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#lets hope it gets better tomorrow!! my parents will be gone on a two day trip then!!!
autism-corner · 8 months
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The curse is hitting me.
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teatreeoilll · 9 months
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Quick Geto drabble. Not proofread since it’s so late right now, hope i’ll get to it tomorrow
ChildhoodFriend!Suguru who you met on the first day of kindergarten as you sat huddled on a chair in the corner, bawling your eyes out while the other children ran outside to play catch.
“Why are you crying?” The little dark haired boy inquires from the doorway.
“I want to go play but I - I -,” you sniffle into the palms of your hands, “My shoelace,” you point a tiny finger at your unlaced sneaker, “I don’t know how to tie it.”
He comes inside hesitantly, squatting near your feet while tying up a crooked knot, his tongue poking out in focus. “Here,” he straightens up, “You can go play now.”
ChildhoodFriend!Suguru who tries to teach you how to swim so you could go to the beach with him, but you just end up swallowing water, and leaving such prominent scratches on his arm (where you tried to hang on for dear life), that he had to lie to his parents he was attacked by a cat.
ChildhoodFriend!Suguru who grows out his hair the first time in eighth grade, letting the girls fuss over it every chance they got.
“I think it looks better short,” you lie to him on your way back home from school, walking a few steps ahead of him to hide the blush creeping on your cheeks.
He just shrugs, remembering how you glare at each girl who touches his head.
ChildhoodFriend!Suguru who sits on your bed after your middle school graduation, telling you he’s leaving for Tokyo at the end of the summer.
“It’s a - uhm -“ he tries to explain through your sobs, “It’s a religious school.”
“Religious?” You look up at him with bloodshot eyes, “I didn’t even know you were religious.”
He knew he couldn’t say much more so he opted to put an arm over your shoulder, smiling softly while muttering, “You’ll barely even notice I’m gone.”
ChildhoodFriend!Suguru who comes back to the village almost two years later with an infuriated look in his eyes, so as to save two young girls from terrified villagers - only to find you asleep near the bars of the makeshift prison they were in.
“Go away,” you mutter at the presence entering the room, refusing to open your sleepy eyes at another villager coming to bug them, “Touch these kids and I’ll kill you.”
“Of course you’re here,” Your eyes flutter open to the sound of Geto’s voice. He crouches over your sleeping bag, holding out a hand to help you up. “We’re leaving,” he announces, the same old soft smile hovering on his lips.
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wingedhallows · 8 months
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we'll be family; sirius black
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pairing: sirius black x reader | 1.6k words plot: sirius is finally back and your godson is as well. You're determined to finally be a family, no one will come between, you're determined. prompt: "we'll be family" authors note:I hope you like it, there might be another part :)
navigation | part two
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“The food is incredible, Molly.” you smiled at the red haired woman. A couple of humms agreeing with you as you continued to devour the bowl of food. “I’m glad, hun.”
Your hand was entangled with his, shoulder to shoulder. 
Sirius had broken out of Azkaban a few months ago, you’d been inseparable ever since. Albus had let you finally and officially meet your godson, not that you haven’t seen him before.
The old wizard had forbidden you to take him, he had deemed you unfit to take care of an infant when Lily and James were killed and Sirius was sent to Azkaban. You complied all those years ago, not that you didn’t go down without a fight.
“Harry, love, we’ll get all of your things tomorrow morning, alright?” you spoke, his head snapping to you. He gave you a small smile and nodded. “I’ll come with you, no worries.” Your hand found his and his smile widened a tad. “Alright.” Harry had run away in a fit of anger, with good reason, you thought.
That old hag had it coming. You slightly waved your hand and the jug of water hovered over the table towards you. You were one of few wizards who were able to do magic without a wand. Making you a great asset to the Order.
Sirius tensed up, you knew well that the wrongful accusations still hurt him and how annoyed he was that he was practically bound to the house he most hated.
“Alright, all kids out!” Alastor spoke as he made his way into the kitchen. “We’ll start the meeting!” he continued. Molly ushered the children out before Harry turned to you. Sirius's hand had found its way across your back and held your waist while the other gently stroked your shoulder. 
Oh, how you had missed this, missed him.
“I want to stay, Y/N.” Harry whispered as he held onto your hand. Sirius didn’t intervene, he had made his point an hour ago. “Go on now, Harry.” Molly pushed him gently and you rose to your feet. “I’d like Harry to stay.” You said.
Severus who just arrived scoffed at you, lips in a snarl as he opened his mouth. You held on to Harry and ushered him to take a seat just like yourself.
“He’s got you under such a tight grip, just like all those years ago.” You rolled your eyes at him and propped your head onto your hand in boredom. “Like calls to like, I guess.”
He paused and the hand your husband had around your back tensed, your eyebrows shut up in anger. “Black’s been a lovesick fool without an opinion even in his school days, it was only a matter of time for you as well, Y/N.” 
Your face converted into the cold mask you knew too well, the fork in your hand clutched tightly as you, without a thought, apparated just across the table. Sirius had gone through a lot during your school days, his parents were absolute monsters and your love kept him above water all those years. To badmouth your connection, the shared pain and sorrow was unheard for.
 Without as much as a huff you pointed the fork to Severus’ neck, his eyes wide.
“I might be all smiley, happy even because after twelve years of a sentence he didn’t deserve, I finally have my husband back you better don’t forget that I’m a Slytherin as well, dear Snivellus.” You leaned down, eyes boring into his. “I’ll end you just like the little worm you are, if you dare insult my husband once more.”  “Any more comments to add?” he gulped and avoided your eyes. “That’s what I thought.”
Without another word you apparated right back into your chair, the slight squeak from the old chair the only sound in the room. “What was that?” Kingsley spoke. You didn’t think too much of it. Your friends have known since school, even Albus and Minerva knew. It was no secret that wandless magic was your expertise.
“You’ve mastered wandless magic?” Kingsley spoke again, your eyes found Harry’s, who tried to hide a laugh. Your outburst towards his most hated teacher filling him with joy. “I had a lot of time.” You huffed, the filled cup found its way to your painted lips.
Your hands found their way to your lover. His lips connected with your neck as your fingers played with the back of his neck. “You’re breathtaking when you’re angry.” He whispered in your ear before pressing a light kiss onto your cheek. “Oh, how I love you, Sirius.” you smiled into the kiss.
The meeting had gone by quickly after you all agreed to let Harry join the next meeting. Albus claimed that he had to think about it thoroughly, since it wasn’t a light choice to make. Sirius and You stood with your opinion, there was no time to waste, you thought.
“Here they are.” you smiled before grabbing a pile of dusted old books. They were in fact photo albums. “I haven’t seen those in years.” Sirius spoke behind you, his hands tucked into his trousers. “I want Harry to have them.” you gave him a kiss and made your way out of your bedroom. Sirius had given you a nod and settled on the bed without another word.
You knocked on the room the kids slept in. Harry, Hermoine and Ron had agreed to share a bedroom. There was a slight rumble before you opened the door with a squeak. You tried to suppress a laugh, of course they were still awake.
A snort escaped you as you flicked on the light. “Stop pretending to be asleep, you lot aren’t good at it.” Harry rose first and gave you an uncomfortable laugh. Hermoine and Ron joined him shortly after. “Sorry, we were supposed to-”Oh, please. You’re old enough to sleep when you feel like it.” You waved him off, the three visibly relaxed. 
“I came because.. I wanted to give you these.” You held out your hands. Your godson got up from his bed and joined you on the floor. His friends joined you as well. “What are these?” He asked. You gave him a smile and opened the first one. “These are our years at Hogwarts.” 
The first page was graced with a group photo of Lily, James, Remus, Peter, Sirius and You. You all held onto your graduation caps, wide smiles on your faces. “This was right after graduation, but there are pictures of all seven years.” 
A small smile formed on your face as you watched how James had tried to stretch his arms over all of you, how Lily leaned into James’ side with a wide smile. Remus had his arms around Sirius and You, your hand on Sirius chest as he pressed a kiss onto your head.
Harry stared at you with wide eyes. “I was determined to document our time together.” you paused and flipped to another page. “This was after your mother had finally agreed to go out with your father, we were all so happy that James’ yapping would stop now. He was insufferable, really.” 
In the picture was James as he held Lily in his arms, smiling wide. Remus, Sirius and You stood next to them shaking your heads. Sirius had his hand in yours and your other arm was propped up on Remus' shoulder who had sat down onto a tiny wall. 
Harry chuckled and you flipped to another page. “This was when your parents asked us to be your godparents.” you looked at the picture. How the shock spread onto your faces before you smothered baby Harry in a kiss. Sirius stroked Harry’s cheek and settled a kiss on your cheek. You’ll never forget the warmth that spread through you as they asked you, how much love warmed the place that night.
“Take your time looking through them.” You paused and raised your hands to Harry’s cheeks. Oddly enough it felt like all those years ago, when you used to hold little Harry in your hands. “I know Sirius and Me are not your parents and…we’ll never be but, I’ll try my best to be anything close to the mother Lily never got the chance to be.” A tear made its way down Harry’s cheek and you quickly wiped it. “I love you, Harry. We’ll be a family now.”
You gave Hermoine and Ron a stroke to their cheeks as well and left them alone. Before you were out the door you spoke once again. “You can ask me anything about them whenever you want, I’ll gladly answer your questions.There are so many great stories about them.” he nodded and got to his feet. 
Within seconds he had his arms around you, his face buried in your neck. You held him, stroked his back in a comforting manner. “Thank you, Y/N. I love you too.” He raised his head and you wiped the tears once again. 
“Your parents would be more than proud of you, Harry. Such a lovely young man you’ve become.” you planted a kiss on his forehead and left the kids alone.
Sirius was still awake, a book clasped in his hand as he looked at you through his reading glasses. “Are you cryin’?” he said, book long forgotten as he sat on the edge of the bed. You nodded and embraced him in a tight hug, your head rested on his chest. “I showed him some pictures of all of us.” He planted a kiss on your temple. “Oh.” was all he said.
“I miss them.” you whispered, a tear rolling down your cheek. “Me too.” he answered.
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only-lonely-star · 1 month
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Your recent fic of the Soda mishap is my new fav fic of the outsiders! It was so funny with just the right amount of angst!
Could I request a fic with a sister reader who is the youngest curtis and develops separation anxiety with Soda after the two of them were in a little fender bender? Neither were hurt but it brought up memories of their parents dying and she can't shake off the thought that Soda not being in her eyesight means he's gone too? She refuses to sleep in her own room goes with him to work (it's summer holidays so school isn't a factor) and anytime he showers she stands outsode the bathroom door asking if he's okay periodically. Just a big emotional breakdown if she happens to get separated from him? I hope that makes sense!
Thanks you!
☁︎ The Accident ☁︎
~ Sodapop Curtis ~
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Warnings - Minor car accident, mentions of death, separation anxiety
Summary - You couldn’t imagine losing Sodapop.
Author’s Note - THIS REQUEST WAS MWAH!! CHEF’S KISS! 😽 I’m very proud of this one. It took me longer to write since I got a bit carried away, so I apologize for the long wait. I couldn't bring myself to make the ending sad, so I hope you all like how I closed the story. Thank you so much for requesting, enjoy it my loves !!
Word Count - 3.3k.
»——•——« »——•——« »——•——« »——•——«
You kicked back, finally able to rest after a long morning spent dipping in the lake with your older brother, Sodapop. It was summer break, so what better way to spend the day than being under the sun - swimming and shoving him around in the cool, crisp water? Your oldest brother, Darrel, still had work, even over the summer. Your third oldest brother, Ponyboy, decided he'd rather spend some time with his friends. Being the empath he is, Sodapop decided to drive you down to the lake to ensure you didn't feel left out. He loved spending quality time with you either way - he quite enjoyed your company.
Feet on the dashboard, you turned up the radio and sang along. You could practically feel the funky music thumping in your chest. The bass could be heard a mile away, causing Sodapop to let out a chuckle. "Havin' fun?" he asked, his eyes drifting to see you smile bigger than he ever had since the accident.
You nodded vigorously, a few stray droplets of water that remained on the ends of your hair flying onto Sodapop, dampening his skin. "Of course!" you beamed, removing your feet off the dashboard as you leaned back into your seat.
He gave a head nod of accomplishment at that. Sodapop was glad to have taken you out for a fun time for once. He would have to return to the DX again tomorrow morning, the cycle repeating all over again. "Glad we went swimmin', we could go next weekend or something too y'know..." he suggested, a grin on his lips not faltering once as he offered another trip down to the lake.
You gasped, already looking forward to it. "Really? Like - you'll actually take me again?" you asked, needing the last bit of reassurance before you could truly accept the offer.
He nodded once more, stopping at a red light to gently swat your shoulder with his knuckles. "'Course I'll take you again."
He earned another grin from you at that, proud of himself once more. Sodapop's eyes darted for the rearview mirror, noticing a red Pontiac Firebird riding up on the back of their car. "Well damn, you gonna slow down?" he asked aloud, a slight bit of annoyance in his voice. The car must have been going at least fifteen miles per hour right at the red light. You hadn't paid much attention to it until you noticed Sodapop's eyes go wide. The 'deer in headlights' gaze is the only right way you could describe it. Sodapop cursed under his breath once more, holding his hand out to press against your chest. The sound of screeching breaks against the road scared the both of you as you jerked forward. Sodapop's arm prevented you from moving around that much, but there was still an impact. You slowly opened your eyes, recovering from a wince you hadn't even realized was in effect.
"The fuck - ?!" he hollered, rolling down the window before slamming his hand onto the horn and holding it there to express his anger. Road rage was one thing, but this was totally different. Sodapop rarely acted out on his anger, let alone follow through with it and stick his hand out of the window just to flip him off.
You sat there, breath hitched in your throat as you momentarily dissociated whilst staring at the dashboard.
This was all too familiar for you. ‘The Accident’ is what still haunts the four of you to this day. Having both of your parents wind up in an auto wreck sure wasn’t on your bucket list at all.
It was the sound of the car nearly crashing that frightened you. The fact you could have obtained the same fate as your parents was such a big fear you’d been attempting to hide since the accident. What you dreaded the most was losing your brothers. Put in a life or death situation - you’d hand over your life in an instant if it would ensure your siblings would be safe.
It wasn’t until you realized you and Sodapop were pulled over with that same Pontiac behind you. Slowly returning to reality, the bearded man with salt and pepper-colored hair had his arms resting on the now rolled-down window. “She alright?” he asked, his eyes fixated on you. Your dazed expression had been permanently marked onto your face.
Sodapop scanned your face for any other emotion, but couldn't seem to detect any. He quickly turned back to the man, brushing him off. “She’s a little spooked, she’ll be alright.”
He gave a slight shrug and waved the both of you off. Sodapop immediately placed a hand on your shoulder and shook your upper half. “Gave me some cash to fix the damage…it ain’t too bad, the back is a little dented and some paint got scratched off - but that’s about it,” he explained in an attempt to snap you back to reality.
Your eyes scanned the road, still busy with vehicles buzzing around everywhere you look. Listening was easy, but trying to comprehend his words while your mind raced with panic was a difficult task.
“You sure look out of it,” he commented, moving the gearshift to head home. There was an underlying tone of concern you could easily hear in his voice.
Squirming around in your seat, you found a better position where you could see the road ahead, clear as day. Feeling paranoid was an understatement. “No, no, I’m fine,” you assured him, all the confidence you could muster coming into play. You couldn’t stand the thought of worrying him even further with your newfound state of shock.
The car turned at an intersection, a red Corvette coming at you from the left side. It was as if your body just knew what to do - curling up into a ball as your eyes closed shut. The car isn’t going to hit you. This is how normal cars drive. You weren’t hurt. Stop.
“Why are you all jumpy with me? You ain’t in any danger,” Sodapop piped up, noticing your flinch at the sight of the Corvette. “Calm down a bit, will ya?” he teased light-heartedly, unaware of the true conflict inside your mind.
“Sorry…” you mumbled in response, pushing down any remaining feelings of apprehension. “That car, Soda -…” the crack in your voice said it all, “Just scared me a bit, I guess I just don't want you to… to end up like Mom and Dad.”
The car became eerily silent, the only noise being the zooming of cars outside. The accident was a touchy subject for both of you - Darrel and Ponyboy as well. Just talking about it always darkened the mood.
“No. You’re safe, I ain’t ever gonna let anything like that happen to you,” he assured you, his voice thick with tension. He seemed to grasp onto the wheel tighter as he pulled over just outside your home. “You hear me? It ain’t happening.”
For once, he was stern. Sodapop was never stern nor agitated with you, he was always bubbly and grinning. You knew the mention of your deceased mother and father had triggered it. The accident may have been months ago, but the damage was nowhere near repaired.
“I hear you,” you mumbled shamefully, opening the car door and shutting it behind you swiftly. You stood with your hand rubbing onto your arm. The body language represented was one of dread and concern, but somehow relief. Relief that Sodapop was still standing before you - even if he was completing a mundane task.
Sodapop shut the car door as he hauled the bag of wet bathing suits through the gate and towards the front door. You followed, not once letting him out of your sight. You watched as he set the bag near the bathroom door. “Darry and Pony ain’t home yet, better shower before they come back,” he suggested, offering you first dibs with the shower.
You shook your head and stood underneath his arm, seeking some bit of comfort. “No, uh - I’ll do it later,” the words nervously fell from your tongue.
Sodapop ruffled his fingers through your hair, grinning like always. At least something felt normal. “Alright then, shower after me.”
With that, Sodapop waltzed inside the tiled room, unraveling an off-white and awfully tattered towel. Tossing it on the counter, he placed his hand on the doorknob and pushed it closed. You respected the privacy of course, but the pang of paranoia kicked in once more.
“Soda…?” you called out, the sound only a hoarse whisper. No reply.
It was strangely quiet on the other end of the door. No water could be heard running, no background noise of shifting clothes around, nothing. Your hand balled into a fist, the sound of three knocks beckoning him. “Soda, you okay?”
“Yeah…?” Sodapop responded with a confused tone, leaving the boy in deep confusion. “Are you?” he stifled a laugh at the question. He’d been gone a mere few seconds!
“I’m fine,” your voice quivered, exhaling deeply as you slid down the wall. You rested your arms around your knees and sat on the brown wooden flooring. You could practically feel the sadness washing over you. The corners of your lips seemed to subtly droop, your expression now a worried frown. A warm tear escaped from your left eye, leaving you to wonder why you were crying in the first place.
That car could’ve killed you. It could’ve killed Sodapop too - oh god, anyone but him. You couldn’t lose him. First your parents and now your brother - ?”
Wiping the stray tear away, you stood back to your feet and leaned your ear against the door, trying to make out any heavy breathing. The panic set in once more when the running water was the only sound coming from the other end of the door. “Soda, are you alright?”
The knob had been twisted, causing less water to flow from the shower head. “I’m okay - now what in the hell is up with you?” Sodapop demanded as his words echoed through your mind.
Sodapop beginning to feel a bit pestered by you didn’t seem to be an issue, you were at least grateful to have a response. “Nothing…sorry,” you spoke up, giving it a rest for the time being.
The eerie silence only led to the intrusive thoughts of Sodapop no longer being alive. This was torture at its finest. The shower seemed to drag on longer than you would’ve liked.
—————————————————————————
As the day came to a quiet evening, Sodapop had already climbed into bed for the night. Darrel could be found in the kitchen with Ponyboy baking a chocolate cake for tomorrow’s usual breakfast. Clutching your pillow and stuffed bear you’d had since childhood by your side, you crept inside his darkened room. He was lying on his front side, face buried in his pillow. A smile adorned your face once you saw him sleeping peacefully underneath the warm bedding. You tip-toed for Ponyboy’s spot in bed and lifted the corner of the sheets to slide in underneath them. Sodapop stirred and scooted further back toward his side of the bed. His eyes could make out your figure, halfway crawled into bed. “What’re you doin’?”
You were quick to reply, fully laying on your back now that he was awake. “I just wanted to sleep in here tonight…” you shrugged, the stuffed teddy a source of comfort against your chest.
Normally Sodapop would’ve urged it's best for you to not upset Ponyboy by taking his spot in bed. He felt tremendously guilty for earlier’s mention of the accident, it only made him want to ease your concern for his wellbeing. Sodapop could sense the constant fear nagging at you that if he wasn’t with you, he was gone as well. He wasn’t stupid - he was well aware. “Scoot over so there’s room for three,” he sighed softly before pulling your arm closer.
You could feel his lips curled into a loving grin against your hair. It was getting late, so it was a given that Ponyboy would walk in any moment now and settle down for the night. Your back against Sodapop’s chest provided a warm feeling inside. His arm was almost trapping you beside him from how tightly the embrace was. Feeling his heartbeat thumping against your back eased any nervousness that still lingered in your mind.
Sure enough, the hallway lights could be heard flicking off with a quick hit to the switch. A faint ‘goodnight’ was barely audible through the closed wooden door. Ponyboy twisted the knob and saw an unfamiliar shadow beside Sodapop in bed. He groaned once the realization swept over his head that it was you. “Alright, outta my bed,” he commanded with a rather sassy eye roll.
The sheets were flung off of your body as Ponyboy expectantly waited for you to leave. Sodapop squeezed you tighter against himself. “Pony, let her stay.”
Ponyboy scoffed and furrowed his brows in frustration. “Stay - ?! This is our bed, she has her own!”
Sodapop stifled a groan of his own, his hand extending to toss the bedding back over your body. “You’ve got room, either sleep with us or take her bed. It’s just for tonight...”
Ponyboy took one last glance at the two of you before plopping himself down in a huff. “You don’t even need to be here, it ain’t your bed,” he grumbled as he fiddled with the blanket that had been kicked to his side.
You felt guilty enough as is, but now the guilt had grown stronger. You exhaled softly and let your eyes drift shut. “I’m sorry,” is all you could manage to say in response before it turned to a whole meltdown on why you needed to stay close to Sodapop.
Ponyboy’s anger subsided to a calm and aloof demeanor. He was most likely too tired to even argue it anymore.
“I just can’t go back to my room…not when Soda’s all the way in here,” you explained, your voice kept at a quiet whisper. No response from either of them. That sickening feeling of loss had begun to eat you alive yet again now that you lay awake, speaking to your unresponsive brothers.
———————————————————————————
Morning came once again, except this time you weren’t woken up to the bird’s singing outside, or one of your brothers pouncing over your resting body. It was as if your mind already knew that Sodapop had left. Ponyboy too, it was nearly ten o’clock in the morning when the lonely feeling sank back in. You sighed and propped yourself up onto the pillows, using your forearms for support.
A muffled sound escaped your lips, immediately calling for Sodapop. Obviously, he couldn’t hear you behind a closed door. You sprung out of bed, the stuffed bear falling to the floor along with you. With a swift twist of the doorknob, you sprinted down the hallway to catch sight of Ponyboy in the kitchen.
“Soda - Soda - where’s Soda?” you asked frantically, no sign of your two eldest brothers being around.
Ponyboy bit into a mouthful of chocolate cake, not caring to finish chewing before speaking, “Leavin’ for work, why?”
You shook your head without another word and scrambled for the front door, pajamas and all. You saw Sodapop buckling in beside Darrel as he slipped on a shirt. You sprinted towards the car, shouting and pleading for them to wait.
“Soda, Darry!” you called out, your hand smacking the side of the car to stop the vehicle. Darrel looked beyond frustrated to see you causing such a scene. Sodapop was filled with great concern, even as the adrenaline rushing throughout your body masked your fear. He gave a head tilt to signal Darrel to let him handle this.
“I’m here,” he replied in an assertive tone, his empathic eyes feeling every emotion you’ve felt since yesterday’s accident. He understood you better than anyone. Reaching a hand out to pull you closer, his gentle grasp latched onto your wrist. He leaned closer to you and spoke lowly, “You alright, kid? You’re scarin’ us, y’know.”
You nodded. In all honesty, you were okay now that you’d seen Sodapop. It felt like every second spent away from him was hell on earth. He could be hurt, laying out in the street somewhere - dead.
“I’m coming with you,” you insisted, tugging on the backseat door behind Sodapop. It didn’t open. Instead, Darrel’s husky voice backed you away from the handle.
“Coming with us -? No kids allowed, be realistic for once.” Darrel gave you a stern warning that if you didn’t head back indoors then you would never hear the end of it.
Sodapop exhaled sharply and glanced between you both, trying to handle the situation. He locked eyes on you, giving you the same empathic look as before. “Just…” he gave Darrel a wince before facing you again, “You got five minutes to get ready and then we're leaving.”
Your smile reappeared yet again, immediately racing back up the stairs leading to the front door. The sound of your brothers’ voices grew louder even as the distance between you and the car grew. A glimpse of the two arguing caused a bitter pang in your heart. Pushing the feeling away, you darted for the bathroom.
———————————————————————————
“She can stay with me. The DX ain’t in a bad area, she’ll be fine…” Sodapop spoke softly to Darrel, trying to reason as to why you should come along to work with them.
You settled yourself in the vehicle as it began to propel forward. The tension of the previous argument still lingered, but at least Darrel kept quiet as soon as you were in a close enough radius to hear the bickering. He wouldn’t be caught dead speaking of you like that while you were listening.
———————————————————————————
Taking Sodapop’s hand, he led you inside of the gas station in which he worked. You’d been here countless times before, bumming around with your brother’s friends as they smoked and attempted to sweet-talk any girl that passed. Sodapop and Steve never did, they would be fired after receiving complaints for doing such activities. Sodapop would always bend the rules, slipping a few snacks and whatnot into his pocket before leaving work. The DX brought back fond memories even as you stepped inside the front door, a small bell ringing overhead, indicating your entry.
“Now, I ain’t supposed to have company,” Sodapop spoke quietly, holding onto your shoulder and bending down a bit to be eye level with you, “But I couldn’t say no, I just couldn’t.”
Your eyes stung from the tears that dared to form during such a heartfelt moment. Sodapop was aware?
“Soda, I can’t lose you too,” your voice quivered as you quickly closed the distance between one another. Your arms wrapped around his neck, Sodapop immediately reciprocated the hug.
“I know, I know…” he replied as he softly stroked the back of your head, his fingers intertwining with your hair in a soothing motion. “You ain’t losin’ me anytime soon, I can promise you that.”
You willingly let the tears fall from your cheeks, landing on Sodapop’s shoulder which dampened the fabric quite a lot. He didn’t mind at all, in fact - he was glad you were no longer bottling yourself up. You squeezed him tighter, wishing the hug could ensure you’d never lose him. “I love you,” you spat out in a desperate cry.
Sodapop nodded along, the soothing motion of his hand still in effect. “I love you too y’know, a lot,” he said with a delicate tone, one he only used with you. You were his little sister and he would never let anything separate the two of you.
You just don’t stop living because you lose somebody.
It was as if the hug was the one thing you needed - the one thing that could ease your pain. Learning to cope with the death of your parents was by far the most difficult task you’d faced. Memories of the accident only strengthened your love for your brothers, clinging onto them as if you’d lose them next. Living in constant fear, dreading any separation was no healthy way to cope. The only way to cure the feeling of this overwhelming pain was to cherish your brothers like never before. And that’s exactly what you did.
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foliosriot · 11 months
Text
Scream
pairing: ghostface!noah sebastian x reader
warnings: talk of death and murder. brief knife-play. vaginal fingering. p in v sex (wrap it before you tap it, my friends). pre-kink. fear-play i guess. let me know if i missed anything else! 18+ only MDNI or i’ll block you.
a/n: (that one tiktok sound like-) “he was the best guy around” “what about the people he murdered?” “what murdahhhh”
tags: @starsomens @fvckmeorchokeme @cncohshit @concretenoah + everyone else who didn’t know they needed ghostface!noah in their lives ;)
masterlist
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You will admit: the recent string of murders have had your guts twisted with fear and anxiety. Because what if it’s someone you know next? What if it’s one of your friends? What if it’s you?
It has been terrifying just trying to exist the past week and a half. Three people were already dead, and who knows when the next person would be found mutilated? The last one was just down the street from you, for fuck’s sake! What’s stopping that masked psycho from claiming every other life — including yours — on your street?
