#if things fall apart because one single person was going through some stuff then uhhh maybe they weren't set up v well 2 begin w | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

katyasrussianaccent · 4 years

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you’re so golden (corpse x reader)

Summary: You’re a faceless youtuber that sings cover songs. What happens when a certain faceless streamer slides into your DMs after you cover one of his songs?

Authors note: Part 3 whoop! I havent written fic in 3 years so Im hoping this is okay. Its about 4000 words, super long, sorry. I also dont play Among Us, but hopefully its not too obvious. Lemme know what you think!

You're nervous, though you aren’t quite sure why. The kind of nervousness that spreads to your feet, causing you to tap your toes against the side of your sofa.

Call you in 15.

You look at the message again, staring at it till the screen goes blurry. Rubbing your eyes you exhale into the emptiness of your apartment; a feeble attempt at calming yourself down.

Logically it’s stupid to be nervous over a phone call. Logically you know that in the grand scheme of the universe, there are bigger things at hand. But you’re not a logical person, never have been. You’re all heart and emotion, both a blessing and a curse. There’s something intimate about a phone call, to have nothing but someone’s voice on the other end of the phone, talking to you and only you. It was a little scary; to think your purely online friendship with Corpse was going to be taken to a different level. You’re excited to think what that could mean.

“Fucking get it together,” you mutter to no-one as you exhale again, because there’s nothing else to do other than to wait and try to breath. There’s this frantic energy about you; like when you eat fizzy sweets, the flavour buzzing on your tongue. Your ancestors used to hunt wolves and here you were nervous over a single phone call.

The silence in your apartment’s too much now; too noisy. You grab your TV remote, clicking onto Spotify to find something. You’re scrolling so much, none of the artists feeling quite right for the moment before settling on Sufjan Stevens.

The dulcet tones fill the space, and for a brief second, you feel fine. You’re feeling relaxed and then your phone lights up.

Incoming Facetime Audio

“Fuckfuckfuckfuck” you say. Your face feels warm, your heart quickens in your chest. You could just ignore it, say you’re not feeling too good and that would be that, you wouldn’t have to do this. But it’s Corpse, you like Corpse and you’re kind of friends.

You swipe to accept the call, and press the button for speaker.

“Hey,” you say, cringing at the meek tone your voice has taken on.

“Hey,” Corpse’s deep voice rumbles through your tiny speaker, distorting slightly and you press the volume button to turn it down a little.

There’s a beat of silence, a beat too long, and you already hate how awkward this is. You’re not great at social stuff, the concept of being a social butterfly is almost foreign to you. And it’s not because you dislike people, it’s just you hate this; the small talk, the awkwardness before you get comfortable and can hold an actual conversation.

You suddenly remember a tip from your customer service days. “How are you?” you ask, plastering on a grin so wide that it must look borderline demented. Thank god you’re single.

“I’m okay thanks, how are you?” he asks.

You lounge back against the soft cushions of the sofa, lifting the phone up to your mouth as you do so. “I’m good, excited to be taught by the Among Us master.”

He snorts in disdain. “Hardly a master.”

You chew your lip before you speak again, “I dunno, people on the internet think you’re pretty good.”

He snorts again, and you smile at the sound. It’s not something you’ve heard from him before, through your hours of watching his streams, you’ve become accustomed to his voice and the noises he makes. But this one seems to be new. And maybe it’s the weird, selfish part of you that likes to think he’s only ever made that sound for you. You shake the thought out of your head, because really? Getting happy over a snort is really such a ridiculous thing to do.

“People on the internet say a lot of things.”

“True, but sometimes they speak the truth,” you reply, moving to get more comfortable; tucking your feet under your thighs. You wonder what he’s doing right now as he talks to you, is he sitting down? Or is he lying on his bed; his head propped up with pillows? There’s a brief flash of yearning, of wanting to be there in the same room as him, but it disappears as quickly as it appeared so you ignore it.

“Hm. We’ll agree to disagree.”

“Okay, you’re the boss Mr Husband.”

He chuckles softly, and again, you smile. You can feel yourself getting annoyed with yourself; you’re acting like a child with a crush; smiling at the phone. All you needed now was a notebook that had Mrs YN Husband written all over it.

“You know if you keep calling me that, we’re gonna have to get married,” he says, his voice a little lower than it was before. You blink and cock your head to the side, looking at an imaginary camera like you’re in The Office. Did you say that out loud? Is he...flirting with you? Sure, you’re flirty over Twitter, but it’s Twitter, Twitter isn’t real. There’s a fluttery feeling in your stomach at the mere prospect that he might actually be flirting with you.

“I’d be the best wife you could ever get,” you shoot back. There’s a brief second of silence before he answers, and you can hear shuffling on the other end. You want to ask what he’s doing, but you know it would break the conversation, and you’re curious to see where this goes.

“Oh really? And why’s that?” he asks, and you can picture the smirk in his voice. You have no idea what he looks like, no real care about it either, but you bet he’s got a beautiful smile. You bite your tongue before it tells him this, for once your brain actually works and stops you from making a fool out of yourself. It’s incredibly strange, how quickly he puts you at ease without a try, he’s just so naturally comforting. He’s not this flashy persona, he’s just a guy who likes to play video games and happens to be kinda good at them. And also has a voice that is literally like chocolate. Not just chocolate; dark chocolate. If dark chocolate could talk, it would sound like Corpse.

“Cos your girl can cook,” you say proudly, puffing out your chest a little. And that’s not a lie, you can cook. Okay, you’re not a Michelin starred chef, but you feel quite confident in the fact that Gordon Ramsey could eat your food, and probably (hopefully) wouldn’t scream that it was “fucking raw”.

“And what would you cook for me?” he asks.

You hum in thought for a second. “You’ll have to marry me first to find that out.”

He laughs, a proper laugh that settles in your stomach, spreading warmth through your chest. “I’ll think about it. I can hear music, what are you listening to?”

You straighten up a little, the question catching you off guard. You bite the inside of your cheek as you look at the song that’s playing. It’s not his type of music, you’re almost positive about that. You almost don’t want to tell him out of embarrassment. You’re not sure why you feel embarrassed; you know Corpse isn’t an asshole, he wouldn’t make fun of you. But music is so personal to you, so personal, it’s like baring a piece of your soul; which sounds so fucking cliche, but it’s true.

“Uhhh...It’s called Make out in My Car by Sufjan Stevens,” you reply.

He hums in affirmation. “It sounds nice; from what I can hear.”

“I can turn it up?” you ask, leaning forward to grab the remote off the coffee table.

“You could always sing some for me,” he offers.

You laugh a little, scrunching up your nose. “And why would I do that?”

“I thought you wanted to get married. You have to woo me,” he replies.

“Woo you?” you ask, your tone incredulous. This isn’t how you pictured the conversation going.

“Yeah. Woo me, yn.” he says, dragging out the “o” causing you to laugh again.

You sigh dramatically. “I haven’t warmed up or anything, it’s gonna sound so bad” you warn as you put the song to the beginning.

“I’m sure you sound great. Go ahead, woo me.”

You shake your head as you softly sing. “I'm not trying to go to bed with you, I just wanna make out in my car. And though I'm dying to fall in love with you, I just wanna make out in my car”. You stop and you’re suddenly very aware that you have essentially just serenaded him. Good going, brain.

It’s silent for a beat too long, and the smile that graced your lips starts to fade as the embarrassment starts to set in.

“Well now we definitely have to get married,” he affirms. And there’s that fluttery feeling again.

You swallow, moving the conversation swiftly onto Among Us. You grab your laptop that was next to you, humming in acknowledgement as he walks you through downloading it.

“So there’s a few of us joining us tonight, it should be really fun.”

“Oh. It’s not just us two?” you ask. You focus on the download, watching the number increase. You’re nervous at the prospect of playing with other people, strangers, for the first time.

“No, it’s a 4 player minimum. We’re going to stream as well.”

“Corpse…” you start. You begin to pick at the skin around your nails, a habit you do whenever you get really anxious. This was meant to just be a cute moment where you learnt how to play a game, not a big event where people would be actually watching you, judging your every move.

“We’re going to do a few games off stream with you, you don’t need to be there for the stream after if you don’t want to,” he interrupts.

“Okay,” you trail off, your teeth biting down on your bottom lip. You feel a little better, but not by much. You didn’t know who the other people were, what if they hated you? You ask this out loud.

“I’ll be there. You know Rae and Sykkuno. Felix, Sean and Toast will be there but they’re super nice, I promise.” His voice is sincere, and it soothes you. You don’t know him, not really know him, but you trust Corpse. You know he has his own struggles, and you believe his promise; he wouldn’t screw you over or put you in a situation you were uncomfortable with.

The rest of the call is him taking you through how to play and how to set up something called Proximity Chat so everyone can talk to each other in the game. He says it’s easier once you actually play, and it doesn’t sound particularly hard quite honestly, you just hope you don’t get imposter on the first try because you’re not the greatest liar.

The game screen pops up, and you type in the code that Corpse gives you. You say goodbye to Corpse, who tells you to text him if you need any help. You drop into the game lobby, and you look at the little astronaut. There’s no time to dwell as a cacophony of voices hits you.

“YN!” Rae screeches and you chuckle at her enthusiasm. You’ve known Rae for a few years now, you met at college and had become fast friends. Though you had many different interests - gaming for one, you considered her your best friend. Rae was the type of friend where you didn’t need to talk every single day, you could message her a week later and it would be like no time had passed at all. And you loved that, sometimes you just didn’t want to talk to anyone. Sometimes your mood wasn’t the best, and you needed a little time to recharge. And she understood that, something that you were eternally grateful for.

“Raebies!” you screech back, using your “pet” name for her.

“I’ve been trying to get you to play forever. But Mr Smooth Operator over there slides into your DMs and suddenly you’re a gamer now?”

“It sounds so sordid when you say it like that,” you reply.

“Hi yn! Glad to see you playing with us,” Sykkuno says. You greet him and the others, making sure to say hi to everyone in the game. You didn’t want to start off by being accidentally rude. You listen as everyone talks amongst each other, and you talk when spoken to, but you aren’t interjecting. It wasn’t anything against the other players, it was just a little overwhelming, and you were figuring out what everyone was like.

“Hello,” Corpse’s voice interrupts your train of thought and you greet him along with everyone else.

“Aw, I wanted purple,” you say, frowning at Corpse’s name above the astronaut.

“We can switch,” he replies.

“No it’s o -” you start to speak before you realise he’s already switched to white. “Thank you, you didn’t have to.” You smile as you switch to purple, and you decide to add a flower for a little pizzazz.

“It’s your first game, I’ll kill you if I get imposter so it’ll even out,” he jokes and everyone laughs. The countdown begins and you puff your cheeks out, exhaling as it gets to 1. You’re nervous again, a seemingly common theme of the night. Your shoulders relax as the word CREWMATE flashes across the screen.

You watch as everyone but Corpse disperses from the cafeteria with haste, and you look at the keyboard to press the buttons to move.

“You ever see an old person text? That’s how I’m picturing you right now,” Corpse says as you walk together to Weapons.

“Shut up Sonny,” you reply in your best old woman voice, getting a laugh. You open up the task, shooting the Asteroids with ease. “Yay, I completed a task!”

“Good job,” Corpse replies, and you beam at the praise. You move down to o2, doing your task while Corpse does his.

“Wait, you could be imposter right? How would I know?” you ask as you walk together to Navigation.

“You wouldn’t, you just have to trust me,” he says, his voice full of charm.

You scowl. “Well that just makes me not want to trust you.”

Before he replies, there’s a blaring alarm. DEAD BODY REPORTED. You blink at the suddenness; you were really enjoying the relaxing pace of the game. You look at the screen; Felix has been killed.

“Who found the body?” Corpse asks.

“I did,” Rae answers. “I was in admin, and was going to lower engine and it was there in storage.”

“If you were in admin, why didn’t you go up through Cafeteria?” Toast asks.

“Because it’s quicker to go through storage,” Rae replies. They argue between themselves, and you listen intently and silently. It’s a lot of information, you can’t tell whose lying, but you guess that’s what makes a good player.

“Where were you yn?” Sean quizzes, and it takes you a second to realise you’re being spoken to.

“Oh. I was in um o2?”

“You don’t sound too sure there, pretty sus,” he says. Your face heats up a little, you’re not the imposter, but it feels like you are.

“She was in o2 and then we went to Navigation,” Corpse answers, and you breathe out as he takes on the interrogation.

“Oh you were together?” Rae asks, and you know that tone she’s got. It’s the tone that says she’ll be messaging you right away.

“Well yeah, it’s her first game, I’m not gonna leave her alone,” he says and you smile at that.

“Yeah we’ve been together the whole time,” you add and it’s left at that. No-one votes anyone out, since no-ones really too suspicious. You carry on the game, and you find yourself really enjoying it, though the questioning part is kind of stressful. You can see why Corpse likes it so much, it’s really fun. You’re in electrical, humming as you do your task when Rae comes next to you.

“Hey,” you greet her.

“I’m sorry, nothing personal,” she replies. Before you have a chance to say a word, she kills you and you look on in shock as your ghost floats above your body. You listen into the meeting as Rae continues to lie and plead her case. She’s good, but Corpse knows better.

“Wait, you said you found her in electrical and you were where?”

“I was in Upper Engine, and then I went to electrical to do my task,” Rae answers, her voice even and calm.

“I was in Lower Engine, and I didn’t see you,” Corpse says, and you grin at the fact Rae’s been found out. That’s what she gets for killing you.

“You were doing your task, I passed right by you,” Rae starts. She pleads her case, but it’s too late and she’s voted out.

“That was so much fun!” you declare. “I can see why you guys play it all the time.”

“Yes! We have converted another!” Felix shouts in victory.

“And all it took was Corpse,” Rae mutters sarcastically.

“Don’t get bitter Rachel, just get better,” you reply, causing the group to laugh.

You get the hang of it after a few games, and find yourself agreeing to stay while the others stream, though you decide against it yourself. You’ve only streamed once by yourself, and it was a very casual affair and you don’t want to feel too much pressure while you enjoy yourself. You know that Corpse gets nervous when he streams and he’s been doing it for so much longer, so you can only imagine how nervous you would be.

You tap your fingernails against the keyboard as the lobby counts down, any previous nerves have been replaced with excitement.

IMPOSTER flashes across. You’re the only one, your astronaut looks lonely on the screen by itself, and the red letters almost taunt you.

“Shit,” you mutter as your brain goes into overdrive. What was it Corpse had said before? Not to be too obvious. You don’t kill immediately, instead going at your previous pace to not look too suspicious. You were still fairly new to the game, and you were going to use that to your advantage.

You fake your task in Cafeteria before venting over to Navigation where Toast was.

“Hi Toast!” you greet, coming to stand next to him as you pretend you’re doing the task.

“Oh hey yn,” he says. It doesn’t seem like he suspects you, and you’re not quite sure when to click the Kill button. You do it anyway before running out and going down and into shields. There’s adrenaline running through you as the dead body’s reported and you crack your knuckles before putting on your game face. You were going to play dumb, play the confused newbie - because to them, that’s what you were.

“YN, where were you?” Corpse asks. Fuck. Maybe you weren’t going to get away with this.

You twiddle your hair as you draw out your words, playing the role perfectly. “Uhm I was in...shields? I think that’s what it’s called. I was in the cafeteria before that though.”

“Wait, you couldn’t have, I was in weapons. I would have seen you,” Sykkuno says.

You open your mouth to talk. “She could have vented,” Felix comments, and the rest of the group starts to agree.

“Guys, I don’t even know what venting is. I literally just started playing,” you point out, giggling.

“That’s true,” Rae agrees and you knew there was a reason you loved her.

“Bullshit! She’s playing you with her “oh I don’t know how to play” schtick,” Felix proclaims.

“Aw, that’s kind of rude, Felix. I’m just enjoying the game, doing the tasks,” you say, pouting a little. He’s the next on your list.

Everyone skips the vote and you lean over your laptop, ready for the next round. You were going to win this. You kill Rae and Toast next, and yet again, manage to worm your way out of any suspicion. You can sense that Corpse and Felix are starting to get suspicious of you, and you know you need to bring out the big guns to throw them off.

You catch Sykkuno in Med Bay after checking the cams in Security.

“Hi yn!” he greets, and you almost feel guilty as you kill him. He’s so sweet and innocent, but unfortunately, casualties are a given. You pass Felix as he comes out of reactor and it’s only a matter of time before you’ll have to talk your way out of this one again.

“I passed yn as I came out of reactor,” Felix shouts with a hint of glee.

You roll your eyes; this is going to be tough. “Yeah I came from Upper Engine, I was finishing part 2 of a task.”

“I was in Electrical, where was the body?” Corpse asks.

“Med Bay. And the only one that could’ve been there was yn,” Felix starts.

“Well no, you could have passed me and killed Sykkuno then self reported,” you reply. “I think you can do that right?”

Corpse hums in agreement. “Oh come on! She’s being really sus,” Felix argues.

“You are being a little sus yn,” Corpse comments.

“Corpse. You don’t really think it’s me do you?” You decide to lower your voice a little, your tone sweet but sultry. “You only taught me like an hour ago, there’s no way I’d be able to fool everybody so quickly.” You get close to the mic so it’s like you’re speaking only to Corpse. “Remember what I said? You’re a master at this.” You’re laying it on thick, and for a brief second you think you’ve been too over the top.

“This is difficult,” Corpse says, and you see the seconds count down, your heartbeat starts to quicken.

“Corpse, stop being a fucking simp and vote her out!” Felix demands.

“Corpsie baby,” you drawl out and you smile in success as you hear him sigh, almost shakily. You’ve got this in the bag. The victory screen flashes up and you cheer.

“Fuck yeah!” you shout, patting yourself on the back. You laugh as you exhale the breath you didn’t know you were holding.

“Good game yn!” Sykkuno comments, the others agreeing.

“Not fair, you used your womanly wiles against Corpse,” Felix says.

“Gotta use them for something. Not my fault Corpse knows where his allegiance lies,” you reply laughing a little.

You stretch, your back crying out in pain from being hunched over so long. You let out a long, loud moan of relief as you straighten your spine, your shoulders relaxing as you move from side to side.

“Your mic’s not muted” Corpse points out, clearing his throat. You feel your stomach drop and your face instantly becomes hot. Shit.

“Oh. Uh. I totally forgot about that,” you say, forcing out a chuckle. You screw your eyes shut, any happiness has been now replaced by red hot shame. “So this was fun, uh, really fun, but um, I’m gonna, I’m gonna go. So...yeah. Bye guys, have fun!”

You click to exit without giving anyone a chance to say a word, and drop your head into your hands.

“Can’t wait to see what they say on Twitter about this,” you mutter into your hands.

TAGLIST (if youre bold, it wont let me tag): @teenageguitarist @fanworrior @cherry-piee @mirahg @clara-bee @cookinglovingalien @vir-tual @clubfairy @youretheonlyonewhomakesme @more-like-reyna @boiled-onionrings @moneybagmgk @brendalopez99 @delicateavenuenacho @dreamsofficialwife @hydrate-tion @little-red02

#my fic #corpse husband x reader #corpse #corpse husband #corpse husband/reader #corpse husband fic #corpse husband x yn #corpse x you #corpse husband x you #corpse x fem reader #corpse x reader #corpse fic #corpse smau #corpse imagine

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kuroos-babie · 4 years

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Falling in Love with a Single Mom

Iwaizumi x fem!Reader | Bokuto x fem!Reader | Ushijima x fem!Reader

[ Headcanons/MiniFic ]

Request: Can I please req headcanons for Iwaizumi, Bokuto, and Ushijima falling for a single mom? — anonymous

a/n: this one’s looong but i really enjoyed writing it pLS GIVE ME MORE like anything concerning babies id love that please thank u :’] I HOPE Y’ALL WOULD LIKE THIS ONE :D i’d love to make these a full blown fic if any of yall want that hehe

❀ aside from the hushed chattering of students waiting for the professor to arrive, the college lecture hall was fairly quiet

❀ that was until the high-pitched cries of a baby ripped through the room

“hey pipe it down!”

“who would even bring a baby to a lecture anyway?”

“can’t you just bring it outside jeez you’re interfering the class”

“class hasn’t even started yet”

❀ iwaizumi was the last one to speak, your classmates’ snarky comments annoying him more than the baby’s crying

❀ he saw you walk out the hall, pushing the stroller with your head low, muttering apologies

❀ letting out a sigh, iwa stood up with the intention of following you outside, but not before he shoots your classmates a threatening glare

❀ he finds you not too far from from the lecture hall, bouncing your 5-month old daughter on your hip as her wailing turned to quiet sobs while she laid her head on your chest

“there there, were you just sleepy?”, iwa doesn’t miss the soft but tired smile gracing your face

“uhh do you need some help with that?”, you jumped at his voice, startled

“oh no, we’re fine! thank you though...uhh..?”

“iwaizumi, i’m iwaizumi hajime, i believe we haven’t met before” he extends his hand for you to shake which you curtly did

“y/n! yeah i believe we haven’t”

❀ since that encounter, iwa would always sit beside you in class and glare at anyone who so much as attempts to make any unnecessary comments

❀ he’d often offer to look after your baby while you took class notes for the both of you

❀ it didn’t take long for iwa to grow fond of your blubbering baby and, of course, you

❀ he noticed how hard you worked; juggling classes, part-time jobs and taking care of your daughter and he admired you for it, so much so that he spent almost every weekend over at your place, insisting on helping you take care of your daughter

“y/n, i don’t want to seem rude but if it’s alright to ask, where’s her dad?”, he’d ask while holding your child, who was curiously pinching and smooshing at his face, as you prepared lunch

it was a question that’s been bugging him for so long, noticing that there was no sign of any other person in your small apartment except for you and your baby

“oh,” you started with a small laugh, “he left when i told him i was pregnant”

the amount of restrain it took iwaizumi to not curse in front of the baby is unthinkable but the bittersweet way you smiled dissipated his anger and he was filled with something he couldn’t quite comprehend

“it’s alright though! we’ve managed to get this far”, there was a wistful pause before you continued, “i’d love it if she grew up with a dad though.”

“then let me” with a voice so steady, unwavering, and as dependable as he was these past few months he continued, “i’ll take care of you.”

he didn’t even let your tears fall as he pulled you in his embrace together with your child, placing a soft kiss on your forehead,

and for the first time in so long, you’re comforted with the feeling that everything will be fine —and you believed that it will be, as long as he was there

❀ it was just another run to the grocery store with akaashi, him picking out everything on the list while bokuto sluggishly pushed the cart through the aisles

“akaashi what’s taking you so looooong? i want to go hooooome”

“bokuto-san we wouldn’t be spending so much time here if you regularly shopped instead of calling me for help when you’ve eaten the last bit of food in your house and you have nothing else to eat anymore.”

❀ the tall owl-like man deflated more, if that was even possible, as he followed akaashi around

❀ skimming through the snack aisle, he noticed something was tugging on his shirt, but when he looked down..

“daddy?”

AJDKDAFJHKSD DO I LOOK LIKE--

“uhhh akaashi???”

❀ the toddler clutched at the hem of bokuto’s shirt, tear-stained cheeks puffing out as he pouted

❀ bokuto picked the child up and held him in his arms with a bright smile

“what’s wrong buddy? are you lost? should we help you find mommy?”

“we should probably leave him at the security desk, bokuto-san”

“are you my daddy?”, the toddler asked again, teary eyed, ignoring akaashi’s words

“well do you want me to be your daddy?”, he grinned and the child nodded gleefully

“bokuto-san, no”

he turned to his junior, tears welling up his eyes, “akaashi, i’m a father!!”

“bOKuTO-sAN”

❀ the tragedy of akaashi keiji

❀ the rest of grocery shopping went by with bokuto picking out stuff for his “son”

❀ it was all fun and games right before you spotted them

“uhm, excuse me but i think that’s my son”

“mommy!” the child’s eyes lit up as he turned to you

“hi baby, let’s go home you’ve troubled this man enough.”

“mommy i found daddy!!”, he said while hugging around bokuto’s head, earning a chuckle from him

you laughed lightly, turning to the two men, “sorry he has a knack for trying to find a dad during grocery runs”

bokuto and akaashi gave each other a look before the latter spoke, “it’s alright you must’ve been worried, bokuto-san please give back her son”

“but akaashi--”

“give him back :)”

bokuto hesitantly placed your son in your arms, the both of them have matching pouts

your son nuzzled against your shoulder, stifling down his sobs and quietly whispered, “but i really wanted him to be my dad”

“maybe we can meet up some other time again so you and bokuto-san can play?”, you eyed the man pleadingly which earned you a giddy nod from both your child and him

❀ that was how you and bokuto started seeing each other regularly

❀ he’d visit your house every weekend, come with you to pick up your son from kindergarten, take you both out for dinner and even stayed over on some occasions

❀ your son loves him so much and always calls him “dad/daddy”

❀ bokuto calls him “buddy/kid”

❀ your son would often tease bokuto when he catches him stealing glances at you while you walked around the house, getting chores done

“you like mommy don’t you?”, he’d snicker

“i-- whAT? kid where do you get those ideas from?”

you peered through the doorway of you son’s playroom, “baby do you want some snacks?”

“yes please!” the both of them answered at the same time, bokuto turning beet-red while you just stifle down a laugh and went to prepare their snacks

when bokuto was sure that you were out of earshot, he whispered to your son, “kid do you still want me to be your daddy?”

“yes! yes!! YES!!!”, the little boy bounced on his heels happily

“okay good because i think i want to marry your mommy”

“wakatoshi-kun isn’t that y/n-san?”

❀ ushijima grunted as he had his eyes fixed on your form from across the room

❀ it was your high school reunion and even though you both haven’t met in a while, the former volleyball team captain still felt his spine tingling at the sight of you

❀ you’ve always been pretty, pretty enough to catch his eyes and fascinating enough personality-wise to keep his attention on you

❀ though he never spoke of these feelings throughout high school, it never really vanished even when you’re well on your adult years

❀ and seeing you right now, with the same pretty smile but seemingly tired eyes, he can’t help but yearn for you as he did when you were in high school

❀ while walking to the other end of the room to where you were, he thought of anything to try and hit up a conversation with you but he was pulled from his musings the moment you’re standing in front of him, a mere arms-length away

“y/n..”

“oh ushijima-san! long time no see, how hav--”

“mama!”, you were interrupted as your 5 year old child clung to your hips, “mama the scary man’s coming for me!”

“ᶦ ʷᵃˢ ʲᵘˢᵗ ᵗʳʸᶦⁿᵍ ᵗᵒ ˢᵃʸ ʰᵉˡˡᵒ“ :’/

“baby don’t be rude that’s just uncle goshiki, go on play with him” you urged your son with a gentle hand on his back

“no! his hair looks weird!!”

❀ rip tsutomu bb

❀ ushijima doesn’t know what to make out of the situation

❀ you have a child? does that mean you were married already? was he too late?

“i didn’t know you got married”

“huh? oh no! i didn’t..”, you were hoping he would get the hint but you remembered that it was ushijima wakatoshi in front of you, so you had to spell it out for him, “i got pregnant shortly after college, his dad left the moment i dropped the news though”

the laugh that came from you was humorless, and that didn’t go unnoticed by ushijima

“would it be alright if i took you out on a date, then?”

❀ with face flushed deep red, you bit the inside of your cheek and nodded, sheepishly squeaking out a quiet “yeah”

❀ you both agreed to meet the next weekend for lunch then take your son on a playhouse while you two catch up

❀ then came the weekend, everything was going well, except for one thing

❀ even at the playhouse, your son didn’t leave your side and instead opted for glaring at ushijima across the table in the parents’ waiting area

“baby it’s rude to glare at people, please go play with the other kids”

“what do you want to do with mama!”, he said pointedly at the mountain of a man

“talk?”

“what do you want to talk about with her!”

you couldn’t help but smile at your tiny little bodyguard acting so tough even with a man probably five times his size

“i wanted to know if she would consider marrying me”

at that, you whipped your head to look at the man across the table who was casually talking to your son, the prospect of marrying someone who you secretly pined for for all of high school sending a wave of hot blush on your face

“why?”, your son continued with the questions

“because i would like to marry her”

“why?”

“because i love her”

“since when??”

your face grew incredibly warmer every second that passed by but his answer dealt the finishing blow and you thought your heart would burst

“since all of high school”

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jtsfavslut · 4 years

Text

Falling [G.D]

Description: Just when Y/N thought she was over Grayson, he pops back into her life, making her wonder if you could fall for the same person twice. Inspired by ‘Falling’ - Harry Styles.

Warnings: None, Just sad stuff lmao!!!

Word Count: 4K+

Also a special thanks to cole [ @blazedgraysons] for keeping up with my annoying ass questions while I wrote this, and for helping me and giving me advice I love you <333

Her small feet carried her body down the familiar street, cars zooming past her as her body softly bumped into the others around her. The loud sounds from the environment being blocked away by the soft, yet loud music that was coming out of an old pair of Airpods she had gotten for Christmas back in High School.

This was Y/N's daily routine. Get up early in the morning, do her business in the bathroom, get dressed, and walk over to her favorite cafe. The Beachwood cafe had become Y/N's second home ever since she moved to L.A, spending most of her time there, before and after class.

A smile lit up her face as the familiar blue door came into her view, a content sigh falling past her lips as she got closer to the door.

The strong smell of coffee hit her nostrils as she walked inside, music being paused as she walked fully inside, giving her attention to the cashier that greeted her every morning, "Hi Y/N, your stuff is on your table," she smiled up at Y/N before pointing towards her usual table.

It was the one by the window in the corner of the shop, the bright yellow and blue floor illuminated her small journey to the table, where her coffee and breakfast sandwich happily waited for her to approach. She sat down, hand reaching into her Yellow Kanken backpack, another Christmas gift from high school that she dearly took care of, she pulled out a brown journal and a pen.

A journal filled with memories and random thoughts that popped in her head. Y/N thought writing things down was good for the mind and body. She believed that writing things down would help you keep your thoughts safely, and lock memories into place without overworking your mind. A pen that has been through many journeys on the same yet different page.

All pages were the same until the pen went over it, recording things until the end of time. They were all the same until she wrote down her thoughts for the day.

Her small hand gripped onto the pen as she wrote down her thoughts from the previous night, coffee cup in the other hand as she slowly sipped the liquid.

Last night I thought of him again, just until I drifted off. I don't know why. It hasn't happened in months. Nothing bad, just a memoir of all of our memories together. Like the time we broke into the school's pool one night. Where he pushed me in with all my clothes on, then he jumped in and we made out by the stairs. Funny how we never got caught since cameras were around us. Or when we had our senior trips to the mountains in Colorado, and how he kept sneaking into the girls' room just to be with me. We were lucky we didn't get caught again. I tried to not keep thinking about him. I know it's time to finally drop it and move on, but how? How do I erase all those memories from my brain? How am I supposed to just drop it and move along? Just how? I don't need or want to know why just how.

She softly slammed the notebook closed, right before she could feel a slight burning in her eyes and a rock starting to form in her throat. The subject of her and a past lover that she was still holding onto, still being a deep wound to her.

She thought about and remembered Grayson every day. After all, he was her everything during her entire High School life, and he still was…...sort of. Grayson and Y/N started dating in the 9th grade, right about in the middle of the year. He asked her out behind the school's bleachers during lunchtime, a mixture of flowers from his mom's garden that she shyly accepted from him after she said yes. That was followed by their date to the movie theater, where he held her close to him every time she faked being a little scared, not that he could tell, and three dates after he officially asked her out where she said yes again, and that was followed by an accidental kiss, he was leaning towards her cheek when she accidentally moved her head to the side, causing his lips to land on hers. Neither of them complained, just smiled at each other and carried on.

They went on for 6 years, all of high school and two college years, where he decided to break it off because of distance. He went off on how being across the country from one another was hard, and the fact that the time difference from New York to California was 3 and 4. She didn't complain. Didn't give a reason as to why not, even if she had trillions of them. She didn't try to change his mind. She simply said okay, and wished him the best. She still loved him though.

The words that her grandpa had spoken replayed in her brain every time she questioned why she still thought about him; "You never stop loving anyone sugar, you just kinda love someone stronger. If you stop loving them, then you never loved them to begin with" She thought about that, and that made her feel better. Maybe there was someone out there who she would love more than she loved Grayson.

With a quiet sigh, she put her journal away, switching it with a book she picked up at the library a few days prior, yet read a million times.

To Kill A Mockingbird is a book she read many times in school, mostly everyone has. It's the one book from school she actually enjoyed, so she picked it up from the book shop down the street from her apartment before work one day, and didn't get to read it until now.

She opened the book with a small smile, the sensation of the book against her finger bringing nothing but happiness to her, and took her mind off whatever was bothering her. She lost herself in the book, almost done with half of the book before her alarm rang, signaling it was time for work. She left a 20 on the table after putting all her stuff away in her backpack and walking out of the shop and towards her job which was a paid internship at a local hospital downtown, all she did was watch and help out with minor cases like cuts, sprains, X Ray's and the occasional stuff like questioning. She entered the hospital, sanitizing herself and changing into her uniform, walking over to her area, that being the Pediatrics Emergency room where her boss, mentor, whatever you might want to call him, Dr. Reyez, and the rest of the team were waiting for her.

"Morning everyone," she chirped at the tired yet awake health care workers, who all had smiles on their faces. "Morning Y/N, you're going to be practicing by yourself today, can you handle it?" Dr. Reyez asked her, which she just nodded her head with a smile. There wasn't a single ounce of doubt in her brain.

"I'm pretty sure yes! And I can just reach out to you guys if anything, right?"

"Yeah, just page us if anything. Your first patient should be here soon, just go wait by the desk," Reyez instructed her and that's exactly what she did. She sat on the desk for over 20 minutes until someone came in with a toddler covered in rashes.

"Hi baby, I just need to ask you and mommy a few questions, yeah?" She sweetly and patiently asked the 5 year old as his mom was filling out some papers, to which he just nodded his head.

"Okay, Xavion, did you eat something new today? Maybe something you've never eaten?" She asked and both the mom and son nodded their heads.

"Do you think he was allergic to something?" The mom asked, causing Y/N to shrug.

"Well, it depends. We need to get an allergy test for him. It doesn't hurt or anything, we just scratch and pour a drop of the allergen over it and see how they react. Mom, do you happen to remember what he ate today for the first time?" She replied by recording some notes down on her clipboard before telling a nurse to get an Allergy Antibody Test ready.

"He ate everything that he usually does except for some broccoli I gave him," the mom replied and Y/N nodded her head before writing it down on her clipboard and walking them to the testing room.

Once the results came back around half an hour later, Xavion was, in fact, allergic to broccoli, and other things that Y/N had to explain to the mother. She got about 15 minutes of break time before Reyez called her another minor emergency.

"It's an 11 year old, possible breakage or sprain to the leg, you can handle this one right?" He asked and she nodded her head, "Good, they're in room 217, good luck," he added before sending her off to the room.

She quickly made her way over to it, grabbing her clipboard on the way, "Hi, I'm Dr.Y/LN, I'm going to be taking care of you guys today! May I have the child's name and date of birth please?" She nicely asked as she walked inside the room, quickly walking over to the desk area that was in the corner and placing her stuff down.

"Uhhh, Caleb Dolan, August 17, 2008," a deep voice that she could recognize from anywhere spoke as she turned around. Her heart dropped at the sight of Grayson in front of her. She tried to reassemble herself, after all, she couldn't make any mistakes right now, Reyez was trusting her and she couldn't afford to mess the opportunity up.

"Caleb, August 17, 2008," she mumbled as she wrote it down on her piece of paper, "Caleb, do you mind telling me what happened, babe?" She asked with a smile on her face. Her smile turned into a small frown as she looked up at the boy who happened to be in pain.

"Me and uncle Gray were practicing for the soccer game that's next and I fell on the mud and hit my leg really hard," he explained as she walked towards him nodding her head.

"On a scale of 1 to 10, One being okay while 10 being the worst, how would you rate the pain?" She asked, walking over to the walk to grab a pair of gloves, putting them on, and walking back towards him.

"Uhh a seven," he replied and she nodded her head.

"Okay Caleb, just know this might hurt a little okay? It's just protocol to check if it's dislocated, broken, or sprained okay?" She asked and he nodded his head, a few tears falling down his face from fear. Grayson quickly leaned down to wipe off his face whispering a quiet 'you'll be okay' as Caleb grabbed his hand.

"Can you try and move your ankle for me? Just try and move it," she explained and he muttered at quiet yes before moving his foot in a slow circle, she nodded her head before placing both hands over his ankle checking for any bumps, which there were none to find, "Luckily for you Caleb, it's just sprained! There are no bumps meaning it's not dislocated, and you can move it meaning it's not fractured! Just to make sure, we're going to need an X Ray' just to make sure there are no hidden surprises yeah? Dr. Lindsey will do those with you, and I'll be right here when you come back," she smiled up at the boy before Dr. Lindey moved him to a wheelchair and took him to the X Ray room, leaving Y/N and Grayson alone in painful silence.

"So this is what you do? This is where you work?" Grayson was the first to speak after a couple of quiet seconds,

She cleared her throat and nodded her head, placing her hands inside her white jacket, "Yeah. It's a paid internship so it's basically a job, what about you? What are you doing here?" She asked to make direct eye contact with him.

"Moved here after me and E graduated, looking for some roles and an agent," he spoke, his voice not as deep yet shakier than when he first spoke.

"Any luck with that?"

"Yeah. We've landed a few small roles here and there," he answered and she just nodded her head.

"That's good! I'm glad everything's working out for you," She gave him a genuine smile before continuing to fill out Caleb's paperwork.

"Listen, I know it's been 2 years but-," Grayson began to speak before Y/N cut him off. "-Grayson just don't. I'm at work right now, and it's enough seeing you after 2 years, but I don't really need this right now. I'm sorry," She apologized before leaving the room to get some papers before walking back in, thankfully Caleb was already in the room when she walked in.

"I'm going to wrap your ankle up with this and then you're good to go, buddy. Make sure you don't apply pressure on it for two weeks. And carefully when you're playing any sport, I don't want you back here," she said while wrapping his ankle up carefully. She gave Grayson the discharge papers, their hands touching each other for a split second before she pulled away waving them off before walking to where her team was.

"That guy was looking at you intensely," Reyez pointed out, earning a glare from her.

"Don't even start," she rolled her eyes before taking a sip from her water bottle that was on her desk.

"Wait is that the?" Jacob, one of the nurses, asked and she nodded her head.

"Yeah, that's him," she sighed, shaking her head.

"Holly shit Y/N, I knew you said he was hot, but girl? That man is hotter than-,"

"Mackenzie, don't you dare," Y/N joked towards her other co-worker, "God why do you do this to me? I was almost over him and then you put him on my path again? The universe hates me,"

"I'd go for it again if I were you," Mackenzie encouraged earning a glare from her.

"Alright, leave her alone before she starts to crumble, Mackenzie go fill out reports, Y/N go take a breather," Reyez ordered them around and they all nodded their heads, going on their way to do what they were told.

. . .

Soft snores began to quietly run past her lips as she drifted off to sleep, all before a feeling of suddenly falling down an empty whole woke her up. She shook her head letting out a quiet 'fuck' before turning to look towards the clocks on her nightstand, 3:30 AM being brightly displayed on it. Y/N let out a loud sigh, knowing she wouldn't be going back to sleep anytime soon.

Her mind suddenly clouded with knotted thoughts and notions, too many of them just to focus on a single one. She pushed her body up, just enough for her to reach over and grab the small yellow backpack that she lazily threw on the floor, pulling her journal and pen out before throwing it back on the floor.

She clicked the pen and opened the journal, blank pages waiting to be filled up, her hand delicately moved along the paper as she scribbled letters and words on the empty pages, thoughts clearing out of her head, one by one.

I saw him today. He looked different. He's grown. After it all, it has been two years. His voice is deeper too. He wanted to talk, but I said no. Maybe if I did, I would fall for him again, or something. I'm doing just fine, so why did he have to move here. Anyway, Reyez finally allowed me to take care of patients by myself today. It was fun, I liked it, I guess. Luckily I'm free tomorrow because I can't sleep at all now. Maybe it's the repeating thoughts of him running through my mind, or just simply the lack of melatonin in my body right now. I'll probably go to the park tomorrow, stop at the cafe first then make my way there, but anyway, I'm going to try and sleep now.

It was a quick entry, nothing special, just her major thoughts being written down, just enough for her to feel better. She got up from the bed walking over to the kitchen grabbing a water bottle before leaning against the counter and sipping it. She crossed her bare legs over each other, looking out of the big window in her living room. Her favorite part about the apartment? It was the window that looked down on bright LA city. Y/N could sit there for hours and not notice the time pass by, she knows this because it happened before. She left the kitchen and walked towards the window, propping her body down on the small couch she had in front of the window. She laid her head on her hand, watching the few cars that sped down the street, the small yet bright red lights disappearing into the distance as her eyes followed them until they could.

Her eyes softly closed as she laid down on the couch, drifting off into another universe. The next morning she woke up at around 8 AM, doing her daily routine, except she stopped at the Cafe, picked her things up, and made her way to the park. It was an old park, there was an old playground that seemed like it hadn't been used in years. She sat down on an old bench drinking her coffee as she watched the scenery.

