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j-ensenackles · 1 year

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baby, i'm jealous

pairing: la knight x fem!reader

summary: jealous of the way la knight flirts with other girls, you decide to give him a taste of his own medicine.

word count: 1.9k

warnings: cursing, some sexual tension

a/n: my first fic! i'm really excited about this one, especially since there are like no la knight fics out there. gotta do my boy some justice! i hope you guys like it, and if you do let me know -- i love feedback!

You weren’t sure what had gotten into you.

Well, that wasn’t totally true. You had an inkling that your actions were spurred by jealousy. At least, that’s what your friends Bianca and Liv attributed your change in attitude to.

“He’s making you crazy, girl,” Bianca began.

You followed her and Liv to an empty table in the catering hall, sitting and setting your plate down.

“Who?” You asked innocently.

Bianca didn’t deign that with a reply, simply giving you a look.

“Look,” you sighed, “I’m not doing anything wrong. I’m just having a little fun.”

“Sure, but don’t you think there’s a better way to get his attention than flirting with other people?” Liv asked, “I mean, you had Jey Uso blushing like a schoolgirl last week. Jey Uso, of all people. Poor guy probably thinks you really do have a thing for him.”

You chuckled at the memory of you walking away from Jey, leaving him red and stuttering. That was an image you’d treasure for a while.

“It’s just for fun. Also,” you pointed your fork at Liv, “I’m not doing it for LA Knight’s attention, if that’s who you’re implying.”

“That’s exactly who I’m implying and you know it.”

“If he gets to flirt with the entire roster, why can’t I?” You asked.

Bianca and Liv exchanged looks.

“You know he’s doing the same thing you are, right? He just flirts with people to get your attention. I think he likes seeing you flustered,” Bianca added.

It was your turn to give her a look.

“I think you’re reading too much into it, B. He barely notices me,” you shrugged, playing indifference.

“I love you, but you’re delusional,” Bianca said, Liv nodding along in agreement.

“Y/N, he’s clearly into you. If you’d pay attention, you’d realize he doesn’t spend half as much time flirting with other girls than he does staring at you,” Liv spoke.

You sighed, poking at your food. Why was it that your feelings for LA Knight were so complicated? You had been into him ever since he came up on the roster from NXT to Smackdown, and you thought he felt the same. That was, until you realized he flirted with everyone else and not just you.

You hated seeing his charming smile directed toward someone else, and the past few weeks had your jealousy bubbling up past restraint. So, you decided to take a page from his own book. Anyone you came across, you flirted with. What was the harm? You were having fun and it didn’t mean anything. Maybe, you rationalized, it would get him to actually pay attention to you.

And yeah, Bianca and Liv had a point. It probably wasn’t fair to your unsuspecting victims – Jey Uso came to mind – but you never went past any boundaries, and your friendships with everyone remained intact.

You watched the object of your conversation now, just over Liv’s shoulder. He was sitting with Bayley, a casual arm draped across her shoulders as she laughed at something he said.

Bianca turned, following your eyes across the room, “Girl, smoke is practically coming out of your ears. Just go after him already.”

Your eyes drifted further across the room, and an idea popped into your head. A (probably) bad one.

“Y/N, no,” Bianca started, again following your gaze, “Cool it with the games.”

Liv’s head whipped around, frantically searching for the object of Bianca’s disapproval.

“What? What is she gonna do?”

You ignored Liv and shrugged, “Why? Knight doesn’t care. Why should I?”

You didn’t wait for a reply. Liv’s continuing questions followed you as you stood and made your way over to Austin Theory, sitting by himself.

“Hey,” you greeted him, standing in front of his table, “Mind if I sit?”

You had to give him credit – Theory shrugged off his confusion with ease.

“Sure,” he nodded.

You smiled, opting to sit next to him instead of across. Theory’s eyebrows shot up, but he scooched over to give you room.

“You looked great in your match earlier,” you began.

You leaned your elbow on the table, angling your body towards his. You made sure to make eye contact, secretly pleased with the way his pupils dilated almost immediately.

“You think so?” Theory grinned eagerly before his cockiness overcame him, “Well, of course I did. Lashley’s a chump.”

Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed Knight’s eyes on you instead of whatever Bayley was saying. You smirked. Point Y/N.

“I wouldn’t say Lashley’s a chump. Any guy on the roster would be scared shitless to face him. But you did it. I say that’s impressive,” you leaned a little closer, twirling a piece of hair around your finger.

Theory matched your body language, inching closer.

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah,” you let your eyes flicker to his lips for a split second.

That was all it took. Theory grinned like a kid in a candy store. Poor kid was too easy. You felt a little bad, baiting him like this. But Knight’s stare burning into your skin made you pay no mind to the potential wrongness of your actions.

To up the ante, you let your knee graze Theory’s.

“You wanna know something?” you asked.

“What?” Theory’s gaze drifted down to your lips.

“I think…” you feigned shyness, eyes dropping from his and shaking your head, “No, it’s too embarrassing.”

“Nah, it’s alright. What were you gonna say, babe?”

You tried not to physically recoil at the pet name Theory gave you.

You looked up and leaned in, lips to Theory’s ear. Your eyes met Knight’s over Theory’s shoulder – his gaze electric with something you couldn’t place. You noticed his arm was at his side, dropped from Bayley’s shoulder. His jaw ticked, his eyes following your every move. Electricity zinged up your spine at his fervent attention. Checkmate.

“I think you’re by far the hottest United States Champion in history,” your smirk ghosted the shell of Theory’s ear, and you felt the shiver that went down his spine.

“Well, baby, let me show you just how impressive the hottest United States Champion really is,” Theory purred.

“You’re not gonna show her anything, punk,” LA Knight’s voice broke the bubble surrounding you and Theory.

It was your turn to shiver. The authority in Knight’s voice almost had you melting, if not for the annoyance that overtook your initial lust. Your eyes snapped to Knight. He wasn’t looking at you, too busy staring daggers at Theory. Theory turned to him, chest puffing up in an expression of what he probably thought was masculinity. He opened his mouth to reply but you beat him to the punch.

“Excuse me?” You spit out.

“He’s not showin’ you anything,” Knight repeated, eyes never leaving Theory.

“Well, I don’t think that’s for you to decide,” you snapped.

That got his attention. His icy eyes met yours. His jaw ticked as he reached out and grabbed your arm.

"What are you doing?"

“You’re coming with me,” he spoke, pulling you up from your seat and out of the room.

His grip was firm, but not enough to hurt. If you wanted, you could’ve pulled free. But you wanted to follow him, to see what was about to happen. And you suspected Knight knew that, too. Knew how much you were enjoying his attention, his jealousy.

He guided you into an empty room, releasing your arm as the door snicked shut. He turned to you, crossing his arms over his broad chest. The muscles in his arms shifted as he stood, his whole body tense.

“What the hell are you doing?” You huffed, crossing your arms and matching his stance.

“What the hell are you doing? Theory? Really? You could do a lot better than that, doll,” Knight spit out, pinning you with his stare.

You tried to ignore the thumping of your heart at his proximity, his words. Doll. Fuck.

“Why do you care? You seemed to be having a great time with Bayley,” you spat.

He scoffed, “That was – that was nothing.”

“Yeah, okay. It’s not like she was drooling over you or anything,” you rolled your eyes.

The energy in the room shifted as Knight suddenly laughed. Laughed. He was laughing.

You went rigid, arms falling into fists at your sides.

“What the fuck are you laughing at?”

“I can’t believe it. Wow,” his rich laugh filled the room as he bowled over, holding his stomach.

“What?” You exclaimed, exasperated.

“You’re jealous!”

“What? No! That’s ridiculous,” your voice lacked conviction and you knew it.

Knight’s laughter died, but his smile remained.

“C’mon, doll. I know you are. Why else would you care who I’m talkin’ to?”

Your anger reared its ugly head, and words spilled out before you could stop yourself.

“Why do you care who I flirt with when you flirt with the whole roster? Every single day, Knight, it’s someone new. I’m sick of it. I’m sick of seeing girls drool over you. I’m sick of you not giving me the time of day. I’m sick of you flashing that fucking smile for someone else. Everyone else,” you breathing was labored as you ranted.

Knight’s smile faded, “Do you even know what you’re saying?”

Your cheeks heated, your words catching up to your brain. What did you just do? What did you just admit? If this was a game between you and him, you were losing.

“I-”

Knight held up a hand, stopping you.

“Hold on. I’m not – that’s not… God, Y/N. Do you know what you do to me? Why do you think I act that way, huh? You ever notice that it's only when you’re in the room? You ever think I just do it ‘cause I’m trying to get your attention?”

You blinked, all anger and embarrassment draining from your system just as quickly as it appeared.

“Wait, what?” You answered dumbly.

Knight scoffed, “Y/N, I do it to get you riled up. I guess I just wanted you to do somethin’ about it.”

“Well, I did.”

“I didn’t mean like that. Not by flirting with Theory,” he spat the name with disgust.

“Jesus, Knight, I thought you were interested in the entire female population but me.”

“No, doll. I’m not interested in anyone but you,” he moved closer, a smile blooming on his face.

Usually, his smile was dangerous. Charming. Sizzling with heat. There were a million adjectives for LA Knight’s smile. This one, however, was sweet. Tentative. Soft. It made your heart ache.

He took a few steps closer, eyes searching yours for something like permission. You stood up straight, back meeting the door. He met you there, hips pinning yours. A million sparks ignited in you, pooling to where your bodies made contact. Your face heated, and you squirmed against the intensity in his eyes that was reserved just for you.

His thick fingers found your belt loops, pulling you impossibly closer. Your hands found his chest, smoothing the material of his t-shirt over hard muscles. His eyes studied your face, gradually dropping to your parted lips. Your gaze dragged over the planes of his cheekbones, the light freckles dotting his tan skin. You refused to look into his eyes, knowing you’d come undone if you did. You swallowed, throat suddenly dry.

“I’m still pissed at you, you know,” your voice was weak, the bite in your words nonexistent.

“Oh, yeah? What can I do to make it up to you, sugar?” His smirk had you weak in the knees.

You were pretty sure if his body wasn’t practically holding yours up, you’d collapse. A rush of adrenaline crashed through you as your gaze flickered from his eyes to his lips and back again.

“I have a few ideas.”

You had never been so glad to be jealous.

#la knight #la knight x reader #la knight x fem!reader #la knight fanfiction #la knight imagine #la knight oneshot #wwe #wwe x reader #wwe x fem!reader #wwe fanfiction #wwe imagine #wwe oneshot

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pandorasprongs · 1 year

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CHAPTER THREE | so inviting, i almost jump in.

'it's nice to have a friend' masterlist + playlist | previous chapter

PAIRING: jamie tartt x fem!reader

WORD COUNT: 3.6k

SUMMARY: jamie and reader go out for drinks and meet a familiar face that brings up a painful memory for both of them.

WARNINGS: language

A/N: i'd like to apologize in advance for this one because the end is just 100% angst so brace yourselves sorry :')

It was like deja vu. Over the past weeks, you and Jamie started hanging out on a regular basis. Late nights and weekends were often spent eating pizza, watching old movies, and searching for old schoolmates online. He even helped you re-organize your room when he arrived during one of your cleaning days. You uncovered a box of old toy rings that Jamie gave you every birthday of yours for five years.

Initially, Jamie would message you if he was on the way. But the more he came over, it went back to your usual habits of him just showing up at your door at random hours of the day. When you weren't home, he'd message that he dropped by and then you'd call him when you got back. He'd race over to watch another one of your favorite childhood movies.

You hadn't realized how much you missed it all till you started spending time with Jamie again. You missed it so much that you may have neglected to mention to Liv how often you were with him. Despite the mini-sermon she gave you weeks ago about confronting Jamie, you hadn't actually made any moves to do it. All of this started to feel normal, regular, and the thought of disturbing that scared you too much. Even if there were times where you were annoyed at how casual he talked about the past few years of radio silence from him. Or how he'd mention his Man City teammates and you felt like tensing up every time.

There was no need to bring it up anymore, something you repeated to yourself. Plus, you were noticing that Jamie was now closer to your childhood best friend than the one who broke your heart. But still, you were cautious around the footballers Jamie associated with. Even when the season started again and Jamie would offer to tour you around the clubhouse or reserve tickets for the games, you'd always politely decline. You're sure the AFC Richmond players aren't terrible people given how highly Jamie would talk about them, but better to be safe than sorry.

Besides, with his now swamped schedule, you hadn’t seen Jamie recently. The most you did was when he’d send messages before training or games to which you’d answer with a “Good luck!” It was weird in the beginning, given that when he was at Man City, Jamie didn’t do any of that, but you hoped that this meant he wouldn’t leave again.

The next time you did was the night after one of their games, which continued their winning streak, thanks to Zava. While you knew Richmond fans — well, Liv and Frankie — were absolutely ecstatic to have him, Jamie despised the guy. You stopped yourself from pointing out the hypocrisy of him hating the player for being self-centered and thinking highly of himself.

You guess it’s working though because now you’re watching Richmond secure their fifth win in a row with your neighbor’s kid, Ronnie. When her mom found out you were a Science professor, she practically begged you to tutor her kid (and occasionally babysit). Ronnie was in primary school, so the lessons were pretty simple and you’ve been doing sessions every week to help her out. You always rewarded her afterward with whatever she wanted to watch on your TV that was age-appropriate, of course. This time, — after running back to their flat to get her Obisanya shirt, — she decided on watching the game.

“Zava’s incredible,” she murmured next to you, staring at the screen as if in a trance. You couldn’t help but chuckle at the reaction. The game was finished and so the channel was just playing match highlights, which for Richmond, were mostly their current star player. Sometimes, you’d spot Jamie in the background and even though the rest of the team was cheering along, he was having a hard time masking his resentment.

When you were finally able to drag her away from the TV, you heated up two plates of lasagna. Ronnie’s mom still hadn’t knocked on your door and you didn’t want to leave her alone in your flat, so she was having dinner with you tonight. For the most part, it was just like eating with Jamie. She was non-stop talking about the match which turned to talking about her favorite players and future games. It reminded you of Jamie as a kid, who’d go on and on about the exact same things.

As you’re washing dishes and Ronnie’s answering some extra worksheets, — she asked for them! — you hear the doorbell ring. You go over and find Jamie standing at the door, much to your surprise.

“Hey! Didn’t know you were coming over,” you say, but after noticing his exasperated expression, you tilt your head. “I know you don’t like a certain teammate, but I thought you’d at least be happy about the win.”

Jamie sighs. “I know." He gives you a weak smile, and you have to admit that even that simple act made your heart skip. “Is that lasagna?”

Jamie enters the room without warning and as soon as he does, your eyes widened remembering who else was there. You turn to the dining room table at the same time as Jamie and together, watch a 9-year-old stare in awe.

“Oh my God,” she let out. “That’s Jamie Tartt!” She walks over to you, leaving behind the worksheets.

You lean over and whisper to Jamie, “Forgot to mention I’m watching my neighbor’s kid.”

But Jamie’s already jumped into celebrity mode. He crouches down and confirms, “That’s me.” He glances at her oversized jersey before asking, “You a fan of Richmond?”

Ronnie nods her head enthusiastically. “I’m Ronnie! Congrats on winning!”

Jamie chuckles, and thanks her. “Nice to meet you, Ronnie.”

You hear someone approach the door and clear their throat and you turn to find Ronnie’s mom looking curiously at you. You turn back to Ronnie — who has now launched into a full monologue about how much she loves the team — and exclaim, “Look who else is here! I think it’s time to head back to your flat, Neens.”

She pouts at that statement, but one look from her mom and she was waving goodbye to the player. You quickly collect all of her stuff scattered around the place and hand it to her mom, who seems too exhausted from her shift to even notice the other person in the room.

Once you close the door, you lean on it and sigh in relief. “Sorry about that. I sometimes watch her after tutoring if her mom isn’t back, yet.”

Jamie shakes his head. “Nah, not a problem. I love meeting fans. Real ego boost.”

Yet another countless eye roll. “Calm down. You’re not even her third favorite player.”

Jamie scoffs, almost offended but after remembering the lasagna, he heads to the kitchen for a plate of his own. You walk beside him and after tripping over a loose marker Ronnie left, you fall forward. Jamie's reflexes kick in and he catches you quickly and you grab hold of his — really broad, you notice — shoulders to steady yourself.

Now you're stuck in a position that happens in almost every 90s rom-com you've watched: your feet diagonally off the ground with Jamie's hands gripping tightly at your waist. Both of you are too much in shock to move and simply look at each other with wide eyes. Your faces were close, too close to be platonic if it was intentional. So much so that if you leaned forward, just a little bit…

You snap out of the trance and move to stand straight up as Jamie lets go of you. You head over to the sink and quietly curse at yourself and that stupid blue marker. Things haven't been weird between you and Jamie for ages. And you weren't going to let the possible resurfacing of your feelings ruin that. Not again. Plus, if you were already burying your old feelings of resentment, why not add onto it too?

You go back to washing dishes when Jamie asks you a question. "Are you doing anything Saturday night?"

Given what just happened, your mind wanders off in the romantic direction before you shake your head. Instead, you respond, "I think you know better than anyone that I never do anything Saturday night." You reply as you wipe your hands. "Why?"

"Just wondering if you want to get a drink with me. Well, you get a drink and I get water 'cause fucking Roy’s banned me from alcohol till the season’s over. I just really need a night out. Fucking Zava, I swear." Forget the fact that he was technically at a night out with his teammates earlier; he more of just wanted a night out with someone who isn't so related to his football life. Or, he just really wants a night out with you.

You snort at that last comment but oblige anyway, ignoring the feeling of disappointment.

Jamie and you had only ever hung out together in the comfort of your own home. You'd just assumed that it was to avoid any unwanted press and since the bar he mentioned was one of those members-only pubs, it makes sense that the first time the two of you hung out publicly was there. But seeing as it was a pub, it's not going to be a romantic not-a-date date that you'll be going on.

Though, you soon realized how different it was from your usual places. Everyone there was dressed up so formally and you were glad that you picked the black trousers that you usually only wear to work over your everyday jeans that had paint stains at the bottom of them. Maybe you had worn it in case Jamie at the last minute decided to take a detour to a nice restaurant, but you were relieved either way.

The two of you ended up just sitting in the bar while Jamie complained about his most recent Twitter feud. Christ, you pray for Keeley Jones for having to deal with all his PR nonsense. When he starts shit-talking Roy for getting him up at 4 am for training, — “I thought he was joking!” — you end up tuning out of the conversation knowing how long the rant was going to be.

Your eyes drift off behind Jamie when you notice a familiar face. Suddenly, it felt like the walls were closing in on you. You could feel your breathing hitch and your fingers were scratching the inside of your palm. Before you could even consider doing anything, he reached you.

"Jamie Tartt!" The footballer's train of thought is broken and he turns to his former teammate to greet him. "Haven't seen you since you went off to be a reality star!"

Jamie simply rolls his eyes at the comment. "Well George, I haven't seen you since they forced you out of Man City!"

"They couldn't afford me anymore," He shrugs before his eyes land on yours. You shift in your seat and you can see the exact moment when Jamie notices how uneasy you've become. "And who's this with you?"

He doesn't remember you. And why would he? To him, you were just another crazed fan at a pub, one of many he's encountered over the years. You doubt that the memory of that night stuck with him the way it did to you.

"This is (Y/N), an old friend of mine," Jamie adds carefully and you build up enough courage to shake his former teammates' hand, but not enough to stay in this conversation.

"I'll let you two catch up while I get another drink." You explain, in an obviously fake cheery voice, but only Jamie spots it. He reaches out for your hand on the table to comfort you, but you swipe it away before he can.

You head off to the other side of the bar to order another beer, but you can't stop your eyes from shifting over to the pair of them again. Jamie looked so comfortable laughing and talking to George. You scoff at the sight. How could he act so chummy with that guy when he was the driving force for why the two of you ended on shitty terms in the first place?

Jamie's told you all about how he's been working on himself and trying to become a better person, but a part of you still feared that one interaction with that guy would unravel everything. He was an absolute prick; the number of fights and scandals Jamie had been in for his entire career was nothing compared to the amount George had in his first five years.

