#beep beep everyone is it time again for me to discuss what a fucking burden the presidency is on claire

[halechief]

claire: how could you? how could you not warn me? francis: to protect you. i was protecting you.  claire: you should take your hands off me. francis: no, look, i understand if you feel broadsided, claire: i don't care about feelings, francis. francis: but listen to me... look, claire, listen to me. claire: you made me look absolutely ridiculous. ill-prepared and ignorant. francis: no! claire - claire: we have one rule, francis. one rule. francis: no, not anymore. not anymore. we don't. claire: i cannot be your ally if i don't know what you're thinking. francis: listen, claire. it would have never ended. alright, fine, we got to stop judiciary, but other committees would have sprung up, just to keep the charges going. oversight, armed services, foreign affairs, intelligence. it would have gone on and on. years and years of investigation. claire: i don't care. you should have talked to me, instead of making a last-minute decision like this. francis: i didn't. i created this confusion . . . in order to take advantage of it. everything that has happened . . . was planned.

claire: [stunned silence] since when?

francis: since before elysian fields. but it was at elysian fields that it hit me. i saw it . . . almost like a light bulb going off above my head. where does the real power lie? the power behind the power. and I understood, claire, that we have to think and act differently than we ever have. because it's no longer about who lives in the white house . . . it's about who owns the white house. claire: this is the presidency. how much higher can a politician go? francis: the real power isn't here. it's beyond here. it's above it, but still working in conjunction with it. look, claire, you and i have always been on the inside. trapped. in the bubble. but going forward . . . with my operating on the outside, in the private sector, and you working from here . . . we can own this house, together. don't you see? i've designed this. i wanted you to be the president. i've made you, the president. claire: am i supposed to say thank you? francis: no. but, you will have to pardon me. pardon me for all of my crimes. as the president, you're the only one who can. claire: francis, i could be impeached if i do that. francis: no, no. look, davis and usher, they're in a position to protect you. they want you to succeed. claire: we can be sure of nothing, francis. everything going on with doug, the leak still in the white house . . . francis: no. that was me, too.

claire: . . . what?

francis: i'm the leak. i've been feeding information to tom hammerschmidt for months, with doug's help. claire: that doesn't make any sense, francis. francis: claire, when you bring yourself down before someone else can, you control the way it happens. this was the only path to get us to this moment where you and i can own it all. claire: [long pause] get rid of the surveillance. erase it. shut everything down. anything you and doug were up to. francis: alright. but you have to pardon me first. and, at the right time, doug. or we could both go to prison.

[megaera-of-pigeon]

[Shining Nikki fan fiction, 3,447 words, superhero au concept courtesy of @deadcereus. Janus content courtesy of @just-love-nikki-things] 

Mercury stood outside of the door. In one arm, he was carrying a duffle bag stuffed so full it was straining at its zipper. In the other, he h​​eld a top-of-the-line luxury cat carrier. As he brought a fist up to knock on the door, he glanced down into the cat-carrier and caught the glowing golden topazes that were his cat’s eyes looking up at him.

He bit his lip and slowly lowered his fist. Was he really ready to do this?

It was much too soon, wasn’t it?

Did he really need to go to this conference?

Before he could manage to second guess his decision and get out of the building before he was spotted, the door flew open.  

“Mercury! You’re late! That’s unlike you.”

Mercury managed to tear his eyes away from Janus’ and meet the gaze of his younger half-sister. “Ophelia,” he nodded to her, banishing any trace of worry and allowing his face to settle into its comfortable frown. “Traffic was backed up.”

“Oh, no! The morning you’re to leave on your big exciting trip, too! Well, come on in; I’m all ready to see my pretty little nephew Janny-poo!”

Mercury bristled as he stepped into the apartment and kicked the door shut behind him. “I’ve told you not to call him that.”

Ophelia just grinned. “He likes it, though! Don’t you, Janny-poo?”

The cat in question, who’d been calmly sitting in his carrier for most of the journey like the well-behaved little gentleman he was, had perked up at the sound of Ophelia’s voice, and now started to claw at the fabric and meow in indignation. Mercury heaved a sigh and knelt down so that he could set the carrier on the floor and unzip the door. The second there was enough space open for Janus to get out, he scrambled his way out of confinement and dashed across the floor to jump into Ophelia’s waiting arms.

“Oh, I’ve missed you too, my little angel!” Ophelia cooed as she cuddled his cat into her chest and stroked his head. For his part, Janus seemed to return her greeting with a loud, rumbling purr. Mercury did his best to stamp down his jealousy at how openly affectionate his cat was acting towards his sister. It was just a fact of life that everyone loved Ophelia—animals, small children, all of their relatives. She couldn’t walk down the block without finding something or someone to befriend. It was her naivete that held the effortless charm that drew everyone in, and he’d long outgrown his envy of that particular characteristic. He had honed his own brand of ‘charm’ that served him just as well, after all.

As Mercury stood up and slid Janus’ bag off his shoulder, he happened to notice that unlike the last time he’d visited Ophelia’s apartment, there were about a dozen pairs of shoes sitting next to the front door. Several of them appeared to be thin, strappy heels, which didn't suit his sister’s style. He furrowed his brow and glanced around, and noticed some other things that had escaped his notice before: two coats hanging on the hooks; two purses sitting on the table. That was twice as many as one young woman needed.

“Is there someone else here?” He asked, gesturing towards the purses. She’d have told him if there was a girlfriend in the picture, and his sister didn’t strike him as the type to do a one night stand, so he was having trouble coming up with a logical explanation….

Ophelia’s shoulder tensed as she leaned down and released Janus, who strutted off to begin his inspection of the apartment. When she stood back up, her face had gone blank.

“Uh, yes. There is. Didn’t I mention? I have a roommate now. She moved in two weeks ago.”

Mercury gaped at her. “A roommate?” He’d never have agreed to leave Janus in an apartment with a stranger! He’d have at least had a background check done at first! “Please tell me one of your friends from London moved here and needed a place to stay, or something like that, and that you didn’t invite a random person to come live with you!”

Ophelia tucked some of her hair behind her ear and glanced at the floor. “Um. Well. I put up some flyers…”

Mercury took a deep breath and then exhaled as slowly as he could, but when he finally spoke, it was through gritted teeth. “Where did you put them up? How many were there? And what personal information were you publicly advertising?”

