They were eager to see them both. applejack slinging her arm around rainbow's withers, pulling her close as rainbow leaned her head onto the other's.

The rather snobbish ponies simple snickered at their best outfits from home. "Why, they are just like school on a Sunday! No class."

"I wanna be just like you!" they kept saying to either one or the other, oblivious.

"Aw, shucks," Applejack blushed.

"Think big, kids," Rainbow said. "With a lot of practice and guts, you can go anywhere!"

"Girls," Twilight interjected. "Have either of you seen Fluttershy? It's almost time for her performance."

"What, She weren't in her dressin' room?" Applejack asked.

"No, I checked."

"She's probably out in the garden. Ya know how she feels more comfortable round' the critters."

"relax guy, I've got this." Rainbow volunteered.

In the garden, rainbow began before she stopped herself. "hey hey hey! It's Raaainnnnbow da-!"

Indeed, Fluttershy was observed in the garden, surrounded by marigolds that made her face glow. warming up her voice, She was so nervous, she felt like it was going to crack. Even in that state, her voice was fine tuned Spanish guitar. EADGBE, her tuning. Her chords rattled and sent vibrations through Rainbow's chest and throat. She felt like she did when she flew, like nothing could ever be wrong again. Am, G, C, G, A. Ripples through clear northern waters. Am, G, Em, C, G, Am.

"Oh, what am I doing?" she muttered to herself. Her enchanting chords broke into radio crackles. "I can't go up in front of every pony and sing."

"Why not? We all know you're great."

She turned to see Rainbow Dash in her Wonderbolts uniform. She embraced her with a smile.

"I'm happy to see you."

"Really?" Rainbow asked. "Because the others told me that you haven't been very happy lately."

Fluttershy glanced down at her hooves. "Well, um…"

"They say it's because you keep having nightmares about Discord?"

She looked up at her with serious eyes. Her gentle baby blue eyes now cerulean in hue as she looked beyond her eyebrows, head lowered.

"It was different. In my dreams, he usually just holds me and laughs. That's what I dreamt he did last night, but this time, he was…" She shivered. "Stroked my mane.. with his talons, and I was powerless... All I worked for was nothing."

Rainbow put her hoof around her. She gave her a comforting squeeze. Her coat was glimmering Prussian blue. Just enough undercoat to have her a fluffy feel. Of course, she'd have it sheared had it not been very cold. The loose hair would fall off in her performance anyhow.

"Hey, it was just a dream. And in dreams, things don't mean diddly squat yo! I had a dream where I was rarity's cat , but I was orange. And I headbutted a table. WHATEVER! You'd be able to pound him to a pulp if it were real! You've got to hang loose. This is a party!" She pat Fluttershy's back. "Crap, That reminds me. It's time for your song."

"Oh, I don't really feel like singing…"

"Don't tell me you've still got stage fright! Come on, don't you remember how you helped us all with that hurricane?"

"Singing's different from flying."

"You're a great singer! You were able to sing that pet song with me."

"That was when I was only around you and the critters. But there are hundreds of ponies here, watching me and…"

"Don't worry. I'll be right there to support you. We all will."

Fluttershy gulped. "Okay."

"for real though, we need to hit the buffet. I'm so hungry..."

Fluttershy turned to rainbow. Her features more defined under solid jet black light.

"...how hungry?"

Discord was bored with the entire scene, though he had to admit this year's gala was much more interesting than last year's and the year before. Still, there just wasn't enough chaos! So to entertain himself, he pulled a few pranks on the posh ponies, like making a hare appear in the punch bowl, but he could not draw attention to himself until the time was right.

He chuckled as he watched the baby dragon attempt to attract attention from the older mare, rarity for a dance. Applejack did her best as his "wingmare," giving in only because it was adorable to witness his first crush. She remembered the feeling, and hey! What she would give to dance with rarity as well! Unfortunately for spike, only one of them got what they truly wished for.

He looked around the room and noticed that the little dragon Spike was attempting to get a dance with Rarity. He rolled his eyes. Give it up, kid. It's never going to happen. Though he had to admire his persistence. Meanwhile, that party pony Pinkie Pie was, rather consciously, making a show of herself.

"IM P TO THE INKIE TO THE P, THE I, THE E, and while I'm at it ponies, won't you be friends with me?! I'm PINKIELICIOUS!"

It was then that Twilight pulled the microphone away. With considerable effort. and Thank you! Discord silently said to himself. You finally do something right!

The princess tapped the mic, getting every pony's attention.

Ladies and gentlestallions, put your hooves together for the Grand Galloping Gala!"

A cheer erupted from the crowd. The children, in their higher pitch grated on the ears. The Lord of Chaos grunted. He didn't mind children, ones who caused annoyance for simple pleasure were especially entertaining. But why couldn't they just be born sounding like Maregan Freeman?!

"Well, there's more to come," Twilight continued. "We have a wide range of entertainment planned for you tonight, including an air show, full of daring dives and booms from the one and only esteemed Wonderbolts!"

The crowd stomped their hooves and the Wonderbolts flew up and bowed slightly. Discord simply yawned. I might as well do it now, he thought, but the alicorn kept talking.

"But first, we're going to hear a song from a very good friend of mine. Mares and gentle colts, the Element of Kindness herself: the illustrious, Fluttershy!"

Spike, a smaller onlooker, turned his head to see his crush's beautiful smile of perfect whites, only to witness her hooves intertwined with Applejack's, nuzzling her cheek as the workhorse clinked ciders with rainbow dash, and noogied her mane.

At that, at least he could still see her smile.

Oh, goody! The little wimpy pegasus is going to sing! This ought to be hilarious. Then he noticed the awestruck looks on the stallions. What are they staring at? Discord followed their gaze like a Lazer, laying his eyes upon the softest feather of a sight.

The yellow pegasus was walking nervously up to the mic. a flowing, nearly translucent green dress flowers off her figure like a waterfall, gentle as a breeze. It highlighted her round features like a butterfly wing, so delicate and fragile, yet poised and headstrong. with white daisies braided in her smooth baby pastel crimson mane. It was the first time in years that Discord had seen the Element of Kindness. His mirror did not do her justice. And she was…she was…

He shook the thought out of his head. How alluring her features were, so aware of that she'd have to be to captivate the mind in such a manner. She was a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Fluttershy looked out towards the audience and felt her hock and fetlocks buckling under the pressure. Then she noticed her five best friends and the Cutie Mark Crusaders in the front row, giving her assuring smiles. She glanced over at the pianist, who nodded and played her starting note. Her voice was weak at first.

"Can…any pony…" she cleared her throat, "find me…some pony to…?"

The music swelled gently, like the unfolding of wings. Her voice echoed through silver halls until it couldn't.

Her wings had to unfurl. She has to hover.

"LOVE."

Her wings sprung out, loose feathers flew as the piano matched their cue. The drums kicked to the lighted as they burst into a purple blaze.

"Each morning I get up I die a little

Can barely stand on my hooves,…"

The backup began,

"take a look at yourself!"

"Take a look in the mirror and cry

Lord, why do what you do?!

I have spent all my years in believing you

But I just can't get no relief, Lord!

Some pony…"

"Some pony!"

Fluttershy started to smile. "Some pony…"

"Some pony!" sang her friends.

"Can any pony find me…some pony to love?"

The ponies stomped their hooves to the beat as it banged through the auditorium, and cheered. Fluttershy blushed.

From her great chest rose the shaking of the halls, as she belted out her every thought.

"Got no feel, I got no rhythm

I just keep losing my beat…"

The audience, "She just keeps losing her beat!"

"I'm okay, I'm alright."

"She's alright, she's alright!"

"Ain't gonna face no defeat!

I just gotta get out of this prison cell!

One day I'm gonna be free, Lord!

Some pony…"

"Some pony!"

"Some pony…"

"Some pony!"

"Can any pony find me…?" Fluttershy pulled the mic off the stand. "Some pony to love?!"

A wide grin spread across her face as she continued singing. Soon the audience was nothing but background vocals and loud cheers, just instrumental, as she was lost in a world of her own. In the spur of the moment, she flew high into the air. She soared, she face stretched to fit the sheer emotion she could never express.

"She works hard!"

"Every day…"

"Every day!"

"I try and I try and I try!

But every pony wants to put me down

They say I'm going crazy

They say I got a lot of water in my brain

Got no common sense

I got no pony left to believe!

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!"