You wanted to trust Jamie, but he was always quick to change who he was when he was around certain people. You just hoped he had grown enough to not let his Man City "mentor" — too many of George’s scandal photos had a 19 to 22-year-old Jamie Tartt in the background — bring back the side of him he's tried so hard to erase.

You don't know how long they were talking, but by the time they moved over to the pool table, your vision was already starting to blur. The drinks just kept coming. Flashbacks from that night started to come in too: the spotting Jamie in the crowd, the confrontation, the holding back of tears, and the walk-out. You couldn't look over at the pair of them without an intense pain appearing in your chest.

Jamie looked back to where you were supposed to be seated and found you spacing out into a corner. It was the same dreamy and tired look you had the first time you tested your alcohol limit when your parents were out of town. Immediately, he abandoned the game of pool and rushed over to you.

"Maybe that's enough alcohol for tonight." Someone pulls the Cosmopolitan from your grasp and you squint your eyes to identify them as Jamie.

"Ha, that's rich coming from you." You can't remember how many times you've had to help Jamie sneak up the stairs and into his bedroom after a night out. "Aren't you still busy hanging out with that Man City prick?" Lack of tactfulness is the most obvious sign you'd drank too much.

"Woo, a little harsh there," You hear George come up to the two of you. You rush — well, more of stumble — forward to confront him, but Jamie holds you back. The retired footballer points out, "She's a feisty one."

"Let's bring you back to your flat, yeah?" Jamie offers softly, but you remove yourself from his arms and shake your head.

"I am perfectly capable of getting home by myself." You grab your clutch from the table. "Don't want to ruin another night for you guys, right?"

A pang of guilt visibly hits Jamie, but George is just left confused. You start to walk towards the exit and get to the door till you feel someone gently take hold of your left arm.

"You can't even see your phone clearly to book a taxi. I'll drive you home." Jamie's voice is low and whatever common sense you have left takes him up on your offer. He turns his head to say goodbye to George, but all the former footballer does is shout, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" following by a boastful laugh.

You clench your clutch at the comment, but Jamie brings you out the door before you can turn back and do something that'll land you on the front page of the Sun the next morning.

When you get to Jamie's car, he carefully helps you into the passenger's seat and puts on your seatbelt before getting into the car himself. Once the car starts, you take the chance to close your eyes in an attempt to remedy the throbbing headache you feel is already coming on.

You don't know how long you stay like that, but when you open your eyes, you're already at your building. You slowly get out of the car and once you make it to the sidewalk, Jamie asks, "Can’t believe you just downed a dozen drinks like a recent divorcee."

"I wonder why," You scoff and side-eyed him, unwilling to move your head from looking forward. You see the footballer's expression drop and suddenly you understand what Liv was going on about. You finally break. "How could you still be so friendly with him, Jamie! He’s an absolute arse and everyone in England knows it!"

"He was my teammate! And still a major name in football, even after retirement and all the shit he’s done. I didn't want to risk anything!" Maybe if you were sober, you'd accept that reason. There were countless alumni, tenured professors, and chairmen that you had to suck up to just to keep your job. But were drunk people ever known to be rational?

"Is that why you let him talk to me like that? Back in the pub?"

"You two barely spoke a word to each other," Jamie points out but you shake your head furiously.

"I mean back in Cardiff!" You exclaimed loudly and you knew for a fact that at least one of your neighbors had heard your outburst. But you didn't really care.

For a moment, neither of you said anything. You went to walk up the stairs, expecting it to be the end of it. If Jamie didn't have anything to say, then what was the point? He'd let you walk away and tomorrow morning, you'd be back to normal and you can just pretend this night didn't happen. You've done it before.

"You said you didn't want to talk about that." Jamie finally speaks up.

"I thought I didn't," you admit, your voice levels lower than before. You continue walking when you feel a presence following suit. You stayed in that silence till you made it back to your flat. It's a miracle you didn't tip over on the way in, but spite was enough to power you through.

Jamie closed the door behind him and sighed, "I couldn't just ignore him at the bar."

Suddenly, any fear of confrontation seemed to disappear. Your anger resurfaced and you spit out, "You seemed just fine ignoring me for seven years." You turn to face him and for a second, the pitiful look in his eyes almost made you back off. Almost. "Or is abandoning your best friend easier when she's not some big-shot footballer?"

"I know you're mad," Jamie starts and you angrily run your hands through your hair.

"Yes, I'm mad, Jamie!" You shout and you watch him take a step back, but you don't falter. "I'm mad at you! Seeing George tonight just reminded me of it and how a part of me still fucking hates you for taking their side."

"I've been trying to apologize—"

"I know, Jamie, but I'm still pissed at you, okay? For leaving me like that! And for letting me leave that night! I mean, how could you? Just throw away a decade of friendship for some football assholes that threw you away the second they could." Everyone knew how Jamie's career with Man City ended and it was surely a sore spot for the player, but at that moment, you didn't care.

Before Jamie can even defend himself, you start again. "I... fuck Jamie, I loved you. You were my best friend. I would've spent every waking hour with you if I could've. But you couldn't care less about me, right? The moment someone more famous than me believed in you the same way I always did. You just stopped answering my calls, and my texts, and even my parents when they asked you for me! Worst of all, you didn't give me a single reason why!

"Honestly, I would've been fine if you did stop being friends with me, as long as you gave me an explanation. Even if it was for some stupid reason that I wouldn't understand or hate you for, because at least I could've moved on! Instead, I spent years wondering where it all went wrong. If I could've done something, anything to change what happened." You start to feel the strain on your throat and know for a fact that at least one of your neighbors would be eavesdropping, but you were finally letting it out.

Your voice comes out hoarse, "And then the next time I did see you, in that pub, you were a whole new person. A complete and utter prick, Jamie. After that night, I prayed that you'd come to your senses. Do the decent thing and apologize, even if it was just a fucking text or something. But no, you kept ignoring me and pretending I didn't even exist. So I forced myself to stop thinking about you. To stop caring about you calling me. To stop dreaming about you telling me you fucked up and that you were sorry. So I could move on with my life."

You look away from Jamie and around the living room in an attempt to stop the tears from flowing down. You were unsuccessful. "And after years, I did move on. I went to London, got a job, and stayed as far away as I could from football. From you. But God, you always find a way back to me, huh?

"It just had to be you who found me in Nelson Road that night. It had to be you who picked me up, who drove me home, and reminded me how happy I was when we were kids. So much so that I thought I'd be fine without an apology! As long as I had you back in my life, it'd be fine. But as you can tell now, it's not." The amount of alcohol in your system was wearing you down and you were starting to get tired.

You start to lose your balance when Jamie's there to catch you, but you harshly push him off you. He doesn't seem affected by your strength, but even then, he moves back.

"Just get out, Jamie." is all you manage to say this time and after hesitating for a moment, he does. Now you're left alone again, only with your thoughts and the realization that any chance of bringing back what you had with Jamie was gone.

A/N: and that's that! i hope this teases the interlude nicely cause i'm sick of being so vague about that night since that's up next and trust me, it gets worse in that one... anyway i hope you all enjoyed this one!

TAGLIST: @moonflowersandsparkles @faith-alons26 @rexorangecouny @aiyaiy @thegirlthatwantedtowrite @giggling-sewer-ginger @katdahlali @higherthanheroes @guccilongboard @alipap3 @rockchickrebel @ellietartt @shineforever19 @skewedcherries @jamirtarttdodo @meg-ro @deepdarkvelvet @scaramou @rae4725 @oxxolovemelikeyoudooxxo (couldn't tag you for some reason?)

#jamie tartt #jamie tartt x reader #jamie tartt reader #ted lasso #jamie tartt fanfiction #jamie tartt imagine #jamie tartt fic #jamie tartt fanfic #ted lasso fanfic #jamie tartt angst #jamie tartt x f!reader #jamie tartt x female reader #it's nice to have a friend series

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mamisfavmosher · 11 months

Note

I love your writing

Can you write about reader having a fight with the judgment day about something that happened like they were partying and some people couldn’t stop flirting with reader but they were feeling uncomfortable for example but reader was in the right but they wouldn’t believe them so that lead to a huge fight and reader feeling completely alone until someone realised they made a mistake and try to convince reader to take them back please?

thank you!

tainted trust // poly!judgment day x fem!reader

warnings: angst, yelling, insecure!jealous!judgment day, argument, language, etc

Readers POV

"You're pathetic, you know that?!" Rhea bellowed as soon as she slammed the front door shut. "You think you need to flirt with every man who gives you the slightest bit of attention! Are you that much of a whore? Huh?" Her aggression and anger were the most apparent out of the four of them.

Rhea's insults cut into me like knives. "I didn't flirt with him! I already told you that!" I defended. The Judgment Day and I had gone to a bar with some coworkers after the weekly show had ended and at some point throughout the night, the four gothic members had left my side for a few short moments. Enough time for some creep who had kept his eye on me to make a move.

*Back at the club

"Hey, beautiful! Let me buy you a drink!" The man shuffled toward me and attempted to grab my hand.

"No, thanks. I'm not interested." I tried to keep my voice blunt and void of emotions in hopes of turning the man away. As I took my eyes off of him to search for my partners in the crowd, his hands gripped my waist and pulled me into him. "Get off me!" My hands pushed at his chest until he released me.

"Relax, babe. I'm just having some fun!" He gave me a gross smile and ran his hand down my arm. I shoved his hand away and scanned the crowd in a panic. The four of them weren't hard to miss. Where could they be? "C'mon! Let's go dance!" The man forcefully grabbed me and pulled me along with him to the dance floor. He turned me around and tightly held my hips against him, preventing me from pushing away. As I worked on slapping his hands off of me, I noticed a tense energy surround us. I looked up to see the four members of the Judgment Day fuming with anger.

Damian shoved the man away from me while Rhea grabbed hold of my wrist and dragged me out to the car. The car ride back to the house was insanely tense and silent.

*Back at the house

"Bullshit! You weren't even doing anything about it! You just let him put his hands all over you!" Rhea shouted back.

"That's not true! Guys? You saw me trying to get away, right?!" I attempted to get backup from the boys, but to no avail, they looked equally unhappy.

Damian threw his keys and wallet down on a side table before looking over at me with a glare. "Don't try and act dumb. We all saw what you were doing." His tone gave it away that he wasn't on my side.

"But I wasn't doing anything! I was trying to get him off of me!" I was exasperated at this point.

"We won't tolerate lying, and we definitely won't tolerate cheating. Either admit what you were up to and explain yourself, or find somewhere else to stay tonight." Finn sighed in disappointment and crossed his arms, waiting for my response.

My jaw dropped at his ultimatum. "What? You can't be serious-"

"Dead serious. You heard the man. Make your choice." Rhea cut me off and seeped her words with poison. I looked at them all, trying to determine if they were being literal. They definitely were. I shook my head in frustration, snatched up my bag, and stormed out the front door. I don't know if Liv is back from the club yet, but I'll wait on her front porch until she is...

Liv had actually gotten home only five minutes before I arrived at her place, and she immediately brought me inside and had me tell her all about the drama that just ensued. To say she was angry was an understatement. She was completely dumbfounded at how they had treated me.

The feisty blonde sent a lengthy text message to the group members about how they were in the wrong, I would never do something like this, how blessed they are to have me, and then followed up with some threats if they didn't apologize. She insisted we have a fun sleepover to forget the fight, and I couldn't say no.

***next morning

A harsh pounding on the front door woke the both of us up and Liv hurried to go see who it was. I heard her mumbling before she quickly came back to me. "They're here." She gave me a look of reassurance and allowed me room to walk past her.

I took a deep breath before opening the front door.

"Hey. We need to talk." Rhea demanded and motioned for me to step outside. I obliged, closing the door behind me. She sighed and raked a hand through her dark hair. "Tell us the truth. Were you flirting with that guy?" She asked, her face wore an expectant expression.

"No! I told you guys that last night, but you didn't believe me!" I was quickly becoming defensive, ready to pick up the argument where it had left off.

"We believe you, honey. Liv sent us a long message and helped clear everything up." Damian stepped in. "We're sorry. You tried to tell us and we wouldn't listen to you. It's our fault." He apologized.

I took a moment to think to myself, contemplating how easily my forgiveness should be handed out. I mean, they kicked me out of the house without even letting me explain.

"So," Finn interrupted my thoughts. "Are we forgiven, love? You ready to come home?"

I let out a huff. "I'm not happy about the situation and how I was treated last night, but I'm content for now. I can't forgive you all so easily right now. My feelings are hurt and I don't really feel like everything's okay yet. I just think we still need to talk about it a bit more when we get home?" I looked around to gauge their expressions.

"Sounds fair to me." Dom smiled.

I grabbed my stuff from inside Liv's house and headed to the car. While Damian loaded my bag into the trunk, Rhea gazed at me in the rearview mirror.

"Baby..." Her eyes flicked away, instead turning her body to face me. "Are we gonna be okay?" She motioned between us and then to the boys outside of the car.

I nodded with a small smile. "We'll be okay, Mami. Promise." Seeing relief flash in her eyes, I quickly kissed her cheek. "Everything will be perfectly okay."

#the judgement day #rhea ripley #wwe #damian priest #dominik mysterio #finn balor #wwe superstars #fanfiction #rhea ripley x reader #dominik mysterio x reader #damian priest x reader #finn balor x reader #wwe x reader #poly!judgment day #judgment day angst #wwe angst #request

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nophunleague · 1 year

Text

Rafael Barba Appears at the 16th Precinct Again

Rafael Barba x gn!reader

warnings: angst, grudge holding.

You all but crash into the conference room at the 16th, anxious to tell the squad that Mickey Davis had gotten some hot shot attorney, that you had heard courthouse gossip about it. The door swings open and you're met by Kat, Fin, Rollins, and Rafael.

His green eyes almost darken at the sight of you. He's not shocked that you're here, it's just the shock of not having seen you in years that strikes him. Taking in the crowd in the room you barely blink before spitting out at Rafael, "oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt, you just look like someone I used to know," before spinning on your heel and storming back out into the squad room. You don't even look up at Liv and the deputy chief as they pass you. Amanda follows after you after Rafael is pulled into Liv's office by the Captain and Deputy Chief Garland. You're sat at your desk, head up in a thousand yard stare.

"Well I think you definitely hurt his feelings, if that's what you were going for," you're broken from your gaze by her speech and you look up to her from your seated position.

"After what he put me through I think what I said was fairly tame."

"You might be right about that, but maybe think about what he's been through too. He nearly threw his entire career away and had to leave you in the process," she tries to reason with you but your eyes narrow as she keeps talking.

"He didn't have to leave me and he should have talked to me first. I showed up to work one day and he was gone. The man I loved left me without a single word. It felt like my life fell apart," you seethe. Amanda looks over your shoulder to see Rafael standing behind you.

"That's very mature of you," she says before walking away, he walks up behind you and gently lays a hand on your shoulder. But you hadn't notice him yet so as he makes contact with your body you jump to face him, hand on your holstered weapon.

"Woah," he throws his hands up, "its just me," you scoff but remove your hand from your hip.

"Just you? Just you?" You start to pace back and forth in front of him, searching for the words to tell him off. But deep down you're glad to see him, he looks healthy, the beard he's grown compliments him.

"We should talk."

"Oh you want to talk now? But you didn't want to talk four years ago when you left," you all but shriek, your voice sparking the attention of those in the precinct. "You pulled the plug on someone's baby, were charged with murder, acquitted, and then you left me. And you didn't talk to me about any of it. We were supposed to be together and you left me out of it," your voice continues to raise as you takes steps closer to him, ending up in his face. His eyes search yours trying to find the person who he had once loved, but all he find is someone who has undoubtedly been incredibly hurt by his actions. The tears are threatening to spill from you eyes but you stay strong. Your raised voice causes Liv to step outside of her office.

"Both of you, take it outside. Now," you glance between Rafael and Liv before turning on your heel and storming out with Rafael following close behind. You meet again in the elevator where this time you stay silent.

"I didn't know how to tell you I was leaving, so I just left," he says quietly. "It wasn't the right thing to do, you didn't deserve that, but I needed to leave here. I was suffocating," the both of you stare at the elevator doors, not daring to look at one another. You reach up and hit the elevator switch, stopping the elevator in its descent.

"No, I didn't deserve that," a tear escapes your left eye at last, but you don't wipe it away. "You threw me away like I meant nothing to you. I would have went with you if you had just talked to me."

"You meant everything to me. I just couldn't let you throw your NYPD career away to come with me on the campaign trail. You were just getting to the point of being on the precipice of making sergeant," his eyes are now glued to the side of you head while you keep looking at the doors. You take a second to think about what you're going to say before raising your voice and making direct eye contact.

"Yeah well I failed the sergeant's exam twice since you left so I'll only ever be a detective now," Rafael can feel the holes your eyes are burning in him, his breath kicks up and he's uncharacteristically speechless for a moment. You huff and flip the elevator switch again allowing it to continue its descent. The doors open on the ground level of the 16th and you start to take a step out when he speaks.

"The day I did what I did to Baby Drew I was meant to pick up a ring. An engagement ring," he hangs his head, not looking at you.

"Oh so one day you were thinking about getting married and then next you were throwing everything we had together away? I don't know why you came back, but I don't think there's any fixing this. Not right now anyway," you shake your head as a few more tears fall.

"Liv and Fin called me," he admits.

"Oh even better, you didn't even come back for me. Tell Liv that I'll be back in a little bit," you storm out of the precinct. Rafael runs a hand through his hair as a tear now escapes one of his eyes. He composes himself quickly then presses the floor number of the squad room to go back up.

"I really fucked that up," he says to himself.

#law and order svu #rafael barba x reader #rafael barba #svu #svu imagine #rafael barba imagine #raul esparza #special victims unit

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x-bluefire-heart-x · 1 year

Text

First Date

So here is chapter two of Dating App. I hope you all enjoy it! Also feel free to let me know if there is anything you like to see in this series, it's a little less planned then my other ones. There will probably be little time skips and stuff.

Warnings: None. Just my attempt at cuteness, flirtation remarks.

Masterlist

Prompt List

Chapter One Chapter Seven

Chapter Three Chapter Eight

Chapter Four Chapter Nine

Chapter Five Chapter Ten

Chapter Six

Olivia couldn’t believe her eyes when she walked into Rafael’s office just after lunch, intending to update him on the case and ask for another search warrant. He was smiling, and…humming? Her look of shock slowly changed into a self-satisfied smirk, and her intention for that visit changed. Of course she would still ask for the warrant but teasing her friend was a little more important at the moment.

“Humming Rafael?” she asked shutting the door. “Something good happen already?” Rafael didn’t even bother to hide his happiness, Liv had already witnessed it. He did however sigh, deeply, already knowing what was to come from his friend.

“I may be going on a date tonight,” he nodded, trying to supress the glee in his voice but knowing that he failed when Liv smiled with the excitement of a teenager. He rolled his eyes as she took a seat across his desk.

“Well? Who, where when?” she gushed. “Rafi I need and want all the details.”

“Really Liv?” he asked already tired.

“Yes, I am invested,” she nodded. “I’m the one who made your profile.” Rafael lasted about five seconds before his excitement to tell his friend about the conversation he had last night won out.

“She’s a librarian, we’re meeting at Sunset at 7:30,” he started, pulling out his phone to show Liv your profile and the conversation.

You had sent him an adorable good morning message at around 9, when he was already in the office elbow deep in case files, telling him that you were looking forward to meeting him tonight. It had been, well, nice wasn’t the word for it. Having someone message him just to tell him good morning was something he didn’t think he would have and it made him unbelievably happy. He had sent back a response, teasing you that you had only just woken up before agreeing that he couldn’t wait for tonight either. Just before Liv had entered his office you had sent another quick message, it was a photo of you walking through the park in a coat with a scarf and beanie, your nose a little red. It was accompanied by a tease that this weather was perfect for a stroll. He may have saved that photo. It was adorable, and that had been why he was humming. Liv was scrolling through the conversation her smile growing before she switched to look at your profile, noting the age and sending Rafael a raised eyebrow.

“She’s very pretty Rafi and she seems like a lovely woman. And it looks like there are a few common interests which is good,” she nodded handing the phone back. “Conversation seemed to flow with plenty of banter which you definitely need. And she teases you. I already know I am going to like her. Plus you were humming, that if nothing else is an excellent sign.”

