#i gotta finish the farm one so i have something to show my mom though ..

[uumumuu]

I paused my farmland painting to do an interesting color study that I definitely learned a lot from but kind of dont like anymore 😅 oh well I think I'll still throw it up tonight or tomorrow when I can get a pic or scan !

Then I gotta make myself finish the farm piece OR the also very practice-y fanart I also have going on...

[fuckallthegood0nesweretaken]

New World CH. Six

Title: Fallen Home

Words: 3410

Warnings: Strong language, character death (major and minor), canon-typical violence, kissing

A/N: If you’d like to request something, send me an ask. I’d love to write for you!

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Previous Chapter - Next Chapter

Daryl Dixon Masterlist

The Walking Dead Masterlist

Masterlist

~~~~~~~

When it had gotten dark, you, Daryl, Shane, and Rick had taken Randall to the barn. You were holding the lantern and Daryl held Randall by the arm. He was trying to get you to stop, but none of you listened. Rick opened the doors to the barn and you all walked in.

 “Put him there,” Rick said, pointing to the middle of the barn. You set the lantern down and leaned against a post, arms crossed.

 “It’ll all be over soon,” Shane said quietly. He put a blindfold over Randall’s eyes and Rick went to stand in front of him.

 “What’s gonna be over soon?” Randall asked.

 “Just relax.”

 Rick went to check his gun and when Randall started crying, he looked up.

 “Would you like to stand or kneel?” Rick asked.

 “Oh no, please,” Randall cried. Rolling your eyes, you pushed yourself away from the pole and shoved him to his knees. Grabbing his hair, you made him look forward.

 “Shut up,” you muttered. He kept sobbing, but you didn’t care. When he was gone, the threat of something happening to your family goes away too. Rick made eye contact with you and you nodded, Shane and Daryl doing the same.

 “Do you have any final words?”

 “No. Please,” Randall begged. “Please don’t. Don’t.”

 Rick stayed silent and raised his gun. Pointing it at Randall and cocking it, he was just about to shoot when Carl appeared.

 “Do it, dad. Do it,” he said. Your head whipped to the doors and you looked at Rick. Shane let out an angry breath and walked to Carl, taking his arm and leading him outside.

 “You kidding me? What did I say to you?” Shane said to Carl. “What did I say?”

 Rick took his gun away from Randall’s head. “Take him away.”

 Daryl looked at Rick before picking him up. You took the lantern and the two of you led him back to the shed. Daryl tied him back up as you watched.

 “I don’t know if he’ll kill him now,” you said after he was restrained and the door locked. “Why did Carl show up? We told him to stay with his mom.”

 “I think he just wants ta be involved,” Daryl said.

 “Maybe, but he’s just a kid. He shouldn’t have to see all of this. I was talking to Dean and I think he and Beth are being desensitized to everything. I’m gonna have to keep a closer eye on him. What if one of the girls had followed him and he didn’t notice?”

 Daryl didn’t say anything, but he pulled you in for a kiss. Once his lips touched yours, you could feel your worries wash away. Letting out a soft sigh, you kissed back gently and put your arms around him. It wasn’t a long kiss, but it was soft and gentle. Exactly what you needed in that moment.

 “I’d love to keep kissing you, but I’d like it if we took it away from where Randall is,” you murmured, lips brushing Daryl’s. He chuckled and pulled away, taking your hand.

 “Are ya tellin’ me that ya want ta go somewhere else?” Daryl said lowly.

 “Only if you wanna.”

 Daryl looked you up and down before licking his lips. The action made your cheeks heat up and Daryl tugged you close to him before attaching himself to your neck. You whimpered, fire coursing from your neck down to your belly. He was focusing on one spot; kissing, biting, and sucking. You were clinging to his jacket and Daryl started walking you backwards until your back hit the shed with a thud.

 “D-Daryl,” you cried when he pulled back. He kissed your lips again, and grabbed your waist.

 “Hope ya don’t mind a mark,” Daryl said cheekily.

 “I certainly don’t.” Your eyes were hooded and you had forgotten where you were. Going back in for another kiss, a scream pierced through the air.

 “Oh my god.” You and Daryl ran towards the screams. Your gun was drawn and Daryl had his knife in his hand.

 “T-Dog, grab a shotgun!” You heard Sam say.

 The screams got louder and you saw Dale on the ground, a walker on top of him. Daryl was faster and got to him first, tackling the walker to the ground before plunging his knife into its head. You slid next to Dale and looked up to see if there were any more of them around.

 “Help! Over here!” Daryl yelled, waving his arms around. “Help! Run!”

 “Come on, Dale. Stay with me,” you said. “You’re gonna be alright.”

 “Hang in there, buddy,” Daryl said.

 “Who is it?” Dean asked. Everyone came at the same time and Rick knelt down by Dale’s head.

 “Oh my god,” Shane said. Lori had Carl and Glenn had Adeline in his arms.

 Adeline screamed and you gathered her up, pushing her face into your shoulder. Rubbing her back, you tried to calm her down.

 “Listen to my voice,” Rick said. “You’re gonna be okay. Get Hershel! He needs blood, we gotta operate right now!”

 “Hang on, Dale.” Andrea had fallen to her knees and took Rick’s place next to Dale’s head. Everyone was either yelling or freaking out and you only looked up when you heard Hershel.

 “What happened?” He asked.

 “What can we do? Can we move him?” Dean asked.

 “He won’t make the trip,” Hershel said.

 “You have to do the operation here. Glenn, get back to the house!” Rick yelled.

 “Rick!” Rick looked at Hershel and when he shook his head, Rick spun around.

 “No!” He shouted. You were holding back tears and when you felt Daryl put his hand on your back, you threw yourself into his arms. You could hear some of the others sobbing and you clung tighter to Daryl as Adeline started crying louder.

 “He’s suffering,” Andrea said through her tears. “Do something!”

 You looked up and saw Rick pulling out his gun. He pointed it at Dale’s head but didn’t pull the trigger. That’s when Daryl gently pulled himself away from you and your daughter, taking the gun from Rick. Kneeling down, he cocked the gun.

 “Sorry, brother,” he said before pulling the trigger.

 ---

 You didn’t get much sleep that night, Dale’s screams echoing in your head, his ripped open chest flashing beneath your eyelids whenever you closed them. So you helped dig his grave and decorate it with stones. Daryl and Rick were the ones to bring his body over before you and your brothers helped cover him with dirt. The funeral was held at sunrise and even though Rick was talking, all you heard was mumbles. The air was crisp, but you didn’t feel the cold. All you felt was numb.

 After the funeral, you helped pack up everyone’s belongings to be moved into the house. You didn’t have much yourself, but since Lori was pregnant you did all the heavy lifting for her. Bringing some stuff into the house, you walked back outside with T-Dog to find her lifting something too heavy.

 “Whoa. Don’t-Don’t strain yourself,” T-Dog said.

 “You know you shouldn’t be lifting that,” you chided softly.

 “Thank you,” she said. “My family and I are taking the corner of the living room.”

 “You can put that in my room,” Hershel said to T-Dog. To Lori he said, “You’ll be more comfortable there.”

 “We can’t do that.”

 “A pregnant woman sleeping on the floor while I’ve got a bed to myself?”

 “This is still your house.”

 “It’s our home. I’ll take the couch downstairs. I’m very well acquainted with it.”

 “Thank you, Hershel,” you said. “I’ll take the last bin up.”

 “Thank you.” Lori smiled at you and you walked upstairs.

 As you took a look at the room, you set the bin on the bed. You were about to leave when Lori showed up.

 “Well this is cozy,” she said.

 “It looks comfortable, that’s for sure.”

 “Thanks for helping me bring this up.”

 “It was no problem,” you said. “I’ll leave you to unpack.”

 You walked around Lori and down the stairs. Setting up yours and Adeline’s blankets and sleeping bags in a corner, you jumped when Daryl dropped a bag next to you.

 “Ya don’t mind me stayin’ with ya, right?” He asked. There was nervousness in his voice and you smiled.

 “Of course I don’t.” You saw him visibly relax and he touched your cheek gently.

 “Gotta go plan with Rick and Sam. I’ll be back later.”

 “Alright.”

 After you set up your sleeping space, you helped Beth and Jimmy board up the windows. It was something mindless to do and it helped you clear your mind. When that was finished, you walked around the porch, always watching the horizon. You knew that there were better vantage points, but they were away from the house.

 It wasn’t long before Daryl and Rick were ready to go drop Randall off and when T-Dog went to go get him, you heard a shout.

 “What’s wrong?” You asked, running towards the shed.

 “Randall’s missing,” Daryl said. He looked to woods.

 “The cuffs are still hooked, he must’ve slipped ‘em,” Rick said.

 “Is that possible?” Carol asked.

 “If someone really wanted to, they would find a way,” you said.

 “The door was secured from the outside?” Sam asked.

 “Yes.”

 “Maybe he slipped through the rafters?”

 “Couldn’t have. I sealed those shut today,” Daryl said.

 “Rick! Rick!” Shane yelled. You turned around and saw Shane coming from the woods. Blood was all over his face and was dripping onto his chest.

 “Oh my god, are you okay?” Carol asked him.

 “He’s armed! He got my gun!” He said. “And I’m okay, little bastard just snuck up on me. Clocked me in the face.”

 “Alright, Hershel, T-Dog, get everybody back in the house. Glenn, Daryl, come with us.”

 “I’m coming too, Rick.” Rick looked at you like he wanted to argue, but you shot him down. “I can track just as well as Daryl, you need me.”

 “Alright.”

 “[Y/n], no. Stay here,” Dean said.

 “I’m the best tracker next to Daryl and you know it. I’m going.” You kissed both your brothers cheeks and checked your gun before securing it in its holster.

 “T, I’m gonna need that gun,” Shane said.

 “Just let him go. That was the plan, wasn’t it? To let him go?” Carol said as she hugged herself.

 “We were gonna let him go far away from the farm. Now he’s armed and in the forest. He’s to close,” you said.

 “Sam, make sure Adeline stays occupied. I don’t want her freaking out,” you said to him. He nodded and corralled Carl back into the house, Dean following reluctantly.

 “Get everybody back in the house. Lock all the doors and stay put!” Rick walked away and you followed closely behind.

 “I saw him head up through the trees that way before I blacked out,” Shane said. “Not sure how long.”

 “He couldn’t have gotten far,” Rick said.

 “He’s still slightly injured and exhausted. Don’t think he’s been gettin’ much sleep since he came here,” you said.

 “But he’s armed.”

 “So are we. Can you track him?” Rick asked you and Daryl.

 “No, I don’t see nothin’,” Daryl answered.

 “Yet. But we’ll find him.”

 “Hey look, there ain’t no use in tracking him. He went that way, gotta split up to cover more ground,” Shane said. “We just gotta chase him down. That’s it.”

 “Kid weighs a buck-twenty five soakin’ wet. Ya tryin’ ta tell us he got the jump on ya?” Daryl looked at Shane.

 “I’d say a rock pretty much evens those odds.”

 “Alright, knock it off. [Y/n] you go with Daryl and Glenn. Head up the right flank, see if you can find anything. Me and Shane’ll take the left. Remember that we’re not the only ones out here.”

 “Alright. Be careful, Rick.”

 “I will.” He gave your arm a pat and walked away with Shane.

 ---

 It had gotten dark quick but luckily Glenn had brought a flashlight. After about thirty minutes Daryl had had enough and led you back to where you started.

 “We’re just back to square one,” Glenn said.

 “If you’re gonna do a thing, ya might as well do it right,” Daryl said back.

 “It kind of bothered me that Shane said tracking wouldn’t matter,” you muttered. “Something’s wrong.”

 “There’s two sets of tracks right here.” You walked over to Daryl and looked at the ground. “Shane must’ve followed him a lot longer than he said.”

 “And there’s fresh blood on this tree.” Daryl shined the flashlight on the tree and you couldn’t help but think that it was the perfect height for Shane to hit his head.

 “More tracks here. Looks like they’re moving in tandem,” you said, shaking yourself mentally. Glenn followed Daryl and bumped into him. You could tell that he was nervous and you put a calming hand on his arm.

 “There was a little dust up right here.”

 “What do you mean?”

 “I mean somethin’ went down.”

 “This is getting weird,” Glenn said quietly.

 “That’s an understatement,” you quipped.

 “Looks like there was trouble here too.”

 Daryl shined the light on Randall’s blindfold and Glenn picked it up. Then a branch snapped and the three of you rushed to hide behind some trees. You kept your breathing steady and carefully looked back. You saw a walker and turned to Daryl. Signaling that it was just one, Daryl whistled softly to Glenn and threw him the flashlight.

 The noise of the walker got closer to where you were hiding and you readied your weapons. When it was basically on top of you, you got out of your hiding place and Glenn shined the light on his face. It was Randall. Glenn was surprised and before Randall could push him to the ground, you kicked Glenn away. In turn, that made you get tackled by Randall. Daryl shot at him, but missed slightly. The noise made Randall go after Daryl and before you could get to him, Daryl went down too. Glenn was closer and tackled Randall, knocking him off of Daryl. You rushed to help Daryl up and Glenn stabbed him in the head.

 “Nice,” Daryl said to Glenn, patting him. To you he said, “Ya alright?”

 “I’m fine. You good?” Daryl nodded and touched your cheek. Glenn took his knife out of Randall’s skull and stepped back towards you.

 “Doesn’t seem to be any bite marks,” you mused, looking over the body.

 “Wait, what?”

 “There’s no wounds other than his head. No other blood or scratch marks.”

 “His neck broke though,” Daryl said.

 “Are you sure?”

 “I’m tellin’ ya, he died from this.” Daryl gestured to his neck.

 “How’s that possible?”

 “It shouldn’t be.” You were frowning, but got up. “We should get back to the house. See if Rick and Shane are back.”

 Daryl grabbed his arrow from the tree and the three of you started walking. You heard a shot as you were walking back and you all picked up the pace, eager to get back to the farm. It didn’t take long to get back and Adeline was happy to see you.

 “Rick not back yet?” You asked Lori as you picked up your daughter.

 “You’re back first.” You frowned and looked outside.

 “We heard a shot,” Daryl said.

 “Maybe they found Randall?” Sam said.

 “We found Randall,” Daryl said. “He turned.”

 “The weird thing was that there were no bite marks, no scratches,” Glenn said. “His neck was broken and he died from that.”

 “Shane and Randall’s tracks were right on top of each other,” Daryl said. “And Shane ain’t no tracker. He didn’t come up behind him.”

 “They were together,” you said quietly.

 “Would you please get back out there and find Rick and Shane?” She asked Daryl. “Find out what on earth is goin’ on?”

 “Ya got it.”

 “Thank you.”

 “I’ll go too,” you said.

 “No mommy!” Ada said, clinging to your neck.

 “Alright. I won’t leave,” you said after a second. Adeline in your arms, you went outside. Spotting Daryl, you saw him staring out at the barn, Andrea, Dean, and T-Dog with him.

 “What’s wrong?” You asked before your voice died in your throat. Some of the others had joined you.

 “Kill the lights, Patricia,” Hershel said.

 “I’ll get the guns.” Andrea ran inside.

 “Maybe they’re just passing? Like on the highway? Should we go inside?” Glenn said hurriedly.

 “Not unless there’s a tunnel I don’t know about,” Daryl said back.

 “Herd this size will tear the house apart,” you said. “We either have to fight back or leave. Now.”

 “Carl’s gone,” Lori said, running outside.

 “What?” Dean said.

 “He’s supposed to be upstairs. I’m not leaving without my boy!”

 “We’re not,” Carol said. “We’re gonna look again and find him.”

 “Fuck!” You muttered. You watched the walkers converge at the barn and looked back when Andrea tried to hand you a gun.

 “Thanks.” You set down Adeline and grabbed the gun from Andrea, checking it quickly.

 “Ada, baby, you’re going to stay with Lori and Carol, okay? Wherever they go, you go with them.” Adeline nodded and Carol took Adeline inside.

 “It’ll be no use ta fight,” Daryl said.

 “You can go if you want.” Daryl looked at Hershel.

 “Ya gonna take ‘em all on?”

 “We have guns and cars,” Dean said. “We might have a fighting chance.”

 “Kill as many of them as we can. Use the cars to lead the rest off the farm,” you said, getting the gun ready.

 “You serious?”

 “This is my farm. I’ll die here.”

 “Alright. It’s as good a night as any.” Daryl hopped over the fence and you followed him.

 “I’ll ride with you. You drive and I’ll shoot,” you said.

 He nodded and you got on the bike behind him. Daryl drove up to the fence and you both started shooting at the walkers that got too close. Glenn and Maggie were in a car and Andrea and T-Dog were in another, your brothers in the Impala. The barn had gone up in flames and once there were too many walkers, Daryl drove to the RV where Jimmy was.

 “Maybe Rick and Shane set the fire. Go get ‘em!” Jimmy nodded and drove off. Daryl left again soon after and you kept shooting as he drove.

 “There’s too many of them!” You shouted. “Nothing’s gonna happen ‘cept us running out of ammo.”

 Despite that, you kept shooting until you were completely out.

 “I have nothing left! Drop me off at the house.”

 Daryl drove to the house and before you could leave, he kissed you fiercely. You kissed back and reluctantly pulled away, running to Lori and Adeline.

 “Still haven’t found Carl?” You asked. She shook her head and you ran into the house. Grabbing your pack and some of the girls things, you went back outside. “We gotta leave Lori. We can’t stay here.”

 “I can’t leave without Carl!”

 “You have to trust, Lori,” Carol said. You grabbed Adeline and Sophia while Carol went inside to get Beth and Patricia. The six of you started running and T-Dog and Andrea drove up. Patricia got swarmed and Lori pulled Beth away.

 “Get in!” Andrea yelled, getting out of the truck to shoot.

 “Get Carol!” Lori said to her as she got in. She, Ada, Sophia, and Beth sat in the front while you got into the bed.

 “Got a gun, T?” You asked. He handed you one and you started shooting. Looking at Andrea, you saw her fall and slammed your hand on the roof of the truck.

 “Go, T, go!” You screamed. He started driving away and you kept shooting at the walkers that got too close. After moving away from the farm, you heard fighting in the car. It was getting light out and you hit the roof.

 “What’s going on?” You said. Beth opened the window and you heard Lori talk about going to the highway.

 “She’s right, T-Dog. If anyone survived, they’ll be going there.” After another minute of fighting, Lori threatened to open the door and walk there herself.

 “You turn around or you let us out right now!”

 “You’re out of your damn mind!” He said. But he turned the car around and started going back to the highway. You let out a sigh of relief, sitting back and letting yourself relax slightly. Hopefully everyone else was there.

[vgckwb]

ML: Isolation Chapter 24: The Boy With The Silver Lining

The morning after the Louvre mission, Adrien woke up ecstatic. Not only did their seemingly ludicrous plan work, but today was the day he would ask Marinette out. While it only had the definitive label of “crush” since talking to Chloe two days ago, it was something that was taking shape.

Adrien got up and prepared for what he hoped would be a fantastic day. Once he was finished, he checked online to see the reaction to last night’s escapade. It was mostly the same shock and wonderment to this masked figure showing up and helping someone that Paris was slowly getting accustomed to. However, Adrien did note two things. One, while there was a response from Alix’s family thanking Cat Noir, Alix personally said nothing.

The other thing is what Alya wrote. “While I was not there personally, after looking through photos and whatever footage I could lay my hands on, this reporter has come to a stunning conclusion: The Cat Noir that appeared at the Louvre last night is not the same Cat Noir we have come to know. But why? And how did this Cat Noir know how to look and act?”

Adrien’s mouth was agape. He then chuckled slightly. “Well, I guess we really can’t get one passed Alya, huh.” He looked at the response to that to see that most people didn’t believe this claim, at least wholeheartedly. “Hmmm.” He wasn’t sure what that meant for him, his group, or Alya, but he didn’t think too much about it. He was a lot more focused on meeting with Marinette.

When Marinette woke up, she realized that today was the day that she had to confront Adrien about him hurting her feelings, albeit accidentally. She pinched herself. “Ow! Well, this is real. I guess I gotta.” She got out of bed and prepared herself. She walked downstairs. Since Saturdays were her going out to get inspiration days, her parents would make up her favorite breakfast because they knew how hard it was for her to go out at all. Marinette was surprised to see a note by the breakfast this particular morning.

She picked it up and began reading. “Hey sweetie, we know you’ve been hanging out with Adrien as well on Saturdays. We just wanted to wish you good luck. We know you like him, and we hope the best for you. -Mom and Dad”

Marinette smiled, blushed, then sat down and started eating her breakfast. Once she finished, she went back, picked up her disguise and the umbrella. Marinette looked at it. This was technically Adrien’s, but he gave it to her. Marinette smiled slightly. Right. I doubt Adrien would do anything terrible. But still… She grabbed it and headed out.

When Adrien headed down for breakfast, he noticed he was the only one of his family there. “Nathalie? Where are my parents?”

“They’re still tired from last night,” Nathalie explained dryly.

“What?” Adrien asked.

Nathalie smiled. “They’re just enjoying each other’s company this morning.”

“Oh. OK” Adrien said, still a bit confused. He ate his breakfast. “Well, I’m heading out then.”

Nathalie gave him a look. “You certainly have a spring in your step. I thought last night would have worn you out too.”

Adrien grinned. “Well, I’m meeting up with Marinette today.”

Nathalie responded with a smile of her own. “Of course. Well, have a good day.” Adrien nodded and left.

Adrien walked to the usual meeting place. He looked around, but there was no sign of Marinette. He grew worried. Thankfully, he was released from his worry when he got a message from Marinette. “I’m hidden. I need to talk with you in private.”

Adrien was confused, but went with it, since he also had something he wished to say. “OK, sure. Where are you?” Marinette gave him the location, under a local bridge, and Adrien made his way there. Once he arrived and saw Marinette, he said “Hey Marinette, what’s-”

“Adrien!” Marinette said, interrupting him and taking him by surprise. She loosened up a bit from her tight stance she took to interrupt him. “I...I need to tell you something.”

Adrien was confused and concerned, but could feel that what Marinette was about to say was important. “OK.”

Marinett sighed. “I know that you wouldn’t do this on purpose...but you hurt me…” Adrien was very surprised by that admission. “Last week, you told Kim and Ondine that we were dating, but then you told me that was a slip, an accident.” Marinette tightened her fists. “That hurt me.”

Marinette started farming tears in her eyes. “It hurt me because...because...I wanted it to be real. I wanted you to tell me that you were in love with me. Because I’m in love with you, and I wanted you to feel the same way. Because of Lila, I’ve dealt with so many fake emotions and bad faith dealings that I don’t want that; I can’t handle it. I need people to be honest with me.”

She looked Adrien in the eyes. “So please, whatever you feel, at least be honest with me. Whatever you want to do about Lila, whatever you want to do with me, that’s fine. I don’t think you’d betray me, or make fun of me, or anything like that. But I don’t want you to pretend you love me when you don’t.”

Adrien was stunned. Marinette just poured her soul out to him. He knew that couldn’t have been easy, especially since she outlined one of the big reasons why. Still, this only made him more confident to go forward with his plan. “OK Marinette,” he said, walking up to her. “No more pretending.” Marinette was concerned as Adrien inched closer. Once Adrien was close enough, he lifted Marinette’s head and kissed her.

Marinette was surprised. Her eyes were wide, and her face was as red as a strawberry. Even though she just got done saying she didn’t want Adrien to pretend, she didn’t stop the kiss because she was enjoying it, but was still overall confused. Once Adrien unlocked his lips from hers, she was befuddled. “Wha...Huh..wha?”

Adrine chuckled. “I’m not pretending, Marinette. I love you too.” Marinette was surprised. Adrien started to blush. “To be honest, it had to be spelled out for me. But me saying I was dating you was me letting my intentions slip out before I even knew them. But once I had begun accepting that that was the case, everything started to make sense.”

Marinette was flustered. She went on this tirade about how she didn’t want to be hurt, and yet Adrien kissed her and was telling her he loved her. In a panic, she spouted “You’re-You’re just saying that because I’m Ladybug! You were determined to find Ladybug, and that’s how you found me.”

Adrien didn’t stop smiling despite the accusation. “I can see why you might think that, but no.” Marinette was surprised by his immediate defense against that accusation. “I didn’t know who Ladybug was, I just knew I loved their work, and that the person behind it was something special. I admired them, but I barely knew a thing. For all I knew, Ladybug could have been 70 years old and on her third grandchild.

I wanted to meet Ladybug because I wanted to meet the person who could create such heartfelt designs. But when I met you, and realized it was you, things changed. Whenever we talked, hours felt like seconds. Whenever we hung out, it was as if the Earth stood still just for us. And whenever I was bored, or alone, my mind always drifted towards you, even in my dreams. Being Ladybug might have led me to you, but being with you led me to fall for you.”

Marinette was absolutely stunned. She had no idea such a confession was coming today. She was preparing for heartbreak when she decided that she needed to let Adrien know that she was hurt by his actions. She never expected that Adrien would love her back. She was the girl who was run out of school; The girl who lost everything; The girl who had to hide who she was. She never expected that someone could love that. But someone did. And they were right in front of her, and just kissed her.

Marinette, unable to keep her emotions inside, started bawling uncontrollably. Adrien opened his arms, and she buried her face and fists in his chest. Adrien wrapped his arms around her as she continued to let it all out.

Once Marinette finished crying, she backed up as Adrien loosened his hug, but still hung on. “Sorry” she said. Adrien was perplexed. “About your shirt.”

Adrien looked down to see that the area where Marinette’s head was resting was soaked. He smiled, giggled, and said “Oh, that’s nothing, don’t worry.” Marinette chuckled a bit. “So, are you feeling better?”

Marinette sniffed. “I think so.” She looked up at him. “Thanks.” They both blushed and averted their gaze.”So, does this mean…?”

“I’d like to think so…” Adrien answered. “If you don’t want-”

“NO!” Marinette said. “I...I really want this.”

Adrien smiled. “Well then, so do I.” They shared another kiss. After the kiss, they smiled. “So, do you still want to find some inspiration?”

Marinette shifted a little and said “Yeah.” They went back to their usual place and sat down. Marinette took out her sketchbook and began sketching. Adrien looked on, ever impressed with his new girlfriend, and even more impressed with his luck. He didn’t think things would end up like this, but they did.

They had their usual conversations, but now they were interrupted intermittently with quick smooches and blushing laughter. Truly, for the both of them, today had been magic.

[wonderful-writer]

23 - Time Goes On

Summary: Y/n and Bellamy adjust to a normal life in Arkadia, until an Ark tracking beacon is signaled in Azgeda territory and problems occur, along with the discovery that Clarke has been up to no good and now has a bounty on her head. 

Word Count: 7.43k

Warnings: Fighting (training), one mention of sex, alcohol, angst, etc. 

Based Off: 03x01, “Wanheda”

Author’s note: I honestly feel so proud of this chapter just because I got to write some nice moments between Bellamy and the reader, plus it’s the most I’ve ever written and took me so long to come up with everything that wasn’t canon-based. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I do! 

Feedback is always highly appreciated!

          2 weeks after Mount Weather

“You know Abby said you can’t walk without your crutches for another week, right?” Bellamy’s voice sounded from the doorway, catching you off guard as you stood up from your shared bed.

He laughed when you jumped at his voice, turning around to greet him as he leaned against the doorway. “Well, what the chancellor doesn’t know won’t hurt her, right?”

Your boyfriend rolled his eyes and sported a small smirk as he crossed his arms. “She gave me strict orders to tell you when you weren’t using your crutches, you know.”

“Oh, did she now?” You asked.

“Yes, she did.” His smirk fell when he noticed you losing your balance, quickly making his way to you, supporting you by the arms and guiding you back to bed as he got your crutches. “You won’t heal properly if you don’t use the crutches, then you won’t be able to train at all,”

“I know,” You said as you put the crutches under your arms and got back up. “But I should be out there with you, she’s basically my sister and I need to find her. I know she said she wanted space but…”

“But it’s not the same without her.” He finished, putting his hands on your upper arms. “I know, princess. But I did come to see you for a reason.”

“Not just because you love me and can’t go more than four hours without seeing me?” You joked, a playful smirk crossing your lips.

Bellamy laughed a little at your joke. “Well, there’s that, but your dad wanted me to tell you that he wants to have lunch with you again, he finally managed to get a break in his schedule and he wanted to see you.”

“Okay, I’ll go see him then.” You looked back up at your boyfriend. “But I get dinner with you. You’ve been training too much.”

“Not a problem,” Bellamy agreed to dinner. He leant down and placed a kiss on your hairline before grabbing his guard jacket. “I’ll walk with you to Abby’s office, I have a shift and it’s on my way out.”

Smiling, you used your crutches to help yourself along, out of yours and Bellamy’s room and towards Abby’s office to meet with your father. 

          3 weeks after Mount Weather

You walked out of the medbay for hopefully the last time in a while, crutch free. Practically skipping down the halls to Abby’s office, you passed many people who gave you weird looks, and Gina, who turned around to walk with you when she saw you. 

Gina worked with you in the kitchens, where your father put you for the past two and a half weeks after bugging him to let you do something for work. She and you instantly clicked, and she told you how she was doing this job as a filler until she had enough training to work the guard, which she was in training for before Arkadia came to earth.

“You seem happy to be up and walking,” She laughed when you sent her a big smile. 

“Of course I am, Jackson cleared me for work! Which means I can work shifts with you and Bell now.” You beamed.

She laughed once more and you glanced at her before speaking up. “Wanna have drinks with me and Bellamy tonight? If dad lets me on the guard, Bellamy was gonna take me for drinks to celebrate,”

“Oh, no, I wouldn’t want to intrude or anything--” She tried to decline the offer, but you grabbed her hand politely.

“Gina, my sweet, sweet Gina,” You shook your head. “Intruding is the last possible thing you would be doing, trust me. Bellamy would love to have you with us, you’re our friend.”

After insisting, she decided that going with you and your boyfriend wouldn’t be bad. You hugged her excitedly and walked with her all the way to your father’s office, where she said her goodbye’s and departed back down the hall, the way you came. 

Knocking, your father opened the door and let you into the room after a quick hug. “You already know why I’m here, don’t you?”

“Yes, I do. And before you say anything, you start tomorrow.”

“What?” “I said, you start tomorrow.” A smile started to grow on your father’s face at your shocked expression. “Bellamy stopped by while you were in medical, told me how you were perfect for the position and thought I should give you a chance.”

Still stunned, all you could do was look at your dad as he pulled out a guard jacket and walked over to you. “Congratulations, sweetheart.” 

You took the jacket from his hands and slipped it on. You looked at yourself as best as you could and smiled widely for the second time in the hour. “Thank you, dad!” 

You pulled your father into a grateful hug, feeling his arms hold you tight. Once you broke away you spoke up. “Bellamy and I will see you later for dinner, but I have to show him right now.”

He smiled at you and nodded, patting your shoulder lightly. “See you then, bug.”

The nickname was one that he hadn’t called you for almost 10 years, so your initial shock was to be expected. You sobered up before Marcus could notice, though, and sent him a final smile before opening his office door and barreling down the halls to Arkadia’s exit, where Bellamy was doing a shift at the front gate. 

When you were halfway to him you shouted out his name, catching his attention. He noticed the guard jacket you were wearing and a large smile painted his face as he momentarily let go of his gun to greet you. “I heard what you did for me, Bell.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” He denied playfully.

“Sure you don’t,” You rolled your eyes. “Anyway, we have dinner with my dad again tonight and then Gina is gonna meet with us for drinks. I gotta go help Abby with the map, though, so I might not see you until before dinner.”

“Well my shift ends in a few hours, so I might see if Kane needs me to do anything before then and if not, then I’ll probably just bother you and Abby until dinner.” 

You laughed at him and pressed a kiss to his cheek, muttering a “See you later,” and heading back into the building to meet with Abby. 

          5 weeks after Mount Weather

“Wow, you actually did that?” You laughed, catching some of the attention of the people around you, but you were too drunk to care. You, Gina, Raven, and Octavia decided to have a night to yourselves, the last few weeks had gotten to all of you. 

Raven was pissed that she wasn’t able to work on anything other than sorting scrap metal and the new rovers, Gina had a tough run to Mount Weather yesterday, Octavia was just generally pissed at Lincoln’s kill order, and Jasper’s coping mechanism was starting to get to you. You tried as much as you could to help your brother but it seemed that he didn’t want you anymore. 

He cut off all of his hair and started growing a beard of sorts, drinking any kind of alcohol he could get his hands on. It hurt to see your brother in the state he was in, and helping him was something you tried to do, until last night when he screamed at you for so long that he started losing his voice. 

“Yeah! I was surprised no one gave me shit for it, but I guess being a small kid I got away faster than they thought.” Gina smirked, taking a sip of her drink.

“Can’t beat the time that I snuck into farm station to steal moonshine for Finn’s birthday,” Raven reminisced. Though she was still in pain from his death, it seems that the drinks loosened her up enough to speak about him without tears in her eyes. 

“I’ve never even been to those stupid dances that people had, you know.” You remembered, sipping the moonshine. 

“Never?” Gina looked at you incredulously.

“Never. I was like 12 when I was sent to the skybox, G.” She made an ‘oh’ face and took another drink.

“It sucks that you’ve never been to one, they’re pretty cool,” Raven commented quickly, and Octavia scoffed.

“The only masquerade dance I’ve been to got my mother killed and me tossed into the Skybox.” She grumbled and you put your hand on her back. 

“Well, I think they suck anyway, Tavia. Teenage dances are a breeding ground for unnecessary drama and hookups that make things awkward.” 

The three of them laughed and you joined in soon after, the rest of the dining hall turned their heads to look at you, but you were too busy to tell them off and eventually they turned back to their own conversations. By the time you sobered up laughter-wise, you realized how late it was. 

“Oh shit,” You stumbled off the stool. “Gotta go, ladies, Bellamy should be done with his shift by now.”

“Whipped!” Gina shouted playfully, causing the other girls to laugh. 

“At least I’m getting some,” You smirked, walking backwards towards the exit to see their reactions. 

Once you were satisfied with their shock, you turned around and headed towards yours and Bellamy’s shared room

          6 weeks after Mount Weather

“Tell me about your mom,” You requested tiredly, tangled up in the bed with Bellamy. Your legs were as intertwined as they could be and your head was on his chest, while he kept one arm around your body and the other behind his head. 

“We just had sex and you want me to tell you about my mom?” His bare chest vibrated as he laughed, trying to get a good look at you to see if you were joking.

“I’m being serious!” You whined, smacking his chest lightly. “I never got to meet her and I just want to know what she was like.”

Sighing, Bellamy pulled you closer and looked up at the ceiling. “Her name was Aurora. She sewed up and made the clothes or fixed them, taught me and Octavia how to do the same. She always wanted me to be on the guard, though. She was probably the biggest fan of mythology ever, and always read to me and Octavia growing up. The Iliad is my favorite out of all of them, but the Three Sisters of Fate was hers. She always liked the idea that everything happens for a reason and you can’t do anything to change it, that the decisions you make are because the sisters wanted it to be that way. She always thought that she had Octavia because that’s what the sisters wanted.”

“She sounds wonderful, Bellamy.”

“She was,” You saw the tears glistening in his eyes and you sat up, putting your hand on his cheek in comfort. “I miss her so much.”

“I know.” He leaned into your palm and closed his eyes. You leaned up and kissed his forehead, pulling him into your chest instead. “Just get some rest, okay?” 

