#and she Asked about me. she seemed so preoccupied with me Specifically it seems!

[orcelito]

Salty bitch in me sooooo satisfied by the fact that I probably make more money than the person who made my life hell last year lmfaooooo

[the-offside-rule]

Fernando Alonso (McLaren era) - Envious pt.2

A part 2 to Envious

Fernando walked into the paddock on the Thursday for his usual media stuff. His PR manager had brought him around, filling him I on what questions most interviewers would be asking him. Whilst they walked into the interviewing area, glancing around for Y/n. He was quite desperate to see her. He found himself having to watch her past interviews just to make the feeling of missing her go away. How could be miss her? He wasn't even with her? They weren't exactly on speaking terms. "Can we start with ITV?" He asked, eager to see Y/n. "Just get it over with? Of course." They made their way over to ITV. Fernando looked up, expecting to see Y/n but instead seeing a different girl. He crossed his arms, a confused look on his face. "Where is Y/n?" He asked. "You'll be happy to learn, she has a segment to do with Lewis for ITV." His PR manager told him, preparing her voice recorder. "No." He mumbled. "Pardon?"

"I won't do the interview for ITV unless it is Y/n asking the questions. Where is she?" The ITV production team exchanged uneasy glances. "I don't think she can change her segment, Fernando." One of them said. "I'll worry about that. I would like Y/n to interview me. We'll be back when Y/n is." He said walking away and leaving a few confused souls. Fernando went about doing his interviews but he kept glancing over at the ITV crowd, hoping he would see Y/n but each time he looked over, disappointment struck. Y/n was on the other side of the paddock, getting ready to start her segment when she got a call from her boss. "Im about to turn my phone off. I have to go do this segment." Y/n said as she answered the phone. "The segment can wait. You're needed in the interview pen." She couldnt believe the words being said to her. "I don't understand. Did Darcy just get up and leave?" She asked. "No, but Alonso is being specific about who is interviewing him and he'd like you to interview him." She chuckled. "Well, if only we were accommodating."

"We are. He's refusing to do interviews with us until you are back." She rolled her eyes. "He is so childish. He's just bored. Darcy will do." Y/n protested. "No, we need the Fernando interview." She threw her arms in the air. "It's an interview that will last two minutes! I worked so hard to get this Lewis interview!" She was near shouting at this stage. "Sleeping with the driver in question does not mean you worked hard for it." She felt her heart drop with those words. "I didn't and I won't ever sleep my way to where I want to go." She hung up and groaned.

ITV had been panicking, but eventually located Y/n, who seemed stressed and preoccupied and angry, which when interviewing Fernando became normal. Fernando turned to see her talking sternly to the girl that was interviewing. He hoped he didn't get her in trouble but at the end of the day, he finally got Y/n. He walked towards her, his PR manager following behind closely.

"Y/n." He said approaching Y/n. She didn't look up. "Fernando." She replied, engrossed in the papers she held. "What's wrong with my intern?" Y/n asked as Fernando walked towards her. "Too boring. I want a little fun in these things." He smiled. "And you are a child." She said, taking out her notebook and pen. As Y/n prepped for the interview, flicking through her countless pages, Fernando decided to begin his redemption (if you could call it that) and share a warm smile with her. "How are you today?" he asked, catching her off guard. She looked up confused. Stumbling over her words, she replied, "I'm... I'm good, thank you. How about you, Fernando?" He chuckled. "I'm doing well. I was worried you weren't going to interview me today." He said. "Believe me, I wanted the segment with Lewis but you pushed for me to interview you." He clenched his jaw. "That must has set me back a bit but I'm intrigued, why do you want me to interview you?" She asked. "You bring a smile to my face. How about that?" Y/n kept her skepticism. "Okay. Ready to roll?" She asked her camera man.

Confused but intrigued, Y/n began the interview. "Hello, Fernando. Its a new race week here in Malaysia. Are you hoping hoping to better than your P2 last race weekend?" She asked, trying to add a harshness in the fact he had P3. "Well, of course. The Race was difficult last week with Kimi doing so well in the Ferrari and obviously, as a driver you always have to strive to be the best at what you do. I feel like it would be the same for journalists which is why why are as highly regarded as you are." He smiled. Y/n pulled a face. Did he just....compliment her? What was he up to?

"Do you think that long-term, you could beat Ferrari in the constructors or even beat them to the driver championship?" Fernando took a deep breath in. "Well, it's always tricky to pin-point these things but I think I could get there with the help of McLaren and obviously my teammate." He replied. "Something tells me your teammate won't be as willing to help you as you think." She remarked. "Something or someone?" He joked, making the few people surrounding them laugh. She felt her face heat up at what he was implying. "Sorry, that was unprofessional, but to finish that question off, I think-" to her surprise, Fernando's apology was laced with genuine kindness and humility. The tension that usually filled the air between them dissipated, replaced by an unexpected camaraderie. She didn't entirely believe him, she still thought he was up to something but until she could put her finger on it, she had to bite her tongue.

"But yeah, if he wants to help me he can. It's not my job." He answered. "Thank you Fernando." She said, concluding the interview. "You seem pretty tense today." Fernando said. "Why are you still here?" She asked, handing her notebook to Darcy. "Can you please write this up for the article. Thanks." She brought her attention back to Fernando. "What? J thought you'd be happy to see me." She scoffed. "Yeah, right." Fernando thought for a moment. He didn't wanna leave her just yet, he wanted to talk to her more. He had gone ages without seeing her.

"How about a joke?" He offered. "What?" Was he serious? "What does a bee do in the gym?" She shrugged her shoulders. "Zum-ba." The camera crew looked at eachother confused. "It makes sense in Spanish. Because its like 'qué hace una abeja en el gimnasio?' Zum-ba! But in English it makes no sense." She found herself giggling along, knowing the joke since she spoke spanish. "I know, I know." She found herself laughing harder and harder at how bad the joke was and how Fernando explaining it somehow made it much funnier. "You're crying!" Fernando laughed, pointing at Y/n as she wiped her tears away.

"I never thought I'd see the day when you and I would share a laugh." She admitted. "Again." He said. Y/n looked at him bewildered. "What?" She asked. "Well we have shared laughs before so you never thought you'd see the day we would share a laugh again." She smiled, reminiscent of her first ever motorsport interview, back when Fernando was in Minardi. "I'm surprised you remember that far back." She smiled. Fernando grinned. "Life is full of surprises, isn't it?" Y/n nodded. "Do you mind if I ask you something?" Fernando smiled and agreed. "What's with the sudden change? We've had our fair share of clashes in the past and now you're refusing to answer to anyone other than me."

Fernando tried to think of an answer that didn't completely include the truth but still add a hint or two. "Sometimes, it's good to leave the past behind and start anew. Besides, life is too short for unnecessary feuds." He said, stretching his hand out. "Hopefully, we can just be friends now." He said. Y/n reluctantly took his hand and shook it before he bid farewell to everyone and left, leaving confused souls behind.

That evening, Y/n had to rewrite Darcy's work which led to a late night, and a lot of coffee. As she was writing, she heard her phone ringing, eith the caller ID of 'The Boss' on it. She answered, holding in yawn. "Hello?" She questioned, still writing away. "I didn't expect you to be awake at this time." He said. "Well, you know me. I'm always up late for work." She said, a hint of bitterness still in her voice from their earlier conversation. "Yes, well I'm calling became McLaren gave me a ring. Your segment with Lewis can be done tomorrow after qualifying." She smiled. "Aw, he's a gem for reorganising it." She chuckled. "It wasnt Lewis." She knotted her eyebrows in confusion. "Was it his PR people?"

"No actually. It was Fenrnado." She stopped writing. "Fernando?" Fernando had rescheduled it. "He said he felt bad about pulling you away from the segment with Lewis. The marketing team over there are not happy about Fernando giving them an earful this evening so I'd say go over and just thank them." Her boss said. "An earful?"

"Yes, he said bugging them all evening to fit you in for your segment. You're all about the questions today." She nodded along. "Yeah, yeah. I- mmh. Perks of being an interviewer. Look, I'll call you back tomorrow. In just finishing this up for the weekend preview. I'll send it on over when it's done." She said hanging up the phone and looking out her window into nothing. What alternate dimension was she in that Fernando was so nice? Did he hit his head or something? What was with him. It was weird, it was strange.

The day after, Fernando was walking into the paddock. His trainer had gone in before him but since Fernando forgot his pass he had to run back to the car and grab it quickly. "Fernando!" He turned, expecting to see a fan but instead spotted Y/n, jogging towards him. "Ah, good morning, Y/n." He smiled. "How are you, my friend?" He asked as she caught up. "I"m good, you?" She asked. "I'm doing good. Thank you." He replied. "Um, I just wanted tk say thank you for rescheduling that interview." She said. "Oh, that was nothing. It was simply a thank you for interviewing me and changing your plans up." He turned to face her. "It's what friends do." He scanned his pass and let her go in first, before scanning his own pass. "So, are you looking forward to your interview with Lewis?" He asked as they walked in the paddock. "I'm not with Lewis." She said. He looked at her, a grin on his face. "I didn't say you were. I said-"

"I know, but everyone thinks im with Lewis. My boss even thinks I slept with him but-" She paused. "I don't know why I told you. I'll go." She said quickly. "Wait, wait. We'll since you are not eith Lewis and I am most definitely not with anyone-" Y/n looked as her face turned red from embarrassment. "How about we head out after the race. Just as friends, nothing more." A smile tugged at her lips, before she agreed. "Very good, I'll be seeing you around." Fernando smiled, and disappeared into the McLaren hospitality while Y/n walked around as muddled as the day before.

[errihaienx]

part two !

Rintarō Suna reminded himself that he needed to be more patient with the miyas because you'd been so very close to them. He's been keeping his biggest crush on you hidden for years, and he's not going to tell either of the twins about it.

you initially met and became friends with osamu, but his twin, atsumu, was a bit closer to you now because of his more cheery nature. suna was aware of this, which is why he continues to keep up with 'atsumus shits'.

like now, atsumu's been whining for ten minutes now and it seemed like it won't end anytime soon. suna glanced at you, your bright smile made his heart thump. he's well damned annoyed to atsumu's nonstop talks but seeing you laugh and make fun of the blond guy erased his inward curses towards the older twin.

"been tryna get her digits but she friggin' ignored me?!?" atsumu whined.

"hey don't be too upset 'tsumu, maybe you're not her type? we girls have types, you know.. "

suna listened intently to everything you said; he's interested, so very curious. he looked at you again, and this time you caught his gaze.

damn she's lookin' at me, can we just kiss already? were his first thoughts. still staring at each other, he slowly gave you a nod, and you smiled in return. he planned on making the eye contact last longer but atsumu-the-forever-interfering-bastard got in his way, he snatched your attention, well he better say something interesting!

"oh what's yer type then?" atsumu curiously asked, and suna can't believe it but he's actually praising atsumu for asking that. his intervening was a bit helpful after all.

although he's eager to know your 'type' he's nervous as hell, many variables have been crossing his mind. what if you're too specific on your type and it seems like you were describing someone? how could he handle that? or what if he's literally to far from your standards?

"uhm.." you sucked in a breath before your gaze went to suna, he was staring back so you looked away.

"you're literally the opposite of my type 'tsumu," you responded, stealing some glances to the fox-eyed boy.

"like suna?" osamu interrupted.

atsumu gasped, your eyes widened, suna coughed, and osamu deadpanned.

"what?" osamu added, his brow shot up.

no one dared to talk so atsumu laughed, "'samu yer such a mood killer" which made the younger twin show up a middle finger.

suna couldn't look at you and so are you, the twins are really troublesome. suna's thoughts were bombarded with many questions and what ifs.

after a little while had passed and you had decided to walk a different route from the other three, you waved and bid them farewell. suna's eyes were fixed to the ground, refusing to look at you as atsumu hugged you. osamu waved in response.

atsumu smirked and whispered, "hey yer such a sly fox, ya been crushin' on her don't ya?"

"shut up douchebag" = yeah bastard, it's been fuckin' years

"how can ya be noisy 'n nosy at the same time?"

"fuck off 'samu! ya know damn well that i'm ^@#^@#^@#&^#^&#@"

suna disregarded atsumu's following litanies because he was preoccupied with you—with your soothing voice, your beautiful face, and the sparkling eyes he was able to capture looking back at him.

to get closer to you, he'll have to increase his patience with the twins from now on.

this was just another random thought since I'm inlove with Sunrin lol. Anyway, I'll be reaching 100 followers very soon and I can't wait to share the content I've been working on for this milestone! Thank you very much. Always be careful, my loves!

[writing-for-marvel]

Everyone’s Watching Him (But He’s Looking At Her) (2)

Actor!Bucky Barnes x Assistant!Fem!Reader

< < PART 1 | Series Masterlist | PART 3 > >

Summary: It’s Bucky’s big late night interview promoting his new movie, but when the interviewer asks a question which causes Bucky to storm off the set, you’re there to comfort him.

Warnings: idiots in love, hurt comfort, interviewer brings up questions which crosses Bucky’s boundaries, shy/insecure reader, soft fluff

Word count: 2.4k

A/N: this is dedicated to the beautiful and kind @blackwidownat2814 because I love you so much and I know you wanted more of these two! You said you haven’t been feeling the best lately so I hope this cheers you up, even just a little 💜 photo credit @deardjo, banners by @vase-of-lilies

Masterlist | Ask me anything! | Taglist | Library

“You’re on in five, Mr Barnes!” A voice calls to Bucky who’s getting ready in his dressing room.

Tonight’s a big night for him, appearing on Late Tonight with Alexander Pierce, his first late night talk show interview to promote his newest movie, and though the occasion is a significant one, Bucky looks as laid back as if it's just another day.

Bucky’s manager, Maria, is on what Bucky calls one of her rampages, listing off a million and one last minute reminders about what to endorse in the interview and the specific phrasing the producer wants him to use when introducing the movie.

You know it by heart as you were the one practising with him in the car on the way to the studio. You knew Bucky was better at memorising lines than he had let on, he is a professional actor after all, but it made your stomach tingle with butterflies to think he was purposely messing up the lines to get you to laugh and playfully reprimand him.

As Maria continues her one sided conversation, Bucky looks over her shoulder at you and makes a silly face, poking out his tongue, making you chuckle. He’s such an idiot sometimes, but he never fails to make you smile, even during a time where he should arguably be tense and not paying any mind to relaxing your nerves.

“As always I’ve given them a list of topics which are off limits but if he asks you anything you don’t want to answer...” Maria continues, you’re unsure if she’s immune to Bucky’s goofiness and is ignoring him, or if she’s too preoccupied to even notice.

“I know the drill Maria. Don’t you trust me?”

Maria gives Bucky a look, and even though she has her back to you, you know her well enough to sense the stern glare she’s throwing at him. Though, she’s never been intimidating enough to scare Bucky who’s still cheekily grinning like a ten year old thinking they’ve gotten away with a prank.

“You’re a mischief maker, so no I don't, not when it comes to live interviews.” Her phone starts ringing, saving Bucky from the rest of her spiel. “And fix your goddamn tie before you go on, you look like a troublesome schoolboy!” She calls back into the dressing room as she excuses herself to take the call.

“C’mere.” You step closer to Bucky and pull him the rest of the way towards you by tugging on the end of his tie. When he’s this close the scent of his deep, smokey cologne seems to overpower all your other senses and makes it hard to focus. “I swear I’ve shown you how to do this a thousand times.”

“Maybe I just like when you pull me close and do it for me.” Your cheeks heat like the sun and you shyly break eye contact to look at the floor, a feeling that’s all too familiar when you’re around Bucky, but is still a reaction you haven’t mastered in concealing from him. You suspect he does it on purpose.

You’re saved from having to form a sentence in your flustered state by someone shouting “Barnes, two minutes!” from the hall.

“That’s my cue. See you in a bit.” You can sense the smile in his voice, even when you’re bashfully staring at the ground.

You turn and watch him stride out of the room, your arms finding their way around your middle, hugging yourself as if Bucky’s departure results in you losing a part of yourself you’re desperately trying to hold onto.

Before he can disappear into the corridor, Bucky looks back at you, an instinctive smile tugging at the corners of his mouth when he finds you already looking at him. He shoots you a wink before making his way towards the stage.

You turn the television in the dressing room on to watch the interview, but you can hear the clapping and cheering of the audience resounding through the entire studio as Bucky’s introduced.

He aces the first part of the interview, introducing the film word for word from the script provided by the movie producers, and describing the action packed teaser scene shown for the first time on the show. You breathe a sigh of relief as they cut to the advertisements, knowing everything so far has gone to plan and Bucky only has to get through a couple more minutes before he’ll rejoin you in his dressing room.

When the show comes back from the ad break, Bucky and Alex are laughing about something he must have said before the cameras were rolling. He looks happy, relaxed, that infectious smile of his plastered from ear to ear.

“So, we all want to know, have you got anyone special in your life? Is the devilishly handsome, notorious ladies man Bucky Barnes single?” Alexander asks eagerly and the crowd buzzes in anticipation waiting for his response.

Your stomach churns with a new wave of nerves - you know for a fact that this is on the list of no go topics, yet the host has no qualms in asking it.

Bucky doesn’t let the concern for the hosts' blatant disregard of his boundaries translate to his features, but you know him well enough to tell that the forced smile, small chuckle he lets slip out and slight change in his posture means he’s extremely uncomfortable with the probing question.

“I like to keep my personal life private. I already share so much of my life with my fans, but there are certain things I want to keep just for myself.” Bucky answers firmly, maintaining the strict boundary whilst also remaining polite.

There’s a moment of respite from your nerves, believing Bucky’s answer to be sufficient to shut down whatever Pierce is attempting to gain from the unsolicited question, but his next words bring the anxiety back with full vigour.

“I think that’s code for: yes, he’s in a relationship.” Pierce addresses the crowd, who starts ‘awwing’ in response. “Want to let us know who the lucky lady is?”

“No, that’s not what I-” Bucky tries to insist, but Pierce rudely interrupts to ask the next question. You can see Bucky’s jaw clench, even through the small screen you're currently watching from. Though he’s simply a room away, it feels like an entire galaxy in distance when he’s in front of cameras and you’re unable to do anything to subside his annoyance which is quickly turning into rage.

“The other burning question our fans had for you was the origin of your prosthetic arm - you’ve never explained how you lost your limb and of course we’re all intrigued by the mystery. I think now is the perfect opportunity to set the record straight.” Pierce looks at Bucky expectantly as if he had simply asked what day of the week it was.

If there is one hard no Bucky would never answer publically it was the story surrounding how he lost his arm.

You can see the anger bubbling in his chest, but most of all the pain, the grievous misery he’s trying so hard to disguise in his eyes. He desperately doesn’t want to break down in front of the entire world.

“That’s not a question I’m willing to answer.” Bucky replies in a faint, cracking voice. Standing up, to the gasps and murmurs of the audience, Bucky takes off his microphone pack, leaving it on the host's desk, and walks off the stage without another word.

You hear Pierce claim “I guess that’s just Bucky Barnes living up to his roguish ways” with a laugh before shutting off the tv, scrambling to gather your things and go find where Bucky headed off to when the door swings open.

Bucky stands tall and broad in the doorway, but you’ve never seen him look so small.

As he closes the door behind him you hear a sniffle and your instincts immediately kick in - he’s barely turned around to face you again before you’ve pulled him into a bone crunching hug. Your heart breaks sharply in your chest as you hear the wrenching sob he finally lets out.

Tears sting behind your eyes as you feel Bucky’s chest heave with his weeping, but you do your best to pull yourself together. You have to be the strong one here, Bucky’s the one in unimaginable pain.

The door bursts open but Bucky doesn’t let go of you to look at who it is. Maria stands there with a combination of fury and concern mixed in her eyes, as well as sympathy as she observes Bucky’s large frame crying into your shoulder. She silently raises her eyebrows as if to ask if you think he’ll be okay.

“I’ll take care of him, you go berate them for what they did.” You suggest, and even though it’s unlike Maria to do anything without disagreeing and recommending her own approach first, she nods and backs out of the dressing room.

You stand there, softly rubbing Bucky’s back and whispering sweet nothings into his ear, as he cries into your shoulder. Your heart, which Bucky already owns completely, shatters alongside his.

“How could he?” Bucky asks with an invigorated sob. You wish you could alleviate all his pain, even by taking it on yourself, just so he wouldn’t have to bear the burden. You squeeze him tighter in attempts to convey the sentiment.

However, you’re unsure how to answer his question because you yourself don’t understand how someone could be so cold-hearted to shamelessly mortify Bucky with the most traumatic event of his life in front of the entire world, especially after specifically prohibiting the topic.

“I dunno Buck, but he’ll never get the opportunity again, you hear me? You’ll never have to be in the same room as that shithead ever again.” You hope your words bring Bucky some comfort, but as this wound is so raw, the ache so fresh, you’re not sure there are any combination of words that can stop his pain.

You stay with him as long as he needs you to, slowly rubbing circles over his back, until eventually his sobs subside and his breathing slows to normal.

“C’mon, let me drive you home.”

“Home sounds good.” Bucky comments, but by the way he’s nuzzled his face into the crook of your neck and how he’s holding you tight against him, it doesn’t seem like he’s in a rush to get there.

After a few extra moments where you cherish simply holding each other without Bucky’s movements as he wept, you pull back, taking an additional second to admire just how blue his eyes are, even if they are tinted slightly red from crying, and how they look at you with a fondness that makes your knees weak, you whisper “let’s get outta here”.

The drive to Bucky’s house isn’t too long, especially this late at night. You attempt to prevent Bucky from reading any headlines about the situation, but with the exception of tossing his phone out the window of the moving car, there’s not much you can do.

“I swear it’s all everyone sees, what Maria loves to push for publicity - the supposed playboy with a mysterious past because he won’t talk about how he lost his fucking arm, I hate it.” His voice is full of exasperation and it makes you want to pull him back into another hug.

“It’s not what everyone sees, Buck.”

“Really, who doesn’t?” Me, you want to declare, but you question the implications of saying it aloud and the word dies in the back of your throat. You’re his assistant, just his assistant, and it’s inappropriate and unprofessional for you to infer otherwise.

“The people who genuinely care about you and know the real you - your Ma, Becks.” Is what you say instead. Your eyes are focussed on the dimly lit road ahead of you so you miss the downcast look Bucky throws your way, as if he was hoping you’d have answered his question differently.

“Yeah, I guess.” Is all he mumbles before sitting in quiet contemplation for the rest of the short drive to his house.

The silence gives your mind time to regret what you didn’t say, and wish for that time back again. Will there ever be a perfect time to tell him how you feel? How he makes your cheeks ache with how much he gets you to smile in his presence; how your eyes are always searching for him in a crowded room, and that your stomach somersaults when out of everyone, you’re the person he makes eye contact with before smiling; how no matter what time, day or night, you’d drop everything and anything if he needed you.

As if sensing your mental suffering, Bucky places his hand atop yours on the gear stick, still not saying a word, but the action itself calms the storm of anxiety building in your chest.

You pull up in his driveway and turn off the car, unsure if you should get out and help him inside, or if he just wants his space. You give him time to make up his mind, but your doubt is answered almost as soon as the rumbling of the engine ceases.

“Can you stay with me tonight? I don’t wanna be alone right now.” You’re sure you’ll never be able to say no to Bucky Barnes, but when his eyes look as fragile as a bubble floating in the wind, ready to pop at any given second, all you want is to pull him close and keep him safe forever.

Behind that fragility is uncertainty, unsure if you’ll agree to stay or not, and even though you weren’t sure it was possible, your heart cracks a little more after the events of the night knowing that he doubts whether you’d do absolutely anything for him.

“Whatever you need, Buck.”

“I just want you.”

“You have me. You’ll always have me.” And you mean that, with your entire being.

You get out of the car and snake your arm around his back, he does the same to you. You walk arm in arm through his front door, treasuring the warmth of his closeness and forcing the romantic implications to the back of your mind.

Those can be discussed tomorrow. Right now, he just needs you.

