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grilledcheeseandguavajelly · 4 years

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“Somewhere Just Beyond My Reach, There’s Someone Reaching Back For Me” -- Wilhemina Venable x Mildred Ratched

Mildred Ratched already owns my heart. That’s just the sad truth. She shares the space with Venable now. Which means that I’m left thinking of the two of them together almost constantly. And eventually it got too loud and I had to write it.

Please bear with me, the show hasn’t even dropped a trailer yet so this is just me having fun with the little I know about Nurse Ratched (and the little I am hoping for gathered from promo pictures/teasers). Also, I wrote it in maybe two days, so I apologize in advance for any typos.

Words: ~13,500

Warnings: None? I’m hesitant to say none on a fic with ~these women~, but yeah I think that’s where we are right now. Just a bit of smut (shhhh)

~I really hope you all enjoy this one, it’s probably a bit different than everyone was expecting, but I couldn’t resist. Alright, LET’S DO THIS~

Wilhemina’s fingers twitched on her cane, thumb rubbing reflexively against the handle as she watched the line in front of her. Stagnant. And she had been waiting for almost twenty minutes.

She was just starting to lose her patience, especially with the man she was behind. Too tall, smelling of cigarettes. The future of her day pressed against her, the knowledge that she was going to be faced with hundreds of these men, large and consuming and throwing too much ego around.

This convention was entirely men, as far as she could see. And as she looked around, took in their shining shoes and their notebooks and their stares, she shifted, setting her posture on her cane and standing up a bit straighter.

Until heels clicked through the room, tapping steadily and coming to a halt just behind her.

And Wilhemina realized that they hadn’t been staring at her.

Soft muttering, a huff, and then Wilhemina turned, her curiosity peaked.

Her eyes landed on a woman, entirely too perfect for her own good, from the way her hat sat at an impeccable angle to the way her feet crossed smoothly, one in front of the other, as she dug through her purse.

A second later, her mouth pursed into a thin line as she pulled out a neatly folded stack of papers. And as she looked up, straightening, her eyes met Wilhemina’s.

A small smirk played over her lips, no doubt at the realization that Wilhemina had been staring at her. And all Wilhemina could think to do in the moment was pop her brow, quirking her head.

Composure. Self-preservation.

A long moment where Wilhemina let herself look her up and down, take in her quartered sleeves, peter-pan collar, the row of thick buttons that ran a perfect line down to a flared skirt. And black, velvet gloves to match.

And then she found her voice.

“I was under the impression that I would be the only woman speaking here today.”

And this woman, so impeccably dressed, so impeccably put together, had the nerve to pop her brow right back.

“Well,” she countered quickly, tipping her shoulders back. “One should never assume.”

And this time, Wilhemina couldn’t help the smirk that pulled at her lips. She offered her free hand, tapping her cane as she spoke. “Wilhemina Venable. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

And to her surprise, the woman took it, gloved hand warm in Wilhemina’s grip.

“Mildred Ratched,” she replied smoothly, eyes hot as a smile curved her lips.

Wilhemina couldn’t help but shift as she shook the woman’s hand, some sort of victory, of smugness, folding into her from the power radiating through this simple gesture. Her nose twitched and then Mildred’s hand was falling away, finding the strap of her small purse and rubbing at it absently as she pulled her composure back around her.

She watched Mildred’s eyes flick past her, and then immediately around the room. Watched the slight shake in her breath as she undoubtedly realized what Wilhemina had only moments before. It really was all men here, save the two of them.

“What are you lecturing on?” Wilhemina asked, pleased when Mildred’s eyes snapped back to her.

“Psychological advances made through study of post-trauma triggers and observances in the field of action.”

Wilhemina hummed, her fingers tightening on her cane as the implication of what the woman said settled around her. “You helped during the war?”

A smug look crossed Mildred’s face, but she morphed it into a passive smile. “Helped might be an understatement.”

There was a long moment as Wilhemina realized that Mildred was probably entirely capable of handling herself around so many men. Commanding so many men. And then the woman spoke again.

“And you?”

Wilhemina swallowed, tapping her cane as she set her shoulders against inevitable backlash that always came when she admitted to never helping with the war efforts.

“No.”

To her surprise, Mildred only chuckled. Shook her head. “I meant what are you lecturing on.”

She set her jaw, fingers twitching at her error. Her mistake. But Mildred hadn’t scolded her. Hadn’t judged. She was only curious. So polite. So focused.

“I’m simply posing the question of technology versus consciousness. And somehow, I have a feeling that these men will not like it.”

A small laugh from Mildred, and then something settled over her that looked almost uncomfortable, an uneasiness radiating off of her like a wave.

Wilhemina quirked a brow. “Perhaps you’re not fond of it either, Ms. Ratched?”

But Mildred shook her head. “Nurse,” she corrected. “And it’s not that. It’s simply...”

Her eyes pulled over the men surrounding them. Staring at them. Undoubtedly murmuring about them as they walked. Always together. Always in pairs.

Mildred fingered the strap of her purse, teeth scraping over her bottom lip for a fraction of a second before she schooled her features.

Wilhemina let her eyes run over her once more, top to bottom and back again. The language of her movements, scribbled down in books on how to cover yourself from the world. How to block everyone out and set yourself atop the pyramid of society.

“Well, Nurse Ratched,” Wilhemina tried, smirking as she tapped her cane once more. “Order on the outside does wonders to keep the chaos safely on the inside.”

And then those eyes, those brown, piercing eyes, viciously slicing through Wilhemina. She knew that look, that shock. She had seen right through her. Exposed her, clear as day. Mildred was vulnerable. Mildred was broken.

Mildred was just like her.

~~~

There was an expression on Wilhemina’s face that Mildred couldn’t read. And try as she might, eyes searching and picking apart the minuscule eyebrow quirks and eyes narrowing and lips twitching, she was completely lost.

And nothing set her more on edge.

Mildred had always been able to read everyone. It was her first priority. Get a feel for them, dig down into them. Find the thing that makes them tick and spin it on its head to stay on top.

But Wilhemina had some sort of wall around her. Something that fuzzed out Mildred’s mind and kept her pulled in tight. A magnet against a metal strip.

A soft, “I look forward to hearing you speak,” and then Wilhemina was turning away, stepping forward in line and giving her name to the man sat at the table just in front of them.

She watched as Wilhemina handed over her papers, shoulders askew and tapping her cane. Impatiently, Mildred realized. And she schooled her features as she recognized the difference between this tap and the way it had clicked when they were speaking. Absently, an extension of herself.

And then, with an irritated smile, Wilhemina was checked in and moving aside, fingers flexing on her cane as she sauntered past the table.

Mildred watched Wilhemina walk away, handing her papers to the man before her. And her eyes stayed locked on Wilhemina as she paused just before she fell out of sight, turning mid-step.

“Name?” the man asked, pulling Mildred’s attention from the smirk that sliced across her face.

She took a deep breath, voice perfectly even as she replied. And as he sifted through files and documentation, Mildred let herself look up again. Wilhemina was gone.

She shoved the pang of sadness aside, straightening out the hem of her glove and shifting her purse further up her arm. And only after clearing the woman from her mind and focusing back on the man before her, did she notice how careless he was being.

“Excuse me,” she tried, voice suddenly firm. Still impeccably soft. “You’re wrinkling the edge of my papers.” Mildred indicated to the corner of the page, where the man’s arm was pressing a nice crease into the side of her registration documents. Her fingers twitched on the strap of her purse as she composed herself.

“They’re just papers,” the man said, offering her a small smile as he finished scribbling.

“They’re just things, Mildred. You don’t need things.”

“Daddy, please. Not mommy’s necklace.”

“You don’t deserve it. You haven’t been a good girl.”

Mildred pressed her mouth into a thin line, taking a deep breath against her father’s voice in her head.

“They’re my papers,” she said firmly, pressing her hand into the table and leaning forward. “And good manners would indicate you having respect for others’ things. Would it not?”

The man’s smile fractured, and Mildred almost smirked as she watched him gulp. He straightened out the corner of her papers, handing them back to her.

“Apologies, Nurse Ratched. Your first lecture is in room 42 B, just down the hall on the right.”

“There’s a good boy,” she drawled, pulling the papers from his fingers and frowning at the line down the edge. “And you’re going to be more careful with everyone else’s belongings, yes?”

“Yes, Nurse Ratched.”

And then she was walking away, that nice little bubble of satisfaction wedging into her heart.

~~~

“Eyes up.”

Mildred’s voice rang out through the hall, and Wilhemina was shocked at how her heart leapt at the tone of it. So commanding. So dominating.

“Our boys sacrificed their lives on these battlefields for us. The absolute least we can do is pay attention and listen and learn, to further the pursuit of medicine that they gave their lives for. Is that not correct?”

“I don’t think they sacrificed their lives for medicine, Nurse Ratched.”

And Wilhemina smiled at the fire that licked over her eyes, watching the way her hands splayed out on her podium. The way she straightened out her neck as her eyes bored into the boy who had interrupted her.

“What is your name?” she asked calmly. Too calmly.

“Jimmy,” he replied smoothly, and Wilhemina’s fingers itched at the smug look on his face. She could barely see him, sitting impeccably still in her seat and tracking him with her eyes. But she knew that tone of voice. She knew that type of man.

“Well, James,” Mildred continued, stepping around her podium and crossing her legs as she folded her hands neatly in front of her. “They may not have gone to war with the intention of furthering medicine. But they did go to war with the intention of saving lives. And how we use these lessons that they have taught us, intentional or not, could change the course of humanity as we know it. So would we not be remiss to waste such a hefty sacrifice? Do we not owe it to our boys to take as much as we can from the lives they gave so freely?”

And the sound that followed as Mildred looked over the men, eyes tracking them sharply as her expression morphed from perfectly concerned to smooth and kind, made Wilhemina’s heart pound. Because you could hear a pin drop. And never in her life had she ever come across another woman who had the same affect that she did on a group of men. Another woman who was so commanding. And so impeccably composed.

~~~

Wilhemina’s cane tapped with her words, punctuating points and emphasizing the way her eyes would narrow at questions.

“So, are you saying that we could make robots, Ms. Venable? Like…from the movies?”

A few laughs threaded out through the room and Mildred shifted in her seat, nose twitching at the innate possessiveness that pooled in her chest.

But as she looked up at Wilhemina, vision blurring, just so, her cane slammed against the wood. Mildred had to bite her lip to keep from smiling at the way the men jumped in their seats.

“If you were listening, Mr. Brannard, you would understand that not only is it a possibility, my colleagues and I have already accomplished it.”

Her eyes narrowed, and Mildred hated the way that even that small act of dominance made her heart pound.

Wilhemina pursed her lips, tilting her head and tutting softly. Condescendingly. “Or are you too naive to imagine that something this advanced could be achieved so soon? By a woman?”

The boy stuttered, looking to the man beside him for help. But he was head down in his papers, scratching out notes.

Mildred took a deep breath, eyes falling back to Ms. Venable as she stalked around the podium. Slow. Practiced. She was making them wait, and she knew they would.

And suddenly, just like that, in a moment — Mildred was addicted to her.

~~~

The door shut behind Wilhemina and she let herself sigh, leaning onto her cane as her eyes fell closed. There was something about being surrounded by men, constantly, their eyes on her as she spoke, that always made her feel dirty. And it was exhausting, having to keep her steel walls up when Mildred was sitting in the back of the room watching her with so much intensity that she should have caught fire.

It was sad when the only place that she could get a moment to breathe was the ladies’ room.

That moment ended quicker than she would have liked, the squeak of the door opening forcing her to stand straighter on her cane and busy herself in the mirror.

Strong. Unaffected.

Heels clicked as Wilhemina wiped at the corner of her mouth, flicking off the smallest speck of stray lipstick. She waited for the woman to lock herself in a stall so that she could make a clean exit. But to her surprise, the footsteps stopped just short of her. And when Wilhemina threw a hot look over her shoulder at the intrusion, she was almost impressed.

“Hello, dear.”

Wilhemina popped her brow, a small smirk making her lips twitch. “Ms. Ratched.”

“Nurse,” she corrected, tipping her chin up as her eyes lit from behind.

“Mildred.”

A pause, Mildred’s gaze falling down Wilhemina’s form. “What are you doing?”

“Well I was intending to use the restroom,” Wilhemina replied, smoothing a hand down her skirt as she turned to face the woman.

Mildred’s eyes were calculating, twitching almost imperceptibly at the corner. “Unacceptable.”

Wilhemina scoffed. “And why might that be?”

“You’re scheduled to speak again in ten minutes. You should be prepping your presentation in five.”

She gestured to the space around them, head tilting challengingly. “Hence why I’m using the restroom now.”

A beat. Mildred stared at her, fingers slipping on the strap of her purse. And Wilhemina had only spoken to this woman once, but she had watched her for almost three hours, and then another two during her own lecture. She knew why her fingers twitched. She could read her like a book.

So she took a step forward, tapping her cane out in front of her and leaning on it, just enough to get in Mildred’s space.

“Did you miss me, Millie?” Venable breathed, eyes flicking over Mildred’s face. And she didn’t miss the way the other woman’s breath hitched, body stiffening. “Were you hoping to get me all to yourself for a few minutes?”

Mildred cleared her throat, straightening. “And if I was?”

A smirk.

