#and I’ll argue that Nick didn’t really have friends in New York

[clambucket]

I’ve come to admission that the gay agenda has a limit, natsby may be founded on the hard rock or the wet marshes, but after a certain point I don’t care what it’s founded on. When I came back to this narrative perspective I felt that it may be a fun and silly head canon that I still enjoy, but leaving the statement at “Nick was in love with Gatsby, and Gatsby loved him back” erases large parts of their characters, flaws, and foundations.

[psychedelic-ink]

We Fall Like Snow ║ Part V

series summary: After the events that took place at the Cliff Beasts set, needless to say as his bodyguard (and friend) you became overprotective of Dieter. You have all your worries under control until you accidentally flip over a young fan by grabbing her wrist, causing the media to stir with speculations as to why. Luckily Dieter's family arrives in the nick of time, scooping you both from New York to their cozy cabin; however winter wonderland can't last forever and you need to face the consequences of your actions sooner or later.

pairing: Dieter Bravo x bodyguard!ofc; Amina Addams, written in reader format

chapter summary: Dieter and Everett are in disagreement about what Dieter should do when it comes to his relationship with you. Tension between you and Dieter raises during the masked ball.

word count: 4.7k

chapter warnings: piv, possesive!dieter, rough/angry sex, bathroom sex, dirty talking, a hint of degradation, misunderstandings, mutual pining, mirror sex, hair pulling, biting, angst towards the end

a/n: WELCOME TO THE BRIDGERTON EPISODE! 🤣 this chapter was inspired by @fuckyeahdindjarin 's amazing fic Anachronisms which is Bridgerton themed and I highly encourage everyone to go and read it ❤️ at his point this is just me putting every cliche I like into one series, enjoy!

**dividers by the amazing @saradika

Dieter isn’t a fan of the situation he’s found himself in. 

First of all, there’s the matter of you. You confuse him endlessly, your words the complete opposite of what your body is telling him. You behave one way, but speak another. Last night after the phone call, you had no issue with kissing him—Sure, it could be argued that you’d done it due to the mistletoe rules, but Dieter knows you, and if you didn’t want to kiss him you wouldn’t have. But at the same time, you keep acting as if all of this is going to end sometime soon, and that scares the ever-living shit out of him. 

He doesn’t want it to end. He’s extremely happy being a part of your personal life; he’s a huge fan of the way you look at him with those big doe eyes, always looking so confused, yet enamored with him at the same time. 

Dieter’s not sure how all of this is supposed to work when you go back. It’s easy for him; he’s been living this chaotic lifestyle for a while now, but he knows it’s an issue for you. He’s happy you’ve been distancing yourself from social media because he checked and it’s safe to say you would freak if you saw what people are saying. Most of his fanbase loved you, but an equal number of people didn’t. He knows he really shouldn’t be looking at what people are saying either, but he can’t help himself. 

And now, among all this emotional wreckage, he has to wrestle Everett. 

He’s been saying no to a match for years, he would’ve said no again if it wasn’t for you and your determination. He still feels the ghost of your body pressed against his when he managed to knock you to the ground; all the blood had rushed to his cock, and you luckily didn’t seem to notice. 

“You’re distracted,” Everett says, putting another mat down on the ground. Dieter isn’t sure why they had to do it outside, his mom said it would be easier for all of them. “Don’t worry, I’ll go easy on you,” 

Dieter snorts, “As if I need luck,” 

Briefly, he sees your silhouette alongside his dad’s through the window. Warmth blossoms in his chest, a soft smile tugging at his heartstrings as his gaze grows soft. 

“You seem confident, it’s a good look on you,” he grins. “I guess you’re planning on defeating me with the power of love,” 

Dieter’s head snaps back to meet his cousin’s gaze, Everett wiggles his eyebrows and in return, Dieter rolls his eyes. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” 

“Please, I see the way you look at her,” Everett gestures to the window ben when Dieter turns back to look you’re not there anymore. “She’s totally into you too, don’t worry,” 

“You think so?” 

“I wish I had taken a video of the two of you singing, literal sparks were flying in the air. It was magical,” 

“Oh, shut up,” he grunts, laying down another mat. “I’m never singing again.” 

“So you’re telling me the two of you aren’t dating?” 

“Nope.” Dieter hates the way bitterness is heavy in his voice but he can’t just help it. “She’s acting as if everything is going to go back to normal and I don’t think I can do that,” 

“Have you tried talking to her about it?” 

“She’s not into me that way. It’s just…physical.” 

“That’s not what I asked.” 

Dieter sighs and shakes his head, “No, I have not tried talking to her about it.” 

“Why not?” 

“Just drop it, Everett. I don’t want to talk about it. She’s just not into me.” Without thinking he adds. “Not everyone is like you,” 

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” 

“Just forget it.” 

“Forget it?” he shakes his head and crowds Dieter’s space. He’s taller, always has been. “You can’t just say shit and then throw a pity party for yourself. If you have a problem, speak up,” 

“Fine,” Dieter hisses out. “Not all of us are perfect like you, okay? Not everyone falls for us in a minute as soon as we open out mouths—” 

“God, this again,” Everett steps back, which makes Dieter realize he’d been holding his breath. “Dieter, you’re one of the most famous actors in Hollywood. People love you.” 

“The issue isn’t that people don’t love me. The issue is that no one actually cares,” 

“We do—I do. Maybe if you’d called more, or at least return my calls, we could’ve talked it out,” 

“I have enough people feeling sorry for me. I don’t need you to do the same,” 

“Is this why you didn’t come here last year?” 

“I was working! Why is that so hard to understand!” 

“Is everything alright?”

Both their heads snap towards the voice. It’s you, his mom and dad trailing behind you. You don’t even know what’s happening but you’re eyeing Everett suspiciously as if you’ve already decided that he’s in the wrong. The urge to wrap his arm around you overwhelms him and blood pools underneath his fingernails. He exhales from his mouth and steam curls from between his lips as if he’s inhaled smoke. 

“Everything’s fine,” Dieter says, looking away. “We can start the match now.” 

Everett and Dieter grapple, their muscles straining as they fight for dominance on the wrestling mat. Beads of sweat drip down their brows, blending with the snowflakes that dance around them.

Dieter's mom and dad sit on the sidelines, their cheers ringing out into the frosty air. Not wanting to pick favorites, they cheer for both of them—Dieter isn’t sure what he feels about that. But at least you have a clear favorite, which makes his heart soar. 

You stand at the edge of the mat, your voice joining the chorus of support. "Don't give up, Dieter! You can do it!"

Despite his best efforts, Dieter can't seem to best his cousin. Everett towers over him, his build more muscular and imposing. Dieter struggles to keep up, the snow and sweat-slick beneath his feet. Everett puts Dieter in a headlock, his arms tight around Dieter's neck. Dieter struggles against him, trying to break free.

"You always let opportunities pass you by, Dieter," Everett says, his lips close to Dieter's ear. "You always let the good ones slip through your fingers."

Dieter's body reacts instantly to the anger that flares up inside him. His muscles tense, his heart pounding in his chest. He can feel the heat rising to his face. 

“Shut up,” he grunts, drops of sweat falling to the mat. “Shutupshutupshutup—”

Everett’s arms tighten around Dieter’s throat, blocking his air, “You can’t keep running away from yourself. You’re not a kid anymore,” 

His words strike a nerve but Dieter feels completely helpless. His chest feels tight, and he can barely breathe as he grips Everett's forearms, trying to break free.

But then Dieter catches a glimpse of you—You’re worried, mouthing ‘you can do it’ even though he’s on the brink of passing out. 

Something in your eyes gives him strength, and he finds renewed energy in his limbs. He pushes against Everett with a grunt, flips them both over, laying his weight heavy on top of Everett as he pins his cousin to the mat. 

Everett struggles beneath him, but Dieter's training kicks in. He remembers what you taught him and mimics it to his best capability. 

He locks Everett's arm in place and applies pressure, using all his strength to hold him down. Everett grunts in pain, his face contorting with the effort to break free. It's no use. Dieter has him pinned, and he knows it. Dieter grins when he speaks. 

“Come on, give up,”

“Fine, fine,” he coughs out and slams his hand against the mat. “You win.” 

As soon as Everett utters his defeat, Dieter collapses onto the snow-covered ground, his chest heaving with the exertion of the match. He doesn't even feel the chill seeping into his back as he lies there, staring up at the crystal blue sky above.

But then, your face comes into view, and the world becomes more beautiful. Your eyes are bright with concern as you kneel beside him, your hand gentle on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" you ask.

Dieter nods, still trying to catch his breath. "I'm fine," he manages to gasp. "Just a little winded."

You smile, and the sight fills Dieter with warmth. He reaches up and takes your hand, holding onto it tightly. He feels his entire family staring at the both and he sees the urge you have to turn to face them. But Dieter squeezes your hand, keeping your gaze focused on him. 

“So,” he says. “Do you see me going through a career change? Do I have what it takes to become a bodyguard?” 

A chuckle escapes your lips and you grin from ear to ear, “We would need to work on your stance, but I don’t see why not.” you extend your hand and help him up. “Jokes aside, I’m proud of you. You were great,” 

“I’ll just lay here then,” Everett groans, raising his hand to the sky. “All alone left to die.” 

Dieter swallows down his laughter, “Always the dramatic one,” he says, knowing that he’s usually the dramatic one. “Here, take my hand,” 

With a smile Everett takes Dieter's hand and stands up, dusting the snow off his clothes. "Such a good sport," he coos. 

"Well, I can't have my favorite cousin laid out in the snow, now can I?"

Adaline and Claus come over and pat Everett on the back. "Don't feel too bad, Everett," Adaline says with a sympathetic smile. "You did your best out there."

"Yeah, and Dieter's just a little bit better," Claus adds with a wink. “I’m impressed!”

“The fact that you’re so shocked worries me a little,” Dieter mutters. “Have a little faith,” 

“Well, if it’s any consolation, I was sure from the start,” you cut in, stepping between them. “I’m always on your side.” 

"Come on, let's go get some hot cocoa," Adaline says, linking her arm through Everett's. "Besides, we need to get ready for tonight,"

Dieter sees your confusion when you briefly turn to glance at him. He shrugs and watches as you follow the rest of his family inside. 

The infamous masked ball. 

His mother dragged him to it every year, promising it would be fun— It never was. He already attends similar events left and right, and the last thing that he wants to do on vacation is be forced to smile all night. 

But…this time might be different. 

He has you now. 

You’re sitting on the bed in Dieter’s parent's bedroom. You watch as she rummages through her closet, finally pulling out a garment bag. She unzips it with a flourish, revealing a stunning ball gown.

“Really?” you ask, confusion crossing your face. “You bought this for me?” 

“Well, we knew you wouldn’t come here prepared to attend a ball,” she answers with a smile. “I asked Dieter for your measurements and when we went into town yesterday, I went and bought this. Think of it as an early Christmas present,” 

The dress is made of soft, lustrous satin in a rich shade of navy blue. The bodice is fitted, with a sweetheart neckline and delicate cap sleeves. The skirt is full and flowing, with layers of tulle and organza that create a sense of volume and movement. The back of the dress is low, with a row of tiny, sparkling buttons running down the center. Your fingertips dance along the fabric, it’s cold to the touch but also incredibly soft. 

“It’s beautiful. Thank you,” you lift your gaze and you see her staring down at you with a softened gaze, she looks so much like Dieter at that moment. “I wish Dieter told me. I didn’t get you guys anything,” 

The bed dips as she sits next to you, she places her hand over yours and squeezes. 

“You’ve done enough, honey. For the first time, I’m seeing Dieter genuinely happy,” she sighs and shakes her head, her voice cracks when she continues. “Ever since he was a boy, Dieter has carried a bit of sadness in him. I’m not sure what caused it—Maybe we did something wrong, I don’t know. But I’m happy to see that he finally found someone who sees the brilliance in him as we do. He’s a kind boy, probably a bit too kind for the world he lives in currently—It’s good to see that he’s not completely alone,” 

“Adaline…” 

She raises her hand, her smile everlasting. “You don’t need to say anything, dear. Or explain yourself. I just wanted you to know that we trust you.” 

You’re overwhelmed. Your cheeks are warm and you can feel sweat building right above your tailbone. A weight has been placed upon your shoulders and you have no idea how to move —or be you —with this newly added weight. You part your lips to say something, anything to remove the sudden burden but before you can, Adaline rises to her feet and heads for the closet. 

“One more thing,” she coos. “And this might be a bit extra, but it’s a masked ball so…” She places a box on your lap, right above the dress, and you stare at her with confusion. “Open it. There are two masks in there, one for Dieter and one for you. We bought them in Venice during our honeymoon,” 

“I…I can’t accept this,” 

She snorts, and you blink with surprise. “I’m not gifting it to you,” she says, crossing her arms. “You don’t need to get all flustered. It’s a loan, don’t let anything happen to it,” 

The humor in her tone forces your stiff body to relax slightly, your head falls forward as you look back down at the box with a smile. 

As you lift the lid of the box, you are immediately struck by the beauty of the masks inside. The first mask is black, with a sleek, refined design. The base of the mask is made of shimmering black satin, and there are long, black feathers sticking out from the top. The crown of the mask is adorned with a golden lyre, a musical instrument with a beautiful, ethereal sound. On either side of the lyre, there are two koala bears, holding the neck of the lyre like they would a piece of bamboo. The overall effect is elegant and sophisticated. And adorable.

The second mask is white and gold, with a more simple, yet still elegant design. The base of the mask is made of shimmering white satin, and there are delicate gold filigree patterns etched into the surface. The mask is adorned with sparkling crystal-like stones, which seem to be forming a halo around the edges. The overall effect is like a crystal forest, with trees and branches of light and sparkle. This mask is more romantic than the other. 

“Beautiful aren’t they?” Adaline grins. “Don’t get attached,” 

You laugh at her words; a wild, curt sound that manages to surprise you. “Don’t worry, I won’t. I’ll be sure to give this to Dieter, thank you.” 

You stand outside in the snow, huddled together with Dieter's parents and cousin. You are all dressed in your finest attire, with Dieter's mom wearing a lavish ball gown in a rich shade of red, and his dad looking dapper in a tailored black suit. You’re wearing the dress Adeline had gifted you, and while you’re not used to wearing such fancy clothing, you’re certainly not opposed to it. You feel good, which convinces you that you look good. 

The snow is falling gently around you, dusting the ground with a blanket of white. It is beautiful, yet also a bit eerie, with the flakes swirling in the air and the trees creaking in the wind. You shiver a little, despite your warm coat, and you wish that Dieter would hurry up. You smile as you click your tongue; always late, this one. 

Finally, after what seems like an eternity, Dieter emerges from the house, looking resplendent in a long dress jacket that goes all the way to his knees. He’s wearing nice shoes and a white button-up shirt with a bowtie, but despite his polished appearance, his hair is still a mess— which you adore, especially when you remember how those soft locks felt between your fingers, while he was between your legs.

As he approaches, you can't help but feel your heart drop. Your lips part, a soft gasp making its way out in the form of warm steam. Dieter catches your gaze and gives you a small smile that makes you want to topple over and bury your head in the snow. You’re being burned from the inside out, the heat making you completely forget where you are. 

“Finally, we can go now,” Everett says, turning smoothly on one heel. 

You and Dieter both stand still under the snow, your gazes at each other calculating, assessing what to do next. His eyes move across your body, taking in every detail of your form. A violent shudder overcomes you. Then, without prompting, he offers you his arm.

“You look beautiful,” he says in one exhaled breath. 

“So do you.” 

The pair of you are suspended in time, your chests heaving breaths in unison. You see white snow decorating his hair and you lean forward to brush the cold away, before you can he touches your fingers and brings your hand to his mouth, lips brushing your skin. 

The moment is broken by the loud honk of the car. 

You and Dieter enter the luxurious cabin-like venue, and you are struck by its cozy, yet opulent atmosphere. The ballroom is spacious and bright, with walls made entirely of windows that offer breathtaking views of the snowy landscape outside. The decor is a blend of rustic charm and delicate lace, with plush white furnishings, floral patterns, and warm candlelight flickering about.

You look around and see that everyone is dressed in their finest attire. The men are handsome in tailored suits in shades of black and navy, while the women are gracefully adorned in elegant ball gowns of pastel pinks and blues, deep purples and reds, and other rich hues. Everyone with a matching elegant mask. Many of the gowns are adorned with intricate details, adding to the vintage, romantic atmosphere of the ball.

The music is provided by a live orchestra, which plays a harmonious blend of classical pieces and modern hits. As you and Dieter make your way to the bar, Adaline and Claus go to greet friends and Everett seems to be flirting with a charmingly dressed man with brown eyes and hair. 

Dieter offers you a glass of wine and you take it with gratitude, the two of you observing the crowd. 

“This is a bit more glamorous than I expected,” 

“It would be awkward wearing such fancy things if it wasn’t,” Dieter answers, leaning against the wall behind you. “This is why I don’t really like coming to these. They host it every year,” 

“Your mom forces you to come, huh?” 

“Exactly,” he says with a low chuckle, his eyes dropping down to his glass. “This year is a bit better though. I have you,” 

“Oh?” you coo, a smirk stretching across your face. “Are you saying you enjoy my company, Mr. Bravo?” 

“Always have,” 

As you stand with Dieter, watching the crowd dance and twirl before you, you feel a strange sensation wash over you. Your pinky extends towards him, almost of its own accord, and you feel his own pinky inch closer in response. The warmth of his skin seems to radiate through you, and you can't help but feel a sense of intimacy in this small, unspoken gesture.

You stand there, pinkies curled around each other, not acknowledging the moment but feeling a warmth at the tips of your fingers that spread throughout your bodies. The crowd swirls around you, a blur of color and movement, but all you can focus on is the quiet connection between you and Dieter. The music and laughter fade into the background as you stand there, little fingers entwined, feeling a deep and inexplicable bond with the man by your side. It's a moment that seems to stretch on forever, suspended in time, and you can't help but feel that everything else in the world has melted away, leaving only the two of you in this little bubble of intimacy.

Suddenly, Dieter asks you to dance with him, his voice breathy and heavy, his pupils dilated. You hesitate, feeling a sudden surge of panic. You're not a good dancer, you want to say, but the words get caught in your throat. But when you see his eyes locked to your from under the mask, you simply can't deny him.

"Come on," Dieter says, taking your hand and leading you toward the dance floor. "It'll be fun. I'll lead, you just follow my steps."

You follow him out onto the dance floor, your heart pounding in your chest. You feel awkward and out of place, but Dieter's hand on your waist is warm and reassuring. 

The music swells around you, a lively waltz that fills the ballroom with its energetic beat. You place your hand on Dieter's shoulder, feeling the warmth of his skin through the fabric of his jacket, and he takes your other hand in his own, his grip strong and sure.

“So, I wanted to talk to you about something,” he says, voice barely audible due to the music. “Honestly, it’s kind of stupid but Everett got into my head with it and now I feel like if I don’t say something I’ll miss out on something great,” 

You begin to dance, following Dieter's lead as he guides you around the floor. The other couples swirl around you, a blur of color and movement, but you are focused solely on Dieter, on the way he moves with such grace and confidence.

“You can tell me,” you prompt, despite the fact you feel like you probably shouldn’t. Your mouth goes dry when he twirls you. 

“It’s…about us.” He’s breathless as he speaks. “I want— I think— Fuck, this is hard..I think we should maybe…try this out,” 

“What out?” 

“You, me…the devil’s tango?” 

“Are you trying to say that we should try being in a relationship?” you ask, bewildered. “No, we can’t. I—I don’t think that’s a good idea,” 

“Why not?” 

As the music crescendos, Dieter twirls you out and then pulls you back in, your skirts on the floor and your dress swirling around you. 

“Because,” you gasp, trying to catch your breath. “Because we work together. Everything is already so complicated, Dieter. This stops when we return home,” 

“Fine.” 

Dieter dips you low, your dress fanning out around you as you hold the pose. You look up at him but he’s not looking at you. To be honest, you’re surprised he doesn’t drop you. You know that his anger will pass eventually; it has to. You convince yourself that he’s just caught up in the moment—and the sex. And the kissing. You have no idea what Everett told him, but clearly this isn’t Dieter talking. 

The music fades away, and he brings you back up, pulling you close as the song ends. You stand there, panting, not knowing what to do. He’s still scowling. Then, out of no where, he takes your hand and drags you out of the ballroom.

You find yourself in the overly lit bathroom, and he locks the door. Your hands are braced against the marble of the sink, the mirror wide and crystal clear in front of you. Before you can say anything, you feel the flush of his body. Dieter traces your neck with his lips, tongue tasting the salt of your skin as his hands roam your body. 

“You just want to fuck, don’t you,” he murmurs, his voice eerily emotionless. “I can give you something to fuck. You want me to?” 

You see his reflection in the mirror, his lips hovering an inch away from your neck, eyes staring directly into yours. You swallow. You’ve never seen him like this before, the calm before the storm. Your legs are trembling. You’re highly aware of the fact that you need to say no. 

But your words betray you. 

Dieter consumes you as soon as you give him the okay. He doesn't bother removing the masks, using them as a way to shield what he's feeling. His hands push up your skirt, your ass in full display. He leans down and sinks his teeth into the meat, a growl rattling his throat as you hiss at the sting of his teeth. His tongue doesn’t soothe the pain; instead, he moves his mouth to the other cheek, giving it a similarly harsh bite. 

“Gonna fuck you nice and hard,” he grunts, tugging down your panties. “You’re never going to be satisfied after me. Fucking never.” 

His fingers move between your folds, a whimper falls from your lips. 

“Already wet,” he groans, teeth sinking into the skin between your neck and shoulder. “So, this is really what you want. Not much time to get laid when you’re working all the time, huh?” 

Oh god, you’re spiraling. Falling into the depths of his fear and loneliness. His words are coming from a place of pain and weirdly so, his mother’s words echo in your head. But for the life of you, you can’t tell him to stop and talk it out. He feels too good, too much, all at once, but still not enough. You’re his. That’s always been the case in a way, but he doesn’t know that. You can tell what he’s thinking, what he’s trying to convince himself of. It’s your fault. You never should’ve let everything come to this. 

The rough drag of his fingers is replaced with his cock. Your back arches, your head falling to his shoulder as he grinds himself against you, the head of his cock brushing against your clit, sending jolts of pleasure washing over you.

"D-Dieter- oh god," you gasp, your mouth filling with saliva. You swallow again and again, trying to form words that die on the tip of your tongue.

There's a sharp tug at your hair, forcing your face towards the mirror. You see Dieter's reflection, hauntingly beautiful, and it’s all you can think about. Your pussy throbs at the promise he makes, and as he keeps your head in place with one hand, the other sneaks up your torso and pulls down the front of your dress. Your breasts spill out from the edges, and he eagerly squeezes the flesh, his fingers pinching your nipples.

He pushes himself deep inside of you, the sound echoing within the bathroom. You moan at the sensation, feeling yourself getting closer and closer to the edge. Dieter's hands are rough and possessive as he touches you, and you can’t help but respond to it. You're lost in pleasure, completely at his mercy. Your body sings for him, his name falling from your lips repeatedly. Tension coils inside you, your orgasm builds as he thrusts into you, harder and faster. 

He breathes heavily into your skin, kissing the back of your neck. 

And then, with a cry, you come, your body shaking as Dieter holds you close. It’s quick and sudden. Neither of your expecting for you to come so quick. You're panting and sweating. When you look at him through the reflection, he doesn’t look happy; it almost looks like you’ve proven something he’s always thought to be true. 

He pulls out — briefly, you see hunger crossing his face — and he moans, the slick sounds of him fucking his fist reaching your warm ears. You watch, entranced, as his eyes flutter close, his jaw tense. He bites into his bottom lips when he comes, the feeling of something warm and sticky splashing across the small of your back. 

Dieter opens his eyes and you meet his gaze through the mirror. 

“Dieter—” 

“Sorry,” he groans, quickly waving his hand underneath the paper towel dispenser. It feels like sandpaper against your skin. “I’ll go. You don’t need to say anything.” 

He throws the balled-up paper towel as he makes his way out. You feel empty — satisfied, but lost. You think whether or not you’ve done the right thing, it feels like you’re on the wrong path. 

And all you can think of Adaline’s words: 

I’m happy to see that he finally found someone who sees the brilliance in him as we do.

He’s a kind boy, probably a bit too kind for the world he lives in currently.

It’s good to see that he’s not completely alone.

I just wanted you to know that we trust you.

[avengers-age-of-fanfics]

just for you, honeybee (5/?)

pairing: steve rogers x reader (platonic), bucky barnes x reader

warnings: grief, sadness, CA:TFA

words: 2,074

authors note: I am so sorry for posting this late, been a crazy few days! anywho, part 5! slowly working our way into The Avengers & The Winter Soldier. not sure how i'll write the avengers yet but i'll figure something out! thank u for being patient!

Your whole body felt so heavy.

Everything hurt and even with your soft breathing, it was as if all the muscles in your body were screaming at you to stop. Sounds of people cheering were heard but you tried to tune it out, your brain barely able to comprehend why your body hurt so much.

After telling yourself to try to at least open your eyes, you did, and it was so bright. Your eyes fluttered closed once more as you groaned at the light, trying to adjust. Listening to the sound once more, you heard a specific tune – Harry James’ Maria Elena – play on a radio.

You groaned, opening your eyes again as the song continued, hearing Harry’s voice, “Maria Elena, you’re the answer to a prayer…”

God, James loved this song.

Becoming used to the light, you tensed your toes, your legs, your arms, all the way up to your teeth, then untensing. It felt weird, being alive. Wait…were you alive? Maybe?

Before you decided to lay in your cot any longer, you sat up, glancing at your clothes – a plain, white t-shirt with an Eagle in the middle, along with some nice fitting tan pants and some shoes. ‘Odd,’ you thought to yourself, ‘definitely don’t remember changing clothes.’

The room you laid in was relatively plain, nothing was out of the ordinary as Maria Elena continued to play on repeat. “Okay,” you said aloud, “that’s a bit weird.”

With a grumble, you placed your feet on the ground as you held your head in your hands, “ugh, Steve, where the hell are you? ‘Could really use one of Howard’s hangover cures.”

Before you could talk any more nonsense to yourself, the door opened, revealing a beautiful young woman dressed in a nurse’s outfit, “good morning.” She took a quick glance at her watch, “or should I say afternoon.

You eyed her suspiciously as one of your favorite songs quickly grew to be very annoying, “where am I? Where is Steve?”

She seemed a bit nervous as she answered you, “you’re in a recovery room in New York City. Captain Rogers is right beside you, the next room over. He has been informed that you’ve woken up.”

Harry James’ “All or Nothing At All” came on the radio and you felt the urge to roll your eyes, “where am I really?”

The woman chuckled, “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

Your eyes narrowed, “the songs. Listen, any person with a stable head on their shoulders loves Harry James, but there is no way in hell Blue Ribbon Town is playin’ his songs all the damn time. Now, where am I – and tell Steve I want him here.”

The ‘nurse’ – well, you didn’t know if you could call her that cause you seemingly caught her bluff – grew worried as you stood up, the bed creaking below you, “just tell me where I am and where Steve is and I’ll-“

You stilled for a moment, recognizing the sounds of two people arguing, and of course, Steve’s voice. He sounded agitated and on edge, but at least you knew he was safe. Now, you just wanted to get the hell out of here. The woman, nurse, whoever she was, grabbed a walkie-talkie and began talking into it, but you paid no mind to her.

The door opened behind her, revealing a man, you guessed an Agent, in a suit, “who the hell are you? I want to get out of this room.”

The man held out his hands, “Agent Y/N, my name is Phil Coulson, we work with S.H.I.E.L.D. There’s no need to stress, you are alright and safe.”

You squinted your eyes at him, “well, Agent Coulson, I’m sure you can tell why I am even remotely hesitant to trust you, so with all due respect, I’m breaking out of here.”