She didn't take her notebook out, her mind not having any thoughts, or at least no thoughts relevant enough for her to write down. She just took her time to take her surroundings in. She admired how the wind moved the trees, yet they were so strong they didn't crack. The way the birds lifted off whatever surface they were, and drifted off into the sky. She admired the rare butterflies that randomly appeared just to disappear once again. She simply admired the earth, something that she didn't do quite often; Always being too deep in her thoughts to actually study the things around her.

"They're beautiful aren't they?" Grayson's voice spoke out of nowhere, making Y/N do a slight jump in her seat as her heart raced.

She brought her hand up to her chest, a sigh falling past her lips as she glared at Grayson who was chuckling, "You fucking scared me,"

"Sorry," he sighed, sitting down next to her.

They both let out sighs. Both knowing that there was no escaping the conversation that was about to happen, a conversation that was long due.

"You could, hmm, you could go first," she spoke after a few moments of silence, throat dried making her clear it in the middle of some of her words.

"I'm sorry about yesterday. You were working, and Ummm, it wasn't the right place or time to talk about things. I'm also sorry because I never gave you an explanation as to why we should've broken up. After all, you didn't ask anyway," He softly spoke. He thought every word through, studied each meaning before letting them run past his lips.

"I didn't ask because it's what you wanted. Your decision was clearly made. I mean, I don't think breaking up with someone is a spontaneous thought is it? Your decision was made, and if you felt like I was holding you back, then I had to let you go, if I loved you, then I think I did the right thing." Her words were careful too. And quiet, so quiet feeling that if she spoke too loud the things around her would break.

"I didn't want to break up. I felt like it was the right thing to do, you know? We were always so busy, and we made time for each other, but it was exhausting. And when you were out with friends, I felt like I was annoying you or something," he sighed and she shook her head, the thought of her ever getting annoyed at Grayson's presence being absurd.

"Oh God absolutely not," she chuckled, "I thought I was annoying you. Like I wondered if you talked about me, or not. I wanted to know if I annoyed you because I felt like I did,"

It was true. In her journal, multiple pages were filled out with her question herself on whether Grayson talked about her or not. Even after the breakup, she wondered if he'll ever need her. Most pages were about him, all of her thoughts revolved around him, always.

"I did. All the time, to the point where I said your name subconsciously," he smiled, remembering the conversations he had with his friends about her, and how great she was.

"I did too, well not say but write," she sighed, leaning her back on the bench.

"You wrote about me?"

"Grayson you know I did, that's a dumb question," She shook her head, taking a sip of the coffee that was somehow still warm.

"Do you still write about me?" He asked and she stayed quiet, not knowing whether she should answer truthfully or not.

"Honestly speaking, I do. I write about everything that comes to mind, so sometimes? Yeah," she sighed, knowing that it would be easier if they just told the truth.

Maybe this was the closure that they both needed, yet never got. Maybe this was going to help her fully move on from him, and have thoughts that don't include her.

Or maybe not. Maybe this would help them reconnect. Y/N left it all up to the universe. She was a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and that you can't change your future since it's already written about. When she got home after a couple of hours she took a shower, lit on her favorite candles, and did the expected. She took out her notebook and wrote.

We spoke today. He told me the reason why we broke up. It wasn't an intentional meeting though, I was just admiring nature. I was looking at the butterflies I think. He randomly spoke. And I know it was long due and needed so I just told him to say it. It's better to just get it over with than to just keep pushing it back, I think. He told me why he wanted to break up, which right now, sounds like a valid reason. I just wonder why he didn't just say it back then. It would've saved me a lot of nights, don't you think? He now knows I write about him, and where I go to write about him. Maybe I shouldn't go there anymore. It sounds out of this world I know. But maybe, just maybe, I should just close that chapter in my life.

There are just too many memories of him at Beachwood. That's where he surprised me the first time he came to visit. And it's where I write about him the most. I could find another cafe near here, there's plenty.

I just wonder if we're ever going to see each other again. If I'll ever fall for him again, if that is even possible. Because I don't think you could fall for the same person twice, right?

That was the last page in her journal. All the pages filled with her delicate letters, her writing being eternal. Filled with on-going words until the end, where an unanswered question laid. The weight that was once on her shoulders began to fade, and for once in her life, the thought of her future no longer made her afraid.

This is the first time I’m proud of a something I wrote, so if this flops, I will deactivate! Just kidding, sort of. Anyways, yeah, I feel like my writing has improved, and as always, if you have any tips, and/or constructive critism, please, please, please drop them in my inbox, and don’t worry, I won’t say your hurting my feelings lmfao!!

Tag List: @guiltydols @evergreendolan @ydolanssss @rhyrhy462 @resilientdolan @simplyxdolxstyles @simplyxdolxstyles {If you wanna be added to my Tag List, just let me know :) lol}

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xfandomwritingsx · 3 years

Text

Being Human - James Vega/F!Shepard

Description: James and Shepard finally stop dancing around each other. AKA; a rewrite of the Citadel DLC.

Warnings/Labels: None really. Some super minor sexual stuff.

Approx. Word Count: 4,500

A/N: Look... this is at best a rough draft that I typed up and didn’t edit, but I will forever be bitter about how they made the Citadel play out with these two. And while I know it won't happen, I really wish they'd fix it in the remaster. I mean if you're going to remaster the games, that sounds like a damn good time to fix anything inappropriate and rape-y right?! I would love to do a whole slow burn of Shepard and Vega spanning from Earth to the end of the game, but if you know me, you know I'm SLOW AS MOLASSES to update and I'm not lying when I say it would take me years to finish. So instead... have a poorly written snippet. I tried to keep it as much in “canon character” as I could.

Shepard stands on the balcony of her new apartment, mind gently jogging around the events of the last few days which bleeds into the events of the last few years. Resting her arms on the metal railing, she drops her head and sighs, trying to pull herself from the black hole that is her memory anymore. She wants to let it all go, just for a night.

“Hey, Lola,” James calls, pulling her back to the present. She looks up briefly wondering how long he’d been there before she sees the door closing behind him. How had she not heard it? “Nice place,” he comments, looking around the open layout. “Might not look so nice after that party you were talking about.” He walks further in, headed for the stairs to join her on the balcony.

“You wouldn’t trash my new apartment, would you James?” she jokes lightly, pushing herself upright off the railing.

“Me?” He spins a little, keeping his eyes on her as he continued to travel backwards to the stairs. “Nooo. Never,” he draws it out, the sarcasm a little thick. Shepard rolls her eyes at him, but he sees the little smile at the corner of her lips too.

James has always had that effect on her. No matter what dumb thing came out of his mouth, he managed to make her smile. It was something she’d craved over the last few months more than ever. While everyone else gave her pep talks that only managed to remind her how much the galaxy rested on her shoulders, James was more likely to tell her that her pants hugged her curves just right. He let her forget about being Commander Shepard even if for just a few moments.

He whistles as he approaches her side, looking out over the balcony with her.

“Nice view. But this place?” He shakes his head just slightly. “It’s just so... not what I’m used to.” He gives a small shrug, still looking out over the scenery and the lights outside the large windows.

“Which is?” Shepard prods. They don't talk about their pasts very often. Everyone already knew hers and James was never extremely open about his own. He puts his hands on the railing and leans into his arms a little.

“I grew up on the beach in the Pacific,” he shares. “So, you know; water, sand, real air.” She thinks there’s a hint of bitterness in his voice.

“You miss it?” He doesn’t look at her this time and instead she watches as he loosens his grip on the rail a little bit and sighs.

“Yeah. And the people.” She catches the undertone, the longing that implies he’s thinking of someone specific when he says it.

“So, what’s her name?” she asks. She means it to be teasing, but there’s an unexpected pang in her gut that feels all too much like jealousy for her liking and it ruins the lighthearted joke in her voice. She shifts her weight a little and slips a hand into the pocket of her pants.

“No! No.” he clarifies through a bark of a laugh, easing her tension a little. “I stopped... fraternizing when I joined the military. The two don’t seem to go well together.”

“Hasn’t stopped you from being a shameless flirt.” It had taken a short amount of time after they’d first met on Earth for him to relax around her and once he did, the comments, the winks, the innuendos and double entendres never ceased. The only thing he never seemed to do, was be physical with his flirting. He’d never so much as run a hand down her arm or let his hands linger when they sparred. Though Shepard had found herself wishing he would recently.

“Yeah, well... that’s just my way. I don’t mean anything by it.” There’s something in the way that he still won’t look at her that makes her think maybe that’s not all true.

“Too bad.” She drops her tone a little and takes a step towards him. “I wasn’t complaining.” He cracks a smile and lets out another short laugh.

“Who’s the shameless flirt now?” He gives her a single glance and then looks back down to his hands on the railing.

“So you can give it, but you can’t take it?” The flirting had never been completely one sided, but it certainly came heavier from him and it wasn’t uncommon for him to get a little flustered when she returned it.

“No, it’s just...” He releases the railing and pushes away, adding a little distance between the two. “You’re my commander, por dios. I can never tell if you’re yanking my chain.” He looks at her, really looks at her this time and the mood shifts. The air gets thicker, heavier and it feels like an opportunity, one she doesn’t want to slip away again.

“And what if I’m not?” she asks, voice dipping down again. “Not just yanking your chain?” James swallows thickly and there’s a mumble of a noise from his lips, but he doesn’t give a response. Instead, she’s pleased to watch as his eyes travel down from her eyes to her lips, down her neck and through the valley between her breasts that he can see all too well in her black tank top. “Are you going to tell me you’ve never thought about it?”

“Uhhh… I mean you’re one hell of a woman and I’m still just flesh and blood, if you know what I mean.” She can see a bit of redness creep up his neck and Shepard wonders if the implication is just that his body reacts to her or if he’s actually done something about it when his body reacts.

“So am I, James. And you are one hell of a man yourself.” She slips in front of him, putting herself between himself and the railing, all but begging him to pin her there. He makes no move to do so however. Instead, his eyes drop down to their feet and Shepard feels like she’s sinking. “But you’re not interested.” She leans back into the railing, wanting to retreat. James snaps his eyes back to hers and his mouth flops for a few moments as if he’s going to say something, but after a minute of silence, Shepard gives up. She slinks away off to the side and as far away as she can get without feeling too awkward. “Well, now that you’ve shot me down, was there anything else you came here to talk about?”

“Uhhh, yeah,” he stutters, shaking his head. She feels a little bad to have put him on the spot, but she’s just as embarrassed as he is. “I wanted to show you something.”

He turns away from her and pulls his shirt over his head. It takes Shepard longer than she should admit to notice he’s not just showing off the well-toned muscles in his back and shoulders, but trying to show her the new and finished N7 tattoo. He looks at her over his shoulder.

“What do you think?”

“Looks good,” she says honestly. “You’ve earned it.” She sees him smile a little at her approval. She crosses her arms over her chest and tries to lighten her tone. “Though I think it’s a little mean to flaunt yourself to the woman you just turned down.” He chuckles, taking her teasing easily.

“Here I was thought I was being nice giving you at least a little something,” he jokes back before turning to face her, shirt still in his hand. “Thought you liked the show.” She rolls her eyes, but even after him turning her down, the flirting still makes her feel better. “Anyways... Just wanted to show you that bad boy.” He slips his shirt back over his head and she resists the small urge to tell him to keep it off. “I gotta get back to the Normandy,” he says. “Esteban wants my help working on the shuttle.” Shepard shuffles her feet for a moment and then sticks out her hand towards him.

“Thanks for coming by, James.” She uses a formal voice, hoping the gesture and tone will clearly communicate a no hard feelings vibe. He reaches out and takes her hand. The handshake lasts for less than a second before he brings her hand up into a fist grab and pulls her closer. He locks her eyes with his and that tension rises again.

“Lola,” he whispers. “I’m not not interested.” She loosens her grip in his, going from firm comradery to something softer. “It’s just that… you’re Commander Shepard, you know?” He watches her shoulders fall and he knows instantly it was the wrong thing to say.

“I get it, James,” she says, attempting to hide her dejection. It’s the title, the legend that again stands in her way from being a regular woman. So much for him being the person who makes her forget it all. “Don’t worry about it.” She withdraws from him quickly and a little more coldly than she intended. He again opens his mouth, but doesn’t form words. “I’ll see you later,” she dismisses him and he nods. He moves to leave before trying once more to end on a friendly note.

“This is gonna be a perfect place for a fiesta.”

~~~

For a guy who all but told her no, James is sure as shit staring at her an awful lot like he wants to rip her clothes off.

“Is constant staring customary to the human mating ritual?” Garrus teases him as he pours drinks on the other side of the bar. “Because if so, you’re doing a damn good job, Jimmy.” James grimaces and throws a peanut shell at the Turian.

“Shut it, Scars.”

“He’s still convinced regs are a problem to worry about,” Steve chimes in, clapping his friend on the shoulder.

“Regs? Really?” Garrus asks. “You realize breaking regulations is pretty much Shepard’s specialty, right?” He slides the drink towards James who just shakes his head at it and passes it to Steve. “And even if it wasn’t, we’re quite possibly facing the end of the galaxy here. Who’s kissing who isn’t something anyone’s worried about, even the brass.” James mumbles something and picks at the label on his nearly full beer bottle.

He can barely see Shepard at the kitchen entrance from his spot at the end of the bar and every time she moves, his neck cranes to follow her. He’d either purposely or accidentally kept her in view all night and has spent the better part of it kicking himself for not just throwing her against a wall earlier that day.

She catches his eye and he instantly looks away, back to his bottle. She chose to wear a dress of all things tonight. A god damned dress. A little black number that fit her better than it had any right to. The woman was trying to kill him.

“Boys,” he hears her greet them casually, having approached them at the bar while he was attempting to ignore her. “How are things going?” James doesn’t hear their response. He’s too preoccupied trying to keep his eyes off of her chest as she leans her hip against the edge of the bar. “You seem quiet, Vega,” she comments.

“Just enjoying the party.” He shrugs and takes a drink of his beer, thinking about how he could kill Garrus and Steve for the look they shoot each other.

“Steve,” Garrus interrupts. “Let me show you that data pad I mentioned earlier.” Garrus had, of course, mentioned no such data pad in their prior conversations, but Steve agreed eagerly and James really thought about strangling at least one of them when they left him alone with Shepard.

“We good?” she asks him so casually that he almost feels bad.

“Yeah, why?” He takes another drink of his beer and it quickly turns into a large gulp.

“You seem to be avoiding me,” She squints and forces a smile. “And also staring, which is odd. Just want to make sure we’re good.” She takes a sip of her own drink and shifts her eyes to the Turian alcohol bottle, investigating it curiously.

James chews on his tongue for a moment. She wants them to be good. Good means normal. Normal would mean telling her those squats she’s been doing have done wonders for her ass and that was dangerous tonight.

“It help if I tell you that you look damn fine in that dress?” He never was too good at avoiding danger.

“Maybe,” She shrugs and leans forward towards him just a little. “Probably help a little more if you called me Lola.” Damn if her voice didn’t sound husky and smooth. Despite his better judgement, he followed her lead and leaned in as well, lowering his voice if nothing more than to make sure eavesdroppers wouldn’t hear.

“Well, that dress is definitely giving me ideas… Lola.” A smile breaks on her lips and he’s not entirely sure, but he thinks he sees her shiver just the slightest. He takes another long drink, but this time doesn’t take his eyes off her.

“You going to keep a girl guessing or are you going to share with the class?” She takes a step forward, getting close enough for him to notices she actually put on a light layer of perfume too. He chuckles, but curses internally.

“You’re making it real hard to remember why this is a bad idea,” he warns.

He starts listing the reasons in his head. Fraternization regs. She’s his commander. She’s fucking Commander Shepard and he’s just a nobody lieutenant who makes a shitty leader. She’s probably looking for some kind of easy fling. Distracting her like that would be selfish. It’d look bad. The rest of the crew might start to question her judgement. The list goes on and on.

“I never pegged you to be a guy who runs hot and cold,” she says, breaking his train of thought. “And yet today you’ve given more mixed signals than a broken comm transmission.”

“Sorry, Lola.” And he is, honestly. He’s a tangled-up mess of thoughts and emotions and even the little bit of alcohol he’s consumed tonight is making him think with his dick first.

“Want me to put on a wig? Change my name? Maybe lay on an accent?” He can tell by the wiggle in her eyebrows as much as the suggestion itself that she’s had a little too much to drink, but it twists his stomach in a bad way all the same. “I don’t have to be Commander Shepard for a night.” And now he feels guilty, so much so that his neck and his face turn red and he looks down again, embarrassed at himself. She gives a quick pat to his forearm. “Come find me if you change your mind.”

She grabs her drink and leaves to mingle with her other guests, leaving him alone to feel like an asshole. He could never find the right thing to say around Shepard. Not when it came to this. He wanted her and lately he had to admit it was more than just a sexual attraction. He wanted more than that, but the idea of being selfish enough to pursue Commander Shepard was intimidating. Maybe, he admits, he needs to stop separating her and realize that Commander Shepard and his Lola are one and the same. Maybe then he can stop being a dick.

“Fucking pendejo,” he whispers to himself before swiping up that Turian bottle.

~~~

She can feel the headache before she even opens her eyes. Had she really drank much last night? No, she’s sure she didn’t. She even remembers everything, including climbing into her bed after barely having the energy to change clothes.

She throws on her N7 sweatshirt and slowly treks her way to the kitchen, making sure to note all the remnants of the party, including some of her friends scattered amongst the apartment. It makes her smile.

She smells bacon as she rounds the corner and sees James at the stove already in the full throws of making breakfast. He beams a smile at her when he sees her in the doorway and flips the pan a little.

“Lola!” he greets. “Eggs?”

“You’re awful cheery,” she comments dryly, and a little bitterly, as she steps further into the kitchen. She rounds the island the stove is on and snags a piece of bacon from the plate there.