“Do you have plans for dinner?”

~~~

Mildred had had plans for dinner. Of course she had. Very rarely did her schedule slip away from her, especially so when she was in a strange city around strange people.

But somehow, for some reason, she had changed her plans. For a woman.

Slap. “Disgusting, stupid whore. Is this who you want to become? Disgrace. Pull yourself together.”

Pull yourself together.

Wilhemina set the plate down before her and Mildred shifted in her seat, smoothing her already impeccably placed napkin on her lap.

And only when she finally pulled her eyes off of Wilhemina, sitting down opposite her at the table and propping her cane against the wood, did she realize that this woman was an incredible chef.

The dish was colorful, sausage swimming in pasta and decorated with fresh herbs. She comforted herself in the knowledge that she was eating better here than she would have been at the restaurant where she had reserved a table.

A logical decision.

They ate in silence for a few moments, Mildred fighting the shaking of her hands and trying to come up with a halfway decent conversation starter. But Wilhemina beat her to it.

“Tell me about the war,” she said softly as she twisted her fork in the pasta, looking up at Mildred with such blatant curiosity and innocence that she couldn’t say no. Couldn’t bear to shove that wall up and bark at her and throw out her usual excuses.

Which is how she found herself, almost an hour later, plate nearly empty as she covered her mouth with her fingers, swallowing around a bite that was just a fraction too large.

“No no,” she corrected, taking a sip of water. “It wasn’t the bombs that were distracting. It wasn’t the gunfire. It was the screaming.”

Something flashed in Wilhemina’s eyes and Mildred stuttered, almost convinced she was about to smile. Almost convinced she was about to cry.

“It was constant,” she continued, fingers playing over her fork as the memories flooded back into her mind. The smell of it, the sound. “Poor boys, too young to be fighting. And they never stopped. They never stopped screaming. Eventually you learn to tune it out. You have to. If you focus on them, if you let yourself hear it, everything else breaks away. You have to block it out. Or you lose the order of your surgical tent.”

Wilhemina nodded, swallowing. “Seems impossible.”

But Mildred shook her head again, shocking herself at how forward she was being. At how the words were spilling from her lips. Like she had known this woman for hundreds of years.

She was almost certain that she had, the way Wilhemina’s eyes pierced straight through her every time their gazes met.

“Logic and responsibility. That’s the key.”

And to her surprise, Wilhemina laughed. A full, pretty sound that was too raspy for her own good.

Mildred flushed, taking a long sip of water as Wilhemina spoke.

“No, no. Rules. Clear lines and boundaries. A straight right and a firm wrong. It’s the only way to keep them all in line.”

“You’re wrong,” Mildred stated, matter of fact. And when Wilhemina rose from her seat, she almost flinched.

But she only stalked over, a smirk slicing across her face as she collected Mildred’s plate and walked it over to the sink.

Cool. Calculated. Every one of Wilhemina’s actions had an equal, opposite reaction. They stalked around each other in perfect circles, and halfway through the dance Mildred’s mind was absolutely spinning. This time, she didn’t have a justification. Didn’t have follow-up. She was losing her grip.

The silence was deafening, exacerbated by the tapping of Wilhemina’s heels and the clattering of tableware against porcelain.

And then, just like that, she was back, pulling out the chair directly next to Mildred and settling down into it.

“Most people don’t get the privilege of telling me I’m wrong.”

Her voice had lowered, dangerous and sharp, a snake bite. And Mildred couldn’t help but dig her teeth into her bottom lip. Because this woman was so perfect, and so beautiful, and so intelligent. Sitting before her like it was nothing. Like the heat in Mildred’s cheeks wasn’t creeping down into her fingers and making them itch.

Her eyes flicked down to Wilhemina’s lips before she could help herself, and her fingers dug into her skirt as she watched Wilhemina flick her tongue over them. Wetting them. So slick. So perfectly shaped.

And then Wilhemina’s hand covered hers, skin soft and smooth and tender against Mildred’s.

She looked back into Wilhemina’s eyes, suddenly dark, suddenly entirely too intense. She wasn’t prepared for this. She wasn’t ready. She wanted this more than anything she had ever wanted before in her life.

And she silently thanked whatever gods lay above her for getting her through the war and straight to this moment. Because her entire life would be worth living if Wilhemina would just—

Wilhemina leaned forward, and that was all it took. Just the slightest tilt of her chin. Mildred hadn’t realized how close they had gotten. But then Wilhemina’s mouth was on hers, so firm and yet so, so delicate.

She let her eyes fall closed, let herself sigh into the feel of it. The feel of her. Turned her hand and threaded their fingers together and squeezed because this was all she had wanted. Since the moment that fire-red hair had turned and she had looked up into those deep, brown eyes.

Wilhemina pulled away before Mildred was ready to let go, and she couldn’t help the half-whine that lodged itself in her throat. That she tried so desperately to swallow down.

“Better?” Wilhemina teased, pressing their foreheads together.

She let out a shaky breath, thumbing at Wilhemina’s knuckles. “Infinitely.”

There was a long moment of silence, and Mildred was almost getting accustomed to these spaces, these gaps between their communication where they just let their feelings hang between them. Let their hearts speak without words getting in the way.

Mildred swallowed, licking her lips slowly as she looked up into Wilhemina’s eyes.

“What are the rules now, Ms. Venable?”

Wilhemina hummed, nudging their noses together as her eyes flicked down to Mildred’s lips again. “You relax and let me take care of you.”

A wobbling breath, and Mildred wet her lips again, hands trembling as she leaned into Wilhemina. So close to what she wanted. So close. “And if I say no?”

Wilhemina smirked, hand coming up to Mildred’s throat before moving to brush delicately over her cheek instead. And when she spoke again, her eyes were lidded and she breathed the words almost directly into Mildred’s mouth.

“Now where’s the logic in that, Nurse Ratched?”

~~~

Mildred toed off her shoes. Delicately. Carefully. And Wilhemina watched in awe of the woman before her. Perfectly pristine.

She always strove for perfection. Perfectly presented to the world, perfectly protected. Perfectly hidden. And she had thought she almost had it. But now, watching Mildred, she realized that perfection was far out of her grip. Not when it looked like this.

Wilhemina wasn’t perfectly presented, not compared to the way Mildred took care with every tiny pleat and line and cuff. Down to the perfectly straight earrings. Down to the parallel lines of her stockings that ran up the back of her calves. And Wilhemina certainly wasn’t perfectly protected when Mildred looked at her like that, eyes wide and lips pink as she slowly, purposefully started picking down the buttons on her shirt.

Wilhemina was only and solely perfectly exposed, her heart entirely too vulnerable around a woman that she knew would protect it. Around a part of her that she didn’t know had existed until it had tapped its way up behind her in line and pulled the zipper on the curtain over her heart.

She couldn’t stop watching Mildred. Not when she let her shirt fall to the floor. Not when she unbuttoned the top of her skirt and tugged at the zip, shimmying out of it and letting it pool around her ankles, leaving her in nothing but a thin, silk slip and black pantyhose.

And then she bunched up her slip and rolled them down, Venable’s eyes tracking the way that perfectly straight line up her calf crumpled as she went, bending and morphing as Mildred let her walls down. Let her in. Let Wilhemina see her for who she really was beneath all of that perfection and obsession and compulsivity.

Suddenly it was too much, and Wilhemina simply couldn’t sit on the edge of the bed watching anymore. She needed to touch. She needed all of Mildred pressed against all of her. Every inch. Every piece.

Wilhemina walked up behind her, wrapping her hands around her stomach and pressing a soft kiss to her shoulder before resting her chin there.

“Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?”

Mildred turned, a smile flickering over her lips. She had been so serious when she was undressing, her mouth pulled into a line, eyes flicking between Wilhemina behind her and the mirror before her, her hands pulling over herself to smooth everything down, make sure her hair was still curling down her back, making sure her pins were all in place. But now she looked lighter. Now she looked like she had at the table, open and soft and pliant.

“Show me,” Mildred whispered, and Wilhemina pressed another kiss to her shoulder before shifting her in front of the mirror. Her hands found the pins still holding her hair up, pulling them out slowly as she nipped and bit her way up Mildred’s neck, sucking just a bit to hard at the crook of her jaw.

And Wilhemina couldn’t help but smile as Mildred sighed, her hand reaching up behind her and twisting through Wilhemina’s hair.

Mildred knew when Wilhemina got the last pin out, shaking her hair out and fluffing it almost immediately. And then she turned in Wilhemina’s arms, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek as she reached around and pulled the tie from her own hair.

It fell in heaps around her shoulders, and Mildred giggled softly.

Wilhemina’s brow popped, sarcasm pushing through as a weak attempt at self-preservation. “Is something the matter?”

But Mildred only laughed, shaking her head and running her fingers through Wilhemina’s hair.

“Cinnamon sugar,” she murmured, twisting her finger through a lock and admiring it. And Wilhemina felt herself flush against her will.

“I’m almost certain our hair is the same color,” she tried, fingers twitching on Mildred’s waist.

Frustrated. Exposed. Worshipped.

Mildred only shook her head, leaning forward. She hesitated for a brief moment before pressing a soft kiss to Wilhemina’s lips. And suddenly Wilhemina didn’t care if she was giggling or teasing or playing with her hair. As long as she was here. As long as she kept doing that.

“You’re awfully sweet for someone who is supposed to be so intimidating, Ms. Venable.”

Wilhemina scoffed, rolling her eyes before Mildred grabbed at her chin, raking her eyes over her and making a shiver run down her spine.

“Why don’t you take all of that purple off for me, cinnamon? Hm?”

And Wilhemina hated how deeply she flushed, the nickname getting under her skin like it shouldn’t have. But this was Mildred. And somehow, she knew exactly what Wilhemina wanted to hear before she realized it herself.

It only took a few moments, untying the top of her shirt, pulling it up over her head. Sliding out of her skirt, peeling her gloves off. And Mildred watched her the entire time, eyes hot as they followed her fingers.

She held out her hands as Wilhemina stepped out of her shoes, keeping her steady. Making sure she didn’t wobble.

And this time, for the first time, Wilhemina completely forgot to feel exposed. She forgot to feel embarrassed about her back. She forgot to warn Mildred.

But when Mildred kissed her again, this time a bit harder and a bit deeper, fingers wrapping up around Wilhemina’s neck and sliding down over her shoulders, over her spine, nothing happened.

She didn’t flinch. She didn’t recoil. She didn’t even gasp. She just kept kissing her and kissing her and kissing her, until Wilhemina’s thighs hit the mattress.

Mildred pulled back, breaking the kiss as her teeth dug into her lip, fingers rubbing together absently. Just like they had over her purse. Over her fork.

Wilhemina gave her a small nod, tentatively grabbing for her wrists and guiding them to her stomach.

She didn’t miss the way Mildred’s fingers flexed before she touched her, didn’t miss the glint in her eye as she hesitantly, delicately, grabbed Mina’s waist and pushed her down into the bed.

And the way she touched her, warm palms pressing against Wilhemina’s sides before pulling away almost immediately, and then replacing them in an instant. This time firm. This time sure. This time pushing Wilhemina onto her back and smoothing up her stomach so that nails were pricking at the very bottom of her bra.

Mildred crawled over her, pressing a singular, wet kiss just below Wilhemina’s jaw.

“Millie,” Wilhemina breathed, squirming under her.

“My name is Mildred,” she corrected, and Wilhemina let herself smirk, catching the way Mildred hardened and taking the opportunity to flip the switch yet again.

She hooked a leg over Mildred’s hip, pushing her and flipping them and bracing herself above her.

Mildred gasped, a soft whine pushing out of her as she was slammed back into the mattress. Wilhemina leaned down, nudging their noses together before flicking her tongue out and licking the tip of her nose.

“What are you afraid of, Millie?” Wilhemina breathed, hands sliding slowly up her sides before locking over her ribs and pinning her to the bed. “Is someone losing control?”

She couldn’t help but smirk at her own joke, amplified by the way Mildred’s eyes widened and hardened.

“No. It’s just—“

Wilhemina bit down on her collarbone, cutting her off as she squirmed beneath her. She hummed, pushing her further into the bed.

“Oh no? So you’re fine then, right?”

And after a second’s hesitation she nodded again, hands coming up to smooth out her hair as her eyes bored into Wilhemina’s.

The word “yes” left Mildred’s mouth, but Wilhemina had already seen it in her face. The screaming. The need to dominate. The need to be dominated. The want.

“Millie,” Wilhemina sing-songed, bending down to press a kiss to her cheek. She wasn’t surprised it was warm, the flush already clouding her perfect, porcelain skin. She was surprised that it was scorched, Mildred’s teeth dug into her bottom lip as she watched Wilhemina carefully.