“I put up maybe half a dozen here and there… you know, the coffee shops down by the college, the student center, places like that. I just had my first name and phone number, not my address! They had to call for that—”

“You’re getting a new phone number,” he said firmly, glaring at her. “God, Ophelia, how could you be so foolish? Do you even know what types of dangerous people lurk in this town? For all you know, this ‘roommate’ of yours is one of them!”

“Calm down, Ashley is fine. And I’m not changing my phone number, that’s such a hassle!”

“We can talk about it later,” Mercury said firmly, although he was already planning on instructing his assistant to take care of changing his sister’s number once he made it to the airport. “Tell me why you decided to get a roommate in the first place. We never discussed this as an option when you were moving here.”

Ophelia shrugged, still refusing to meet his eyes. “I’ve been struggling to make the rent on this place with my budget. I can’t move to a cheaper part of town, because if my mum comes to visit and my living situation is not up to her standards, I’d never hear the end of it! You know how she is, she’d have me moving back to London before I could even defend my choices!”

“If you need money, you are to come to me,” he said sternly. “Taking care of your rent would be nothing to me, but instead you neglect to tell me there’s an issue and decide to invite a stranger off the street into your home? How irresponsible can you get!”

Ophelia scoffed. “You’re right, it would have been nothing to you. What about for me? I can’t come running to my brother to fix every little problem I have for the rest of my life, now can I? I’m an adult, I need to find my own solutions to things. That’s being responsible. The solution to making rent on this ridiculously huge apartment that you found for me is to split the burden with a roommate!”

Mercury opened his mouth to continue berating Ophelia for her ridiculous views on something as trivial as asking for his help, but before he could, his watch beeped, notifying him that he was running out of time to get going and make his flight. Despite his personal, feline-related reluctance to leave the city right now, this conference was one he couldn’t afford to miss. He’d have to deal with Ophelia’s roommate situation when he got back… although there was one thing that had to happen. “Where is this ‘Ashley’? I need to meet her before I leave Janus here.”

“Is that really necessary—?”

“The other solution is for you to go pack a bag right now, and go stay with Janus at my house for the week. I am not leaving my cat in the hands of someone I’ve never met!”

Ophelia glared back at him for a long minute, before finally sighing and looking over her shoulder. “Hey, Ashley,” she called. “Can you come here?”

A moment later, light footsteps sounded down the hall as the mysterious roommate approached. “What do you need now? Is your brother gone yet?”

The owner of the voice turned out to be a slender young woman with long, dark hair, and large, bright blue eyes. With her high cheekbones, symmetrical facial features, and full, red-tinted lips, she’d be considered conventionally attractive in most people’s estimation—but most people were incapable of looking past a surface appearance and judging what truly lurked beneath. And Mercury happened to know first hand that this woman’s angelic beauty was all a lie; she was none other than Lilith, a master manipulator and a scourge he’d thought he banished from his city long ago.

For her part, Lilith looked just as surprised to see him as he was to see her. Her eyes grew wide as she glanced between Mercury and Ophelia, and Mercury could almost see the wheels turning in her scheming little brain. After a moment though, her neutral mask fell back into place and she stuck out her hand. “You must be the big brother I’ve heard far too little about. I’m Ashley; I moved in with Ophelia not too long ago.”

“Ashley?” He tried a smile, so as not to make Ophelia suspicious of any prior involvement with her new ‘roommate’, but he couldn’t stop it from turning into a sneer as he shook her hand, squeezing more firmly than was strictly necessary. “And what brings you here?”

A sneer of her own pulled at Lilith’s lips as she returned his iron handshake with just as much force. “Just a job. I won’t bore you with the details; from what I hear, you’re quite busy. Don’t you have somewhere to be?” She nodded to the door behind him, and he decided that her smug little dismissal wasn’t going to do at all.

He dropped her hand and stepped back, his eyes never leaving Lilith’s. “Ophelia; I’d like to have a word with Ashley for a moment. I just need to make her understand the responsibility that comes with living in the same apartment as my… cat.”

Ophelia glanced between the two of them and seemed hesitant to leave them alone, but he gave her a pointed stare, and that was enough for her to clear her throat. “Alright, I’ll just go find Janus wherever he’s wandered off to so you can say goodbye. Uh. Be nice.”

Once his sister had disappeared further into her apartment, Mercury stepped closer to Lilith again so he could tower over her and hiss into her ear. “What the fuck are you playing at? You moved in with my sister?”

“Well I didn’t know she was your sister until two minutes ago,” Lilith snapped, taking a step back and crossing her arms while glaring up at him. “Trust me, if I had, I definitely wouldn’t have signed the damn lease.”

Mercury glared at her for a minute, trying to decide if he should believe her. Because honestly, what were the odds that his old, forgotten rival would move in with one of his family members? Although, no one at the League besides his assistant even knew he had a sister, as he’d hidden her existence for years, and Ophelia didn’t know what he actually did for a living, so it was somewhat plausible that this was just an unhappy accident. In either case…

“You’ll have to move out immediately.”

Lilith gaped at him. “What? No way! I just finished unpacking yesterday, and I already did all the paperwork—I can’t afford to break a lease!”

Mercury narrowed his eyes. “So whatever ‘job’ lured you back to my city doesn’t even pay well? I’m very curious to know the details.”

She scoffed and flipped her head to send her curtain of dark hair back back over her shoulder. “My life these days is none of your business, actually. As is who I’ve chosen to be my roommate. Trust me, I’m not stupid enough to do anything to your precious little kitten while Ophelia is catsitting. So you can go ahead and go now. We wouldn’t want you to miss your big photo op with the UN.”

“Your life became my business when you chose to involve yourself in my sister’s affairs,” he said through gritted teeth. “And that’s another thing—you can not say a word to Ophelia about our past or reveal my secret identity.”

Lilith blinked several times. “Wait… she doesn’t know that you’re Silver Boy?”

“It’s Silver Bullet now,” he snapped. “And no, she does not; I don’t like to bring my work home with me. She’s clueless, and she will stay that way if you know what’s good for you.”

Lilith furrowed her brow, but nodded slowly. “My past is dead and buried, so she won’t hear it from me.”