Discord watched her performance in astonishment. Was this the same pegasus he had met in the labyrinth? Was this the same pegasus who ran at the sight of butterflies? Who hardly ever uttered an audible word? Was this pony singing in that strong, confident voice, spinning circles in the air, shining in the spotlight, really the 'weak and helpless' Fluttershy? How her wings beat to the rhythm, her thin skin distorted to give way to raw, unadulterated enjoyment, and yearning...

He watched as she danced during the interlude. Every move she made was delicate and graceful, not a single flaw present. She was a ballerina, somehow performing a lone Pas De Deaux, she was Odette, fragile swan, somehow utilizing every muscle and sinew to create a powerful pose every second, balancing everything on her seemingly delicate frame. It made him sick.

"Find her some pony to love…"

"Find her some pony to love…"

As they repeated the line, Fluttershy kept twirling in the air, forgetting all her troubles. Nothing in that moment mattered but the wind in her coat.

Then she felt something grab her hoof and spin her around, but she was so lost she thought nothing of it. She did not even hear the screams from the ponies. It was after her mysterious partner had dipped her that Fluttershy opened her eyes and her smile disappeared, replaced with agony.

Standing over her, holding her in his arms, was the very object of her nightmares.

"My dear Fluttershy, I had no idea you had such a lovely voice!"

She was frozen in place and had lost all knowledge of speech. She could not even scream. A cry from a familiar voice broke her out of her trance.

"Get off of her!"

Rainbow Dash bolted from her personal area betwixt applejack and rarity, cut between them and protectively moved her friend behind her.

"What?" the draconequus shrugged innocently. "We were only dancing."

"Discord," Twilight growled between her teeth.

"Ah, Twilight Sparkle. Or should I say your highness? Surprised to see me? Well, it certainly has been a while since last we met. Sorry I didn't send you a postcard." He glanced down at the fillies onstage. "Well, if it isn't my three little saviors!"

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle hid behind their sisters, while Scootaloo sought protection from the closest adult, Pinkie.

Rainbow interjected, "don't change the subject! It ain't Saturday night, and you sure as hell ain't getting feverish! Now what do ya want?!"

"I thought it was obvious. I've come to take over Equestria!"

The crowd gasped. The children cowered in fear and huddled around Applejack, with rarity in hoof, as they assumed a battle stance."

"Ha!" Twilight smirked. "You should have stayed in hiding, Discord! Now that you've revealed yourself, we can turn you to stone!"

"Oh, really?" Discord said. "As I recall, you need the Elements of Harmony for that."

"Yes! Exact…" She then looked around at her friends and realized that they weren't wearing their necklaces. How foolish they were to ever take them off! That maniac wanted this! He was planning this whole damn charade!

But she stood defiantly. "We don't need the Elements of Harmony to teach you a lesson!"

Light enveloped Twilight's horn as she prepared a spell. Discord raised an eyebrow.

"You're kidding, right?"

She shot a purple beam; He swatted it away as if it were a housefly. It bounced onto a nearby Greek column and burst it into pebbles.

"You really think that's going to stop me? Have you forgotten?"

He then snapped his eagle talons and Twilight's horn disappeared.

"Hey!" she cried. "Give that back!"

"Really, Twilight Sparkle? Are you as big a stick in the mud as Celestia? Truly, you should know how to party at this point!"

He snapped his fingers again and a puddle of mud appeared beneath the alicorn's hooves. Pinkie Pie snickered.

"Stick in the mud! That's funny!"

Twilight groaned and used her wings to pull herself out. "Just you wait until Princess Celestia gets back! She'll give you your just desserts! She might even use you as a PARTY PLATTER!"

Discord clutched his stomach as he laughed. "What's the matter, Twilight? Can't run a kingdom by yourself? You need big sissy Celestia to come and make everything all better?"

"Hey!" Rainbow Dash belted. "Lay off it!"

Discord only smirked and squeezed fluttershy in response, earning him a pained yelp.

Rainbow had enough. "THATS IT! say goodbye to ya kneecaps, CHUCKLEHEAD!"

She charged toward him, but he only had to step off to the side to dodge her. Rainbow hit a pillar, almost causing it to fall. She swerved in a roundabout manner, shaking off the dizzy sight and once more flying towards him, contorting her body to kick him. He teleported her with a snap, off to the floor where she simply poofed, and stood there, before trying to steal a weapon from the royal gaurds.

"Have you ponies learnt nothing from our last encounter?" He cackled. "You even thought I was gone for good!" He looked towards Fluttershy. "Except for you, my dear."

The pegasus was stunned. She winced with every move. "How…how did you…?"

She tensed as he took her chin in his claw and said lowly, "I've been watching you."

"You touch her one more time and you're gonna get it, Dipcord!"

He held up his hands. "Very well. I have other things to attend to anyway." He turned to Twilight. "I'm afraid Celestia won't be able to help you, given her current predicament in," he used air quotes, "Saddle Arabia."

The duchess tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

He chuckled and snapped his fingers, causing an image to materialize. The crowd gasped as they saw Princesses Celestia, Luna and Cadence sitting in a cage, their horns missing from their heads in what seemed to be real time upon a cloud screen. Shining Armor narrowed his eyes at Discord and hissed.

"What have you done with my wife you MANIAC?!"

"She's perfectly fine, I assure you. So is her foal, by the way, though it would be a shame if something were to happen to her mother before her birth."

The prince's eyes widened. He looked at the floor as he seemed to momentarily forget the threats being made against his wife and unborn filly. "Her? A filly?"

"Yes, you're having a girl! Congratulations and blah, blah, blah!"

"If you lay a... WHATEVER THAT TINY THING IS ON YOUR PAW on MY Cadence…!"

Discord snapped the image away. "Wouldn't dream of it, but if any of you ponies even try to defeat me in any way, your princesses will never see the light of day again!"

In a flash, he was wearing a tie and standing in front of a map of Equestria.

"Now for the weather! Today's forecast is cotton candy cloudy with a chance of chocolate milk! You know what? Might even be raining cats and dogs! Hope every pony gets home safely!"

With a final triumphant laugh, the draconequus disappeared and lightening struck indoors. The crowd glanced outside as it started to rain chocolate cats and dogs. Every pony screamed and ran out of the ballroom in panic.

Pinkie and rarity stuttered, "what, like, he's just gonna leave? Didn't actually hurt anypony??"

Applejack held spike. "Dang, he just quit?"

Rainbow dash spat venom in his general direction, "yeah, I dare ya, rage quit. C'mon, make us both happy!"

"Every pony!" Twilight commanded. "Calm down! Everything is under control!"

No pony listened to their duchess and they started flocking outside.

"Keep it together! Stay inside until further notice! I…"

But the crowd took their chances and hurried home through the chocolate storm. Even the Wonderbolts dashed out of there, retreating above the clouds to perceived safety. Only the students, Shining Armor, the palace guards, the princess and her friends remained.

"Applejack, Rainbow Dash!" Twilight shouted. "Get the students down to the cellar! They can stay there until the storm blows over. It's not safe for them to return to the flimsy school."

"Copy that," Rainbow saluted as she and Applejack began escorting the frightened fillies and colts out.

"Fluttershy, you keep an eye on Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. Don't let them out of your sight."

The pegasus nodded. She was scared out of her wits, but she was willing to protect those three at all costs.

"I'll round up the guards to help all the citizens of Canterlot get inside," Shining Armor volunteered. He looked hollow, yet terrified, like his thoughts raced.

As every pony set on their tasks, Twilight hung her head. How could she have let this happen? Equestria was in peril because she had not been prepared. Even if she did have the Elements of Harmony, she could not power them without her horn. She let her mind wander into dark corners.

"Good idea, Shining Armor," Twilight said. "We'll rendezvous in the throne room in an hour! The most important thing to do now is to keep calm!"

Pinkie pie looked introspectively out the window, resting her hoof on the foggy glass. The dimmed light shot up as she spoke, and her face bathed in shadow.

"chocolate rain. Some stay dry.... And others feel the pain..."

Some princess I've turned out to be.

[a-round-watermelon]

Been listening to "Where's My Juul" lately, so I decided to write a shitpost with the Bonten Trio.

Ran Haitani x female reader but its really just reader going off

Warning: shitty writing

=================================

WHERE'S MY JUUL

=================================

The music is blasting, your eardrums are trembling, these disco light blinding every surface of the club.

Today Ran Haitani decided to let loose tonight with his perfect little angel, aka you, plus his brother and that crazy pink clown ( basically dont exist, don't mind him ) in one of the well known clubs Bonten owns.

