#fun fact: the piece on the chest is like those led signs and can say whatever whenever

[soundedwave]

Swin,,,

[soobmint]

when the ice begins to thaw | kang taehyun [f] ice prince! au, 10.4k words

s u m m a r y : The rumors of the Ice Prince, Kang Taehyun, that run throughout the kingdom of Glacies are nothing short of terrifying. Known as a spoiled boy who does nothing but take advantage of the horrors bestowed upon the kingdom by his grandfather, the late king, Taehyun is feared and despised by nearly all of his subjects. When you decide to take matters into your own hands as the kingdom’s greatest thief by plotting to steal the crown that harnesses the prince’s unjustly earned powers, you are surprised to find out that perhaps the Ice Prince is not exactly who everyone fears him to be.

c o n t e n t s : kang taehyun x fem reader, ice prince! taehyun, thief! reader, lots and lots of fluff, very mild angst, features enhypen’s 02 line!!

t a g l i s t : @honeyju @chanluster @tyonfs @magicalstellar

n o t e : this oneshot is my contribution to the five princes collaboration! you can find the masterlist for the collab here. check out the other participants’ blogs too! [ @bffsoobin, @juunnies, @honeyju, @gyuluster ]. this was a lot of fun to write and i hope you guys enjoy it!

FOR SOMEONE WHO WAS THOUGHT TO BE THE GREATEST THIEF AROUND, YOU WEREN’T VERY QUICK ON YOUR FEET. 

It had been nearly half an hour since you had set your way across the icy bridge that led to the palace, nothing but the cloak of night to conceal you and your companions. You had studied the palace’s floor plan for months leading up to your mission, but for some reason, during all that time you hadn’t really thought of how difficult it would be to cross this god forsaken bridge. Your feet nearly came out from under you with every step you took, and it was so narrow that the four of you had to walk in a single file line.

 Speaking of your companions, the three boys that accompanied you were proving to be an obstacle to your success all on their own.

 “Jake, you have to keep up.”

 You turned to see Jay, your self-proclaimed “second-in-command,” pulling Jake along by the wrist. The former liked to brag and say that he was among the most elite group in the village, boasting a great air of bravery and courage. However, now that he was actually in the face of danger, he seemed to be the most cowardly out of them all. Sunghoon, the brains of the operation, held up the rear of the group, shaking his head in exasperation at his companions.

 You sighed, bringing the group to a halt as you turned to face them, arms crossed over your chest. “I don’t feel as though I should have to remind you, boys, but we’re not here to play,” You said, giving Jake and Jay the heat of your glare. “Jake, if you’re too scared to help out, I suggest you back out now before it’s too late. Oh, and Jay, leave the leading to me, would you?”

 While Jay mimicked your voice in the most obnoxious way possible, no doubt completely disregarding what you had just asked of him, Jake ripped his arm free of Jay’s grasp and puffed up his chest. “Me, scared? Oh please, Y/N. I’m flattered that you think about me enough to care, but you’re looking at one of Glacies’ greatest rising legends! The future generations will tell stories about me, no doubt.” He threw you a careless wink, and you had to fight back the impulse to cackle out loud at how ridiculous he looked. “And you’ll get to say you had the pleasure of knowing me. Or perhaps even the pleasure of having courted me as well?”

 From where he stood behind him, Sunghoon smacked the back of Jake’s head. That seemed to be enough to shut him up nicely.

 “Anyways,” You continued, “We’re losing moonlight. I needn’t remind you of the fact that if we don’t make it out of here with the crown tonight, we’ll likely never get to see justice restored to our kingdom. Understood?”

 “Perfectly,” Jay said, his voice strained in forced submission to your authority. You merely rolled your eyes—you were quite used to him and his attitude after spending nearly your entire life with him and the other two that accompanied you.

 “She’s right, you know.” Sunghoon spoke for the first time since the four of you had set out on your assignment. You began to move forward again, the rest of the group following close behind. “The palace security is weaker tonight because the crown prince sent an assembly of guards to accompany the prince of Regna Terrae back to his home. The odds of us finding another gap in security like this are—”

 “Incredibly slim, yes, we know,” Jake said. “You’ve only told us about twelve dozen times.”

 “Maybe if I thought you were actually listening to me, I wouldn’t feel the need to repeat myself so often.”

 “Well maybe if you weren’t such a pain in my—”

 “Shh.” You held up your hand as you came to a stop again, after having finally set foot off the slippery bridge and onto the snow-covered walkway that led to the huge gates made of solid ice. Some might have tried to simply break through the ice to earn entry to the palace, but you knew better.

 This was no regular formation of ice—it was ice forged by the crown’s magic.

 You looked around for any sign of stray guards. If your team’s predictions had been correct, the guards would have been switching their stations at this time. You had approximately four minutes and fifty-three seconds to get through the gates before the rotation was settled, so there was no time to lose.

 You glanced behind you, noticing that the boys had all replaced their teasing and playful mannerisms with serious gazes hardened by determination. With a single nod from you, everything was set into motion. Jay handed you the rope and hook from his bag, and you wasted no time in tossing it over the gate, pulling it tightly until you were certain that it had successfully latched onto the top. Jake knelt in front of you, folding his hands before extending them towards you. You placed your foot in his hands, waiting for him to give you a boost.

 “Are you sure you can do this by yourself?” He asked.

 “Yes, I’m positive,” You assured him. “You guys need to head to the far side of the wall and wait for me there. Sunghoon knows what to do if I’m in danger, but everything will be fine. Now hurry up and boost me.”

 After a moment longer of hesitation, Jake thrusted his hands up while you jumped up at the same time, reaching out to grab the rope while you planted your feet against the icy gate. You let out a tiny sigh of relief when your feet didn’t slide off or cause you to fall—the boots that Sunghoon had designed to grip the ice were proving to be just as effective as he had claimed. You pulled yourself up the rope, moving as quickly as possible without letting your feet slip.

 You soon found yourself perched at the top of the gate, your huff of relief turning into a cloud in the cold air. The view was nothing short of magnificent; fountains with frozen displays of various animals and flora, a grove of trees painted blue with ice and frost, and the castle. If you had the leisure to simply stop and observe the spiraling towers made of crystal ice, the beautiful clouds of eternal snow that remained stationary above the palace, the giant snowflake patterns that were imprinted along each outer wall, you would have stayed there just looking for ages.

 But you knew that sightseeing was not on your agenda. When you glanced over your shoulder, you were happy to see that the boys had already left for their station, leaving you on your own. It took you no time to spring into action. You jumped down from the top of the gate, the impact of hitting the ground sending an echo of pain up your legs and to your core, but you quickly shook it off and sprinted towards the outer wall of one of the towers. Your informant from within the palace had sent word that the window you were about to climb into was the best place of entry. It was in a distant hallway that was close enough to the throne room for you to have easy access to the crown, but far enough away from where the guards were stationed that the chance of them being alerted to your entry was small.

 You threw your grappling hook up again, this time latching it on the sill of the open window. Without Jake’s boost, it took you a bit longer to climb the rope, but you were no amateur when it came to breaking and entering. Soon enough, you had dropped down into the stairway that lied beyond the window, thanking your lucky stars yet again for Sunghoon and his slip-proof boots.

 Your footsteps echoed throughout the walls of ice, and you bit the inside of your cheek, taking care to make your steps as soft as possible. The past months, you had done practically nothing aside from memorize the floorplan of the palace, but you couldn’t help how nervous you were beginning to feel. This was nothing like when you snuck into the kitchen at the local tavern to snatch some food for the hungry kids, or when you broke into the overstock building for the tailors to grab a few winter coats for those who needed them.

 This was the castle, and you were there to steal the crown. Not just for your own good, but for the good of everyone else in the Kingdom of Glacies.

 When you finally reached the throne room, your heart was practically in your throat. Typically the cool headed one of your band of thieves, this feeling of pure anxiety was something new to you. With a shaky breath to calm your nerves, you peeked around the corner to take a look at what awaited you in the throne room.

 There were two thrones at the far end of the room, made of spiraling ice spires and decorated with intricately detailed snowflakes that would never melt. One was a bit taller than the other—the King’s throne, no doubt—while the other didn’t reach quite as high in the air, but that didn’t make it any less marvelous of a sight to behold. The real piece of beauty in the dimly lit room of ice, however, was the pedestal that sat just between the two thrones which held the giant, sparkling crown made of ice and snow.

 It was the King’s crown; the bane of every Glacian’s existence. And it just so happened to be what you planned to walk out of the palace with that night.

 Stationed right in front of the crown, two guards stood, frozen just like the pillars of ice throughout the room. You bit your lip, growing increasingly worried as you waited for your cue to move in towards the crown.

 “Argh! You’ll never catch me, you scum!”

 Never before had you wanted to sock Jake in the face so badly as you did in that moment. He had been instructed to create a diversion, but it sounded more like he was a pirate from the Kingdom of Nymphe. His shouts spilled in through the open window right behind the thrones, filling the otherwise silent palace with his voice. If you could have trusted that Sunghoon would have been loud enough to even be heard, you would have asked him to do it instead. He was the only one who even pretended to listen to you.

 “What’s that? You think you can chase me down? With those skinny legs? Ha!”

 There was a loud bang, and you decided in that moment that when you got back to your village, you would kick Jake out of your team and encourage him to join the theatrics group instead of pursuing this line of work. Not because he was a good or compelling actor, but because he was so outlandishly obnoxious that he would fit right in.

 The guards glanced at one another, but neither of them moved from their stations. They probably assumed—or hoped—that someone else would be taking care of the lunatic outside.

 Until they heard Jake shout, “Take that!” which was followed by a large crash, and another slew of empty threats. The guards quickly ran out one of the back entrances of the throne room, finally giving you your chance to move forward.

 You were light on your feet, not even making a sound as you dashed across the iced floor. With one leap, you skipped up the few steps that led to the crown. It was even more stunning close up, just as alluring as all the stories surrounding it had claimed. Blue jewels frosted over were embedded in the crown, which was made of solid ice, just like the palace that it sat in. The most mesmerizing part about it, however, was the flurry of never-ending snow that surrounded it, as though it were a part of its own atmosphere, separate from the rest of the world.

 Your heart stormed within your chest, and you thought it might burst right out of you. Everything you had prepared for had led to this moment, but now that it was finally here, you were beyond terrified. But you were ready.

 You stretched your hands out towards the crown, but before you could even feel its icy surface beneath your gloved hands, you felt someone’s body press flush against yours from behind, one arm holding you around your shoulders, and the other pressing the edge of an ice dagger against your throat.

 Heart in your stomach, you were silent for a few moments. Someone had caught you. It was over. It was all over. You prayed that Jake, Jay, and Sunghoon had gotten away safely, that only you would have to pay the price for trying to seek justice for your kingdom.

 You had practically written your own eulogy in your head when you heard the person speak, their breath tickling the back of your neck as they tightened the ice cold grip they had on you.

 “You know, it is wrong to take something that isn’t yours.”

 A man’s voice. You could tell right away, and his words made your blood boil. Perhaps you should have bitten your tongue, but you couldn’t keep the venomous words from leaving your mouth.

 “It’s not wrong to take back something that was yours to begin with, is it?”

 “I’m afraid I’m a bit lost. Does this crown belong to you?”

 “It doesn’t just belong to me,” You seethed, “It belongs to every single Glacian, those alive and those who have passed, and I’m here to take it back.”

 With that, you quickly snatched the knife from the man’s hand and spun around, pressing the blade against his throat this time, grabbing onto the front of his shirt to hold him in place.

 When you saw his face, you knew you were a goner for sure.

 Piercing blue eyes, a sharp jawline, blonde hair so light, it was almost white. His skin seemed to be made of ice, and his lips were set in an amused grin, one of his perfectly shaped brows arched upward.

 You were holding the edge of a dagger against the neck of Kang Taehyun, the Ice Prince himself.

 With the simple flick of his wrist, the dagger in your hand dissolved into snow, falling from your grasp in an instant.

 His eyes drew you in and he held you with his gaze; frozen, unable to move, a fistful of his white sleepshirt still held within your fist. Your imagination began to run wild as you tried to predict what would happen next. Based off of what you had heard about the prince, you expected him to turn you to ice right then and there, perhaps preserving you in his room full of iced prisoners that he was rumored to have, or maybe he would just shatter you to bits and pieces right away, like a glass smashed against a stone floor.

 You decided to take your last shot at doing what you had gone there to do.

 You quickly shook yourself from the prince’s grip, pushing him back onto the icy floor. When he no longer had a hold on you, you lunged towards the crown, hearing Taehyun shout, “Wait!” before the tips of your fingers barely touched one of the crown’s jewels. When you made contact with the crown, you felt a sharp pain in your neck, and with great force, you were thrown back onto the ice, landing right next to the prince himself.

 The pain was spreading from your neck to the rest of your body, like frost creeping up blades of grass. You pressed your hand against your neck and couldn’t hold back a gasp when you saw blood covering your palm.

 Before you knew it, Taehyun was leaning over you, gently cupping your neck in his hands. You closed your eyes, certain that he was about to strangle you for your vain attempt at destroying the crown. His fingers were like icicles against your skin; smooth, strong, and deathly cold.

 But he didn’t strangle you. He didn’t even squeeze your neck or try to block your airways at all. Instead, he lightly brushed his cold fingers over your skin. As he did so, you could feel the pain melt from your body.

 “There you go,” He said softly. He helped you back to your feet, and you opened your eyes, pressing your hand against the place where your wound had been just moments before. There was not a trace of blood left in sight.

 “What was that?” You whispered, holding Taehyun’s gaze.

 Before he could answer, you heard three familiar voices fill the chilly throne room. With eyes round as saucers, you peeked over the Prince’s shoulder to see Sunghoon, Jake, and Jay being dragged in by not one, two, or even three—but five palace guards. Where said guards had even come from, you had not a clue.

 There was, however, one thing you knew for sure: your plan had failed, and the price of failure was going to be your life.

 Or at least, you thought it would be, before the prince saved you.

 You swallowed, wishing that you could have at least seen your companions walk free. This whole mission was your idea, after all. You alone should have been held responsible for the failure. Heart racing, you grasped at endless threads of half-strung ideas that wove in and out of your mind, trying desperately to figure out some way to save the boys.

 “Please,” you said, your eyes meeting Taehyun’s, “Let them go. I drug them here; they have nothing to do with this. You can turn me to ice, kill me, do whatever it is that you desire. Just let them go, please.”

 “Y/N, don’t,” Sunghoon said firmly, but you ignored him, keeping your eyes fixated on the prince.

 Taehyun’s eyes softened, his brows knitting together, almost as if he were hurt by your pleas. He was being just as cautious as you were—perhaps even more so. “I have no intentions of harming you or your friends, my lady. In fact, the desires of my heart are quite the opposite of what you assume them to be.”

 You raised a brow. “Please, enlighten me of your true intentions then, Ice Prince.”

 “I want to help you.”

 “Oh, come on,” Jay groaned. You shot a glare that would freeze any normal man, but alas, Jay was far from normal, so he continued to speak. “Y/N, don’t listen to a word this prick says. If he wanted to help his people, he would have done so by now.”

 Although you wanted to cut out his tongue from how annoyed you were by Jay’s habit to speak up during the most inappropriate times, you knew that your friend had a point. The people of Glacies had been driven to desolation and poverty by the late king’s actions, while in your eyes, the rest of the royal family did nothing but sit idly by and watch it all happen.

 But you had just seen a side of the prince that was entirely different from every story you had ever been told about him. When your life was on the line, he didn’t kill you or laugh mercilessly as he watched the life leave your body. He had saved you.

 Taehyun turned to face your friends, and you felt your heart leap into your throat. The prince motioned for the guards to release their holds on your friends. They did as they were told, and the three boys were much too shocked by Taehyun’s instructions to do anything but stand there, frozen, keeping their eyes glued to the prince as he spoke once more.

 “I understand why you’re here,” He said, glancing over his shoulder at the crown. He locked eyes with you for a split second before he looked back at the boys. “I want the same thing you do. But I’m afraid that there’s no way for you to achieve your goal by simply taking the crown. It’s far more complicated.”

 “What do you mean you ‘want the same thing’ we do?” Jake finally spoke after regaining some sensibility—though he never had all that much to begin with, in your opinion. “Do you even truly know what we are here for?”

 “You want to destroy the crown and restore the kingdom to its former state of balance,” Taehyun said. “Am I correct?”

 “It’s not just that,” Sunghoon finally spoke up, his cool, calculating eyes drifting between you and Taehyun, as if he expected the prince to turn around and attack you at any given moment. “We want to undo all the pain and suffering your family has caused us. Do you even know how desolate your people have become while you’ve wasted away in your palace for the past two decades, Your Highness?”

 Taehyun frowned, casting his eyes down to his feet. “I’m well aware. I know it may not look like it, but I’ve been doing everything I can to help reverse the pain my family has caused our kingdom. But I realized that I can’t do it alone.”

 He turned to face you then, and you were surprised to find yourself drawn to his piercing eyes rather than being struck down by fear. His gaze was urgent, but it was gentle.

 “I need you to help me.”

 “No. Absolutely not.” You tore your eyes from Taehyun to glare at Jake, who had decided once again to speak out of turn. “Y/N, you can’t trust him! Don’t do it.”

 You knew where Jake was coming from, but you couldn’t help but feel as though Taehyun was telling the truth. And even if the prince were lying, you would probably never have the chance to get this close to the crown again. Even then, it was clearly impossible for you to touch the crown, as you had nearly died trying to do so just moments before.

 You had no choice. You were going to stay with Taehyun.

 “I just have one condition,” You said, ignoring the objections that flew from the lips of your friends. “You let them go. Now.”

 “Of course,” Taehyun said without a moment’s hesitation. “I have no intentions of keeping anyone here against their will. Yourself included. But if you truly want to destroy the crown, I need you to stay with me. Just for a few days.”

 You nodded, keeping your eyes trained on his. “Alright. But the moment I sense that you’re lying to me, Your Highness, not even the four princes of the surrounding kingdoms will be able to save you from my wrath. Understood?”

 Perhaps you were just seeing things, but you could have sworn that you saw the prince smile when he said, “Perfectly.”

 -

 WHEN YOU WOKE UP THE NEXT MORNING, THERE WAS A NOTE ON YOUR BEDSIDE TABLE.

 Well, it wasn’t your bedside table, but rather the one in the bedroom Taehyun had lent to you for the duration of your stay. The night before, against all their complaints, you had sent Jake, Jay, and Sunghoon back to the village with instructions to search for you if you didn’t return in a week’s time. After they had left, you wanted to talk to Taehyun right away, but he had disappeared from your sight, leaving you with a guard who said that the Prince had gone to bed, and that you were encouraged to do so as well.

 You stretched your arms above your head, squinting in the morning sunlight that slipped through the curtains, and picked up the note from the table.

 I hope you found the room suitable for resting. When you wake, put something on from the closet in your room then come to the dining hall for breakfast, if you’d like. One of the maids will escort you there.

 —Taehyun

 You sighed, folding the note up and setting it back on the table. After another good stretch, your feet met the cold floor and you slumped over to the large closet, throwing the doors open. Your eyes were met with dresses in varying lengths and shades of blues and periwinkles, and shoes to match them all. A great sigh left you at the sight—you did not wear dresses. But the pants and shirt you had come to the palace in were caked with mud and sweat, so you had no choice but to change, and it wasn’t like you had many options.

 Begrudgingly, you searched through all the hanging gowns, finally settling on a long sleeved, ankle-length frosty blue dress made of lace that held subtle snowflake patterns throughout the skirt. It was the most practical looking one amidst all the others, but you still found yourself already growing annoyed at the lack of freedom you felt in the skirt. You put on the pair of shoes that went along with the gown and stopped by the mirror, running your hands through your tangled hair before you finally stepped out of the bedroom.

 A maid was waiting outside the door, just as Taehyun had said she would be. You followed her down the stairs of ice, hugging your arms across your chest as you shivered from the cold.

 “I know this is the Ice Prince’s palace, but does it have to be so cold?” You asked, your teeth chattering. There was no response from the maid as you went down the last flight of stairs and found yourself walking into a large dining room, with a glass table in the center of the room and a dozen chairs surrounding it. The floor was frosted over, and snowflakes fell from the ceiling, though they melted away as soon as they hit the floor. Only the seat at the head of the table was occupied—Taehyun sat there, dressed nicely in a dark blue suit, his hair parted neatly to the side. He smiled when he saw you, motioning for you to take the seat beside of him.

 You sat down slowly, taking great care to cross your legs so you didn’t accidentally expose too much of yourself. Taehyun eyed you curiously as you reached for the cup of tea that a servant had sat down for you.

 “Correct me if I’m wrong, but you seem to be a little bit uncomfortable,” He said, sliding a plate of fruits and breakfast pastries towards you. You accepted them gratefully, noticing just how hungry you were now that you could smell food. “Is it because of the dress?”

 You nodded, swallowing the grape you had tossed into your mouth before responding. “Dresses were not meant to be worn by thieves, Your Highness.”

 He hummed, leaning back in his chair. “I’m not sure if I would classify you as a thief, my lady. I personally find the term ‘vigilante’ more suitable.”

 You paused, the piece of chocolate bread that you had pinched off frozen halfway to your mouth. You set it down, narrowing your eyes at Taehyun. “What do you know about me?”

 He smiled, taking a sip from his own teacup. “I know what I’ve heard. You are Y/N, the greatest thief throughout all of Glacies—some would even say throughout all the Five Kingdoms. You know this kingdom like the palm of your hand, and you’re extremely good at not getting caught. Unless, of course, you find yourself in my home.”

 You scowled, looking away from him as your cheeks grew warm.

 He laughed for a moment, but his tone grew quieter when he spoke again. “I also know that you almost never steal for self-gain. You take for yourself what is necessary for survival, but the rest of your plunders go to the starving and impoverished people of our kingdom. You take from those who have more than enough and give to those who having nothing at all.”

 To say you were speechless would have been an understatement. You were under the impression that the prince despised his people, just as his father and grandfather had before him. But now you were to believe that he knew of your existence, long before you had even made an attempt to steal the crown?

 You poked at the food on your plate, your appetite suddenly gone as your mind churned with questions.

 “Well, since you seem to know so much about me, allow me to inquire about yourself, Your Highness,” you said, setting your fork down and folding your hands in your lap.

 He nodded with unabashed enthusiasm, scooting forward in his seat. “Of course. Ask me anything.”

 You held up three fingers. “I have three questions. One—what happened when I tried to touch the crown last night?”

 “Ah,” he said, tapping his fingers against the table. “Well, as you’re well aware, my grandfather channeled all of the kingdom’s magic into that crown. It’s the most powerful object throughout all the kingdom.”

“Yes, that’s why I’m here.”

 He nodded, pressing his lips together. “Well, when my grandfather had the great spell cast upon the crown, it also came with a protective curse. Only those with royal blood flowing through their veins are able to touch the crown, and anyone else who attempts to do so . . . well.” He gestured to your neck, where the magic cut had sliced through your skin. “You saw what happens.”

 “And you have healing powers, apparently,” you said, running your hands against the smooth skin of your neck, double checking just to make sure that no trace of the injury was left there.

 “Not exactly. Because all of the kingdom’s magic is held within the crown, I have access to all the ice magic in the kingdom,” Taehyun explained. “Healing just happens to be one of those powers, among ice manipulation, the ability to turn things into ice, control of the snowstorms, the power to generate snowstorms, the power to plant things in frozen ground. . . you get the picture, I assume. Because of the overwhelming amount of capabilities I’ve been granted due to my grandfather’s spell, I’m not sure what my actual ability is.”

 You nodded once, slowly, trying to keep up with the influx of information. You put one of your fingers down, then said, “Question two. I know you’re the Ice Prince, but why in all the five kingdoms is it absolutely freezing in here? Can’t we start a fire or something for a bit of warmth?”

 Taehyun laughed, although you struggled to see what was so funny as a shiver went up your spine. “Another lovely perk of the crown’s magic; because my entire being is so reliant upon its powers, I’m quite weak on my own. My body temperature can’t go above a certain degree, or I’ll perish. So I’m afraid we must keep it quite cold in here for the time being.”

 “It seems like this crown is doing you more harm than good,” You muttered, slightly disappointed by his answer as you were hoping to garner a bit of extra warmth. You shook it off, putting another finger down and leaving only one remaining up in the air. “Last question. Why do you want to help us, and why am I the right person to help you?”

 “That’s two questions in one, isn’t it?”

 You rolled your eyes, and Taehyun quickly wiped the teasing smirk off his face, his expression growing grim as he prepared to answer your final question—or questions, as the prince had been so kind to point out.

 “I know it doesn’t compare to the pain that the rest of our people have gone through—yourself included—but the crown’s spell has done more harm than good for my family as well,” Taehyun said.

 “How so?” You asked.

 “As I explained before, those of us with royal blood are incredibly reliant upon the crown,” he began. “Because of this, we aren’t able to be far from it, or we become incredibly weak, and eventually, we will die.”

 Your eyes went wide at that, your mind racing. You hadn’t thought of the possibility that the crown could be harming the royal family at all, especially not in such a deadly way. “So, have you never left the palace?”

 He shook his head, looking down at his hands. “Not even once.” He sighed, bringing his eyes back up to yours. “My sister left us, a few years after my grandfather died and a few years before my father passed. She fell in love with the stable boy, and they decided to run away. At the time, we knew that we would become weak without the crown. But we didn’t know how weak we would be. Two weeks after their great escape, the stable boy returned. And my sister. . . she was dead. My father had the stable boy put to death immediately upon his return.”

 You covered your mouth with your hand, stifling the gasp that threatened to slip past your lips. The royal family was so isolated from the rest of the kingdom, that none of you had even heard of the princess’ passing.

 “So then, you’ve been alone all this time, since your father passed?” You asked, your voice quiet and careful.

 He nodded, his eyes shining with tears that never fell. “Correct. And that is why, now more than ever, I want to reconnect with the people my family has driven to desolation. I know how harmful it has been for our kingdom since we have kept all of the magic to ourselves. You haven’t been able to farm, to use the magic for yourselves, or even turn the ice into water for necessary use. By hoarding all the magic to ourselves, we have forced our people into poverty. I want to right what we have done wrong. And that is where you come in, my lady.”

 “That’s the second part of my last question,” You said, pushing your plate back so you could lean forward against the table. “Why do you need my help?”

 He smiled, wiping the back of his hand across his eyes, the action so rushed you had barely registered its occurrence. “I’ve spent the past two years studying the origins of the spell on the crown. There’s supposedly a cave near the border between Glacies and Terrae where my grandfather traveled to have the spell cast, and in order to break the spell, I have to take it back there. And, according to my sources, nobody in the land knows their way around the caves quite as well as you do.”

 “I’m flattered, although I am quite curious to know who’s been saying such kind words about me behind my back,” you said, wishing you knew who Taehyun had been in communication with that would know of your occupation and skillsets. “So, what I am gathering is this; you want me to guide you to this cave and help you break the spell in order to finally have the magic distributed back into the kingdom?”

 “Precisely. Only if you are willing to do so, of course.”

 It was your turn to smile then as you stood to your feet, extending your hand towards him for a shake. “You needn’t ask me twice, Your Highness. When do we leave?”

 He stood as well, his smile mirroring your own as he took your hand in his and shook it. “We head out first thing tomorrow morning, my lady. Until then, let us prepare. Together.”

 -

 YOU AWOKE THE NEXT MORNING TO THE SOUND OF A CRACKLING FIRE.

 Beneath your face was something warm and soft, but not quite as soft as the pillow you had slept upon the night before. When your eyes fluttered open, you were surprised to see that you had fallen asleep in the drawing room, the map you and Taehyun had spent all day studying spread out on the table before you, and your head resting upon his shoulder.

 You quickly sat up, brushing your hands through your hair in an attempt to fix the wild strands. Taehyun was already awake, smiling at you as you looked away, cheeks growing warm.

 “Did you sleep well?” He asked. It was still early in the morning—so early that the sun had not even risen yet, leaving the room bathed in the predawn darkness.

 You shrugged, daring to look back at him only to see him smirking at you in the dark. “Well enough, I suppose,” you mumbled, your eyes finally landing on the source of the sound you had awoken to. In the corner of the room, Taehyun had gathered a pile of logs and started a small fire atop them, casting a soft orange glow upon the room made of ice. You gasped, turning back towards the prince. Beads of sweat were rolling down his forehead and cheeks, and you noticed that his breaths were much more labored than they had been before.

 “Taehyun, what are you thinking?” You asked, grabbing his arm firmly. “Go put that out. Now.”

 “You were shivering,” He said, refusing to let his eyes meet yours. “I didn’t want to see you suffer. It’s the least I could do after all you have been through because of us—if I can suffer in your place, I will do so gladly.”

 You sighed in exasperation, grasping his hand in your own. He looked at you then, eyes wide from the unexpected contact. “Your Highness, you have been doing everything within your power so far to right what has been wrong for so long. I refuse to let you blame yourself and cause yourself any form of pain for something that has always been out of your control. In order for us to finish this, we must do so together. Now, go put that fire out or I will be forced to find a way to do it myself. And I will have you know that my methods are not usually the safest.”

 He sighed, finally giving in as he raised his hand, a gust of icy wind blowing past your face and killing the fire on the far side of the room. You sighed in relief, giving his hand a squeeze before you let it go.

 “Thank you,” he whispered. “I do not feel as though I deserve your kindness nor your understanding, but I am grateful to be receiving it regardless.”

 “Everyone deserves kindness and understanding, Your Highness. Especially you.”

 After that, the two of you grabbed a quick breakfast from the dining hall and gathered all your supplies from the drawing room before you threw on a thick cloak, allowing Taehyun to lead you out into the snow and to the stables. He introduced you to the reindeer named Atlas that would be pulling your sled, and then led you into the stable where the sled was stored in order for the two of you to finish gathering a few last-minute supplies before you were to head out on your quest.

 While Taehyun began throwing things into the back of the sled, you became distracted by a wall strung with weaponry. A quiver of arrows caught your eye, and you reached up to pull a single arrow out, observing it closely.

 “This looks like something Jake would be interested in,” you mused, twirling the arrow between your fingertips before you set it back in its place. “He’s been trying to improve his archery.”

 Perhaps it was your imagination, but when you looked back at Taehyun, you could have sworn you saw his smile falter, at least for a moment. He shook it off though, throwing a sack of food into the back of the sled before he asked, “So, you and this Jake guy. How long have you been courting?”

 You nearly choked on the stable’s air, throwing your hand against your chest in shock. “I’m sorry, what?”

 He raised a brow, turning to face you fully. “You are courting him, aren’t you? He seemed to be concerned for you in a way that went deeper than friendship, from what I was able to observe.”

 “Oh, please. Jake flirts with anyone who even bats an eye in his direction. We are not in a relationship.” You couldn’t help but laugh at the mere thought. “The only time I ever touch that man is when I’m trying to slap some sense into him—and I mean that quite literally.”

