#You just walking through the halls and all of a sudden WHOOSH his leg is there tripping you over

[juicyjuicy05]

Bros I just know in my heart that Kunimi would commit random acts of violence

[achaotichuman]

Eris Vanserra

Through a combination of spite and wanting to write out my feelings, I've created this slice of tragedy. Thank @fell-in-luvs for putting the idea in my head.

Trigger warnings- Domestic violence, physical abuse, mild thoughts of suicide, implied self-harm.

Head between his knees, hands over his ears. Just keep breathing. 

Porcelain smashed against the ground, and he heard her screaming. Just keep breathing. 

He yelled at her, voice reverberating through the hallways. 

She screamed at him, still young, still unknowing of what pain it would cause, to never raise his voice at her. 

Then she screamed, she screamed in pain and Eris sobbed into his knees. His small, red face, wet with tears. On wobbling knees, barely big enough to open the door he had been sitting beside, he reached up and pulled down the door handle. The glistening gold burning from fire leaping under his skin. The five-year-old threw the heavy wood open with all the strength in his body.

She was thrown across the wooden floors of the bedroom, crying so loudly as blood poured from her nose, and her eyes swelled from a bruise now blooming. Beron reeled his fist back, screaming at her disrespect, at her insolence. 

Eris screamed, the boy leapt at his father, flames sparking on his hands, “Stop!”

He hit his fathers legs as his lungs burned for air. The continuous chant of begging and demanding pouring from his hoarse throat, “Stop! Stop! Stop!”

Even with all the fire he found within himself, Beron grabbed his short red hair and threw him down to the ground. Eris cried as the air whooshed from his lungs, he gasped and gasped, but his throat refused to allow any oxygen within. 

“See what you’ve taught him, you fucking whore!” Beron screamed at his wife. 

She cried, arms trembling as they tried to lift her from the ground, but it was of no use as her husband descended upon her again. Fist pulling back, a scream and the cracking of bone as he met her jaw again and again. 

“Let her go! Let her go!” Eris shrieked. A bruise appeared on his face as a red mark. He was shaking until it was so hard to so much as walk, he tried to rush at Beron again. But the male pulled up a wall of fire that scorched Eris’s hands and face. 

Eris screamed and threw up across the floors. Darkness edged in his vision and he looked up to see the image of his mother, bawling as she bleed and bleed. She begged and pleaded, but Beron’s hand wasn’t merciful. 

“Stop it! Please stop it!” Eris cried from the floor. 

He remembered the light of the moon from that night. How it shone in through the large glass windows, all shut and locked. He remembered how it shimmered across his mother’s blood smeared across the floor. 

Eris blinked the images away, forcing his eyes back to what he was seeing. His mother stared into her food, hands neatly folded in her lap. Beron howled with laughter, and the sudden laugh caused both to flinch suddenly. Though Eris’ was far less noticeable. 

With no eyes on them, with every courtier at the dining hall preoccupied with sucking up to Beron. No one at any particular spot, as the formalities had been forgotten after the thirteenth bottle of wine had been opened. 

Eris reached out, hands gentle and calloused, they just managed to brush the back of his mother’s hand. The six-year-old that begged for his father’s hands to keep off his mother’s skin peeking through. 

But this was no longer the woman that remembered her own will. This was no longer the woman who braided flowers into his hair at celebrations, and she was no longer the woman who patched his knees when he fell off his horse. 

She pulled away from his fingers so abruptly a nearby lady looked over. Quickly her eyes turned back to Beron’s sneering grin. 

“Mother-” The word slipped from his throat before he could stop it. 

“You’re just like him.” His mother hissed. 

Eris stared. 

Not one of his father’s hits, not one of his words, or training, had ever…

Punched him as hard as that. 

“Mother-” His voice cracked, breathing was hard again. 

He was back on the floor, without air in his lungs, he was back in that bedroom. He saw her behind that wall of fire again. 

“You are just like him.” She said again.

Her flaming russet eyes looked up to see him. They burned. They burned with a hatred so bright, Eris flinched again. 

Those words held words, words that stung more than ones she actually voiced. ‘Go on, tell him I am willing to defy you.’

“Please-”

He wanted to sob. He wanted to run into the arms of his mother in a field of grass under the protection of oaks and Autumn leaves. He wanted her to look at him and smile. 

‘Please.’

‘Please, I’m still your baby boy, aren’t I?’ 

“Please-” 

“I hate you.”

Beron standing over her, tears streaming down her face as she cried and begged.

Eris felt his father’s leg underneath his hands again as he tried to burn the male. 

I hate you. 

You’re just like him. 

Just like him. Just like him. Just like him. Just like him. 

“Eris!” Beron boomed. Eris’ head snapped up and his face fell into the mask of false respect and bitter smirks.

“Yes, Father?” The words had the slightest of shakes to them. Not enough that anyone noticed. No one would ever notice. 

“Come join the head of the table, my boy! Lord Entrice has some news to share.” Beron had such a sadistic glint in his eyes. 

Run, every bone in his body said so. He didn’t feel safe. He wasn’t safe. He was never safe. 

Eris stood and beside him, his mother huffed a laugh. His eyes snapped to her once again, and there she stared at the meal before her, but he saw her hating eyes, and her smirk, ‘Go suck up to him.’ Was what that smirk said. 

She didn’t dare lift her head to meet his eyes. Beron called again, voice beginning to border on agitated. 

Just like him. 

“Yes, Father.” Eris answered. 

When Eris retreated to his quarters that night, he saw nothing. He felt nothing. Like his whole body was on another plane. His soul retreated to some small corner where it heard nothing. Like a child putting their hands over their ears and chanting ‘Lalalala I can’t hear you’.

He didn’t remember when he locked the door, he didn’t remember when he bathed or changed, or sat down beside the fire. He didn’t know why he was sitting on the floor and not on the lounge. He didn’t know why he was sitting so close to the flames, and he didn’t know why he was staring into them without ever looking away. 

Just like him. 

You’re just like him. 

A smile curved on his face, even as tears welled in his eyes. 

I hate you. 

Then what’s left?

Lucien was gone. 

His other brothers refused his help. 

If his mother hated him?

What was left? 

The rest of the Autumn Court, a logical voice told him, trying to pull him back from the edge. The rest of the Autumn Court would need him one day, he would have to be living for that. 

The Autumn Court had survived this long, was he that necessary? 

To improve their lives he was. 

Was he? 

Just like him. 

He was just like him. 

Eris didn’t remember taking a knife in his hands, and he didn’t remember holding it over the fire. 

But he did remember the pricks of the blade over his arms. And he did remember the marks it left. 

Just like him. 

I hate you. 

What was left?

[rabbittf2x]

Last one I swear 💀

Unless you don't mind me sending more requests

Could you do some headcannons about the Mercs with a s/o who faints very easily and randomly? Like, they are idk taking a walk around the town and y/n says "Is it normal to get dizzy?" And they faint at that moment?

If it's very difficult you can ignore it, don't worry! :)

-Spaniard anon 💐

Mercs with a Reader that faints a lot

Pyro💖

You and Pyro laid on your bellies on your bedroom floor, both colouring pretty pictures. Pyro was in a fit of giggles, swinging his legs back and forth while drawing a picture of you two holding hands

“Hold on, Py. I gotta go to the bathroom.”

You stood up and approached the door, suddenly feeling dizzy. You stumbled back, alerting Pyro. As you were about to tip over, he sprung to his feet and caught you just in time

Pyro was always worried sick when you fainted. He gently swept you up into his arms, holding you bridal style. He lead you over to your bed and carefully set you down on it

Pyro would patiently wait until you woke up, then you could finish colouring together. Until then, he placed you under the covers. He tucked you in until you were snug, and placed a masked kiss to your cheek

Engineer💖

You were hanging out with Engineer in his workshop. He had his back turned to you as he worked on a sentry

“Darling? Can ya pass me a wrench?” Engie said to you over his shoulder

“Yeah, babe.” You smiled

As you walked over to his toolbox, a wave of nausea hit you. You plucked a wrench from the box, your head suddenly spinning

Engie jumped in surprise when he heard the wrench clatter noisily to the floor. He whipped around, horrified to see that you had fainted

“Aw, hell. Darling!”

Engie dashed over. He kneeled down by where you laid, gently pulling you into his arms. With a sigh, he sat there with you held close to his chest

Engie frowned, relaxing his posture. He just sat there with you for awhile, waiting for you to wake up

Spy💖

You were just taking yourself to bed one night after a hard day of work. You walked out of the rec room, down the hall and past Spy’s smoking room to get to your own quarters. Just as you walked past Spy’s, that pang of familiar dizziness struck you

You paused, and stumbled back, trying to stay upward. Your eyes began to roll back as you felt yourself slip away from consciousness. The last thing you heard was the small whoosh of what sounded like Spy’s cloaking device…

Spy materialised behind you within thin air. Before your limp body could hit the floor, he slipped an arm around your back. He held you there in a dip, frowning to himself as he stared down at your relaxed features

Instead of returning back to his smoking room, Spy pulled you into his chest and held you bridal style. He lead you down the hall, carefully carrying you to your bedroom

Spy shuffled through the door, approaching your bed. Before placing you onto it, he stared down at your face once again. You looked so peaceful there with your head leaning against his shoulder

A thin smile tugged at Spy’s lips. He tucked you in under the covers, then leaned down to press a gentle kiss to your forehead

Heavy💖

Heavy always kept a watchful eye over you. He was very protective, knowing you could faint at any moment. He found himself worrying about you a lot

Heavy was a sleepy guy himself, but kept much more alert nowadays. Whenever you did faint, he was straight on it

He was sitting at the blackjack table, his arms crossed over his chest as he tried to take a nap. You were across the room by the fridge, opening it up to grab a snack. All of a sudden, a rush of lightheadedness washed over you. You let go of the fridge door, and shuffled back in a daze

Heavy’s eyes opened, watching you from across the room. As you stumbled back slowly, he shot up from his seat and sped over

“Heavy…”

You turned to look back at him, but your eyes fluttered shut. Just as you felt yourself drifting away, Heavy’s big, strong arms caught you before you hit the floor. You were knocked unconscious, while being cradled like a baby in the large man’s arms

Sniper💖

Sniper would never admit it, but he sometimes watched over you through his scope. He was worried you would think he was creepy or being a stalker, but really he was just looking out for you. He made sure to keep himself alert around you, knowing that you could faint any minute

It was a quiet weekend here at the base. The mercenaries were all scattered about within their own quarters of the large building. Sniper sat with Pyro at the blackjack table, both not doing much

You got up to grab a snack from the fridge, already feeling uneasy. Before you could open the door, your head began to spin. You moaned softly, stumbling back. Sniper and Pyro snapped their attention in your direction, both men on guard

“I gotcha, love.”

Sniper jumped up from his seat and rushed over to your aid. Your eyes drooped as you let yourself fall limp into his arms

“Ahh, Sniper…” you murmured

You wrapped your arms around his neck while he pulled you into his chest. Sniper held you there for a long, bittersweet moment. He stared down at your sleeping face through tinted lenses and concerned eyes

Scout💖

Scout never knew what to do when you fainted. Like, you were fine just a second ago! How did you go from effortlessly walking and talking with him, to being unconscious on the floor?

Scout was chatting your ear off as the two of you wandered through the base. He looked ahead for just a moment, still talking and talking. Before you could get a word in, your knees buckled and your eyes drooped

“Oh, crap!” Scout immediately shut up and crouched down by your side, face laced with concern. “Uh,” he tried shaking you awake. “You okay?” He stammered

Scout looked around the hall, hoping to find someone helpful but to no avail. He held each side of your face, staring longingly at your relaxed features. He wished you would just magically wake up. He hated seeing you like this

“Don’t worry. I—I’ll take you to doc.”

Scout thrusted you up into his arms with a grunt. Your head laid limp on his shoulder

Soldier💖

Soldier was a little rough with you. He wasn’t the most understanding as to why you fainted all the time, but grew to accept it

You and Soldier were in the training room. You needed to undergo some basic training for a job. Soldier tagged along for god knew why, seemingly to be your ‘cheerleader’

He was barking orders at you, lecturing and banging on about how to be a great mercenary. Don’t get me wrong, he meant well and wanted nothing but the best for you. It was just that the sound of him shouting was starting to make your head spin

Soldier paced in front of you as he instructed all these crazy workouts for you to do. Your dizziness and stumbling back went unnoticed for a bit, until you finally had to butt in

“Soldier,” you interrupted. “I’m starting to feel really dizzy.”

Soldier snapped his gaze in your direction, but it was too late. You hit the floor with a thud, blacking out almost instantly

“Cupcake, no!” Soldier shouted. He scooped you up into his arms. “We didn’t even get to start!”

The man rushed you over to the infirmary, shoving anyone out of the way in the process

Demoman💖

Your fainting really scared Demoman. He was very concerned for your well-being, and didn’t like it one bit when it happened

Demo was drunk a lot. It was hard for him to watch over you sometimes when, well… everything was all blurry. So when you fainted while he was intoxicated, it wasn’t a surprise if he cried

Demo sometimes got drunk just to forget about you for a little while. You worried him sick, although you swore you were fine. Seeing you faint while he was in this state could really mess him up

You had fainted at the blackjack table. You slipped out of your chair, and onto the hard floor below. Demoman drunkenly tried to pull you back up, but ended up laying next to you instead. He fought back the urge to cry over you, sitting up and cradling your limp form against his chest

“I love ye, mate…” Demo slurred

You slipped in and out of consciousness. Your eyes wouldn’t open but your mouth tried to speak

“I love you too, Demo…”

Medic💖

Medic tried everything to help you. He was always dragging you to the infirmary, blabbering on about experiments. But don’t worry! All stuff he tried on you was perfectly safe… ish!

When you fainted in front of Medic, whether it be with him in the infirmary or anywhere else, he was straight on it. He placed you onto his table, slipping on gloves and fixing his glasses

Every time you woke up from fainting, Medic was the first thing you saw. He smiled at you, and you smiled back. It was comforting in a way. No matter what, he was always there for you

Medic also spent every moment you were unconscious on trying to help you. He never left your side once during your slumbers. Because deep down, he was pretty worried about you. You meant so much to this crazy man, and he wanted to help you so bad

You didn’t ever fail to show your gratitude towards him. A little after you woke up from fainting, you wrapped your arms around Medic. You attacked his face in kisses, going on about how thankful you were that he was trying to help you

[dannys-phantoms]

Doorways

DannyMay 2021 Day 5: Doorway

Read also on AO3

Sam and Tucker are directed to a special place in the ghost zone, and told to look around. They would never have guessed the things they see.

AKA Danny gets a lair

(Everlasting Trio)

To say that Danny got detentions often would be an understatement. Normally it was something that he could have probably avoided, like by actually doing his homework or not playing on his phone in class, but this time it was different. He’d fallen asleep on his desk – again – because he’d stayed up all night chasing Johnny 13 and his shadow all over Amity Park until all three of them were too tired to continue. And then, of course, when he was finally getting ready to tuck himself into bed, his ghost sense had gone off again. It’s a wonder that kid ever got any sleep.

Lancer had taken one look at him drooling on the desk and that was it, Danny Fenton would be staying late. It made sense, really, because he had an obligation to teach a certain syllabus, and it was obvious that Danny needed something a little more... fine tuned. Even so, Sam and Tucker both were in agreement that it couldn’t have happened at a worse time.

They loved hanging out together even just as a duo, of course. They did it all the time. Three was never a crowd with them, but two was nice as well. When there’s only two, they’d never have to vie for attention, or wonder if they’re somehow third wheeling in their three-way love story.  The reason they were missing Danny was for something else entirely. It was probably something to do with the eight-foot wolfman that had appeared in the middle of Tucker’s room.

He’d just been showing off his latest PDA (she’s called Norah, in case you were wondering) and Sam had been sufficiently engaged (enjoying seeing him happy more than she was actually following the conversation) when three jagged gashes had opened up between them, green and shimmering in the air and tempting a glimpse into the ghost zone. Then, the rift expanded and the creature swung through, landing heavily on his paws.

“Hi, Wulf,” said Sam, hesitantly.

He put a paw on Sam’s shoulder, and Tucker tensed as though he was ready for a fight. They were all friendly enough, of course, but it’s difficult not to be wary with those claws so close to someone’s face.

“Saluton, amikoj,” Wulf greeted, before pushing both of them through the portal he’d just made. “Vi volos ĉirkaŭrigardi antaŭ ol li revenos!”

They landed hard, and before they could look up to ask what exactly he meant, the portal was closed again. If only they’d put more effort into their Esperanto.

It was a wonder they weren’t both sinking through the floor, humans that they were, but Tucker decided not to dwell on it. There were unquestionably going to be weirder things going on here than that.

The hallway itself looked perfectly normal. Green, of course, but normal. They’d been deposited near the top of a set of stairs, and ahead of them were a series of wooden doorways. Under their splayed fingers was soft carpet.

It wasn’t a house they recognised but it quite easily could have belonged to a neighbour, or a schoolmate. It looked so laughably ordinary that they weren’t quite sure what to do with themselves.

The door closest to them creaked back on its hinges, opening a fraction to let a gust of warm wind through. It wavered for a few seconds before gliding almost to a close again.

Sam got to her feet with a sigh and offered a hand to Tucker. After she’d pulled him to his feet, neither of them let go.

The doorway was wooden and grained, looking more like her own kitchen door than one to a ghost realm. She squeezed Tucker’s hand and pushed it open.

She didn’t know what she’d expected, not really, but she knew it wasn’t this. Despite not having been for years, she still recognised the streets of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, deep in the throes of the Mothman Festival.

Nobody knew how much she’d treasured her memories of this place. Nobody except her boyfriends, that is. Even her own parents didn’t know that she dreamed of it almost every night.

It wasn’t a perfect replica of the place. It was as if the architect had merely been told about it, rather than having seen it themselves. Nevertheless, it was enough to have her mouth hanging open. There were pairs of red eyes everywhere, staring at her from every shop front, every costume, every street decoration and even from the foods in the signature Mothman pizza stores and bakeries. The live band was playing eerie music and, when she really stopped to look, she could have sworn that something was watching her from the trees.

If Sam could have chosen a heaven, a place to let her soul spend an eternity, she would have chosen here.

Tucker blinked owlishly behind his glasses. “Sam,” he said, in awe. “Is this...?”

“Yeah,” she replied. “It is”.

The music was pulsing around her, lulling her into a dance. Arms and legs and wings spun from every side as the crowd moved towards the bronze cryptid statue in the centre of the square. She’d not smiled like this for years. It was as if she was delirious. Someone offered her a Mothman lollipop, and she took it without hesitation.

Tucker took it from her gently as she began to wrestle with the wrapper. “It’s too dangerous. We still don’t know what’s going on. This could all be a trap.” He winced apologetically and, even though she tried to argue, she knew he was right.

She steeled herself and took his hand, marching back into the green hallway and pulling the door shut behind her. As soon as the latch clicked, it was silent again.

“Come on, let’s keep going.” Her voice was shaky.

Behind the next door was a meadow lined with trees. Here, it was the middle of spring. The pollen tickled both of their noses, and they quickly retreated before the hayfever could truly set in.

On the other side of the hall was a bright red door. Tucker reached for the handle, but Sam held him back.

“Red means danger, smartypants.”

“Awe, you do care,” he replied jovially. Then, he quirked an eyebrow and sent her the finger guns. “Red also means love.”

She rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help her lips quirking in a smile. “I’m being serious, Tuck.”

“As am I.”

He reached forward to open the door, and then immediately stepped back again as he got a wave of vertigo.

They were at the top of a huge drop slide, which was the same shiny red as a circus big top. There were a queue of ghost children lining up, but they all stepped aside, beckoning Tucker to go first.

“Don’t you dare.”

“Sorry, Sammy,” he replied, “but this is just too awesome.”

He sat down on the side and then launched his body forwards, sending it into the oxymoronic state of controlled freefall that left him feeling as light as a bird. It was as though all of his worries were flying from the top of his head. He felt a laugh bubble free and crossed his arms over his chest, equal parts Egyptian mummy and child at a water park.