“Been a while since you knocked that many back?” he teases, watching the way her eyes squint uncomfortably. “Breakfast will help.” He shovels some of the fresh eggs onto a plate and passes it her way. She takes them gratefully and reaches for the salt. James’ hand wraps around her wrist, stopping her reach. “You really gonna do me like that?” he scolds playfully. “Add salt before you even try them? That’s my abuela’s recipe. It doesn't need more salt.” She cracks a smile, but doesn’t move her hand away just yet, the warmth of his hand feeling too comforting to pull away from. There’s a gentle swipe of his thumb over her pulse before he lets go on his own. He empties the rest of the eggs on a communal plate before clearing his throat. “Hey, let me know when you have some time,” he says. It sounds surprisingly awkward. “I’ve got something I want to talk to you about.”

~~~

Never being one to put things off, Shepard returned to her room as soon as she’d finished eating and made the rounds to make sure everyone was awake or, at the very least, breathing.

I’m in my room. Got some time. She sends the message before even making it through the door. It doesn't take more than a few seconds for him to respond.

Be up in a minute.

She makes herself busy with her omni-tool while she waits. She feels a bit like a fool, practically throwing herself at him a second time only to be left alone again last night. She wouldn’t blame him if he came to talk to her about how uncomfortable she had made him.

She’s left the door open for him, but he still gives it a gentle knock to get her attention when he arrives.

“Nice room,” he comments, sticking his head over the threshold and looking around. “Bit different than the Normandy. Less fish.” He cracks a smile at her and the simple gesture puts her at ease a little. He can’t be pissed at her if he’s still making jokes, right?

“You’re just jealous you don’t have fish in your room.” She isn’t about to admit that she actually misses the blue glow and gentle whir of the filter when she falls asleep. Not right now at least.

“Yeah, well, maybe we should trade rooms sometime.”

Or maybe we could share mine. Shepard physically bites her tongue to stop herself from saying it aloud. Still unsure of exactly where they stand and just how awkward she made things for him, it is not the time to let the flirtations rise up that quickly.

He takes her brief silence to enter the room and close the door behind him. That makes her a little nervous, but not nearly as much as when he says, “So... we should talk about last night.”

“I owe you an apology, Lieutenant,” she says instantly, nearly cutting him off. The way she snaps back to professionalism with a straight back, pushed down shoulders, and a commanding tone makes him pause for a moment, his eyes widening just a fraction. “I was inappropriate with you and should not have taken advantage of my rank.” It takes an extra moment for her apology to sink in and his brow furrows as he sorts it through his brain.

“What? No!” he huffs and takes two large, hurried steps her way. She must not have held her surprise well enough because he suddenly stops again. “Lola,” he sighs. “I didn’t come here to... register a complaint.” His face crunches up as though he doesn’t like the way the word taste. “I came to apologize to you,” he says firmly. “And hopefully not fuck up my words this time.”

The intensity in his eyes and the way he’s not shying away from her makes Shepard feel like she’s a young girl again. Any and all experience she has with men and relationships seems to just melt away and suddenly she’s got butterflies and a blush. There’s a nervous heat in her stomach that makes it hard to regain her composure.

“Okay,” she says slowly, not completely sure of where he’s going, but hoping to every God in the galaxy that he’s not turning her down again.

“I can’t hook up with you.” The butterflies die and the excited heat turns to an anger.

“I promise you don’t have to reject me again for me to understand.” She says it harshly, bitterly even. She barely manages to contain throwing her arms in the air when she turns away from him, moving towards the desk in the corner as if she has something better to do. She hears him mutter under his breath and while her Spanish is terrible, the inflection makes it sound like a string of curses.

“Shepard!” He follows her footsteps and when she spins to sit in the desk chair, his arm is extended as though he reached out for her just a moment too late. “I can’t hook up with you,” he emphasizes. “I can’t do just one night and that’s what would have happened last night. Would have been a drunken hook up that one of us or both of us would have brushed off in the morning. I don’t want that.” Her anger starts to dissolve and her spine loses some of its rigidness as she slinks back into her chair.

“What do you want then?” she asks, voice softer and quieter now. She’s afraid of the answer. He chews on his tongue and grinds his jaw and she wonders if maybe he’s afraid too.

“You,” he finally says.

“You sure about that?” She can’t help but scoff. “I am Commander Shepard, after all.”

“Yeah, you are.” His sigh this time seems more like a pained groan. Shepard watches carefully as he turns and sits himself on her unmade bed. “Which is why it feels completely selfish and impossible to ask you to commit to anything more, let alone to an insignificant lieutenant like me.”

“Commit?” She suddenly feels lighter again.

“When I go for something, I go all in,” he tells her. “That would include you...this...us.” He waves his hand out awkwardly and avoids her eyes as though he’s nervous. She bites down on her lip to swallow down the smile. She knows it’s not exactly fair to enjoy his nervousness, but at least it’s not just her. She slowly pushes herself up from her chair.

“You’re not insignificant,” she assures him.

“I’m not some hero of the galaxy,” he admits. He doesn’t say it with a self-conscious, but rather states it just as a simple fact. “I haven’t been with you since the beginning like most of these guys.”

“You know that’s one of the things I like about you James?” He looks up at her curiously. “Sure, you’ve heard the stories, but we didn't meet on the ship in the midst of wars. We met on Earth.” She rounds the desk slowly, walking closer to where he sits still using caution in case he backs out. “You didn’t just get to know Commander Shepard. You got to know Jane, to know me. You treat me like I’m human.”

“You are human, Lola.” He’s not looking away from her now and it gives her a little burst of confidence.

“Yeah. What was it you said? Just flesh and blood?” There’s a tease of a smirk on her lips as she comes to stand in front of him, legs stopping just short of slipping between the gap of his spread knees. He chuckles and the weight of everything starts to lift.

“You sure about this, Lola?” He reaches out and curls his hand around her hip. It's the first time he’s ever really touched her and it makes her heart skip just a little. She leans into his touch, pushing her hip into his palm and leans forward to put her hands on his shoulders. He feels solid beneath her and she can’t resist the need to squeeze just a little, to feel the muscles at the end of her fingers.

“I’ve thought about it in great detail.” He cocks an eyebrow at her and tugs her in-between his legs. He watches her with an unbridled desire in his eyes and for the first time in a long time, she feels real excitement. She traces one hand up the side of his neck so she can run his fingers along his jaw. “That party shouldn’t be the last bit of happiness we get to indulge in.”

He moves quickly; his hand on the back of her neck before she knew he moved it, using barely any strength to pull her down to him. She follows him easily, all too eager to kiss him heatedly. Months of suppressed desires pour out into each other and for the first few moments, they merely hold onto each other and soak in the relief of letting go. And then James’ hands start moving, pulling her closer and sliding over the curve of her ass. Shepard is compliant and carefully climbs into his lap, one knee on either side of his hips on her bed. He bites gently at her bottom lip before using a hand on her jaw to tilt her head back, allowing him to kiss down her neck.

Eyes closed and succumbing to the pleasure he’s offering, Shepard is unprepared for when James moves again. He rolls to the side and pushes her onto her back on the bed. She lets out an actual squeak of surprise and James chuckles, still pressing kisses to her skin. With her legs still around his waist, his hips grind almost unconsciously and she doesn’t hold back her moan.

James peels himself away from her slowly, leaving a cold trail of air where his body had been on top of her. She opens her eyes and glares at him, but the smirk still on his face and the bulge she manages to catch a glimpse of through his pants, make sure no fear of rejection rises back in her.

“And where are you going?” she asks, attempting and failing to use her Commander tone. She tries again after clearing her throat and pushing herself up on her elbows. “You’re not leaving this room for a while.” James laughs and flashes her a smile as he keeps walking to the door.

“Is that an order?” he teases, pressing the lock for the door and waiting until it flashes red before turning back to her.

“You bet your ass it is.” She smiles back at him. She could have locked the door from right here with her omni-tool and he knew it. He was just being a teasing bastard. “You’re not leaving her until I say so.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he laughs again before coming back to her.

#james vega #shega #shega imagine #femshep x vega #Shepard/James Vega Imagine #James Vega Imagine #mass effect #mass effect imagine #femshep

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illfoandillfie · 4 years

Text

5 Simple Rules For A Successful Fake Relationship: Picture Perfect

5 SIMPLE RULES MASTERLIST

Pairing: Ben Hardy x Reader

Summery: A whole day with Ben's family and no way to escape. How will you survive? And will any rules be left intact by the end of the night?

Warnings: SMUT (finally lmao), nothing like super kinky but it is explicit, plus the usual stuff, drinking, mention of smoking.

Words: 6284

A/N: ARE YA'LL READY FOR THIS? smut scene is marked with a *** so you can skip it if you like.

Taglist: @laedymoon @dtfrogertaylor @vee-ndetta @atomic-watermelon @kellypenac @labessieisallama @deakyclicks @jennyggggrrr @drowseoftaylor @hannafuckingsucks @i-cant-hangout-im-drumming @queenmylovely @supersonicfreddie @tenement-funstah @taron-egrotten @johndeaconshands @borhapbois @thefairyfellersmasterstroke @queenlover05

@coni-martina @hardforbenhardy @cubedtriangle @vicouscirce @arianabrashierstuff @pattieboydwannabe @maggieroseevans @theprettyandthereckless @im-an-adult-ish

A week later you were in the passenger seat of Ben’s car, your bags in the back, watching the scenery pass by. You found your eyes drawn to him more often than usual but he didn’t seem to notice. Maybe it was that he was so focused on the road and the traffic around you or maybe it was because you were playing I spy and a few glances from the person who’d spied the object were expected. I spy was a good game. Distracting enough to focus your mind on something other than wanting Ben. For the most part at least. “And we can definitely still see it?” “Yuuuuuuup,” you popped the ‘p’ and glanced over at Ben again. “And it starts with ‘M’ but isn’t ‘Mazda’ like what’s driving behind us, or Mars Bar like what I was just eating?”” “Nope,” you popped the p again and laughed, “d’you want a clue?” “Go on then, otherwise we’ll be stuck like this all day,” “We’ve been following them since we got on the motorway,” Ben’s forehead creased as he thought about your clue, “Truck doesn’t start with ‘M’,” “Clever boy. You deserve a gold star for that one,” “Bite me,” You laughed and gave in to the temptation to look at him again, noting the crease of his forehead as he thought about your clue, “Should I just tell you?” “Fine, I’m never going to get it at this rate,” “I spy with my little eye a mudflap girl. Two of them actually,” “What the fuck is a mudflap girl?” You pointed at the silhouette on the tuck’s mudflaps, “Her. The chick with the stupidly pinched in waist and big knockers.” “Is that what they’re called?” “What knockers?” “No, I’m perfectly familiar with those,” Ben laughed and you whistled teasingly, willing your mind to stop picturing what it was picturing “Shush, I meant the mudflap girls, is that what they’re called?” “Yeah. You didn’t know?” He shook his head slightly, “Never really came up.” “Sorry, would have picked something else if I’d realised,” “‘s fine. Just means I won’t hold back with the next one.” You’d been a little nervous at the prospect of driving hours with just Ben for company, still coming to grips with the fact you wanted to knock boots with him. You couldn’t even think about it in direct language, just roundabout phrases your mum used to use. But, thankfully, all your concerns had disappeared the moment you got into the car, infected by Ben’s bright smile and insistence that he’d make it fun. His definition of fun was a lot of classic driving games, hence the I Spy, plenty of road trip snacks, and a healthy dose of a specially curated driving playlist. You’d made fun of him for including I’m In Love With My Car on it but he just turned it up louder and sang it at you which only made you laugh more. It stopped any awkwardness or uncomfortable silences in their tracks. But all the laughter and playful teasing was just another reminder of how close you were and that made you think about how badly you wanted to do the dirty with him, hear him whining your name, feel his hands all over you, cuddle up with him and doze as he read to you. You shook your head as the third image sprang to the forefront of your mind. That wasn’t right. Bumping uglies was one thing but dozing was out of the question. Unless it was in a post-coital come down of course. Not that any of it mattered since you weren’t going to act on it. Joe had made it very clear that something actually happening was a bad idea. Although, looking at Ben now he didn’t seem to be that bad off. Certainly not white knuckling it as Joe had said. He was happy and bubbly and you couldn’t see a single sign of him falling apart. What did Joe know anyway? He lived so far away, how could he possibly know what was good for Ben or, for that matter, you.

Halfway there you found a place to pull up so you could stretch your legs and refresh your snacks but then it was back into the car for the second leg of the trip, winding through the traffic until it thinned out and you pulled up outside a nice white house with a tidy yard. “This is it?” you asked, the nerves back in full force. “Yeah, you good?” You just nodded your head but Ben gave your hand a reassuring squeeze, “Remember the plan, yeah? Hold hands as much as we can, look as loved up as possible, just like what we do for the cameras. What’s our story?” “Met at the audition for Edith since you’d already been cast. Hung out a lot as prep for the movie. You asked me out a couple of days before filming began and we dated secretly for a while but then, partway through filming, we were caught by paparazzi and decided to be open about it.” “Very good. What el- shit, no time for the rest of the pop quiz, the front door just opened.” “It’s okay, I’m good. We’ve been doing this for months now, it’s just more of the same.” Ben nodded and then let your hand go so he could get out of the car. You opened your door and stepped out, smoothing out your skirt, your hand cold outside of Ben’s grasp. But he fixed the problem, taking your hand again as he led you towards the front door and the person who’d come out onto the driveway. He squeezed your hand again. “Hi mum. This is Y/N,” “Well it’s about time,” his mum said, already stepping forward to hug you, forcing you to drop Ben’s hand “lovely to meet you, darling.” “Pleasure to meet you too Mrs Jones,” you smiled politely as she stepped back. “Oh, Angela, please,” her hands were still on your shoulders as she examined your appearance, “Gosh aren’t you pretty.” You managed to stutter out a thank you, suddenly feeling much more shy than you normally would have. “Oh c’mon mum, let her go.” “I’m just saying she’s beautiful, what’s wrong with that?” but her hands fell from you as she turned her attention to Ben, “I still think you’re very handsome too Ben. Need a bit of a haircut though.” He rolled his eyes but hugged her all the same. “Mikey’s already there setting up with your father and I expect you’ll be giving him a hand soon?” “Can I not have five minutes out of the car before I get piled up with chores?” Ben whined as you both followed her inside.

She led you on a brief tour of the house, pointing out where the bathrooms were and coming to an end at Ben’s old room where you’d be staying. She promised you enough time to grab your bags and freshen up before you’d be asked to help and then she headed back towards the front of the house. You peeked inside the bedroom door hoping to see what teenage Ben’s sense of style was but it had since been redecorated. “Don’t look so disappointed,” Ben laughed, “Mum had the whole house redone a few years ago and it didn’t make sense to keep my room how it was.” “Please tell me there’s photos here somewhere,” “Probably but you’re not seeing them,” “You have to tell me something, I’m your girlfriend and I need to know.” “Fuck off, you do not,” “Please?” you extended the word in a childish whine, pouting at him until he broke. “What d’you want to know then?” “What’d you have on your walls? Band posters?” Ben laughed, “Uhhh, a few sports things – my favourite teams and that. Some girls with big tits leaning all over cars…Couple of theatre posters too,” “Nerd,” “Shut up,” he laughed again, pushing against your shoulder, “Sorry about Mum by the way,” “It’s totally fine,” “I promise it’ll all be over soon,” You were taken aback as he wrapped you up in a tight hug but very happily relaxed against him. Carefully, so as not to break the moment you looked up at him only to find him looking back at you. It was the closest you’d been since the almost-kiss in the hotel. Sure, you’d been close, even hugged before, but not in this long, lingering way and even then, it was mostly just in public. A sharp knock at the door made you break apart. “Sorry to rush you but Mikey’s just called asking after you. Better get a move on,” “Who’s Mikey?” you asked, refusing to acknowledge the tension in the air. “My brother, Michael. S’pose we should crack on. You’ve got about twelve bags to pull from the car.” “Fuck off, it’s only two and one of them’s a hand bag. Plus, it’s you’re fault for not being more specific about dress code.” You hadn’t known exactly what to pack and got no clear answer when you’d asked, so you’d packed a few different outfit options, from casual jeans and a nice blouse to a slightly more fancy little black dress, the clutch you’d taken to the French restaurant packed with it in case you needed a stylish purse. “You’re such a drama queen. Just help me with them yeah?”

You would have known he was Ben’s brother even before you’d heard about him. His face was thinner and his shoulders less broad but they had the same smile, same eyes. He was lovely too, jumped down off a chair and dropped the coil of fairy lights he’d been holding so he could shake your hand and introduce himself. Then came their dad, maybe not quite as warm as their mum but just as welcoming. Both you and Ben were handed lengths of lights and sent off to find places to hang them. Inside it wasn’t necessary since the restaurant was already lit up, staff busting about making sure everything was ready for that afternoon. So Ben led you away from the big open door, into the beer garden. It was mostly paved, small shoots of grass sprouting up through the bricks, though there was also a large strip of grass at the very end of the yard. Ben’s brother and dad were on one side of the yard, securing their lights to the fence so you and Ben headed straight for the grassy end where the light of the restaurant wouldn’t quite reach. “Wait here a sec,” Ben said, handing you his coil of lights and turning back towards the paved area. You watched as he dragged on of the sturdy wooden tables over to you. At the first scrape of the wood on the brick he looked inside to see if anyone was going to go mad at him but, aside from his family members, no one noticed. When he finally got it in position, he climbed up onto the table and held out his hand for the lights. You kept lookout as he wound the wire around a tree branch and then jumped down again, handing the end of the lights to you so you could wrap it around the tree trunk and secure the battery pack out of harm’s way, as he pushed the table back into place. It wasn’t long before the yard was covered with lights extending from the doorway all the way to the fence that blocked the yard from the road. Of course, all that work meant you deserved a drink so, by the time Ben’s mum and other family members began arriving in the late afternoon, you were already halfway through your first glass. Ben gave you a running commentary of everyone who walked into the restaurant. “That’s my cousin and her daughter. And the couple behind her are my,” he thought for a moment, “Well let’s call them cousin’s too because I don’t know how seconds and removals work. The bald guy over there talking to Mum is my great uncle. And the woman who just waved is an Aunt. Whatever you do, don’t mention her son. He’s had a run in with the law and it’s a touchy subject.” “Noted. But shit, when you said family get together you really meant it,” “Yeah,” Ben laughed, “The Jones’ don’t do things by halves. ‘Specially not when there’s drinking involved.”

As the place began to fill Ben took you around to meet people. You felt a little like the ball in a pinball machine, bouncing from one person to another, introducing yourself and then moving on to someone else, almost immediately forgetting any names you’d just been told. It was almost like doing interviews again except with more movement and more alcohol. Ben kept a hold of you, either interlocking his fingers with yours or else wrapping his arm around your waist, keeping you close to his side, only letting you go to grab you another drink or light up a cigarette. At one point you had a small crowd gathered beside you, all pointing out things they’d seen in magazines or on the internet about you, all wanting to hear about how you met. Thankfully you’d become quite practiced at telling the story. “We met at the audition actually,” Ben said, “I had the part but they wanted to try me with different actresses to find someone that would work well on screen. I’d met, I don’t know, eight or nine women and then Y/N came into the room. She looked kinda nervous,” You shook your head in disagreement but Ben ignored you. “but we got a chance to say hi before we had to read the lines and we just clicked.” “Our director really liked us together so I got a call back and we did another scene,” “So they could, y’know, see us kiss, make sure the chemistry was there.” “They must have liked it because I got the part. We did a couple of weeks of all this, um, like, bonding stuff. The rest of the main cast was there too but me and Ben had a few one on one things because we were playing a couple that was already engaged so they wanted us to look really connected.” “Anyway, I wanted to ask her out after day one but I wasn’t sure if I should because we’d be working together,” “I took a little longer to see him in that light but he was so sweet and charming and fun to be around, and by the end of the week I was thinking the same thing. Only neither of us wanted to make the first move because if it wasn’t mutual then it could make the next few months of work really awkward.” “Eventually one of the other actors pointed out how into me she was so I asked her out for a coffee and it went from there.” He returned your smile and then pulled you closer into his side, dropping a kiss to the top of your head as you leaned against his chest. “Well your casting director knew what they were doing because you two are adorable together.” A few more questions followed but eventually Ben was able to extract you from the crowd with the excuse you needed more drinks. “Actually, I gotta run to the loo, I’ll bring some food back with me though, okay?” “Okay, I’m gonna grab another cocktail, you want anything?” “Beer’d be great,” “Sure thing, babe,” He smiled again as he left you but you were smiling too. There was something fun about the act. Even with everything that had happened and how mixed up and hard it had been at times, an evening like this was fun. He made you laugh and made sure you felt comfortable in what could have easily been an extremely uncomfortable situation. Plus, it meant you got to indulge the part of you that was still fantasising about being with him. You were allowed to kiss him and touch him because you were acting. There was no confusion about why, no worries about if you were crossing the line you’d put down, nothing to stop you from enjoying it. So what if occasionally your fantasies extended beyond just doing the horizontal tango? It wasn’t so bad to think about cuddling up in front of the TV with him.

Drinks in hand you headed back to where Ben had disappeared, trying to spot him in the crowd. “Y/N!,” You spun round to see who was talking, finding yourself face to face with Ben’s mum again. Angela, you reminded yourself. “Come join us over here,” she said leading you to a table where a few others sat, “You’ve met my husband Keith already, yes? And this is Doug and Katherine. This is Y/N, Ben’s girlfriend.” You took a seat and chatted with them, glancing around for Ben every so often. Eventually Doug and Katherine got up to talk to someone else and Keith went off in search of more food, leaving you and Angela alone. “Now, darling, Ben tells me you’ve got a work thing to get back home for tomorrow so you’ll be leaving a bit earlier than originally planned.” Angela said, patting your hand. “Yeah, um, it’s an audition,” you lied. It was a cover Ben had come up with so you didn’t get guilted into staying an extra day. “Well that does sound important. I’m sad we won’t have longer to get to know you though. I must admit, I saw a photo of you and Ben a while ago and I was hoping he’d bring you up because you just looked so lovely. And you obviously make him very happy, which is of course what every mother hopes for. So you have to come back soon so we can have a proper chat. Make a weekend of it or something.” You were a little taken aback, stunned to hear how much of an impact you’d had without meaning to. It made you feel a bit guilty. This was Ben’s family and you weren’t part of it, you shouldn’t be there. But you swallowed the doubts, tried to ignore how much you wanted it all to be real, and smiled back at her, “I’d love that. Just say when.” “Oh now don’t tempt me or I’ll have the date picked out before the end of the night. I don’t want to jump the gun or seem too forward but just seeing how you two are together…I hope you know you’re welcome in our family. Ben loves you a lot, I can tell.” “I know. And it’s very kind of you,” “I mean it darling. And if the next family get together was your wedding, well….but of course that’s neither here nor there.” You laughed it off but your insides were churning. “So this is where you got to,” Ben’s voice interrupted as he dropped into the seat beside you and lay his hand on your knee. You hadn’t realised your leg had been bouncing but you stopped it the moment he touched you. “I was just telling Y/N that you should come back again soon, when there’s no auditions to interrupt your stay.” “Sure, Mum,” Ben said, still touching your leg. You chatted for a bit longer until she got distracted enough for Ben to lean into your ear and softly ask, “You okay? Or do you want to get out of here?” “Please,” you whispered back. “Okay, follow me,” He took your hand and told his mum he wanted to introduce you to someone but you barely heard it, your head buzzing as you made a polite exit and let Ben lead you outside, making excuses to anyone who tried to stop you. As soon as you were clear of the venue he pulled out his phone to find a car, one hand on your lower back, rubbing soft circles over your shirt until you felt you could breathe easy again. “Better?” “Thank you. How’d you know?” He shrugged, “I just know you. I saw your leg bouncing and figured Mum had said something,” “She mentioned us getting married,” “What? Why the fuck would that have come up?” “It was just a passing comment but I….” You half shrugged, trying to find the right words. “It’s okay, c’mon, let’s go home you can tell me everything.” You nodded and let him hug you as you waited for the car.

Once you were inside Ben grabbed a couple of glasses from the kitchen and then headed into the dining room. “Thank you dad,” he mumbled as he pulled a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label out of a cupboard and turned to show you, “He’s kept a stash of this stuff in here since I was a kid. Got in trouble for stealing some a couple of times.” “Better not let him find out about this then,” you laughed, feeling more relaxed now that it was just you and Ben, a sizeable distance from the rest of the party. Ben chuckled along as he poured a little into each glass and carefully replaced the bottle, “So what happened back there?” “I don’t know,” you accepted your glass and took a sip, leaning against the corner of the table. Ben didn’t cut in, he just took his own drink and waited until you could say more. “I guess it was just harder to be around your family than I was expecting. It wasn’t the same as sitting in a restaurant on a date,” you drew the quotation marks in the air with your fingers, “That was a room full of people who care about you and they were all so lovely and welcoming and your mum said she’d been hoping you’d bring me here since she saw a photo of us and invited me back so she could get to know me and I said I’d love to because what else could I say and she seemed so happy about it and so pleased that you’re so happy and I feel so guilty about lying to them all. What if they find out? Your mum’ll be so disappointed.” “Don’t worry about lying to them, I’ve done it plenty before,” when you didn’t laugh he put his glass down beside you and took you free hand in his, “Seriously, Y/N, there’s nothing to feel guilty about. The premiere is coming up in a couple of weeks and then pretty soon after that we’ll break up and I’ll tell them it just wasn’t working, and they’ll accept it and never have to know the truth. And then we can forget this whole thing and move on.” You weren’t so sure that was what you wanted anymore, but you weren’t sure enough to say it. Instead you put your glass down as well and said, “but it must be hard for you too. Having me here and everything.” It was only when you looked at him that you realised how close you were standing. He was still holding your hand, his thumb rubbing back and forth over your fingers. “I’m a big boy, I can handle it.” You weren’t sure what compelled you to do it, the drink maybe, or just pent up sexual tension, but he was so close and he was looking at you with those eyes and before you could stop yourself you leaned in to kiss him. He seemed a bit shocked, taking half a step back, and you were sure he was going to tell you it wasn’t a good idea and then leave you standing there alone. But then his hand was on your jaw as he kissed you back, all hesitancy gone. You felt him sigh against you as if he’d been holding his breath, waiting for this to happen again, and pulled him in closer.

***

Maybe it was the months without sex, or maybe it was how often your mind had conjured similar scenes, or maybe it was just how good it felt to have him press you against the table to kiss you again, but whatever the reason it wasn’t long until you were pushing the hem of his shirt up over his stomach. He took the hint and stopped kissing you just long enough to pull it over his head, quickly finding your lips again as his fingers worked on the buttons of your shirt. He got about halfway through and then stopped, instead dropping his hands to your arse so he could lift you up and carry you up the hall towards his room. He kicked the door shut once he was through it and pressed you against it, kissing you as if to make up for lost time. It was a heady experience, being pinned to the door, your legs wrapped around him as you kissed messily. Too much and not enough all at once. You needed him closer still and clutched at his shoulders to try and make him understand. Either he really could read you well or he wanted the same thing because a moment later there was no longer a door behind you, Ben taking the few steps towards the bed and letting himself drop to the mattress. He pushed your shirt from your shoulders, no longer needing to hold you up, and ran his hands over your sides as if trying to map out he lines of your body. A whine escaped you as your need to remove layers grew and you dropped your hands to his belt, fumbling blindly with the buckle. A voice in your head told you it was a bad idea. You still weren’t certain of your feelings, weren’t sure doing this would cure you of them or if it’d just make everything messier than it already was. But the voice got quieter with every shift of your hips and every stroke of his fingers. “You’ve no idea how much I’ve thought about this,” he mumbled against your neck. All you could manage was a small whimper of agreement as he kissed you again, and traced his fingers up to the clasp of your bra. It was on the floor in seconds, his hands replacing the material, only making you want more. You arched your back into his touch, panted against his lips. He smiled, circled a nipple with his thumb, delighted in your response.

Suddenly he flipped you over so you were sitting on the bed, kissed you again and then stood up. “Ben?” you were worried he was going to put an end to things before they got too far. Thankfully he didn’t, just shucked off his pants. You almost laughed in relief as he leaned over you again, making quick work of the fastening of your skirt so it too could join the clothing on the floor. The voice in your head was gone, silenced by the pure desperate need to have him touch you more, and he was making no moves to stop it either as you shuffled further up the bed, pulling him along with you. You let out a choked off moan as he kissed a trail down your neck, tilted your head to the side so he could reach all the spots that made you gasp. But it still wasn’t enough. You were going to go crazy with need if you didn’t get something more soon, so you let your hand fall between you, rubbed your palm over the front of his boxers, felt him rock his hips against your hand, already hard. He sat back on his knees so he could slip your underwear down your legs. “Fuck,” he groaned as soon as he realised how wet you were. You grabbed his wrist and put his hand between your legs, hoping he’d take the hint. He did, trailing his fingers between your lips, over your clit. Your breath caught as he slipped a lone digit into you, slowly, easing you into it before he added a second. He watched you closely, eyes half lidded and soft, the tip of his tongue poking out from between his teeth like he was concentrating on memorizing every inch of you, inside and out. Even in that moment, when your breaths were coming shaky and uneven, and your skin was burning under his gaze, even then all you could think was how hot he looked, hair ruffled, lips kiss swollen, completely enraptured by you. He shifted his finger slightly and your eyes fluttered shut. “There, babe, fuck, right there,” you sighed. “Like that?” he asked softly, twitching his fingers against you again. You nodded though he drew a more vocal response from you a few seconds later when he added a third finger and leaned down to suck your nipple between his lips. He hummed when he heard you say his name and repeated the same motion in the same place, so you said his name again, louder, and then again and again as he kept going, hitting you exactly where you needed him. You were almost surprised by how quickly he managed to pull you over the edge. Almost. But it had been a while and he’d always promised he was good. He worked you through it before he carefully withdrew his fingers and kissed you again, stealing what little breath you had left.

And then he stopped. Sat back again. You blinked your eyes open and reached for him as he leaned over the edge of the bed, opened the draw of the beside cabinet and swore. Pulling himself back towards you he took your outstretch hand and kissed the back of it, “I don’t have any condom’s here,” he sounded apologetic. “I have some, wait,” you kissed him quickly before you stood, a little unsteady, and opened the wardrobe door, thankful Felicity had given you the handful of them and that you’d brought the bag with you. He looked like he was about to ask why but the sight of you climbing onto the bed, straddling him, with one hand on his chest to lay him down, made the question die in his throat. He let his head fall back onto the pillow as you pulled his underwear off and rolled the condom on as quick as you could manage. And then you sank down onto him, trying to take your time. “Fuck,” you whined, pausing to give you both a moment to adjust. His hand grabbed onto your waist, fingertips pressing into you, encouraging you to move. It was soft but not quite, both of you panting and groaning as you raised and lowered yourself on him, building up to a steady rhythm. His hands roamed over you, grabbing your arse the way he had done on his couch, moving over your breasts, squeezing your hips, gentle but firm pulling you to speed up each time. You needed to be closer though, so you leaned down to kiss him again, grunting at the change of position. But it interrupted your flow, made you stutter out of time, so Ben propped himself up on his elbows, and then when that wasn’t enough, sat up fully, his knees rising behind you. One hand was braced on your back to keep you steady as you circled your hips, the other cupped your cheek as his forehead leaned against yours, every uneven breath audible, able to feel the rapid rise and fall of his chest under your palm. “I love you,” he sighed, his nose bumping against yours as he searched for your lips again. You were on the verge of repeating his words back to him when he dropped his hand from your cheek, let it fall between you and brush against your clit, the confession lost in your moan. “You gonna c-cum for me?” You nodded, leaning into his neck as you did your best to keep riding him, legs shaking with the effort and your approaching release. He didn’t let up until you were crying out into his shoulder, following close behind you with his own moan.

***

You lost track of how long you sat there, leaning against each other as you came down, lost track of where you were, lost track of the reality of your relationship. Your instinct was to keep clinging to Ben, keep kissing along his jaw and nose as you pulled yourselves back together. But it was too much for him. He let go of you suddenly, as if just touching you was painful. “I’ve gotta…” he said with a half hearted nod in the direction of the doorway. “Oh. Right, yeah,” you climbed off him, trying not to react to the sudden emptiness, the sudden cool of the air outside of his embrace. Ben moved to the edge of the bed, glanced at you, ran his hand through his hair. “I wasn’t expecting that to happen,” you offered somewhat lamely, not sure how to explain everything you were feeling. “Neither. Are you okay?” “Yeah. I, um, it was really good and I-I think I kind of needed it.” This was it. There was no more running from what you were feeling. No more pretending it was platonic or just physical. You had to come clean, to yourself as much as to Ben. Ben smiled but it was a pained kind of smile, “It was good for me too. Really good. But it can’t ever happen again.” He stood up before you could say anything else, tied off the condom and put his boxers back on, making a hasty retreat. Something stirred in your memory and you had the sudden urge to tell him he couldn’t leave you because he owed you a third orgasm, but it was too late. He was gone and you were left sitting there, naked and alone, waiting for him to come back so you could explain. When enough time had passed without his return you got up, put your pyjamas on and went to the bathroom, running on autopilot as you considered everything that had just happened. Maybe Ben was right to walk away. Maybe it had been a mistake. He probably wouldn’t believe you if you told him how you really felt. You’d taken too long to work it out, been too vocal about not feeling it. And it would be poor timing to say it right after you’d slept together. He’d think you were saying what he wanted to hear so he wouldn’t be embarrassed about saying it himself. And maybe it was down to all the tension between you. You’d spent all day pretending to be the loving girlfriend after all, maybe it had influenced you a bit, made you think you felt things you didn’t actually feel. But something that good, that tender, didn’t just happen with anyone, surely. It certainly hadn’t been like that with anyone else you’d been with casually. And you’d assumed that having sex with Ben would be the solution, that you’d finish and be fixed. No more thinking about him, no more wanting to be with him. But all you really wanted was to cuddle up beside him. Fall asleep in his arms. That wasn’t something you usually wanted from one night stands. Normally you’d want to get out as fast as possible not sit in their bedroom and wait for them. And the thought of everything else that could happen if he just knew it was what you wanted – waking up beside him, making him coffee, listening to him play stupid love songs on his stupid guitar, comforting him on bad days, being his actual fucking girlfriend and not just his pretend one – all of that sounded so fucking wonderful. It couldn’t just be endorphins making you feel like that. There had to be something of substance behind it all. Afterall they’d been there for a while now, those feelings. It wasn’t like the sex had conjured them. You’d been pretending not to notice them but they’d been there for months. So the only way forward was to tell him.

When you got back to the bedroom Ben was there, curled away from you on a makeshift bed on the floor. He could have been sleeping except his shoulder’s were too rigid, holding too much tension. “Ben?” He didn’t respond, just kept feigning sleep. So you switched out the light and tiptoed to the bed, crawling under the covers. The sheets still smelt like him and it made your heart ache. What if you just said it? You sat up, turned your head in his direction. “Ben?” it came out as more of a whisper than you’d have like so you tried again, “Ben, I-I-” If you said it now would he join you? Or would he pretend he hadn’t heard? You fell silent again at that thought, not sure you could cope with it. Maybe you’d just hold off for a bit. Wait until the premiere. Give yourself time to find the exact right words to explain your apparent change of heart. He couldn’t write you off as trying to spare him some embarrassment if you said it weeks after he’d let it slip in the throws of passion. He’d have to take you seriously then. “Goodnight,” you sighed, and lay down again, though try as you might, you couldn’t sleep. You lay there in the dark, sure Ben was just as awake as you were, with only one thought in your head. You loved Ben. And you didn’t know what to do about it.

#my writing #my fics #ben hardy x reader #ben hardy imagine #ben hardy smut #i am so ready to hear your thots #please yell at me about this

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lovemesomesurveys · 3 years

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Have you ever watched a movie in class/school that made you cry? Yes. I took this adulthood and aging psychology class and I forget what it was exactly the documentary we had to watch was about, but I remember being on the verge of tears because it reminded me of my grandpa who passed away.

What’s the earliest you could go to bed at night and feel okay about? Uhh, I don’t know? Just whenever I fall asleep.

What is you favorite type of lunch meat? Turkey, salami, and bologna.

What time of the year do you dislike the most? Summertime.

Do you put ketchup on your scrambled eggs? Ew, no.

What is your favorite color to wear? Black.

Are you an overachiever? No. Especially not these past few years where I haven’t done anything at all and put like no effort into anything. :/ At least when I was in school and things were better than how they’ve been the past few years I was productive in school and put effort into things and into myself. I’ve just given up.

What physical feature do you wish you had (i.e. freckles, curly hair)? Perfect teeth.

What fictional character (i.e. Bambi, Scarlette O'Hara) would you marry? Uh, I definitely don’t want to marry Bambi... anyway, I’d say one of the characters Alexander Skarsgard has played.

How long have you gone without shaving (girls- legs, armpits; boys- faces)? I don’t know, a couple weeks or so.

Did you ever go through a phase where you wrote bad poetry? Ha, yeah, when I was like 16 during my emo days. They’re so cringe.

What is your favorite thing about your life? My family.

Have you ever painted a picture of somebody? No.

How many real bfs/gfs have you had? I honestly haven’t had a real, serious relationship.

Did you enjoy your past relationships? With Joseph I did.

Name a comedy that you like. Bridesmaids.

Could you wait until marriage for sex? Yeah, but I don’t plan on getting married.

What’s the best Nirvana song? Lithium.

What was the last thing that impressed you? Hmm. I don’t recall.

When was the last time you were in a pet store? It’s been awhile.

What nationality is your last name? Irish, I think.

What’s your favorite kind of chips and dip? Wavy Lay’s chips with ranch and French onion dip.

Who was the last boy that you saw cry? My brother.

Does your mom know you do surveys? I don’t think so.

Have you ever had a serious injury? Yeah, the one that made me a paraplegic.

What was the last thing you achieved? Uhhh.

Would you enjoy being famous? I have absolutely no desire whatsoever to be famous.

What’s under your bed? Some medical supplies.

Do you enjoy travelling? Yes.

Have you ever belonged to a club? If so, what was it? I was in a couple clubs in high school and the psych club in community college.

When was the last time you drank strawberry milk? It’s been a very long time.

Have you ever managed to collect all the fast food toys in a set? Hmm, I don’t recall. I might have.

Do you have a clock in your room? Yes, apart from the ones on my laptop, TV and phone, I have an actual wall clock as well.

Did you have a good driver’s ED teacher? I didn’t take driver’s ed.

Which of Britney Spears’ songs is your favorite? Hmm. Probably Toxic, Slave 4 U, Boys, and Lucky.

Does mind over matter work for you? Sometimes.

Are you paranoid? I definitely can be.

What is the best thing about winter? Christmastime and the weather. I love that time of year.

Have you ever been truly in love? I think so.

Are you currently planning a trip? No, I wish.

How many plants are in your home? Zero.

What is your favorite possession? All my stuff.

Have you ever felt like you were too nice and way too often overlooked? Yeah. I’ve been used and taken advantage of back in the day for being too nice.

What movies have tripped you out? There’s been a few.

Did you rollerblade as a kid? Do you still rollerblade? No.

Would you ever settle into a relationship that wasn’t right for you? Do you know friends who are in relationships just so they have someone to sleep with at night? I’d like to say no, but I allowed Joseph to use and play me for 3 years, so. I knew deep down he didn’t feel the same way as I did and he didn’t want to be in a committed relationship with me, but I didn’t want to admit it. I liked the attention and the good times we had and I didn’t want to give that up. I would hope that now that I’m older and have experienced that I wouldn’t allow it to happen again. And yes, I had a friend who put up with a whole lot worse for that reason.

Would you take a dirty picture of yourself for someone you are dating? I wouldn’t feel comfortable with that. I don’t want that floating around or existing at all out there.

Do you use earplugs or a sleeping mask when you sleep? No.

What summertime treats do you love? Milkshakes and ice cream.

How picky are you when it comes to choosing who to kiss or not kiss? I mean, I have to be interested in the person and feel comfortable doing so.

What do you hate most about moving? The packing and unloading.

Do you feel that having sex anywhere but a bed is more exciting? I wouldn’t know.

Do you drink 5 hour energy drinks or any other kinds of energy drinks? Just the Starbucks Doubleshot energy drink.

Has anyone ever whistled at you? Not that I know of.

Do you like scarves? No. I don’t like things around my neck like that, it drives me nuts.

Is your father homophobic? No.

Do you take gummy vitamins? No. I don’t take vitamins at all, currently, although I really should.

Have you ever applied make-up on a guy, for any reason at all? No.

Who would you like to meet before you die? I mean, I certainly wouldn’t mind meeting Alexander Skarsgard.

If your dream was to be a model, and a big opportunity came up, but you had to be nude, would you take it? I don’t feel comfortable being nude when I’m just by myself, I certainly wouldn’t feel comfortable doing so publicly. Absolutely not.

What’s the most ridiculous conspiracy theory you’ve ever heard of? There’s been a lot, but of course I’m blanking at the moment. Most are pretty crazy, though.

If Heaven and Hell exists, where are you going when you die? I hope that go to heaven.

Who is the person that you are afraid of losing, above everyone else? My loved ones.

What is one thing that pisses you off pretty much everyday? Ugh, seems like just about anything can. I’m so irritable and moody all the time.

Is there anyone you know that you feel should consider therapy? Yeah, me.

Do you like any of the songs on Twilight, or the actual movie/saga itself? I loved Decode and Super Massive Blackhole.

How old was the first person you kissed? He was 15 and I was 16.

Will you be a strict parent one day? I don’t want to have kids.

Last person to stand up for you? I don’t recall the last time I needed to be stood up for.

Have you been to a baby shower? Yeah, I’ve been to a few.

Who were you with the last time you went to the movie theater? My mom and brother to see Candyman.

What’s your favorite high school memory? I liked the rallies and some of the assemblies.

Do you like relationships, or do you prefer to be single? Being single is best for me.

What is one adventurous thing you’d be willing to do? I don’t know. I’m such a scardy cat.

What subject at school did you absolutely hate? Math.

Italian food or Chinese food? Italian.

Do you like to make flash cards when you study? That wasn’t my usual study method, no. I preferred taking notes.

Has anyone ever told you that you’re a good singer? Ha, uh no.

Do you ever watch TED talks, live or online? I only watched those when they were shown in some of my college classes or was assigned to for homework. I’ve never watched any on my own.

I dare you to write the name of a person you strongly dislike. I don’t feel that way about anyone.

What do you think about Marilyn Manson? I have nothing to say about him tbh. <<<

Biggest trouble you’ve ever gotten into at school? I didn’t get into trouble.

Do you own one of those “professional” DSLR cameras? No.

Does it bother you when you see a 6th grader with a bunch of gadgets? I don’t care.

Did you buy yearbooks every year in high school, or did you not bother? Yeah, I got all 4.

Do you have Restless Legs Syndrome? No.

Jalapeños: yay or nay? I loved jalapenos back when I could eat spicy food. Jalapeno poppers were bomb.

Did you ever play Minecraft? No.

Did you ever have a Club Penguin account? Were you a member? Yeah.

Do you know anyone that seems to not have any common sense? Ha, yeah.

What do you think is the biggest injustice that was ever done to you? I’m the victim of gun violence that made me a paraplegic at just 7 months old.

What type of person angers you the most? Abusive people and sick, perverted assholes.

If you could change your appearance, how would you alter it? There’s a lot I’d like to change.

Describe your first relationship? It wasn’t much of one but we had the title, ha. It also only lasted a few months.

Describe your last relationship? He used and played me and then kicked me to the curb when he was done.

Can you honestly say that you always practice safe sex? I’m a virgin, but I absolutely would practice safe sex. That’s very important.

Why do you think your most favorite film touches you so deeply? You just really feel, connect, and relate to certain things, like the characters and/or plot line and it has some kind of effect on you.

What do you want people you meet for the first time to think about you? Hopefully something good.

Do you feel protective over someone? My loved ones.

What perfume/cologne do you wear? I’ve been wearing this beachy scented body spray. I need to get a new one for fall.

Where did your vehicle come from? I don’t have my own car, I don’t drive.

What was the color of the bridesmaid dresses of the last wedding you went to? I’m totally blanking.

What is your favorite way to eat chicken? Boneless chicken wings and chicken tenders.

It is your birthday. You hope the cake is: White with buttercream frosting.

What do you wear to bed? What I wear during the day, which is either lounge shorts or leggings and an oversized tee or t-shirt dress.

What were you doing at 8pm last night? I was eating dinner and watching Gilmore Girls.

#personal #text #survey #surveys

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surveys-at-your-service · 4 years

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Survey #314

“as above, so below / what you reap is what you sow / what you give comes back threefold / as above, so below”

What do you do for work? I'm currently unemployed. I only get paid now and again to do pictures for people. What would you ideally like to do for work? I'd love if I could just be a photographer. What are you doing in order to achieve this? Practice and shoving my extreme discomfort about it aside and trying to promote myself where possible and not in an overbearing manner. What do you think is the worst being on the planet? "Rapists, pedophiles, abusive people in general." <<<< This. Anyone who disrespects the existence of other and equal people. Have you ever been arrested? If so, what for? No. How big an age gap is between you and your siblings? My immediate sisters and I are two years apart. My half-siblings, I don't know. I don't have their ages memorized, but I do know 5+ years, some even 10. Do/did your siblings cause trouble? Not really, we were good kids. What's your dream vehicle? I don't really have one. Are you good at taking care of your finances? What finances? And I don't mean that happily. What's your favorite comic strip? I don't have one. How many people have you texted today? Zero. Someone cheats. Second chance? Nope, byyyyeeeee. Thoughts on kids? Clay that I'm not playing with. Are you a risk taker? No. What are you listening to? I'm currently going through a phase of playing The Evil Within 2's theme nonstop, jc. Is/Was your high schools dress code strict? Not like, mega strict, but it still was overboard. No spaghetti strap shirts, and I even once got in trouble for wearing a floral mesh shirt, despite having a normal tanktop underneath it. It was weird, like no one had ever had a problem with it before, it was just this one teacher that I passed in the hall. Who was the last person to request you on a social media network - and did you accept? Someone I didn't know, so obviously not. Who was the last person’s vehicle that you rode in? Mom's. Who was the last person to make you laugh or smile, and why? Another current obsession of mine: John Wolfe, another let's player who I think is super funny. He said something that made me snicker before I turned on music and started this. Who was the last person that you took a photo with? My half-sister while she was visiting. Who was the last person to pay you a compliment, and what did they say? In group therapy the other day, one of the other women told me that even if I don't believe it, I bring so much positivity to group and she was really happy to be there while I am. I was so so super flustered but flattered, too. Who’s the last person that you visited in the hospital? My mom, following her surgery. Who is the last person that you lent money to? Actually today to Mom. What was the last food that you ate? I warmed up a burger for dinner. What did the last pair of footwear that you wore look like? They're just black flipflops. What was the last kind of bread that you ate? Just plain white bread. What was the last app that you downloaded to your phone? Oh wow, I never do this. I want to say it was a game for my niece. When was your last work shift? I haven't worked in a long time, so idk. When is the last time that you had trouble falling asleep? This is literally every single night. When was the last time you saw a significant other? I ain't got one'a those. When’s the last time that you took a risk? What was the risk? Well, I did say I'm not a risk-taker... Where was the last place that you went on vacation to? You know, how long does it have to be to be considered a "vacation?" I would say not since I went to the beach with an old friend, but it was literally a day. Where was the last place you got lost? uhhhhhhh Why did your last relationship fail? We need to work on ourselves before we could properly support each other and stay in a healthy mindset. Why did you leave your last job? I couldn't handle the stress of serving people and having so many responsibilities at once. How long has it been since you last visited a doctor? How about a dentist? I literally went to the doctor today because I had a follow-up appointment about my weight gain again. I haven't been to the dentist in a few months; I had a normal cleaning my last visit. How big was the last fish you caught? Oh boy, this is stretching years back. It was probably something small, idr at all. Give me the first initial of your last name? D. Something in your home that’s on its last leg(s)? We just moved here, so nothing that's a part of the house itself. As far as items we actually own, idk. Where do you purchase most of your clothes? I haven't gotten new clothes in so long, idk. I would probably say Hot Topic. Describe your skincare routine. I don't have one, if I'm being honest. I just shower. What’s your typical morning routine look like? I don't have one of those, either. The only thing that's consistent is going to the bathroom, eating, and taking my meds. Even brushing my teeth, the time of day when I do that (if I'm not leaving the house) varies. Then it's time to just binge stuff on YouTube and do whatever on the laptop... Are you still playing Animal Crossing? I've never played it, actually. How has the pandemic specifically affected you? It's caused a lot of stress worrying about my mom falling ill, given her being immunocompromised. It's also held me back from searching for another job (even though I don't know what I'd go for, anyway...), because I absolutely refuse to risk bringing Covid into this house by leaving it daily or whatever. What is your main source of anxiety? Being mentally ill, really. It just affects a lot. Any bands or artists you’ve recently discovered? Not very recently, no. What kind of games do you play on your phone? Just Pokemon GO nowadays. Do you have a specific aesthetic? It varies. I love dark, gothic, and gory stuff, but then I also love everything pink and pastel?????? Pastel gore is especially where it's at. Describe the moment you realized you were falling in love with someone. I'd rather not. What’s your favorite sparkling water brand/flavor? I've never even tried it before. What’s your favorite makeup brand/brands? I don't wear nearly enough makeup to be even remotely familiar with any. What’s your all-time favorite movie? It'll probably always be The Lion King. Do you have any subscription boxes? No, but they're cool. What fictional creature would you like as a pet? On deviantART today I actually discovered a fantastic artist who does a lot of HTTYD fanart, and I would say as a dragon lover, Toothless would be soooo great. Have any local businesses closed that you’re sad about? I'm certain tons have closed, but none come to mind. How do you feel about TikTok? I don't feel anything about it. Did you/do you still have a Neopets account? Haha I've had like... two or three at different stages in my life. What were you doing at 9 o'clock this morning? That's actually when (virtual) group therapy starts. Are you wearing any jewelry? Yeah; my piercings (if you count them) and then two rings that I always have on. Are you good at hiding disappointment? No. I'm bad at hiding my emotions because they're so strong. What happened the last time you cried? lmaooo I was finishing watching a The Evil Within 2 LP yesterday, and like, the last hour or so of the game just rips me apart. I was hoping so bad that my mom didn't pass by and ask what the problem was. What would your parents be surprised to learn about you? Both would be stunned to know the situation I had with Joel/my former best friend's boyfriend when I was around 12. What fictional character do you have the biggest crush on? dARKIPLIER Where would you live if you could live anywhere in the world? When all things are considered, like laws, seeing family, etc., somewhere in Canada, or maybe Alaska. Actually, Alaska would be really cool. What after school activities did you do in high school? I didn't have any, if you mean like, school sports and clubs. I did do dance once or twice a week, but it wasn't tied to my school. What’s the last book you really loved? I positively adored The Handmaid's Tale. If you could have been a child prodigy what would you have wanted to be skilled at? My writing was seen as very exceptional for my age as a kid, but it still would've been awesome if it was even better. If earth could only have one condiment for the rest of time, what would you pick to keep around? Uhhh I guess ketchup. I use that the most of all options. What is the scariest experience you have ever had? The night of the breakup. It was such an impossible concept to me that I genuinely thought my life was over, that I'd pull the plug at any moment. Who is a non-politician you wish would run for office? Oh, hunny, Markiplier lmao. Call it a bias all ya want, but he's just a genuinely incredible person that cares so much for everyone and is so serious about equality and just being a good person. Do you think it’s important to stay up to date with the news? It's very hypocritical of me to say, but yes, regardless. Do you own plants? If so, what kind of plants? If not, would you like to grow any? I've never been into growing plants, honestly. Is there a city that you have a particular fondness for? If so, what city is it and why? No, not really. When was the last time that you acted impulsively? Is this a common behavior for you? I dunno, I've gotten better at this. I probably said something I shouldn't have. If you received an allowance as a kid, what kinds of things would you buy with it? Were you more the type to save up for something big, or spend it on little things? I didn't get one. When you cuddle with someone, how do you prefer to position yourself? Would you rather be held, or do the holding? Or both? Are we sitting or lying down? Either way I think I have a tendency to lay my head on their chest while hugging them, and my legs generally curl up. If I'm upset, I definitely feel better and just a greater sense of safety if I'm the one being held, but if the roles are swapped, then I like to be the one doing the holding because I know that's what I want when I'm upset, so treat others how you wanna be treated, y'know. When you woke up today, did you find unread messages from anyone? No. Have you recently told anyone that you miss them? Yes. Can you recall the last time you turned down an offer, of any kind? Mom asked if I wanted to come with her to Ashley's a few days ago, but I said no. I wasn't in a social mood at all. Is there anyone you interact with every day on social media? No. What was the main character's name in the last fictional book you read? Sunny. Have you ever been rejected by a church? No. Is your family nice to you? Yeah. Are you comfortable with your gender? Yeah. What was your favorite Mary-Kate and Ashley film? I don't remember; we had a couple, though. What was your favorite book you had to read for school? The Outsiders. What was your favorite Nickelodeon show? ngl, I don't remember a lot of them and don't feel like looking up a list. Do you still live in the house you grew up in? No. Which Spice Girl was your favorite? I don't remember their names. Do you think you look the best you've ever looked? Oh hell no. Have you been hurt by religion? Yes, honestly. In Truth or Dare, would you rather choose Truth or Dare? I always choose "truth." Have you ever had more than one crush at once? Yeah, I think that's perfectly normal to feel, even for someone monogamous like myself. Just when you establish a relationship, then it's time to make a choice. What social issue do you care about most? This is hard to say with how passionately I hold my opinions, but probably LGBTQ+ rights. It's just... so disgusting to me that I was once homophobic. It's like I want to make up for it. Just the idea of being repulsed by love just because someone has "the wrong thing" in their pants is just... appalling. When was the last time you read a Bible? Many, maaaany years ago I started reading it, but I didn't get very far at all. Do you own a Bible? I personally don't, but I know Mom has one, maybe multiple. Do you discover new music regularly? No; I very much stick to what I know. It's great when I do, though, given that that's how I find new songs to repeat to the grave. What does your first name mean? "Of Britain" or something like that. What country do you live in? U.S.A. Do you believe that gays are born that way? Uh, yes? Who honestly believes a homosexual would *choose* to be in the discriminated minority? People are murdered and abused for simply their sexuality; no sane person would "choose" to risk that torture.

#survey #surveys #questions #lyrics: ''as above so below'' by in this moment

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lovehugsandcandy · 5 years

Text

kiss me heavy heavy ('cuz you know we ain’t done yet) (Colt x MC, RoD)

A/N: Title (and more herein) is a riff from Here with Me by Elina. For Choices September Challenge, Day 27 (barely made it whew), and the prompt was Family.

Pairing: Colt x MC, references to past Logan x MC

Rating: R (swearing, injuries, suggestiveness, drinking in excess and being furiously hungover)

Length: ~13,000 words (way way way too long and I apologize)

Summary: Ellie and Colt’s family breaks apart; Ellie and Colt’s family comes together.

When Colt broke his arm, he was 7. He had figured out how to work the lift in the shop. He had figured out when everyone went to lunch. And he had figured out how to fly, how to leap from heights and love the weightlessness in his stomach as his legs kicked out into thin air. But he had not yet figured out how to climb a hydraulic lift. When he fell, instead of the graceful landing he was expecting, he slammed into the harsh concrete, nowhere near as forgiving as the clear water of the Pacific. He shattered his ulna but, even worse, it was the start of the arguments between his parents about his trips to the cliff with his dad. Those trips became less frequent, the screaming fights became more, and then they moved, far from the shop and the cliff and the concrete floor that earned him his first cast.

When Ellie broke her arm, she was 12. She was scared; she had never been in a car accident before and the shattering of glass and sudden sharp pain made her cry, heaping sobs that her mom wiped from her face with careful hands while the paramedics poked and prodded. She was even more scared after, when the trip to the hospital revealed something was seriously wrong with her mother, and terrified for the following year, until it was only her and her dad and his fear of the entire world.

When their daughter broke her arm, she had just turned 5 and it was the end of the end and the beginning of the beginning.

~~~~~

"Please, Logan. I wouldn't ask if it weren't important. "

She heard his heavy sigh over the phone. "I can move things around. I'll be there. But Ellie?"

"Yeah?"

Logan's cautious tone interrupted her internal fist bump. "Why is this so important?"

"Because...because Colt asked if he could bring someone."

"Ellie..."

"I just..." She dropped her eyes, darting through the crowd, phone pressed to her ear so hard she thought she was getting a headache. But maybe it was this whole situation making her jaw tense and temples throb. "I just....I don’t want to go alone while he’s there with a new girlfriend."

"There is no way in hell Colt has a girlfriend."

"He asked if we needed tickets for a freaking dance recital." She thought back to the awkward conversation, stilted and strange, when she was distracted in her kitchen and he was miles across town, always too far.

“I thought we actually did need tickets?”

“Not because it’s gonna sell out!” Ellie had to stop talking with her hands, her flailing accidentally hitting the person next to her. She mouthed an apology to the dour woman to her left and walked faster. “Because it’s a money-making racket where they want you to pay for a ticket and the photos and a freaking video of the thing.”

“This is sounding less appealing by the second.”

"Logan, please? He said he wanted to bring someone and I don’t think I can-” She bit her lip, thinking. It had taken them an excruciatingly long two years to get to this point. After the furious phone call and months of silence, it had taken Colt almost a year to thaw, to actually interact with her beyond the scheduling and logistical communication required in co-parenting their daughter, and then months after that to actually stop speaking in clipped words and bitter tones. Slowly, so slowly, they made their way back to something that flowed and worked but, sometimes, when the three of them grabbed dinner or when she caught his eye at a school event, sometimes she thought they were edging their way to something more, to something old, to something that felt like the last two years had been a nightmare that Ellie was ready to wake up from. His new girlfriend definitely proved that those hopes were all in Ellie’s imagination. “I don’t think I can do it alone."

"Maybe it's his mom."

"She’s still at that conference in Miami." So what if she cut Colt off before he could even explain? She couldn't reasonably expect to sit there while Colt was asking if his new girl could attend their daughter's dance recital. Urgh. That asshole. “Oh my God. Do you think he’s gonna bring her to Kira’s birthday party too?”

“Ellie, he has the personality of a sociopath and the social ability of a troll. He's single.”

Ellie had to smile. Logan had always been in her corner. While Ximena, Toby, and Mona had their loyalties tested in the breakup, Logan had always had her back. He was her rock and, for a while, they tried to be more, when Colt was gone and Ellie was miserable and terrified and needed someone, but it had never quite worked out. Thankfully, they had managed to to remain thick as the thieves they used to be. "He’s also the father of my child, Logan.”

"And I'm so glad she takes after you."

"Ha ha.” Kira definitely took after her in a lot of ways; like Ellie, she worked hard and had an innate kindness about her that made care for her classmates and call her grandfather every night. But she also had a stubborn streak, an insistence on getting her way that was reminiscent of Colt, along with the smart mouth and an innate confidence that could only be from her father. She even looked like Colt, all thick black hair and deep brown eyes and constantly smirking lips. “Ok, Logan, I'm back at work."

"Alright, fine, see you Saturday?"

"Of course. And thank you, Logan."

Ellie hung up the phone and strode through the lobby, flashing her badge and giving a wave to the receptionist before taking the elevator to her desk and slinking into her seat. She had a major presentation next week, in front of the CEO of the entire company, and she was panicking. As she logged into her computer, she knew she had no time to worry about her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend and her broken family and a dance recital that she was decidedly not looking forward to; she had work to do.

~~~~~

Before (before, in the very beginning, when things were amazing...)

Ellie rubbed her growing stomach with one hand and bit at the fingernails of her other hand, considering. It wasn't that Ellie was worried, per se; Colt loved her with a single minded devotion that took her breath away, an intensity that made her weak in the best of moments and absolutely destroyed in the worst.

It's just that he wouldn't put down his phone, eyes on the screen at every spare moment. She didn't think he was cheating on her; with the crew and the shop, he lacked the free time needed for an illicit affair. But she just didn't know what else it could be.

And when she asked what he was doing, he would slide his phone away, almost bashful, revealing nothing. It piqued her curiosity and she couldn't, wouldn't leave it alone.

This time, when he threw his phone on the bed and left the room to take a shower, this time, she resolved to find out. She waited until she heard the water running and then reached for it, getting through the lock screen immediately. (Eight numeric digits? Easy. She only needed one guess.)

She looked through the messages (unsurprisingly, mostly to her), the calls (again, mostly her, though the pizza place by the shop was a close second), and finally hit pay dirt when she opened the browser, multiple tabs calling for her attention.

The first looked like a textbook, long words and citations everywhere; it wasn’t until she saw the first image, a chart with weeks and produce arranged in a confusing display, that she realized what it was. A baby book?

The second tab was similarly confusing. ‘Abigail, Amelia, Audrey...’ It, again, took her a minute to realize that it was a list baby names in alphabetical order. She blinked, barely hearing the water turn off.

Her mouth was open when he walked in the room. “Colt?”

“Yeah?”

“Is this...” Her voice caught. “Are you reading a baby book on your phone?”

“Uhhh....yeah?” He ran a towel through his hair and shrugged.

“And baby names?”

“Yeah?”

“I...” She blinked up at him, watching a water droplet slide down the side of his face. “I didn’t know that.”

"Well, I don’t have much experience with kids, you know. I don’t want to fuck it up."

She could feel tears starting to form, her happiness emerging as water from her eyes. Damn hormones. "Colt...." She pulled him to sit on the bed next to her. "You are gonna be a great dad. Really."

He just looked at her, taking in the weepy eyes and the pouting frown, and pulled her into a hug, grazing soft kisses across her brow. “I...I don’t wanna be my dad.”

“You won’t. Oh my God, Colt, you won’t.” She knew how worried he was about this, how the torn relationship with his father was never truly repaired before Kaneko’s fiery death. But she wasn’t worried, confident in every way that Colt would rise to the challenge, like he did in every other aspect of their life. She pulled him closer for a lingering kiss, trying to transmit some of her confidence through her lips; he deepened the kiss, hand falling to her waist to thumb the soft skin there, a moan catching in his throat.

He pulled back to curve careful fingers around her face. "I wish you had the baby already."

"Why?" She put her hand over her stomach, still insecure about the curve forming, unfamiliar and new and alien to her.

He slid his hands over hers, then up, further, teasing the soft skin underneath her breasts. "Cuz I'd give you another baby right now."

"Some if the stuff you say is not sexy." Still, she shivered and his hands slid higher.

"Then why are you taking my clothes off right now?" She looked down to where her hands were clutched in his t-shirt, moving of their own accord to get closer to the skin and muscle underneath.

She opened her mouth and closed it again. "You're damn lucky you're cute "

His eyes softened. "I'm just damn lucky."

~~~~~

Now (when things aren’t great but things are fine and things aren’t good but time flies on...)

The conversation with Logan was still fresh in her mind, even over a few days of life and logistics and thinking thinking thinking, when she slid into the chair with a sigh. “Riya, I am tired.” The large coffee cup in a death grip in her hand was proof of that. She had been busy, working as much as she could in order to make sure the most important meeting of her career would go off without a hitch. Thankfully, she and Colt had a fixed schedule, so she could work late some evenings while Colt had Kira and Ellie tried to put her fractured family in the back of her mind. “I have been working 24/7 and have to go to this stupid recital tomorrow where my stupid ex will bring his stupid new girlfriend and I just want a nap.”

Riya only laughed. “I can tell.”

“Sorry, didn’t mean to vent as soon as I sat down. How are you?”

“I’m good!” Riya smoothed down her shirt and leaned forward conspiratorially. “But, you know, I would say that being so miffed about Colt’s date is a sign that-”

Ellie’s hand moved fast to whack Riya, a loving slap against her arm. “Stop it. I don’t want to hear it from you.”

“Ok, but I am just saying that, if you were as over him as you swore you were, you wouldn’t care if-”

“Riya!”

“Fine, fine, fine. In other news, I’m excited for the birthday party!”

“Urgh, I can’t believe it’s next weekend. You’re coming, right?”

“You know it. You wanted me to bring an appetizer?”

“That would be amazing.” Ellie sighed as the warm coffee hit her tongue, making its way down her throat. “You are a godsend, you know that?”

“I know, but it doesn’t hurt to hear you say it.” Riya flashed a smile but it fell as she glanced behind Ellie.

“What? What is it?”

