#grateful they took me here I’m embarrassed to be around them after how they talked to that guy

[nemovanilla]

.

[sinnersweets]

DogDay x Reader part 8

<;-----part 7, part 9----->

After my birthday mine and DogDays relationship towards each other changed. He would be a little bit more flirtatious with me while I continued to be a nervous wreck around him. I think it’s safe to say that I liked liked him and I’m sure he also did too but none of us would ever bring up that topic. I would die of embarrassment if I told him about my feelings for him and he didn’t feel the same. I’m fine with what we have now.  

My thoughts were interrupted by a knock at my office door. “Come in!” I thought it would be DogDay since he’s really the only one who came in my office, but it was actually Sarah. “Oh, hey Sarah, what brings you by?” She shut the door behind her and took a seat in front of my desk before saying, “I came here to like possibly warn you that Bobby Bearhug is like totally trying to get your spot in the show. CatNap overheard Bobby and Miss Delight talking and like; he told me that she convinced Miss Delight to be your understudy.”  

I was taken back by this. However, I was grateful that Sarah told me about this. “Thanks for the heads up Sarah.” She nodded her head while popping a piece of gum in her mouth. Again, I have no idea how she got hired but she seems nice. As she got up to leave, she said one last thing before closing the door. “Oh right, you might wanna go down to the theater room because your costume, it’s like huge.” I made a puzzled look on my face. It shouldn’t be huge; it should be my size. I gave Bobby my measurements. I sighed and followed behind Sarah. 

--------------- 

When I entered the theatre room I was impressed by all the decorations that everyone has made. The set was turning out great. As I looked around I spotted Bobby over by the stage...wearing my costume. Deep breaths Y/N; deep breaths. I walked over to her and put a strained smile on my face. “Hey Bobby.” I said through my teeth. She looked over to me and smiled while saying, “Oh hi Y/N!” I clasped my hands together and took another deep breath. “So, Bobby, I heard that you are now my understudy and I’m so excited for that; but why are you wearing my costume?” Bobby giggles and spun around showing off the costume that was clearly supposed to be made for me. “Well Y/N as your understudy I should also get a costume, you know in case something were to happen to you.”  

I was so close to saying a snarky comment, but I heard DogDay call out from behind me. “Hey Angel!” I turned around and saw that DogDay was in his costume. It looked exactly like the one in the cartoon. He wasn’t wearing his sun pendent, but he looked quite good in the outfit. “Whaddya think Angel?” He turned around and showed off his costume. I smiled while saying, “You look very good DogDay, though I like you more with no clothes and your pendant.” His ears perked up and his eyes widened. I just heard how he probably heard it and that is not what I meant at all. “Wait wait wait- I didn’t mean to make it sound like that at all I swear!” I hid my face in my hands, already feeling my face warm up. “I’m flattered by your comment Angel.” I felt his paws grab onto my hands and pulled them down from my face. As I looked at him he was now at eye level with me.  

“No need to hide that pretty face of yours Angel, I find it cute when you blush.” I could feel my heart beat a little faster. “Where’s your costume at Angel?” I snapped back into reality and struggled to find my words. “Oh-well um, Bobby is actually wearing it.” I pointed behind me and I saw DogDay look to where I pointed. “Oh hey BB! Didn’t see you there.” I quickly covered my mouth with my hands not wanting to laugh out loud. “Oh that’s fine! I think you look absolutely dashing in your costume DogDay~” She pushed passed me and walked up to DogDay. “BB why are you wearing Angel's costume?” “Hm? Oh no you see this is my costume. Her’s is over there.” Mine and DogDays eyes followed to where she pointed, and I saw the same costume that she was wearing but smaller in size. “As her understudy I think it’s only fair that I make myself a costume. In fact DogDay I think you and I should rehearse together.” A whistle blew over the room catching everyone's attention. Up on stage was Miss Delight. “Attention everyone! It’s time to rehearse!” Oh joy. 

--------------- 

Thankfully my costume fit me. I felt kinda off not wearing my uniform, it’s grown on me. I looked at myself in the mirror and was impressed with how I looked. My costume was identical to what Belle wears throughout the movie. “Alright, let's do this.” 

--------------- 

The first couple of scenes went off swell. It surprised me to see DogDay act not so cheerful while playing Beast. KickenChicken...I think he was taking his role too seriously. Hoppy kept smacking him on the head every time he would go off script. Damian tried to have a French accent, but it didn’t sound French; more Irish. And then Bobby; I was ready to throw hands with her. She would always interrupt me and say that I was doing a scene wrong and come on stage and act out what I just did. On stage there was a trap door and every time she would walk over it it took everything in my power not to pull the handle to make her fall through. 

Miss Delight told everyone to take an hour break and then to come back ready to do the whole show. Some of the cast left the room while others stayed behind. I was one of the ones that left. I got an alert from my phone saying there was a severe rainstorm coming near the factory, I hope it wasn’t too bad. I was starting to get a headache and needed to lie down in my office. DogDay followed me to my office saying I could take a nap with him; which I agreed to instantly. “Don’t worry Angel, after today we’ll just have one more day of practice and then we get to perform in front of everyone and Bobby won’t be bothering us anymore.” DogDay spoke as he laid down on his bed and I leaned up against his shoulder. “I hope so. She’s giving me a headache.” DogDay chuckled. After a while we both fell asleep and laid close to each other. 

--------------- 

We were just at the part where Belle tends to the Beasts wounds when suddenly the power goes out. Great. The storm cut the power. Without the lights the theater room was completely pitch black. “Everyone please remain calm and don’t move! We’ll just have to wait for the power to turn back on.” Miss Delight said somewhere in the seats. A loud thunder shook through the room silencing everyone. I sat in the darkness along with DogDay and Damian and the rest of the cast. As I leaned back against my hands I felt something land on top of my head. 

I raise one of my hands up to my head and grab whatever landed on me. I took out my phone and turned on my flashlight and I saw what it was. A spider. I stood up instantly and moved away from everyone while I started swatting around me while screaming, “GET IT OFF GET IT- AHHhh-” Snap. I felt my ankle break as I fell. I cried out in pain. “Angel??!” I could hear DogDay call out for me, but I just kept crying in pain. 

The lights soon came on and then I saw where I had fallen. The trap door was open. I must’ve fallen maybe ten feet down. Soon I saw Damian and DogDays head peer over. “Angel!! Hold on I’ll be right there!”  DogDay disappeared and Damian had a look of horror on his face. “Damian move b-back...I don’t want you to fall!” I said while still crying and fighting through the pain that I felt. Miley, who played Babette pulled Damian back. As I lay helplessly, I saw red smoke surrounding me. I started coughing as I inhaled this smoke. I saw DogDay approach me before I passed out.  

--------------- 

I slowly opened my eyes and saw that DogDay was asleep at the foot of the bed I was on. Looking around the room I saw that I was in the infirmary, though it looked more private than the one I’ve seen before. As I went to go sit up, I felt a shock rush through my body. “Argh-” DogDay then shot up and looked at me before pulling me into a hug while saying, “Angel! Finally you’re awake, I was getting worried.” “How long was I asleep?” I spoke out while hugging him. “Nine hours.” “Nine hours?! That’s ridiculous!” DogDay released me and grabbed onto both of my hands. “You really scared me there for a moment Angel; Damian too.” I felt horrible that Damian saw the pain I was in. “Where is he?” “He’s in Home Sweet Home asleep; I think it’s three in the morning right now.” "Huh??! That means I’m here after hours!!" “Don’t worry Angel, as your boss this won’t count against you. I just need you to rest up and heal.”  

The show. I won’t be able to do it. That means.... My eyes teared up as I chuckled. “Haha, looks like I’m out of commission for the show.” DogDays face changed to one of hurt and displeased. That meant he would end up doing the show with Bobby. She got her way. “No, I won’t do it. I don’t want to do it unless it’s you out there with me Angel.” “You have to DogDay. No one else got an understudy but me. You must.” I leaned over and grabbed onto Dogdays head and rested my forehead on his. “You’ll do great.” I kissed his nose and closed my eyes while still resting my forehead on his. “Angel?” “Hm?” “Can I stay here with you until it’s time for rehearsal?” I smiled and said, “Of course.” DogDay then got up and climbed behind me on the bed and positioned me up against his chest after he took off his pendant. “Comfy?” I hummed yes and closed my eyes while DogDay took my hand and rubbed the top of it. Before I fell asleep I felt something on top of my head again. A kiss.  

A/N: *hides*

[sexy-monster-fucker]

Leisure

Baby Billy Freeman x Preacher's Daughter!Reader

-> Part 2 // Part 3 // Part 4 //

Summary: Baby Billy is a guest at the Readers church. Reader is the preacher’s daughter who leads Sunday School for the young kids. Billy has taken a liking to her.

CW: age gap (reader is 21+),

a/n: I’m not really a Baptist Christian anymore and haven’t been for a long time, HOWEVER when it comes to writing things in this universe it’s almost hard to avoid writing as if the reader is a church goer. I’m trying to keep the religious aspect of it to a minimum, but if something like that upsets you I wouldn’t suggest reading. Religious trauma 🙃

~~~

A cool Southern breeze danced across your shoulders. It was Friday evening, the Sun wasn’t hardly going down yet but it would not be too long before the chill of the night fully took over.

Cold brick pressed against your back, arms crossed over your chest as you stood out front. This Chapel, which your father had pastored since you were in Kindergarten, was like a secondary home to you. Your mother smoothed down her perfectly fitting dress awaiting the guest you all would be welcoming. Your father straightened his tie, clearing his throat in preparation.

A older looking vehicle pulled into the gravel of the parking lot. Tires catching against the loose rock. A tall, thin man with platinum white hair and a huge white smile stepped out of the drivers seat. He was older, still about ten years younger than your parents.

Baby Billy Freeman. A somewhat washed up, old Christian Singer. Your father had seen his listing somewhere online and called inviting him out to your Church.

“Mr. Freeman! We are so grateful to have you here with us today,” your father approached, hand extended out in a greeting. “No need for formalities, now. You can just call me Baby Billy,” he shook your father’s hand a charming grin painting cleanly across his face. Your mother approached behind, she and Billy went through the same motions. Awkward greetings and a soft handshake. You stood back behind your parents allowing them to do the talking for the Church. Last thing you wanted to do was embarrass them.

You stood as straight as you could, hands folded in front of you. Soft, dainty smile painted your sealed lips. You watched as they talked about the church and how they could not wait to have him perform for the congregation. You observed Baby Billy. His eyes darting past your parents to get a look at you. Your stomach did a flip the first time you held eye contact with him.

That’s wrong of you. Lust is a sin after all.

You fell back as your parents turned to begin up the stairs of the church house. Allowing them to walk first. Baby Billy stopped and extended a hand to you, “And what’s your name, sweetheart?”

That pet name painted your skin pink. “Y/N. It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Freeman,” you smiled taking his hand in yours. “Now, now, doll. Like I told your daddy: call me Baby Billy,” he smiled staring deep into your eyes. “Of course Mr— Baby Billy,” you returned his smile.

Doll.

“She’s a quick learner,” Baby Billy turned back to following your parents. “Yep, that’s our girl. Y/N is the Sunday School teacher for the littles here,” your father spoke. Billy raised his eyebrows in response. You followed a few steps behind as your parents showed him around the walls of the church, stopping room by room to explain how the church was ran. Your chapel was no mega-church much like those of Baby Billy’s sister’s family, the Gemstones. Just a modest size domain with the seats filled on Sundays.

Your father took stance behind the poolpit, hands on both sides of the podium. Large hands smacking causing an echo from the handcrafted wooden frame. “And right here is where you’ll be standin’ on Sunday. I cannot express how grateful we are to have someone of your talent here, Baby Billy,” your father smiled.

“Yes sir, Mr. Y/L/N. God put me here for a reason, spreading the sweet gospel in his name is what I live for,” Baby Billy clapped his hands together. You all erupted in glee together. You looked out the window seeing the sun had gone down. Your mother joined you, “Well, guess we outta start heading out. Sun is gone down. Do you have a place to stay for the night, Baby Billy?”

Baby Billy coughed out a breath, covering it up with a fake smile, “Old motel down the road’s all I could get. Which is no problem, of course.”

Your father patted him on the shoulder, “No guest of our church will be staying in some drug ridden hole. We have plenty of rooms at our home, come stay with us for the night, Baby Billy.” Baby Billy’s face lit up. You had to fight your excitement when your parents started inviting him over.

Act. Casual.

“Well, I hate to impose,” Baby Billy waved off, your parents quick to insist. “That dirty motel is no place for you!” Your mother chimed. Billy’s eyes flashed in your direction. Hazel color melting your composure slightly. “I’d love to!” Baby Billy laughed, pulling your parents into an awkward forced hug. Your mind was a complete mess.

Baby Billy followed behind your parents’ car. Down the short gravel road, through the tunnel of beautiful lively trees, pulling right in front of the garage of your nicely sized home. No mansion, but a home large enough for a family to grow up in. Plenty of space for you and all your siblings when you all lived at home. Now it was just you. The house full of empty bedrooms, connected by Jack-and-Jill baths. You missed your siblings, but you loved the freedom of the entire upstairs to yourself.

Your parents got out, waiting for Billy to join them closer to the house. You lagged slightly, waiting to get out until Baby Billy was strutting his way up your driveway. You noticed how he stopped right next to you, standing so he was facing your parents.

“Well, Y/N is going to be your host for the evening, Baby Billy,” your father began. You grew hot in the face unsure what he was talking about.

“Your dad and I have some couples meetings to attend tonight for the congregation. You’ve lived here long enough to know how to make him feel like a guest, right?”

“We know you can do it, Y/N. Let Baby Billy stay in whichever room he chooses, help him carry his bags up stairs. We will be back later,” your dad patted you on the shoulder. Your mom telling you “love ya” as they both hopped back into their car, driving off.

Hesitation and embarrassment drowned you. Your throat tightening, unable to make eye contact with Baby Billy. Eyes staring into the taillights that slowly dimmed the further your parents drove off. They never really were home.

“So,” Baby Billy broke the silence, walking towards his station wagon, “Just you and me tonight, sugar?”

You blushed instantly. “I supposed it is. I’ll help you get situated for the night, Baby Billy,” you followed behind him, stopping at his trunk with him. He smiled at you, noticing how you were struggling to hold eye contact with him. “You ain’t got nothing to be nervous about, sweetheart. Baby Billy doesn’t bite,” he laughed, “Unless you want me to.” You darted your eyes up at him, cocking an eyebrow. You smiled, returning his laughter. Between the two of you, you carried all his items in one go. You led him up the stairs to the hallway of bedrooms.

“Well, this one is mine. You can have any of the other one’s you want,” you opened each door as you went down the hallway allowing him to look inside. He took an especially long time staring into yours.

Baby Billy walked into the bedroom directly next to yours. Dropping his bags onto the perfectly made bed. You followed behind him, pulling a suitcase of his. He stared out the window, hands on his hips. “It’s real nice of yall to let Baby Billy stay here,” he turned to look at you. A bright white smile painted his face. "Of course, Baby Billy," you returned his smile.

“Lemme show you around,” you turned the knob on the door leading into your connected bathroom. Showing him the way in and how to lock the door. You led him around the home, showing him the kitchen and living room. Where you hid the good snacks and drinks. The back porch that out looked the farmland your family owned.

“And that’s pretty much it,” you folded your arms over your chest, the cool air lifting your hair off your shoulders.

“If ya don’t mind me asking, sweetheart,” Baby Billy’s southern drawl rolled off his tongue as he looked out over your porch. “What’s a beautiful young girl like you doing hid out here?”

You sighed, leaning your body against the railing. “Daddy makes us live at home until we’re married,” you frowned. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lighting it and joining you leaned over the railing. Glowing embers caught your eyes in the dark. "Your old man's smart for hiding you away. I'm sure you would be a heartbreaker," Baby Billy smiled lips drawling from the cigarette. You chuckled knowing not many boys had shown interest in you, not more than wanting a casual hookup. You looked up at the stars glimmering above the beautiful farmland.

Baby Billy admired you in the darkness. The dull glow from inside the house painting your figure. You caught his eye from the moment he stepped foot from his car.

"What about you? Your wife must be lonely while you travel," you questioned, not seeing a ring on his finger.

Baby Billy laughed, blowing smoke. "There ain't no wife to miss me," hazel eyes looked you up and down. You raised your eyebrows with his response. You were sure someone like him would be married. You could not deny the joy that filled you knowing he wasn't.

You yawned. It was nearing the night's end. You stretched, "Think I'm gonna head up and get ready for bed."

He flicked his cigarette over the edge of the porch, "I'm right behind ya." Baby Billy followed closely behind you, up the stairs. You leaned against the doorframe of the room he had chose. You watched as Baby Billy pulled his pajamas from his suitcase.

"You gonna stand there and watch me change?" he looked over his shoulder smirking at you. Your face flooded with heat and embarrassment. "S-Sorry," you straightened your posture, eyes on the floor. "No need to be sorry, doll. You can stand there as long as you want," Baby Billy teased. You lingered for a moment. Taking the time to really take in every one of his features. You walked into his room, Baby Billy turned to face you. Getting closer to him than you normally would a guest. Heavy eyes stared at yours, scanning your face for what you were doing. You ran your finger under his jaw, "Goodnight, Baby Billy." You walked over to the door of the shared bathroom, going through it to your own room. "Goodnight," Baby Billy sighed, watching you until the door closed.

This was gonna be a fun weekend.