Mercury pursed his lips, but glanced at his watch. He would have preferred to keep talking so he could get more information about Lilith’s sudden return as well as impress upon her further the importance of keeping his secret from Ophelia, but he really had to get going this time.

“Hey, are you two done yet?” Ophelia asked as she entered the room again, this time with a wriggling Janus in her arms. “I thought you had a flight to catch.”

“I’ll have to leave in a minute,” Mercury confirmed, stepping closer to take Janus from her so he could say goodbye. Learning that Ophelia had a roommate and then Lilith’s reappearance had distracted him from his previous worries, but now they all came rushing back as he was moments away from stepping out the door. Janus leaned his head into Mercury’s chest and purred softly, and all Mercury could think of was how he was abandoning his son. They hadn’t been apart for any extended period of time since Janus had come home with him! If Lilith hadn’t been standing there, he would have told Janus that he loved him very much and would be back soon, that he was sorry to have to go and would rather just stay with him. As it was, he simply squeezed his eyes shut and pressed a firm kiss atop Janus’ head in between his ears.

“Cute cat you’ve got there,” Lilith said, and Mercury glared at her again. “How old is he?”

“About six months,” Ophelia answered as she reached out to stroke Janus’ fur. “Mercury found him when he was a kitten. Isn’t he just the best little boy?”

“You found a kitten six months ago, huh? I just bet there’s some great pictures of the two of you together back then.” Lilith smirked at him, and Mercury knew that she’d just figured it out. His grip on Janus tightened.

About six months ago, he—well, the superhero known as Silver Bullet—had raided an underground lab belonging to the evil scientist known as Gray Raven. After the fight, the League’s Media Liaison had shown up and had him pose for pictures holding some of the rescued animal test subjects—including a very young black kitten. After the photos, the League’s cleanup crew had taken all of the animals away so the results of Gray Raven’s experiments could be professionally monitored. It wasn’t until he’d gotten home that night that he’d realized the tiny black kitten he’d posed with had somehow snuck its way into his bag as he was leaving, and fallen asleep!

He should have notified his handlers immediately and turned the kitten over to the League like the rest of the rescued animals, but… he couldn’t bring himself to part with the little guy. So the kitten was named Janus and became his companion, and no one at work needed to know he’d gotten a cat. Ophelia had only found out after an unannounced visit shortly after that, which he’d never regretted, at least until now. Her mother had allowed her to have cats and other pets while growing up, an indulgence their father never allowed for him, so she had been able to fill him in on some of the knowledge he was lacking. It also meant that he didn’t have to trust a stranger in his home or consider boarding his precious cat when compelled to travel for work.

If he’d known Lilith would be in the picture, though…  

His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he knew it would be his assistant checking up on him to make sure he was on track to make his schedule. There really was no more time to linger.

Mercury sighed as he released Janus and tried to brush some of the cat hair off of his suit. He kept a lint roller in his car, so the rest of the evidence would be gone by the time he made it to the airport. “I really need to go now, but this discussion isn’t over,” he said, glancing at Lilith before fixing his gaze on Ophelia, who had the good sense to appear guilty about the shock she’d put him through at such an inopportune time. “I’ll see you in a week. Behave yourselves until then.” After a forced smile and quick hug from Ophelia, he turned and left. With every step he took away from the door, he was regretting his decision. It had been hard enough to agree to this when it was just leaving his cat with his sister, but now she was there!

He swore to himself that if any harm came to his cat or his sister and he could find the slightest bit of fault with her, then that demon woman would have hell to pay.

X

“So.” Ashley was standing with her arms crossed and was glaring at the door that Mercury had vanished through just minutes ago. “Your brother is Silver Boy.”

Ophelia took a deep breath and stood up from where she’d knelt to comfort Janus, who had started mewling in protest when his dad left, but had quickly been soothed when she dug out some cat treats from his bag. “Well he’s the Silver Bullet, now. The League rebranded him when he turned twenty.”

Ashley rolled her eyes. “Right. Rebranding. I’m forever thankful I ditched the League before I had to go through my own stupid ‘image update’. But regardless of what he goes by these days, did it not occur to you that this fact might be something I needed to know? We’re supposed to be partners!”

Ophelia crossed her arms to match Ashely’s stance. “You’re the one who said that just because we’re assigned partners doesn’t mean we’ve got to spill all of our secrets! You weren’t supposed to meet him in the first place, I told you to move your stuff from the entryway and keep quiet while he was here!”

She scoffed. “I forgot, ok? But this is a pretty big secret, a little heads up might have been nice! And he thinks you don’t know? What’s that about?”

“He and dad always made such a big effort to keep their identities from me when I came to visit, I didn’t have the heart to tell them mum had spilled the beans ages ago. So I played dumb… and so they just keep assuming that I am dumb. Anyway, it works to our advantage now, right? If I had been part of his Super world when my powers showed up, there’s no way I’d get a chance to complete the Justicar Trial with you. I know him; he’d have me carted off to the League and working as a registered Superhero on his team faster than you could say ��Solar Flare’!”

“Right. Does Zoey know?”

“Zoey knows everything,” Ophelia confirmed, and Ashley finally relaxed her arms and shook her head.

“Well, as long as Ms. Butterfly is in on it, I suppose I can’t complain. She’ll have made all her little plans with him in mind. Your brother has no idea you’re powered?”

“None whatsoever, and it’s going to stay that way for as long as possible.” Ophelia tried to fix Ashley with a fierce stare to let her know Ophelia meant business. She knew she wasn’t nearly as capable of intimidation as her brother, but she had picked up a few things from him.

Ashley just scoffed. “No need to worry about him hearing it from me; I’d have been happy never to see his face again, and shall strive to avoid him as much as humanly possible while living with his sister. Next question: that cat. You do realize it came from an evil scientist’s lab, likely has some sort of mutant ability as a result, and will now be roaming freely around our apartment?”

That made Ophelia smile. “Yes, I know that, and understand where your concern is coming from, but there’s something you have failed to consider.”

“And what’s that?”

“He might be an evil science experiment, but Janus is also a very good boy.”

[be-ready-when-i-say-go]

Distance Series-Epilogue

Thanks again to everyone that suggested ideas for this series! It was a joy to collaborate with you all! We’ll have to do this again sometime. 