 Taehyun laughed, almost as though he were relieved, while he began to tighten the reins that kept Atlas anchored to the sled. “Would you ever consider courting him? If he asked you to, of course.”

 “He has asked, and I’ve never considered saying anything other than no.” You picked up the pile of blankets one of the servants had left by the sled and lifted it over the edge, making sure they landed right in the middle of the bench where the two of you were to be seated. “He is not my type.”

 Taehyun leaned back against the sled, the slight smirk you had grown accustomed to seeing taking over his features once again. “Well, what exactly is your type, my lady?”

 You went still, not sure why his question made your stomach flutter like a disturbed nest of bluebirds. You had never really given this much thought before, but now that he had asked you, your mind was instantly flooded with thoughts of cold hands and warm smiles, icy eyes and flushed cheeks, strong arms and gentle words.

 You turned away from him before you spoke, trying your best to be nonchalant. “I think I’d like to find someone that I understand more than anyone else. Somebody that the rest of world may see as cold and brittle, but someone I know to be warm and soft on the inside.”

 When there was nothing but silence after your words, you dared to glance back over your shoulder at the prince. Upon doing so, you were more than a little bit happy to see that you had made him just as flustered as he had made you, with his cheeks and nose painted cherry red—and not just from the cold.

 He cleared his throat, biting his lip to keep his smile from being too obvious. “Good to know. If I ever meet someone who I think would meet those standards, I’ll be sure to send them your way.”

 “Oh, please do,” You said, glad that the tense silence was thawing. “And quickly if you don’t mind. The elders in my community remind me at every passing chance that my childbearing years will be over before I know it, since that’s apparently all that matters.”

 That earned an even bigger laugh from him, which caused to you giggle in return. When he smiled at you again, you couldn’t help but lose yourself in his eyes. But who could blame you when they sparkled like freshly fallen snow beneath the morning sunlight?

 “I’ll keep that in mind, my lady.” He hoisted himself into the sled and extended his hand out towards you, his brilliant smile never once falling from his face as he said, “Now, what do you say we go and restore this kingdom to its former glory? I believe it’s long overdue.”

 -

 THE SLEIGH RIDE THROUGH THE KINGDOM HAD BEEN FAIRLY PEACEFUL, FOR THE MOST PART. Taehyun had the reins and was guiding Atlas through the snow-capped mountains while you held the map and directed him, although you could practically navigate your way throughout the kingdom with your eyes closed, no doubt.

 The scenery was beautiful in some ways. Trees weighed down by ice coated branches, casting rainbows across the ground as the sunshine reflected through them. The deep snow covered the ground, coating the entire landscape in a blanket of endless white. You sighed, perhaps a bit too loudly as you gained Taehyun’s attention.

 “What could possibly be weighing so heavy on your mind to earn such a heavy sigh, my lady?”

 You rolled your eyes but couldn’t help the smile that took over your lips at his jest. “I’m just tired of all the ice, I suppose. It’s so suffocating. It kills all the beautiful things and leaves us with nothing in return but cold.”

 “That’s not how I see it though,” Taehyun said, holding onto the reins with one hand so he could keep the other around your shoulders, making sure you didn’t fall out of the sled as you crossed over a particularly bumpy patch of ground.

 “What do you mean?” You asked, willing your expression to remain steadfast lest you reveal how flustered you were by Taehyun’s physical contact.

 He smirked, and you cursed yourself internally, knowing that perhaps the faint flush in your cheeks had given you away after all.

 “I mean, I see the ice as more of a new beginning than an ending,” He explained. “Of course, it does freeze everything over for a while, but it thaws eventually. And when it does, everything starts all over again. The rivers start running, the flowers begin to bloom, the animals come out of their sleep. Everything begins again, until it is time to freeze once more.”

 “Well, that sounds nice in theory, my dear prince, but I am afraid there’s something you are forgetting,” You said.

 “And what is that?”

 “This is the Kingdom of Glacies. Well, the version your grandfather created, that is.” The smile fell from your lips. “The ice here never thaws.”

 “Maybe the kingdom is still waiting for its new beginning,” He said. Gently, he grabbed your chin and turned your face towards his. He smiled then, the action alone so bright and warm, you were surprised the snow didn’t melt right off the trees.

 “The kingdom may still be waiting for its new beginning,” He whispered, “But I think I have found mine.”

 You were speechless. Never in a million different lifetimes would you have even dared to imagine the Prince of Glacies saying such sweet words to you. Unsure of how to respond, you cleared your throat and looked away, afraid your face would melt right off at this rate. You heard the sound of rushing water not too far off, and you glanced over to see a small spring beneath a gentle waterfall.

 “We should stop there to let Atlas drink,” you suggested, leaning forward to pet the back of the reindeer. “It would be nice for us to stretch our legs too.”

 Taehyun obliged, leading Atlas over towards the spring. You were more than happy to jump out from the back of the sled and stretch your legs, and the view was nothing short of spectacular. As you drew closer to the border between Glacies and Terrae, there were a few patches of green grass peeking through the snow, and some bodies of water—like this spring—were unfrozen. Seeing the rushing body of water made you think of what Taehyun had said to you just moments ago, and you felt your heart flutter once again.

 You nearly flinched in shock when you felt him slip his fingers between yours, gripping your hand tightly.

 He smiled, running his thumb along the back of your hand. “Care to go for a stroll?”

 You nodded, deciding to push past your nervous feelings by taking the lead and pulling him along behind you. You were both quiet as you walked, taking careful steps over the snowy grass and onto the rocks that led up towards the waterfall. When you reached the fall, you stuck your hand beneath it. It was cold, of course, but you were mesmerized by how it sparkled, dots of the afternoon sun shining through the beads of water. The pressure of the waterfall was fairly low—no stronger than a drizzle of rain. The water first hit the slab of stone that the two of you were standing on before it cascaded down into another, smaller waterfall, which led into the spring that Atlas was drinking from.

 “Do you like it here?” Taehyun asked, watching the way your eyes glowed as you let the water fall between your fingers.

 You looked back at him, smiling brightly. “I love it. Don’t you?”

 He nodded, glancing up at the falls then back at you. “It’s beautiful.”

 He looked down at your hand in his for a moment, and then he gently tugged on it, causing to stumble a few steps closer to him. You raised a brow, clearly confused, but didn’t pull away.

 “How about here?” He asked.

 You nodded slowly, narrowing your eyes. “Sure. I like it here as well.”

 He swallowed, gathering all the courage from every corner of his soul before he took a step forward, closing the gap between the two of you, his free hand coming up to cradle your jaw while he kept the other tightly intertwined with your own.

 Your eyes were wide, lips parted in shock, but you made no moves to distance yourself from him. Slowly, he brushed his thumb along your bottom lip, lowering his face towards yours so that he could feel your breath against his own mouth.

 “And here?” He whispered, his eyes meeting yours. “Do you like it here?”

 When you nodded once again in answer to his hushed question, he wasted no time in diminishing the space left between the two of you to gently press his lips against your own.

 His lips worked against yours perfectly as you allowed your eyes to fall shut, letting your hand fall from his grasp so you could hold his neck in your palms, your fingers slipping into the hair at the nape of his neck. He wrapped his arm around your waist and pulled you into him as his kiss grew deeper and you followed along, tilting your head to better match your lips with the pace of his.

 When he pulled away from you abruptly and rested his forehead against your shoulder, you knew right away that something was wrong. He was breathing deeply, his hands clutching the fabric of your dress. You cupped his cheeks in your hands and lifted his face to yours, seeing how red his cheeks, nose, and ears had gotten.

 “Taehyun? What’s wrong?”

 He let out a shaky breath, his eyes still closed, his chest still heaving. “I’m—I’m sorry. I can’t kiss you, it’s too—I’m getting too warm.”

 Your heart sank as you continued to hold his face in your hands, racking your brain for ideas. The sound of the waterfall rushing behind you filled your ears, and you glanced over your shoulder, biting your lip as an idea popped into your head.

 Grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, you carefully walked backwards until you felt the ice cold water cascade over your head and down your back, stopping once you and Taehyun were both standing fully beneath the waterfall.

 His eyes were wide, and he was slowly beginning to stand up straighter, his face growing less and less warm beneath your skin as the moments passed by.

 “What are you doing?” He asked, nearly shouting to be heard above the light rush of water.

 You smiled, pushing back pieces of his hair that the water had plastered to his forehead, only for them to fall right back into place.

 “Why would you ask a question with such an obvious answer, Your Highness? I’m about to kiss you.”

 He seemed to be in shock, but before he could utter out a single word in reply, you threw your arms around his neck and kissed him once more beneath the cascade of icy water, the feeling of his lips against your own giving you more than enough warmth in the core of your soul.

 -

 IT DIDN’T TAKE YOU LONG TO REACH THE CAVE WHERE THE LATE KING HAD FIRST CAST THE SPELL THAT RUINED THE LAND OF GLACIES. You had set back out on the road shortly after your somewhat extended rest stop, and by following the map closely, you arrived at the mouth of a cave with icicles hanging from the top and also sticking up from the ground. It looked much like the mouth of a great beast. It was too dangerous to try and bring Atlas inside with you, so Taehyun tied him and the sled to a nearby tree. He grabbed the bag that held the crown inside of it in one hand and then made his way to your side.

 “Are you ready?” Whether his question was directed towards you or himself, you couldn’t be sure. Regardless, you took his hand in yours and gave it a squeeze.

 “I am ready when you are, Your Highness.”

 He smiled before he took the first step into the cave, carefully sliding between two spires of ice and gently pulling you along behind him. The cave didn’t go on for very long, and there was no need for you to bring a lantern along with you, as the daylight that spilled in through the entrance was more than enough to light your way.

 When you reached the end of the shallow cave, a large pedestal made of stone was waiting for you. It was surrounded by a perfectly round back wall, with ancient texts inscribed on the walls. You weren’t able to decipher them, but you made your way towards the pedestal, your hand still locked with Taehyun’s.

 A large black scorch mark in the shape of a sharp snowflake tainted the surface of the pedestal. Atop it rested a tattered and torn piece of tan paper, also written in a language you were unable to read. You slowly picked it up and handed it to Taehyun. “Can you read this?”

 He nodded, squinting his eyes a bit before he read the words written on the page.

 “To seize the power given to all, you must first destroy the treasure within. To restore the treasure within your soul, you must then destroy your everything.”

 As soon as the words had left Taehyun’s lift, a violent, howling wind burst through the room. It blew with so much force that your hand was ripped from Taehyun’s, and you were thrown back against the stone wall of the cave. Taehyun was blown to the side opposite of you, and the crown fell from his grasp, landing near your feet. For some reason, the crown didn’t seem to be affected by the wind, as it remained stationary.

 “What’s going on?” You shouted, gripping at a spire of ice nearby to keep from being blown right out of the cave. Bits of sleet and snow were pricking at your skin, the chilling air feeling sharper than the blade of ice Taehyun had held against your neck just days before.

 “I don’t know,” He shouted back, gripping a rock that protruded from his side of the cave. “We need to decipher what was written down on that paper—that must be how we are to break the spell!”

 The words scribbled onto the page flashed through your mind.

 To seize the power given to all, you must first destroy the treasure within. This was obviously referring to the spell itself—the one cast by Taehyun’s grandfather. In order to steal the magic from the rest of his subjects, he had to sacrifice the most valuable power of all—his humanity.

 To restore the treasure within your soul, you must then destroy your everything.

 What had been everything to the late king?

 His power.

 His crown.

 “Taehyun!” You shouted, daring to hold on to the spire with one hand in order to point at the crown by your feet, which still remained unmoving amidst the magical storm. “The crown—you must destroy it!”

 He tried to stand, but was instantly knocked back on his rear, desperately grasping back onto the rock that kept him anchored. “I cannot make it over there to retrieve it!”

 You bit your lip, glancing between Taehyun and the crown only for a moment before you made up your mind. You knew what you had to do.

 “Y/N,” Taehyun warned, catching on to what you were about to do. “Y/N, don’t—!”

 It was too late. You used your boot to pull the crown towards you before you grasped it in your fist. Pain shot through every inch of your being—beginning in your neck, then spreading through your chest and your legs, to the tips of your fingers and the bottoms of your toes, piercing through you like the sharpest bite of frost. You cried out in pain, over the noise of Taehyun screaming for you to put it down, before you mustered up every last bit of strength within you to lurch the crown towards the prince.

 He caught it with one hand, his heart racing as he saw you fall limp to the ground, the wind battering and blowing your unconscious form around like a lone leaf in the winter’s wind. Tears stung at the back of his eyes, and he glared at the crown in his fist, all the anger and resentment he had felt towards his grandfather over all the years combined with the fear of losing you coming to a peak within him. He channeled every bit of these hostile and fearful emotions into the palm of his hand, where a burst of ice so strong was emitted that it covered the room in a blanket of white, the crown first cracking in his hand before it burst into a million shards, scattering all over the cave floor like pieces of glass.

 The storm died out immediately, and Taehyun felt a rush of energy enter into his body. He felt stronger, healthier, warmer. But none of that mattered to him. Not when you were nearly lifeless on the other side of the cave.

 “Y/N!” He shouted, tripping over his own feet as he sprinted towards you. He collapsed to the ground beside of you, gasping at the sight of blood dripping down your neck and seeping through your clothes.

 “No, no, no,” he whimpered, the tears finally slipping down his cheeks as his hands pressed against your wounds, but there were too many of them for him to cover.

Desperate, he let out a shaky breath and closed his eyes. He knew that he no longer had access to all the powers he once did now that the spell was broken. There was no way for him to know if his healing magic was his true form of magic.

 But he had to try.

 At first, when he tried to omit the soft glow of icy power from his palms, nothing happened. But then, he felt a familiar tickling sensation on the surface of his skin. He opened one eye, then the other, nearly breaking down in sobs of relief as he watched gentle trails of frost travel down your skin, closing all your wounds and erasing any traces of them that would normally be left behind.

 When the last cut had disappeared, your eyes fluttered open, and you smiled at him.

 “Well done, your highness. You’ve broken the curse.”

He grabbed you by the shoulders and pulled you upright, crushing you against him in a hug.

 “Never do anything like that ever again,” He muttered against your ear, squeezing you even tighter. “I thought I lost you.”

 “You cannot get rid of me that easily, Your Highness,” you teased, pulling away just enough so you could look into his eyes. “Besides, I knew that healing magic was your true gift. I knew you would save me.”

 “And how exactly did you know that, my lady?”

 You pecked him on the nose, giggling at how red it turned afterwards. “Because you are a kind and good prince, Taehyun. And you will make a wonderful, healing king.”

 “What about you?” He asked. “We should see what ice power you have been gifted.”

 You hesitated, gently holding one of your hands out in front of you. Your brows knit together, and Taehyun laughed at the expression before he placed his hand beneath yours.

 “Feel the energy running through your veins,” He said. “Let the magic guide you.”

 Nothing happened for the first few moments. But then, one by one, snowflakes began to fall, seemingly from out of nowhere. Soon, you held a tiny snowstorm in the palm of your hand. You gasped, eyes glowing with excitement.

 “It worked,” You said, staring at what you had created in awe before you allowed it to die down.  You then cupped his cheeks in your hands, leaning closer towards him.

 “How does it feel to finally be free? What is the first thing you would like to do now?” You asked.

 He couldn’t take his eyes from your face, his thumbs tracing invisible lines across your cheeks and your jaw, occasionally slipping over your lips. “The first thing? Simple; I want to make you my queen.”

 You coughed, but remained fairly unphased by his forwardness as you responded with, “Although that is something you could have done without breaking the spell, I am quite fond of the idea. Yet, I have one even better than that—how about we instead dissolve the monarchy together?”

 He laughed at that, brushing his hands through your hair before cradling your jaw once more. “One step at a time, princess. We can talk about that later. But what about you? What are you most excited about now that the kingdom has been restored?”

 You smiled then, not having to take long at all to think of your answer. “As wonderful as having newfound magical abilities may be, my prince, the most wonderful thing about breaking this spell is that I am now able to kiss you wherever I please—without having to stand beneath a freezing waterfall.”

 This time, when you leaned forward to capture his lips with yours, Taehyun gladly welcomed the warmth that rushed to his cheeks. And as he kissed you, he was sure that all the warmth that spread throughout him was enough to heat the entire kingdom, so much so that he dared to imagine that the eternal ice of the Kingdom of Glacies would finally begin to thaw.

[whats-rambled-rambled]

Long Nights - part 7

Neil x Reader

Chapter 7: Wicked game

(see chapter 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1)

summary: it’s time to come back to life, and sometimes it involves Neil dragging you to a social event

warnings: 18+, language, alcohol mention (beer is considered alcohol, right?)

author’s note: 3k words. It’s not exactly what I had in mind for that chapter, but they have a mind of their own, as always. 

Almost there.

The song for this part is Stone Sour - Wicked Game (acoustic, live)

Enjoy and let me know what you think, please? All feedback is greatly appreciated.

——————

Tag list: @cxnnienikas​ @neutron-stars-collision​ @ergunbilge​ @invertedneil​ @wanderedaway​ @i-wanna-b-yours​ @wonderwoman292​ @buckysgoldenheart​ @townmoondaltwistle @theriverbeneaththeriver​ (please let me know if you want to be added/removed from the list)

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It didn’t matter how many times you saw him do that, the effect the sight had on you was pretty much always the same. Filling your mind with thoughts that were quite counterproductive, one could say.

The veiny patterns covering hands and forearms. The long fingers running through the buttons. The tilted chin, extending the neck, drawing attention to that impossible jawline. The slight pout. The brows drawn together in concentration--

You smacked your tongue and shook your head

“Y’know what, those shirts of yours are so rude, but the way you wear them, the rolled-up sleeves?”

Neil looked at you through the reflection in the mirror, puzzled. “What about them?”

“Abso-fucking-lutely disrespectful,” you sighed heavily and leaned against the door frame.

Playful lights danced in the blue eyes. “Oh yeah?” he teased, giving himself a final glance-over before turning to you. “And what you’re gonna do about it?”

“Nothing,” - you shrugged, crossing your arms - “because you insist on dragging me to a social event.”

The faint resentment ringing in your last words didn’t get lost on Neil.

“So boring of me,” he said as he closed the gap between you, trying to keep a straight face. He put his hands on your waist and smirked. “But maybe after that we can come back here and continue the conversation.”

As you fixed his collar, a shade of smile hid in the corner of your mouth.

“Really wanna listen to me listing all the things that drive me mad about you, huh?” you asked smugly, gliding your fingertips along the delicate stripes of the greyish beige shirt.

Neil’s thumbs brushed over your hip bones as he hummed, “I have a feeling it might lead to a rather pleasant conclusion.”

When you let out an amused scoff, his lips captured the snarky comment that was bound to follow. He pulled you closer and lifted you up, and the next second you were sitting on the edge of a vanity cabinet, breathless from the kiss, tugging at the striped shirt.

A buzz right next to you.

You jumped, startled, and glared at the phone. “Is it too late to tell Matthias the Uber driver that we’re not going anywhere?” you asked without too much hope as you nuzzled your face to Neil’s neck, breathing in his scent, unwilling to let this moment end too quickly.

Neil chuckled and stroked your arms. “Come on, it’s gonna be fun.”

You still didn’t know where he was taking you - he’d assured you that it would be casual, and that was basically all you cared about. He knew you enough, and you trusted his judgement, after all.

“It better be,” you pouted, pulling back, but as soon as you met the bright blue eyes your heart sang in your chest. After spending all that time in the darkness, not sure if you’d ever see his face again, you caught yourself taking an extra second every now and then, just looking at him. How the light played on his features, now soft in the elaborately illuminated hotel bathroom. How his lips curled whenever he found your gaze. How utterly stunning he was.

Smiling gently, you ran your fingers through Neil’s disheveled mane, taming the blonde mess if ever so slightly.

“Let’s not keep Matthias waiting, then,” you sighed and slid off the cabinet.

-------

The afternoon was quite warm for late autumn. As you were arriving at your destination, you watched the sun shining through the scarce leaves left on the trees, adding vibrance to their colours. Too mesmerized to pay attention to the route, you recognized the place only when the car stopped. The training site. You turned to Neil in confusion, but he just wiggled his brows and proceeded to thank the driver and got out of the car. You followed him out and right through the gate of the now-empty paintball outdoor facility which served as a front for the agency’s base, hidden a bit further inside the forest.

“Picking up something on the way?” you asked, matching his pace as you strolled towards the training grounds.

Neil shook his head and smiled mysteriously. “Not really.”

“Alrighty then, keep your secrets,” you snorted, rolling your eyes. “Aren’t we a tad overdressed for a little playground fun, though?”

“A rematch?” he pondered and smirked. “Didn’t plan on that, but it’s tempting.”

Indeed. “I’m kinda out of shape, but keep those baggy trousers on and I’m game - wanna beat you fair and square again.”

Neil let out an exasperated huff. “Baggy?! They might be a bit loose but --”

You giggled at his offended expression as he got busy looking down at the target of your remark, ready to defend his fashion choice. Your laughter was enough to stop Neil in his tracks, and when he met your playful gaze, he reached out and drew you into his arms for a tight hug. After a brief moment of perplexity, you eased into his embrace, moved by the force of sudden affection.

When he pulled back, you touched his cheek. “What was that for?” you asked, searching the blue eyes, but finding nothing but joy there.

“Being cheeky.” He scrunched his nose while tapping the tip of yours. “And brilliant,” he added, and for a second you were sure there was something else he wanted to say; instead, he laid a gentle kiss on your lips. “And maybe stalling a minute longer before I’d have to share you with all these people.”

You gaped at him, about to ask what people, but Neil already grabbed your hand and led you around the corner of the building - and you heard them even before you spotted them.

“Oi, there they are!”

“Finally!”

“We’ve just considered sending a rescue party in case you got lost in the woods!”

The unexpected eruption of cheers and greetings made your fight-or-flight reflexes kick in, but as you instinctively took a step back, Neil squeezed your fingers reassuringly.  

A split-second exchange of looks.

All right?

When he saw your tiny nod, he let go of your hand, focusing on the team gathered at the makeshift chillout zone. “Not everyone has your poor sense of directions, Seb,” retorted Neil, flashing his teeth in a grin.

The young man’s protests got drowned in laughter as you approached the group together.

"Luckily not the case with our rogue here,” said Ives, elbowing his way in between other people. He shot you both a disapproving look, toned down by a smile dangling in the corner of his mouth. "Really, roofs? Didn't know you had it in you, mate."

"Me neither,” admitted Neil, going in for a clasp of hands and a brief hug. “When I saw that gap, I was sure that was it. Someone convinced me otherwise."

“The secret is to avoid looking down,” you shrugged, meeting the commander's amused gaze.

"Thanks for bringing our favourite nerd back in one piece." As Ives extended his hand, there was something serious about his expression, mixed with a sense of relief, and you realised he must have been in the response team Neil had called for help.

“My pleasure.” Beaming, you shook his hand. “Thanks for providing backup.” And scraping me off the pavement.

Neil’s gasp was almost theatrical. He smirked and nudged Ives lightly. “Aw, I’m your favourite?”

“Careful, that privilege may be revoked any minute,” grunted Ives in a weak attempt at keeping up appearances, but he couldn’t fool anyone. Now that you had a chance to observe them in the after-hours situation, the bond between the two men was clear as day, and your heart warmed up at the thought.

Waving back at Mahir, you scanned the group for other familiar faces. Wheeler, a couple of people you recognized from the HQ halls, and a bit isolated from the others - the big man himself, manning the barbecue station.

Overwhelmed by the attention you got from the team, you excused yourself and walked up to The Protagonist. You couldn’t help but smile at the confident vibe he radiated with as if he spent every weekend doing nothing but this.

“So dad of you, boss.”

He flopped a sizzling piece of meat to the other side, glancing at you humorlessly.

“How are you feeling?” he asked with polite concern.

“Grand, healed up nicely, thank you.” You circled your shoulder and grinned. “Not in a marathon condition, mind you, but that’s not exactly new.”

“That’s good, Neil was worried about you.”

Not sure if it was the lack of eye contact or something else in his presence, but you decided to stop ignoring the gut feeling.

“You don’t like me,” you said, tilting your head. A mere statement of the fact; you weren’t hurt, only curious. “It’s okay, you don’t have to, just been wondering why.”

TP sighed heavily. And when he finally met your gaze, the dark eyes were sad, only deepening your confusion.

“I’m sorry.” Then something cracked and a shiver ran down your spine, because suddenly, in front of you there was a man who’d seen a lot, suffered too much, and cared even more. The weight of it all slumped his shoulders, and for a short while, he seemed almost helpless. Taking a quick look at the hollering group, he sighed again. “It’s not your fault, it’s--“ he hesitated, searching for the right words. As he found them, there was no sign of the vulnerability from a moment earlier. “It’s a stressful business.” He sent you a crooked smile. “And I’m still mad about that watch.”

The lie was obvious. But the things you saw in his eyes made your chest clench painfully, and…did you really want to know?

Besides, that might have been a truce offering, and you weren’t bent on holding a grudge. Not with him, anyway.

“Hey, wasn’t it technically your idea?” you grinned, shrugging off the weird sense of dread.

A smile finally reached the dark irises. “I guess it was,” he admitted and patted you on the arm. “There’s some beer in the mini-fridge, could you --”

“On it.”

When the clank of bottles sealed your peace treaty, you caught Neil’s happy stare. You pointed at the beer in your hand in a question and he nodded, so you grabbed one more and joined him and the others.

That unfortunate mission must have been some sort of rite of passage in these guys’ eyes because out of the blue, you were no longer an outsider. The Cavalry accepted you with open arms as one of their own, and you couldn’t wrap your head around it. It was a nice feeling, though. Like you belonged. You saw some curious glances, but they came from a good place, and even the suspicious voice in your mind gave in under the cordial, jovial energy of the group.

Soon enough, you were joking with a young medic, having a balancing stand-off with Wheeler, or listening to crazy stories from some old operations, until everyone had enough booze in their systems that allowed them to direct some of the questions to you, as well.

“So is Neil a decent locksmith now?”

You puffed out your cheeks in a musing grimace, but when you spotted Neil’s raised brow, you started laughing. “I’d say even more than decent. Honestly? I don’t think there’s much more that I can teach him, he needs to polish his skills in real life now.” Mocking a teary sniff, you added, “They grow up so fast!”

Nobody would know that you did so while actively ignoring a faint sting in your heart.

You refrained from meeting the attentive blue eyes, though. Just in case.

“Oh cool, then what about a little contest?” Seb clapped his hands cheerfully. “You versus Neil, we could time you, and to make it fairer we could put a blindfold on you --” as he stopped for a breath, he realized - with some help from Wheeler’s elbow to his side - the slight faux pas.

But you barely acknowledge a curse and a mumbled apology cutting through the awkward silence, too busy exchanging amused looks and stifled giggles with your student.

“Neil, would you like to explain?” you asked, schooling your features.

He bowed his head as if he was accepting a great honor. “Gladly.” Neil took a deep breath and his eyes lit up. “See, my dear friend, had you known anything about lockpicking, you’d learnt that sometimes it’s easier to do that with, for example, your eyes closed. You need to listen to what the lock has to say because it’s all about feedback--”

You watched as Neil gave a full lecture, citing your own words from what seemed to be a lifetime ago. He did it with passion and understanding of the craft you’d never dreamed to see in someone else, and yet was so familiar when it came to him. Absentmindedly, you placed a hand over your chest, as if it was enough to stop it from bursting.

You couldn’t be more proud.

Neil finished his rant and looked at you, only to be met with all the appreciation and validation in your gaze, and he beamed even wider.

“All right, damn, we can cover Neil’s eyes then,” sighed Seb, a total resignation in his voice sparking a roar of laughter from the group.

----

As much as you enjoyed the energy of the team, your social batteries were getting drained, and you needed a moment for yourself before you could carry on.

Walking right outside of the periphery of light from the garlands, you let your gaze slide across the training equipment, now barely visible in the moonless night. The leaves crumbled under your feet as you smiled at the memories. Maybe one day you would actually complete the full run? You pulled on the sleeves of your sweater, hiding your hands from the cold evening air.

“Mind if I join you?”

You glanced over your shoulder at Neil, keeping his distance, ready to give you space. With him, it was always in the details he’d picked along the way, effortlessly weaving them into everyday life. “Not at all.”

Neil perked up and joined you in the shadows, inhaling deeply.

“Funny how the scent of the forest changes with the seasons,” he mused and you grinned, turning his way.

“That’s what I call a pick-up line,” you snickered and drew a long breath. “But you’re right, it’s too easy to forget that once you become a permanent city creature.”

He chuckled and lightly rubbed his hands up and down your arms.

“Are you warm enough?” he asked softly, fixing your oversized scarf.

“Yeah.” You brushed your cheek against his fingers, longing for his touch, now that you were somewhat hidden from the prying gazes. “You?”

Neil moved closer and wound one arm around your waist, then cupped your face gently, pressed his forehead to yours, and murmured, “Now I am.”

You hummed happily and slid your hands under his open jacket, resting them at his chest, and closed your eyes. Only then realizing how tense you were, you relaxed in his embrace, savoring his closeness. A steady heartbeat under your palms. The warmth carrying undertones of Neil’s cologne. A featherlike graze of his thumb over your cheek. His nose nudging yours.

But soon enough, you had to break a stolen moment. Trying to stifle a yawn, you hid your face in his shoulder to muffle the sound.

“Oh, my poor baby,” he cooed, biting back a giggle. “That tired?”

“I’m fine,” you mumbled against him on the verge of another yawn.

“Sure you are.” He kissed your temple. “The party’s almost over anyway, judging by decreasing amount of idiotic ideas per hour. Gonna call us a cab soon, all right?”

As you nodded, Neil tightened a hug and reluctantly let you go.

“Be right back, I’ll check if there’s any coffee left,” you said, gesturing towards the tables with beverages.

As your luck would have it, there was just enough for one sip.

A sudden sneer was enough to wake you up, though.

“Hell froze over.”

Mahir walked up to the mini-fridge to grab a beer and you met his mocking stare with furrowed brows.

“Vincent must be chattering his teeth now,” you joked, unsure where the conversation was heading. “Why?”

Mahir scoffed at the remark about your old associate, but he was still studying you closely, confusing you further. “Congratulations, by the way.”

“Dude, you’re killing me today,” you sighed, wiping a hand through your face. “Thanks, but what for?”

“You and Neil?”

And when you shot him a puzzled look, he waved his bottle at the place where you stood together a moment before.

Breaking out in a cold sweat, you deadpanned, “Oh.”

Bloody hell.

“I thought you weren’t doing the whole love thing anymore.”

The pulse pounded in your ears, although not loud enough to tune out the sirens blazing in your head.

No.

It came out harder than you felt it. “I’m not.”

No, no, no, no, no.  

Mahir grimaced doubtfully. “Uh-huh.” He looked over your shoulder at the team gathered together in the distance and raised a brow. “Does he know that?”

You couldn’t force yourself to follow his gaze. The panic drained your face of all colour, and that was enough of an answer for your friend.