~~~

[END//Part 1]

~ Thank you for reading! I really love writing for Baby Billy he is such a fun character. If you are interested in being tagged in future parts, let me know! ~

[tags]

@its-in-the-woods ~ @hiddlebatchedloki ~ @justme12200 ~ @vaultdwellingghoullover ~ @one-of-thewalkingdead ~ @toogaytofunctiondangit ~ @ryankaylamartin96 ~ @heif ~ @itsyellow ~ @cat-shepard ~ @dichromaniac ~ @ivyinthesun ~ @vivalanegan ~ @nerdragenewvegas ~ @tindropp ~ @megangovier ~ @stankface ~

[pupkashi]

kakashi is a little stupid when it comes to love

a/n: after much too long here is your request @vagabond-umlaut ! I’m so sorry it took so long </3 plz find it in your heart to forgive me ilysm ,, i hope u enjoy :3

wordcount: 1,557

masterlist

kakashi always told himself he wouldn’t get attached to others, not after all those he’s ever loved had met terrible fates. he always thought maybe he wasn’t fit for love, it wasn’t in the stars for him to fall in love and meet the one.

he’d accepted it, he’d moved on and decided he didn’t need love, he didn’t need anyone. he would be fine on his own.

as cliche as it was, all his resolve crumbled when he first saw you. walking down the streets of konoha, a small smile on your face as Kurenai talked your ear off.

“kakashi! meet y/n, theyre new here” she’s enthusiastic as she introduces you, kakashi can’t help but stare a bit, taking in your every feature.

“hi it’s nice to meet you” you say, a small smile on your face, you’re hoping he can’t hear your heart beating through your chest because oh my god he’s so tall and attractive, are all konoha men this gorgeous?

“nice to meet you too, I’m kakashi” he finds himself with sweaty palms, flashing you a shy smile, which you can only tell he does by the crinkle of his visible eye.

“I’m gonna keep showing them around, see you later!” Kurenai smiles, already grabbing your wrist and pulling you behind her.

kakashi was sure he’d forget about you by the next day, maybe he wouldn’t even see you around town.

he’s walking up the steps to his apartment when he sees boxes outside the apartment next to his, he’s staring for a bit, fiddling with his keys in hands when he sees you walking out of the apartment and picking a box up.

“kakashi! hi!” you’re smiling brightly at the jonin, he’s taken back at how friendly you were to him, he’s only waving back as you approach him. “guess we’re neighbors huh?” you’re grinning up at him as he clears his throat.

“uh- yeah guess we are” he can hear his heartbeat in his now reddened ears, and he can’t stop himself from the words that tumble out his mouth next, “would you wanna eat dinner? tonight? together?” he’s fumbling over his words and he can’t help but wince at the execution of his question.

you don’t seem to mind though, biting back the giggle in your throat and nodding, “I’d love to have dinner with you.”

he lets out a small breath before smiling and chuckling, “I can give you a hand with the boxes if you want,” looking over at the four big boxes you had yet to bring in.

“if it’s not a bother, just- never mind” you laugh, kakashi stares at you, humming for you to continue. “i was gonna say careful because they’re heavy but” you gesture towards him and he understands after a couple seconds, laughing softly.

“thank you for being considerate at least” he replies and you can’t help but blush as he lifts the boxes with ease.

dinner comes and goes quickly, the two of you making easy conversation. kakashi doesn’t remember the last time he felt so giddy talking to someone. he can’t recall the last time something felt so easy, so right to him.

and it’s almost 24 hours after dinner that he hears a soft knock on his door. his brows are furrowed, confused as to who was knocking on his door. his frown is quick to turn into a welcoming smile when he finds you outside with a fresh loaf of banana bread.

“hi! hope I’m not bothering” you chuckle and kakashi shakes his head, “‘course not” he steps aside and invites you in.

“i wanted to thank you for dinner,” you reply, holding out the loaf of bread for him. “I hope you like chocolate chips” you say nervously, kakashi smiles, nodding his head.

“it smells great, thank you, really” his hearts fluttering at your gesture. why are his palms so sweaty? is he getting sick?

it didn’t take long for kakashi to extend an invitation for you to stay for dinner, grateful for the mask hiding his all too embarrassing blush when you accepted.

it didn’t take long for it to become routine for the two of you to have dinner together, alternating who cooked, the two of you often baking together afterwards.

then kakashi had to go out on a mission, he wasn’t sure when he’d be back. he’d never felt dread leaving for missions, or been afraid of not making it back, he’d never wished he could stay home.

now he did.

now he was saying goodbye to you at the konoha gates, his heart clenching as you tell him to stay safe, that when he returned you’d cook dinner for the two of you and make him cookies he’d grown to love.

it was only two days into the mission and he couldn’t stop thinking of you. how had your day gone? how was work? did you eat? did you miss him as much as he did you?

why did he care so much?

his mind ran wild, he hadn’t realized how attached he had gotten, how quickly his feelings had grown, how fast he was falling for you.

when he returned a week later, you were there, a bright smile on your face as you greeted him at the gates. he wanted to deny the joy he felt, he wanted to ignore the way his heart skipped a beat as you smiled at him.

he can’t fall in love, he can’t be with you. it wasn’t meant for him.

he brushed past you, trying to ignore how hurt you looked, your bright smile falling from your face as your eyes followed his stoic expression.

you tried your best to not look hurt, clearing your throat and walking behind him at a distance. after a couple minutes your bottom lipped wobbled, but you kept your composure, turning left instead of right and heading into town.

kakashi immediately stopped in his track when he no longer felt your presence. turning in his heel and panic filling his body as he realized how dark it was. it didn’t take him long to find you on a park swing, staring the stars.

“you shouldn’t be out here alone” he spoke up, your head turning to face him. you only scoffed, already getting up and walking the opposite direction of him. “where are you going?” he asks, walking a bit quicker to be next to you.

“why do you care?” you ask, your voice is cold as you turn to face him, “you completely ignored me, i looked so stupid standing there just for you to ignore me!” you pushed him, catching him off guard as he stumbled backwards.

“y/n-” he mumbles, guilt eating at him for how stupid he acted.

“no” you shake your head, “don’t fucking talk to me” you’re walking away from him and the only thing he can think to do is grab your wrist, and pull you towards him.

“please i just-” despite a majority of his face being covered you can still tell he has a pleading look on his face. you don’t care to listen to him, flailing in his arms and punching his chest helplessly.

“i don’t wanna hear your bullshit excuses hatake” your voice is venomous, his grip loosening. he’d never seen you so upset, so angry, you had always been so sweet and warm.

“I’m sorry okay!” his voice is louder than he intends it, he regrets it the moment he sees you flinch a bit, “I’m sorry for being an asshole and I’m sorry for ignoring you” he’s running his hands through his hair and he’s embarrassed at how close he is to crying.

“i have never needed anything as much as i need you and i hate you for it” his voice is still firm, still a little louder than usual and his hands are shaking from the emotions flowing through him.

you’re quiet as the words seep into your brain, all the anger and frustration you had sizzling away as you process what he said.

“this past month, every dinner we have all the time we’re together it’s just so easy, i don’t think I’ve ever felt that way and it’s fucking terrifying” he’s looking at you now, hoping you’ll stop him before he says the wrong thing, but you’re silent.

“i missed you” he whispers, you’re biting your bottom lip, “please just say something” his voice is pleading as he looks at you.

the only thing you can think of is wrapping your arms around his neck, holding him as tightly as you could, relieved when you felt his arms snake around you waist, pulling you closer to him.

you stayed like that for a while, not saying anything until you both pulled away.

“dinner on me then?” you ask and he smiles sniffling a bit, before nodding.

the two of you walk back in a comfortable silence, your pinkies intertwining before finally mustering up the courage to hold your hand. both of you looked away, smiling like idiots but trying to hide it from the other.

kakashi is convinced that maybe it was in the stars for him to find the one, maybe he just wasn’t looking hard enough. maybe the one for him just happened to make amazing banana bread and cookies.

[loveinhawkins]

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 ao3

The telltale catch in Steve’s breathing evens out far too quickly for it to be natural. Eddie can feel how he repeatedly holds his breath for a few brutal seconds at a time, trying to force his crying to a stop. It’s done so thoroughly, so efficiently, that Eddie is left with the unavoidable conclusion that it’s a practised skill; that at some point, Steve must have taught himself to cry silently—and to get it over and done with as quickly as possible.

Steve lifts his head up slowly from Eddie’s shoulder. He keeps his eyes low, looking down at the bed, and as he moves, he dislodges Eddie’s hold on him.

Eddie takes the hint and draws back. He’d been stroking one hand through Steve’s hair in a soothing rhythm, but it seemed so natural—done instinctively, almost unconsciously—that it’s only from stopping that he even realises he was doing it in the first place.

“Uh, sorry.”

Steve shakes his head, looks up to meet Eddie’s gaze with a weak but genuine smile.

“No, it’s… just don’t want to fall asleep,” he says. Then he seems to catch himself and amends, “Like, you can, obviously. Don’t let me—”

“Nah, it’s cool.”

Eddie takes his lead from Steve’s tone: that studiously casual air, back to normal, nothing to see here, just drop it.

He can hear the sound of nurses talking in the corridor, fading away as they walk past the door to Steve’s room. With the bedside lamp on, it feels suddenly like when he’d get up early for school in the optimistic first few weeks after summer: the world just on the cusp of waking up, still blurry around the edges.

Eddie squints in the dim light to read the clock on the wall. “Hey, you want food? Kitchens should open for breakfast soon.” Then, before Steve can reply, the thought hits him, and he rambles on, “Shit, I didn’t even—like, have they, um, cleared you for…?”

Steve laughs shakily, brushing away the remaining evidence of tears on his face. Eddie catches him giving a little self-directed wince as he does so, like he’s embarrassed himself, and the thought is quietly devastating.

“Yeah, I can eat. Got a whole bowl of mac and cheese after you left, actually.” Steve shrugs. “Doctors came in with all these charts and when they took the mask off, all I could think to say was ‘I’m starving.’”

Eddie snorts, remembering when he’d walkied Nancy for a food delivery. “Yeah, I get it.”

“Right? Glad someone does, they just stared at me like I was nuts. Still.” Another shrug. “I’m not exactly their first rodeo. Think I recognised some of them from way back, with Will. Guess they figured if I was eating it meant their drug cocktail was working.”

And Eddie knows that this version of events is no doubt highly sanitised—yet even with Steve’s nonchalant delivery, he gets the impression that whatever the doctors greeted him with had been less reassuring and more, you’re out the fucking twilight zone, kid, just be grateful and don’t ask too many questions.

“So, how was it? Give your compliments to the chef?”

“Oh, I, um.” Steve’s nose wrinkles, and he gives an endearing, slightly sheepish smile. “I don’t like mac and cheese, it was just leftover from… I wasn’t really in the position to be picky, you know?”

There’s a sudden, fierce swell of protectiveness in Eddie’s chest. “Well, fuck that. What do you want to eat now? Like, think world’s your oyster kinda shit.”

“Hmm, you might be overselling the options here. Honestly?” Steve pauses, heaves a sigh and says, heartfelt, “Toast.”

Eddie had been resolved to find it, no matter what had been said; hell, Steve could’ve said ‘caviar’ and Eddie’s pretty sure he wouldn’t even have batted an eye.

But as it is, the simplicity of Steve’s answer is unexpectedly moving—that, after everything, this is all he wants. Eddie’s already decided that this’ll be the best goddamn piece of toast in the history of the universe.

“Okay, but like, I need a guide, man. What’s your preference? Cremation levels of burnt or warm bread?”

Steve stares. “What?” His mouth is twitching, pulling up into a smile despite his still red-rimmed eyes.

Eddie sees his chance, and he plays up to it, quipping back, “You gotta give me something to work with.”

Steve laughs. Though it’s still on the quiet side, Eddie can tell it’s a good one, right from the belly. “Sorry, didn’t realise I needed a damn paint chart. Light brown enough for you?”

Eddie nods, carefully rises from the bed so as not to jostle Steve. “Your wish is my command.”

He brings back a plate of toast with entirely too many packets of butter, and Steve looks at him like he hung the moon; when he takes a bite, he says, “This is the best thing I’ve ever eaten.”

Eddie scoffs. “Think you need to raise your expectations.”

“No, I’m serious.” Steve makes a show of tilting the plate this way and that, like it’s on display at an art gallery. “You got the butter right to the corners; that takes skill, dude.”

“If you say so,” Eddie says, and he smiles behind his own cup of coffee.

There’s a gentle lull in the conversation for a few minutes, before Steve says, “You brought your guitar.”

“Yeah, I didn’t, um, really mean to? Just kinda jumped into my hands when I walked out the door.” Now back on the couch, Eddie makes an automatic movement for the guitar, where it stands propped up against the wall. Then he stops himself. “Bet you’re sick of my playing at this point, huh?”

His voice is still light, the perfect set-up for Steve to tease him back, but that doesn’t happen at all. Steve just blinks a few times, like he’s heard something confusing, then says, “No,” so simply that it threatens to put a lump in Eddie’s throat.

So he picks up the guitar. And because it’s second nature by now, feels as natural as breathing, Eddie doesn’t notice that he’s started to play Steve’s song, until he hears Steve give a sharp intake of breath.

“Shit.” Eddie nearly drops the guitar in mortification. “Steve, I’m so sorry, I wasn’t—”

“It’s fine.”

“No, it’s—”

“Eddie,” Steve says firmly, “it’s fine. Please play it?”

And Eddie could never deny him. He doesn’t sing, though, has some kind of instinct that he shouldn’t—because Steve’s eyes start looking far-off about ten seconds in.

Where are you going? Can I help? Can I go with you?

His decision to not sing is soon proven to be the right one—otherwise he might have missed Steve saying, soft as sand, “How long did…?”

Eddie waits. He loses his place for a moment, skips to the chorus. “How long did what?”

But Steve is already shaking his head. “Never mind.”

And he quickly pulls himself away from wherever he’d gone, something dark and melancholy leaving his eyes in a matter of seconds—like it, too, has been forcibly pushed back. He’s not ready, Eddie thinks.

It’s okay. I’ll still be here when you are.

[thebowieconstricker]

HIIIII, I noticed you are writing Lisa Frankenstein/ the creature and I just wanted to give u like a writing idea ( also the creature is SO FREAKING UNDERRATED AND HES SO FINE)

What if the readers just had a bad day, didn’t go as planned ect and the creature takes them to dance in the backyard (like in that one scene) and ends it all with him laying on the readers chest and it’s all cuddles n kisses. Like idk he seems the cuddly kind

masterlist

AN: THIS WAS SUCH A LOVELY REQUEST UGHHHH

He is SO the cuddly kind, he loves making his partner feel so special and I’m certain that after being in a grave for so long, the poor baby is touch starved.