Here’s my Main Masterlist

Here’s the Distance Series Masterlist

“Look who it is, Duke,” Calum coos, lifting the dog into the frame. “Look who it is.” Duke flicks his gaze at the camera, just for a second before turning his head back towards Calum. She laughs, adjusting her headphones on her head. She double checks, she has her printed out tentative schedule with the release of her album and the upcoming tour dates. Some haven’t been confirmed yet just because she hasn’t talked to Calum yet. “Duke, I’m not who you’re supposed to be looking at.”

“Oh, the man’s old just in love with his pops. It’s understandable,” she returns, grinning. 

Calum nods, settling Duke into his lap for the time being. “I’m shocked you’re home still.” It’s nine in the morning his time, which is about noon for her. He expected her to at least be at the studio space for rehearsals by now, sneaking off for lunch and to take his call. Not for her to still be dressed in her pj’s curled up in the high chairs at her kitchen table. 

“Self care day that I needed to take.”

“What’s going on? Do you wanna talk about it?”

“Mostly just fitting time in to see you is my biggest concern.” With her album heading out for the world, she knows the whirlwind that waits for her. Prior to now things were a tad easier, Calum’s touring was packed kind of tight but she wasn’t traveling. Her brand deals were all complete and the album just waiting in the wings, already finished. So she could hop on a plane when he had a couple days off. Now things are gearing up to be tight for her and Calum’s schedule has slowed down. Though she knows most of his time now will be album focused. 

“We could’ve moved this up a day or two if you needed.”

“It’s a little too late for that, but it wasn’t as bad as before. I know things are gonna be better scheduled now. It’s okay.”

She’s right about it being too late now. But he’s still a little ticked that she didn’t say anything sooner. And she can see it. He raises that left eyebrow at her and before he can open her mouth, she’s already talking. “I know, I know. Communication! At this point, I need it tattooed to my fucking forehead. I didn’t want you to freak out or try to squeeze it in sooner into our schedules when the talk was already going to happen.”

He nods. She’s aware. Which is better than nothing. But he still doesn’t like the fact she holds some stuff in. Maybe in a way, that’s a thing he has to learn to love. But at the same time, he doesn’t want it to be the thing that consistently causes them issues. It would obviously be easy if she moved to LA, or closer to his side of the coast at the very least. But they’ve learned to make it work. Extra flights out when they both have a pocket of time to really enjoy each other’s company. “I just worry about you that’s all. You can get in your own head. But I’m here for you.”

“I know, I really do. I just hate to be a burden, ya know? When there’s like 8 billion other things to worry about. I’m sorry.”

He nods, fingers working over the top of Duke’s head. “I am glad you took the day off though. It’s good that you saw you needed a break and didn’t let it continue to bubble and lead to something bad. I’m proud.”

A tiny grin dances across her face. “Thanks. I’m working on it.”

“I can see the progress.” Duke stands, head pointed to the floor and Calum lowers him back to the floor. He only goes a couple feet to snuggle up with his favorite dinosaur toy on his dog bed. There’s practically one in every part of the house. Even if Calum tries not to spoil the old man, he can’t help it.

“There’s a writing retreat,” Calum starts once they start discussing plans in October. Not a huge touring season but he knows he has some time off. “It’s like three weeks long, up in Malibu. And I know like it’s not the mountains, but if you have time off, I would love to bring you along.”

“Wouldn’t you be working? I don’t want to interrupt, baby.”

Her genuine concern is endearing but he knows she’s not quite picking up what he meant. With a quick smile, Calum shakes his head. “No, I mean like, I want you to come write with us. Or like maybe we could work on something together, if you want. The producers we’re linking up with I think would be a great fit for you and your work. And like, spending time with my girl and possibly getting a song or two done seems like a great compromise.”

“Oh. What are the dates?” Calum lists them off. The first week is a bit of a wash because she has studio time booked but the last two weeks are completely open for her. “So I guess I’ll be seeing you in your element,” she teases. 

“Oh, it’s not that impressive, really.”

“No, you’re pretty impressive if you ask me. Or Duke. But I think we might be biased.”

His giggles echo in her headphones and he hides himself by kissing the top of Duke’s head. He picked the dog back up halfway through their conversation and Duke seems content to sit right there in his pops arms too. “You’re gonna make me blush,” he squeaks out. 

“Oh, your cheeks have already told on you, my dear. They have already told on you.”

__________________________________________

The bus lurks beneath her, riding from one festival to the next. She knows she could’ve flown. But she likes the bus. Once they hit the highway, it just glides and she doesn’t have to think too much. She has exactly 66 more days until she’s home again. Which puts her at 71 more days until she flies out to see Calum. He’s still in LA with a glance to her phone, she tries to calculate the time, her own mind a little foggy. If he’s asleep, he just won’t answer. That’s fine. His voicemail has the sound of his own voice and that’s really all she needs right now. 

Tucked under her sheets, as rocking with the motion of the bus again, she raises her phone to her ear, listening as it rings. It rings and then rings and rings. Finally Calum’s voice kicks in from his voicemail. “Sorry I can’t reach the phone. Please leave a message and I’ll get back as soon as I can.”

The phone’s silent just a moment and there’s a beep. “I’m sorry to do this right now. Just needed to hear your voice. It sucks being away. I’m excited for the retreat though. Can’t wait to squish your cheeks. Can’t wait to kiss you. Yeah, just had to get that off my chest, I guess. I should be sleeping. I’m on the bus at the moment and my body is tired. Mind was just heavy. I hope you had a good day, or having a good day, or a great night. I don’t remember the time difference anymore.” Her soft laughter interupts her. “That’s sad isn’t it? The only thing keeping me sane right now are your daily updates. And well, the pictures of my dog from my friend. So two things. Wait, no, Duke. That’s three. Ah, what does it matter to know how to count right now? I love you.” She pauses. They haven’t said that to each other yet. And the moment feels a little ruined because it’s not even to his face. But it’s so true, she does love him. She worries if he’s eating alright and worried he’s sleeping okay. “I’m blessed to have you in my life. And I really hope we get years and years together. Uh, tell the guys I said hi. Give Duke kisses from me. Talk to you later.”