“Let go, darling,” she murmured, nails scraping lightly down Mildred’s sides. “Let me be in charge of you for once, yeah? Let those pretty little walls down. I won’t hurt you. I promise.”

~~~

Wilhemina kept saying it. That stupid little nickname. Over and over. She wouldn’t stop, and Mildred couldn’t think. And it was making her furious in the absolute best way.

She was losing control. She had always been so careful. She had always tried her absolute best. But somehow, tonight, she could feel it slipping through her fingers with every kiss, with every gasp, with every moan.

And she was okay.

Her world wasn’t crumbling. Mildred was surviving. And to her surprise, the world seemed to actually sort itself in those small moments, the fractions of seconds where Wilhemina panted that little nickname and Mildred’s body responded of its own accord. Mildred was thriving, Mildred was being loved. Mildred was finally living.

And so she let go.

She twisted her fingers in the sheets, Wilhemina’s name falling off her tongue as she arched into her.

Wilhemina hummed, a nice, satisfied sound, and then she was kissing down her neck, fingers scratching up under her slip, up the inside of her thighs.

Mildred should have wanted to pull away. She should have wanted to clamp her thighs shut and pull her slip down and shove herself up against the headboard. But to her surprise her thighs fell open, and before she knew what she was doing she was lifting her hips off the mattress and reaching down, tugging her slip up over her thighs, up past her stomach.

Wilhemina pulled off of her, for a split second, and Mildred froze. But then she wrapped her hand around Mildred’s and pulled her forward, pulled her up, kissing her temple as she helped slide the slip up over her head. Threw it on the floor.

And then Mildred was completely exposed. Completely vulnerable. Her hands came up to cover herself instinctively, suddenly too cold and too naked without the heat of Wilhemina’s mouth on her neck.

But she was right there, threading their fingers together and pulling her hands back down into her lap.

“It’s okay. I’m right here,” she cooed, and something deflated inside of Mildred. She let out a long breath, squeezing Wilhemina’s hands as she swallowed. And then, in a desperate attempt to gain some kind of control back, no matter how futile, she tried something.

“Touch me, Mina.”

She watched the other woman gasp. Let pride fill her at the pure smile that made tears prick in Wilhemina’s eyes. Traced her thumb over the back of Wilhemina’s hand.

“Mina,” she tried again, suddenly feeling more comfortable with this intimacy. Because now they were both exposed. Equal. Again. Just like they should be.

Wilhemina lunged forward, mouth hot and hungry as she pushed Mildred back against the mattress. And her hands. Her hands. Everywhere, all at once. Like she was trying to memorize the shape of her. Like she needed to touch her or she would disappear. And Mildred understood. Because she had that same ache, the same need within her. If her fingers weren’t on Wilhemina, pulling her tighter to her, pulling her closer, she was absolutely certain that she would vibrate and explode into a billion atoms, right there in the middle of the room.

It suddenly turned so desperate, Mildred just about to beg for Wihemina’s fingers, for more when she felt them brush against her, cold against the heat burning between her thighs.

Wilhemina pulled back, just so, just enough to look her in the eyes. And Mildred pushed all of her emotion, all of her want through, nodding frantically.

“Please—“

But no sooner had she opened her mouth than Wilhemina’s fingers pushed inside of her, filling that space there perfectly and making Mildred finally feel like she was whole.

Wilhemina smirked, and Mildred let out a soft “oh” at the unfamiliarity of it all. The comfort. And then she was moving and Mildred was moving, hips rolling down against Wilhemina’s wrist as she curled her fingers and sped up.

And before she knew what was happening, that heat was building in her stomach, toes curling where her heel dug into Wilhemina’s back. She didn’t know how she had gotten like this, one leg thrown over her shoulder, a hand in Mina’s hair as she pressed kisses to the inside of her thighs while her fingers pumped slowly, gently, intently.

It seemed dirty. It seemed wrong. And Mildred couldn’t have cared less. All she could fathom was that little knot of control, holding onto it as it vibrated, threatened to explode. Gripping into it with her teeth if she had to, clinging to it until that exact moment, the perfect—

It snapped, Mildred scrambling to find purchase on something as she fell through the galaxy Wilhemina had built around her. She knew her mouth was moving. She knew she was probably whining for Wilhemina. But she couldn’t hear anything. Not over Mina’s voice against her skin.

“Yes. That’s it. Perfect. Let go. I’m right here. I’ve got you. You’re safe.”

It took too long for her body to come back to her, for her to regain her grip on reality and grab at some sort of control again.

But as she opened her eyes on Wilhemina between her thighs, brow pushed up as the most beautiful, genuine smile graced her mouth, her perfect mouth, Mildred decided that right now, just for this one moment, she didn’t want control back. She wanted to just be.

“Kiss me,” she breathed, and Wilhemina was right there, mouth pushing insistently against hers. And when Mildred tasted something tangy, something sharp and spicy and unfamiliar, she realized with a start that Mina must have put her mouth on her at some point.

She hadn’t even realized. Hadn’t registered.

She had given herself over completely into Mina’s mercy, and she had never felt so happy. So light. So utterly and completely protected.

A small shuffle, sheets being rucked down, and then Wilhemina was sitting up against the headboard, and Mildred was right there, curling into her side and pressing herself in as close as she could.

She smiled as Wilhemina’s arms wrapped around her waist. Almost possessively.

They laid like that for a moment, Mina’s fingers tracing over her side as silence fell down upon the room, all remnants of Mildred’s screams dissolving into air. And then she finally, finally got her feet back under her.

“I want to take care of you,” Mildred said softly, pressing a kiss just over Wilhemina’s heart. But to her surprise, Wilhemina only shook her head.

Lips against her temple, and then she spoke. “Not tonight, beautiful. We both need to be up early tomorrow.”

Mildred wanted to say that she didn’t care. She wanted to argue and protest and throw something until Mina listened and let her feel her. All of her.

But somewhere in the back of her mind she recognized that she would have to deal with those same men tomorrow, lecturing and commanding and spending too much of her energy trying to keep herself in control. So she nodded. Because they needed sleep if they were going to survive.

“Tomorrow,” she sighed, looking up at Mina with eager eyes. And Wilhemina smiled, pressing another kiss to her temple.

“Tomorrow.”

She curled further into Wilhemina, letting her hands wander just a bit further than they should have, suddenly feeling so entitled to this woman. She had permission to do whatever she liked to her. Just not quite yet.

Wilhemina hummed, pressing one last kiss to the top of Mildred’s head, and then time slowed and the air grew thick as she started to move.

Mildred felt her shift, turning just so and pulling an arm from around her waist as she reached for the lamp by the bed.

“Don’t turn off the light, please. Daddy, please.”

“Why, are you afraid of monsters?”

A nod.

“Oh honey, the only monster you have to be afraid of is standing right here.”

A sickening grin.

"You’re a big girl—“

“I’m not—“

“—you can handle this. Besides. Nothing is going to get you... As long as you don’t make a sound.”

Tears welled in Mildred’s eyes as she watched Wilhemina’s fingers inch closer. And how was she supposed to tell her about this? How was she supposed to explain that this one, tiny thing was her absolute weakness? She almost didn’t. Almost made it. But just as fingers brushed against the lamp, the hair on the back of her neck stood up and she tasted something bitter, bristling.

Time sped up all at once then, Mildred clawing at Wilhemina’s hand and wrapping her fingers tight around her wrist to stop her.

“Wait—“ she tried, but it came out broken and wrinkled.

Wilhemina froze, looking down at her. “Is everything okay?”

And Mildred couldn’t help the tears then, sniffing as they blurred her vision and letting her fingers fall from Wilhemina’s arm.

“Please don’t turn it off just yet,” she tried, and she scolded herself for how weak she sounded.

Unacceptable. Pull yourself together.

Something crossed Wilhemina’s face that she couldn’t read, and her heart dug down deep in her chest as she braced herself.

But then Wilhemina softened, brows raising, just so, as she stroked her thumb over Mildred’s side. A smirk pulled at her lips and she quirked her head.

“My my, Nurse Ratched. Is someone afraid of the dark?”

And the way she said it, almost laughing, simultaneously made Mildred feel like a child being scolded and a woman being loved.

It was a blessing that she had used her title. It had given Mildred that shock to her system to jolt her out of her vulnerable state, building her walls back up as quickly as she could as she formed the searing negation on her tongue.

Of course not. You’re mistaken. Don’t be ridiculous.

But she couldn’t land on one that felt quite right. Because lying didn’t feel quite right. And Mildred told herself, assured herself, that it was only because she hadn’t thought of the perfect logical theorem to support her argument. She wasn’t prepared to have this conversation. Once she found one, she would be back in control and she could right her world back on its feet. And one time, maybe this time, they could turn the light off.

She hadn’t realized how long she had been silent until she felt Wilhemina press a kiss to her hair. Mildred was still staring her down, nose twitching as Wilhemina’s eyes searched her face.

A deep breath, a hard swallow. And then she nodded.

And there it was. That was it. The most open and vulnerable and exposed she had ever been with another person in her life.

And Wilhemina, her Mina, took it in stride, simply humming before threading fingers through Mildred’s curls and pulling her up closer so that she could pepper soft kisses across her face.

“Oh, Millie,” she whispered, and Mildred was shocked to find a gentle smile on her lips.

“It’s childish, I know.”

She shook her head, fingers playing over the edge of her face. “Not to me.”

“You can turn it off once I’m asleep. I just—“

“No. If you prefer it on, we leave it on.” Wilhemina hooked a finger under her chin, tipping it up. “That’s that.”

A sniff. A shaky breath. “Are you certain...?”

“Anything for you.”

And that night, when Mildred closed her eyes and steadied her breathing and melted into the warmth of her lover, she somehow, some way, felt like she had finally found her way home.

~~~

“That’s it, just like that.”

Wilhemina cooed, smirking as Mildred whined and rolled her hips down her thigh. A soft gasp, and Wilhemina tightened her hand in her hair, forcing her head back to expose more of her neck.

“Oh my, Ms. Ratched,” she tried softly, ignoring the way her mouth watered at the sight of her muscles pulling taunt. The way she swallowed.

“Millie,” Mildred gasped, letting out a small cry as Wilhemina latched her mouth to her neck.

She hummed as she nodded, relishing the taste of her when she was unraveling like this. Sticky, hot. So different from that sharp, sweet, clean taste when she was still dressed and still protected and still in charge.

“You’re learning.”

Mildred scoffed beneath her, and Wilhemina had a split second to brace herself before nails were raking up her thighs and up her lower back, Mildred’s hands splaying out and holding her close.

“And you’re going too slow.”

Wilhemina was flipped before she knew what was happening, gasping as Mildred grabbed her shoulders and shoved her down in to the mattress. Hard.

“Millie—“

But Mildred cut her off, pressing a chaste kiss to her cheek. And when she pulled back she was smiling. Sickly sweet.

“Besides, I thought we had an agreement that I could take care of you tonight, yes?”

Wilhemina’s brow furrowed, the need to top Mildred too intense for her to think of anything else. Until Mildred spoke again, her voice threading through the air, slicing through Wilhemina’s need like a knife.

“Unless you were planning on breaking the rules, Ms. Venable?”

And now it was Wilhemina’s turn to smile, laughing sarcastically as Mildred pinched at her sides until she squirmed.

“Mina,” she corrected over a giggle, biting down on her lip to keep from completely losing herself.

Mildred smirked, cocking her head as she repeated Wilhemina’s words back to her.

“You’re learning.”

“Shut up and fuck me.”

Mildred quirked a brow. “Language.”

But Wilhemina was too desperate, reaching for her hands and pushing them down over her hips.

“Now, Millie.”

And when Mildred smirked, nails pricking into Wilhemina’s tender skin there, something caught in Wilhemina’s chest.

Her eyes were razor sharp, lips twitching from a smirk to a smile, back and forth and back and forth. And just when Wilhemina was starting to think she looked almost sickening, she spoke, leaning down and pressing their foreheads together. Just out of reach. Just a bit too far.

“Oh now now, cinnamon. You know better than to rush me. I’m in charge tonight. That was the agreement. And I decide when you get my fingers. Understood?”

And Mina found herself nodding.

She was rewarded with a delicate kiss to her lips. Not nearly deep enough and entirely too sweet.

“Just so long as we’re both on the same page.” A moment, a breath spent staring into those predatory eyes. “Now why don’t you spread those pretty legs for me, hm?”

~~~

Mildred combed her fingers through Wilhemina’s hair, laid out so beautifully across her, head in her lap, fingers tracing the bones of her ankles.

Intimacy entangled.

“What did they do..?” Mildred breathed, running her fingers delicately over the morphed skin. A fleeting touch.

Wilhemina drew a slow breath. Calculated. Shaking. “First it was the brace. Screwed in. Stretched.”

“And the appointments for the table?” Mildred asked, her own breath starting to tremble at the idea.

Wilhemina nodded. “Yes.”

“How old were you?”

“Seven,” Wilhemina said softly, gasping as Mildred’s fingers tucked under a soft piece of her spine, bumping along the gaps in her vertebrae.

“And it hurt.”

It wasn’t a question. She knew it had hurt. Especially on someone so young. So pliant and vulnerable.

But Wilhemina didn’t answer, instead plowing ahead. “And then the surgery when I was thirteen.”

Mildred flinched, the images flashing through her mind. She had seen the slides. She knew what they did. Sliced tendons and ligaments. And there was rarely any progress.

“It didn’t work.”

Again, not a question. And this time, as Wilhemina shook her head no, Mildred found what she was looking for. The scars from the screws. Spaced evenly apart, marred by scars from the surgery. Exactly where they should be.

Wilhemina’s breaths stuttered as Mildred’s fingers slid over them, and she found her own breath speeding up at the thought of this woman on a table. So small. So scared. So cold.

“And the tethers?” Mildred asked, running through the typical steps in her head. Trying to remember what she had learned in her training.

But to her surprise, Wilhemina shook her head. She was panting now, and Mildred could feel her chest tightening in response as she trailed her fingers further down, where the spine corrected and compensated and bulged in the opposite direction.

“Electroshock therapy.”

Wilhemina had barely spoken, barely whispered. But Mildred heard her, completely and solely focused on this poor, fragile, broken thing beneath her. And she couldn’t help the way her heart lodged in her throat.

“W-Why?” she asked softly, her thumb brushing absently over a particularly bad scar.

Wilhemina took a deep breath, fingers flexing in the sheets. “There was a time where they thought it would help. A misalignment of the neurotransmitters firing. Especially with younger patients. I was already through puberty. It wouldn’t have made a difference. But I was broken. They were desperate. I was the shame—“

“—shame of your family,” Mildred finished for her. And she surprised herself when a tear fell onto her cheek. A quick swipe of her thumb and it was gone, and she leaned down and pressed a small kiss at the very top of Wilhemina’s spine. “You’re not the only one.”

Wilhemina shifted in her lap, fingers tracing Mildred’s knee as her breaths pulled long and shaky. As they slowed.

Mildred closed her eyes, centering herself. “Did they do the final surgery? With the pins and the staples?”

And she hated herself for how clinical it sounded when she asked. She wanted to be vulnerable. Wanted to be softer. For her.

For her.

But Wilhemina didn’t seem to mind, only shaking her head and sighing, her eyes fluttering closed. “I was pushed out of the house after the shock therapy didn’t work. And by the time I had earned enough of my own money to pay for the surgery, I was too old. It was too late.”

“It’s never too late,” Mildred tried, the motto ringing through her head.

“But it was,” Wilhemina replied, her voice low and raspy. “Even if it would have worked, I was already an adult. I was already... who I was. And I didn’t know who I was without my disability. Without my cane. Without my past and my pain and my perseverance. I’m not myself without this. And I can’t fully be myself with it.”

Mildred hummed, shaking her head softly. Because she knew. Of course she knew. The more she spoke to Wilhemina, the more she was convinced that they were the same person. The same soul, split between two bodies. With the same wants and needs and desires.

Her fingers skimmed down Wilhemina’s spine for what felt like the hundredth time, and suddenly she had this all-consuming need to memorize the exact shape of it. The exact way that it bulged and twisted and dipped. The exact way that this faulty thing kept this woman up and held her on her feet.

Another kiss. A sigh. And then, fingers shaking as they pulled through Wilhemina’s hair, brushing it back from her face.

“I know exactly what you mean.”

“Stay with me,” Wilhemina breathed, pressing a soft kiss to the inside of Mildred’s thigh. And Mildred’s fingers stuttered in her hair as another tear fell, unbidden, onto her cheek.

Because she wanted to. She was pulled tight to this woman, an anomaly of existence, the very piece of her that she had always felt was missing, that she had always been searching for.

But she could never be so irresponsible to leave her home and leave her work and settle in with a woman that she had only known for two days.

“Stupid, idiotic girl. Stupid, stupid, stupid.”

Could she?