And with that, you sprinted towards the wall opposite you, ramming shoulder first and knocking it down, revealing bright lights and metal flooring – almost like they were keeping something on the inside.

An alarm sounded above you as you stopped in a hallway, people looking at your figure before gasping. “All agents, code 13” echoed above you as you dragged yourself along, unable to take a second and look. You cursed Steve for leaving you alone, for not hearing you fighting with that woman and Coulson guy. Shoving some men down onto the floor, you continued to run until you pushed open the doors, the outside becoming cold very quickly.

You spun in a circle, trying to take in everything around you as you ran into oncoming traffic, the sounds of horns blaring causing more confusion than anything. Running seemed to be the only thing you knew how to do, the rain drizzling down upon you, doing nothing to slow your speed. The more you ran, the more you realized how unfamiliar everything looked. Neon signs, tall buildings, cars you’ve never seen before – if that woman was telling the truth, when the hell did everything change?

You slowed to a stop, huge moving-picture signs changed above you and the unfamiliarity was daunting. You needed someone’s hand to grab, to hold onto something, so you reached towards your chest, holding tightly onto Bucky’s dog tags.

Black cars pulled in front of you and from behind you, a tall, sort-of menacing man stood before you, “at ease, Agent.”

Your eyebrows furrowed as Steve stepped out of the backseat of the car, looking uneasy; the man continued, hands at the side of his black trench coat and eyepatch adding more questions as to who this man was, “look, I’m sorry about that little show back there, but…we thought it best to break it to you slowly.”

Your grip on Bucky’s dog tags tightened as your breathing quickened, “Steve? Break what?”

The somewhat terrifying man took a breath, “you’ve been asleep, L/N. For almost 70 years – same with your friend Captain here.”

Your heart ached and it hurt to breathe all of a sudden. Tears welled up in your eyes as you tried to steady your breathing, looking around at everything around you. Steve stepped forward, hands quickly grabbing yours even as you tried to move away, “honeybee, I know it’s a lot to take in but you gotta breathe. You got this, you got this…”

You nodded, trying to listen as ringing took over your ears.

Steve turned, trying to catch his breath as the man in front of you looked to you both, “you going to be okay?”

Steve nodded, “she’ll be okay, she’s fine.

The man looked to you, “Miss L/N?”

You tried to steady your breathing, “I need…where is…”

The man held out his hands, “we’ll answer all of your questions, starting with who I am – my name is Director Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. We’ve been taking care of you both since your discovery and anything you need, you let us know. Now, can we get you situated?”

Steve continued to look confused as you glared at Fury, “how do I know I can trust you?”

Fury gestured to the world surrounding you, “you see anyone else trying to make friends, Miss L/N?”

You grumbled, “y/n is fine, really…Cap, what’s going on?”

Steve gripped your hands, “you can trust him, y/n, I promise. He’ll make sense of everything, he’s a good guy.”

With a glare, you looked towards the Director, “where…where would I be headed with you?”

Nick Fury leaned back on the balls of his feet, “Washington D.C, Triskelion, S.H.I.E.L.D, HQ, specifically.”

With a glance to Steve, you knew that broken look too well – a place to rest, to fully digest this news, would be nice. It seems he has somewhat fit in with this new world that you now have to adjust to. You turned to Fury, “I’ll go with you. But will I be staying there permanently?”

Fury shrugged, “you are in charge of your own life. Once we get you settled, you’re free to do what you wish.”

Steve nodded towards you as he recognized your hesitance – you can trust Nick Fury. You’ll be in charge of your own life once you become accustomed to this new world.

The trip to Washington D.C. was not too troublesome, but coming to terms with what era you were living in sure was. You and Steve were silent the entire ride, making sense of what had happened during your final mission. Once you arrived, Nick Fury had no qualms about telling you what had happened; you had completed the mission, saving millions of lives, and you had won the war.

But it just did not feel right.

You knew why; you shouldn’t be here. At this point, you and Bucky, your Jamie, should be in your late 80s, kids, and grandkids living their lives to the fullest. Yet here you were, living in an unknown world without your James, and the worst part – you had no idea if his body was recovered, if he had a funeral, if Becca had something for him.

That was what the first few months of your new life consisted of: doing research on these high-tech computers about Bucky, Rebecca, catching up on the history you missed out on. Unconsciously, you found yourself researching ‘Colonel Chester Phillips’ and found that your broody Colonel lived the rest of his life to the fullest, becoming one of the founders of S.H.I.E.L.D. – you just knew that man was meant for greatness. Next, ‘Howard Stark’ added to your search and your heart ached.

Howard, your Howie Stark, was murdered.

They had known it was murder, or some kind of setup, once the feds realized much of his equipment was stolen from his car. Howard and his beautiful wife Maria were murdered.

You cried that night.

The next day, you brought yourself to visit Colonel Phillips’ grave and laid a bouquet of flowers on his grave; you knew he’d call you ridiculous, that he didn’t need any flowers, but you did it anyway. Shockingly, Howard and Maria’s gravesite weren’t too far and you had laid flowers on their graves as well.

Steve hadn’t joined you.

You weren’t upset with him, no, just…you weren’t sure. You wished he came along, but he figured giving you space was what you needed when in reality, you needed him – you needed your Steve Rogers from Brooklyn. At least when you two went down, Peggy was still alive; your James wasn’t. A part of you hated Steve for that, but it also grieved with him.

Nothing more was done of your research on Jamie; you’d seen the same thing about him over and over, yet you knew all that was said. However, you loved seeing moving pictures of him and Steve, ones you hadn’t seen before that day. He was just as beautiful as the day he left you for war. His smile made your heart race and his nose scrunch, his eyes squinting during his smile…he was breathtaking.

Reaching below the collar of your shirt, you grasped the dog tags around your neck, thankful S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn’t taken them off. Laying a kiss on them, you let them go, hitting your chest before your fingers met the keyboard: “Grover, Newspaper vendor, Brooklyn.”

That man had continued selling newspapers until his final years and right away, you saw an article titled, “LOCAL NEWS VENDOR SHARES PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH CAPTAIN AMERICA’S PARTNER, Y/N L/N, AFTER LOSS OF CONTACT.” Of course, that old man had to talk about you.

Reading the article, you realized this was right after Steve and you crashed; you felt Grover’s grief and pain through his words. “That kid was a pain in my side, but y/n l/n is – was, one of the lights in my life. She was like the daughter I’ve always wanted an’ while I wish she coulda stayed here, she always told me she needed ta’ do somethin’ with her life,” Grover had said, the author keeping his Brooklyn accent. “Her relationship with James Barnes meant so much to that girl and if there was any way she’d avenge his death, she’d be doin’ it, and I know she did,” he said, “and even though I gotta live the rest of my life without that girl, I know I couldn’t have kept her from doin’ what she thought was best. I love her and…I’ll miss her.”

Visiting his grave was the most emotionally draining day since you’ve been back.

-

honeybee taglist: @clownerlyluv

@ginger-swag-rapunzel

@starkleila

[missmonsters2]

Between the Lines || X

PAIRING: Steve Rogers & Fem!Reader (Platonic) / Natasha Romanoff x Fem!Reader / Wanda Maximoff x Fem!Reader / Natasha Romanoff x Fem!Reader x Wanda Maximoff

Summary: Vampire AU. Life has changed drastically since the 1600s. Things are always on the move, and you’ve been very careful to not get on SHIELDs radar. Living on the down-low owning a café, you’re content to live out a quiet existence. That is until the Avengers enter your life.

[Set after the New York Invasion, in CAWS, and goes up to AoU. Canon divergent after.]

Warnings: This series will contain smut(**), poly-relationship, and dark themes.

Note: Oof I came back and DELIVERED 👏👏 it’s really long I’m sorry. I legit said we’re ending this arc today LOL

PART I || PART II || PART III || PART IV || PART V || PART VI || PART VII || PART VIII || PART IX

PART X of XX

Count: 11,007

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There's something about the way the golden sky hits the horizon of this quiet countryside field.

It's quiet.

At least in comparison to the city.

You like the tall grass that surrounds the stand-alone home. The air is cleaner, crisper. There's a serene peace that settles in the area, and it makes you nostalgic for things you haven't had.

You can hear children running around inside, and the sink running in the kitchen along with food sizzling. Looking over at Natasha, there's a softness that has fallen over her face, a look you're somewhat familiar with, but in a different context.

This might be home for her, too, you realize.

"A safe house?" Tony tilts his head as everyone stares at the farmhouse.

"Let's hope," Clint mutters as everyone enters into the house. "Honey, I'm home!"

You tilt your head, curious when the woman you assume to be Clint's wife walks into the kitchen. You knew she was carrying based on the conversation you overhead, but you were still surprised to find her heavily pregnant.

She was due soon.

"Hi, company," Clint says in a rush as he gives her a kiss on the cheek. "Sorry, I didn't call ahead."

"Hey," the woman replies as she kisses Clint. You hear Tony make a comment to Thor about the strangeness of this, but you were focused on her stomach.

You tilted your head as you could hear its heartbeat.

"Gentlemen and gentle...women," Clint stares at you and Natasha. "This is Laura. My wife."

"I know all your names," Laura smiles while everyone looks at her rather awkwardly because no one but Natasha, you and, David knew about her.

David seemed the most curious, but he has always loved kids and got along with them easily.

"You're due soon," he tells Laura with a smile as he sneaks around you to stand closer to inspect Laura respectfully.

"You can tell?" Laura looks down at her stomach as David nods.

"Yes," he says. "A couple months at the most."

"How can you tell?" Laura asks as you hear tiny rumbling footsteps running towards this room.

"We can smell it," David informs her.

"Incoming," Clint says, kneeling down as his son and daughter excitedly burst into the room.

"Dad!" His daughter jumps in Clint's arm. Clint picks her up as he stands and kisses his son's head.

"Tinier agents," Tony blinks at the scene while Steve looks completely flabbergasted.

"This is Lila and Cooper," Clint smiles softly.

"Did you bring Auntie Nat?" The little girl says, and Natasha turns as she smiles.

"Why don't you hug her and find out?" Natasha starts to walk while Lila runs into her arms.

Natasha picks her up with ease, holding her close as she kisses Lila on the cheek. She comes back to you and tense ever so slightly before you relax.

Of course, you spent a lot of time with Allison as you took care of her, but sometimes, being around young kids would cause just a quick flashback of the ones you couldn't save.

Natasha smiles at you, and you return it lightly.

"This is Lila," Natasha introduces you to her and then telling Lila your name.

"Is she your friend?" Lila asks as she stares at you, and Natasha laughs.

"Yes, she's...my special friend," Natasha looks at you with a smirk to which you roll your eyes gently in response.

"I like your braids," you tell Lila softly, who smiles shyly at you in thanks.

"Sorry to drop by in like this," Steve says to Laura.

"Yeah, we would've, but we were too busy not knowing you existed," Tony chirped in.

Clint smiles as he stands next to his wife and has his hand on Cooper's shoulder.

"Yeah, Fury helped me set this up and kept it off SHIELD's files. I'd like to keep it that way, I figured this is a good place to lay low."

Laura laughed suddenly, and everyone turned to see David giving family photos to her.

"Okay, as low as we can," Clint corrects.

Natasha sets down Lila as she drags you closer to Laura.

"Ah, honey, I missed you," Laura pulls Natasha into a hug before giving you a kind smile.

Your nose twitches as you get closer, and you can smell Laura's pregnancy in more detail.

"And how's little Natasha?" Natasha coos as she bends down to touch Laura's stomach gently.

"You mean Nathaniel?" David snickers and you elbow him in the rib.

"What?" Natasha says as she stands up, looking at David before she turns back to Laura.

"Sorry," Laura gives her an apologetic look that confirms what David said.

Natasha leans back down to Laura's stomach, "Traitor."

"Thor," Steve calls out.

You turn your attention as Thor leaves the house with Steve following him.

You hear Thor say how he saw something in his dream and how he won't find his answers here before flying off.

Everyone seems to have reached their limit and wants to get some rest. You, Natasha, and David decided to stay in one room since the two of you don't sleep. David said he'd be out working on a lot of other things anyways.

"Mind if I shower first?" He asks you and Natasha.

"Go for it," Natasha nods.

"If you use all the hot water, I'll kill you," you tell him, and David just pretends to look offended that you would even insinuate he would before walking off.

You could hear Clint and Laura talking in the next room where he's updating her on the mission and what he'll do once this mission is done. You try to drown it out as you turn and focus on Natasha before you.

"How are you feeling?" You ask softly as you lift your hand to her face.

Natasha presses more firmly into your hold. A part of her wishes she could feel the warmth of your actual hand, but she doesn't want to push you, and you were clearly nowhere ready to touch her with your bare hands.

It didn't stop her from fantasizing about it, though.

"Better," Natasha rasps, "I've stopped hearing the lingering voices."

You nodded, using your thumb to stroke her cheek.

"How was it?" Natasha asks, breaking the silence, and you know what she's referring to.

Slowing dropping your hand, you went to sit at the seat beside the window.

"It was..." you sighed, "I don't know. Hard."

Natasha takes a seat next to you, combing her fingers through your hair, and your eyes fluttered at the serene feeling.

"Talk to me," Natasha softly says. She knows you've probably been refraining from trying to talk about it with her after that night. You must think she may not like it.

But Natasha doesn't care about such things like that. Tatyana was a big part of your life, and even though you haven't said anything about it yet, Natasha knows Wanda will be too.

In what capacity will depend on what you'll allow, what you think Natasha will allow.

"I suppose...I didn't expect her to look so much like Tatyana," you smile weakly. "Looking at her is like nearly looking at a spitting image. Pietro has similar features, being twins, but it's easier to ignore that he's a descendant."

Natasha nods, understanding as she continues to comb through your hair.

"I'm still working on confirming something," you tell her honestly.

"And if what you suspect is true?" Natasha asks.

You purse your lips.

"Then, we have a new set of problems."

⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⋆⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷

The day continues on, and everyone, for the most part, has freshened up. You leave Natasha to her own devices with showering even though earlier she had given you a look that suggested that they could save water if they showered together.

You had felt a hot liquid pool form in your lower stomach as you licked your lips.

But now was neither nor the time to engage in such activities, though you did give her a languid kiss before excusing yourself.

You could hear Tony and Steve talking--passive-aggressively arguing outside. You were about to go out to break it up when your eyes honed in on something.

"Just great," you huffed under your breath as you headed out to the field where there was a tractor.

"Thank you, Laura," a deep voice spoke as he caught your eye as you came up to them.

Laura greeted you, and you nodded in response as she slipped out to do her task.

"Maria tell you to come out here?" You asked, looking at Nick Fury.

"She thought it would be best for me to assess the situation," he shrugs. "I wanted a little word with Stark, anyways."

You shake your head. "Your words will mean nothing to him, you know."

"Then perhaps I should talk with you," Fury redirects. "I hear you're quite involved with this case."

You remain silent, not taking his bait.

"What do you suggest I do?" Fury says, curious about what you'll say.

Before you could answer, you hear Tony approaching, catching the two of you after looking at the tractor.

"Ah, Mrs. Barton, that little minx. What are the two of you doing here? Did Maria call you?" Tony asks as he turns to look at Fury.

"Artificial intelligence, you didn't even hesitate," Fury cocked his brow at Tony.

You tune out the two of them talking as you focus your attention elsewhere. You could hear Steve a little ways away, still ripping woods apart with his bare hands. Inside the house, you could hear the water being turned off, indicating that Natasha was done with her shower, and you decided you would go in soon to shower yourself before helping where you could.

"--you didn't," you catch the end of what Fury said before the man walked off, leaving you alone with the genius billionaire.

He was frustrated--annoyed, you could tell by just looking at his face. The light grimace and pinch between his eyebrow were a clear indication.

Tony catches you staring at him, looking miffed as he peers at you.

"Well, I suppose you have something to say, too, huh?" Tony mutters.

You take a long minute to stare at him, his conversation with Fury not lost on you.

"Not really," you say in the end. "Nothing I haven't already told you, anyways."

"Right, like my ego being too big, and I'm not the be-all, end-all."

You shrug. "No one is the be-all, end-all. If the world had to only rely on one man, we would've gone extinct before cavemen even had the chance to evolve."

"And I'm the man that's going to cause that," Tony persisted.

"No," you shook your head. "You know as well as I do that it was only your fear being shown to you."

"Do I?" Tony scoffed. "All I know is that I saw all my friends dead, and I caused it because I couldn't save them. Who are you to say it's not the future I saw?"

"Because she can't show you the future!" You burst at him, grimacing at your own outburst. You sigh, closing your eyes and pinching the bridge of your nose. "That's not what her power is. In the best-case scenario, she can use telepathy to read your mind to experience your memories and thoughts, and then using that to project hallucinations onto you. In the worst-case scenario, she can use her powers to alter reality to make what she wants to come true. I don't think she's there yet."

"And how do you know all that?" Tony asks, narrowing his eyes at you.

"You know that I came on this mission for my own personal reasons."

"And what? That Maximoff girl is your personal reason?"

"They both are," you tell him. "Her powers aren't entirely unfamiliar to me. Different, yes, I imagine from the scepter, but not unfamiliar."

"I don't see the difference between her powers and my future." Tony blinks at you.

You grumbled, sighing as you try to explain. "It means, dumbass, that Wanda either doesn't realize that she can alter reality or that she doesn't have enough control of her powers to do so yet. I'm betting it's a mix of the two. I felt it when I fought with her. She's chaotic, and her powers are unrefined. Because of that, she can only snoop into your mind and then send you your worst fear in the form of a hallucination. You weren't shown the future, Tony, you were emotionally exploited."

You wanted Tony to understand, not so sure why you were so concerned with it. Tony, like everyone else, was a complex person with a multitude of different faces and layers. On the surface, he was a nonchalant, cocky dickhead (though, you were also sure some of that was truly him on the inside too), but he was also someone who cared.

A lot.

And people who tend to care a lot always overdid everything to protect everything and everyone they care about.

Tony was already hurting.

And Wanda was making it worse.

It was a painful reminder that Tatyana had hurt people too, and you couldn't stop her.

"How do you know that isn't the future for sure? How can you confirm that's not my legacy?" Tony murmurs quietly, looking at the sky as if the low volume would allow him to admit his fear without you hearing.

You stare at him for a long minute, biting your tongue before you draw a long sigh that gets Tony's attention.

Tony watches you, taking off one glove, pressing your lips together as you do so.

You hold out your hand to him.

"If you tell Natasha I touched you before her, I'll break your dick."

⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⋆⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷

Dinner is a pleasant affair. You had gone back into the kitchen swiftly after finishing your talk with Tony. Laura was starting to make dinner, and you let her know not to worry about you and David as the two of you don't eat.

You had taken a step out with David while everyone was bustling around before dinner. It had been a while since you last fed, and you had a feeling things were going to start happening back to back, and you needed to be prepared for it.

The two of you headed into town to the nearest hospital, compelling a nurse to bring you both a blood bag to feed on and forget.

It wasn't a lot, but it would be enough to get through the mission without damage, hopefully. You didn't want to end up taking too much from the hospital and causing a problem, even though the two of you were too far from your own stash.

It would've been better to go to a blood bank, but this town was so small they didn't have one.

You were sitting closely next to Natasha as she ate her dinner, your arm around her, and you fought the urge to hide your face into her neck.

"You should head to NEXUS in Oslo to pick up JARVIS," David tells Tony.

"Is that where he is?" Tony hums. "Smart guy to head to the fastest internet hub on the earth. I'm such a proud dad," Tony pretends to tear up.

"Great, you got one good kid and one fuck up, classic!" You say over Natasha's head while Tony scrunches his nose at you.

"Why did I come?" Fury muttered rather loudly. Seems like all the information he was bringing was already brought up by David.

"For a good time, boss. But you wouldn't happen to have anything else, would you?" Natasha pulled a piece of her bread apart.

"I have you," Fury shrugged. "We ain't got nothing but our wit and our will to save the world. So stand up and take out that platinum bastard."

"Steve doesn't like that kind of talk," Natasha teases.

"You know what, Romanoff?" Steve jokingly threatens while she smiles mischievously at him.

You had been only half-focusing on the conversation at hand, jumping in here and there to throw in remarks. You were thrumming your fingers at your side quietly.

There was something about that first night you had all encountered Ultron.

"So, what does he want?" Fury asked.

"To become better. Better than us. He keeps building bodies," Steve licked his bottom lip.

"Person bodies. We're outmoded, biologically speaking, but he keeps coming back to it," Tony leaned back in his chair.

"He wants the human race to evolve; therefore, he needs to evolve himself," Banner mused.

"I don't think evolving the human race is his goal," David muttered.

"How's he going to do that?" Fury asked.

And then it occurred to you.

"Has anyone talked to Dr. Cho?" You pursed your lips.

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There was a lot of noise as everyone was getting ready to leave the Barton household.

Thor was still out on his own, so no one held high hopes he would be coming back for this one.

"Alright, I'll head to you guys as soon as I collect JARVIS from NEXUS," Tony, lets everyone know.

"I'll take David and Banner to the Stark Tower," Fury said. " "Mind if I borrow Miss Hill?"

"All yours," Tony nodded. "What are you gonna do?"

"I don't know, something dramatic, I hope," Fury shrugs.

"Alright, everyone else goes with me," Steve attached his shield onto his back.

You nod as you stood next to Natasha.

"You know, I miss the days when I was the weirdest thing science created," Steve mused.

"What do you mean?" You looked at him with a smirk. "You still are."

"I swear to God--"

"Swearing is not good, Steve," Natasha joined in on the teasing.

"I hate you both," Steve shook his head with a good spirit.

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There was something that rubbed you the wrong way when you entered the laboratory.

Sparks from exposed wires filled the air, and you could smell blood and hear the shallow breathing of a woman.

You recognized the scent.

"Dr. Cho is in there," you say quietly for Steve to hear, and the two of you race in to see that she was sitting on the floor, resting against a cabinet as she was clutching her stomach tightly. She had blood dripping from her head and lips, but she was still alive.

"Dr. Cho!" Steve called out as he race to her, bending down to see if she was okay.

"He's uploading himself into the body," Dr. Cho heavily breathes. "You can't just destroy the cradle. You need to get it to Stark."

"I got to find it first," Steve tells her.

"Go," she nods in the direction of outside. He purses her lip at her, but she nods to let Steve know she'll be okay.

He starts to head out but then looks at you.

"I'll catch up," you say offhandedly as you bend down to assess the doctor.

She was bleeding profusely through her stomach, where Ultron shot her. Dr. Cho had done her best to stop the bleeding, but it started to soak through the cloth. You looked around to find her technicians dead, and you frowned.

"Maybe I will get your venom after all," Dr. Cho says with a smirk, bringing your attention back to her.

You cocked your brow at her with a smile. "It's quite the risqué position. I don't know if my girlfriend would like that."

"I'm sure she won't mind you helping a frail, dying girl," Dr. Cho jokes but winces in pain shortly after.

You snort at the word frail but lick your lips nonetheless. "Listen, Doc, I don't wanna catch you doing experiments on yourself after getting my venom, alright?"

She nods, and you lift her hand away along with the cloth. You lower herself down her body, feeling the venom pool in your mouth.

You hear her breath hitch, and you're not sure if it's because she's in pain. You remind yourself you need to be careful. While you could drink the blood that was pouring out from Dr. Cho, you opted not to.

Dr. Cho realized this as you were carefully licking her wound, feeling something amazing happening on her skin under your mouth as she was being healed.

"What a loyal girlfriend you are," Dr. Cho mutters.

⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⋆⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷

"I'm always picking up after you boys," Natasha grunts as she Steve's shield and gives it to you to hold.

You were on your way to Steve when Natasha dropped from the sky on a motorbike, and you found yourself hopping on the back of it as she passed you.

"Seriously, Steve, I've seen people treat their trash better than how often you drop this thing," you joke.

"Little busy, guys," Steve grunts back, "wouldn't say no to some help."

As you get closer to the truck where Ultron and Steve are, you whip his shield to him, and Steve uses it to knock Ultron's arm off of him. Ultron falls, catching sight of you two and uses his power to lift a piece of the ground up to stop Natasha in her tracks.

"Go!" Natasha tells you, and you get up on the motorbike before using your strength to propel yourself onto the truck as you leap.

Ultron sees you and immediately uses his ability to manipulate gravity to launch himself towards you.

But if Pietro was too quick for him, you were just a step behind. You blur to the side, back kicking him with a brute amount of force as Ultron passed you.

The strength of the kick alone had done a lot of damage. Your foot had impaled him halfway as he passed, bolts, and gears falling out of the hole you created.

"Look at us," you look at Steve, "we're a dream team."

"I always wanted to tag team with you," Steve smiles.

"Of course you do," you say as if it was obvious, "I'm your favorite."

"Ugh!" Ultron screams as he flies into Steve's direction this time, but Steve uses the momentum to take them both into the train that was moving next to them.

You followed as you spoke into the intercom, "We're taking the party elsewhere. The truck's all yours with the surprise inside, baby."

"I love when you leave gifts for me, so romantic," Natasha cooed.

"Please stop, or I will vomit," Clint says.

You snort as you follow through the hole Ultron and Steve created when they crashed into the train. You land with grace, noticing there are passengers on the cart.

Steve hits Ultron with enough force to send him flying, and you move as fast as you can over to a young teen to force her lower onto the ground from her seat to avoid being crushed.

"I guess I've got civilian-watching duty," you say almost glumly.

"I'd be happy to trade," Steve huffs as he stands up straight.

You could hear Natasha and Clint talking through your earpiece, and for a second, you wished you had stayed with your girlfriend when you hear that the truck is airborne, but you knew she could handle it.

"No, you seem like you got it," you shake your head with a smile. Luckily with a psychotic robot and turbulence on the train, it was too hard for anyone to grab their phone and record.

Ultron barrels into Steve, knocking him into the corner before Steve uses his foot to kick back.

"Of course," Steve puffs.

Even though you had said that you still helped out when you could, with the narrow pathway the train provided, the two of you had to be careful of making sure civilians didn't get hurt.

Ultron was extremely diligent in keeping you at a distance from him, realizing you were nearly as fast as Pietro and much, much stronger.

But then you heard it.

The light footsteps atop the train at first, then then your eyes easily adjusted to a blur that went past you, knocking into Ultron.

It was Pietro.

Your eyes easily found their way to Wanda as you turned around. She was looking at you, unsure what to think when your eyes met.

Ultron turned back to start towards Pietro, but two metal railings were bent to prevent him from doing so. Ultron turned back to see Wanda, and it was clear on his robotic face that he was hurt, but he also knew he couldn't best Wanda.

"Please, don't do this," Ultron's tone soft and pleading.

"What choice do we have?" Wanda's thick accent hung in the air, and you bit your tongue.

Ultron stilled for a millisecond before he turned around, shooting a blast out from his hand. Everyone dodged, and the explosion shot straight through to the train's front where the conductor was. Taking the momentary distraction, Ultron bolted out of the train and flew away.

With the conductor out, the train started to sway unsteadily, everyone losing their footing, and no one could go after Ultron.

Steve hopped up, heading to the front to check if the conductor was okay, but she was out cold. "We've lost him! He's headed your way."

The train flew off its railing, and everyone hung on the best they could as it kept going even on concrete and dirt.

"Nat!" Clint shouted through the intercom. "Cap, do you see Nat?" His voice was panicked and strained.

You looked out the window of the train in the sky. You could see Quinjet, but Natasha was nowhere in sight.

"What the hell do you mean, Clint?!" You shouted.

"I got the cradle, but Ultron grabbed her the last second we got it. Do you have eyes on her?!" Clint asked, his head moving jerkily as he looked around out the windows.

"If you have the package, get it to Stark!" Steve instructed. "Go!"

You heard Clint frustratedly curse an expletive before he flew the Quinjet away in the other direction.