When Calum gets to his phone, up way too late and thumping over a bassline and general anxiety, he spies the voicemail. He grins, knowing it’s better to wait until after his shower and after he’s gotten comfortable in the bed. He plugs his phone into the charger, behind his bedside table and rests on his side. Her voice is soft as he listens to the playback. Like she had her cheeks smashed into the pillows. It makes him a little sad that he missed her call, knowing that she just needed to talk to him. 

It’s been an hour since she called. And maybe she’s still awake. He contemplates stopping the playback and just giving her a ring but then, quietly he hears her say, “I love you.” And his heart stops. His fingers tremble resting against his chest. Her confession continues and Calum can feel his eyes welling with tears. He sniffles once, listening as the voicemail ends. He plays it back one more time, skipping ahead to her statement. 

And before his fingers can stop him, before he can over rationalize that she’s sleeping and needs her rest. Her phone rings. His heart thunders. “Is everything okay?” she rushes out. Her voice is grovely, like she just woke up. 

“I love you,” he whispers. “I’m sorry if I woke you. But I didn’t want to wait a second more to tell you that in return. And I’m not saying it just because you said, I mean it. It’s why I’m like so on you about taking care of your mental health.”

And their breathing crackles through their receivers. “Not being able to kiss you right now should honestly be a crime,” she returns, the first one to say anything. 

Calum exhales his laughter. “Not being able to kiss you is a crime.”

“You cannot just one up me like that, Hood. That’s so not fair!”

_______________________________

Poised at the piano, she lets her fingers brush over the keys but doesn’t press down into them. Her fingertips are aching. They want to get something out, but her brain’s not computing it, it’s not able to output it correctly. Slender fingers slide in from her peripheral, and slowly get closer before covering her eyes. “Guess who?” Calum whispers next to her ear. It sends a shiver down her spine. 

“You’re supposed to be getting food,” she laughs, fingers still resting on the keys. 

“I did. But clearly you don’t want to leave this piano.”

Reclining his chest, she presses down. The sound swells and it’s grating but never of them care too much, laughing as she lifts her digits and slides out from the bench. When they join the rest of the retreat in the kitchen, they linger against the counter, plates in hand, shoulder to shoulder. After snagging one of her fries, Calum grins and kisses her. “My team and I are looking at some different options,” she starts, placing the spoon into her bowl of soup. 

“Different options?”

“I love New York. I really do. But we’re looking at the fact that a lot of the producers that want to work with me and that I want to work with are pulling more from LA.  And I could continue to live in New York and fly out. But it’s a hassle. And it puts me closer to you, so I’ve been looking at some places. I can’t quite afford a place on my own just yet, but--”

“You could stay with me. And like, if you really, really, want your own space, I absolutely understand. But if you need to lay low for a little bit before then, my door’s always open.”

She rests her head on his shoulder. “I figured you’d say that. I have a place in mind but the bassist in my band needs a place too. Our drummer has her girlfriend so I agreed that she could crash with me. It’s nothing against you.”

Calum places his meal down and lifts her chin. “No, I get it. Gives your space, allows you to get acclimated without the pressure of me around. It’s smart.”

“But, I will absolutely be bugging the shit out of you to take Duke out on walks and hikes.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.”  

When they return to the room, she settles ready to help the boys with the latest song. But in the back of my mind, she can feel the notes twitching her fingers. So she stands, tip toeing into  the other room, and settles back down at the piano. She takes her phone and opens it up to record. Whatever is brewing in her brain she wants to get it recorded. She plucks at the keys, eyes closing to keep herself from thinking too hard. 

Soon, she can hear a rumble. She knows it’s Calum. They’ve been working on the melody all morning. But now it seems to be coming together. He hums. She’s been working on more experimental/instrumental work. Less about lyrics, though sometimes a refrain comes to mine and they sing. It’s more about the feeling, allowing the notes to express the emotions that are just below the surface, that are trying to break through the surface. 

Calum listened to the first couple of tracks she’s produced since the beginning of the week and he suggested she play something on the piano. She thought it would be a long shot. But now, as she listens to the twinkling keyes hugged up against the throaty bass, she’s pretty impressed. There’s nothing heavily prescribed and it’s nice to just make noise. It’s nice to know even if it sounds bad it’s just for fun. It’s just to see what they can do with the tools at their disposal. They play for what feels like just a blimp in time, hardly a blink, and she thinks her fingers might be cramping too. But she carries onto the end, letting everything out. 

And with a slight echo Calum finishes a beat or two behind her. They pause but she can see on his face that he’s not quite done so she nods, wanting him to continue. He almost doesn’t, almost tells her it’s her project but there’s something still on his chest, so he keeps plucking at the strings. She listens to him, eyes closing and grins at the sounds he’s able to produce just off the top of his head. 

It’s another minute or two he finishes and she pauses the recording on her phone. The mic on her phone probably won’t do it justice, but she plays it back, at full volume, setting her phone on the table between them. The playback is a little soft and the piano almost sounds like it’s peaking. She almost wishes she had someone else to set up the room to record, but it all happened so fast. 

“Sounds really good,” Calum returns. 

“Not too bad,” she jokes, taking her phone once it’s done.

“I really think this project is really cool. I don’t know if you’ll ever put it or anything. But I really think you’ve got something special.”

“You’re only saying that because you’re on the project.” If it weren’t for the bass in Calum’s hand, she would’ve playfully shoved him. Calum glowers at her, just for a moment and she giggles running down the hallway. 

“I’m going to remember that tonight!”

She stops, jaw dropping. “You gotta put me out the room, Calum? Make me sleep on the sofa?”

“I just might,” he returns. 

“You don’t have the gall. Gonna cuddle Michael in the place of me?”

Calum cracks open the door, slowly. “Don’t go give me any ideas. He’s not mean to me.”

She holds the door open, allowing Calum to get back into the room without nicking the instrument. “Well, I hope he keeps you warm.”

The group turns to them. But Calum’s facing her. Her upturned nose, arms folded across her chest. There’s a playful twinkle in her eyes. “Michael, I’m bunking in your room tonight.”

“That just means I get the whole mattress to myself,” she returns. 

“O-okay,” Michael returns just as Calum calls out, “Never mind, Michael. I can’t let her win.”

She laughs, wrapping her arms around his torso, pressing her face into his back. “It’s about compromise and communication.” A famous phrase with Calum and he knows it. His fingers wrap around her wrist. For a moment, it’s just them in the room. Her listening to his heart beating and him feeling the rise and fall of her chest before he speaks. 