It didn’t take long for his breathing to start to even out and you scratched his scalp lightly and played with his curls until you started to fall asleep yourself. 

          7 weeks after Mount Weather

The adrenaline pumping through your veins and the atmosphere of the room drove you to push harder than you were sure you’ve ever fought. Since you lost your sword to the mountain, you had to learn hand-to-hand combat, usually with Lincoln or Octavia. The last time you were paired with Bellamy to spar, things went very wrong very fast. To say the least, you forgot that there were other people watching you for a little bit.

You kept your fists up in defense, shifting your weight from foot to foot as Lincoln stared you down. You knew what he was attempting seconds before he did it, moving your hand to block the punch to your side and using the other to punch his chest quickly. Sticking out your leg, you swiped his from under his body, watching as he fell to the floor with a thud. He looked winded, leading you to step lightly on his wrist with a smirk.

“How was that for a good fight?”

He wheezed and looked up at you. “Definitely better, but never let your guard down.”

Before you could give a reply, his hand grasped your ankle and pulled you to the ground with force, winding you just like you did him. “Asshole,” You wheezed as he stood up, giving you his hand to help you up. 

Once you stood, Lincoln turned to the crowd that watched the sparring lesson. “She was really close to winning, but she let her guard down early. Defeating the opponent is very tricky, and getting arrogant and cocky early on makes it easier for them to know your moves and take you down.”

“At least I got that far, last week I was immediately wiped out.” You told him before picking up a towel and looking at the group. “The key is practice. Keep practicing your moves, what makes you feel comfortable and is effective. Yes, you will have guns, but guns won’t always protect you.”

          8 weeks after Mount Weather

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Your father asked once more.

“Yes, dad, I’m sure. I’ll be okay, don’t worry.” 

You sat at the table in Abby’s office, her and your father opposite to you. They knew this would be dangerous for you, even if you didn’t see it like that.

“It’s just this run, right? Gina will be with me. I know some parts of the mountain and there’s no one there to hurt me.” You reassured him. “Besides, other than this one, I’ll only be going if someone can’t make it.”

“I know, I’m just making sure that you want to do this. If you don’t, it’s okay. But i just want to double check.” 

“I know, dad. But they’re leaving soon and I have to go.” standing, you said your goodbyes and sped down the hall, rushing to make it to the hangar. 

You stepped into the rover, taking your seat next to Gina as the doors to the hangar opened and you sped off with another rover trailing behind, back to the place you hated with your entire being. Gina kept you calm throughout the drive, and getting in wasn’t a problem.

Stepping inside, you were reminded of the pain you were put through, the people you lost. You tensed while the others walked past you, not knowing the horrors that went on in these walls. Subconsciously, you reached down to your thigh, where the scar you gained from being strapped to a table was, the phantom pain kicking in.

Gina noticed it, and took your hand away, keeping it locked in hers. “You’re okay. They’re not here anymore, and we’re only gonna be here for a few hours, max. I’ll be right here, I promise.”

You nodded and took a deep breath, stepping forward. You were looking for their armory while the others went to level 5 to get as much food as they could back to Arkadia. It didn’t take long to find it on level 1, walking at a little bit faster of a pace than before once the double doors were in sight.

Reaching the armory, you each pulled a door open and marveled at the firepower contained in one room. Pulling the radio from Gina’s belt, you put it to your mouth and pressed the button. “This is Y/n and Gina, we found the armory.”

“What about it?” One of the men replied. 

“It’s a goldmine, Jason, that’s what. Rover one, I want everyone down here now. Let rover two handle the food, we’re gonna need as much room as we can get.”

You handed the radio back to her and she tucked it back into her belt and walked in with you, looking at the weapons. While your back was turned to hers, looking at the rifles on the wall, she gasped and laughed. “Holy shit!” 

“What?”

“There’s a sword here!” Gina turned around with a sheathed sword in her palms. “Look at it! There’s a bunch of knives in here, too.”

“Must be where they kept all the grounder weapons,” You noted, looking into the large bin. “Hey, can I see that sword?”

You took the weapon from Gina’s hands, turning it over before unsheathing it. “This is my sword,” You realized.

“You had a sword?”

“Yeah, I found one when Jaha sent me, Bellamy, and Clarke to look for shelter through the winter.” You smiled a little before a thought crossed your mind. Putting the sword on the ground you dove into the bin, sifting through the daggers carefully. “AHA!”

You yanked the leather strap and held it high in the air, head still in the bucket. It didn’t take you long to find the other one, pulling them both up. “Yes!”

“What’s so special about those?”

“They’re my thigh knives.” You responded simply. Before Gina could say anything else, you were strapping both daggers to your thighs, making sure they were safe before picking up your sword. 

The other three of your men showed up and you began directing who should take what and bring it to the rover. Within the hour, three large bins of ammo were loaded up in the middle of the rover, and the group had many rifles strapped to them to bring back. 

Once everyone was back in the rover with you in the driver’s seat, you notified rover two’s driver that you would be heading back to Arkadia to deliver the weapons to your small armory. Gina rode shotgun and she asked you questions about how exactly you got the weapons and what it was like to use them. 

“I had them since we got to the ground. But I lost them when Mount Weather took us from the dropship, and I guess they kept the weapons that they took from the grounders.” You shrugged. “Either way, I’m lucky as hell to get them back.”

As soon as you stopped in the hangar bay you spotted Bellamy at the top of the ramp, looking worried. Sighing, you turned off the rover and stepped out, meeting his eyes. He started toward you and took you into his arms as soon as he could. “Why didn’t you tell me you were going?”

“It was really last minute, Bell, I didn’t have the time to tell you before they left.”

He just nodded and you sank into the embrace before letting him go. “Come with me, I have to tell Abby and my dad what we found.”

          9 weeks after Mount Weather 

After finding your old weapons, sparring got a whole lot easier after learning how to properly use it again. Since then, however, between guard shifts, meals, time with your friends and father, trying to get Jasper back on the right track, and sparring, you did mapping runs with Bellamy. 

You didn’t go back to Mount Weather since you were there last, but you didn’t mind not going. They always had enough people to get two rovers worth of items from the mountain and bring it all back, all while managing to keep the peace between yourselves and the grounders. 

Things were turning around again, and you finally felt somewhat at peace. Although, knowing how things turned out for you, peace wouldn’t last. You were getting less and less sleep as time went on, and when you did you often woke up in the night and went on a trek back to the dropship. 

That’s where you were headed now, your weapons with you and a pack on your back, filled with rations and moonshine. You used a flashlight to guide your way, although the path was familiar to you by now. Once the grown over dropship came into sight, you visibly relaxed, walking through the middle and looking around at the walls; walls you helped build, helped defend. This was your home once upon a time, and in a way it still was. 

This is where you built your new life, where you almost died-- twice-- and where you got your footing for your future. This place was where you gained a new hope for humanity, where you somehow fell for the biggest asshole ever. But you didn’t mind. Not one bit. 

Taking a seat at the entrance, you opened your pack and pulled out the moonshine you packed. If you could have it your way, you would be back here, before you lost so many people and before you felt unnecessarily empty. You had a family, a man that you loved, friends. Why did you feel like this? 

You poured out the alcohol and raised your cup to the sky. “So much for peace on earth, huh? Bet you didn’t think I would turn out like this, did you, ma?” 

Downing the harsh liquid, you felt a little bit better. Despite it all, you knew things wouldn’t stay this way forever. When it came to you, things went to shit quickly. You gave it a matter of weeks before you’d face another battle that would take more of your people, leave you worse than before.

          10 weeks after Mount Weather 

You snuck back into camp later than you thought you did, accidentally falling asleep under the stars at the dropship. You didn’t know how late you were, but you knew that everyone was already awake when you got back in. 

Taking back entrances and panels in the walls, you entered the residential halls, trying to get back to yours and Bellamy’s quarters without being seen. Of course, it wasn’t that easy. “There you are,”

Your father’s stern voice echoed in the empty hall, making you stop in your tracks and tense up. Turning slowly, you faced your father, Bellamy, Lincoln, Octavia, Raven, Abby, Miller, and Gina at the opposite end of the hall. Monty and Harper were there as well, but you didn’t see them at first, they were tucked behind the rest.

“Can we not do this here?” You requested quietly. You followed the group to Abby’s office, the rest of them waiting outside while she, Bellamy, and your father went inside with you.

“Where the hell did you go?” Your father demanded when you sat on the couch. “Do you have any idea how reckless you were being? The grounders barely trust us as it is, what if they found you? What if you--” He stopped himself, taking a breath. You knew what he was going to say. 

“I was fine, okay? I had my knives and my sword, and it’s not like I just wandered off for the night.” You defended.

“The night?! You were gone all night?” The anger in your father's voice made you flinch in your spot, but you knew he wasn’t actually mad, just worried.

You watched Bellamy search your bag and pull out the large canteen of moonshine, recognizing what it was from the smell of it as soon as it was uncapped. “It’s almost empty,”

“Where the hell did you go?”

“The dropship,” You mumbled, barely able to hear it yourself. Your father hummed and asked you to speak up, so you did. “I went to the dropship, okay? I went to the dropship to get drunk and I fell asleep. It’s not like this is the first time it’s happened.” 

“How long?” Bellamy asked.

“Two weeks, give or take.”

“Why?”

“It’s-” You sighed. “I can feel it. This won’t last. The dropship, that’s our home. Everything started there. I know that sooner than later we’re gonna fight a war we’ll barely win, everyone will end up worse than the last time, and I know how this ends. We’re not making it out of this next time and even if we do, it’s gonna tear us apart.”

The trio shared worried glances and Bellamy took the first initiative, sitting next to his girlfriend and wrapping her up in his arms. “I promise you, we will have peace. We have it right now, princess. You, me, everyone here has peace. And even if things fall apart, it’ll be okay.”

You looked up at him and he kissed your forehead. “It’ll be okay because we have each other. Me and you. And we have the others; Raven, Octavia, Lincoln, Gina, your dad, Abby, Miller, Harper, Monty, Jasper. We’ll stick together, okay? No matter what happens, we’ll be together.”

The reassurance calms you down considerably, and you put your head on Bellamy’s chest, near his shoulder. “But it won’t work if you don’t talk to us. Any of us. It doesn’t matter if you tell one of us or all of us, but you can’t keep going back there, not alone and definitely not with booze.” 

“Okay,” Your voice was tired and small, so it didn’t surprise anyone when you fell asleep mere seconds after your agreement with Bellamy. Abby and Kane both decided to relieve you and Bellamy of your shifts today, giving you a break and allowing Bellamy to stay with you.

Bellamy scooped you into his arms, carrying you bridal style to the door, where Kane opened the door to see the rest of the group standing there worriedly. Raven was the first to approach the door. “What happened?”

“She’s fine, just sleeping.” 

“Where the hell did she go?” Octavia queried, stepping up from the wall. 

“The dropship,” Bellamy sighed. “She’s been going there every night for a couple of weeks now. She gets drunk and then comes home before we get up.”

A collective sigh from the group was heard and wasn’t clear if it was out of sympathy for their friend or relief that she was somewhere familiar. “We’ve both been cleared for the day, I’m gonna take her back to the room and let her sleep, I gather she hasn’t been getting much lately.”

With that, the group dispersed to get back to their own jobs, while Bellamy walked back to his and yours shared room, placing you gently on the unmade bed. He pulled off your boots gently, placing them on the floor at the end of the bed, tucking you in a little further and pulling up the blankets to your shoulders.

He admired you lovingly for a little while, looking so peaceful and calm in your dreams, where none of the worries you previously presented to him could weigh on your shoulders. That was all he wanted for you, a world where you didn’t have to be burdened with your own thoughts and worries, where you and him could live happily with your friends-- who now seemed to be more like family than anything-- and a few of your own children to raise. 

With a heavy sigh, he moved from the space beside you, where he lay, to the window that looked out to the gates. You were lucky to have a window at all, but it served no purpose aside from natural light. So, Bellamy closed the shutters and blocked out the light before moving back to his side of the bed. Moving in closer than he was before, he put an arm over your waist and maneuvered the other to push some stray hairs that fell from your braid out of your face.

He looked around quietly before deciding he would tell you a story, like the ones his mother read to him and Octavia when they were younger. He decided that one of the stories of the gods would do nicely, and after some pondering, the story of Hestia, although a story he didn’t hear the story often, was one that stuck with him.

In some instances, Hestia reminded him of you. She was the goddess that represented everything domestic, everything he wanted with you. Everything you so clearly wanted. A home, a life, a routine. No more fighting or keeping guard, no constant need of weapons. And as he told the tale of Hestia in a quiet voice, he thought about his own future and what it could possibly look like.

          12 weeks after Mount Weather

Since you got caught sneaking back into the camp, you managed to catch yourself before you went down as deep of a hole as your brother did. You were helping yourself, talking to Bellamy and Raven about your fears. You stopped yourself from leaving the camp again, as much as you wanted to. But today, you were allowed. 

One of the people who usually accompanied Gina and the others on the Mount Weather runs couldn’t go due to an injured wrist, so your father let you go instead. Your leg bounced the entire way there, and your lip was red from how hard you were biting it. Gina managed to get you to relax until you got there, splitting off from the rest to go into the art room. 

“I can’t believe they didn’t put everything up, it’s all so beautiful.” Gina marveled, moving the paintings to the door for the others to bring to the rover. 

“It really is,” You muttered, spotting a bookshelf in the back and heading towards it. There were multiple authors on the spines of the books. People like Jane Austin, William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, and Ernest Hemmingway to name a few. And then you saw it. On the bottom shelf, placed on top of a few upright books, was something you didn’t think you’d ever see. 

The very last copy of The Iliad, hardcover with a black spine and a gold title rest there, looking a little worn, but seemingly never touched. You crouched down, pulling it from the shelf slowly and taking it into your hands. The cover was yellowed, but the pages were intact. “Huh,” 

You walked back to Gina, who was moving a painting that you didn’t recognize. “I found a bookshelf back there, filled with classic books,” 

She seemed surprised but nodded, moving slowly with the weight of the painting. “Seems cool, what did you find?”

“The Iliad,”

“What’s it about?”

“The Trojan War, I’m pretty sure. It’s one of Bellamy’s favorites and I think it burned on the way back down, so I’m bringing it back for him.”

“Awe, cute.” Gina smiled and you laughed, rolling your eyes. 

“Funny, G.” You tucked the book into your waistband, helping her move the rest of the art until the rovers were full, tucking the book behind the art before grabbing Gina’s hand and helping yourself into the rover.

The ride seemed short, but you knew it wasn’t, the thoughts and excitement of giving Bellamy the book filling your mind and distracting you. Once the rover stopped, you helped hand Zeke the produce and get it to the kitchens, staying beside the rover. Bellamy approached the rover in his guard jacket, meaning he and the others were going somewhere.

“Hey,” He greeted. “Easy run?” “No,” You sighed out. “It wasn’t as hard for me to go in, but that place is terrifying.”

“I know, but at least you don’t have to go every time.” 

“True,” You agreed, turning around and grabbing the book. “I did, however, find this.” 

You placed the book in his hands and he smiled at you, silently asking how you got it with his eyes. “You read me a few of the stories off the top of your head once, and you told me how your mom read that to you and I found it in one of the rooms. I thought you’d like to have it.”

“I do. Thank you.” And with that, he gave you a quick peck and turned to rover one, putting it on the hood and slamming his bag down to put it there. 

“Hey!” Raven slid out from underneath the rover to scold Bellamy. “Take it easy.”

“Morning to you, too.” Bellamy joked as the woman stood up and made her way to you for a hug, which you gratefully returned. Miller came into the hangar bay as Bellamy tossed him a gun and they talked about the grounders as you asked Raven where they were going.

“A tracking beacon from the Ark was turned on in sector 7, Kane’s letting us check it out.”

“Cool, can I come?” 

“Ask Mr. Leader over there,” She nudged her head towards Bellamy, who was unloading the guns from his sack. “I doubt he’ll say no, considering he’s in love with you.” You laughed as Raven made fake heart eyes at you, mocking Bellamy.

It was cut short, however, when Monty tossed a bucket of cold water at Jasper to get him to sober up. “I’m sorry, was that too cold for you?” 

Jasper yelled in rage and slammed Monty against the rover before letting go, walking over to the guns. Bellamy stopped him, saying that he wasn’t allowed to carry a gun until he was sober. He walked away after hitting Bellamy lightly with his wet hand in a form of a salute. Bellamy, now annoyed, grabbed his weapon and walked over to you. 

Just by the look in your eyes, he could tell you wanted to come with him. A wordless exchange led him to sighing and grabbing your hand, pulling you to the rover. “You better be ready for this,”

“I am,” You reassured. “I’ve been learning how to use my sword and knives for a while now, Bell. Lincoln told me the other day that I’ve gotten pretty good, you know.” 

He just hummed in agreement, helping you into the rover before sitting down close to the driver's seat, where Raven was. Jasper was beside her, and Monty and Miller across from you. Octavia, no doubt, would be riding on her horse, Helios. And as you drove out of the hangar bay, you knew you were right. The girl yelled at Raven to try and keep up, leading her to drive down the path and out of the gates behind Octavia.

As you raced down the dirt road, you sat in silence, aside from the crunch of the gravel and roaring of the engine, along with Jasper’s music blaring from his earbuds. Once he started singing, Monty pulled them from his ears. “No way. If you’re gonna ride shotgun, you can’t just disappear.”

Jasper plugged his music into the speakers of the rover, letting it blast throughout the vehicle. Monty was about to turn it off but Bellamy allowed it. The music sounded good, and Miller and Raven started moving to the beat of it first while Jasper sung, before you decided to join in. The lyrics were something all of you knew, and when you started singing them and enticing Bellamy to join in, along with Miller’s antics, you saw him smile.

“Come on, Bell, it’s fun!” You started shouting the lyrics instead of actually singing them, getting your boyfriend to laugh. It was more fun that way, anyway.

You laughed at your brother when he came to the back and stood up, his upper half sticking out of the rover as he whooped. However, when the GPS started beeping, Raven shut off the music and Monty climbed into the front. Raven stopped the rover as Jasper came down, muttering about how that was the best part of the song.

“Who is it?” Asked Bellamy.

Monty typed something on his keyboard and revealed that it was Farm Station’s beacon. 

“After 4 months? How?” Miller asked. 

“We’ll find out.” Bellamy affirmed. “Where are they?”

The back door creaked open to reveal Octavia. “Don’t tell me I missed the party,”

“Sector 8.” Monty revealed. 

“That’s Ice Nation,” You recalled.

“What about it?” Octavia queried.

“Protocol says we go home,” Raven suggested. “Let the Chancellor decide what to do next.”

“Screw protocol.” Bellamy decided. “The Chancellor’s not from Farm Station. Monty is, and so is Miller’s boyfriend. It’s your call.” 

“Let’s do this,” Monty decided. Miller agreed and Bellamy looked at his sister, repeating the words she said to Raven before they left camp. She shut the rover door and got back on her horse while you sped off once again, heading directly towards Ice Nation.

The air was much colder as you pulled up to the border, jumping out just as the rover was coming to a stop. “These woods must be the border.”

“So where’s all the ice?” 

“Much further north.” Octavia answered your brother. “Azgeda stretches for a thousand miles.” 

“Good thing we only have to go 200 meters,” Monty replied, staring intently at the GPS in his hands. 

“Slow down.” Bellamy stopped your friend. “Remember, rules of engagement are nonlethal force. Tight formation on my command. Raven, you stay in the rover.” 

“Yeah, right.” She disagreed, pushing past Bellamy.

“We need every gun we’ve got,” You agree.

“They’re coming,” Monty notified the group and you slowly unsheathed your sword as he counted down. Bellamy raised his gun and everyone got into position as a horse neighed behind the trees, multiple Azgeda men coming towards you. Everyone aimed their weapons and you readied your sword, knowing it wouldn’t do much good unless they were close range.

“Ice Nation?” Bellamy asked.

“Yes,” His sister responded. “White war paint. Stay calm.” Octavia put her sword back in it’s sheath on her back and raised her hands. 

“Who are you?” One of the warriors asked and you didn’t understand what they were saying, due to the fact that you only learned the basics from Lincoln, as did everyone else on the guard. You just hoped Octavia could get you out of this mess safely. 

“Skaikru,” She responded. “Looking for our people.” 

“Looking for Wanheda.” 

 One of the warriors got off his horse as Octavia spoke. “They think we’re looking for Wanheda.” 

“Who the hell is Wanheda?” You asked.

“I don’t know.”

“The light,” Monty nodded towards the grounder that was no longer on his horse. “That’s the beacon.”

Jasper stepped up and you all told him to get back, as the grounders aimed arrows at him, but he assured the group that he had it, which you knew was a lie. Panicked, Bellamy told Octavia to tell the warriors that they observed the Commander's truce, hoping it would do some good. She did, but when Jasper pulled the glowing beacon from the grounder and held it to his face, the grounder pulled him back and held a knife to his throat.

“Where’s Wanheda?” 

“Let him go!” Bellamy shouted in Trig as Octavia spoke up.

“We don’t know who that is! Please. We can help each other.”

To your surprise, Jasper began to laugh, and the grounder told him something that you didn’t understand, pressing the knife and beginning to cut him. Bellamy shot the grounder and he released Jasper as the other two were shot down. Bellamy shouted at Miller and Octavia threw her sword into the last rounder’s gut, killing him. 

Once he was dead, your dad came in over the radio and Octavia went for her sword, Bellamy to the radio, and you to your brother, helping to carry him back to the rover as Miller shouted at him.

“We got the beacon, didn’t we?” Was his response.

“Yeah, but where did they get it?” Monty wondered. 

“He needs to get to medical,” Octavia said as she dragged him back to the rover. 

“More like how did they get it,” You pondered, now standing next to Monty. Bellamy talked to your dad over the radio before coming to the other side, shouting orders. 

“Miller, get one of their horses; Raven, since you can’t ride you’re on the back, Y/n and Monty, you’re with me, let’s go.” Monty took over as the driver while Bellamy sat in the passenger side, leaving you to crawl in the back. 

The ride was quiet after they answered your questions of where exactly you were going and why you needed to get there. As you reached your destination, you slowed to a stop at the end of a tunnel, hopping out of the rover with Bellamy and Monty. They kept their guns in their hands, you unsheathed your sword.

“You were right about Jasper. Is that what you want me to say?” 

“Quiet.” Bellamy snapped. “Keep your eyes peeled.”

You walked a little further behind them, acting as cover from behind. “I could have said no.”

“He’s getting worse, isn’t he?” You asked from behind the pair, They both looked back at you and you took the chance to speak again. “Getting drunk every night is one thing, but smiling with a knife to your throat; that’s next-level damaged.”

You slowed to a stop as your father broke through the trees on the other side as Monty asked, “Who’s he with?”

“Indra.” 

“That’s Indra?” Monty asked. 

“He must’ve told her we broke the truce,” Bellamy guessed and proceeded towards the pair, you and Monty right behind him. “Sir, before you say anything, there was a good reason--”

“We’ll deal with that later,” Your father assured him. “This is about Clarke.” 

“What about her?” You asked. 

“She’s being hunted,” Indra responded. 

“By who?” Monty worried.

“By everyone.” Indra’s response made your heart skip a beat; until you were brought back to the conversation that Octavia had with the grounders. Wanheda. Could that be her? Why would they be calling her Wanheda, and why were they hunting her?

Before you could say anything, everyone was being loaded back into the rover, heading into sector 7. You were in the back next to your father, Bellamy and Monty taking their previous seats, with Indra on the other side. 

On the way there we hit a few bumps, all of them making Indra a little frightened, but your father assured her that it was nothing, as he wasn’t completely used to it either. 

“Sir, we’re almost out of range.” Monty notified him. “Are you sure you don’t want to tell the Chancellor?” 

“I’m sure.” He affirmed. “I don’t want to worry Abby until we know something.” 

“We know there’s a kill order.” Bellamy deadpanned. “You people are big on those.” 

“It’s not a kill order; it’s a bounty.” Indra corrected him. “Clarke’s a symbol. She’s known as Wanheda-- the Commander of death.”

“Wait,” You stepped in. “The Ice Nation men we killed, they were asking about Wanheda. Why are they looking for Clarke?”

“My people believe that when you kill someone, you get their power.” She said. “Kill Wanheda, and you command death.”

“She’s just one girl,” Kane reminded Indra. 

“So was the Commander,” Indra said. “What Clarke did at Mount Weather weakened her. The Ice Nation is emboldened. Their queen wants Clarke’s power. If her people believe she has it, she’ll break the coalition and start a war. I can’t let that happen.”

The GPS beeped. “Welcome to sector 7. Where to?”

“If she’s here, she’ll need supplies. We’ll start at the trading posts.” Indra decided. 

You spent hours cramped up in the rover, getting more tired as each minute passed. The rumble of the engine and body heat coming from your father were enough to start lulling you to sleep, and when you let your head fall to his shoulder and he didn’t protest it, you fell asleep quickly. 

Of course, you didn’t expect it to last very long. You woke up when your body jolted harshly, hitting the back of your head on the metal panels on the rover. Monty seemed to hit the brakes as hard as he could, and once you were over it, you touched the back of your head but felt nothing. 

No blood, but it would likely give you a headache later. “What the hell?”

“There’s a tree, we have to move it.” Monty responded.

As the pair went to open their doors, Indra stopped them. “It’s been cut down.” 

“We don’t know that,” Bellamy told her as he stepped into the back, opening the hatch on the top of the rover to look out at the surrounding forest. There was a loud creaking noise and the ground beneath you shook, allowing Bellamy to fall back into the rover as he ducked for cover. 

“We do now,” Indra commented. Bellamy sat beside the woman and she unsheathed her sword, suggesting we stay inside the vehicle until whoever cut down the trees was gone. 

It was going to be a long night.

Taglist: @soullessbabee​​ | @hyperion-moonbabe-art3mis​​ | @dummythiccwitch​ | @sireddobrev​​ | @gxvrielle​ | @hurricane-abigail​ | @holyhumorliteraturelight​ | @lilacs-lavender​

[sunmoonandeddie]

cowgirls don’t cry (1/5)

pairing: cowboy!bucky barnes x reader

word count: 6,734

summary: After moving to New York City with your dad when you were twelve, you did absolutely everything you could to forget Tennessee, including the blue eyed boy who still remembers you.

chapter warnings: swearing

masterlist

a/n: So I know I said I was gonna wait until this whole series was finished to post but clearly I have no self control and also, I had a really rough week.  Let me know what you think!

“Fucking Delta,” you huffed as you pulled the handle up on your carry on.

God, you hated flying.  Even though it had only been a three hour flight from New York City to Nashville, Tennessee, it had been straight outta hell.  First, there had been a two hour delay.  Then, once you’d finally boarded, you had to get back off because apparently some safety thing hadn’t been checked.  Then, about an hour into the flight, the girl who was sitting across the aisle from you (What the hell kind of name was Gamora, by the way?) fell during a bout of turbulence and spilled her vodka cranberry all over you.

Who the hell orders a drink on a three hour flight? You thought to yourself as you scrubbed at the wet spot on your jeans.  There was no way you weren’t going to smell like an alcoholic.

And now you were stuck in the Nashville International Airport with no clue where the hell you were supposed to go.

You stopped in the middle of the aisle, not caring that people were going to get pissed at you, and dug your phone out of your pocket as you heard the standard iPhone ringtone cut through the air.  Shooting a glare back at a woman who was giving you the stink-eye, you brought it up to your ear and started walking again.  “Val, thank god you called,” you said as you searched for the baggage claim, dragging your carry on behind you.  “I’m never taking Delta again.  It was awful.”

“I thought you were in first class?” She said, and you could hear the pop of her gum through the phone.

“Yeah, but I was still flying Delta.”  You rushed forward as you spotted your custom Valentino suitcases.  “And, ugh, now I’m in this stupid–sorry, I’m grabbing my luggage–weak ass excuse for a city.”

“I’m sure it’s not that bad,” she laughed.

You could just picture her lounging in her bed in New York.  Fuck, you’d kill to go back.  Maybe you could just book another flight straight home.  You could be back in your penthouse in just a few hours, curled up on your Egyptian cotton sheets.

There was no way any bed within a hundred miles had sheets with a thread count over three hundred, you were sure of it.

“Val, this place is like… an off brand Newark.”  You finally found an exit that led out onto the street, your head bobbing to and fro as you tried to find a sign with your name on it.  Your mom had said that she’d be sending one of the farmhands to pick you up.

Your mom.

God.

That was... different.  It was weird.

She’d gotten so excited on the phone when she’d been talking about it that her accent had gotten even thicker than you remembered, saying, “I’ll send one of my boys up there to get you from the airport.  He’ll have a sign with your name on it just like in the movies!”

And, sure enough, there it was.  Your name written in huge letters, surrounded by glittery red hearts.  It looked like a four year old had made it.

“I gotta go,” you sighed, your eyes rolling up to the ceiling.  “I’ll let you know if I make it to the farm alive.”  Taking a deep breath, you shoved your phone back in your pocket before heading for the blond underneath the sign.

“You Pepper’s girl?” He asked, though he was already taking your luggage from you.

“Yeah.  I guess.”

The blond raised an eyebrow at you.  “You guess?”  A smile played at his lips as he led you towards the huge truck that was waiting by the curb.  “You look a lot like the photos she has, though you were… What?  Twelve or thirteen when you moved to the city?”

You weren’t sure if you should be offended by that or not.  You really hoped that you didn’t look like your twelve year old self, considering that was the peak of your awkward years, complete with braces and frizzy hair that you weren’t able to tame until your dad brought you to one of the best hair stylists in New York City.  “Twelve,” you said, your heart dropping as you watched him throw your luggage into the back.  “Hey!  That’s Valentino!”  You snapped, running forward to peek into the bed.  It was covered in dried dirt and you just knew that your luggage would be too by the time you got to your mom’s.

“And I’m Steve,” he said, dusting off his hands on his Levis before going round to the driver’s side and jumping in.  “What about it?”

There wasn’t really much you could say.  You stood there gaping at him like a fish until he reached over and opened up the passenger side.

“Are you gonna stand there all day or are you gonna get in?”

The ride to your mom’s farm was pretty quiet after the first forty-five minutes or so, when Steve realized you weren’t in the mood to talk.  He’d tried talking about the weather, the traffic, the best back roads to take to get to your mom’s in the shortest amount of time, but you just weren’t having it.  He’d turned up the radio after a few minutes of awkward silence, some new country song that you didn’t know blasting through the speakers.

As you got further and further away from the city, you felt any hope of an entertaining summer dwindle.

To: Val

So much for Hot Girl Summer :((

You didn’t bother to check your phone when it vibrated in your hand, your forehead leaning against the window as you watched the scenery fly by.  There were little things here and there that you were starting to recognize, despite the amount of time you’ve spent away.

You sat up a little straighter as you saw a little 50s style diner on the corner.  “Winnie’s place is still open?”

“Like anyone would ever let it close,” Steve said with a bit of a laugh, a fond smile on his lips as he glanced over at the building.  “It’s the best damn place to eat this side of the Mississippi.”

Part of you wanted to disagree, wanted to tell him that Daniel’s on East 65th Street was the best, but the words got stuck in your throat as the faint memory of peach pie with a  strawberry milkshake with extra whipped cream and two cherries filled your head.

Unknown to you, Steve smiled over at you, knowing that you might’ve been taken out of the country, but the country still hadn’t been taken out of you.

It was just… buried.

“It’s… smaller than I remember,” you said, half to yourself and half to Steve, when he parked in front of your mother’s house.  You’d passed the sign for Potts Farm just a few minutes before.

“To be fair, you were at least a few inches shorter when you were last here,” he said as he grabbed your suitcases from the back.

Sure enough, your custom Valentino luggage set was covered in dirt.

You didn’t have time to be too upset about it though.  Your mom came crashing out of the front door, bolting down the front porch steps, and barreling into you.

“MY BABY’S HOME!” She shouted with a laugh as she hugged you tight, the air leaving your lungs with a grunt.

“Hi, mom,” you squeaked, patting her back awkwardly.

Her strawberry blonde hair was swept up into a messy braid just like you remembered, though you could spot a few gray hairs here and there.  “Look how you’ve grown!  You’ve gotten so big!”  Tears pricked her eyes as she took you in, brushing your hair away from your face.  “You look a lot like your daddy.”

“Yeah, I get that a lot,” you said, clearing your throat as you turned to grab your luggage.

If she was hurt by your dismissive attitude, she didn’t show it.  “How is your daddy, by the way?”

“Dad’s fine.”

She waved Steve back over before you could get very far, motioning to your luggage.  “Don’t worry about that, he’ll take those up to your room.”

“No, really, it’s fine,” you said, grabbing them before he could.  You didn’t want to risk anything more happening to your precious suitcases.  The brute would probably end up breaking off the handle or something.

Your mom blinked once before shaking her head.  “Right, right.  You can carry your own stuff.”  She led you up the old porch steps, the wood groaning under the weight.  “Remind me to have Buck work on the porch,” she called out to Steve as she took you inside.  “I keep telling myself to have him fix up those old steps, but then I forget or I just think about how much trouble it would be because he’d just end up redoing the whole thing.”

“Well, the wood is old probably crawling with termites.  It’s probably a safety hazard,” you said absentmindedly as you looked around the front foyer.  It looked almost exactly the same.  You took your time on the staircase, taking in all the photos that lined it.  Your brows furrowed as you saw two pictures of you side by side.  One was from your high school graduation and the other was from your college graduation.  “How’d you get these?”

“Your daddy sent them to me,” she said from the top of the stairs.  She was watching you with a strange look in her eyes.

Anger welled up in your chest and your jaw clenched as you fought from screaming at her.  She had time to ask him to send her photos of you but not enough to write you?  Call you?  Anything?  It had taken her ten years to find you and message you on Facebook, of all things.

You pushed down the indignation, biting your lip as you continued up the stairs.  But you stopped again as you saw a photo of a little girl that definitely wasn’t you.  Your mom was holding her close, their faces squished together.  “Who’s that?”

“That’s Morgan, Tony and I’s daughter,” your mom said, leaning against the stair railing.  “She just turned four a few weeks ago.”

“Great,” you bit back as you stomped up the remaining stairs.

She rushed forward and opened up the door to your childhood bedroom.  “I made sure to wash the sheets and everything and air everything out.”

It looked exactly the same, all the way down to the princess pink bed sheets and matching comforter.  The soft pink curtains were blowing in the soft breeze that drifted in from the open window, the little rhinestones catching the late afternoon light.  It didn’t smell like the Bath and Body Works perfume that you always used to spray on yourself every morning, but that was probably a good thing since you were a sweet pea kind of twelve-year-old.

“I’ll leave you to get settled,” your mom said as she lingered at the door.  “Dinner will be ready at about six if you wanna rest up.”

You didn’t so much as give her a nod, you just waited for her to leave, for the sound of the screen door opening and closing before even moving, before letting out a huff of air and allowing your eyes to prick with tears.  There were so many feelings swirling around inside your chest and you didn’t know which one to feel at which time.

You pulled out your phone and called Val, knowing that she’d have some piece of advice to give.  At the very least, she’d know how to calm you down.

“Come on, pick up, pick up,” you muttered as you paced the hardwood floors.  Your nose was starting to run from crying, and you sniffed, rubbing your nose.

“Hello?”

Your heart burst out of your chest as she finally picked up.  “Hi.”

“You know, when you said you were going to call, I didn’t think it’d be this soon,” she said.  But the teasing tone in her voice dropped as soon as she heard your teary laugh.  “Hey, what’s going on?”