It took me a while to get around to writing ‘cause I needed inspiration (aka today sucked and I needed comfort lololololol) anyways our beloved Creature is here to love and comfort!!!! Y’all enjoy <333

~~~

Whoever said senior year was gonna be “different” was a liar.

Three lousy years of stressing over tests, dodging shoulders in the hallways, and crying in your room for what? More homework? More essays? More friends distancing themselves from you and all you can do is watch?

It was hard to make friends in the first place, never mind keep them. You’ve never been the pinnacle of extroverted-ness, so when you thought you’d finally made some pals, you were grateful.

Even if it felt strange sometimes, like when you were always the last one to find out about parties. Like when they always forgot to save a seat for you, or wait up for you.

Like when you had found out they had all planned a movie night tonight without you.

“You can come if you want?” The only thing they could say.

Bullshit, you thought.

So, you weren’t going. You didn’t want another night of awkward small-talk and laughing at inside jokes you were on the outside of.

You had homework, anyways.

Walking to your front door, you noticed your parent’s cars weren’t home. They both had to work pretty late, but you wondered how late tonight would be.

However, this didn’t mean you wouldn’t have company.

You see, through a pretty complicated series of events, you had managed to raise a little hell of your very own. Currently living in your house was a creature, a once living man who had risen from the grave, caked in dirt and grime with electricity coursing through his veins.

A terrifying prospect, one would imagine.

Nay. He was actually just a huge dork.

You never completely understood why he had taken up such a fascination with you, but what you did understand was that the two of you shared a connection. You got each other in ways no one else had. So, after you had gotten over your initial shock at his existence, you had cleaned him up and offered him a place to stay.

Anyways, you opened your door, only to immediately hear the faint sounds of gentle piano. You smiled to yourself.

“I’m home,” you called, somewhat defeatedly. A voice grunted back. You walked to the living room and there your monster man sat, hands gliding ever-so-elegantly across the plastic keys of your keyboard. He paused his playing to look at you. Immediately, he smiled, his eyes brightening. He gave you a small wave, which you returned with a grin that didn’t reach your eyes.

Somehow, he noticed.

He quirked an eyebrow, then pointed towards yourself.

You okay?

Embarrassed, you looked away. Yes, you knew emotions were valid and all that, but it didn’t make you feel any more comfortable sharing your feelings. Avoiding eye contact, you took a breath.

“It was a long day.” That’s all you said.

You heard a gruff sigh in response, which you took to mean I understand. What happened next surprised you, though.

He actually stood up from his piano. You looked back to him and watched as he made his way over to you. He then offered a hand.

You looked at his face. When you had first met him, it was covered in sludge and moss. His face had been completely unreadable. Now, although he was still unnatural looking, his expression was compassionate. His eyes twinkled with kindness, with pure intentions. He was trying to help.

You took his hand, the small grin on your face never leaving. He nodded and gave it a soft kiss, ever the gentleman. Then, much quicker than you expected, he dragged you to the backyard.

You laughed following after him, making exclamations of “woah, wait, slow down!” He continued, and soon, the two of you were in your family’s fairy-light illuminated backyard. It was dark enough to see a few stars in the sky, but what shone the brightest was the moon. You looked out at the dark realm and, once again, your eyes fell upon the creature. He seemed at home in the darkness, a welcome sight.

He looked at you with a grin and bowed.

You giggled. “Wait, if we do this, we need music.” A small radio sat on the sidewalk around your backyard, and you quickly bent down and clicked the play button. The first few notes of one of your favorite songs rang out.

You then looked back at the creature, who flexed his wrist towards you.

Well?

You raised your eyebrows, enjoying the sass. You bowed in return, as regally as you possibly could.

And then, you were swept into his arms. The music was upbeat enough that soon enough, the two of you were twirling each other around. He lifted you into the air by your hips, looking up at you like you’d hung the moon. You raised your arms towards the sky, ‘woo’ing and laughing. Once you were back down, the two of you moved to a more gentle rhythm, lightly swaying back and forth. You steadied your breathing and he smiled looking at you.

After a while, the two of you ended up lying down side by side on the fake grass, staring up at the stars. You had leaned your head on his shoulder, finding comfort in his presence.

“Thanks for… this.” You said in a sigh. He hummed beside you. “No, seriously. This was-“ suddenly, your eyes were watery and you sniffed.

Concerned, he sat up to look at you. “Oh, no, I’m fine.” You tried to stop the tears but suddenly, they were here. Sitting up, you wiped one from your cheek. “Shoot, my makeup.” You whispered to yourself. He quickly moved his hand to gather your other tears, taking care around your eyes. His eyebrows were knitted together with so much worry.

“Sorry, I just- I really appreciate this.” You admitted between tears. His eyes widened, and then he nodded, smiling. He took your hand gently, so so gently, and gave it a small squeeze.

Once again, you leaned your head on his shoulder, then wrapped your other arm around his, a new desire to hold him taking over. His grip on your hand tightened as his thumb caressed it.

The two of you sat in silent understanding, watched only by the twinkling stars above. As the music faded into the night, you felt comforted. This horrible day was over, and now you were safely in the arms of someone you loved.

Loved. You hadn’t thought that word before.

You snuggled your face into the crook of his neck, making yourself comfortable. He laughed lightly to himself at your antics. You felt a soft kiss on the top of your head, making your face warm.

Later, you would find yourselves in a pile of pillows and blankets, stargazing. You laid upon them, fingers tangled in your love’s hair while his head rested on your chest. You’d giggled to yourself when he first put it there, but it seemed right. As one of your hands played with his hair, he traced patterns on the other. Occasionally, it received a soft kiss. As you rambled endlessly about friends and classes and anything else, he listened. Even though he was silent, you knew he listened.

Loved, you thought to yourself.

Sounds about right.

[the-west-meadow]

Can you write "I’m trying to say that I’m glad you’re here." from your prompt list? ☺️

Kendall Roy x Reader

prompt: I'm trying to say that I'm glad you're here.

It was the day after Kendall’s birthday party and you hadn’t heard from him all morning. The last time you had seen him, he was completely wasted, getting ready to perform on stage in front of his guests. The sight of him so out of control was too painful to bear, so you had quietly slipped out without any goodbyes. 

Now there was radio silence from Kendall. You didn’t know what he was thinking; was he angry at you for leaving early? There was no way to tell. So you got dressed, headed down the street towards the nearest coffeeshop, where you bought two black coffees then took a cab to Kendall’s townhouse.

It was a long time before anyone came to the door. When he finally did, it was like watching a vampire face the sunlight for the first time. He looked awful. Dark bags under his eyes, hair disheveled, wearing just a t-shirt and shorts. 

“Shit. Did I call you?” he said. 

“Nope. Just bringing coffee to the birthday boy.”

“Did you want to come in?”

“Is there anything in there I shouldn’t see?”

“No, no. I’m all alone.”

He led you inside, taking a seat on the big sectional sofa in the living room. The curtains were drawn, the TV on mute with footage showing the outside of his party venue the night before. He quickly turned it off. 

“That was the biggest shitshow of my life.”

You slid the coffee towards him. He took a grateful sip. 

“Sorry I couldn’t stay,” you said. 

“I’m actually glad you didn’t.”

You raised your eyebrows.

“Sorry. Fuck. That came out wrong. I mean I’m glad you didn’t get to see me embarrass myself any further.”

“It’s okay. It was a good time while it lasted.”

He cupped the coffee in his hands, gazing off.

“I wish the whole night had gone differently," he said. "I feel like a fucking joke. Nobody takes me seriously.”

“That sounds like your dad talking.”

“I’ve had his voice in my head my entire life. I can’t get it out.”

He massaged his temples with the tips of his fingers, closing his eyes.

“Then you show up here with coffee. And it’s the last thing I fucking deserve after how I acted last night.” 

“I can go if you’d rather be alone…”

His eyes opened suddenly. It almost frightened you how sad and pleading they looked.

“That’s not what I meant. I’m trying to say I’m glad you’re here. I’m just a fucking asshole and all my words come out wrong when I’m hungover.”

He took a deep breath then looked straight at you.

“I’m glad you’re here because you’re the only person who has bothered to reach out to me since last night. I’m all over the fucking news, Twitter, whatever. And yet not one person has sent me so much as a text to see how I’m doing. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t expect them to. But the very fact that you’re here is just…”

He shook his head, averting his eyes.

“I feel like I don’t fucking deserve it.”

“Kendall.”

He looked up at you again, eyes questioning.

“I wish I had been with you last night," you said. "I shouldn’t have left. I didn’t want to see you like that. It hurts. But it hurts even more to know you came back here alone.”

You choked up, throat suddenly tight. Kendall reached for you automatically. 

“No, no, no. Come here.”

He took your wrist gently, pulling you around to his side of the sofa. 

“It’s not your job to take care of me while I’m being a drunk asshole.”

“Is it bad that I kind of want to?”

For the first time he smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling slightly. 

“No. That’s amazing, actually.”

“Let me make you breakfast.”

“I can see you’re not going to take no for an answer. At least let me make some toast.”

“Deal.”

You started to get up, but he gently grabbed your hand again.

“Hey,” he said. He looked like he was about to say something else, but instead he wrapped his arms around you. He hugged you with the desperation of a child who hadn’t been held in a very long time. You squeezed him back, his warm body in your arms, his voice murmuring in your ear:

“Thank you.”

[underground-secret]

The Hunter and the Witch~ Dean Winchester x f!reader

Description: Sam confronts Y/N on her feelings for his brother.

Warnings: basically none but it is a little angsty. Sam playing cupid. Also Sam might be ooc- sorry

Tag list: @jesllianaquilesrolonsworld @okayiamkassandra ,

@fablesrose , @ada--44

A/N: Hi! To start off thank you so much for all the support recently I’m truly grateful for you all and i’m so happy to say I have people who seem to enjoy my writing. But on the writing note I just wanted to acknowledge a sort of plot hole:

if you have read the series up to now you probably know that it was said Y/N has a job and kept it (just doing it basically on her laptop alone) even when she went with the boys to find their Dad. I did this because I wanted a sense of independence for her as I felt like this made sense, would she drop anything to help them yes but I also don’t think she would be so quick to give up her life since she had her own house and didn’t hunt 24/7. Now as we are a little bit further into the story I don’t think she would have this job anymore but I also don’t know how to write it into the story and i don’t think i want to write a half chapter just on it (tho this might change). So for the sake of the story you can decide why she dosnt have this writing job anymore,for me I see it as she secretly quit after the skin walker hunt because she realized where her focus needed to go and how tiring hunting full time was. I also don’t think she ever brought it up to the boys out of fear of making them feel guilty, tho they probably figured it out and didn’t say anything either.

Anyways sorry for the rant i’ll let you read this now! And Happy thanksgiving to any and all who celebrate

Word Count: 819

A fool in love

(Master list, Previous Ch, Next Ch)

“Here you go” Sam says, placing a cup of tea in front of me having picked up our drinks from some local place as we sat in the library trying to find a new hunt or any clues to where his Dad could be.

He didn’t have a third cup with him, Dean having not joined us deciding instead to go find a “lead” in a bar.

“Thanks” I mumble before bringing the hot drink to my lips.

He sits down in front of me, shuffling in his chair awkwardly. “Are you okay?” I laugh lightly at his odd movements. He clears his throat, “Yeah, I, uh…can we talk?”

“Of course” I smiled at him, my eyebrows scrunched together slightly.

“Promise you won’t get annoyed” He starts off. I laugh, “Okay? But I don’t know if I can exactly promise anything when I don’t know what you’re gonna say.”

“Just…promise” He held out his pinky to me, something he knew I took very seriously. I smile harder, linking my pinky with his, the very sacred promise now in effect. He studies my face carefully as if to see if I was really serious even with the pinky promise.

He bites the inside of his cheek going silent for a beat before finally speaking, “Why don’t you just tell Dean you love him?”

“Sam-“ I sigh, not knowing what to say. We’ve had this conversation before, years ago, where it was established that Sam knew my feelings for his brother.

“Why would I confess to someone who doesn't feel the same way?” I finally say.

“But he does!” He practically yells, getting weird looks from those who sat around us- library rules and all that. His face flushes a deep pink with embarrassment, “Why is it so hard for you to believe that someone loves you, that he loves you?

“Look where he is right now, at a bar probably getting some girl's number or even leaving with her to hook up. He clearly doesn't feel the same for me as I do him.” I explained, a little frustrated. He doesn't say anything for a while again, “I think he does that to avoid his feelings for you.”

“Yes you think but you do not know and I…” I sigh, “I don’t want to get my hopes up.”

“Don’t you notice the way he stares at you? He couldn’t keep his hands off of you” He points out, referring to the Hook Man case. “That was for a cover” I answer simply.

“There were a lot of times where there wasn’t an excuse for a cover up, like the armchair.” The mere mention of me sitting on Dean's lap makes my face feel hot.

I don’t have anything to counter that, I mean it was just to amplify me being his girlfriend for a cover. That’s what it was.

He becomes all sassy and self assured as he speaks, “See! Deep down you know I'm right, you just don’t wanna admit it. And you know what I noticed?”

“What?” I humor him, making eye contact.

“Every time you get hurt or there’s even a little bit of concern towards you he stops hiding his feelings. It’s like suddenly no other woman exists, only you.

You have to have noticed that at least.”

I bit on my bottom lip in thought, he’s right. I can think of numerous occasions where Dean had ignored very attractive women when I was hurt or in the prospect of danger, exactly as Sam said.

No.

No.

Nope.

Dean Winchester is not in love with me, it isn’t true.

“You know a couple months back” I begin, “I forget which hunt it was. But it was only like a month of being on the road with you guys and through that whole time it hadn’t mattered the circumstance, even when we were in the middle of hunting, or where we were, either way Dean was flirting or hooking up with some girl. And every single time I would feel this…this…pang in my heart or maybe like my heart had dropped into my stomach. Which only made me feel more like a fool.

So it got to a point where I just decided, you know what, I'm gonna force myself. I'm going to pretend that I don’t have feelings for him. That it doesn't pain me to see him like that with other women.

“Did it work?” He asks me, his eyes having a certain solemn look to them.

I sigh for the upteenth time, “No. For some stupid reason I can’t stop loving your brother.” He turns his eyes down towards the table.

I try to catch his eyes, “Do you get what I’m saying?”

He looks back up at me, “Yeah. My brother’s an idiot.”

I choke on my laugh, taking a deep breath before I speak, “Maybe. Or…maybe it just isn’t meant to be.”

[n3vee]

Sleepless nights

You have struggles sleeping at night so Olivia comforts you

Another sleepless night found you staring at the ceiling, your mind refusing to shut off. Thoughts swirled endlessly, each worry amplifying the silence around you. Frustration bubbled within you as you turned over in bed, glancing at the clock. It was almost 2 a.m., and you knew sleep was far from your grasp.

Desperate for some relief, you grabbed your phone and sent a quick message to Olivia, hoping she might be awake.

You: hey, you up?

You waited, the seconds feeling like minutes. Just as you were about to give up and put your phone down, it buzzed with a reply.

Olivia:Yeah, what’s up? Can’t sleep again?

You: you mind if i call you?

Her response was immediate.

Olivia:Of course. Call me.

You dialed her number, and after a couple of rings, her familiar voice filled the quiet of your room.

"Hey," she said softly. "What’s going on?"

"Just another sleepless night," you sighed. "My mind won’t shut off."

"I’m sorry, Y/N," she replied, her voice filled with concern. "Do you want me to come over?"

"You don’t have to," you began, but she cut you off gently.

"I want to. I’ll be there in twenty."

"Okay," you agreed, a sense of relief washing over you. "Thank you, Olivia."

"Anytime," she said warmly. "I’ll see you soon."

Hanging up, you felt a little better knowing she was on her way. You got out of bed and headed to the living room, turning on a small lamp to create a soft glow. You made some tea, hoping it might help calm your nerves, and waited for Olivia.

True to her word, twenty minutes later, there was a soft knock on your door. You opened it to find her standing there, dressed in comfy sweats, a concerned but gentle smile on her face.

"Hey," she said, stepping inside and wrapping you in a warm hug. "How are you holding up?"

"Better now that you’re here," you admitted, feeling a little bit of the tension ease from your shoulders.

She smiled and led you to the couch, where you both sat down. "Want to talk about what’s keeping you up?" she asked, taking your hand in hers.

You shrugged, feeling a bit embarrassed. "It’s just… everything. My mind won’t stop racing. Work, life, the future… it’s all too much sometimes."

"I get it," she said, squeezing your hand. "Sometimes talking about it helps. You don’t have to carry it all alone, you know."

You sighed, leaning into her. "I know. It’s just hard to shut it all off."

She wrapped an arm around you, holding you close. "I’m here for you, Y/N. Let’s just take it one step at a time, okay?"

You nodded, feeling the warmth of her embrace. "Okay. Thank you, Olivia."

Olivia stayed with you, her presence a comforting balm to your restless mind. She made you a cup of chamomile tea and put on some soft music, the gentle melodies filling the silence. As you sipped your tea, she started talking, her voice soothing and calm.

She shared funny stories from her day, little moments that made her laugh, and soon you found yourself smiling and laughing along with her. The weight on your chest began to lift, replaced by the lightness of her company.

"Feeling a little better?" she asked after a while, brushing a strand of hair from your face.

"Yeah," you admitted, grateful for her. "You always know how to make me feel better."

