#just text him if one of em needs anything extra

[ariel-gremlinzkeep]

🄾🅈🄰🄹🄸 🅁🄾🄽🄸🄽'🅂 🄲🅁🄾🅂🅂 🄳🄸🄼🄴🄽🅂🄸🄾🄽🄰🄻 🄰🄽🅃🄸🄲🅂

Master Index Post

ToaF's Future Mikey Ronin just found out about @rottmntpeepawpolls 's tournament.

Casey has been kidnapped volunteered to assist in the gathering of supplies.

(Stills under the read more)

[something-tofightfor]

Liminality: Part 6.5; Frankie's POV

Pairing: Frankie Morales x Female Reader

Word Count: 9,152

Rating: M - both in terms of content and overall subject matter.

Summary: Frankie is sick of lying to you, and as more time passes, it's becoming a larger issue.

When the truth is forced to light, he finds out whether or not the growing feelings for you are all for nothing ... or a chance to be everything

Author’s note:

I've been looking forward to getting into Frankie's head for a LONG TIME, and this chapter seemed like the right place to start with that. A few of you have asked what his take on this whole thing is - so here you go.

This takes place alongside chapter 6. Thank you for reading. PLEASE feel free to reach out if you have any questions, comments or concerns.

Masterlist (for the journal entries and all of the other 'extras' + previous chapters)

“I need to tell you somethin’, ‘Fish.” 

He made his way through the bushes and toward the clearing, keeping his eyes on Pope’s face. Frankie was exhausted - like always - but the set of his friend’s shoulders and the downward turn of the other man’s lips brought him back to full alert, even as he pulled a t-shirt over his head. “What happened?” 

“Benny called last night.” Pope sighed, gesturing to the open door of the RV. Despite being on edge at the few words - and tone - Frankie walked past him, immediately heading for the bathroom, Pope only a few steps behind. Gripping the edge of the counter with one hand while he brushed his teeth, Frankie waited, trying not to let his imagination run wild. He was with her last night. He was with her and … “Benny called last night,” Pope spoke up once he finished, stepping out of the way and following as Frankie walked the short distance to the refrigerator, pulling a bottle of water out and lifting it to his lips before tilting his head back to drain most of it in one go. “They heard fuckin’ wolves, Frankie.” 

He crushed the bottle between his fingers and spun to face his friend, eyes wide. “What?” But I was here. I … I didn’t… that means… “Fuck.” 

“Fuck is right.” Pope sighed, holding up his hand. “They didn’t see anything, but they were on the boat when it happened. All three of ‘em heard it, though.” Pope paused and Frankie just stared, his heartbeat pounding behind his ribs. “Benny called me on their way home to make sure everything was OK here, and -”

“To make sure it wasn’t me.” He curled his lip, narrowing his eye. “He called to make sure I -”

“He called to see where you were, yes.” Pope reached up, scratching his head and then pointed at the outline of the chain around Frankie’s neck. “I checked the AirTag. You were over by Little River. Nowhere near far enough south that they would have heard you. And they said wolves, Frankie. That means that there’s not just another one, but -”

“But there might be more.” For the first time since he was bitten, Frankie felt a spark of hope in his chest. Maybe another one figured out what was going on here and came to intervene. Maybe it means I won’t have to take care of it myself. Maybe … He shook his head to clear it, groaning as he reached up with one hand to drag his fingers through his hair. It doesn’t matter right now. “Is she… did she freak out?”

“He got her home safe. He called me again after he left her place. You’ve got a couple messages from them, ‘Fish. She texted you while he was on the phone with me, and then Benny sent the picture of her going inside like you asked for, but …” Pope shook his head. “Benny said she wasn’t scared. She looked … relieved when she heard the howling.” 

“What? Why would -”

“I don’t know. He also told me that she jokingly said that maybe it was a werewolf.” Frankie sucked in a breath a that, moving to cross his arms but wincing at the way the muscles in his shoulder pulled with the motion. That’s gonna hurt like a bitch for a couple more days. “He said it didn’t seem like she was serious, but it threw him, because …”

“Because he knows that that’s all it could be. Fuck.” Frankie swore again, tossing the mostly empty bottle across the room. “What the fuck am I going to do, Pope? I’m already in over my head with one other wolf, and now there’s….” 

“There’s somethin’ else, Fish.” Pope took another breath and met Frankie’s eyes, unblinking. “There was another attack. Happened at Hillsborough and came through on the scanner pretty much first thing this morning. Male. Mid 30’s. Reported by his girlfriend, and he was still alive when the call came through.” 

He deflated at the news, scrubbing at his face with one hand. Another attack meant another month that he’d been unable to figure out who was responsible, and another person that would likely suffer the same way he had after getting attacked. “Any way we can figure out who it is?” 

“I can see if Benny and Ironhead hear anything at the bar, but aside from that… no. Not really.” It was likely another dead end and Frankie knew it, but asking had helped a little. “You gonna call your girl?” 

“She’s not my girl, Pope.” The answer was immediate, but Frankie felt a pang in his chest as he said it. “She’s only here for a couple months, and I’ve been lying to her since the second I met her, so…”

“D’you really believe that?” Pope chewed on his bottom lip, narrowing his eyes. “Not the lying part, because yeah, you’ve been doing that - we all have - but the part about her not bein’ yours?” He stepped closer, reaching out to settle a hand on Frankie’s shoulder. “I haven’t seen you like this with a woman before, even with Becca in the beginning.” 

“Doesn’t matter, Santiago. She’s leaving. And I could never … never tell her the …” Even as he spoke, though, he let himself entertain the thought of spilling his secret to you. 

He hadn’t ever truly wanted to reveal that part of himself to anyone new before you in the years since South America. He hadn’t even considered it, despite the fact that one of the relationships he’d had had lasted longer than all of the others put together, to the point where he’d started thinking about what it could be like to have someone around on a more consistent basis again. 

He’d never made that leap, instead breaking things off before they could progress further. But now? After a month? With her? 

“I’d lose her if I told her, and you know it.” 

Pope was silent for a few seconds and then sighed, rubbing a hand over his eyes. “Whatever you say.” Frankie knew that he wouldn’t keep pushing it, and when his friend continued, he was ready for it. “I’ve gotta get home. Yova’s waiting for me, and …” He sighed again. “You need to get some sleep.” 

I do. Frankie reached down and pulled the chain from around his neck, hanging the AirTag on the small hook next to the door. “I’m ready. I need a shower and to get some ice on this shoulder.” 

Frankie locked the door as Pope headed toward the car. When he took a seat, using one foot to push his bag out of the way, he finally reached for his phone and thumbed it unlocked. He saw your messages, the corners of his lips turning upward briefly at the way you went from fear about hearing wolves to excitement about the gators, though Pope’s comment about your lack of reaction to the howling was still on his mind. 

And when he saw the picture of you by your front door, a sarcastic smile on your face and one hand raised in a wave, Frankie realized  that he wanted to call you, if only to hear your voice. It was early, but he’d messaged you before heading to the airport previously, and you’d answered almost every time. So today won’t be different. 

But you didn’t reply to his first text, the message unread for more than a few minutes. And you didn’t reply to the next one, either - or the first phone call he made to you, his voice steady though there was worry in his tone as he told you he’d seen your messages and couldn’t wait for you to tell him about the boat. 

Pope didn’t say anything when he hung up, but Frankie had known him long enough to register the tension in his shoulders and the tightness in his jaw. There was no reason for him to be concerned, because you were probably just sleeping - it was early, and you’d been out sort of late the previous night. 

So he sent another few messages, fingers flying over the keys. 

Hey. Is everything alright? I’ve got a weird feeling, especially after talking to Benny. 

Give me a call when you get this, please. 

“‘Fish?” Pope glanced over, two hands on the wheel. “What’s going on?”

“I donno. I don’t like it, though. She always answers me in the morning.” He swallowed hard, shaking his head and staring down at the screen - and your unanswered messages. “You said the attack was -”

“Benny dropped her off. You saw the picture. They said it was some guy that was hurt. I don’t -”

“Something’s wrong, Santiago.” He tightened his hold on the phone. “I don’t know what, but… something’s wrong.” 

He tried calling you a few more times, dialing and letting it go to voicemail before he hung up, fatigue replaced with frustration. 

It was borderline obsessive behavior, and he didn’t know how he was going to explain it when he talked to you. Maybe I can just say I heard about the attack. Say that even though I knew she was home, I didn’t know if she’d go back, and… It was a thin excuse and he knew it… but that didn’t matter as Frankie dialed again and again, the sound of your line ringing endlessly almost taunting him. 

Pope hugged him tightly when they pulled into Frankie’s driveway, the smaller man telling him to get some rest and that if he wanted to meet and have a beer later, to let him know. 

Frankie assured him that he would, but instead of heading inside the moment his friend pulled away, he turned toward his truck and unlocked the door, climbing in. 

It was reckless - and when his adrenaline wore off, he knew there was going to be a monumental crash. But it doesn’t matter, I need to know … I need to know she’s alright. He tried calling you again, and when all he got was the sound of you inviting him to leave a message, he threw the phone to the side and started the ignition. 

— 

Your car wasn’t in the driveway, and even though the early morning sun was shining brightly, he was chilled to the bone. 

He peeked in the front windows and then tried the doorknob, feeling a tiny rush of relief at the fact that it was secured. Maybe you’d gotten an early start and headed to the beach. Maybe you’d gone out for breakfast or coffee and forgotten to turn your phone’s ringer back on. There were plenty of maybes, and though it was common for Frankie to skip ahead to the worst case scenario, he was hopeful that it didn’t need to be that way with you. 

He’d just turned to go back to his truck when his phone rang, your picture on the screen. Thank fuck. 

But the relief was short lived, because Frankie heard distress in your voice, along with concern. He could almost feel it seeping through the phone, and that fact scared him, even as you questioned why he wasn’t at the airport and he snapped back at you, wincing at the harsh tone of his voice. 

And when you told him you were at the hospital, he shivered, his breath coming in short bursts as his fingers tightened around the phone. For her cousin. 

He wondered if it was the same one that you’d mentioned the afternoon of your first flight, but as you told him you were on your way back, that thought slipped his mind, Frankie’s only concern figuring out exactly what was going on with you and trying to understand why he cared so much. 

The half hour he waited for you was spent sitting in the driver’s seat of his truck, searching for more information on that morning’s attack. There was very little, aside from what Pope had already told him - and that frustrated Frankie to no end. Who the fuck is doing this and why are they doing it here? Why now?

When it was close to the time you’d said you’d be there, he got out and paced back and forth behind the truck for a few minutes before leaning against it, arms crossed. It hurt - his shoulder had been giving him trouble since the previous day, but it didn’t matter. He wasn’t sure what he hoped for with your arrival, but Frankie figured he’d know when he saw you, and that assumption proved to be true. 

His mood lightened considerably when you pulled in, Frankie’s posture relaxing as some of the tightness in his chest disappeared. You looked tired and concerned, and if he had to guess, you’d gotten only marginally more sleep than him. But he was snapping at you before he could stop himself, trying to talk you out of what he knew was the truth. And she’ll believe it was wolves even more when she hears about the attack. 

Nothing could have prepared him, though, for what he found when he followed you into your apartment and his eyes landed on the papers and pictures scattered around the living room. He saw it immediately, his heart sinking like a lead weight to settle in his belly, heart rate spiking. She wasn’t joking about it being a werewolf. She was looking for one. She knows … does she know about me? Is that why she’s been so … interested?

You didn’t want to tell him the truth, but you did, and he caught the look of anguish in your eyes as you spoke, almost like you were afraid to say the words. He was immediately defensive, crossing his arms as he shook his head and continued to question you, but the truth was that Frankie didn’t know what to think. If she knows there’s a wolf here, she knows what’s attacking people. But how? Why? 

He caught the spark of fear in you as you inhaled sharply when he moved, though without skipping a beat, you continued to talk to him and even made a joke as he followed you toward the kitchen. 

But he was familiar was behavior like yours and knew that you were going to bolt. Frankie could sense it in the way you carried yourself, and he didn’t even need the heightened wolf-senses to know that it was only a matter of when. 

You broke for the bedroom and he followed you. Frankie moved slowly, not wanting to scare you any more than you already were. But if she’s running then she thinks I could … fuck, she must know. 

He wasn’t expecting the gun. 

He also wasn’t expecting the way you met his eyes as you questioned him and he questioned you back, Frankie’s hands rising, palms out in an attempt to placate you. He could feel it - the emotion inside of him, building up in a way that he was familiar with. Even though he’d just changed back hours ago, and had never turned wolf without a full moon, Frankie wondered if that would be the day it happened. No. It can’t. Not now. She’ll shoot me. She’ll shoot me, and … 

When you mentioned the scar on his arm, he knew you knew, even if you didn’t want to believe it. His answer wasn’t a lie, but it bought him a few extra seconds of time, his mind going back to the day he’d been bitten and the rage he’d felt rolling off the teenager that had done it. “What are you really asking me?” 

He saw you recoil - saw your grip on the gun waver, watched wordlessly as you winced at his words and tone, but then Frankie saw you steady yourself, shoulders going back as you stared straight into his eyes and questioned him again, that time about his shoulder. Why is she so fucking concerned about my arm? 

He demonstrated that it was injured, watching as you blinked quickly at his movement, though you didn’t lower the gun, either, even as he explained what had happened and waited for your response. It was only one word - his name - and you sounded torn, the sound of it chilling him. But she hasn’t shot me. And she’s rational. And … 

He only had one option - and that was to keep you talking, to get you to explain what was going on, hopefully giving himself a chance to do the same. 

Your response wasn’t what he expected, though it explained a lot. 

She’s pointing a gun at me, which means that she must think … oh, fuck. She thinks it was me that’s doing all of this. He considered your words and the fact that you hadn’t stumbled on Florida by accident shocked him. She’s been looking for a wolf since she was 18? 

In that moment, he wished that he was the wolf you were looking for, because it meant that you could end it. You could end it, and you wouldn’t be in danger anymore. I won’t be a danger to anyone, and I won’t have to worry about … anything. He steadied himself with a breath, pushing the thoughts aside. But it’s not me. And that means she’s looking for … 

It scared him how much the thought of you seeking out something so dangerous bothered him. But when you continued to question him, your finger inching toward the trigger, Frankie understood that not only had the point of no return with you come and gone, there was a chance that he was approaching the final minutes of his life, too. 

Because even though it was his first instinct to lie to you, he couldn’t. 

He’d lose you either way, but there were only two options that came with telling the truth: you giving him a chance to explain his answer, or you pulling the trigger as soon as you heard his admission. And I just want someone to know. Even if it means … this is it. 

 “I wish I could.”

It happened just as he thought it would - you put your finger on the trigger and his years of military training kicked in. Despite his fatigue, he was faster than you, his fingers closing around your wrist and squeezing. Frankie was mindful of the fact that he didn’t want to hurt you, even though the difference of a few seconds meant that you might have killed him. 

But as soon as he had control of the gun, his grip on your wrist loosened enough that you could move it. He held you in place but didn’t restrain you entirely, even as you lashed out at him. It was more than that he didn’t want to hurt you. If he was being honest. Frankie wanted to console you, to make you understand and give you some peace of mind. I want her to know she doesn’t need to be afraid of me. 

You screamed at him, but Frankie held you gently, taking a deep breath and repeating that he wasn’t going to hurt you, that he didn’t want to hurt you. The truth was that the thought of anyone or anything hurting you filled him with a rage that he hadn’t felt in years. But in the semi-darkness of your bedroom, he knew that it wasn’t the right time or place to dwell on those thoughts. 

“Take off your shirt.” Your request astounded him, but when you continued, he started to understand, even though what you said made little sense to him. Attacked a wolf? What the fuck? He understood, though, and when you admitted that your cousin’s girlfriend was a wolf, too, he did as you asked, releasing you and ignoring the pain in his shoulder as he removed his shirt. If this is what she needs, she can have it. Because it wasn’t me and there won’t be anything to see. 

He watched as you stared at him, eyes raking over his skin as he spun slowly, and when he met your gaze again, he felt another flicker of hope in his chest at the confusion in your expression. This is good. This is better than good. He took a chance and gestured to the other room, and when you nodded back, the movement tiny but still certain, he finally took a breath. One more thing. 

Frankie reached for the gun then, slowly lifting it and holding it out to you, never looking away as he did it. He wanted you to feel safe - wanted you to understand that you were in control, and if it meant that it was going to happen with a gun in your hands and pointed at him, then he’d deal with it.  

You didn’t point it at him, though, and when you sat down on the couch, watching as Frankie put his shirt back on and tried not to wince, he tried to come up with something to say. But where to start? 

He decided to start at the beginning, and even though it was awkward, you made it less so when you leaned forward to listen, unblinking. You didn’t raise your voice or accuse him. You didn’t hold yourself like you were afraid of him, or position yourself defensively. You just waited, giving him a chance to speak…. And so he did. 

He didn’t just tell you about the teenager in the middle of the jungle. 

He didn’t just tell you about the aftermath of the bite. 

He started at the very beginning - with what had happened before Pope came to them with the job in Colombia and left little out. And when he confessed to his cocaine use and the problems that stemmed from that, he watched your eyes fill with sadness. 

He wanted to move - wanted to come and comfort you, to tell you that there was no reason for you to be upset about something that was so far in the past. But he stayed in place, taking a deep breath as he continued, needing you to hear it all. 

Frankie’s admission that they’d stolen the money shocked even him, because that part was something that he hadn’t intended to tell you. It felt right, though, because like every other part of the story, it was so out there that there was no way he could have made it up. Talking about Lorea and the money explained the crash, and the crash explained the village

And the village explains the kid… which explains all of this.

You believed him. He saw the expression in your eyes change as you processed what he was saying, and Frankie knew that telling you had been the right call. It was the first time he’d spoken the words out loud in three years, and as they rolled off of his tongue, he felt lighter. 

His friends knew what had happened, and had been dealing with it in their own ways ever since. But even though he had them, being able to tell someone new - someone that he cared about the way he cared about you - was a relief. And I didn’t think it would be. 

As he spoke, he thought back to the first time he’d changed over, and the fear he’d smelled on each of his friends, though they hadn’t acted on that fear. He knew that if they hadn’t been exhausted, one of them likely would have. And then I wouldn’t be here now. 

But his response to that night was proof that simple becoming a wolf wasn’t an immediate danger to the people around you. Because I didn’t want to hurt them. I knew them. 

When you invited him to sit next to you, your voice cautious but clear, Frankie felt the last knot in his chest loosen. You weren’t going to kill him. You weren’t going to attempt to trap him … and if you wanted him to sit next to you, it meant that you - in that moment - weren’t afraid of him, or of what he was. 

It was more than he’d been expecting, but it wasn’t something that he was going to take for granted. 

He continued - telling you about coming home and getting the money back safely. He admitted to keeping the secret of his bite to an even smaller group than knew about the money. And when he admitted that Carmen and Becca didn’t know about either, Frankie expected you to get angry, because it was one of the things that he was most upset about, too. 

But it was also proof of the fact that he trusted himself, because if at any point he’d thought he was going to be a danger to either of them, he would have removed himself from the situation, ensuring that the financial support never ended even if he wasn’t present. 

Even though he and Becca had been long over by the time he’d come home, they’d still tried, and every lie he told had been like a knife through his heart. Not because he still loved the woman, but because if there was one thing Frankie knew, it was that lies always came back around. And because me still using would have meant that she thinks she failed. And she didn’t. 

He couldn’t stop the tears from gathering in his eyes as he spoke. And he didn’t expect your response, either - the beginnings of an apology spilling from your lips until he stopped you, laying his hand atop yours cautiously as he continued his story. 

It finally came back to you - and to why you were in Florida. 

The first thing Frankie did was make it a point to tell you that he hadn’t been anywhere near where you were the previous night. He hoped you’d connect the dots between Benny’s phone call to Pope and Pope being with him, but Frankie still gave you more details. Because she needs to know more than the basics. She needs to understand that I’m doing my best. 

You seemed shocked that he hadn’t spoken to anyone about his condition, and that surprised him a little, as did your immediate line of questioning about the second wolf. Because it means that she accepts that I didn’t do this. That I haven’t been doing this. It means … it means she believes me even though she knows. 

It was you that closed the distance between the two of you, taking his hand and squeezing. He felt warmth in his chest then, the press of your palms together grounding him even as he thanked you for listening, through a tight throat. 

But before you could tell him more about exactly what brought you to Florida, your phone rang and you answered it, giving Frankie a chance to watch you silently. 

You did a lot of listening, chewing on your lower lip and tightening your hold on his hand before you pulled it free to rub your palm against your thigh. The loss of contact hurt, but it gave him a few seconds to collect his thoughts, the man’s heart pounding wildly. 

There was no going back. He’d always assumed that if he ever told anyone else, it would be because they were with him and planning on staying - and you weren’t. So that means she takes this with her.

Your voice cut in through his thoughts, and when he heard you mention him speaking to Ashley the following day, it floored him, Frankie sucking in a breath as his eyes widened. You reached out, your smile growing as you set your hand on his knee. Frankie broke eye contact and stared down at the way it looked against his leg, uncertainty his most prominent emotion. What? Me talking to her? Another wolf? Finally? 

He only looked at you again when you said his name, your apology sincere as was your admission that you needed sleep. Of course she does. And I do too. I need to go home. You didn’t let him get up, though, and at the implication, he froze. There’s no way she wants me to stay. There’s only one bed. 

You did, though, your touch shifting from a hand in place to the sweep of your thumb he’d started to grow used to while you watched TV together on the couch. Frankie finally let himself truly relax when you stood, holding out a hand. You held out a hand but instead of taking it, Frankie got up and reached for you with his good arm, urging you to lean in. 

It was a risk - but one that he was willing to take, and when you immediately moved to hug him as he pressed a kiss to your forehead, Frankie’s eyes closed tightly, his fingers curling against the back of your head. There’s no way it’s this simple. But I’m going to enjoy this anyway,

It was him that broke the silence, and to his relief, you laughed, the sound echoing in his ears as he led you back toward your bedroom. It was only a few steps, but it felt like more, Frankie’s heart still pounding as he waited for the other shoe to drop when you finally realized that you didn’t want him to stay. 

It never happened. 

The interaction between you felt natural as you got ready for bed, and under any other circumstances, your admission that you were too tired to appreciate him pantsless would have wounded his pride. That day, though, he didn’t let it, eyeing you as you changed, too, before climbing into bed with him. 

The mattress was more comfortable than he remembered, and even though Frankie knew that it was mostly because he’d been up for more than 24 hours, he also knew that it was only such a relief because you were right there beside him.