Warning bells were already going off in your head as you were about to take off the train and see if you could locate Natasha, but Steve's voice stopped you.

"I need you to help stop the train, or these people might die," Steve's jaw was tight, and you knew that he didn't want this either. If he could stop the train on his own or trusted the two twins enough, he would want you out there looking for Natasha too.

You looked around, seeing the humans' petrified faces, all sorts of people on this train, no doubt children too.

You clenched your jaw, swallowing painfully, but you resolved to trust that Natasha was okay and could take care of herself. She had been long before you, you reminded yourself.

"Alright," you breathe out in a huff.

"Civilians are in the path," Steve told Pietro, who rushed off.

"I need you to help me stop this train," you turn to Wanda.

She stares at you but nods once firmly.

You make your way to the front of the train, hopping over the conductor and a few feet away from the train, turning as it approaches you.

Steeling yourself by digging your feet into the ground as you get into a stance with your hands out, the train collides into you. Instead of crushing you like it would an average human, your body hardens to take the shock, and the train pushes you back, gravel and dirt flying everywhere.

It slows down slightly, but it won't come to a complete stop before the train would barrel right into a building. You can see Pietro working around you, and Wanda uses her power to stop the wheels from turning.

The train comes to a full stop smoothly with all three of you, and no one was harmed.  People began to exit the train, and Steve came out to check on you while Wanda checked on Pietro.

"I'm fine, just need a second," you breathe, hearing Pietro say something similar to Wanda.

"Did you get the cradle?" Wanda asks, her eyes floating to you. Your eyes caught hers for a moment, but you turned quickly to your intercoms.

You had tried to contact Natasha, but it was obviously a bust as she didn't answer back. Your next contact was with David to tell him to start searching.

"Stark will handle it," Steve tells Wanda.

"No, he won't," Wanda looked distraught.

"You don't know what you're talking about, you don't know him," Steve defended Tony while Wanda looked more upset as the seconds passed.

"He will do anything to make it right," Wanda says, knowing what she saw in his head. "Ultron can't tell the difference between saving the world and killing it...where do you think he gets that from?"

Steve pursed his lips because as much as he didn't want to admit it, the girl had a point, and Steve was still miffed about how Tony had kept all this artificial intelligence stuff a secret.

"Stark, anyone, come in?" Steve said into his comms, but it was silent.

You turn around, jaw clenched as you were upset about Natasha taken.

"It'll be fine," you tell the three of them, the confidence in your voice that made everyone quiet. "We need to head back."

⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⋆⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷

You were pissed.

And everyone could tell.

Natasha was taken, and no one knew where Ultron may have taken her. You understood at the time that Steve needed you there to help him, but it didn't help that Natasha was gone.

You were mostly pissed at yourself.

"Well, she's not dead," Tony says as if in an attempt to make you feel better. "If she were, Ultron would be rubbing it in our faces."

You didn't say anything in response, jaw still clenched tightly.

Wanda watched from the other side of the room, looking at you peculiarly with her head slightly tilted and arms crossed together just under her chest. She had gathered that you and Natasha were together, and from the information she got from reading other people's minds, it seemed that it was still relatively a new development.

There was something in Wanda's chest that flared annoyingly at the sight of you so...so worried over the redhead. She didn't quite understand it herself or what was the underlying cause of it. But you looked different with that expression on your face.

"You think Natasha might've left something for you outside the internet? Any old-school spy stuff?" Tony asked as he turned to Clint.

"I can cast some nets to see if I catch anything," Clint pressed his lips together, also eager to find his friend.

Your eyes were glowing red angrily as you tried to control your emotions. David came up to you, putting his hand on your shoulder to try to ground you.

"I'll find her," David promises you.

You were gripping a countertop as you were slightly hunched over it.

You needed air.

Suddenly, the edge of the countertop snapped under your grip, crumbling into smaller pieces, and you let it go as you stood straight.

"Find her within the hour," you tell David, walking briskly out of the room.

⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⋆⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷

When you came back, everything was in chaos.

Everyone was arguing about the body in the cradle and what to do with it. You could see from the corner of your eye that Bruce was angry with Wanda and picking a fight with her.

It was escalating so fast. All of a sudden, Pietro took off as he started destroying lab equipment.

"No, go on," Pietro stood next to Bruce, but the next second afterward, the glass floor shattered underneath him, and he fell through where Clint was.

"Pietro!" Wanda went to help her brother, but then Bruce grabbed her from behind.

Tony and Steve were fighting each other, and you blinked before clenching your jaw.

You blurred over, and just before Steve and Tony were about to collide again, you intercepted, grabbing both their wrists and twisting.

"Ah!" They both yelled as they staggered, almost kneeling on the ground.

The room stilled as everyone look at you.

"We do not fight each other," you snarled at them, looking at Steve and Tony pointedly. "Keep this up, and I'll snap both your wrists."

You grip just slightly tighter in warning before letting them both go, and they stumble a little as they stand up straighter.

"Jesus Christ, I could feel the armor just about to give," Tony says, holding his hand up to inspect his suit while Steve rubs his wrist gingerly.

You then blur over to where Bruce and Wanda to separate them, shoving Bruce a little harder when he refused to let go of Wanda.

Wanda stumbles into your arms when Bruce is forced to let her go. You steady her with your hand on her back. Your scent fills Wanda's nose, and she's almost reeling at how it invades her.

"I get that you're beyond pissed, and what she did was not okay," you tell Bruce, eyes flickering to meet Wanda's for a second before looking back at him. "But clearly the situation has changed, and for now, she's with us. Steve brought them here. This isn't the time. Focus on the mission at hand, figure it out with her after."

"You want me to forgive what she did?" Bruce said incredulously.

"No," you shake your head, "I want you to be an Avenger and put it aside for now because your teammate has been captured, and there's still a maniac robot out there hellbent on making humans extinct."

Your words hit Bruce and seem to sober him from his anger, and he relaxes his clenched jaw as he sighs and nods. You pat him on the shoulder twice before you walk away, leading Wanda with you.

Best to not tempt it again if they're too close together.

Wanda looks at you as you walk with her. The words, 'are you upset with me?' want to leave her mouth, but she forces them in. Of course, you'd be upset with her. She had done so many things to the Avengers, including harming your girlfriend with hallucinations.

Wanda looks away and grits her teeth because she shouldn't care if you're upset with her or not.

But then she feels a light pat on her back.

Wanda looks at you. You aren't looking back at her, there's no indication that you had done that as you keep your head straight ahead.

Still.

Wanda had understood the gesture regardless, hearing your voice in her head.

'It's not okay, but I understand. You will get a chance to make it up to Bruce, and he will forgive you. Give it time.'

Before Wanda could say anything, Tony and Steve were at it again, but this time using their words.

"Tony," Steve's face daunt and tight in disapproval, "shut it down!" Steve demanded.

"And I'm telling you, this is will work!" Tony shot back as he caught you coming up to them.

"Tell them!" Tony looks at you, drawing Steve's attention to you as well. "Tell them what you--"

You shoot Tony a warning look, getting him to shut up.

Sighing, you looked at Steve. "Trust me when I say that it will be okay."

"You want him to bring another android to life?" Steve said in disbelief. "We haven't even defeated the first one yet!"

Before you could argue some more, Thor flew in, bringing his lightning hammer on the cradle, bringing the body to life.

"Wait!" Bruce yelled, but it was too late.

For a moment, it was silent, but suddenly, the body smashed out of its cradle.

Glass flew everywhere in its surrounding area. You immediately grabbed Wanda, pulling her to shield her from the flying glass as you used your hand to protect her head.

You felt a piece of glass slice through your cheek on the surface, momentarily stinging before it mended itself.

When everyone stood straighter as the glass settled, there was a giant red android standing in his naked glory, and a giant yellow stone plastered into his forehead.

You had known this was coming when you touched Tony's hand. You had seen quite far ahead;  everything from this, to the fight with Ultron in Tony's perspective, and even a little after that.

When the government and the United Nations wanted to be involved in the Avengers' affairs.

That would be a tricky one to navigate, and you wanted more time to think about it.

When you had relayed what you had seen back to him on the farm, you reassured him that he doesn't kill anyone in the next while, but you didn't exactly tell him what he will do in the future in detail as it could cause counterproductive results and change the future again.

All you could tell Tony was that he was on the right path, he was going to create something to help win the battle, and a heat seal would come in handy.

But back to the matter at hand, you knew this was coming, and yet, actually seeing the giant red walking toaster rubbed you the wrong way, and you weren't quite sure why.

He was floating and quickly flew towards Thor, who easily deterred the android away.

Thor raised his hands as Steve and Clint were ready to fight. Pietro came back, looking at you with a quirk of his brow when he saw you still holding Wanda.

You let go awkwardly because you were distracted, forgetting that you were still protecting her.

Why Pietro was staring at you like that, you didn't know. It's not like Wanda stepped out of your arms, either.

"I'm sorry," the android came back, sounding very similar to JARVIS. "That was odd...thank you," he looked at Thor.

"Thor, you helped create this?" Steve said as he eyed the being before him.

"I had a vision. A whirlpool that sucks in all hope of life and at its center is that," Thor says, pointing to the stone in the android's head.

"What? The gem?" Bruce clarified.

"It's the Mind Stone. It's one of the six Infinity Stones, the greatest power in the universe, unparalleled in its destructive capabilities," Thor explained.

"Then why would you bring it to life..." Steve pursed his lips, even more suspicious of the new being.

"Because Stark is right," Thor says, almost looking pained to admit.

"That's just gonna unnecessarily inflate his ego," you mutter while Tony was accessing what he helped bring to life.

"We can't defeat Ultron," Thor says, but then catches David entering the room. "Okay, well, maybe he can, but he seems like he has a lot to do."

"Help is good," the android tilted his head.

"Why does your 'vision' sound a lot like JARVIS," Steve's brows furrowed.

"We...configured JARVIS' matrix to create something new," Tony explained.

"I think I've had enough of the new," Steve pursed his lips, never taking his eyes off the android.

The android looked over to Steve. "You think I'm a child of Ultron?"

"You're not?" Steve countered back.

The android shook his head. "I'm not Ultron. I'm not Jarvis...I am...I am." Since he had yet to name himself, and due to Thor's vision, everyone decided that's what his name would be.

Wanda looked at Vision suspiciously. Her eyes narrowing at him. "I looked in your head and saw annihilation."

"Look again," he prompted her, staring at her intensely, and you resisted the urge to curl your lip back.

Wanda does what he says, a curious look on her face.

"Yeah, her seal of approval means jack-shit to me," Clint says.

You watched as everyone goes back and forth, with Vision ending with a long, windy, talk about himself and that they need to go. You resist the urge to roll your eyes.

"Sokovia. Natasha's there too," David answered, giving you a look when everyone questions where they were going.

"Then let's go," you lick your lips.

⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⋆⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷

The ride back to Sokovia feels long, even with Tony flying the Quinjet as fast as possible.

You stand in the back, looking out the window as the clouds pass by. You hear someone come up to you, but you don't move.

The smell of cinnamon and orange blossom floats you're way, so you don't have to know who it was.

The two of you stand in silence, appreciating the view outside.

"Sometimes...sometimes I can see a glimpse into your head," Wanda says quietly, so the others don't hear.

Your eyes peer over to her before slowly looking back out.

"It's not polite to snoop," you say equally as quiet.

"I can't exactly control it..." Wanda mumbles.

"Even so, you should at least pretend you don't know," you moisten your lips.

It's quiet for a moment before Wanda speaks up again.

"I...saw someone. Things I can't explain," Wanda says unsurely, and you know what she's talking about.

Even though you know she can't help it, you can't help but also feel a little miffed.

You knew that Wanda had a right to know, and yet, you didn't say anything.

"You were looking for me..." Wanda realizes.

"And Pietro," you add, giving her a look, almost laughing when she scrunches her nose.

"We're...connected," Wanda slowly says, turning to face you more.

You swallow as you turn to face her as well.

Wanda's staring at you intensely as if drawing in every little detail about your face and committing it to memory. There's a tight feeling in both her stomach and chest, and she doesn't understand.

She doesn't understand you.

You nod softly.

"Will you tell me about it?" Wanda asks.

"After everything has settled," you tell her.

Wanda swallows.

"You want me to stay?"

She says it so softly, you're surprised such a tone can come out of her when lately she's been an angry bull.

With the time you have, you take in her features. Her long dark hair behind her ears, round face, with define cheeks and jawline was familiar. Her long lashes framed her eyes, and her dark eyeliner and the lighting inside the craft dimmed the color of her eyes.

Still.

She looked at you with an intensity that made you dizzy.

"Yeah," you rasp. "How else will you make it up to Banner?"

⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⋆⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷

Natasha hears you calling her name as you run-up to her cell. She stands up, meeting you on the other side, her hand touches yours.

"You okay?" You ask her, accessing her thoroughly for any kind of injuries.

"Yeah," she tells you, smiling a little at your protective behavior, and once you're satisfied that she's relatively unharmed, you look back to her face.

"We gotta get going, team's already out there, and we're missing all the action," you say, liking the way Natasha smirks.

"Don't suppose you found a key just lying around on your way in, did you?"

You tilt your head, looking at the built-in lock on the cell door. Placing your hand over it, you yanked with a substantial amount of strength, forcing the metal underneath to give way.

You threw the hunk of metal behind your back and looked at your girlfriend. She smiled at you as she slides the door open, jumping into you to hug you briefly.

"Let's go," she says as she pulls back.

The two of you navigate your way through, but the ground begins to shake as you're almost out of there. The two of you stumble slightly before steadying yourselves.

"What's the situation?" You ask into the comms.

"Ultron's got Vibranium under the city. We're up in the air," Tony advises.

"Shit, we need to get out here," you say, turning to Natasha. "We're not going to make it on foot, so I'm going to carry you on my back."

Natasha nods, and you turn around, lower yourself so she can get on. Once she's secured on with her legs wrapped tightly around your waist, you adjust here once more before you're satisfied.

"Keep your head down and close to me," you tell her, feeling her following your instructions. The speed you'd be going at could accidentally break her neck if you weren't careful.

With that, you race out, quickly reaching the outside. Everything seems to be crumbling at you begin to maneuver onto the rocks, leaping onto another one as they fall. Eventually, you reach the cliffside wall, using your hands along with your feet to climb up.

When you reach safe ground, Natasha gets off.

"Didn't even break a sweat, huh?" She says to you.

"I have great stamina," you joke, but Natasha raises her brow at her, quirking her lip on one side into a seductive smirk.

"I'll be sure to test that out one day."

⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⋆⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷

You feel awful.

Sokovia is falling apart, people are screaming and crying, and it's a war zone out here.

You separated from Natasha, warning her to not get kidnapped again because you don't think you could live with that kind of worry. She merely kisses your cheek before she races off to go help Steve and Thor.

You met up with David, who was huddled up with one of Ultron's robots, and a laptop next to him. The robot was powered down by David, who had his hands on its chest intensely.

"What are you doing?" You ask, looking at his laptop screen to see he was uploading something.

David didn't break his concentration or even open his eyes, but he answered you. "I'm trying to reprogram this bot's mainframe. The Vision is deleting Ultron off the net, so if I can do this, then I can turn this bot over to help us, and then spread it over to all Ultron's other bots."

"That would definitely turn the tide on this," you say, crushing a flying robot towards David.

"I...I got it!" David exclaimed, powering up the robot in hand. It stood up, accessing you, and you stood on guard, but it started to attack its own kind as a threat in the next moment.

"I just need to finish uploading the software to be spread," David picked up his laptop. "I'm going to take cover to finish this, and then find The Vision. I'm good here, you should go."

You nod at him before you take off at high speed. On your way, you bumped into Clint and Wanda. They were being overpowered as they tried to help civilians out of the area.

A group of bots begin to close in. It seems David is still in the process of uploading the software, so the attacks haven't ceased. You notice a bot hellbent on self-destruction as it plummets towards the ground.

Clint is already moving towards Wanda, shouting at her to move. You rush towards the two of them, jumping and pushing them through a building window just as an explosion hits. There are shots still being fired even as the three of you take cover.

Clint's already sitting up, alert as he tries to look at the situation outside without getting shot. Wanda crawls towards the wall, gasping and whimpering.

"How could I let this happen?" She's so distraught.

"Hey, hey, are you alright?" Clint asks, but you put your hand on his shoulder.

Clint looks at you. The situation outside still needs to be handled, and he seems like he doesn't have the time to try to give her a pep talk. You nod at him, and he nods back. Getting up, Clint readies his arrows before he kicks open the door.

"This is all our fault," Wanda cries quietly.

You grab her face, getting her to look up at you. "Look at me," you tell her. "It doesn't matter whose fault it is. It's your fault, my fault, it's everyone's fault. Regardless, this is happening."

She looks at you, breathing harshly as she blinks rapidly.

"I know you're hurting, but this is your homeland, and it's up in the air. Literally. Hopefully, if David manages, we won't be fighting an entire army of robots, but we still got one bad guy to fight," you swallow before hearing something approach as you push and move Wanda out of the way just as a shot fires through the wall.

Wanda looks even more frightened, and she's hanging on the front of your jacket as you readjust to move away from the wall.

"We can't change what we've done, we can only try to fix it going forward. I don't care about anything you did or who you were before this."

"I can't fix this," she bellows to you.

"Yes, you can," you backfire immediately at her. "If you scared and want to let everyone else clean up your mess, I'm fine with letting you do that. You'll be safe here, and Pietro can come to get you. But you can't sit here and tell me that you're okay with letting your fear control you. You can do this, I know you can."

Wanda stares at you, eyes shaking as bites her tongue, letting the silence fall.

"Why do you believe in me so much? Care about me so much?" Wanda asks quietly, feeling something stir in her stomach.

You look back at her, noticing that Wanda seems calmer. Maybe because you feel like you're looking at someone so similar to Tatyana in many ways. That Wanda feels like she's the villain who had caused this.

Perhaps thought she had wanted to be a villain at the start.

But it wretches your gut painfully.

"If anyone could become a hero, it'd be you."

⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⋆⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷

"David, please tell me you're almost finished," you say into the comms as you, Wanda, and Clint fight the rest of the robots in your area.

The three of you need to work your way to Steve and the rest of the gang when Pietro flew in to take Wanda.

"Keep up, old man!" He teasingly says as he darts off.

"I hate him so much," Clint breathes deeply.

"If you want, I can carry you," you shrug.

"I both want to and hate the idea," Clint scrunches his nose but allows you to carry him.

"I'm really close guys, just hang tight!" David tells everyone.

"The next wave is going to hit any minute," Steve says. "What do you have, Stark?"

"Working on a heat seal," he tells everyone.

"We don't have the time," Thor says, "Ultron is trying to get to the core. We need to make a choice."

"That's not a solution," Steve firmly says.

"There's no math here, Steve. Everyone up here versus everyone down there?"

"I'm not leaving this rock with one civilian on it," Steve doesn't budge.

"I'm not saying we should go," Natasha counters back, nodding her head back and forth as she considers something. "There are worse ways to go. Besides, where else am I going to get a view like this?"

"I have at least fifteen other places that have better views than this."

Natasha looks over to see you had shown up with a disapproving look on your face.

"I think we might have to settle," Natasha gives you a self-deprecating smile that shows all too much that this is the only way.

"I don't settle."

With that, another voice comes on the radio.

"Glad you think the view is nice, hopefully, you think this is much better," Fury comes in with a Helicarrier in view. "Nice, right? I pulled her out of the mothballs with a couple old friends. She's dusty, but she'll do."

"Fury, you son of a bitch!" Steve says with a smile.

"Ooh! You kiss your mother with that mouth?" Fury replies in teasing.

Natasha looks over to you, smiling as you come up to her.

"Did you know?" She asks, and you shrug, not wanting to tell her that you touched Tony.

"If Fury decided to show up at the farm with actually nothing else planned, I think we would have to vote him off the island," you offer instead.

"That's comforting," Fury sarcastically said.

"Anytime," you reply.

Within seconds, lifeboats are deployed, and everyone is helping with the evacuation.

"The odds aren't looking too great here," Thor interrupts. "The core is getting bombarded."

"Rhodey, get everyone on the Helicarrier!" Tony says as he flies towards Thor to help.

⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⋆⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷

"This is exactly what I wanted. All of you against all of me. How could you possibly hope to stop me?"

"Like the old man said," Tony looks at Steve. "Together."

The bots begin to rush towards everyone, and you swallow.

"Wait, guys!" You hear David through the comms. "I...got it!"

Just like that, the bots stop dead in their tracks and power down before powering back up again.

This time, they turn their attention towards Ultron.

"Are you kidding me?" Ultron grumbles as the bots rush towards him, firing shots away that Ultron easily deflects.

Because The Vision burned him off the net, Ultron has no way of accessing the software David created to try to change the bots back to his side.

The Hulk rushes towards Ultron, punching him square in the chest and sending him flying miles away.

Everyone turns to look at each other as David blurs into the area with his laptop.

"I feel like we missed a very epic battle scene," Tony says, "like a defining moment in a movie."

"Oh, I'm sorry," David says sarcastically, "if you want, I can totally fix that for you."

"Nope, we're good," Steve says quickly. "We still need to get the stragglers, but if Ultron comes back to the core, we're doomed."

"I'll protect it," Wanda interjects, looking at you as she does. "There's no one better than me."

You nod as Clint looks at Nat.

"Nat, let's go," he nods outside. She looks at you, and you nod at her as it would be faster for you to find civilians on your own.

You look at David. "Alright, nerd, you're going with me. I think you had enough alone time for today."

"You are so ungrateful, oh my god."

"I love you," you smile.

⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⋆⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷

Tony is using the extra bots to help push the rock further into the sky. If they can get it into space, using the heat seal would cause the least amount of damage to Sokovia.

"I can't believe I'm going into space again," Tony mumbled, glad he had made the adjustments to his suit so it would be suitable to go into space better this time.

He had been prepared since the alien invasion.

"Maybe you chose the wrong career path and should've become an astronaut instead," you joke, getting a low chuckle in return.

You had run the perimeter with David, seeing that there were no civilians left.

Natasha volunteered to try to convince The Hulk to either change back or get his ass on the Helicarrier. You would've volunteered, but you don't think The Hulk would be happy to see you, and you can't keep biting the man to force him to change back either.

"I think I can hear a woman screaming," David mumbled. "I'll go check."

He takes off, and you are about to head back when you hear shots fired in the distance. You turn and speed over.

You felt your stomach dropping when you approach the scene. Everything seems to happen in slow motion.

Ultron in his jet, shooting down at Clint, who has a little boy in his arms. You turn your head to see Pietro.

He looks at you, giving you a smirk that feels all too familiar like it's his last one.

Pietro is a step faster than you, he probably always will be. But that doesn't stop you. You force yourself to run. Run faster. Run harder. The sheer amount of force causes a sickening crack in your legs, but you make it just in time.

Pietro only gets shot once through his stomach before you push him out of the way and cover Clint and the child.

The shooting stops as Ultron flies away.

The silence settles, and Clint looks up to see you standing straight before him. You've been shot all over, multiple times in multiple areas.

You suddenly puke up blood as you fall to your knees.

Pietro immediately gets up from the ground rushing over to you, catching you in his arms.

"Why did you do that?!" He yells at you, hands over your body, but he doesn't know which areas to stop the bleeding.

"You idiot," you tell him. "Can you heal from being shot? I don't think so."

Though you say that, the only thing that healed, even though rather slowly, was the crack in your leg.

"You're not healing," Clint says, his tone urgent. He looks at you as blood pours out. "Why aren't you healing?"

"She doesn't have enough blood in her system."

Clint turns over to see David, looking horrified. He kneels down, taking you from Pietro's arms.

"I told you, you fucking idiot, that we should've just taken more blood bags from the hospital," David scolds you.

"This is hardly the time for, 'I told you so,'" You reply weakly.

"Get the kid onto the boat," David looks at Clint and then looks at Pietro. "You need to go collect your sister. There are no more civilians, and we're reaching the stratosphere soon."

"What about--"

"I got this," David says as he bites into your neck. You hiss at the sudden pain. Clint and Pietro have more questions, but they do as David says and take off.

"You better pray to God that we make it back in time," David purses his lips as he pushes your sleeve up to bite in various places.

⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⋆⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷

The damage to Sokovia is still devastating. It's not entirely obliterated, and people will be able to rebuild their country.

The Hulk, unfortunately, had taken off on his own in stealth mode. He didn't want to be found.

It seems The Vision has taken care of completely destroying Ultron, taking this chapter to an end.

It's not the perfect ending, but it could be a lot worse.

There was only one problem left.

You were dying.

Or at least, on your way to either going completely feral for blood to help you heal or going to a deep slumber until you were fed.

Either one was on the table at this point.

"What do we do?" Natasha asks David sharply as they're still in the air being transported back.

They were on the Helicarrier in their own private section away from the people as they didn't know what you were going to do.

"I only temporarily closed her wounds to stop the bleeding," David tells everyone, explaining why he bit you earlier. He was injecting his healing venom. "Venom doesn't quite work the same way on vampires as it does on humans. She still has a lot of internal bleeding that won't stop, and the only thing that can stop it is if she drinks blood."

"We don't have any blood bags on here!" Steve says as he looks at you, full of worry.

"We could...we could cut and drain our own blood," Natasha looks at you before looking back at David. "She can drink the blood as long as she's not biting us, right?"

David purses his lips as if to consider it but then shakes his head. "She's too badly wounded, it won't be enough. Plus, none of you are in the state to lose any more blood, even if you guys all donate. I can heal your wounds, but I can't make your body produce more blood."

"Then what do we do?" Natasha wants to scream. She can't lose you. She just can't.

At that moment, Pietro and Wanda come in. Pietro can hardly stand up himself, so Wanda is supporting him. They had heard part of the conversation as they came in.

Pietro looks at you, face full of anguish because you're only like this because you saved him.

You're tense on the table, occasionally arching your back up in pain and need. David is holding you down by your arm in case you suddenly get a burst of energy and massacre everyone in this room for blood.

Wanda looks at you, jaw clenched.

The feeling of loss is threatening her on her doorstep. You had saved Pietro, God knows if she could survive to lose her only family.

But Wanda was not ready to let you go either.  

It has occurred to Wanda that outside of Pietro, the only person in this world that may understand her, believe in her, protect her, care for her...would be you.

There was something there, something undefined and frightening. Wanda was sure you felt it too with her, though ignoring it for Natasha.

David looked at Wanda. He knew that he shouldn't.

Yet before he could even stop himself, Wanda looks sharply over at him, catching his thoughts.

You would be entirely beyond pissed at him.

It would cause a whole new set of problems for everyone.

He was sure you would rather die.

But David wasn't willing to risk the chance of you going feral, which was almost guaranteed at this point, or your death.

He just wasn't.

"She can drink my blood," Wanda says, drawing everyone's attention. Wanda was the only person who hadn't sustained any significant damage or got shot. She could afford to lose blood.

"What?" Steve looks at David, who has his lips pursed.

"It would work, wouldn't it?" Wanda also looks at you, your eyes glowing a red she's all too familiar in seeing in herself. "It would be even better than drinking from a blood bag to feed directly from me."

Wanda doesn't fully understand what you are, or the concept of vampires, but she catches pieces here and there from everyone around the room.

And there's a feeling of intrigue and possession that flutters knowing that she was the only one you could drink blood from, aside from her brother.

Pietro grips his sister's arms tighter, torn because if you could drink her blood, you could drink his, but he was also in no shape to lose any more blood.

Wanda pats his arms to assure him she'll be fine. Pietro leans against the wall as Wanda comes closer to you.

"It...would, but..." David's eyes shift over to Natasha.

Natasha clenches her jaw.

The words about how feeding can be an incredibly intimate and private act come back to her.

It's not that Natasha is particularly jealous of Wanda in that way. She's more jealous that she can't do anything to help you herself.