Part 3 > >

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[sturniolowhore]

☁️ ABLAZE WITH YOUR CRAZE

summary — you're at a party with your boyfriend chris when he gets a little too close for comfort with another girl. you try to hint at the fact that you don't like it but he enjoys your jealousy so he continues, waiting till the two of you get home for you to put him in his place and remind him exactly who he belongs to.

warnings ⎯  chris x fem!reader, slight use of  y/n, degrading, fem!dom, sub!chris, face riding, orgasm denial, possessiveness, party, cursing, full blown smut but no actual sex, third person pov

A/N ⎯  i've never written a sub!male with dom!female fic before so i have no idea if this lives up to expectations but i wanted to give it a try so here you go??

i hope you enjoy <3

❛ ━━･❪ ִ ࣪𖤐 ❫ ･━━ ❜

the party's music beats through her ears, filling them almost animalistically but her undivided attention is on chris or more specifically the girl hanging onto his every word as he speaks. they've been talking for a while now and whilst she would have put a stop to it long ago, it seems chris is apparently unbothered by the glare she gives him as he continues to chat away.

his eyes travel across the room every so often to meet his girlfriend's and he offers her a small, stubborn smirk before he proceeds with the topic at hand. now y/n first thought she would be able to handle everything and that chris would receive her hint flawlessly but that plan went south when he cast aside her frustration without any hesitation.

now all she can do is watch as pure jealousy fills her up as the two of them talk. he's her boyfriend for a reason so why does random girl think it's okay to flirt with him? and why does chris think he has the fucking right to do nothing about it?

eventually she decides she has watched for too long, unable to tame the fire that's beginning to sprout inside of her at the sight. she props her cup onto a nearby table with litter atop it and begins moving towards the pair, her mind set on getting chris away from the situation and back in her rightful hands.

she stops just in front of chris and the girl and instead of being polite or even offering the girl a smile, she simply grasps chris' wrist firmly and pulls him to a secluded area. he follows wordlessly, the grip on his wrist starting to sting a little because of how rough it is. he smiles to himself because he knows he has really done it now. sue him if you will, he fucking loves seeing y/n angry and loves it even more when she shows him just how annoyed she is. he feels his dick strain a little inside of his pants but quickly tries to push the thoughts from his mind; he needs to keep up his role if he actually wants to get what he craves.

he stares at her with a smirk, pretending he doesn't know what's running through her mind as he speaks, "what?"

she laughs but there's no humour laced in the sound. chris can tell it's a laugh that's only there because of the pure audacity he has right now. he watches as her tongue swipes over her teeth, showcasing just how annoyed she is. he physically has to refrain from smiling in excitement at the small gesture.

"did you just fucking ask me what? are you stupid?" she taps at the side of his head, prodding at the skin aggressively as she shakes her head at him.

"you interrupted me. i was having a good time?" he tests his luck and she isn't having it so she pulls him towards the front door where she quickly pulls out her phone and types away.

chris' phone vibrates and he furrows his brows, pulling it out of his pocket and then internally smiling as he sees her message to the groupchat about how the two of them are heading back to her place. he's so fucking thrilled because they're going home early for one and they're going to her house rather than his. he's in for an amazing night and he feels his insides flutter in anticipation.

she leads him to the car without saying another word and chris decides to remain silent too, far too preoccupied with the thoughts of what she's going to do to him because of the way he's been acting lately. him talking to this girl is just the cherry on top that set the fire aflame. it's been dying to burn but hasn't quite received the sparks, until now that is.

the drive home is short and with her fast driving in the mix, chris finds himself inside her house before he can even fully process it. she slams the door behind them and slips her shoes off, still saying nothing. she walks up the stairs and to her room and chris follows eagerly, his dick starting to harden as he realises what time it is.

when he steps inside the room, he sees her sat on top of the bed as she discards her clothing. he leans against the doorframe and watches in admiration for a few moments before he steps forward, going to join her on the bed and reaching out to help her remove her dress.

his hand is however slapped away and she scoffs at him, making him looking at her in curiosity. he doesn't complain though, simply watches as the dress pools down on the bed before she picks it up and throws it to the floor alongside her stockings. her matching set is the only thing on display and he practically drools at the sight of her body, wanting nothing more than to touch it.

he reaches a tentative hand out but doesn't quite connect with her skin because she moves away from him, "what makes you think you can touch me after the way you acted? keep your hands off."

so she's playing this game. he wants to touch her so badly but at the same time, he knows he has already pushed his limits so he obliges with a little frown. a frown that makes her laugh at him mockingly as she removes her underwear and bra, entirely naked before him. she moves her beautiful fingers to rub herself and moans when they come into contact with her skin. she moves her body backwards and forwards to feel more and whines spill out of her. all chris can do is watch hungrily, wishing desperately that it was his hands there instead of her own.

"actually," she stops after a few moments and turns to face him, "come here and lie down."

he moves to take off his top but she doesn't allow him to do so, pushing him down onto the bed with a little thud. he watches as she moves towards him before she sits directly on his face. he grunts at the sudden weight but he doesn't need to be told anything as he starts licking and sucking the skin like it's his last meal. her thighs squeeze around his head and he whines while she moves her body against his face, riding the surface easily.

"gonna use your pretty little face, okay baby?" she asks him, aware that he can't exactly reply, and he hums inside of her as a form of response.

"i didn't hear you speak?" she teases as she continues to ride his face, gripping his hair roughly and using it as her stability.

she presses her thighs tighter and he groans loudly, trying to speak but of course coming out muffled because of her skin. her hands pull at his hair and he whimpers whilst he moves his tongue in circles, tasting her on his tongue in exactly the way she needs.

"such a fucking slut chris, look at you eating me out when you were busy flirting with other bitches earlier. wonder what she would think if she saw you right now, all hot and needy underneath me," she tugs on his hair, making sure it hurts him as she taunts him.

"that's all you are, got it? a little thing for me to use for my pleasure," her words are more breathless as she gets closer and closer to her release.

the words seem to push chris to move and dance around inside of her faster, the licks becoming more frequent until he's sure she's going to let go any second now. he plunges his tongue deep inside of her and she cums without warning him, riding out his face as the substance pours out of her. beautiful whines escape her lips as she allows herself to let go all over him, coating him in her cum as though that's the only thing he's good for.

she climbs off his face and sits beside him, glancing at his face that is covered in her cum. she lathers it over her fingers and forces them into his mouth, instructing him to clean them. he does so with small whimpers when her fingers move towards the back of his throat. when she removes her fingers, she notices he is completely hard even though he's fully clothed.

she gropes him through his pants and he moans, "aw does my little bitch get hard when i use him like a little slut?"

"fuck, please," he manages to get out, eyes glued to her hand that is leaving ghostly touches.

"please what?" she asks, a glint in her eyes that chris loves more than anything in the world.

he whines yet again, "please touch me."

"want me to touch you?" she asks him as she presses down more firmly on his dick, "here?"

he nods eagerly, gripping the sheets next to him in want. he's foolish to think even for a moment that she'll give him what he wants because she removes her hand in the next second.

"please ma," he looks like he's going to burst if she doesn't give him what he wants, "need to feel you so badly."

"yeah? should've thought about that before you went around flirting like a little whore," she coos mockingly, going to remove his t-shirt and staring at his bare chest.

he shakes his head softly, going to move his hand inside of his pants to relieve himself but receiving a slap to his face as soon as he tries.

"you'll move that hand if you know what's good for you," she whispers into his ears and he bucks his hips into the air, wanting to feel something more than ever. he just needs to feel.

"please do something, i'll be so good," he begs again and he knows he sounds needy but he can't help it; he's so fucking hard and watching her take control isn't helping in the slightest.

"if you really were good chris, you would have stepped away when you knew i didn't like it," she tells him softly and he frowns a little, not knowing if he actually upset her but the small smirk on her face quickly reassures him.

"i won't do it again, just please touch me," he pleads and she gives in, pulling his pants down and then staring at the wet patch the precum leaking from his tip has left on his boxers.

she removes them quickly after and drops them somewhere before she makes him sit up, "you're gonna fuck my tits like a good boy."

god he could cum just from the demand in her voice. he watches as she sits against the headboard and then he moves towards her, his dick resting between her tits. he slides it gently for a second, already moaning at having a touch of anything, despite the fact that he's doing it himself.

"come on baby you can move faster than that," she slaps his cheek again and he instantly moves faster, gripping her hips to keep himself from falling over as he slides his dick.

the enveloping feeling of her boobs around his dick makes him whine uncontrollably. the tip is already leaking insanely and he's sure he isn't going to last long because of how turned on he has been this entire time. a few more movements and he's going to cum all over her chest. he's going to⎯

and then she pushes him away with an evil grin across her face. his eyes shoot open and he looks at her with a slow exhale, "please ma, i was so fucking close."

"i should just leave you all hot and bothered, leave you like you left me at that party," she voices and he shakes his head rapidly, showing his dislike towards the idea as fast as he can.

he grabs her hand in his, "no please, don't leave me. let me cum ma, i need it. i need you."

her eyes flicker to their intertwined hands for a brief second before her other hand moves to stroke his aching dick. his eyes in turn fly to the gesture and he watches with such intensity, it almost scares her. he looks so blown out already and he hasn't even cum. she loves seeing him all whiny and needy just for her.

she scratches him and he hisses, "you're crazy."

"am i baby? want me to show you how crazy i cam be?" she retorts and he nods lightly, knowing exactly how territorial she can get when she wants to.

"yeah? does my little bitch want me to mark him up and show others who he belongs to?" she hums as she moves to straddle his lap before taking his lips in between her teeth and then finally kissing him.

the kiss is rushed and filled with passion and want. chris kisses back so fucking eagerly, she almost gives in. it's after all the only thing he's getting right now so he takes it for what it is. his tongue slides into her mouth and he moans when she meets his mouth. he's driving himself insane with need for her and the feeling of her teeth grazing his lips roughly is sure to send him into a spiral.

she then moves to his neck, sucking on the skin and biting at it, leaving bruises all over it in the way she loves. he loves it too and that's clear from the moans spilling out of him. he cranes his head back to give her more access and she uses the opportunity perfectly, moving her teeth and lips all over his neck.

her heat on his cock alongside her biting is going to make him cum and he knows it so he moves her hips against him. his hands guide her and she lets him for a second and he thinks this is it, at last he's going to cum.

but then at the last second, she gets off him and he's close to tears because of how overstimulated and edged he is. he doesn't even notice the first tear drop fall from his eyes until she swipes at it with her finger, a manic smirk playing at her lips. she's enjoying his suffering and she isn't hiding the fact that she is either.

"i can't fucking do this, god just let me cum," his tone is sharp and he regrets it as soon as the words fall from his lips, eyeing her nervously as another tear escapes.

"you're so fucking pathetic chris, god look at you," her hand slaps his thigh and his body jolts in the most beautiful way possible, "tell me what you did wrong."

he shakes his head and she raises her brow at him, "that wasn't a question. tell me what you did wrong."

he sighs softly, "i- i spoke to another girl and continued to do it even when i knew you never liked it."

that prodding against his head is back and she drills her finger into it, "so you do have a brain in there; i thought your pathetic whining made you dumb."

"i'm sorry please, i want to cum. please let me cum, please," the tears are back when he begs, "it hurts so bad."

she laughs softly and it makes his head spin because how can she sound so gentle and pure when she demands him around like this. he's prepared to beg again but she wraps her mouth around him. he moans so loudly at the sensation and when she looks up at him, cheeks hallowed and spit dribbling the side of her mouth, he's done.

he cums with his hand firmly in her hair and all down her throat. she takes it perfectly and it makes him cum even more, his orgasm making him see stars. and then she pulls away and swallows every last drop, licking at the sides to clean her lips.

she kisses his mouth softly and he kisses back equally gently, a wordless agreement that he's okay. as their mouths detach, she peppers kisses all over his face. he fucking loves her.

"i love you," he makes sure to tell her and she kisses him again, a large smile painted on her face.

"i love you too baby," she confesses and then they're wrapped up in each other's arms, caring about nothing but one another.

[eleanor-bradstreet]

Let Me Be Your Anchor

Chapter 16: Teatime

Benedict Bridgerton x Sophie Beckett An Offer from a Gentleman reimagined Chapter rating: 18+ - explicit sexual content, drug use Word count: 4.4k

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The next day Aubrey Hall continued to teem with activity under the watchful eyes of the Duke and Duchess. Benedict notified Mr. Dewitt that Sophie would be retained as a member of the housekeeping staff during the country visit. If the steward had any thoughts about the whiplash instructions he was receiving in regards to the newly arrived maid, he was wise enough not to betray them. 

Benedict’s mind hadn’t stopped whirring since his encounter with Sophie in the drawing room the previous day. After returning from the lake, his sister gave no indication that she suspected anything untoward. It seemed their secret was safe. But how much longer could they carry on like this, sneaking through hallways in the dead of night, scurrying into unoccupied rooms? The risk of their discovery would increase tenfold when the family and guests started to arrive. Sophie was correct that they would need to actively avoid one another. He hadn’t even contemplated what would happen at the conclusion of his family’s hosting duties when he would be expected to return to London. 

In the midst of his colliding thoughts, all he could think of was his need for Sophie; his yearning to watch her lips part as he made her gasp, his hunger to make her come apart, his ache to hold her in his arms. He set up an easel in his bedchamber and tried to unleash his feelings on a canvas, but found himself lost in daydreams of her. Rash as it may have been, he sent word to the kitchen specifically requesting that Sophie bring him his tea.

His heart bounded when she opened the door, tray balanced on her hip as he had seen her so many times before while convalescing. Her smile was brighter than the sunlight streaming through the windows. 

She set the tea tray on a table and curtsied. “Mr. Bridgerton.”

“Sophie.” Her name left his lips with a sigh of relief. “Are we not done with formalities when we are alone together?”

She returned a coy smile. “Very well, Ben. I assume you summoned me for a reason. Would you like me to sit for my portrait?”

He stepped toward her, feeling a stab of guilt that he could never seem to concentrate long enough in her presence to complete his work. “I certainly intend to finish your portrait. That is a gift I promised you. But I’m afraid my thoughts are too preoccupied to give it the attention it deserves at the moment.

“Preoccupied?” Her eyes sparkled with curiosity as he closed the distance between them and ran his knuckles across her cheek.

“Anticipation of my family’s arrival. And thoughts of you. Knowing we must keep our distance once they arrive.” 

“Yes, we must.” Sophie swallowed, feeling the familiar bloom of heat just from his proximity. 

“But we have today.” Benedict nuzzled against her cheek, delighting in her scent, the faintest hint of amber and vanilla. 

Sophie’s eyes rolled closed and she grew pliant in his arms, but her mind still registered the risk of their encounters. “The Duke and Duchess…”

“Are calling at Romney Hall nearby,” he explained. “My sister is a friend of Lady Crane. She is ill and won’t be able to attend the visit.”

“The children?”

Benedict snickered. “Are with their army of nurses. The time is ours.” He pressed his lips to hers, soft and plush, and she was bereft of any further protest. “I wanted to ask if you’d like to…join me in calming my thoughts?”

“How do you mean?” Sophie asked, noting the mischievous flicker across his features, his crooked grin triggering a spark of excitement.

“An elixir procured by my younger brother in his travels. Whatever it may be, I find it both soothes the nerves and opens my mind to artistic inspiration. When paired with a canvas it helps me produce some of my most…experimental work.” He ran a hand gently through her hair, gazing at her as if she were his greatest muse. “It’s an experience unlike any other, and one that I’d like to share with you, if you are willing.”

Sophie was surprised by his offer, that he was inviting her to join him in more than just carnal pleasures. She had never tried any such substances, but assumed the effects must be different than strong drink. On a few occasions she had indulged enough to experience drunkenness with her fellow servants, usually on holidays. She found the sensation not unpleasant, a numbing carefree haze, but it did have a way of stealing joy from the following day when she would wake with a headache and bitter mouth. But she trusted Benedict implicitly. He would ensure her enjoyment as he introduced her to something new.

“How does one take this elixir?” She asked.

“A powder added to tea.” He wiggled his eyebrows and moved about the room, producing a small pouch from a drawer in his writing desk and shaking it playfully before resting it beside the teapot. “Medicinal in a way not unlike your tinctures, but entirely unique.”

Nodding her consent, Sophie sat across from Benedict at the small table and watched as he poured them each a cup of tea and added small spoonfuls of the pouch’s vibrant purple powder. He stirred and handed her the mixture, insisting she take the first sip. Tentatively, she brought it to her lips.

“You may wish to hold your nose,” Benedict coached. “The smell and taste can be a bit foul.”

Sophie did detect a whiff of something pungent, vegetal but charred somehow. Holding her breath, she took a full sip and scrunched up her face as the aftertaste withered her tongue.

“Ugh,” she grimaced as Benedict giggled. “You claim this makes you feel better?”

“Give it a moment,” he grinned. “You will see.”

___

In what felt like no time at all, Sophie became aware of her altered state. A single cup of Benedict’s mystery tea and she found herself able to count the motes of dust that floated in the shafts of sunlight. As opposed to the numbing effect of alcohol, she found her mind and body heightened in awareness. She was fascinated by the friction of her dress against her skin, the tactile surface of the table and the fine china, and the colors of the fabrics throughout the room. Having drunk his own cup, Benedict seemed to be fixated on color too. After ensuring she was feeling well, he had gone to his easel and was blending oil paints directly with his fingers on both palette and canvas, making sweeping motions with his arms, entirely lost to inspiration. 

Sophie didn’t know how long she lazed in her chair watching him. The tea made time seem untrackable and irrelevant. She certainly did feel her nerves calmed and mind opened. She was content to simply gaze at Benedict, the man she secretly loved, drinking in the sight of him and every feature she adored. His tousled dark hair, his animated brow, pale blue eyes locked on his work, lopsided smirk appraising what he was crafting. Her focus narrowed to the sweat beginning to bead on his forehead, the tendons flexing in his muscular neck, and the veins surging in his paint-streaked forearms. He had rolled his sleeves to the elbows but was otherwise fully dressed in a floral patterned waistcoat and pinned cravat, and for some reason this struck her as aggravating. With every inch of her skin sensitized in a way she had never known before, she wanted to touch and be touched, to taste and be tasted, to learn what it felt like to ascend to the plane of bliss when she already felt herself high above any clouds.

With a boldness that surprised even herself she rose, marched to Benedict’s side, took his face in her hands and kissed him deeply. Light danced behind her eyelids as the sweet flavor of his lips cascaded over her own. Benedict froze, holding his hands to either side so as not to cover her in paint.

Sophie pulled back and they both chuckled, heady with the closeness of each other as much as with the tea. Kissing him again, she found herself entirely absent of inhibition. With his hands unavailable she was in control and the realization was undeniably thrilling. There was something she had been longing to try and now was the perfect moment.

Continuing to savor him, her hands went to work unwinding his cravat. Benedict stood still, humming in amusement as they kissed. Once the fabric was in her hands, cool and slippery, she moved to stand behind him. On tiptoe she wrapped the dark blue silk around his eyes and knotted it in the back.

“Blind man’s bluff?” Benedict quipped, sounding befuddled.

“Shh.” Sophie giggled as she moved back to face him and contemplated her next move. The buttons on his waistcoat were slowly unfastened and the garment slipped carefully over his technicolor arms and onto the floor. Biting her lip, she snapped his braces against his chest causing him to gasp before she pulled them down from his shoulders. Next was his shirt. Sophie could hear him breathing harder as she pulled the hem from his waistband. She leaned to his ear and whispered, “Raise your arms.”

Giving himself over to her direction, Benedict grinned uncontrollably as she undressed him. He did as he was told, lifting his arms in front of himself to accommodate her height and she pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it across the room. He stood before her blindfolded and shirtless, chest heaving, trousers jutting out unnaturally with his stiffness. Feeling more seductive than ever before, she traced a finger from his jaw down his neck, chest and abdomen, admiring. He was muscled, athletic, and his pale skin was so soft, smelling of soap and his oil paints. Sophie knelt down to pull off his boots, running her hand lightly down the front of his trousers on her way, causing him to hiss from the sensation.

“Lift your feet.” He obeyed and she pulled off his boots and stockings. Sophie remembered the night at the inn where she had awkwardly relieved him of his clothing out of necessity. This was a decidedly more pleasurable echo of that encounter. They were both breathing quite hard now, knowing there was only one more garment left to remove. Sophie remained on her knees and reached up, slowly unbuttoning his trousers. His hands clenched into fists and she could see him gritting his jaw. She smiled as she slid the last of his clothes down and bid him to step out of them. Now he was nude and erect with anticipation. She delayed a moment, waiting to strike. She would surprise him. She knew he was expecting her hands; how she usually touched him. She would skip that step.

Benedict gasped as her hot, wet mouth encircled him. It was a shock to his system, standing naked and blind in excruciating silence, broken suddenly by his cock being devoured. He reached out to hold her head but she swatted his hand away, reminding him of how soiled they were. Groaning through clenched teeth he fought to stand still and just let her have her way with him. It was agony and paradise combined, a flood of feelings as his swirling senses honed in on her attentions. The minx inside sweet Sophie had been unleashed by the tea and he was both proud and humbled that she was offering her own form of experimentation to match his. 

At long last Sophie was fulfilling her wish to take Benedict in her mouth, to show him just how fervently she longed to please him, to worship his body as he had worshipped hers. She found the act surprisingly enjoyable, knowing the power she wielded from her knees. Hearing the needy sounds he made and looking up to see his mouth hung open with awe gave her her own satisfaction in turn. After a few pulls along his manhood she leaned back. “How is this, Ben? Inspirational?” She flicked her tongue across his tip.

He groaned, legs buckling. “Yes, Sophie. It’s…you’re wonderful. Just…just like this. Your lips are like the kiss of heaven.” She chuckled, knowing he would likely spout something poetic even if they were not under the influence. Motivated to push him even higher into the firmament, she leaned forward to consume him again. She tried different motions, licking and sucking, back and forth, her tongue dancing around his veins, her hand rising to join her mouth in stroking. Whenever Benedict moaned above her, she persisted with that action. 

Then she tested herself, seeing how deeply she could take him. Slowly, she pushed further and further toward his body, pulling him into her mouth, relaxing every muscle she knew how. She knew he was in her throat once she could no longer breathe. An odd, somewhat alarming sensation but she felt in control. Staying relaxed she began to move gently, sucking him as before, letting him penetrate an entirely new area of her body. Having the most intimate part of him warm and heavy in her mouth was a comfort and sin she could never have imagined.

Benedict positively shouted with surprise as he breached Sophie’s throat. He instinctively tore the cravat from his eyes, looked down and saw her face practically flush with his pelvis, eyes closed in concentration as she rocked back and forth. He was buried so deep that when she finally gagged, he felt as if he were swallowed, squeezed with a pressure and heat that threatened to topple him. He shuddered, mind gone completely blank. Sophie pulled back and came up for air, gasping after his entire length slid out of her beautiful mouth. She wiped her lips on the back of her hand and smiled up at him, looking proud of herself.

“Sophie Beckett, you marvelous creature,” he beamed down at her. With a smug gleam in her eyes she set herself on him again and Benedict rocketed skyward. He murmured praise and suggestions, hips beginning to thrust as she sucked him eagerly. She had a natural talent with her tongue that he knew was liable to destroy him. The warmth of her mouth, the suction of her lips, the challenge in her dewy eyes gazing up at him, it grew too much to bear. As he felt himself nearing the peak he pulled back.

“Sophie, I’m…I am nearly there.”

“Good,” she smiled, tearing away the collar of her uniform and beginning to loosen her frock. Benedict watched, agog as she undressed, stripping down to the waist. Then she wrapped a warm hand around his length and began to pump, her breasts bare and bobbing hypnotically as she stroked him. Whatever fire had been lit within her, he vowed to keep it tended. Gazing at each other open mouthed, she commanded him softly but intently. “Come on me.”

Seeing and hearing how hungry she was for his release brought it to fruition in a moment. Knowing nothing but the wave of ecstasy beginning to spasm through his body, Benedict needed to stabilize himself before he jettisoned off of the earth. His hands fell to Sophie’s shoulders and gripped tight, smearing her in a rainbow of fingerprints as he dropped his head with a cry. Painting her in two ways at once, his breath escaped in halting gasps as she milked him onto her chest. 

Sophie never stopped her movements, coaxing him through the aftershocks. When Benedict fell to his knees before her panting, she grinned with devilish victory. She was just as capable of reducing him to a breathless mess as he could her. It made her feel closer to him, more trusted, and more desirable.

“Sophie,” Benedict marveled at her, barely able to muster words. “I’m sorry. Your shoulders…”

He pointed at the streaks that ran across her skin. She looked down and saw the epaulets she had earned. Bright ornaments of sinful endeavors. The fingerprints of her lover seared into her for all to see. The whole room was twinkling in a dazzling spectrum before her eyes and she felt honored to be made a part of it. With a twist of her lips she collected the palette he had dropped nearby and dipped her fingers into a sky blue shade, then swiped it gently across his abdomen, coloring him as well.

Benedict looked at her quizzically, then she ran a purple thumb across his jaw. Catching on, he wet his fingers in forest green and brushed them across her cheeks. Giggling, Sophie next took a daub of orange and swirled it in circles across her chest, blending it with his seed, painting herself with his essence. Benedict swallowed hard, dumbfounded, and then found himself moving like a man possessed, stripping her of her remaining clothing, hauling her up onto the settee and burying his face between her legs. 

The day progressed as a gauzy fantasy, the two of them wrapped in intoxicated wonder and all the sensations they could gift each other. They lost count of their climaxes, Sophie returning time and time again to swallow Benedict and bob her head until he gasped her name, and Benedict on his knees in equal measure, sucking her furiously as she bounced against his tongue. After the poetry they penned with their moans, they broke to make art with their flesh, painting arcs, swirls and handprints across skin, gradients of desire and whimsy, blending with their own juices, traces of themselves ending up on the canvas which had clattered to the floor.