“I see.” Mahir shook his head, losing the enquiring manner. His features softened as he patted your arm. “Neil’s a good guy.”

Please, no.

“They always are,” you choked out bitterly.

Not again.

“You know what I mean,” insisted Mahir, searching for your eyes.

That the history was not gonna repeat itself?

...or that he didn’t deserve any of it?

“Yeah. Maybe.” You faked a smile. “Excuse me.”

Pushing past him, you went inside the building. You needed to be alone.

Oh, the irony.

Weeks of deliberately avoiding the topic. Tricking yourself into thinking that you can keep it casual. That it didn’t matter that much. That it was nothing but a self-indulgent fling.

You couldn’t breathe.

Lesson learnt, huh?

Barging into one of the restrooms, you got to a sink. Clenching your hands on the cold ceramic, you fought nausea tearing through your body.

Pathetic.

The gasp for air turned into a sob.

...and then everything went quiet.

You raised your eyes to the mirror.

Your reflection was staring back at you with determination.

It was time.

(next chapter ->)

[allthingsfangirl101]

A Family Circus–Phillip Carlyle

Masterlist

Request by @faithie-brock-gillespie01​

I placed my hand over my stomach, eager to tell Phillip what the doctor just told me. Phillip and I have known each other our entire lives. Our families were really close and we grew up together.

We finally realized we were in love when we were in high school. We were already inseparable but after we started dating, no one could tear us apart. Eighteen months after high school we got married and a year after that we had our son, Daniel. It's been four years and we were having another baby.

The entire trolley ride home, I eagerly bounced my knee. As we rode through town, all I could think is, "How have I been pregnant for three months and didn't know?"

"First child?" A lady across from me asked.

"I'm sorry?" I asked.

"Not to pry," the woman giggled, "but the way you're rubbing your stomach is kind of a giveaway."

"No," I chuckled. "Actually, she would be our second. We have a four-year-old son."

"Well, congratulations."

As she turned her attention back to her book, I looked down at my stomach. When the trolley finally came to my stop, I looked over and immediately saw Phillip and our son, Daniel, waiting for me. I smiled when Phillp picked up Daniel and pointed at me. I bit my lip, forcing myself to stop the happy tears as Daniel eagerly waved at me.

I got off the trolley and walked over to my husband and son. Daniel practically jumped out of Phillip's arms and ran to me. I leaned down and picked him up.

"Mommy!" Daniel said loudly as he hugged me. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, baby," I chuckled as I kissed his forehead.

"Please don't let Daddy make me lunch," Daniel pouted.

"And why is that?" I asked glancing at Phillip.

"Apparently," Phillip sighed as he walked over and grabbed my bag from me, "I don't make peanut butter and jelly sandwichs as well as you do."

I laughed as I leaned over and kissed Phillip. He draped my bag over his shoulder, grabbed my hand, and led us through town.

"So, how was the doctor? Did she find out what's been going on with you?" Phillip asked.

I glanced at Daniel in my arms and sighed. "Maybe we should talk at home."

Phillip looked over at me, his eyes wide. He pulled on my hand, stopping me.

"What?" He asked, his voice cracking. "Is something wrong? Are you. . . Is it. . ."

"Phillip," I said gently. "It's nothing bad, I promise."

I smiled as Phillip let out the breath he was holding. "Don't scare me like that, Y/N. For a second I thought I was going to lose you."

"You will never lose me." I leaned over and pressed my lips to his. I giggled into the kiss as Phillip immediately started kissing me back.

"Ew!!" Daniel giggled. Phillip and I laughed as he pushed us apart.

"Daniel, baby, you know Mommy and Daddy will always be here for you, right?" I asked as we started walking home.

"Of course," Daniel said, slightly oblivious to the tense moment we just had. "You're my Mommy and Daddy. You love me."

"Yes," Phillip chuckled, "we do."

                       * * * * *

After Daniel went down for his nap, Phillip and I sat down to have our conversation.

"Okay," Phillip said. "What did the doctor say?"

"I'm pregnant."

"What?!" I giggled as he stood up and pulled me to my feet, wrapping his arms tightly around me.

"I'm sorry," he said as he let me go. "I shouldn't lift you and spin you around. In fact, you shouldn't have carried Daniel the whole way home. How far along are you? Did Dr. Amiee tell you when you're due? I think we still have most of Daniel's baby stuff. Then again, all the clothes are for a baby boy. What if it's a girl? Maybe Barnum has some leftover clothes from his daughters we can borrow. Or we can buy our baby new clothes. The circus is doing well and the profits are great. I can talk to him when I go to the circus tomorrow."

"Phillip," I cut him off. "Baby, breathe."

"Sorry," he laughed. "I just. . . I feel like I panicked when you were pregnant with Daniel and I wanted to be more prepared this time."

I grabbed his hand and led him back over to the couch, making him sit next to me.

"Dr. Aimee said that I'm three months pregnant. She thinks that this pregnancy shouldn't be too different from our first. My body should react the same way it did when I was pregnant with Daniel. There is one big difference though."

"I'm not the father?" Phillip joked. I sent him a look that made him laugh.

"Don't even joke about that."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," he said as he leaned over and pressed a kiss to my cheek. "What's the big difference?"

"We're having a girl this time."

"Really?" He gasped, his eyes filling with tears. "We're having a little girl? You're carrying my daughter?"

"Yes," I giggled. "We're having a little girl."

Phillip leaned back and smiled. I could tell he was imagining things from the far off look I'm his eyes and the way he was subconsciously rubbing my palm as he held my hand.

"I'm going to have a Daddy's Little Girl."

                       * * * * *

I held Daniel's hand as we walked to the circus. Phillip doesn't know that we were planning on surprising him with dinner. As we got close to the circus, I held Daniel's hand tighter.

The group of men waiting outside the circus has been getting bigger, louder, and drunker. I ignored their taunts as I guided Daniel inside.

"Where's Daddy?" He asked, bouncing on his toes.

"I'm not sure, baby," I answered as I scanned the room. "He should be around here somewhere."

We walked backstage, stopping to say hello to the people we passed as we searched for Phillip. As we went up to his office, we heard some yelling outside. Daniel looked up at me but I just smiled.

"Are those people outside mad?" He asked as we finally got to Phillip's office.

"Yes, baby," I sighed.

"Why are they so mad?" Daniel asked innocently. I looked down at my son and wished there was a simple answer for him.

Instead, I said, "Well, they don't like the circus."

"Why not? It's fun!" Daniel giggled when we saw Lettie walking up the stairs. She waved before disappearing into her dressing room.

I opened the door to Phillip's office but it was empty. I walked in and looked at Daniel. We sat and waited, but Phillip never showed.

"Mommy?" Daniel said, looking up from his toys. "Can we eat yet? I'm hungry."

I checked the clock on the wall and sighed. I reached into my bag and grabbed Daniel's sandwich.

"You can start eating, baby. I'm going to try and find Daddy."

I stood up and was about to grab the door handle when the door was pushed open.

"Y/N," Lettie gasped. Her eyes glanced down at Daniel and they filled with tears. "We gotta go."

"What's going on? Where's Phillip?"

"I don't know," she stuttered, "but the building is on fire."

Phillip's POV

My heart jumped into my throat when I saw the building on fire. I looked around and started taking a headcount.

"Phillip!"

I turned my head to see Lettie holding Daniel as she ran over to me. Daniel had tears streaming down his cheeks as he reached out to me.

"Daddy!" He cried out. I instant took him from Lettie, holding him close to me as I kissed his head.

"What are you doing here?" I asked softly as I moved some hair out of his face.

"Mommy wanted to bring you dinner. We thought it would be fun," he said through his tears. My eyes widened as I looked back at Lettie.

"Y/N's here?" I asked, my breath getting caught in my throat. "Where is she?"

"She sent me out with Daniel while she. . . I'm so sorry, Phillip," Lettie tried to explain.

"She's still inside?" I stuttered.

"Yes," she said, her voice cracking. "I'm so sorry, honey."

"Can you watch him?" I asked as I put Daniel down. I was about to run inside, but a small hand grabbed mine and stopped me.

"Daddy, don't leave me!" Daniel cried. "I'm scared. What's happening? Where's Mommy? Why is everyone running around? Why is it so hot? Is Mommy okay?"

I knelt down and grabbed my son's shoulders. "Mommy is inside and Daddy is going to go get her."

"You're leaving me?" He asked, his voice breaking as his lips started to quiver. I sighed as I pulled him into my chest.

"Stay with Lettie, okay? I'll be right back." I kissed his forehead, my lips lingering on his skin.

I stood back up and turned towards Lettie. Before I could say anything, she grabbed Daniel's hand and nodded. I started to run into the building but I was stopped again.

"What are you doing?" Barnum asked as he stopped me from running inside the burning building.

"Y/N's stuck inside," I said quickly. I was about to run inside but he stopped me again.

"Stay here."

Before I could say or do anything, Barnum ran inside the circus. I looked over when I heard Daniel calling out to me. He ran away from Lettie and jumped into my arms. I held him close to my chest as he sobbed.

"Is Mommy going to be okay?" He asked through his sobs.

"She's going to be just fine," I said, trying to reassure him and myself. "Mr. Barnum went to get her. He'll bring her to us soon."

I held my breath as I waited for any sign of Y/N and Barnum. The longer it took Barnum to find Y/N, the more worried I got. We all seemed to be holding our breath as we waited outside.

Y/N has been like a mother to everyone in the circus. Even though we didn't pay her, she still comes as much as she can and helps out wherever it's needed.

My breath got caught in my throat when I saw Barnum carrying Y/N out of the building. Emergency personal ran over to them and met them halfway.

"Daniel, stay with Lettie," I said as I put him down.

"But Mommy. . ." He stuttered.

"I got her," I tried to reassure him. "Stay with Lettie."

I ran over and knelt next to Y/N. With shaking hands, I reached over and moved a piece of hair out of her face.

"Is she going to be okay?" I asked, my voice barely audible.

"She has a lot of smoke in her lungs but she should be alright," the EMT explained. "As long as she doesn't have any medical concerns or. . ."

"She's three months pregnant," I cut him off.

"She is?" I heard Barnum ask but I was too focused on the EMT getting Y/N connected to oxygen.

The EMTs started talking to each other as they worked faster. I felt numb as they lifted her and gently carried her to the ambulance. Barnum knelt next to me, clearing his throat to get my attention.

"So, Y/N's pregnant?" He asked, trying to lighten the tension.

"Yeah," I said, my voice barely working.

"How far along is she?"

"About three months."

"That's great!" He chuckled. "Do you know the sex yet?"

I cleared my throat as I nodded. "It's a girl."

"That's wonderful news," he chuckled. When I didn't respond, I heard him sigh. He gently grabbed my shoulder, forcing me to look away from the retreating ambulance.

"Phillip," he said. "Y/N and the baby are going to be just fine. I know it."

"If something. . . If she. . . If we lose. . . It'll be because I didn't protect my wife."

"Phillip," Barnum sighed. "The fire wasn't your fault. Those rioters set it and you didn't know that Y/N was there until Lettie ran outside with Daniel."

"But what if. . ."

"No more what if's," Barnum chuckled. "Y/N's a strong girl, Phillip. And if your daughter is anything like her, she's gonna be just as strong."

                       * * * * *

I decided to leave Daniel with Y/N's mom when I went to the hospital to see her. I wasn't sure how Y/N looked and I didn't want him to see her like that. I followed the doctor down the hallway, my breath getting stuck in my throat when we finally stopped outside a door.

"She's right in here," the doctor said kindly. "She's a little groggy but she's fine."

"And the baby?" I barely got my question out.

"Your daughter is perfectly healthy. The smoke did a little damage on Mom but absolutely none on the baby."

"Thank you," I said, letting out the breath I've been holding since the fire. The doctor nodded before heading to aide another patient. I turned back towards Y/N's room and hesitated. I took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

"Come in," I heard weakly from inside. The second I open the door and my eyes met Y/N's, she smiled.

"Phillip."

I quickly walked inside and sat next to her bed. I immediately leaned over and pressed my lips to hers. I felt her smile as she kissed me back. I broke the kiss and leaned my forehead against hers.

"What were you thinking?" I whispered. "I know how much you care about the circus and the people but you could've. . ."

"Phillip," she cut me off. I leaned back and looked into her eyes. "Is Danny okay?"

"He's fine," I said. "Lettie got him out of the building and he's with your mother now."

"Good," she said, letting out a sigh of relief. "What about. . ."

Y/N's eyes filled with tears as she gently placed her hand over her stomach. I reached over and placed my hand over hers.

"The baby is just fine," I whispered.

"Really?" Y/N asked, her voice breaking.

"The baby takes after her mom," I chuckled. "Strong and too stubborn to get hurt. You and the baby are going to be just fine."

Y/N leaned her head against the pillow and closed her eyes. I reached forward and caught a tear that had started streaming down her cheek.

Her eyes fluttered open as she turned her head towards me. "I thought. . . If something had happened to you, Danny or our little girl, I don't think. . ."

"Y/N," I interrupted her. "We are all fine. Our family is still intact. Like it always will be."

"And the circus," she stuttered.

"Don't worry about the circus," I laughed as I shook my head. "Worry about you."

She reached over and grabbed my hand, immediately intertwining our fingers.

"I love you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. I leaned over and pressed my lips gently to hers.

"I love you too, Y/N."

[melyaliz]

Remember Me 9

Master List

Fandom: My Hero Academia

Pairing: Bakugo Katsuki x OC

Notes: I'm due in a little over a month... and it's the weirdest feeling.

All Masterlists @melyalizarchive​

Connect with me! AO3 / Instagram / Pinterest / Newsletter

DONATE

Check out my published work.

--------Olive---------

“Oh my god, I can’t breath” Olive giggled, crumbling into Eliott’s lap. Her husband smiled down at her gently playing with her hair.

“This is serious Olive!” Eliott said, his smile melting away to a very strained serious one. His dark brown eyes studying her face, “it’s the greatest story ever told. Guy dates a woman, woman’s ex is a mob boss who is involved in an illegal fashion, mob boss’s daughter almost gets killed. Now the guy must use his skills from the years of being in the other four movies to get revenge on his girlfriend’s daughter’s father. Tale as old as time “

“I’m just saying they should have killed the guy and the daughter could have gone full ninja killer and taken out her father and his gang.” Olive giggled, wiping her eyes from the tears of laughter that had been rolling down her cheeks.

“That would probably have been a better movie… but would it also have bad dummy shots?” her husband asked.

“Of course” sitting up inspiration struck, “I have an idea!” Eliott watched her as she sat straight up. “You write the action and I will write the romance.”

“How much romance will there be if the daughter is 12 years old.”

“Well romance and character stuff.” she shrugged, “And you can add in all the poorly done dummy blow-ups you want.”

“I will,” Eliott said nodded, “But only if I can use sex dolls.”

“Like, Hard Ticket to Hawaii? Oh, wait! Now hear me out” Olive giggled scooting up so she was now straddling her husband taking his hands in her own. A goofy smile spread across Eliott’s face as he weaved his fingers into her own.

“Oh are we at the wait stage of drunk Olive?”

“Shhhh” she giggled leaning forward slightly brushing her nose on his, “But really, this is serious.” Cleaning her throat for dramatic effect she continued, “a Hard Ticket to Hawaii Death Wish 4 crossover.”

“Oh girl,” Eliott said, his voice hitting a higher pitch on his girl . Olive giggled pushing herself forward so she was resting on his chest.

“I love you.”

“No way really?” Eliott gave a fake gasp  “That’s sooo weird because you know what? I love you too”

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

“ So just be ready,” Kirishima said, prepping the gang, “She’s… the same but different. ”

The group nodded in unison, game faces ready for whatever was coming. And that something was slowly walking toward when in the form of Bakugou and Olive.

Right off the bat it was obvious something was off. While they were holding hands it looked unnatural. Bakugou’s shoulders were hunched and he seemed to be looking anywhere but at Olive who was talking in the city as if she had never walked down this street before. Her large hazel eyes taking in everything, mouth slightly open.

“Olive! Bakugou!” Kirishima said, waving. At the sound of his voice, Olive looked up and waved, a smile on her face as she looked over at the group of others standing with them. Her eyes intently taking everyone in as if searching for something that wasn’t there

“ Hello! ” she said as they both stood there awkwardly. Hands had been let go and now hanging at their sides. Limp as if unsure what to do.

There were a few more awkward nodes before Kirishima led them all inside toward the balcony seating, their usual stop. “T his place is amazing! ” Olive said looking around her eyes wide as she took in the atmosphere. Everyone froze as the blissfully unaware woman turned to her husband, “ How did you find this place Katsuki? ”

“ I didn’t, you did,” he said as everyone around him winched slightly. The awkwardness was so thick you could almost taste it, and it didn't taste good.

“Oh.” her voice soft as she bit her top lip looking down at her purple painted nails. She had found her polish that morning and had decided to try out the fun colors.

There was a long pause when Mina spoke up, “How’s Clare and Lilly and the others? ”

Olive blinked looking up, “ You know the girls? ”

“ Yeah, we have wine and Rupaul's Drag race nights. I think the last one we did was about a month ago wasn’t it? ” the last statement, more of a question than a comment.

“Uhhh” Olive shrugged unsure how to respond

“ She doesn’t remember it ” Kaminari mumbled to the little pinked haired girl. And again there was a lapse of awkwardness. Turning to Momo from across the table Olive pointed to her shirt.

“ I love your shirt so cute! ” she said, stumbling slightly over her words. Momo lit up pointing to the shirt that Olive had gotten Momo for the hero’s birthday. The words “Females are strong as hell” in English was written in script across the chest. She had gotten it because she always told Momo, who was the 4th hero and number 1 female, that she was the most badass out of everyone (and that ranking didn’t mean shit). Also, they were both addicted to “Unbreakable Kimmy Shimitt”

“Thank you, I’m Momo '' the dark-haired hero said, noticing how much Olive was struggling trying to piece together who was who. Before they had come Momo and her fiancee Shoto Todoroki had decided to treat her like they had met for the first time. “ and this is Shodo, my fiancee .”

“I’m Mina! ” Mina said quickly and everyone else followed suit with a quick round of introductions.

“Yeah, I have pictures ” Olive lit up at the introduction. “The fair.”

“What picture did you have ?” Momo asked, leaning forward.

“This one of the fair? ” Olive said, holding up the phone leaning over the table to hand her the phone. Watching them Kirishima chuckled leaning toward Bakugou.

“Why are they across the table from each other?”

Bakugou shrugged, rolling his eyes, not shocked by the poor seating choices. After coordinating this whole night was he really now in charge of seating as well?

“Oh, that was so fun. ” Momo smiled looking at the photo. Memories of her trip to the US where Olive had given her the grand tour.

“ Oh is that the American Fair? What other pictures do you have? Do you have the one from when we all went to that spa? Do you have the one of us in those masks making the peace sign? What about... ” Mina was bursting with questions going way too fast for Olive to keep up. The poor girl’s smile looked slightly strained as she tried to look like she was understanding more than every other word from the excited pink haired girl.

“You’re going to fast for her! ” Bakugou barked out noticing the very overwhelmed look in his wife’s eyes, “ She's still learning .”

“Oh sorry Olive” Mina whispered looking down at her hands feeling her face flush.

“Don’t yell at her.” Olive said good naturally in English nudging Bakugou playfully with her shoulder. The blonde looked like the wind had been knocked out of him her words cutting him harder than he wanted to admit. “Which picture did you want to see Mina?”

Before the pink girl could respond the waiter came up to introduce herself and take drink orders.  A look of desperation came over Olive’s face as she looked down at the menu. Anxiety quickly flooded her system. The social pressure of trying to be normal while navigating a language she was still learning was extremely stressful. And this was besides the fact she had no idea what was good here or what she would like to order. Did she had a regular drink here? If so, what was it?

Desperately she looked down at the Japanese characters as if they would suddenly jump out and give her all the answers.

A large hand slammed over the menu making Olive lookup. Bakugou’s intense red gaze met her hazel one.

“I’ll order for you,” he said softly in English, more of a statement than an offer. His red eyes studding her as if reading all her thoughts. She smiled softly at him making him flush slightly looking away from her to the waiter ordering quickly.

“Thank you” she whispered, her hand gently brushing against his arm. Her fingertips leave a trail of goosebumps in their wake. It felt like her touch was fire.

Quickly he rubbed his arm as if he could put out the flames that were licking at his skin.

Fuck. He had it bad.

“Yeah well you looked so lost.” he grumbled looking away turning to Kirishima who was intently watching the conversation with the most annoying smile on his face. “ What are you looking at? ” Struggling Kirishima’s annoying smirk didn’t fade but he offered no explanation for his expression.

Typical.

Lucky for Bakugou the conversation shifted to other things. Work, life, weird food Kaminari had tried last week on his trip to Bermuda.

Olive quickly picked up her conversation with Momo about the place she was looking into for her wedding and life in general. Since they were - as Kirishima had pointed out- sitting across the table from each other, Olive had to basically lean up over the top of the table to shout of the music that was playing in the background.

Bakugou couldn’t help but frown watching as his wife literally looked like she was crawling over. Her eyes bright as the two talked. It was the most enthusiastic she had been in a long time.

“If you want to be with her so bad go sit over there, ” he said, it came out much harder than he had meant it to be. But he was annoyed and sometimes -ok most times- had a hard time masking his emotions. Olive blinked looking up at him confused for a moment before getting up from her seat moving over - much to Momo’s delight- to sit down next to her. He could see her pulling out her phone probably to show off pictures of Dolemite. Or maybe to ask more about the people who littered it. He could tell she felt awkward about asking him those questions. Knowing it hurt.

But also he wanted her next to him. To feel her next to him. To know she was still there with him.

“ OMG I love this song !” Mina squealed as a song came on.

“ Let’s dance, ” Momo said, getting up knowing Olive loved to dance. Normally she was the one dragging the girls onto the floor. At the promise of dancing Olive lit up as she stood to follow them. However before she left she glanced over at Bakugou, as if checking in with him.

“Why are you looking at me? Go!”

Olive flashed him a wide smile before following the girls into the crowd. The other two girls grabbed her laughing as they swayed with the music. Not having to talk just laughing and enjoying each other’s company. The universal girl code of good music and alcohol.

Three songs later and she was slowing down, taking a moment to breathe looking around the dance floor.

And that was when she thought she saw him.

Long blonde hair pulled up in a man bun. A basic flannel shirt, on the shorter side with broad shoulders leaning on the bar, his back to her.

Eliott

Her brain zoned in on it, for a second she forgot he was dead. Forgot he was gone.

That first month after his death she saw him everywhere. Heard his laugh. Sensed his presence. Slowly it had gotten better. His presence slowly fading from the bright sun of the day to the dark of night or in those first moments when she was waking up. And even more recently his presence had slowly faded. Her brain too busy trying to understand this whole new life she was living to focus on the loss.

But as the man turned and she saw it was clearly not him something washed over her. Hit her right in the face crushing her inside.

She didn’t even realize she was crying until Momo came up and hugged her.

“What happened?” she whispered in English as Olive raised her hands to her face trying to stop the tears. But they wouldn’t stop. Her chest so heavy it felt like her whole body was filled with sadness and the only way out was through her tears.

“I just… I thought… I saw Eliott.” she hiccuped, “I’m sorry… I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?” Momo asked, frowning as she studied Olive. Mina, whose English was not as good, hovered around them both rubbing Olive’s shoulder trying to understand what had happened.

“I just… can't stop crying.” Olive sobbed trying to take deep breaths to gain control of herself.

“It’s been a lot for you.” Momo said, “come here” she hugged the girl for a moment before pulling away.

“ It’s ok to miss someone. ” Mina said, holding out a napkin she had grabbed from the bar.

“Yeah and for you it’s been very recent.”  Monmo added nodding

“I just feel guilty… Katsuki.” Olive fumbled through the words trying to explain all the emotions that were swerling like some muddy concoction in her chest.

“ Oh Bakugou can get over it. ” Momo said, waving her hand trying to keep her words simple so both girls could understand what she was saying, “ he gets all moody but he really cares about you. ”

“ Yeah, the first time I met you he was so… relaxed. ” Mina said, trying to find the right words, “ None of us had ever seen him that way before. ”

“ He was happy. ” Momo nodded, “ He will be fine, you need to focus on yourself.”

From across the bar Bakugou had lost sight of where the girls had gone. The crowd was getting thicker and thicker as the night had dragged on. He knew Olive would be safe with Momo and Mina there but still, he wanted to make sure she was ok.

And then he caught a glimpse of them. Standing at one of the far corners of the dance floor. Momo and Mina standing over Olive, hovering around her with concern on their faces. For a moment Mina moved and he could see Olive clearly, holding a small white napkin wiping her eyes.

Shit.

“ Hey bro where are you ?”

“ Just drink your beer. ” Bakugou interrupted Kirishima as he quickly made his way to the dance floor. Momo’s eyes met his and she shook her head but he didn’t care. Olive wasn’t Momo’s wife, she was his. They were supposed to be distracting her, not reminding her about her memory loss.

“Hey,” he said, reaching out for her. Olive turned eyes wide, still slightly glassy from her tears. Her makeup smudged. “Dance with me.” pulling her away from the girls who looked like they were about to protest. But one death glare from Bakugou told them not too.

He led her across the floor, his red eyes studying her as she took a few shaky breaths. Trying to compose herself. After a few moments her body slowly relaxed letting him lead as he felt her slowly lose herself in the music again.

“You dance?” she asked looking up at him.

“Depends.” he said shrugging

“Humm” she hummed, nodding like Eliott was what she was thinking. Eliott Eliott Eliott. Even Momo got more out of her than him. He felt like she was more comfortable around everyone but him. “You know” she said leaning forward resting her head on his chest catching him off guard. “I like to be with you too.”

He froze, his stomach clutching tightly, his breath coming out in a short gasp. She looked up at him with those hazel eyes studying him. “What you said about Momo, I like being with you too.”

“I heard you the first time” he said sharply only to soften quickly.

“I… I obviously liked being with you before or I wouldn’t have married you.” she added a genuine grin spreading across her face.

“That would make sense.” He said nodding as they swayed in the music both caught up in their own thoughts. Eyes meeting, dancing in the lights overhead. For a second it felt as if time stood still and Olive was sworn she wasn’t in real life but in some weird musical romcom. As if her whole life was some televised novel filled with hi-jinks and drama.

Caught up in the moment Bakugou gently leaned forward, his nose brushing hers before pausing. Her heart leapt into her throat at the soft intimate touch. Crimson eyes searching hazel for a moment before moving closer, his warm breath caressing her ear.

“Let me kiss you?”

- GET TAGGED -

Master List

Story Tag: @0hmydeku @inumorph @it-jinxed-us @myraticm

[boop-le-snoot]

masterpost ☀️ main masterlist ☀️ taglist

previously on...

Chapter 5. We have stucky, we have stevesambucky friendship, we have a new place to live and strange being a good guy because tony definitely ranted at him. Also, we're beginning the creepy part of the plot. I have decided that sam will be one of the main platonic characters in this story because I love sam.

fun fact: I used to be a creepypasta writer! Going back to my roots here, hehe.

Things had stated changing, for better or worse, much sooner than I had been prepared for - but was anyone, ever, really ready for the next big step? Certainly not me - the view that greeted me after I'd finished my shift at Jeremy's was peculiar and unexpected, so I froze, eyebrows high at the two super-soldiers parked, once again, illegally, right in front of the entrance door.

"Hi, doll," Bucky was reclined against his boyfriend comfortably, his bike standing a pace behind Steve's, who nodded companionably, a sheepish grin on his face.

"G'day," I nodded, eyeing them warily. "I think I know where this is going..."

"No, no, nothing like that," both men frantically waved their hands around, Steve coming up close to approach me slowly. "You're not in trouble. I came out here to say thanks," giving a sappy look to the grouch that was his boyfriend, Steve reached into his pocket and handed me a slip of paper. "Just, uh..."

"Those are our phone numbers. Don't hesitate to give either one of us a call if someone bothers you," Bucky took over the stammering blonde, shaking his head at the soft blush that blossomed on the good captain's face. The brunette wrapped an arm around Steve's shoulders with a shy smile of his own. "Or if you, I don't know, need someone to carry your groceries or something," he snorted. "The punk wouldn't leave it alone until we came out personally to thank you, the sap."

The laughter bubbled up from my chest as I grabbed and pocketed the paper, throughly amused and at the endearing gesture. "Sure, thanks."

"And, uh," Bucky's eyes briefly looked to the side. "We'd appreciate if you keep the status of our relationship to yourself for now. We're not, like, officially out yet."

I froze in place, mouth falling open. Surely they were aware that anybody with a functional pair of eyes could see that they were much more than 'good, lifelong friends'. "No problem, guys. Lemme know if anyone gives you shit about it though, this place," I gestured to the café behind me, "is strictly paparazzi and homophobe-free."

Steve's grin grew even more genuine. "Yeah, we heard all about it from Tony and Stephen. Said 'twas the only place they go these days."

I wasn't aware of that. "It's the paps, isn't it?" I remembered Tony's remarks.

Bucky shook his head, the metals of his prosthetic arm whirring as it recalibrated. "Not only. The public hasn't had the best reaction to a man goin' out with a man," the brunette looked away to the side, where Steve's face had fallen considerably. "And Tony's an eccentric rich man. We're jus' two soldiers. The US Army won't be too happy if we... Came out," both men were crestfallen yet determined.

I had a hunch nothing would be able to separate the two - seeing as not even seventy-odd years and brainwashing and ice couldn't keep the captain and his sarge apart, I doubted that a few government weasels could successfully do the job. Even so, it was unpleasant, to say the least, to see them deny themselves something that technically was perfectly fine in the 21st century.

I chewed on my lip, gathering my wits. "I've clocked out, I can tell you this as a friend- as a person. You don't owe the army jack shit. They do not own you, you are your own person that they experimented their German knockoff steroids on. Respectfully, fuck that shit." I firmly stated my opinion, figuring that there should have been at least someone that told Steve that he is more than his star-spangled uniform and giant metal frisbee.

The blonde scrunched his eyebrows together, fingers gripping onto his belt until the knuckles went white, the hard line of his jaw set firm.

Bucky laugh took me by surprise. "Agreed, doll. I'm too old to be hiding in back alleys and shit," he clapped on his boyfriend's shoulder. "Although I'm happy enough with just not going to prison for bein' in love with this idiot."

"Jerk," Steve's responding pout was downright adorable now that I knew the circumstances surrounding their relationship.

Which wasn't exactly surprising. As a barista, I knew my fair share about my regulars' love lives, their jobs, their kids. The tea was almost always piping hot. "Bye, boys," I smiled at them warmly, throwing a glance at the time, adjusting the strap of my bag for comfort. "Stay outta trouble!"

Steve scrambled for his bike, having noticed my pointed gesture. "Sorry, didn't mean to hold you back. There, I have a spare helmet," he gestured behind him. "I'll give you a ride."