Natasha can't muster the words out of her mouth, so she tersely nods.

With that, Wanda stands right next to your lying body on the bed.

"Everyone, stand back," David says, trying to keep you still, but it's like you can smell how close to feeding you are.

The burst of energy does come, but you use to break out of David's grip as you fling him across the room.

"Shit!" David yells, convinced that you're going to kill Wanda to drain her blood. He stands up, reading to try to fight you even though it would be a losing battle.

But he stops.

You merely stand before Wanda, her face in your hands as you tilt her head up to expose her neck.

You press your nose against her neck, taking a long inhale as you purr at the scent.

Wanda can hear alarm bells in her head that tell her you're a predator, and she's your prey, but she doesn't tremble. Instead, she brings her hands up to hold your wrists as if to keep them in place.

You chuckle throatily, attitude nothing like your usual self, "How brave."

Wanda swallows slowly, the action very visible as the muscles in her neck move.

"It was you who taught me that I could be a hero," she says quietly as if it's only for your ears.

The words seem to trigger something in you as you sink your teeth into her neck, a mouthful of blood rushing into you.

It's been too long, you almost forgot what it was like.

It was hot in your mouth, as fresh as it was.

You could feel a warm body being pressed you, hear a heart beating, and smell the arousal.

A deep moan left Wanda's mouth, unable to control it. A hot, liquid fire shot down to her lower stomach, pooling in her gut.

Wanda couldn't describe how it felt, what she was experiencing, but you were doing something to her as you drank from her, holding her close to you.

You suddenly lift her into the air, wrapping her legs around your waist as you blurred over to the drawer cabinet against the wall, pushing Wanda up on it roughly. Your hands held her possessively.

Wanda was pressed to the wall as she sat on the cabinet, her legs still wrapped against you tightly as she fisted her hand into the back of your hair.

Everyone watched in astonishment of the act, David biting on his tongue as he looked at Natasha, who had no expression on her face to indicate what she was feeling.

Blood was rushing into your mouth, and it was delicious, making you delirious, but that didn't stop you from realizing there was a crowd in the room watching you feed, watching Wanda unravel.

You released your mouth from her neck.

"Leave," you demanded lowly and roughly, hardly coherent before you resume sinking your teeth back into Wanda.

Natasha stared at you, you seemed lost in your own world as you fed, and Natasha knows that you are only like this due to how injured you are.

Still.

As everyone leaves the room, Natasha looks at the two of you once more. Wanda's hand is buried in your hair while she's arching into you.

As she exits the room, Natasha catches Wanda's eyes, staring at her intensely with an unknown meaning in them before her eyes flutter close just as the door shuts.

PART XI

[thebookreader12345]

Admit It

Pairing: Will Halstead x reader

Summary: Y/N just moved back to Chicago after spending a few years away, and she gets a job at Chicago Med as the new trauma doctor. Her, Jay, and Will were old friends, and now that she’s back, her and Will are having some issues, mostly denying their feelings for each other

Requested: Yes, by @ryliegh8

Warnings: slight swearing and mentions of cancer

Word Count: 1,353 Words

I stepped out of my car, a few snow flakes raining down on me, and I smiled. I had missed Chicago winters. I had just come back from living in Nevada for a few years. I originally moved out there with my boyfriend, but I just recently discovered that he cheated on me, and we were engaged too. So, I moved back to Chicago, where all of my family and friends were, and got a job at the hospital I had previously worked at when I lived here. I grabbed my bag from my car and made my way to the entrance of the ED. When I got there, I saw all of my old co-workers, and all of the memories I had here came rushing back to me. 

“Y/N,” Maggie greeted. “It’s so good to have you back.”

“It feels good to be back,” I tell her and give her a big hug. “I’ve missed Chicago.”

“And perhaps a certain redhead,” Maggie added with a small smile.

“Yeah, and Will, and Jay, and everyone else here,” I say. 

Maggie only shook her hand and looked down at her tablet. “As soon as you get settled in, come back so I can assign you some patients, okay?”

“Gotcha. I’ll be back in a few.” I then passed the nurses station to head into the doctors lounge, but something stopped me. Or rather, someone. Up ahead were two of my closest friends, Will and Jay Halstead. We had grown up together, and had stayed friends for all of our lives. Even when Will had moved off to New York, and Jay went to war, we were still there for each other. At that moment, Will looked over, and when he saw me, he smiled.

“Y/N? Is that you?” Will questioned. I set down my bag and ran over to the two of them, practically throwing myself into Will’s arms. He embraced me tightly, his arms wrapping themselves around my waist to hold me close. I had almost forgotten how hugging Will felt like since it had been so long. When Will finally set me down, I turned to Jay and hugged him quickly. “When’d you get back?”

“Last weekend,” I reply.

“Is your boyfriend with you?” Jay asked.

The smile on my face fell, and I crossed my arms over my chest. “My ex-fiance,” I clarify, “is living it up in Vegas with a stripper he met in a casino.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. But I did always tell you Jason was an ass,” Will commented.

“I know. Look, it was good seeing you guys, and we should catch up sometime soon, but I really have to get to work. I have like an hour before I have a meeting with Goodwin,” I explain.

“All right. I should get going back to the district as well. I’ll talk to you guys later,” Jay said and left the ED.

....................................

“So, how was living in Nevada?” Jay asked me.

“Uh, it wasn’t too bad. Except it was always hot, and the pay was terrible,” I answer.

“It sounds like it was horrible,” Will pointed out.

I laughed and took a sip of my beer. “I guess it was horrible. I always wished that I was back here in Chicago with the decent weather, my job, and you guys.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Jay spoke and raised his bottle before downing some more alcohol.

“How was the talk with Goodwin?” Will questioned.

“Good I think,” I reply. “She said that she was glad I was back, and that she looked forward to seeing what I could do for the hospital. Look, it’s getting late, so I should go.”

“All right. See you next shift,” Will said. At our next shift, Will and I had a patient together, a 10-year old boy name Nick that had leukemia. And lets just say that things were not working out.

“You want to give that poor little boy chemotherapy? That’s just going to make him sick,” I tell Will as as were talking in the doctors lounge.

“It’s way more effective than the blood transfusion you want to do,” Will pointed out.

“Yeah, but he’s 10-years old, Will,” I retort. “I do not want to put him or his father through all of the side effects that come with chemo.”

“Studies have shown that chemotherapy eliminates Nick’s type of cancer. So I say we go for it,” Will spoke.

“No way,” I argue. “I am not putting him on a course of treatment that could possibly make him sicker, or worse, kill him.”

“Well, quite frankly, it’s not your decision to make. I’m the attending, so I get to choose the best course of treatment for our patient,” Will declared.

I scoffed. “Really? You’re going to bring up your authority? Stop letting your ego get in the way of us treating our patient.”

“Just admit it. You’re jealous of my position as attending, so you want to do everything you can to come up with a treatment plan that’s better than mine,” Will disclosed.

“Here you go again. I don’t care that you’ve got a higher position than me. This has nothing to do with that,” I exclaim.

“Except it does,” Will countered. I huffed loudly just as Connor entered the doctors lounge.

“Hey. We can all hear you arguing out in the ED,” Connor informed us.

“Shit like this is exactly why I didn’t want to come back to Chicago. If I’d have known that all you were going to was ignore my decisions, I would never have left Nevada,” I state before storming out of the lounge. Back when I had lived here, if I ever needed to calm down, I would go to the nursery to look at the babies, so that’s where I went. I stared through the window at all of the newborns, watching as they wiggled around in their little bins. A small smile made its way onto my face, and for a moment, I forgot about the whole argument I just had with Will. However, that all went away in a second when Will appeared next to me.

“Hey. Can we talk?” Will asked.

“That depends. Are you going to use your authority against me this time?” I question.

Will sighed. “Y/N, I never meant for the whole thing to get out of hand like that. I was mad at myself for keeping certain feelings of mine in, and I took it out on you. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I just, I came back to Chicago to have a better life than the one I had in Nevada, and you and I arguing was something I didn’t want to have to return to. You mean a lot to me, Will, and I don’t want stupid fights like this get in the way of our relationship,” I explain. “And you mentioned that you were keeping certain feelings of yours in? What feelings?”

Will took a deep breath. “I like you, Y/N. I like you a lot. And because I didn’t tell you how I felt, you got with Jason and moved to Nevada. All of my old feelings for you are resurfacing, and I don’t know what to do.”

I smirked. “Admit it. You want to kiss me right now.”

Will’s face turned to shock. “What? I never said that.”

“You didn’t have to,” I say and lean up to press my lips to Will’s. It was a little hard seeing as the man was a giant, but once I tugged on Will’s scrubs to bring him down to my height, the kiss was amazing. I felt as if there were fireworks going off around us as our lips moved in sync together. Finally, I pulled away breathless and looked up at Will. “So, are you going to admit it?”

Will smiled. “All right. Fine. I admit that I did want to kiss you. I also admit that I want to do it again.”

“Well, what’s stopping you?” I question.

“Nothing. Nothing at all,” Will answered and leaned down to kiss me again.

________________________

Tag List:

@prettypyschoinpink @securityfriendly-jay @scarletsoldierrr @lorenakaspersen @virtualreader @carnationworld @caitsymichelle13 @king-crockett​ @winterberryfox @anotherfan07 @i-like-sparkly-things

[multiplefandomfics]

Relations 2.0

So guys, this is kinda an alternative to Relations I posted yesterday. This time with a Rogers! Reader. I hope you enjoy.

Pairing: Bucky x reader

Warnings: angst, kidnapping, violence, trauma, nightmares, PTSD, unprotected smut, alzheimers, kinda AU

Words: 3702

"How is she today?" you asked your cousin.

"Not much changed. I'm just happy she remembers us." She answered.

"Did she tell you something new?"

"No, not really. You want to go in now?"

"Yes, I don't know but it always makes me happy to see her. No matter what state she's in." You smiled at her.

Peggy was your fathers mother and you loved her. She had taught you and Sharon how to be brave and independent women.

"Hello grandma. How are you doing today?" You sat down next to her.

"Oh, how nice of you to visit me, my dear." She smiled at you. "I slept very well. How was your day?" Peggy might have an illness which ate away at her memories but she was the most courteous person on the planet.

“Oh, you know just as always. S.H.I.E.L.D is definitely keeping me on my feet.” you smiled at her.

“Yes, yes, I can imagine.” she took your hand.

You talked a bit more and listened to stories you had heard a 1000 times before but still enjoyed seeing your grandma so happy.

Then your phone rang.

“Agent Carter? We need you at the facility immediately.”

“I’ll be right there.” you answered.

“Grandma, I’m sorry I gotta go. Duty calls. I'll come back as soon as I can, I promise.” you kissed her on the forehead before you left.

“Good that you are here. We have found something incredible way up north embedded in ice.” Agent Coulson told you and handed you a file.

When you opened it up and saw the pictures you gasped loudly and had the urge to sit down.

The photographs showed your grandfather, frozen in uniform and with the shield. You recognized him immediately.

“Y/N are you alright?” Coulson asked.

The problem was that no one knew your family history. Peggy had kept quiet about her unplanned pregnancy and the whereabouts of the father. She had gotten married while still pregnant and in those times no one questioned that the baby was way early.

“Yes, no, I mean… I don’t know. I can’t believe you found him. Now the nation can finally bury their fallen hero.” you mumbled.

“Oh, you must have misunderstood. Captain Rogers isn’t dead. He’s in recovery.” Coulson explained.

“What? How is that possible?”

“Well the ice must have preserved him and the serum in his veins kept him alive.”

Not even a second later rang Coulson’s phone. An Agent called from Times Square. Steve Rogers had woken up and figured out that something was not right so he escaped the room where he was supposed to recover.

“I need to talk to him. I think I will be able to calm him. This must be awful for him.” you begged Coulson.

“Alright, let’s go. Times Square is just around the corner.” you jumped into your car and drove speeding down the streets of New York.

When you arrived Director Fury had already kinda calmed Steve so you walked over to him.

Nick Fury was the only person in the world outside your family who knew your family's secret. So he didn’t hesitate to let you through.

“Captain Rogers? Would you care to come with me? I'd like to explain everything to you.” you smiled at him.

“Peggy? he asked, astonished. You had never seen too much resemblance between your grandma and yourself but apparently Steve saw it.

“Close. But no. MY name is Y/N Carter. I’m her granddaughter. We have a lot of catching up to do. Want to join me?” he just nodded and followed you.

You drove in silence with about 5 bulletproof dark SUVs following you at close range.

You stopped in front of a S.H.I.E.L.D office and walked inside.

When you closed the door to your office behind you and him the reality of it all finally started to seep into your bones and you started shaking.

He noticed immediately and stepped closer. Ever the gentleman of the 40’s that he was, he asked if you were okay.

“Well there is so much I want to tell you. Actually, I have since I was a child. And I never thought I’d ever get the chance to nor did I think it was my place to tell you. But…” you kept rambling.

“What are you talking about?” he looked confused.

“Okay, here we go. All or nothing.” you mumbled to yourself.

“Peggy is my grandmother, and you are my grandfather.” you finished quietly.

“Excuse me?” he thought he might have misheard you.

“Just after you supposedly died Grandma Peggy found out that she was pregnant. She always said it was a drunken night after Sergeant Barnes died? It’s a secret which almost no one outside of the family knows. I would have let Peggy tell you herself but she has alzheimers and a lot of the time she is not really there anymore.” you explained to him.

“Peggy is still alive? I need to see her.” he picked up on your story.

“But first I’d like to hug my granddaughter if that’s alright by you.” he grinned.

“Ehm, yes sure.” you outstretched your arms and he embraced you. You had never felt so safe in anyone's arms before.

Before anyone could argue with you you had taken Steve to see Peggy in her retirement facility.

“Steve? You’re alive?” she asked in disbelief when she spotted him by her bed. He grinned and bent down to kiss her on the forehead.

“Yes, my love. And I missed you so much. How is my girl today?” he asked her.

“I was never better. Y/N come here darling. Meet your grandfather sweetie.” she spoke slowly in that posh british accent of hers.

“I already have nana and he is just as amazing as you have always told me.” you said while tears were forming in your eyes.

After that conversation you left them alone for a while to talk.

The next few weeks no day passed without you spending time with Steve. Unfortunately you had no contact with your mom or dad anymore. They didn’t want anything to do with you anymore after you had decided on your S.H.I.E.L.D career path.

That had been years ago and you weren’t sad anymore but now you would have wished, for Steve's sake, that he could meet his son.

Maybe someday your dad would be ready for this.

Somehow it came as it had to. People found out about your relation to Captain America and started to bother you immensely.

Then came the point on which it couldn't get any worse.

You came home after a long day of work and just wanted to relax in a bubble bath and then go to bed. But it came differently than you thought.

The moment you opened your door and turned around to shut it an arm closed around your throat and another grabbed for your holstered gun. Your assailant was too strong for you to overpower. You lost consciousness quickly.

When you awoke you were chained to a chair, gagged too.

And then you saw him. Sitting in a corner opposite you. Long dark hair, black mask and tac gear. His left arm was made of metal and wirred when he moved it.

When he noticed you had woken up he stood and walked over to you,

He didn’t say a word and you couldn’t. Otherwise you would have given him a piece of your mind.

You didn’t expect his next move. He took the gag from your mouth and pushed a bottle of water against your lips. You drank greedily because you hadn’t noticed your parched throat before.

“What do you want from me?” you asked after he had taken the bottle away.

“Leverage.” was all he said.

“Are you working for hydra?” you asked. You had had your suspicions for a long time that the agency had been operating from the underground.

He stayed silent and then you felt your mind slip. Of course something must have been in the water.

The next time you came to you heard voices around you but couldn’t focus at first.

When you finally could concentrate you recognized voices you had suspected of being evil before. Alexander Pierce and Brock Rumlow. Idiots! you thought.

“Ah, there she is. Did the soldier take good care of you?” Pierce mocked and you spat at him which earned you a nice backhand to the face from Rumlow.

“Now that we have that out of the way, let us proceed with our plan, shall we?.”

God, how much you hated that douchebag!

They took a video from you probably as leverage. Just as their soldier had told you. What they wanted to blackmail from S.H.I.E.L.D or Steve, you didn’t know.

After they had everything from you they brought you to a room which strongly resembled the cell in an asylum. Thick padded walls you couldn’t hurt yourself on, a small field bed with a blanket and a toilet with a sink in one corner behind a milky screen.

You banged against the walls and door at first to get any kind of attention but after receiving none you decided to leave it be and save your strength.

Hours later a doctor came into the room to take a blood sample from you but you wouldn’t have that so you fought against him until they brought the soldier in to hold you down. That was the first time you saw him after he kidnapped you. And this time he wasn’t wearing a mask. His face was expressionless and his hair was longer than on the pictures you had seen at the museum but the man standing in front of you was undeniably James Barnes. Your grandfather's best friend since childhood who you had believed was dead since 1943.

“Bucky?” you asked and he gave you a confused look. At first you doubted your eyes but you were so sure it was him. “What did you do to him? He is a good man!” you yelled at the doctor who just smiled at you maliciously.

Still struggling in Bucky’s hold the doc took a sample of your blood and they left but not before Bucky threw you one last thoughtful glance.

Days ticked by and nothing happened. You saw someone bring you food twice a day but that was about all the human contact you were given.

You couldn’t stop thinking about your granddad’s best pal being enslaved and obviously brainwashed for God knows how long. It made you so sad to think about his past. What he must have endured in hydra’s grasp.

Then one night suddenly the light in your room changed and you noticed the cause being that the door had been opened. You decided that that was your only chance and snuck out of the room. You tried to find orientation points in the weird and long hallways. But you noticed every time you didn’t know where to go, a door opened somewhere.

Just for a second you contemplated if this might have been a sick trap but you still followed it because, what did you have to lose?

When you stepped through the last door you heard someone call your name.

“Y/N! Over here!” Not 10 meters away from you stood Steve in full gear.

“Steve! Thank God you found me. Did you open all these doors?”

“Doors? What? No. I haven’t even been inside yet.” he looked at you as if you had lost your mind.

“Then who paved the way for me?” you thought out loud. Until it suddenly hit you. “Bucky!” you yelled.

“What? Are you alright? Bucky has been dead for decades.” Steve informed you.

“No you don’t understand. He is here. He must have been the one to help me. We have to find him.” you turned around and ran back inside faster than Steve could grab you.

“Y/N no!” he yelled and ran after you.

Suddenly you stopped dead in your tracks and Steve almost ran you over. 5 meters in front of you stood a dark figure, not moving a muscle.

“Bucky?” you called lowly.

Steve tensed up behind you. He too had recognized his old pal.

“Buck?” He whispered, shocked.

“Come on Bucky. We have to get out of here. And thank you for helping me.” you smiled and stretched your arm out.

He took the invitation and slowly walked towards you. Together you got out of the building and headed toward the pickup spot where the jet waited.

Bucky had still not said a word. While Steve flew the plane you sat down next to Bucky who seemed lost in thought. He didn’t notice you sliding into the seat next to him until you laid your hand on his thigh. “Buck? How do you feel?”

“Confused. I can’t believe that I am not under their control anymore.” he said.

“You are safe now. I promise we will take care of you. S.H.I.E.L.D will help you get back on your feet. You are a hero.”

“No, not S.H.I.E.L.D. They have been infiltrated by hydra. You saw Pierce and Rumlow. We can’t trust anyone.” he yelled, almost panicked.

“You are right. Steve, where are we headed?” you called out to your pilot for the moment.

“I was about to get us to Washington D.C.. S.H.I.E.L.D HQ. But now that I heard what you said I think it might be best to find a different place. So Y/N where to? Do you have a plan b?”

“In fact I do. Keep going, I'll send the coordinates right to you.” you ordered.

3 hours later you landed at a farm.

“Clint. It’s good to see you.” you said and wrapped the archer in a tight hug.

“How is the family?” you tried to make conversation.

“Good as always. So what’s the deal with this?” he asked back.

“Well, you know Captain Rogers and this is Sergeant James Barnes. It’s a long story but we need a place to lay low for a while that S.H.I.E.L.D doesn’t know about.”

“Ah, so you thought of me. Naturally. Alright, come on in, dinner should be ready soon and Laura always makes too much.”

Dinner had been great and now you were sitting on the porch with a glass of wine just relaxing and telling Clint everything. You trusted him with all your heart. Him, Natasha Romanoff and Nick Fury.

“So S.H.I.E.L.D is hydra now?” he asked, confused.

“Well yes but it seems hydra was always sleeping just under the surface waiting for the right moment to strike.” you clarified.

“So what do you intend to do next?” he asked again.

“Well, I have already sent an encrypted message to Nick Fury. He will know how to proceed from her on. Then we need to grab hydra by the roots and pull them out. If that doesn’t work we need all the help we can get to take down everything. S.H.I.E.L.D, hydra, all of it.” you described.

“Buck, what can you tell us about their plan?”

Bucky took a deep breath and started to recite everything that he knew or had gathered. Good thing that no one had actually thought to mind their words around him because they always thought he couldn’t do anything with that knowledge anyways.

“So they want to erase millions of people who do not follow their ideology? And they want to use helicarriers with active weapon systems?” you summarized Bucky’s information. “We have to stop this! But we need a solid plan. I suggest we wait for a message from Fury. He might know what to do.” you proposed.

“I agree. If we run in there unprepared people might die.” Steve approved.

So you had not much more to do than wait.

That evening you tried to fall asleep in the guest bedroom but that was almost impossible. You had listened to Steve leaving the house to go for a run about 30 minutes before. So he couldn’t sleep either.

Then, just before sleep invaded your mind you heard noises which sounded like whimpering so you got up quickly and walked downstairs, gun raised.

You found out fast that the noise came from a restlessly sleeping Bucky on the much too small couch.

Worried that he might be distressed and would fall back into his old habits you sat down next to the couch stroking hair out of his face. “Bucky? You’re okay. You’re safe now.” you whispered. He opened his eyes and looked at you.

You didn’t expect him to lean in close and brush his lips to yours.

He pulled back abruptly when he noticed you being completely taken by surprise. “I’m sorry I shouldn’t have done that.” he sat up and buried his face in his hands.

“No, it’s okay Bucky. I understand you. It wasn’t that I didn’t want it, I just wasn’t expecting that.” he looked up hesitantly.

“In fact I wouldn’t mind you doing it again.” you smiled at him mischievously.

Without saying another word he pulled you in again. You climbed into his lap all while never breaking the kiss. Until you had to come up for air.

“Wow, you really know how to do that.” you stated.

“Did you want to go further?” you asked him carefully.

“I wouldn’t mind. I just wanna feel something nice again.” he confessed before pulling you in for a kiss again.

You made out like that for a while, grinding on each other like some horny teenagers. Until his hand slipped into your panties stroking your mound and you started mewling like a kitten in heat.

Your hands fumbled clumsily with his boxers and he helped you push them down enough for his cock to spring free.

Pulling your panties to the side you sunk down on him. This time the sex was not about sensuality it was supposed to be quick comfort. The emotional crap could come later.

You rose onto your knees and dropped back onto his generous length.

“Fuck!” you breathed out. Burying your head in his shoulder so you wouldn’t wake anyone still sleeping.

You were so deeply immersed in your lovemaking you didn’t hear the door open.

“Really? On the couch? Seriously?” you almost jumped off of Bucky at the sound of your grandfather’s hushed voice.

“I’m sorry Steve.” Bucky whispered. And you could tell he was more than close so you kept rocking back and forth on his lap. Steve, noticing that you wouldn’t stop, just turned around and went upstairs with the words “I’ll sleep in your bed then.”

Once he was gone you were finally able to lose yourself in Bucky again.

It didn’t take long for him to reach his high and the moment you felt him shoot his load inside you you couldn’t hold on anymore and the knot burst.

You dropped onto the seat next to Bucky, catching your breath.

“Thank you for that.” he leaned his head back and tucked himself back into his pants.

“No need to thank me. I really like you Buck and I hope that this won’t be a one time thing.” you smiled at him hopefully.

“So do I, but I don’t know if I am good enough for you. I’ve done so much evil in my life. You deserve so much better.” Suddenly he looked so sad again.

“Hey. Look at me Bucky!” you ordered him, grabbing for his face. “What happened to you is not your fault. You were trapped in your own body and you deserve the world. Never think any less of yourself because of your past! You are the reason I am free now. You have saved Steve’s ass more than he probably knows. We love you Bucky and I mean that. You know that my grandma did not only talk a lot about Steve but about you too? You left such an impression on her that even now in her alzheimer ridden mind she still sometimes talks about you. What a gentleman you always were. Handsome, sweet and clever. And I could not dream of someone better than you.” You kissed him deeply with all the emotion you could muster and hoped he would understand.

“Are you sure?” his insecurities were killing you. Peggy had always mentioned the ladies man that he had been but that lay 70 years behind and it broke your heart to see him like this.

“100% sure darling. Now let’s try to catch at least a few more hours of sleep until sunrise.” another kiss later and you had cuddled together on the still too small couch. This time you fell asleep quickly and felt safe by his side.

Two days later Fury had gotten you a plan. Maria Hill would meet you in a sewer system at the edge of D.C. She handed you three computer chips to override the helicarriers weapon systems manually.

The people from hydra, working inside S.H.I.E.L.D did not expect this attack just when project inside was about to launch.

So when the helicarriers had come crashing down on D.C. and every single hydra agent had been taken in custody was it finally time to calm down and get everything in order.

Facing the facts Bucky still needed therapy and someone to look over his conditioning and the damage hydra had done to him. But you were sure to find someone with a solution somewhere. Until then you tried to get used to having a 100 something year old grandfather and his just as old best friend for a boyfriend.

You didn’t know where you were headed but you liked the thought of finding out.

[rpf-bat]

You Fell In Love With A Vampire

Pairing: Gerard Way x Reader

Genre: Horror, Romance

Summary: Written for Gothtober 2020, Day 7. Prompt: “Blood.” 

It’s late at night, when your best friend, Gerard shows up on your doorstep. He’s frantic, and covered in blood. He tells you that he’s been attacked - and reveals the bite marks, on his neck. When a strange thirst begins to take him over, your relationship with him changes forever. 

It had been a year since you graduated from SVA, and moved into this shoebox Manhattan apartment. But, you still hadn’t gotten used to how noisy the city could be at night. Even at this late hour, you could hear drunk people shouting, and taxi cabs beeping their horns. What they said was true - New York really was the city that never slept. 

But, I had to move into the city, to be closer to work, you reminded yourself. I’m lucky that I landed a job in my field, at all.  

You were debating whether to get out of bed, and fix some tea, when you heard a knock at your door. 

Who could it be at this hour?, you wondered sleepily. Should I just ignore it? 

The knocking continued insistently. 

“Ok, I’m coming…,” you mumbled. You pulled on your dressing gown, and looked suspiciously through the peephole. To your surprise, you recognized the face on the other side. “.....Gerard?!” 

You had known Gerard, since your first year of art school. You considered him one of your closest friends. But, he had never shown up on your doorstep, this late. What the hell was he doing here?

“Y/N, please open up!” you heard him beg. He sounded like he was crying.

Concerned, you opened the door. You gasped, when you saw the blood on his shirt.

“Y/N, you have to help me,” Gerard stammered. “I….I just got fucking attacked!” 

“What?” you gaped. “By who?”

“I can explain,” he sniffled. “Just...please, let me in!” 

“Of course,” you nodded, ushering him into your living room. “Sit down….it’s gonna be okay….” 

“I’m s-sorry,” he said, sitting hesitantly on your couch. “I didn’t know where else to go….you’re the only person I really know, who lives on this side of the Hudson.” 

“Sssh, it’s okay,” you consoled him, putting an arm around him. His whole body was shaking. 

