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allsassnoclass · 2 years

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The Catch

Pairing: Michael Clifford/Luke Hemmings Rating: Teen Key Tags: Magical Realism, Witch Michael, Awkward Luke Word Count: 6,246 Read on AO3

Summary:

Michael Clifford, the town witch and most eligible bachelor, announces that he'll only date the person who manages to get the key from around his cat's neck. Luke Hemmings, the awkward local photographer, keeps accidentally running into the cat, even though he knows he has no chance with Michael.

Based on this post (contains a spoiler)

Luke enters the diner with a pep in his step, feeling better than he has in a long time. It’s been a great day, the kind that can only be ruined by a genuine catastrophe, and the odds of that occurring between dinner with Ashton and going to bed tonight are slim. He had a shoot earlier with a new set of parents and their adorable little girl, and although the baby spent a lot of time crying, shoots with infants are his favorite. The pictures are going to turn out amazing, and he can’t wait to edit and print them. He’s been sleeping a lot better this week than the past few months since Michael gave him a sleeping potion, and his favorite coffee shop still had a chocolate chip muffin in stock when he stopped by earlier. By the time he slides into the vinyl booth and grins at Ashton, he’s genuinely considering asking Michael out when he stops by his shop later, because it’s the kind of day where everything seems to be going right.

“Did you hear the news?” Ashton asks, pushing a drink towards him and leaning forward discreetly. Luke usually gets the same soda and food order each week, so Ashton always orders for him if he arrives first.

“What news?” Luke asks, taking a sip and relishing in the explosion of carbonation on his tongue. This diner has bendy straws, which is another delightful bonus.

“Michael isn’t accepting suitors anymore. He threatened to hex anyone who asks.”

Luke’s heart sinks.

“Really?” he asks. Ashton gives him a sympathetic smile and nods.

“He seems pretty serious. Apparently he’s already followed through.”

Luke’s heart sinks even lower. He pushes his drink away, carbonation and bendy straws losing all of their luster with one simple piece of information.

“I’m sorry, Luke. I know you liked him.”

Luke shrugs.

“Yeah, me and everyone else,” he says, running his finger through the condensation left on the table from the path of his glass.

Ever since he hit an appropriate age, Michael has been the most eligible bachelor in the area. He’s a witch, which is already rare, but he’s extremely powerful on top of that. He has blonde hair with dark scruff around his face and black tattoos swirling in intricate patterns around his arms and legs, but his most striking physical feature is by far his enchanting green eyes. Luke could happily spend hours trying to find the words to describe their beauty, but Michael has infinite positive qualities outside of his captivating looks. More than his physical features, Luke loves his heart. He has a wicked sense of humor and knows how to wield sarcasm, but he never takes jokes too far. He won’t put up with any shit, but he’s also known for giving away small charms or doing simple spells for free if he overhears someone complain or learns about problems through the grapevine.

His words get mushy when he’s excited, he blasts rock or EDM music while he makes his potions, and he always makes Luke double-check the price total of his order at the register because he doesn’t trust himself to do simple math right. Luke has had a crush on him since the first moment he stepped through the door of his shop.

Michael has been dealing with pushy, ambitious suitors for years. Supposedly, one woman went so far as to obtain an illegal love potion from another witch and try to use it on him. Luke can’t fault him for throwing in the towel, he just wishes he had waited one more day so Luke could shoot his shot.

Maybe this is better than getting rejected to his face, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now.

“Hey, there’s still hope!” Ashton says. He reaches forward and takes Luke’s hand across the table, giving it a little shake. “He gave his cat a key to the shop and said that whoever gets the key also gets his heart. So you still have a chance!”

Luke furrows his brow.

“That poor cat,” he says, thinking of the beautiful black cat that he sometimes sees lounging around Michael’s shop, although he always ducks away before Michael comes to the front to help him. “Everyone is going to be hunting him.”

“Yeah, but think about what will happen if you’re the one who catches it!” Ashton says with a bright smile.

Luke grimaces.

“I don’t think I’m the type of person he wants to catch his cat.”

“Come on, Luke. He’d be lucky to have you,” Ashton says gently. Luke shakes his head.

“I don’t want to talk about it anymore,” he says. “How was your day? How was work?”

Ashton sighs, but dutifully switches subjects. Luke does his best to listen and not sink into his head while he picks at his meal. He even lets Ashton order him dessert, wanting a slice of cake to drown his feelings in before he has to muster up a smile for Michael in his shop.

He might not be able to ask him on a date, but he still needs to refill his sleeping potion.

“Chin up, Luke,” Ashton says after he pays their bill. “You’re a cat -ch.”

Luke rolls his eyes, but the pun prompts an involuntary smile. He can always count on Ashton to do his best to cheer him up, and he tries to carry that with him as he makes his way down Main Street.

Michael’s shop always looks tantalizing and enchanting, but especially now, with the sun dipping low in the sky and everything painted golden with a hint of pink. The shop itself is a red brick place on the corner attached to a boutique next door, with a dark purple awning and an old, ornate wooden sign hanging above that reads Clifford Magic in big, swirling letters, with Spells, Charms, and Potions of All Kinds underneath. The windows have the same thing printed on them in purple, and the displays house various plants, vials, and cryptic-looking ingredients.

Luke usually walks right in, but today he hesitates by the door, reading the notice posted there on regular old printer paper.

It’s exactly as Ashton said. Michael Clifford has forcibly removed himself from the market to everyone except the person who catches his cat.

A small movement catches the corner of his eye in the window. The cat in question freezes from his spot amongst the items in the display, one foot raised. His clear green eyes stare at Luke unwaveringly.

Luke has always thought that the cat’s eyes look remarkably similar to Michael’s. He hasn’t seen the two next to each other to compare, and it’s not uncommon for witches and their familiars to share more attributes than just their particular brand of magic, but it strikes Luke every time he sees the cat.

The animal shifts, causing the sunlight to glint off the gold key attached to his collar. Luke doesn’t get a good look at it before the cat leaps away, disappearing deeper into the shop.

Luke pulls the door open, bell tinkling above him to signal his arrival into the crowded space. The inside of the shop is atmospherically dim, with glowing objects stacked on shelves and jars forming pyramids on tables. There’s always at least one old, yellow light bulb burnt out somewhere in the store, and Luke can never place the sweet, vaguely dusty smell that permeates through the air.

He makes his way to the table where Michael stocks sleeping potions and looks for the one Michael suggested for him last time, but in a bigger size. They come in different strengths and help in different ways depending on if the taker has nightmares, insomnia, or if environmental factors like noise are keeping them up, but Luke knows his prescription from last time. He finds the one for insomnia at the strength he needs and picks up the thin vial. It’s small enough to easily fit in his hand and sealed at the top, blue liquid swirling hypnotically inside. All he needs is a few drops in his tea each night for restful sleep.

“Hey Luke,” a voice says right by his ear. He jumps and drops the vial, fumbling and flailing and generally making a fool of himself until he finally manages to catch it.

“Stop doing that, you asshole,” he whines while Michael cackles. His dark hoodie makes his pale skin and light hair stand out even more in the dim shop, although it could be the faint shimmer of magic on his skin making him seem luminous instead. His laugh is wild and uninhibited, and Luke flushes at the sound, either from embarrassment or pleasure at causing it.

He doesn’t mind when Michael laughs at him. He likes being the source of his happiness.

“You’re so easy to sneak up on,” Michael laughs.

“I could’ve dropped this and broken it,” he says, brandishing the vial. Michael shrugs.

“I wouldn’t have made you pay for it, don’t worry. Did it work last week?”

“Yeah, thanks. This is the most rested I’ve felt in months.”

“Good,” Michael grins. Luke automatically mirrors it, then spends a beat too long smiling at Michael without saying anything.

“Can I help you find anything else?” Michael asks, just as the silence starts to roar in Luke’s ears.

“Uh, nope! That’s it today!”

“Cool, I can ring you up, then.” Luke follows Michael to the register and hands over the vial, then his credit card. He cranes his head to try and catch a glimpse of the cat while Michael completes the transaction, but he seems to have disappeared.

That’s probably a good thing. If Luke were him, he’d lay low, too.

“Here you go. Have a good day, Luke.”

“Thanks, you too,” he says, taking the sleeping potion and his receipt. He gives Michael a smile, but it fades as soon as he leaves the store.

He hopes the sleeping potion works against a broken heart. He doesn’t want to be up all night thinking about how he even has less of a chance with Michael now than he ever did before.

-/-

Luke doesn’t catch a glimpse of the cat for another three weeks, although he sees evidence of him everywhere. He trips over traps set up at various points in the city, and Michael had to make an announcement after the first day that anyone who brings physical harm to the cat will get hexxed. Still, evidence of people’s efforts to capture him litter the town. According to Ashton, Michael incinerated a few traps that he deemed too close to the shop.

When Luke does run into the cat again, it’s when he least expects it. He packs one of his cameras and a sketch book into his bag, then sets off for the woodsy area behind the studio. On occasion he’ll take shots of clients back there, but they mostly stick to the garden where there’s natural light for portraits, so Luke has started thinking of the forest as his own special place. There’s a clear area near the stream that’s the perfect size for him to sprawl out, and Luke likes to pretend he’s a wildlife photographer or that he can draw and head there to relax.

Except this time, there’s already someone else there. Luke freezes at the sight of the cat caught in a crouch, key conspicuously hanging from his collar, eyes fixed unwaveringly on Luke.

For an eternity, neither of them move.

“Sorry,” Luke says finally, voice abrasive in the otherwise quiet space. “I didn’t know you’d be here. I’ve never seen anyone else here, actually.”

The cat blinks at him.

“Can I sit?” he asks, gesturing to his usual patch of grass. The cat doesn’t say anything, because he’s a cat.

“I usually come here to clear my head and relax, so I won’t bother you, don’t worry. It’s a nice spot, right? Nice and quiet.” He carefully lowers himself to sitting, then snorts.

“Sorry, it’s usually quiet. I mean, when I’m not talking. I ramble when I’m nervous.”

The cat blinks at him again, still crouched over his paws like he’s ready to spring up at any moment. Luke rubs a hand over his face and groans.

“I’m monologuing to a cat.”

He glances at the cat, realizes how that came across, and throws out a placating arm. The cat flinches.

“I mean, no offense,” he cringes. “I know you’re a magical cat, so maybe you can understand me, in which case this is even more embarrassing, and I’m going to stop now and let you get back to whatever you were doing, although I really hope it wasn’t hunting because I like all of the wildlife here and I don’t want you disrupting the ecosystem.”

He takes a deep breath, cheeks stinging with embarrassment even though the cat is the only one here to witness his awkwardness.

“Please don’t tell Michael about this,” he says. “If you two have some sort of magic communication thingy, he doesn’t need to know how much of a disaster I am outside his shop, too.”

The cat tilts his head, bright green eyes questioning. Luke’s not sure what the answer is supposed to be, so he opens his bag and pulls out his sketchbook. Maybe he can use this opportunity to practice his live animal sketches.

When he finally finds a pencil and looks up again, the cat is gone.

-/-

Luke sees the cat more frequently after that. He doesn’t see him when he stops by the shop to pick up his potion and awkwardly exchanges a few words with Michael before running, but he swears he catches glimpses of him from the corner of his eye just about everywhere else. He sees more and more evidence of people trying to catch the cat as well, although no one has been successful.

Luke thinks the cat is far too intelligent to fall for any of the primitive traps he’s seen. He also can’t imagine Michael actually being willing to marry anyone who hurts his familiar. If someone truly loved Michael and was willing to put in the work he deserves, they wouldn’t try to catch the cat, they’d befriend it. Sure, it would take a lot longer, but Luke thinks it’d be better for everyone.

Because of that, sometimes Luke trips the traps he sees. He’s not sure if that’s technically allowed, but he hates the idea of the poor cat making a mistake one day and getting hurt because of it. There’s no formal competition, so it’s not like a referee is going to jump out of the shadows, give him a foul, and shame him in front of the whole town. He just has to be sure he doesn’t get caught. He doesn’t want any of these hunters to turn their traps against him in revenge.

This trap snaps shut with more force than he anticipated, and he yelps in surprise. He’s glad that no one is here to witness it, but his hopes of getting away discretely are dashed when he turns around to find the cat staring at him.

“Uh,” he says intelligently.

“Meow,” says the cat.

“Don’t tell anyone,” he begs. He and the cat seem to be accumulating secrets between them at an alarming rate.

“Meow,” the cat repeats.

“I just don’t want you to get hurt! Some of these traps are really dangerous. I know you’re smart enough to avoid them, but we all have our off days.”

The cat meows again, taking one step toward him. Before he can come any closer, he whips his head to the side, every nerve on alert, then bounds off in the opposite direction. Luke doesn’t stick around to see who or what spooked him. He takes that as his cue to leave and speedwalks back to Main Street.

-/-

Luke sees the cat more often than he sees Michael, it seems. The cat shows up at Luke’s spot in the forest more frequently, inching slightly closer each time while Luke rambles about the most recent batch of senior portraits he’s taken, a new song he’s fallen in love with, or Ashton’s latest attempts to push him out of his comfort zone. The cat always listens intently, gazing at him with his chin resting on his paws. Sometimes he doesn’t talk and they coexist in silence instead. Luke’s sketchbook fills with little doodles of the cat in various poses surrounded by leaves. Most of the other pages include continuously improving sketches of Michael.

“What do you think?” Luke asks, showing the cat a page of his cat sketches. The cat cocks his head and takes a few curious steps forward

“Mrow,” he says.

“I’ll take that as a shining endorsement,” Luke laughs. “Maybe I’ll bring my colored pencils next time and try to figure out how to color your eyes. You and Michael have really pretty eyes, did you know that?”

The cat meows again, sitting up tall and preening. He’s a truly stunning creature, with his smooth black coat and bright eyes. Luke knows that his sketches will never perfectly capture him, but he’s enjoying the challenge.

“Michael?” someone calls nearby, disturbing the serenity of the forest. Luke glances at the cat quickly, but he doesn’t scamper away like Luke expects him to. Instead, he meows, and a moment later someone stumbles into the clearing.

“Oh,” the man says, straightening. Luke recognizes his curly black hair from Michael’s shop, which he sometimes covers if Michael is unavailable. What makes things stranger is that the cat, who Luke has ever seen be friendly with a human in his entire life, immediately trots over to him and twines himself around the man’s legs, purring loud enough for Luke to hear.

“Hello?” he asks, brow furrowed. The man–Luke is pretty sure his name is Calum–picks up the cat, who continues to purr and rub the top of his head against Calum’s chin.

“Sorry for barging in,” Calum says, trying to twist away so he can speak without getting a mouthful of fur. “I was just looking for Michael. I need his help in the store.”

“And you thought he’d be in the woods behind my studio?” Luke asks, tilting his head, eyebrows knitting together.

“Well, yeah,” Calum says, like it’s obvious. He offers no further explanation.

After a beat of them staring at each other, the cat meows.

“I thought he doesn’t like people.” Luke gestures to the cat, who has managed to wriggle out of Calum’s hold and drape himself around his shoulders. From the grimace on Calum’s face, his claws are digging in.

“He knows me,” Calum sighs. “I’ve known him as long as I’ve known Michael, and he knows I’m not after the key.”

“Why not?” Luke asks. Calum laughs.

“Mate, Michael’s basically my brother. The last thing I want is to marry him.”

“Meow,” the cat says definitively.

“Oh,” Luke says, feeling a blush heat his cheeks. He forgot that just because he and half the town are in love with Michael doesn’t mean everyone is. That’s good; people need friends and family. Maybe once Michael gets engaged, Luke can get over his obnoxious crush and be his friend, even if he has to watch someone else be his partner.

“Do you think… is the cat going to pick someone good?” Luke asks. Calum frowns. “I know he’s super smart and Michael obviously trusts him, but there’s a lot of people after that key. Michael won’t end up with an asshole, right?”

“‘Someone good’ meaning someone like you?”

This is the most mortifying conversation Luke has ever been involved in.

“Of course not,” he says, hunching his shoulders up to his ears. “Meaning… someone better. Someone who Michael would want.”

Calum’s expression softens. From his shoulder, the cat stares at Luke steadily. It makes the hair on his arms stand on end.

“He knows exactly what Michael wants in a partner,” Calum reassures him. “Whoever gets that key is going to be who Michael would’ve chosen for himself.”

“Meow,” says the cat.

“Okay,” Luke says hesitantly. “That’s good.”

“Meow.”

Calum reaches up and scratches the top of the cat's head.

“Well, we need to get back to the shop,” Calum says. “See you around, Luke.”

“See ya.”

The cat twists to keep eye contact with Luke until they’re swallowed by the trees. He can hear Calum berate him for using his claws for a few seconds until the forest descends to a lonely silence again.

-/-

“Hey.”

Luke, predictably, jumps out of his skin at the voice, especially with it so close to his ear. Michael, predictably, laughs.

“Oh my gosh,” Luke moans, covering his face with his hands to avoid eye contact with everyone else in the coffee shop who saw him get scared shitless.

“Is this seat taken?” Michael asks. Luke peaks through his fingers to see him gesture at the other chair at his table and shakes his head. Michael kicks the chair out and plops into it, setting his coffee cup down in front of him.

“You’ve got to stop doing that,” Luke whines in an attempt to distract his racing thoughts from the fact that Michael chose to sit across from him even though there are plenty of open tables around them. “What if I had been holding my coffee and spilt it all over?”

“Easy, I wouldn’t have done it then,” Michael says. “I never sneak up on you if I think it could end badly.” He takes a sip of his coffee, winces at the temperature, and gestures to Luke’s open laptop.

“Editing some pictures?”

“Yeah. Just a passion project, not an official shoot.” He tilts the laptop to show him. They’re all shots from his place in the forest, a continuous effort for him to capture some of the beauty and wonder he finds there every day. He lets Michael click through them, watching carefully for every smile and blushing at every compliment.

He doesn’t remember the cat pictures until Michael lands on the first one and pauses. The cat had joined him about halfway through the shoot, creeping closer to see what Luke captured and meow approvingly every time Luke showed him the camera screen. He’s gotten more comfortable being near Luke, even playing with a fern that Luke had dangled around like a string for him to chase. When he got bored of Luke’s photography and found a patch of sun to rest in instead, Luke couldn’t resist taking a few shots, moving painfully slow in an attempt to keep quiet and let him sleep.

“Sorry,” Luke says, wondering if he should’ve asked Michael’s permission before taking the photos. “He visits me in the forest behind my studio sometimes, and he’s such a pretty cat. I couldn't resist.”

“It’s fine,” Michael says, leaning towards the computer. “I just didn’t realize you took them.”

“Well, I haven’t seen you since I did.”

“Right,” Michael says, glancing at Luke and smiling privately. “These are really good, Luke.”

“They’re my favorite in the batch,” he confesses. “I like the way the sun shows all of the different colors in his coat underneath the black. I wish I could’ve gotten a picture of his eyes, though. You both have such beautiful eyes.”

“We both do?” Michael grins. Luke’s heart thumps loudly in his chest.

“Yeah,” he says, choosing honesty over cowardice. “They’re a really beautiful seafoam green. I’ve always thought your cat has the same color, but I’ve never seen you next to each other to compare, so maybe I’m wrong.”

“No, you’re right,” Michael says. “You’re the first person to notice that.”

“Really?” Luke asks. “But you have so many admirers. Someone else has to have caught on.”

Michael snorts.

“Admirers. Sure. Except none of them seem to be interested in me as a human being with my own thoughts and feelings. That’s why I’m doing the whole key thing. It really showed me how many people were talking to me because they enjoyed my company and how many people just liked the idea of getting with a witch. It turns out that most of my conversations before this were unwanted advances and uncomfortable come-ons.”

He picks idly at the paper sleeve around his cup, frown etched into his face. Luke wants to find a way to wipe it away, but he’s worried that it goes deeper than he can see.

“Those people have no clue what they’re doing,” Luke says, resisting the urge to reach out and put a comforting hand on Michael’s arm literally seconds after he talked about unwanted advances. “If it makes you feel better, I like you as a person.”

“I know,” Michael smiles. “That’s why I’m sitting here with you instead of sulking in my shop alone. As much as I like you and you like me, I realized we haven’t talked much outside of the shop.”

“Oh,” Luke says, trying not to turn into a puddle of mush at the I like you. “What do you want to talk about?”

Michael shrugs with a small, lopsided smile.

“I didn’t think this far ahead.”

His awkwardness feels familiar and endearing. Luke likes how it softens him and puts them on a more even footing.

“Well, let’s start easy. What do you like to do? Besides magic, of course.”

Michael grins and begins talking, easily capturing all of Luke’s attention. His laptop goes to sleep unnoticed, Luke too busy snorting at Michael’s jokes and enjoying the attention when it’s his turn to speak. Michael is fun to talk to, and he’s interesting. Luke could spend weeks listening to him explain magic, but he could also spend days hearing him talk about his favorite video games, concerts he’s been to, and adventures with Calum. He's a good listener, too, asking about Luke’s family and hobbies with just as much attentiveness as Luke gave him.

The coffee shop staff ask them to leave five minutes after closing. Michael looks just as startled as Luke feels to find that hours have passed.

“You didn’t even drink your coffee,” Luke says as he shoves his laptop into his bag. Michael picks up the cup, no doubt cold and disgusting by now, and throws it directly into the trash.

“It’s fine,” he says. “Maybe I just got it so I’d have an excuse to talk to you.”

“Really?” Luke asks, following him onto the street.

“Maybe,” Michael says, giving him a cheeky grin. “You’ll have to see if I show up tomorrow.”

“What if I have a shoot tomorrow?” Luke asks.

“Do you?”

“Yeah. But I’ll probably be here after.”

“Then I’ll probably stop by,” Michael says. Luke smiles and adjusts his grip on his bag.

“Okay. Cool.”

“See you later, Luke.”

“See you.”

Michael turns and heads towards his shop and apartment. Luke forces himself to turn towards his own home, but he can’t force the smile off his face.

-/-

Luke and Michael continue meeting at the coffee shop over the next few weeks, and on the days when Luke doesn’t see him, he sees the cat. Various traps still lie in wait around town, but the competition has become so normalized that Luke barely notices them anymore. Michael said that he’s getting bothered less due to people losing interest, and the cat seems happier and more enthusiastic whenever Luke sees him.

The one downside to the waning competition is that Luke’s crush still stubbornly hangs on, as if fewer people liking Michael somehow increases the chances of Michael liking him. It doesn’t help that their coffee conversations feel like dates, nor that the cat has taken to affectionately headbutting Luke in greeting before scampering to a safe distance away.

Luke is going crazy. He has heart palpitations multiple times a day, which can’t be healthy. He keeps sketching Michael’s face when he goes to his spot in the forest, and the fact that he can do it so well from memory is a red flag.

He tosses the sketchbook to the side and tips backwards onto the grass with a groan, scrubbing his hands over his face. The cat meows in what he assumes is a question, and he turns his head to look at him sideways.

“This is your fault, you know,” he says mildly. The cat huffs, indignant. “Don’t give me that look. I’m right.”

“Meow!” the cat says, stalking forward. The sun manages to worm its way through the trees and glint mockingly off the key still around his neck. Luke turns back to the tree branches above him.

“I’m supposed to be over this by now!” he moans. “With Michael unavailable, I’m supposed to get over this silly crush, but now that he keeps talking to me and you keep hanging out with me here, it’s not going away! If anything, it’s getting worse! I know he’s not going to fall for me, of all people. I don’t need this false hope.”

He throws an arm over his eyes, just to be dramatic.

“I’m glad no one else has gotten the key yet,” he confesses. “I’m glad you’re waiting for someone who’s right for him. He deserves the right person. I just wish I wasn’t still holding on to the hope that it could be me.”

He exhales and listens to the wind stir the leaves above him. The cat stays unusually quiet, and he wonders if he scared him away with his pathetic pining. Maybe if the cat hates him, he can finally get it into his head that he and Michael won’t end up together.

Four paws land squarely on his stomach, making him jolt.

“Meow,” the cat says forcefully, peering at him.

“Huh?” he asks, pushing himself onto his elbows. The cat stays put, warm on his gut.

“Me-ow,” he repeats, green eyes boring into him. Goosebumps erupt on his arms, like there’s magic crackling in the air. The cat pushes himself up and sits tall, tilting his chin and giving Luke a side-eye. Luke’s breath catches in his throat.

“Are you… what are you doing?”