"That’s what friends are for," she said, giving you a warm smile.

You hesitated for a moment, then decided to share a bit more. "Sometimes, I feel like I’m drowning in my own thoughts. It’s like no matter what I do, I can’t escape them."

Olivia’s expression softened, and she took your hand in both of hers. "You’re not alone, Y/N. I’m here for you, always. And it’s okay to feel overwhelmed. It’s okay to ask for help."

You felt a tear slip down your cheek, and Olivia reached out to gently wipe it away. "Thank you," you whispered, your voice breaking. "I don’t know what I’d do without you."

"You’ll never have to find out," she said, pulling you into a tight hug. "I’m here for you, now and always

"Why don’t you try to get some sleep?" Olivia suggested gently. "I’ll stay here until you fall asleep."

You nodded, feeling too tired to argue. "Okay. Can you stay here with me? Just until I fall asleep?"

"Of course," she said, helping you to your bed. "I’m not going anywhere."

You lay down, and Olivia sat beside you, holding your hand. She started to hum a soft tune, her voice like a lullaby, and you felt yourself relaxing into the mattress.

"Close your eyes," she whispered, brushing her fingers through your hair. "I’ll be right here."

You did as she said, closing your eyes and focusing on the sound of her voice. The gentle melody, combined with her soothing presence, finally allowed your mind to quiet. Slowly, you felt yourself drifting off to sleep.

The last thing you remembered was the feeling of her hand in yours, a reassuring anchor in the storm of your thoughts. For the first time in what felt like forever, you felt at peace, knowing Olivia was there to watch over you.

When you woke the next morning, the sun was just starting to filter through the curtains. Olivia was still there, her hand resting on yours, her head leaning against the headboard. She must have stayed up to make sure you were okay.

You smiled, feeling a surge of gratitude and affection for her. Carefully, you slipped your hand from hers and went to make some coffee, wanting to thank her for everything she’d done.

As the coffee brewed, Olivia stirred and sat up, blinking sleepily. "Morning," she said, her voice soft.

"Morning," you replied, handing her a cup of coffee. "Thank you for last night. I really needed it."

She smiled, taking a sip of the coffee. "Anytime, Y/N. I’m just glad I could help."

You sat together, enjoying the quiet morning, and for the first time in a long while, you felt hopeful. With Olivia by your side, you knew you could face anything that came your way. And though the sleepless nights might still come, you’d never have to face them alone.

[allylikethecat]

Hey! I’m sure you did some already at some point in here but after Fridays adorable atkh date chapter I’m desperate for more scenarios of fictional Matty and George together so do you have any more sickfic hcs for atkh? Both characters are rlly different than they are in all the other fics

Ahhh first off, thank you so much for reading! I'm so happy to hear that you're enjoying All the King's Horses and how fluffy Friday's chapter was! I've talked about ATKH head canons before- they can be found HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE. The most important being that Fictional!Matty is a blue raspberry vape enjoyer, obviously lol

In terms of more sickfic head canons for those two... hmmm

Fictional!George is for sure more dramatic when he is ill/injured, he really wants Fictional!Matty to like take care of him? But honestly Fictional!Matty doesn't really know how? No one ever took care of him so why should he be taking care of anyone else? Like he doesn't mean that in a malicious or ill willed way at all, but like being vulnerable is embarrassing why would you WANT someone else around to see that?!

Meanwhile, Fictional!George tries really hard to take care of Fictional!Matty when he's unwell, but it's hard sometimes for him to even know when Fictional!Matty isn't feeling great - he hides it very well, is maybe a little more snappy (which isn't like him at all) but nothing major - he's also extremely uncomfortable with Fictional!George taking care of him be just doesn't know how to accept that kind of care / help

The biggest thing though, is that sometimes Fictional!Matty's back will bother him, maybe he twisted the wrong way in his sleep, maybe he was riding a horse that was a little special, maybe Fictional!George got a little too rough in bed, whatever, something has triggered it and Fictional!Matty would really like to just lay on an ice pack on the floor and feel sorry for himself in private (especially because even though he's been clean for two years, that's when the urges and cravings are the worst, it would be so easy to just take something and make the actual physical pain that he is very much feeling stop.) Slowly, eventually, maybe, he'll start to realize that Fictional!George wants to help him because he cares.

Thank you so much for reading and for like being interested in head canons about these two! This version of Fictional!Matty and Fictional!George are so special to me and so different from any of the others I have written and I love them SO MUCH and I'm just so grateful others have been so accepting and welcoming of them too!

I hope you continue to enjoy ATKH and that you are having a wonderful weekend!

❤️Ally

[cowboymariner]

Hey yall working on a soap/ghost fic so heres the first bit of it

Ghost sat quietly on the train. He wore a black beanie with a matching face cover to shield himself from the cold, and the public. The bottom hem of the mask tucked into his turtleneck, it was the most covered he could be without garnering unwanted attention. He sat listening to the quiet rumble of the train and absentmindedly picked at the leftover spackle on his fingernails—an unfortunate reminder of his most recent outburst. 

Ghost hated being on leave, it just meant his old demons would come creeping back in, clawing at his delicate psyche. It inevitably meant he would drink himself numb, and when that didn't work he would begin breaking things, throwing whatever was nearby at the walls. Anything to keep those suffocating feelings at bay. In the morning he’d clean up the bits of ceramic from mugs or plates and sweep up glass from picture frames that hurt a bit too much to look at the night before. Cleaning up in silence before patching the walls where it was needed. Always ashamed of himself the next day. Embarrassed that he’d let himself get like that again, that he couldn't just snuff his own demons out. It had become a kind of pitiful routine for him. The house littered with spots that he promised himself he would repaint eventually. Yesterday was no different, except this morning as he cleaned up, he found his picture of the 141. Ghost, Price, Gaz, Soap even Alejandro and Rudy, the glass missing from the frame. He hadn't seen Alejandro and Rudy in quite some time but he still kept in touch with them. He hadn't seen Soap in over two years which is why the photograph had become so hard to look at.

Johnny had been discharged from the service after a mission had gone sideways, leaving him with severe damage to his right leg. Ghost remembers pulling him from the wreckage of a crumbled building, grateful Johnny was alive. The doctors said he’d recover. After months of physical therapy, Johnny was able to walk again but would always have a limp. 

“Check it out L.t.,” he remembered Johnny saying, “I’m armed, with a government-sanctioned weapon.” As he swung his cane around making cartoonish wooshing noises.

That was Johnny, always making light of a situation. He was medically discharged not long after and returned home to Scotland, Ghost hadn't seen him since.

Ghosts turned toward the window, watching the countryside go by, occasionally dotted with cows. Johnny had always talked about how much he loved Scotland, how beautiful it was. 

Ghost sat there watching the rolling hills and thinking about Johnny. It had been so long since he’d seen him. He slowly pulled out a small piece of paper from his pocket and examined it, looking for answers. It was wrinkled and torn slightly from being folded so many times, the pencil on it smudged lightly. Scribbled across it was Johnny’s address. He had given it to him the last time he’d seen Johnny. 

“Don't be a stranger L.t.,” Johnny smiled.

“I’m not your Leuitentet anymore Soap,” Ghost replied gruffly.

“I’m serious Ghost. Drop by anytime, day or night,” He insisted warmly. “Ye dinnae even have te call first.” 

Ghost wordlessly took the note, read it, and put it in his pocket.

“Would you do me a favor?” Johnny asked.

Ghost looked at him waiting for him to continue.

“Dinnae forget your wee buddy Soap,” He joked with a grin. Again making light of the situation. 

Ghost gave a soft smile, small enough for only Johnny to catch under the mask in response. Neither of them addressed the stubble sadness that hung between them. He could never forget Johnny.

Let me know if this is anything y'all are interested in, it might give me the motivation to keep writing and actually post it on ao3

[thenerdykneazle]

Kindred Spirits - Chapter 5

Chapter 1. Chapter 2. Chapter 3. Chapter 4.

Read on AO3.

Chapter summary: MC and Sebastian finally agree to hash it out, but reconciliation isn't going to be easy with so much history between them.

A/N: We go out with a bang in this chapter, folks.

Auror Sebastian Sallow x Auror F!MC

Warnings: 18+, explicit sexual content, aged-up characters, both characters have sex with other people during the story, anger/revenge, toxic relationship, I do not speak Finnish or really know anything about Finland

Word count: 9846

Chapter 5: Undying Devotion

MC woke up on Wednesday even earlier than normal and immediately headed to the training room for a workout. If nothing else, this trip will have helped her become stronger than she’d ever been. Mikko joined half an hour later – at his usual time.

“Couldn’t sleep?” the large man asked.

“Hm?” MC replied, having been absorbed in her own thoughts.

“You never beat me here before,” Mikko said. “Did you have trouble sleeping?”

“Oh,” she said, still a bit slow from her morning fatigue. “No, I just…wanted to get out.”

He nodded in understanding. He went and warmed up before joining her at the weights.

“So, are you and Sepe still fighting?” he asked tentatively, hovering near the bench MC was lying on.

MC grunted as she pressed the dumbbells off her chest and into the air. “Yeah, you could definitely say that.” She took a deep breath as she did another rep.

“Well, if you need somewhere else to sleep, you could probably use Sofia’s accommodations,” he said. “She mostly stays with me, anyway.”

MC’s arms felt like jelly as she lowered the weights to the floor on either side of her. She panted as she sat up. “Are you and Sofia…?”

She gestured vaguely.

Mikko smiled. “We’ve been dating for over a year,” he said. “We got together shortly after she transferred from here to Jyväskylä.”

MC’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh,” she said in shock. She felt a fresh flood of embarrassment. “Gods, about the other day, Mikko, I–”

He waved her off. “Don’t worry about it,” he said. “She likes to keep her personal and professional lives separate. You had no reason to know.”

“Still. I’m sorry,” MC said earnestly.

Mikko shrugged. “Well, you weren’t exactly in control of your words,” he said. “And I can’t fault you for your taste.”

He flexed at himself in the mirror, and MC couldn’t help but laugh.

Mikko patted her arm reassuringly. “Let’s just forget it happened,” he suggested.

“Gladly!” MC replied.

She felt like a weight had been lifted off her chest – no pun intended. When Sofia arrived, MC cleared the air with her, as well. Fortunately, she wasn’t the jealous type. She even made a similar comment to what Mikko had said about MC having good taste. It was adorable, in the way that happy couples often were, where it made MC hate them just a little bit.

She was grateful to them, though, when Sofia and Mikko automatically played interference for her with Sebastian. He had clearly been intent on trying to talk to her, but Mikko kept him occupied during any spare moments while Sofia steered MC to another part of the room.

At lunch, they both sat between you and Sebastian. Mikko asked Sebastian all about his running routine, if he used pre-workout or protein powders, and what brand of shoes he wore. Sofia kept MC engaged in conversation as she told her about the most recent Ilkka Remes release. After going through the entire plot of the thriller novel, she talked about her family.

Sebastian only escaped Mikko when he needed a trip to the loo. But on his way back, he took the long way around the table past MC.

“Hey, can we talk for a second?” he asked, making MC immediately tense up.

Mikko appeared over Sebastian’s shoulder almost instantly. “I wanted to ask you something else about your intervals,” he said good-naturedly.

“Can it wait?” Sebastian asked irritably.

“I just didn’t want to forget,” Mikko said innocently. “How often are you doing time intervals vs distance, because I feel like it’s hard to push myself for the timed ones. But when it’s distance, the faster I run, the faster it’s over, you know?”

“Then just do them by distance!” Sebastian snapped.

The whole table stared at him.

Sebastian sighed. “Look, mate, we can discuss it later,” he said, clapping Mikko on the shoulder. “All right?”

“I’d really rather talk now,” Mikko replied flatly.

Sebastian’s jaw tensed as he realised what was happening. He glanced at MC before looking back at Mikko. “Actually, I’m gonna go get settled in the conference room,” he said.

Sebastian stalked off, and Mikko retook his seat next to Sofia.

The afternoon went peacefully with no further attempts by Sebastian to interact with MC. She was relieved for it. She felt for the first time like she might finally get to ignore him for the rest of her time in Helsinki.

MC stopped by Sebastian’s flat after training to pack an overnight bag. She also grabbed two letters that had arrived there for her. She and Sofia went to dinner before Sofia took her to see the Suomenlinna Fortress. During their brief visit, they walked around the snowy island, saw a fraction of its historic cannons, met a few residents of the magical community there, and popped into a few shops. Sofia insisted she needed to visit during the summer months to see it in its fully glory.

Sofia showed MC to her hotel room before departing to stay with Mikko. MC sat at the desk and pulled out her letters. The first was a note from Natty apologising for not writing sooner. She said things had been busy at the DMLE, but it wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle – MC was not to worry. MC wrote out a letter back to her before opening her second one.

Dear MC,

I hope Sebastian isn’t giving you too much trouble. I still can’t believe he’s there. Well, assuming you haven’t killed him yet. I’d understand, of course, though I advise against it. It would be a shame to have you head off for a promotion only to return and be sent to Azkaban. I assure you he’s not worth it. I suppose I am glad to see he’s chosen to fight dark wizards rather than become one, though.

The snakelets are double the size from when I last wrote. I’ve included plenty of pictures. I’d have written sooner, but they’ve been quite the handful. Their heads are starting to fight over food already. Poppy stayed over the weekend to give me a hand with them while Martin was off. She’s quite good with them. They’re anxious to see their Auntie MC, though, don’t worry. I’ve kept them up-to-date on your trip. Poppy, too. I hope you don’t mind. She thinks Sebastian’s a slimy prat if it helps.

Miss you,

Ominis & the babies

And Poppy!

Poppy had added a little heart next to her name, which made MC smile. There were even more photos than the last time. Poppy had clearly taken some over the weekend. Some were Martin’s handiwork. The snakelets were indeed more than doubled in size. MC lingered on a photo of Ominis and Poppy cuddling a few of them. At the very end of the loop, Poppy looked over to Ominis with stars in her eyes.

MC had never seen her friend look so dotingly on another person. She had to watch it three times to assure herself Poppy wasn’t actually looking at the runespoor Ominis held. She had to admit that they would be a good match, though she had no idea if Ominis was ready to start something new. She made a mental note to gently pry about it when she got home.

After writing a response to Ominis, MC went down to the lobby to send the letters. When she returned to her room, she changed into her pyjamas. She’d had quite a full day, and she was thoroughly knackered.

MC’s early bedtime meant she also woke up quite early the next day. After being disgusted with herself for having seemingly become a morning person, she straitened the room before heading out to Aurori Headquarters.

She had expected the training room to be unoccupied, but she quickly realised that was not the case as she entered. “Hello,” MC said, surprised to see Sebastian sitting on one of the benches by the dumbbells.

Sebastian shot to his feet. “That’s all you have to say? Bleeding ‘hello’?” Sebastian yelled as he marched over to her. “Where were you? I was up all night trying to find you!”

“Sofia let me stay at hers,” she replied simply, taking several steps back as Sebastian invaded her space.

Sebastian breathed out a bitter laugh. “And you didn’t think to tell me?” he demanded.

“I told you I don’t need a babysitter,” she growled, crossing her arms defensively.

Sebastian tugged his hair in frustration. “You are literally the biggest pain in the arse I’ve ever met!”

“Then it’s a good thing you don’t have to deal with me anymore,” MC replied, turning to walk away.

Sebastian was taken aback. His arms went slack at his sides. “What?” he asked. “You’re not coming home tonight?”

“I don’t get to go home until tomorrow,” MC stated, walking back toward the conference room. “But, no, I’m not staying at your flat tonight if that’s what you meant.”

Sebastian jogged after her. “Look, I know I crossed some boundaries the other night,” he started.

MC just scoffed.

“I shouldn’t’ve…propositioned you like that,” he continued. “I just…Look, I know I’m never going to get to see you again after tomorrow. I just want one honest conversation before that.”

MC laughed. “You make it sound like you’re so torn up over this,” she said. “Doesn’t really fit with how you’ve been acting, though. So, what is your real goal here, Sebastian?”

He sighed. “I know I’ve been a git for…forever, essentially. I really do just want closure. I’ll answer all your questions, too. I haven’t been the most rational the last two weeks, but…I’ll try to explain,” he said. “Tonight, yeah? After I finish cleaning this place.”

MC chewed her lip while she decided whether to accept. “Fine,” she gritted out. “But leave me alone until then.”

Sebastian’s face broke into a smile. “Okay. Yeah,” he agreed eagerly. “I’m not even here.”

He moved as if to hug her, but he thought better of it almost instantly and just gave a nod of his head. He jogged ahead to the conference room, leaving MC to her morning workout.

Jari put them through the testing they had done at the beginning of training. He wanted to dedicate the next morning to duelling so he could see the conclusion of the battle between Mikko and Patrik. The rankings didn’t shift much from the beginning – other than Sebastian winning out in accuracy – but they had all made great strides during their short training. The rest of the morning was spent doing defensive drills. As Jari liked to delicately put it, “The worst aurori is a dead one.”

As promised, Sebastian made no attempt to talk to MC during their lunch. He chatted with Niko while she talked to Kaarina about some of her self-made defensive spells. It was great – until it wasn’t. On their walk back to the conference room, she overheard something she wished she hadn’t.

“Wait, she’s the chick you banged back in school?” Niko hissed to Sebastian quietly – but not quiet enough that MC didn’t hear. “Bro, you didn’t tell me she had special magic! You focused on the wrong talents – I mean, not that her tongue didn’t sound magical, too, but…damn.”