Sanzu was drug up as per usual, downing bottles of alcohol. Ran and Rindou was at the VVVIP lounge with cigarettes and hookers, having a good time. You however was on the dance floor, spilling beer with your smudged makeup and one broken heels in your tiny black dress.

Wanting to get some smoke in your system, you start reaching out your pocket for your JUUL ( specially custom made ofc) when you notice the pocket was empty. Panic start rising as you fiddle a few more seconds. Your JUUL was MISSING.

"Where's my JUUL?" You ask the girl beside you. The girl shakes her head so you ask another and another and ANOTHER AND ANOTHER. FUCKKKKK

"WHERE'S MY JUUL!!"

You begin to push everyone out the way. Some even knock over. You were getting everyone attention.

You choke the nearest person, eye to eye, and ask calmy, " Have you seen my JUUL? "

"No? "

" HehehaHAHAHA "

" YALL BETTER START LOOKING FOR MY JUUL!!! "

You push the poor guy on the floor and step on his head.

" If I find anyone holding it, I'll sLam THat bITch doWN YOUR FUCKING THROAT YOU FUCKING BASTARD! "

Them knowing you are one of Bonten Excutive lover, everyone immediately start searching. At this point you were on berserk mode and shouting at everyone and anyone.

Sanzu was at the counter when he heard your metal screams and was like " GO GURL TOTALLY GET YA!!!! " and " totally get her, I would lose my shit too if I can't find my pills , am I right? " to the guy who was desperately looking beside him. The guy was lowkey crying and pissing his pants.

You were flipping every table and smashed the beer bottles, shoving everything out the way. Security was like " uhmmm should we stop here? She is the boss gf? Don't look at me, idk either "

The metal screams reach the Haitanis extra sound proof room. Ran was like damn some crazy bitch is going hard tonight and Rindou being the logical one wondering why security isn't doing anything, not knowing it was you.

" You sure we don't need to check it out? "

" You know what, fuck it, I would like to meet a bitch who can scream like that, bet y/n would be best friend with them. "

Going outside, it is a mess. The screams were getting louder and louder. And at the center of the attention was you, stomping barefoot and flipping everyone off.

" WHERES MY JUUL!!! WHERES MY JUUL!!! SO NOT COOL!!!!! WHERES MY JUUUUUULLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "

Ran was memesrize, you were so fucking perfect, with your perfect looking hand slaping everyone, your manicure that took hours scratching everyone faces, and your cute little screams filling up the room, music to his ears. Even your angry face was so cute, how can anyone be so perfect.

He was standing at the side admiring you going offfff through his rose coloured lenses and his brother standing beside him was like what it wrong with you.

" Bro stop your gf, she's literally is making this club look like a hurricane, eyeone getting hurt. "

" Oh right, they probably deserved it anyway, look at Sanzu there cheering her on, GET THEM LOVEEE!!! "

Rindou facepalm so hard and Sanzu was on the floor laughing his ass off.

" She can't find her JUUL, can you imagine how upset she is right now? " knowing normal logic won't convince him, Rindou use tactical reasoning against Ran, begging he will actually stop them.

" Don't worry, I know where it is. Knowing her, it's probably in her bra, happen a few time before. "

Rindou was speechless at this point. Like bruĥ stop herrr I want to enjoy my day off without everyone panicking trying to find your gf JUUL when you know where it is.

Seeing you start to get a bit tired and not wanting you to wake up with a painful throat tomorrow morning, Ran decided to finally step in.

" Honey~♡ " Ran calls out and approach you.

" WHAATTTTTTT, I CANT FIND MY JUULLLL "

Your nose start sniffing at the sight of your beloved.

" Awww it's okay baby, I think its right here " he points to your bra.

Calming down, you reach in and Boom your JUUL. You smile so radiant at the sight with your smudged mascara and tears wetting your cheeks you had Ran staring still, trying to remember every detail and imprint it onto his brain.

" Thank you babyy you're the best. Sorry everyone, it was here all along. Thanks for the help tho. "

" No problem love, they probably need that workout anyway. "

Those poor souls were just glad they escape from your rage. It was a peaceful night afterwards with yall talking bout it in the VVVIP lounge.

[tmrrwppl]

"I wish you'd stop trying to destroy yourself in some misguided effort to feel worthy. "

some angst idk y’all i like crying

Her hands twitched, nearly crushing the box she was storing away in the supply room, marker-labelled 'lightbulbs' in her neat writing. As it was, she heard multiple pops as they did not survive the pressure that had blown out of her fingers. She swore, giving the box a violent look before it flew across the room, slamming into the wall to his right and dropping into the trash bin with a crunch of glass.

What a waste of a run.

Finally, she spun on her heel, staring him down, fully aware the eyes they shared and that anger. Constantly boiling under her skin like a sickness, and because he was half right, she was destroying herself, but not to feel worthy. Why would she want to feel worthy for them. The ones who had hurt her? She was on edge because she didn't want more people to die. Destroying herself was the sacrifice.

"Last I checked, we're in the middle of a war, Roger."

She wasn't sure how the words came out so calmly, she wanted to scream them at him. He who should understand the most-- since he helped start the god damn thing before she was even out of diapers!

"An' last I checked, I'm the only one of us who knows how to run supplies... without gettin' shot at." The southern drawl was thick, her tone dangerous, forewarning her uncle of her imminent explosion. Oh, she was not like his family in that, she was from way down south with the cottonmouths and gators. Hurricanes and swamp lights. The violence of the ocean. The ghosts that hung in the spanish moss on the breeze.

The anger in her mind came from his side, but the heat in her blood was all her, and her raising... where she was regularly told she was not worthy and useless.

Nature vs Nurture, indeed.

"So yeah, I'm gonna keep doin' what I do. I have been burnin' my entire candle for years and I haven't died yet. But I promise you, it's not cause I want to feel worthy. I don't give a damn about that. It's 'cause if I don't do it, we all fuckin' die down here or out topside. Because that's what used to happen once John started bringin' more in. This war y'all started... that's why I do it. Except now I get the distinct pleasure of bein' the pariah 'cause whoop-de-doo, my father was the one tryin' to hunt us down like animals."

"And you let that happen with this bullshit plan of y'all's." Her finger pointed right at him, her head tipping to the side, directly accusing him with her words. "Why the fuck would I want to 'feel worthy' to anyone. At this point none of y'all even deserve it."

[midnightdevotion]

Thunder

Maverick X reader part 4 to hurricane

Warnings: SLOWBURN, AGEGAP,

a/n: Sorry for being spotty at best when it comes to posting, I am trying to be better!

Sighing, maverick scans the bar for you once again. Probably his third time doing it in the last 3 minutes. It's been 2 weeks since he saw you out on that beach, and at first he was thankful for that. Unsure what he would do when he saw you, what he would say to make up for all his terrible behavior.

Now he's just begging to see you. Sitting at the hard deck for the fourth night in a row is not something he would normally do. What he can't figure out is why you haven't been working.

He can't help the tightness is his lungs as he fears that maybe you were done. Done with him and done with this little seaside town. Feeling like lead has settled in his stomach he takes another sip of his beer.

Desperate to see you walk through that door. To see you laugh with Penny and give his pilots a hard time. God he just wants to feel your soft skin as he brushes hair out of your face.

He groans audibly.

"Still nursing that beer Pete?"

"penny please, tell me where she is"

"She asked me to give her some time off, I don't know what she did with it" they both know she's not telling Pete everything. He just doesn't know if it's because you asked or because Penny is the one playing protective.

Feeling another sweeping wave of melancholy settle in his chest he moves to leave. Taking a quick detour to use the bathroom first. When he steps out, starting his new nightly routine of 2 beers, and restless sleep. An imaginary check goes by the 2 beers. He doesn't really look forward to the next part.

Here at least, while he's sitting in his sadness and drinking his two beers he has hope. Hope that you will finally come back in through that door.

Then he hears it. He's halfway to the door and he hears your laugh. For a moment he feels insane, like he's finally broken after two weeks of constantly thinking of you, but then he hears you speak and he knows it's real.

It feels like slow motion he turns his head and see's you standing and hugging Penny. There's a rushing sound in his ears, and he can feel his mouth open and close. You haven't seen him yet, and he's nervous.

Do you even want to see him? Did he miss his shot and now he's just stuck here wishing he wasn't an idiot? His mouth feels dry and suddenly his feet are moving.

It's like an invisible string pulling him to you. He's halfway to you when you turn. He hates the way your smile dims until your face is nothing but blank towards him. The sight makes his heart squeeze painfully in his chest.