Rafael smiled softly, looking down at his phone feeling oddly shy. Olivia’s teasing look softened at the reaction. A part of him a little worried what would happen if this went good and the two of you met.

“You don’t think the age gap is too much?” he asked.

“Not at all, she’s 30, with a stable job,” Olivia assured him patting his arm. “I’ll want to know how the dinner tonight goes by the way. I’ll make sure nothing disrupts it. Now, the actual reason I came to annoy you.”

Rafael put away his phone, just knowing that the rest of his day was going to create more paperwork.

You stood in-front of the mirror staring at the fourth outfit you have tried on. You pouted, shifting to look at yourself from all angles. You shook your head, quickly removing the clothes and going to stare back at your wardrobe. You wanted to look nice, but not overly dressed up. You had stalked the Sunset’s Instagram account to get a feel for how people dressed there. It seemed like comfy fancy? If that was a thing.

You quickly checked the time, letting out a sigh of relief when you saw that you had plenty of time. You rifled through your dresses, finally settling on one when you checked how it fit in the mirror. It nicely showed your curves without clinging, the colour suiting your skin tone perfectly. You decided to pair it with a pair of your long boots with a small heel. You nodded happy with the look, as you fished out a coat and a scarf to finish the look before focusing on your makeup and hair. You decided on subtle make up, some light blush along the apples of your cheeks, a light brown for eyeshadow paired with a bit of black eyeliner to make the colours of your eyes really pop. You used a little lip balm to coat your lips. You left your hair down, allowing it to flow down your back in loose waves and curls, you pinned the sides up with a few wisps to frame your face. You nodded at your reflection as you looked yourself over once more, happy with your appearance. You grabbed your coat, scarf and purse before leaving, checking the time on your phone noting that you were still fine.

The trip to the Sunset was thankfully painless for New York traffic, getting you there about five minutes before the booking Rafael said he had made. Sitting in your car for a few minutes you took a few calming breathes, you were starting to feel nervous, it was like butterflies had woken up and decided to party. Your phone buzzed causing you to glance at it, you felt your stomach drop worrying for a moment that Rafael was cancelling on you.

“I’m here, waiting at our table, just ask for the booking under Rafael, I also hope it is alright that I ordered some wine,’ You grinned looking up towards the restaurant, he must have walked past you.

‘Just parking, will be there in a moment,’ you checked your reflection in the rearview mirror making sure nothing was out of place before getting out and heading to the restaurant.

‘Just parking, will be there in a moment,’ Rafael looked up from his phone as the server set down the two glasses of wine. He smiled his thanks, wiping his hands on the leg of his pants the nerves in his stomach building.

He fiddled with the silverware on the table before movement at the entrance caught his attention. His breathe caught as he took in the sight that filled his eyes. You walked behind the hostess, eyes down at your feet your teeth nibbling on your lower lip. You were breath taking. As the hostess neared the table Rafael found himself standing up, the noise causing you to finally lift your eyes. He noticed you pause for a half step, eyes taking him in before your lips slowly pulled back into a soft smile, cheeks flushing under the blush you wore.

“Here you are, a server will be with you soon to take your order,” the hostess smiled once before leaving the two of you alone.

“Hi,” you smiled at Rafael.

“Hi,” he said back taking a step forward. “Let me help you with your coat.”

“Well, you didn’t mention you were a gentleman Rafael,” you teased, a flutter in your chest as Rafael’s gentle smile changed, becoming a little cheeky as he moved behind you and helped remove your coat.

“I had to leave some things to be a surprise,” Rafael whispered, his breathe caused a light shiver to run through you. He had felt a similar reaction when you had spoken his name, it sounded just as lovely as he had imagined it would be.

“Well, mission accomplished,” you whispered back looking over your shoulder briefly at him.

The photos on his page really did not do him justice, he was unbelievably handsome. He wore a pair of black jeans with a button up, the top few buttons undone to relax the look, you never thought jeans could look that good but well, you were mistaken. Rafael smiled as he pulled your chair out for you, folding your coat and scarf over the back, you almost swooned at the action as you took a seat. No-one had ever pulled your chair out for you or helped you with your coat.

“Thank you for ordering the wine,” you added noting the glasses on the table as you fiddled with one of the rings on your fingers as you tried not to stare at Rafael taking his seat across from you, his shirt displaying the strength in his arms. Honestly, physically he was your exact type.

“Of course,” Rafael smiled, holding his glass up towards you. “I hope it is one you like.” You picked up your glass, lightly clinking it with Rafael’s smiling sweetly at him before taking a small sip, letting the wine sit on your tongue before swallowing.

“It’s delicious,” you grinned sitting it down again. “And I think it would go lovely with pasta.”

“Hm, well the Sunset does have a few pasta dishes on their menu,” Rafael suggested. “Were we toasting anything in particular?”

You had opened up the menu having been excited when Rafael informed you about the pasta dishes. You loved pasta, the thought of it making your mouth water, you saw that they had Carbonara dish and instantly knew that is what you would get, maybe with a side of their garlic bread. You glanced up at him a thrill going through you to see that he had been looking at you rather than the menu in-front of him. You met his eyes, the intensity of them causing that thrill to become a shock as you quickly broke eye contact to look back at the menu.

“Oh, um, I guess to first dates?” you asked hesitantly worrying for a moment that that might be a little childish.

“Cute,” Rafael grinned before you could open your mouth, you just knew if he hadn’t spoken you would have ended up rambling in an attempt to fix it.

You looked up at him, his chin resting on one of his hands as he looked at you. His green eyes bright with the light from the restaurant, a soft look in them that made you realise he was not teasing or mocking you. He seemed to be genuine with his statement. His grin had softened when you looked up at him, the look causing you to become a little shy but you refused to break eye contact. You tilted your head to the side slightly and smiled, a little shy around the edges as you put the menu down fingers tangling together as you twisted them.

“The pasta sounds good,” you tried to hide the slight tremor in your voice. “Would you like to share a side of garlic bread?”

Rafael felt himself melt, you were just adorable. You seemed to be able to hold your own when he teased you but apparently take the teasing tone away and simply state what he thought and maintain eye contact had you all flustered. It was a sight he wanted to see more of. He looked down to your hands, and blinked for a moment before lifting his head away from his hand. He decided to leave it for the moment not wanting you to spend the entire night flustered.

“The garlic bread here is fantastic, would be a crime to refuse to share a side of it,” Rafael smiled. “Do you know which pasta you would like?”

“I find you can never go wrong with a carbonara, and it would go fantastic with this wine,” you smiled bouncing back from the moment earlier, Rafael had to bite his tongue to refrain from commenting on it. Yet another thing he could mark that made you adorable, and something you both shared. A love of food. “I take it since you haven’t even opened your menu you already know what you will be getting?”

“I may, when I was here last there were two dishes I was having trouble deciding between. I figured I would use this opportunity to try the other one,” he answered.

“Ah, smart man,” you giggled reaching out to take another sip of wine.

“I try,” Rafael smirked.

The two of you were interrupted by the server coming over to take your order. Rafael ordered a steak with salad and chips as well as the garlic bread, he glanced at you with a raised eyebrow and motioned towards himself. You nodded, although a little confused before he ordered your carbonara dish, you smiled at the server as they left thanking them. You studied Rafael carefully for a moment, you had had people order for you in the past and hadn’t liked it, mainly because they hadn’t checked to see what you wanted before doing so but this man had asked what you wanted and had in a way asked if it was okay to order for you. It was odd. You kinda liked it? Before the silence could get awkward you decided to start the traditional part of any first date.

“So, I have been dying to know what you do for work,” you started leaning forward. “I have narrowed it down to two fields, journalism or some kind of law enforcement.”

“Why those two fields?” Rafael asked curious about your reasoning.

“Well, the way you phrased some of your messages and the people I have met in those fields always find basics questions to be important,” you pointed out. “So, was I close?”

“Yes actually. I’m an ADA, I work specifically for the Special Victims Unit of Manhattan,” he answered.

“Ah, that would definitely explain the long hours,” you said, smiling proud of yourself. “That must be difficult work, but rewarding in its own way.”

“It is definitely difficult and confronting at times but I love my job,” Rafael agreed. “Being able to help survivors is worth the long hours that come with the job.” Rafael took a sip of his wine. “The people I work with are also another rewarding part of the job but also difficult.”

“Oh, the detectives?” you asked. “You’re close?”

“We’re all rather close yes, the amount of time we spend together it would be surprising if we weren’t,” Rafael’s smile was a little ruefully. “Though I am closest to the Sergeant, she’s actually the one who got me to use the dating app.”

“Friends, always meddling,” you giggled. “My friends got me to download the app as well, after a night of cocktails though I hadn’t actually used it till yesterday.”

“Really?” Rafael was a little surprised.

“Yeah, I guess I forgot about it,” you nodded. “It was quiet yesterday so I was fiddling with my phone and came across it.”

“Well, I must say I am thankful for quiet days in the library,” Rafael grinned, he added a slight teasing tone to his voice, causing you to smile with flushed cheeks.

“Normally I wouldn’t agree but yes, in this instance, thank god for quiet libraries,” you said. “And I am thankful for meddling friends.”

“Hm, yes Liv is rather gleeful,” Rafael grumbled taking a sip of wine. You smothered your smile behind your own glass, you thought it was cute how he grumbled about his friend but the smile ruined it. “Do you enjoy working in the library?”

“Definitely,” you nodded putting your glass down. “I love books and I enjoy being able to help others find a love for them as well, especially children. Books are so important to a child’s growth, not just for the communication ability one gets from reading but to help their imagination grow. A persons imagination can lead to astounding things, without Da Vinci’s imagination we wouldn’t have all the gorgeous artworks, without Tolkien or Mary Shelley we wouldn’t have some of the most amazing worlds and pieces of literature. Mary Shelley is the mother of Sci-fi and Tolkien, well, without Tolkien others works wouldn’t have been influenced and – and I’m rambling.”

You felt your face heat as you looked down, twisting your ring. You always did this, going on a tangent when you got onto the topic of books and why they are important, a few people had commented rather negatively on it before. You were worried that you had over done it again. A hand covered yours stopping your fiddling. His hand squeezed yours gently.

“I was rather enjoying listening,” Rafael said softly, squeezing your hand again. “Your eyes lit up, please continue, if you want of course.”

“Oh, it’s okay,” you smiled hoping it was convincing. Rafael tilted his head for a second before he smiled and removed his hand, you missed the warmth from it right away.

“Maybe later?” he asked, you nodded smile a little less forced at his easy nature.

“So, an ADA,” you started trying to move forward. “Was that always the job you wanted?”

“In a way, I was always a talker even as a kid,” Rafael answered. “It got me into trouble as much as it got me out of it. I grew up in the Bronx, and earned myself a scholarship to Harvard law school. At that stage I wasn’t sure what direction I wanted to go but eventually settled on Prosecutor after a summer internship.”

“So, you got into a bit of mischief then?” you asked lips quirking up.

“Just a little and it was harmless,” he responded. “Mostly.”

“Well, I might have to hear some of these mostly harmless tales one day,” you said without thinking what that might imply.

“Maybe one day I will share,” Rafael easily agreed, quietly happy even if you didn’t entirely realise what you implied. Your smile brightened at his response, which caused Rafael’s to soften and grow from the small upturn of his lips. “Did you always want to be a librarian?”

Before you could respond the server arrived with your meals, he placed them down in-front of you both with the garlic bread in the middle. He asked if he could get you a refill of your wine, as the two of you had nearly finished your glasses during your conversations while waiting for your meals to arrive, you were astonished to see how much time had passed. Rafael asked for a scotch instead causing you to raise your eyebrow teasingly. You chose to have another glass of the wine, knowing that it will pair well with the carbonara. Once your new drinks had been brought over along with some more water at your request, Rafael looked at you curious. You were confused for a moment before you remembered that he had asked you a question.

“Oh, well, not really funnily enough,” you answered. “I was working on my masters in Anthropology, I was planning on specialising in forensics but I changed it to focusing more generally on cultural changes in societies that was linked to literature. Once I completed that I spent a lot of time overseas mostly in England. I was helping with organising exchanges of some special works from Oxford, Cambridge, and the British Library to other libraries around the world, similarly to how the museums spare exhibitions. I got to know one of the librarians in London rather well and I helped with story time and setting up displays for ether specific authors or genes and just helping kids. And it just clicked that I wanted to do that. So, when I came back here, I looked at what I needed to become a librarian, completed the necessary masters and everything else.”

“So, you have two masters then?” Rafael asked. “That’s incredibly impressive.”

“Thank you,” you smiled bashfully. “My parents think it was a little foolish but I enjoy my work so.” You shrugged lightly, not really wanting to get in to that particular issue especially on a first date. “And on another note. Scotch.”

“Ah yes,” Rafael laughed. “I do believe you were going to correct me regarding a connection between my favourite drink and my suits.”

“Yes I was,” you grinned, picking up your fork to taste some of your dish. Your eyes widened as an involuntary moan left your lips, Rafael paused with a mouthful of steak on his fork at the noise. His felt a very different flare of emotion then what he had been feeling all night, and a heat started building. “Oh my god this is so good!” You looked at Rafael to see him staring at you with a burning in his eyes. “What?”

“Nothing at all,” Rafael muttered trying to stifle the heat. “Do you like it?”

“Definitely!” you smiled widely still ignorant of how your reaction had affected Rafael. “You?” Rafael looked down at the mouthful still waiting on his fork, quickly eating it to distract himself and so he could give you an accurate answer.

“It’s good, cooked exactly how I like it,” Rafael nodded. “So, please Miss Librarian, inform me.”

“Well, Mr Lawyer, scotch is usually seen in movies and shows being drunk by rich man in suits,” you started. “This creates an idea that scotch is a rich, fancy suits kind of drink. And whether they like it or not people that fit that description or those who want people to think they are like the people seen in movies and shows will drink it. Fancy suits, scotch.”

“I stand corrected,” he grinned. “Was that your opinion as an anthropologist?”

“A little bit maybe,” you nodded. “So, do you actually like scotch?”

“I do actually,” Rafael raised his glass taking a sip. “There can be different tastes depending on the barrels they use. I rather enjoy the ones that are meant to have a 100 flavours hidden in it. This one has hints of berries, it’s rather nice.”

“Berries?” you asked raising an eyebrow looking at the amber liquid. Rafael saw your curiosity and decided to take a risk, a rather small risk true but a risk none the less.

“Would you like to try it?” he asked. You looked up at him eyes a little wide before they seemed to soften greatly.

“Yes, please,” you grinned, reaching across to take the glass he had offered to take a small sip of it.

“Let it sit on your tongue for a moment before you swallow,” he suggested. “Allows you to fully taste it.”

You did as he instructed, allowing it sit on your tongue before you swallowed and just as he said you got a hint of berries in the aftertaste as a pleasant heat followed the scotch down. You passed the glass back licking your lips a little as you did.

“That was nice, the berry taste is pleasant,” you said.

“Good, I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Rafael grinned, as he tucked into his meal.

You happily did the same allowing the conversation to lull and become about how the day was for the both of you. You normally found the small talk type of conversation to be awkward and feel forced but with Rafael it felt comfortable, you felt comfortable around him. He put you at ease, focusing his attention only on you and it was intense. You hoped he had was having a similar experience, you found yourself not wanting the night to end as the evening moved along. The server coming with dessert menus and asking if either of you wanted another drink. You declined another drink still having some of your wine left and knowing that a cocktail would push you over the legal limit, Rafael ordered another scotch.

“Would you like to share a dessert?” you asked looking over the options but not feeling like you could eat one of them on your own and you were hoping that he would be interested.

“What would you like to get?” Rafael asked looking over the options as well. “You can pick, since I chose the wine.”

“You sure? What if I pick something horrible?” you teased. “You’re giving me a lot of power here Rafael.”

“Well, I was going to say that I trust in your judgement and taste but now I am a little worried,” he chuckled. “Perhaps I should take that power back.”

“Nope, too late sorry you already gave me that power,” you wagged your finger at him. “I was thinking of maybe trying the crème brulee.”

“Delicious, seems I was not wrong to grant you that power then,” he smirked. You giggled shaking you head as the server came over.

“Have you decided on dessert?”

“Yes, please, we would like a crème brulee, please,” you smiled up at the server, all happy and giddy from the night. “With two spoons, please.”

“Of course, that will be out shortly,” he nodded writing down your order and heading off.

The conversation between you and Rafael continued to flow pleasantly. You spent a lot of the evening flushed beneath your blush from the attention that Rafael gave you, his eyes always intent and focused on you when you spoke, never once seeming to grow bored of listening to you. Whenever Rafael spoke you found yourself ensnared, he had a way with words that grabbed you and his eyes were so emotive. There was no question that you wanted to see him again, and unless you were misreading all the signs you doubted Rafael would be opposed to it.

Rafael insisted on paying the bill when it arrived, refusing to allow you to even split it. You bit your lip when his tone changed from teasing to serious and, almost commanding, it stirred something in you. You relented and thanked him, telling yourself that you would insist on paying next time. The thought making you giddy. As he helped you into your coat his fingers lightly traced the side of your neck and his hands trailed down your arms before he stepped aside and allowed you leave first. You had shivered at his contact and you swore you could feel a ghost touch trailing down your neck and your arms. The two of you paused outside the restaurant stepping to the side to ensure you weren’t in the way of others, you stood close together.

“I had a lovely night, Rafael,” you said your smile small and soft to match your voice as you looked up at him.

“As did I,” Rafael smiled, his hand in a pocket of his jacket. “I hope I am not being too forward but I would like to do this again, soon actually.”

“I would like that as well, maybe we could go for a walk through the park and grab a hot drink afterwards?” you suggested biting your lip.

“I think I can manage something like that for you,” Rafael grinned taking a little step closer as he pulled out his phone. “I was hoping you might give me your number? If you want of course, we can continue talking over the dating app.”

“Rafael, of course you can have my number, and here, you can put your number in my phone as well,” you smiled stopping him from rambling as you took his phone and handed him yours. “And how gracious of you, to manage the ordeal of a walk.” Rafael grinned crookedly as he took his phone back, looking down he couldn’t stop the huff of a laugh that left him seeing that you had put your contact name as ‘Miss Librarian’.

“Perhaps we could do that walk tomorrow around 12?” he asked, seeing you fiddle with your phone for a moment before putting it away.

“That works perfectly,” you smiled, rocking back and forth on your heels. “I um, parked over there.” You pointed towards the car park across the road.

“I’ll walk you to your car,” Rafael offered holding out his arm for you take if you wanted. Again with the actions that are swoon worthy. You eagerly took his offer placing your hand in the crook of his elbow.

“Again with being such a gentleman, Rafael,” you smiled placing your other hand on his arm taking the opportunity to be as close as you could.

Rafael almost preened when you accepted his offer, revelling in how close you got to him as the two of you made your way across the road. The scent of your perfume and just you surrounded Rafael, he was overjoyed that you wanted to see him again. That he had read the signs right during the night.

“This is me,” you said as you pulled the two of you to a stop beside your car slowly removing your hands from his arm. “I know I already said this but I really had a good time tonight with you Rafael and I am looking forward to tomorrow.”

“I truly did as well,” he agreed, reaching out to grasp your hand. He squeezed it lightly before raising it to place a kiss on your knuckles. You lips parted with a soft sigh as you met his burning green eyes, the heat in them had your heart pounding as a slow heat spread throughout your body. “Message me when you get home safe, will you?”

“Of course,” you whispered as he let go of your hand and stepping away. “How are you getting home?”

“I’ll order an uber,” he smiled, holding your door open as you unlocked it. “Good night, Miss Librarian.”

#writing #imagine #law and order svu #rafael barba #rafael barba x you #fluff #law and order svu imagines #Femreader #rafael barba fluff #rafael barba x reader #rafael barba imagine #rafael barba x female reader

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oneshotnewbie · 5 months

Note

I need more of Rabbit Hole please please please 🙏 🙏 🙏

Authors note: Your wish shall be my command. I hope you like the little twist, I don't know what came over me 😂

Olivia Benson stood in your empty hospital room and let her gaze wander around it. The silence was deafening as she tried to find any clue that could help her find you and bring you back to her. She knew she had no time to waste - you were in far too much danger, and it was her duty as a captain and your friend to save you.