The cat keeps staring at him, the key hanging from his collar.

“Okay, wait. Hang on.”

Luke sits up, dislodging the cat from his spot with a disgruntled mrow. The cat rubs his head against Luke’s arm, and he flinches away from the unfamiliar sensation.

“Meow,” the cat says, tilting his chin to reveal the key again.

“Are you offering me the key?” Luke asks. The cat side-eyes him again hard, then meows once. Luke blinks.

“Is this serious? Are you going to claw my face off once I reach for it?”

The cat huffs and rubs against his arm again. Luke tentatively reaches up and runs his fingers through the fur at the top of his head, right between his ears. He tries it again, scratching a bit, and the cat leans into it and purrs.

“Okay,” Luke says, more to himself than to the cat. “Okay. This is weird. I wasn’t expecting this. I’m petting the cat. Do you let all the boys do this?”

The cat meows sharply, then presses against his hand and resumes purring with even more pointed enthusiasm. Luke gets the impression that he’s losing patience.

He tries to picture himself untying the key, then using it to let himself into Michael’s shop to show him.

He could do it. The cat is offering, and Luke would love to date Michael. He’d try his best to make him happy, and Michael makes him happy, too, if the past few weeks of the best coffee conversations he’s ever had are any indication.

He could do it, but…

“I don’t want him to be disappointed,” he says, already envisioning Michael’s polite sadness when Luke is the one to present the key. “I know he trusts you, and you obviously like me, and he at least likes me as a friend, but what if he doesn’t like me like that?”

The cat stares at him with those big, sympathetic eyes. He rubs against Luke’s side, then climbs onto his lap and settles in to resume purring.

“You’re a stubborn little guy, aren’t you,” Luke says with a smile, running a hand along the cat’s back. The cat shifts so the key is still easily visible, and Luke continues petting him while he lets his mind wander.

If Ashton were here, he’d tell Luke that Michael would be lucky to get him and that the cat obviously has great taste. He’s always trying to boost Luke’s confidence with ridiculous compliments like that, but he rarely has someone like Michael’s cat backing him up. Luke knows that all it took was kindness and patience, but he still can’t believe he managed to charm the cat so thoroughly. It’s almost as mind-boggling as the fact that Michael seems to find Luke to be great company outside of shop hours. He even invited him to a concert with him in the next town over in a couple of weeks, and Luke is trying to muster up the courage to bring him here, to his private sanctuary.

Michael and the cat both have been the ones to seek him out. They could’ve easily chosen a different spot in the forest or chair at the coffee shop, but they want to spend time with Luke. Maybe Michael would be okay with Luke as a partner.

If he isn’t, Luke can let him go. Michael won’t be held to an agreement he doesn't want, just like he won’t hold Luke if he needs to leave, too.

“Well…” he considers. The cat cracks one eye open to watch him. “I mean, what’s the worst that can happen? Even if he says no, at least this way I’ll have tried.”

He stares at the golden key, unnaturally shiny and beautiful in the dappled sunlight, and reaches for it. The moment his fingers brush it, the crackle of magic fills the air, wind whipping around them, the force of it pushing him flat on his back with an oof. A heavy weight falls on his lap, winding him again, and when Luke blinks to clear his vision he finds Michael peering back at him.

“You,” Michael says, jabbing a finger at Luke’s chest from where he straddles his thighs, “are too fucking self-deprecating.”

“What?” Luke asks, still grappling with the fact that Michael is sitting on him and the cat is nowhere to be seen.

“You think I wouldn’t want you?” Michael demands, poking him again. “You’re funny, dorky, absolutely adorable, and when we’re together I feel more comfortable than I am around just about anyone else. You never tried to take the key until it was offered, and you were always nice to me as a cat even though i wouldn’t let you close. Why would I give my heart to anyone else?”

Luke gapes. His thoughts feel like they’re wading through molasses in an attempt to process everything being thrown at him.

“You’re the cat?” he asks, because it’s the easiest part of that speech to respond to.

“Yeah,” Michael says with a toothy grin. “My whole family are shapeshifters, but only a few people know. Don't tell anyone.”

“Why didn’t you transform and tell me instead of letting me freak out about not being who you wanted?” Luke asks, face heating.

“Because I wanted you to go for what you want, for once,” Michael says. “And I wanted you to choose me because you want to, not because you felt pressured by me watching.”

“I wouldn’t do that,” Luke lies, even though he once did the exact same thing when asked out in high school. Michael levels him with a look.

“I do like you, though,” Luke amends. “Which you know because of the embarrassing things I said when you were a cat. I’m so sorry about that.”

“Don’t be,” Michael says. “It was cute. Seriously, you’re so fucking cute, Luke.”

“Stop,” Luke groans, covering his face, which he’s certain is tomato-red.

“Hey, I mean it,” Michael says, gently prying his hands away. “I really like you, Luke. I hope you’ll let me compliment you more now that we’re dating.”

“We are?” Luke asks, a light, undefinable feeling blooming in his chest.

“If you want,” Michael says, letting go of his wrists and drawing his hands back to himself. “You got the key. You haven’t told me to stop sitting on you yet. Unless you’re changing your mind?”

“No! No, I want to,” Luke says quickly. Michael grins.

“Good. That’s settled, then.”

“There’s something else I’ve been wanting, too,” Luke says, suddenly emboldened by the glimmer in Michael’s eyes and the intoxicating knowledge that his affections are returned.

“Yeah?” Michael asks, entire face lit up. “What is it?”

Luke pushes himself onto his elbows and swallows, mustering up as much courage as he can.

“A kiss?” he asks, heart thundering in his chest.

Michael’s grin grows, which Luke didn’t think was possible. He reaches forward to cup Luke’s jaw in his hands, sending a pleasant tingle of warmth through his nerves.

“You should always ask for the things you want,” Michael says. “So far I’ve liked all of your ideas.”

He closes the gap and kisses Luke sweetly. Everything inside of Luke settles to a gentle hum, and he knows in his heart that this is what magic feels like.

#my writing #muke #5sos fanfiction #5sos fic #man i fought tooth and nail to get this posted this weekend #it's much later than i would've liked but it's here!#first non-ficmas muke on my ao3 account :)#i feel like this is going to be the year of muke for me i have a lot of ideas and wips for them #anyway please please please enjoy i miss posting fic

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calif0rnia-lovers · 3 years

Text

Lover of Mine #5.5 | Angel Reyes.

Series Masterlist | join my gc for updates since tags are acting weird

title: For Better, or For Worse.

rating: 💙 💔

As long as you're feeling the same, I'll follow you into the flames

sum: angel fears once it's out, his secret will be the final push you need to leave. instead of confessing, he sticks out the couple's retreat to give himself a few more days with you. he makes himself a promise: he'll tell you once you two return to santo padre. but a ghost from his past pushes angel's agenda forward a few days.

words: the standard for this series....long af (that's why I break it into sections so you know where to come back to when you take a break...but seriously, please take breaks on these long ass chapters)

Ez Reyes is a smart man. There is no denying it. However, Ez never thought he would struggle to tie a tie.

He is currently outside of his father’s truck. Kneeling before his nephew, Ez concentrates as he works through the instructions he Youtube’d earlier. A usually chatty Jeyson has been silent. He slept the entire hour's drive to school. When his Uncle woke him, Jeyson shot Ez a glare that reminded him of you.

Jeyson was fine the entire weekend that you were gone, but the moment he woke up this Monday to find you had not returned his entire mood changed. He has fought Ez tooth and nail the entire morning.

Ez glances up from the tie to Jeyson. “Hey, you sure you wanna go to school today?”

“I have to go to school” Jeyson mumbles.

“Yeah, but sometimes it doesn’t hurt to take a break.” Ez offers Jeyson a smile. “If you’re not having a good day, it’s okay to stay home.”

“I don’t want to stay home with you.”

“That’s okay,” Ez chuckles. “What about Izzy?”

“I don’t want to stay home with her either.” Jeyson releases a huff before glancing down at his now fixed tie. He bends down to pick up his backpack. Slipping it onto his shoulder, Jeyson steps around his Uncle. “I want my mom to come home.”

Tommy’s gaze remains on the sleeve of his blue Stockton uniform. His fingers tug at the loose string resting against his wrist. He ignores the smirk on his older brother’s face. The passing of time has muddled the bruises on Tommy’s skin. The mixture of black and yellow stood out on the parts of him he's allowed to remain visible. No matter how he sits, the pain in his ribs is inescapable. Sleep has fallen to the way-side, the inability to get comfortable meaning he only gets it once he’s passed out from exhaustion.

“You didn’t tell me she was hot. Now I know why you were sticking up for her the other day--”

“I didn’t notice. I’m more worried about her getting me out of here.”

“Uh-huh.” Leo’s eyes roll as he watches his brother’s eyes pass over the crowded visiting center. “I’m just saying—”

“What’d you find?” Tommy’s fingers massage his temple, the irritation in his voice amplified by his brother’s antics. Lack of sleep and around-the-clock oversight and antics from Rogers has cut his fuse short. “If you didn’t find anything, you could've saved yourself a trip up here—and I could be asleep.”

“She’s not married—unless she has a habit of leaving her rings at home.”

“What? On the table?”

Leo shakes his head. “No. A jewelry box in the bedroom.”

“What about the kid?” “He has to be about eight, or nine? Name’s Jeyson. You were right, he’s definitely Angel’s. Wish I could show you the picture. He couldn’t deny that kid if he tried.”

“Yeah.” Tommy nods impatiently, motioning for him to continue. “What else?”

“Kid goes to some boujee ass prep school up north. Gilman something? Embroidered blazers, ties, the whole nine. His mom’s paying a pretty penny too, apparently, it's the best in the state. He’s into the typical shit kids are into. Star Wars, Spider-Man. Plays the piano, apparently, he’s actually really fucking good. Awards and all. His mom’s got him pretty busy. A lot of after-school activities. Looks like she and Angel rotate transportation...She must not be around right now tho.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Apart from the fact you’re still not transported to a new unit?” Leo scoffs. “The kid was with someone else when I was scouting. A girl and a kid with a prospect patch.”

“Mayans?”

“Yeah.”

“Maybe his little brother...last I heard he was hemmed up here. Haven’t seen him around tho.”

“Maybe he got out?”

Tommy dismisses Leo’s suggestion. “Most cop killers don’t walk free. What else?”

“He’s not doing a good job of keeping his nephew safe. I talked to the kid.”

Tommy’s eyes open. “You did what?”

“He walked right off with me.” Leo quietly explains. He mistakes his brother’s silence as a cue to move forward with his story. “His uncle was so into his date he didn’t even notice the kid walk off with me--”

The sight of Tommy’s hand running down his face tapers the rest of Leo’s statement.

His voice comes out low, through his clenched teeth. “I didn’t tell you to touch the kid.”

“I didn’t touch the kid,” Leo’s eyes rolled. “I got him a funnel cake—” “I don’t give a fuck—” the slamming of Tommy’s fist against the table brings the room to a brief silence. The eyes that he has attracted linger on Tommy as his glare nearly burns a hole through his brother. Rogers shrugs off the wall nearby. He takes a step of warning in Tommy’s direction. “—what you did, Leo—it was stupid.”

“How else was I supposed to get him to talk to me?”

Tommy’s response comes out slowly. Each passing word increases his irritation.

“You didn’t need him to talk to you because I didn’t ask you to talk to him. Buying him a funnel cake, or whatever the fuck your grand plan was allowed the kid to see your face. He can open up his mouth and ID you—”

“ID me,” Leo snorts, dismissing Tommy’s claim. “Relax, Tommy. He’s not a state witness, he’s a kid—“

“Yeah, and according to you and his 'boujee ass prep school,' he’s a smart ass fucking kid, Leo.” Tommy lets out a long sigh. “The last thing I need is the kid opening his mouth to his mom about some random guy approaching him.”

“Don’t worry, I played it cool. Told him I was a friend of his dad. Maybe, if you had told me exactly why I went there I wouldn’t—”

It was something Tommy had explained to his brother during their last visit. The less you know, the better.

“I already told you,” Tommy rubs at his temple, the sudden throbbing causing his jaw to clench. “I needed to double-check something.”

“And that’s what I did.” Leo sighs. “What I want to know is, why the fuck you called me all the way down here to check pictures in some house.”

Tommy studies his brother for a moment. He shifts forward, his elbows settling against the table.

“You wanna know why I didn’t tell you? You don’t think, Leo. I ask you to do one thing—one fucking thing—and you almost fuck it up. If I wanted you to think I wouldn’t have told you exactly what to do.” Leo’s jaw tightens as his brother continues. “You trying to think leads to you doing dumb shit like kidnapping her fucking son—”

“I didn’t kidnap him,” Leo mumbles.

Tommy’s fingers massage his clenched fist. “You’re lucky I can’t reach across this fucking table right now.”

Leo’s gaze drops from his brothers. The look that lies in Tommy’s eyes is one he’s seen before—at least not directed at him. It’s the look that accompanied the acts that earned Tommy his nickname. Leo’s gaze nervously shifts towards Rogers who is still watching Tommy from his post.

“What do you want with her? Thinking she’s gonna give you a shot? Criminal is her type, and she’s definitely yours.”

“It’s not her I need. It’s Angel.” Tommy starts, his jaw tightening as his gaze remains on Leo. “And if you want Angel, you need her.”

“If she’s as good as you say, what do you need Angel for? You’ve been talking about her like she might actually get you off.”

Leo steals a brave glance at his brother. He watches as Tommy looks up from his tattooed knuckles.

“No matter how hard you pray, people like me and you don't come out on the right side of the law. No matter how fucking good she is, she can't get me out of this. This shit is stacked too high against me." Tommy’s gaze shifts to the clock overhead. “Did you find the necklace?”

Leo nods as Tommy stands.

“Good, go ahead and do what I asked.” Tommy pauses, his voice lowering as his gaze meets his brothers. “Nothing else, Leonardo. The time I'm looking at right now, I’ll fucking kill you right here if you pull some shit like that again.”

At some point Monday night, Angel abandoned his spot on the sofa to crawl into bed with you. His intention may have been to take one side of the bed, but to no surprise, he has failed.

You came to this revelation at two o’clock in the morning when you tried to roll over but found it to be impossible. You have been stuck on your back ever since. You attempted to fall back asleep but have not been able to.

Cheek pressed against your chest, arm wrapped around your waist, Angel hasn’t moved. He doesn’t move when your alarm goes off at 7:30 or when the knock comes on the door at 8:00.

The sleep Angel lost, the past two days over Tommy seems to have piled onto him. He only wakes when your fingers brush through his hair, the warmth of your touch lingering against his cheek.

“You have to get up and eat something.”

“I’m not hungry.” Angel mumbles. The sunlight peeking through the curtains prompts him to burrow his face against your neck. “I’m tired.”

“Yeah, I can tell,” you smile softly. “But, I’m hungry, and I can’t get our food with you laying on top of me.”

Your words are met with a huff before Angel rolls over. Resting on his back, he watches the fan spin as you get out of bed.

His first instinct is to check his phone. He pushes himself up, his body protesting with the sudden movement, once he realizes his cellphone is not where he left it.

“Where’s my phone?”

His palms pressed against his eyes as he pushes away the enticing thought of laying back down for a few more hours of sleep.

“It kept going off,” you look up from the plate in your hand. “Ezekiel kept texting you.”

“What did he want?”

Angel watches you shrug. “I don’t know. I put it in the drawer. I tried to wake you up, but you were literally dead.”

Angel releases a sigh of relief before reaching over to open the bedside drawer. Facedown, his phone has several notifications. He ignores the rest, focusing on those from his younger brother.

2:30 a.m. 📲 : You still up?

2:35 a.m. 📲 : Talked to Bishop. Found out what the shipment was

3:00 a.m. 📲 : Pretty sure I found something else

3:02 a.m. 📲 : Don’t know if this is the guy. If it is we might have a problem

3:03 a.m. 📲: Found this in the paper

3:04 a.m. 📲 : Check it out and call me back.

The last incoming message was a photo, the front page of the Daily Imperial Gazette. Angel scans the article as you climb back into bed. A few phrases stick as he reads, “Man charged in Santo Padre murder…” “Thomas Flores, 30, has been charged…” “...obtained representation from Lorente & Rothman…” “...Friday, Flores was denied bond…”

“I have to tell you something.”

Angel instinctively hits the power button on his phone. Glancing up, he realizes you haven’t even bothered to look up at him. Your focus is on the half-eaten croissant in your hand.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” you explain as you take another bite of your croissant. “The case Samuel gave me—the one Aiden is helping me with—it’s for this guy. His name’s Tommy Flores. He has some pretty...intense charges, so you’re probably going to hear people talking about it soon. We had court Friday, and the judge...he’s pretty tough. He denied any form of a bond, he didn’t even bother trying to set a ridiculously high one.”

You glance up to find Angel’s eyes on you. His unreadable expression causes your brow to furrow. You mistake the look in his eyes as uncertainty.

“I honestly don’t think it’s anything you have to worry about.” Offering him a smile, you lightly roll your eyes. “But I’m going to have to start working late when we get back, so I need to know that what happened Friday won’t happen again.”

You wait for Angel’s response, but it doesn’t come.

“If I take over morning drop-offs, can I count on you to pick Jeyson up after school?” You continue. “Or, do I have to ask Isabela to do it...Angel?”

Angel blinks as your fingers snap.

“Are you listening to me?” The irritation he finds as his focus shifts to you causes him to nod.

Angel nods a second time as he takes in the look of skepticism on your face.

“Yeah, I’m listening.”

“So, you’re good with picking Jeyson up from school?” You clarify. “Every day of the week?”

Angel unlocks his phone, nodding for the third time. “Yeah. I’ll pick him up.”

“And if you can’t,” you reach forward. You catch Angel's chin forcing him to look at you. “You call and let me know the moment you find out?”

Nodding, Angel drops his eyes the second your gaze meets his. “I gotta call Ez.”

Despite his admission, your hand doesn’t drop preventing him from getting up. For a moment, Angel thinks you’ll let it go. For once, you will ignore the feeling you get each time you notice a change in him. It is something no one else in his life can seem to do. It is something you’ve been able to do your entire life. It is something Angel wishes you couldn’t do.

“What’s wrong?”

Angel shakes his head as you release him. He keeps his eyes trained on the plate in your lap avoiding your gaze as your touch brushes through his hair. It's a habit. Angel knows the moment he meets your gaze he’ll tell you whatever is on his mind. It’s impossible not to do when he knows you can read him best that way. He picks up what’s left of your croissant and takes a bite.

You sit your plate aside before closing the distance between the two of you. Angel’s eyes lift to meet yours as you settle on his lap. The warmth of your palms finds his cheeks as you take his face in your hands.

“I’ve known you nearly my entire life, Angel. I know you don’t believe it, but I can tell when you’re lying to me. Just like I can tell when you’re upset and anxious. And when you’re going to annoy me.” The soft smile on your lips brings a weak one to his. “There’s no point in trying to act like I don’t. What’s wrong?”

“You were right about Friday night. I wasn’t with Samuel. I wasn’t even in Santo Padre.” Angel lets out a deep breath. His voice low as your fingers toys with the hair at the nape of his neck. “Ez and I were in Mexico. I left when you were in court. I knew we weren’t going to make it back in time, but I didn’t want to have to tell you because I knew you’d be pissed.”

“What happened to your hand?”

He watches you lift it. Your finger traces the bandage.

“Cut it on a shovel.”

Your gaze lifts to find his focus on the path your finger traces.

“...okay.”

Angel shook his head. “It’s not okay—I fucked up. Forreal this time—“

"What? On Friday?” You let out a deep breath. “Angel, I know I freaked out. Missing the recital—yeah, it was fucked up—but it is not the worse thing you’ve done.”

“I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve that.” Your eyes watch him release a tired laugh, his gaze down. "You defend me, even when you shouldn’t.”

It is true. Defending Angel has been second nature your entire life. Often you do it in response to others. But also in response to him. When you were teenagers, you learned a valuable lesson about him. Angel is his worst critic. He’ll talk himself down harsher than anyone, even those who hate him.

“It’s because I love you.” Your arms wrap around his neck pulling him into a hug. “Just because we fight and say stupid things to each other doesn’t mean that I don’t love you, Angel. If I haven’t been able to stop doing that our entire time together, I don’t know why you think a fight in a therapy session is going to be the final straw. Me not talking to you is just the easiest way for me not to say something I’ll regret later.”

Angel’s grip tightens around you as your lips press against his skin.

“At this point, there isn’t anything you can do or say that’s going to make me stop loving you.” The reassurance in your voice lifts his gaze to yours. “Okay?”

Your lips press against his in a soft kiss. You leave a second against his forehead before getting up.

“I have to take a shower,” you announce as Angel’s arm wraps around your waist guiding your body back towards his. Your fingers drift into his hair as his head rests against you. “There’s more food you should eat before we go out.”

The two of you stay that way for nearly a minute. Angel releases you as the sound of your ringing phone fills the air.

Silence from Angel Reyes is a bad sign. Such a rarity, it wrings your stomach into knots. It has been hours since you woke to find him sleeping against you. Angel has said just as little as he did in the morning. When you stepped out of the shower, you found him fully dressed and brushing his teeth.

You glance over your shoulder to find he’s standing where you last left him. Arms crossed over his chest Angel rests against the wall as far from the line as possible. With his sunglasses on, you can’t tell where he’s looking. The corner of his lips turns up into a small smile as you come to a stop before him.

“Who knew smoothies took forever to make,” he sighs as your arms wrap around his waist.

Resting your cheek against Angel's chest, you tighten your grip. You listen to the steady rhythm of his heart as his lips press against your hair.

“I want you to come somewhere with me tonight.”

“No,” Angel chuckles. You tip your head back, pouting as his gaze drops to yours.

He shakes his head as your weight shifts to your toes.

“Please,” you ask, your lips pressing a kiss against his.

“Last time I did that, you ripped me to shreds,” he laughs. “I haven’t even had time to recover from that.”

“It’ll be fun,” you promise. The second kiss you leave morphs Angel's smile into a grin. You leave a third, this one against his cheek. “I promise.”

Angel releases a long breath as you take a step back, a grin on your face.

“It better be,” he shakes his head as you quickly press a final kiss against his lips before turning to retrieve your order.

As you reach the corner, your cell phone vibrates in your back pocket. You don’t bother checking who it is. Aiden has called you three times. You had sent him a text message in response to his first three calls. Telling him to ask Isabela for help on whatever he needed.

The moment the call goes to voicemail, the vibration picks back up.

You force yourself to take a breath as Angel leads you outside.

“Hi, Aiden--”

“I know this week is supposed to be for you and Angel,” Aiden's voice comes out in a rushed whisper. “But, I need your help.”

“Where are you?” You ask as you take a sip of your smoothie. “And, why are you whispering?”

“I’m at the courthouse,” Aiden sighs. “I’ve been here all morning, and they’re giving me the run-around.”

“About what?”

“The Warden called the office this morning. You weren’t there, so I answered your desk phone. He didn’t give me many details, just that Flores was detained last night. They couldn't get him to say anything—to no surprise—but one of the guards said he was involved in an altercation with another inmate. Apparently, Tommy messed him up pretty bad—like...transported to the local hospital bad.”

Angel glances over at you as you slip out of his grip. You take a seat at the table he stops alongside.

In the short time, you’ve worked with Aiden, you’ve learned one thing. The moment he thinks there is something to panic about, Aiden will panic. So, if you sound stressed it kicks off his panicking.

Resting your face in your hand, you speak quietly. “So, he wasn't transferred on Friday as I'd requested? If he was he couldn't have gotten in a fight.”

“I know. Apparently this isn't the first one he's been in. The Warden said he looks like he’s been roughed up in the past few days. I’ve been here since first thing this morning—”

“Let me guess.” You rest back against your seat. “They told you there’s nothing they can do, with the prison being at full capacity they don’t have a cell for him?”

A brief silence falls over the receiver. Aiden’s brow furrows.

“Yeah—how'd you know?”

“That’s because it’s bullshit,” you pinch the bridge of your nose. “Judge Miller was hoping you’d leave and not press the issue.”

“Shit,” Aiden mumbles. “Shit, should I call Samuel—”

“God no. Aiden, I’ll tell you what to do, and say, just relax.”

“I lied to you.”

Angel glances down at you as your lips press against his knuckles. “About what?”

“About wanting to wait to get married.”