Nothing, you’re sure. Serial killers are hardly ever satisfied. And this one is absolutely fucking insatiable.
However, right now, it’s a little hard to think about a psychotic killer with your boyfriend looking the way he does. He’s standing in your little kitchen, a mug of tea in one hand, the other tucked into the pocket of his sweatpants.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea if you stay over, Noah,” you finally manage to say. Noah had asked if he could stay over for the night what felt like an eternity ago. You had struggled to comprehend what he had said, and were only able to respond when your best friend and roommate, Olivia, had walked up next to you.
“Why not?” Noah asks, his eyebrows scrunching together in confusion.
“There’s a murderer on the loose, remember, dickhead?” Olivia snaps at him. “I would rather not come back to find my best friend all dead and bloody, then adding you into the mix just to make it worse.”
Olivia had a family reunion she had to go to, something that had been planned in advance long before any of the murders had taken place. She wasn’t able to get out of it, nor was she able to convince her parents to let you tag along, even though they love you like you were their own. She was heading to the airport later tonight and coming back in two days.
You watch Noah shoot a glare at Olivia as he says, “Yeah, I’m aware there’s a murderer on the loose. But I, also, would rather not come back here to see my girlfriend dead.”
As Olivia is clearly gearing up to launch herself into a heated debacle with Noah, you stop her with a hand on her shoulder.
“Guys, I’ll be fine,” you assure them, hoping they can’t hear the waver in your voice. “After I take Olivia to the airport I’ll lock the doors and windows, turn off all the lights, then sleep with my dad’s old baseball bat next to my bed. Besides, Noah has a label meeting early tomorrow morning, so he should just head home to get some sleep for once.”
Neither of them look particularly convinced. But the mention of the metal bat seems to be enough for their tense limbs to relax.
This is the exact reason your dad gave you his bat when you first moved out, anyways. He wanted you to be safe and to protect yourself in case of an emergency. And this seems to be an emergency worthy of the beloved metal bat.
Olivia sighs dramatically from beside you. “Fine. The bat is better than nothing.” She returns Noah’s glare. “You better be gone by the time we leave for the airport in an hour.”
Noah clenches his jaw. “Got it,” he says.
With an annoyed grumble, Olivia turns on her heel and stomps towards her bedroom. Your boyfriend and your best friend have never really gotten along, simply because they both want what’s best for you and they both tend to believe they know exactly what that is. They butt heads a lot when it comes to you. Thankfully, they know they can’t have you without the other, so it’s become a resigned acceptance between them, however uncomfortable they may be about it.
You are finally able to relax your shoulders after you hear Olivia shut her door with a loud thud. Olivia is very overprotective of you and would just have you attached at the hip if she could. But sometimes her worry is suffocating. Like now. So you know she just needs a few minutes to herself before she gets on her flight.
“Did you have to be such an asshole?” you say to Noah.
“How was I being an asshole?” Noah fires back as he sets his mug down by the sink.
“You never seem to know when to stop antagonizing Olivia.”
“Well, excuse me for being worried about your safety. She’s not the only one who gets a say in this shit.”
“And you do?” you scoff, resting your hands on your hips. “So would you be okay with me unlocking every door and opening every window? Turn on each light so I’m just a fucking beacon for the murderer to come and get me next?”
Noah narrows his eyes as he stares at you. You’re now beginning to forget any thought of a psycho killer, and instead thinking of letting Noah stay tonight anyways. Let him keep you safe while also letting him do whatever he wants to you. The idea is very enticing.
“But if you don’t want that to happen, just stay the night, ‘cause I know you want to,” you encourage Noah, a small smirk making its way onto your face. “You’ll still be there for the label meeting. Olivia doesn’t have to know. Come over and keep me safe.”
Silence falls around you. Noah just continues to look at you with a dark gleam in his eyes, and you can feel a white hot knot beginning to coil down in the depths of your stomach. You shift slightly under his gaze.
“You’re being a brat.”
“Oh, fuck you,” you spit at him immediately, knowing with 100% certainty that he is going to make you pay for that comment.
“I will if you stop being a fucking brat,” Noah counters sharply. “Unless you want to keep being one, and end up being punished for it.”
You remain where you’re standing. You have zero intentions on obeying Noah, nor do you plan on dropping the bratty act. Noah loves it when you’re being a bratty bitch and defying his orders, even if he doesn’t outwardly say it. You know what it does to him, so why stop?
“Stay tonight.”
Noah doesn’t say anything. His eyes remain fixed on you, and you can feel the searing sensation of his irises roving over every inch of your body. You shift once more, hoping he doesn’t catch the movement, but you know he does.
“Come here.”
His tone is almost casual. It catches you slightly off-guard that he appears to be mildly bored, when he would normally be demanding you to approach. But you’re feeling defiant, because what is he gonna do if he doesn’t get dominant with you?
“No, I’m okay,” you say with a sickly sweet smile. “I’m not feeling very passive at the moment. Thank you, though.”
That earns you a glare. You can see the way Noah takes a grounding deep breath as his gaze darkens even more. You watch him cross his tattooed arms over his chest as he settles his weight back against the kitchen counter. He angles his head downwards, his eyes still trained on you.
God, is he trying to scare you? Because if that’s the case, he needs to rethink his fear tactics.
“I’m not afraid of you, Noah,” you practically scoff at him.
“Have I ever given you reason to be afraid of me?” he asks lowly. The tenor of his voice hums in your ears.
“No.”
Noah doesn’t say anything in response. He just continues staring at you intently, his dark gaze fixed on you wholly. You aren’t able to detect any emotion in his eyes or facial features. If you couldn’t see the subtle rise and fall of his chest you’d think he were a statue — a man carved from marble with numerous, intricate paintings spanning across the beautiful stone.
As the silence drags on you begin to grow uncomfortable. Noah staring at you isn’t what’s causing you discomfort; no, it’s the anticipation and sense of the unknown he’s letting fall over you. You roll your bottom lip into your mouth and begin chewing on the skin.
But then the corner of his mouth twitches upward. The action is sly and riddled with intention.
“Then I won’t start now,” he finally says. “Unless you want me to.”
His word choice is deliberate, each one laced with a level of teasing you don’t think you have ever heard come out of Noah’s mouth. He knows what he’s doing. And he knows it is finally getting to you in the way he had initially wanted.
“So what’s it gonna be?” Noah asks. His voice is firmer as he speaks. “You gonna come over here like a good girl … or will I be giving you a reason to be afraid of me? Either way it’ll be worth it, I’m sure. But hey, your choice, princess.”
Now, there is the commanding voice you had been expecting from the start. And your heart is pumping uncontrollably now. The pulse buried beneath the surface of your neck is throbbing and vibrating, making the blood roar loudly in your ears.
He’s giving you an obvious choice: admit you were being a brat and surrender. Or, run like your life depends on it. Because it might at some point, in a manner of speaking, you realize.
“Oh, but I don’t wanna scare you too bad,” Noah continues nonchalantly, like he’s talking about the weather or something. “Especially with that psycho killer on the loose and everything, y’know.”
You’re gonna kill him. He’s being a complete ass but being so unreasonably cool and collected about it. He knows he’s getting under your skin, burrowing further beneath your veins and tendons. It has you growing enraged and annoyed with his antics, despite that searing hot coil deep in your belly.
When Noah casually pushes away from the counter, you stagger back a few steps. His grin slowly grows as he makes his way in your direction. Your feet seem to be glued to the floor as Noah is now towering over you.
“You’re gonna pay for that, by the way,” he murmurs. He brings his hand up to your face, and grips your chin between his fingers. “But not tonight. You said it yourself, princess: I have a label meeting early in the morning.”
Noah uses his grip on your chin to tug your face towards his. Your lips meet in the middle, and Noah already has his tongue in your mouth before you can process what’s happening. And you have half a brain to kiss him back, but he’s pulled away by the time you manage to catch up. You can’t control the whine that bubbles up from your throat.
“I’ll see you tomorrow night,” Noah says with a grin. “I love you.”
Then he’s stepping out of your space and leaving through the front door.
He leaves you breathing heavily. You nearly sprint outside and stop Noah from leaving when you hear someone walking up behind you.
“Oh, good. He’s gone.” Olivia’s voice nearly startles you. “I’ve got my stuff ready so let’s just go now. I don’t wanna get stuck in traffic.”
You nod in acknowledgement, but your brain feels fried. Your entire nervous system just got short circuited because Noah thought it would be fun to mess with you. He knows you want him to stay over while Olivia’s gone. And, you know he wants to stay over. So why did he just blow you off like that?
You don’t give yourself time to think it over before you’re following Olivia outside. You let Olivia drown you in conversation on the drive to the airport. She doesn’t appear to notice your weird behavior, or, if she has noticed, she doesn’t mention it.
But then she’s getting out of the car with her bags and you’re hugging her and you watch as she walks inside the airport and leaves you behind.
You feel like screaming.
The drive home feels like a blur. You wish you would be arriving home to see Noah waiting for you, but the house is empty. Annoyance strikes your intestines as you do what you promised initially: lock the doors, close the windows, turn off all the lights, put baseball bat at bedside.
It still feels wrong somehow. You want Noah with you, even though he has that meeting very early in the morning. In order to remedy his absence you tug on one of his sweatshirts before climbing into bed.
The next day drags on. Olivia had texted you when her flight landed and when she was reunited with her family. Noah had sent a good morning text and nothing else. You were growing increasingly angry as the hours ticked by.
You were off work today, so you had the entire day to do what you want. But your brain was vibrating with anxiety and had you stuck on the couch. You were able to get through an entire season of your favorite show, though! It still didn’t feel right.
The sun had long since fallen beyond the horizon by the time you’re rummaging through the kitchen to find something to eat for dinner. You settle on making some mac ‘n cheese, and get to work.
You’re pouring the small pot of hot noodles and water into the colander that sits in the sink when the phone rings. Another thing your dad had insisted on when you moved out: a fucking landline phone. You thought it was ridiculous, but you had humored him anyways by getting one.
With the noodles in the colander and the hot metal pot set aside you reach for the phone. You press answer and stick it between your ear and shoulder as you continue making your dinner.
“Hello?”
“Hello?”
“Can I help you?”
“Who are you?”
“I dunno, who are you trying to reach?”
“I’m not sure.”
“That’s okay. Must be wrong number. Don’t worry — it happens.”
You’re quick to transfer the phone back in to your hand and end the call. Dialing the wrong number happens all the time, so the oddity of it doesn’t irk you.
Not until you have the mac ‘n cheese all ready a couple minutes later and the landline rings once more. You furrow your eyebrows as you go to answer it.
“Hello?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, I must have dialed the wrong number again.”
It’s that same voice. There’s a familiarity to it you can’t quite put your finger on.
“It’s alright. I’ll let you go so you can try again. Third time’s the charm, right?”
You’re about to put the phone down when the person on the other end stops you, saying, “Wait! Aren’t you gonna tell me your name?”
“Why do you wanna know my name?”
“Just in case I accidentally call you again, of course.”
“Well, I’m confident you won’t. You’ve got this.”
“In the meantime, as I’m trying to remember the correct number, let’s play a game.”
You roll your eyes. “A game? Why?”
“‘Cause it’s fun,” the person says simply. “Plus, I think we’re friends now, so it’s only fair, isn’t it?”
“I guess…”
“Good. Answer a series of questions correctly and you win. Answer incorrectly, and I win.”
“What does the winner get?”
“Whatever they want.”
You consider this for a moment. Because what’s the harm in answering some meaningless questions from a stranger? But you find yourself anxiously rethinking your decision even as you agree.
“Good. I’ll give you a couple warm-up questions. Starting with: do you have a boyfriend?”
“I do.”
“Hm. Pity. What’s he like?”
“First you wanna know about me, and now my boyfriend?” You’re growing more and more irritated with every passing second you are on the phone with this person. “You planning on stealing him from me?”
“No, of course not. Just tell me about him.”
“Oh, my god. I’m hanging up now—“
“Hang up and it’ll be the last thing you do.”
The sheer aggression and violence that ripple through this stranger’s voice forces you to stop. The phone begins to gently rattle against your ear and you can’t suppress the shaking that overcomes your body. Panic is now flowing through your veins as you stand in your kitchen in silence.
“Good girl. Now, where were we? Right: tell me about your boyfriend.”
“Um, he… He has tattoos, a-and he’s really tall. Uh, he— He’s in a famous metal band, and—“
“Yeah? What band?”
“B-Bad Omens.”
“Oh, I know them. Don’t they sing that song Just Pretend?”
You nod, even though you know they can’t see you. “Y-Yeah. Yeah, that’s them,” you murmur.
“Well, let’s start the actual game, shall we? First question: your boyfriend was at a meeting this morning with his band and their label. Who’s their label?”
The question stuns you. You’re suddenly frozen in place and you can’t gather the air in your lungs to even breathe, let alone speak. How the fuck do they know that? Why do they want this information if they obviously already have it?
“S-Sumerian,” you choke out.
“Correct. Next question: what band member left before the production of their second album began?”
You now feel sick to your stomach. You suspect this has to be some crazed fan with an unhealthy obsession with Bad Omens. If that’s the case, they should know already know the answer to this particular question. So why are they asking you?
“Vincent.”
“Good. Final question: where am I?”
“Wh-What? What do you mean where are you?”
“Where. Am. I?”
Dread floods your body. “Are you in my house?!” you practically yell in to the phone speaker.
“Come find out. But if you find me it won’t count as answering the question.”
You’re quick to tear the landline from your ear and jab your thumb against the end call button then tossing it onto the kitchen counter. Your hands are shaking as you take a few steps away from it, silently hoping it won’t ring again.
But it isn’t the phone’s shrill ring that makes you jump. It’s a sound coming from somewhere else in the house.
Your fight or flight response kicks in immediately. You rush to flee through the front door when you hear slow, heavy footsteps coming down the hallway. They sound calculated and deliberate, and you have no choice but to stand there in terror.
From the direction of yours and Olivia’s bedrooms comes a dark figure. They walk out of the shadows and into the dining room. Their body is covered in a black cloak, with a hood up over their head and a white mask on their face. The mask is a simple depiction of a screaming face. But it’s not any less mortifying as you watch them.
The figure comes to a stop when they catch sight of you. Their head tilts to one side, almost they’re considering their next move of action.
But you move first, suddenly booking it for the opposite end of the house towards the laundry room, the extra bathroom, and the garage. You hear them give chase a moment later.
You scramble your way into the garage in hopes of getting the large door to slide open. But the masked figure is one step behind you, and prevents you from hitting the door controls. They have you tripping forwards, and you nearly face plant into the concrete but you catch your weight on your hands. You push yourself up just as the intruder goes to grab you.
Darting around your car, that still sits idly in the middle of the space, you are being taunted by the figure in the hood. They stay near the door back into the house which keeps you on the other side of the car.
Then they’re skirting around the vehicle straight for you. You make a last second decision and make a break for the door inside. The intruder races back after you.
The figure chases you down the hall towards your bedroom. You go to slam the door shut before they can reach you, but you didn’t anticipate their strength. They shove the door open all the way, making you scramble back to your bed. You’re panting as you scoot backwards on the mattress.
The black-cloaked figure says nothing as they slowly stalk towards you. Adrenaline in coursing through your veins and you’re panicking. You are rendered silent as they reach the bed and continue their hunt across the sheets until they’re looming over you. The white mask is haunting as it stares down at you with that soundless wail.
“P-Please… I-I don’t wanna die…”
No response. Whoever is underneath that mask does not seem interested in listening to your pleas.
One of their hands reaches back behind them and reveals a shimmering hunting blade. The metal is clean and shiny, and you can see your fear reflected back at you through it.
Their unoccupied hand goes for your shirt, and you flinch at the contact. Your heart is pounding relentlessly as your shirt is lifted from your body. You couldn’t help but be compliant, especially with how they’ve got you situated between their legs.
You watch as they point the knife at you, then have the fine tip poking at the indent at the center of your collarbones. The barely-there feeling of the cold metal on your skin is sending your brain into overdrive. They then slowly, lazily, drag the blade downwards across your bare chest. You see how they’re clearly enamored by the goosebumps flaring across your abdomen as they continue dragging the knife down, down down…
Suddenly, there’s a hand gripping your throat. But it’s not with the murderous intention you were expecting. Instead, there is almost a gentleness to how their squeezing your neck, with the way their thumb grazes your pulse point.
You’re horrifically confused.
You nearly say something to them, but they’re taking the hand holding the knife to their mask. And then they tug off the black hood and this is the end, oh god—
“Noah?!”
And yes, that is your boyfriend kneeling above you with a wicked grin on his face and a knife in his hand. The terror and anxiety you had been feeling begins to melt away, and you can feel nothing but anger and embarrassment.
“Told you I’d see you tonight, didn’t I?” Noah says casually.
It’s a struggle to comprehend his presence. You can’t understand why he’s doing this or why he thought it was okay with a murderer running rampant.
“Wh-What the fuck?” you stammer.
“Oh, what’s wrong, baby?” Noah takes his gloved hand away from your throat and uses it to brush aside the stray hairs that were clinging to your skin. “I thought you wanted me to stay over? Keep you safe?”
You did want that, yes. But this is not what you meant. Never did you say you wanted Noah to stalk you like he were the predator and you were the prey.
But you can’t stamp down the exhilaration that is igniting your insides. You can’t get rid of it, especially with how Noah is looking at you. You suddenly want to turn in to jelly and be completely and utterly obedient to his every word.
And that sort of terrifies you.
“I-I did, but you didn’t have to do this,” you tell him. Your body is slowly relaxing beneath the weight of his own, now that any imminent danger has been found folly.
Noah looks at you quizzically. “What do you mean?” he asks you innocently. “I just wanted to make sure you were safe and sound.”
Noah begins tracing lines across your stomach and chest with the blade’s edge once more, a careful hold on the hilt in order not to pierce your flesh. The sensation has your brain faltering and not fully processing his words. Your hands inch towards his thighs.
He notices your hands moving in no time. He doesn’t stop you and says nothing.
You slither your hands under the cheap black fabric, and you immediately grip at his legs. You boldly glide your hands upwards until you reach the waistband of Noah’s pants. Noah watches as you tug lightly at one of the belt loops, then going for the zipper.
“Did my little charade turn you on, baby?” Noah moves the knife under your chin and gently pushes up so you’re forced to make eye contact with him. “Did you like me chasing you?”
You nod. And you see him grin.
“Shit, and who am I to deny you?”
But you know Noah. He’s going to tease you and get you all worked up, have you in near hysterics before he finally gives you what you want. And he doesn’t seem to be in a very generous mood at the moment.
Noah drops the knife to pull off the entire costume. He tosses it aside before getting rid of his shirt as well. A part of you knows this is what he wanted from the beginning, when he first offered to sleep over. But you can’t be bothered by that, not when he’s moving back enough to pull down your pants.
When he gets your pants off, and they join the rest of the clothes on the floor of your bedroom, Noah drags his tattooed hands up your legs agonizingly slow. He stops briefly when he reaches the top of your thighs, but then he proceeds to dig his fingernails in to the soft flesh and tugs you towards him. You yelp in surprise and are promptly shut up when you find your legs slung around Noah’s waist and his hand resting at your throat again.
“Good girl,” Noah says quietly. The hand not on your neck has begun making its way to your clothed core, which earns a weak whimper from you. “Are you gonna keep being a good girl for me?”
You whine when his fingers start stroking at you through your underwear. You think you answer him, but you don’t care enough as you are now grinding into his hand.
For a moment, you feel Noah remove his hands from your body. You whimper and whine at the loss of touch, until his hand is back at your throat and there’s a sharp cold resting on your hip.
The knife harmlessly glides against your skin once more. Then the pressure from the waistband of your underwear vanishes, to be replaced by the metallic cold of the blade in Noah’s hand. It slowly travels down past your pelvis, making you jerk in surprise.
Noah chuckles at the way your body reacts. You almost begin bitching at him when the knife disappears and is then substituted for his fingers. And his fingers feel so much better against your folds than that stupid knife could ever dream of.
And he’s just lazily stroking, avoiding slipping any one of his long, tattooed digits inside of you. You try your best to grind back against his hand, but the one at your throat squeezes for just a moment. It makes you pause, whining at the unexpected dizziness you are now experiencing.
Then his fingers are inside you, stroking and rubbing and searching for that bundle of nerves deep within. You cry out at the sudden intrusion. But then you’re pushing back on Noah’s fingers and the pressure on your throat eases a bit.
“Such a good girl,” you hear Noah murmur. “Can you cum for me, sweetheart?”
You nod frantically and he thrusts his fingers harder into your pussy. You’re moaning and writhing at his touch, and then that same pressure is applied once more to your throat and it’s just too much. Your body clenches around Noah’s fingers and you ride out your orgasm as he slows down his strokes.
The feeling of suddenly being empty is overwhelming. But you don’t have to worry about that much longer when Noah maneuvers your body off of him and onto your stomach. You feel the bed shift as he moves, and the sound of him taking off his pants has you gripping at the sheets.
Then the bed dips from Noah’s weight and he’s suddenly right above you. His bare legs are caging in your thighs and his hands are gently roaming over the expanse of your back. You can feel his cock against your ass; it takes a little too much self control to not push back into him, although you end up failing.
“You look so hot like this, baby,” Noah says. His hands halt at your hips, and he’s digging his fingertips into the bone. “So, so good for me.”
Noah doesn’t hesitate when he begins pushing his hard cock into you and using your hips as leverage. You’re crying out and moaning weakly as he adjusts slightly and then bottoms out.
There isn’t any warning given before Noah is pulling out just enough then slamming back in. He sets a brutal but steady pace as he fucks you. Your knuckles are whitening from your tight grip on the bedsheets. You quickly become a moaning, blubbering mess beneath Noah as he keeps going and going.
He keeps hitting your cervix perfectly and it makes you see stars. His hands on your hips is currently the only tether you have on reality.
Suddenly there’s a hand in your hair and it tugs at the roots until you prop yourself up on your elbows. Noah’s grip on your hair is sending spikes of pain from your scalp all the way down to your shoulders. But each thrust of his hips is another tug on the strands of hair entangled in his fingers. It’s a mashup of sensations that has you chasing your high again.
“Ah— Ah—“
God, you’re so close. You need to cum so fucking bad.
“Ah, Noah—“
“Come on, baby,” Noah breathlessly encourages you. “I want you to cum with my name on your lips.”
And with that, your pussy is clenching around him and you’re coming with a cry of his name. Then his thrusts get sloppier until he’s coming inside of you. You feel all warm as you are filled with nothing but Noah.
Noah then pulls out and the feeling of his cum dripping out of you is definitely the best thing you’ve ever experienced.
His hands are then forcing you to turn over and rest on your back. He straddles your weak body, and the sight of him above you like that makes you want to go again.
“Such a good little slut for me,” he says quietly. His chest is heaving as he drags one of his hands upwards, starting at your stomach and stopping at your tits. He palms one then the other, playing with each for but a moment. “Always so good for me, baby.”
Silence settles over you while Noah continues to just touch you. It’s calming and has your eyelids growing heavy.
But there’s still something that is gnawing at your brain. And you have to say something.
“Are you the killer?” Your voice is fragile when you verbalize your question.
It doesn’t seem to bother Noah, though. His hands are still wandering and touching you as he seems to process what you said.
“Yes. Does that scare you?” he replies. His eyes dart up to meet yours, and the dark glint has your heart pounding. “Do I scare you?”
You don’t have an answer for him, so you remain quiet.
“Are you afraid of me?”
He’s referring to what you had talked about yesterday. A part of you wants to yell out and tell him you are utterly terrified of him, that you cannot fathom the horrific atrocities he has committed. You can’t stand the thought of how much blood stains his hands. The hands that are touching you, caressing every curve…
“No,” you whisper.
Noah’s mouth twists into a lopsided grin. Your answer seems to satisfy him, and you can’t help the satisfaction you also feel spreading throughout your chest.
“Good. I would never want you to be afraid of me,” he tells you as he leans down so your faces are parallel. “You’re mine. And I’ll get rid of anyone that thinks they can take you from me.”
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thank you for reading! hope you enjoyed! likes and reblogs are very much appreciated :)
a/n: happy halloween, my fellow noah whores >:))
343 notes · View notes
mcuamerica · 4 months
Text
The Shadowsinger: Thirteen
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Warnings: 18+. Minors DNI. Alludes to sex, mentions of wing clipping, mention of parental death, fluff, ACOTAR series spoilers. If I forgot anything, please let me know!
Pairing: Azriel x Fem!Reader
Summary: You join the IC at the town home for Solstice, then make a decision about Windhaven.
Disclaimer: I do not own SJM’s characters or plot lines, only the ones I create for the purpose of this story. This is a work of fiction. I do not give permission to repost my work on any other platform or medium. Please be respectful.
My graphics are my own. If you wish to use them, please give credit!
Series Masterlist
Eight - Nine - Ten - Eleven - Twelve
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You laughed as you saw Cassian and Mor drunkenly try to play the piano in the sitting room. You had a glass of some very expensive and very old wine in your hand, provided by Rhys. You had exchanged gifts earlier in the day. You received a lovely pair of fighting leathers from Cassian, two full outfits (including jewelry) from Amren, and a warm cloak from Rhys. Azriel had given you a specially crafted dagger. It had swirls mimicking shadows on it, and the blade and the metal were almost pure black. Along with it, came a sheath that fit perfectly with the leathers Cassian got you. And Mor… well she got you a hideous scarf and lace gloves. You weren’t sure what to do with them, but you figured maybe you’d display them in your closet. 
Rhys was sitting next to you, a faint smile on his face. For this being the first Solstice out from Under the Mountain, you thought he would be happier. But you could see that something was missing from him. He still refused to talk to you about anything other than your training and threats the Night Court was facing. After everything you had been through, you just wished you could talk to him. Like you had Under the Mountain. But that relationship might have been gone now that Rhys had his true family to talk to. He didn’t even tell you why he hadn’t called in the bargain with Feyre. Not the real reason at least. 
Amren was in the corner, a small smirk on her face as Mor played the wrong notes of the piano and Cassian was singing incredibly off key. You looked up as Azriel came over to you, not swaying at all despite the amount of alcohol he'd ingested tonight. “Care to dance?” He asked and you giggled, taking his extended hand and got up, steadying yourself as you grabbed his bicep. 
“You better be as strong as you feel. Cause I’m not going to be standing for very long.” You joked and smiled as he winked at you, promising he’d never let you fall. You both began dancing in circles as Mor and Cass continued their horrible song. Still, you laughed with Azriel as you’d stumble into him, or as he would make a wrong turn. 
The rest of the night consisted of you all singing and dancing with each other. And finally, around when the clock struck two, Azriel led you upstairs to your bedroom. You finished your fit of giggles from tripping up the stairs and leaned against the wall next to your door. “You, my Shadowsinger, are very much the stronger of us two. By a lot.” You said, holding back a hiccup. “You’ve caught me like ten times tonight.” 
You called him your Shadowsinger. Azriel’s heart skipped a beat. “You should get some rest, (Y/N).” He said, even though a smile came to his lips. You were both way too drunk to have him tempted into your room tonight. If he was going to take you, he’d do it properly and be very sober. So he could taste and feel everything from you. 
“Hmm… alright.” You said and turned towards your door, shadows pushing it open for you. “Better hope I can get out of this dress properly.” You said, half to yourself, and half to Azriel as a tease. You might have even heard a Cauldron boil me under his breath. “Goodnight, my sweet, strong Shadowsinger. Please don’t wake me up for some stupid training tomorrow.” You said before your shadows shut the door behind you. 
The night had been perfect. You spent it in Azriel’s arms or around him, not-so-subtly flirting with him the entire time. You’re pretty sure you showed him that you liked him. And that you enjoyed his company. And if the Inner Circle didn’t know, they probably did now. 
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Rhys was agitated after Solstice. You couldn’t tell why, and honestly you were starting to get annoyed with him since he wasn’t talking to you. 