He hadn’t lost you. He hadn’t frightened you away. He hadn’t let his emotions get the better of him, giving his anxiety over telling you the truth the opportunity to overwhelm the need to tell you everything. Everything about the wolf, anyway.

It was him that touched you first that time, Frankie opening his mouth and spilling more truths about how worried he’d been. Even though I don’t … I’m not sure I understand why. He thought you needed to know, and to his relief, you seemed to need him to know that you understood where he was coming from. 

He wanted to kiss you deeply, but settled for a brief touch of his lips to yours instead before settling back against the pillows and taking a deep breath. Can’t press my luck too far. 

He fell asleep moments later - and hoped that you weren’t far behind. 

—- 

When he woke up, it was to the sound of your rumbling stomach - but he didn’t mind, because it meant that you were still there. 

Frankie was immediately thankful that you hadn’t left him to wake up on his own, but he was even more excited that you were still close; close enough that when he cracked his eyes open and made a joke, your return smile was the first thing he saw. I could get used to this.

Your offer to make him breakfast brought up the first of what he assumed would be many unpleasant conversations. But you took it in stride, even though there were nights when Frankie himself was disgusted with his own actions. Even though he’d tried to go full moon nights without consuming anything, the hunger gnawed at him after only a few hours, which made eating something necessary. And it’s either eat some rabbits or… risk something else. 

That wasn’t even an option for him, and Frankie saw the understanding in your expression, followed by the comforting touch of your hand on his bare arm as you questioned him gently about the pain of changing from man to wolf and back. 

He’d never tell you the truth about that - that the entire time, it felt like something was ripping his body apart from the inside - because there was no reason to tell you. You’d never experience it, and though the memory of the pain lingered, the moment he’d completely turned, it didn’t actually hurt anymore in either case. And I’m thankful for that.

The reminder that he’d be getting answers from Ashley tightened his throat, and once again, Frankie spoke on instinct, talking around the lump there and hoping that his admission that he wanted to kiss you didn’t cross lines. Because I don’t know what this looks like between us moving forward. 

He didn’t have to worry though. You made a joke and then made the decision for both of you, and Frankie relaxed further when he felt your mouth against his. There was no hesitation on your part - no holding back because of what you knew to be true. 

If anything, you kissed him more solidly than you had before, and Frankie only waited moments to invite you to deepen it. She’s crying. Why is … oh, fuck. The tears began on his end, too, Frankie unwilling to pull away until you ended things, and he leaned into your touch as you wiped the moisture from his skin, staring at him. Why am I crying? 

It was the honesty aspect, like he told you. But it was also because it was you that he got to be honest with. It made no sense that he valued your response so much, and he didn’t know how to approach the topic, especially after such a short time of knowing each other. But he was crying because of you, and he wouldn’t have had it any other way.  Especially because I get to know more about her, too. 

He learned more about your life while you cooked, Frankie flipping through your pictures and journals with a growing sense of understanding. It wasn’t just that he got to know you through your work; you were thorough enough that he was able to learn more about wolves in general, too. That came from your relatives’ entries and updates, because since you’d never actually met a wolf, you didn’t have firsthand experience. 

He wondered what you’d think when and if you were face to face with a wolf. More specifically, he wondered what you’d think if you ever saw him as a wolf - and as the minutes passed, he realized that he wanted you to. The guys had seen him out of necessity, but you … he wanted to show you, and that scared him more than anything else, because for three years, all he’d tried to do was hide.

As the two of you talked, Frankie felt things shifting again, the conversation between you never ebbing. You asked questions and so did he, Frankie finding that even though you didn’t know everything, you knew much more than he did - which was a relief in as many ways as it was concerning. 

He knew that one conversation with your cousin’s fiancee wouldn’t answer everything. He knew that he’d probably die before he knew all of the most important things about being a wolf. But knowing where you came from, and hearing your family’s history was enlightening in a way that he hadn’t expected. 

He understood the focus on the Chaos line. He understood why it was so important for you to feel like you were doing something to remove the wolves that were causing problems. And he was stunned that there was such a large community of people that knew of the existence of the wolves, especially since he and his friends hadn’t been able to find anything in the previous years. 

Frankie wondered if you would have taken his admission that he was a wolf so easily if you hadn’t also just learned about Ashley and Alec, but decided it didn’t matter as the conversation continued. The why wasn’t as important as the overall reality of the situation, and he was just happy that you accepted him for what he was - and what he’d done in his personal life.

But when the conversation circled back around to the lies you’d told each other, it got a little uncomfortable. Because we were both lying for different reasons, but they were still lies. And we were so convincing that neither of us had any idea.

You were truly uncomfortable, though, when you explained what you’d done and why you’d done it, and he didn’t miss the fact that you’d said you were interested in him… even though that was immediately followed by you mentioning how casual it always had been in the past for you. Me too. Because it has to be. But this is … are we… 

He didn’t know what to say, so he told you a half truth: that starting a casual sexual relationship with you had been the perfect plan…. in the beginning. It wasn’t supposed to be serious. It made sense. 

There was no way he could have been angry at you for keeping your identity and the truth of your time in Florida from him, because it hadn’t all been lies. You were honestly working on the book, and even though the people you’d talked to and the places you’d been had been chosen for multiple reasons, you’d mostly told him the truth. Unlike me. 

His admission that the police were getting suspicious was news to you. You weren’t able to hide your reaction to that, and he wondered how much that changed things for you. Because it changed ‘em for me. 

As you spoke in the small kitchen, a plan began to form in his mind. Frankie wondered if maybe the two of you could work together to find the wolf - to get rid of him and give both of you some peace of mind. You knew different things - you had more information about the history of the attacks, and Frankie had firsthand experience of what it was like to be be a wolf, which meant  that in only a few hours, you’d doubled your knowledge pool. I can help her. I want to help her. 

The more he told you, the more the urge to help you grew. 

And to help you, you needed to know exactly where he stood - and what he stood for. He’d made the others promise that if anyone ever got hurt because of him, that one of them would end his life by any means necessary, no questions asked. They hadn’t understood at first, because they’d all assumed that as the wolf, Frankie was no longer Frankie, which meant that he wasn’t responsible for his actions during the full moon. And that makes whatever this asshole’s doing so much worse, because he knows what he’s doing. 

There were things he couldn’t control in his life, but even before South America, Frankie had been trying to take responsibility for the things he could, starting with Carmen and Becca and the cocaine. His monthly struggle was something else that he’d learned to control, and Frankie was determined not to let being a wolf change his entire lifestyle any more than it already had - or derail him in his recovery from everything else.

As he spoke to you, he felt himself tensing up again, his emotions heightening. It scared him sometimes, but since he’d never outright snapped, Frankie wasn’t too worried about losing it in front of you. And even though he could sense that you knew he was on edge, you didn’t move away. Instead, you came closer, reaching out and flattening your palm against the center of his chest, never looking away. 

It was more than he’d ever hoped to find with someone again, and even if it was temporary, Frankie was thankful - and wanted to take advantage of every minute he got to spend with you. 

But your knowledge of what he was and his of who you were brought up additional problems. I’ve gotta tell Pope. I’ve gotta tell him something. 

He didn’t stop touching you, though his hand moved so that he could focus on your throat, his eyes dropping to the smooth skin there. It was the truth that he always tried to be careful when it came to teeth and biting, but with you, he’d immediately gone for your neck, testing his limits and nipping at it on more than one occasion, even though he wasn’t sure exactly what would have happened if he’d broken skin. 

And something that he didn’t want to admit to you was that he wanted to continue to behave the way he already had been - wanted to nuzzle against the column of your throat, wanted to lave his tongue over your skin and lose himself in the scent and taste of you. It was hard enough to ignore on a normal day, but as the days passed and the full moon had gotten closer, his senses had been heightened, and it had been a true struggle to keep himself in check in the ways that he’d forced himself to in the past. And that means something too, but I don’t fucking know what. 

He’d figured that some wolves could change at will, and there was no way Frankie was going to risk letting that happen while you were in bed with him. The confirmation that it could happen was enough to spook him slightly, especially when he thought back to his previous reactions to high-stress situations. Because if I hurt or scared her, I’d never forgive myself. 

You said goodbye soon after that, and though he’d extended the invitation for you to come over later that night, he hadn’t been surprised when you’d said no. She needs time to process this shit. And so do I. 

But neither of you had needed time or wanted space when the kiss you initiated before he walked out turned deeper. You’d pulled him closer as he crowded you up against the wall just to the left of your front door, his hands on your waist and your fingers tangled in his hair. You hadn’t wanted to let him go, and he’d been even less willing to walk out of your apartment. But eventually it happened, Frankie pressing his forehead against yours and telling you that he was excited for the following day - and you kissing the corner of his mouth and telling him to be safe in the air.

He left you in a much better mood than he’d anticipated, and despite the fact that he’d only gotten a few hours of sleep, he was wide awake. Wide awake and … happy. 

He took a scalding hot shower once he got home, spending nearly twenty minutes under the steady spray and letting it soothe the muscles of his shoulder. And during that shower, he thought  - Frankie running over the information he’d learned from you throughout the previous hours as well as what it meant to him that he didn’t have to hide anything from you anymore.

“It’s fucking great.” He toweled off, pulling on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt and then grabbing a beer before heading out and onto his back deck, phone in his other hand as he typed a message out to Pope. 

If you wanna come over and have a beer I’m good. 

He received a thumbs up a few minutes later, and when Frankie set his phone down on the table in front of him, he dropped down onto one of the chairs with a sigh, leaning back and putting his feet up on the railing. For the next fifteen minutes, he spaced out, eyes on the slowly darkening sky and the passing clouds. 

The sound of Pope’s tires on the driveway brought him back to attention, but Frankie didn’t stand, waiting until Pope rounded the corner of the house to even turn his head. “Oye, idiota.” He raised his beer, giving his friend a half smile. “More of these inside. You know where to go.” 

Pope’s posture loosened and Frankie realized that he’d likely expected something very different than what he’d found. But the surprise only lasted a few seconds, Pope holding up a six pack and grinning. “Brought my own. You always drink that shit I don’t like, so…” 

Pope took a seat next to Frankie and propped his feet up too. But neither man spoke, the two of them sipping in silence. Where do I even start? He took another drink and then cleared his throat, saying Pope’s name. “It was her cousin that got attacked.” 

“What?” He sat up straight, spinning to face Frankie. “I thought she was just here to work. What are the fucking odds?” 

“I thought the same thing.” He sat up, too, finishing his beer and setting the bottle down onto the table between them. “But it’s…” Frankie shook his head slowly, lifting one hand to run his fingers through his hair. “You can’t tell anyone, Santiago. I don’t even know if I’m supposed to be telling you this, but …” Pope’s eyes narrowed briefly but he nodded, scooting closer. “She’s not here by accident. She’s here … looking for werewolves.”

“What the fuck?” Pope looked angry, his lip curling into a snarl. “And she knew? She knew that you …. So -”

“No.” Frankie held up a hand. “Pope, she had no idea. She’s here looking for the other one. And when I couldn’t get ahold of her this morning it was because she was at the hospital with her cousin and his fiancee.” He was still breathing hard, but Pope relaxed slightly, leaning back in his chair and staring. “I was at her place when she got back, and …” 

He continued, telling Pope about walking into your apartment and seeing all of your research, about you holding him at gunpoint, about everything that came after. And to his credit, Santi stayed quiet and listened, the only sign of acknowledgement the tightening of his fingers around his bottle. 

It was a lot to take in, and Frankie understood that, because even as he repeated it, it sounded unbelievable. And I’m living it. I just … “So you mean to fuckin’ tell me…” Pope sighed, finishing his beer and then reaching for another one. He took a long swig before pointing one finger at Frankie and raising an eyebrow. “You mean to fucking tell me that this girl that you’re crazy about didn’t even need to be convinced that you’re a goddamn wolf? That she came here lookin’ for another wolf and found you instead, and the two of you just so happened to like each other, and -”

“Yes.” He swallowed hard, nodding. “She knows what I am, Pope. She believed me. She even told me a bunch of shit about myself that I didn’t know, and …” 

“How does it feel?” Pope repositioned himself in his chair, all traces of amusement gone. “After so many years, ‘Fish, how does it -”

“Feels like I won the goddamn lottery.” He spoke without thinking, closing his eyes and letting out a deep breath. “Just being able to be honest? To tell her about that part of me? Fuck, it felt … I never thought I’d get to tell someone. And she just … she accepted me, Santiago.” 

“I’m happy for you.” Pope reached over, squeezing his arm and then letting go, sitting back against the cushion. “Real happy. But …” Of course. “But what does this mean, ‘Fish? She’s gonna keep trying to find this wolf, and then what? Kill it? Move on? Take your secret with her?” He laughed, shaking his head back and forth. “You’re halfway in love with this woman, and she’s just going to … disappear?” 

“I… no.” He blinked slowly, jaw working as he tried to figure out what to say.  “I don’t know. I can’t leave Florida because of Carmen, but …” For the first time, he seriously considered what the future could look like - and whether or not there was a chance you would be a part of it. And as he thought, Pope’s last words finally hit - was he halfway in love with you? Had it really progressed from casual sex and mutual attraction to that on his part? Could that be it? “It makes sense.” He wet his lips and then covered his face with both hands, swearing. “Fuck, Pope. I don’t…” 

“I’m not the person you need to have this conversation with.” He sipped again, scoffing. “But I’d just like to point out that you went from tellin’ me that she wasn’t your girl twelve hours ago to having me over to tell me that you told her your biggest secret, which is something you haven’t told the mother of your child in three years.” Pope held up a hand. “Which I totally understand, by the way. I’m not giving you shit over that, I’m just saying. You were with Becca for years, and …” 

“I wanna protect her, Pope. The thought of her out there with something like me… something worse than me? Scares the fuck out of me.” He sat up, repositioning himself in the chair. “I don’t know how to explain what I feel for her. And I don’t understand how it’s possible I feel whatever the fuck this is after knowing her for -”

“When I met Yova,” Pope sighed, rubbing at his forehead. “I lied to myself for months. Said it was just sex. That it was just for information. That it wouldn’t mean a goddamn thing when I eventually left Colombia and came home. Never told her my real name or where I came from or anything even though there were times I wanted to.” Pope scooted closer, his eyes on Frankie’s face. “I loved that girl from pretty much the fucking second I laid eyes on her, and droppin’ her off and telling her to go to Australia and forget about me broke my heart.” 

“But -”

“I knew she loved me. Why else would she have done what she did?” He set his beer down and flattened his hands against the tabletop. “When you know, you know. Don’t do what I did. Because you and I both know that if you don’t say anything, and you just let this play out… and she does leave?” Pope tapped one fingertip against the wood. “You’re gonna convince yourself not to go after her. And if that happens? You’re going to be miserable.” 

“But what if … she’s got a plan. This is what she’s done since she turned 18, and it’s what she’s going to keep doing, especially with her cousin retiring. She’s not going to stop just because some guy she barely knows tells her that he wants…” Pope paused long enough to slide a beer toward Frankie, waiting to continue until he’d opened it and taken a long drink. What do I want? 

“She might not. But you don’t know that. And you can’t know that unless you say something.” Pope was right, and Frankie knew it, but somehow, telling you what he felt for you was more terrifying than telling you that he was a wolf. “I wouldn’t tell anyone about her, ‘Fish.”

“What? But Benny -”

“No. I don’t mean hiding the fact that she knows what happened to you. That’s going to come out no matter what happens if you keep hanging out with her around us. I mean telling the other guys what she’s doing here.” Why? “That comes out, the bigger this gets. I’d even keep the fact that it was her cousin that got attacked to yourselves for now.” He sighed. “Especially since there’s another wolf hanging around, and the more people that know …” 

“I got you.” Frankie nodded, a chill running through his body at the thought of the other wolf somehow finding out who you were and what you were doing. Because he has to be local. And that might mean he’s … here. “I’ll talk to her about that next time I see her.”

“Tomorrow.” Pope grinned. “When you get to go to your werewolf orientation.” 

“Oh, fuck you, Pope.” He groaned, but only moments later both of them were laughing, the tightness in Frankie’s chest almost entirely gone. “She’s never seen a wolf before.”

“Do you want her to see you?” He rolled his shoulders, turning his head toward Frankie. “I’ve seen you change, and that shit is unpleasant. But … you’re kind of impressive in wolf form, Morales. I won’t lie.”

“If she wants to.”  And I hope she does, because then…. I’ll really know. As a man, Frankie was good at reading body language and emotion, but as a wolf, it was impossible to get anything by him. If you were afraid of him, he’d know, no matter what you tried to convince him of. “But she’d need to ask. I won’t bring it up.” 

“Fair.” Pope groaned. “So she knows about the money? What did she say about that?”

“Nothing.” He hummed. “Well, that’s not true. She said she didn’t realize money was so heavy, but she didn’t ask what my cut was, or anything like that.” He figured it was because you were too shocked by everything else to focus on that detail, but he wasn’t surprised that Pope had mentioned it. Because it’s a valid question. “She’s not like that, Pope. She’s been buggin’ me about figuring out what she owes me for her flights, so -”

“I never said she was. I was just curious to know what she thought about her multi-millionaire werewolf boyfriend and his asshole friends.” 

“You can ask her yourself.” Frankie drank again, lips closing around the neck of the bottle. “And I’m not her boyfriend.”

“Ok, fine. Fuck buddy. Hook up. Booty call. Her gran lobo malo. Whatever you are, it -”

“If you call me that one more time I’m going to make sure biting you is the first thing I do next month.” Pope snorted back a laugh and moments later, Frankie joined him, the sound carrying away on the warm night breeze. “Thank you for coming, Pope.”

“Of course.” He tilted his head  to the side and looked over, meeting Frankie’s eyes. “You know all you gotta do is ask.” Frankie nodded, swallowing the last of his second beer and then putting the bottle down. “You flyin’ tomorrow?”

“I am. Can’t take another day off. I have three tours, and then we’re going to talk to her family.” 

“You know what you’re going to ask?”

“Not a goddamn clue.” He had some ideas, but it all depended on what the first meeting felt like. Don’t want to get my hopes up too high. “I’ll figure it out.”

“You always do, ‘Fish.” Pope laughed again, the sound turning into a groan. “Every goddamn time.” 

— 

Oye, idiota = hey, asshole 

 gran lobo malo = big bad wolf

---

Tag list reblog coming soon

[jell0buss-37]

Why not? (Peter B. Parker x reader) pt. 1

Your honor, he is a mess. I need him-

This is going to be a series! This is part 1, and it will be a Friends to Lovers trope, and it sort of switches from present to past events, I haven't written in a while now so I'm sorry if it starts out bad, slight slow burn, but patience is a virtue ;)

Warnings: None, just how you guys meet

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

He liked you so much. He hadn't realized it before, but man did he like you. Before, he hadn't noticed that the reason his heart flutters just a little more every time you looked at him wasn't just his acid reflux acting up. He didn't really realize that you were one of the only people who can cause all of his previous anger and stress to just dissipate, gone like loose change dropped down a drainage pipe, and all with something as simple as a text. He never got the memo that the only reason he felt any peace in those moments where he'd be hanging out on your fire escape, was all because of you. It was always you.

Before, all he was was just a colleague, a fellow reporter, and nuisance, at the Daily Bugle. Fresh out of highschool and living with a roommate, Harry, who was one of his best buds since he was just a kid. He needed the money, and was really just taking a year off of school, with his hero duties now and whatnot. Scheduling conflicts are just the norm when you become a webslinging vigilante.

A vigilante that his new boss hated, actually. At first he was shocked, almost pissed, and yet somehow, he felt flattered? At the beginning, he was just really thinking of being somewhat of a temp. That is until he saw the price on his head. Or, at least pictures of it. He couldn't possibly pass up an opportunity to get in on the action. And that's really how he became a reporter. A man on the inside, if you will.

Things started to turn out great! Having just landed a job, plus an extra little award bonus he got from the pictures he "Just so happened to snag of the Amazing Spiderman," he had bragged to Mr. Jameson while he slid them across the desk, a shit eating grin on his face. Life couldn't be running smoother at this moment. 'Pizza and a monster marathon Night?' He'd been asking Harry, his roommate, staring at his phone, too excited, albeit hungry, to look up before-

"AH, DAMN-" in the blink of an eye, he had caught a laptop, a camera, and a coffee mug in his grasp, yet even with his spidy senses, had failed to catch you from falling on your face. "Jesus, you okay there?" He asked, hardly even phased. That was until he saw your face.

He couldn't help but immediately stare at your lips, which in most cases, if this were a normal romance, that would be something of a love at first sight sort of affair, however, if it weren't for the blood trickling from it, maybe this all would've been easier. But for someone like you, nothing feels all that easy. He automatically sets everything down, his hero complex taking over his logic, as he's by your side quicker than the situation started.

"OW- woah- okay, hah, nice to meet you?" You were flustered, your cheeks lighting up in embarrassment between his palms clasped around your face, seemingly scanning you before assessing anything. "Looks like you split your lip pretty bad, man. What'd you do, hit a desk or a fist on your way down?" He chuckled, trying to ease the tension and lighten the embarrassment you seemed to obviously feel. It seemed to work, as you chuckled nervously at the lighthearted comment.

"Bit of both, actually. I actually got mugged last night on my way home. Well, almost mugged. I fought 'em off. Heh, you should see the other guy…" At this point he had let go of your face, only finding the split lip and what appeared to be a bruise around your jaw. His eyes widened a bit, however, he could tell you didn't seem to be the kind who liked pity. Actually, looking at you now, you looked like you could handle your own pretty well. You had a certain glint in your eye, almost a prideful one. You definitely were a tough guy.

"Woah, sure looks like you know how to put up a hell of a fight. That cut doesn't look like it's doing too good though.." At this, your eyes widen, as you bring a hand up to graze your fingers along the cut, hissing as you feel that familiar sting. "Damn, and I thought I was making a speedy recovery there." You chuckled, a defeated slump in your shoulders. "Well, I'm pretty good at taking care of cuts like that, if you can point me in a general direction of a first aid kit, we could have you up an' running in no time!" He jokes.

You're picking up your things, placing them back on your desk while he talks, smiling at his joke, and huffing out a laugh. You nod at the mention of a first aid kit, pulling one out from a drawer in your desk, and toss it to him. He catches it easily, while you plop down into your swivel chair, sighing. He gets to work quickly, and in no time he's got you fixed up pretty good. You look into your phone camera, impressed at his handy work.

"Woah, pretty good. What are you, a doctor or something?" You look up expectantly. "Ah, nah. Just been through it myself a couple times, is all. I'm actually a reporter. Well, I mean, I just got hired here is all. Just got the job actually!" He rubs the back of his neck, a bit awkward from the compliments on his patchwork.

