#i haven't driven a car for like a month and before that maybe another month and a half btw so i was scared shitless lol hk traffic is killer

[briefinquiries]

Tyler Owens x Reader: Read Between the Lines

Request: anonymous said: "I was wondering maybeeee if you could write some protective bf Tyler ( because i would be swooning ) maybe either someone keeps hitting on her so he steps in or someone maybe in another storm chasing crew is being mean so he steps in and defends her <3 idk"

Word count: 3.9k

Warnings: language, mild fighting i guess?? slight angst

A/N: sorry I haven't been posting as frequently! I started work up again and ya girl has been BUSY. Anyyywayyy, thank you for reading! please keep the comments coming! I love to see all your requests and I promise i'm getting to them as quickly as i can :)

“Need anything?” Tyler asked, leaning against the hood of the truck in a way that shouldn’t be as adorable as it is. 

“I’m good,” you said, offering him a gentle smile before brushing a few loose strands of hair from your sticky forehead. 

“You wanna come in with me then?” 

You shook your head– the idea of sitting in a stale diner with no AC was just about as unbearable as the thought of driving another second. “No, I think I’ll stretch my legs out here.”

“Okay,” he said in a tone that indicated you’d be missing out. He gave the truck a pat before adding, “We won’t be long.”

“Take your time,” you assured him. 

He offered one final nod before turning and following Dani, Boone, and Lily across the parking lot. Dexter also stayed behind. Instead of shitty diner food, he’s opted to take a nap inside the RV accompanied by his noise canceling headphones and a fan blasting right at his face. 

You were exhausted, down to your bones. You and the rest of the team had driven nearly six hours that day tracking a cell that hadn’t ended up amounting to anything. You were stiff and tired and irritable– just like everyone else. But you hoped that some time alone outside might help at least level out your mood.

You extended your arms over your head, groaning when you felt something lightly pop in your back, before craning your neck from side to side. The air was stifling– thick and humid with little to no breeze for any sort of relief. The heat hadn’t broken in nearly a week, and unfortunately for just about everyone, the truck’s AC didn’t work as well as it used to. 

The parking lot to the diner was relatively empty. Aside from the crew’s RV and truck, there was an SUV parked in one of the front spots and a small sports car with a steady cloud of smoke pouring out the cracked window.  

You let your eyes wander past the diner parking lot at the sprawling field across the road. The windmills were agonizingly still in the stale air– like even they were desperate for some reprieve. 

Your eyes fell shut as you took a few deep breaths, trying to get your bearings. 

Your peace lasted for about thirty seconds. And then the sound of blaring music and screeching tires had you turning your pulsing head. Instantly, you rolled your eyes at the sight of the familiar vans pulling into the lot beside you. 

Merrill Anderson and his crew started chasing in the area almost thirteen months ago. You knew because each and every moment that you’d known about their existence had been more painful than the last. 

Anderson was a meteorologist out of Texas that wore a cowboy hat almost as big as his mouth and an inflated ego to match it. He made sure you and everyone else around him knew that he had a PhD, and therefore, in his opinion, was automatically more entitled to chase. Him and Tyler had hated each other from the moment they met while chasing an EF2 in Arkansas– their feud only grew each time their paths crossed. 

Anderson was grinning at you through the window as soon as his van rolled by. You did your best to avert your gaze– hoping that lack of eye contact would avoid any sort of conversation. 

Unfortunately, you weren’t so lucky. 

“There she is,” he announced, boots scuffing against the dirt parking lot as he hopped out from the driver’s seat. 

“Now what're you doin’ out here all by yourself? Your team finally leave you behind? Realized they didn’t need two uni drop outs on their team?” he asked, tone already dripping in sarcasm. 

He was an antagonizer who got off on provoking others. And although you and Anderson had your fair share of unpleasant exchanges, you knew he only ever bothered you to get under Tyler’s skin. 

Tyler’s biggest weakness was that he was endlessly protective of the people he loved. You saw this particular trait as a strength– but you knew that Anderson fed off Tyler's anger, which you could only imagine was his intention now. Thankfully Tyler was in the diner– hopefully gorging on raspberry pancakes as you spoke. Because if he were to see Anderson talking to you– you knew this whole interaction would escalate quickly. 

“Anderson,” you sighed, leaning casually against the hood of Tyler’s truck. The smile you forced on your face was almost painful. “So lovely to see you, as always.”

You hoped if you withheld from his taunting, he might move on quicker. 

Instead, to your despair, he backtracked from his van to stand across from you. “You guys go ahead,” he instructed his crew. “I’m gonna spend some time with my friend here.”

They nodded before heading towards the diner, leaving the two of you alone. 

“You should teach that hillbilly- boyfriend of yours some manners. If I remember correctly, last time I saw him, he drove through a puddle to splash me.”

You bit back a grin as you recalled the moment he was referring to. “I’m sure it wasn’t on purpose,” you lied (it was absolutely on purpose). 

Anderson chuckled. “You know– I don’t know if we’ve ever had a conversation just us, without him lingering around. You’re much more pleasant. Both in conversation and in looks.” 

You felt a chill run down the length of your spine at his words– but the way he was looking at you was infinitely worse. You watched as his eyes flickered from your face to your chest– currently more exposed than you would like in the tanktop you wore in the stifling Oklahoma heat. You wished you had grabbed a shirt to cover up in– but they were all either dirty and packed away somewhere in your duffel. 

Clearing your throat, you stood up straight and crossed your arms, attempting to shield yourself from his lingering gaze. 

“Oh, hey now darlin’, don’t cover up. I’ve been stuck in the van all day with these jokers, this is the most action I’ve gotten all summer.” 

You could feel the blood rushing to your cheeks as you tried desperately to remain level headed. Anderson was a jerk– and he’d definitely make you uncomfortable… but you couldn’t imagine that he’d ever actually do anything to harm you.  

Then again, you’d never interacted with him for longer than a minute or two with Tyler and the rest of the crew at your side. This was uncharted territory that you didn’t care to explore. You felt your earlier determination to handle him on your own fade away with uneasiness.  

You turned your head towards the diner, hoping you might catch Tyler’s gaze through the window or something. Of course you were too far away for that– all you caught was the glare from the sun. 

“You know I’m not used to seeing you in clothes like this, usually you’re all covered up,” Anderson whistled. 

As soon as he took a step closer, you instinctively moved too. Except your legs collided with Tyler’s truck– preventing you from actually going anywhere. For some dumb reason, you felt obligated to hold your ground– to not let him see how uncomfortable he was really making you. But with each passing comment, you grew more and more fearful. 

Anderson now had his body angled towards you with a look that could only be described as predatorial. “God, it’s true you don’t know what you’re missin’ til you see it. We should have these heat waves more often if it means I get to take a look at this every day.”

You tried and failed to remain stoic. You wanted to yell– to tell him to shut the fuck up. But for some reason, your body and brain weren’t connecting. 

“C’mon, where is she?” he taunted. “You know, your sweet side has its perks. But I much prefer ‘em a little spicy.” 

He took another few steps closer to you. It was subtle, but you noticed. Anderson was so obviously getting a kick out of whatever the hell he was doing here, and you were doing a piss-poor job at withholding from it, like you’d originally planned. 

“Why don’t you come on back in my van with me,” he winked. “I’m not sure how your hillbilly does it, but I can show ya a real good time.” 

Get away from me, you wanted to scream. But your mouth wouldn’t move– your voice was lost somewhere inside of you. And all you could get your body to do was lean away from him slightly. 

“Don’t be like that, darlin’,” he cooed. He was so close that you could almost smell his breath. Your brain told you to fight– to shove or kick or do something to get him away from you. But all those previous instincts you had to fight back faded into paralyzing fear. 

Anderson reached across the space between you to move a loose strand of hair from your face as you began to tremble. “And don’t be afraid, baby doll. I don’t bite… too hard. Owens ain’t gotta know–”

“Anderson!” 

Your head snapped at the sound of a familiar voice… Not just any familiar voice– Tyler’s voice. He was currently storming across the parking lot with a look of pure hatred across his face. The second his eyes landed on you– undoubtedly and obviously terrified, that anger only intensified. 

“Get the fuck away from her,” he demanded. His eyes were narrowed and shockingly darker than their normal shade of sage. 

“Here he is!” Anderson taunted. “Her douche bag in shining armor.”

You couldn’t help but notice Anderson didn’t step away. In fact, if anything, he looked like he was about to step closer, just to really test his limits. But then, to your relief, you saw Boone, Dani, and Lily storming out of the diner in Tyler’s wake– all coming to your rescue. 

In an instant, Tyler was there, stepping between you and Anderson– forming the protective barrier you needed to finally feel safe again. Without thinking, you fisted the back of Tyler’s T-shirt for good measure. 

“Easy, Rambo,” Anderson sneered. “I was just tellin’ your sweetheart here how much I enjoy her new look. Who knew she had all this hidin’ under those baggy shirts? That the reason you keep her hangin’ around, Owens? I knew she had to be good for something–”

But Anderson didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence. Because before you knew what was happening, Tyler was lunging forward and connecting his fist with Anderson’s nose. 

The crack as it broke was deafening, you released Tyler’s shirt to cover your mouth in shock. Tyler hit him with enough force that he went staggering back a few steps, his hands instantly moving to cup his face. 

Tyler was still shaking off his hand when Anderson stood up straight, blood pouring out of both nostrils. 

“Damn, that bitch must be as good as she looks if she’s worth all this,” Anderson continued to taunt. Even with a broken nose, he didn’t back down.  

Without even hesitating, Tyler moved to strike again. But as soon as he did, Boone and Dani were both stepping in front of him to break things up. 

“Easy, T–” Boone said. 

“Stay the fuck away from her,” Tyler snarled in warning, pointing his finger over Boone’s shoulder. You’d never quite heard his voice so malicious or threatening before, and even though it was in your defense, it sent shivers down your spine.   

Suddenly, Lily grabbed your hand from the side, causing you to flinch. “It’s okay,” she said, tugging you a few steps away from the chaos– like she knew how badly you needed space from everything. “You alright?”

You nodded, flustered.  

“Next time you want to settle this without your little army of strays, you let me know, Owens. And next time you want a good time, Y/N, you know where to find me,” Anderson said, offering you a wink that churned your stomach. With that, he wiped some blood from his nose and began sauntering back towards his van. 

“I’m gonna fucking kill him,” Tyler snarled, still being physically held back by Dani and Boone. 

“Yeah, and he’d deserve it. But he’s not worth catchin’ a charge,” Boone said. “It’s been a slow season and we don’t got the kind of money to bail you out of jail.”

“Take a breath, T,” Dani said. “He’s walkin’ away. Take a breath.”

You watched Tyler slowly come back to his body. He listened to Dani and took a deep breath– his shoulders visibly relaxing when he exhaled. It seemed to be enough for his friends to finally release him. 

As soon as he was free from their grasp, Tyler turned around– his attention landing on you. “Are you okay?” he asked, his previously menacing voice now laced with so much care and concern. He stood in front of you– his body blocking all views of Anderson and their vans. His hands moved to cup your cheeks gently. 

“I’m fine,” you said, attempting to convince yourself more than anyone else. But even you knew it didn’t sound convincing. Your voice subtly cracked on the final word. 

Tyler stroked his thumb along your skin. The look on his face told you he didn’t quite believe you as his eyes flickered down to your trembling hands. Thankfully he didn’t ask more. 

“I gotta say that was a nasty right hook, T,” Boone said, clapping Tyler on the back as he approached. “I didn’t know you had it in ya.”

“What’d that asshat say to you?” Lily asked. “You looked really shaken up when we saw you out the diner window.”

“Nothing,” you mumbled, too embarrassed to repeat his taunts. You were shocked by how self-conscious you suddenly felt with everyone’s eyes on you. Anderson’s previous words had made you incredibly aware of every inch of yourself– like there was an electrical current humming underneath the surface of your skin. 

“Just the usual shit,” you tried to brush it off.  

You felt grateful when they didn’t push. 

Eventually, the crew disassembled– everyone focused on getting their stuff together to hit the road again. Anderson didn’t reemerge from his van, but as you sat idly in the passenger seat of Tyler’s truck, you didn’t take your eyes off from where it was parked– like you were anticipating some sort of retaliation. 

You remained hidden from the team– feeling so awkward and uncomfortable– like you didn’t want to be perceived or noticed by anyone. And you hated that Anderson’s words were the ones to make you feel that way. You couldn’t find any shirts in your duffel bag that weren’t disgusting. And currently you didn’t have the time or patience to dig through your second bag in the RV. So instead, you wrapped your arms awkwardly over your chest, trying to make yourself as small as possible just as Tyler climbed into the front seat. 

“Everyone else is riding in the RV, it’s just us,” he said, eyes lingering on you. 

“Okay,” you said, trying your best to sound casual. You wondered if he ordered everyone in the RV so that you’d feel more comfortable. You made a mental note to thank him for that later, he was always so good at reading between the lines.  

Tyler instantly noticed your uneasiness. “Baby, what’d he say to you?” 

You shrugged, refusing to meet his gaze out of sheer embarrassment. “I mean, I think you caught the gist of it at the end there… Just a lot of that.”

You heard his loud exhale. “Just say the word and I’ll barge into that stupid van and kill him right now.”

The corner of your lip tugged into a small smile. “I just want you to stay here,” you admitted. 

He nodded solemnly. Without another word, Tyler passed you something he had scrunched up in his fist. It was one of his T-shirts– like he knew you wanted to cover up without even having to say it. You took the shirt– the thanks you wanted to offer him remained stuck in your throat, but Tyler didn’t seem to mind. 

Instead, he pretended to fiddle with the radio while you silently slipped the shirt on. Almost instantly, you felt like you could relax underneath the fabric of his clothes. 

You curled your arms around yourself and tucked your knees to your chest. When Tyler asked if you were ready to head out, you nodded without another word. 

…

It was only seven when you arrived at the motel. Tyler went into the lobby to book the rooms while everyone else hung back. Boone and Lily were going on and on about using the pool later that night, but once you’d grabbed your bags from the truck, you sort of tuned it all out. 

Tyler found you sitting on the curb once he’d passed out everyone else’s room keys. He picked up your duffel from the ground before speaking for the first time in almost an hour. 

“You ready for bed?”

You nodded, offering him your best attempt at a convincing smile.  

“C’mon,” he motioned his head to the left. “We’re upstairs.”

Tyler led the way to your room– and even though this was a dingy motel, you’d never seen anything more perfect. The shades were dark, the AC worked, and there was a single, plush-looking queen bed in the middle of the room just screaming your name. 

Tyler let you shower first. And when you emerged from the bathroom, all the sweat and grime finally washed from your skin, he was gone. But in his place, he’d laid out one of his T-shirts and a pair of his boxers on the bed for you to use. You almost teared up at the sight of just how thoughtful he was… Still reading between the lines. 

You’d spent the entire duration of your shower trying to convince yourself that what had happened earlier wasn’t that big of a deal. Anderson was a jerk– of course he was going to say some jerk-ish things. It shouldn’t have been a surprise– and yet, you couldn’t shake the discomfort you felt. It was like all the words he’d said to you had nestled underneath your skin and made a home for themselves. 

In an attempt to shake the thoughts away, you quickly shrugged on Tyler’s clothes before sitting on the edge of the bed and wrapping your arms around yourself. 

Almost as soon as you sat down, you heard the front door to the motel open up. Tyler stepped into the room carrying his own bag and a couple of water bottles he must’ve grabbed for the two of you. 

“Better?” he asked, handing you one. 

You nodded and cracked it open. “Much.”

Tyler sighed before joining you on the edge of the bed. “Baby, are you sure you’re okay?” 

“I-” you started and then stopped. Your hands were shaking, but you jumped when you felt Tyler’s hand close around yours, steadying them. His touch gave you just an ounce of courage to speak. 

“It wasn’t even anything that bad–” you admitted. “I meant it earlier, you heard the worst of it… I just, I don't know, I can't explain it. But everything he said made me feel so gross… and dirty, and…” And, well, you didn’t quite know what else. Words were hard to come by tonight. 

“Oh, baby,” Tyler exhaled. He released your hand to wind his arm around your shoulders, tugging you to his chest instead.  

It wasn’t until he shushed you that you even realized you were crying, but it came out in a rush. You clung to him, instantly impressed by his ability to just make you feel so much safer. 

“I’m sorry,” you said. 

“You don’t have to be sorry,” he assured you, only squeezing tighter. 

“I don’t know why this bothered me so much–” 

“Because Anderson is an asshole and he intentionally said some gross shit to shake you up,” he answered for you. “You’re allowed to be upset by that.” 

You exhaled against his shirt, and when you licked your lips, you tasted salt. 

“I’m the sorry one,” he said. 

“What?” you shook your head. “You don’t have to be sorry–”

“I should have been there.”

“You were there,” you reminded him. “Unless I blacked out or something and I was really the one who punched him in the nose…”

Tyler chuckled softly, you felt the vibration against your chest– instantly soothing you. 

You sighed after a moment, trying to decide if you wanted to share what was really bothering you. You bit the inside of your cheek. It was so tempting to keep it to yourself, but more tempting than that was the idea of finally feeling a little more at ease again after just telling Tyler the truth. 

“I just–” you paused again. “I–” 

“Hey,” he said. You looked up at him briefly. “It’s just me.” 

That was the problem– it was Tyler. And you didn’t want Tyler thinking less of you because of what had happened. 

“I didn’t fight back,” you said quietly. “I just froze up– it was like I couldn’t even think straight. And he kept going and going, and I just stood there– taking it.”

Tyler ran his hand up and down your arm reassuringly. “What are you talking about?”

“It just felt like…” your voice tapered off. 

Tyler waited a moment before asking gently, “Like what?” 

“It just felt like I didn’t do anything to stop it,” you whispered so quietly you weren’t even sure he’d heard you. “Like I let it happen.”

“Baby,” Tyler sighed. “Baby, no. Anderson is such a jackass, it wouldn’t have mattered what you said–”

“But I could have told him to get the fuck away from me–”

“You were just trying to keep yourself safe. Baby, we can’t control how we react when we’re scared. It’s fight or flight–”

“Or freeze,” you mumbled, embarrassed. 

“Or freeze. I’m pretty sure fawning is one too, now,” he said. “But it doesn’t matter– what matters is you can’t control that you froze. Just like–”

“Just like you couldn’t control punching him in the face?” you asked. 

You glanced up just in time to see Tyler’s lips tug into a smile. “Exactly,” he said. 

“I just wish my fear reaction was a little more effective,” you pouted. “Freezing didn’t do much.”

You let your eyes fall shut when Tyler tugged you closed to his chest. “I guess it’s a good thing you have a douchebag in shining armor to come help whenever you need it,” he smirked. 

“Thanks for protecting me,” you said quietly. 

“I’ll always protect you, you know that,” he said, planting a soft kiss on the top of your head. 

You smiled against his chest. You really did know that. “And thanks for punching him in the nose.”

Tyler snorted. “Anderson’s had that coming for a long time.”

[thesilmarillionblog]

COME CLOSER

Summary: Reader asks her friend, Soldier Boy to take her virginity.

Pairing: Soldier Boy / Reader

Warnings: +18! (MINORS DNI), virgin reader!, smut, language, rough Soldier Boy, beard kink, dirty talk, multiple orgasms, friends with benefits

Word Count: 4052

A/N: English is not my first language.

You grabbed the gun from Ben's suit and placed it in your bag without even waiting for a response since you knew he wouldn't refuse you. “May I take this?” you said. “Just for safety issues.”