"Can we talk please" your voice is filled with no emotion and even though all he's been dying to do is talk to you, now he's not sure if that hope is going in his favor.

"Of course" you walk past him, close enough he smells the sweet scent of apples and he follows. You walk to the back room of the bar, turning to face him as the door swings shut.

The quiet thump of the music and loud crowds can be heard through the door but neither of you pay it any mind.

"Okay look. You might not think so but I. am an adult, and I get it you don't actually want me in anyway the kiss was nothing but a mistake but please stop making me feel like I did something wrong. We both participated so we both need to handle this like adults"

Hearing you call it a mistake had his heart freezing in his chest. It wasn't a mistake- the mistake was leaving you and then pretending nothing happened.

"It wasn't" his voice comes out hoarse and filled with emotion, you glance up at him and he sees confusion in your eyes before he sighs.

"Don't call the kiss a mistake" your brows furrow and all he wants to do is ease all your confusion away and make you laugh.

"Then what would you call it"

"everything" he hears your breath hitch and he takes a step closer to you.

"I know I was an ass, and I regret it, I've regretted it every night since, but if you really do think it was a mistake, if you really don't want this- us-- Then I'll go and I won't make it weird but you have to know for me it was everything" He reaches his hand up, brushing his thumb along your cheek.

"mav" your voice is nothing but a whisper and yet it makes his heart soar, just to plummet when you take a step back.

"you don't get to just-- to just kiss me and then ignore me like I mean nothing and then suddenly flip the script and think that's okay! I'm not just some toy for you to play with when you are bored" Anger flames up your cheeks and you huff out a breath.

He tries to step closer but you put a hand up.

"Just stop Pete I can't do this tonight. You can't just make me feel like shit, and disposable for weeks and then come back when you want. You--- you are such an ass! You know that?" Your mouth opens to say more but you slam it shut, and walk out of the bar all together.

His shoulders slump, that is not how he wanted this to go, pain flairs in his chest and he sighs.

"Mad is good" He glances over and sees Rooster standing there.

"what do you mean mad is good?"

"If she wasn't mad it would mean she doesn't care. Clearly she still cares, what you did was shitty, but she still cares." and the pesky flame of hope starts right back up in mavericks chest.

Hope. He would work with it, if you still cared then he could gain your forgiveness. He would win you over, because in all his years a kiss has never left him so starving for more than when he kissed you.

He groans though, because when did he become the kind of guy who needed advice from someone he changed diapers on. Rooster gives him a comforting hand on the shoulder to top it all off, like he knows where Maverick's mind is.

"C'mon mav we can brainstorm Ideas to get her back tomorrow, but tonight just drink and play pool with us" Pete agrees with that notion, anything he did tonight would make it worse, you needed time and he would give it to you, but he's no where close to giving up on you.

He just hopes you feel the same about him.

@miccissleeping

@creativecu1t

@alanadetigy 

@luckyladycreator2 

@multiplefandomsmess 

@tkmarvel-divergentbish

@ohh-to-be-a-frog

@roosterschanelslut

@americaarse

@malindacath

@atarmychick007 

@trikigirl271

@lustfulseonghwa

@smoothdogsgirl

@mavqueen

[ever-fics]

Rock you like a Hurricane Part 2 - Cheer

Rock you like a hurricane part 2: time periods flip between (1980-1985) (and the year of the previous chapter.)

For Y/N the year 1980 was ... late elementary early middle school.

Y/n remembers it well... It was the last time y/n ever felt ... safe truly safe, last time Y/n could actually trust anyone, last day of calm before the storm.

"I just think you look like her a little..."

"Like my doll?"

"Yeah."

"Aren't I the younger one shouldn't I be asking you to dress up as something."

"That doesn't always have to be how it works... Just dress up as the doll I look like the other doll the friend one but you."

"Only for you but I get to choose both our costumes next year."

________

There never was a next year...

There was barely a next week...

________

"Where is it Suzie?"

"You probably left it in the car again by accident."

"Your older you ... have your own toys why cant I have one thing thats mine? People call me Suzie's Sister .... Like I don't have a name of my own we have the same last name, the same room I ask for this one thing to be mine."

"Well maybe you should keep a better eye on things be more responsible... Thats what Mom says anyway."

"I was responsible I ... You took it stop lying! I ask to have only one thing of my own!"

"Yeah well we are sisters we share."

"Yeah Well I wish I was an only child.... That you didn't always lecture me on how I can be better to measure up to you! I wish I had a sister that didn't steal my toys! Have fun at your meaningless party. I hope betraying me and stealing the doll you asked me to dress up as makes you happy." *The conversation replays in Y/Ns memory.*

__________________________

The story's Present

Michael for his own part doesn't usually do this but it isn't hard to find the university housing Y/N is living in. It didn't take long to find her dorm by asking around. 6th on the left Peabody Building.

Michael is hesitant to knock knowing exactly how Y/N would react.

"Okay... uh Hi... look if your with the frat house that egged my car....save it. Also If this is about me reviewing a thesis or a project for you ...  Its my day off so It'll cost extra."

"Y/ N N .... Oh is this another one of your shady homework deals ... Ill pretend I didn't see anything but when your done can you do the ... thing you do with the computers to make them go faster?"

"Whos?" Micheal asks referring to person who just spoke.

"Roxanne ... The R.A. Look I will check out the computers later ... Just tell the others to stop trying to get free music Win.amp  and those other sites sometimes attract viruses ,hackers, which would be why it slows down in the first place." Y/N sighs

"And What about installing the security cams you promised?" Roxanne counters.

"You covering it? Or is the school..? Because I'm not paying for it. For quality pre assembled cameras its expensive... going down to radio shack to get parts to build it from scratch is... more expensive." Y/N explains.

"Fine look ill talk to the school just do whatever hack trick you do for the computers..." Roxanne requested..

Before gesturing an awkward call me at Micheal while walking away."

"Is uh ...?"

"She always like that pretty much its gotten a-lot better though...She used to front this punk band and They weren't quiet. Anyway what was it you wanted?" Y/N questioned.

"Oh.. Yeah.. you still think Im a frat…Its me Micheal... as in Afton as in please don't tell me you went to Hurricane High ...Micheal from the arcade the other day..." Micheal explained

"Oh! Yeah Micheal who ditched the conversation." Y/N deadpanned

"I -I didn't ditch I.." Micheal panics

"Relax, Im joking..." Y/N chuckles

"The electrical outlet blew at the end." Micheal explained.

"You look ... different." Micheal added.

"Thats... really how you want to start this conversation?"

Y/N raised an eyebrow

"No, I didn't mean it in a bad way ..." Micheal explains.

"Look Afton, Why are you even here? Its not like we were super close when we were younger." Y/N asks.

"Do you remember the classes we had together in 84-85” Micheal wonders.

"Barely why?" Y/N questioned

"I was an ass to you before. I learned that the hard way... With what happened to Evan. You were one of the only people who still talked to me after that. I know you gave the notes to everyone but writing things back and forth kept me. It kept me from being stuck. Anyway uh... I owe you. So if you want me to look for information on Suzzie I can." Micheal offered

"Can we stop?"

"Stop what?"

"The secrets Afton... Your Father was the main suspect... and I know she's dead but...  Not exactly. She doesn't always feel gone she...never really felt gone Nobody believed me back then but... Now... Something tells me you know exactly what I mean. I'm not imagining things." Y\N explains slightly annoyed.

"I...I know. I'm sorry. I don't know where my Dad hid the bodies... He sort of hated me after everything. I just know he... He killed her... And that when I work night shift weird stuff happens. Weird as in the spring suits move on thier own weird.. Arcade machine will stop us from talking because an unknown message thinks I'm hurting you weird." Micheal explains.

"I... She actually is there then... It was never just me or wishful thinking... She doesn't talk to me. I... I was so mean. I can't even blame her." Y/N looks away wiping the small tear dripping down her cheek.

"Hey... Shhh... It's okay." Micheal whispers trying to see if she was ok with a hug. She nods and he just holds her as he explains.*"I don't think that's why she doesn't come to you.. I think she just doesn't want to hurt you. I have to agree...having Utah's superstar upset? Absurd."

__________________________

Classes of 84-85

Considering the incident with Evan a little more than a year prior.

Uniforms the same Color red that stained his own hands, his own clothing, the color the flashed in front of him whenever he tried to sleep a deep dark red...

It grabbed his attention but what further grabbed his attention was Y/N ... At this point only the assistant cheer captain of Hurricane high.