The drop gradually began to round off, until he slowed down and crashed into a ball pit at the bottom. He’d been falling for what felt like forever.

Sam slid to a stop next to him. “Never, and I mean never, do that to me again.”

Her hair was mussed and her breathing was heavy. He declined to point out that she’d followed after him, even though she’d thought it unsafe. It left a warm fluttering feeling in his belly.  

“I won’t.” He smiled.

The ballpit took off, zooming high into the air until they were at the top of the dropslide again. The sudden motion would normally have made them queasy, or at the least lightheaded, but it didn’t. One second they were at the bottom and the next they were at the top. It was more like the space had moved around them.

Tucker looked longingly at the slide, wanting to go again, but Sam grabbed his hand and pulled him back through the door. It would do no good to linger too long in one place.

The door right at the end of the hallway was glowing around the edges, as though there were nothing but lamps on the other side. Sam made a move towards it. What could this one be? A beachside paradise, perhaps? The light room of a photography studio?

She was inches away from the doorknob when she heard a familiar whoosh. A ghost portal. From the look on Tucker’s face, he’d heard it too.

They looked towards the stairway behind them as it was illuminated in a green glow, gone as quickly as it had arrived. Then, there were whisper-quiet footsteps.

They were both rooted in place. Every instinct suggested they should run, but where to? You can’t hide from a ghost in it’s own lair.

Soon though, a shock of white hair appeared over the banister, then a pair of slouched shoulders clothed all in black.

“Danny?” Tucker said incredulously.

The ghost whipped around, immediately at high alert with an ectoblast ready to go. He only fractionally calmed down when he saw who was there.

“Shit, Tucker? Sam? What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same question,” Sam said dryly.

“I’m not ready for you guys to be here yet. I was waiting for the right time... have you been following me?”

“What?” Tucker said. “Danny, no, of course not. Wulf brought us here. Said something about looking around before ‘he’ comes back.”

Danny slumped, hand on his forehead. “Dammit, Wulf. That’s the last time I trust him with a secret. How much did you see?”

“Not enough for it to make sense,” Sam said, arms crossed. “Where the hell are we?”

Danny sighed, then looked her in the eye. He looked defeated. “Its my lair. Its not done yet, not by a long shot, which is why I didn’t want to show you –”

“Wait, what? I thought only full ghosts could have a lair.” Tucker’s brow creased.

Danny let out a hollow laugh. “Who knows what halfas can do, really? It’s not like there’s enough of us to study. This place is half ghost, like me, so I can touch stuff and walk about , no matter that mode I’m in. I’m guessing you can too. It helps, because it means I don’t fall through the bed.”

“The bed?”

“Yeah, it’s just through there.”

He looked between them to the glowing door, which he pushed open with one finger.

They were standing on the edge of open space. A million stars twinkled around them, piercing the blackness like twinkling diamonds on a velvet curtain. A red carpet rolled out in front of them, connecting the hallway to a larger rug, also floating. Below it was a deep chasm, the void never ending.

Danny floated down the carpet, which was rippling in an invisible breeze, and the others followed. It was surprisingly solid.

The rug at the end was covered with bean bags and blankets, and the biggest bed any of them had ever seen, big enough to fit ten people easily. Danny threw himself on top of the plush quilt.

“This is... I didn’t want you to see it, because I didn’t know what you’d think. I didn’t want to scare you off.”

Tucker laughed. “You’re a ghost. If we were going to get scared off, I think it would have happened already.”

“I guess,” Danny smiled sadly. “But... If you’d known my lair was adapting to the wants of all three of us, you could’ve thought maybe it was getting too weird.”

“Are you kidding me? This place is awesome!” Sam flopped down onto the bed next to him.

“I was thinking of asking you to stay here with me. Not all the time, obviously.”

“That would be cool,” Tucker said, trying to hide how excited the prospect made him.

“Think about it, Tuck,” Danny groaned. “You guys don’t belong here. You’re humans.”

“Okay, so maybe it needs a kitchen and a bathroom fitting, but other than that it’s pretty sound.”

“One of those doors opens into a Tomahawk Steakhouse,” Danny smiled.

Sam put her hand in his supportively. “We love you. We’d follow you to the ends of the Earth and beyond, you know that.”

Tucker sat down next to his partners and took Danny’s other hand.

Danny made a mental note to send a ‘thank you’ postcard to Wulf when he next saw him.

[thosewickedlovelies]

AND THEY WERE WALLMATES: Brownies (part 4)

Pairing: Javier Peña x F!Reader

Rating: E for Explicit!!!

Summary: Javier reveals his knight-in-shining-armor side when Reader is in danger. Then Reader bakes brownies, and he reveals...something else ;)

Tags: Attempted mugging at knifepoint. Javi points his gun. Swearing. Inappropriate or maybe completely appropriate use of chocolate. Male masturbation. Exhibitionism if you squint.

Word Count: 4,634

A/N: Okay but consider: Javier has a competency kink.

Masterlist

--

The last three days had been exhausting. Long shifts at the hospital with your intensive-care patient had worn you out, but it was worth it to watch them steadily get better. Tomorrow somebody else was on duty in the morning, and you were greatly looking forward to sleeping in. Knowing that you wouldn’t want to leave your pajamas before your afternoon shift, you had plodded through the grocery store on your walk home tonight.

You breathe deeply, gratefully of the fresh night air as you turn into your building’s driveway. With the all-day shifts and your lack of motivation to do anything but sleep after them, you hadn’t been outside as much in the past few days. Idly you wonder if it’s too soon to ask Javier to take you to that bakery.

You glance reflexively up at his front window as you stop at the base of the steps outside. A light turns off as you rummage through your purse for your keys, but it’s far too early for him to be going to bed. Maybe he’s going out.

You set down a grocery bag, your keys evading your slightly constrained reach. With your head down and your vision narrowed to the inside of your purse, you don’t notice the man until it’s too late.

A rough grip where your neck meets your shoulder, thumb digging painfully into the muscle, and the cold press of steel against vulnerable skin- a knife blade, you register dimly. Every alarm in your body blares as a voice scratches in your ear: “Give me all of the money you have, and I will not use this.”

Adrenaline burns through you, and your hands tremble as it fights the fog of tiredness that had been smothering you. The man scrapes the blade of his weapon along your neck to make his point, then shoves you forward, into the metal bannister of the staircase. The breath whooshes painfully out of you.

Your skin flashes hot and cold with panic, but you force yourself to breathe through the pounding of your heart. You slowly turn around.

Your aggressor is a skinny, unassuming young man, like any other you’d pass on the street, but his eyes are hard, his hold on the knife unwavering as he points it at you. “Your wallet. Now,” he demands, eyes flashing, and you know he meant his threat.

The streetlight above gleams on the blade, a foot from your face. Your tongue feels thick and clumsy in your mouth. You can only nod, trying to communicate placation, that you’ll comply with his request. Your eyes never leave him as you gradually close your hand around your wallet.

Just then, the building door opens, and everything happens very quickly.

Light splashes on the man’s face. “What the- HEY!” Javier’s anger blasts over you, the sudden whip-crack sound of it the loudest you’d ever heard from him. He lets out a rattling stream of Spanish, but your mugger appears unconcerned until a second later, when you hear a sharp click above you. Alarm dashes the arrogance off his face as he flinches. Javi has a gun.

In his moment of distraction, you lift your foot and ram it into the man’s stomach, propelling him backward. He stumbles nearly onto his ass, wheezing, and in an instant Javi is in front of you, gun pointing at him. He shouts something else too fast for you to make out.

The man answers, cowering with his hands up, and Javier spits out one final statement before telling him to leave, jerking his gun in emphasis. Your would-be mugger doesn’t look back.

Javier holds his stance for another tense moment. You tentatively touch your fingertips to his shoulder blade, feeling the strength holding his muscles taut. He nearly shudders at the contact, bringing him back to himself.

He turns to face you, tucking his gun away against his back. “Hey, are you okay? Did he hurt you?” His voice urgent, his eyes still dark and tense with rage. He holds his hands palms out, showing you he’s safe, begging you to believe him.

Adrenaline still vibrates beneath your skin. You look at him with wild eyes, shake your head. Abruptly your knees wobble, and Javier springs forward. “Whoa, hey, it’s okay, you’re okay now, Vecinita.”

One arm encircles your waist while the other props you up along your spine, broad hand splaying, fingers pressing into you with desperate relief. His rough voice smooths your lingering tension, the closeness of his body new but comforting. You let his warmth erase the other man’s violation of your space. Your hands clutch at the lapels of his leather jacket, a sigh shuddering out of you.

“Vecinita. Let’s get you inside, okay?” Javi gently prompts you into moving, keeping one arm wrapped around you as he guides you up the stairs. He directs you to lean against the wall just inside the door.

“Here, put those down, all right? Stay here. I’ll get your other one.” He eases the remaining bags off your shoulder and onto the floor, then disappears out the door, only to return in a flash with your second grocery bag in hand. He sets it down by the others.

You watch him, your head resting against the wall as you battle the exhaustion that had returned full force, aided by the rush of adrenaline and the subsequent crash as it left your system.

Javi approaches you again, worry clear in his face at your limp posture. “Vecinita? You okay?” His hand comes up as if to brush a stray hair at your temple, but he doesn’t touch you. His arm drops.

But you reach out for it, sliding your hand down his wrist to entangle your fingers; the touch as much a comfort for you as it is for him.

Surprise flares in his eyes at your gesture; something indescribably like longing crosses his face. He squeezes your hand.

You smile faintly at him. “I’m fine, Javi. Just...shaken. And tired,” you admit. “I’ve had long shifts at work the past few days.” Your feet ache just remembering, but you make no move to leave.

“Oh yeah, Connie told me,” Javier says without thinking.

Well, that was news to you. You look at him with sudden, sly interest. “Oh yeah? You two ladies talk about me?” Giving his own words back to him, from the second time you went over to check on his leg. It could have been a lifetime ago for how different things are now.

Javi looks dumbfounded for a split second. A helpless chuckle spills out of him, unconsciously swaying forward as if only this, your familiar teasing, had convinced him that you were fine, that he could finally let go of his own tension.

His face is so unguarded; you’re delighted to see his eyes crinkle with laughter. They’re so brown, so beautiful this close up, a rich spiral of shades that you could stare into for hours and still not find the right words to describe.

You smile fondly up at him, not minding his nearness in the slightest. You’re conscious, suddenly, of how overwhelmingly glad you are that you got to know Javier. Of how grateful you are for his company, his protection just now.

For once, you are the conflicted one, a thoughtful expression puzzling your brow. Because it’s your turn to consider how you could possibly thank him for what he’s done. What could be enough to communicate the depth of your gratitude?

--

Javier knows that you are okay, really. That he should get you inside your own apartment, let you sleep off the past few days. But he is utterly captivated. Held in place like an animal caught in the wrong trap, at the mercy of the hunter to decide its fate. Would you put him out of his misery by telling him that you’re not interested? Or free him from the trap of his clumsy uncertainty, grant him the clarity of your feelings so that he may choose his own course?

The press of your hand in his gives him hope, intimate and promising in all the right ways. He doesn’t want to let go, but this is unquestionably the wrong time to make any kind of move. He’s already standing too close to you, unable to resist your draw in the relief of the moment.

Time seems to thicken as your smile fades. He wants to smooth the furrow in your brow, chase off what’s troubling you. Of course, it could be me, he thinks sardonically. Despite his best efforts, his eyes flick rapidly down to your lips.

And he watches your expression shift again, those lips parting, and if Javier didn’t know better he’d think you wanted him to kiss you- but that can’t be right, you’re just in shock. His moral compass gets him into trouble at the best of times, but it’s swinging wildly now, leaving him utterly spun.

His tongue pokes forward unconsciously, just wetting his lips...but before either of you can move you hear a crash from Steve and Connie’s apartment above.

The spell is broken. You start, your head automatically turning in the direction of the sound. Javi straightens, putting some air between you, but his gaze never leaves your face.

“Sounds like they’re fighting,” he says. “Come on, let’s get you inside before one of them storms out.” He lets go of your hand only to slide his arm around you again. You let him help carry your bags, your limbs revolting at the idea of further movement.

Javier guides you into your apartment as far as the kitchen. He’s reluctant to let you go, but darts anxious glances at the back hall, not wanting to overstep (despite what had just almost happened outside).

He unwinds himself from you once he’s sure you’re holding yourself upright. Before he can leave, however, you grab his arm again.

“Javi!” You seem...afraid, but like you’re furiously trying not to be. “...What did you say to him?”

He’s not convinced that was your original question, but he answers. “I asked him who he worked for. He said no one, he just needed some money...you were a random pick, Vecinita, in the wrong place at the wrong time. He won’t come back.” A bitter taste fills his mouth at the memory, the sight of that motherfucker pointing a knife at you. But his rage softens when he sees the anxiety haunting your face.

“Hey. You want me to stay here tonight? I’ll sleep on the couch. Guard the door.” His attempt at levity sounds half-hearted, but your lips twitch upward in response.

“I..can’t ask you to do that, Javier,” you mumble, gaze shifting- until you remember something. “You were going out.” You look back at him questioningly.

He barely remembers his original plans for this evening. Drinks with coworkers? Javier shrugs dismissively. “Nothing important. Don’t worry about it. Come on- I’ll stay here tonight and drive you to work tomorrow. Deal?”

You bite your lip. “I don’t work until the afternoon tomorrow.” Another feeble attempt at protesting. He waits.

Finally you concede. “Thank you, Javi”, you whisper, nearly inaudibly.

Instead of speaking, he takes your hand again. Bringing it to his mouth, he presses a soft kiss to your knuckles, without a trace of his suggestive intentions from the first time. “Que duermas bien, Vecinita.” Sleep well.

--

You wake naturally the next morning to sunlight streaming through your curtains. You forgot to set your alarm! Your first thought has you sitting bolt upright, heart pounding; then you remember that you have the morning off. Your heart rate slows only marginally as the events of the previous evening return to you, including- Javier slept on your sofa.

Your pulse rockets right back up, flushing your whole body with nervous energy. Damn it, it’s too early for this. Your sleep-clumsy thoughts are tumbling and manic as you try to decide on a course of action.

Right, first- check your clock. Ten a.m.?! You stifle a groan. Who knows how long Javi has been awake by now, just waiting in your living room? Assuming he stayed- you wouldn’t blame him if he’s gone to his own apartment for food by now.

Wait, speaking of food- you frown, lifting your nose toward the door. Is that coffee you smell?

So Javier’s awake, then.

Abruptly overcome with giggles, you cover your face with your hands, grinning like a fool. Javier had stayed, and made himself coffee in your kitchen.

Well you couldn’t just leave him out there. You take a deep breath, willing yourself calm. Time to stop acting like a giggling mess with a crush. The thought makes you pause, wide-eyed. Holy shit, did you have a crush on Javi?

I mean, he did save your ass last night, you reason. Very superhero of him. And you kept finding more attractive things about him, and you’d spent some real time together now, and he...he had kissed your hand last night. After definitely almost kissing you in the hall. Mierda. You giggle to yourself again. So much for being calm.

Well, there was nothing to be done for it. You throw a light robe over your pajamas and pad to the kitchen.

Butterflies burst in your chest at the sight that greets you. Javier is sitting at your dining room table, a mug in front of him. Chin in hand, lost in thought, hair still adorably mussed from sleep.

You only have a second to appreciate it before he hears you approach. He stands with a start, guilty eyes flitting from his coffee to the kitchen before settling on you, hands fidgeting like he doesn’t know what to do with himself. He clears his throat. “Morning.”

His voice is even raspier this early in the day, like a match striking heat inside you. A reaction you will definitely have to process later.

“Morning,” you return, smiling sheepishly at him. You go to the sink to fill a glass of water, opting to stay at the counter to drink it. “How long have you been up?”

His gaze flits to the clock on the microwave. “About an hour. I, uh. Made coffee. Hope you don’t mind.” His hand flies to his head as if only just now remembering the state his hair could be in, hurriedly smoothing errant curls (to your disappointment).

Javi’s shirt is rumpled, and you feel guilty as you realize he would have slept in his clothes. You’d been so dead on your feet last night, you don’t even remember if you gave him a  blanket. “Not at all,” you reply. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sleep this late. I didn’t even offer you pajamas or anything last night...” You’re about to continue apologizing when he cuts you off.

“Don’t worry about it, Vecinita. I’m not sure yours would have fit me anyway.” A teasing grin uncurls as he eyes the short pajama shorts under your robe, in a way that’s wholly different from how he might have looked at you before you fixed his leg (a time designation you find yourself referencing more and more often lately: Before-Leg and After-Leg). Now he’s earned such familiarity, and although unexpected, it’s not unwelcome. You still nearly gape at the joke and his once-over, feeling decidedly warm.

Oblivious to your internal temperature rising, Javi continues. “I could do with a shower though. What time do you have work?”

Right, work. “Twelve,” you respond. “Um, I can make breakfast? While you run home and shower. If you want. How’s pancakes? And I think I have bacon.”

Javier looks relieved to have a plan. “You had me at bacon,” he confirms. “I won’t be long.” He starts for the door, scooping up his jacket as he goes.

“No hurry!” You call after him.

True to his word, Javi is barely gone fifteen minutes before he’s back at your dining room table, a fresh mug of coffee cradled in hand. Conversation doesn’t come as readily as it did during your movie night, but the silence in between feels...comfortable.

Javier hesitantly brings up the night before, but only to compliment the form of your kick to the man’s stomach. “Self-defense classes before traveling,” you explain, which led to a continued interest in fighting skills. Your neighbor looks impressed and...intrigued, maybe. Something speculative in his eyes, like he’s reassessing his idea of you.

He drives you to work later, and arranges for Steve to pick you up.

“Heard you had to kick some ass last night,” the blond drawls in greeting.

Well, it was nice of Javier to tell such a flattering version of the story. You roll your eyes, even as you preen the tiniest bit. “Yeah, that’s how it happened,” you grumble. “It wasn’t just Javier swooping in to save my ass like fucking Batman with a shiny gun.”

Steve guffaws at your description. But neither man makes light of the incident. Steve drives you to or from work at Javi’s request when he’s busy, until after a few days you insist that you’re fine, plenty confident that Javi scared off your attacker. Even so, he walks with you to the grocery store the next time you go, swearing up and down that the timing is just a coincidence, that he needs a few things too.

Secretly you’re grateful for that. You feel safe with Javier, and it’s a nice feeling, being protected. You’re just as capable of watching out for threats, but you could never replicate the swooping, shivery feeling low in your belly when his guiding hand brushes the small of your back. Ever since you took his hand that night, he’s been slowly getting bolder with small, casual touches. And every time you let him, his eyes brighten a little more, his breath loosening like he’s afraid you’ll reject each one. As if you’d reject proof of his affection, or the glow of pleasure that smolders in you with every glimpse of it.

At the store, you mentally flip through your cookbook, tilting your head thoughtfully at the cocoa powder.

--

Javier doesn’t remember inviting you over to bake in his kitchen, but he’s sure as hell not complaining. Watching you competently twirl about the room, sifting and stirring and tasting things in various bowls, is stirring in ways he hadn’t anticipated. The graceful lift of your arms, your eyes narrowed in concentration. He almost wants to interrupt, just to see how you’d react.

He drifts over to see if he can help, when his senses are powerfully overwhelmed by the smell of chocolate.

You stand in front of him, the source dripping suggestively from a spoon in your hand. “Want a taste, Javi?” You lick the spoon slowly, holding his gaze as you close your mouth around it, cheeks hollowing with the effort of sucking it clean.

Javier swallows hard at the dizzyingly tempting scene before him, all but floating toward you.

You smile coyly at him, meaningfully lifting a chocolate-tipped finger. He doesn’t dare move. His lips part as it nears, not knowing what you intend but knowing that he desperately wants it. His breaths come quick and shallow. You trace your finger lightly along his lower lip.

The touch sizzles through him, the taste of your skin far more vibrant than that of the chocolate. Javi can’t help but flick his tongue out to chase it, catching just the tip of your finger before it retreats, and suddenly you look as lost as he feels, staring at his mouth as he works to clean the silky sweetness from it.