"There's no way in Hell I'm getting on that death trap!" I shouted cheerfully, walking briskly towards my second job, hiding a laugh in the warmth of my scarf as two very offended motorcycle-loving gay fossils sped past me, making truly incredible amounts of noise. Good for them.

Odette was content to let me rummage around the bodega without showing herself more than necessary, taking her appointments and doing- well, witch stuff, I guess, only coming out to poke at the various jars for ingredients.

"Star, I have a proposition for you," right before closing time, Odette's voice filled out the store with its low drawl. "A good friend of mine owns an apartment building, not far from here actually, and one tenant recently moved out. It's a safe space for those who are different," she enunciated the last word, fixing it with a pointed stare. "She's not overly fond of total strangers coming to live there. The rent is reduced and the apartment itself is slightly bigger and more fashionable than yours..."

"Where's the catch?" I found myself interrupting her. I wouldn't lie: the reduced rent and increased size of the apartment did interest me, as well as the probability of a kinder, more involved landlord. My current one was - not the best, but such was life in the NYC.

"There are a few rules to follow, rules that might seem strange at first but they'll make sense in time. And your neighbors might be also a little... Unusual," Odette carefully studied my face for any signs of displeasure.

I sighed.

And then I sighed some more as I was signing my new lease in a few days' time, having spoken with Porter, my new landlord, and his boyfriend who had claws and fangs- after so much time spent around Odette's, I didn't even blink. The couple liked me enough to extend a secure but flexible offer and some furniture to choose from the attic where they kept the spares.

I quite liked the large, vintage couch I placed next to the wide bow windows in the living room. The floors were hardboard and well-kept, the walls a nice, homely shade of green and Porter didn't mind any new holes in them that might arise from hanging up decorations. I scheduled a thrift crawl at the next possible opportunity, happy with the "good employee" bonus Odette had given me after I sealed the deal.

My stuff was boxed up, a sleepless night and a call to a begrudging Jeremy to have a couple of days off to move; I was, thankfully, not late on my schedule and all that I had left was to rent a car to move the boxes of my things and the few pieces of furniture I had decided to keep - my haul in Porter's attic had been incredibly rewarding and my new apartment had all the basics to make it look like a warm, inviting bohemian home in a while.

My phone rang suddenly, startling interruption to the romcom I was watching as I ate my last lunch in my old apartment. "Hello?" I answered the number without looking.

"Hi, doll," Bucky's voice rang out cheerful. "A little witch told me you were moving. I thought you might need a hand?"

I blanked momentarily, the thought of enlisting two very busy super-soldiers to haul ten boxes and two endtables worth of stuff not having crossed my mind at all. "Is this the moment when you stop by my house just to unattach and put your prosthetic arm somewhere and leave?" I asked, hearing distinctive snickering - several more people were with him.

The cheer in his voice blossomed into a full belly laugh. "You're funny," he teased me. "And thanks for the idea. But no, I have a room full of men that have nothing better to do but get on my nerves. Might as well make 'em useful," his accented drawl thickened the more we spoke. Muted cheers rang out in the background.

"Uh, sure," who was I to look a gift horse in the mouth? I rattled off my address and warned them I didn't have a car, after which Bucky assured me it will be taken care of. The last remaining knick-knacks packed away, I went down to take out the trash, and returned to four people standing in front of my apartment building, all except one unrecognisable in their civilian clothes. "Hello," I waved at them, side-eyeing the tallest, grumpiest man of the bunch.

Stephen Strange was there, looking around curiously, hands in the pockets of his plain grey hoodie. I had already forgotten how normal he looked without his robes, and, frankly speaking, I preferred him like that. His title and the attire that came with it were quite intimidating.

"Hey there," a dark-skinned man who I recognised to be the Falcon, raised his hand. I had not met him yet. "I'm Sam, Sam Wilson. You must be the Star we're helping?" His quick once-over and the tilt to his lips; the ease with which he flirted had me brandishing smirks of my own. I led them all upstairs, Stephen's silence being just so loud. Sam, however, had no such reservations. "So, you're a witch, right?" Wow, subtlety was his middle name.

"Yes, I'll show you my broomstick," I deadpanned, wiggling my eyebrows at him with a grim look.

"Woah woah," Sam raised his hands as the three men behind us snickered loudly. "What happened to 'how are you? let's have dinner sometime'?"

I did my best imitation of an evil cackle as I let them through my front door. The four newcomers looked around my nearly empty apartment with muted interest before zeroing in on the pile of things in the corner: a few pieces of furniture and nearly taped boxes. Should be a walk in the park for four men.

A hand on my arm pulled me from the stupor of observing Sam, Bucky and Steve act like a well-oiled trio, bantering and teasing each other as they discussed how to best move the things.

"Look," Stephen Strange had all the appearance of a chastised puppy. "I wanted to apologize for my behaviour that day. I was out of line," the low notes in his voice made the appearance of the apology being somewhat reluctant. Tony probably put him to it after our little burger run.

Irregardless, I wasn't looking to make any enemies. "Me too, I was under stress - not that I'm using it as an excuse," to give where it's due, I nodded at the sorcerer, immediately awestruck by the easy, boyish smile that stretched on his lips.

"You are strong," he added. "If you would like to learn our ways, we would welcome you." There was a spark in his eyes, something belonging to man that respected and collected knowledge. My own respect for him grew immensely just from that one thing.

"I'll think about it," I offered amicably, however, I still leaned heavily towards a negative answer to that particular proposition. I liked my current way of life.

Strange's grin made a momentary second appearance, until Sam's voice rang loudly: "Fire in the hole, Wizard-man," causing the former to groan loudly and look at me.

"Think about your new place for a second," he spoke, briefly touching out fingertips. As soon as that was over, a golden circle with my new living room on the other side of it appeared quietly, Strange's hands immediately going back into his pockets after that. I sighed and pointed the men into it, stepping in a second after. The sorcerer wasn't far behind. "You could learn that, too, you know," he added wryly, having seen my look of mild envy directed at him.

"I think I'll be good with having the 'pissed off the sorcerer Supreme and lived' pass for now," I retorted with an eyeroll, turning around to stare him down.

He had the decency to look somewhat sheepish, at least. "I'm not like my predecessor," his words were chosen carefully. "And, to be honest, I have no clue as to why your... Boss is so hostile towards me- us," Strange looked around the room before unceremoniously beelining for the couch and plopping down on it.

"Not to be a gossip," I started, slightly intrigued. "But Odette and some lady she called ancient had mad beef," I slipped into casual language easily, trying to recall the details of Odette's, quite often jumbled, stories. "Sounded almost like territorial disputes," I shrugged. "And the apprentices Odette took on before me found themselves in all kinds of compromising situations," I chewed on my lip. "Like the Arctic."

Strange rubbed his face with a noisy groan, large hands doing nothing to mask the resignation and slight embarrassment.

I focused on the thin, red scars on his hands - they had to have been something serious, the way slight tremors betrayed the deteriorating state of the nerves in his fingers. I frowned, quickly averting my gaze before he could catch me ogling him. The fact thag Stephen kept his hands in his pockets or covered by gloves at all times didn't go over my head.

He muttered something to himself, something that sounded like he was often forced to clean up his predecessor's mess. "I see," was the only thing he'd offered me, looking slightly pitiful and apologetic.

"Well," I started, noting the last of my stuff was about to be in its rightful place, "as long as you don't toss me into the ocean, I think we can coexist peacefully."

"Tony would kill me if I'd tried," Stephen groused.

"Probably," I agreed. "Considering the fact he hit on me, for you, it would make one hell of a lover's quarrel," my hand pointed towards the kitchen as Steve and Sam carried in the boxes aptly labeled "kitchen", looking around a place to put them down.

"Tony did what now?" Stephen's tone dropped, a wry smirk decorating his lips as he eyed me through his lashes.

"Don't ask me," I raised my palms, feeling my eyes widen. "He's chaos personified and Satan only knows what he's got on his mind."

That squeezed a laugh out of the tall man, followed by a fond, sappy smile as he looked out of my large, panoramic window, probably thinking of Tony himself. There was no doubt, Stephen Strange was utterly and throughly head over heels in love with Tony Stark. Good for them, good for them.

"A-and that's it," Bucky walked in, wiping his hands on a kitchen towel I'd provided them earlier. "I took some liberties and assembled the furniture, Steve is stacking the dishes as we speak," the brunette noisily plopped down next to me, arm carelessly thrown behind me on the back of the couch.

"Oh, um," I stammered, unused to such random gestures of kindness. "Thanks a lot, you saved me a day's worth of time and a backache," I smiled, scooting over to make some room for Sam.

"No problem, not like we had anything better to do than argue which part of the Lord of the Rings is the best," Wilson rolled his eyes, elbowing Bucky none-too-gently.

Bucky elbowed back, thus starting a horsing war between the two, causing me to scoot closer to Stephen as I attempted to avoid any flailing limbs; the sorcerer and I shared an identical, perplexed sigh as to how two grown men could easily bait each other into such juvenile behaviour.

Whatever. It was kind of endearing.

Steve emerged from the kitchen dusty but smiling, having heard the commotion, and quickly herded his guys into a semblance of decent behaviour before all of three of them left, leaving me and Stephen to go back to my old apartment and give the keys to it to the guard. That was done, too, and a portal from an alley behind my old building straight into my living room had me and Strange awkwardly hovering, saying out goodbyes and waving to each other as the golden circle rapidly shrunk in size and disappeared, golden sparks scattering across my living room carpet for a short second before they fizzled out, too.

I used the brief moment of respite to find the small piece of paper containing the rules Porter had insisted I read and take seriously; figuring it might be a good idea to give them a read before beginning to unpack, I popped open a bottle of soda, holding the itemized list written in neat cursive to my face.

The further I read, the further my eyebrows rose:

"1. Keep your door locked at all times.

2. If a person knocks on your door claiming to be the mail man, do not open the door under any circumstances. You are free to ignore the knocking - it only lasts a minute or so. After the person has left, you may open the door and check for any packages.

3. If Samantha from 3B visits you and asks you to babysit, you may do so at your personal discretion. Her twins are a handful and their daily habits are not for the ones with a weak stomach, however, they mean nothin ill and will not harm you in any way.

4. Do not use the elevator between the hours of 1 and 4 AM.

5. There are no apartments under number "7". If someone claiming to be from those apartments knocks on your door and requests entry, come up with a polite excuse to decline and send me a text message. I will take care of it.

6. There is no garden on the premises of this building. If a man approaches you, claiming to be a gardener, don't interact with him and simply walk away. He will leave you alone.

7. You may meet a girl in a polka-dot dress playing in the hallways or in the stairwell. This is Lucy. Always be polite to Lucy - you won't like what will happen if you're rude to her. She does not talk but she knows limited ASL and may request to visit you. Allow her in ONLY if you have fresh meat in your fridge (beef or mutton, preferably bloody). You might want to avoid seeing her eat, however, it might be very beneficial to make friends with Lucy. She knows a lot of things.

8. If, when taking the stairs, you encounter inconsistent numeration of the floors, such as floor 2 followed by floor 5 and etc, simply walk a flight back. It will sort itself out. The building is old and sometimes it gets confused.

Important notice: these rules apply to your guests as well. Please make sure to introduce and educate them on these matters. We will help as much as we can should a situation arise but ultimately, there are fates far worse than an untimely, however swift, death.

- Porter and Lance."

A slow, creeping dread began to gnaw at my nape, curling on like a cold snake deep in chest. As if laughing at me, the warm, welcoming embrace of the green walls and the toothy, wide smiles my landlords had given me encouraged my recently found sense of adventure, all of it mixing into a cacophony of exhilaration and unease, equally steadily driving my running brain insane.

I sighed again, immediately going to the box containing my altar and the rest of the protective items. So much for peace.

Taglist: @couldntbedamned @mikariell95 @letsby @sleep-i-ness @toomanyrobins @mostly-marvel-musings @persephonehemingway @schemefrenzy @lillsxd @bluecrazedandbeautiful @slothspaghettiwrites @xoxabs88xox

[libsterslobsters]

The Wanton Song

Summary: How do you broach the topic of sex with the 90-something super soldier you've found yourself dating? That's the reader's question. Luckily, she and Bucky are no strangers to awkward conversations...

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x fem!enhanced! Reader

(Reader can see bits and pieces of the future in visions and understands all languages)

Warnings: SMUT, tiny bit of angst, lotsa fluff, maybe some past dub!con if you squint

Author's note: Wow... here I am posting smut on the internet. Never thought that would happen. Tmi, but I'm married, so I have a good amount of sex 🙀 and I actually had a great first time, but some people don't, and that's what I tried to represent. That, and CONSENT!!!! Consent is sexy, y'all. Safe, sane and consensual all day every day.

As always, the reader's name isn't stated so that you can read as a self insert, but I've written so much at this point that I refer to the Reader as Violet in my own mind.

*************************************************

 Life has been going swimmingly these past few months. Better than ever before in fact, or at the very least, better than in a long time. She’s still a fugitive, living life looking over her shoulder, but now she has a steady job, a steady paycheck, and oh yeah, a steady boyfriend. Those three things have never aligned for her before (especially the last one). Overall, she’s pretty happy. But, because she’s her, there’s still a question niggling at the back of her mind.

 The transition from “you’re my only friend” to “we’re together now” went smoothly, helped in part by the fact that Barnes had been at that particular juncture the whole time. From the outside looking in, the only major changes have been the addition of those three simple but very key words and an upping the anti in the cuddles department.

 Speaking of cuddles, that’s a very mild term for what’s going on these days. It starts out innocent enough. The usual location is on the couch at one or the other’s apartment. There hadn’t been much distance between them since that first time where they ended up talking more than watching the movie playing from her laptop, but now, the space is nonexistent. As a general rule, within the first ten minutes, her legs somehow end up over his lap or in some way intertwined with is. The intention is always to pay attention to what’s on the screen but, well, when you’re that close, it would be rude not to snuggle up. And, when the other person looks that damn kissable, it would truly be insulting not to take the plunge.

 Now, considering the angle, one of them has to lean in. Otherwise, it would be awkward. That generally determines who, somewhere from two to ten minutes later, is on top of who. Of course hands wander, and even though it’s understood that the word “no” can be employed at any time and immediately obeyed (not to mention the copious amounts of “Is this okay”’s being asked), she can’t remember a time either of them have said it.

 If she had to attach a term to what comes next, it would be ‘dry humping.’ And then… nothing. It always ends far too soon, leaving her flustered and with her heart racing. At first she thought it was because he simply didn’t want her, but, well, there’s certain physical signs that point to that not being the problem. Her next guess was that he’s simply being respectful. Well, as sweet as that is, she’s ready to get on with it. She’s only human after all, and as such, has needs. Sure, she could take care of them herself, but if she had to guess, he’s experiencing those needs too, and from what she’s heard, it’s more fun to take care of it together.

 The only issue: how the hell do you bring something like this up, especially when the person you’re bringing it up with grew up in a much more repressed era than you did? She’s been debating it for the past week, and despite having multiple visions, none of them have given her that key insight into what to do.

 Finally, she decides to just say it. They’ve made a point to be honest with each other, and it’s probably best to get it out of the way. They’re adults, after all. They can have this discussion. She’s going to come straight out with it.

 “Hey, can I ask you something? It’s kind of personal, and maybe a little uncomfortable.”

 “Sure, Doll.” The response is immediate. “Fire away.”

 Glancing up to make sure they’re not at a pivotal scene in tonight’s movie (they have a system; at his place, watch something he grew up with, at hers, something made literally anytime after 1945), she spits out the whole sentence in one breathless go. “Are we ever going to have sex?”

 It feels like a branding iron where his arm is still wrapped around her shoulder. Still, it’s comforting. At least he’s not moving away.

 “I gotta admit, that’s not the question I was expecting. What brought this on?”

 She shrugs, carefully keeping her eyes trained on the wall behind his head instead of on him.

 “Nothing in particular. Just…” is there a delicate way to put this? “...I think things are going well between us, and sometimes when we’re together… I’ve noticed that there’s a physical response.” She’s really hoping that’ll suffice, because she can’t think of a good way to say “I can feel that you’re hard when you’re on top of me”.

 “Oh.”

 Apparently, her meaning is indeed clear enough, because he removes his arm from her shoulders. She’s about to apologize (all the while mentally berating herself) when his hand closes over hers.

 “I’m sorry about that, Doll. I’ll try to stay calmer.” Wait, that’s not- “It’s just an issue guys have. Don’t think it means you have to do anything that you don’t want to, because I would never-”

 “I know you wouldn’t.” Without thinking, she cuts him off. “And I want to.” It feels like she’s sitting in a sauna, she’s so flustered from this conversation. “But only if you do, and I understand if you didn’t-”

 “No.” It’s abrupt, cutting her off. A definite answer that leaves no room for questioning. “No, I do. I just-” He clears his throat. “-I didn’t want to bring it up, in case we weren’t on the same page. “ This seems to be a recurring theme, so far. “And it’s not a must. If you change your mind-”

 It’s pure instinct. There’s no thought involved as she closes the gap between them, this time with her on top, and presses  her lips against his. The response is immediate and enthusiastic. She considers just going on, not putting a stop to things, but realization hits that, although overall she’s ready for this to happen, she’s not ready for it to happen tonight. There’s still things she needs to take care of. Most importantly, protection.

 So, gasping for breath, she pulls away. “I’m calling for a rain check, but if after that, you still think I’ll change my mind-” she pushes back her hair and forces herself to take a deep breath. “-then you may just be beyond help, Barnes.” If the chuckle is anything to judge from, she’s made her point.

_________________________________________________________________________________

 Wow. Bucky thinks to himself as he exits out of the browser tab on his phone. That’s enough internet for one day. Too much, actually. He knows that it’s the information superhighway, but good god, no one needs THAT much information. He really needs to be more specific with what he googles… or less… or just not at all.

 He’d never admit it (and really, who the hell is gonna ask him anyway), but he spent the last hour looking up how to have sex. He’s engaged in the act before, yeah, but it was seventy years ago. Plus, it used to be this huge taboo thing that you suspected was going on behind closed doors, but no one (not even the married couples) owned up to it. If you were ever found out, there were severe consequences. As a man, he didn’t have to worry as much, but if whoever the woman was had her dirty laundry aired… oh boy. She’d be a pariah, a “scarlet woman”, unfit for marriage or to even give the time of day. That led to limited encounters, and, well, it just seemed smart to brush up on what information is out there. As it turns out, people have written a lot about the fine art of love making. Unfortunately for him, most of it is absolute garbage. Some of the positions he just read about (because at that point, the article was like a train wreck; he badly wanted to look away, but he couldn’t) don’t even sound possible, much less pleasurable. He’s all for society being freer, but good grief!

 He’s halfway through a bottle of straight vodka (it won’t have any effect, but he’s hoping maybe the alcohol will travel to his brain and sanitize his eyeballs from most of the shit he just read) when his phone rings. Great. He’s always happy to talk to her, but right now… wow. It’s gonna take him some time to recover, so he hopes she doesn’t need him to say much.

 “Hey, Doll.”

 “I am so fucking pissed off right now.” That sounds promising.

 “At what?”

 “The city of Bucharest, my apartment, the landlord, whoever the fuck did the plumbing in this building! God!” She’s clearly out of breath, so it takes a minute before she can speak again. “I’m sorry, Buck. It’s just that I came home from work, and one of my neighbors told me the entire sixth floor is under a good inch, inch and a half of water.” Wait-

 “How-”

 “I don’t know. Busted pipe. It’s leaked down onto the fifth floor, so I’ve got about fifty other pissed off people for company.”

 “Jesus.” 

 She chuckles harshly. “Yeah, we could use him right about now to perform a miracle. This is a shit show, and I haven’t even told you the best part.”

 “So the spontaneous flood wasn’t the highlight of your day?”

 “I fucking wish! So, naturally, I tried to call the landlord, along with basically everyone else. Get this: since it’s after five o’clock on a Friday, he’s not gonna do anything. Told us collectively to suck it up! And of course, when there’s a leak, they have to cut the power…” He’s starting to see a pattern here.

 She sighs. “I really needed to get that off my chest. How are you?” Still slightly weirded out by the information overload, but feeling a little more steady now that he’s got a good catastrophe to concentrate on. However, that’s probably not the best answer to go with.

 “Better than you are.”

 “What, the sky isn’t falling where you are?” He chuckles.

 “No, it’s right where it’s supposed to be.”  Which reminds him… “But since it seems like you’re short a functional home, why don’t you just stay here until they sort things out?” He’s got a couch that, while it doesn’t have anything on an actual bed, he can manage to sleep on for the next few nights. Or maybe they can share his bed. He shakes his head. That thought needs to be put to the side, even if it’s meant in the most innocent way possible. Of course, in case she decides to cash in that rain check…

 “Yes. I mean, that would be great, if you’re sure.”

 “I’m sure.” Actually, he can’t think of a better way to spend the weekend. The plan was to meet up either Saturday or Sunday, possibly both, so this isn’t that far out of the ordinary.

 “Okay, but just a warning: They’re not letting us go up to our floor in case there’s been electrical damage as well-” That’s smart. If the pipes are in that bad of condition, who knows what the wiring looks like. “-so all I have is my purse, backpack, and what I wore to work. No toothbrush or pajamas, or anything like that.”

 “That’s alright. All you have to bring is yourself.” He’ll have to look, but he’s pretty sure he has something in his closet that’ll work okay for her until she gets the all clear to go into her apartment. Plus, there’s a laundry mat just around the corner, not to mention a pharmacy.

 “Thank you. I really appreciate it.” 

 “Not a problem.” He glances at his bedside clock. Five thirty-four. It takes roughly half an hour to get across the city by bus, so… “I’ll see you around six fifteen?”

 “See you then.”

 As soon as the line goes dead, he springs into action. First thing’s first: make sure there’s no dirty clothes, old dishes, or trash laying around. That takes all of five minutes. He should probably check that he does indeed have something she can wear so they won’t have to fumble around later. Tshirts are pretty universal and… yes, he has a few pajama bottoms that have a drawstring waist. How much time does he have left? The phone screen lights up, giving him his answer. Twenty-seven minutes. More than enough time to run around the corner and pick up a few things.

 His intention is to buy the basics: spare toothbrush, deodorant, hairbrush, maybe a different shampoo than his three-in-one body wash (it’s convenient for him, but she might prefer something designated for hair specifically). But, well, there’s quite a few aisles, and he gets sucked in. Does he need to buy razors, or is that rude, like he thinks she’s hairy? What about aspirin? How often do most people get headaches? He honestly can’t remember. 

 By the time he realizes that he really needs to get a move on, his basket is full and he has no idea what aisle he’s on. Desperately, he looks around, and his eyes land on… huh. So they just have them out in the open these days. Last time he was in the market for that, he had to beg a married friend to make the purchase for him. He briefly wonders if he’ll need to produce proof of marriage or something similar, but pushes the thought to the side. It’s the 2000s. He can probably just go up to the register and pay, and no one will give him a second look. But there’s just one problem: which brand? He should google… suddenly remembering his adventure from earlier today, he decides to just go with his gut and pick one. There. Now, he needs to pay and get the fuck out of here because there’s only ten minutes left, and he’d rather not have these out in the open, in case she thinks that’s the reason he’s asked her to stay over. If it happens, great. If not… well, he’s made it for the past seventy years. What’s a few more?

___________________________________________________________________________________

 She was still pretty shaken up when she arrived at his apartment, carrying her backpack and purse, slightly damp from the drizzle of rain now covering the city. But immediately receiving a long hug, being instructed to make herself at home, and hearing the offer to take a shower so she could warm up did a lot to restore her good mood.

 It was one of the sweetest thing she’s ever experienced in a lifetime where most people have showed her their worst, going into that bathroom and finding a new toothbrush, stick of deodorant, nail clippers, hairbrush, and even shampoo. That and Barnes bashfully informing her that, “I’ll stay in the living room until you’re done. Take your time.” She almost suggested that he just join her in an attempt to broach the subject they left off on two nights ago, but thought better of it. She’s just started to strip when a knock comes from the other side of the wall.

 “Sorry. I just remembered that I forgot to give you a change of clothes. Can I leave them outside the door?” A smile forms on her face.  

 “Sure. Go ahead.” No one’s given this much thought to her comfort or boundaries before. Yet another reason she knows this is the right decision.

 She doesn’t stay in the shower for long, just enough time to wash and stop shivering. After toweling off and brushing out her hair, she cracks open the door. Sure enough, a worn but clean tshirt and pair of pajama bottoms are waiting for her. The familiar scent of the laundry detergent he uses envelopes her as she dresses and, at long last, leaves the safety of the bathroom.

 True to his word, he’s still sitting on the couch, thumbing through a book she gave him some months back (he’s missed so many feats of literature that have made their way into pop culture; today’s choice is The Hobbit because, while it was out before everything happened to him, he’s never read it) when she emerges. Just in case he’s so absorbed that he hasn’t heard her, she repeats his gesture from earlier and knocks softly on the wall.

 “Hey. I’m out. You can have your apartment back.”

 “Hey.” That smile always makes her feel slightly unsteady on her feet. “Find everything okay?”

 “I did.” She settles into the place next to him. “Thank you, by the way. You didn’t have to go out and get supplies.”

 “I know.” He nods, hand closing around hers. “But I wanted to make sure you had whatever you needed.”

 They chat for a while about their days, discuss what they should do with the weekend ahead, even throw out ideas for dinner. The entire time, she’s trying to figure out the best way to bring up that she’d really like to finish what they started the other night. However, by the time he’s left to grab some sort of takeout, she’s still no closer to an answer.

 Fortunately, their dates usually follow a pattern. Food, a movie, and then the not-so-innocent cuddles. This time, he’s on top of her when she feels the tell-tale sign that he’s as fired up as she is, so she suggests,

 “Do want to maybe move to somewhere more comfortable?” His already dilated pupils grow even larger, and he nods.

 “Yeah. That sounds like a plan.” She waits for him to roll off of her and head towards the bedroom before she grabs her purse and, digging around inside, grabs one of the foil packages she bought after their last date.

 It’s only once she closes the door behind her, shutting them into an enclosed space with a bed (not to mention it’s pretty damn clear what both of their intentions are), that nerves get the better of her.  He takes a step towards her, and she leans up to kiss him, but he ducks his head out of the way.

 “You’re shaking.” His hand ghosts over her arm, making it obvious that, by comparison, she’s practically vibrating on the spot.

 “Sorry.” She chuckles nervously. “It’ll pass.”

 “It’s alright.” As he says it, he meets her eyes. “We can stop. Nothing has to happen.”

 “I know.” She nods, swallowing hard. “But I want it to.” Their lips briefly meet before he pulls away again.

 “Let me ask you, just before we get started, is this-” He stops short, eyes darting from her face to the wall and back again. “...have you… before?” Oh. “Not that it matters, not to me, I just wanted to know so that-”

 “I have.” She nods, feeling heat rise to her cheeks. “Once. I was eighteen, and-” It was awful. She’d been seeing the guy for a few months and he kept whining about her not putting out, so she decided to get it over with. He went in dry without any warning, and when she asked him to stop, give her a second to adjust, he told her he couldn’t. She was bleeding and in pain for days afterwards, and to top it off, when her period was late, she thought that, even though he’d pulled out, she was pregnant. That turned out not to be the case, but it, along with the fact that she usually doesn’t stay in one place for very long, has put a damper on her ever wanting to do that again. Except for now. “-it wasn’t a great experience.”

 “I’m sorry.” On instinct, she searches for the judgment in his face, the disgust. It’s nowhere to be found, only genuine sympathy. “I’ll do my best to make sure this time is better. That is, if you’re still up to it.”

 “I am.” Not waiting for a reply, she wraps her arms around him and starts trailing kisses up his neck towards his ear. “I am. I trust you.” She hears his breath catch, but before she can comment, he’s hoisted her up and is carrying her in the direction of the bed.

 As he sets her down, she pulls him on top of her, letting her hands wander over his sides, up his back. After a few moments, she feels his fingers move from her hips to toy with the hem of her… his.. shirt.

 “Is this okay? Can I take this off?” She starts to nod, but remembers just in time that he’s so close, they’d butt heads.

 “Please.” She expected to feel exposed once she was at least partially undressed, but instead she feels… adored. His eyes are roaming over her newly exposed skin, though his hands have respectfully returned to her waist. In a moment of confidence, she reaches behind her and unhooks her bra. There. Now she’s completely shirtless.

 “You’re so beautiful.” The flush from her cheeks is spreading down her neck, but she still smiles.

 “Care to make things even?” It’s brief, but she catches the look of hesitation.

 “Sure.” Before she can offer to do it, he shrugs his shirt over his head, revealing to her, for the first time, the entirity of his metal arm. She must look for a moment too long, because with a shrug, he informs her, “I can put my shirt back on. No big deal. I know there’s some scarring…” That’s not going to fly. She needs to reassure him, make him feel as desired as he’s made her feel.

 “Or if you want to stop-” She stands and, after briefly making eye contact, places a kiss on the most prominent scar.

 “Don’t you dare think that way for a second.” They’re flush against each other, chest to bare chest. “Not for one.” Slowly, she slides her hands from his shoulders down to his waist, hesitating just over the button. “Is this okay?” Another shakey breath.

 “Yes.”

 Going forward, it’s much less awkward. The rest of their clothing is shed, and soon they’re back to their previous position; on the bed, with him on top of her. She feels his fingertips brush the inside of her thigh and gasps.

 “May I touch you?” She nods.

 “You’d better.”

 It’s gentle, more of him feeling her out than anything else. Still, she can’t help but think this is infinitely better already than last time around. Suddenly, he pulls his hand away, and it takes all her effort not to whine at the loss of contact. Before she can ask if something’s wrong, does he want to stop, he’s flat on his stomach, head between her legs.

 “Tell me if you need me to stop.”

 “What-” Her breath catches as it becomes infinitely clear what he’s doing.

 Again, she’s expecting pain when, after several minutes he eases a finger into her, but at this point, she’s so wet that there’s absolutely no difficulty.

 “Are you okay?” She nods.

 “Don’t stop.”

 The process is agonizingly slow, he’s so intent on his task. When, finally, he pulls away, she’s so close that she can almost taste it.

 “Do you still want to-”

 “If you don’t stop asking me that, I’m gonna slap you.” It’s a joke, and she thinks he knows it, but just to be sure, she siezes his hand (the metal one, which is usually cold but has now warmed from being held close against her body. “I’m ready, so long as you want this too.”

 “I do. You wouldn’t believe how much.” Yeah, she thinks she would. “Just give me a second.” Perfect timing. He rolls off of her, which gives her the opening she needs to grab the packet she managed to hide under the pillow while he was… otherwise distracted. When he returns from digging inside the wardrobe, she holds it up, only to realize-

 “Oh.” He’s got one as well. “Seems like we both came prepared.”

 He chuckles. “Just in case, although that wasn’t why I asked you to stay.”

 “I know.” She nods and pats the space next to her. “Not why I said yes either, although I can’t say I’m disappointed.”