“I don’t know what the hell I’m doing here,” you admitted as you sat on the bed, your elbows resting on your knees.

“What do you mean, babe?  Your mom asked you to come.”

You let your head hang back as you stared up at the ceiling.  “I don’t know why.  She has an entirely new family.”

“Oh, come on,” Valkyrie said, her voice soft and soothing.  “Your mom loves you.”

“Then why didn’t she try talking to me after I moved?  She didn’t even send a birthday card for over ten years!  And I–”  Your heart jumped in your throat as you fought back another wave of tears.  “I have a sister that I didn’t even know about.”

Val let out a long sigh.  “Maybe she’s trying to make up for that.”

Running your fingers through your hair, you turned to glance out the window.  You could see your mom talking to some of the farm boys out in the yard, pointing in various directions.  “Yeah, I guess.”

“Look, why don’t you take a shower?” She suggested.  “You’re probably all gross from traveling and it’ll help clear your head a little.  Then, maybe talk to your mom?”

“You’re right,” you said, falling back on the bed.  “What would I do without you?”

“Wither away.”

Rolling your eyes, you stood up and headed for the private bathroom that you’d been lucky enough to have as a kid.  The bathroom matched your bedroom, princess pink everything.

Granted, not much had changed.  You were still a princess type, but now it was more sophisticated.  At least, you liked to think so.

“Yeah, yeah.  I love you, Val.”

“I love you, too.  And maybe find a hot cowboy.”

You fiddled with the shower, trying to remember how to get the hot water working.  “I have a boyfriend, remember?”

“Yeah, and he sucks,” she said.  “A cowboy would be much better than that stuffy asshole.”

You finally got the water working and smiled as you leaned back against the sink.  “How about this?  I’ll see if I can find you a cowgirl if you come and visit me.  I don’t know if I’ll survive a month without my best friend.”

“Deal.”

Barking out a laugh, the two of you said your goodbyes for another few minutes before finally hanging up.

The steam from the shower was already fogging up the mirror as you stripped down and stepped under the spray, Ella Mai playing from your phone.

God, Val was right.

Then again, she always was.

The heat from the water loosened up all the muscles in your body that had been so tense.  Your mind was clear of any worries for the first time in weeks.

Time flew by, and by the time you got out, it had been a long hour that you spent washing up.

Your hair was still wrapped up in a towel when there was a knock on your bedroom door.  Figuring it was your mom, you opened it up, shocked to see a wall of a man standing there with a bouquet of wildflowers in hand.  He was wearing a dirty gray t-shirt and faded jeans, a cowboy hat resting on his head.  He was covered in the muck that came from working on a farm.

“Firefly,” he said with a wide grin, rushing forward to hug you.

Panicking, you reached behind you to the desk and grabbed the mini taser that you kept on your key ring, sticking it into his side.

He fell to the ground with a sharp yelp, clutching onto his side as the flowers dropped.  “What… the hell… was that for?!” He gasped out as he tried to catch his breath.

You were standing a few feet away, holding the taser out at him in what you hoped was a threatening stance.  “Who the fuck are you?!”

You could hear several pairs of boots thundering up the steps, but you didn’t move.

“Bucky!” Steve shouted as he rushed to his side.

Your mom, however, ran to you.  “Did you…  Did you tase Bucky?!” She asked as she held your face in her hands.

“He attacked me!”

“I was trying,” ‘Bucky’ grunted as he tried to sit up, still holding his side, “to hug you.”

You glared at him, your heart pounding against your ribs.  “Do you always go around hugging people you don’t know?!”

A man behind Steve started cackling, bending over in half as he slapped his knee.  “I’ll be damned.  Little ol’ Potts doesn’t remember Buckaroo.”

“Yeah, and I don’t know you either,” you retorted as you pointed the taser at him threateningly.  Your mom tried pushing your hand down, but you didn’t budge.  “And my last name isn’t Potts.  I took my dad’s name.”

“I’m Sam.  Sam Wilson,” he said as he tipped his hat.  “We were in school together.  We all were.”

Lips pursed, you took a closer look at him.  “You tried running me over with a four wheeler,” you said as his face clicked in your mind.  He looked older, obviously.  He’d already been a few years older than you.

He winced, his hands going to his hips.  “That would be the thing you remember about me.”

Your hand whipped back to point at this Bucky guy as Steve helped him to his feet.

The brunet eyed you with something akin to sorrow as he carefully reached down and picked up the bouquet.  “You really don’t remember me, huh?”

There was a pang in your heart as you slowly let your hand fall to your side, switching the taser off.  “Should I?”

He let out a weak chuckle, nodding as he stared down at the flowers.  “Well, my momma made you homemade peach pie and it’s down in the kitchen if you want some.”  He dropped the flowers onto the dresser beside the door.  “Your favorite.  At least, it used to be.”

You watched quietly as he left, swallowing around the lump in your throat.  You didn’t understand why seeing him upset brought out such a… visceral reaction from you.

Steve followed after him, and Sam awkwardly tipped his hat at you before heading downstairs with them.

“Mom, who was he?” You asked, your voice cracking.  Your eyes hadn’t left the space he’d been standing in.

“Bucky was your best friend growing up,” she said as the two of you sat on your bed.  It creaked under the weight of both of you.  “You couldn’t get one without the other.”

“He probably thinks I’m a real bitch, huh?” You asked, rubbing your clammy hands on your leggings.

“Nah,” she said, wrapping an arm around you.  “He just…  He’s missed you a lot.  When you first moved to New York City with your dad, you two used to talk on the phone everyday.  Winnie said she never could get him off that phone.  They ended up having to get a different phone plan that had unlimited calls.”

Your brows furrowed.  “I…  I can remember talking on the phone all the time, but then the calls just… stopped.”

You could faintly remember running around with a boy whose limbs were too long and his hair too shaggy.

“He…  He used to wear his dad’s cowboy hat,” you said, really digging into your memories.  But you’d spent so long repressing them, trying to forget Tennessee and everyone in it.  “He—”

You broke off as you heard a much smaller pair of feet running up the stairs.

“MOMMA!” A little voice shouted as the girl from the pictures, Morgan, appeared in the doorway.

Your heart clenched as you watched her throw herself at your mom, turning your face away.  You didn’t want to see the girl that she had replaced you with.

“Hey, June Bug!” She said as she caught her, hugging her tight.  “How was the farmer’s market?”

June Bug.  She even had a nickname for her.

“Good!” She said, not even sparing you a glance.  “We got that organic coffee creamer stuff from Wanda!”

“Morgan, this is your sister,” your mom said, finally bringing the four year old’s attention to you.  “The one I was telling you about, remember?”

“Hi,” she said softly, brown eyes blinking up at you curiously.

“Hi.”

“I’ll let you two get acquainted,” your mom said as she set Morgan down on the bed where she had been sitting.  She gave you one last look before slipping down the stairs.

You weren’t sure what to think of her.  She was gangly and young and sweet, and you wanted to hate her.

But how could you hate someone like her?

This whole thing wasn’t her fault.  She didn’t make her dad fall in love with your mom.

She definitely didn’t make your mom replace you.

“So, you’re Morgan,” you said, finally looking up from your lap.

“And you’re my sister,” she said, raising her eyebrows.

You gave her your name and she repeated it with a sort of wonder in her eyes.

“Momma talks about you all the time,” she said, kicking her legs happily.  “She called your dad a bad word, though.  I heard her.  But she doesn’t know that.”

It was strange, hearing that.  “I thought…  Nevermind,” you said, shaking your head.  There was so much to process and you just couldn’t handle anymore.  Not when it’d been such a long day already, what with flying and tasing the man who was apparently your old childhood friend.

Even if he was the gangly boy you remembered, there was no way he grew to be that big without steroids of some kind, right?

Right?

“Daddy’s barbecuing tonight,” Morgan said as she got down from the bed.  She didn’t even wait for you as she headed downstairs, just expecting you to follow.

And you did.  Sure, it was with a sigh and an eye roll, but you did follow.

You could hear lively chatter as the two of you headed to the kitchen.  To your surprise, it was like a small army had descended upon the house.

“Daddy!” Morgan shouted as she ran into a dark-haired man’s arms.

Your mom’s fiancé, Tony Stark.  He was sweet looking.  Almost like a puppy.

“Hey,” he said with a warm smile as he spotted you loitering half in and half out of the kitchen.  “I’m Tony.  I’ve heard so much about you.”

You plastered on a cookie cutter smile.  “I’ve heard nothing about you.”

His genuine grin didn’t falter as he pulled you into a hug.  “I’m so happy you’re here!  Pepper has talked about nothing else for weeks!”

Was he always this chipper?  You weren’t sure if you could handle a month with someone who was the human embodiment of sunshine.  You were such an introvert, and he clearly wasn’t.

Over his shoulder, you saw your mom watching you with bright eyes.

Patting his back awkwardly, you ducked out of his embrace and escaped to the other side of the kitchen, where the guys you had met earlier were finishing up side dishes.

“Hi,” you said as you sidled up to Steve.  Bucky was on his other side, but you still weren’t quite sure how you felt about him.

But then again, that was probably because of how guilty you felt.  What kind of girl forgets the boy that was her best friend as a kid?

You, apparently.

“Here, try it,” the blond said as he held out a fork with green beans on it.

“Steve, I know what green beans taste like,” you said with a scoff.

“Darlin’, these are my award winning green beans,” he said, waving the fork in your face.

You weren’t sure how green beans could be award winning, but you took the fork from him with a sigh, shoving it in your mouth.  As soon as the flavor hit your mouth you sighed.

So that’s how.

“I’ll give it to you, it’s good,” you grumbled, handing him the fork back.

A triumphant smirk lit up his face.  “I’ll be damned, the city girl can enjoy things!”

You stuck out your tongue at him as you leaned back against the counter, taking a moment to observe those around you.  There was your mom, Morgan, and Tony, of course, as well as Steve, Sam, and Bucky.  Right outside the propped open back door, there was a blonde girl who looked like she could lift four hundred pounds, and you may have made a mental note to text Val about her.  She had a thing for tough women.  There were a few other guys loitering around that all seemed to be in such a rush that you couldn’t quite keep ‘em straight, but you guessed there was about four of them.

“Don’t you have a sister, Bucky?” You asked as you searched the array of faces.

He looked at you in surprise, blue eyes wide.  “Uh, yeah.  Becca’s got a date though.”

“A date?” You repeated.  That couldn’t be right, could it?  “But isn’t she, like… eight?”

He snorted as he grabbed the gallon of milk on the counter, eyeballing how much he poured into the bowl of mashed potatoes he was working on.  “She’s nineteen now, actually.”

“Oh.”

Steve looked between the two of you, clearing his throat.  “I’m gonna go help Carol and Tony with the grill.”  When Sam didn’t move, too enraptured by the mac and cheese he was preparing, he cleared his throat again, finally getting the other man to look up and catch on.

“Oh, yeah, gotta–” Sam coughed, grabbing the glass bowl, “Gotta check the grill.”

The two of you stood there in relative silence for what felt like an eternity.  “Can I…  Is there anything I can do to help?” You asked, feeling rather awkward just standing around while everyone else worked to prepare dinner.

“Uh, you can peel some more potatoes,” he said, nodding at the bowl of freshly washed spuds.  There was a peeler sitting on a paper plate right next to it, having clearly been used just a little while before.

“Sure,” you said, eager to do something.  You needed to break up the awkwardness that was between you two, but you weren’t sure how.

But you only got about thirty seconds into peeling the potatoes when you were stopped.

“No!  Not like that,” Bucky snapped as he grabbed the peeler from your hands.  “You’re gonna end up cutting your finger off and then the potatoes will be ruined because you got blood all over them.”  He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a second, before turning back to you.  “Look, you gotta hold the potato like this.”  He held it with his hand underneath it, his fingers out of the way.  When you nodded, he grabbed your hand and placed it in the correct position.  “See?  Like this.”  His other hand placed the peeler in your hand before wrapping around it, guiding you.  “And you peel away from you slowly…  Like that.”

Your face felt rather hot as his calloused hands guided yours, his chest pressed against your back.  His breath was hot on your ear.

The two of you lingered once the potato was completely peeled, almost like you were afraid of breaking whatever spell surrounded the two of you.

As much as you didn’t want to admit it, his warmth around you was a welcome one.  You’d felt so… safe with his arms enclosing you.

Even if it was just to show you the proper way to peel a potato.

Biting your lip, you suddenly remembered that there were other people in the kitchen.  A lot of other people.  “We should…”

He coughed, nodding as he quickly detached himself from you.  “Yeah.  Yeah.  You got it.  You’re good.”

You kept your head down as you peeled the rest of the potatoes, not wanting anyone to see how flushed you’d gotten.  You could hear a few giggly whispers behind you and you willed yourself not to snap at them to mind their own business.

By the time you finished the second batch of mashed potatoes, everyone else was bringing in their dishes, setting them all along the counter.

It was strange how second nature it all felt, getting your plate fixed up and sitting at a table so crowded that it was impossible not to knock elbows with the people on either side of you.

“You’re Pepper’s daughter, right?” The tough blonde woman from before sat on your left as Morgan took the spot on your right.  “I’m Carol.”

You gave her your name, your lips pressed in an anxious smile.  “Are you one of the farmhands, too?  There’s a lot more of you guys then I remembered.”

“Yeah.”  She reached across the table and grabbed the pepper, sprinkling it over her helping of mac and cheese.  “Your momma hired Sam, Thor, Clint, and I after she bought the neighboring dairy farm.”

“And what about him?” You asked, nodding towards the kid who looked about seventeen.

“That’s Peter.  He helps out around here for extra cash on the weekends.”

“And him?”

Carol grinned as she followed your gaze to the older man who was sitting beside Tony.  “That’s Scott.  He works on all the tractors and stuff.  Keeps everything running.”

“Aren’t you going to eat some meat?” Thor’s booming voice asked from across the table, reaching to put a pork steak on your plate.

“No, I’m actually a vegetarian,” you said.

Everyone kinda stopped, staring at you in surprise.

Your cheeks flushed with the heat of everyone’s gazes.

“Just gotta make sure to get you some extra beans then,” Bucky said, breaking the silence as he reached over and dumbed an extra spoonful of green beans on your plate.  “Don’t want you to not get enough protein.”

You sat there picking at your plate as everyone else went back to their conversations, like nothing had ever happened.

Being at the table sent a wave of loneliness crashing over you.  Everyone around you was part of a family, and you… you were just an outsider that had been invited to stay for a little while.  And even then, you felt like you were a spectator, watching all of them from a window.

You just wanted in.

“I’ll be back,” you mumbled as you stood.  Your chair scraped loudly on the hardwood floor as you left the table.

You weren’t sure where you were heading when you walked out the front door and down the rotting steps of the front porch.  The sun had started to set and you could hear the chirping of cicadas coming from the trees.

You just knew you needed to get away from it.  From the house, from your mom, Morgan, Bucky, all of it.

As you walked, you clicked on your boyfriend’s contact, hitting the call button.  You’d already called Val twice today and you didn’t want to bother her yet again.

Hopefully your boyfriend would pick up.

It rang and rang and rang again as you kept walking down the dirt path that led away from the house in the opposite direction of the way you’d first come in.

“Hey, you’ve reached Brock Rumlow.  Leave your name and number and I’ll think about–”

You groaned as you hung up, shoving your phone back into your pocket.  Of course he wouldn’t pick up when you really needed him, the asshole.

Then again, you don’t know why you expected anything different.  In the five years you’d been with Brock, your relationship had never been an affectionate one.  You weren’t the couple that talked on the phone or texted all the time.  You were both so busy.  It had been that way since you first started dating him your junior year of high school.

But you’d at least hoped he’d pick up this time.  After all, he knew that you were going to be in Tennessee for a month.

A stable appeared up ahead and you felt something familiar settle in your chest as you headed straight for it.  You were curious about what all had changed.

The stable door creaked as you slowly pushed it open.  The late day sunshine streamed in through the sun lights in the ceiling.  The horses that were already in their stalls for the night whinnied and shuffled in the hay.

“Dixie?” You called softly as you read the plaques that were on the outside of each stall.  There was Gunner, Brooklyn, Shiloh, Maggie, Ginger, and Butterscotch.

And right there at the end was your beautiful Arabian.  She let out a soft chuff when she saw you, her hooves stomping excitedly.

“Hiya, Dixie,” you laughed as you held your hand out for her to sniff.  Your eyes pricked with tears as she nuzzled up against you, wrapping your arms around her.  “I’ve missed you, too.”  Her gorgeous black tail flicked as she nudged you.  “What do you say we get out for a ride, huh?” You asked as you pulled yourself over the stall door, landing in the hay that covered the ground.  You grabbed the bridle that was hanging on the wall and carefully put it on her.  “There you go, pretty girl…”  You stared at the saddle for a little longer than you would like to admit, trying to remember everything you needed to do.  Finally you just grabbed it and put it on her.  “Come on, Dixie,” you said as you grabbed the reins, undoing the latch on the stall and leading her out.  “Let’s ride.”

The paddock was right where you remembered it, just outside the back entrance of the stables.  The Arabian was just as well behaved as she’d always been for you as you let her in the gate.  She stood perfectly still as you hooked one foot into the stirrup, pulling yourself up onto her back.

“That’s a good girl,” you cooed as you patted her chocolate brown flank.  Grabbing her reins, you urged her forward in a gentle trot.

And promptly fell on your ass.

You heard someone shout your name and barking as you laid there on the ground, the wind effectively knocked out of you.  Groaning, you tried to roll on your side, squeezing your eyes shut, but it just made it hurt worse.  Dixie was trotting circles around you, neighing worriedly.

You were lucky she didn’t get too close.  One wrongly placed step and she could crush your bones.

“Are you fuckin’ crazy?!”

You opened your eyes just in time for Bucky to slide to you on his knees, his hat falling into the dust as he pulled you to his chest.  “Just… wanted to ride… my horse,” you huffed, grunting as you felt another stab of pain.

“Yeah?  And when’s the last time you road, dumbass?  Ten years ago?” He snapped as he stood up, carrying you bridle style.

Steve was taking care of Dixie, attempting to calm her down.  He had a hold on her reins and was trying to keep her from panicking, but one of the dogs had gotten in and was barking wildly.

“Stop it!” You shouted as you forced yourself to your feet, stumbling towards your horse.  “Get that dog away from her!”  You didn’t pay any mind to Bucky ordering you to stop.  You grabbed the reins from Steve, pressing your forehead against Dixie’s.  “It’s okay, girl.  It’s okay.  I gotcha.  That was all me, not you.  That was my fault.”  She brayed softly as you ran your hands soothingly down her neck.  “Yeah, I know.  I know.  I’m sorry.”

“Stay, Cash.”  Steve huffed out a weak laugh as he kneeled on the ground, keeping the dog’s attention on him.  His chest was heaving as he watched Dixie settle.  “You and Bucky are still the only two she’ll let near her.”

“You didn’t fix the strap,” Bucky said, as he grabbed the saddle.  He was pissed.

“I’ll remember it next time,” you said as you carefully ran your fingers through Dixie’s mane.

“Baby!”

You turned to see your mother running towards you, terror in her eyes.  “Mom, it’s fine,” you said, holding onto Dixie, who was starting to get agitated.

“Like hell it is,” Bucky snapped.  “You can’t just jump back on a horse after ten years.”

“She’s my horse!”

“Yeah?  Then who’s been taking care of her?”

You froze as though he’d slapped you.  Ice ran through your veins as you tore your eyes away from his.  “She’s still my horse.”

Bucky stared at you for a long time.  Finally, with a scoff, he grabbed his hat off the ground and headed back towards the house.  “Cash, come.”

The border collie yipped happily as he followed after him, nipping playfully at his heels as he did.

Steve took one last look at you before running after him.

“Mom, I’m fine.  Really,” you said as you gripped the reins.  “I’ve fallen off my horse before.”

“I know,” she said as she put her hands in her back pockets.  “You don’t gotta tell me how tough you are.  I raised you.  I was the one to first put you on a horse.  I know what my daughter can handle.”

Your heart twisted again as you remembered when you first got Dixie.  “I was seven,” you said, voice quiet.  “I remember crying because I didn’t have my own horse like you and dad.  I came home a few weeks later and you had this foal in the paddock.”  You couldn’t help but smile.  “You said that if I wanted a horse, then I had to raise her.  I had to be the one to feed her and train her.  But I wasn’t allowed to ride her until she was three, and I hated it.”

“You cried the entire first ride, but you were laughing, too,” she said.

The air between you was thick with nostalgia and lost time.  Cicadas buzzed in the trees as the sun sank lower and lower behind the horizon.

Finally, you looked up at her.  “Mom–”

“Yes?”  She looked so hopeful as she stared at you.

“Why didn’t…”  You held back the tears that welled up in your eyes as you stared down at the ground.  “Why didn’t you ever call me?”

“Baby, what are you talking about?” She asked, coming a few steps closer.  Her brows were furrowed, her hands out of her pockets.

It was no use trying not to cry.  A decade of emotions was pouring out and holding them back was like a barn door trying to hold back the Mississippi.

“Nevermind,” you said, pulling Dixie out of the paddock.  “Forget about it.”

You couldn’t deal with that right now.  It had been a long day and adding asking your mom why she forgot about you was not the way to end it.

Another time, maybe.

After you put Dixie back in her stall and gave her a thorough brushing, you were shocked to find your mom waiting outside.

“I have a question for you,” she said as she fell into step with you.

“Yeah?”

She stared out at the dirt road ahead of you two, chewing on her lower lip.  “Would you be my Maid of Honor?”

You tripped over air in your shock and when you caught yourself, you gave her a look as though she’d grown two heads.  “What?”

“I want you to be my Maid of Honor,” she said, as though she was asking what you wanted for breakfast in the morning.  “We’ve got a month ‘til the wedding.  I figure that’ll be enough time to get you a dress and get it fitted.”

You couldn’t help but ask, “Why?”

“Because you’re my daughter and I want you to be a part of this.  It’s important to me.”

God, you must’ve gotten your puppy dog eyes from her because without another thought, you said, “Sure!  I’d love to!”

She let out a squeal that was more befitting of Morgan than her as she hugged you tightly, rambling on at a hundred miles an hour.  “We can go to Hope’s in a few days to get your dress and oh!  The county fair is gonna be in town for your birthday!  It’ll be just like old times!”

“Yeah,” you said, a sense of dread filling you.  “Just like old times.”

[capricornus-rex]

A Shadow of What You Used to Be (2)

Chapter 2: The Homestead | Cal Kestis x Irele Skywalker

Requested by Anon

Summary: There is another! Years after young Anakin Skywalker departed Tatooine, his mother Shmi delivers a second child—this time, a daughter. Whilst the circumstance of the girl’s birth remains unexplained, Irele Skywalker has yet to choose the true path between those laid out for her.

Tags: Fem! OC, Irele Skywalker, Force-sensitive! OC, Anakin’s Younger Sister, Skywalker! OC, Darth Vader’s Secret Apprentice, Long-lost Sibling

Also in AO3

Chapters: Prelude | Previous: Part 1 | Next: Part 3 | Masterlist

3 of ?

Normally, it would take a rider on an eopie to travel from Mos Espa to the Jundland Wastes in five hours maximum. Cliegg, Shmi, and Irele saved themselves an hour or two by spurring the mounts to their full speed. In three hours, they’ve passed by Anchorhead, ending up in the Great Chott salt flat where the Lars homestead and moisture farm are nestled.

Just in the horizon, Irele could spot the white dome structure just a few more miles away. The binary suns are in full view of the sky. Cliegg grunted a command, and Shmi echoed it—thus, the animals kicked the dust at their heels, transitioning from their leisurely gait to a long-legged gallop. When the pair of eopies neared the house, a younger man—perhaps in his teens—comes out to greet the arriving pair of travelers.

“I take it that you’re done with your chores, Owen?”

“Just finished, right before you got here actually,”

Owen is Cliegg’s son, perhaps a younger shell of Cliegg as the boy has inherited his father’s sandy brown hair. The youth shifted his look from his father carrying a shut-down protocol droid to the second eopie carrying a woman and child; he watched the animal be coaxed to its knees by the female rider, the child jumped off first before her mother.

“You bought two of them?”

“You rather I separate mother and child? Would you think it right?” Cliegg quietly lectured.

The son did not argue further, for Cliegg was right. The man handed over the lifeless protocol droid to his son who carried it with great care and regard; the father whispered that it’s still in working condition, it just needed plating to protect its circuits. Irele was reluctant to approach Owen, but Shmi gently rung her arm around her daughter’s shoulder, and so the girl’s legs moved on their own following her mother’s pace.

“Hi there, I’m Owen,”

There’s a shy silence from the girl and took a pace back, blocked by her mother standing right behind her.

“Shmi, Irele,” Clieg addressed and looked at them respectively. “This is my son, Owen.”

“Hello,” the son managed a smile. “Why don’t you come in and let me show you around.”

Irele still hesitates.

“Go on,” Shmi cooed.

While Owen gave a tour of the house for Shmi and Irele, Cliegg would interject to show where Shmi and Irele would be of help around the home. Secretly, during the tour, Shmi would search for the matriarch of this household.

“Is there something wrong, Shmi?”

Shmi began with stammers and had to clear her throat.

“I was wondering where your wife is.”

Cliegg smacked his lips, preparing for an answer. Clueless, Shmi looked at Cliegg for a moment before she got a hint of the silence, she felt her cheeks burn hotter than the Dune Sea at high noon. Now feeling embarrassed, Shmi struggled to coherently apologized; Cliegg insisted that there was no harm done and briefly explained that his wife had passed. The woman expressed her condolences before moving on.

From the outdoor rotunda which intersects the different sections of the house, the combined voices of Owen and Irele grew louder and echoed through the open door frames—the noise causing both parents of each child to turn to the general direction where the kids are.

“Looks like they’re getting along quite well,” Cliegg chuckled.

Meanwhile, the two children have moved on from the living room to the kitchen—perhaps the widest Irele has ever seen in a house! She separated from Owen and ran off on her own, but the boy had caught up to her quickly and found in her the quarters hall. Scanning the area, she found three rooms, one of which was sealed off by a metal door.

The girl raises a finger pointing at the closed door.

“Is that where we’re gonna sleep?”

“Um…” Owen stuttered, before he could complete his words, Irele continued speaking.

“Is that where your slaves stay?”

Irele kept pouring questions, one after another; not leaving a space of a second for Owen to answer each one.

“So, me and mom—are we your first slaves or second?”

“A-Actually, my dad doesn’t feel comfortable when he calls you people ‘slaves,’ it just doesn’t feel right to him—myself included.”

“But… that’s what we are,”

All of a sudden, Irele’s inquisitive tone became somber. The reality has sunken into the eight-year-old’s mind, having no choice but to accept that lot in life.

“Hey now, we’re not gonna let you feel like one the same you guys did back in your old owner,” Owen reassured the girl in quite a brotherly way that Irele found comforting.

Irele’s eyes turned to the droid on Owen’s shoulders. She gestured a nod at it.

“His name is C3PO, in case you were wondering.”

“Oh, this?” Owen angled slightly so that C3PO faces Irele, who giggled. “I was almost worried that I had to figure out his model name and make a nickname out of that!”

“No, C3PO or 3PO is fine,” chuckled Irele.

That same afternoon, they already started working around in the house. Having to leave their house in Mos Espa to stay in the Lars homestead was also a big adjustment—literally and figuratively. Shmi was overwhelmed with how spacious the homestead is, and she knew that she needed to get used to it. Though it relieved her that Irele was slowly feeling comfortable around the house and the people who live in it.

In the evening, Shmi prepared dinner without being prompted to. She had remembered the times Cliegg had told her when they usually have their meals; of course, Irele helped around in the kitchen while the two men of the house finished their work in the farm and the small rotunda—for Owen at least. When father and son had completed the day’s tasks, they were greeted with a table of food but only set for both of them; Shmi didn’t hint the slight puzzlement in Cliegg’s face as his head slightly shifted left and right—counting only two plates, for himself and his son. The patriarch of the house seated himself awkwardly at the front of the table, with his son sitting on his left hand side. Now that their new owners have settled for dinner, Shmi and Irele silently decided to make themselves useful someplace else in the house—the girl was thinking she could while away her time in their garage, fix things that needed fixing. Cliegg stood up, causing a confused Owen to stop in the middle of piercing the meat with his fork, and chased the tandem who were now a few paces away from the dining room.

Cliegg grunted, supposedly to call out their names to stop them; regardless, Shmi and Irele turned around.

“Where are you going?” asked the patriarch.

“Oh, we were just going to work around the house while you have supper.”

“No, no,” Cliegg waved his hand and then transitioned to a gesture of welcome. “Please, come sit, and eat with us.”

Irele’s head tilted up to her mother, shooting her a trivial look, and slightly tightened her grip around her mother’s slightly bigger hand. Taken aback, Shmi didn’t know how and what to respond. Cliegg insisted again, though gently, as he always does with his actions. When the two had joined the other pair, only then did Cliegg began with his food; his first bite of Shmi’s cooking was delightful—he chewed slowly, savoring the flavor of meat and vegetables, he never spared a second to take a second the moment he swallowed the first bite. His reaction affirmed Shmi, in her mind, she had hoped she made a good impression to him as their new servant; Cliegg gestured at the food, wordlessly inviting Shmi to help herself, as well as Irele.

Irele only revealed a smile when she put the spoon in her mouth. Her mother’s cooking was the first reason. The second reason? The warmth that she felt around this house, at this table—it was surreal. She had craved for it—in the back of her mind, she did, she just didn’t know it would come this soon and from a person like Cliegg and Owen Lars.

“Hey Irele, tomorrow morning I’m gonna fix the vaporators in the farm. And maybe we can fix up C3PO. You wanna join?” Owen engaged.

Irele looked to her mother first for some kind of approval and then she nodded at Owen.

“But you gotta be early tomorrow morning!”

“Oh don’t worry, I never miss an hour!” she chimed.

Laughter sourced from the two children, then their parents accompanied with soft chuckles.

For a moment, Irele nearly forgot her life of slavery because it felt like she and her mother had walked into a new family.

–

A few months of their tenure in the Lars homestead, rarely did they ever feel they were slaves. Helper was a kinder word, though not as demeaning as slave. Shmi and Irele worked around the house with full initiative and gusto, enjoying what liberty they have around the house—such as cooking for Shmi, and tinkering for Irele—something that was deprived of them back in that junkshop.

Remembering that promise, Irele joined Owen to the farm where he would show her the vaporators and how to fix them. Owen went ahead and started working on one of them, struggling with a wrench  as Irele watched. Slowly, she went sat closer to Owen to examine the problem.

“There’s something lodged in there,” Irele pointed. “Here, let me.”

“Alright,”

Her slender fingers and tiny hands managed to scrape off whatever what was lodging the small hatch of the vaporator. While she’s at it, she noticed a loose wire in the circuit box and replaced it. Owen watched, impressed at the small child who would know such things. Irele grunted when the plug had fitted neatly into the correct socket and dusted off her hands together.

“How’d you learn to do that?”

“I worked in a podrace garage and in a parts junkshop. The podrace garage is just a part-time.”

“Well, that’s impressive for a kid,” Owen chuckled, forgetting he was a child as well. “But I guess we gotta know these things at this age, right? If we wanna survive.”

“Yeah, they’ll always come in handy.”

The two children continued with their chores. Cliegg joined them briefly to teach Irele how to harvest and how some of their equipment work. When the girl caught on quickly, seeing that she was a fast learner and Owen can handle himself in supervising her, the elder Lars returned to the homestead.

There came a time where Irele had to cut her day short and return to the house, leaving Owen with the other farmers—friends of Cliegg—that day. On the way, she didn’t know what to feel, but she sensed something unusual—she could not pinpoint, however, if it was good or bad. In the back of her mind, something was telling her—no, consoling her—that things will be fine and not the way she thought it would. When she arrived to the house, she spotted that her mother behaved differently—tightly rubbing her one clenched fist with the other, and holding back a smile.

“What’s going on?”

Shmi stood up from her seat in the dining hall and walked up to her daughter.

“Mom?”

“Irele, dear,” the woman took the child’s hand, looked over her shoulder to Cliegg and then back to Irele. “Cliegg is going to free us.”

The girl’s jaw dropped and her heart burst through her tiny ribs right then and there. Elated, confused, and overjoyed—she didn’t know what to make of these emotions all at once! Shmi could feel the shakiness of her daughter’s hands, Irele looked to Cliegg—speechless, but he must’ve understood and nodded as a wordless “You’re welcome.”

That same day, Cliegg called for Owen to come home as well. And so the family hopped onto a speeder and drove to Jabba the Hutt’s palace. Not one human in that speeder knew fluent Huttese, and so they tagged C3PO along—now outfitted with metal plates, they were tarnished in color but it was better than be a biped of exposed red and blue wires. There, they were greeted by a flesh-colored Twi’lek—Jabba’s loyal butler, Bib Fortuna—and immediately required them to state their purpose while a pair of Gamorrean guards stood on either side. C3PO greeted the Twi’lek in Huttese, accompanied by a slow bow, in the humans’ behalf. In Basic, Cliegg requested an audience with Jabba the Hutt for an appeal.

The male Twi’lek’s head slightly angled in intrigue after hearing the translation.

“An appeal?” Fortuna said to himself, barely muttering the word in the other language.

C3PO furthered his human owners’ purpose by briefly explaining what the appeal is about. It doubly piqued Bib when the droid gestured to the mother and child tandem of slaves, he somewhat got the idea, and he paused to contemplate or perhaps rehearse how he will present this to his master.

Nevertheless, the Twi’lek escorted the visitors to the audience chamber, where the master of the house: Jabba the Hutt, remains unmoving in his throne—which was more or less a stage—while toothlessly chewing on the mouthpiece of what ought to be an ornate hookah pipe. Irele felt small when she entered that chamber. There were eyes on her—human, humanoid, sentient alike—when she looked around and saw them drinking and mingling. Upon facing the Hutt, Fortuna bowed before presenting the visitors, he addressed to Jabba in the latter’s native dialect before joining the Hutt’s side.

The droid took one step forward, literally standing between Jabba and the family. Detecting some sort of prompt, C3PO first greeted the Hutt to appease him, and then proceeded to relay Cliegg’s request directly in Huttese.

Jabba hummed and his pupils dilated—with the same intrigue of Bib Fortuna. In his lack of a response, Cliegg follows up.

“I would like to request the freedom of my—” Cliegg paused and turned around. He cleared his throat. “These two slaves. I bought them from a Toydarian junkshop trader. Now that they are under my name, in my home, under my wing—I have deliberately decided to free them.”

If one has lived in Tatooine long enough to know how Hutts operate in their presiding territory, it is no surprise that such a bold request requires collateral or a barter. Cliegg had prepared for this apparently: he’s prepared to give a percentage of his harvest for five standard years to the Hutt, plus an adequate sum of money.

“You drive a hard bargain, Lars,” Jabba croaked in Huttese. There was a pause from the family and the Hutt continued. “Though, I appreciate the fact that you have prepared this. And to show that I am a generous leader, and that I have no qualms with you farmers nor your families: keep the money and give me fifty percent of your harvest.”

The Hutt’s generosity is rare, but it’s not surprising that he is not harsh towards people who have no qualms but it’s the safest route to appease him. Cliegg bit his tongue and gave a grateful bow.

“You are most gracious, Jabba.”