Your admission leaves Angel quiet. He opens his mouth to speak, but it closes as you place a second kiss against his skin.

You tilt your head back to find his eyes focused on the water.

“I was talking to Izzy the other day—not about getting married—but about you and...I mean...we’re trying to have another kid.” You backtrack as his gaze drifts to you. “That’s not the only reason, but I don’t want to spend another seven years playing house with you, Angel. I have tried so hard to find reasons why we should just leave each other in the past, but it’s impossible. I can’t help thinking that we’ve wasted so much time trying to fight it we should just get married.”

If he is excited by your words, Angel doesn’t show it. If he’s anxious by your words Angel doesn’t show it. The only response he gives is the furrowing of his brow as his pace slows before coming to a complete stop.

“I thought you’d be...a little happier,” you admit. The butterflies in your stomach seem to double in size as Angel's gaze focuses on your interlaced fingers.

“Right now?” Angel gently squeezes your hand, the smile slowly spreading across his lips causing you to shake your head. “A fancy place like this I’m pretty sure we could find someone to do it tonight.”

“Preferably with your son there,” you giggle as his lips press against your forehead.

“Just so you know,” Angel mumbles as he leaves a kiss against your lips. “You can’t take it back.”

“It’d be pointless,” you admit, your eyes focused on the incoming tide. “Regardless of what I say, you’re impossible to escape.”

“Like you said, it must be fate,” he teases as you step back towards the security of the shore.

“I didn’t say fate. I said I was tired of trying to outrun you.”

Angel’s eyes roll. “Okay.”

Pushing against his chest, you cause him to stumble backward making it impossible for him to avoid the incoming tide.

“Fuck—”

Angel’s scream is drowned out by the sound of your laughter. He tries to escape the chilled water but realizes it’s pointless as a second wave rolls through.

“Is it cold?” You ask the grin on your face prompting him to take a step in your direction. “Because it looked like it was cold.” The look on his face causes your laughter to return.

“You’re about to find out how cold it is.” The promise in his voice causes you to take a step back.

You catch sight of Angel’s smile before you take off running.

Between the giggles that leave you breathless and the sand between your feet, you don’t get very far before Angel’s arms wrap around you.

“I’m sorry, okay. Let me go, please?” Angel’s grip loosens as you turn to face him. “I really am sorry.”

A gasp escapes your lips as your feet leave the ground. Blood rushes to your head as Angel tosses you over your shoulder. It only takes a second for you to realize he’s turned and is carrying you back towards the water.

“Angel Ignacio Reyes put me down now!”

“Be careful what you wish for, baby girl,” Angel chuckles as he carries you into the water.

It doesn’t matter that you’re both fully clothed Angel carries you out until the water is waist-deep. He comes to a stop. Shifting you in his arms, he grins as your arms instantly wrap around his neck.

“You think this is far enough?” He asks as you take in your surroundings.

“I hate you,” you giggle as you meet his playful gaze.

“I could go further out,” he takes a step forward.

“Just do it.”

Judging by the mischievous grin on his lips, you expect him to drop you in. For whatever reason, Angel spares you a dunking. Instead, he carefully lowers you to your feet.

The chill of the water causes your grip to tighten around him. He waits until you’re standing to let go of you.

You can’t suppress the smile that finds your lips as he kisses you.

“You’re lucky you buttered me up beforehand,” he chuckles as you step around him.

He follows you back to shore watching as you glance down the beach, back towards the lights of the hotel. Your pace slows as you start in the direction of the hotel.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Despite the nod of reassurance, you force yourself to take another breath. You shake your head slightly, a tiny smile finding your lips. It takes a third breath for the feeling to pass. “I just—got lightheaded for a second.”

“Uh-huh. Funny how you get ‘lightheaded’ the second I take my shirt off. I don’t know why you still try and play this game at this point.”

Your eyes open in time to allow you the moment you need to react. Catching the shirt tossed your way, you watch Angel unzip his jeans.

"Angel put your shirt back on–I’m serious.” The warning in your voice stretches the smile on Angel’s lips. Your eyes leave him, long enough to drift back to the glow of the hotel’s lanterns still visible. The laughter and music cause you to step in his direction. “You are not getting naked on the beach! Are you trying to get us kicked out of here—”

“I wasn’t planning on going in naked,” Angel laughs. It is an admission of truth, but the sight of your panicked gaze causes a mischievous grin to take over his features. “But, I’m down to if you are—“

“No—"

“You know what?” Angel nods as he tugs his foot out of his jeans. “Your plan is better.”

“Angel—“

There’s no point throwing in a protest. Angel has fully stripped down to his briefs.

You step forward as he moves to push them down.

“I am serious, Angel. Do not do it.”

He rolls his neck before letting out a loud, and exaggerated, “fine.”

“But the only way that’s coming back on,” he nods towards the shirt in your hands before taking a step back. “You gotta join me.”

“I’m not doing this.”

Angel shoots you a look of skepticism as he takes another step towards the water.

“You’re already wet,” he chuckles. “Might as well get in.”

You remain where you are as Angel turns and makes his way into the water.

He waits until he’s waist-deep to start swimming out. He disappears out of sight as you drop his shirt to the ground. Stepping out of your flip-flops, you roll your eyes as you watch him resurface under the moonlight.

“Hurry up!” Even with the distance between the two of you, you can see Angel’s grin in your mind perfectly.

Despite your initial protest, you stay in the water for nearly an hour. Angel stands alongside you. His right-hand rests against your spine, his left interlaced with yours as your float. He watches you, his eyes admiring the moonlight against your skin as you focus on the stars above.

“I can’t remember the last time I looked at these,” you admit.

He smiles as your eyes drift shut. “Mom used to freak every time she caught us sneaking onto the roof to look at them.”

“That’s because you fell off one time. Nearly gave her a heart attack.”

“Wouldn’t have been the first time.”

You bite back a smile as Angel’s lips lightly brush against yours. They drift to the bridge of your nose as you release a soft giggle.

“Speaking of mom’s, yours came by last week.” Angel watches as the smile on your face slowly fades. “You were at work. I was taking Jeyson to school. She said she’s been calling you.”

“I wouldn’t know,” you admit. “She’s blocked.”

“I was thinking...since we’re heading back a day early, we should stop by your mom’s on the way back–”

“No.”

Angel releases a deep breath. He wasn’t naive to think you would jump at the idea. But, since seeing her, Angel couldn’t get the thought out of his mind.

“I know ya’ll don’t get along, but my mom’s not here to see Jeyson grow up. I think he should be able to know the grandparents he has left.”

“I get that, but I’m not doing it.”

Your eyes remain closed as you concentrate on the waves gently pushing against your skin.

Angel doesn’t say anything else on the subject. He knows your response will stay the same. It has for the past nine years. He also doesn’t say anything else because he knows he’s the reason you won’t budge.

The hatred your mother has for Angel may be misplaced, but she is too stubborn to admit it. She has always blamed Angel for many of your actions, starting when you were kids. Anytime you didn’t go through with what she had planned for you, Angel was to blame. You missed curfew in high school Angel was to blame. You skipped school on your birthday Angel was to blame. You didn’t attend the college she spent her entire life preparing you for Angel was to blame. You got pregnant out of wedlock Angel was to blame.

It had all came to a head at your baby shower. Angel wasn’t there, but it was the first time he’d ever seen his mother truly angry. Sure, Marisol had gotten mad at Angel countless times. But seeing how mad Marisol was as she recounted the fight she had witnessed between you and your mother, Angel was shocked.

He never asked what words were exchanged, and he didn’t have to. All he knew was that from that moment forward, everyone avoided the subject of your mother.

“I get what you’re saying, Angel,” you sigh. “But, if my mom truly wanted to get to know Jeyson she would apologize. I can’t bring our son around someone that has said the things she’s said about you. If she can say them about you, she can say them about him because Jeyson is your son.”

“Shit, I really look as bad as I feel?”

The smile on Tommy’s face grows as you look up. The heat covering your skin seems to rise as you start to speak.

“No—” You wince. “I’m sorry for staring—it’s rude.”

“It’s all good,” Tommy chuckles as he watches your eyes leave his.

He watches as you bite your lip. Whatever is on your mind, you don’t share it. Instead, your eyes linger on the bruise beneath his right eye. You’ve seen enough damage on Angel to know how bad it must have looked a few days prior.

“Hey, relax.” Tommy shifts forward in his seat, the sound of his shackles dragging across the table causing your attention to refocus. He meets your gaze. “The Doc cleared me—gave me my two Advil and sent me back to my cell. I think it’s safe to say I’m not gonna die.”

Despite the smile on his face, your head still shakes.

“Yeah, but I still feel bad that it happened. I was supposed to double-check the clearance of your paperwork.”

“Trust me, it’s not your fault,” Tommy chuckles. He watches your eyes drop to his freshly bruised knuckles. “It’s mine. The funny thing about this place is, you always run into people from your past. My mom used to said I never knew when to stop talking. I might have said the wrong thing at the wrong time.”

You watch as Tommy’s eyes briefly drift over your shoulder to where Rogers sits in the corner. His smile returns as his gaze drifts back to you.

“So, I take it you had fun.” He notes your raised brow before backtracking. “The Warden said he called your office and your boyfriend answered, said you were out of town.”

Your eyes roll. “Hey, go easy on my boyfriend. He’s the one who went to the courthouse. From what I hear, he slammed Judge Miller hard because your paperwork has been approved.”

You take in Tommy’s skepticism. You slide the signed form across the table, allowing him a better view.

“Signed by the Warden as well,” you point out. “Thanks to Aiden as soon as we’re done here, you’re being moved out of the unit.”

“No shit?” Tommy chuckles. He nods in approval as he scans the form. “I’ll be sure to thank Aiden when I see him. Guess you were right. He’s got some balls after all...Look, I know I’m not the easiest client….so um….Thanks for pushing for this. Making sure everything was straight. Most people would’ve just left me where I was.”

“Yeah, well I can’t have you die before I get fully paid.”

The laugh Tommy releases brings a smile to your lips. He settles back against his chair as you pick up your pen.

"I need you to understand that this new assignment may not be your favorite," you explain. "You're being moved to a new unit, but I can't get you moved again. That means, you can't do anything else, Tommy. Do you understand me?"

Tommy nods. He looks up as your hand finds his.

"This," your lift his hand forcing him to take in his swollen knuckles. "The shit you pulled. You're lucky they didn't throw you in AdSeg. That's 23 hours in your cell. No phone calls, no visits. Nothing. The only reason they didn't throw you in there is because they messed up, and didn't want Aiden to draw a motion against the judge. I don't care what you have to do, but you better learn to walk away from a fight. Now."

"I know." Tommy sighs as you let him go.

“Then do it. My job is already hard enough as it is. I can't have you trying to kill someone while you're already here for murder. Plus, the judge is pissed because of the paperwork Aiden had to file. That's not good for either of us. So, that means I need your help.”

His brow raises, the corners of his lips turning up into a smirk. “I thought I was supposed to be the one asking for help.”

“True, but help is a two-way street.”

Tommy hesitates for a moment. His eyes drop to his knuckles as he lets off a light shrug.

“What do you need?”

“For you to tell me why you were meeting with Alexander Maddox the night you were arrested.”

Tommy’s smile fades quicker than it came. His jaw tightens as he shakes his head.

You sit forward resting your elbows on the table.

“Tommy, if it’s about the MC.” Tommy’s eyes lift for a brief second. Long enough for you to catch a glimpse of the shock in his eyes. You lower your voice. “I know you’re with the Horsemen—”

Tommy shakes his head. “Look—I get you got a job to do, but—there’s just shit with the MC I can’t talk about—”

“I know how this stuff works—”

“Got a lot of personal experience with an MC?” Tommy asks.

His question causes you to release a deep breath.

“If you don’t want to tell me anything, fine. But when it comes down to it, Tommy. People will cut you off to save themselves.” The irritation in your voice lifts his gaze. “That shipment you were carrying, was not a dime bag. Your brothers will let you go down for this. Hard. They will let you rot in here for the rest of your fucking life if it means avoiding a R.I.C.O. case.”

Tommy’s brow furrows. “What’s a R.I.C.O.?”

His question throws you off. The pure confusion on his face causes you to backtrack.

“You seriously don’t know what that is?”

“I mean—I’ve heard of it...how do you know what it is?”

“It’s what you pay me for,” you remind him.

“Then I guess I’m paying you to explain it to me.”

The moment you step outside of the elevator, you come face to face with a wide-eyed Isabela.

“Is your phone dead?” She asks the irritation in her voice causing your brow to arch.

“Off—I had a client meeting with Tommy. I thought I told you—”

Isabela ignores your response, her eyes focused in the direction of your office. “Yeah, whatever. I’ve been calling you for the last freaking hour—”

“Sorry—ow.” You wince as Isabela catches your arm. She pulls you to a stop. “What?”

She releases her grip, but she sidesteps. Blocking your path, Isabela places both hands on your shoulders. She ignores the look of confusion on your face, her gaze studying yours.

“How are you?”

Her question causes you to hesitate. “...Fine...why?”

Isabela takes another moment to study your eyes as if she doesn’t fully believe you before nodding.

“Just so you know,” she sighs as she takes a step back. “I did not let her in. Aiden did. He didn’t know any better—bless his heart—”

“What are you talking about?”

“Your mother.” Isabela winces at the look on your face. “She’s in your office. Promise me you won’t make a scene.”

“It’s never me you have to worry about,” you mumble.

When you enter your office, you find your mother is not where Aiden asked her to sit and wait for you.

She is standing behind your desk studying a photo that she holds in her hands.

“Put it back.”

She jumps at the sound of your voice, her body turning so that she faces you.

“Put it back, please.”

Her eyes return to the photo of Angel seated on his bike. A grinning Jeyson is seated in front of him, clinging to the handlebars.

“He looks so much like his father.”

You cross the room. Taking the photo, you place it back in its original resting place before dropping your purse onto your desk.

“What do you want?” You ask as you watch step around your desk.

“Is that a way to greet your mother?”

“According to the last time we spoke, I don’t have one.” You recollect as you take a seat. “It’s been...nearly nine years, so my memory might be a little hazy, but I’m pretty sure that’s what you told me.” Your brow furrows as she moves to take the seat across from you. “There’s no need for you to sit. This conversation won’t last long. I have a meeting in a few minutes. What do you want?”

Your mother’s jaw tightens as she remains standing. Her eyes roll as she speaks. “I take it he didn’t pass along my message.”

“He did pass along your message, actually,” you admit. “Believe it or not, Angel said I should call you and listen to what you had to say. I just chose to do what I’ve done for the past nine years—ignore it. If you’re not going to answer my question, mom, then you can leave.”

“Your father and I want to see our grandson—”

“No.”

She expects more, but your attention has already moved on to the papers you’ve dropped onto your desk.

“See, I told you the conversation wouldn’t last long.”

“Y/N,” your mother objects. “It’s been nearly nine years.”

Your fingers interlaced as you force yourself to take a deep breath. You surprise even yourself as your voice comes out quiet and calm.

“I told you before. I do not want you near my son, and I meant it. I don’t care what excuse you’ve come here to give today. I’m not changing my mind. Your only hope is to speak with his father, and hope he’s more forgiving than I am.”

Aiden stops in the doorway, his eyes widening as he reads the room. He takes a step back but pauses as you give him a warm smile.

“Hi, Aiden! Please tell me you haven’t eaten lunch yet.”

“No,” Aiden clears his throat. His eyes briefly pass to your mother whose gaze remains on you. “I haven’t.”

“Good. Can you order two of whatever you’re having? I’ll pay. We have to go ahead and look over this case.”

Aiden nods as you add, “great. Can you also escort my mother downstairs? She’s ready to leave.”

“I’m sorry for ruining your retreat.”

Aiden’s apology breaks your concentration.

Seated on the floor of your office, Aiden has his back pressed against your desk. His usually polished appearance is disheveled. His sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, the top buttons of his shirt undone. His tie and jacket are discarded on the back of your chair.

His apology is one he has been working himself up to share for the last three hours. Each time he thought of sharing it, he’s backed out. At this point, he’s run out of pointless conversation and has reached the bottom of your takeout container that he took over.

“What are you talking about?”

Aiden’s eyes remain on the chopsticks in his hand.

“Isabela told me not to call you about Tommy,” he clears his throat. He steals a glance in your direction. “She said it should wait until you got back—but as usual—I panicked and called you. Now you’re back early--”

“Aiden, you didn’t ruin my retreat,” you sigh. Your palms rub against your tired eyes. “It was rocky was to begin with.”

The admission silences the office. Aiden nods before opening his mouth.

“So,” you smile as you lightly bump his shoulder with yours. “Please, don’t worry about it. Angel was probably happy you called so he could leave.”

Your gaze returns to the slow-paced printer. Upon learning you were coming home early, Aiden had sent you a text message.

📲: I have some stuff to show you about Tommy.

And by “some stuff” Aiden meant a board. He had stolen one of Samuel’s whiteboards from the conference room. The entire surface is covered in your notes and information from Tommy’s files.

“I can’t believe you did all this while I was gone,” you stare at the board. “Your girlfriend might think you’re spending too much time on me.”

Aiden’s smile is sheepish. “If I had one, I wouldn’t have had time to do this.”

“Well, remind me to find you one because this is amazing.” The tease causes Aiden’s smile to grow. “I’m serious, Aiden. I can’t believe you thought you couldn’t be any help.”

“I didn’t really do anything,” he shrugs, his gaze focused on the paper in his hand. “They’re all your notes, I just organized them.”

His eyes widen, a grin finding his lips as your arms wrap around his neck.

“Call it whatever you want,” you smile. “But I still get to say thank you.”

“It’s not a big deal,” he rubs the back of his neck before glancing over at you. “We’re a team….speaking of...I found this.”

The picture he lifts is not new. It is one you’ve seen before. Your brow furrows as you take in the pregnant woman on display.

“I already know who that is,” you admit. “It’s the girlfriend of—”

“Alexander Maddox.” Aiden nods. “Right. I kept going back to your notes. You had one question. Why was Tommy meeting with Maddox in the first place?”

Your head shakes the confusion on your face prompting the rolling of Aiden’s eyes.

“How is this the answer?”

“You were asking the wrong question.” A mischievous grin slides onto his face as Aiden realizes you’re still not following his train of thought. “I can’t believe I figured something out before you—”

“Oh my goodness, Aiden—”

“When he was arrested, Tommy was carrying a shipment--”

“Yeah, something he shouldn’t have been doing by himself.”

Aiden’s brow arches. “You got a history of drug trafficking I don’t know about?”

“You’d be surprised what you pick up on this job.”

Aiden shakes his head as you motion for him to continue.

“While I was working, I kept thinking back to our conversation at the courthouse,” Aiden continues. “You said Tommy’s smart—"

“He uses people to get what he wants.”

“Exactly,” Aiden grins. He lifts the picture in his hand. “Why would Maddox meet up with someone from a rival club, in the middle of the night, with his pregnant girlfriend in tow if he was threatened by them?”

Aiden doesn’t bother answering the question. Instead, he waits for you to make the connection. The smile on his face remains as your eyes widen.

“Because he was there to make a deal.”

“Exactly!” Despite the smile on your face, Aiden’s face dampens. “...but that’s as far as I got. I don’t really know what made Tommy kill him—”

“Of course you do, Aiden.” Despite your reassurance and the confidence in your voice, Aiden’s expression hasn’t changed. “Your brain just needs a second to catch up. Maddox didn’t keep up his end of the deal. He probably tried to screw Tommy over. Not realizing that Tommy would kill him, girlfriend in tow.”

"Well, now we know why Tommy's been tight-lipped about that night. Probably doesn't want it to get out that he was skimming from the club's business."

The hug you give him brings the same response as before.

“I should help you out more often.” Aiden chuckles as you give him a squeeze.

“Careful,” you tease. “Angel’s not too fond of sharing.”

“Speaking of Angel…” Aiden’s gaze meets yours. “I know you asked me not to say anything to him about Samuel—”

“It’s okay.”

Aiden nods, but he continues. His rambling brings a soft smile to your lips.

“Yeah, but I just...I didn’t want you to think I was okay with what Samuel did.” His words come out quietly as he shakes his head. “The way he talked to you...it wasn’t right. You work harder than anyone here—including him—and for Samuel to do that was fucked up. I didn’t say anything in the meeting, and I should have. So, I just...I told Angel when he asked about it.”

“He would have found out eventually,” you laugh softly. “Besides, now Angel likes you.”

“For real?” The smile on Aiden’s face stretches into a grin as you nod.

A silence falls over the office as Aiden’s head rests against the desk. His brow furrows as your eyes fall to your hands. There is a final question on his mind. One he’s tried to find a way to raise since he started flipping through your notes on Saturday morning.

“Are you pregnant?”

The question lifts your gaze.

Aiden reaches into the pocket of his shirt. Your eyes widen as you take in the white card he produces. It is a card you spent the entire morning trying to find. The scheduled appointment one you have yet to share with Angel.

“It was in the notebook you turned over for me and Samuel to review,” Aiden explains as he passes the card over. “Don’t worry. I saw it before he did...I figured he was the last person you wanted to know.”

Your eyes focus on the date. A week and a half away. The initial scheduling may have been premature, but you couldn’t shake the feeling Angel was right.

“Uh...no—I mean, it’s too early to tell.” You turn the card over before looking up. “I should know by this date, so can you not tell anyone about this? I haven’t even told Izzy...or Angel for that matter. I don’t want to say anything until I’m a hundred percent sure.”

Aiden nods, a soft smile on his lips. “Of course.”

“Thanks.” You allow your head to rest back against the desk. “I don’t want to get Angel’s hopes up too early.”

It was the only thought you’ve had from the moment you woke up alongside Angel that moment. But as you glance back at the card in your hand, you know the truth has nothing to do with Angel. It’s not his hopes that you’re afraid of letting down.

You place the card aside, pulling your knees to your chest. Your gaze drifts to the board before you. The two of you sit in silence, eyes focused on your work. Silently willing your brains to come up with one more revelation before packing it up for the night.

"Alright," Aiden huffs. "I think we've gotten as far as we can get tonight."

HIs brow furrows, a chuckle filling the air as he fingers brush against your arm.

"Didn't take you for a tattoo person."

You glance over at him, following his gaze to the ink on your arm.

"Yeah, well, you've never been dragged to a tattoo parlor with Angel," you laugh. "Now, I try to avoid them at all cost."

"It's pretty cool," he grins, his eyes lingering on the design. "He has one too? Matching?"

"Yep," your eyes roll lightly. "Please don't tease me about teenage decisions."

"I won't," he chuckles. Aiden sits forward, lightly patting your leg before moving to collect the trash.

“Aiden?”

“Huh?” He glances up from the takeout containers in his hands.

“How long was he in Chino?”

“Tommy...uh, hold on.” Balancing the containers in his left, Aiden quickly rifles through the stacks of papers spread across the floor before him. “Says here...he was in Chino for....30 months.”

“Any way we can figure out where he was housed?”

“I don’t know,” Aiden admits as his eyes scan the wrap sheet. “His charges were nothing compared to now. Petty crime, so he wasn’t housed at maximum. Why?”

Once his question is met with silence, Aiden glances over his shoulder at you.

“What’s wrong?” The concern in his eyes slowly morphs to fear as he takes in your expression. “Did I miss something?”

“No, I did.”

“What do you mean?”

Before he can pose the question, you’re already pushing yourself to your feet.

“Go home, okay? It’s getting late—don’t worry about the mess. I’ll clean it up in the morning.”

Although you’ve managed to mask your expression, the trembling of your hands causes Aiden’s brow to furrow.

“You sure?” He objects. He quickly stands, stopping you from grabbing your keys from your desk. “I can send an email about his placement in Chino—”

“No.” Your response comes out more panicked than you want. You quickly backtrack. The reassuring smile you give Aiden not holding the weight it’s meant to. “I’ll do it in the morning. I have to go see Angel.”

“Okay.” Aiden nods. He passes over the sheet watching as you excuse yourself.

Jeyson Reyes sits at the table in the center of the clubhouse, his math homework abandoned. His attention is devoted to the bowl of skittles in front of him. He has spent that past minute carefully picking out his least favorite skittles—the yellow.

“Word on the street is you got a birthday coming up,” Angel accepts another yellow skittle before popping it in his mouth. Jeyson’s eyes widen as he briefly pauses the task at hand. Angel’s brow furrows as his eyes study his son’s face. “How old are you turning again? Five—”

“Nine!”