You were all having a meeting at the House, just a week after Solstice. And he snapped at Amren for suggesting that he needed allies outside of the Night Court. You could’ve sworn you saw her eyes flare with that silver power of hers. But she hid her annoyance much better than Rhys. 
You took Rhys’s arm, dragging him into one of the smaller sitting rooms. “What is your problem?” You asked, crossing your arms. “You’ve been on edge this entire week.” You said. 
He was practically panting. You’ve never seen him so worked up. He turned towards one of the open windows. He allowed the breeze inside, cooling the room instantly. “Feyre is marrying Tamlin.” He said. You detected a lot of jealousy in his tone... and scent. 
“And? They- they’re partners. It might be soon but-“ 
“She’s my mate.” 
Your eyes widened. You blinked at him for a few moments and then hummed. “Why haven’t you called in your bargain?” You asked. 
“She hates me. She’s been through so much. I don’t deserve her. I can’t bring her here when she’s marrying him.” He said. 
“Didn’t you say Tamlin was letting her waste away?” You asked and stepped towards him, resting a hand on his arm. “She might hate you, but I doubt she would if you allowed her to see past the evil High Lord act.” You said. 
“She’s marrying him… she might be miserable but she’s said yes. It’s in two weeks.” He said. 
“Do you think she has any other choice?” You asked and rose your eyebrows, looking up at Rhys. “She was a human almost three months ago. Tamlin saved her-“
“She saved herself. She’s the one who fought while Tamlin did nothing. He begged but he did nothing. He’s pathetic. And he’s letting her waste away in that manor.” He said. His wings were already out, but the longer he talked, the more darkness gathered around him. 
“Call in the bargain, Rhys. If you need me there, I will be. But you deserve to be happy. You’ve done enough suffering.” You said and squeezed his arm. “Call in the bargain.” You said again before turning to leave the room. 
“Is Azriel your mate?” He asked before you could open the door. 
You turned back towards him and frowned. “No… I haven’t had a bond snap into place. Not for anyone.” You said. 
“You certainly seem like you like him.” He said. 
“I do. He’s gorgeous. But he’s just warming up to me.” You said and smiled a bit. “And I’ve got training to focus on, I don’t need a mating bond right now.” You smiled at Rhys. “I’m here if you need me.” You said before leaving. 
You got back to the table, telling them that Rhys needed to cool off. You sat next to Mor, seeing Azriel peer at you from the corner. He was much more likely to be in the shadows than you were. While you used your shadows to hide, he used them to lurk. Not that he needed to right now. You were pretty sure he was doing it right now just so he could stare at you without being obvious. You stared right back. 
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You went back to Windhaven the next day. Your wing was completely healed, thanks to Madja and her incredible abilities. You went straight to Devlon, apologized for hitting Calder, and said from now on you (and the other females) would be training with the males. 
“No, absolutely not. The females have to do chores first and they’re behind-"
“Put them with the new recruits. They will learn the exact same way the males do. There is no reason for them to be separate other than your bias.” 
“The males will refuse to train with females.” He said. 
“Then they don’t get to train, that will be on them.” You said and crossed your arms. “I’ve talked to the females, they have no problem training with the new recruits. If the males do, then they don’t train. But the females have the same trainers.” You said.
“Is this an order from the High Lord?” He growled.  
“It’s an order from me. And just as Cassian does, I speak for the High Lord.” You said. You did talk to Rhys and Cassian about it. Even Azriel sat in on the small meeting. They agreed. As long as you could convince Devlon, they would support you on it. 
“And where is the Commander?” He asked, looking around. 
“He has more important camps to visit.” You jeered. “Today, I’ll train with the recruits. Show you and them that a female can keep up with any male at the same level.”
“You’re at the level above the new recruits.” He said. You were surprised he admitted it. 
“Then I’ll train with those males. And if I fail, the females stay training separate. If I succeed, however, they train at the same time, with the same commander.” You said firmly. 
Devlon looked out over the camp, his arms still crossed over his chest. “Fine, though if you hit another male unprovoked, you’ll get the lashings just like they do.” He said. 
“And if he hits me?” You asked, smirking as he waved you off. 
By the time lunch came around, you were panting and sweating with the drills the training commander was making you run. But you were keeping up with the other males. Some of them went ahead of you, some behind. All you had to do was show that you were just as capable of training as any of them. And you did. Albeit, you were exhausted by the end of the day. You didn’t even go back to the house, you just went to the cabin. After a quick bath, you shoveled down food and then passed out on the couch for the night. 
Azriel came the next morning to see how you were doing. Cassian and Rhys had a situation to handle at Ironcrest, and he knew you would be tired. It was before dawn and you were still on the couch, wings awkwardly wrapped around yourself as a makeshift blanket. He smiled as he saw your peaceful demeanor. He knelt down beside you, moving the hair from your face. “(Y/N)?” He whispered. 
You groaned and shifted, wincing as your wing caught on the back of the couch. You opened your eyes, blinking away the sleep. “Az?” You whispered. 
“Hey… did you sleep here all night?” He asked, sighing when you nodded. “You’re not going to be happy when you train today. You gotta sleep in your bed.” He said. 
“I was too tired to go up the stairs.” You said, tucking in your wings as you sat up. “Today, I was informed, is flying training.” You said. 
“Devlon said the females would train with the new recruits. Though I heard some of the males wouldn’t train with them. So I assigned them to chore duty instead,” you said with a smirk on your face. “See how they like chores instead of training.”
Azriel looked at you and shook his head. “You’ve done more than we’ve been able to do.” He said and smiled. “Thank you for helping with this. These females deserve to have the choice of training.” 
“This is only the first camp. My father’s camp… and Ironcrest… I don’t know how that’s going to go.” You said, shifting slightly. 
Azriel hummed and shrugged. “Prove to this camp that you’re just as good, better, than them.” He said. “Which you will be. Especially with the way you’re training.” 
“I think I need to stay here. Not just visit. I should live with them, and I need to be here.” You said, looking out the window that faced the camp. You could see the younger males and females running around doing morning chores. You even saw some of them playing together. 
“You want to live here? Full-time?” He asked, a protective light shining in his eye. It was one thing to visit and train, but to live here… He shook the thought out of his head. You could protect yourself. You were more than capable of putting any male in his place. 
“Until they continue without me nagging at them every five minutes, yes.” You said. “I’ll talk to Rhys about it, make sure he doesn’t need me in Velaris… but I think this is where I’m needed.” 
“Care if I visit?” He asked, sitting down on the small table in front of the couch. 
You smiled and leaned forward. “I would love it if you'd visit, Azriel.” You said, eyes scanning over his face. “Only if you don’t show how much you’re infatuated with me in front of the other males. Would make me seem weak.” You teased and nudged him as you got up. You stretched before going to the stairs. “You want to watch us train today?” You asked. 
“I’d love it,” he said and leaned back, smiling as he watched you walk up the stairs. 
You changed into the new fighting leathers Cassian got you and smiled as you saw Azriel waiting for you. “Can I ask you a question about the Blood Rite?” You asked. 
He frowned slightly, nodding. The thought of you participating in the Rite made his stomach churn. 
“Did you still have your shadows with you? Or did the spell take that away too?” You asked. 
“No, I didn’t have my shadows.” 
“Was it weird? Not having them with you after so long?” You asked and he shrugged. 
“A little, but I was more focused on surviving the Rite. Getting to Cass and Rhys.” He said and smiled a bit. “Why?” 
“Because I think I might have to compete,” you said, grabbing your water canteen. “If they’re supposed to take females seriously, they won’t until they see one survive the Blood Rite. If I could do it this Spring…”
“The Blood Rite is… you could die,” he said, frowning. “Are you sure?”
“If I can make the qualifier, I’ll do it.” You said and filled the canteen. “But only if you and Cassian think I would be ready for it… that’s what the whole training exercise in the mountains was, wasn’t it? To mimic the Rite? With my bound wings?” You asked. 
“Partially.” Azriel admitted. “But there’s other times your wings might be bound. And you still had all your normal strength.” He said. “If you want to participate… if they let you… it would be extremely hard.” 
“Females have competed in it before. And survived… not in hundreds of years.. but they have.” You said. “Cassian told me… but I know it’s not easy. I think it would be worth it.” You said. “And maybe other females would see they could do it too.” 
“Keep training. Make the decision once you get near to the qualifier… but doing it this Spring… I think you would need to train individually with Cass or me. They go at a slower pace. Unless you can get up each level every week.” Azriel explained. 
“I can do it.” You said firmly, turning towards him. The soft look in his eyes, the worry, told you that he believed in you. But he hoped that you wouldn’t compete. Not this year, and not anytime soon either.
Azriel didn’t want you to compete not because you couldn’t, but because he was worried about you dying. About losing you. 
“I know you can.” He answered, then opened the door. “Now let me see you train. Kick some Illyrian ass.” He said and winked at you. You laughed gently and walked out, Azriel trailing behind you. 
You walked in comfortable silence, noticing how Azriel would scowl at some of the males walking by. “You know, you normally are very good at holding your emotions back.” You said and nudged him. “This place must put you on edge just like me.”
“Illyrians can be brutal, and a lot of them used to make my mother’s life a living hell.” He said and frowned. “But luckily, she’s safe and no one mistreats her anymore. Not on my watch.” He said. 
You looked at him and gave him a small smile. Cassian told you about Azriel’s mother. How he only got to see her once a week when he was a child. And never saw her when he was training here. 
“My mother died after giving birth to my younger brother.” You said, looking forward. “My father had to make a choice between Varyn and my mother. His wings came out at an odd angle, and she was losing too much blood. Instead of having a disabled son… he allowed his wife to die.” You said and frowned as you  looked forward. “My mother was the kindest Illyrian I'd ever met. Her wings were clipped when she came of age, but never allowed my father to clip mine. She said she wouldn't, at least. After she died, he didn’t give a damn about anything.” You frowned. “When I met Sirona, she had such a similar personality to my mother. They would’ve been fast friends… I miss them both. And will never forgive my father for what he did to my mother.” 
“What about what he did to you?” He asked. 
“He’s a hateful man.” You said and let out a breath. “What he did to me was unforgivable, but… I got out. And my wings are intact. That’s because of me. I won’t hate him for it. But I hate him for a lot of other things.” 
“And yet you can still stand to be here?” He asked. 
“I have something to prove to myself. To prove that I can be better than any of these males.” You said and stopped outside of the mess hall. “Want to eat?” You asked, turning to him.
Azriel gave you a gentle smile and nodded, following you inside.
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A/N: Aww this is a cute little chapter! The next one... let's just say there may be some spice in it...
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vintageaustin · 5 months
Text
goodbye kiss
austin butler x reader.
summeray: the reader and austin meet again, and spend one night together
warnings: angst cussing alchol depresion pregnancy cheating mention of sex not acteul sex tho
authors note: i personally really love this and i hope you guys do as well, enjoy kids, there are so many songs combined into this song let me know if you can find them!!
Massive thanks to @austinbutlerslovers and @elvismylove04 for the help🩷
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It was Friday night, and like usually, you felt alone. You didn´t mind feeling alone, but... there was something about being so lonely that you didn´t even notice you were crying till now. The road was long, sure, and you tried to have fun in the meantime.
So even though it was a whopping 57 degrees in Vegas, you decided to go out and maybe look for someone who was just as damaged as you are. You liked taking a walk on the wild side. It made you feel alive, and feeling alive was better than feeling nothing at all.
Your heart broke with every step you took. You had never really been in love, you thought as you wandered the streets of Las Vegas, except for that one boy. You were hoping that at the gates they´d tell you that he was yours. He was born in August. You just met him too soon.
As you got lost in your thoughts, you bumped into someone. I'm so sorry I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking, you said softly. The stranger chuckled, and you, on the other hand, still hadn´t looked up. "It´s okay." He laughed gently. That voice that laugh, you recognized it. 
"A-austin, you whispered as you looked up. There he was standing in front of you, but something was different; it was like the light faded from his eyes. He wasn´t doing okay, and well, neither were you."W-what are you doing here? You stuttered, and he smiled softly looking.
Down at you, ¨I was looking for you" he whispered.
You looked at him a bit, taken aback. "For me?" you asked, kind of confused. To be fair, you and Austin broke up a while ago. Though you never stopped loving one another, you never really talked again after you broke up. "You're dad, he, uh, he called me." You looked at Austin and turned around, walking away.
"You´re dad!?" The little voice in your head was screaming. You hadn´t talked to your parents in ages, and now they send your ex-boyfriend over to check up on you??. How sick is that!? Your thoughts got interrupted as Austin called you multiple times, "Angel!? Wait up, cmon, let me explain!" he said. And you shook your head. "I don't wanna hear it aus, you either don´t mention them and we have a fun night and forget about this tomorrow, or I leave," you said, kind of cold and huffed. 
Looking at those striking blue eyes, Austin chuckled and nodded. "Wanna get drunk in my hotel room then?" You smiled softly and nodded as he grabbed your hand and started running down the street to the corner store. The two of you got a cheap bottle of vodka and whiskey. Then make your way back to his hotel room.
And you couldn´t help but think maybe the two of you lived in silence for too long. You were broken, and he ran allong like he was supposed to, and maybe the days the two of you had were gone, rock and roll sent the two of you insane back then... You couldn't help but wonder if it would do that again.
You got snapped out of your thoughts as Austin spoke up. "Do you want a drink?" he asked as he took a hold of your waist gently. You nodded and smiled. I'd love to" hear you whisper as Austin leaned closer and smiled. "I got you," he chuckled, kissing your cheek. He went over to the mini bar and poured the both of you a shot. As you got half way through the first bottle,.
You and Austin were talking about your lives now and reminiscing about the good old days. Those 20 minutes felt like forever, but you learned a lot about him. You learned he had a girlfriend, yet he remembered the day he wrote "mine" on your upper thigh so well.
This night was doomed from the start; you shouldn´t be here; he was taken, and this was wrong; no words could save this; he was drunk, and you were pissed. You sighed softly and got up. You walked over to the door and leaned against it. "I should go." You said soft enough that he could tell that you were hurt. As you looked up, he was walking over to you. "Angel," he said barely in a whisper as he looked into your soul with those striking blue eyes.
He made you look up at him as he took a hold of your chin. "Don't leave," he said barely in a whisper. "I just got my angel back,” he mumbled as his eyes fell down on your lips, and he started leaning in closer and closer until you felt his soft lips on yours. The kiss was rough but sweet. Was this your goodbye kiss? You thought to yourself.
One night, after that, you go your way, and I´ll go my way, you said, and Austin nodded and picked you up. Kissing you again, he laid you down on the bed. He was so gentle with you, and the both of you were so drunk. You knew it was wrong, and so did he, but you loved him, and he loved you.
So one thing led to another, and you woke up in Austin in his arms the next morning. You looked around and sighed softly. "Shit" you muttered and looked over at Austin, who was sleeping peacefully. You got up carefully and took a quick shower before getting your clothes back on. 
You wrote him one last note before you grabbed your stuff and left his hotel. "I hope someday we´ll meet again—forever, your angel." that´s what she wrote.
He tried calling you; he tried finding your apartment, but there was no luck.
You knew one day you'd meet again because, a month after you slept together, you found out you were pregnant.
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Text
A Place To Call Home: After Shocks
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Summary: The reader is feeling guilty after doubting her parents after the stunt her birth parents pulled. But with her parents going away to film a new project soon, the only solution may be for her to go with them for some much needed bonding...
Masterlist
Pairing: Jensen x foster daughter!reader
Word Count: 11,100ish
Warnings: language, angst, fluff
A/N: This one takes place directly after Long, Long Time!
________
“Y/N.” You felt TJ behind you, his strong arms wrapping around your waist, holding you close. “What do you need right now?”
You smiled to yourself, closing your eyes. For every bad thing that’d happened in your life, you were still amazed at how lucky you were to have found someone that loved you wholly. He was still the one person that you’d never once doubted cared for you, never struggled with sharing the dark parts of your past. 
There were things you’d only told him even, the details behind vague statements to your parents. Yet he stayed and never complained about what being with a person with scars was like. It’d be so much easier for him to have found a normal girl, so much less for him to worry about.
“I probably would have wound up with a not so nice guy if I’d not gone to my parents when I was a teenager. I would have fallen for the first guy that was nice and sweet just so he could get me in bed or worse. I was so fucking starved for attention and love back then. I was so goddamn lonely.”
He squeezed you tighter, tucking his head down so he could burrow his face in your neck, kissing it softly.
“My dad showed me what to look for in a man. My mom too. They taught me how I was supposed to be treated when I was in a relationship.” You opened your eyes, staring out the back window again. “How did I let those assholes make me afraid of my parents? I hate that I pushed them away, TJ. It’s better now but it’s not. I feel so guilty.”
“It’s only been a few days since things got back to normal. Give it some time. Try therapy with them, bring ‘em to a session.”
“Honey, I know exactly what the therapist would say. I had this same conversation when I was in college. I know it’s because I want people to be angry at me when I make a mistake. It’s what I expect. It’s what my childhood taught me, my time in foster care did.”
“Alright,” he said, kissing the side of my head. “So how’d they say to not feel guilty back then?”
“They suggested I spend time with them so I could understand that my guilt had no basis. That they loved me no matter what and that’s what the whole unconditional thing meant. It’s not bad to get afraid. It’s human and we shouldn’t be ashamed of being afraid.”
“So go spend some time with your parents,” he said.
“I spend too much time with them already,” you said, squeezing your eyes shut as he spun you around in his hold. “Other people our age-”
“I don’t give a fuck about other people our age. Our family lives around the corner and frankly, I hope they always do. I love them. I enjoy their company. Honey, I can promise you that having a close, loving family is a good thing. Allie and Colin? They fucking adore their grandparents. They regularly get to see their aunts and uncle. We have amazing family friends they get to grow up with. Those two kids are never, ever, going to doubt they they are loved and supported. You and I could die tomorrow and I know those two will turn out amazing. I promise you, we will never spend too much time with our family.”
“I worry you think I’m too needy sometimes,” you whispered, meeting his gaze. His face was gentle, short black hair still damp from his shower. “But I’ve never doubted you. I just don’t want to put too much on you. I don’t want to take away time that should be yours.”
“Oh you sweet, silly, adorable, idiot,” he chuckled, tucking your hair behind your ear, letting his finger trail down the side of your throat. “We have forever together. I know how lucky I am to spend as much time as I do with you. My job is flexible and only getting more with time. And you? You’re turning set design into a career now. What couple our age gets to spend so much of our time together? Believe me, I’m greedy to be with you as much as I can be but I am more than happy to share you with our family.”
He cupped your cheek, smiling while he gently stroked over your cheekbone. “Give spending some extra time with them a shot for me. Okay, silly goose?”
“Where did I find you?” you whispered, nuzzling into his chest.
“Orientation. I was the boy awkwardly staring at you for so long you asked if I had heatstroke.” You laughed at the memory of him just blank faced, sweating in the boiling summer heat as you stood with your orientation packet and attempted to find your parents in the crowd. You thought he was from out of state with the way he was dripping and offered him some water while finding him some shade to hide beneath. 
By the time he’d gotten his words back, you’d realized he was there on his own. No family to help him move in, find buildings, buy books. It wasn’t a conscious thought back then but you knew that ache of loneliness. Even people who came from homes with parents could feel like they were by themselves. 
“Lucky for me you took pity on me and instead of thinking I was a creeper, you showed me which line to get my packet from and pointed out where buildings were on maps and all of it. I was in love with you before I even knew your name.”
“Thomas,” you said, cheeks flushing. “Don’t be cute when I was feeling crappy five minutes ago.”
“Ah, but that’s my favorite thing to do,” he teased, kissing the tip of your nose. “Now off you go.”
“To where?” you laughed, TJ walking you over to the front door. 
“To your parents, silly. It’s only nine and we both know they don’t sleep until late. Go hang for a bit, talk to them about being together more. Me and my perky butt will be waiting here for you when you get back.”
“Okay, well that’s just cruel to put that image in my mind and then send me away,” you said as he bent down and slipped a pair of sneakers on your feet. He looked up through his lashes, putting on a sultry smile. “TJ! Stop turning me on!”
“Don’t blame me for you being stunning,” he said, rising to his feet and pecking a kiss to your lips. “Drive over for me.”
“Okay,” you said. “What are you planning on doing in the meantime?”
“Check on the munchkins, play a video game, lay in bed in my birthday suit to greet you when you get back.”
“Just don’t scar the children for life,” you laughed, feeling a gentle pat on your ass. TJ ushered you to go when you nearly dragged him towards the bedroom and finally you were out the door. Two minutes later, you were walking into your parents house, the place pretty dark. JJ was at a graduation party and spending the night there. The twins were up in the family room watching an old movie with the lights off, totally engrossed with it. You figured your parents were on their private balcony and headed for their room.
“Oh fuck!” you shouted when you saw way more of your father than you ever wanted to. You quickly slammed the door and stood outside the room, pacing away as you shook your head. “Nope. Nope. Nope. I didn’t see that. I did not see that.”
The door opened after a moment, your mom slipping out in a pair of joggers and a silky black pajama shirt.
“I am so sorry, honey. I thought dad locked the door,” she said as you kept walking, shaking your head. “Are you okay?”
“Was he giving you a fucking naked lap dance?” you said, a coy smile on her face as she shrugged. “Mom!”
“Oh, you’ve seen his ass before when you watched The Boys,” she said.
“I knew that was going to happen! And I saw a whole lot more than just ass,” you said, shivering your whole body as the twins came down from their movie.
“I remember when I walked in on them,” said your brother, wearing a shit eating grin as you groaned. “Dad’s got a huge-”
“I don’t need a reminder!” you said, your dad clearing his throat as he came out in a pair of sweatpants and gray t-shirt. 
“Things going okay out here?” he asked, forcing a smile.
“Talking about your apparently huge dick,” said Arrow. Your mom couldn’t help but laugh as your dad groaned, the twins starting to giggle. “What? It’s the truth.”
“While I normally appreciate how open we are as a family, I mean this in the nicest way, we are never bringing this topic up again,” said your dad with a sigh. “Go finish your movie and for the love of god never talk about this again.”
Your mom was still laughing, earning a small headlock from him. “It’s your fault you didn’t lock the door!”
“Yes, I know,” he groaned, letting her go and standing in front of you with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry for scaring you for life, kiddo.”
“It’s fine,” you sighed, crossing your arms. “In terms of traumatizing events, this ranks pretty low for me. Besides, mom told me when I started having sex with TJ about your sex life.”
His head whipped around and she held up her hands. “Hey. She had questions and I answered them.”
“I wouldn’t have told her how big…you know,” he grumbled. 
“I didn’t. I just said above average is nice!”
“As much fun as this conversation is, I’d like to repress this memory if possible so I’m going to let you guys continue with your magic mike moment-”
You heard the twins howl in laughter, your dad storming past you and over towards the stairs.
“You two start high school in the fall and guess what talk we’re having tomorrow?” he said. They both groaned for a moment before you heard noise again, your dad wiping his hand over his face. 
“They both know what sex is,” you said, his eyes wide. “I gave them both the talk like years ago.”
“You did?” they both asked.
“Yeah. I gave it to all of them. It’s a lot easier for big sis to tell you than mom and dad, especially when dad makes talking about sex so freaking awkward,” you said, cocking your head.
“Well, thank you,” he said, nodding once. “And if that’s something you want to discuss, then we can.”
“I’m good. I just enjoy torturing you in return for the trauma I endured tonight,” you said with a smile. Your mom giggled as he pushed you both into the bedroom, closing the door behind himself.
“Well the mood is gone so what’s up?” he asked as you sat very specifically not on the bed and wandered over to the large window out back. You spun on your heels, both of them watching with concerned eyes.
“I…have been feeling guilty about doubting you guys that you’d hurt me like the sperm and egg donor did and…I’d like to try that thing we did when I was younger and spending more time with you guys helped…if that’s cool,” you said, biting your bottom lip. 
“Honey, of course you can hang out with us more often,” said your mom. She wrapped you up in a hug, letting you melt into her. “Dad and I were talking earlier and hoping we could steal some time with you. We missed you.”
“I missed you guys too,” you said, feeling your dad come up behind you and hug you, resting his chin on your shoulder.
“You don’t have anything to feel guilty about,” he whispered, kissing the top of your head. 
“I know I shouldn’t but I know I hurt you both and that’s something I have to deal with.”
“It hurts more knowing how much you hurt yourself for being human, kiddo,” he said.
“I know how scared you were that I’d stop-“
“You didn’t stop loving us,” he said. “You were afraid and sometimes, your kids get scared. It’s that simple.”
You nodded, enjoying being squished between them, a calm feeling settling in your bones. 
“There she is,” he murmured as he felt you relax. “Better?”
“Yeah,” you said. Your mom tugged you over to the bed, your eyebrows raising.
“It’s clean, I promise.” She slid into her side of the bed, tugging you down in the middle as your dad moved in on your other side. “So we could watch a movie, play a game-“
“Guys,” you said. “It’s okay. You had other plans-“
“And now our plans are to spend time with you,” said your dad, throwing his arm over your shoulders, tucking you into his side. You glanced up, frowning at the deep worry in his eyes. “Honey, you never have to ask us to be with you like you’re some kind of bother. Please know that.”
“You know me,” you said, your mom scooting closer, taking one of your hands in hers. “Can I maybe, I know how this is going to sound-“
“Y/N. Ask like we’re your mom and dad, not strangers,” said your mom. 
“I know that too. I’m a little shaky I guess,” you breathed out, both of them holding your closer. “Can we spend more time together, like one on one? Like make a night or something for us like we did when I was younger? That really helped me back then and TJ thinks it’ll help now too.”
“Knew there was a reason I loved that boy,” said your mom. “Of course we can do that.”
You felt your dad stiffen though, your head turning up. He looked sad, pouting almost. 
“You have to go away for a project soon, don’t you,” you said quietly. 
“Oh no,” said your mom, her hand leaving yours, both of them covering her mouth. “We both have to for two weeks starting on Tuesday. Daddy’s gone for over a month.”
“JJ was going to be in charge and we were going to come home on the weekends but-“
“You have work. I understand.” Still, tears prickled in the corner of your eyes. Why’d you have to be so stupid and push them away for the past month? Now they were both going to be gone.
“Come with us.” Your dad turned your cheek to face him, wiping away a stray droplet before it could fall. “We need to be together again for a little bit. Come to the project with us for two weeks and then you can decide to stay with me or go home with mom but either way you got at least one of us.”
“That’s a long time to be away from Allie and Colin,” you said, biting your bottom lip. “But I know TJ can handle it. I need to talk to him first. I can’t make that kind of decision on my own.”
“We understand. Trust me. Dad and I have had a lot of those conversations over the years.” You already knew TJ would tell you to go and have fun. But you’d never spent more than a few days away from the kids. 
“The little one’s will survive. Give ‘em a call and facetime them everyday and it helps. Believe me, nothing beats a hug from them when you’ve been gone for a few weeks,” said your dad. “They’ve dealt with TJ being gone for a week for work before. They’ll be alright if you choose to go.”
“I know they would. It’s me I don’t know about,” you said, closing your eyes. “Let me talk to TJ and I’ll give you guys an answer in the morning.”
“Whatever you want to do. We can always hang out when we get back too,” he said, kissing your temple. “So can I interest you ladies in a game of Mario Kart?”
Three days later you were walking into an upscale cabin you were sharing with your parents, most of the other cabins at the unique little hotel filled with cast and crew for the movie your parents were making. They were producing it and your dad was starring as the main character. You’d done the set design on it nearly a year prior and while you’d forgotten most of the story, you were excited to see one of your sets in person. Plus you hadn’t seen your dad on a film set in more than a few years and knew seeing him act in person was a rare treat.
After you ditched your bags in the spare bedroom, you changed and met up with your parents for a pre-shoot dinner they were hosting at a restaurant in town with the cast and some of the higher ups. While the dinner was fun, you were tired from traveling all the way to Vancouver all day. You ducked outside to give TJ a quick call but were reluctant to go back inside and have to be social again when you were exhausted.
“Hey,” said a woman around your age if you had to guess, her hair silky and tied back in a loose ponytail, a black floral tank top and jeans on. “You’re Y/N, right?”