Jabba returned the bow and dismissed the family, as if second nature, Bib Fortuna saw them out the same way he escorted them inside. Once they have gotten through the massive metal gates and the echoing clang signaled the end of their business, Shmi turned to Cliegg—her blush concealed by a mask of a mild sunburn.

“Thank you, but I don’t know how I can ever repay you,”

“But I felt like it was the right thing to do,” Cliegg then turned to Irele, who was still elated from the entire ordeal. “A slave’s life is not a life for a child and her mother.”

Irele didn’t speak, but she smiled back at the remark.

[queen-of-deans-booty]

Abandon All Hope: Final Part

Pairing: Dean x Reader

Word Count: 1,911

Warnings: typical supernatural violence, language, angst, blood, you know the usual

Author’s Note: I do not own anything from Supernatural. All credit goes to their respective owners. Any and all comments on these are appreciated. I really want to hear what you guys think about this one!

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“That's my girl, you're okay, honey,” Ellen whispered to her daughter as she held her.

Jo wasn’t looking too good, and you were trying everything you could not to break down here and now. You’ve been using your magic to heal the wound, and it’s been working, but her body has been drained of so much blood that even if the wound was closed, she wasn’t going to make it.

“Now we know where the devil's gonna be, we know when, and we have the Colt.”

“Yeah. We just have to get past eight or so hellhounds and get to the farm by midnight.”

“Yeah, and that's after we get Jo and Ellen the hell out of town.”

“It won’t be easy.”

“What about a stretcher? I can use my magic to conceal them from Meg or whoever looks at them,” you suggested.

“I'll see what we got,” Sam said, turning to leave when Jo stopped him.

“Stop. Guys, stop. Can we, uh, be realistic about this, please? I can't move my legs. I can't be moved. My guts are being held in by an ace bandage. We gotta—we gotta get our priorities straight here. Number one, I'm not going anywhere.”

“Joanna Beth, you stop talking like that,” Ellen choked up.

“Mom. I can't fight. I can't walk. But I can do something. We got propane, wiring, rock salt, iron nails, and everything else we need.”

“Everything we need?” you wondered.

“To build a bomb, Y/N.”

“No. Jo, no, that’s crazy!”

“You got another plan? You got any other plan? Those are hellhounds out there, Y/N. They've got all of our scents. Those bitches will never stop coming after you. We let the dogs in, you guys hit the roof, make a break for the building next over. I can wait here with my finger on the button, rip those mutts a new one. Or at least get you a few minutes' head start, anyway.”

“No, I—I won't let you,” Ellen cried.

“This is why we're here, right? If I can get us a shot on the devil—Dean, we have to take it.”

“No!” Ellen shouted, looking at Dean. “That’s not—”

“Mom, this might literally be your last chance to treat me like an adult. Might wanna take it?” she coughed.

Ellen starts sobbing, and you let tears fall from your eyes at the realization that Jo isn’t going to see tomorrow… and Ellen might not either.

“You heard her. Get to work,” Ellen sniffled.

Wiping the tears from your eyes, you and the Winchesters set out to make the bombs, filling them with nails and rock salt for shrapnel. All of those bombs took time, and it was night fall when you finished. Sam takes Jo’s hand while Dean strings the wire to the button she will hold.

“Okay, this is it. I'll see you on the other side. Probably sooner than later,” Dean chuckled humorlessly.

“Make it later,” she sighed.

Dean puts the button in Jo’s hand. She didn’t like this even though it was necessary for survival. He kissed her forehead meaningfully before pulling away. Ellen came back and took a seat next to her daughter. Mother and daughter stared at one another before Ellen smiled.

“Mom, no.”

“Somebody's gotta let them in. Like you said, you're not moving. You got me, Jo. And you're right, this is important. But I will not leave you here alone.”

“Ellen,” you got tears again.

“Get going now,” she sniffled.

“Ellen!”

“I said go,” she urged. The tears wouldn’t stop leaking from your eyes even as you forced yourself to walk away. “Dean? Kick it in the ass. Don’t miss.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he nodded.

“I am so sorry,” you whispered.

Ellen got up, unchains the doors, sweeps away the salt line, opens the propane tanks, sits back down next to Jo, and hugs her. Dean forced you out the back door even though you didn’t want to. As you were climbing down the fire escape, you were sobbing quietly. Jo was your only good girl friend, and Ellen was like a maternal figure in your life. It was hard knowing you were leaving them in there to die. As soon as your feet touched the ground, you three began running down the alley. When you got far enough, the hardware store exploded, and you turned to watch it burn.

“JO!!” you screamed, but Dean covered your mouth before anyone else could hear.

“Come on,” he urged.

He had to force you to follow them before you could follow on your own. You kept your sobs quiet as you ran to the farm and through bushes. When you arrived at the scene, dozens of men stand in the field, their attention on something you couldn’t see.

“Guess we know what happened to some of the townspeople,” Dean noticed.

“Okay, last words?” Sam asked.

“I think I’m good,” Dean nodded.

“Yeah. Me too.”

“I love you both so much,” you blurted out, wiping away the dried tears.

“Here goes nothing,” Dean breathed heavily.

Sam got up and walked out in the open with a shot gun even though it wouldn’t do any good on the Devil. Dean took your hand and led you across the way to have a bit of surprise on him.

“Hey!” Sam yelled, approaching Lucifer. The devil turns and drops the shovel in his hands. “You wanted to see me?”

“Oh, Sam, you don't need that gun here. You know I'd never hurt you. Not really.”

“Yeah? Well, we’d hurt you,” Dean grinned, coming out in the open.

You trailed behind with your eyes glowing bright blue and magic swirling around your hands. Dean pointed the Colt at Lucifer and shot him point-blank in the forehead. The angel fell to the ground, but none of the men surrounding you do anything about it.

“Is that it?” you asked.

After a minute or so, Lucifer took a deep breath and sat up.

“Owww,” he complained. The hole in his head started closing as he stood up. “Where did you get that?”

Lucifer had a look of murder in his eyes, and when he approached Dean, you knew he was going to hurt him. Without thinking, you rushed in front of Dean just as Lucifer’s fist came up to punch Dean. Your hand made contact with his, but a layer of magic separated the two kinds of flesh. Your eyes only glowed a brighter blue the more magic you exerted on the archangel. He was impressed you could do this, but he knew he was more powerful than you were.

“Even locked away in a cage, Amara is still a pain in my ass,” he chuckled.

He used more of his strength to knock you to the ground, and he still managed to punch Dean right into a tree which knocked him out. He walked away from you, and you scrambled over to Dean to help him.

“I’ll deal with you later,” Lucifer growled.

“Dean? Dean!” you panicked, putting your blue hand to his forehead.

His skin absorbed the magic you gave him, and he opened his eyes as soon as it did its thing.

“Now, where were we?” Lucifer chuckled. Sam watched with a horrified look as he picked up his shovel once more. “Don't feel too bad, Sam. There are only five things in all of creation that that gun can't kill, and I just happen to be one of them. But if you give me a minute, I'm almost done.”

Lucifer goes back to digging in his hole, and Sam looked at you to make sure his brother was alright. When you gave the nod of approval, he focused back on the angel.

“You know, I don't suppose you'd just say yes here and now? End this whole tiresome discussion? That's crazy, right?”

“It's never gonna happen!”

“Oh, I don't know, Sam. I think it will,” Lucifer goes back to digging. “I think it'll happen soon. Within six months, and I think it'll happen in Detroit.”

“You listen to me, you son of a bitch. I'm gonna kill you myself, you understand me? I'm going to rip your heart out!”

“That's good, Sam. You keep fanning that fire in your belly. All that pent-up rage. I'm gonna need it,” he grinned.

Sam visibly calmed down, looking at the townspeople still all around him.

“What did you do? What did you do to this town?”

“Oh, I was very generous with this town. One demon for every able-bodied man.”

“And the rest of them?”

“In there. I know, it's awful, but these horsemen are so demanding. So, it was women and children first. I know what you must think of me, Sam, but I have to do this. I have to. You of all people should understand.”

“What's that supposed to mean?” Sam asked, and Lucifer dropped the shovel.

“I was a son. A brother, like you, a younger brother, and I had an older brother who I loved. Idolized, in fact. One day I went to him and I begged him to stand with me, and Michael turned on me. He called me a freak, a monster. Then, he beat me down all because I was different. Because I had a mind of my own. Tell me something, Sam, any of this sound familiar? Anyway. You'll have to excuse me. Midnight is calling and I have a ritual to finish. Don't go anywhere. Not that you could if you would.”

Lucifer turned to the hole he dug and began chanting as did the demons around him. Sam rushed over to you and Dean, and you helped the older brother sit up.

“Now repeat after me. We offer up our lives, blood, souls to complete this tribute,” Lucifer chanted, his disciples repeating after him.

One by one, the demons flash gold and fall over, dead. You and the Winchesters looked at Lucifer like he murdered an entire town—oh wait, he did.

“What? They're just demons,” Lucifer shrugged, going back to stare at the mass grave.

The ground starts to rumble, but Castiel appeared next to you three. He placed his finger on his lips to signal to you to be quiet. He used his abilities to teleport all three of you out of there and back at your dad’s house.

All of this, and Ellen and Jo died for nothing.

The glasses from Ellen and Castiel’s drinking competition are still on the table. The TV is on, showing a tornado with a caption that reads, “STATE OF EMERGENCY, Paulding County" and "KOUA 16".

“Just received an update that the governor has declared a state of emergency for Paulding County, including the towns of Marion, Fetterville, and Carthage. The storm system has reportedly touched off a number of tornadoes in the area,” the TV reporter announced.

You, Dean, Sam, and your dad all gather around the fireplace. After you told your dad what happened and how Ellen and Jo died for nothing, he didn’t say anything about it. How could he?

“Death tolls have yet to be estimated, but state officials expect the loss of life and property to be staggering.”

Your dad held a copy of the picture that was taken earlier. No one could bear to even look at the damn thing, so he tossed it into the fire and just watched it burn…

Like the rest of the world will do.

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[luci-in-trenchcoats]

The Farmhouse

Summary: The reader has been quietly dating the Ackles for close to two years now. When a bad day gets even worse, she questions what she’s doing running around with a married couple when she can’t even say who she’s dating…

Pairing: Jensen x reader x Danneel

Word Count: 5,500ish

Warnings: language, angst, eventual fluff

You were fuming by the time you finally, finally got home. Your car got a flat tire on the highway, about ten minutes from the brewery and you’d figured the roadside assistance guy would be there in twenty minutes tops. An hour later he called to say he was going to be another hour. You’d tried to call anyone left at the brewery but there was no answer, not that you were expecting anyone to be there after the brew had finished.

Jensen was flying back into town today, Danneel wasn’t answering your calls and your phone had to go and die on you. Eventually the road guy got there, only to tell you he didn’t have a spare in that size. You were pretty sure you growled as he called for backup, another guy arriving half an hour later. Finally, you were back on the road, pulling into the driveway close to eight.

“Where were you?” said Danneel when you stepped inside, wearing a nice dress, Jensen in a dress shirt and jeans. “You know Jay and I were having a date night.”

“Well excuse me,” you snapped, Jensen pouting at you.

“Hey, it’s been like a month since just De and I went out,” he said.

“Just go on your date,” you grumbled, walking past them for the bedroom.

“What’s got you in such a bad mood?” said Danneel back, a little too sharply for your taste.

“Answer your freaking phone next time,” you said, Danneel frowning at you.

“Girls,” said Jensen, holding up his hands. “Just take a breather. Y/N, there’s no need to come in with an attitude.”

“Go on your date,” you snapped, narrowing your eyes.

“Well the kids are over the Padalecki’s since you weren’t home,” she said. You kept on walking for the bathroom, slamming the bedroom door shut after you. “You’re such a child sometimes, Y/N!”

“Don’t talk to me anymore!” you shouted back, locking the door after you. You heard the front door shut after a moment and the car pull out.

You hopped in the shower to try to cool off but your anger only turned to being upset.

Neither one of them brought up the fact that you weren’t home. You could have been dead in a ditch and they hadn’t as so much bothered to ask why you were so late. They were just upset they were late for their date because you weren’t home to babysit.

Again.

They were the one’s that were married after all. They were the one’s that’d been together for years and years and years, the ones that had kids together.

You’d met them helping them set up the brewery and that’s how you got involved. Two years later though and you’d never even been on a real date with the two of them. No, out in public you were the third wheel, a super close friend. If you and Danneel went out, you were friends grabbing a bite. There was no holding hands ever, no kisses. Nothing beyond fast hugs which even then were mostly reserved for the two of them.

You understood, you really did. This was not a normal situation and you didn’t want them to get any crap for it.

But they got to actually show that they were in love and talk about each other openly and you were just there in the shadows.

The babysitter for date night. The one that’d never once gone out with Jensen just the two of you. The one that was treated almost like you were a nanny when other people were around.

Their parents didn’t even know. They didn’t even know you lived with them.

What the hell were you doing dating two people that would never love you the way you wanted to be? Maybe it was selfish but you just wanted so badly not to be the one that was brushed off or forgotten or hidden away for once.

It would always be that way too.

You got out of the shower and dried off, changing into jeans and a shirt, going to the closet and grabbing your suitcases and a duffel from the bottom. You slid all of your bathroom stuff into one, your clothes fitting in the rest. Everything else was theirs. Nothing in the house even really belonged to you. It was all the Ackles’.

You’d never be one of them, even if you’d fallen for them both.

You packed up your car and wrote a fast note, saying you were leaving and asking them not to contact you.

Ten minutes later you were on the highway, determined to get the hell out of Austin.

You pulled into the driveway about 2am, after driving aimlessly for a few hours, ignoring the phone calls and texts you kept getting alerted to. You left all but one of your bags in your car, knocking on the door quietly.

“Y/N?” yawned Nate as he pulled open the front door. “Sis, what-”

“Can I crash here tonight?” you asked. He nodded and let you inside, stumbling back up the stairs with you on his heels.

“Uh, there might be some boxes and crap in your old room,” he said.

“That’s okay. Thanks for letting me stay,” you said.

“This used to be your house too,” he said. “We’ll talk in the morning.”

You woke up groggy, Nate already up and about from the sounds of it. You padded downstairs, Nate sliding a dish of bacon and eggs in front of you.

“Mmm, thanks,” you said, grabbing a fork from the drawer and diving in.

“So...what brings my kid sister all the way up to the old family farm in the middle of the night?” he said with a smirk, taking a seat across from you.

“I quit my job,” you said, shoveling some food in your mouth. “I’m done with Austin. I was thinking of working the farm. You could use the help and I could split bills with you.”

“That does sound appealing but why’s smartie pants who couldn’t wait to get out of here want to suddenly come back?” he asked. “You were making good money at that brewery place.”

“Issue with the owners,” you said, chewing on some bacon.

“Big brother gotta kick some ass kind of issue?” he asked.

“No, Nathan,” you said with a smirk. “I don’t want to work there or be around them anymore is all.”

“So you quit your job and are moving because you don’t want to work with your boyfriend and girlfriend anymore...the whole coming here in the middle of the night thing is making a bit more sense now,” he said.

“You always thought I was a freak for dating two people at once anyways. What’s it matter to you?” you said.

“I was surprised when you told me, yes, but I never thought you were a freak. Everything you ever told me about them...you always lit up. You were in love. Of course I want you to be happy, whoever it’s with,” he said. “Hey, I knew you were into boys and girls before you did. I’m the one that helped you talk to mom and dad about it you were so scared.”

“Nate,” you said, squeezing your eyes shut. “I just wasted two years of my life on people that will never be able to love me the way they love each other. The worst part is I still love them. I feel like a little kid throwing a tantrum.”

“I don’t think the fact that you want to have an open relationship with your partners is a crime, Y/N. I think you should be a little selfish when it comes to love. Mom and dad showed us what a good relationship is. Your partners aren’t taking care of you like they should be,” he said.

“Sometimes I would get scared that I’m just...something fun to them. Something new and exciting. They asked me to never tell anyone about them. Anyone, Nate,” you said.

“I know. So do mom and dad,” he said with a smirk.

“Because I didn’t want to hide that from you guys. But they hide me and-”

“I know your relationship is different than what people are used to but there’s a difference between not broadcasting something to the world and hiding it,” he said. “And you know what one was going on here.”

“Mom and dad never even met them. You never even met them,” you said.

“Well, mom and dad are in Florida and you’ve never even been invited to these guys Christmas and you know what? Fuck those guys. This relationship has too many conditions on it and that’s not what you want,” said Nate. “You can crash here and help out around the farm for a while but I do think you should try to get back into brewery work, maybe something around here.”

“Thanks, Nate.”

Two Days Later

You were setting down a fresh bag of feed in the chicken coup when you heard a car door open and shut out front. About ten seconds later a body walked around the farmhouse, stilling as he spotted you. He walked over quickly, slowing as he came to a stop a few feet away.

“You shouldn’t have come to your brother’s if you didn’t want to be found,” said Jensen.

“Surprised you remember I have a brother. You better get out of here before another human being sees you talking to me alone,” you said, cutting open the bag and filling up the trench for the chickens.

“What the hell is this?” said Jensen, pulling out the note you’d left. “You don’t call or answer any of our messages. What the hell is going on?”

“Excuse me,” said Nate, patting his gloves together, heading over from the other end of the barn. “I believe you’re on private property mister.”

“You must be Nate,” said Jensen.

“You must be the dick,” said Nate. Jensen’s face flashed with hurt for a moment, his gaze back on you. “I think you should go.”

“Not until I know what happened,” said Jensen. “Sweetie-”

“She ain’t your sweetie anymore, princess,” said Nate, stepping in front of Jensen, letting the few inches and pounds he had on him show off. Jensen scowled up at him but Nate shoved Jensen’s arm. “Leave before I call the cops.”

“I just-”

Nate shoved on Jensen again, Jensen glaring at Nate but all you saw was the sad look in his eyes.

“Y/N. What-”

Nate grabbed Jensen’s arm and yanked him forward, Jensen shrugging out of it.

“What is your fucking problem?” snapped Jensen.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m only treating you the way you treat her. Unwanted and there as a convenience, something pretty to look at it. Why don’t you get your pretty boy Hollywood ass out of here before I knock some sense into you,” said Nate.

“What the fuck are you talking about!” said Jensen. Nate laughed and you went wide eyed, remembering him doing that when he was a teenager about to get in a fight. About two seconds later, Jensen was a few feet back, his hand on his cheek. “Did you punch me?”

“Must not have took,” said Nate, raising up his fist and swinging again, Jensen dodging most of it this time. Nathan kicked out his feet though and Jensen fell flat on his back, Nathan glaring down at him.

“Nathan!” you shouted, shoving him away. “What the fuck are you doing! You’re an adult. Act like one.”

“I politely asked this mister to get off my property and when he declined, I exercised my right-”

“Go away. Now,” you barked. Nate stared at you a moment before he headed back for the barn. Jensen got up to his feet, brushing himself off. “Are you-”

“Do we make you feel unwanted?” he asked quietly.

“My brother starts to kick your ass and that’s what you focus on?” you asked.

“Do you?” he asked. You sighed and grabbed his arm, leading him up to the farmhouse and into the kitchen. You sat him down at the table, finding a first aid kit and cleaning up his cheek while he watched you. “Why’d you break up with us? Was it your fight with De? She’s a wreck. I mean, we sent the kids to my parents and she’s been out to your friends in Austin. We were both trying to look for you and-”

“I don’t fit with the two of you,” you said. He nodded and you turned away to get a small bandage, Jensen hard faced when you turned back but you saw his eyes were wet and verging on tears. “Don’t cry.”

“Why don’t you get your brother to hit me again then,” he said, swallowing thickly.

“I did not ask him to do that,” you said. Jensen bit his bottom lip and stood up, out your back door and marching towards the barn before you could stop him. “Jensen!”

“Nate!” shouted Jensen. “Your sister ain’t talking so maybe you will.”

“Jensen!” you shouted, jogging over as Nate was on Jensen like that, grabbing his shirt collar. “Nate, do not-”

“Do you love my sister?” asked Nate.

“Yes,” said Jensen.

“Love her as much as your wife?” he asked.

“Yes,” said Jensen.

“Then why the fuck does she not know that? Why don’t you take her out on a date? Why don’t you treat her like a partner? I had a partner, asshole, and she got sick and I’d do anything to get her back. So what the fuck would you do to get her back? How far would you go to prove that to her?” said Nate.

“You really haven’t looked at your phone in two days, huh,” said Jensen, giving you a sad smile. You cocked your head and grabbed it from your back pocket. “When you were gone like that...De and I got a little scared and you weren’t technically missing so we made a post.”

You opened up instagram, jaw dropping when you saw the post they’d both put up. There was a picture of the three of you. The one with them both kissing you from New Year’s last year.

“This is Y/N. She’s our girlfriend and she’s missing,” you said, scanning over the rest of the post. “We miss her. Please come home.”

“We were never hiding you on purpose. We were only doing what you asked us at the start of all of this. Keep you out of the limelight. Keep it away from our families like you said. You’re the one that came up with the rules for dates out at first and we always thought you’d tell us if you were ready for more and...” said Jensen. “Honey-”

“That was two years ago. You never even told your family about me and you told me I wasn't supposed to tell anyone either. You aren’t innocent in this.”

“We never said this would be easy. I screwed up. De screwed up. We talked everything out at the start and never talked about it again. We should have kept talking about it, Y/N. Please, just give us another chance,” he said.

“Nate, hold on to him for a second,” you said. Jensen glanced back at Nate and then you, watching you type away on your phone for a moment. “You can let him go now.”

“What’d you do?” asked Jensen.

“I responded to your instagram post. I was your girlfriend as in ‘friend’ and that was all,” you said. Jensen shook his head and you made your face hard. “We’re done.”

“Y/N,” said Jensen, stepping towards you but Nate grabbed him. Jensen didn’t hold back this time and swung hard, Nate pushing it aside and pinning his arm behind his back. “Y/N.”

“Time for you to go, Romeo,” said Nate, Jensen trying to break out of the hold as Nate started to pull him back towards his car. “Stop. She said no.”

The fight went out of Jensen at that, Nate guiding him back to the car and sitting him down behind the wheel.

“Listen. I know you want to make things right but I know my little sister. She’s been too hurt by all this and whatever happened a few nights ago was the last straw. Something beyond a lack of date nights caused this. She always felt second class to you and your wife. Don’t get me wrong, I understand loving your wife but you two never made her feel like she was loved the same, even if you felt it,” said Nate.

“I’m not giving up,” said Jensen, Nate closing his car door on him. “Not ever.”

“She said she’s done,” said Nate. “Respect that.”

“I’m not leaving this town until she knows how much we love her,” said Jensen.

“You just don’t get it buddy, do you? I see you on my property again, I’m calling the cops,” said Nate.

“I’m not throwing away someone I love just because you threaten me. I got my own kid sister so I fucking get what you’re doing but you could beat the hell out of me every single day and it still ain’t going to stop me until she knows that we love her,” said Jensen.

“That can be arranged,” he said.

“Next time I’m back, my wife will be with me. If you even think-”

“I wouldn’t touch a lady. I’ll tell her off but won’t touch,” he said.

“Good,” said Jensen.

“Now get.”

“I know you’re going to ignore this but tell her I’ll be back tonight with De. We need to talk,” said Jensen, closing his eyes.

“No, you won’t,” he said.

“Yes, I will.”

“Boys,” you snapped, both of them turning to face in front of them. “Get out of the car and if anyone throws another fucking punch, somebody’s getting kicked in the nuts, got it?”

Nate held up his hands and moved away, giving Jensen enough space to slip out of his car.

“Nate. I don’t care where you go but give us some privacy,” you said. Nate grumbled but walked around the other side of the house, Jensen just staring at you. “I didn’t make a post.”

“Why-”

“I wanted to see your reaction,” you said. “To thinking you’d really lost me.”

“Why?” he asked.

“Because I needed to know if you really wanted to try again. I wasn’t expecting you to get dragged out of here by Nate,” you said.

“I will do whatever the fuck you want me to. De and I both will. Just don’t tell us we lost you,” he said.

“Have I ever been a game to the two of you? Just something fun to play with and spice things up?” you asked.

“No. Never,” he said softly.

“You love me?” you asked.

“Just as much as De. You’re both my girls,” he said, glancing down at his feet. “Do you love us?”

“Of course,” you said, Jensen lifting his head up.

“Friday when you were gone so long...you weren’t on a date?” he asked.

“What?” you asked.

“You know those little tile things with the gps we all stuck on our phones in case we lost them? When De got out of the dentist-”

“De was at the dentist?” you asked.

“Yeah. Her appointment got bumped back a few hours,” said Jensen, shaking his head. “When we saw all the missed calls, we looked up the gps since you weren’t answering your phone. It showed you were at that restaurant just off the highway by the brewery for like...hours. We thought maybe the calls were to break up and you were on a date with someone else. When you got home, we were too scared to bring it up and that’s why De was so on edge and...”

“I got a flat tire,” you said.

“I believe you,” he said.

“You thought I was going to break up with you?” you asked.

“Technically I think you still did,” he said. “We thought you were unhappy with us. Everything was so hush hush...we thought you were embarrassed of us.”

“Jensen-”

“You’re beautiful, Y/N. You could snag a guy, a girl, ten years younger than me easily. You could get married properly that way, have someone that was always home and not off in another country working...you can have better than us. We thought...”

“We all need to stop thinking and just start talking,” you said. “We just need to sit down and talk this through, alright?”

“I’ll call De. She’ll be here in a few hours.”

“Nathan,” you said, narrowing your eyes at your brother in the house, Jensen sitting awkwardly on the end of the couch. “Would it kill you to apologize to Jensen for hitting him?”

“What’d he do? Put on puppy dog eyes and suddenly the sun shines out his ass again?” asked Nate.

“We talked. De’s going to be here soon and we’ll talk some more and then I’m probably going to head home in the morning,” you said.

“She’s not a toy to play with you know,” growled Nate.

“Why do you hate me so much?” asked Jensen calmly. “I never asked to fall in love with two women at the same time. I kept it to myself, I felt like an awful person for even thinking it until my wife brought up Y/N one night and we realized we both felt the same about her. Maybe I can’t be what you envisioned for her but I will be kind and good and isn’t that what you want?”

“I want you to shut-”

A knock came at the door, Nate standing and stepping over to it, ripping it open fast.

“Hi,” said Danneel quietly.

“Oh great. Another one,” he said, rolling his eyes. He opened the door and Danneel slipped past him, pausing when she saw Jensen’s face and then you.

“What...” she said.

“De, this is Nate. He sort of fucking hates us so don’t take offense,” said Jensen. Danneel took two large steps away from Nate, your brother scoffing as he went past.

“Don’t worry. Punching is reserved for pretty boy,” said Nate.

“What is your problem?” you shot at him, Nate’s face scrunching up. “You’ve been terribly rude, violent, De’s scared to be near you. I know you aren’t happy with them and we got some stuff to work out but you’re going to respect my partners, dammit. Now apologize for the pretty boy crack or I’ll whoop your ass myself.”

“Whatever,” said Nate, quickly leaving the house, the sound of one of the machines going outside telling you at least you’d have some privacy.

“Sorry about...” you said. Danneel stared at you and quickly rushed over, wrapping her arms around you. “De. De, too tight.”

“I’m so sorry,” she mumbled, Jensen standing up and peeling her off of you.

“De, honey, relax. I already did the groveling part,” said Jensen. “Let’s sit down and figure out what went wrong and how we’re going to change all of those things in the future, alright?”

You were sandwiched between both of them on the couch, Jensen playing with your hair, Danneel making shapes on one of your arms. A bit of calm and quiet after all the talking had been nice. Things felt good again and the heavy weight you’d been carrying around with you was gone, hopefully for good.

Nate gave you a quick goodbye but didn’t say a word to either one of them when you headed out.

Back at home, you had a few days of just the three of you, of playing together without all the rules this time, of going out to dates. Jensen wasn’t overly affectionate in public in general but he liked to hold your hand now when you walked or give a quick peck on the lips. Date nights were always for everyone from then on out and Danneel said they’d get someone over to watch the kids since you were their mom too and more than entitled to a night off.

Once the kids were back home, you settled into a routine with everyone that left everyone feeling like they belonged again.

Two Months Later

“I’ll get it,” said Jensen, padding out of the kitchen and to the front door.

“I thought everyone we were expecting was here already,” said Danneel, counting off people in the living room again.

“Maybe we got a rebel who didn’t rsvp,” teased Jensen. You saw his smile drop when he pulled the door open, Danneel walking over with a big smile until hers too faded away.

“Hey,” said Nate by the time you got over there, in a pair of nice jeans and a button down, holding a small bag. “You uh, having that engagement party thing for Y/N tonight?”

“Yeah,” you said, stepping in front of them. “I thought you said you were busy.”

“Well, hopefully you only get sort of engaged and sort of married only once,” he said with a shrug. “Here.”

He held out the bag, the top of your favorite local brew back home sticking out.

“So you gonna let me see this fancy house or what? I just drove three hours after all,” he said.

“Nate,” you said.

“You look a lot happier than last time I saw you,” he said softly. “I’ll be on my best behavior. I promise.”

“We’re more than glad to have some of Y/N’s family here,” said Danneel, waving Nate in.

“She really is cute,” said Nate.

“She’s taken,” you and Jensen said, Nate chuckling.

“I guess you could have gotten an uglier mug for pretty boy over here, too,” he said.

“I still owe you one, farm boy,” said Jensen.

“Think you could take me shortie?” said Nate.

“I got the boxing gloves in the gym,” he said.

“I’ll have to take you up on that sometime,” said Nate.

“Boys,” you grumbled, rolling your eyes. “Nate, go meet the rest of the family and be nice, please?”

“Alright, alright. Like I said, best behavior,” he said. Danneel led him over to the kitchen, the room quiet for a moment before you heard the sound pick up again.

“Hey,” said Jensen, tugging you away to the bedroom, giving you a cautious smile. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Just wasn’t expecting Nate to show,” you said, shrugging as you looked at the floor. “I don’t know. I thought...things were weird between us once I went home with you guys. I think he thought you guys were manipulating me or something.”

“He loves his kid sister. I get that he wants you to be in a good relationship,” he said. “De and I may have lied about one thing to you since we’ve been back together but we did it for good reasons.”

“What was that?” you asked.

“That day we said we had brewery business, that trade show. We didn’t go. We drove up to your brother’s house and had a talk, the three of us,” he said.

“I see you two lived,” you said. Jensen laughed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“We explained the situation to him. He still thought we were assholes which we were,” he said.

“It was all our faults. Everyone forgot to talk when that’s the most important thing there is to this thing,” you said.

“I know. But still. It went longer than expected and we were going to drive home but he offered to let us stay the night, said something like you’d never speak to him again if we got in an accident on the way home,” said Jensen. “De got a bit scared later that night. Some stuff he said got to her and she didn’t know how to prove to you that what she felt and what I felt was real and she started thinking we were going to lose you again. I didn’t have an answer. I don’t have an answer. I-”

“Don’t be scared,” you said softly. He smiled, nodding his head. “I know it’s real.”

“We’re not afraid anymore,” he said. “But the walls are a little thin in that old farmhouse and then there was Nate, poking his head in your old room and saying what is it about that bedroom that makes girls cry. I think he meant it as a joke but it pissed me off and I told him to stop and it set him off and then we were outside in the barn and I swear, I thought we were going to duke it out.”

“My brother thinks with his heart instead of his head a lot,” you said.

“I realize that so I started to speak his language,” said Jensen. “I told him we didn’t need him to remind us of our mistakes.”

“So I told this shrimpy little asshole to leave my sister alone,” said Nate, finding his way into the bedroom. “Guy wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

“Don’t harass people I love, Nathan,” you said.

“Well Jensen here spun it around on me and asked me to stop being selfish because it wasn’t about him or that cute redhead or even me. It was about you. All three of us wanted the same thing. You to be happy. Whatever your decision was, the three of us should respect it, whether that was you staying or leaving. He had a point,” said Nate.

“He ended up apologizing to De and me and we worked things out,” said Jensen.

“Good. I really want you guys to get along. I’d like my big brother to come visit more often too,” you said. “I know you get lonely in that house.”

“Yeah. I’ll be sure to be around more than I have in recent history,” he said. You saw JJ wander into the room, stopping in front of him. “Hi.”

“Are you mom’s brother?” she asked, looking back at you. “He’s bigger than Uncle Jared!”

“Mom?” he asked. She looked back at you again and then at him, like he didn’t get it. “Sorry, sweetie. I forgot you got two mom’s.”

“Can we play?” she asked.

“Yeah, kiddo,” said Nate, smiling as she took his hand. “I can tell you a whole bunch of stories about your mom I bet you never heard. She grew up on a farm you know.”

“Really?” she said. You laughed as they walked off together, you and Jensen heading back to the party.

“I knew sicking the kids on him would be a good move,” said De. “He’s a big softie under it all, isn’t he?”

“Yeah. Sarah was good at bringing that out in him. He didn’t want to get hurt again after she got sick,” you said.

“Why don’t we invite him to spend the next few days with us?” she said, Jensen nodding his agreement. “Let him get to know the kids, know us a bit better.”

“It is the slow season around the farm. I’m sure he could swing it,” you said.

“Great. We really want our brother in law to be a part of our family too,” said Jensen. You saw Nate’s ear twitch up, probably subtle enough that they wouldn’t notice but Nate was used to quiet and alone and he’d always been a good eavesdropper. You smiled and looked over at him, getting a nod and smile in return before JJ was handing him a toy.

“I’m pretty sure he wants to be part of it too.”

[kazosa]

A Mutually Beneficial Arrangement - Part 6

Summary: All you wanted was to use your skills in automotive engineering and design to open your own custom car shop. When the rug gets yanked out from under you, one of your regular customers offers you a job that you just can’t resist. Will it stay a mutually beneficial arrangement, or will something unexpected bloom?

Pairing: AU Dean Winchester x Reader

Appearances by: John Winchester, Bobby Singer, Ellen (Harvelle) Singer, Sam Winchester, Jessica Moore, Benny and Laura Lafitte, OC Jack, OC Mom

Chapter Synopsis: It’s finally the day of the Gala. Dean and the reader go check out the ballroom with Bobby. Reader and Jess have a talk. John and the Reader have a mini showdown. The end of the chapter culminates with the reveal of who gets the Family Business!

Word count: eleven thousand, eight hundred fifty

Warnings: Shameless Star Wars reference. Extremely inappropriate behavior. Mild violence. Bad language. Alcohol consumption.

Masterlist

Tagging:  @coffee-obsessed-writer  @closetspngirl  @sorenmarie87   @adoptdontshoppets  @parinarain  @his-paradox  @babykalika2001   @docharleythegeekqueen  @22sarah08  @flamencodiva  @deans-baby-momma   

@collette04  @maralisa124   @mml232   @sympathyforluci   

@superthingsilike   @lookwhatyoumademequeue  @jxnnxbrxwn  @winchest09  @sandlee44  @screechingartisancashbailiff  @31shadesofbrown  

@theconfusedcat​   @cherryofdeath 

It was Christmas Eve and finally the day of the Gala. You and Dean had gone with Bobby to the brewery warehouse in town to check on the party set up. When Dean had said he ran the floor at his dad’s brewery, what you had pictured was completely different. Your imagination had seen a small, mom & pop set up. The reality was a monster of a building that held both the brewery and the warehouse. Each was on it’s own wing with a central visitation/sampling area where people could look into the brewery or the warehouse. How he had run all of that and oversaw the dealerships, with Bobby’s help, you would never know. He had been so young at the time and had so much on his plate.