~~~

She had said no. And Wilhemina had broken right there, exposed and entirely too vulnerable, in her lap.

She had cried herself to sleep that night, curled against Mildred as she cooed and shushed her and stroked delicate fingers through her hair.

And when she woke in the morning, filled with the smell of Mildred and the feel of Mildred and the taste of Mildred still on her tongue, everything seemed a bit grey.

They made breakfast, speaking politely and laughing occasionally. Always broken, always half-formed. Got dressed and ready for the day, separately. Dolled themselves up in different types of armor—pantyhose, gloves, skirts, glasses.

And then Mildred left.

And then, she came back.

It was like the universe couldn’t fathom them being apart, a rip torn through their plane of existence when Mildred boarded her train and went back home, clear across the country.

Wilhemina hadn’t gone with her to the station, but she could feel when she left the city, when she left the state. It was a series of ties being broken, strings snapping in her chest as each one was pulled to breaking and eventually gave out.

Except the last one. The one that left a buzzing in Wilhemina’s ear, a ringing every time her cane tapped down that sounded so awfully close to the way Mildred sighed just as she was about to orgasm. The way she hummed, barely audible, when they kissed.

That tie remained. And one day, almost three months later, it got hotter.

Wilhemina had been making dinner, listening to the television drone on as she stirred her pasta in the pot, when her chest warmed. It was so sudden and so all-consuming that she almost dropped her tongs, Mildred’s name pounding through her head on a loop.

She had known what was coming before it did. She could sense her presence. Could practically see her smoothing down her skirt and running a finger over the brim of her hat as she walked up Wilhemina’s drive.

But the knock on the door — soft, three times — had still made Wilhemina jump, a lump of emotion lodging in her throat as she grabbed for her cane and walked slowly to the front door.

She knew it was her. Deep down, she knew it in her soul. They were tied together, whether Wilhemina liked it or not. But there was still that tiny, nagging voice in the back of her mind that told her not to get her hopes up. That wishing only led to disappointment.

Until she opened the door, heart pounding, and saw Mildred Ratched standing perfectly straight on her doorstep, a singular suitcase in hand.

“Millie,” Wilhemina breathed, like she needed confirmation. Like she was seeing a ghost.

Mildred swallowed, the smallest of smiles pushing at her lips.

“I was transferred to an institution not far from here,” she said softly, pointing absently behind her before ducking her head against her blush.

But Wilhemina caught it. She caught everything with this masterpiece.

“I couldn’t stand the thought of living in this city and...” She cleared her throat, fingers fidgeting with the handle of her suitcase. “And being apart from you.”

And just as Wilhemina glanced past her at the taxi sitting idle in the street, Mildred looked up, eyes glassy and almost vibrating with emotion.

“Does your offer still stand?”

Wilhemina had to physically bite the inside of her cheek to keep tears from her eyes, her fingers itching and playing on the top of her cane accordingly.

“Are the rest of your bags in the taxi?” Wilhemina asked, trying not to focus on the way Mildred’s chin was trembling. Trying not to hear the pounding in her head to kiss her.

Mildred nodded, and then Wilhemina was moving past her. A gloved hand skimmed over Wilhemina’s shoulder as she passed, just fleeting enough to be a tap.

“I haven’t paid the driver yet, I—“

But Wilhemina turned, and the angle was exactly like the first time she had walked past her in that stuffy university. But this time, the setting sun was glinting off of Mildred’s hair and there was a hope in her eyes, an intimacy that had Wilhemina’s hand tightening on her cane to keep her balance.

“You go inside,” she started, swallowing against the dryness in her throat. “Make yourself comfortable, set your things down. I’ll retrieve the rest of your bags and take care of the cab fare.”

It’s the least I can do, for him bringing you back to me.

Not even five minutes later, Mildred’s luggage was stacked in the foyer and the cab was driving away as Wilhemina stalked back up the short walk to her door.

She had expected Mildred to be sitting at the dining table, or putting her things in the bedroom. But to her surprise, when she closed the door, locked it safely behind her, and turned, Mildred was standing in the middle of her entryway, still holding tight to her suitcase and watching Wilhemina with sharp eyes.

Wilhemina tapped her cane, swallowing, and she didn’t miss the way Mildred’s eyes flicked to it.

And then, just like that, Mildred dropped her suitcase and practically ran to Wilhemina, gloved hands pulling her face down, pulling their mouths together.

Wilhemina let herself moan, tears instantly pricking her eyes at the memory of how good this felt. How right. And then Mildred’s hands were on her waist and she was pushing her back against the door. Hard.

“I missed you so much, Mina,” she breathed between kisses, peppering them over Wilhemina’s cheeks and down her jaw.

And then the tears did fall, because she had missed Mildred, too. So, incredibly much. More than she would have missed the air she breathed, the food she ate. More than she had ever missed anyone or anything in her entire life.

Her soul had been ripped from her, torn away and shipped off across the country. And now it was back, and with every kiss, they sewed themselves back together.

Stitch by stitch. Piece by piece.

~~~

She crowned herself with her nurse’s hat, pinning her hair back carefully around it and buttoning it up in the back. Wilhemina watched her. Watched the way she stood a bit straighter. Watched the way her feet came together and she shifted her weight, perfectly even. Perfectly level.

Wilhemina walked over, drawn to her like a magnet. And her cane clicked as she went, tapping down beside her and forcing a smirk to curl Mildred’s lips as she glanced at Wilhemina in the mirror.

She walked right up to her, snaking an arm around her waist and pulling Mildred back against her chest as her mouth found her ear.

“You look impeccable, darling.”

Mildred quirked a brow, eyes like daggers as they bored into Wilhemina from the mirror. She hummed.

“Almost good enough to eat.” Wilhemina pressed a kiss to her jaw, letting her eyes rake over Mildred’s perfect neck, the way it quivered as she swallowed, the shine of her hair pulled up in impeccable fashion just above her collar. She fingered the fabric there, letting her nails scrape over the soft skin just below her ear.

“Why don’t you take a bite, hm?” Mildred’s voice caught as Wilhemina’s nail pricked against her pulse point, and when she spoke again it was low, raspy. Dangerous. “See what happens.”

Wilhemina growled, leaning forward and tugging her earlobe between her teeth. She pulled Mildred flush against her, hand splaying out on her stomach. And Mildred gasped as her fingers found Wilhemina’s thigh, nails piercing the fabric. Wilhemina felt her swallow down a moan, tense, stutter. And then there was a long breath and a shaky sigh, and the nails in Wilhemina’s leg retracted as Mildred pulled away.

“I can’t be late for my first day of work, dear.”

She brushed down her dress, straightening out that perfectly pinned crown and putting the finishing touches on her hair.

And then, before Wilhemina could blink, Mildred wrapped her slender fingers around her tie and pulled her forward, dragging her out of the bedroom and through the house to the front door.

A disapproving tap of her cane, a small frown, and then Mildred had her purse and pressed a soft kiss to Wilhemina’s cheek, skirting out the door with a dark, “See you tonight, cinnamon.”

And she almost felt like it was a threat.

~~~

Wilhemina had never known love.

She had told Mildred flat out over dinner one night when traumas and pasts and fears were all laid bare on the table.

Mildred was different. She had known it and lost it. Seen people shattered beyond repair because of it. And she had put up those brick and mortar walls around her heart so that she couldn’t feel that kind of sadness ever again.

Yet somehow, every night that she came home to Wilhemina’s arms and her small smile and her absolute and complete honesty, she felt those walls start to fall. Little by little, brick by brick. And every morning when she awoke in her lover’s arms, after breakfasts shared and dressed zipped and buttoned, she had to rebuild it. Fortify herself for the world that lay just outside their door. The evil of it. The hurt.

It became all-consuming, this uneasy thought of love. It permeated every minute of her waking day, and haunted her dreams like some sort of cruel, intangible thing. But she always woke in Wilhemina’s arms. Safe and protected and entirely too vulnerable.

And one day, one tiny day that should have been absolutely nothing, Mildred was so consumed with the inkling of possibility of falling entirely too hard in love with Wilhemina, and what that meant for her future in this world, that she lost herself. Faltered, for a moment. Had to do up the buttons of her uniform twice before getting them to align. And forgot her lunch as she grabbed her purse and walked out the door.

~~~

It wasn’t unusual for Mildred to leave for work before Wilhemina did. It wasn’t unusual that she left for work before Wilhemina was even awake and out of bed.

At first it had scared Wilhemina, waking up alone and cold in a bed that had been so comforting and warm just hours before. Abandoned. Forgotten.

But Mildred had only been in the kitchen, cracking her eggs with such precision that Wilhemina had almost decided right then and there never to touch another egg again.

It just so happened that Mildred’s mornings got earlier just as Wilhemina’s nights got longer, the flex and pull of their schedules only crossing at certain points. A whirlwind of a double helix in flux.

Those days, Mildred would slip out of bed so quietly that Wilhemina wouldn’t even notice, usually awoken by the inevitable cold of an empty bed, rather than some sound from the bathroom or clattering from the kitchen.

Today had been no different. Today had been routine. Until Wilhemina opened the refrigerator almost three hours after Mildred had gone, only to find her lunch sitting packed and abandoned on the second shelf.

It wasn’t even a thought, the decision to take it to her. Just an action. The institution was on her way to work — well, almost on her way — and Wilhemina was already running early. It was nothing.

Until it wasn’t.

Wilhemina picked through the patients that crowded the common room, pursing her lips against the disgusted expression that was forming against her will. She stepped carefully, cane tapping lightly as she watched where she was going. The facility was impeccable, but this space, so unlike the hall, belonged to the patients. Not the nurses. Blankets were left forgotten on the ground, and shoes had been kicked off. And Wilhemina was just uncomfortable enough to worry about losing her footing.

She made it all the way to the other side of the room, coming up on a window like a sanctuary, before she realized that Mildred wasn’t here.

But just as the thought crossed her mind and she leaned forward to peer outside, Wilhemina heard her.

It was easy enough. The rooms were lavish, but mostly tile, and Mildred’s voice tended to carry, no matter how soft. But right now, it was hard. Harder than Wilhemina had ever heard it.

“I don’t care if he won’t take it, he needs it. If he doesn’t take his medicine, then not only will it put everyone else here at risk, but how soon can we expect them all to start refusing their medication? They need it, Betsy. They don’t know what is good for them. We know what is best.”

Wilhemina turned from the window, Mildred’s lunch clutched between gloved fingers. And Mildred must have noticed the movement, because she looked up. But just as Wilhemina let her guard down and offered a small smile, fingers twitching in a half wave, Mildred’s face melted, something like humiliation flushing through her perfect complexion as she marched straight to Wilhemina.

Shit.

“What on earth do you think you’re doing here?” Mildred whispered, gripping her fingers into Wilhemina’s elbow and pulling her back across the room to the nurse’s station.

“You forgot your lunch,” Wilhemina tried, keeping her voice down. Because somehow this was what wasn’t allowed. This was what was compromising.

A lunch.

Mildred’s humiliation shifted to horror, glancing for maybe the first time down at Wilhemina’s hands.

“You can’t be serious.”

“I don’t understand what the issue is, Nurse Ratched.” Wilhemina made sure to drag out her title. Just a bit too loud. Because she couldn’t seriously be upset with her for trying to be kind. For trying to do the right thing. She couldn’t possibly—

Mildred’s eyes narrowed before she glanced behind her. And when she spoke, it was through gritted teeth.

“Go set that down over there.” She indicated to a desk in the corner of the room. “And then go back to work before you screw something else up.”

A flat laugh fell out of Wilhemina almost before she could help it, fingers tightening on the bagged lunch. And before she knew what she was doing, she had shoved it into Mildred’s hands, leaning in impossibly close as she growled.

“Go set it down yourself.” She tapped her cane, too hard. Too loud. A few of the patients covered their ears. “You can be certain that this is the last time I ever do you any favors. Do you understand?”

Mildred’s nostrils flared, and her fingers twitched over the bag. “I didn’t ask for your help.”

And then Wilhemina straightened, nose twitching as she quirked her brow. “And let’s hope you never need it again.”

And then she was gone, breezing past Mildred before she said something else and the tears sticking in Wilhemina’s throat pushed up and fell.

She heard the bag crunch as she hit her cane on the floor, propelling herself forward, one step after the other, closer and closer to the exit. And she hated the way she hoped for Mildred’s voice to ring out, to call her back.

She almost looked back over her shoulder, a moment of weakness that she couldn’t afford. So she ducked her head instead, plowing ahead and storming down the hallway. Out the doors. All the way down the stairs to the street.

She fumed in the taxi, fumed all the way to her desk. Fumed for the next nine and a half hours that she sat at work, fingers picking at her typewriter as she swiveled back and forth in her chair, digging and twisting her cane into the weak wood floors as she ran over arguments and words to spit at her Mildred. Her Mildred. Nurse Ratched.

They weren’t the same woman. But neither was she. How could she be?

By the time Jefferson came to get her, going over final plans for the next day and collecting her paperwork, she had dug a nice little dent into the floor.

Small, deep. A bullet hole kneaded slowly and steadily. Just like the one Mildred’s words had worn into her heart.