“Nine? Nah--that can’t be right.” Angel shakes his head as he takes in Jeyson’s broad grin. “I don’t believe you—”

“Uh-huh,” Jeyson nods, dropping another skittle into his father’s palm. “I turn nine in seventeen days.”

“Shit—”

“That’s another dollar in the swear jar,” Jeyson reminds him as he passes Angel another skittle.

“I know,” Angel chuckles. He rests back against his seat, his eyes lingering on your son as he quietly admits. “I can’t believe you’re that old.”

Jeyson’s nose scrunches. “I’m not old.”

“Yeah, you are,” Angel laughs, his hand brushing against Jeyson’s hair. “You’re almost an adult.”

“I’m still a kid,” Jeyson giggles as his eyes lift to meet his father’s. “You’re old—”

“Hey—I am not old,” Angel retorts, the feigned look of offense causing your son’s giggles to increase.

Jeyson reaches over pointing towards the beard Angel’s hand passes over. “You have gray hair—lots of it.”

His father’s gaze narrows as Jeyson’s grin stretches as far as his cheeks will allow. As if to soften the blow, Jeyson drops two more skittles into Angel’s palm before eating one of his own.

Angel’s smile remains as he watches Jeyson redirect his attention back to the bowl of skittles on the table.

“Have you thought about what you want for your birthday?"

Jeyson shrugs. “Not really.”

“Not really?” Angel’s brow raises. “You’re counting down to your birthday, but you don’t know what you want?”

Jeyson lets off a second shrug, his concentration on the skittles causing Angel’s brow to furrow.

“You know we’re gonna end up getting whatever it is you want,” Angel smiles as he ruffles Jeyson’s hair. “You’ve been doing everything you’re supposed to in school.”

Despite Angel’s words, Jeyson’s gaze remains down. He chews on the inside of his cheek. The action causes his father to slide the bowl of skittles aside.

“What’s up? You don't think you can get what you want?”

Nearly a minute passes before Jeyson answers Angel’s question. His voice comes out quietly.

“I want you to stay at home.”

Angel’s brow furrows. The response is not what he’s anticipating. “I am staying at home.”

“My home, not yours.” Jeyson clarifies. “Where mom and I live.”

“That is where I’m staying.”

“You didn’t Friday. Is it because you don’t like living with us?” He asks quietly

Angel’s eyes drift shut, the tightening of his throat causing him to shake his head.

“Your mom and I—” Angel’s voice trails off as Jeyson looks up from the table to meet his gaze.

It is a conversation neither of them has breached before. One Jeyson has found himself thinking about more and more. One Angel knew he would eventually have with his son, but he hadn’t anticipated it to be now. He had also hoped you would be around to help him.

“You having two homes has nothing to do with me not wanting to live with you—or your mom. You don’t remember it, you were too little, but your mom and I...we used to fight a lot.” Angel continues. “I wasn’t nice to her, and I made her cry a lot. So I had to leave. I didn’t want to leave you or her, but I also didn’t want to hurt you or your mom. It took me a while to learn how not to do that. Friday...I couldn’t come home because I didn’t want to fight with your mom.”

“You still made her cry.”

“I know, and I’m sorry.” Leaning over, Angel brushes his hand against Jeyson’s hair. His touch forces Jeyson’s eyes to meet his. “You know how you and your friends get mad at each other? Sometimes we get mad at the people we love because we don’t see things the same way. But your mom being mad at me has nothing to do with you. Okay? Just because your mom and I might fight, it doesn’t mean I’m leaving.”

The soft smile Angel offers him prompts Jeyson to give him one in return.

“It doesn’t matter if I’m staying with you and your mom or at my house. I love you. That’s not ever gonna change. Never has, never will. Got it?”

Jeyson nods, his smile growing as Angel places a kiss against his skin.

As Jeyson's attention returns to the bowl of skittles, Angel reaches into his kutte. He pulls out the white envelope that he found in the mailbox upon your return home.

He studies the unfamiliar handwriting. Printed in block letters are his name and your address. His gaze passes over the generic American Flag stamp and date pressed into the right corner. The lack of a return address causes him to flip the envelope over.

Angel waits until he comes to a stop outside of the clubhouse to give the envelope a second glance. Tearing the side, he reaches inside pulling out a single index card. The handwriting matches that printed on the envelope.

An anniversary gift for the Old Lady.

Angel tips the envelope. His stomach tightens as the chill of a silver chain hits his palm. The buzzing of his phone in his kutte pocket goes ignored. He doesn’t need to unravel the chain to know who the necklace belongs to. He has looked at the necklace nearly every day since he was eighteen.

The continued vibration of his phone forces an irritated “fuck” from Angel’s lip before he pulls his phone out of his pocket.

“What?”

“This is a prepaid call from Thomas Flores, an inmate at the state correctional facility. All phone calls are subject to recording and monitoring. To decline the call, please press nine. To accept the call and all charges that will be incurred, please press one.”

Angel doesn’t remember committing the act of acceptance. A moment later, Tommy’s voice echoes through his receiver. For a man locked inside the walls of Stockton, his voice is calm and lighthearted.

“Damn, it’s been a minute since I’ve heard your voice, Reyes. Can you believe I missed it?”

“The feeling isn’t mutual,” Angel growls, his grip tightening around his phone. “How’d you get this number?”

“Come on, Reyes--give me some credit. I got it the same way I got your address,” Tommy chuckles. “I had to make sure to wish you a happy anniversary. It just passed, right? What is it six—no—seven years? Hopefully, the two of you are doing better these days—”

“Why are you calling?”

“That’s the funny thing,” Tommy sighs, the smile on his face stretches into a grin. “See, I was in my cell a few weeks back, thinking to myself—got a lot of time for that nowadays—and naturally, that led to me thinking of you. And how I missed my old cellmate. Then I remembered...you owe me a favor.”

“A favor? I don’t owe you shit--”

“That’s not how this shit works. I think the person who’s owed a debt gets to decide when it’s paid in full.” Tommy pauses, the silence from Angel’s end allowing him to continue. “Funny thing, I wouldn’t have even thought to call on you for this, but you made a simple mistake all those years ago, Angel. You talked too much...If you don’t want someone to use your Achilles, you don’t share it.” Angel’s brow furrows as Tommy’s words slowly begin to sink in. “Now, you know I’m not a religious man, but I bet you can imagine how good I felt when I realized that God, himself, dropped Y/N into my lap. What are the odds that she and I got brought together? Huh? It’d be a shame to let this God-given opportunity go to waste, don’t you think?”

“What the fuck do you want, Tommy?”

“A lot of things,” Tommy admits. “A turn with your pretty wife for starters. The way you put it, she’d do just about anything for you--”

“She’s not doing anything for you--”

“That’s okay,” Tommy chuckles. “You’ve always had my back when it came down to the wire.”

Angel’s head shakes. “No—Fuck this—I’m hanging up. I told you that night. One and done—”

“I take it you got my gift,” Tommy ignores Angel’s declaration. “And...judging by the unnecessary hostility I’m sensing in your voice, you took a trip down South recently.”

“I want what you took—”

“And you can get it back—scout’s honor.” The sincerity in Tommy’s voice would fool a stranger, but not Angel. “After you help me out one last time. For old times sake.”

“I’m not helping you do shit.”

“Damn,” Tommy sighs. “I was really hoping you wouldn’t say that.”

“And you’re gonna leave her alone. Come up with an excuse, I don’t care. You’re finding a new attorney—”

“No can do, Reyes. See, I don’t benefit by losing her.” Tommy explains. “Unless you wanna consider my proposal. Last time I’m offering. I think you’ll find my way is the easiest—for everybody involved.”

A silence falls over the line. The trembling of his hands tightening Angel’s grip on his cellphone.

“Alright, well, my time is almost up,” Tommy yawns. His eyes pass to the clock overhead. “Plus, I know it was a lot to dump on you, so I'll give you the night to mull it over. Tell your lady I said thanks for visiting me today.”

Angel’s continued silence brings a grin to Tommy’s face. His chuckle fills this receiver.

“You haven’t told her yet….Tell me, what do you think she’s gonna say when your secret gets out? Do you think she’s gonna stick around this time? If that shit gets out, you’ll be facing more than some 18-month stint in Chino, Reyes. You’ll be facing some real-time. Ask your baby brother how that shit sits with you. All it’ll take is some rumors about the location of a missing state’s witness to start swirling...evidence anonymously getting dropped into the hands of the right people...then you and I just might be sharing a cell again.”

“Trust me, you don’t want that shit to happen.”

“Maybe...maybe not...only time will tell.” Tommy sighs. The calmness of his voice is the opposite of the feeling causing Angel to force out an unsteady breath. “Do me a favor, check with your old lady on how to get on my visitation list. I think you owe me a visit, make the shit quick, Reyes. Maybe she can get them to expedite the paperwork. You got a job to do, and your clock is ticking, homie.”

There is no need for additional words to be exchanged. Tommy hangs up, leaving Angel standing at the end of the driveway. No matter how hard Angel tried to resist—or tried to appear that he was—Tommy knew the hook was set the moment the call began.

When you pull into the clubhouse lot, you find Angel standing at the base of the clubhouse steps.

His eyes meet yours as you park, but he makes no move to meet you. The question is out before you can step around the front of your car.

“Do you know Tommy Flores?”

Angel’s eyes may be on you, but his mind is somewhere else.

“What?”

“Thomas Flores. He was serving time in Chino. Longer than you—thirty months—but you were there the exact same time. Did you hear about him while you were there?” Your question is met with silence. Angel blinks. His brow furrows as he watches you cross the lot. “I know it’s a random question, but Angel it’s really important. Okay?”

It’s common for people to cross paths. Chino is not a prison. It’s smaller than Stockton. Inmates flood in and out like clockwork. That's what your mind can produce in the time it takes you to come to a stop before him.

But it’s the look in Angel’s eyes that tightens your stomach.

It’s a look you’ve only seen once in your life.

Nearly two years ago. A night you hadn't revisited in quite some time.

When Angel had shown up unannounced at your house. This was nothing new.

Only this time, the pounding on your front door had woken you, Jeyson, and nearly half the neighborhood.

Your initial assumption was that he was drunk—it wouldn’t have been the first time Angel had shown up after a few beers and a shitty hookup only to find his way back to you. Begging you to let him stay the night, swearing to plead his drunken case, only to pass out against you the moment you were seated on the sofa.

Only this time—the moment you’d gotten the door open you were crushed by his weight. Angel's grip had been tight. The pressure caused you to wince as his face burrowed against your skin.

For once, you couldn't detect alcohol--just sweat and dirt. His grip had tightened as you tried to move back and take a better look at him.

You didn't get much out of him that night. The most you could get him to do was shower. Which was for the best because, by the time you'd helped him dry off, Angel's adrenaline crashed. He’d passed out in your bed a minute later.

In the morning, he didn’t produce much of an explanation.

"Sorry if I scared you last night," he'd mumbled as he headed to the door. "I know you asked me not to show up—unannounced like that but—I just wanted to see you."

“Yeah,” Angel nods. “I knew him.”

You wait for elaboration, but it doesn’t come. Instead, Angel takes a step back. He finds a seat on the steps, his left hand reaching up to rub his eyes.

“Yeah, I knew him? What the hell does that mean? You knew of him, or you kn—”

“No, I knew—I know him.” Angel releases a sigh, his fist crumpling the envelope he holds. “He was my cellmate.”

“No, he wasn't.” The response is automatic. The laugh you release echoes across the parking lot. The meaning behind Angel’s silence doesn’t fully register. Your brain is still reeling, trying to find a rational explanation to deny his statement and what it means. You shake your head. “No, he wasn’t. That is not fucking possible—“

“Cellblock D. That’s where they house all gang-affiliated inmates. They don’t give a shit if you’re an MC or not. It’s all the same.” Angel quietly explains, his eyes watching the realization begin to sink into your features. “They put you together with guys from other places, knowing you might not have a brother to watch your back if you need protection. Tommy’s cellmate had recently been discharged. So, after intake, I took the open space—“

“Angel, stop. I can’t have you telling me this,” you cut him off. The sight of your widened eyes not deferring Angel’s train of thought. “Do you know what this means for my case? Why couldn’t you just lie to me—”

“Because what I need to tell you is worse.”

series taglist: @angelreyesgirl89 @holl2712 @relaxing-najee @thedeviltohisangel @awkwardtayler @siempremamita @amorestevens @witching-hour @seize-the-droid @rosieposie0624 @sesamepancakes @est1887 @queenbeered @ticosas @blessedboo @helli4nthus @katjusja @melanicia @blackcoffeeandgreenteaforme @moneteguiza

mayans taglist: @lilacyennefer @pedropcl @holl2712 @rae-gar-targaryen @omg-mymelaninisbeautiful @henrycavill19 @silverstarsandsuns @chellybear98 @blackcoffeeandgreenteaforme @tomhardydallasstarsgirl @noz4a2 @wiccanmetallicrose @crxssourbones @kimljn @starrynite7114 @richonne4life @themarkblues @mariaxliliana @thelovelyleo23 @hail-horror-queen @gemini0410 @binooo98 @the-jer-bear @abbiesthings @losolvidad0s @helli4nthus @babaohhhriley @futureleo1678 @whatupitshuff @trhett21 @trulysuccubus @minnicelli @sillygoose6969 @capnsaveahoe @leahnicole1219 @crashbarbie @cyka1312 @zoovent @lakamaa12 @keithseabrook27 @vir-tually @awkwardtayler @rawrlittlepanda-95 @irenne-stans @pearlkitten33 @ezs-baby-angels-whore @sesamepancakes @toni9 @vannabanana1995 @queenbeered @shawty-fenty @kaystacks17 @thesandbeneathmytoes @anactualcaseofthetruth @star017 @cant-decide-at-this-moment @cocotheclown @watsonwise @ilovebey2018 @oscars-wifeyyy @rosieposie0624 @jennisdirtyimagines @ughdontbeboring @jjwriter23 @briskywalker @peoniarose @behindmyeyes-insidemyhead @partypoison00 @making-starsdance @claytoncardenasbabymama @myakai13

#lost one of tommy's scenes and retyped it off memory #so hopefully it's good lol #but let me know what you think?#angel reyes imagine #angel reyes x black!reader #angel reyes x reader #lover of mine

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jinyoungsir · 4 years

Text

Promise [BamBam]

Tags: 1.7k, Mafia!AU, Angst, Comfort, Light Fluff, Weekend Drabble Request, Prompt, Posted 060620

Prompt: No.29 You’re leaving for something dangerous and I can’t help but kiss you. Requested Anonymously.

You thought at first that perhaps you had just misheard the orders your father had given him. In all fairness, you weren’t told in the first place, you had simply overheard your father speaking to someone in his office when you spotted the familiar figure standing across from him. You knew your father forbade you from getting into his business affairs and normally you would have moved past and minded your own business but you couldn’t.

Not when the person he was speaking to was Bambam, your personal bodyguard and longest friend though he would never except your sentiment on that fact aloud. You’ve been together since you were young, Bam having been raised and trained specifically as your bodyguard from the time he was nine years old. He had always taken the job very seriously and followed your father’s every order. This time you were hoping he wouldn’t.

You didn’t bother with knocking as you slipped into his bedroom, he wouldn’t have answered you and you weren’t worried about sneaking up on him because he always knew where you were, “What are you doing here, y/n?” He asked with a huff, facing away from you as he pulled clothing from his dresser, folding it neatly into a small suitcase.

“Why does it have to be you?” You ask quietly, not bothering to answer his question when your own is more pressing.

Bam remained quiet still, he couldn’t look at you when he knew what awaited him. “I don’t know, y/n. He’s my boss, I belong to him. I don’t ask questions, I just do what he tells me,” He grits out as evenly as possible, his hands braced on the sides of the small suitcase, gripping the material tightly.

He had a feeling he knew why your father was sending him away.

Had he caught on to the way you look at each other while the other is unaware? Had someone told him that you hadn’t always slept in your own bed at night? Instead seeking refuge in the middle of the night in his arms, shaking from repeating nightmares. It had never moved past that though, Bambam had always discouraged your late visits but that didn’t stop you from showing up with a look in your eyes that he could never say no to.

Bambam would begrudgingly open his arms and you would nearly run into them, burying yourself under the blankets and into his chest, sleeping peacefully until morning. He had hoped you’d never know that he always woke before you, memorizing every line and feature as you slept because he knew that this would one day end. It would not always be him you came to for comfort. Your marriage would be arranged to some other crime lord’s son by the end of the year.

Tears now ran freely down your face as you ran to him, wrapping your arms around his middle and burying your face between his shoulder blades, “You don’t belong to him,” You whimper against him, “You belong to me.”

Bambam let out a sigh, blinking back the tears threatening to spill over. He can’t give in to you now, it would just make everything so much harder. All he wants to do is take you away from all this. This life of danger and unpredictability. In a perfect world, he would be able to love you free from impending threats. He would be the one to marry you instead. In another life maybe, but not this one.

“Is it something I did?” You ask, the panic rising in your chest making it hard to breathe, “Why is he taking you away from me?!” You sobbed and Bambam swiftly spun around in your arms, unable to ignore you any longer.

He tucked your head into his chest as you wept, clinging to his shirt. “Please don’t go, Bam. Don’t leave me here. I need you.” He just continued to hold you close, praying you didn’t notice the tears that hit the top of your head as he cried.

“This is not your fault,” He says firmly, one hand stroking your back, “Please don’t cry, it’s not your fault,” He repeats.

You pulled back slowly, the thoughts in your head all clicking into place now. You look up at him with despair in your eyes, “It’s because I love you,” You said softly and Bambam squeezed his eyes shut, another tear trailing over his face that you scooped up with your thumb, “He’s sending you on a suicide mission because of me, because he wants me to marry some stupid prick all for some fucking alliance and I won’t do it.”

You reached up, cupping his cheek and he opened his eyes, looking down at you with the evidence of heartbreak written in every feature, “I won’t do it,” You said firmly “I will never marry anyone else when it’s you that I am in love with and he knows it.”

“He would never stand for it and I know you love your father,” He shushed you, smoothing your hair back, “I have nothing to offer you. I lose everything If I disobey him, I would have nothing...no way to take care of you and that is not a life you deserve.”

“Having you is enough,” You reply confidently, lip quivering despite the fire in your soul. You would not let your father control you like this, you would never give up on Bambam no matter the consequences and he could see it in your eyes.

Bam slid both hands against your cheeks, cradling your face gently, “You’re not going to let this go, are you?” He asks though he already knows your answer.

“Not a chance,” You whisper back, a small smile upon your lips.

“God, you are so stubborn,” He huffed out in exasperation, looking skyward before pulling you in and pressing his lips against your forehead, wrapping his arms around you once more in the tightest hug he could manage without hurting you.

“Do you trust me?” He asks you seriously, pulling back just far enough to look at you again.

“Of course I trust you,” You respond immediately. There was no doubt.

“You have to let me go,” He says calmly, squeezing your arms before you can begin to protest, “I promise you that I can do this, I’ll come back to you. I just have to prove a point to your father.”

“You swear?” You whisper fiercely, another tear poised to fall.

“I swear it,” He smiles for the first time and it makes you fall in love with him all over again, “When I come back, we will talk to your father...together,” He raises a brow at you, knowing full well you would charge right into your father’s office the second he’s gone. He needed to pass this test your father set for him first.

“Fine,” You roll your eyes and he lets you loose for a moment so he can gather his things, it was time to leave but he had a renewed vigor. He was ready to face this task just so he could hurry back home to you.

“It’s time, y/n,” He said quietly and you shuffled back in front of him. He braced the back of your neck and kissed your forehead once more, lips lingering for a few moments before pulling away, “I’ll be back, I promise.”

You let him pull away and move toward the door but just before he left he stopped right in the doorway just long enough to say, “I love you too,” and then he was gone.

Bambam stood outside of the manor, shaking hands with your father and his second in command. His ride idling just a few feet away. He looked up at the window of his bedroom where he was sure you remained before spinning on his heel and walking toward the vehicle.

Just as the car door was opened for him, the front doors of the manor flew open and everyone turned to watch, stunned, as you yelled out his name and ran down the steps, still barefoot. Bambam immediately dropped his bag and opened his arms for you and there was complete silence as you jumped into his arms, the force almost throwing him back into the car, your lips on his own in an instant.

Neither of you cared who was watching. You clung to him with your legs around his waist and your hands in his hair as he kissed you back with everything he had, his hands squeezing at your flesh in an attempt to ground himself. Bambam lowered you slowly, seeming to be the first to remember your audience, but he did not pull away.

Once your feet hit the floor, he’d cradled your face once more, tilting it up to press a few lingering kisses to your lips before whispering, “So much for waiting until I got back, huh?”

“Come home to me, Bam,” You ordered him, stretching up to kiss him once more before letting him climb into the SUV.

You moved back toward the house and stood next to your father who remained silent as you watched the car drive away. “You’re going to give me hell if I don’t let you marry that boy, aren’t you?” Your father said without looking at you.

You stood your ground, not showing an ounce of weakness, “I love him, daddy,” You said firmly, “I won’t marry if it can’t be the man I love.”

Your father turned to you then, his scrutinizing gaze would normally make you squirm but you would not back down on this. The man sighed, “You’re just like your mother, you know that?” He chuckled and your eyes grew round, “Woman fought tooth and nail for her father to accept us, and in the end when he refused, do you know what she did?” You shook your head, “Told him to ‘Fuck right off’ and married me anyway.”

You laughed as you pictured your mother using that sort of language in any setting but she was a strong, tenacious woman. You had always looked up to her.

Your father continued on, “I’ve got enough on my plate without you rejecting and offending every suitor I send your way. I won’t have you starting a damn gang war for hurting their feelings,” He sighs thoughtfully, “I’ll tell you what kiddo. Your boy completes this mission and returns home, you’ll have my blessing.”

Completely caught off guard, you threw your arms around your father, hugging him impossibly tight, “Thank you, daddy. Thank you so much!”

“Yeah, well don’t set a date yet,” He chides half-heartedly, “He still has to make it home.”

“He’ll make it back,” You said with full confidence, “He promised.”

GOT7 M.List | Main M.List

→ Do not copy, repost, translate, or share any of my works on other platforms WITHOUT PERMISSION! All stories are copyrighted, Jinyoungsir, 2020. ©️

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puroresu-musings · 5 years

Photo

NJPW THE NEW BEGINNING in Sapporo 2020 Review (Feb 1st & 2nd, Hokkaido Prefectual Sports Centre)

(Feb 1st)

Tiger Mask & Yuya Uemura vs. El Phantasmo & Taiji Ishimori ***

Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma & Toa Henare vs. Manabu Nakanishi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Yota Tsuji **1/4

Will Ospreay, Ryusuke Taguchi, SHO & YOH vs. Zack Sabre Jr., El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI ***1/4

Ryu Lee & Robbie Eagles vs. Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI ***1/2

Tetsuya Naito & SANADA vs. KENTA & Jay White **3/4

Kazuchika Okada & Jon Moxley vs. Minoru Suzuki & Taichi ***1/2

Tomohiro Ishii vs. EVIL ****

NEVER OPENWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: Hirooki Goto (c) vs. Shingo Takagi ****1/2

(Feb 2nd)

Toa Henare vs. Yota Tsuji ***

Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma & Yuya Uemura vs. Manabu Nakanishi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Tiger Mask **1/2

El Phantasmo vs. Gabriel Kidd ***

Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & Robbie Eagles vs. Shingo Takagi, EVIL & BUSHI ***3/4

Jon Moxley, Ryusuke Taguchi, SHO & YOH vs. Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI ***3/4

Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & Hiromu Takahashi vs. KENTA, Jay White & Taiji Ishimori ***1/2

BRITISH HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Will Ospreay ****3/4

Kazuchika Okada vs. Taichi ****1/4

Photos.

The New Beginning shows kicked off with a two night stint in Sapporo, as has been the tradition of the last three years or so. Night 2 was great, but the first night of action suffered from a smaller house and a very cold crowd, which hurt pretty much every match on the card (you could easily have added an extra 1/4* at least to everything, had there been a better crowd). The audience had maybe 80% more face masks than usual, likely down to ongoing concerns regarding the Corona Virus, and as a result, it is obviously dificult to make much noise in a face mask, hence the unusual tepid response from the Hokkaido faithful.