 He returns to the bed and drops his packet onto the nightstand. “Save this one for later?”

 “Definitely.”

 There is a bit of discomfort once he starts to push inside her, but it’s not painful. Just… overwhelming. Slightly embarassed she asks,

 “Can you wait a second? Please?”

 “Of course. Are you alright?” She shifts her hips slightly, making them both groan.

 “Fine. You can move now.”

 She may have only done this once before, and she has no idea what his experience consists of, but as she hits her peak mere seconds before he does, gently coaxed over the edge, she can’t help but think some things are better the second time around.

 “I love you.” It’s whispered against her neck as, once she cleans up and returns to bed, she settles herself against him.

 “I love you too.”

___________________________________________________________________________________

 The first thing he thinks when he realizes that he’s not alone in bed is that HYDRA’s found him. He’s being activated. His eyes shoot open although apart from that he doesn’t move a muscle, and that’s when he recognizes the person next to him. It’s her. She’s here.

 The events of last night come back to him all at once, and he feels a smile forming on his face. It’s been a while, and in any case, it would be wrong to run a comparison, but what they shared, the pure intimacy of it both physically and mentally was incredible. Maybe he should feel a sense of shame. That’s what he was taught growing up. But instead he feels… peaceful.

 That is, until her eyelids flutter and she rolls over, shifting the covers so that he gets a good view of her still naked body, and with it, the bruises on her thighs and hips. Bruises unmistakably left by his fingers. Dammit. He’s done the last thing he ever wanted to do: he’s hurt her.

 “Good morning, sleepy head.” She yawns, the teasing words muffled. “It seems like we overslept.”

 His mouth goes dry, and all he can manage to choke out is a simple, “Yeah.”

 She frowns, sitting up slightly, and lets out a small groan. “You alright there, Bucky? You look a little off.” The late morning light only serves to highlight more marks he’s left, this time on her shoulders, neck, and breasts. Stubble burn. Hickeys. Why the hell was he so rough? At the time, he thought he was being gentle, but obviously he’s just as much of a monster as Bucky Barnes as he is once the Winter Soldier takes over.

 She’s still staring at him, brow furrowing in concern.

 “Fine.” He clears his throat and begins to sit up. “Stay here. I’ll make you a cup of tea, maybe some oatmeal.”

 “Alright. Don’t be gone too long.”

 Her words follow him out of the room, and into the kitchen. Fuck. He should’ve known better. 

Maybe once upon a time, he was a decent man, one who could be with a woman like  her and not do her a disservice. But now, it’s clear that he falls short in every way. In an act that was supposed to be pure pleasure, a way of communicating how much they mean to each other, he’s hurt her.

 “I trust you.” The words from last night ring in his ears. He shouldn’t have let her. It’s pretty damn obvious that, even at the best of times, he can’t be trusted.

 “Tell me what’s going on.” Even with his enhanced senses, he still jumps in surprise as the unexpected words come from behind him. He turns around slowly, not wanting to startle her. She’s standing there, clad in only one of his shirts, arms crossed over her chest (now bearing his marks), staring him down.

 “Nothing.” He shakes his head.

 “Bullshit. I had a vision of you staring off into space, and here you are, jumpy as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.” At another time, her choice in phrases would make him chuckle, but right now, he can’t muster it.

 “Last night-” Her eyes widen, but she stays silent. “I hurt you.”

 “No, you didn’t. Not at all.”

 “I did.”

 She frowns. “Bucky, I think I’d know if you’d hurt me, and I’m telling you, I’m fine.”

 “Doll, look at yourself!” He reaches out to take her arm, but immediately freezes. “Go in the bathroom and take off your shirt. Take a good look in the mirror and then tell me I didn’t hurt you.”

 “Alright.” Her jaw clenches, and she marches off in the direction of the bathroom. A deep sickness gnaws at the pit of his stomach and, completely worn out, he sinks into a kitchen chair.

 Not thirty seconds pass before she walks back into the room, this time completely undressed.

 “Tell me you’re not talking about a few love bites.”

 “And bruises! You may not have noticed, but they’re in the exact shape of my fingertips.”

 “Oh my god!” She shakes her head. “It’s a sex injury. A minor one at that! If you didn’t heal so damn fast, you’d probably have nail marks all over your back!”

 “That’s not the same thing.”

 “How is it not the same thing?”

 “I’m a monster! And you’re not.”

 She takes a determined step towards him, and he leans as far back as the chair will allow.

 “Bucky, you are not a monster, and I am not afraid of you.”

 “Then you’re stupid.” He hates himself for his sharp words, but she needs to take this seriously. Underestimating how dark, how evil he can be, is a mistake. A deadly one.

 “Hey!”

 “Don’t you get it?” Without any input from his brain, he stands. “They could find me, and with a few words, I could stare you dead in the eyes as I murdered you! If you were my mission, I wouldn’t even hesitate, and you’d be dead before your body hit the floor!” Her mouth falls open, but she immediately closes it again. “This isn’t something that can be worked through with some patience and a positive attitude! I could kill you!”

 “So could a million other things!” Her voice rises in volume, and before he can contain it-

 “But they’re not in the bed sleeping next to you!” He’s shouting at her. God. Everyone is right. He’s beyond saving.

 A few tense seconds pass before she looks up at him, a steely look in her eyes.

 “Look, I get it. I know what you could do to me.” As she speaks, she pulls out a chair and sits. “But I could also get run over when I cross the road, or the room could fill with carbon monoxide while I sleep. I could have an aneurysm and drop before anyone knows what’s happening.”

 He opens his mouth to tell her the likelihood of any of those things happening is far lower than the chance that he’ll hurt her, this time in a major way, but she holds up a hand, silencing him.

 “I’m gonna be cautious, but I’m also not going to live my life in fear that the ceiling is going to collapse or nuclear war is going to strike, or that someone is gonna turn up and say the magic words that make you go cuckoo for cocoa puffs-” What? “-and I just realized you’re too old for that reference.”

 “That’s another thing-” He’s about to remind her exactly how big their age gap is, that although he’s physically close to her age, chronologically, he’s closer to the age of her great grandfather, but she lets out a sudden groan of frustration, and that makes him bite his tongue.

 “Oh, fuck off, Barnes! If you’re about to start in on how you’re too old for me, then I’m not gonna wait for you to go full Winter Soldier before I kick your ass!” Out of all things, that’s what snaps him out of it, makes him feel like maybe, just maybe, there’s still a chance they can make the best of things.

 Smirking, he asks her,

 “You think you could kick my ass? Really?” It must be the breaking point for her too, because she snickers.

 “Of course. It’s the little bitches you have to watch out for.”  That’s it, he’s laughing, nearly doubled over, and from the looks of things, she’s in much the same state.

 “You’re something else, you know that?” He asks between stilted breaths.

 “I think we both fit in that category, Pal.” Her smile fades, but only slightly. “Bucky, if you really want me to go, if that’s what’ll give you peace, then I’ll do it, but I meant what I said. I trust you.” Never. He’ll never want her to go, he’s sure of it. Well then, that only leaves one option.

 “I know what we’re doing today.” It’s an abrupt segue, but it’s the only thing he could come up with on short notice.

 “And what’s that?”  The microwave dings, reminding him that he needs to stir the oatmeal, and he pushes past her.

 “Sit down and have your tea. You’re going to need all your energy if I’m gonna show you how to use a gun.” If she’s staying, then at least he can teach her how to defend herself beyond the basics she already knows.

 “So I guess this means you’re keeping me around for a little while longer?” It’s spoken like a joke, but he turns to her, meeting her eyes to drive the point home.

 “Yeah, Doll. As long as you want me."

[moeyy-writes]

Here and Now - Part 6

Zak Bagans x Reader

Warnings: Playful teasing/pranking, fluff, brief hint at sexual acts (if you squint).

Word Count: 1,897

Series Master List || My Full Master List

Rage boiled through your veins as your stared at the flashy pink glitter on the floor. Your eyes moved along the shiny nuisance, following it to the river of red and pink heart-shaped confetti that led into the rest of your home. More hearts littered the walls, poorly-cut pieces of paper with love quotes, and red and pink streamers criss-crossed overhead. As you took a step in, you heard music playing from a back room, most likely from your television.

“It’s like… Valentine’s Day threw up in here,” you mumbled as you slowly stepped towards the living room. The confetti faded into another substance, deeper red. “Rose petals? Really Goodwin?”

You phone buzzed in your pocket, jolting you from your rage-filled cloud. It was Jay.

(9:45pm) Jay: I’m just glad you had fun.

You stared down at the text. There was no doubt this was Aaron’s work, no one else would go this far out. But, how did he get in? The only person other than you who had a key to your place was…

Jay.

You closed your eyes and let out a long sigh. Sure, betrayal stung, but karma was a bitch.

(9:47pm) Y/N: I want my key back, and I hate you.

(9:48pm) Jay: ????

(9:48pm) Y/N: You know.

You snapped a picture of the carnage and sent it to Jay with several angry face emojis. For several minutes, he didn’t answer. Figures. He knew what he did, or at least what he allowed to happen.

You let out another long sigh. This was going to be a bitch to clean up. But, you thought Zak might get a kick out of it. So, you sent him several photos, hoping to at least get a laugh out of this catastrophe.

“Hey, I can’t lie, he did go all out,” Zak admitted as he laughed. You stood your tablet up in front you as you munched on your breakfast. You were happy to have a surprise breakfast with Zak, even if it was virtually. He was gradually getting ready to spend his day with his mom, which made you smile inside.

“Yeah, he did, but now I have to buy a new vacuum. That glitter ruined my brand new one! One hundred dollars down the freaking drain,” you whined. You took a bite of your oatmeal, then leaned back in your chair. “And I don’t know how that asshole passed kindergarten. I’ve never seen more lop-sided hearts in my life!”

Zak’s nose scrunched as he laughed. “Yeah, paper art isn’t exactly his thing. Or, he did it on purpose knowing you would notice and it would piss you off that much more.” You rolled your eyes. Knowing Aaron’s actual incredible artistic talent, Zak was probably right.

“Well, I’m out a vacuum. And, I’ll probably have to disclose that there is a never-ending glitter infestation when I sell this place.” Zak’s face froze at your words.

“Wait, you’re selling the place?” You cocked an eyebrow.

“Uh, not right now, but I’m sure I won’t live here forever. Or, maybe I will. I don’t know.” The air around you felt heavy for a moment, but Zak’s laughter broke the silence.

“I still can’t believe Aaron trashed your place like that. I mean, I have to give it to him, it’s pretty well done. Although, the glitter is pretty fucking cruel.” Zak grinned, making your heart skip. God, he was handsome, and funny, and just, well, everything you were looking for.

And, now, everything was really sinking in. The man on the screen was the man you were dating, Zak Bagans, the man you never thought you’d have a chance with until a few days ago. You were still pinching yourself.

“Yeah, glitter is the bane of me existence—” your phone buzzed beside you, cutting you off. You rolled your eyes at the name on the screen. “Speak of the devil. I never texted him last night, so he’s probably wondering if his ‘brilliant’ plan worked.”

Zak chuckled again, slipping his glasses on. “Well, I’ll leave it to you to rip him a new one. I’ve got to get over to my mom’s pretty soon.” You nodded and shook your phone.

“Oh, don’t worry, I’m already planning my payback.”

Zak leaned his head back as he cackled. “Well, if you need an accomplice, let me know.” You raised your brow. “It would only be fair. You know, since Jay was obviously in on it.”

“Oh? Have you chosen a side?” You giggled, taking a sip of coffee.

“I may have picked a side. Or, maybe I’m a double agent.” He winked, but you just narrowed your gaze.

“Traitor.” You laughed with Zak, admiring his gravelly laugh.

“Alright, well, I’ll text you later, okay? Have a great day, beautiful.” Your heart nearly burst out of your chest. But, you held it together with a smile, and nodded.

“Have fun, handsome. Say ‘hi’ to you mom for me.” Zak nodded, then blew you a kiss before signing off.

You sat in your chair for a second, allowing your mind to settle. Then, you picked up for phone, ready to rip Aaron a new asshole.

You glanced down at your phone. 1 New Text Message: Aar Bear

(10:03am) Aaron: How was your date, Lovebird? Did you make it home? ;)

(10:08am) Y/N: Oh, yeah. I made it home just fine. I had a blast yesterday. :) Oh, by the way, I fucking hate you.

(10:10am) Aaron: What? Why would you say something like that? I’m one of your best friends!

(10:11am) Y/N: Well, first of all, you owe me a new vacuum. That glitter completely fucking ruined it. Oh, and you aren’t allowed at my place ever again. Oh, and I know you had help. All threats will be neutralized.

(10:13am) Aaron: Uh, oh. We’ve been had. xD

(10:14am) Y/N: Karma’s a bitch, Goodwin. Watch your back.

*Two days later*

Packing for an investigation was something that took you days to finish. Sure, it was only three or four nights from home, but it wasn’t anything like packing for a vacation. You obviously needed clothes and toiletries. But, you also needed your gear.

You slipped your laptop into its case and stood it next to your open suitcase. Then, you grabbed your still camera, an extra memory card, several rechargeable batteries, and your share of video cameras. The fact that your equipment suitcase was twice as big as your clothing suitcase never failed to make you laugh.

It was important to make sure every piece was properly charged and working properly. So, you followed the routine that Jay had taught you when you first started. You took a couple of shots with your still camera, which worked perfectly, then placed it into the protective pouch in your suitcase. Next, you tried out your video camera, testing a good minute of video, then placing it in its spot.

A knock at the door spooked you, nearly making you drop one of you night-vision cameras. Ah, they were early. You launched from the floor and shuffled over to the front door.

The crew all decided that it would be a good idea to meet the day before you left, as usual, to make sure there was a game plan for departure and for the first day of the investigation. So, Billy, Aaron, Jay, and Zak were all going to meet at your place to go over what needed to happen. Of course, that meant actually letting Aaron and Jay back into your home, which you promised you wouldn’t do until you got then back for their stunt. But, if you played it cool, you could get them back when they least expected it.

However, the timing worked perfectly, because your date with Zak would start after everyone left.

You opened the door, where you greeted Zak. He lived the closest to you, so you weren’t surprised he got there first, and twenty minutes early.

“Hey, you,” you greeted with a smile. Zak stepped inside, lugging two small suitcases of equipment. They obviously weren’t his clothing suitcases, yes plural. He had two, and each were twice the size of yours.

“Good morning, or I guess afternoon—” He stared down at his fancy watch. It was ten minutes passed noon, and your stomach was telling you it was almost lunch time.

“Just chuck those into my office. That’s where the rest of my equipment is right now. Do you want anything to drink? I was thinking about ordering lunch for everyone in a few minutes. I don’t have a lot of food around since we’re leaving tomorrow.” Something about having Zak in your home felt so natural. Sure, the guys liked to meet at your place and drop off the equipment with you the day before leaving. You were, after all, they main AV tech now, and all of the equipment should be in one spot where you can triple check it all before you left.

“Nah, I’m good gorgeous. When are the guys gonna be here?” Zak asked. You tilted your head.

“I told everyone, including you, to be here at twelve thirty, but I’m sure Aaron will be here closer to one. You know him.” You rolled your eyes and laughed.

“Well, my mom always taught me to be early,” he teased, shooting you a wink. “So, what’s the plan for tomorrow?”

You shrugged, leading Zak to your office. “I don’t know yet. Billy is going to tell us when he gets here. He always has the master plan.” Zak nodded, approaching you.

Zak placed his stuff beside your equipment bags, then turned to you. He reached out, curling your hair behind your ear, before allowing his hand to rest on your face. His thumb gently stroked your cheekbone.

“You excited for tonight? It’s not going to be as thrilling as our first date, but it will be fun.” You nodded, offering a blushing smile. “Good, me too.”

Zak leaned in and brushed his nose against yours. It was you who closed the distance, gently planting your lips on his. The moment you made contact, Zak hummed and smiled against you. His other arm slipped around your waist, pulling you closer against him. Your hands smoothed up his shoulders, then your arms found their place hooked around his neck.

His lips danced with yours, slow and soft. His hot breath tickled your cheeks as he pushed you backwards, stopping when your ass gently met with the edge of your desk. He wasn’t forceful or aggressive, but firm as his fingers curled around the fabric along your back.

“Ah-hem,” you heard a higher pitched voice clear their throat. You and Zak launched from each other and turned toward your office door, where you met the gaze of Billy and Jay. You really needed to get your key back from Jay.

“Uh, hey guys, you’re early.” Zak stared down at his watch again.

“Yeah, sorry if we’re interrupting anything,” Billy teased.

“Good thing we got here before they got too far,” Jay poked. You rolled your eyes.

“Yeah, yeah. You caught Zak and me making out. Good for you. Can we just get started please?” You snapped playfully. The guys laughed, including Zak. Then, Billy and Jay tossed their gear onto the floor and plopped down on the floor beside it.

Thanks for reading. Feedback is appreciated! <3

[fangirlwriting-stories]

Reflecting Light

Chapter Four:

They were stopping in another town just a couple days after the last one, and Janus and Virgil both seemed to be looking forward to this visit, as the blacksmith to which they were dropping off supplies was a friend of theirs.  But apparently, the weapons supplies were not the only thing they were leaving.

“Caffeine plants?” Remus asked, with a confused head tilt.

“He has a weird side project he works on in his free time,” Virgil said, opening another crate of the plant they were talking about and counting the plants inside.  “He says he’s trying to make a drink that can keep you awake for longer.”

“He sounds weird,” Remus said with a grin.  “I can’t wait to meet him.”

“Oh lord, I hope you two don’t get along,” Virgil muttered.  “You would be a disaster pair.”

“Ah, the best kind of pair!”

“Mmm-hmm,” Virgil said, sounding not at all happy with the prospect.

They got to the town a couple hours later, and after eating breakfast, Remus went with Jackson to grab the items from the cargo hold for the blacksmith, who he had learned was named Remy.

Remus grabbed the boxes that Jackson directed him to, and carried them out to the deck, and then carried them down to put them on Remy’s cart.  Remus stayed down to talk to this Remy person as Jackson opened the last box he’d brought down.

But just as he was about to ask Remy about what kind of weapons he made, Jackson called his name.

“Remus?”

Remus glanced over, and saw Jackson holding the lid to the box.

“These aren’t the caffeine plants,” Jackson said.

Remus blinked and jogged over to see that Jackson was right.  Inside the box looked to be the food for the kitchens on the ship.

“Shit,” Remus said.  “Sorry, Jackson.”

“All good, that’s why we check them,” Jackson said, putting the lid back on.  “I’ll go grab the right one, don’t worry about it.”

Remus nodded, and turned again with the intent to ask Remy his question, only to be met with Janus’ irritated gaze.

“Uh… sorry?” Remus said again.

Janus sighed, and waved his hand dismissively.  “Don’t worry about it.  Just don’t do it again.  We can’t afford to waste a ton of time.”

Remus winced and nodded.

Remy didn’t seem to take Janus seriously, though.  “Janus, girl, you’re too hard on these guys.  I thought it was Remus’ like, first day on the job.”

“Oh, he’s a sap,” Virgil said, elbowing Janus.  “He just puts on a stern persona in towns and forgets to take it off around you.”

Janus shot a glare at Virgil that didn’t look at all serious.  “No,” he said.  “That’s not what’s happening at all.”

Virgil and Remy both laughed in the way that meant that was exactly what was happening.  The knot of anxiety in Remus’ chest loosened a little bit.

“So you’re the newbie, huh?” Remy asked, turning and smiling at Remus before he could say anything else.

Remus nodded.

“Nice.  I’ll pay you if you try my latest batch of Coffee.”

“Coffee?”

“It’s a drink I’m working on that keeps you awake.  That’s what I’m calling it.”

“He will most certainly not be doing that, the last person who tried it nearly had a heart attack!” Virgil exclaimed.

“Yeah, and now I know that some people have a higher tolerance for caffeine than others!”

“More like you have a higher tolerance than everyone else in existence,” Janus said with a roll of his eyes.

Remy seemed about to protest again when Remus spoke.  “Okay.”

Everyone turned to look at him.  “What?” Janus asked.

“Okay.  Let’s try the potential death juice.  Should be fun.”

Both Janus and Virgil were staring at him.  Remus tucked his hands behind his back and squeezed them together.  Remy was starting to grin.  “Really?”

“It’s been way too long since my last near death experience,” Remus said with a shaky nod.

“Fantastic,” Remy said, full-on grinning now.  “Come with me.  Don’t worry, I’ll have him back to the ship before you leave!”

“Wait, hang on!” Virgil called, but before he could say anything else, Remy grabbed Remus by the arm and dragged him away from the ship towards the town a little bit back from the dock.

Remus had been in two other towns in his life, and he’d already established them as very similar to each other.  Most towns had people milling about, shopping at different stands or talking to people as if their lives were so incredibly important compared to everyone else’s.  Remus hadn’t expected this town to be any different, but the scene shifted when Remy stopped in front of what was clearly his shop.

The sign said ‘Blacksmith,’ which would have been pretty straightforward if not for the fact that the whole thing was made out of broken swords.  Remus grinned as they passed under it.

There were weapons of all kinds behind the counter of the main room of the shop.  Remus would have been very content to stay and look at them and play with a couple, but Remy dragged him further back into the shop and into a room that clearly had a different purpose.

He had several different fire pits and stoves set up.  Remus would admit he hadn’t seen fire pits indoors before, but Remy clearly knew what he was doing, as all of the fires were burning and the shop was still standing.

Remy walked over to one of the stoves, and Remus tried to shake off the sudden spike of anxiety in his chest that came with him doing that by stepping back a little and starting to pace back and forth across the room and clench and unclench his hands.

“Okay!” Remy called, very loudly.  Remus jumped and slid back another foot.  Remy spun around a second later, fast enough that Remus slid back again.  “So here’s some Coffee from the last batch I made!”

He held up a pot and walked back over towards where Remus was.  Remus took another step back and pressed himself against the wall next to the door they’d come through.  He pulled the sleeves of his hands down and grabbed onto them from the inside, then let go and did it again.  Remy didn’t seem to notice his behavior, just reached for a cup on a nearby table and poured some of the liquid in his pot into it.

“Here you go!  Try it out!” Remy said, shoving the cup into Remus’ now-shaking hands.  He tried to latch his fingers around the cup before Remy let go, but didn’t move fast enough.  The cup slipped from his fingers and shattered when it hit the floor.  Remus jumped again.

“What the hell?!” he snapped, glaring up at Remy before he dropped to try and pick up the mug.  “You didn’t think to make sure I had a grip on the thing before you let go of it?!”

Remy blinked in surprise and crossed his arms.  “Sweetheart, you’re the one who just broke my mug.  Doesn’t seem to me like you’re in much of a position to be snapping at me.”

“Yeah, well you’re—” Remus’ snapped, jumping up again.  He stopped when his breath caught, and he pressed a hand to his chest.  “You’re— you—”  He gasped for air that he couldn’t seem to find and shoved his hands into his hair, tugging on it.  “You’re the one who made the stupid cup out of glass!” he snapped.

Remy didn’t reply right away.  “Are— are you alright?” he asked after a second.

“I think I have broken glass in my hands now, thanks for asking!” Remus screamed, yanking on his hair again.

“What?!  Don’t stick your hands by your head, then!” Remy cried, grabbing Remus’ hands and pulling them down.

Remus screeched and shoved Remy backwards.  “Don’t touch me!”

He had no idea if Remy actually would have listened or not, because a second after he shoved him backwards and then slammed himself back into the wall again, the door opened next to him and Virgil came in, followed by Janus.

Remus moved further away from everyone, which unfortunately led to him pressing himself back into a corner.  After a couple seconds Virgil seemed to have picked up on something, because he started towards him with a purpose.

“Remus?  Hey, you alright?”

“Obviously not!” Remus snapped, pressing his hands into the wall and trying to ignore the sting that came with that.

“Okay, okay yeah, stupid question,” Virgil said, holding his hands up.  “Remus, I think you’re having a panic attack.  Do you know what that is?”

“Weird air thing,” Remus choked out, sliding down the wall.

“Weird air thing?” Virgil asked, crouching down with him.

“No air,” Remus gasped.  “Can’t breathe.”

“Yes you can,” Virgil said.  “I’ll do it with you.  We’re gonna breathe in for four seconds, okay?”

Virgil took a large, exaggerated breath that Remus tried his best to copy.  He couldn’t make it all the way to four, though.

“No no no,” Remus said, trying to tuck himself further into the corner.  “Don’t touch me, don’t touch me, don’t—”

“I’m not gonna touch you,” Virgil said, moving his hands behind his back to show he meant it.  “It’s alright.  Let’s try again, okay?”

Remus didn’t make it to four that time either, but Virgil didn’t seem to mind, and just started over, until they’d managed to breathe in for four seconds, hold for seven, and breathe out for eight enough times that Remus finally managed to stop feeling like the room was closing in on him.

Virgil stayed far enough back the whole time that Remus could be sure that he wasn’t going to hit him or hurt him in any way, and when he finally managed to start breathing again, Virgil was still sitting several feet away, which helped Remus not immediately start panicking again.

Virgil smiled slightly.  “You okay now?”

Remus looked down at his hands.  Sure enough, there were some pieces of glass stuck into his hands.  He was about to reach for some of the pieces to pull them out when Virgil spoke up again.

“Don’t do that,” he said.  “I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

“I know how to patch myself up,” Remus replied.  He paused for a second.  “I probably should use some tweezers, though.”

“I have some,” Remy said.  Remus glanced up and saw him and Janus both standing further back.  Janus was throwing the remains of the broken cup in the trash.

“Sorry about your mug,” Remus muttered.

“It’s alright,” Remy said, waving his hand dismissively as if it was water until the bridge and not something that happened thirty seconds ago.  “I have more.  I’ll go grab those tweezers.”

He headed through a door that looked like it led to a house area.

Janus turned from the trashcan and moved forward to stand next to Virgil.  “Need a hand?” he asked, offering one to Remus.

Remus hesitantly moved his arm so that Janus could grab it and not end up getting glass caught in his hands.  Janus held on to his arm and pulled until Remus managed to stand.  He let go as soon as Remus was standing on his own and moved back so Virgil could stand too.

“How… how did you know how to do that?” Remus asked hesitantly, moving back from Virgil and Janus, but close enough to still have a conversation.

“I’ve had panic attacks since I was a kid,” Virgil said.  “It doesn’t happen as often to me anymore, but both Janus and I still know how to handle them.”  Janus nodded next to him to confirm that.

“Did something set this one off?” Janus asked, still looking concerned.

Remus winced.  “I’m just… not good with people being upset with me,” he mumbled, shifting his feet around.  “Sorry.”

No one said anything for a second, until finally Janus spoke again.  “I’m sorry, Remus.”

Remus glanced up again.  “What?”

“Virgil’s explanation was right.  People tend to think I’m going soft if I treat my crew like I would when we’re all alone.  As a high-ranking rebellion member, that’s an issue.  But if that bothers you so much I’ll find an alternative.  I wasn’t trying to freak you out so much.”

Remus took in Janus’ face.  He looked honestly regretful, and Virgil still looked concerned.  Neither of them looked irritated, or like they were annoyed with the way he’d reacted.  “Oh,” Remus said weakly.  “That would be… good.  Uh, yeah.  Thanks.”

Janus smiled a little and nodded.

The door opening to the right caused them all to glance over.  Remy was coming out with a pair of tweezers in his hands.  “Okay,” he said, starting over towards Remus.  “Here you go, sweetheart.  Be careful.  If you leave any glass in your hands it could get infected.”

Remus nodded.  “I know.”  He took the tweezers and headed over to the table in the back, starting with his right hand so he could be steadier with his left before trying to get the other pieces out of his left hand.

“Okay,” Virgil said with a sigh behind him.  “I’ll try this batch, Remy.  If you’re sure it’s safe.”

“I added like, 80% less caffeine plants than I did last time,” Remy reassured, as they both started over to the pot and mugs again.

“Here,” Janus said, stepping forward once Remus got the last piece of glass out of his right hand.  “Let me help with your other hand.”

“I got it,” Remus said, switching the tweezers over.

“You’re left handed, aren’t you?  Let me help with this one then.”

Remus hesitated for a second, then handed the tweezers over.

“How’d you know I was left handed?” Remus asked as Janus worked on the glass.

“You tie things down using your left hand as your dominant one,” Janus explained.  “And I notice details.”

“Apparently,” Remus muttered.

They were both quiet for a second.

“Remus?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you mind if I ask why you know how to patch yourself up?”

“Oh, I was just a reckless kid,” Remus lied.  “And there were a ton of other kids growing up with me, so I couldn’t always get attention when I was hurt.  It was just easier to teach myself how to deal with it.”  At least part of that was true.  Roman had gotten far more attention when they were kids— or well, he’d gotten far more positive attention.  He had seemed to understand the benefit of shutting your mouth and doing what you’re told in a way that hadn’t clicked for Remus, at least not until Shane.

Janus nodded with a slightly relieved look on his face that meant he believed that.  “Well, I’m sorry you had to do so much by yourself,” he said anyway.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true.  Roman had helped a little.  He’d at least made Remus feel less alone, and then they’d met Patton and Logan and things had kept improving.  But Remus really didn’t want to talk about Roman right now.

Janus finished cleaning his left hand and bandaged both of them to cover the cuts.  The bandages probably weren’t necessary, as Remus had had worse injuries and not bandaged them before, but Janus insisted.  It took him a couple minutes to finish the bandages.  Remus tried not to think about how much faster Patton would have been.

“Hey, why did you two come back here anyway?” he asked as Janus finished wrapping.

“Virgil was concerned about you trying caffeine so he wanted to come and make sure you’d be alright.  He just didn’t want you to hurt yourself,” Janus said dismissively, as if that wasn’t a truly bizarre reason.

“Why would that matter?” he asked.

Janus gave him a confused look.  “Remus, we wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”

“Well, yeah, but I told you, I know how to patch myself up,” Remus said.  “It’s not a big deal if I do.”

“It… would still be concerning because you would be hurt, and that’s not really an ideal situation,” Janus said, now looking very concerned.  “We don’t want you to get hurt, Remus, even if you know how to patch yourself up.”

Remus was about to question the also bizarre sentiment of someone not wanting him to get hurt when Remy and Virgil emerged from the house again.  Virgil did not appear like he’d had a heart attack, thankfully.

“How was this batch of Coffee?” Janus asked as they both turned.

“Closer,” Remy said with a grin.  “I’m gonna tweak it a little more and then I think it’ll be ready for selling, but Virgil says it’s working like it should.”

“I don’t feel tired anymore,” Virgil said with a confirming shrug.

“Nice,” Remus said with a small smile of his own.

“Alright, well we do have places to be,” Janus said, adjusting his coat and standing up a little straighter.  “We should head out.  Put us down for another delivery next month, Remy, and maybe we’ll buy some Coffee if you’re selling it by then.”

“I will put you darlings down for some,” Remy said with a large grin.  “I’m sure you’ll just adore it.”