Ben joined the team to kill Homelander months ago, and because you two have been on missions together for so long, you two have kind of gotten to know one another. He frequently teased you, and most of the time he really got on your nerves. Another thing Butcher's wanted from you regarding Ben was to make sure you kept an eye on him while he was high or furious. 

He sighed, “You are already in safe hands,” and then gave you a little push toward the car, where Butcher and the other members of the team were waiting. “You know that you are something different. Trying to protect yourself with a firearm in spite of the fact that you already have three supes with you, me included, who are the strongest and greatest.” 

“After the job is completed, even the biggest dicks become smaller. I wonder if your gigantic ego will ever be smaller one day, Ben.”

“Not mine,” he winked at you in between his laughter before the two of you entered the car. “How on earth does a naive virgin speak like that? I must discipline your dirty mouth at some point.” 

He pushed until you reached the other side of the seat, and you muttered, “Shut up.” Your face flushed. “You leave no space for me.”

“Do I look like your personal driver?” Butcher growled at Hughie to come in too, questioned in a disapproving tone. Then Butcher turned back to Hughie, who was sitting in the passenger seat, and said, “Where the fuck is your girlfriend?”

“She arrived earlier with the others. They were driven there by Frenchie already.”

“Will you shut up and drive?” Ben messed with your hair for a while while ignoring what you said that he was going to ruin it, saying to Butcher in an irritated manner. 

“Good boy gone bad, huh?” Ben ignored you and filled the entire seat between your complaints. Butcher murmured, “Let's fucking have some fun there since we may not be finding any free time soon, Navy girlies.” 

Luckily, Butcher managed to locate a club devoid of supes, but it was still massive and insane, complete with loud music. Hughie's gaze found Annie right away, and Butcher followed after him while he winked at the girl who was staring at him with a chuckle. 

You gave Ben a drink and complained, “Do I have to babysit you?” Even though all of the girls were capturing his attention, he was undoubtedly hearing what you were saying. 

He patted your head and said, "Babysit me?" with a look of astonishment. "Sweetheart, it's me who has been watching you for several months. After all, it's easy for you to get into trouble." 

"Me?" As he messed with your hair, you giggled and attempted to push his hands away. "You're always on the verge of being furious for no reason at all, and I have to keep your ego boosted when you are about to lose it." 

"Or maybe I act it this way to get you even more anxious; what do you think? Your human face looks so funny when you're trying to calm me," he smirked and remarked with arrogance. 

Punching him in the chest, you said, "You're impossible," although your wrist ached. You sighed in agony, "Fuck, Ben," and made sure everything was okay by looking at your hand. Thankfully, there were no physical wounds. 

"Why the fuck have you tried to punch me now? Haven't you still learned I'm built to last?" he complained, gently massaging your hands. 

You muttered, "You're so annoying," while he sighed and released your hands. "I can't imagine why almost nobody likes you." 

"All you do this evening is talk rudely with that lovely mouth of yours and spit poison. Also, you are to blame. How many times do I have to tell you not to try to punch me? Wish to adopt a tough-ass persona? You're just a little sensitive, soft doll," he continued to tease, causing you to flush with rage. 

"Remember the day I gave myself a Temp-V injection? When I really punched you, you seemed rather surprised, and I'm sure it hurt." 

“I didn't think being a temporary Supe could happen, and that was a while ago.” Ben continued to smirk and replied, “Keep that in mind. I was merely trying to comprehend the change in your scent when you unexpectedly struck me and pushed me against the wall. You know, I should have been doing that. Of course, I'm not referring to the punching; rather, I'm speaking to the second one, but more gently.”

Ben flirted with you, giving you a tiny pinch on the chin and a wink. He was perhaps the most flirtatious man ever, but the reason he acted this way was that you told him you were a virgin, and even when he understood you were becoming too shy and a little anxious, he continued to tease you verbally. You didn't feel uncomfortable about it, though. 

“Whatever.” You rushed to end it, fearing he would start talking even more profanely. You tried to silence him by putting your palm over his mouth. “When are you going to shave this beard? It's really lengthy.”

He murmured, “I thought you liked it longer and thicker,” as he combed his facial hair. 

This time, instead of being annoyed, you giggled. “You're impossible.” 

You said, “I'm going to check on Annie and others,” feeling a little guilty for something you didn't even understand when you saw him searching for women who fit his tastes. “So that you can have your fun.”

Ben, who had just bought a drink for himself, approached a redhead who had been staring at him passionately ever since he entered the bar. You led the way to join Annie and the rest of the team, but you were carrying a heavy weight that you couldn't quite explain. You did your best to ignore the stupid ache in your heart and laugh out loud at Butcher's half-made-up stories. It was a rare, heartfelt moment of calm after months, shared by all of you as you briefly watched the redhead woman take Ben's head and lead him to the second floor.

Ben's social batteries ran out after a few hours, and when he got into a fight with Butcher, you volunteered to take him home in your car because you were starting to have headaches too. Annie and Kimiko were dancing in the center; it appeared like they were just getting started. Either their heightened enthusiasm was to blame, or you simply didn't feel like having fun at that particular time. Ben was the source of your annoyance because he preferred to spend his time in the club having fun with other women and left you kind of alone.

You just said, “I will drive Ben back; just stop arguing for once,” and snatched Butcher's keys. “I assume everyone will be arriving home late. It appears that Kimiko and Annie won't be calling it a night anytime soon.” After observing them for some time, they realized you were right. Kimiko was high as fuck.

Ben didn't have a shower in his own room, so he quickly took one in yours once you drove home. Surprisingly, he hasn't complained to Butcher about it in any manner, and you've allowed him to use yours anytime he needs to, even if he occasionally takes a shower a bit too frequently, leading you to believe that he does it on purpose to irritate and enrage you so that you two can argue. But no matter what, his unique word choice never failed to make you chuckle.

As he was taking care of himself in the bathroom, you considered something you had long since ignored: your virginity. You could never go one step beyond, not even if you were in your mid-20s. You just didn't want it to be just one fleeting, pointless act, and you didn't feel anything at all. Perhaps you were a shamefully traditional person who was eagerly awaiting the realization of your real fate.

Ben used to make jokes about your virginity, which you didn't mind, but tonight it kind of got under your skin and made you feel uneasy, like there was something wrong with you. It just didn't seem right at all to be a virgin in your mid-twenties. 

“You appear to be lost in thoughts. What's consuming your mind so much?” Ben queried. 

His long beard and damp hair were pouring over the floor as he emerged from the bathroom, his thick, muscular belly wrapped in a towel. Your eyebrows are raised between your sighs. Though you always knew he was extremely attractive, he seemed even more so at this moment. 

Ben glanced at your short dress too, seeing that you were staring at him as your lips parted slightly in a hint of yearning. He smirked, conceited, seeing your legs pushed together. 

“I think I can make a guess.” He walked over to sit on the bed next to you and mumbled. 

You hesitantly said, “I was thinking something,” not quite sure what to say exactly. 

“About?”

You abruptly asked, trying not to flush too much as you moved the bed and fully turned your body to face him. “Would you take my virginity?” 

Ben exclaimed, “What?” with his lips parted in wonder as he tried to understand what you meant and raised an eyebrow. 

“You already heard me.” 

Ben laughed and ignored your request, saying, “Are you drunk or do you need to jerk off? You're going to be a good nun when you grow up.”

“I'm serious here,” you said, blushing red from embarrassment and rage at the fact that the fact that he didn't take you seriously at all.

Ben's mocking expression changed to one of confusion as he realized you were serious. “I thought you were waiting for the love of your life or something. Why did you change your mind all of a sudden?”

“I wasn't waiting for someone,” you denied right away. “I decided being like this bothers me, and I want to change it.”

You continued, “We have known each other for months, and I think we kind of formed a good friendship during this time,” before he said anything, you added, “It must be okay to ask your friend for help, and it's better than to be with a total stranger, right?”

“I'm not the right person to share something like that.” Ben said in a serious tone, “I don't know why you made this decision so quickly, but you'll regret it tomorrow, I promise. If you are horny, I can give fingerfuck you, though.” It was clear that he was not hearing you clearly. 

“It's not really that significant, is it? I didn't wait for someone right away, as I had said. If I knew I would regret saying it, I wouldn't have said it in the first place. What's the purpose of friends?”

Hesitantly, you reached out to touch his damp arms to gauge his reaction while also conveying your concern. You felt your small confidence begin to fade as you noticed he was staring at you with the same expression, so you brought your hands back to yourself. “Well, of course I won't try to convince you to take my virginity if you don't want to get into such an intimate interaction with me,” you said, trying not to seem offended or disappointed. “It's a different issue.”

Your heart raced under your thin dress as you anxiously awaited his response. 

“I would fuck you with pleasure; it's not that I don't want it,” he added, examining your bare legs and breasts as they rose and fell in time with your heavy breaths. He whispered, placing his rough palms on your chin. “But I can't promise it won't hurt, and I don't want it to be just a one-time thing.”

You muttered, “I know it's going to hurt,” and at last he relaxed and seemed to agree. 

He smirked and continued, “I'll fuck your cunt whenever I want,” staring right into your eyes and making you tremble at the sensation. “You'll spread your legs for me and beg me to fuck you.”

“It's better,” you said as his hand lowered to your throat, causing you to become even more thrilled. You chuckled awkwardly and murmured, “Practice makes perfect, right?”

Your lips parted in ecstasy as his thumb massaged your hardened nipple, and he gently pinched it between his fingers through your dress. He didn't even slightly break eye contact with you, as if he wanted to watch every move you made. 

Ben mumbled, “I wonder if you're dripping under there already,” as he climbed on top of you. Feeling uncertain about what action to take, you placed your quivering hands on his large chest. 

His palm stroked your pussy through your underpants, and you clenched around nothing, murmuring, “I feel like it.” You were already embarrassingly drenched; you knew that. 

“Ben,” you murmured quickly, and his hand instantly froze there. He stared at you, confused, not knowing if you wanted to stop or not. You grabbed his wrist and stopped him just as he was about to return his hand to himself. “Can you do the entire job for tonight” you said in a hesitant manner. “I have absolutely no idea what to do.”

Ben surprised you with a kiss on the forehead and said, “Of course I'll do the entire job. You just lay down and relax. I'm going to take care of you well, okay?”

You nodded quickly, trusting that Ben knew what to do when he started to rub your pussy through your underwear again. Your hips rose higher to meet his movements as he played with your clit with a gentle thumb. “Let's get rid of your dress, huh?” he said, helping you to remove it from your body. You were lying under him naked, except for your underwear.

You wanted to hide your body with your hands because you felt a little shy, but you forced yourself to look at him with courage because you wanted this to be good. Even if he was already erect under the towel, he ignored his own needs to give you the pleasure you needed first.

Then he pinched your nipples once more and added, “You have such lovely tits.” Before you could respond, he put his warm lips on one of your tits and started sucking, giving you very light bites. You were a little scared that he could harm you because you had a big power imbalance since he was a supe, but you chose to put your trust in him because you knew he had experience having intercourse with normal people just like you.

As he continued licking both of your nipples, you placed your hands behind his hair and pulled. You pushed his head to your tit as you raised your hip to match his movement, but you moaned loudly when he ripped off your panties and inserted one of his meaty fingers inside of you slowly, even though you were trying really hard not to scream. It was difficult to take even one finger, so tears welled up in your eyes, but you didn't want to ruin the moment.

Groaning, “Fuck, you are tighter than I expected,” he lifted his head.

When he noticed your pained expression, he began to gently massage your clit with his thumb once again. Thankfully, this helped you feel better, and after a while, you began to slowly tighten around his finger.

He asked in a rough voice, “Do you like me fingering you?” and continued to push his finger in and out. “Your pussy is so adorable and swollen. You so desperately need me to fuck you raw.”

He commanded, “Tell me it's just for me,” tensing up his motions as you continued to tighten around his finger.

You said, “Just for you,” and he attempted to press another finger, but you were simply too tense to take it. You said, “Ben, be slow,” in a panic.

“In order for you to take me easier, we need to properly prepare your little pussy. Now spread your legs and don't cover that adorable cunt,” he gave another command. It was then that you realized you were attempting to press your legs together.

You spread your legs so he could see you as per the directions he gave. You let out a loud cry of pleasure and agony as he carefully inserted another finger. Ben swallowed your groans and stretched you with two fingers, his warm lips meeting yours in a passionate kiss.

You were moaning inside his mouth while his tongue and fingers dominated you. Ben felt your wetness on his fingers, your hips rising to match his rhythm, and he felt like he might come without even touching himself.

With a harsh voice, he commanded, “Cum on my fingers,” and proceeded to fuck you while your walls tensed up. With a loud moan and his name between your lips, you nailed his biceps while he watched you orgasm under his touch. “Good girl. You are so easy to make cum. Fuck, you're a needy one.”

You continued orgasming and wetting them while Ben held your fingers within. Even though your pussy felt extremely sensitive, he continued to finger you without giving you a minute's break after your climax had passed.

“Ben, it feels sensitive.”

“Fucking take it,” he growled. “You'll come as much as I want you to.”

You muttered, “I don't think I can,” as your legs continued to shake uncontrollably.

“You can and you will,” Ben responded, and he proceeded to fuck you even more forcefully than before.

The bedroom was filled with obscene noises, and your eyes welled up with tears of pleasure.

“Cum to me,” he commanded again, and you instantly clenched around his fingers. Putting your hands over his head, you kissed him, pressing your lips to his in an attempt to stop your moans.

As you orgasmed, you sensed him grinning slightly against your lips throughout the kiss. He whispered, “You're so fucking tight, you're almost going to lock me inside your pussy,” as you calmed down after your climax subsided. “I guess you're ready now.”

Your eyes widened with fear and dread as he removed the towel from his belly and threw it to the ground, revealing his firm cock. Ben began to give himself brief strokes while spreading your legs apart. Aware of your discomfort, he smiled slightly at you. “I'll do my best to be gentle. You're enough soaked already.”

You nodded to him, waiting tensely as you watched him pump himself between his rough hands. You tensed up abruptly as the tip of his cock touched your entrance, and he took himself in hand after giving it enough strokes.

He said, “Relax,” and kept pushing the tip inside. “Fuck, take it already.”

You attempted to let him in, your legs trembling with desire and dread, but you couldn't stop clenching.

You whimpered, your eyes welling with tears, as he thrust his cock inside with a forceful move. You also pulled his hair around his neck. Your hips were being held in place by his hands, preventing you from moving them. You were certain that it would bruise badly.

You cried out in fear, “Ben,” as he persisted in pushing. Tears fell from the corner of your eyes onto the covers when you were nailing his arms.

He groaned, “Calm down,” and gave you some time to relax. “It's just the head.”

“Sorry,” you said, ashamed that you weren't able to bear pain and adding unnecessary difficulty to the procedure.

His eyes widened at the sight of your face, and he planted a gentle kiss on your forehead. He whispered, “Hey, it's okay. You take me so good, so warm,” in between kisses and proceeded to place his cock inside of you once more. You knew it was a major step for you when you felt like he broke your hymen. This time, his hands gently remained on your hips as he sensed a change in your feelings.

Thank goodness, you relaxed between his kisses and compliments, and your wetness allowed him to enter at last. Ben gave you time to get used to his size after his cock completely filled your insides.

After planting another hard kiss on your lips, he asked, “Are you okay now?” and stroked your cheeks. 

You responded, “I'm okay,” as the agony lessened and you began to get pleasure from his cock pulsing inside of you. 

Ben put his hands on the sheets, and as he started to move slowly inside of you, you locked your legs around his hip. 

He groaned, “You're so tight around me,” as he began to move faster. “I should have fucked you sooner.”

He gave you quick kisses, and his bushy beard tickled your chin as he began to fuck you quickly and roughly. “I'll turn this little cunt addicted to my cock.”

As you continued to moan beneath him, he gave another order: “Tell me you want me to fuck you hard.”

You murmured, “Please,” and he slowed down. 

Ben wrapped his hand around your neck and said, “Beg me properly,” but he wasn't using force against you. 

You sighed, “Fuck me hard, please, Ben.” You moaned as you saw his mucsles stretching as he continued to penetrate you quickly and roughly. Your hands nailed his chest and broad abdomen. 

He put your legs on his shoulders and stated, “I'm going to fuck you every day; make you my little cumslut. Do you enjoy having your friend fuck you? Does this turn you on?”

When he kept talking filth, you couldn’t stop clenching around his cock.

He moaned, “Fuck,” in between hard strokes. “Look at this pussy clench. You really get turned on by it.”

Ben intensified his movements as your legs trembled with pleasure around his hips, and you felt your climax strike with a loud moan and a cunning sneer on his face. You tried biting your lip to muffle the moans, but it was difficult as Ben fucked you raw, on top of you, dominating your whole body. 

He whispered, “I'm going to fuck your face another time,” and put his thumb inside your mouth. “Suck it. Prove to me how much you crave my cock inside your mouth.”

You groaned in displeasure as he slowed. Ben strictly said, “Suck it, show me how badly you want my cock inside your mouth, and I'll fuck you as you need,” when you lifted your hips to get him to return to his previous rhythm. 

With the expectation that he would like it, you put your lips around his thumb and started to lick it with your tongue. 

He mumbled, “Fuck yes, gonna cum inside that mouth,” and started fucking you quickly and roughly once more. 

He muttered, “Almost there,” and continued to fuck you while staring at your bouncing tits. 

His hardness continued to throb inside of you as you tightened around him one more time and orgasmed. He moaned and spilled inside of you, filling you with his thick and warm ropes. 

Ben continued to fill your pussy as your climax subsided. You felt incredibly satisfied because you felt so full of his seed. 

When he was finished, he carefully pulled out his cock, exposing the blood at the tip. Ben gave you a long, hard kiss on the lips when he noticed you were staring at it. 

You offered him a tiny smile as he whispered, “Come closer,” and he embraced you with his large arms. “Are you alright?” 

You continued to stroke his beard while responding, “Yes.” Actually, you've never felt better. 

⋆⋅☆⋆☆⋅⋆──────⋆⋅☆⋅⋆──────⋆⋅☆⋅⋆──────⋆⋅☆⋆☆⋅⋆

A/N: Maybe I was drunk writing this one shot story. Comments and reblogs are very appreciated. <3

You can check my MASTERLIST for more.

[thotsforvillainrights]

I have to ask because of the 4th movie trailer and the phony all might, how do you feel about all smite?

(Also maybe some stain, skeptic or moon fish smut they need more love)

(Believe it or not, but I still haven't gotten around to watching the movie trailer. I think my brain is sooo full of villains all the time that I've lost focus on the main protags of the show and therefore lost interest in anything involving them. I'll get around to it eventually though! In the mean time, I'll try to work something up for these 3 real quick because they all deserve more love.)

~Backseat Loving~

headcanon|scenario|imagine|match-up|drabble

-Your car was definitely something of sentimental value. Now that you were getting rid of it and getting something with fewer miles you felt a small twinge of sadness in your heart. Although you were mourning the soon to be loss of your 4-wheeled baby, Stain was busy trying to figure out what exactly there was to be sad about?

-Why even use cars when there was the train and the subway or maybe just walk? Hell, as far as he knew it was just a magnet for problems rather than something to be cherished. Why exactly were you drawn to near tears when you went to clean your things out of it? Didn't you just have to blow about 800 in repairs on it last month? He just couldn't seem to grasp why it meant anything to you.

-You invite him on the last night of owning the car to come with you down an old nature road to see the night sights. He reluctantly agrees, ditching his prior engagements to purging the streets of worthless heroes. He gets inside and straps himself up, listening to you prattle on about all the little things you remember about the car. First job interviews and birthdays it's driven you to. Your last breakup and crying in the front seat while digging through the glovebox for tissues. Sitting inside during a rainy day and listening to the radio. Or maybe just that time you gave him a ride for the first time and you shared your first kiss?