"Damn, now I can't take you home to meet my Ma." You joke, smirking at him. Were you… WHAT? His eyes widen a bit, and the next thing he knows, you guys are both laughing as if you've been two buds catching up after many years. You stick your hand out to him, smiling friendly. "Well, welcome to the Daily Bugle. I've been a reporter for about a year now myself, actually. So trust me when I tell you that Jameson is a real hard ass when it comes to his stories. Especially on that spider guy!" He shakes your hand, smiling and nodding along to your words, agreeing.

"Oh, I can tell. I actually got him some good pictures that I got of the 'Spider Guy', as you call him." He feels the corners of his mouth shaping into that shit eating grin, pride flashing across his features. "Huh, so your the guy he was just telling me about. He told me I'd be getting some competition, interesting that my hero seems to be a kid who has a lot of nerve showing me up like that." You joke.

He rubs his neck again at the title hero, getting all awkward again. "Hah, it's not much really. I'm Peter, by the way. Peter B. Parker." He offers his name. "(Y/n). I look forward to working with ya." You smile lopsidedly at him. He smiles back, waving goodbye and walking backwards into the elevator by your desk. You look at him with a certain glint in your eyes as the doors slowly shut. At the time, he couldn't quite place that glint.

He didn't have the time to think about it, as he suddenly gets a text. His heart jumps into his throat as he sees who it's from.

'Hey Pete! We still in for Friday?' He smiles at his phone, answering MJ quicker than ever, excited to talk to her. 'Wouldn't miss it!' he hits send, placing the phone back in his pocket. He smiles to himself again, truly excited for their first date that week.

[jackharloww]

Gracies parents - Date night

“Her extra clothes are in the bag, and Carrot is in here too,” you told your best friend “and call as soon as you need anything,” you started to babble as you went through Grace's bag, making sure she had everything she might need. This was the first time she was sleeping at your best friend’s house and to say you were nervous was an understatement. She had slept at her grandparent’s house once or twice before but not elsewhere. To be honest, you had nothing to worry about, but you couldn’t help yourself; it was the mom in you.; Grace jumped in Emily’s arms as soon as the door opened, feeling very excited to spend time with her favorite aunty. 

“Chill, I got this. Just go and enjoy your night,” Emily groaned and grabbed the bag from your hands. You’ve been standing in front of the door for five minutes, telling Emily everything you can come up with. 

“Gracie baby, come here. Give mommy a hug,” you opened your arms to pick her up. She hugged you as you kissed her chubby cheeks multiple times. Grace and Jack had already said their goodbyes, and he was now waiting for you in the car. 

“Be nice to aunty Em’, okay” you pulled her curls away from her face kissing her one more time. 

“Gracie, nice,” she nodded proudly, turning in your arms for you to put her down. 

“Bye, mommy,” she said as soon as you put her down. She waved to you and ran inside to play with some of the toys she had there. You and Emily said your goodbyes, and she closed the door.  You walked back to Jack, who was waiting impatiently in the car. 

“Took you a while” he smirked at you and started the ignition, waiting for you to put the seatbelt on before driving. You gave him a pout as he grabbed your hand and intertwined his soft fingers with yours. 

“It’s fine; she loves being with Em,” Jack said, trying to get you to stop overthinking it. 

“I know. She didn’t even care about us leaving,” you giggled. Jack laughed, shook his head, and pulled your hand closer to his mouth, gently kissing it with his eyes still on the road. 

“where are we eating?” you asked in anticipation. Jack had planned this whole thing. It was a while since you two had some alone time. Jack had been traveling a lot, and you’ve had a lot to do at work. But now Jack was home, and even though your daughter was the sweetest little girl, you both were craving some alone time. 

“You’ll see,” he smiled, glancing at you for a quick second before returning his gaze to the road. After a few minutes, you started to recognize you were on the way to your favorite fine dining restaurant. The food there was amazing, and it was such a beautiful place. Jack saw the big smile on your face and chuckled. After only 10 minutes, you arrived. Jack parked and came around the car to open the door for you. 

“I love it when you wait for me to open the door,” he said with a big smile and held out his hand for you to grab.

“I know, that’s why I waited,” you said and rolled your eyes “Also, I’m wearing heels, and we have a big ass car,” you giggled and fixed your little black dress that had rolled up a bit in the car. The wind made you shiver, even though you had black tights on under the dress. You were grateful Jack put his blazer over your shoulders; thankfully, it matched the outfit, so you just went with it. 

“Have I told you, you look beautiful today?” He said as you put your hand under his arm, walking to the restaurant. 

“no, only a few hundred times,” you shrugged and giggled at his cheesiness. 

“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Harlow, Welcome” The concierge welcomed you, and a waiter came to show you to your table. They had the most beautiful seating reserved for you, a round table in the corner with a “reserved” sign on top of it. You thanked the waiter and sat down, looking over the menu. You both ordered different kinds of stuff to try out together. 

You continued the dinner talking about everything. 

As Jack was paying the bill, you received a text message from Emily. You glanced at it and saw she had sent you a picture. Grace was wearing one of Emily’s shirt that was clearly too big on her, with shades on and a purse around her arm, posing for the camera. You laughed out loud, catching Jack’s attention. You turned your phone around for him to see, and his face lit up. 

“Our little diva,” he said, “takes after her mom,” he added and winked at you, causing you to playfully roll your eyes at him. You thanked the waiter for everything, Jack making sure to tip generously, and walked out to the car. 

“damn, I ate too much. Can’t wait to get home,” you exclaimed as you leaned in the seat.

“Well, sorry to disappoint, but I have other plans,” Jack said and glanced your way, noticing the confused expression. 

“You’ll see,” he said, resting his free hand on your thigh. You had no idea where Jack was driving. He made a quick stop at a gas station and came out with a bag of drinks and snacks for the both of you, making you even more confused. Jack was laughing at all of your guesses, which were wrong. After a few minutes of driving and chit-chatting, you arrived at your destination. Jack parked the car in front of a beautiful scenery. 

“Like old times,” he said and kissed your cheek. When you first started dating, Jack would pick you up, and you two would have small road trips before stopping somewhere, just sitting in the car, talking, and hanging out. 

“Wow Jack, this is niiiiiice,” you squealed and leaned into his arm, squeezing it gently.

“Is this where you came to hook up with all of your exes?” you teased him, making him playfully gasp. 

“I would never bring my wife to my old hookup spots,” he said and put a hand on his heart, acting offended. 

“mhm, really” you rolled your eyes, not believing him. 

“You see that tree over there?” He asked and pointed to a big tree a few feet away “Now that. That was the spot.” he said, nodding proudly. You playfully hit his arm, and both of you burst out in laughter. 

It started to get too cold, and the blankets Jack had brought with him didn’t keep the cold away. Also, you really wanted to get out of the dress and cuddle your husband, so you both decided to get home. 

“You know we got the whole house for ourselves,” Jack said as soon as you opened the front door. He hugged you from behind and kissed you on the neck, making you lean your head against his chest. 

“Oh, we do, don’t we,” you said gently and turned around to meet him for a kiss. You backed away and took off your heels, groaning in relief. Jack leaned down and kissed you again, resting his hands on your ass. 

“Go wait for me in the bedroom,” he said against your lips, slapping your ass as you walked away from him. You quickly took off your clothes and laid down under the covers waiting for Jack, who’d just gone to the bathroom. You grabbed your phone to quickly check up on Grace and Emily. 

You - How’s it going? 

Em - She’s asleep. I tucked her in an hour ago.

Me - Perfect, thank you again. Love you 

Em - Go be with your husband, bro. 

Me - I’m waiting…. He’s in the bathroom. 

Em - Go have more babies. I’m keeping this one

You giggled at her last message and just as you were about to answer, Jack came to the room, only in his boxers.

“What are you giggling about” he asks climbing on top of the bed

“Em is saying we should get more babies” you told him as he starts kissing your neck, taking the phone from your hands, putting it on the bedside table.

“Hmm I agree. Let’s start trying” he smirked and rubbed his hands over your body. This is going to be a long night you thought and moaned as he started kissing your neck again.

[tkeyahwrotethis]

You got designer shades just to hide your face & you wear 'em around like you're cooler than me.

One day while my boyfriend was at work, he texted me asking if I could pick up this special herb he likes that his friend grows and sells. I didnt have anything planned that day so I drove out to his friend’s apartment. I didnt have his phone number so I just knocked on his door the old-fashioned way & a beautiful man answered the door. I think we immediately started sizing each other up, making me blush. Hey! I’m just here for Matt’s usual, I finally spoke up. Still looking me up and down, Matt’s girl… interesting I never would have guessed that. I started feeling embarrassed I thought to myself, Am I not my man’s type? I just shrugged it off yeah that’s me… with a little nervous giggle. We exchanged info just in case I needed to place an order I wouldn’t have to go through my bf I could hit his line directly. 

My boyfriend and I had a picture-perfect relationship, and yet… “Jay Rivera” would text me every other week to come over to his place for one reason or the other. I wouldn’t call myself popular on any level, I have a few close friends. But Jay Rivera was painfully popular. I dont really know why he liked having me around so much but it always feels nice to be seen by popular boys. One night we were watching one of those Netflix stand-up comedies on his couch and he was laughing so hard at a part where there was no joke. So I was like what’s so funny? Looking at his phone He told me your boyfriend is outside for his order, does he know where you are? I felt SICKKKK I started crying I was like he can’t know I’m here wtf am I going to do?? he was just laughing so casually telling me to hide somewhere in the house. I scrambled and hid in his closet I heard my boyfriend come in they chopped it up for a few minutes and then my man left. Jay Rivera retrieved me from the closet, the coast is clear he said smiling at me. I rolled my eyes at him. I softly tell Jay Rivera we aren’t even doing anything wrong so why am I hiding in your closet? Why is this so wrong? He was too amused and just jumped over the couch and laid down. Then he turned over on his stomach telling me he’s sore. I started rubbing on his back and I whispered to him I think I need to break up with my boyfriend. He was like yeah I think so too. 

The relationship was going amazingly well but it was very private. I’m sure people suspected but we never confirmed anything because I had just gotten out of a relationship. One night he threw a house party and it turned into a secret cult wedding. I wasn’t prepared but they adopted me into their pack. They’re werewolves. Their popularity makes so much sense, everyone having distinct roles in the friend group, not to mention the physique. Immediately after the wedding was over and the party dissipated, Jay became controlling and abusive. 

Now people knew we were an item so it was like people were always watching. I felt like I had to protect my image, and his. I have no idea why. I should have exposed him but I never did. He was always overly friendly with other women and possibly cheating on me. He was still so popular. I felt like I was the problem so I tried to be extra kind to him that only made him more aggressive towards me. Now the house parties were stressful, girls giggling and whispering at my expense probably because they're having a piece of what’s mine. I decided to ice him out I just stopped talking to him around the house & withholding affection from him. I wanted him to feel the shift in the house. I told him if you’re getting pussy from someone else you dont need mine. I started making some new girl friends. I never told them about what was going on at home but at least I could party outside the house. I started feeling like myself again. 

I came home a little tipsy one night and Jay Rivera was upset for whatever reason. He tried to initiate sex with me and of course, I shut that shit down and shoved him. He grabbed me and pulled me in closer shoving his tongue down my throat. I turned my head and kept trying to get him off me and he forced himself into me for hours. I didnt speak to him at all the next day and despite my ignoring him he kept making advances at me for conversation screaming at me “I SAID HOWS YOUR DAY?” & this was just my reality. Acting like things are amazing around the pack, and getting my pussy abused at home privately. 

My friends were my escape. I loved them we talked on the phone, we hung out frequently and we went to the club every weekend. Jay couldn’t stand me being happy away from him, even though he was the one cheating. If I got my nails done he would pin me down and break my nails or bite them off. If I did my hair before going out he would mess up my hair and force himself inside of me right before I walked out the door ultimately causing me to cancel with my girls. He’d mess up my makeup and break my makeup. If I laid out my outfit he would rip it so I had nothing to wear and force himself on me if I tried to argue with him about how he’s treating me. 

I figured I’d invite my “pack” over while I was getting dressed because he never hurts me in front of people and for a few months I was safe and partying and happy again. Of course, he caught on and when my friends came over he would be walking around in his boxers or a towel. He started insinuating to my friends that he and I were open to having 3somes and that we were in an open relationship (we were not). It started making me feel insecure and I became distant with my friends.

I decided to work on my fitness and planned on running away from him because he wouldn’t divorce me & he always threatened me if I tried to leave. Every day I ran a trial route. I worked on my time getting faster and faster. I’m still in my marriage and honestly not every day is shitty, and it might sound insane to try to outrun a wolf but I never said I was a sane person. All I can do is try to get faster and stronger every day until I can be free from him. 

TO BE CONTINUED!!

[grailfinders]

Fate & Phantasms Viewers' Choice #13: Nero (DMC V)

today on Fate and Phantasms we’re going for some Smokin’ Sexy Style by playing D&D as Nero Nolastname, that guy with the really cool theme music. Now if you’ll give me a sec, I have to smack my head against a wall a couple times to make sure I’ve completely forgotten anything about the Tulok video so this build can be original. as original as building an existing character can be, anyway.

okay, we’re back. that’s the magic of text-based fiction! so, Nero’s mostly an Ascendant Dragon Monk to get a collection of cool arms that also let him set up some ridiculous combos going, as well as a Samurai Fighter to improve his healing factor and take those combos to even sillier levels. finally, he’s a Fiend Warlock, because… that’s literally how his bloodline works. bang bang bang, pull his devil trigger, and so on.

Check out his build breakdown below the cut, or his character sheet over here!

Race and Background

I know Aasimar are traditionally ½ celestial and you’re only ¼ demon, but screw it, Fallen Aasimar. that gives you +2 Wisdom and +1 Dexterity, as well as Celestial Resistance to radiant and necrotic damage, Darkvision up to 60’, and Healing Hands so you can touch yourself for a little boost. seriously, he has a hand that does that. arguably he has a lot of hands that do that, but he has one hand made for it, is the point I’m tryna make. he’s also a Light Bearer for the light cantrip, and at level three his Celestial Revelation will teach him how to make a Necrotic Shroud. that makes him look all creepy, forcing a charisma save on nearby enemies or they get frightened. also, once per turn you can add your proficiency bonus in Necrotic Damage to an attack or spell. it’s not quite what it used to be, but turning into a pseudo-demon is still plenty fun.

finally, Nero was a member of a holy order of knights, but I’m also in the middle of making the faerie knights while writing this and so I’m sick to death of giving builds the knight of the order background, so Nero will have to make due with the Soldier background instead for proficiency in Athletics and Intimidation. video games are like 90% fighting anyway, right?

Ability Scores

first up is Dexterity- move fast baby, don’t be slow. after that is Constitution- devils are unsurprisingly not gentle- that’s why they cry. third up is Charisma, because that’s how you get magic from demons. (You also end a five-game-long blood feud in a single fight, which must be a high roll.) your Wisdom isn’t that great- I’m not knocking Nero’s vision, but when your theme music is constantly blaring everywhere you go it’s going to drown out a lot of noise. your Strength also isn’t anything to write home about- I know Nero can fling cars around, but we only have so many points and it’s not necessary for the build. speaking of things that aren’t needed for the build, Intelligence. you have a lot of robot hands, but you didn’t make ‘em.

Class Levels

1. Monk 1: if you want to run around in just a coat and not die, monk’s a pretty good choice. starting off, your Unarmored Defense adds your wisdom to your AC as long as you’re not wearing armor, hence the name.

you also learn some Martial Arts, letting you attack using your fists or monk weapons using dexterity instead of strength, and also dealing at least 1d4 of damage, which grows as you level up. no, you don’t start with end game equipment. finally, you can make an unarmed attack as a bonus action.

one last thing- you’re proficient in Strength and Dexterity saves, as well as Acrobatics to ride on your own hand easier and Religion because you’re the grandson of the guy people made a religion about.

2. Monk 2: second level monks get Ki points equal to their monk level per short rest, which you can spend to do cool demon stuff like dashing, disengaging, dodging, or attacking twice as a bonus action. you’ll also get more uses for it later as your devil breaker collection grows.

you also get some extra slick reaction times thanks to your Unarmored Movement. As long as you’re not wearing armor, you gain an extra 10 feet of movement speed, which also grows as you level up.

Finally, you can gain access to your longsword (once you have proficiency in it) using your Dedicated Weapon. If you spend a rest with a weapon that isn’t two-handed or heavy, you can turn it into a monk weapon.

3. Monk 3: At level three, your devil breaker arsenal explodes after you learn some new tricks from an Ascendant Dragon. Or demon, either or. Like any monk you can Deflect Missiles, blocking ranged attacks and possibly counterattacking if you reduce the incoming damage to 0.

More importantly you become a Draconic Disciple, giving you three bonuses. You can make your Draconic Presence known when you fail an Intimidation or Persuasion check, using your reaction to re-roll the check. Once you succeed this way, you can’t use it again for a day.

You can also make a Draconic Strike, changing the damage type of your unarmed strikes to acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison. As far as I’m aware devil triggers usually only come in fire and lightning as far as we are aware, but there’s nothing wrong with staying flexible. you also get the Tongue of Dragons, letting you learn Abyssal for free.

Finally, you can use the Breath of the Dragon as part of your attack action, replacing one attack with a cone or line of energy of one of the types listed above, dealing two martial arts dice in damage to everything that fails their Dexterity save in the area. You can use this proficiency times per day for free, or by spending two ki points. Having to break your arm to use your most powerful attacks may be annoying, but you always have a spare.

so: lightning spread for Overture, fire line for Gerbera, fire spread for the Mega Buster, and probably poison spread for the Monkey Business. you have no idea how long those bananas have been sitting there.

4. Monk 4: fourth level monks get their first Ability Score Improvement, so bump up that Dexterity for better dodging and faster sword-swinging. you can also Slow Fall now, making it less risky to pull off those mid-air combos. you also get Quickened Healing, letting you patch yourself up as an action by spending ki points.

5. Monk 5: fifth level monks get an Extra Attack, making your combo game even better, as well as letting you turn those attacks into Stunning Strikes. now you can add a stun to your lightning punches to really start a symphony of pain. plus, if you juust miss an attack you can use some ki points to get Focused Aim, helping you bring up your attack roll by spending more ki points. dropping combos suck, don’t do it.

6. Fighter 1 your combo game is almost legendary enough, but it needs something… more. bouncing over to fighter will help. first, you get a Dueling fighting style, as well as proficiency with a longsword, to really crank up your damage. you could wield a longsword with two hands, but since ol’ righty’s busy not existing I’ll just assume you’re doing it with one.

you also get a Second Wind so you can heal up once per short rest as a bonus action. healing is good, especially when the alternative is death.

7. Fighter 2: second level fighters can make an Action Surge once per short rest, really giving you that smokin’ sexy style you’re known for. with this, your extra attack, and your bonus action, you can pile on up to six hits in a single turn, mixing between your sword, unarmed attacks, and maybe even some dragon breath if you want to mix things up.

8. Fighter 3: at level three you become a Samurai, kind of, giving you proficiency in Persuasion. that war in your family is going to take a pretty high DC check to stop, better start training now.

you can also use your Fighting Spirit as a bonus action for five temporary HP and advantage on all weapon attacks this round. so when you want to go all out, you can either go for flurries of robo-punches, or a revved up sword blender- as the situation warrants.

9. Monk 6: now that we’ve got your combos down, let’s get a lot cooler. your Ki-Powered Strikes make your unarmed attacks magical, because… yeah, of course they are, they’re magical robot arms.

also we finally get to the punchline with Wings Unfurled letting you hop on your robot arm and get a flying speed equal to your walking speed proficiency times per day when you use your step of the wind. I’d definitely say flying 90’ in a round was worth the wait.

10. Warlock 1: I’m sure a couple of you have noticed by now- we don’t have a gun! I mean we technically do if you want a hand crossbow from fighter, but that doesn’t really work with our monk stuff, so… let’s get one that leaves our hands free for fighting anyway.

as a Fiend warlock, you have the Dark One’s Blessing, giving you a more long-term healing factor. every time you take a creature to 0 HP, you get temporary HP equal to your Charisma modifier plus your warlock level. right now that’s only 2 every kill, but it’ll get better as we go, don’t worry.

you also gain Pact Magic, letting you cast a few spells every short rest using your Charisma. grab Lightning Lure for your first grapply hand, Hellish Rebuke to keep the pressure up even when its not your turn, Hex to really pile on the style, and of course, Eldritch Blast for your hand cannon. since we waited so long to get this, you can fire off two shots in an action now, or three next level.

speaking of…

11. Warlock 2: second level warlocks get Eldritch Invocations, and for once we’re not grabbing improved pact weapon right away. first off, Agonizing Blast adds your charisma modifier to all eldritch blast attacks, making your hand canon more of a canon. second, Grasp of Hadar means your blasts are pulling double duty, both as your gun and your grapplehand. once a turn, you can pull a creature you hit with Eldritch Blast closer to you by 10’.

there really isn’t another first level spell I want, but Witch Bolt is pretty consistent, especially given how easy it is for you to catch up to people.

12. Monk 7: now that all the pieces of your offensive kit are finally together, we can focus on defense a bit. now you know Evasion, making your dexterity saves one step better than most people’s. i-frames are just silly, man. also your Stillness of Mind lets you end effects charming or frightening you as an action. most demons are completely immune, and even if you’re only part demon it’s still a solid defense.

13. Monk 8: eighth level monks get another ASI let’s grab the Resilient feat to bump up your Charisma and give you proficiency in Charisma saves. I’m pretty sure you can’t get banished, but let’s make sure of it. it would suck to drag yourself all the way to hell for a fight just to get kicked back to the material plane.

14. Monk 9: ninth level monks get an Unarmored Movement Improvement, letting you run up walls and over water, as long as you end your turn somewhere solid. no word on if this lets you hop on enemy’s heads like Mario, but that sounds cool enough I’d allow it.

15. Monk 10: tenth level monks have a Purity of Body, which means you can’t be diseased or poisoned. you run around some pretty nasty places when you fight, best not to worry about the sewer water in your cuts.

16. Monk 11: eleventh level monks have an Aspect of the Wyrm you can activate once a day for a minute as a bonus action. this creates a 10’ radius aura that either makes you frighten a creature in this area once a turn, a minute per creature, or you can give your allies resistance to one of the five elemental choices from earlier. demons are tough, you are demon, do the math.

I know I said this was once a day, but you can also do it again by spending three ki points.