“I stayed at the office really late tonight,” Gerard explained. “I was working on a drawing, and I guess I lost track of time. I was getting ready, to get on the train, and head back to Jersey for the night. But, as I walking to the station, this creep came out of nowhere, and cornered me in an alley.” 

“A mugger?” you guessed. 

“No!” Gerard shook his head. “I threw my wallet at him, but that wasn’t what he was after.” 

“What did he want, then?” you asked, confused. 

“My body,” Gerard shuddered. 

Your eyes widened - you never expected him to be a victim of that type of crime. But, assault isn’t something that only happens to women, you reminded yourself. Anyone can be a target.

“He started kissing my neck,” Gerard recalled, shaking, “and, like, biting on it.” 

“That’s horrible,” you said, terrified to hear the rest of your friend’s story. “Did he….?” 

“No,” Gerard shook his head. “I fought him off, before he could do anything else to me.” 

“Oh, thank God,” you replied, relieved that the bastard had not violated your friend any further. 

“I have a knife that I keep on me for self defense,” Gerard clarified. “I managed to cut him pretty deeply….what’s crazy is, he took off, like the injury was nothing.” 

“Seriously?” you asked, surprised. 

“Yeah!” Gerard replied, still looking shaken. “Oh, god….his blood splattered, when I sliced at him. Some if it got in my mouth….I can still taste it….”

“Do you want a cup of tea?” you offered, unsure how to help your clearly traumatized friend. 

“Yes, please,” Gerard said softly. 

You got up, and microwaved a mugful of water. You grabbed a tea bag from the cabinet, and set it in the mug, to steep. 

“Let that sit for a moment,” you cautioned. “It’s gonna be pretty hot. While you’re waiting on that, can I look at your neck? You look like you’re bleeding, a little bit…”

“Oh, god, am I?” Gerard shivered. “Do you have a first aid kit?” 

“I should have some bandages, somewhere,” you nodded. You sat down beside him, and gently tugged his shirt collar down. The fabric was soaked in red. “This looks kind of deep….” 

“Am I gonna be okay?” Gerard asked nervously. 

“Yeah, let me put some antiseptic on it, and you’ll be fine,” you assured him. You grabbed a bottle of hydrogen peroxide from the bathroom, and poured some onto a cotton ball. “I’m sorry if this stings a bit….” 

You daubed the cotton ball, onto the bloody bite mark, on his neck. What kind of sick freak would do such a thing?, you thought to yourself. It almost looks more like an animal bite… 

Gerard winced, as the antiseptic made contact with his skin. 

“I’m sorry,” you frowned. “I’m trying to be gentle.” 

“It’s okay,” Gerard said softly. “Thank you, Y/N, for helping me, even though it’s so late.” 

“Of course,” you told him, as you placed a Band-Aid on the wound. “I wouldn’t turn you away, when you’re in such obvious distress, like this.” 

“Y/N…..I was so scared,” Gerard confessed, tears welling up in his eyes again. He dove into your arms, and began to cry on your shoulder. 

“Ssssh,” you quieted him, gently rubbing his back. “It’s okay, Gee. The son of a bitch is gone now. You’re safe.” 

“Y/N….,” Gerard mumbled, his voice muffled by your shirt. “You...you smell so good…..”

“Huh?” you blinked, pulling away from him. 

“I….I’m sorry,” he blushed. “I don’t know why I said that.” 

What a weird thing to say, you thought, bewildered. It almost sounded like he was coming on to you….but, that wouldn’t make any sense. After what he’s been through tonight, romance would be the last thing on his mind. 

“.....Your tea should be cool enough to drink now,” you said awkwardly. There was no way he would hit on someone like you….even if he hadn’t just been groped by some pervert. 

“....Right,” Gerard said, and picked up the mug. He drank it quickly, setting the empty mug back down in seconds. 

“You must have been thirsty,” you said, raising an eyebrow. 

“I still am pretty thirsty, actually,” Gerard admitted. “Would it be okay if I had some more?” 

“Yeah, sure,” you shrugged. “I can fix you another cup.” 

“Before you do that,” Gerard asked hesitantly, “would you mind taking a look at my mouth?”

“Your mouth?” you repeated, confused. 

“My whole mouth hurts for some reason,” Gerard explained with a frown. “It feels like, when I had my wisdom teeth.” 

“Uhh, sure,” you decided, moving closer to him, on the couch. You didn’t understand how the attack could cause a symptom like that. But, you didn’t think he would make it up, either. 

He opened his mouth wide, so you could see it better. You leaned in, scrutinizing him with your gaze. At first, you couldn’t comprehend what you were seeing. There’s no way…..

“Gerard,” you paled, unsure how to tell him what you just saw. “You look like….you’re growing fangs.”

“Huh?” Gerard blinked, closing his mouth. “What are you talking about?”

“Go look in the bathroom mirror, if you don’t believe me!” you insisted. 

Gerard got up, and went to go look, for himself. His eyes widened in shock, as he stared at the reflection of his teeth. “Oh, god….what the fuck is happening to me?!” 

The pieces began to click into place, in your head. 

“Gee….,” you said nervously, “I think the guy who attacked you, was a vampire.”

“What?” Gerard laughed nervously, walking back into the living room. “Y/N, you gotta be kidding me…..vampires aren’t real.” 

You hadn’t thought they were real, either, until tonight. But, there was no other explanation, that made sense. 

“He bit you, and drew your blood,” you pointed out. “And now, all of a sudden, you spontaneously start growing a pair of fangs….” 

“Are you saying,” Gerard realized, the color draining from his face, “that I’m turning into a vampire, too?” 

You didn’t want to believe it, but the evidence was right in front of your eyes. 

“Oh, god,” Gerard realized, a look of horror crossing his face. “Does that mean that the sweetness I smelled when I was hugging you, was your blood?”

“That’s why the tea didn't do anything for your thirst,” you figured out. “You’re blood-thirsty.”  You took a frightened step backwards. 

“Y/N, I’m not gonna hurt you!” Gerard cried. “Please...you know me better than that.” 

“You’re right,” you sighed. “I’m sorry, Gee. Even if you are a vampire, you’re still my friend.” 

“I need to get out of here,” Gerard said, heading for the door. 

“No, wait!” you said, grabbing his arm. “It’s almost dawn….if you step outside now, the sun will burn you up into ashes.” 

“Maybe I should let it!” Gerard cried, trying to jerk away from you. “It’s better to be a pile of dust, then turn into an evil monster, that might harm you!” 

“No!” you insisted. “Gee, you can’t just kill yourself!”

“I can’t stay here!” Gerard argued. “What if I go berserk, and bite you? I would never forgive myself!” 

“You won’t do it!” you shouted back. “I know you -you’re a good person!” 

“Let go of me!” Gerard struggled. “Even if I go home  - what if I end up attacking my mom? Or Mikey? I’d rather die, while I still have my humanity, than live life as a monster!” 

“There’s no way I’ll let you die!” you screamed, tears welling up in your eyes. You held fast to his hand. Desperate to escape your grip, he shoved you away. 

You fell backwards, into the coffee table. You knocked the empty teacup as you hit the ground, and it shattered onto the floor. A shard landed on your hand, nicking your finger.

“Oh, god, Y/N, I’m so sorry!” Gerard gasped. He knelt down, to help you up. “I...I didn’t mean to hurt you…..”

“I’m okay,” you assured him, taking his hand. “I know, it was just an accident.” 

You tried to pull your hand away, now that you were on your feet. To your surprise, he held it fast. 

“Hey, let go,” you demanded. 

Gerard didn’t answer you - he was staring down, at your fingertips. You followed his gaze, and realized that your finger was bleeding. 

“....Gerard?” you called his name. “....I said, let go.” 

He stared at the red bead on your fingertip, as if he was hypnotized. It dawned on you, that he was trying desperately, to hold himself back. 

“.....You want to drink my blood,” you realized. 

“No,” Gerard whimpered. “I can’t….that would be wrong…..” 

“But, if you’re really a vampire,” you guessed, “don’t you need blood to live? If you don’t drink, you’ll starve.”

“Y/N, I’m so thirsty,” Gerard confessed, a hungry look in his eyes. “It….it hurts….” 

“Then, let me help you,” you offered. You extended your bleeding finger to him. “Just….promise to be gentle?” 

“I….I can’t do this to you,” Gerard hesitated. 

“It’s better for me to give it to you now, of my own free will,” you insisted, “then, to let you lose yourself, and end up attacking an innocent person.”

“A-Are you sure?” Gerard stammered. 

“Yes,” you consented. “Go on...before I change my mind.” 

“.....Okay,” Gerard decided. He took a deep breath, and knelt down, at your feet. He gently took your hand in his, and brought it to his lips. His tongue softly lapped at the blood that had pooled at the tip of your finger. 

“Oh, fuck,” he gasped. “Fuck, Y/N, you taste so good.” He licked your fingertip again. 

You found yourself blushing. 

He took your fingertip into his mouth, and started sucking on it, still making an effort to be tender. You felt the blood drip from the wound, as he began to suck you harder. His lips tightened around your finger. 

“....Hey, easy!” you reminded him. 

He slowed down, slightly, but the pressure of his sucking continued. His eyes rolled back in his head - the taste of you, seemed to be ecstasy to him. His pace quickened again. He couldn’t help himself.

 His fangs grazed your cut, deepening it, and allowing more blood to flow. You didn’t fight it. His lips against your skin, felt so soft, and good. It made you gasp. The only sounds in the room, were his soft, sucking noises, and your own ragged breathing. 

“...Y/N?” he gasped, gazing up at you, as he withdrew your finger, from his red mouth. “You look almost like….you were getting off on that.” 

“I….I think I was,” you confessed, cheeks aflame. What was wrong with you? 

“Is it strange,” he asked, licking his bloodstained lips, his thirst seemingly slaked, “if I say that I was kinda getting off on it, too?” 

You kneeled on the floor beside him. After the strangely erotic experience you’d just shared, there was no way that you could go back to being just friends. 

You kissed him, tasting your own blood, on his mouth. His body responded to yours, and he pulled you in. His red-dripping tongue, entered your mouth. 

“Fuck, Y/N!”, he gasped. “I…..I’ve wanted this for so long. The truth is…..I’ve had a crush on you, since freshman year.” 

“You….you have?” 

You’d always been attracted to him, but you never thought, you’d be his type. 

“I dreamed of this,” he confessed, his eyes full of passion. “But….I never thought it would be this way.” 

Nothing about this night, could have possibly been predicted. Your best friend had become an actual vampire - and he’d bitten you. And you’d enjoyed it.

“You can’t leave until the sun goes down, right?” you panted, kissing him again. He moaned against your lips.

“Y-Yeah,” he said. “I’m stuck here, until nightfall.” 

“Then, do you want to pass the time, in my bedroom?” you asked seductively. 

“Are you saying….there’s something else, you’d like me to suck?” Gerard smirked. 

“I would,” you purred. 

He took you in his arms again, and looked at you with a hunger that had absolutely nothing to do with  your blood. “Then, I’m yours.”

[itsjustmyfantasyroom]

Sweetheart

I’ am shifting gears just for a moment! This series was meant to be posted after all the fluffy goodness that is the Fresh Start series (which there is plenty more still to come).....BUT.....I’am just to excited to leave it sitting in word not seeing light for while! 

This was co written with my amazing @thatesqcrush​ !! A women after my own heart when it comes to our amazing human! Thank you for helping me out with this my lovely your a gem xx

Warning: This series is based on the reader being assaulted and talks of the usual SVU stuff.

Hope you guys enjoy this series as much as we liked writing it

Enjoy xx  

You had been at Manhattan SVU for 12 months. You and Amanda worked in Atlanta SVU together for a couple of years; she was like the big sister you never had. She knew what you had been battling working in the same department, she had been through the same, as much as you tried to protect each other, it never seemed to work out that way and stuff happened.  You were heartbroken when she left. You knew that by her leaving there was no one to protect you now other than yourself.

Many times when you woke up from a bad nightmare, you would call her and she would always answer and talk you through it, no matter what time it was.

“I’ am going to talk to my Lieutenant, I need to get you out of there”

Moving to New York happened quicker than expected. You moved into Amanda’s spare room and spilt everything 50/50. She said you could stay as long as you needed till you found the right place. Which came about 12 months later.

It was a Saturday afternoon when you guys finally collapsed on your 3 seater lounge, after you handed Amanda and Nick a beer. The 3 of you had spent most of the day moving in the few boxes you had and some furniture you had in storage.

“Thanks so much for helping me Nick, means a lot. You too Amanda;, pizza and drinks on me tonight., Sonny is going to meet us there”

“I am looking forward to tonight” Nick clinked his beer bottle to yours and Amanda’s. “I’ll shower first, you two take forever to get ready” Nick stood heading to your bathroom.

“How does it feel?” Amanda asked you with a small smile

“I’ll miss coming home to you Amanda” You both laughed “But you’re welcome here anytime” you gave her a big smile.

You guys had just got to the bar where you were meeting Sonny when your phone, Nick’s phone and Amanda’s phone started to ring all at once. You all stepped away from each other to answer them.

“Hey Carisi, you running late?”

“Hey Y/N, Liv needs you and Nick to go to Mercy to question a Vic”

“What now?”

“Yes now” and he hung up before you could argue.

Just as you turned to face Nick and Amanda, Amanda had started to walk off towards the prescient, which you were only a couple of blocks from. 

“See you guys there later” Amanda said yelling over her shoulder.

“Guess it will take away pizza tonight” you sighed at Nick. “What a waste of an outfit.” You rolled your eyes and Nick laughed at you as he hailed down a cab.

----

“Wow Sweetie, you don’t look like a Detective. Have you thought about modelling? Those legs could get you a lot of work.” The victim replied, giving you the once-over.

“Thanks. But that’s not why we are here. The uniforms told us that Mr Garcia was going to rape you, can you tell us in your own words what happened?” You asked, opening your notepad.

----

You and Nick had just walked into the bullpen after leaving the victim at the Hospital.

“I’ll make the coffee, you fill in Liv”

You nodded and headed to Liv’s office that she wasn’t in, you then made your way to the interrogation rooms, when you smelt a familiar scent that made your tummy do flips every time you smelt it.

“Barba, what are you doing here?”

Rafael turned his head and  choked on the sip of coffee he just took. You rushed over and started to rub his back to try and help him stop.

“Hey, you OK Counsellor?”

He finally stopped choking, he was all red and flustered. Not just from the choke but your touch and your outfit. You had on a pair of black leather paper bag waist shorts with a white collared, sleeveless button down tucked in with a black pair of low platform sling back sandals. Your hair half up, half down with a bun at the top in lose curls. Darker eye makeup and nude lips. You had your buttons of your shirt undone just shy of the top of your bra.

You moved your hand away from his back after one last rub, not really wanting to move your hand away at all, but it wasn’t the time or place.

“Thanks detective” he gave you a small smile

“Have you seen Liv? I need to fill her in”

“I’ am here. Wow Y/N you look nice, sorry to have to call you in”

“That’s OK Liv” you smiled.

“Were you on a date detective?” Rafael asked looking directly into your eyes.

“You’re funny Barba. No night out with the squad.” You smiled at him.

Liv saw the look on his face soften when you answered and she smiled to herself. She knew how Rafael felt about you, he had told her more than once. She tried to talk him into asking you out, but the cocky ADA was a bundle of nerves around you at the best of times and he didn’t know if someone as young as you would go for someone his age.

“Anyway Y/N” Liv butted in “What do we have?”

As you filled Liv in, you could see out of the corner of your eye how Rafael was staring at your legs looking you up and down.

“So Barba you didn’t answer my question, why are you here?” you said snapping him out of his trance.

He looked at you with reddened cheeks because you caught him starring.

“Below your radar no?” Liv asked straight after

“Ah, I have an interest in this case, Liv sidebar?” He looked between you and Liv

“Guess that’s my cue to leave” you smiled at them both, spun on your heels and walked back to your desk.

****

“Look, hear us out” You were standing in front of the squad in the questioning room with your Laptop open on the table “My friends and I used to do this all the time for fun. If he is guilty then its’s only way to trap him” you were looking between everyone in the room.

“And look Y/N already has an answer from him. He wants her to move to a less public site. Someone better call Barba, he needs to see this” Amanda backed you up.

The case that had come in involved Rafael’s childhood friends. He was sexting and sending photos to women and they were doing the same too him and it looked like he was paying them off to keep them quite. You and Amanda had worked on a case just before she left involving a CEO doing the same thing. 

Rafael was trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, and had informed you and Nick that Alex would never skip out of his Wife if you knew her. You saw his face change to hurt when he brought her up, but that was a conversation for later, and not in front of Nick. But you wanted to prove to him that his friend wasn’t loyal.

You had just sent a photo of yourself holding one side of your button down to see the top of your bra biting your bottom lip, not showing your full face when Rafael walked in.

“Where’s the fire?” closing the door behind him

“I think you should sit down Counsellor” you tried to soften the mood

“Thanks for your concern Detective, but I want to know what’s going on” he snapped at you, making you roll your eyes back at him.

Amanda started to fill him in so you scrolled down the screen showing him your conversation.

“He asked me to go to this private site and asked for a photo”

You clicked the tab and opened the other conversation for him to see.

“You set a honey trap using a photo of yourself” he looked at you frowning making you blush a deep red. “Don’t hold your breath, he is at a dinner with his wife and daughters”.

As if on cue a picture appeared in the conversation, of Alex with his dress shirt undone. Without permission, you answered back 

‘Is that it?’ 

Two more pictures appeared straight away. The second one with his pants completely down showing off everything. You turned around in your chair and looked at Rafael with his mouth opened and he stormed out of the room towards the lifts, with Nick following having a go at him.

You chased after them both to try and defuse things, but missed them just as Nick jumped in, with the doors closing.

TBC.

[valeriethepussycats]

Assemble

Chapter 15

Pairing- Loki x Reader x Steve (one side)

Warning- cursing

Your thoughts and other characters are in italics.

Your Alter ego name- Red Wing

Suddenly, all of the  Chitauri soldiers and Chitauri Leviathan  Hundreds keel  over  and begin to shake, then stop. They all fall over. The Avengers look up at their consultant , not sure if she'll make it through.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Still holding the scepter in hand, Black Widow shifts around, waiting.

“Come on, Y/n...”  Natasha whispered.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Thor and Cap see the supernova coming towards them. Thor nods at Cap then looks away. Thor wanted to leave. He didn’t wanted to be there anymore he’s best friend was gone and he didn’t get a chance to fully.....

“Close it.” Steve said quietly.

Tony makes his way over to Thor and Steve and see a men walking away smoking a cigar. “Who was that?”  

Steve turns around and rushes to Wolverine side. “Where are you going.”

“I came to help. I help ok  I have another teammate on the other side of the city that I need to go check now if you excuse me.”  Wolverine stated as he walks away.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Without hesitating, Black Widow pulls the scepter out, the tesseract turns off its energy beam. The portal quickly closes. A small figure is hurled backwards into the open now closed portal. Red Wing is Plummeting to the earth.

“Yes!!” Thor beamed.

“Son of a gun!” Steve said smiling.

Y/n keeps falling. And falling. And falling.

“She's not slowing down.” Thor swings Mjölnir around. Just as Thor flies up, The Hulk Snags Y/n out of the air crashing his back into the building and sliding down a building.  Hulk place Y/n on the ground. Thor and Cap run over to him. Cap and Thor see healing burn marks on Hulks arm. Thor goes to check to see if Y/n is breathing. She appears to be dead.

They stand around  not sure. Then... The Hulk Yells in Fury. But nothing happens so Steve kneel down and gives Y/n CPR. Aftershocks minute and half Y/n  wakes up Gasping for air.

“What just happened?” Y/n asked.

“We won.” Steve whispered to Y/n

Y/n  sits up happily and hugs Steve. “We did it.”

Thor snatch Y/n up and into a hug. “You scared me.”

“I’m sorry.” Y/n said softly “but your squishing me.”

Thor immediately lets go. “Sorry.”

“I think Y/n has earn the day off in fact  we all did phenomenal  pat on the back for everyone so let’s not come in tomorrow....Ok there's a shawarma joint about two blocks from here. I don't  know what it is, but I wanna try it.”  Tony proclaimed.

Thor looking up at Stark Tower. “We're not finished yet.”

“And then shawarma after.”

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Loki crawls onto the stair, looking like a piece of shit rag doll. He takes a few breathers, senses someone is behind him. He turns to find The Avengers staring at him, pissed.

“If it’s all the same to you. I'll have that drink.”

The Hulk snorts at him.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

In tv news montage about  The Avengers, we see various reports of what happened. Some people agree that the avengers did good, protecting the city. Others believe it was their cause.

“Superheroes? In New York? Give me a break!”

“These so called heroes have to be held responsible for the destruction done to

the city. This was their fight. Where are they now?”

“What? That this was somehow their fault? Captain America saved my life.

Wherever he is, wherever any of them are, I just wanna say thank you.”

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

The Avengers take Thor and Loki, who is handcuffed and muzzled,

to a blocked area. Thor shakes hands with his team and gives Selvig and Y/n a hug.

“Don’t have to much fun without me.” Y/n said with a smile.

“Never.” Thor smiled back.

we���ll see each other again. Loki thought echoed into Y/n’s head.

You bet your ass you gonna see me again. Y/n replied.

Loki winks at Y/n and she turns away from everyone to hide her goofy smile.

He just committed genocide calm down

Tony opens the Tesseract's case.

Banner takes it out and places inside a glass tube, held by Thor. Thor gives Loki the other end, who reluctantly takes it. The Asgardians leap into the energy beam. Gone . Then, one-by-one, the group splinters off, strolling into different directions. Banner climbs in with Tony in his sportscar.

“You know there’s room for one more.” Tony said revving his engine. “Us Geniuses have to stick together.”

“Thanks but I have to take care of something first.” Y/n answered.

“Well when your ready you know where we’ll be.” Tony told Y/n.

“Ya I do.”

Natasha and Clint climb back into Shield cars. They all part. For now.

“If I remember correctly you where suppose to finish show me around the new Brooklyn.” Steve said walking up to Y/n.

“Ya I am I don’t have nothing to do now-“

“Y/n.”

It hit her. It hit her like a freight train she wasn’t expecting to hear that voice after all these years honestly she doesn’t know if she was going to have her call him. A part of her thought that he didn’t want nothing to do with her. Oh how wrong she was. When Y/n finally turns around she see Gambit standing there. “Gambit.”

Y/n looks over at Steve.

“Go. There’s always other times.” Steve  declared.

“I’ll be right back” Y/n runs doesn’t care of the pain that she’s in she runs and when she finally gets a few feet away from him she stops. Just to make sure this is an dream just to make sure that this is really him. And just when she’s about to move he beats her to it. He hugs her like his life depended on it probably squeezing the life out of her but she doesn’t care.

He’s back

Gambit back

“I’ve missed you........so much.” Y/n said not care about the tears that are falling down her face.

“Come on now p you know what happens when you cry.” Gambit playfully scolded.

Steve looks at the  hair loo the rides away in his Harley.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Fury is facing once more members of the World Security Council.

“Where are the Avengers?” World Security Council #3 asked.

“I’m not currently tracking their whereabouts. I’d say they’ve earned a leave of absence.” Nick answered.

“And the Tesseract?” World Security Council #2 wondered.

“The Tesseract is where it belongs: out of our reach.” Nick responded.

“That's not your call.” World Security Council #1 disclosed.

“I didn't make it. I just didn't argue with the god that did.” Nick replied.

“So you let him take it and the war criminal, Loki, who should be answering

for his crimes?”

“Oh, I think he will be.”

“I don't think you understand what you've started. Letting the Avengers loose on this world. They're dangerous.”

“They surely are. And the whole world knows it. Every world knows it.”

“Was that the point of all this? A statement?”

“A promise.” Fury walks out, towards the bridge.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Fury and Agent Hill walk together, toward the window looking out into the world.

“Sir, how does it work now? They've gone their separate ways, some pretty

extremely far. We get into a situation like this again, what happens then?” Agent Hill questioned.

“They'll come back.” Nick declared.

“You really sure about that?”  Agent Hill asked.

“I am.”

“Why?”

“Because we'll need them to.”

Agent Hill turns around. Fury looks out, smiling.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Tony and Pepper reveal the new design for Stark  Tower  have been blown away, and all that remains is a giant A.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Nick Fury walks up to the door and remove his eyepatch so it can do face recognition as the door opens he see Coulson.

“How are you......”

“Alive I don’t know one moment I was with telling Y/n that I’m proud of her then it felt like I was asleep.” Coulson explained.

“Y/n was crying she cried on you.”

Coulson eyes widened in shock to what Nick is hinting at. “You don’t think...”

“The Phoenix.....She can’t never find out.” Nick proclaimed.

“You have to tell her. You saw what happened when she found out about her mother you really want to keep this from her.” Coulson commented.

“I’ll come up with something She can never know that she brought you back to life Coulson.

Every piece in the puzzle always gets Assembled.

Happy Holidays!!!

@aesthethickks​

[the-fiction-witch]

I Hate You P2

TV SHOW: THE QUEENS GAMBIT COUPLE: BENNY X READER RATING: FUNNY

I laid my head on the door frame of the battered old Blue beetle listening to the engine hurry along the empty roads, the darkness interrupted by the waves of the streetlamps light that rushed over the head of the car. I tried to sleep but the trip had been taking so long that I had slept so much it was getting hard to stay asleep even if I was tried. I could hear occasionally tapping as Benny tabbed his rings against the wheel when he drove down the road.

"Y/n? are you sleeping?" He asks

"I was." I sighed

"Sorry"

"what do you want?"

"We're almost there" "You could have woke me when we where there"

"... I said I was sorry wifey" He says pulling me to rest my head on his shoulder, I smiled a little getting cosy on his shoulder with his nice soft shirt

"You're boney"

"thank you? I... I really don't know how to respond to that. Yes I am"

"You're a dumb husband" "I know" He smiled giving my head a kiss

"How much further to your house?"

"Apartment" he corrects

"apartment?" I asked and he nods ".... what floor?" I asked carefully

"..... a basement"

I took  a breath sitting up straight, "We are going... to a basement apartment?"

"Yes"

"We are not living in your apartment"

"why not? it's great"

"We are married"

"We're newlyweds. little basement apartment it's perfect for us"

"Fine" I sighed "Until we have the money for a house"

"We are not going to get a house in new York y/n"

"Yeah we will" "No we won't, it's ridiculously expensive. Rentals are insane why do you think I live where I do?"

"I'm not renting." I pout "What about when we are not newlyweds anymore? when we are a married couple, with a baby? You think I'm slumming it in some little cracker box with a baby?"

"No of course not if you get pregnant then we will get a house"

"If?"

"...When"

"Yeah I will" I smirked

"What about your place? I haven't actually ever heard you talk about it?"

"I live downtown with my friend Lisa. it's a first floor apartment with parking and a gardren"

"we could live there... that would be good actually I don't have parking"

"Lisa's not moving out any time soon"

"Fuck" "Yeah" "we could trade?"

"How so?"

"We move into yours Lisa has my old place?"

"we don't wanna live at my place, there's a lady with rat's next-door"

"So?"

"Like a lot of rats. like she has an open sewer and just feets what turns up in her garden"

"Ooohhhh.... yeah no"

"Why don't we move out of new york?"

Ooohhh that hit a nerve, he glared at me like I just fucking bitch slapped his mother "No"

"Why not? It's expensive, parking is a joke, it's either rainy or cold ninety percent of the time, and it's full of rats"

"and go where?"

"anywhere? you're a chess player, I am a poker player. Practically speaking we can live anywhere"

"I guess so"

"Didn't Beth just buy that big two bedroom house?"

"I am not moving to bum fucking Kentucky?" He argues

"Why not? all your friends live there?"

"I am not moving to Kentucky"

"Even if we could afford like a two, three bedroom house for our children?"