“You didn’t tell me you ran the fucking Empire! I thought you were like Endor or some shit,” you couldn’t believe the enormity of the place.

“Welcome to Winchester corporate offices and brewing facility,” Dean said in a very professional voice.

“Dude!”

Dean gave a small snort and showed you around. The offices were surprisingly modest in size and made up for what they lacked in size with rich décor. The combination of wood, brick, and steel was visually stunning and was carried to the second floor where the viewing/sampling room was located.

“Wow,” there was nothing left to say as you entered the room.

The floor kept the same square footage as the main floor with none of the walls, only the brick pillars and wooden support beams. The party people that had dressed the room, had hung Edison lights from the support beams, giving the space a glow you hadn’t expected. A small stage at one end of the floor told you a DJ would be providing the music for the gala and had large speaker towers on either side of the DJ booth.

“Thought you and your friend did research,” he kept his voice quiet.

“She did, but she didn’t say it was like this,” you waved your hand at the expanse.

“You need to up your research game,” he said.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” he continued. “Like I checked on you. What the hell are you doing working for Chuck with your skills? That … car you have? Holy shit.”

You smiled when he wouldn’t say ‘Tesla’.

“Mom asked me to, you know how it is. Plus, it was nice turning his mess around. Proved to myself I could do it on my own. My Black Beauty goes faaaast.”

Dean held her hand and wondered how he could give her everything she deserved. There was no guarantee that his dad would give him anything, let alone, the business. (Y|N) had her own money and talent to get started tomorrow, if she wanted to. He was impressed with her drive and resistance to anything that would derail her dream. It just made him wonder how he would fit into her life, or she into his, once this week was done.

A bustle of people were coming into the viewing room, carrying decorations and other items, to set up for the gala. Bobby was directing, barking orders at people where to go for the set up and when he was finished, he met up with you and Dean.

“Now that these yay-hoos have things under control, whaddya say we get the cars ready?” Bobby asked, a glint in his eyes.

“Cars?” you parked up.

“The one good thing that came out of Mom dying. Dad uses cars from the dealership to run people to and from the Gala so there’s no drinking and driving,” Dean filled you in.

“Ooo, what kinds of cars?”

“Mostly the big SUVs,” Bobby answered. “Excursions, usually.”

“Oooooooo,” you said again. “You’re gonna let me drive one, right?”

You really only got into fixing cars because you loved to drive them and your dad always said that if you were going to drive ‘em hard, you’d better know how to fix ‘em. Though, your love of cars began way before you were old enough to drive…

“Why do you think I brought ya down here? Need to have a couple at the house to haul y’all down to the office.”

You were practically giddy and Dean just shook his head at you.

“I’m ready, boss, let’s roll!” you said.

“I don’t get why I can’t see you dressed up before the party,” Dean asked again.

You were back at the farm and getting ready with him in his bedroom. You weren’t sure you could exactly explain the ‘why’ of it. There was a sort of honesty that comes in a moment of surprise. You wanted to see Dean’s face. You wanted him to be proud of you. And maybe, if John saw his reaction, he would finally see that Dean really did have feelings for you.

“Don’t take away my fun. I want to surprise you,” you explained. “I want to give you the wow factor.”

“You don’t need to impress me. Trust me, you already got the guy,” Dean was puttering around the room taking care of his last minute details.

You were wearing the dress under his robe, only small hints of green and black lace peeking out from the bottom.

“Stealing my robe now?” He asked.

On an average day, Dean Winchester cut a handsome profile, but it wasn’t an average day. Dean was wearing a tuxedo for the gala, minus his jacket and shoes. A word to describe his look hadn’t been invented yet. The stark white of his shirt in contrast to the black of his slacks only enhanced his already handsome features and appeal.

He caught you staring as he fiddled with the cuffs on his shirt. “What?” He finally got his cuff link to cooperate and laid on the bed near you, not caring if he got wrinkled.

“I didn’t think you’d mind,” you said again in response to him questioning you about his clothes. “I like your things, they’re comfortable. You might wanna get a bag of back up clothes ready, in case we need to bail or just ditch the getup.”

“Oh, good call,” he agreed. He paused for a long while, his finger tracing the zig-zag design on the comforter. “No matter what happens tonight, I gotta come clean to Sam. I don’t want this cloud of lies between us.”

“Are they lies, though?” You thought the feelings were real, even if the circumstances weren’t quite as you’d led his family to believe. Your thumb touched the band on your left hand, absently rubbing the smooth metal. “The only thing not quite true is how long we’ve been together.”

“These last few days with you have been an amazing dream,” he sat up.

It sounded like there was a ‘but’ coming and you tried to ignore the feeling of dread that was building. It had been a great few days with Dean, but it was all a fairytale, wasn’t it? Maybe he just told you what you wanted to hear. He didn’t even hint that he had said ‘I love you’ the night before, he just continued like nothing had happened. What would happen when the magic was over, would he still want you?

“It’s been great,” you agreed. Your voice sounded like it belonged to someone else. You didn’t want to keep him from telling Sam the truth, but would it ruin his chances of taking over the family business?

“No matter what happens tonight, I’m not sorry, not for any of it.” His hand went you your cheek, his thumb stroking your skin.

“Me either,” you whispered. “Speaking of after… how are we doing this? Are we leaving tomorrow? I really need to go see my mom…” you reached to grab your phone, remembering the notifications from the night before.

“You want me to meet your mom?” He seemed a little skeptical.

“I have literally met your whole family,” you said to him, holding down the power button on your phone to turn it on. “I think you can handle one person.”

“What did you tell her about where you’ve been this week?” He was curious.

“Told her my friend needed help dealing with family… and that I would come over when we were done,” you smiled. Your phone kept buzzing with each notification that finally got through. You wanted to look but Dean had your attention.

“I’m not usually the kind of guy that meets the parents,” he hemmed.

“Yes you are. You just haven’t been with the right woman. Don’t worry. She’s easy to get along with. Now my dad…he would have scared the shit out of you,” you snickered.

Dean smiled, his eyes bright, teeth showing through his grin, “Okay. I bet I could have gotten on his good side in five minutes.”

“Well, you would have been the first,” you laughed.

“Then what?” He asked.

Not understanding what he meant, “Then what, what?”

“After your mom’s house, then what?”

There was still so much you had to do and you hadn’t thought much about any of it for days. You’d been working so long to get to a point where you could leave Chuck behind, but then what, indeed. How would Dean fit into your life after this week? How would you fit into his? Before you could formulate any kind of answer, a knock at the door startled you both out of your building panic.

“Dean?” Sam was at the door again. “You ready?”

“Be right out,” he called to the door. “We can talk about it later,” he leaned in to give you a quick kiss. “Sam and I need to do the walk through with Dad but I am going to talk to Sam tonight.”

He’d made up his mind and his expression said that there was no changing it.

“Okay,” you nodded, “I’ll come find you later.”

Dean kissed you again and got up from the bed. He opened the door to the bedroom to reveal Sam and Jess standing outside in the hall. Jamming his feet into the still tied dress shoes, he grabbed the tux jacket and left with Sam.

Once the boys were gone, Jess came in carrying a cosmetics case and hooked her thumb in the direction they’d left.

“Dean looks awful serious,” she noticed. “What’s that about?”

“I guess he needs to talk to Sam about something,” you covered.

Jess narrowed her eyes from just a second, then put the case on the bed by you. “More than what they aired out in the nail salon?”

You only shrugged.

“Okay, lady,” she said, “let’s see the gown.”

Standing up, you pulled the stay on the robe and slipped the garment from your shoulders. Jess let out a long whistle in approval.

“Wow. You are definitely going to turn heads with that dress. Now I wish I’d picked a green one, too,” she said. “Smart move, John will approve.”

“That was the idea when I picked it, but now I don’t give a shit,” you said, spinning for her.

Jess studied your face. Seeing your mix of anxiety, anger, and worry, she asked, “You really do care for Dean, don’t you?”

“What?” You hadn’t expected her to say that and it took a moment for your brain to catch up. “Yes? Why?”

Jess was rooting around to find the perfect shades of green and was holding them up to compare to your dress. When she found ones that looked close to what she needed, she set them aside. She pulled out several pieces of makeup and you had no idea how she would use it all.

“It’s obvious to anyone around you two for more than five minutes that you two are the real deal,” she said. “Close your eyes.”

You closed your eyes, aware that she was beginning to lead you down a path you weren’t sure you wanted to travel yet.

“If you ask me, that’s pretty damn good after a whirlwind romance…” Jess applied eyeshadow.

“It’s been quite a week,” you agreed, unsure where she was going.

“I checked on you,” she said, applying more makeup, “like you kept telling us to do… I also know you and Dean may have known each other for a year, but you haven’t been dating,” she continued, moving to another color palate. “I mean, I get it…kinda. Dean finds out about me and Sam getting engaged and shopping around the business… I warned Sam, but he’s as stubborn as a moose. John has his hangups and Dean was looking to get his position solidified. But what I don’t get…”she blended the colors on your eyelids, “is why you said ‘yes’.”

Your heart sank. Jess had practically figured out the whole arrangement on her own. Jess paused long enough for you to open your eyes and answer her.

“Yes to what?” You stalled.

“Oh, there’s more than just playing his fiancé?” She raised an eyebrow at you. “We can unpack that later.”

She waited for you to answer.

“How long have you known? Are you going to tell John?”

Jess waved her hand in dismissal, “I doubt he would believe me if I did tell him. I knew the day I met you. A simple search on my phone, just like you said. I’m just curious as to why. You don’t need whatever it is Dean offered you, so… what gives?”

You couldn’t answer, not because you didn’t want to tell her, you didn’t know. Impala Guy had caught your eye for his car, but you’d definitely noticed his good looks, too. Maybe it was because he wasn’t like your other customers. Maybe it was the way he ate the donut when he asked you. Jess was right, you didn’t need Dean’s collateral…

“I don’t know,” you answered. “I just felt like, if I didn’t, I would miss out on someone great. I thought about what you said, about maybe I was waiting for him. I don’t know, maybe I was.”

“Hmm,” Jess grabbed the eyeliner, “your secret is safe with me. It’s not really for me to tell anyone, even Sam. What else did you say ‘yes’ to?”

Jess had you close your eyes again so she could apply the eyeliner.

“Nothing I’m willing to admit to right now,” you said.

“Dirty girl,” she teased.

“You aren’t making me look like a painted whore, are you?” You asked.

She snorted a laugh, “No. Promise. I’m going to pat myself on the back, actually. You’re gonna drop jaws.”

“Is it bad that I want this to be a big ‘fuck you’ to everyone?”

“To who? ….specifically.” She was curious.

“I want everyone who ever doubted Dean, or screwed him over, to see that he doesn’t need any of them and that…”

“He has you,” Jess concluded. “It’s not bad at all. Winchesters, in spite of everything, always back up their family.”

You took a deep breath and let it out slowly. You would not cry and ruin your makeup. Jess put on your mascara and lip stain next. You were on such a wild, rollercoaster week, it was starting to wear on your nerves.

“Alright, done.” Jess popped the lip stain stick back in the bottle with finality.

Forgetting you were even holding your phone, it buzzed once, letting you know you had missed messages. You got up from the bed in an anxious daze, curious to see what you looked like now that Jess had worked her magic. The full length mirror in Dean’s bathroom was the only mirror to afford you a full view of yourself. You’d already put on the earrings Dean had bought for you and slipped into your heels. Never one to look at yourself objectively, it wasn’t difficult this time, you looked like a completely different person. You pulled up the camera on your phone and snapped a quick picture.

The only thing that snapped you out of your shock was the opening strains of “Born to be Wild” coming from your phone. Bringing the device’s screen back into your view, the display showed the face of the person calling you.

“Weird ringer for Dean,” Jess said from the door. “You good?”

“Um, yeah, thank you so much, you did an amazing job,” you said.

“I’m gonna head out,” she said and waved so you could answer the phone.

When she was opening the door to leave the bedroom, you accepted the call.

“What do you want, Jack?”

“Merry Christmas to you, too,” he sounded annoyed.

“Merry Christmas,” you groaned. “How can I help you, Jack?” You gave him your best customer service voice.

“Been tryin’ ta get a hold of ye for a few days,” he said.

“And I told you I was going to be away for a week, or more, with probable shitty cell service,” you shot back. This call just proved Jack never listened. “I told you that when I asked you to watch Harry.”

You could hear him sigh heavily on the other end. It had always been a battle with Jack to get him to hear you.

“I know ye did,” he continued. “Something came up.”

The words made your skin prickle and your heart began thumping. When he’d called you up in the past and uttered the same phrase, something bad had happened. If it wasn’t him, it was someone in the club and one time, one of them hadn’t come back…

“What happened? Are you okay? Someone in the club?”

Though you and Jack had parted ways romantically, you still cared about him and his brothers in the club. They’d been like a second family for you in the last five years. You loved Jack, just not the way he had wanted. Club life was rough and every time the phone rang, he would either leave you, or it was bad news, never knowing if he was going to come back.

“Ach, no. Everything’s fine, luv. Me ma sold some o’ her baubles ‘n got me a ticket for a visit,” he explained, immediately feeling bad for worrying her.

“Oh, that’s good. It’s been a while, huh?” You said.

She was a nice woman. You’d been around for a few of the video phone calls Jack had made for special occasions. She still sent you cards for your birthday and Christmas even though both you and Jack had moved on. She even said, in front of Jack, that she still wished the two of you would get back together, or “at least give me a wee gran’baby.”

“Please give her my love, she was always nice to me,” you added.

“Aye, I will. Anyway, since ye’ve been incognito…”

You rolled your eyes.

“…I called yer mum.” He let that statement hang in the air a moment. Jack was not her favorite person ever, but she tolerated him. “Asked her if she would take the laddie.”

“And how did that go over?”

“The usual lecture on being a responsible adult not realizing that’s what I was bein’.” Jack sighed, he’d tried to be civil with your mom, but it could be difficult. “So, he’s with your mum. Thought ye could stop by on the way back ta get him.”

“Good idea,” you said, “That’s exactly what we were going to do.” You softened toward Jack. He was a good man, but he would never leave the club. You would always have been second, no matter how much you may have loved each other. To make things worse, you knew just enough about what happened in the club to scare the hell out of you and wonder what may visit you when he was away. That fear is where Harry came into play. Harry was the 65 pound gray pitbull Jack had gotten for you for protection and company while he wasn’t home, which was often. Jack was never going to settle down, not even for you.

“There’s something else,” his voice had turned serious.

“Oh god, what?”

“Some arsehole came nosing around, askin’ about ya. Got real personal. The lads filled him full a bullshit, sent him on his way. What’re ya gettin’ into, luv? You running from something? What kind of friend gets a private DICK sent after ya?”

Jesus fucking Christ, it’s been an eventful week.

“What did he ask and what did you boys tell him?” You knew it had to be John behind this latest bit of fuckery.

“Ah… well… the boys may have implied that… you were a club bunny. Not in so many words though,” his voice was low. “And that Harry is our son.”

If it had been under any other circumstances, other than Dean’s disgusting dad, you might have laughed. Of course, the boys thought they were covering for you, not knowing the circumstances of why the PI was there.

“For fucks sake, Jack,” you groaned.

“What’s going on, lass?” He asked again.

It took a little while to get through the high points of your visit to Kansas. You didn’t go too deep into detail, but Jack was no dummy. He could hear all of the things you weren’t saying. When you finished telling the story, the other end of the connection was oddly silent, his breath the only thing that told you he was still there.

“Jack?”

“Do ye love him?” He was blunt. “The way ye couldn’t love me?”

“Jack, you know I love you, but yes. He’s the one, Jack,” not for the first time, you felt the twist in your gut with the feeling of failing Jack. The two of you had talked about it many times, and he’d had plenty of ‘bunnies’ to keep him company, but you’d both agreed that it wouldn’t have worked for you two.

“Ach,” he scoffed, “now I’m grossed out. You know who to call if ye need backup.”

“I’ve dealt with some scary and fucked up people in my life. John fucking Winchester is nothing to get riled up about.”

With nothing left to say, Jack said, “Love ya, kid.”

“Love you, too, Ol’ Man,” you smiled. “Remember to tell your mum I said ‘hi’.”

“Alright, ye nag. Bye.”

“Bye.”

As you sat on the bed, you dropped the hand holding the phone to your lap and watched as Jack’s name and face disappeared from the screen.

There was a time when seeing his name gave you butterflies, but there were far more times that it scared the hell out of you. The club never walked on the right side of the law and his calls became something you dreaded. Loving Jack had never been the problem. Living with Jack meant living with the club and everything that came with it. While it had taught you to toughen up, it had also made you a nervous wreck and distrusting. When you finally broke it off with Jack and asked him to move out, you knew you hurt him, but he also understood.

“I’m sorry I can’t give ye the life you deserve,” he’d said, both of you crying by then.

“I know you did the best you could,” you said back.

Jack would always be family, but he’d never stolen your heart the way Dean had. A smile spread across your face as you thought about him and wondered if he would light up when he saw you.

Flipping through the contacts on your phone, you stopped on your mother’s icon and pressed the call button. It took a couple of rings for her to answer and you could hear Harry when she did finally answer.

“Harry! Shut up! Hello?”

“Hi mom,” you said.

“Your dog is here,” she said.

“I know. I just talked to Jack. You okay with him until I get there tomorrow?”

“Oh, he’s fine,” she said then changed her tone to talk to him, “He’s such a goood booyyy. Jack… you know how I feel about him…”

Your mother had made it quite clear over the years. She tolerated him, and sometimes she even liked him, but she would never forgive him.

“Yeah. I do. Is it okay if Dean and I come up in the morning tomorrow?”

“Ohh… I was thinking it was a girlfriend that needed your help this week. Who is this guy, someone special?”

You hated talking about your love life with your mother, but she still had hope for grandchildren, too.

“Yeah, he is,” you admitted. “His family is crazy, but he’s not. He seems like the only level-headed one in the group. Hot as hell, strong work ethic, super smart…” you felt like you were gushing.

“I’m intrigued,” she said. “You going out tonight?”

“Yeah, big party. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.”

“Okay,” she said, “no drinking and driving. Love you. Harry, say bye.”

You could actually hear a muffled ‘woof’ from Harry. Your mom pretended to be put out by his presence, but it was all a show. She spoiled him something awful and he loved being at her house because of it.

“No, ma’am, promise,” you said. “They actually have a car service just for this occasion. Love you, Mom. See you tomorrow.”

Before you left the room, you made sure to grab your clutch and stuffed your phone inside it and went downstairs to find Jess and get to the party.

Dean knew (Y|N) wanted to make an entrance with flair, but he was getting bored. He was barely at the party and he already waited to bail, but he couldn’t do it until she got there so they could both go. People were milling about, mingling, making small-talk before dinner was served. Being early in the night, the lights were only slightly dimmed, the overhead lights would eventually go all the way dark and the twinkle lights would set the mood for the evening. It was quite a sight to see a warehouse lit like the evening sky.

Thankfully, Bobby had seen him loitering near the door and brought over a drink for him and chatted with him to pass the time. He had a lot to say about the dealerships and how well they were doing. Bobby still had executive control over them, despite John’s official ownership. John was the silent owner, and Bobby liked it that way.

“Look, son, there ain’t no easy way to say it,” Bobby had something to say that he’d been holding onto for a while and Dean would probably be leaving in the morning. “I ain’t getting any younger and I’d like to enjoy my golden years while I still can. Maybe take Ellen on a trip.”

Dean patiently waited for Bobby to get to the point.

“No matter what happens tonight with your daddy and the business, I want someone to take over running the dealerships for me. Thought maybe you could do that for me, help out an old man. (Y|N) could do whatever she does in the service department. Designer, ain’t she?”

Bobby had surprised him. Dean didn’t know what he’d been getting at, but he hadn’t expected Bobby to say that. His thoughts spun out in so many different directions, he couldn’t follow one long enough to give Bobby an answer.

“That’s a lot to spring on ya, boy,” the older man admitted, patting Dean’s shoulder. “You think on it. Talk to your lady and get back to me. No rush, but sooner than later. Before next Gala.”

Dean was still stunned when he noticed Bobby do something odd. The older man stood up straighter and pulled down on the hem of his jacket. He wasn’t looking at Dean anymore. Bobby’s gaze was over his shoulder and toward the entrance. Following his line of sight, Dean saw, not what, but who had caught his attention.

He almost didn’t recognize her. If not for the dress and the earrings he’d bought her, he might not have. He was mesmerized by the way she sparkled. It wasn’t until she was right in front of him that he realized she sparkled because she was moving…

On the drive to the warehouse, you’d had time to get your thoughts under control and think of what exactly it was you were going to say to Dean about what had happened with Jack. You just hoped you’d be able to tell Dean before John opened his dumb mouth first.

Once at the warehouse, you carefully got out of the Excursion and made your way inside. There was a canopy over a red carpet with holly garland and lights strung the full length of the canopy and woven through the underside of the canopy. It was beautiful.

You’d made your way to the gala floor and could see Dean talking to Bobby, but you stayed back far enough that the light wouldn’t land on you. Jess had made you look like a movie star and you were looking for your red carpet entrance. Jess was with you only briefly once you arrived at the gala. She’d spotted Sam and excused herself. When you saw your moment, you took it.

The lights had dimmed just enough to make your dress sparkle. Bobby saw you first, and you smiled at the reaction you got from him, but it was Dean that made your stomach flutter. Slowly, he turned to see you. His expression went from confusion to recognition. Then you saw it, the look you’d been waiting forever to see…

You put your hand on his chest and the tux fabric twitched under your hand as you brought him out of his daze.

“See? Now that’s why I wanted to make an entrance,” you smiled up at him. “What do you think?”

“You better marry her quick, son, before I steal her away,” Bobby winked at you and excused himself.

“You took my breath away,” Dean whispered. “You’re like green fireworks.”

“Way right answer,” you said, getting on your tiptoes to kiss him. “What are we supposed to do now?”

He cleared his throat and cocked up his eyebrow, “We go to the table, get together, have a few laughs.”

His Bruce Willis impression needed a little work.

“We need a code word so we don’t go full Nakatomi on this place,” you suggested.

“We?”

“I told you, I have your back,” you reminded. Dean still held you close. “Besides, your dad has a mouth on him and I may need to slap a bitch.”

“I want to be there if you do,” he sounded excited at the idea. “Sounds kinda hot.”

“So what do you think about the code word? Not yippie ki yay… Nakatomi?” You said and watched a defeated look cross Dean’s face, he wanted “yippie”.

“Since you shot that down, Gruber?”

“Argyle?”

“The limo driver?”

You nodded.

“That could work, yeah. Fits into conversation, too. ‘Did you see the argyle socks on that guy?’”

“Yeah, this is okay, we can do this,” he agreed.

You put your arm through his and let him lead you through the crowd of people, stopping now and then to mingle. Though he’d been away, he still seemed to know almost everyone and their families. He didn’t only talk about business with them, he knew them, asked about their kids, their parents. More than one person asked if he would come back, even if he didn’t get CEO.

Dean only gave noncommittal answers and kept you moving until you reached the table that had been reserved for the family. Bobby was there with Ellen. Sam and Jess followed right behind you, and John was already seated middle center.

“I’m not sitting by him,” you said to Dean. You could feel John’s eyes on you. It had been odd before, now it was unsettling.

Dean patted your hand in the crook of his elbow.

“I’ll be to the left of Dad, Bobby on his right, and you next to me. Then Sam next to you,” he explained. “Argyle, remember?”

“Right,” you straightened your body, steeling yourself. “No one is going to ruin this night.” You remembered your phone call from earlier in the night and knew you should tell Dean sooner rather than later, but people were filing in, settling down for dinner. There would be too many ears listening to risk it. “I need to talk to you in private later, okay?”

“Everything okay?” He said to your ear as he pushed in your chair to sit down.

“Yes, just a recurring blast from my past,” you said quietly.

“Good evening everyone!” John’s voice boomed without the need of a microphone.

Sam quickly picked up the microphone and flicked it on to hand to John.

“Welcome to the Family Business annual Christmas Gala!” John was already laying it on thick. “Thank you, all of you, for your hard work. Your family’s understanding has, once again, made this year, our best year yet.” He paused for applause. “As you know, I appreciate what you do to keep the Family Business rolling and this year, that means a 25c raise, on top of cost of living, for our hourly folks and a half day of comp time for our salaried people.” He paused again. “That is my thanks to you all for a job well done. Now, I know there are rumors going around that I’m planning on retiring. I would like to address those rumors. Yes, I do plan on retiring. When may that happen?…I just don’t know. Maybe one of my boys will be up here next year.” John looked at both of his sons, then back to the room of people waiting on him to elaborate. “Truth is, I haven’t decided on my successor. I’ll let you all know as soon as I do. Until then…let’s get this gala going! Bring on the food!”

You put your hand on Dean’s leg. He was doing an okay job of keeping his face from showing what he was thinking. His leg felt like a spring that was wound too tight, though, like the tension might get released at any moment and blast out of control. I took him a second or two to turn his attention to you. You didn’t have to say anything to him, he just seemed to know what was your question.

In response, he put his hand over yours on his leg and squeezed. “I’m good. Listen, I need to talk to you later, need to run something by you.”

“Okay,” you nodded, “Soon as we can steal away. I have something to tell you, too.”

Fortunately, the disappointment from John was soon forgotten as the party got going in full swing. Before you knew it, dinner was done, the dishes cleared, and the lights were dimmed, twinkle lights in full twinkle mode. It truly was a beautiful sight. The light cast a warm glow over the space, giving the room a cozy feel despite the size.

You and Dean got away from the table long enough for the dishes to be cleared away and get drinks from the bar at the back of the room. You’d also noticed a photo booth that you made a point to get him in later. You made your way back to your place at the dinner table, chairs turned toward one another, your knees between Dean’s. His thumb was stroking the soft flesh on the inside of your knee. He was trying to convince you to run away with him, right then and there. He told you of all the places he wanted to visit and you hoped he would, with you on his arm. He told you his dreams for the future.

“We could go to Bali,” you suggested.

“I don’t do planes,” he said.

“But it’s French Polynesia… and hot… naked cabana time… skimpy bathing suits…” you painted the picture for him. “If it’s private enough, skinny dipping, naked all the time. Or if we did a resort, we would have people waiting on us, massages, no worries, at all, ever.”

“Well,” his fingertips were traveling up your inner thigh, “That naked in the cabana thing sounds good…”

He leaned in the rest of the way, his lips telling you that he would go with you wherever you wanted, you just had to say the word. When he pulled away, he had a dreamy look on his face and, once again, you were so glad you’d said yes.

“Bobby pulled me aside tonight. Said if the ol’ man doesn’t give it to me, he wants me to take over for him at the dealership,” he watched you for some kind of reaction. “He said you’d be welcome, too. Thought maybe you’d run the service department, do customs.”

You’d only just met Bobby and were touched by his offer. If there were one person in Dean’s family whose trust you wanted, it was Bobby’s. It was nice to be offered a sweet setup like that, it was pretty amazing, and you could still do your custom work.

“What did you say?”

He shrugged, “Nothing. Bobby said I should run it by you.”

“That’s a generous offer for either of us. Is it a package deal?”

Dean shook his head, “I think Bobby just wants to make sure it’s in good hands before he retires. And I think he likes you and wants you to know you’re included if you want to be. Plus, I think he just really wants me back down here.”

“Or maybe he just knows what’s right and wants you to get a spot here,” you guessed.

“He said he wants to take Ellen places while he still can.”

“That’s kinda sweet,” you said.

“He’s not the only one that’s sweet,” he licked his lips and leaned in to kiss you again.

“Let’s go find that photo booth,” you suggested. It had been far too long since you’d kissed him properly. “Too many eyes are out here.”

It only took a moment for Dean to catch on to what you wanted to do. He pushed back from his chair and helped you up from yours. The gala had shifted back into a more jovial mood and the festivities were back in full swing. When you got to the booth, there wasn’t anyone waiting and the couple in there were just getting their photos out of the finished slot. As soon as they had passed by, Dean pulled you inside the booth and onto his lap. You pulled the curtain closed and gave Dean’s lips your full attention.

The hand that was holding you on his lap squeezed at your hip, his free hand on your ribs just under your breast. His handsome face was barely an inch from yours. Tipping your head slightly, you closed the small distance between you. Your hand went to his face, holding him to you. Your lips parted for him, his kiss more urgent. Your tongue answered his equally and passionately. Your hand raked through his hair. Dean was making sounds that told you he was almost ready to leave the party.

Panting slightly from the make out, you asked, “So how do these things work? I’ve never been in one before.”

“This is what you’re supposed to do in here, sweetheart,” his eyes twinkled.

You smiled at him and kissed him again. Pulling away, your fingers touched the sore spot on his cheek and wished things had been different for him Dean deserved so much better than he got.

“I love you, too, by the way,” you said, your voice low and full of the emotion you felt for him.

“I didn’t know you heard me,” he said.

“Did you mean to say it?”

He nodded. “I know it’s been the worst week ever, but I haven’t regretted a bit of it. And it’s ridiculous to believe that a couple can fall in love in a week, but…”

“Here we are,” you said.

“Will…” he cleared his throat, “Will you marry me? For real, I mean.”

The whole week flashed before your eyes… then it flashed forward through your whole life with Dean.

“When we get all of our ducks in a row and things are going the way we want, I’ll marry you,” you said. “We don’t have to rush. Plus, we’ll have time to talk on the way to my mom’s house.”

Dean pressed buttons on the touch screen to get the photo-booth working. You’d mentioned going to see your mom while on the long drive to Kansas, but Dean probably hadn’t thought much about it since then.

“Your mom is gonna love me,” he said.

“I’m sure she will. It was my dad that you would have had to worry about. Could have killed you with a glance,” you teased.

You barely noticed the flashing coming from the camera.

Dean got a small smirk on his face, “No one is going to scare me away, Mrs. Winchester.”

You leaned in to kiss him again.

A few moments later, the photos were done, but you weren’t done kissing Dean.

“Everything okay in there?”

“Yep, just… talking.”

“Could you talk out here? Got some folks waiting,” it was the booth operator.

You and Dean grabbed your photos quickly and made your way over to the bar. You were far too sober for it being so late in the evening. While you waited for your drinks, you looked at the photos and laughed. Dean’s hair was a mess, but remarkably, the booth had caught the moment when Dean said ‘Mrs. Winchester’ and the looks on your faces. The happiness there almost made you tear up.

“I’ve got something I need to tell you, Dean,” you said, not wanting to ruin the moment, but you needed to tell him.

Dean grabbed your drink and gave you his elbow to take you back to your table.

“I’m listening,” he said.

He brought you back to the table where you’d had dinner.

“Before getting here tonight, I got a call from my ex, Jack,” you trailed off, seeing if he would react.

“One of the biker guys?” he simply asked.

You nodded. “He said there was some “private dick” nosing around the club members asking about me.”

“And what did he tell the P.I.?” he was cautious.

“He and the club members fed him a line of bullshit that I was a club bunny and not attached to anyone in the club. Not the greatest of stories, but they protect the club, former ol’ ladies don’t get much protection. They thought they were helping, honestly.”

“Okay, so… what about this, Jack, guy? Is he going to be a problem? Does he still love you?”

It made your heart hurt to think about it. You didn’t want to hurt Dean, not today, but the truth was what you’d agreed upon and that is what he would get.

“Jack was my guy for almost a year. His club is the one that hangs around in the area. They aren’t even in Bemidji… He lived with me for a while, but even then, I hardly ever saw him. Jack will always be special to me, and yes, I did love him, but not the way people in love should love one another. I couldn’t ever see me growing old with him,” because he might not grow old in his club, you thought but didn’t say. “I loved him, but it wasn’t a lasting love. My mom tolerated him, sometimes she liked him. I was going to go to her house anyway, but Jack was calling to let me know that Harry is there because he needed to leave town.”

“Does he still live with you?”

“Harry does. Jack lives wherever Jack lands for a night, which hasn’t been my place in 4 years,” you explained.

“Who the hell is Harry,” he asked a little more gruff than he intended.

“Harry is the pitbull that Jack got me for company and protection when he was away, which was a lot,” you clarified. “Harry is huge now, but he’s such a sweet boy. Scares the hell out of Chuck. Harry hates Chuck, but loves everyone else…”

 “Is Jack going to be a problem? Is he going to come looking to start trouble?”

That was a question you wouldn’t have been able to answer just a couple years ago.

“No. We’ve talked about it a lot and we both agreed that our lifestyles didn’t match up. He’ll always be in my life. He’s family. He moved on and so did I. Though, I’m still welcome with the club. They’re protective of me and Harry.”

He put his hand on yours and brought your hand to his lips.

“Okay,” he sighed, “we can deal with that.”

He said ‘we’, you thought.

“Hey, um… Dean?” Sam had appeared.

“Dude, your timing. We need to talk about that,” Dean said, not bothering to hide his irritation.

“I thought maybe we could go to the floor and try some of the new product, have a talk,” he said, clearing his throat.

Sam’s glance flashed to you and knew immediately that it was a private conversation not for your ears. Dean said he’d wanted to tell Sam the truth. You supposed it was the perfect opportunity for them and let them off the hook.

“You boys go do your thing. I’ll see what’s going on up here, maybe see what Ellen or Jess are doing,” you said.

“Well, that just figures,” were the first words out of Sam’s mouth after Dean had told him the whole truth. “Leave it to you to try to tip the scales in your favor.”

“Thanks a lot, Sam,” Dean fumed. “How else am I going to get what I’ve earned? Of course, you wouldn’t know what that’s like to have to fight for every inch. You’re the golden boy. Things have always just fallen into your lap.”

They were in their dad’s office after taking a walk through the warehouse floor. The whisky was good, but Dean already had ideas for improvement. He got up from the edge of the desk where he had been sitting, looking for his dad’s stash of the good stuff.

“Things don’t just fall in my lap, Dean. No one took the bar for me. I worked hard for that,” Sam defended. Though, Sam was aware of how lucky he’d been in his life, he hadn’t considered that it may be because of sacrifices from Dean. “Do you really want the business this much or are you trying to prove something to Dad?”

Dean knew it was both. He wanted to run the brewery how he saw fit. He wanted to show everyone that he could do it and be successful. It wasn’t until a few days ago that he was sure that he could do it. When he brought (Y|N) with him, it was like he finally knew that he could and that he wanted it with her.

“Maybe… probably,” he admitted. “It doesn’t change the fact that I need every advantage I can get.”

“Why did you rope (Y|N) into this? Are you going your separate ways after tonight?” Sam continued.

The thought of losing (Y|N) was an unexpected gut punch, no matter what had happened upstairs. But then, she said she would marry him… and a smile spread across his face. She was going to be his wife. He’d given up a lot in his life and had gotten on just fine, but he was not going to lose her. They would overcome anything together.

“I don’t know, Sam. I would see her at the garage… she looks great in coveralls… hair up like Rosie the Riveter… dirt and grease… and she ran the whole thing. She knows more about cars than even Bobby. She’s confident, smart, talented…” he trailed off a moment thinking about how cute she was bossing her employees around, but he could also see it wasn’t her favorite thing to do, either. “She stood up for me, Sam, didn’t back down. Never had a woman do that for me, usually it was the other way around… Then, watching her here, getting to know her, probably better than I’ve known anyone…” Dean found the bottle of the good stuff and poured himself a heavy drink. “Asking her to come with me might be the smartest thing I’ve ever done. I can’t imagine letting her go.”