17. Warlock 3: okay, basics down, you’re tough as hell, you combo good- lets make the sword a little spicier. the Pact of the Blade makes your longsword magical, and you can use an action to summon it out of the ether. you can make the sword yourself, or turn any magical weapon into your pact weapon, your choice.

also grab Earthbind to drag flying enemies to the ground. you can go up to them, or they can come to you. again, your choice.

18. Warlock 4: for our last ASI, bump up your Charisma again for stronger shots, more health per kill, and to just look cooler when you hit stuff.

you also get Blade Ward for resistance to physical damage types for a round because god knows you didn’t have enough damage types to block, as well as Misty Step. I know you’re already fast enough that this barely helps, but flash stepping is still cool. that, and sometimes you don’t want to break a window to get in. you’re not Dante, after all.

19. Warlock 5: fifth level warlocks get third level spells like Spirit Shroud for the most spice a sword can handle. now you can deal radiant, necrotic, or cold damage on your sword, (none of which account for it catching fire, admittedly) and you slow enemies and prevent them from healing while in the area. it’s not quite witchtimey enough to be Ragtime, but there’s only so many levels we can throw into magic.

you also get an Improved Pact Weapon, finally, so you can use your sword to cast your spells, and it’s a +1 blade to boot.

20. Warlock 6: for our final level you get the Dark One’s Own Luck for the ultimate in protagonist powers- once a short rest, you can add a d10 to a check or save before you find out how well you did. some fights are literally just save after save after save, best come prepared.

speaking of saves, the best saves to make are the ones you don’t have to roll. grab Counterspell to make that dream a reality. I know Nero can’t completely negate attacks in game, so just chalk this up to his improbable dodging skills.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

so first off, the big one. you’re fast as hell, with 50’ of movement speed, the ability to run up walls, and you can fly. flying monks are terrifying, just look at how many tables straight up banned Aarakocras before they got nerfed literally into the ground.

you also deal good damage, a lot of it, very quickly, in a lot of different flavors. use hex or spirit shroud to add a little damage to every attack, then make six in a single turn while also switching up your damage type on every unarmed strike- it’s like a rainbow of pain. a painbow, if you will. if something has a weakness, you will know. if they have a resistance, you can avoid it.

speaking of, you have a lot of resistances, making you surprisingly hard to kill. you can block elements, holy and unholy damage, physical strikes- if you know what you’re fighting, you can fight it for a lot longer. on top of that, you can heal yourself in multiple ways, including when you kill something or when you’re about to kill something. which is 90% of the time.

Cons:

this build is pretty MAD, and I’m not just talking about the darkness of night falling around your soul. no, I mean Multi-Ability Dependent. we need dexterity for your sword and ac, constitution to not die, wisdom to multiclass, and charisma for your gun and grapples. that’s a lot, and its why we couldn’t get more fun punching stuff like Crusher to really sell your super strength.

you also have to manage multiple resources at once, most of which have some pretty tight limits. you’ve got three fighting spirits per day, plus 11 ki and two spells per short rest. Nero takes a pretty big brain to play, even if he has negative intelligence.

while flexibility is the name of your game, you do have a couple skills that require you to lock in what you’re doing ahead of time. if you use hex or spirit shroud you’re probably not going to use dragon breath for a while. if you use Aspect of the Wyrm you’d best know exactly what kind of enemy you’re going up against, or you just wasted your resistance. it’s not the end of the world since most of the time demons are either one-note or your dad, but it’s something to keep in mind.

[walkingintheheartbreaksatellite]

Flicker Chapter 3- You And Me

My first day back home started as it usually did.

I'm back at work after a quick breakfast of coffee and I already have a busy day. It's only 5:30.

I'm currently recording for one of my own characters, working along side the director and someone I've known for years, Colleen.

"Great job, Em. I think this is good work. We can wrap this up for today. Oh, your phone is going off too."

I nod and yawn as I stretch before taking off my headphones and grabbing my coffee before making my way out of the recording booth and into the sound room. I take a seat next to her as we watch the playback and I look at my phone.

It was a text. From Niall.

Charming 'Tato💚🥔

Good morning, Em! Hope you slept well.

I'm back in LA now! Dinner? Tonight? Maybe 6:30? I'll pick you up! Unless you think I'm a crazy psycho and would rather meet me there...

I giggle at my phone and I begin to type of a reply when Colleen clears her throat, causing me to look up and see her smiling with a brow raised.

"What are you over there giggling for, missy moo?"

I bite my lip, considering my options of trying to hide or be honest and face being made fun of.

"Um... I have a date?"

Her eyes and smile widen before they drop after a second.

"Wait... did you meet them on Tinder? You know those dating apps are no good. Lots of creeps."

I giggle and shake my head.

"Actually... I met him when I was visiting my cousin. He's from Ireland but he spends a lot of his time in the UK and the states because of his job. And he's back in LA and he wants to go to dinner."

Her eyebrows stay raised and she folds her arms and I sigh.

"Colleen, it's fine. I've seen his face and we've already gone out before. We spent an entire day together. He's really sweet, definitely not a creep. So just trust me, okay?"

She sighs and nods and I go back to my phone.

Hey Niall! I slept very well, thanks! Hope you did too! Dinner tonight? Sounds great! And of course you can pick me up, I'll text you my address. Dress code?

I put my phone back down and finish up with Colleen before I head to my office to work on some scheduling. I take a seat at my desk, my phone lying face up on the other side of my keyboard when I see another message pop up.

Charming 'Tato💚🥔

Maybe a bit dressy. I got us reservations at the Providence for 6:45 and then maybe we could take a walk after we eat? The streets are covered in lights, thought it might be nice to walk along.

I smile and bite my lip, nodding to myself, and out of the corner of my eye, I see my office mate, Caitlin come in with Colleen following behind her and they close the door behind them.

I text Niall back but I can feel their eyes on me as they chat.

Sounds fun! Can't wait!

I text him my address before putting my phone down and turning my attention to my desk top.

"Did you two need something? I can feel your eyeballs burning a hole in my head."

Colleen laughs and Caitlin snickers and shakes her head.

"No, we were just talking and Colleen mentioned that you said you had a date."

I sigh and rub my eyes before turning to them.

"I know it's like hell froze over. It's still very new to me but I really like him. But I'm just waiting to see how it goes, Kay? I don't want to get my hopes up and jinx myself before anything actually happens. So when I'm ready, I'll talk about him."

They nod and then they're both quiet for a second before Caitlin brings something up.

"Did you tell Zach? Or Aleks?"

Shit.

I sigh and shake my head and they both sigh, Colleen shaking her head.

"You should at least tell Zach before he goes all over protective big brother on you. Because you know he will."

I nod and mumble to myself.

"Especially when he finds out who..."

I sigh and stand up, grabbing my phone and tucking it into my back pocket of my jeans.

"Is he still here? Guess I should go talk to him."

Caitlin nods.

"Studio 4. I think he's in there with Aleks. They're recording some extras for Justin."

I nod and thank her before waving to them, opening the door and heading over to studio 4. I quietly enter the sound room and I see Justin in there chatting with Zach and Aleks. Their attention turns to me and I give them a small smile as I close the door behind me.

Aleks gets up from his seat on the table and comes over to me, giving me a side hug.

"There you are. I was wondering when I was gonna see you since I guess I missed you at home."

I nod and purse my lips.

"Okay I'm gonna tell you guys something but you can't freak out on me. Justin, this isn't really gonna affect you but you're welcome to stay."

Justin laughs and the other to raise a brow at me and I take a deep breath before telling them.

"Okay I kind of have a date tonight and he's picking me up at home. No questions, but be nice if you happen to answer the door. Kapish?"

Aleks just nods but Zach frowns.

"Im not sure how I feel about you going on a date. How well do you even know this guy? Or girl I don't know. But how do you know they aren't a douche bag kind of person? I think-"

I clear my throat, taking a deep breath to keep my cool before responding to him.

"Zach. I love you. You're my best friend and my brother. But I'm a big girl and I can take care of myself. So please trust me, okay? He's not like that, I promise. He's very kind and he's funny, he's compassionate and I like being around him and talking to him. And if things go well, he will be a constant figure in my life. And so are you. So please? Just trust me."

He sighs and nods.

"But I want to meet him and check him out first before you leave, are we clear?"

I smile and nod and he sighs and comes over to my other side, giving me a side hug.

We chat for a bit until we all part ways. The rest of the day goes by pretty fast, I record a few sessions for myself for new episode releases as well as direct a few until I finally decide to wrap it up and go home at about 4:30.

The second I get home, I put my stuff away and take a shower, making sure to shave before I get out and blow dry my hair. I slip on my robe before I leave the bathroom and head into my room, locking the door behind me so no one walks in on me changing.

I put up my hair before putting a clip in the back to hold it and then do my make up before finally getting dressed. I look down at my phone and I see the time. 6:20.

I stand up, slipping on my heels and grabbing my purse and my phone before leaving my bedroom, shutting the door behind me. I hear muffled voices in the living room as I walk down the stairs,  leaving the stairs and making my way to see who the voices belonged to.

"What are your intentions with her? I just want to make sure you're-"

"Well-"

"Please don't listen to him. He's just being an asshole. Zach you know Em's gonna kill-"

I step into the living room, and everyone goes quiet.

"Just what is going on down here?"

Zach is standing across from Niall, who looks confused, with his arms crossed and a pout on his face, meanwhile Jenny and Aleks look about ready to beat the shit out Zach.

"Zach. I thought we talked about this. You're going to stay out of this part of my life and you're going to be polite. Now apologize to Niall for whatever stupid shit you were about to say."

He sighs and Niall puts a hand on the small of my back and I turn to him to see him smiling at me.

"Emily, it's fine. He's just worried about ya, no harm done and no need fer an apology."

I sigh and turn my attention back to Zach.

"Introduce yourself. Properly."

He's quiet for a minute before he holds out a hand to Niall, his mouth remaining shut.

I sigh and shake my head and Niall's hand leaves the small of my back, shaking Zach's hand with a smile.

"I promise all of you, 'specially you Zach, I will take care of her. I like 'er very much, and I'd like to see her more. And that would mean being around all of you more, which I'd like to be. And I hope we can be friends."

Zach is quiet but he nods, Niall lets his hand go and I let out a sigh I didn't know I was holding in. Jenny takes the silence as a sign and drags Zach and Aleks out of the living room leaving Niall and I alone. I turn to him with a frown visible on my face.

"Niall, I'm so sorry about him, I don't know why he acted like that but-"

Niall shakes his head and takes my hand in his.

"Yer fine, Em. He loves ya and he means well. So don't worry about it. Now where's that beautiful smile, I've missed seein it."

I blush and give him a small smile and his widens and his eyes do as well.

"Oh! I forgot! These.. are for you!"

He holds, in his other hand, a beautiful bouquet of pink roses with baby's breath. I gasp and I can't help but smile as I feel tears threaten to spill.

"Niall.. these are beautiful."

He smiles and shakes his head.

"Not as beautiful as you. I mean look at ya. Absolutely breathtaking. You've got me speechless over here."

He spins me around to get a better look and I hear him whistle, making me blush.

"You're one to talk, you know. You look very.."

I blush and I stutter to say it, making Niall grin.

"Don't be shy around me, Em. Say it."

I groan playfully, lightly shoving his arm with my hand as he laughs.

"You look hot, okay? Very hot. To the point that I don't even understand how I'm still talking. Now, I'm gonna go put these flowers in some water and then maybe we go?"

He chuckles and nods, handing me the bouquet.

I blush and take it from him, walking over to the hutch and pulling out a vase before walking over to the kitchen. I fill the vase and trim the ends of the stems before placing the flowers in the vase and setting it at the kitchen table.

I make my way back into the living room with my bag in hand and Niall smiles and holds out a hand to me. I smile and take it and we head out of the house out to his Range Rover. He unlocks it and lets go of my hand so we can get in.

I open the passenger side door and get in, closing it behind me as Niall gets in on the drivers side. We both buckle up and he starts the car and backs out of the drive way. As he drives, we just talk about what's been going on since we last saw each other.

"How's that new project goin? Ya were tryin t' cast for it, right?"

I giggle and nod.

"Yeah, it's going pretty good. I still have a few more people to cast and then we start recording. Should be exciting!"

He turns to look at me as he drives and flashes me a smile before turning his attention back to the road.

"And what about you? You've been doing some wrap ups for the album and promo for the Voice, right? How's that going?"

His eyes stay on the road as he pulls into the parking lot of the restaurant but he nods.

"Yeah I think it's goin' pretty well. The album is set to release soon and I'm excited. I was on set today fer the voice actually and Kelly wouldn't stop teasin' me. She said I was blushing a lot and kept pokin' fun at me."

I giggle and shake my head as he laughs and parks the car.

"Oh? And why were you blushing?"

His cheeks tint ever so slightly as he turns off the car.

"I had just looked at yer text and saw ya said yes t' dinner... Got a bit excited thinkin' about seein ya..."

I blush but smile as I take his free hand in mine and he turns to me.

"I was excited to see you too. Honestly I was getting teased too. But I really am happy to see you. I um... I really couldn't wait to see you. I left work a little early because I was so excited."

Niall laughs and he smiles and lets go of my hand to open his door. He gets out and I open my door and get out as well, slinging my purse on my shoulder as I close the door. He stands behind the car and locks it and holds out his hand to me with a smile.

I walk around the car and take his hand with a smile and he laces our fingers together. Together we head inside, Niall holds the door open for me and we approach the hostess. She smiles as we come up to the stand.

"Good evening, did you have a reservation?"

Niall nods.

"Yes, it was fer Horan?"

She nods and taps on her tablet a couple time before she nods and grabs two menus. She steps out from behind the podium and gestures to us.

"If you will just follow me, we have your table ready for you, Mr. Horan."

He nods and we follow her through the dining room to our table. She places down the menus and Niall pulls out a chair for me before pulling out his own and we both sit down.

"Your server will be with you shortly to offer wine!"

Niall nods and she walks away and Niall turns his attention to me.

"So I was thinki-"

Just as he started talking, our server walks up.

"Good evening, my name is Riley and I will be your server this evening. May I start you on some wine or Champagne?”

Damn it, I can't drink here.

Niall shakes his head with a smile.

"No thank you. Could we get some water instead?"

Riley nods before they continue.

"And are we ready to order or do we still need a few minutes?"

Niall shakes his head.

"Could we have a few minutes?"

Riley nods and walks off with a smile.

We open our menus and we ultimately decide on splitting a large pasta plate. Riley comes back with our waters and we order before the walk off again. And finally, it's just us. Niall holds his hand open on the table and I take it with a smile, causing his to squeeze it.

"So I was thinkin' after dinner, we could go on a walk? The streets over here are filled with lights and it's pretty when it's dark."

I smile and nod.

"That sounds great. And Niall?"

He stops bouncing his leg and his head shoots up as he hums and I laugh a little.

"You don't have to be nervous. It's just me! Why are you shaking?"

He shrugs with a small smile.

"I've just been really excited t' see y. I really like bein' around ya and talkin' to ya... And I just want everything t' go well... I don't want t-"

Before he can finish, Riley comes over and sets a plate in between us, and it smells heavenly.

"Sorry to interrupt, would you like any cheese?"

They hold a cheese grater and Niall only nods.

They grate some cheese onto the pasta before they place down two sets of silverware.

"Enjoy! Please let me know if you need anything!"

We both nod and they walk off again. It's silent for a minute for we both let out a laugh.

"Please don't be nervous. If you want to keep seeing me, then don't be worried. The feeling is definitely mutual."

He smiles and squeezes my hand before he lets it go. He grabs a set of silverware, handing it to me and I smile as thanks before he grabs his own.

I open the napkin and place it on my lap before I take my fork in my hand and we both dig in.

I take a bite and it just melts in my mouth.

"Mm! Oh my god! I think this is the best Fettuccine Alfredo I've ever had!"

He smiles as he chews with his mouth closed and he nods in agreement. We eat for a bit when all of a sudden I hear a grunt, followed by a cold sensation running down the front of my dress and I shrivel in goosebumps.

I turn my head and there is a busser standing in front of me. He tripped... and something... not sure what, spilled down my dress, seeping through and I can feel the cold from through my bra. The busser bows slightly, seeming very apologetic.

"Oh my goodness! I am so sorry ma'am! I'm so very sorry! I guess I just tripped, I'm am so-"

I shake my head and hold a hand up to him, telling him to stop.

"Please don't apologize, it was just an accident. You're just fine. Please, don't worry about me, I'm fine. But I can see you're soaking wet. Please go make sure you're okay, as well."

He nods and bows once again, apologizing once more before he cleans up what he dropped and walks off to go clean himself up. I turn my attention to Niall, a bit embarrassed but I see worry in his eyes.

"Ya sure yer okay?"

I nod and grab his hand from under the table and lace our fingers together.

"I promise, I'm just fine. It's a bit cold but it will dry. Does it look bad?"

He bites his lip and looks down and I raise an eyebrow.

"Niall?"

He mumbles something and I can't quite hear.

"Can you please speak a little louder? Whatever it is, just say it."

He purses his lips before he nods, but still refuses to look at me.

"I- I can um... see your.. your bra..."

My face reddens and I flinch, letting go of his hand and using mine to try and cover my front.

"Oh my god this is so embarrassing..."

He shakes his head and stands up, taking off his suit coat and covers me in it.

"I'll be back in a minute. 'M gonna go pay fer dinner and then we'll go. Don't want ya' t have to sit like that anymore."

He finally looks me in the eyes and gives me a small smile as I look up at him.  I nod my head and he squeezes my shoulder before he walks off to pay for dinner. After about a minute, he comes back and I stand up, quickly slinging my purse on my shoulder before throwing his coat of my shoulders and hold it close.

Niall places his hand on the small of my back and we walk outside the restaurant. And it's pouring.

We quickly rush through the rain, with very little vision, and we make it to his car and he unlocks it before we both quickly get in. As soon as he's relaxed in his seat, Niall lets out a sigh and he slouches a little in disappointment.

"I guess there goes our walk.. god I wish something would go right.. I just wanted this t' be nice for ya..."

I shake my head and take his hand in mine.

"Niall.. I don't really care what we do. We don't have to do anything fancy, I just want to spend time with you and get to know you. I'm a simple kinda girl. We could do anything and I would be happy."

A small smile finds its way on his face and he turns to me.

"Looks like the streets are startin' to flood a bit and yer house is a bit far, mine is only 5 minutes away... and I happen t' have some drumsticks (the ice cream cone things, not chicken or those used for an actual drum) in the freezer... if yer interested. Maybe a movie too?"

I blush and bite my lip before I nod.

"I'd love to. That sounds a great way to end the night."

He blushes and nods before he starts the car, still holding my hand and he drives to his house.

We pass by a lot of expensive looking houses until we finally arrive at his. He pulls into the driveway and opens the garage with the clicker before he pulls in to the garage and parks the car before he turns it off.

He closes the garage door before he gets out and comes over to my side and opens the door for me.

I smile and get out, nodding to him as a thank you as he closes the door. He takes my hand with a smile and leads me through the large garage into the house. He leads me to the living room and takes me over to the big couch.

"It's a bit big, I know, but make yerself at home. I'll go get the ice cream and we'll watch somethin' ?"

I nod and he smiles before he lets go of my hand and disappears into the kitchen.

I take a seat on the couch and I practically sink in it. He comes back with two ice creams and takes a seat next to me on the long end of the couch. He takes off his shoes and places them on the side before he hands me my ice cream.

"Ya can take yer shoes off if ya want, stay a while. So yer feet don't hurt?"

I smile and nod and take my heels off, placing them down on the floor and then he hands me my ice cream. I open it as he turns on the tv and throw the wrapper in the nearby trash can.

"Anything in particular ya want t' watch? I was thinkin' maybe Star Wars but I wasn't sure what ya liked..."

I smile and nod.

"Star Wars sounds great. The Phantom Menace? Or A New Hope?"

He looks at me in surprise but with a smile on his face. I giggle and sit up a little.

"I have a tattoo on my thigh...hold on I think I have a picture..."

I pull out my phone and surf through my photos for a minute before I find it and turn my phone around to show him.

His eyes widen more but he's still smiling.

"Wow... definitely didn't expect that... But that looks amazing. And honestly, whichever one you want."

I giggle and his eyes soften.

"A New Hope, then?"

I smile and nod and he turns it on. I sit right next to him and as the movie starts, I feel him wrap an arm around my waist and he pulls me closer to him. I blush but I lay my head on his shoulder, allowing myself to relax into him.

I feel him reach behind him and he grabs a blanket from off the couch. He pulls it back and drapes it over the both of us. And so we watch the movie as we eat our ice cream, and somehow I've never felt more comfortable being around anyone.

Before I know it, the credits roll on the tv and I can't help but feel disappointed. I raise my head from Niall's shoulder and he gets up from the couch, walking over to a window to look outside.

"Shit!"

I raise an eyebrow and move the blanket off of me before getting up and walking over to him. I look out the window and see what he's talking about.

"Holy crap, you can't even see the road anymore! I might have to paddle my way home.."

Niall sighs.

" 'M not sure it's the best idea t' drive right now with the roads flooded... Do ya want t' stay the night? I can keep an eye on the roads and take ya home as soon as the roads clear if ya want..."

I think for a minute and all of a sudden, there's a clap of thunder and I flinch, starting to shake almost immediately. Niall wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me into his arms.

"Now why are ya shaking, hm? There's no need to be nervous... it's only me."

I giggle a little and shake my head.

"But seriously. If ya want to stay the night, yer welcome to... Ya can sleep with me.. I mean we don't have t' do anything... just sleep. O-or I've got a few guest rooms ya could use instead... And I can get ya some clothes..."

Before I can respond, there's another clap of thunder and I jump.

"U-um, I can sleep in one of the guests rooms, thank you..."

He nods and takes my hand in his. He leads me up the stairs and opens the 3rd door on the left.

We walk in and it's fairly sized for a guest room.

"Lemme go get ya a change of clothes, I'll just be a minute."

I nod and walk a bit further into the room, looking around. The bed looks freshly made with a soft blanket lying on top. Niall comes back in and he's holding a folded up, plain t shirt and a pair is sweatpants. He holds it out to me and I take it with an appreciative smile.

"Hope that's okay. I tried t' find ya something comfortable."

I shake my head.

"It's perfect, I really appreciate it. Thank you, Niall."

"The guest bathroom is right next door to us on the left and my room is the last door at the end of the hallway. If ya need anything, I'll be in there."

I nod and he smiles.

"Goodnight, I guess. Sweet dreams"

He comes in and steps towards me, before leaning in and he presses a soft kiss to my cheek.

I blush and he pulls away with a smile.

"G' night. Sweet dreams, beautiful."