"Stop gawking its weird dude..." *Of the other students around told him*

"I wasn't." *Micheal panics*

"You weren't? That might actually be weirder...

But hey the skull-crusher and the cheerleader totally sounds like you have a shot there ,killer." the student he is talking to just laughs at his own remarks.*

"Can you screw off?"*Micheal snaps.*

"Like the unhinged deathrobots your Dad makes?....sure." *The other student snarks.*

Micheal just walks away agitated and Isolated deciding to stay in the gymnasium simply because Rock you like a hurricane was playing.

What he didn't expect further was Rock You like a hurricane to be made into a cheerleader number.

...

"Y\NN!  Stop doodling and try attending to your duty  as assistant cheer captain." *The cheer captain whined

"I was actually... taking notes .Unless you'd like me to attempt acrobatics in the middle of taking notes where our team can improve."*Y/N explains.*

"Dont backtalk me. The only reason you are allowed to have any power in this squad is because the Cheer coach pity's you and I let you on because I used to be friends with your older sister.  You somehow ended up a disappointment... Even when we expected nothing from you to start. For the record this is why I liked Suzie better. " *The cheer captain sneered.*

Y/Ns face just dropped before it turned  smirk

"Guess the feelings Mutual because I liked Suzie better than you too. Especially because by your own logic if she were alive she would have had your position I still would've been co-captain and you... well we know what you would've been.. Hey coach can I please have  somebody with actual authority read over my notes

Thanks." *Y/N hands the coach the notebook before cheer practice ended. Though most of the squad was clapping by that point. Especially considering the how the coach approved of her notes.

The next time Micheal spots her is when shes leaving the cheer locker room. Her uniform had been ripped

"Y/NN? You changed your name?"  *Micheal notes*

"Yep." *Is all she says.*

"Are you okay?" *Micheal asks.*

"When has it ever mattered to you before Afton?"*Y/N glares..*

" Just because I don't ask doesn't mean I think it doesn't matter" Micheal pointed out

"Look Its nothing..."*Y/N sighs.*

"Nothing doesn't destroy uniforms..."*Micheal countered.*

"Shit." *Y/N tries to stuff the uniform back in her backpack. And hide it so no one else would know.*

"Look whatever she did it isn't the first time people have used me as target practice..." *Y/N thinks out-loud.*

"They shouldn't..." *Micheal noted.*

".... I know. Look um... I have to run because I'm going to have to fix my uniform but your in my psych class." *Y/N excuses herself.*

"I noticed that too... I mean .... Its First day of the semester. So kinda hard not to hear who's name gets called." *Micheal... tries to play it cool.*

"Sure." *Y/N waves beginning to walk away.*

______

"If you actually want to help me with my sister... I could use the help. Truth is you don't really have to ask forgiveness. You and I are... more alike then we like to admit. Anyway....Im sorry too." *Y/N explains.*

"Why?"

"Because I... I... used to be nervous around you. I worried maybe you covered for your Dad but uh.... In all honesty you didn't have much of a choice. Thank you for being honest with me."  *Y/N admits*

"Used to? As in past tense." *Micheal smirked.*

"Shut up!" *Y/N laughs.*

[chronicbeans]

Circles (The Heilwald Loophole x GN Reader) Prologue

TW: Slight Trypanophobia (mentions of syringes), Injury Mention, Hospital Setting/Themes

Waking up, your head feels like it is about to explode. Your back hurts, as well, as you slowly rise to your feet. You brush off dust and grime from your arms, noticing the debris that surrounds you. Looking up above, you see a large hole is the ceiling of .. wherever you are.

"Oh, you're awake!" Someone whisper yells from nearby. Looking over, you see a thin man with crooked glasses. His blonde hair is an absolute mess, as if he just walked through a hurricane. He seems to be speaking in a New York accent. He continues, saying "My name is Jackson. If you couldn't tell from my accent, I'm not from around here. I was visiting from the USA for an Oktoberfest celebration. Who... who are you? Do you know where we are? Oh, wait! I'm sorry... Uhh, how do I say this in German? Sprechen sie Englisch? Ich kann nicht Deutsch sprechen."

You shake the dizziness from your head. The man's German is... off, but you can understand what he is asking. You nod, saying "I'm (Y/N)... Yes, I can speak English. I don't really know where we are. Do you think it's a hospital? You ARE wearing a patient gown, after all." He looks down to himself, seemingly surprised at the fact. "Oh... Yeah... I do remember umm... Getting injured. I just don't remember being taken anywhere. This isn't a patient room, after all."

You walk right past him, over to the door, saying "Well, let's find out where we are. Maybe we can even get some help!" He quickly panics, stammering as he fumbles with his words "Are you- are you SURE? Maybe we should just wait here! I'm sure somebody will find us-!" "Do you want to get left behind? It will be better to actively seek help. Especially if you are injured, as you mentioned.

He hesitates, before nodding. "Fine. I'll come with you." He trots behind you, stopping every now and again to check out the boxes. You are starting to assume that this is a storage room, of some sort. Remembering the large hole in the ceiling, you ask Jackson "Do you think we might've fallen through the floor into the storage room? Like, the both of us were in a patient room, before a sort of... cave in happened?" He is quiet, before shrugging "I don't know... as I said, I don't even remember being brought here. I just woke up, saw you, then decided to wait in the room. I wasn't even sure if you were alive, to be honest... If that room up there is a hospital room, wouldn't there have been debris of like... medical equipment, instead of just stone?" "I guess that makes sense. Hey, what's that?"

You walk over to a pile of boxes, picking up what seems to be an empty syringe. There's just... a whole bunch of empty syringes on this pile of boxes. Jackson stands behind you, looking rather pale. "Now... why don't you put that down, now? I... I really don't like needles. Plus, what if they've been used? They don't have syringe caps..." You place it back down on the box quickly, frowning. "Ew... You're right. I feel like I need to wash my hands, now."

"What are they even storing in here, anyway? Some of these boxes feel cold, as if they are packing things here that need to stay frozen. Why not just use a freezer?" You pick up a box, continuing "Then others feel warm. This one sounds a bit like it is storing... I don't know... beans or something?" Jackson grins "Beans? Like coffee beans? It would make sense, depending where we are at. I'm not so sure about the cold boxes, though..."

You shrug, opening the next door, only to let out a shriek of shock as you see a man standing there, seemingly waiting for you.

[pbs-theundeadmaggot]

all i have left to give

(AU) Steve Harrington x gn!reader

[a/n] If you haven't listened to Thousand Below’s latest album go check it out, I am literally obsessed with it. This is another song fic for Stevie cause he lowkey gives me soft angsty vibes. i’m not entirely sure about the end but I've spent months working on this piece trying to put my thoughts into words, cause the love I have for this song is beyond belief. As always reblogs are always appreciated and I would appreciate it even more if you would check out my latest fics as they have got zero attention and I’m feeling a lil insecure about them.

[warnings?] The upside down doesn’t exist, all ‘adult’ characters are aged down (18/19 yrs) and are all in their final year of high school. really its just angsty miscommunication/misunderstandings with a happy ending (although slightly ambiguous?). Also I have no idea how the american school system works so… and in the UK prom happens after you finish secondary school so thats what i’m going with for this.

other works available here!

20 odd years looking for the same heartbeat found in your rapport,

I see your eyes gleam and you’re happy with him.

You know the saying “you don’t realise what you have until it’s gone” well that never rung truer to Steve then it did right now. He’d been so caught up in a hurricane of mixed emotions that he’d completley neglected the one person who stood by him through all his parent's bullshit and more, you had seen him at both his best and worst yet you loved him regardless, even when he was being a huge asshole towards you, you couldn’t stop the swell of your heart beating against your ribcage, threatening to break through. You were there for him in a way no-one else ever was, whenever he was upset or frustrated you would hold him in your arms, wrapping him up like a saftey net and gently run your fingers through his soft hair, whispering that it was okay and that he was safe. He would cry on your shoulder almost shaking with nerves and sometimes anger and although it worried you, you let him continue until he could finally tell you what was wrong because in the end no matter what had happened, the two of you always confided in each other no matter how fucked up the situation may be. 

He didn’t even realise he’d lost you until he pulled up to school in his worn down car, he’d had a shitty couple of days which had made him irritated and all he wanted right now was to be wrapped in your soothing embrace, his parents constantly on his back about how much of a disappointment he was to them. It was never a “hi son, how are you?” Or “I’m so proud of you” and while he expected it from them, he still hoped that one day they might show him just a little care, yet that never happened. However, he didn’t expect the sight he saw, stopping in his tracks while his mood dampened even further. 