Riya’s eyes widened. “Ummm....speaking of your ex...”

Ellie sucked in a breath; she knew it was a possibility, knew it was a risk coming here since the garage was so close to Riya’s work, but it was her turn to make the trek across town. They hadn’t spoken since he asked about the recital, their only communication being quick text messages, all functional, logistical, formal.

“And it looks like he’s here with someone,” Riya continued.

Ellie was unable to stop the chair from spinning, turning to catch a glimpse. It was Colt, leather jacket and all, looking uncomfortable, hands stuffed in his pockets. And he was here with someone, tiny brunette next to him talking up a storm as they waited in line.

“She looks like a freaking teenager.” Ellie spun back in her seat to drop her cup on the table.

Even Riya looked incredulous. “Is he on a date?”

Ellie’s breath caught as she turned again to watch them. The girl was pretty, hands flying around as she barely stopped to breathe, clearly and emphatically in the middle of some epic tale.

“Oh, I’m gonna find out.” Ellie stood and, taking a deep breath to center herself, strode over to the pair. The girl saw her first, glancing around in confusion; she looked younger than Ellie originally thought and the flash of red lipstick did nothing to age her. “Hi, Colt.”

He turned, eyes widening before quickly schooling his expression to neutral. “Hi, Ellie.”

“So....what are you doing here?”

He raised an eyebrow before tilting his head towards the front of the shop. “Getting coffee?”

“Yeah...” She tried to shoot a significant look at the girl, but Colt ignored it. “That is what one does here. I’m here with Riya.”

Colt looked back and gave her best friend a small wave, hands settling back in his pockets as he studied Ellie. “Ok...”

She waited, but no introduction was forthcoming. Well then. “Who’s your friend?”

He blinked. “Ellie, this is Sam. Sam, this is Ellie. Kira’s mom.”

“Oh my God, Kiki?!? She is so adorable!” Ellie froze, staring at the girl. Apparently, Sam had met Kira and apparently, Sam knew her well enough to call her by her nickname.

“Ah, thank you.” She tried to get her bearings back and failed, just staring at her, taking in the hair that flew about her face as she spoke, the innocence shining in her eyes. She reminded Ellie a little of herself, once upon a time, and the thought made something twist deep in her heart.

“We were making origami flowers together the other day and she said that she was the flower princess but then she tried to put the flowers in a muffler so then we had to get pizza and Kira doesn’t like pepperoni so-”

Ellie blinked, dumbfounded. Who in the world-?

“Next!”

And, thankfully, the story was interrupted by the barista, calling for the pair to step forward.

“Ok...” Ellie looked between the two, jaw dropped. “Well, so nice to meet you. Colt, I’ll see you at the recital tomorrow, right?”

“Yep.”

Ellie slunk back to the table and dropped into her seat. “That was a fail.”

“What happened? Who is she?”

“Her name is Sam.”

“And?”

Ellie sighed, heavy through her nose. “Dunno but she’s met Kira.”

“Whoa.” Riya’s eyes widened. She knew what a big deal that was. Colt still hated all people outside of a core, select group of people that Ellie had once been a part of, as tightly encased there as she had been in his arms. So for someone new to be introduced to his daughter? Ellie hazarded a glace behind her, where Colt was paying for both of their drinks.

“Yeah.”

“You think she’s the girl he’s bringing to the recital?”

Ellie put her head in her hands. “I don’t know.”

The answer to that question came far too quickly for Ellie’s liking. The next day she found herself fidgeting in the cheap cramped seats of a local auditorium, toes tapping a quick beat on the floor of the auditorium as her whole leg jiggled.

“Why are you so nervous? And when does this start?” Logan shifted next to her, trying to move away from the elderly woman on his left who kept glancing over as if she were going to try and pinch his cheek. “This is awful.”

“I know. Thank you for coming.” Ellie knew how atrocious this was. And Logan wasn’t even the one who had to slick Kira’s wild hair into a semblance of a braid. “It should start soon.”

Movement to her right made her look up, relief painting her face as Colt squeezed through the row. And behind him?

“Hi, sweetie!” Ximena pushed Colt to the side to pull Ellie into a huge hug. “Thanks for letting me come! I’m so excited to see Kira dance.”

Elllie let out the breath lodged behind her collarbone. “Ximena! X, I didn’t know you were coming!”

“Of course, wouldn’t miss it! Hi, Logan!”

Colt’s face hardened, eyes glowering as he stared Logan down, barely giving him a nod before plopping into the seat next to Ellie. “When’s her first dance?” Colt and Logan had never had the best relationship but, since Colt was back, she felt like she was in the middle of a war zone and one wrong move would detonate a grenade.

“Fourth one.” Ellie said and fished out the program from under her chair. “First the teachers, then the actual dancers, some older kids, then her class.”

He nodded, staring straight ahead at the empty stage. “Why’s Logan here?”

Her stomach dropped. It seemed silly now. “He wanted to see Kira dance. Why’s X here?” The lights flickered above them, signalling that the show was going to start, the shadows flickering over his scowl.

“Same reason.” He crossed his hands over his chest with a huff; it looked like he wanted to say more but bit his tongue. Ellie studied him out of the corner of her eye. “How long is this going to be?”

She rolled her eyes. “Buckle up cuz you’re here for hours.”

“Are we going out after this?”

“Kira said she wanted to get ice cream at the beach.”

“Does he have to come?”

Ellie’s elbow shot out before she could stop it. “Come on.”

“Shhh!” The woman behind them leaned forward in her seat as the tinny tinkle of piano started from the speakers. “It’s starting.”

Ellie grinned apologetically, Colt just huffed and sank lower in his seat. “God forbid we miss a moment.”

“Oh my God, stop.” She elbowed him again but, based on the laughter in her voice, she didn’t think it carried the right effect.

And based by the smile she got in return, she knew he was emboldened. “What? You don’t want to miss-” He glanced at the stage and snatched the program from her, sighing. “Whatever the hell this purple monstrosity is?”

“Oh come on, you know you’re going to watch Kira when she comes out.”

“And sleep until that happens?”

“Going for Best Father Ever, here?”

He knocked into her shoulder; he didn’t need to move far, tiny seats pressing the audience into close quarters. “I already have a cup that says that, thank you very much.”

“Umm, hello? Kira made it before she could spell and it actually says Best Farter Ever.”

“And I will treasure it for the rest of my life.”

She laughed and then remembered where she was, shrinking into her seat. “If you get me kicked out...”

“Oh, because I’m always the one dragging you into trouble?”

“Umm...yes?”

“Fine. Yes.” He quirked an eyebrow at her. “But you get into enough trouble on your own, thank you very much.”

“I plead the fifth.”

She leaned against him as he looked back at the stage. “Are those kids dressed up as sunflowers? What the hell is happening?”

“Colt!” She elbowed him in the side, again, digging in further, casting a careful glance behind them. “We cannot get kicked out of a dance recital.”

“You say it like this would be the worst place I’ve been kicked out of.”

She leaned against the arm rest to glare at him and his answering smirk back made her pause, quirk of his lip making her realize how close they were, squeezed into the audience, fake velour under her fingers the only thing that separated them. She leaned closer.

Her heart stopped as Colt’s hand dropped, almost as if her were going to clasp her palm in his, almost as if he forgot that wasn’t a thing they did anymore. Her breath caught. They were so close to touching, inches, when she could see the look on his face change, when he remembered, when he realized that he couldn’t, shouldn’t.

And the moment was over. He ran his hand through his hair. Ellie turned away, leaning back in her chair and staring at the dancing sunflowers on stage. She could feel the electricity underneath her skin, a counterpoint to the voice in her brain telling her this was a bad idea.

Ellie focused on watching every single dance and staying on her side of the fabric barrier between them.

~~~~~

Before (when things actually couldn’t get better so they had to get worse...)

Kira was screeching, counting numbers in some semblance of order (she would proudly proclaim that she was almost three to anyone who walked by but still thought eighteen came after ten). Ellie shook her head and walked into the bedroom, pulling open the drawer of her bedside table.

Who even used checks nowadays? Urgh. She had no idea where her checkbook was, but it definitely wasn’t there. She rolled her eyes, annoyed, and it was just then that she noticed her bed was vibrating. Well, more specifically, her comforter was vibrating, likely because of the person-shaped lump underneath it that was barely holding it together.

Ellie blinked and carefully lifted up a corner. “Colt?”

“Shhh!” He was beaming, smiling up at her in mirth, eyes shining.

“What are you doing?”

“Kicking ass at hide and seek?”

“Oh my God.”

“And I can try to sneak in a nap at the same time. Brilliant.” He had been working a ton recently, coming home dead on his feet after long days, but this was a little extreme.

“Daddy?” Kira’s quizzical cry came from the hallway.

“Shh!” Colt grabbed Ellie’s wrist and pulled, dragging her onto the bed. “She’ll hear you!”

“Jesus!” Ellie was shrouded into darkness as Colt pulled the comforter over her, pulling her close and effectively hiding them both. It was warm, underneath the down, encased in his arms; she could feel her body heating up in multiple ways as he pulled her closer.

“Hmm....” She could hear his voice coming from somewhere below her right ear and, before she knew it, his lips were teasing the sensitive skin behind her earlobe, open-mouthed kisses sliding lower. “I can think of something else this hiding spot is good for.”

“Oh my God, Colt!”

“Daddy?!?!” The shout was in the room now and Colt’s laugh was huffed against her. Ellie tried not to squirm but his hands around her waist and lips brushing against her neck made it a challenge.

Little hands threw the comforter on the floor. “I found you!”

“You did!”

Kira squealed as her dad grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into bed with them, tickling her sides as she laughed and laughed and laughed and Ellie thought that she had never, in her entire life, been happier than she was at this moment, watching Kira struggle to breathe through her laughter, watching the worry lines on Colt’s brow fade to joy. She felt content. She felt whole.

“Alright, Kiki. I’m gonna find you now!” Colt clambered up, lifting Kira high over his head. “You better find a good spot.”

Their giggled echoed down the hall as Ellie lay, smiling, basking in the moment. What had she been doing? Oh yeah, the checkbook.

It hadn’t been in her bedside table; maybe it had wound up in Colt’s?

She pushed herself out of bed and wandered over, pulling the drawer open and feeling around. She didn’t see the checkbook immediately but paused when her fingers hit something soft. It felt like fur, maybe velvet, and she pulled it out to see.

And froze.

She checked the doorway to make sure she was alone and sank onto the bed, clutching the ring box in one trembling hand. One last look out the doorway, double-checking, triple-checking, and she opened it, millimeter by incremental millimeter; when she saw the gleam of a diamond, she gasped, shutting the box and throwing it back in the drawer.

They hadn’t really talked about it; she knew Colt was as devoted to her as she was to him but, with Kira and two demanding jobs between them, she never really paid attention to the legal status of their relationship. But, judging by the ring hiding in the back of his bedside table, he had.

Holy shit.

Ellie couldn’t hold back the smile splitting her face. Her answer was never in doubt.

~~~~~

Now (when things aren’t so sure and things aren’t so good, and it’s still the beginning now...)

“What do you mean you were called in to work?”

“I’m sorry, Ellie.” She could tell that her dad felt bad, both that he was bailing on her and that he wouldn’t see Kira tonight. “It was a last minute thing since Silver got injured yesterday.”

“I understand.” She peered through the glass door into the hallway; it was empty, bright corporate signage taunting her as her mind raced. At least the CEO hadn’t arrived yet and she still had some time to come up with a backup plan. “I’m sure I can figure something out. Someone will be able to watch her.”

“I’m really sorry, kiddo.”

She frantically looked through her phone book as she paced in the conference room, fingers stabbing the digits to try to get to her friends. Riya had tickets to the Lakers game. Logan had to work late in exchange for getting Saturday off.

Ellie took a deep breath as she clicked on her last hope; she had one more person to try. Things had been fine at the recital and he didn’t mention any plans-hopefully, he was free.

“Hey, Ellie.”

It was loud on the shop floor, shouts and banging filtering through the line. “Hi, Colt. Are you busy tonight?” She could hear him step away from the ruckus and into the office; when he shut the door, it was blessedly quiet.

“What’d you say?”

“Are you busy tonight? I’m desperate.”

“Umm...”

“I have a huge work meeting tonight and my dad can’t watch Kira anymore. Are you free? Can you pick her up from school and stay until I get there?”

“Yeah, I can do that.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh my God, thank you, thank you, thank you, you have no id-”

“Ellie, it’s fine. Jeez, she’s my daughter; I want to see her. Do you want me to have her sleep here and I can just drop her at school tomorrow?”

“No, I shouldn't be that late. Just bring her to my place.”

“Ok.”

She took a deep breath as she hung up the phone. It would be fine. She wasn’t going to be that late.

...Except she was.

The meeting went well. Amazingly well. Astoundingly well. So well, in fact, that she and her team had headed out to their local bar to celebrate for just one drink.

That had turned into two drinks.

That had turned into more, so many more that she couldn’t drive home and could only cling onto the bar when her legs stopped working as she chatted and laughed and reveled in a job well done.

But now it was late and Kira was probably in bed and she couldn’t get her damn key into the lock because the doorknob wouldn’t stop moving. She took a deep breath and rested her forearm on the door frame, stable enough to slow the spinning, if only for a moment, so she could slide the key in the lock and yank the door open and stumbling her way into the house, cursing how easy martinis went down and time flew by.

At least she had the peace of mind to throw her shoes off, to try to dull her footsteps as she stumbled in, feeling her way around the furniture to hit the lights.

“Colt?” She tried to whisper but she wasn’t sure she succeeded, voice echoing around her.

No answer.

“Colt?” She edged her way into her living room and stopped short, barely managing to stay upright before crashing to the floor. He was asleep on the couch, long legs dangling over the side, rise and fall of his chest visible under the wrinkled tee, hitched up so she could see the cut of his abs, treasure trail a tease that disappeared under the button of his jeans. He looked soft, vulnerable, and she could feel her breath catch. It was too intimate, watching him sleep on the couch that used to be his, in the house they used to share, with the daughter they made and raised just down the hall. It was too dangerous, seeing him this soft, as soft as he was in her memories, memories of a better time when her family was whole and she didn’t sleep alone.

And do a lot more than sleep in that bed. Because even in her drunken state, she could vividly recall what was under those jeans.

She watched him for a minute, taking in the long lines of muscles, the flawless eyebrows, the line of his jaw. “Colt?”

He started, turning to her as his eyes flickered open and fell on her. “Hey. How was your work thing?”

“Good. Sorry I was so late.”

“No worries.” He sat up, yawning.

“How was Kira?”

He blinked up at her, slowly, hair mussed into the bedhead that was all too familiar and that she wished she had forgotten. “Good. We went to the butterfly exhibit at the zoo.”

She could just picture them, hand-in-hand, looking at butterflies and stopping for ice cream before they left. It was the life she had and wanted and lost. She opened her mouth to speak but instead, she hiccuped. Loudly. And did it again, alcohol turning warm in her stomach, heating up the blood flowing throughout her body, setting fire to her face as she blushed.

“Let me...” Colt stood, staring at her uncertainly. “Let me get you some water.”

She nodded, following him into the kitchen, watching as he filled a glass and handed it to her. “Did your-hic-did your girlfriend go?”

He paused, eyes cutting to her. “Huh?” He handed over the glass and shoved his hands in his pockets.

“Did your girlfriend go?”

“What girlfriend? And go where?”

Ellie’s hands flailed and she grimaced as the water sloshed onto the floor. “The girl. Your girlfriend.”

“I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“But...” She narrowed her eyes at him, sipping the water. “Can you stop moving around? You’re all floaty.”

“You’re all drunk. You should go to bed.”

“No! I’m-” She swayed and had to put the glass down, heavy hand clasping the counter for support. “I might be drunk.”

He chuckled, shaking his head, eyes almost fond. “I should go home.”

“I thought you were gonna bring her to the recital.”

“Bring who to the recital?”

“Your girlfriend, Colt, keep up.”

He opened and closed his mouth. “I don’t have a girlfriend, Ellie. I think you should-”

“If you don’t have a girlfriend, I think you should kiss me.” If she had any coordination left, she would have slapped her hand in front of her mouth as penance for speaking before thinking. However, as it was, she needed to hold on the counter so she wouldn’t slink onto the floor; with no extra hands, she bit her lip and flushed, face and body heating up in shame.

He gaped and ran a hand through his hair, rocking back on his heels. “Ellie, you’re drunk. And you have a boyfriend. We’re not gonna-”

“I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“But you do. I mean, you have since I got out.” His eyes narrowed. Ellie wanted to smooth the lines from his forehead. Hell, in her drunken state, she wanted to do a lot more.

“What? I don’t, I haven’t, not in a looong time.”

He stared, for so long she almost considered letting go of her iron grip on the counter to walk towards him, but wasn’t sure that she would make it without falling to the ground. Finally, he spoke. “It doesn’t matter. You’re drunk.”

“I’m not.” She was starting to get offended by the aspersions against her sobriety, but she didn’t know which of the three Colts in front of her she should complain to.

“You are.”

“Would you if I were sober?”

“Jesus Christ.”

“Would you kiss me if I were sober?” She was acutely aware of the distance between them- five feet, ten tiles, four steps, none of which she was currently capable of taking. She could feel the distance weighing heavy on her skin as she blinked at him.

“Ellie...” He walked forward, cautious and slow: three feet, two of his steps, and she felt braver.

“I think you would. I think you should.”

His eyes trailed down her face.

“I think you should kiss me now.”

“You’re drunk.” It was a whisper, a breath, but loud enough to rocket through the static in Ellie’s brain as he stepped forward again.

“But if I were sober?”

He was so close that she could follow the path of his eyes, locking with hers, then down, glancing at the mole on her cheek, the freckle on her chin, before ending the circuitous gaze at her lips.

“If I were sober, would you kiss me?”

“If you were sober, I would carry you back to your bedroom and show you what you've been missing for the last two years.”

She blinked once and, when her brain caught up to his words, her hands leapt of their own accord, grabbing his t-shirt and pulling, pulling him closer so his chest met hers and their legs were tangled and none of that mattered because they were kissing, finally kissing, after two years apart, after missed connections and miscommunications and none of that mattered when he backed her into the counter, hands on her hips, mouth never leaving hers.

Heat immediately flashed through her body; was it the kiss? The booze? The fact that it had been two years?

The world spun as strong hands under her thighs lifted her; suddenly, she was perched on the counter. He was slotted in between her legs, mouth dropping to her neck, to the spot behind her ear. She couldn’t think, couldn’t control herself, legs wrapping around him to pull, closer, please, closer. She moaned as his lips moved to up her chin, stubble scraping her jawline, warm friction the most welcome sensation in the world; she wanted to feel the rough scratch all over her. She let out a shuddery exhale, barely formed into his name, pulling at his shirt. His hands slid up her thigh and they were scorching hot, fingers ten lines of fire skating up her already overheating body, underneath her dress, higher still as she though she was going to burst into flames, burn up from the inside and explode. She was spinning when she closed her eyes, spinning when she opened them, the world moving as her head dropped back against the cabinet.

He was going to light her on fire and all she wanted to do was burn.

“Ellie-” His lips had somehow found her ear. It was so hot, so warm in this room, in this skin. The room wouldn’t stop moving. “Ellie, I-”

She grabbed at the edge of the counter, trying to make everything still. It was all spinning, her familiar kitchen curving around her. It must be the heat. It couldn’t be good to be this hot.

He pulled back, only a blurry shape between the spots in her vision. “Ellie?”

She blinked.

Time was starting to bend, sway, change; she could have sworn that he had been right in front of her, hands and lips and taut muscles and stubbled jaw so close she swore they had been touching, but now, suddenly, he was across the room, feet away, eyes unreadable.

The lights in her kitchen were shifting too, spots of color flaring at the edges of her vision, warping and changing and disappearing when she tried to focus.

She blinked.

And he was in front of her again, hands on her waist to lift her onto the floor, smoothing down the lines of her dress, a dress that was not so professional, not anymore, not when it had made its way up her thighs to make room for strong, clever fingers dragging paths of fire along her skin.

The room was shifting too, floor moving, swaying, walls in funhouse patterns around her. She grasped the counter behind her, wrapped Colt’s t-shirt in her other hand, struggling to stay upright with the tilting of the room.

She blinked.

And Kira was there, talking, words coming too fast for her tired brain to understand, Colt filling a plastic unicorn glass with water as the spots of light grew in her eyes.

She blinked.

And the spots of light were a blaze. She opened her eyes to light, bright light, everywhere, and a pounding in her head that spread throughout her body with every throb, the roar of her heartbeat making her wince as it joined the jack-hammering in her brain. She squinted and managed to make out familiar walls, her desk, the large window that was allowing the painful sunshine to pour into the room. She was in her bedroom, somehow, feeling like hell. Everything hurt, she couldn’t think through the construction in her brain, and her mouth was dry and tasted like bad decisions. Crap. She knew these signs. She was hungover.

From the living room, she could hear the soft patter of tiny feet and muffled giggles. Double crap. Kira was up, which meant she needed to fight through the wreckage and somehow pull it together. She rolled over to grab a pillow to throw over her aching eyes and, while she thankfully caught the scream before it left her throat, she couldn’t stop the gasp.

She wasn’t alone in bed. She could see a hint of dark hair, a defined bicep muscle and strong shoulder completely out of place on her sheets. She hazarded a look down and winced. She was naked.

Oh my God.

“Stop freaking out, nothing happened.” Oh, thank goodness, it was Colt. Granted, not great, but, if she was going to wake up in a questionable position next to someone, he was definitely the best of some bad alternatives. “I’ll get her.” The sun slammed pinpoints of pain through her eyes as she watched him clamber out of bed, throwing on clothes.

“If nothing happened, why am I naked?” Triple crap. She was barely able to speak, hoarse voice fighting through chapped lips.

“Because you don’t listen to reason when you’re drunk?” He shrugged on a shirt and she watched the cut of muscles in his back move as he dragged his arms into the sleeves.

She licked her lips and even that small movement hurt. “Why are you here?”

“Because I didn’t think you would be able to function today.” He looked over his shoulder, eyes taking in her supine form, huffing out a sigh. “I wasn’t wrong.”

He wasn’t wrong. She felt like death, eyes falling closed as he left the room.

And eyes shooting open as she remembered.

She didn’t remember everything, had a sense that the night faded from her mind as the hours crept by, but she definitely remembered balancing on the counter as her hands slid though the short hairs at the back of his head and his hands slid up her bare legs. She definitely remembered words and kisses that took her breath away and she remembered leaning back against the counter, warm and pliant, held captive by his hands and his lips and the sparks settling in the base of her stomach. She lifted a shaky hand to her jaw; the skin there was still sensitive, the line of his stubble leaving a flush trail that tingled as her hand gently probed her chin.

Colt said nothing happened.

She wouldn’t call these memories ‘nothing.’

Fuck.

Her mind raced. She tried to think through the noise in her brain but was coming up short, memories refusing to return from whatever mental place the alcohol buried them in. She remembered the work meeting, the bar, coming home; she remembered them kissing, could still feel it in her toes. But then? Nothing.

Urgh.

She was never drinking again.

If she listened closely, focusing on the world outside the pain, she could hear Kira and Colt in the kitchen.

“Daddy! You wore those clothes yesterday.”

“Seriously?” He coughed, awkwardly bumbling before he could respond. “You’re wearing a tutu and dinosaur rain boots while carrying a plastic sword and you want to talk about my outfit?”

“I’m a ballerina dinosaur hunter, daddy! Can I have toast?”

She pushed herself to a sitting position, waiting until the room stopped spinning, and then pushed to a stand, waiting until the floor stopped lurching. She had just managed to throw on some sweats when the door opened again, Colt ducking in with a glass of water and a couple painkillers.

“You said nothing happened.” She tried to glare at him but it hurt her eyes

He blinked. “Nothing happened, Ellie. I know you woke up naked but I swear to God we didn’t-”

“We kissed.” She snatched the pills from his hand, throwing them in her mouth. He handed over the water glass and looked away from her, guilty as hell.

“Yeah. We kissed. That’s it.”

“That’s not noth-”

“I know that.” He looked intently at her, voice dropping to a pained whisper, glancing behind him to where Kira was humming, still out of sight in the kitchen. “I know that. But I meant that we didn’t have sex. Because that didn’t happen.”

She looked at him uncertainly. “What did happen last night?”

“You came home drunk. You asked about Kira. We talked.” He bit his lip and sighed. “We kissed in the kitchen. Kira got up for water and I put you to bed. That was it.”

“Why was I naked?”

“That was all you. You said that you were too hot for clothes.”

“Why didn’t you sleep on the couch?”

“I tried!” He gaped at her. “You said, and I quote, ‘you saw me give birth, Colt, I think we can share a bed.’“

She put her head in her hands, both to cover her blush and to try and quiet the pounding in her head. She was never drinking again.

“Hey.” He touched her arm. “Hey. It’s fine. You go back to bed. I’ll bring her to school.”

She let her hands fall, flashing him a grateful smile. He turned to go but her hand shot out to grab his forearm, skin soft underneath her fingertips. “Thank you.” She tried to ensure her tone conveyed some of the gravity she felt but it sounded more like a croak from a ruined throat.

However, as he gazed back at her, not removing his arm from her grasp, she thought he understood.

~~~~~

Before (when shit comes heavy heavy, storm’s right here, let it in)

Cake? Check.

Decorations? Check.

People? Check. Obviously, Kira was here. Of course, she didn’t exactly have a choice and was currently sitting on her grandfather’s lap, throwing her hands in the air with a delighted squeal at every bounce of his knees. Riya and Darius were in the corner, pouring over the piles of presents, while Logan, Ximena, and Toby had already started diving into the pizza.

Everything was perfect for Kira’s third birthday and, as soon as Colt got home from work, they were going to have cake.

But he was scheduled to arrive over an hour ago and she hadn’t heard a word. She was just about to light the candles without him when her phone rang.

“Mona? Where are you?” Her brow furrowed. Not exactly who she had been anticipating calling her but...

“I have some bad news.”

Ellie felt her stomach drop. “What?”

“Colt got picked up. We think they’re gonna hold him without bail but we’re not sure until the arraignment.”

“Wait, what?”

“I’m sorry, Ellie. He said to tell you that he’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Hold up. What?”

Mona’s voice was uncertain as Ellie reached around, blindly, hand finally grasping a chair and sitting. “It’s gonna be ok. I promise. He’ll call tomorrow.”

Ellie blinked at the phone, staring dumbly until Riya walked into the kitchen. She was barely able to get the story out, shock and distress clouding her mind as Riya held her close and rubbed her back until the tears had dried and Ellie could fake it enough to stand and smile and not scream.

She was numb, completely numb, going through the motions, the candles, the cake, the smiles. She was lost, fear and anger and shame roiling in her stomach.

And, the worst, the absolute worst of it was that, with every picture that was taken, she felt his absence stab her through the heart, knowing that they were documenting an empty space as they documented Kira’s third birthday. She couldn’t stand it and had to excuse herself so only the bathroom mirror would see her tears.

He did call the next day, when the presents had all been opened, when the cake had all been eaten, when the decorations had all been put away, and when the shock had faded and been replaced with blinding anger.

“Ellie. Baby.”

“I am going kill you.” She ducked into her bedroom, voice packing as much fury as she could into a whisper; regardless of how angry she was, she couldn’t wake Kira up.

“It’s so good to hear your voice.”

“Don’t even, asshole.”

“Baby...” Colt sighed, pleading. “I’m so sorry but don’t worry, the charges won’t stick and I should be out soon and-”

“Don’t worry? Don’t worry?!?” She could feel the angry tears start to cloud her vision. She closed her eyes but could only see red. “You missed her birthday.”

She could hear noise behind him and a rustle, voice louder as he pulled the phone closer. “I know... Ellie....”

“Don’t ‘Ellie’ me. What the hell did you do?”

“It’s a really long story and I can’t really talk about it here.”

“For fuck’s sake, Colt! I can’t believe you!” She blinked furiously, trying to keep the tears from falling. “I thought we were done with this shit, I thought your family was more-”

“But Ellie-”

“Don’t ‘’but Ellie’ me!”

His sigh was heavy. “I’m sorry but I promise-”

“No, you listen to me! I can’t believe you! Listen to your stupid excuses and stupid promises. You know what? You’re exactly like your dad.”

The intake of his breath was sharp on the phone line. “Ellie-”

“You said you weren’t your dad and look at you now,” she spit venom out over the line. “What if you don’t get out?”

“I will.” His harsh whisper was certain. “I will, give it some time and-”

“No.” The tears were burning on her cheeks. “I’m not going to be waiting here for you. I’m done.”

His voice was pained. “You don’t mean th-”

“I’m done, Colt. Done. I can’t have my daughter around this. I can’t be around this.” She sunk onto the bed, weak legs no longer able to hold her up. “Don’t contact me. Really. Don’t call. Don’t write. If you ever get out, then maybe you can see your daughter. Until then, goodbye.”

“Ellie, wai-”

The silence on the line finally and completely broke her heart. She allowed herself five minutes, five minutes of hysterical, cathartic tears, then trudged back into the kitchen to make lunches for tomorrow.

Colt or no Colt, she had shit to take care of.

~~~~~

Now (things are getting better so keep it steady steady...)

The birthday party was in full swing, Kira laughing and spinning in her princess gown, clad in a giant party hat with a bright pink five right in the center, when Ellie ducked into the kitchen to find Colt hunched over the counter. His body was angled just so she couldn’t see what he was looking at. Suspicious.

“What are you-?” She peered over, just enough to see the plate in front of him. “Are you sneaking cookies?”

He turned, eyes crinkling with mirth, boyish smile gracing his face. He looked young, innocent, presiding over his hoard with a smudge of chocolate on his top lip. “Shhh....she’s gonna hear you!”

“Thief! You goddamn thief! Give me one!” She stepped closer, hand out.

“No way! These are mine!” His eyes sparkled and, at moments like these, Ellie had to remind herself that they were over, that they weren’t together, that it was a distant history, her distant past.

“I’m so gonna tell Kira you broke into her stash.”

“My stash now.”

“Just give me-” She reached over, trying to get at the cookies around him, and he started batting her away laughing.

“No, you’re gonna ruin it!”

“Not if you share!” She hip checked him, trying to move him, but he only pushed her back, each of them fighting for space in front of the heaping plate. Finally, Ellie managed to edge in between him and the counter, snatching a cookie, spinning triumphantly. “Got one!” The words died in her mouth as she realized how close they were, his hips pressing hers into the counter, lips inches from hers, the smear of chocolate on his upper lip tempting her, sweeter than any cookie she’d ever seen.

A soft thud caught her attention and she looked down, realizing the cookie had fallen out of her hand. She swallowed and looked back at him. “Colt?” He wasn’t blinking, eyes trained on her lips and his hands curling around her waist. Her heart jumped into her throat.

“Daddy!” Colt jumped back as if stung as Kira flounced into the room. “Are we gonna have cake?”

Ellie blinked at where Colt was still staring at her, eyes wide; apparently, she was going to need to recover her voice first. “Yeah, in a minute.”

“Ok! Yay! I love cake!” Kira answered as only a sugar-high five year-old could and danced off.

“I’m gonna-” Ellie licked her lips and gestured to the food behind her. “I’m gonna get-”

The rest of the sentence was lost in Colt’s mouth as he surged forward and pressed her against the counter. She responded eagerly, throwing her arms around his neck, licking the chocolate off his lip and then pushing her tongue to meet his and chase the rest of the sweetness. He moaned low in his throat, hands grabbing her hips and sliding against her back, shots of electricity that went straight down her spine. She kissed him like she was drowning, like she had been drowning for years and the breath she pulled from his lungs was what she needed to revive her, to awaken her nerves and the shivers down her back and the tingle even lower.

She had just slid her fingers into his belt loops, yanking him closer, grasping at every inch of skin she could reach, when footsteps registered at the edge of consciousness. It was impossible to pay attention to anything else, however, when Colt’s teeth made their way to her lip, a teasing bite that made her jerk her hips.

But she was forced to look up when the door to the kitchen flew open with a crash and Colt jumped backwards, both of them gasping for breath.

“Holy shit.” Riya hissed, shock on her face fading into a knowing grin that Ellie despised. “I’m just gonna...” She put the dirty dishes on the counter and covered her eyes. “Carry on. I’m just gonna go back out and you guys can continue whatever it was that you were doing.”

Ellie glared daggers at her back. When she turned to Colt, the moment had faded; he was looking at the ground, one hand rubbing the back of his neck, the other gesturing towards the door. “I’m gonna-”

She nodded, busying herself by fixing up the desserts. They said history repeated itself so you had to learn from it, but she wasn’t sure she understood this lesson.

At least this time, she was sober.

~~~~~

Before (when things got worse, went from bad to worse, went from bad to worst...)

Ellie frowned, putting the phone down with a sigh.

She should have known she wasn’t ready to jump into anything again, the breakup with Colt so fresh, so raw, but Logan was Logan. He was kind and caring and so undoubtedly attractive that she let herself believe that they could more from friendship to more without stopping to think. To think about what she wanted, to think about her broken heart and worried mind and her ruined life.

She had just been so lonely. And alone. And sad, as sad as she had ever been. And scared, terrified really, of being a single mother and having no one else to rely on, other than herself. She knew first-hand how cruel this world could be; could she and Akira really survive as a dyad, a pair, fighting through the storms together? She wasn’t sure.

But when her world turned upside down, Logan had been the person she could rely on. Ximena was around, often, but Ellie suspected that it was because Colt requested it, had asked her to check in and care for his family when he couldn’t. And, to his credit, he hadn’t called her, had respected her angry words, words that she sometimes thought she would take back if given the chance, if he had called. She wondered what they would say, if he would apologize and explain, if she would apologize and take back her rage. Those thoughts remained unspoken, though. He didn’t call. She didn’t visit. And she was alone.

But not always alone. Logan had been there, for the mundane, such as pickups from school or last minute grocery trips, and the less mundane, such as calming her tears when the stress and worry became too much.

But jumping into a relationship? It was too much, too soon. She couldn’t...she just couldn’t... She sunk into a chair and put her hands over her face. He had even been so understanding about it all, vowing that they would stay friends, vowing that this wouldn’t ruin their ten year friendship. Regardless of what else they had going on, he had her back.

Her ruminating was interrupted by a knock at the door, three sharp raps that made her pause. She wasn’t expecting anyone and tiptoed over, peering through the peephole and gasping.

The last person she expected to see on her doorstep was standing there, repetitively cracking his knuckles and rocking back on his heels, frown on his face. She threw open the door.

He straightened and looked down at her; any nervousness she saw through the peephole was gone now as he stared in barely contained fury. “Hello, Ellie.”

“Hi, Colt.” She took a minute to drink him in; he was glaring at her, arms stiff at his side and hands balled into fists. She hadn’t seen him in four months and couldn’t stop her eyes from assessing him, looking him over under the dim streetlight above them to see how he changed. He looked harder, muscles in his chest more defined, tilt of his shoulders more aggressive, but it was him, alive and free.

“Can I come in?”

She dumbly nodded and stood aside so he could walk in, stooping to untie his boots and leave them in the entryway before stepping inside. She felt unmoored, lost. “When did you get out of jail?”

“Last week. They dropped all charges. Just like I said.”

She swallowed. His words were dripping with poison; while they had their share of fights, he had never spoken to her this coldly. He had never scared her; for all his criminal activity and illegal transgressions, he had also been tender hands and declarations of love with her. While she wasn’t scared of him now, she suddenly knew what it was like to be in front of Kaneko, instead of her Colt.

“You waited a week to come-”

“I’m here now. I wanted to talk to you about Kira.”

She took a deep breath. “Okay.” She wondered if he would let her apologize for her words or if it would be pointless, just like the last four months had been: pointless and long and unforgiving.

“We need to come up with a schedule so I can see my daughter.” He reached into his pocket to pull out a folded piece of paper and hand it to her. “Here’s what I recommend. It’s an alternating schedule; one week, I’l get her Monday-Wednesday-Friday. Then you have the following weekend and we switch.” His tone was short, business-like, serious.

She looked down at his careful writing on the paper. “Okaaay.” Her brain wasn’t keeping up. Apparently, she wasn’t going to get an apology either; maybe it was for the best. “This is fine. I guess. I mean...” She bit her lip, trying and failing to think.

“This is just a starting point. Modifications are fine based on schedule.” He hadn’t taken his coat off, hands shoved in his pockets.

“Then, yeah. Yeah, this is fine.”

“Good.”

“I missed you.” The words came out before she could reconsider.

His eyes narrowed, darkening dangerously. “I’d like to see my daughter, please.”

“She’s...” Ellie had to suck in a breath, blinking to try and keep the tears from her eyes. This is not exactly how she imagined the reunion. Thank goodness he hadn’t arrived any earlier, to catch her stilted conversation with Logan. “She’s asleep.”

“I just want to see her.”

“Ok.” Ellie sighed. “Fine.”

He nodded brusquely and walked past her towards Kira’s room, opening the door as softly as possible. She followed, slowly, feet padding behind as she stopped in the hall. Ellie wondered if jail had hardened him, if the tight jaw and narrowed eyes were an artifact of being inside for so long.

However, as she peered through her daughters doorway and saw him sit carefully on the side of Kira’s tiny mattress, tears pooling in his eyes, gentle hand caressing her face with inexplicable softness, she wondered if it was she, herself, was the hardening force.

~~~~~

And now (for the end of the end and the beginning of the beginning...)

“We should stop.” Her hands fisted into his t-shirt, pulling him closer so her hands could greedily start working on the button of his jeans. She had only come to pick up Kira, to take her home for dinner and bath and story and bed and another night of being alone. She had not come here to be pressed against the filing cabinet in Colt’s office, his lips sliding against hers and strong arms holding her hips steady.

His lips edged to her ear and he hissed as her hands found her target. “You’re kinda giving me mixed signals here.”

She also hadn’t come here to see Sam, the young coffee shop girl with bright lipstick and rapid prattle, playing checkers with Kira on the concrete floor of the shop while Colt was in his office. It made something ugly burn in her stomach, ugly and nasty and painful; in the back of her mind, she realized that she understood what it was like to be replaced and how deep that hurt went. “We should stop, we’re in your office, Colt.”

“I’m well aware.” His hips bucked as she gave him a slow stroke, just how he liked. Some things were impossible to forget.

“And Kira’s outside.”

“Yeah, she’s fine.” The noise was huffed against her neck as warm hands slid up her back.

She blinked. Kira was outside with the coffee shop girl and Ellie was in here, with her ex and her broken heart and her broken family that had never really been fixed.

“Stop.” He froze instantly at the word and her dead voice, his hands stopping their path up her sides. “We can’t do this.”

"Ok.” He took a few steps back, breathing hard. He looked debauched, standing in front of her, hair mussed, shirt wrinkled, cheeks and lips flushed a bright pink that continued down and disappeared into his shirt.

“Listen, El-” He quickly fixed up his pants, taking a deep breath and another step back. “Ellie. I-” He rubbed his hand over his face. “This isn’t-”

His struggle for words was interrupted by a scream, piercing in the shop, and then a crash that trailed off into silence. Colt caught her eye for a split-second, fear clouding his gaze, before cursing. “Fuck, Akira!” He threw open the door to the office and sprinted into the shop, Ellie hot on his heels.

And what she saw made her heart leap into her throat.

Kira was on the ground, a crumpled heap, next to a cabinet of tools that lay on its side. Its drawers were askew, wrenches and screws and metal scattered around where her child lay, eerily still for a child who never stopped moving. Colt made it there first, turning her over as Ellie’s hand flew to her mouth. Kira’s eyes were closed, eyebrows and lashes stark against her pale skin, below a patch of blood that was steadily getting worse.

“Kira? Hey, Kira?” He was under her now, sitting, crouched down, careful hands combing back her hair to get a better look. Her arm was splayed out at an odd angle, cradled in her dad’s lap, and Ellie thought she was gonna throw up.

Colt reached into his pocket, trying not to jostle the still bundle on his lap, and tossed his phone to Ellie. “Call an ambulance. Now.”

She nodded, shaky, fingers typing in the eight numeric digits without thinking, unlocking the phone with trembling hands as she sank to the floor so she wouldn’t drop the phone. Even sitting on the concrete, her knees were knocking against each other and she felt so cold, watching Colt pull their daughter to him; she dialed the number.

Sam came running down the stairs, dark hair flying behind her. “What happened?”

“I don’t know.”

“Can you get me the first aid kit?”

“911, what is your emergency?”

“I-”

“Where’s the first aid kit?”

“Break room.”

“911. Hello? Ma’am?”

“I-”

“Hurry!”

“Ok, I’ll get it.” Sam’s footsteps disappearing into the break room brought her back into the moment. She had taken down corrupt cops and stolen multi-million dollar vehicles. She could call an ambulance.

“Yes, I’m here. I need an ambulance to Gramercy Park. My daughter is hurt...” She looked at the wreckage around her as she gave the dispatcher the information, her daughter cradled in Colt’s arms, shouts from the back as Toby and Ximena came running out. She sat and trembled like a leaf in a tornado, desperate to hold onto something for dear life.