I nod and he smiles and walks out of the room, and I quietly shut the door behind him. I lean against the door for a minute before finally moving and changing into the clothes he gave me. I quickly take off my dress, laying it on the nearby chair and I slip on the shirt and sweatpants.

I walk over to the bed and I get under the covers and close my eyes. I toss and turn for about a good 20 minutes but I can't seem to relax. The thunder continues to roar outside as it pours and I continue to shake.

I finally decide that I can't do it anymore. I get up from the bed, pushing the covers off before I stand up and make my way to the door. I place a hand on the knob and take a deep breath before opening it and stepping into the hallway.

I tiptoe through the dark hallway, to the last door at the end. The door is cracked open fairly wide and I can see Niall, shirtless might I add, sitting up against the headboard of the large bed with a guitar in hand. I take a quiet deep breath before softly knocking on the door frame. Niall looks up and he shoots me a smile.

"U-um... I'm sorry to bug you, b-but does that offer still stand? I-I can't seem to fall asleep."

His smile widens, full toothy grin as he nods.

" 'Course it is! Come on over!"

He reaches to the side of the bed, placing the guitar on the nearby stand as I walk over to the bed. He turns back around and pulls the covers on the left side back and he pats the spot. I sit down and as soon as I'm on the bed all the way, Niall reaches over and grabs my waist before he pulls me flush against him, so we're both sat up against the headboard.

"My god, yer shaking! What's the matter, hm? Ya seem a little tense. 'Ts not because yer around me, is it?"

I shake my head as I continue to shake.

"N-no, not you. Just the w-weather. It's the sound of t-thunder... It um.. triggers me.. I-I..”

All of a sudden, Niall leans over and presses a kiss to my forehead, and his hand moves from my waist to my back and he begins to rub my back.

"Shhhh, it's okay. Ya don't have t' tell me right now. Tell me when yer ready... Just focus on the sound of my voice..."

He continues to rub my back and I start to relax a bit. I lay my head on his shoulder and he takes the chance to press a couple kisses on the top of my head as I sniffle. The thunder continues to roar outside but it doesn't bug me anymore... I feel safe...

We quietly chat and watch some true crime documentary he had on.

"Hey... Em?"

I hum in response and lift my head up, looking at him. He bites his lip before he looks me in the eyes.

"I... really want t' kiss ya..Can.. can I do that?"

My cheeks flush and I nod. He smiles and leans in and I close my eyes, my lips slightly parted. He presses his lips to mine. They're soft and warm and it's fills my stomach with butterflies. He pulls away a little before he pecks my lips softly a few times and he finally pulls away. I open my eyes and see his cheeks are slightly tinted, as are mine.

We both let out a small giggle and I sit up straighter before turning around to face him all the way. I wrap my arms around his neck and I close my eyes, leaning in. Our lips meet and I sigh into the kiss. His hands find my waist and he wraps his arms around me, pulling me into his.

Our lips cross, again, and again until I can't breathe anymore and I pull away, panting.

Niall moves his hands back to my waist and turns me around and pulls me into his lap before he pulls me into his chest, and he sighs.

I take one of his hands and I lace my fingers through his, squeezes his hand.

"I really like ya... I'm not sure how t' explain it but being with you... I just feel.."

"Relaxed?"

He sighs contently.

"Exactly. I know we haven't been seein each other for long but I feel like I just need t' be close to ya.."

I cuddle into his chest as I relax, and I nod in understanding.

"I feel the same way.. I just feel so safe around you.. and I'm glad.. that you were my first kiss."

He squeezes my hand before he pulls me off his lap, placing me right next to him. He then scoots down the bed a little, laying his head on the pillow at the head of the bed before he takes my hand and pulls me down to him.

I giggle and he smiles as wraps his arms around my waist.

"I am too. Now I think we should get some sleep, ya have work t'morrow don't ya?"

I smile and nod, laying my head on his chest. Niall leans down and pecks my lips my lips a few times and I smile into each kiss.

"G' night beautiful."

I snuggle into his neck and sigh in content.

"Goodnight, Ni."

A hand leaves my waist as he turn out the light, but he quickly resumes his position. I shut my eyes and the pattern of his breathing lulls me to sleep.

I wake up to the sun blaring in my eyes and soft snores coming from the person next to me. Niall. I spent the night. I blink a few times, allowing my eyes to adjust to the sunlight glaring through the curtains. Niall squeezes my waist as his eyes begin to open.

He gives me a sleepy smile and I lean in, pecking his lips softly. I pull away and he hugs me close.

"God yer so addicting. I don't wanna let ya go. Do ya really have t' go to work?"

And then it suddenly dawns on me. Oh right. I have a job. My eyes widen and I quickly shoot up, my hair sticking up everywhere.

"Shit! What time is it?!"

Niall sits up and looks at the clock on his nightstand.

" It's about 9:30."

My eyes widen and I start to panic a little. I reach for my phone on the nightstand and find that I had forgotten to charge it. Shit.

"I had a recording session at 8:30... it's supposed to be a 4 hour session."

Niall nods and stands up, walking over to his large closet and shuts the door, coming out a minute later in a fresh change of clothes.

"Alright, I'll take ya home."

I nod.

"Oh wait. I should probably change back into my dress so I can return these to you."

He shakes his head.

"Keep 'em. I don't mind. And I'll get yer dress cleaned and get it back to ya. Let's just get ya home, okay?"

He holds out his hand to me and I take it with a smile. We walk out of his room and through the hallway before heading down the stairs. Once we reach the living room, I let go of Niall' hand and walk over to where I left my heals. I slip them on and grab my purse.

I walk back over to Niall and we quickly get in the car. It's about a 20 minute drive to my house, and while I'm late for work, I don't want to say goodbye. He pulls into the driveway of my house and parks his car behind mine, and we both let out a sigh.

I turn to him with a sad smile and he sighs.

"Guess I have t' let ya go now, don't I?"

I nod and lean in to peck his lips.

"I'll call you when I find some time to eat, okay?"

He pouts but he nods and I turn to get out of the car but he pulls at my arm.

"Ni-"

He grabs my cheeks and pulls me into a passionate kiss. I blush but I melt into the kiss. He pulls away with a smile and I'm left panting for air.

"Have a good day at work, don't overdo it today and make sure ya eat, okay?"

I nod and peck his lips.

"I promise. Have a good day!"

I open the car and get out before shutting the door. I blow him a kiss and I see him catch it before I run up the driveway, through the pathway and I quickly unlock the door and go inside. The second I close the door, I see Alex and Jenny on the couch watching Bluey. The sound of the door closing stirs their attention to me.

"Hi love you guys I'm late!"

"Hold on just a-"

I quickly run upstairs and into my room, locking the door behind me. I quickly change into some fresh clothes and apply deodorant and some perfume before slipping on some socks and heading back downstairs. Standing by the front door is Zach, his arms folded with a pout on his face.

"Where were you."

I groan and shake my head as I slip on my sneakers that were by the door and I grab my keys.

"None ya. Now I gotta go, I'm late for a session with Kellen. Bye!"

I quickly make my way out the door and get in my car, quickly heading to work. As soon as I get there, I quickly park and lock my car before running inside, zooming passed the front desk and running to my office to find Kellen, in my desk chair talking to Caitlin.

"I am so so sorry I'm late Kel, I'm here now and I promise it won't happen again."

He laughs and shakes his head.

"It's fine. You're here now, should we head to the studio?"

I yawn and nod and we walk over to studio 4, my stomach grumbles but I choose to ignore it.

Niall's POV

After leaving Emily's house, I felt a bit sad, especially as I saw her walk inside and close the door. I miss her...

As I pull out of her drive, I decide to pull through the Drive Thru at Starbucks, just to get some coffee and maybe a croissant and then I remembered.

Emily's work is on my way to the studio...

I pull into the drive thru and roll down my window when I get to the speaker box.

"Welcome to Starbucks, my name is Alex, what can I get started for you this morning?"

"G'mornin Alex. Could I get a venti Double Chocolate Chip frappe and um... what would ya recommend getting someone ya don't know too well yet?"

"Um I would say if they have a sweet tooth, a Caramel Ribbon Crunch frappe is always a good route to go."

"Could I get a venti of one of those, please? And then 2 Bacon Sausage Egg wraps and 2 chocolate cake pops?"

"That'll be $26.74 at the window."

"Thank you!"

I drive up to the window and quickly pay and as soon as I have everything, I drive off. After about 5 minutes, I pull into the parking lot and park in the first open spot I see. I sort through the bags before grabbing her drink and my keys, getting out of the car before locking it.

I approach the building, double checking that I'm at the right place. I would assume so since the sign says Crunchyroll HQ. I walk in and approach the young woman sitting at the front desk. She looks up and smiles at me.

"Good morning! Welcome to Crunchyroll! Do you have an appointment to see anyone?"

I shake my head.

"I'm actually here to see my um- my girlfriend? Emily?"

The woman shakes her head and starts to say something when someone interrupts.

"It's okay Jess, he's good. I'll take him."

I turn and find the owner of the voice to be Jenny. Jess nods at her and she goes back to what she was doing.

"I'll take you to her Niall. She's just doing some recording."

I smile and nod. I start to follow her and she starts a conversation.

"So did you guys have fun last night? She was in a bit of a hurry this morning so I didn't really get to talk to her."

She laughs and I nod, laughing with her.

"Yeah, I did at least. I felt bad for making her late though so I thought I might swing by on my way to the studio and bring her some breakfast."

We approach a door and she turns to face me and she smiles.

"That's sweet of you, I'm sure she'll love that! Lemme stick my head in and see if they're in the middle of recording. She always forgets to turn the light on so you never know."

I know and she quietly opens the door and sticks her head in.

Emily's POV

I've been sat in the studio, recording lines with Kellen for about 45 minutes when I hear a creak from the door. I turn my head and see Jenny poking her head in, trying to get my attention. I turn the speaker on, deciding to take a break.

"Hey Kel, why don't we take like a ten minute break?"

He nods and takes off his headphones and sets them down before he comes in to the main room and sees Jenny.

"Oh hey Jen, what's up?"

She waves and shakes her head.

"So sorry to interrupt, Em, you have a visitor, I'm gonna let him in, kay? Alright glad you said yes I'm going now."

I raise a brow in confusion, as does Kellen and Jenny disappears behind the door. The door opens again, revealing Niall. My face lightens and I stand up, walking over to him once he's inside. He holds his arms out to me and I walk into them, instantly relaxing. His arms wrap around me and I look up at him.

"Ni! What are you doing here?! Not that I'm not really happy to see you, I'm just- confused I guess.."

He laughs before he leans down and kisses my nose.

"Just felt bad fer makin' ya late, so I thought I might bring ya some coffee and breakfast on my way t' the studio."

I blush and smile but that quickly drops when I hear someone clear their throat.

Oh right. Kellen.

I blush and let go of Niall and he laughs.

"Um.. Kellen, this is Niall, my um.. friend. Niall, this is Kellen."

Kellen snorts and shakes his head.

"Yeah, you're 'friend'."

He says as he makes quotations in the air.

"It's nice to meet ya man, take care of her. She's scary when she's mad."

I scoff and the two men laugh.

"I'm gonna step out for a few minutes, leave you two be. But I'd suggest keepin the clothes on, there's cameras in here."

My face turns bright red as Kellen laughs and steps out, leaving Niall and I alone. I take his head and lead him over to the chairs by the sound equipment, and we both sit down.

He hands me a frappe and a Starbucks bag.

"Wasn't sure what ya liked so I hope this is okay."

I open the straw and plop it into the cold drink before taking a sip and sighing at the taste.

"This is perfect. This is actually my favorite drink from there."

He smiles and takes my free hand in his, squeezing it.

"That's a relief. Guess I should let ya get back to it."

I smile and set my drink down before we both stand up.

"I'll walk you out."

I grab his hand squeezing it tight and he chuckles but nods. We leave the recording room, hands held tight and we head down to the front, but Niall asks to see my office, so we make a pit stop there.

We approach my office and we walk in, Niall taking a seat on the couch before he pats the spot next to him. I giggle and sit next to him, cuddling into him. I lay my head on his shoulder and close my eyes for a minute when the door and I hear a laugh. I look up to find Caitlin shaking her head.

"Totally not jinxing yourself right now."

I flip her off and she laughs and grabs something of her desk before leaving and closing the door behind her. Niall laughs and I sigh.

He stands up and holds his hand out to me and I take it with a small smile. We walk out of my office and I can't help but feel my heart break more and more the closer we get to the front. We pass by the front desk and I wave to Jess.

"Hey, I'll be back in a few minutes, if anyone is looking for me, tell them I died or something."

She snorts and nods and Niall and I walk outside.

We walk hand in hand out to his car and he unlocks it. He then turns to me and pulls me into a hug and he kisses the top of my head. I sigh and hug him back, afraid to let go. He rubs my back and kisses my head a few more times until he has to pull away and I pout.

He lifts my chin up with a finger so I'm looking into his eyes.

"Cmon, ya know ya gotta get back t' work. So do I. I don't wanna leave ya either... But I'll see ya more, okay? Can ya hang in there fer me, Petal?"

I blush and nod and he smiles and leans in, softly pecking my lips.

He lets me go and gets in his car before he rolls down the window and I lean on his car. I lean in and peck his lips one more time before I pull away and I lightly hit his car door.

"Fine, leave me if you must. Drive safe and text me when you get there?"

He nods and smiles.

"I'll call ya when I'm on my break!"

I nod and blow him a kiss before he rolls up his window and drives off.

For the rest of the day, we text back and forth, minus the phone call we had when I went and got some lunch and I fell asleep on the phone with him.

All day the next day, we continue to text, though we're both too busy to call. When I get home, I'm finally able to relax and kick my feet up to watch some tv when I get a phone call.

Incoming call from Charming 'Tato💚🥔

I smile seeing his cheesy contact name and our photo that we took on our first date.

Without even thinking, I answer and hold the phone up to my ear.

"Well hello there, handsome!"

He chuckles into the phone and I can practically hear his smile.

"Hey Petal! How's my girl doin?"

I sigh and sink into the couch at the sound of his voice.

"Much better now that I'm home and talking to you."

He chuckles and my smiles widens.

"Well, what if I asked what you were doin tomorrow after work?"

I hum and pull open my calendar to check the date.

"February 1st? I don't think I'm doing anything. Why?"

He hums through the phone before he asks another question.

"Do ya have t' work on the 2nd?"

I giggle and shake my head.

"No, now what are you planning mister?"

He chuckles into the phone.

"I wanna take ya somewhere tomorrow night. But it's in Palm Springs. And ya might want t' pack an overnight bag..."

I giggle and twirl a strand of hair around my finger as I talk to him.

"Yeah? Are you gonna tell me where we're going?"

He hums into the phone again.

"Nah. Guess yer gonna have t' be surprised. I'll pick ya up at her place at about 4? Wear somethin cute and comfy."

I smile, butterflies already starting to form in my stomach.

"Alright fine, don't tell me. You're lucky you're cute."

He lets out a loud laugh and I smile more.

"Guess I am pretty lucky then. Can't wait t' see ya Petal. But it's gettin late and you've got work in the mornin. I'll let ya go."

I smile but sigh.

"I hate when you're right. Alright, I'll go to bed, especially if I'm gonna be leaving early. Goodnight Ni."

I can practically picture his smile as he tells me goodnight and we end the call. I decide to do the wise thing and I march upstairs to my room and get right into bed, closing my eyes, anticipating seeing him again.

WC 8079

Taglist!

@be-with-me-so-happily @swiftmendeshoran @buffysimonriley @fruitmansrecs @violetsandfluff @cherryscinema

If I missed you, please let me know!

[fivenightsatfreddysfanfiction]

Afton-Herrera Moments 2

Alex shows a few cracks under pressure.

TW: mentions of self-harm

-----------------

Date: Unknown Location: Somewhere in Florida

.

Something soft and white thumped Router in the forehead as he entered the den of the mercenary base. He scrabbled to catch the offending object, already irritated with his morning thus far.

“What the fuck, man?! What is this?!” he snapped, tracking the trajectory of the thing tossed at him back to Panther, the older man just lounging in his chair with his feet up on the coffee table and attention on the rickety television nearby.

“Ya left a mess by the bathroom sink last time, so I figured you were out of stock,” Panther huffed, gesturing idly in Router’s direction, “Next time, wrap up before you drip all over the place. Making Medic twitchy makes it hard to keep ‘em under control.”

Router blinked in confusion before looking down at the object in his hands. His cheeks colored upon recognizing the roll of bandaging gauze. So much for making sure he’d cleaned up all evidence…

“What, not gonna try and talk me out of doing it again?” he spat out, stress rising both at being discovered and at what his partner’s response could be. Panther just snorted.

“I ain’t your dad, punk. Do whatever the fuck you want; it’s your life. Just don’t make a mess that’ll make my weapons twitchy and keep your stock up through the supply drops,” he retorted and waved a hand dismissively at Router before reaching for his bottle of beer. “Give me a head’s up if you plan on dropping dead so I know to turn down any clients looking for your skill set,” he added as an afterthought.

Router just stared at him for a bit, then laughed, shaking his head. “Nah, I’m not that fucked in the head. Just a lil something for a hit of a high that doesn’t dull my brain,” he replied, pocketing the roll as he went to join the other mercenary. Panther passed him a bottle of his own and the hacker grabbed it before tossing himself back onto the couch. He smiled to himself as he opened it.

How refreshing, to have someone acknowledge his control over himself and not argue with him over what he wished to do with himself. To be respected like this, this was all he ever wanted.

.

-----------

.

Present Day

.

“Hm, win some and lose some, and you only get this one on account of some dipshit DDOSing the server!” Alex griped, drumming his fingers over his keyboard as he read over the losses of his game character’s inventory. Some interesting loot he’d found, a few guns he’d scavenged off of earlier kills, and a decent chunk of money he’d collected from the numerous caches and NPC enemies he came across; not terrible losses in game, but an annoying blow to his pride. Too bad he wasn’t anticipating something like that, he would have set up something to monitor the server activity and slap back anything trying to mess with his session. Oh well.

A window on his second monitor scrolled text upward at a steady pace, a myriad of consolation messages and heckling in varying ratios and colors. Alex sat back and looked over the text, reading through some of the messages to pick what to respond to and what to disregard. In the window of another bit of software, he could see the art he’d commissioned to represent himself settle into an idle pose to match his current silence, a character dressed in light military gear with an icosahedron for a head, eyebrows and a mouth the only facial aspects to allow for expression. Alex had been amused by the design and tipped the artist extra for it.

“No need to get aggressive, it was out of our control,” he finally replied to the messages on the monitor, moving his microphone on its arm a bit closer to his mouth now that he wasn’t focused on the game. And wasn’t that rich coming from him? A situation he didn’t have full control over and the most he felt was irritation that didn’t even last long enough to have him plotting vengeance. “If you wanna blame anything, blame the crappy infrastructure this game’s server was built on. Can’t even handle a DDOS within the first five minutes of attack. Gotta have a better defense in place so attackers waste themselves trying to breach it and don’t have resources to spare for the actual attack.”

He watched the responses to his words for a moment, banned a couple people getting dangerously close to violating the terms of service for the platform he was on, and hummed again. “Kind of a shit game in the last few minutes, but we pick up and go again. All you can do when you’re given a crap hand,” he said with a shrug, moving his cursor to click on the game window and respawn back at his character’s base for another session, “is try again for a better one.”

Like striking a deal with BellaRosa for a new life for himself and his brother, leaving behind Panther and Router to live as Sydney and Alex. There were still hardships and shitty circumstances they faced, but they clawed their way through somehow.

But Alex had a lot of Router still in him, memories remaining largely in place. Couldn’t say the same for Sydney, who lost so much of Panther between his past death and his current life that Alex struggled a bit to recognize his old mercenary partner. Sometimes.. sometimes, he wondered if he wished he got back all of Panther, in those tiny dark moments of his dreams when those memories arose.

“Before we dive back into the hellfires of this game, let’s take a break. I could use a drink,” Alex declared, clicking out of the game and into the other software, switching active tabs to send a stream of his favorite music to the various people watching his gameplay along with a looping screen of his highlights reel. He muted his microphone and pulled his headset off with a sigh, hanging it on the arm before pushing it aside.

This little side gig was fun to do on the weekends, something he started doing on a whim to try and work out his desire to return to mercenary work. Playing extraction games soothed the itch and was actually pretty fun once he grasped the rules and put his own experiences to it for more successful sessions. One of the people he regularly saw in another shooter game suggested he livestream since he was doing so well with his various plays and tactics and there would surely be people interested in seeing him pull those off. Wasn’t long before he had a streaming identity and a character to represent himself to his viewers. He’d considered just a camera on his face before dismissing it for the security risk it could provide. What if Sydney came into his room during a stream? Pantera’s identity would be leaked and the whole household could be put in danger. The virtual streamer concept was the better fit for him.

Heading downstairs, Alex glanced over the rest of the house to take a headcount of the inhabitants. Gregory was studying the working of Freddy’s hand and wrist carefully, the animatronic having removed the casings of his hand and arm to give him a better look. His upcoming exam would be to build an upgraded hand and attach it successfully, so seeing him take this engineering aspect seriously was good. Alex made note to quiz him on the software side of the upgrade later, no need to let Damien have all the fun.

Vanessa was out of the house, shopping for new clothes with Stephanie Daughn and Alex’s cousin Meera. It was the only way she could be out and about without Sydney following at her heels like a shadow. Those times Alex wondered if Afton had managed to break Sydney in some way, the way he took his bodyguard role so seriously when it came to the blonde woman. In those moments, Alex couldn’t think of him as Panther at all, could only worry that he brought him back wrong.

In the kitchen, Alex raised a hand in greeting as he headed for the fridge to grab a bottle of water. Sydney nodded in return, focused on chopping vegetables for whatever he planned to cook for dinner. Alex watched him for a few moments, sipping at the water as he compared his brother to his memory of Panther once again and mentally squirmed to evade the feeling of disappointment. He loved his brother, so why couldn’t he shake those urges to compare and contrast and point out differences to himself?

The blade of the knife tapping rapidly against the cutting board pulled him from his thoughts and he looked up to see Sydney frowning at him, a knuckle raised to tap at his lips in signal. Alex fished his phone out and opened his custom app, holding it so the camera could capture his hand movements. “/If your face freezes like that, I’ll get the blame for it./” Sydney lectured with a faint scowl, fingers deftly signing out the words. He’d improved a lot with his use of sign language over the months. “/Something on your mind?/”

“Nothing, it’s nothing,” Alex replied with a sigh, waving the question away almost bitterly. Panther wouldn’t have asked that, would have just pointed at a cooler of beers and told him to grab one and watch the game with him if he was looking out of sorts. Sydney prodded at him, reminding him of things Alex didn’t want to think about, wanted to ignore.