With a determined look, Olivia began to systematically search the room. She opened drawers, checked closets, and inspected every inch of the room, looking for anything that might give her clues to your whereabouts. But the more she searched, the more it became clear to her that this escape couldn't have just happened spontaneously.

There were no signs that you had acted alone. The way you left the hospital without telling her suggested that you must have had help leaving. But who would be interested in supporting you? Who would have a motive to hide you from Olivia, the other team members and investigators?

Olivia sighed in frustration as she asked herself these questions. It was obvious that she needed more information to solve these mysteries. But where should she start? Who could help her shed light on the darkness other than her and Elliot's team?

Suddenly her eyes fell on the pillow, which had something sticking out of its cover and zipper that didn't seem to belong there. Heart pounding, Olivia walked up to it and pulled it out. The finely folded, yellow note was opened and a handwritten message was discovered that immediately caught her eye. Below there was an unknown number.

"They'll never find you. Trust me, I know how to disappear. - A friend,"

A friend? Who could that be? Olivia looked at the message skeptically. There were few people you would consider a friend, and none of them seemed to have a motive to hide you from the police. From her own team. From Olivia. It had to be someone else, someone Olivia didn't know or underestimated.

She suddenly realized that she couldn't limit her search to just the obvious suspects. There was someone out there who helped you go into hiding, and she had to find out who it was in order to take you into custody and protect you on her own.

With a firm resolve in her heart and a hint of anger, she put the note in her pocket and left the hospital room. Her mind was spinning wildly as she wondered who could be behind your escape. But one thing was certain: she would not allow someone for whom she had deep feelings and sought protection to fall into the hands of a violent persecutor once more and the news had given her a new perspective, even though she knew that alone wasn't enough to find out the truth. With quick steps she made her way to her car that would bring her back to the precinct, where she could retreat in her office to think about her next steps.

On the way, she took out her cell phone and dialed her sergeant's number, her long-time partner and friend. He was an experienced detective. He was the best when it came to helping her, and now she needed it more than ever. The phone rang twice before Finn answered.

"Finn, I need you," Olivia said without further ado. "Y/n escaped from the hospital and I believe she got help. Request all the video recordings from the last week, especially the ward where y/n was in and the entrance, and go through them with Kat,“

"Of course, Liv, I'm on my way to speak to her doctors and nursing staff." he answered immediately and Olivia could hear the promise in his voice, but she also knew that Finn knew how serious the situation was regarding of you.

"Keep me updated if you discover anything new. I'm heading back to the precinct." With those words she hung up and continued on her way, her thoughts swirling around the message and the phone number on the note. Who was this "friend" who helped you escape? And why? The answers to these questions would be the key to finding you and protecting you from further harm.

When she reached her office, Olivia closed the door behind her and took a moment to breathe in deeply while collecting her thoughts. Then she sat down at her desk, starting to spread the piece of paper out in front of her and studied the note, hoping to find anything in the handwriting that might help her identify the mysterious friend. There had to be someone close to you, someone who knew how to hide and who had an interest in protecting you.

But the answers seemed to slip through her fingers. She couldn't make a connection between you and any suspect who would have had a motive to hide you. It was frustrating and discouraging, but Olivia didn't let it stop her.

As her thoughts wandered, her eyes fell on a photo that was on her desk. It was a picture of you and her, taken at the brunettes police graduation a few months prior. Olivia stared at the picture and a thoughts flashed through her mind.

"No this can not be." She whispered, but the thought didn't leave her. It was unlikely, but not impossible. What if you were helped to escape because you knew someone who was a police officer or another detective? Someone who had access to sensitive information and various ways to disappear?

Olivia shook her head to dispel the ridiculous idea. It couldn't be someone from her own ranks. But the thought wouldn't let her go. She had to find out if there was a connection between you and a police officer. If there was probably even someone on the hospital video footage. It was a risky hypothesis, but she felt like she was on the right track.

With a sigh, she stood up and prepared to continue her search for answers, walking back outside to task Amanda with tracking the number on the piece of paper and your phone, finding out who it belonged to and where you were. Olivia wouldn't rest until you were back with her, and she wouldn't let anyone stop her. It was a vow of revenge, and she would keep it, no matter the cost.

ᕚ---ᕘ

You stumbled through the crowded city streets, your heart pounding wildly in your chest while every step was accompanied by a sharp pain that emanated from your side, where the deep but already stitched wound had become infected after the procedure. You were breathing heavily, your lungs burning with exertion and pain. Your steps were hurried and uncoordinated as you tried to orient yourself and find a safe place. The people of the city whirled past you, the sound of the crowd ringing in your ears. But despite the hustle and bustle around you, you felt lonely, lost and afraid.

With every step you took, the fear inside you grew. You were alone, hurt, and on the run from a man who would stop at nothing to find you. Every movement and push made you flinch as you tried to hide from your ex-husband's eyes.

The streets of Manhattan were a maze of alleys and deserted squares, and you felt like a rat in a trap. You didn't know where to go. Your head was spinning with fear and panic, and you forced yourself to stay calm even though your mind was wandering.

Suddenly a thought flashed into your mind - the note with the number that a nurse at the hospital had passed to you from someone who could help you. With shaking hands, you fumbled for your gym bag and searched for your cell phone, which you had turned off to avoid being located.

"They'll never find you. Trust me, I know how to disappear. - A friend," you went over the sentence you had memorized for the hundred time this week. A friend. The words seemed like a last ray of hope in the darkness, a spark of hope in the midst of despair. You didn't know who this friend was, but you knew you had to trust them if you wanted to survive.

With your heart pounding, you typed in your cell phone password and typed a message to the number. Your fingers trembled and flew over the keys as you made your request, desperate. "I need your help. Where should I go?"

Meanwhile, you had leaned against a wall, away from the world, to take a short break. Heavy and fast footsteps echoed behind you and you turned around in shock, anxiously waiting for an answer. Your heart was beating so loud you thought it would jump out of your ears. But it was just an older man running past without noticing you. You breathed a sigh of relief, but the fear didn't go away. You didn't feel safe.

It didn't take long for an answer to come. A simple instruction, concise and precise. "Come to the old pizzeria at the harbor in an hour. We'll pick you up there. But throw away your cell phone before you come. We can't be found."

You swallowed hard as you read the message. It was a risky move, but you had no choice. You had to trust this person if you wanted to have any chance of not being found by your ex-husband or dying from the infection that was spreading through your body.

With a determined nod, you threw the phone into the nearby restaurant bin and forced your tired and shaky legs to walk towards the harbor, a bone-chilling pain coursing through your body as you tripped over an objext lying around, and you gritted your teeth to keep from screaming. The streets were still crowded and seemed to stretch on forever. You saw a potential danger in every person and fear was on your mind, but you knew that you had no time for doubts now.

With one last desperate look over your shoulder, you placed the hood of your hoodie over your head and continued on your way, willing to pay any price to save yourself. You didn't know what the future would hold, but you knew you would fight until your last breath.

Forty-five minutes later you arrived at the designated location at the harbor, your heart racing with excitement and fear. With shaking hands, you pushed against the heavy doors of the restaurant, which slowly opened with a creaking sound, the metal handle feeling cold in your warm, sweaty hands as your view slid freely onto the inner workings of the pizzeria. Here you should meet the person you know.

A rush of smells greeted you as you slowly stepped over the threshold - the sweet smell of spices, the savory smell of grilled meat and the tantalizing aroma of freshly brewed coffee. It smelled of hunger and thirst, of life and movement.

You looked around, your eyes slowly adjusting to the yellowish and strong light as you searched for the familiar figure you were supposed to meet here. But the restaurant was full of strange faces crowding the narrow aisles and sitting at the tables, and you couldn't make out the person you were expecting.

Even the slight forward movement as you fought your way through the maze, searching for a familiar face had unleashed a shockwave of blinding, feverish pain that lanced upward. The source of the fire, on the left, above the hip, under the costal arch. You looked down at yourself for a moment, running your shaky fingers over the area where you could now feel a bulge. The bump under your sweater was covered with a bandage, but you knew you needed enough painkillers and antibiotics as soon as possible. Frantically, you searched for a familiar face, but the more you searched, the more you feared that you were wrong, that no one was here to help you. A trap.

But as you felt a gentle touch on your shoulder and you spun around with care, never in a million years could you have thought that you would run into this exact person. A shiver ran down your spine as the realization hit you.

“Alex,” you whispered, your voice barely more than a breath. Alexandra Cabot, the former prosecutor, the person who worked with the SVU for many years before she disappeared herself, was here to help you. It was a surprising revelation that almost took your breath away.

The blonde nodded, her face marked with happiness. She took a step closer to you, her eyes full of compassion. "Yes, yes. It's me," she said softly, her voice firm and soothing, her lips warm and inviting in a smile of relief while your eyes widened in surprise and realization.

You were speechless with astonishment. "We have to act quickly. Come, I will take you to a safe place where you can also be provided with the necessary emergency medicine."

You nodded silently, your throat dry with relief and gratitude. You couldn't believe was here to help you. After all the years she was in hiding and she was considered dead, you never thought you would ever see her again.

“How did you know-” you asked, taking a deep breath, blocking out the pain. You felt her eyes on you as you got into a dark SUV, which got driven by one of her protectors. "It was all over the news. The critical condition of a detective with your photo, that it was your ex-husband's fault, the injuries you sustained as a result. The police tried to keep most of it secret to protect your privacy, but some things were still leaked and I didn't know what else to do.“

You nodded again, a feeling of relief washing over you. You knew the road ahead would be long and difficult while your team did everything possible to find your ex-husband and you could finally return to Olivia. But until then, you were safe by Alex's side and Olivia was safer with you gone.