“Uh yeah,” you said, offering her a smile. “You’re Cara Micks. You’re playing Maddie. My parents were really glad they managed to get you. Everybody wants you in their stuff after that indie film.”
“One little Oscar nom and suddenly I’m not surviving off ramen in an apartment with four roommates,” she laughed, nodding her head. “I uh, I’m really glad I got this role, even if it’s not what my agent wanted me to pick. Working with your dad is like a dream come true. He has such a good reputation. I know this’ll be a good set.”
“I can guarantee it’ll be one of the best you ever work on,” you said as she wiped off her forehead.
“Plus it’s a good story. You did the set design, right?” she asked. You hummed, her eyes lighting up. “I got to sneak down and see some of the set mock ups earlier today. They look really cool. I’d love to know more about how that kind of stuff works. If that’s okay. People seem to think I know a lot about this business when I’ve really only done a few gigs before.”
“Well, I’ve never been on a set I’ve designed before so I’m right there with you but I’d happily answer any questions. I’ll leave the acting stuff to my dad though. I can barely tell you what a mark is,” you said, Cara smiling as she closed her eyes. “You good to drive?”
“Yeah, just tired. I’ll see you tomorrow though. Maybe we can grab lunch?” she asked.
“Sure,” you said, Cara handing over her phone. You exchanged numbers and watched her drive off as your parents walked out of the restaurant, others trailing out. 
“Ready for bed? We got an early day tomorrow,” said your mom. You hummed and closed your eyes, your dad rubbing your back.
“Come on. Sooner we get back soon you can head to sleep.”
“Oh my god! It’s my basement!” you said, hopping up and down when you walked onto set the next morning. 
“And what a lovely torture basement it is, kiddo,” laughed your dad. You walked around the set, poking at the shelves, surprised they actually put the cobblestone walls in. He nudged you when you ran your hands over it, a proud smile on his face. “It does look good. Appreciate the fact you know an old shack would have cobblestone and not cinder blocks.”
“That was the point,” you said, walking around the space, stopping at the chair in the center of the basement. “They even found the same chair!”
“They do tend to make the sets match what’s designed,” he chuckled, following you around set, hands clasped behind his back. “You should do this full-time. Design.”
“I don’t know,” you said with a shrug, watching him take a seat on the wooden steps. You sat down in the chair across from him, resting your chin in your hands. “TJ has great benefits so it’s not like a fear of having to be self-employed or not getting gigs. I could not work and we’d be perfectly fine.”
“If you have a sense of obligation to stay at the brewery-”
“I know I don’t have to,” you said. “The team does all the real work.”
“So what’s keeping you from giving it a shot? I mean,” he said, leaning back on his elbows, kicking his legs out in front of him, “You’ve got more than a few projects under your belt. You have the resume, connections. You can set your own schedule. Granted, yeah, it’s not going to be every single day and there’ll be long days sometime but you’ve already handled that with two small kids and working another job.”
“I know,” you said, his head cocking as he smiled. 
“So…” You closed your eyes and sighed.
“My brewery job you gave me. And somehow people always know I’m your daughter, even when I use Hanover in projects. I just…if I do this full time people are going to assume I got the job because of my dad and I’ll never know if it’s because I’m good at it or if a director wants to work with you. You know?” He nodded, smirking as he glanced down at the concrete floor. “You know it’s true.”
“Nepotism is a thing in this industry for sure. But I also am a product of that through grandpa and people he knew. Nepotism gets you in the door as a guest and it’s right to acknowledge that. Talent gets you invited to stay at the party long after all the wannabe’s head home.”
“But I didn’t earn it like someone off the street,” you said. He sighed, running his hand through his hair.
“Cold hard truth? No one knew who the fuck you were when you submitted that first portfolio for your first project. Nobody. I know that because I worked with the director of that project after and he had zero clue you’re my kid. He recommended you to other projects before I came along so you did earn it. You’re right. You’ll never know for sure but you shouldn’t stop because of it. You don’t always have to start in last place to be worthy of earning first.”
“But nepotism is basically cheating your way to first,” you said.
“Sometimes, yeah. Sometimes, it’s a kid who is talented who got in on her own and won’t give herself a break to do something she clearly loves because she thinks it was a gift. Even if it was a gift, take it. Life threw enough shit at you. Take the nice crap too.”
You pursed your lips, looking around. “You think I’m good at this?”
“Mom and I didn’t approach you to do this project for shits and giggles. We knew you’d do quality work and sure as shit, you did. There are not a lot of sets on this film. Most scenes take place out in the woods so the pieces we do have, they need to be fucking good. And this room doesn’t even have four walls and it’s scary as hell so yeah, I’d say you’re good at this.” He stood up, holding out his hands. “Come on, let’s go check out the rest of the sets.”
“Has anyone seen Cara today?” asked the director, Dave close to lunchtime. You glanced up from where you sat in your dad’s chair, your mom over at the film tent with the other producers.
“She’s still not here?” asked your dad as he walked off set. They’d been filming for a few hours for his scenes at the police station but those were wrapped up, everyone ready to start in the basement once lunch break was over. “That doesn’t seem like her.”
You pulled out your phone and dialed, getting no answer. You tried a few more times and got more of the same. 
“This fucking kid,” grumbled Dave, leaning back in his seat. “Can someone get over to her hotel room and tell her to get her ass on set? I don’t care if she was nominated for a fucking Oscar. She pulls any diva shit and I’ll kick her out.”
“She said she was tired last night,” you said, several heads turning your direction. “When we left dinner. She looked a little ill too, like sweaty.”
“Well if she’s sick she’s supposed to call in. She better be fucking dying for not giving notice,” said Dave. You raised your eyebrow at him, Dave giving it right back. “I’m not being dramatic. It’s in her contract what she’s supposed to do if she’s sick.”
“Maybe so but a little common decency doesn’t hurt. You shouldn’t wish for someone to be ‘fucking dying’ because they’re not at work on time,” you shot back. You could feel the eyes on you, most of the nearby crew watching you. 
To your surprise Dave nodded, his face relaxing. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have said that. Let’s have someone get over to her place and see what’s going on.”
People dispersed for lunch, your parents holding hands as they stopped at the chair and your dad grabbed his phone.
“Sorry I did that,” you said as you stood. They shared a smile, your dad tucking you under his shoulders as you walked out of the studio.
“We’re not,” said your mom, tilting her head up to your dad. “Remember when she used to be scared of men?”
“You wouldn’t know it with that little display,” he said, squeezing your shoulder. “And you think you’re riding off my reputation in this business. Think again, tall munchkin. Things like that are why people want to work with you.”
“I could have done it privately,” you said with a shrug.
“Don’t take shit on a set. We both did,” said your mom. “It’s nice to know you won’t.”
“Well, what’s the worst that’ll happen? I get fired? So what,” you said. 
“We did good,” said your dad, releasing you to high-five your mom. You rolled your eyes and walked ahead, turning around to walk backwards.
“Excuse me but I did good. Y’all were just like…there,” you said, smirking. Both their faces fell and you sighed, stopping in your tracks. “Oh my god, it was a joke! Guys. You two driving me insane as a teenager was incredibly helpful. You definitely did good. Promise.”
“Well,” said your mom with a smile, “It was a team effort.”
“It was,” you said, your dad biting his bottom lip. You spun around and smiled. “It didn’t hurt having a good guy want to be my dad. He set the bar high so I don’t accept shit. I appreciate that.”
You glanced over your shoulder and caught him smiling off to the side, his cheeks a hot pink.
“Dad are you blushing?” you teased. He snapped his attention to you and rolled his eyes, failing to keep his lips from curling up. 
“God no. I don’t blush,” he scoffed. 
“Sure you don’t,” you said, smiling as you headed for the catering tent. “I forgot you’re a super tough manly man.”
“Damn straight I am,” he said. You shook your head and got in line, looking up when you felt him by your side. “You shouldn’t feel guilty.”
“Dad-” you said quietly as you both stepped forward. 
“Your parents hurt us, they hurt you. You didn’t do anything to us. I wouldn’t be strong enough to risk getting hurt by another set of parents let alone believe they love me. I’d be terrified. You’ve always been the strong one in this family, kiddo. You don’t have to say nice things to make me feel better.”
You shook your head, smiling when you looked down. “I don’t say things to you to make you feel better, dad. You or mom. I only say what I believe and genuinely, you made me know what to expect out of men and if they don’t deliver, I’ll let them know about it. I’m not blowing smoke up your ass.”
He smirked, nodding to himself. “You stopped feeling guilty before we even got out here, didn’t you.”
“What can I say? You guys give good pep talks,” you said, feeling your mom hug your waist from behind. “It’s still cool that I came out though right?”
“Don’t ask dumb questions, kiddo,” he chuckled. “Let’s get some lunch and hopefully Cara will be back by then.”
“We have a big problem,” said Dave, stopping by your lunch table about twenty minutes later. Your parents left, leaving the rest of you wondering what was going on. When your lunch break was up, people headed back to their various departments, your dad appearing out of nowhere and giving you a strange look.
“What’s wrong?” you asked.
“Cara has food poisoning it sounds like. The PA that went over found her vomiting. She’s taking her to the hospital to get some fluids in her. Hopefully she’s feeling better later.”
“Oh. Well that’s good,” you said, that strange look still there. “Dad…”
“Technically the scenes we need to film this afternoon are all my coverage. Since Cara’s stunts don’t start until next week, her stunt double and stand in aren’t here yet. But you may have noticed you and Cara share a certain-”
“You want me to fucking double for Cara Micks? Me?” you asked as he smiled.
“You guys are the same height, size. Your hair’s almost the exact same. Literally all you have to do is put on some clothes, sit in a chair with some make up on and make sounds like you’re scared. It’s not going to be hard at all.” You stared at him, his eyes searching yours. “I promise it’s as easy as-”
You crossed your arms and glanced down, kicking at the pavement. “You’re filming the scenes where Ben finds Maddie. Your coverage.”
“Exactly,” he said, voice dropping slightly. “You don’t have to. We can find another woman to I’m sure. I just thought you’re perfect for it already. But you don’t-”
“Dad. It’s not the being a stand in. I don’t mind that,” you said. He cocked his head when you raised yours, sighing deeply. “I’m nervous that…I know that scene. I remember it from the design. Maddie is tied up in a chair in a basement. And I know it’s a film set and it’s safe but…”
You shrugged, smiling wearily.
“House six,” you whispered, his head nodding. “I’m just-”
“I never should have asked,” he said softly. “I’m sorry.” 
“Dad, no,” you said, grabbing his arm before he could go. You tugged him away between some trailers, letting go when you ran your hand through your hair. 
“Tall munchkin, there is no way I would make you do that. I am so sorry I-”
“Stop. Please.” He snapped his lips shut. After a beat you leaned back against a trailer wall, breathing slowly. “Ben’s a cop. House six, that prick was a cop. I need…I don’t know the script that much, only the early parts, if at all. Tell me Ben’s a good guy.”
“He has his rough spots but by the end of the movie, Ben and Maddie are basically father and daughter. It’s a big step for her considering her own father is the one that had her kidnapped and then tried to kill her.” You pursed your lips, his eyes scanning the clouds overhead. “This is going to sound corny as hell but just listen to me for a minute.”
“Okay,” you said as he met your gaze.
“You’re a grown woman. I recognize that and respect it. You can make your own choices, own mistakes, successes. You have a husband and children and I know when you’re in trouble, I’m not the first person you turn to anymore. That’s okay. It’s normal.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and smirked. “But you’re still my little girl. I will always do my best to protect you or I’ll go down swinging in the process. You don’t have to worry about if the character I’m playing is good or bad. I’m your dad. Behind every character is me. And you know me and what I’d do for you.”
You looked away, nodding a few times.
“You don’t have to do this. At all. But understand that I would not allow anything to happen to you if I didn’t believe it was safe. I’ll let you get some bumps and scrapes along the way cause that’s life. But no more scars. Because I told you that night on the road my job is to protect you, that I’ll never hurt you. You know that deep down but you need to hear it out loud sometimes because you get scared.”
You felt him step closer and forced yourself to face him. “What?”
“I will never let anything like what happened in that house happen to you again. Understand?” 
“Okay.”
“Okay,” he smiled, giving you a hug. “Why don’t you go hang out in my trailer for a bit? It’s going to take a little bit to find someone and start filming again.”
“Well,” you said, his eyebrow raising, “You or mom will be nearby the whole time right?”
“Absolutely,” he said. You shrugged and nodded. “You change your mind?”
“I can do it,” you said. “You sure you can?”
“Me?” he laughed. “What do you mean?”
“You gonna be cool with seeing me with fake blood and stuff?” He cocked his head and smirked. 
“Fake blood I can handle,” he said, your mom stopping by the end of the trailer. “She says she good with it.”
“Oh thank you,” she sighed, quickly grabbing your hand and dragging you behind her. “Jensen, you need to change while I get her ready.”
“See you on set, kiddo.”
“Thank you everyone,” called Dave at the end of the day. You stretched out as you stood up from the chair, your dad rubbing your shoulders that had a small ache to them. “That’s a wrap for the day.”
“How you feeling?” asked your dad, massaging the muscles with my force, the ache soothing away.
“That helps,” you said, Dave coming over to you. 
“I really do appreciate you filling in for us today, Y/N,” he said. 
“It’s no problem. I didn’t have to do much,” you said.
“Well thanks anyways, and for calling me out earlier. I want this to be a fun set.”
“I think I figured that out when dad started carrying me out of the scene upside down,” you laughed, your dad chuckling. “How’s Cara feeling?”
Dave shared a look with your dad, his hands falling away from you. “She still at the hospital?”
“Appendicitis. It fucking popped this afternoon.”
“Shit,” said your dad. “That’s bad.”
“She was being prepped for surgery when it happened, which was good, I guess. They were able to go in fast and clean her up. I was going to drop by in a bit and check up on her.”
“Dee and I’ll go too. Her parents know?”
“On the way but Florida’s pretty far. They won’t be here until around midnight. I’ll see you guys there,” he said when he got pulled away by another producer.
“Can I go?” you asked. 
“Sure. Let’s stop by hair and makeup so they can clean you up first.”
The Next Morning
“What do you think they’re going to do?” said the key grip as everyone ate breakfast together. Cara was doing better but she was on strong antibiotics so she didn’t get an infection and her surgery had been more invasive than if her appendix hadn’t burst. All in all, it meant she was on bed rest for a few weeks and looking at a full month before she was going to be cleared for work.
Which wouldn’t have been a big problem if your dad didn’t have a project lined up for six weeks from now. 
“There’s no way we can finish on time unless they got in a backfill today,” said Molly, your dad’s PA, slurping down a bowl of oatmeal. “Jensen has two different films he’s supposed to be in once we wrap and they’re big studio ones. No way he’d drop those to finish this late with Cara.”
“Couldn’t they just push until after he does the movies? That’s only a few weeks, really randomly too. He wouldn't be needed every day at those,” you said. The key grip, a very, very tall man named Ivan shook his head.
“Cara’s got a Marvel role she starts prepping for then. By the time both their schedules are free it’s late winter and we can’t film in that, not when the movie takes place in the early fall. So that pushes us back to next summer which a lot of the time means we’re dead in the water.”
“Yup,” said Molly with a sigh. “I liked this job. Your dad’s not a dickhead and I’ve worked with some dickheads before.”
“How hard is it to find another actress though? Couldn’t they call up like the girl that came in second in the auditions?” you asked. They shared a look and you frowned. “I clearly am not in on the gossip.”
“It’s okay. You just got here,” said Molly, slurping up more oatmeal. “Rumor is it took like five months to find someone to play Maddie. No one could pull off the intense moments in the script until they got Cara. It’s an amazing script but damn, the lead actress has to be able to do a fucking lot.”
“What do you mean? How’s that different than any other story?” you asked, Ivan chuckling. “I am so out of the loop.”
“Set designers normally are. We hardly ever see you guys to be fair. But basically Maddie in the story has be vulnerable but funny, a whimpering mess but also frighteningly creepy. Soft but strong. Do a number of fight scenes with grown ass men twice her size. All while running around in the woods most days, freezing her ass off during the many night shoots and being able to not oversell the emotional moments and have it come off as cheesy instead of awesome. It’ll be a miracle to find someone like Cara Micks.”
“Oh. Well that sucks. The movie sounds cool. I really want to see if get made,” you said, your mom ducking into the tent with a smile, waving you over. “I’ll be back guys.”
“Let us know if you find out anything!” said Molly. You gave them a smile and walked out of the tent with your mom, surprised when she was practically jogging away.
“Where are you going?” you laughed, following after, grateful you were in a pair of sneakers and leggings today. She just waved and you followed her into your dad’s trailer, many pairs of eyes on you. Your dad and Dave were there along with the other producers that were on set, the assistant director, the writer and a few other people you didn’t know. “Hi.”
You took the only open seat at the far end of the little couch across from your dad, Dave walking over and squatting down in front of you. “Uh, can someone explain what’s happening?”
“I’m sure you’ve heard we’re a bit fucked without Cara. We can’t film a two lead movie without one of our leads. She’s a hard girl to replace,” said Dave. Your eyes flicked up to your dad, his lips pressed into a thin line. “We would like it if you’d entertain us for a few hours and try to film a few scenes with Jensen. You already did the stand in work yesterday and that was great-”
“I played a barely conscious girl yesterday. I didn’t have to do anything.” You got to your feet and shook your head. “I can’t act let alone replace the girl who almost got an Oscar. I will happily be a stand-in but guys…y’all do realize I’m not related by blood to these guys, right? There is zero chance any acting talent was passed along. I haven’t acted since the fourth grade where I played girl #4. Does that sound like the person you want starring in a freaking movie with him?”
Your dad shrugged. “I think you’re selling yourself short.”
You were wide eyed, mouth dropping. Had he lost his mind?
“You’re very smart. You had a lot of good suggestions during pre-production,” said Dave, taking a seat on the couch. 
“Sets. Sets I get. I have a degree in architecture and so does my husband. I know walls and floors and ceilings. This? I have zero fucking clue about acting.” Dave looked at your parents, slowly returning his gaze back to you. “I can’t do it. I’ll ruin your damn movie.”
“Well we can’t film shit without Cara so let us try for two hours. If you’re as shitty as you say you are, then I have no problem telling you that. Let us try to grab a life preserver before we go down with the ship. That’s all we’re asking,” said Dave. You grumbled, putting your back to the room before sighing.
“Fine. But no one get mad at me when I can’t do it, alright?” you said, turning around with a huff.
“Perfect. Get her a script and in hair and make up. Jensen, we’ll give you twenty minutes to rehearse before we’ll try on set.” You were ushered out of the room and twenty later you were back there with a wad of paper in your hand, wearing the same dirty t-shirt, leggings and sneakers you wore in the basement scene yesterday.
“Why the fuck would you volunteer me for this?” you said the second you were in his trailer, your dad snapping his head up from where he sat on the couch with his own papers. “When have I ever expressed an interest in acting? I look like shit. I’m not a bombshell like Cara Micks. I look like damn roadkill. You are insane for thinking I could pull something like this off. Why, why do you think I can do this? What is wrong with you, dad?”
He looked you up and down, a soft smile on his face. “Stop smiling! I’m pissed!”
“You do realize the qualities Maddie has in the movie are all ones you have, don’t you? You can do it because you have done it. And don’t tell me you can’t act,” he scoffed. You threw up your hands, dropping your papers.
“Of course I can’t fucking act! Why on earth would you think I can?” you said. He walked over in front of you, crossing his arms and staring you down. “What is wrong with you? I can’t-”
“You can act with the best of them.” You could only stare with wide eyes, growing angrier at the smug expression on his face.
“Stop saying that!” you shot back. “Why would you make me do this? I’m going to humiliate myself and you and mom and-”
He started to laugh and you’d had enough. You turned to leave, his hands gently catching your shoulders. You swore your eye was twitching when you faced him, that stupid smile still there.
“Oh, kiddo. I watched you put on a class act for months when you first came to us. Before that? Acted your ass off in those shitty foster homes. Acted your ass off when you put in anonymous calls to get the truly awful ones shut down. Pretended it was all okay to those monsters faces when it was eating you up inside. Even with your birth parents you pretended to be perfect for them.” He got in your face, tilting his head ever so slightly. “You can act and it’s like I told you yesterday. You’re safe here. So trust me to keep you safe and you can act when your damn survival doesn’t depend on it for the first time in your life. Trust me, it’s going to be a hell of a lot easier than the last time you acted.”
You frowned, growling as he leaned back. “Has anyone ever told you how irritating it is that you always have a fucking point?”
“I recall being told once or twice by a certain munchkin,” he chuckled, picking up the papers and handing them over. “Oh and Y/N? You are beautiful, even with that bruised makeup on your face. Believe me.”
“Dad. You have to say that.”
“Hm, no I don’t,” he laughed, taking a seat. “You don’t know how many death glares I’ve handed out over the years. Plus your husband never shuts up about how pretty you are.”
“Don’t make me smile. I’m still annoyed with you,” you said, sitting down at his kitchenette table, fixing your pages. “Do I have to have this memorized?”
“Let’s just practice a few times and go from there.”
Two Weeks Later
It was quiet out. Then again it normally was at two in the morning. You sipped on your thermos of hot coffee while the crew took a short break. You passed it to your dad beside you, the two of you sat in front of a fire in the forest. Above you was a clearing in the sky, so many stars out in the deep wilderness.
“You’re happy.” You glanced to your right, the shadows dancing across his face. 
“Yeah,” you whispered, looking back up at the sky. “It’s so pretty here.”
“I’m really glad I get to do this with you,” he said quietly. 
“Me too.” You took the thermos back from him, taking another sip. You were both quiet, watching the flames in front of you. He wore a long sleeve henley while you were still in your t shirt and leggings. But at least tonight you got to wear his warm flannel between takes. Until he’d give it to you in the scene at least. You set the thermos behind the log where it’d be hidden from view when they turned the cameras back on in a few minutes, catching your dad close his eyes. “Dad. Don’t fall asleep.”
“I’m not sleeping. Just happy.” You hummed, connecting the stars in the sky, trying to find the big dipper. “Kiddo?”
“Yeah?” 
“It’s to the left of that branch.” You spotted him with eyes open, darting around as they made connections.
“I used to sit outside when I was a kid and stare at the stars. No one ever bothered me when I did that,” you said, pointing out the little dipper to him. “Always seemed so peaceful up there.”
“Did you find a little peace down here?” You nodded, laughing quietly. “What’s so funny?”
“You wonder where I get it from,” you said, shaking your head. “You want to be told you’re loved as much as I do.”
“I suppose I do,” he said, the heat of his gaze on you. 
“Yeah, I found my peace down here. Don’t think I ever told him the night of my seventeenth birthday was the first time I slept through the night in a decade. I got my peace a very long time ago, just was afraid of losing it.”
“Afraid anymore?” he whispered. You shook your head, catching Orion far off on the other side of the clearing. 
“No. No one can take my peace away from me ever again.” He shifted closer, letting you rest your head on his shoulder. “This is the longest I’ve ever been away from TJ since we’ve been together.”
He hummed, breathing softly.
“How do you stand being away from mom for weeks at a time?” He crossed his arms, smiling to himself.
“Why do you think I’d fly all night just to see her and you guys for half a day? We know how to make long distance work. Our whole relationship has always had an element of it. But getting a hug when you get home eases that ache that forms.”
“I miss Thomas,” you whispered. 
“You’ll see him and the babies tomorrow,” he said, crew memembers starting to gather back around, eyes fluttering open. “He has a surprise for you.”
“Oh god. What’d he do?” He held up his hands and scooted back over to his mark. You put on puppy dog eyes, a sigh leaving him. 
“He and the kids made you a cake. He misses you too.” You inhaled deeply. “Do you regret-”
“No. I just need a moment with him is all.” You forced a smile and nodded. “Alright. Let’s do this.”
Three Weeks Later
“You’re so pretty,” whispered TJ as you exited the bathroom in a pair of pajama shorts and one of his t-shirts. You laughed, pushing back your damp hair before crawling into bed with him. “I can’t believe I’m sleeping with a movie star.”
You slapped his chest, TJ giggling, rolling himself so he rested his chin on your chest. You ran your fingers through his dark strands, TJ inhaling slowly.
“If this was something you wanted to try, you know we’ll figure it out, right?” You smiled, nodding once.
“People said I did good.”
“If you mean your parents bragging about how fucking incredible you did then sure, you did good.” You traced your finger over his cheek, concern growing in his eyes. “You’ve moved on from the brewery and we both know it. You can clearly do this acting thing if you wanted.”
“Thomas,” you sighed. He wrapped his arms under you, giving you a squeeze. “The only reason I did it in the first place was to help. I did it to spend time with my parents. I got to hang out with my dad so much and a lot of the stuff we filmed…I couldn’t have done that with someone else.”
“I have no problem with you not taking your career that direction if you don’t want to do it. But I don’t want you to not try because you do want it and you’re scared. I want you to go after everything you want in life,” he said quietly, tilting his head up, kissing your jaw. “That’s all I want from you.”
“I don’t want it,” you said, closing your eyes. “I want to get into set design full time. Being away for so long, even coming home on the weekend in the middle there…I don’t want to be gone from you guys for that long regularly.”
“I understand, believe me. We missed you too,” he said, giving you another squeeze. “But we’d go with you if you wanted.”
“I know you would,” you murmured, slowly peeling open your eyes to find him with a smile on his lips. “Let’s put it in the maybe someday again category, if it were with my parents. Until then, I am ready to take a few weeks off and spend some time home.”
He nuzzled you and chuckled. “Why not make a vow to not leave this bed? That can easily be arranged.”
“You’re cockier than usual, my sweet boy,” you teased, TJ lifting himself up on his hands, leaning down over you. “Feeling needy?”
“I haven’t slept with my wife in three weeks. I’m fucking needy. Now if the movie star was so kind-” You smacked him with a pillow, TJ putting on a shocked face. “Is this how you hollywood types are?”
“You’re such an ass!” you laughed, hitting him again, TJ plopping all of his weight down straight on top of you. “Thomas!”
A throat cleared in the room, TJ spinning around and in front of you quickly, your dad smirking at you both. “Well I didn’t mean to interrupt this strange…whatever flirting thing this is but I do need to talk to Y/N. It’s kind of important.”
“What’s up?” you asked, shoving a pillow in TJ’s lap to hide the tent in his pants. 
“Your birth parents got wind that you were doing a movie.” You narrowed your eyes as he sighed. “They gave an interview an hour ago. My team is freaking out. I couldn’t care less what they say but-”
“But it could damage your reputation.” 
He was blank faced but you knew it could be turn into a big deal. “I don’t give a shit about mine. But they said you only got set design jobs because I got them for you and I know how much it means to you to make your name on your own. Just don’t look at your phones or go online for a while. I’m going to fix this. I promise.” 
“Is there anything we should do? Or I guess shouldn’t?” asked TJ. 
“I know you two are careful about handing out your numbers but don’t answer any calls-”
“I know how to fix all of this,” you said. You felt both of their eyes on you as you climbed out of bed and tugged on TJ’s hoodie sitting on the bench at the foot of it. You glanced back at TJ and then to your dad.
“You want me to release that video. The security footage from the back porch with your parents,” he said. 
“Yes and no.” You slipped past him and went down the hall to the kitchen, both of them following as you grabbed an empty coffee mug from the cabinet. You set it under the coffee machine and after a moment it was churning, the pair of them looking very confused. “On a scale of one to ten, how much will your team freak out if you don’t say anything for like…twelve hours?”
“Considering this is the most controversial thing that’s ever happened to me, probably like a fifty. Why? You’re thinking of something,” he said.
“Like I said, I know how to fix this. But I need time and a few other things.”
“This isn’t your mess to fix,” he said. “I’ll release the video with a statement or-”
“Or…you can give me what I need and I can guarantee anyone with a brain who thinks you and mom manipulated me will change their minds.” You could tell he didn’t want to have to get you involved. He knew how much they’d hurt you. All he wanted to do was protect you from them ever doing that again.