“/Doesn’t look like nothing when you’re still frowning like that while we’re in a good place./” Sydney signed with a raised eyebrow. Again with the prodding into his business, trying to get into his head. Alex huffed in irritation. Why couldn’t he do that to others like he used to? Why couldn’t he just leave well enough alone when he knew that he didn’t like the hovering?!

“Just had a bad game, okay?” he finally answered, grabbing for the one thing he could truthfully use as a shield, “What’s with the interrogation?!”

“/I was just asking!/” Sydney signed sharply, eyes wide and alarmed expression on his face, “/What the hell, Alex?/”

“Well, don’t! Like you said, you’re not my dad, so quit trying to act like it now!” Alex snapped and immediately cringed internally, wishing he could claw those words back.

Sydney only stared at him in confusion, head tilting as his brows furrowed together. No recognition of the words; another memory only Alex carried, adding to the gulf between him and the Panther he’d sought to save. Did he get the short end of the stick in this deal after all?

And thinking that just made Alex’s stomach twist, regret and self-loathing burning under his skin. He had Sydney, so that should be enough. It should be enough. He hated the tiny voice that crept into his thoughts, calling him a consolation. Sydney didn’t deserve that, not with all he’d done to try and do right by him.

His grip on his phone tightened as he moved to put it away. “/No, I’m not your dad, but I am your brother. Is that-/,” Sydney signed before the camera lost focus on his hands and further translation was lost.

Alex leaned back against the fridge, taking another drink of water and imagining it as the pungent taste of beer, the plastic of the bottle for hard glass, the smell of chopped vegetables for the plant decay of the Florida glades. “It’s nothing. You don’t remember, so it doesn’t matter now,” he muttered.

That was the crux of the issue, wasn’t it? Sydney didn’t remember. All the things Alex as Router admired Panther for, the way they worked together so well, understood each other, gave each other space.. Sydney didn’t have that, or barely had shadows of it. Even Pantera was just another source of frustration, a pale imitation of Panther, far too weak and lacking Panther’s power. It hurt even as he had smiled shallowly at Pantera’s foray into delivery jobs. Sydney hadn’t told him about his plan to go back into mercenary work, hadn’t requested he join in as the tech specialist, the hacker, the partner and equal he had fought hard to be seen as, and still held himself back from his true strength as Panther.

Silence lasted quite a while, and Alex glanced over at his brother, eyes narrowing slightly at the expression on his face. Sydney was looking aside, as if listening to something else with an uneasy and contemplative frown. After a moment he sighed and went back to chopping vegetables, gesturing with one hand to dismiss Alex.

That was weird. Alex scowled just a bit before turning away to head back to his room. He refused to acknowledge Gregory and Freddy looking at him in concern, pointedly keeping his eyes on his path up the stairs, water bottle in hand. He still had a game to finish and maybe he can take out his frustrations on some dumbasses in the next extraction zone.

[crash-bump-bring-the-whump]

BTHB 2023 - Fill 6 - Laid on a Stretcher

I've been talking over this cute modern AU scenario with @brinkofdiscovery about his sweet knight Evritt and Mariano having A Thing and now I'm here to be mean about it >:) Takes place after this piece!

TWs: Blood, aftermath of a shooting, denial, disassociation

"Call from Cup O' Joe." Evritt perked up, hearing the name of his usual coffee shop come through over the phones. "Shooting reported, one victim. Suspect is no longer on premises. Requesting knight support and medical."

Ice shot through Evritt's veins, and he found himself standing before he'd even realized his mentor had motioned for him to get ready to go. There was only one person who could still be there so late into the night. Images kept flashing through his head--Mariano ringing up his coffee with a smile and an extra drizzle of syrup, the teenagers laughing as Mariano scolded them for flicking powdered sugar at each other, Mariano at dinner with him, their fingers intertwining.

He remembered Mariano's lips pressing against his, and how soft Mariano's waist had felt in his hands.

It couldn't have been Mariano.

It just couldn't have been. He knew what Mariano had done, naturally, Evritt remembered that conversation so clearly. He knew Mariano was there under asylum and might still have enemies, but surely it was someone random that happened to be outside the shop.

His familiar couldn't provide much reassurance, either. Not as agitated as it was. Feathers ruffled as they swept through the streets on massive wings--his hawk never let him down when speed was of the essence. The neon sign was still lit up as they rounded a corner, right behind his mentor. No one was lying on the sidewalk.

Evritt felt his heart drop as they landed and he slid off of glossy feathers in a practiced dismount. He didn't need to bother with commands, his familiar understood the drill. The glass door jingled when they pushed it open, EMS only a minute behind them.

"Help me secure the building." His mentor said, not giving Evritt time to think too hard. Together they began looking around, assuring the front was clear first. The pastries from earlier in the day hadn't been cleared out yet. The cash register was still on. It couldn't have been Mariano.

They moved to the store room next. The lights flicked on as the smell of coffee beans filled the air. Something else was underneath it all, though, something more metallic. Sharp.

One more corner and dark red was the first thing Evritt saw. Dark, almost black blood, a pool of long black hair, and a familiar now-ruined sweater. They had slumped to the floor, smearing blood along the desk drawers they'd been apparently leaning against. Blood spattered the bookshelf, walls, and carpet in a fine mist. The phone was off its hook, the dim voice of someone echoing through the line.

It still couldn't have been him. This had to be someone new. He hadn't seen the person's face yet.

"Back up, Evritt, let medical through." His mentor said, more gently than Evritt would've expected. A hand on his shoulder guided him backwards a few steps, just as the door jingled again. The rattle of a stretcher heralded the EMT workers, who set to work immediately.

Tiny, familiar whimpers and choked groans were pulled from the person on the floor as the medics began their quick examination. The stretcher was lowered, and finally, Evritt saw their face. Mariano's eyes fluttered as he was transferred from carpet to stretcher and rushed away. The focused, quick chatter left just as quickly as it had arrived.

There was no way they'd made eye contact, no matter how much he almost wished they had.

Evritt didn't remember doing his paperwork that night, or checking for evidence. He barely even remembered going home afterwards. Looking at a blank text's blinking cursor, lying in bed while still in his uniform, he just couldn't find the words to send to Mariano's phone number. There wasn't anything he could say, anyway. Not when he couldn't even be involved with the case.

Evritt couldn't get the smell of blood and coffee and gunpowder out of his nose, even when sleep finally swept over him.

[lumilasi]

I meant to include these on their bios (which I will) but also wanted to post them separately. (Click for full view)

Relationship charts of sorts about the most significant people for the Belmont siblings. (not in any sort of order, more based on how much space I needed for the texts for each). Rouna has no image, because my friend is no longer happy with her design. (Rouna & Youko are my friend's characters) I will add her image to these once I got the up-to-date design.

.....I lowkey wanna do this with all my characters now oh no

texts below in case you can't read em/some minor extra notes that didn't fit in the images:

Image 1: Franziska:

ANGUS: Franziska’s big brother whom she loves dearly. She is deathly afraid of losing him again, because she was already led to believe so once. Very forgiving of anything sinister he does to others for the most part, mainly due to her demonic infection corrupting her as well. (She was kinder/more moral person in the past)

AMALIA: A woman who worked as her mentor during the first of her Bounty Hunter years. Franziska has a lot of respect for Amalia and sees her as sort of a parental figure. Amalia is fond of Franziska as her former pupil, but ultimately she is just another useful tool for her. (Franziska doesn't know how little Amalia actually cares for her, something that plays an important part in her full story close to the end basically)

KUJAKU: A young, newest recruit for Amalia, Franziska acts as a sort of big sister figure for her, and the two get along well. Kujaku looks up to Franziska as the more experienced one, and often gushes over how cool she is.

BELLADONNA: Her brother’s “boss”/companion for his research. Franziska remains polite and friendly towards her on the surface, but is very cautious due to knowing Angus despises her to an extent at this point. She tends to work as the mediator to diffuse any arguments between the two the best she can, worried Angus could get hurt. (Franziska isn't fully aware of how powerful her brother truly is RN)

ROUNA: A Chimera woman her brother has a physical relationship with. Franziska tries to be friendly with her, but is sometimes a little jealous (mostly in a harmless, kind of funny way) over having to share her brother’s attention. (with an adult, she doesn’t mind kids)

YOUKO: A young Chimera she often interacts with, because of her brother’s relationship with Youko’s guardian and aunt, Rouna. She finds the kid very funny & cute, Youko often pouts at her over random things, calling her “cat of Doom”.

Image 2: Angus:

FRANZISKA: Angus' little sister. They are close and protective over one another. Majority of the sinister things Angus did in the past was for her sake, and her wellbeing still goes above all else, even his own. The only person he tends to let close to him, without permission needed first.

HANZOKU: The source of Angus' powers, the leader of their group. Angus has a mutually respectful relationship with the rogue Soul Reaper spirit, but knows not to fully trust him.

BELLADONNA: A forest witch he worked together with to study his powers. (she's still his "boss" and works under her, though she basically can't really tell him what to do lol) Initially they had a neutral, mostly positive relationship, but after she turned her son into a Shadow-Wisp to protect herself from his (justified) wrath, Angus lost most of his respect for her, finding her actions cowardly.

KONJOU: Son of Belladonna. Angus acted as a foster father figure to him. He didn't approve what Belladonna did to the boy, and still openly shows his distaste towards her actions. In truth, he is also partially responsible for Konjou's suffering due to lack of action from his part and Angus does somewhat regret this in hindsight.

CHOUMA: A corrupted moth spirit who is attracted to him. Angus sees him as his favorite "pet" of sorts, and takes good care of his well being. he is aware of the power imbalance between them, so contrary to rumors he typically refuses Chouma's advances, and only let's him seek emotional comfort/medicinal help from him. (basically he'll let Chouma rest against him if he's had a flashback, and might pet his head for example)

ROUNA: A Chimera woman of equally intelligent measure, she develops a physical relationship with Angus that sometimes borders on romantic, or more accurately (Angus is Aromantic) some type of emotional bond as well. He still tends to keep her at arms length to an extend, figuratively speaking.

[my-various-aus]

Dinner Reservation

It was a quiet night at the mortuary, as Clara looked over some files, double-checking all the information before filing it away.

In another room, she could hear her coworker’s radio playing, providing background noise, as he worked on the bodies in the back.

With a sigh, Clara stood, stretching out her back and groaning as her spine popped. She yawned, stacking the files on her desk, before going down the hallway that led to the embalming room.

“Hey, Marcus,” Clara called, knocking on the door and opening it, so she didn’t startle him “I’m thinking of ordering some food, you want anything?”

Marcus looked up from where he was inspecting a cadaver’s hand, making a quick note, before replying “Yeah, sure, I can eat; what did you have in mind?”

“Pizza?”

“Sounds good; let me know when it’s here and I can give Mr. Anderson a break.”

Clara snorted, going back to the front.

A few minutes later, the order was placed and she was back to sorting her paperwork.

The phone suddenly ringing made her jump, dropping the papers in her hand.

“What the fuck, it’s three in the morning,” she muttered, holding one hand to her heart, the other reaching for the phone “Thank you for calling Evergreen Mortuary, how may I assist you?”

There was silence on the other end, but Clara could swear she heard shaky breathing and...was the other person crying?

“Hello?” she prompted “This is Clara from Evergreen Mortuary; how may I assist you?”

The other person let out a harsh breath, sniffling and breaking Clara’s heart in the process; she had a feeling Marcus would be getting an extra body to work on tonight.

“I...I n-need to,” the man on the other end coughed to clear his throat, though his voice was still a little rough “I need to make a dinner reservation.”

Clara blinked, perplexed; who calls a mortuary for a din....dinner reservation.

She drew a deep breath, sitting up straighter “Just a moment, sir.”

The phone was set down, Clara opening a drawer at her desk and pressing down on the false bottom, revealing a set of old-fashioned keys. Snatching them up, she made her way to a closet behind her desk.

A few minutes later, she returned, shoving her previous work to the side and laying out the new file and papers.

Pen poised in her right hand, Clara picked the phone back up “How many in the party?”

“One.”

“Name?”

“Mic-Michelangelo Hamato.”

Clara paused, something about the name sending a shudder of dread down her spine “Age?”

The man on the other end let out a laugh that quickly became a sob “Thir... Thirteen, as of three hours ago.”

‘Just a kid,’ Clara thought, taking a calming breath and continuing to fill out the paperwork for the next couple of minutes.

Marcus came out of the backroom, just as Clara was wrapping up the call “We’ll be there in thirty minutes, Mr. Hamato; is there anything else I can help you with?”

The click of the phone hanging up was the only answer Clara got, making her blink, startled, before she hung her own phone up.

“What was that about?” Marcus asked, going to grab some coffee “...Did you say Hamato?”

“Yeah,” Clara muttered, pulling out a cell phone and shooting off a few texts “dinner reservation.”

Marcus clicked his tongue, stirring some sugar into his coffee and pouring a second cup “That ain’t good.”

“No,” Clara accepted the cup that was handed to her, reading the texts she received “Especially since it’s for the younger one.”

“Oh, somebody fucked up.”

“Hey, I haven’t been in this business for long,” Clara looked up at her coworker, pulling out some creamer to put into her coffee “but ‘Hamato’ sounds familiar.”

“It should,” Marcus said, taking a drink “That was a name to fear, five years ago, before they retired.”

“They?”

“Three of ‘em,” Marcus turned when there was a knock at the front, going to open the door, while Clara dug out some cash “brothers. Hey, man, how’s it goin’?”

“Eh, could be better, could be worse,” the delivery man said, handing the pizza boxes over “nice night, not too much goin’ on, so on and so forth.”

“Awesome,” Marcus took the boxes, stepping to the side, so Clara could hand over the tip “wish we could say the same; just got a call that another body is comin’ in.”

“I could not work in a place like this,” the delivery man said, shivering “I don’t like seein’ fake dead bodies, never mind real ones.”

Marcus and Clara both laughed, bidding the delivery man goodnight and closing the door behind him.

“So, there’s three Hamato brothers?”

“Ah, yeah, so...”

---

So, this is really just me practicing with two of my OCs, but also a scene that had been in my mind for my John Wick au and it needed to be written.

Because, unlike Daisy, Mikey is not a pet that you can just bury in your yard after they die; he’s a person, a kid; Donnie, Raph, and Leo’s little brother.

Therefore, I had to come up with some way for Mikey’s body to be taken care of and I figured something similar to Charlie’s cleanup crew, but geared more toward funerary services. A mortuary seemed like the most appropriate setting for underworld services.

[nagaismybff]

Fanfic WIP Snippet: 911 x Motherland: Fort Salem Crossover

Chapter Summary: Chimney is worried that the cursed bracelet has left lingering effects on the 118′s firehouse. He asks Emerson, a veterinarian for the LA Zoo who also happens to be a witch, to sweep the station for cursed objects. She’s not a professional, but she humors him. Anything to get him to stop freaking out.

A/N: Here is a draft chapter from my main WIP fic. Apologies if it sounds choppy or repetitive, I am still practicing my editing skills. I currently don’t have an AO3 account, so I’ll be posting short sections of my fanfics on here for now. Story includes some concepts from Motherland: Fort Salem. For context since this chapter is later in the story, the sugar glider is Emerson’s familiar. Hope you enjoy!

Referenced Episodes: “Jinxed” 4 x 06, “Cursed” 6 x 07

Word Count: ~2,500

Cursed...Again

Firehouse 118, Fall 2022

Emerson walks through the open bay door at the station, looking around. Buck, Hen, Ravi, and a few other firefighters are cleaning and performing maintenance on the fire trucks and ambulance. However Chimney, who’d asked her to come, is nowhere to be seen.

“Oh hey Em, what are you doing here?” Buck asks, confused. He’s wiping down the engine with a rag, a spray bottle in his other hand. While she does hang out with the 118 a lot outside of work, it’s fairly rare for her to show up at the firehouse.

“I got a cryptic text from Chimney. He said to come down here this morning if I was free and didn’t explain why. He just said it’s urgent.” She answers, shrugging her shoulders.

“Hey Chim!” He calls out into the firehouse, his voice echoing in the vehicle bay. Chimney pops his head out from behind the ambulance, doors open while he restocks medical supplies.

“Yeah?” He answers, looking over to Buck. He sees Emerson and his eyes perk up. Chimney waves to her as he walks towards her. The hood of the ambulance is up and Hen is checking the oil. “Hen! Hen, she’s here.”

Hen returns the oil stick to the engine and wipes her hands on a cloth. Ravi turns to face them, but continues to clean and inventory equipment with a curious look on his face.

“Alright, Chim. Why did you ask me to come here?” Emerson asks him. Momo climbs out of her jacket pocket and crawls up to her shoulder. The sugar glider’s tail tickles her neck.

“I tried to talk him out of it, but he insisted. I thought this matter was settled.” Hen looks at Chim crossing her arms, deadpan look on her face.

“I told you, Hen. We need her to check and make sure there’s no lingering effects.” Chim bickers back to his partner. Hen sighs and throws her hands up.

“Whatever. If it gets you to stop acting weird while we’re on shift.” She gives up and returns to her vehicle maintenance.

“Lingering effects from what?” Emerson raises her eyebrow at Chim.

“Ok, so earlier this week we had a series of calls that involved the same woman and a cursed object. It was left in the ambulance at one point, and weird stuff started happening here in the firehouse.” Chim explains.

“Gas leaked from Cap’s truck and we had to evacuate the building.” Ravi chimes in.

“So you called me here to lift a curse?” Emerson asks.

“Chim, there was no curse. The actress was just being stalked by the sketchy artifact dealer. I’m sure the leaking vehicle was just a coincidence. Hen’s right, I thought we settled the issue with the bracelet.” Buck jumps down from the engine and walks over. Hen just shakes her head.

“Look, I just want to be extra sure that’s what it was.” Chim says back to him.

“Chim, if you’re worried about curses, there are other witches who deal with them professionally who can help you. Why did you call me? I’m a zoo vet and I don’t specialize in cursed objects.” Emerson asks Chimney.

“Not even when you served in Afghanistan?” He asks.

“I know the basics, like how to spot them or cast simple curses, but nothing complex.” She crosses her arms.

“It’s just…you were very helpful that one time we were worried we’d cursed ourselves when Ravi used the Q-word. I thought maybe you could help us out.” He seems bummed and looks at his feet.

“Hey, I’ve since learned my lesson.” Ravi chimes in again. Emerson sighs and puts her hands on her hips.

“Alright, I’ll have a look around. But don’t blame me if I miss something.” She says waving her hand. “Where’s the offending object?”

“Oh, here!” Chim pulls out his phone, pulling up a picture. He shows her a photo of a gold snake bracelet with red gems for eyes.

“May I?” She asks for his phone.

“Sure.” Chim hands it to her. She zooms on the picture and moves it around. Shaking her head, she returns his phone.

“I can’t really tell from the picture.” She says. “I’d need to see the bracelet for myself. Do you have it?”

“No, it’s not here anymore.” Chim says, sighing and looking up at the ceiling.

“Hmm, okay…” Emerson crosses her arms and thinks. “Oh! You mentioned the ambulance? Can you show me the places the bracelet has been? If it was cursed, there should be some residual energy.”

“Yeah, back here.” Chim leads her to the back of the ambulance. Other firefighters at the back of the station turn their heads briefly to investigate. She steps into the back, looks around, and purses her lips to create a light buzzing sound. It fills the ambulance, sounding almost like a whistle. Her eyes glow a faint yellow as she scans the vehicle. She goes silent then nods her head.

“No curses here. Looks like it was just an ugly bracelet.” She hops out of the ambulance and straightens her jacket. Chim sighs in relief, giving a little smile.

“However, you do have a few spirits of lost patients clinging to this ambulance. I can give you the number of one of my coven members who can help them find closure.” She adds.

“Our ambulance is haunted?” Chimney’s face goes pale and he holds his breath.

“Don’t worry. They won’t affect your ability to do your job, you just might have a feeling that someone is watching you. They’re mostly just confused. Sarah can help you out, she’s a Medium.” Emerson reassures him.

“Well, what about the rest of the building? Is there anything here we should be worried about?” Chim questions her.

“There is a way for me to sweep the rest of the firehouse all at once, but it won’t be as accurate.” She explains.

“Well let’s do it, anything that will help.” He shifts on his feet.

“Ok, I’ll try my best.” Emerson says as she walks over to the back of the firehouse near the gym, Chim and Buck in tow. She turns to face out toward the front bay doors with a good view of a large portion of the vehicle bay. She sings an arpeggio, letting the notes resonate in the room.

“You have great acoustics here.” She says, spinning around looking up at the ceiling. She sings a few lines from Wicked Game, even louder this time.

The world was on fire and no one could save me but you

It's strange what desire will make foolish people do

Her voice rings through the whole building, echoing back to her. It has an enchanting quality to it, just a slight edge that separates it from other people’s voices. Bobby and Eddie come to the railing to investigate. Her singing was loud enough to tear them away from their work upstairs.

“Em? What are you doing here?” Eddie calls down to her, very confused yet intrigued.

“Yeah guys, what’s going on?” Bobby asks, checking to see what shenanigans were going on in his firehouse.

“Chimney. Asked me to check the place for curses.” Emerson points at Chim with her thumb over her shoulder. Momo jumps onto her head, his leg falling in front of her eye and making her squint. Bobby and Eddie share an exasperated look and roll their eyes.

“Chimney, the bracelet wasn’t cursed.” Bobby says, his hand on his pained face.

“Oh we cleared that up, Em just confirmed that’s not a problem. But we’re checking the rest of the station.” Chim answers. Bobby sighs and rolls his eyes.

“Alright, as long as it doesn’t interfere with our jobs, do what you need to feel better.” Bobby says.

“Yes! Thanks, Cap!” Chim jumps.

“This won’t take long, I promise.” Emerson shouts up to Bobby. He waves to her and goes back to the kitchen, leaving Eddie at the railing.

“Ok, where was I…ah. This might do.” She looks around until she remembers the next step. She heads for the fire pole and gives it a few knocks with her knuckle.

“What are you doing?” Buck asks as he and Chim walk over to meet her.

“Trying to find an object of importance to the firehouse that has good resonance.” She knocks the pole again, leaning her ear close. She hums a few times until she matches the pitch of the metal pole. “Got it.”

Reaching into her sling bag, Emerson pulls out a fabric case. She unzips it to reveal a tuning fork kit. Grabbing one of the forks, she double checks that the pitches match. Returning to her previous position by the gym, she takes a few deep breaths.