Dean poured some of the whiskey into Sam’s glass, too. They both let his words hang for a few moments while they drank.

“So, how long have you been in love with her?” Sam asked quietly.

Dean took a thoughtful pause, “All my life.”

He downed what was left of the whiskey in his glass. His dad’s office hadn’t changed much over the years and neither had the location of the secret booze stash. Dean poured himself a single this time and looked at the pictures on the bookshelves. He was in two of them. One was the last obligatory family picture and the other was of him and Benny when the new building was finished.

“You’d be in more if you were around more,” Sam mused.

“That door swings both ways, Sam,” Dean sipped the whiskey without turning back. “Who do you think the old man is going to hand it off to?”

Sam considered the options before answering, “I really don’t know. There’s a good argument for all of us. You. Me. Adam. Benny. Who knows… maybe he won’t even do it this year.”

“Well now, wouldn’t that be something,” Dean pondered.

Dean had barely been gone with Sam before Ellen came over and took the chair Dean had emptied. She looked beautiful in her gown. Her hair was up and it showed off the beautiful jewelry she was wearing, much in the same way you were doing.

“Hey, (Y|N),” she said and looked out at the people on the dance floor for a moment. Then she turned in her seat, leaning on the table so she could look at you better.

“Dean tell you ‘bout Bobby’s offer?” she asked.

You nodded.

“Bobby likes you,” she went on, “and that’s no small feat. The old man and I have gotten real good at reading people. We know you’re not telling us everything, but we trust you… hell, we all have our secrets. Not that you need our blessing, but if it means anything to you, me ‘n Bobby couldn’t have picked someone better for our boy.” She patted your hand, “You think on that offer and let us know when you two decide.”

“I will,” you said. Ellen smiled and stood to leave.

“Ellen?” you waited for her to look back at you. “Thank you. You and Bobby made me feel welcome and I promise I’ll do my best to take care of him.”

“That’s all we want, honey,” she gave you a slight nod with a smile and went to find her husband.

There was an elegance about the woman that was overshadowed by the years of hard work that had shown itself on her face. She worked hard, took zero shit, and it had paid off. You could only hope to aspire to such levels of grace and badassery.

When you finished your drink, you were feeling warm and relaxed. You got up from the table and took your glass back to the bar. The bartender noticed you right away and moved to take your order.

“What can I get you?” he asked.

Normally, you were used to customers hitting on you and it took you by surprise when the cute bartender’s eyes raked over you, licking his bottom lip. Until that moment, you weren’t sure what you were going to order.

“Ice water,” you answered.

“Yes ma’am,” he grinned, eyes twinkling.

You barely had gotten the glass in your hand before an imposing, dark presence made itself known to you.

“I trust you’re enjoying the evening,” John’s voice was close to your ear.

The timbre of his voice and breath, reeking of bourbon, on your bare neck made your skin crawl. Quickly, you stepped away from him and barely acknowledged him.

“I was,” you kept walking.

“Seems to me, you have no trouble finding a good time,” he followed you.

You weren’t in the mood for a fight, but it seemed that was all John wanted from you. If he didn’t shut his mouth, that was exactly what he was going to get.

“Yes. I make a point to enjoy myself, no matter what situation I’m in,” you answered, still not stopping for him.

“Mmm, that’s what I’ve heard,” he said.

Your pace came to an abrupt halt.

“What do you think you know about me?” you asked, sick of his games. “As far as I know, Dean is the only person we both know. What could you have possibly ‘heard’ about me that didn’t come from me or him?”

You were so grateful Jack had called you…

“I did just as you said. Soon as Dean brought you here, I had a PI do some checking up on you. Your ‘cousin’ Chuck doesn’t like you much,” he said.

“Chuck is an idiot and I don’t like him much, either. What else do you think you have?”

“You never said anything about the biker club.”

“And? Once again, my personal life before Dean is none of your damn business,” you were doing nothing to keep your voice down.

“Those guys at the club had a lot to say.”

“That right?”

John moved into an uncomfortably close proximity, but you didn’t budge. He was not going to intimidate you, not today.

“Yeah, I knew there was something about you. They said all of them gave you a ride. Figured, if everyone else had a ride…” his fingertips touched your arm near your shoulder and slid down your arm holding the glass.

Equally angered and repelled by his unwanted, lustful, advances, you felt an unimaginable rage swell inside you. The indignation made you feel like you were, at least, twice your size. You drew back your free hand, balled it into a fist and threw your whole body into the punch that landed squarely on his cheek bone.

The jolt of it send pain through your hand and wrist traveling up to your elbow. You stumbled with John as he pulled your arm when he fell. He let go of you to brace his fall, crumpling in a heap, his head bouncing on the wood floor.

“I warned you,” you stood over John. Then you dumped what was left of your ice water on his face. The small thumps the ice made were pleasing to your ears. The bastard was long overdue.

You knew people were staring and that you had made a huge scene. You really didn’t give a shit. You slammed your glass down on the nearest table and started in the direction you’d seen Dean and Sam leave. You barely took two steps before the crowd began to part and you saw Dean.

“Are you okay? What happened? What did he do?” Dean was furious.

“I’m fine,” you assured him.

“Did he hurt you?”

“No. He just has a mouth on him. Needed to shut him up,” you responded shakily.

“Alright,” Dean said with finality, “I’m calling Argyle on this. You ready?”

He’d already taken your hand and was pulling you closer to the door. You nodded, though he was barely even waiting for your response. The altercation with John left you rattled, your emotions a mess. You wanted to cry, only because you were so angry. Never had anyone treated you so badly out of false assumptions created in their own mind. You didn’t deserve any of what John had done to you and had to remind yourself that John Winchester was not worth your energy.

Nobody tried to stop you and Dean on your way out. If they hadn’t seen what happened, the look on Dean’s face was enough to make a demon cower in fear. A modicum of relief made it into your shoulders as you rounded the corner to leave the gala party room.

“You alright?” Dean asked again, stopping with you just before heading to the elevator.

All he did was look at you and you felt the first sobs start to well up. Dean gathered you close and you lost all control you’d been desperately holding onto. The tears flowed as you sobbed into his shoulder. His arms held you tight while you wept, his hand gently rubbing your shoulders.

Dean as livid. He wanted to go kick some ass but (Y|N) needed him more. He held her as she sobbed, feeling worse about all of the stress she was letting out. He didn’t want the Family Business if it meant having to be around his dad. He damn sure didn’t want to force (Y|N) to deal with his shit. He stroked the soft, warm skin of her shoulders as she began to calm down.

“I’m sorry,” you said pulling out his pocket square. “I didn’t think I had all of that bottled up.”

“No need to apologize,” he rubbed your arms. “You didn’t bring any of it on yourself. I should be apologizing to you. Not to rub salt in the wound…” he indicated his own eyes, “looks like you went ten rounds with Tyson.”

You were already feeling a little better.

“Pfft. Tyson doesn’t have my rage. KO’d your dad in one,” you wiped your eyes with his hanky and spotted the bathroom. “I just match you now. I’ll be back.”

He smirked. “I’ll be right here,” he answered.

Only a few moments passed when he heard the elevator door open. Not wanting to talk to anyone, he turned and leaned on the wall. The group of people surrounded him and he wouldn’t be able to escape.

“Sam and I took your daddy down to his office,” Benny broke the silence.

“All 4 of you needed to tell me that?” Dean saw Laura and Jess with Sam and Benny.

“Someone had to,” Sam grumbled.

Jess noticed (Y|N) wasn’t around and went into the nearby bathroom to check on her.

“Hold on now, don’t need a dustup between you two. Only told you cuz he came to, threw a fit and ordered me ‘n stringbean to come get you back to the office,” Benny explained.

“What the hell for?”

Benny shrugged. He never did understand how John’s mind worked. Benny just took his orders and followed them.

“Who knows, but he sure got a bug up his butt about something.”

Dean looked around the open space to see if (Y|N) had come back out yet.

“I think Jess went in with her. She knows what’s going on and can find us when they’re ready,” Sam offered.

Dean still went to the bathroom door and pushed it open a crack to tell (Y|N) he was going to his dad’s office. He heard, “OK, we’ll be down in a sec,” from her before he left. His family members weren’t high on the trustworthy scale. He got in the elevator with them and a sense of unease filled him as the doors closed.

Your face was a ruined mess. Most of the top of your eyes were still in decent shape, but the eyeliner and mascara were a total loss. With only the bathroom soap and scratchy paper towels to work with, you did your best to clean up the ruins. The cold water felt good on your cheeks. You were calmer now and hoped to save some of Jess’ hard work. The door made a slight squeaking sound as it opened and closed. You looked into the reflection to see who had come in.

“It’s useless,” Jess said, making eye contact with you in the mirror. “No matter what you do, you still look amazing.”

“I’m a mess,” you scoffed.

She put her small purse on the counter and pulled out a compact.

“Stop it,” she said, “it’s not that bad.”

She cleaned up the remnants of eyeliner and mascara still on your cheeks and added powder to your face while she spoke.

“I wish I could have seen it,” she said. “I just came around the corner and he was already down.”

“He deserved it,” you stated.

Jess nodded, “Of that, I have no doubt.”

“Is everyone mad?” you felt like a kid about to be punished for fighting.

“No,” Jess shook her head, “on the contrary. Everyone knows John is a nightmare. He burns bridges so quickly. People only stay because he’s not very present…visible with employees and he throws these parties that are always a good time and the bonuses. John is the only one pissed.”

Anxiety crept back in. What if you ruined everything for Dean. If he lost out on his dream because of you, you would never forgive yourself.

“Uh-uh. Don’t do that. I see those gears spinning. Dean is proud of you.”

The bathroom door creaked again.

“(Y|N)? I’m going down to Dad’s office with Sam and Benny,” Dean’s voice was muffled by the door jamb.

You looked to Jess. She nodded and pointed from you to her mouthing the words, “Us, too.”

“OK! We’ll be down in a sec,” you called. You gave Jess a questioning look.

“John wants Dean, you, Sam, me, Benny, and Laura in his office. He didn’t say why, but I think he might have come to a decision about the business,” Jess explained.

“Oh, shit.”

“Yeah. And no, I don’t know for sure. John is… unpredictable.”

You’d learned as much, though, the only thing you could count on was for him to be inappropriate.

“Let’s go see what he has to say, huh?” Jess clicked her compact shut and tucked it back into her purse.

“Maybe you should have kept your mouth shut and your hands to yourself for a damned change and maybe she wouldna decked you!”

You could hear Dean’s voice booming through the closed door.

“You should learn to keep her under control,” John roared back.

“She did nothing wrong! Nothing! If she hadn’t dropped you, I would have,” Dean yelled.

John scoffed, “Need a woman to fight for you?”

You opened the door with Jess in time to see Benny and Sam restrain Dean and John. Dean was struggling to get past Benny and Sam was pushing John back. Laura was backed into the opposite corner, carefully watching but staying out of the way.

“Whoa, buddy, whoa,” Benny sounded like he was calming a wild horse.

When the men had calmed down, you, Jess and Laura sat on a leather couch that faced John’s desk. Two large leather wingback chairs were between you and John’s desk. Sam took one of the chairs, then Benny took the other when Dean refused. Dean paced a moment then poured himself a drink.

You sat on the end of the couch closest to the door. Jack taught you to never get caught in a situation you couldn’t get out of. Rule number one, always have an easy exit. You watched Dean struggle to keep his cool while you were waiting for John to tell you all why he called you in. Dean was drinking a lot that night, not that you blamed him. The booze just wasn’t helping him relax. When he looked your direction, you caught his eye and glanced at the couch arm.

He had a scowl on his face, but he accepted the suggestion and sat on the oversized couch arm. Dean leaned back, his elbow resting on the back of the couch for support. Dean was going to take a sip from his tumbler, but you reached up to take it from him and had a sip for yourself. Nudging his leg with the back of your hand, he reached for the glass, his fingertips brushing over your hand as he took the glass.

John surveyed his office looking like the smug bastard he is. An odd look crossed his features only further making you wonder what the hell this was all about and what crazy thoughts were running through his head.

“This turned out to be quite the night, didn’t it?” John mused.

It gave you endless pleasure to see him rub his cheek and pop, what you assumed were, pain killers. You’d thrown everything you had into that punch.

“And who’s fault is that?” Dean grumbled.

You patted his leg absently. The office was full to capacity, but you were sure Dean could launch himself over the desk in a blink.

“I’ll just cut to the chase. I’m not retiring,” John dropped the bomb.

Everyone sat in stunned silence.

“Not yet, anyway,” he added.

“If you were going to keep it, why go through all of this? Were you even thinking about it?” Sam was incredulous.

“Hell, it was me that started the rumor,” John seemed pleased. “It was my way of seeing how you and Dean would react, Benny, too. I gotta say you all surprised me. Benny here continued on like nothing happened. Sam, you went out shopping around for possible buyers. Dean… you got yourself a lady. And might I say,” he looked at you, “nice right, darlin’.” He still had an amused look on his face. “Still not sure about you, but, I’m kind of impressed.” John took a moment to let his words sink in. “I’m not quite ready to let the Family Business go just yet. Maybe in a year or two… Dean, you’re my top choice.”

The vibe in the room had changed from anticipation, to shock, to anger, to disbelief. No one, not even Sam, would begrudge Dean the business. It was the way John had divulged his intentions.

Sam sat in silent fury wondering where he had gone wrong. He had been so careful… Jess stared ahead unseeing. Her plans for Sam had been dashed so quickly. Perhaps a new path would still get them to the governor’s mansion. Benny didn’t know what he expected from John. He suspected the rumors were untrue, but how could he have known that was John’s way of checking his interest in running the Family Business? He’d been working so hard… Laura sat watching her husband, wondering if she’d made a mistake all those years ago, and now it looked like Dean would get it all. What would happen to Benny when Dean found out what they’d done?

Dean’s knee-jerk reaction was to tell his dad off and to start his own business. There was no telling when he would actually hand it over. The Family Business had been his goal his whole life. If he said ‘no’ now, it might never be his. Did he want success on the coattails of his father, or was it more important to have success under his own name? His brain spun with the possibilities.

Making his decision, Dean said, “If you’re offering, I’m willing to talk. No more bullshit. If we do this, we start now. I’m not interested in being jerked around anymore.”

John sat cooly in his chair. His elbows on the arms, his hands clasped in front of his mouth. Things were not going quite as he’d expected. Dean bringing (Y|N) with him had thrown in a variable he couldn’t plan for. He’d tried to get her to leave and he’d ended up with a killer headache and a sore tooth. Now Dean was calling his bluff. He would just have to advance his plan.

After a quick search in his desk drawer, he found the business card he was looking for and closed the drawer. Leaning forward, the business card between his fingers, he held the card out for Dean.

“Give him a call at the beginning of the year and we’ll get on with it,” john instructed.

Dean left his spot by you on the couch to step between the two wingback chairs and take the card from John.

“Arthur Charles?” Dean read aloud and Sam stiffened in his chair. “Your lawyer is still alive? Jesus, he was old when I was a kid.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Sam didn’t care for Art and was still a point of contention between him and his dad, “he sure is.”

Dean looked from his father to his brother and back again, his own plan solidifying.

“Well. I think we’re done here,” John declared. “There’s still a lot of party to be had and I am far too sober for this shindig.” When no one moved, still stuck in the shock of the moment, “Get the hell out of my office.”

Dean stepped back and turned to you on the couch. He offered you his hands to pull you up from the couch. Tucking the card into his inside jacket pocket, he quickly led you out of the office like if he lingered too long, the dream would fade.

He walked with a purpose toward the main entrance. The space was quiet, only hints of the music from the floor above reached your ears. You noticed there were cars parked a short distance away, ready to pick up anyone ready to leave.

When he stopped, he didn’t turn. You both stood there with your backs to the door of John’s office. Dean’s eyes were wide and he almost looked scared.

“Did that really just happen?!” he asked.

You nodded, “Yeah,” feeling his trepidation.

“Like, really for real? Not some weird alternate universe mumbo jumbo?”

“Yeah!” it shocked you too.

“Holy shit.”

“Dean, you have everything you wanted,” you realized.

Dean looked down at your hand in his.

“I’m all set,” he said softly, his mind finally coming to rest. “You ready to go?”

You nodded. Dean slipped off his jacket and put it over your shoulders. The warmth of him was trapped in the jacket, warming you in the chilly entry. Putting his arm around you, he pushed open the first set of doors. Outside, the big SUVs were lined up, ready to take people home. One pulled up to the awning and Dean opened the door for you. The heat was blasing in the Excursion, but Dean was all you needed. You sat in the center, tucked into his side. Remembering the business card, you reached inside the tux jacket. Feeling the slick paper, you ended up pulling out the photos from the photo booth.

“You look so…”

“Happy? Loved?”

“I am. So happy. So…”

You looked up at him. The week had literally beat him up, but he still looked at you the way he did in the pictures. You put your hand on his jaw. His lips came to yours, filling you with the love he felt but always found so difficult to say.

They were nearly back to the house and Dean pulled out his phone and pulled up Sam’s name.

“Have a plan. Call me later,” he text.

[bran-writes]

OC Backstory Weeks Week 0: Intro

Hey guys, @yourocsbackstory is running this weekly event again! Go check her Masterpost out to get the info about it and feel free to participate if it interests you! I’ll be reblogging OC entries as well, if I see them!

This time I around I’ll use Sunny from Farm Boy Blues during the run of the event. Week 0 is the intro so here’s what I have!

_______________________________________________________________________

Sunny woke up in the dim light of the doctor’s office with a crushing headache and a chalky dry mouth. He’d been laying on the cot for 3 days and it wasn’t doing his back or limbs any favors. Not to mention, the doctor’s office smelled like copper and sweat.

“Doc!”

“Hold on, asshole, I’m busy!”

Sunny scoffed and tried to sit up. The first two times, he failed, but the third time was more successful, even though his chest screamed with pain. He glanced down at his stitches and grimaced through the lances of searing pain before letting out a long breath. He reached over to the blinds next to his bed and opened them, letting some sunshine in. 

Staring out the window at the small desert town around the doctor’s office. It seemed pretty busy, so it must have been midday. This town was out of the way, but that was the point. The doctor usually serviced mercenaries and wounded travelers and this was the closest medical help outside Dyson City. The family who’d hauled Sunny here days ago had probably been on their way there. 

Behind him, Sunny heard rubber shoes shuffling against the smooth concrete floor. He turned, hoping to see the doctor. Instead, there was a young boy- probably 8 years old. He had curly dark hair and deep brown skin. His brightly colored clothes offset his large, brown eyes. The kid stared at Sunny for a few moments before offering him a bottle of water. 

“Where’s the doctor?”

“He says he can’t come right now but you gotta take these,” the kid mumbled shyly, handing him a small paper cup with two pills inside. Pain killers. 

“Thanks, kid,” Sunny nodded before downing the pills. He guzzled the room temperature water while the kid stared at him. When he finished, Sunny crushed the bottle and gingerly tossed it towards the trash bin. He missed, and the kid scooped it up and made it in. “Well aren’t you a helpful employee,” Sunny smirked. 

“I don’t work here,” the boy sighed. 

“Oh… Then who are you?”

“A kid…”

“Ha…”

The boy laughed, which made Sunny chuckle, despite the painful protest from his chest. “I found you on the road,” the boy finally said.

“Oh, you did huh?” Sunny grimaced. “So, I guess you’re the one who called for help?”

The boy nodded, sitting in the chair next to Sunny’s bed and propping a leg up on the seat. Sunny nodded and held his hand out for the child to shake. The kid stared at it for a second before finally shaking. 

“Thanks. If it wasn’t for you, I’d probably be dead,” Sunny laid back down against the rough material of the cot.

“No problem,” the boy nodded. 

“You headed to Dyson City?”

“Yep. We live there. My daddy’s a writer and my mommy sells houses. We went on vacation and stopped to use the bathroom when I found you.”

“You didn’t pee on me, did you?”

The kid laughed. “No, silly.”

“Well, that’s good.”

“What’s you name, mister?” The boy asked, voice tinged with curiosity as he picked at his shoe laces.

“Sunny. Yours?”

“Manuel.”

“Nice to meet you, Manuel. Thanks for the help.”

“What happened to you?”

“Somebody shot me…”

“Duh, I know that,” Manuel rolled his eyes.

“Well then you know what happened,” Sunny winked. 

“Does it hurt?”

“Yep. Like a…” Sunny trailed enough, deciding not to curse in front of somebody else’s kid. “A lot.”

“You live in Dyson City too?”

“Yes, sir! Since I was fifteen, actually,” Sunny bucked his eyebrows.

“What’s your job?”

Oh boy, Sunny thought. “Well, I’m an asset… reacquisition… contractor. Basically, I-”

“Asset means something important,” Manuel nodded. “Reacquisition means you get something?”

“Wow, that’s pretty good, kid. How old are you?”

“Seven,” Manuel sniffed and rested his chin on his knee.

“Ah, I guessed eight. You’re pretty smart.”

“I read at fourth grade reading level.”

“Is reacquisition a fourth grade word?” Sunny furrowed his eyebrows but the kid shrugged. “Well anyways, you were close, like I said. Pretty much, when somebody loses something, they hire me to go find it.”

“Were you looking for something in the desert?” Manuel scratched the bridge of his nose and sniffed again. 

“Ah… No. I’d actually just quit my job. Don’t think that’s gonna last, though. Good thing I work for myself.”

Before Manuel could reply or(what Sunny thought was more likely), ask another question, two adults entered the back room of the office. They were obviously Manuel’s parents. The man wore a loose, airy blue shirt and shorts with a baseball cap while the woman wore a yellow tank top and light shorts. They glanced from Manuel to Sunny before the father sucked his teeth. 

“Manuel, get out of here and stop bothering him,” he snapped his fingers. 

“I’m nnnooooooot,” Manuel whined.

“Hey, sir, really,” Sunny held a hand up, wincing, “It’s fine.”

The man didn’t look too sure, and the woman furrowed her brows. “We don’t want him keeping you awake, you need to rest,” she said.

“I’ve been in and out for three days,” Sunny chuckled, “I could use some conversation. Manuel here was just keeping me company.”

“Problem is, he has a habit of asking too many questions for answers that aren’t any of his business,” the man stressed, looking at his son. Manuel, dark curls glowing in the window light, jutted his chin out in defiance. 

“Hey, at least I still know my name and where I live,” Sunny winked. “We can just say he was assisting the doctor, eh Manuel?”

“Right!”

“I’m Sunny, by the way.”

“Ah, my name’s Robert and this is my wife Helena,” Robert reached out gingerly to take Sunny’s hand. Helena did the same with a warm, motherly smile. 

“I appreciate you guys bringing me here,” Sunny nodded, “A lot of people would have just.. Left me or robbed me.”

“It was the right thing to do. I imagine if I was in your position I’d want someone to help me,” Helena nodded. Sunny didn’t know these people very well, but he found himself hoping that would never happen. 

“Do you think whoever did this to you would still be looking for you?” Robert asked.

Sunny scoffed before clearing his throat, his chest pain flaring. “No… They’re long gone by now.”

“Should we be worried about the feds coming and asking us questions?” Helena asked with a small, knowing smile. Sunny tapped Manuel on his knee.

“Hey, these are the questions you should have been asking.”

Manuel rolled his eyes and shifted in his seat to face his parents. “Sunny’s not a criminal, he finds stuff for people.”

Helena furrowed her brow again in curiosity before Sunny explained, “I’m an Arc.”

“Ah… Say no more,” Robert held a hand out. “I had to hire one when Helena and I first got married. Your job probably takes you all over the place, huh?”

“Unfortunately,” Sunny bucked his eyebrows. 

“Well, do you have family coming to pick you up, Sunny? Or should we wait until you’re better and bring you with us?” Helena asked.

“What? No, no, don’t wait. You guys have been here long enough, you should head home. And as far as family, it’s just me- other than my Mama who won’t be coming out here.”

“I get it,” Robert nodded, “my relationship with my mother isn’t the best, but I at least think she’d help me were I in your position. Are you sure you don’t want to call her?”

“Oh, she’s not my real mom, she’s more of like an unofficial adoptive mother. And she’s got other kids to worry about.”

“Ah, ok, sorry for prying,” Robert held that weathered hadn’t out again.

“Hey, no problem. Manuel, do you see my clothes anywhere?”

The kid looked around in exaggerated twists before he spotted Sunny’s clothes under the cot. He pointed to them and Sunny nodded, “Good, hand me my pants will ya?”

When he was handed the jeans, Sunny dug for his wallet, found it and produced a yellow and white card decorated with a Hawaiian flower pattern. Embossed on the front were thick black letters that read: 

Keaton Investigations

“My info’s on the back there. If you ever need anything, let me know.”

Helena accepted the card, flipped it over and handed it to Robert. “New Rodeo, honey.” Manuel gasped.

“Your office isn’t too far from our house,” Robert raised his eyebrows.

“Oh yeah? Well the office is actually my place- I live in the loft upstairs.” Sunny briefly wondered why he’d tell strangers that, but it’s not like they wouldn’t find that out if they showed up at the address on the card anyways. 

“That’s perfect,” Helena smiled, “We’d love to have you over for dinner sometime!”

“Oh, ma’am, I wouldn’t want to intrude on your family like that.”

“PPpllllleeeeaaaaassseee,” Manuel begged. 

How am I supposed to say no to this kid? Sunny thought.

“It wouldn’t be too much trouble at all,” Robert assured him. “We’d love it.”

Sunny considered it for a moment. In the back of his mind, he could hear Mama coaching him to get out more and spend time with normal people. Make friends and all that. “Okay, sure,” Sunny shrugged against the pain. Leave me a message at the office when you get back into town. I’ll take a few days to heal and get back to you guys.”

“Promise?” Manuel asked. Sunny nodded. 

“You got it, buddy.”

“Yes!”

“Alright, we’ll be waiting to hear from you,” Helena smiled. “Get well soon.”

“It’s time for us to head back, Manuel, grab your bag and throw it in the car.”

“Yes, sir,” the boy nodded and jumped out of his chair. Before leaving the room, the kid turned back and ran to the cot. He held his hand out for a high five and Sunny obliged. 

“Thanks again for the help, kid.”

“All in a day’s work,” Manuel grinned. 

_______________________________________________________________________

I think I might have to bring back Manuel and his family in the future! This was fun, I can’t wait to continue this event!

Tag List: @writerinafury @oneleggedflamingo @carmina-solis @anomaly00 @neirawrites @lnspired-insomniac

[artificialqueens]

Elastic Heart - Part 4 (Branjie) - Mia Ugly

A/N: Things are heating up. A bit. Like at least a simmer. 

Brock was an emotional child. He said it on the show and it’s the truth. Growing up, he was labeled “too sensitive,” the little boy who rescued spiders instead of stomping them, who cried over books (don’t even get him started on Where the Red Fern Grows) and was quiet at birthday parties. It didn’t take him long as a teenager to realize that being that sort of person was not okay at all (what are you GAY or something?), and so brick by brick, he built walls. 

You keep walls up long enough and you start to think they’ve always been there. That you’ve always been a private person, the kind that would make a joke instead of acknowledging a shared pain.  The kind that would force a smile while the world was ending.

You start to think, maybe, you were born with those walls around your heart.

Maybe the walls are your heart.  

But Brock knows that even brick doesn’t last forever. In Toronto you’d see the old buildings starting to crumble in the winter, damaged by water that froze and cracked their foundations.  Brick walls can chip, can shatter.  Brock’s spent his twenties and early thirties in perpetual maintenance because he knows (he knows) you let a little bit of emotion through, you lose a little bit of self-control, and you lose everything.

Sometimes he feels an odd sort of - not jealousy exactly, but something hungry around queens like Yvie, queens that can go places, be self-righteous and furious and vulnerable, without falling completely to pieces.  Queens like Silky who can rage and shout and then move on like the storm never came.

Queens like Vanjie.

Episode 6 is a tough watch. Vanjie crying in the werkroom is physically painful, and Brock puts on a brave face, smiles for his friends and does not let his walls down. He can’t afford to.

Episode 7 is tough in a different way. It’s beyond uncomfortable watching himself talk about personal things on television, hard not to feel like the worst sort of demure Canadian stereotype.  He watches Untucked at an after-after-party, and that’s even worse. Everyone seems to love his stupid face, mugging for the fucking camera (and he remembers being a little buzzed but nowhere near as drunk as the world seems to think he is.  Those cocktails are more than half ice and probably watered-down vodka anyway.)

More than that, though, is the sight of Vanjie. He hates the way her eyes go dark with surprise and injury after Yvie calls her out. He hates the argument that follows. He even hates the sight of himself building a fucking pillow-fort (incredible legs aside, he’s not blind). It seemed funny enough at the time but now - not so much.

Sometime around 2 am, his phone rings. 

Brock is not asleep. He fumbles for a moment on the side table, forgetting briefly that he’s in a hotel and not in his own bed. (He’s always in a hotel these days.  And that’s fine.  It’s fine.) 

“‘lo?”

“Hi mama.”

Breathe in.  Hold.  Breathe out.

“Hi papi.”

There is music in the background, dulled slightly but still Brock can make out the thump of a DJ, the thunder of a dancefloor. Jose must be in the dressing room of a club. 

Brock imagines him, shining with sweat after a show, out of heels but still in lip gloss.  If he closes his eyes he can see him, an image distorted by fantasy and loss, bright strokes of crimson oil-paint. 

“How you doing?” Jose asks and Brock swallows down a million replies that are too painful to say. 

Instead - because he bottles up his feelings like a normal person - he says “Good.” (There are walls around his heart, and they are wrapped in thorns.) “Good. How are you?”

“I’m good.” 

Both of them breathe together, and it’s simultaneously too intimate and too distant. The last time they spoke - the last time Brock heard this voice there were tears in his eyes and bile in his mouth and ashes all over the runway - 

“Good,” he says stupidly, and Jose laughs. 

It’s a brittle sort of laugh, but Brock still  wishes to God he hadn’t heard it.  Jose’s laugh is something deadly, a poison-tipped arrow straight to the heart.  

“Just watching the show tonight, girl. Thought I’d give you a call.”

“Okay.” Brock hesitates to respond, certain he’s going to fuck this up.  It’s the first time in months he’s got Jose on the phone; fucking it all up is the only possible option. 

“It’s a trip, hey, seeing it on TV. Feels like I’m watching someone else.”

“Yeah,” Brock says.  Fuck, he’s really cementing those accusations of having no personality. Say something. Say something.

But he doesn’t. There is too much unsaid between them, all those words stacking up behind Brock’s teeth when he tries to speak, his throat when he tries to swallow. He’s imagined this conversation too many times to count, and now all he can do is listen in silence to the sound of Jose’s breathing, still audible over the music that’s pulsing like a heartbeat in another room.

“Loved you on Untucked, making all them faces. Must’ve been hard listenin’ to me go off in the background, feelin’ so embarrassed.”

“I wasn’t –“

“Gotta build a pillow fort to hide in or some shit.  Real hilarious. Real comedy queen.”

“It wasn’t like that,” Brock interrupts, but now that he thinks about it – he can see how it might have looked that way.  And he knows Jose was feeling sensitive already about that night, can remember the moment afterwards in his hotel room (“I wanna be better than that,” and his hand on Jose’s throat, sparks flying from their lips, his tongue -) 

Stop.

He can’t think about that right now.

“Whatever,” Jose says at last.  He sounds exhausted. “I’m not coming for you. Sorry, I’m working too much, not sleeping. You know how we do. I’m kinda fading out.”

He sighs, and Brock swears he can feel the ghost of that sigh against his neck. It raises goosebumps all up the length of his arms, his shoulder blades.

“Where are you?”

“NYC, baby. Where you at?”

Brock almost doesn’t want to tell him. “Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.”

“The fuck - that ain’t a real place.”

“Swear to God.  It’s in Canada.”

“Ha, now that explains it. Didn’t know you got cell service up there, in your igloos or whatever.”

“You are such a dick.”

“Don’t lie, girl, we know you love -” Jose stops himself. Brock can basically hear the smile sliding off his face. 

He’d forgotten how easy it was, when it was just the two of them.  Forgotten how fast he could fall.

“Anyway, um.” Jose clears his throat.  “I called because of all this online shit – I shoulda said before – it ain’t me. I didn’t want you to think - cuz I’m not postin’ shit right now, and –"

“Wait. What?”

“Yeah, I shoulda told you sooner. My manager’s paying someone for it, some toddler or something, right? I know we’re s’posed to be all nasty for the fans but it just –“

“It’s not me either,” Brock says quickly. “Someone else is writing it.”

There’s a short silence on the other end of the line. Then Jose laughs again, warm and real this time (Brock has to put out a hand to steady himself even though he’s lying down.)

“Girl, what? I didn’t know that! That’s crazy! Meanwhile I’m feeling so – all these queens tonight were reading me for it, and I was like ‘bitch, mind your business!’ This is some kinda twisted.”

Brock laughs too, helplessly. This whole situation is so fucking ridiculous, it’s unbelievable.

He’s riding the high of Jose’s laughter, feeling like he can breathe for the first time in months, and that’s the only reason he says: “It’s good to hear your voice.” 

Jose stops laughing.  

There is silence again, only broken by the bass thumping in the background. Brock thinks about how quickly he could be in New York if he caught a standby flight.  If Jose asked him - 

Say something, Brock. Fuck’s sake, say something.

“Thought you’d’ve heard enough of it by now.” Jose’s gone a bit quiet.  Brock wonders if he has that crease on his forehead that means he’s upset. Wishes he could smooth it away with the pad of his thumb.

“That will never happen.” He can’t imagine a world where that voice doesn’t do something to him, doesn’t wake up some hidden place that hasn’t seen sunshine in years. “Jose -”

The music suddenly gets louder, and there’s another voice in the background. Jose says something that Brock can’t quite hear.  Someone else laughs.

“Shit, girl, I gotta go. You be good now. I’ll -“ Jose cuts himself off abruptly. Brock waits. Waits. The rest of the sentence never comes, but Jose doesn’t hang up. Brock hears him swear under his breath.

It shouldn’t be like this, Brock wants to scream into the phone. You knew me.  You knew me once.  You left glitter on my pillow.

“Can I call you?” he asks instead. “Later. Or whenever. Just to –” He suddenly doesn’t know how to finish that sentence.

“To?”

“Plan,” is the first word that comes into his head. “Plan - for that episode.  Like, how we’re going to react.  What we should say.”

“Oh.” Jose takes a deep breath. “Sure, yeah. I gotta go, Brock. You – call me later.”

“Okay. Um. Try to get some sleep.” 

“Not much chance of that, girl. But what ya gonna do?”

The call ends. Brock closes his eyes.

The sudden silence feels heavy on his chest, like one of those weighted blankets Nina’s always telling him to get.  He puts his phone to the side. With his eyes closed he can still see that back-room in the club, Jose taking off his lashes, rolling his shoulders. Brock can almost feel sore muscles beneath his hands, and his fingers twitch against his sheets.

Oh if you were mine. 

That’s from a song, right? He can’t remember which one, but it runs in his head as he doesn’t sleep, over and over like a pinwheel spinning.

(And Brock doesn’t know it now, can’t feel it, but somewhere in the walls he’s built, a crack is starting to form.  

It spreads through his foundation, shifting it just slightly.  Not enough that anyone would notice.  

Not yet.)