She shook the entire way, as she watched the red lights flash throughout the street, the entire ambulance ride, clutching Colt’s hand until her knuckles were white and sore. Kira had woken up during the trip, eyes confused and frightened watching the strange equipment and paramedics bustling over her, crying when she told them that she only wanted to climb up the toolbox-she was so so sorry and she would never do it again and it hurt. Ellie shook and trembled and fretted as she watched the stretcher go down the hall, off to some scan with some machine that would tell them if something was seriously wrong, shook the whole way to the waiting room as they checked her baby out and she and Colt had to wait interminably as the local news blared on the television chained to the wall and she paced and paced and paced.

“Ellie, she's going to be okay.”

Ellie wringed her hands together. “I know, I know. I'm just...I can’t believe...”

“Yeah.” He plopped into a chair, long legs splayed in front of him.

She glared at him, flash of anger coming on the heels of the terror. “I thought your girlfriend was watching her.”

“Who?”

“Sam?”

“Who the hell’s Sam?”

Ellie blinked at him. It was like they were inhabiting completely separate worlds. But maybe they had been for the last two years. “The girl in the shop? Who was playing with Kira?”

“Wait, the receptionist?”

Ellie froze in mid-flail, hand returning to her side. “Who?”

“Toby’s cousin? Who works the front desk?” Colt stared her down. “Jesus, Ellie, that’s who you’ve been talking about? For Christ’s sake, she’s 18. And she works for me!”

“Toby’s cousin?”

“She needed a job. I needed someone to sit at the front desk and play solitaire and not blow shit up. It worked.”

She sank into the chair next to him, legs giving out. She was entirely drained, her body, her mind, everything; she put her elbows on her knees to cradle her head in her hands, boneless and tired. “Colt, how did we end up here?”

“Uhh, how did we end up at the hospital?” He watched her, warily. “El, did you hit your head too?”

“No. How did we end up here?”

He watched her, eyebrow raised, waiting to see if she would elaborate. When she didn’t, he sighed and crossed his hands over his chest. “You mean, the fact that you dumped me when I was locked up?”

“Colt, I was furious. And rightfully so.”

“I know. You were right to be pissed. Hell, you were right to kick me out.” He raked his hands through his hair.

“I was furious and then I stopped being mad. And started being sad.” She looked at her hands, trying to choose her words carefully. “And it was like you didn’t care. When you got out, you waited a week to see us and you hated me.”

“That’s not true.”

“It is true, it is, and our family fell apart.”

“I never hated you.”

“That’s bullshit and you know it!” She had to lower her voice; even though they were the only ones in the room, she didn’t want anyone walking by to hear the sobs of her broken heart. “You were so cold and so mean and you hated me, despised me. For months. I’m sorry that I was so mad but-”

“Stop it.” He turned to her, eyes fiery underneath the down-turned brow. “I never hated you. But you-”

��But I what, Colt? What the hell did I do?”

He looked forward again, staring at the television. “I came to see you, you know. The night I got out of jail. I came by the house.” He bit his lip, still avoiding her eyes. “I wanted to talk to you.”

“No, you didn't. I would have remembered that.”

“I did.” His arms were crossed and he looked past her, over her shoulder. “You weren't alone.”

“Of course I wasn't alone. I had Kira all the time.”

“No. That's not what I mean. You weren't alone.”

The realization was immediate. “Logan.”

He nodded and looked away, jaw set.

“Colt.... Colt.” Her eyes started to fill up with tears. “It wasn't like that. I was scared. I was scared and sad and alone and I thought you were gone. I thought you were gone and I thought I was a single mom and I really needed somebody. And you weren't there.”

He shrugged. His eyes were glassy, too. “Well, it didn't take you long to move on, did it now?”

“It wasn't like that.”

“Wasn’t it?”

They just stared at each other, the years and pain and heartbreak filling the space between them. Finally, Colt’s eyes dropped to the ground, to look at the magazine rack behind her, to look anywhere and everywhere but her.

She wiped a tear from her cheek. “What were you going to say?”

“What?”

“What were you going to say, the first time you came by?”

“Ellie, what the hell do you think I was going to say?” His voice shook slightly. “I wanted my family back. I wanted to move home. I wanted you.”

She sucked in a shuddery breath, tears coming faster now. “I would have said yes. Colt, I would have... I would have said yes.” She bit her lip, watching him take in her confession, saying nothing. The television continued to blare in the background, now the theme song of some game show.

He opened his mouth. And reconsidered, thinking, before turning to her, serious look on his face. “Ellie, what if-”

“Excuse me.” They both turned, Colt leaping to his feet, as a nurse walked in. “You can come back now. The CT’s done.”

They arrived at her room to see the doctor hovering over her, Kira’s eyes open but blinking slowly. She looked drawn, exhausted. Ellie raced to her bedside, taking the tiny hand not encased in gauze and clutching it as tightly as she could.

“I’m ok, mom. I’m ok.” Kira was pale, propped up on pillows, bandage almost comically large for her small head.

“She really is ok. The good news is that it’s just a concussion. Scan revealed nothing abnormal so she should be fine, but she should stay here for observation tonight and then we can put her cast on tomorrow.”

“They said I was tough and gave me a sticker.” Kira proudly showed off the unicorn on her shirt.

“You are tough, kid.” The doctor smiled kindly at her, and then turned to Ellie and Colt. “Would either of you like to spend the night as well?”

“I’m staying.” They both spoke in unison; Ellie shot a surprised glance over but Colt’s jaw was set, certain.

The doctor continued undaunted while scrawling on her clipboard. “I mean, you can both stay, it’s just a tiny room and the cots that we have are pretty small for two people.”

Ellie blinked as Colt answered for the both of them. “That’s fine.”

Ellie considered disagreeing but held her tongue. She almost spoke up when Kira slipped into a blissful sleep, painkillers and exhaustion taking hold. She almost spoke up again when the nurses gave her some scrubs to wear, pale blue and threadbare, but soft against her skin. She absolutely had to speak up when she saw the actual size of the cot.

“We’re not sleeping together on that.” It was made for one person, half the size of her bed at home, the bed that was hers alone and had been hers alone for years.

Colt dropped onto the mattress, frame squeaking as his long legs stretched. “What do you mean? I’ve seen you give birth, I think we can share a bed.”

She whacked him over the head, sitting down next to him with a huff.

“What, I can’t use your own words against you?”

“You’re incorrigible.” She looked down uncertainly. “I don’t think this will hold us both.”

He rested his hands under his head. Even though they had turned off the lights so Kira could sleep, monitors cast a eerie glow about the room. “It’ll be fine. And if it breaks and you get hurt, we’re already in the hospital.”

She rolled her eyes and stretched out, turning away from him but still acutely aware of his body, right behind her, warm and comforting and familiar. She shifted, trying to get comfortable in the tiny space, no room to move between Colt and the wall, hospital beeping and din doing battle with her tired mind. She was almost comfortable when Colt spoke.

“What would you say now?”

“Say now about what?” She turned to see him, profile visible in the dark as he stared up at the ceiling. “Huh?”

“If I told you I wanted to come home. In the waiting room...” He rubbed his palm over his lips. “In the waiting room, you said you would have said yes when I got outta jail. What would you say now? If I asked?”

Her stomach dropped. “Colt...” She sat up, elbow propped so she could study his face, the tears forming in his eyes. “Colt...do you want to come home?”

“More than anything.” He turned so he could face her fully. “Ellie, more than anything. I’m done with-”

The rest of the words were meaningless, mumbled and garbled as she leaned forward to press her lips to his. He pulled her closer, desperate, needy, hands flying over every inch of her as if to reassure himself that she was real.

His voice was hoarse when he pulled back. “You know how important family is to me. You know I don’t want to be my dad, you know this.”

“I know.”

“I’m sorry I fucked it up.” She could see the remorse painted on his face, remorse and pain and maybe a little hope too.

“I know.” She laid down on the cot, dropping her head on his chest, weary exhaustion seeping into her bones. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, El.” He kissed her forehead. “I missed you and Kira and my family. Every day. This is what’s important to me.”

Her eyes were blinking slower now, hospital noise fading from her mind.

She almost didn't hear his whispered ‘I love you, El’ as she sank into darkness.

~~~~~~

Ellie was still in the place between sleep and waking, where everything was warm and quiet and still, mind and body just floating in space, when a familiar arm curved over her, sliding just under her breasts to settle by her rib cage. Her eyes shot open as the body behind her leaned close to nuzzle the curve of her neck, breath warm on her skin, and she heard the sleepy sigh that had once been so familiar, as familiar as her own name.

No one else held her like this. And she knew, in her hearts of hearts, that no one else would ever hold her like this again.

She spun around and Colt’s eyes blinked open unsteadily. “Colt?”

“Wha-?”

“I didn’t-” Her brain was fuzz, eyes unsteady as she took in the sterile walls, unfamiliar medical supplies. “Did I dream this?

His hand was still around her, now drawing patterns at the small of her back. “Dream what?”

“Are we back together?”

“Yeah, well, that was the good part of the night. Kira also got a concussion and needs a cast on her arm.”

"And that was the nightmare part of the evening.” She blinked, her recollection of the day slowing coming into focus behind her eyelids

He pulled her closer on the tiny bed. “But concussions heal. Bones heal. She’s gonna be ok.”

“Do families heal?” Her breath caught in her throat. “Are we gonna be ok?”

He was silent, through thirteen low beeps of a monitor while Ellie held her breath. Finally, he shook his head. “Not just ok. I think we’re gonna be great.”

She settled against his chest and sighed, his heartbeat matching the droning beeps above them, matching her own heartbeat in her ear. It was a weird place to find happiness but she thought that maybe, hopefully, finally, she had her family back.

~~~~~

Two years later...because the beginning of the beginning segues into the middle too...

Ellie was distracted, lost in her own head and her own circling thoughts, anxious fingers keeping busy by cleaning the kitchen counter, but even she couldn’t ignore Kira’s screech.

“Wait wait wait! I want my unicorn cup.”

“Which unicorn cup?” Colt shook his head as he walked in, their daughter bouncing behind him.

“My favorite unicorn cup....duh, dad.”

Ellie laughed as Colt stretched high to grab the requested cup, the same cup that Kira hadn’t taken a sip from in over a year. The grin her seven year-old gave was blinding as she filled it with water and flounced away.

“Duh, dad,” Ellie echoed, knocking into his shoulder with a smile, appreciative of some distraction to get her mind of the treadmill of thoughts she had been on for the last few days.

“She sounds like a teenager.”

“What if I wanted the unicorn cup, Colt?”

“We have seven unicorn cups, take your pick.” He groaned. “I’m gonna get her into motorcycles. We could start a motorcycle cup collection."

“Hmmm....or have a boy....” Ellie mused out loud.

When she realized what she said, her heart stopped, mouth falling open, She tried and failed to cover it up with a cough, her mind inadvertently flashing to the shopping bag hidden in a pile of clothes on the floor of her closet, the bag she hadn’t get had a chance to open, waiting for a moment alone when the house was quiet and still and she would have the appropriate solace for a life-changing moment.

But of course, Colt noticed everything.

“Ellie?”

She said nothing, couldn’t get the words to come.

“Ellie? Is there something you’re not....” She watched his eyes widen and trail down to her stomach. He stepped closer, lips quirking into a brilliant smile. “Ellie?”

“I don’t know for sure! I wasn’t going to say anything until I was sure.”

“Oh my God, you’re pregnant.”

“I’m not sure but...” He swept her into a hug, lips finding hers; she was giggling and kissing and seriously, deliriously happy. “I think I’m pregnant.”

“It’s a boy.”

“How are you so sure? I don’t even know if I’m really-”

“I know.” He smirked, leaning in to trail his lips up her jaw. “I know everything.”

“Really.”

“I know you’re pregnant.” Soft hands pulled her against him.

“Ok.”

“I know it’s a boy.” Soft lips traced the underside of her chin.

“Ok....”

“And I know you’re gonna marry me.”

She leaned away to look into his eyes, heart stopping. “You haven’t asked.” Her mind flashed to before, years ago, a distant memory of finding a ring by his bedside when she thought she was as happy as she could ever be.

He winked at her, cocky and sure. “I know. But you’re gonna.” Suddenly, she felt even younger, 18 again, watching a boy with a motorcycle take on the world. But this time, she was by his side.

“That’s not a proposal.”

He shrugged, stepping back and moving to follow Kira out of the room. “I know.”

“Wait.” She turned, unable to stop the grin from spreading over her face. “Just wait a second.”

“You’ll see. I know everything.” And with that, he was gone, out of the room, leaving behind more questions than answers.

She stood, frozen on the spot, staring at the space he just vacated, grin spreading over her face until she thought her cheeks would split in two.

She thought it was a lie that broken bones healed stronger.

But maybe families did.

And maybe right now was actually as happy as she had ever been.

Tags: @choicesseptemberchallenge

Perma @leelee10898 @emichelle @client-327

ROD @omgjasminesimone @mskaneko

Colt

@deimosensblog @alegria1580 @choicesarehard @thefarrari @moonlit-girl-wonder @going-down-downtown@soniadotalves@jolietmaraud @choicesgremlin @flowerpowell@poeticscolt @brightpinkpeppercorn @zaira-oh-zaira @umiumichan @akrenich @sibella-plays-choices @maxwellsquidsuit @liamzigmichael4ever @octobereighth @i-only-signed-up-for-fanfiction

#playchoices fanfic #colt kaneko #colt x mc #choices rod #ride or die: a bad boy romance #amy writes

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justkending · 6 years

Text

Knock, Knock. Part 3.

Summary: You are a really good friend of the Padaleckis. Your apartment gets infested with all kinds of problems, so you have to move in with your friends for a couples of days. Little did you know who you would run into while staying there.

Pairing: (single) Jensen x Reader

Warnings: None.

Word Count: 1880

Part 3:

“Hey, Y/N right?” Jensen asked with a wide smile pointing to you.

“Uhhh, yeah. Jensen Ackles, right?” you said pointing a finger back at him as you moved closer into the room.

“Ha ha! Yeah, but no need for the formalities. Just Jensen is good.” He laughed as he stood up reaching his hand out to shake. “It’s nice to actually meet you. You didn’t seem that interested in the whole introduction thing this morning.”

You looked at his hand then back at him before grabbing and shaking it.

“Oh God,” you groaned, shaking your head remembering the morning. “I’m so sorry if I came off rude. I had a major hangover from the night before and was not happy with all the noise. Really, I promise I’m not that grumpy and short all the time.”

“I don’t know… You seem pretty short to me,” he said turning his head to the side. “I don’t think you’ve grown that much since this morning.”

You were confused at first, but eventually caught on.

“Clever man. I see,” you chuckled. “Nice one smart guy.”

You took this moment to strip off the last bit of layers you had on and hung them across your arm.

“Do you know where Jared is by chance?” you asked, straightening your sweater out and looking around.

This guy was even cuter in person, and even after getting pampered all day and looking done up, you still felt like you had to fix yourself up.

“Umm, he told me he was going to change before dinner, but it’s been a good 10 minutes,” Jensen answered, turning to look where his friend walked out.

“Yeah, and I thought I took forever getting ready, but for all we know he’s been grooming that luscious mane of his this whole time,” you giggled.

Jensen immediately turned to look back at you hearing you laugh. It was the most beautiful sound, and it went with a perfect smile.

“Ha! You’re probably right,” He said looking at you with wonder. “Glad I have someone else to back me up on the hair jokes.”

“Oh, I’m always up for joking around with Jared.” You said with a smirk. “Anyway, I’m going to go get changed into something more comfortable myself. Are you staying for dinner?”

“Um, I wasn’t originally planning on it, but my plans just got canceled.”

If by plans you mean sitting at home and ordering in, then yeah. Count those as canceled.

“Great, I’ll make sure to set an extra plate for you then,” You smiled walking to your room down the hall, giving him a friendly wink on your way out.

Shortly after you left, Jared came into the living room in sweats and a white Henley.

“Hey, dude what are you still doing here? I thought your ride would be here by now.”

“Trying to get me rid of me Jar?” Jensen said jokingly from his seat on the couch.

“No man, you know you’re welcome here all the time, but you said your ride was like 2 minutes out when I went to change. I just thought you would have left by now.”

“Uh yeah, change of plans. I’m staying for dinner, if that’s ok?”

“Um, yeah sure. Fine by me. I know Gen loves having you over,” Jared said plopping on the couch next to his friend. “Plus, I think Thomas has a new toy he was all excited to show you.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Hey Jared! I was wondering where you were!” you said making your presence known.

You had changed into some black yoga pants, a giant grey sweatshirt with red lettering of Oklahoma on it, and some cozy red long socks that you scrunched up over your leggings. You had gotten your hair blown out today with Gen, and it was looking really voluminous and movie star like, so you just let it be. You thought you looked pretty cute for a relaxed at home look. A good hair day always boosted your confidence.

Jared’s head spun around to see you walk in. Then it looked back to Jensen with wide eyes who was just watching your every movement.

“Y/N, I didn’t realize you were home. I thought you and Gen were having a girl’s day out.” He kept looking back and forth from you to Jensen.

You went and sat in the giant single chair that was close to the couch the men were on. You flung your legs over the arm and nuzzled into the back before crossing your arms to get comfortable.

“Yeah, well the day’s almost over, and she had to go pick up the boys,” You said noticing Jensen’s eyes on you. You gave him a subtle smile and he returned it. Making your heart skip a beat. “But we had a good day. Nice to have a day to treat yourself after all the crap that’s going on. You know?”

“For sure. How you doing by the way? Gen told me what was going on before you left last night.”

“Oh, you know. Best that I can be. I drank it out last night, and today, I pampered it out. All that’s left is to fight it out,” You laughed out. “Just kidding. Now it’s time to face the storm.”

Jensen had a look of confusion, but didn’t press. Just listened in and tried to pick up on the details.

“Well, you know you’re always welcome here. Let me know if Gen and I can do anything to help,” Jared said with a grin that brought out his dimples.

“You guys have done enough,” you countered, sitting up. “Which reminds me. I am suppose to be prepping the food for dinner. I’ll see you two in a little bit.”

As you got up to start your way into the kitchen, you heard screaming coming from the entry of the house and turned to see two little boys running in your direction. Tom was about 6 years old and Shep was 4.

“Aunt Y/N! Aunt Y/N!” they shouted as they ran at you with open arms.

“Oh my goodness. My two favorite boys! What are you two rascals doing?” you said getting down to their level as the bulldozed you to the ground.

While going to crouch you didn’t have that much balance, and the boys gave you some powerful hugs that made you tilt backwards falling to the ground. You gave up and just laid there with your legs spread out and held onto them before letting go of their hugs.

“Boy’s be careful! Remember we talked about being gentle,” Jared said once you had fallen down.

“Oh, you know it’s fine Jared. They’re just excited,” you said, waving him off and making him roll his eyes with a smile. “Isn’t that right boys? Just cause I’m a girl doesn’t mean I can’t play rough.” You ruffled both of their head’s of hair.

That got a laugh out of Jensen, and Gen came and patted you on the head before saying she was going to get started on dinner.

The boy’s nodded their heads at your comment before trying to tell you everything about their day.

“Y/N! Guess what we made at Grandma and Grandpa’s? Guess! Guess!” Tom said jumping up and down.

“Hmmm. Did you make a… birdhouse?”

“Noooooo…” Tom said.

“No birdhouse? Ok. Did you make a… spaceship?”

“No Aunt Y/N/N! Guess again,” Shep chimed in this time.

“Well, I’m all out of guesses, so why don’t you tell me?” You said pulling Shep into your lap on the ground.

“We made pumpkins!” they said at the same time.

“Oh my goodness! Wait a minute, you grew a whole pumpkin while you were there? Are you some kind of garden witch?” you said poking Tom in the stomach making him giggle.

“No, we didn’t grow pumpkins. We carved some for Halloween!”

“You what?! Well, you’re going to have to tell me what you made them look like while I help your mom with dinner,” you said sitting Shep up before you got to your feet. “Why don’t you boys go wash your hands, and I’ll let you mix the batter for the biscuits.”

“YAY!” they shouted as they ran into the bathroom to wash their hands. Only stopping to say hi to Jensen before running off in full speed again.

“Ugh, they make me feel so old,” you sighed dusting your leggings off.

As you went to look up you noticed Jensen had been watching you the whole time with the biggest grin. You were really good with the kids and it was making him even more attracted to you.

“Hope you boys like biscuits and gravy for dinner because I’m pulling out my dad’s recipe,” you said mainly toward Jared knowing his love for that meal, but saw both of the boys perk up.

“Biscuits and gravy? Oh hell yeah! That’s my favorite!” Jared said with a fist pump to the air.

You laughed a loud laugh and crossed your arms.

“Well, I guess it’s a good thing Jensen is staying. That way he can experience the heavenly meal himself,” you chuckled, turning back to the kitchen walking away from the boys. “It’ll be out in about 20 minutes ya’ll.”

Jensen watched you walk away and hadn’t realized he was staring until Jared slapped him on the arm.

“Ouch! What the heck dude?”

“You know what the heck! You only stayed cause Y/N was here.”

“What? Noooo. I- I just- “

“No, don’t try to make excuses. She showed up while I was changing and you invited yourself to dinner to talk with her more. Don’t act like I don’t know you Ackles!”

“Ok, ok. So what? Is it really going to hurt me to just learn a few details about her. I mean I just learned she is really good with kids.” He stopped and looked back where you had walked away. “Like really good with kids.”

Another smack to the arm.

“OW! Stop that!”

“It may not hurt you, but it may hurt everyone else.” Jared let out a sigh. “I meant it Jensen. You need to leave her be. She’s going through some stuff that she needs to figure out, and Gen doesn’t need to help her through ANOTHER heartbreak because you just want something casual.”

“Who said I want something casual with her? Maybe, I want something more. You don’t know.”

“I know that you haven’t had something not casual in a while. Don’t get me wrong. I want you to settle down, but if it doesn’t work out… Jens just-“

“Ok, ok. She seems like a cool person to be friends with though. At least let me be friends with her,” Jensen said with his hands up in surrender.

“I don’t know man… Maybe-“

“Come on. I promise I won’t try anything. Please tell me you don’t think that low of me.”

“No man. You know I don’t. Just… Ok, fine. Friends. But JUST friends ok? I mean it.”

“Just friends!” Jensen said heading into the kitchen Jared following close behind. “For now…” he muttered only for him to hear.

Part 4

Tags:

@sleepless-sin @luci-in-trenchcoats @ain-t-bovvered @dean-winchesters-bacon@angelkurenai@unabashedsoul97@sandlee44@gripmetight-raisemefromperdition@cabbagewithissues @supersleepygoat@anotherwaywardsister

@torn-and-frayed @spnwoman@ravengirl94@carryonmywaywardcaptain @ezilyamuzed

@thosekidswhohuntmonsters

@purpleskiesandcherrypies @anise-d-castle6@adoptdontshoppets@casper57x@tailsoflightning@spookycowz @eve05glee @snffbeebee @angelessquirrel

#supernatural #jensen ackles #reader insert #reader interactive

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swanandapirate · 6 years

Text

A Muted Hue of Grey (3/14) -- CSBB

Summary: Emma Swan liked being a PI in Boston. It was a fun job, she had an okay income and she was a good one at that, so there was no logical reason to try and leave. Except for the fact that she wanted to, so badly. And, when she received a job offer for what seemed to be the opportunity of a lifetime, she did exactly that. Leave. Run. All the way to London. The job was simple: trailing a man called Killian Jones. Easy enough.

Well, until things get complicated, that is.

Rating: M (later mentions of violence, alcohol abuse, and sex)

Wordcount: 2549

Links: ao3 // ff.net // chapter 1 // chapter 2

A/N: No Killian in this chapter, my apologies, but there are answers to your questions and there's an OC whom I love a lot and I hope you do too

The Big P ( @ofshipsandswans ) and Notorious Nonnie ( @acourtoftruelove ) are epic as always and weren't afraid to go "uhhh Manon??" whenever I did or wrote stupid stuff.

@shady-swan-jones is also epic and never complained when I stalked her about the art she was making, you can find said art here and here!

——————————

A dense downpour covered the streets, distorting the view, a thin sheet of water blurring her sight. Emma walked, all of her senses heightened—her ears searching for any sound that didn’t belong. She did not trust the dark that enclosed her, nor was she pleased with the curtain of rain. She was at a disadvantage and she knew it, knew that this was exactly why he had waited before informing her where their meeting would take place. Why he chose for it to be this late. He wanted the upper hand and Emma couldn’t do anything but to hand it to him. She was but an employee, a hired informant that could be laid off at any moment.

The rain was just a welcome bonus, she supposed as she trudged on, avoiding puddles that had gathered; he was powerful but controlling the weather required some magic that he, a mere mortal, did not possess.

The cobblestones of the alley shone with a layer of rain, the water enhancing the sound of her high boots echoing against the stone. Emma was already regretting her choice of footwear. It was drawing attention to her, attention that might not be wanted.

She checked her phone for the umpteenth time since she had left to be certain and it gave her the confirmation she sought. This was it, it told her, the brightness of her screen causing her to squint against the artificial light. She had reached her destination.

And she was all alone.

That didn’t seem right.

Her eyes slid across her surroundings, searching for a sign of life, a clue that someone else was present, but found none.

“So, Ms. Swan.”

Emma was startled by the voice surfacing out of the shadows. And the man accompanying it.

“What have you found out?” Mr. Gold asked.

He appeared from whatever hole he was hiding, dressed to the nines in a suit that seemed badly tailored, tatty even, loose at some parts and way too tight at others. A golden cane in his hand, only emphasizing his stature and oddity. Who owned a cane? A golden one at that? His brown hair, streaked with grey, was long and stuck to his cheeks thanks to the rain.

“Okay, first of all, Gold,” Emma responded, not wanting to immediately hand him her information, her only assets. “Why are we meeting in some shady alley? It reeks here.”

And it did. Of pee and other questionable substances. A place Emma would much rather not spend time in.

“We need to be covert,” sounded his answer, but it failed to resonate with Emma.

She tilted her head and frowned as a movement in the background caught her eye.

“And we couldn’t be covert in an office or a place where there aren’t actual rats running around?” she questioned, pointing at the spot the rat had just run across.

Gold seemed less worried about the vermin running around; he could fit right in. Birds of a feather flock together and all that.

“Now is not the time to complain about hygienics, Ms. Swan. What have you found?” he repeated, uttering every word as if it was a sentence with a full stop.

Emma recognized that her efforts of convincing him to pick another meeting point would lead to absolutely nothing and so she simply accepted that she was going to look like she was offering Gold drugs in a dark alley. Though, if she was being entirely honest, it was most likely going to look like she was offering him something else.

Just the thought of that made bile rise in the back of her throat and made her want to end this briefing as soon as possible. She cleared her throat as she refocused on the matter at hand.

“After another week, observing Jones from afar has not proven to be very useful or helpful with me getting new information. I’ve therefore decided to switch tactics and, instead, I’m going to try and gain his trust.” Gold didn’t need to know the real reason why she’d had a sudden change of heart, it would only shrink his already microscopic amount of trust in her even more. “It’s now just a matter of him trusting me to get the information you need,” she told him, making sure he believed the ease with which she could handle the situation, even though she didn’t particularly believe in it herself.

His dark eyes slid over her face, assessing and attempting to read her features and even if what was going on in his brain mostly remained a mystery to her, Emma could see the wheels turning in his eyes, could almost hear his thoughts conferring with one another.

At last, he spoke.

“I hope you don’t get carried away, Ms. Swan. We do have a deal and I do not take my deals lightly.”

“Neither do I, Gold,” Emma guaranteed. “I’ll get the job done, don’t worry.”

“You better.”

She should’ve let the meeting end there, let the both of them part ways and not talk to each other until Gold required another briefing. But the hunch that something was off—the thought that she couldn’t in a million years fathom what intel Gold needed on Jones, especially since she spent some time talking to him and getting to know him—couldn’t stop thrumming in her head.

“What is it exactly that you want?” she then asked him outright. “I have already given all of the information I have found so far and there’s nothing out of the ordinary.”

“I’m not hiring you to ask questions, Ms. Swan. Leave that part to me. Keep your eyes and ears open, report back when you find more, that is all I require from you.” His accent had become thicker, more guttural, acting as yet another warning.

“Okay.” Emma threw her hands up in the air in concession.

She was not going to debate it or ask any more risky questions. The money Gold was paying made sure that she did not have to struggle to make ends meet; she was able to afford everything she needed with one, single job; she wasn’t about to jeopardize that.

“Until next time, I guess.” She shrugged, not knowing what else to say.

“I hope you have something more interesting to tell me then, or I’ll have to reconsider this whole arrangement.”

Gold left the way he had come and vanished into the darkness again. She didn’t wait until he was completely gone to properly roll her eyes in response to his irritating flare for the dramatics that was omnipresent.

Turning on the heel of her boot, Emma left as well, in the opposite direction Gold had gone. As she walked, she gathered her wet tresses, quickly combing them through with her fingers to avoid any knots. The heavy rainfall had luckily stopped, only a stray drop here and there falling out of the sky, and so when she was met with the choice of either taking the bus home or just walking to her apartment, the quiet atmosphere and the clean, crisp air outside made her choose the latter. They were a proven successful approach to clear her head.

One thought just wouldn’t allow itself to be deleted, however.

Or one person.

Jones.

She hadn’t thought a lot about the day they’d spent together, not yet. Maybe because she didn’t want her head clouded before the meeting with Gold but now that that was all over and done, it had free rein to infiltrate her mind again, to revisit the events anew.

As they had left the store the day before yesterday, she had been hit by an immense sense of fear. Not fear of being caught or a fear of sharing too much with him.

No, not that. It was the fear of having to spend a considerable amount of time with someone she just met. She wasn’t a good socializer, her lack of friends could attest to that. One could even say she was absolutely terrible at small talk. So why on earth had she agreed to spend the afternoon with him?

The funny thing, however, was that she’d spent those first moments so struck with anxiety, her thoughts so consumed by it, that she hadn’t even realized how fast time had gone by. How she’d been talking and laughing and listening without any awkwardness trailing the conversation, without any uncomfortable silences creeping in. And that was a new experience altogether.

Perhaps that was the reason she’d been so adamant to avoid the topic, because she wasn’t exactly sure what to think of it.

Or of the fact that she’d given him her cell phone number when he had asked.

She did tell Gold she was planning on gaining his trust, but whether that was the actual reason she’d so easily added her number to his contacts, Emma hadn’t quite figured out yet.

And again that same question from before resurfaced. Killian seemed like an ordinary guy. Nothing about him particularly stood out. No weird vibes, no strange behavior. Just a polite, somewhat reserved—but then again, flirty—dude. Someone who’d managed to make her feel at ease. What would Gold want with information about him, and, more importantly, what was he going to use it for?

Emma sighed as the question remained unanswered, her breath hot against the chilled air. Her feet continued to tap against the concrete, carrying her closer and closer to home. What had first been a pleasant brisk breeze, was now a freezing wind, chilling her to the core. The remaining raindrops falling from her hair certainly did not help.

She spotted her apartment from across the street and excitement ran through her body as she took those final steps. She needed a scalding shower to warm up again. And a lot of hot chocolate to warm up her insides again.

Just as her hand went to open her door, she suddenly realized she’d not bought new hot chocolate when she drank the last packet. She didn't have any chocolate to make it from scratch, either. Shit. Her hand fell from the handle, as she looked around at her surroundings and considered her options. It was already after ten, so the closest Tesco was already closed, and she didn’t particularly feel like taking the bus to the further one that was open until midnight, especially not in her drenched clothes.

Only one option remained. Well, two actually. The first one being going upstairs without and accepting there would be no hot chocolate, even though Emma didn’t feel like getting over her need for chocolate. It seemed like a pretty vital necessity. Option number two it was: the night shop two blocks away.

But she was still getting out of these freezing clothes first.

Emma reemerged from her building with a new set of warm and comfy clothes and made her way to the shop.

The door opened as she pushed against it, a little bell ringing as she did. The shop wasn’t that big and clearly targeted two types of people: the ones that wanted to get drunk and the ones that had gotten drunk and now craved some sort of greasy or sugary—unhealthy to sum it up—food. Emma was neither and so she knew that she’d have to go to the little corner of the shop meant for everyone, where she would find everything.

“Good evening,” she said and smiled to the shop owner behind the counter.

“Evening, miss.”

After her meeting with Gold, she’d had quite enough of people calling her miss. Plus, she frequented this place enough to switch to a first name basis.

“You can just call me Emma,” she told him over her shoulder as she made her way to the rack she knew contained what she desired. After some scanning, she came across the hot chocolate and removed it from the other items. It only took her a couple of steps to reach the counter again.

The young man—he had to be younger than she was or else she’d have to learn his secret—accepted the box she handed him.

“Evening, Emma,” he repeated. “I’m Samir.” He outstretched his hand and Emma grabbed it and gave it a quick shake. “Nice to meet you. This means I can finally stop calling you Rocky Road in my mind.”

“You gave me a nickname?” She cocked her head in surprise, the smile on her face widening into a grin.

Samir shrugged while scanning the box of hot chocolate.

“I do that with everyone who comes in here often. Especially with those who have a tendency to buy the same thing time and time again.” He lifted a dark eyebrow.

Well, if that didn’t say a lot about her late night snacking habits, Emma didn’t know what did.

The cash register ringed and Samir read the price off of it.

“That’s three quid, please.”

Emma’s hand disappeared into her pocket, in search of some change that hid inside. First, she fished out fifty pence and that was followed by a two-pound coin. One last effort of checking another pocket led to one last pound being recovered. “Keep it,” she said as Samir pushed the fifty pence back to her side of the counter.

“Thanks.” He threw the coin with the rest of them and closed the register.

“Can I ask you something?” Emma stored her box in the small shopping bag she’d brought along.

“Sure,” Samir replied, his brown eyes shining, reflecting the openness she felt radiating from him.

“You seem pretty young to own your own business. Or am I just really misjudging your age?”

It might be weird to just ask him that, but the longer she spent looking at his face, the younger he began to look.

“I’m twenty-three.”

That was more or less what Emma was estimating.

“This isn’t my store, it’s my dad’s,” he explained. “I’m filling in for a while. I just graduated uni, so I don’t have anything better to do for now.”

“Oh, congrats!” Emma said, her congratulations genuine as graduating from university deserved that. She’d never managed to do so. “What did you study?”

“Law.” Samir slightly ducked his head as if he was bashful about his choice or his accomplishments while there was absolutely no reason to be.

“You’re a lawyer? Impressive.”

“Well—” He tilted his head. “not so much a lawyer as waiting for someone to hire me to become one.”

She could then see how he’d rather be doing that than selling things to people in the middle of the night and Emma couldn’t blame him. If he’d studied to become a lawyer, was ready to be one, it must be frustrating to not have anyone give you a shot to do what your heart desired.

“I’m certain it will happen, Samir.” She nodded encouragingly. “If I ever need a lawyer, you’ll be the first I call, alright?” Emma winked.

“Fine by me. If you ever feel like visiting me again and having a chat, don’t be a stranger.”

“I won’t. I hope you have a good night, Samir.”

“You too, Emma.”

And it seemed like Emma Swan had yet again participated in small talk and had actually gotten a friend out of it.

A friend and hot chocolate.

Monumental.

——————————

Now I'm in the mood for hot chocolate too... Anyways, I hope you liked it and do not despair, our favorite Brit is making his comeback next Thursday and it’s a good one 😏, see you then!

#cs ff #csbb #captain swan #captain swan big bang #cs au #my words and sentences #AMHoG

70 notes · View notes

fanficimagery · 7 years

Text

#45 "I think I made a mistake."

What to expect: Humor and Fluff. It's implied that Darcy knows the Mikaelson’s, though not very well.

Read below or read on FF.NET | AO3

It's a slow day in the labs when Darcy decides to head on up to the Common Room. Jane was dozing in front of her computers after some lunch had been shoved down her throat and Darcy just wanted to laze about since all her work appeared to be done. So with her schedule practically empty for the rest of the day, Darcy makes herself comfortable on the cushiest couch across from the mounted flat screen TV before putting on some Holiday themed movies since it is the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

'The Family Stone' is a little over halfway through and Darcy's dabbing at the corner of her eyes when her time is interrupted. The elevator dings and Darcy barely glances over her shoulder to see who has arrived. But upon seeing Natasha and Clint step off onto the floor, Darcy has to do a double take because the two of them are carrying vases of white lilies in each arm.

Darcy wetly laughs and pauses her movie. "Pretty. What's the occasion?"

"You tell us," Clint smirks. "They're for you."

"..what?"

"And there's plenty more," Natasha says. "Steve and Bucky took six more vases to your apartment because they were taking up space at the front desk."

"Sweet baby Jesus," Darcy sighs. "Gimme." She reaches for the vase that has a card attached and Natasha easily hands it over while she and Clint place the others on the coffee table. Immediately, Darcy knows who they're from if the wax seal with the familiar 'M' crest is anything to go by.

"Who even uses wax seals anymore?" Clint scoffs.

"People who come from very old money," Darcy mumbles distractedly. Upon opening the card, she can't help but smile at the words inside. Just Because.

"Secret admirer?" Natasha wonders, having read over Darcy's shoulder.

And Darcy shrugs. "Not sure. He and his family were.. nice. I might have flirted."

"Which means you totally did," Clint chuckles. "Who's the smitten fool?"

Darcy puts the card away and tucks it into her back jeans' pocket when she stands. "He's none of your business. He's just.. being friendly."

"Sure," Clint drawls. "Whatever. Keep your secrets. We'll meet him soon enough."

Darcy doesn't bother to correct him, she rearranging the four vases of lilies around the Common Room since she'll have more than enough flowers to decorate her apartment with later.

The second gift comes when Darcy and Jane are taking a break in the labs. Natasha practically glides into the lab, smug as can be, and sets down a dark brown box with gold designs along the edges. Both Darcy and Jane merely quirk eyebrows at the redhead, and said woman taps the box with a perfectly manicured nail.

"These came from Amsterdam. Puccini Bomboni does not deliver, yet Darcy here has received a box full of the world's best chocolate." Jane gasps and Darcy starts to redden at Natasha's knowing gaze. When she glances where Natasha's nail is still tapping the box, she sees the 'M' stamped in the corner and has to fight off a smile of her own. "Your boy apparently likes to travel and has enough sway to pull off having these delivered to you."

"Boy? What boy?" Jane asks, pulling the box closer to her and opening the lid. She eagerly picks a chocolate and stuffs it in her mouth, moaning at the taste. "What haven't you told me?" She takes a moment to savor the taste before swallowing and looking back at Natasha. "And why don't you know this boy's history yet? Isn't that what you spies do?"

Natasha shrugs. "Darcy's being careful and given how tight lipped she's being, we decided to respect her privacy."

"Thank you," Darcy says and then looks to Jane. "And these are from that guy I told you about. The one I might have flirted with when I took that brief vacation in New Orleans."

"You mean the one you regret not banging," Jane muses. "Yeah. I remember."

Darcy huffs a laugh, shaking her head fondly before stealing the box back from her best friend. Picking a chocolate and popping it into her mouth, Darcy's eyes practically roll into the back of her head at the taste. She then offers the box to Natasha and the three women sit around the lab, indulging in Darcy's edible gift.

The third gift shows up on Christmas Day. Well it probably came sooner, but the little shits that the world has come to know as Earth's Mightiest Heroes decided that the gift was to be placed under the tree instead of taking it immediately to Darcy.

So with no world threatening events taking place, the Avengers get to relax and spend the day with their loved ones. And since all their loved ones are under one roof, the Common Room was the place to be.

Stockings were opened after breakfast, each person then got to pick one gift from under the tree to open after lunch, and the rest were ripped into after an early dinner. Everyone's laughing and settling down after going over their haul of gifts, and it's only after more than half the room has departed that Clint drops the thin velvet box into Darcy's lap.

"Uhhh," she mutters, "what's this?"

Clint waggles his eyebrows. "Lover boy strikes again." An envelope is dropped atop the box and Darcy snorts at the wax seal she's becoming all too familiar with.

Darcy opens the envelope first, eyebrows raising as she reads the penned words. She clears her throat once she's finished, heart pounding as she passes the note off to a grabby Jane who eagerly opens it to read it herself. Darcy then hesitantly opens the velvet box next, eyes widening in shock. "I think I made a mistake," she mumbles. Because inside is a beautiful vintage 14k diamond drop necklace which is something that one does not gift to someone who is just a friend.

Almost instantly, all the jovial moods and smirking expressions vanish.

"What happened?" Natasha demands.

Darcy looks up and finds Natasha, Clint, Jane, Steve and Bucky looking ready for a fight. She rolls her eyes. "It's nothing too serious, you guys. Tone down the murder-y vibes." Sheepish expressions are then directed at her and she hands off the box to be passed around her friends. "So I might have flirted with a thousand year old hybrid for funsies, but now I think these gifts I've been getting are actually his way of wooing me..?"

"A hybrid?" Natasha quirks an eyebrow at her, amused.

"Mhm. Half vampire, half werewolf."

Clint, Steve and Bucky all chuckle, but at Darcy's dead serious expression.. Natasha's lips press into a thin line. "Explain. Are you afraid he's going to harm you?"