As if in a trance, you lift your hand again, your own lips parting. “Want another?” Your voice breathy and uneven. A fingerprint smudging your lower lip, you lift your chin-

And Javier is on you, sucking your lip into his mouth, tasting the chocolate on your breath, wanting more. He groans as you arch into the kiss, devouring you, sliding his tongue against yours. You clutch at each other like this is everything you’d been waiting for.

Javier loses himself in you. Just the sounds you’re making have him harder than he’s ever been, he’d let you lick chocolate off whatever you damn well want-

He jolts awake.

Gasping and sweating and so painfully hard he instinctively presses a palm to his crotch, choking on a groan. What the hell?

He is completely disoriented. The smell of chocolate still pervades his senses. He registers the muted sound of- music? Your singing.

He’d fallen asleep on the couch; the scent in his dream was you baking again. Maybe you dropped something and it woke him up. He can’t focus on anything else right now besides his absolutely throbbing erection.

His breathing is harsh in his throat as he shoves at the zipper of his pants. He wraps a hand around himself, his head dropping back and his mouth open in a soundless moan. His hips buck upward, head still full of you, you-

He snaps in less than a minute.

His release spatters hot over his hand and shirt. He slumps back down into the cushions, panting, spent. As the haze clears, he has only a single thought.

Fuck.

--

The sunlight is too bright for Javier’s thoughts the next morning. It dazzles him on his way to work, making it even harder to focus when his mind is still full of you. The softness of your lips, your sighs of pleasure, all of it conjured up by his apparently lust-addled mind- whose desperation would only increase the more he longed for a taste in real life.

It’s an immense relief when he finally arrives to the familiar office smell of musty files and weak coffee.

He’s here before Steve today- a rare occurrence, but he had to get out of the house. There’s some fanfare going on when he finally does catch a glimpse of his partner’s blond hair across the floor.

Steve is- holding something? Handing out something? As he makes his way over, the sounds of appreciation from colleagues grow clearer, but it doesn’t sink in until he’s nearly reached the door.

“Man, Steve, you gotta bring this neighbor of yours to the next office party so we can show our appreciation!” The agent’s chortle dies as he catches sight of Javier, who makes no attempt to regulate his steadily souring expression. “Peña.” The man gives him a quick nod and says a last farewell to Steve.

His partner sets the tray he’s holding down on his desk and slowly turns to face Javier. Steve’s gaze lingers over the look on his face, the way he’s zeroed in on the dish, lips puckered like he can’t decide if he should speak.

“Well good mornin’ to you, Javi,” Steve drawls, in that too-knowing way he sometimes had. “Brownie?” He gestures to the tray.

The smell reaches him then. Chocolate. Thick and rich and- a chocolate-coated finger hovering before his mouth, your eyes twinkling innocently up at him- Javier’s jaw clenches.

“What,” he grits out, demanding an explanation with the single syllable.

“Neighbor-lady dropped ‘em off last night. Said they were for us to take to work today. Apparently she tried you first, but you weren’t home.”

Right. Because after staining his shirt with thoughts of you, he’d barely taken the time to throw on a clean one before stumbling out the door, sucking in deep breaths of fresh air as he walked to the nearest dive that served whiskey.

But- you had brought them to him first. Not Connie, or Steve, or anyone else. Him.

“Huh,” he replies distantly.

It’s all too much for Javier to process. He stands abruptly and stalks out of the office, making a beeline for the restroom.

His mind clears a bit after splashing some water on his face. He manages to be cordial once he returns to his desk, but it isn’t long before the emotional impact of his revelation fades, leaving him once more occupied by daydreams of the physical confirmation he craves.

It doesn’t help that apparently the entire fucking building was told about the brownies. Every time someone new comes in he gets a fresh whiff of chocolate, remembers dreaming of sucking the taste off your tongue and the needy noises you made when he did.

For the next several hours he glowers at the tray, perched innocuously on the corner of Steve’s desk. His skin feels hot and tight. It’s possible he smokes a few more cigarettes than usual in an effort to numb his tastebuds, or his olfactory sensors, or whatever the fuck keeps registering fucking chocolate.

Steve eyes him curiously. “You okay, man? You’ve snapped at nearly every person who’s come in here for a brownie. You allergic or somethin? I can move ‘em…”

Javier nearly snarls. “No, I am not allergic,” he says very calmly, the words clipped.

He manages to escape a little while before Steve, citing his early arrival as an excuse to head home. As he pulls into the drive, however, he passes your familiar figure on the corner.

His head thunks against the steering wheel. Steeling himself, he gets out of the car as you walk up.

“Hi Javi!” You beam at him, and his heart nearly beats right out of his fucking chest.

Tiredness lines your face from a long hospital shift, but it doesn’t stop you from looking all caring as you take him in. He doesn’t even want to imagine what you see: his shirt wrinkled from constantly shifting and tugging at it all day, his face pinched from scowling.

“Are you okay, Javi? You look flushed.” You bite your lip in a concerned frown.

It’s a struggle to hide his aggravation. “Long day at work,” he mutters, fumbling with the building keys, trying not to look like he’s hurrying.

Luckily you don’t seem to notice his temper. “God, me too. I’m gonna go take a nap. All I’ve been thinking about all day is getting back in bed.”

The mention of you and getting in bed and Javier about bursts into flame. He stutters out an excuse, all but bolting for his door. The lock clicks firmly behind him.

He stomps through the apartment to his bedroom, shedding clothing as he goes. His shoes and jacket dropped by the couch. His shirt yanked off and flung over a dining room chair. His jeans shoved down at the foot of his bed.

He stumbles to the wall you share, breathing ragged, resting one hand flat against it as the other finally wraps around the hard-on he’s been nursing for hours.

His lip nearly bleeds with the force he bites into it to stifle his groan. Every inch of his skin feels exquisitely sensitive, his blood racing hot in his veins from thinking of you all day. From thinking of you now, just on the other side of this wall. Shedding your scrubs, sliding amidst your bedsheets, unaware of the state you’ve put him in. Or maybe you are aware. Maybe you can hear him panting, strangling sighs of your name as he imagines your lips on his skin, your hand squeezing his cock. Encouraging him sweetly while he strokes himself higher and higher-

And comes harder than he ever has on his own. Shaking and gasping, there’s no way you don’t hear the sound which escapes him then. For a second he feels light-headed.

When his eyes open again, he grimaces at the mess on the wall. As his heart rate settles, his expression further contorts imagining the potential consequences for what he just did. For what you could have heard.

Maybe...he should do something about this.

--

Post A/N: Sorry for the negative implications about Steve and Connie’s marriage, I promise they’re fine! I’m just a simple writer in need of storytelling devices <3

Also someone pls tell me if I used the wrong form of the verb ‘to sleep’

Fic Taglist: @din-damn-djarin, @thirstworldproblemss, @remembertoreadthese, @knightowl247, @pamguini

[inkberrry]

Dim the Lights and Shut Your Eyes

A little Mass Effect fic, featuring Rosie Shepard and Kaidan Alenko. Read below or on ao3 @ inkberrry

Summary: Rosie Shepard is just finishing up in the medbay when Kaidan walks in. Instead of leaving him on his own, she stays with him through the worst of his migraine.

-

Rosie winced as she pulled the bandage from her arm. The tacky medical glue stuck to her skin, tugging at her hair and ripping out as much as it left behind. Beneath the layer of dried blood and quickly applied disinfectant her arm was raw and inflamed, angry where it had been torn open and nearly shredded.

Her barriers protected from the worst of a spray of bullets, but they didn’t hold up against the razor  edged claws of the racchni. The creatures had sliced through her light armor like silk, finding their mark beneath. The pain had been blinding, and the warm spread of blood alarming in the chilled halls of the Noveria institute.

Now, safely back on the Normandy, Rosie had time to care for her wound properly. She twisted the cap from a tube of medigel and applied a liberal amount to her arm, mindful of the still tender and jagged incision. Relief was instant and welcome, and she sighed at the sudden release from pain. The wound would take time to heal, but the medication within the gel would speed along the recovery and lessen any discomfort.

Rosie took a moment to re-wrap her arm, this time with soft, cloth bandages unlikely to stick. Deeming her work done, she replaced the spare gel and bandages to their proper places. While doing so the soft mechanical whoosh of the medbay door opening caught her attention, and she turned to the sound.

“Commander.” Kaidan hesitated at the open door, changed from his tactical gear to something more comfortable, just as Rosie had done. He gave her a slight nod, though his expression read surprise. “I’m not interrupting, am I?”

“Oh no, of course not.” Rosie smiled in welcome, then leaned back against the supply cabinet. “Come on in.”

Kaidan stepped forward, the door quietly shutting behind him. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, his eyes scanning the otherwise empty medbay before settling again on Rosie.

“How’s the arm?” He asked, mimicking where her wound was by touching his own arm.

“Better now,” Rosie answered, and waved her arm slightly before letting it hang comfortable at her side. She pursed her lips together as she looked back at Kaidan, thoughtful. She was almost certain she was the only one who had suffered an injury on Noveria, yet here he was in the medbay.

“Did you need something in here?” She asked. “You’re not hurt, are you?”

A brief wave of discomfort marred Kaidan’s face, but was wiped away when he shook his head.

“Thankfully, no. I was just, ah… looking for some pain killers.”

Rosie’s posture softened, and she breathed out a knowing sigh.  

“Headache?”

The discomfort was back as Kaiden nodded, and Rosie noticed the quick tightening of his hand into a fist before releasing. He hid the pain well, but not quite well enough to escape her practiced view.

“Yeah,” he replied, and managed a strained chuckle. “My implant seemed to like the cold about as much as Garrus did.”

Frowning, Rosie pushed herself from the cabinet and pointed to one of the empty beds lining the far wall.

“Okay Lieutenant,” she started, her voice taking on just a hint of the authority she used in the field. “Lay down and let me get what you need.”

Kaidan chucked again, this time more earnestly. “Is that an order, Commander?”

“You bet it is. Go on, lay down.”

Rosie stood and waited while Kaidan did as she asked. He settled onto the bed, head propped on the pillows and legs pulled up to rest. She had worked with the lieutenant for some time now, and as of yet he’d never shown any hesitation against her orders. He didn’t seem apt to start now, though despite what she’d said this was far from a command.

“Shouldn’t Doctor Chakawas be doing this, not the first human Spectre?” Kaidan asked just as Rosie turned back to the cabinet doors and opened them.

Cocking her head over her shoulder, Rosie fixed Kaidan with a playful grin. “She’s off duty. Why, are you afraid I don’t know what I’m doing?”

Kaidan opened his mouth to reply, but closed it again without answering. Rosie could sense uncertainty, like he was caught between teasing her back and remaining professional. To save him from any further anxiety she waved away the thought and turned back to the cabinet.

“Relax, Kaidan,” she called over her shoulder. “I’ve tended to a lot of wounded before. I grew up on Alliance ships, remember?”

Rosie knew well enough how to care for most minor injuries, and how to find the right medications if they were simple enough. She rummaged carefully through the shelves in the cabinet, pushing aside antibiotics and more specialized pills. When she found what she wanted she smiled to herself and poured two tablets into her palm.

Closing the cabinet for a second time, she headed to the sink and filled a nearby cup with water before walking to the bed Kaidan rested on. She held out her hand with the pills and set the water on the beside table.

“Take these, drink this whole glass, and close your eyes,” she said, satisfied only when Kaidan reached for the pills and took them from her hand.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, and popped the medicine into his mouth.

While he worked on the water, Rosie walked to the room control panel on the wall and dimmed the lights until only a faint, cool glow emitted from the various machines spread about. The constant electronic hum of the overhead lights faded out entirely, leaving the two of them in soft silence and long shadows.

After her eyes adjusted, she made her way back to the bed. With a small hop she perched herself on the edge of the mattress next to Kaidan, his body close enough for her to feel the comfortable heat coming off of it.

“Better?” she asked, her voice quiet out of habit in the low light.

Kaidan nodded, his eyes now closed. Rosie took the opportunity to watch the lines of pain on his face smooth over, replaced by soft relaxation. His chest, broad beneath the loose tee shirt he wore, rose and fell steady, evening out as he lay still. In the quiet Rosie could hear the intake of his breath and the long exhales, slowly turning into a lullaby she herself felt the pull of.

He was a handsome man, she realized, not for the first time. This time, though, he wasn’t fighting for his life or wrestling with the stress of their missions. He was simply existing, safe and calm in the dim room. Rosie’s heart tugged in her chest while she sat by his side, a sensation that surprised her as much as it thrilled her.

“Do you take care of all your crew this well?” Kaidan’s bemused voice roused Rosie from her daydreams, his lips moving slowly and deliberately with his words.

“Only those that need it,” she laughed, keeping to herself that at that moment she would have done anything to make sure Kaidan was comfortable and at peace.

Kaidan’s lips curved to a slight smile at her response, then set again into comfort. The room was still for a while, Rosie content to let Kaidan rest and recover. Her thoughts wandered, traveling back in her memory to times spent much like this, except her role reversed.

“I used to get headaches, too,” she confessed softly. “When I first got my implant. My parents would send me to the medbay and this is what the officer there would do. They stopped after a few months though.”

Rosie frowned again, this time at the memory of the pain her biotic implant had caused. She couldn’t imagine a life where that same pain returned time and again.

“Lucky,” Kaidan said, and there was no contempt or jealousy in his voice. “Were you young when you got yours?”

“Eleven.” Rosie felt herself smiling in spite of the somber topic, her thoughts turning cheerful again. “My parents figured it was time when I used to my bionics to keep flinging stuffed animals across the room at my brothers.”

Kaidan’s chest rose sharply when he laughed, the deep rumbling replacing the silence of the room.

“Heh. Sure is hard to imagine you doing that.”

“Oh? Just you wait then, I've got a stuffed hanar in my cabin. You better watch your back.”

Still laughing, Kaidan opened one eye and glanced sidelong at Rosie. “I'll do my best, Commander.”

The use of her title caught Rosie off guard. Right now she didn’t feel like the Commander, and she didn’t want to, either. She wanted just to be Rosie, and for the man laying on the bed next to her to be nothing but just who he was.

“You can drop the titles when it’s just us,” she said, and playfully nudged Kaidan’s shoulder. “Especially when we’re alone in the dark.”

Color rose along Kaidan’s cheeks, partially hidden by the growing stubble.

“Uh, right. I’ll keep that in mind.”  

Quiet filled the room again, and Rosie watched the faint blush fade from Kaidan’s face as he once again relaxed. Soon her responsibilities would come searching for her, and she admitted to herself she had spent enough time here at Kaidan’s side.

 She was about to get up when his voice rang out again, stopping her.

 “Rosie?”

  “Mhm?”

  “Thanks,” Kaidan said, and when Rosie looked down at him his eyes were open and fixed on her. Heat built in her cheeks, too, and she quickly fluttered her eyes to her hands before meeting Kaidan’s gaze again. “Means a lot to me that you took the time to sit here.”

Rosie smiled, the heat from her cheeks traveling through her to warm her chest. “Anytime, Kaidan. You know where to find me if you ever need anything.”

With that she slipped off the bed, her feet planting on the solid tiled floor. Without thought she reached towards Kaidan and brushed back a section of dark hair, smoothing it towards his neck. His head relaxed further into the downy pillow, and he again shut his eyes.

“Now get some real rest,” Rosie said, and finally stepped away from the bed. “I need you one hundred percent when we get to Virmire.”

Kaidan’s only answer was a returning smile, and Rosie left the medbay to the sound of Kaidan’s gentle sighing behind her.

[whump-tr0pes]

Honor Bound 5 - 11

AKA - The Beach Episode

This is a series. Start here, continued from here.

This is a sequel to Honor Bound, Honor Bound 2, Honor Bound 3, Honor Bound 4, and the prequel Vera.

AO3

Content warning: migraine, emesis mention, medication side effects

~

The first thing Gavin became aware of was a faint, stabbing pain behind his left eye. His eyelids fluttered open, and he winced as the hot, dull ache stabbed through his head. He squeezed his eyes shut against the light that filtered in through the curtains and assaulted him. He groaned, his hands pulling into fists, and curled into a ball under the blanket.

“Gavin?” came Isaac’s soft, concerned murmur.

“Nnngh,” Gavin moaned, swallowing the saliva that pooled in his mouth as his stomach heaved. “H-head, agh…” He whimpered softly and winced as even the sound of his own voice seemed to crush his brain against the inside of his skull.

Cool, gentle fingers carded through Gavin’s hair, and he cracked his eyes open to see Isaac lying next to him on the pillow, his eyebrows pulled together in worry. “Another migraine?” Isaac whispered.

Gavin’s head moved a fraction on an inch in a weak nod. He blew out a slow breath between his lips. “Y-yeah,” he rasped. His eyes slid shut.

The mattress jostled as Isaac smoothly pushed himself out of bed. Gavin longed to reach out and pull Isaac back down to the bed and beg him to be held, just beg for Isaac to stay with him through what Gavin knew would be an agonizing day. He lay perfectly still, trying even to stop his own heartbeat, just to relieve the pounding ache in his head. He wet his chapped lips and curled harder into himself.

“I can go get your medicine,” Isaac whispered over the sound of clothes rustling. “The riz— the migraine meds Finn brought a few days ago. We can see if that works.”

Gavin groaned his assent and tugged helplessly on his hair. He tried, desperately, to think of what helped last time – but each beat of his heart shoved away his thoughts until all he could focus on, all he could comprehend, was the pain of each second that crept by.

The door creaked open, the sound thundering through his brain, and Gavin was alone. He trembled beneath the blanket, his skin breaking out in sweat as waves of nausea rocked through him. He rolled onto his other side and let his head hang against the edge of the mattress, just in case he had to throw up. After a long moment, the door creaked again, and Gavin could hear the sound of Isaac’s bare feet on the rug as he walked to Gavin’s side. The mattress dipped under Isaac’s weight. Gavin’s stomach lurched with the feeling, and he opened his eyes.

“Here,” Isaac whispered. He held out a light orange, oval-shaped pill in his fingers. Gavin moved to take it from him and sucked in a breath as the movement sent pain exploding through his head.

Isaac pressed his mouth into a hard line and gently held the pill to Gavin’s lips. Gavin let Isaac drop the pill into his mouth, and shivered as Isaac cupped his chin and held a glass of water to his lips. He took a long sip and slumped against the mattress again. He prayed he wouldn’t throw up the water, and the pill, before it had time to kick in. If it helped at all.

“Finn said it should kick in within an hour,” Isaac whispered.

The pain spiked through Gavin’s head at the thought of relief. “Hmmn,” he groaned. He closed his eyes and tipped his head to the touch when Isaac drew his fingers through Gavin’s hair again. That seemed to bring a hint of relief. “Wh-what…” He swallowed hard. “Do you need to go into town today?”

“No,” Isaac said softly. “No, I can stay home today. Although, when I went to get your meds, the others were talking about heading down to the lake and maybe bringing a picnic lunch. Finn and Ellis are pretty much moved into their new house. It sounds like Gray and Edrissa wanted to have a going-away party for them, even though they’ll be right down the road.” Isaac huffed out a laugh. “I think Edrissa’s going to bake a cake.”

“You should go,” Gavin groaned. “I’m… ‘m good.” He squeezed his eyes shut tighter, and sparks seemed to shoot through his head.

Isaac’s fingers paused in their path from Gavin’s temple to the back of his neck. “But I can stay here with you,” he murmured.

Gavin whimpered and reached up, lacing his fingers through Isaac’s. “But… if it’s their last d-day… fuck me, if, if it’s their last day at this house, then you sh-should… ahh…”

“But—”

“They’re your… family, Isaac.” Gavin wondered if he would be able to fall back asleep if Isaac left. Maybe, if he could lie in the dark and not move, maybe his head wouldn’t explode…

“You’re my family, too,” Isaac breathed. He squeezed Gavin’s fingers. “And you’re… you’re s-sick.”