The first night really picked up when Hiromu and Ryu Lee faced off for the first time since Takahashi broke his neck in 2018, in a very good doubles clash. On any other day, in front of any other crowd, this would have been easily a **** match, but alas, it wasn’t. It was still a fun, all-action outing, with the Lee/Hiromu exchanges being the undoubted highlight. The finish saw Robbie Eagles tap BUSHI out with the Ron Miller Special at the 11:47 mark, and set himself up as a potential next challenger to the Jr. strap, after Lee. Jay White pinned SANADA to further build heat for their impending match at Osaka-jo Hall next week in a decent, though overly long (18:42) tag match which built around Naito and KENTA’s fiery exchanges. This wasn’t anywhere near as good as the New Year Dash encounter between these teams, as it had a fraction of the crowd heat. Minoru Suzuki pinned US Champion Jon Moxley at 17:48 to end another decent doubles outing. This had some flaws that really hindered it, namely a lack of any real heat, and some really slopy exchanges at times, but was never anything other than entertaining. Taichi destroyed Okada in the post match with his mic stand. Okada made a comeback, but Zack Sabre Jr came in and locked a sleeper on, which brought out Will Ospreay, who was taken out with Zack’s Michinoku Driver. Taichi nailed Okada wih the dreaded Iron Fingers From Hell, a Black Mephisto on the ramp, then locked in the Stretch Plumb. This did a really good job building Night 2′s top matches.

Things really picked up next with the Ishii vs. EVIL match. Whilst this built to a hot closing stretch, there were moments where this was perfromed in front of almost total silence, which again, really brought this one down. After the usual EVIL chair nonesense, they started swinging for the fences which woke the crowd up. They slammed into each other with hard shoulder tackles and Lariats, before EVIL escapes a brainbuster attempt, hitting a German and the half-and-half suplex, only for Ishii to fire back with a big Dragon Suplex of his own. EVIL fought back immediately with a headbutt and Lariat for a near fall. After an exchange of Lariats, Ishii nailed some headbutts, another big Lariat, and the Vertical Drop Brainbuster to take the win at 21:14. As I say, this ended up being an excellent match, they won the crowd over in the last few minutes, but it took a while getting there.

And in the main event, Hirooki Goto defended the NEVER Openweight Title against Shingo Takagi. This is their third match together, and I had their previous two at ****3/4 each. Watching this show, I just knew they probably weren’t going to reach those heights. And unfortunatley, they didn’t, but still had another excellent battle regardless. Again, much like the previous match, the same old story here was the quiet crowd, as these guys worked their behinds off, having a really hard-hitting and compelling bout. The closing stretch saw Shingo hit a second rope Death Valley Bomb for a near fall, and Goto hit his old Kaiten sunset flip bomb off the top for a near fall of his own. They had an exchange, before Goto hit a draping reverse GTR for another near fall. Shingo hits his own version of GTR, then scores a near fall with a massive Pumping Bomber. Goto turns a Last Of The Dragon attempt into Shouten Kai for another great near fall, and they had an intense headbutt and forearm exchange, which was the loudest reaction all night. Goto nails a headbutt, then the reverse GTR. he tries the regular version, but Takagi turns it into Made In Japan for a near fall. Shingo follows that up with Last Of The Dragon to end the match and win the title at the 20:10 mark. As I’ve written ad nauseam in this review, the lack of crowd heat was a pretty big detriment to this show, and nowhere was it more obvious than here. This could easily have been a MOTY contender in front of another crowd, but as it is, it was just excellent. Though I must say, I’m very excited about the Shingo win here as it offers up a plethora of potentially great programs, whereas realistically, there wasn’t much more Goto was going to do with the belt. He had a brief exchange with SHO in the post match, which should be interesting.

The second night had a considerably livlier, and bigger crowd (over a thousand more) which enhanced this show exponentially. The first great match of this show saw the CHAOS trio of Ishii, Goto and Robbie Eagles, victorious over the LIJ team of Shingo, EVIL and BUSHI. Shingo and Ishii brief battle was the highlight here, and I hope we get to see a NEVER title encounter between the two soon. The finish saw Eagles lock BUSHI in the Ron Miller Special as Goto and Ishii both hit Ushigoroshi’s on Shingo and EVIL respectively, meaning the masked man had no choice but to tap at 9:42. Eagles gets another big win here. Moxley and Suzuki had a wild, non-stop brawl throughout the next 8 man tag, which was better than anything either did the previous night. Taguchi submitted DOUKI with the Ankle Lock after 13 minutes of fun action, to score another big win himself, as Moxley and Suzuki brawled through the crowd to the back. There’s a chance that Funky Weapon is also being built to challenge for the Junior Title at some point soon. And in another all-action outing, SANADA submitted Ishimori with Skull End to win a very good 15:34 bout. Everyone looked really good here, and again, the story was KENTA and Naito’s brawling, hyping up their Double Title Match next week.

The British Heavyweight Title Match between ZSJ and Will Ospreay was, by far, the best match all weekend. This was a fantastic outing between two of the smoothest, most consistent workers out there today. It went 27:04, but never felt like it, and I probably could have easily watched an hour of this. It started off as a great technical battle, before breaking down into the big moves and near falls you’d expect. The story to this was that Ospreay has never beaten Zack, and with the title being on the line for the first time ever in Japan against two native British wrestlers, Will was more determined than ever. ZSJ constanly had a counter to Will’s signature spots, but Ospreay would always find a way out of Sabre’s counters. After countering a Hidden Blade into a Breaks Special, Ospreay made the ropes. Zack tried the Michinoku Driver, but Will turns it into a reverse brainbuster for a two count. Ospreay escapes a European Cluthc and hits a big head kick, then they had a great sequence in which Sabre Jr kept escaping Storm Breaker attempts, finally locking in a triangle, but Ospreay free’d himself with a powerbomb. A Shooting Star Press gets a near fall for Ospreay. Will tries Storm Breaker again, but ZSJ turns it into a Manjigatame, then pulls Ospreay to the mat, turning it into a grounded Cobra Twist, the same move he won their G1 match with, and adds a leg triangle for added measure. Will struggles for the ropes but eventually passes out, and Red Shoes calls for the stoppage win for Sabre. This was an incredible, and almost perfect wrestling contest.

This left a lot for the main event to follow, but whilst it wasn’t as good, they still had an excellent match. The major problem with this is that nobody, not even in his hometown, realistically bought Taichi having a snowballs chance in Hell of winning this one. And to make things even more problematic, it went a whopping, and completely unnecessary 31 minutes. Had this been 10 minutes shorter, it would have been even better, but it did get a bit long in the tooth. It started slow (really slow), but the final 12 minutes were great. After bludgeoning Okada with a chairshot, and getting a near fall with an Axe Bomber, Taichi went to the old Kawada play book, hitting a head kick and locking on the Stretch Plumb, but Okada refuses to quit. Taichi lets go and makes the cover for a near fall. Okada hits the dropkick, but Taichi counters a Rainmaker attempt into another Stretch Plumb, but Okada escapes, trying a Tombstone. Taichi escapes that and hits the Dangerous Backdrop three times, for a great near fall. They traded Yakuaza Kicks in the middle, before Taichi hits a dropkick of his own, and goes for Black Mephisto, but Okada counters into a short Rainmaker. Okada tries another, but Taichi bumps the ref, hits a low blow, and a super close near fall with the Gedo Clutch. Taichi back to the Kawada playbook with a Gamengiri and the folding press Powerbomb gets another near fall, but Okada caught a Superkick and hit the spinning Tombstone, then the Rainmaker to end the match at 30:53. Okada told Taichi to “go home” in the post match, thanked the fans for coming out, and told them he’d see them on the impending Hokaido tour in July.

NDT

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theeeveetamer · 6 years

Note

Personally I'm so down for cute family shit. Maybe seeing the Forrest/Kiragi/etc sibling dynamic?

I’m such a sucker for cute family Leokumis

Relevant Tags: Omegaverse, Alpha!Leo, Omega!Takumi, Alpha!Kiragi, Omega!Forrest, Mama Bear Takumi, mentioned sexual harassment

AO3 Link for the interested: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15954623/chapters/39561847

He wasn’t really sure what he’d been expecting when he arrived at the school. Maybe something about their youngest son goofing off in class, or interrupting the teacher, or heck even getting caught cutting last period. What he didn’t expect was to see his son’s blonde hair and clothes stained with mud, or the beginnings of a black eye marring his tanned skin.

“Kiragi! Gods, what happened to you?”

His son was sitting in one of the chairs in the school’s office, arms crossed and fuming. Takumi knelt down in front of him and pulled his chin up so he could get a better look at the bruise forming around his left eye. There was also a bit of blood on his lip and it was slightly swollen.

“Papa! Stop, I’m fine!” He swatted the hand away testily.

Takumi sighed. He didn’t seem too hurt at least, aside from the split lip and black eye. And his irritable attitude. But he’d been a bit of a pain ever since he presented as an Alpha, and what fourteen year old boy wasn’t?

“What happened?” He turned to the principal. It wasn’t a question, he was far too furious to be polite. His baby was bloodied and hurt and he demanded answers.

“We would prefer to wait until your mate arrives.”

“You’re making Leo leave work for whatever this is?” He growled deep in his throat. “What, you think I’m not capable of handling my son because I’m not an Alpha?”

The man shuffled uncomfortably under his indignant glare. He probably wasn’t used to taking the full brunt of a mother’s fury; The school explicitly tried to deal with Alpha or Beta parents first, and tended to leave Omegas out of the equation. It was such a ridiculous policy; He didn’t even work, and Leo couldn’t leave his job for every little incident. Hell, he and Leo had fought tooth and nail to get them to call him at all for situations like this.

“No, of course not but–”

“I got in a fight, papa.” Kiragi interrupted quickly, probably to stop the brewing storm. Once he got started, there was no stopping him, really.

“Well I can see that kiddo!” He turned back around toward his son, exasperated. “What was the fight about?”

The principal felt the need to intervene once again, clearing his throat and standing a little straighter.

“Your son attacked another student.”

He glanced quickly between Kiragi and the principal, and tried to keep his voice under control.

“Why did you do that?”

“He was harassing Forrest, papa! They cornered him in the bathroom and tried flipping up his dress!”

His eyes softened, and all of his rage immediately melted away.

“Be that as it may, we do not find this kind of behavior acceptable and–”

Aaaaand then it was back again. Tenfold.

“Wait… You’re punishing Kiragi for defending his brother? What about the boys harassing my son? Why aren’t they here?”

“Kiragi was the one who instigated the fight.”

“And the people who harassed my son? Where are they?”

“We’ll be dealing with them separately.”

“You mean you’ll be going easy on them! What, because Forrest is an Omega it’s okay if he gets assaulted on school grounds?! So what if he likes dressing like a girl, that doesn’t mean people get to treat him like shit!”

He was vibrating with rage, fists balled up at his sides and face flushed as he continued his tirade. The principal looked incredibly uncomfortable as he continued laying into him, spitting out every curse word and insult under the sun. He was a good deal taller than Takumi, but he was so angry that he couldn’t appreciate the comedy in a short little Omega like him craning his neck to yell directly in this Alpha’s face.

“–I have half a mind to-!”

He barely noticed the arrival of his mate in his righteous anger.

“Takumi! Takumi, love, what are you doing?” Leo all but ran into the room and grabbed him by the shoulders. He gently pulled him away from the man.

“Some boys assaulted Forrest, and Kiragi is getting punished for it!”

“Now that’s not–” The principal tried to defend himself, but Takumi interrupted him.

“Shut up!” He snarled. “I have had just about enough of Alphas like you! This is the third time Forrest has been harassed and your spineless administration has done nothing!”

“Shhh,” Leo leaned in close and nipped the back of his neck gently. The Omega whined in protest, but he did calm down marginally. “Takumi, why don’t you take Kiragi home, okay? I’ll handle things from here.”

“You don’t need to handle this for me.”

“I know you’re more than capable, love… But you really should get Kiragi’s eye treated before it starts swelling too much.”

“Fine.” He finally acquiesced. “But I’m taking Forrest home too. Gods forbid the school encounter another incident involving our children today. Come on Kiragi, we’re going.”

He nearly marched down the hall to Forrest’s classroom to grab him himself, but the woman manning the desk had the good sense to just call him to the office over the intercom.

There were a few minutes of impatient foot tapping – and him not-so-subtly trying to listen through the door – until Forrest arrived.

“Papa, what’s going on?” Their eldest son asked uncertainty as he came down the hall with his backpack.

“Nothing, baby. We’re going home early. Do you have all of your stuff?”

He nodded and Takumi marched out to the car, grumbling to himself about “how Leo was going to go too easy on that spineless principal”.

It was a very short, very tense drive home. He could see Kiragi twiddling his thumbs in the back through the rear view mirror. Forrest must have realized what had transpired, because he was also quiet as a mouse and staring intently down at his lap.

They’d just pulled into the driveway when he finally spoke up.

“Papa? Is Kiragi in trouble for fighting?”

“What? What gave you that idea?”

“You just seem really upset about it, is all… Look, it’s not his fault.”

“Don’t worry baby, I’m not mad at him. I’m proud of him, actually.” He turned around to face them as best he could from the front seat of the car. “In fact, why don’t we all go do something fun tomorrow? Whatever you guys want, you’ve earned it.”

Their faces lit up; Kiragi nodded eagerly and Forrest just beamed at him from the back seat. “Alright, papa!”

They both grabbed their backpacks and ran inside. Or, Kiragi ran. Forrest did his best to keep up, but he still wasn’t too used to wearing heels around.

Takumi took the moment alone by himself to cool down. As angry as he was at the school, he didn’t want to let it affect his children.

Takumi paused outside of the bathroom when he finally entered the house. Forrest was dabbing at Kiragi’s eye with some disinfectant and an ice pack, and Takumi couldn’t help eavesdropping on their conversation.

“You know you didn’t have to get in a fight over it.”

“Of course I did! That guy can’t go around harassing my brother like that!”

“But you got hurt! Because of me!”

“You should see what I did to him!”

Takumi smiled as their eldest son laughed himself silly over the joke. He could just see Kiragi’s goofy little smile in his mind’s eye. Once the injuries were all taken care of they all settled into the living room and more or less went about their usual post-school routine.

Leo arrived home about a half an hour later. Kiragi had fallen asleep beside him watching TV and Forrest had just finished explaining to him what exactly had happened at school. It was more or less what Kiragi had already told him with a few added details.

As soon as his mate walked through the door though he excused himself went to their bedroom. They shut the door behind them, so the kids wouldn’t hear unless they came snooping. Leo dropped down onto the bed and sighed.

“I cannot believe they pulled me out of work for this.”

“Is your boss that upset? I told them that they didn’t have to call you over this…”

“It’ll be fine. And it’s probably a good thing they did call me, I thought you were going to bite that man’s head off! If I were any later I think they would have been calling security on you!”

“Can you blame me? Forrest has been getting harassed for weeks and the only person getting in trouble for it is Kiragi.”

“Maybe we should stop letting him dress like that when he goes to school.”

“Leo,” He said sternly. “Don’t even start.”

“It’s just a suggestion! He keeps getting teased! He’s sixteen, kids are cruel. Do you remember the kind of shit I used to say to you when we were in high school?”

“Yes, you were an asshole. But that doesn’t mean our son should have to change! He likes wearing dresses and doing his hair and makeup, so what?”

“He already has to deal with being an Omega, do you want another target on his back?”

“Are you saying that there’s something wrong with being an Omega?”

“Love… You know that’s not what I meant. Life is already hard for him, why should he make it harder for himself?”

“I just…” He sighed. “I just want our son to be himself. If that means I have to scream at the school administration until I’m blue in the face then so be it. Besides, if they aren’t flipping his skirt up in the bathroom then it’ll be something else. Maybe that really cute Alpha from his history class will corner him right before they go home for the weekend, make him think he’s going to ask him out on a date like he wanted, but then just ask how much it is for a blowjob right in front of his very protective older brother.”

“Hey, I only did that on a dare! And don’t act so innocent, we both know you were actually blowing Alphas in the bathroom”

“Not for money! I wasn’t a damn prostitute! And you’re lucky Ryoma didn’t kill you for that one! Though that split lip did look good on you.”

Leo pulled him down onto his lap and kissed him.

“I cannot believe you still agreed to go on a date with me after that.”

“Neither can I, frankly.” He rested his forehead against Leo’s neck and sighed. “So, what’s going to happen to Kiragi?”

“Two days suspension. It was originally going to be a week, but I guess you scared him.”

He hummed thoughtfully. “Hunting season is coming up. Maybe I’ll take Kiragi out with the bows?”

“You’re rewarding him?”

“Of course! You think Mama punished Ryoma for kicking your ass?”

“I… Had been hoping something like that had occurred.”

Takumi just laughed. “Nope, she took us all out to dinner after that one!”

He nuzzled the side of Leo’s neck. There were a million things that still needed done, but he allowed his Alpha a few minutes to hold him and unwind from the day. He waited until the tension in his mate’s shoulders relaxed a bit before he spoke again.

“So, I really scared the principal that much?” Something about a six foot tall, snobby Alpha being intimidated by him was entertaining.

“He was positively terrified of you, love. Can’t say I blame him either, how long were you yelling at him before I showed up?”

“Oh I don’t know, a minute or two? I can’t believe they called you! I can handle disciplining my own child without your help!”

“You don’t need to tell me that, dear. I’m fully aware of what you’re capable of.” His tone became more serious, and Leo squeezed him tight. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

He found Leo’s hand with his own and squeezed once.

“Lucky for you, I’m not going anywhere.”

They heard a shout from down the hall. Kiragi had apparently woken up from his nap, and now he and Forrest were loudly bickering over him drooling on one of Forrest’s hand-embroidered pillows.

He chuckled to himself and stood up.

“One of us should probably go tell Kiragi the bad news.”

“Mm, in a minute, love. Do you really want to walk into that?” Leo wrapped his arms around his waist pulled back down onto the bed with him. “Besides, it’s been awhile since we’ve had a moment like this.”

He settled back down on Leo’s lap and sighed.

“Fine, but you’re responsible for burying the bodies if they kill each other.”

Leo kissed along his neck and pushed the collar of his shirt aside so he could nibble at his bond scar.

“Not a problem, love. We can always make more.”

He laughed in spite of himself.

“I hate you.”

“I love you, too.”

#Leokumi #Omegaverse #Fanfiction #Trigger Warning #Read the tags #Leo #Takumi #Forrest #Kiragi #fe14

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kumkaniudaku · 6 years

Text

Wing Man: Two

Chadwick Boseman x CoCo (Black!Reader)

Warnings: Language, Smut references

A/N: Future pieces to this series will posted on this blog!

(1) (3)

“Lucy, I’m home,” Tasha cooed into the unusually quiet and warm Harlem apartment.

Usually Tasha drive in from New Jersey every other weekend after her job with the New Jersey Nets, barge into Chad’s apartment unannounced, scream some television line and wait for his sarcastic reply. Today, only the sound of a body shifting on the bed in the other room acted as a reply to her ‘I Love Lucy’ reference.

Rounding the corner Tasha found her lean, lanky best friend upside down on his bed. His shoulders and head hung off of the side, nearly touching the floor as he absentmindedly stared at the worn ceiling. A t-shirt and a pair of boxers hung loosely off of his frame and scruff peppered his jawline. The usually strong and almost regal young man looked withered and tired, as if he had been in his current position for days.

“Chad,” Tasha started quietly. His eyes briefly shifted to her while she stood in the door frame before they moved back to focus on the invisible spot on the ceiling. “What’s going on? Are you hurt? How long have you -”

“She broke up with me.” He deadpanned. Though his voice held little emotion, his eyes told a different story. A glassy gloss covered them, indicating that he had been crying at some point during the day over the loss of his long-term girlfriend, Jayme.

Tasha let out the breath that she didn’t know she was holding before pushing her body away from the door and sitting on the floor beside his head. He also let out a deep breath while turning lay on his stomach.

“Did she say why?”

“Something about not wanting to wait forever while I chase this acting dream.” He answered, using air quotes to illustrate the sarcasm on her end of the exchange. “She also said that she met another man. Travis.”

A drawn out groan into one of his pillows punctuated the sentence, the first verbal indication of his frustration.

“What? That’s...insane. I’m sorry, Aaron,” Tasha added rubbing his head over her shoulder. “Fuck Travis.”

A dry chuckle slipped from Chadwick’s lips as he slid from the bed to join Tasha on the floor. Lying his head on her lap, he stared up at her with a heartbreaking look of devastation in his eyes. To avoid his gaze, she focused her attention on the circles she rubbed against his forehead.

“Maybe…maybe she’s right.”

“What! Chad, no!”

“I’ve been here for nine years, T! I don’t have shit to show for it. Not a steady TV spot, a commercial, a straight to DVD movie; nothing. I’m chasing a dream that isn’t meant for me. I’m a director, not the guy in the front.”

Another awkward silence enveloped the stuffy New York apartment while Tasha tried to find the words to lift his spirits. A joke at this time was obviously inappropriate and there was no way that you would agree with him.

Chadwick hadn’t landed any serious roles but he was overlooking the work that he had accomplished. Deep Azure was a tremendous success and his directorial work garnered. enough accolades to necessitate another page for his official biography. Most importantly, his work with at the Schaumburg Center was impactful to the youth that regarded him as a superstar. At any point in the afternoon, one could find middle school aged children crowded around Chadwick and hanging on to his every word as if his voice held the key to life. They respected him more than anyone else in the building, wanting nothing more than to make him proud.

“Let’s go. We’re not sitting here and sulking.” Tasha demanded, pushing his head from her lap and standing to her.

Chadwick shot back a bewildered look as his eyes moved quickly between her stern expression and outstretched hand. “Are you being serious?”

“You bet your sweet ass I am! Let’s go. Now.”

Shuffling to stand up, Chadwick barely had a chance to grab hold to Tasha’s hands before she began dragging him into the bathroom to position him in front of the dingy mirror.

“What do you see?”

“I see...me?” He stated confused at Tasha’s intentions. “What is this about?”

“Can I tell you what I see?” She asked looking at him for approval to continue. Chadwick’s lips spread into a slight smile as a signal for permission. Placing a hand on each shoulder, Tasha hid her body behind his and began to speak.

“I see a Black man that fought tooth and nail to make it out of his fine arts program. Remember those long ass nights writing and rewriting drafts? Learning lines so you could relate to the actors on stage?”

“Damn near sleeping in the theater some nights,” he chuckled, vivid memories of those experiences flashing in his mind. The grind was his favorite part.

Tasha rubbed his shoulders before gently tugging them back so that he would stand up straight. “I see a man with enough passion in his eyes to make the world go ’round. I see Mr. Chad, the only person at Schaumburg to get those rowdy ass kids to be quiet and listen.”

Chadwick’s eyes moved from Tasha’s to finally look at himself in the mirror. He looked both confused and intrigued. How could Tasha see all of this when all he found looking back at him was the taunting face of a man that had failed to make his dreams reality.

“I also see,” Tasha continued “a man that loves with his whole heart and is going to make a woman very happy but, only when the time is right. You are amazing. You’re walking directly in your purpose. Your accomplishments are plenty and this is only the beginning. So tuck that chapped ass bottom lip back in and get it together, Aaron. You’re going to be just fine.”

Tasha playfully slapped Chadwick’s cheeks in as a way to smack him back to reality. Finally, a toothy grin found a resting spot on his face as he took one last look at himself in the mirror.

“Thank you,” He muttered, turning to lean against the sink and face Tasha “For everything. I owe you a hug.

“Oh no you don’t!” She exclaimed in an attempt to dodge his outstretched arms. “You stink! How long have you been in that bed?”

“I don’t know. Two days?” The longtime best friends scrunched their faces in disgust as the realization that he hadn’t showered in 48 consecutive hours settled into their brains.

“Gross, Aaron! Take a shower and get dressed.”

“Please don’t make me leave the house, CoCo.” He whined, using Tasha;s nickname in an attempt to change her mind.

“Don’t CoCo me! We’re going out because I need a drink and you need some fresh air to hit that funky ass body of yours.”

An incredulous look followed by incoherent mumbles drew a boisterous laugh from CoCo as she flopped down on the bed to being her wait.