~~~

“You wouldn’t like it if I showed up at your place of work without warning, would you?” Mildred’s voice was steady, arms crossed over her chest.

“Don’t—“

“Would you?”

Wilhemina’s cane hit the ground. “Stop that. Don’t treat me like you treat them. Don’t talk to me like that.”

“Like what? I’m just asking a simple question. The answer is either yes, or no.”

“Mildred, stop shrinking me.”

“You think I’m trying to control you?”

“No,” Wilhemina growled, stalking over to her as the last of her patience wore through. “I know you’re trying to control me. And you know that that’s not how this relationship works.”

She bent over Mildred, practically panting, and Mildred was shocked when a pang of regret shot through her. But then something hardened, because no. Wilhemina didn’t get to win this one. She had come to her office out of the blue. Could have exposed them. Put them both in danger.

Because Mildred had been careless. Forgotten her lunch. All for being so consumed with the idea of—

Mildred tipped her chin up, eyes hard as they met Wilhemina’s fiery ones. She stood her ground.

“Apologize.”

Wilhemina set her jaw. “No.”

She leaned up on her toes, leveling their height. “Apologize.”

Wilhemina shook her head slowly, eyes narrowing as her nose twitched. As her jaw set.

And then there were hands on Mildred’s shoulders and Wilhemina’s mouth was on hers, hard and fast and furious as she pushed her back, back, back, slamming her hard against the wall.

“Fuck,” Mildred hissed, and then Mina broke from her, mouth on her ear as she purred.

“Language.”

She scoffed, shoving at her, needing her off of her so that she could breathe. Think. Because when her hands were on her like this, and she was breathing like this, quick and ragged and right behind her ear, Mildred’s mind only comprehended one thing.

“Mina,” she tried, nails digging in as Wilhemina pulled her off the wall for a split second, only to throw her back against it again. She cried out, something hard knotting over her heart.

So this was how it was going to be? Fine.

Mildred lunged forward, kissing Wilhemina sloppily, desperately. Any way she could hold on to some semblance of control.

And she gasped, just as Mildred knew she would. So she took the opening, gripping hard into her waist and pushing her off, before her nails raked down Wilhemina’s arm and her fingers closed around her wrist.

Mildred pulled, yanking Wilhemina after her, across the living room, around the sofa. Down the short hallway, pulling harder every time Wilhemina tried to plant her feet. Until she threw her into the bedroom, Mina practically spinning around and pinning Mildred against the wall, the door jam digging into her spine.

She cried out, hands flying to Wilhemina’s shoulders. Clawing at her. Grappling for something to hold her down and hold her steady so she could get her advantage back.

“You’re so fucking infuriating,” Wilhemina growled, biting hard on Mildred’s neck. But no. She didn’t get to win.

So she pushed, hard, and sent Mina stumbling back. And Mildred was right there, stalking after her and shoving again, and this time, when Wilhemina stumbled, she landed hard on the bed.

Mildred was over her in seconds, panting as she crushed her mouth back against Wilhemina’s, tongues fighting as their teeth clashed. Her fingers found buttons and she yanked, the rip cutting through the room.

She didn’t even wait for Wilhemina to shrug the shirt off, fingers already dug into the waistband of her skirt and rucking it down, down, down.

She got it down around her ankles, but as she braced herself on Mina’s knees and pulled herself back up, Wilhemina’s hand found her chin, pulling her in for a bruising kiss and holding her firm as her free hand flicked open the buttons on her shirt, one by one, so fast it should have been impossible.

“Get your shirt off,” Mildred panted, hands scrambling to find purchase on Mina as she crawled up on the bed and straddled her.

But Mina pulled back, a smirk like death making her eyes go black.

“Ladies first.”

And that was the last straw. Mildred’s patience had already been tested from the ordeal this morning, amplified by the unexpectedness of Wilhemina showing up at her work. That stupid, thoughtful way she brought her the forgotten lunch. The tiny wave. Like she cared. Like she—

Mildred growled, practically a scream as she grabbed Wilhemina’s shoulders and shoved her down until she was swallowed by the mattress. Splayed a hand out over her chest to keep her pinned. Keep her down.

She could feel Mina’s heart hammering, could feel how fast she was panting. Gasping.

Nails clawed at her arm, dragging down as Mildred cried out. There would be blood soon. She knew that feeling.

But then Wilhemina pulled her hand from her chest, twining their fingers hard and pressing hot, wet, quick kisses down over the already reddening marks. Yanked her fingers back. Licked. Right over her palm.

Mildred moaned, the feeling going straight to her core, and then her hands were in Wilhemina’s hair and she was pulling her neck taunt to get better access. So she could bite and suck and mark her for everyone to see.

She sat up on her knees, gaining leverage. And Mina’s hands were on her ass in an instant, kneading. Hard.

“Logic would imply that I shouldn’t let you touch me until you apologize,” Mildred managed, back to base form as she leaned into Mina’s hands. As she moaned into her neck.

Her teeth dug into a particularly sensitive spot, pinching the already flushed skin. And just as Mina gasped, just as she thought she’d won, Mina’s hands fell to her thighs, the world spun, and she was on her back. And Mina’s hand was wrapped tight around her throat.

“No more talking,” she growled, her free hand scraping roughly down Mildred’s stomach, under the band of her skirt, and straight between her thighs.

“Fuck, Mina,” Mildred gasped, the words melting into a groan as her thumb slid over her underwear.

Wilhemina shoved her further into the bed, fingers tightening. And Mildred’s vision blurred at the edges as she gasped for breath.

Perfect. Delicious. Exactly what she wanted.

No talking. Only feeling. Only Wilhemina.

But then Mina spoke, voice hot by her ear.

“I said no talking. I don’t want another word out of you until you’re ready to apologize.”

She pushed her underwear aside on the last word, slipping two fingers easily inside. Mildred cried out, hands grabbing for the arm braced on her throat and holding on tight as her hips started rocking of their own accord.

“Apologize for what,” she panted, eyes screwing shut as Mina curled her fingers.

A flat laugh. A squeeze to her throat. Heat pooling between her thighs.

“For making an entire scene just because I brought you your lunch. Because I took time out of my day to make sure you were taken care of.”

Mildred was slammed back into the mattress again.

“What does your logic say about that, Nurse Ratched?”

There were tears pricking at Mildred’s eyes now, because she wouldn’t break. She wouldn’t. But Wilhemina’s fingers picked up their pace, and then her mouth was on hers, and Mildred knew exactly what was coming.

Mina bit down on her lip. Hard. Yanked at it, pulling until Mildred whimpered.

“Apologize,” she growled, fingers twisting and curling and nails pricking against Mildred’s throat.

Mildred barely had the competence to shake her head no, but she managed it. Because as loud as her body was screaming with a need for more, for so much more of this woman, her brain wouldn’t let her.

The rational part of Mildred’s brain kept the words stuck down in her throat, pounding that she didn’t need to say them. That this wasn’t her fault. That she had only been protecting herself. But the sentimental part kept pushing them back up again, harder and harder the longer Mildred stared at Wilhemina, eyes dark and predatory and so filled with hurt.

“I’m not letting you come until you apologize,” Wilhemina scolded, nails scratching over Mildred’s throat as her fingers moved faster, harder. Her thumb brushed over her clit.

Mildred sobbed, entire body vibrating with the beg for release.

It almost felt like she was choking, the way she was swallowing the words down, only for them to get stuck again. Suffocate her.

Wilhemina shook her head softly, holding Mildred’s eye contact like a lifeline as the smallest smile graced her lips. An angel above her. Salvation.

And that was it. Mildred broke for the millionth time with this woman, relinquishing control.

Letting go.

Her orgasm hit her without Mina’s permission, shaking through her body and sending lightning down her spine. And the words were pulled from her just before her vision went black, hands twisting on Mina’s arm and toes curling hard in the sheets.

“I lo-ove you.”

She didn’t realize that she hadn’t apologized, the wrong words coming out of her, until she blinked her vision back and saw Wilhemina’s wide eyes, clarity piercing through whatever hurt and determination had been there just moments before.

And then Mildred realized why the words had burned so hot in her throat. It wasn’t an apology. It was the truth. The reason. The explanation of why she had behaved the way she did and why she had lashed out. Why she had felt so scared and vulnerable that she couldn’t emotionally handle seeing Wilhemina somewhere she didn’t expect her.

She wanted to apologize then, wanted to take them back. Because she had let herself slip. Again. And all it seemed to be doing was causing more trouble. She wasn’t tampering anything down, she was spinning the world further and further out of control. Unthreading her reality and watching the picture unravel before her eyes.

“How do you always seem to mess everything up?”

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—“

“Everything you touch turns to dust. How is that even possible? You should win some sort of prize for screwing this many things up. I swear.”

Wilhemina’s hand over hers brought her back, the air deathly still as Mildred’s voice rang off the walls. Over and over and over.

She met Wilhemina’s eyes, heart still hammering in her chest as she fought to regulate her breathing. To calm herself down. It had always been so easy. Why was it so difficult now?

“Does that scare you...?” Mina asked softly, shifting over her as her gaze burned through Mildred.

Before she knew what she was doing, she nodded. Because it did. She did.

And Wilhemina matched her, nodding in time. “It scares me, too.”

At that she did apologize, a soft “I’m sorry” falling from her lips in a last desperate attempt to calm the situation. To salvage the last piece of anything. To pull control back down over herself.

But Wilhemina only shook her head, a softness in her eyes that Mildred had never seen before.

“Don’t apologize.”

And then that heavy silence. So familiar. So comfortable. Give their souls space. Let them figure it out.

The words would come when they were ready.

Wilhemina sniffed, tracing her thumb over Mildred’s cheek. “Do you remember when I told you that I had never known love?”

And Mildred nodded again, finding herself unable to do anything else with the way Mina was staring at her. Eyes glittering. Galaxies.

“I’m not sure that’s true anymore,” she whispered, gaze falling to Mildred’s mouth. Across the ages and spaces and miles between them. It could only have been inches now. “I don’t think it’s been true for a while.”

Mildred let the words swim around her, furnishing her sanctuary here, pressed into a bed underneath Wilhemina. Locked in orbit, pulled in tight and unable to do anything but stare.

She startled as a tear fell onto her cheek, swiping at it quickly as she sniffed. Came back to the present. The room fell back into place.

And then her world, her life, her eternity, her Wilhemina kissed her.

“My beautiful Millie,” she murmured, kissing her until she couldn’t breathe. Until the world swam again, this time for a completely different reason, happiness and joy threading through her and pouring like stardust in her veins.