With that, the three of them headed out of the shop and back towards the ship, which Remus had very much missed and very much appreciated to be going back to.

“Hey, Remus?” Virgil asked, as they headed into the dock.

“Yeah?” Remus asked, turning.

“Is that the first time you’ve had a panic attack?  You seemed to have something of an idea of what it was.  Have you had them before?”

Remus hesitated for a second.  Roman knew about them.  He’d helped Remus when he could, but neither of them had ever really been sure how to handle them.  Remus’ panic attacks had usually presented themselves in the form of irritability and anger, coupled with the lovely feeling of being unable to breathe.  Roman had been the only person Remus didn’t mind touching him when he was like that, so when Remus finally admitted that was what was happening Roman had mostly held him close while Remus waited until he could breathe again.  It hadn’t been a fantastic system, but it had worked alright.

He wasn’t sure what Virgil would want to do, but he nodded anyway.

“Would you want me to teach you that breathing exercise?” Virgil asked.  “It works really well for me, and if it doesn’t work for you I know a couple of other ones you could try.”

“That… sounds nice,” Remus admitted.  “If you wouldn’t mind.”

“‘Course I wouldn’t,” Virgil said with a smile.  “We can do that tonight.  I’m pretty sure this Coffee is going to keep me up far later than usual anyway.  It’ll be fun.”

Remus wasn’t so sure about fun, but it would definitely be helpful.  It seemed that Virgil and Janus were both about as much of that as possible.  It might take him a minute to get used to that, but if it kept going like it had been, he was pretty sure he wouldn’t mind.

Chapter Five

[dragonrajafanfiction]

Code: Light

Part of my Series based on the in game dungeons lol. Just for fun.

In fact… there was a boy who lived here… 20 years ago…

The words echoed in Lu Mingfei’s mind as he looked over the rundown landscape in front of him. He was sitting on a dirty pillow on a broken, rotted out porch, rain pouring down on his head through the holes in the overhang. Spiders skittered about and made him pull his feet in. In front of him was a table of rice, vegetables and tea. Outside the porch was a small garden with a pond, green and overgrown with algae. It was pouring down rain as it had been all day. The pond was at capacity and it would soon overflow its banks. From the gloomy surroundings, frogs creeled out a constant serenade.

He was led there by a woman, an elder in that particular village, who had first reported what turned out to be dragon activity in this small town. Lu Mingfei, Chu Zihang, and Caesar Gattuso were called to investigate. According to the report on the dossier, a young child in a red coat, carrying a red balloon could be seen standing at the edge of the village. His face was impossible to make out. Japanese towns could be full of local ghost tales, but this one occurred with disturbing regularity. EVA, the Cassell Supercomputer then detected an elemental anomaly. Plants seemed to be growing at such an incredible rate, that the rain clouds over this small area of Japan never seemed to stop. The rain would fall, the plants would soak it up and transpire the water again. It was as if the Amazon Rainforest took up residence in the far East.

After explaining about the child, the old woman took them out to that ramshackle ruin of a place. “If it’s that boy you’re seeking, why not try making him something to eat?”

Then she left.

“Guys I’m so over this ghost hunt. This is so creepy and the lower the sun gets the more I want to leave.” He said. He was wearing his usual combat suit, that skin tight but extremely durable wear that was close enough to the body to avoid catching on anything, but strong enough to withstand the cut of a knife. But was it ghost proof? Who was to say they wouldn’t get eaten by this ghost and the rice be left cold and moldy with no sign of them?

“Are you excited to be on an actual ghost hunt? It’s a shame that the ghost is a boy though.” Caesar sat smoking his cigar and looking out over the grey sheet of rain in front of him. He was dressed similarly, with his Desert Eagles at his side. Of course, he made a much more handsome figure in the muscle-hugging suit.

Lu Mingfei wanted to pull his hair out. “You’re engaged! Don’t lust after the dead you freak!”

Chu Zihang slid his sword part way out of his sheath to check his equipment. “There’s no such thing as the dead coming back to life, unless it’s a dragon. And dragons don’t really die. They just sleep until they can be reborn. What we’re looking for is not a real ghost… but something that has the properties of a dragon.”

“Ghost… dragon… whatever. Do we even know if it’s attracted to rice?”

“It’s not about the rice, Lu Mingfei, it’s the routine. If the boy had a family or cared for anyone at all, wouldn’t it miss sitting at a table with a family meal?” Caesar bit his cigar, 

“And we’re supposed to be its family huh? Who are you? The mom?” Mingfei shot back.

“Well…” Caesar looked down at the food. “I cooked it.”

Lu Mingfei opened his mouth to say something else but Zihang suddenly tensed. His golden eyes stared into another pair of golden eyes. A boy in a red raincoat, stood at the edge of the mossy pond. He was holding a red balloon. Only those glowing eyes were visible under the red hood. It didn’t seem to have a face.

Lu Mingfei’s face went white and then grey with terror. He shook so hard his teeth chattered “G-ghost!”

A small child’s voice echoed clear despite the pounding rain. “Outsiders. I need your help. Come with me.”

The rain suddenly stopped but the sky grew darker, like a great shadow from something large coming over head. The air suddenly cooled. They were still in front of the table but the garden was replaced by sand. The sand was grooved in artistic circles, like an elegant Japanese rock garden. Looking around, they seemed to be in a ruined ancient village. The piece of land they were standing on was floating in mid air, like it had been torn from the earth. There was no sun. The way was lit by ominous paper lanterns that floated in place, painted with a red swirl pattern. In the distance an ancient Japanese castle tower rose out of the misty horizon.

Torii gates were seen floating in the grey, foggy surroundings. Most were shattered. They seemed frozen in the middle of being demolished, their broken pieces spraying at odd angles, their elegant cross bars tilted, but they never collapsed. 

What was most noticeable about this place however, was the sudden sense of crushing sorrow. The feeling one got when they received some sort of horrible news. Like a loved one had just died. It hit Mingfei in the chest and took his breath away.  “Guys. I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to …” Mingfei eyes filled with tears. “What’s happening. I’m so scared.” He hugged his own arms and tried to stop the tears from falling. “We’ve got to get out!” 

He turned to Chu Zihang who always knew what to do in times like this. But the man was frozen, his jaw tense and locked, staring at the ground in a trance, trying to control his out of control emotions. He was breathing fast and trying to swallow the lump in his throat.

Apparently, sorrow drove Caesar Gattuso to action. He drew Dictator and pointed it up towards some broken stairs framed by a bright red Torii gate. Caesar suddenly roared. “This place sucks! Let’s get out of here as soon as we can. The only way out is up!”

His sudden yell seemed to break whatever emotional spell had been cast on the other two teammates. Lu Mingfei wiped his face. “What was that all about?”

“I’m not sure. Likely the owner of this place had a terrible life.” Chu Zihang said gravely. “I’ve heard of Longwei, the natural fear that dragons give off to other creatures, but I’ve never heard of a Dragon’s sorrow being projected like this.”

The stairs were floating over empty air, made of uneven, ancient grey limestone. There were dozens of stairs leading up into the ominous grey sky with broken Torii gates at intervals every twenty steps. Chu Zihang held up his hand to catch what appeared to be snow flying in the air. He sniffed at it. “Ash. Like something is burning. This must be some sort of Nibelungen. But I’ve never seen anything like it.” Chu Zihang said. “We should watch out. Where there’s a Nibelungen, there’s always…”

A sudden loud screeching interrupted him. A flock of bats the size of geese suddenly dislodged from under the stairs.  A whole flock of them swept forward in a single black cloud mass. Lu Mingfei ducked his head as the claws and teeth scraped at him. “I hate this place already!”

Caesar drew his pistols and fired. The bats were flapping and tilting and whirling, but he just needed to aim for just a moment before shooting one out of the air without missing. Likewise, Chu Zihang quickly slashed once and twice, neatly severing their bodies in two without trouble.

“Bats are better than snakes!” Caesar yelled, reloading his Desert Eagles.

“At least Snakes don’t fly!” Lu Mingfei yelled.

 As they climbed the stairs, they stayed back to the back, firing and slicing through the endless swarm of screaming bats. The sound of it was like a constant siren. Mingfei held his hands to his ears and allowed himself to be shielded by his two older students. He could hardly see anything between the endless assault of black bodies.

Caesar’s eyes glowed yellow. “There’s something big at the top of the stairs. That’s where they’re coming from!” He had sent out his Scythe Itachi and they returned with a huge heartbeat up ahead. “Chu Zihang, get rid of these things!”

“Get down.”  Chu Zihang closed his eyes for just a moment and then an evil snarl emanated from his throat. Black waves of heat drove back the bats and then exploded outward into violent flames. The bats were instantly set alight and hundreds of burning bodies folded their wings and fell into the endless pit below. Lu Mingfei didn’t even want to think of what it meant to fall down into that grey void. Would he just continue to fall forever?

“Eugh…” Caesar pinched his nose to escape the smell of burning flesh and hair.  “Good.” He said, reaching down at pulling Mingfei to his feet.

A loud roar shook the stairs and cracked them.  Then the stairs started to crumble, starting from the bottom. If they didn’t hurry, they would be the ones falling. “Run! Run!” Caesar yelled. 

Ahead of them was a large gap. The stairs were falling apart around them, coming to pieces, like the mortar that held them together suddenly lost all its strength. “We’ll have to jump it!”

It looked to be ten feet across over the nothingness. They’d never make a jump that far. But it was either try to jump or fall to their deaths anyway. Chu Zihang suddenly grabbed Lu Mingfei’s arm and without explanation took a leap and dragged him with him. For a moment, there was nothing but empty air under him. And then a sudden blast of heat and a loud boom! Chu Zihang used Royal Fire to blast himself over the gap, dragging the terrified Lu Mingfei the extra few feet needed. They landed and Lu Mingfei collapsed on shaky legs. “Are you out of your mind? You could have at least told me!” He gasped.

Chu Zihang looked at him with no expression. “You would have hesitated.”

Lu Mingfei froze. “I- n.- No…” Lu Mingfei looked away and then looked around. “Where’s Caesar?”

Caesar pulled himself up onto his arms. He was hanging from the ledge, having barely made the jump himself. He looked at Chu Zihang, annoyed. “Sure. Don’t mind me. I’ll just help myself up.”

His eyes suddenly widened at something behind Chu Zihang and Lu Mingfei. They turned around and saw a looming snake with a thick human-like torso and bulging human arms. It glared at them with yellow eyes shining from the skull of an ancient predator it wore as a mask. It brandished a spear as long as a car with a sharp bone tip.

[stardew-vxlley]

terrified of losing you

summary: you and shane get into an argument, and in the heat of the moment he confesses something you never thought about before 

pairing: shane x farmer

word count: 1k

requested by: @le9in7s1

a/n: a cute little blurb that had me in all tons of different feels. hope you guys enjoy! and thank you for this prompt, @le9in7s1 i’m always a sucker for angst and fluff mixed into one 

You awoke to the soft, gentle feeling of kisses being placed along your jaw. Opening your eyes groggily, you registered the wooden slats that made up your ceiling, and as you sleepily turned your head to the side, you were greeted by those big, puppy-dog eyes you had fallen in love with so easily.

“Good morning,” you murmured, scooting closer to Shane as he pulled the covers up around the two of you. You nestled your head in the crook of his neck, arms snaking around his warm torso. He slid an arm underneath your shoulders to wrap you even tighter against him, pressing his face into your hair and inhaling. 

“Morning,” he mumbled into your hair. “I got up a little early and fed the animals for you.” 

“Did you really?” you asked, lifting your head up in surprise. “Thank you so much. That freed up extra time in my day!” 

He watched you through lazy eyes as you shimmied out of his embrace and stretched at the end of the bed. “I figured you could use some help,” he said as he watched you get dressed. 

“That’s very sweet,” you said to him as you pulled on a fresh pair of overalls. “How did I get so lucky?” 

Shane chuckled and sat up against the headboard, folding his hands behind his head. “You drowned me in pepper poppers, remember?” 

“That’s right.” You flashed him a wink and smile as you leaned down and put your boots on. “I might be a little late coming home tonight, so don’t wait up.” 

“Where are you headed?” 

You straightened up and scratched your nose. “The...um, oasis. Figured I’d go visit Sandy.” 

“The oasis, huh?” He closed his eyes and sighed. “Babe, we’ve been together long enough for me to recognize your telltale sign of lying. You always scratch your nose.” 

“Damn it,” you cursed under your breath, shoving your hands into your pockets to avoid any other dead giveaways to your secrecy. “Fine. I was going to the mines.” 

“[Y/N],” Shane groaned as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Why would you lie to me about that?” 

“Because you always get angry with me every time I go,” you protested, crossing your arms. “I can handle myself. I’m not helpless.” 

He shook his head and got out of the bed, standing in front of you. “I know you’re not helpless, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s still incredibly dangerous. I don’t care what Clint or Marlon says.” 

You stared at him, mouth agape, fists balled at your sides now. “We’re really going to do this now?” 

“I don’t want you going.” 

“I don’t care what you want,” you shot back, stabbing a finger into the center of his bare chest. “Going down there isn’t some hobby or ‘fun’ activity for me, it’s to gather necessary resources we need to run this farm. Trust me, I don’t like it either--but it has to be done.” 

Shane looked down to where you had prodded him, jaw set tightly. His heavy brows were furrowed together in frustration, as if trying to find the right words to say. However, he was silent. 

“I’m going,” you said firmly, slinging your pack over your shoulder. As you moved to leave the bedroom, Shane’s hand shot out and grabbed your arm before you could take another step. You whirled around to face him and demand he let go of you, but there was something in his eyes that rendered your voice useless. 

“What?” you finally snapped, a little more forcefully than you intended. “Let go of me, Shane.” 

“I’m terrified of losing you!” he exploded, his words shaking the entire farmhouse. Afterwards, silence blanketed the room as the confession hung in the air, the only other sound in the house the ticking clock on the opposite wall. 

His hand released your arm and fell limp at his side. You stared at him in shock as he went to sit down on the edge of the bed and put his face in his hands. 

“I had no idea,” you murmured as you studied him, taking a step towards where he was sitting. You sighed and bumped his knee with your own, prying them apart so you could stand in between them and wrap your arms tenderly around his head, running a hand through his tousled hair. “I’m sorry.” 

“I know you need to do it,” he spoke into your torso, words muffled. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t worry about you when you do.” 

You chuckled softly, leaning over to place a kiss on top of his head. “You won’t lose me, Shane. I promise.” 

“Is that something you can really promise, though?” he asked, leaning back to look up at you with eyes that shimmered with tears. 

You took his face in your hands and caressed his cheeks with your thumbs. “Yes,” you whispered fiercely, and placed a gentle yet passionate kiss to his lips. “No force in heaven or on earth can take me from your side.” 

Shane’s mouth curved into a smile, and he pulled away to rub at his eyes. “Alright, no need to get poetic on me. I get enough of that from Elliot.” 

That broke the two of you into laughter. He stood up and wrapped his arms around you in a warm hug, until he released you with a sigh. 

“Come home in one piece, okay?” he said, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “I’ll keep the bed warm for you.” 

You hummed in approval and nodded. “I’ll be quick. I’ll see you in a little while.” 

He saw you out and watched as you skipped down the dirt road, pausing to turn back and wave to him before you disappeared around the corner that led into town. Shane stood on the porch and sighed, running a hand through his hair again in distress. But he remembered your words, and remembered that he trusted you completely. He knew you’d come back to him. 

You always came back to him. 

[imaginedxlan]

Alpha Pt. 3 (Grayson Dolan)

a/n: I think its actually been two years since I wrote the first two parts of alpha but idc I’m actually in college now i feel like I have actual insight on how Mr. Alpha of ATO would act around y/n. 

After their date, or forced casual hangout according to y/n, Grayson doesn’t necessarily keep his end of the deal. 

y/r/n = your roommate’s name

warning(s): sexual allusions, cussing, drinking

(part one/part two)

_______________________________

When you return home from your, well you’re not actually sure what to call it, with Grayson, your roommate immediately sits up to see your face, looking for any indication of how your night went. She throws her chem textbook to the side and give you a look as to say well?

You close the door behind you before putting your face in your hands and taking a seat at your desk. You keep shaking your head, there is not a chance in hell you have feelings for this boy. The boy who preyed on a freshman at her very first college party. The boy who stalked you around all of your classes, got your phone number and somehow found out all about your life in the span of a week. You keep reminding yourself of the weird and uncomfortable things he’s done to distract you from the way he planned out an entire evening for the two of you, or that he actually helped you find your sister and her friends or how good he looked when the setting sun hit his tan skin in his topless Jeep only hours ago. Jesus, y/n, snap out of it. 

“Come on, spill!” Your roommate begs, she had to deal with your ranting about not wanting to go all afternoon, she deserves to at least know how it went. “What did you do? What was he like? How’d he dress? Oh my god did you hook up?”

“Ew, y/r/n, no!” You gasp at her last question. How could she expect you to hookup with someone you hate? “It was fine. We ate dinner in some park then he took me to that neon sign museum. Nothing fancy, he had a shirt on which was a first. He acted nice but I don’t buy it for a second.”

“Neither,” She replies, knowing the boy only from how you’ve described him. “He’s probably just trying to get in your pants so he can bug your sister about it.”

She’s right. You can’t fall into his trap, he has ulterior motive. They always do. You just have to go on and find some boy on your floor to kiss and get him out of your head for good. Every part of you wishes your sister hadn’t broken up with her boyfriend, he would’ve given Grayson a piece of his mind if he knew that he was bothering you. Unfortunately for you and her ex, y/s/n does not like to be tied down and she needed to “have her fun” for her last first semester. You and y/r/n talk for a little while longer, about classes and whatnot, but mostly end up talking about Grayson again. 

“We should go to bed.” You finally say, yawning and looking down at your phone screen that read 12:47 am. Your roommate huffs, obviously wanting to hear more about your night with the infamous Alpha Dog of ATO. “Recruitment starts tomorrow, we have to meet our groups at eight in the morning, remember?”

“I know, I know,” She replies, slipping out of her bed so she can gather her things to get ready for bed. You grab you toiletries bag as well and head toward the bathroom with her. “We’re talking about this tomorrow, don’t think I’ve let up.”

Recruitment happens over the span of four days, this weekend and next. It’s a dry rush period so no potential new members can be seen on frat property, giving you a good enough reason to avoid Grayson. Going into recruitment you’re already around ninety-two percent sure you’ll end up in Delta Gamma, just like your sister and your mom. The next few days of recruitment go well, you meet new friends from your rush group who help through the stressful process. Throughout the week you get sporadic texts from none other than Grayson Dolan wishing you luck with those days rounds, giving you unsolicited pointers of where to pref, and telling you that he saw you walking on greek row. You don’t respond to any, hoping he gives up on trying to woo you. So much for leaving you alone after one date. You pref Delta Gamma and Kappa Alpha Theta, but end up ranking DG first, not wanting to end your legacy but also because you felt you fit in most there. It was no surprise when you got a bid. Your sister is over the moon, shrieking over how her biological sister is now her deegster. You still have to get used to the lingo.

You come to find during bid day, which is Space Cowboy themed of course, that your new pledge class will be going out for bid-night with your bid day bigs. You don’t understand half of the things they’re saying to you, the language of sorority girls still lost on you. You’re added to a GroupMe with the new pledges of Alpha Tau Omega, just when you thought you could escape that fraternity as a whole, your bid night is with them. You almost immediately get a text from Grayson.

following in sissy’s steps? see you tonight miss delta gamma, anchor down ;)

What is it with him and these nicknames? You show your sister and she fake gags, saying she can’t believe he’s still texting you after all this time. She still has no idea about last weekend, you intend to keep it that way. When you get back to your dorm, you and your roommate talk all about bid day, she ended up going Kappa. Her bid night was with Phi Gamma Delta, or Fiji. If only you could have been so lucky. She can’t help but snort at the fact that you’re going to ATO tonight, she says it’s the universal pulling you and Dolan together. 

Your sister won’t being coming out with you tonight, having a lab tomorrow morning that she simply cannot miss. You’re partly grateful for it, now Grayson can’t let it slip to her that you two went out together. You end up getting ready in the room of a girl of your floor who you met today at bid day, wanting to base your outfit on someone else’s to blend in as much as possible. With the massive group of girls coming into his house, surely he won’t be able to find you. You meet up with your bid day big along with the girl on your floor’s and you all walk toward the ATO house together. You’re nervous, extremely nervous, but you don’t show it. As you near the house, you’re met with the mix of conflicting basses coming from any frat basement on the block. There are a few girls waiting outside the familiar house, and thats when you see it.

Grayson Dolan at the door, personally greeting every single one of your new sisters, his eyes scanning over every single one of the freshman walking into the door, earning him plenty of groans from the older girls. You don’t mean to say anything out loud, but you let an oh god slip. Your bid day big turns to you with a confused look.

“My sisters warned me about him,” You tell her, which is half of the truth. “Real scumbag I’ve heard.”

She just laughs, not even needing to agree with you for you to know she feels the same way about him. The closer you get to the front door, the more your stomach aches. If only you could be in your dorm watching Barbie Mermaidia with your roommate like last night. You try your best to hide within the group you came with, but it’s no use, he has his single file, one over strategy down to a science. 

“Hello you.” He greets you with a shit-eating grin. You hope the girls with you don’t catch him singling you out. “I’ll see you inside.”

“Fuck off Dolan,” Your bid day big calls over to him. “She’s not one of your play things.”

She pulls you inside before Grayson can say anything else. Luckily he doesn’t follow the two of you either. She gets you a drink and you socialize with the girls and some of the guys. You’re more focused on making girl friends tonight, as much as you’ve loathed your time at ATO, finding a group of girls to wander around greek row on a Saturday night is and essential part to your freshman year plan. You don’t even realize how drunk you’re getting, you follow your sister’s order to never take a cup from a brother, only ever allowing something you or one of your sisters have mixed to travel down your throat. You recall the words of your sisters earlier in the night, ‘bid night means black out ladies.’ You certainly don’t want to black out, but getting a little tipsy won’t hurt anyone. Toward the middle of the night you’re all dancing, body to body in their packed and sweaty basement. You have to admit, you’re actually kind of having fun. When you feel a pair of hands dig into your hips you don’t even flinch, simply moving your hips along to whatever shitty remix is coming from the massive speakers. You swing yourself around to face the boy and wrap your arms around his neck while his stay on your hips. You don’t recognize him, but from what you can see under the dim colored lights he’s cute. Mostly everyone in ATO is. He gives you a grin, letting one of his hands travel closer toward your ass, you don’t mind it, at least it’s not Grayson.

Grayson. Where is that boy? He said he’d meet you inside and it’s been at least an hour and a half. You don’t know why your mind is suddenly wandering off to Grayson. How he must look right now, definitely shirtless with some stupid phrase painted across his chest. How the sweat from the sheer amount of bodies in the house is probably making his tan skin glisten under the LED lights. How his hands are probably wrapped around a red solo cup so perfectly. You don’t even realize you’re biting your lip until your lips are connected with the boy you’re dancing with. You don’t hesitate to kiss him back, suddenly feeling all hot and bothered after picturing Grayson, wherever he is in this house. Snap out of it. Finding Grayson even remotely attractive would go against everything you stand for, your sister would probably smack your head to make sure there is still a brain in there. 

You keep drinking, everything practically going down like water at this point. Your speech is slurring and the room spins around you. You leave the boy you’re dancing with for another drink, finding the stairs to the main floor and gripping onto the handle for dear life. You stumble towards where some boy is pouring a mystery liquid into a cup and stop in front of it. Your new drink is swiftly taken from you and placed back on the table and you’re pulled from the crowd of people.

“How much have you had to drink.” It’s Grayson. He looks so good, you think. He’s shouting over the music for you to answer him. “I’m serious y/n, I need a number.”

You try and do the mental math but the only clear thought in your brain at the moment is how good he looks with his shirt off. You start to count on your fingers but lose track at five so you just shrug. He rolls his eyes, knowing that if anything were to happen to you your sister would beat his ass like it was somehow his fault.

“Why do you care, dad.” You mock him as he tries to think about what he should do with you. “I have to drink this much, I’m in a sos-sorotity you know?”

He can’t help but laugh at the way you’re butchering the words coming out of your mouth, the slurring evident on your tongue. “Okay, miss sorotity, follow me.” He grasps your hand, interlocking your fingers and begins to pull you up another flight of stairs that you’ve never been up. This house is massive. He pulls you into a room and locks the door behind him. Even with the room spinning you can make out a few features. A bed with a white comforter that lies low to the ground, a big frame holding what looks like a yearbook page of girls, and a lava lamp. 

“Is this your room?” You ask, leaning up against the wall for some stability. He just nods, fiddling with something in his drawers. “I’m not having, s-sex with you Grayson. You can’t make me.”

“I don’t want to have sex with you, sweetheart.” He mumbles back, pulling an article of clothing out of the open drawer. Once you process what he says all you can think is ouch. He’s fucked practically every girl on at this school, are you so repulsive you’re excluded from the campus wide Grayson Dolan body count? “Oh don’t be sad, I meant I’m not having sex with you tonight, y/n. Contrary to your hilarious nickname you came up with for me the first night we met, I don’t fuck drunk girls.”

You realize you may have said ouch out loud, have you been doing that all night? He’s only telling you this because he’s almost one hundred percent certain you’ll remember none of this in the morning. Between the jungle juice and natty seltzers, the only thoughts in your brain tomorrow will be getting to a toilet bowl immediately. He pulls out a shirt and a pair of boxers and tosses them your way. You don’t catch them, just start stripping your shirt off.

“Jesus, y/n, if I didn’t know any better I’d say you were giving me a little strip tease.” He jokes with you, turning his head away from you, letting you keep at least part of your dignity. “Tell me when you’re done.”

“I can’t put them on, Grayson.” You whine, your drunken brain unable to comprehend how to put on a t shirt. You pick it up off the ground and hold it out for him to grab. “Help me.”

He huffs out and takes the shirt from your hands, he should at least be getting paid for babysitting you like he is. He pulls his shirt over your head and forces your arms through their respective holes. As he’s about to walk away from you again, you put and point at your shoes and jeans. He rolls his eyes and pulls both your shoes and socks of both feet before carefully undoing your zipper and shimmying the fabric off your sweaty legs, then pulling the pair of boxers over your hips. He’s usually taking underwear off girls, not putting a second pair on. His breathe hitches at the oddly intimate moment he’s sharing with you, you won’t remember any of it but he doesn’t usually do this. You suddenly feel very tired, almost collapsing on top of Grayson before he steadies your hips. He pulls back his comforter for you to slide under. You sink into his mattress and smile at your need for a bed being fulfilled. The lights shut off and you hear him unlock and open the door.

“Wait!” You call after him, making him stop in his tracks. “Can you stay?”

“You’re one needy chick when you’re drunk, huh?” He asks, walking back into the room and locking the door behind him again. “You’re lucky you’re pretty, you know that?”

You just give him a cheesy smile, not sure if he can even see you in the dark room, but you don’t care. You hear his shoes hit the ground and the bed dips next to you. You can still hear the music coming from the basement, it’s muffled but you can still make out every word. You roll over to face Grayson and he’s already looking at you.

“What’re you looking at?”

“You.”

A goofy grin graces your lips when he says it. If you were sober you’d probably protest, whack his arm or something, but now you don’t care. You let your index finger drag along his bicep, up over his shoulder and neck, around his face and then boop his nose. You can feel his face shift when he smiles. 

“You have a pretty smile,” The words leave your lips before you can even think if it’s an okay thing to say. He lets out a short laugh, finding your drunk self’s inability to filter your thoughts amusing. “You’re handsome, Grayson.”

“You’re drunk, y/n.” He teases you. “You need to stop talking before you say something you regret.”

You whine, faking a pout on your lips. “I think it when I’m not drunk too.”

He can’t contain his smile, pushing a piece of hair that has fallen into your face. “We’ll talk in the morning. Goodnight, y/n.”

You wake up with a pounding headache and no recollection of last night past kissing some boy in the basement of ATO. You rub your eyes, shielding them from the light coming in the large window. Large window? This isn’t your dorm, you’re not in your bed and that is certainly not your roommate passed out next to you.

“Fuck fuck fuck fuck.” You whisper repeatedly as you try your best to slip out of the bed you’re currently in. Your shirt and jeans and shoes are strewn across the floor and your in someone else’s shirt and pants. Underwear is still on, two pairs now which is comforting. In your attempt to sneak out of whoever’s room this is you ram your knee into the dresser beside the door. “Goddamnit!”

Before you can continue gathering your things, the figure that you were just sleeping next to takes in a deep breath and let’s out a loud groan, stretching out his arms. “Y/n?”

You know that voice from anywhere, you’re so fucked. “Grayson?”

He sits up and runs his hands through his hair. The contrast of his tan skins against the white comforter is breathtaking. His hair is going in all different directions but he still looks good, how does he always looks good? His silver chain hangs loose around his neck and falls just belong his collar bone. You genuinely believe, at least physically, he is without flaws.

“Surprised?”

“Obviously I am!” You shout back, hurting your own head in the process. “Oh god, oh fuck, did we?”

“God, no, y/n.” He stops your spiralling. You let out a breath of relief that you didn’t even know you were holding. “You think I would have sex with you if I had any doubt that you would remember it in the morning? No, you were hammered and about to keep drinking and I saw where the situation was going so I room you out of it. End of story.”

“So I changed myself?”

“You were meant to, but you started whining like a three year old that you didn’t know how to put a shirt one.” He replies. You’re not really sure how to feel about it, but it’s better than the alternative. “I put your clothes on and put you to bed.”

You let out a sigh, plopping yourself back onto the bed now that you know who it belongs to. You wish you could remember last night, knowing you probably did and said some things in your drunken state that you’re sure you’ll regret if you ever hear of them. Grayson just looks at you, wondering what’s going on in your mind and thinking about what you said to him last night. How you complimented his smile and called him handsome. He couldn’t get it out of his mind. When you turn your body to face him, he scans your features. Hair a mess from both the dingy basement and the hours of sleep you just got, your mascara has collected under your eyes but you still look pretty.

“Stop looking at me like that.” You pull him from his thoughts of you, he didn’t even realize he was staring. He shakes his head and puts on his signature smirk to prevent you from thinking anything other than that he’s an asshole who’s mind is on girls 24/7. He has a reputation to keep and all.

“Like what?”

“Like you’re about to kiss me or something.”

“You’d like that wouldn’t you.”

“Oh fuck off, Dolan.” You scoff at him before he makes the decision to bring himself just inches from your face. So close that you can feel the warmth from his body. Your first instinct is to touch him somewhere, anywhere, but you don’t act on it. “What are you doing?”

“Just getting a better look,” He replies making your eyes roll. Anytime you think you’re letting yourself fall for him he says something gross. “Do you want me to be doing something?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about, y/n.”