“I’ll have plenty of migraines you can help me with,” Gavin said bitterly. “Isaac… please, go, I want you to have a, um, a g-good… Fuck, this is worse than before…” He gagged weakly. The mattress lurched as Isaac lunged for the wastebasket and thrust it under Gavin’s chin. Gavin shuddered and swallowed bile, pressing his face against the sheets. He wanted Isaac to stay, but the pain ratcheted higher, like a railroad spike being driven into his left eye socket, at the thought of Isaac missing Finn and Ellis on their last day at home. His throat clicked dryly as he swallowed. “Isaac…”

“I can get you a cold compress,” Isaac said weakly. “Would that help?”

“Um… I don’t know,” Gavin groaned, ready to scream from the pain and knowing the sound would shatter him if he did.

“Okay. I’ll go… I’ll go get one.” Isaac’s fingers slid out of Gavin’s grip, and the mattress dipped as he stood.

Gavin drifted in the pain, his heartbeat marking the time as it crawled by. He jumped when something cool pressed against the back of his neck. He hadn’t even heard Isaac come in over the pounding in his head.

Gavin sighed as the compress pushed away the pain, just a little. “Thank you,” he whispered.

“Yeah,” Isaac said softly. “Do you… Gavin, if you really want me to go—”

“Once the meds start working, I’ll come out and join you,” Gavin ground out through his teeth. “Right now I just… need to focus on not… ahh…”

“Okay,” Isaac said quickly, and Gavin’s heart wrenched at the concern he could hear in his voice. “Okay. If you, um…” The compress shifted as Isaac pulled his hand away, and Gavin reached up to hold it in place. “I’ll come check on you in a few hours if you’re not out by then.”

“S-sounds like a plan,” Gavin breathed. He twisted against the sheets, desperate to find a position that would take off the pressure he could feel building in his head.

“I love you,” Isaac whispered, and Gavin felt the soft press of a kiss into his hair. His heart thudded in his chest.

“Love you, too,” Gavin whispered back. After a long moment, the soft sound of Isaac padding to the door and the creak as he shut it stabbed into Gavin’s brain like hot knives.

He whimpered softly and pressed the cold compress against the back of his own neck. It cooled his damp hair. Each heartbeat rocked through his head, each breath whooshed in and out of him, each moment crashed over him in another wave of agony. He drifted in the pain.

∴

Gavin blinked his eyes open. He squinted in the dim light filtering through the curtains and stirred beneath the sheets. The cool compress on the back of his neck made him shiver. He swallowed, and his throat felt dry.

The pain in his head was gone.

Tears of pure relief stung Gavin’s eyes. His chest swelled with gratitude for Finn and the pill that had taken away his pain. He experimentally pushed himself up off the bed. The room swam oddly around him.

He put a hand to his head and groaned. It was as if a thick fog had settled inside his brain, blunting the edges, dulling each thought. Still, his stomach felt settled, and the light no longer stabbed into his eyes. He dropped the cold compress onto the nightstand and sat up.

There was a pair of dark blue swim trunks lying at the foot of the bed.

Tears blurred Gavin’s vision all over again. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and clumsily got to his feet, wobbling slightly before he got his balance.

I don’t remember feeling this weird after.

Gavin shuffled forward and pulled the swim trunks on. After a moment, he crossed to the dresser and took out a t-shirt. He pulled it on over his head and shivered as it settled on the scars on his back. His fingers drifted over his chest, just below his right collarbone, over the scar there. His scar matched the one on Gray’s left side.

He shook his head and pushed the door open. As he wandered down the hall, the house was silent. Even as his head swam, he made his way to the bathroom and brushed his teeth. He caught himself staring at himself in the mirror, his gaze flicking between the scar on the bridge of his nose, to the one on his cheek, to the one stretching from the outer corner of his left eye and up into his hairline. Isaac always kissed those scars in exactly that order. Gavin blinked and bent over his rinse out his mouth.

Gavin wandered towards the back of the house with a strange, detached feeling. It was almost as if, as he moved through the air, it was thicker than normal. He seemed to notice everything a second after it happened. He walked through the laundry room and pushed open the back door, blinking in the sudden sun.

It wasn’t quite overhead, but then – it never got that high, this far north. Even in mid-June, the sun still cast shadows at noon. Gavin stumbled out into the long grass of the backyard and wandered down towards the lake.

Gavin blinked again; the day was stunning. The sun was warm on his face, and a gentle breeze ruffled his hair, still slightly damp with his own sweat. It was just warm enough that he didn’t shiver in his t-shirt and trunks. The sun glittered on the surface of the lake, and his feet brushed through the grass as it gave way to rough, granite-gray sand. Gavin drew in a deep breath and felt a smile pull at his lips.

Down near the lake, Finn and Ellis sat on the same electric blue towel, Ellis’s legs draped over Finn’s, both of them turned towards the water. Zachariah stood waist-deep in the water, joyously fending off Edrissa and Sam as they both climbed him like a tree, Edrissa’s squeals and Sam’s laughter carrying over the water. As Gavin watched, Zachariah’s large hands closed around Edrissa’s waist and he heaved her farther into the lake. She disappeared beneath its surface with a splash and shot above the surface again, shrieking with laughter, her pale skin flushed red from the coldness of the water. She flipped her soaking wet hair over her shoulder before she clumsily swam to Zachariah and threw her arms around his neck. She planted a kiss on his cheek before he hoisted her and hurled her back into the water, laughing the whole time.

Tori and Vera stood at the edge of the water in their own bathing suits, their arms around each other’s waists. Even twenty yards away, Gavin could see how Vera’s scars stood out pale against the dark brown of her skin, and Tori’s scars shone pink over her black skin. Vera’s had faded with time. Tori’s would, too. They both laughed as Sam climbed, one-handed, onto Zachariah’s back and wrapped their legs around his waist. Zachariah ducked his head as Sam pressed a kiss to the side of his neck.

Warmth curled in Gavin’s chest at the sight of Sam, Edrissa, and Zachariah together. I was wondering when that was going to happen.

Gray sat in a lawn chair turned towards the lake with a t-shirt and shorts, and a straw hat keeping off the sun. Gavin couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled in his throat as he looked at Gray and thought, they look retired.

At the sound of his laugh, Isaac looked up from where he knelt in the sand, pawing through a basket set on top of another towel, this one a blaring yellow. Gavin felt Isaac’s gaze like a thump in his chest. His smile stretched wider as he made his way to Isaac’s side.

Gray glanced up, and Gavin realized they were holding a glass of lemonade in their hand.

All they need is a book, and the look is complete.

“Hey!” Gray said with a grin. “He lives!”

“Yeah,” Gavin mumbled, and blushed as Isaac wound an arm around Gavin’s waist and pressed a kiss to his temple. “That medicine, um, did the trick.”

Finn glanced over and perked up when they saw Gavin. “Oh, hey!” they said, gently guiding Ellis’s legs off of theirs and climbing to their feet. “You feeling better?”

“Um, yeah,” Gavin said as he looked down at his own sandy feet. “I’m a little dizzy, but…”

“Yeah, that can be a side effect,” Finn said, and chewed their lip. “You feeling anything else? Pins and needles? You drowsy?”

“Yeah, a little drowsy,” Gavin murmured. He glanced up and flushed an even more painful red when he realized Finn, Ellis, Gray, and Isaac all had their eyes on him. “Sorry I, um—”

“You should be,” Ellis sniped, and they climbed to their feet and picked up the towel. Gavin found his gaze flicking to their abdomen, hidden behind a black one-piece bathing suit. They still weren’t showing, and probably wouldn’t be for another month or two. That’s what their baby book said. He blinked and returned his gaze to their face.

“We were waiting on you to have lunch,” Ellis said with a roll of their eyes, although their cutting voice was softened by a slight smile.

“No, we weren’t,” Isaac said with a playful grimace in Ellis’s direction. He looked back at Gavin. “I was just going to come get you. You hungry?”

Gavin’s stomach grumbled. “Yeah,” he croaked. “I am, actually. Really hungry.”

“Good,” Isaac said. Gavin melted at the smile shining on Isaac’s face.

Ellis turned to the others still in the water. “Hey, young people!” they shouted. “Get your asses over here, it’s time to eat!”

Zachariah stopped mid-toss, holding Edrissa out over the water, as his head snapped towards the shore. Edrissa shrieked as he dropped her unceremoniously into the water with a laugh and began to trudge toward shore, Sam still latched on like a barnacle. Edrissa giggled as she grabbed Zachariah’s arm and let him pull her to shore.

As Zachariah reached the edge of the water, Sam slipped off his back and landed lightly in the sand. Edrissa scrambled out of the water and tucked herself under Zachariah’s arm, shivering. Her lips were blue as she turned her head and kissed his shoulder. Gavin smiled.

“Glad you’re feeling better,” Sam said through chattering teeth. They made their way over to a pile of towels beside Gray’s chair and toweled off their hair, then wrapped the towel around their shoulders. “The rizatriptan worked?”

“How come everyone can say it but me?” Isaac mumbled at Gavin’s side.

“Yeah,” Gavin said, and took another towel for him and Isaac to sit on. “Doing a lot better.” He spread out the towel next to the basket and pulled Isaac down to sit next to him. Isaac’s scars shone almost white in the sun. Gavin laced his fingers through Isaac’s.

“I spent all morning getting this ready,” Edrissa said as the knelt by the picnic and began pulling out containers of food and sandwiches wrapped in napkins. “Potato salad for everyone… Egg salad for Ellis…” She passed the sandwich to Ellis. “Turkey for Finn, PB&J for Sam, turkey for Gray, tomato mozzarella pesto for Vera, ham for Tori, double turkey for Zachariah, mozzarella pesto for me…” she murmured as she passed out each sandwich. “Chicken salad for Isaac, Gavin I made one of those for you, too…”

Gavin gratefully took the sandwich from Edrissa and pulled away the cloth napkin. His stomach growled again, and louder. Edrissa kept pulling food out of the basket. “Pickles, olives – gross, chips… these chips are really good, they’re made by this married couple in Burmingham, they fry them in peanut oil, you have to try them… cookies…” A small pile of food was spread out on the towel next to the basket. “And if anyone wants more lemonade, I can just bring the pitcher…”

“Yes please,” came the chorus of replies.

Edrissa scrambled to her feet. “I’ll go grab it,” she said.

“I’ll help,” Zachariah said with a grin.

“I’ll come, too,” Sam said as they tripped after them.

Gavin smiled and wondered how much time the three of them were going to spend actually bringing the lemonade.

As Gavin looked around at his family, he smiled even wider. Vera was laughing as she kissed Tori, and Tori’s eyes were bright, focused, clear. Gray looked more relaxed than Gavin had ever seen them. Ellis and Finn had spread out their towel again next to the food, and Ellis was swatting away Finn’s attempts to tickle them through peals of laughter.

And Isaac… Gavin allowed himself a moment to look at Isaac, and was instantly, desperately lost. Isaac stared right back at him, the look in his brown eyes making Gavin’s stomach lurch like he was falling. Isaac reached over and laced his fingers through Gavin’s. For a moment, Gavin thought his heart might burst with happiness.

Isaac leaned forward and brushed his lips against Gavin’s scars: nose, cheek, eye. Gavin turned his head and sought Isaac’s lips with his. He smiled when Isaac lingered on the kiss.

“Oh, get a room,” Ellis said good-naturedly. Gavin broke the kiss, and his cheeks blazed.

“May as well start eating,” Gray said with a laugh. “Who knows when those three will be back. Apparently getting drinks is a strenuous three-person job.”

Gavin took a bite of his sandwich as he looked out across the lake. The wind stirred the trees on the opposite shore.

Continued here

@untilthepainstarts, @womping-grounds, @free-2bmee, @quirkykayleetam, @walkingchemicalfire, @inpainandsuffering, @redwingedwhump, @burtlederp, @castielamigos-whump-side-blog, @whatwhumpcomments, @cursedscribbles, @whumpywhumper, @stxck-fxck, @omega-em-z-02, @whumps-the-word, @justwhumpitwhumpitgood, @justplainwhump, @moose-teeth, @whumpywhumper, @finder-of-rings, @inky-whump, @thatsthewhump, @orchidscript, @insanitywishes, @this-mightaswell-happen, @newandfiguringitout, @whumpkitty, @pretty-face-breaker, @cinnamonflavoredhugs, @inaridriscoll, @im-just-here-for-the-whump, @endless-whump, @grizzlie70, @oops-its-whump

[zabrak-show]

can i request a fic where reader is maul's apprentice and kind of a daughter-like figure to him? and she accidentally calls him dad?

Uhhh OK!! This was such a cute request and yet I made myself cry writing it. lmao so I’m sorry in advance. This is a found family story. Also, I made this gender-neutral, I hope this is ok. The setting is Dathomir at the time of the Solo movie. So after Clone Wars Maul becomes the shadowy ruler of Crimson Dawn on Dathomir. He found an apprentice on Mandalore and has been training them for about 10 years.

Word Count: 1.5k

Warnings: Found Family!, Family trauma

Whoosh!

A training orb narrowly missed your head as you ducked out of the way and finally struck it with your lightsaber. You had let yourself get distracted and it was a close call. You’d been at this for too long to make mistakes like that. You felt a deep shame for an instant but turned it into energy to focus on the training lesson at hand. You ducked and rolled on the cold stone floor, striking down the last training orb in a flash of sparks. The air now filled with the scent of dust, ozone, and sweat as you breathed in a sigh of relief. To be able to sit for even just a moment was an immeasurable treat these days.

You’d been training under Maul for almost 10 years now and he’d always been an incredibly stern and demanding Master, but lately, he’d been almost overbearing with his training. You felt frustrated at times, but mostly just wanted to make him proud of all that you knew you were capable of.

“How is it an apprentice of mine could still flounder at training orbs?” The all too familiar hauntingly deep voice of you your master filled the large room. He walked in slowly with his hands clasped behind his back and his metal feet clanking against the stone in a soft tapping you’d grown to know and love through the years, but at this moment, felt disdain towards the intrusion.

“I still won in the end,” you protested as you quickly rose from the seated position.

“Spare me. You are better than this. Better than these errors. And you know it. What is distracting you these days?” he questioned you with the same stern tone, but a tenderness behind it only you could detect.

“I’ll do better. I will do the lesson again right now. Again and again until it’s perfect.” you offered desperately.

“Hmmm… so you will not tell me what it is that distracts you? You’ve been training all day. Go wash up and spend the night meditating and maybe then you can tell me why you are distracted.” he turned and walked out of the room his black robes lightly rustling with his sudden movements. You wanted to be defiant and yell after him how out of touch he was and what a crotchety old man he had become, but you held back and just stewed in your negative feelings for a moment before ultimately deciding to do exactly as he said.

After your shower, you felt immensely better and decided to go meditate, although it was a bit begrudgingly. You wanted to go hang out with the nightbrothers, truth be told, but you also were just not in the mood for that either. You felt like you were stuck, in a funk. You missed Mandalore. Your parents were trash and you thought you had come to terms with that, but then why did you still wake up in the middle of the night dreaming about them and being in the house you grew up in? You knew Maul sensed this unbalanced feeling in you. Even if he hadn’t so much as told you he knew, it was clear he could read it on you anyway.

You set your room up to meditate, lighting some magick Dathomrian herbs and setting all the lights down low. You sat on a pillow trying to clear your mind. All you could hear was your Master’s voice and try as you might to block it out it was too loud. You got up angrily to pace the room, but then you realized you weren’t just hearing his voice in your head, he was in the next room over having a conversation. Curiosity got the best of you and you wandered out into the hall to eavesdrop.

“I wasn’t there, but if I had been perhaps I could have saved him” you overheard a woman’s voice you slightly recognized, but couldn’t quite place it yet.

“hmmm, ha ha ha ha.” your Master began his iconic sinister laugh and you knew this was not good already, but also sensed the darkness surrounding his force signature. 

‘Was he..scared? What could he have to fear?’ you pondered to yourself outside the room the voices emanated from.

“Bring the ship and come to me on Dathomir and you and I will then decide what to do about the traitor Beckett and his accomplices.” Maul snarled out and you heard the hiss of his lightsaber being activated.

“I’m on my way.” the woman responded with the immediacy that predicated only bad things on the way.

You crept back to your room knowing the peace you had known with Maul for the last ten years was about to change. You sat back down on your pillow and attempted to meditate in case your master were to walk by or come in.

“Y/N, get up. I’m sending you on a solo mission and you need to take whatever is most important to you.” Maul barged into your room as you had suspected may happen. You rushed to your feet and began looking for your bags to pack,

“Oh.. ok. Where am I going? Why aren’t you coming with me?” you tried to seem nonchalant, but his anxiety was boring into your soul and freaking you out. You’d never seen him so panicked.

“No time, just get ready and meet me at the ship hangar in an hour.” he ran out of the room before you could protest. His metal legs clanking against the stone down the hallway as you’d heard a million times before. You froze for a moment, trying desperately to always remember that sound. It was the first sound you remembered him from when he saved you on Mandalore. You had been run out of your home barely 10 years old, by your family for being force-sensitive and tried to survive on the streets of Sundari. It had gone ok for a month or so before you started to run out of party tricks to use on the gangs and you had been ambushed one night by several different gang leaders. Why your master was out walking that night and in that exact side street you’d never know, but he saved your life and the sound of his metal legs on stone pavement would forever be a reminder of that.

You swallowed a ball of anxiety and it snaked its way down your throat until finally settling into a heavy stone in your stomach. You knew he was sending you away, you sensed it. You hated that you could sense these things. Ignorance was bliss and it was not something you’d ever been privy to. You tried to breathe in the calming herbs still burning on your altar in a futile attempt to acquiesce some of these feelings. You snuffed out the incense, grabbed your bags, and left your room, not looking back as there was simply no sense of dwelling any longer.

You met Maul at the hangar and he was still in his fake calm, but frenzied mood.

“Master, you know I sense your feelings as well?” you asked with a concerned look on your face.

“Yes, my apprentice. You are more powerful than you know. I simply cannot afford to let anything happen to you. I’m sure this will all blow over in a couple of years, I just need you to hide for a while.” He reached out to grab your arm as he spoke, his fiery amber eyes gazing into your soul.

“A couple of years? That’s so long. Why won’t you tell me what’s going on?” You shifted your body away from him snatching your arm out of his grasp. You were an adult now and yet he still treated you like a child. It was more than you could stand.

“There’s no time to explain it all now, and I know you are no longer a child. That’s why I’m sending you away. If my old master finds out about you, about me. about any of this... Trust me, please?”

He barely spoke of his old master and when he did it was not good. You knew this was bad, but you were still so sad and confused.

“Can’t I hide on Dathomir? Please don’t send me away, dad.” the tears were spilling out of your eyes and you didn’t quite register what you had called your master until you looked up into his red face, his amber eyes widening in shock at the words.

Before you could completely die from cringe he grabbed you in a robust hug. Something he had only done once before when you were very little and your pet loth-cat had died.

“I would be so honored to be your dad. And that’s why it’s even more important for you to get away from me from awhile.” He grabbed your face to wipe away the tears with his gloved hands.

“Remember how I said we survive in the shadows? My shadow may have been lifted up and I can’t afford any more losses. You are all I have.” he pleaded with you and you choked back your sobs to give him another hug before you boarded the next passenger ship to maker knew where. You’d be on the run for a while you knew.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

as always thanks for reading and thanks for requesting <3

tag list:

@brilliantbutbatty

@maulieber

@botherbother-blog

@emissarydecksetter

@wolfpack-arts-industries99

@a-dorin

[ericsonclan]

Way Up

Summary: Marlon takes some time before school to swing around the streets of New York.

Word Count: 1633

Read on AO3:

Marlon glanced ahead at bright morning sunlight that shone upon the great city of New York. His left leg dangled off the edge of the roof that he was sitting on while his right arm rested on his other knee. His gaze turned to look around the city, seeing the big, impressive buildings that filled the streets. The sounds of businesses opening up and traffic filled the air as New York began to wake up.