Edward Munson the resident freak had one arm wrapped around your shoulder, the other holding a cigarette. The smile that graced your face and the way you looked up at him with a fond gaze broke steve in half. You were wearing the infamous Hellfire club t-shirt, matching with Eddie and while his bad reputation stood stronger than ever, you looked like an angel. The two of you looked close, closer then he would’ve liked and it made him wonder how long the two of you had been a thing? How much had he missed?…

Steve wasn’t jealous. No. Why would he be? He just wasn’t used to seeing you with other guys, usually it was always just the two of you. Never needing anyone else when you had each other. Although, he had to admit he had been somewhat distant recently but not to the point where you would stop being friends with him and seek comfort from someone else, right? 

i’ll keep my distance so the light never dims.

Perhaps he’d been an idiot. Scratch that. He had been an idiot not even noticing how the last text you’d sent was weeks ago, how the daily calls the two of you had were all replaced by multiple missed calls that never got answered by him. He didn’t notice how you no longer had week long sleepovers together or midnight adventures to get ice cream. And he most certainly hadn’t noticed how your parents no longer greeted him when they saw him out and about, deciding to simply smile and wave from afar with a pitiful look in their eyes. 

Looking back on it now he should have known. He should have noticed. He was supposed to be your best friend, your twin flame yet he’d given all of that up to chase popularity and other girls, only seeking you for his own comfort and never for yours. He had become the man he said he would never be. He was selfish and greedy, too stupid to put his pride and ego aside and apologise to you, more than willing to throw away everything you had together. How he hadn’t realised the sparkle in your eyes dull and the smile on your face grow tired? He felt physically sick just thinking about it, he’d taken the years of friendship for granted and the one time he really needed you, he no longer had you. 

It was no secret Steve’s parents cared more about their reputation and money then they did him but your family had practically raised him, filling the evergrowing gap his parents carved out. Not only had he turned his back on you but your family as well. His thoughts were spiraling out of control, making him dizzy with guilt and shame. Your parents probably thought he was a piece of shit. oh god. What if they saw him in the same way his parents did? He thought being rejected by his parents hurt, well the pain of this realisation tore him from the inside out.

but tell me i’m not dead

tell me it’s okay,

tell me we might’ve worked on a simplier day.

Believe it or not Steve was a complicated man, he was the shell of a broken boy and wether he liked it or not he was damaged goods. He’d gone majority of his life where his parents constantly brushed him aside as if he meant nothing, eventually he began to believe it. Perhaps it was a coping mechanism of his where he felt the need to constantly push those close to him away, looking for a way to reject them before they did to him, searching for an excuse to explain the damage done to all his past relationships, or perhaps it could be simply explained by the fact that he was an asshole, probably all of the above. Yet, like a toddler throwing a tantrum he refused to change his ways, stuck in a never ending cycle of abuse at his own hands.

He knew he needed to apologise and explain himself to you but he couldnt bring him self to do so. Ashamed of his actions and afraid you would only confirm what he believed. He was a waste of space, not worthy of your love and attention you once gave him. He couldn’t bare to see the disappointment in your eyes, tears threatening to fall, silent echoes in the back of his mind screaming at him to let you go once and for all, knowing that he didn’t deserve you and all he would bring is pain and grief. 

He was a monster. And he did what monsters do best.

Live up to their reputation.

Tell me life goes on, 

Tell me i’ll be fine,

say the pain wil stop, 

it’ll pass in time. 

The first weeks of senior year had to be the worst time of your life, Steve had jumped ship to a bigger and better one, claiming his place as the King of Hawkins High, leaving you to be devoured by the fame hungry commoners and ego fuelled elitists. At first you wanted to believe it was just a phase, that the popularity would work its way through his system and soon he would be back to the Stevie you knew and loved so deeply. As the weeks grew into months you managed to find your place in the hierarchy of school, gaining a reputation for being an outcast, perhaps even a Satan worshipper with help from the one and only Eddie Munson. He’d become a good friend to you, seemingly replacing Steve by filling your time with lessons in DnD and grand monologues quoting his favourite book, Lord of the rings, although, deep down you knew no-one could ever replace Steve, not in the way you hoped. 

You told yourself you wouldn’t be the girl that chases after a guy. You knew your worth but you also desperatly wanted your best friend back. Trying everything you could to get his attention, from leaving notes in his locker, waiting by his car after school, climbing up to his bedroom window in the middle of the night, name it you’d probably done it. Stupidly thinking that you could fix whatever had gone wrong between the two of you, believing that you were the reason he no longer wanted you. 

It was only when you noticed despite all the attempts that he didn’t seem too bothered by your lack of presense in his life, in fact he seemed happier then ever, leaving you to go crazy wracking your mind with all your flaws and imperfections, wondering why he would ever treat you like this? How he could let you go without even so much as a fight? 

You’d heard about the rumors floating around that he had become a heartbreaker, his reputation for wooing the girls that lusted after him, only to become another notch on his belt, yet a part of you couldn’t believe the sweet young boy you used to know had turned into a douchebag like this. Only once you saw him in the arms of another, his signature smirk painted across his face before he leant in to kiss her, did you realise that the rumors were true. 

Maybe you were naive in thinking Steve would always be by your side, that he would never hurt you, but you couldn’t help but feel the hollow space in your chest everytime you heard of his latest conquest bragging about his performance and how he would promise them the world. His name no longer gave you joy and hope instead leaving a bitter trail of betrayal behind. His voice, the one that used to make butterflies arupt in your somach now made you nauseas with pain, believing all the words he once spoke you truly meant nothing if he repeated them to a dozen others. 

And maybe i’ll belive you then,

and maybe we can just be friends, 

and i could tell you about the things i’ve seen

And you’ll never have to suffer all the pain I keep once again.

You wondered if he was happier he no longer had the weight of your love on his shoulders, he sure seemed it spending his time with a girl round one arm and drink in the other. Had he discovered that the love you still held for him was never strictly platonic but one that ran so deep it would kill you before you ever stopped loving him? You’d wishied it would've already. 

A bitter laugh arose in your throat as you recalled the day that you vowed not to speak to him ever again. A little dramatic for a 7 year old if you asked now but back then it felt like your world was crashing down, hard and fast with no sign of life to appear again. Neither of you could stay mad at each other for long though, forgiving him only a measly 8 hours after he’d put frogs in your favourite sandals and set them to float in the little lake nearby. He’d claimed he was only trying to give them a nice place to sleep, knowing how much you adored the colorful jelly bears that sat on the strap of your sandals, believing that they would make the perfect nest for the green amphibians that would now haunt your dreams; that the love you held for your dollar store sandals and the love he held for his favourite slimy creature would make them invincible to whatever may come to hunt them in the future. 

If only younger you could see you now.

Now that you think about it how he managed to come up with that logic was beyond you considering he was still just a dorky immature child to you, one that you proudly called your best friend. 

Your laugh was soon replaced with a sour expression staining your face, your heart dropping at the thought that you would never be able to return to those simpiler days where nothing really mattered exept for having each other. All you had left of him was ghosts of the past and faint glimmers of memories you once shared together. You were all alone. Your best friend had scrubbed you clean from his life and you’d never live the future you once dreamed of, one that included your Stevie in all aspects.

But i’m not sleeping well these days,

I’ve been better if we’re being honest,

death is all i see in place of a smile,

i can barely stop it.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Steve had invisioned his future so many times and this was never even a possibility; you were always there by his side. He thought he might go to college and if all went well he’d prove his parents wrong. Although even if he did, that wouldn’t matter because you and your family never judged his worth over something so mediocre like a scholarship or a degree. He’d hoped to get a place of his own, eventually have a place to call home where he would raise his brood of Harringtons. If he was lucky he’d finally admit how in love he was with you, how he wanted nothing more than to hold you tight in his arms and never let you go, how he absoluley adored every part of you from your kind and gentle nature towards everyone and anything to the sparkle in your eyes that were filled with oceans of emotion he could happily drown in.  Hell maybe you’d agree to marry him one day, the soft whispers of “i love you” being spoken for as long as you both lived. Eventually in decades to come the story of your love would be passed down to future generations and no longer would the Harrington name be stained by its previous reputation, instead it would continue to flourish with everlasting love and fullfillment that even the most seemingly perfect families would be envious of. 