“So we just put together something amazing.”

“If this is how you announce a baby,” Ashton teases. “I’ll be disappointed at that phrasing but very happy to be an uncle. I think I’ve got great potential.”

“Hmm, does a song count as a baby in this context?” Calum asks, giggling at Ashton’s comment. 

“Not quite what I was hoping for, but I’ll take it.” 

[tartxglia]

Heaven's Sin - Chapter 2

Pairing: Felix x Reader

Genre: Fallen Angel AU

Words: 3,890

Warnings: Swearing, sometimes suggestive

Summary: You didn’t mean your declaration of major as Mythology in college to be an invitation for the supernatural to enter your life, but here you were. In just the first year of college alone, you’re knee deep in the drama of the Dark and Light sides of the supernatural world, and falling head first in love with Lee Felix, an enigmatic fallen angel.

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It wasn’t every day that Felix’s heart would be racing in his chest; the incessant thrumming a rare occurrence and yet the mere sight of you was enough to trigger such a response from him. Just as his heart yearned for you yet was caged in his chest, he ached to reach for you who was finally in front of him but alas he was caged with responsibilities. It hurt him to stay away from you, it pained him to see Minho leave their apartment, off to another day with you despite it being in a boring school setting. But he knew what he had to do to protect you, to keep you safe and he stood by his decision. Now that it was finally time–time to meet you, to reveal the secrets of himself and you–he was both elated and terrified.

There you sat, less than five meters away from him and he felt a cocktail of emotions wash over him as he looked into your eyes; happy, protective, nervous, you name it. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he also registered the intense tingling on the soulmate mark on his left wrist and it really hit him at that moment. This was his soulmate. There she was, looking so damn beautiful even in the most mundane of situations. The overwhelming sense of profound love and realisation hit him like a truck, the sensation triggering his angelic side and he felt a power behind his eyes–his eyes were flickering gold. He quickly blinked the feeling away, his eyes flickering golden for a mere moment before he suppressed the rising elated emotions he felt and the response of his powers to it. Fuck, he really had to get a grip on it.

The sound of Professor Oh sighing snaps him out of the trance you had him in, “Just go sit down.” Felix nodded in response before walking down the classroom to the only empty seat remaining; next to you.

Meanwhile, you were an absolute wreck of nerves as you watched Felix walk closer to you. You knew that the only empty seat was next to you, and you knew that that was probably the only reason he’d approach you. Regardless, you couldn’t help it as your heart fluttered at the sight of him so close to you. Gosh, he was even more gorgeous up-close, Lee Felix’s visuals just called you ugly and honestly? You had no complaints.

Felix sits next to you with nothing more than a quick glance of acknowledgement towards you before facing front again. You, on the other hand, couldn’t help but keep glancing at him. You were itching to talk to him, something inside you pushing for interaction, and you chalk it up to the bubbling curiosity within you. You wanted to ask him about that one summer night, you wanted to tell him you saw him–but a part of you still tried to rationalise and you were left with conflicting thoughts that maybe you saw wrong.

But first, maybe you’d try a simple introduction. “Hey,” you muster up the courage to turn and face him despite the thundering in your heart still going as strong as ever, “I’m Y/N.”

You tried, you really did. You even had a smile on your face that felt as natural and friendly as it can be. But all you got was a few seconds of Felix studying you with a side glance and a prompt response of, “Felix.” You didn’t think it would be possible for your heart to be fluttering any more than it already was, but the sound of his voice proved you wrong. He spoke just a single word but it was enough for you to catch how deep and husky his voice was, a stark contrast to the boyish charms he otherwise held. Great, so he was cute and had a deep ass voice? The power he held over you should be illegal.

You yearned to hear more from him, to listen to his fruity voice talk on for hours on end, but that single word was all you got. Turns out the seemingly all perfect Lee Felix had a flaw after all; he was a dick. He wouldn’t respond to any of the friendly advances you made–emphasize friendly because at least you weren’t like other girls blatantly checking him out and sending him a flirty wink every few seconds. Okay so he was popular, you’d admit it, and maybe avoided new friendships in fear of exploitation, you’d give him that. But he could at least make eye contact when someone was talking to him–but no. So if he was gonna play that game, so were you.

And so, for the first half of the class, Felix and you were worlds apart despite being seated next to each other. The two of you had absolutely no interaction and simply pretended as though the other didn’t exist. A part of you still found him attractive–you wouldn’t deny that–but a much larger part of you now disliked him. With an attitude like that? He wasn’t worth it. You also highly doubt he was your angel from summer. And here you though Minho had good taste in friends.

At some point mid-way through class, Professor Oh–bless his soul–decided to give us a mental break. You appreciated teachers like these, they understood the mental limits of college students and worked with it, not against. Continuing on with the ignore-Felix-Lee trend, you crack your fingers and stretch your back letting out a content sigh at the end. Your eyes now wonder the classroom, unwilling to stare at your laptop screen any longer.

You’d forgotten that Jungho was in the same class, but now he was slightly facing in your direction and sending a small smile your way. Unlike Felix your desk-mate over here, you had simple manners so you sent a polite smile back in response. That clearly made Jungho’s day, because his small smile stretched into a much larger one that made his eyes crinkle and smile too. He was definitely cute, and despite his very forward advances, you were willing to give the poor guy a second chance since he seems to mean well.

The sound of a scoff at close proximity has you whipping your head to face your seat mate who had just made the first sound since mentioning his name. You turn just in time to see Felix roll his eyes before planting his face on his hand, his elbow resting on the desk. You tilt your head in confusion, and just as you’re about to question him, he speaks up.

“You’re better off staying away from Jungho,” his voice is gruff, especially considering he hadn’t talked till now.

“Wow, you just spoke seven whole words to me,” you deadpan at him and now it’s your turn to roll your eyes. “Or maybe eight if you break up the contraction?” You mock the position he’s in, except he’s facing the front with a clear frown on his face and you’re facing him. You watch as his eyebrows furrow together in clear irritation. He lets out a short sigh before also turning to face you.

“Is this how you treat your seniors? By smart-mouthing them?”

“Is this how you treat your seat-mate? By prying into their business?” The two of you narrow your eyes at each other, the tension hanging heavily. What business did he have prying into who you smiled at and didn’t smile at? Especially when he had made it clear he didn’t want anything to do with you?