She heaves a sigh. "No. Do you, uh, do you guys remember my brief vacation to New Orleans?" Everyone nods. "Well I was attacked by a vampire while there." Everyone bristles and starts talking over one another, but Darcy quickly shushes them with a sharp whistle. Once calm, she continues to explain.

"There were these other vampires that decided to help me. They have their own set of rules and the offending vampire broke it when he tried to kill me. Things were explained on their side and on my side when I didn't freak out about knowing of their existence, and I just.. I surprisingly hit it off with them. Elijah was polite and proper, Kol was a devious little shit and Klaus was.. Klaus was intense. A good intense, but intense nonetheless. I didn't actually think that flirting with him would go anywhere!"

The resulting silence makes Darcy want to scream, but then Jane starts to laugh. She's cackling and tilting sideways in her seat, and slowly the men in the room start to chuckle as well.

Natasha is back to being amused once again. "The way I see it there's a rich and powerful man wooing you. He's saved your life and he's lavishing you with expensive gifts. Soak it up. See where it goes."

Darcy groans when it appears no one's going to help her or give any advice and she accepts the velvet box when it makes it back around to her. She takes one last look at the vintage necklace before snapping the box closed and lets her head fall back with a groan. "Klaus Mikaelson is going to be the death of me."

Once the work day is officially over, everyone heads back to their personal quarters to take their time getting ready for the New Year's celebration that is to take place later that night. It's a rather personal affair, the only ones being invited are those who live in the upper levels of Avengers Tower and whoever they decide to invite as their plus ones.

Darcy's putting some last minute touches to her makeup and hair when JARVIS alerts her to a visitor at her door. "Let them in, J. I'll just be a moment." She checks her reflection over carefully, buttoning her cropped tuxedo jacket just beneath her bust. She smooths her hands down over the smooth material of her off-white bustier and down to her dark blue high-waist shorts that fit like a second skin. (Thankfully Stark’s heating system worked wonders because if not she’d be more worried about bundling up rather than looking cute).

Dark panyhose hide the pale complexion of her legs and she grabs up a pair of black high heel platform ankle boots. But before putting those on, she walks out of her room to greet whoever is waiting on her.

Standing in the middle of her living room with a single red rose is none other than..

"K-Klaus?!"

"Hello, love."

Darcy gapes. Gone is the jeans and Henley, and there Klaus stands in a black and white tuxedo complete with a skinny tie. And he looks.. he looks good. "What are you doing here?" She asks airily, still clearly distracted by his presence.

"Well when one gets an invite to celebrate with superheroes, one does not decline." Klaus smirks and offers Darcy the rose. "I'd thought you'd be a lot happier, sweetheart."

At that, she finally snaps out of her daze. "What? Yeah! Of course I am." She rushes forward then, dropping her shoes along the way and plucks the rose from Klaus' hand. She flashes him a wide smile before briefly hugging the then startled hybrid in greeting. "Hi. Hello. It's so good to see you."

Klaus clears his throat. "Likewise." It's then his turn to gaze Darcy up and down, his eyes lingering on her legs.

"Don't look at me like that," Darcy says, whirling around on the heel of her foot in search of something to place the rose in. "It's a Stark event we're attending and the night will end one of two ways. Either atop the table or underneath it and I don't plan on flashing anyone the good bits."

Klaus chuckles lowly, hands raising in mock surrender. "I have nothing against your outfit, love," he says when she returns. "In fact, I quite enjoy it."

"Yeah, I'm sure you do." Darcy gathers up her shoes and perches on the arm rest of her sofa chair to shove her feet in Natasha's gift of deathtraps. "Now," she says while standing tall and a little too smug as she plants her hands on her hips, "what say you escort me up to the pre-party and all this.. tension I'm vibing on right now will be dealt with later?"

"And what tension is that?"

Darcy takes a deep breath and lets her gaze travel from his head to toe, biting the bottom corner of her lip with a quiet hum. With hooded eyes, she says, "You know exactly what I'm talking about, Klaus. Congratulations, you win. You've wooed me." He barks out a brief laugh and Darcy meets his gaze, smirking kindly. "Though for future reference, I don't need gifts. You could have just gifted me a cup of coffee from my favorite shop down the street and I'd have been all over you."

"Is that so?"

"Mhm. But lets not get into all that right. We have a party to get to, people to see. And then after the ball drops, we'll come back here and see where all this tension leads."

Klaus growls lowly and Darcy mentally preens when she sees specks of gold flare in his eyes. She gulps and smiles, and Klaus says, "Fine. But after the ball drops you're all mine."

Her smile falters and her heart speeds up. "I'm so totally on board for that."

Darcy walks closer to him in a bit of a daze, intent on taking his arm so he can escort her out. But as she gets right before him, Klaus leans in and smirks when Darcy freezes and inhales sharply. "I mean it, love. Once the ball drops-"

"Yeah, yeah. We're gonna end up right back here where you'll hopefully screw my brains out."

"Good girl."

Klaus presses a chaste kiss to her cheek and steps back, smirking, and Darcy sighs deeply. "You're such an ass. Now lets get a move on." Klaus offers her his elbow then and Darcy takes it with a grumble. As soon as they exit the apartment and make their way to the elevator, she remembers to tell him, "Before I forget, if any of the assassins ask to spar, say no. Ever since I mentioned that vampires exist, they're determined to test their abilities against one. But really, all they want to do is snap someone's neck and watch them come back to life."

Klaus chuckles darkly. "Sounds fun."

"Yeah. You would say that, you weirdo."

Author's Note: Sorry there wasn't much 'HybridShock'. I suck at writing romance. Also, here's Darcy's outfit inspo.

#blurred lines #the originals #marvel #darcy lewis #klaus mikaelson #darcy x klaus #jane foster #natasha romanoff #clint barton #fanficimagery

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supernaturalisbae1 · 7 years

Text

How You Sleep/Cuddle

How you sleep/cuddle and someone catches you and takes pictures of the cute moment

h/t stands for hometown

Scott McCall

You were at Scott's house and didn't bother to knock because you had a key, and Scott was expecting you to be there at some point in time that day. You walked in the living room to see he'd fallen asleep on the couch. Shirtless you might add. You couldn't help but stare at the sight and get a little turned on. That was until Scott mumbled "its rude to stare you know." "Not staring...... admiring." You told him while smirking. Then walked over and laid on top of his back. You didn't need a blanket since Scott was like his own freaking furnace. You fell asleep on top of Scott. You don't know how long you slept but it must have been awhile because you were awoken by the click of a camera and opened your eyes to see Stiles and Melissa with cameras giggling like little gossiping school girls. You were snapped out of your thoughts by "y/n you drooled all of my back." Said Scott in a whiny little kid voice. Stiles laughed so hard he fell and Melissa had to sit down.

Stiles Stilinski

You were going on a long trip all the way across country to visit Stiles family that couldn't come to you're wedding. You and Stiles decided to see his family a day after the wedding and then fly down to The France to visit Isaac and go on your honeymoon, the fly back and drive home with John, Stiles father since he went with you to see his family. John was driving at the moment since you and Stiles were both still tired from your wedding the day before. Stiles was in the back seat asleep and you were in the front quietly talking to John. It had been a few hours since you last stopped so you stopped at a gas station to refuel and take a potty break. Stiles shuffled into the bathroom. You giggled when he came out he had a very sleepy face and a little drool on his cheek. His hair was a mess and he was looking at food. When you finally all were back on the road Stiles whined from the back seat "Y/n" he dragged your name out. "I need someone to cuddle." "I'm talking." You tried to tell him but he wouldn't quit so John told you to get some rest and kissed the top of your head before you climbed back there. You laid you're head against Stiles chest and he played with your hair until you both fell asleep. When you woke up, it must have been at least 7 hours later. You heard a bunch of "AWWWWS" and camera's clicking. You and Stiles looked at each other before he said ignore them and held you closer and tried to go back to sleep. "Stiles." You started sweetly knowing you would have to sweet talk your way into him letting go. "I love you and your an amazing husband." He grumbled knowing where this was going. "I really have to pee." You whined. He mumbled something incoherent but let you go and got out of the car and went straight to the couch and fell sleep.

Jackson Whittemore

You and Jackson liked to cuddle when you sleep. It didn't surprise you because he had always been a very touchy feely person. You guys usually slept with with you're face buried in his neck and him playing with you're hair as he held you tight. This night was like every other night except your parents had come to visit from your h/t. You and Jackson always had a tendency to wake up late in the day since you stayed up late at night. Well you were half asleep when you heard giggles then grunts from beside you then more giggles. Your mother had come up to check on you and thought it was adorable you slept like this, so she took pictures and sent them to everyone she knew. You could tell Jackson was awake and he didn't like people waking him up so you tried to get up to get you mother out, but Jackson had other ideas and kept a tight grip on you. "Mom get out...... and Jackson let goooooooo." You whined but neither really listened because you mom got your dad and Jackson just went back to sleep so you did to.

Peter Hale

There was a pack meeting at Derek's house and you were trying to listen but you were really tired from studying for your college classes, and kept almost falling asleep and even drooling on Peter a little. He absolutely loved seeing you this way because you looked all cute and innocent. He finally gave in and interrupted Derek and said, "Excuse me Derek." To which Derek started glaring at him but shut up. "Y/n spent all night studying and won't quit drooling on me so I'm gonna take her upstairs to let her take a nap." Everyone looked at him. They always saw him as cold and dead in the inside but around you he was a good person. He carried you bridle style. After he laid you down you thanked him and expected him to leave but felt the bed sink in behind you and he curled up next to you. He let you use on of his arms as a pillow and on the other you guys held hands. He fell asleep in the arms of your best friend. He was awoken by the sound of people opening the door but ignored until they started taking pictures. He knew you were dead asleep and wouldn't wake up so he looked at them and gave them all a death glare and eventually they all left but still kept swapping photos and talking about it.

Isaac Lahey

I lived with my best friend Isaac and since Derek kicked him out and the McCalls took me in when my single father went into the army and had to move away for awhile. Since there was only one guest bedroom Isaac and I bunked since he was my best friend and we weren't dating...... yet. Isaac and I also had to share a bed but it was really big. It didn't matter that it was big anyways since we almost always cuddled. This time was the same and he slept with his head against my chest. He told me once that it made him feel safe. Like his father couldn't get to him anymore and that if something happened he was right there to protect me. I loved this and let him do it because he was vulnerable and it made my heart break for him because he hates being vulnerable. It was early in the morning when I heard the door open. I'm a light sleeper and Isaac wasn't ever since he moved here so I didnt expect him to wake up. I was going to ignore the door until I heard whispering. Melissa and Lydia were talking the I thought I heard someone call Scott over. They quietly whispered to each other as they tiptoed in. I heard one snap and finally got annoyed and opened my eyes and tried to move to see what they were doing. They all snickered at my actions. "Stop moving....... and get out of here guys." Isaac said to me and then Scott Melissa and Lydia. They snickered again but left.

Aiden

It had been a long day at school with two tests and three pop quizzes, and to add on all the stuff going on in the supernatural world. I shared an apartment with Aiden, my boyfriend, Ethan, his twin, and Danny didn't technically live here or pay rent but he stayed at least 3-4 nights a week with his Ethan, since they were boyfriends. It was late at night and tomorrow was Saturday so I just wanted to go to bed and sleep till noon tomorrow. I plopped down next to Aiden on the bed as he was just scrolling through twitter on my phone talking about how he was hotter than all the guys I follow and how I follow to many. I rolled my eyes and took my phone from him. Aiden had a weird thing where he likes to rest his head on my stomach and hold on to my waist. He curled up into my side and like usual did this. I started playing with his hair until he fell asleep. After about an hour of scrolling through Pinterest I fell asleep happily. I wasn't awoken till I heard Ethan and Danny trying not to burst out laughing. I was so tired I didn't even notice how Aiden was sleeping. I heard some pictures being taken then Ethan muttering "my brother is such a perv even when he's asleep." Then I realized what he was talking about as I looked down and Aidens head was on the bed slobbering and his arm was up to top resting on my boob. I woke up completely and glared at Ethan and Danny. I realized Aiden was now awake because I saw him smirk the start massaging my boob. I hit his arm trying to make him let go so they wouldn't hear me moan. They got grossed out and left after they saw me frantically trying to grab the blanket at my feet to cover up.

Jordan Parrish

I was at my boyfriend Deputy Jordan Parrish's apartment and it was raining really hard outside. We were inside eating popcorn as he was trying to help me with my algebra homework because I didn't understand it and he was good at algebra. I got a call from my dad, the Sheriff. "Hey sweety, it's raining really hard here and the streets are completely flooded so I want you to stay at Parrish's house for a few days or at least until the water goes down." "Ok Dad it's raining bad here to be safe and tell Stiles I love him. Bye love you." "Love you too sweety." Then he hung up. I hope this wasn't inconveniencing Jordan but my dad didn't seem to care. Probably because he was his boss. And the Sheriff. I went to ask Jordan if I could stay. But he must have noticed because before I could speak he told me "I heard and don't worry I want you to stay I love having you here and it's not like you could even leave." "You are the best most handsome perfect boyfriend in the world." I told him as I walked over and sat on my lap and kissed him. He chuckled. We stayed for about three days together trapped in Jordans apartment before I got another call from my dad saying he was sending Stiles to get me in the morning. Jordan and I fell asleep in his bed with his arms tightly around me from behind and his face in my neck breathing my scent to calm him enough to fall asleep. In the morning I heard Stiles laugh and take a picture of sometimes on his phone. I noticed what he was laughing about when I felt slobber on my neck and in my hair. I kicked him lightly and whined "Joooordaaan you slobbered on meee." He sat up slowly and chuckled as he wiped it the best he could with the blanket. I tried to go back to sleep. "Wait how did you get in" Jordan asked Stiles. "Uhhh I had a key made duh." He says like it was the most normal thing in the world. Jordan just stared at him probably not surprised by my weird brother anymore.

Derek Hale

Derek and I shared his loft but the pack was there a lot so we didn't get much alone time. Liam was really tired so I lead him to Derek and I's room and let him sleep on the bed. Derek was not very happy with me because he wanted to take a nap together. "Derek I feel bad for the poor kid he's so young and innocent he shouldn't have to go through this he's just a kid. They all were." I said talking about the rest of the pack. I always felt the motherly instincts and most of the time the pack considered Derek and I the mother and father of the whole group. "And what do you think we were when life hit us in the gut. We all got dealt a crappy hand but we all make it better for each other by having each other's back honey, so don't feel so bad." Derek said as he tried to calm me down. I just nodded and laid down on the couch to try and take a nap. He chuckles "oh no you don't you gave away our bed I'm taking the couch it's not my fault we have no bed." Derek said. "There's enough room for you." I tried to reason with him so I could stay. I patted the spot beside me he gave a skeptical look but came over anyways. He barely fit on the couch and his butt was kinda slipping off but he threw his leg over mine, and I buried my head in his chest. I smiled when I felt out dog, that was practically out baby jump on Derek then the top of the couch to go to sleep. It was the whole family napping on the small couch I thought to myself than fell asleep. When I woke up Derek was already awake and trying to move away without waking me. He whispered sorry but I just smiled at him. Isaac, Lydia, and Allison were all laughing and sharing photos, of what I figured was us on the couch. I smiled when Derek got up and walked away mumbling grumpily something about privacy.

Liam Dunbar

Third person POV

Liam and Y/n have been dating for a while now, and to get away from all of the supernatural stuff going on, Liam sneaks into her bedroom at night so they can talk and cuddle until they fall asleep. Y/n's parents weren't home when he woke up the next morning so he decided to make her a nice breakfast. ....................... he didn't succeed. Y/n woke up to the smell of something burning and Liam wasn't by her side so she put two and two together and thought he was trying to burn her house down. Sarcasm intended. She shuffled down the stairs in her blanket cocoon, and looked at him trying to make breakfast. He heard her and looked over and gave her puppy dog eyes to try and make her help him. She sighed and walked over to him still half asleep. She just put her arms around his mid section with he blanket and snuggled into his side. She was peaceful until she heard the small snap of a picture being taken. She saw her best friend Isaac standing there smirking.

Theo Raeken

Third person POV

Theo loved to have random movie nights with his girlfriend to take off the edge of his supernatural life. Honestly y/n loved them to. It was time for them to forget about their worries and spend time in each other's arms. They were at y/n's house since only her twin brother was home. They were watching Finding Nemo for the thousandth time since this was one of y/n's favorite movies. Theo got up and went to get some more popcorn. When he got back his girlfriend had turned her body taking up most of the couch and sighed but then got and idea and set the popcorn her coffee table Theo jumped on y/n and made he squeal. After that he got himself situated in between her legs with his head resting against her chest. Halfway through the movie y/n looked down and just stared at him as he watched the movie. "You know your staring is getting s little creepy." Jackson y/n's brother said to her. She rolled her eyes and cradled his head into her. Jackson grabbed his phone and took a picture for twitter with the caption she wouldn't stop staring so I took a picture so it would last longer😍

Brett Talbot

You and Brett were newlyweds, and visiting you parents house while the bathroom in your house was redone. Brett was a massive guy so you two had to buy a bed according. Unfortunately in your old room your bed was only a full size and wasn't very long so it was hard to fit you both. You and Brett really had no choice but for you to pretty much lay on top of him which you guys normally wouldn't mind but your old room was in the attic and it was summer so it got really hot adding on to the fact that Brett's a freaking heater of his own. You guys were wearing very little clothing so you wouldn't get as hot and just sprawled out across each other.

Third person POV

Y/n's sister came up to the attic to wake her sister and Brett for breakfast. When she saw the way they were sleeping she couldn't help but smile and take a picture. Which woke Brett up with his werewolf hearing. "Hey" he said lazily to his sister in law. "Breakfast is ready." She told him knowing he loves food. He peeked right up just as she expected. He didn't even bother to properly wake up his wife. He grabbed he waist sat up and carried her down the stairs through her on the couch and went to eat breakfast while she stared daggers into his scull and he smirked.

Hey guys I just wanted to know how you feel about the way I set this up. Some of these I used different ways of writing in 1st 2nd and 3 POV so if you guys will message me or comment and tell me what you prefer I will start doing it that way and if enough people tell me they like it one way I will change this entire preference to be like that. Sorry some of these are longer than others it's kinda hard to do some of the pictures and it took me 3 hours to write this but it was worth it. Please tell me what you think and please request!!!

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mmakehappy · 7 years

Text

2017

1. What did you do in 2017 that you’d never done before? i’ll try to do this chronologically again: so at the beginning of january one of my best friends left to study abroad in rome which was sad and i missed her a lot. i saw rory scovel do stand up. i took an animation class which was fun for the first few weeks until i failed it lmao. actually my classes from jan to march did not go so well tbh but whatever i made it through. my sister came to visit me the weekend before st paddys day which was super fun and then we saw panic which was soooooooo fuckin rad i love them still wow! i went home for spring break and visited a local winery w my dad which was a lot of fun and then a week later uhhh me and @carrot-gallery became gfs!!! and my whole frickin life changed bc i love her so much wow!! but then a week after that i turned 22 and spent my birthday alone! which i tried to pretend didnt make me sad but by the end of the day i was very sad about it and thats when my sweet gf called me to sing happy birthday and i sobbed on my couch and ill never forget that!!! so okay then spring quarter classes started and i was a part of depaul’s visiting artist series which was super cool... i met a lot of new awesome people (both at depaul and the industry ppl that were our guests!) and made some great friends in that class! i was a house manager and camera op which was super fun. i went to a screening of my fave professor’s short film which was also rad. i saw a ghost story at the chicago critics film festival, which was amazing. i saw idiocracy in 35mm and then mike judge did a q&a! the very next day i was house manager for depaul’s student film festival at the music box! i saw chris gethard do a live recording of beautiful/anonymous and then also do some standup, that was awesome. i saw day wave live!!! amazing! i spent an entire dystopian day dealing with megabus. that was hell! i sat at an outdoor amphitheater and even tho i couldnt really see him i got to listen to seu jorge sing david bowie covers and life was magical for a few hours. my sisters came up to visit me and we saw aladdin the musical and had our minds blown, it was soooo fun! i went to the chicago pride parade for the very first time but i went by myself and at one point i was sitting on the curb just crying! not a high point but still memorable. i won a ticket to an advanced screening of the big sick where kumail & emily were there to do a q&a after the movie.... had a fuckin blast OBVIOUSLY and then saw the movie 9 other times in various theatres. i also made it into a commercial FOR the movie i just loved it that much lmao! i moved into a new (and my current) apartment! lorde released melodrama and fucking murdered me in my own home. otherwise i had a pretty uneventful but anxiety filled summer bc of financial aid stuff so that really sucked. i saw good time w taylor and the safdie brothers were there to do a q&a and they were such interesting guys i could listen to them talk for hours honestly. my mom and sisters came up to visit me and we took our mom to her very first cubs game which was sooo so much fun and they won that day too!! it was awesome and we had a great time :) watched the eclipse (or tried to anyway!!) fall quarter classes started and i honestly kicked ass at them, i got on the deans list (i almost typed honor roll lmao i mean its basically the same) i hung out with ari again which was cool!! we went to the aquarium! me and taylor saw beach fossils which was honestly the most buckwild concert ive ever been to i think, it was good shit. i got jobs at AMC (which i have since quit lmao) and starbucks and left my job at the paint place which was bittersweet! me and taylor saw mbmbam live!!! so fun!! and we watched trolls that night and goofed on it so hard!! i went home for thanksgiving and found out my big sister is gonna have a baby this year!! :D i saw mike birbiglia do stand up! which was soooo incredible of course (except i felt bad bc my mom was supposed to come w me but she couldnt go! so i brought taylor lol) UMMMMM MY DAM GIRLFRIEND CAME TO CHICAGO TO VISIT ME AND STAYED FOR A WHOLE DANG WEEK AND IT WAS THE BEST THING EVER SHE MAKES ME SO HAPPY WE HAD SO MUCH FUN AND I MISS HAVING HER RIGHT NEXT TO ME EVERY SINGLE GOSH DANG DAY <3 ;_____; and that was my year!!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? last year i said id like to read at least one book each month and watch at least 100 movies - i did neither! im keeping the movie resolution though bc cmon 100 movies should be EASY for a film major wtf am i doing!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? no but it will happen in 2018!

4. Did anyone close to you die? not a person but we had to put down my sweet doggo, flash :(

5. What countries did you visit? still none :/

6. What would you like to have in 2018 that you lacked in 2017? More confidence that I actually deserve to be in college and that I can do this shit and I’m awesome <– that was my answer from last year and the year before but yeah. same. also money.

7. What dates from 2017 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? ummm march 25 when me and gf became gfs and also dec 17 when she came to visit :)

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? putting myself out there by doing VAS/Premiere, getting on the deans list for the first time since freshman year and then also getting a new job

9. What was your biggest failure? this summer i didnt do shit besides wallow and cry and it sucked!

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? nope

11. What was the best thing you bought? every movie ticket and the bras i bought for natalie ;-)

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? natalie’s because she’s amazing and works so hard!!!! and she can always cheer me up and im so in love w her

13. Whose behavior made you appalled? mine bc i could never just get my shit together and do my homework when i was supposed to :) < thats from last year but lmfao same!

14. Where did most of your money go? RENT, movie/event tix, food, in that order

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? THE BIG SICK, the new season of sv, p much all of the events that i listed in the first question lol

16. What song will always remind you of 2017? umm honestly probably any song from melodrama

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer? I’m a. happier, b. probably thinner? or maybe the same idk, and c. definitely DEFINITELY poorer

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? read and write and watch movies and write and read about movies

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Spending money and also being bitter about everything for no reason <– last year and the year before that AGAIN and also same!

20. How did you spend Christmas? working at AMC which i hated every second of :)

21. Did you fall in love in 2016? yes with my amazing girlfriend @carrot-gallery

22. What was your favorite TV program? silicon valley, AMERICAN VANDAL, the good place, great british bake off

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? nah just politicians who like. actively want me to die lol

24. What was the best book you read? bitch,

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? mitski like why the fuck did i sleep on her..... tbh thats about it bc i still listen to the same music i did 10 years ago

26. What did you want and get? I wanted a steadier/better paying job and i have it!

27. What did you want and not get? idk i wanted to be financially stable on my own and i still dont have that

28. What was your favorite film of this year? ugh i hate this question! ok in no order: THE BIG SICK, GOOD TIME, A GHOST STORY, GET OUT, THE FLORIDA PROJECT

29. What one thing made your year immeasurably more satisfying? uhhh having my sweet girlfriend by my side each and every day

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2017? sometimes chic, always sweaty

31. What kept you sane? Sydney, my best friend in the entire world. (This was my answer from last year and the year before that and the year before that AND THE YEAR BEFORE THAT but it still holds true) also everyone in the sv discord chat still AND natalie of course of course

32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? kumail nanjiani duhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, taika waititi, and martin starr always and probably more but i legit cant think of anyone rn lol

33. What political issue stirred you the most? yikes all of it. all of the issues (this was from last year but same lmao)

34. Who did you miss? i miss my dogs and my family and my girlfriend 35. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2017. You can set goals for yourself and talk about it all you want but it’s nothing until you actually start working towards it and doing something about it. <– answer from last year and the year before that and the year before that, still true!! imma keep that. also idk just like, there are good days and super bad days and ive survived all of them so its just a reminder to myself that ill be okay.

36. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. These days will all seem better in time Waiting on that hindsight

#2017 #personal #sorry that my answer to the first question is SO LONG but i did a lot this year!#and its fun to recap anyway #also this has been sitting in my drafts for a week lol so here ya go

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masksandtruths · 7 years

Text

Periscope

Characters: MOC!Dean X Reader, OC Ronnie, Papa Roach (sort of)

Warnings: A little angsty, a little fluffy, some violence, language, and mention of characters getting a little handsy

Word Count: 9500-ish

Summary: Dean doesn’t want to be a monster. Since the moment Sam cleared the darkness from his eyes, he’s fought tooth and nail to avoid becoming that black-eyed version of himself again, but it is getting harder and harder to resist. And after one particularly brutal slipup, he realizes this is one fight he might not win—and that he can’t keep dragging the people he cares about along on this downward spiral, especially not Y/N. It’s selfish to hold her close just so he doesn’t fall apart, but can he actually force himself to let her go?

A/N: I’ve been MIA for a few weeks thanks to work, some hellacious family drama and dadgummed Hurricane Harvey. During that time, I found myself listening to Periscope by Papa Roach over and over again. It had this dark, moody vibe to it, and even though it was so different from their usual stuff, I thought it was beautiful. When I listened to the words, I couldn’t help but imagine Dean in one of his down and out phases and haven’t been able to focus on writing anything else since. Hope you like it. Constructive feedback is always welcome. If you want to listen to the song, here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrEVYQ4zQAA

“Hey, man, you with me?” The grey headed, burly bartender rapped his knuckles on the bar in front of the still untouched shot of whiskey. “How many of these have you had? Do I need to cut you off?”

With a deep, shaky breath and some serious effort, Dean finally lifted his head to reply. He had planned on firing off some smartass comment about how he had served him so he should know, but stopped when he realized the bartenders must have switched out at some point. The old man standing before him now might have looked and sounded a little rough, but there was only kindness and concern in his eyes. Hell, he kind of reminded him of Bobby, honestly.

Dean lifted his left hand to rub the back of his neck as he wearily answered, “Uhhh, maybe four. Whatever it is, it’s not nearly enough.” He focused his bloodshot eyes on the big man’s name tag and added with a shrug, “Seriously, Ronnie, I’m fine. Go take care of one of these other sad sonsabitches.”

The older man clearly didn’t buy Dean’s bull shit answer, because he made no attempt to move on down the bar to the next person in line. Instead, he threw a clean bar towel over his shoulder, crossed his arms, and raised one eyebrow sarcastically in Dean’s direction. “Kid, I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I know what ‘fine’ is and you ain’t it.”

Dean sighed, dropped his hand from his neck, grabbed the shot of whiskey and threw it back. He dropped the shot glass back on the bar with a hiss before finally continuing. “Look old timer, I’m not a cry in your beer, bare your soul kinda guy so I can’t give you much. Let’s just say today was a total cluster fuck. Started out shitty and only got worse from there. Decided to take the edge off before I crash and try again tomorrow. That good enough for you?”

Ronnie paused before answering, taking a moment to contemplate whether or not to push the issue. “Alright then,” the bartender nodded decisively, choosing to accept the younger man’s vague explanation. “Next one is on the house.” He grabbed the bottle of Makers Mark off the shelf behind him and filled the shot glass to the brim.

A look of relief flashed across the Dean’s tired features and one corner of his mouth quirked up in a slight smile. “Might as well leave the bottle. My sorry ass ain’t leaving this barstool any time soon.”

“It’s all yours.” Ronnie returned Dean’s smile and pulled the towel from his shoulder when he noticed a waitress walking his direction with a tray full of freshly washed bar glasses. As he set about drying each of the tumblers stacked in front of him, he caught himself studying the forlorn man sitting across the bar.

Every single day, he saw people waltz in here and try to drink their pain away. Most of the time they were just being a tit about some little trivial thing or another, but every now and then, someone really did need the feel of liquor burning down his or her throat and the numbness that came afterwards. The ones that had seen death—or caused it. The poor bastards that watched the woman they love give up on them and finally walk away for good. The middle-aged woman who pulled at her sleeves and tried to hide the cuts on her wrist, hating herself for wanting to end it all but hating herself even more because she didn’t have the courage to go through with it. The sick. The abused. The totally, utterly defeated. He’d seen it all, and still, something about this man stood out among the countless others.

There was a haunted look in his green eyes—one that said he’d probably seen more shit in his short lifetime than people three times his age. He sat with his head down, forearms braced on the bar on either side of his shot glass, shoulders drooped in exhaustion like he’d carried the weight of the world on them for far too long. He stared dejectedly into the amber liquid as though it might offer some suggestion on how to fix whatever it was that had broken him so completely. Ronnie could see him warring internally with a darkness of some kind, and judging by the half empty bottle of Makers and the sadness and self-loathing rolling off him in waves, he could only assume it wasn’t exactly playing out in the kid’s favor.

The old barkeep picked up another glass and silently wondered what the hell had knocked this guy’s life so far off track. He wouldn’t dare ask though. Their extremely limited interaction only moments ago told him this man, although inherently good hearted, was not a one you could force into doing something he didn’t want to do—and talking about his feelings with a total stranger was right at the top of that list. No, he was the type that kept those kinds of things close to his chest, and any attempt on Ronnie’s part to get him to do otherwise would not end well for him—that much he knew.

Maybe it was the icy edge in his voice. Or the way he was continuously monitoring his surroundings even with his head down, eyes quickly flitting back and forth as people walked through the door or bellied up to the bar. Or it could have been how Ronnie could practically see the man effortlessly committing every detail of his face and all of his mannerisms to memory while they spoke. Whatever it was, the old man’s instinct told him that this young man was not a person he, or any man with half a brain, wanted to piss off.

Dean picked up the shot and tossed it back, swallowing it all in one gulp, and immediately reached for the bottle of whiskey to refill his glass again. Then he slammed that one too.

How the younger man wasn’t completely obliterated at this point, Ronnie would never know. He watched as Dean picked up the shot glass once again, resting the rim against his lips for a moment before opening his mouth, tilting it upwards and dumping its contents down the back of his throat. The next time Dean refilled the glass, Ronnie found himself hoping it would be the one that finally granted the kid some relief from the storm raging inside him—but it wasn’t, and neither was the next one. So Ronnie stood by helplessly, feeling sorry for the young man whose only companions were a bottle of whiskey, a few untamed demons, and an old bartender that sensed he deserved so much better than the hand he’d been dealt.

***

Dean felt the old man studying him, pitying him even, and without thinking, he tightened his fingers around the neck of the heavy, glass liquor bottle. It would be so easy to reach across the bar, crack the bottle across Ronnie’s skull and tell him exactly where he could stick his fucking pity. He wanted to. The darkness churning inside of him practically begged him to make that move—and if he gave himself over to that rage and that power, he could do it without hesitation or mercy while wearing a smile on his face. But this time, he was able to picture her face, and so he turned up the bottle and poured himself another shot instead.

He fidgeted with the full shot glass on the bar, slowly rolling it between his thumb and middle finger, and thought about what a fucking miracle it was every single time he managed to resist the urge to snap. He could practically feel the mark on his right arm burning—as though it was angry at him for resisting its temptation, like it hadn’t caused enough bloodshed today already.

Dean closed his eyes and pressed his left hand over that cursed spot on his arm, but he couldn’t get the images to stop flashing through his mind.

The blood. The screams. The feel of bone breaking beneath fist. The power. And the joy he felt because of it all.

And it wasn’t just the incident this morning—he remembered it all. He remembered every little detail of every single damned time he gave into the Mark and let its power burn through him, and he hated himself for it…didn’t he?

***

He woke up on edge, exhausted and nerves shot all to hell. He must have screamed his way through a constant stream of nightmares last night, because when he swallowed, it felt like there was sandpaper in his throat. He rolled out of bed, got dressed, stepped outside the hotel room and hopped in Baby, hoping a drive would help him get his head on straight.

In hindsight, he realized he should have just talked to Y/N, instead of running out when the fear and fury he felt in those dreams still hadn’t quite released his mind or emotions from their clutches. But she had been sleeping so deeply and peacefully, he just hadn’t been able to bring himself to wake her. Hell, she’d probably been up most the night because of his bullshit, so guilt won out, and he had left her snuggled comfortably under the covers.

Coffee. He needed coffee, he thought as he drove through the sleepy town, drumming his thumb against the steering wheel to an old Metallica song. Baby could use a little gas anyway, so Dean flipped on his blinker, pulled into a small gas station and parked in front of an empty pump.

It was still early enough that there were only a couple other people by the pumps, which was a good thing considering he still didn’t exactly trust his self-control. It should only take a minute, though. In and out. Coffee, cash, done. Easy peasy, he told himself. Surely to high heaven, he could manage that simple task without assaulting someone, and he wasn’t going to get his caffeine or his gasoline if he just stood out here with a thumb up his ass worrying about all the ways this could go wrong. He blew out a breath, straightened his jacket and started towards the store’s entrance.

The young woman working behind the register looked up when Dean walked through the door and greeted him with a chipper “good morning” and a kind smile. He nodded back in response as his eyes searched the small store for any other early morning patrons. As luck would have it, it appeared the store’s lone employee was the only other person inside, and Dean offered up a silent thank you to the universe for that small favor.

Okay, maybe this wasn’t so bad after all and he’d been worried for no reason. Feeling a little more confident, he made his way to the back where the coffee was set up. He grabbed the largest cup they had and picked up the almost full pot of wonderfully hot and caffeinated deliciousness. As he started pouring, he heard a bell ding, signaling to him that more people just entered the store.

This time, the cashier greeted the new customers by asking, “How are you fellas doing this morning?”, and when he heard one man reply, “Not bad. How about yourself?,” he froze mid-action. So much for the universe granting favors this morning. He would never forget that voice for as long as he lived, and right now, it was about the last one in the world he wanted to hear.

The two men that had just waltzed in were none other than Walt and Roy, a.k.a. the two fuck nuggets that murdered him and Sam a few years back.

“You have got to be shitting me,” he groaned under his breath.

This wasn’t good. Just thinking about their last encounter already had that murderous darkness calling to him, and he was about ninety seven percent certain he wasn’t going to be able to resist it, not without Y/N here.

Slowly, he turned, cup of steaming coffee in one hand, half empty pot gripped in the other, and watched as they walked towards him. The second he saw their faces, a spark of rage ignited in his gut, and he knew he was totally and completely fucked. That tiny waver in his willpower was all the opportunity the curse needed to seize control. The mark’s power roared into his veins, its qualities of wrath, strength and total indifference wholly familiar to Dean at this point. All the anxiety he felt earlier—all the fear—all the guilt—was completely gone, replaced by an unending and almost peaceful darkness that Dean welcomed as he allowed it to swallow him whole.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” Dean asked as he leaned back against the counter and casually crossed his feet at the ankles.

The two unfortunate hunters halted abruptly when they recognized the man standing in front of them. Their eyes widened and their chatter stopped short, but their instincts from years of hunting the big bads of the world took control of their bodies. Walt’s stance widened and his fingers twitched as though he was actually considering reaching for the pistol he must have tucked into the waistband of his jeans.

Roy on the other hand smoothly took a step away from his partner, now standing slightly to Dean’s left. His eyes quickly scanned the area looking for anything he could use to his advantage if this situation got out of control.

Walt raised his hands in a show of submission and spoke in a calm, quiet, steady voice, but Dean could see the fear in his eyes. “Hey man, we don’t want no trouble. Just came here to gank that ghost, same as you I reckon.”

“But we didn’t know you and Sammy was already working the case; I swear it,” Roy added, nervously glancing between Dean and his partner.

Dean shook his head and let out a low, menacing chuckle. Good God, did Roy’s little twitchy ass actually flinch at the sound? “Aw calm down Roy before you piss yourself. I know you and Walt didn’t know we were on the case or your sorry asses wouldn’t be here. Your partner is a total dipshit, but somehow he’s been smart enough to keep y’all off my radar for…what? …four…five years now?” Dean uncrossed his legs, pushed off the counter and took a predatory step towards Walt.

Walt instinctively slid backwards, wisely putting some space between himself and the older Winchester. Dean was lethal on a normal day, but if the rumors making their way around the hunter community were true, he was a whole new level a bad ass ever since he accepted the Mark of Cain.

“It wasn’t personal, Winchester. Just business.” Walt noticed Roy take another small step, slowly circling to position himself behind Dean. Good, at least if this came to blows, they could hit him from both sides. “Your brother started the freaking Apocalypse, man. What did you expect?”

Dean tilted his head, pretending to consider Walt’s question, and let out an amused snort. “Well I certainly didn’t expect you two fuck sticks to empty a couple barrels of buckshot into our guts, that’s for damn sure.” He lifted the steaming cup of coffee he still held in his left hand to his lips and took a tiny sip to test its temperature. He could feel it burning on his tongue, but he didn’t flinch. “But hey, whatever…water under the bridge and all that crap, right? Coffee?” Dean extended his other arm, offering the pot to Walt.

Walt looked down at the half empty coffee pot and blinked in surprise. “Uhhh, sure, water under the bridge,” he answered warily, still frozen to his spot.

“So you gonna take this pot from me or leave me standing here like a total jackass?”

“Oh…um…uhh…no thanks, I’m a decaf man myself.”

Dean barked out a laugh. “You gotta be freaking kidding me. Figured someone willing to off a couple kids in their sleep would prefer the real thing.”

Walt didn’t really know how to react that, so he opted for a nervous chuckle and shook his head. “Nope, not me.”

He looked at Roy again, who was shifting anxiously from foot to foot, confused by the direction the conversation had taken and unsure of his next move. When Walt looked back at Dean, the famous hunter was still staring at him, a wicked smile slowly raising the corner of his mouth. Walt was out of time and he knew it. The tension had reached its breaking point, and hell was about to be unleashed on his and Roy’s asses. And as the final thread on Dean’s restraint snapped, Walt could have sworn he saw the Winchester’s green eyes flash to black.

“Well here, how about you try it again,” Dean growled menacingly, and before Walt could protect himself, Dean’s left arm shot forward, launching the boiling hot contents of his cup directly at Walt’s face. The man’s hands shot to his face as he screamed in pain and dropped to his knees.

Roy charged forward, but Dean, fully aware of the other man’s position, easily spun out of reach and landed his own well-aimed blow against the side of Roy’s head with the heavy glass coffee pot. It shattered on contact, slicing Roy’s face and dumping its contents down his face and neck. Dean watched as the unconscious hunter collapsed flat on his face, a bone crunching on impact—probably his nose. Well, Dean thought darkly, he didn’t get to hear this one scream, but at least he got to see him bleed.

The cashier sped around the corner in a panic to see what all the commotion was about, but jerked to a stop when she saw the mess all over the floor and the condition of the three men she had greeted earlier—two of them were now seriously injured. “Holy shit,” she gasped and but she couldn’t make herself move or tear her eyes from the scene before her.

Dean turned to face Walt who had managed to stagger upright, blisters already forming across his face. “You are a sick son of a bitch, Winchester.”

“Ah now Walt,” Dean scolded mockingly. “You know that’s not nice.”

“Fuck you, Dean. You can go straight to hell.”

Faster than should have been humanly possible, Dean closed the distance between them and snatched up Walt by the front of his shirt. “Already been there asshole, and even the devil didn’t want me,” he snarled before throwing him backwards into a shelf of junk food. The crash finally snapped the cashier out of her shocked state, and she squealed and dropped down behind the nearest free-standing cooler.

As she peeked around the corner of it, she saw Dean draw his leg back and place a well-aimed kick in the middle of the other guy’s rib cage. She’d bet her whole paycheck he’d have a few broken ribs to tend to after all this was over. She pulled back out of sight and tried to collect herself by taking several shaky gulps of air. What the fuck was happening here? She wasn’t equipped to deal with this sort of situation.

Walt was groaning and writhing on the floor in pain, but Dean wasn’t finished with him yet. “You see Walt, when someone breaks into my hotel room and shoots me and my baby brother with a shot gun, I take that a wee bit personally,” he explained as he squatted next to the whimpering man.

“I-I-I get it Dean, I swear. Never again. We are even,” Walt finally managed to groan out through gritted teeth.