-He feels his heart pickup at the thought. True it was certainly something to be remembered right? Well, now he's beginning to understand. He's taken aback when you park in a side road off into the woods and suggest making one more memory in the car. This is one request he simply can't help but to take part in. He finds himself letting go of all previous emotions revolving around annoyance and shifting himself over towards a different emotion all together. Only you were capable of making him feel this way. Only you were able to set his heart seemingly ablaze with your passions. Along with gripping your skin and being careful not to ruin the seats for the next owner of this rust bucket, he makes sure to make this last memory one for the records.

-By the time the two of you are finished, albeit a little bit cliché, you'll find the windows of the old girl all fogged up. This evidence of your escapades with each other on this old dirt road. On the drive home he realized why sentiments like this are important not just to you, but now to him as well. He's eagerly awaiting making new *ahem* memories in your next car to come.

-Sick of this damned place and everyone in it, Tomoyasu desperately seeks his keys and scrambles to get inside before he implodes into himself. He sighs loudly and slams the driver door shut. For just a minute of searing hot angry glaring at the parking garage wall in front of him, he takes a minute to breath. Feel Good Inc has certainly stooped to a new low by allowing idiots on the property...or at least that what he comes to think about when the new recruits are training this week. All day it's been nonstop common sense questions that he simply can't take anymore. Why are you working here if you don't know the basics?! He thinks to himself before taking another breath and starting up the car.

-When he arrives home, he's relieved to see you in the garage working on reorganizing some of your stored boxes. You smile when the door opens wide and he drives slowly inside, the door now closing behind him. He turns the car off, stares at you silently pleading for something, and then places his head on the steering wheel before groaning out loud. You laugh and shake your head, placing your box down and heading to the passenger side of the car. "Rough day?" You ask once inside with him. He doesn't say anything but instead nods his head while it's still resting on the steering wheel between his hands. You smile gently and have a 'lightbulb' moment.

-One of the surefire ways to get his mind off of things would be a good idea right about now. He knows exactly what you're up to when he feels you reach over and gently place a hand on his thigh. He turns his head slightly to look at you through the gaps of his thick black hair. For a moment you can see his smirk. Things go 0 to 60 really quick when he lets the seats back. He swore a long time ago that the two of you would never do it in his car again considering the fact he had to clean it out afterwards. However, his head is clouded and he's open to making exceptions when it comes to you of course. Why else would he be letting you take all of him in the backseats right after he got it detailed last week?

-No amount of solid, coherent thoughts could dare replace the overwhelming feeling of pleasure clouding his mind when he finds himself gripping at the fabric of the seats and looking down at you between his thighs. How you're even able to do something like this to him should be studied. The act is complete on your end when you feel him finish in your mouth. However, despite your body cramping from the odd position in the car, you fear he's not just done with you yet. Especially not by the way the locks on the door click shut when you tried to open them...

-Here lately he's been spending a lot of extra time in your car for some reason? Maybe because when you bring it by you always take him away from his worries or annoyance, or maybe because he enjoyed the feel of racing along the city streets on your way to a nice date together. Either way, your car seems to become his oasis more than your apartment does.

-You start to think perhaps he likes spending more time in your car because he's 24/7 surrounded by the other league members in the rundown dingy bar at the other side of the city. That must be the reason right? You live so far away from the hideout and gas these days is rough (costly wise). Your job covers the bare minimum and weekly visits to your villain boyfriend don't seem to be in the gas budget. So instead of always taking him to your place and coming back, sometimes the two of you chill in the dark alleyway inside your car. Sometimes dates consist of watching movies together and eating snacks in the backseat, or other times you find yourselves stargazing on the hood late at night.

-Something you hadn't considered would be the way he's looking at you tonight. The two of you are no strangers to sex but it's very sparse since you rarely go to your place and the hideout here is a bit...crowded to say the least. You shrug and throw all caution to the wind. It's late, there's not many cops on this bad side of town, and your windows are tinted. The only issue would be the rocking of the car and the pathetic attempt to keep your voice down when he sinks his teeth into the side of your neck and gets to work creating a hickey for the history books. It almost looks like your two got back from the gym when you enter the hideout to say hello to everyone. You might've just gotten away with it had Dabi not started snickering and pointing at your marks you didn't cover up properly. Oh well, maybe next time!

[lovemesomesurveys]

When’s the last time you ate bread? I'm about to eat a sandwich.

What’s the last movie you watched on your own? I watched Mrs. Doubtfire earlier and now Freaky Friday is on.

What about the last movie you watched with another person? My mom and I watched some of Avengers: Endgame last night before bed.

How many coats do you own? I have a few. I kinda feel ready to go through my clothes again and try to get rid of some more.

What about shoes? I have 6 pairs of shoes.

One word to describe your most recent ex? Funny.

Where, in your current country, would you like to live, other than where you do now? I'm honestly not sure. I know I don't want to stay here forever. I'd love to move in the very near future, but that probably won't happen.

Do you like snow? Yes.

Do you like sheer clothing? No.

Have you ever seen anyone famous in the street? When I first saw the Jonas Brothers early on I did actually see Joe and Kevin behind the building near their tour bus. I acted like the awkward weirdo I am and waved at them like a giddy idiot, ha. I was too nervous to actually go over there, though. Trust me, I kicked myself forever after that for not going up to meet them and getting a picture. It was the perfect opportunity.

Are you hungry right now? I am, so I'm gonna take a break from this and eat my sandwich.

Are you regularly tired? Yes. In fact, after I ate my sandwich I ended up taking like a 3 hour "nap." So, this is now being done much later, ha.

What was the last thing to upset you? I've been been extra irritable and sensitive again lately, which is something that I actually felt my depression med I started taking last year was helping with. I was also prescribed Rexulti in additon to what I'm taking, but I haven't taken it as consistently for different reasons and I'm wondering if that has something to do with it. I'm also on an anti-anxiety med, which had been helping with that as well so I don't know. And I already know I won't be able to get an increase in the dosage for any of those. Sigh.

How’s the weather been today? I didn't go out at all, but according to the weather app it was like 93 F today. Not fall weather at all that's for sure.

What was the first tattoo you got or what would be the first tattoo you’ll get? I don't have any, but since I was a teenager I've wanted to get 'free bird'.

What was the last store you went into and did you buy anything? It's this store called Daiso, which is kinda like a Japanese Dollar Store or a little more. It's got a lot of cute stuff. I always get a little carried away whenever I go in there.

Have you ever been late for school or work? Yeah. I hate being late so it wasn't a common occurrence. I used to be really anal about that.

Do you prefer to shower in the morning or at night? Always at night.

What is your favourite kind of fruit cobbler? Not a fruit cobbler kind of person.

Is there a basement in your house? If so, what is it used for? No.

Have you driven a car today? I don't drive.

Do you have a small, medium or large bedroom? It's too small. I've definitely outgrown it. Or maybe I have too much stuff but no it's just small okay shhh

Where was your first job and how old were you? I haven't had a job, yet.

Have you eaten soup this week? No. That doesn't sound appealing still it still feels very much like summer and I hate it.

Are you a fan of The Office? I just couldn't get into it.

When was the last time you started a new medication? A couple months ago.

What is your favourite type of nut? I very rarely eat nuts, it's been quite awhile since I've had any like I don't even remember. But anyway, that being said I do like a few like peanuts, cashews, pistachios, and season (not plain) almonds.

Do you know anyone who doesn’t have a middle name? Yeah.

Have you put your phone on silent today? No. The only time I do that is when I'm at the theater, and admittedly not always then. Not like my phone is blowing up with notifications.

Can you name all 50 US state capital cities? No, but I can name all 50 states in alphabetical order.

Do you read John Green novels? I only read a few.

Have you ever been to Universal Studios? I went once when I was like 7 and don't remember a whole lot to be honest. We also went to Disneyland after that and that I definitely remember.

Can you tie balloons? I can, but it can be hard sometimes.

When was the last time you were at a pet store? It's been a long time.

[nanalikessurveys]

When’s the last time you ate bread? 

I had a ham&cheese toast at a café this morning.

What’s the last movie you watched on your own? 

Lately I've been watching a lot of movies and the last one I saw was Society of the Snow. Totally recommend it, a horrific depiction of an awful tragedy, I teared up a bunch of times.

What about the last movie you watched with another person? 

Stormskärs Maja (or Myrskyluodon Maija in finnish). It's been a big hit here since it came out so I went and watched it with my mom at the theaters. I liked it a lot, it was really atmospheric.

How many coats do you own? 

I have two winter coats and few other coats for warmer weather.

What about shoes? 

One pair of winter boots, and then about 5 pairs of sneakers/tennis shoes. I also own two pairs of heels in case I need them for some party/whatever fancy situation.

One word to describe your most recent ex? 

Nice.

Where, in your current country, would you like to live, other than where you do now? 

Maybe in Turku, the city is really pretty with a lot of history and culture. Also, it's not a big city but not a small one either which is perfect.

Do you like snow? 

Yesss I love snow.

Do you like sheer clothing? 

I like when some clothes have some sheer parts in them, like on the sleeves or somewhere around the neckline but I wouldn't wear a fully or almost-fully sheer clothing.

Have you ever seen anyone famous in the street? 

Some local celebrities.

Are you hungry right now? 

I am.

Are you regularly tired? 

I'm not and I'm super happy about that. I mean I've never had major problems with being tired all the time but I've felt more tiredness in the past compared to now. This past year I've been paying more attention to my eating, that I eat regularly and eat balanced meals. I feel so much more energetic now and my skin and hair have never been in this kind of condition.

What was the last thing to upset you? 

Today I tried to book an airbnb for a little getaway trip I'm planning on having later this month but for some reason it didn't work out so I just gave up lol. I'm gonna try again some other day though.

How’s the weather been today? 

Around 0 degrees celcius with some snow and a lot of ice on the ground. It's been like that for a few weeks now.

What was the first tattoo you got or what would be the first tattoo you’ll get? 

I haven't given that much thought to it. I'm not totally against having a tattoo but as of now I don't have any plans of getting one.

What was the last store you went into and did you buy anything?

I went to a mall today to pick up new glasses for me. (I was so done only wearing contact lenses all the time so I had to get glasses) Anyway at the mall there was this boardgame store I've never seen there before so I went and took a look but I didn't buy anything.

Have you ever been late for school or work? 

At school if I was going to be late I just skipped the whole class. I didn't want to go to the classroom late, I was too shy for that lol.

Do you prefer to shower in the morning or at night? 

I like night showers more.

What is your favourite kind of fruit cobbler? 

I'm not sure what a cobbler is. If it's the same or similar as pie then I like berry pies, like blueberry or some mixed red berry pie.

Is there a basement in your house? If so, what is it used for? 

I live in an apartment building and there is a basement which has some storage space and also a laundry room. It also serves as a bomb shelter if we ever end up in that situation (obviously hopefully never).

Have you driven a car today? 

No, I don't even have a licence.

Do you have a small, medium or large bedroom?

It's pretty small but I mean my whole apartment is pretty small.

Have you eaten soup this week? 

No, I don't eat a lot of soup.

Are you a fan of The Office? 

I've never watched that.

When was the last time you started a new medication? 

A couple years ago but I'm already done with it. I only have one daily medication right now which I've been taking since 2017-ish.

What is your favourite type of nut? 

Cashew.

Do you know anyone who doesn’t have a middle name? 

My dad doesn't.

Have you put your phone on silent today? 

It's never on silent, it's on vibrate.

Can you name all 50 US state capital cities? 

I'm confident I know all of them because I used to be super into a lot of geography games online but if I had to list all of them now from just the top of my head I probably wouldn't even remember half of them.

Do you read John Green novels? 

I've only read one of his book, Paper Towns. It was good but I'm not super into fiction books, I'd rather watch a movie or read non-fiction.

Have you ever been to Universal Studios? 

No but it would be nice to go.

Can you tie balloons? 

Nope. Well, I've never tried but probably not.

When was the last time you were at a pet store? 

About a month ago to buy some cat food.

[magicalmoontraveler05]

Loneliness and feeling behind.

26 is a very strange age. Not doing enough money to support me or move away from my parents house makes me feel so behind. I don't feel shame in saying that I'm not a career driven person, as a matter of fact, I'm tired of people romanticizing being too overworked to do anything else.

On one hand I'm young cause actual adults tell me I'm a kid, but feel like a grandma next to younger people. I have seen some signs of aging and not precisely rinkles, but whenever I see teens on the mall, I can see how younger than me they actually are. Yet, people often think of me as someone younger.

People I went to school with, are buying cars and houses and I can't even afford a new phone, not without saving. I hate to say it, but it has been my hobby spending money on shit I don't need like expensive coffee or eating out, but how can I deny myself of the things that makes us feel connected, you know.

Loneliness has been my oldest toxic friend, has always been there without me noticing, accompanying with this void that can't be filled in regardless of the situation.

The other day I noticed that I've been going to therapy for about 6 months now, well I guess it makes sense now why I don't have money, I feel that it has help me till certain degree. Cause it hasn't precisely end my insecurities, but how can I perceive certain situation and confront them more wisely.

.

I don't know how to meet new people, even tho I'm more open now, I speak more than before. To me is still hard to meet people in a situations where I'm not force to. At school and at work, you have to meet people. But outside of those circles I don't really know how to socialize.

I never had a wild age, never really partied much and even tho is not like something I wanna do all the time, I still feel like I've missed so much of my youth by not going to the club.

.

My relationship with my family, is another topic, my dad has always been distant and guilt trips us for not reaching out to him but he doesn't do that either. During my lifetime, I've been jealous twice over the relationship father-daugher that my friends have. I wish to have that certainty you know, like someone is actually looking out for me, but no, I just have myself.

It doesn't matter what I do, I can't change a narcissist, he doesn't care about me and make me feel so neglected.

My mom, I do love her. But I feel like it would be best If we don't live together anymore, maybe that would strengthen our bond but who knows that could distance us too. That's all that I'm gonna say.

My brother, I do miss him. Since he moved away we haven't talk as much as we used to, sometimes it does hurt cause I feel like I lost him, we don't watch movies or go to concerts together. It saddens me deeply the fact that I'll never live with him ever again.

.

I don't like staying at home on weekends, I hate being at home actually, I feel like I'm losing my weekend or like I'm not being productive with my enjoyment time, if that makes sense.

It is kind of dumb, that by buying things I don't need it would give me the illusion of feeling that void, but I'm starting to feel like it would never be filled. But at the same time that energy rush is the closest to reach some kind of happiness.

[dailydolphinsuitjotaro]

mfw 340 followers 

thank you frens

[jennamacaroni]

1. Starry night

"Let's go for a drive."

Ava blinks her eyes open, pats apologetically at the damp spot of drool she's left on the shoulder of Deborah's flannel and squints blearily at the face of her father's watch. They're down in the basement snuggled on the couch Ava picked out last month, the only other place in the house where Deborah allows a TV. Unsolved Mysteries is on, the volume low. "Are you serious? It's almost midnight."

"Oh come on," Deborah says, smacking Ava's thigh before using it to push herself to standing. "You're young! Your kind thrive at these witching hours."

"Where are we going?"

Deborah shrugs but winks over her shoulder as she makes her way across the room.

"You're scheming!"

She pauses at the foot of the stairs then turns back to Ava who is still sprawled across the couch and twisted in her favorite blue blanket. "C'mon, honey. As my friend Rihanna would say, 'shut up and drive'."

"First, it's so unfair when you bring up that you're friends and yet I haven't been introduced. Second, I can drive?" Ava asks, suddenly very much awake and scrambling to her feet, trying to escape the confines of the blanket while simultaneously switching off the TV. She runs barefooted after Deborah, taking the stairs two at a time.

Deborah's cackle echoes down the marbled hallway as she heads towards the kitchen. "In your dreams, maybe."

Ava rolls her eyes even though Deborah can't see. The only time she's ever driven Rolls was that cursed afternoon in Primm, and even then she could only top out at a whopping fifteen miles per hour.

"Fine, but we're stopping for road trip snacks."

"Nothing neon. Or anything that turns your tongue another color." Ava frowns, she was looking forward to a giant blue raspberry Icee. "Oh, and absolutely no hot dogs, they're disgusting just rolling around for god knows how long under those heat lamps."

Ava smirks, then brings her fist to her mouth, miming a blow job.

"No matter how lewd and delicious you look eating them," Deborah adds, grabbing her keys from the junk drawer and rewarding Ava with that tongue in cheek thing that never fails at making Ava wet.

-----

Deborah loves to drive. Especially at night when the highways are empty out well past the confines of the city. Where the streetlights cease and the desert opens up, flat and pitch-black and endless.

She's playing Charlie Parker tonight through the Bluetooth, whistling along in perfect harmony and knowing nearly every song by heart.

They don't usually talk on these drives and it's that way tonight. Deborah used to take them alone whenever she needed time to herself: to think or to blow off some steam, or if the insomnia was particularly bad. But she started inviting Ava a few months ago and they're content just to be together as Deborah speeds through the desert night.

She guns the engine, pushing the car faster in the straightaways. Ava sips her diet Coke as the momentum pushes her against the seat, alternating between watching Deborah and staring up out the window into the clear desert sky. The moon is hardly a sliver, the light coming only from thousands of stars above and the brightness of the car's headlights ahead.

Eventually Deborah slows and exits, continuing a few minutes before pulling off to the shoulder of the road and killing the engine.

"Is this where you're burying my body? I don't think this model of Rolls comes with a shovel in the driver side door."

Deborah laughs, turning her head to face Ava in the passenger seat. "Not this time." She stares across at Ava in the dim overhead lights and Ava knows she's about to be surprised with whatever is going to come out of that beautiful mouth next. "Show me that stargazing app again."

Ava smiles around the straw, biting it between her teeth. "Oh so you did like it!"

Deborah doesn't answer, pursing her lips to hide her smile.

"Well I'm counting this as a point in the Ava Daniels win column and also I'm definitely getting high first."

"You do that, hon," Deborah says leaning across the center console and Ava's lap to flick open the passenger door. Ava catches the collar of Deborah's flannel before she can fully retreat, pulling her up into a quick kiss.

"I fucking love you."

Deborah hums against Ava's lips. "I love you too."

They climb onto the hood, the metal still warm, and Ava rolls a small joint as Deborah holds up Ava's iPhone to the sky and peers at the screen, moving it around as the app traces out the constellations. Their bodies are almost completely pressed together from shoulder to foot, Deborah's legs stretching just a bit longer.

"Cassiopeia," Deborah says as Ava lights up, pointing up and to the right to trace a cluster of stars.

"A vain bitch," Ava says, exhaling perfect o's.

Deborah snorts. "Whatever happened to not shaming women for being confident and, what was it, 'owning their shit?'"

"Ugh I hate when you use my own words against me."

"That's why I do it as much as possible. Oh, see that bright one?" Deborah points to the brightest star directly overhead. "Saturn!"

"Definitely the hottest planet. Those rings? Like, damn, Saturn did not have to go that hard, but it's so sexy that it did. And Cassini, my dear sweet Cassini, the little spacecraft that could. Taking all those incredible photos before finally running out of fuel and plunging into the atmosphere to burn up. It's like hella romantic."

Deborah turns her attention from the sky to kiss Ava's cheek. "You're so weird."

"You love it."

"Impossibly, I do."