“Give her a chance, Jensen,” said TJ, getting out another mug for himself. “I know my wife. If she has an idea, let’s give it a shot.”
You stepped forward and stood in front of him, his lips pressed into a thin line. “It’s your choice, dad. We can do whatever you and your team want. I just feel like if I said something first it’d mean more. I really need you trust me with this if you-”
“What do you need?” he asked, a small smile on his lips. You nodded, inhaling deeply and grabbing the pad of paper and a pen from nearby.
“You instagram password to start.” He jotted it down, giving you a look to not do anything stupid with his account. “I also need the login to the cloud account with the video backup at the house.”
“I can send you the video of your parents directly. It’ll be easier than-”
“Dad. Just give me the login.” He wrote down more on the pad, his eyes concerned now. “How far back does it go?”
“Since we had the house. What-”
“Is it just video or audio too?”
“Both…I’m pretty sure the security company compresses the files.” You hummed, grabbing the paper and picking up your mug, heading for your home office.
“Uh, is there anything we can do?” asked TJ. You spun around and took a sip of coffee.
“Keep the coffee coming and dad, tell your team you need to discuss with your family and you’ll have a statement out by the morning. Otherwise, do not disturb me.”
You slipped away into your office, leaning back against it. 
“This is gonna be a long night.”
Twelve Hours Later
You yawned as you exited your office, quickly making your way down to the bedroom and plopping down next to a sleeping TJ. You were asleep in an instant and woke up a few hours later at noon to TJ shoving on your shoulder.
You were pretty sure you growled at him but he knew how tired you were after the jet lag and staying up a full day. But you needed to try to get your schedule back on track so you reluctantly let him pull you up to sitting.
“You’re on CNN! Come look!” he said. You shook your head, TJ hoisting you up, carrying you bridal style into the family room where what looked like your entire family sat watch the news.
And there was your face from the video you’d made in the middle of the night smack dab in the middle of the screen. TJ set you down as heads turned, your mom rushing over and hugging you.
“How did you make that so fast? How…you didn’t have to share those things, honey,” she said, holding on tight. 
“I just wanted people to know the difference between a bad parent and a good one,” you said, surprised to find your dad missing. “Is dad mad? I know I put a lot of private moments in and things he’d probably wished had stayed a secret.”
You spotted him come out of the hallway where the half-bath was, his face neutral. He was mad. Of course he was mad. You’d been sleep deprived when you put that video together. You fucked it up. You should have just let him handle it so you didn’t make it worse.
“Dad, I’m sorry. I should have…” you trailed off when he held up his finger and stepped in front of you. He looked you up and down and nodded a few times. “I’m sorry.”
“You make a video telling the world how miserable you used to be, about some of the bad things foster parents did and calling them out by name, about how mom and I changed your life, about how I…” he clamped his mouth shut, glancing away with a scrunched up face. You swore his bottom lip wobbled and smiled, watching him put his back to your siblings who were all watching intently. 
“Was it the part about you being the only real dad I’ve ever had that got you or how I called you a good man that anyone would be lucky enough to have in their life?”
“Goddammit, Y/N,” he said, wiping off his face, keeping his head turned away. “It’s one thing when we say that shit in private but you had to say it to everyone?”
“Yeah because everyone should know. Those assholes tried to fuck with you. My whole life assholes fucked with me and now they tried to do it to someone I love. I’m not letting that shit go anymore. So fuck my birth parents and fuck my other foster parents. If people find out that you’re a good person in the process then that’s a bonus to me.”
He sighed, forcing himself to turn around, a sad smile on his face. “I just wish you hadn’t felt forced to share those things.”
“I didn’t,” you said, his eyes widening ever so slightly in surprise. “All I wanted to do was send a message to those people that they can’t hurt me anymore. I’m sorry if I royally screwed stuff up for you or violated your privacy. I just wanted them to leave us alone from now on.”
“You didn’t, sweetie,” said your mom, tucking you into her side, your dad nodding, easing a bit. He cleared his throat and ruffled your hair, his smile relaxed now. 
“You with me for a second,” he said. You followed him down the hall to your room, frowning when you were alone.
“Dad I really am-” He pressed a finger to your lips shushing you, fixing your hair behind your ears.
“Do you remember after the accident when I couldn’t take showers and there was that time you helped me wash my hair?” You nodded as he fixed your part, smiling to himself. “I realized something that day.”
“What?” you asked quietly. He rested his hands on your shoulders, breathing slowly.
“You’re a good person too,” he said softly. You cocked your head, a sliver of a chuckle slipping past his lips. “I knew before then but in that moment, when you with one arm in a sling offered to help me, I just knew I was damn lucky I wound up with a kid like you.”
“You were hurt and I helped…how does that make me a good person for doing what I should have in the first place?”
“Welcome to life in my head the past three hours while everyone in my life tells me how amazing I am when all I did with you was what I was supposed to.” 
“Well…” you groaned, stomping your foot. “How do you always do that! Every single time you turn it around on me. It’s not fair!”
“I’ve been playing the game longer than you have,” he chuckled, picking up a hair tie off your dresser and bunching up your hair. “Something I learned with your youngest sister is if you start braiding their hair, then you have a captive audience so you can get out of them whatever intel you need.”
You raised your eyebrow at him as he started to work the hair together, ignoring your face. “And what intel are you looking to get out of me?”
“Just sharing a parenting tip,” he chuckled. “You? You I think I have a pretty good idea of where we stand.”
“Oh you do, huh?” You glanced down, annoyed at the fact he could do a far better fishtail braid than you ever had. He slipped the tie off his wrist, twisting it in place a few times before humming.
“Yeah. I mean, I’m apparently the best dad that ever existed so…” he said, chuckling when you lightly punched his arm. 
“You’re just…” you trailed off with a shrug, a smile on his face. “Are you mad? About me showing all those videos of us from home over the years?”
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “Honestly, I loved it. Made me cry like a baby but I loved it. I know you’re pretty damn selective about who you let in but I’m glad I made the cut.”
“Yeah, well, you’re alright for an old guy.” You smirked, getting one in return. “I love you?”
“Yeah you’re lucky I’m still in a good mood,” he said, cocking his head. “Want to know why you’re on the news?”
“Because you’re oh so famous,” you said dramatically, his eyes narrowing. “You so want to give me a noogie, don’t you.”
“The desire is strong,” he said, clasping his hands behind his back. “In news surprising no one, your birth parents were keeping more secrets. Apparently they stole money from their shady employer. A lot of money. Which then the attempt on their lives were made. They were never in witness protection. They were working a deal with the government. Go undercover and they wouldn’t be arrested for partaking in those shady deals themselves. They took the deal and ran. Feds lost them a long, long time ago. You were only supposed to be in foster care a few weeks. But when those dummies got money hungry…they seem to have forgotten they’re fugitives. Pretty interesting have people like that call me the manipulator huh?”
You parted your lips, holding up a hand. “Did they arrest them?”
“It was in process on the news when you came out,” he said as you stood and headed for the door.
“Oh, I want to see this.”
“Knock knock,” said your dad that evening as you lay in bed, ready for a full night’s sleep. “Need anything before we head out?”
“I’ll take a hug,” you said as you sat up. 
“Those I’m an expert on.” He walked over and sat on the edge of the mattress, giving a big squeezing one. “Get some rest. You had a long day.”
“So many phone calls. On the plus side my birth parents were arrested, the DA is looking into most of my old foster parents and you gained like a couple hundred thousand followers in like twelve hours. You can tell your PR team thank you.”
“She’s so modest and humble,” he teased, kissing your temple. “Tomorrow will be better. We’ll do breakfast burritos like a normal Sunday. How’s that sound?”
You hummed, closing your eyes. “Can you do one more thing before you go?”
“Shoot,” he said quietly.
“Can you go in my closet and get rid of the duffel bag with the files in it?” He leaned back, letting you lay back against your pillows. “I think it’s time for it to go. I don’t need it anymore.”
He smiled and stood up. “Okay then. Mind if I hang onto it?”
“Do as you please,” you said, closing your eyes. 
“You sure you don’t need these papers anymore?” he asked.
“I have my letters from you. That’s all I ever needed,” you said, shuffling the background. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, tall munchkin,” he said, tugging your blankets up. “You realize the studio wants us to make another movie together after this, don’t you?”
“It’s gotta be at a resort or no deal,” you said. He chuckled, quietly opening the door. “You can negotiate that right?”
“We’ll see,” he said. The room grew quiet for a beat before you heard his heavy exhale. “I’m really glad I managed to prove you wrong about trusting me. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to.”
“You’re annoyingly relentless like that,” you said, turning on your side, tucking your covers up. “Love you.”
“Love you back. Sleep tight, kiddo.”
__________
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sadieshairbrush · 1 month
Text
Stranger Things: Clementine
A/N: This is so scary to me as I’ve been working on this for a crazy long time! Unfortunately, I understand that a lot of people aren’t fans of Original characters but I just find the concept of it a lot more inclusive, and I can take more inclusive liberties with my character! No mentions of hair, skin, eye colour etc, just a name. As a Scottish girl imagining myself casually in Hawkins is strange and I usually find it better to envision myself playing a character I can become attached to. I love this character, and I hope she becomes as close to your heart and she is to mine. Steve slow burn.
Summary: Clementine Chase, a classic high school girl in Hawkins is suddenly faced with the mystery surrounding a missing boy.
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Chapter 1: The Vanishing of Will Byers
“Thanks again for helping me out here, Clementine. I really appreciate this.”
“I don’t mind,” I smiled, dragging a cloth over the surface of the kitchen counter. “Its all my mess anyways.”
Normally this mess was created while trying to entertain the group of 12 year olds I’ve babysat a couple of times but tonight, they were playing some nerdy board game the last ten hours. They’d begun this far before I’d arrived, so the mess tonight was my own.
I’d attempted to make the boys some sandwiches near 2PM. I’d been there for an hour and not once had any of the kids come up from the basement yet. Serves me right since I didn’t actually need to be there until it got dark.
It was around 6PM when Nancy had walked through the front door, more than surprised to see me. She’d froze half way through the door, and I looked at her with a daring smirk.
“Have fun today, Nancy?”
“Just… a little.”
I knew what that meant. Her tiny grin told me all I needed to know. Steve was in my circle of friends, after all. How could I not know what was going on behind the scenes?
The story had gone that Steve Harrington, King Steve had taken a shine to Perfect Nancy Wheeler. How long would it last, would everyone know if they were to go all the way?
It had been about two weeks. Everyone knew about it. Still, I wasn’t quite sure what the official story was. Is this a silly little thing or are they genuinely interested in one another?
I was only let in on this before the weekend, and had only decided to let my bitterness go so I had a ride to school tomorrow.
Seeing her come home while I was babysitting her brother wasn’t so awkard, not as awkward as it could be anyway. But I could always sense she wasn’t quite as relaxed as I’d like her to be around me. We didn’t generally run in the same circles, but who was I to care?
By 8PM when Mr and Mrs Wheeler came home with Holly, Nancy was clearing her snacks off the kitchen counter we’d been leaning against, unwilling to let her parents into the gossip we’d been sharing.
“I’m going to study before bed, so I’ll see you in school tomorrow, Clementine.”
“She’s got Kaminskys test,” I cleared up as Ted made a bee-line for the TV. Karen nodded, heading out to take Holly to her bed.
When she was back, I’d already had my coat on, clearing the mess I’d made with a damp rag.
The last time I was here ended the same.
Clearing up the days mess while Karen practically pried me away from the cloth with a, “you’ve done enough, I’ll handle the mess.”
Though I’ve not listened yet.
I smile cheekily as the kids loud voices upstairs as they yell tensely from the basement. I meet Karen’s eyes, and . “Those kids will be wanted home about now. I could walk them out before I overstay my welcome.”
She looked down at her own watch, noting the time. It was already reaching eight fifteen.
“Mike! …Mike!” She yelled, coming back to the kitchen area. She waits patiently with a hand on her hip, but the boys voices just get louder as they chat on top of one another.
“Mike!”
She walked towards the basement door, and swings it open without an other seconds thought.
And from there, I can just slightly hear Mikes voice over the others.
“Mom! We’re in the middle of a campaign!”
“You mean the end.” She taps her watch, meaningfully. “Fifteen after.”
Mike runs up the stairs, and catches my eye when he sees me, a look of confusion.
“How long have you been here?”
I could have choked on my own scoff. That basement is playing with his head.
“Uhh, all day? I made you guys your lunch? Ordered pizza and brought it down for you like an hour ago for dinner?”
He shook his head, probably an attempt to clear his already empty brain.
“Mom, just 20 more minutes!”
“It’s a school night, Michael, and I just put Holly to bed. You can finish next weekend.”
“That’ll ruin the flow–
“Michael–
“I’m serious, mom! It took two weeks to plan! How was I supposed to know it’d take ten hours?”
“Oh, no, it’s the end of the world as we know it!” I teased, ignoring his furious look.
“You can continue it later.”
Mike regards us with an ignorant look and rounds the corner to where Ted is attempting to watch the TV, which is still mostly static.
The storm from earlier on really had to have done a number on the electronics.
“Dad, don’t you think that–
“I think you should listen to your mother,” he interrupted, lazily, moving to hit the top of the TV. “Piece of junk…”
I bite back a laugh, and move to ring out the dish towel. I should have called Steve in advance. Though, I should count my blessings; I’d rather take the short walk down a few blocks than sit in a smoke filled car in the company of two of the biggest bullies I’ve ever known, Tommy and Carol, who would invite themselves along again.
“It was great to have you. But you don’t have to stay to clean up after we’re home, you know,” said Karen as I shrug my coat on.
“I know I don’t have to. I just feel a lot better about it. It’s a thousand times better than sitting in my dads house with no one to talk to or nothing to do,” I admit, matching Dustins wide grin as he approaches, pizza box in hand as the kids all fan out into the kitchen.
“Clementine! Want one?” He opens the box to show two decent sized slices of pizza left. “Was sausage and pepperoni your idea?”
“Sure was. And it looks amazing, but have you offered anything to Nancy?”
“I did, but she just shut the door in my face. There’s been something seriously wrong with her ever since she started dating that… douchebag, Steve.” He looked over his shoulder, making sure Mikes parents were out of ear shot, and once he was in the clear, he brought his voice back up. “Plus you’ve been stuck with us all day.”
“Yeah, he can be a douche,” I laugh, taking a slice from the box and taking a huge bite.
“She used to be cool...”
“She’s just a teenager. Trust me, I’d know,” I settled with a firm nod.
Teenagers can be mean to kids, but I’ve seen Nancy in school, as innocent as can be. Like a tiny, smart fish in a big, stupid pond.
We cut the conversation short when the rest of the boys begin to gather around with their jackets and bags, ready to turn in to their own beds.
“Alright, come on.” I nod them along and open the front door, and they race out towards their bikes. “Thanks for having me.”
“Thanks for watching the boys,” says Karen as I close the front door behind us.
It wasn’t the coldest of nights, but there were still small puffs of condensation with every exhale of the November night. I patted Mike on the shoulder as he stood to see all his friends off.
“Get home safe, guys, no detours,” I half-joked.
These kids were good, but they were still kids.
They waved me off as they picked up and adjusted their bikes, and I made my way back home, more than ready to turn in.
I savoured my nights at the Wheelers. Really, I did. Whether I was there to look after Mike (sometimes all his friends too), or just there for dinner as a thank you for doing so.
For my house was just empty.
I mean it was empty all the time. When I wasn’t home I was at Steve’s, but ever since he’d begun to pursue Nancy, I’d always wait until there was a group of us, just out of respect. Same went for calling him up in the morning or at night just to talk about whatever had been going on in life.
So, really my options this morning were to watch TV with breakfast until my ride came, or to rush breakfast and walk.
I sighed, turning off the waffle maker just in time for the phone to ring.
My father had already left, so I picked up the landline in the kitchen, and held the phone between my ear and shoulder as I put my breakfast together.
“Chase residence,” I sing-songed in practiced tones. “Dad has already left for the office, can I take a message for you?”
“Hi, Clementine.”
I quirked my brow the minute I heard the voice. Joyce Byers whose son I had watched over just last night. Except this morning she sounded particularly anxious. “Will didn’t stay with you and your dad last night, did he?”
Why on earth would we have a 12 year old stay the night without letting his mother know? “No… Joyce, he left with the boys last night. He lives pretty close to Dustin, I know they ride the same way. I could call his house?”
“I-I’ll call. Thank you. Really, I think he just left early for school…”
I certainly wasn’t convinced. But I let her go anyway, and continued my morning as normal, not thinking much of the call. I had my fair share of surprise sleepovers at Wills age.
I’d already switched off the TV and washed my dishes by the time I heard the BMWs beeping horn outside.
I rushed out, locking the door behind me.
Tommy, the infamous dick of Hawkins was already yelling out the window towards me, lit cigarette hanging from his lips.
“Move your ass, Clementine!”
“Tommy, put that shit out! I told you a million times that I’m not going to be hotboxed by your smoke.”
If I’ve said it once I’ve said it a thousand times, but it always came back to the same argument.
“Those are the rules,” Steve defended with a shrug as I slid into the back beside Carol who offered me a stick of gum. “She doesn’t like smoke, you can manage the length of a car ride.”
“So prudish, Clementine~”
Carol teased.
I rolled my eyes and adjusted my seatbelt with a huff. “What’s the point on spending some amount of money on perfume just to smell of cigarettes before I’m even in first period?”
“Like money’s an issue,” Carol continued.
Fine, it wasn’t. But I’d still like to smell like the Love’s Baby Soft perfume I’d paid for. “Whatever.”
“Your perfume’s way too sweet anyways. And you’re still alright for coming over tomorrow, right? My old man’s out of town on a conference, and…”
“Yeah, yeah. The beers are on me, don’t worry. I’ve got it covered, you dick.”
“See, you drink but you won’t smoke,” Tommy scoffed. “The hell’s that about?”
I could waste my time bickering or I could simply shut up. But that wouldn’t be fun in the slightest.
“If you want to get sick and die, do it on your own time. You already look sallow and sunken, just don’t inflict that on me.”
“I look what?” He shot back, neck strained to look back at me. “Say that again, Clementine.”
“Oh, I’m just teasing!”
“You know you just piss me off when you start this shit!” He was seething. Best way to piss a guy like him off was to bruise his ego, that much was clear. And not to brag but I had years of practice under my best. It had yet to get old.
“If you don’t like my teasing, why are you moaning so much?”
“Listen to me, you little bitch-“
“Hey!” Steve yelled. “Don’t talk to her like that, alright? How you’re still friends at all is beyond me. Just shut up, and enjoy the ride.” He switched on his radio where Michael Jackson instantly blasted, and suddenly the ride was somewhat enjoyable.
Our daily procedure for the past two weeks was for me to give Steve an out to meet with Nancy. Sometimes that involved guarding the girls bathroom by standing outside, making up excuses.
“I told you, it’s a mess in there! There’s literally a tapeworm climbing up the wall, I swear…”
And of course people knew I was guarding a hookup. Probably even that it was Steves, but everything I knew about Nancy Wheeler told me the last thing she’d want is to be walked in on making out with a boy against the wall of the ladies toilets, even if stories of their dating life was floating around the school.
The other two didn’t quite get it. They couldn’t understand why he’d waste all his time chasing after a complete square who probably doesn’t even put out.
I mean that’s all he’s usually after, and they’ve all been okay with it.
But Steve was a friend. I was just happy he was finally after a girl worth his time. Nancy was nice, smart, and it made for a pleasant change.
Steve has dated tonnes of girls. They never lasted, and he never cared. He was a man of pure sexuality. But something was different about Nancy Wheeler… I could tell.
I knew her well enough what with being at her house every month or so.
What do you think our topic of discussion last week when I was paid to appear twice?
It’s the reason she’d offer a small, secretive smile as she exits the bathroom, and i’d return it with a sly nod.
Just like any normal day.
A normal school day also includes suffering through Steve and Tommy playing basketball until they knackered themselves out. Though, the athletes they are, it took them a while every time, so we would always keep ourselves occupied on the bleachers. It was a routine, one that I was about to invite disruption to as I held open the doors to the gym.
Nancy walked with her books against her chest as she talks with her friend, an almost ethereal floating opposed to stepping as she heads for the buildings exit.
“Hey, Nancy, c’mere!” I yelled out before I stopped to think that I might startle her.
She freezes and finds my eyes, startled as expected. “Hurry! Coming, Barb?”
Barbara was a tall girl. She towered above the rest of us, but she was hardly given a second of notice. I hadn’t paid much attention to her myself until Nancy took this position in the group. At the call of her name she looks shocked. It’s not that I didn’t usually try to involve Barbara, she’s Nancys best friend after all, and since Nancy was invited into the social group it only made sense to include Barbara too.
Except Nancy had always been popular in the subtle kind of way. Her trademarks were being pretty, smart and kind, and everyone wants that even if girls like Carol gave her a hard time. They liked her anyways, at least a little.
“Hurry where?” Nancy gave an unsure smile, still standing what felt like a mile away.
“To watch your boyfriend play basketball, duh!” I teased, pushing the door open as the pair approached. “You can sit with us, we’ll go out to Bennys after?”
The two turn to each other, but whatever Barbara was trying to get across to Nancy wasn’t delivered to me. Nancy then turns to me with an enthused smile.
“Sure! Sounds fun.”
With a grin, I lead them to our spot on the bleachers, trying to stay aware of how different these two were to the girls who watch us approach with weary looks on their faces.
“Are you lost?” Sneers Becky with a cruel laugh. As if I’m unaware that I had two girls trailing behind me.
Carol turns to push her, playfully. “She’s our friend!”
I motion for the pair to sit wherever they felt comfortable, and they sat a little far for my liking, huddled together as though I wouldn’t have their back if someone were to be snide.
“Yeah, be nice, you dick. You know Nancy, Steve’s girlfriend.”
“Girlfriend?” Nancy spoke wearily, but she went ignored. It wasn’t my intention to push her, but Steve generally rolled that way, and I saw it as an inevitability.
“Oh, Nancy! I heard about that. Must be really different for you, huh?” Becky started.
She was one of three of Steve’s exes that were currently present. None of them truly seemed to mind when the boy moved on. They all had their turns and they all had their shot in the limelight.
Nancy doesn’t seem to understand the workings of this, appearing more shy than usual, eying the tonnes of magazines, packets of gum and cigarettes splayed across the bleachers.
“She’s doing fine,” I said, picking up the Just Seventeen magazine that caught my eye. “Did you catch this? It only launched for the first time last month, look at its first issue!”
I tilted the magazine towards Nancy and Barb, pointing out the ad for Tri-Ac.
“I’m breaking in on my chin something nightmarish, but they say Madonna uses it.”
“No!” Said Nancy, kindly, analysing my face. “No, I don’t see anything.”
“It’s because she’s wearing so much makeup,” Laurie spoke up.
I rolled my eyes, unable to deny this fact.
“Shut up, Laurie,” Carol sighed. “Barb, you’d look so cute in these!” She yelled, pointing out the latest male fashion trends down the side of one page. “It shouldn’t be too far out of your comfort zone.”
I turn to look at the girl in question. She looks at a loss of what to say, and Nancy is no better.
“Go polish your reebok, Carol,” I remarked.
“Go, Steve!” Becky whistled, watching his bare chest rise and fall as he sweats, actually drawing our attention to the game we barely paid much attention to anyways.
“Put that shirt back on!” I yelled.
The game went on for another painful hour, and by the time they were done my stomach had begun to growl.
After a short-lived argument over who won, the boys hopped into the (well needed) showers, and we left.
“I’m going to get the biggest burger you’ve ever seen, I could eat a horse,” I groaned, mouth watering at the very thought.
Bennys hadn’t been much of a tradition, but rather a routine. Steve had made a point that it’d only been him, myself, Carol, Tommy and Nancy. And Barbara as I’d gently remind him. He thought that inviting the likes of the other girls in the group would be disrespectful, and I clapped his back for it.
Usually though, we’d have brought as many of our friends that we could fit over two booths. I think I prefer what we’ve had going in lately if I’m honest.
As we walked towards the parking lot, ready to pile into Steve’s car, Nancys voice cut through all the jeering.
“Hey, you know, my mom will be wanting me home around now. She puts a dinner out every night and-“
“You’re not coming?” Steve interrupts, stalking close towards her.
He ducks his head so his face is closer, and brings his voice down. “Come on, we won’t be there long, promise.”
She looked rather awkward, eyes on Steve’s hand that rested on her arm.
“I shouldn’t.”
“It’s fine, they can join us another time!” Carol smiled, voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Yeah, for now, I think we’ll survive without them,” Tommy adds.
“Not sure that I will,” I muttered. Though I know it’s best that the pair go home. Why should they make themselves uncomfortable? Plus, Carol and Tommy weren’t exactly solid company. “Guys, it’s fine. Seriously, we have plenty of time to hang out. Go on home,” I told.
Nancy watched me, unsure at first, then she looks back to Steve.
“I’m sorry.”
He nods, then pulls her in for a kiss. It was soft, tender.
I wasn’t too sure where they stood, whether they were meant to be a secret or not. This little moment between them cleared that up for me, and I smirked to myself.
Nancy appeared to feel the same, a shocked grin she tried to hide.
“Want us to puke? Come on, Romeo!”
Tommy blanched.
“Shut up, stupid. Let’s go, lover boy,” I butted in just as Nancys embarrassed gaze fell to the ground of the parking lot. “See you guys tomorrow.”
“Wait,” Steve interrupts, pulling Nancys stare back to him with his hands evidently magnetic eyes. “I’ll still see you later tonight, won’t I? Alone?”
I note Barbara’s shocked expression.
Clearly, Nancy didn’t let her in on this little plan. We, on the other hand, heard about their little meet up as soon as we were in Steve’s company.
“Yeah,” she smiled. “To study.”
I truly didn’t know Nancy well enough to understand whether she meant this or not. Knowing Steve, even if she did mean this, he might just try and sway her to do a little more than studying.
“To study,” I echo with a nod. “Let’s move it!”
And with reluctance, the pair were able to part ways.
We could have still had fun at Bennys like we normally did. But my mind slipped into somewhere I hadn’t expected. Something I didn’t remember until about halfway through taking my seat next to Carol.
“We should invite Nancy to yours tomorrow, right?” I asked, still rationing the contents of my burger around the table. Benny once reminded me I could order it without the pickle or the onion but why waste food when I could feed annoying teenage boys?
Steve perks up with a huge sigh of relief.
“Yes, Clementine. Absolutely, we should! And you know why?”
“So you can have sex and find out if she has a vagina?” Tommy remarked, earning a chuckle from Carol followed by an obnoxious wink.
“What, it’s weird for a girl who’s barely 16 to be a virgin now?” Steve challenged, flinging the spare pickles into his burger. “Not everyone’s been banging since they were 12.”
“I know that, douche bag,” Tommy retorts, an embarrassed flush on his cheeks. I’ve come to learn that he’s rather proud of his sex life. So it’s easy to figure that his shamefaced defensiveness was more about Steve shutting him down. “I’m just saying every other girl has at least kissed someone. She’s not kissed anyone besides you. Either she’s a wasteland or… just a tease.”
I shudder annoyingly at the slow grin that pulls at his lips, turning to Carol.
“How do you let him near you with that mouth?”
“That’s for me to know,” she laughs, sending him a wink across the table.
“You guys are disgusting.”
“Okay, little miss perfect. Lost your touch or something? When was the last time you even had a boyfriend?” Carol jabs, eyeing me up with a playful malice.
“Can’t lose your touch if you’ve never been in the game,” I countered, having never actually had a boyfriend. I crossed my arms feeling pleased with myself and hopeful that Carol would be off my back as suddenly as she was on it.
“You dated Reed!”
Steve started, suddenly on me too.
“Yeah, for like two weeks! He wasn’t my boyfriend,” I squeaked. Although being that intimate with someone in the same group wouldn’t be too strange. I mean just look at Steve and his exes.
“But you got with him at my party.”
“You had sex on Carols bed, didn’t you?” Steve smirked.