* * *

The night after Farm to Runway, Brooke is wired and awake and trying unsuccessfully to get into a trashy thriller that her mom leant her - when there’s a knock at her door. 

She doesn’t know what to expect  when she opens it. Maybe a P.A. with a note from Vee, maybe a producer about to institute a strict “one-cocktail-per-Untucked” limit. 

She’s not expecting Vanessa herself, wearing shorts and a loose t-shirt, looking more nervous than Brooke’s ever seen her.

“Hey mama. Can I come in?”

“Uh -”

Behind Vanjie, a little baby-lesbian with a badass haircut and Harry Potter glasses gives a short nod.  

“This is Maya, she’s real sweet, she said we got five minutes. Bye Maya!” Vanjie steps through Brooke’s doorway, shutting it behind her.

“Holy shit.” Brooke just stares at her for a moment. “You’re breaking all the rules now, huh.”

“Yeah, just call me muthafucking Willam. This your digs, huh? Shoulda known you’d be crazy tidy. Bitch, you even got shit hanging in the closet? GIRL. You hang up your t-shirts? My Abuela woulda loved you, for real.”

The hyperactive and adorable narration isn’t totally abnormal for Vanjie and yet - something about it strikes Brooke as odd tonight. Uneasy. 

“So - you came here to check out my room?”

“Nah, I just. Thought I’d come see ya. Didn’t get much chance to - to -” Vanjie’s  hands flutter through the air, restlessly. “Wanted to talk in the van but you know, with Big Silky around, there’s not much chance of that.”

“Okay…” Brooke sits down on the edge of her bed. Vanjie can’t seem to stop moving, shifting from one foot to the other. “What did you want to talk about?”

“All that, you know, shit this evening.” The corner of Vanjie’s mouth twitches up. “Thought maybe you’d be feeling some kinda way about it.  About me.”

So that’s what this is. Brooke follows the movement of Vanjie’s hands - pulling at a sleeve, ruffling her hair, twisting together like rope.

“I don’t -”

“Don’t say nothing, lemme finish. I don’t know why it got so real tonight, fucking Yvie coming for me  - but I’m not getting into it again, she has her own shit to deal with and we’re gonna - we’ll be good. But I clocked the way you were looking at me, there was a moment there - and I thought I had to tell you, you know, that I don’t do that shit on the regular. That’s not me.”

“Wait - you don’t have to apologize or -”

“I don’t wanna be that bitch. You know, I’ve been that bitch before, and I wanna be better than that.”

“Vanjie,” Brooke stands back up, stepping across the room and stopping the movements of Vanjie’s hands with her own. 

Vanjie immediately looks up at her, tilting her jaw back like it’s a challenge.  

Her fingers are warm. They slide gently against Brooke’s. 

“I like the way you are,” Brooke says, and Vanjie does that odd, slanted smile that Brooke’s seen so many times in the werkroom, the one that makes something spark and stutter in Brooke’s chest. 

“Who wouldn’t?  I mean -” Vanjie does a little shimmy but doesn’t let go of Brooke’s hands. And self-deprecating is not really something Brooke thought she’d see in this queen, but that’s what this feels like.  Whether the girl is shimmying or not.

“Yes, we all know you’re fucking gorgeous. But I don’t just mean - that.” Brooke’s throat is getting tight, and she flashes back to her conversation with Ru that afternoon (talking about serious things always makes me cry.  It gives me anxiety just thinking about it.) 

Fuck.  Congrats Brooke on being the whitest person in Drag Race herstory.

“I mean.  I like the way you are.” Brooke releases a breath, and if she gets teary-eyed now she’s going to throw herself off the balcony. She removes one hand from Vanjie’s grasp, lifts it to the side of Vanjie’s face. “Like, all of it.”

Something creases between Vanjie’s brows, a tiny flicker of pain that is instantly smoothed over. She doesn’t say anything for a moment, and then she leans her head into Brooke’s palm. 

“Bitch, why your hands so soft?” Vanessa murmurs, and Brooke drags her other hand up over Vanjie’s throat, and wishes that the world outside that closed door could just go away for one night. Just give them one night alone together, give Brooke one night to touch Vanjie every where she wants to, memorize the freckles on her hips and the ticklish places on her knees and suck her off and hold her close and kiss her until she was drunk with it, kiss her until

- you know what, fuck it.

Brooke hauls Vanjie up, off the ground and into her arms. Vanjie laughs low and rough as she wraps her legs around Brooke’s hips, and Brooke walks them backwards until Vanjie is pressed against the hotel room wall and they are kissing, mouths open and hot and wet. 

When their hips grind together, it feels like a gun going off. Brooke’s knees are shaking already.

Vanjie uses her tongue like it’s a weapon, kisses as demanding as her personality, and Brooke’s never felt like this, never. This isn’t a quick peck in the werkroom or backstage lounge, this is finally getting Vanjie where Brooke wants her, finally getting her alone. 

“Will you fuck me?” Vanjie pulls back, eyes dazed and lips swollen.  “I want you to, I been thinking about it -”

“Oh my god,” Brooke whispers, because yes to that, right now that is the only thing she wants in the whole world. 

Vanjie’s hands are on Brooke’s t-shirt, pushing it up as she scrapes her teeth along the edge of Brooke’s jaw.  Brooke frees one of her hands to fist it in Vanjie’s hair, tilting her head back so their mouths meet again.

“You gotta,” Vanjie says, “Please. I can’t stop wanting it.” 

“Okay.” Brooke’s beyond reason at this point, can’t think about anything except the warm body writhing against hers and how to get them both naked as soon as fucking possible.

A knock at the door makes them both freeze. 

Their eyes meet in horror - like they’re teenagers whose parents have come home too early - before the absurdity of the situation hits them both at the same time, and they start giggling like idiots. 

“Start the clock, bitch!” Vanjie yells, and Brooke snorts with laughter, and then they’re kissing again, smiling against each other’s lips. Brooke waits for reality to kick in, hoping it will take its time.

But it doesn’t (the knock at the door comes again, slightly more insistent.)

“Damn it.  Okay. Okay. Just -” Brooke reluctantly lowers Vanjie to the floor, both of them moaning at the delicious slide of contact between their bodies. “I’m not getting us kicked off Drag Race.”

“It’d be worth it, baby,” Vanjie purrs, batting her eyelashes until Brooke has no choice but to lean down and kiss her again, hands winding in her hair, Christ, she tastes like peppermint and cream soda and -

“Wait.  Okay.” Brooke drops her hands, fists clenching. “No, don’t look at me like that. I can’t - “

“Like this?” Vanessa grins all sly and sexy up at her.

“Yes, like -” Brooke has to take a few steps backwards, putting some distance between them while she can. 

“Ugh, you’re a monster, it’s not fair.” Vanjie straightens up her shirt, tries to pat her hair into something less obvious.  “You get to look so fine, and send me packing?” 

“It’ll be worth it,” Brooke says, not certain what she’s talking about.  Worth the wait? Worth the prize? Worth a month in a sparkly warzone shooting glances at each other over sewing machines?  “When I win, I’ll make it up to you.”

“Ha! Fuck that, Mary, you just try it.  You can use some of my money to wipe your tears.”

“Oh my god, you’re such a dick.” Brooke shakes her head, and Vanjie winks.

“Yeah, well, you know you love it.” She crosses to the door. “Night night Brooky Poo.”

Brooke stares after her long after she’s gone, knees still shaking.  

Mouth still sweet as peppermint.

[slytherin-puffskein]

Withered Orchid

Note: the / / / symbol followed by italicized text, then finished with / / / again represents a flashback. I also want to stress on the fact that this is an Alternate Universe. It is not the canon Barnalau story.

* * *

/ / /

“If you mess with Merula, I’ll vanish your bones” Barnaby said with a cocky voice, a smile on his face as he tilted his head.

He couldn’t look more proud over what he just said. Now, he was showing exactly why Merula chose him ! Because he was strong and scary ! By seeing him, King will definitely falter, and Merula won’t have problems with him anymore ! After all, his threatening skills were pretty damn solid... right ?

Laurent Dorian King, however, didn’t look impressed. He barely stared back at Barnaby, checking his nails instead and

( mmm, they’re starting to get long, I should clip them )

not paying any sort of attention to Barnaby. After a few more seconds of silence, during which Barnaby did his best to keep on his smile, Lau finally looked up.

“Oh... so you were, like, already done ? Vanish my bones and that’s all ? That’s juvenile”

Barnaby’s eyes widened, so much that for a second, Lau feared they might fall out of their sockets and fall on the floor ( plop ! ). Finally, though, the other Slytherin opened his mouth to speak... but he realized he had no idea what juvenile meant. Lau rolled his eyes, and took a step forward, which made Barnaby almost jump in surprise.

“Now, you’re the one who is going to listen to me, Mr.I’m-Merula’s-New-Pet. The last thing I need is you and Ismelda trying to bother me, so we’ll make a deal, all right ?”

He suddenly pressed his index finger against Barnaby’s chest.

“You are going to leave me alone, and I am going to leave you alone ! Is that a deal ? Oh wait, I’m gonna answer for you: yes, it’s a deal ! So now you better walk away and never speak to me again”

And with that, King spun around, his wizard robes fluttering around him, and he left the Potions Classroom. Barnaby Lee was now alone... if you ignored Snape who was giving him an annoyed look.

/ / /

The sky is in different tones of grey as Barnaby keeps marching forward. His cheeks feel cold, as well as his hands, and he can feel his fingers tremble sightly. He should have checked the weather forecast before dressing up, he would have brought a coat. Now, because of the snow twirling in the air, his shoulders were covered in white powder. Luckily, it was pretty light, and would drag itself away as soon as Barnaby would move. At least, he was lucky with that.

Shit, did he shave ? He brings his fingertips to his chin, feeling the slight stubble. Oh, no. He totally forgot... but hopefully, people will be willing to ignore it and simply avert their eyes.  How deeply he wishes that... but that scenario might not happen. He is well aware that everyone’s attention will be on him, and him only. He nervously squeezes his small orchids bouquet. Purple, and absolutely beautiful. Like his own little orchid. His own small, redheaded, beautiful orchid.

( stop calling me that, you numpty !, Lau would giggle. )

It was probably the only times he didn’t mind being called as such, and that said a lot. He keeps walking, the snow crunching under his footsteps.

/ / /

“I don’t understand anything” Barnaby whined, before pulling his textbook away and slamming his face against his hands.

Merlin, what kind of class was Herbology anyway !? Watch over a bunch of weird flowers, water them and take notes !? What... what was interesting about that anyway ? Laurent King, however, seemed absolutely fascinated, and he giggled at Barnaby’s reaction.

“Come on, Barnaby, it’s not that bad. Your Valerian is in pretty good shape, in fact ! It might just need a little bit of water... and dragon dung... and...”

He quickly trailed off as he realized Barnaby’s Valerian might not be as good as he initially thought, and smiled shyly... before stepping closer to Barnaby.

“Come on now, Sprout isn’t looking” he whispered. “Let me help you !”

Barnaby finally removed his hands from his face, and he stared at his small friend.

“H-Help me... ?”

The last person who helped him in any class was Merula Snyde, and she kept calling him an absolute idiot. For a moment, he dreaded that Lau might do the exact same thing... but the redhead gently smiled at him, then observed his Valerian.

“Yes, help you ! I’m a sucker for Herbology, Barnaby. Follow my advice, and your Valerian will look absolutely beautiful !”

Valerian, what a pretty name, he couldn’t help but think. He then stared at Barnaby with a smile.

“So ? What do you say, Barny ?”

And his eyes widened as the nickname showed up by itself. Barny !? Oh Merlin, Barnaby will hate it, Laurent was certain of it...

But as he looked at Barnaby Lee, he saw that the boy was beaming.

“I’m in ! Teach me everything, Lau !”

/ / /

As he finally reaches his destination, Barnaby spots a familiar figure. Once he gets closer, he recognizes Merula Snyde. She, as opposed to Barnaby, checked the weather forecast, and she decided to wear a fancy black coat, her hands stuffed into her pockets. Her cheeks are sightly rosy, surely due to the terrible cold. It seemed like whenever a second passed, the air would suddenly get chillier. Barnaby couldn’t help but wonder if by midnight the entire city will be a block of ice.

“Hey, Barnaby” the young woman finally says.

Barnaby simply nods. Maybe the cold prevented his lips from moving too much. Or maybe he just wishes to not speak at all. Whatever the reason, Merula keeps speaking anyway.

“Gotta say, we all have a terrible timing” she mutters. “Everyone’s gonna freeze their asses off by the time it’s over”

“Well, there’s dinner at my place afterwards” Barnaby shrugs. “I guess I’ll just have to make something warm...”

“What, were you planning to serve ice cream or something ?” the young witch exclaims.

Barnaby can only shake his head. Speaking that amount already exhausted him, since he haven’t been talking much since the past few days. His vocal chords were strained, and trying to push out a single noise from them demanded great effort. For a few minutes, there was only silence between them. The snow kept slowly falling, and Barnaby watched as it landed on Merula’s hair.

( Ah, just a lot more and she’ll start looking like a snowman. I should get a carrot... )

“Remember when you first met Lau... ?” Merula shyly asks. “You told me he pretty much yelled at you the entire time... what is it you told him, already ?”

A weak giggle escapes Barnaby’s lips.

“If you mess with Merula, I’ll vanish your bones”

“Wow, were you even that good at magic to do that ?”

“Probably not, I just wanted to... impress him, sort of scare him”

A small smile shows up on Merula’s lips, but silence falls upon them again. It seems as if none of them are able to carry the conversation.

“Did you... did you know ?” Merula finally asks.

And Barnaby feels himself freeze.

/ / /

It was a warm summer day, and Barnaby Lee had never felt this good before. He was relaxed, he was calm, he was... happy. And all of this was because Laurent Dorian King was with him. He was certain that this was the sole reason of his great mood. Not the fresh grass they were laying on, not the clear blue sky without any clouds, not even the delicious pie that they will bake later. No, he was happy because Laurent was with him.

On this weekend, Charles Edward King had a business trip in order to try and associate the King-Clemence farm with bigger, more successful farms. As a way to take advantage of the situation, Lau invited his friend for a weekend of unrestrained fun. After all the struggles they had that were linked to the past school year, they needed some time to relax together at least once during vacations.

“This feels so good...” Barnaby breathed out.

He never thought that laying on a field would be this great. Lau was right next to him, making a flowercrown with a bunch of orchids he found. Purple, his favourites. Barnaby, on the other hand, 

( why do you like orchids so much ?, Barnaby had asked him once )

( because people see them as pretentious flowers, Lau replied. I decided to not judge them as fast )

preferred sunflowers. Huge, beautiful sunflowers. Maybe one day he can ask Lau to make a sunflower crown for him... that would be pretty cool. He turned to his friend to ask him, but he suddenly saw his expression: a profoundly sad and thoughtful one, and Barnaby immediately learned that he hated seeing his dear friend like this. He frowned, looking at Lau.

“Lau... ? What’s wrong ?”

Lau’s hands suddenly froze... and he slowly turned to Barnaby. Their eyes met, chocolate and emerald. As Lau weakly smiled, Barnaby’s chest tightened. He’s so caring, he doesn’t want me to worry...

“You know how I told you my mom died from an illness, right ?”

Oh yeah, Lau definitely told him about that... he nodded slowly, wondering what Lau exactly wanted to talk about. His friend suddenly turned to look at his orchids again.

“My mum loved daisies. And orchids. I guess I lied a little to you, that time you asked me why I liked them so much... I like them not only because they are misunderstood, but also because my mum adored them. Tending to them... feels like I’m still with her, in some way”

With his fingertips, he gently caressed a purple petal. He might have been too harsh, though, since it slowly fell on his chest.

“She was sick... so sick, Barnaby. It was unbearable to see. She... she looked like a zombie, a few days before she died. And she wouldn’t speak, she wouldn’t move. She’d just stare. Stare at us without a word, not even a smile... and that was terrifying”

For a seven years old boy, at least. He sighed softly, staring at the sky and extending his arm, as if he was aiming to catch it.

“Sometimes, I wonder if she’s out there, looking for me... cheering for me. Because I try so hard for her, Barnaby. I try so hard to live so that her death will mean something. That despite what happened, I’m still able to... to do my thing, you know ? And I know she would have hated it if I had simply let grief swallow me up...”

Barnaby listened carefully, as if he was listening to the most serious, yet most fascinating tale. By the time Lau was over, they were hugging each other, in that large, empty field.

Then they made a strawberry pie.

/ / /

“I knew” Barnaby admits at last.

Merula stares at him... but she doesn’t say anything. That’s Barnaby’s cue to continue.

“He told me how his mother had it, and how terrible it was for him. He was... he was just a child, and he had to see this... I don’t know how he managed to stay this positive afterwards”

Back in Hogwarts, you would rarely see Laurent Dorian King with a long face. He’d always be smiling, giggling and trying to cheer his friends up by offering them flowers or comforting words, sometimes both. Merula can’t hold back a sad smile.

“It’s Lau. That’s just how he is...”

A little ray of sunshine, Barnaby thinks. A beautiful orchid, misunderstood yet beautiful.

Because boy, did people misunderstood Lau. Weak, fag, coward, all of these words would be said about him only because he dared to be his delicate, flower loving self. Whenever he’d stand up against bullies, people just seemed to turn a blind eye to that, and only focus on what was deemed as ‘girly’, therefore ‘weak’ to several mean male students..

“Yeah, that’s just how he is...” Merula repeats herself at last.

“He didn’t tell me it was hereditary” Barnaby suddenly confesses. “He thought it wouldn’t get him. He thought he was strong enough to avoid it”

“Emphasis on the word ‘thought’” Merula replies bitterly.

Indeed, huge emphasis.

“Let’s head inside” Barnaby says at last, eyeing the giant building.

“Yeah, let’s do that. I’m freezing”

He wraps his arm around her shoulders, mostly because he needs to be close to someone.

/ / /

“Merlin, can I say how terrible Madam Puddifoot’s Tea Shop is ?” Lau asked, laughter in his voice. “I can’t believe Tonks and Charlie made us live this complete mess !”

Barnaby started laughing as well, and he wrapped his arm around Lau’s shoulders. It was getting darker, so it was starting to get cold... but really, his main objective wasn’t to warm Lau up. It was, in fact, his second. His true goal was to simply be closer to him... and Merlin, did that feel good.

“How about we plan our second date already, to forget about that Tea Shop ?” Barnaby joked. “We could have a fun time in the Magical Creatures Reserve... that would be amazing !”

“Oh, yes !” Lau exclaimed, his eyes suddenly filling themselves with stars. “And think about how many flowers we can find there ! Maybe beforehand we can also have a nice picnic in front of the Great Lake...”

And he gave Barnaby his most charming smile, and the Slytherin’s heart skipped a beat. He’s so cute.

Suddenly, however, Lau froze, and turned to Barnaby.

“Does that... does that mean you want a second date... ?”

A smile immediately showed up on Barnaby’s lips... and he nodded.

“I’d absolutely love to, Laurent. But only if you want to”

“Of course I do ! I-I’ve just been so scared I screwed up the date. I mean, the Tea Shop was terrible”

“But you know what wasn’t... ?” Barnaby asked with a shy look on his face. “You. It might sound cheesy, but... this was my most amazing date”

“But you told me you never had dates before” Lau said, skeptical.

“Yeah... true. But it’s the best, because... because it was with you, and I’d love to have a second date with you...”

And now, they were blushing. As bright as tomatoes, the both of them.

“I, too, would love to have a second date with you, Barny” Lau whispered softly.

Then... it simply happened. Lau tip toed closer to Barnaby, and Barnaby wrapped his arms around Lau’s waist.

And they were kissing.

/ / /

And everyone was now looking at him. Him and his orchid bouquet. Penny Haywood, Andre Egwu, Bill and Charlie Weasley, Tulip Karasu... everyone. And Barnaby can only lower his eyes in an attempt to avoid all of these glances. He decides to focus on how the room looks.

A lot of red chairs, as if they were all blood stained. Neatly arranged in rows, just like in a classroom. But in front of them is no teacher. No McGonagall ready to teach them about Transfiguration, no Flitwick telling them to ‘swish and flick’ their wands, no Kettleburn and his missing limbs. Instead, there are colourful flowers everywhere. Roses, daisies, chrysanthemums... orchids. All of these beautiful little things surrounding a large, open casket. Barnaby quietly steps towards it, his heart beating against his chest. On either side of the casket, small wooden pillars were holding large orange candles.

( Orange, his favourite colour )

A slow music was playing as a background noise. Le Temps de L’Amour, Françoise Hardy. Barnaby takes a step closer, looks inside the open casket. His heart twists itself inside his chest, and he wants to scream.

Laurent Dorian King is here, and... he looks peaceful. He looks normal. The mortuary cosmetologist did a great job with hiding traces of the illness, and Lau only looks as if he is sleeping and he’ll wake up at any moment. His eyes will flutter open, he’ll smile at Barnaby and stretch himself... and then ask him to bring him home.

However, as Barnaby keeps staring, Lau doesn’t moves. The illness definitely took him, and sweetly tucked him inside of that casket.

/ / /

“Everything is at stake now, isn’t it ?”

Lau’s voice piped up into the darkness, and Barnaby slowly opened his eyes. Of course they weren’t sleeping... who would, now that Lord Voldemort was at his full power ? And to think that all possible hope was resting on young Harry Potter’s shoulders... he was only a child ! He should be relaxing and hanging out with friends, not saving the world !

“I... I guess it is” Barnaby whispered.

As if speaking any louder would summon Death Eaters. Lau was a muggleborn, after all. He was greatly at risk, because of something he couldn’t even control: his blood status.

“Do you think he’ll make it ? Harry, I mean ? Merlin, Barnaby, he’s just a boy... he’s only seventeen... I know he’s technically an adult, but still !”

He choked up, and Barnaby could guess that Lau was crying. He immediately turned around in the large bed, and pulled his lover against his chest.

“Everything will be alright, Lau... when the moment comes, we’ll be here to help him. Us, Tonks, Lupin, Bill... everyone. And You-Know-Who will bite the dust”

“Promise... ?” Lau softly whispered.

Barnaby kissed his forehead.

“I promise, Lau”

( and as soon as this war is over, I’m marrying you )

/ / /

Now comes the time to carry the now closed casket. Barnaby is one of the pallbearers, as well as Tulip, Merula and Penny.

It’s heavy. Usually, Barnaby has no trouble with carrying heavy weights... but now he finds himself deeply struggling, even with the help of his friends.

( I used to be able to carry you so easily, it was almost ridiculous. How come you’re ten times heavier, now ? How come a huge casket is keeping us apart ? How come I can’t see your smile again ? )

/ / /

“Barny ?”

It has been about a year ever since Harry Potter defeated Lord Voldemort. Ever since the constant fear was gone. Ever since Barnaby Lee married Laurent Dorian King.

Barnaby took some time to find Lau, but he finally found his other half in their room. He was sitting in the bed, wearing Barnaby’s old Slytherin sweater. Man, despite all this time, it was still too big for him. He sat next to Lau, a smile on his face, waiting for what he might say. Considering the fact that Lau was also wearing his boxers, revealing his long, sexy legs, he quickly had... ideas of what Lau might want.

But his husband’s face said many things, and it certainly didn’t say sex. Lau finally turned to Barnaby, a weak smile on his face.

“My mother’s illness, Barnaby... it’s hereditary. I didn’t tell you about it at first, because I didn’t think I’d have it... I thought I was strong enough to fight off the virus before it even touched me...”

A tear suddenly rolled down his cheek. Barnaby wiped it away.

“I’m sick, Barnaby”

/ / /

Speech. He must make a speech. The casket is right here in front of him, in the cemetery. Everyone is, once again, looking at him. He still haven’t let go of his orchid bouquet. He holds them tightly, as if they are a safety buoy and he is drowning. He surely feels like he is drowning... but he can’t stop that horrible feeling. It attached itself to him ever since Lau closed his eyes for forever.

Another look at the casket. Merula lowers her head.

“Lau... when I first met you, you basically told me to go fuck myself”

A few giggles, but they died down rapidly. That’s bullshit, Barnaby thought. Lau would have wanted people to laugh at his funeral. He wouldn’t want people to be this sad over him.

“A-And... Merlin, I can’t believe I’m doing this right now... I can’t believe this is happening... you were my forever, Lau. Did you know that ? As soon as we kissed, I knew it instantly. That... that you were the guy I was going to love and marry. And I loved you, I loved you so much... and I married you. I married you as soon as I could, and our wedding was probably the best day of my life”

He takes a step closer to the casket, tears now streaming down his face.

“Remember when I told you I liked sunflowers ? I... I always felt like one whenever I was with you. You were my sun, my wonderful sun, and I was instantly drawn to you. I had to look at you all the time, I had to love you all the time, because... because that’s how things simply were”

He takes a pause, and uses it to cry for a moment. His tears splash against the orchids.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t fight this illness off you, Lau. I wished I could have found a way to get rid of it... seeing you suffer everyday was terrible... and yet you were so caring. You’d always worry about me, never yourself. You didn’t want me to feel sad... you wanted me to be happy for the remaining time we had together. And I think this describes you pretty well. You hate when people are sad and worried, you want them to smile and laugh. And that makes you the most beautiful person to be... the most beautiful orchid to be”

He leans down to place the orchid bouquet on top of the casket, among the other flowers on it.

“I love you, Laurent Dorian King. I loved you, I love you, and I will love you. You’ll always be in my heart... and there won’t be a single day during which I won’t think about you”

( because you are my sweet orchid, misunderstood and yet perfect )

[raindrop-on-a-spiderweb]

On The Street Where You Live, Part 3

Last part guys. After this I will try and work on the main story. Hope you enjoyed this crazy AU!

***

Patience stared at the bathroom wall, tears welling in her eyes.

Her period always came like clockwork, every second of the month. It was the fourteenth, and she was late. This morning she had woken up nausea so severe she vomited in the toilet. And the nausea had struck again in gym class.

Someone rapped irritably on the bathroom door. "Are you done in there?"

"NO!" She burst out. 

She heaved silent sobs, burying her face in her hands. There was graffiti on the bottom of the door. EVAN AND BETH FOREVER surrounded by a heart.

She wondered who Evan and Beth were. They were probably a happy couple, waiting to graduate and marry. He would probably have a good job, and her parents would like him, not like Patience and Salvatore.

She pressed the heels of her wrists into her eyes and let her sobs overwhelm her.

***

It was a bright afternoom at the butcher shop, and for once, the only thing that was being chopped there was meat. A black-haired young man was taking inventory when the front door jangled and he looked up.

As soon as Salvatore saw who it was, he appeared frustrated. "What the hell are you doing here, Leo Angelino?"

The boy looked about as out-of-place in the butcher shop as a lion would on a Kansas farm, with his uniform and carefully coiffed hair. "I am not frequenting your lovely establishment for the charming array of services you offer. I am here to speak to a certain person, that person being you."

"You coulda just said 'I'm here to talk to you.'"

"Yes, but then I wouldn't be able to see the charming look on your face as you attempted to the decipher the big words in my speech."

"What the fuck do you want?"

He put his elbows on the counter and leaned forward until his nose nearly touched Salvatore's. "I hear you're dating Richard Winslow's daughter."

Salvatore looked disgrunted. "Well, I was for a while. Don't know where she's gotten to as of late."

Leonardo toyed with the edge of the frayed paper menu. "I think, for the good of you both, you should stop seeing her."

"That ain't none of business, you god damn faggot. What do you care?"

"Just look at you. You already have a criminal record, you work a dead-end job, you have no prospects. You're just a hooligan from the wrong side of the tracks."

He leaned closer, and Salvatore stood his ground, but his fists were clenched and trembling.

"She deserves so much better than you and you know it. That's probably why she's not seeing you anymore. She realized that you're no good, Salvatore. It would be best if you simply... moved on."

"SHUT UP!" 

He pushed Leonardo backwards. "If you ain't buying, you got no reason to be here. If you don't get out right now I'm gonna throw you out."

Leonardo held up his hands, backing away, but kept that irritating smile on his face. When the door swung shut, Salvatore turned and punched the wall, his fist crumpling the cheap wood.

His father barked at him to get back to work, and he did so slowly.

***

Leo was there. He was always there. She wanted to punch him as soon as he looked over at her and smiled.

"Patience honey, welcome home. There's a sandwich in the fridge for your lunch. I'm making pot roast tonight." Marilyn crossed one leg over the other, and Patience noted she wasn't wearing pantyhose. "Can you take the clothes out of the drier?" She flipped her hair ostentatiously, eyes on the young blond man beside her.

Tormented by her thoughts, she trudged down the basement. Her mind was whirring, caught in a circle like a broken toy, and she didn't notice someone enter in after her until the door clicked shut.

She whirled around. "What are you doing here?" Her blood pressure spiked as she recognized the golden-haired menace that had ruined her life.

 "Just here to help with laundry. I'm always around the house, so it's just natural that I help with chores."

The basement was really more of closet. There was enough room for a washer and dryer and that was about it. So he and Patience were stuck very close, so close they could not help but touch as they unloaded the drier. His hand skimmed her breasts, bottom and back, all under the pretense of accidence.

"Stop it!" She snapped. "Just--just hold the basket!"

After she was done loading the clothes, she turned to the door, he held it shut with his arm. He stood there, face an inch from her own, staring intently. He cocked it. "Patience."

For some reason she was afraid, even though he had no way of telling, that he had found out about her pregnancy. He's going to blackmail me. Just another way he has power over me.

"Why don't you like me?"

She started. It sounded like an honest question. Maybe it was. "Because you're sleeping with my mom and making her run around on my dad."

"Hmm. Well, maybe that can change." Leonardo hoped on top of the washing machine, staring down at her. "You really want me to stop fooling with your mother?"

"Yes, I do! Just leave her alone! Leave my whole family alone!"

"Well. Maybe we can come to an agreement." He smiled, showing perfect white teeth. "How about this. I stop with your mother... and you take her place."

She stood frozen, teeth gritted and body made of stone. "I--" and for a moment she thought, then Mom and Dad will stay together. I'm pregnant, he can't do anything to me like he was threatening to. Maybe just--just to keep him away from Mommy--

He took her by the arm and pulled her forward. "My father is very rich. I'm going to Yale next year. I'm an even an Altar Boy at The Church of the Holy Virgin

That boyfriend of yours is no-good and you know. I can buy you anything you want, get you a house, take you to Europe."

He sounded like he was giving her more of a sales pitch than asking her to be his lover. She studied him closely, at his fine, delicate features, his high cheekbones and arched nose and long eyelashes. Could she wake up beside him? 

She just focused on his features, trying to ignore everything else about the boy, all her memories of the way he had slammed her against the wall and forced his way into her, about how her mommy looked at him with adoring eyes, on the disgusting words he had whispered in her ears that fateful night, and just focused on those blue, blue eyes.

He leaned down slowly, giving her time to pull away, and cupped her face. When his mouth was a fraction away from hers, and his breath was spilling over her lips, she yanked away, her gorge rising. 

"Get lost, Borghese. I'm never going to be your girl," she snarled resentfully, her bitterness taking over as she carried the basket of laundry out of the basement.

***

"Well, hey there, Pat. Haven't seen you around lately."

Jack Salandra was sitting outside the butcher shop in a folding chair, smoking a cigarette.

"Do you know where Salvatore is?"

"He's in the back talking to someone."

"I need to speak with him."

"He's busy. You should come back in an hour, I think he'll be closing up."

"No. You don't understand. I REALLY need to speak with him."

Something in her trembling voice gave him pause, and he put out his cigarette and stood up. "Give me a minute."

Soon after, Sal emerged, looking livid. His butcher's apron was stained with blood. "What the fuck is your problem? First we go to the prom together. Then you ghost me for a whole month, leaving me wondering what the hell happened to you. And now you're showing up at my door begging to talk to me?"

She swallowed hard and looked down the street. "It's... it's really, really important. Is there somewhere where we can be alone?"

He led her to an alleyway behind the butcher shop, occupied only by a dumpster where she assumed spoiled meat was dumped because of the smell.

She took a deep breath, skin prickling, and when she spoke the words, the shocked silence was so loud it buzzed in her ears.

"I'm pregnant."

Salvatore's face settled into a blank look of shock. His eyes were so wide around his black iris that it was ringed by white.

"A-are you sure?"

"Yeah. My mom had the same symptoms when she was pregnant with me. And it's--the timeline adds up. I know... it's yours, Salvatore."

Salva slowly sank to the ground, shaking. "Oh fuck. Oh fuck. This isn't happening. This can't be happening. Vaffanculo..." and he began to sob.

Him crying make her start to cry too, but she lashed back. "What are you crying for? You're not the one who's pregnant!"

He wiped his tears off with his bloody apron.

Patience felt the weight of despair crush her, a woman barely into her teens and saddled with the child of the last person she'd want to be pregnant by. How could she finish high school now? What would her parents say? Did she have to get married? She didn't want to marry Salvatore. She wanted to go to college and be a police officer like her father. How could she do that with a child, and married to someone she'd more likely arrest than not? He smoked. He skipped school. He hit her. That 'bad boy' image he gave off that had so charmed her at first now alienated her, disgusted her. How could she marry someone like that? 

Life was going too fast for her. She wanted this to be a nightmare she would wake up from.

"What are we gonna do, Salvatore?" 

"I gotta tell my mom. Fuck, she's gonna kill me. It's all over. You better tell your parents too."

The thought of introducing Sal as the father of her child made her feel sick. She often hated how long the walk back to her house from the butcher shop was, but this time, she wished it were longer. Every step she took was weighted down by concrete blocks.

When her two-story green townhome came in sight, her heart began to pound. When she pulled the door open, she saw her father in a sweater, reading the news, and her mom watching television.

When her father saw her, he got up to hug her. She hugged her father, inhaling his familiar smell. She never wanted to let go. 

"I'm sorry I've been away for so long, baby. Work's been rough. But the Chief is giving me some time off this week. What do you say you, your mom and I do something this weekend? Go to an amusement park? See a movie?"

Oh, daddy. If only you knew.

"That sounds good, Daddy." She kept the sob out of her voice, but it welled up again as she sat down beside her dad to watch TV. Harry Truman was giving a speech. Every single word out of his mouth might as well have been gibberish.

"Honey, have you been crying?" Mommy looked up. She was in her favorite dress, the red gingham one. Patience remembered her wearing it a lot as a child. Her apron was smeared, like she had just been cooking.

 "Are you all right? Did Mr. Oleson yell at you again? Tell your mommy."

"No." She wiped her eyes. "I--I--I need to, talk, to you. About something?"

"What is it, junebug?" Daddy looked down at her, worry knitting his brow. His green eyes, just like hers, were filled with concern as more tears streaked down her face.

"I'm--" her voice caught in her throat like a stone. "I'm pregnant."

For a moment, all she heard was Harry Truman's voice crackling through the speakers.

Then two things happened.

Her father leaped up and started shouting, and her mother began to sob.

"You're fifteen years old! You are fifteen years old! How did you let this happen?"

"No, no, oh god, please no, Patience--"

"How could you ruin your life like this? You were going to college! You're on the honor roll! How, how could you be so--" Richard was shouting, red in the face, and he took her by her shoulders and shook her.

"How did it happen? Who did it? How old is he? Was he your teacher?" Mommy was still crying, but she got her questions rapid-fire.

"No," she managed to get out between sobs. "I-It wasn't. He--was--he's in my high school. He works at the butcher shop around the corner, the one on Franklin Lane. He--his name is S-Salvatore Mallozzi."