[rhysismydaddy]

Prisoner's Game Pt. 2 (Rowaelin)

Part 1

~Rowan~

Rowan didn't think he'd ever been so pissed off in his life.

The only time that even came close was when he lost his first and only court case, but over the years he'd come to live with that.

This though?

This immature, childish, irritatingly clever woman... he had a feeling he'd carry the rage he felt against her until the day he finally died of it.

Although, if he was honest, his returning move had been a little childish, too.

He'd ordered one of the guards to strip her cell of everything except the chess set. Her mattress, the makeshift knife he shuddered to think she'd had in the same room as him, her pillow.

If she wanted to steal his shit, he'd steal hers, too.

He'd also had the guard move one of his pawns forward on the board.

Not the most creative, but he didn't have many options.

What did you take from a woman who had nothing? How did you punish someone who was already serving the longest punishment available?

The bank had seized her assets when she'd been locked up, and the lease on her apartment had long since run out. She didn't have any personal items with her, didn't seem to even care about anything besides making his life hell.

Case in point, when he got home that night, exhausted from dealing with Aelin and spending a long day at the office, he'd discovered her retaliation.

She'd stolen his bed.

The whole goddamn thing, frame and all.

How she'd managed to get it out of a penthouse condo with security not realizing a thing, he had no idea. He knew from experience it wouldn't even fit through the door.

It'd seemed if she was going to be uncomfortable, so was he.

Steaming with anger, he'd showered and flopped on the couch like an idiot, not even able to sleep thanks to the rage she'd worked him into.

She was completely kicking his ass. From the inside of a jail cell.

He hadn't gotten more than a few hours of sleep before giving up on even trying. At six, he'd dressed and driven to Whitehorn and Salvaterre, the law firm he was a partner at.

If he couldn't sleep, he'd at least figure out how the hell she was pulling this shit off.

Looking through her folder, he went through her daily schedule, seeing nothing out of the ordinary.

Eight am wake-up, breakfast, shower, lunch, yard time, dinner, lights out at nine. Between activities, she worked out in her cell or read a book from the run-down prison library.

In the eight years she'd been in prison, she hadn't had a single visitor. Her cousin Aedion--a playboy Rowan couldn't be paid to associate with--delivered a care package on the first of every month.

Strange, considering nothing of the sort had been in her cell.

She'd been in solitary confinement ever since randomly attacking her cellmate a little over a month ago. She was still allowed yard time and meals with the other prisoners, but she was chained at all times.

Also strange, considering Aelin wasn't the type to do anything randomly.

Rowan watched the security tapes he'd strong armed the guards into giving him, going through the past few days to see how she'd gotten out of her cell to rob him.

He watched as she was escorted to the yard, watched as she ate breakfast and lunch and dinner alone, watched as she put herself through vigorous training in her cell.

Days of footage, and he didn't find anything.

Feeling like a bit of a creep, he watched the nighttime footage of her sleeping, but there was nothing out of the ordinary.

She didn't move too much or too little--both of which would indicate it wasn't really her under that thin blanket. There were no attempts to pick the locks in between her wrists and ankles, no digging into the wall behind her toilet.

Nothing.

Which meant someone was helping her.

He could go through the official channels and ask the police for her known connections, but he hadn't reported either of the robberies yet.

Partly because he wanted to deal with her himself, partly because he felt a bit stupid getting robbed from a woman in the most secure prison in the city.

Which means he'd have to go about it a different way.

Grabbing his keys from his desk, he debated how else he could make her miserable, unfortunately finding nothing else he could do to her, no revenge he could get from robbing her tiny little cell.

No, he'd have to try something new.

Maybe he could bribe her into confessing. She didn't have anything right now, but maybe he could give her something to lose.

He'd bring her lunch, force himself to apologize for yelling at her, and just politely ask who her accomplice was.

He thought on it as he rode down the elevator to the garage. It probably wouldn't work, but he didn't know what else to do.

And besides, he knew from experience Aelin didn't respond well to his anger.

Checking his email to make sure he wasn't missing any important meetings, he pressed the button on his car fob, expecting to hear the resounding beep from his designated parking spot.

Except the beep never came.

Slowly looking up, Rowan had to amend his earlier statement.

Now he didn't think he'd ever been so pissed off in his life.

He stormed over to the security booth, hardly refraining from grabbing the man inside and throwing him to the ground.

"Where's my car, Rolland?"

"In your spot, boss," the stout little man replied instantly and surely, snapping his gum and looking at him in confusion. "Haven't seen you drive out yet."

"Yes, exactly. Which is why it's a mystery why it's no longer in it's spot."

Rolland caught up slowly. "You mean... it was stolen? From here? From you?"

Jaw so tight his molars were practically fused together, Rowan growled, "Just let me see the security tapes from this morning."

The guard nodded quickly, eyes nervous as he typed something into the desktop in front of him.

"That's weird," he muttered a moment later, typing faster and sending Rowan a nervous glance.

"What?" he asked, trying to calm himself down with a few of the breathing techniques he'd learned over the years.

"The tapes are gone, but there's... this."

Rolland turned the screen so Rowan could see it, and all the breathing in the world couldn't keep him from slamming a fist into the side of the security shack.

The footage was gone, and on the blank black screen read: Bishop to J7.

He was going to fucking kill her.

~Aelin~

"Enjoy your taxi ride here?" she asked sweetly, leaning back in her chair and crossing her legs.

Rowan scowled at her as he crossed the small room inmates could use to talk to their lawyers. He yanked the chair across from her out, then threw himself into it. "You are such a pain in my ass."

She just shrugged.

He sat across from her, angry and broody, and for a long time, he just stared at her.

Finally he asked, "Why are you doing this, Aelin?"

"I told you. You locked me up for something I didn't do. I want you to be as miserable as I am. It's simple, petty revenge."

Nothing about it was simple, but that was besides the point.

He was quiet for another moment. "Why now?"

She sighed, but she wasn't upset. Truthfully, she'd been waiting for him to ask that question.

"I want to tell you a story."

He stood up suddenly, face exasperated. "I'm not fucking joking around. And I'm not going to let you waste any more of my time."

He made his way to the door, and his dismissal of her pissed her off enough to say, "Sit down, or your car's going off Whigsby Bridge."

He smiled like he'd won their little game. "So you admit you have it."

"Sure," she said casually, honestly not giving a shit about the car.

His brow furrowed. "You're giving up? Just like that?"

"You're a fucking idiot if you think this is about your car, Rowan. But sure, I admit I know exactly where it, and your bed, and your little dagger are being hidden."

He narrowed his eyes. "This conversation is being recorded, and you just admitted to being an accessory to robbery, so-"

"You aren't going to press charges," she cut him off, pulling a cigarette out of her pocket and lighting it.

Nasty little prison habit she'd developed, smoking.

Or maybe she just did it because she knew he hated the smell.

"Oh, really?" he asked incredulously, eyeing the cigarette with disdain.

She grinned. "Once you sit and hear my story and realize I'm telling the truth, you're going to feel so guilty you won't even care about the car. Now sit down. I'd hate to see a classic get totaled because you're being stubborn again."

He glared at her, but came back to the table and sat down again.

Then reached over and snatched the cigarette from her lips, putting it out against the steel table top.

She just pulled out another, lighting it with one of her last matches. The irritation on his face made it worth the loss.

He waved a hand as if to say Get on with it.

She'd debated how to tell him this story for a long time. It was long, and messy and not particularly pleasant for her. But she wanted him to know the full thing, so she'd decided to start at the very beginning.

"My parents died when I was four," she began, ignoring his dramatic sigh. "I went into foster care, and as you can imagine, I was a particularly unruly child."

She smiled at the few memories she had. "I stole from the nuns, snuck out of my room at night and ran through the house, set all the clocks back an hour so we could sleep in. Small stuff. But it irritated them, because they couldn't prove it was me."

"Sounds familiar," he grouched, making her grin.

"I was adopted by Arobynn Hamel a year later."

As she'd predicted, his mouth fell open at that.

Arobynn was the known king of the underworld in Rifthold. He had a hand in every aspect of crime, yet no one could do anything about it because he never committed the crime himself.

His name was revered, so much so no one ever dared to cross him.

"But your record says-"

"That I stayed in foster care until I turned eighteen, I know."

Arobynn hated public records and had a deal with someone in the system that he'd take some of the kids off their hands if they kept quiet about it. Illegal as hell, but he wasn't someone you refused without suffering serious consequences.

It was the perfect crime. No one would miss unwanted kids, and it gave the system one less mouth to feed.

"I didn't know it, but he'd been watching me for a while. He... I don't know, saw something in me. Natural, innocent talent he could work with and turn into something different. He adopted me on my fifth birthday. And then he started training me."

"To do what?" Rowan asked, shoulders tensing.

"Everything," she answered with a shaky laugh, taking a long drag from her cigarette. "Stuff I wanted to learn, like how to pick a lock or walk without making sound. But as I got older, he taught me other stuff. Stuff I didn't want to know."

"How to kill," he finished, picking up on her tone.

She nodded, finishing her cigarette and flicking the butt on the floor.

"I was good," she told him quietly, looking down at the table. "By the time I was fifteen, he said I was the best he'd ever had. None of his other... children could beat me in a fight, not even the older ones who had a hundred pounds on me. And I could steal anything and not leave a trace."

His eyes didn't show an ounce of doubt, and she didn't know how to feel about it. But she kept going anyway.

"I was his favorite. I was his best asset, and I didn't care about anything that would compromise me. I lost my parents, and despite how much he wanted me to, I never loved him. I had no weaknesses. Except Sam."

"Another of his students?" Rowan asked, and it wasn't lost on her he said students instead of children.

She nodded. "We were adopted around the same time, grew up together. He was a year older, and whenever I had a problem, he was the one I'd turn to. He was good to me, and by the time I was seventeen, not a small part of me loved him."

Aelin broke off and took a deep breath, wishing she had another cigarette and trying to figure out how to put into words how much he'd meant to her.

"Was?" Rowan asked, so softly and quietly and understandingly that she was reminded of the man he'd once been, the one she'd loved.

Shaking her head to clear it, she said, "He made a mistake. He went on a job; he was supposed to break into one of the underground casino's owned by Arobynn's competitor and memorize the ledger, but he got caught. It was messy and horrible and stupid, and the owner wanted blood. Arobynn promised he'd kill Sam as retribution."

Rowan's eyes widened, almost like he hadn't realized how brutally she'd been raised until that moment.

"I begged him not to. Sam had saved me and helped me so many times that I couldn't not do the same for him. I told him I'd do anything."

She studied her hands, regret and guilt thick on her skin. "Arobynn said if I took ten of the jobs Sam was supposed to do, he wouldn't kill him. I thought they'd be similar to the one he'd messed up on, small break-ins or robberies. So I accepted."

A tear rolled down her cheek, and she batted it away as she continued, "The second I shook his hand, Tern--another of Arobynn's--shot Sam in the head."

Rowan's face blanched so quickly, she thought he might pass out.

He started to say something, but she spoke faster. "I... snapped. I killed Tern, tried to kill Arobynn. You called me a murderer, and that's true. I am, and I don't regret it. Tern was a sadistic bastard, and I'm glad he's dead. And one day, I'll kill Arobynn for what he did."

Rowan shook his head, confusion and shock and something similar to pity in his eyes. "Why didn't you leave, run away?"

She leveled a look at him. "I didn't exactly have a choice, Rowan. My punishment for Tern lasted for over a year."

There was a long pause.

"Punishment?" he asked in a breathless voice that made something in her chest hurt.

She looked at the table again, skin pebbling at the memory of that year. "He locked me in a cell in the basement, in the dark. Once a month he'd come in to ask if I knew someone named Sam. It took me ten months to get confused, another three to say no."

Still not meeting his eyes, she looked at his hands, noticing they were clenched so tightly the knuckles were white. And a part of her, buried under all the rage and resentment and sadness, warmed at the thought that he was... he was angry for her.

"It took me a long time after to figure out what was real and what wasn't. But Arobynn never let me forget our deal. And right before I met you, he told me the first job."

"What were the jobs?"

Aelin looked back up at that, the air thick between them as she said, "You already know."

"The murders."

She nodded, somehow managing to keep her spine straight despite the feeling of a hundred pound weight being lifted from her shoulders.

He at least knows why now, she thought to herself.

It was one of the things that had bothered her over the years. That he didn't know why she'd done what he thought she'd done. That he thought she'd.. wanted to do it.

He was silent for a long time, just watching her with a carefully emotionless face. "Thank you for telling me that," he said eventually. "I never could understand why."

Then he stood and walked to the door again, and it was only when his hand was on the handle she spoke again. "You asked why I'm doing this, and why I'm doing it now."

He opened the door but paused. Waited.

"It's because I tried to tell you this all those years ago, and you didn't care. You just assumed I was guilty because the evidence looked like it."

She spoke around the lump in her throat. "I told you I didn't kill those people, Rowan, and you didn't even care."

He spun around, slamming the door so hard it rattled, and in a split second, he was in front of her. A hand on the table, the other on her chair, he leaned down and got in her face.

He was so angry, so unbelievably enraged she couldn't believe it. He was angry?

"I didn't care? I didn't fucking care, that's what you think? Watching you get dragged away in cuffs was the worst moment of my life, and you think I didn't fucking care?"

Shock hit her like a bucket of ice water.

That moment was crystal clear in her mind, and she couldn't put what he was saying with what she knew.

He'd watched her with that same expressionless face, with cold eyes that had haunted her ever since.

She opened her mouth to say something, but he wasn't done.

"I fucked loved you! I thought you were the love of my life, Aelin. I begged you to tell me something that would help, tell me anything. But you didn't! You just kept saying you were innocent; you didn't give me anything to actually work with."

"I-"

"I found that stupid fucking list five days before I reported it, did you know that?"

She shook her head, because she hadn't.

"Exactly. You don't know what the hell you're talking about," he growled, eyes flashing. "I spent five days investigating it myself, trying to make sense of why you'd know those names. After your arrest, I spent two weeks trying to find anything, a single piece of evidence, that said it wasn't you. And after the trial, I spent another two months trying to poke holes in my own goddamn case."

He slammed a hand into the table. "I did everything I fucking could! I was desperate for it not to be you. I argued my case so your lawyer could plead circumstantial evidence. I put you on the stand so you could say anything you wanted. I went for life sentences instead of the death penalty to give you time to actually tell me what the hell was going on!"

She was breathing heavily, heart breaking and reforming over and over again at what he was saying, what he was implying.

"I didn't assume shit," he said in a low voice, so close they shared air. "You didn't tell me anything."

Aelin's voice trembled as she croaked, "I tried."

He shook his head, letting out a breath of amusement. "No, you didn't. If this past week has proven anything, it's that you don't try to do anything, you do it. You didn't tell me anything, Aelin. You're still not telling me anything."

"I'm telling you to look again! I'm telling you you didn't look hard enough, because I left breadcrumbs only you could find, breadcrumbs that explain everything."

"Stop playing games with me!" he shouted, eyes flashing with a fresh wave of anger. "It's been eight years! Stop holding onto whatever secret you're holding onto and just tell me!"

Gods, she wanted to.

He was the one person she couldn't trust with this secret, this stupid, most important secret, and yet he was the also the one person she wanted to tell it to.

She opened her mouth to tell him, but what came out was, "I didn't kill them, Rowan. I promise I didn't kill them. I can't... I can't tell you anything else."

"Jesus, Aelin," he spat, pushing off the table and turning to leave.

"Just look into it," she called after him, fingers digging into the table to resist the urge to try and follow him. "I promise you can figure everything out, and you'll understand everything. Please."

She knew why, after all this time, it was so important for him to know the truth when that hadn't been her original plan.

It was because she'd spent eight years believing he hadn't tried, believing she hadn't been a good enough person for him to even look into the possibility it wasn't her.

And maybe it was because he was once again leaving her, or maybe it was because she felt like she was in that courtroom again, begging him to believe her, or maybe it was because of something she didn't even understand yet.

Regardless of the reason, she found herself saying, "I loved you, too, you know."

He looked at her with sad eyes that she was sure mirrored her own and shook his head. "Not enough, apparently."

"You don't believe that," she argued, shaking her head and trying to keep the building emotions down.

"If you'd loved me, you would've told me. You would've given me the proof, whatever breadcrumbs you're talking about. You wouldn't have let me watch them take you away."

"Rowan-"

"You wouldn't have thought, for a second, that I didn't try to fight for you. And you sure as hell wouldn't have waited eight years to do whatever it is you're trying to do."

"I had to," she whispered, even as she knew it wouldn't be enough.

She shook with the effort to not tell him everything, but even after all he'd told her and how everything had changed, she just couldn't. Not yet.

He stood at the door, watching her with those eyes she'd once thought looked like the most beautiful emeralds. "Sometimes I think about it, you know. What life would be like if I hadn't tried to fix your sink in the middle of the night."

She smiled sadly. "Me too."

Rowan shook his head, gaze taking in her face like he thought he'd never see her again.

He thought it was over now, she realized. He thought that now she knew he hadn't given up on her immediately, now that she'd told him the story she'd wanted to tell him, that it was over and she'd give up.

"Look again," she whispered. "You know I didn't do it. It's why you're here, why you kept looking after the trial ended. You know I wouldn't."

"Goodbye, Aelin," he said instead, not telling her any of the things she really wanted to hear.

It wasn't until the door shut behind him she finally let herself cry.

She'd told herself that it didn't matter; that in a month the truth would come out and everything would be normal again.

She'd told herself she was only messing with Rowan for revenge, not because she wanted to see him again or test that he'd find the clues she'd left for him.

She'd told herself this was just a game.