“Oh no, Walt, we are so far from even.” Dean hauled Walt up to his feet and pushed him towards the cooler where the terrified cashier was hiding. The battered man stumbled but caught himself on the ledge of the cooler only to have Dean catch him by the hair on the back of his head and slam his face straight down into it. Walt’s lip split wide open and a few teeth dislodged from his gums with the impact. He crumpled, but somehow remained conscious. Before he was even fully on the ground, Dean was on top of him, hand twisted in his shirt.

“This is for me.” Dean raised his right fist and drove it into the left side of Walt’s already bloody face, snapping his head to the right. Walt noticed the lady crouched there then, shocked and scared by what she was seeing. Dean, still unaware of his spectator, reached down with his left hand, grabbed Walt’s chin and slowly turned his face back up to him.

“And this, this is for Sammy.” Dean’s fist slammed straight into the other hunter’s nose, crushing the bones within, blood instantly spewing from his nostrils. “Remember this next time you even think about crossing paths with us again, you son of a bitch,” Dean warned, as he pulled back to strike again. That’s when he heard a whimper come from somewhere to his left. His head whipped towards the sound, and what he saw knocked the wind from him. The pretty young cashier sat there shaking, knees pulled to her chest, trembling hands covering her mouth, eyes wide with terror and leaking silent tears.

Dean released Walt’s shirt and jumped off him as though he had been scalded, spinning frantically, looking around at the aftermath of his attack. He could feel the darkness slowly retreating inside his soul, content for now with the damage it had caused. He dropped his head and looked slowly between the two battered hunters on the ground and then at his hands covered in their blood. What had he done? He had spent his entire life fighting and killing things that scared people the way he had just scared that young girl.

“I—this isn’t—I didn’t—I just—I’m,” he stuttered before letting out a sad, defeated sigh. No words could ever make this right anyway. He sucked in a shaky breath and looked her in the eyes, tears still steadily streaming down her face. “I’m so sorry,” he said quietly, forcing all the sincerity he could into eyes, hoping she could see how badly he wanted her to believe him.

As he turned towards the exit and took a step in its direction, he heard a small, relieved sob escape her lips, finally allowing herself to realize it was all over and she was safe. She didn’t have to be scared anymore. The monster was leaving. A monster—that’s what he was to people now. And with that realization, his chin dropped to his chest, where the heart beating inside of it shattered into tiny pieces.

He didn’t glance back as he pushed out of the store’s doors and headed towards the Impala, but if he had—and if the young girl inside had looked really closely—she might have seen a single tear slide down his face. On an early morning, in the middle of nowhere, she might have seen a monster cry.

***

The juke box blared to life, snapping Dean from his memories of this morning with a jolt. Some modern rock singer was going on about how his weakness was caring too much and his scars reminded him of his past, and much to Dean’s surprise, it sounded vaguely familiar. As appropriate as it might be in this particular situation, it wasn’t the type of thing he normally listened to, so where the hell had he heard it?

He listened through another verse before it dawned on him. The night he’d first laid eyes on Y/N, it had been at one of this guy’s concerts.

Shit, what was the name of his band? His brain was finally feeling a little fuzzy from all the whiskey, and it wasn’t immediately coming to him. Y/N would have been so disappointed. Daddy something? Daddy Bug? Hell no, that couldn’t be it. Papa…yeah, that sounded better. Papa Roach…boom! That was the one. Dean smirked, slightly amused at his own internal dialogue and proud he was even able to recall the ridiculous name. He tossed back the shot he had poured himself earlier in celebration of that small victory. Stupid name or not, Y/N loved them, and these days, that was really the only thing mattered in his book.

***

Dean shouldered through the crowd of head banging, horn throwing concert goers in the pit level of the venue hoping he could make it to the stairs up ahead before he decked someone. Thank God he was a relatively large guy or the hunt might have ended before it really even got started. How in the hell anyone under six foot and weighing less than a buck eighty survived these damn concerts without being trampled was one of life’s greatest mysteries. He finally managed to force his way through the last few people standing between him and the stairs to the upper level just as the opening band was wrapping up their set.

Just in time, he thought as he leapt up the steps and found a spot along the railing where he could look out over the bulk of the crowd. The venue looked like a long rectangle; the stage, entrance doors and two raised seating levels on either side making up its border. In the middle of all that, on a slightly lower level, was the pit Dean had just escaped from. His green eyes scanned the crowd, looking for any sign of the vamps that had recently taken to using this club as their own personal hunting ground. So far tonight there hadn’t been a single sign of them, and Dean just hoped he hadn’t missed something. He’d walked around the place more than once, but it wouldn’t be hard to overlook them in a crowd like this.

Pretty much everyone was in black and damn near all of them had been screaming along to the unbelievably loud music, jumping up and down, moshing, and basically going bat shit crazy. He had to give it to these vamps; they weren’t dumb. Oh well, maybe Sam would have better luck at the other joint they’d decided to stake out. He huffed out an impatient breath and decided it was time for a beer.

He pushed away from the rail and shoved his way to the bar behind him. The bartenders were running back and forth like crazy people trying to keep up with the orders the crowd was throwing at them. The two ladies were handling the insanity pretty well considering every person in the whole damn place must have decided to get a drink between the sets. He looked over his shoulder towards the bar on the other side of the room to see if it was any better. About that time, someone slammed into his right side, knocking him off balance.

He barked out a “son of a bitch” at the same time he heard a female voice snap, “Jesus H Christ! Would it kill you to say ‘excuse me’, asshole?!” Dean followed the woman’s gaze, tracing it to a middle-aged man a couple feet away who was so drunk it was a miracle he was still standing. Her anger was met with a few slow blinks and a drunken smile before he stumbled off into the crowd and disappeared. “Fucking prick,” she growled, brushing a hand down the front of her shirt in a sad attempt to wipe away some of the drink that was spilled all over it.

Her eyes snapped up to his, remembering suddenly that she’d knocked into someone too. “Oh gosh, I’m so sorry,” she apologized hurriedly. “That jerk just bulldozed his way through. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m alright. You didn’t rough me up too much, so I guess you are forgiven,” he answered playfully, a genuine smile lighting up his face. “Risk you run when you get around large crowds.”

“Yep, reason number one for why I prefer the hermit lifestyle.”

Good lord, she was cute. The simple thought slammed into him from out of nowhere. When was the last time he looked at a woman and thought of her as cute? As something more than a way to pass the time for an evening? He couldn’t remember exactly, but he’d bet money it was around the same time as he took on the damned mark.

“Well if this band brought a hermit out of hiding, it must be pretty damned good.”

“What can I say? I love me some Jacoby Shaddix.” She shrugged unapologetically, looking up at him through her ridiculously long eyelashes.

“Well great, now I have high hopes for this performance, and I’m going to be seriously disappointed when they don’t live up to them. Thanks for that…” Dean trailed off, hoping she’d catch the hint, and give him her name.

Her Y/E/C eyes lit up as she caught on, a faint blush creeping into her cheeks as she extended her hand towards him in greeting. “Y/N”

He wrapped his large calloused hand around hers and introduced himself in return. “Winchester. Dean Winchester.”

Before she could stop it, a quiet laugh bubbled up and escaped her lips. He pulled back in surprise, smile fading and immediately second guessing himself. “Oh god, what? Did I read that all wrong? Do I have something on my face? Have I met you before and don’t remember it?” He asked in a slightly panicked voice.

She snorted in amusement. “No, no, nothing like that. I just don’t think I’ve ever met anyone that introduced themselves last name first. My nerd brain went straight to a ‘Bond. James Bond.’ comparison,” she admitted.

“Pshh…James Bond wishes he was as cool as me.”

“Sure, okay. Let me know when you’ve basically saved the world and then can revisit this conversation, Mr. Big Shot.”

“And what makes you so sure I haven’t saved the world a time or three, sweetheart?”

She didn’t immediately respond this time. She took a step back and crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes as she studied him closely. “Well you do sort of have those super hero good looks, so I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt for now, Dean Winchester,” she said finally.

“Well thank God for that,” he breathed out dramatically, causing Y/N to throw back her head in laughter.

Okay, well scratch cute, that shit was out the window. This woman was flat out gorgeous. On one hand, she looked so innocent with her flushed cheeks, wide, trusting eyes, and easy smile. But on the other hand—he left his thought unfinished as he silently admired her, gently biting his bottom lip between his teeth, eyes travelling appreciatively down the length of her smaller frame—on the other hand, she was built for sin. He could just imagine pushing his hands in that long Y/H/C hair as he kissed her full lips before letting them drift lower to cup those perfect breasts or grip that amazing ass. Alright, he had to stop before he was pitching a tent in the middle of all these people.

“So how does a man who doesn’t even like Papa Roach wind up at one of his concerts?” Y/N asked, snapping him out of that little lust fueled daydream.

“Oh—umm, work actually. Got a tip that someone we’re hunting might make an appearance here tonight.” She looked a little confused by his answer, so he hurriedly tagged “FBI” to the end of his sentence as a means of explanation.

A shocked look briefly flitted across her features before she nodded. “Well, that explains why you introduced yourself the way you did. Maybe I should have taken the hero thing a little more seriously, Mr. Winchester,” she said, nudging him playfully.

“Nothing but a thing,” he shrugged dismissively, feeling a bit awkward at the praise. To this day, he still didn’t know how to respond when someone threw his name and the word ‘hero’ into the same sentence. Hell, even at his best, he hadn’t exactly been Captain America, all moral and righteous and honorable to a fault. And now after wearing the mark for months and going all ‘team dark side’ for a while, he woke up most mornings wondering if he could even be considered one of the good guys anymore.

The first sounds of an electric guitar filtered through the speakers and the house lights dimmed, sending the crowd around him into a full-blown frenzy. Y/N immediately joined in, quickly spinning around and throwing her ‘horns’ in the sky while screaming at the top of her lungs. She glanced over at him and laughed again—the happiness she felt at being here in this moment, flirting with him and listening to one of her favorite rock bands, was written all over her face. The intro music continued to play and she focused her eyes on the stage, bouncing on her toes and clapping her hands excitedly as the first band member made his entrance.

He took a moment to simply take in the sight of her, completely enjoying herself, totally carefree, laughing loudly and without hesitation, whole body buzzing in anticipation of the show starting. In that moment, the rage—the darkness—the demons that haunted him day and night—even the mark itself—none of that shit mattered, and suddenly, he felt like he could breathe again. Before he could even begin to analyze what that was all about, she grabbed his hand and yanked him towards the railing so she could get a better view.

“Moment of truth—,”he said loudly as he stepped up behind her and rested his large hands on her hips. He bent forward slightly and tilted his head so that his lips were next to her ear when he jokingly continued, “Does the band with the ability to lure out the elusive hermit live up to the hype?”

He couldn’t help but notice the shiver that went down her body or how she leaned into the sound of his voice as the lower half of her body responded unconsciously, pressing backwards into his hands. Dear sweet baby Jesus, that little reaction of hers caused all sorts of X-rated images to flood his brain.

“And what happens if they don’t?” she asked breathily, turning her face towards his as she waited to hear his answer.

“Then I guess you’ll just have to make it up to me.” His lips turned up in a mischievous smile, and he felt a shocking amount of satisfaction rush through him when hers twitched upward too, mirroring his expression.

His face was so close to hers; it would be so easy to close that short distance between them and just kiss her. Her eyes were focused directly on his, chest heaving, lips parted, ready for him to make his move. But his conscience chose that exact moment to rear its ugly head, and he pulled back slightly.

What in the shit was he thinking? He couldn’t just dive headfirst into this; it wouldn’t be fair to her. He wasn’t willing to suck an innocent girl into this messed up life of his and saddle her with all this extra bullshit when he was more than likely going to end up breaking her heart in the long run anyway. She wouldn’t want to live this curse—no one would—and he couldn’t fault her for that. He just needed to suck it up, do the right thing, and let her go before whatever this was went any further.

He dropped his eyes from hers so she couldn’t see the pain in them as he thought of what he had to do, but instead of turning away, she raised her hand and placed it gently on the side of his face. “Dean, I might have met you all of about ten minutes ago so, but I know exactly what you are doing, and you don’t have to. I’m pretty good at reading people, so believe me when I say, whatever shit you have going on in your life at the moment, I know you can beat it. Don’t be a martyr. Don’t shut out the people that care about you, and don’t you dare lose your hope. You are worthy of love, forgiveness and redemption. You, Dean Winchester, have a heart of gold, and don’t you ever forget it.”

Well fuck, how was he supposed to be all self-sacrificial when she said shit like that to him? Screw it. He was tired of mourning all the “what ifs” and “what could have beens" anyway, so he said damn the consequences, shoved his fingers into her hair and slanted his mouth passionately over hers. She let out a soft sigh and melted into the kiss. He deepened it then, stepping closer and pulling her tightly against him, silently asking her with his tongue to open up for him. She responded immediately, humming with pleasure as her tongue tangled with his. She reached behind his head, threading her small fingers into his short hair and tugging lightly, causing a deep moan to rumble from his throat. He let his hands wander lazily down her body, and he took his time tracing every line of her beautiful curves, stopping and squeezing tightly when he reached her ass.

“Okay…okay,” she mumbled, finally separating her lips from his. They were both breathing heavily, noses and foreheads still touching as they tried to regain their composure. “We have to stop now or I’m going to do some really inappropriate and possibly illegal things to you in front of all these people.”

“Was that supposed to make me want you less, sweetheart? If it was, I think you need to try again because that shit didn’t work at all,” he growled hungrily as he leaned forward and stole another kiss.

She giggled and pushed at his chest playfully. “Back off butter cup, you have an awesome concert to watch. And I may or may not have a lead singer to drool over.”

“What the hell? Now ‘lead singer’ trumps ‘sexy, world saving stranger’?” He looked appropriately offended as he glared at her in mock disbelief.

“Yep, pretty much,” she deadpanned, trying her damndest to keep a straight face.

“But what if the aforementioned stranger also happens to be a fabulous kisser and a god between the sheets?”

“Hmmmmm, tempting, but…I’m still leaning towards the singer.”

“I call bullshit!” He laughed as he lunged forward, throwing his arms around her and trapping her against his body. “Take it back.”

“Not a chance,” she squealed and tried her best to twist out of his grasp. When she froze abruptly, Dean looked up to see what had gotten her attention.

An extremely tatted, black haired man, who Dean could only assume was the lead singer, had finally made his appearance onstage. He released her from his arms just as the other man started jumping and screamed, “Are you ready? Are you fucking ready, y’all?! One, two, three…everybody jump! Come on, get up!”

Y/N completely lost her shit at the exact same time the rest of the fans did and the roar of the crowd rose to an earsplitting noise level. Shockingly, he still somehow managed to hear her when she looked back and yelled, “Now watch and be amazed!”

Dean did as he was told, grinning like a love-sick moron through the whole first song, getting a kick out watching her dance and hop around wildly while singing every word at the top of her lungs.

Papa Roach made it through three more songs before Dean realized he had never even gotten his beer. And after another two songs, he found himself bobbing his head to the music, feeding off the energy of the singer and the insane crowd. He hated to admit it, but the jumpy little fellas did put on one hell of a show, and he was actually enjoying himself.

Another few songs into the set, his phone buzzed with a text from his brother telling him that he had busted the fangers at that other bar and took care of them. Thank God for that, because he seriously doubted he would have been able to pull himself away from Y/N long enough to work the damn job that brought him there in the first place.

By the last song, he had resigned himself to the fact that he wasn’t going to be able to leave her standing there alone at the end of the night and started praying to every powerful being he’d ever encountered to help him at least do right by her. To ease the guilt gnawing at his insides for what he was about to do, he made a promise to himself that the second he was no longer able to be the kind of man she needed and deserved, he’d do the noble thing and walk away. For now though, he was going to allow himself this small chance at happiness.

For now, he was going to try—because for the first time in in a long time, the demon inside wasn’t threatening to pull him under, and he felt a little bit like his old self again.

Because when he looked at her, a tiny spark of hope flickered to life deep within his chest, and the darkness blanketing his soul no longer seemed so quite heavy and endless.

She made him want to fight. She made him hope—and for that—he’d try.

***

Dean finally reached a hand into his pocket and dragged out his cell phone, deciding it was about time to turn the damned thing back on. He’d shut it off after the blowup at the store, too ashamed of what he’d done to even voice it out loud to Sammy or Y/N at the time. He had just needed a minute to wallow in self-pity and get his head on straight before he started fielding questions or endured the hushed, unwavering declarations of understanding and support that he sure as shit didn’t deserve.

Get away from the scene first, have a few drinks second, and then make the calls and deal with all the emotional shit, he’d told himself as he pushed Baby’s gas pedal to the floor and peeled out of the parking lot. One state line, several hours, and a nearly finished fifth of whiskey later, he guessed he had no choice but to mark the first two items on his little checklist complete. Now it was time to stop procrastinating and face the music.

He sighed and stared at his phone, finger hovering over the power button, finding it difficult to muster the courage to actually press it.

“Trouble with the ole lady, son?” Ronnie asked while he stacked the cups in their proper place behind the bar. Dean’s eyes flashed up to meet the other man’s questioning gaze. His brow furrowed slightly as his eyes narrowed, silently wondering how the old man had known exactly what was going on. “Only time I’ve ever seen a man look that scared of a phone is when his woman is pissed, and he’s about to have his ass handed to him,” he elaborated with a shrug.

“Ha, well you ain’t wrong, old man,” Dean snorted amusedly, pushing in the power button and wincing playfully as he did so. His heart pounded wildly as he watched the screen load, and then it damn near stopped when the messages started rolling in.

“Uh yeah, Ronnie, I’m thinking she’s long past pissed,” Dean held up his phone to the bartender, shaking it a little as it continued to ding. The old man chuckled and nodded in agreement as one message notification after the other lit Dean’s screen. He finally listened to a couple of the voicemails his brother left him, figuring those would be the easier ones to deal with.

“Dude, Dean, where the fuck are you man? Y/N is blowing up my phone. Worried sick and madder than a wet hornet. Call me back, asswipe.”

“Dean seriously, answer the damn phone. I’m getting my ass chewed on over here. Quit being a moody, good for nothing douchebag and call me. Better yet, man up and call your woman, you jerk.”

Dean blew out a breath as he deleted that second one, and looked up at Ronnie before tossing back another shot. “Well as bad as it’s going to suck to get an ass chewing over the phone, it’s still a hell of a lot better than getting an ass whooping in person,” he said with a weak smile and dialed Y/N’s number.

He listened to the line ring in his ear a couple times, another person’s ring tone going off behind him at the exact same instant. Something about that one sounded familiar—ah, fuck, Dean thought, back stiffening and eyes widening as he looked at the bartender and slowly lowered his phone. “Y/N,” he breathed out quietly.

“Ding! Ding! Ding! And they call Sammy the smart brother.”

Dean remained seated, but slowly twisted his barstool to face her. She was standing there in front of him, arms crossed, cheeks red, Y/E/C eyes blazing, and even royally pissed, she was the most gorgeous thing he’d ever seen.

He heard Ronnie fumbling with something at the bar before hurriedly mumbling, “Alright then, I’ll leave y’all to it.”

Dean chanced a quick glance over his shoulder. “What the hell man? We bonded.”

“Maybe we did, son. But my mama taught me to choose my battles wisely, and I don’t like my odds with this one.” He nodded in Y/N’s direction, a smirk on his face and a hint of amusement in his eyes.

“Yeah, I don’t like mine either,” Dean grumbled and let out a sigh. “Alright, let me have it.”

“Dean Winchester, I don’t ask for much. I’m pretty freaking low maintenance, but when I call you, I’d like you to call me back before I turn into a crazy person, harass the shit out of your brother, track one of the extra cell phones stashed in the Impala, hot wire a car, and chase your sorry ass to a bar across the state line.”

“Well Y/N, I had a bit of an episode this morning and beat the ever-living shit out of a couple of guys and decided it was better to get the heck out of dodge.”

“And if your dumb ass would have answered the phone a few hours ago I could have told you I handled that situation and that there was no reason to run,” she spat back pointing a finger at his chest.

Dean jerked back in surprise at that little revelation. “What? How?”

“I woke up when you cranked up Baby this morning. Figured you were driving to clear your head, so I let you have some time to yourself, but then you never came back. I got worried so I stole a car and went to look for you. I thought you might have stopped to get your daily dose of caffeine, so I pulled in the first gas station I saw and asked the little cashier if she’d seen you.”

Dean interrupted her. “How was she?” he asked quietly, lowering his eyes and hanging his head in shame.

“She was fine. Dean, look at me.” Y/N put a hand under his chin, and reluctantly, he lifted his eyes to hers. “She was fine,” she repeatedly gently, the sadness and regret she saw on his face causing her voice to break.

“I’m a monster, Y/N. You didn’t see how scared she was.”

“Maybe not, but after I apologized for my ‘brother’s’ behavior and explained that you really were a sweet guy, but just a little different—a little more special than the rest of us—and that certain things could trigger one of your episodes, she was more than understanding.”

“You did not!”

“Oh I did. And I may or may not have told her you ran off after you jacked the car keys from my purse while I was visiting you at your mental health facility, but as soon as I found you, you were headed straight back, and I’d be visiting with your doctor about your meds,” she added with a chuckle.

“Well thanks a lot for that, sweetheart. I don’t know if I should be proud or offended.”

She laughed and stepped in between his legs, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Well she isn’t calling the cops so I’d go with proud, if I were you.”

“Okay, proud it is.” He lifted his face, searching hers for any sign of disappointment or pity and came up empty. She leaned down and pressed her lips softly to his, calming his nerves more effectively in one instant than the whole bottle of whiskey had over the course of the last several hours.

Dean ended the kiss, pushing a strand of her out of her face as he did so. She leaned into the touch, closed her eyes and sighed a deep contented sigh. God, he hated himself for what he was about to do, but he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he ruined her life simply because he was too weak to keep that promise he’d made himself months ago. “I heard a Papa Roach song playing in here earlier.”

“Oh yeah? Which one?” she asked, instantly perking up at the mention of her favorite band.

“Come on now, darling. You know better than to ask me that,” he answered jokingly. “If it isn’t something by Zepplin or Metallica, I’m pretty much clueless.”

“Sad, but true. Figured I would have taught you a few things by now, Winchester.”

“You’ve taught me lots, Y/N, more than you know.” She’d given him months of happiness, when he thought he’d never feel that emotion again. She’d shown him how to forgive others, and more importantly, how to forgive himself. She had helped him become a person that he was proud of again—one that put others’ needs before his own and gave everything without a thought of what he’d get in return, which is why he had to do this.

“Do you remember the night we met?” he asked sadly.

“Yeah,” she responded suspiciously, noticing the change in his tone of voice. “Why? Dean, what’s wrong?” Her eyes searched his face for some clue about what was running through his head.

“Because, Y/N, I made myself a promise that night. I’d try to fight this curse, but the instant I realized it was a losing battle, I’d let you go—before I made it worse.” His voice shook as he spoke those words, bracing himself for pain he’d feel when she walked out of his life.

“No,” she said resolutely, taking a step back. “Absolutely not, Dean Winchester. You don’t get to make this decision for me. You don’t get to love me through a damned periscope.”

“What does that even mean?

“It means you don’t get to force me out of your life and pretend like loving me from a distance is what’s best for me.”

“Well, I don’t know where the hell you came up with that little metaphor, but…”

Y/N interrupted him, “Jacoby Shaddix. It’s in a Papa Roach song.” She raised her chin defiantly and tightened her jaw, daring him to make some smart-assed comment.

“Imagine that,” Dean snorted, unable to keep the smirk off his face despite the seriousness of the conversation they were having. He paused a second to refocus before continuing his argument. “You don’t understand, Y/N. You don’t get how I feel every fucking day. You told me I could beat this, but I can’t. I wanted to, but after this morning…,” his voice broke as he recalled what he had done to Walt and Roy. “I just can’t, and I don’t want to risk you being collateral damage. I’ve got a plan, and it’s what’s best, trust me.”

“No, I don’t trust people that act like idiots. You think I don’t know what you’ve been planning—of course, I know. And you know how I know? Because you are beautiful and good and selfless, and sometimes that makes you act like a total moron. You’d rather see all that erased than risk hurting one more person, even when they are jerkoffs that totally deserve it.” She paced in front of him angrily, throwing her hands up in frustration as she spoke.

Dean blinked at her in surprise. Somehow, she always managed to catch him off guard. He watched her take a calming breath and pinch the bridge of her nose between two fingers before continuing, “Look, I get that I don’t really know jack shit about all this—that I’m new to this world—but I’m also smart enough to know you always hope for the best but prepare for the worst. I knew the risks when I got into this. I knew one day I might have to watch you surrender in this fight—that I might have to let you go. I knew it, but I still chose you anyway, because I felt like you were worth it—and I wasn’t wrong. So, if you’d quit trying to be a martyr for like three seconds, you might could see that I’m strong enough to handle the consequences of that decision and understand that, to me, any version of life that has you in it is a thousand times better than one that doesn’t. I love you, Dean—plain and simple—and I will every day, until your last one, but damn it, that isn’t today.” She stomped her foot down to emphasize the point she was trying to force through his thick skull.

He looked at her in awe—this beautiful, hard headed woman he stumbled upon while working a random case at a random concert—and wondered how he got so lucky. Maybe there really was someone upstairs looking out for him. He was never all that good with words, at least not with the sappy kind she deserved to hear, so instead, he stood up, closed the distance between them and crashed his lips to hers. He poured everything he had into that kiss, and when they finally broke apart just enough to gulp in a breath of air, he smiled against her lips and quietly promised, “Not today.”

“Thank you,” she breathed, relief flooding her veins.

“By the way,” he continued as he pressed a soft kiss to her temple, “I love you, too, Y/N.”

“Well, about damned time, you idjit. I thought you were going to leave her hanging there for a minute,” a gruff, teasing voice called from behind the bar. Dean raised his hand and shot Ronnie the bird without ever looking behind him, causing the old man to chuckle and Y/N to throw her head back in laughter.

“So, how about now?”

“What do you mean?” she asked, humor still dancing in her eyes.

“Lead singer or sexy, world saving stranger?” He repeated the question he’d asked her at the concert months ago.

Her eyes narrowed and she put a finger to her lips as she pretended to seriously consider the options. Dean threw up his hands in disbelief. “Oh come on. Seriously? Still? I tell you I love you, and you still have to think about who you’d choose?” he asked incredulously.

“I choose—you. I have since the first night we met.” She shrugged as though it was the easiest choice in the world. “But I do seem to recall something being said about fantastic kissing and impressive bedroom skills. I might need you to prove it.”

“Gladly, sweetheart.” A wicked grin lit up Dean’s face. “Just need to take care of my tab first.” He turned around to pay Ronnie for the bottle of Maker’s Mark, he’d downed earlier.

The old bartender held up his hand. “Don’t worry about it, kid. You’ve got more important things to tend to.” He nodded towards the petite young woman waiting patiently at the door.

“Well I won’t argue with that.” Dean glanced at Y/N, excitement dancing in his green eyes as he did so, and then looked back at the older man. “Thank you, Ronnie.”

“Any time. Take care of yourself, Dean.”

The younger man nodded, then spun towards the exit, his long legs carrying him back to the woman he loved. “But if you can’t, at least I know she will,” he muttered, shaking his head in amusement. That woman was going to give him hell, that was for sure, but he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, she would also be the one to lead him through it. The thought brought a smile to the old man’s face, and for some reason as he bent to wipe down the bar, he found himself quietly singing the words of an old Papa Roach song.

@dancingalone21 @atc74 @wheresthekillswitch @sofreddie @messy-buns-and-shotguns @sp-oops @spnimpalaimagines @spnfanficpond @winchester-writes @goldenolaf25 @chaos-and-the-calm67 @dirtysupernaturalimagines @emmazach @lessons-of-red @littlegreenplasticsoldier @hotmessofafangirl @hannahindie @kittenofdoomage @ilostmyshoe-79 @nerdwholikesword @revwinchester @roxy-davenport @duherica @thing-you-do-with-that-thing @unadulteratedstorycollector @whispersandwhiskerburn @winchestersnco @futuristicallyoriginalbirdbrain @michellethetvaddict @destielforverbitches @hazelgreen86 @abbessolute

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#spn fanfic #dean winchester #moc!dean #dean x reader #reader insert #supernatural #supernatural fanfiction #angst and fluff #periscope #papa roach #dean winchester x reader #y/n

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shewhowantsmouseears · 7 years

Text

Love Like Lava 18

Notes: As always, thanks to my fantastic editors Drucilla and Blueshifted! They worked extra hard on this last batch, so give 'em some praise.

While many things changed about this story once it came into development, the climax never did, as it was something I had envisioned for years and I'm glad it's finally out there. But hang on, it's not QUITE done yet - don't forget to read the epilogue!

Summary: As Goofy takes to the track, Minnie is forced to choose between her love for mortals and her love for Mickey. Were they only born to suffer in sadness? Or can they both find their purpose and take control of their destinies?

Goofy thought he'd be far more nervous than he actually was when the big day arrived, but perhaps knowing he was going to be nervous made him less anxious about the whole thing. Yesterday Gyro had been struck by inspiration and had vanished from sight in order to work on something. Since then, Goofy and Agalma hadn't seen him and now it was mere minutes before Goofy would be called to join the others out in the arena. At the moment, he was brushing Little Helper's mane, figuring that his partner should look his best. Agalma was putting a last minute paint job on the cart, mostly as an excuse to practice writing. It was rather impressive that she spelled “Pygmalion” right on the first try, and she was so proud of this feat that now she was writing it all over the cart.

As she was going for Pygmalion #5, Goofy glanced over at her and spoke gently. “Say, Agalma?”

She paused and looked over, the “Py” trailing downward. “Yes, Goofy?”

“You remember why I agreed to the race in the first place?”

She nodded. “We need the money, because of me.”

“Yeah, but...” He hesitated for half a moment, thumbing the brush. “I was thinkin' – well, wonderin', if you'd be all right with it... Maybe we use it in a different way. After we split our fair shares with Gyro and all.”

Intrigued, Agalma stood up tall, not caring that the paint brush was dripping black on her white robes. “What do you mean?”

Goofy gulped – funny, saying this was making him more shaky than the dangerous race that was to come – and spoke as slowly as he could, not wanting his dialect to ruin what he was about to say. “See, uh, I was thinkin' long and hard about this, about my life and yours. I never wanted to leave my home town, 'cause it was like leaving Millie behind... and for you, there's still so much of the world you don't even know about. But maybe things shouldn't stay that way. Maybe... if I saw more of the world, I could make even better statues, and be a better fella. And you could... you could find out more about what you like, and what you don't like, and everything else you can be.” Ignoring the skittish trembling going through his body, he held up Agalma's hand, getting paint on his gloves. “And I'd really like to see the kind of person you are. I want to know more about you, Agalma...” He began to lift his eyes to meet hers. “...If that's okay with you.”

Agalma couldn't understand why Goofy was looking like he was going to fall apart at the seams. Everything he said sounded wonderful. She rested her own cheek in her hand, curious. “You know, I'm starting to think I don't know everything about you either, Goofy. Maybe I can learn more about you too.”

Goofy's eyes widened, and he clicked his heels together in delight. “You mean it? You really wanna travel the world with me? All over and back around? You and me?”

“Yes, I think I'd like that very much.” Agala smiled warmly, shaking Goofy's hand up and down to emphasize her agreement. “There's a lot of things we can both learn for the first time! I can feel smart, you can feel smart, and we can make each other happy.” What lay ahead out in the world out there? Those mystical things called oceans? Those magical places called forests? New languages, new clothes, new experiences, and new sides of herself to discover. Who wouldn't want to take that chance? And with Goofy at her side, she'd have every question answered. He'd keep her safe, he'd keep her fed, and he'd keep her happy. It wouldn't even be difficult, because when he was happy, so was she. Yet any further daydreams were put on hold as she understood that none of this was a guarantee. “Oh,” she said, troubled. “But if you don't win the race, does that mean we can't do it?”

It was a very real possibility, and Goofy almost answered her that yes, there was a good chance this dream would stay a fantasy. But as he looked at their hands, fingers intertwined and warm, an unusual feeling was coursing through his body, one that he was so unfamiliar with that it almost scared him. He was confident in himself. “I will win,” he said in a near whisper, but when he said it again, it was loud and hard. “I'm gunna win! I am absolutely, positively, definitely gunna win!” He pulled in Agalma's hand, surprising her with his strength. “I am, I am, I am! Little Helper and me, we'll do whatever it takes! And with all of our friends watching me, there's no way I can lose! With Minnie, Daisy, Mickey, Donald, Gyro, and... and... and you... with you watching me-” A gulp before continuing, yet never faltering. “With you watching me, I know I'll win!”

Normally Agalma would've asked how her watching him affected the race in any way, but the sincerity of his words, the intensity of his gaze, and the tight squeeze of his hand was making her body react in a truly bizarre way. He'd never looked at her that way, never spoke of her this way – he'd never been so courageous. Heat flooded her cheeks, and Agalma lost her breath. For once, it was her that stumbled for proper words. “G...G..Goofy, I th-think there's something wrong with me!”

“Huh?” His bravado faltered, replaced with intense concern. “W-whaddya mean, what is it?”

“Something's going on with my heart!” Agalma exclaimed with worry, grabbing Goofy's hand and pushing it into her chest – so he could feel her rapid heartbeat - she'd ask at a later time why this made him go redder than an apple. “It's never gone that fast before! What does that mean? Is it bad?”

“Uh,” Goofy said, unable to offer any better explanation. “Uhhh.”

“SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME I MADE IT IN TIME!” a familiar voice shouted nearby, heading right towards the blushing buffoons. Gyro was carrying a large, full sack on his shoulder, and judging from how out of breath he was, he'd been running to find Goofy as fast as possible. That or he was out of shape. Both were plausible. “Oh, Goofy, thank goodness! I was so worried I'd miss you, and just when I finished my inventions! You...” he trailed off, only now noticing where Goofy's hand was on Agalma's body. He glanced at both dogs back and forth. “...Did I interrupt something?”

Goofy jumped a foot, whipping his hand back, and haphazardly struggled for a proper explanation of what Gyro ran into, although not even the best linguist could have understood him through all the stuttering and stammering. Agalma continuously rubbed her chest, still confused as to why Goofy had made her heart flutter. Gyro decided it was best he not inquire. “Oookay! Anyway, Goofy! The other day, when you pointed out my possible design for an underwater helmet, I knew what to do! All this time I've been thinking of how to improve the chariot, but never how to help you, Goofy, my friend!” He plopped the sack on the floor and began to dig through it. “Since you're my friend, and you're going up against notorious cheaters, I want to keep you safe! So I came up with these safety shields!”

First was a helmet, but not the glorified plated version a soldier wore into battle. This one was circular, better fitted for Goofy's dome, with a strap under the chin to keep it in place. Then came pads to stuff under Goofy's robes right on top of his shoulders, comfortable but also firm, though they did make him look slightly silly. Finally there were soft pads stuffed with cloth, made to cover Goofy's elbows and knees. Once everything had been placed on, Gyro slapped his hands together, pleased that it had all fit to a T. “There! With all of these, you should be as safe as a babe in their mother's womb!”

Goofy moved his arms around, feeling odd under the additional cloth and pads, but not entirely chafed. He wasn't sure how it was going to keep him safe, but if Gyro said it would, then it had to be true. Goofy nodded once, and then offered a hand to his friend. “Thanks a whole bunch, Gyro.”

Gyro smiled, and shook Goofy's hand, beaming with delight. “I know you can do this, Goofy! You're a good man, the best kind of man! And no matter what the Beagles pull, you're going to do your best! We'll be cheering for you every step of the way! Right, Agalma?”

She had no time to agree, for the loud sound of drums began to beat their way inside the halls. “That's the startin' signal!” Goofy announced, and then rushed to climb into the cart. “Time for me to go! I'll see you both after the... No, after I win this race! Heigh-ho, Little Helper!” With a crack of the reins, Little Helper, whinnied in victory, galloping ahead into the open sunlight. Yes, he was going to win! He had to win! There was a new future to grasp – one without nights of tears and agonizing loneliness. Goofy needed to take this chance, and he wouldn't take it alone. He had friends who loved him for who he was, and if such fantastic people believed in him, then surely he was worth something! Goofy was going to make them all proud – and make himself proud too.

Agalma exhaled all the breath she didn't know she'd been holding. “He's...really amazing.” Her voice was the quietest she'd ever used. Gyro didn't even know she was capable of sounding so soft.

Holding back an amused laugh, Gyro grabbed Agalma by the hand. “Yes, he is! So let's grab our seats before he shows off how amazing he is!”

Within the arena, the racers began to assemble at the starting line. To Goofy's surprise, Bouncer hadn't scared off every single participant. Three others had managed to join the line – a red rooster who was already kicking his feet in eager anticipation, a green parrot that was blowing kisses to pretty girls in the stadium, and a tired black horse who was warily eyeing the competition. The trio watched Goofy ride in, all of them with baffled expressions in response to Goofy's strange attire. Goofy waved to them in a friendly air, wanting to wish respect unto his opponents, and they waved back – then winced as Bouncer rode up, his gray steed huffing and snorting in every direction. Right away, he let his opinion on Gyro's safety devices be known. “HAHAHAHAHAHA! What kind of stupid get up are you in, goof? Did you finally decide to dress as dumb as you are?”

Goofy knew that no response would satisfy Bouncer or make him shut up, so he opted not to. Instead he gripped the reins, eyes staring right ahead. Bouncer wasn't used to being ignored, so he spat a wad of leftover breakfast at Goofy's cart. “I'm talkin' to you, piggy!”

“I ain't here to talk.” Goofy wouldn't turn towards Bouncer, and even had the audacity to grin. “I'm here to win.”

The rooster and parrot noisily enjoyed the comeback, high-fiving each other and hooting, while the horse saluted in pride. Bouncer growled, kicking a small box in his cart – Bombshell Beagle's tricks. “I'm going to enjoy knocking out all of those teeth, goof. Not only am I going to win, but I'll make you wish you were never born!” He would make Goofy fear him again, and get back on top of the food chain. Then maybe Ma would shut up and things could go back to normal. If he lost – which was impossible – she'd make life miserable for him. Or... more miserable? Was any part of his life legitimately enjoyable right now?

The drums began to beat again, and once they stopped, the race would begin. Ten laps, five racers, one victor. Goofy cautiously looked to the crowd, but he was too far away to focus on any faces in particular. But he knew his friends were watching. At least he thought they were – he had no knowledge of a crisis that four of them were going through.

Goofy inhaled deeply through his nostrils, and held his head high. Before he would leave on his journey around the world, he would finish that stone peach for Minnie. For her, he'd win. For Minnie, Daisy, Mickey, Donald, Gyro, Agalma, the villagers at home, Millie, for everyone he'd known - and most importantly, he'd win for himself. The drums began to slow down.

“Here... we... GO!”

~*~

Donald had never been a good liar, nor did he like lying for any long amount of time. If everything that had happened taught him anything, it was that even well-meaning lies had their cost. So when he returned to the Underworld and told Daisy what he'd actually been doing the day before, Daisy threw everything she could lift at him, including a startled Cerberus, and demanded that she and Minnie go to the island with him. Minnie had retreated back to the Underworld after her encounter with Pete, and after a day full of additional self-loathing and internally struggling with the knowledge she held, she had finally told both of her companions what had happened – including the fact that she could create life. Donald had lost his footing, found it, then lost it again when he remembered the prophecy the Fates had told him, with Magica's dark voice ringing in his ears.

In the near future, a great and bloody war will overtake the mortals! Thousands will perish, and the war will be endless! The Underworld will be flooded with the souls of the innocent! The will of Ares will bring about an end to mankind as we know it!

But there was no way it would come true. It couldn't. Minnie would never do such a terrible thing, and it would be more terrible to tell her about the prophecy. It was only then Donald relented, saying they would go to warn Mickey in case Pete was going to try anything. Warn him, but that was all, and then they'd leave. Maybe they'd even go watch the race, not that any of them were in a particular mood to cheer.

As they walked on the beach, Donald kept his eyes out for any wandering mermaids and was relieved to see none. Minnie kept her eyes down, holding onto Daisy's hand. She wanted to apologize to Mickey, but she also wasn't sure if she could handle another dagger of harsh words to her heart, even if they were deserved. Or, worse, what if he forgave her only because of some mystic power she had over all souls? Truth be told, all three of them were tense, but not a word was exchanged.

Not until they approached the cave's entrance, and Minnie suddenly lifted her head. “Something's wrong...”

Daisy turned around, confused. “Moreso than everything already is?”

“No, listen!” Minnie let go of Daisy's hand to walk up ahead, entering the cave. “Both of you, listen!”

Donald and Daisy put hands to their ears to try and hear anything, but Donald shrugged. “I don't hear anything.”

“That's just it!” Minnie shrieked, panic flooding her chest. “The Axelias – they're always hard at work! We should be hearing them chisel and dig! Why aren't they working?” She then fled deep into the cave, running as fast as she could, crying out her lost lover's name. “Mickey! Mickey! Mickeeeyyy!”