Hours later as the sun began to set, they found themselves looking like madmen, wrapped in sheets, disheveled and covered in streaks of paint from head to toe. Benedict had the presence of mind to wrap Sophie in one of his shirts and hide her in the bedroom next door while he donned a robe and called for a bath. He didn’t much care what the maids thought of seeing him smeared with paint with his hair standing on end. It wouldn’t be the first time he had ended up like this after a dose of the powder.

Working together and casting him sideways glances, Finian and Lizzie brought a large copper tub to his room and filled it with steaming water. Lizzie scented it with oil and a sudsy soap that left bubbles floating on the surface. When they finally exited, Benedict collected Sophie again and locked the door behind them. She giggled helplessly while he stripped her of what little she was wearing and helped her step into the steaming water. She shivered and sank down, allowing the water to rise above her shoulders and neck, even right up to her nose, and then closed her eyes. It felt like heaven.

“Lean forward,” Benedict murmured, kneeling on the floor beside her. She did, and sighed with pleasure as he began to wash her back, making clouds of red and yellow paint swirl into the water. 

“We’ll make you all shiny and new again,” he grinned, kissing her shoulder as he scrubbed her arms. Sophie leaned forward and rested her forehead on her bent knees, blushing.

“Dunk your head so I can wash your hair,” he ordered.

She slid under the water, a magical, enveloping sensation while she still felt the fuzzy influence of the tea, and then quickly came back up. 

The green streaks of paint on her cheeks started to run down the length of her face. But rather than make her look wretched, Benedict thought it gave her a phantasmal beauty. It made her eyes glow as he had never seen them - glittering emeralds refracting all the light in the room. He rubbed the paint from her face with his thumb as she held his gaze. He suddenly found that it was hard to breathe. Probably a side effect of the tea. 

He busied himself by rubbing the bar of soap in his hands and then began to work the lather through her hair. “Do you prefer your hair short?” he asked.

“I had to cut it,” she said. “I sold it to a wigmaker.”

She wasn’t sure, but she thought she might have heard him growl.

“It used to be much shorter,” she added.

“Back under.” 

She dunked back in the tub, swirling her head this way and that under the water before coming back up for air. 

Benedict cupped his hands and filled them with water. “You’ve still got some in the back,” he said, letting the water pour over her hair.

Sophie let him repeat the process a few times, until all the paint was removed as far as she could tell and the water had turned a milky purple. “Aren’t you coming in?” She raised an eyebrow and was met with that cheeky lopsided grin.

Benedict let his robe fall to the floor and stepped in across from her. He groaned with pleasure as he lowered himself, immediately dunking under the water and smoothing back his hair. Sophie took the cloth and went to work scrubbing his fingers, his arms, every inch of him. Their incessant giggling was fading into pleasurable hums and sighs as they caressed each other in the water, gently, curiously. They kissed each other’s necks, arms, foreheads. There was a chastity to it despite that they were fully nude together after an outrageously lascivious afternoon.

Sophie was drained. It had been without a doubt the wildest and most exploratory day of her life thus far. She knew she was still under the giddy haze of the tea but her senses were growing sharper. Time slowly seemed to be returning to its normal rate and her mind was quieting. The last of its effects, the joy of being with Benedict, and the warmth of the lapping water made her euphoric. Benedict had leaned back against his end of the tub, eyes closed. Sophie couldn't stretch out her legs underwater without awkwardly laying on top of him, so she planted her feet to frame his head which made him look up and chuckle. She grinned and bent an elbow over the side, resting her head on her arms. Benedict ran his hands lazily over her knees and the two of them sat in contented silence, descending from their high and soaking up all the heat the water could offer.

Benedict stared at Sophie, resting serenely as glinting water droplets ran across her collarbone. She was dazzling. Never a word that he had thought to associate with a housemaid but it was truly how he felt. Where in the world had she come from? This beautiful, daring and exciting woman whose wit, moods, pleasures and interests so perfectly aligned with his own? He genuinely wondered if she had worked in the Cavender house at all and wasn’t some faerie that had wandered out of the woods to enchant him. These days alone with her in the country had been some of the happiest he had experienced with a woman. He was ready to find her an apartment in London, to send her there with an allowance to buy anything she fancied, and to have all of her servant’s clothes burned. He could do it tomorrow. She shouldn’t spend another day working for his family.

“Why do you want to keep working at this ball?” He asked her.

Sophie lifted her head, brow furrowed. “So I can earn some money.”

Benedict sat up and leaned toward her. “You don’t need to earn money. I’ll take care of you.” He pressed his torso against hers and murmured, “I can give you whatever you want.”

Whether it was her pride or some courage gifted to her by the tea, Sophie felt no fear in being honest with him. “I don’t want you to.” Her voice was more stern than she had intended and he scowled. 

“Why can’t we just stay like this? Have this time together?” She nuzzled against his neck and planted a soft kiss on his lips. This was everything she wanted, or at least everything that she could reasonably have with Benedict. She would never experience her dreams of marrying him, or walking on his arm in public, or being with him forever. But she could have these days, weeks or even months if she were lucky, where they enjoyed each other’s company and bodies, and she was grateful for it. Incredibly grateful. It wasn’t perfect, but it was closer to her dreams than she could have ever imagined over the past two years. She would cherish these days forever, but she refused to hinge her hopes or her future on them, when they would never lead to anything.

“I don’t want to be kept somewhere,” she confessed. “Locked in a pretty box for you to play with.”

Benedict pulled back, looking insulted. “Why?”

Sophie sighed, overcome with the weight of her emotions and a wave of approaching sleep. “Because it can’t last forever and I will need work to fall back on.” She rested her head back on her arms and closed her eyes. “You must tell me once you find her,” she sighed.

Benedict looked at her, startled. Find who? Surely she didn’t know about…

As if reading his mind Sophie continued, mumbling. “The woman you will marry. So that I will know to leave. Promise me, Ben.” Her head lolled as she drifted off, her last words barely above a whisper. “I cannot share you.”

Something in Benedict’s chest clenched and again he found himself struggling to breathe. Suddenly the thought of not having Sophie around was unsettling. More unsettling than it should have been for having known her such a short time. She didn’t want to share him with his wife. Did she mean to reveal that to him or did it slip out? He couldn’t tell how it made him feel. Once again he knew she was right. He doubted he could sustain a life as a bachelor chasing after a maid who refused to be kept as a mistress. He would need to marry. Hell, a part of him wanted to marry. It was who that was the problem. He couldn’t find the lady in silver but knew that if he ever did and if she would have him, he would marry her and then there would be no room for Sophie. It made him sad and it made him confused and he was so damned tired. So he resigned himself to following Sophie’s lead and just enjoying the time they had together, for however long it lasted.

Tagging: @angels17324 @broooookiecrisp @secretagentbucky @eg-dr3amer3 @time-to-hit-the-clouds @lyta2323 @autumn-grace @sadprose-auroras @the-other-art-blog @goldrambutan @colettebronte @heeyyyou @musicismyoxygen84 @faye-tale @ambitionspassionscoffee @starchaser325 @malna4903 @sincere-sarcasm @kmc1989 @makaylan @queen-of-the-misfit-toys @alexandrainlove @chase-your-dreams-away

[fortisfilia]

Promised Part 10 - Tom Riddle x reader

Info: This is a rewrite of a story I've posted on my old account years ago. If it sounds familiar, that might be why :)

Summary: In this story, Tom didn't grow up as an orphan, but with his grandfather and uncle. Reader's sister got very sick and the Gaunts offer their help. But not without asking for something in return.

Warnings: Arranged marriage

Word count: 3k

Masterpost | Masterlist | Part 9 | Part 11

Part 10 - Mors Grano

The days after Avery’s poor attempt to gather information went by quite eventfully. Not only had Avery and Lestrange almost gotten expelled by Dippet for what they had done, but had received the worst detention you had ever heard of. 

Every day, up until the N.E.W.T.s would start, they had to help Mr Carpe, Hogwarts’ caretaker, clean every last bit of the castle. Without magic of course. And when they weren’t scrubbing floors, cleaning windows, or polishing trophies, they were copying the school rules on parchment, by hand. The amount of paper they had to fill wouldn’t even fit into an entire classroom, had it not been rolled up. 

Even if they wanted to, their new schedule didn't give them enough time to follow you or even think about you. They barely had enough time to finish their homework before tumbling into their beds. You would have felt sorry for them, but Tom’s snarky grin, which he wore every time you saw the two in the hallways, was a reminder that they deserved it. 

Thank Merlin you hadn’t told Avery much when he had disguised himself as Tom. You had just confirmed that the engagement had been arranged but fortunately hadn’t said anything about your sister. There had been worse rumours going around about Tom and you. 

Camille almost didn’t believe you when you told her what they had done. After a lot of head shaking and “no, they didn’t”s she just stared at you with her mouth open and proceeded to laugh for a full minute or two when you told her about their punishment. 

It was a lucky coincidence that she had found an interest in Ben, as she didn’t mind now that you were spending a lot more time with Tom. She was preoccupied as well by the looks of it. 

After the accidental sleepover, you had stayed in Tom’s dorm overnight more often. Not on accident though. It had become a routine, to have another quick chat with Camille after classes, arrange some dates for when you wanted to study together and then make your way to Tom’s.

Tom was sitting at his desk when you entered the room, apparently deep in thought and studying the Potions book he had gifted you.

“Alright?” you said when you closed the door.

He nodded as you went up to him.

“Found anything interesting for the Moly?” you asked. “It still looks quite healthy to me.”

“Not really,” he answered and turned towards you. “Nothing specific.”

“Oh, I just got an owl from my parents.” You crammed the letter out of your bag and handed it to him. “They set the date. For the wedding.”

Tom read the letter quietly, his eyebrows twitching slightly once or twice.

“June 30th,” he said.

“That’s only one day after we graduate,” you stated. “Seems like they can’t wait for the big day.”

He nodded as he gazed into the flames inside the fireplace, a tiny grin pulling on the edge of his mouth before he looked up at you. “Can you?”

To keep the giggle that was building up inside you from bursting out, you took Tom's hand, tugged lightly on it and gestured towards the couch where you wanted to sit. He closed the potions book but kept a finger in it, taking it with him as you led him over.

“Well, I don’t know,” you said as you let yourself fall onto the cushion. “It still doesn’t feel real, does it?”

He nodded in agreement.

“I can’t wait to try on the dress, though. That’ll be exciting,” you went on and noticed him smiling. “And then there’s the most important part, of course.”

He gave you a look as if to say he didn’t know what you meant.

“Elsie,” you explained. “Your uncle will lift her curse completely then. Or so I hope at least.”

Morfin had to, didn’t he? It was part of the pact after all. Tom and you would get married so that they would free your sister. As much as you wanted to believe that the Gaunts were trustworthy, there had been a nasty sting in your stomach ever since the engagement. Would they give up, even when they had won? They wouldn’t be able to control you anymore afterwards, or Tom, or anyone but themselves. Marvolo’s filthy grin appeared in your head. Would he ever give it a rest?

“He will free her, won’t he?” you asked.

Tom looked into your eyes for a moment, then cleared his throat. “Well, it’s what they agreed on.”

“But?”

“But,” he went on, “You’ve seen how they are.”

An invisible weight seemed to pull on your limbs and the sting in your stomach got more intense. 

“They’ll never let go,” you sighed. “But how-”

Tom shook his head and exhaled slowly. “I have to show you something.”

He gave you the Potions book and opened it at the page where he had put his finger before. “I thought you’d come across it on your own, but as I noticed you wouldn’t… Just see for yourself.”

You stared at him for a moment, wondering what Morfin’s book had to do with anything, before looking down at it. Tom pointed at a recipe, written in scrawled handwriting:

Mors Grano or The Dust Of Slow DeathThe dust is used to be scattered over an item and will cling to the first person that touches it.Vanishes the second the victim comes in contact, which makes it very hard to be detected and cured.Victims will suffer from a distinctively harsh cough, as well as pain and flu-like symptoms, which will worsen each day until they become fatal. The average time until death is around three weeks after the first encounter with Mors Grano. In most cases, the victim will lose their life before the appropriate antidote can be given. 

You didn't bother to read the list of ingredients, your hands shaking too much to make out a word. You had heard of Mors Grano before. Professor Binns had mentioned it in History of Magic when you had learned about the Passing of Men in 1650. Hundreds of witches had poisoned their abusive husbands with it when the dust had been invented. It had taken years to find out what had caused such an increased number of deaths, all of them male wizards. The potion and most of its ingredients had been banned, and no cases had been reported since.

Until now. Suddenly it all made sense. The Gaunts had sent the letter and covered it in Mors Grano. They had known all along how to cure Elsie and had waited patiently, days and weeks, letting your sister suffer until Father had contacted them. No wonder the owl had given her the letter, even though it was addressed to Father. They had specifically chosen her. A ten-year-old, innocent, little girl. 

Nausea hit you like a brick, coupled with the immediate need to punch something as your stomach twisted and turned in ways you had never felt before. A thin layer of sweat had formed on your forehead and your hands were still shaking.

“They…” you whispered. “And you knew?”

Tom swallowed thickly. “I didn’t at first. But then I came across it when Morfin prepared the poison.”

"And you never told me?" you asked, your voice rising and threatening to break as you tried to get up.

“Let me explain,” Tom said and grabbed your hand. “Sit down.”

“What is there to explain?” you asked, trying to pull away from his grip. “You’ve known for months. Even before your first visit. Before Elsie got sick. And you never tried to prevent it, nor did you tell me.”

Tom's grip on your hand tightened the more you tried to get him off you. “I said let me explain. I let you explain yourself when I saw you with Avery, didn’t I? Imagine I just ran away then. Now sit down.”

Finally, his grip loosened, allowing you to tear your hand away from him. Not knowing what to think or say, you sat down but couldn’t bring yourself to even look in his direction.

“Yes, I knew,” he began with a sigh. “And I didn’t care. But even when I started to care, I couldn’t tell you. Or anyone. I still can’t. I’m unable to talk about it. They were a step ahead. Understand?”

The Gaunts were a step ahead. They always wanted to be. Just like on Christmas Day, when they wanted you and Tom to do-

“An unbreakable vow?” you asked with wide eyes. “You had to vow not to tell anyone.”

He nodded. “I vowed not to tell. But I didn’t vow not to show.”

He turned one page inside the book and handed it to you again.

Mors Grano - antidote

Ingredients: 

The skin of a snake

2 fresh Foxgloves

3 blossoms of a Moly

4 drops of Moondew

5 tears of a Banshee

The antidote. Full with an ingredient list and instructions. 

“Morfin brewed it already then? They gave it to Elsie, otherwise, she wouldn’t have gotten better.”

“He didn’t complete it,” Tom answered, apparently trying not to say something that would interfere with the vow.

“He left out something? They gave her an unfinished antidote?”

Tom nodded. 

“The tears?” you guessed, solely because it was the most powerful and rare item on the list.

“I’m not sure. They never let me into his chamber after the engagement.”

“Can we… Can we steal it from him? And add the last ingredient?”

“Marvolo has the flask on him at all times. He’s suspicious, even of Morfin.”

Bloody hell. Marvolo’s paranoia was a real pain. You scanned the antidote again, thinking of all the ways you could get your hands on that potion.

“But I could brew it myself. Most of the ingredients are easy to find. Foxgloves are for sale in Diagon Alley, I’ve seen them countless times. The Moly, we have it here,” you listed and looked at it standing on the desk, finally realising why Tom had tried to keep it alive so badly. “Snakeskin from Nagini. We just wait for her to shed. Moondew and the Banshee tears will be tricky, however.”

Tom nodded at every new thing you had said. “You figured it out.”

Your stomach had stopped squirming at the glimmer of hope you had for saving Elsie. You carefully read the recipe for the antidote again, understanding how long it would take and how hard it would be to get the potion right. If everything went well, it would be finished by mid to late June at the earliest. Besides, Slughorn had never taught you such advanced techniques. Now that you were thinking of your Professor, it began to dawn on you. “Do you think Slughorn has Moondew and Banshee tears in his chamber?”

“Possibly,” Tom answered. “But do you really want to steal from him after what Avery and Lestrange did? I’m sure he’s got it all locked up in his office now.”

“Well, I have to try. Where else would I get those things from? And I better try soon. The antidote will take months to make as it is and the earlier I start, the better.”

Tom took the book, got up from the couch and put it into the drawer of his desk, closing it shut slowly.

“What are you doing?” you asked.

“We’re going to Slughorn then, aren’t we? Come on.”

You followed him out hastily, trying to sort out your thoughts. Frankly, you had not expected to get the ingredients this quickly.

“Wait, how are we going to do it?” you asked, struggling to keep pace. “We can’t just sneak in and grab the things we need. He might be in there.”

“Even better then,” Tom said, not deigning to look at the other students strolling along the hallways. “I talk, you get the stuff.”

Slughorn's office was on the sixth floor, so it took a while to reach it. Your mind was still racing around the facts you had just been given and you needed to talk about it.

“I can’t believe they made you vow,” you muttered. “Marvolo and Morfin are…”

“Bastards,” he finished your sentence when you stepped from one of the moving staircases to another. “I’m aware.”

Everyone who knew them longer than a minute had to be aware of the fact. You were the only people on the staircase, floating higher up towards your destination. Tom looked over his shoulder to double-check if anyone could hear him.

“You know what,” he said pensively. “I actually expected people to ask me what I, or my family, had done to make the engagement happen. Seeing as it was them who got the ball rolling. But everyone suspected you. They all thought your parents bribed us.”

A sour smile had formed on your face as you thought about what to answer. One that, for all you knew, every woman had worn at least once in her life. 

“A woman's intentions will always be questioned a hundred times harsher than those of a man, Tom. What else is new?”

He pressed his lips together, nodded and kept quiet until you reached the sixth floor.

“Wait,” you said and got a hold of his hand when you had entered the corridor of Slughorn’s office. “I wanted to thank you. For helping me. The book, the Moly and now this. You know you don’t have to.”

He squeezed your fingers lightly in response, stepped closer and you pulled him in further. With his arms around you and your head pressed against his chest, you shut your eyes for a moment, feeling his lips on your forehead for a fraction of a second. When you looked up at him, his mouth parted, then closed again, stopping himself from saying something. His eyes, dark and restless, searched yours for a moment before returning to their usual deadpan state.

“Believe me, no one hates Marvolo and Morfin more than me. If I can make their lives more difficult, I’ll gladly do it.”

There wasn’t a lot of time to take in Tom’s words when you separated. There it was. The door to Slughorn’s room.

“Get behind me,” Tom instructed. “Make sure he doesn’t see you.”

You did as he said, your back against the stone wall, watching from a distance how Tom knocked on the door and Slughorn opened it.

“Oh, Tom,” the Professor said. “Good afternoon. What brings you here?”

“Good afternoon Professor. I hope I’m not disturbing you. I have some questions about Avery and Lestrange. I’m trying to sort out some things for Professor Dippet. Would you mind letting me in?”

Slughorn opened the door fully and stepped back. “Of course, boy, of course. Come in.”

Tom had left the door open for you to slip in behind them, which you instantly did. He lured Slughorn to the far end of his office, walking backwards and keeping an eye on you. Slughorn’s potion stock was right next to the entrance, where you knelt between the shelves, in case he would turn around unexpectedly.

The small drawers weren’t tagged, but you noticed that their contents were sorted alphabetically. As you silently roamed through them, you could hear Tom and Slughorn speak.

“So, Professor,” Tom said. “Do you know if Avery and Lestrange have taken anything else? Apart from the Polyjuice Potion?”

The Professor hummed. “Not that I’m aware of, no. Why?”

Every single drawer was filled to the brim with ingredients, some vials even contained finished potions, but you still hadn't seen the things you were looking for. It was a delicate act to go through everything so quickly while remaining quiet and ensuring not to miss anything.

“Well, there were some items found. Residues of Moondew and Banshee tears,” Tom explained.

“Banshee tears?” Slughorn asked.

“Yes. We can’t be sure if it was them, but I thought if you missed those things from your supply, the two might have something to do with it.”

“No, everything else is there, I counted it myself,” Slughorn assured. “What baffles me are the Banshee tears.”

Tom was an excellent liar, even though Slughorn would have probably bought anything his favourite student said. The bottom drawer at the penultimate row was stuck. You pulled the handle tightly but it only opened up an inch and gave a screech while it did, making you freeze from fear.

“Did you hear something?” Slughorn asked, his voice echoing your way.

“No, I didn’t,” Tom answered and coughed. “Why are you surprised about the Banshee tears, sir?”

“Well, those tears are rare,” the teacher answered, his head directed towards Tom again. “Very rare and also not very legal, boy. I’ve never seen them anywhere in my whole life. They couldn’t have been from me.”

No Banshee tears from Slughorn then. You pulled out your wand and cast a nonverbal spell to loosen the stuck drawer. Should have done that right away, you thought to yourself. Finally, it opened smoothly and your eyes went over all the flasks and their name tags. Mandrake, Maw, Mistletoe berry, Mollowsweed ... Moondew. Thank Merlin! There were over ten vials of it in the drawer, so you hastily took out one and put it into your pocket.

You peeked over the counter, locked eyes with Tom, and pointed towards the door to let him know you would leave.

“I see,” Tom went on, his eyes back on Slughorn. “We’ll have to look into that. Anyway, if you do notice some Moondew missing, against all expectations, I’m going to have another talk with Dippet about Avery and Lestrange.”

“I’ll let you know, boy. Thank you.”

“Enjoy your evening, sir.”

Masterpost | Masterlist | Part 11

Tags: @ariachaos

[zoeykallus]

Hey there! I was wondering if you could write about a female reader, traveling with the batch. She suffers from anxiety and depression, coming in phases. There are good and bad days, but she manages to keep it to herself, until she has a really terrible one. And she has feelings for Tech and the other way around, but they haven't addressed it yet, and he is the one realizing something is off with her, trying to comfort her. Some Angst/Fluff stuff... Please? ❤

Hm, this one hits home. Ouch. Sure I can, I actually love the opportunity to comfort myself while writing, especially with Tech 😋😅

Let me see what I can do for us you 😊

Tech x Fem!Reader - The Lowest Low

Warnings: Angst/Mention Of Anxiety/Mention And Description Of Depression Symptoms/Panic Attack/Comfort/Fluff/Soft, Shy, Gentle Tech

____________

Until now, you have always been able to hide it, but suddenly the deepest low in a long time hits you, and you can't hide it anymore. Tech tries to understand what's going on with you.

_____________

So far you have always been able to prevent it, to hide it, even from Hunter. You always withdrew in time when the bad episodes came, you have learned to act by now, to pretend that everything is wonderful, while inside you feel panic, fear, and a deep inexplicable, lonely sadness.

But this one episode is particularly horrible. You blew the last job, a panic attack overtook you, threw you off track, and forced you to retreat. Much to the surprise of the guys, who looked after you in complete bewilderment as you simply cleared the field. This time, none of your breathing exercises or mental retreats helped.

Your back is tense, your muscles tight as if expecting to take a punch at any moment. Your fingers stiffen, a feeling of pressure on your chest, one uncomfortable goose bump after another chases across your body.

A lump forms in your throat and a slaying wave of sadness washes over you. This helpless feeling is awful, you feel guilty of just ditching the guys, on such a simple mission. Nothing special happened, not that you can remember, no specific trigger.

You feel burning pressure behind the bridge of your nose and eyes, tears held back. Your cramped fingers cling to the collar of your shirt as if expecting to be strangled by the fabric at any moment.

The air you breathe is like lead, heavy on your body and hard to get into your lungs. You feel dizzy. An all-encompassing fear has you in its grip, the feeling of being helplessly exposed to everything around you is overpowering. You want to scream, but it seems there isn't even enough air to breath.

You are trembling, your breathing is irregular and heavy. You have retreated to a quiet corner, somewhere behind the landing pad of the Marauder. You are so preoccupied with your condition that you don't hear someone approaching.

Startled, you look up, your heart almost stopping as you hear Tech say your name.

He's standing there, for the first time in a long time not holding the datapad, his helmet tucked under his right arm.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. Are you not feeling well? You're pale and look tense, almost panicked."

You feel a single tear run down your face, then a second, but your expression is strangely blank, you feel it yourself.

Tech is looking at you, obviously trying to understand what's going on with you, to make sense of your behavior.

You never wanted anyone to see you like this, especially not Tech. But you sense that the cat is out of the bag, and any white lie would only make him feel like you don't trust him.

"No, Tech," you say softly, "I'm not feeling well."

He blinks, standing there indecisively for a moment. He glances over his shoulder as if to make sure the two of you are really alone. Finally, he looks at you again and asks, "May I come closer?"

You manage to smile at him and nod.