The room went silent again, the calm before a storm, and then the storm crashed down.

"SALVATORE MALLOZZI? I arrested that boy for assault and theft! He spat in my face! You're telling me that you let him--"  Richard was shaking hard, and Patience wondered whether he would collapse. He was gripping her shoulders so hard they erupted in pain.

Mommy had lapsed into crying again, except this time, more desperately. When she spoke again, her voice was a scream. She slapped her errant daughter so hard her face exploded with pain. "Why are you acting the whore? Where's your common sense? I thought you would have learned from your Aunt Minnie! A dago? Why did you let some FUCKING Italian--"

"You're one to talk!" She shouted back, holding her aching cheek. Her fury and agony was bursting, making her lash out. "What with you and Leonardo!"

The moment she let those words leave her lips, she regretted it more than anything in her life.

Her daddy loosened her arms, slowly, and turned to his wife. "Marilyn," he said, his voice sapped of emotion.

Mommy looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "I was going to tell you," she whispered.

He sat down, shaken and pale. "Why?" He asked simply. "Why Silvio's son?"

"You were never here," she said. "He was. He told me I was beautiful. He--" she stopped and looked away. "I know I can't explain it to you. I know nothing I can say would explain it. But it's so lonely without you."

Richard said nothing, but buried his face in his hands. 

Patience sat, frozen, aware distantly of her  life crumbling around her. She felt like she was floating above the room, looking down at a bunch of strangers.

"Richard," Mommy said, "I'm leaving you. And I'm taking Patience."

This isn't happening. This isn't happening.

Richard walked over to the liquor cabinet and pulled out a bottle of amber liquid. He chugged his first few swallows straight from the bottle. Then he took a crystal glass and poured a generous amount in it.

Harry Truman was talking about the Soviet Union.

The three sat in absolute silence, the only sound the clinks of Daddy's glass and the occasional sniff of Mommy's.

How much time had passed, she did not know, but Daddy finally drained his glass and sat up before making his way purposefully to the door.

Patience jumped. "Daddy, where are you going?"

He did not answer, but she had a forboding feeling she knew, so she followed him out of the door.

Richard took step after step, and although he was staggering drunk, his mind was laser-focused on one thing. He ignored his daughter's pleas as he headed for the one place Patience feared--the butcher shop.

As soon as it came within sight she seized his arm, but he shook her off like a fly. One hundred and fifty pounds of Massachusetts rage bulled his way into the butcher shop.

Salvatore was sitting at a table, holding an icepack to his cheek. Opposite him was Malone, and a smattering of other undesirables. Richard marched up to the table and decked Salvatore.

The crack was louder than anything in the room, and Salvatore was flung backwards onto the floor. Richard was shouting drunkenly, drowning out the pleas of Malone.

"Winslow! Calm yourself! The boy's mother is crying in the next room!"

"YOU FUCKING DIRTY CRIMINAL WOPS--"

"Winslow! Winslow! The boy has agreed to marry the girl, there nothing to be upset about!"

"As if I would let my daughter marry one of you people! Patience is fifteen! I have my handcuffs here and I am arresting him and taking him to jail! I'm putting him away on statutory rape charges!"

Salvatore had scrambled back on his hands and knees and had his back against the wall, trembling with blood pouring down his face. Malone was in front of him, blocking him from Richard's wrath.

"Daddy," Patience pleaded, hanging onto him. "Please stop this, let's talk, please stop yelling--"

He shook her off, knocking her a few steps back. "My daughter," he snarled. "Is not marrying that boy. She is going to an unwed mother's home, and when the baby is adopted, she is coming back and she is finishing her education. Put the god damn handcuffs on!"

He lunged forward, and Malone pulled a bat out from behind the counter. They clashed with the thud of wood on skin.

Patience sat there, sobbing quietly as her father fought fiercely, throwing punches and shouts against weapons.

And as the other people in the butcher shop closed in, she didn't want to see her daddy beaten within an inch of his life, so she backed out of the butcher shop, her shoulders against the glass.

She ran home, the sky waning on her and the sky beginning to warm with orange on the horizon. Each thudding step she took jolted her to her brain.

The home she saw looked alien now--it held no comfort for her. When she pushed in, heaving her breaths, her mommy was on the phone. She heard the word Leo.

When she came inside, her mommy put down the phone and looked up. She opened her mouth to say something, but said nothing.

Patience stood there silently. 

Surveying the wreckage of her life and the ways it would go from now on, she made the wisest decision of her short life.

***

Patience shoved handfuls of her clothes into her suitcase, breaths trembling and frantic. She stopped by her parents' room and swept the emergency money in the bedside drawer into her suitcase.

She clicked the suitcase shut and ran downstairs, her shoes thudding on the steps. Her mother met her in the living roo, saw her suitcase, and she panicked. "Where are you going, Patience?"

"Away. I'm going away, mommy, I'm leaving, and I'm not coming back."

Marilyn seized her daughter's arm. "Don't do this, Patience! Don't do this! Please, come with me, don't leave me alone!"

"Why'd you do it, Mommy?" All Patience wanted to do was bury her face in her mother's skirt and cry. She wanted to be a little girl again, when her parents loved each other and her.

"You don't know what it's like. You know your daddy is never here. I had to raise you by myself. You think he's the hero? You know why he's gone so often? So he doesn't have to deal with the responsibility. I'm lonely, Patience. And I've been alone ever since I had you. I'm fed up with it."

"But why did it have to be him?"

Her mother said nothing, but there were tears in her eyes too, and an enormous unsaid weight between them.

Patience looked at the face that was so like hers, the tiny nose, the heart-shaped face, the pink lips. 

"I love you, Mommy. But you made your choice. And I can't stay here. I will not live with that man. I'm not going to an unwed mother's home. And I'm not marrying Salvatore, either."

She pushed past her mother, into the road, and chose a direction and started running, away from a broken home she would never return to.

***

Patience walked down the highway, thumb sticking out. Car after car passed her until a rattling sedan with a loose license plate slowed down. "Are you looking for a lift?" Called the driver.

The car was in such bad shape she almost refused, but the sun was going down and she needed a ride before nightfall. "Sure."

She put her suitcase in the backseat and hopped in the front seat. As soon as she slamed the door, the sedan was rattling off down the highway.

The driver was a young man in an ill-fitting gray suit and tie. He had slicked-back blond hair that was graying along the temples, despite his youth. "Where are you headed?" 

"Just outside of town. What about you?"

He laughed bitterly. "Garland City Courthouse. I'm divorcing my wife. You know what the real ironic thing is? I'm actually an attorney. A public defender. But because I don't know jack about divorce proceedings, I had to hire my own. And I really can't afford to spend the money."

The car coughed, like it was agreeing with him. "I'm sorry to hear that. Why did you split up?"

"Because she's not satisfied with the money I make. She always wants new fur coats, new pearls, new nights on the town. Women are never satisfied. It's always something with them."

Patience had a distinct feeling that that was only half the story, but did not pursue it.

"I understand. My parents are leaving each other, too."

"Is that why you're out here all alone?"

She looked ahead as rain began to speckle the windshield. "Yeah. Well, that, and--" she thought of Salvatore, and the baby, and instinctively cupped her stomach. "Other reasons."

"You should go back. I bet they're worried stiff. If my son disappeared on me, I'd lose my mind. Of course, he's only two, so there's not a lot of places he could go."

Patience thought of her mother, lost, staying up nights worrying desperately about her daughter. About her father, coming back to an empty home without his wife and daughter. She rubbed her eyes. I'm sorry, Mommy. I'm sorry, Daddy.

I guess I was just too much of a coward to deal with this. So I ran away instead.

Then she thought of Salvatore, of what he would think, how he would wonder what happened to his child. Would he wonder? Or would he just be glad he didn't have deal with the trouble anymore?

The night was beginning to fall, turning the sky blue-black. Patience spotted a bus stop through the shield of rain, right besside the sign stating Robichaux National Forest. "Drop me off here. I'll catch a bus."

The man slowed down. She hopped out and took her briefcase.

The man propped up his elbow on the steering wheel. "Which way are you headed, kid?"

She shielded her eyes against the rain. The trees towered above her like black, watching sentinels.

"California," she said. "Yeah. California sounds good." Somewhere far, far away, as far as she could get. "Thanks a lot, mister. I never got your name."

"Charlie Sawyer." He shook her hand. "And you?"

On the spur of a moment, she chose a false name, one that, considering who she was talking to, spared her a lot of suffering. "Beth Evans."

"Well, Beth. Best of luck to you."

"Thanks. Best of luck to you too, Charlie."

Patience watched his blinking tail lights vanish into the darkness, and sat down in the sanctuary of the bus stop, waiting for the rain to stop.

She slid her hand underneath her shirt and held it there, as if she could feel the heartbeat of her unborn child.

It's just you and me now, baby. Just us, in this big bad world.

The rain poured down harder, as if it would never stop.

THE END

[chimcharstar]

ALL THE COLOURS

HERE WE GO BOYS

zinc white; how are you really feeling today? no one-word answers please!

I’m feeling tired because I’m supposed to be in bed. But happy because I did the work and I can get away with sleeping in and things are just chill right now. I have devised a way of sneaking waste food at work. If you put it in these little metal containers and hide them under the fridge, nobody notices them and throws them away. This eve I dined on garlic bread and prawns.

cadmium yellow; when you think of the word “happy” what’s the first thing that comes to mind?

Walking with coffee and tunes. I’m trying to appreciate things in my life I will feel nostalgic about later in the moment, so I don’t regret anything. This is one of those things. Although I might not have the tunes part for long because I fucking broke my headphones and they may or may not start playing my music out loud for all the world to hear. I hope people like disco!

lemon; what’s your comfort food?

Food from my old workplace. I have trouble finishing food usually but not this stuff. I will probably scream while eating it. You know this and you love me

hansa yellow; what’s your guilty pleasure song?

“I Will Survive”. People were singing it in the Office and I guess it’s so famous and ironic and cringey now or something. But then I remember that one fucker

yellow ochre; name an artist/band whom you just discovered & can’t get enough of!

Herbie Hancock. I don’t know if I’ll listen to every single thing from him but I was just listening to some funk as you do and his like solos? I was vibing. We were having brain to brain communication. It was an experience. It was so so good. It was good fucking music. Listen to this shit. Herbie Hancock - I Thought It Was You This stuff makes me want to wiggle on public transit. 

naples yellow; where do you feel most at home?

Bonsais and my quiet neat fucking room. Or not giving a fuck in other people’s mess.

raw sienna; with whom do you feel most at home?

YOU HO

golden ochre; describe the relationship you have with your closest friend.

We reblog asks and send each other all the asks. ADHD disaster energy finding balance. The worst posts I’ve ever seen followed by revenge. Two gay best friends who are best friends. No seriously I am so grateful for your unconditional love and your warmth

golden deep; what’s your favorite season?

Autumn. When the leaves were falling and the sun was shining all bittersweetly I was running around taking so many pictures because there’s like this golden time and then it’s gone.

cadmium orange; what do you like to do on your days off?

I like to buy too many plants and pretty rocks that are just vibing. I just like to wander around with coffee without a schedule. Listening to funk and disco. Seriously I’m the coolest person ever

orange lake; do you have anyone you can turn to when you’re sad?

U HO. And some online mutuals of course :) I feel like I don’t turn to people when it’s real sad hours though. I just give my ocs more PTSD.

titans; do you prefer slow mornings or relaxing evenings?

Relaxed evenings. Fuck mornings. All my mornings are slow buddy. 

shakhnazaryan red; are you currently binge-watching anything?

No, because I had to go and cancel my Netflix as all my favourite things got more episodes. 

red ochre; are you more right-brained (creative) or left-brained (analytical)?

Oh right brained bitch.

burnt sienna; is there a painting that brings you peace when you look at it?

No, paintings are stressful. It’s always like “Holy shit, that must have been so much work! I don’t enjoy painting myself! This person is better at painting than me!” I have much love in the heart for Van Gogh.

english red; what animal do you relate to most?

I know what you’re trying to do and it’s not going to work. I could say a cat, because I want to lie down in a patch of sun, knock things over, and complain loudly. I would say a dog because I think people are way better than they really are, am tenaciously loyal to them, and get excited about going for a walk.

vermilion; what’s your favorite accent?

Whatever this one hot guy at work has.

cadmium red; do you have a “type” when it comes to a significant other?

FOR FUCKS SAKE okay I’m going to google what my type is

You got: Mr./ Mrs Perfect

You like someone that truly has is all. You need someone who is well rounded in all aspects of life. When it comes to looks and personality, only perfection receives your affection.

Wow, what does that mean at all

scarlet; describe your current crush/es.

Ok, one of them gave me cheesecake, one of them offered me pizza, another one is the guy whose Facebook you stalked for me and we still couldn’t find his birthday but I laugh about one adorable photo still (the car one), and one of them I spent half an hour trying to find where I put the birth chart of and we’re actually really compatible. I’m sorry, if you want more information I’ll have to ramble about it in your messages.

ruby; what does your ideal first date look like?

OH I JUST WANT TO WALK DOWN A STREET HOLDING HANDS AND GO TO A RESTAURANT WEVE NEVER BEEN TO BEFORE AND TRY SOME FOOD AND LAUGH A LOT, AND THEN MAYBE GO ENJOY THE VIEW OF THE OCEAN AT NIGHT. IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK? IS IT?

carmine; what does your ideal second date look like?

I don’t know, fuck it let’s go to the aquarium!

madder lake red; would you ever kiss someone (or accept a kiss) on a first date?

I dunno man. I feel like I wouldn’t if it wasn’t socially acceptable but I’m also wild and crazy.

rose; what’s something really positive going on in your life right now?

I REALLY ACTUALLY LIKE MY WORKPLACE. And my living situation is pretty okay. It’s not great I guess but I’ve been coming a long way.

quinacridone rose; what’s something you’re really looking forward to?

Literally what are these colours. Okay, I’m looking forward to putting wires around crystals to make them into jewellery. Then, I want to give the jewellery to my friends. 

violet rose; what does your dream house look like?

An old as fuck, old fashioned as fuck haunted-looking mansion I can give some love.

violet; is there any place in particular you’d like to settle down?

I need the outdoors bro. I need those trees. I gotta live in the countryside again someday.

blue lake; what would you like to do/accomplish before you settle down?

Write some books! Run rampant in the city…

cobalt blue spectral; what is the most beautiful place you have ever been to?

I think it would have to be the hills where I grew up. It was bursting with biodiversity, there was a rustic sheep farm, everyone shut the fuck up, there would be frogs, the smell of the fresh air in any season, some days would just be heart-stoppingly beautiful and I ache for it sometimes. Birdsong? I heard some birdsong today and I wanted to cry. I remember our hedges would be deafening with the birds in it.

ultramarine; when was the last time you were in a good mood? do you know/remember what sparked it?

Today, it finding something I maybe could sit around and read and then finding it in me to actually get out of bed lol.

blue; what’s the most recent dream you remember?

The one I just had. A lot of it is blurry, which is frustrating because I got some strong almost-memories of it throughout the day, but it sticks out to me because I was bawling my eyes out a lot in the dream, and I also hurt myself the way I used to and I had to check that I hadn’t done it in my sleep. But I think it was a very expressive dream and those are my natural emotions.

bright blue; what does your dream family look like? any kids or pets? 

I like the idea of a husband and some dogs, cats and chickens. Kids maybe.

how many of each?

A lot of chickens, but not too many please.

blue cobalt; do you like your name? would you give yourself a different name if you could?

I do like my name, and I did give myself a different name. Even if I knew how annoying everyone would be about pop culture Gordons, and I did. I still would choose this name.

prussian azure; what’s your favorite scent?

I’m running out of things to say as my favourite scent. OK, Nomad from Old Spice. I don’t know why, I think it must suit me or something. Maybe it’s the citrus… stuff going on there.

azure blue; what’s your favorite type of tea, if any?

Red Rose, my mom made it for me as a kid and she drank it all the time while teaching me piano or reading books.

turquoise blue; if you could start a garden, what would you plant?

Flowers, to show off to everyone, and then I don’t know, maybe some fucking pumpkins and easy things like corn and peas.

cerulean blue; if you were guaranteed to have a viewership, would you start a youtube vlog?

I think I’d be happier to have one if I knew no one was watching my antics LMAO

glauconite; describe your body without using any negative adjectives.

Best of both worlds

yellow green; picture yourself walking in a field. what do you see & hear in this scenario?

I’m still thinking of where I grew up. I see the sun through the branches of very old maple trees, and hear the wind in the long grass.

green light; are you in a comfortable place in life? if not, what do you think might make it better?

Yes, but I could make it better by moving in with cleaner roommates and getting a cat. And maybe work at something I’m actually interested in, or go to school or something.

green; name three countries you want to visit; do you have any actual plans in place to visit any of them?

I don’t have plans, but I’d like to visit Mexico, France, or Japan.

emerald green; do you speak any languages besides english? are there any additional languages you want to learn?

Kinda French. I want to learn Spanish… now Portuguese because everyone at work speaks it… literally, any very popular language. I want to learn so many languages

oxide of chromium; what’s your favorite book?

BRO WHAT IS A BOOK

olive green; are you currently reading anything? how do you like it so far?

Yeah, I’m reading a personal account of a Satanic cult. I had to stop reading it because I wasn’t ready for the graphic details.

mars brown; what’s a movie that always puts a smile on your face/makes you laugh?

Megamind/Thor Ragnarok

burnt umber; what’s something you plan to do before the day is over to take care of yourself?

Wow I feel really called out right now. I was going to eat some chicken because I’m hungry. Because that’s what I should be doing at 3AM.

umber; have you drank enough water today?

Yes, but probably not. I’ve been trying really hard today though.

voronezhskaya black; what or who is your go-to outlet for when you need to vent?

Probably you again, welcome to the salt mines!

sepia; name five things that always make you happy.

Buying a plant, rolling around on my fuzzy blanket, videos of cats being idiots, little unexpected thoughtful gifts, people sharing food.

indigo; what’s the best/sweetest compliment you have ever received?

A Treasured Mutual once spontaneously said I was a really good person because I was chill and they felt free to be themselves, to be vague.

payne’s gray; describe your aesthetic?

Looking around my room, it would seem to be whatever those studying people organizing notes with the window open on a sunny day have. I don’t know if this is me, but my room looks… vaguely feminine and organized in that way.

black; post a selfie because you are so beautiful!

I’m in my PYJAMA CLOTHES. I only want to take a selfie with GOOD NATURAL LIGHTING and the DAYTIME DARK CIRCLES around my eyes not the NIGHTTIME DARK CIRCLES. Maybe I have one hanging around

[staliasjeronica]

Riverdale 3.18 Thoughts *Spoilers*

First of all, I have not seen Riverdale in like a million years because it has just gotten so crazy and stupid and I’m sick of Bughead and Hiram for some reason going after his daughter for one stupid thing and it’s just repetitive and boring. Like, I have watched SO many greater shows since I just stopped caring to watch, but I heard that Bughead will break up and Jeronica might become actual friends, and that Hiram is arrested, and shit like that, plus the first episode of the fourth season is a tribute to Luke so I feel obligated to catch up before then to watch it. Either way I hate not finishing a season, especially after watching it for two whole seasons now, so… enjoy my technically not-spoilers since it’s been out for awhile thoughts on this episode of Riverdale! P.S. Bare with me if I have forgotten anything since it’s been awhile.

- AWW NO I REMEMBER THIS THOUGH, POOR BABY TEETH :( He was such an adorable little shit he didn’t deserve this.

- Oh yeah FP is the Sheriff… and Jughead is at a crime scene even though he should not be allowed there (Even if the gang is like… sheriff’s in training or whatever the fuck) Still not sure how I feel about FP, and I can’t wait for my rightful queen Toni to rip the serpents from Jughead’s cold dead hands (even though he’s obviously not dead)

- God damn Betty and Edgar again… she still bothers me. Does she realize that looking up his name might not get her anywhere because he’s not famous and therefore won’t have anything on him? I mean yeah maybe small town shit but like she’s acting like twenty million pages of him and his cult should be on the web.

- He walked in the desert to die? Psh alright… sounds stupid as fuck. He acts like farming opened his eyes to how beautiful life is like… chill bruh it’s not that amazing. I mean, it is, but he’s making it out to be like this BIG BIG thing when it’s not… burying and watering seeds doesn’t make you feel reborn.

- Betty had a point about it not telling her about how her mom can see Charles (even though I know he’s alive lolol we all knew)

- Oh yeah Archie got that one place from Hiram… but that dumb bitch asking how they can honor Baby Teeth as if he doesn’t know that you could simply just… stay silent for a few minutes to mourn, or shit like that. But my boy Mad Dog can also dedicate his next match to him too lol

- Fucking Elio NOBODY LIKES HIM OR THE STORYLINES HE BRINGS. LIKE HIRAM.

- My baby Veronica!!! Love my queen. CHERYL!!!!!!!!!!!! MY OTHER QUEEN. FANGS MY WHITE COVERED BABY!!!! Poor Toni watching her gf be hypnotized by a fucking cult

- Oh good a horrible plan from Jughead that will probably induce Betty to do something stupid and awful and then pretend like she can do it because she’s Betty Cooper… can’t wait…

- Like, they could have tried it out with Fangs/Kevin because they KNOW that Midge is dead.

- YES TONI GO AFTER BETTY FOR USING HER COUSIN. YOU FUCKING GO BABY

- Betty still has that video lol wow what a conniving bitch of a cousin she is. She said she deleted it, and they’re trying to make it out to be a good thing that she lied about a video…

- Veronica my queen,,, I hate that they tie her to Elio’s annoying bitch ass.

- That body does not fucking look like Baby Teeth,,, anyways

- I mean a human could do that lol you just mean that they don’t have a care for anyone. If this weren’t human, they would be like burned from the inside or some insane shit like that… stop being dramatic doc

- What kind of crack… HE TAKES TWO SWINGS AT FP AND THEN STOPS SO FP CAN FUCKING HIT HIM LOLOLOL WOW

- Alice! I miss the old her, before the writers decided to try and destroy her. But lmao this news broadcast tho

- Still can’t believe that they made out Betty and her father’s budding relationship a good thing. The fucking… WHAT? Why? How? Literally stop. Thank GOD Hiram or Penelope ends up murdering his ass…

- FP, THE SHERIFF, SHOULD NOT BE TALKING ABOUT THIS CRAZY SHIT TO HIS FIFTEEN YEAR OLD SON

- GOD I mean I get it, Cheryl needs to be brought back but that would be too convenient wouldn’t it… I’m sorry it’s fabricated??? Omfg “have you ever hugged Jason?” CHERYL’S PAUSE. SHE GOT TO HER FOR A SECOND GUHFADSBFKSFHAKSJ

- If this didn’t work with Cheryl, this won’t work with Alice. But Betty doesn’t communicate with people so she wouldn’t know. Also, there’s no date on it so like… she’s bad at making Charles’ gravestone look real. Like, I already know that she’s undercover with the FBI with Charles bc yeah but like… why wouldn’t they just loop Betty in? She could finally back off and stop getting into people’s business.

- AH THERE’S THE STUPID BETTY COOPER ACTION THAT IS NEVER NECESSARY TO ANYTHING!!! Fucking Betty, you chloroform your fucking mom???

- Archie basically calling himself Jughead… ew… Jughead could never

- I know it’s going to happen but I don’t want Varchie to get back together.

- SHE EVEN FUCKING CUFFED HER TO THE BED OH MY FUCKING GOD send Betty to an actual psychiatric hospital far away, not only because then she won’t be in the fucked up town of Riverdale and actually get help, but because then the show could actually give other actors more screen time

- This literally seems like an evil villain showing the hero their backstory… also Alice gotta point she got the news job because of the farm. Betty we know you never think things through, just stop you’re soo fucking bad. Why does her crying for Betty’s 8th grade graduation mean that she’s not who she is now? That has NOTHING to do with her at the farm??????????? Why does she say “that was the past” like it changes nothing why you acting like it does?

- Betty all of your points really are so traumatic for Alice. Like, yeah I get it you and Polly were raised there but she married a fucking murderer and yet this is all about you. I mean, it makes sense but they make Betty push it so hard that I root against her.

- If I were Alice, I’d be so fucking horrified of my daughter. Like, she has done so much shit to her, and yeah Alice has done bad things too but at least she’s being brainwashed (? bc she’s undercover and not able to get out of her cover?) Betty should not be so okay with fucking chloroforming her own mother.

- Betty really acting like this is all on her huh…. I mean literally bring other people into the plot it’s not that hard to actually make it interesting and share the screen time

- Ummmm alright. Also why would you let her take “G” or whatever the fuck??? ALSO JUGHEAD WHY THE FLYING FUCK DON’T YOU TELL YOUR DAD THAT IT’S YOUR FUCKING MOM???

- Evelyn get the FUCK away from Toni. THE ICONIC LINE “Bitch, I love her.” fsjdkhfhaskjfdhsf

- MAD DOG!!! Of course Randy is taking drugs. I mean, that’s cheating so just tell the news and get him disqualified and you win… easy. My boy is NOT taking drugs.

- JELLYBEAN!!!! AND RICKY!!!! I mean yeah they’re both little shits but uhhh that’s kinda sweet

- Lmao how did she start burning those pictures tho… I mean good for her but like… how?

- Betty… threatening to kill someone is NOT a good thing. Get some fucking help. Like, she’s not even scary. Does no one remember how sweet she used to be? I’d be so fucking concerned for her.

- Ew, kombucha? Cheryl, the farm doesn’t need you for brewing kombucha lolol

- FANGS!!!!!!!!!!! But isn’t he a part of the farm when did he get messed up into this boxing shit tho? DID HE EVEN KNOW BABY TEETH? I mean, yes baby get  screen time, but???

- Edgar saying that Betty is a good person… sksksksks since when? And of course she’s afraid of her daughter, she literally doesn’t care about anyone but herself or Jughead and that is not good. I mean poor Betty for having to hear that but Alice isn’t wrong.

- Did… Did Betty not listen to those tapes at all? I know Edgar is a cult leader and therefore he tricks people into doing and saying what he wants but he never said SHIT to turn Alice against Betty. Betty’s doing that all by herself. He literally said that Betty loved her… he’s right you have given her so many reasons to fear you.

- Betty knows that a therapist is to help people? Then why the FUCK doesn’t she get an actual therapist? She desperately needs it.

- Edgar is actually pretty good with words tbh… but then again he kinda has to in order to be a cult leader

- So no one at the Farm is going to get her arrested for kidnapping? FP would have to arrest her lol but alright

- Varchie FRIENDSHIP is cute but I don’t want them to get back together ugh I know it happens but NOOOOOOOO why does the CW always ruin everything good?

- LUKE!!! 😭😭😭😭😭

- Evelyn really trying to make herself the most hated character by breaking up the best couple lol but I’m so disgusted bc I know that Toni ends up actually wanting to be in the farm… if I remember correctly…

- I mean you’re not a MONSTER, Betty, but you’re an awful person.

- I don’t like Kurtz but I really like the actor for him.

- PLEASE TELL ME MY BOY DIDN’T TAKE DRUGS. AWWW JOSIEEEEEEEE I miss her so much she and Archie deserved better.

- When Betty actually does the right thing (having a change of heart for the good) ssksks I’m not used to Betty actually using her brain. It makes it worse that it’s only because of a cult leader but uhhhh

- THE REF SHOULD BE ABLE TO CALL THE DISQUALIFICATION??? That’s so cheating and that is so fucked…

- Also I love that Archie still has the fake serpent tattoo.

- LMAO FUCK YOU ELIO, EVEN DRUGS CAN’T GET YOUR PEOPLE TO WIN. oh… of course he’s gonna fucking die.

- Ugh I forgot that The Gargoyle King was a thing. It’s just so fucking stupid…

- Poor JB,,, anyways go to your dad to help

[solemncadaver]

Friendsim Trolls According to my Girlfriend who hasn’t played Friendsim

Ardata (Cobalt): w... who took bites out of her horns? Can and will kill you in your sleep. Plotting evil plans 23/7 (the 24th hour is for drinking coffee with LOTS of milk and sugar)

Diemen (Rust): Always eating food (why is that hot dog bun GREEN-), will never call you by your name, only nicknames like bro, dude, man etc, probably owns a skateboard but can't drive it

Cirava (Gold): Oo funky! Has a horrible backstory and doesn't talk about it EVER, is chill all the time, likes 70s-80s fashion and actually wears it with style! Is as extra as the fact they've got 4 horns

Amisia (Indigo): definitely an artist! The "weird kid", has not slept in 5 days because she just HAD to finish that one painting, cuts her own hair with scissors not meant for cutting hair yet it looks amazingly good! Probably either super pure and nice or will kill you if you breathe in her direction

Bronya (Jade): The cool big sister, helps you do your makeup and dye your hair, if you hurt one of her friends those boots will land in your face, probably has a tumblr with aesthetic images

Skylla (Bronze): Yeehaw howdy pardner! Isn't only from a ranch, she OWNS one! Can and will punch you for no reason, makes you do her chores if you wanna stay at her place, has never seen a hairbrush in her life

Tagora (Teal): Tries his best to be edgy and frightening, sometimes almost fails at that, could be in one of those "barber: say no more fam" memes, thinks he's an evil overlord but is actually just a delinquent, probably doesn't get a redemption arc and only like 2 people are mad about that

Vikare (Bronze): Wants to be a pilot/is a pilot but DON'T TRUST THEM WITH AN AIRPLANE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, pretends wearing that pilot hat is a fashion choice when in reality they can't take it off again with those horns, nobody has ever seen them sleep and people are concerned

Polypa (Olive): The most feral being (or she fell down the stairs and is mad about it), problems balancing with only one eye able to see, could claw out your heart and not bat an eye, the hole in her horn is from when someone tried to take her out, nobody has ever seen that person afterwards

Zebruh (Indigo): Looks like an ASSHOLE. What are his horns doing they're not pointed that's not how horns should work, very smug! Has a shitty job and is pretentious about it to people w/o a job, looks like the cryptic bartender in a stereotypical drama thriller that the detective has to interview to know who killed the rich guy's wife

Elwurd (Cobalt): Look at those extra af horns! Def owns a motorcycle, flirty but has never received actual affection, has a mental breakdown every 2 days but pretends EVERYTHING'S FINE, makes 5 puns a minute

Folykl & Kuprum (Gold): What a goal: Carry your bud around in your giant ass backpack! I......don't know who is who tbh but! They both have cool spider looking horns! The best evidence for 'opposites attract', the only friends they have are each other, secretly planning to overthrow the government

Remele (Cobalt): The x on her left eye symbolizes that she has found her next victim. It's you. Run. Could probably use her horn as a climbing hook, v passive aggressive, makes her own clothes, works out a lot and is stronger than she looks

Konyyl (Olive): My fight, flight or flirt instincts have been activated. Could snap you in half by looking at you yet can be super soft if she wants to (you gotta be REAL close to her though), likes matcha ice cream and yells at it when it melts, is NOT tidy

Chixie (Bronze): Shy babey. Will probably be interrupted 3 times when trying to speak because she's just so quiet, has been left on her own and now has no idea how to survive yet is too shy to ask for the way. Someone come help her please.

Tyzias (Teal): Bored college student. Will NOT help you in an emergency so don't even ask. Secretly likes cryptids, is Done (tm), nobody has ever seen her outside of campus, roasts people in the most monotone voice ever

Chahut (Purple): F-... fear ':)? Eh, that's probably just paint! Right? Right???... Is probably being forced to do horrible things, can't remember their childhood, looks scary but only unintentionally, I'd still smooch tbh

Azdaja (Gold): Reminds me of that ching prince from FMA:B tbh, has a weird aesthetic going on, has the upper hand everywhere without trying, probably has 3 fake names, is always cool but can slip up and make goofy remarks

Zebede (Gold): Smol round boi! Probably played soccer in 5th grade, now makes v interesting and functional machines from Lego, probably owned a pet hamster at some point, has no sense of danger

Tegiri (Teal): Is that a KATANA-.... Still not out of his weeb phase, is VERY devoted to his aesthetic, talks either in one word sentences or dramatic quotes from a show nobody has seen, shop owner who sells you weapons

Mallek (Cobalt): Oh look it your hubby! He looks like a trickster tbh yet all the fanart looks sweet and pure!? (Also how do you pierce horns-) how many piercings has he though? Is there fanart- 👀... anyways he kinda looks like the popular kid and the emo kid combined, but like in a good way!?! Probably has a secret key for the whole town that he shouldn't have, can store everything in that hoodie pocket (it's like Hermione's bag :3!)

Lynera (Jade): Looks like the weird art/music teacher, v nice though! Has a lot of weird hobbies that her friends politely decline to join, likes to bake for everyone, likes children or absolutely loathes them

Galekh (Indigo): Is this Roman from Sanders Sides? Jdhdkd he looks like the strict angry teacher, will absolutely refuse giving help and does not allow any flaws (both in you and in himself) can spot someone doing illegal things from a mile away, is not afraid to call people out

Tirona (Teal): Look at that spider hair! Looks good 👉👉, is probs v shy and awkward but tries to talk to everyone anyways, has some exotic pets that she doesn't tell anyone about bc someone once said it's weird, just wants to be accepted, clumsy af

Boldir (Olive): Hiding ..... something ...., private but not stealthy investigator, is distracted way too easily, is the detective I mentioned back at Zebruh's, v loyal, will absolutely get you arrested if you're *in the way*

Stelsa (Teal): Looks like a cool but bitchy mom, probably gets a manicure every week, she looks just like my mom which is scary wth, will not hesitate to roast Karen at the school bake sale, those lemon bars are horrible KAREN, why didn't you let your third husband help K A R E N

Karako (Purple): What- ?

I-.... I'm confused! But okay!

Never makes sense, nobody has ever seen them eat or sleep, appears in your room at 2 am when you have sleep paralysis

Marsti (Rust): Probably is like the classic mechanic, can weld 👌👏👉👉👍, is done with everyone's bullshit but will still try to help (occasionally), drinks too many energy drinks and not enough water, everyone asks her for favors and she is having none of it

Charun (Olive): Peaceful gardener, don't stand in their sun and they won't bother whatever you do, just wants a little farm house near a small town with his pet cat, don't walk on their vegetables or they'll chase you with a rake

Wanshi (Jade): Just a nice person. A total sweetheart. Just wants to have fun, very optimistic, the most functional person you'll ever meet, drinks a lot of green tea and hot chocolate

Fozzer (Rust): Nice person but not very bright, doesn't know how electronics work, has a flip phone from like 2006 and that's enough for him, has a lot of houseplants but can't really keep them alive

Marvus (Purple): 👀👀👀 You know how I think about him (😭🍀😏😎🍀💖🌾❤ 11/10 best ti🅱🅱y window would allow him to stab me)

Daraya (Jade): Smol but will fight you. Is super done and will not help you, but also won't stop you. Probably has 2-4 knifes somewhere on her body at all time.

Nihkee (Indigo): Looks like a pirate captain + professional wrestler in one, like! Probably drinks their coffee black just so people respect them more, will show off every trophy they have (a lot) if someone decides to listen to them

Lanque (Jade): 👀👀👀👍 the most dramatic and salty being alive, v stylish, takes 2 hours a day just to get ready, probably has 16 meetings a day, could work as a model, will cut anyone and everyone that says he should change something about him

Soleil (Purple): Ah yes, the obligatory twins. Probably cursed by a spiteful witch at birth, have never been seen seperate, occasionally like to scare people by pretending to be the twins from shining

I’m crying