The blond tilted his head back, letting the wind blow through his mullet and allowing himself a few seconds to enjoy this moment. After a minute Marlon opened his eyes. The smell of the breakfast burrito drew his gaze over to the remnants of his breakfast that was tucked away in his hand. Unwrapping the last bit, he tossed it in his mouth then hopped up. School wasn’t starting for another hour or so which meant he had a bit of free time. It was time to swing around the city as Hacklemesh.

Picking up his mask, Marlon secured it over his head before chucking the trash from breakfast into a dumpster down below. He took a moment, inhaling a deep breath before exhaling. The morning sun shone on his grey and black suit and especially seemed to favor the white webbing on it, making it shine especially bright.

With a grin hidden behind his mask, Hacklemesh took a few steps back then sprinted forward. Putting all of his power into his feet, he leapt high into the sky. His arms extended out as he fell for a moment before he tucked his arms to his side and dove towards the ground. Once he’d almost reached the ground he shot out a web that attached to the side of a building in an instant. With a mighty pull Hacklemesh sent himself back up amongst the pigeons of New York.

Another whoosh of a spider web and a tug upon it made it clear that he had successfully hit another building. Hacklemesh threw himself even further up into the sky then tucked his knees close to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, making himself a small ball that spun downwards at a rapid pace. With a swift shot Hacklemesh secured another web to swing on and with another move he swung up into the air once more, doing a small twirl in the process.

Folding his legs, Hacklemesh leaned back and did a series of backflips mid-air. In an instant he webbed a lamp post and used it to propel himself towards the bright sky again. Hacklemesh placed one arm in front of him and the other behind his back, his legs tucked as he spun around in a circle a few times then sent another web towards a building. After a few more air tricks and well-placed jumps Hacklemesh reached the Empire State Building. With an excited smile lost to the world, he sprinted up the side of the building, his arms moving alongside the movement of his feet as he reached the top of the iconic New York landmark in moments.

As soon as he reached the top Hacklemesh leapt off, giving a loud cry of pure joy. “WOOOOOOOOOO!” Hacklemesh threw his head back and shot a few random webs in the air before letting himself freefall, waiting for the final moment to shoot out the next web that would swing him to safety.

Suddenly he heard the sounds of gunfire and the frantic cries of civilians. His eyes snapped over in the direction of the noises and noticed a car haphazardly driving down the street. Shooting out a web, Hacklemesh zipped over towards the car.

“Fuck! It’s one of those spider freaks!” The driver’s voice cracked from fear as he tried to get rid of Hacklemesh who was slowly but surely closing the distance.

“I’ll get rid of the little shit!” A voice appeared from inside the car and soon a masked individual poked their head out and started spraying bullets towards the spider hero. Hacklemesh spun out of the way then used webbing to redirect himself back on the right path. After dodging a few more attacks, Hacklemesh snagged the roof of the car with a web and pulled himself onto the car with a harsh thunk.

“You little bitch!” Another person poked his head out of the car and aimed the gun directly at the spider hero’s face.

With his quick reflexes, Hacklemesh veered clear of the deadly shot and stuck to the side of the car where the shooter was. Landing a heavy punch to the thug’s head, he knocked him out and quickly wrapped him in a mess of lumpy, odd webs before shooting two webs towards a building. Attaching them to the thug’s back, Hacklemesh let the webs yank him, sending the man flying through the sky. One down, two to go.

Hacklemesh quickly repeated the same tactic with the other shooter. With two shooters gone the spider hero focused on finding a way to stop the car when all of a sudden the driver pulled out a gun and started shooting wildly. He had to be dealt with, now. Hacklemesh’s hands grabbed the edge of one of the windows opposite the driver. With a mighty swing he crashed through the shotgun window, shattering all the glass and letting his feet collide with the driver’s face. The driver groaned in pain and fell out of the car, tumbling onto the ground.

Hacklemesh didn’t have time to check how badly the thug had gotten hurt though; the car quickly tilted on its side due to its lack of a driver. Sparks flew in the sky from metal scraping harshly against the asphalt of the street. He had to act fast.

Just as the car flung itself into the air, Hacklemesh slid underneath it and with his arms outstretched caught the car before it could harm the nearby citizens. His legs buckled as the full weight of the car applied pressure throughout his body. He couldn’t stop now though. Slowly he lifted up the car and gently placed it down. Or at least as gently as he could.

Hacklemesh took a deep breath and was about to swing away when he heard the happy cheers of the citizens. Looking behind him, he noticed just how many civilians were surrounding him as well as the news crew that had arrived on the scene as quickly as always.

Hacklemesh could feel his nerves rising as questions were directed towards him at a rapid pace. It was all becoming too much but he had to keep calm. He had a horrible habit of shooting out a bunch of webs as a defensive mechanism whenever he got too stressed. He couldn’t risk injuring others. His mind tried to keep track of the conversation when suddenly a citizen spoke up above the rest.

“I love you, Hacklemesh!”

“And I love you, random citizen!” Hacklemesh pointed at the citizen and froze, a bit embarrassed by the whole exchange. His eyes scanned the crowd, unsure what to do until they landed on a nearby clock in a shop. Shit, school was starting in the next few minutes. With a half-assed goodbye Hacklemesh shot a web and swung away, hoping he wouldn’t be late to school.

Sophie watched the news in awe. A piece of toast dangled out of her mouth as her eyes remained glued to the TV screen. A clip of Hacklemesh played on the screen. The way he took down those thugs and how he had caught that car and placed it back onto the ground... It was one of the most badass things Sophie had ever seen outside of her and Minnie’s feats as spider heroes.

“Soph!” Minnie’s frantic voice made Sophie glance over to see her twin struggling to put on her shoes. It was obvious Minnie was extremely anxious because her finger immediately became stuck to the shoes with an iron grip. “Help me so we aren’t late for school!”

“On it!” Sophie mumbled as the piece of toast bounced up and down in her mouth. With a  toss she munched down on the jam-covered slice and inhaled it before helping her sister. Quickly the two were out the door and on their way to school.

On the way there Sophie continued to gush about how badass and cool Hacklemesh was this morning. Minnie nodded along but it was clear she just wanted to have her worries about being late be misplaced. Sprinting down the hall, the twins noticed Renata who immediately joined them in their running and started to flirt with Minnie. Minnie became a flustered mess, trying to remain calm enough that her webs wouldn’t make her get stuck to her locker as she grabbed her books for the first class.

Sophie was about to comment on something that Renata said as the three of them walked into their first class when she spotted Marlon sliding into the classroom, his eyes panicked. After a moment of catching his breath, he noticed Sophie. “Hey there, Soph,” Marlon gave a casual smile.

“Hey, Mar,” Sophie’s smile faded for a moment as a look of curiosity appeared on her face. Reaching her hand up, she pulled a leaf from Marlon’s hair. “Did you take a nap in a tree before class?” Sophie gave a teasing smile which made Marlon’s heart flutter. His eyes immediately glanced away.

“Something like that,” Turning away, Marlon walked over to his seat and sat down just as class started. With one more deep breath he let his shoulders relax. That was close; he had almost been late. If one thing became clear to him once more thanks to today, it was this: being a hero was anything but easy.

[haelieana]

TL : Leah

PR : Xeven_

Chapter 2

"Oh my, Luen, this is......"

"You have nice skin, so I enjoyed doing your makeup and the dress looks good on you. The Duke will surely fall in love again."

"The rumor has spread to the lady's on society that the Duke adores you. I envy you."

I don't know if I'm in a good mood, or if you want to make me feel good. Whoosh, I smiled. On the other hand, I was in tears because I couldn't control my facial expression.

As they were in a fuss, I couldn't understand how the Duke treated me like gold or jade, or like I was going to fly when the wind blew.

Pr: She means that the Duke saw her to be a person that should be treated delicately since weak things (like paper) get caught easily on the wind.

"God blessed us, the weather is wonderful today."

"God blessed us, the weather is wonderful today."

The scent of flowers was applied to my body. Thanks to the maid's deft make-up and my figure in a smooth silk dress wrapped around my body were distinctly different from usual. One maid turned her head up for the last time.

"Luen, we're going to leave now."

"You're going to be busy all day today, so take a break."

"If you need anything, feel free to call us."

When the girls, who chatted and filled the empty air, went out, the room became quieter. Like my complicated inner self.

I could have made a fuss looking at myself in the mirror, but I got depressed thinking about the future.

Sfx : *knock 2×*

-I know it's an excuse, but I haven't been able to hold back my curiosity.

He came in like he was waiting for me to be left alone. When I said ‘come’ in a weak voice, the door opened. I wasn't willing to get close to a man I wish I had just watched from afar.

"I’m blessed by the most beautiful bride in the world."

Yes, today was my wedding day. I want to flee to save my life, and I'm also about to be dragged to the wedding hall by the Duke of Piar.

'Oh my life, what can I do?'

In addition, I am now in a situation where I can live for a few years. Just in case he leads a rebellion.

Flop

Something fell off with a small noise. When I turned my head looking out of the window, there was a bouquet of flowers that were white at his feet. I rolled my eyes and walked to the Duke. It was a hideous white color.

"It's the same as usual, but you're even more beautiful today. It was because of you that the daffodils in the garden bowed their heads."

It was dazzling to wear a tailcoat with dizzyingly long, well-drawn legs. As the smile fell on his normally blunt impression, it became as soft as cotton candy that would melt when touched. Looking at the groom who is more handsome than anyone else in the world, I recalled the moment when he asked to marry me.

What the hell happened then.

**********

"You don't have to call the doctors to check....."

I trembled and managed to bring it up. There might still be a chance to escape. Even if it was not a hundred percent, I wanted to see if there was a little possibility.

Even now, I tried to call a doctor to prove that I was a false pregnancy. His attitude was unusual, I need to be kicked out of the dukes faster.

"Hmm? What are you talking about?"

Just as I was out of the Duke's arms, his sweet voice came as if honey were dripping.

"Confirmation. I don't give you that much faith."

"No, I didn't mean it"

"I can't doubt the fruits of our love, my Luen."

It was frustrating for me to see such a cold-headed, calculating man who made a name for himself like a clumsy insipid.

"There's no way you're lying to me."

Seeing him smiling with a harmless face with the theme of the dark duke made my stomach ache. Why would the bad guy feel guilty about me?

He leads the soldiers to the palace without hesitation and faces Yeoju.

-Don't do this. What's wrong with you all of a sudden?

-I'll take you.....

In the end, he wishes for the queen's happiness and chooses to give up on herself. She can't even tell him how she felt. The Duke was captured alive as it was.

'I'm sorry but I want to live.'

I had to stay away from the duke to do that. If I'll Stay with the duke, I'll die with him.

While I was mesmerized for a moment and got my act together, he began to make a formidable statement.

"I'm sorry about what happened. I was going to tell you after a little more preparation."

After letting me go, the Duke stepped back a few steps and seriously looked up at one knee.

Don't tell me.....?

"Luen."

His eyes were somehow moist. It was somehow strange to see water added to the face that exuded sexiness.

But I can't. No! No matter how handsome you are, this isn't right.

"I've been dreaming of this moment since the day I first saw you."

The Duke took a small box out of his arms, perhaps carrying it all the time to carry it. Inside the softly opened box, was a brilliant shining ring.

My heart sank. That sparkle is never for me.

Why are you here if it's me? What are they thinking about doing this to me, not the original Yeoju?

I wondered if the ridiculous situation would continue.

"Luen."

As close as I stepped back, the Duke came. And as soon as my name came out between his lips, all thoughts disappeared. I couldn't even wriggle as if my limbs were tied to what I couldn't see.

I felt strange for some reason. His eyes were so sweet that I felt possessed. I had to get my act together, but I was constantly persuaded by what he said.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Would you please accept my proposal?"

He held out the ring to me. I saw it closely and it was a ring that I knew. A large diamond shone even more through delicate work. In the original novel, the ring was prepared by the Duke of Piar to present with a desperate confession to Yeoju.

"Ha, haha"

I mean, smiling with a weird face.

There was nothing I could do. Every minute and second went too slowly and the confrontation continued.

'Shall I die now, or live a little longer?'

That is the problem.

I tried my best, but there was no answer. I was brought to this world without knowing the subject, so I thought I would adjust to it, but I can't walk on the flowery path, but I can't believe it's a Death Flag. I felt sorry for my situation, so I shed tears without realizing it.

"Luen."

The Duke came darting up and watched me. The maids say it's necrophilia.

I don't know why you keep hugging me when you give me away.

"Are you that thrilled? Don't shed tears."

"........."

"When you cry, I want to cry even more. So smile."

Soon, an eerie word and a ring were pushed in front of me at the same time. I tried to ignore it, but the pressure was getting stronger little by little. Somehow, it felt like a prey standing in front of a snake flicking its tongue just before it hit its prey.

'Let's move on from this moment on.'

Reluctantly, I reached out slowly and accepted the ring. The Duke quickly faced me in a gentle manner. He grinned as hard as he could, saying I was more beautiful than flowers.

'Things finer than flowers are peacocks.'

The game was over because he was caught up in it.

********

"Father, Shall we start?"

I didn't expect the Duke of Piar to make a sick face. He blinked slowly, perhaps because he felt my stare.

"It's something I've been dreaming about. Please excuse me."

Now there was no energy to refute or think what the hell was wrong with him. I gently placed my hand on the Duke's arm. We'll head to the ceremony. If you hold a ceremony in front of many people, you won't be able to skip it. But it wasn't without a way.

I tried to sigh, but suddenly I felt so quiet that I couldn't even hear the sound of breathing. As I looked up, the Duke of Piar's expression was unusual.

'Did you notice the idea of getting divorced and running away?'

I read other people's thoughts so well that I thought I might be a mind reader, I quickly noticed. His hands flinched to come up suddenly and closed his eyes.

".... My bride"

There was a strangely hot heat in his voice. Likewise, the heat from his hand to me. I was standing breathless because of the sudden act of sweeping my hair behind my ears.

"Wha, what."

A long, straight finger touched my ear. His fingertips kept hovering around my ears and it tickled. I couldn't help but open my body slightly and heard a small laugh above my head. It was clearly a different breath from a while ago.

My heart went up and thumped. What if this tension reaches him? I almost drooled and fell over.

"Are you nervous?"

Without hesitation, he came in nodding his head again. My nose was on his chest, which filled my vision. I also wanted to feel his trembling. He took a breath as I clung to him.

Having been holding me for a long time, he kissed me on the top of the head and said.

"Thank you so much for coming to me. I want to raise our children better than anyone else."

Oh, that's not it! But the protest only lingered in me.

Compelled again to look at my stomach, I picked up a word and spat it out.

"It's a lovely day, isn't it?"

"Even heaven rejoices in our union. Shall we go now?"

I was relieved by the duke who accepted my words without much doubt. I put my hand on his arm again.

"Ah!"

He grabbed my careless hand.

"It's against etiquette, but I want to go hand in hand. Will you allow me?"

His hand, one bigger than mine, wraps around mine. The end of my glove didn't come out in the air as if it wasn't to be seen in the world. My heart trembled strangely.

"Yes, it's okay."

I followed him with heavy steps to keep pace. It was also a sign that my relationship with him began in earnest.

*********

"The virtues of the couple cannot be overemphasized......"

Does everyone talk longer when they stand there? A yawn threatened to come out during the sagging officiant's speech, but I held it in. The high heels made my ankle sore and my head felt heavy because of the jeweled veil, but I couldn't show.

"I, Christian Noah, have a good day ahead of me. Lu........"

The person who keeps saying the same thing in front of me is the emperor, the lord of the original work and the ruler of the empire. The position is the end goal of the duke’s rebellion.

'That's the way it works!'

Suddenly, I rolled my eyes hard at the brilliant idea. It was a novel and ingenious idea, I think, as if lightning had flared up.

In the original book, Yeoju was a maid of the Imperial Palace. A princess of the fallen Kingdom of Lauren, she sneaked into the palace for revenge. And soon she got acquainted with the Duke of Piar.

Watching her but also wanting to protect her, somehow, the Duke fell in love with her. Eventually, Yeoju falls in love with the emperor.

'Yeoju must be somewhere.'

At this point, Yeoju would be trying to approach the emperor with a sword for revenge. Of course, he would have come here to officiate with Emperor Napsin.

A little earlier than the original, Yeoju. I had to let her meet the Duke of Piar.

'Then he'll fall in love on his own. That's the flow of the original.'

I was planning to live as a duchess and cheer for the love of the duke and the female lead. After that, it was pleasant to think of the day when I left after finishing my false marriage. It became more refreshing as the emperor's officiant seemed to be coming to an end.

"Lastly, let me ask you if there is anyone who opposes the marriage of these two people God has allowed."

Even I, the person involved, don't approve of marriage, but who allowed it?

'I'm against this marriage.'

I was sarcastic inside.

"I'm against this marriage!"

A roaring voice rang out.

[stormfall1327]

Find Me Waiting - Chapter 3

Now on AO3! 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/28492086/chapters/69830382

V shifted uncomfortably in the front seat of Vik’s car. Her skin was too hot, the air thick and tense between them as he drove them across town to the Kiroshi Optics building. “Mind if I, uh, roll the window down?” she asked. “‘Course not. This suit is damn stuffy, anyway,” he replied, reaching up to tug at the collar of his dress shirt. ‘Why not just take it off then?’ her mind unhelpfully supplied. V gratefully hit the button and rolled her window down, leaning her face out to cool her reddened cheeks. Vik glanced over and watched as a tendril of her hair came loose, skittering across the top of her freckled shoulders.

“So, you, uh, never did tell me what this gig of yours is about,” he supplied, turning his gaze back to the road as he tried to bring back some semblance of normalcy to their interactions. V leaned back into the car, rolling up the window part way and turned to face him. “Eh, it’s nothing much for what I’m getting paid. Client’s concerned about a new Kiroshi rep and wants me to look into ‘em, is all. Chat ‘em up, snoop around their office. You know, the usual stuff. Invited me to this fancy party to give me a better window of opportunity. Top eddies plus free champagne? Couldn’t turn ‘im down.”

“Heh, never did care for the stuff, myself. Tastes like cardboard.” He wrinkled his nose at the memory.

V chuckled. “But it’s free! And besides, I’m sure you’ll find something there you like.” She risked glancing up at his face and her breath caught when she found him staring at her. He cleared his throat and looked back to the road. “Yeah, sure to find something,” he muttered. ‘But nothing compares to what I have here next to me,’ finishing the sentence in his head.

The rest of the ride was quiet, the silence only broken by the rumble of the engine and the quiet sounds of Night City Radio coming through the speakers. As they neared the Kiroshi building, Vik slowed down to make his way into the parking garage. V placed a hand on his arm and motioned to the front of the building where a valet was waiting. Vik’s brow raised in question and V just shrugged her shoulders and smiled. “What? Client paid for this, too.” Vik mumbled something about somebody else touching his car under his breath, but followed V’s direction and pulled up to the curb.

The valet came up to the driver’s side window as Vik rolled it down. Placing a hand on his thigh, V leaned across him to talk to the man and give him her information. Sucking in a breath through clenched teeth, Vik’s body tensed and he struggled to look anywhere but down V’s dress as she leaned across his lap, the low cut giving him a tantalizing view of her tits. The pressure of her hand on his thigh was maddening and he could feel his cock twitch when she sat back down and gave his leg a squeeze before reaching down to grab her purse.

Letting the air out of his lungs in a -whoosh-, he pulled the keys from the ignition and opened his door, subtly adjusting his pants as he stood. He handed the keys off to the valet and gave him a nod before heading around to open V’s door. He held out his hand to her, hoping she’d take it. She grinned up at him through long lashes and placed her small hand in his, allowing him to help her up. The touch was electric. It wasn’t like they’d never had skin contact before. He was her ripper, after all. Hell, V had kissed his cheek just earlier this evening when he agreed to come. But this... this was different. She knew she hadn't imagined the heated glances they shared tonight or the way his muscles twitched under his clothes where she touched him. She let out a small whimper as she stood, the reality of the evening starting to sink in. The sound bounced around in Viktor’s skull as he gripped her hand tighter. They stood there for a moment, hand in hand, staring at each other, breaths slightly quickened and hearts pounding. V pulled away first, turning her head away with a blush before smiling up at him. “Well, then. Shall we?” she asked, voice more than a little breathless. Vik smiled back. “Lead the way.”