If a pep talk couldn’t cheer him up, Tasha knew a double shot of whiskey and a dance party would do the trick. They hadn’t been out together in months. She missed their nights running the streets in the Summer, staying out too late and drinking too much. She’d try to set him up with some unsuspecting girl at the bar when she was fueled by liquid courage and he’d laugh and talk her down, usually citing his relationship or work as his reason to decline. It was always a lie, but it stopped Tasha long enough for him to change the subject.

“None of that matchmaker stuff tonight, Tasha. I’m serious,” Chadwick admonished as he closed the cab door after she’d exited the vehicle.

“Oh c’mon! You need it!”

“I’m serious, Co. Drinks only.”

Chadwick only pulled out Tasha’s nickname when he wanted something or when he needed to assert himself. The words she opened her mouth to counter his point with never made it into the warm summer air because of Chad’s conversation ending glare.

“Buzzkill,” Slipped pass CoCo’s lips in a disgruntled mumble causing Chadwick to scoff.

The usual bar was bursting at the seams with natives and tourists looking for a little fun to kick off the season. Jamie Foxx’s “Blame It” rattled the glass windows surrounding the bricked building, filling Tasha’s heart with excitement. Fortunately, the line outside moved quickly and finally allowed them to join in on the dance party.

“I’m gonna go get us some drinks. You go find a spot at the bar!” Before he could protest, Tasha scurried towards the bartender to pick the poison for the night’s activities. A fond smile never left his face while he watched her from his seat. He loved the way Tasha exaggerated her facial expressions when she was excited. Her animated conversations could bring him from the darkest depths of frustration and lift his spirits in a matter of seconds.

He committed to memory how her beautiful brown skin reflected the red and blue hues that emitted from the lights around the dance floor. There were no words to describe the way his stomach filled with butterflies when her hands touched any part of his body or when she said his name for any reason at all. His relationship with Jayme was full of love but not in the way that he loved Tasha. She brought that up in her parting argument but he felt it unnecessary to bring up for fear that CoCo would blame herself for his mistake.

“What are you over here smiling at?” She asked interrupting his thoughts while balancing four shots between her fingers.

Instead of letting his smile fall, he simply grabbed one of the glasses she presented him and instructed you to do the same. “To friendship?”

“To friendship!”

____________

Slurred speech and giggles bounced off the hallways wall, brightening up the dark corridor. A night of unadulterated fun was near its end if Chadwick could reach his apartment door without Tasha pulling them to the floor in a heap.

“Chaaadwiiiiiick,” Tasha sang, stumbling under the tight grasp of Chadwick’s arms.

He laughed and shook his head. “Tasha, this is third time you’ve called my name. Do you want something or do you just like the way it sounds.”

A hiccup preceded hysterical laughter and served as CoCo’s reply. By the 10th shot, third dance battle and the near scuffle by the bar, Chadwick decided that the party was over for his friend and practically drug her out of the building. Tasha’s drinking made it difficult for her to stand on her own and contributed to the sudden inability to keep her hands to herself.

CoCo’s fingertips traced Chadwick’s clenched jawline while he attempted to get his key in the lock of his apartment door. Chadwick drew in a sharp breath when her soft lips replaced her hands, sending blood and his sense of calm in a race to his lower half.

“Be careful, CoCo,” he spoke in a low rumble. “You’re about to start something you can’t finish.”

His warning did nothing to stop Tasha as you placed another kiss on his earlobe. The kisses became slower, moving from his ear, to his cheek and finally the corner of his mouth. A strained grunt emerged from his throat, carrying equal parts frustration and desire.

Desire won the internal battle, and before he knew it, he was pressing CoCo up against the front door out of pure desperation. His hands frantically grabbed her wrists to pin them above her head while their tongues danced in a lewd ballet.

“Dammit,” he breathed against her neck “We’re not supposed to be doing this.”

“Why not?”

Pulling away from Tasha, he peered into her dark eyes and found the same lust filled look that he was sure his eyes carried. He felt his heart’s pace begin to pick up.

Why couldn’t he take the opportunity to bury himself deep inside of Tasha? To taste the juices that had made an appearance just for him? Why couldn’t he finally make love to the woman that had been the best part of his life for over a decade? The fear of crossing the invisible line in their relationship, threatening to make him back out of the moment. He quickly shook his trepidation.

As if he never stopped, Chadwick hungrily latched his lips to CoCo’s neck, nipping and sucking at the skin that rivaled the sweetest milk chocolate. Following his cue, she lazily wrapped your legs around his waist to allow Chadwick and easier method of transferring you to his bedroom.

Tasha landed on his bed with a soft thud, slightly shaking up the contents of her stomach. She paid no mind to the sudden bout of nausea, instead choosing to watch Chadwick remove his shirt and expose his chest. He had grown so much since his undergraduate years. His shoulders were broader, chest more firm, accented with a small amount of hair, and his abs were more pronounced. She couldn’t have dreamed of a more perfect being.

Chadwick smirked at Tasha after noticing her bottom lip denting beneath her top row of teeth.

He slowly crawled to the top of the bed to press her lips against his in the most sensual kiss either of them had ever had. Chadwick planned to take his time with her tonight and deal with the consequences in the morning. Their moans harmonized under the moonlight, wrapping your bodies in a swath of brilliant light as if the act was written for the stage.

Before Chadwick could make a move to Tasha’s chest, a wave of heat accompanied the feeling of her mouth preparing for an acidic eruption to interrupt the activity.

“Oh my-Chad stop!” She blurted, throwing her hands up to cover her mouth.

“What? Why?”

“I’m gonna-oh shit. Move!”

Chadwick watched in amusement as Tasha darted into the bathroom to empty out all of the fun she had consumes a few hours ago. A fond smile spread across his face while he slipped on his t-shirt and walked towards the bathroom door, listening to her wretch and cure.

“I love you, CoCo.” he whispered to himself before pushing open the door to help her through her episode. “C’mon, now. Not on the floor!”

Tag List: @thegirlonhamilton @idilly @wakanda-4evr @redvonlace @onyour-right @wakandan-aesthetic @chocolate-flavouredcondom

(Let me know if you want to be added.)

#chadwick boseman #chadwick boseman imagine #chadwick boseman fan fiction #black panther fan fiction #chadwick x reader

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huntertales · 7 years

Text

Part Three: You Can’t Cheat Death. (Two Minutes to Midnight S05E21)

Episode Summary: Sam, Dean and the reader confront Pestilence, but when he unleashes a deadly virus upon them, a very weak Castiel must intervene on their behalf. When reader has a meeting with Death to discuss Lucifer, an unholy alliance is formed at a very high price for the reader and her chances of saving herself from becoming a demon. Pairing: Dean Winchester x Reader Word Count: 6,785.

Previous Part | Supernatural Rewrite Masterlist

Your name: submit What is this? // <![CDATA[ function replaceAll(find, replace, str) { return str.replace(new RegExp(find, 'g'), replace); } function myHandler() { var input = document.getElementById("inputTxt").value; document.body.innerHTML = replaceAll('Y/N', document.getElementById("inputTxt").value, document.body.innerHTML); } // ]]>

Slowly, but surely, things were coming to their conclusion. Several months ago you were given the opportunity to see what would happen if the brothers continued to deny their true purpose in life—saying yes to Michael and Lucifer. If they failed to do so, the world would crumble as consequences for their selfish behavior. It started off with the croatoan outbreak that turned people into mindless, bloodthirsty zombies. Then society began to fall apart, turning it into a wasteland that you’d seen in post-apocalyptic films and read in books, thinking those other worlds were just fiction. Something like that could never happen to you. But it was. It was the reality that you could be blamed for in the next five years. And that was only the beginning of this nightmare.

The worst came for the three of you. Dean turned into a shell of a broken man worse than ever, hellbent on revenge. So much so, he would kill the people he once tried to protect. Sam had said yes to the Devil. And somewhere in the mix of things you ran off, turning yourself into a demon. The more you thought about it, you began to wonder if there could ever a happy ending for the people that fought this battle for the greater good. Anywhere you turned, no matter what action you took, the ending was going to be bleak and painful. But, like always, you kept going, trying to change the future to something a little bit better in hope you could have the same for yourself one day.

You made your way down to Bobby's van with another duffel bag filled with ammunition and guns, just a few things that you might need for the adventure you were about to embark on. It was decided that you would ride along with Bobby, Cas and Sam as extra backup. You'd seen the virus close up and personal before. Even though it only required a single bullet to the brain, it wasn’t the humans you were worried about. It was the demons that were going to do just about anything to make sure their precious plan continued on without any bumps that might cause a delay.

You adjusted the strap of the bag as you neared the open van door and got ready to toss in the heavy cargo. But your attention ventured away for a moment and to the angel standing next to the sliding door with a shotgun in his hands and a defeated look on his face. Cas let out a heavy sigh as you tossed the bag, relieving your shoulder of the pain, but it seemed that he had his own that wouldn't leave that easily.

"Hey," You turned your attention to the angel and gave him a concerned look, "What’s wrong? You act like something’s bothering you.”

“This is what they mean by the ‘eleventh hour,’ right?” Cas asked. You shrugged your shoulders and nodded your head. You looked around to see that night had fallen not that long ago, leaving the place in complete darkness besides the lights Bobby had spread around the place. “Well, it’s the eleventh hour, and I am useless. All I have is this. What am I even supposed to do with it?”

“It’s a gun, Cas.” You couldn’t help yourself but let a small smile spread across your lips at how he lifted up his weapon to inspect it before putting it back down to his side. “Point it and shoot. I learned how to use it. So can you.”

Cas didn’t seem to find your advice useful as he shook his head, wanting to spend a few more time sulking in his own misery for a life that he might never get back. “What I used to be—”

“You have done more in these past few months than you ever have as an angel.” You cut him off before he could continue on with this self doubt. You gave him a smile when he looked up at you with that sad, little expression. “I know how it feels to be powerless. And it sucks. It does. But what sucks more is letting yourself sit in your own misery, feeling sorry for yourself when you have a new family that needs you. You didn’t rebel against Heaven for nothing. You did it for a purpose. And that purpose is to kick some ass and save the world.”

"All right. Show's over. Quit pining for the varsity years, you two." Bobby's voice coming from behind you made you look over your shoulder to see that he was wheeling himself over to break this little heartfelt moment that was giving him a toothache. You curled your lips inwards to keep yourself from smiling as you stepped out of the way, giving the man direct path to the opening of the van when you noticed that he was coming over with some extra supplies. The hunter decided to make the angel useful by tossing the bag over to him without warning. "And load the damn van."

You let out a quiet laugh as you began walking back to the house to get some other supplies that you might need. You crossed paths with Cas, who was still holding the bag, watching as Bobby continued on his way without complaint. You placed a hand on the angel's shoulder and gave him a smile, as if to remind him that the hunter who was paralyzed from the waist down was doing more than sitting around and listing all the woes that he had. The five of you worked together to make sure you had all the things you would need on your separate journeys. Dean slammed the trunk of the Impala as Sam tossed in one last bag into the van. You stood in the middle of where the cars were parked. Ever so slowly, you were about to depart on your own mission.

“All right, well,” Dean headed over to where you and his little brother stood. You crossed your arms over your chest and gave him the smallest smile that you could form without showing him your apprehensiveness for this plan. He wasn’t thrilled himself at the idea of running off alone to take Death’s ring, but all of you had to step out of your comfort zones. “Good luck stopping the whole zombie apocalypse.”

“Yeah. Good luck killing death.” Sam said. The three of you fell into a moment of silence as you let out a quiet breath from how things quickly escalated in just a few short amount of years. The younger Winchester looked around at the people he was surrounded with to see how the journey had shaped them. Along with a new face that he'd never thought would be apart of this family. He let out a quiet chuckle, making you look up at him with a bit of curiosity, wondering what was so funny to him. "Remember when we used to just...hunt wendigos? How simple things were?”

"Remember how much you guys fought tooth and nail to make sure I never turned into a hunter? It was supposed to be that one weekend, the three of us." You added a memory that made you and the boys smile for just a second about how different the dynamics were before. But the happy memory only lasted long as your own happiness. It was quick and short, doomed to be lost in the bitterness of the reality around you. “Felt like a lifetime ago.”

Sam let out the faintest sigh, finding himself caught up in the nostalgic memories of sitting in the Impala with you and his brother, fighting about where their father had been running off to as he dealt with the loss of his girlfriend and life that he created for himself. He thought that was the worst pain he could ever feel. If only he knew. Sam shifted his footing, causing him to feel the cold steel press against his backside, making him realize what he was holding onto.

“Well, um,” The younger Winchester took out the demon knife and handed over to his brother with the wooden handle pointed in his direction. “You might need this.”

“Keep it. Y/N’s covered.”

Crowley was making a habit of coming out from thin air. You nearly jumped out of your skin to see that he was standing right next to Dean with a casual expression on his face. But from what he said, you furrowed your brow and looked at him with a confused expression. He handed over what appeared to be a scythe, something Death himself had been associated with in myths and paintings as a reaper. Instead of being made of a sharp blade on a long wooden stick, the hook was made of what looked like rusty iron kept on a short handle. You stared at the foreign object, wondering why the demon wanted you to take it.

"Come on. It won't bite.” The demon reassured you. You kept your distance from it as you began to wonder why he wanted you to only hold it. “It’s Death’s own. Kills, golly, demons and angels, and reapers, and, rumor has it, the very thing itself. Of course, it comes with very specific instructions. It seems our surly hunter can't save the day. Word on the street says only a true serpent of evil can do the trick.”

“How did you get that?” Cas asked the demon, his eyes lingering around on the scythe you were holding.

“Hello—King of the Crossroads. How the hell do you think I got the bloody grace in the first place? I get hands dirty when I know it’ll benefit me. And if we want to kill Death, we need to have our lovechild to do the deed.” Crowley explained. But you only stared at him with a confused expression that wasn’t leaving your face. Everyone didn't understand what was going on as the demon found himself being bombarded with confused faces. He rolled his eyes from the morons he had to deal with. “Do any of you happen to know someone who's got a badder rep? She's the bloody offspring of a demon and a human. Not to mention, Lucifer's lovechild that he plans on using to destroy humanity. The very thing he hates the most. If anyone can do this, it's Y/N. I don't make the rules. However, I bend them to my own liking.”

You scoffed and looked up at the demon, “So we’re just throwing theories out there and hoping this one will stick?”

“Haven’t been wrong yet, love. Now, since all of this confusion is cleared up, shall we?” Crowley asked, raising his brow as he scanned the crowd. You tightened your grip on the wooden handle as you looked over at Sam, suddenly realizing in that moment there was a change of plans. You could feel your heartbeat pounding faster when you were about to face a challenge that you weren’t sure was going to work. The demon turned his gaze to the older hunter, who continue to occupy his wheelchair that he needed. What Crowley said next seemed like he was being a dick for the purpose of it. “Bobby, you just gonna sit there?”

“No, I’m gonna riverdance.” The hunter retorted back with a sarcastic tone.

“I suppose if you want to impress the lady. But I don’t think she’ll be swooned. You're not exactly her type.” Crowley said as he looked in your direction. Your eyes narrowed in suspicion from how he was acting. “Bobby, Bobby, Bobby. Really wasted that crossroads deal. Fact—you get more if you phrase it properly. So, I took the liberty of adding a teeny little sub-a clause on your behalf. What can I say? I’m an altruist. Now, you just gonna sit there?”

Your eyes wandered over to Bobby, who still remained in his chair, slowly wondering if the demon was pulling his legs that he couldn't feel over the past several months. But it seemed that Crowley was smarter than he appeared. You watched as Bobby's right foot began to do something you hadn't seen happen in what felt like forever. Ever so slightly, it began to move until it dropped to the ground. Bobby put some weight on it to see if he could balance himself without falling down. But that was only the beginning. You could feel your mouth parting open as the man easily got up on his own two feet. A smile spread across your face as you stared at the sight, like it was some kind of twisted miracle that you thought would never come.

“Son of a bitch.” Bobby muttered underneath his breath, astonished himself at what he just did all on his very own.

“Yes. I know. Completely worth your soul. I’m hell of a guy.” Crowley said. You glanced over at the boys for a short moment of time. If the demon held up to his end of the bargain like this. You wondered if he could deliver just as well for yours. Bobby mumbled a thank you with genuine feeling, not only for the ability to be given back something that he never thought he could. But because he could help you and the boys like he’d always wanted. Crowley, however grimaced slightly at all the feelings that were being thrown around. “This is getting maudlin. Can we go?”

Crowley headed for the Impala, deciding to exclude himself on this heartfelt moment. You didn’t care as you stared at the hunter who you could stare at directly in the eye without having to strain your neck looking down. Now he stood a little taller than you remembered. Without giving a warning, you quickly stepped forward, wrapping your arms around his neck and gave Bobby something that you didn't think you ever had the chance to do very often, which was a hug. He’d done so much for you over the past several years, made sacrifices to save your skin too many times. As a wise man said once upon a time, family didn’t end in blood. Bobby was the father you never had, but was gracious enough to treat you like a daughter when you needed it the most.

“Guess there’s a change in plans.” You said as you pulled away from the older hunter. You felt a little bit nervous to being leaving the three men to fight on their own. But you knew damn well they were one of the best hunters around. You let out a quiet sigh and looked over at Sam, a small, nervous smile spread across your lips. “Kick some demon ass for me, okay? And please teach Cas how to shoot.”

"I’ll make sure he gets a good run through. And have fun killing Death." Sam said, returning the smile as he shifted around in his footing again, as if he was trying his hardest to keep the four of you here for a little while longer. You let out a quiet chuckle and looked down at the weapon you held. You slowly grew nervous as your smile began to fade at the challenge that was ahead for you. “When you first hit the road with us, yeah, I was pissed. I thought you weren’t made for the lifestyle. So I gave it a month. Tops. I thought you would grow scared or end up dead.”

“Wow. Thanks for that confidence boost.” You scoffed at the younger Winchester’s words that came off more hurtful than what he intended. “I feel so warm and tingly, Sammy.”

"You didn't let me finish, Y/N." Sam chuckled at your response to only part of what he was trying to say. You looked up at him, wondering what he needed to get off his chest. "But I was wrong. You turned into one of the best hunters I’ve seen in my lifetime. You've got the patience of a saint for dealing with me and Dean. You kept this family together. And if anyone can take down Death, it’ll be you. Shrimp.”

"Sasquatch." You muttered his nickname with a growing smile. For someone that was supposed to have a soul that was black as night, you were having an awful fluxgate of emotions tonight. You waved your hands for him to bend down so you could pull him into a hug since his height was so ginormous compared to your own. You squeezed him tight as you could and closed your eyes for a moment, trying your hardest not to let yourself cry at the thought of doing this for the last time if something went wrong. You squeezed him tighter at the thought, he embraced you closer and let out a quiet breath. The bitter thought crossed his own mind. Before he could pull away, you turned your head, and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. "I love you, Sammy. You're the best friend I could ever ask for."

You didn't realize the little affection that you had given him as Sam pulled away from you, trying his hardest not to show much emotion as he absentmindedly looked over at his brother. Dean stood there with a bit of an annoyed look on his face from how you were acting, but it wasn't due to jealousy, but because of how you had no problems showing your emotions. You stepped over to Cas, deciding that you couldn't leave the angel out of this. You gave him a quick hug and reassured him that he was going to be fine. You let out a breath and stared at the three men, a small smile spread across your lips. For the very last time, you warned them.

“Be safe. And kiss some demon ass for me.”

+ + +

Nine hours stuck in the car with the brothers had its grueling moments. But having a demon as a backseat driver was your own personal hell. You and Dean didn't make any pit stops on your trip to Chicago from Sioux Falls, and the conversation barely made it past small talk. Your mind kept worrying about everything that could go wrong with Sam and Bobby. And whenever you looked at your lap, a rush of anxiety would hit you at the thought of taking down the last horsemen by yourself. Dean would reassure you every so often by taking his hand off the steering wheel and intertwining his fingers with yours before lifting up your palm and brushing his lips against your skin, mumbling that he loved you. While the moment was sweet, it would only be ruined by a snarky remark by your unwanted guest. Who could have easily transported himself there with his abilities. Crowley wanted to sit in the backseat and see the experience for himself.

Luckily the car ride was over, and after parking downtown in the windy city, the three of you had finally arrived. You knew Bobby wasn't lying about there be a storm brewing. The sky was growing darker with clouds and wind was picking up, causing you to wrap your jacket tighter around your body from the unexpected chill that ran down your spine from the temperatures that were low considering the time of the year.

“Hey, let’s stop for pizza.” Crowley suggested out of the blue.

You scoffed and looked at the demon with disbelief at what you heard just come out of his mouth, “I’m on my way to kill Death and you want pizza?”

"Just heard it was good." Crowley said. "That's all."

"You want good pizza? New York has the absolute best, hands down. Each year I went to the city as a kid and made sure to eat at a new restaurant each time. I ate so much one year I almost got sick.” You carried on the conversation without much thought, as if just being around Crowley this past week had turned casual. You looked away from the demon and to where you were walking. But you suddenly found yourself stopping in your tracks at what you saw. Dean furrowed his brow and looked at you with concern. “Up ahead. Big, ugly...building.”

“Ground zero. Horsemen’s stable, if you will.” Crowley said, staring at the same scene that had spooked you a bit. The last time you had seen this was back in Missouri, the town where Ellen and Jo had died. Not to mention, the entire population slaughtered for Lucifer’s sake of pulling Death free from his own personal cage. “He’s in there.”

"How do you know?" Dean cautiously asked, his eyes scanning what appeared to him as an empty street abandoned by a single soul besides his own. "Have you met me?" Crowley responded. “‘Cause I know.”

You rolled your eyes and looked away from the twenty pairs of eyes that seemed to fixate on you. Like they knew who you were and what you were intended to do. None of them moved, they just stared at you with their emotionless and cold expression. "The block is crawling with reapers. There's at least twenty of them."

"I'll be right back." Crowley said. You turned your head to look away from the reapers and at the demon as he began to take a step forward before disappearing from sight. You let out a sigh and got yourself mentally ready for what was about to come in the next few minutes. But the demon worked faster than you gave him credit for when he appeared just a second later, standing right behind you and Dean with some disheartening news. "Boy, is my face red. Death's not in there." "You want to cut the cute and get to the part where you tell us where he is?" Dean asked, not in the mood for whatever kind of games the demon had in mind. "Sorry." Crowley shrugged. "I don't know."

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait a minute.” The oldest Winchester stormed over to the demon who was starting to casually walk away from a dead end. He grabbed the man by his shoulder and made him stop in his tracks. “You don’t know?”

“Signs pointed.” Crowley said, trying to defend himself best as he could to you and Dean. “I’m just as shocked as you are.”

The demon began walking again, thinking it would be the end of the conversation. But he only managed to make it a few feet before you reminded him of a deal that he had yet to hold his end up. "Bobby sold his soul for this, you son of bitch!"

“Relax. No need to resort to name calling. All deals are sold back or store credit.” Crowley said. You narrowed your eyes as you let out a sharp breath for his cheap excuse that he thought could hold you over. “We’ll catch Death in the next doomed city.”

“Millions, Crowley.” You called out to him, making the demon stop himself from taking a step to remind him how much was at stake here. “Millions of people are about to die at any minute.”

"Demon with a heart of gold. How refreshing. While it's sweet to see that you've got a bit of humanity left in you, let me remind you, you're not immortal." Crowley said. "If you want to reap Death, which I know you do, I strongly suggest we get out of here. Or the roles will be reversed. We’ll be out of options and the world will be doomed. All thanks to you.”

You clenched your fists and tried your hardest to control your anger from lashing out at the demon. And it was more than just speaking a few nasty words. You tempted yourself away from killing him right here in this warehouse parking lot. No. His time would come a little bit later. Just like the rest of these poor souls, he would never know what hit him.

+ + +

You leaned back in your seat and shut your eyes to try and fight this headache that was starting to form in the front of your head. Your stress level had never been this high before, and your anger was boiling inside your body slowly, clawing at your insides like a wild animal, demanding your attention. You pressed your eyelids tighter together and let out a long, drawn out sigh. As you got yourself starting to concentrate on something peaceful, you found yourself being able to loosen your muscles and the pounding inside your head going away just the slightest. But it was only brought back by the feeling of the Impala shaking from Dean’s weight when he threw himself down to the driver’s seat and slammed the door shut.

“So, what? Call in a bomb threat? Thousand bomb threats? I mean, how the hell am I supposed to get three million people out of Chicago in the next ten minutes?” Dean asked. You didn’t respond as you rubbed your temples with your fingers. The hunter looked around to see that you were ignoring him as Crowley disappeared from the backseat. “Come on!”