MC’s head whipped back so fast that she was genuinely worried she had pulled something. As their eyes met, Sebastian looked as pale as the ghosts back at Hogwarts. MC was too angry to speak. She really didn’t know how many times she needed to learn the lesson that Sebastian Sallow should not be given second chances. She thought darkly about how much simpler her life would’ve been if she’d just let him rot in Azkaban after fifth year.

Sofia, who was in front of her, shot her a questioning look. “Are you all right?” she asked.

MC took a steadying breath before nodding. She glanced back at Sebastian and Niko again. The former looked utterly horrified, while the latter looked stunned at being overheard.

Sebastian didn’t get a chance to talk to her before the afternoon session started, and he looked ready to fall to pieces with stress through the whole thing. Before Jari had even finished dismissing them, Sebastian jumped to his feet and was next to her.

“Can we please talk about this tonight?” he asked with an imploring gaze. “Or now, even! Niko twisted what I–”

“I don’t want to talk about it right now,” MC said, cutting him off. She was still seething.

“I’m really sorry. I swear it’s not as bad as it sounds,” he said, looking as stressed as he had all meeting.

MC scoffed as she tried to push past him. He followed after her.

“Can we still talk tonight?” Sebastian asked urgently as she rushed down the corridor.

“Sure,” she replied sharply before he’d even finished the question. “But don’t send a bloody search party if I decide it’s not worth my time.”

“I’ll be back at my flat within the hour,” he promised before she pushed the exit open.

She left without replying.

Sebastian’s final mistake – in a long line of them – had been giving her a countdown. MC might’ve actually waited at his flat if he hadn’t told her the amount of time she had to escape. She wavered on what to do for the first ten minutes, because she knew she had the time. She decided that Sebastian had been given entirely too many chances and none of them had ever proven worth it. MC was not going to waste her final night in Helsinki letting him plead his case. She was going to get trollied and find someone who would fuck her until she couldn’t remember her own name let alone Sebastian’s.

She did herself up in record time, sporting the transfigured lingerie under her short black dress as an added “up yours.” Before she left, MC packed up her things and shrunk them down to fit in her cloak pocket. She had no intention of returning.

MC found a suitable candidate without much fuss. Antti or Artturi or something. She couldn’t remember. But he was well fitand looked sturdy enough. She chatted him up for almost an hour to make sure he wasn’t some psycho murderer before transitioning to the endgame.

“Do you want to get out of here?” MC asked as she flipped her hair over her shoulder.

She wasn’t properly pissed as she hadn’t wanted to scare Antti/Artturi/whoever off by pounding back vodka like she’d intended to do when she arrived at the pub. Still, she had a nice enough buzz going and, with any luck, he’d offer her a drink when they got to his.

“Yeah. Shall we head to yours, then?” he replied.

MC had to force herself not to frown. “Is there a reason we can’t go to your place?” she asked.

“Well, I’m sharing a suite with my coworker,” he said.

Why was everyone in Helsinki there for a bleeding conference? MC didn’t want to take him back to Sofia’s room after she’d graciously given her sanctuary. She also didn’t want to waste the hour she’d invested in vetting the guy. She decided she might just have to shift her goals. Maybe he couldn’t fuck Sebastian out of her head, but she might be able to use him to piss him off. She might even still get off in the process.

“I could book us a separate room for the night,” Antti/Artturi/etc. offered, but MC was already picturing Sebastian’s enraged expression.

“No, we can go to mine,” she replied. “My flatmate’s a bit of a tight arse about noise, but she’s out of town.”

Not being able to go to a guy’s place was usually a red flag for MC. It often meant a guy still lived with his parents or, worse, his girlfriend. But MC had heard his coworkers chatting about their dull conference talks, and she wasn’t overly concerned about red flags with the guy she was just using for the night.

She apparated them to Sebastian’s flat and was relieved he hadn’t been waiting in the living room for her. She wanted to have at least a little fun before it all went tits-up. MC ditched her cloak and heels and pushed…she was going to go with "Antti"…back onto the couch before climbing into his lap and snogging him senseless.

She worked his dress shirt open as she pushed her tongue down his throat. Antti slid his hands up the backs of her thighs to her bum and groped it thoroughly.

“Gods, I’ve wanted to grab this arse all night,” he groaned as he gave her another firm squeeze.

Antti seemed to be a fan of all parts of a feminine figure as he soon dove face-first into MC’s tits. She spread her legs wider to grind against the erection tenting the lad’s trousers. He seemed to have a good amount to work with – not as much as Erik had, but then, who did? It worked in her favour anyway, as MC fully planned on using her lovely assistant to give Sebastian a demonstration of the new tricks she’d learned with her “magical tongue.”

MC had been waiting for the crack of apparation. What she didn’t hear over the sound of her own moans was Sebastian’s door clicking open and him padding down the hallway.

She jumped when she saw his reflection in the window she was facing. His eyes locked on her reflection, and he just arched an eyebrow at her.

MC quickly looked away. Antti, fortunately, hadn’t noticed they had an audience since his face was still enveloped in her cleavage. He’d pulled the already low-cut top of her dress out of the way so the only barrier between him and her breasts was the emerald green lace bra.

MC wanted to slide out of his lap down to the floor and suck him off out of spite for her voyeur flatmate, but Antti would immediately see Sebastian if she wasn’t blocking his view. She looked up at her ex’s reflection, and he was leaning nonchalantly against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest and one ankle casually over the other. His eyes were no longer on her reflection.

MC glanced back to confirm that he was staring at her arse. Her dress had ridden up when she straddled Antti, leaving most of her backside exposed as the G-string hid nothing. Sebastian’s eyes met hers briefly, and he winked at her. She nearly growled in frustration.

MC took a fistful of Antti’s hair and pulled him into a heated kiss as she ground more fervently against him. She was getting quite wet from all the stimulation – it really was a shame it was likely to go to waste. As MC wondered if she could vanish his trousers before they got interrupted, Antti returned his focus to her tits. Her head fell back as he sucked her nipple through the thin lace of her bra.

“Oh, fuck,” MC groaned, rutting against him in earnest.

As her eyes fluttered back open, she caught sight of Sebastian palming himself as he watched her. He bit his lip as their eyes locked through the window.

Antti’s hands slid up MC’s back, likely going for the clasp on her bra, dragging her dress up with them. Sebastian’s gaze dropped down to her arse again, and his hand suddenly froze.

Before MC could wonder too deeply about the reason, Sebastian cleared his throat loudly, making her and Antti both jump.

“Could you not? That’s my favourite place to masturbate, and you’re defiling it,” he said wryly.

Antti peered over MC’s shoulder. “Who the fuck are you?” he asked.

Sebastian gave him a tight smile. “Name’s Sebastian. This is my flat,” he replied. “Who the fuck are you?”

“I’m Anton,” he said a bit uneasily.

“Gods, I was so close!” MC said, earning strange looks from both men. She might’ve still been a bit tipsy. She also might’ve just been a right numpty, as she didn’t feel particularly inebriated.

“I think you should go, Anton,” Sebastian said firmly.

Anton seemed to agree, as he quickly scurried out from under MC and apparated away. It was oddly routine at that point to have one of their lovers fleeing the flat.

MC righted her dress as she situated herself on the couch.

“Nice lingerie,” Sebastian said sarcastically.

“Isn’t it?” MC replied brightly. “I mean, Anton certainly seemed to think so.”

Sebastian glared at her. “Seeing as you’re free now, how about we have that chat?” he said tetchily.

MC scrunched her nose. “Ooh, it’s a bit late,” she said, standing up. “I’d best turn in. We’ve got the duels in the morning. Wouldn’t want someone getting hurt.”

“Sit. Down,” Sebastian growled forcefully.

For some inexplicable reason, MC complied immediately.

“We’re going to ignore that–” Sebastian gestured to the couch “–whole situation that just happened and have a civilised chat.”

MC crossed her arms, pouting like a child. “Fine.”

She refused to look at him.

“About what Niko said earlier,” Sebastian started, and MC rolled her eyes. “I told him about our relationship a long time ago. Way before I thought I’d ever see you again. He was ribbing me about how ‘whipped’ I seemed, and I made an offhand comment about it being your mouth that I missed. I wasn’t bragging about details. I was deflecting from emotions that I didn’t want to deal with. But I know it was stupid, I just…I’m sorry it hurt you.”

MC shifted on the couch. She could admit that it didn’t sound that bad. Not that she would admit it to Sebastian, of course, but…to herself, at least. “You said you’d explain your behaviour over the last two weeks,” she pointed out.

“I…” Sebastian sighed. “It’s…complicated.”

MC scoffed, feeling like she should have known he would make excuses. She got up from the couch again, and Sebastian moved to block her path in the corridor.

“I’ll do my best,” he insisted. “But it…it would be easier if I knew why you paraded around in that lingerie on Sunday.”

MC’s brows drew together. She felt her plan had been rather obvious. “I figured if I could get you worked up enough without you being able to do anything about it, you would either change my clothes back or beg me to fix the temperature so you could get hard and have a wank. Either way, I’d get you to give me back my wardrobe.”

“Oh,” he said, sounding a bit surprised. “What was with the reaction to my hair?”

MC’s lips pressed into a thin line. “I thought you were supposed to be explaining your actions.”

“Right. Well…” Sebastian took another deep breath. “After what you said about me not being worth anything, I guess I just went looking for something that would make me feel like I was. With you calling me the worst mistake of your life, it…” He rolled his jaw. “It was similar.”

She raised an eyebrow as she finally looked at him. “Did it work?”

Sebastian let out a bitter laugh. “No.”

He was the one avoiding looking at her now.

MC could relate. Her partners hadn’t exactly done all she’d hoped for her state of mind, either. “For what it’s worth, I shouldn’t’ve said either of those things.”

“I shouldn’t have called you a bitch,” he admitted.

“Or interrupted my tryst tonight,” she replied, only half-joking.

Sebastian scoffed. “You expect me to believe you were enjoying that?”

MC rolled her eyes. “Just because you've never been with a woman who wasn't faking it doesn't mean they can't be pleased.”

His eyes immediately hardened. He stepped into her, forcing her back against the wall. “Don't lie to me, MC,” he growled, his face hovering inches above hers. “I know you better than you think.”

She laughed arrogantly. “You certainly seem to think so.”

“You want to know why we worked so well together? Because, at the end of the day, after you've been running around saving everyone - solving all their problems, making constant life or death decisions - you want someone else to carry the burden for you. You want them to make the decisions. And, for me, being with you was the only time I was ever truly in control. We're a perfect match, you and I.”

“Then it’s a shame you ruined it,” MC replied coldly, pushing his chest to force him to back away from her.

He let out a frustrated noise as he pulled his hair. “I’m trying to fix it!” he said.

“You picked dark magic over me!” she said. “And then you left us all behind like we were nothing! You don’t get to just pretend none of that happened! You can’t undo that! You can’t fix it!”

“I was trying to save Anne!” he argued. “I left to find something, anything that might help her!”

“Well, that worked out splendidly, didn’t it?” MC said cruelly.

Sebastian shook with rage. The air around them crackled with his magic as it fought to burst free. “YOU DON’T THINK I REALISE IT WAS A MISTAKE?” he screamed.

MC fell silent, shocked by his outburst. They had fought loads of times, but he had never raised his voice like that.

Sebastian was still shaking, but it was from the sobs that were wracking through him.  He fell back against the wall before sliding down it into a heap on the floor. “I lost my last months with my sister,” he said, his voice cracking. Tears streamed down his face. “I didn’t even get to say goodbye.”

“Sebastian,” she said softly, taking a step toward him.

“I’m so sorry,” he said between choked sobs. “I know I should’ve come back, I just…” He took a gasping breath as he fought to get the words out. “It was easier to start over. Pretend that version of me had never existed.”

MC reached down and ran her hand through his hair in a gesture she’d done hundreds of times to sooth him in a past life. He looked up at her with red, puffy eyes. “I missed you,” she said. “That you. This you. A new one. It doesn’t matter to me. I just…miss you.”

He started weeping again. He got to his knees and buried his face in her hip as he clung to the backs of her legs. “I’ve missed you somuch!”

MC kept stroking his hair. “I’m sorry you didn’t get to say goodbye to Anne,” she said earnestly.

Sebastian shook his head, his forehead still pressed against her. “It was my own fault.”

“I’m still sorry,” she said as she combed his hair out of his face with her fingers.

He clung to her even more tightly. “She died thinking I’d abandoned her.”

“If you read the letter she left you, you know that isn’t true,” MC replied.

“I still should’ve been there for her,” Sebastian argued. “I would’ve. I swear, I would’ve come back. I just…I thought I had more time.”

“I know, Seb,” she said. She held his shoulders and gave him the best hug she could with him kneeling on the floor. “We all did.”

He shifted to grab her waist and pulled himself slowly to his feet.

MC raised a hand to his cheek automatically. Sebastian covered it with his own as he leaned into the warmth of it. “I don’t want to lose you again,” he said, his voice rough from crying.

MC stared up at him. She didn’t want to lose him, either, but she was scared that opening her heart back up to him would only end in him breaking it again. She’d given him a second chance the day of Anne’s funeral. She couldn’t go through that pain a third time. She’d rather be crucio’d.

But MC couldn’t take the sadness in Sebastian’s big, brown eyes. Not when she could make it better. So, when she felt his hands on either side of her face, MC let herself give in. Sebastian’s lips met hers with a deep hunger, and she returned his kiss in equal force.

One hand slid down to her neck as he pressed her back against the wall, smothering her body with his own. Sebastian’s thumb swiped gently over the pulse in her throat as his lips devoured hers. His tongue skimmed across her swollen bottom lip after his teeth nipped it raw.

MC’s knees nearly buckled as his thigh pressed between her legs. She moaned into his mouth.

“I love you, MC,” he panted, before ravaging her lips again. “I never stopped loving you.”

MC’s fingernails bit into his shoulders as she fought to stay upright. Sebastian scooped her up onto his waist and carried her to his room while she scraped her teeth down the side of his neck. Her heart was racing. With anticipation. With fear. She wondered somewhere in the back of her mind if she would regret this, but she was too far gone to stop now. She felt so good being back in Sebastian’s arms. She would deal with the consequences of it later.

Sebastian threw MC across the bed before leaning over her to kiss her again. She squealed when he pulled her by the hips to the edge of his mattress. He licked his lips as he knelt down in front of her. His hands trailed up her thighs, setting her skin on fire. He pushed up her dress to expose the emerald green knickers, damp with her arousal, and his teeth sunk into his lip as he took in the sight of them.

His eyes flicked back up to hers. They had a fiery glint as he smirked at her. MC could see his intent in his face, plain as if it were written out on parchment – he was going to ruin her. Hooking his thumbs into the waistband of her knickers, he pulled them off of her slowly, keeping his gaze firmly on her own.

He held the eye contact as he leaned in to taste her, but then his eyes rolled back as a groan ripped from his throat. “Fuck, I missed you.” His hot breath fanned over her core as he spoke.

MC was already panting with need, and he’d barely touched her. She tangled one hand into that perfect sodding hair, because she desperately needed something to hold onto as Sebastian’s tongue ran up her folds again. He alternated, tracing up one lip, then the other, and pausing to press delicate kisses against her clit in between. His hands pinned her hips against the mattress, holding her open for him and keeping her from squirming as he teased her cunt.

She gasped as Sebastian’s tongue pierced into her. He moaned as she clenched around him, and the vibrations made her hips jolt.

He chuckled darkly. “Patience,” he said. “I’m not nearly done with you.”

MC whimpered as he pressed another kiss at her apex, using the slightest bit of suction on her clit. He smirked at her reaction, watching as her brow furrowed and her bottom lip disappeared between her teeth.

“I’m going to make you come until you can’t see straight,” Sebastian vowed. He kissed her again. “Fuck you like you deserve. Like no one else can.”

He licked firmly up the centre of her cunt before finally focusing on the sensitive bud at the top. MC’s lungs failed her as Sebastian’s tongue flicked over it again and again. She let out a keening cry when he sucked it into his mouth.

“Fuck, Sebastian!” she moaned. She wanted to buck her hips and ride his face, but he had her firmly pinned down. She was so wound up that her hand in his hair threatened to make him bald again with how tight her grip was. “Oh, gods! Please!”

She chanted the plea repeatedly as her body filled with pleasure, building her up toward release. Sebastian didn’t let up his efforts, consuming her as he held her in place with a bruising grip. He had once had a penchant for denying her orgasm until she begged for it thoroughly, and MC had expected him to pull away from her suddenly. He must have been satisfied, though, because he didn’t stop as a string of swears fell from her lips, or as her orgasm crashed through her, or even long after the ripples had faded. He kept on licking and sucking at her like a man starved, and she soon felt herself coiling again.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” she said urgently when she neared that point of no return. She was sensitive and it was too much, but she also never wanted it to stop. It took longer, but the bliss broke over her as a second orgasm was practically ripped out of her body. It was stronger than the first had been, and she felt wrecked as the pulses subsided.

Sebastian had slowed to licking long, languid stripes up her as she came down from her high. But he picked his pace back up again as he slipped two fingers into her, clearly intent on bringing her to a third orgasm. She whimpered at the thought of it. She almost asked him to just give her a break, but it was such sweet torture – and Sebastian looked indescribable when he was coated in her arousal and smirking with pride.

MC was panting and soaked in sweat by the time she crested again. Her head had fallen back in exhaustion as she fought to catch her breath. She had released her iron grip on Sebastian’s hair, and the muscles in her hand were aching.

She lifted her leaden head to look at the man between her legs.