“Oh, my God!” I groaned, gripping my hair dramatically. “That was Kieran, and there was no bed sex!”
“Nah, come on now, that was actually pretty bad.” Steve attempted to come to my aid, waving off the others as if he didn’t bring it up. “Don’t you remember what he did?”
“No, wait, shut up. I thought you guys dated for a while,” Carol drawled in thought.
“Oh my God!” Tommy laughs so loud that it startles Carol. “That was all fake, to made Kieran jealous. No one told you?”
“No!”
I’d have felt guiltier, but I couldn’t hold back the bubbling giggles even with a hand pressed against my mouth. All this time, and my best friend thought I’d had a whole relationship that never existed.
“Why do you think we’re still friends after he ‘dumped me’ for Laurie? Thanks for that, by the way,” I jabbed, still a little bitter about the situation.
I was so close, he was back in my clutches. But Steve just had to see what Laurie had to offer instead of helping a friend in need. Not only did he not help like he promised, but now it looks like I was dumped for another girl, and that I’m still friends with the dude who did it.
It’s hard to see the situation in a negative light now after all this time. Especially since I lost interest in Kieran a whole while ago.
“I can’t believe you never knew!” Tommy guffawed, shaking Carols arm to tease her. Her face remained stony, showing no interest in making this a laughing matter.
“Well, no one told me!”
“Whatever,” he shrugs with a mouth full of food. “We’ve been here ages, it’s getting dark soon.”
Steve stuffed the last of his fries into his already full mouth.
With a united murmuring (Carols being a little too sharp) we begin to clear our table, all of us picking up the shakes we’d left aside to bring home, a habit we shared between us due to the distraction we caused each other.
Except when we piled into Steve’s car that night, everything was suddenly far from normal, and we hadn’t had a clue.
I was driven home, said goodbye to my friends, and walked into to a quiet house.
Only my dad was there, worrying his hands at his place on the couch. That was until he saw me at the door. He was on his feet in a flash, bee lining his way towards me.
He still wore his dress trousers and a smart purple shirt.
His brief case had been abandoned by the coffee table.
“Dad? Shouldn’t you be at work still?”
I wracked my brain, trying to make sense of his presence, checking my watch, making sure I had the date right.
“Clementine! I came home as soon as I heard, I just wanted to make sure you got home safe, and when I saw you weren’t here, I got worried.”
I’d never seen him in such distress. I’d kept my gaze on him as I dumped my school bag on the floor. “We got some milkshakes after school… but, dad, what are you talking about? You came home as soon as you heard what?”
He froze for a second, his gaze suddenly sympathetic. “I thought you would have heard by now? The Byers kid… he’s missing.”
And just like that, my heart wrenched.
I watched him the night before, he went home alone, and his mother called me only just this morning.
“Missing? He can’t be missing, dad. He didn’t just stay at Dustins?”
I don’t know why it was hard to believe. I’d just never heard of someone I knew disappearing before. Will was always quiet, very rarely said a word to me besides a Please or a Thank you. But I knew him, I knew that little boy.
“Afraid not, sweetie. Nobody knows what’s happened quite yet, but until we do, you’ve to get a lift to school and back, alright, and no detours. Straight home, no adventures, no outings, no grabbing milkshakes.”
“Yeah, yeah, okay, fine,” I nodded.
Tomorrow he’d be back to work the hours he usually was, and wouldn’t care less where I was as long as I was with friends. But I wouldn’t risk bringing it up now.
“That’s my girl. What do you say we put two nice mugs of hot chocolate on? I’m sure we can figure it out.” He whisks himself away to the kitchen and I just blink to myself.
“Yeah! Yeah, should be fun…”
Steve calls the house just as the cops settle into the livingroom that night. They’d come by to question me under my father’s watch.
They waited patiently as I promised I’d be off the phone in two seconds, taking the call in the hallway where they could see me incase I raised any suspicions.
“What do you want?” I said flatly.
I could practically see Steve as he scoffed, hand pulling away from his hair he was probably fixing in the mirror.
“Nice to talk to you too, Jesus.”
“Sorry, but seriously, what do you want?”
He exhaled loudly on the other side of the phone, voice becoming whiny.
“Nancy called. She says she’s under house arrest ‘cause of that missing kid.”
I turn to look over my shoulder towards the room my dad kept the cops company. But I couldn’t bring myself to tell Steve that they were here. Though I wasn’t worried. He didn’t even care enough to ask why I was basically whispering.
“Okay? What do you want me to do?”
“Convince me to do something stupid? I want to see her.”
Shit, that’s sweet.
I screw my eyes shut, knowing I’m about to give some stupid advice, just like he knows I will. I could be more stupid about it, so let’s cut me a break.
“Then see her. You’re not new to sneaking into bedrooms,” I shrugged, as if he could see me doing it. “Just don’t make her uncomfortable.”
“Why would I make her uncomfortable?”
He sounds offended, but he’s now heard exactly what he wanted to hear,
“If she wasn’t planning to have sex with you in the first place tonight, being in her personal space and trying to screw her is even worse.”
“I know, I know! Kaminskys test is coming up for her, I’ll help her study.”
The smile in his voice made my heart flutter. It’s like reading a romantic novel. But I know if I tell him how amazing it is to see him learning about what’s going on in Nancys life he’d take the huff and hang up the phone.
“You’re the devil, Steve Harrington,” I sigh.
“You’re the best, Clementine Chase!”
Then the dial tone.
It takes a good hour to let the cops know everything that went on that night. And then I found I was just repeating myself over and over again.
“I told you everything I know, already.”
It stands to reason I’d be questioned a little more intensely since I was one of the last to see Will. It was all unwinding just a little too quickly for me, and I felt as though I could never settle. Just a few hours ago I was enjoying shakes with my friends, laughing and making jokes about anything and everything.
Now here I was being interrogated in my own living room.
“We just want to make sure you’re not missing anything,” spoke the cop with the moustache. “You were one of the last to see him.”
I sighed, and the other, slightly more competent cop cut in. “I know it’s a little frustrating Miss. Chase. We’d just like to make sure we’ve not missed anything. Did he ever show signs of being unhappy? He fit in okay?”
I stopped to think for a second, feeling the pressure of the two looking down at me from my place on the couch.
Will was the quietest of Mikes friends, mostly timid.
“He’s really close to Mike Wheeler. He looks out for him since his friends are… you know, they always kinda picked on him.”
“They pick on him?” The second cop took to writing in his notes.
“I guess. They’re great kids but the Byers boy is sort of the runt. They kinda comment of his shoes, mimic things he says… he’s a little more… sensitive, you know?”
Thinking back on every interaction with Will, he was definitely the peewee, laughed at and teased. He wasn’t like the other boys. But what these cops were getting at wasn’t sitting right with me.
“But he’d never run away. He trusts them, his family loves him. When it comes down to it, they all have his back.”
He considers this for a moment, eventually nods and closes his note pad.
He folds his arms with a deep breath.
“We haven’t come to a near conclusion yet. Let us know if you remember anything else. Thank you, sir,” he says, nodding towards my dad who stands up to lead the pair out the door.
They need to find that boy in one piece.
He was just so small, a mouse among cats. He’d barely ever spoken a word to me, just always a polite smile, and an excited nod to whatever story the boys were telling me that night.
How could this all happen so fast? I thought, head buried in my hands as my dads weight sank into the couch beside me.
I felt his hand on my back. He was unsure how to break the silence, that much was for sure.
I lift my head to look at him, and he stills, waiting.
“I really hope he’s alive, dad.”
He leans over, planting a kiss on my forehead, grunting when the phone rings again. “If that’s one of your friends, tell them to make it quick. You’re in no headspace to be gossiping.”
I nod, knowing full well I wouldn’t be able to bring myself to chat away as if I wasn’t feeling sick to my stomach anyways.
I pick the phone up, not bothering to take the call in the hallway for privacy. Prepared to hear Carol, maybe even Tina or Steve, I froze at Mike Wheelers voice on the other end.
“What do you think happened to Will?”
What the hell is going on on this night?
I risk a glance at my dad to find he’s watching me with worry.
“I’m-“
“Did anything weird happen when you watched him ride off?”
“Umm, no.” I stand up, and walk a little further from my dad’s listening ears. “I’m sorry, I don’t know anything.”
“Meet us in ten.”
“What? Where?”
I should have asked why. Said no. Convinced him not to go anywhere. Why didn’t I?
“Mirkwood”
“What the hell is that?”
“Where Cornwallis meets Kerley!” He stressed, quickly. “Just meet us there!”
“No! Are you stupid?” I argued, not bothering to control my voice in front of my dad.
Who knows what’s out there right now.
“We’re going with or without you, Clementine. So suit yourself.”
Then that was it. He’d slammed the phone down, and left me helpless.
I turned to my dad, weighing my options.
I could tell him, then he’d involve the police and intervene with the kids plans to endanger themselves. Or I could accompany them myself, and have them still like me by the end of it.
I know what I should do.
Why don’t I tell him?
Because I’m feeling stupidly loyal to the group of boys who probably just want someone to talk to after hearing about their best friend disappearing.
“What on earth was that about?”
I don’t move for a long moment, blinking stupidly.
“Just Tommy! Carols birthday is coming up and his gift ideas are just shocking. But It’s his problem, so I’m gunna turn in.”
I yawn loudly and stretch a little more dramatically than I should have, hoping that would be enough
Luckily for me, I was allowed to make it upstairs without him following behind me.
What the hell was I doing?
I pushed all my thoughts from my head as I shrugged on my closest corduroy coat.
This is crazy, Clementine!
I cuss myself out when I open bedroom window, all too familiar. Except tonight I wasn’t climbing out to talk to a boy, or go to a party, or stay at Carols. Tonight I was meeting a bunch of kids in hopes they wouldn’t get themselves lost when I really should be telling someone about the whole situation.
But all they want is to feel like they’re doing something to help find Will…
“Oh, hell.”
By the time I reach the location they’d asked to meet at, all of them had arrived, bikes in tow. The tree line was covered with police tape. I felt my stomach drop as all four kids turned at my approach.
“What’s this all about?” I asked, arms folded lowly on my chest. “You know it’s a bad idea to be out here.”
“Exactly, yet Will is stumbling around here somewhere.”
Jesus Christ. As harsh as it is, there’s not a lot of land in Hawkins. It’s incredibly difficult to try and imagine that he’s not so far away right now.
With a sigh, I lean in close to Mike.
“So you think this is the answer? What if-“
What if he’s not out there? What if he was kidnapped?
But I couldn’t bring myself to say that to them. Mike blinks back, eyes doe-like and innocent. Mismatched with his occasional bite.
“What if nothing, Clementine. All I know is that we have to find him.”
“He’s a vital part of the party!” Lucas chipped in. I half expected Dustin to join, but he hadn’t made a peep. “We can’t let him down.”
“He’d do it for any one of us,” Mike finished.
“But if you don’t want to come, you don’t have to.”
He’s challenging me, I know it.
I hold his gaze, narrowing my eyes. If he’s bluffing about going ahead without me, his expression doesn’t betray him.
“What makes you think I won’t just go to your parents? Or the cops?”
“You’d have done it already!” Told Lucas, waving an arm to make his point.
“And you want to help Will nearly as much as we do.”
Except that’s not the reason. The best way to help Will is by letting the police do their jobs. The real reason is that I just can’t bring myself to let them down.
“Ugh, fine!” I groan, pushing myself to stand upright. “But only this one time. And that goes for all of you.”
Without a nod of confirmation from Mike he turns on his flash light, paying no heed to the on-going storm.
Dustin, on the other hand, speaks for the first time since I arrived.
“Hey, guys. You feel that?”
His head is tilted towards the sky, and he’s soon wiping his cheeks. Sure enough, it’s begun to spit with rain. The last couple of nights had all been the same. So I let myself wonder how I could be stupid enough to have worn a jacket with no hood.
“I think maybe we should go back.”
“No.” Mike told, a demanding tone to his voice. “We’re not going back. Just stay close. Come on!” Then two two were off, leaving Dustin and I behind, staring at the treeline.
I look towards Dustin, who looks nearly frozen in fear.
“Stay on channel six,” Mike instructs. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
“This whole thing is stupid, Mike.” Making a last attempt to appeal, I eventually follow behind the pair, scared they’d wander a little too far away from my sight. When Dustin doesn’t take a step forward, I catch his eyes over my shoulder. “Come on, Dustin, stay close.”
And he scurries forward, dropping his bike among the rest. Then he ducks under the police tape, jogging to catch up.
God in Heaven above, we’re in so much trouble. No, I’m in so much trouble. I’m the oldest, I’m supposed to be the responsible one. But here I am, trailing along as the kids put themselves in harms way.
“You know there’s always time to turn back, don’t you? We could wait ‘til morning,” I tried, looking straight at Mike knowing he’ll answer for everyone.
He usually does.
“He could be hurt by morning!”
Mike marched ahead, flashlight shone in every direction.
I couldn’t argue. If he was safe, which I doubt, leaving it any longer would only increase the chances of him running into danger. Again, I didn’t voice these thoughts. it’s not like they’re stupid, they know as much as I do the possibilities deriving from Wills disappearance.
“And what am i supposed to do if someone jumps out from behind a tree and attacks one of you?” The scenario runs over and over in my head as the rain begins to fall heavier.
A masked kidnapper scooping one of the kids up, a crazed murderer chasing me away.
The heavier the rain became, the less sure I knew what I was hearing around me. The snap of every twig, the kicking of every rock under the kids feet, any of it could be danger in disguise.
I swallowed down the lump in my throat, speaking to Dustin between the shouting of Wills name.
“This is bad, you know. This could go so wrong, so fast.”
But instead of a reply from Dustin, I’m with with a dangerous glare from over Mikes shoulder.
He yells out for Will whose name echoes ominously around us.
“Byers!”
“I’ve got your X-men 134!” Dustin called out, letting out a shaky breath. “Guys, I really think we should turn back.”
Me and him both.
“Seriously, Dustin! You wanna be a baby, then go home already!” Lucas argues, and I don’t like the sound of it.
“Hey, no! If we’re doing something this stupid we’re staying together. We’re not sending each other off alone,” I warned.
“So no one leaves!”
This kid! Their will is greater than mine. I have no choice.
“I’m just trying to be realistic, Lucas!”
“No. You’re just being a big sissy!”
“Shut up!” I yelled above the pair. “I’ve been trying not to scare you, but have you got any idea what are you could be in these woods? And you’re attracting all this attention.”
“Case. In. Point.” Dustin continued, flashlight now beaming from tree to tree. “Did you ever think Will went missing because he ran into something bad?”
Like a bear, or a kidnapper or a murderer. Or a Martian.
“And now we’re following in those footsteps,” I agreed. “With only me to protect your asses!”
“Clementine, shut up!”
I look at Mike with wide eyes. “Wow!”
“Shut up, shut up…” he says now more softly.
He’s listening for something. “Do you guys hear that?”
I freeze, heart suddenly in my throat.
What are the chances it was Will Byers scuttling through the trees towards us, to safety?
The rustling is from our left!
Then our right!
And every flashlight in the group is being shone is every direction with every shake of every leaf.
But then it’s just a little too loud, and a little too close.
Four flashlights illuminate a person, and for a millisecond, I was scared.
But this wasn’t a threat.
This was a kid.
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maislovebot · 1 year
Text
Top 10 bsd characters oral scenarios: Doppo Kunikida
Hello! I’m so sorry I didn’t post it when I said I would but my parents surprised me with a trip to Yellowstone and I didn’t have service! I’m back now tho and I’m ready to roll with some porn<3
Contains: afab reader, no pronouns used, reader teased Kuni, dom-ish Kunikida, fluff and smut, Kuni has a huge lingerie kink, praise (giving and receiving), aftercare + cuddling
Read it on ao3 if you’re interested:)
“Doppo” you whined, stretching out the end of his name.
“Yes?”
“Why don’t we go on a date or something?”
Kunikida has been focusing on work far too much lately. Ever since the Guild got destroyed, he’s been so focused on keeping everything in order, he’s been forgetting about you! You just couldn’t allow that, and you were determined to get him to just forget about work for a few hours, and focus on you. Or better yet, focus on himself, because he’s clearly been neglecting himself.
“Maybe once everything has passed, but you know that I have to keep working.”
“But you’re off the clock! You’re just working for the sake of working at this point.”
Kunikida sighed, “I would hardly call it that.”
You frowned. Were you really just distracting him from his work? Maybe working is what’s best for him right now.
“Alright, fine. Let me know when you’re done with your work so we can do something.” You were trying your hardest to keep your annoyance out of your tone, but you just couldn’t help it. He just wouldn’t leave his work alone! Even if at this point you assumed it’s what he wanted, it sure felt like torture for you.
Kunikida, being the man he is, noticed your tone of voice and turned to you.
“Alright, fine. Let’s plan for a date tomorrow. Right after I get off of work, we can go somewhere.”
“Yes! Where do you wanna go?”
“Wherever you want.”
You sighed. “Well that doesn’t help! This dates for you, after all.” Kunikida’s face became a slight shade of pink at your confession. “Alright. How about somewhere like a park? We could just go there for a little. I think going outside would do me some good right now.” Kunikida was trying to stay calm, but he was clearly very, very ready for this date with the way his foot tapped against the floor lightly.
“The park sounds nice! I can bring us something to eat, too.”
Kunikida gave a surprisingly warm smile and replied, “that sounds nice.”
Today is the day! You thought. It was now two hours from when Kunikida would leave work, so you decided to start getting the food ready. All kinds of things were packed, but it was all stuff you made yourself. You knew Kunikida would feel more appreciated if you made the food yourself.
You hummed in the kitchen faintly, clearly very excited for what was to come.
It was now half an hour before you left, luckily, you were already dressed under your apron. You untied your apron from behind your back, and hung it up where you typically do. You went into your bedroom to grab your wallet before leaving when you noticed a special something on your nightstand.
‘ ah, I forgot about that. ’ What lay before you was new lingerie you bought because you saw it at the mall recently and you couldn’t bring yourself to go without it, it was just so fitting of you. It fit your body perfectly, brought undeniable confidence and you just knew how much Kunikida was gonna love it.
‘ It wouldn’t hurt to wear it.. what’s the worst that could happen? ’ You thought to yourself. Quickly undressing, you replaced your underwear with the lingerie and got dressed again. ‘ I hope he notices it at some point. ’ Considering how long you two had gone without getting it on, you were desperate for some action.
Luckily, you still left a little early, despite putting on some pretty lingerie and needing to get dressed all over again. Considering who you were going out with, it was probably a good idea to be early instead of on time.
You arrived, and you were met with an exceptionally early Kunikida. “Damn, I was hoping I’d get here before you!” You playfully pushed his shoulder with your pointer finger to tease him.
“You probably would have if I didn’t have extra time at work today.”
“How was work, by the way?”
Kunikida sighed and closed his eyes tight and rubbed his temples after sitting down on the bench next to him.
“Dazai was teasing me the entire time. He somehow knew I was planning something after work and wouldn’t leave me alone about it trying to guess what it was.”
You laughed and responded, “well, did he figure it out?”
“Yes. Then he went on and on about how he’s surprised I was able to meet someone who actually fit my ‘standards’”
“That’s funny though!”
Kunikida looked at you doubtfully as you sat down. “Not when you have to deal with it every day of the week.”
“I guess it could get a little annoying.”
There was a part of you that wanted to tell Kunikida what you were wearing underneath your clothes, but there was another part of you that wanted to wait till you got home so you wouldn’t have to deal with a scolding from Kunikida for trying to have sex with him in public, so you decided to keep it a secret for the entirety of the date, no matter how disappointing it was.
You looked around for a minute, looking at the trees surrounding you two, and the well maintained grass that was just below your feet, the warm sun hitting your skin.
“Well.. how did I meet your many, many requirements?”
“You don’t.”
The typical person would probably be offended by this response, but you knew Kunikida too well. He was blunt, and sometimes it came across as rude. But you knew better than that, this is just how he is, but you love him for it.
“Oh. Well then, why’d you pick me?”
“I fell for you too hard to let you go,” Kunikida replied, not realizing how lovestruck his confession sounded till a couple of seconds after it left his mouth. “..or something like that.” Kunikida finished his reply with his cheeks turning pink again, this time more vibrantly.
“How cute! I love you so much, Doppo.” You said as you gently wrapped your arms around him, in order to reach him better you moved onto his lap and he sat still for a few seconds before moving his arms to wrap around you as well.
“I love you, too.” His reply was short and sweet, just like always.
You two sat like that for a few seconds, before moving your head out of his chest.
“Well, I brought some snacks. I even brought your favorite!” You spoke, breaking the silence.
“Thank you, my love.”
You blushed at the nickname. Kunikida rarely called you by anything other than your name, so whenever he didn’t it never failed to make you feel weak in the knees.
Kunikida noticed this and placed his hand in your hair, almost petting you. His form of comfort came across as very wholesome, and gentle despite his nature. It was sweet.
Your date went wonderfully, and you two left with a satisfied appetite and mood. Kunikida lifted his wrist to check what time it was.
“9:30.”
“Ah, so we have half an hour before you go to sleep.”
“Yes. Let’s go get ready.”
You sighed. “You and your schedules.”
“I need a strict schedule!”
You lifted your arms to defend yourself. “I know, I know! It’s just funny. Go do your thing.”
Kunikida lifted an eyebrow, and walked off. Little did he know what you had planned.
Kunikida arrived in his bathroom and laid some mint flavored toothpaste on top of his toothbrush before he looked over and saw you, changed into your pajamas. He assumed you were just coming in to brush your teeth as well, which would be correct. What caught him off guard, however, was the fact he could see a lacy bra strap peeking out from the neckline pajamas you were wearing.
You, being who you are, noticed this and made a sly facial expression despite having a toothbrush occupying your mouth at that moment. Despite Kunikida arriving to brush his teeth before you, you had finished first. Probably because he was staring at what he (rightfully) assumed to be lingerie. Because you were done, you laid your head on Kunikida and closed your eyes.
“Well, I’ll see you in the bedroom.” You said, with the smallest amount of flirtatious undertones. Kunikida grabbed your shoulder when you were in the door frame and asked you a question rather bluntly.
“What’re you wearing?”
You smiled and replied, “oh, this? It’s just some lingerie I bought recently. Brand new, too! Wanna take a peek?” The glisten in your eyes had practically trapped him. Sure, it was off schedule, he liked being asleep by ten every night because he knew it would be beneficial, but it wouldn’t hurt to indulge you just this once, right? You looked so genuinely excited, and he just couldn’t bring himself to say no.
“Of course I do.”
“Well then meet me in the bedroom!” You teased, stretching out the last word of your sentence. As you were leaving, you stretched upwards, allowing Kunikida to see the bottom of the lacy bra he was practically drooling over.
“We can go there together.” Kunikida said, wanting you out of your clothes as soon as possible. The tone of his voice was proving it.
“Just let me finish brushing my teeth, I’m almost done.” You smiled. “Okay, I’ll wait here then.” You leaned against the doorframe and looked at Kunikida.
Only a few seconds later, he finished so he grabbed your shoulders and walked you over to the nearest wall.
He looked at the top you were wearing, and reached to grab the sides of your shirt. “This is fine, right?”
“I thought you’d never ask! Of course it is.” You smiled and placed your knee between his legs, and he trembled lightly.
Almost frantically, Kunikida was taking off your shirt, making sure to caress the sides of your waist in the process. He brought his hands down to your hips and grabbed the waistband of your bottoms hesitantly.
“Are you okay?” You asked, tilting your head.
“Yeah—of course.”
You looked like you didn’t believe him, and that would be right. “No, really, what’s wrong? Do you not like the lingerie? I can take it off if you want.”
His eyes widened, and he shook his head rather violently.
“No! Definitely not.. it looks stunning on you. I just feel—well, a little bad.”
“For what?” You asked, eyes beginning to show concern. You lifted your arms up from the wall and placed them on Kunikida’s face, rubbing small circles.
“I’ve just been neglecting you lately.” He looked directly into your eyes, and all he could see was the way your eyes began to soften out of pity.
“It’s fine. I get it, work is stressful, the Guilds gone, but their effects still remain. You’re trying to make up for that. It’s respectable.”
Kunikida’s eyes widened just a little before he shut them.
“Well, how about I make it up to you?”
“Now that’s more like it!”
Kunikida chuckled and returned to what he was doing. He moved your bottoms down your hips, then down your thighs, and lastly, he let go and they fell to your ankles. In order to get out of your clothes, you stepped out of the pants.
Almost as soon as you did, Kunikida grabbed you by the waist and pulled you into his arms, carrying you to your guys’ shared bedroom.
“That lingerie looks amazing. Mind if I admire it for a little longer?”
“No. Please, look for as long as you want.” You replied as you laid on your joint bed.
“I paid a pretty penny for them. Bring them to good use!”
“I promise.” Kunikida looked down as he said it, and he was eying your crotch.
“Do you mind if I taste you?”
You took a few seconds to respond.
“Huh?”
Kunikida blinked,
“Can I eat you out?”
“No—I heard you, it’s just, you’re straightforward, but even you have limits. I’m just shocked you asked so easily.”
Kunikida moved himself down until he was by your knees, and silently lifted your knees over his shoulders, before finally replying.
“You look so amazing in that, I can’t bring myself to wait. I needed to be straightforward because I need to have you against my mouth. Please?”
His confession was sweet, being dirty at the same time. It caught you off guard, but you’d be lying if you said you didn’t want this just as much as he did.
“Yes. Go ahead, you’re gonna do great.”
A small mumble was said, before he licked at you through the panties you were wearing. It caught you completely off guard—you were expecting him to take your underwear off before going down on you, but that was too much effort apparently. He wanted to eat you out as soon as possible, so he didn’t want to waste time on taking off your underwear, you presumed.
The feeling of the lace rubbing against your clit, and his tongue making the fabric wet felt shockingly nice, and you mewled out almost immediately. Especially because the underwear wasn’t completely covering you, and was honestly more lace than it was cotton.
The friction made you carry your hand down and run your fingers through his hair, making the ponytail that was already loose from such a long day completely undone, and the rubber band fell next to Kunikida’s head. Because he was licking at your clit so tentatively, his hair quickly fell to the sides of his head and framed his face in a beautiful way.
The way his hair fell around his face didn’t change his pace at all, he was still frantic, still licking at you like a man starved. In a way, he was. You two hadn’t had sex in a few weeks, and now that he was finally torn away from his work, he was realizing how bad it had gotten. Almost as if he wanted you more dependent on him, he lifted himself up slightly so you were now laying at a small diagonal, your head against the bed, and your legs up and over his shoulders, and as a way to stabilize yourself, you linked your ankles together atop his back.
“Wha-what’re you do—agh!” You were cut off yet again by your own cry as Kunikida lifted his fingers to pull your panties to the side to completely expose you, and dove his head between your thighs yet again, sucking on your clit feverishly, using his right hand to grab your thigh and hold it in place, pulling your underwear to the side with his left.
“God..I love you, Doppo—fuck—please, I’m so c-close..”
Kunikida parted himself from your pussy and gave you his first demand.
“Say that again.”
Realizing what he wanted, you gave in and began to beg him. You just needed to come. You didn’t care how shameful you looked—you needed his hand pulling your underwear to the side as he suckled your clit with no remorse.
Despite planning to talk, Kunikida ran out of patience and gave a small kitten lick straight to your clit so you’d stop thinking about what to say and just say it, the less ordered it sounded, the hotter it was to him, in all honesty.
“A-ah! I love you, Doppo. I love the way you grab my thighs when you’re eating me out, I love the—ah!”
You were cut off from his tongue going inside of your hole, and him tongue fucking you. You were quickly given an albeit, muffled demand.
“Keep going.”
You obeyed, and nodded as fast as you could, grinding against his tongue as it moved around your walls slowly.
“I love how you fuck me with your tongue, how you make me so desperate I grind against your face—I love it all. You’re amazing, you drive me crazy—plea-ah! P-please.. keep going.. make me c-cum on your tongue!”
Kunikida couldn’t bring himself to say no to that confession, so he put more pressure on your clit again, causing him to remove his tongue from your hole.