It’s silent. There’s nothing to say. Your chest is moving up and down at a rapid pace, you’re not sure why you can’t seem to catch your breath but you can’t. His eyes flicker between your and and your lips. Before you can stop yourself you reach your hand to sit on his cheek and inch your body closer to his. The closer you get the more you can feel his hot breathe on your lips and without a second thought you bring your lips to meet his. Your brain is fuzzy and your body feels like it’s on fire but it feels right.

It doesn’t take long for Grayson to kiss you back, he’s actually shocked you gave in given the way you ignored him for weeks. He rolls over so that he can steady himself with him one arm beside you and the other gripping your waist. You can still barely breathe and he notices. He pulls away from you and give you the biggest shit eating grin. “Can believe you gave in.”

“Shut up before I change my mind.”

[obxlife]

Road Tripping (Rafe x Reader)

A/N: Okay so this is going to be my last Rafe fic for a while because I have a ton of JJ requests and a Kiara request in my inbox at the moment! Enjoy this last piece of Rafe! Also, I didn’t really like this much, but it was really the best I could do. It was really hard trying to create a “new Rafe” (if you can call it that).

Pairing: Rafe x Reader

Word count: 2,422

Request: maybe in an AU where Rafe semi tolerates the Pogues lol but him and the reader maybe have a little bit more tension or something between them. They all go on a road trip (maybe somewhere snowy??) and Rafe and reader are stuck sitting next to each other, rooming together, etc. - he watches her goof off and have fun the whole weekend + somehow they end up realizing they’d be good “friends” (deep down both kind of wanting more than that 🥺)

Summary: In an AU where Rafe is more like Sarah than Ward, the Pogues and Rafe head out on a road trip to celebrate the fact that they had the gold. Here, Rafe and the reader find themselves bunking together. 

Warnings: Nothing, I think. 

ROAD TRIPPING

The Twinkie smelled of JJ’s and Kie’s weed. The smell made your nose turn up a little as you tried to open a window in the back. Rafe grunted as your arms pressed against his chest when you tired to do so, and softly pushed you back into your seat before opening the window beside him. 

“It’s hard to open a window if you have to lean across someone to do so,” Rafe teased you. “You should have just asked me to do it, as I am right beside it.”

You crossed your arms and pouted at his retort as John B and Sarah turned the volume up on the radio. 

It was your third day on the road and you completely and utterly sick of it. The only good thing about today was that you were finally going to be arriving at the ski lodge in Colorado where you had planned this trip. And you were so excited to learn how to ski. 

Having been a Pogue your whole life meant no money. No money for trips outside of the island, no money for expensive sports, and no money for basic necessities sometimes. You, Pope, John B, and JJ knew about these struggles all too well. 

Rafe, Sarah, and Kie, on the other hand, had already been skiing before and knew exactly what to do. 

The trip had been planned by the Pogues, which meant everybody except for Rafe, about three months ago. It had been the middle of autumn when you had finally gotten hold of the gold and managed to change some of it for money. You had exclaimed that you should have a road trip together and everybody jumped up in agreement. Which led you to where you were now.

Everybody had paid for their part of the trip and was ready to head out in a week when Sarah had approached the group with some bad news.

“Rose said she would only let me go if Rafe came, too.”

Everybody groaned. Sure, we all tolerated Rafe, but that didn’t mean that we wanted to go on the road trip for the Pogues with him. 

Rafe was tolerable at most. He had helped you guys get the gold from his father, but that was about where the good in him ended. He had a long history with JJ and John B which consisted of many fistfights and screaming matches. Those had stopped after he had helped the Pogues out, but it didn’t mean that the tension between him and the tight-knit group of friends had dissipated. 

And so Rafe went on the road trip with all of you. Sarah was beaming in her seat when you had all agreed, and after loading his bags in the back of the Twinkie, you had headed off into the rising sun of that morning. 

The Pogues had planned a seating chart to avoid getting into fights with Rafe. It revolved around him, which meant that if he changed his seat, you would all change yours to fit the seating chart. You, being the one that Rafe got along best with, were required to sit next to him at all times. This was decided because, according to Sarah, Rafe had a crush on you and wouldn’t want to get into a fight if you were right next to him. 

Begrudgingly, you agreed. 

Rafe loved the fact that he was seated next to you. What Sarah had said was true, but he would never admit that to you. He had tried to spark up some conversation with you during the first day that you were traveling, but you had shot him down pretty quickly, preferring to talk to the rest of Pogues. 

Rafe, feeling as if he was not very wanted on the trip, plugged his earphones into his ears and shut his mouth. That was how he had been the rest of the time the group was in the Twinkie.

Soon enough, JJ, Kie, and Pope had fallen asleep in the seats behind you. You, on the other hand, were wide awake. You had tried to talk to John B and Sarah, but you realized that they also seemed to be extremely tired. 

“John B,” you called out, “Let me drive and you can sleep back here. Rafe and I can take the front seats.”

John B didn’t need to be told twice. You nudged Rafe once the Twinkie had parked at a gas station. 

“What?” he asked pulling one of his earphones out of his ear. 

“C’mon,” you told him, opening the door, “I’m driving and I need you to talk to me while I drive. Plus, Sarah and John B are tired so they’re sleeping back here.”

Rafe only nodded and followed you out, letting his sister and her boyfriend lay on the seats that had been occupied by him and his crush. 

Buckling up, you turned the car on and pulled onto the interstate. The music coming from the radio was bothering you, so you turned the radio off. Rafe sat in the passenger’s seat quietly, shuffling his hands. 

“Rafe,” you said, gaining his attention. 

“Uh, yeah?”

“When I said I needed you to talk to me I meant it.”

“Oh,” was all he could think of to say. 

You sat in silence for a couple of minutes until you sighed and said, “Rafe, how old are you again?”

“Nineteen.”

You nodded. “What college do you go to?”

“Chapel Hill,” he began. “My dad went there. And my grandfather, too. So it was obvious I had to go there, too.”

You frowned at that as you swerved onto the left lane. “It isn’t obvious. You could have gone anywhere else to college.”

Rafe laughed. He looked at you and explained, “My dad would have had a heart attack if I went anywhere else.”

You nodded as if you understood, checking your mirrors before braking a bit. 

“Have you thought about where you want to study?”

You processed his question and tried to think of an answer. Truth was, you didn’t have one. “College was never an option for me. Well, not until now.”

Rafe nodded as if he understood. “Well, have you thought about what you might like to study?”

You smiled thinking of all the things you liked. There was one that stood out to you. “I like writing. And art. And a lot of other things, but mostly writing. Is there a career that has to do with that?”

Rafe smiled at your answer, loving the innocent tone of voice you had used to speak to him. “Yeah, I guess. I have some friends that went into writing after school, but I don’t really remember their majors.”

“Oh, good,” you smiled even wider now. “Then I would like to go into writing, I guess.”

Rafe smiled before changing the topic of the conversation. You spoke for the rest of the ride.

************************************

The reception of the hotel was cute and small. And cozy. The snow around you was making your feet numb with cold, and the chains around the wheels of the Twinkie looked glossy from being between the white powder on the ground.

Rafe stepped out of the reception and gave you three keys. 

“So this is cabin 15, which is for two people. Then there’s cabin 18 for three people and cabin 16 for two people. I asked if the were close by, and the woman said that cabin 15 and 16 were right next to each other and that cabin 18 is in front of them, across the road.”

You smiled at him and climbed into the beat-down car again. The heat was on, so it was a lot warmer than outside. JJ had woken up, along with Sarah, and they were discussing something that died down as soon as you and Rafe entered the car. 

“So?” Sarah asked. 

Rafe repeated what he had told you outside to the two blondes. 

“I call rooming with John B!” Sarah said loudly, causing Rafe to glare at her.

“I call rooming with Kie and Pope!” JJ spoke almost at the same time as Sarah.

Your eyes widened, realizing that their arrangements left you to room with Rafe. You didn’t think that was going to be any good. Especially because of the butterfly feelings you had begun to develop around him ever since you had pulled out of the gas station four hours ago. 

This had been JJ’s and Sarah’s plan. To leave you and Rafe together. Unbeknownst to you and Rafe, they had woken up a while ago and had heard a large portion of your conversation. Once you had exited the car and entered the reception of the ski lodge, they had shot up in their place and realized that the other was awake. 

“We have to set them up together,” they had exclaimed at the same time. 

They stared at each other weirdly, not thinking that the other was going to agree with what they said. 

“Y/N needs to get laid, ASAP,” JJ explained. Sarah nodded before saying, “Or she needs to get into a relationship. Just like Rafe.”

JJ had nodded. They knew you didn’t need a relationship, but they knew you wanted to be in one. And besides, what JJ had said was true. You needed to get laid. You had told them many times before when you had been drunk.

“You are not bunking with John B, Sarah,” Rafe said. You took his hand in yours and squeezed it. This turned his attention towards you. 

Sarah was pleading at him to let her sleep with John B, but it was you that truly convinced them. “Just let her sleep with him. They need each other. Especially after the whole gold thing with your dad”

Rafe only nodded his head, realizing only then that the arrangements left you bunking with him. He smiled softly. 

You turned the car’s engine on and followed the signs on the road towards your cabins. Once parked, you woke everybody up and unloaded the car. Saying goodnight to the rest of the Pogues, you and Rafe headed into your cabin.

Turning on the light, you smiled. The first room was a living room that was joined to a kitchen and a small dining room. There was a fireplace that was already lit which brought heat into the small building. At the end of the room were two doors. Opening the first, you noticed a small bathroom. From the following door, Rafe said, “Sweet!” before you heard him flop onto a bed. 

Tired, the both of you quickly went to bed and drifted onto sleep. And no, you did not share a bed. There were two in the room. 

******************************************************

Rafe was falling in love with you.

Seeing you goof off during the weekend was enough for him. 

It began with you waking him up the morning after you had arrived. You were extremely excited to learn how to ski, so you were urging him to get up. 

While he got showered and dressed, you played music from your phone and danced around the kitchen, waiting for him to be ready so you could meet up with the Pogues. 

At ten, you were all eating breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant, winter clothes and gear on your bodies. Rafe could only stare and stare as you cracked jokes with JJ and made fun of Pope putting on sunscreen. 

“We’re in the cold, Pope. Why would you need sunscreen?” you giggled.

“I read that the snow works as a reflector of sun rays! I just want to take care of my skin!”

Once on the ski tracks, Rafe helped you put on the ski boots and the skis themselves. He taught you the basics of skiing and left with Kie onto the harder slopes. When he arrived back to where you were, he laughed at the discarded skis at your side. You were making snow angels on the ground. 

When you both arrived back at your cabin, you removed your ski goggles from your face only to find that your cheeks were red. You were sunburned!

Rafe laughed at your groans, and stated, “you should have listened to Pope.”

The following day was similar, but this time, Rafe and Sarah made sure to hire a skiing instructor for the Pogues. They wanted to make sure they actually learned. 

Speeding down the slopes one time, he noticed you in your class. The instructor was in front of the four Pogues that were taking classes slowly drifting down the beginner’s hill. Rafe smiled as he noticed your wobbly knees and the smile on your face. 

The end of the weekend approached a lot faster than you had wanted it to. 

“Why do we have to leave tomorrow morning?” you cried out. Rafe could only laugh, staring at you with love in his eyes. 

“We’ll come back again,” he promised you. “Next year. And for a longer time.”

You went to bed that night dreading the fact that you had to leave. However, you awoke only a couple hours later, freezing. You heard wind rustling outside and moved the curtain to look out of the window. A snowstorm encased the small cabins on the mountain. This probably meant that you were going to have to stay at least one more day before leaving, especially if the roads were blocked. 

You shivered and tried to fall back to sleep, but couldn’t. You sat up and looked at Rafe’s bead, an idea popping into your head.��

You stepped out of your bed and moved towards Rafe’s raising the covers and slipping in. 

Feeling something cold near his legs, Rafe woke up and groggily turned around. He saw you next to him and felt his heart race pick up. 

“Hey,” he whispered to you. 

“I’m sorry I woke you,” you apologized. “But I was freezing and you looked warm.”

Rafe smiled at you and closed his eyes, already drifting off again. He was brought back out of the dream world by you. Your arms had reached out towards his body and brought him closer to you, pressing your head into his chest. 

Rafe returned the gesture, and you immediately felt encased by heat. Sighing happily, you closed your eyes. 

“I’m glad we became friends this weekend,” you spoke out to him. 

Rafe grinned. “Me too.”

The both of you fell asleep, not knowing that the other wished to be more than friends just as much as themselves.

[blankdblank]

Brother Dearest Pt 43

First course into second were two meals that had you out of James’ arms, from the much anticipated dancing around your waist his arms remained fixed even to the point he almost drew you onto his lap to eat. For the third course it was the dessert course where before you could turn your head James was on his feet and up he helped you for the walk over to the table tray being rolled out with the larger cake for your table and the important guests with a couple more rolling trays coated in single serving round decorated mini cakes everyone else was going to get to be served next. Right behind you he strolled with hand on your waist and feet careful to not step on your dress up to the cake where behind your back he widened your smile with his arm that slid across your stomach to hold you to his chest. Cheers and pictures captured the slicing of the cake and the joint serving of bites off the designated forks and plates of cake that you both snacked on while the cakes were served out to everyone else.

Stolen glances to your parents between the next round of dancing had you pulling away as James took up the chance to join the men in a celebratory cigar break outside. While Eddie joined him, Vic and Dawn led the ladies over to your side in your break at the bar for a refill on your screwdriver. Norma with a hand on your arm to ease herself between the stools there smiled in accepting the pretzels and ginger ale the bartender brought out for her to help her shifting stomach after her last two nights. Dawn asked lowly in your lift of your screwdriver for a sip, “Having a good time?”

You nodded, “Just needed something to drink. I like this syrup, help get that champagne taste out of my mouth.”

Dawn smirked to Dot’s saying, “I think I might talk to Grubbs about getting me another of those cakes tomorrow. Down right addictive.”

You chuckled to yourself and caught sight of Princess Elizabeth’s future fiancé Philip who strolled over to the bar. With an air of a mood where the blonde was used to being able to snap his fingers and get what he wanted he gave his drink order and over the lot of you his eyes skimmed. “Fine way to become a Mrs.”

“Thank you,” you said with a grin unable to think of what else to say in his thanking lift of his glass when it was given to him.

“Bet you’ll be relieved to hand over things and settle down.”

“There would be a line of losers along with you for news on that bet.” You said turning his head to catch your grin that spread in the eye contact the bartender took as a sign to turn and count his bottles to not be seen chuckling.

“From what I see you may have had fun with the run you had heading your comics and-,”

His hand rose to lift his glass for a smug sip after his comment was through but you shut him down, “No one is taking my businesses or achievements away from me. This is a ring not a leash and I doubt a man with such a tiny perspective on what women are supposedly entitled to could understand the fact that my husband is not threatened by marrying a strong successful woman.” His lips parted, “Not every man wants to lock their wife away and take everything but a spatula away from her limiting her to wife maid and mother. And to be honest for a man who may be latching himself onto a future Queen perhaps you haven’t been properly warned to this rude awakening you are in for when she wears the crown not you, with more power that you have no say over.”

“I can’t imagine you know anything about my life or how my relationship with Lizzie will turn out.” He retorted in a growl borderline statement almost more for himself than you.

You smiled wider, “You give away a great deal more than you realize. And when it all comes down to it no matter what agreement you formulate pre crown it’s going to be shattered when the country and people bump you down the list of priorities. And if all it took was one comment to ruffle your feathers over drinks then boy are you in for a body slam when she’s Queen and your role changes to support her, to uphold her legacy and public image. What a lovely wife you’ll make keeping house while she rules a chunk of the world.”

That had him huff and turn to walk off to Princess Margaret’s side where he leaned in to mutter to her only making her laugh which angered him more. The bartender having seen that bent over to hide behind your back to laugh into his arm to muffle the noise through Norma’s asking, “And he’s going to be King?”

“Oh I highly doubt they will let that happen.” You muttered before another sip, “Doesn’t seem to be favorite with the ruling clan.”

The bartender said in his lift up to peer over your shoulder, “Nail on the head Bunny. Better hope for the Poor Princess they can break him down a bit before anything concrete is locked down.” The path of the Princess in question with empty glass in hand had him moving to ready a refill for her and muttered, “Ooh. Incoming.”

With a smile you nodded your head among the other ladies in Princess Elizabeth’s stroll over. Gracefully she settled the glass on the counter trading nods with the bartender then sort of sighed out in a mustering of courage to speak, “This is such a lovely day.”

“Yes it is. I hope your wedding day has such fine weather. Must be hard to find a clear day to pick I hear it rains fairly often.”

“Yes, though there are usually a few windows that are fairly good windows of weather. Early winter most often is quite beautiful. For myself I quite enjoy the notion of a winter wedding for myself and then we could go somewhere warm for the honeymoon. Philip is set to be stationed someplace warm.”

“Well I hope he knows how lucky he truly is to have won your heart.”

That split her grin a bit wider and she asked, “Where are you honeymooning?”

“There’s a smaller cabin on our land we’re going to for a few days. To sort of deflate and hike and fish and be circled by bears and a few moose that stroll by.”

“That sounds rather lovely.” She said and you giggled to yourself.

Dawn said, “It is, weddings, even our elopings can be rather stressful, nice to just be together in the silence. Especially after living in Brooklyn where it never seems to just be quiet.”

The Princess locked her eyes on yours asking, “Do you prefer the city?”

“I miss how easy it is to travel to the library or museums, always been my place to unwind and run off to ignore the world. It is amazing here though. I really love it, our first trip here when we first came back from the war there was so much to learn how the guys take care of the land. Teaching us about the animals and hunting and clearing some trees to prevent fires and such.”

“Oh yes,” she replied, “Balmoral Castle in Scotland is our refuge. We hunt and fish as well and go on ample hikes. The palace can be quite the fish bowl at times, so many people coming and going.”

“Sounds a lot like Brooklyn then,” you said with a grin luring hers wider in accepting her new drink.

“It must be fascinating though, attending school among your peers. I was taught from tutors.”

“Well if you ever want a list of books I’d recommend your dad has my number and address.”

“Thank you,” her eyes shifted to follow yours to her sister and mother who were both looking her way and she gave you a grin and excused herself to go and see what they were speaking about. In her step away Portia smiled and slipped over to join your group to see how you were doing with smiles at your break of eye contact for Norma’s grab of your hand to lay on her stretching baby’s feet. On the ease of your eyes back to Portia yours locked with the blue pair on the blue cloaked woman dancing with her date who gave you a kind smile while the glance lasted.

 *

Warm under the sun James grinned in the first puff of his lit cigar mid chatter of the guys surrounding him. Eddie, not smoking sat sipping on his whiskey with a smile locked at the barely breaking smile on James’ face while his thumb spun the wedding band on his finger side to side with glee at finally being married. The conversation carried on while his head turned to glance inside with eyes narrowing a flinch at what he heard Philip saying to you. One of the soldiers said, “Piece of work that one.”

James looked back at the blonde’s stroll away saying, “No kidding. Lucky he brought an escort.”

Victor said, “Good thing he’s the side piece to the Princess.”

Another solder chuckled, “Not that he’s gonna take that well.”

The one next to him said, “Can’t even keep his eyes on his own date. Tried to slide up to my Kim till the girls glared him off. But I guess once you get up to a certain status who you chose to honor is a small list excluding your wife to be.”

They all smirked as the one beside him said, “Unlike the Baron here. High class Noble.”

James rolled his eyes, “Just words. Fish and hunt and mind the land like everyone else.”

Another said, “Not gonna lie, she’s earned that title. What is a Lady Baron?”

Victor chuckled, “Baroness.”

The soldier stated, “Yes, Baroness Bunny Pear Howlett, Corporal Medic and future Doctor. Not to mention her book,”

Soldier 4 asked, “Does that make her an author? If it’s just pictures?”

“It’d be photographer right?” Another asked.

James, “I would say photographer. She could do well in it if she wanted. Got a good eye.”

King George among them garnered greeting head nods and to the cigarette in his fingertips one of the soldiers brought out his lighter earning a thanks from the King, “Thank you, hope you don’t mind my joining the smoking circle.”

Victor, “Not at all, Your Majesty. More the merrier.”

Through another curiosity bubbling deep chested chortle of a try to cough the King gave out a puff of smoke from his first inhale and looked to Eddie, “You don’t smoke Eddie?”

Eddie shook his head, “No, besides, Dawn’s still got that sensitive smell thing going on since Marigold was born. Can’t even eat heavy handed pepper meals or she’s got to lay down.”

He nodded, “Ah,” and looked to Victor, “Norma, isn’t it? Your lovely wife,”

Victor nodded with a smile, “Yes.”

King George, “Her pregnancy is going well?”

Victor, “Yes, very well. She was worried about it but we’ve been hovering and keeping her calm.”

King George, “Worried about what?”

James said to Victor’s silent moment in search of words, “First time jitters mostly. Even Jaqi’s had a few come up in our talks about families when they came up. Her mom had nursing books around the apartment so she’s had plenty of information on what could go wrong. Norma’s caught some stories about hard labors too, but Doc’ll take good care of her and the baby.” He accented with a pat of his hand on Victor’s back calming his older brother who was reminded of that fact daily.

King George, “Oh yes, labor can be quite troubling for all involved. Even my girls were a bit of an ordeal for my lovely wife.” After another puff of smoke from him and James he added, “I do not doubt the both of your wives will pull well through their births as Eddie’s bride surely has.” His eyes wandered inside to his daughter chatting with the women and he asked, “Have you managed a greeting with my prospective son-in-law yet?”

James, “Not yet, Jaqi has.” He accented with a puff of smoke afterwards to the dissecting once over from the King.

“I take it he was not the most gentlemanly of guests from the drink?”

“One way to put it,” one of the soldiers said.

The King looked to your trio asking, “What is your opinion on him?”

James, “Would you mind my frank answer?”

King George, “I would greatly value your honest opinion.”

James curtly said, “Break him now.” That had the King’s brow rise and he said, “Some men admire strong women, others want one they can own. One day your baby girl is going to have to pick up a crown when she loses you, hopefully well down the line when she’s got some greys of her own. A move I know you know will be excruciating. And that little boy is not going to take it well when he realizes she rules the country and his every move will be to support her in that effort. When his legal rights as a husband over her are null and void. He will not take that well.”

Victor nodded and said, “We can only protect our daughters so much while we are here, the rest is all left to chance by who we let in the door once we’re gone.”

Eddie, “Princess Elizabeth is a sweet girl, a foot below how shy Jaqi was when she was little, and we just don’t want dead beat tethering himself to her where she can’t get out.”

King George nodded, “Thank you for your honesty. I will do my best on that front.”

Eddie joked, “If not we know a guy who’d eat him free of charge.” That had even the King chuckle. The conversation then dipped to the cabin and land which brought out a tangent on get aways in the wild.

 *

“What a beautiful wedding,” the mystery woman said in her approach to Elliot’s side as you took a break to check how he was enjoying the ceremony near to the snack table while others were still dancing.

“Thank you,” you said and asked, “Have you known Bill long, Miss?”

“Asteria,” she replied and she said with the notice of your parents that came closer on the other side of the table to Loki’s move right up behind Elliot. Heimdall freshly back from a check at the BiFrost to shoo away some curious teenagers who were trying to sneak a peek at the long since used portal they had been learning about. “I do apologize for the farce, I simply acquainted myself with Bill not long after you had returned from the war and your pictures were first in the papers. Though we never met in the news clippings in theaters I could sense your familiar aura I had felt once in my youth off of one of your children.”

Elliot spoke, “And just what situation did that meeting pertain to?”

She grinned and replied, “Not a meeting, just a passing in awe. The aura is unmistakable and knowing this is your territory upon honor and that of my sisters I wished to welcome you back.”

“Sisters?” You asked and she drew in a breath to answer.

“We are the Amazons, beloved of Aphrodite who after freeing ourselves from the slavery Hercules enforced upon us to leave the world of Men and forge our own sanctuary of an island. Though not without a price, my sisters fashioned the strongest of our armor and I chose to remain behind to face the armies roused to bring us back and give my sisters a fighting chance.”

“Must be some armor.” You muttered and her smile spread again.

“Your child intervened and turned their focus away from myself and returned to their path again. Even Aphrodite had barely heard whispers of your children herself, and to have been saved by one I wished to thank you myself and share that I have been returning kind acts into this world to protect these people as your children have. I also wished to inform you that I am entirely at your service should you require me.”

To Elliot you looked and asked, “Are Amazons on the list of topics to cover later?”

His eyes narrowed in thought at Heimdall stated, “You are a child of Paradise Island,” which earned an agreeing nod, “Clay infants granted life by those known by the Greeks to be Gods.” He looked to you, “There is a mention in our records of an island you noted upon their birth. Fairly inconsequential for other races. Though notably reluctant to leave their shores.”

Asteria, “I chose to remain behind to repay the debt of my survival and to prevent others from following myself to the shores of Themyscira. Another younger naïve sister of mine seems to have chosen to live here as well after her arrival in this world during the First World War to battle with Ares. Perhaps when she comes to her senses and understands who is here keeping us safe now that the other Gods have abandoned this coil.”

“If people don’t know about yours then why not go back now?”

“I have accepted my mortality, to return now would defeat the purpose of my life here in the world of Men.”

“Mortality, how long do your people live?”

“I have been on this planet since before the days of the rise of Greece and its fall. There is life in my bones still for quite a while yet. I am quite in awe of all you have achieved in such short time so far.” She said and to your eyes scanning over her face she added, “Perhaps the eye of the storm is not the best location to view the progress the storm brings about.” Bill called out to her and she smiled saying, “I will not impose upon you further, when you need me I am certain you will know how to find me.”

She walked to join her date to begin dancing again with him at his request while Loki stated, “Surprisingly genuine that plea for allegiance.”

You asked Elliot, “What exactly am I supposed to do with that?”

Elliot replied, “Perhaps we might take her at her word. I will consult the others who remained behind to see who might have aided her. Should be a simple task there are only so many possible of our blood who could have been outside of our territories to have intervened with any armies as she had stated.”

Heimdall spoke, “Now that she has made her presence known to you I will keep her actions noted.”

“If she’s been here this long she may be harmless in the scheme of things. Even if she did sort of sneak in to say it.”

Elliot looked to your father as he said, “She will not harm you or your rule. Once we return to Hel we will speak to their Aphrodite.”

“So the Greek Gods are real?”

Elliot shrugged, “Not in so many words. Belief based beings who dwindled in power long ago. They are of very little trouble to us now.”

Loki drew your eye, “I do believe you should be dancing. This is your day.”

“I do believe you are right Prince Loki. Now, I have to go steal my husband from a King.” The Prince smirked on your turn away in saying to Elliot, “I will let you steal more of the sweets and pretend I didn’t see.”

Elliot chuckled and returned to eyeing the treat table he had hoped to fill another plate from before taking Edie up on her offer of a couple dances later after she had finished her own spare treats. The two having hit it off as friends bonding over sharing stories and their affection for you.

Outside however a simple stroll up to the group was made and a hand on James’ back had his grin double at the turn of his head and Victor chuckled taking hold of his cigar. Over your head James’ arm eased to rest around your back at the accepted tug away from his group for the adored chance to show you off around the dance floor again. Tenderly his lips pressed to your temple in a duck under the rim of your hat to hum, “I apologize for neglecting you my Darling.”

With a finger hold on the front fold in his jacket you replied in the doorway, “You can go back to your cigar after a couple dances.”

Once his eyes locked with yours in a backwards tilt of your head he smirked to rumble, “I’d never touch a cigar again if I get to keep you in my arms.” His words melting into your lips in a lean in to steal a loving kiss his fingers framed your chin and cheek to slip free and claim your hand to guide you in front of him to let you lead the way between couples onto the dance floor. The moment possible again his hands eased yours around his neck and palm to bring you as close to his chest as possible, with a loving smile locked in place and seeping wider the longer he could hold you. The dancing lingered until you paused again to rest and ended up settled on top of his lap back in his seat for a few more snacks and a top up on your drink. Though that ended when Eddie and Erik got their chance to claim their own dances.

Some more pictures came with the friendly goodbyes to the sun setting the Nobles were the first to head out for their flight back to their waiting home in Ottowa the Prime Minister’s group tagged along for the free ride. Truman’s group was next with scattered guests who had long drives readied to leave lined up with the acceptable end of the bouquet toss. One toss and the giddy Bride-to-be waved it around as the men lined up to light the way with sparklers for the path to your waiting car. Inside however to the settling of both your hats on your lap your eyes locked with your parents’ and they nodded to remind you of their agreement to meet you at the cabin.

Eddie and Victor mastered the clean up while Dawn and Norma went home in a Brock carload to the house to get some rest and put the babies to bed. The camera crew and photographers loaded up and gave word they would send copies of the ceremony and pictures once they could be copied and printed. The guests gladly were off sharing their favorite moments of the ceremony by the time you had reached the drive to the house. Already you had handed over the veil that Mama Brock had taken to keep it safe for the next Bride who would need it to Father Thomas’ stolen few private words of well wishes for the both of you on your way to the honeymoon.

“You were brilliant you know.” You said to James who stole a smiling look your way.

“I did very little past repeating the words and comments on what to do and where to go. You are the brilliant one all our guests wanted a break with you for chats. Master hostess.”

“Weddings aren’t truly a hostess situation. If it was I’d have thrown out that blonde nimrod of a future Prince.”

“Oh I heard him, if he hadn’t shut up when he did I’d have given Squishy a signal to eat him.”

“You heard?” you asked looking at him.

“Of course I heard. Told King George they should break him now. Before he can put some damage on Princess Elizabeth.” His hand moved from the shifter to your hand in an eye locking promise of, “I am never going to take what is yours from you. Whatever you build I will do all I can to legally hoard it until we can transfer it to your name fully.”

“We are going to have to head to the bank when we get back.”

“I’ll put my name on the accounts but I’ve talked to them the other day to ready the balance consent cards that I can fill out for you to keep for big purchases so stores don’t look at you sideways if you’re out with the girls without me.”

“You really trust me with that much cash? I might start buying things left and right. Leave us broke.” In a playful raised brow glance he made you giggle at your own teasing statement and he chuckled shifting his arm to draw you a bit closer to his side so he could kiss your temple. A bit sideways you shifted to keep your skirt from blocking the shifter and yourself against his side.

“Between the two of us we will have funds for centuries with how little we spend.”

“Guess we’ll fit the penny pinching Baron stereotype then.” He chuckled again to the smooth of your fingers across the back of his hand resting against your belly. After a brief pause you said, “I’m glad my parents could come.”

“So am I. I can see where you get your looks and that adorable hint of an Irish accent of yours.”

Softly you chuckled and asked, “Would you have wanted your parents there?”

“Oh no. Would have been nothing but complaints and questions as to why your dress wasn’t bouncier.”

“Bouncier?” You asked peering up at him.

“The hoop skirt frames were mandatory at the time. To not wear them about would set off a scandal.”

“I suppose the grey corset would have bothered her too?”