"Of course, I always like having you near me".

A small smile twitches at the corners of his mouth, then he moves closer and sits next to you with some courtesy distance, his long legs bent. Tech sets his helmet down on the ground beside him and looks at you.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

You sigh softly and say, "I don't see how. That's something I don't want to burden you with."

He frowns thoughtfully and says, "It's not a burden. All I see is a person I care about suffering, and I want to counteract that. You said you like having me around, the feeling is mutual. Maybe I can help you in some way with my presence?"

You smile, feeling touched by how cautiously Tech approaches the matter, although he usually wants to go straight to the point.

You swallow nervously, smile cautiously, and ask him, "Would you mind holding my hand?"

Tech blinks in surprise, he seems a little shy, but he moves a little closer and gently grips your hand with his, closing your fingers with gentle pressure.

He thinks for a while, then says thoughtfully, "You need contact, with something or someone that will give you security, peace, safety, an anchor that will ground you, so you can get out of this slump you seem to be in."

You nod and breathe a sigh of relief, the pressure on your chest slowly easing. You block out the irrationally felt fear, feeling less exposed.

"That's why I asked you to hold my hand," you say softly.

Tech tightens his shoulders, sits up a little straighter and smiles, a very gentle, shy, but sincere smile.

"I'm honored," he says, squeezing your hand a tiny bit tighter to emphasize his presence at your side.

You slowly take a few deeper breaths, a few more tears running down your cheeks.

"Isn't it getting better?" he asks, concerned.

Your smile widens a bit, though tears are still streaming down your face.

"Oh yes it is, that's the relief, Tech. That… Tension I've been feeling has been exceedingly intense, all consuming. When it subsides, it's so relieving that I cry sometimes."

He blinks, thinking about what you said, trying to understand.

"It must be scary to feel that intensely," he says thoughtfully.

You nod in agreement.

"Yes, very much so. But there are sometimes very special bright spots that I would never want to miss"

Surprised, he looks at you.

"Such as?"

You feel warmth rise in your tear-stained cheeks as you say, "What I feel for you is intense, too. The joy of your presence or your attention. The peace and security you radiate to me. The incredible affection I feel when I see you smile."

Tech blinks several times in a row, as if he needs to reload his system. His ears turn red, and he looks shyly away to the side.

"Oh," he says softly.

You swallow, afraid you might scare him off, but he's still gently holding your hand, making no move to let you go.

You clear your throat carefully, wanting to say something else, but not daring to. After a while of quiet, Tech breaks the silence that has developed.

"You like me," he says softly, almost in a whisper, like a statement he can't quite grasp yet.

"Yes, indeed."

His eyes dart briefly in your direction with a quick smirk, then he glances shyly at his shoes again.

"Do you like me, too?" you ask softly.

His ears seem to get even redder.

"You could certainly put it that way, yes," he says with a nervous clearing of his throat.

His comm beeps and Hunter's voice is heard, "How's it looking? Is our girl okay?"

Tech glances at you briefly before answering, "She's doing better, but it's recommended to give her some more quiet time."

Hunter says understandingly, "Okay, take your time".

You realize that Hunter, of all of them, probably noticed the most when your low overtook you.

Tech barely noticeably moves a little closer, his thumb stroking your hand that he is still holding.

"Would you do me a favor?" he asks seriously.

"Of course."

He looks directly at you and says, "If you feel like this again, give me a sign, come to me. If it helps you, I always like to hold your hand. Maybe, long hugs will help too?"

Your heart really jumps out to him as you see the gentle expression on his face.

"I'd love to, Tech."

After a brief pause, he asks, "How are you feeling now?"

"Much better."

He raises his brows and asks, "Are you sure? Maybe we should try a hug just to test if it works"

You smile, having to suppress a grin.

"Now that you mention it, maybe we really should."

He moves closer, letting go of your hand. A bit over-cautious and awkward, he puts first one then the other arm around you. But as you lean against him, his embrace naturally adjusts to your posture.

"That's good," he says, "I mean, that should certainly help."

You grin contentedly to yourself, all at once very happy, at least for the moment.

"That's really very good, Tech"

Ko-Fi (If you feel like giving me some coffee)

@rintheemolion

@andyoufollowyourheart @clone-whore-99

@brynhildrmimi @kaliel2310

@misogirl828 @tech-deck

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[loggiepj]

FORBIDDEN

Part 8 | Part 9

Part 10

WANDA was still shaken to her soul. It took her a couple of hours later to finally stop her fingers from trembling. She swore any time longer, her fingernails would break the skin of her palms from the tight clutch she had with her fists.

The journey back to the camp was silent, anyone could literally hear ice cracking from a distance. The sound of footsteps crunching against the snow was all the exchanges Wanda and Y/n had given to each other. Pepper decided to stay behind.

The witch couldn't tell if the human looked sympathetic towards her, for she knew it wasn't the first time someone died in front of her. But she didn't put much thought into it for she couldn't get the words out of her head. The words she knew would haunt her forever.

Wanda was used to hearing prophecies being told from elder witches, even scribbled in scriptures or rolls, but she had never been given one before. One that was specifically for her. It was like a death sentence, but it wasn't. It wasn't, right?

The words flowed through her mind like a river during summer as she thought about what the elder witch had said to her one more time.

Be wary;

Not everyone is what they portray to be

Betrayal? Of course not. It was so vague. Who couldn't be trusted? The Avengers? The humans? Y/n? No.

To end the great war between flying foxes and soaring eagles

She was sure about this line.

Flying foxes meant bats, which symbolized the cunning witches. So the obvious thing, soaring eagles, would be the humans, the Deviants. But what if Avengers were one of them too?

Is that possible? Do Avengers stray away from their ultimate goal and go against their own kind?

A red spider lily will come after the devil's kin

She didn't know what that meant. But it didn't mean it didn't cross her mind. The Scarlet Witch could be the devil's kin. She'd read books and books about it. If she could only draw her own family tree, she was certain the devil cursed her own to generate an offspring to every generation. This time — her.

"Hey, you okay?" Y/n asked, making Wanda jump from her bed. She had no idea when Y/n appeared in her tent, although she wasn't even sure how she got there herself being preoccupied with all of her thoughts.

Wanda forced a nervous smile, avoiding the human's eyes. She learned humans could tell something was wrong by just looking at the state of the eyes. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

Y/n swallowed before taking another step inside her tent. "You just—I thought you were still shaken up about what happened earlier."

"I'm fine, Y/n. It's not the first time I saw someone died in front of me." She busied herself with the books Pepper had lent to her.

Y/n grew silent, closing and opening her mouth at times. Wanda quickly apologized for her response.

"It's okay," Y/n hurriedly added. "I was just worried about you. Pietro too. Steve said she was an elder witch. I knew rumors they give out curses or prophecies to anyone. About the future. That's why Deviants target them the most . . . Did she say something to you?"

Wanda hesitated, remembering the first line. She slowly shook her head. "She was just shaking violently and I panicked. She must have been poisoned so badly."

Y/n seemed to accept her answer. "We're still looking where the Deviants could be getting their supplies from. The poison they lace to their weapons is pretty deadly."

Wanda hummed in agreement, letting an air of silence and awkwardness passed between them.

Y/n clapped her hands together as she began to turn back. "Well, you need to get some rest. I won't be disturbing you for long."

When Y/n pulled the flap of her tent to get outside, Wanda stood. "Y/n, wait!"

"Mm?"

They stared at each other. One's eyes showed concern and confusion. The other one portrayed fear and doubt.

Wanda could just ask Y/n. Could have just told her about the prophecy. But something inside stopped her. The trust she had for humans was still unstable, like sand that could easily be swept away by tiny waves.

"Can you . . . can you tell Pietro to meet me here in five minutes?" Wanda asked instead.

Y/n nodded after a moment. "Yeah, sure."

 

AFTER she sent Pietro to Wanda's tent, Y/n started to grow wary. She knew something happened. She knew the elder witch told Wanda something. And Y/n was dying to find out, no matter how torn she was between betraying the witch's trust or for the betterment of their camp.

Y/n had been sneaking behind Wanda's tent for a while now, trying to make out the whispers she could barely hear inside. She didn't notice someone approach from behind her until a hand ended up on her shoulder. It was Layla.

But the breath of relief she released from seeing the unsuspecting witch was what made her gasping for air for what said witch said next.

"Will you be my other half for Yule?" Layla asked, looking down at the ground as if shy and embarrassed.

Y/n's eyes widened. She had completely forgotten about Yule, what with everything that had happened recently.

To be asked by someone to celebrate Yule was a customary during Winter Solstice. Yule was the time of feasting where the Yule log, basically a massive trunk of any tree, would be burned at the center in front of the pavilion, celebrated with your family and loved ones. If one was unmarried, it was normal to seek someone without ties to go to said event together.

Y/n would be thrilled to go with Wanda. It would be the happiest day of her life.

Except for the fact that it wasn't Wanda who asked her. But Layla.

"Bruce said single normies asked the ones they like to be their partner during Yule celebration. So, I'm asking you to be mine," Layla explained.

Y/n forgot how to think. She looked behind Layla and saw Wanda with Pietro finally coming out of her tent, looking worried as they still discussed in whispers.

"I don't know, Layla," Y/n finally answered. "I'm not really that much good of a companion."

"That's okay," Layla insisted. "You don't have to do anything. You just have to be there."

Y/n kept on looking at Wanda, torn between saying yes and asking Wanda to be hers instead. Wanda, who was set to be married, for Pete's sake, she reminded herself.

Speaking of the devil, as if perfect timing, Vision made an appearance by hugging Wanda behind the back. Wanda seemed agitated, pushing the man off her. But the man only laughed. Y/n thought if they had a fight or something, but when Vision gave her a bouquet of flowers, something inside her  hurt.

So when Y/n turned back to Layla, she nodded with a forced smile. "Yeah, sure. I mean, what's the worse that could happen, right?"

Layla was ecstatic, not expecting the normie to say yes. She giddily jumped, pressing a small kiss on Y/n's cheek before she left, surprising the latter.

 

MEANWHILE, Wanda couldn't seem to get away from the one man she'd wanted to disappear in her life.

"Campers here say that when you're courting someone, they have to give them flowers," Vision went on, pushing the bouquet unto Wanda's hands. "And I'm formally asking you to be my other half to the Yule, as well."

Wanda almost couldn't stomach the disgust she felt at the moment. She knew about the Yule. It was all she heard about from her peers during dinner and breakfast. "You've got to be messing with me right now."

"Wanda, I'm serious. You're single. I'm single, and the best male witch there is in town," he paused when he noticed Pietro scoff. "You've got to give me a chance."

"No, La', na, óxi, what other languages of no don't you understand?"

"I will make the night memorable—"

"It will be the night I want to forget if you're my other half—"

"So is that a yes?"

"What?! No!"

Pietro could only laugh at their interaction and the poor effort Vision was making.

Wanda had no desire to go and celebrate a normie's event, not when she wanted to know what the prophecy meant. She shared it with Pietro, of course. But even he didn't know what it meant. Althought he'd told her something that made her grow wary, that he felt like he'd been watched in the camp.

Wanda had considered it too. Was there a traitor amongst them? Or they were just letting the words from the prophecy affect them that much, making them paranoid against humans?

 

COME YULE night, Wanda was already buried in more books searching for more meaning about the prophecy. Pietro invited her some time earlier to give it a rest for a while, even when it's the last thing she wanted to do.

But it wouldn't hurt just to stretch her legs and take a glance on what the celebration was all about. It wasn't Wanda's first Yule. When she and her brother pretended to appear human as they lived throughout the years, they had become accustomed as to how the event was celebrated. But she'd never experienced it firsthand, always reasoning that she'd rather sleep through the feast or she had a stomachache.

A small smile formed in Wanda's face, her heart swelling at the sight. The camp looked lively filled with exuberant energy and excitement she hadn't seen since staying here. Campers danced and sang around the fire burning the hugest log she had ever seen being sacrificed to burn. It could last until the middle of the day or probably late in the afternoon the following day. Everyone, humans and witches, looked happy, as if nothing happened these past few days. Everyone just danced and sang at the top of their voice and had the time of their lives, trusting that the noise they're creating wouldn't give away the location of the camp. She even recognized the songs they were singing and dancing along to, finding her body swaying with the tunes.

Wanda felt happy, forgetting the prophecy for a moment. Maybe she was just being paranoid. A crowd like this wouldn't betray their kind.

Until her eyes landed on Y/n and Layla. Layla, who had her arms looped around Y/n's neck as they jumped and danced to the song. Y/n who was grinning wide as she laughed and danced with the other, all while her hands were placed on Layla's waist.

All the happiness inside Wanda drained in an instant, as if she was punctured a hole so big, she deflated with nothing but misery left. It didn't help when her eyes drifted to Pietro who was also having the best time of his life with someone she recognized they met from Steve's camp, Monica.

When the song finally ended, Y/n and Layla laughed at each other before the latter moved away to get some drinks. That's when Y/n's eyes met Wanda's gaze.

Wanda could tell she herself must be glaring because the smile on Y/n's face suddenly disappeared, turning into a frown.

Wanda couldn't breathe and she didn't know why. She just knew she needed to get away from there as fast as she could.

The witch just didn't expect to be followed by the one person she was avoiding.

"Wanda, hey!" Y/n called.

Damn, for someone so human, Y/n was fast.

Wanda almost slipped due to a root she didn't notice protruding from the ground. The incident made Y/n reached her deep into the woods.

"Wands, what's wrong? Did something happen?"

Wanda wanted to hurt Y/n for hurting her. It wasn't even making sense. She knew Y/n did nothing to physically hurt her, but for the pain she was feeling at the moment, she might as well be stabbed in the heart.

The concern clearly showing on the human's face made Wanda even more furious than before. "What's the matter?"

"What's the matter?" Wanda made a bitter laugh. "Clearly, you have no idea how your actions affect others."

Y/n's brow furrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Wanda let out a ragged breath, before shaking her head and stepped away. "You have to go back if you don't want Layla missing you."

Y/n scoffed as she stood her ground but she didn't make any movement to follow the witch. "I don't get why you're mad with Layla. It's not like I'm doing anything forbidden with her."

Wanda stopped as she turned back to glare at Y/n. "What? Are you kidding with me? What do you think we're doing here, Y/n? Those nights we spent together?"

Y/n licked her lips nervously, as if caught in the act. What did Wanda expect anyway? She knew Y/n was a flirt right from the start. "You're one of my close friends, second best to Yelena—"

It triggered an explosion inside Wanda's head. "So you're telling me you do all of these things with Yelena too? Hold hands and talk about the stars in the sky and whatnot?"

"What? No, that's not what I meant—"

"Then why the hell are you not seeing this thing between us?"

"There's nothing between us," Y/n said. "We're just friends. And in case you didn't notice, you were avoiding me these past few days too."

A pause. Unbearable one.

Wanda felt almost close to tears but she didn't let her emotions get to her. "Friends don't do what we do, Y/n. Friends don't hold hands for a long time or lay on the ground in the middle of the night talking about the night sky and everything else. Friends don't stare at each other's eyes and say they had never seen such beautiful ones."

"Wanda—"

"I get it now. You're really actually a flirt, a vile lecherous woman, because you think when you can finally get under my chemise, this will all be over, am I wrong, huh?"

Y/n cornered Wanda against a trunk of a tree. The distance between them made the witch harder to breathe. "How dare you—"

"What? Cause it's true?" she challenged, staring her right in the eye.

Y/n answered in a low angry voice. "You don't know how much I want you that it hurts just to see you and not being able to do the things I wanted to do with you."

Wanda's eyes widened upon the admission, yet the frustration was too much.

"Was I playing too hard to get then, Y/n? That you don't want to chase me anymore—"

"Stop making fun of my feelings—"

"Feelings? What are we? Twelve? You're a sick and proud womanizer—"

"You're a—an attention seeker!"

Wanda scoffed. "You're a whore! A whore whose needs will never be satisfied by a single woman alone!"

Y/n clutched the front of Wanda's tunic. "Take that back! You take that back!"

"Why would I when it's true?"

"I'm not a whore nor a philanderer nor whatever you think I am. You . . . you are more than a witch, you're a deceitful trickster, playing with people's feelings as if we're nothing but mere puppets."

"Ugh! You're so infuriating!"

Wanda pushed herself against Y/n as she pressed their lips together. It was chaos. Deprived mouths drank each other, thirsty for so long. Tongues fighting, teeth clashing against each other, as if proper etiquette was thrown out through the window. Hungry hands grabbing, groping, caressing skin to skin, desperate to touch one another.

Wanda had no idea it was a wonderful feeling — to be kissed by Y/n and to kiss her. Tasting her. Memorizing the softness of her lips. The touch of Y/n's hands against the bare skin between Wanda's trousers and tunic. The warmth from their bodies pressed against each other as Y/n deepened the kiss and pushed her back against the tree.

When Y/n slotted her leg between hers, Wanda couldn't stop a moan from coming out of her mouth.

This made Y/n stop and pull away, realizing what was happening. She shook her head as she muttered small Nos between them.

Wanda walked towards her, her lips swollen and red from kissing. She reached out for the human, yet the human only stepped back further away from her. "Y/n—"

"Wanda, I can't. I can't do this."

"What?" Wanda couldn't get ahold of her feelings any longer. She just wanted to turn back the time, back to finishing what they started against the tree trunk.

Y/n continued. "I can't . . . It's . . . This, whatever this is called, may be normal with you witches, but not me, Wanda. I can't. It's a common misconception too, you know. Some humans want this. I—I just don't."

Confusion settled in, overpowering the lust Wanda felt for Y/n. "What are you talking about?"

Y/n sighed. When tears started brimming in her eyes, Wanda softened. She cautiously approached the human.

"You've already got Vision, Wanda. And it pains me that I can never ever have you like that."

Wanda let out a shaky breath. Y/n quickly wiped a tear from her eyes, as if embarrassed.

"Is this what this was all about? The tension? The hesitations?" Wanda chuckled like crazy into the air.

"Hey, don't laugh at my misfortune." Y/n's strong attitude resurfaced.

Wanda then looked at Y/n, and she couldn't help but feel intense feelings more than before.

"Wanda, I . . . I want you all to myself. But I don't want to be the reason to break your marriage with him. Even when everytime I see you two together, I might have wished myself to be dead. I can't even understand what you see in him. And how you couldn't see how awful he is."

Wanda stepped towards her. "And what do you think should be the one for me?"

Y/n didn't step back. The closer they got, her heart seemed to stop beating. "Someone who looks at you like you're the moon and the stars. Someone who cares about you the way Venus selflessly cared about that hunter. Someone who loves and adores you truly."

Wanda's eyes brim with happy tears as she stopped an inch. She chuckled softly. "For someone so skilled at archery, you have got to suck at catching signs."

"What?"

Wanda grabbed the collar of Y/n's tunic as she pulled her face towards her, the other hand cupping her cheek. Her thumb wiped the wetness from Y/n's tears.

Wanda looked at Y/n with her piercing green eyes, and the gaze never broke.

"I don't know where you heard that silly rumor about me and Vision," Wanda explained. "I also don't know how you could think I'd ever involve myself with that man. But Vision and I are nothing more than mere acquaintances, Y/n."

Y/n's eyes widened in surprise. "You're not together?"

Wanda smiled as she nodded. "We're not together." Her eyes then drifted to Y/n's mouth as she leaned forward. "It's you that I want."

Then she closed the distance between them.

 

MONICA stepped out of Pietro's tent some time later. It was almost dawn yet the place looked dead from the late celebration last night. Monica appeared to be waiting for something as she stood behind the tent, immobile while watching the stars. But it wasn't the stars she was looking at.

A crow suddenly landed on her forearm as she smiled. She whispered something inaudible into the crow before it flew away back into the sky.

The sun might not shine another day on the camp anymore.

taglist :

@bibliophilicbi @swiftie1-0-1 @whitewidowsbite @aliherreraaa @smromanoff @wandanats-goodgirl @supaheroine @eliii1sblog @bananasplits-world @cocoyeehaw @daenerys713

Author's note:

I sincerely apologize for not being able to update regularly. I haven't been in a good place these past few weeks. But still, thank you for reading my story and for waiting too long. :)

[izvmimi]

All Roads Lead to Love? - Chapter II

cw: canon-typical violence. quirk use. oc characters are introduced. reader has a described quirk. Please see additional masterlist warnings! Masterlist

The remainder of the week passes without consequence. This new information about your life doesn’t change anything, because even if you can see the same man on every news channel, you have nothing to discuss and your lives don’t overlap. 

Sitting by a couple of teenage girls at a train station and hearing them speculate about Uravity and Deku on your way to work the next day adds particularly to this sentiment. Their longstanding will they won’t they is only part of the reason why you’ve never made your feelings known. Uravity is perfect for him in every way, after all. You just wish they would hurry up and go public, hopefully even get married, so you can stop addressing the niggling feeling that perhaps, just perhaps, all these years you’ve made a mistake.

When you find your way into the clinic, Junko is wide-eyed and excited to hear everything you learned overnight, and you conveniently leave the part where in at least five universes except yours, not only are you not single, you’re romantically involved with Mr. Number One Pro Hero Deku himself. 

“Who knocked the first one up? I have to know.”

You eye the Deku bobblehead on her work desk you’d desensitized yourself to, and shrug, pretending you don’t know.

“Any add-ons today?” you ask instead, and disappear into the back room before she can ask you more questions. At least you know what you’d look like if you were pregnant.

—

Sorry I can’t make it tonight. Please let me know if you or Iida need anything.

Izuku’s voice to speech has a tendency to make him sound excessively formal, but it’s better than typing in a hurry and having to correct ten individual typos, cursed by clumsy, large hands. He’s rushing to the third out of five meetings today - the unwelcome side effect of being One to Watch (although he wonders at one point he’s simply There given how long it’s been) - and then he’s set for a patrol in a particularly dangerous neighborhood for the evening. He wishes he could trade it, but considering the point of the patrol was less to fight a specific enemy but to show a strong Hero presence, specifically his presence, he’s aware that it must be him.

Ochaco will understand. After all, he’s been with Ochaco at Iida’s bedside most days this week in the evenings given a recent injury, and even if Ochaco won’t say it, perhaps the two do need some time alone. They’d both been reluctant to reveal their affections for each other, given Ochaco’s history with him, but a part of Izuku’s soul understands that this arrangement was probably for the better anyway. While he loved Ochaco dearly, he’d always had the sense something was wrong about them, like momentum having him hurtling in the wrong direction. But there’s not much you can do when one of your best friends proclaims their love for you where everyone can see, and you’re just a high schooler with the weight of the world on your shoulders and then some, and there’s even less you can do when the person you’d long hoped would return your feelings seemed to be preoccupied with someone else.

Either way, years have passed and there are no hard feelings between the trio of friends, and Izuku particularly has simmered down on the prospect of love. 

Somewhat. 

Just minutes later, a reporter asks him for the third time this month if he and Uravity have considered working as a pair, and he smiles and nods before politely redirecting the question to praising her talent profusely. He understands easily why she’s reluctant to go public with Iida, and wishes desperately he wasn’t in her way.

Perhaps in another universe, if they had ended up loving each other, this aspect of the job would be easier - the media circus would have died out by now; they’d both be able to focus on doing what they chose to do with their lives, which is be Heroes and help as many people as possible.

They’d be able to live quietly.

The reporter then asks if he’s still in contact with most of the people he went to school with. This question takes him aback, and he blinks for a moment as he watches the young woman before him resettle in her seat, eyes hungry for information.

He runs through the list of everyone he’s known. He’s 28 now, and it’s been a decade since he’s graduated from high school. Most of the people he’s known he interfaces with on at least a weekly to monthly basis, save for a select few like Shoto, Katsuki, Iida and Ochaco that he sees almost daily. He admits he hasn’t seen Koda in a while, now that he lives in the forest similar to the Wild Wild Pussycats, nor Jirou who dedicated more of her life to music these days, and then his thoughts settle on you.

He knows what you’re up to, but he hasn’t spoken to you in over a year, despite remembering your last conversation at UA’s 10 year reunion. Brief - you were already slightly tipsy, and you smiled at him, but seemed disinterested in whatever he had to say, almost like you wanted to leave as soon as possible. He’d asked you how your clinic was going, and you’d laughed, the warmth of alcohol deepening the complexion in your cheeks, and said noncommittally, “it’s going,” before turning back to your friends. You’d once been so excited to tell him every thought running through your head, and you’d bounce off ideas for hours, discussing everything from Quirks to biology to society to your hopes and dreams, and after just a few years apart, he received next to nothing.

Leave her alone, Midoriya, is all that ran through his head, after that, and he politely bowed and left. 

“Yes, we all help each other out when needed!” he replies. It isn’t a lie. For every one of his classmates, even you. If you called him, he would come to your rescue. Anytime.

When the interview ends, he wishes for a moment that he had the courage to call. 