The tuning fork is hit against the floor, sending vibrations into the air. Emerson copies the pitch and closes her eyes. Her voice is quiet at first, difficult to separate from the ringing metal. Gradually the sound grows and fills the room, even shaking through everyone’s bodies. The tuning fork’s ringing fades and soon it’s just her voice.

She stops, listening to the echoes for anything unusual. Her voice resonates through the building for a few seconds after she goes quiet, eventually fading into nothing. The firefighters hold still, not daring to take a breath. Buck, Chim, and Eddie exchange looks, waiting for an answer. Hen has finished her maintenance and walks over to watch as well. When the sounds finally dissipate, Emerson opens her eyes and stares at the floor.

“Kitchen.” A single word leaves her mouth and she points upstairs.

“Wait, you actually found something?” Hen says, furrowing her brows. Eddie turns to look behind him as Buck and Chim grow nervous.

“Can’t tell what is from here, but there’s definitely an enchanted object upstairs.” Emerson answers her. She puts her tuning forks away as she runs up the stairs, the others following close behind her.

“Hey Cap, she found something.” Eddie shouts to Bobby. He joins the group as Emerson makes it to the top of the stairs and slows down. Bobby is in the kitchen drying dishes. He gives a concerned look when he sees everyone gathering near the stairs.

“Everything alright?” He asks, raising a brow.

“Bobby, I need you to put that pan down on the counter, slowly.” Emerson instructs him. “No sudden movements, just set it down and back out of the kitchen.”

Bobby does as she said, even leaving the dish towel behind. He joins the others behind her. Everyone is silent and doesn’t dare move.

She slowly moves to the kitchen and sings the same pitches she used in the ambulance. She scans the appliances, the counters, and the cabinets. Grabbing the dish towel Bobby had just been using and an oven mitt, she opens a cabinet on the island next to the stove.

“Ah ha! Gotcha!” She reaches in and pulls out a cast iron skillet. Her body is still quite tense, holding the pan at arms length. “This is your culprit.”

“Em, is it dangerous? Do we need to evacuate?” Bobby asks cautiously.

“Don’t know yet, give me a second.” She spins it in a circle between her hands and sings the buzzing sound again.

“Oh.” She finally says. Her body relaxes and she begins to belt out laughing. Everyone looks at her confused, unsure what’s happening.

“You…you guys are safe. This is someone’s idea of a joke.” She continues to laugh and sets the skillet on the counter.

“So we’re not gonna drop dead?” Chim asks.

“No, you can come back into the kitchen. No cause for alarm. Sorry about that.” She answers. The firefighters seem to take a collective sigh of relief. They gather around the island and probe her with questions.

“So…. What's up with the pan? Is it not cursed after all?” Hen asks.

“Oh it’s cursed alright. It’s just more of an inconvenience than deadly.” Emerson responds. A few of them still instinctively take a step back. Eddie reaches over and grabs the skillet.

“So, what’s wrong with it?” He inspects it himself.

“Someone hexed that pan to burn any food someone tries to cook in it. Doesn’t matter who the cook is or the temperature of the stove.” She explains. Bobby’s eyes go wide.

“Damnit, I knew something was off about that pan.” Bobby grits his teeth.

“Yeah… yeah! I’ve always hated it too. Guess that’s why we ended up just keeping it in the cabinet.” Buck chimes in.

“So did someone purposely give us hexed cookware?” Chim asks, looking around at everyone.

“Depends…Bobby, do you know where this came from?” Emerson asks him.

“Consignment store. Why?” He answers.

“Ah, ok. It’s very likely the pan was already cursed when you bought it and wasn’t directed specifically at you guys.” She speculates. “The previous owner may have given it up for the same reason you don’t use it. It looks like a good pan, but it’s deceiving.”

“Huh. How about that.” Bobby grabs the pan from Eddie.

“There are also some witches who like to play pranks by cursing random objects with relatively harmless but inconvenient effects and setting them loose into the world. Mainly just to enjoy the chaos.” She adds.

“So what do we do about it?” Hen asks. “Can you remove the curse?”

“Nope.” She puts her hands up and gives a not it face. “Turns out petty curses like these are complex and difficult to work with. I’ll leave the decision to you. You can keep it as it is, get rid of it, have a professional remove the curse…either way I can’t help you. Sorry.”

“Well regardless, we appreciate you checking the place out. Hopefully, now people will be less squirrelly on shift.” Bobby thanks her before looking directly at Chimney.

“Hey, just followed a hunch.” Chim gets defensive. “Turns out I was right… sort of.”

“You’re welcome. And if you’re worried about someone placing a dangerous curse on the firehouse, I do however have a method you can use to fortify the place. No magic required.” Emerson says.

“What really? What is it?” Buck chimes in.

“Plants. Just place a whole bunch of plants in here and if there’s some bad energy being sent your way, they will absorb the brunt of it.” She explains. “There’s a reason my house looks like a jungle.”

“Any particular kind of plants or…” Hen asks.

“Anything will do. Just keep them watered and pruned.” Emerson says as she starts to head for the stairs.

“How will we know it’s working?” Bobby asks. She pauses to look back at him.

“If all of the plants suddenly drop dead at the same time with no natural cause. That is if Eddie hasn’t killed them first.” She jokes. They snort and laugh at her comment, meanwhile Eddie flushes red and sips his coffee.

“Thanks again, Em.” Chimney waves. Emerson waves back and heads out of the firehouse. She stops to look back at the station before getting in her car, nodding to herself.

“Yep, still got it.”

[shiggcel]

'We need to talk'

sent 12 hours ago

Summary: After months of heartache, you end your ever failing relationship.

C/W: ANGST!! Break ups, toxic relationships, verbal abuse, failed relationship, cussing, heartache (?).

If you are sensitive to any of that, DO NOT READ FURTHER! This is your final warning. Also, please excuse any spelling/grammar errors, I'm exhausted. Not beta read, i'll die like Twice, teehee.

'we need to talk.'

sent 12 hours ago

______

It was now 10:27pm in the dorms. Everyone was in their rooms. In fact, everyone had to be in their rooms by 8:15pm. 

Bakugou had peeked over to the text when it was first sent. Then three hours later. Then five hours later. Then nine hours later. 

'What the hell could she possibly need to talk about now?' He thought. What so important that you had to text him, instead of just talking to him. You hadn't even talked to him all day. 

No 'good morning', no '10-minutes-before-homeroom-starts-chitchat', no lunchtime talk, no sticky notes on his locker, no Teams chat message. Nothing.

He rolled over in his bed and started towards the elevator and up to your room.

You had cried that night. Sobbing and hyperventilating, at that. Finally, after months of being ignored by your boyfriend, you finally broke. The pillow beneath you was fairly wet now, even soaking through the pillowcase.

By the time you were asleep, most everyone was still up and active in the dorms. Texts from the girls, and some guys, asking you 'where you were?' 'Why didn't you join game night?' 'Why didn't you eat dinner?' 

You woke up to the sound of knocking at your door, and someone trying to open the locked door.

"Go away, Mina. I'm not hungry." You said.

"Open the door, Y/n." The sound of his voice made the tears well up again. You stayed quiet, hoping he would go away.

"You said we need to talk. Open the door."

Oh yeah. You did say that. Fuck.

You sighed. You peeled up from your bed, wiped your eyes, and grabbed a robe. With your hand on the door, you took a deep breath. You opened the door and faced him, and the tears started again.

You could hear Mina's voice now, "Girl, it's gonna be like ripping off a bandaid. If you leave it on, it'll become all gross and disgusting and don't nobody got time for allat." Damn, she never missed.

Bakugou leaned on the door frame, nonchalantly, "So what did you want to talk about."

The way he said it made you think this was an inconvenience to him. You tried not to overthink, in fear of crying again. 

You took another deep breath and asked, "Do you like me?"

He looked at you like you asked the dumbest question in the world, "What the hell kind of question is that?" He sneered. 

You were exhausted, "Just answer me. I don't feel like doing this."

"You don't feel like doing this," He was no longer leaning, but standing up, arms crossed, "I don't feel like getting up at 10 to come to talk to you. I don't feel like comforting a crying girl way past bedtime, I don't feel like having these extras asking me "Where's Y/n?" like I'm supposed to know. She's in one of her moods now."

You were in shock. But you let him continue.

"I don't feel like doing alot of shit right now but I'm fuckin' doin' em because I like you." He nearly spat at you. 

You stood, mouth slightly agape. You gasped slightly, "I don't think you do."

He stared at you in pure shock. His expression read, 'Is this girl serious right now?'

"I just don't think you like me," Your voice was in a hush now, "I feel like… Like you think I'm a chore to be around." He let you continue.

"I feel bad. I feel like I'm not a priority. You never want to do anything with-" 

"Because I'm busy," Bakugou said plainly.

"I FUCKING KNOW THAT! I'VE BEEN BUSY TOO!" By now, someone would be telling you both to shut up. But it was silent. Almost everyone was listening.

"I make time for you. After every study sesh, after training and workouts, hell, even during. I always ask if you wanna join or see if you wanna meet after. But no, you're always busy."

He leaned back on the frame, bored as hell.

"I even have to beg you to come over to my dorm. And even when you do come over, it feels like we're laying with a brick wall between us." The tears started to fall. You didn't even try to stop them. "Do you love me?" 

He hesitated with his words a bit.

"Oh my god. You don't. I knew it." You threw your head back in frustration. "I can't believe I wasted four fucking months with a guy who doesn't even like me." 

You waited for a response from Bakugou. His mind seemed to be running a mile a minute. "I…I never said that." 

"Yeah, but you didn't defend what you did. The crazy thing is," You said, wiping your eyes on your robe sleeve, "Even though the hell you put me through, I still loved you."

Past tense, loved.

"You'd blow me off to do God knows what. But in the back of my mind, I figured that you were super exhausted and would prefer a night in, cuddling. But you never did."

"Lots of people show affection in a lot of different ways, Y/n. Not just one way. You make me sound like some sort of villain." He said, trying not to meet your glare.

"Oh yeah? When was the last time you kissed me? Hugged me? Told me you loved me? Hell, when was the last time you were even less than a foot apart from me?"

"...I let you cook for me." 

A long moment of silence passed, "You…let me…LET ME…cook for you? Are you serious?"

"Hey, HEY! I buy you shit too. Like that bear on your bed." 

You turned to look at the build-a-bear on your bed. You grabbed it, along with all of his sweatshirts you had, and a picture frame. You gathered it all up and held it out for him to take back.

"The hell are you doin' with all this?" He asked.

"Here. I'm giving it back."

Bakugou looked like he just got kicked in the chest, "What? Why?"

You dumped the stuff in his arms, "Kats- Bakugou, I can't keep doing this anymore. I don't think we should be together anymore." 

"I- So you're just gonna throw away what we had?!" He said.

"I'm throwing away what we had?! Are you serious? What did we have?  Did you not listen to a damn thing I said?! I cried myself to sleep for the past two months because of you! I can't keep making excuses for you and begging for a shred of attention from you. Bakugou, I'm so done with you!" You shouted. 

You slammed the door in his face and stormed off to bed. The slam startled him and he dropped the frame. It cracked when it hit the ground. He picked it up to see the damage. A large crack plagued your face and between both of your faces.

He lost you, he finally lost you.

_______

"Hey, babe! It's Y/n!"

"And Mina! Hehe."

"And I wanted to say that I love you, and you're super cute, and you're really strong and I'm glad that I'm your girlfriend. Mwah!"

Bakugou hadn't stopped pressing the bear's stomach you got for him. 

"Hey, babe! It's Y/n!"

"And Mina! Hehe."

"And I wanted to say that I love you, and you're super cute, and you're really strong and I'm glad that I'm your girlfriend. Mwah!"

He threw the bear across the room and tried to go to sleep. 

He hated the fact he was free this weekend.

a/n: This was written for 30 minutes and edited in under 5. Please don't let this dictate how well I actually write! Also, I am recovering from an ever lasting writers block :/

(masterlist coming soon)

[kenneth-omega]

The Fear of Falling in Love

// Part 1 // Part 2 //

A Kenny Omega Short Fic

**EDITED 27/08/2022**

Pairing: Kenny Omega x Female Reader

Summary: You’re a family friend of The Young Bucks who, like Matt and Nick, also became obsessed with wrestling from a young age. During Kenny’s absence from screen you were sourced into AEW by the Bucks and brought into the Undisputed Elite faction. Following the recent fall out between Adam Cole/reDragon and the Bucks over the upcoming Trios tournament you finally get to meet the great Kenny Omega. You eventually become locked into a storyline that starts out fun and harmless but soon turns sour at the prospect of real feelings being hurt and relationships tarnished.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE ADDED TO A TAGLIST IN FUTURE PARTS WHEN THEY’RE POSTED PLEASE LMK

Warnings: some swearing, kenny being a little flirty bitch, ethan page being the best shit stirrer (ILHSM)

Word count: 2.8K

A/N: Part 2 of this mini fic I’m constructing is finally up! 💖 Bare with me y’all I know it’s a slow burn but you know the saying, treat ‘em mean, keep em keen 🤪 

For Reference:

“All Ego” Ethan Page is Julian

Cori “The Alpha” Dacre is Y/N

Post-breakfast led to a workout in the gym with Ethan, before you both grabbed some quick lunch back at the hotel’s catering and went your respective ways back to your rooms to shower.

Having washed off the sweat and gym grime you’d gone to Twitter, curious to see what everyone was talking about in the lead up to tonight’s Dynamite episode.

Of course the number one topic of interest was Kenny’s return.

You’d seen the Bucks’ recent video of Being The Elite, with the little teaser of Kenny’s theme music at the end giving you excited chills when you first watched it.

That was four hours ago, as now you sat in an Uber on route to the Charleston Coliseum, ready to meet up with the Bucks. Being EVP’s, they had a few other jobs to sort before this evening and had headed down a couple of hours before yourself.

C: 5 mins away.

You text the group chat that contains you and the Bucks, announcing your soon-to-be arrival.

A thumbs up emoji in response. You toss your phone onto the seat beside you, bouncing your legs up and down nervously. Why were you so jittery? You were trying to convince yourself that it couldn’t be anything to do with Kenny, although maybe you were feelings some pre-match nerves for him. It was understandable, but you felt as though you didn’t deserve to be nervous.

Although you’d not seen him training, you knew that Matt and Nick had recently been working this match out with him and neither of them had seemed to hint towards Kenny not being ready to return. You trusted the man’s judgement.

The Uber came to a slow crawl in front of the arena, where there were a few avid, dedicated fans already stood outside the doors of the venue.

You weren’t opposed to meeting fans, on the contrary, you actually loved it and loved meeting such a variety of interesting people. However today you really needed to get inside and ready for the show, which would only be delayed if you were to get out here and potentially risk being recognised.

Politely you ask the driver to continue around the side, where the production trucks and loading bays would be. Here, you could silently head into the building, knowing that security would be manning the side entrances.

You thank the driver, promising to tip him extra as a gesture of appreciation, before heading through the doors at the back of one of the loading bays. Inside there are two security guards stood in the corridor as you predicted, who stop you for identification. You pull out an AAA pass that you keep on your person.

Satisfied, the guards let you pass unbothered, so you shrug your rucksack a bit more securely onto your shoulders and continue on.

C: Where you guys at?

N: Just finishing up a small meeting with TK, head to locker room 6A it’ll have a sign on it!!

You ask another guard nearby where room 6A is, unable to see any signs along the corridor you were walking down that would help you understand where you needed to be.

She directs you up some stairs to the next floor and sends you left, heading further towards where the main area of the venue is.

Finally you spot a door with a piece of paper Blu-tacked to it which states in bold black letters: ELITE DRESSING ROOM - BUCKS, OMEGA & ALPHA.

You can’t help a little smile form on your lips as you read the sign. Turning the handle you find it unlocked, noting that the lights are on, which means someone’s inside.

“Matt? Nick?” You call out confusedly, unable to find anyone sat in the room. Their bags are strung up on some hooks to the far left, so you know they’ve been here already.

There’s the sound of water rushing in the bathroom which stops soon after you call out for the Jackson brothers. You knock timidly on the bathroom door, hoping you don’t startle the occupier. The door opens quickly enough that in the blink of an eye the ugly shade of blue paint is replaced by a broad chest covered with a zip up AEW hoodie. Craning your head back you find Kenny, a smirk perking up on his lips when he sees you standing in front of him.

“Just me, unfortunately.” He jokes, leaning forward slightly, his shoulder resting against the doorframe. The subtle movement brings his body closer to yours.

You force words out this time, not wanting a repeat of earlier today for fear of seeming unprofessional and fangirlish. Although that’s all you felt like when you were around him.

“Nothing unfortunate about it!” You reply, a little too cheerfully. His smile only widens at your remark, showing you a pearly set of teeth as he finds great humour in how you seem to be scrambling for words.

Unable to take his unwavering gaze any more, you turn away and walk over to the other side of the room, feeling the pressure on your chest lift. You felt ridiculous, unable to act normal around someone you’d never met before yet had idolised for so long.

You’d not had nerves this bad since your first time debuting on Dynamite.

Taking a seat on one of the worn leather couches, you pull out your phone, glancing over to see Kenny still stood in the doorway, although he’s also looking at something on his phone.

A ping from your phone pulls your eyes away from the man stood across the room from you, finding a text from Ethan.

E: U @ the venue already? x

You roll your eyes at his texting, but can’t help a little humoured snort come out. You clap a hand over your mouth in embarrassment, eyes instantly shifting to Kenny whose head had popped up at the sound. The pout was gone and he offered you a genuine smile this time.

“How cute.” He comments, before going back to his phone, walking over to the other leather couch opposite the coffee table in front of you as he texts someone. You find warmth radiating in your cheeks at his comment, cursing yourself internally for getting worked up over something so stupid.

You scold yourself and shoot Ethan a text back.

C: Yeah, just sat with Kenny waiting for Matt and Nick x

Ethan’s next reply comes through not even a minute later.

E: JUST sat? thought u were 2 nervous lol x

You scowl at his message, tempted to ferociously stick your finger up at your screen in response. You decide against it, not wanting Kenny to notice and start asking awkward questions that you definitely weren't calm enough to answer with a convincing lie.

C: Fuck off, also not to be grammar police but your spelling is 💩

E: Ur chicken 💩 for being 2 scared and stop trying 2 change subjects

C: I’m changing subjects by ending this convo lol, bye J x

E: Bye chicken 💩 x

His last response brings a smile to your face. You’ve always appreciated Julian’s humour and how easily he can turn your mood around.

“Texting a boyfriend?” Kenny asks earnestly, although you note the hint of curiosity in his voice as he looks over the top of his phone at you.

You can’t help but laugh at his question. “Not quite.” You reply, not wanting to feel as though you’re openly advertising yourself as single. You knew Kenny didn’t really have much of a love life, but you’d be damned if you’d make him think that you were trying to actively throw yourself at anyone who was available.

His eyebrow raises with interest. “What does not quite mean? Are you friends with...”

“No!” You shout, immediately feeling embarrassed at the volume you used. “It’s not like that at all. Just friends.” You assure him, although you’re not sure why you feel the need to. What does it matter to him if you’re seeing someone or not?

That same smirk appears on his unfairly attractive lips again and you can tell he’s enjoying winding you up, although you can’t detect any malice behind it.

“I’m only messing, you don’t need to feel so wound up around me. I’m not that scary am I?” He asks you, his head tilting slightly in question like a dog’s would, his body language relaxed and not at all intimidating.

You let out a heavy sigh. “No, sorry.” You apologise, feeling sheepish for the overreaction. He shakes his head, standing up and moving over so that he’s in front of you. Once again, you have to pull your head back just to be able to make eye contact with him.

“Don’t apologise, I get nervous too.” He offers you a hand in polite gesture. You take it, ignoring that same electric feeling you get whenever your skin seems to make contact with his. He pulls you forward in your seat, bending down and resting his hand on the couch armrest, his curls tickling your cheek as he brings his mouth level to your ear. You can smell his aftershave, a welcoming scent that reminds you of back in Canada. It makes you feel slightly homesick.

“I won’t bite, unless you ask me too.” The sensation of warm air lightly brushing over your ear and neck sends the most delicious tingles down your spine, a familiar warm sensation pooling in the bottom of your stomach.

There’s the tell tale sound of Matt and Nick approaching, the two of them talking loudly to who you assume to be Brandon. Kenny retreats back to his seat, much to your chagrin, with a shit-eating grin on his face. As he sits down the door opens with the Bucks and, you guessed it, Brandon appearing, all seeming chipper and excited.

---------

You’re finished dressing up for the night, wearing a subtler version of your ring makeup and having styled your hair in a way that you like which is casual but cute. The jeans you’ve styled with an off the shoulder top and leather jacket have a BTE patch embroidered on one of the back pockets and you’ve sneakily Tippex-ed an omega sign on the other.

As you bend down to tie up the laces on your trusty Dr Martens you hear a chuckle behind you. Peering over your shoulder you see Kenny pulling out his gear for the evening, his gaze fixed on the symbol you’ve drawn on your backside.

“My eyes aren’t on my ass Omega, keep them up here.” You gesture to your face, standing up straight and giving him the most coquettish smile you can muster.

He grins at your words. With an amused shrug he turns his back on you, pulling off his hoodie so you can’t get a clear view of his body. You do get a view of his back and can see the muscles shift as he runs a hand through his curls. He’s not lost much of his physique in his time off and you have to praise him for that.

You catch Matt’s eye as you go to leave, noticing the wicked grin on his face as his eyes flick back and forth between you and Kenny.

You decide to go find a TV somewhere quiet to watch tonight’s show alone, feeling the need to clear your head before you go out in front of the ravenous crowd.

The show goes well, with the Danielson/Garcia storyline progressing and providing a sweet moment where the crowd chants for Garcia instead of booing him. Punk calls out Hangman unnecessarily, which you find to be out of order, knowing full well that Adam isn’t here tonight to defend himself.

You give a small cheer for Mox when he comes back out later on to call Punk out again, interrupting Tony Nese’s entrance.

Whilst Toni and Kilynn battle it out in the ring together you take this as a good point to stroll towards the backstage area near the tunnels. You’ve had well over an hour to relax and unwind, which you feel has done you the world of good.

As you approach, you spot Don Callis stood a way off with Kenny. The Bucks are nowhere to be seen yet, so you stand around on your phone. You eventually feel a presence and look up to see Kenny stood beside you, fiddling with the tape around his wrists. He’s decked out in a sleeveless, duster-like jacket, with a black compression top on underneath. A precaution, perhaps?

Then you spot the shoulder brace protecting his left side.