“Yours.”

~~~

“Shall we?”

Mildred threaded her arm through Wilhemina’s, pushing her hair up and letting her fingers ghost over the rim of her hat.

“I’d love nothing more, Ms. Venable.”

And the way that they walked together, their steps perfectly in time, Wilhemina’s cane tapping as she moved forward steadily, one foot after the other, matched with Mildred’s calculated walk, the way her feet barely crossed and she was almost pigeon-toed, like she was strutting down a runway.

It should have been illegal, just after the war. It should have been frowned upon. But the power that flowed off of them when they were arm in arm like this, the way Mildred’s heart swelled and her chin tipped up and she managed to physically look down on everyone in her path, had people scattering like rats as their heels clicked along the tile.

And the entire night, everyone at Wilhemina’s office party steered more than clear of them. Hushed whispers behind their backs had Wilhemina’s hands skirting just a bit too far down Mildred’s hips as she took small sips of her champagne, setting her gloved fingers itching and her thighs pressing together under her perfectly asymmetrical skirt.

And Mildred made it a point to turn her head, just so, and whisper in Wilhemina’s ear whenever she was mid-conversation with her coworkers. Sometimes it was nothing. Sometimes it was filthy.

But either way, she knew just the breath on Wilhemina’s ear was enough to make her pulse run a bit quicker.

And sure enough, before dinner was even served, Wilhemina had made some sort of excuse and the two of them were running from the taxi, through the rain, and huddling together on the porch as Mina dug for her key.

That night was her favorite night.

Both of them soaked to the bone, sharing over-poured glasses of wine, half-dressed and drying out in front of the fireplace.

And when Wilhemina gave her that smile, that particularly fond smile where her cheeks pushed up and her eyes softened, Mildred pushed her tongue into her cheek, fighting her own grin.

They kissed until the fire burnt out, embers barely flickering in the black room. And just as the last of the light died, Mildred and Wilhemina sticky and naked and curled together on the floor, Wilhemina made to get up.

Mildred’s hand on her arm stopped her, and she snuggled further against her to keep her still.

“No light tonight,” she said softly. And she meant it.

She wasn’t frightened. Not now. Not anymore.

“Millie?”

And Mildred let herself smile as she nodded. Because she had never been more certain of anything than she was of loving Wilhemina in this moment, and of letting herself be loved in return. Letting herself go.

The world wasn’t logical. The world wasn’t ordered. Not when it came to her. Wilhemina had come in and spun her right out of control. And she kept doing it. Over and over again. Like it was a game.

Maybe it was.

And as Mildred leaned forward, capturing Mina’s lips in a languid kiss and humming contentedly, she realized that she was absolutely fine losing, if it meant that she got to have this.

Tag List: @shineestark @duchessfics @darling-dontforgetme @midnight-lestrange @nerdaroo @thatgirlintheleatherjacket

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thanialis · 4 years

Text

Imagine (Ethan x MC)

| Ethan x Willow | PG 13 | 1,400+ words |

| Inspiration: Imagine by Ariana Grande | After chapter 8, they have a redo |

thank u, next

Stayin’ up all night, order me pad thai

Then we gon’ sleep ‘til noon

Me with no makeup, you in the bathtub

Bubbles and bubbly, ooh

This is a pleasure, feel like we never

Act this regular

“Trash!” Willow threw a crumpled napkin to Ethan’s tv. She angrily took a bite from her egg roll.

“Hey, I would appreciate if you didn’t trash my apartment.” Ethan side-eyed her while he walked over his coffee table to place the napkin back on the table.

“Ethan, you have very long legs, you could’ve just used your feet,” her voice muffled with rice and chicken stuffed in her mouth.

“Please, keep your mouth closed when you eat,” he groaned, picking up his glass of scotch. “I can’t believe you watch this show, you know all of this is bull, right?”

“Let a girl dream, giraffe,” Willow nudged him with her foot, a teasing smile plastered on her face.

“Giraffe? What the hell?” a chuckle escaped his lips, grabbing his chopsticks and his box of chow mein.

“Yes, giraffe. Everyone calls you a giraffe. Obviously we say it in safe proximity from you,” she giggled, “Not gonna lie, that softball uniform only made your neck stick out even more than before.”

“People were staring at my neck?” he cocked an eyebrow while he chewed his food, keeping his eyes trained on the tv.

“Yes, but I was distracted by something else... those pants were awfully tight on you.” She felt a rush of heat take over her cheeks, avoiding his eyes while picking at her food.

“They were... uncomfortable,” he replied with a slight smirk tugging at his lips.

“Those pants made it look packing,” she shrugged, “Not that I should be surprised, I have seen it.”

“Willy,” he whispered.

“Shhhh! McSteamy is talking,” she shushed as her eyes glued to the tv, “How is someone able to look that good?” Willow said in awe at the actor.

“McSteamy? Was McDreamy not good enough?” he asked.

“Well, this McDreamy is trash, I prefer my McSteamy if I’m being honest.”

“And who’s that?”

“You,” she simply stated with a smile on her face.

Imagine a world like that

We go like up 'til I'm 'sleep on your chest

Love how my face fits so good in your neck

Why can't you imagine a world like that?

“I think the mom dies and the baby is saved by Dr. Karev,” she mumbled, pulling the blanket tighter on herself.

“Who’s Dr. Karev again,” Ethan asked tiredly, he stifled a yawn and tried his best to pay attention to the dramatic tv show.

“Him, he’s the cowboy doctor,” her finger pointed to the young actor. She lowered her hand and gently placed it on his chest where her head laid.

Take out boxes where left on the coffee table, leaving a whole mess which was driving him crazy, but Willow was laying on top of him and he didn’t dare to move from where they were. He had his arms wrapped around her tiny waist, holding her tightly, wishing, hoping, praying for nothing to interrupt them.

And it seemed like someone was listening. No spam of text messages, no worried roommates, no nosy co-workers, no having to pretend that there was nothing between the two. Finally, they were allowed to have a night to themselves.

His attention was now focused on the small, fragile woman laying on top of him. Her brown highlighted was spread all over him, some strands of hair tickling his nose while he could also pick up the coconut-scented hair.

“God, Denny, and Alex deserve so much more than Izzie. She gets on my nerves,” she grumbles, her head turning to look at Ethan who seemed lost in some sort of daze. “You okay?”

“Hmm?” he snapped out of his head, “Yeah, just thinking about every single medical error this show is committing,” he said, his eyes flashing towards the tv.

Her child-like hand cupped his cheek to bring his attention back to her. She scanned his ocean eyes, seeing them soften at hers. There were times where she knew it was best not to think about it, but couldn’t of how their kids eyes would be. Her light brown eyes were dominant, but she remembered how her brothers had blue eyes like her mother which is rare to see in a family of Latinos from Central America.

Ethan’s hands captured her face as he stared at her eyes while his index fingers barely brushed her cheeks. Slowly he pulled her into a soft kiss.

Knew you were perfect after the first kiss

Took a deep breath like, "Ooh"

It started out more slow and gradually grew more intense as emotions began to pour in.

Passion, desperation, longing.

It had only been a day since they last kiss when Willow was returning to her apartment, but they spent the last couple of months doing their best to find a way around the awkward tension they had around each other. All of the built up tension was finally being released as they laid in each others arms.

“God, I was so wrong about everything,” he mumbled, catching his breath. Willow giggled in response, nuzzling her nose with his.

“Well, finally you’re able to open your eyes. It took you about almost four months, but at least you’ve realized how much of an idiot you are.” Ethan released a low chuckle, shaking his head, pressing a kiss on her nose.

“You’re lucky I’m capable to see past at as I am very deeply...” he paused himself.

Her body froze from what he almost let slip out, “Very deeply...?” she raised an eyebrow.

They looked at each other intensely, knowing well enough he wasn’t going to say the next three words. Instead they decided to return their focus to the show, ignoring what could’ve happened.

It was too soon, way too soon. They spent last year ignoring what they had to only resurface at the end when they... Either way, they crossed a line that no two employees should do, especially if one was their boss and mentor.

The things that people would say about them. Ethan couldn’t give a single damn of what others think of him, but it was more of Willow he was afraid for. She was already on thin ice with the board due to the hearing last year, finding out she was with her attending would be even worse.

If it meant protecting her and her waiting future of success then he would do anything to make sure she saw it. Even if it meant cutting himself from her life.

Right now, he was being selfish and caving in. They couldn’t deny to each other of how much they cared for one another, and the chemistry between them was only growing. Maybe he was meant for her and she was meant for him. Just maybe.

The concept of soulmates was something Ethan could not wrap around, but thinking he might have found someone to complete him wasn’t though not much of science did back this up.

A couple of more episodes played before the usual ‘are you still there?’ finally popped up. Ethan carefully nudged the young doctor who had the control in her hand, but when she didn’t click continue watching, he knew she had fallen asleep.

Carefully, he removed her from on top of him as he quietly picked up the trash and moved it into the garbage can. He turned to the tv on, and cautiously picked up Willow from the couch and moved her on his bed.

Willow stirred a bit in his arms when he placed her down.

“Shh, go back to sleep,” he soothed her, planting a kiss on her temple.

“Mmm,” she nodded before shaking her head in discomfort. “Can I borrow something to wear?”

Ethan gave her a pair of sweats and a white tee and let her change while he went to his bathroom.

He stared at himself for a very long time, wondering what was the next move.

I cannot break her, not this time.

Finally parting from the mirror, he joined Willow who was now deep asleep under the silk bedsheets. Ethan wasn’t quite tired yet, deciding to just watch her sleep peacefully, running his hand gently on her arm up and down to soothe her. In the darkness, he was able to catch a lazy smile on her lips.

He could get used to this, her sleeping in his house, sharing kisses, embraces. That was further in the future though, but for now he could only

Imagine

| It’s a bit of a messy chapter, but things will get better... I hope. I really do hope y’all enjoyed. Okay, I love y’all ❤️ |

| Tags | | PLEASE NOTIFY ME IF YOU WANT TO BE ADDED OR DROPPED FROM MY ETHAN X MC TAGS |

#ethan ramsey #ethan x mc #ethan ramsey x mc #ethan ramsey fic #Ethan jonah ramsey #open heart choices #open heart #choices #iaminlovewithafictionalcharacter #playchoices #pixelberry

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reeree1500 · 4 years

Text

The Return- Part 11

Im backkkkk💕 Hey yall so after a very very longgggg break from writing😅😬 I am officially back💕 I wanted to say thank you to everyone who reached out to me for their support and their love💕☺️ I am currently working on finishing up this series for yall as well as some smutty😏 requests that have been sent in. And I just wanna say that I love all of yall and yall are the best people out there💕💕💕💕💕💕

Disclaimer: Some Angst, Some Fluff and my horrible writing as always💕 Hope yall enjoy💕

Taglist: @yanii-the-hippie @oceans-daughter-3 @camatsuru @youbloodymadgenius @calum-hoodwinked-me @cutegyrl927 @readsalot73 @blonddnamedhandz @hallowed-heathen @pinkrockstar19 @ivarthethiccness @zuxiezendler @thejulietfarciertlove @supernaturalvikingwhore @ifihadwings128 @paintballkid711 @affection-rabbit @mel0nch0ly @queenofallthyfandoms @limbo-limbo-limbo @biss-stuff @funmadnessandbadassvikings

Lemme know if you want to be a part of my permanent taglist as well, so I know who to include in the one shots☺️💕

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

Recap:

Taking a deep breath I go to stand up from the bed in order to fetch a bucket of water and some new clothes. Instead I end up on the floor cradling my belly, with a burning sensation in my chest and blood pouring out from my mouth. “(Y/n)! Mama!” I can hear the shouts around me. “Fetch the doctor! Now hurry!” The voices around me begin to fade and not before long I can feel myself drifting away.

“My baby... Save my baby...” And with that everything turns pitch black...

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

Ivar’s POV

It seemed like time and everything around me stilled. What had started as a very awkward and unpleasant evening, had become even worse. Just a few steps away from me, (Y/n) had collapsed and I wanted nothing more than to rush to her aid and lift her up in my arms so that I could whisper that everything would be okay. That our son would be fine, because he was a fighter and he was OUR SON! That this was all a nightmare and that I would not rest till whoever was responsible would be put to death by my hands! But how could I? How could I be that person she needed the most when all I had done was bring her pain and sorrow.

I hand single handedly destroyed her life and her family. It wasn't until I saw her there. Laying down on the mattress as cold as ice that it dawned on me. All the hurt and pain that I place the people I love through...

“Ivar? Are you alright my love?” Said Freydis as she knelt down before me, whilst placing her hands on my knees. My hands that once rested on the arms of the chair I was in, grasped on to her arms. I lifted my gaze to meet hers with the iciest stare that I could muster. “Do...Not...Touch...Me...Whore. I want nothing to do with you, for I know that somehow you're involved in this. And when I find out how, I will not hesitate to end your life!” I said through gritted teeth, whilst I pushed her down on to the floor. “My king, my god, I have nothing to do with this I assure you! Please you must believe me!” She pleaded with me whilst trying reach for me again. I only stared at her and said nothing back for I would not be able to contain myself from killing her.

Shifting my gaze away from her I stare at the mattress in the middle of the room. Were (y/n) and Erik lay. Both pale, but you could tell that Erik was not in as bad of a shape as (y/n) was, as he had some colour to his skin. I could see Freydis from the corner of my eyes, lifting herself up and trying to come towards me. This idiot does not give up. I quickly turned my icy glare towards her and she stopped dead in her tracks. Bowed and slipped away from the room.

Her eyes told me everything I needed to know. They showed guilt, anger, even happiness, perhaps at the fact that the only person that has ever loved me for me was dying, but the one thing that showed the most was remorse. And that single handedly told me that she was involved. Freydis was not smart enough to do this on her own, so there must have been someone else pulling the strings. And I would not rest until I found out who!

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

Your POV

Fluttering my eyes open, I start to notice the familiar surroundings around me. The fireplace’s light radiating across the entire room. Marjorie’s little body at the foot of the bed sound asleep and Erik’s little body hugging her’s closely as if he was protecting her from anything. Erik! At that thought I try my hardest to lift myself off the bed to check on my baby boy, but am stopped by him. “Surely, you're not thinking about getting up, are you now? We both know that’s probably one of the stupidest things you could do in your condition.” Ivar said from the chair he was in. He looked like he hadn't slept in days, maybe even weeks. His hair was disheveled and his eyes held something to them that I couldn't quite put my finger on.

I tried to form words, but couldn't quite find the right one’s. Ivar stood up from the chair and used his crutch as support to lift himself off the chair and walk towards the bed in the middle of the room. “I..var, what happened? Erik.. h..he was...” I trailed off before the tears streamed down my face. “Shhhh... It’s alright. Don’t cry, I’ll explain everything that’s happened, but please do not cry. I cannot bear to see you in tears, love.” Ivar said while wiping the tears of my face with his thumbs as he sat down beside me. As Ivar took my hand in his, he recounted everything that had occurred in the last 2 weeks to me.