—

The last person you could have expected to call you, calls you on a Thursday afternoon, as you make your way out of work, and from his voice, you can tell he’s surprised you actually sought to answer the phone. 

“I… uh… wow. Hey.”

“Hey.”

Your cheeks warm, but it’s not love, it’s the nostalgia of several years coming back, and the fact that your high school boyfriend seems flustered to speak to you despite years of lost contact.

“You never changed your number,” Akira says, and you laugh. You can envision him easily, after all social media makes it such that no one truly becomes a stranger, and you know that he’s crinkled he has the same goofy smile on his face that helped you forget all that you’d been through in the Hero course, reminded you that there was more to life than self-sacrifice.

“You didn’t change yours,” you’re quick to reply.

“Touché.”

You can tell he’s grinning now, and it makes your heart light. You’re walking towards the train station and it’s a spring afternoon; you can see lovers hold hands as they walk past you, and you can’t remember the last time you’ve been on a date. 

And as if he knows how you feel, he asks you on one.

“The truth is you’ve been on my mind a lot recently.”

“Are you newly single?” you ask. It’s meant to be a playful jab, but you can tell he’s stung when he replies, “Newly isn’t the word for it, but yes, I am single.”

You blow air through your nose, but Akira is harmless. He makes his way around women easily with a silly sort of charm, and being easy on the eyes, but he’s not the type to break a woman’s heart. If anything, you were the one who broke his by ending things when you decided to focus on graduate school.

“Remember how I really liked enka?” 

Evenings in the dorm rooms laid side by side with shared headphones come to mind. 

“Yeah. Are you famous now?” you tease. He tuts at you, but adds,

“Come to my open mic night on Friday. I’ll buy you sashimi afterwards and we can go drinking.”

You think for a moment that in 5 separate universes, you’re in love with Izuku and maybe you should figure out what that’s about, but in this one, Izuku is nowhere to be found and perhaps it’s more important for you to hear your ex-boyfriend belt ballads and loosen up over sake and sake don.

You think for a moment, and then say, “Sure.”

—

There’s probably a social crime involved in inviting your friends to a date, and you can tell Akira’s a bit annoyed about it from the slight scrunch of his eyebrows when he watches you walk into the bar with two of your closest friends flanking your sides. He’s at the front already, and waves at you enthusiastically, and he’s every bit the cute boy from the support class who helped you with your pageant routine (you didn’t win that year, but you placed thanks to him), just sharper in the face, and with longer wavy dark hair.

You wave back, and your friends push you to the front and take their seats in the back. They’d also both gone to UA, and one was in the hero class with you, while the other was a year ahead, in the support class, and recognizes Akira, even if she hadn’t particularly approved of him in the past. She hadn’t exactly disliked him, but you could tell she was less warm when it came to him. Your other friend doesn’t seem to recognize him immediately, turning immediately to order the two of you drinks.

You slip into the open seat beside Akira and he offers you a drink and a rose. It’s cheesy but it makes you smile.

“I’m going to wow you, just so you know,” he promises as he makes his way on stage. You raise your eyebrow, as if to say ‘prove it’ while he skips onto the stage.

And he’s a hit, all flashing teeth and low notes, and you can feel your face warm every time he sings in your direction. He’s always had a beautiful voice, and easily flustered, you look down at your drink, heart thumping. 

And then, in a stroke of misfortune (to you), he slips your name into the song, and when you look up at him, he’s reaching a hand out towards you, bidding you to come on stage.

The very idea feels like hell to you. The rest of the bar’s patrons watch you and cheer and you glance at your friends, both of whom are waving their hands to push you on stage. When you look back at Akira, he’s still smiling, but you can feel the tinge of anxiety at the idea of you rejecting him in public. You wouldn’t, would you?

You can’t.

You slowly rise to take his hand, as people clap around you, but before you can take another step, before you can embarrass yourself in front of a room full of people, there’s a deafening sound that comes from your right side that practically stuns you, and shortly after, a forceful blast of air and shattered concrete follows and nearly knocks you off your feet.

The ringing of your ears mutes the abounding screams in the room. Your fortifying Quirk kicked in just in time, so you weren’t thrown that far, but bodies are strewn across the room. You don’t see Akira, and the right side of the room is practically cleared with tables and chairs tossed haphazardly and people scrambling for cover or already unconscious.

Adrenaline rushes through your veins, but you act first. You are a Hero after all, even if you’ve been out of the fray for years. A quick glance lets you know that your friends are already in action, trying to recover a few people thrown over the bar, and you attempt to push rubble off of you and start rescues.

Your Quirk activates again to fortify yourself as you begin to move, but a second, louder explosion occurs, one that does actually knock you off your feet, destroying part of the foundation of the building. The ceiling starts to cave in just above you - you’ve always had the best luck - and you’re too slow to move before it all comes crashing down.

You put yourself into a protective huddle, hopeful for your Quirk to minimize your damage, but never feel the pain of falling wreckage. 

“... Hi.”

Says Izuku Midoriya, hovering over you and shielding your body from harm with a piece of the ceiling held carefully in his hands. 

The love of your life in at least five universes and your current savior.

Your eyes meet and hold firmly.

“Hi, I-Izu.. Deku.”

Time seems to slow to a stop for a moment, then comes back up to pace when you let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding, your lungs suddenly burning in demand of oxygen. Izuku watches you carefully for a moment, really takes you in, even if you’re quick to thank him before looking around for someone else to save. You’re okay, just shaken; you’ve noticed him for a fleeting moment and now your attention is gone. You turn and scream your friend’s name, and he throws the large block of concrete to the side, remembering his job has only begun.

He’s happy he could do something for you, despite it all. There are more people to save, you remind him with your quick movements, the activation of your quirk to stabilize the first injured man’s bleeding as you crouch around him. He springs back into action - after all, he was meant to chase the culprits of those blasts, and can’t be sidetracked.

But this time, he has resolved to say more to you when the dust clears.

—

“Rampage, are you hurt? You did a good job back there.”

You can hear your Hero friend, code name Rampage, chat politely with Izuku as they both approach to where you’re huddled in a makeshift rehabilitation corner, a couple of people with the more severe injuries laid out on the ground, rolled up table cloths beneath their heads. No one is gravely injured more than you can heal with your Quirk, but you’ve exhausted enough of your body’s reserves that your head is starting to swim. She’s saying something playful about how Deku stole her thunder, when you turn to both of them and give a report, as Heroes are wont to do naturally.

When he comes over, you remind yourself to remain cordial but businesslike, despite your heart pounding hard in your chest. Nothing happened. Nothing changed. No clones or any lingering delusions can change that.

”I think we’ve accounted for everyone, right? These two -“ you gesture over to the people you’ve slightly sedated to reset a couple of broken limbs, “probably need to get to the hospital just so they have follow-up but it’s not urgent.”

Rampage nods, and Izuku pauses before doing the same. You remember now - the last time you interacted in this capacity was during the earliest parts of the war before things had gotten far out of your realm of ability and you were more helpful taking care of the sick and wounded. It feels like so long ago you’ve been active as a traditional Hero. Rampage on the other hand has kept in contact with Deku cursorily due to her familiarity with other Heroes of a similar level, particularly the noisy one named Dynamight, and while she and Deku are not exactly best friends, they get along well. He glances at her for reassurance before stepping forward to you.

“Thank you for helping out,” Izuku says with a reassuring smile. You try not to look at him when you reply, “Of course.”

In one universe, you have small children that look like some combination of the both of you. In this one, you can barely look each other in the eye.

There is a pause that lasts a little bit too long again, and you don’t notice the smile that forms on Rampage’s face as she steps backwards, hoping not to be noticed by either of you, but the moment dispels when Camilla, your Support friend, calls for all of your attention from across the destroyed hall. She looks absolutely ridiculous, enough that you stifle a laugh, with all manners of cutlery, jewelry, watches, phones, and anything metal, stuck to her from head to toe due to activation of her magnetic quirk.

”Anything you guys are missing?” She asks, stepping over rubble to meet you guys. You’re not sure how she can even see at this point with nearly every inch of her body covered. Close behind her is Akira, whose eyes widen once he spots you.

”You’re okay!” He exclaims running towards you. It’s almost theatrical, as if he hadn’t disappeared to preserve his own safety first, but he wraps you into a tight hug, as though you were long lost lovers. Next to you, Izuku stiffens for a split second, something Rampage and Camilla both notice, and Akira holds you at arms’ length, pretending he can’t see him.

Akira never liked Deku very much in high school.

”I’m so glad you’re okay, everything got so terrifying and…”

Your head is starting to pound, and Akira is gently pulling you away from the rest of the group, you notice, until Izuku speaks up.

”Hey, ___, you don’t look so good.” His voice is a little firmer, and he clears his throat. “Don’t move her so much, I think she needs to sit down.”

Akira flashes him a look that’s slightly poisonous, Camilla notices, then smiles to herself.

“Of course. I’ve just been agitated since our date got ruined, that’s all.” Akira stresses the word and Rampage rolls her eyes.

She never liked him either.

Izuku almost asks ‘what number?’ out loud then realizes it’s an insane question to ask of the thousands he could have reasonably asked. But he’s curious, you don’t seem like you’re particularly smitten enough by him as he tries to help lower you to a sitting position. 

The paramedics and other reinforcements are starting to fill in. Izuku keeps an eye on you as he coordinates with Rampage and the rest of the Heroes that now arrive to clean up wreckage and get everyone back in place. Akira’s rubbing your shoulders while you look dazed, too drained in the absence of your energy-conserving Hero suit to shrug him off, and it irks him. Somehow, in just seeing you again for this brief moment, he’s become a high schooler again, thinking of the right words to say, standing in front of your dorm room door before giving up and leaving. He’s seventeen again and watching you poorly conceal a bouquet of flowers he wishes he were the one to give you, avoiding cutting through the grass on the UA campus grounds even though it would get you back faster. He’s eighteen and wondering why even saving the world isn’t enough to make you look at him before you part ways into the adult world that opens before you, and admonishing himself for even having the selfish thought.

He’s shy little Izuku and he wishes you liked him back.

“Deku, do you have a moment to talk with us?” a cheery reporter says, thrusting a microphone in his face. They’re everywhere, he swears, prettier and more persistent every time. He’s polite again, flashing the practiced million-watt-smile.

And just like that he’s Deku, the hero once again.

—

Electrolyte water and rest does its magic, and as you make breakfast the next morning, you wonder if you should consider packing part of your suit with you, or at least perhaps just the gauntlets that you used back in high school. A modified version that is compact and can slip into your purse so that you never find yourself in a similar situation. You’re greeted the next morning by text by an apologetic Akira who promises you sushi another weekend, which you decide to reply to later, and texts from your friends who make sure that you’re okay, and an email notification for an incident report due in the next two weeks.

You sigh.

That’s why you don’t do Hero work.

Scooping eggs onto a slice of toast, you settle onto your couch, snuggling close with a body pillow and wishing your mind would stop racing for a moment. You don’t want to admit it, but all you can think about is Izuku and his stupid handsome face, and the way his mouth seemed to part every time you met each other's eyes, as if he has a million and one things to say to you but has to hold back. You wish he’d go make those cloying eyes at everyone lined up for his interest. There’s no real claim to him after all, at least not in this universe, regardless of what supposedly exists in the multiverse. You don’t even know if that’s real after all; it’s something that absolutely disrespects the laws of physics, but then again, you know many people whose Quirks do. Aizawa’s adopted daughter Eri is the first to come to mind. 

You should do some more research, you decide. 

After spending a couple hours on databases and online medical journals researching the existence of Quirks that can interact with the multiverse, you come up with nearly nothing, save for a case report of a person whose Quirk kept generating a wormhole for him that handed him whatever tool he needed (most often chopsticks for some reason). Groaning, you decide Kazuo is unique and either way you’ll see him again in 3 months, and reassess how he’s doing, possibly get a (better) case report out of it. You wonder if he’ll generate the same set of clones, or hopefully a new set of clones, ones who aren’t romantically entangled with Izuku Midoriya, ones more like you who never cared much for him at all, or at least knew, like you, to back off when they saw him standing on the edge of a cliff with the girl who was made for him.

Maybe if you look at the narratives your clones wrote to you, crumpled in a drawer in the corner of your desk, you’d find some flaws. Perhaps this was all a big trick the universe was playing on you, and feelings sitting in your subconscious, sleeping for practically a decade, are now flooding back with a vengeance. It must be the power of suggestion. You do not love him. You do not even particularly like or dislike him. You feel neutral. Neutral is good.

The narratives don’t help. What also doesn’t help is the fact that you’ve stored them in the same place as you keep all other sentimental material, including a diary you kept sparingly since you were a kid, in addition to letters from friends and family, and trinkets you’re afraid to lose. Curiosity has killed many cats and you, so you pore through it as well. Everything in that period of adolescence is amplified, and you went through war, so of course you remember a strong feeling of love that might not be real and should not be held on to.

The diary doesn’t help either. 

Of course, some entries are silly and whimsical like you’d expect from a young teen. Excerpts about friends, family, teachers that annoy you, celebrities you think are cute. You find remnants of an old crush on Suneater that must have been so short-lived you can’t remember it, and it surprises you. 

And then there’s your thoughts about Izuku, sparse but poignant. 

Oh yes, you were in love, and your entries end there. With war, with adulthood, with the life you have now.

[hollythevalkyrie]

Gale and Tara holiday party edition.

Warnings:Possible spoilers as all good endings are assumed but nothing directly mentioning them I just want to warn just in case. Tav is also mentioned but is gender neutral and not described.

Summery: Gale and Tara throw a party for the winter solstice however some preparations are harder than anticipated.

“Come on, could you please just work with me here? You’re the one who suggested this,” Gale grumbled out. He was sitting on the ground with Tara in his lap trying to get a sweater onto her. One that matched the one he was already wearing. “You said it would be nice to wear these with everyone around. Why are you making it so difficult?” he asked. They were hosting a winter solstice holiday party for the friend’s Gale made on his adventure.

“I’m not being difficult, I am trying to help,” Tara said, offended he would suggest she was being any less than helpful. She was currently squirming around on his lap as he tried to grab a leg to put in a sleeve.

“Could you at least move a limb for me please?” he asked nicely. He stopped trying to get her into the sweater for a moment when he got hit in the face by one of her wings. He let out a disappointed sigh. “Not that one.”

���You ought to be more specific on which limb you want me to move then Mr. Dekarios,” She pointed out as he returned to grabbing one of her front legs and lifting it up. “Here I’ll stop moving so that way you can do what you need,” she said as she stopped all her squirming. Though she felt herself starting to slide off of his lap.

“How are you leaking off my lap?” Gale asked, confused. He had to rescoop her and put her back on his lap and use one arm to contain her. “It’s like you're grease slipping out of a cracked bottle or something,” he commented.

“Mr. Dekarios if you compare me to grease again it won’t be my wing you’ll have to worry about hitting your face,” she threatened. He nodded and took this as a good time to shut his mouth for once. After using the arm that was containing her to lift her up a little he was able to get her first leg through one of the sleeves and made quick to do the same to the other paw. Then, he rested her down on his lap and made to maneuver her wings through the wing holes in the sweater. This was a slightly harder task especially when it needed both hands and she had gone back to leaking out of his lap. Internally he made a note to get her wings in first before the legs next time. If for whatever reason he blocks out how difficult this was and decides to do it again sometime.

“There you’re all dressed up now,” he announced after quite a while of struggling when he had finally gotten her wings through. Tara then made to jump on a nearby table with a mirror on it to look at herself. A knock at the door pulled Gale’s attention away from trying to get some of Tara’s fur off his sweater.

“Seems our first guest has arrived,” he said as he walked over to the door to open and welcome whoever was on the other side. He was surprised to find not one of his friends but all of them standing on the other side of the door. It was a good surprise to be sure.

“We ran into each other and decided to make our way together,” Tav explained. Gale step slightly out of the way so they could all walk into his house.

“Well no use waiting around out there, come on in,” he said as he stepped to the side so everyone could enter. Once the last person was in he closed the door behind them. “I was a bit preoccupied helping tara get into her sweater ,so unfortunately I’m a little behind on preparations. Nonetheless let’s all try to have some fun,” he said. As if on cue Tara ran into the room and seemed to pose for everyone to show off her clothes.

“Mrs. Dekarios has really outdone herself on the knitting this time,” she commented as she walked around in a circle to show it off to everyone. Astarion chuckled hearing that.

“You’re wearing matching sweaters with your cat that your mom made you?” he asked with a laugh. Tara hissed in response to him clearly not liking what he said or was insinuating.

“How many times do I have to tell you. She’s not a cat she’s a tressym and she’s not my pet she’s my friend,” he corrected. “And yes I am wearing matching sweaters with her that my mother made. She put love into every stitch of them and they look good,” he finished.

“In all our time adventuring I never pegged you as a mama’s boy,” Shadowheart commented trying to restrain her own laugh. Few of the others let out their own chuckles and giggles at that.

“Come on guys I think it’s sweet that he cares about his mother and that she cares for him,” Karlach defended. Wyll nodded in agreement though his amusement of his friend’s teasing was evident on his face.

“Mr. Dekarios is not a mama’s boy. A mama’s boy would visit more often than he does. He leaves his poor mother alone wondering and worrying about him,” Tara chimed in. This caused Astarion to start laughing once more. Gale noticed out of the corner of his eye that tav seemed to be getting frustrated as they attempted to get his attention.

“Yes Tav what is it?” he asked. Tav then reached over to his hair and pull something out.

“You had a Tara feather in your hair,” they said, holding the feather up so he could see it. He could already tell that this would be a long party, but one filled with fun.

[yeosangs-horizon]

One Call Away

Genre: Fluff | Friends -> Lovers | Pairing: Rei x Reader Word Count: 5.4k Content Warning(s): Mention of abusive parent Author’s Note: There may be a part 2 to this coming out soon!

You let out a sigh as you put on your gaming headphones, glancing to the side of the massive pile of papers and textbooks next to you that you knew you had to burn into your mind before your final exams. A bit of a break wouldn’t hurt right? You switched your status to online and hovered your mouse over you friend Rei’s profile.

You were deprived of human contact besides your roommate but you hadn’t seen them in awhile either as the two of you were busy gearing up for your finals, thankfully the last time you would have to do them as you would be done with university by the end of the month.

‘Wanna race?’ you typed to Rei. His instant response to you didn’t surprise you at this time of night, he would go on benders sometimes, gaming for nights in a row. He was someone who you could talk to online, although you had never met him you didn’t feel as if he had malicious intent and therefore trusted him. He wasn’t much of a talker, but he would listen to you ramble to no end. You had met him through an online forum that you would post your gaming highlight reels on and he seemed to interact with your posts every time, despite having a vast following you had noticed his interactions.

You messaged him and the two of you started chatting. It was mainly about Morio Kart, sharing techniques and talking about your favourite builds. It branched into other games the two of you shared in common too and one thing led to another and the two of you would play games together. You hadn’t spoken to him for awhile though with your busy schedule and his, as far as you knew he told you that he and his roommate were private investigators but kept pretty quiet about the specifics about his job. Nonetheless you missed him, you loved late night discussions with him, even if it was one sided. 

‘Sure.’ he simply replied. ‘Call or nah? I have a lot I wanna catch you up on’ you typed, hoping that you could get him onto a call. The two of you called a couple times in the past, you always initiated first as you picked up that he was pretty reserved. His voice took you by surprise at first, you knew that Rei was a man, but wasn’t expecting his voice to be so deep and… attractive. You hadn’t seen his face yet, but you already found him pretty attractive with his personality and voice. 

Rei looked around his surroundings, the reason why he had been so preoccupied recently and hadn’t been calling with you was because of Miri. The incident where Kazuki took in a little girl of the father that they had to kill during a mission took up most of his time. With finding a suitable daycare to buying supplies, and almost rendering the two of them broke, he had to cut back on gaming. Things were slowly going back to normal though, as normal as things could be with raising their new daughter that they had taken in. She was passed out on the couch next to him, but he usually didn’t talk that loudly anyway and Kazuki was taking a nap, why not? He turned his mic on in his headphones and pressed the button on your profile to call you. 

“What’s up Rei?” you chimed as you connected to the call. “Exhausted. Finally have some time for myself though…” he mumbled, trying not to be too loud. You had to turn up his volume. “Gah yeah, tell me about it. I’ve been so swamped with essays and studying for my finals. What’s been on your plate?” “I have a daughter now,” he bluntly spewed out. “What?” That was something you were not expecting from him, not in a million years. You had always known him as an isolated being, just wanting a kitty to accompany him but had to live with a rowdy couch crasher but took care of him. Was he seeing someone this entire time? Was it his? “You mean a cat right? You finally adopted one?” you asked lightheartedly, hoping that your previous thoughts weren’t true. “No. A little girl.” 

Damn, so it was true. The few months of getting to know him and developing bits and pieces of feelings for him shattered immediately, or so you hoped as you felt a pang in your chest.”With who?” your voice cracked a bit, hoping it wouldn’t be heard on Rei’s end. “Um during our work we ran into a little girl who was convinced that Kazuki was her papa. He looked similar to the guy in the photo she was holding to find her papa so he took her in. Now I’m kinda… forced to be a father too.” He sugar coated the fact that he had shot her actual father and now they are dealing with the consequences of their line of work. “Oh haha! So you weren’t seeing anybody and accidentally had a kid?” “(Y/N) you know how much I despise children… I wouldn’t do that, but Miri is ok… you’d like her.” You let out an invisible sigh of relief, knowing that he wasn’t seeing anyone as far as you knew. 

“That’s adorable Rei. You’ll be an amazing father! Let me know if you need me to babysit sometime, I’m surprisingly good with kids,” you joked around. You hadn’t even met him in person yet, but was this an opportunity amidst your joking manner? “(Y/N) I know you said you’re in the area, but maybe… in the future… you could?” Rei and Kazuki were exhausted by parenthood, they were looking into getting her a babysitter for the times when they would have to go scope or execute their missions in the middle of the night. “Wait actually?” “Yeah… maybe.” He was eager to lessen the load for their roommate and contribute something for once, and have a chance to meet you. Rei’s face flushed a light tint of pink, thinking about the idea of meeting you after so long. 

“Rei Papa, who are you talking to?” The sound of a little girl suddenly chimed in your headphones. You smiled a bit, Miri called him papa, how adorable. You heard him groan on the other side. “Miri go upstairs and tell Kazuki to put you to bed.” “But papa I’m not tired! I just slept! I wanna play Morio Kart!” She started to throw a tantrum. “(Y/N) I’ll message you later. I need to deal with Miri.” You chuckled, hearing him go into ‘parent mode’. “Sure, I’ll talk to you later Rei.” With that he hung up, and you grinned to yourself. He’s so adorable. Now that the highlight of your night was over, you rubbed your eyes and shifted your head towards the textbooks and papers again. You could only procrastinate for so long. You groaned as you grabbed your psychology textbook, getting back to it trying to shove Rei to the back of your mind.

You groaned as you felt your back crack, lifting yourself up from your desk. What time was it? It wasn’t the first time you had fallen asleep like that studying at your desk. Your back ached though from your posture, when had you even fallen asleep? You heard a ‘ding’ from your phone as you picked it up. It was already noon? You usually didn’t even sleep in this late. You swiped up to see your messages, two of them from Rei. ‘Sorry ‘bout last night. Do you think we could meet?’ ‘Miri wants to meet you, and we need a babysitter.’ Your heart skipped a beat, Rei was asking to meet you? You trusted that he wasn’t some creepy old man with bad intentions, you heard Miri last night too, you had to trust him that his situation was real with how much time you’ve spend with him.

You replied back, ‘Sure, what are are you located in? We can meet in public first, but I trust you.’ He sent a location at a nearby mall in the city, that was only a couple miles away from you. ‘No way that’s so close! We could meet there, when were you thinking?’ you texted back eagerly. ‘Today. If you can, at 3?.’ you started to feel giddy, you always loved meeting friends you got close to online and Rei wouldn’t be the first. Your heart started to race a bit, wondering what he looked like and if he would be the same as he was online. ‘Absolutely.’ you replied, rushing to get changed into a nicer outfit. 

Rei looked down in his phone, feeling a bit nervous now knowing that he was going to meet you in person. He had never initiated any plans with anybody else besides Kazuki before. This was foreign to him. You meant a lot to him, somebody that he could sit in silence with sometimes and he enjoyed listening to you ramble, even if he knew that he wasn’t the one to give the best advice. Through the months that the two of you had gotten closer, he also developed some sort of feelings for you although he did not know how to put it into words. He had told Kazuki the night before about your offer to babysit Miri to lessen the load for their missions and he was ecstatic. He picked out a nice suit to wear, trying to look nice for you.