"No. I am not going"

"Fine" I sighed "But somewhere" I sighed

"somewhere... I'll think about it" he sighed "but we are staying here for a while" he says

"Yeah, for a while" I smiled "This place better be clean benny"

"....uhhhhhhhh"

"Well then we know what your doing when we get home"

"Okay" he sighs "To be fair when i left the apartment the situation was... considerably different,"

"Yeah it was" "when I left I was single, and lived on my own, and didn't really intend on bringing a lady back so"

"So it's a tip"

"Well you'll see"

"And now your coming home with a wife" "It's been a weird week"

When we parked up I gathered my stuff carrying my suitcase and my coat, I glared at benny a little as he picked up throwing his one bag over his shoulder he slightly rolled his eyes and picked up my other suitcases for me

"Thank you husband" I giggled

"Yeah, yeah" he sighed locking his car so I smiled and took his arm

"Lead the way husband"

"Are you going to keep calling me that?" He sighed and I nod "Fine, Come along then wifey" he smirked slapping my butt as he headed down the stairs I followed down into the darkness seeing a few doors

"WHich-" I began

"Down here" He calls from the other stairway down

"Really?"

"Yeah?"

"I am not going up and down these lugging groceries, Hell no" I sighed as I wondered down trying not to touch the foul smelling wall and less said about the handrail the better. the one light outside a dark metal door shining so brightly with that artificial sting, he unlocked the door pushing it open and flicking on a light switch, I followed him down as he put out stuff down on the floor slipping his jacket and hat onto a rack by the door, I peaked in seeing nothing but darkness. He wondered though clicking more lights on revealing the apartment and My now home.

it was fairly large I couldn't deny, the large door to my right, a small metal pole protecting me from the small drop down of about two steps, the rack of jackets and such on the wall with the light switch. I could see the little kitchen even if there wasn't much of it, a small four person dining table, books and book shelves on every surface, a old tattered leather chair and ottoman in what I would guess as the living space, with various black and white cushions. a few lamps stern around, as there was only maybe three beaten up celling lights, But the thing that drew my attention was the clutter around the place, clothes, chess books and various just... stuff.

"so?" He says rubbing the back of his neck a little "Welcome home wifey"

".... you expect me to live here!"

"Yeah"

"Why! is the shower! in the living room!"

"I'll be honest. I don't know"

"the sink and shower is in the living room, ohh god no what is the toilet in our bedroom?"

"no, the toliet is in there" he says point to a door to my left

"Oh thank god," I sighed "Bedroom? or do we sleep on the floor like hamsters?"

"There is a bedroom" He sighs showing me to the bedroom "Hang your clothes up in the closet. here's the bed and my tiny tv" he explained

"why is there a window in the bedroom?"

"I don't know" He shrugs "watching people have sex?"

"Benny!" I argued

"what! other then pervy reasons can you think of any reason for putting a window in a bedroom?"

"I guess if you had kids, so you can watch them without getting out of bed"

"But then they can also see you... making there siblings"

"true" I sighed "we are not going to be living here long"

"If you say so wifey" He shrugs "You wanna divorce me?"

"I'm not gonna lie.... I'm thinking about it" I sighed "I need to powder my nose"

"Alright, I'll get dinner going" he says so I headed over to the bathroom seeing the little toilet and sink, having a look

"AHHHHHH! BENNY!" I screamed

"what's wrong?"

"YOU ARE CLEANING THIS BATHROOM THIS ISTANT! OR YOU ARE GETTING THE MOST CUT THROAT! TAKE ALL DIVORCE!" I scream running from the bathroom

"Ooooh? giving me a divorce so early darling?" he smirked

"Clean.. or I will make your life a living hell"

"Yeah how?"

"I will fill this apartment with femanine nick nacks and scented candles faster then you can beat luke at speed chess now clean this bathroom!"

"No" He smirked

"Clean it... or I am never sucking your dick again"

"You've never sucked my dick"

"I haven't?"

"Not that I recall"

"Then I won't ever suck your dick"

"Nope"

"Benny... clean the bathroom"

"No"

"Husband!" "wife!"

"Clean it" I sighed "and you can have sex with me"

"what kind" He said clearly thinking about it

"Missionary, mild forplay, and I'll let you go without a condom"

"... Deal" He shrugs going to get the cleaning stuff out from under the sink

"Umm all good marriage is compromise"

"Or bribery"

"and you just lost your without condom privileges"

"Oww!"

"should leave leant to keep your mouth shut benny" I giggled taking my stuff to his bedroom and starting to make myself at home putting my stuff everywhere making space for all my stuff once the bathroom was clean I actually powdered my nose had some food and headed to bed with my book

"so... this is life now?" He asks leaning on the door frame

"Yep"

"... we are really married and living together"

"Yep" I giggled "Feel free to divorce me at any time Benny"

"Ohh no, you got so close to divorcing me already no way I'll break before you" he laughs coming in and starting to get undressed

"Ohh just you wait till I get pregnant"

"You think I'm getting you pregnant?"

"You will," I giggled

"will I now" He smirked climbing into bed with me "Hi"

"Hi"

"sooo... I believe there was? wifely promises of sexual favours if I cleaned the bathroom?" he smirked trying to kiss me

"There was" I smiled shutting my book giving his lips a kiss "But I have a headache" I smirked putting my book on the side laying down and stealing as much cover as possible "welcome to having a wife Benny"

"I hate you" He sighed pulling the cover away so he could spoon me

"I hate you too" I smiled giving him a kiss before getting as cosy as I could in his bed.

[georgescatcafe]

the rising chariot — 2

rating: t warning/s: none pairing/s: platonic dream team, karl jacobs/sapnap genres/tags: percy jackon and the olympians au, friendship, angst summary: Nick Pappas isn’t sure it’s normal for teenagers to be sent across the United States on a quest that could potentially kill them, but Nick has started to realize that everything he thought was normal is entirely false. George Davies doesn’t particularly want to spend three consecutive days with this new camper and that son of Hermes who snagged his win in Capture the Flag two weeks ago, but he knows he has to suck it up and go with them, no matter how irritating they may be. Clay Bryce just wants to prove himself and show that he’s more than that troublesome kid from Cabin Eleven, but even as the leader of this quest, he’s not sure how to when Nick has fire powers and George is practically capable of mind-control.

Yet what they feel and want will mean nothing if they don’t complete their quest. When a petty feud between gods has Apollo threatening to take the Sun from the sky, the three must head out to stop him, but not just that—they’re in a race against an ancient enemy of the god, one who definitely will try and kill him if it gets to Apollo first.

+ao3 +masterpost

Floris came by his house again the next day. Nick stared at him as he stood in the doorway. “School’s cancelled indefinitely,” Floris told him. “They said they’ll work on rebuilding as soon as they can, but while we still don’t have a physical school, we get summer break early.”

“Happy birthday to me,” Nick replied, though there was no mirth in his voice.

Floris smiled anyway before his eyes got all shifty, and he leaned forward, as if looking for something. “Are your parents home?” Nick wondered if Floris knew about his situation. He knew about Nick’s mom; or, at least, Nick assumed he somehow did. It wouldn’t surprise him that he knew about the rest of his living arrangement, either.

“I managed to get taken away by a deranged cop the day they left for their anniversary,” he answered. “And they aren’t putting that on hold for me.” His younger sisters—homeschooled, lucky them—were sent to their grandparents last week. The only reason Nick didn’t go was because he was old enough to handle himself. Or so he thought. “I’m home alone.”

“Nice,” Floris hummed, hand settling on the doorframe thoughtfully. “So about yesterday….”

Nick held up a hand, wincing as a headache bloomed behind his eyes. “I really don’t want to talk more about it.”

Floris made a face, but Nick was being honest. The whole ordeal just made him feel sick. “It’s good to—”

“Talk things out, I know,” NIck replies, “so you said. But, look, man, that was really traumatic, okay? And I think I hit my head too hard on the door because I was seeing things, and it was just really scary. I don’t want to think about it anymore.”

Floris studied him, gaze intense, and Nick straightened up under it, shoulders moving back and chest puffing up slightly. It wasn’t an intimidating look, but there was something… unnerving about it. He felt he had to prove something. Finally, Floris sighed. “It’s probably for the better for once. Just… if something like that happens again, you should take this.” He held out a small card, and when Nick took it, he realized it was a business card.

“Call me, okay?” Floris asked. “Don’t be a stranger.”

Nick stared at the card for another second before looking back up at the other. “Okay,” he agreed. “I’ll call.”

Floris gave him a final smile before pivoting on his heel. He was about to walk off when he spun back around. “Oh, uh, I made these for you.” He held out a baggie filled with what looked like lemon bars. “I don’t recommend eating them all at once. I’ve found they’re pretty good for when you need comfort food, or, like… healing. Or something.”

Nick accepted the bag. “Uh-huh. Thanks.”

“Yeah,” Floris said, before smiling for the last time for real and turning, heading down the walkway and taking off down the road.

Nick looked back down at the lemon bars. They weren’t his favorite. He definitely wasn't going to eat them all at once. Dumb of Floris to even tell him that.

He went about his routine like usual, now that school was out of the picture. It was a bit weird actually, sitting down to a day of mindless video games with no guilt, no homework to turn in or tests to study for. (Granted, most of his homework was left incomplete, and most tests were taken with no studying involved prior. Not that Nick was a dumb kid, school just… wasn’t for him. In case you couldn’t tell by the whole burning it down thing. Not that he meant to do that. Just to be clear. In case you missed that fact.) Nick sunk deeper into his beanbag chair, fingers flying across his Xbox controller as he focused on the small TV in his room. He wondered if his parents knew about his early summer already.

Probably not.

He played until the Sun went down, only stopping to pee or get food, and his routine looked very much like that for the next three days until his parents returned, and he found himself thrown into the monotony of chores and errands. It was preferable to reading-induced migraines, but he also missed the break from home school provided. The town he lived in on the edge of Houston was easy enough to navigate on foot, and his dad had started to give him driving lessons, but the lessons had to be put on hold for work, and walking around the city was a lot less fun when there was no one else to walk with.

The business card he’d taken to keeping in his pants’ pocket ever since Floris gave it to him seemed to become a paperweight then. Nick pulled it out.

Floris Larkspur Keeper Half-Blood Hill Long Island, New York (800) 009-0009

The information on it was terrible to read, in some fancy, looping font, but Nick understood it well enough once he squinted for a while. He frowned at the address and phone number. The number was obviously toll-free, meant more for business rather than personal use, and the location itself… New York? Nick frowned before returning the card to his pocket.

He’d have better luck running into Floris in the grocery store. Besides, the only bit of info on the card that didn’t leave him more confused than how he started was Floris’s name. Nick bit the inside of his cheek. Maybe Floris wasn’t the best person to walk around the city with.

Nick sighed, wondering if his stepmom would maybe send him on a grocery run. He was surprised when he walked into the living room to see his parents sitting on the couch, staring at him expectantly.

“Is something wrong?” he asked. “I didn’t mean to burn down the school. I promise.”

His stepmom rose from her place on the couch. “We believe you,” she said, hand coming to rest on his shoulder. His heart pounded as his gaze dropped to her hand. “You aren’t in trouble. Actually, the opposite.”

He stared at her before turning to his stepdad.

“Your birthday, Nick,” he said.

His birthday. He completely forgot about it. He looked at his stepmom.

“We’re sorry we weren’t here to celebrate with you,” she told him. “That was our fault. So we did something extra special for you.”

“You didn’t miss much,” Nick replied, even as she guided him over to the couch where his stepdad opened his laptop.

“With no school,” his stepmom said, “we figured it would be okay if spring break came early.”

And there, right on his dad’s laptop screen, a ticket to New York City.

Nick’s eyes turned to saucers as he stared between his parents, gaze going from his stepdad, back to his stepmom, then vice versa. “You’re kidding,” he breathed.

“Your flight goes out in two days,” his dad said. “A week there and straight back.”

“By myself?” Nick asked, hardly believing his luck.

“You’re sixteen,” his dad replied, even as his stepmom made a face.

“We have a second ticket,” she explained. “We can resell it, but… if you wanted to take a friend—a responsible one.”

Nick didn’t have many friends. Constantly switching schools did that to a kid. He stared blankly at his stepmom, who offered him a tentative smile in return. He tried to give one back, but his mind was reeling, wondering who to invite—if they’d really let him go on his own or not.

“Y’know,” his dad started, “there’s this one kid I’ve run into a couple times, at the gas station, the store, kind of funny looking, ginger, always asks after you.”

Oh, God. “That’s,” Nick hid his face in his hands, humiliation rising in his throat, “Floris.”

“A friend?” his stepmom asked, hopeful.

Nick nodded.

“Perfect!” she exclaimed, clapping her hands together. “And clearly he cares about you. I think that’s a good one to take.”

“Mom,” he said, even as the name tasted bitter on his tongue, knowing his actual mom was still out there, “no. There’s got to be someone else—or I could go on my own, right? Right, Dad?”

His stepdad said nothing. So that was just a fib, then. Nick’s face fell.

“I think Floris would be good,” she urged. “You don’t have to spend every second together.”

“But you’ll want us to,” he argued.

“I just want you safe,” she said, “and I know your dad wants the same.”

Nick made a face.

Finally, she made one too, expression souring. “Nick, we just want to do something nice for you—for once. Can’t you just accept it?”

“I,” Nick made a frustrated noise deep in his throat, “why now? You’ve never cared. Is it because I almost went to prison?” He looks to his stepdad. “Do you feel guilty or something? That you couldn’t stop them from taking me, just like you couldn’t stop them from taking Mom—my real mom,” he added quickly, unable to stop the glare he shot at his stepmom, polite as she may be.

Her hand flew to her chest, as if stung, and his stepdad sat up, brows furrowing, lips downturned in a severe frown. “Nick Pappas, don’t you dare talk to us like that,” he scolded.

“Or what?” Nick snapped. “You going to kick me out? I bet you’d love that! You wouldn’t have to look for a new school anymore; you wouldn’t have to look at me and be reminded of her. You’d love that, wouldn’t you?”

“What’s gotten into you?” his stepmom cried. “You’re never like this!”

“I’m just tired!” Nick shoved himself up off the couch. “Thanks for the trip, but oh my God, just leave me alone—please!” He stormed into his room and slammed the door shut, pressing his back against it and immediately pressing his face into his hands.

He almost died Friday, and they didn’t care. Of course they didn’t care! And now they wanted to act nice, and he was supposed to just accept it? Without a modicum of suspicion? It was so not fair. He brought his legs to his chest, hands sliding from his face and elbows resting on the tops of his knees. He buried his head in his arms. None of this was fair.

What felt like an hour but was probably just ten minutes later, a soft knock at the door startled him into lifting his head. He scooted away from the door, and it opened slowly. In the doorway stood his stepmom. Nick bit back a groan.

“What,” he said.

The petite woman lowered herself to the floor, closing the door behind herself and taking a seat across from him. “I’m sorry I’m not her,” she replied.

Nick glared at her crossed legs.

“I mean it,” she promised. “I’ve never tried to be her—”

“You wouldn’t want to be her,” Nick grumbled.

His stepmom paused before a hand came to rest on his knee. “I never met her, but if she was anything like you, she couldn’t be bad.”

“You’re just saying that.” Nick’s glare strengthened. “I can’t stay at one school; I’m always setting things on fire; I almost went to prison just last week. I’m a terrible son.”

She didn’t say anything to that. 

Nick flattened his lips. 

“I’m sorry,” she finally said. “We’re… not good parents. I never wanted to be a parent. I am now, and I wouldn’t change it, but I’m not your mom, even with you calling me that, and I don’t want to replace her. And I could never be her because I know how much she meant to you, and I couldn’t do for you what she did.”

“You don’t even know what she did,” Nick snapped.

His stepmom sighed. “Can you please just accept this? I had to talk your dad into keeping the tickets after what you said.”

“You should have let him sell them,” Nick replied. “I deserve it.”

“No, you don’t.” She patted his knee. “You’re right. You did almost go to prison—you wouldn’t have deserved it, though. I think wrongful imprisonment deserves a trip to New York.”

Nick allowed a laugh to fall past his lips, bitter.

His stepmom took it. “Your flight leaves in two days. Tell your friend to come with you. You’ve got a whole week to run around NYC like the teenager you are. Have fun.” She gave a gentle shove to his shoulder. Nick rocked with the motion. “Okay?”

Nick stared at the floor.

“Okay?” she repeated.

He nodded.

“Good.” She pushed herself from the floor, running her fingers lightly through his hair before leaving, closing the door softly behind her. Nick squeezed his eyes shut, letting out a shaky breath.

Have fun. He can do that.

When he finally hunted Floris down at the grocery store the next day, he told him about the trip. “It’s short notice,” he apologized, “but it’s a week.”

“New York?” Floris asked. Nick felt like if the ginger had a tail, it’d be wagging.

“Yeah,” he replied. “A week and then we come home.”

“Got it, captain,” Floris said. “I’ll pack my bags tonight and meet you at your house bright and early tomorrow morning.”

“The flight doesn’t leave until noon.” Nick frowned.

“I like being prepared,” Floris replied. “Are you ready?”

“More or less,” Nick nodded, “not like I own much anyway.”

Floris stared at him, eyes narrowed, before nodding also. “See you tomorrow then.”

Nick gave him a mock-salute. “See you tomorrow.”

[amazingphanisnotonfire-imagines]

Veronica//Everybody Talks

Request: Can I request a Reader/Veronica with/using the song Everybody Talks - Neon Trees, maybe reader moves from new york or visits with Nick st. Clair and decides to stay in town?

happy valentines day gays! 

part 2 

“Well.” You clasp your hands together as you look out the window of Veronica’s bedroom. “Its no New York. But it’ll do.” 

You’re feeling awfully home sick, but your parents wanted you out of the house for a few weeks while they tried to secure as many clients as they could with the lavish house parties they’re throwing, so they sent you to Riverdale ‘so you could catch up with an old friend’, which translates to, the Lodges owe us a favour so they’re babysitting you until we want you back.

Its not really your parents you’re missing, you don’t particularly have the best relationship with either of them. They liked you when you were little and cute and they could parade you around their friends, but as soon as you had your own thoughts and opinions, they kind of just forgot about you. You’re missing New York. You like how busy it is, everybody doing their own thing, following their dreams, doing whatever the hell they want. You blend in there, but in Riverdale you stick out like sore thumb. And Veronica can tell you’re feeling uneasy. 

You and Veronica Lodge had been best friends from 5 years old. The Lodge’s did some business with your family, and while your dad’s talked and your mom’s got drunk, you and her played together. You would be princesses, mermaids, superheroes, anything. 

And you’re friendship grow stronger as the two of you grew up. She was the first person you came out too, both of you whispering about it while hiding under a duvet, too scared to speak any louder in case anyone was listening. 

So when her dad went to prison and she told you she was moving, the two of you were devastated. You gifted her a pair of diamond earrings as a going away present, and she gave you your first kiss, leaving the feeling of her lips engrained in your brain forever. When you’d asked her about it, she’d said it was heat of the moment, ‘i’m probably never going to see you again so i need to do something for you to remember me by’ type thing, and then she never brought it up again. 

“You’re going to love it here. I promise!” She says excitedly. “Oh, you’re sleeping in my room, I hope thats okay.” 

“Ye-yeah. Thats fine.” You stutter. The past few years she’s become even more gorgeous. Her hair is longer than it was the last time you saw her, and she’s actually wearing glasses sometimes, which is a lot more than when you knew her. She also seems so happy here, and you’re unsure how such a small town managed to keep someone with such a big personality. 

“Mom was going to make up the spare bedroom but I said it didn’t matter seeing as though we’ll probably be up all night anyway.” 

“Hu-What?” 

“Catching up.” She replies, a small giggle passing her lips as she brushes her hand over your arm. 

“Oh, yeah, right.” You shake your head, trying to get rid of the many, many gays thoughts that have littered your brain. 

“Come on. Dump your bags in there and then I’ll introduce you to everyone.” 

-----

“Guys!” Veronica leads you into a small diner, the red neon sign lights the parking lot giving it an 80′s vibe and you can’t help but smile. At least there’s something similar to New York here, the bright neon signs. However they’re everywhere back home, just here in Riverdale though. But the way Veronica is smiling at you is enough to make you feel less home sick. “This is my best friend all the way from New York. We’ve been friends since we were five and she’s staying with us for a couple of weeks. So everyone, meet the one and only, Y/n y/l/n.” She introduces you to the group of teens sat in the red booth, all with kind smiles on your face, and you must admit, you don’t get this kind of hospitality in New York. 

“Hi.” You wave shyly.

“Wow. We finally get to meet the famous Y/n.” A girl with a high pony-tail teases causing Veronica to blush softly. “I’m Betty by the way. Betty Cooper. And this is my boyfriend, Jughead Jones.” She introduces herself and the boy beside her and you shake both their hands. 

“I’m Josie.” A girl walking past you says and you smile kindly at her. 

“Nice to meet you.” You reply and she nods before sitting at a booth a few away from you. 

“The boy she’s sat with is Kevin. They’re step siblings and the funniest people you will ever meet.” 

“That I am Veronica.” A boy interrupts. “And who is this.” They add, looking you up and down as he sits down in the booth, Betty and Jughead grumble angrily as they move so he can fit in. 

“This Reggie, is Y/n. My friend from New York.” 

“It is a pleasure to meet you.” He holds you hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it before winking at you and you chuckle uncomfortably. 

“You’re not her type Mantle.” Veronica rolls her eyes. “Now, I’m going to leave her here while I order food. Anybody want anything?” She asks and they all shake their head, pointing to the food in front of them. “Y/n. I’ll get your favourite. And Betty, look after he while I’m gone.” She says, glaring at Reggie as she does, before spinning on her heel and marching towards the counter. 

“Sit here.” A red-headed boys says and you slide into the booth beside him.

“Thanks.” You mumble. “I don’t think we were introduced.” 

“I’m Arch-” 

“So what is your type?” Reggie interrupts. 

“I’m more into girls.” You reply simply and his eyes widen. 

“Ohhh. Cool.” He shrugs before starting to annoy Jughead. You turn your attention back to the boy beside you and he smiles softly before continuing his previous sentence. 

“I’m Archie. Veronica’s boyfriend.” He introduces himself and your mouth goes dry. 

Boyfriend? She never told you about a boyfriend. Why didn’t she tell you about a boyfriend?

“Boyfriend?” You ask aloud, probably more surprised that you should have but whatever.

“Yeah.” He laughs. “Is that so surprising?” He asks. 

“No. I er. I just never heard of a boyfriend.” 

“Oh.” He sighs, looking at the table. 

“But thats got nothing to do with her though. She probably did mention you but I here the word boy and just tune out.” You say quickly and he lightens up a bit. 

“One burger and fries.” Veronica places the tray in front of you and your lips twitch into a smile, however it doesn’t quite each your eyes. Not like it usually does, not the way Veronica loves, and she can’t help the frown that comes to her lips. “Whats wrong? Did Reggie say something? What did you say Reggie?” 

“No, nothing.” You shake your head. “Do you want to sit beside Archie?” You ask. 

“Why?” She replies confused. 

“Because he’s your boyfriend.” 

“Oh right yeah. Sure.” She shrugs and you stand up, allowing her to sit in your seat before you sit down on the end. 

Why wouldn’t she tell you about her boyfriend? You guys were supposed to be best friends. She promised that when she moved that wouldn’t change. But maybe it has, things have changed since the last time you saw each other. You hair is a tad shorter, and you’ve changed your fashion a little, but nothing major. What the hell happened? 

You eat your fries in silence while they talk about the new school year and whats in store for them as being seniors. Half an hour passes and you’ve finished your food, as well as the majority of your drink and you can’t help but think if you disappeared right this second, nobody would notice. 

Hell, Reggie’s talked to you more than Veronica has, and even though you get that she has a new life here, with new friends and new memories, it still sucks that she’s moved on. 

“Have you seen that Y/n?” Archie asks and you blink rapidly, everyone at the table is staring at you expecting an answer to a question you didn’t hear. 

“What?” 

“Sicario? The film.” 

“Yes!” Veronica jumps in and Archie’s eyes widen, the two of them talking animatedly about the film. 

Did we hell see that. When that was at the cinema, you and Veronica went to go see some shitty teen romance movie that made the two of you cry. Why was she lying? The first time she’s shown interest you in 35 minutes and its all a lie. 

“I didn’t think those type of films were very you.” Archie says shocked and she shrugs.

“She’s full of surprises.” You sigh, stirring your drink around with your straw as you lean your head against your hand. 

“She really is.” He replies making her giggle softly before the two of them make-out. 

Why does this always happen? You fall in love with her years ago which ends in disappointment and heartbreak, for it to just happen again the next time you see her. Damn.

------

“Ronnie?” You whisper into the darkness. Everything seems darker in Riverdale, everything is quieter, and its keeping you awake. Its not the only thing thats keeping you up though, the fact that the girl you’ve wanted since you were 13 and just discovering your sexuality is lying next to you, her body so warm as she breathes slowly, is also making it difficult to sleep. Plus, why is she so different than to how she was. Its like nothing major has changed about her, its just subtle things, but when they’re added all together its like she’s someone completely new. And why didn’t she tell you about Archie? Or anything that has happened since she moved here, the rest of her friends told you more in an afternoon than she has in three years. 

”Yeah?” She replies, turning over. Her hair is a mess and her eyes full of sleep but you don’t think she’s ever looked more beautiful. Actually. Thats a lie. She’s always looked pretty to you. “Are you okay?” 

“Can’t sleep.” You reply and she sends you a sympathetic look.

“Its okay. Why don’t we play the alphabet game?” She suggests and your eyes widen as you remember the stupid game you made up when you were younger. Whenever either of you had trouble sleeping, wether it be due to nightmares, parents arguing or just that fact that you were to excited to sleep, you would pick a topic and work together to try and think of something relating to it for each letter of the alphabet. On one particularly boring afternoon, you even made a proper game out of it. Scribbling down loads of topics and placing them all in a shoe box. 

“I haven’t played that in years!” 

“Me neither. But...” She trails off as she dangles over the bed. You can hear her searching under the bed for a few seconds before she stops, movements halting as a smile breaks out onto her face. “Aha!” She cheers and pulls a shoe box from under the bed. “Lets hope its the right shoebox.” She wiggles her eyebrows and you groan, pulling a disgusted face making her giggle. “Yes!” She says triumphantly. “I knew I still had it.” She shows you the box and smile brightly. The multicolored paper that you scribbled on when you were 11, and kept adding to as you grew older and learned more things about the world, is in there. 

“Okay!” You bounce a little. “Let me pick. Let me pick!” Your hand dives into the box as you search for a bit of paper. Pulling a bright yellow piece out you read it aloud. “Flowers.” 

“Ooooo.” She muses, placing the lid back on the box before pushing it down the bed. The two of you lie down, facing each other, both of you giggling like children as you try and think of a flower that begins with the letter A. 

“Aster!” You start and she looks at you impressed. 

“Wow, your flower knowledge has improved since the last time I saw you. When we did this five years ago, you said ‘A flower’.” 

“Well, there’s a lot of things I know now that I didn’t back then.” You reply. You didn’t mean for it to sound so serious, but it does and it hangs in the air for a few seconds before her eyes brighten again, something she always does when she’s about to answer these. 

“Baby’s breath.” She says and you hum in approval. “I’m gonna have them mixed in my bouquet when I get married. Them and roses, the classiest flower obviously. And the wedding scheme is going to be royal blue and gold, with lots of activities for the guests to do.” 

“Yeah? And does Archie know all of this or are you just going to spring it on him the day he proposes?” You tease making her roll her eyes. 

“Who says I’m going to marry Archie.” She replies and you stare at her. The two of you make eye contact, your breath hitching at the intensity of her stare, and then you’re leaning in, closing the gap between the two of you. Your lips brush against hers softly, almost as if you’re testing the waters to see if she’ll pull away, but when she doesn’t, when her hand grabs your waist pulling you closer, and she closes the gap completely, her lips completely pressed against you, kissing you like you’re air and she can’t breath, you figure she isn’t going to pull away. 