“Is he gone?” You opened up one eye to see the demon was in fact gone. You pushed yourself up right in your seat and let out another sigh from everything that was going on. When you were about to suggest the idea of making a run for it, you stopped yourself. You furrowed your brow to see that Crowley didn’t make it that far. He stood outside of what appeared to be an Italian pizza place and tried to get your attention by pointing at the door and saying something you couldn’t understand. “Either he really wants pizza...Oh my God. What? We can’t hear you!”

“I said I found him. Death—he’s in there.” Crowley popped himself into the backseat, not taking you by surprise this time. You looked over your shoulder to see the demon was pointing his finger at the restaurant he was just standing next to. You slowly looked away from him and to the man sitting next to you. The both of you nodded your heads before you reached for the door handle. But before you embarked on your last hunt for the rings, Crowley offered a word of advice. "When I said Y/N is the only one that could do this, I meant it. She has to do it alone.”

You were tempted to ask him what would happen if Dean would join you to meet Death, but the demon vanished from your sight again. The two of you stepped out from the Impala and onto the city streets that were starting to grow thinner as rain began to fall from the sky and wind picked up. A crack of thunder could be overheard as you made your way around the car to join Dean. You let out a quiet sigh and looked over at the man. Dean looked at you with a worried expression at where he had to leave you. You tried to give him a smile of reassurance, but you ended up nervously swallowing, knowing it was hard to hide your fear for what you were about to do all on your own. It was Dean who always handled the big monsters.

Dean reassured you by leaning over and pressed his lips against yours, getting you lost for a moment in passion as he kissed the breath out of your lungs. You pulled away when you heard another roll of thunder, as if it was a warning to get moving. “Sammy was right. If anyone can take down Death, it’s you. You’ve cheated it enough times.” Dean said with a smirk. You smiled ever so slightly at his joke, but you still remained quiet. “I love you sweetheart.”

“I love you, too.” You whispered to him.

The both of you gave one another a kiss before you pulled him away, warning him to run for the hills if things happened to go south. You inhaled a deep breath and pressed your hand against your backside to feel the scythe where you had left it. It was time to kill Death.

You crossed the street and found your way into the back alley, no demons greeted you as you pulled out the scythe. This was the moment you'd been dreading. You used all your skills you'd learned from the brothers when you opened up the door that lead into the restaurant. You stopped breathing when you opened the door inch by grueling inch and stepped inside on the black and white checkered floor. From first glance the restaurant was cute. It had a little "Lady and the Tramp" vibe with the dark wooden furnishing and tables decorated with red checkered cloths paired with candles. But what made you come crashing down to reality was the dead body of a young woman slumped behind the counter with a tilted over bottle of whiskey. She was his first victim.

You shut the door behind you and started to make your way forward to see the sight ahead of you. Dead bodies were sprawled everywhere; from a waitress lying face flat on the floor to customers slumped over their tables and into their food. It seemed that Death didn’t like to dine alone. You tightened your grip on the handle as you slowly made your way forward, each step was precise and quiet as possible when you descended forward to the front of the restaurant and saw him sitting there.

Death sat quietly at a table, enjoying the view of people power walking through the streets with their umbrellas that soon would be useless as the sky illuminated with lightening. You nervously swallowed again and took one step forward again, your feet moving in front of you until you were at least twenty feet away from him. You didn’t seem to notice how the handle was growing warmer with each step you took to get closer to the owner of the scythe. You ignored the burning feeling best as you could until it felt like you put your hand on a hot stove. You looked down to see the handle was growing bright orange and threatening to burn your skin if you didn’t let go. You forced yourself to, not realizing the heavy metal would fall straight out of your hands and land on the floor, with the loudest clanking sound as possible.

“Thanks for returning that.” You quickly looked down at the floor to see that the scythe was gone and now at the table where Death sat. “Join me, Y/N. The pizza’s delicious.” It was a friendly offer, but you had a feeling it wasn’t negotiable. You inhaled a deep breath and continued down on your way to meet Death. He sat quietly at the table, enjoying a late lunch. He didn’t look up when he gave you one more command in a calm tone for you to sit. You did as you were told, sitting yourself across from the last horsemen that remained. “Took you long enough to find me. I’ve been wanting to talk to you.”

“I gotta say—mixed feelings about that.” You tried to hide your nervousness by cracking a joke that wasn’t even funny, but you chuckled anyway and flashed him a smile. Your eyes wandered down to his ring that laid on his right hand. The reason why you were here in the first place. “So, is this the part where...you kill me? Because, I gotta warn you, it won’t end well.”

Death placed down his utensils at each side of his plate and finally looked up at you. You began to mentally beat yourself up for saying something that made you sound pretentious when you meant something completely different.

“I know what you meant, Y/N. You die, Lucifer goes back to the cage. If only it were that simple. But, still. You have an inflated sense of your importance. Yes, you’re one of a kind. Something I have never had the pleasure of seeing up close before. It’s nothing of spectacular amazement. Why, to a thing like me, a thing like you, well…” Death reached out to to grab his drink and took a sip. You furrowed your brow when he started to slurp loudly, getting the last of his beverage before continuing on the conversation. “Think how you’d feel if a bacterium sat at your table and started to get snarky.”

“Well, I’d be amazed.” You said, keeping up what luck you had to make a sarcastic joke that you meant as you gave the horsemen a tight smile. “I’d ask him how it felt to be so powerful. I mean, he's the cause of diseases that keep you in business. He might be small, but it doesn’t mean that he’s insignificant at destroying millions of lives.”

“Listen with your ears, Y/N. You have a lot to learn about the cycle of life. This is one little planet in one tiny solar system in a galaxy that’s barely out of its diapers. I’m old, Y/N. Very old. So I invite you to contemplate how unfunny and insignificant I find you.” Death said. It seemed the horsemen could feel a tension forming between the two of you. He decided to offer you a slice of pizza when he put one on your plate and nodded his head. “Eat.”

You stared at that piece of pizza. It was raining outside, storming harder than you had ever heard in your entire life. Millions of people were about to die...and here you sat, enjoying a slice of pizza with Death. You tempted yourself as you grabbed the slice from the table and sank your teeth into the food. You began to chew it slowly and looked at the horsemen, waiting for him to pull a trick on you, make you choke on your food or something. But there he sat raising his fork to his mouth and arched a brow, as if he knew how good it was. You swallowed the bite with ease and put the slice back down to the plate.

“Well, I got to ask.” You said. “How old are you?”

“Old as God. Maybe older. Neither one of us can remember anymore. Life, death, chicken, egg.” Death said, not seeming to be bothered at the facts as he cut himself another small bite of food. “Regardless—at the end, I’ll reap him, too.”

“God?” You repeated what you had just heard, suddenly as if it he was speaking another language you’ve never heard before. “You’ll reap God?”

“Oh, yes.” Death reassured you. “God will die, too, Y/N.”

You let out a breath as you looked around the room, not sure if you wanted to laugh or start crying again from what you landed yourself into. “Well, this is way above my paygrade.”

“Just a bit.” Death agreed.

“So, then why am I sitting here with you?” You questioned the horsemen. “What do you want?”

“The leash around my neck—off. Lucifer has me bound to him. Some unseemly little spell. He has me where he wants, when he wants. That’s why I couldn’t go to you. I had to wait for you to catch up.” Death said. You felt your brow tighten slightly at the situation that was becoming more clearer. “He made me his weapon. Hurricanes, floods, raising the dead. I’m more powerful than you can process, and I’m enslaved to a bratty child with a temper tantrum and a wild imagination.”

“And you think…” You trailed off for a moment. “I can unbind you?”

“There’s your ridiculous bravado again. Of course you can’t. But you can help me take the bullets out of Lucifer’s gun.” Death said. Your eyes wandered down to his right hand when he pushed himself forward and placed his elbow on the table, showing off his ring. “I understand you want this. I’m inclined to give it to you.”

You raised your brow at how he worded it, “Give it to me? How thoughtful.”

“That's what I said.” Death responded.

While you could feel a bit of the boulder that had been sitting on your chest lift itself, you couldn't help but think about what was going on around you when you heard another roll of thunder and bolt of lightning illuminate the restaurant. "What about Chicago?"

“I suppose it can stay. I like the pizza.” Death said, deciding to be generous today. You let out a small breath and felt a bit of a smile grow on your lips. The horsemen ever so slowly began to remove his ring for you, and while it stood in armsreach, he withheld it from you. “There are conditions.”

“I’ve learned with every deal I make there is.” You said.

“These are different, Y/N. You have to do whatever it takes to put Lucifer in his cell. Whatever it takes.” Dean explained. You nodded your head slowly, thinking that was the plan, but it seemed he thought that it was too close to call it such a thing. “Sam. Dean’s brother. He’s the one that can stop Lucifer. The only one. And before you ask, I know. But there are things keeping him from making the leap. Certain people holding him back.”

You swallowed, not wanting to ask. “Who?”

“You, of course. It's always been about you. You were the reason Lucifer was unrightfully set free in the first place and started this whole mess. It's bothered you all your life that you were brought into this world for the sole purpose to see it destroyed at your sake of just breathing. But you want a different purpose for your sad, dark little life. And this is it. One person has to fulfill their role to make sure the world sees better days.” Death said. You slowly looked over at him, your stomach tightening up from what you heard him say next. “You want to save the world? Give yourself to Lucifer. It will be the reason Sam jumps into the fiery pit. Because he think it'll save you.”

“Will it?” You couldn't help yourself but ask the question that had been burning in the back of your mind. You swallowed as you found yourself growing eerily silent and staring at the ring which took you months to finally get. You wondered if what Gabriel had said was true. "If he does jump...if I let myself turn into a demon. Is there a chance I could go back to normal?"

"Who's to say. 'These violent delights, have violent ends.'" Death took a quote from the infamous play of Romeo and Juliet to answer your question, but you felt yourself puzzled even more at what he meant. “You and I both want the same thing, Y/N. To be free of our ball and chain.”

Seven billion people or one person? You let out a nervous breath at the thought of choosing one person that you cared so much for the sake of humanity. He wanted to do it anyway. What's wrong with indulging into a part of you that you wanted to have a taste for after all this time? And you had the grace. Gabriel said it might work. It might. Those two words made you stared at the ring for another few seconds more. What if you couldn't go back? What if this was the step to the future that you had been fighting so hard to stay away from? But if you said no...you would turn into a demon somehow. You would join Lucifer, and in five years, on that fateful night after he used his friends as bait, you would find him once again. And you would use the heel of your shoe to break his neck like a twig. You stared at the ring for a few seconds longer. You knew your decision. But you didn’t want to say it just yet, afraid that he might not believe you.

"Well, do I have your word?"

You outstretched your arm as the other snuck underneath the table so he wouldn’t see. Sam wanted to do this for you. It was only for a little while. The world will be safe, you and Dean could live a life that you never dreamed of. You could keep lying to yourself, but crossed your fingers together, hoping he wouldn't notice when you did it to him. "Yes."

“That had better be ‘Yes,” Y/N. You know you can’t cheat death. Not this time.” A look of panic was about to spread across your face from Death’s haunting threat, making you think that he had almost caught onto your childish ways. But you felt a sigh of relief hit you when you felt the weight of his ring hit your palm and the rain quietly began to let up outside. “Now, would you like the instruction manual?”

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neganandblake · 7 years

Text

I think I liked you better when you didn’t have a knife in your hand, Peaches... Chapter 13 - Pizza and a movie

Blake let out a long sigh, coming to lean against the metal railing that ran around the outside balcony, overlooking the Sanctuary lot.

It had been an hour since Blake had been marched back down the main marketplace hall by Gavin.

Various men and women, dressed in dark clothes, all carrying guns and weapons of varying sizes, had filed past her as she went, obviously making their way out to the trucks. Leaving for what Blake supposed was Alexandria.

She hoped Rick and the rest of her friends back there would be safe. Her mind flitting to baby Judith and the kids of Alexandria, innocent in all this.

Blake hadn't see Negan again, but had mooched around the marketplace stalls, watching as people stood in line to exchange their wares for points. It had been quieter that it was when she had walked through with Negan. And so after a couple of laps around the place, Blake had wandered the corridors.

Her mind had, of course, flitted immediately to David…heading for the staircase leading down the basement floor where she knew his room was.

She hadn't seen him since their run in in the canteen yesterday and as much as he had frightened and hurt her she knew that all of it…it was for him. She loved him….right?

But as Blake had reached the staircase, she found a broad shouldered black man standing there in front of it, blocking the way, with a gun held steadily in his hands.

Blake had pursed her lips, ,meaning to push past him, but he took a step to the side, blocking her path.

"I'm sorry," he uttered in a soft voice. "I can't let you go down there."

Blake had given a frown.

"Everyone? Or just me," she asked a little confused, stepping back and staring up at the man, but he just shook his head.

"Uh, just you I'm afraid," he said insistently. "Negan's orders."

Blake scowled, giving a huff, and had been about to protest, but had thought better of it at the last moment.

What good would it do?

Arguing with this guy wasn't going to solve anything.

So Blake had huffed and headed back down the corridor, finally finding herself out here, back on the balcony….in the same place Negan had offered her lemonade, just a day ago.

She still could not believe that was yesterday.

It all felt like a lifetime ago now.

Blake leant across the railing, folding her arms and staring out across the gloomy, grey lot.

The fence today, was covered with the living dead, or walkers at Rick had used to call them, and not just the ones that had been tied up and impaled there.

There had obviously been a mass build-up overnight, and today, several men in baggy grey jumpers were out there, trying to wrangle the walkers into position as best they could, as several Saviours drove knives and posts through their skulls.

It seemed like a slow process and by the looks of it they could do with a few more hands.

Hands that Blake certainly could offer them. Especially if it meant that she could carry a weapon again.

Blake looked around, noticing a tall, armed saviour with a black goatee and cropped hair, standing by the stairs leading down to the lot.

Brushing down the back of her navy pants a little apprehensively, she approached him.

"Hey, you think I could go down there and help out," she said raising her eyebrows and looking up at him. "I mean, I know my way around a knife-"

But before Blake could even finish her sentence, the man gave a scoff, cutting across her.

"Pfft, sweetheart, do you really think I'd let you do that?" he raised giving an amused chuckle and staring at her incredulously. "Negan would kill me….no worse than that…..he'd probably make sure I suffered real bad THEN he'd kill me. So beat it, ok?"

Blake gritted her teeth, irritated, and turned on her heel marching back over to the railings.

Why the hell was she being treated like a child here? Surely Negan realised he couldn't keep her wrapped in cotton wool and cooped up here forever!?

She let out a long breath of air and watched the men and the walkers for a good twenty minutes or so….her mind flitting back to a time before Alexandria….when they had fought tooth and nail for survival…loosing so many people along the way.

Blake had forgotten what it felt like to have a real home….have a family.

She had always had David of course…and the people at Alexandria had always made her feel welcome….but it wasn't the same as it once was back in the real world.

Back then, Blake had worn pencil skirts and high heels to work, grabbed lattes from the coffee shops around the corner, and talked for hours on her cell phone to her girlfriends about their weekend plans.

She had got blow dries and spent lots of money on make-up…more than she probably cared to reveal to David back then.

She had watched re-runs of her favourite TV shows in the evenings, and checked in with friends online….staring at their holiday photos and making herself jealous.

Because all that…it had been important to her back then.

That world…that life….it had all been so loud….so busy….

She had been young…mid to late twenties….having the time of her life…

Blake thought about David.

They had been happy once….ok, he had never been the biggest earner…hoping to get his own art studio one day…but Blake had funded him….kept him going on the lifestyle he liked. Even if it meant her working a lot of overtime. But she had done it because she loved him.

Then the day came….that awful, awful day…when they had packed whatever they could carry, leaving Blake's high heels and pencil skirts there in the city…and driven out of there…sitting in long queues of traffic and then walking for hours….and hours…and hours….

Within a day her cell phone was dead….another day they had been ambushed by a horde of the dead….seeing a family that had followed them along the back-road trail, killed before their very eyes….

A day after that….they were alone, and the world was silent…

...it was all so silent….

And that had been when Blake had known that it was gone. It was truly all gone. Life as she knew it…

Her home…and her family…

All she had left now was David.

And she knew she couldn't lose him. Even when beatings came….she held on tight to him….telling herself that he was her family. He was her home.

And he still was.

Blake blinked, as she heard the door suddenly open behind her and a group of three or four female voices were heard.

She looked around back over her shoulder as the nearby Saviour with the gun did the same, just as four women appeared through the large swing doors, walking out onto the balcony.

One had red hair, Blake immediately recognised as Frankie, the woman from David's room the previous day. And at her side was Tanya, another she recognised from last night. The woman who had appeared in Negan's quarters who had walked Blake back to her room. Behind them were two more women, one young with long white-blonde hair, another with tan features and dark brown eyes, her hair tied up in a bun.

They were all wearing the same style of short black dress and all immediately stopped talking as their eyes landed on Blake.

At this Blake gave an inward gulp, not expecting this reaction.

These were obviously Negan's wives…perhaps this was all of them…although she wouldn't put it past him to already have a different wife for each day of the week.

Blake turned to face the group of women fully, who had stopped in their tracks, as though not expecting to see her out here, and stared at them, parting her lips.

"Uhhh…hi," she murmured, trying to force a smile in their direction.

But the women didn't not reply…

In fact, they did not even smile.

After a long second or two, she saw Tanya, merely give Frankie a poignant shove forwards and the women all hurried away down the steps, past the armed Saviour, heading down to the left of the yard.

Blake gave a despondent sigh, turning back to the railing and placing both hands on it, giving it a frustrated squeeze.

Had Negan really warned everyone away from her?

Right now she felt so frustrated.

So trapped.

Firsts she hadn't been allowed to go see her own husband and now other women were blanking her. But why?

Was she really that bad?!

Suddenly pushing herself from the railing she decided to follow the women….hoping that the Saviour with the gun would not stop her. She hadn't seen around this entire place with Negan, so she would try and explore as much of it as she was allowed. Although she expected that wouldn't stretch too far.

She pushed her long caramel blonde hair back across her shoulders and lifted her chin, strutting past the man defiantly…and to her a surprise, he didn't make a move to stop her.

She chanced a second glance at him and she headed down the steps , but he was already staring away uninterestedly.

Reaching the bottom, Blake found that the four wives were long gone, but the walkway wrapped around the building, splitting off into two paths through a couple of smaller units. Blake took the left one and began to walk.

It was hot and humid out and even under the gloomy grey sky of this day in late fall, Blake could feel beads of sweat collecting at her collarbone.

She was tall and with a medium build, having dropped a well-needed pound or two around her waist and hips since all this had started….but she knew that was likely mainly due to all the walking she had done over the past few years. But even now…on days like this she longed for air-con and a temperate shower.

Blake walked down a small pathway that led through the buildings, hearing voices murmuring a little way ahead of her…

Perhaps it was the wives…..perhaps she could catch up with them and confront them.

But she turned the corner, furrowing her brow …finally stepping out into a small courtyard that had been turned into a sort of makeshift communal back-yard.

There was full lines of laundry hanging from wall-to-wall around the yard…with pots of various sizes, growing what looked like small lemon trees as well as others. There was a couple of small plastic-covered greenhouses and a large gas barbecue in the centre of the courtyard, but it was the vast amount of people that were stood around talking, laughing with one another that surprised Blake the most.

There were a small group of children all running around the potted plants ducking and diving away from each other, paying tag. There were a couple of women sowing what looked like pairs of socks on the far side of the area, as well as men and women of various ages moving about going about their work happily and contently.

If Blake had not known any better, she would have guessed they were back in Alexandria or at any of the other camps she had been at before now.

But almost as soon as Blake had walked forwards around the corner, entering the courtyard, a sudden hush seemed to fall over the small crowd, as heads began to turn towards her.

A woman with ashy blonde hair, pulled a small boy aside hurriedly, stepping back, looking nervous.

Blake took a step forward, noticing suddenly that the people all around her had bowed their heads, avoiding her eye.

Just like they normally did with Negan…

Immediately Blake felt embarrassed, her cheeks reddening, as she walked further out into the courtyard looking this way and that.

This was a proper community and as oppressed as these people did seem on the outside, Blake had to be grateful for the fact that they were safe…inside these walls. Just as the people back in Alexandria were.

Blake remembered back to when all that had been new to her…and David….and the rest of her small group. When they had arrived in Alexandria after so, so long spent out there. When they had finally found somewhere where one person did not have to stay up all night on watch...or go in pairs to the bathroom together.

A safe place.

Is that what these people had here?

Blake looked around, passing a young couple with glasses as both of them immediately stared down the ground as she moved by them. They only looked about Blake's age, and perhaps long ago she would have been friends with them….gone out to bars or for coffee with them…and yet now…these people almost looked fearful of her.

Blake gulped yet again, dragging her eyes away from them and coming to a stop just in front of a long line of washing….

….just as a small girl with brown hair appeared in front of her….

….wearing a large, oversized sweater.

Blake gave a blink staring down at the girl as she spoke with a tiny lisp.

"Thank you for my sweater. It was my birthday yesterday," she uttered in shy sort of voice.

Suddenly realization dawned on Blake as she gazed up at a figure, standing just a little way behind the tiny girl.

It was the woman from this morning…whom she had given the sweater to at the marketplace.

The woman mouthed a 'Thank you' just as the little girl before her, lifted something to Blake's face.

Bake looked down, her breath catching in her throat.

It was a flower. Beautiful and white with a long stem.

"My name's Lydia," she said giving Blake a smile. "What's yours?"

Blake instantly felt tears welling in her eyes as she gently took the flower from Lydia's grasp.

"I…um…I'm Blake," she uttered in just a whisper.

But all this. It was far too much for her to cope with.

This little girl…this gesture from someone who already had nothing….

It was too much to bear.

Blake suddenly murmured a hurried 'excuse me' before turning on her heel and hastily marching out of there as fast as she could.

She knew that all eyes were on her, but right now she didn't care…

She hurried through a large set of doors, and down into a darkened hallway, before suddenly and before she could stop herself bursting into tears….

…the small white flower still clutched tightly within her hand.

Blake flipped over a page in her book letting out a sigh.

It was late evening now…maybe 9pm, and Blake was in her room, sat across her bed reading…as she been for the past few hours.

The flower she had earlier been given was now sat neatly in a green vase on her table in the centre of the room.

Blake had of course been overwhelmed by the gesture…she had cried in silence, unable to stop the tears from falling.

She had felt oh-so overwhelmed by the gesture. All she had done was give the girls' mother a sweater, and yet they had treated her as if she were some sort of princess to them….a Queen. So grateful...when Blake knew she didn't deserve it.

She had only done it to defy Negan…hadn't she?

And yet from both sides…Negan and his people…. they had both given her so much in return…so much that she certainly wasn't worthy of.

The afternoon, of course, had dragged by.

Swiping away her tears, Blake had made her way down the corrido, finally fining herself back in the large canteen….where a tiny queue had formed for late lunch, down at the end of the large room.

The food had smelled so good, and Blake had realised she hadn't eaten since yesterday, and so had walked over to tentatively join the end of the group of awaiting people.

But she had barely made it to the end of the line, when the seven or so people ahead of her, suddenly stepped aside, allowing her to skip in front of them.

Blake hadn't quite believed what an impact Negan's words would indeed have, until this point.

They way these people looked at her with fear and apprehension in their eyes.

She of course declined their offer, urging for the people to take their place back in the line, but they just bowed their heads, refusing to move, and so Blake had eventually stepped up, taking plate filled with meat and potatoes and a large portion of vegetables. (She noticed later that she was the only person who had been given these vegetables…which made her feel even more guilty.)

She had eaten alone on a long table to herself, before quickly heading back up to her room, feeling lonelier than she had in a long time.

She had hoped to see David around…but he had been nowhere to be seen. Her mind trying not the think of the fact that perhaps he was with Frankie again.

Blake worried at her lips slightly as she turned the page of her novel.

She had made it most of the way through Moby Dick now, but had a lot of titles on her shelf still to get to.

Blake had mastered being bored by now. For a long time she had whiled away hours spent in darkened buildings afraid to turn on a light to read, in case the dead found them. But it was not having anyone to talk to that pained her the most. Made her feel bored and alone…and trapped.