He put his hair back, sideburns showing as he would usually do on his missions. He walked out of the room, tie in hand, knowing that he had to ask Kazuki to help him as he always did before their missions. “Kazuki…” he called out in routine. The blonde turned his head and gazed at him all dressed up. “Rei what’s all this for, I thought we were just meeting your friend at the mall, not going on a mission.” Rei had realized that too and started to blush as he averted his eyes from Kazuki’s direction. He caught on pretty quick. Grabbing the tie in his hand he gently put it around Rei to help him out. “Oh Rei, trying to impress them I see?” he said with a smug smile. “No…” Rei muttered. “You usually don’t give any effort in what you wear when we take Miri out to go shopping, you like em don’tcha?” he giggled. “I don’t know…” Rei answered dryly, still looking away from Kazuki with a blush. “Well in that case, I should dress up to par with you too, don’t wanna be looking like the housewife or anything and maybe I’ll impress em too!” he teased. Rei shot him a glare. “Alright I’m not some partner stealer don’t worry.” “It’s not like that,” he grumbled. Kazuki stepped back after helping Rei with his tie. He shot him a smirk. “Yet.” 

You spritz on a spray of your favourite scent. Looking in the mirror, you had a modest fashionable outfit on, trying to look your best for Rei. You picked up your phone and realized that it was already 2:45 PM. You were going to be late. You grabbed your keys and exited your shared apartment.  Your roommate caught a whiff of your strong vanilla scent that you put on and turned their head. “Headin’ out on a date?” you heard them remark. “Uh, something like that!” you shrugged whilst rushing to put on your shoes and head out the door. “Stay safe! Call me if you need an excuse to leave!” You smiled to yourself, heart racing as the time ticked down to the moment you were going to meet Rei. Surely it wouldn’t be that bad, you enjoyed his company online, even the silences became comforting at this point instead of being awkward.

You rushed towards the meeting spot, checking the time every once in awhile knowing that you still had a ways to walk. By the time you got to the entrance of the mall that Rei had texted you that they were at, you were out of breath. Hiding behind a corner, you decide to straighten yourself up and wipe the beads of sweat away from your forehead before approaching them. You took a deep breath and hoped that you didn’t smell gross from the exercise you had done to get there. You peered your head around the corner and looked down to see a little girl at your feet. “Are you (Y/N)?” she beamed. 

That must be Miri, you thought. You nodded and stammered, “Yes I am! Are you Miri?” You glanced your head up to see a blonde and a darker haired male standing not too far away looking in your direction. That must be them! You wondered which one Rei was, you had a feeling that he was the one in the suit and slicked back hair. You giggled, he’s cute. You stepped out from the shadows. “My papas wanted me to meet you!” She exclaimed with joy. She really was a bundle of happiness if you’d ever seen one. You glanced up at Rei whose eyes were widened now after noticing you and held up a hand in a slow wave. You ran towards him, time stopping a bit as you crashed into him with a hug.

You felt one arm around you patting your back awkwardly as you pulled away, a bit embarrassed as you were normally pretty touchy with the people close to you. “Sorry Rei, uh, it’s wonderful to finally meet you!” His cheeks tinted pink as he gave you a half smile. “(Y/N)... I don’t mind… this is Kazuki and Miri.” He began, mumbling the first part. “(Y/N)! Don’t I get an introductory hug too?” Kazuki joked, opening his arms up. Rei shot him a glance. You shrugged and accepted it, he patted you on the back with the embrace. He was shooting daggers at Kazuki. “Miri too!” You heard the brown haired girl exclaim. You smiled, kneeling down to pick her up as she giggled. “She seems to take a liking to you already,” Kazuki cheered. You smiled and nodded. “So (Y/N), down to be our babysitter? I’m sure Rei has already told you lots about our situation,” he grinned. “Of course! When do you need me?” He looked at Rei. “Tomorrow if you’re not busy um… but if you wanna see our apartment and familiar with things we can right now… or if you want to game,” he added the last part with a hush. “I’d love to Rei.”

The four of you walked back from the mall entrance to Rei’s flat. You and Rei trailed behind, walking in silence as Miri begged Kazuki for an ice cream cone as she noticed a stand with colourful decor. You stood next to Rei, appreciating your time with him. “You look really nice, the suit fits you.” You commented, feeling a bit shy now.” His expression softened as he glanced at you. “You’re really pretty…” he mumbled. You felt your lips tug into a smile as you blushed. “You’re sweet. I’m glad you’re just like how you are online and not some creepy human trafficker.” You joked trying to feel less shy. “Hate those kinds of creeps,” he mumbled. “Me too.” You leaned back against the wall as you watched Miri choose her ice cream flavours and Kazuki chat up the lady at the stand. You went to stretch your back as you heard a crack and lost your footing, falling into Rei who was also leaning against the wall.

Instinctively, he reached out and caught you before you smashed your head on the wall and grasped your arm. His loose strand of dark brown hanging down brushed against your face as you shifted your orbs to meet his. He’s beautiful. Realizing the predicament you were in, you hoisted yourself back up. “Sorry ah, I had a long night of studying and fell asleep at my desk!” You exclaimed, noticing his hand still having a hold on your arm. “I don’t mind…” he blushed as he slowly let go of your arm, the two of you not wanting to break contact. You looked towards the distance and saw Kazuki and Miri walking back with an ice cream in hand. You turned towards to Rei who was still flustered. “Let’s go.” 

The group arrived at the apartment and you stepped in, gazing at the luxury. I guess that was how two private investigators spent their money. “C’mon (Y/N) let me give you a tour so you know where things are for tomorrow!” Kazuki beamed. Miri followed behind closely, wanting to talk to you more. “I’ll have food prepared so it’ll be in the fridge on the top shelf, just reheat it and it’ll be good to go!” He whispered the next part. “And the pudding is in this box. Rei and Miri love pudding.” Miri’s ears perked up. “Pudding! I want pudding!” Rei turned his head too as he was messing with his consoles to prepare for you. Kazuki shook his hands frantically and hopped away. “Quickly uh, over here is where the emergency first aid is kept, never know when you might need it, and Miri’s bedroom is upstairs with the flowers on the door!” You peered down as you felt a tug on your pants. “I want to take a nap. Sleepy…” Miri mumbled. You looked at Kazuki. He sighed as he bent down to scoop her up. “Guess I’ll put her to bed now.”

You stepped away as you looked towards Rei, already sitting on the couch and gestures for you to come. You sat next to him and looked on the screen. He had already set up Morio Kart for the two of you to mess around in. He handed you a controller as you smiled. “Never thought we would be able to race together in person.” “I’ll beat you…” he said with enthusiasm in his tone. After a while of racing, you won more races against him fair and square as he sulked at your gloating. “I lost on purpose for you…” he mumbled, a half true statement. You giggled and leaned towards Rei, resting your head on his shoulder as your leg touched his. “I’m glad I could finally meet you y’know.” He hummed in agreement as he set his controller down. Kazuki hadn’t come down in awhile, assuming he had put Miri to nap and also fell asleep there himself.

The room was dark at this point as the two of you had been playing for awhile. The only light was illuminated from the TV screen, giving light to his facial features as you looked up to admire him. You felt his hand shift from his lap to gently touch yours. Your fingers mindlessly danced around his as they found their way in between his. It felt right. You relaxed against his comfort as he stiffened up, not used to this touch and physical contact. “Am I making you uncomfortable?” You asked with worry. He shook his head. “Just never had this…” you knew a bit about his past, about how rough his father treated him but not in detail and he wasn’t one to socialize around and be touchy. But he felt your hand in his and it felt comforting to him, he liked it.

Your phone lit up with a notification as you noticed the time. It was already 8 PM and you had an essay due that night. You jolted away from your position, startling Rei. “Shit sorry, I just have an essay due soon. After playing with you last night I tried to study and just passed out I’m sorry!” You apologized, knowing you had to get back and it was a walk away. “Wait (Y/N), let me drive you.” He was so thoughtful but you didn’t want to inconvenience him. “Are you sure?” He nodded firmly as he stood up to grab the keys to the car. 

You sat in the passenger seat and looked out at the window at the illuminating lights that made your face glow. You didn’t notice but Rei was staring at you at the red light. You were stunning to him, and he knew that he had fully fallen, the butterflies churning in his tummy was a dead giveaway. He had never felt anything like this before. “Sleep after you finish your work… in your bed ok?” He asked with a soft tone. You hummed. “I’ll try. What time did you want me at your place?” “Around 5. You can bring your work too if it’s too much. We’ll pay you too for your trouble…” Rei offered. You shook your head. “No need. Just take me on a date…” you mumbled the last part. “Hm?” He asked, hoping you’d repeat the last part. You lost your sudden confidence, fearful that he would not reciprocate. “Nothing, just thanks for the ride! I’ll see you tomorrow!” You beamed whilst exiting the vehicle. He watched as your figure disappeared into the darkness of your apartment complex. He couldn’t wait to see you again. And for the record he did want to take you on that date. 

You ran inside to get started on your essay with an hour or two to complete it. Trying to push Rei out of your mind for the time was difficult, the day went so well. You thoroughly enjoyed his company and had fallen for him harder than before. He checked all of your boxes in a potential partner and not to mention that he had an adorable daughter and was so thoughtful. You would have been able to fully focus if you hadn’t received a text an hour into your focused mindset from Rei that said ‘sleep well’ with a kitty blowing a kiss emoji at you. 

The following day you were exhausted. You had managed to turn in your essay on time and spent some more time studying for your finals that were coming up in about two weeks. Groaning, you knew you had to get out of bed as you had chores to do, it was your turn to clean the apartment this week and pack your things to head to Rei’s place later to babysit Miri. Shoving your textbooks and laptop into your bag, you hear a notification from your desktop and saw that it was from Rei. Your face automatically lit up as you clicked to open his message. “Need a ride?” As much as you wanted to be with him as soon as possible again, you decided that the walk was needed to get some fresh air before committing to more work again. ‘I’ll walk to destress a bit, but I can’t wait to see you again!’

As you walked out of your room to vacuum the apartment, you seemed in a happier mood than usual as your roommate noticed you from the kitchen table. “Date went well yesterday?” they asked grinning at you. “Uh yeah! Gonna babysit his kid today,” you remarked. “Damn (Y/N), getting it on with a dad?” they smirked. “Nah it’s not like that, just a special circumstance.” “Well just make sure he’s not a player or a liar.” “He’s not like that, just an extreme introvert who loves to play games,” you smiled. 

Rei stared at himself in the closet, knowing that had to wear stealth clothes to blend in with the public, meaning just his regular attire and not a suit. He wanted to impress you again, a bit fearful that you wouldn’t find him attractive with his hair down. Kazuki caught onto his tension and made his way over. “Relax, I have a feeling that (Y/N) likes you for you, don’t worry about it too much.” He tensed up with embarrassment, not knowing that he could give away his emotions that easily. “How do you know?” “Just trust me Rei,” he grinned. Just as you were on the topic of their conversation, they heard you knocking on the door and an excited squeal from Miri as she came running from her bedroom.

Rei was the one to quickly rush to the door to greet you. “Nice to see you again Rei. Missed you,” you added with a giggle. He felt his heart race a bit as you flirted with him. “You too,” he stuttered out. Miri ran between the two of you and wrapped her small arms around your legs. “(Y/N)! Papa Rei, do I get to spend time with them tonight when you’re gone?” Your gaze softened at Rei after hearing Miri call him papa. The more time you spent with him, the more qualities you saw in him to be a good father, even if he was distant and didn’t act like an adult at times. “Yes Miri, we’re going to be out for awhile. Don’t give (Y/N) a hard time.” She nodded with enthusiasm. He gazed at you again, taking in your comfortable sweater that you had on you and your sweats. You didn’t bother dressing up today as you were focused on chores and your homework. You caught on his gaze and chuckled, “I got busy this morning, sorry for not looking my best,” you excused.

He shook his head, “No you look… stunning,” he confessed. You noticed how casual he looked too and imagined that he would be looking like that when talking to you. “So are you,” you smiled. The moment was interrupted by Kazuki swinging his arm around Rei’s neck. “Watch it…’ Rei mumbled. “Let’s go or else we’ll miss the check-in time!” Kazuki exclaimed enthusiastically. You assumed that they were doing some private investigative work tonight. “Oh hey (Y/N) have fun with Miri tonight we’ll be out for awhile!” You waved at him as they walked out the door. “Good luck!” you called out, now turning your gaze towards Miri. “Papa told you where the pudding is! Gimmie!” 

Spoonfuls of pudding later, you put on her favourite TV show for her to watch as you got started on an assignment. You were in the zone before you heard a ‘ding’ from your phone, a notification from Rei. ‘Hope Miri isn’t giving you a hard time.’ It wrote. You smiled and looked at her and replied. ‘Not at all, she’s watching her show and I’m just catching up on some assignments. I miss playing games with you on the couch though :(‘ Miri noticed your preoccupation with your phone. “(Y/N) you’re done with your homework already? Can we play Morio Kart?” You glanced down at her and sighed. “Not yet Miri. Unfortunately I was just got distracted with your papa texting me.” ‘Ding.’ Another notification. “Me too. It’s so boring here at this festival with Kazuki. I wish I could have brought you.’

You smiled at his text, imagining yourself on a date with him there. ‘Me too Rei. I’ll put Miri to bed soon and wait for you to come back. Stay safe ok?’ You put down your phone as Miri was looking at you with widened eyes. “What did my papas say?” she asked curiously. You smiled and shook your head. “Nothing too important, Rei just said that he was bored doing his job. I can imagine that takes a lot of time and patience.” She nodded and turned towards the kitchen. “I’m hungry (Y/N).” You glanced down at your half finished assignment and the kitchen. You suppose dinner couldn’t hurt your progress. 

You served Miri dinner and had some yourself. Kazuki made pad thai, something you really liked and the flavors hit just right. You didn’t know how he knew, but you guessed Miri liked it just as much as you. The only person you’d told that to as of recently was Rei, perhaps he had spilled the beans to Kazuki about your favourite food, how sweet. You took initiative and washed the dishes for them, knowing that it must be tiring coming back from work to doing more chores. Soon after you tucked Miri into bed and read her one of her favourite bedtime stories. Closing the door behind you, you made your way down into the living room to finish your assignment again. Putting in some of your favourite tunes on the TV, you got to work but not before texting Rei that Miri was tucked away in bed and you were going to try to get your assignments done. He left you smiling by writing to you, ‘Be back soon. Things are going well.’ and reacting to your message with a heart. 

You knocked out two assignments before midnight. You wondered when Rei and Kazuki were going to be home, and by this time your eyelids felt heavy and you were quickly losing concentration in your textbooks. You weren’t sure when you passed out but you were softly snoring on the couch when the duo walked inside the flat. Rei’s eyes instantly fell upon you, looking at how the moonlit illuminated your skin and your peaceful expression. Kazuki noticed and whispered to Rei, “I’ll leave it up to you. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” He got a slight smack on the shoulder from Rei. 

Rei quietly made his way next to you, but not before grabbing a blanket from the extra closet they had. He sat down slowly, hoping to not disturb your sleeping state. He draped the soft blanket over you whilst placing a hand on your cheek. He knew that he was in love with you. You made his life so much easier and was there to support him and trusted him enough to babysit his kid and come over to his house on the first day of meeting him. He felt himself smile and let go the angst that he had. He ran his fingers through your locks whilst leaning down and placing a small kiss on your forehead. He didn’t want to leave your side. He wanted to feel your palm in his again and your touch. You stirred in your sleep, making him a bit startled but still caressing your cheek. “Rei…” you mumbled half coherent about what was going on. His gaze softened whilst staring at you, letting himself admire you against the moonlight. He was definitely going to take you on that date to make up for your hard work today.

You shifted as the morning sunlight hit your eyes. Moving around, you felt your back hit against a warm wall and slowly, you realized that there was someone behind you. You gazed down and saw an arm that was draped over you and the sound of quiet breathing behind you. You took it to be Rei instantly. You looked at your mess of papers around the coffee table and realized that you had probably passed out a bit after midnight in their house. You felt a bit guilty for staying over without asking and unintentionally, but you couldn’t help feel a bit flushed in the cheeks as your heartbeat started to race after realizing that Rei was cuddling you.

You saw the blanket over you and realized that he had probably come home to find you passed out on his couch and didn’t want to leave you to freeze in the middle of the night. You smiled, gazing at his mouth half open and messy brown locks that splayed across the couch and his face. Letting yourself feel comfortable in his embrace, you felt him shift and bury his face in the crook of your neck. “Good morning to you too Rei,” you mused. He opened his eyes and found his limbs with yours. He jolted up a bit, startling you. “Ah shit, I thought I was dreaming. Sorry for… that,” he sheepishly stated. You stared at him, realizing that he may have feelings for you too. Fuck it. You closed the distance between the two of you and captured his lips in yours.

You felt his hand cup your jaw and pull you in closer. After a heartwarming kiss, you pulled away and giggled. “I like you a lot Rei, I didn’t mind waking up to you cuddling me this morning. It was so adorable.” He looked down and replied in a hush, “Me too (Y/N), does this make us…” he trailed off. “I’d love to be yours. I’ve had feelings for you for awhile y’know.” He pulled you into another kiss, wrapping his arms around you and embraced your warmth. 

“I’ll take you out on that date, thank you for taking care of Miri and loving me.” 

[taeswolfie]

𝑱𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂 𝑭𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 : 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑻𝒘𝒐

☽︎𝑺𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒂𝒕 𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝑳𝒊𝒏𝒆☾︎

Ch.01 - Ch.03

Series Masterlist

Pairing : Stiles Stilinski x fem!Reader

Word count: 7.3k

Y/n sat on the stands as the lacrosse team practiced. She propped her elbows on her knees and rubbed her eyes with a sigh, the previous night's events going through her head. She was scared but she was also angry. She couldn't believe she just froze up like that, but when she saw the Hunters that night played in her head like it was yesterday.

"Run!"

Y/n squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head to clear the thoughts. She had spent so long trying to get over those memories and the fear that came with them. She opened her eyes to focus on something else than that horrible memory. But all she could focus on was the fact that Allison's dad, her new friend's dad, is a Hunter. More specifically the same Hunter that shot Scott with a crossbow, which Stiles had so graciously rushed over to inform her of. "Just stop thinking about it." She whispered to herself. "Everything is going to be okay." With another deep breath she shifted her focus to the line of lacrosse players as they practiced.

It was Scott's turn although he seemed to be out of it like she was because Coach had to blow his whistle and get his attention. Scott rushed forward, but was quickly shoved back by Jackson and landed painfully on his back. Y/n winced at that and listened in as Coach made his way to Scott.

"Hey, McCall." Coach laughs as he gets closer. "Hey, McCall!"

"You sure you still want to be first line, McCall?" Jackson remarked as Scott sat up.

"My- my grandmother can move faster than that." Coach said as he finally got to Scott. "And she's dead. You think you can move faster than the... Lifeless corpse of my dead grandmother?"

"Yes, Coach." Scott said and she could hear growing frustration in his tone.

"I can't hear you."

"Yes, Coach." He said a bit more forcefully.

"Then do it again." Scott jogged off back to the line and Coach called out again. "McCall's gonna do it again! McCall's gonna do it again!" This time Scott rushed forward and rammed his shoulder into Jackson sending the blonde onto his back and gripping his shoulder.

Y/n's eyes widened at the scene, jumping to her feet when Scott gripped his head and fell to his hands and knees. "Shit." She cursed as she rushed down to the field and fell to her knees next to him just as Stiles reached them. She looked at his face and could see his eyes glowing yellow. "Scott. You need to calm down."

"Scott, you okay?" Stiles asked.

"I can't control it. It's happening." Scott gritted out.

"What? Right here? Now?"

Y/n looked around and saw that everyone was preoccupied with Jackson's injury. "Okay. Up, up, up. Come on, let's go." She urged and Stiles helped her pull up the werewolf. They rushed him to the empty locker room and he stumbled to the ground.

"You okay? Scott, you okay?" Stiles fussed as he and Y/n crouched in front of him.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Scott roared with his canines bared.

"Whoa!" Y/n exclaimed as she jumped up and Stiles fell back. "Stiles, get back!" Scott lunged and Y/n grabbed his helmet's face guard, using his momentum to swing him around and away. Stiles scrambled up and around the lockers as Y/n followed. Scott jumped on top of the lockers as the two skated around them. He growled and Y/n shoved Stiles forward. "Go, go!" Scott climbed up onto the rafters as Stiles stumbled over a bench seat. The two rushed to the door and looked up at Scott who growled at them again.

Y/n huffed a frustrated breath through her nose and clenched her teeth ready to take care of the problem and probably blow her secret, but before she could do anything Stiles spotted a fire extinguisher. He pulled her around and to the door as he grabbed it and hastily set it up. Scott jumped down ready to attack when he finally got it going and sprayed Scott, effectively extinguishing his anger. Stiles hid around the corner with Y/n for a moment.

"Guys..." Scott tiredly called. Stiles hesitantly peeked around the corner and sighed in relief when he saw Scott was back to normal. "What happened?" All three teens breathed heavily as Stiles let the extinguisher fall to the ground with a clang and he and Y/n stood in the doorway.

"You tried to kill us." Stiles ripped off his glove, threw it to the side and sat on the floor in front of Scott, Y/n following with a tired sigh.

"It's the anger." She piped up. "Your pulse rising. It's a trigger for shifting."

"But that's lacrosse. It's a pretty violent game, if you hadn't noticed." Scott said.

"Well, it's gonna be a lot more violent if you end up killing someone on the field." Stiles said. "You can't play Saturday. You're gonna have to get out of the game."

"I'm first line."

"Not anymore."

...

Music floats in the air as Y/n sits on her bed, hair pulled away from her face, reading from the black book again. Her eyes glow as she makes the book stay in front of her face. With just a thought she makes the pages turn as she looks through the book for her mother's pages to find something that could help Scott. M/n had known some werewolves, and even helped them on occasion, before she had Y/n. Maybe there would be something in her pages that would help Y/n with Scott.

She pauses when the first words in M/n's handwriting comes into view, slowly skimming them to find what she was looking for. She knew she was on the right page when she found a spiraled triskele drawn in the corner. Y/n guessed that this was the symbol to the pack M/n had worked with. There weren't any names, just initials, a habit of M/n's that Y/n had found slightly annoying because now she didn't have any idea who her mother was talking about. She read on anyway, despite this.

Werewolves can control their shift and aggressive emotions through an anchor.

"An anchor?" Y/n muttered to herself.

The H's use a wooden talisman and a mantra to help young wolves control themselves until they find an anchor. P uses his anger as an anchor, something I find a little strange but it works for him. I'll never understand what goes through P's head but it doesn't really matter I guess.

Sometimes Y/n feels bad reading M/n's entries because they tend to have a personal sound to them, but this is how she learns, by reading the thoughts and findings of her predecessors. "So Scott needs an anchor of some sort." Y/n gnawed the inside of her cheek as she wracked her brain. She wasn't 100% sure what her mom meant by anchor but she's sure she could figure it out. Before she could think anymore on it her computer chimed, the alert that someone was trying to video call her. Her eyes dim back to e/c as a leather cord ties itself around the book and she lets it rest on her shelf. She grabs her laptop and sits back on her bed before clicking accept. Stiles and Scott appear on her screen, the former shooting a toy gun at the camera.

"You're such a dork." Y/n laughed.

"What'd you find out?" Scott asked.

"Well, it's bad. Jackson's got a separated shoulder." Stiles supplied.

"Oof." Y/n winced.

"Because of me?" Scott asked.

"Because he's an ass, Scotty."

"Well, is he gonna play?"

"Well, they don't know yet." Stiles said. "Now they're just counting on you for Saturday." Scott sighs and bows his head. Y/n saw movement behind him and her eyes widened. Stiles must have seen it too because he got closer to the screen to inspect it. He pulled away with a shocked look.

"What?" Scott questioned his friends' strange looks. Stiles started typing.

It looks like

The damned rainbow wheel of death came up when their faces froze and Y/n cursed the timing of the lag in connection. It took a few agonizingly long seconds for it to fix itself and Stiles' message was completed.

someone's behind you

"What?" Scott muttered before he himself looked closer behind him. His eyes widened and he jumped around as the figure lunged at him. Scott's connection cut off and Y/n and Stiles were left to wonder what happened.

...

Y/n walked with Allison down the school halls making random chit chat. Y/n enjoyed her company and she really liked her. It was nice to have another female friend who was a little less extravagant. She loved Lydia but sometimes it's nice to have that middle ground. They spotted Scott rounding a corner as they descended some stairs. "Hey." Allison called.

Scott looked at her with a dopey smile and Y/n couldn't help the smirk come to her face. "Hey." He replied.

"I'm here too, ya know." Y/n joked and he looked at her apologetically.

"Sorry. Hey, Y/n."

"Hiya, Scotty." She chuckled.

"Busy?" Allison asked him in question to the phone in his hand.

"No, no, it's just, uh, my mom, she's nothing." Y/n quietly snorted when Allison's brows drew together in confusion. "I mean, it's nothing. Uh, I'm never busy for you."