She'd told herself all sorts of things that turned out to be lies.

~~~

Part 3

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[apixrl]

DRIVER'S LICENSE.

katsuki bakugou x fem! reader

WARNING(S): angst. cheating. swearing because it's bakugou.

word count: 4.5k

song: drivers license // olivia rodrigo (i wonder why...)

note(s): so i captioned this *at the time of writing* 'hello and welcome to i've had the worst two weeks ever so i wrote a katsuki oneshot to cope' and it's probably one of my most personal pieces of writing tbh

"-come Tuesday and we'll potentially see an end to this heavy downpour of rain. Temperatures will be on the rise to around-"

The talk on the radio cut short at the jab of your finger, heaving a great sigh which faded into the muffled pitter-patter of rain from outside. The streets had been showered with heavy downpours for the last week or so, no sign of sun or a still and restful day. Notwithstanding the miserable outdoors, the windscreen wipers on your car never ceased in their duty to grant you a clear view of the road ahead. And whilst you were grateful for their devotion, it didn't feel clear in the slightest. In fact, the road had never felt so blurry.

Shivering against the cold night chill and tucking your knees cosily to your chest, you eyed the raindrops on the windows. They raced against one another before they dripped down to your car's body, their glossy presence obvious thanks to the many hues of street lamps that surrounded them. You could have watched them for hours, being honest. Something about the droplets of water battling it out quite enticing. Anything to take you away from the cruel reality you were living in.

Your heart ached and yearned. But to no avail, the one you ached and yearned for didn't love you back.

Not anymore, at least.

Just the mere thought provoked a pulsating pang to resonate throughout your entire body. A pang filled with grief and sadness. Anger and hurt. You missed his sun-kissed face on the sunny mornings. You missed his eyes and how they gazed at you from across the room. You missed the smiles and laughter he would only show for you and you alone. The sense of glee and euphoria that came with that honour. Yet all of it was gone and there was no way you could get it back.

The memories of what had been triggered more waterworks. Hot, salty tears dug at the corners of your eyes and trickled down your face. Your motionless car concealed your cries and sobs. Every thrash against the wheel as you questioned to nobody in particular what went wrong and why. How you didn't see the signs sooner. What you could have done better. When he stopped loving you. If he ever planned to stop loving you. Whether it would have hurt more if you found out sooner.

All these questions with nothing to answer them.

Katsuki Bakugou had always fascinated you. From the very moment you met. You accompanied your friend on a double date, and he was the guy who she matched for you. Whilst he originally acted as though a blind date was the last place he wanted to be, underneath the aggression you could tell there was something much more genuine and true.

And your assumptions were correct. Truth be told, Katsuki Bakugou was one of the most genuine and truest people you had met (at the time). Once it was just the two of you, he allowed his true colours to unveil. Through the smallest of kind gestures that still haunted your mind to this day. Then upon confrontation, as you bid each other goodbye at your back door, his denial resulted in a flirtatious contest which then proceeded to an intimate night that changed your life forever. From there your mind was set.

He was the one.

Emphasis on was.

So blinded with a fairy tale love you grew so accustomed to, you never saw it coming. Never in your two-year relationship - that had so much strength and commitment built on top of it, never did you think that Katsuki Bakugou would throw it all out of the window like it was nothing. Disregard your loyalty and adoration for a drunken one night stand that slowly became an occasional hookup. Which soon became a mandatory pastime once a fortnight. Then twice. Maybe more than that. You wouldn't put it past him with what you knew now.

He kept it from you for nearly six months. Six months. The only reason you discovered his lies and deception was because you were let off early one night from work. You worked a night shift, see. Your last job had fallen to shambles, and it was temporary whilst you searched for a new one. And whilst that did take a toll on your relationship with Katsuki Bakugou, mostly finding time for intimacy since his working hours were during the day, none of that gave him any right to go and do what he did.

That wasn't one of the only reasons, you knew that for sure. There were other motives for his lack of loyalty. But you were never told. After you froze at the sight of another woman under his hold and stormed straight back to your car to flee. After he chased you down the flights of stairs in nothing but baggy pants into the streets of a twilight Musutafu. After you screamed into the darkness and belted your fists against his chest. Fists that were driven with rage and hurt and every emotion that burned like the hottest of fires and froze like the coldest of ice. He never even told you. He never made an effort to address it. Nor had he attempted to call or even try to visit your Mom's house - where you stayed as you searched for a permanent place to live. Just because you retreated for your car and cried that it was over, he never tried. But that didn't mean you weren't allowed an explanation. An apology. Something to give you a form of closure and a reason to move on. But you never did.

That wasn't even what hurt the most, either.

As silly as it was, the thing that hurt you the most was the very car you sat in.

EIGHT MONTHS AGO . . .

The red glow of traffic lights hit Katsuki's vermilion irises as he stared dead ahead at the long line of vehicles, the ash-blond heaving a sigh into the air. His finger tapped impatiently against the steering wheel he gripped with one hand, the spare rested casually against your upper thigh affectionately.

"I can't believe we have to sit through this torture just to go to some damn party," Katsuki grumbled, taking a glance over at you. His brows furrowed when he met you peacefully slouched down, nose dug into your phone as you presumably played some sort of game to pass the time. Like you had no care in the world for your predicament.

"It's your best friend's birthday, love," You mused back, Katsuki surprised you even listened based on your focused expression directed towards your phone. "It's not like we can just miss it,"

"Yeah, but we could have missed all this pain by taking the train instead of driving across town during rush hour,"

"Trains are icky, the seats would have ruined your suit and my dress," You pointed out, looking at the blond over your screen, sending him a sweet smile. He cocked a brow, a smirk creeping its way onto his lips as a scoff of a laugh broke out between them.

"Right, and laying down like a sloth is gonna help keep your dress uncreased?" He returned, amused at your realisation. At his comment, you sat up faintly and pouted your lip.

"Driving means more time to play Gravity Pops, and so does traffic,"

"Seriously? That's the game you're playing? You're such a dumbass,"

"Yes! I'm in the top 11% globally! I need to get to number one!" Was your protest, your arms flailing ahead of you briefly for dramatic emphasis. Katsuki clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes, though the small smile plastered over his lips betrayed his initial reaction. Unable to deny your determination, he spoke with confidence and almost a sense of pride.

"Number one, hm? Clearly rubbing off on you aren't I?"

"In a way, yes,"

"That's my girl," Katsuki remarked, earning a giggle from you that was uplifting to hear. It was there your attention went back to your phone, but Katsuki wasn't done. "So, speaking of cars, Y/N," Hearing his chosen tone - which sounded suggestive, you eyed him closely. Hesitant to reply as you had a sense of what he planned to say.

"...Yes?"

"Have you thought any more about getting your driver's license yet?"

Called it.

"...No,"

"What?" Katsuki began, tilting his head. He was surprised that he felt surprised. You had said those words in regards to this topic countless times. Still, he persisted. "Is that a no meaning you haven't or no meaning that you don't want to?"

"Both?" You half-guessed, sheepishly grinning at the look you were sent. "Look, cars scare me okay? And so do roads. And people. My nerves wouldn't be able to handle it! I can barely communicate with people face to face, so me being on the road is a recipe for disaster!"

"I know but -," Katsuki exhaled sharply, understanding your reasoning. You had voiced these concerns when confiding to Katsuki about your fears of the road. Something built and corrupted from social media as well as phobias and fears in general, it was a battle you had yet to overcome. You wanted to drive but was terrified of messing up or causing chaos on the road. Potentially inflicting harm to someone and yourself. You still weren't sure what triggered it all, but over the years it had manifested into something quite irrational, to say the least. Katsuki had been supportive of it and whilst he truly would love to always act as your personal taxi - you couldn't hide from it forever. It wasn't his job to keep you in your comfort zone. That, and he couldn't always be there for you that way. What if he was miles away and you had somewhere urgent to go like the hospital? "It's not as scary as you think. I know it's hard to believe that but seriously. The freedom you get from driving is amazing,"

"I'll think about it a little longer, okay?" You said with hesitancy, looking at Katsuki for a sign of confirmation. He nodded in defeat, knowing you probably needed more time and felt put on the spot. So he averted his eyes back to the road to check if the traffic had moved at all. It had not.

"Okay," Katsuki said. "But I can't be your taxi service forever,"

"But I like you being my taxi service," You jokingly said, a little sadness in your tone. "Your road rage is funny and I like watching you get out of the car and walk to my door after pulling up in my driveway,"

"What do you mean?" Katsuki asked, catching the twitch of a smile on your face upon saying those words. It struck his interest in what you could mean.

"You know, like when you say you're coming to pick me up?" You explained. "You pull up at my driveway and I don't know... simple things like that just remind me of how much I love you. It's dumb really, but it's important to me,"

"Really?" Katsuki questioned in disbelief. How something so small and meaningless could mean so much was puzzling. He couldn't understand why it was so special to you. But that didn't invalidate it in any shape or form. So he pushed that aside, replacing his wonder with gratitude. He returned to your bashful and flustered features, feeling a smile grow on his face.

"Yeah," You said, shrugging to downplay your words. "I love you. Stuff like that means a lot to me,"

"I love you too, even though you're a dumbass," Katsuki said, humbled by what you had said. The two of you shared a gentle exchange, your hand grabbing hold of Katsuki's as you gave it a squeeze. He squeezed back, and silence ensued. Had he realised such a thing sooner, then Katsuki would have pulled up in your driveway much more than he had been doing. But at that a thought struck his mind, victoriously smirking as he had an idea on how to potentially sway your worries. Or begin swaying it. Something was better than nothing, after all. "But what if I wanted you to pull up in my driveway one day?" His words caused you to look over at him in curiosity, hearing the seriousness in the question. It caught you off guard momentarily, having to contemplate as you gradually concluded that he had a point.

"Well one day, maybe I will," You vaguely replied and sat up a little bit. The hand holding yours pulled back and lifted to land on your shoulder, gripping reassuringly tight.

"I hope you do, I'd like to get in on this driveway action," He joked and smirked, faith riddled in his expression. You giggled ever so slightly, tempted to lean forward and peck Katsuki on the lips in thanks, but never a thing was to happen as the alerting red light from outside switched to warm amber.

"Ah!" Katsuki yelled in triumph, his attention leaving you swiftly as he got back into the driver's seat. Giving you no opportunity to respond to him and overall ruining the moment. "Took fucking long enough!"

The light turned green, and he set the car in motion, leaving you with your thoughts and the words he had uttered that day as the traffic stood still.

All your efforts, all your time devoted to getting over your fear of driving and the road as a whole... all of it was pointless. You did it for him. You promised him you would overcome your fears and better yourself. He built that motivation up brick by brick until you could grab hold and seize control. He wasted all that time to get you to reach such a stepping stone only to abandon it once it was through.

Just so you could pull up in his driveway, just like he requested. And what did you get in return when you finally did? A stab in the back and the loss of your other half.

You wiped your eyes via the sleeve of your hoodie, dampening the cuffs. Sniffling and exhaling a shaky breath, your gaze landed on nothing in particular. Yet somewhere within your clouded mind, you found interest. As that was where your gaze remained for a certain amount of time. You weren't sure how long exactly. It could have felt like an hour and only been five minutes. Or it could have felt like five minutes and was actually an entire hour. Either way, the clock ticked on and didn't wait for you to stop.

It was a good thing you had pushed your fears down and rose above them. It just pained you that you didn't even do it for yourself. Without Katsuki Bakugou, you never had any intentions of doing so. As a matter of fact, you had set out to take the train or bus for the rest of your life. Hell, you were going to use a bike and scooter if you got desperate. Had he even acknowledged how much work you put in just to get where you were? Was all that effort part of the reason why he decided to cheat? There was absolutely no telling. Absolutely no telling at all.

You wondered what he was doing now. Was he laid in bed resting peacefully? Out with his friends for a boy's night only? Maybe cooking his favourite curry? Possibly on a late-night jog despite the harsh weather? It never stopped him other times.

Did he ever think about you? Regret what he did and the actions he took? Had he ever considered apologising? Would he ever apologise? What if he was celebrating the fact you were no longer in his life? Had there ever been any love there for you in the start? Did he ever actually want you to get your driver's license because he believed in you? Or was it so he could get rid of you with much more ease? Make his departure less severe and less selfish? A way to justify his choices because it's not like you were hopelessly left to suffer everyday life now that you had a means of transport. Was he really that cruel?

Your thoughts were interrupted by the sharp jingle of your phone, the device lighting up as it sat in the passenger seat to your left. It took two or three rings for you to glance over at it, E/C eyes sore and drained from crying out. You squinted them to read the caller, seeing the name 'Work' fade in and out on the brightly lit screen. For a second or two you argued back and forth on whether to even bother picking up. Something about reaching across for your phone requiring a magnitude of energy you no longer possessed. Having spent it all on your cries of agony and the deprivation of your old life as a whole.

However, you had ignored your work in the last couple of weeks too many times now. So many times that pulling the same stunt again would probably risk you losing your job. It's not like your work was interested in why you felt such overwhelming pain... all they cared about was you turning up to do what you were hired to.

So using a forceful hand, you leaned over to pick it up. You fumbled to grip your phone and accepted the call with a dainty tap of your thumb. Then you blinked away your tears and subtly sniffed, pressing your phone to your ear to address the caller.

"Hello?" You practically croaked, quick to clear your throat and push any signs of upset down. It was presumably dry from how much you'd cried in the last two hours.

"L/N! Hey! Glad you finally picked up!" Unlike the droll and unvarying tones of your boss, the person on the other end was much more lively and greeting. So much so you could only assume it was none other than your work colleague, Etsuko. Probably the only person you genuinely liked where you worked, and the only person who made the time pass by faster. "I was worried you were gonna leave me on answer phone again,"

"Hm, what? Oh right. Yeah. Sorry about that. Haven't been feeling too great," You lied, even though it wasn't a complete fib. You hadn't been feeling great at all. You had never felt so rock bottom. It all just originated from your mind over anything else. But when did work care about that?

"Sounds like it, I hope you've been okay!" Still cheery as ever, Etsuko followed up with a laugh to fill the silence you created by not saying anything. "Is everything well? It's nothing serious, is it?"

"No. It's not. Just some dumb cold I caught," You excused. "I'm better now, though," Slouching down in your seat, you decided to ask the question that had been roaming your mind the last minute or so. "So why are you calling?"

"Oh, right!" Etsuko said. "Mr Kobashigawa was just wondering when you planned on coming back - for schedule reasons and to get people to fill in for your shifts,"

"I er...," Not entirely sure how to answer, you stuttered as your words cowered away in your attempt to speak. "I don't -,"

"It's okay, he doesn't need an answer yet," Etsuko reassured. "Maybe in the next day or two, though? He wasn't really specific, being honest,"

You sighed at the guilt brewing in your stomach. You weren't even sick for crying out loud! Why were you lying just so you could wallow in your own sadness?! Like that was going to change anything! Sitting around and crying wasn't going to give you what you wanted. You weren't getting him back. Katsuki Bakugou wasn't yours anymore. He made that clear by cheating. By making minimal effort to give you an explanation. By causing you so much pain with little care or concern. Why couldn't you get it through your thick skull that your feelings didn't matter anymore?! That they were being wasted on a lost cause. A lost relationship!

"Well I mean -," You started, running a hand through your hair as you tread carefully on your words. "I could come in tonight? Has Mr Kobashigawa got someone to fill for me yet?"

"Um... no? I don't think so?" Etsuko answered, uncertainty in her voice. "Let me go check. Be right back!" And with that, the line fell dead. The call didn't end, just Etsuko placing the phone down to get an answer for you. Leaving you all by your lonesome once more.

Reflecting, you could see the logic in your thoughts. The best course of action would be to hold your head up high and live life the way it was before. When you were happy. Just... excluding the factors that actually made you happy. Which was him. Wouldn't that be healthier than crying all the time?

Yes, it would. But was it what you wanted? Not really.

"L/N!" The voice in your ear startled you to the point you nearly dropped your phone, panicking through a gasp as you fiddled to grab hold of it again.

"Wa-! Careful you nearly scared me half to death!"

"Oops, sorry!" Etsuko giggled softy, sounding as perky as ever. "I'm just excited to tell you that nobody's filling in your shift! You can still come in for ten-thirty!"

"I-I can?" You asked. After an upbeat 'yeah!' filtered through your ears, you considered your options. Remaining in the serene, quiet confines of your car with only the downfall of rain to accompany you sounded like utter bliss, given how you felt. But you felt an internal kick up the backside which told you - no... demanded you to just get over this moping attitude of yours and look on the bright side. To get over the lack of closure and simply... move on.

Yeah... if he found out you were an utter train wreck thanks to the damage he inflicted; Katsuki Bakugou would probably revel in it. He had a history of gaining pleasure from other's misfortunes... or it was rumoured he did (during his younger years, anyway). You had never wanted to believe it but you couldn't find a reason to refute it anymore. After all you had been through, it seemed to fit his character and personality more than ever. So with that fact apparent, you held a firm forefront and searched for a determined tone, and made your answer to your friend.

"You betcha I'm coming in! I'll see you in half an hour!"

Too enthusiastic? Probably. Still, it was better than acting pessimistic and hopeless. No matter, however, because that was exactly the attitude Etsuko had been hoping for.

"Alrighty!" She exclaimed, smile audible in her voice from the other end. "I can't wait to get our dynamic duo going again! I've missed you!"

"Yeah, me too, 'Suko," You hummed in agreement.

"Great! Catch ya later my partner in crime,"

"Heh. You too, dumbass," You found a reason to smile from her childish behaviour, though your choice of wording seemed to hit a nerve. It did more than that, it practically reverted all that confidence and progress you had made in the last ten minutes of being on the phone. All from one innocent word that escaped your lips.

Dumbass.

That's what he used to call you.

The phone call had ended without you even noticing, your phone still pressed to your ear as a small buzz sounded into it. You stared dead ahead, flashes of all the times he had said that word to you running through your memory. It was his form of a pet name. Some might see it as a little degrading on the surface, but you never minded. Once you learned the deeper meaning of the name, it became something equivalent to the likes of 'Sunshine' or 'Angel'. If anything, you ended up preferring it to those sorts of nicknames. Hence why Katsuki Bakugou had called you it on so many occasions.

No. Stop it. You can't let something like that bother you. Not after the efforts you just went to. Stop. Shaking yourself out of it, you returned to reality and permitted your phone to drop onto your lap. Your hand once holding it gripped onto your steering wheel, the other following shortly behind to do the same.

"I love you too, even if you're a dumbass,"

That rung in your head one final time, tormenting and mocking your present. The things you'd be willing to do to hear him say that to you one last time...

"No," You firmly shook your head, banging it lightly against the headrest to return yourself to reality. An attempt to knock those words to the back of your mind where you could lock them in a securely tight safe for the rest of eternity. "Just... just don't think about it. Easy. Just focus on what you're doing now," You reached for your keys which sat in the ignition, taking hold and turning them ever so slightly. Your car stirred to life, engine rumbling and the dials lighting up in a form of warm greeting. "You're going to work. No more feeling sorry for yourself,"