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bumblesimagines · 6 months

Text

Midnight Beach

Part 21/END

Request: Yes or No

~~~

"You're not Indiana fucking Jones, (Y/N)."

"What is with you and Indiana Jones?"

"Why are you going to South America? Like- Jesus, okay, what if El Dorado is real? What are you going to do about the amount of people who are going to come running for a taste of gold? The people who'll come after you for even having a piece of the real deal? What about this Singh guy? He's dangerous, you said so yourself!" The redhead sputtered, waving her arms around animatedly as he packed some things into his backpack. A simple change of clothes, underwear, deodorant, a hydro flask, his phone charger. He'd seen what Liv packed before her trips out to visit her aunt and go hiking but the experience of trekking through a jungle? Kildare wasn't exactly known for its jungles.

"At least we'll have an adult. Better than last time when it was just us on an island." He replied and swept his gaze over his room, searching for anything else he'd need. It almost felt like some sort of fever dream; clearing the air with Sarah and John B, hanging out with the Pogues on the Cut, preparing to go to a whole other continent. Christ, he'd only ever left Kildare a handful of times. Poguelandia had been a way to survive and Barbados an unavoidable accident. Now there he was, packing up to visit South America in search of someone who probably didn't even care for his existence. Completely and utterly avoidable.

"The adult is the one in trouble!" Liv nearly shrieked at him and slumped back on his bed. "You've finally lost it, (Y/N). You're flying out to South America on a presumed dead man's plane to save a deadbeat from some rich dude. Do you realize how crazy that sounds? How stupid? This is dumb. This is like... Topper Thornton level of stupidity. I hope you know that."

"I know how it sounds, Liv, but- I.." He sighed and finally turned to face the redhead. He pressed his leg against the edge of the bed and reached out to delicately comb his fingers through her vibrant locks. She puffed out her cheeks, a sign she'd be giving in soon, and stubbornly jerked her head in the other direction. "The Pogues have always been about adventures. This will be like... a farewell thing. We wrap this whole Royal Merchant and El Dorado thing up and I leave the Pogues to keep on treasure hunting or whatever it is they'll do after Big John's back home. John B's the biggest idiot I know. But even he deserves to have his father with him."

"And what about your parents?"

"I told them that the Pogues and I were going on a little trip to process what happened to us. It's not my fault they didn't ask where we're going." A grin slipped when Liv snorted and rolled her eyes. The redhead took a deep breath and pushed herself up, brushing aside strands of hair and reaching forward to wrap her arms around him. (Y/N) cradled her head against his stomach and kissed the top of her head.

"I'll stay safe, Liv. I promise."

"You better. I don't feel like going to South America to rescue your ass."

✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽

Parking the jeep alongside Pope's dirt bike and getting out, (Y/N) nearly stumbled back against his jeep when JJ practically leaped into his arms followed by Pope and Cleo. (Y/N) laughed and did his best to embrace them in return, feeling JJ's hand ruffle the top of his head playfully. "You're late, man! Thought you chickened out on us."

"Not yet." He chuckled, nearly missing the wince from Sarah. He tried not to think about how the others would react to the news, especially after everything they'd been through. Rafe, Coastal Venture, Poguelandia, Barbados, and now... South America. He'd joined their little crew of misfits to help out his ex-girlfriend and now there he stood, waiting to hop on a plane to help her new on-and-off boyfriend. Fate truly had a twisted sense of humor.

"Hey, uh, where's Kie?" Pope asked and (Y/N) shifted to look over at the entrance of the tarmac. No sign of an Uber or Lyft or even one of the Carrera's cars. He frowned, thinking of her parents and how desperate they were to keep Kiara home and safe after their return. They'd always been so protective of her.

"It's gotta be her parents, dude. They've been up her ass." Sarah sighed, brushing her hair out of her face.

"They must've said she couldn't come." Pope sucked his teeth. "We're going to have to do this without her, then."

"No," JJ shook his head, adjusting the backpack strap digging into his shoulder and turning toward John B with his hand outstretched. John B immediately began shaking his head. "Gimmie the keys, man. Her parents already hate me, alright? Just.. give me an hour. It'll be like a black ops mission, in and out. Surgical removal type shit, alright? Plus... I kind of owe her."

"Oh?" John B's head snapped up and a twinkle appeared in his eyes, his fist digging around in his pocket to pull out the keys to the Twinkie. "You owe her, huh? Alright, you totally owe her. I appreciate the honesty."

"Give me an hour, alright, ya'll?" JJ snatched the keys out of his hand and sprinted toward the Twinkie, tossing the backpack through the open window before leaping in afterward, his body awkwardly landing halfway in while John B and Pope groaned. (Y/N) snorted, watching him wiggle his whole body through the window and climb into the driver's seat.

"Feather the throttle!" John B shouted after him and the Twinkie's wheels squealed loudly against the road. They watched him drive off toward the entrance to save his... 'friend.' His very good 'friend.' Totally not his crush or anything like that.

A hand came to rest on his shoulder and he looked back to catch Sarah's eye. She smiled at him, tired and nervous, and her fingers dug lightly into his shoulder. Sarah looked back toward the road where the Twinkie disappeared behind some trees and swallowed, her teeth biting down on her bottom lip. "Do you think he'll convince them to let her go?"

"Probably not." (Y/N) murmured. "I can't say I blame them either. I wouldn't want my daughter hanging out with people she keeps going missing with."

"I never really thought about it like that." Sarah dropped her hand and wrapped her arms around herself, the gentle breeze tousling around some of her hair. There was a heavy silence between them and despite the many discussions they had, it held an air of words yet to be spoken. Their history could never be unwritten, only forgotten over time as they entered adulthood. They'd eventually find their place in the world, their proper place, and begin a life without the other. It seemed fair to (Y/N). It was life. He'd come to accept it. Sarah Cameron had taken up much of his world in recent times, but like everything else, she'd eventually become a faint memory of his life in Figure Eight. A girl he loved and lost. An old friend. Someone he recalled both fondly and bitterly.

"I'll keep in touch, by the way." A lie or the truth? He couldn't quite tell. Did he want to stay in communication with them, with her? It'd be a risk. They'd eventually stumble into a new adventure, something new to discover and unveil that'd prompt them to reach out, whether to experience it with him or ask him for something.

"You could attend Chapel Hill, you know." She said softly. "It's close to home, close to us but not on the island."

"That's not happening, Sarah. I want to get away from here, from Figure Eight and Kildare. I've been here long enough. I don't want to regret not doing what I always wanted. I don't want to be like some of the miserable men here who only get genuine happiness when they go on business trips away from their families. The women here either love their lives or drown themselves in wine while the men inhale coke like its air and are barely ever home. It's a nightmare living here, Sarah. You see it, I see it. The Carrera's are one of the few that seem happy together and they had to prove themselves to even be accepted as Kooks. It's... hell."

"Not everything's so bad. There was... us and- and Topper and-"

"Things that are over, Sarah. Topper definitely won't be talking to us for a while and you and I... " (Y/N) inhaled deeply through his nose and released it in a heavy sigh. "You and I are done. For now or for good, I don't really know. If things change in the future... if we change in the future... maybe we'll find each other again. But I'm done with bullshit love triangles and John B."

"I know. I just-"

"Eight hours?! JJ, don't have eight hours! We've got a jet here. We're all waiting!" The two of them turned at the sound of John B's voice, spotting him speaking into the phone with a look of frustration. He blinked and shook his head rapidly, stammering and stumbling over his words before pulling the phone away from his ear and sighing.

"What's going on?" Pope asked as he and Cleo sat down on the steps leading up to the plane. John B rubbed the area between his brows and pinched the bridge of his nose, tucking his phone into his back pocket.

"Kiara got sent to a wilderness camp," He told them. "So, JJ is going to try to rescue her. He says he'll need eight hours-"

"Hours we don't have." Sarah cut in, folding her arms over her chest and walking toward him. "John B-"

"I know, I know. JJ said that if they don't make it in time, we should just go. That- That somehow they'll make it to South America." John B sighed again at the faces everyone made. Kiara locked away in a wilderness camp and JJ on a mission to rescue her. Sounded like an average Tuesday for the Pogues. "Yeah, I know, but it's JJ. He'll figure something out."

"So, what? We just waitin' around now?" Cleo questioned, her eyes flickering between them. "The longer we wait, the farther Singh gets, you know that, right?"

John B ran a hand over his face and nodded. The sky above them began to darken with the setting sun and gray clouds. Time seemed to tick by faster than expected. "Yeah, yeah, we know, Cleo. But this is Kie and JJ. We can't just leave leave them."

"Guess we're waiting then." Sarah pursed her lips. "Better get comfortable."

Another hour or two passed and night officially fell overhead, leaving them with only the lights along the airstrip. The plane pilot settled comfortably in the cockpit, awaiting instructions while the Pogues paced outside. No sign of JJ or Kiara, no calls, no texts. Dead silence on their end that only made frustration grow. John B continued to stare out toward the entrance, tapping his foot or dialing their numbers in vain.

"We have to go, John B," Sarah spoke up, pacing along the steps with her hands firmly on her hips. "We don't have eight hours. We can't wait around any longer, alright?"

"I'll try to call him again, okay?" As John B reached into his pocket and wiggled out his phone, the sound of a dirt bike grew closer and two dark figures on a bike appeared from the darkness of the airstrip. Everyone's attention immediately snapped toward it and Cleo groaned in relief. The scold on the tip of Pope's tongue halted and they all froze as the driver tossed their helmet off with their bloodied hands. (Y/N) felt his blood turn cold.

Hands left his sides and lifted to his face. Rafe roughly grabbed his throat, fingers digging into (Y/N)'s skin. A soft whimper left him and he pressed his hands against Rafe's chest, attempting to push back the blonde. "I need you to listen to me very carefully." He spotted Rafe's pupils in the light. He was high. "I need to get rid of John B. He came back to hurt my family and Sarah's helpin' him. I don't want to hurt her. She's my sister. But I can't let John B walk free. You know that, (Y/N). I'll let you come with me in case things get outta hand... But don't get in the way."

Taking in a sharp breath when Rafe released him, (Y/N) gingerly touched his sore throat. Rafe reached around the back of his waistband and took out a revolver, letting (Y/N) soak it in for a moment before tucking it back into its hiding spot. A coldness washed over him, making every hair on his body stand straight. Rafe ran a hand over his face and sniffled lightly, rubbing his nose and slapping a hand over (Y/N)'s back. He casually tossed the door open and stepped out.

"Come on, Barry's waiting."

He felt the phantom touch of fingers digging into his skin, hands coiling around his throat in an iron grip that left him momentarily breathless. Only the pained groan and Rafe's hurried movements broke him out of his brief trance, the withering and panting body on the back of the bike finally registering. Ward toppled over, bringing the bike along with him as he fell onto the concrete, revealing the large bloody circle on his shirt. Fucking Camerons.

"You're okay, Dad. You're okay, you're okay." Rafe breathlessly repeated as he reached down to bring Ward back up onto his feet. He finally knocked the helmet off Ward's head, revealing his pained face. Sarah staggered backward, staring wide-eyed at her father's bleeding form. Rafe turned to them, chest heaving. "Don't just stand there! I need some help! Come on, help me! (Y/N)! Please, Sarah."

Short, rapid breaths escaped Sarah's mouth and she hurried forward despite her previous hesitance. "What happened?!" She asked, pulling one of Ward's arms over her shoulder, helping her father wobble closer and closer to the plane.

"A fisherman spotted him, alright? They know he's alive. We gotta get him off the island right now." Rafe explained, tightly clutching his father's shirt and helping him inside the rest of the way. Sarah brought her hands to her forehead and moved away from the stairs, mumbling curses under her breath as she began to pace before bolting inside to check on them.

"Hell no. We are not getting on the plane with him. Hell no!" Pope shook his head as he cursed and turned toward John B. The brunette remained silent, eyes staring at the dots of red littering the ground and leading up to the plane.

(Y/N) rubbed his throat and turned around to face them, inhaling softly. Rafe looked different. Still had that deranged look in his eye but he'd buzzed his hair, ridding himself of the boyish blonde waves. The blood on his hands... a look that fitted him. A coked-up, daddy's boy who'd do anything for his approval, even if it meant staining his hands.

"He wasn't supposed to come," Sarah said breathlessly, heading down the steps and coming to a stop beside John B. "He stays on the island, he gets arrested."

"No, no, Sarah. I don't think you understand. I don't know if I can get on a plane with that guy-"

"Just listen, John B. This is his plane. I can't stop him from leaving. But he will still give us a ride to Orinoco, so if you don't wanna get on the plane, I get it. We'll find another way!"

John B swallowed, staring down at her as his lips pressed together. "There's no other way." He muttered, turning his head to look at Pope and Cleo. He took in a deep breath. "Let's go. Let's get on the plane."

"With them?" Pope stared at him, completely bewildered, and features slightly hardened with bitterness. With Rafe? (Y/N) grimaced. He'd be fine with just Ward, even if the man appeared half-dead with his groaning. At John B's nod, Pope sighed and turned around, preparing to head into the plane when Rafe stepped out. The two stopped and stared at each other, jaws clenching and muscles tensing. The air filled heavy with tension and unfinished business.

Rafe moved first, heading down the steps and brushing past the glaring boy. Cleo placed a hand on Pope's back, urging him inside and blocking his way until Pope finally headed up into the plane. (Y/N) took in a breath and walked forward, only taking a couple steps toward the plane before sweaty lean arms wrapped around his shoulders. He froze in Rafe's embrace, feeling those bloodied hands curl around the back of his shirt. "Keep an eye on him,' He whispered. "Please."

"He'll be fine." (Y/N) murmured breathlessly, and pulled himself free of the embrace to cut the distance between him and the stairs. He headed up them, hearing Rafe say the same sentiment to Sarah as she followed after him.

Inside the plane, Ward took up two seats near the front with his injury properly bandaged. He winced and groaned every few seconds, his face dripping with sweat. He seemed stable enough. Pope and Cleo sat far from him, side by side with Cleo quietly speaking to a fuming Pope. Sarah collapsed on one of the seats across from Ward with a first aid kit in her hands. John B sat a few seats down, looking weirdly calm about the whole situation. (Y/N) pursed his lips.

It was going to be a long ride to South America.

✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽

"It's the Wild West out here," Cleo murmured as they stepped off the plane. The airstrip contained multiple people in military gear, some held guns or leashes clipped to attack dogs. Different country, different laws, different treatment. (Y/N) only prayed they'd at least manage to stay on the right end of a gun, far from the barrel or bullets.

"Sarah!" Ward called out, limping down the stairs and holding onto the railings. "I'm coming."

Sarah whipped around to face him, a scoff escaping her. "No, you're not. You got us here like you said you would. Now go on to Guadeloupe. You need to see a doctor!"

"You're way in over your head. I can help, let me help. Please-"

"No!" Sarah shouted, cutting him off sharply. "Get back in the plane. You promised you weren't a part of this."

Ward fell silent, his eyes trailing over each of them. He pressed his lips together tightly and nodded. "Okay." He sighed, turning around and wobbling back into the plane. Sarah turned away and ran a frustrated hand over her face, nodding for them to continue off the airstrip with a solemn look on her face.

Getting a taxi and heading further into Tres Rocas, they listened to the sound of fireworks and firecrackers as people roamed the decorated streets. Lively music played from different buildings and children raced up and down the streets, clutching flags and other things in their hands. Things seemed better, more friendlier than the dreary, heavily watched airport.

"Looks like a local holiday," Cleo mused, stepping out of the taxi and observing her surroundings. (Y/N) watched a firework shoot up into the air and hummed quietly before turning to face the others when the taxi drove away, leaving them in the middle of the crowded street.

"So, we have to assume that Singh's already gone upriver, alright? We're looking for a guy named Jose. He's gonna take us to the dig site. I, uh... I do not have a last name."

"I hate to break it to you, John B," (Y/N) began. "You're in a Latin country. Half the dudes here are going to be named Jose and most of them will be likely working some sort of job regarding the river since, you know, this is a river town."

"(Y/N)'s right. It'll be like findin' a teardrop in the ocean." Cleo rubbed her forehead as she spoke, a tired look passing over her face. "We'd have better luck tryin' to find Singh."

"Well, I'm assuming river guides probably hang out by the river?" Sarah attempted halfheartedly.

"Yeah, and if they're anything like the guys at OBX, they're probably getting drunk on a holiday."

Sarah hummed thoughtfully and placed her hands on her hips, a hopeful grin appearing on her face. "Let's start with the bars, then. Divide and conquer, ya'll."

And with that, the group split up and spread out around town. (Y/N) put his basic Spanish lessons from school to use, hitting up any place that looked like it sold beer and asking around for Jose the river guide. Many of the locals waved him off or shook their heads, unable to answer any of his questions with useful information. Regardless, he thanked them and went on his way until he met up with Pope and Cleo again near the center of the town, the looks on their faces telling him they'd have similar luck.

The sound of tires squealing caught their attention and they spotted a jeep driving down the road, heading straight for them. "Run." Pope breathed and without needing to be told twice, the three of them took off running down the street. The jeep honked repeatedly, the sound of it growing closer and closer as they ducked down different streets trying to lose it.

"Como estas, amigos?" A familiar face stuck their head out a windowless bus, speaking in barely understandable Spanish and with a hude dumb grin on his face. Fucking JJ and Kiara. Go figure. He laughed gleefully but the look quickly vanished at the realization that they were being chased.

"Already?! We just got here!" Kiara groaned, hurrying off the bus with JJ. "What's happening?"

"Singh's men are after us. We gotta think of a plan." Pope explained breathlessly, bracing his hands on his knees and attempting to calm his racing heart by taking deep breaths.

"Let's hijack the bus!"

"This bus?" Kiara scoffed at JJ's proposal, motioning wildly to the old rickety bus they'd taken. "It only goes ten miles an hour!"

"They're coming now, guys! Hide in the fruit stands, come on!" Cleo ushered them further down an alleyway where rows of stalls stood. They ducked and weaved around the bustling people until they found an unoccupied stand to hide behind. (Y/N) could feel droplets of sweat roll down his cheeks, his eyes locked on the rifles the two men carried around as they asked and checked the bus. The two eventually headed back to their jeep and took off down the road.

"Welcome to South America," Cleo said, tossing her arms up.

"They're foreigners, Cleo." (Y/N) murmured, catching his breath and running the back of his hand over his forehead. "The locals haven't done anything. They don't owe us any help either."

"So..." Kiara trailed off, her chest heaving with deep breaths. "What's the plan?"

JJ swallowed, his eyes flickering over the stands and locals bustling around before his lips twisted up. He looked back at Kiara, studying her face for a moment before looking back toward them. "Barracuda Mike gave us the ride here. We could... ask him?" He proposed, wincing at the deadpan look Pope gave him. "He's our only shot, man!"

"Fantastic..." Pope sighed heavily. "Barracuda Mike it is."

Barracuda Mike, as it turned out, was a smuggler who primarily dealt with smuggling drugs and other similar things out of North Carolina via his cargo plane. And, he seemed surprisingly understanding when the group returned to him asking for help, claiming to have a boat set up at the river. He led them to it, even offering over a mag of machetes for them to use as weapons as he led them through a short trek in the jungle and to a boat perched on the water.

"I'm addin' the cost of this rig to what you already owe me. I don't expect to see it again, anyway. I asked around at the landin' today. Your buds did leave this mornin', but I was able to get directions to El Tesoro. Pretty loose since only Jose knows the real way, but it'll get you in the right zip code." Barracuda Mike explained, handing over a piece of paper with directions written on it and nodding for them to climb into the boat.

Turning to look at him, Pope offered a small smile. "Thanks."

"Don't thank me." Barracuda Mike brushed him off with a dry chuckle and wave of his hand. "Start prayin'." Ah, that made his willingness to help more understandable. He wanted them out of his hair as quickly as possible. "

With a couple of strained grunts, Barracuda Mike pushed the boat further into the water and lifted his hand to wave at them as the boat began floating downstream. JJ got the motor started and their speed increased, releasing a soft hum that mixed with the distant singing birds, chirping insects, and even the occasional hoot of a monkey. The five of them settled comfortably on the boat, filling the silence with chatter. (Y/N) spent his time gazing into the murky, brown river water until night fell and they took turns steering the boat to get some rest.

By the early morning, the sound of another boat heading down the river prompted JJ to wake everybody up and steer the boat closer to the bank where it'd be hidden by foliage and low-hanging leaves. They ducked down and waited, watching as a boat filled with Singh's men passed by, armed and going rather fast.

"They're not lookin' for us." Cleo mused. "They're movin' too quick."

"They're looking for John B and Sarah." JJ realized quietly, darting up from his spot and starting the motor back up. "They gotta know where they're headed. We need to go. They're gonna need us!"

The boat quickly resumed its journey down the rivers, speed fast enough to keep up with Singh but slow enough not to draw their attention. (Y/N) watched the boat drift in and out of view, disappearing over the horizon until JJ sped back up. His gaze moved over to the bag of machetes resting on the floor of the boat. Weapons, Barracuda Mike had called them. Weapons meant to help them against armed and trained men with guns. Maybe he should've listened to Liz, after all.

Early the next morning they encountered a small docking area by the riverbank. Kiara studied the paper Barracuda Mike had given them, her head lifting every so often to look at the village before she nodded to herself. "Guys, I think this is El Tesoro. The trailhead to the mountain is supposed to start here." She told them.

"Oh, shit," JJ whispered, motioning ahead to two of Singh's men lingering on the docks. "What are we gonna do? We gotta get past them somehow."

Pope's lips pursed and he slipped his backpack off his shoulders, setting it down on his lap and rummaging through the contents before pausing and looking up at them. "I... may have an idea."

"This is so stupid." (Y/N) whispered, peeking over the windowsill of the old, abandoned shack that had the perfect view of the men. One of them dozed off on a boat while the other fiddled around with different things, seemingly bored of waiting around. "If one of you gets shot-"

"It'll be fine, (Y/N)." Kiara assured him, ensuring the note she'd tied to the end of the fish hook wouldn't fall before she tossed the line out. It landed in the boat the napping man lied in and he startled, sitting up with squinted eyes and looking around until he noticed the note. "Get ready, ya'll.... and.... now, JJ!"

The blonde lit a firecracker and tossed it into the air, far enough that it hit the side of boat and exploded in the water. The man scrambled up and grabbed his rifle, his head on a swivel as his partner ducked down. Another firecracker landed and exploded nearby, prompting the man to start shooting blindly and forcing them to duck down to avoid being seen or hit.

"Return fire, Pope! Return fire!" JJ shouted and Pope quickly lit another firecracker, tossing it over the roof of the shack.

When that one exploded, they heard the man shouting at his partner to get in the boat. The boat quickly sped off with the two men on it and the group sent them off with one last firecracker. Once they disappeared down the river, (Y/N) stood up and shook his head, rolling his eyes at JJ and Pope's celebratory handshake.