Donald and Daisy became equally frightened, chasing after Minnie in the darkness of the cave. The torches were dying without anyone attending to them, but the brightness of the forge still managed to lead the way. There they saw all the Axelias, lost in their confusion and grief, uselessly chanting their master's name over and over again. “Mickey-Mickey-Mickey.”

Daisy screamed as she saw the Axelia with the smashed back, and the other with the ripped arm, only stopping as she covered her beak with her hands. Minnie gasped for air as she saw the destruction before her, trembling as she picked up her tiara with the broken shells. Donald shook from head to toe before grabbing the nearest Axelia and shaking her back and forth. “Where is he? Where is my nephew?!”

“Mickey-Mickey-Mickey,” was all they would say, no matter how loudly Donald yelled in their faces.

“M-Maybe we can ask the mermaids, the nereids...” Daisy struggled for ideas, looking around for anything that could be a clue, but her hysteria couldn't be ignored. “Oh, what's going on?! There's no way Mickey would do this to his servants!”

Minnie held the tiara close to her chest, tears flooding her eyes. She had no words for this gruesome imagery. Whatever had happened, she couldn't fight the sensation that it was her fault – like all these tragedies had been. It was all her fault. The Axelias were hurt because of her. Mickey was in danger because of her. It was her fault, her fault, her fault, her fault, why had she even been born -

“THERE you are!” A new voice came from atop the workshop anvil – Minnie hadn't seen Fethry, also known as the messenger god Hermes, in so long she almost didn't recognize him. He wiped his brow, exhausted from an extensive search. “I've been looking all over the globe for you, little miss! Ares needs you to come to Mount Olympus, prompt-o!”

“Fethry!” Daisy snapped, grabbing his arm and yanking him down. “This is neither the time nor the place to indulge whatever ridiculous temper tantrum Pete is throwing!”

“B-But miss boss lady!” Fethry stumbled, trying to regain his footing, as his feathered feet were almost always floating. “She really needs to come right now!”

Minnie turned her back towards Fethry, head low again, tears streaming down her face. “I don't care what Pete says...I never want to see him again! I never want to return to that awful place!” If she could actually have a choice in how things in her life would turn out, those two were high on the list. Couldn't she at least have that freedom? Or was she no longer deserving of such things?

“You don't understand!” Fethry was pleading now, wildly pointing to high in the sky. “Ares – he's gone bonkers, nuts, off the deep end! He – he said if you don't come up there and do what he says, he's going to kill Hephaestus!”

That was the only way to make the Axelias stop talking, as they all lifted their heads in silence. Daisy's jaw dropped, Donald grabbed Fethry to make him repeat it, but Minnie had heard enough. She vanished in seconds, and in turn so did the birds.

It had only been mere minutes ago that Pete had revealed his captive, having privately used the mouse as a punching bag to vent out his frustrations before getting ready to start the show. Now on Mount Olympus, Mickey was on full display, bruises and all, tied firmly to a pillar. Mickey pulled and struggled, but to his humiliation, even though he was strong from working in his forge, these ordinary ropes were more than enough to keep him captive. Both arms and legs were held back, and extra layers of rope had been strewn over him just in case. It was crushing his lungs, and the rope was scratching his skin raw. Of course even if he had found some way to free himself, that would do little good as his kidnapper was standing right next to him with the sword Mickey made right to his neck. What a fine way to learn about irony.

Once Hera had laid eyes on the familiar reject, she stood up, knocking her goblet over and spilling its contents out on the floor. “ARES! What are you THINKING? I DEMAND an explanation for THIS...” She couldn't even finish the sentence, not wanting to acknowledge that the helpless boy being presented as some kind of victory trophy had come from her body. Zeus was squinting, trying to recall where he'd seen this familiar scrawny being. Mickey flinched at Hera's harsh tone, not wanting to look at her.

“Aw, pipe down!” Pete was so far gone in his pride and anger that neither ruler could put a dent in his mood. “This ain't got nothin' to do with you! This is between me, the runt, and Aphrodite!”

Hera was close to raising a fist to begin her wrath - and yet did not. Her eyes stayed on Mickey for an uncomfortably long amount of time, staring at his bruises that didn't heal right away, for he'd never taken a taste of ambrosia. He, the eternal mistake, the reminder of the perfect family life she'd never have – he could vanish and be out of Hera's life as long as Pete continued his arrogance. She slowly began to sit back down, picking up the goblet while her hands trembled. It wouldn't be her fault. Nothing had ever been her fault. “If this is the FAULT of Aphrodite...then she SHOULD be punished for her DEEDS. Correct, my HUSBAND?” She drank before he could answer. Surely she'd find the right amount of drink to make her body stop shaking. She wasn't doing anything wrong. She never had.

As for Zeus, he'd only just now recalled what, or who, the boy was, who was hanging his head low as Hera's reaction hadn't surprised him at all. Now that he was being questioned, he jerked. “Of course, my wife!” He had his own trembles to hide – a god, being injured? Being killed? That was impossible! And if it was impossible, then he didn't need to do anything, and risk his own life, risk his own rule. If he couldn't punish Pete, then everyone would see that Zeus was no ruler – and surely one life wasn't as important as that! “We can't step in every time they make a mistake, or they'll never learn!” It sounded good to him, and he convinced himself nothing would happen. It couldn't, not under his glorious rule.

Various viewing mirrors were held up, with gods, goddesses and demi-gods slowly beginning to see the state of affairs but far too afraid to watch in person. Every so often one would pop up in the flesh, mostly to see if this was actually happening – such as the case of Gladstone and Mortimer, who, unlike their rulers, weren't content to let guilt take a cozy permanent residence in the back of their minds.

“Ares, this is too far!” That was Mortimer, not daring to take a step forward, his voice becoming more shrill with every word. “Are you nuts? He's one of us, he's a god!” If Ares was willing to go this far after Mickey and Minnie, what did it say about the fates of all the other immortals?

“Yeah, we had no problem when this was just mortals!” Gladstone added, pondering if his good luck could possibly extend to anyone outside of himself. “But this is insane! You can't really be thinking-”

“MICKEY!” The little crowd of onlookers was bowled and pushed over as the goddess of love barreled her way forward, followed by Donald, Daisy, and Fethry, the last of which hovered among the small audience. When Minnie saw the state Mickey was in, she screeched his name again, only stopping when Pete drew the sword closer to Mickey's throat.

“Ah-ah-ah, Aphrodite!” Pete sneered, taking pleasure that the woman who had dared scorn him was now horrified beyond belief. “Another step closer, and your hubby here becomes headless! He's the only one of us who's never drunk any ambrosia, so once he's hurt, he's hurt for good!”

“UNHAND MY NEPHEW THIS INSTANT!” Donald bellowed, immediately transforming into his monstrous smoky form, causing the crowd to gasp and cower in terror. He was at his most hideous now, filled with righteous anger and bloodlust, towering high above Pete with claws of shadows stabbing the air. “I'LL RIP YOU APART BONE BY BONE!”

But Pete showed no fear, continuing to smirk, waving the sword up and down a few inches. “So what's more important, Hades? You gettin' your revenge, or the life of everyone's favorite reject? Hey, you could win either way, since you'll see him in the Underworld after I'm done with him!” He laughed hard, a hand on his belly as he shook with merriment. Donald hissed and snarled, but retreated back into his normal form with a clear face of defeat. Daisy took his arm for comfort, glaring hotly at Pete.

“Don't hurt him,” Minnie begged, tears flooding down her face, unable to even see Pete for her vision could only contain Mickey, who was shutting his own eyes in humiliation. “Please don't hurt him! He's never done anything to you, he's never done anything to anyone! Please let him go!” If she had to beg on her hands and knees to earn his freedom, lick Pete's shoes clean, whatever it took to have Mickey unharmed, she would do so without hesitation. Except for what Pete actually wanted, as it turned out.

Pete clicked his tongue, pleased that things were finally going his way. “I'll let him go...eventually. First, you get to help him out! You're going to bring my statues to life, and start my forever war!” With his free hand, he gestured to the remaining hideous statues that waited for a purpose, with Gladstone and Mortimer feeling worse about it every passing second. “You're going to breathe life into every single last one, and the next ones I make, over and over and over and OVER, and maybe then I'll feel like letting the runt go.”

Startled and confused murmurs flew among the gods – was he serious? Did Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, truly have such a talent? Zeus began to sweat heavily, even more so when Daisy began to yell in his direction. “Do something!” she roared at him, fingers digging into Donald's arm. “He's going to commit genocide, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!”

Zeus swallowed, running his fingers through his lofty beard. He was well aware of Pete's blasé attitude towards physical punishment, and that it wouldn't help. But Zeus had spent so many years chasing women and not doing any real work since he fought his father centuries ago that his creativity muscles were dead. Maybe he could find a way to keep his rule without showing how little it meant in reality. “Persephone...of course I will not allow the destruction of our mortals. They are our valued allies and servants. So, I shall make a decree!” He cleared his throat, yet still refused to leave his seat. “For the greater good, we cannot place one life above millions. We shall let it pass.”

“P...Pass?” Donald repeated, his voice dry with shock. “Are you saying... we should just let Mickey die?!” How was this happening? How had the strong, prideful gods that once liberated the mortal plane become so cowardly and despicable? Or had they always been this way, and Donald had been oblivious to this darker side due to his life in the Underworld? “You can't be serious! That is your son being held hostage!”

“Zeus has made a DECREE,” Hera said, although her eyes were not on Donald, but on Mickey, who was slowly beginning to open his eyes. “BLOOD has no value. If there is to be BLAME, then lay it upon APHRODITE, for making a FOOLISH choice for a HUSBAND.” A fresh goblet was in her hand, but she didn't drink it. For some reason it and the last two she'd been drinking hadn't made the trembling stop. Her problems would be gone soon, and then she'd feel better.

“I'm blaming you!” Daisy spat, having to be restrained by Donald so she wouldn't try to claw Hera's eyes out. “You monster, you wretch, you're all evil, you hear me? ALL OF YOU! Standing around and pushing problems onto everyone else! I won't let you do this!” No one dared respond to her, uncomfortable eyes searching for better places, yet even then they would not move. Let it be someone's danger, someone else's blame.

Minnie was on her knees, holding her beloved tiara to her chest, unable to speak or think. Mickey or the mortals. What kind of choice was that? She stared at Mickey, Mickey whom she adored and treasured above all. Whatever her powers did to others, she knew the agony in her heart was real, that she wanted him to be happy and safe even if it meant she couldn't be a part of it. But she loved the mortals too, the amazing people who could find love and strength with their own two hands and by their own choices. Both of them helped her find her place in the world, gave her ideas and confidence and the courage to pursue them. If not for one, she would not have the other. Now, because both were innocent and precious to her, they would suffer for eternity. All because one man didn't get what he wanted.

One of the remaining seashells from the tiara shattered. A light tremor began to rumble in the floor.

~*~

Bouncer didn't start his trickery and treachery until the first lap had been finished, as he wanted to let Goofy feel a smidgen of victory. That way, it would be all the sweeter when he failed. Once he was close enough, he grabbed the first device from Bombshell's box of goodies. This was a fistful of seemingly ordinary little black balls, but in truth they were filled with an explosive powder that would burst upon impact. He grinned, and then lobbed them as hard as he could. “Bombs away, goof!”

Goofy didn't hear him, focusing intently on the race and guiding his horse. It didn't even matter, because the diminutive explosives hit his helmet – and when they blew, he didn't feel a thing, save for maybe a tickle on his scalp. Bouncer stared in disbelief, letting his horse slow down and the parrot gain a few feet. “Why...that stupid Bombshell, he's good for nothing!” Despite saying so, he grabbed for the next trick – a prototype Bombshell called a “firecracker”, which lit when Bouncer roughly scraped it against his chariot.

In the stadium, Gyro was loudly cheering for Goofy's victory, unaware that Burger and Bombshell were sitting nearby. Their directions were clear – if Goofy gained too good a lead, then they'd grab the friends and make it clear that Goofy's win would be a big loss. As Gyro clapped cheerfully when Goofy cleared lap number two, he realized Agalma wasn't cheering as well. “Is something wrong, Agalma? Don't you want Goofy to win?”

“Of course I do,” Agalma replied. “And he will, he said he would, so he will. So I was thinking about something else.”

Gyro smiled, amused by Agalma's sincerely strong faith. “Well, you know me, I can answer almost any question in the world. If there's something on your mind, let me clear it, so we can cheer on Goofy!”

As usual, Agalma's questions came out of left field, right field, and all fields in any directions. “You said you wanted to explore underwater volcanoes, but that doesn't make any sense to me. How can a volcano be underwater? Water puts out anything hot, so how can anything hot survive underwater?”

Funny enough, that was such an odd line of questioning that it stopped Burger and Bombshell's planned assault right in its tracks. What in the world was she talking about? Gyro by now was used to her out of nowhere curiosities, so he didn't mind indulging her. He pulled out the blueprints and plans that he showed his friends before, pointing out lines in the earth and sea. “Well, Agalma, you see it's not just heat that makes a volcano. The biggest cause is pressure.”

~*~

“Make all the decrees you want,” Pete laughed again, feeling more powerful than he ever had in centuries. “We all know Aphrodite would never let me do it! She'll do exactly what she's told, and be a good girl forever.” He then pinched Mickey's cheek, squeezing it hard between his fingers. “Awww, ain't it sweet how much she likes you? Even cripples can find love! You should be thanking me for proving it to-”

Everyone expected to see blood flow, but no one expected it would be Pete's. Mickey had suddenly chomped down so hard on Pete's hand that blood trailed down his fingers, causing Pete to howl in pain. He punched Mickey hard across the face, but only after three more hits did Mickey finally let go, wearing the new bruises like medals of honor. Pete looked at his wounded hand as if he'd never seen it before, and then grabbed Mickey by the throat, barking so hard that spit flew. “I'll kill you right here and now if you don't start behavin'!”

“Then do it!” Mickey shouted right back, slamming his head into Pete's forehead, making him temporarily reel. “I won't be your pawn! I won't let you use me to hurt the mortals and to hurt Minnie!” Whatever confusing feelings remained, Mickey was sure of his own worth, and he would not allow himself to be used as a tool for pain and destruction. “I don't care what Zeus says, and I don't care what you say! I am Hephaestus – I am Mickey, god of the mortal plane, and I would gladly give my life to see them live!” Minnie hadn't caused Mickey to respect and admire the mortals – no, they'd done that all their own, with their fantastic inventions and growing minds. The world was a beautiful and changing place, and he would not allow it to be stopped and filled with misery. There was so much they could accomplish, and they deserved better than to be ruled by greed. And just as importantly...

He breathed hard as he saw Minnie's face, the still astonishingly beautiful face whose eyes were a dull red and getting hotter. How cruel that this had been the way to prove that he'd never been a toy to her. This happy girl, this lively girl, she who brought smiles to all who knew her - “Minnie!” he called out to her, and she opened her mouth with no words to give. “I... I forgive you.” If he was brave enough to sacrifice his life, then, shoot, he could be brave enough to see if how he felt for her was real. “I know I didn't make things easy for you, and I was wrong too. I shouldn't have just assumed Aphrodite was no good. I should have given her a chance – I should have given you a chance! Like all the chances you gave me! Where you came from and what you can do, none of that matters! You're...” If he was going to die, and the cold reality of that was sinking in, yet he spoke on, “You're going to do really great things. Because you did really great things for me, and I don't regret any of 'em. So... So I don't want...” He clenched up, trying to push past his own fears. “So I don't want you to have any regrets either. I want you to keep smiling and helping others when I'm gone! The world deserves to know what great things you can do! Please, keep smiling for them! For yourself! Please be happy! I love you!”

He loved her, he loved her, he loved her so much it hurt – Mickey needed Minnie and Minnie needed Mickey – I don't need nobody – he needed her to be happy – if he could die with a promise of her happiness, maybe his life had some meaning after all. Of course he didn't want to die, but if he could have any choice with it, let it be for the mortals, let it be for her, and let it be for himself. It was why he was saying it all, so she could find a way to move on, so she would have no regrets, so she could find a way to exist without him.

Yet it only strengthened Minnie's feelings as to why she loved him and how she could never see another sunset without Mickey. After hearing his true feelings, after hearing all that, she was just supposed to say goodbye and let it all pass? Daisy was sobbing, Donald was holding her while remembering the prophecy the Sisters of Fate had spoken of. Would this be the one that came to pass?

The will of Ares will bring about an end to mankind as we know it!

Gladstone and Mortimer were eyeing the ambrosia, wondering if there was a way to get it to Mickey. Fethry was covering his eyes, unable to watch. Hera could no longer look upon the spectacle, whereas Zeus couldn't tear his widened eyes away. But all of them began to notice the movement in ground – the shaking that was beginning to increase – Daisy wildly looked around, having never experienced the phenomenon on Mount Olympus before and Donald was going through a similar shock.

Be happy without Mickey? How was Minnie supposed to do that? That was like asking the ocean to dry or the sky to stop being blue. Minnie hadn't been born for him, but she lived for him now, to choose between a life without him and a life without Goofy, Agalma, Gyro, all the courageous people down below...

Two more seashells popped. Then four.

Pete gave Mickey another punch for his speech, waving his hand that had begun to heal. “You really think love's gunna save the day? You moron, love is what's getting me exactly what I want! It's because she loves you that she'll do just as I ordered! Love is her weakness! Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty – what a riot!” He would have laughed once more, but then the tremors rattled the entire mountain so thoroughly that even he had a tough time keeping balance. It was the worst it'd ever been, with gods and goddess falling over, and the almighty throne Zeus and Hera sat upon began to crack.

And finally, at long last, Minnie spoke.

“Love... is... my... weakness?”

~*~

As Goofy stayed ahead in the next lap, Bouncer pulled his arm back as far as he could, and then let the firecracker fly, making sure not to aim for the head this time. But as Goofy whipped the reins harder, his elbow pad made the firecracker effortlessly bounce off and fall to the ground. When it did pop, it was right under the rooster's horse, startling it and causing it to smash against Bouncer's chariot, damaging the wheels – the fact that Bouncer could even hold on was a miracle. At this rate, the chariot wouldn't last much longer, nor would Bouncer's patience. “I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS, GOOFY!” If it was the last thing he did, even if he didn't win he'd make sure Goofy would lose! Forget Bombshell's lousy tricks, it was time he settled this the good old fashioned way – force!

Unaware of what was going down on the track, Gyro was using his hands to form tectonic plates pushing against each other. “You see, the ground we walk on is actually made up of plates touching each other, and when they 'hit', pressure builds underneath, containing something we call magma. That can happen underwater too, it really makes no difference!” He pushed his hands together, forming the iconic volcano shape. “The earth's core contains magma, but it doesn't come out right away. The pressure needs to build, and build, and build.”

“And then what?” asked Burger.

“You see, the earth's surface isn't-” Gyro interrupted himself when he saw he had two notorious troublemakers as part of his audience. “...You really want to know?”

“Yeah!” Burger said with enthusiasm, chomping on an old sandwich. “This is really interesting! Ma never told us that the world's made of plates. I love plates, especially when they've got food on them.”

“And I like things that go boom,” Bombshell added.

Gyro glanced to Agalma, who shrugged. “Did it ever occur to you boys that, perhaps, if you'd gotten a proper education, you wouldn't have resorted to a life of thievery and wicked ways? Just a theory, mind you.”

Burger scratched his head, giving it real thought. “Gee, Ma always said learning was for the weak.”

“I can guarantee you if you learned what a meat-shield was, you'd stop agreeing to be one.”

As Gyro began to lecture the Beagles on the importance of lessons, Agalma noticed a particular note detailed on the ocean exploration scroll. She picked it up, squinting. “Say, Gyro, the name of this ocean...You think an underwater volcano is there?”

Gyro leaned over to inspect what she was pointing out. “That is one of my theories, yes. Why do you ask?”

“It's just an odd coincidence.” Agalma put her finger underneath the name of the ocean. “That's where Millicent's family was sailing when they died in the storm.”

Bombshell raised his hand. “Can we go back to the boom?”

“Oh, yes, of course!” Gyro turned back to his now attentive companions, glad not to discuss someone's demise. “Where was I? … Hm, ah, of course! When the pressure builds, and builds, and builds...that's when it goes boom!”

~*~

And boom Minnie went.

In the sea many years ago, a young maiden met her death in the ocean's harsh waves. In her dying thoughts, she thought of the sculptor she left behind, and how dearly she loved him. She wished with all her heart that he wouldn't be alone. She thought only of this love, let it consume her whole with her last breath as her body happened to fall into the newly born volcano below the bubbling waters. She loved, loved, loved so deeply that it could rival the love of Gaia herself. Over many years, that love grew and developed, evolved and strengthened, and then, like Gaia's love, at last gave birth to something incredible.

Incredible was first word that came to everyone's minds when they saw the ground underneath Minnie split open, and a torrent of lava spew upward high into the sky, coating the goddess but not muting her scream of rage. None could understand what they were seeing, as the remains of Minnie's tiara first melted, and then burst apart, latching onto Minnie and forming shapes. The lava on Minnie's body cooled, and a threatening shadow loomed. She then stepped out slowly, one footstep at a time, with her feet making the floor sizzle and steam underneath her. No longer was she wearing innocent white robes of purity and delicacy. The lava that had splattered onto her had formed pink and red armor that coated her body, from a helmet that boasted a fiery mane streaming down, to heart-shaped patterns across her chest and arms, a massive shield that was bigger than she was, and a burning spear clutched hard in her right hand. She was still beautiful – but now in a frightening manner, the beauty of a forest turning into ashes. Her eyes remained red, and would forevermore be red, now that she had decided to live for herself.

Love could be soft and gentle, yes – but appearances can be deceiving. Lava too is beautiful when first seen, but the touch is as hot as any lover's passion, and burns twice as deeply.

“Ares.” Her voice echoed across Mount Olympus as the lava stream behind her began to die. “This is your first and final warning. Release Mickey.”

Pete had begun to consider the possibility that this was some sort of lucid dream he was having after trying one of Mortimer's latest experiments. He blinked hard, and rubbed his eyes – no, Aphrodite was still dressed as a soldier, this was actually real life. The rest of the mountain had fallen into silence, also in the same utter astonishment that this was happening. There was no explanation they could come up with, although none would have ever guessed that a mortal's love could be just as powerful as a god's. Pete regained some of his senses as he remembered he still presumably had the winning card in his hand. “J-Just you hold on there! I don't care what kind of fancy transformation you do, I can still end the runt here and now if you don't do what I say! I'm the one with the real power here! I am Ares, God of War!”

God of speed, he was not, though. Even with all his so-called experience, he couldn't have stopped the spear that was thrown right at his face – perhaps even Zeus wouldn't have caught it in time. It sent Pete flying backwards, destroying many statues that had the unfortunate position of being behind him. The spear was lodged in Pete's helmet, missing his excuse of a brain by mere inches. He sat up, trying to pull it out, but found the weapon so blisteringly hot he couldn't last two seconds – and now it made his helmet just as hot, burning his scalp with pain he couldn't believe was real. He scrambled to pull the helmet off, but it was now melting onto his fingers, creating blisters that popped as quickly as they appeared, spreading agony in every direction. Each of these was a new, horrible experience for Pete that wouldn't leave or heal as quickly as all other battle wounds he had experienced before.

By then Minnie caught up, launching a kick to his belly – one so hot that it melted another hole in his armor. Then came another kick, this one to his legs, sending him spinning and reeling. Her spear lay on the ground, in a puddle of what was once a intimidating helmet, and she called it to her hand with one flick of her wrist. Without sparing a second she jumped into the air, delivering one more hard kick to Pete's face so he'd meet the floor. No one had time to register the last action she made before she delivered another, and another, endless and quick with screeching cries of fury.

“Love is my weakness?” Minnie bellowed, on the floor once more and twirling her spear around, creating a flurry of flames to rain down upon him. “Love is my weakness? LOVE IS MY STRENGTH!” Pete tried to roll away from the rain of pain, making a grab for his sword, but Minnie was jabbing his armor over and over with her spear, making it melt as well. Whenever she struck skin, there was barely enough time to bleed before the agonizing heat cauterized the wound. “The strongest warriors fight for their loved ones! To defend their homes, to protect those they hold dear! Love gives them courage! Love gives them power!”

Donald and Daisy had equally matched dropped jaws, but reality came back to Donald quicker. “Mickey! Daisy, hurry!” He grabbed his wife by the hand and raced to the pillar. Together they were able to untie the ropes, and Mickey fell to the ground, Donald catching him. As Daisy began to grow a small sapling for a new walking stick, Donald steadied Mickey to his feet. “Are you all right?”

“I...” What kind of question was that, at this time, at this place? He wordlessly gestured at the impossible fight that was causing lesser-willed gods to either faint or run. The display was alarming – and, okay, he couldn't lie, also deeply satisfying in particular areas. If Mickey wasn't in love with Minnie before, he sure as goodness gracious was now. Homina homina homina.

Pete miraculously found his footing, and summoned up as many weapons as he could hold, but with every swipe and every motion, Minnie melted them away without even breaking a sweat. Which was the exact opposite of Pete, as her intense heat was making him do nothing but sweat. Even worse, the pain wasn't leaving – he was getting burned, and it kept hurting! Other wounds would dull, maybe ache, but this was lasting! This was endless! Even if he stopped moving, if he stopped breathing, it continued to hurt! A cut or a punch, one strike and you could move on – but a burn seeps into the skin, pressing into pores and nerves, keeping the memory alive without end. The God of War had governed over battle for so long that loss had never occurred to him, that pain other than that which he inflicted could exist. For centuries he was content to belittle and tower over those who could never oppose him. He'd never expected or even wanted a fair fight – and certainly never thought he'd be in a fight where he would lose. That was causing pain as well... although not as much pain as the actual burns themselves.

He'd never been burned before, and it HURT! IT HURT IT HURT IT HURRRRRRRRRT! “This – this ain't how it's supposed to go!” Pete had summoned up the biggest, largest metal club he could dream up, but as he locked it with Minnie's spear, it too began to dribble. Horror of horrors, he found himself being pushed back, feet dragging in the clouds. He couldn't even land one hit on her. Was she too small? Too fast? Or was he in too much shock and pain to be accurate? “I'm supposed to win! I'm supposed to be the strongest! I'm the god of war! You're – You're just Aphrodite!”

“I am not Aphrodite!” Minnie began to smack away at the club, while Pete desperately tried to keep up, each new blow making another scorching mark on his armor and then his skin. It was all he could do to defend himself and he couldn't even do that. Minnie was relentless, never stopping, never pausing, eyes full of revenge and movements full of fury. If anyone was going to listen to her, it would be now and they would never forget her intentions again. All of Mount Olympus shook, entire rooms cracking and capsizing. “I never agreed to be Aphrodite! I am Minnie, goddess of love, and I shall protect love! I will fight for love! And right now – I'd love to give you the punishment you deserve!”

She drove her spear into the ground, and once more a searing geyser of lava came forward, but this time it was aimed at Pete, drowning his agonized screams. The lummox was encased in lava, the streams running all over his body and pooling endlessly around him. It refused to harden, and continued to burn, burn, burn. He'd live, no surprise, but every inch of him was burnt beyond recognition, the smell of cooked flesh giving several gods their first taste of nausea. Now that he was covered in lava, lava made from the will of a goddess, the healing process wouldn't begin for a long time. Being gods, who knew how long a long time was? Until then, his every waking moment would be nothing but convulsions of torture. Even now as he laid on the floor, he couldn't move or breathe without breaking skin and giving new meanings to the word ache. He whined with stinging tears, babbling incoherently, though many could guess he was saying “I'm...the...god...of...war...”

Minnie looked down upon her victim, feeling no pity or remorse. “And should I ever find you harmed another mortal or my precious Mickey again...I will come back.” Her dangerous eyes surveyed the crowd, letting them know the warning was not solely for him. The whimpering she heard let her know the message was received.

No, her powers were not for creating love or instilling it in others. Her powers were for protecting it, as Agalma protected Goofy's heart, letting it heal by showing him he didn't have to be alone. Love had never needed Minnie's help, but it wouldn't suffer for it either. This was her purpose, and she would be proud to carry it.

She slowly turned her back toward the gods, and when she saw Mickey standing upright, her vicious personality vanished. “Mickey!” She threw away her spear, running right toward him, her sweet as sugar voice returning as she tackled Mickey in one of her classic huge hugs.

“Mickey Mickey Mickeeeyyy!” Minnie cried, her touch not burning or harming Mickey at all. No, to him, her touch was warm and very enjoyable. “I'm so sorry about everything! I was wrong! I should have told you who I was from the start! I should have been honest! I'll never ever lie to you again, I promise! If you never want to see me again, I'll do that too! I'll do whatever you want, just don't ever throw yourself away again! Please don't-”

Once again, Mickey found himself defying expectations. During their relationship, every kiss on the lips had been started by Minnie, but for today, it was Mickey who held Minnie's shoulders and pressed his mouth to hers. Daisy was so exhausted by the day's events that she began to laugh happily at this sight, and even Donald shook his head with a smile, trying to hide the fact he'd been so afraid for Mickey's life that tears had formed. Mickey held the kiss long enough to make sure Minnie would calm down – and maybe a few seconds longer than that, he couldn't help it – before pulling away with a smile. “Minnie...can we start over?”

Minnie needed a minute, reeling from what she considered a pretty passionate embrace. She didn't register the words right away, stars in her eyes. “Huh?”

“Can we start over?” Mickey repeated, touching Minnie's hand. “And this time...let's just... be together. We're gunna fight, we might even lie, but I think...” He glanced at Donald. “That's kinda normal. We can't be perfectly happy all the time...and maybe trying to do that is what made everything so rotten.” Mickey would never call himself an expert on this subject, but maybe he'd learned a thing or two. “It's okay if we stumble or get things wrong. It's okay if we get mad at each other. I like you, Minnie... all of you. Even the side of you that's crazy and annoying.”

Minnie looked down at their entwined hands, and then back up. “You're stubborn,” she decided, “And hardheaded. And you don't listen to people. And you pity yourself too much. And...I like all of that too.” She smiled, and then found herself giggling. How strange, to tell him all the things she didn't like about him, yet still adore him from head to toe. This felt natural, this felt real. “I love you, Mickey.”

“I love you too, Minnie.” They held each other, content for the first time in ages. Things weren't going to be exactly like they were before, but they had decided the loss wasn't too terrible. The future was unpredictable and exciting in that way. There was still so much to discover about this odd thing called love. No one person could ever rationalize it completely, no one person would ever truly need it, but those who wanted it would surely have it if they believed.

Minnie and Mickey stood back up, and Daisy slapped Minnie hard on the back. “Am I ever going to get an explanation for what just happened?”

Minnie looked down at her new outfit, lifting her foot and waving her hand to see it all for herself. “I... don't think so. I don't even know what happened, it just felt right. Does this look good on me?”

“Sure does,” said Mickey, taking an admiring glance at Minnie's backside.

Donald rolled his eyes. “Great, thousands of years passed and only now he enters puberty.”

Mickey playfully nudged him, but then became serious. “I wouldn't have said all that I did, and done all that I did, if it wasn't for you. You put some sense in my head...and you actually came for me. So, thank you...uncle Donald.”

Donald stared as the words repeated in his head in an endless refrain. Uncle Donald. Uncle Donald. Uncle Donald. Uncle Donald swiftly turned around. “H-Hang on, I gotta sneeze.”

“Oh, let your feelings show, you big baby!” Daisy lightly shouted at her husband. “It's okay to cry!”

“I AM NOT CRYING!” Donald said as he was definitely crying.

Daisy, Minnie and Mickey laughed, yet the good times weren't allowed to roll just yet. As Minnie's laughter settled down, her eyes slid over to the so-called rulers on their throne, who had held onto each other during the entire battle and only now registered that they might be safe – although judging from the way Minnie was looking at them, this might not have been true. Zeus shoved Hera off, sitting up straight and clearing his throat.

“Aphro – er, Minnie, goddess of love!”

~*~

It was the final lap of the race, and Goofy would have been surprised to learn he had kept the lead the entire way if he let himself think about it. However he wasn't letting himself think about anything but winning, which meant laser focus and only staring right ahead. That's why he didn't see Bouncer getting dangerously close, and then driving his horse hard to the right, slamming Goofy into the wall – at least, that was the plan. Goofy was surprised for a moment, but when his shoulder hit the wall, he didn't feel an iota of pain, thanks to his extra protection. All he let out was a confused “Huh?”

Worse for Bouncer, the attack destroyed his already suffering wheel. The chariot toppled over, dropping Bouncer to the ground in front of the other racers. They swerved to avoid him just in time, and also gave Goofy enough space so that no one had any hopes of catching up to him. Gyro was now deep in the lesson about how mountains were different from volcanoes when he remembered that a race was happening, and as he took a look, he jumped out of his seat. “He's doing it! He's going to win!”

“Of course he is,” Agalma said with a smile, rising from her seat. “He said he would.” For her. Thinking about that made her heart do the weird thing again.

Even Burger and Bombshell began to hoot and holler, hoping Bouncer wouldn't hear them. Gyro called out Goofy's name, the Beagles followed suit, and so did the people behind them, and behind them, and within seconds it became a glorious, hearty chant throughout the crowd. Everyone was rooting for the definition of underdog, because if he could win, anyone could, and in him they saw the greatness of humanity. He was only himself, only a mortal, and he was doing something fantastic.

“GO, GOOFY, GO! GO, GOOFY, GO! GO, GOOFY, GO!”

They screamed, they roared, they cheered, and then everyone danced as Little Helper's hooves crossed the finish lap for the tenth time. Cries of elation exploded throughout the coliseum, and even the losing racers felt great exhilaration in Goofy's win. The rooster came in second, the parrot third, the horse fourth, and Bouncer had to crawl to his embarrassing last place. Save for Bouncer, they would have been pleased to congratulate Goofy on his well-earned victory, pulling their chariots aside and climbing out. There was just one problem.

“He did it!” Gyro was celebrating, twirling Agalma around as she giggled. “He did it! He...He's still doing it. Uh-oh.”

Goofy was in fact so intent on winning that he didn't realize he already had, and was still running laps around and around. At this rate it didn't look like he'd ever stop.

Burger finished the last of his sandwich, and began to fish for whatever other food he had in his clothes. “Look, it's not like we call him Goofy for no reason.”

“We'd better get down there,” Agalma decided, taking the lead down the stairs with the others following. When they were on the race track, Goofy had yet to stop, and no one was sure how to do it. Bombshell then saw one of the foods Burger had stowed away was a carrot, and he yanked it out, although Burger whined about it. He then prodded Gyro with it.

“Huh? ...Oh, good idea!” Gyro complimented as he took the vegetable. “You get an A+ for that one, Bombshell.”

“Huh. I didn't know there were grades higher than F.”

Gyro stepped forward, cleared his throat, and then waved the carrot high in the air. “Little Helper! It's lunch-time!”

The moment those words hit Little Helper, he screeched to a halt. Goofy, however, did not, as the force of the sudden stop sent him flying from the carriage -

“YAAAAAA-HA-HA-HOOOOIE!”

And smacking headfirst into a wall, thankfully protected by his new helmet. Agalma rushed over as Goofy toppled to the ground, unharmed but incredibly dizzy. As he tried to sit up, he saw Agalma watching over him. “Uhhh... did Aphrodite send over three more Agalmas, cause I don't think I can handle that many.”

“You won, Goofy,” Agalma said happily, offering her hand.

“I won?” Goofy took her hand and shakily began to stand up, letting it all sink in. “I won? I won. I... won. I won!” Having confidence in what you were doing, and then accomplishing the thing, were two entirely different matters. “I won! I won, I won, I won!” He picked up Agalma, spinning her around. “I won!” She laughed, repeating after him, and they danced arm in arm, singing that he won, he won, he won. Goofy had never been more proud of himself in his entire life, and he never wanted to let that feeling go. He never wanted to let Agalma go either.

Speaking of people who had a hard time letting things go, Bouncer dragged himself into this happy-go-lucky scene, all the anger exhausted out of him. “I don't believe this!” he moaned. “I did everything I could, and he won? What do I do now? If I go back to Ma with this, she'll tan my hide!”

As Gyro stuck the carrot in Little Helper's mouth, he held up a finger. “What says you have to go back to your mother?” Bouncer blinked – the idea of doing otherwise had never occurred to him. Burger was just as stunned, and Bombshell merely shrugged. “If I may, gentleman, perhaps your talents lay elsewhere.”

“But punching people is all I know how to do,” Bouncer lamented.

“Only because no one has taught you otherwise.” Gyro clapped his hands together, an idea bubbling forth. “You know, Goofy is going to split the prize money with me, so I can make brand new inventions. But I can't do it all alone, and the more hands I have, the faster I can help everyone around the world! What say I take you all on as my apprentices and students?”

Bombshell raised a hand. “Can I learn more about things that go boom?”

Burger raised his hand. “Instead of giving my teacher an apple, can I eat the apple?”

And lastly Bouncer raised his. “Can I see a doctor? I think I have a concussion.”

“Yes, yes, and... oh, goodness, let's go do that.” Gyro waved towards his canine companions. “Goofy, Agalma, I'll catch up with you later!” But even as he said that, he doubt he was being heard.

Goofy and Agalma were still dancing along, holding each other 's hands, reveling in not only victory but accomplishment and their realized hopes for the future. Because of their hard work and faith in one another, they were going to get their dreams. There was so much to learn about everything, and now they'd taken the first step together. Goofy couldn't have done it without Agalma – couldn't have moved on, couldn't have made more friends, couldn't have seen the sun for its beauty – and his heart was healed.

As for Agalma, she still didn't understand this floaty, blissful feeling that fluttered throughout her body as she danced with Goofy, but she hoped it never stopped. Maybe he could tell her about this feeling that made her want to be in his arms and stare into his eyes, this feeling that his happiness was the most important thing in the world to her. Did this feeling have a name?

~*~

As Mickey, Donald and Daisy craned their necks to look at the king of the gods who had dared spoken, each look was filled with bitterness. Minnie was walking towards the rulers, tall and proud for someone so small. Other gods backed up, some even bowing graciously in case her anger was directed towards them. Zeus scrambled as he talked, hoping he could butter up someone who had murder in their eyes. “You must be commended after defeating Ares, the God of War! All of Mount Olympus thanks you for your noble deed! Name any gift, and it shall be given unto you!” He grinned at her, his palms open, waiting to hear her heart's desire. One little gift and they'd be safe and sound, and maybe then she'd leave and everything would go back to normal.

Minnie wordlessly summoned her spear back into her hand, and with one mighty movement, launched it right into the throne, shattering it into pieces. Hera shrieked as she fell down, and Zeus stayed on his rear, trying to understand what just happened as he sat among the shards. Many remaining gods fled, deciding this was the final straw, and they weren't going to come back unless they were certain they'd never make her angry. Gladstone wound up hopping into Mortimer's arms, and he'd lost all the feeling in his legs. Yet neither of them left – they actually wanted to see what would happen, and couldn't help but be a little amused. “What in the world makes you think I'd want anything from you?” Minnie snapped, the ferociousness back in her tone. “It's your fault this all happened in the first place, because you never want to do any real work!”

“How DARE you speak to the KING of the GODS in such a MANNER?” Hera barked, but when Minnie had her spear again, she quietly pointed it at Hera. She yelped and hid behind her husband. The scene of such supposedly powerful and all-knowing leaders made some immortals snort and giggle, perhaps overwhelmed by all they'd seen.

“The only good thing either of you have done was free the mortals, and make Mickey!” Minnie growled, hands on her hips. “You're not the King and Queen of the gods – if you can't enforce the rules, you can't make the rules! One good deed doesn't mean you get off scot-free for eternity! From now on, you are just plain, ordinary, run-of-the-mill gods like the rest of them! You hold no power over anyone!” As she finished her declaration, she looked at Mickey, wondering if she'd stolen his thunder. As their son, he had the final right to tell them off.

Yet as Mickey looked upon his parents, he couldn't think of anything to tell them. It seemed so pointless now. He didn't need them, nor did he want them. He had a better family. Mickey took Minnie's hand. “C'mon, let's go. I don't think this place deserves any of us.”

“Well said,” Donald commented, still not crying and no one could prove it shut up.

“Where should we go?” asked Daisy.

Mickey looked at Minnie. “I'd like to fix my girls first... then maybe I can work on a new tiara for you.” Seeing the fury and beauty of volcanoes had gotten him inspired, while also reminding him of the hot furnace he missed.

Minnie squeezed Mickey's hand, at her most beautiful when she smiled at the man she loved. “Yes. Let's go home.”

As they began to leave, Donald exhaled a breath he'd been holding on for far too long, relieved that the prophecy had been avoided. Yet, it was at that moment he recalled another one, one that had been so long ago that everyone had assumed it would never come to pass. His last look was toward the remains of the throne, at the pitiful faces of Zeus and Hera who would never erase their guilt and shame. When he turned to rejoin his family, he saw Gladstone and Mortimer offering Mickey a drink of ambrosia, and Mickey politely declined. Mickey joined hands with Minnie, who joined hands with Daisy, who waited for Donald's hand. He squeezed it tightly.

It had been said once that the son of Zeus would take away his throne – it just never said the son would do it himself.

#disney #fanfic #love like lava #mickey mouse #minnie mouse #donald duck #daisy duck #goofy #gyro gearloose #gladstone gander #mortimer rodawn

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