Until...she does, and you’re left breathless. 

While she’s left more confused than ever. 

“I’m so sorry. I should not have done that.” She pulls away from you quickly, her eyes wide while yours are barely open, she’s definitely gotten better at kissing. Or maybe you have. No matter what, that was pure bliss- “That was such a mistake. Sorry. Lets just forget that happened.” She turns over, facing the wall and scooting as far away from you as she can. Your heart beats faster and your fingers trace your lips, you’re brain running at a thousand miles per hour as you try to remember everything. Everything leading up to the kiss to the kiss itself, while also trying to block out what happened after. But its no use, and your heart sinks when you hear her muttering to herself. “I have a boyfriend.” 

-----

“Y/n?” A soft voice lulls you from your deep sleep and you shuffle a little, turning around to follow the voice. “Y/nnnnn.” They continue and your eyelids flutter open to reveal Veronica smiling at you. 

“Morning.” You mumble, stretching your muscles while you sit up. 

“Morning.” She replies. “Here, I got you a drink.” She hands you a mug and you take it from her gratefully, blowing the steam away. “Listen.” She starts, her voice changing from soft to serious and your eyes flicker up to meet hers. “I really want to hang out with you, but Archie’s had a disaster so I need to go help. But, fear not, because Cheryl Blossom may be the biggest bitch in Riverdale, but she throws the best parties and we are invited to one tonight! So pick out your sparkliest and shortest dress and be ready by 8. Okay?” She kisses you on the cheek before grabbing her purse. 

“Bu-” 

“Bye! Love you!” She calls over her shoulder and you sigh, taking a sip of your drink before looking around the room. 

The room screams Veronica, some of the old Veronica, and some of this new one that you aren’t entirely sure of. The pearls hanging on the jewelry holder, pictures stuck in the mirror of her vanity, that is more make up products than actual wood and glue, some of you and her back in New York, some of her family, some with friends, but most of them are her with Archie and you feel your heart drop to your stomach, you sigh and push the covers off you, throwing your legs over the side. Its barely 10am, meaning you have god knows how many hours to kill before she comes back. “Oh.” She comes back and you whip your head to look at her. “About last night, can we just forget anything ever happened?” 

“Sure.” You nod, forcing a smile. “My lips are sealed.” You add and she grins at you. 

“Great. Bye!”

“Yeah. Great.” 

--------

“Y/n?” Veronica whispers. Your mom had turned the lights off in your room hours ago, but the both of you remain wide awake. She stares at the glow in the dark stars on your ceiling, trying to find constellations, while you stare at her face, finding constellations in the freckles that dust her cheeks, freckles that will soon disappear after she leaves and decides she doesn’t like anymore. 

“Yeah?” You whisper back, deciding to join in with the star gazing, thankful that she hasn’t looked at you yet.

”Do you know when you were a kid and you wanted to talk to everyone and anyone?” 

”No. I was an anxious child.” You reply making her giggle. 

”Fair enough.” She shrugs. “But you know what I mean though. Like everyone seemed so fascinating to talk to, and you just wanted to learn everything about them. You become friends with them within seconds no matter who they are.” 

“Yeah. I know what you’re talking about.” 

“I feel like that everyday with you.” She admits, both of you blushing but refusing to look at the other. 

“You think I’m a stranger?” 

“No.” She replies and you can practically hear her rolling her eyes. “I mean that if you were a stranger, I’d still want to be friends with you. No matter what.” She says, the words weighing heavy in the air as she says them but they make you feel light. At that age, nobody knows who they’re going to be in a month, a year, five, ten, but both of you knew you’d still be friends. 

Veronica and Y/n against the world. 

“Veronica?” You ask.

“Yeah.” 

“I like girls.” 

“Oh.” She looks at you with a puzzled face and you sigh, knowing whats coming next. ‘i hope you’re not in love with me’ or ‘thats great, but just so you know, i’m straight’ and ‘get out’, are a few that come to mind. But she smiles at you, that smile only Veronica can do, grabs your hand and simply says, “I love you.” And you grin back at her, because she supports you and you still have your best friend and it doesn’t matter who you love. 

“I love you too.” You reply and then the moments gone, she starts talking about cute girls you go to school with, but your hands remain intertwined and thats the only thing you can really focus on. 

------

“Are you almost ready?” Veronica shouts from her bedroom and you roll your eyes at her patience. Studying your outfit one last time in the mirror, you re-apply your lipstick before smoothing out your dress and flicking your hair about until your happy with how you look. 

You’d decided on a classic black dress with a bold red lip and sparkly shoes, very New York chic, you finally felt like the old you. Sneaking out to parties with Veronica by your side and fake ID’s in your purse.

“Yes I’m ready. But what the hell happened to you, Miss ‘start getting ready at 4 and don’t get out at of the house until 10′. Living here has really changed you.” You tease but when she doesn’t say anything you stop putting your phone in your purse to look at her. She’s already staring at you, a look in her eyes that you can’t quite read, but her lips are parted slightly and the sight is enough to make you fee breathless, a blush creeping up your neck. 

“...wow.” She mumbles as she stares at you. “You look amazing.” She snaps herself out of whatever she was in and you smile bashfully at her. 

“You look even better.” You reply. 

“Not possible.” She rolls her eyes. 

“So, is Archie okay?” You ask and she pauses putting her shoes on.

“What? Oh yeah. Turns out he just missed me. He’s such a dork.” 

“You saw each other yesterday.” You laugh awkwardly. 

“I know.” She laughs. “Hey, are you okay?” She asks, noticing your frown. 

“Yeah fine.” You shrug, pushing the feeling that you’re being pushed out deep down. “You ready?”  

”Always.”  -----

‘Hey honey you could be my drug You could be my new prescription Too much could be an overdose All this trash talk make me itching’ 

You and Veronica are more shouting the lyrics than singing at each other. 

Veronica was not wrong, Cheryl was a bitch, pointing out three things she didn’t like about your outfit as soon as you walked through the front door, but boy did she throw a good party. The house was packed, people squeezed into each room and spilling out into the garden. The music was loud enough to be heard in Greendale and there was enough alcohol to last everyone at least a year. 

Unfortunately, Veronica had started on the drinking pretty much as soon as she walked in the front door and there was only one reason she would binge drink, she was conflicted about something. However, she refused to talk to you about anything other than another drink, dancing, or cute girls that you could hook up with. But the only cute girl you wanted to talk to was drunk, swaying and about to puke into a very expensive vase. 

“Come on Ronnie, we need to get you to a bathroom. You need to sit down.” You gently reach out to her but she continues to sway, swallowing whatever was trying to crawl back up her throat and you crinkle your nose in disgust.

“No.” She shoves your hands away, stumbling slightly. Your arms are around her instantly, keeping her up right but she pulls away from you, staring at you as if your a stranger. 

“Ronnie. You need a sit down and some water.” 

“No!” She shouts. “The only person that calls me Ronnie is Archie.” She adds and tears prick your eyes. 

“But Archie isn’t here. I am. So please, come with me.” You plead.

“No! God, you just can’t deal with the fact that I have friends other than you. You’ve been following me around for the past two days like a lost puppy and I’m sick of it. But I have a life outside of you and New York. I have friends, a family that supports me, and more importantly a boyfriend. And I don’t need you coming into my life and making everything all complicated. You-you should have just stayed in New York.” She shoves you out of the way, leaving you crying in the middle of the dance floor. 

People start talking as she pushes further and further into the party, and the songs thats just ended seems oddly fitting, everybody does talk, no matter if you’re in New York or Riverdale. Just before she completely disappears into the crowd you hear her shout one last thing that completely shatters your heart.

“Hey! Lets play the alphabet game!” 

“Oh hey Y/n.” Archie greets you as he walks through the front door, but you ignore him, pushing past him while wiping the tears from your face. 

“Where’s Ronnie?” He asks making you cry harder. 

“Somewhere where she doesn’t need me.” You reply before disappearing into the night, walking the unfamiliar streets back to a home you know longer felt wanted in. 

You never thought you’d live to see the day where Veronica didn’t want you in her life. But here you are, and now you’re not entirely sure what to do with yourself. Should you call your parents and ask if you can come home early with a promise that you’ll hide out in your room? Or should you go to a hotel for the remainder of the trip? 

You decide to stay at Ronnie’s Veronica’s for the night and then go to a hotel tomorrow. 

Riverdale sucks. 

Friendships suck.

Especially when you’re in love with your best friend. 

Everything sucks!

-----

“Hey.” Veronica’s voice is quiet as she walks into her bedroom. You glance at her, her make-up is smudged, her hair messy and she’s carrying her heels, but she still looks cute. 

“Hey.” You reply, placing another dress in your suitcase. 

“Soooo. What are you doing?” She walks into her room cautiously and you roll your eyes. 

“Packing.” You shrug. “I rang my parents this morning about staying in a hotel and they wanted me back early so they can parade me around like when I was 2. I think one of the possible clients they’re talking to has a son around our age, so I think they’re planning on ‘setting’ us up.” 

“Yikes.” 

“Yep.” You pop the p and she huffs. 

“Listen.” She starts, moving some of your clothes so she can sit down. “Before you go can we talk.” 

“There’s nothing to talk about Veronica. You said exactly what you thought of me yesterday. So I’m doing what you want, I’m going back to New York and you don’t have to worry about me confusing you and getting in the way of your new life. Which by the way isn’t as great as you think it is. Your friends seem lovely, but they know nothing about you, you know Cheryl forgot your name twice yesterday. Betty doesn’t know what you’re favourite food is, and as for your boyfriend, he seems lovely, but you are way out of his league. And you feel the need to lie to him so he likes you more. Veronica, I think you are the greatest person I have ever met, and I’ll always follow you wherever you go, because I’m your best friend and I love you, but if you’re over this friendship thats fine. Just don’t be an ass about it.” You rant, flopping down beside her. 

“Wow.” She mumbles and silence takes over the two of you. You’re waiting for her to say something, to do something, but she doesn’t. So you sigh before standing up and starting to pack again. A few minutes go by before she speaks up again. “I made a new category for the alphabet game.” 

“Yeah?” You reply while folding a pair of jeans. 

“Its things that remind me of you...and I er, I don’t need any help with this one.” She adds and you pause. 

“A. The Adorable way your nose crinkles when you see or hear something you don’t like. B. The fact that you love Bees and that you’ll do literally anything to help them. I watched you sprint across a road because you saw a bee lying by the curb and to this day I have no idea how you saw it from that far away, but you picked it up and put it on a flower so that it would be safe and I don’t think I’ve ever loved you more...also B, because of how Brave you are to be yourself. Even when you have a family like yours. C. How much you hate Cauliflower, and how when you were 7 you were convinced it was a snowy tree for fairies to live in, and how upset you get when your mom first showed you one because you thought she’d cut their house down. D. The fact that you love Dogs more than anybody I have ever met, and every time I see a cute dog in the street I always think of how happy you would be if you saw it. And how every time you see a dog you always send me a picture, no matter what time it is or what you’re doing. E.-”

“Ronni-Veronica.” You stop her. “I get the point. You don’t have to do all of them.” 

“Okay.” She nods. “But I can do all of them if you want.” 

“Its okay.” You smile. 

“Can I skip to L?” She asks and you quirk an eyebrow, but nod anyway. “Okay. L. The fact that I am so in Love with you and that I have been since I was 12, that I turn into an idiot whenever you’re around. I’m so sorry, I was just confused and I didn’t know what to do because I love you but I didn’t want to upset Archie, and I’m just sorry.” 

“Its okay.” You cup her cheek. “I love you too.” She lets out a breath before sending you a soft smile. “Why don’t you skip back a bit to K?” 

“K?” 

“Kiss me.” You whisper. 

[songsofloretto]

Kieran gave me this earlier. I like writing for Kieran. He's a nasty bastard trying to turn his life around which makes him multi-faceted but as a character giving direction he's easy to 'feel'. Kieran never does third person perspective. His stories are always first person and written like a commentary.

Kieran, Nicky, Rory and Matthew

Sainsbury's, May 2021

"Uncle Kieran can I have these water pistols?"

It's been 30 years since I last took a child grocery shopping. It was bad enough in the 1980s with the kids wanting the sweets at the end of the checkout and all that. Fast forward to the 21st century and the problem has absolutely mushroomed, along with the size of supermarkets in general. Before I went to prison supermarkets only sold food. These days they sell everything from sun-dried tomatoes to fecking funeral plans. Nothing is sacred from these corporate giants. There are whole sections devoted to toys so there's no avoiding the inevitable pleas from children presented with their every wildest dream every time you call in for a pint of milk. Our Matthew's grandson is no different. The little lad is only four years old and to him this toy section is like every Christmas morning he's ever dreamed of all rolled in to one.

"Eh?" I say.

Rory lifts a box of four water pistols from the shelf and almost topples over under the weight of them. I grab it quick and steady him before he smacks his head off the corner of a shelf.

"Woah," I say to him, "steady on, our kid."

"I want these water pistols," Rory says emphatically, "there's four altogether. You, me, Uncle Nicky and Grandad can all play with them in the garden."

I look at the box. The pistols are nothing special. I've seen more power in a carrot. But the kid is right. It's a boiling hot day and perhaps an hour in the garden shooting each other up is exactly what this fecked up family needs to bond.

And who can say no to little Rory, who hasn't seen his daddy in over a year. Deaglan has been stuck in New York over this bloody pandemic, unable to get home to his son, missing out on all the drama we have going on here. The kid, innocently caught in the middle of it all, deserves a little joy in his life. I take a pistol out of the box and work my finger over the trigger, pretending to shoot, while Rory laughs and crouches down low.

"Aye you can have them," I tell him, and ruffle his hair with my fingers.

Right on cue the ever uptight Nicky slides up to us, almost falling over himself in his desperation to spoil any fun. He's swaggering about in his police uniform with a stick up his arse as usual. No tie or epaulettes but you can still tell he's an off-duty police officer. The cunt.

"I don't think so," he says rather efficiently as he plucks the box and the pistols out of my hands.

"What the f...Nicky!" I say, and pull the box back from him, "what's wrong with you?"

"I don't think it's appropriate for children to play with guns," Nicky says matter-of-factly.

"Aww!" Rory whines, "please, Uncle Nicky!"

His face creases and I can't bear to see him look sad. I know from experience that arguing with Nicky isn't easy. He's a jumped-up, self-important and arrogant little prick. In fact he's just like me when I was his age. It amuses me somewhat. I know that he'll get wound up like a clock if I challenge his decision - and I'm really trying to make friends with him, honest - but I've got to try and change his mind, for the little lad's sake.

"Well they're only water pistols," I say with a little shrug, "not gonna do much damage with them, eh, Nick auld fella?"

Nicky pulls a straight-laced expression and looks down his nose at me like a seasoned bloodhound would look at a yapping pup. He thinks I'm scum, I realise as we face each other off. He'll always look down on me like this, because in his bright, British eyes I'll always represent the dirty side of Ireland. I feel the vein on my temple flicker. I have to take a deep breath to keep my cool.

"It's not about any potential risk of damage," Nicky breaks the tension between us with a belittling little sniff, "it's about the psychology. Teaching children that guns are good fun and can't hurt anyone is a slippery slip. Before we know it he'll be twelve years old and shooting up his gym class."

"Fuck off Nicky, this is England, not America," I try to laugh off his point but he just keeps staring.

"And I don't think you, of all people, Kieran O'Driscoll, are in any position at all to be encouraging my nephew to take an interest in firearms," Nicky looks down his nose at me again.

I've been trying hard to handle his snooty arrogance for weeks. I really have. But something inside me snaps.

"Why?" I ask, squaring up to him, "because I was in the IRA? Is that it?"

I don't know what I'm doing. I'm 79 years old. Nicky is 45. I haven't got a chance against him in a fight, especially not with all his police training, but it's my pride that pushes me on. I have to stand up for myself, be a man about it. Teach this little arsehole a lesson.

"Yes," Nicky nods his head, "because you dealt firearms for terrorist organisation. And I don't want you playing with any sort of gun, imitation or otherwise, in front of my brother's son."

Deaglan is Nicky's own twin brother. They've never met. They were seperated at birth. Deaglan stayed in Ireland with Matthew, Nicky went to England with Kate. And now he fancies himself as the big Englishman, the creme de la creme of Britishness, superior above each and all other nationalities. And he spent his whole life loathing the Irish for putting his mother in a wheelchair. She was was a British soldier, victim of an IRA bomb, Newry police station, 1975. Sad story.

It was a terrible shock to poor Nicholas Jamie Hawley when he discovered that his father was not, as his mother always told him, a dead British soldier who died for his country in a halo of bullets. His father Matthew is in fact a proud Ulsterman who is very much alive and even did time for murder. Nicky's brain must have exploded inside his skull when it tried to digest this information. When he realised that half of him bled for Ireland it nearly knocked him sick.

But he had to get used to the idea because this pandemic threw us all together under the same roof, forcing us to learn to love and live with each other. And so here we are, factions of a long-estranged family trying to find common ground, and about to start fighting over water pistols in Sainsbury's.

"You'll never forgive me for being ex-IRA, will you?" I ask him.

"Never," Nicky lifts his chin, "once a terrorist, always a terrorist in my book."

"I did my time, Nicholas," I tell him, "27 years in a hell-hole of a prison. Oh Lord I suffered. And I'm deeply sorry for my transgressions as a younger man."

"Sorry will never be enough," Nicky whispers, "what your sort did to my mother..."

I close my eyes. I don't like think of it. And all over some water pistols to make the little lad happy!

The Voice of Reason enters stage left. Here is Matthew O'Driscoll, everyone's favourite peace-keeping fence-sitter. He spent an age parking the car and has only just joined us. He's as Irish as I am but everyone loves him, even Nicky, because...well because he's Matthew. Need I say more?

Matthew is astute. He studies the body language between me and his long-lost son and folds his arms, awaiting explanation.

"What's going on?" he asks.

"The wee bairn wanted a few water pistols to play with," I said, "and PC Gobshite over here has got an issue with it."

Matthew looks at Nicky who blushes a little as if he suddenly feels rather foolish.

"I didn't think it was ok," he says. His mouth is suddenly dry and he swallows, "to promote guns to a child. I'm in Loco Parentis for Rory. Deaglan has trusted me to look after him. I don't want to fuck it up and send the kid back to his dad thinking guns are ok. Because they're not. What would Deaglan think of me?"

He gives Matthew a slow look. Matthew nods his head. He is trying to understand Nicky's perspective. The man is nervous about all this family stuff. He's still reeling from the shock of discovering he has a family he never knew, that the family is Irish, that there is a man out there in the world who shares his face. Appearance and reputation is key right now. Nicky has never been a parent and suddenly, thanks to the pandemic, he's stepping in to care for his twin brother's son. He wants to do a good job. Of course he does.

It's interesting that Nicky never gives Matthew any stick about being Irish. Let's not forget that Matthew did prison time too. In 1994 he shot his own best mate in the head to stop the IRA from kidnapping and torturing him. We've never spoken about the fact it was me who ordered Brophy's kidnapping in the first place. If I'd have got my hands on Donnachadh Brophy all those years I'd have cut his balls off, fried them in Crisp N Dry oil, added little salt and pepper to taste and made the cunt eat them. But not now. I've mellowed out now. I'm not like that any more. I wouldn't hurt a hair on Brophy's head if he were alive today. And I don't deal in guns. Except water pistols because...well they're water pistols for feck's sake.

"You mean you've taken offence to Kieran handling a gun because he's Irish, is it that it?" Matthew asks.

"Not because he's Irish, per se," Nicky says, "but because of...it's because he has previous."

Matthew nods. The simple action brings calm to the situation. Nicky is feeling heard. He relaxes a little.

"I know you still suffer the fear of the IRA," Matthew says to him softly, "I know as a kid they haunted your dreams. You grew up thinking you had to protect your Mammy from them. But it's all in the past, Nicky. Wether we like it or not we're all together now and there are things we have to forgive each other for if we're going to survive this virus. And survive as a family. Because that's all any of us ever longed for, isn't it? It's time to let go, son."

Matthew takes the pistol from Nicky's grip. The police officer tightens but then releases his hold, surrendering control to the father he never knew he had, and letting go of the toy gun. It's very poignant, metaphorical moment. Makes the man in me uncomfortable so I try to inject some humour to make it bearable.

"Fecking hell," I scoff, "who do you think you are Matty eh? A walking example of the Good Friday Agreement?"

Matthew doesn't take his eyes from Nicky's face. A silent agreement is passing between them.

"Shut up, Ki," Matthew says without looking at me, "it's all right, Nicky. We're going to take these pistols home, fill them up with water and have a big old laugh together. Three generations shooting cold water at each other. And it will be safe, it will be ok. Because it's what families do together all the time."

"Ok," Nicky starts scratching at his arms in that way he has when needs to self-soothe with a wash, "we'll have a water fight. Together. But I'll need to get a shower first."

"If it makes you feel better," Matthew nodded.

He understands Nicky's need to be clean better than I do. I've never known a man so obsessed with washing his skin, changing his clothes, marinating in aftershave because unfamiliar smells upset him. As soon as you walk into the house we all share his first question is 'have you washed your hands?' He won't let you touch anything until you wash your own hands at the kitchen sink. Which by the way is a Belfast model. That little detail is lost on Nicky. It brings me a private sort of amusement.

Nicky's scratching intensifies. We'll have to hurry up with the shopping now because he has it in his head that he needs a wash and a preen. If he doesn't get to a shower soon he'll start getting all upset with himself. There's no time to argue now.

Matthew hands the pistol to the four-year-old whose innocence is responsible for bringing us all together. And then we all walk on, four abreast, to find the pint of milk we all came in looking for in the first place.

[crying-gay-tears]

Brighter Than the Sun Ch. 5

A night of silly fun before the end of the semester!

Full work

As a treat, here’s a playlist of all the songs they sang at karaoke!

It was a late autumn afternoon, a chilly wind sent leaves skipping across the pavement and shook the almost bare branches of the trees dotting the campus grounds. Another long day of classes had Gon walking home at the end of the day with tense shoulders and a slight headache. He was almost to his building when his phone vibrated in his pocket. It was an email from mail services telling him that a package had arrived and was waiting for him. He checked the time and had about 15 minutes before mail services closed for the day, so he quickly changed direction and headed towards the administration building.

He made it in the nick of time and walked home with the package under his arm and an extra spring in his step, excited to see what goodies awaited him. When he finally made it into his dorm, Killua was sitting on the couch surrounded by open text books and papers. He was holding his phone to his ear with one hand and pinching the bridge of his nose with the other. 

“Yes mom, I did that already. Yes. Gotoh emailed me the flight information this morning. No, I haven’t yet. Just get off my back, okay?! I’m in college now, I’m not a little kid. Well I don’t care! Fine, whatever. Yeah, I’ll see you then. Bye.” He sighed and hung up. 

“Jesus, that woman really knows how to get under my skin. I swear it’s like she lives to make my life more annoying.” 

Gon walked over to the couch, gently pushing some papers aside so he could sit.

“Everything okay?”

He cut his eyes to the side. “Yeah. Pretty sure she just wanted to be nosy and annoying, but making sure I had my shit together for winter break was a nice cover.”

Gon chuckled and shifted to get more comfortable, dropping his backpack to the floor and resting the package in his lap.

Killua scooped up some loose papers and closed the books in front of him, then stretched out on the couch. “What’s in the box?” 

Gon smiled, holding it in front of him like a prize. “It’s a care package from Aunt Mito!” He rested the box on the couch between them, peeling at the tape along the edges. 

It opened to reveal layers of tissue paper and an assortment of treats. Gon pulled out a card, tucked it into his backpack to read later, and then started unloading the rest of the box’s contents.  “Let’s see, there’s some fruit snacks, some gummy worms, two mangoes, a pack of pens--thank goddess I really needed those!-- some herbal tea and hot chocolate packets, and oooh! Yes!!!” He cheered, pulling a large foil wrapped rectangle out. “A loaf of her homemade banana bread, it’s my favorite!” He placed it on the coffee table and gave it a reverent pat before pulling the last item from the box. “And here, this is for you!” 

Killua paused, his expression unreadable. “For... me?”

“Of course! She wouldn’t just send me a bunch of stuff and leave you out!” 

“But...why--I-I mean...how...” he trailed off, at a loss for words. 

Gon just laughed cheerily “Of course I told her all about you! You’re my best friend!” 

A blush spread across Killua’s cheeks. Gon smiled and handed him a small metal tin. It was blue--his favorite color--and his name was scrawled across the lid in loopy cursive with a heart next to it.

Curious, Gon watched as he pulled the lid off. Inside was a chocolate robot surrounded by a dozen homemade chocolate chip cookies. Killua blinked, his eyes grew wide.

Gon stared at him, a huge smile plastered on his face. “Those are her famous cookies! They’re the best, and she only makes them for special occasions. You’re very lucky!’ His lips pulled into a sneaky grin. “I’ll trade you some banana bread for a cookie!”

Killua looked up from the tin in his lap. “Not a chance, Gon.”

He pouted. “But Killuaaaa! Please?!” 

“Uh-uh. She made these special and delicious cookies just for me! I simply cannot share them.” He bit into one and groaned happily.

Gon grinned, yep, those were definitely Mito’s famous cookies. He was so happy Killua got to taste them, if a little jealous that Mito didn’t send any extra for him. Before he could argue and beg for even just a bite, his phone went off in his pocket. He fished it out and had a text from Kurapika. Oh! He almost forgot!

“Killua, get dressed, we gotta go!”

He managed a “Huh?” around a mouthful of cookie.

“I’ve got fun plans tonight, and you’re coming!” He started packing things back into the box.

Killua swallowed. “What? Gon, what are you talking about? I’ve got stuff to do-”

Gon stood and held a finger to his lips, shushing him. “The cookies can wait, Killua, there’s fun to be had! Plus, I’ve been wanting to finally introduce you to some of the friends I’ve been telling you about!” 

Killua stuffed another cookie into his mouth and crossed his arms. He locked eyes with Gon and put on his best poker face. Gon stared right back, unwavering. 

Killua sighed. “I don’t have a choice, do I?”