He was looking up at her like she was everything. As his hands stroked lovingly up and down her thighs, she could’ve wept.

Sebastian pulled himself up and let his weight press into her as he covered her body with his. He brushed back the hair clinging to MC’s sweaty forehead. “You’re perfect. So perfect,” he whispered reverently against her lips before capturing them in his own.

MC pulled him closer as she licked the taste of herself off his lips. He was back. She had him back, and she never wanted to be apart from him again. “I love you,” she said.

Sebastian pulled back, looking down at her in shock. As he searched her eyes intently, she thought he might shatter into pieces. Instead, he crashed his mouth back into hers.

“Please,” she begged when they broke apart for air. She ran her fingers down the buttons on the front of his shirt. “I need you.”

“Fuck,” Sebastian groaned. “I’m here, darling. You have me.”

He shucked his clothes as MC flipped over onto her stomach, feet on the ground and arse in the air. He groaned again when he saw her position.

He smoothed his palm over her backside. “Gods, I’ve been thinking about fucking you like this nonstop since Sunday,” he said as he trailed his fingers up her spine, sliding her dress up higher as he went.

MC smirked. “I know,” she replied. Because she knew him better than he thought, too.

Sebastian bent down to nip the sensitive skin, earning a moan from her. He stood back up and dragged his cock through her slick centre, muttering “bloody perfect” as he did. He lined himself up and sank into her slowly, savouring it as she took every inch of him. He practically growled as her body swallowed him. He folded himself over her and she arched back to kiss him, pouring herself into him.

As he righted himself, his hands immediately kneaded into her arse. He really could be quite obsessive about it. He grabbed onto both of her hips as he set a rhythm inside her. MC’s hands clawed into the sheets beneath her as he rocked her forward with each thrust. She let out a low, needy noise as he hit a spot deep within her that seemed to light up her nerves. Sebastian groaned as she clenched around him, and he pounded into that spot over and over. She pushed her hips back, meeting each quick snap of his as he fucked her senseless.

MC’s legs began to shake, and she wasn’t sure how much more she could take when Sebastian wrapped an arm underneath her and began to rub her clit. She cried out as she shattered once more, her whole body shaking as she fell apart. Sebastian groaned as he stilled inside her. She felt like it took ages to come back to earth.

Sebastian had one hand on the mattress to steady himself as he panted to catch his breath. He was still buried inside her, and she was certain he had come until he pulled and out flipped her back over. He pulled her dress over her head, nearly ripped off her bra, and positioned her properly in the middle of the bed.

“I’m gonna pump you so full that you taste me on your tongue,” he vowed as he crawled on top of her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a kiss as he slid back into her. Her head slumped back against the pillow, and she turned her head to breathe in its scent – his scent.

He managed to get a hand between them, massaging one breast before shifting his weight so he could dip his head to suck on the other. MC’s back arched and her head pressed back into the pillow as Sebastian keyed her body up again.

“Fuck, I love you, MC,” he said as he moved to press his forehead against hers.

“I love you,” she echoed, though it may have been directed as much to the part of him buried inside her as it was to him in general.

When Sebastian started moving again, MC did her best to meet his thrusts, but she was completely spent. She clawed at his back, holding on for dear life as he sped up. She made a slew of senseless noises as he fucked her into his mattress.

“Tell me…tell me there’s no one else,” he demanded breathlessly. “No one who fucks you like this.”

“Gods, no! No one,” she swore before a moan erupted from her as he pounded into her. “Fuck, Sebastian.”

He groaned as he fucked her harder. “This…cunt…is mine!” he growled. “No one else gets to have you!”

“Just you,” MC vowed. “Gods, I missed you. Please, Sebastian. Please!”

He bit into the curve of her neck as his hips sped up even more. She keened for him, and he moaned out as she felt him release inside of her. Her eyes rolled back as she felt him fill her. Sebastian recaptured her lips, and he was desperate and sloppy as their mouths melded together.

MC buried her hands in his hair as she kissed him until her lungs screamed for oxygen. Then, she kissed him a bit longer before pulling back and gasping for air. Sebastian smiled down at her as he panted wildly.

He placed a chaste kiss on MC’s lips before he slid off to lie beside her. He gathered her against his chest, wrapping her up in his arms and pressing a kiss into her hair.

“Fuck,” MC breathed out, still reeling from the whirlwind that had just occurred.

“Yeah,” Sebastian replied, still beaming at her.

“I forgot how horrendously persistent you are,” she said.

He laughed. “I was going to make you ride my face before I took you, but then you displayed your arse so perfectly for me. I could hardly resist.”

MC rolled her eyes. “Fucking course you were,” she groused.

Sebastian kissed her, not hesitating to slide his tongue into her mouth. “You love it.”

She glared at him. He was right, of course, but she would hardly admit it.

He laughed again. “You’re so bleeding stubborn,” he chided light-heartedly.

“And you’re a bloody menace,” she replied.

“But I’m your menace,” he retorted, looking quite pleased about the situation.

MC forced herself to return his smile, but the assertion set her heart at an erratic pace, like it was pumping as much blood to her muscles as possible so she could make a quick escape.

“All right. Time for some sleep, love,” Sebastian said. “We’ve got a big rematch in the morning. I mean the duel, of course, although…”

“No,” MC said firmly. “Knowing you, we’d end up missing the whole morning of training.”

“Yeah, fair enough,” he replied with a chuckle.

He summoned his wand and then conjured some blankets over them so they didn’t have to move. With another swish of his wand, the lights turned out.

“Good night, MC,” he said as he settled back in.

“Good night,” she replied.

MC awoke the next morning filled with anxiety. She wished it were about the impending duel, but it was really about the man wrapped around her.

Fuck.

She’d let her guard down. She’d given in to her baser urges and left the consequences to a future version of herself. Well, the consequences had arrived. She was a little sore and a lot tired, and she was wholly, utterly terrified. She’d shattered the walls that had been protecting her heart like they had been part of target practice.

MC desperately tried to rebuild them. She could not make the same mistake again.

Sebastian’s arms tightened around her as he woke up. He buried his face in her neck. “Morning, love,” he mumbled into her skin.

“Morning,” MC replied stiltedly.

He chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’m not trying to start anything,” he promised. “I’m just happy to see you.”

MC forced a laugh as she turned in his arms. “Good,” she said. “I’m going to need weeks to recover from last night.”

Sebastian rolled his eyes. “I give it two days,” he replied with a cocky grin.

That damned smirk. It was dangerous.

“Unfortunately for you, I’ll be back in England by then,” MC teased. But it was also a reality check for herself.

“About that,” Sebastian said nervously as he traced small circles on her arm. “I was going to ask if you’d stay for the weekend. I mean, I know you have to go back to work on Monday, but I thought maybe you could stay until Sunday.”

“Oh,” MC said, surprised. “Well, my portkey is scheduled for this evening…”

“You could put in a request for a time change. I could fill out the form for you,” he offered, his warm eyes melting her unprotected heart. “But you don’t have to decide right now. The transport office is right next to Aurori Headquarters. I could pop by at lunch.”

“Yeah, I’ll let you know,” she said.

Sebastian smiled sweetly. “Good. And I could come visit you over the long weekend next week. We can figure it out from there,” he said.

The “long weekend” was Christmas. Sebastian wanted to come spend Christmas with her. Every alarm bell was ringing in MC’s head and her body was telling her to flee, but she kept her pasted smile as she said, “Yeah, that sounds great.”

MC pretended she wasn’t freaking out as she got dressed and had breakfast with Sebastian. She left a little after 7 to “warm up” before training. Really, she just needed space to breathe. Sebastian arrived just before 8 o’clock. He greeted her with a kiss on the cheek, and she pretended that didn’t freak her out, either.

She continued pretending all morning. She pretended everything was fine as she watched the other duels with Sebastian beside her. She pretended she wasn’t distracted as she fought against him, and he disarmed her in minutes. She lied when he asked if she’d made up her mind about the portkey, telling him she’d submitted the form on her way in that morning. And she pretended to be excited as he rambled all through lunch about all the things they could do over the weekend.

MC felt sick the whole day. Every excited smile Sebastian gave her twisted the knife lodged in her gut. She felt awful for lying to him, but she knew telling the truth would give him the opportunity to change her mind. And she was terrified that he would. He would convince her to give him another chance, and he would break her heart again. Maybe not that weekend or at Christmas or for years. But he would eventually.

After Jari gave a touching speech about how proud he was of all of them and how he wished them the best, the group went for a celebratory round of drinks a few blocks down the street. The whole time, Sebastian rested his arm across the back of her chair and whispered in her ear.

“Do you want to go out to dinner tonight, or shall I order takeaway?” he asked.

“I…Um…” MC started.

The obvious choice was takeaway – he wouldn’t need a reservation, and even if he ordered the food before he realised she was gone, he could just keep the leftovers for another time. She only had a few minutes before her portkey took her home. She would say “takeaway” and then “I need to use the loo,” and it would all be done with.

“I can’t do this,” she blurted out.

“What?” Sebastian asked, taken aback as she pushed out her chair.

“I need to go,” MC said as she stood.

“Okay. I’ll take you back,” Sebastian said, getting to his feet, as well.

“No! I…I’m going home. I can’t do this–” She gestured between them. “–with you. Not again.”

She pulled on her cloak as she ran out of the pub, and Sebastian stood dumbstruck for a moment before chasing after her. MC stood out in the falling snow as she fished through her pockets for the stubby pencil.

Sebastian burst out of the pub door as she found it. She watched as he looked down at her hand. The frigid air was already turning his cheeks red as he stood cloakless in the winter night. “It doesn’t leave until Sunday,” he said, but she could tell he suspected the truth.

“I never changed it,” she admitted.

He didn’t look angry like she had expected. MC only saw confusion and sadness. “Why?” he asked, his breath fogging in the air as he begged her to make sense of the last 24-hours.

She looked at him remorsefully. “I’m sorry. I…I just–”

MC was dragged forward as the portkey triggered. She caught herself on the padded walls as she landed in the booth at the English international transit hub. She immediately vomited onto the floor – and her own shoes. It vanished almost as quickly.

“Looks like you had a rough trip home, friend,” Natty observed. She untangled her arm from Garreth’s as she went to her partner’s side.

“Just caught me a bit off guard,” MC said as she gained her bearings.

Natty pulled MC into a tight hug. “It’s good to have you home,” she said.

“It’s good to be home,” MC replied, trying to ignore the ache in her chest. She reminded herself it only would’ve been worse if she’d let things go on. This was better. She would wall off the broken pieces of her heart and let the memories fade into the distance along with the pain of them.

“We thought you might want to go for a pint,” Garreth said brightly as the left the hub.

It was startling to see the lack of snow. MC hadn’t seen grass for weeks.

“Actually, I’m quite knackered from the training. I think I’m going to turn in for the night,” MC said, giving him an apologetic smile. “Another time, though.

Garreth nodded. “Just tell me when. You know I’m always up for a night out.”

“Do you want me to apparate you home?” Natty asked.

MC waved her off. “Nah, I’m all right. I’ll see you at the flat later,” she said.

As MC drew her wand to apparate home, Garreth took Natty’s hand as they headed for the pub. Ugh, did everyone couple up while I was away?

MC had a proper lie-in the next morning, not getting out of bed until half noon when a bird refused to stop pecking her window. She opened it to shoo the thing off, but it flew inside, instead, landing on the owl perch.

“Hello, Pixie,” MC said as recognition finally hit her. She undid the little scroll on her leg and gave her a treat.

Are you coming over today? I may have promised the brood their favourite auntie was coming for a visit. Also, Poppy wants to see you. And I suppose I do, as well.

MC chuckled as she rolled the scroll back up. She penned a quick be there shortly and sent it back with Pixie. She ate a scone, took a quick shower, and got dressed before taking the floo to Feldcroft. She hadn’t even unpacked her trunk, but the snakelets were a perfect distraction from the viper MC was trying to forget.

MC entered the cottage just before Pixie flew in through the window. “Knew I should’ve sent a patronus,” she said.

Ominis gave her a confused sort of smile, but he caught up once he read the note Pixie brought him.

“Where’s Poppy?” MC asked as she shed her cloak.

“Actually, I’m going to go to hers,” Ominis said.

“Oh,” MC said. “Shall I come with you, then?”

“I’d really rather you didn’t,” a tired voice behind her said.

MC looked over her shoulder to find Sebastian standing over a cup of tea in the kitchen. She looked back to Ominis with a murderous gaze she hoped he could feel. “You lying bastard!” she said.

“He came to me and asked for help getting you to talk to him. I think you should hear him out,” Ominis said.

MC scoffed. “I already heard him out. It didn’t lead anywhere good,” she replied.

Ominis sighed. “Look, I know you’re scared, MC. I know better than most the reasons you have not to give him another chance. But I also know better than most how much you two loved each other – and how hard it is for love like that to fade. I can’t have the love of my life back, but I won’t let you regret giving up on yours without weighing it fully.”

MC wiped her nose with the back of her sleeve. “I can’t believe you’re playing the dead wife card on me,” she sniffed.

“Only because I love you,” Ominis said earnestly. He grabbed his cloak. “I’ll be back in two hours. Either waythis goes, I trust you two not to destroy my home.”

MC rolled her eyes as Ominis left. She looked back at Sebastian, who was watching her with wary eyes like she might pop away again. It was a tempting option. But, for Ominis’s sake, she would stay.

She waited for Sebastian to speak. To give his justifications for his actions. Or yell at her. Ask her why she ran off. How she could fuck him and then disappear – she hoped for that one for the irony of it.

“I’m so sorry,” he said. He set his tea on the counter and walked over to her. He stopped when she stepped back. “This isn’t how I wanted things to be between us.”

MC just blinked at him. She hadn’t anticipated him saying that.

“I should’ve been honest with you from the start instead of playing games and trying to manipulate you. I was too much of a coward to just admit from the jump that I never stopped being in love with you,” he said. “I spent years trying to become someone you could be proud of. Someone who could love you like you deserve. I thought that meant giving up dark magic and doing something good with my life. But I clearly have a lot to learn about how to treat you. And I know this probably doesn’t seem like a step in the right direction, but I genuinely didn’t know Ominis was going to lie to get you here.”

MC steeled herself after she felt a treacherous pang in her chest. “You really gave up dark magic?” she asked, eyeing him sceptically.

“I haven’t touched it since Anne died, and I’m never going to again,” he assured her.

MC rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I’ve heard that before.”

“Really?” he shot back. “And are you referring to when you told Ominis I was done without consulting me in the catacombs? Or perhaps when I told Ominis I understood him wanting us to avoid it? I never lied about stopping.”

MC was silent, unable to refute him but unwilling to admit that he was right.

“And I’m telling you now that I’m done playing games. I’m done running. Or hiding. Or whatever I’ve been doing the last two-and-a-half years,” he said. “I’m not Sepe. He was a mask. A way to avoid owning up to my mistakes. But I can’t keep being him. I want to come home.”

“I’m not stopping you,” MC replied. “I’m sure Ominis would even let you stay with him.”

Sebastian stepped forward again, grabbing her hands and looking pleadingly into her eyes. “My home isn’t Feldcroft. It’s you. It’s always been you – since the day you spared me from Azkaban.” He stepped even closer, moving a hand up to her cheek. “No one else has seen me and looked at what I’ve done and loved me anyway. Even Anne took a year to forgive me. And I know I broke your trust, and it’s okay if it takes years to earn it back. I just…I’m asking for a chance to prove that I’ve changed. I’m still not perfect, and I know I don’t deserve it, but I’ll spend every day earning it, and I just…I have to ask. I have to try to come home.”

Tears streamed down MC’s cheeks, and Sebastian tried futilely to wipe them away until she stepped out of his grasp. She felt split in two. Half of her wanted to run and hide where Sebastian could never find her. The other half – maybe more than half – wanted to fall into his arms and let him hold her and promise it would all be okay.

“I can’t let you break my heart again, Sebastian. I love you. I do. But I just can’t,” she sobbed. She wrapped her arms around her middle – to soothe herself, or to protect herself, or maybe both.

“I know, love,” he said calmly. “I swear to you I won’t. I wish every day that I could redo that night. Stay with you. I was a coward and afraid that you still wouldn’t want me, and I ran. And it was the worst mistake of my life.” He took a shuddering breath as tears began to well in his eyes. “I’m so sorry that I can’t fix it. Especially now that I know how you must’ve felt when I was just…just gone. I would give anything to fix it if I could. But I promise it will never happen again. I’m not leaving. Not ever.”

MC’s face crumpled as she sobbed harder. “I’m sorry. I wish I could believe you,” she choked out.

She sat back on the couch before her legs gave out. Sebastian knelt down on one knee in front of her.

“Hey,” he said softly, resting one hand on her leg as the other wiped more tears from her face. “It’s okay. You don’t owe me anything. I–” His voice choked, and he forced an unconvincing smile onto his face. “I’ll be okay.”

MC shook her head, tucking her legs up protectively in front of herself. Sebastian’s hands fell to the couch on either side of her. “I want to trust you,” she said. “I want to give you another chance, but…I mean, you live in Finland. You’re an aurori. You–”

“No, I’m not,” he interjected.

“What?” she asked.

“I told Teräväinen I quit. Effective immediately. Needless to say he wasn’t happy, but…” Sebastian said. “I’m not going back to Finland. I told you: I’m not leaving you again.”

MC started crying again. Sebastian moved to sit beside her and tentatively pulled her into a hug, waiting for her to tense or push him away. She didn’t. Instead, she let her head tilt to rest on his chest.