Pulling him by the hand, V lead them a little further down the sidewalk before ducking into the nearest alley. She opened her purse and pulled out her Overture, pulling back the slide to ensure it was loaded before tucking it away again. “Expecting trouble?” he rumbled, crossing his arms over his chest, worry seeping into his face. She just winked at him. “It’s me, Vik. I always expect trouble. But seriously, I’m just tryin’ to be prepared. I’ll be in and out before you know it, no one the wiser. Trust me. I’ll be fine.” She reached up to pat him on the cheek, then took his hand again with a quick squeeze and walked confidently to the front door.

By the time they passed through security and made their way to the reception hall, the gala was in full swing. V took a moment to scan the crowd, zeroing in on her client across the room. She nudged Vik’s arm to get his attention. “See the guy over there in the gold suit? That’s my client. Let’s go.” She grabbed his hand again as they walked to the other side of the room.

Vik didn’t miss the way heads turned as she passed, appreciative glances and nods sent her direction by the mingling crowd. A sudden burst of jealously bubbled up in his chest and he reflexively tightened his grip on V's hand. V glanced back at him, giving him a questioning look. He just shook his head and gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile as he squeezed her hand before relaxing his grip. He couldn't deny the change in their dynamic tonight. Was it too much to hope that she might want him as much as he wanted her?

As they approached, V’s client turned to greet them. “V! You made it!” he exclaimed, opening his arms and shooting the pair a million-watt smile. “Ah! And I see you didn’t come alone after all! Who’s the lucky man?”

“This is my date, Dr. Viktor Vektor. Best ripper in NC. Vik, this is Devon Marks, Kiroshi Optics rep.” Vik’s heart clenched at her words. Did she just say date?

Vik reached out to shake the man’s hand. “Pleasure to meet ya, Devon. Always appreciated Kiroshi’s ingenuity.”

“Well, what can I say? We’re the best at what we do!” Standard corpo bullshit. Vik fought back the strong desire to roll his eyes and offered the man a small smile. Devon turned to V and motioned to the corner of the room. “There’s your target, V. Just like we agreed. And here. This should get you into her office.” He pressed a security card into her palm. “Thanks, Devon. Be back in a flash. And make sure Vik stays out of trouble for me, will ya?”

Shooting him a wink, she stepped back over to Vik and, using his arm as leverage, leaned up to whisper in his ear. “Be back in 20. Don’t get too lonely without me.” Her hot breath sent a shiver down his spine and as she spun on her heel to leave, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back, the unexpected force sending her careening into his chest. He smirked at her before leaning down to her ear. “Come back to me, V. Don’t make me wait too long.” His voice was low and rough and V could feel the moisture pool between her legs at his words, goose flesh prickling her skin. She stepped back with a wicked grin on her face. “Promise.”

———

V’s mission was a success. After chatting up the target, she made her way silently into the office suites, hacking a couple of cameras and easily bypassing the lock with the card from Devon. The suspicious data was saved to a drive and exactly 20 minutes later, V waltzed into the reception hall. After handing the data over to Devon and receiving her payment, she spotted Vik waiting for her at the bar, nursing a beer.

“So, come here often?” she teased as she took up the stool next to him and ordered herself a whisky on the rocks. Vik glanced at his watch and grinned. “Right on time. You get what you needed?” She took a large sip of her drink, eyes closing in pleasure as the smooth liquid slid down her throat and warmed her belly. She nodded. “Yup. Job’s done, eddies in hand.” She raised her glass in a toast, clinking it against Vik’s bottle. “To fancy parties, easy jobs, and handsome men in suits!” She quickly took another drink, causing a drop of condensation to roll down her throat. Vik watched the droplet with hungry eyes, following it as it disappeared down the front of her dress. “And to stunning women in red dresses,” he added before taking a drink of his own. V’s blush reached her chest. Leaning in closer, she rested her hand on his forearm, eyes searching his face. “What say we get outta here, huh?” He met her gaze and held it. Placing his hand over hers for a brief moment, he moved to stand, bending slightly at the hips, arm extended.

“After you, V.”

[neverlandparker]

Rooftops // peter parker (repost!)

Word Count:  3.2k words of angst and fluff - so much of it. teens in love and all the cuteness that ensues :)

Warnings: man armed with gun scene (kind of) but no worries! there’s no death or blood in this one!!

Author: @neverlandparker 

A/N: Hey guys! Sorry its been so long! Its nice to be back and writing! I really hope you enjoy reading this as much I did writing it! <3

Additional Note***This is a repost because I accidentally deleted the original!!! Luckily, I had a draft saved that was pretty close to the original...but I actually ended up changing it up a little bit :)  please please please give it another read even if you have read the original post and let me know what you think !! thank you so so much for your wonderful support, it really means the world! -claire xx***

Prompt: From my prompt list that is now nonexistent haha: #10: “Um…so you are going to just try convincing me that the last 10 seconds didn’t happen?” #12: “Are you just going to stare at me?” and ps I changed around the prompt words a bit to make it better fit the writing in that scene! 

Prompts were requested by anon & @underoos-shield <3

(photo not mine.)

…

It all began a week ago. You were walking toward your locker when you saw Peter and Ned standing nearby and speaking in a hushed, secretive manner. You thought maybe it was because they were trying to talk about some new Lego set without the whole world knowing so you just shrugged it off and walked toward them. 

It was not until you neared in proximity that you began to pick up bits of their conversation and upon hearing your name, you froze immediately. Thankfully, it was passing time and everyone was walking in the hallways crowded hallways giving you some coverage from being spotted eavesdropping on them. You knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, but hearing your name come up in their conversation suddenly made you very intrigued. 

So you stopped at one of the nearby drinking fountains, filling up your empty water bottle as you made sure to listen extra carefully to see if you could make out their conversation. 

Even with your back turned, your eyes widened and you almost dropped your water bottle as you heard what came out of Peter’s mouth next. “Ned! But I can’t Y/N, I can’t tell her! She would hate me if I did.” Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Ned making wild hand gestures as he replied, “Dude, you’re an Avenger. If anyone has a chance with a senior girl, it’s you!” 

You couldn’t grasp what was happening.

Peter? An Avenger? 

Then that could only possibly mean one thing—Peter Parker, your dorky best friend was Spider-Man.

Shocked and stunned, you immediately felt your hands fly to your mouth in a failed attempt to muffle your rather audible gasp at the realization.

You were thankful that the loud clamor of high school students in the hallway made your embarrassingly loud intake of air less noticeable.

As you went through your day, one thing stayed on your mind. Your best friend. Peter Parker. Was Spider-Man? 

But the more you thought about it, the more it made sense. The abrupt ends to your phone calls, the reason why Peter ditched you and Ned during your traditional Friday movie nights, and also the reason why his disappearances kept strangely matching up with Spider-Man’s appearances on the news. 

…

As you walked home from school, you were texting your friend until suddenly, you noticed the presence of a person behind you—your intuition seemed to be alerting you as you felt somewhat followed. As you carefully paid more attention, you realized the same man had followed you for what seemed like 10 straight minutes. Then, all of a sudden, it seemed like he caught you sneaking suspicious odd looks at him, and faster than one could say “thwip,” he pulled out a gun and pointed it straight at your head.

Your blood ran cold. Mouth ran dry. Sweat seemed to dampen your skin. Goosebumps formed. Tears prickled your eyes. Your legs started to shake. Your mind went blank. Pure terror seized hold on your heart and as much as wanted to scream for help and run for cover, your feet betrayed you, staying stubbornly stuck to the ground, as if glued there. 

“Drop your bag and give me your money!” he roared at you. 

You did as you were told, slowly and carefully as fear flooded your body. You reached a hand into your bag painstakingly slowly and was about to hand your wallet over but all of a sudden you hear – WHOOSH THWIP!

“Hey buddy! I believe that belongs to her!” and right before your own eyes, you witness Spider-Man up close, in action, practically flying toward your attacker and with a powerful kick delivered, he successfully knocked the man unconscious. 

As you were still collecting yourself over the last few minutes, he deposited the weapon , called the police, and had the unconscious assaulter tied up tightly against the brick wall of a nearby building.  

And as soon as he turned around to face you he froze, and the suit’s eyes almost seemed to dilate as if...as if he was surprised to see it was you. You took a mental note of this as you cautiously asked “U-um are you okay?” 

As if shaken out of whatever daydream he was in, he replied wittily, “h-hey, isn’t that supposed to be my line?” 

And as your smile began to fade, realizing what had almost happened had he not been there to save you, he immediately apologized, “I-I’m so s-sorry – I shoulda been t-there sooner. D-Did he hurt y-you?”

What you did next actually surprised you and him as well as you flung yourself full force at the masked hero, as you found yourself unable to express your thoughts in no other way, hoping that this embrace would suffice as a way of thanking him for saving your life.  

And then it was almost like you caved, as at once, your fierce guard had been let down and floodgates opened as you felt tears slide down and drip off your cheeks. More tears came and you struggled to keep your composure as you tried to muffle your sobs, only turning into even more of a sniffling, shaking mess. It was almost at that moment that you realized that you probably looked ridiculous, clinging onto the spandex-suited hero as you sobbed uncontrollably in the middle of the sidewalk. 

It must have been at that realization, but you quickly jumped back and quickly made an attempt to wipe away your tears, your eyes still red and watery. 

“Oh my god—I am so-so-so sorry I-I don’t know what came over m-me, I d-don’t know what came over me—thank you, thank you…” your voice trailed off as hushed as ever, as Spider-Man faced you, listening.

“No–no-no- please don’t ever apologize. It was my fault that I let this happen and damn it I should have been here earlier and I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry…If I had gotten here any later…god what were you thinking? Walking by yourself? Who let you do this? Who was dumb enough to let you walk home by yourself?” he practically screeched and he was up about pacing the sidewalk in front of you. At first you were rather taken back by his outburst earlier but then the more you observed carefully, it seemed awfully like he was almost berating….himself?

You made a mental note that everything so far seemed to be like Peter. His height and build, the voice, and his caring nature which shone right through the mask.

But scared to jump to conclusions with your assumptions and possibly revealing his secret identity to the world, you sat there with your mouth shut, listening to him rant. You decided now was not the right  time to confront him about this. It would have to wait for later. 

“Um–hey Y/—Miss?” he waved a cautious hand in front of your face.

You jumped back to reality. 

“Oh. Um,” you cleared your throat, “uh right!”

“I’d better get going,” you stated still slightly dazed from traumatic event and the possibility of Spider-Man being your own best friend. 

You got up slowly and when you finally managed to collect yourself enough, you flashed a watery smile his way and started to slowly walk away.

Before you could get far though, you heard a voice calling your name. 

“Hey! Miss…Wait up!” 

You looked over your shoulder and you saw the familiar red and blue suit. Your lips quirked upwards instinctively and you turned your body towards him.

Huh?

His normally confidently and witty composure had shrunk and now he was looking everywhere but you, shuffling his feet unconsciously, and wringing his hands….nervously?

You looked up at him, with a gentle expression as if expecting an answer.

He cleared his throat.

“Umm yeah uh sorry–sorry just um can I walk you home?” 

It came out so timidly, you smiled. 

“Of course, I’d love some company”

…

Before you knew it, you had arrived at your apartment and you dug your key out from your backpack. 

“Well, this is me….thank you. again. thank you for saving my life back there” you looked up at him. 

And throwing all reservations out the window, you threw your hands around his neck, pulling him close, hugging for a minute. 

Then, you pulled back, a blush dusting your cheeks. 

“Honestly I don’t know what I’d do without you…..” you trailed off, then realizing what you said wasn’t exactly how you wanted it to come out, you quickly added, “…in that situation I mean.” Your face was flaming. 

“Thank you again” you whispered.

The masked hero just nodded. 

“I’ll see you around”

And with that, you gave him a little wave, and shut the door, as you felt your legs give out, sliding down against the back of the door to your apartment, as you sat there for a few minutes blinking back tears as you tried to comprehend what had just happened in the last hour. 

…

School had gone as normal the day after. And there was nothing out of the ordinary. Admittedly, you were still slightly shaken from the events of the day before, but you were slowly starting to feel normal again.

You took note that Peter had stuck at your side for the entire day, running to catch up with you in the halls even if his next class was all the away across campus at the tech wing, insisting that he walk you to your next class.

You kept protesting, saying you were perfectly fine and pushing him away, not wanting him to be tardy to his next class, but he stayed adamant and walked by you for the rest of the day whenever he possibly could. 

Whenever you asked about it, he shrugged and just replied with, 

“Just trying to be good company” 

…

Although having Peter so close the whole day which you had to admit was comforting, it also made your feelings for him a lot harder to suppress. 

He was your best friend for goodness sake. 

You were looking forward to walking home with him but it seemed like he had disappeared. You had asked Ned but he just shrugged and mumbled something about the Stark Internship keeping him busy again. 

You sighed, you really were looking forward to the normal times again, when you, Peter and Ned would walk home together on Fridays and have a Star Wars marathon. However, Peter had been busy lately. You’d really only ever see him in school. Although you felt sad or sometimes a bit angry, he always apologized profusely about Tony Stark keeping him super busy. 

So you let it slide. 

You took a breath and started walking home. This time, super hyper aware of all your surroundings. Ten minutes into your walk, you felt nauseous. It was that feeling from yesterday all over again. Except when you looked around there was no one in sight. Perhaps it was just you, shaken from the rather disturbing memory of what had happened at this exact time. 

You blinked hard and clutched your backpack and resumed your walk, picking up your pace. 

But not before long, you heard a voice call out to you. 

You immediately froze, adrenaline pumping through your body. 

Surely not again?

You slowly turned around.

But this time, it wasn’t a big menacing man with a gun, it was only Spider-Man, perched upon a nearby apartment fire escape. 

He gave you a friendly wave, and you imagined that he was smiling at you behind his mask.

You grinned and waved back. 

“What are you doing here?” you called, curious to see what he was up to. 

After all, it wasn’t everyday that you got to talk with Queen’s very own infamous web-slinging hero. 

“Just sticking around for surveillance and of course, looking out for you ma’am” he winked.

Why he seemed confident today.

You felt your smile get impossibly bigger and your heart swelled at the generous gesture. 

“Thank you” you called up to him.

“Anytime”

The rest of your walk home, you felt at peace, having your guardian angel aka spidey looking out for you along the way. 

At some point, he swung down and joined you on your way home and when he was prompted as to why, he just shrugged,

“Just trying to be good company”

You froze.

He immediately stiffened. 

The words rung in your ears, reminding you of a similar line a certain someone had just said to you yesterday.

He quickly stammered out, 

“Uh - yeah you know, just tryin to be a good friend–that’s all”

You frowned but kept walking and before you knew it, you had arrived at your apartment once again, with Spidey in tow. 

“Hey um this might sound really weird but uh I promise there’s a reason. Uh can you come to the rooftop with me?”

As your question came out, you surprised yourself at your forwardness. 

“Um…er sure why not?”

Relieved that he had agreed, you started to insert your key in the lock of your apartment door but he had something else to say, 

“Hey wait…”

You turned around and saw him extending an outstretched hand toward you.

“Do you-uh do you trust me?”

You were a bit hesitant at what he had in mind, but you had to remind yourself that this was the same guy who had saved your life, and again, it might turn our to be your best friend after all.

“Yes…yes of course”

You placed your hand in his as he shot a web out to the top of your building and before you could finish your sentence…

“Wait…what are you do y—”

You had to muffle your scream as he pulled you into his side, swung the both of you to the rooftop, and gently placed you down. 

Your legs were still shaking a bit from the surprise, but you smiled. Soaring through the air from a spider web was one thing to watch but definitely another to experience. 

You turned around toward the hero but he forgot to let go of you before you twirled right around, bumping your nose and lips with his as your eyes widened and you immediately pulled away, flushing at the accident. 

The both of you blushed and looked away from each other, coughing and apologizing, but never daring to catch the eyes of the other. 

There almost a pause on time as the two of you proceeded to stare at each other, mouths open, eyes wide, unmoving. Both of you frozen in shock just standing there staring at the other. 

At last, you cleared your throat and seeing as if he was still glued on the spot, you came up with the worst thing you could probably possibly say in that moment,

“Ummm so are you just going to keep staring at me?”

That seemed to break whatever spell the awkward kiss? (was it even a kiss if they didn’t actually kiss?) had put on him. 

At a lack of words, he immediately blushed and stuttered as once more, his nervousness you had heard from the previous day came back. 

Peter prayed that you couldn’t see the raging blush on his cheeks through the mask. Of course it was just him being paranoid, the mask wasn’t transparent, but he certainly felt that way with the situation and the fact that you were staring right at him wasn’t helping very much. 

At last he spoke up, 

“Um…so you are going to just try convincing me that the last 10 seconds didn’t happen?”

Your head snapped up. You felt heat rise to your face once more. 

But suddenly feeling a bit more bold, you took a step closer to him.

At your now close proximity, you felt no need to speak any louder and you whispered to him, 

“Not if you don’t want to”

Taken aback by your audacity, Spider-Man peeled up his mask up to his nose, revealing his face from the nose down.

You were so close now, and just as when you were about to take another bold step forward even closer to him, you were interrupted by a voice that seemed to come from Spider-Man’s suit.

“Now’s your chance. Kiss her Peter.”

You jumped back in surprise.

“Karen!” you heard him yell.

Spider-Man looked mortified and although a bit taken aback, you just smiled, because the suit confirmed it was indeed your best friend, Peter Parker, who was behind the mask of the spider hero. You just laughed at his priceless expression.

“Peter! Who was that?” you teased. 

Shocked that you found his secret identity in this way, Peter’s already raging blush turned three shades darker and because Peter was well, Peter, he started his nervous habit again–looking everywhere else but you. 

“Oh um t-that was Karen, um my AI for t-the s-suit” he coughed awkwardly.

Then, but not before doing a quick once over to his surroundings, he yanked off his mask, revealing your best friend’s face. 

“Oh my god—Y/N I’m so sorry. I-I-I don’t know what to say—uh um I’m so s-sorry. Please don’t be mad—just let me explain—“

“Pete—Pete. Whoa, slow down! I’m not mad at all, although I wished you told me sooner, but….Peter! That’s crazy. You’re Spider-Man…you’re Spider-Man. I mean—come on—what, wow and all those flips and wow you’re so amazing and—y-y-you stopped a bus with your bare hands—I……….“

What?

You felt hot under his gaze, realizing that he had been staring at you. 

But before you could get your next words out, Peter decided it was now or never as he swooped down and planted a quick kiss on your lips, pulling back quickly flustered, leaving you to both stare at each other, stunned. 

After the initial shock, you couldn’t help the uncontrollable smile that tugged at your lips as you felt your heart so fast, you thought it was going to fly out of your chest. But then the two of you stepped closer, and you let your eyes flutter closed as he met you in the middle with his lips on yours, and you swear fireworks were going off inside your head. Your hand wrapped around his neck to pull him even closer and his hands drifted to your hips, just like May had taught him. Sure, you had read about it in stupid fantasy novels and even fanfiction but it was nothing compared to the real life sensation of kissing your best friend. It was everything you ever imagined it could be and more. 

Both of you smiled out of the kiss, leaning your foreheads together, chests heaving, slightly dazed, and hearts beating wildly. Finding his eyes on you, you looked to him and when his features softened as he gazed at you, you couldn’t help but swoon a little, feeling your heart soar. You bit your lip, finding him incredibly endearing.

“You know…I really like you Peter…um have for a while now”

“I really like you too Y/N. Its always been you.”

Thank goodness for best friends, rooftops, and first kisses. 