She knew that she could go down to the canteen but even there she would be eating alone yet again… And so despite how much her stomach was rumbling and protesting, she would stay here and read a little more before going straight to bed.

But as the minutes ticked by, the only sound being the pages of her book being turned every minute or so, it wasn't a surprise that Blake jumped out of her skin at the sound of loud knocking on the outside of her door.

She gave a frown, staring suddenly up, before slowly placing down her book and getting to her feet.

She brushed down the back of her navy pants, before padding carefully to the door and hurling it open…

But Blake could only purse her lips and frown, staring suddenly at the figure of the other side.

"You miss me?"

It was of course Negan…standing in his battered, old leather jacket, shucked over a, now, bloodstained t-shirt. He had Lucille, as always, flung over his left shoulder, holding the wire-covered baseball bat, loosely in his grip.

Blake gave a frown, wanting to question him on his current bloody state and the outcome of the folks back at Alexandria.

"Whose bloo-," she began. But as her eyes travelled down to his other hand, she stopped suddenly, her frown become one of bemused confusion. "Wait…...is that…..pizza?"

Sure enough, in Negan's other hand was a large round plate with an enormous pepperoni pizza sat on it.

She stared up into Negan's smirking face, just as two men Blake didn't recognise, filed past her into her room before she could stop them.

"Wait-uh-what?" she said almost spinning around on the spot in confusion, as one man moved past her carrying in a large black TV and the other a humungous, ancient-looking VCR and two video tapes.

But Negan just gave a chuckle.

"Well you said you wanted pizza and a movie," said Negan his lips curving up into a grin as he looked down at her. "So I thought I'd bring the queen exactlywhat she wanted. Courtesy of ol' Greg an' his gang of wet-fuckin'-blankets up at the Hilltop."

Blake looked over her shoulder at the two men setting up her TV, before gazing back at Negan, her breath hitching in her throat in confusion.

"So you didn't go to Alexandria?" she said, that frown still lingering between her brows, but her entire body flooding with relief. "B-But you said-"

Negan shifted his weight from foot to foot, smirking at her.

"I didn't say a fuckin' word, buttercup," he mused, giving a nod. "But there you fuckin' go, assuming the worst from me, as always."

He tutted, causing Blake to grit her teeth irritably.

"Do you really blame me?" she shot back snappily.

But Negan just smiled that annoying smile of his, lowering Lucille from his shoulder and placing her against his leg before picking up a slice of pizza and taking an obnoxiously large bite, as the two men filed back past the pair of them, heading out of the room once again.

"I mean, if you don' want it," he uttered talking through chews and pointing at her with his hand holding the pizza. "I am more than happy to take this pizza away and enjoy it myself."

But Blake shot him a scowling look, suddenly snatching the plate from his grasp.

"Fine," she said in a huffy tone. "I'll take it."

At her reaction, Negan grinned, tossing his half eaten slice back onto her plate and placing his arm to the doorframe, leaning up against it and looming over Blake slightly.

"Had a feeling you'd come around, Doll-face," he muttered in a husky voice, shooting her a knowing look through darkened lashes. "I think that soft spot you've got for me is comin' along nicely. Next you'll be asking me on a date and wanting to put your hand up my blouse."

Blake rolled her eyes.

"Was there anything else?" she asked, raising her eyebrows and shooting him a fake smile, which only caused Negan to let out a loud laugh.

The dark haired Saviour bit his lip, poking his tongue out between his perfect teeth as he eyed her.

"An' there was me thinkin' you were gonna ask me in. I'm hurt," he uttered pressing a hand to his heart and scooping up Lucille from the floor.

For a long moment he looked at Blake with something in his eye, which Blake couldn't help but smirk back at.

Had she imagined three days ago when she had woken up in that cell, that she would now be standing here, hot pizza in her hand and a movie playing on the TV behind her. And in her own room too…..she wouldn't have believed it could be true.

And it was all down to one person…

But was that person David…..or was it Negan…

Blake's green eyes lingered on his for second or two…both of them seemingly unable to look away….but Blake knew she was playing with fire here.

She let out a quiet chuckle…and stared down at the pizza in her hand….just as Negan pushed himself off of the doorframe, grinning.

"Night, Peaches," he uttered with a warm growl, turning on his heel and heading back of down the corridor, his boots chinking as he went.

And with that, Blake just stood there for a long moment, watching him go. Before slowly smiling to herself, shaking her head and closing the door with a snap, behind her.

...................................

Send me a PM or an ask if you’d like to be tagged in this fic. More chapters to come very soon.

Hope you all had a great 4th July! :)

@collette04 @attorneyl @charoly @princessmoonspunky @mssharingisfun

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weekendwarriorblog · 6 years

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The Weekend Warrior’s Top 25 Movies of 2018!

What a year we’ve been having with all the politics and internet craziness and my own personal life, struggling to survive without a job and very little work, and YET, it was an absolutely fantastic year for movies. There is no arguing that fact when a good percentage of my annual top 25 came from movies I saw at Sundance way back in January. While there may be a few noticeable omissions that appear on many other top 10s, as well as a few movies I liked that were obvious awards fodder, I’m pretty happy with what turned out to be one of my more eclectic top 25 lists with a mix of smaller indies and big budget blockbusters. (In case you’re interested, I saw 248 movies in 2018, and that is only counting the new movies released during the year and not dozens more movies I saw at film festival and hundreds of older films.)

I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it…. Or rather, I hope you enjoy reading this because it took me a long time to write it.

25. Stan and Ollie (Sony Pictures Classics) – One of the recurring trends I saw happening during what was a relatively sucky year was that many of my favorite things from childhood were brought to the big screen. In this case, it’s the story of Laurel and Hardy, as ably played by Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly, as it covers the last few years of their partnership as they’re struggling to fill theaters during a UK tour. The performances by the duo were splendid, as were the two actors playing their respective wives (a hilarious Nina Arianda and Shirley Henderson), the script by Jeff Pope really putting you into the comedy duo’s world and mindset. Kudos to Jon S. Baird for this fantastic biopic, which opens next week in New York and L.A.

24. Annihilation (Paramount) – Alex Garland’s sophomore film, his follow-up to the excellent Ex-Machina, was a fantastic adaptation of Jeff Vandermeer’s sci-fi novel that should have been as accepted as Arrival, especially with the fantastic premise and performance by Natalie Portman, as well as Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson and Oscar Isaac. Sadly, I didn’t rewatch it on Netflix when I had the chance but this is definitely something I’d buy on blu-ray.

23. Mary Poppins Returns (Walt Disney Pictures) – Continuing the theme from Stan and Ollie, Disney finally made a sequel to one of my favorite movies as a kid with the wonderful Emily Blunt stepping into the shoes of Julie Andrews, and I was shocked by how much I enjoyed it, especially since I wasn’t a fan of Rob Marshall’s Into the Woods… or Chicago, for that matter. For this one, Marshall perfectly captured the magic I felt first watching Mary Poppinsand listening to the album over and over as a kid, with really fun songs, including some co-written by Lin Manuel Miranda, I believe.

22. Aquaman (Warner Bros.) – While Aquaman has never been my favorite DC superhero, I had high hopes for director James Wan’s first foray into superheroics, and I wasn’t disappointed. Granted, there was a lot to keep up with, since he fit a lot of story into one movie… I mean, who wouldn’t, considering the chances of there ever being an Aquaman sequel? But yeah, Jason Momoa really sold me on the character, and the way the movie remained faithful to the Aquaman lore and mythos made in the comics, and there was just so much to enjoy that I can’t wait to see it again.

21. Boy Erased (Focus Features) – Another second feature, this one from Joel Edgerton, who adapted, directed and co-starred in this adaptation of Garrard Conley’s memoir of growing up with a preacher father and religious mother who sent him to participate in a gay conversion program run by a zealous fanatic (played by Edgerton). I thought Lucas Hedges was just fantastic in the lead in this as well as in his father Peter Hedges’ movie Ben is Back, so this year finally put me on the Lucas Hedges wagon despite him appearing in multiple Best Picture-nominated movies over the last couple years. (I also want to point out the Honorable Mention The Miseducation of Cameron Post, which was also quite good as it looked at the problems caused by these gay conversion programs.)

20. Crazy Rich Asians (New Line/Warner Bros.) – I fought tooth and nail against buying into the hype for this all-Asian cast adaptation of Kevin Kwan’s best-selling novel, but I’m a total sucker for romance, especially the romantic comedy genre, and this was a fine one for the ages. My worries about this being seen as Asian wealth porn was somewhat off-base – although there was some of that in there – and this ended up being the perfect movie for one of my fave directors, Jon M. Chu, to finally be taken seriously in Hollywood. Granted, I already loved Constance Wu from Fresh Off the Boat and Michelle Yeoh from a million movies, but I loved what newcomers Henry Goulding and Awkwafina brought to the mix, and I even liked Ken Jeong in this, so yeah, a pleasant surprisw, and one I probably will rewatch again soon.

19. Roma (Netflix) – Likewise, I finally saw this movie at New York Film Festival after tons of hype out of Telluride, Toronto and Venice, but I immediately was able to relate to the love the kids in the film have for their maid, something similar to my own childhood living in Brazil in the early ‘70s. There’s no denying that director Alfonso Cuaron makes stunning films that leaves your jaw agape in every scene, and what an amazing coup for first-timer Yalitza Aparicio, an indigenous woman who might have had a hard time getting roles if not for Cuaron’s brilliance in casting her. This movie hit me even harder emotionally a second time, although I still wouldn’t place it higher on my year-end list since I thought some of it was noticeable directorial wanking i.e. Cuaron could do these big set pieces merely because he had the ability and money to do so.

18. On the Basis of Sex and RBG (Focus Features / Magnolia) – I’m cheating here a little bit just because this year saw two fantastic films about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, first in the doc by Betsy West and Julie Cohen, which created a beautiful portrait of the amazing woman. Later in the year, Felicity Jones portrayed Ginsburg in a pivotal point in her career where she goes before the Supreme Court to fight for gender equality. It’s an important case but also an important turning point in our country, and I love how Ginsburg’s relationship with her husband, played by the dashing Armie Hammer, was portrayed.

17. Monsters and Men (Neon) – A movie that was seemingly missed by anyone who didn’t see it at Sundance, and even by many who went to Sundance was Reinaldo Marcus Green’s drama about a shooting by a Brooklyn policeman and how it’s viewed by three different people from the neighborhood. Two of those people are Anthony Ramos’ Manny and John David Washington (from BlackKklansman) as a fairly young policeman dealing with the corruption and racism in the force. It also deals with a young baseball prodigy (Christopher Jordan Wallace) who wants to get involved with the protests against the killing even if it might hurt his chances at getting into a good college. If you have a chance to see this movie, you’re likely to be impressed by Green’s storytelling abilities and how it’s used.

16. Searching (Sony/Screen Gems) – Aneesh Chaganty’s directorial debut was an amazing thriller starring John Cho as a man whose daughter has disappeared and using only what can be viewed on a computer screen. Sure, it sounds like a gimmick, and it’s one that’s been used in films like Nacho Vigalondo’s Open Windows and the Unfriended series, but Cho’s performance is a career-best, and Chaganty finds a way to create a plausible thriller that keeps you invested in Cho finding his daughter. (And I loved the hint I discovered to the movie’s big twist on watching a second time.)

15. Widows (20thCentury Fox) – While I liked 12 Years a Slave just fine, Steve McQueen really blew me away with his foray into the heist genre, starring Viola Davis as the wife of a criminal (Liam Neeson), who dies in an attempt to steal millions from a local Chicago mob boss… and political candidate (Brian Tyree Henry – one of this year’s major MVPs). It seems like a fairly simple plot, but McQueen finds a way to integrate the local politics (incl. amazing performances by Colin Farrell and Robert DuVall), surround Davis with some amazing women (including Cynthia Erivo and Elizabeth Debicki) and create a heist film unlike any you would have seen before, as it was far more unconventional than other heist films, as one might expect.

14. Mary, Queen of Scots (Focus Features) – Fantastic performances by Saoirse Ronan as the title character and Margot Robbie as her cousin and rival Queen Elizabeth made Josie Rourke’s feature directorial debut quite an amazing film. It wasn’t just another costume drama, and as much as it sadly is being overshadowed by The Favourite, the material told this fascinating story about two feuding queens in such an interesting and exciting way, including an impressive battle sequence, making this very different from other period pieces, including the many that have been directed by men.

13. Instant Family (Paramount) – Another one of this year’s surprises was seeing Sean Anders, the director behind Daddy’s Home and its sequel, take on a more serious comedy based on his own real life. Apparently, he and his wife adopted three kids, so in this very funny, sweet and warm comedy, it’s Rose Byrne and Mark Wahlberg as a couple who take in three Latino kids, including the amazing Isabela Moner, who I think is going to be amazing as Dora the Explorer. But there was so much to enjoy about this film from the easy laughs to some of the sweeter and more touching human emotions on display.

12. Hereditary (A24) – Another film that premiered out of Sundance (that I missed there) was Ari Aster’s directorial debut, an absolutely horrifying film about a mother (Toni Collette) dealing with all sorts of strange supernatural occurrences after the death of her own mother. A24’s marketing for the film was such a brilliant bit of Red Herring creation that you might go in thinking that Collette’s daughter Charlie (played by Milly Shapiro) was gonna be the main antagonist/conflict… nope! Colette’s amazing performance was countered by a similar one from Alex Wolff, and if you weren’t totally creeped out by this movie’s ending, there’s probably something wrong with you. Aster proves himself to be a fascinating visual storyteller, so I can’t wait to see his next movie.

11. The Citizen (ArtMattan Productions) – Roland Vranik’s Hungarian film that premiered at the Berlin Film Festival all the way back in 2016 finally got a U.S. release thanks to New York’s Metrograph where it played for a number of weeks. After seeing the trailer a bunch of times, I ended up checking it out, and I was blown away by how timely and prescient the story of an African immigrant trying to become a Hungarian citizen related to what was going on in this country over the past year. It’s a wonderful indie film that sadly didn’t get the attention it deserved.

10. Eighth Grade (A24) – Yet another Sundance “discovery” was comedian Bo Burnham’s debut, which featured newcomer Elsie Fisher as 13-year-old Kayla, who is trying to deal with puberty, her last year in middle school and a pesky but lovable father, played by Josh Hamilton. This is just such an enjoyable even if you went to middle school so long ago that you barely remember it. Even so, Burnham found a way to tap into those feelings to create an extremely enjoyable comedy. I’m convinced Elsie Fisher is gonna be a superstar.

9. The Hate U Give (20thCentury Fox) – Probably one of the most underrated films of the year, which thankfully has gotten some critical love in the past few weeks. I thought this adaptation of Angie Love’s Y.A. novel about a teenager named Starr, played by Amandla Stenberg, fighting with the two sides of her life with the advent of #BlackLivesMatter after watching her childhood friend killed by a white police officer. The cast that producer George Tillman Jr. built around Stenberg was quite impressive, including Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby, Anthony Mackie and Common, with many powerful emotional moments that did a good job explaining what young black people in urban areas must deal with daily. It’s a fine return to form from the director of Notorious and Soul Food.

8. Ant Man and the Wasp (Marvel Studios) – I bet you didn’t expect to see THIS Marvel Studios rank so high while a couple others didn’t even place in my list (or even Honorable Mentions), huh? Maybe I’ve just gotten sick of the whole thing where every movie is basically set-up for the next movie, which has been the case for a while now. Sure, Ant-Man and the Wasp is a sequel to Ant-Man and there was a post-credits Avengers: Infinity War tie-in, but otherwise, this was the Ant-Man movie I had been hoping for after the rather disappointing first movie. Obviously, having Paul Rudd involved in the writing and not working from a previous plot (as was the case with the first movie) helped the characters from the first movie shine. (Also, loved the Ghost as an antagonist.)

7. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse (Sony) – It was a fairly tight race for my favorite superhero movie of the year, but after seeing this animated take on Marvel’s webbed wonder a second time, it was obvious to me that this was indeed one of the best feature film iterations of Spider-Man outside the comics. Sure, I was a fan of what Brian Bendis had done in the Ultimate comics, maybe not some of the Spider-Verse stuff introduced by Dan Slott, but taking those two disparate things and turning it into a true story about Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore, who should be cast as Miles in a live action MCU movie) and then having Jake Johnson voicing the older “mentor” Spider-Man just made for a fun movie that exemplified all of the previous films directed and produced by Lord and Miller including The LEGO Movie and 21 Jump Street. I’m looking forward to more big-screen animated superhero movies, and yeah, I liked Incredibles 2 just fine but I was never that attached to the Pixar movie.

6. Love, Simon (20thCentury Fox) – After blowing up the DC Universe via his many CW TV shows, Greg Berlanti returned to the movies with this coming-out coming of age romantic comedy starring Nick Robinson as Simon Spier, a closeted gay teen who discovers that there might be another gay teen in the closet at his high school. This simple plot led to a wonderful high school coming-of-age rom-com that really brightened me up on a miserable day I was having (the first of many this year), and I loved how relatable Berlanti made the story.

5. Bad Times at the El Royale (20thCentury Fox) – Possibly one of the most underrated films of the year, Drew Goddard’s second film as a director after the similarly excellent Cabin in the Woods, featured a cadre of individuals converging on a mostly-abandoned hotel on the border of California and Nevada. Jeff Bridges plays a priest, Jon Hamm plays a travelling salesman and Broadway star Cynthia Erivo (also in Widows) is a singer who all show up at the same time, as we quickly discover, very little about the El Royale is as it seems. I almost don’t want to reveal too much more, because it’s the way the story unfolds which had many comparing it to Tarantino (both positively and negatively). I felt that so many filmmakers have tried to ape Tarantino and not understood what makes his storytelling style work so well, but Goodard figured it out, and delivered a rich film full of many surprises. I can’t recommend the film more, since I know very few people had a chance to see it in theaters.

4. Mission: Impossible – Fallout (Paramount) – Considering how much I was disappointed by Christopher McQuarrie’s Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, I expected its direct sequel to be more of the same, and boy, was I wrong. Tom Cruise and McQuarrie pulled out all the stops to create a viable conclusion to the four movies that had been produced along with JJ Abrams and Bad Robot, which included the extraordinary 4thmovie directed by Brad Bird. I was impressed the first time I saw this in IMAX… but then I saw it again… and again… and again. I just couldn’t get enough of the amazing action scenes and the intricate plot (even though I found a few holes in it). I’m so psyched to see what McQuarrie does next, and it successfully reminded everyone why Cruise is the star that he is.

3. Juliet, Naked (Lionsgate / Roadside Attractions) – The fact that filmmaker Jesse Peretz was able to adapt one of my favorite Nick Hornby novels in a way that’s faithful but not to a fault made this one of my favorite movies of this year’s Sundance Film Festival. If you couldn’t tell from my love for Instant Family, I absolutely love Rose Byrne, and she killed it as Annie, a woman living in a seaside English town with her boyfriend Duncan (Chris O’Dowd) as an avid fan of musician Tucker Crowe. When Annie posts something negative about a newly-discovered Crowe rarity on Duncan’s blog, they break up, but she also ends up having a long-distance relationship with the actual Crowe, played by Ethan Hawke. There’s just something so spot-on about Hornby’s book and this adaptation was just as enjoyable, genuinely warm and very, very funny. I wish more people went to go see it.

2. A Star is Born (Warner Bros.) – Believe me, there may be no one more surprised by how far this movie has placed in my year-end list than myself. I’m not a huge Bradley Cooper fan, nor do I particularly like Lady Gaga or her music, but this is a great old Hollywood story that’s perfectly modernized with Cooper playing rock star Jackson Mane who sees Gaga’s Ally performing at a cabaret club and falls for her just as he tries to help her career. It’s a story that’s been told a number of times before, and sure, I can understand why some women might not like the implications that a man might help the woman have success in the movie industry, but Gaga killed it playing a character possibly not too removed from herself. I’ll be thrilled with any and all Oscars this movie earns, especially for Bradley Cooper, making a stunning directorial debut. (And I always love Sam Elliot in anything he does. He’s so deserving of an Oscar here, too.)

1A. Won’t You be My Neighbor (Focus Features) – As always, I separate the docs from my overall year’s best list just because I tend to like the genre so much that my entire top 10 would be docs if I didn’t separate them into their own category. But yeah, Morgan Neville has done it again with another 10/10 doc following his Oscar-winning 20 Feet to Stardom. Barring some major push by one of the other docs that made the shortlist (and my top 12 below), there’s a very good chance that Neville’s doc about beloved PBS host Fred (Mister) Rogers will win him a second Oscar. Rogers is beloved by adults who grew up watching his show and getting a chance to look behind the scenes made many adults cry, mainly for joy but also for sadness that these trying times doesn’t have a Mister Rogers to help us through it.

1. Green Book (Universal) – Yes, I’m well aware of the controversy and backlash from many black film critics (most of them who write for ShadowAndAct.com, oddly enough) who hate this movie for one reason or another. By the time all that controversy had reared its ugly head, I had already seen the Peter Farrelly historic buddy comedy twice, and I loved it both times I saw it. If you’re unaware, it stars Viggo Mortensen as Italian stereotype club bouncer Tony Lip, who is hired to drive and safeguard Mahershala Ali’s jazz pianist Dr. Don Shirley on a tour of the Deep South during the early ‘60s when racism still was running rampant. The growing chemistry built by these two actors through the situations they find themselves in made me far more interested in Shirley and the Green Book of the title, so anyone complaining about the movie should realize that through entertaining humor, Farrelly has opened a conversation that I hope will continue through next year.

Honorable Mentions:

There were so many good movies this year that all of these fine films ended up just outside my top 25…

A Private War (Aviron) Operation Finale (MGM) First Reformed (A24) Lean on Pete (A24) The Rider (Sony Pictures Classics) Collette (Bleecker Street) Cold War (Amazon Studios) The Miseducation of Cameron Post (FilmRise) Leave No Trace (Bleecker Street) Suspiria (Amazon)

TWELVE GREAT DOCS

This was most definitely the year of the theatrical doc, even though, yeah, there’s still a few Netflix docs on here… okay, one. Otherwise, it was important to see most of these movies in a theater, which culminated in Peter Jackson’s 3D WWI doc They Shall Not Grow Old, which just missed my top 12. Sorry, this feature has gotten a little too long or otherwise, I’d write more about each of these, but most of them I wrote about in the weekly column.

1. Won’t You be My Neighbor (Focus Features) 2. Free Solo (National Geographic) 3. Hal (Oscilloscope) 4. Three Identical Strangers (Neon) 5. Minding the Gap (Hulu) 6. RBG (Magnolia) 7. Rock Rubber 45s (Saboteur Media) 8. Crime + Punishment (Hulu/IFC Films) 9. Shirkers (Netflix) 10. Fahrenheit 11/9 11. Far from the Tree (IFC Films) 12. Whale of a Tale (Giant Pictures)

STUDIO OF THE YEAR:

Every year I like rewarding a studio that goes above and beyond both in terms of releasing great, entertaining movies and also being generally decent to deal with. While Universal has the top movie and Warner Bros. is #2 and Fox has a lot of movies on the above list, I think I’ll have to give this year’s award to Paramount Pictures, not only for making the best Mission: Impossible yet, but also with two wonderful surprises in Instant Family and Overlord, which both were far better than their trailers. (They also released A Quiet Place, which didn’t make my list but was still a solid thriller.) But most importantly, they’re the most improved in terms of press/critical outreach, and I greatly appreciate that, especially in the tough year I had.

ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

I always like sharing some of the music I’m listening to each year and though my music budget has been cut rather drastically this year, my favorite album of the year was Metric’s “Art of Doubt,”followed by Buffalo Tom’s “Quiet and Peace”and The Fratellis’ “In Your Own Sweet Time.” I also dug Monster Magnet’s “Mindf*cker,” Ash’s “Islands” and James’ “Living in Extraordinary Times,” but none of this gets me more excited as the prospect for a new Cure album in 2019!

Oh, fine.. I’ll tack on my Terrible 10 for the year, but I don’t feel like revisiting any of these: 10. Kin 9. Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich 8. The Spy Who Dumped Me 7. Before I Wake 6. Truth or Dare? 5. London Fields 4. Head Full of Honey 3. Mandy 2. Aardvark 1. Assassination Nation

That’s it for this year. Hopefully, I’ll have more to come soon.

#WeekendWarrior Top252018 Movies Reviews GreenBook MissionImpossible AStarIsBorn WontYouBeMyNeighbor

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