“You’re…you’re really staying?” she asked once she calmed again.

“I am, love,” he confirmed. “Probably right here for a while until I can find my own place – and a job.”

He laughed slightly.

MC laughed, as well. And then sniffed as she wiped her drippy nose. “I happen to have an in with the aurors at the DMLE,” she said.

“Do you now?” he joked. “Well, I do have some relevant experience.”

“On both sides of the job,” she quipped.

“Oi!” he said, poking her side lightly and making her jump. “Too soon, darling.”

“Sorry,” she said earnestly.

He pressed a kiss to her head as he held her tighter to his chest. “It’s all right,” he said gently. “I’ve missed your teasing.”

She lifted her head to look at him. “I’ve missed teasing you,” she said, giving him a cheeky grin. “In all sorts of ways.”

Sebastian chuckled. “Funny enough, I noticed that,” he replied. “For the record, I much prefer you walking around in lingerie to riding some ponce on my couch.”

“You seemed to be pretty into it,” she argued.

“I was fucking livid. I just didn’t want you to know it bothered me,” he said. “But I lost it when I saw you were wearing my lingerie.”

“You’re welcome to model it anytime,” she teased before letting her feet fall back to the floor and shifting to face him.

Sebastian rolled his eyes. “You know what I meant,” he groused, making her laugh. His expression grew serious. “Where does all this leave us?”

“I think it’s worth giving us another shot,” she said. “I mean, you did abandon your whole life for me. I suppose that shows a certain level of commitment.”

His face lit up. “Yeah?” he asked in disbelief.

“Yeah,” she said. “But we should take it slow.”

“I can do slow,” he said quickly with an adorable level of earnestness. “How about dinner tonight in London? I’ll make us a reservation somewhere.”

“That sounds perfect,” she replied.

“Brilliant!” he said, beaming at her. He leaned in before catching himself. “Does slow still involve kissing?”

“Slow definitely still involves kissing,” MC replied before connecting their mouths herself.

Apparently, slow also involved Sebatian lying on top of MC as they snogged on the couch. And both of them taking their clothes off. And a very upset Ominis when he returned in the middle of them rather forcefully “taking it slow.”

[writhe]

woke up and felt dreadful but i can’t have a life where dragging myself out of bed is a chore and i don’t like sleeping and i especially don’t like to lay around and i got up and i cooked a big breakfast & that changed how i felt and i had a a beautiful day

i read without worrying myself with the time. i took a walk and -begrudgingly- found 5 things to be grateful about while walking. i feel so steely and spiny and hopeless but pushing myself to consider even a glint of something other than futility nice. i’ve convinced myself the apathy is the natural progression of my state of being, that everyone gets here eventually. but if i want things to matter i have to start letting them, yeah?

it was a beautiful walk. i ran some errands after and i felt good and bright and busy. i had some accomplices in thievery & got some girl scout cookies. i’m in all black and chains and big boots and jewelry and spikes and a knife on my hip but i tried to be so polite with the kid. idk who she’ll grow up to be but i’d like to think children witnessing adults who grow up to have some sort of alternative lifestyle (vaguely punk yet pathetic freak with no prospects aside from a dog) partaking in a simple joy (like 4 boxes of cookies) is important. you’re like 10 right now and if things feel bad don’t forget you can make it weird 15 years from now and also just buy cookies whenever you want, yknow?

felt good from all this. screen printed. had some feelings.

took a break and visited friends who are working on a farming project. drank around a fire, sat in the dirt. it felt good. i’m shocked in how wanted i’ve felt by people recently. im trying to cling to that & internalize that i specifically matter to people. im trying to be more honest, a little. trying to tell myself that there isn’t a version of me my friends want aside from the one they know.

then, saw a larger group of friends, kind of serendipitously. 15-20 of them, all headed to a plot of land. i walked up to everyone staring at me, standing in the field they will grow on. greeted by smiles and some pleasantries. the sun was lower in the sky and painted everything gold and dreamy. something in me twisted. i’m a less fun drunk now & everything feels closer to the surface but i think i was okay. made small talk, everyone seemed happy. i want to let my guard down. i want to be able to actively listen to people again. i’ve been feeling really fixated on my presence in people’s lives being a point of dread or irritation & this gets in the way of being a friend or making friends, which is both selfish and unproductive. i don’t like that i feel this way, i don’t think i deserve to feel this, & i think it discounts a lot of the ways people show up for me

i feel like the world is calling to me, was that what i was being shown? i got a few sweet texts today independent from all this. it’s hard to internalize the good things people say about me & im frustrated that it’s become that way. i’m lucky i get all this. i’ve really just set myself in thinking i’m always in need of a correction or that it’s impossible for me to not to immediately overstep. it wasn’t always this way. it wasn’t always this way. people are trying to be gentle & i am going to try to believe them more

got invited to another fire, sundown now. drank more, but also forced myself to eat some dinner. the fire was nice. i feel like i creeped people out but it’s hard to tell. im so edgy now and i hate it. i’d been outside for most of the day at this point & was a little tired & i’d almost started crying while i was walking over which was stupid and almost embarrassing. but i’m glad i went to the fire! everyone loved halliwell. i was more standoffish and less funny than i’d like to be

talked to olive

walked home, it’s such a nostalgic walk and i feel it like a knife in my ribs. i’m living the the wreckage of some things and i need to know how to get out. it was brisk, but brisk like a spring night. the moon was low and huge and orange

today felt big and very full and like a lot was offered and i tried taking it all. i hope i did well. i feel (literally) filthy from a day of movement and sitting in the dirt and that feels good. i love my body & jacket carrying the scent of woodsmoke. halliwell is passed out next to me now. i am going to take a warm shower & in this exhaustion i hope i sleep well

i am going to try again tomorrow too

[taintedevesayori]

⚰️ Diatober ⚰️

Day 16: Sakamaki | Prompts by @fruit-of-infidelity | Masterlist

“Reiji, you needed me?” Sayo asked as she knocked on his door.

“Come in.”

“Good morning,” she greeted him as she closed the door behind her. 

It certainly was early for them. It was currently mid afternoon. Usually nobody was awake until the sun set. Her sleep schedule would forever be messed up considering she had always worked during the afternoon at the church before going to school, but as far as she knew he slept about the same as everyone else. 

“I’m glad to see you’re awake,” he said, motioning for her to sit on the chair across from him. “I have something to discuss with you.”

“You aren’t usually up this early, right? Could you not sleep?” she asked to satisfy her curiosity. 

“There is a reason for it,” he said nothing more of it. “We will be holding a ball here next week. Usually we have more notice, but my father tends to act on his whims. He will be attending, so I ask that you refrain from attacking him during the event.”

“I wouldn’t attack him at a fancy party,” she nodded. “There….is one problem though.”

“Which is?” Reiji raised an eyebrow at her. 

“I don’t own anything suitable to wear,” she admitted. “I don’t have the money to buy something, either. If I went, I would just embarrass you guys.”

“I assumed that to be the case. That is why I called you here during the day. I will take you to find a dress.”

“A-Are you sure?” She was surprised. “Dresses are expensive, though...You don’t have to do that for me.”

“You forget who you are talking to,” he smirked. “Are you implying this household does not have enough money to purchase one measly dress?”

“Okay, I guess that’s true…” she muttered.

Still, she wasn’t used to people buying things for her, so her first thought was to refuse. That wouldn’t go over well with Reiji, though. It was better to just thank him and go. 

“Thank you,” she smiled.

“Shall we go then?” he stood.

“No time like the present,” she followed suit. 

Sayo never would have dreamed of stepping into a dress shop as nice as the one Reiji took her to. As she glanced around, she felt out of her element. How was she supposed to pick a dress knowing how expensive it would be? 

“If you are concerned with pricing, simply do not look,” Reiji said, as if reading her mind. 

“I guess that would be for the best,” she awkwardly scratched the back of her head. 

“Hello there,” a female employee greeted them. “My name is Haruna. How can I assist you?”

“We do not need assistance for now,” Reiji said. 

“Please find me if you need anything,” she nodded. 

“I, um, don’t really know what style would be best for a ball,” Sayo admitted to him. “Would you mind helping me?”

“A certain person will be upset if he learns I picked a dress for you,” Reiji smirked as he led the way. 

She immediately knew he was talking about Laito. “It’s not like he has any reason to be. Besides, it really isn’t his business.”

“He feels possessive over you nonetheless. However it may be amusing if he does learn of this.”

“I thought you wanted to avoid troublesome situations?” She chuckled. 

“I suppose the proper word for it would be bullying.”

“Laito being bullied by you,” she was now laughing. “Now that would be a sight.”

“It sounds like you are not opposed to it,” he grinned. 

“You can tell whoever you want,” she grinned back. “I won’t stop you.”

Reiji suddenly stopped walking. 

“The dresses in this area would all be suitable. Are there any that catch your eye?”

Sayo looked around at the dresses on display. They were all beautiful. She couldn’t even picture herself in any of them. Each time she thought one might be better than another, she second guessed herself. 

Reiji was a bit amused. As he watched her, he could easily pick up on the conflict going through her mind. So he really would have to assist. 

“What about a color?” he prompted after a moment. 

“A color?” She was grateful to him for stepping in. “Purple.”

“Purple, is it…?” he looked around the display. 

He settled on a few that might look the best on her. Sayo followed after him as he headed over to the lady who tried to help earlier. Haruna had stayed close by in case they changed their minds. 

“We would like your assistance. I have chosen a few options for her and would like to see them on.”

Sayo couldn’t help but blush at his choice of words. Who knew what Haruna was thinking about their relationship, and Sayo really didn’t want to know in the first place. 

“Of course! Please show me which ones!”

Reiji went around to the three options he decided on. Haruna wrote down each one on a notepad before leading them back to the fitting rooms. 

“I’ll bring them out to you, okay?” Haruna smiled at Sayo. “What size will you need?”

Considering she had never worn a fancy dress, she could only guess, but hopefully they would fit fine. 

“I took into account your color choice, of course, but I was specifically looking for the quality of the dress and how suitable I thought it would be for you,” Reiji explained his thought process while Haruna was gone. 

“I’m glad I have you here to help,” she smiled. “All of those choices are overwhelming. I don’t know how people pick just one.”

“I’m sure many women wouldn’t limit themselves to just one. I am not opposed to buying you more if you cannot decide. You will have other opportunities to wear them.”

“I’ll be fine with just one,” she shook her head. “You’re already going out of your way for me. It would be ungrateful to ask for more.”

“Unlike my brothers you are very considerate of others,” he smiled. “Sometimes being around you is a breath of fresh air.”

“Only sometimes, huh?” she teased. 

“You both amuse and frustrate me at times. There are moments when I wish you would act more dignified, however it is never bad enough for me to give in to the urge to punish and re-educate you,” he explained. “I get along with you much better than expected.”

She didn’t want to think about what sort of punishments he was thinking about. 

“That’s…a bit concerning…” she chuckled awkwardly. “But I’m glad that you agree we get along.”

“I have brought those dresses for you,” Haruna said as she walked up to them, interrupting the conversation.

She walked over to the fitting room across from the couch Reiji was sitting on, carefully hanging the dresses inside. 

 “Please, feel free to use this dressing room. If you need any assistance, I will be at the desk.”

“Thank you,” Sayo smiled. 

Haruna trotted off to the nearby desk at the entrance of the dressing rooms, leaving Sayo and Reiji alone. 

“Any preference on which I try first?” Sayo asked. 

“No. Feel free to try them on in whichever order you like.”

She nodded before locking herself in the dressing room. The dresses were all beautiful. Each shade of purple wasn’t bright or flashy. She wasn’t sure if Reiji knew she preferred that.

“Do you want me to show you…?” She called after she had the first one on. 

���You may. Or you can leave what it looks like on as a surprise until the ball,” he replied. 

She decided to leave it as a surprise, partially because it would be embarrassing to put on a fashion show for Reiji. In the end, she settled on a sleeveless dress paired with a black, sheer shawl. It was bold for her but she couldn’t deny it looked the best on. 

“This one, is it?” He was amused when he saw her choice, considering he also knew it was on the bold side for her. 

“Y-Yes…” her cheeks flushed pink. 

“Very well. Shall we?”

She nodded, following him to the register. 

“Shall we find something to eat while we are out? I assume you are hungry?” Reiji asked when they left the dress shop. 

“That sounds nice,” she smiled. 

And so, the two found a nice restaurant before heading back to the mansion. 

The ball happened that next week. Sayo felt like a fish out of water. She had never attended such a fancy gathering before. She steered clear of Karlheinz even though he tried to approach her, so she didn’t have to deal with even more annoyances. It was bad enough that Laito was pestering her to dance. She didn’t know how to, so that would only end in disaster. Eventually, she retreated to the safety of the deserted balcony, where hopefully nobody would bother her. She would just hide away until the ball was over. 

“Why are you standing out here? There is a perfectly good ball going on inside.”

She turned to see Reiji walking towards her. It had been some time since she had retreated outside. 

“I know…it just feels awkward. I’m not used to this sort of thing.”

“Isn’t that why you should be inside? You will never get over those feelings if you do not push yourself.”

“I guess so…” she sighed. “I’ll go back inside…once I hype myself up, I guess.”

He found her demeanor a bit amusing. “I suppose I will stay with you until you do.”

The two continued to talk on the balcony for a few minutes. 

“Why aren’t you dancing, Reiji?” Sayo asked. “I’m sure there are plenty of girls who would like the chance to.”

“I have no interest in dancing with any of those girls. If there was someone I wanted to dance with, I would ask them myself.”

“I’m not surprised,” she chuckled. “Who do you have your eye set on?”

He suddenly held his hand out for her. She stared in surprise. Was he really trying to say she was the one he wanted to dance with? Is that why he came looking for her? 

“It is impolite to make someone wait so long.”

“S-Sorry…” her cheeks flushed red. “There’s just one problem.”

“And that is?”

“I…never learned how to dance,” she admitted. “I don’t want to make you look like a fool for dancing with me.”

“That does not surprise me. I assumed you did not know how. I am asking anyway.”

He held out his hand for her again. “All you have to do is follow my lead. Watch me and no one else.”

“O-Okay…” her blush darkened as she took his hand, placing the other on his shoulder. “Like this?”

“Exactly,” he placed his on her waist. “Now just let me lead you.”

She was unsteady at first, but she did get the hang of it faster than Reiji expected. He had to admit, he was pleased that she was completely focused on him. And once she got past the uncertainty, she was clearly enjoying herself. 

“You look beautiful in that dress,” he said as they danced. 

“Thank you…” she smiled, her cheeks pink. “You were the one who chose it. Of course it would be beautiful.”

“That may be true, but a dress's beauty is heightened or diminished by the woman wearing it. In this case, it is heightened.”

“S-Smooth talker…” she muttered, trying to hide the fact she was getting more flustered. 

He chuckled, but said nothing else.

Meanwhile, Yui was inside with Ayato and Laito. As she was glancing around, looking for Sayo, who had been missing for sometime, she spotted what was happening on the balcony.

“Is that…Reiji outside with Sayo?” Yui muttered, mostly to herself than anyone else. 

“Bet they’re talkin’ about something boring,” Ayato replied. “Leave them be.”

“No, I mean they’re dancing.”

Laito and Ayato followed her gaze. Sure enough, Sayo was dancing with Reiji. She looked completely engrossed in him. 

“Tch…” Laito glared in their direction. 

Sayo has refused to dance with him earlier. Why was she dancing with Reiji? 

“How did four eyes convince her to dance with him?” Ayato couldn’t comprehend it, considering he witnessed her cold rejection of Laito. 

“Well…don’t they get along really well?” Yui pointed out. “Is it that surprising?”

Laito stormed off before anyone could say anything else. The two watched him go, knowing they wouldn’t be able to offer any support right now. They would only make his mood worse if they tried. 

“Thanks for tonight, Reiji,” Sayo smiled. “I actually had fun.”

It was the end of the ball. The two were back at the mansion. Reiji had stuck with Sayo for the rest of the night so that she felt more comfortable. He also secretly enjoyed the jealous looks he received from Laito on occasion. He had decided to walk her back to her room to end the night properly. 

“You are welcome. I am glad you enjoyed it. I usually only tolerate these events, but I will admit that it was more enjoyable than usual.”

“I’m glad,” she chuckled. “Well, goodnight, Reiji.”

“Goodnight, Sayo.”

He leaned down, placing a kiss on her cheek before turning and walking away. She could only stare at his retreating form with flushed cheeks for a moment as she tried to process what just happened. But eventually she rapidly shook her head to get a hold of herself before entering her room. 

“What was that…?” She muttered, brushing her fingers against where he had kissed her.

Image made in Picrew

[hummingbird-of-light]

Against All Odds

Part 651

McCoy

McCoy had a good time sitting around with Christine and Uhura, even if his aching muscles were throbbing at him the whole time. He hadn’t had the time to just sit and talk with them yet. Both girls had very fun winter breaks it sounded like. But eventually he began to get up. He’d promised Scotty they’d rest and read after band practice.

Keeping a grimace from his face as he moved, Uhura touched his arm gently.

“She’s been glaring daggers at your back this whole time,” Uhura said softly. “Your side is true, isn’t it?”

McCoy felt a hint of warmth on his face. He glanced at Christine.

“Yes,” he said. “Hers is all lies.”

He was grateful to stretch out on his bed a few minutes later. He was probably due for another couple pain pills, but he really didn’t want to get back up yet. He could always ask Scotty to grab them when he came in.

McCoy still felt bad that he hadn’t noticed how tired Scotty was. He’d make it up to him when he came in.