…

A/N: thank you so so much for reading!!! hope you liked the slightly different ending :)

talk to me about your thoughts on this fic!! i’d love your feedback!!

taglist (ask to join my taglist HERE): @ninaminaromina

Tagging some amazing people! (thank you for your support!! <3): @lavenderholland @mcuspidey @sunshinehollandd @sunshineperriee @hollandsosterfield @sergeanttpoliteness @peterstrainingwheels @rachramblesstuff @poetrypeter @acciopeter @ilvarmorny @h-osterfield @parkerprotectionprogram @marvelplease @darlingtaurus @mysteryavengers @uwu-peter-parker-uwu @i-am-steve-rogerss @holland-peters @loverholland @thisbitchemptylove @poeticpeterecs @badhollandfluff @blackberrywidow @iloveyouironman @plushparker @lostinspidey @spideypeach @parkeret @scarlettspidey @marvelsswansong @twilightparker @retroparkers @obsiidio

[cha-lyn]

interrupted affection

Chapter 8

Bucky Barnes x pocReader  

Warnings: actual smut (finally lol), cussin’, angst

Words: 1554

Summary: Y/N is Wakandan, just returning from a mission as a War Dog. Set a little while after Bucky wakes up from cryo-sleep.

A/N: This is the last chapter. Thank you for reading!!! Reblog/comment/like to show ya love.  

- - - - - - - - - - - 

Wedding planning was going almost perfectly. You had picked out your dress mere days after Bucky proposed. It was about three months after he had been promoted to White Wolf, when he had taken you on a sunset walk to the lake where you shared your first kiss. Bucky was acting nervous, wringing his hands. You figured he was just about to tell you he was going on another week long mission. Instead, he lead you to that shared rock and held you while you watched the sun set. As the stars and the moon made the night bright, Bucky told you how much he loved and got on one knee. Of course you said--screamed-- yes and tackled him to the ground. After 5 minutes of kissing him, 20 of staring at the ring and another 15 kissing him, he was finally able to drag you back up to the palace where your family, Sam Wilson and Natasha Romanova were waiting to congratulate you both.

Champagne was opened and glasses were clinked as people hugged you and chatted. You didn’t miss Sam pulling Bucky into a hug, saying, “Steve. He wanted to make it, but ya know-”

Bucky tensed ever so briefly, shaking his head. “Stop. If he wanted to be here he would.” Sam frowned, not about to argue with the audience. 

The festivities died down around 1am and you and Bucky retreated to your apartment. Bucky took a shower while you stood on the balcony to get some fresh air and watch your ring sparkle in the moonlight. The honking of horns and the laughs of the villagers below making you smile softly and you miss the whoosh of the door opening. Your smile grows as two strong arms wrap around you from behind. Bucky sighs into you and pulls you tighter. You turned around and take him in. His long hair wet and clinging to his face. 

“I love you, doll.”  You grin as he pulls you back inside. 

“I love you, Bucky.”

Bucky pulls your shirt over your head, sending it across the room. Your lips find each others, unrestrained. Bucky find the zipper to your skirt and you help him get rid of his pants. You push him towards your bed, watching him fall onto it and his eyes wash over your body. You moved to get on top of him and ran your hands up his broad chest. He sighed as his eyes fluttered. You kissed his chest and his arms wrapped around you again, hands finding your ass, squeezing enough to get a moan out of you. You moved up to find his mouth. He took the opportunity to flip you on your back. You gazed at him again. 

“Bra off.” Your heart jumped and you obeyed. Bucky hissed, “Damn baby.” His voice sent a shiver through you. He leaned back down to kiss you and caress your breast with his metal hand. The sudden coolness of his touch made you arch into him with a whimper as you tangled your hands in his hair. He moves his hand down to pull off your underwear. His fingers found your clit and started rubbing slowly, torturously. 

“Do not tease me, White Wolf.” You bit his lip and he growled into your mouth. Your hands found his boxers and pushed them down. You knew what you wanted. You found him, hard and ready. He pushed two metal fingers into you, making your eyes roll. You gripped him more firmly, stoking him and running your thumb around his head. He pulled his fingers out and spread your wetness around. You lined him up, “Bucky please.”

He pushed into you, while he kissed you slowly. You moaned when he reached his limit, stretching you like nothing you’d ever experienced. He broke the kiss to nuzzle and kiss into your neck as he started to fuck you, slowly at first. You were a moaning mess underneath him. Bucky sped up his thrusting and moved a metal finger back to your clit, rubbing as you reached your high. You came hard around him, legs locked around his waist and hand pulling at his hair as he moaned with you. Bucky pulled out quickly, coming on your stomach.

“I’m sorry, doll. I didn’t wanna—” you stopped his apology with your lips. 

“Don’t be.” His hair hung down and tickled your face and you giggled. He got up, disappearing into the bathroom and reappearing seconds later with a washcloth. He cleaned you up and you threw on a t-shirt. “I need a nap. You wore me out.”

Bucky laughed, nuzzling his face into your neck. “Let’s go to bed then, doll.” 

“I can’t wait to marry you, Bucky,” you tuck his hair behind his ear. “With all our family and friends with us, celebrating.” Bucky grinned until you said family. “What’s wrong, Buck?”

“Nothing, doll.” He shook his head. Unconvincingly. He got up to pull the covers back and get into bed. You followed. 

“Steve.” He hadn’t spoken to, much less mentioned Steve since telling T’Challa that he’d left. “Shit. I’m sorry. We can call him. I’m sure he misses you.” Bucky gave you a sad smile. 

“Let’s just go to bed. Fuck him. He’s made no effort to amend things. I don’t want him ruining this day or our wedding.”

You sighed. Bucky fell asleep quickly, buy you lay awake. You had to figure out a way to fix the Steve problem. 

- - -

“Shuri! We have a problem.”

The princess’s brows furrowed. “Is it the flower vendor? Did he up the price again?” She stomped over to her computer.

“No! No Shuri, this isn’t about the wedding.” Shuri relaxed. “Well actually it is. Kind of.” Her eyes narrowed. “We need to go to America.”

“Why would we go there?” “Captain America, that’s why. It is supposed to be the happiest day of both of our lives and it won’t be for Bucky unless Steve is there.”

Shuri nodded. “Okay. What's the plan?”

You grinned as you hopped up on the nearest table.- 

- - -

“Are you sure this is okay?” Bucky scratched his head nervously. 

“Yes, White Wolf,” Shuri repeated for the fifth time. “You have diplomatic immunity now. They can’t touch you.”

He nodded. You put your hand on his leg and squeezed. “So, Princess. What are we doing at the Outreach Center?” 

“I’m giving a lecture. You are here as security and Y/N are here to assess the center’s needs and strengths as they pertain to the community.” You nodded at the bullshit answer. The plan was in motion. 

You were greeted by the Center’s supervisor. “It is a pleasure to have you here, Princesses. White Wolf.” She eyed Bucky tentatively. “Right this way to the conference room where we have you set up.” Shuri followed the supervisor, tailed by you and Bucky.

You watched Bucky, in security mode. His eyes searching for threats, escape routes, memorizing the details. You’d made the necessary arrangements and everything was going flawlessly thus far. The four of you got to the conference room. 

“Here it is, I’ll let you all get to it. My office is down the hall if you need me.” She nodded and turned down the hall. 

Shuri turned to you, “I need to ask her something. I’ll be right in.” Bucky moved to go with her. “No, you two go in. It’ll just take a second.” 

Bucky glanced between the two of you, cocking his head, but he went in.  You followed him. 

His entire body tensed when he saw what--who-- was waiting for him. You closed the door. “Steve. Bucky. It’s time for two to make up.” Bucky turned to you, annoyed, as you crossed your arms and blocked the door. Yes, either of them could move you with their pinky toe, but you were hoping it wouldn’t come to that. 

“Doll. Seriously?” Your betrothed clenched his fists. You shrugged, pointing with your eyes at Steve, who had yet to move his eyes off his own hands. He sighed.

“You two are so damn stubborn. Man up. Talk about your feelings and move forward.” Silence. 

For a good ten minutes. 

Finally, “I’m sorry Buck.” Steve looked up at him. “I crossed a line. I was afraid of losing you.” Then he looked at you. “I’m sorry Princess Y/N. I was jealous and that’s on me. I hope you’ll both forgive me.”

You smiled. “I forgive you, Steve.” You stared hard at Bucky. 

“Buck. I-” Bucky held his hand up and Steve stopped talking.  “Why didn’t you come back? If you felt so bad, why didn’t you do something about it?”

Steve shrugged, shaking his head. “Pride I guess. I regret it Buck. I do.” He smiled then. “I’m glad you have someone who isn’t as dumb as me though. She gets things done.” You smiled. 

Bucky nodded. “Yeah. She’s great like that.” 

Another period of silence that felt like an eternity. “I forgive you, man. I want you there, by my side.” You beamed. Steve got up, extended his hand. Bucky smacked his hand out of the way, Steve looked past him at you, caught off guard. Bucky laughed and pulled him into a massive hug.  Bucky turned around to grab you and added you to the hug. “C’mere, doll. This is all your doing.”

“Indeed it is. Now we can get married.” You beamed as the last bit of wedding planning was taken care of. Now for the fun part: the rest of your lives. 

[ilikecowsnstuff]

CHAPTER 10!!!

SUMMARY:  UA Hero Course - Third Year. Shigaraki Tomura and Dabi have been classmates and rivals since their very first day at UA. But with new feelings developing how will they cope given their history of fragile and often violent encounters? Their dance begins after a partnered training exam goes wrong, leaving Shigaraki wounded and Dabi feeling guilty. AU.

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

For AO3 – Click Here

For FanFiction – Click Here

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

CHAPTER TEN - FRIDAY

~ Dabi and Kurogiri, Friday Afternoon ~

The bell ending the school day died down. The series of doors had already slammed open, the stampede in full effect.

Dabi, head and shoulders above a number of students, squeezed in between traffic going both ways, looking for - of all people - Kurogiri. Usually he was easier to spot, but Dabi had to remember Kurogiri could easily disappear in an instant if he wanted to. And being that it was officially the weekend, he probably had somewhere to be in a hurry. Maybe. What did Dabi know? He and Kurogiri were not really friends, actually he knew very little about Shigaraki’s best friend - outside of what he learned from being in classes with him.

He was about to give up on his location mission when, speaking of the devil, Kurogiri was walking towards him, his bored expression turning into one of annoyance in preparation for an unwanted interaction with Dabi no doubt. Dabi naturally had to smirk and if there was a wall present to lean on, he would have lazily leaned in and blocked his way. As it was, he merely stepped directly in front of Kurogiri’s path, pausing for a few seconds before getting to the point. Kurogiri looked like he wanted to hit him. Or worse.

“So… I was thinking.”

“Funny.”

“Yeah. It happens sometimes.”

“Were you concentrating really hard?”

“I was. This is really important, you know.” Before Kurogiri could deflect with more sarcasm, Dabi continued, “So you got the invite to my party?”

“I’m pretty sure the entire school got the invite to your party.”

“Just our year.”

“So almost everyone.”

“Well, I want everyone to come.” Dabi said, emphasis on the word everyone. “Are you going to come?”

‘Why do you care?” Kurogiri asked, head tilting to the side. He wasn’t sure why Dabi was so interested in his RSVP all of a sudden.

Dabi chewed on his lower lip, combing his fingers back through his hair. “Look. I’m just going to be honest with you.” He started, “It might land me in a whole lot of trouble with a certain mutual… friend but…”

“Ah.” Kurogiri interjected, before a Dabi could finish his sentence. “This is about Shigaraki.”

Dabi eyed the other boy. “Yes.”

“Are you two dating or something?”

“What!?” Shocked, Dabi almost choked on his own words.

“No? Just making out then?”

“We’re not…” Dabi stopped himself there. What was the point of denying or lying about it? No, he and Shigaraki were not officially dating but that was the end game. Well, at least for Dabi it was anyway. Kurogiri was bound to find out the truth eventually - once Shigaraki got comfortable and accepted the idea of being in a relationship.

“Is it that obvious?” Dabi asked.

“Depends.” Kurogiri shrugged, “I like to think I know Shigaraki pretty well, so to me, yeah, something is different between you two.” He explained. “And let’s face it, the whole class has noticed you have both been more… amicable with each other these days. It’s not just me.”

“Right.”

“I mean, he hasn’t said anything directly to me, and I didn’t really think you two were... doing whatever it is you’re doing, I’m sure no one does, but I knew something had changed.”

“Regrettably, I am not doing anything with Shigaraki that I couldn’t talk to you about. I won’t go into details of course, because he’d probably kill me, but I could and still manage to keep it PG rated. Mostly.” Dabi explained with a smug grin.

“Please stop. That’s already TMI.”

“Anyways, back to the party.” Dabi began, “He said he would come if you did.”

“That does not sound like something Shigaraki would say.”

“Scouts honor.” Dabi responded, holding two fingers up with sincerity.

“Were you ever in the scouts?”

“Er no. But they’ve got pretty good morals and codes and shit, right?”

Kurogiri looked at him, unimpressed. “He wants me to say no.”

“Yeah, I think he’s counting on it. That’s why I am here politely requesting that you come to the party. I really like him, and I want him there. I need him to be there.”

Kurogiri sighed, resigned to help for God’s knows why. Maybe it was more for Shigaraki’s benefit than it was for Dabi’s. His best friend didn’t trust easily, and he didn’t have many friends, so if Shigaraki was willing to allow Dabi close to him, maybe it was worth fostering that friendship or relationship or whatever it was they had now.

“I’ll see what I can do.” Kurogiri stepped around Dabi and continued down the hall. “No promises though.”

“Hey, thank you! I’ll owe you one.” Dabi couldn’t contain his excitement, fist pumping silently behind Kurogiri’s retreating back.

~ Shigaraki and Kai, Friday Night ~

“Ha Ha! Die Freaks!” Yelled Kai at his screen as he blasted away, shooting anything and everything in sight.

“What the hell are you doing?” Barked Shigaraki, tugging his headset down and peeking over the edge of his laptop at his new friend.

“Killing Mexican Outlaws.”

“We were supposed to keep that one dude alive for the bounty, idiot.”

“Ah fuck. I died.” Kai grumbled, removing his headset and tossing it absently onto the floor.  He had hoped to show Shigaraki up by charging in head first but apparently the other boy had already mastered the game. “My bad.”

Shigaraki snickered and shook his head. “That’s what you get for trying to take on the entire Del Lobo Gang by yourself. I was just behind you, you know.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Kai’s scowl grew deeper as Shigaraki smiled triumphantly.

“Are you going to spawn back in or what?”

“Let’s take a break, my eyes are starting to hurt.” Kai sighed, putting his laptop aside. He turned to look back over his shoulder at Shigaraki who was lounged comfortably on his bed, his back against the headboard.

“Amateur.” Shigaraki mumbled, teasing the other boy with a grin.

“You haven't been sitting on the floor for the past two hours. My ass is numb.” He got up to his feet and grabbed his soda before plopping down onto Shigaraki’s bed.

“I’m joking, dick.” Shigaraki said, reaching for his bottle of water. “Pass the Dorito’s.”

Kai grinned in return, shuffling further onto the bed and offering a new unopened bag of Cool Ranch which he had recently learned were Shigaraki’s favourite.

“Thanks for the sweatshirt by the way.” Kai said, crossing his legs and tugging on the end of the material. It was a heavy black hoodie that fit him almost perfectly. They were so similar in size and apparently, they also had the same internal climate control issues. Always cold.

“I want it back before you leave.”

Kai snorted a laugh, “Fine. Black is your colour anyway.”

“Oh, you noticed.” Shigaraki replied, sarcastic

“It’s hard not to notice. Everything is black.”

“Good for hiding blood.”

Kai’s brows popped up.

“I’m joking.” Shigaraki exclaimed.

“True though.”

Shigaraki eyed his new friend before stuffing a handful of chips into his mouth.

“So, are you going to Dabi’s party?” Kai asked breaking off half a Twizzler and chewing the flavoured licorice.

“What?” Shigaraki stammered.

“You got the invite, right? For next weekend.”

“Oh. Yeah.” Heat immediately flooded Shigaraki’s cheeks and he glowered at Kai. “I don’t know if I'll go. Probably not.” He sniffled with disregard and lowered his chin, playing it off like it was nothing, no big deal.

“Really? That’s… surprising.” Kai commented.

“Why is that so surprising?”

“Well, you and Dabi seem pretty close.”

Shigaraki scoffed in contention.

“So, you’re not? Actually, at first I didn’t think you were friends at all but…”

“I just… Parties are not my thing.” Shigaraki interjected before he and Kai went down the complicated friendship rabbit hole. “Too many people, too much noise. No thanks.”

“Hm. I guess I can understand that.” Kai concluded, “We can hang out or something instead. I don’t think I’ll go either.”

“Oh, let me guess, you don’t like parties either?” Shigaraki ventured, thinking Kai was only going along with his weekend plans because he was trying to get into Shigaraki’s good books.

“I like parties fine. But me and Dabi aren’t really friends.” Kai shrugged his shoulders.

“Whatever.” Shigaraki took a deep drink from his water bottle, “Can we get back to the game or are you still being a little bitch?” He taunted, trying to diverge the conversation away from Dabi and his stupid party. He dragged his laptop back in front of him and repositioned his headset.

“Ass.” Kai leaned over the edge of the bed and picked up his own laptop and headset from the floor, resting the gear comfortably on his crossed legs, “Don’t get upset if I accidently shoot you in the back.”

~ Shigaraki, Kai and Kurogiri, Sometime early early Saturday Morning ~

“Are you dead again?”

Kai scowled at the other boy. Truth be told, he just wasn’t as good a gamer as Shigaraki was but that was no reason to rub it in his face. Also, they had been playing for hours, Kai was having trouble focusing.

“Oh c’mon, quit sulking. We’re a team remember? If you die, I lose too.” Shigaraki paused and then tilted his head, like he was pondering something. “If anything, I should be the one brooding. You shoot like a fucking storm trooper. Couldn’t hit a…”

An empty water bottle whooshing past Shigaraki’s head stopped him mid-sentence.

“Shut up.” Kai grumbled.

“Missed again! You just proved my point, idiot.” Shigaraki asserted. And even though he looked ticked off, Kai couldn’t contain his grin, amused by the casual and comfortable banter between him and his new friend.

Pound, pound, pound. Both boys started at the sudden knocking on Shigaraki’s door. “Yeah?” Shigaraki answered, tugging his headset down.

“It’s me.”

Kurogiri.

Shigaraki set his laptop aside and then hopped off his bed to open the door for his best friend.

“You’re up late.”

“Yeah. I can hear everything from my room you know.” Kurogiri was leaning against the door frame, his cell phone in his hand. He looked bored - although perked up a little at the sight of Kai sitting on Shigaraki’s bed.

“You two look comfortable.” He commented, observing the nest of drinks and junk food they had created on the bed. He snickered at Kai, who merely raised his brows.

“Hi.” Kai greeted with a quick wave.

Kurogiri nodded his head in return before strolling into the room. Shigaraki closed the door behind him.

“You want to take over? I am being completely destroyed.” Kai declared.

“Understatement.” Shigaraki mumbled, Kai’s mouth settled into a hard line. Kurogiri snorted a laugh and shook his head.

“I’ll pass.”

“So, what’s up?” Shigaraki asked, folding his arms over his chest.

“You see Dabi’s invite?”

Shigaraki rolled his eyes and quickly returned to his spot on the bed, his head falling back and hitting the wall behind with a loud thud.

“We’re not going.” Kai answered, speaking for both of them. He offered Kurogiri a rope of licorice from his opened bag of Twizzlers. Since he had started at UA, he and Kurogiri hadn’t really spent that much time together, he was hoping they could be friends too. “We already talked about it.”

With an arched brow, Kurogiri accepted the offered candy, “You making decisions together now?”

“No.” Shigaraki hissed, rolling his head back up to look at his friend. “I just said I’m not going.”

“And I want to go. But I don’t really know anyone so if Shigaraki isn’t going then I'm not either.”

“I kind of want to go.” Kurogiri revealed, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly.

“What?” Shigaraki replied, dismayed. He scowled. “Why?”

“Aren’t you a little interested in seeing the Todoroki Family Home? I mean, Endeavor lives there. How often do you get a chance to see the home of a Pro?”

“I don’t think he’s going to be there.” Kai interjected.

“I know.” Kurogiri countered, “I’m still curious though.”