Freydis had been escorted back to Kattegat by Ivar’s guards, he did not tell me why, but I could tell that it was something serious by the way his demeanour changed. Bjorn and Hvitserk were set to sail back as well sometime this week as they had treaties and business to attend to in Ivar’s behalf. Who was keen on not leaving my side till I awoke and Erik was back to full health. “And Arthur? Where is he?” I whispered, noticing the children about to wake up. At that Ivar takes a deep breath in and with an exasperated sigh... “He’s gone (y/n). He left a note about a week ago. He said that being here at your side wasn’t his place anymore, that the children and you would always have a place in his heart. And not to worry, that he was not going to revoke the children’s titles. But...” Ivar said looking down at our intertwined hands. For a moment I could see genuine sadness and guilt in his eyes, he looked back at the children and then he looked directly into my eyes. The eyes that I had tried so long to forget. The eyes that brought me comfort, safety and most of all the love that as much as I tried to deny it, he could only give me. “He divorced you (y/n)...”

Before I could even get the chance to process what Ivar was telling me, I felt two pairs of arms wrap around me. “Mama! You're awake!” Cried out Marjorie. “Oh my babies! Im so sorry, I will never ever leave your sides again do you hear me?” I say to both Erik and Marjorie as I look into their eyes and wrapped them in a bear hug. I can feel Ivar’s stare from where he is sitting and before I realize what Im doing, I pull him in to the hug by the shirt he was wearing. “I cant... breathe...” said Erik from underneath mine and Ivar’s arms. At that we all let out a small laugh and let go of our family hug. “Erik are you feeling alright? Are you sick? We should probably get the doctor. And you should be in bed mister not out of it!” I say once it dawns on me that my son was almost poisoned, and here he is acting as if nothing had happened. “Calm down (y/n), he's alright I had the best doctors taking care of him while you were, you know.” Ivar says as he rubs my back in a soothing way. “Yeah Mama! Uncle Ivar...I mean Papa took care of me and Marjorie whilst you were sleeping, he never once left my side even though he probably should have, he looks terrible.” Erik says as he whispers the end of his sentence making me and Marjorie laugh. Ivar just stared at him not knowing how to reply to Erik. “Rude.” Is all that Ivar said before plopping down next to me on the bed, making us all laugh harder. I could see Ivar playing as if he were hurt by Erik’s statement, but his eyes told me how astonished he was at the fact our little boy was just like him, not to mention the fact that I could tell Ivar was dying of laughter on the inside.

Moments later as the children are telling Ivar and I what they had done during the week. There’s a knock at the door. Marjorie and Erik go to answer it, as they noticed that Ivar had fallen asleep with his head on my lap and he hasn't slept at all during the last 2 weeks. “Well if it isn't, my beautiful niece and my handsome nephew. Eh! How’s your papa, is he still brooding and acting all grumpy in the corner of the room?” Hvitserk says with a grin on his face that stretches ear to ear. “Nope! He’s sleeping on mama’s lap you see.” Marjorie says as she points toward us from Hvitserk’s arms. “(y/n), you're awake!” He says putting Marjorie down and running towards the bed and throwing himself on it. Ivar’s hand shoots out and grabs Hvitserk’s throat. “Don’t.” He says before letting go and going back to sleep, as he places his upper body across my legs. “And were back to normal people!” Hvitserk as he laughs while hugging me and kissing my forehead.

“So how are you feeling? How was it actually? Wait you must me insanely hungry, good thing I had your cooks make a feast!” As Hvitserk went on and on asking questions and me trying to answer them to the best of my ability I start to think about my family and what the future holds for us especially now since I’ve lost my best friend. And Im not 100% forgiving Ivar just yet, but I cant help but feel that this is how it was meant to be. Ivar and I listening to the ramblings of Hvitserk and our children and one of us drifting away while the other smiled and nodded. The thought brought a huge smile to my face, and a feeling that I could never forget nor want to disappear. The feeling of Family.

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

After a couple of days I still wasn't back 100%, but I couldn't just stay locked up in a room. Ivar protested all he could, but he knew that I would not stop until I got what I wanted. As I made the trek from the castle to the cliff I could see the ocean and how calm and serene it looked. The birds flocking from one place to another and the sun setting in the distance. The view was breathtaking. “You know considering you just got poisoned, you shouldn't be out and about by yourself.” Bjorn said as he approached me at the edge. “I know, but I just needed a moment to myself. To think about things and wrap my head around this mess.” I said pulling the shawl a little tighter around myself, to shield me from the ocean’s breeze. “Here, take this.” Bjorn said as he placed his fur around my shoulders. “I thought I lost you for good (y/n). Those 2 weeks where we didn't know if you would awake, took me to a dark place that I haven't gone too since before you came back into my life...” Bjorn whispered as he looked out towards the sun set. “Bjorn, I’m a horrible person. I can’t stop thinking about how this is the life I was meant to live. Just me, my kids and Ivar. What about Arthur? He was such a big part of my life and I...”

“You can’t help, but feel guilty. Guilty that was you shared wasn't meant to be, that secretly you hoped for this day all your life? Free from what seemed like a burden?” He says as he sitting down and twiddling with the laces on his boots. “Yes... But he wasn't a burden, he was my friend, my best friend. He was there for me when Ivar wasn't, he took care of me.” I choke out through sobs as I fall on my knees next to him. “I know, but you cant help who you love (y/n) and who you do not. At the end of the day you would have held this in and it would've ate away at you, for Odin knows how long.” Bjorn says wiping away my tears and kissing my forehead. “God I hate you sometimes, you know that?” “Nope, you loveeee me.” We say as we laugh together whilst we lay down on the grass looking up at the stars as the night took over. “(y/n), although you're not technically my sister. I want you to know that no matter what I’ll always be with you and that I love you.” Bjorn says without looking at me. “I know...I love you too, big brother.” I take his hand in mine to show him that nothing has changed between us and that no matter what he’ll always be my big brother.

Standing up we make our way back to the castle, but before we go in I stop him. “Bjorn, when is the boat departing to Kattegat, again?” “In 4 days time, why?” He asks with a worried look on his face. “Let’s say that I’ll be joining you, 4 years is long enough to be away from home.” I say looking up at him, with a hard look on my face. “I’m not one to stop you, but are you sure that’s what you want?” He says with a worried look. “Believe me, its what I want and what I will do.”

I had gone too long being afraid of the retaliation that Floki would take against me, but I knew that he had orchestrated this poisoning, for he wanted me dead. However, he had not only messed with me, but with my son and no one touches my children. This time I would not return to Kattegat a scared little girl. I would return as a mother, who would protect her kids and her family at all costs and this time I would not be the one sent away, for I would stay in Kattegat and nothing and no one would get in my way...

#vikings #vikings fanfiction #vikings history channel #vikings fandom #vikings ivar #ivar #ivar the boneless #ivar lothbrok #ivar x reader #bjorn #Bjorn Ironside #bjorn lothbrok #vikings bjorn #vikings hvitserk #Hvitserk #hvitty

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justlookatthosesausages · 4 years

Text

:: “Memoirs” :: post-Frozen 2 Time Travel AU

======= CHAPTER 4 =======

“That’s the craziest plan.” Puffed Anna.

“It can’t be worse than sending a letter to yourself.” Commented Elsa.

Anna turned to her. “Hey, that actually wasn’t that bad of an idea.”

The blonde sighed, amused nonetheless. “You really need me to teach you a thing or two about time paradoxes.”

“Sorry, I forgot for one moment that I have a nerd as my elder.”

Elsa gently nudged her, and Anna giggled.

“I get it, you know.” Said the redhead. “No interacting with anyone, ever. We do not go nearby the castle because there’s a way we cross ways with our young Father coming home, we do not go to the East part of the village because this is where Mother was found and adopted, annnd we try to avoid talking to pretty much anyone because they could be young versions of Kai, Gerda or the guards or the maids, that we don’t recognize.”

Elsa grinned. “You’re the clever one.”

“What? Nah, you’re the one with the brain cells. I just repeated what you told me.”

“I never explained that to you.” Pointed the elder.

“You didn’t?”

“No. You grasped it all by yourself.”

“Really?”

Elsa sighed, but with some tenderness. “You once told me ‘When will you see yourself the way I see you?’, but it also applies to you. Do you realize of much better of a Queen you make compared to me?”

“No, that’s not true, you--” Anna started to defend, but Elsa wasn’t going to let her demean herself.

“You’re way more clever than me, Anna. These last years, you solved mysteries and found solutions faster than me. You saved my life twice. Twice, Anna. Do you have any idea how much people admire you? How much I admire you?”

Anna stared at her sister, stunned by her words. Her lips trembled as she was about to blabber a response, but she gulped with a slight blush. She actually didn’t know what to say. She then analyzed Elsa’s facial expression.

“You look like you wanted to say that since a long time.”

“I do.” Smiled Elsa, taking Anna’s hand in hers. “Since we became the Bridge, I wanted to tell you in many occasions. But I never really found the right moment.” She paused. “Who would have thought that I’d tell you that more than 30 years before?”

Anna laughed, and her elder joined in. “Thank you. So much.”

It was all she could say, her modesty preventing her from saying anything else, especially enhanced since she became Queen. Her emotion still tightened her throat, and she had started to see Elsa blurry, so she coughed lightly and re-focused on what they were doing.

“Alright. Speaking of time travel... Where were we?”

Elsa smiled as they stopped looking at each other to stare at the same direction. “The rule is to not interact with anyone. But with harmless things...”

She waved her hand, and with a flick of the wrist, a gust of ice escaped her magic palm and sneaked in between the legs of the stable boys from the place they were hidden.

The sparkling and glowing blue thread discreetly made its way to a cart, like an eel having fun and crackling. Anna raised an impressed eyebrow at how fast Elsa was in her magic now. She could control her ice mentally with incredible speed and mastering, no matter what the distance was. She just had to look at it from where she was if she wanted to be precise, which was the current case, and Anna’s eyes alternated between looking at the trajectory of the magic and Elsa’s focused face.

She had what the younger now called ‘The Scrunch’ in between her eyebrows, which often appeared when she was concentrating as she carved wood in the Forest or tried to understand Olaf’s handwriting on charades’ papers.

She let out a small giggle at the Scrunch, but tried not to distract the Snow Queen. They were trying their best to not be spotted, hiding behind barrels, and it would ruin everything.

Finally, the controlled gust of magic arrived to its destination, and Elsa made sure that neither of the blacksmith and the wheelwright were looking at the cart before she snapped the bars of one of the wheels. With a satisfyingly quiet snap, it broke, and none of the people around noticed that the cart now had a default.

“Here we go.” Smiled Elsa, not hiding her relief sigh that it all went well.

She waved her hand to vanish the ice, and turned to a beaming Anna.

“How did you possibly see from that far?” The latter asked.

“I don’t know.” Shrugged Elsa. “You couldn’t?”

“The shop is a hundred meters away, Elsa. Of course I don’t. I wonder if your sense of sight got sharpened since you became the Fifth Spirit.”

Instead of tossing that commentary away, the Snow Queen hummed and considered it. “That’s actually possible. I noticed I could hear the sounds of the Forest better afterwards. Or maybe it was just Gale bringing them to me.”

“Well, that was awesome. Breaking a part of a cart so the wheelwright will have to fix it and therefore shift all her production day after day and then year after year until the day I rent one to come see you? And so with the delay difference I won’t touch the glowing magical rock because we won’t have the same walk in the Forest? Brilliant. It definitely was a crazy plan, and it’s brilliant. You’re amazing.”

Elsa simply shrugged. “You’re the one who made me think of it when retelling what happened.”

Anna stared at her.

“Can’t you just take a compliment?”

“Uh?”

“You just broke a cart on a surgical level thanks to a spark of magic sent from the other end of the street, and you’re like ‘oh yeah it’s thanks to you’??!?”

“What?” Frowned Elsa, genuinely confused.

Anna blinked as she realized that Elsa wasn’t trying to be modest.

“Wait... You’re not really used to receive compliments.��

The blonde looked away, and that slight embarrassment confirmed Anna’s theory.

“Elsa, you always give compliments! To everyone! You even bathed me in compliments just earlier. You should learn to get some as well!”

“But anyone deserves them more than me.” Pouted Elsa.

Anna’s mouth opened wide in shock. She couldn’t believe her ears.

“ELSA!”

“Shhhh!” Whispered the Snow Queen.

“I don’t care if I’m loud about it, damnit, I want to be loud about it, I want to loudly tell you how many compliments you deserve. Everyone in Arendelle and Northuldra admire you!”

“I know.” Mumbled Elsa. “But I’ve never done any big effort to get that recognition. People mostly admire me for my magic, and I was born with it, so...”

The younger hesitated between slapping her forehead or Elsa’s arm.

“Elsa, this couldn’t be more far from the truth. And, for God’s sake, you stopped a tidal wave with your bare hands and saved a whole kingdom from being flooded. What can ever top that?”

“Nokk helped.” Specified the Fifth Spirit.

Anna grumbled. “Please understand that you have the right to receive compliments, okay?”

Elsa remained quiet, like she always was when Anna raised her voice on her and said the truth. She simply nodded.

“Come here.”

The elder lifted her head, and found herself in Anna’s arms, hugging her warmly. Elsa gave the hug back, holding her sister tight against her.

With smiles, they parted.

“Your turn now. Do you think you could sneak into that shop there and get us two hoods?” Asked Elsa as she pointed at a window.

“Discretion is my middle name.” Grinned Anna, stretching her fingers.

“It really isn’t.” Smirked Elsa, and memories of their whole life in common could provide counter-examples. “But I trust you on this. Since the Great Thaw, you went more than me into that shop - yes, that’s because I didn’t need new clothes as much as you do - and you know the lady more than me. You’ll know how to borrow two clothes without getting busted.”

“Just say ‘steal’.”

“I thought you wanted to repay everyone once we get back to the future?” Frowned Elsa, surprised by the Queen’s precision.

“Yes, of course, but for now, it’s still theft. I’m about to steal from my citizens. And we need money too. Goodness, I’m about to steal money from them. It’s making me sick.” Murmured Anna, hands on her cheeks.

“Don’t think too much about it. It’s gonna be okay eventually.” Assured Elsa, but it made her feel bad as well.

Anna nodded and stood up. She went to the shop, wisely inspecting each of the clients’ movements and the manageress so no one could see her face, and made her way through the store. Elsa saw her bounce and leap discreetly in the room by the window, and she clenched her hands in stress. She wondered if she was more worried in that moment than Anna.

After long painful minutes, Anna reappeared at the door, being as careful as she was on her way in, and soon swiftly ducked behind the barrels next to her sister. Elsa felt great relief to have her back. She couldn’t tell if it was because Anna made it with no problem, or because her sister was at her side again after being alone for those long minutes, trapped 30 years in the past on her own.

“Tadaaaa!” Smiled Anna, beaming like a thousand suns in her pride.

There was a silence, and Elsa gulped and nodded with a smile as a congratulation gesture.

“Why are you crying?” Frowned Anna, and she let down the hands she had lifted with one hood in each.

Elsa urged to sniff and blink to not show anything. “I’m not crying.”

The Queen bent her head. “For someone who’s been hiding the truth about herself for a tremendous amount of time, you’re terrible at lying.”