"Hey, hey," Cleo called, stepping out of the shack and sucking her teeth. "No time for celebrating. We didn't do nothing yet."

✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽

"You know," (Y/N) exhaled breathlessly, sweat dripping profusely from his skin from both the humidity and trek up the mountain. Kiara answered with a soft groan, clutching her side as she leaned against a tree and turned back to look at him. Pope and Cleo had long gone ahead of them, clearing a way with two machetes as if they were used to hiking through jungles. "I'm glad this little last adventure... with you all has been... interesting, to say the least."

"Last?" JJ repeated, quickly as breathless. His blonde strands stuck to his forehead and temples, soaked as if he'd taken a plunge in the river. "What- What do you mean, last?"

"Yeah, I mean-" Kiara took a deep gulp of air and swatted away a buzzing insect. "-I'm sure there'll be other adventures."

"Yeah, for you guys." (Y/N) stood up straighter and rolled back his shoulder, wincing when his back ached. His legs were in no better condition, aching and weeping for rest. JJ and Kiara stared at him, their brows knitting together. "I- I... Jesus, I hate hiking. I'm never doing this again."

"Ditto." Kiara laughed and turned her back to him, using the trunk she'd been leaning against to help her move over a fallen log. "But, what do you mean? We're Pogues. All of us. Even Cleo and you. We're... We're a family... one that should never go hiking again."

"Remember that night when Sarah told us about the plane?" You asked, waiting for JJ to step over the log and sighing quietly when the blonde tripped and nearly fell. He recovered quickly, shooting them both an innocent grin as he wiped moist dirt off his hand. (Y/N) cautiously stepped over the log, keeping in mind the root that'd nearly taken out JJ and glancing up at them as they continued the trek.

"Yeah, you and JB cleared the air, right?" JJ glanced over his shoulder at him.

"Yeah, sorta, I guess. But, uhm... I told them that I'd-"

"Woah, guys, look at this view!" Kiara suddenly called out with a giddy laugh, the path leading out to an open area where they could overlook the thick jungle and the mountains ahead. (Y/N) noticed Pope and Cleo breaking away from each other quickly and hummed quietly, a smile pulling at the edges of his lips. Kiara and JJ, Pope and Cleo... Sarah and John B. They all had each other, in some way or another.

"What were you saying, (Y/N)?" JJ turned to look at him, causing the others to turn as well.

"Oh, uhm..." (Y/N) trailed off and sighed, looking out toward the gorgeous view before him. A thick green jungle as far as the eye could see, giant mountains that reached toward the skies, the beautiful song of the jungle sounding through the air. Beautiful, but everything that'd led him up to that moment hadn't truly been worth the view. "I'm leaving the OBX. For good. I'm- I'm going to get my diploma and apply to colleges away from here."

"What?" The resounding response to his revelation.

"I know, I know... Poguelandia, I know. I deserve more than being the thirdwheel or the ex being dragged along, guys. As much as ya'll hate to admit it, I'm a Kook. I care about each of you, even John B... sometimes. You'll always be family. And sometimes, families have to separate to live their lives to the fullest, right? I want a degree, a proper job, and a safe life. It's boring but it'll be comfortable." The Pogues remained largely quiet, mixed expressions on their faces and different emotions flashing but in the end, they all settled on bittersweet smiles and nods. "And I promise to send wedding invitations, if I ever get engaged."

"You better!" JJ laughed, lurching forward to swing his arms around his shoulders and hold him tightly. "You better, you bastard. I expect to be a groomsman, you hear?"

"And you better keep in touch, too." Kiara piped in.

"And visit when you can, alright?" Pope added and Cleo agreed with a nod.

"I will, I will." (Y/N) chuckled, running his hand over JJ's back before the two pulled away. "Now, let's go find those two idiots."

They headed down the mountain after Pope pointed out a manmade trail heading down and further into the jungle. JJ took the lead with Kiara, using machetes to cut down any thick grass, exposed roots, or fallen wood. They walked with idle chatter until a loud, distant yet not far explosion sounded through the air, startling the animals and causing birds in a nearby tree to shoot up into the air in a panic. They fell silent and exchanged wide-eyed glances before a silent, mutual agreement passed over them and they broke out into a sprint in the direction of the explosion.

"Careful!" Pope called when Kiara tripped over a root but brushed him off with a wave and stood back up to hurry after JJ.

They continued through the path until they heard the familiar sound of Ward's voice, followed by Big John and Sarah. Immediately ducking down, they carefully made their way up the steep path and peeked over, spotting Ward holding Big John, Sarah, and John B at gunpoint while speaking quietly to them.

"What are we gonna do?" Pope questioned quietly.

"Is this ride or die?" JJ asked quietly, his hand curling around the machete sheathed away. The others mimicked his movements, freeing their machetes from their sheaths and holding tightly onto them. JJ glanced back at them and grinned. "P4L."

The group charged forward with battle cries, pulling Ward's attention away from the three and onto them. He swung his gun around frantically as the group shouted at him, demanding he put his gun down. Ward panted, his eyes wide and arm swinging around, continuously switching who he pointed the gun at in a desperate attempt to spook them into staying back.

"You can't shoot just one of us." (Y/N) exhaled, grinding his teeth when Ward looked back at him with softened features.

"If you have to shoot somebody, Ward, shoot me." Big John told him through labored breaths, his bloodied hands pressed against his side. Shit. Ward spun on his heel to face him but John B stepped in his way, staring him right in the eye and arching a brow.

"Or me." He said softly, watching Ward's features harden and the trembling of his hand grow. He curled his lip and took a deep breath, attempting to steady his arm but then Sarah stepped in front of John B, her eyes shiny with tears but her features showcasing her utter exhaustion.

"Stop." She whispered, swallowing as a tear slid down her cheek and she stepped forward, pressing the barrel to her chest and staring at her father. "Enough."

"Don't-"

"You're not gonna kill all of us. I know you won't. I know you." Sarah's lips began to tremble and she shakily exhaled. "You forget that I know you."

Her words seemed to have an effect on Ward, his own eyes flooding with tears and face scrunching up as his shoulders began shaking. Sarah placed her hand over his, pushing it down and pulling the gun from his weakened grip. "I couldn't." Ward gasped, tears running freely down his face. His palm came to rest on Sarah's cheek and he weakly smiled. "I couldn't do it."

"Yeah? Well, I can." A new voice called followed by the sound of a gun cocking. One of Singh's men stumbled out of the jungle, his gun raised and pointed at them before dropping down to Big John when John B pointed his own gun at him. "Toss it!"

"Take it easy, bud." Big John spoke weakly. "Your boss is dead. You got no reason to do this."

"I can think of a few reasons." The man sneered at Big John, his eyes jumping back to John B. "Toss it!" He demanded sharply and John B lifted his hands, letting the gun slip from his grasp. The man slinked forward, keeping his gun trained on them. "Thought you'd end up with the gold, eh? Alright, nobody move. My mate back there is dead. Because of you. You..." He pointed his gun at Sarah. "Can go first."

Exchanging one last somber look with his daughter, Ward charged forward, taking multiple shots to his body but refusing to relent until he tackled the man and took them both tumbling down the cliff nearby. Sarah staggered forward, short gasps escaping her that turned into quiet sobs. (Y/N) moved first, snapping the others out of their shock, and walked toward the cliff's edge. He spotted the two lifeless bodies at the bottom and grimaced, closing his eyes tightly and listening to Sarah's sobs grow louder.

"Big John? Hey, Big John?" Pope's panicked voice made him open his eyes and he turned his head, noticing Big John's head lolling off to the side. (Y/N)'s arms reached out, pulling Sarah against him, and nodded to John B. The brunette shot him a thankful look before rushing over to his father, speaking hurriedly to him and slinging on of his arms over his shoulder.

"Come on, we gotta get you out of here, Dad." John B told him, waiting for Pope to get his other arm before they began heading back down the trail as quickly as possible.

"We'll let them know when we get back that his body's here, alright?" (Y/N) took Sarah by the shoulders, squeezing them lightly. She sniffled, another sob wrecking her body but she managed to nod weakly, one arm sliding around his waist to use him as support. "You'll be okay, Sarah. We'll all be okay."

They took turns helping Big John, the weight of a tall grown man weakening them after some time. They managed to reach the deserted dock, getting to their boat, and laying him down. (Y/N) got the motor started, steering them up the river as the Pogues tried giving Big John reassurances through their tears. He remained by the motor, watching them slowly come to terms with Big John's fate. His breathing had long become labored, his body too exhausted to fight through the pain.

With a trembling hand, Big John took his son's hand. "We did it together, my boy. Just... just like we drew it up. Hey, hey, Bird... it's okay." He weakly smiled up at him, rubbing his thumb over John B's hand. "I know... that I wasn't any great shakes as a father... but you... you were the best son any man could hope for. I want you to know that..."

"Tell me when we get home, Dad, okay?" John B sniffled, reaching into his bag to pull out the block of gold they'd been able to get from El Dorado before exploding the entrance alongside Singh. He set the block on Big John's chest for him to look at, a pained, bittersweet smile on his face. "We did it. We did it, Dad."

Big John's eyes fluttered closed, his breathing growing weaker and shorter. John B's lips rolled into his mouth, the tears dripping down his cheeks and quiet sobs escaping him. "I'll see you... I'll see you at home, kid..." Big John told him, before his chest ceased rising and John B hugged him tightly.

✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽

"Is this all of it?"

(Y/N) tore his attention away from his startling empty room to look over at Liz. He'd taken down most of his pictures, even those of him and Sarah, and packed them away in a box. He'd already chosen which ones he felt like keeping and which ones he felt fine with parting. His closet remained partly empty, a couple clothes kept in there just in case, but his essentials and anything sentimental had been packed away and in the back of his jeep.

"Yeah," (Y/N) nodded, pushing his hands into the pockets of his jacket and nodding to himself. "We're good to go, I guess."

"Good, 'cause I have a flight to catch." Liv walked forward, wrapping her arms around him before planting a kiss on his cheek. She scanned the room and hummed quietly, turning around and making her way to the door. "I'll be waiting for you on campus, alright? I already spoke to your future roomie-"

"Liv." (Y/N) groaned.

"And I have to say, he's pretty cute. I think you'll have fun together." Liv winked, her mischievous giggles echoing down the hall.

Rolling his eyes and quietly muttering to himself, (Y/N) took one last survey of his childhood bedroom. He'd miss it, even with all the lonesome memories it held. He walked toward the door and stepped outside, gently shutting it and making his way down the hall. His eyes took in every inch of the hall, gaze lingering on the rare family photos still hung up despite his parent's pending divorce. Things were better that way. They'd go their own way, find their own happiness. Communication with them had improved, at least. No more ignored calls.

"Goodbye, home sweet home." He whispered to himself, striding down the stairs and picking up his keys.

(Y/N) stepped outside and shut the door with a soft thud, locking it and double-checking it locked. He inhaled deeply and stepped off the porch, waving to Liv's car when it sped down the road. Topper waited at the end of the driveway, attempting to look as casual as possible while leaning against his truck.

"What's up, Top?"

"Came to see you off, is all," Topper responded with a shrug, pushing himself off the truck and walking up the driveway toward him. He stood in front of him, twisting his lips up a bit before throwing his arms around him in a tight hug. (Y/N) stumbled backward and chuckled, wrapping his arms around him. "I'm still mad at you.... but I'll miss you."

"Yeah, yeah, don't get into trouble, alright?" (Y/N) leaned back, ruffling up his pristine blonde locks and laughing when Topper huffed. "Keep an eye on Sarah, will you? But be nice about it."

"She's a big girl," Topper muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. "I will. Just for you, though."

"Uh-huh." (Y/N) climbed into his jeep and turned the engine on, feeling it come to life beneath him. He took another look at the boy and smiled, closing the door and resting his arm on top of it. "I'll be seeing you in a couple months, anyway. Got that big thing with the mayor, remember? Something about the treasure."

"Don't be a stranger, then!" Topper called, watching the car reserve out of the driveway.

With one last wave, (Y/N) drove down the street. He turned the volume of the radio up and absentmindedly listened to the random pop songs that played, his eyes focused on the scenery passing him by. The expensive houses, the snobby neighbors, the shimmering water peeking between the trees, the welcoming town between both worlds, the distant horn of the ferry. He'd miss Kildare but it felt good to finally break away from it.

The repeated honking of a car caught his attention and he rolled his eyes when the Twinkie drove up beside him with JJ halfway out of the passenger window. Whoops, hollers, and the occasional 'we'll miss you' came from the van and JJ playfully blew him a few kisses before being forced back into his seat by John B. The brunette pushed his hand into the horn a few more times before they turned down a different road.

"Idiots." (Y/N) whispered with a chuckle and pulled into a gas station, parking his car by one of the bumps and stepping out. He stuck his hand in his back pocket for his wallet and tugged it out, moving around his car and looking up in time to notice Sarah jogging across from the store.

"Liv told me you were gonna stop for gas here." She revealed with a chuckle, brushing back strands of blonde hair she'd recently recolored. Sarah smiled sweetly, glancing at the stuff stored in the back of his jeep. "The others are gonna pick me up in a second. I... I wanted to say bye to you alone. Well- Somewhat alone."

"All of you are acting as if I'm marching off war." (Y/N) snorted. Sarah laughed sheepishly and shrugged lightly, taking a few steps closer before she leaned up to press their lips together. She leaned back and rested her hands on his shoulders, her smile shifting into a sad one. She sighed shakily and chuckled again.

"Thank you, for everything... I couldn't have asked for a better boyfriend, ex or not. I'll really miss you and just know that- that I'll always have love for you, (Y/N). Remember that, okay? Promise you'll never forget how much I care about you... how much we all care for you." She told him softly, tilting her head up to gaze into his eyes. "Pogues for life?"

"Pogues for life." He echoed softly, combing his fingers through her hair and pressing his hand against her cheek. Sarah leaned into his touch and closed her eyes.

"I'm... I'm glad you're going for your happily ever after, (Y/N). Even if it's not with us. We'll always be here if you ever need us."

75 notes · View notes

abbys-wifey · 11 months

Text

Woe and behold

request linked here

pairing: amber freeman x female reader

warnings: death, betrayal, murder, blood,

a/n: IM SORRY TARA. IM SORRY READERS. guys i’m back writing again so feel free to send requests :)

“Hi baby.”

I smile at Tara’s pet name as I walk over to our group during our lunch break ignoring Ambers lingering glare towards Tara.

“Hi.” I reply sitting beside Tara and leaning over to kiss her cheek gently. Sitting back against the bench I glare at Amber for a second before turning back to Tara who now rests her head against my shoulder.

“Do you wanna come over later? Sam’s not gonna be home for hours.” She raises her eyebrows suggestively and I let out a laugh. “Sorry, I have an assignment I need to start, next time though I promise.” I kiss her forehead gently before turning my attention back to the group most of which didn’t even notice our affection exchange.

……

School finishes rather early today, letting me head home at a decent time.

Opening my front door I head to my kitchen, humming a tune as I open the fridge and sigh at the lack of contents inside. I debate what to do next when a thud in the other room causes me to pause, my hands moving slowly towards the knives beside the microwave.

“Hello?” I call into the empty apartment, the largest knife gripped so tight in my hand my knuckles bleed white. “If this is some kind of prank Mindy I’m going to have your head.” I yell out again slowly inching towards the living room.

Silence encompasses the house. Not even a whistle of the wind can be heard as I creep along the carpeted floor.

But the silence disappears as quickly as it appeared as another thud causes my head to snap around, a figure dressed in black with a white mask rushing at me.

Ghostface.

I scream as it wraps it’s arms around my torso, the glint of the knife pressing to my throat gently enough as to not draw blood but hard enough that I know if I move it’ll hurt.

Panting can be heard from behind the mask before an arm is removed from my waist to pull of the hood revealing the face behind it.

“Hi baby.” Ambers cheeks are slightly red as she giggles at my glare.

“Your an asshole you know that? We aren’t meant to be in our ghostface costumes unless we are actually pulling a murder.” I snap shoving Ambers shoulder as she pulls the knife from my throat.

The black haired girl pouts. “I wanted to see you. And I wanted to go over the plan again.” Her arms wrap around my waist, the black robe pressed against my body.

“Your lucky I love you.” I narrow my eyes playfully before leaning in to kiss her lips. “Yeah, I know.” Amber replies cheekily before leaning in to kiss me again.

“Can we kill Tara next? Please?” Amber pulls back and presses her forehead to my own. I raise an eyebrow at her question, my own forming on the tip of my tongue. “Are you jealous baby?” I smile slightly and lean over to peck her jaw as she frowns. “Just- I don’t understand why you have to pretend to date her.” Amber shrugs looking towards the floor.

I chuckle gently and tilt her chin back up so she can face me. “I love you Amber. Not Tara. I’m only dating her to have an alibi for the murders. She’s nothing to me. I promise.” I reassure the girl before me who nods slowly. “Ok.” She replies and nuzzles her face into the crook of my neck before pulling back suddenly.

“Don’t you have an assignment to do?” Amber asks with a puzzled frown. I shake my head and move my mouth beside her ear. “Lies. I just didn’t wanna fuck Tara. She doesn’t do it as good as you.” I whisper breathily, smiling at the goosebumps arising on her neck and the tightened grip on my waist.

“Wanna prove that theory?” Ambers eyes go dark as she gently pushes me towards my room. I nod enthusiastically smashing my lips against hers in search of satisfying the fire burning at my core.

……

“Welcome to act three.” Amber pulls the gun from her pants and shoots Liv straight through the forehead. Blood splatters all over my shirt as I fake a scream, pretending to be terrified. “Run.” Sam shouts, grabbing Richies hand and heading out the room, bullets narrowly missing her figure much to my disappointment.

“Baby, follow me quickly.” Tara cries hobbling in the doorway on her crutches. Amber stands on the other end of the room causing me to glance between the two.

“Baby?” Tara’s voice holds caution as she remains frozen in place. “Sorry T, but she’s not your baby anymore.” Amber smirks maliciously, her hand extended to me.

I laugh at Tara’s shock before moving to grab Ambers hand and pulling her in for a passionate kiss. My body remains glued to Ambers as I release her lips only to see Tara had disappeared. “Coward.” I scoff kissing Amber quickly before taking the gun from her hand.

“Hey baby I wanted the gun.” Amber pouts. My eyes roll playfully before I lean in close to her ear. “If I get the gun then once this is all over I’ll make it up to you.” I pur.

Amber nods enthusiastically before pressing a kiss to my lips. “I’ll find Sammy, you look for Tara.”

Nodding, we head out seperate ways. “Tara. Baby. I promise I’ll make this quick.” I shout maniacally, slamming open doors and dragging the gun against the walls to increase the tension and hopefully her terror.

Only when a crutch smacks me in the face do I realise I had fallen into a trap. Tara swipes her second crutch under my legs causing me to tumble to the floor, my gun clattering out of my hands and under the table inches away from my fingertips. Her moonboot digging into my side time and time again.

“No, I’m sorry baby. Your hurting me Tar. Please.” I beg curling in on myself as she continues battering me with her crutches. “You. Mother. Fucker.” She pants, the hits slowing as she grows tired. Her hesitancy as I plead gives me enough time to kick my foot hard against her broken ankle, a snap causing her to scream out in pain before collapsing against the wall.

I leap up, pushing my hand against her throat ignoring her cry. “You couldn’t even tell your own girlfriend didn’t love you.” I pout condescendingly.

Tara paws at my hands, tears spilling down her cheeks as her breathing slows. Just as her hands go limp my own breath gets caught in my throat. Pain rushes through my stomach and I instinctively drop my hand from her throat and move it to my abdomen.

Looking down, blood pours from a bullet wound, the red pooling on the floor just inches from where Tara has collapsed onto her knees. “Touch my sister again you bitch. I dare you.” Sam spits from behind me, gun outstretched in her hand.

My breathing comes out in short sharp gasps, no words leaving my throat as I attempt to speak. With a strangled gasp, I collapse to my knees tears flowing down my cheeks.

“Amber.” I manage to whine earning a scoff from the tall dark haired woman before me. “She’s gone.” Sam snaps placing the gun down to reach for Tara who holds her throat, eyes wide and vulnerable as she gazes at me.

“Please.” I pray on her vulnerability, reaching a hand to her to which Sam slaps away.

“You motherfuckers.” A high pitched screech echoes throughout the hallway before a pattering of footsteps causes Sam to re grab the gun.

Ambers jaw is clenched tightly, her hand wrapped around the knife as she lunges at Sam swinging wildly. “I’m gonna rip out your heart you coward.” She screams before another gun shot is heard, Amber freezing in place.

“No.” I gasp finding enough strength to reach for the black haired girl who stumbles slightly gazing up at Sam in torment before collapsing against the wall, slowly falling to the ground.

Reaching her side, my body slumps against the wall, rejecting my attempts at moving closer. Removing my bloodied hands from my stomach I press them against her chest where her blood pours from.

“No. No.” She whimpers, blinking slowly, her gaze moving from the sisters to my eyes, her brown softening slightly. “Not you.” She manages to wheeze. Tears crawl down her cheeks, a weak hand raising to cup my face.

Both Carpenters remain on the other side of the room, now standing up, Tara’s arm wrapped tightly around Sams waist in order to remain stable. “Come on let’s get out of here. Let them be.” Sam looks almost sorrowful as she leads the shorter girl out the house. Tara looks back only once as they walk away, her own tears falling over her quivering lips. “Goodbye.” She whispers to herself.

“Keep your eyes open for me baby.” Amber breathes, her chest rising and falling with difficulty. I smile dopily at her but that smile falters as her hand drops from my face, her own face scrunching up in a grimace, the pain spreading from her chest as more blood pours out of her wound.

“Ambs.” I manage to breathe, the searing pain in my stomach increasing as sobs begin racking my body. Amber groans half heartedly, her head lolling to the side. “No no no no.” I whimper. My hand presses as hard as I can possibly can against her chest pleading the blood to stop pouring as I watch her chest slowly stop rising.

Heartache tears through my chest, the torturous feeling worse than the bullet wound as I watch the woman I love mosts eyes become devoid of her usual soft brown.

“I love you baby.” I wheeze letting my own head fall against her chest, ignoring her bloody wound. It can’t hurt her anymore.

I can’t find the energy to remain with my eyes open, not wanting to witness Ambers corpse any longer. Instead I succumb to the dark blanket of death, feeling my chest slow and the pain fade.

And just as I find myself drifting into the endless void, Ambers voice echoes through my head.

“See you on the other side.”

#wlw post #lesbian #fluff #mikey madison #amber freeman #scream #mikey madison x female reader #sam carpenter #tara carpenter #angst

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givethemsmut · 3 months

Text

Dom Mysterio x Reader

Chapter Seventeen | Where It All Started…

Dom brought me straight the WWE medical team, standing by my side with his arms folded up against his chest. The news stayed the same, I had lost the baby and the numbness I felt was overwhelming.

Maybe it was the pills they gave me helping to ease the pain but either way I felt far away.

Once the doctor confirmed, wrote some more prescriptions for more meds, Dom showed me to the Judgement Day bus. He had promos and damage control for being out.

“WWE scrapped the idea with Randy. Now I gotta find out what I’m doing. Doc said to take it easy so stay here, in bed. I’ll be back to check on you.” He said that before kissing my forehead and leaving me there.

Brushing off the clear worry across his face I got underdressed, crawling under the covers, and clamping my eyes down closed as the cramps kept pounding through me. The voices bullied me until I fell asleep finally.

Reaching for the bottle of pills before even reaching for my phone I swallowed two whole without any water.