Gon just giggled and skipped towards his room to get ready.

~~~~~~~~

The setting sun silhouetted the skyline of York New City, casting long shadows across the street. Killua shivered and wrapped his jacket tighter around his torso, the chill in the air raising goosebumps on his arms. They were walking down Main street, and though Gon assured him that they were almost to their destination, he still had no idea what that destination was. He opened his mouth to complain just as Gon came to a halt on the sidewalk.

“We’re here!”

Killua glanced up, YNC Karaoke Bar glowed above them in red neon letters.

“Gon, you’re joking, right?”

“Nope! It’s gonna be so much fun!” Gon poked his tongue out, and pulled open the door. 

With a sigh, Killua followed him inside. The bar was not at all what he was expecting. There was no stage anywhere, just a long hallway with lots of doors on either side. The bar itself was pretty small, a few people were in line to order drinks, and some lingered in the space around it. Music thumped through the air, but it was muffled and unintelligible. The walls were lined with old license plates and tall red lamps stood in every corner. 

Gon looked around for a moment and then his face lit up. “Kurapika!” He waved and made a beeline for the bar. Killua followed behind, watching as a man with shoulder length blonde hair waved in their direction. 

Gon skipped up to him and gave him a quick hug. The man, Kurapika, looked a little surprised by the contact, but smiled nonetheless. Gon was beaming. “Kurapika, this is my roommate Killua! Killua, this is my lab partner Kurapika!” He motioned between the two of them as he spoke, and Kurapika offered a hand which Killua shook. 

“Nice to meet you Killua, I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Killua felt heat rise in his cheeks, but he managed a smile. “Likewise”

Gon looked around the room again. “Where’s Leorio?”

Kurapika motioned over his shoulder towards the bar. “He went to get some drinks from the b-”

“Oi! Gon!!” A loud voice bellowed from across the room, and a tall man with dark hair and glasses greeted them shortly after. 

“Leorio!” Gon launched forward into a hug, almost spilling the drinks in Leorio’s hands. 

Leorio just chucked. “It’s good to see you too! And who’s this?” He asked, voice still booming despite their proximity. He motioned to Killua. “Is this the one you talk about all the time? Killua, is it? It’s nice to finally meet you!”

Killua awkwardly rubbed at the back of his neck. “Yeah, that’s me. Nice to meet you too.” 

Gon was smiling like an idiot. “Killua, this is Leorio, Kurapika’s roommate!”

Kurapika’s side eye was sharp when he said “Yeah, I had a room to myself until someone got kicked out of their own dorm.”

Leorio laughed boisterously, sipping one of the drinks he was holding. “I didn’t get kicked out, I chose to leave for my own sanity, and the safety of my former roommate.”

Killua quirked an eyebrow. 

Kurapika rolled his eyes. “He punched his old roommate in the face, and the dean said he had to find a place off campus because all of the dorm rooms were full. Unfortunately, I had previously made the mistake of mentioning to Leorio that I managed to score a room to myself for the year.”

“It’s not my fault! Tonpa is an asshole, and needed to be put in his place!”

“Yes, and being the divine bringer of justice that you are, you sacrificed your own housing to do so.”

Leorio stuck his chin up, “I regret nothing.”

Kurapika sighed and rolled his eyes, Gon just chuckled. 

“So,” Killua started, shifting from foot to foot, “how do we, uh… what is this place?”

“Ah, yes!” Leorio handed a drink to Kurapika and motioned to the long hallway behind them. “Our room is reserved and our time slot starts in,” he glanced at the watch on his wrist, “shit, right now! Let’s go!”

They headed down the hallway and stopped at a door midway down on the left. It opened to reveal a dimly lit room with an L shaped leather couch against the wall.  Circles of rainbow colored lights shone on the walls and reflected in the disco ball turning slowly overhead. A karaoke machine was set up on a tiny stage in the front of the room, and tv screens hung in both corners over it. When they stepped inside a server showed up and greeted them. She handed them menus and showed them how to operate the karaoke machine. 

She left briefly and returned with sodas for Gon and Killua and some cheese fries for everyone, and then they were left alone to sing their hearts out. Well, Leorio and Gon sang their hearts out. Killua mostly laughed and recorded their performances while Kurapika heckled their dance moves. After a particularly rousing rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody, they both flopped onto the couch, exhausted. 

Leorio chugged the rest of his drink. “Kurapika! I’m going to order another vodka cranberry, and then you’re gonna sing with me!” 

“Absolutely not, Leorio. Unlike you, I refuse to make a fool of myself.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll just keep buying you drinks until your ass is drunk enough to sing something.” Leorio teased and then poked his head out of the door to flag down their server. 

Sure enough, a few drinks later and Kurapika was standing up, mic in hand and singing.

“I got guns in my head and they won't go. Spirits in my head and they won't go...”

After a dramatic performance that Kurapika would later deny ever happened, he had a seat and switched to water for the rest of the night. 

Gon was midway through his performance of Wannabe by the Spice Girls, when he locked eyes with Killua who had been quietly singing along from his spot on the couch. Shit.

When the song wrapped, Gon walked up to him and grabbed his hands, trying to pull him up off the couch.

“Come sing with me Killua! I saw you singing along, you know you wanna try it!” 

Gon hadn’t been drinking, but he was still so excited and silly, the energy of the room and the songs clearly had him riled up. 

“Come on Killua!” Leorio urged. “If Kurapika can do it you sure as hell can!” He started chanting.  “Kil-lu-ah! Kil-lu-ah! Kil-lu-ah!” Gon immediately joined in, but it wasn’t until even Kurapika joined the rally that he finally gave in. 

Killua sighed. “Ugh, fine! I’ll sing a damn song with you. But only one, and no recording you bastards!” He looked pointedly at Kurapika who was already aiming his phone at the stage. 

Kurapika chuckled and tucked his phone back into his pocket, meanwhile Gon was already back at the karaoke machine picking the song they would sing. 

“Nothing cheesy Gon, I mean it!”

He laughed. “Just trust me Killua!”

The karaoke machine counted down from 5 and Gon quickly pulled Killua to his feet and up onto the stage. 

An upbeat riff played through the speakers and Gon took the first few lines while gazing directly into Killua’s eyes.

“Oh don’t you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me. I said you’re holding back, she said shut up and dance with me! This woman is my destiny, she said oh oh oh, shut up and dance with me!”  

Killua recognized the song immediately and sang the next few lines, letting the music drown out his nerves. 

“We were victims of the night. The chemical, physical, kryptonite. Helpless to the bass and the fading light, oh we were bound to get together, bound to get together!” 

They continued singing in earnest, jumping around to the beat and dancing together. As weird as it was to admit, Killua was actually having a great time. The room seemed to melt away and Gon kept grabbing his hands and pulling him in closer. The song was obviously a man singing to a woman, but the pronouns didn’t seem to matter to Gon as he serenaded Killua.

When the song came to a close Gon wrapped him in a hug as Leorio and Kurapika stood and cheered. They stepped off the stage and they all took their seats on the couch. 

“That was awesome you two! Hell yeah Killua! I’m glad you joined. Now that I’ve seen what you can do, you’ll never get away without singing! You either Kurapika!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about Leorio. I’ve never sung a song at karaoke in my life. Nor will I ever.”

“Bullshit! If you think I’m letting this go you’ve got another thing coming! Gon as my witness!”

“We all saw you Kurapika, I’m pretty sure there’s even photo evidence…” Gon teased.

“What?! Destroy it!”

As their conversation dissolved into silly bickering, Killua just watched with a smile on his face. It was a surreal feeling, being welcomed by them all with open arms, and he was already so comfortable with them. It felt so...natural. Was this what true friendship felt like? 

College was seriously amazing so far. With a little space and freedom he’d found out more about himself, and now he’d found people that he could actually be himself around. It was a whole new world, so different from the one he’d known before. Was it real? Would it last? Could he really make his own way, be his own person and live his own life?  And was this what that life could be like?  Full of people that cared for him and made him feel happy and at peace? First the care package from Mito and now this? Looking around, it was like he was in a perfect bubble. 

And in two weeks, that bubble would burst, and he’d be back home, surrounded by his family. His real family who somehow felt a lot less like a family than the people he currently shared a booth with. 

Leorio raised his glass and called for a toast, snapping him out of his thoughts.

“To good beer, good friends, and a good life!” He declared, cheeks flushed from the alcohol. They all raised their glasses and toasted, Gon was giggling as if he were tipsy from his virgin shirley temple.

Kurapika smiled. “This was a great last hoorah before finals.”

Killua nodded in agreement, “Yeah I definitely needed this to help get me through all the boring reading.” 

“Finals?” Gon chirped, a confused look on his face. 

Killua quirked an eyebrow, “Yeah? They're starting next week?” Had he really forgotten about finals?

“Wait, WHAT?” He gripped the edge of the table. “I thought they were in two weeks!” 

Kurapika sipped his water, “No, two weeks is when Winter break begins. We’ve got finals coming this Monday and then break starts the weekend after next.”

Gon was flabbergasted. “B-but--”

Killua snorted. “Why did you think I’ve been surrounded by piles of books and notes in the common room all week?”

Gon was starting to look pale, his eyes were darting between the three of them like he was desperately looking for something and he couldn’t find it. 

 “I haven’t started studying at all yet! I can’t believe I didn’t realize--wait, what day is today??”

“It’s Friday, Gon.” Killua said, trying to keep his tone neutral so he wouldn’t laugh. Gon was practically vibrating beside him.

“Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh no, I’m totally fucked!” He tugged at his hair, eyes wide. 

Killua had never heard Gon swear so much, even Kurapika was hiding a surprised smile.

Leorio took a large gulp of his drink and puffed his chest out. “It’ll be okay Gon, don’t worry! You have all weekend to prepare, you’re a smart guy, I’m sure you’ll be fine!” 

Gon didn’t respond, he just stared into the middle distance, mouth set in a tight line. Killua could almost see the gears turning in his brain. 

He stood suddenly. “I gotta go.”

Leorio tried to intervene, “Gon, it’s late! You can start in the morning with a fresh mind--”

“I can’t waste anymore time! I’ve gotta go!” His expression was a mix of panic and determination. 

He nudged Killua’s shoulder and he stood to let him out of the booth.

They all watched as he scrambled out the door without another word. 

“Welp,” Killua raised his soda again, “to Gon! Godspeed!”

“To Gon!” their glasses clinked. 

[candyheartharry]

Go Your Own Way - Part 1

Hello, hello! I know I brought this up a while ago, a good collection of people seemed interested, so sorry it took me a while to touch it up and post it, but here’s Go Your Own Way, which as stated previously is based off a tweet I once say for a Mamma Mia!-esque movie using Fleetwood Mac songs and starring Harry. OBVIOUSLY I once again have a playlist which can be found right here This first part is roughly 2k words for a shorter little intro piece before we dive in a little deeper, please please please let me know what you think and as always I hope you enjoy! 💕The film of the same name stars Harry as our lead, who on screen is the frontman of an up and coming band called The Silk Roses in the mid-70′s, while our female lead (who also wrote and directed the film) plays his not-so-obvious love interest when she joins the band singing background vocals at the suggestion of the band’s guitarist who met her through her brother. During the day she manages the record shop her father had started, while her brother runs a recording studio out of the back where The Silk Roses recorded their early demos. Off camera, Harry and the main character have become close friends, and sometimes acting as someone’s love interest can be hard to drop when the cameras aren’t rolling. 

“She’s a real triple threat if I’ve ever met one.”

“What do you mean triple? All we did in the film was sing and act!”

“Well, yeah, but you wrote it too, didn’t you? I’d say that definitely counts for something.”

“The question was ‘What did you learn the most about the other while working on the movie’ so my answer would be that Harry likes to make jokes, but can’t take jokes.”

At the fourth and final interview for the last day of the press tour, the two main leads answered yet another round of questions, this time doing a special feature for Vogue’s 73 question’s segment while taking them on a tour of the set. Harry was obviously well known for the countless accolades he had collected throughout his career, while she was the rising starlet about to make her “triple threat” debut for writing, directing, and starring as the lead in her own film. If she was going to write a role for someone to play Harry Styles’ love interest, who better for the role than herself? The film, a movie musical about the personal lives of a band on the cusp of fame in the mid-70’s with a soundtrack composed exclusively of Fleetwood Mac songs, was set to debut at the end of the month in New York City at Radio City Music Hall, so this final day of interviews was likely to be the last time the costars would see each other until the release. 

After answering the final questions for the interview while leading the interviewer back to the parking lot, the pair made their way back to the trailers to collect their things before going their separate ways. While they had formally been given their own trailers, they had grown so close during the filming process they ended up informally sharing one the majority of the time; what had started as an accident after quickly rushing back from sneaking off site during an ensemble rehearsal time and throwing all their belongings in one dressing room before running to set had grown into a habit. Although the film had wrapped months ago, there was a good majority of the promo that was filmed on location, so naturally they fell back into the habit of unintentionally sharing a dressing room to spare each of them from having to cut their conversations short, especially this time around since they hadn’t seen each other nearly as much as they did during filming. 

“So have you already gotten your arrangements to New York straightened out?” Harry asked once the two of them reached his dressing room; he took a seat at the swiveling chair in front of the vanity mirror while she took up her usual spot on his couch next to his entirely too expensive Gucci throw pillows and an acoustic guitar. “Yeah, I’m getting there a couple days ahead just to have some downtime, what about you?” she asked as she tucked her feet underneath her and held one of the pink pillows to her chest. He held out his hand for her to pass his guitar over to him, and once he had it in his hands, he absentmindedly played a few notes to a song as he replied. 

“Yeah, I’m gonna get into town pretty early. I’ve got a flight out tomorrow, so I’ll be in town about two weeks.” He kept his focus on the guitar in his lap while he spoke to her, and glanced up for just a moment before he carried on with his thoughts. “You should let me know once you’re in town and we could go to dinner or something,” Harry tried to say as casually as he could, while in the meantime she held her grip on the pillow a little more tightly at his proposal. 

“There’s bound to be another twenty-five headlines about how me might be dating if we do,” she attempted to say as coolly as she could, not about to turn him down, but wanting to make sure he actually really wants to. “You get used to them,” he shrugged, not looking up from his guitar. He had already made up his mind that if she turns him down now, he would ask again once they’re both actually in the city, so really she didn’t have a choice in the matter, although he’d really like a confirmed yes from her now. “But if you really don’t want to be seen out with me, you can always just come by my apartment,” he continued, glancing up at her again, knowing he’ll break her down eventually, but not knowing that he never really has to at all since she’d say yes to nearly anything he asked her. 

She rolled her eyes at him and shook her head as he continued to play his guitar with that stupid smirk on his face. “Why are you so insistent on the fact that you think I don’t like you? Explain to me where you would get that idea?” she pressed, letting go of how firmly she’s gripping the pillow to fold her hands on top of it. He stopped playing his guitar and for the first time this entire conversation he properly looked up at her. 

“So we’re going to dinner once you get into the city; if you don’t tell me when you’re arriving, I’ll just have somebody get in touch with the premiere coordinator and they’ll let me know when you’re supposed to get there. You don’t have to come if you really don’t want to, but I’d really like it if you came,” he said with a soft smile, melting her heart that would do anything for him.

“Harry, you know I’d always go to dinner with you, you never have to try to convince me,” she said reassuringly, matching his smile. He went back to playing his guitar before he could stare at her too long and start to blush. She’s got a question that’s been on her mind since day one of pre-production, and once he was cast for the lead role in the film that she wrote, she knew Harry would be the best person to ask.

“So is anybody you know coming to the premiere?” she tried to ask casually. 

“No not this one, my mum and my sister are coming to the one in London. Your family coming?” he asked while she watched his fingers dance across the strings. “I’m not sure, they haven’t said for sure yet,” she took a moment’s pause before she gets to her actual point of asking. “Would you happen to know if Stevie is gonna be able to make it?” she asked trying to sound nonchalant about the concept, hopeful that he can pull some strings, but not getting her hopes up in case it doesn’t work out. She had been at the same events as Stevie Nicks about three times now, but they’ve never been able to actually be introduced. 

“Last I talked to her she said she would like to but might have rehearsals scheduled that day, so it kind of depends on what she’s got going on,” Harry replied as he started to play a different song. “If I hear one way or another from her, I’ll let you know,” he added with a knowing smile, very familiar with all that she’s told him about how she’s nearly met her more than once now, but never quite gets the opportunity to. “I think Mick might be coming? Maybe Christine?” he threw in, hoping an appearance by some other members of Fleetwood Mac would still be good enough for her fangirl heart. 

“I’d be honored to properly meet any of them, I can’t believe you just talk about them so casually. It still blows my mind you’re practically adopted into the family collectively by all of them together,” she said exasperatedly. She had never missed the opportunity to let him know how jealous she was of his connections to one of her favorite bands since the day she met him. He abruptly stopped playing in the middle of his second song. 

“You know, sometimes I really wonder if you wanted me in your movie just so I could introduce you to the band, you know that?” he teased, to which she calmly and casually placed the pillow she had been holding back down on the couch before standing up. She motioned for him to hand over the guitar and placed it behind her on the couch as well before she walked over to him and placed her hands on the arms of his chair, leaning down so they were nearly eye level so he’s forced to look at her directly. 

“We’re friends, aren’t we, Harry?” she asked casually.

“I mean at this rate we’ve known each other for a little over a year now, so I’d hope so,” he replied with a smirk.  

She leaned in just a little bit closer - any closer and one might argue it’s pushing the boundaries of just friendship she had just asked him to confirm - and continued. She softly brushed back a strand of his hair behind his ear and gently cupped his jaw in one of her hands, the feather light touches against his face being something that their friendship isn’t accustomed to off camera.   “Let’s make it very clear that I’d push you off of a bridge to meet Stevie Nicks and not think twice about it,” she said before giving a soft kiss to his cheek and a gentle pat to his jaw, after which she collected her purse from the vanity behind him before heading to the door to leave. 

Before she exited, she turned around to him one last time, where he remained looking both a touch shocked and surprised in his seat. “I’ll let you know once I’m in New York, if you don’t take me to dinner, I’ll be very personally offended. See you soon!” she announced with a quick wave over her shoulder before she was out the door, leaving Harry with his heart racing as he turned to face the mirror behind him, his fingers gently going to the place she kissed on his cheek where he finally let a flustered smile make his way to his face. Mixed signals on exactly how close they were as friends was another trend they had developed during filming; it was almost expected and it seemed as if it hadn’t ended once the project wrapped.

[katahnisharma]

the press tour [5] | t.h.

Word Count: 2.5 K

Warnings: none, i don’t think??

Summary: You’re a new, inexperienced actress plucked from the obscurity of everyday life to play the lead in the reboot of a famous British Jane Austen novel, and Tom Holland just so happens to be playing your love interest.

A/N: This one is a mini chapter so it’s shorter, but next week’s will be longer. Also Tumblr apparently won’t let me link things so if you’re looking for my masterlist, playlist, taglist, or writing challenge it’s in my bio <3 

Tom Holland and Zendaya Officially Together! Is Marriage on the Cards?

“Ugh! It’s on BBC too?! I thought they had journalistic integrity!!”

For the past two days, every news channel had been carrying Tom and Zendaya’s whirlwind romance. Everywhere you looked, there were pictures of the two of them being cute somewhere. Out to lunch, taking a stroll in New York City holding hands, kissing in Paris, even posing for photos with fans at Central Park. It hurt every time you turned on the TV, it was like you were intentionally trying to see the new reports. You were shocked Tom had moved on so quickly, and with the girl he had always said he felt nothing for.

Guess that was a lie.

There were so many thoughts running through your mind about Tomdaya that you didn’t hear Bailey come down the stairs and stand next to you with her hands on her hips.

“That’s it, you need to leave the house. You haven’t moved from this couch in two days. You need to get out and date.” She said, pulling the blanket off you. You winced and glared at her, snatching the blanket back. You were also clutching a near empty tub of Haagen-Daz cookie dough ice cream, but you had mixed reactions about it because the brand was apparently Zendaya’s favorite.

Wow, you were petty.

“Really? What, just like that?” You muttered, poking around the tub with your spoon. You’d been picking out the cookie dough bits, and Bailey used to tease you for it. She thought it was stupid that you bought ice cream just to pick at it, but now it just made her sad. You looked so tired and upset, it was killing her.

“What, like it’s hard? You’re Y/N Y/L/N! All you have to do is bat your eyelashes. flash a smile and you’re set!” Bailey cried, sitting next to you and throwing the tub over your shoulder. You let out a yell, but she pulled you back before you could go find it. She looked at you and you felt yourself shrink from her eyes. You knew she was right, but you weren’t over Tom yet. Your heart needed time to heal.

“Fine, give me some time to get over him and I’ll do it. But I’ll only date on one condition.” You said, and Bailey let out a sigh of relief. If it meant you would finally leave the house and get out a bit, she would do whatever it took. She leaned forward and motioned for you to continue.

“You have to date too.” You smiled, and Bailey immediately recoiled. She jumped up from the sofa and began to pace around the TV. You watched her, rolling your eyes at how dramatic she was being.

“Yeah, no. No, absolutely not!” Bailey said, standing in front of you shaking her head emphatically. You got up and threw the tub in the trash. Surprisingly, you felt a little lighter having done it, and you turned back to see Bailey staring out the window.

“Too bad then. Bumble would have been perfect for you. The women get to pick the men, which is perfect for a powerful, independent woman like you. No more creeps and losers. Plus, I mean Priyanka Chopra created it so....” You said, and you swore Bailey perked up a little. She turned to look at you and she pursed her lips.

“Shut up, you’re just trying to flatter me. And you know I love Priyanka.” She whispered, and you laughed for the first time in a while. You had almost forgotten what that sounded like.

“Well, duh. Is it working?” You giggled, and Bailey threw a pillow at you which just narrowly missed. You threw it back and it hit the vase that held Tom’s lilies. They were dying anyways, and the vase hit the floor and shattered. You weren’t one to believe in signs, but it seemed like one.

“Yes. Alright, I’ll think about it. Now get up, the Met Gala is in three days and you need to meet with designers.” Bailey said, giving you a dress to change into. You took it and realized it was the same one you had worn on the date with Tom. Bailey saw the look and gave you a “come on, just wear it” look, and you weren’t about to argue with her while she was considering dating for the first time in five years.

“On it, boss. I’ll be back in a bit.”

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Three days later and you were standing in front of the mirror, completely taken aback at your appearance. There you were, looking ethereal in a custom Maison Valentino gown and your makeup done to perfection. The theme for the Met Gala was Ethereal Fairytales, and Pier Paolo Piccioli had outdone himself. Your inspiration was Rapunzel, and you couldn’t be happier with it. The dress was a light purple satin that draped to the floor in a long train. The sleeves were a light chiffon that extended into a lacey, embroidered cape in the back. The rest of the dress was done in brocade, with jewels and flowers sewn into the fabric. With the lace and embroidery, the gown looked much heavier than it was. In reality, it was so light that you felt you were wearing feathers.

“You look so beautiful!” Bailey squealed, clapping her hands behind you. You turned and smiled, thanking Pier for his handiwork. Bailey looked gorgeous herself. She was wearing a strapless pale pink Stella McCartney dress with clear sequins. When you had asked her to come with you to the gala, she’d nearly had a heart attack. And then she had pulled out the only formal dress she had, and your heart nearly broke. Bailey hadn’t bought a new dress in years, though you knew you paid her enough for designer clothes. All the money she made went back to her family, keeping only what she needed to survive.

So you bought the dress for her, whatever she liked. At first, Bailey protested and refused to wear it. She thought it was far too extravagant and she felt embarrassed that you were spending all this money on her. But you assured her that she deserved it, she was the world’s best personal assistant. Plus, Priyanka Chopra was going to be there and she had to look stunning in case they bumped into each other.

They weren’t actually going to “bump into each other,'' you'd asked Priyanka if she would mind meeting Bailey at some point in the night. But Bailey didn’t have to know that. As far as she knew, the meeting would be purely kismet.

“You think so? I feel like a goddess.” You whispered, and Pier nodded in agreement. Bailey took your hand and twirled you around. The dress moved with you, and it made the most beautiful sweeping motion. Your hair was curled slightly and left half up and half down, and somehow Christian Louboutin had gifted you a pair of Degrastrass. Bailey had done her own makeup, she insisted upon it, but you bought her a pair of nude Sandale du Deserts which you wouldn’t let her refuse.

“Well, you look like one. And thank you for letting me come, and spending all this money on me. You shouldn’t have.” She whispered and you slung and arm over her shoulder.

“You don’t have to thank me, we’re best friends first and foremost. I wanted you here, and as for the money it was no big deal at all. I’m just glad you actually agreed to wear everything.” You laughed, and she nudged you slightly. You asked Pier to take a picture of the two of you, and he agreed graciously. You’d post it to your instagram later. After Pier had taken a picture of you and you’d grabbed your clutch, the three of you were planning to leave.

That is, until something on the TV caught your attention.

Pier had turned on the live red carpet updates for the Met Gala, because you loved seeing what everyone was wearing. There were some big names at the event, and Bailey had screamed when Nick and Priyanka arrived. The couples of course looked amazing, and you found yourself wishing that you had a date too. You wished you were here with Tom.

And that’s when you saw them.

Tom and Zendaya had stepped out of a limo, and your heart stopped. You almost weren’t breathing as you realized they were wearing coordinated outfits. Law Roach guided them up the steps and Bailey rested a hand on your shoulder to console you. They looked so beautiful together, you almost cried. Then you remembered Nina Park had done your makeup, so you couldn’t cry. Zendaya was wearing a gorgeous blue gown in the style of Princess Tiana’s from the Disney movie The Princess and the Frog. Except it had been elevated, so that the dress was a modern take. The left sleeve was satin and hung from her shoulder and the bodice was lace to match the lace trimmed hem. Tom was so handsome it hurt. He wore a cream colored suit that was trimmed with gold around the edges. A blue sash went across his chest and it accentuated his body. Tears pricked your eyes and you physically willed them away.

You cried for days over Tom, but you refused to do that today.

“You okay?” Bailey asked, and you nodded, straightening up again. Pier stood by the door, giving you a sympathetic look. You knew he meant well, but it rubbed you the wrong way. You didn’t want people to pity you, you wanted them to just see you.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s go, we’re holding everyone up.” You said, and Pier took your arm to lead you out. Bailey walked behind, making sure your train wouldn’t catch and keeping photographers at a distance. There were lights everywhere, and you could barely focus as the cameras flashed. People shouting your name, telling you to turn, asking you about Tom, it was almost too much. Thank God for Pier, or you would have fainted on the spot. A particularly bold photographer moved forward, jostling to get your attention.

“Y/N! Y/N! How do you feel about Tom and Zendaya?” He yelled, and for a brief moment Bailey looked as though she was about to physically throw him out. But you held up your hand, and tried your best to plaster a smile on your face. Pier steadied you and you gave the photographer a defiant look.

“Why, am I supposed to say something scandalous?” You laughed, and the photographers laughed with you. For the first time in a while, you felt as though you had the upper hand. The photographer went red, but he persisted.

“I mean, how do you feel after Tom dumped you for Zendaya?” He shouted over the noise and your face went slack. You felt sick to your stomach, hearing someone say it for the first time. Sure, you had never officially dated each other, but the man was right. Tom had dumped you for one of the most beautiful women in the world.

Ouch.

“I’m happy for them, Tom and I are just friends. Nothing more. That salacious enough for you?” You asked, and the photographer went silent. Bailey came to your aid and told the photographers to stop asking questions. This wasn’t an interview, she said, and they needed to respect your privacy. Pier took your hand and lead you farther up the carpet. You were still shaking from the encounter, but you forced yourself to smile. Your father had always told you to never let your detractors know they hurt you.

It was a sign of weakness, and you weren’t weak.

“Alright, this stretch is just cameras, Pier will be answering the questions.” Bailey said, and you breathed a sigh of relief. You didn’t think you’d be able to endure any more questions about Tom and Zendaya. Pier stood with you as you posed and looked on as Pier talked about the process involved in creating your dress. From the corner of your eye, you could see Beyonce and Saoirse Ronan climb the stairs behind you. Bailey was watching, completely starstruck.

“See Priyanka anywhere?” You asked and Bailey shook her head.

“No, she’s probably inside with Nick already. It’s fine, it was cool just getting to see her on TV.” Bailey gushed, and Pier helped you up the steps to the top to take your final picture. Bailey stood next to you, because you made her, and you both looked down onto the street below.

“I would never have imagined I’d be here.” You said, and Bailey looked at you. She had more faith in you than you had in yourself, and though she wouldn’t say it aloud, she was extremely proud of you.

“Well, I would have. I know I don’t say this often enough, I’m really proud of you Y/N.” She said, and your mouth dropped a little. Bailey wasn’t one to talk about her feelings, so this was a big deal.

“I love you, you know that right?” You said, and Bailey rolled her eyes. You could see her eyes start to well up, and she dabbed at them lightly.

Awww, what a softie.

“Yeah, yeah. Stop making me cry, my makeup actually looks good today.” Bailey whispered, and she helped you up the stairs as Pier followed. The carpet began to get thinner, until you reached the doors of the Metropolitan. One more step, and you’d be inside one of the biggest events of the year.

“Ready?” Bailey asked, and you smiled at her and Pier.

“As I’ll ever be.” You replied, and with that you walked out of the frying pan and into the fire.