“Are you sure you’re ready to wrestle?” You ask him, concern laced into your tone. He doesn’t answer, still struggling with a bit of tape that’s dangling off his wrist. You stand in front of him and grab his arm, tucking the end of the tape in so that it’s secure. With no further distraction he’s forced to look at you.

“There’s no question about it. Besides, this is all just kayfabe for the audience. I feel great.” He assures you, although you can sense his true feelings in his voice. You search his eyes, but all you can see right now is worry. Someone who is scared of doing the one thing he loves the most and screwing it up.

You can hear Le Faccion Ingobernable’s theme hit in the background and know that very shortly you’ll have to go out there with the Bucks.

“Be careful out there. I’d rather you walk back here a winner than us have to carry you back.” You tell him, a fuzzy feeling spreading in your chest when a soft smile spreads across his face, his eyes twinkling with a newfound passion.

“I dread to think what the AEW’s mighty Alpha would do to me if I wasn’t careful.” His tone is playful once more, and you can’t see any hint of those pesky nerves that you feel all too often. Come to think of it though, you didn’t felt nervous around him at all right now, something which you take joy in, as you finally feel relaxed in his presence. Maybe it’s the humbleness of him, that sudden realisation that Kenny Omega is not the god-like character you see him as onscreen.

---------

You could’ve killed him following that barrier spot. Careful, is what you had asked for and this was his idea of it?

Part of you felt like a mark for getting so worked by Kenny’s impeccable selling of each injury and every spot, yet every single strike or move that connected with his body made you cringe.

At the end of the match, following a slight struggle to get the One-Winged Angel, Kenny got the pin and it was finally over. You could breathe easy again.

Remembering that you were still on air, you slid into the ring and knelt beside him, placing a hand on his side where you could feel the bandages wrapping up his torso underneath his shirt.

The Bucks beckoned you to leave the square, knowing the turn on Dragon Lee that was about to take place in the ring. You both slid out and stepped away, one of your arms wrapped around his waist as Kenny leant on you, his “good” arm wrapped around your shoulders. As you closed the distance to reach Matt and Nick, Kenny turns his head and buries his face into your hair, obscuring his lips, from the camera.

“I’m okay.” He mutters to you.

It’s all you need to quell the worry that has sat in your stomach for the past 25 minutes.

Although you know he was only doing so to hide his face, you can’t help but feel a wave of goose bumps erupt at the nape of your neck from the feeling of his lips brushing your ear. You have to mentally slap yourself in order to not lose focus on your current task of acting it up for the camera.

You don’t see the Hammerlock DDT that Andrade enacts on Dragon Lee, but you hear the confused shouts of the crowd and finally see the live feed on the screens go off.

The show is over. But not quite.

Nick runs to the ring, hoping to defend Dragon and in doing so warding off Andrade and Rush. Matt helps Dragon out of the ring and you watch as he manages to hobble off backstage. Kenny moves back towards the ring, his arm leaving your shoulders and instead grabbing your hand, bringing you along with him. His hold never breaks as he helps you up the steel steps.

Matt is sat on the ropes, creating a gap for you to slip through and Kenny follows suit, having retrieved a microphone from Justin Roberts.

You stand in the ring as Kenny addresses the crowd in earnest regarding his return to wrestling. You stand quietly, unable to stop the infectious smile that is plastered across your face as you listen to him.

[spicysagittarius]

if only you knew, part II

MJ’s POV: She hates Peter Parker, but for a reason, and the only thing keeping her sane after being forced to interact with him is the anonymous boy with her book. 

Click here to read on ao3!

Michelle Jones-Watson wakes up the next morning feeling oddly giddy. She’s never been giddy, and doesn’t know if it’s a welcome feeling yet. All she knows is that last night had been her hottest sexual experience thus far, and she still doesn’t even know his name. 

 It’s not like she’s a virgin, or something. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with that, but during her freshman year at NYU, Brad Davis had charmed his way into her dorm room and then left immediately after they hooked up. Ever since, she’s been committed to avoid vulnerability at all costs. So when the likes of Harry Osborn and Miles Morales and Liz Allan had presented opportunities for sex, it was she who left immediately afterwards. Her four one-night-stands make up her sexual experience thus far, unless…unless last night counts. 

 Does it, though? She wonders. The anonymous MIT student who’d dorkishly referred to himself as Spider-Man is a complete stranger and she doesn’t know anything about him. Well, other than the fact that he was too nosy for his own good. And that he’d turned her on more than anyone she’s actually had sex with. The whole thing is honestly fucking strange. 

 As she checks her phone, she has a text from him, one which steals a wide grin from her that she immediately suppresses. Don’t be an idiot, she tells herself. 

 spiderman: good morning Em

 spiderman: In honour of last night I’m catching up with good old Kenna and Jack.

 Another involuntary smile creeps onto her face, but this time, she’s too occupied with typing a response to remove it. 

 Good morning yourself. I’m sure they’re happy to see you. 

 spiderman: Very. He’s currently eating her out in a company conference room. 

 Sheesh. At this hour?

 spiderman: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, isn’t it?

 She laughs out loud at that, shaking her head at his unabashed corniness. It’s only ten seconds later that she briefly wonders if anyone at MIT’s managed to make her laugh like that. 

 -

 The next day, MJ’s bracing herself for the second lecture with Dunn and, unfortunately, Peter Parker. She stands by what she said to him last week about needing a perfect mark, but she slightly regrets planning weekly meet-ups with him to achieve it. Not only are they gonna be in three hour lectures thrice a week together, but an extra hour on Tuesdays? God. 

 As MJ takes her seat in the lecture theatre, she spots Parker sitting across the room. They follow the same routine every time: momentary eye contact followed by immediate avoidance. It’s no different today. 

 It’s not that she hates Peter. Well, she does, but it wasn’t always like that. She knows she can come off arrogant and standoffish at first, but it’s only because social settings aren’t exactly her forte. They never have been. She grew up in Soho with a surgeon mother and a psychiatrist father. Her parents recognised MJ’s intelligence when she was only six, and placed her in gifted schooling immediately. When most kids her age began middle school, she started homeschooling with a private tutor with a heavy focus in science. She’d been perfectly happy, perfectly on track to be just like her parents. Life had been good.

 And then, when she was 14, her mom died in a horrific car accident while taking her to school. All of the sudden, life felt unbearable. Her father withdrew completely, turning to drugs and alcohol to cope with the loss. Soon after, he was fired, which was initially fine since they’d had a fortune to rely on. 

 His drug and gambling addictions drained almost all of it in a year. His incompetence, whether justified or not, caused the state to deem him unfit to care for MJ at 15. She didn’t have any living grandparents. No aunts or uncles on either side. Her career-addicted parents never made close friends. So she ended up in foster care. 

 Going into her sophomore year of high school, she’d lost both parents, specialised education, any possible funding for college, and every familiar thing she’d ever had. Her fellow students had learned to socialise years ago, something she was completely unfamiliar with. Friends didn’t come easily since she always seemed cold and guarded to anyone who looked her way. MJ often found herself fighting tears in her closet after school, since of course, she shared a room with two other foster kids and privacy was a privilege of the past. 

 It only took a couple months into her sophomore year for her to toughen up, though. She soon decided that grief had no place in the life she still yearned for; one of success and opportunity and competition. High school, for Michelle, meant hours of after-school studying and numerous extracurriculars. Both the school decathalon and the Honours Society named MJ their student captain, which meant that her entire life revolved around getting into her dream school, MIT. 

 At 18, she graduated with a 4.3 GPA and had gotten into both MIT and NYU. NYU had offered her the full ride scholarship she needed, but MIT had not. That one failure still haunts her, but instead of grieving, she spent the first two years of university at NYU. This time, her GPA read 4.5 and the scholarship she’d given everything to was finally offered to her. 

 Perhaps it was how hard she had to work to attend MIT that made her despise Peter Parker. 

 Her first day in Boston was spent moving into her off-campus student apartment and meeting her five roommates. Gwen was her favourite that year; a sweet blonde who, like MJ, studied neuroscience. Then there was Felicia, anthropology hottie; Jane, a philosophy introvert; India, serial dater and computer science student; and Lorraine, an architect prodigy from France. 

 The first thing she learned about Parker was the fact that he’d slept with Felicia, India and Lorraine. The latter two had been one-night-stands, but Felicia and Peter had dated for almost the entire sophomore year. She’d told MJ that nobody on campus really knew Peter Parker’s body count, but everyone was dying to find out. 

 The second thing she learned about Parker was that he had top-notch connections. Tony Stark was allegedly a close friend, which meant that Peter had a guaranteed part-time job while at MIT. MJ’s heard countless rumours about his connections in the last couple years, and long story short, Stark isn’t the only Avenger Peter’s close to. 

 The whole prestigious schpeel has always made MJ’s blood boil. She’d given up everything, sacrificed everything to earn her place at MIT. She’d been prepared for kids with rich parents, or kids related to alumni or staff. But the fact that her biggest competition in the entire department was Tony Stark’s practical godson had instantly infuriated her. 

 The world is full of Peter Parkers taking opportunities from Michelle Jones’. She doubts the campus fuckboy has ever truly worked for anything, let alone something as important as his education. Last year, it felt unbearable to even look his way, but over time, the inevitable proximity has gotten a bit more tolerable. That doesn’t mean she’s friendly with him, though.

 And it definitely doesn’t mean she’s eager to work with him one-on-one. Fuck Professor Dunn. 

 Her train of thought is interrupted by Dunn himself as he begins to explain the topic of today’s lecture.

 Said lecture sadly feels five minutes long, and far too soon, she’s taking a seat across from Parker in the library once again.

 He clears his throat. “So, Dunn’s lecture today was interesting.”

 Michelle ignores him, flipping through her notebook to find an empty page. He clears his throat obnoxiously a second time, waiting for a response. 

 “Michelle?”

 She brushes some stray curls out of her face, finally glancing up at him. “Yeah. Whatever.” 

 He looks good today, her brain betrays her by noticing. He’s wearing a t-shirt from Stark Industries (that fucker) which shows off his biceps and forearms (so many veins) and his hair is pleasantly gel-free (those curls). Every observation and positive reaction disgusts her, and she blames last night’s…adventure on any horny distraction Peter provides. 

 He scoffs humourlessly. “Thought we weren’t gonna do this.” 

 “Do what?” She decides to play dumb. 

 “C’mon, Michelle. You said last week that you wanted to focus on the presentation instead of whatever weird feud we have going on.”

 She sets her notebook down. “I am. What, are we supposed to tell each other secrets and bake each other cookies, or something?”

 Peter’s brow furrows. “No.”

 “Great. Let’s get started, then.”

 For the next hour, they manage to cooperate, sharing ideas and research leads for the presentation on drug effects on ethical decision making. She can tell they’re both surprised at how well they work together when they shed pettiness and annoyance — the realisation bugs MJ. She and Parker might actually pull this off. 

 Of course, it’s not like they immediately befriended each other, but the fact that it’s awkwardly cordial surprises her nonetheless. She doesn’t find herself counting down the minutes until they’re done, and when she does check the time, they’ve been in the library for an extra ten minutes than they’d planned. 

 “Shit, it’s 4:40,” she coughs, praying he won’t say anything about it. And he doesn’t.

 “We’ll pick this up next week?”

 “Erm, yeah. Tuesday again.”

 They part without a single petty insult, and MJ heads back to her apartment in a better mood than she’d predicted. It’s not because of Parker, she promises herself. It’s because of the dirty-mouthed stranger who stole my book. 

 Truly, though, she’s sure that today would’ve been hell if she hadn’t been in a good mood since last nights, er, experience. In her defence, orgasms are science-approved mood boosters and she’d definitely needed it. It might’ve been her fingers last night, but he’d made her cum, and it was the closest she’d gotten to getting laid in almost a year. 

 The second she gets home, she heads to her room, thanking the stars that no one was home to distract her. She’s barely set her backpack down before she sends him a text. 

 How’s Tuesday going for our friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man

 MJ’s phone lights up in reply a mere two minutes later. 

 spiderman: Busy, but bearable. You?

 The same. I missed talking to you today.

 She cringes after she sends it. It’s true, but he doesn’t need to know that. He could be anyone, and they still didn’t know anything about each other. What if she’s just freaked him out? 

 Michelle’s heart pounds when she gets his reply, reminding her of high school infatuation. Grow up, MJ. 

 spiderman: Me too. So much. Even though it’s only been a day. 

 Yeah. And I still don’t know anything about you. 

 spiderman: Do you want to?

 Yes

 She thinks about it for a moment. The thought of finding out who he is terrifies her. Whether he’s some terrible, unlikable humanities major (she shudders) or not, knowing his name would mean him knowing hers. It would probably mean meeting him in person, getting to know him in person, because if they live on the same campus, it would be weird if they didn’t. And the worst possibility of all: what if he’s great and she likes him and the vulnerability demon captures her again? Absolutely not.

 But not your name. It wouldn’t be fair, since there’s no way you’re getting mine. 

 spiderman: Deal. 

 spiderman: Hm. Well. I’m a massive Star Wars nerd. I’m Jewish but my aunt and I exchange Christmas presents anyway. I’m secretly a big rom-com fan and it’s embarrassing how much I love cats.

 Michelle does not swoon while reading his text. She doesn’t, because doing so would be disgusting and childish and idiotic. The red tint to her cheeks is her Pinocchio nose, mocking her dishonesty. 

 Whatever! It’s only because she’s a cat person, too. 

 What a softie. 

 spiderman: Proudly. 

 spiderman: Your turn!

 Fine. I normally read non-fiction, and Mrs. Crosby is the sole exception to that besides a few classics here and there. I paint when I’m stressed. My favourite movie is Pride and Prejudice, but I tell people it’s Inception. And I also secretly love cats. 

 spiderman: You sound unbearably cute.

 Cute? Jesus Christ.

 spiderman: You do! 

 spiderman: Tell me something no one else knows about you.

 Lol, the Pride and Prejudice thing is a well-kept secret.

 spiderman: Cmon, Em.

 MJ can feel the dreaded vulnerability demon sink its claws into her as she types out her response, but she does her best to shake the anxiety away. He doesn’t know who she is. 

 My dad and I haven’t spoken in years. I actually don’t even know where he is. Is that juicy enough for you?

 spiderman: Shit, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to pressure you into telling me anything. 

 No, it’s okay. I’m pretty sure I’m over it. We were never that close. 

 spiderman: It’s none of my business, so feel free to tell me to fuck off, but what happened?

 She takes a deep breath, reminding herself that he wouldn’t be able to hurt her or spread any rumours if he doesn’t know who she is. 

 After my mom died, he kinda lost it. Got into drugs and lost all their money to gambling. Then he got desperate and spent my college fund. I was sent to this foster home for the last few years of high school and he got arrested my senior year for drug possession. That was the last update I got, and he could still be in jail for all I know. 

 spiderman: God, that’s awful. I’m sorry. It’s insane to me that you went through all of that and still ended up at MIT. Fucking incredible. 

 Thanks, Spider-Man.  God, I need a better nickname for you. 

 spiderman: Hm. My middle name is Benjamin. Make it Ben. 

 Deal. You gotta tell me something now. 

 A minute or two go by before he responds. 

 Ben: My parents are gone, too. They died when I was a kid, so I don’t remember much, but all I have is my aunt. Her and my uncle took me in after they passed, and I owe everything to them. When my uncle died, my aunt fell apart. She still struggles with it. She still took care of me and never let me see her break down, but a part of her died with him. It made me terrified of love.

 What do you mean?

 Ben: Like, what my aunt went through is probably what I’m most afraid of. Being so completely in love with someone and sharing everything with them, thinking you have all the time in the world to be with them. But that’s never the case, because your time with them could end at any given moment. I refuse to be blindsided like that. 

 Don’t you think it’s better to know love and experience loss than to never know it at all?

 Ben: Love, sure, but I’m talking about the kind of love that my aunt and uncle had. The kind most people won’t ever experience. You know, where there’s no one in the world except you and them, where you forget who you were before loving them, where you literally can't move on after they’re gone. 

 That’s what my parents had. 

 Ben: It’s a dangerous thing. 

 Ben: I wonder if Jack and Kenna ever got this deep.

 Ha! Doubt it

 -

 MJ falls asleep that night with her phone tucked to her chest, right above her heart. Each beat is full of feeling: happiness and fear and caution and care. 

 Her dreams star a version of herself that is loved wholly and unconditionally like his aunt and uncle. In them, she is carefree and vulnerable and everything she has never been and she is beside Ben the entire time. 

 When she wakes up, she wonders why the Ben in her dreams had looked like Peter Parker.

[bbysamu]

Love Sometimes On A Thursday Night | KUROO Tetsuro

featuring: husband!Kuroo Tetsuro x f!reader

the one in which Kuroo Tetsuro learns love can come in the form of at home spa nights and 24k gold face masks

MAIN MASTERLIST | DOMESTIC BLISS MLIST

Kuroo Tetsuro texted as soon as the man walked through those double glass doors.

“baby, he’s back.”

The “he” in question was no doubt the same one from the marketing department. The marketing lead with the greasy, slicked back hair and a smile that never quite reaches his eyes. The same one who demands Kuroo stay overtime to finish whatever project the marketing team is working on with the promotion team.

“don’t worry, try to get someone else to stay this time. you already stayed late last week. just forty more minutes and you’re free!”

Kuroo groans as he locks his phone screen. forty minutes turned into an hour and forty-minutes because his colleagues had scrambled to their feet, muttering quick “goodbyes” and was out the door before Kuroo realized he was the only one left in the office.

At exactly 8:45 PM, Kuroo trudges through the door and plops down comfortably on top of you, earning himself an, “excuse me, but hello to you too.”

“I miss you” was his muffled reply.

After three years of dating and two years of marriage, you’ve learned that despite his corny jokes and sometimes cheesy ways, Kuroo likes his words straight to the point. there was no need for the “hi and hellos”. he missed you at work today so that was to be the first thing he tells you.

he sighs against the touch of your fingers mindlessly running through his hair. seven years after high school and his hair still the same, messy bed-head aesthetic.

“tough day, huh? did you end up getting stuck with him?”

he nods, sighing again as he relives the memory of forced smiles and nods of agreements until the marketing lead let him go.

“wanna tell me about it?”

“you know I do. but we need to do that thing first. it’s Thursday.”

“oh shoot, it is a Thursday. come on, babe.”

Kuroo gasps, “don’t tell me. you forgot?!”

You smile at his antics, “I didn’t forget per say, I just don’t remember.”

Your husband rolls his eyes, fighting the smile on his face as he pushes himself off of you and helps you to your feet. his hands finds its way to your waist, the two of you making your way to the bathroom.

Kuroo makes himself comfortable on the marbled top, leaning back against the mirror, as you inched closer, examining his face.

“sir, what exactly are you looking for?”

He grins. Even after two years of marriage, this game of pretend was still entertaining.

“ma’am, I've been feeling extra dry lately, especially in my t-zone area. do you have any suggestions or remedy?”

You ponder and Kuroo could see the thoughts running through that pretty little head of yours. He couldn’t stop his hands from reaching out, fingers toying with the hem of your t-shirt, trying to pull you in closer to him.

“sir, this is not appropriate. I have a husband you know?”

“is your husband as handsome as me?”

“nah, he’s more handsome cause his forehead doesn’t look like a whole desert.”

Kuroo pouts, “no fair, y/n! I share with you my insecurity and you just throw ‘em back in my face. tell me again, why did I marry you?”

“my charms,” you retort, not missing a beat as you scrummage through the piles of face masks, moisturizers, serums, and eye creams, “and because I have these.” you wave the face masks in front of him.

“24k gold face masks huh? we feeling fancy tonight!”

you rolls your eyes as he hops off from the counter and opens the drawer, pulling out the matching headbands, one blue, one pink completed with the inscriptions “hers” and “his”. it was a housewarming gift from one of your bridesmaid. you remember the excitement on her face as she handed you the purple-wrapped box, the proud look in her eyes as she explained, “pink for y/n and blue for Tetsuro.”

he turns to you, handing you the blue one as he slips on the pink one. Kuroo insists on using the pink headband with “hers” on it, because he’s yours. And because you’re his (the ring on your finger is proof) you wear the blue one.

“it’s cold!” he grimaces, but tries his best not to move as you carefully line up the sheet to his face.

“alright, my turn.” you turn to him as he picks up the second sheet from the pack.

“how do I look?” he questions.

“I think you look more handsome with half your face covered up.”

Kuroo laughs then pinches your cheeks, “you think you’re so funny, huh?”

“ouch, not so hard!” he laughs again when you rub your face.

“come on, baby, turn towards me and close your eyes.”

you do and instead of the cold sensation of the sheet, you feel his lips on yours. part of you wanted to pull away because its 9:34 pm and you'd both have to be up by at least 6:30 am tomorrow for work. but you stay when you feel the urgency in his touch as your fingers weave through his messy locks.

he pulls away first and you laugh at how crooked his mask had become. his laughter intertwines with yours once he catches glimpse in the mirror and nimble fingers quickly put it back in place.

“alright, princess, your turn, for real now.” he helps you put on your gold sheet and doesn’t let go of your hand as the two of you collapse back onto the sofa.

“wanna tell me about the mean manager now?” you ask, your hand reassuringly squeezing his.

Kuroo opens his eyes and surveys the room. your wedding picture hung in the center of the wall, millions other pictures of the two of you surrounding it. he smiles when he spots his favorite one, the one taken by Yaku two Decembers ago on on a ski-trip with the rest of your friends. you were asleep on his shoulder, mouth slightly open, and Kuroo was smiling, just a little, as he looked down at you like you’re the only one he’ll ever look at for the rest of his life (and as your husband often likes to remind you, you are). Yaku laughed and teased him for being a simp when he airdropped Kuroo the photo. Kuroo laughed along and thought “so this is what love looks like”.

With Jhene Aiko quietly playing in the background, your legs draped over his, Kuroo no longer wanted to talk about the manager, he’d rather you hear about all the happier details of his day, like how he absolutely destroyed the lunch box you had prepared for him, down to the very last rice and how his boss had hinted at a potential promotion. he also wanted to hear about your day, how was your commute, did you learn anything new from that podcast you always listen to?

“Tetsu?”

Kuroo realizes he had spaced out and he smiles, “nah, that man isn’t worth talking about. baby, how was your day? what’d you eat for lunch?”

“you sure?” and he nods encouragingly, smiling as you begin to launch into a detailed rundown of your day.

“so Jen and I went to the new hot dog place around the corner, you know the one I've always wanted to try. it was beautiful, I've never seen a hot dog place decorated so nicely...”

Kuroo realizes while love is sometimes face masks on a Thursday night, love for him will always be you.

stay fetch! xoxo

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