Unfortunatley though that was just a wish upon a star that would never come true, forever destined to follow in the loveless, narcissistic repuation his parents would gladly pass onto him. As he laid in the confines of his bedroom after a long shift at Scoops Ahoy he couldn’t help the warm tears spill down his face as he scoffed at his younger self for thinking his life had fallen into place back when he’d become the King of Hawkin’s high. Almost hysterical laughter bouncing off the empty walls at the idea that the friends he once had beside him would remain at his side through anything. Simply fucking breaking down at the thought of Nancy Wheeler being the love of his life when all he really wanted was you.

I’m under, it’s over, it just wont show,

I feel it, it’s overloading in my brain i’m sure,

I know it. 

Soon enough, the day came where you and your fellow classmates were no longer confined to the dark corridors of Hawkin’s high school. The day you would venture out into the world and be at the hands of reality to either succeed or succumb to the pressures of society. You didn’t think it would be so emotional but something about standing with groups of people you practically grew up with, saying goodbye weighed heavy on your mind. 

Sure, you didn’t like some of the people but that didn’t mean you wished ill will upon them, plus you weren’t saying goodbye to just the people but everything you thought you knew about the world. For some this change could make or break them however, without the saftey and security of your once best friend, doubt knawed at you, filling you with anxiety. 

Eddie stood beside you, arms linked and proudly smiling at your families in the crowd. You knew there was a graduation party going on at Steve’s though you weren’t sure if you wanted to go, afraid that you wouldn’t be welcome although, Steve would never turn you away. Eddie had tried to convince you, soon giving up and deciding to chill out and revel in the newfound freedom you now had. 

There would be no waking up at 6 am to get ready for school, no more homework you would have to stay up late to complete, no detention for being young and stupid and most definitely no lessons you were forced to attend and listen to. of course that was unless you decided to go to college but why would anyone want to put themselves through more school? 

Steve’s parents thought otherwise, when they found out he didn’t want to attend college they grilled him to no end. If he thought the critisism before was bad, it now was a nightmare, thankfully for the most part they were too busy travelling and doing god knows what while Steve moped around at home. Stripped of his title and left to fend for himself he became a no-one once again, fading into the background in the small town he was trapped in. 

I’ll probably speak your name on my last breath, 

just because,

It’s all that I have left to give.

The days grew longer and nights became lighter as prom approached, Eddie being the non-conformist he was decided prom was not for him which you respected however, that didn’t mean you were happy about the idea of going alone, having no-one to bring you one of those cheesy corsages or match coloured outfits. 

Back to a time that now felt millennias away you and Steve had made a pact that you’d attend prom together as long as you were both single, it didn’t have to be romantic considering neither of you had admitted your feelings for each other but you couldn’t deny the hope bursting in your chest that maybe just maybe he liked you that way. Of course now you knew that would never happen, you would have to be content with your own company perhaps finding solace in being alone, not having to worry about the expectations of prom. 

What you didn’t realise was that Steve was thinking the exact same thing. The time spent apart had given him a lot to think about and reflect on, realising that he had been in the wrong the entire time and while thinking he was doing what was best, resulted in nothing but heartbreak for the both of you. He couldn’t go on like this, stuck in a state of limbo where everything was so grey and dull, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he didn’t atleast try to get you back. Lord knows he would spend the rest of his life beating himself up for the mistakes he made, forever wondering about the what ifs? 

He had a plan. With the help of the freshmen kids he’d befriended and babysat in the past year and his former classmate turned good friend Robin, it was set in motion. He just had to hope you would atleast hear him out long enough for him to confess his feelings. Dustin being the little menace he could be convinced you to attend prom with him,as friends of course, afterall he was like a brother to you so you knew you’d at the very least have fun with him. 

.·。.·゜✭·.·✫·゜·。

So tell me I'm not dead,

tell me it's okay,

tell me we might've worked on a simpler day,

tell me life goes on,

tell me I'll be fine,

You were a jittering mess, nervous to attend prom with the thought of having to face Steve for what could be the very last time. The idea of having to see him in all his perfect glory with his latest girlfriend, acting all lovey dovey while you watched from afar still feeling the hurt he caused you. Thankfully the ring of the doorbell interrupted your thoughts before you could talk yourself out of going, smoothing the sides of your outift you opened the front door not expecting what was on the other side.

The smile you had perfectly curated began to fall at the sight of his messy chesnut hair and nervous smile, pushing back tears you turned your attention to his outfit, a classic suit probably borrowed off his dad and a corsage in hand he stood in all his former glory. For a minute you forgot you were supposed to be mad at him, silently taking in his appearence as if all of this was a twisted dream and would disappear in an instant. 

“what-why are you here?” if the confusion on your face wasn’t apparent then the shakiness in your voice would atleast be, urging yourself to remain strong regardless of the outcome of whatever the hell was happening right now.

“uh I-“ The boy puffed, words spewing from his mouth in a jumble of incoherent sentences “I’m taking you to prom” He stated matter of factly, nodding his head towards his car as a sign that he wasn’t lying. 

“I thought Dustin was taking me?” the sentance came out as more of a question than a statement, making you cringe slightly at your attempted indifference to his presense. 

“Well you see…” He rambled on, fiddling with the corsage in his hands while speaking a million miles an hour, as if he was trying to say as many words as possible before he ran out of breath.

 “and Dustin tied me to the chair” he continued not realising you were zoning in and out trying to comprehend the words leaving his mouth.  "a clown” “JELLO! He made me eat JELLO” emphasis clearly on the Jello and at this point you wondered where exactly this was going because it sure as hell wasn’t convincing you otherwise. 

“I needed to talk to you” The words peaked your interest finally as you looked him dead in the eyes for any sign of deception or humour.

“First of all, couldn’t you have just said that instead of rambling on about clowns and Jello? which frankly I don’t have a flying fuck what that has to do with this and second of all, what makes you think you have the right to talk to me after the way you treated me the past year?” Clearly he wasn’t expecting the sudden anger although, he couldn’t blame you after everything thats happened. Pausing before speaking again, this time in a more calm and collected manner.

“I love you. I’m in love with you” If anyone was watching right now surely you looked like a fish out of water, gasping for air as you processed the words he had the audacity to utter.

“What the fuck?” Now this had to be a nightmare. There was no way you were hearing the boy you dreamed of daily speaking those words to you. For you. It had to be a joke right? His friends put him up to this and yet again at your expense you would become the walking punchbag. “That’s not funny” Attempting to slam the door in his face, not in the mood to deal with his bullshit anymore, prom was not worth this amount of hassle, even more so if it involved Steve Harrington.

“Wait, wait!” he approached begging you to hear him out “I’m serious I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU. PEOPLE OF HAWKINS I AM MADLY IN LOVE WITH Y/N Y/L/N AND I NEED EVERYONE TO-“ 

“what the hell is wrong with you?” Pulling him in frantically in order to keep what little dignity you had left. Thank God your parents weren’t home to witness this, not even sure how you would explain whatever was happening. 

“Please just listen to me. Fuck. You can hit me for all I care, just let me say this” Pleading with those stupid doe eyes you couldn’t help but give in, after all this time they still had the same effect on you, rendering you into a speechless lovesick mess. “I’m an idiot okay? I thought- I know you deserve better then I could ever give you and I thought I was doing the right thing. I wasn’t. I hurt you-I abandoned you. I promised you I would always be there for you and I wasn’t. I am so sorry. I’m so sorry” Tears clouded your vision as you gave into the pull, wrapping your arms around him in an embrace you deeply craved. “I love you and I will spend the rest of my life loving you because you are the only person for me and I had to tell you, you needed to know. I needed to know if i had any chance or if I had fucked us up for good because i can’t live with the regret otherwise, thinking about the what ifs and what could’ve been.”

and you could take my breath,

it's all that I have left to give.

All the pain and anger you felt was erupting from your body, breaking you down in front of him. Sobs wracking your frame as you clinged to him, desperatley needing to be close to him because despite how angry you were at him, he was your rock and you needed him. Just like he needed you. 

It could have been hours or weeks passed by the time you finally had the energy to pull away from him, feeling a sense of guilt for unloading all of these emotions onto him, ashamed that he witnessed the pain he caused you. The pain he didn’t deserve to see because you were better then that, or so you thought. Neither of you knew what to say, unsure of where you stood knowing the next words spoken could make or break your future. The two of you must have looked like a mess, slumped against the front door in a tangle of limbs, your makeup running down your face, hair messy and eyes swollen and red. 

You pondered on his words for a moment wondering if you could truly forgive him for all he’d done. You knew the answer to this yet a sadistic part of you wanted to turn him away and watch him pay for all the damage however, you could never do that not when he had now handed you his heart on a silver platter, saying the words you had longed for him to say to you. 