He didn’t have long to wait. Scotty entered the room just moments later. McCoy couldn’t wait for Scotty to curl up with him. He’d help his fiancé relax, read quietly to him and then just hold him close while Scotty slept.

But when Scotty continued to look nervous and then said the nurse was coming up, McCoy felt a wave of anger rise in him. Before he could say much there was a knock.

“No,” he said coldly. Scotty looked hurt at his tone, but still went to answer the door.

“You didn’t quite tell me what the injury was Scotty,” Ms. Ryan said, entering the room, “so I wasn’t quite sure what I might need.” Both her hands carried cases. “Hello Leonard,” she greeted him pleasantly.

“Hello,” he said automatically.

“Is here ok?” she asked, gesturing at the other bed.

“Yes,” Scotty managed behind her. She set down her cases, then turned back to McCoy.

“Now Scotty says you’re injured. So why don’t you show me where and we can get this taken care of.” Ms. Ryan was no nonsense, so was McCoy imagining the slight flush on her face as she spoke?

“I’m fine,” McCoy said stubbornly.

“Len—”

“Leonard, it’s- it’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” Ms. Ryan said. Ok, he hadn’t imagined the color on her face. What had Scotty told her? McCoy kept his puzzlement to himself.

“It’s just below his ribs,” Scotty volunteered.

“Ok,” Ms. Ryan said, looking over her shoulder at Scotty, then back to McCoy. “Shirt off then please.”

McCoy glared at Scotty as he slowly began to pull off his shirt. He couldn’t believe Scotty had gone behind his back like this.

“Oh my,” Ms. Ryan said as the dark purple bruise made its appearance. “You were right to get me. Please lie back down, Leonard.” The nurse turned back to pull on a thin pair of gloves and grab her tricorder off the other bed.

Scotty took a hesitant couple steps closer. McCoy gave him another angry look, then turned his face away.

Ms. Ryan waved the tricorder slowly over the injury. Her eyes widened, but she quickly made her expression neutral again. Setting the device aside, she looked at McCoy.

“May I?”

“Fine.” McCoy didn’t keep the annoyance from his voice.

Ms. Ryan’s finger gently probed at the bruise. McCoy couldn’t hold in a gasp of pain.

“Right there Leonard?” Ms. Ryan asked. He gave a brief nod. “You have a cracked rib. What have you been doing for pain?”

He pointed at the bottle on the nightstand. The nurse let out a sigh and went back to her cases.

“You should have come to me when it happened.” The flush crossed her face again. “You’ve been in pain you didn’t need to be. I can have it all fixed like new in ten minutes.”

“No.” The word was out of his mouth and he was struggling to sit back up.

“What?” “Len!”

Scotty and Ms. Ryan were looking at him in surprise.

“It’s a cracked rib Len! Let her fix it.” Scotty was looking at him in disbelief.

“I can’t leave you like this Leonard,” Ms. Ryan said firmly.

McCoy clenched his fists, and pressed his teeth tight.

“Fine,” he said angrily. “But the rib only. You can do just that, right?”

“Well, yes, but it would be silly to not heal the bruise too.” Ms. Ryan was still looking at him in surprise.

“Rib only.” Carefully he lay back down. Quickly the nurse set up her device and got it over him.

Ten minutes passed tensely in silence. McCoy wouldn’t look at either. He turned his head away and closed his eyes. Anger knotted his stomach, yet he couldn’t help wonder what Scotty had told Ms. Ryan.

A beep.

There was the sound of cases closing, and McCoy looked over.

“Try sitting up,” Ms. Ryan instructed him.

Cautiously, he moved. Nothing hurt except the ache of the bruise. He took a deep breath. No pain.

“Better?” Ms. Ryan asked with a smile.

“Yes,” he said grudgingly.

“Good! Ok. Well gentlemen,” Ms. Ryan picked up her cases, “next time, please be more careful.” The color climbed her face again. What had Scotty told her? He saw her swallow. “After all, safe sex isn’t just about using protection.”

McCoy blinked in surprise, and felt his face heat. He saw Scotty’s face turning equally red.

“Thanks, of course,” Scotty mumbled as he opened the door, then closed it behind her.

McCoy stared across the room with wide eyes. “What did you tell her happened?!”

Part 652

Scotty

Scotty was very glad that Ms. Ryan had checked on Leonard. He didn't even want to imagine what could have happened with a cracked rip. It could have punctured the lung or other important organs! Leonard could have been hurt even more than he already was.

The Scotsman still couldn't shake off the feeling of annoyance when he thought about how grumpy his fiancé had been, not even thanking the nurse. And how stupid he was! How could he not have Ms. Ryan treat all of his injuries? How could one boy be so stubborn?!

Leonard still glared at Scotty from across the room, but he also looked confused. He was wondering what story the Scotsman had told Ms. Ryan. So Scotty finally chose to enlighten him.

"I... said that it was an accident. In bed. While... making love."

He didn't think that his cheeks could blush even more, but apparently it was possible. And he saw the same expression mirrored on Leonard's face.

Eventually, the prince ran a hand through his hair and groaned.

"Oh my gosh... that's... I can't believe it!"

Scotty could tell that Leonard was still angry at him, but he seemed glad that Ms. Ryan didn't know what really had happened.

"I'm sorry about going behind yer back, Len. But I'm not sorry about Ms. Ryan helping ye. Ye *needed* to be treated."

Slowly, Leonard's hand dropped aside and he looked at his fiancé again. It was hard to read his expression this time.

Scotty straightened his back, looking more confident.

"Forgive me or don't forgive me, I know that I did what's right."

They just looked at each other for a long moment, before Leonard finally shrugged, staring at the ground.

"If you say so..." he grumbled quietly and Scotty let out a heavy sigh.

Why couldn't Leonard just admit that the Scotsman was right? Was it so hard to say that he had been wrong?

"And now I need some sleep. After all, I didn't get an eye closed last night."

Instead of joining Leonard, Scotty walked over to his own bed. He took off his shoes and lay down, facing the wall.

If Leonard was offended, he might as well be.

He closed his eyes, forcing himself to relax, even though he knew that he wouldn't be successful.

When he heard the sound of footsteps, one eye opened slightly, but he didn't turn around.

A moment later, arms wrapped around him from behind and a hand ran through his hair.

"Listen Scotty, I..."

There was a long pause. Apparently Leonard didn't manage to force the words to leave his mouth.

"I'm... sorry. I... I needed help. And I didn't want it, because I was too stubborn. And I made you worry."

Scotty felt tears in his eyes as he remembered the fear of the last night. And the images he had seen whenever he had closed his eyes.

Slowly, he turned around in Leonard's arms to look at his love.

There was an apologetic look on the prince's face as he placed a hand on Scotty's cheek and stroked it gently.

"It's okay. I just don't understand it. Why didn't ye let Ms. Ryan heal the injury completely?"

Leonard let out a sigh as he snuggled a wee bit closer.

"Pete and the others can't know. They can't know that I told someone about my injuries or else they think that I used my title and my position."

Scotty narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"That's nonsense, mo ghràdh! Everyone would have asked for help. And everyone would have been treated in the same way."

But Leonard didn't seem to believe it. Furthermore, it seemed like he wanted to keep the bruises to prove something. He wanted to prove that he was strong. Which wasn't necessary at all.

"Ye don't have to prove anything..."

[aeoneri]

[Tacones Rojos] Chapter 15: Levitating

Summary:

ACT II: GABRIELA – Gabriela takes the plunge and connects with her mysterious admirer at the bar.

– The theme song for this chapter: Levitating by Dua Lipa

+👠👠👠+

“This is stupid.” Gabriela muttered to herself, trying hard not to fidget in the far corner of the room. The bar was packed again tonight, and while she was (strangely) elated to see the mystery man by his usual spot, she also knew the inevitable was coming.

She was thankful for the crowd that they blocked her from his view but provided a safe space for her to snoop. 

“That’s the nerves talking.” Carmencita giggled while discreetly handing Gabriela a drink. “To be fair, I would be tongue tied in the presence of a man as good-looking as that.”

The two ladies took a moment to observe the man whom José was busy serving. His hair was neatly styled back, and he had on a simple, deep green button up. The muted lighting by the counter highlighted his features, and it was obvious that anyone with two eyes would notice him immediately.

He was very good looking indeed, and it made Gabriela even more nervous.

“Don’t let Javier hear you, he’d get jealous.” Gabriela teased, deflecting her own embarrassment towards her companion. She hid her face behind the glass, trying (and unfortunately failing) to tame her flamed cheeks. Ávila was out of town on business, so José elected Carmencita, the only female staff working tonight, to accompany Gabriela instead. Gabriela was more than grateful for the company — while she wouldn’t mind getting close and personal with strangers, someone whom she already knew (and became fast friends with after a few nights hanging around the bar) made it easier to let herself loose.

Sometimes Ávila’s eagerness scared Gabriela to bits.

“What?” Carmencita instinctively tucked her hair behind her ears. “What are you saying?”

“I just noticed that ever since you changed out of uniform, he’s been hanging around watching us both.”

Right on cue, Javier looked their way and winked. Gabriela had to hold herself from laughing when Carmencita turned pink. “Nevermind that!” She huffed. “He’s just doing his job, which, by the way, includes making sure the patrons are having a good time. And, also, tonight isn’t about me. It’s about you. When are you going to talk to that mystery man?”

There was no way for Gabriela to escape the fact of what she was supposed to do. “I don’t know.” She gulped thickly. “What am I going to do? What am I going to say?”

“Really lost some of your touch, I see.”

Both ladies turned in surprise and Carmencita almost smacked Javier square in the jaw. “Woah, Karma.” He mumbled, grateful to have dodged the attack. “Almost knocked me out there.”

“Why does everyone think it’s a good idea to pop out of nowhere and give me a fright tonight?” Gabriela groaned, just as Carmencita leered at Javier. “I’ve got this, Javier.” Carmencita hissed. “And how many times do I have to tell you to call me Carmen instead of some weird nickname?”

“But I like Karma. It’s fun.”

“Okay, lovebirds. I’m going to need a drink if this keeps up.” Gabriela ignored the strange tension between them and downed the contents of the glass she had in her hands.

“We’re not lovebirds!”

“Not yet anyway.”

Carmencita smacked Javier on the arm, making him wince. Gabriela just shook her head and swirled a finger around the rim of her empty drink. “As I was supposed to say, what do you mean I lost my touch, Javier? I am really at a loss here. I haven’t tried introducing myself to another guy since my ex and I…nevermind.”

“You used exude confidence. Appeal.” Javier stroked his chin, contemplative. “I know! We need…La Diosa.”

Gabriela had to resist the urge to strangle Javier. If she had a peso for every single time someone brought up that moniker, Gabriela would probably be rich. La Diosa was only part of her true personality, a mask of some sort.

Sometimes the persona becomes bigger than the person itself.

“I think the mood here isn’t right.”Javier’s eyes sparkled with untamed mischief, and Gabriela wondered if he and Ávila were related in some way. They both had the same devious look when they were about to cause some mayhem. ”We need something to bring her back to life.”

“What are you planning?” Carmencita’s eyes narrowed as she scrutinized Javier. “You better not do anything stupid.”

“Trust me, it isn’t. Just leave it to me and keep doing what you guys are already doing, and I��ll take care of the rest. José didn’t make me his second-in-command for nothing.” Javier flashed a bright smile at Carmencita. “And dare I say, you look lovely in that dress. Makes me want to take you out to dinner sometime.”

“What?” Carmencita gasped before Javier left them and made his way towards the DJ’s booth. She rolled her eyes when she noticed Gabriela with a cheeky grin. “What’s with that look?”

“Now I’m even more curious than ever.”

“Shut it.”

The chill music suddenly changed into a reggaeton mix that completely changed the atmosphere. The crowd hollered, signaling that the party was on, and some started to fill up the dance floor. Gabriela couldn’t help but hold herself to contain the laughter bubbling up her throat, realizing what Javier was doing.

Of course.

She had been moping for god knows how long that she’d almost forgotten what she lived for. And maybe, the intervention helped, because that was the moment something magical happened.

Gabriela felt the music move her, and just as she turned her head to look at the bar, she realized the man had been staring, in awe of her presence that she found herself beaming. 

It’s now or never.

“Carmen?”

“Yes?”

“Go have some fun with Javier. I’m going to go for it.”

…

If he was good-looking from afar, he was certainly stunning up close. Gabriela found it amusing that he pretended not to notice her, though there was obviously a faint pink blush on his cheeks. She knew José must have whipped out the bar’s signature drink, fresh out of his secret vault that was a surefire way to get someone talking.

After all, it was what got Ávila to go out with him in the first place.

Gabriela noticed José’s mouth twitching into an upward smirk out of the corner of her eye, and she resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him. 

She would make him dance. Her competitive nature wouldn’t let her lose this bet.

“I’ve noticed you’ve been checking me out.” She started with the first thought that popped into her head. It seemed to get her mystery man’s attention, because he immediately stiffened. “José tells me you’re here almost every night. You sometimes go big or go home and it’s interesting, to say the least. Why is that?”

He sat there with his back turned to her, stunned. “José?” He asked, confused for a moment before he managed to find the courage to face her. 

She could’ve sworn his eyes glowed green, or maybe it was the light. She fought hard not to swoon. “Oh, yes, José’s the bartender. Good man. Did you know this bar was a gamble?”

“Hm.”

He seemed to be at a loss for words. Gabriela could feel the heat of his gaze on her, making it difficult to concentrate. She somehow felt vulnerable, and he had not even attempted to make a move yet. Her racing heart threatened to leap out of her chest. “He thought it wouldn’t last very long, but I told him that he’s too much of a genius for it to fail…um, excuse me, my eyes are up here.”

Humor seemed to do the trick. “Ah, lo siento, I didn’t mean to…” His eyes that had been admiring her heels met hers once again, and he panicked.

Gabriela immediately liked him after seeing his reaction.

“I’m just messing with you!” She cracked up, her shoulders shaking. “But, I’ve got to ask, why are you here every night? You’re not some raging alcoholic, are you?”

“Me? No, no.” He waved a hand, stumbling over a few of his words, just as nervous as she was. “I’m sorry. I hope I don’t sound like a creep, but I’ve seen you dance before and I was immediately smitten with you.”

“Sounds like something a creep would say. Is that your pickup line?”

“Was that a terrible one? Sorry, should I go back out and head in again?”

“You’re funny. I like you.”

“Thanks, I try. ¿Me das tu número?”

“Hm, I don’t know. I don’t hand it out to every cute guy that looks my way…but maybe, if you buy me a drink, I’ll reconsider?”

…

They had spent the first half of the night talking. Gabriela still kept her guard up, but she knew she was well and truly floored by him as he told her stories from his childhood. Talking to him felt easy, like they had known each other for a long time, and she was just catching up with an old friend.

“And then, our Mamá screamed in horror when she realized what had happened to my hair. I think we were banned from the kitchen shortly thereafter, and I had to rock a bald head for the rest of the summer. The other neighborhood kids called me egg head for weeks. It sucked!”

“I can’t imagine what young you looked like, but as an adult you could possibly pull it off!”

“Not a chance!”

She was enjoying this moment, and while José’s bet remained at the back of her mind, Gabriela found herself wanting to know more about this man who made her laugh so hard that she almost doubled over, twice.

“So, Mojitos, huh?” He asked animatedly as their laughter died down. “Let me guess. You travel a lot, have a tattoo or two, and like being mysterious?”

Gabriela almost spat out her drink. “Do you judge people’s drink orders for a living?”

“Not really.” The way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled made her wonder if he was fucking with her. “Am I correct?”

She decided to go along with it. “How would you know that?” Gabriela playfully tapped him on the shoulder, and she noticed him melt under her touch. “Amazing. I am indeed an avid traveler, and I do have tattoos.”

He whistled in appreciation as she showed off the small tattoo on her wrist. She had gotten it when she was in college, to remind herself what she wanted out of her life. The memory was so long ago, but to Gabriela, it was like she was eighteen all over again. 

“That’s just one tattoo, though.” He pointed out. “You said, ‘tattoos’.”

“It’s a surprise where my other tattoo is. I have two.” Gabriela felt her cheeks heat up at the prospect of something else, but she shooed the thought away. “Anyway, my turn to guess. Are you…a coffee snob?”

“Me?" He sputtered, looking abashed at the comment. "I’m not even drinking coffee right now. What would make you say that?”

“Oh, you’ve got a reputation here. I’ve heard you only ever order Carajillos…that, or you’d take the whole bottle of Amarillo and slam it down.” Gabriela quoted. She didn’t even know if the last part was true, though she doubted her friends would lie about something unbelievable like that. José had ethics, but he also loved seeing mess sometimes. “So, maybe not a coffee snob…you’re a full-on hipster!”

“I’m not a hipster! I…I just happen to appreciate a good cup of coffee, and when I want to get blackout drunk, the traditional is the way to go! At least, that’s how we did it back in my hometown.”

“Oh, you’re from the countryside, are you?”

“I am, but enough about me. What about you? Besides the wanderlust and the ink and the way you’re making me curious, wondering if you’re flirting with me, what do you drink when you want to party?”

Gabriela was caught off guard, but when she thought about it hard, he had been flirting with her, and she reciprocated it back.

I don’t need love right now…but a distraction would be nice. But what if?

"Is it not yet that obvious? I’m flirting with you alright.”

That left him speechless.

“I don’t drink often, but tequila all the way.” Gabriela continued. “Then, of course, I follow it up with some dancing!”

As the music blasted all around them, Gabriela had a feeling that she couldn't explain. When was the last time I had this much fun? Ever since she called it quits and fell off the face of the earth, Gabriela had locked herself up in her own prison filled with self-loathing over something that wasn’t her fault to begin with. Javier had been right. Ávila and the rest of them as well. Gabriela had lost her touch, forgotten who she was to her core — an unstoppable force.

La Diosa might only be the side most people saw, but she had been fighting her battles in silence for just as long.

She wasn’t ready to love just yet, and maybe she didn’t want it at the moment, but for the first time in a long while, Gabriela wanted to know where her night with this beautiful and charismatic man would end.

With José’s bet truly forgotten, she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the dance floor.

+👠👠👠+

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