No more feeling sorry for yourself.

Your eyes set themselves on the road ahead. The vacant, dark and solitary road that didn't wait for you to make your decision. Life moved on after all, so if you were going to do anything - it was to catch up and take the winning lead.

So despite your circumstances; your inner desires and wishes and begs for what you wanted back but to no avail would ever get, you pulled out of your parking space (which had long exceeded the time limit, thankfully nobody was around to see) that drowned in pitiful rains of the night, and began to make your way down the street. In search of a place better than the one you were trapped in.

An endless road that wasn't all that clear, you were going to tackle it. Not for anyone else, unlike the last time you met difficulty and hardships. No, no, no. This time it was for your sake. All the mental energy to recover and become a better version of yourself, in the endgame it was all for you. You could push past all the deceit and lies you had been told and you could push past your normality which was him. Katsuki Bakugou. The man that hurt you as nobody had ever done before. You could create new normality without him.

A thought of forever he created and destroyed, resorted to driving alone past his street, never to be thought of again.

[emospritelet]

Things Left Unsaid - chapter 21

I haven't updated this fic in 18 months but in my defence that last update was the day before COVID lockdown so I have an excuse for being somewhat distracted.

Anyway, I was inspired to pick it up again and I have some of the next chapter written so fingers crossed I can get this done before the end of the year!

Last time, Lacey faced off with one of her awful father's henchmen. Here's what happened next.

[AO3] - words 4,529

-

Mrs Potts was clearly relieved to see them enter the kitchen alive and unhurt, and fussed over them a little, patting hands and squeezing arms as she muttered darkly about skewering Felix with a toasting fork if he had hurt one hair on “Miss Belle’s” head. Their request for some breakfast earned an approving nod, and soon a delicious smell of frying bacon was drifting through the kitchen. Weaver sat at the table, occasionally sending Lacey a reassuring smile as he waited for Fa and Dunbroch to get in touch. Lacey seemed nervous, chewing on her lower lip and flinching at every sound, and he reached out to take her hand and squeeze it, making her start.

“Even if he calls your father now and he takes the first flight out,” he said gently, “they won’t be here for hours.”

“I know,” she said immediately. “I know, it’s just - well, I don’t know what to do. I’m not used to standing my ground, I usually just run. What are we gonna do when he gets here? If he gets here.”

“You think he won’t come?” asked Weaver, and she hesitated.

“No, I think he’ll come,” she said reluctantly. “I’m being disobedient, right? Disobedience - disloyalty - that means punishment. Given that I ran away, and how long I’ve been gone - he’s had a long time to be angry about it. He doesn’t forgive disloyalty.”

She shivered as she said it, and the burning anger low in Weaver’s belly flared to life again. A buzz from his phone made him sit back, and he nodded curtly as he swiped the phone to answer.

“Fa,” he said. “What’s your status?”

“We just lost the target,” she said. “He’s driven out of range. You okay?”

“Fine,” he said. “Lacey faced the bastard down like a warrior queen.”

He shot Lacey a smile, and she beamed at him, although her lower lip trembled a little.

“We still have the element of surprise,” he added. “He thinks she’s here alone. You’re sure the tracker’s still in the car?”

“Seems to be,” she said. “He headed towards the freeway. Going to Boston, d’you think?”

“The airport, perhaps,” he said. “He’s headed to Vegas, and I doubt he’d lose time with a road trip.”

“Unless he’s waiting at the airport,” said Lacey, looking uncomfortable. “Waiting for my father to land.”

Weaver met her eyes, and nodded.

“Lacey’s just pointed out that he could be waiting on her father landing at the airport,” he told Fa. “Although I suppose there’s nothing to stop him coming back here in the meantime. What’s the range on the tracker?”

“Only about six miles,” she said. “Should give us some warning if he does show up. Not much, but everything helps.”

“And assuming he uses the same car,” said Weaver, with a sigh. He ran a hand over his face, feeling weary. “We have some planning to do. Come on up to the house, we’re about to have breakfast.”

“See you in five.”

She hung up, and he put down the phone, glancing across at Lacey.

“We’d better think about our strategy,” he said. “I’ll check flight times so we have some idea of how long we’ve got.”

“My father has his own plane,” said Lacey. “Takes around six hours, as far as I can remember. Then there’s the drive from Portland - maybe another hour.”

Her shoulders were hunched, as though she was tensing, expecting a blow from behind. It made his anger grow, but he nodded.

“So we have at least seven hours,” he said grimly. “It’s enough. We need to think of a strategy in which we all come out of this alive.”

“Best you eat a decent breakfast, then,” said Mrs Potts briskly, setting down a plate of bacon sandwiches. “Go on, dig in. I can make more if needed. There’s plenty of coffee, too.”

“You’re an angel,” said Lacey, grabbing one of the sandwiches. “How’s Cogsworth?”

“Still in bed and feeling very sorry for himself,” said Mrs Potts. “I’ll take him some tea. He doesn’t have much of an appetite at the moment, poor dear.”

Lacey pulled a face.

“Sucks that I can’t go and see him,” she said gloomily. “Still, maybe in a few days. You know, if—”

She broke off, looking uncomfortable, and took a bite of her sandwich. Weaver picked up one of his own, now bothering to finish her sentence out loud. If we can kill your bloody family, yes. You can spend as long as you want nursing him back to health then. If we fail… He shook his head, dispelling the thought. They couldn’t fail.

The sandwich was good: crispy bacon rashers in a thick layer on well-buttered homemade bread with some sort of spicy tomato relish. He made a noise of approval as he chewed, melted butter running over his chin, and Lacey caught his eyes with her own, sending him a tiny grin. It was nice to see her smile again, however briefly.

Fa and Dunbroch turned up just as they were finishing the first sandwiches, barging into the kitchen with hands on their guns before they saw him and visibly relaxed. Mrs Potts ordered them to sit down immediately, scolding them about bringing guns to the breakfast table and receiving meek apologies in return as she set out clean cups and plates. Dunbroch was ecstatic about the bacon sandwiches, proclaiming Mrs Potts’ homemade relish to be the best she had ever tasted, and drinking several cups of coffee to wash them down.

When they were done with the meal, Mrs Potts cleared away, and the atmosphere abruptly changed to something heavy and tense. Weaver got out his notebook, setting it on the table in front of him and opening it up, and silence fell as he leaned on his elbows, threading his fingers together.

“So,” he said, looking around at them all. “We need to make some plans. We know where the enemy is right now, but we don’t know whether they’ll come here, and if they do, when that’ll be.”

“They’ll come,” said Lacey, sounding subdued. “Maybe not today, but soon.”

Weaver glanced at Mrs Potts, who was setting another pot of coffee on the table and wiping her hands on her apron.

“Do they get in touch before they come here?” he asked, and she nodded.

“I usually get a call about a week in advance,” she said. “There are certain foods that they like, and Cogsworth has to make sure the wine cellar is stocked and there’s plenty of gin and brandy. Of course that’s when they come up during the summer, and they’re staying for a while. If it’s just a flying visit - well, I would still expect a call, but it may not be until they land.”

“And if they want to catch me here,” said Lacey heavily. “They’ll give no warning at all.”

“So we have to stay on alert, then,” said Fa. “Merida and I can take turns to watch. Where’s the best view of the road?”

“Third floor study in the west wing,” said Lacey immediately. “I used to keep watch from there when I was a kid. You can see most of the way to the town. Should buy us a few minutes.”

“I’ll take what I can get,” said Weaver, scribbling in the notebook. “What ammo have we got?”

“Two clips each,” said Fa. “Plus knives if things get desperate. How many will there be?”

Lacey blew out her cheeks, huffing air through her lips as she sat back.

“My father and my stepmother, Fiona,” she said. “Maybe Azurine. Maybe not, they might have her holding down the fort in Vegas. They’ll have bodyguards, though. Two, maybe four. No more than four. Oh, and that Felix guy, I guess.”

“Anyone else?”

Lacey shook her head, and Weaver nodded.

“So at least four, maybe eight adversaries,” said Fa. “Against three of us. Not the best odds.”

“We’re all crack shots, though,” said Merida. “And we have the element of surprise on our side.”

“True, but that only lasts as long as first contact,” said Fa. “We need more weapons.”

“My father’s study,” said Lacey. “He’s got a bunch of guns and ammo in there. Whatever you need.”

“I’d prefer to avoid a gun battle in the house,” said Mrs Potts dryly. “At least try to steer clear of the china cabinet.”

Weaver winced, but nodded.

“We’ll do our best.”

“We should check out the terrain,” said Fa. “If we can choose the battleground, better for us, right?”

“Maybe we can pick a few of ‘em off before they even get in the house,” suggested Merida.

“It’s an idea,” said Weaver. “I’d prefer it if they weren’t spooked into piling into a car and driving off, though. I want this done.”

“If we let them get inside the house, maybe we can fix the car so they can’t leave,” suggested Merida. “We don’t want to give them a chance to regroup, come back with reinforcements.”

Weaver nodded agreement.

“I can do that,” said Mrs Potts quickly. “I’m not much use in a gun battle, but I can certainly deal with the car.”

He eyed her.

“I’m not expecting you to get involved at all,” he said. “This isn’t your fight.”

“I beg your pardon, dear, but it’s most certainly my fight!” she said shortly. “I won’t let that man and his dreadful wife threaten Miss Belle. Not while I live and breathe!”

Weaver sighed, but nodded.

“Be careful,” he warned. “No taking stupid risks.”

Mrs Potts snorted at that.

“Says the man who’s looking to face down the head of an organised crime gang and his henchmen?”

“Which is why I’m planning this so carefully,” said Weaver, in a patient tone. “Lacey, why don’t you give us a tour of the house? Should give us an idea of where it would be best to face them.”

Lacey wrinkled her nose.

“Maybe the library,” she said, and pushed back her chair. “Come on, let’s go.”

She led them upstairs, showing them around the spacious hallway with its grand staircase, and watched Mulan and Merida glance around, eyes scanning the walls for potential hiding places.

“Two landings, one each side,” said Mulan. “Could be a decent sniper position if we each took one.”

“We’d need them to stand right in the middle of the hallway,” said Merida. “It definitely has potential, but we’d need a decent retreat, and it would mean running in opposite directions once the first shots are fired.”

“Splitting up’s not a bad idea, though. Would mean they have to divide their efforts trying to track us down.”

“Hmm.” Merida sounded unconvinced, but trotted up the stairs. “The landing curls around to the front and splits off to each wing. There’s a set of double doors at the front. Where does that lead, Lacey?”

“Oh, there’s a balcony overlooking the front of the house,” she said. “Should let you see them when they pull up in the cars.”

“Impressive backdrop for a showdown,” mused Merida, rubbing her chin. “But you’d be an easy target. Where’s the library?”

“This way.”

Merida trotted back down the stairs, and Lacey led them to the right of the staircase and through the double doors leading to the west wing. The library curtains had been opened and tied back, cold morning light spilling into the room. Lacey folded her arms across her chest, shivering a little as she watched the others pacing back and forth across the floor.

“Staircase over here.” Boots rang on wooden treads as Mulan took the stairs two at a time. “Okay, there’s a desk and chair, kind of a study area. There’s a set of low shelves here, could be a good place to hide.”

“Where’s your exit?” called Merida, and Mulan glanced around.

“The door to your right opens out onto the second floor landing,” said Lacey. “If I can get my father and stepmother in here, maybe the bodyguards will wait out in the hall.”

“Maybe,” said Mulan vaguely. “If we take out the muscle first, it would make things easier. Maybe your father won’t want them listening in to whatever it is he has to tell you. Maybe we can start out on the landing, then double back into the library and finish the job.”

“Lot of maybes,” remarked Weaver, and she nodded reluctantly.

“Yeah, and if they hear gunshots out in the hallway, there’s nothing to stop them turning the whole place into a shooting range. It’s risky.”

“It’s risky however we play it,” said Mulan. “The quicker we can even the odds, the better for us. I say we take out the bodyguards first. Try to separate them from your father if you can.”

“I’ll do my best,” said Lacey. “I might be able to work that.”

“What will they be armed with?” asked Weaver, and she shrugged.

“The bodyguards will have handguns and spare clips,” she said. “Maybe a knife each. There may be other weapons in the car, but I doubt they’ll bring them into the house if they think it’s just me.”

“We need to stop them arming themselves here,” said Mulan. “Let’s go to your father’s study after this, take all the weapons out of there.”

Weaver nodded approval, and turned back to Lacey.

“What about your father and stepmother?” he asked, and she shrugged.

“My father will have a gun,” she said. “Don’t know about Fiona. I haven’t seen her carry one on a regular basis, but if they hear from Felix that I have a weapon… I don’t know. Maybe.”

Weaver shook his head.

“This is all sounding as though it could turn very violent, very quickly,” he said. “I don’t want you putting yourself in danger. There has to be a way to get them in here without bullets flying.”

“I still say we should deal with the bodyguards first,” said Mulan, and he nodded.

“Got a silencer for your gun?” he asked, and she shook her head.

“Should be some in the study,” said Lacey. “Come on, I’ll take you there.”

She led them out, the others falling into step behind her. There was an odd sense of detachment, a feeling of being insubstantial, as though a strong wind would pull her into threads and blow her away. It felt a little like she had stepped into a dreamworld, a world where other people talked calmly about killing her father and his accomplices, and she felt no reaction other than a heavy sense of inevitability. She wanted it over.

“We should look at setting up some barricades,” Weaver was saying to the others. “If it turns into a gun battle we’ll want somewhere to duck and cover.”

“The shelving looked sturdy enough, if we can move it,” said Merida. “Few of the chairs, too. Those high-backed leather things take a lot of punishment.”

“Sounds good.”

Lacey led them through the hallway and into the room on the left. It was decorated in a deep red shade with gleaming wooden panelling and a heavy desk opposite the door. A door with a numeric keypad and a shining red light was to the left of the desk, and Lacey frowned for a moment before tapping out a six-digit sequence. After a moment of blind panic in which she worried that the code had been changed, a beep sounded and the light turned green. She pushed at the door, opening it up and revealing a small, windowless room beyond. Her scrabbling hand found the light switch and flicked it on.

“Here,” she said. “Guns, ammo, all the accessories you could want.”

Mulan stepped past her into the room and glanced around, eyes flicking left to right. She nodded curtly.

“This’ll do nicely,” she said. “Merida? Help me carry these up to the library reading nook. I think that’s the best place to stash the weapons. Gives us access to the library and the hallway.”

“We should keep some in the lookout point too,” said Merida. “Did you say that was on the third floor, Lacey?”

“I’ll take you up here in a minute,” said Lacey.

“Okay, let’s get on with moving this crap, then.”

Mulan started stacking boxes of ammunition, and Lacey took a deep breath.

“I really appreciate this, you know,” she said. “You’re putting yourselves in danger all because of me, and - and I’m sorry. There’s no way I can ever repay you. Any of you.”

“Don’t be daft,” said Merida, not unkindly. “Not your fault your family sucks.”

“Besides,” added Mulan. “We’d never hear the end of it if this asshole managed to get himself shot defending your honour.” She shoved Weaver, making him curl his lip at her.

“Best way to keep him out of a hospital bed and avoid months of his bitching is to help you, right?” said Merida. “Sounds like a win-win, if you ask me.”

“I’ll remind both of you that you insisted on coming with me,” said Weaver, his tone flat. “And that I said it wasn’t necessary.”

“Thinks he’s immortal, that’s the trouble,” said Merida cheerfully. “We’d rather not put that to the test.”

Lacey gave them a tremulous smile.

“Well, I don’t want any of you to get hurt,” she said. “I feel guilty enough about all this as it is.”

“By the end of all this, there’ll be a bunch of dead gangsters,” said Mulan. “Counts as a good day at work for us.”

She turned back to the pile of ammunition she was making, and Merida opened the drawer of a cabinet.

“Silencers in here,” she observed. “Should fit the pistols. Laser sights, too, for the rifles. This’ll work.”

“Take it all,” said Mulan.

“I’ll leave you two to get on with that, if you don’t mind,” said Weaver. “I’m going to call Nolan, check on Tilly.”

Lacey turned quickly, catching his eye.

“Oh, can we?” she asked. “God, I miss her so much!”

“Come on,” he said, putting an arm around her shoulders. “Let’s go and call her.”

Lacey nodded, and leaned against his side as they made their way downstairs and out of the back door into the cold morning air. She stayed leaning against him as he fished out his phone, closing her eyes and breathing in the scent of him, taking strength from the solid heat of his body against hers.

“Hey, Nolan.”

Weaver’s voice made her glance up. She could see the edge of his jaw, where stubble was starting to show on his chin, the curve of his lip where the white mist of his breath billowed out into the air. She let her head rest against his shoulder with a sigh, wishing it was all over and they could go home.

“Everything okay?” he asked then, and Lacey looked up again.

“All quiet,” she heard Nolan say. “Kids just woke up. No sign of anyone following us when we drove down, I think we’re safe.”

“Keep an eye out, all the same,” said Weaver, pressing the speaker icon.

“Of course.” Nolan’s voice echoed out into the air. He sounded weary, as though they had had this same conversation many times. “How are things with you?”

“We’re expecting company,” said Weaver dryly. “I doubt we’ll enjoy the visit, but I don’t expect they’ll be here for long, so there’s that.”

Lacey shivered at the ominous tone to his voice, and Nolan seemed to take his meaning immediately.

“You got enough - company with you?” he asked.

“Yeah. Couple of annoying lesbians turned up.”

Nolan snorted in amusement.

“Well, those two certainly have a reputation for dealing with unwanted house guests,” he said. “I guess it could be worse.”

“I believe I have you to thank for that.”

“You’re welcome.”

Weaver grunted.

“Thank you,” he said sincerely. “Sometimes I need to be told what’s best for me.”

“Is this you admitting I was right and you were wrong?”

“Don’t get used to it.”

Nolan chuckled.

“Look, I have someone here tugging on my leg wanting breakfast, and I’m sure she’s desperate to speak to you,” he said. “Want me to put her on?”

Weaver smiled broadly.

“Please.”

There was a scrabbling noise, and Lacey shared a grin with Weaver.

“Hello?” Tilly chirped, and Lacey felt her heart clench.

“Hey, sweetie!” she said brightly. “Are you having fun with Uncle David and Auntie Snow?”

“Yeah!” said Tilly. “We got milkshakes! And played on the beach! And we’re gonna play with Wilby and build a campfire!”

“That sounds cool!” said Lacey. “I miss you, baby.”

“I miss you, too,” said Tilly. “Are you and Daddy gonna come here? Auntie Snow makes waffles!”

“That sounds so good,” said Lacey, biting her lip. “We’ll come as soon as we can, I promise. Daddy and I just have a few things to do, okay?”

“Okay,” said Tilly, unconcerned. “I love you.”

Lacey squeezed her eyes shut, throat starting to ache with the tears she wanted to shed.

“I love you too, sweetheart.”

“We love you, and we miss you,” added Weaver. “We’ll see you soon.”

“Okay.”

Lacey shared a glance with Weaver, and licked her lips.

“Tilly, when we get home, Daddy’s gonna live with us again,” she said. “We’re all going to be together as a family, okay? You were right, I was mean for making him live in that little apartment.”

“Daddy’s gonna live with us again?” Tilly’s voice went high with excitement. “Really? You promise?”

“I promise, baby.”

“Yay!” she squeaked, and Lacey felt like bursting into tears. Weaver put a reassuring arm around her, squeezing.

“You sound as excited as I am,” he remarked.

“It’s better than - than rainbows and unicorns and - and Christmas!” announced Tilly, and he chuckled.

“I’ll remind you of that on Christmas Eve,” he said. “Is Dragon taking care of you?”

“He guards us at night,” Tilly assured him. “Dragon and Wilby take turns.”

“Good,” he said. “Put your Uncle David back on, okay?”

“Okay. I love you.”

“Love you too, princess.”

Weaver shared a smile with Lacey, whose lower lip was trembling a little. He reached out to take her hand, and she leaned against him with a sigh.

“Weaver.” Nolan’s voice came out of the phone. “Anything else you need from us?”

“Just keep her safe,” said Weaver. “Keep yourselves safe, too. I’ll call when it’s over.”

“Okay.” Nolan hesitated. “Good luck.”

We’ll need it.

“Thanks. Give my best to Snow.”

“Sure thing.”

He rang off, and Weaver slipped the phone back into his pocket, eyeing Lacey.

“Well,” he said. “At least we know she’s safe.”

Lacey nodded, feeling tears well up inside her. She wanted to hold Tilly close and tell her everything was going to be better in the future. She wanted to take her home and curl up in bed with Weaver spooned around the pair of them. If she had been one to pray, she would have been on her knees begging for them all to make it home safely so they could start over.

“I’m so sorry I pushed you away,” she said thickly, wiping her eyes. “I’ve screwed everything up.”

“Hey.” His voice was gentle, and he put his hands on her shoulders, his touch grounding her as his eyes sought hers. “You were scared. Scared people do stupid things.”

“Well, I’m tired of being scared,” she said, dashing away tears with her thumbs. “Tired of running and hiding and looking over my shoulder. It’s time this ended.”

“It will,” he said grimly. “I’ll finish it for you, Lacey. I promise. I’ll make sure you and Tilly are safe and that we’re together. You’ll never have to live that life again, I swear.”