"I like the sound of that." Allison chuckles and they both have big smiles. "I have to run a French class, but I wanted you to know that I'm coming to see you play tomorrow."

"You are?"

"And we're all going out afterwards. You, me, Y/n, Lydia, Jackson."

"Wait, I'm what now?" Y/n's brows rose in surprise at this new information, she was ignored.

"It's gonna be great." Allison concluded. "Tell Stiles to come too." She looked at Y/n with raised brows and a meaningful smile, but it just went right over the h/c's head as she furrowed her brows at her. "Uh, save me a seat at lunch. I gotta go." Allison walked off leaving Y/n and Scott together.

"Oh, God." Scott muttered to himself.

"It'll be alright." Y/n patted his shoulder before she sighed. "To Math?"

"To Math." He nodded and the two walked to their next class that they had together.

During Math, in which Y/n sat next to Lydia, Scott and Lydia were called to solve the problems on the black board. Each teen picked up a piece of chalk and got to work. "Why is there a rumor going around that you're not playing tomorrow?" Y/n heard Lydia ask Scott and she couldn't help herself but to listen in.

"'Cause I'm sort of not." Was Scott's reply.

"I think you sort of are. Especially when you brutally injure my boyfriend by ramming into him."

"He brutally injured himself by ramming into me."

"Jackson's gonna play tomorrow. But he's not gonna be at his peak, and I prefer my boyfriend at peak performance." Y/n had to hide a snicker with a cough at Lydia's tone.

"Okay." Scott said unsure.

"I date the Captain of the winning lacrosse team, and if they start off the season losing, I date the Captain of the losing lacrosse team. I don't date losers."

"Losing one game isn't going to kill anyone." Scott snapped. "In fact, it might even save someone."

"Fine! Don't play. We'll probably win anyway. Then we'll go out after, like we were planning... And I'll introduce Allison to all the hot players on the team. And Scott McCall can stay home, surfing the net for porn." Lydia, who had been solving her equation through this whole exchange, finished her point by finishing her problem, dusting off her hands, and walking away. Y/n bit her lip to stop from smiling. She shouldn't be almost laughing but the situation was so amusing. Scott's so screwed. She thought to herself.

"Mr. McCall, you're not even close to solving your problem." The teacher pointed out.

"Tell me about it."

...

Y/n leaned against the lockers as Scott closed his, locking it just before Stiles showed up and pulled both teens along. "What?" Scott complained.

"What's with the pulling?" Y/n asked a bit miffed.

"Come here." Stiles coaxed and led them to the end of a hall, peeking around the corner to point at three adults, one of them being his dad. "Tell me what they're saying." Scott looked towards the small group and focused in, Y/n subconsciously doing the same. "Can you hear 'em?" Stiles asked impatiently, but they both shushed him. And that's when she could hear them.

"-want everyone under the age of 18 to be in their home by 9:30 P.M. We'd like to institute the curfew, effective immediately." The Sheriff was quietly talking so that passersby wouldn't eavesdrop. Little does he know.

"Curfew because of the body." Scott relayed to Stiles.

"Unbelievable. My dad's looking out for a rabid animal, while the jerk-off who actually killed the girl is just hangin' out, doing whatever he wants."

"Well, you can't exactly tell your dad the truth about Derek."

"I'm still not convinced it was Derek."

"Of course it's Derek, Y/n." Stiles gave her a duh look and Y/n rolled her eyes, holding her hands up in mock surrender. She'd let Derek's innocence argument go for right now. "But I can do something."

"Like what?" Scott asked skeptically.

"Find the other half of the body."

"Are you kidding?" Stiles was already walking away.

"Stiles!" Y/n called over the buzz of people, if he heard her he didn't acknowledge it. Y/n sighed as she watched him go. Scott also sighed, but turned when he heard Lydia say Allison's name.

"This is Allison." Lydia introduced and was followed by the brunette saying 'hi' to someone. Scott and Y/n look down the hall to see Allison shaking hands with an attractive lacrosse player with a smile.

"Nice to meet you." The boy said.

"She's the new girl. She just moved here."

"Oh, how do you like it?" Scott started to walk towards them and Y/n followed him begrudgingly with a slight groan.

"I like it." Allison answered. Lydia saw Scott approach and gave him a slight smirk. She gave a wave to Y/n, who returned the gesture, and grabbed the boy's hand to walk away with him. Allison turned to the two with a smile.

"So Lydia's introducing you to everyone?" Scott asked with an edge to his tone.

"She's being so unbelievably nice to me. Her and Y/n." Allison threw a smile at the girl and she nodded back.

"It's no biggie." Y/n waved it off with a smile.

"I wonder why." Scott's eyes and tone showed suspicion towards the strawberry blonde.

"Maybe she gets how much being the new girl can suck."

Scott glanced down at her hands and spotted the jacket that Derek used to lure him with hanging over her arms. "Where did you get that?"

"My jacket? It was in my locker. I think Lydia brought it back from the party. She and Y/n have my combination."

"Did she say she brought it back or did somebody give her the jacket?" Scott cut her off.

"Cool it." Y/n whispered to where only he could hear yet he didn't listen.

"Like who?" Allison questioned.

"Like Derek."

"Your friend?"

"He's not my friend. How much did you talk to him when he drove you home?"

"Mmm, not much at all."

"What did you say?"

"Scott, kill the third degree." Y/n spoke up louder now. Allison was innocent in this, she didn't deserve to be grilled like she was Derek.

"I... Gotta get to class." Allison smiled nervously and pointed behind her.

"Allison-" Scott tried but this time she cut him off.

"No, I really have to go. Bye, Y/n." She started to walk off.

"Bye." Y/n turned to see Scott clenching his jaw and she could feel the anger rolling off him. "Scott." She called warningly, he just turned and rushed off. "Scott, don't do something stupid!" She yelled after him, but he kept going. She sighed and rubbed a hand on her forehead. "Why do I even try?" She shook her head and just walked away, there's nothing she could really do at this point.

...

"Stiles! Slow down!" Y/n complained as her offender dragged her into Scott's house and up the stairs. The poor girl had been on her way to the Animal Clinic to help out for the day when Stiles swooped in and claimed Scott had called with something very important.

Stiles burst through Scott's bedroom door and nearly toppled over with Y/n, but she was quick to steady herself and him. "What did you find? How did you find it? Where did you find it? And, yes, I've had a lot of Adderall, so..."

"Obviously." He is unfazed by her slight glare.

"I found something at Derek Hale's." Scott informed calmly.

"Again with the Hale." Y/n groaned.

"Are you kidding? What?" Stiles urged.

"There's something buried there. I could smell blood."

"That's awesome!" Y/n jabbed his side with her elbow. "I mean, that's terrible. Who's blood?"

"I don't know. But when we do, your dad nails Derek for the murder. And then you both help me figure out how to play lacrosse without changing. Because there's no way I'm not playing that game." Scott makes his point by tightening the net on his stick and tossing it on his bed.

"I'm still on the side of 'Derek is innocent' but since neither of you will listen and I care too much, I'll go along with you on your weird little endeavor." Scott gave Y/n an appreciative smile and she gave him a small one of her own.

...

Scott, Stiles and Y/n walk into the hospital. They look around and Y/n spots a sign to their target. The Morgue. "Hey." She gets their attention and points to the sign.

"Okay." Scott nods.

"Good luck, I guess." Stiles says and Scott is going through the door leaving the two to wait for his return. They meander towards the waiting room and Stiles spots Lydia, instantly going into spaz mode. He manages to approach her and Y/n shakes her head already knowing that this won't end well. "Hey, Lydia." She looked up at him from her perch on the chair. "You probably don't remember me. Um, I sit behind you in Biology." She looked like she was trying to remember. "Uh, anyway, I always thought that we just had this kind of connection. Unspoken, of course." He chuckled nervously and she smiled. "Maybe it'd be kind of cool to, uh... Get to know each other a little bit better."

"Hold on, give me a second." She finally spoke. She pulled out one of her bluetooth headphones and held it in her fingers. "Yeah, I didn't get any of what you just said. Is it worth repeating?"

"Uh, heh... No. Sorry. I'll just sit. You don't care." He awkwardly backed away and sat in a chair right around the corner. Y/n quietly made a whistle sound that grew lower, her finger making a falling arch in the air, before she mimicked an explosion.

"Okay. Oh, hey, Y/n." Lydia smiled brightly at her.

"Hey, Lyds." Y/n smiled back.

"Come sit." She patted the seat next to her and Y/n obliged. "What are you doing here?"

"Um, I'm not really sure. I think Scott wanted to check on his mom or something. What are you doing here?"

"Jackson's getting a cortisone shot."

"Right, because your boyfriend needs to be at peak performance." She joked and Lydia smirked.

"Precisely."

Y/n glanced over her shoulder at where Stiles was sitting to see the inside of a menstrual cycle pamphlet that he was holding to be inconspicuous. She gave it a weird look before looking back to Lydia and dropping her voice. "You know, you could have gone a bit easier on him. He's had a crush on you for forever, you know this."

"Yeah, he may have a crush but that's it. Just a crush. He'll get over it." She replied dismissively.

"You can't be sure of that."

"Of course I can. He doesn't realize it yet, but he has eyes for someone else."

"Who?"

"Oh, you'll find out one day." Lydia had a smile like she was keeping the best secret in the world and for all Y/n knew she was. Before Y/n could respond Jackson came up to them.

"And that's my cue. Bye, Lydia." Y/n got up with a 'bye' from Lydia and she sat next to Stiles.

"Did he do it?" Y/n heard Lydia ask Jackson.

"He said not to make a habit of it, but one cortisone shot won't kill me." Jackson responded.

"You should get one right before the game too. The pros do it all the time. You want to be a little high school amateur? Or... Do you want to go... Pro?" She slowly moved closer to him before kissing him. Y/n wrinkled her nose in disgust, her and Stiles not-so-subtely watching the couple before they walked away.

"She deserves so much better than him." Y/n said with a slight sneer towards the ass of a lacrosse player.

"Tell me about it." Stiles muttered before glancing at her, doing a double take when he saw how close she was to him. In her quest to get a closer look at Lydia and Jackson she had leaned over his arm, and was right next to his face, without noticing. He couldn't say anything about it when the pamphlet was yanked from his hands. "Ohh! God!" Stiles exclaimed when the teens jumped at the sudden action, looking at the culprit who turned out to be Scott.

"The scent was the same." Scott rushed out.

"You sure?" Stiles jumped up, Y/n standing with not as much enthusiasm.

"Yes."

Stiles sighs. "So he did bury the other half of the body on his property?"

"Which means we have proof he killed the girl."

"Just because he may have buried the body there doesn't definitively prove that he killed her." They both gave her a look. "Hey, I'm just being realistic here. We don't know for sure it was him who buried the body and we don't know it was him who killed her. All we have is conjecture."

"I say we use it anyway." Stiles starts to walk out of the hospital.

"How?" Scott questions as he and Y/n follow.

"Tell me something first." Stiles faces Scott again. "Are you doing this because you want to stop Derek, or because you want to play in the game, and he said you couldn't?"

"There are bite marks on the legs, Stiles. Bite marks." Scott seems very concerned about stopping Derek.

"Okay. Then we're gonna need a shovel."

They all walk out and Y/n groans. "Here we go again."

...

The moon hangs high in the sky as Derek gets in his car at the burnt Hale house and drives away, Stiles' Jeep pulling up a few moments later. The three friends get out and Scott tries to hand Y/n one of the shovels but she shakes her head. "Uh-uh. I am not digging up a body." She grabs the flashlight from Stiles and they walk closer to the side of the house.

"Wait, something's different." Scott says.

"Different how?" Stiles asks.

"I don't know."

"Let's just get this over with." Scott and Stiles go over to the disturbed dirt, but Y/n hesitates, glancing up at the house. Unconsciously her eyes start to glow as she gazes at the charred remains. Shadows of flames lick the walls and the remnants of screams drift in the air. "Y/n. You okay?" She blinks and her eyes are back to normal. She looks over at the boys to see them looking at her in concern, she just nods. She shines the light over the house before shining it back down towards the grave and becomes increasingly uneasy. She nervously swallows and rubs her arm with her free hand. She doesn't want to be here. It doesn't feel good.

"Guys. This doesn't feel right." She confessed, a nervous edge to bed voice.

"It'll be okay, Y/n." Stiles assured.

The boys dig for a while and still haven't reached the body. "This is taking way too long." Scott frets.

"Just keep going." Stiles encourages.

"What if he comes back?" Y/n tries to get out of there faster. The more they dig, the uneasier she gets.

"Then we get the hell out of here."

"What if he catches us?" Scott questions again.

"I have a plan for that."

"Which is."

"You run one way. Me and Y/n run the other. Whoever he catches first, too bad."

"I hate that plan."

"It's a bad plan." Y/n agrees.

Stiles' shovel suddenly thumps against something. "Oh, stop, stop, stop." They toss the shovels aside and finish digging with their hands. They come across a burlap wrapping with rope around it tied in various spots.

"Hurry." Scott urges.

"I'm trying. Did he have to tie the thing in, like, 900 knots?"

"I'll do it." They both work on the rope and as soon as they open it they both jump out of the grave with a scream making Y/n scream as well dropping the flashlight.

"What the hell is wrong with you guys?" She complained with a hand on her chest before she looked down at what spooked them. Instead of the top half of a girl it was the top half of a black wolf. "Oh." Her voice was a near whisper as she looked at the body in sadness.

"What the hell is that?" Stiles yelled.

"It's a wolf." Scott said in surprise.

"Yeah, I can see that. I thought you said you smelled blood, as in human blood."

"I told you something was different."

"This doesn't make sense."

"We gotta get out of here."

"Yeah. Okay, help me cover this up." They go to bury the body again before Stiles notices a flower lit up by the dropped flashlight.

"What's wrong?"

"You see that flower?" Scott looked over and Y/n tore her eyes away from the body to see the flower.

"What about it?"

"It's Aconite." Y/n said.

"What's that?"

"Wolfsbane." Scott still looked lost.

"Haven't you ever seen The Wolf Man?" Stiles asks him.

"No."

"Lon Chaney Jr. Claude Rains. The original, classic werewolf movie?"

"No! What?"

Stiles sighs. "You are so unprepared for this." Stiles gets up and goes to the flower. He reaches down and easily picks it up, the roots having been sat near the top of the dirt. He lifts it and finds rope connected to it. He pulled more revealing more wolfsbane flowers were woven into the rope. He keeps pulling the rope from the dirt and it leads him around and around the hole.

Y/n's eyes flash and she sees the spiral the wolfsbane had been laid out in shine orange. "Wait, Stiles. I don't think you should do that." She warned, yet went unanswered.

Scott looks down at the grave again and his eyes widen as he stands. "Guys." Y/n looked down and a soft gasp escaped her. Stiles came around and jumped back again when he saw it. The body wasn't a wolf anymore, but the top half of the girl. Her eyes were wide and dull. Y/n had to take a step back from the sight. A scream and a vicious snarl echo in her mind and she knows it's from the girl.

...

In the morning Scott leans against the front of the Jeep, watching as Derek is led in handcuffs and put in the back of a police car. Once no one is around the car Scott spots Stiles casually walking up to it. Scott tries to shake his head and tell him 'no' but Stiles still opens the passenger door and hops in the front to have a chat with Derek. Scott turns away in almost disbelief.

Y/n sits in the back of the Jeep, eyes shut in concentration to block out the house's screams. She's been hearing it almost since they all arrived and she's been trying to stop it. It's always like this when she's at a place like this one. A place where a tragedy happened. The more the tragedy, the more it forces itself onto her. It'll get easier to block the more she focuses but it's always harder the first visit. She desperately tries to find something to listen to, anything to drown out the ghosts of screams. She heard a car door shut and then she hears Stiles' voice. Deciding it's better than nothing she listens to him talk but doesn't pay attention to his words. She hears another voice, Derek's she realizes, but she mostly listens to Stiles. After a couple minutes she hears the car door again and, feeling a bit better, decides to listen to his words when she hears him say 'ow' multiple times.

"There. Stand." She recognizes the Sheriff's voice. Stiles sighs. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I'm just trying to help." Stiles defends.

"Uh-huh. Okay, well, how 'bout you help me understand exactly how you came across this."

Stiles sighs again. "We were looking for Scott's inhaler."

"Which he dropped when?"

"The other night."

"The other night when you were out here looking for the first half of the body." Noah clarified.

"Yes." Idiot. Y/n thought with a faint smile on her face.

"The night that you and Y/n told me you were alone and Scott was at home."

"Yes." He said exasperated but seemed to realize his mistake. "No. Oh, crap."

"So you guys lied to me."

"That depends on how you define lying."

"Well, I define it as not telling the truth. How do you define it?"

"Mm, reclining your body in a horizontal position?"

"Get the hell out of here."

"Absolutely."

Y/n laughed at the hilarious exchange and opened her eyes when the boys got into the vehicle. She heaved a sigh of relief when they finally drove away from the house and away from the screams. The screams, she noticed thankfully, were much quieter after she focused on Stiles' voice.

A bit later after driving down the road Scott sighs at his phone. "I can't find anything about wolfsbane being used for burial."

"Just keep looking." Stiles urged. "Maybe it's like a ritual or something, like maybe they bury you as a wolf."

"It could also be personal maybe." Y/n offered. "Like, uh, burying your loved one in their best clothes or something. A form of respect maybe?"

"Or maybe it's like a special skill, you know? Like something you have to learn."

"I'll put it on my to-do list, right underneath figuring out how the hell I'm playing this game tonight." Scott started to breathe a bit deeper.

"Maybe it's different for girl werewolves."

"I doubt it's different for the girl werewolves." Y/n said before Scott snapped at them.

"Okay! Stop it!"

"Stop what?" Stiles asked.

"Stop saying 'werewolves'! Stop enjoying this so much."

"Are you okay?"

"No! No, I'm not. I'm so far from being okay."

"Scott, what's wrong? What's happening?" Y/n's tone conveyed her growing worry as he seemed increasingly bothered by something, squeezing his eyes shut and panting like he was having trouble breathing.

"You know, you're gonna have to accept this, Scott, sooner or later." Stiles didn't take his actions as distress more than agitation.

"I can't."

"Well, you're gonna have to."

"Stiles, that's not what's happening." Y/n adjusted herself so she could examine Scott closer to try and help.

"No! I can't breathe. Agh!" He seemed to growl when he groaned and his hand slammed on the roof of the Jeep.

"Whoa, whoa. Whoa, whoa, whoa." Stiles swerved at the action and Y/n had to hold onto the backs of the front seats to keep herself steady. "Whoa, whoa, whoa." Stiles tried to steady the Jeep.

"Stop the car! Pull over!" Y/n ordered.

"Why? What's happening?"

Scott kept freaking out and Y/n noticed something purple peeking out from Stiles' bag. She snatched it up and opened it, finding the wolfsbane laced rope. "You kept it?!" She yelled.

"What was I supposed to do with it?" Stiles yelled back.

"It's wolfsbane, Stiles! What did you think would happen, that he'd get high like it was catnip?"

Scott growled again and his eyes flared yellow. "Stop the car!" He growled.

Stiles' eyes went wide as he immediately braked, Y/n half falling into the front before she caught herself. Stiles grabbed the bag and scrambled out of the car, throwing the bag as far as his frantic arms could go. "Okay." He panted. "We're good, you can-"

"Scott!" Y/n called but by the time Stiles turned around, the boy was gone. She sighed and looked back at Stiles.

"Scott?" He weakly called. "Scooott?"

Stiles speeds down the road, Y/n now in the front seat, as they search for Scott. Stiles holds up his phone while it's on speaker as he speaks to the Beacon Sheriff dispatch line. "Stiles, you know you can't call the dispatch line when I'm on duty." The woman chastises.

"I just need to know if you've gotten any odd calls."

"Odd how?"

"Uh, like an odd person or... A dog-like individual roaming the streets."

"I'm hanging up on you now."

"No! Wai-wai-wai-wai-wait! Guh!" He slams his phone down.

"It'll be okay Stiles." Y/n tries to calm him.

"How? How is any of this going to be okay, Y/n?"

"It just will. I feel it."

"You feel it?" Disbelief was present in his voice.

"Yes. I feel it in my gut. And you know my gut is always right." Stiles didn't answer so she placed her hand on his arm. "Stiles. It will be alright." He glanced at her and she gave him a soft smile. His posture relaxed slightly, but he still was a bit worried.

...

Scott gets ready with the team in the locker room that night, an impromptu visit to Allison's house and a hit from her dad's car got him calmed down again so that he wasn't wolfed out anymore. He flinches as lockers are slammed and he hears his name from Jackson. He shakes his head and sits down to put his pads on, trying to ignore the noise. He looks over as Stiles shows up. "You gonna try to convince me not to play?" Scott asks.

"I just hope you know what you're doing."

"If I don't play, I lose first line and Allison."

"Allison's not going anywhere. And it's one game that you really don't need to play."

"I wanna play! I wanna be on the team. I wanna go out with Allison. I want a semi-freaking normal life." Scott sounded almost desperate. "Do you get that?"

"I get it." Stiles quietly said and glanced down. He moved to sit next to Scott with a sigh. "Just try not to worry too much while you're out there, okay? Or get too angry."

"I got it." Scott nodded.

"Or stressed."

"I got it."

"Don't think about Allison being in the stands. Or that her father's trying to kill you. Or that Derek's trying to kill you. Or the girl he killed. Or that you might kill someone. If a Hunter doesn't kill you first. I'm sorry. I'll stop." Stiles had rambled before he saw the look on Scott's face.

"Y/n is much better at these pep talks."

"I know. Good luck."

...

Y/n walks with Lydia as they make their way to the stands, Stiles and Scott coming the opposite way. Lydia saw Scott and took this chance to pounce. "Scott!" She grabbed him by the jersey and pulled him closer to her. "I just want you to remember one thing for tonight."

"Uh... Winning isn't everything?" He said unsure.

She chuckles and brushes off invisible dirt from his sleeve. "Nobody likes a loser." She pats his chest and drags Y/n away, the girl throwing an apologetic smile at Scott before facing forward again.

"I like losers." Y/n said when they finally took a seat next to Allison.

"That's because you're just weird." Lydia joked and Y/n laughed. The game begins and Y/n watches as the team passes the ball to everyone but Scott. Two players had run into each other leaving the ball abandoned on the grass. Scott spotted it but so did Jackson. Once Jackson noticed Scott going for it he himself also made a beeline. They both got close when Jackson shoved Scott out of the way and picked up the ball, scoring the first point for Beacon Hills. The crowd cheers and Y/n internally cringes for her friend before clapping for the team. Lydia excitedly grabbed both girls on either side of her and they all smiled. "Help me with this." She asked and she picked up a large white sign that said, WE LUV U JACKSON.

"Nope. I'm not gonna sit under that. Sorry, Lyds. Love you, but no. I'm gonna go over there." Lydia shrugged it off, used to the negative feelings her friend and boyfriend have for each other, and instead enlisted Allison's help. Y/n made her way to sit by Stiles on the team benches. Coach never made her leave because he either didn't care if she was there or not or he knew it would have been too much trouble to make her go. Either way Y/n was often found sitting next to her excitable friend during a game at some point and sometimes practice.

Scott did a double take when he saw Allison and Lydia holding the sign. Stiles noticed this and followed his line of sight, doing his own double take at the scene. "Brutal."

"I know, right? Poor Scotty." Y/n said once she sat next to Stiles.

They watch Scott shake his head and take his place on the field. "Oh, this is not gonna be good."

After a while the score was now 3 to 5, in favor of the guest team. Scott still had yet to catch a ball and Y/n had a feeling that Jackson had something to do with it. She wouldn't put it past him to do something like that. Y/n looks at Scott and can feel the change in his mood and if she listened hard enough she could hear him lowly growling. She looked back towards Lydia and Allison again to see them holding up a different sign. JACKSON IS #1!! When she faced the field again she saw Scott looking at the sign too.

"Oh, no." She said dismally. The teams got ready and once the whistle blew one of their players jostled with an opposing player for the ball who sent it up into the air. Scott's head whipped towards the ball and he took action. He ran and jumped onto and over the players to catch the ball in mid air. Once he got it he sprinted down the field, easily dodging and ducking to avoid the players trying to stop him. He scored the 4th point for Beacon Hills and the crowd roared with cheers. Y/n and Stiles jumped up in excitement, screaming cheers for their friend. Y/n heard Coach yell to the team to pass to McCall and she smirked to herself knowing that this must really be getting to Jackson that Scott is now amazing at lacrosse.

They settled down as the game continued. Stiles chewed on the fingertip of his glove as they watched a player from the other team carry the ball, but as soon as he saw Scott he gave him the ball. "Did the opposing team just deliberately pass us the ball?" Coach asked in astonishment.

"Yes, I believe so, Coach." Stiles answered.