“Oh no. Colored outer corseted tops were quite fashionable for a time. Could have been taken as a gown from a relative. And hats were quite respectable as well.”

Through the dark while the conversation meandered the cabin came into view and once parked he lovingly helped you out and once his hat was added again he shrugged out of his jacket to the mild chill in the air and walked you to the door that he opened and showed you in through the dark. A fire was easily built to light the room and a few of the candles around the place. The knock on the door turned you and James gladly opened it to let your parents inside to start the conversation you greatly needed. Warm hugs however came first before the nestling into couches for ample questions on random things that you had ached to have parental input. Skipping the painful question as to how he had died and left you behind. The requested dance came to the start of a radio James had found in the coat closet and you split in pairs for each parent for a few tear stirring dances that brought your father to draw you into his chest for another tight hug.

“We should let you both enjoy the rest of the night.” That had you inch back in the hug enabling him in your peer up at him to cradle your cheeks with thumbs to settle ready to wipe away any tear that would dare fall to the twitch of your lower lip. “I love you so much, My Queen of the Cosmos. And I’m always here when you need me, no more barriers you are growing stronger by the day and I couldn’t be prouder to have been granted the honor of protecting you and claim to be yours.” To the lift of your hand to touch the necklace he said, “Keep it, when you need me press it in your fist and say my name, shout or a whisper I will answer. I’m right with you, always.” You nodded in the settle of his hands onto the tops of your shoulders. “I have to return with Sarah by midnight.”

“That some Cinderella clause for her trip here?” You asked post calming sniffle.

He smiled wider and answered, “No. There is a troubling herd of three headed goats who meander into our gardens if the house appears empty.”

That had you smile and nod then turn to see your mom’s hand lower from a kind pat on James’ cheek he smiled through. She turned at the end of her comments to him and hurried to claim her own tight hug you clenched your eyes through. “I love you my Precious Bunny. Don’t you worry about anyone else. I know my son has hurt you, but you need to let go of his words. I am so sorry I was too broken to stand up for you and give you a home to depend upon when I got ill.” She hugged you tighter to the drop of a tear down your cheek. “I know you were scared and he left you alone, I am so sorry I failed you. I hoped he would know you were a piece of me no matter what he felt about his father. I thought I raised him better than to abandon a child.”

“Is he in Hel too?” You asked in her pull back and they both shook their heads.

Your father replied, “No. We are unable to find his essence or Bucky’s in any of the various dimensions mortal souls descend too or we would have drug Steve here as well.”

James asked, “So, they’re not dead then?”

Your mother, “We aren’t certain.”

Your father, “There are beings or times an essence can become trapped or sent elsewhere, perhaps their ties to you had them taken. Some of our brothers are off in search of any whisper for where they might be.”

James, “Well when they find him I owe him a blow to the jaw.”

Your father chuckled and said in his move to the door he opened revealing the silvery blue and green mist outside the door they both passed through saying, “We will keep searching, do not let this trouble you. Enjoy your retreat.” Once past into the mist it faded into the night and James eased his arm around your back in the closing of the door.

Up around his neck when you turned into his chest your hands moved for the beginning of a seemingly endless kiss. Into the back of his hair your fingers stretched as an answer to his melt against you to the symphony of the crackle of flames, the forest around you and the whisper of the radio still fading in and out to the shift of show times.

The gentle blind tug on his jacket towards the bedroom granted you a free breath of air in his murmur, “I can hold you tonight, if you want.”

With a smile you said, “Either way I need out of this corset.”

His eyes dipped and lips parted, “Ah,” in the realization, “I apologize, completely slipped my mind. Come here Darling.” He said in a turn to guide you to the bedroom that he paused to light the fire from the candle he brought with him that he settled upon the mantle and turned back to you.

Around your back he moved and with a gentle press of his lips to your shoulder. His fingers eased down the laces on the corset to find the hidden knot he loosened to relax the tension in the garment that in a reach around your chest his fingers guided the hooks apart until he could set it aside and turn his focus to the laces down the back of your dress. In the lower of the gown to your feet he guided your hand to his shoulder for your step out so he could lift up and carry the gown he laid across the armchair along the wall he left the corset underneath to keep from snagging the sheer material with the broach.

Your hands on his back widened his smile and turned his head with his body to follow. Out of his sash he dipped and stood in a loving stare to your focus shifting to the vest buttons next. His jacket out in the living room would later be added to the pile but for now all he did was remove his cuff links he tucked into is vest pocket in his shrug out of it. A tug of his shirt from his waistband came in his eyes sink over your half shadowed self in a strapless slip and stockings ended in shoes he couldn’t wait to take off of you to rub your legs and feet in the beginning of a full body massage to relieve any sort of tension from the big day. And the moment he was shirtless you giggled in his arms that looped around you to lift you off the ground to carry you to bed. “Off your feet Darling.”

“Your shirt,” you giggled out watching it slide off the chair onto the floor.

“It will wash.” He said and settled you down on the cool comforter against the pillows. With a quick peck on your lips he drew back with hand smoothing over your hip to your thigh where he found the straps for your garter belt he undid. Sideways he twisted to unbuckle your heels he dropped behind him to the floor to grant him ease in removing each stocking that was followed by the garter belt you wiggled free he smiled in adding to the pile on the foot of the bed.

To the side he turned to ease off his boots that once on the ground he turned from to sit cross legged to cradle your foot saying, “You’ve had a long day. Just relax.” By the time he had gotten to the other foot you had removed the pins and braids from your hair to settle with the pendant on the nightstand to relax back against the pillows. Each smooth of his hand lulled you to where your eyes drooped and in the back rub with you upright seated with him behind you his smile spread at the melt of your body into his chest. Into the pillows he settled you so he could blow out the candles. To the sight of you he returned with your bags from the trunk of the car and his jacket he added with his shirt from the floor to the pile of clothes soon joined by his pants he changed out of and into his pajama pants. Right beside you under the covers he nestled in for a long night’s sleep.

Pt 44

[dboliklover]

NSFW, can u please do the sakamaki version of the drunken s/o barging in on them demanding sex?

Hell yeah I can, here comes the sin! WARNINGS: IMPLIED NSFW 

Reiji:

When Reiji informed you that he’d be going on a business trip for the weekend, you were half-sad and half-excited to have the weekend to yourself. 

On one hand, you did enjoy his presence…even if Reiji could act quite…high and mighty, at times and occasionally got on your nerves.

Though, when he was here he hardly ever allowed you to really have ‘fun’, mostly since your idea of ‘fun’ was what he viewed to be ‘unladylike’. 

As such, you were excited to go out and spend some time with your friends…by going clubbing. 

So, on Saturday evening you went out with some old friends and got absolutely wasted, so much so that your friends decided they needed to walk you home, in case you ended up falling asleep in a random alleyway. 

When you got home to the manor, your friends went their own way, and you went into the mansion, attempting to ‘sneak’. In your drunken state, you had begun to miss Reiji, more than you cared to admit. 

In your drunken state of missing Reiji, you decided to just go to your shared bedroom and wear one of his classy shirts to bed so they’d smell like him until he came home

What was certainly a pleasant surprise was to see your beloved unpacking from the business trip as soon as you opened the door.

A happy squeal escaped your lips which alerted Reiji to your presence, turning around to look at you and immediately realising you were definitely intoxicated.

He was about to scold you on your foolishness around alcohol when he suddenly felt himself being tackle-hugged with the most affection he’d ever recieved. 

You were like a little kitten, nuzzling yourself into him as you exclaimed how much you missed him. 

Reiji rolled his eyes but had the softest smile on his face. While he certainly did not approve of the fact he was gone for two days and you decided to use that time to get drunk, he also found you to be more adorable than he’d ever tell you. 

Just as Reiji was beginning to pull you off him, you suddenly moved your hand down south, sensually and seductively pouting at him with the sweetest bedroom eyes he’d ever seen you pull. 

Your face was red; partly due to the alcohol in your blood, but also due to the slight embarrassment, as you bit your lip. 

“I missed you…” You whispered softly, as your hand ghosted over his crotch, “Please fuck me.” 

Reiji was rather surprised. You never really initiated intimacy with him due to how you were naturally easily humiliated.

He sighed, but it was less a sign of annoyance and more one of playfulness, as he grabbed your hands and pulled you onto the bed, straddling you. “I am going to have to punish you for having such a dirty mouth.”

Shu: 

Ever since you had gotten together with Shu, you had ceased to spend enough time with your friends.

In reality, you didn’t even realise the ‘neglect’ towards them, and when they confronted you about this, you felt utterly horrible. 

As such, you informed Shu you’d be going out with some friends that evening. Shu acted as though he did not care where you went, but internally he was more jealous than he wanted to ever acknowledge. 

Shu did not like you going out, mostly because of the internal possessive instincts that he usually suppressed. But he also knew you couldn’t be locked up in the manor like a dog (unfortunately). 

He decided to just sleep until you came home, though he had trouble to rest when he knew you weren’t in the manor and that anything could happen to you outside. 

When he heard your bedroom door open, he opened one of his eyes, and found you slowly walking towards your bed, somewhat hesitantly. 

You probably thought he was actually asleep, but he soon turned to face you, some confusion in his tone, but he attempted to remain stoic as he usually was, “Shouldn’t you still be out?” He questioned, only for you to shyly shake your head. “N-No…I…” You blushed, but he was uncertain whether you were just that drunk or wanted to say something embarrassing. “I…I just really hate being away from you…” You explained, and Shu felt warmth in his chest. 

You then moved closer to him, only to straddle him, placing your hands on his chest. “I want you to make love to me.” Your tone had grown darker than it was mere moments ago, it was not a question or plea; it was a demand and statement. 

Shu let out the slightest, more seductive chuckle you have ever heard, your core burning for him. 

“You really are a troublesome woman…” Shu ‘tsked’ but you both knew that when he called you ‘troublesome woman’ it was really just his way of showing playful affection towards you. 

Your hopes were answered when you felt his growing bulge.

Ayato:

You had recently had a fight with Ayato, and in your frustrations, you left the manor and went out to drink and forget your worries. 

Meanwhile, Ayato was overwhelmed with stress and angst, regretting the things he said and accused you of.

Not to even mention the worry he felt since you just….left, without telling him where you were going. He felt as though he should have just gone after you, or low-key followed you, or something to just make sure you’re safe. 

Ayato has always been an overly prideful man, it was his largest flaw, but it was something he could never properly let go. But he knew he’d have to - for your sake, he’d need to be less of a prideful asshole. 

He was about to leave and try to look for you in town when your bedroom door suddenly burst open, he was about to yell at whoever the hell was barging into your shared room but quickly froze when he saw it was you. 

From the mere sight of you, Ayato was able to tell that you were clearly wasted. He was confused as to why you almost bust the door down but soon you were angrily marching over to him, determination in your eyes. 

Ayato never admitted when he was scared, but this was definitely one of those times. 

Though, at the same time, he found you to be so arousing right now - all angry and enraged. 

He was about to say something, but before he could you pulled him down to your level and kissed him with the utmost infuriated passion he’d ever felt you kiss with. 

Your sudden action dazed him and it took him a few moments to realise what was happening, but as soon as he did he twisted your position so you were against the bedroom wall, feverishly kissing him. 

“Fuck me, you piece of shit!” You demanded, your tone fierce. It definitely got him going. 

Ayato smirked as he nipped your neck harshly, “You shouldn’t refer to Ore-sama that way…” His lips ghosted over your ear, sending pleasured shivers down your spine. 

Internally, Ayato felt such relief to know that you didn’t hate him. 

Not long after, your anger all but dissipated and you were left a moaning, mewling mess being fucked against the wall. 

Laito:

Going out clubbing with your friends was something you did often, but you were usually the ‘mum’ friend - the one to drink no more than one drink and watch over your other friends.

Tonight, though, you were feeling a bit riskier and emotional, probably because of the fact that you had yet another fight with Laito not that long ago. 

Your relationship had issues, that was clear to most people. But didn’t all relationships have them? 

Still, you knew you’d have to actually talk to him soon, this…couldn’t go on the way it has been. Though you were not perfect or a saint in all of this, either, and you knew that…

Taking shot after shot was something you did in the hopes of forgetting your problems; not something that would increase your thoughts of Laito. You cursed your drunken brain for doing the opposite of what you wanted it to do. 

One thought led to another and suddenly all your intoxicated mind could think of was the times when Laito fucking brought you to paradise. 

You weren’t even sure why you were so angry earlier, the alcohol clouding your mind, but you found yourself missing and needing your lover.

You snuck out of the club, in your needy state you didn’t even really think to inform your friends and just…went home. 

You barged into the music room (where you knew Laito likely was, he preferred to go there after arguments with you) almost falling over because you lost balance. Your sudden entrance caught Laito’s attention, who was previously playing the piano with skilled fingers. 

With a gentle sigh, Laito shook his head as he stood up and walked over to you, carefully helping you retain your balance, but before he could really help you from falling on your ass you practically jumped on him, wrapping your arms and legs around his torso and neck, sending him wobbling backwards but he managed to find his balance and leaned you up against the piano. 

He seemed melancholic, almost mournful. Even in your hazy, intoxicated mind, you were able to tell that he regretted the fight as much as you did. 

You kissed him roughly, to which he voiced absolutely no protest and kissed you back, and the moment you pulled away you whispered to him in a strong, determined voice, “I want you to take me to paradise.” A strange choice of words, perhaps, but he was more than happy to deliver.

Kanato:

As Kanato’s lover, you hardly ever got to drink. 

Now, you never were a huge drinker but it was still nice to unwind every now and then, but ever since you and Kanato started your relationship he refused to allow you to drink. 

He just…didn’t like it, at all. 

As such, when your friends invited you to go to their birthday ‘party’ you happily accepted, though you knew Kanato would not like that. 

He liked to have you entirely to himself, but you stood your ground and managed to ‘allow’ him to ‘let’ you go to the party. 

The whole evening he was brooding and his brothers all avoided him, not wanting to deal with how extra-bratty he was behaving without you. 

The birthday party was immense fun, but since you spent so much time with Kanato, you ended up missing him a lot, and how he tended to cling to you so much…

The alcohol in your system only made you miss him more, making time drag on without him. Before long you excused yourself from the party to go home. Unfortunately, on the way home your brain started replaying some less-than-holy memories of Kanato and you together, and soon your core was burning for Kanato. 

When you arrived home, you practically rushed up to your bedroom, burst through the door excitedly and disturbed Kanato from whatever he was doing. He was clearly unamused and about to complain, when you suddenly rushed up to him, trying to cuddle up to him. 

Kanato was feeling particularly annoyed an grumpy, though, and attempted to give you the cold shoulder, usually, you would have backed off and given him his space, but in your drunk state of mind, you were determined to ‘cheer’ him up…

You pouted, and he tried to ignore you, until you cried out, “Please fuck me!” in the most desperate voice he’d ever heard from you.

Kanato froze, trying to hide the blush but also felt pretty mad. He didn’t like it when you swore, but that was precisely your plan. You wanted him to ‘punish’ you…and you got your wish!

Subaru: 

You had an odd friendship with Ayato.

You found him frustrating, but also you could be considered ‘Bros’.

Currently, he had challenged you to a drinking contest, and you were no pussy about to refuse. Mama didn’t raise no bitch.  Subaru was out in the gardens, so you knew you might as well accept the challenge.

Before you knew it, you were shitfaced after many shots Ayato had you take, but you had cursed his vampiric self for having such a high tolerance for the burning liquid. 

Almost immediately after the alcohol hit you, you found yourself flustered and the only thing you could really ‘think’ about was Subaru and how you wanted to see him. 

Ayato was pridefully laughing at how drunk you looked but was confused when you got up and wobbled out, without saying anything. He shrugged it off and just went off to bother Reiji. 

You went out into the gardens, drunkenly stumbling around until you saw Subaru. He was always so beautiful and handsome….

you found yourself heavily craving his touch, wanting him to hold you like only he could…and then hundreds of perverse memories hit your mind, and you could feel your engines turning. 

Normally you were not the most ‘bold’ person, but after drinking so much liquid courage you almost jumped onto Subaru, startling him. 

“Y/N? What the hell are you doing-” Before he could continue he looked up at your face as you sat on him, face unmistakably flustered by alcohol. 

Subaru sighed, and ‘tsked’, internally scolding himself for leaving you alone with Ayato, this was NOT the first time his brother challenged you to do some stupid shit and you, determined to be some kind of ‘badass’, foolishly agreed. 

…but he had to admit, you were incredibly adorable with your needy eyes staring into his own, cheeks flustered a rose-red and lips parted sensually. He scolded himself for getting such impure thoughts especially when you were clearly drunk, about to try and pry you off of him, but then you kissed him passionately, your hands playing with his snow hair as you showed your ‘adoration’ of him. 

“You’re so beautiful…” You sighed softly, as Subaru felt himself flushing, his own blush almost matching your intoxicated one. 

“Don’t…Don’t say things like that, I should be saying that to you-” 

“-I want you to make love to me, Subaru.” Your tone was light but serious at the same time, and it took him off-guard.

He hesitated, considering what to do. His inner desires screamed for you, but his morals were telling him to try and put you to bed and get you to sleep - you were drunk and he didn’t like to make love to you when you were under the influence of various substances. He always had a fear of taking advantage of you. 

Gently, he pulled you up and picked your smaller form up, holding you like a bride as he carried you to your room, where he would help you fall asleep.

…though, if you still wanted him to make love to you in the morning, he’d happily do so

- Mod Rozalia 

NOTE: I am so sorry that 1.) this took 300 years and 2.) that this is so bad! I had slight author’s block and Subaru’s one is like…high-key the one I had some ‘fun’ with lmao because I feel hella playful rn also, Please reblog and comment! it makes my day, but also encourages me to write more. 

[melyaliz]

Remember me 9

Master List

Fandom: My Hero Academia

Pairing: Bakugo Katsuki x OC

Notes: I have about 2 other chapters “edited” (I use that term loosely) so I’ll try to take some time to post them soon as well.  

All Masterlists @melyalizarchive​

All Masterlists @melyalizarchive​

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-0-0-0-0-0-0-0- Olive -0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

“Oh my god I can’t breath” Olive giggled, crumbling into Eliott’s lap. Her husband smiled down at her gently playing with her hair.

“This is serious Olive!” Eliott said, his smile melting away to a very strained serious one. His dark brown eyes studying her face, “it’s the greatest story ever told. Guy dates a woman, woman’s ex is a mob boss who is involved in illegal fashion, mob boss’s daughter almost gets killed. Now the guy must use his skills from the years of being in the other four movies to get revenge on his girlfriend’s daughter’s father. Tale as old as time “

“I’m just saying they should have killed the guy and the daughter could have gone full ninja killer and taken out her father and his gang.” Olive giggled, wiping her eyes from the tears of laughter that had been rolling down her cheeks.

“That would probably have been a better movie… but would it also have bad dummy shots?” her husband asked.

“Of course” sitting up inspiration struck, “I have an idea!” Eliott watched her as she sat straight up. “You write the action and I will write the romance.”

“How much romance will there be if the daughter is 12 yearsold.”

“Well romance and character stuff.” she shrugged, “And you can add in all the poorly done dummy blow ups you want.”

“I will” Eliott said nodded, “But only if I can use sex dolls.”

“Like, Hard Ticket to Hawaii ? Oh wait! Now hear me out” Olive giggled scooting up so she was now straddling her husband taking his hands in her own. A goofy smile spread across Eliott’s face as he weaved his fingers into her own.

“Oh are we at the wait stage of drunk Olive?”

“Shhhh” she giggled leaning forward slightly brushing her nose on his, “But really, this is serious.” Cleaning her throat for dramatic effect she continued, “a Hard Ticket to Hawaii Death Wish 4 crossover.”

“Oh girl,” Eliott said, his voice hitting a higher pitch on his girl . Olive giggled pushing herself forward so she was resting on his chest.

“I love you.”

“No way really?” Eliott gave a fake gasp  “That’s sooo weird because you know what? I love you too”

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

“ So just be ready ” Kirishima said, prepping the gang, “She’s… the same but different. ”

The group nodded in unison, game faces ready for whatever was coming. And that something was slowly walking toward when in the form of Bakugou and Olive.

Right off the bat it was obvious something was off. While they were holding hands it looked unnatural. Bakugou’s shoulders were hunched and he seemed to be looking anywhere but at Olive who was talking in the city as if she had never walked down this street before. Her large hazel eyes taking in everything, mouth slightly open.

“Olive! Bakugou!” Kirishima said, waving. At the sound of his voice Olive looked up and waved, a smile on her face as she looked over at the group of others standing with them. Her eyes intently taking everyone in as if searching for something that wasn’t there

“ Hello! ” she said as they both stood there awkwardly. Hands had been let go and now hanging at their sides. Limp as if unsure what to do.

There were a few more awkward nodes before Kirishima led them all inside toward the balcony seating, their usual stop. “T his place is amazing! ” Olive said looking around her eyes wide as she took in the atmosphere. Everyone froze as the blissfully unaware woman turned to her husband, “ How did you find this place Katsuki? ”

“ I didn’t, you did .” he said as everyone around him winched slightly. The awkwardness was so thick you could almost taste it, and it didn't taste good.

“Oh.” her voice soft as she bit her top lip looking down at her purple painted nails. She had found her polish that morning and had decided to try out the fun colors.

There was a long pause when Mina spoke up, “How’s Clare and Lilly and the others? ”

Olive blinked looking up, “ You know the girls? ”

“ Yeah we have wine and Rupaul's Drag race nights. I think the last one we did was about a month ago wasn’t it? ” the last statement, more of a question then a comment.

“Uhhh” Olive shrugged unsure how to respond

“ She doesn’t remember it ” Kaminari mumbled to the little pinked haired girl. And again there was a lapse of awkwardness. Turning to Momo from across the table Olive pointed to her shirt.

“ I love your shirt so cute! ” she said, stumbling slightly over her words. Momo lit up pointing to the shirt that Olive had gotten Momo for the hero’s birthday. The words “Females are strong as hell” in English was written in script across the chest. She had gotten it because she always told Momo, who was the 4th hero and number 1 female, that she was the most badass out of everyone (and that ranking didn’t mean shit). Also they were both addicted to “Unbreakable Kimmy Shimitt”  

“ Thank you, I’m Momo '' the dark haired hero said, noticing how much Olive was struggling trying to piece together who was who. Before they had come Momo and her fiancee Shoto Todoroki had decided to treat her like they had met for the first time. “ and this is Shodo my fiancee .”  

“ I’m Mina! ” Mina said quickly and everyone else followed suit with a quick round of introductions.

“ Yeah I have pictures ” Olive lit up at the introduction. “The fair.”

“ What picture did you have ?” Momo asked, leaning forward.

“ This one of the fair? ” Olive said, holding up the phone leaning over the table to hand her the phone. Watching them Kirishima chuckled leaning toward Bakugou.

“ Why are they across the table from each other?”  

Bakugou shrugged, rolling his eyes, not shocked by the poor seating choices. After coordinating this whole night was he really now in charge of seating as well?

“ Oh that was so fun. ” Momo smiled looking at the photo. Memories of her trip to the US where Olive had given her the grand tour.

“ Oh is that the American Fair? What other pictures do you have? Do you have the one from when we all went to that spa? Do you have the one of us in those masks making the peace sign? What about... ” Mina was bursting with questions going way too fast for Olive to keep up. The poor girl’s smile looked slightly strained as she tried to look like she was understanding more than every other word from the excited pink haired girl.

“You’re going to fast for her! ” Bakugou barked out noticing the very overwhelmed look in his wife’s eyes, “ She's still learning .”

“Oh sorry Olive” Mina whispered looking down at her hands feeling her face flush.  

“Don’t yell at her.” Olive said good naturally in English nudging Bakugou playfully with her shoulder. The blonde looked like the wind had been knocked out of him her words cutting him harder than he wanted to admit. “Which picture did you want to see Mina?”

Before the pink girl could respond the waiter came up to introduce herself and take drink orders.  A look of desperation came over Olive’s face as she looked down at the menu. Anxiety quickly flooded her system. The social pressure of trying to be normal while navigating a language she was still learning was extremely stressful. And this was besides the fact she had no idea what was good here or what she would like to order. Did she had a regular drink here? If so, what was it?

Desperately she looked down at the Japanese characters as if they would suddenly jump out and give her all the answers.  

A large hand slammed over the menu making Olive lookup. Bakugou’s intense red gaze met her hazel one.

“I’ll order for you,” he said softly in English, more of a statement than an offer. His red eyes studding her as if reading all her thoughts. She smiled softly at him making him flush slightly looking away from her to the waiter ordering quickly.

“Thank you” she whispered, her hand gently brushing against his arm. Her fingertips leave a trail of goosebumps in their wake. It felt like her touch was fire.

Quickly he rubbed his arm as if he could put out the flames that were licking at his skin.

Fuck. He had it bad.

“Yeah well you looked so lost.” he grumbled looking away turning to Kirishima who was intently watching the conversation with the most annoying smile on his face. “ What are you looking at? ” Struggling Kirishima’s annoying smirk didn’t fade but he offered no explanation for his expression.

Typical.

Lucky for Bakugou the conversation shifted to other things. Work, life, weird food Kaminari had tried last week on his trip to Bermuda.

Olive quickly picked up her conversation with Momo about the place she was looking into for her wedding and life in general. Since they were - as Kirishima had pointed out- sitting across the table from each other, Olive had to basically lean up over the top of the table to shout of the music that was playing in the background.

Bakugou couldn’t help but frown watching as his wife literally looked like she was crawling over. Her eyes bright as the two talked. It was the most enthusiastic she had been in a long time.

“If you want to be with her so bad go sit over there, ” he said, it came out much harder than he had meant it to be. But he was annoyed and sometimes -ok most times- had a hard time masking his emotions. Olive blinked looking up at him confused for a moment before getting up from her seat moving over - much to Momo’s delight- to sit down next to her. He could see her pulling out her phone probably to show off pictures of Dolemite. Or maybe to ask more about the people who littered it. He could tell she felt awkward about asking him those questions. Knowing it hurt.

But also he wanted her next to him. To feel her next to him. To know she was still there with him.

“ OMG I love this song !” Mina squealed as a song came on.

“ Let’s dance, ” Momo said, getting up knowing Olive loved to dance. Normally she was the one dragging the girls onto the floor. At the promise of dancing Olive lit up as she stood to follow them. However before she left she glanced over at Bakugou, as if checking in with him.

“Why are you looking at me? Go!”

Olive flashed him a wide smile before following the girls into the crowd. The other two girls grabbed her laughing as they swayed with the music. Not having to talk just laughing and enjoying each other’s company. The universal girl code of good music and alcohol.

Three songs later and she was slowing down, taking a moment to breathe looking around the dance floor.

And that was when she thought she saw him.

Long blonde hair pulled up in a man bun. A basic flannel shirt, on the shorter side with broad shoulders leaning on the bar, his back to her.

Eliott

Her brain zoned in on it, for a second she forgot he was dead. Forgot he was gone.

That first month after his death she saw him everywhere. Heard his laugh. Sensed his presence. Slowly it had gotten better. His presence slowly fading from the bright sun of the day to the dark of night or in those first moments when she was waking up. And even more recently his presence had slowly faded. Her brain too busy trying to understand this whole new life she was living to focus on the loss.

But as the man turned and she saw it was clearly not him something washed over her. Hit her right in the face crushing her inside.

She didn’t even realize she was crying until Momo came up and hugged her.

“What happened?” she whispered in English as Olive raised her hands to her face trying to stop the tears. But they wouldn’t stop. Her chest so heavy it felt like her whole body was filled with sadness and the only way out was through her tears.

“I just… I thought… I saw Eliott.” she hiccuped, “I’m sorry… I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?” Momo asked, frowning as she studied Olive. Mina, whose English was not as good, hovered around them both rubbing Olive’s shoulder trying to understand what had happened.

“I just… can't stop crying.” Olive sobbed trying to take deep breaths to gain control of herself.

“It’s been a lot for you.” Momo said, “come here” she hugged the girl for a moment before pulling away.

“ It’s ok to miss someone. ” Mina said, holding out a napkin she had grabbed from the bar.

“Yeah and for you it’s been very recent.”  Monmo added nodding

“I just feel guilty… Katsuki.” Olive fumbled through the words trying to explain all the emotions that were swerling like some muddy concoction in her chest.

“ Oh Bakugou can get over it. ” Momo said, waving her hand trying to keep her words simple so both girls could understand what she was saying, “ he gets all moody but he really cares about you. ”

“ Yeah, the first time I met you he was so… relaxed. ” Mina said, trying to find the right words, “ None of us had ever seen him that way before. ”

“ He was happy. ” Momo nodded, “ He will be fine, you need to focus on yourself.”  

From across the bar Bakugou had lost sight of where the girls had gone. The crowd was getting thicker and thicker as the night had dragged on. He knew Olive would be safe with Momo and Mina there but still, he wanted to make sure she was ok.

And then he caught a glimpse of them. Standing at one of the far corners of the dance floor. Momo and Mina standing over Olive, hovering around her with concern on their faces. For a moment Mina moved and he could see Olive clearly, holding a small white napkin wiping her eyes.

Shit.

“ Hey bro where are you ?”

“ Just drink your beer. ” Bakugou interrupted Kirishima as he quickly made his way to the dance floor. Momo’s eyes met his and she shook her head but he didn’t care. Olive wasn’t Momo’s wife, she was his. They were supposed to be distracting her, not reminding her about her memory loss.

“Hey,” he said, reaching out for her. Olive turned eyes wide, still slightly glassy from her tears. Her makeup smudged. “Dance with me.” pulling her away from the girls who looked like they were about to protest. But one death glare from Bakugou told them not too.

He led her across the floor, his red eyes studying her as she took a few shaky breaths. Trying to compose herself. After a few moments her body slowly relaxed letting him lead as he felt her slowly lose herself in the music again.

“You dance?” she asked looking up at him.

“Depends.” he said shrugging

“Humm” she hummed, nodding like Eliott was what she was thinking. Eliott Eliott Eliott. Even Momo got more out of her than him. He felt like she was more comfortable around everyone but him. “You know” she said leaning forward resting her head on his chest catching him off guard. “I like to be with you too.”

He froze, his stomach clutching tightly, his breath coming out in a short gasp. She looked up at him with those hazel eyes studying him. “What you said about Momo, I like being with you too.”

“I heard you the first time” he said sharply only to soften quickly.

“I… I obviously liked being with you before or I wouldn’t have married you.” she added a genuine grin spreading across her face.  

“That would make sense.” He said nodding as they swayed in the music both caught up in their own thoughts. Eyes meeting, dancing in the lights overhead. For a second it felt as if time stood still and Olive was sworn she wasn’t in real life but in some weird musical romcom. As if her whole life was some televised novel filled with hi-jinks and drama.

Caught up in the moment Bakugou gently leaned forward, his nose brushing hers before pausing. Her heart leapt into her throat at the soft intimate touch. Crimson eyes searching hazel for a moment before moving closer, his warm breath caressing  her ear.

“Let me kiss you?”

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