He was staring at her earnestly, but there was a darkness in his gaze that made her shiver a little even as it reassured her. Her husband was a dangerous man, in a world of dangerous men, and she was in no doubt that he would do whatever it took to keep his family safe. She nodded, sniffing a little, and he leaned in to kiss her forehead.

“Come on,” he said gently. “Let’s go and check on Fa and Dunbroch. They should have stashed all those weapons by now.”

She nodded, turning back towards the house and slipping an arm around his waist as they walked in step. The day was cold, frost riming the evergreen bushes bordering the rose garden. Soon it would be Christmas. She hoped by then they would all be together, safe and happy, with this whole terrible episode only a distant memory.

Merida and Mulan turned up just as they were entering the kitchen, and Mrs Potts paused in kneading bread to announce that she would make more tea. Merida waved her off and went to fill the kettle, and Lacey sat down at the table with a sigh. Weaver’s hand was a warm, comforting weight on her thigh.

“All the weapons are stowed,” said Mulan. “We set up kind of a barricade on that library landing. Should be okay for the two of us. What about you, Weaver?”

“I haven’t decided yet,” he said. “I’d like to go over the house again, make sure we haven’t left ourselves open anywhere.”

“We have to think about the aftermath, too,” said Mulan. “Assuming we come out of this alive, there’ll be some explaining to do to the local cops. And the Feds’ll probably get involved, given the notoriety of Lacey’s folks.”

“If we kill them, there needs to be at least an element of self-defence,” agreed Weaver. “It’s a shame this is their house, or we could—”

Lacey sat up, making him cut off.

“Actually, it isn’t,” she said, and he frowned.

“It’s not?”

“It’s my grandmother’s house,” she said. “Oh, they’ve been using it, but technically it’s not my father’s house. I guess it would have come to my mother in time, but she died, and my father remarried. As far as I know when my grandfather died, the house went to Grandma. And Grandma’s still alive.”

“So…” Weaver hesitated, “so when she dies, what happens to the house?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I think the only person that would know other than her lawyer would be Cogsworth. She relied on him a lot before she got so ill.”

She glanced at Mrs Potts.

“I don’t suppose he said anything to you, did he?” she asked, and Mrs Potts shook her head.

“I didn’t ask,” she said. “He mentioned that you hadn’t accessed any of the money that Mrs D’Avonleigh put aside for you, but other than that he didn’t tell me about any other arrangements she’d made.”

“Right,” said Weaver, and sucked his teeth, eyeing Lacey. “I think you should talk to him.”

“You heard what I said about him being terrified of my father, right?” she said.

“Oh, he doesn’t have to know the rest of us are here,” said Weaver easily. “Go talk to him, find out what the situation with the house is.”

Lacey pursed her lips, looking him up and down.

“You’re looking like you just thought of something clever,” she observed, and he grinned.

“Time will tell.”

[quirkdotcom]

The Arrangement //

Shoto Todoroki x Fem! Reader

Part One: The Mall Incident

Part Two

Summary: Your father is a particularly strong pro hero, and owns his own agency, however, he seemingly has picked an opportunity for you to be the tie between his agency, and pro hero Endeavor's agency.

Authors Note:

One; I'm planning this to be a three part fic, my next update hopefully on Friday May 15th ! Let me know if you'd like to be on this specific taglist, or even a taglist for anything I post !

Two; I wanted to have a little fun in this, so I added in an OC of mine! I made the reader attend an unnamed school, where her friends wouldn't be main characters from MHA, and decided to throw in Maiko (my OC) anyways, I hope you enjoy !

"A student from UA? Is father okay? I thought he hated that school?" You had to stop yourself, had you really heard your mother right?

She sighed heavily, shaking her head slightly, "He does, however, your father is willing to look past the fact as long as everything goes according to plan" 

This time, it was your turn to sigh.

This 'plan' was one of you meeting some student, your parents meeting, and at the end of the day, agreeing to a marriage after graduation.

You knew that you really had no choice in the matter, which is why you had never put up a fight about it, but it didn't mean that you were particularly happy about it.

Quietly, you stood up, excusing yourself from the table and your mother, leaving the dainty tea cup where it sat.

"Well, since the meeting with this student will be this weekend, I'm going to go out and buy an outfit for it." You bowed your head slightly before turning and leaving the room.

Now out of sight of your mother, you stretched, stifling a yawn as you made your way to your room, grabbing your phone from your pocket, sending a quick message to your closest friend, asking if she'd accompany you to the mall.

The two of you attended a private academy focused on teaching it's students to not only strengthen their quirks, or accelerate their academics, but also in etiquette and manners. Everything was about being proper and elite.

It was the very same school that your father had transferred to after his time at UA.

You personally didn't quite like it there, at times some students tried to pick on you, or the teachers would reprimand you for even the slightest mistake.

But, just like the marriage arrangement, you had no choice in what school you attended, your father was hellbent on you following his steps, and staying the hell away from UA.

Regardless, you had eventually made some friends, and for the first few years, you scored in the top of your class.

"Oh, (Y/n) while you're out, would you mind picking up a few things for me?" Your mother's voice rang out from behind your door, breaking your train of thoughts.

"Just make me a list, and leave it on the counter!" 

It didn't take long for you to change out of your uniform and into something comfier, or for you to grab your messenger style purse, or to find the list from your mother. With your father gone, there were no distractions or unnecessary lectures.

What took the most time was getting to the mall. You could have driven, but it was nice out, the sky was clear of clouds, and there was a light breeze that flowed through the leaves in the trees.

So, you took to walking. Though, when you got to the mall, your best friend was standing with her arms crossed and a bored look on her face.

"(Y/N)! There you are! I've been waiting for hours!" She gave a dramatic sigh as you walked over.

"Calm down Maiko ! " you chuckled, she was almost always over dramatic, something that had drawn you to her in the first place.

She gave you a playful wink, and nodded her head to the doors, starting to walk inside, "Whatever, we both know that I can't calm down," she paused, giving small jazz hands, "I've got constant anxiety" 

"Ah, the curse of having a third eye quirk," You followed behind, then moved to the side of her. 

"Oh! What's the occasion for today's trip?" Maiko tucked a piece of light brown hair behind her ear, eyeing you as she waited for a response.

You hesitated, she still didn't know about the whole arranged marriage, and it had been about a month since you had found out.

"Oh...my family and I are meeting another family for some business thing, so I needed to get a new outfit in case they have a son or daughter our age, " You spouted off a lie, knowing that she'd fall for it, only because she trusted you.

"Ooooh another potential merger for your dad's hero agency?" 

You nodded, pausing as your stomach gave a quiet rumble. 

Despite the lunch you were having with your mother earlier, you didn't really eat. 

"Hey, let's get something to eat first," You point to the nearest food outlet.

Before you know it, Maiko and you are each tossing fries to the other, both failing to catch most in your mouth, but you are having a good time regardless.

Once out of fries, you and her are left with your milkshakes, hers chocolate, and your's strawberry. Something kind of impulsive as you haven't had one strawberry flavored in a few years.

"Hey, I think we could probably take these with us to go look for an outfit," Maiko picks hers up, already a third of it gone.

With a nod, you stand up, grabbing your shake and bag, waiting for Maiko before heading off to your favorite store.

"Hey what about this?" She held up a pleated, light blue skirt, it would stop just above your knees, and complimented you very well, "It even has real pockets!"

"And I could wear it with this shirt...and maybe the jean jacket we found earlier?" You smiled happily, holding up a plain white t-shirt, a small v neck cut, nothing too extreme but not too plain.

Your friend placed the skirt into your basket, and you followed suit with the shirt. All that was needed now, would be to grab the jean jacket from earlier.

However, as you turned, you ran into a...hard surface and along with you, came your half finished milkshake.

You stumbled back, eyes wide as you realized what had just happened.

"Oh my gosh, I am so-"

But the male cut you off, his voice monotone as he did, "Save it, just move out of the way, I need to clean my shirt," 

You quietly moved to the side, watching as the moody stranger walked away, leaving you and Maiko to recover.

He had red hair...well only half of his hair was red, and the other half was white, leaving you to wonder how much hair dye it had taken to get it to look so perfect. 

"Well...I wish I could've helped you see that coming...but uh..I got the jacket?" She smiled sheepishly, causing you to let out a nervous laugh, releasing the tension you didn't know you had.

"Okay, cmon lets go pay!" You turned, still reeling from the encounter with that guy..but hey, at least you wouldn't be seeing him again! 

So, with that thought in mind, Maiko and yourself brought your chosen outfit to the front counters, paid and left the store.

"Hey, are you doing anything tonight?" You turned to Maiko after some five minutes, a thought in the back of your mind, nagging at you since you had left the house to meet her. 

"I don't think so! Why, is your mom cooking tonight? Anything she makes is always better than your dads...or yours," she poked her tongue out at you.

"Wha?! Hey! Im not that bad of a cook!" You pouted and crossed your arms, turning away from her, "Well I did have something to tell you but now its not happening," 

She immediately moved in front of you, "Wait no! Your cooking is good! Just tell me the news!" 

"It'll have to wait for my house, it's kind of big news…"

And with that, the two of you set off for your house, Maiko calling her mom and letting her know where she'd be for the night. 

The walk was spent talking about anything and everything, and at one point Maiko tripping and you having to catch her, but hey, that's what friends are for. 

As you approached your house, you spotted your fathers car in the driveway, causing you to screw your face up in dread. 

Hopefully he didn't have a lecture for you, especially if Maiko was here. You had always hated how he seemed to pick on you whenever your friends were over.

And much to your dismay, when you walked inside he met you with a sour look, "(Y/n), where have you been? Don't forget about this weekend's meeting, not to mention the exams coming up," 

You bit back a response about how the exams were two months away, and instead just nodded your head, busying yourself with slipping your shoes off, "I was buying a new outfit for our meeting. I told mother before I left."

He paused, now eyeing you and Maiko, "And came home with...Fujino was it?" 

She nodded, even though she practically lived at your house for a week at a time due to the amount of sleep overs you had, your father had barely bothered to remember her name. 

"Im sorry for not telling you ahead of time, Sir." She bowed her head slightly, only really apologizing because she knew that if she didn't, it would come down on you. 

"Make your way to (Y/n)'s room, I still need to have a few words with her," he commanded, waiting for her to go up the stairs before he continued.

"And (Y/n), do not forget how important this marriage arrangement is. The Todoroki family is powerful, Endeavor is rising in his ranks as a hero, and his son will follow suit. You have to make sure that you are seen as exemplary, no mistakes can be made. Do you understand?" 

You paused, heart hanging heavy, "Yes father…" 

Once he let you go, you made your way to the top of the stairs, seeing that Maiko was waiting for you, a worried look in her eyes, "So...a marriage proposal?" 

"Welcome to the news I had for you…" 

You two moved into your room, the bag of clothes dropped onto the floor, and you climbed onto your bed, grabbing an orange bunny plush, hugging it to your chest.

"Okay so I wanted to tell you about the arrangement but...I dunno, its hard. I'm having my choice taken away from me and for what? So my father and this other hero to have a more powerful agency?" 

"(Y/n)...im so sorry that you've been going through this alone. I'm here for you, whatever you need!" She moved to a swinging chair you had, sitting in it carefully as she thought for a moment, "So, you've never met this guy or his family?" 

"At most I know his family name. But Im too busy focusing on school work to pay attention to how his father is "So high up the ranks" or whatever. Its like my father thinks that this 'Endeavor' guy is the number two pro hero or something…" You puffed out a breath of air, pursing your lips as you thought quietly. 

Maiko stared at you for a few minutes, blinking a few times as she tried to break the news to you. 

"Uhh..Endeavor...as in Enji Todoroki?" 

You looked up, nodding quietly at her puzzled look. 

"(Y/n) he is the number two hero...or wait..if All Might retired a few years back... then number one actually!" She hummed as she herself started to think but eventually shook her head, eyes widening. 

Maiko quickly pulled out her phone, typing hurriedly into it and gasping, "(Y/n) wait! His son goes to UA! His son is reportedly one of the Big Three of his class!" She stopped, scrolling, "uh oh…" 

At this, you scrambled from your spot to her, pulling the phone from her hand to look at what the cause of this 'uh oh' was. 

It was a picture.  A picture of Endeavour's son. He had red and white hair, and a glare so deadly it probably would kill someone on sight. 

But what got you more was the fact that this was the guy from the mall earlier.  You had totally spilled a strawberry shake all over the number one hero's son, and the guy who you would be marrying after graduation. 

"This is...this is fucked. Im so screwed! Not only did I embarrass myself but now I've probably made it seem like im a clumsy girl who likes to shop all the time and now this...Todoroki guy is going to tell his father about me and then it'll ruin the arrangement and my father will kill me." You spouted off more worries until Maiko grabbed your shoulders, shaking you lightly.

"Hey! We aren't planning your funeral yet! Maybe we can meet up with him before you have to meet with his dad! I think I know one of the students at UA!" 

You looked to her, your breathing returning to normal as you nodded along, maybe that could work after all.

"Okay so, we ask whoever you know to get his number and text him about how it was me who spilled the drink and I wanted to apologize...and that Im also the girl he's meeting this weekend!" 

Maiko punched her fist into the palm of her hand, "Okay, lets set this plan into action! I'll text Kirishima!" 

You eyed her, realizing that you had never questioned how she knew anyone at UA, "While you do that, mind explaining to me about whoever this Kirishima is?" 

She only smiled for a moment, putting her phone down after sending him a message about Todoroki, "Oh! He and I work in the same coffee shop! Not everyone is super rich you know, but he's pretty nice guy, kinda cute too. But, you know how my mom is. Im surprised that she let me be friends with you, I swear, she's scared of anyone!" 

You gave a 'Mhhm' to her, knowing full and well that this was the coworker who she tended to talk about but never named, knowing that you'd probably show up to her work to try and get more information.  But hey, you'd leave it at that for now. 

"Well...I guess that now we wait for Kirishima to hopefully send us Todoroki's number?' 

"Now we wait! And with our good luck, by Wednesday we can smoothen out what happened at the mall…" 

You nodded once, as much as this plan seemed rickety, you were willing to take the chance. While you hated the idea of a marriage to whoever this young hero may be, you know that if you messed it up, your father would never let you live it down. 

[d-noona]

MAKE OVER

Chapter 3: Date Night 

Jung Hoseok x Reader

Reader as Kang Hyeonji

 SUMMARY: When Kang Hyeonji transformed herself into a striking redhead, the entire male population of Seoul stood up and took notice. But her make over was for Jung Hoseok’s benefit alone. He began to show interest in the new look but not in the way she wanted. Suddenly he was over-protective, perhaps a little jealous. It seemed that the idea of having a relationship with her couldn’t be further from his mind. The girl however wants more. So it was time for an ultimatum. If Hoseok didn’t want Hyeonji to lose her virginity to another admirer, he had no option but to make love to her himself.

"Is that you dear?" her mother called out as she pushed the door. "Yes Ma," the smell of roast dinner teased Hyeonji's nostrils as she made her way along the hall and into the kitchen. Not a pork smell. Chicken. Naturally, came the rueful thought. Chicken carried the least fat and calorie count, provided the skin was removed. Which it would certainly be. She almost sighed when she also spied her mother wrapping the hope-for crispy potatoes in foil. Zil glanced up and smiled at her daughter "Have a good day dear?"

"Pretty good, Choon hee, Han Byeol, Namjoon and the others bought me some cake, and you'll never guess who dropped in to see me this morning," she said brightly. Her mother answered her "I can't think. Who?"

"Hoseok"

"Hoseok? You mean Jung Hoseok?" asks her mother peculiarly. "The one and only." Hyeonji declined telling her mother about the fiasco of his new car. "He was up this way today and asked me out tonight for my birthday."

"But I'm cooking a special dinner for you tonight," she announced with a hint of displeasure in her tone. "I'll be here tonight for dinner Mum, Hobi isn't picking me up till around eight." Her mother gave Hyeonji a sharp look "You do realize he has a girl friend? A very beautiful one too, if I recall rightly" Hyeonji controlled her growing irritation with difficulty. "I'm well aware of that Mum, but were only going somewhere for coffee. Don't forget Hobi and I were friends before Tinashe came along." Her mother began to frown "I still don't know about this. I have an awful feeling this is not a good idea." Hyeonji came forward to give her mother a hug. "Ma, stop worrying. I'm a big girl now and quite capable of looking after myself.

At five to eight, Hyeonji was standing in her bedroom window, watching for Hobi's car. She doubted he would be late. Surprisingly, punctuality was now one of his virtues. He hadn't always been like that. When Hyeonji had first met Hoseok, and he'd been a computer-mad adolescent seventeen, she could not count the number of times he'd been late for things. Time had a little meaning for him once his concentration was focused on his latest games or graphic design.

Hyeonji was about to turn away from the window when Hoseok's bright red car came up the hill and turned into their driveway. Right on time. She shook her head in acceptance that Hoseok had changed in many ways. He was no longer the forgetful boy next door. He was an exceptionally sharp businessman. Ambitious. Brilliant. Successful.

Way out of Hyeonji's league. Sighing, she bent to switch her bedside lamp, and was about to leave the room when she hesitated, walking back to where she could watch Hoseok, unobserved from now the darkened window. He sat there for several seconds, combing his hair, though not with undue vanity. He didn't even glance into the rear-vision or side-mirror, just swept the comb quickly through both sides and down the back before slipping it back into his jacket pocket.

At least in that Hoseok hadn't changed. He'd never been vain about his looks, and still wasn't. There was nothing of the peacock in him. Yet after all that he looked good. A quiver rippled down Hyeonji's spine as she watched the object of her secret obsession unfold his elegant frame from behind the wheel. He was dressed in the same blue jeans, navy top and a cream linen jacket. He stretched as he stood up, and another deeper quiver reverberated all through her.

For the first time it struck Hyeonji just how intensely sexual her love for Hoseok had become with the passing of the years. Her more innocent school girl crush had long since graduated to a full-on physical passion filled with needs and yearnings which would not be denied. More and more she dreamt of making love with Hoseok, rather than just loving him. She would lie in bed at night and think about what it would like to kiss him and touch him; how he would look, naked and erect; how he would feel, deep inside her. She blushed in the darkness, her blood pounding through her body, her head whirling with a wild mixture of shame and excitement. Was she wicked to think about such things?

She didn't feel wicked. She felt driven and compelled, oblivious to everything but wanting Hoseok with a want that had no conscience, only the most merciless and agonizing frustration. How she wished she were dazzlingly beautiful, with the sort of body no man could resist. A bitter longing flooded Hyeonji as she watched Hoseok confidently stride towards her front door, his dark hair shining like the stars in the dark night. Her grip on the curtains tightened and inevitably her thoughts turned to the dreaded Tinashe.

How often did he sleep with her?

She wondered enviously. Hyeonji knew he didn't live with her, but that didn't mean they didn't share most of their nights either at his or her place.

Was she great in bed? What was it she did to him that kept Hobi interested in her for six whole months?

Another awful possibility snuck into Hyeonji's mind. Twisting her heart and stomach. The front door rang, the sound jarring Hyeonji's suddenly stretched nerves she resisted rushing down stairs and her thoughts still simmering with resentment at the situation. She should have not agreed to go out with Hoseok tonight, not even for coffee. She was only torturing herself.

She heard her mother slide the door back from the family room then walk with small steps along the plastic strip which protected the hallway carpet. The front door creaked slightly on opening. "Hello Hobi"." Zil said with stiff politeness. "Hello, Mrs. Kang, You're looking well."

Hyeonji listened to their small chat for a minute or two before gathering herself and coming down stairs glad now that she hadn't made a super human effort with her appearance. Even so, her mother looked up and down at her as though searching for some hit of secret decadence. Hyeonji doubted if even the most devious mind could find anything to criticize her in her knee-length black skirt and simple white knitted top, even if the latter did have a lacey design and pretty pearl buttons down the front. Her choice of jewelry could hardly give rise to speculation. The rest of her was equally sedate. Skin colored pantyhose, medium length black pumps, hair up in its usual knot and no make-up on except coral lipstick. Even her underwear was sedate. But only Superman with his X-ray vision could see that. Not that the sight of her modest white crossover bra and cotton briefs could would send any man's heart aflutter.