Unlocking my phone I saw the texts from Dominik clouding my notifications when I read each one carefully.

Dom: Don’t watch RAW until I can talk to you.

Dom: Please just listen to me. I’ll explain later.

Dom: Text me when you wake up.

Dom: It’s too much to text. They want to do a storyline with Liv now that Rhea is out on injury. I’ll explain more later, I promise.

Dropping my phone down on the bed, searching for the remote, and flicking on the TV to RAW just like Dom advised me to not watch. It was just starting when I watched Liv in the middle of the ring with her title belt.

My phone buzzed and I saw his name come across the screen again.

Dom: I’m about to go out. It’s just a storyline. I’ll explain. Call me when you’re up.

I ignored his message and let all of my attention focus on the TV when Dom rushed out towards the stage trying to get a word in edgewise but couldn’t. The crowd was too loud shouting “you suck” for him to even defend himself.

Climbing the ring, toe-to-toe with Liv, she backed him into a corner. Caressing his face and hair I sat up straighter. It’s just a storyline echoed in my head but none of that mattered when you’re forced to watch it.

“I want everything Rhea has,” she almost had melody to her voice before Finn interrupted them.

I was glued to RAW, not daring to take my eyes off it and ignoring every call of Dom’s. He was ring side for another match when he slipped out of the ring only to be attacked by Liv’s mouth.

My boyfriend, the father of our child I lost, was kissing Liv for a storyline. The same girl who wanted him before.

Dom had exited the screen and almost a few moments later I got another call. Answering it I put it on speaker phone, letting it sit on the bed, while I debated the silence.

“It’s just a storyline. I have no control over the storyline. I didn’t even kiss her back.” He pleaded for some kind of mercy.

In a shaky whisper I responded, “I just lost our baby. That’s the last thing I need to happen, Dom.”

“Fuck,” was all I heard before the line went silent again.

“I shouldn’t be here, Dom. I thought being close to you would help but it’s not.” I tried not to cry but I couldn’t help it. The small sobs wrecked through my voice.

Hanging up I didn’t wait to exchange goodbyes when I locked the door to the back bedroom on the bus. Hiding next to the bed I sat on the floor crying knowing I had lost our baby.

The knock at the door was loud, forcing my shoulders to jump up to my ears. “Baby, please open the door. Let me explain their plan.”

I ignored him when my phone buzzed. An old WWE friend, not mutual but just someone I clicked with.

CM Punk: Feel like escaping? I heard you’re hiding on some bus.

Me: Dom is trying to break the bedroom door down. Kind of busy.

CM Punk: I can creat a distraction. Gimme me five.

I laughed for the first time in over 24 hours. It felt familiar and comforting.

Yanking the door open I forced myself to look at him. “It’s just a storyline. You know we have to act, not just wrestle. I’m sorry you saw that, I tried to warn you, mi amore. I didn’t want you to see.”

“So it’s okay as long as I don’t see it? Dom. We aren’t just some new couple dating where my feelings are wildly invalidated. We’ve known each other forever, we were starting a family, and that shit is what we would do to hurt each other. Why don’t you get that? I finally gave in and we’re still playing old games.” I said it before grabbing my bag I brought with me and pushing past him.

“Where are you going?” Dom shouted after me but I kept walking. With his long legs it wasn’t hard to catch up to me, grabbing my arm and forcing me back until I collided with him. “Don’t fucking do this. Fans are right there, watching.”

“Watching you, not me. I’m gonna go book a hotel room. I just need some space.” I didn’t know what I needed but space sounded good. The wave of cramps shot through me like an actual bullet when my knees buckles and I grabbed onto Dom.

He held onto me, lowering down and shouting for security to get medical when everything seemed to blur out of focus. It was honestly a relief from trying so hard to fix everything and to give into him the way he wanted.

It felt deserved to just close my eyes and bow down to the pain tearing through me.

I woke up in a hospital hooked up to wires and machines chirping routinely. “Dom?”

I felt his hand before I heard his voice, “I’m right here. There was an infection, they did a procedure but you’re okay now.”

“I can’t have kids again?” I whispered my biggest fear out-loud since the first time we got pregnant.

His chair screamed against the tile floor, getting as close as he could. “They didn’t say that. We won’t know that. You just need to rest.”

“So going back home?” I knew the second the pain brought me to my knees I was going home. My body had freaked out, rejected the happiness and forced me to get all the space I threatened us with.

“For now. You need to rest. You can come back out for Mania babe. My mom is gonna stay with you.”

“I have friends…” We grew up adjunct to WWE, all my friends were mutual friends of Dom, other wrestlers.

“Finn is off before Mania. He can stay with you a few days.” Dom offered and I looked at him like he was kidding. “I have the rotation set up already.”

“Don’t joke. I don’t need babysitters.” I quipped before sitting up and feeling every sore spot come alive.

The nurse interrupted us when she swiftly got to my side and took my vitals. “We’ll discharge you tomorrow with everything you need. Cramping and bleeding are normal. Make sure you take your pain medication and call us if it exceeds the dosage.”

I took in every word. “When can we try again? When is it safe?”

The nurse’s face dropped and I wanted to crawl inside myself. “Sweetie, let your body heal first.”

Dom handed me my bag after she left and I rummaged through it for the pain pills. Swallowing them whole I pushed my earbuds in and drowned out the world. Everything felt broken inside of just me and I didn’t know how to handle that.

#dom mysterio #wwe fanfiction #fanfic #wwe #fanfiction #dom mysterio x reader #dominik mysterio #dominik mysterio fanfic #dom mysterio fanfic #dominik mysterio x reader

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carlisle-cullen · 4 months

Note

Hey! Do you think you could please make a tutorial on how to add transparent shapes over a gif? The way you do it gives a gif such an unique touch.

sure thing and thanks for the compliment! i'm gonna show how i did the shapes in this and this set. i'll be using this gif of liv:

now i'm gonna use google to search for a transparent shape. i usually find mine by looking up something like "flower svg" or "flower png." just make sure the background is transparent (if not, use remove.bg to do so if you don't know how to in photoshop plus it's a lot easier)

drag the shape onto your gif's canvas. use the free transform tool to adjust its size to the way you like it. i now have something like this:

if your shape is already white, you can skip this part! but mine is black, and it won't have the "difference" effect on it. so open the blending options on the layer (right click the layer > click blending options) and click color overlay. make sure the blend mode is normal, and change the color to white. turn that layer into a smart object, (right click > convert to smart object) and now you should have something like this:

you can now put the shape's layer blending mode to "difference."

you can try putting it on "overlay", "exclusion" or any other option to see what you like better! but i mostly use "difference." this is my gif now:

open the blending options on the layer again and go back to color overlay. change the color to whatever you want. for this example, i'm gonna use pink! then switch the blend mode to "multiply" or "color", depending on your preference on how it looks. i'm gonna keep mine at "multiply" and now my gif looks like this:

and that's pretty much it! now you can leave it like that, or do whatever you want to it. sometimes i add a drop shadow or a stroke, kinda mess with it to see what looks best. i hope this helped you and lmk if you need any more help :)

#ask #ps ask #anonymous

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pandorasprongs · 1 year

Text

CHAPTER TWO | you'll always know me.

'it's nice to have a friend' masterlist + playlist | previous chapter

PAIRING: jamie tartt x fem!reader

WORD COUNT: 4.3k

SUMMARY: a few weeks after their run-in, jamie suddenly craves some pizza and someone to share it with.

WARNINGS: language

A/N: here is chapter two! there's a little more jamie pov in this one just to see his side of things and we watch them catch up more in this one and see what liv (reader's friend) thinks about this whole thing ;)

After Jamie dropped you off, you didn't hear from him for weeks. Things just went back to normal for you after that night, and maybe you should've been glad. That was the closest to closure with Jamie that you could stomach, but there was still a part of you that hoped that every time your phone rang, it was him.

On the brighter side, Liv had started to make plans for the wedding and her first order of business was to ask you to be the Maid of Honor, a role you happily accepted. In between grading papers and office hours, you'd look through catalogs and websites that your best friend had sent you. Both activities were exactly what you needed to take your mind off Jamie.

But for the footballer, he couldn't stop thinking about you. He wanted to believe that you really had forgiven him, in some capacity. But each time he had the urge to reach out, the fear of you backtracking on your word overcame him.

This wasn't normal. He was Jamie fucking Tartt, for Christ's sake! He's been with tons of girls. More often than not, one text was enough for the guy and all was forgiven. But he hadn't been with anyone in months, and it was different now. It was different with you. It always had been.

Even back when you were kids, it was your opinion of him that he valued over most people, with the exception of his mum. You were the one he went to if he needed advice about girls or comments on his football form. You were the one he went to when he wanted to screw around, setting up traps for your parents as kids or sneaking beers to your rooms as teenagers.

Hell, you were the one he went to when he fucked up and needed help to fix his mess. Maybe that's why he doesn't know what to do now, cause he can't very well ask you for advice on yourself.

So instead of powering through his fears and calling you, he settled for searching you up. Just to see what you've been doing these past few years. His mum would sometimes mention a thing or two about you that she heard from your parents when he visited her, but he rarely actually listened, something that filled him with guilt in the present.

The first thing he found was research papers and articles with you listed as an author. They were all about varying topics, but it was always in the realm of genetics. You'd always loved biology and writing from what Jamie remembered, and he was just glad to see you doing what you always wanted. He tried to scan through one of the research papers for fun, but when he didn't understand a lick of it, he decided to cut his losses and check what else he could find.

He ended up on the page of an organization from your uni and found a video with you on stage as the thumbnail. It was almost 5 years old, around the time when...

Jamie hesitantly presses play and the clip starts with you walking up the stage. You seemed so confident and unafraid of the crowd in front of you. Maybe it was the liquid courage in your hand, but the footballer had never seen you so at ease before performing.

"Hello everyone! It's me again," You started, your energy easily transferring to the crowd who erupted in applause. "This will actually be my last song for a while because fuck finals!" There's laughter off-camera as you stabilize yourself.

"Before I start the song, I just want to give some background on why I picked it, if you’ll let me. This is dedicated to an old friend of mine. He was one of my favorite people in the world, but unfortunately, he's become an absolute fucking prick! Woo! So, what better way than to end the night with this song?" When he hears that, Jamie's heart drops and he closes the video as you sing the opening note.

He doesn't know why; this was years ago and you were obviously not as angry as back then. But the mere thought that there was a point in time where you felt enough hatred for him to go in front of a crowd and yell "Fuck you, fuck you very, very much!" only worsened his fears.

If Jamie from a year ago had seen the video, he wouldn’t have done anything. He'd scoff, call you bitter, and that would be the end of it because pretending it didn't hurt was, for him, a better option than apologizing for what he's done. But this was a new and improved Jamie, one that was trying to atone for his mistakes that Ted, Dr. Sharon, and the entire team so kindly pointed out when he came back to Richmond. Empathy, he had to have that. This was probably the best version of himself, but that didn't mean that just because all was forgiven by Richmond, everything else in his life was okay.

There was still you. Looking at how much you've done with your life, how confident you've become, and how happy you seemed to be with your new friends, he really must've been a dead weight on you. You almost even gave up the chance to study in Cardiff because of him, but thank God you snapped out of it and saw how ridiculous that was. Maybe you were better off without him, even at his best.

But Jamie was still having a hard time giving up his selfish habits.

Now, he was on a date with a French model. He had no real interest to get back into the dating scene, but he just had to get Richard off his back about setting him up. He had to keep holding himself back from pointing out that just because he was French, Richard was not fucking Cupid. It was even clearer to him when he was bored out of his mind barely 15 minutes into the date.

She was beautiful, of course, but neither of them could say an actual word to each other the whole time. Well, aside from her snide remark after he paired red wine with a type of fish, which honestly sealed the deal for Jamie.

He stayed the whole duration of the thing just to be polite; he even paid for the whole meal himself. But seeing how both of them spent almost the whole thing on their phones, there wasn't going to be a second date.

The food wasn't even filling, so now not only did Jamie just waste one of his best suits, he was still starving. While waiting for the valet to bring his car to the front, he spotted a group of fans hovering outside of the shop and decided to go greet him. It was a regular occurrence as a footballer, so he did the usual: signed some footballs and pictures, took selfies with some fans, and doing small talk with some of the younger fans. Maybe it was because they sometimes reminded him of a younger version of himself, but he always put extra effort to make those little kid's interaction with him enjoyable, even if their parents could be pushy as hell.

Jamie never hated interacting with fans, except occasionally when it was 1 am in a crowded pub and some of them acted like they were best friends. It was an absolute ego boost because he could act as cocky as he wanted and they’d love it anyway. Especially back in Man City when they would cheer his name as he left the clubhouse. God, no wonder he became a prick so quickly. He still had fans now, but he’d learned how to act more humble with them. Just a little bit more humble.

Once his car pulled up, he felt a notification from his phone and opened it to find a message from Simon. Hi Jamie! Your mum and I hope you're doing well. Congrats on the promotion!

It wasn't odd for Jamie to get texts from his step-dad which always opened with a check-in, then usually followed by a recipe of biscuits he could try and make at home or asking on his mum's behalf if he'd be visiting soon.

Before he could open the chat to reply, another text popped up.

Was looking through some old boxes (trying to find one of the homemade cookie cutters you made before), and found this picture!

Attached was a photo of their kitchen from years ago, which is obvious by the multiple school football team photos hanging on the fridge. It was you and Jamie, around 16 years old, eating some homemade pizza that Simon had made. The photo captured you staring at the slice as if it was Jesus reincarnated and caught Jamie staring at you. Jamie admits, he almost thought he liked you then, but that was probably because he saw you so often and puberty's a weird fucking time.

All Jamie could reply was, That's a nice picture, just so it wouldn't seem like he wasn’t replying on purpose.

His stepdad sent another one: Real fun that I managed to capture this! Wonder how (Y/N)'s doing now. Heard she went to the final Richmond game. Did you see her?

Yeah, after the game. Jamie answered honestly, as the valet handed him his keys and he got into the car.

That's nice you got to catch up with her. You guys were inseparable, back then. Well, stay safe, Jamie!

That was the end of the conversation, but a part of Jamie wanted to believe it was a sign. He didn't really believe in all that universal power and destiny type of thing, but if it gave him an excuse to reach out, he was going to take it.

That same night, you were at your flat, supposedly resting. Sundays were the only days you never had a class scheduled, but you were behind on grading your students' drafts because you had to allot a new chunk of your time to helping Liv with your maid-of-honor duties. Now, you were sitting on the floor of your living room in the same tank top and pajama pants you woke up in, racing through your students' papers that you promised to return the next day. Say what you will about procrastination, but it has never failed you once.

As you finish writing the grade on one of the papers, you get a call from an unknown number. You're too focused on the task at hand to fully comprehend it, and so you just press accept and put it on speaker.

"Hello, who's this?" You say mindlessly, your eyes scanning through the next essay.

"Uh, it's Jamie," Your underline extends just a little bit past the line due to your surprise. When you don’t say anything in reply to that, he takes the chance to explain, "I'm in the area and I was starving. I got a pizza, but I don't think I can finish it by myself, so if you're hungry, maybe I can pass by?"

Once you got past the initial shock, you were now contemplating whether or not to take him up on his offer. You honestly thought the car ride was going to be the end of it. But you were starving too and it was getting too late to order any food without seriously inconveniencing some workers at the end of their shift, so against your better judgment, you say yes.

You move to start fixing up your place to look more put together, but the doorbell rings before you get the chance to. Oh, fuck it, he's seen worse. You walk over to the door and find Jamie already here carrying a box of pizza. His hair was neatly slicked back and while it's weird to see him properly groomed late at night, you know that he's always been particular about his hair.

"How'd you get here so fast?" You questioned.

"I may have already been waiting outside when I called." Jamie shrugs and you give him a playful look. He seems to instantly relax at your reaction and you let him inside. He goes to place the box on your kitchen counter but takes a look around what you considered to be a messy apartment.

The university set you up with a good flat with two bedrooms, much to your parents' delight. It was mostly furnished when you moved in, so it was just up to you to decorate it. You liked the look of plants in a house but were always shit at taking care of them, so succulents and LEGO flowers were the compromises. You sprinkled photos around the place from different points in your life. In one of your more forgiving moments, you even hung some childhood pictures with Jamie, but moved them to the top of your bookshelf so you wouldn't have to see them everyday.

"Stevie Nicks, nice." He pointed to one of the albums you had hanging above your TV. It was next to your copy of Folklore and Punisher. Maybe a slight outlier, but you grew up with her music thanks to Jamie.

"Yeah," You turned back to the footballer to see him fully decked out in a dark grey suit with a blue collared shirt under that was a little oversized for him, but somehow, he made it work. You join him at the counter and lean on it, before pointing out, "A little dressed up for a late-night pizza run, don't you think?"

"Oh, yeah," He looked down at his outfit before opening the box and turning to you. "Was on a date before this. A teammate of mine set it up."

You stop yourself from showing your surprise at this revelation. You don't even know why you're surprised; he was obviously going on dates all the time like most footballers did. Maybe you were just surprised that he wasn’t currently in a relationship.

"How'd it go?" You ask nonchalantly, reaching over to grab two plates from the drying rack and a slice of pizza for yourself.

Jamie doesn't even try and hide his reaction to you asking, but he answers anyway. "As well as a date where neither of you spoke a word to each other could go. So, pretty shit." When his team would ask him about it on Monday, he was going to lie and say that things were fine, but they probably weren't going on another date. But he needed to be honest with one person.

You cover your mouth as you chew to stop the laughter. "Damn, that sucks."

The two of you go to the living room area and you move around the papers to make space for your plates.

"What's all this?" After unbuttoning his coat, Jamie took it off and hung it neatly on the arm of your coach before helping you stack up the papers in a neat pile. "You're a teacher?"

"Yup, I'm a professor." You clarified and settled down on the couch to put on a sitcom on your TV. "They offered me the job when I was completing my Master’s degree, but I decided to stay on cause I liked teaching."

Jamie raised his eyebrows and tilted his head. You furrow yours and ask, "Why? You surprised?"

"Well yeah, you hated tutoring back then." He points out and all you can do is scoff.

"Correction, I hated tutoring you." Jamie almost looks offended, but you continue. "Almost every one of our tutoring sessions ended early cause you kept finding ways to distract me or convince me to take a 'break.' All my other tutees were manageable."

"And yet, you kept up with it." He gives you a triumphant look and you playfully roll your eyes.

"Yeah, because I loved Aunt Georgie and knew how bad she felt every time you failed an exam." You remind him. "It was worth putting up with your nonsense because your marks got better every time I helped you out."

Jamie laughs and you feel a pang in your chest. The last time the two of you had been in a situation like this, — hanging out and just talking on a couch, — was seven years ago. You weren't sure which of your emotions were stronger: the warmth from being able to do this with him again or the pain from knowing why you stopped. But right now, you just wanted to enjoy it.

And turns out, Jamie was thinking about something similar, too. Only he verbalized it after a quiet moment. "I missed this. I missed you."

You couldn't stop the smile from creeping up on your face, but couldn't bring yourself to say it back, so instead you simply say, "Same."

Before it gets too awkward, Jamie decides to ask, "So aside from deciding to be a nerd for life," you punch him lightly in the arm, "what else have you been doing these past few years?"

You're not really sure where to start. You couldn't ask him to start because the media made sure to tell you every detail of his life, so you just start from where you left off.

"I guess, I started joining clubs in uni. Not ones for applications anymore, but things I liked. So I did some performing in an on-campus club which was nice." Jamie was always the first to compliment you on your voice because he was the only person you were willing to sing in front of. It did suck looking back that he couldn’t be there the first time you performed in front of the crowd, but that was his fault, wasn’t it?

"After graduation, I moved here to be a lab technician but didn't really like that, hence why I became a professor. What else? Dated a bit, here and there, but nothing ever serious." You don't know why you admitted that to him, but you continue on. "I'd go traveling with Mom and Dad during summer and with Liv, my best friend, too. Do some performing on faculty nights and... I think that's it."

Jamie nods his head, absorbing the information, and you add, "Not that remarkable, I know. At least, compared to your footballer lifestyle."

"Nah. I mean, it's been fun, but less exciting than you think." Jamie was definitely downplaying it, both of you knew that.

"Oh please, didn't you date Keeley Jones, and become teammates with Roy fucking Kent? Sixteen-year-old you would be reeling!"

You still remember the time that he put up their posters, both of them. And truthfully, you were more unsettled by Roy's poster than Keeley's. It felt like he was staring into your soul every time you slept over. "Kinda surprised though that you guys became rivals. I thought you'd be worshipping the ground he walked on if you got to work with him."

He hesitates and for a second, you think you've said something wrong. But he explains, "Yeah, I was a prick when I got loaned to Richmond and he didn't really like that as captain, y'know? But I think we're good now. Well, better. Pretty sure he still doesn't like me, but at least we're not fighting during matches anymore."

His tone was playful, but Jamie definitely felt bad about how his relationship with his idol turned out. He really did admire Roy Kent and that was very clear to everyone around you back then. There was a time that Chelsea had a match in Manchester, but it was during class hours, so you begged your dad on his vacation day to go to the hotel where they were staying and get his Roy Kent poster signed. You've never seen him happier. So knowing that for a point in time, they hated each other's guts, the Jamie you knew would be absolutely crushed.

"Well, he's your coach now, so maybe you'll get a chance to bond with him like the younger you always dreamed about." You offer, and Jamie just chuckles.

The rest of the night was spent catching up on each other's lives until it was almost 11 and Jamie had to head off. For a moment there, you forgot you were ever mad at him. That it was time and busy schedules that kept you apart all these years. But after passing by your bookshelf and spotting an old picture of the two of you at seventeen, it gives you a reality check.