Scott hurtled down the field and Coach smiled. "Interesting." Scott threw the ball so hard it tore through the goalie's catcher net and into the goal. The crowd cheered again and the score was tied with almost 40 seconds left. The opposing coach tried to dispute the point but Coach, Stiles and even Y/n all argued that the ball is in the net, the whole point of the game, ball in net. Scott has the ball again but as he gets close to scoring the last point he hesitated, his head snapping to any movement around him. His body language told Y/n and Stiles that he was getting too worked up.

"No, Scott, no, no." Stiles exclaimed and Y/n bit her lip in worry. Y/n just barely heard Allison say something as the last few seconds counted down. And all of a sudden, just as two players were rushing Scott, he hurled the ball and scored the winning point. The crowd went wild once again. Y/n held her hands in the air and screamed happily. "Yes! Ha!" Stiles turned to Y/n and hugged her, she laughed when he spun her around in celebration. "Oh, my god." He seemed to sigh in relief. The crowd ran onto the field still cheering. As the people dispersed Y/n sat with Stiles on the bench. The Sheriff got a call and he didn't sound too pleased. "Dad, what's wrong?"

After speaking to his dad Stiles pulled Y/n along as they rushed to the locker room to find Scott. They found him when they rounded the corner, but he wasn't alone. The pair hid behind the metal shelves when they saw Scott and Allison kissing. Y/n bit her lip to hold in the wide grin wanting to break free. She could sense their growing feelings and it made her happy for them.

Allison giggled when they pulled away. "I gotta get back to my dad." She said. Scott nodded and she gave him another quick peck before walking away. "Stiles. Y/n." She said in greeting towards the two when she saw them.

"Hey, yeah." Stiles waved and Y/n gave her a nod.

Scott walked to his friends with the dopiest smile Y/n had ever seen on him. "I kissed her." He said dreamily.

"We saw." Y/n smiled at him.

"She kissed me."

"Saw that too." Stiles gave him his own smile. "It's pretty good, huh?"

Scott sighs. "I-I-I don't know how, but I controlled it. I pulled it back. Maybe I can do this. Maybe it's not that bad."

"Yeah, heh." Stiles chuckled nervously and Y/n frowned when she remembered why they were here. Something happened, something Stiles hadn't elaborated about with her yet. "We'll talk later, then." Stiles patted Scott's shoulder and tried to walk away but Scott stopped him.

"What?"

Stiles sighed. "The, uh, Medical Examiner looked at the other half of the body we found."

"And?"

"Well, I'll keep it simple. Medical Examiner determines killer of girl to be animal, not human. Derek's human, not animal. Derek not killer. Derek let out of jail." Y/n frowns more. Yes, she had a feeling Derek was innocent, but she doesn't know him enough to tell what he'll do now to any of them now that he's out.

"Are you kidding?" Scott exclaimed.

"No, and here's a bigger kick in the ass. My Dad I.D.'d the dead girl. Both halves. Her name was Laura Hale."

"Hale?"

"Derek's sister." Y/n realized. That's why she felt so wrong when they were digging her up. He buried her out of respect, not to cover evidence.

Ch.03

[a-reader-and-a-writer-for-all]

More Batman head cannons please and thank you!

Hi! 💖 Thank you so much for the ask! I always love sharing these or talking about this series!

Batmom Before Bruce:

Batmom's mother was killed in a robbery when she was a baby. Her father raised her alone, teaching her from a young age how to protect herself. Then, when she was 8, her father got sick. Batmom tried to take care of him but he passed away six months later, leaving her all alone. She ended up on the streets but thanks to what her father had taught her, she was able to survive. She picked up more skills from others around her and soon became quite an accomplished petty thief.

When Batmom was 17, she met Selina Kyle who was only 13 at the time. Selina was new on the streets and didn't have the knowledge or skills to survive. Batmom couldn't just leave her on her own, so she let Selina stay with her and she taught her what she knew about fighting and thieving.

Bruce x Batmom:

The two of them eloped a few months after getting engaged. They tried planning a traditional wedding but the tabloids never gave them a break. They all tried spinning a "Cinderella Type Fairytale" where the wealthy Prince of Gotham was marrying a poor, ill-mannered, woman of questionable background. It soon became too much for Batmom so Bruce surprised her by flying them both to a private island owned by Wayne Industries. They were the only ones at the wedding besides Clark who flew there just for the ceremony to officiate and then left them to celebrate alone. Their anniversary is March 4.

Batmom absolutely ADORES Alfred and now sees him as just another part of their family. However, when she first moved in, she was very uncomfortable having someone do things for her all the time especially when she was capable of doing them herself. It caused a little bit of friction since Alfred was accustomed to having his things just so and not having others messing with them. Bruce eventually had to step in and mediate between the two most important people in his life. They both compromised slightly and, over time, Batmom felt more comfortable letting Alfred do more for her once she realized how much pride Alfred had in his job.

Dick x Batmom:

About seven months after they were married, Bruce took Batmom to the circus where they witnessed Dick's parents' murders. While everyone seemed preoccupied with the bodies, Bruce noticed her focus never left the poor boy huddled in the corner with a blanket around his shoulders. Bruce asked if she wanted to see about giving him a place to stay while this was all sorted out and Batmom jumped on the idea. A few days later when they found out Dick didn't have any other family to take him in, Batmom asked him if he wanted to stay with them and Dick shyly said yes.

When Dick was 18, he was shot by the Joker while on patrol as Robin. He recovered but the incident shook Bruce so much that he said he was retiring the mantel of Robin and thus, Dick. Dick was furious and the two fought with Batmom trying to keep the peace between the two. Finally, Dick packed up and left Gotham to Batmom's devastation. Bruce was hurt by Dick's leaving and the fact Batmom hadn't fully supported his decision to bench Dick. For a few weeks, they fought almost constantly and slept on separate sides of the manor. Eventually, they began to try to work things out and the discovery that Batmom was pregnant only helped speed up their reconciliation. Dick was overjoyed to hear the news, but was still mad at Bruce and refused to come home. Only the loss of the baby and Batmom's depression afterward got him to the point he was willing to face Bruce face-to-face (as well as the fact that Bruce had also just lost a child). The two reconciled though Dick decided he still needed to branch out on his own and find out who he was beyond Batman and Robin.

I have a ton more so if anyone wants more or specific HCs, please let me know! 🥰

HC’s Part 1, HC’s Part 2, HC’s Part 3, HC's Part 4

One Bad Day.... Series Masterlist

[isolaradiale]

This is an event rerun. For more information on how to participate, please check our EVENT RERUN GUIDE! If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask!

Streets light up with hues of dull crimson and pastel pinks, the shapes of hearts littering window shops while glitter shimmers in the passing rays of sunlight. Even the night glows with decor, low hanging lanterns illuminating softly pathways, giving an allure of warmth and positive ambiance to those who walk by. What is placed up is not suddenly there, rather the efforts of the island locals banding together, making certain that the holiday itself is set up for all to enjoy and feel the welcoming atmosphere. Even if it wasn’t a festival, surely there would be no mind to treating it like one, even for just a short while.

“Huuuh? What do you mean ‘what’s it called?’ It’s Hearts Wake, silly! It isn’t really a party, but we like to celebrate it like one. So, drinks on the house! You heard me!”

Hearts Wake, they call it to those who ask, explaining everything to the littlest detail to anyone who decides to ask. There is something pleasing about it, perhaps even a little cute in seeing some outfits line up with the ornaments, if one was to think of it like that. Another day passes as the city glistens more with each passing day, vibrant in uplifting support and comradeship abound in any way a single person looks.

“You know, I had to do this all by myself last time...” a pout paints itself across lips, Pleiades crossing her arms a little bitterly as she keeps her seat, glancing over briefly to her occupied company.

Alathfar seems to be in the middle of scribbling some notes as Pleiades pouts at him. He can hear it in her voice without even looking up. "It's a good thing I'm not preoccupied this year, then, isn't it?" It comes off as a joke, but he’s relieved that his recovery had gone well. He missed doing these with his partner.

Pleiades adjusts her glasses, as the man looks up to give her a smile. She gives a small sigh as she moves forward in relent. A few taps on the keys is all it takes, setting up everything before leaning back against him, head lazy as glasses shine back the codes from the bright screens. All that was needed is one more press of a button, something to implement it all. Shifting aside briefly, she softens with a twirl of her ankle, offering an intrigued smile between the system and her company.

“Well, it is mostly your code, after all. Shall you do the honors, my dearest?”

A small laugh as arms wrap around his companion loosely. “I’d love to. Are you ready to see how they’ve developed?” 

“Always.”

He moves, briefly, and with a few more deft taps at the keyboard the sound of data begins to filter into the systems, molding from mere numbers and symbols that it might manifest an array of confections and other lavish products that begin to line the shops throughout Spirale...

                                                     ☆               ☆                ☆

So what’s happening?

First off, welcome to Isola’s Valentine’s day mini-event! You’re probably wondering what’s happening, right? Well this is where you’ll get it explained! While not a festival in name, it may as well be one, as everyone on the island seems to be talking about it. Cited as Hearts Wake by the locals, it can be easily gleaned that this holiday is very reminiscent of the typical love holidays you all may or may not be acquainted with, only focusing on the importance of all types of bonds, or more specifically growing those bonds. Things such as couples who wish to deepen their bonds, whether long standing or newly dating, or friends who want to become closer or learn more on one another, and even those who might want to become more than friends finding courage to ask. It’s also generally supported by the masses that those who have things they can reconcile with those they may not like or have misunderstandings with try to do just that if possible.

However, it seems a new brand of treats of varying kinds named DevoLine has, interestingly, slipped into the markets what seems overnight. Things ranging from cute little drinks, chocolates and other desserts, plushes, and even incense based goods for those who prefer fanciful scents. Must just be new items in stock, right? As if anything was so simple here on Radial Island. While the items are perfectly safe to ingest and even adjusts to the taste of the drinker, eater, or the one taking in the air as the incense burns to what they prefer in taste and scent, there’s a little something extra mixed right in to make things all the sweeter for the holiday. Like, say... a potion of some sort, for starters.

Regardless, they’re all labeled as a limited time ordeal, so you should get a hold of one or two before they’re off the shelves for good! Maybe they’ll even become collectibles worth something down the line.

How does this work?

Anyone who ingests these newfound treats will be affected by the potion itself. Whether you intake a little or a lot doesn’t entirely change the outcome, once a tad touches your tongue, you touch a plush, or you get a nice inhale, it’ll take immediate action!

There are many ways this potion can interact with someone who consumes it, though most notably with adverse effects that seem to want to flub up the entirety of the holiday itself. Rather than emboldening the positive bonds of others like the holiday attempts to push for, it seems to do the opposite, such as starting spat wars or even a full out scuffles between those who see each other as enemies or even as simple as a slight dislike each other, creating lovers quarrels over the pettiest of things, or even causing large dissonance between two people who are as close as can be and making a wedge between them.

However, despite the intention to sabotage the holiday, it seems that in the same instance this potion will sometimes fall in line with the idea of deepening those bonds. People might find the courage to confess feelings they might not have thought to before, making acquaintances feel a closer bond and wanting to build on that foundation for an everlasting friendship, or even friends with interest in each other taking that final step into asking one another out, maybe even incite an urge to reconcile things between each other. The list is, generally, endless from all the dynamics.

Essentially, emotions are a strange thing, definitely not something you can adjust on a whim, so anything you choose that involves the bonds of your fellows is right up the alley of this hectic potion.

What if my character doesn’t need to drink or eat?

No problem at all. While they may not need to eat or drink, the incense itself can be enough to participate if you truly want, affecting all those around it in one way or another. For example, if your character is a robot, it’s easy to say that the incense can simply seep into their circuits (how, you ask? magic. details. waves hands mysteriously...) and rewire them that way. Touching plushes also work, as contact is all that it is needed, so you can also go this route. You’re welcome to get as creative as you’d like with how they can be affected so you can join in!

Can I change the effects throughout the event?

Of course! You can either have your character indulge in another treat or nice, deep breath or just simply have it shift. Potions are a little weird like that, especially mixing with emotions, so it can be as ever changing as needed to suit your threading wants.

Will these changes be permanent?

Not at all, no! Once the event is over, all of the potion effects will disappear, though the memories of what happened can be used to build on what the effects did or not at all. In a way, it’s almost like someone intentionally did this to place you all to the test in regards of your bonds in general. What is the test for entirely? What an interesting question to have...

Do we have to have our characters participate?

Absolutely not! This is completely optional and you’re welcome to have your character not partake in the items or smell any of the incense at all, so no worries!

I have a question I don’t see here. What do I do?

If you have any other questions, make sure to send an ask to the MASTERLIST and we’ll do our best to answer any you have that aren’t here!

How long will this run for?

The event will run from 1/19 through 2/09 (ending at 11:59:59PM EST on the 9th)!

[torreshalstead]

I’ll show you mine - Part 1

Summary - He didn’t fit. His clothes were too nice, his hair too neat, he was raising all the red flags for Hailey. She didn’t think he was part of the crew she was trying to take down, but why else would he be in such an establishment on a random Tuesday night? But then he muttered the words into her ear that she had least expected - ‘I’m police’.

Chapters - 1/3

Notes - I’ve wanted to write an undercover Upstead first meet fic for ages so here it is! It spiralled into more than a oneshot so it’s split into three parts, happy reading! ❤️ AO3 Link

Hailey lifted her glass to her mouth but the liquid only brushed against the seam of her lips before she placed it down again. No one was watching her close enough to see that the whiskey in her glass hadn’t decreased in the past hour. She was on the clock and whiskey was not conducive to remaining alert.

Her eyes scanned across the room again making mental notes as she did so. In the far corner was a black haired man in his 40’s nursing a beer whilst playing with a wedding band. The table opposite the jukebox was home to a couple whose drinks had remained untouched for the past twenty minutes, their mouths preoccupied with devouring each other. Other patrons were scattered around the room, the standard haunts for a drinking establishment on a Tuesday night.

‘Another for you Kelly?’ The barkeep said, knowing the answer would be no like it had been every other time he had asked.

‘Not for me Sam, but thanks,’ she said with a wink. He must have been only just over 21 himself, probably in his first job. Little did he know that the man who ran the payroll, was running cocaine cut with battery acid throughout the South Side and Hailey was trying to gather enough evidence to bring him down. There were already too many bodies they could tie to this guy.

It had been slow going. She had been coming to this bar every night for the past week, getting on first name basis with Sam until she learnt that he knew nothing. His poor attempts at flirting was all she had gotten out of him. They knew from previous recon that the owner of the bar, River Harrison, did show up on occasion and the team's plan was to either get something on the wire to incriminate him or Hailey was going to turn on the charm and they were going to go black ops and load him into the back of a van with some jumped up charges when she lured him outside.

But since she had started frequenting the bar, they hadn’t seen sight nor sound of him. She was starting to wonder if they, or more specifically she, had been made.

Just as she was thinking of wrapping it up for the night, the door behind her opened. Glancing at a strategically placed mirror on the bar, she saw who had entered. He was tall, closely cut hair - ex-army if Hailey had to guess. She watched as his green eyes scanned the bar before clearly settling on her. She kept her eyes straight forward - Kelly wasn’t interested in chatting anyone up or being chatted up.

‘This seat taken?’ The man asked, his voice silky smooth with a born and bred Chicago accent.

Hailey glanced round and shrugged, he seemed a little out of place for an establishment like this, although his outfit was casual enough, the blue jeans and black t-shirt with a khaki green button down. He had an air of confidence about him that those who drink alone on a week night don’t normally possess.

‘I shall take that as a no then,’ he smirked and settled down on the stool next to hers.

‘Free country,’ she said nonchalantly, turning her attention back to the television screen above the bar.

‘I could buy you a drink,’ he suggested.

‘You could but considering I haven’t finished this one, it’s likely to go to waste,’ she said cooly, her eyes flicking down to the mirror and immediately back up to the television when she was met with his emerald eyes shining directly back at hers in its reflection.

‘Well if you decide to finish it, you let me know,’ he said with a grin. He proceeded to order a beer and when he picked it up to drink, Hailey noticed another thing. His nails were perfectly clean and trimmed, also unusual. This bar didn’t usually house the most neatly manicured of men. She hoped her button cam was picking up enough of an image that she could run it at the district, he was raising all the red flags with her.

Having someone sit directly next to you when you were trying to run surveillance wasn’t the easiest, especially when he seemed intent on trying to engage her in conversation even as Hailey continued to shrug off his advances.

‘So come here often?’ He said on the third attempt, all his previous attempts had fallen flat with her being able to provide a yes or a no answer that allowed the conversation to stall.

Hailey scoffed, ‘that’s the line you’re going with?’

‘Well it got more of an answer out of you than any of my other ones did,’ he smirked again. The kind of smirk that you either wanted to slap off of a guy's face, or grab it with both hands and smash your lips into theirs. Hailey wasn’t sure which one of those she wanted to do although neither were professional when she was on the clock. Unfortunately.

‘Touché’ Hailey said, raising her glass to his and tipping the amber liquid against her lips again. His eyes were fixed on her as she did so and she saw something flash across his eyes as she lowered her glass again. She definitely needed to get back to the district and run this guy through the system.

‘I’m Ryan, not that you asked,’ he smirked again, lifting his own drink to his mouth. Mirroring her however, he didn’t appear to drink a single drop. The liquid line remained where it had been previously when he rested it against the bar top.

‘Kelly,’ she said simply. Ryan. She didn’t think there was a Ryan on River’s payroll, they knew all of his major lieutenants but maybe they had missed someone. This guy was giving off all the indications that he was here for a reason and she didn’t think that reason was the beer he clearly wasn’t drinking.

‘Kelly,’ he repeated as if he was testing her name on his tongue. ‘Pleasure.’

She hummed in response.

‘So you didn’t answer my question Kelly,’ Ryan persisted. She had to give him points for trying anyway.

‘And what question would that be,’ she said, finally relenting and turning to face him, resting her chin on her fist as her elbow lent atop the counter. She’d probably regret it later when her white sweater was stained with years of spilt drinks.

‘Do you come here often?’

‘On occasion,’ she said.

‘And is tonight any specific occasion?’ He asked, his smirk still firmly fixed to his face as he tilted his head slightly to the side.

‘Just a Tuesday that needed some whiskey,’ Hailey shrugged. She couldn’t work out what information he was trying to get out of her. If he was one of River’s men and they had the bar under surveillance then he would already know she had been in every night. But when he had walked in, he had not seemed prepared to see her at the bar or else he wouldn’t have scanned the room first.

‘And a chat from a handsome man,’ he winked at her and although a strange man winking at her in a bar would normally make her skin crawl, this made her cheeks redden.

‘If you find one, send him my way would you,’ she sassed back, raising an eyebrow and pulling her own lips into a smirk.

‘You wound me Kelly,’ Ryan said, feigning pain and clutching at his heart with his hand that remained free from the bottle of beer he still hadn’t taken a single sip from.

‘Let me know if you need me to call you an ambulance,’ she had to stop herself from chuckling at her own words. Serves the guy right for trying to flirt with her when she was busy.

——————————————————————————

When Hailey exited the bathroom with the intent of heading back to her seat, she was pulled to the side into the shadows of the bathroom corridor. A firm body was pressed against hers into the wall and she tensed herself to fight back. The body was definitely larger than hers, broader, but she’d taken down bigger men, she doubted this one would be a problem.

‘Don’t shout, I’m police.’ It was the dulcet tones of Ryan and those were the last words she expected him to whisper into her ear.

‘I’ll show you mine if you show me yours,’ she responded and she felt him take her hand and slide it under his shirt. To anyone walking past it would look like two intoxicated strangers fumbling with each other in the hallway. In reality, Hailey felt her fingers graze against his warm skin and then come into contact with a wire.

Shit.

He was police.

Well at least her instincts that he didn’t fit in at the bar had been correct.

She took his own hand and slid it under her shirt and up to the wire that was taped between her breasts.

‘So Kelly, are we getting out of here?’ He said, his mouth only an inch away from her ear.

‘I think that’s probably the most sensible thing you’ve said all evening,’ she whispered back, retracting his hand from her chest but then firmly linking his fingers with his. They didn’t know if there was a camera at this position in the bar but he had instigated their rendezvous and they needed to continue the act until they were certain they weren’t being watched.

She tugged him back into the bar and waved flirtily to Sam.

‘See you tomorrow Sam,’ she winked at him.

‘Bye Kelly,’ he said, his tone slightly disappointed to see her walking out of the bar that was someone that wasn’t him.

She giggled, she hated playing the giggly drunk but it seemed appropriate now, and she felt Ryan pull her into his side.

‘Yes bye Sam,’ he said over his shoulder and Hailey could only imagine the look on the young bartender's face.

When they had left the bar, it was her turn to push him against the wall. Under the guise of attaching her lips to his neck, which did look very tempting, she whispered against his lightly freckled skin.

‘Is your team near?’

She felt him nod and his hand buried itself in her hair, pulling her head up and bringing her ear nearer to his own lips.

‘Parked a block away, yours?’

She shook her head and pulled herself away from him, ‘your place or mine?’ She asked with a wink.

‘Mine,’ Ryan said, tugging on their still linked hands and leading her towards a blacked out panel van. It hadn’t been parked outside the bar when she had arrived or she would have noticed it, she had noted every car parked within a 100 foot radius of the bar.

‘After you,’ he said with a smirk and pulled open the door so she could climb in.

She was met with the perplexed looks of two officers, a young woman who she guessed was about her own age and an elderly cop who Hailey imagined was edging closer to retirement as every minute passed.

She heard the door shut behind her and turned to face Ryan.

‘Okay, so debrief now?’ Ryan asked.

‘Probably for the best,’ she agreed, ‘you can start.’

‘Okay,’ Ryan said, taking a seat on the small bench at the side of the van leaving Hailey to take up residence on the only remaining stool. With 4 grown adults in the back of the van it was quite a tight squeeze. ‘Detective Jay Halstead,’ he said with a smile. It wasn’t the same smirk he had given her at the bar, this was genuine, his white teeth shining and his emerald eyes glistening under the fluorescent lights. ‘This is Officer Burgess and Detective Olinsky,’ he gestured at his van mates in turn. ‘The Intelligence Unit got intel that the owner of the bar isn’t just in the liquor business so we decided to come and stake it out. You didn’t fit, too clean, too put together for a bar like that so I thought you might have been a member of his crew. We knew he had a couple of key lieutenants but hadn’t been able to dig in any further to be able to rule you out. I took a shot,’ Jay chuckled. ‘Sorry for the corridor,’ he added and she brushed it off, choosing to ignore how her heart had quickened as his hand had skimmed under her shirt and across her skin.

‘You’re fine. Okay so I’m Detective Upton, Hailey, with the Narcotics Unit. We had a similar piece of intel and it’s worse than just pushing the stuff, it’s being cut with battery acid and we’ve already had confirmed fatalities linked to it. So I’ve been staking out the place for the past week. We know Harrison drops in on occasion though we don’t have any evidence that the bar is used as a front to move product, more as a legitimate business to run the money through.’ This seemed to be news to the other occupants of the van so the female officer, Burgess, scribbled the notes down. ‘Technically I’m off book tonight, nothing has happened in the past week and my officers were tired so I gave them the night off and came anyway. Before you lecture, I was purely on an observation mission.’ She looked over at Jay, ‘I also thought you didn’t fit but hadn’t planned to drag you into a darkened corner to find out,’ she chuckled. ‘I was just going to run you through the system tomorrow.’

‘Fair enough,’ Jay said calmly, his eyes still sparkling as he looked at her, ‘so the bartender, Sam?’ He asked.

‘Is just a bartender,’ Hailey shrugged. ‘I thought he was in on it at the start, but he’s just a kid trying to earn money for his mother’s medical bills.’ Sam had admitted as much to her on only her second night in the bar, she felt sorry for him but apart from tipping him well, there was nothing she could do currently.

‘So the plan?’ Olinksy asked, ‘because no offence to the pair of you but listening to you flirt on the wire was painful.’ Hailey felt the blush creep up her cheeks and watched Jay smack him across the shoulders.

‘Well we’ve already left for the night now so it would be weird for us to go back in on the off chance that this Harrison shows up,’ Jay said and Hailey agreed with a nod.

‘So we can regroup in the morning and join up?’ She suggested.

‘Your Sargeant will go for that?’ Jay said, he seemed shocked that she had suggested a collaborative effort for some reason.

‘If it gets the case solved quicker than yeah, why will yours not be?’ She questioned and heard Olinksy scoff from behind her.

‘I’ll handle him,’ Jay said firmly, his eyes flicking between hers and Olinksy. ‘We are based out of the 21st, see you at 8?’

‘See you then,’ she said and made a move to open the door back onto the street.

‘Do you want a lift?’ Jay asked quickly.

‘My car is parked on the next block,’ she said with a smile. ‘See you at the 21st.’ And with that she opened the door and headed back into the brisk Chicago night but somehow the cold didn’t bother her like it had earlier.