Shigaraki eyed his best friend suspiciously. Why the interest suddenly? Kurogiri never gave Dabi a second thought, and he definitely wouldn’t have accepted an invitation from him - for anything. What had changed? Not a second later, realization hit him smack in the face and heat flooded his cheeks. Did Kurogiri know something? Had Dabi actually talked to him? And if he had, what did Kurogiri know? What was he hiding?

“Since when do you give a shit about Endeavor?” He questioned. Kai glanced over at Shigaraki before looking back at Kurogiri. He knew he was missing something but didn’t want to seem like a third wheel. It probably didn’t matter.

“I don’t.” He replied confidently, and then added. “But why not go? Could be fun.”

Shigaraki scoffed.

“Kai, you want to go right?” “Ah.” Again, he glanced quickly over at Shigaraki. “Yeah. I’d go. If you both do.”

Shigaraki huffed and drew his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around his legs.

“We don’t have to stay long or anything. Drop in and drop out.” Kurogiri reasoned with his best friend, pushing the subject gently and trying to make the idea of going to the party somewhat more appealing. He had to tread lightly and gauge the other boy’s reaction based on the words he was saying. The current outlook was positive, Shigaraki was close to accepting the invitation but one wrong word and it could turn ugly really quick.

He was fine either way, whether they went to the party or not did not matter to Kurogiri. He was doing this only for Shigaraki, and coincidentally, partly for Dabi as well. He said he would try and get his friend to the party, with no promises. He was fulfilling his side of their agreement.

“That’s a good compromise.” Kai agreed, biting back a grin. He didn’t want to seem too keen, but he was kind of looking forward to going to Dabi’s party with Shigaraki. He didn’t care to go by himself.

“So how about it?” Kurogiri asked, hopeful.

“Okay, fine.” Shigaraki finally muttered, “I’ll go to the stupid fucking party. Can we stop talking about it already?”

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

Chapter One – Accidental Attraction

Chapter Two – After Care

Chapter Three – Dazed and Confused

Chapter Four – I Like You

Chapter Five - Friends and Enemies

Chapter Six - Confrontation!

Chapter Seven - Transfer Student

Chapter Eight - A Period of Learning

Chapter Nine - Work and Play

[finding-jericho-blog]

Same Difference

characters: RK900(dbh) x human fem!reader

warning(s): Graphic language

word count: 2,124 words

Part Two

A/N: So.. I wanted to write a RK900 fic, but I wanted to write him how I personally headcanon him, not as the evil killing machine everyone imagines him as. There will be more to come, promise! Cx

When you walked into the precinct that morning, the sheer amount of whispers alone should have alerted you to the fact that something was awry, but you’d had such a horrible night of sleep that you only rubbed your bleary eyes as you walked past the front desk. You felt like shit, and you probably looked like it, too, but the reason for your recent spout of insomnia couldn’t be chalked up to you idly scrolling through your social media instead of actually trying to sleep this time; it was something you tried not to think about. The whole precinct tried not to think about it, really, but you and your old, grizzly uncle had been the ones closest to the incident and every day, you were finding a little bit harder for you to cope with it.

Lost in your train of thought, the gate whooshing open to offer you entrance seemed to rouse you, and you huffed a slow, deep sigh through your nostrils as the glass door slid open. Your feet carried you through the door and into the hall, and it was only then that you began to wonder why the room was so.. quiet. Eerily so. Usually, if there wasn’t a briefing going on, the floor was filled with laughter and polite conversation as officers carried out the least enjoyable part of their jobs; the desk work. Nobody liked it, but the paperwork needed to be done, so they tried to make it as pleasant as possible. All except your uncle, really; he kept to himself unless you were there to keep him company. Even then, sometimes neither of you really spoke, content enough to fall into a comfortable silence.

You didn’t work here; god no, you weren’t sure you could ever see yourself ever being a legitimate cop. You supposed you were an honorary ‘member of the force’, merely by extension of Hank. They celebrated your birthday, they sent you cards when you were sick, they came to your aid even when they were off duty. After.. Cole died, you started coming to the precinct to check on your uncle, since he refused to answer anyone’s calls and no one else in your family bothered to check on him. After a while, the rest of your family moved on, deciding that Hank would ‘come around eventually’ and that it was apparently more trouble than it was worth to continue making sure he knew that he wasn’t alone. That was three years ago, and ever since then, it’d been you and Hank against the world. Spending most of your days with Hank at the precinct was second nature now, and you couldn’t imagine spending your time any other way. Besides, it had taught you a thing or two about self defense and you had to admit, you felt your safest surrounded by your large ‘family’ of police officers.

Or, you had.

When you turned the corner into the main room, you abruptly slammed into something, which you soon realized was someone. While the other figure remained wholly unaffected, you stumbled backwards with an audible ‘oof’, but thankfully, whoever it was that you had ran into reached out to steady you by the shoulders. “Sorry,” You uttered out embarrassedly. “I wasn’t watching where I was-” As your eyes darted upwards, they met an unfamiliar pair of cool grey eyes belonging to a very familiar face.

Almost by instinct, your wretched away from his grasp, a look of horror finding residency on your features. “Connor?!” The name ripped out of your throat like a gasp, falling from your lips into the floor’s dead air. No.. no, it couldn’t be, they’d told you he’d been decommissioned, that he had been too much of a liability, that you and Hank were safe from him now!

“My apologies,” a too familiar of a voice mused, lips pressed into a firm, thin line. “but I am the replacement RK900 model sent by CyberLife.”

His words did nothing to soothe you.

Shaking your head, you backed away, but the RK900 simply watched you with his arms at his sides, making no moves to approach you or otherwise communicate with you. Swallowing your fear, you brushed past him and practically sprinted in the direction of Hank’s desk, and you found your uncle with his head in his arms, leaning over his desk. He only lifted his head when he heard your footfalls approaching him, and he looked at you with an expression you could only describe as one of exasperation. “Shit.. I was hoping you wouldn’t come in today–“

“Hank,” you hissed within a whisper, overlooking his previous statement. “did you see–“

“I did,” he cut you off, turning back to the paperwork sprawled haphazardly across his desk. “motherfuckers didn’t learn their lesson with the last one, I guess. They just keep pumping the fuckers out like shitty hot dogs.” Although you might have laughed at his statement, you were too on edge to find any amusement in the comparison; your racing heart pounded so hard in your ears that you feared Hank may hear it from where he was sitting. How could they just.. make another and put him back on the mission after what the last one had done?

Your eyebrows knitted together as you peered over your shoulder; the android was no longer where you’d left him, presumably carrying on with whatever task he’d been given before you’d run into him. Slowly, your gaze was drawn back to Hank, and, very softly now, you spoke. “… Fowler didn’t assign him to you, did he?”

Silence.

“For fuck sake,” you spat, your eyes snapping towards the captain in question’s office; despite being behind a wall of glass and being unable to hear a word either of you were saying, Captain Fowler’s eyes were already on you, and he looked away almost shamefully when your eyes met. “I’m going to talk to him.” You announced, moving to take a step in his direction, but Hank’s sudden grasp on your wrist kept you in place.

“Don’t bother, kid, I already gave that asshole a piece of my mind, he ain’t budging.”

Ignoring Hank’s request, you slipped your wrist out of his hold and marched right up the steps, swinging the door to his office open and storming inside in one fell swoop; Fowler couldn’t even look at you as you approached him, but you heard him mutter something a bit like ‘here we go’ under his breath as you came to stand over him at his desk. Despite the tensity of the silence, you didn’t speak a word, not until his dark eyes finally darted up to meet yours in uncertainty.

“What.. the fuck.”

“Listen, [Y/N], I–“

“No, you listen to me, Jeffrey.” you pressed your palms into the wood grain of his desk as you leaned over it, your gaze unwavering. “I don’t know what your game is here, but if you really think this is a good idea, then you need to have your head checked. I mean, honestly? After what happened last time?”

“CyberLife admitted that the android they last sent was... faulty, but they have assured me personally that this one is perfectly safe.” Although his voice was wholly even, his gaze darted between you, his monitors, the papers stacked neatly on his desk, and everywhere in between as he said this; he wasn’t certain of the validity of the words he was speaking, and you both knew it. “Having worked with the last one, Hank is the most qualified out of everyone to handle working with it.”

You wanted to scream. You wanted to yell at Jeffery and tell him how shitty of a person he was to be dumping this on your uncle, and by extension, you, especially after everything you’d both been through with the last CyberLife android. It felt like a raging wildfire roaring through your chest, like it would overtake you at any given second. But instead, you quietly straightened your posture, your shoulders slumping as his eyes finally met yours again. “Jeffery..” you quite nearly whispered, shaking your head. “.. He nearly nearly killed us. Please, I don’t.. I don’t think Hank can handle much more. Is that what you want? You want Hank to finally have a breakdown? If you want him gone, please, just fire him. Assign the android to Gavin for all I care, just leave my uncle out of it. Please.”

Captain Fowler was silent; despite looking genuinely regretful for assigning the new prototype to Hank, he still shook his head and turned away from you. “I’m sorry, [y/n/h]. My decision is final.”

Disbelief washed over you like a tidal wave. You honestly couldn’t fathom how Fowler could do this a second time. The first time, he had said that he hoped working with Connor would finally help Hank get back to being the cop he’d once been, but now, there was no excuse, not a good one at least. You found yourself shaking your head once more, turning to retreat back towards the door of his office; you paused, though, just before you opened the door. “Whatever happens..” you said, not even bothering to look at Fowler; you knew he was listening. “is on your hands. I hope you remember that.” With that, you slipped out of the office, trudging down the steps in defeat. When you returned to Hank, his nose was buried in his work, which was unlike him; he never bothered to work so diligently on paperwork, often leaving it to the very last possible second. Slowly, your [y/e/c/] eyes drifted past him to the adjoining desk to find the eerily familiar form of the RK900 sitting at the desk; the desk Connor used to sit at. The desk you use to sit at together.

The new model’s eyes were closed and his LED was a shimmering gold; he must be in the garden, Connor had told you about it once. Wincing at the sudden onslaught of painful memories, you maneuvered to sit on top of Hank’s desk, your legs dangling off the side as you both clearly struggled to ignore the android. You felt the weight of everyone’s eyes as they passed, and you knew most of them felt sympathy for you and your uncle, but they said nothing as they passed you by. What could they say, really? Sorry the captain is throwing you under the bus, again?

Despite your best efforts, your eyes eventually shifted back up towards the android in question, taking in his strange appearance. He sat perfectly still in the way only an android could, his hands resting in his lap in a stiff, tense fashion that continued to put you in mind of Connor. Aside from the obvious change of clothes and the stark difference in eye color, this RK900 looked almost identical to Connor, right down to every freckle, and even that unruly tuft of hair that made him seem a little less perfect, a little more.. human.

You hated how much he looked like him.

Suddenly, the RK900’s eyes snapped open and met yours, and you felt your breath catch in your chest as you quickly averted your gaze. Connor had nearly killed you, simply because you’d been in the way of his mission, and yet, part of you still loved him, grieved him, even. You hated him with every fiber of your being for what he’d put you and your uncle through, for the lies he told and the utter betrayal he’d so matter-of-factly admitted to.

“I only ever told you what you wanted to hear,” you could still hear his pleasant voice utter too softly, too sweetly for his hand being around your throat like that. “I had to get along with you, whatever made my mission easier. It was easy to win you over, and once you trusted me, Lieutenant Anderson would inevitably follow.”

“You lied!” you had sobbed out, fingers clutching at the fabric of his sleeve. “Everything was a lie! How could you!”

“It was nothing personal,” he had sounded so sad when he said that.. like he really regretted what he was about to do. “it was all for the greater good, and for the record, I think I would have enjoyed our time together, if I was capable of such. But now, you’re in my way.”

Every word he’d spoken, every perceived spark of emotion that he had displayed as he admitted his doubts as to whether or not he was just a machine, every.. affectionate moment you’d shared.. it had all been a clever lie, and you’d fallen for those sad eyes once before.

You weren’t going to again.

Taglist;

@akemiikeda, @deviantramblings, @deviantsupporter !!! <3 <3 <3 

[3starjeneral]

A day like no Other

(REPOST FROM FF)

It's a cold, sunny morning in October, and she needs him.

Desperately.

She dresses quickly in the red sweater dress he loves and zips her calf length boots up. She glances at her watch. Six forty am. No one will miss her until people start arriving at ten. And even if they do, they won't mention anything to her. Not today. She has time. She races down the hallway, calls for the young brunette to 'Hold the Elevator' and slips inside. Smiling politely, she reaches her hand out and presses the button for the parking lot, then taps her freshly manicured nails against the handrail.

The doors open with a ding and a whoosh and nodding at her travel companion, Sam exits and walks to her car, faster than normal, the urgency in her over riding her normal need for composure. She clicks the central locking open and sits into her Volvo, and is out of the garage and on the road in mere moments.

She wonders idly if she should text, warn him that she's coming this early but decides against it, as he will only try to change her mind. No, she decides, the element of surprise will work in her favour today.

She isn't far from his sanctuary, her suitcase is only seven miles from his door. No one knows he's here, no one is supposed to know except her, but it's where he always wanted to be. She couldn't imagine him anywhere else. She pulls off the road and slows to a crawl, as the local news announces that it's seven am, eager to completely take him by surprise. He's alone, only his beat up old truck sits in the driveway, but she's surprised to see smoke gently billowing from the wooden clad chimney this early.

She walks quietly to the front porch, and pauses to take in her surroundings. The subtle scent of smoke, evergreens and the unmistakable smell of fresh air. She turs her head, and sees the mist rising off the lake. In her haste she's forgotten a coat, and she can feel the chill on her face, and knows without needing a mirror, that her cheeks will be flushed pink. People always look better in the cold.

She tiptoes to the front door, leans in the most seductive way she can against the door frame, takes a deep breath and knocks quietly, then knocks again. He opens the heavy oak door several moments later, a mug of steaming coffee in hand, and stares wide eyed at her.

"Carter, what are you...?"

She allows her eyes to roam, beginning at his face, and down to his toes, then slowly back up again.

"Hello Sir," she purrs, "I haven't slept all night."

"Nice dress," he says, a large lopsided grin suddenly appearing on his face, "one of my favourites, but aren't you supposed to be doing something today, the reason we're all up here?"

"Couldn't wait any longer, Sir," she whispers, closing the gap between them.

She reaches out and takes his cup from his hand. She bends to place it on the floor of the porch, but looks up at him and winks, before straightening up again.

She leans in and whispers; "It's been too long already."

He reaches a hand out and pulls her towards him, and she feels him instantly harden against her lower belly.

"What time do you have to be back?" He queries, his lips grazing her neck, nipping at the sensitive skin beneath them, his fingers now tracing small circular pattern on her hip bone.

"They won't miss me until ten, and even if they do, I don't care anymore. Need you."

"Better make it count then," he mutters, his lips connecting with hers, a sudden fire igniting between them.

He walks them backwards and kicks the door behind them, spins her and she's suddenly pressed against his front door, and he is pressed tightly against her, his hands on either side of her head. Just where she wants him to be. She kisses him, tastes him, claims his lips as her own and snakes her tongue out to beg entrance, which he gladly grants.

He's not yet shaved and the very slight stubble that has appeared overnight gently scratches her face. She hums her approval and he presses his hips against hers more firmly. His hands move from the door, down over her shoulders and he cups a swollen needy, wool covered breast in each hand and squeezes gently. She gasps, and her body lifts involuntarily from the door, which draws a moan from his lips.

"Shit Sam," he says into her mouth, his erection now pressing through his sweat pants, against her belly. His hands roam her slim waist, the curve of her hips, the swell of her ass and then gently starts tugging her dress up. She widens her stance to give him more access and he rewards her by reaching a hand into her panties. His fingers find their target and she whimpers when he presses gently then swirls around her needy bud. He runs his fingers between her parted folds and back to her center, where he gently strokes her, pulling moans and sighs and panted breaths from her.

Her eyes are closed and she's moving against his fingers, but she needs more. She whispers that she needs him inside her, she needs to be full of him and he kisses her and tells her to turn around, bend over, and place her hands on the door. She does as he's asked, feels her panties being dragged down her legs and steps out of them when he taps first the left, then the right boot. Her dress is around her waist, and the thought of the view he has, her bare ass, black boots and dress pushed up, turns her on more than she expects. She hears him push his own pants down his legs and then his hands are on her waist and he's pushing into her. She cries out, he feels like warm velvet and he fills her so completely that it's all she can do to not climax there and then. He grasps her hips and begins to thrust into her, slowly at first but they soon build up rhythm that has the quiet morning air suddenly full of the sounds of their bodies taking what they need from each other. She drops her hand between her legs and swirls her fingers around the slick bundle when he reaches a hand into her hair and tugs, the combined feeling bringing her close to her final exhilarating high.

"Jack," she cries, "oh Jack, I'm close..."

She feels his fingers dig into her hip and his hand tighten in her hair, his breathing suddenly rough and panting, and knows he is as close as she is. She rubs faster and feels the beginning of her climax spiral out from deep within her belly.

She cries out his name, as he does hers when they reach their peak one after another, and her body shakes with the intensity of her orgasm. Her descent from euphoria is slow, and it's several moments before she feels confident enough to form a coherent sentence.

"So good, so worth sneaking out for." She whispers, still bent over, leaning against the heavy oak door, the scent of treated wood and his aftershave mingling into a delicious combination.

"That was ... yeah, so worth you sneaking out for." He agrees, blowing out a long breath.

She straightens up, turns and is surprised to see him as disheveled as she feels, hair tousled, cheeks flushed and still trying to catch his breath.

"It's been a while."

"A while since what?" She queries.

"Since you called me Sir."

"If that's the welcome I get, I'll call you sir every time I see you." She replies. "I think you like it."

"Yes I do. Do you have time for breakfast?" He asked, bending to pull his sweats back up.

"If it's a quick one," she replies, wiggling her dress back down and bending to retrieve her panties. I'll be back in a moment, just running to the restroom."

She returns, to a steaming cup of coffee and a freshly toasted bagel with cream cheese on his counter, which she eats eagerly.

She stands to leave and he catches her hand in his. "Save a dance for me later?"

"Always." She replies, squeezing his hand, leaning in for a kiss and then walking back towards her car.

SHSJSJSJSJSJSJSJSJSJSJSJSJSJS

Sam glances at her watch while the elevator carries her to the seventhth floor. Nine forty five am. She made good time. She walks down the hall towards the Bridal suite and waves her keycard in front of the digital display. The door clicks open, she enters and her eye is immediately drawn to the white lace gown hanging from the rail in the far corner of the silent room. She wonders what the others would think if they knew where she'd been this morning, and more importantly, who she had been with. Daniel would probably frown, Teal'c would raise his eyebrow and say very little and Vala, well, she would just grin knowingly.

She shakes the thought from her mind when she hears the gentle knock on the door that signifies the real beginning of her day, her room suddenly filled with smiling faces, excited laughter, beauty products and hair stylists.

A bunch of pale blue roses are delivered with a note, and although she instantly knows who they're from, she reads it eagerly.

"Good luck today Carter. Knock 'em dead...

-J x "

At one fifteen , she stands in front of the full length mirror, top to toe in delicate lace, the third finger on her left hand sparkling in the sunshine cascading through the French doors.

"Are you ready Samantha Carter?" Tealc asks from where he stands in the doorway, looking handsome in his black tuxedo, a fitting stand in for her absent father.

"Yes Teal'c, I'm ready." She replies, picking up her flowers and running her fingers over the delicate locket bearing the photo of Jacob Carter, the chain of which, has been intricately woven through her bouquet.

They ride the elevator again, this time to the second floor, where the banquet room has been prepared for her impending nuptials.

She stands at the back of the procession and watches as her niece Sadie, then Cassie , Vala and Mark's wife Josie walk ahead of her. She squeezes Teal'c's hand tightly and he leans in as Josie reaches the alter and the string quartet strike up The Wedding March.

"Samantha Carter, tell me, when did you first know that you were in love with O'Neill?"

She looks towards the alter, where he is standing, Daniel by his side, smiling and waiting for her.

"The first time I called him Sir, Teal'c," she replies, as she begins the walk towards her General, and the start of the rest of her life.