It would take time to heal and move on but for now you would settle for whatever ‘this’ was, lapping up the stability you felt in his arms, head rested in the crook of your neck, gentle breaths gracing your skin as you ran you fingers through his hair in a soothing manner. Simply content with each others company, basking in the shift that had occured between you, no words needing to be exchanged other than soft whispers of “I love you’s” and “i’m sorry’s” echoing as reminders that you could get through anything together. 

[tenebraevesper]

Five Nights at Freddy's: Nothing Remains, Night 31: Shattered

''Yesterday I died, tomorrow's bleeding, fall into your sunlight. The future's open wide, beyond believing, to know why, hope dies. Losing what was found, a world so hollow, suspended in a compromise. The silence of this sound is soon to follow, somehow, sundown. And finding answers is forgetting all of the questions we called home, passing the graves of the unknown.''

 – Shattered by Trading Yesterday (Nightcore)

xXxXxXx

It was a bright, chilly day in Hurricane as a lone figure walked down the streets, focused on reading something from her notebook and then placing it into her backpack, then slinging the backpack over her shoulder. She sighed, feeling as if she was carrying a rock on her shoulders rather than her backpack. She wasn't surprised though, as school had started a while ago and she was already getting more homework than she wanted to deal with. She had figured that, after what she lived through, that school wouldn't be that bad. She should've known better.

At least Tessa's not talking to me. That's something. Sam smiled bitterly, aware that the only thing a teenager like her should be bothered by was typical school drama. However, she didn't wasn't really keen on making friends with people who put themselves above others just because they believed that they had something that made them better than their peers.

She took another deep breath and continued walking, soon entering a familiar street. She smiled as she saw the building in front of her, Freddy Fazbear Pizza, and stopped in front of the window, noticing her own reflection. Several strands of her hair were out of place and she brushed with her fingers through them, trying to neaten them up. Looking past her reflection, she could see the checkered patterns on the walls and the drawings and posters that decorated the restaurant.

It's supposed to be a place where fun and fantasy come to life. Sam smirked. Well, they weren't lying in the advertisement, since I certainly was never bored while being here.

She was a little hesitant about entering the building, reminding herself that her shift would start in the late afternoon. However, she then figured that it wouldn't hurt to go inside, just to check on the Showtime Animatronics and make sure they weren't ''malfunctioning'', as Fazbear Entertainment would put it.

They pretend that they don't know what happened, but the consequences of their past actions will eventually catch up to them. After all, this happened to the one who started this whole tragedy.

xXx

The room was quite dark, but the light from the stage was enough to illuminate at least part of it. He could see a lone figure standing in front of the stage, observing the animatronic performers, who seemed to be singing just for her. He felt a little anxious about approaching her, wondering how she would react to his presence; whether she would be happy to see him again or angry that he had abandoned her. He had promised to himself that he wouldn't lie to her, yet he did, knowingly shattering her heart. Still, she was here and he wanted to use this opportunity to apologize to her.

''Sam?'' he called out to her, causing the girl to turn around.

''Springtrap?'' she whispered, completely surprised to see him. He didn't answer, still feeling nervous about her reaction. However, all of his worries were blown away when she suddenly ran up to him and hugged him tightly. ''I missed you so much!''

''Me too…'' Springtrap whispered, closing his eyes as he embraced her, happy to see that everything was fine, just the way it used to be.

However, moments later, he could feel Sam's grip around his neck loosening, with her letting go off him. The air grew thick and he had trouble breathing. He felt tense, not wanting to open his eyes, as he realized that something was incredibly wrong with this. He could feel Sam falling over, forcing him to finally open his eyes, which widened in pure shock and fear.

Instead of seeing Sam being well and alive, he was holding her decaying corpse. Her skin was sallow and pale, her body being so thin she looked like a skeleton, and there was a blood-covered wound on her chest. Her dark brown hair was thin and falling out in clumps and her eyes had been gouged out, with maggots wriggling inside them. William let the body fall, staring at it in horror. Sam's corpse then fell apart, the bones within shattering and her body turning into ashes, which faded away. William then fell on his knees, shaking, as the room around him changed, revealing nothing but darkness that surrounded him.

All he could hear was a creepy, chilling laughter that belonged to a child, echoing through the void that was his personal Hell.

xXx

The Story Continues...

Five Nights at Freddy's:

Obsolete

This was his final performance and he knew that he wouldn't return. Still, the glitch he had created remained, forcing William Afton, alias Springtrap, to confront what he had left behind. Even Sam is troubled by his return, aware that, beside her, there is another person who decided to carry on his murderous legacy…

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#Five Nights at Freddy's: The Untold Story (Masterlist)

[sallytations]

Survivor at 78!

It is my birthday today. To have survived until the age of 78, is a feat made of some unlikely combination of luck and hubris. When I think back to some of my life adventures, it seems amazing that I am still here.

There was the time we got caught in an approaching hurricane, while sailing our boat off the coast of Hawaii. My friends Eric and Richard and I were trying to get to Maui to what we thought was safe harbor before the weather turned truly hazardous.

But the hurricane unexpectedly veered toward us.  We were in grave danger.  The coast guard came out to facilitate a rescue, guiding us back to safety.  This was in the early 70’s, before there were such reliable electronic communication and navigation systems.

Then there was the time I went into the jungle of Uganda to try to photograph gorillas.  Our party included a conservator acting as guide, a professional photographer from Paris Match, a woman assistant photographer, some bushwackers, my friends Eric and John Paul and me.

We were all carefully schooled by the gorilla expert on what to do and why, including that we should never show fear to a charging gorilla. Unfortunately, the woman assistant photographer got hysterical when the gorilla charged toward us. 

Her screaming, exactly the wrong thing to do, caused me to turn around and slap her in the face because she was a danger to us.  She stopped screaming, but the charging gorilla veered toward John Paul, picked him up, bit him and threw him into the jungle.

After the gorilla went back toward his family and away from us, we carefully separated the bushes and discovered John Paul, alive, but bleeding from a wound in his buttocks.  So, our guides made a stretcher out of tree limbs and shirts. We then trekked back to the nearest outpost of civilization, a coffee and tea plantation.

Traversing the rows of growing coffee, we approached the main house and knocked on the door.  A portly gentleman dressed in shorts, with an ascot around his neck, answered the door.   He had a glass of brandy in his hand as he greeted us.

We explained our predicament – an injured companion bitten by a gorilla.  The plantation owner approached the stretcher where John Paul was lying face down.  Describing the gorilla, he said, “Oh. The bloody bastard,“ while pouring the remaining brandy from his glass into the open wound.

Years later, on a lunch break from the courthouse in Santa Monica, I was having lunch with friends, regaling them with the gorilla story.  Suddenly, a man approached from the other side of the restaurant, affirming the story I had just told.  It was John Paul, who was visiting from abroad and had gone to the courthouse in search of me.  Having been told that I was at lunch, he came to the restaurant.  My coworkers were amazed, both at the story and at our reunion.

I also suffered altitude sickness at the base camp of Mt. Everest when I went up with an all-woman expedition.  I needed to come down to a lower altitude immediately.  The problem was a snowstorm swirling all around.  My Sherpa, An Lang Mo, guided me down, even as I kept insisting that I wanted to stop and rest, which would have been fatal. 

I also thought it would be a good idea to take off my jacket, since my body core was terribly hot.  In these kinds of circumstances, your body tries to preserve vital organs by flooding your core with blood to the detriment of course, of your limbs.  Luckily my trusty guide was stronger and wiser than I was, and we made it back down to a safe location where I could recuperate.

In 2011, I was diagnosed with a grave form of cancer.  My doc told me that I “should get my affairs in order,” because I probably had 18 months of life left.  After four rounds of chemo and a bone marrow transplant, I survived many years until now, a remarkable thing. 

In the years following, I got pneumonia several times as I checked off places on my bucket list. That is, I went to Bhutan, a nation where there is a national happiness index to absorb the culture and see Tiger’s Nest Monastery.  I also went to Paris with family to stroll the charming streets and eat at my favorite little cafes. Then we went to Argentina so I could learn to dance the tango. Brielle cooperated in this endeavor, dancing beautifully.  All the family came to stay and celebrate my idiotic fantasy.

So, as I look at my foreshortened life span, I am filled with incredulity at the life I’ve lived. I am grateful for the astonishing good fortune that I have such wonderful family and friends.

Love to you all....