“I’m just warning you, the guys here tend to be shady and shouldn’t be trusted so easily.” You scoff at his statement and he raises an eyebrow at your reaction. How rich of him to play the ‘just warning you’ card. You lift your head from your hand, leaning close to him while holding his strong gaze. The close proximity had you feeling all kinds of things–good things–but you refused to let any of them show.

“Where does that leave you then?” You whisper to him before leaning back and facing the front, just in time as Professor Oh continues his class. Surprisingly, the roles were reversed for the remainder of the class. Now, you’re the one facing forward completely attentive to class discussion while Felix keeps glancing at you from time to time. You felt light tingles up your spine every time he’d look at you, and you wouldn’t deny that you felt a bit cocky over the fact that you had left Lee Felix both speechless and intrigued by you.

Before you knew it, the ninety minute class period was coming to an end and Prof. Oh was wrapping up. The last few minutes became especially chaotic as students packed their bags, the prof having to speak over the rustling sounds.

“A fun first assignment!” Prof Oh exclaims from the front of the class and you can see the collective drop in everyone’s shoulders from the burden, “Write a short research paper on your favourite mythological creature. It can be any creature, you can work in partners! More information about the assignment will be uploaded on Canvas so look out for that. Alright, you’re free now. Off you go.”

Not being one to disobey, you’re quick to pack up your belongings and leave Felix the classroom in the dust. With a little sway in your walk and no attention towards Felix, you’re out the class and towards your next one.

You and Hyejin had made a promise that the two of you would eat together on the first day of college. But being the dumbass that the two of you were, neither of you had planned a meet-up point. So here you were, standing at the entrance of the dining hall praying Hyejin had bothered to pull out her phone and read your text. Your prayers were finally answered when your phone beeped with a reply from Hyejin, and you let out a short sigh as you slip your phone into your back pocket.

You leave against the wall, deciding to let your eyes roam around in search of your best friend who may make her appearance at any given moment. Unfortunately, the first familiar face to make an appearance to you was Felix. He turned the corner into the hallway leading to the dining hall and you groan to yourself, your eyes automatically flicking away. Deciding to play the avoiding game, you watch the tiled floors beneath you with intense focus criticising the way the tile itself was polished clean but the dust between the tiles remained. Despite your best efforts, however, your eyes automatically drifted up to Felix, finding Felix in an instant who was approaching your direction. He still had on his signature nonchalant yet firm expression, his eyes narrow and intensely returning your gaze. The earring he wore on his left ear dangled side to side as he walks strides with confidence. Just as he passes by you, you narrow your eyes at him in a silent glare and he rolls his eyes at your childishness. The moment quickly passes and he’s inside the dining hall, already heading towards Minho’s table.

“Wow, eyeing Lee Felix on the first day?” Hyejin’s voice pops up next to you and judging by the teasing nudges she’s sending you, you assume that she saw the interaction just now. “You’ve got a fast game, don’t you?”

You roll your eyes and shake your head, “Not for the reasons you’re thinking of.”

“Yeah? Spill the tea, sis.”

The two of you walk into the dining hall and queue for food together and you take the moment to fill her in on everything that happened in mythology class. You talk very animatedly with lots of aggressive hand movements while describing the personality of the otherwise oh so perfect Felix. Hyejin, being the good best friend she is, lets you rant your emotions out but with the occasional smirking and chuckling.

“Okay, what?” You finally question Hyejin, wondering what she found so amusing. “Why do you keep smiling and laughing like that?”

“I’ve just never seen you like this over a guy before,” she begins and you already don’t like the direction she’s going in. “Felix really has all your attention, huh?” She’s full-out smirking at this point, and you can only groan in response. Was she right? Hell yes. But were you gonna admit it? Hell no.

You’re pouting in defence as you take a seat at a random empty table, “That’s not it and you know it!”

“Oh, I think it is,” Hyejin puts her plate down before sitting down in front of you. Ignoring her food for a moment, she excitedly leans forward with a confident smile in her face. “I also think that Felix reciprocates the attention you’re giving him.”

You can only stare at her with a deadpan expression as your hands move to scoop your lunch onto the cutlery then into your mouth.

“No, no hear me out–“

“What other choice do I have?”

“–The way I see it,” Hyejin continues on eagerly, your interruption having no effect on her energy. “Felix was obviously jealous of Jungho.”

Her statement has you choking on your food for a brief moment and you sip your glass of water with one hand while the other gently thumps your chest in search of relief. You send Hyejin your best wtf face and she merely holds up a finger, motioning you to keep listening.

“I mean, he was obviously playing the mysterious bad boy trope until you and Jungho were sending heart eyes at each other,” you scrunch your face at her description but she continues on anyway. “Then he panicked, obviously because you’ve caught his eye and he has a thing for you, so he initiated and said that of all things. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.” Hyejin leans back in her chair as she finally finishes her spiel, her hands finally moving to touch her lunch.

You chuckle at her chain of thoughts, no longer finding the situation annoying. “Dude you’re fucking nuts, bro.” She smiles brightly in response, using her fork to slyly point at you.

“Ah but you didn’t deny it, you do have a thing for him.”

“Have a thing for who?” Minho suddenly joins the conversation, his bag over one shoulder and his plate in one hand.

“Y/N over here already has her eyes set on a boy.” Hyejin wiggles her eyebrows at you while filling Minho in.

He sets his stuff down next to you before slinging an arm around your shoulders and pulling you close to him as he teasingly ruffles your hair. “Yah yah yah, on the first day? Who’s the lucky kid? I need to approve of him too.”

You don’t get much chance to reply to him as you grunt in annoyance at his antics, too busy getting him off of you. Hyejin takes the chance to reply for you instead, her hand leaning on her fist in a mock-dreamy look as she sighs, “Imagine having a thing for Felix and him actually reciprocating.”

Minho’s sudden bark of laughter is slightly jarring to you and Hyejin, but you gladly take the moment of distraction to slip out of his hold. You throw Hyejin a confused look and she sends the same one back, the two of you wondering what was so funny.

“See? I told you Felix having a thing for me was ridiculous, even Minho believes so.” You point at Minho who’s still wheezing next to you. Hyejin’s face scrunches up as she considers your point, especially since Minho and Felix were good friends.