No, stop dwelling on the past. You didn't need to, anymore. Things were fine now. You didn't have to harbor any anger for Jamie anymore. You shook any thoughts about it away and got ready for bed.

—

"Fuck, why did you ever quit doing research?" Liv points out and you just chuckle at her reaction. The two of you met up after your last class of the day for early dinner and while waiting for your dishes, she asked you for some help with the dosages of the most recent drug she was working on.

"Teaching was my calling." You also had more flexible hours, a summer break, and free housing, but you didn't feel the need to point that out. Once she finalizes the notes on the formulas, she stuffs them back into her bag and starts telling you about all the new office drama.

You and Liv had gotten the same degree from Cardiff and were coincidentally in the same hall as well, so many nights of yours were spent studying on the same exams and quizzing one another into the early hours of the morning. You had become practically inseparable, and even after graduation, you applied to the same companies and were roommates for a bit.

Then she and Frankie started to get serious and since it was around the time you changed jobs, she moved in with him and you started living on your own. Even after the changes and not sharing a single bathroom anymore, the two of you still spent as much time together as possible. You probably wouldn't have made it through uni and early adult life without her.

"Also, do you remember Marta? From sales?" You groan at the reminder of your former co-worker. "She got fired! She was forging budget reports!”

"Oh fuck," you exclaim and Liv just laughs at your reaction. "It's about time, though! She made the interns' lives a living hell, especially the women. Then when you get promoted above her, she'd act like you were best friends."

Soon, your food arrives and you take a break from chatting until you're on your way back to your flat. It was the nearer one of the two and Frankie had night shift at the hospital, so you just planned on watching a movie there.

While walking, Liv brings up the wedding and you enthusiastically join in. "I found some flower arrangements and centerpieces that might work for each of your possible themes. I'll show you the magazines when we get back to my place."

"God, I love you," Liv brings you in for a side hug as you go up the stairs of your building and you happily reciprocate it, despite the awkward position. When you finally get back, you dart to your dining room table to collect the magazines.

Your phone pings and you open it to find a picture from Jamie. His background looked like a salon, also seeing as his hair was dyed and blow-dried.

Blond? Bold choice. You send in reply, before adding, Looks good though.

Walnut mist, actually. He adds and you roll your eyes at the message before pocketing your phone again.

As you go back to opening the magazine to the pages you want to show to Liv, she suddenly asks, "You thinking about bringing a date to the wedding?"

You scoff in reply. "No, why?"

"I don't know, maybe you'd want to bring whoever the owner of this jacket is." You tilt your head in confusion before turning around to see her holding up Jamie's jacket. How had he forgotten that here? And there was no way to convince her it was yours because she knew your wardrobe better than you probably did. "Better start talking now."

You stuff the magazines under your arm before going back over to here and grabbing it. "Okay look, I did have a guy over, but it's not what you think." Liv's eyes instantly light up, but you try and calm her as you blurt out, "It's Jamie's! He came over last night to share a pizza and we just talked."

"Jamie? As in Jamie Tartt? Formerly Man City, now AFC Richmond Jamie Tartt?" Liv repeats and you nod, causing her expression to contort. "I thought you hated the guy!"

"I do!" You defend yourself. "I used to, but he gave me a ride home after the Richmond final and we patched things up."

"So he apologized?"

"Not necessarily," Liv looks like she's about to yell at you by how wide her eyes got, but you hold out your hands again. "I told him not to! I just... I don't want to deal with all of that right now."

Liv gives you sympathetic eyes before she brings you down to sit on the couch. There are a few quiet moments before she finally says something. "Look, I know that he meant a lot to you and that you guys used to be close, so yeah, maybe you don't need an apology to fix things. I don’t know how your friendship was, but honestly (Y/N), from experience, denying it won't fix it. You've harbored such strong feelings for him for so long and I saw how it broke you that night. Talking through it with him might be a good thing, even if it's hard. Cause at some point, you might just explode because of it."

"I know," you admit. "You're obviously right! But, I don't want to talk about it just yet. It's nice being able to spend time with him again." She gives you a disappointed look, so you simply add. "I promise. Triple swear, I will talk about it with him and you'll be the first to know what happens."

"Okay, good." She seems satisfied with the promise, especially since you used your ultimatum with her that you made back in college. Back then, you used it to promise that you'd load each other's clothes into the machine. But now, it was used for bigger things. "Now, let's look through these stylings you picked, yeah?"

A/N: yay! another chapter done and i hope you like this one! reader should definitely start listening to liv (tee hee). i apologize if it’s a little fast paced but there’s only a few chapters in this fic so bear with me and i hope you all still enjoy it. i'm definitely thinking of doing insert chapters and outtakes like illiterateaffairs’ distraction series once it’s over if you guys would be interested in that! that’s all, see you next time!

TAGLIST: @moonflowersandsparkles @faith-alons26 @rexorangecouny @aiyaiy @thegirlthatwantedtowrite @giggling-sewer-ginger @katdahlali @higherthanheroes @guccilongboard @alipap3 @rockchickrebel @ellietartt @shineforever19 @skewedcherries @jamirtarttdodo @scaramou @rae4725 @oxxolovemelikeyoudooxxo (couldn't tag you for some reason?)

#jamie tartt #jamie tartt x reader #jamie tartt reader #ted lasso #jamie tartt fanfiction #jamie tartt imagine #jamie tartt fic #ted lasso fanfic #jamie tartt fanfic #jamie tartt fluff #jamie tartt x f!reader #jamie tartt x female reader #it's nice to have a friend series

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elejah-wonderland · 9 months

Text

_elejah au

Love is in the Air

_tvd fanfic_Part 1

a/n: this is a light-hearted, romantic little story.

New Orleans

"I am all packed" Elijah said to his sister Rebekah on the phone.

"Why Rome?" the blonde asked.

"I just had this idea for my next book. And I need to go there to get the feel of the city, do some research at the archives." Elijah said.

"So, it's going to be another murder mystery with historical background?!" Rebekah stated.

"Burning Wings was such a great success and now they want me to write a sequel," Elijah said, "and a couple of nights ago I had a dream that kind of set this idea in my head to put the plot in Rome."

"Well, I hope it will not all be work- after your divorce you have done nothing but work."

"I plan to take time off and enjoy the city. Stefan is gone with Valerie to visit his brother and his wife Rosalie in Amesterdam and I got his apartment for a whole month." Elijah explained.

Rebekah sighed a little as her brother mentioned her ex-boyfriend Stefan Salvatore.

"I am sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned him."

"It's ok. I just- it will always be hard cuz- you know - I messed ut up and now- ok- right. When is your flight?" Rebekah asked.

"Tomorrow morning. I will call you when I get there." Elijah replied.

"All right. Have a great time. And try not to just work." Rebekah said and with a little bye and Elijah's promise that he will also take time to enjoy his holiday, they hung up.

Pressing the search button, the latest articles with the news popped up. And the picture of the woman he had met ten years ago as he visited his sister, who was studying in the prestige old private Mystic Falls College for liberal arts, now stared at him.

His eyes smiled seeing the photo, which was clearly from one of her premieres as she was a famous actress.

And then he saw the article headline.

Elena Gilbert rumored to be secretly engaged to Mason Wood.

Elijah sighed a little and not reading further, swiped the page off and went to a subject he was interested in.

In Florence, Italy

Elena walked in her hotel room followed by her personal assistant and manager, Jo Parker.

"Thank God today was the last day of the shoot. Can you please reschedule everything for at least a week?!" Elena said."I am so going away and I don't want to know about anything. Please."

"All right. So, what shall I book you? Bali?"

"No. I already made my own arrangements." Elena said.

"What? I didn't want to ask - but - are you seeing Mason again?" Jo asked.

"No. Well, we hooked up again- and that's all" Elena replied waving away with an insignificant huff.

"Right. Do you want me to say something about the non-engagement? It's all over the internet"

"No. Just leave it. It will blow over. Especially when they soon see him with Erin." Elena explained.

"Erin Lindsay? Seriously?" Jo now asked.

"A couple of days after our hook up I saw him with her all lovey at the same hotel." Elena said followed by a little sigh.

"Oh, sweety - you still thought that -"

"Yeah- I kind of thought that maybe the hook up would be - but things were over with us ages ago- I don't know why I thought that there - and I am not even in love with him really - anyway, enough of it."

"Where are you going?" the manager asked.

"Rome." Elena replied.

"Rome?" Jo was surprised.

"Yes. And I am going incognito. I got Francesca's keys to her apartment. I need to get away from everything and everyone. Take a week off- maybe two." Elena replied.

"Ok. I have something for you to read. Liv is still negotiating to get the rights to do a movie, but it's nearly in the bag and Tristan is very interested in producing this," Jo now got a book out of her bag, adding,"it's a historical thriller and you would be playing Angel, she is a 15th century librarian, who investigates a murder involving an ancient curse. The book was No.1 everywhere!"

Elena took the book and looked at it, muttering,"Elijah Smith?" and then turned the book around. The face on the back now made her heart jump.

"Interested? The book is really good - there are so many twists and turns - I could not put it down till I finished it. There is a very ambiguous cliffhanger at the end - and apparently there is going to be Burning Wings 2- Elena?"

"Ha? What?" Elena now snapped out of her momentary daze.

"Interested?"

"Yeah" Elena said breathing in a gulp.

Jo smiled a little, gathering why Elena got a tad bit taken in.

"He is such an eye-candy, right?"

"Yeah" Elena said and put the book down on the table.

"What's up?"

"Nothing," Elena replied, "ahm- I want to go shower and I think I will hit the bed."

"All right. I will see you at breakfast? Shall I rent- a- car for you?"

"Yes, please. Thanks, Jo. Sorry, I am just so wasted."- Elena now said rubbing her neck a bit.

"I know. Don't worry. Ok. See you in the morning." Jo said and then taking her bag from the chair left the actress's room.

As the door clicked on the way out, Elena now shot a look at the book, flashing back to the past.

Flashback

Ten years back

"May I?" Elijah asked politely for the seat on the bench.

"Yes" Elena said removing the books so the man could sit down.

"Maybe it appears odd that I want to sit here though the other bench over there is empty, but it's too exposed on the sun and it's such a great shade here under this oak" Elijah said as he sat down.

"Yeah- it's crazy hot today," Elena replied,"and it's only May"

Elijah's eyes now descended on one of the books - "Roman Tragedy", and then a guide book on Rome. "Ah, Rome - such a great city."

Elena now swayed her look from her book she was reading.

"Have you been there?"

"Yes, last summer. With my sister Rebekah and my brother Kol." Elijah replied.

"Rebekah is your sister?"

"Yes. I am here to meet her. And she specificly said - to be at the White Oak Tree. She is running late. You know her?" Elijah explained.

"We are in the play together." Elena replied.

"Oh, really? She didn't say anything about it. Is she any good?"

Elena nodded a little.

"Not that great, ha?"

"She is, and she could be excellent, but she seems not to care that much. Ok, I shouldn't saybanything really."

"Oh, you're ok. She is my sister and I love her, but I know what she is like. She excels only at things she really is passionate about, and if she is not - well, she can be superficial."

"Yeah" Elena slipped.

"She wants to be a designer, she told me and I saw some of her designs - and they are amazing. Her show is the evening. But I guess, you know that?!" Elena said.

"Yes, that's why I am here." Elijah now said.

He then saw Rebekah approaching and he stood up. And just before he went to his sister, he turned to the brunette, introducing himself, "I'm Elijah."

"I'm Elena." the woman said.

_to be continued

#elejah #elena gilbert #elijah mikaelson #alternative universe #tvd au #elena and elijah #tvd imagines #fanfiction #part 1 #love is in the air #book cover designed by me #aka elijah smith

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itsrheasgirl · 1 year

Text

AN UNEXPECTED GUEST - PART 7

Chapter 2 for Forbidden Love series. The Forbidden Love series follows a relationship between Rhea x Reader.

•

The Reader has a strong friendship with Liv Morgan.

•

Liv is in love with The Reader but hasn’t told them.

•

fem!reader - rhea x reader.

•

@rheasbaee @riverscyberwife @you-got-me-star-lost-16 @innagnv @bittersweetastoria @chillinbri @call-me-a-simp @sithfar @rooskaya-yelena @half-of-a-gay @teenagedramaqueenlisa @hit-the-dirt-and-get-back-on @bl0w-m3 @l0v3e1i @heartcandles-co

•

The frothy mountain of bubbles peaked over the ledge on the bathtub as your leant forward to turn off the tap, gently spinning on your heels to face the main room as you searched for Rhea. Your soft gaze finding hers as she sat on the edge of the bed, leaning back on her palms as she took in every inch of your body. Her gaze wondering from the tip of your toes and all the way up until her sapphire hues meet your gaze.

The corner of her lips twitched into an impish smirk as she glanced around your form towards the large bathtub, flitting her gaze back up to yours in a quick back and forth.

“It was your idea.”

You quipped as you slowly crossed the room towards the bed, pulling your long curls into a messy bun with the elastic on your wrist.

“I didn’t say anything.”

Rhea chortled, sitting up correctly on the bed as she reached her arms out to take both your palms in her own.

She hadn’t stopped looking at you since you’d got inside, the soft sparkle of her crystal gaze keeping you captivated as she gently pulled you forward and into the space between her thighs. Craning her head back slightly as to look up at you, you couldn’t help the smile that pulled at your lips.

“Take a bath with me.”

You whispered. Reaching one of your palms out to pull through her hair, grasping at the back of her neck to pull her in for a soft kiss. She had taken a beating protecting you from Liv and deserved a bath of her own.

Your pearly whites nipped at Rhea’s lower lip as her palms slid around your waist, gently pulling you down to straddle her hips as she deepened the intensity of your kiss. You had no objections, all too willing to just sit a kiss her all night long but tomorrow was creeping in all too fast and you wanted memories, not moments.

“Take a bath with me.”

You muttering the words against Rhea’s lips as she held on tightly to your hips. It wasn’t a question, it was a statement and you intended to get her into the bathtub one way or another.

Pressing one more kiss against the flush of Rhea’s lips, you tilt back slightly. The angle of your hips causing the silky fabric of your shorts to hike up your thighs, you shift back slightly to avoid discomfort.

“Don’t make me tell you again.”

An eat shit grin claimed Rhea’s lips as she released your hipbones and leant back on her palms once more, her manicured brow arching skyward as she licked slowly across her lower lip.

She didn’t say anything, her oceanic hues peeking up at you through thick full lashes as she adjusted her posture. You didn’t know what she was planning, but you could see the cogs turning as the eat shit grin returned to her lips.

Your heart rate increases as you move your palms to place them down against Rhea’s chest, hoping to at least battle off some of her plan.

“Don’t even think about it.”

You chuckle as your eyes widen slightly. You’d began to clue in to what was coming and unfortunately there was no escape. With one swift motion Rhea grasped both your palms to locked them in her own and with one twist of her hips she flipped you over to collide you spine with the soft mattress, her legs straddled either side of your waist as she pinned your wrists above your head.

“Don’t tell me you forgot pretty girl, Mami’s always on top.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt it.”

You purred as you teasingly roll your hips up against Rhea’s pelvis, your pearly whites rolling over your lower lip as an impish glimmer flashes in your eyes.

“But I said don’t make me tell you again and I meant it.”

With a sharp tug down, you pulled your wrists free from Rhea’s hold. Sitting up enough to begin unbuttoning the oversized black shirt that clung to her torso.

“So we’re gonna take this off…”

Your gaze flicks down to the buckle of Rhea’s belt and back up, your lips snapping a quick kiss from her lips before continuing your work on her buttons.

“Those too..”

The devious smirk that claimed Rhea’s lips as she watched you grew and grew, her shoulders rolling back to help as you slipped the fabric off her frame.

It was odd seeing Demi so docile, willingly allowing you to undress her as she simply gazed into your eyes. Her palms reaching out to wind her fingers around the hem of your cropped shirt, she gently tugged the soft purple fabric over your head.

Snaking your palms around the back of Rhea’s neck, you lean forward to press your lips tentatively against hers.

As your teeth gently tug at her lower lip, you use the flat of your palms to push Rhea to her feet and follow suit. Releasing her cushioned lip as your nimble fingers unbuckle her belt, you flash Rhea a devilish grin before slipping your thumbs into the waistband of your shorts. Removing the silky fabric in one swift motion, you drop it to the floor before pressing your naked form against hers.

“Don’t keep me waiting.”

- - - - - - - - - -

The warmth of the water seemed to wash away all the tension you’d been holding on to as the tingle of Rhea’s lips against your jugular caused you lids to flutter, a soft hum vibrating in your chest as her fingertips danced over your abdomen.

It hadn’t taken Rhea long to undress and slide beneath the bubbly water behind you, your spine pressing into her torso as you rested your head back against her chest. Everything was finally so peaceful and as promised the two of you had your alone time.

“I wish we didn’t have to go home tomorrow.”

It was yet another moment that felt all too familiar, your lives pulling you apart at the seams once more to different parts of the globe.

Rhea hummed against your throat as she peppered a few more kisses down its length before scattering them across your shoulder, tilting her head slightly to press a chaste kiss against your temple.

“We don’t need to think about that, let’s just focus on right now.”

You weren’t the only one that was wishing tomorrow would come slower, Rhea too was beginning to struggle with the idea that yet again she’d have to leave you. At least this time she could say goodbye.

Bringing your palms through the bubbles and onto your stomach, you lace your fingers with Rhea’s as you bring your joined hands out of the water. The soapy suds dissolving off your skin as you gently blew your warm breath over them.

“Will you stay with me?”

Rhea’s answer was obvious— but taking a moment as to not sound too eager, she released one of your palms and tilted your chin up so she could press her lips to yours.

Your thick lashes fluttering closed briefly as you tightened your grip on Rhea’s palm, glimmering hues locking as your free hand reaches up to nestle around her cheek.

“Is that a yes?”

Rhea leant into your touch, your damp fingertips playing with ends of her hair as you awaited her answer. You didn’t want to be alone— not only did you feel unsafe to be left without her protection, you didn’t like sleeping alone after such emotion filled events like tonight.

Pressing her lips softly against the tip of your nose, Rhea lowered her head to rest her chin in the crook of your neck before releasing her words in a soft whisper.

“Baby, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

- - - - - - - - - - -

A soft expel of air parted your lips as you curled into Rhea’s side, the gentle sound of her breathing echoing in your ears as you traced your fingertips over the tattoo under her breasts. You were surprised the gentle touches didn’t wake her— soft movements like that tickled at your skin and you would have woken instantly.

You couldn’t sleep. The thoughts of Liv’s actions playing over and over in your head as you prayed for just a moment of subconscious silence.

You’d promised Rhea you’d try and rest, your flight wasn’t too early but you had so much to deal with when it came to the airport that you didn’t want to face your day exhausted.

“Just go to sleep.”

You grumbled to yourself.

“Go to sleep. Go to sleep.”

You just wanted some bliss. A peaceful moment to lull you off to sleep, was that too much to ask?

Sitting up in bed, you lean back against your pillows and rake your palms slowly down your face. A few curls had fallen from your messy bun as you’d tossed and turned evading sleep, your nimble fingers tucking them back into the elastic before slipping you legs from the sheets and over the side of the bed.

Rhea looked so peaceful as she lay motionless with her arm nestled behind her head— how was she able to sleep so soundly?

Gently clambering out of bed as to not wake her, you crossed the room toward the big window that overlooked the beach. Your slender arms stretched up over your head to releasing the tension in your spine, a soft groan vibrated in your chest as you peered out over the ocean.

Maybe some fresh air was what you needed.

A beach front hotel had its advantages— the large patch of sand within the hotels limits being for hotel guests only. It meant no unwanted garbage and an abundance of strategically located sun loungers with hotel embellished towels.

Swiftly crossing the room towards your open suitcase, you pull out the clothes you’d intended to wear to bed. Throwing them on in complete darkness, you grab your phone and room card from the dresser— taking a quick glance back at Rhea’s peacefully sleeping form before slipping out into the empty hallway.

You had bad luck when it came to walking through hotel hallways at night, always bumping into someone you’d rather avoid and ending up more stressed out than you were before. Here’s hoping this time you’d catch a break.

- - - - - - - - - -

The air seemed warmer than it had earlier that night, the subtle breeze coming in off the ocean playing with the ends of a few loose curls that hung around your features as you slipped off your shoes and stepped out onto the sand.

Your toes began to wiggle as you allowed your heavy lids to close, slowly inhaling a large breath of salty sea air as your arms stretch skyward. You loved the water— it was as if the waves washed away all your problems as they crested and broke against the shore.

The tide wasn’t too far out meaning you could sit close enough to the hotel to keep it in your site and still feel the waves breaking over your feet. Grasping a hotel towel that had been left out on a sun lounger, you draped it over your forearm and began the walk to the waves.

You weren’t sure this would even work. The fresh air would clear your mind enough to think, but would getting Liv out of your subconscious enough to help you sleep.

Placing the towel down onto the sand a few feet away from the waves, you drop down onto the cloth fabric before pulling your knees to your chest and expelling a shallow sigh. You wished your mind would clear— that Liv’s accusations would just disappear from your subconscious and allow you to focus on the fact that Rhea had stood up for you. That she had fought for you.

Your thoughts began to flash back to Rhea squaring up to Liv— accusing her of having no idea about what she was doing with you, how she felt about you.

How did Rhea feel about you?

Resting your forehead down against your knees, you focus on the heavy rise and fall of your chest. You weren’t panicked— not like how your trip had started, but you couldn’t believe yet again stress had taken it’s icy hold.

You’re too lost in your own battling subconscious to hear the gentle footsteps that approached you, the sounds of the crashing waves hiding the soft rustle of shoes upon the sand as a muscular frame sat down behind you.

“What are you doing out here?”

The thick Australian ascent flooded your ears as you instinctively lay back into Rhea’s awaiting embrace, your head resting upon her shoulder as her forearms wound around your waist to pull you back into the space between her thighs.

“I couldn’t sleep.”

The soft cushion of Rhea’s lips pressed against your temple as she tightened her hold slightly, a hushed groan vibrating against your skin as she kept her kiss in place. She knew what was worrying you— keeping you from slumber, but what could she do to help?

“How did you find me?”

Your lids had fallen closed upon the tingle of Rhea’s kiss, thick lashes tickling your under eyes as you slowed your breathing the best you could to fall in line with hers.

A throaty chortle passed Rhea’s lips as she pulled back to look out over the ocean, her fingers lacing with yours across your torso as she hummed in contemplation. You didn’t care what her answer was. All that mattered to you was that she was here, holding you when you needed her.

It was hard for Rhea to explain just what called her to the beach, her instincts simply knowing where you were and that you needed her. You had a connection— like a string that tied you together and her heart knew where to go.

Keeping your fingers laced, she crossed your arms over your chest in a warm embrace. Her lips pressing softly against the shell of your ear as she whispered in a hushed tone.

“I’ll always find you, pretty girl.”

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