You let out one last, loud, scarily loud moan, and came on Kunikida’s face.
“G-god.. Kunikida I haven’t come that hard in god knows how long. You really know how to get me going.” You said, chest heaving heavily as Kunikida slowly moved himself out of your thighs and next to you, caressing your hair and laying down next to you.
“Thank you.”
You laughed loudly, and turned your head over to him. “You’re so cute.” You brought your finger to trace shapes on his chest before moving your hand up to run your fingers through his hair.
“Your hair looks nice like this.”
“What do you mean?”
You looked at him with a dumb smile.
“I mean disheveled. It’s a nice reminder of what you were doing to me just a few seconds ago.”
Kunikida blushed, hard this time, and brought his hand down to rub your upper thigh gently. “Are you alright? I didn’t do too much did I?”
“No, not at all! Quite the opposite, actually,” you paused then looked down. “Don’t you want some relief? I can feel you against my thigh.”
Kunikida turned his head away quickly and became even more red.
“It’s fine.. I better get to bed. We can go at it tomorrow morning though. I’m going to be losing all constraint from holding back all night, so be prepared.”
You looked at him, slightly worried. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. It’s already late.”
“Fine.. I’ll be waiting~”
You turned away and Kunikida pulled you close, making your back press against his chest. He decided to use this opportunity to take off your lingerie, there’s a no way that was comfortable to wear to bed. First, he unclipped the back of the bra, then he gently pulled it off your shoulders.
When he moved his hand down to pull your panties off, he accidentally brushed against one of your folds and you trembled because of it. As a way to console you for accidentally touching you when you were recovering, Kunikida gave the back of your neck a feather light kiss.
“You did amazing.. I love you.” Kunikida finally reciprocated your love confession from earlier, and all you could let out was a small hum before falling asleep.
Next chapter will be out tomorrow:) expect some Ryu naughtiness
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Can I request a very fluff one shot for your young tony au? First day/night with their newborn precious babies 😍 it's my dream raising babies with him
The First Night
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PAIRING | Boyfriend!Young!Tony Stark x Girlfriend!Female!Reader
WORD COUNT | 2.8K
SUMMARY | After a difficult and prolonged labor and delivery, you're happy to finally spend time with your babies and boyfriend. The first night in the hospital and day at home is a lot, but with all the support around the four of you, you can get through it all.
WARNING(S) | This is your official trigger warning. Do not proceed if any of these topics upset you. Implied smut, mentions of breastfeeding, lots of hormones, and crying.
A/N | Thank you for this adorable request, Nonnie! This is one of the fluffiest pieces I have written to this day! I had a blast writing it, and I hope you will enjoy what I did with this 🖤
Likes, comments and reblogs will be very much appreciated 💚
Divider is made by @silkholland | 18+ banner made by yours truly
Main Masterlist | Tony Stark Masterlist | AU Masterlist
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The birth of your twins hasn't been easy, and it had to be the most grueling 24 hours you've ever witnessed, but seeing both beautiful faces is worth every second of pain and tears.
Tony has been by your side for 24 hours, except for a few small breaks now and again, but he has the most loving and supporting boyfriend you could have asked for.
During your entire pregnancy, he doted on you every chance he got, getting you everything your heart desired and more. From lots of foot rubs when the twins got so big, your feet were hurting constantly to soothing every need you could have in the bedroom.
He has been there every step of the way, and you would not have it any other way. They may not have been planned, but Hudson and Orion are already a precious part of your family.
''Aren't they amazing? I still find it hard to believe I grew these two little Munchkins in my belly for the last 8.5 months,'' you say as you adjust Orion's little pink baby hat she's wearing, and she yawns before falling asleep again.
''You'd better believe it, I saw them come out of you,'' Tony jokes, and you chuckle, feeling extremely tired.
''Can you put her down for me? I need to sleep some more,'' you say directly, followed by a yawn of your own, and Tony can't help but laugh at the fact that Orion did the same thing less than a few minutes ago.
''Of course, Sunshine,'' he says as he puts Hudson in his little bed after adjusting his blue hat, and he keeps on sleeping as Tony picks up little Orion from your arms and puts her next to her brother.
Both his parents and your Mom have gone to a nearby hotel to be close to the four of you, but for now, you could rest up and let your body relax before going home tomorrow, your first day home with the little bundles of joy.
As soon as the twins are in their beds, a nurse comes to check up on them both, and they're still doing good, so you get the all-clear to sleep for a while, and they will wake you when it's feeding time.
''Did you want me to get you a bed as well for some sleep?'' the nurse asks Tony, and after confirming he'd like that, she's getting an extra bed. There's more than enough room for it, and he wants to be near his family the entire time.
''Get some more sleep, Sunshine; the nurse will wake you when it's time to feed them,'' Tony says as he sits on the edge of the bed, and you can't stop a few tears from escaping.
''Hey, what's wrong?'' he asks softly, which worsens it, thanks to the hormones raging through your body from the pregnancy and labor.
''N-nothing, it's s-stupid,'' you sob softly, though you're smiling through your tears. You're feeling happy, proud, and incredibly overwhelmed simultaneously, and the love Tony shows only makes it worse.
''Nothing's ever stupid if it has you crying, Sunshine. Can you tell me what's going on so I can make you feel better?'' he says as he grabs your face, rubbing your cheeks softly with his thumbs.
''I-I'm just o-overwhelmed,'' you hiccup. ''With t-the babies and a-all the l-love, it's a-a lot.''
You close your eyes and let the tears flow, feeling better now that you've told him what's on your mind.
''Oh, my sweet, sweet Sunshine. I know I can't even begin to comprehend what must be going through your mind and body after everything you've endured for the last 30 hours…'' Tony says as he places his forehead against yours.
''… But I need you to know that whatever's going on, I will never judge you for it because you're doing an amazing job as a Mom. You've kept them safe for 8.5 months; now it's our job to keep them safe. You're not going through this alone, and we also have the help of our parents, remember?'' he asks, and you nod.
''We can do this, Sunshine. And you deserve every ounce of love everyone gives you because you're the most amazing person I have ever met. Hudson and Orion have the best Mom they could have ever gotten, and I'm glad they chose you to be their Mommy,'' he says, and besides the tears that won't stop, you're sporting the biggest smile.
''I love you,'' you say as you capture Tony in a big hug, only interrupted by the nurse wheeling his bed into the room. It may not be as fancy or high-tech as your hospital bed, but Tony is okay with it as long as he's with all three of you.
After a few more soft kisses and reassurance, you've calmed down and fallen into a light slumber to replenish some of the energy drained out of your body for hours on end.
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Tony is sitting on his bed reading his book as Orion wakes up and writhing a little beside her brother.
''Hey Babygirl,'' he coos at her as he's gotten up, holding her in his arms as she's waking up a little, probably hungry. This is the perfect timing because the nurse was just about to check on you to see if you're ready to feed them.
''Ms. Y/L/N?'' the nurse says as she softly wakes you up, and with a snort, you wake up, making Tony smile as you're trying to figure out where you are.
''I-I'm sorry,'' you say as you wipe your eyes, and you suddenly feel the urge to pee, so you tell the nurse, and she helps you get to the bathroom and change your post-labor padding. You're still bleeding, but the doctor assured you that's normal.
When you're done and seated on the bed, Tony hands you your daughter, and after cooing at her for a minute, she starts to get fussy, and the nurse explains she's most likely ravenous after a few hours of sleep.
''This will be your first time breastfeeding, so I'll be by your side every step of the way,'' she assures you, and the kind look in her eyes, and the reassuring smile make you feel at ease around her.
You open your gown, and Tony can't help but look at your breasts, which are much bigger than usual due to the milk stored in them, and he can never get enough of them.
''Stop staring, creep,'' you joke, and Tony quickly looks away as a deep crimson creeps over his entire face and down his neck, at which you can't help but laugh.
''S-sorry, I-I-I'll get... something,'' he says before rushing out of the room and leaving you to breastfeed in peace.
''I'm sorry for him; he just has a bit of a thing for my boobs,'' you sigh, and the nurse smiles.
''No worries, I've seen worse. And he's not the first Dad to react like this,'' she says, which makes you feel a little better, and before you know it, Orion has latched on and is drinking happily.
''So, how long have you two been together?'' the nurse asks as she supervises you to breastfeed your daughter, only adjusting your hold on her once since the rest comes naturally.
''We've been together for about a year and a half, actually; these two Munchkins were conceived during a night of drunk passion, so to speak,'' you sigh as you think back to that night.
''But in all honesty? I wouldn't have changed it for the world. Not only do I love my kids with all my heart, I love him too, and I can see myself growing old with him. Though our first order of business is graduating, since we're only a few weeks away from our college graduation,'' you tell the nurse, but what you don't know is that Tony is standing on the other side of the door, listening to you speaking about him and your life.
''Oh wow! What degree will you get?
''We're both getting our Bachelor's Degree in Dramatic Acting,'' you say with a big smile, even though you already know you're not using it.
''Tony is planning to put it to good use and become an actor, but as soon as I found out I was pregnant, I decided to go a different route after grad- Ouch!'' you exclaim suddenly when Orion is suckling too hard on your nipple.
''Someone's very hungry, apparently!'' the nurse says, but Orion immediately lets go again, and you sigh a sigh of relief when she does because they're very sensitive.
''As I said, I plan to take a different route after graduation and look for a stable job where I can still take care of the kids when Tony's away. I love acting with every fiber of my being, but these two will always come first,'' you tell the nurse, and she nods in understanding.
After this, Orion is full, and the nurse takes her from you to burp her so that you can relax a little again; during the next feeding, she'll let you burp them as well, but right now, you can enjoy the moment.
Tony was standing with his back against the wall outside the room, and he slowly slid down to have you two have your moment together. He didn't want to interrupt your heart-to-heart with the nurse, knowing you needed to talk to someone else for a change.
Next up is Hudson, who just woke up after Orion was put down, and it was the perfect moment, too, though he had a bit more difficulty latching on than his sister did.
After a few minutes, you let out a sigh of relief when he finally manages to find your nipple and latch on, eagerly drinking from your nipple.
You and the nurse kept talking for the entire duration of Hudson drinking and burping, and when he was in his bed again, Tony walked back in, greeting you with a small kiss on your lips that left you smiling like a lovesick idiot.
''I'll come back later, Y/N; you can rest some more, and when you need me, please don't hesitate to use the button on your right, okay?'' after you nod, you talk to Tony a bit before you both get some sleep, just like your babies, and every few hours the nurse wakes you for another feeding.
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The following day could not come fast enough, and before you know it, you're discharged from the hospital with your two miracles. Tony's Dad, Howard, is picking the four of you up from the hospital while Maria and your Mom, Virginia, are getting the house ready.
You won't stay in your dorms for the first few weeks. Everything has already been moved from both of them, and you'll stay with his parents for a little while.
What you could not have known, however, is that Maria and Virginia are planning a small lunch for all seven of you. They have been working the entire morning to bake fresh bread, croissants, and other things, get the freshest fruits and spreads for the bread, and other items for brunch.
The table is beautifully decorated with a blue and pink tablecloth, and there's a small present for each of the babies, a blue and pink teddy bear for each of them, with their names stitched onto one of the paws.
When both Hudson and Orion are buckled into their carriers, you say one last thank you to all the nurses working, and after some previous goodbyes, you both take one of the babies with you as you follow Howard to the car.
The drive to Howard and Maria's house is pretty long, so you have to stop at a roadside diner to feed them - and yourselves - before finishing the ride home, which would be another two hours.
As soon as you've found a booth, you slide in with Orion, feeding her first, and as you drape a big towel over her to shield other customers from staring at you breastfeeding, a waitress walks over to all three of you.
''Welcome to The Family Diner! Can I get you started with some coffee on this wonderful morning?'' she asks in a cheery voice. Howard and Tony order a cup of coffee alongside an omelet, and you opt for a cup of tea and a cinnamon roll, something you've been craving for weeks.
Your order is with you very soon since it's relatively quiet in the diner, and the waitress takes some time to coo at Hudson, who's happily lying in his carrier right now.
''He's so gorgeous! And I bet his sibling is just as beautiful as he is,'' she says, and you nod with a big smile, and Tony shows her a picture of the two of them together.
''Ah, he has a little sister?! That's adorable! Well, I wish you all the best with your two wonderful babies,'' she says to you and Tony before walking off to take another customer's order.
Not long after, Orion is done, and she's quickly replaced with Hudson, who latches on effortlessly to your other nipple and who's about as hungry as his sister was not too long ago.
''God, it's a miracle how much these two can drink; I instantly feel 5 pounds lighter when they're done,'' you sigh as you sip your tea, followed by a much-needed bite of your cinnamon bun, with extra glaze on top.
When Hudson's finished, Tony and Howard are as well, and you give both your children a much-needed diaper change before heading back to the car and ending the drive.
About 30 minutes in, you've fallen asleep, just like the twins, and you're all getting some much-needed rest until you've arrived at Howard and Maria's house.
''Sunshine,'' Tony says as he nudges you awake, and you jolt forward, but you're stopped by the seatbelt cutting into your chest and neck as you do so, sitting back with a grimace.
''I'm sorry; I didn't mean to hurt you!'' Tony says as he unbuckles the seatbelt and helps you feel better with kisses, which always works. It's like he has some very magic kisses.
''Is okay, just don't do it again,'' you say before climbing out of the car. Howard already brought the twins inside, just like all of your stuff, and they're now being cared for by both your Moms.
''Are you ready to have some lunch?'' Tony asks as he guides you into the dining room, and the moment your eyes focus on the table, tears are threatening to spill again as you see all the blue and pink everywhere, but you haven't seen the bears yet.
''Please, take a seat, Sunshine,'' Tony says, and you gladly do, looking at the arrangement of bread, fruits, spreads, and other things on the table. The emotions are becoming too much, and you start sobbing loudly, Tony crouching beside you instantly to soothe you.
''What's wrong? Did we do too much, or not enough?'' he asks, worry visible on his face.
''No, i-it's perfect!'' you say as you wipe the tears from your face, taking everything in, and that's when you finally spot the teddy bears at the end of the table.
You guys didn't!'' you say before getting up and grabbing the bears, clutching them to your chest as you started sobbing uncontrollably, all the emotions that have been building up for days finally coming out.
''C'mere Sunshine, you're okay, you're doing perfectly right now. It's okay, let it all out,'' Tony says as he pulls you into his arms, his big hands rubbing soothing circles over your back as sobs wreak havoc in your body right now, tiring you completely.
When the sobs have died down, Tony slowly takes the bears from your hands and puts them on the table before grabbing your face and looking deep into your still-wet eyes.
''I think you need to lay down and properly rest for a few hours. Mom, Dad, and Virginia can take care of the twins for now, and you and I can cuddle for a while; how does that sound?'' he asks, and you nod.
''Alright, Sunshine, c'mon up,'' he says before picking you up bridal style, but you're too tired even to acknowledge it, and after a few understanding nods from the parents, he walks upstairs and to his bedroom.
He lays you down on the bed because you've already fallen asleep with complete exhaustion taking over, and he climbs in on his side of the bed, pulling you towards himself under the comforter, and the two of you take a well-deserved nap.
The rest of the day is spent either sleeping, feeding the babies, or taking things slow, and you're very thankful to have the help of all three of your parents right now because one thing is for sure: you would not have known what to do if it had just been the two of you.
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Fixing Problems 💋 | Rhett Abbott Imagine | Outer Range x Yellowstone crossover
Takes place sometime after the events of S1 of Outer Range and S4 of Yellowstone around 2023 hypothetically
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Link to my Masterlists (might make a Rhett Abbott one in the future)
Characters & Pairings: Rhett Abbott x Lana Dutton!OC (romance), The Abbott family & the Dutton family, Maria Olivares (past romance w/ Rhett ), Lloyd Pierce (platonic), Rip Wheeler (platonic).
Content warnings: profanity, light angst, fluff, mentions of violence and death. Implied smut at the end | female OC (she/her) | wc: 4k
Premise: Rhett Abbott was a man of an unwanted reputation in his hometown of Wabang, Wyoming. None were surprised by the fact he found himself back in the town he longed to escape following his breakup with Maria. But then a few months later Rhett was no where to be seen after his family took a trip out of town and returned without him. Now he’s back for a short time to settle some things and low an behold, Maria is back too. When she tries to mend things with the cowboys she’s in for quite the shock that Rhett Abbott is no longer a man on the market—and what makes it more shocking is his woman hails from the family of the country’s largest land owners.
Note: So fair warning, I have not seen the entirety of Outer Range but for some reason have been reading a lot of Rhett fanfiction and have a gist of it. But I am a big fan of Yellowstone and S5 drops tomorrow. I had this idea but was like ‘maybe I should wait,’ but I don’t want the thought to slip now that it’s fresh in my mind. So for this Lana was born on New Year’s Day of 1997 since Evelyn Dutton died in March of 1997 so she never knew her mother unlike her four siblings. Also although S5 isn’t fully out, we know from the trailer that John wins governor of Montana.
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“Hi, Rhett.” God that was not the voice he wanted to hear on this sunny Saturday morning in Wabang. Rhett Abbott had awoken with a smile on his face and giddiness in his chest at what the day had in store for him….but seeing Maria again for the first time in two years was not what he expected.
Or wanted at all for that matter.
Closing his eyes as if to pray it wasn’t Maria behind him, Rhett checked his phone for the time and a message he was expecting before preparing himself to face the woman who left his heart in pieces. When he finally does face her, Rhett remains stoic, “Hello, Maria.” There is nothing warm in his greeting, which is evident in the frown that takes over her expression. But what the fuck would she expect? He left his home for her and returned no less than a few months later on his parents porch with a bag and tear stained eyes.
If Maria thought he’d be happy to see her after all this then she was off her rocker.
Rhett had moved on and was in a place he never thought he would be. Happy. Content. Looking forward to the future.
He was not gonna let her take that away from him.
Or even let her think she could have a chance.
“How are you?” She offered a small smile, hoping to lighten the mood. But Rhett wasn’t having it.
“Fine.” She waited for him to return the question, but when he didn’t Maria shuffled on her feet, adjusting the purse on her shoulder, “I heard you were back in town. Was asking ‘round and they said you’ve been gone.”
“Yeah,” he nods, checking his phone again. “I’ve been in Montana the past year and half.” That surprises the woman, eyes widening slightly. She didn’t know what—or better yet who—was in Montana, but there was an obvious difference in how Rhett carried himself. It was completely different from how he was when they reconnected and surely when he returned back.
“Oh,” was all she could say. “That’s amazing uh—I guess.”
“It was,” his voice takes another edge, almost in a longing way. Maria glanced him over, feeling a tightness to her chest—almost like she realized there was something—someone—hidden between his words.
“Well, I was hoping to get a chance to run into you.”
“Well you did,” Rhett’s tone indicated he wasn’t happy with the fact. He leaned against the brick of the building he was standing in front of. It had been a busy day for Rhett to do some last minute things before he was set to head out the next morning. He found himself outside of the pharmacy having just got off the phone with Cecilia when Maria stopped him as he was exiting the store. “So what’d you want?”
Maria bit her lip, remembering how his eyes would flicker to her mouth whenever she did, but Rhett never faltered his gaze. It threw her off for a moment but she quickly recovered, “I wanted to talk to you…about us.”
Rhett made a face, looking away briefly, “Us? What’s there to talk ‘bout, Maria. That ship sailed long ago.” His tone was cold, but again Rhett did not care. There was nothing that Maria could do or say to change his mind. She could pout all she wanted, give him puppy eyes or pour her heart out to him, but it would be to no avail.
Rhett Abbott had found his solace. And it was not with her.
Moving to walk in the opposite direction toward his truck, Maria stopped him before he could even take a full step, “Wait, Rhett! Please,” she put a hand on his arm, but frowned again when he shook her off. “Look, I’m sorry for what happened between us. I-I know I said some things, and I regret it—I would take it all back if I can.” The expression on her face was one of pleading, hoping to get through to him. “Maybe we can work something out. Fix things—.”
“No,” the word flew from his lips, ignoring the way Maria faltered back, surprise coating her expression. “That’s not gonna happen, Maria.”
“But, Rhett—.” The sound of his phone ringing cut her off. Rhett removed the device, turning away as the smile overtook when he read the name, “Hey.”
“You sound relieved. More so than when you get out of pushing cattle. What did I save you from this time, Rhett Abbott.”
“Oh, just you know,” he glances over his shoulder, noticing how Maria has her arms crossed over her chest and disappointed their conversation was cut short. “Runnin’ into some old friends.” He turned away before he could see her reaction to the offense of calling her an ‘old friend.’ His voice goes lower to prevent Maria from hearing, “and this one was the last person I wanted to see on what was supposed to be a good fucking day.”
“I see,” he could just picture her smirk on the other end of the line that paired with the chuckle she let out. “Well, lucky for you, cowboy, I just passed the town's limits. Send me your location. I’ll be there very soon. And just for the hell of it, keep her there—I’d like to say hello.” Rhett didn’t know how she managed to put it together Maria was who he was referring to, but then again surprising him was her second nature.
“You sure about that?”
“Oh, darlin’, you should know by now that I never second guess a decision once it’s been made.”
They said their goodbyes with Rhett sending off his location before locking the device and putting it back in his pocket. When he faced Maria again, she was displeased and tried to not show it but failed. “Who was that?”
Rhett kept his face neutral, “someone.” If there was anything about the woman on the other end of the phone, it was that she loved her entrances. And there was no way Rhett was going to deprive her of one—especially when it was her first one to Wabang. Part of him looked forward to the look on Maria’s face for when that moment came. Not to mention those around them. Ever since he returned to Wabang there have been whispers about him. The usual gossip, but mostly wanting to know what the hell he had been up to in Montana after his family took a visit and he never returned.
“Someone?” She repeated, eyebrows narrowing in suspicion. The possibility of Rhett having someone was not what Maria planned for when she sought him out that day. It was to her knowledge when she asked around he was single or possibly hooking up with the usual buckle bunny. Not many could give her a straight answer since he’d been gone. They really had no fucking clue of what had become of Rhett Abbott.
Rhett gave a curt nod, “That’s right.”
Maria wasn’t having it, “is this someone special to you?”
“Look, Maria. I’m just gonna lay it flat with you,” he glances away at the sight of a familiar black Ram truck turning the corner. Behind it was a dark tinted SUV. As it proceeded down the street, Rhett spotted the giant yellow ‘Y’ on the truck’s side. “I’m engaged.”
“Engaged?” She exclaimed, as though she could not believe it. When the fuck did that happen and why did no one in town know? It had to be a lie to get her to back off him. The thought made a slight anger rise in her that Rhett would say something so serious as his way to reject her. Narrowing her eyes and spitting a tone that was almost mocking, Maria failed to notice the truck pulling up to a stop behind her, “To who?”
His eyes were looking past her, smirk taking form, “to her.”
When Maria spun around on her she froze at the sight of the black Ram with bright yellow lettering spelling ‘Yellowstone Dutton Ranch’ around a large ‘Y’ in the center of the side door. The back windows were tinted preventing anyone from seeing inside, but Maria didn’t have to wait long because the door was opening and a foot clad in a shiny nude heel was stepping out.
It was almost like when you watch a show and only get a small portion of the person the camera is panning its way to before they fully emerge. In this case, the second heel—which Maria was able to notice the eye-catching red bottom beneath it—followed the first before the body and face they belonged to was visible to her eyes.
She wore a light tan dress that ended right above her knees and accentuated her curves paired with a matching coat hanging over her shoulders and brown gloves on her hands. The dress had a neckline that cut beneath her collarbones, allowing the layered gold necklaces to bounce off the light around her. Brown hair with warm tone highlights was pulled back into a slick bun save for a few strands to frame her face, which stood out with the bright red lipstick coating her lips and the pair of cat-eye like sunglasses covering her eyes. Tucked behind one of her ears was a cigarrete.
She was beautiful. Like a model who just stepped off a runway and Maria instantly felt a wave of envy course through her. Several people passing by even stopped to get a glance at the woman, making no hidden attempt to hide their jealousy or attraction. Some of the older men traveling on the sidewalk had done a double take when they saw the name of the ranch on the truck.
And Rhett? He was biting his lip so hard to hide his grin that he was afraid it would start bleeding. And when he let his eyes travel over her figure, a low whistle sounded under his breath, the man praying his cock would not react because the last thing he wanted was a hard on in the middle of broad daylight.
Maria heard his reaction, turning back to see the awestruck expression which gave away everything he was feeling in that moment. It made her upset—remembering when he would look at her that way. Now it was directed toward this mystery woman. His fiancé. It fueled her jealousy more.
“Hey there, cowboy,” her voice was smooth like honey. Flirty and playful. Maria knew that tone—she’s used it on plenty of men. She’s used it on Rhett.
“Hey yourself,” he greeted, watching her step onto the sidewalk before shutting the door behind her. Maria had stepped back a bit as the woman strutted toward them, the bottom of the coat brushing against her knees. The sound of her Louboutin’s clicking against the pavement echoed before she came to a stop in front of Rhett. As much as he wanted to bring her into his arms with a kiss, Rhett settled for a soft peck on the corner of her mouth to not mess up her lipstick.
Both were obvious to the strained look of the woman to the side, who’s jealousy was so visible one could probably sniff it from a mile away.
“How was the drive?”
She took her gloves off first—aware of Maria’s eyes on her left hand which held a diamond ring—, placing them in the pocket of her coat before removing the sunglasses, “As bearable as it can be with those two idiots.” The gesture of her head had Rhett glancing to the truck she arrived in. In the front he spotted Lloyd in the passenger seat with Rip behind the wheel. The window was up, but he could make out their wave to him and returned it with a small smile. With a chuckle he turns back to his fiancé, “I’m sure it wasn’t too bad, baby.”
Her brow raised in a playful glare, “Maybe I’ll drive your truck back by myself tomorrow and you can take up camp with them. See how long you last.”
Rhett laughs—the sound sending a dagger to Maria’s heart—pulling her to his side, “I’m sorry you had to endure that.” She makes a ‘hmmph,’ which only makes him grin. “What’s with the SUV?”
She scoffed lightly, “I told them not to come, but when your father is the governor of Montana, the protection detail is a given. Whether I like it or not.” Maria visibly reacted to the revelation that not only was Rhett engaged….but his fiancé was the daughter of Montana’s governor.
Now she remembered where she recognized the name on the truck. John Dutton had recently been elected the previous year during turmoil with his family's ranch and Market Equities.
Maria watched as the woman, whose name she had yet to know, removed the cigarette behind her ear before placing it between her lips. Instead of lighting it herself, Rhett pulled out a lighter and did it for her. The two kept eye contact the entire time which felt like Maria was intruding on an intimate moment.
The—not so settle—sound of Maria clearing her throat broke up the happy reunion. While Rhett was annoyed, she found it amusing, turning her attention to Maria. With the glasses removed Maria was able to get a good look at her face. From afar she was beautiful, but up close she was captivating.
Blue green eyes stared back at Maria, framed by neatly groomed full brows that matched the color of her hair and a thin line of eyeliner winged out. Other than the eyeliner and lipstick, it appeared she wasn’t wearing any other makeup—something many would be envious of. And though there was a good sized scar on her left cheekbone—as was two on her chest forming an odd shape—it did not take away from her beauty. In fact it made her look more intimidating.
Rhett broke the silence, “Maria, this is Lana. Lana Dutton.” Lana, who was now looking Maria up and down, gave a smile. But it wasn’t friendly which had Maria raise her defenses. “Darlin’, this is—.”
“I know who she is,” Lana gently cut Rhett off, blowing smoke out as she did. “So nice to put a face to a name.” In that moment Marie felt a sense of pride, nearly smirking at the fact that she was still a topic of his life. But it soon deflated when Lana said, “oh don’t look too happy, Maria. I can smell heartbreak on a man from a mile away and when Rhett landed in Yellowstone he reeked of it. Not to mention he was drunk off his ass and well, you know what they say, ‘Loose lips sink ships.’” Maria’s smirk turned into a frown, Lana taking another inhale of smoke.