“Hey, I never said she was wrong.” Minho is quick to correct you in his now sober state. Hyejin’s face blooms back into a big teasing smile and you’re left wondering to yourself about what he had just said.

“Guys! Over here!” All of a sudden, Minho is gesturing to a table a little ways away, motioning Woojin, Changbin, and Felix to move to your table. God damn it, speak of the devil. The three of them are quick to change tables, though Felix seems to trail behind a bit and you feel a pang of disappointment at his attitude.

“Hey,” Woojin’s cute smile helps to lift your mood and you easily send one back in reply as he sits next to Hyejin. You raise an eyebrow in Hyejin’s direction at the fact that Kim Woojin was sitting next to her, finding amusement in her frozen form.

You feel a pat on your back as Changbin passes by, “Y/N! How’s your first day been?”

“Not too bad,” your eyes flicker to Felix who sits next to Woojin for a moment before returning to Changbin. His expression was as blank as ever, not an ounce of his inner emotions leaking through.

“Yeah? How was your mythology class?” Minho sniggers–that fucker–and the boys turn their attention to you and Felix, their heads comically swinging side to side in sync. The silence that follows from both you and Felix is enough indication how your meeting was, and Changbin lets out an awkward sigh. Woojin gives Felix a particularly harsh nudge, disappointment in his gaze and you can only wonder why.

“Wow, trouble in paradise?” Changbin mutters and you tilt your head in confusion at his choice of words. Minho keeps giggling next to you, Woojin shakes his head, and Felix lets out a quiet groan as he rubs the bridge of his nose.

“Yeah, how ironic right?” Minho plays along with the inside-joke, only further irritating Felix. He takes a deep breath in before letting a long sigh out, his eyes closed as he continues massaging the bride of his nose. His jaw clenches and unclenches, and you secretly take the moment to appreciate his jawline from your angle. You hated the fact that a part of your found angry Felix really hot.

Suddenly he gets up, picking up his things and leaving the table with nothing but a quiet grumble about him “not being hungry.” Changbin and Minho are no longer laughing, instead trying to call out apologies but to no avail. Somewhere at the back of your mind you register the distant voice of Woojin scolding the younger boys, but all you can pay attention to is Felix.

His strides are long and confident, and he looks flawlessly perfect as he runs his hand through his hair–in frustration or out of habit you didn’t know. Your eyes follow him as he walks down the hall, heading out the doors. His figure briefly hides behind the pillar as he walks past it and you nearly drop your gaze then, but something inside you tells you to keep staring and you do.

When he reappears, he’s walking past a window and you hate to be cliché but you swear time slowed and your heart quickened. The sunlight hit him at the perfect angle, the rays casting a somewhat heavenly glow around the outline of his figure. His blonde hair reflected light beautifully, his skin glowing radiant, and his eyes capturing the brightness within. His side profile has your heart fluttering but the extra silhouette behind him had your breath hitching. As he walked past the sunlit window, not only did the sun cast a brilliant glow on the outline on his figure, but also on the extra appendage sprouting from his back. Despite the fact that light was creating the hazy silhouette, the silhouette shape itself seemed to be shadow like–as if the area absorbed the incoming sunlight.

They looked like dark wings.

All of a sudden every noise that you’d drained out, every sensation you’d muted, comes rushing back to you. You blink and Felix is already gone, hidden behind another pillar. You hear Woojin’s voice still scolding the other two boys as you turn your attention back to the table, still in a daze. Felix was the angel? You had your doubts before but somehow being able to catch him in that state–you were sure of it now. He was the angel from that summer night. He was your angel. Angels were real.

A small smile unconsciously takes place of the frown you previously had. You bite your lip in excitement and look up with determination. Quickly, you begin gathering up your things as the boys and Hyejin question your actions.

“I’m gonna go find Felix.” All four of them are stunned into silence long enough for you to swing your bag on your shoulder and pick up your plate. Just as you’re heading out, Minho grabs onto your arm.

“If you wanna find him quickly, your best bet is probably the dance studio. It’s next to the gym.” There’s a certain seriousness hidden underneath the many tones of his voice and you feel as if he knows what’s going on. If he did, you’d beat his ass for not telling you sooner but you’d deal with that later. Nodding in acknowledgement, his grip loosens and you’re off to look for Felix.

It took longer than you’d like to admit to find the dance studio. It was nestled opposite the gym and you would’ve missed it if it wasn’t for the large sign outside labelled “Dance Department”. You take a moment to catch your breath outside the door, to collect your racing thoughts and attempt to calm your thundering heartbeat. When you’re relatively calmer, you push the door open to find the dance studio completely empty. Your shoulders sag in disappointment and you nearly groan out loud in annoyance before your eyes find a figure slouching on the black leather couch at one corner of the dance studio.

With determination to satiate your curiosity fueling your footsteps, you stomp over to Felix. He’s laid back on the single seater couch in a relaxed manspread, his head thrown back and eyes closed. You weren’t quiet as you cut through the dance studio, the padding of your feet on the wooden floor being the loudest sounds in the silent environment. But still, Felix remained unmoving and didn’t even bother opening an eye. He knew you were there, but he refused to actually acknowledge you–and there was that pang in your chest again. It made your frown deeper, your eyebrows furrow in both anger and hurt.

But you push all of that away as you finally stand before him, in between his spread legs, your shin brushing the leather couch. You lean down, crouching forward, and slam both your hands down onto each of the armrests of the couch. Felix didn’t even flinch and his eyes remained closed but you knew that he could feel your intense gaze and that was enough for you. For now.

You lean forward a bit more, bending your elbows to support the added weight. “I know you,” your voice is just above a whisper in the deafening silence, “You’re the angel from that night.” Felix’s silence felt louder than the silence that was already in the room when you’d walked in, but you continued on. More confidence fueling each word, you were sure of it now.

“You saved me that night. You’re that angel I saw–my angel with the beautiful white wings. Aren’t you?”

A/N: SO Y/N knows, huh? Why does Felix keep avoiding Y/N? Why all the tension? Talk to me about your theories! I'm also thinking about making a 2.5 part that will give a little insight into why Felix is acting the way he is lmk what you think about that~

TAGLIST: @xnxxdlesx @minhos-boo @ooppssiiee @cheriehyuck