Hyeonji was at a loss to understand then why Hoseok himself frowned up at her as she came down the stairs. She had no illusions that he was struck by some previously untapped appreciation of her beauty. So why was he giving her the once-over with slightly surprised look in his eyes? Her curiosity was not satisfied till they were alone and walking along the curving front path towards the parked car.

"You know, Hyeonji," he said, "You've lost quite a bit of weight lately have you?"

Hyeonji clenched her teeth down hard in her jaw. She'd been losing weight steadily for two years and had been this size for more than three months. Hadn't he noticed before this moment? No of course not. For the last six months his eyes had all been for Tinashe.

"Not lately I haven't," she replied coolly. "I've been this weight for quite a while."

"Oh? I didn't notice" says Hoseok whilst scratching his nape.

Tell me something new....

Hyeonji thought tartly. She felt piqued that there wasn't the smallest change in him that she didn't notice. She knew whenever he had his hair cut; when he bought a new jacket; when he changed women. "Are you sure Tinashe won't mind you're taking me out tonight?" she was driven to ask, barely controlling the lemony flavor in her voice. "Tinashe and I are having a trial separation," he bit out. "Oh?" Hyeonji battled to look perfectly normal. Difficult when your stomach had just done a back-flip. "You guys fought or something?"

"Or something" he muttered.

"You don't want to tell me about it?" she asked. His smile was wry as he wrenched open the passenger door. "Not tonight Hyeonji. I don't want to spoil my mood by thinking about women."

"But I'm a woman, Hoseok!" she pointed archly. "Yeah, but you're different. I don't really think of you like that. You're my friend. Come on. Get in. I'm going to drive us out, it's a lovely night for a walk along the beach."

Which it was. Clear and warm, with stars sparkling in the night sky. A night for lovers. Hyeonji tried not to think about that. Masochism was not one of her vices. Or maybe it was?

"But I'm not dressed for the beach," she protested when Hoseok climbed in the wheel. "I have heels and stockings on for one thing."

Hoseok in turn laughed "You can take them off in the car," he said without turning a hair. Is indifference to her undressing in front of him was depressing in the extreme. She could just imagine what would happen if Tinashe stated stripping in the passenger seat, wriggling her pouty bottom while she unpeeled her stockings down those long, tanned legs of hers. Hoseok wouldn't concentrate on his driving for long. Hyeonji had an awful feeling that she could sit stark naked in front of Hoseok and all he would do was ask her if she was cold.

"I hope you don't think you're going to worm your way out of buying me coffee!" she told him while he reversed out of the driveway. "I was going to order a big rich slice of cake with it. You've no idea, Hobi, what food Mom has been feeding me ever since Dad died. She's become a "fat-free forever" nutcase!" as Hyeonji evades thoughts of Tinashe.

"No worse than having a mother who wants to feed you up," he countered dryly. "Every time I come home, Mother says I'm getting too thin, then come out the pastries and chips and God knows what else."

"You're not too thin," Hyeonji said, "You're just right."

He smiled over at her and her heart lurched. He was heart-stoppingly handsome when he smiled. Just as bright as the sun. "You know you're good for me Hyeonji. You always say the right thing. And you always do the right thing" he added meaningfully "You put me to shame today. I never remember your birthday and you always remember mine. So if you open the glove box in front of you there's a little something there which I hope will make up for all those other forgotten occasions."

Before Hyeonji could even start to protest she was cut off by Hoseok "And don't tell me I shouldn't have, "He went on "And don't tell me it's too expensive. I can afford it. Fact is, I can afford pretty well whatever I want these days. That computer game I told you about some time back has just gone on the worldwide market and it's going to make me a multimillionaire."

"Oh Hoseok! That's wonderful." Hyeonji exclaimed in excitement for her friend. "Maybe," he said dryly. "I'm beginning to find out being rich and successful isn't all it's cracked up to be. Except when it comes to buying my best friend something really nice," he added with a warm smile "Now, come on, go on, rip the paper off and open it up. I'm dying to see what you think."

Hyeonji then just did that, and gasped "Hoseok! You shouldn't have!"

"I thought I told you not to say that," he said ruefully. "I was in the jewelry store for hours this afternoon trying to decide. In the end I settled for something simple, but solid. Like you"

Hyeonji tried to take his words as a compliment, but somehow some of the pleasure of his gift dissolved at that point. She lifted the heavy gold chain necklace from its green velvet bed, laying across one palm while she slowly traced the heavy oval links with the index finger of her right hand.

Simple and solid. Like me...

"You don't like it?" Hoseok asked alarmed. Hyeonji heard the disappointment in his voice and forced herself to throw him a bright smile. "Don't be silly, I love it."

Chapter 04

Masterlist

[jacobseedvaas35]

Father Seeds

Word Count: 3384

Just another typical day in Hope County. Joseph and his cult were moving in on the Resistance. Taking their homes and families. Even supplies like food, weapons and even clothing. They were welcoming themselves to anything that didn't belong to them.

As Joseph's men and his younger brother, John, hunted around Fall's End for supplies, Joseph had come across something that seemed unusual. He took a closer look and found a young girl, hiding behind a building, watching as families got separated and supplies were put into trucks.

She noticed Joseph looking at her but didn't hesitate in anyway. Joseph, himself, was expecting the girl to runaway but she didn't. Instead, she slowly walked out from behind the building and approached Joseph.

"Hello my child. Are you okay?" Joseph asked in a friendly manner and started to walk towards the young girl.

"I'm fine. Are you going to hurt me? I haven't done anything wrong" the young girl asked.

"Not at all. Why don't you come closer to me and we shall have a chat?"

The girl nodded at Joseph and made her way over to him. He put his hand out to her and she softly grabbed onto it.

"What's your name?" Joseph asked, trying to get more information about her.

"Ashley"

"Nice to meet you Ashley. I'm Joseph Seed".

"I know who you are. I've heard a lot of stories from these people about you and your family"

"We are only trying to save the stubborn people. We want everyone to be safe when the collapse arrives. We don't want any harm" Joseph explained. "Where's your family?"

"Don't have one. Well at least not here in Hope County"

"I see".

"What's going on over here?" John asked as he approached the two. "Who's she?".

"This is Ashley. She is no danger to us." Joseph informed his little brother. "This is John. My younger brother".

"Oh so you're the Seed that most girls have slept with"

"Excuse me?" John asked nervously.

"Those two Deputy girls were telling me about you and then one mentioned that she slept with you too" Ashley explained with a mean smirk on her face and her arms crossed.

Joseph looked at John with so much disappointment but didn't end up saying anything. Instead he turned his attention make to Ashley and tried to ignore the things she had said. "What else has the Resistance told you my child? I'd like to know now. By the way, do you know where the Deputy is?".

"Hiding somewhere. Last I heard, she was pregnant".

"PREGNANT?" John and Joseph screamed at the same time.

"Who the hell left her pregnant?" Joseph asked, immediately looking at John.

"Don't look at me. If anyone left her pregnant, it would be Jacob" John surrendered.

"Jacob? He slept with the Deputy too? You two have been sinning behind my back. I am utterly disappointed with you both" Joseph said. "You, my child. You're coming with me and we are going to talk about everything. You, John. Call Jacob and tell him to be at my church immediately. Let's see what other sins you guys have committed behind my back".

-

"What is going on?" Jacob walked into the church. He stopped in his spot when he noticed Ashley standing next to Joseph. "Who is she?".

"Little Miss Big Mouth" John said sarcastically.

"I wouldn't be sarcastic at this time John" Joseph said then turned his attention to Jacob. "This is Ashley. She's been informing me on a few things.

"Oh yeah. Like what?" Jacob asked and approached the group.

"Where do I start? Ahh yes. John sleeping around with Deputy Hudson or in that case, sleeping around with most of the Resistance women" Joseph started saying as he turned his back to the group and walked up on the stage. "Oh and then there was the part where she mentioned that you, Jacob, slept with the Deputy as well".

Jacob glanced over at John, angrily. John shook his head and pointed at Ashley.

"The Deputy is pregnant at the moment and from what Ashley has told me, The Deputy said that you were the only person she had unprotected sex with" Joseph looked at Jacob. "Do you know what that means Jacob?".

"Wow. Wow. Wow. The Deputy is pregnant?" Jacob asked.

"Oh yeah. Five months to be exact" John answered.

"Shit" Jacob cursed.

"What's the matter Jacob?" Joseph asked curiously.

"Last time I had sex with the Deputy, it was around those times" Jacob informed everyone.

"Oh what a shame" Ashley whispered sarcastically but it was still enough for Jacob to hear her.

"So you admit to sleeping with her Jacob?" Joseph asked.

Jacob sighed and nodded at Joseph's question. "Yes. We had unprotected sex about three or four times".

"Then you must find the Deputy and bring her here. If she is pregnant to your child, then we must protect her at all times. Especially when the Resistance finds out that she betrayed them." Joseph said. "Oh and make sure you get Deputy Hudson in as well".

"Why Hudson? She isn't pregnant" John asked.

"No she isn't but your days of sinning is over John Seed. As soon as you find Hudson, you bring her here" Joseph said with an angry tone. He had a great idea to stop his brother from going around and sleeping with women. He knew John wasn't going to like it but it seems like, this plan was the only thing that was going to stop him from sinning.

"Do not come back to my church until the both of you have found those women. Do you understand?" Joseph raised his voice.

John and Jacob never saw their brother this angry before and it was all their fault. If only they didn't go behind his back and did the wrong things. They felt bad for letting him down and they were eager to do the right thing this time. The two brothers turned around and left the church together.

"Where the fuck did that Ashley girl come from?" Jacob asked.

"The fuck should I know. Saw him talking to her at Fall's End. She seemed so innocent and need for help. She's a snake" John replied back. "Let's just go and find these girls".

-

Jacob and John had driven around for a good hour, starting their search in Holland Valley but there was no clue about their whereabouts.

"I'm just confused. Deputy Aria, I understand that she's hiding her pregnancy but why is Deputy Hudson hiding?" Jacob asked as the two brothers jumped into the car. "There has to be a reason".

"Well from what we've gathered by Pratt, they both went missing at the same time" John said, then went into deep thoughts. His mind went completely blank and everything around him when silent. He couldn't even hear or understand what Jacob was saying. It was until the real thought hit him and made his heart start pounding.

"Peaches did say the girls were acting weird a week before they went missing" John finally heard Jacob say.

"I think I might know" John said and sighed. "There was the two times that Hudson and I had unprotected sex too".

Jacob slammed on the car's break so hard that it screeched. "Don't tell me".

"I'm not sure but maybe Hudson's pregnant too" John looked at his big brother.

"Oh that's just great. As if having one Deputy pregnant, now we are going to have two pregnant Deputies" Jacob slammed his hands on the steering wheel.

The car went silent for a short time. Both brothers looking out the windows and trying to think about where the girls would be hiding.

"Joseph's going to be fucking mad when he finds out" John was worried.

"We fucked up big time" Jacob added. "Let's just find these girls and see what happens then".

Just as Jacob was about to drive off, John's phone rang. He looked at the screen and picked it up. "Hey Faith".

"Hey John. I just found out about he little problem that Jacob and you were having" Faith giggled.

"Now is not the time to laugh Faith. Jacob and I are busting our guts".

"Well you don't have to anymore. Come down to my place in Henbane River. I've got what you guys are looking for" Faith informed him.

"Wait a minute. Aria and Hudson are with you?"

"Just get your butts down here and we will talk. See you both soon" Faith said and hung the phone up.

"Jacob, get to Faith's place immediately. I think we've found the girls".

-

John slammed onto Faith's front door, impatiently. Faith opened the door and greeted her brothers with smiles and let them inside.

"Where are they?" John asked.

"Oh they aren't here John".

"Then where are they?" Jacob asked this time.

"I've got them hiding in a nearby cabin"

"Are they pregnant? Take us to them" John ordered his little sister.

"Ok calm down. Firstly, yes the girls are pregnant and they are doing fine. Secondly, I can confirm that the babies do belong to you guys. Just don't ask me how I know. That's a secret" Faith giggled again. "Thirdly, the both of them are very scared about both of your reactions. That's why they've been hiding from you both. I'm going to call them both over but please promise me that you'll go easy on them?".

"We promise Faith, just call them" Jacob became impatient himself.

“Ok" Faith picked up her phone and dialled a number. She waited a bit but finally the person on the other side, picked the phone up. "Hi Deputy. I've made some delicious apple pie and I want you girls to try it out first. I'll be waiting". She said her goodbye and made her brothers sit down.

-

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the front door. Faith excitingly stood up, walked to the door and opened it for the two Deputies.

"As soon as Rook said you made apple pie, I flew out off that cabin" Hudson joked.

The two Deputies walked into the living room and froze the moment they saw John and Jacob. The two brothers stood up and examined the two heavily pregnant Deputies.

"So it is true?" John asked and made his way over to Joey. "You girls are pregnant and decided to just hide it from us?"

"Umm... Yes" Hudson said straight out.

"Well yes and no" Rook cut in. "We were mainly trying to hid it from the Resistance. This County is in the middle of a war. We just couldn't come out and say "hey everyone, Hudson and I slept with the enemies and now we are pregnant". If you know what I mean".

"Didn't it occur to you both that, we would have protected you two and the babies" Jacob joined into the conversation.

"Of course but we preferred to just stay put for awhile" Rook looked at Hudson and smiled.

"I'm not laughing Aria" Jacob said through his teeth.

She looked at him and her smile almost immediately, disappeared. "What did you expect me to do? Come to you and say "hey Jacob I'm pregnant?""

"Ah yes. That's what a normal person would do"

"Well I'm sorry, okay" Aria yelled and stormed out off the house.

"Pregnancy hormones" Hudson said. "It's quite normal".

"I better go and talk with her" Jacob said and left the house as well.

John looked at Hudson, examining her from head to toe. "How are you feeling?".

"I'm fine. He's fine too"

"It's a boy?" John asked with excitement.

"Yes"

With that excitement, John got Hudson into his arms and hugged her tightly, before lifting her up and spinning around. "I'm going to be a dad".

“Yes you are".

-

"ROOK!" Jacob called out to Aria, as he ran after her. "Let's talk about it".

"No thanks. I'm done talking with you"

"I'm not done though. Get back here" Jacob picked up his pace and managed to finally catch up to Deputy Aria. He grabbed her arm and spun her around.

"Let me go"

"I don't think so. This is my child and I've got every right to be angry" Jacob said.

"I know Jacob" Aria looked at him, tears filling her eyes. "I haven't slept for months. I'm exhausted and I need the support".

"Then come with me and let me support you and the baby"

"You've got a lot of things on your shoulder already, for Joseph. Are you sure you want a baby in between all of your work?" Aria asked. Her tears flowing out off her eyes and down her cheeks. Something inside her was hoping that Jacob would not push her away. That he would take her and his baby in and take care of them, because she no longer had the energy to do much on her own. Especially since her best friend was pregnant too.

"Nothing in this world is more important than family. You and this baby are my family, so nothing means more than the two of you" Jacob put his hands on her back side and placed his forehead against Aria's. "I've missed what we use to have. The naughty fun we use to have".

"It's going to be hard having that naughty fun again. Especially when our daughter comes into the world"

Jacob walked backwards to look at Aria. He had a surprised look but a small smirk on his face. "Daughter?" He asked placing his hand on Aria's baby bump. "Did you say Daughter?".

Aria nodded with a huge smile on her face and happy tears flowing out off her eyes this time. "We're having a little girl". She placed her hand on top of Jacob's and they both placed their foreheads against each other's again.

"Jacob" a voice from behind came.

He turned around and saw John and Hudson approaching them. His little brother had the biggest smile on his face as well. "We should go. Joseph would be a happy to see the girls".

"Great idea" Jacob agreed and the two brothers escorted the girls to their truck.

-

After taking the girls back to Joseph's church and getting the all clear from him, John and Jacob decided that it was finally time to take their pregnant girls home. John took Joey back to his Ranch and Jacob took Aria back to his Veterans Centre. Even if they liked it or not, this was there new homes.

As two months went by, John had already set up a nursery room for his son, in one of the spare bedrooms. The walls were painted blue with white airplanes as well. Majority of the baby's clothes were blue, white and had some sort of plane image on them. The baby even had stuffed toys in the shape of planes and some teddy bears. As much as Hudson didn't approve of the planes, she didn't want to break John's heart. He was extremely excited to be a father, so she let him have it his way. At least the crib was normal and only had a blue blanket in it.

As for Jacob and Aria, they didn't go all out like John did. They bought their own baby furniture for the nursery room. Jacob put a pink, with flowers, wallpaper up and white carpet. The crib was white with a pink blanket. The stuff toys were all shaped in wolves and surprisingly, that was Deputy Aria's idea but Jacob wasn't going to say no to it. Jacob had even bought his daughter, all different types of clothes. Dresses, t-shirts, pants, skirts and even little shorts. As well as shoes and he even filled the wardrobe up with nappies. He even bought matching mother and daughter clothing, because he thought it would be cute to see his daughter and partner wear the same outfits at times. All they needed now, was their daughter to be born.

Any day now, baby Jackson and baby Amelia, are going to come into the world and change their parents lives forever. Jacob and John, as father's, couldn't wait to meet their babies. Everything was ready for their arrivals.

As much as they loved being pregnant, Deputy Hudson and Aria couldn't wait for whole journey to end. They just wanted their babies in their arms and start a whole new life with them and their partners.

-

It was hard to concentrate for John. Especially since he had to wake up in the middle of the night, every time his son cried for a feed. Everything had gotten hard for John. The late night sleeps and the early morning waking up. The disturbed sleep all thanks to little Jackson. The whole fatherhood for John was tough but at the end of the day, he’d give his life for his family.

No matter how frustrated he got, just seeing his son's face was enough to put a smile on John's face. He loved Jackson so much. He changed John's entire life for the better and he swore that he'd be a better father than his own dad. John was willing to give or do, whatever Jackson wanted or needed. He was going to make sure that his son had a better childhood then what he did.

As for Jacob, having a baby was fun. He hardly let Deputy Aria wake up in the middle of the night, feeding Amelia her bottle of breast milk. He was a light sleeper himself, so waking up at 2am or 3am never bothered him. He loved it because he was spending quality time with his daughter, something he really couldn't do during the days, when working. Of course he took breaks and did see his daughter during the day. Holding her for a few minutes and seeing her face, was enough to get Jacob through the day.

The one thing that everyone in the cult found adorable, was the fact that the babies each had a key feature of their fathers.

Jackson had John's glowing brown hair and at times when he opened his eyes, you could clearly see his light blue eyes that John also had. When baby Jackson was placed next to a baby photo of John, the two babies looked identical. For Joseph and Jacob, seeing baby Jackson was like seeing John, when he was a baby.

Amelia, despite having the same eye colour as her father, had one of the key features of Jacob Seed. The one thing he was famous for. The ginger hair. She was basically the girl version of Jacob Seed.

Eden's Gate couldn't wait to see both babies grow up, just to see how much they resembled their fathers.

Deputy Hudson and Aria weren't even jealous about the whole "babies look like their fathers more". They loved the fact that their babies resembled the men they loved. Of course there was no denying that, their other future kids would look like them but for now, having more kids was out off the question. They just wanted to enjoy this amazing time and watch these two angels grow up into beautiful adults one day.

In saying that, Deputy Hudson was certain that John would only stick to having one child. It was a lot of work for that poor man. Jacob on the other hand, he mentioned to Deputy Aria that he'd like to have at least another three or four children. That didn't go down well for Aria.

"You can push those three or four other children out. Dumb ass" was always her response and it made Jacob laugh his head off.

For now, Jacob and John were doing great as fathers but it was only getting started for them. Wait until they hit those teenage years, guys.