“But that was a long time ago,” Lana spoke again, “you sure did a number on him, but thankfully Rhett realized his worth.” The couple met each other’s gaze, Rhett conveying a mix of emotions at the woman who captured his heart.
Neither paid attention to the shame Maria was showing. The dark haired woman was having trouble finding the right words to say. What Lana said cut into her, which only made her angry. Quickly she tried to think of a way to divert the attention away from her, “I doubt drowning himself in booze and fucking any piece of ass had him realize that.”
She expected a flash of anger from Lana, which Rhett certainly gave at the insult, but to Maria’s surprise, Lana simply laughed in what could best be described as, ‘you done fucked up now.’ Maria tightened her jaw, taking a step back when the brunette pulled away from Rhett to move toward her. This time when Lana took a drag of the cigarette, she let the smoke waf in Maria’s face—the smell nearly making her gag.
Lana’s expression was cold, unwavering as she spoke, “Is that your way of trying to get me to see Rhett in a different light? To judge him based on the decisions he used to make—which were a direct result of how he felt the world viewed him? Don’t think I don’t know what girls like you do. You sought him out from the moment you heard he was back in town—hoping to slither your way back into his life as though you weren’t the reason for y’all’s breakup two years ago.”
“You don’t know anything,” Maria hissed, glaring at Lana as the anger swelled. With the heels Lana was wearing it made her about an inch or so taller than Maria and with them being so close the scar on her face was more pronounced.
“Please,” came a scoff, “I know everything. I see how you hold yourself. How you let your eyes drift to him only to be disappointed that his eyes are on me. I see how you’re comin’ up with ways to challenge me—as though you have a chance to remove me from the picture, but Imma let you in on a little secret,” Lana falls into a whisper as she leans closer causing Maria to stiffen. People around them pitted glances as they walked past, trying not to eavesdrop but Lana was smarter. What she was about to say was for Maria’s ears only.
Lana’s lips curled up, “You see this scar on my face?” It was a rhetorical question, but nonetheless Maria nodded. Behind her, Rhett muttered a low, “darlin’,” in warning. Though it turned him on immensely by what he was witnessing from his fiancé, he didn’t want her jeopardizing herself. They weren’t in Darby, Montana anymore. Anything she said here could have consequences.
But Lana was relentless. If someone was threatening her, she threatened back ten fold. And she was gonna make sure they knew to never mess with Lana Dutton again. Unfortunately for Maria, it was her time to learn the lesson.
Eyes locked on Maria, voice so low Maria had to strain her ears to hear, the dark brunette was sent to chills by what the Dutton had in store for her. It made her throat constrict for air seemed impossible to breathe.
“The man who gave me it is currently rotting at the bottom of a cliff after I blew a hole through his head with a shotgun. Because where I come from, we take matters into our own hands when people become problems. So take my advice when I warn you, Maria, don’t become my problem.”
The fear on Maria’s face almost had Rhett feel sympathetic, “Lana…”
“And if you question the truth of my words,” Lana’s head gestures to Rhett, “You can ask him. He was there to witness it.” With that, both out of fear and curiosity, Maria glances at Rhett. Part of her was praying Lana was bluffing in an attempt to scare her, but the look Rhett gave her was enough proof she was in fact telling the truth.
Alarms bells were ringing in her head—telling her to get the fuck out of there and pretend like she didn’t just hear a confession to murder. From the governor of Montana’s daughter for that matter. And Rhett was engaged to her? If she had the balls to kill someone in cold blood, what did that say about her family?
Have they killed before?
The anxiety filled Maria’s veins as she let out a shaky breath, unsure of what to do. Lana’s gaze was becoming too much for her and from what Maria gathered it was to get a point across. ‘Tell anyone what I told you, and I’ll come for you.’
Lana brings her cigarette up, taking the final drag before throwing it to the pavement and stepping on the bud. Not once did her eyes leave Maria’s. “I would warn you to keep this between us. If rumors start to spread about Rhett Abbott’s fiancé…I’ll know who the source is.” Stepping away, Lana bids a nod, “It was a pleasure meeting you, Maria. Hope we never have to cross paths again. For your sake.”
Taking his hand, Lana pulls Rhett away to where his truck was parked beside the curb a few cars down. Maria was left frozen, her face pale by the final threat Lana had given— which unbeknownst to her had the two men in the truck chuckling. “What I would give to hear what Lana just said. Poor girl looks like she’s seen a ghost,” Lloyd mused, watching the couple walk up the sidewalk. Rip put the car in drive, prepping to follow them, “Whatever it was, she won’t be a problem. Bitch wouldn’t be stupid enough to if she were smart.”
When Rhett and Lana made it to his truck, her back was immediately pushed against it as Rhett’s lips crashed onto hers. His rough hands cradled her face, Lana smiling against his lips which were sure going to be stained from her lipstick. There was an immediate pressure against her abdomen from his groin. Obviously her little stunt was well received.
When they pulled away, Lana was amused by some of the looks they were receiving from around them. “You,” he breathed out, mouth closed to hers, “are somethin’ else. You know that?”
Lana bit her lip with a cheeky look in response, as if to say, “I know.” She brought her left hand up to his cheek, stoking the soft skin with her thumb. “Had to make a statement. Can’t let some has been try to throw me off my rocker, cowboy.”
He lets out a laugh, arms going to loosely wrap around her waist. “That why you dressed like this? I ain’t used to ya dolling up like this but—,” he trails off to check her out, loving what he was seeing. “I could definitely get used to it.” Normally Lana wore a tank top that made her tits look like heaven and tore up jeans with her boots and leather jacket. As the youngest Dutton, she worked on the ranch as a hand and—like the others who wore the brand—did dirty work when it was called for.
The man she told Maria was just one of the many Lana had sent to the train station.
Only after John was elected governor did she get involved in politics and the business side of her family’s ranch. The media was always lurking, trying to get a glimpse of John Dutton’s youngest daughter who was more like his personal bodyguard. It became a constant annoyance for her. Avoiding reports soon became a second nature for Lana and the times she and Rhett went out they had to keep things professional for the sake of image. It was her father who encouraged her to try getting involved in other things now that he was more of a public figure than just the man who owned the country's largest ranch.
Answering Rhett’s question, Lana gave a shrug, “Just thought I should make it clear to the people of Wabang that Rhett Abbott is off the market and—not to toot my own horn—but she has style and is surely what they would call ‘a catch.’”
“Damn right she is,” he murmured, tipping his hat back a bit to pull her into another kiss. “We sure gonna be the talk of the town tonight.”
“Good. That was the plan.” Lana places one last kiss before playfully pushing him away and hopping into his tuck. “Now let’s get the fuck out of here, cowboy. Lloyd and Rip know to get started on packing your shit while you and I make up for the lost time these past couple weeks.”
Rhett didn’t hide his grin, feeling the tightness in his jeans increase. Boy was he in for the ride of his life when he fell in love with Lana Dutton. “Yes ma’am.”
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I see your neck post and I raise you:
Steve gets drunk one night, like, hammered, because he's missing Nancy and m! Reader (I'm so sorry for adding on to the male reader requests-) and Eddie are there with Robin. Reader has somewhat similar hair to Nancy so Steve is clinging to him so reader tells Robin to get his boyfriend Eddie.
Eddie is just 🧍 "bro what- no. Mine." Super possessive so he gets all bitey on the reader in front of Steve.
Maybe some smut? That's completely up to you.
Stay safe and take care of yourself! I hope you have a wonderful day or evening!
Request is referirng to this post--because NECK. And whoops this got so sad. I'm sorry! Let me know if this isn't what you had in mind.
Requests have resumed. You can submit yours here!
Currently writing for Eddie Munson. I write for a variety of reader inserts (male, female, gender neutral, readers of color too).
The more details you had to your request, the better it is for me. EX: “What about some fluff for Eddie after he’s had a long day?”
Feel free to look through my masterlist here!
Eddie Munson x Male Reader.
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You lift your head as the shrill of the phone echoes around you. Eddie gives your shoulder another tug--the TV holds a gorey red hue that paints the walls of the trailer. You laugh at Eddie's insistent hold. "What if it's the plant?" you question softly as the phone continues to ring.
It'd been a couple weeks since you and Eddie have been able to properly hang out. Your job had you working nights and you didn't get off until nearly 1 sometimes 2 in the morning. The timing always sort of fell apart for one reason or another. Until now. You had two days off--on a weekend no less-- and Eddie had asked you to spend the night.
It was easy to say yes to his request. Eddie had gone to Family Video to stock up on movies and you agreed to cover the snacks. So you understand why Eddie is pouting as he pushes up from the couch. He undoubtedly did not want anything to interrupt the evening, but at the mention that it could be about his uncle, Eddie pushes up and answers the phone.
You pause the film, watching Eddie nod into the receiver. "Yeah he's here with me. You okay, Buckley?"
You perk up at the mention of Robin. She and you were friends--forged by fire and Math class. Robin clocked you the second you walked into that algebra class. You took in the writing on her Chuck Taylors and knew too. It wasn't that it was obvious but it was more like signals. If you were looking for your people, even the smallest hint was something to cling to and also be terrified off.
But that year--your junior, her sophomore--the two of you became fast friends. Now, even though you've graduated, you still went by her job to chat. The two of you still made efforts to have standing lunch dates when you could.
You push up off the couch too, taking the short trip to Eddie's kitchen where the phone resides. You faintly catch the sound of Robin's voice slurring together. Eddie notices the furrow of your brow and brings a hand to rub it over your back. Maybe it's all fine. But your heart beat thrums in your neck.
She asks again for you and Eddie hands the phone over. "Rob?" you question.
She giggles into the receiver. "Hi, so, uh, I need help."
"Help? Where are you?" you ask.
"I-" a hiccup interrupts her speech. "Steve's place. He sssaid he wanted to talk. But he'ss totally trashed."
"From the sounds of it, so are you?"
"No, no, no,' Robin quickly corrects. "But his parents are going to be back in town tomorrow. My fingers aren't cooperating with me. Please," Robin begs into the phone. "I won't ever ask for another favor for as long as I live."
"Steve's parents are never home," you mutter to yourself.
"Please, please, please." Another hiccup cuts Robin off and you sigh as you agree to come to Steve's place. You'd only been out the front of his house. It's not that you and Steve were strangers to each other. In fact you'd hazard the terms acquaintances to describe each other. But still, the two of you had a sort of line. You were friends with Robin and Steve was friends with Eddie and you learned about each other via this connection, but hadn't delved into anything beyond that.
"Fine. But you owe me. Interrupting date night is like a total no-no.'
"I know. I'm ssorry. Tell Eddie I'll do whatever he wants to make it up. Well, not whatever I won't suck his--'
"Alright, alright," you huff to cut her off. "Sit still. We're on our way."
"Thank you! I love you! Oh my god," Robin gushes. At the same time, Eddie's voice rings throughout the trailer, "We?"
And just faintly before you hang up the phone you finally catch Steve's voice. "And another thing, Robs!'
It's definitely going to be a long night.
It takes you all of three minutes to convince Eddie to let you leave. He pouts for a while stating you can't leave when it's so dark out. But he knows it's Robin asking for you and he knows you won't take his no. So as you pull the sweatshirt back over your t-shirt and unearth your shoes from underneath Eddie's bed, you watch Eddie follow suit. He slips into his jacket, gets his shoes back on, and right as you grab your keys, he takes them from you.
'Well if you're going, so am I. I'm not getting left behind," he counters.
When you pull up to Steve's house, you're not sure what you're expecting. Perhaps, you're waiting for Steve to fall out of the door, shout at you for showing up at your door. Instead through, Robin greets you. Behind her you can hear sniffles. "It's not fair!" Steve huffs.
"I am a dumbass," Robin greets. "But here are my knights in shining---leather jackets?" She squints just a little, but then waves you all inside. She's not as gone as you initially thought. But the place is a little out of sorts.
There's cans littered throughout the house. A fine level of dust on the shelves. It doesn't even look like anyone lives there truly. "Is he okay?" you ask.
Robin shrugs. "A recurring theme. I just--can one person help me get the cans up and other help me get Steve to bed? He's a large man. Doesn't look it, but damn he's a gaggle of limbs."
Eddie volunteers to help get Steve up to his room. It makes the most sense. "Alright, big guy, let's get you all tucked in," Eddie teases.
"Who the fuck let you in, man?" Steve laughs. You only hear the taunts as you trail behind Robin into the kitchen. It's not too bad in here. There's bottles, a few glasses in the sink. You initially thought maybe the place had been overrun with mold. But it's relatively tame. Steve clearly does his bet to keep the house together. It's not perfect but you don't think anyone with a full time job to keep a house perfectly intact.
The trash bag whips in your ear and Robin hands it over to you. "Why-why don't you take a seat, Robin?" you offer directing her to a chair at the kitchen table.
"Didn't want him drinking alone,' she offers, resting her head on her forearms. She hadn't expected Steve to go on the tangent and binge that he had. She didn't want to catch up to him, but damn Steve and his charm when he'd make a joke about how slow Robin was going with her own intake. So she'd give him just a taste--flip him off as she took her sip. He grinned with an easy, Atta girl each time.
Now, the room did not feel as stable as it started out as and Steve was worse for wear. Though he didn't seem belligerent, she could see the sadness behind his eyes. It was a shitty time for Steve to fall down into this well of self-pity. He'd been bitching about how his parents were finally coming back into town weeks before the holidays in order to keep up appearances.
It started him on a spiral. Robin couldn't control it, not when she agreed to also have a drink or three with Steve. Not eating before hand was catching up. You fix Robin a glass of water and think maybe Steve should have one too. So you find another glass and go into the living room where Eddie is covered in a not sober Steve. Eddie's laughing as the slightly younger man has slung himself over Eddie's shoulders. But when Steve eyes fall onto yours, you watch something turn.
You don't know what it is as first, but you put the glass down on the table. "So you don't hate yourself in the morning," you laugh and then turn back into the kitchen.
"Is that?" Steve asks to Eddie. It would be a whisper if not for the fact that Steve wasn't truly in control of his volume. "No way," he finishes, interrupting his own thought.
You're not sure what he's referring to, so you chuckle just a little slightly unsure of circumstances. "In the flesh. You okay, Eds?"
Eddie nods, "Yeah, nothing I can't handle."
You turn back into the kitchen, setting out for real this time to clean up what's been left behind. Robin's soft snores hit your ears and you think maybe she was further gone than she let on. You'll let her sleep for the time being. Though you know her parents are definitely going to have a lot of questions when you drop her off.
You just get water into the sink when you catch Eddie's voice. "Steve, you're drunk. Don't--"
Something bumps hard--you hear the thump followed by the shriek of Eddie and the rattle of glass. You spin around and a slightly uncoordinated Steve is barreling through the kitchen to you. "I knew it. I knew you'd come," he's babbling.
"Steve?" you question, taking a small step back. "What are you?"
"I was trying to tell Robin," Steve sighs as he wraps you into a hug. "She didn't believe me. But I knew. You always come, Nance."
As your body freezes, your hands pinned between your and Steve's chest, you realize now what might've started this whole ordeal. "Steve, hate to break it to you," you start.
"No, no, you don't have to say anything. I know I'm a dunce. I know, but you always come." His body starts to tremble and you think maybe he's crying.
Eddie catches up, rounding the corner of the kitchen island. "Steve, buddy, I need you to step away from my boyfriend please," he starts gently.
"That's not funny," Steve starts. He unravels from you, but keeps an arm slung around your shoulders. You knew from the jokes the kids always made that you and Nancy shared a resemblance. It was a little unnerving seeing her for the first time. But being just as tall as Steve and Eddie definitely gave you a distinct edge over her.
"Steve, bud, I'm serious. It's-it's not Nancy. I know you miss her," Eddie reasons. He does offer an extended hand for Steve to take. "Why don't you and I-'
Steve's no longer paying attention, eyes zeroing in on you. "Sorry, Steve," you whisper. It takes him a moment and his eyes widen once it clicks.
"Oh-I'm-fuck, I'm sorry," he stumbles out, snatching his arm back like he'd put it near fire. Almost like popping a balloon, Steve deflates. He apologizes the entire time Eddie's walking with him up the stairs.
You knew of Steve and Nancy dating--much like everyone did. But you hadn't been privy to how much their relationship had impacted Steve this much. There's some part of you that's more worried if Steve's going to remember what he did rather than having been the one who has lived through it.
The kitchen is easy to clean thankfully. You know your dusting will be surface level, but as you go through the rooms downstairs, collecting whatever trash exist in those spaces, you give the tables and shelves a quick wipe. You're almost done with the living room when Eddie returns down stairs. The water that Steve spilled is starting to try and though you think you should maybe have more concern for the carpet, you know that deep down it's just water.
Eddie and you work in relative silence until you're tossing the trash bags into the bins at the back of the house. Right as the two of you are getting ready to head back into the house, his arms wrap around your waist. "I'm going to have to keep you away from jocks now," Eddie teases.
You snort. "Steve is clearly drunk."
"Yeah, and you're clearly a hot commodity," Eddie teases. You weren't sure how he'd react to Steve's mistake. But you know even behind the taunts, there could also be a lingering insecurity.
"Well good for you, I purposefully took myself off the market," you return.
"Hmm, who might be the lucky guy who snatched you up?"
"Not anyone I think you would know."
Eddle laughs, head dipping to press a kiss to your neck. He does have to fight the material of your sweatshirt to do it, but it doesn't seem to deter Eddie at all. The night carries your laughter. For the smallest of moments, it's just the two of you. You turn in his embrace, heart picking up as you watch the skin around Eddie's eyes crinkle with his smile.
"You're handsome, you know?" you whisper.
"I've been told a time or two," Eddie shrugs. You can spot the slight change of color in his cheeks.
"Thanks for coming with me to rescue, Robin."
"Of course." He says it with ease as though he wouldn't choose to do anything else if faced with the choice.
It's happening for you stop yourself, stretching to take Eddie's lips into a kiss. It starts slow, tasting the nicotine on his tongue from the smoke you're sure Eddie had before you came over. And behind it there's the hint of chocolate from the M&M's he stole from you too. Eddie smells of the earth--deeply as you press it into your nose. He holds your hips as the kisses increase intensity. There's a push and pull, sighs and smacks.
You pull back just a little and tilt his head back. It's going to make Eddie puddy. You know that. It's why you do it--kissing down his throat. The whimper falls almost immediately as your lips work over his skin. It's easy to do this, after a few months of exploring you know Eddie a bit better than you think he knows himself.
So you suck, pursing lips to pull at his skin and then release it with a pop. Eddie shivers that the flat of your tongue smoothing over the hickey you've no doubt left behind on his pale skin. He doesn't care though.
His grip tightens at your hips and he sighs. "Baby--once we drop Robin off, I'm going to get you back for this."
You laugh into his neck, dropping the act and instead cozying up into his hold. "I'm holding you to it."
-H
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rou-luxe · 4 months
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written 10:42-11:24 PM Sunday 6/2/24
haha I don't make any fucking sense not proofread
I'm really hoping tomorrow doesn't come.
I think distracting myself peaked again after one of my own parents called me useless and lazy. The other parent keeps telling me to talk to them, to tell them what's wrong... but it doesn't really help, they keep comparing me to people like my aunt (who they raised) and themself. It's not reassuring. It doesn't help at all. But you know, parents always offer food in place of comfort and apologies 🥰
I didn't even start working on my presentation (which, to be fair, we only had TWO DAYS for) or finish the material needed for it. The presentation was supposed to be tomorrow. Hardly fair... For the paper I mentioned, there's no one I know who can proofread it properly... On top of that, the tutors don't respond as quick as I'd like and don't even give good feedback in the first place.
Mental health hardly feels like an excuse. I don't know what's wrong with me. Is it something fundamentally in my being?
I hate feeling weak. Feeling flawed. Older child syndrome.
I don't like sharing my feelings
here sorry this is the revised censored version from a week and half ago
Why am I like this? Why do I have to be this flawed? Tell me, what did I do to deserve this life? What sin have I committed? I'm so sensitive that even the slightest thing breaks me. Is there something wrong at the core of my being?
I wish these feelings would go away
it's commonly said that how someone is raised shapes them...
"Let the knife sink into the flesh and pierce my heart, for life is a tragedy and I am exiting the stage."
"No more hate, no more love, just a standstill: though empty, it is peace."
"I deserve to suffer for my 'crimes', for in your eyes, I am truly at fault."
"Perhaps someday soon some kind soul will give me deliverance. Shoot me, strike me dead. Goodbye, I have been liberated from this mortal coil, this miserable prison of flesh. Goodnight. Good riddance to the torture called life. I am glad to be rid of it." - the "if you love me then put me out of my misery" philosophy again
back to flaw: "I am not a saint, and thus I will forever rest in the depths of hell."
I should have died that day, but Death hates me too
"Crack open my chest, and devour all that is there, for then I will be of some use." - I've said this one before I think
we're either going out quietly or with a bang
"Death to the sinner, wouldn't the self-proclaimed saint be delighted?"
"In a world where people watch and do nothing as others suffer, is it possible for you to blame me for trying to think of myself?"
then I think there was the big one from November it went something like this
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it looks so cringe I usually express things better on paper
"if you love me then put me out of my misery"
I hate how showing emotions is frowned upon. not just the society here, I've been yelled at for crying since I was merely four. can't get proper help because that's like a "disability" and it's time-consuming. my cousin (bipolar, sui) tried but couldn't get proper therapy either. yeah he's alive and steadily getting better but it's never gone
gosh do family issues run in the family
mother + all her siblings got mommy issues
father got everyone issues ig 💀 I hate people with a short temper
as far as I can tell most of my cousins got both parents issues (1st / 2nd cousins)
are these feelings normal it feels like reality is being forced down my throat. I don't want to wake up and face the world anymore.
what are we chugging today
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undercover-ballerina · 4 months
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Trailblazing & Stargazing - Chapter 19
The following morning she went back to her office to get caught up with everything that had passed while she had been gone. She payed a quick visit to the muggle liaison office to arrange for her parents’ new passports and then went to see Cho about the reform.
“Hermione! Welcome back! Is everything alright? You’ve been gone a few days.”
“Hi, Cho. I had to rush to Australia, my parents weren’t well. But now everything is fine and they’ll be moving back here soon.” Hermione said with a broad smile. “How is the second draft coming along? When will you take it to the Wizengamot again?”
“The second draft is ready, we had most of it ready even before the first hearing, we just tweaked it with some help from the Slytherins and Neville. Tomorrow we’ll go in for the second time, I’m aware it will be another farce so I won’t get my hopes up.” Cho sighed, resigned to move on with the game of snakes and ladders that was having anything approved by the Wizengamot.
“Let me know how it goes. It will take time but I’m sure you can have it passed. It’s a good reform, it will change things for the better.” Hermione said encouragingly.
“Let’s just hope we can get the concept to sink into those bearded skulls!” Chuckled Cho.
After a full day at work, Hermione flooed back to her house. She changed into dark blue muggle skinny-jeans, white trainers and a soft, merino wool jumper in emerald green,  all courtesy of Pansy Parkinson, minus the sneakers. She pulled her hair up in a messy bun, grabbed two bottles of wine and flooed to Grimmauld Place.
“Honey! I’m home!” She shouted as she exited from the fireplace at her friends’ kitchen. She heard steps coming down the stairs and Harry popped his head through the door, his hair sticking up in every direction, even more so than it usually was.
“Hey ‘Mione! Welcome back! Ginny’s still getting dressed, we were… er… delayed.” He blushed.
“You know, I could have survived without knowing you just finished shagging. I’m sort of going through a dry spell.” She huffed. Harry shrugged and wrapped her shoulders in a hug before taking her to the living room. A few minutes later, Ginny came down the stairs.
“Did you bring me a baby kangaroo?!” Ginny joked as she hugged her friend.
“I’m afraid that would have been illegal, and impractical too. But I brought wine.”
“That’s even better than a kangaroo! Sit down, to celebrate your return from down under, we’re having your favorite food. Paella!” Ginny shouted enthusiastically.
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theobsessedbrunet · 8 months
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Let you go
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One-shot, Pairings: Evan Buckley x You
  You stared at the person who stood before. The person who you thought you knew completely, the only one person who would never let you down. The only person you could count one. Hair in a complete mess, lips slightly swollen from last night, eyes brighter than ever and skin glowing. 
  You were like a completely different person. 
  As you pulled your hair into a ponytail and washed your face with refreshing water, you leaned against the sink and contemplated on your sanity. What the hell did you do? This isn't like you to just lose control and sleep with a stranger.
  But there was something about that man. He was so genuine and yet still so enticing. Typical playboy but what made him different was how he opened up to you after the sex. You stayed up so long, talking about life. Your hopes and dreams, fears. Honestly, it felt good.
  That scared the hell out of you so you did the only thing that was logical after that. You sneaked out before he could wake up.
  Days had gone by and you still found yourself getting lost while reliving the night. The kisses, whispers you shared, his fingers grazing your skin. You got goosepbumps at just the thought of them. 
  "Who's picking you up today? Your dad?" You asked as Christopher walked beside you towards the entrance of the school. Christopher was usually the last kid to be picked up. Secretly you liked that, he's such a good kid. Cristopher loved bringing joy to everybody and he was the life of the party at school.
  "Bucky will pick me up. Dad is working." Christopher said as we ascended the last steps of the stairs. 
  You placed your hand behind Christopher, ready to catch him if he lost balance with his walking sticks. In this profession of the things you learn that the kids can handle themselves and should be given more credit. But there was a parental part of you that wanted to be ready and help if needed.
  "Who's Bucky?
  Bucky had tried to convince himself that you were just one of his many one night stands. One that would be a memorable one but he quickly realized that wasn't the case. He found himself thinking of your laugh that rang through the quiet room in the night, of your eyes as they turned a shade brighter when you talked about your slight obsession on Brooklyn 99. 
  When he saw you ascending down the stairs he couldn't believe his eyes. There you were, laughing at something that Christopher had said. This had to be destiny right? 
  "I am. Hi." Bucky shyly smiled as he pushed his hands into his pockets
  Soon Bucky's happiness changed to insecurity as he saw the look on your face. You wanted to turn around and run in the opposite direction and he could see that. He didn't know what reaction he was expecting but it wasn't that terror on your face.
  "Hi." You suddenly blurted out as you quickly turned to look at the boy next to you. You placed your hand on his shoulder and smiled, desperately trying to mask the shock in your voice and face.
  "I'll see you tomorrow Christopher. "
  "Byee." Christopher smiled and waddled over to Bucky who welcomed him with open arms. 
  "Hi buddy! Could you go and wait in the car? I'll be right over."
    Crap. You pressed your lips together as they started to tingle at the sight of his own. He was even better looking than you remembered. Eva- or Bucky, whatever his name was. He had a beautiful model smile and height that left you feeling small. But what stood out was his eyes. They were so bright and genuine, just like you remembered.
 "Hi." He said once again to steady himself. Kind smiles were shared. 
  "I thought you were Evan." A laugh escaped out of him as he quickly glanced at the ground, taking the opportunity to let his eyes travel from your shoes to your eyes.
  "I am. My name is Evan Buckley but friends call me Buck or Bucky."
  You smiled at him, professionally. "I see."
  This was very awkward. Silence surrounded you two as you both tried to wrap your heads around the situation. 
  "So I just have to say this." He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to find the right words. "I don't want to let you go." 
  Your eyebrows shot up. "Excuse me?"
  "No, I mean that, umm." Bucky laughed, hand running through his hair as he collected himself. He had asked women out many, many times. Bucky 2.0 just wasn't very suave anymore with women who were out of his league anymore.
  "Are you trying to ask me out?" You laughed as you looked at the suddenly very nervous and flustered man before you. He visibly relaxed under your gaze as you took the words right out of his mouth.
  "I am. " 
  You pulled out your calendar from your bag and quickly scribbled your name and number on an empty page. You walked down the last step and approached Bucky with confidence. This was your cliche movie moment and you owned it with pride. 
  Bucky's eyes traveled your movement as you approached him. He was very into his, into you. This was why he couldn't stop thinking of you. You went after what you wanted. And currently, you wanted him.
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