The blonde had a giggling sigh. “I’m just... I’m just glad you’re here. Without you, I don’t know what I’d have done after time traveling. I’d have panicked and... You know.”

Anna smiled warmly. “It’s a good thing we got each other, uh? You do the magic stuff, I do the clothing stuff. It’s equality!” She exclaimed, raising the hoods in victory.

They laughed together, and their laughter was interrupted by their stomachs rumbling in one voice.

“Okay, let’s put them on. Oh, and keep my jacket underneath. We’re gonna go get some food.”

“But we can’t enter into an inn, it’s too risky!”

“We’re not going to eat in a pub. Some of the merchants on the market square sell grilled meat, and I’ve never seen their faces before. Which means that they’re just passing by Arendelle. With that fact and the hoods, we have no risk to alter the events in the future.”

Elsa’s jaw dropped, and melted in a smile. “When I tell you that you’re the clever one.”

The redhead attached her cloak with a chuckle.

=======

“Adele!”

It took a few seconds for Elsa to understand that Anna was calling her.

“I found us a spot”, smiled the redhead as she pointed at the place she was sitting.

It was a bench in the shadows of the docks, and if Elsa hadn’t recognized Anna’s voice, she would never have noticed her under her hood with her fiery hair hidden in a bun under the fabric. She made her way to her after getting food from the stand.

“Here. I asked for a double dose of sauce on yours.”

“Ooooh, neat!” Exclaimed Anna, clapping her hands before taking the skewer she was giving her.

As Elsa ate her grilled meat with a satisfied hum and looked at the people chatting on the market square, Anna counted how much money they had left. She giggled as she noticed how, back at the time they were in, the coins had Arendelle’s crocus on one side, and the castle on the other.

“Hey, look.” She said, holding one at Elsa’s eye level. “The design was different. I prefer the ones from our present time with your face on, but those are pretty. Doesn’t that remind you of when Papa told us about how money works?”

The Snow Queen had to shift the edge of her hood aside to see what she was showing her. She had tied her platinum blonde hair in a braid to hide it in her back, and blocked the hood’s material. She smiled at the coin.

“Yes. I remember how desperate he was when he tried to explain to you what money was for. You were convinced that one can buy goods and services with hugs and love.”

Anna laughed out loud. “Well, I still do.”

Elsa smiled as they continued to eat.

The market place became crowded quickly, Arendellians enjoying the warm weather to eat dinner outside and enjoy the animations near the harbor.

“To think that at the moment we speak, he’s right over there, in the castle... Coming back from the Forest and probably panicked about all that happened...” Muttered Anna once she finished eating, and staring at the castle’s walls.

The elder nodded sadly. “It’s difficult to resist the urge to go tell him that everything will be fine. But it’s something he has to face alone.”

They didn’t add anything else, minutes passing by, and cuddled against each other.

Elsa lifted her head as the crowd became thicker and more noisy, and a man and a woman near them got louder in their exchange. Anna followed the same movement.

“Have you heard the rumors? The King is dead!” Muttered the woman.

The man gasped and covered his mouth. “Odin’s name, really?”

Anna grumbled. “That’s not much of a waste.”

She got nudged by her elder. “Anna!”

The redhead gave her a look. “Why are you scolding me? You know I’m right. As cruel as it is to say it, our grandfather was a terrible man. Even if we’re talking about family, I’m not feeling any sadness for him.”

“Still...” Muttered Elsa, but deep inside, she totally agreed with Anna.

The difference between them was that Anna felt no shame in stating it out loud, when Elsa heeld all her anger against him inside her since the moment she discovered the truth about him, and how he...

“I heard rumors saying that the chief of some clan up North killed him.” Revealed the woman.

“That’s the other way around.” Groaned Anna through gritted teeth.

He was the one who killed the Northuldra chief. To hear someone spread the fake news actually brought Elsa to a state of internal rage, and she had to physically restrain herself to not stand up right then and yell to the face of the woman that she got it all wrong.

Her hands clenched on the bench, and Anna noticed it. Her gaze turned to Elsa’s face, and she smiled sadly.

“Yes, now I get it. As difficult as it is, we must not take action.” She whispered, putting her hand on Elsa’s.

To their relief, the two people walked somewhere else, but Elsa knew that they were going to think they know the truth for 30 years. Until Anna and herself would explain on the public square what really happened after they got back from their adventures up North, announce their new roles as two sides of the Bridge, and more importantly talk about how they both are in fact half-Northuldra.

“Are you okay?” Wondered Anna.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just... Thinking.”

Elsa suddenly turned her eyes away from the two people to stare at her younger. “Why?? Is it cold? Does the air seem colder to you??”

Anna gave her a warm smile, and it chased her fear away in an instant. “Elsa, you have full control now. You know it. You don’t have to be afraid about that anymore.”

“But still...”

“When was the last time it happened? Hum?” Still smiled her sister. “We worked on it after the Great Thaw. And since you’re the Fifth Spirit, I hadn’t felt once a moment where you chilled the room.”

She then snorted, and Elsa frowned. “What?”

“I’m thinking of a pun. Ironically, things are not cold anymore because now, you just chill. It’s funny, no?”

There was a silence as the blonde had a jaded expression.

“I don’t know what I would be without you, Anna, but sometimes I wonder what I did to deserve you as a sister.”

Anna grinned. “Come on, you loved it.”

=======

The sun set faster than they expected on the Arendelle’s horizon. It was obvious that they couldn’t go sleep in a hotel, and the night would be warm, so they decided to go up on the hills where they knew no one lived to sleep outside.

Building a camp and lighting a fire now was something they became masters at; years of living in the Forest and ice powers helped a lot.

Once Elsa was done crafting an ice hut with large moves of the hands, Anna snorted.

“You couldn’t help drawing that snowflake above the entrance, uh?”

Elsa bit her lip to hold a chuckle. “It’s not a snowflake, though. It’s the Spirits symbol. At least it’s up to date.”

“You boastful dork.”

They looked at the beautiful sunset in the distance, and were at the perfect place to admire it. With satisfaction, they sat on the grass and admired how it covered the kingdom, which would later become theirs, in an orange blanket.

“Do you think that tomorrow, we’ll wake up and it was all just a dream?” Wondered Anna.

Elsa snorted. “I doubt it. It feels very real, too real even. But we’ll find a way to get back. I never loose hope as long as I’m with you.”

Anna smiled. “I always try to help people be positive.”

Elsa sighed in happiness, eyes on the horizon.

“It’s true, you do. She’ll be very lucky to have you.”

“Who?”

“Your daugh-”

Elsa suddenly interrupted herself with a gasp. She slammed her hand on her mouth, her face distorted in a fearful expression, shocked and panicked to have let that slip out.

“...What?” Muttered Anna.

There was a silence, Elsa gasping again, and tears of disappointment towards herself filled her eyes.

The redhead stared at her. “Did you just say... My daughter?”

Elsa was still mute, her hand clamped to her mouth.

“What do you mean?” Asked Anna, her eyes wide. “Elsa, what do you mean, my daughter?”

#dun dun duuuun! :D #yes i love cliffhangers #this chapter is filled with fluff and drama which are my forever two pillars lol #untangling the frozen knots is the very proof of it #I KNOW YOU GUYS WANT TO KNOW WHAT I MEANT BY DAUGHTER #WELL YOU'RE NOT READY FOR WHAT FOLLOWS #sorry for screaming that chapter wrecked me emotionally #this was supposed to be the filler chapter before we got to elsa saying that but hey guess who dove head first into snow sisters fluff?#also i'll always grab the opportunity to make elsa compliment anna and vice-versa #my babies need support #they don't realize how freaking special they are #frozen 2 #aka how to make me even more excited to write fanfics #frozen #post frozen 2 #post frozen 2 fanfics #memoirs #frozen fanfictions #snow sisters #queen anna #fifth spirit elsa #snow queen elsa #time travel #frozen time travel au #ENJOY CRYING #(i did)#if you read the tags entirely even though i'm rambling reblog this with a purple heart in your tags #xoxo

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justahopelessssromantic · 4 years

Text

Runaways- A Mayans MC Fanfic

Part 1

Part 2

*Warnings: Slight mention of violence

Parking the car in front of the house I got out and opened the trunk revealing all the bags in the back. Grabbing two of them I headed up the steps and into the house. Placing the groceries onto the kitchen counter I turned around to see David staring at me with his arms crossed.

“Where the hell have you been?” He asked glaring at me, nostrils flared.

Pointing at the note on the fridge I replied, “Can’t you read? I went to the store. We can’t survive on canned beans forever.” I crossed my arms and matched his glare.

Sighing he leaned against the entryway pinching the bridge of his nose with his eyes closed.

“You’re right. I’m sorry. I panicked when I couldn’t find you and saw the car missing.” He said opening his eyes, softness replacing the hard glare from before. “You got the keys? I need to head out and start looking for a job or before we know it we’ll be broke.”

Pulling the keys from my pocket I tossed them to him.

“Just gotta grab the rest of the groceries out the back then she’s all good to go. Full tank and everything.” I replied giving him a half smile

“I’ll go get them,” he said heading out of the kitchen. Turning around just before he was out of sight he looked back at me, “We’ll get through this. Together.”

“Together” I replied quietly as he turned and walked out of sight.

Putting away the groceries I brought in I got lost in thought. Sometimes I forget how hard this must be for David too. He dropped everything to help his family. The only reason we have a house here was because of him. I have been so worried about Nicky and how he was handling everything that I never thought about how David was handling it, having to clean up another mess his two younger siblings created.

“Hey we got anything to eat? I’m fucking starving,”

Jumping out of my thoughts I quickly turned around a hand to my chest trying to calm myself. Nicky was sitting at the table looking at his phone.

“Shit you scared me. You can’t just sneak up on people like that.” Grabbing a box of cereal and a bowl I placed them down in front of him. “I’m not cooking anything so you're gonna have to settle for that for now. Milk’s in the fridge.”

“Thank God, your cooking is horrendous.” He teased giving the first hint of a real smile I have seen him have since the incident.

Rolling my eyes I went back to the counter and saw the rest of the groceries that David must have brought in while I was distracted. Finishing putting everything away I went to join my brother at the table grabbing myself a bowl of cereal. We ate in silence and when we were finished Nicky grabbed the dishes to wash them up.

“Hey, you good here alone for a bit?” I asked Nicky, “I want to get out and go for a walk. Clear my head.”

“Yeah. I don’t need a babysitter 24/7. I will probably just unpack some stuff maybe watch some tv or something.” He said shrugging. “I’ll be fine.”

I wasn’t completely convinced but needed to get some fresh air so I decided to trust him.

“Call if you need anything and I will come straight back. Got it?”

——————————————————————————————

Walking for about an hour I passed our neighbor’s house smiling as I saw EZ, and I’m guessing his brother, sitting on the steps of their father’s house chatting and smoking.

“Hey Willow!”

Turning around I saw EZ stand up crushing his cigarette under his boot before walking towards me with a smile. Behind him his brother did the same before swaggering up beside his brother.

“Angel, the big brother.” He introduced himself extending his hand.

Shaking his hand I started to introduce myself but was cut off by Angel.

“Willow, I know, baby bro here couldn’t stop talking about the new neighbor all day.”

Blushing I looked to EZ whose gaze was to the ground with an embarrassed smile on his face.

“So how you liking Ms. Rosa’s place?” Angel pulled my attention back to him.

“It’s lovely. Did you know her well?” I questioned looking between the two men

“Yeah she used to watch us quite a lot when we were little,” EZ joined in “sometimes we were over there more than our own home.”

The boys chuckled as they thought about memories of their childhood.

“Man she made the best cookies. Every week it would be a different kind too and she always let me have as many as I wanted,” smiling Angel added, “I’m pretty sure she’s the reason I was such a chubby little fucker.”

I gave a little giggle finding it hard to imagine him as a chubby kid. But then again it’s amazing how much people can change.

“So is it just you living there by yourself, or is there a boyfriend or husband?” Angel tried to question casually.

Shaking my head slightly smiling I looked at EZ when I replied.

“No boyfriend or husband. It’s just me and my two brothers.”

Angel gave his brother a teasing smile before patting him on the shoulder and then looking at me.

“Well it was lovely to meet you Willow but I have to get going. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around.” Smiling Angel winked before turning away from us and heading towards his bike.

A few moments passed that felt like forever as EZ and I stood around awkwardly. Looking at him I tried to take as much in as I could. Physically he was very impressive with the biggest arms I had ever seen. He had two tattoos, that I could see at least, one on each arm. He was wearing a leather cut with his brother wearing a matching one which I noticed said Mayans on it recalling seeing a tattoo on Angle’s arm saying the same thing. Then I noticed the prospect patch on the front. Looking up at his face I noticed he was checking me out as well. A small blushed formed on my cheeks as I looked down briefly then back up into his eyes. He had a huge grin on his face. Out of everything I think his smile was my favorite thing. Breaking the silence I decided to ask him about his cut.

Pointing I asked, “So are you part of some biker gang or something?”

“Club,” He corrected me chuckling, “We’re just a motorcycle club. Just a bunch of guys who work together and like to ride.”

Not buying it completely I just smiled and nodded understandingly. It wasn’t really my business anyways but I would be lying if I said I wasn’t curious.

“So the prospect patch? What’s that exactly?”

Grabbing his cut up by his chest he explained, “All new members have to prospect for at least a year before they can be voted in as a full patched member, my vote is coming up soon though.”

“So I’m guessing that means you get to do all the dirty work?”

“Yeah, something like that.” Motioning to his bike he asked “Would you maybe like to go for a ride?”

Looking at his bike and then back at him all I wanted to do was say yes. I don’t know what it was but I just felt this connection with him. I was never one to just run off with a guy I just met, but with EZ it felt different, it felt nice. Talking to him I forgot about all the shit that went down back home, why we were here in the first place. He gave me hope that maybe we would be safe here. Maybe just maybe I had a future here and maybe he was a part of that.

“I would really love to EZ,” more than I should, “but I can’t right now. I told my younger brother Nicky I wouldn't be gone too long and I should really get back to him. Can we take a rain check?”

“Sure.” He said understandingly.

“Could I borrow your phone real quick?”

Pulling it out of his cut and unlocking it he handed it to me with a slightly confused look on his face.

Smiling I opened up his contacts and added my number to his phone.

“Give me a call or text sometime,” I said boldly handing him his phone back. “I really enjoyed talking with you.”

Smiling I turned and and walked back to my house before he had the chance to say anything else.

Walking in our house I slipped my shoes off and placed them in the rack by the door. Stepping into the living room I sat down on the couch with a smile on my face thinking about the man I left outside and secretly hoping he was thinking about me too. Looking around I noticed David still wasn’t home and I got up to go look for Nicky.

Going down the hall I noticed his room was shut. I knocked lightly and put my ear up to the door to listen for a response. Not hearing anything I went to open the door only to find out it was locked.

“Nicky, you okay in there?” I called out softly knocking again.

There was a few minutes before I heard some movement, a click and then the door slowly opened. I was instantly hit with the smell of weed and I looked up to look into my brother’s puffy red eyes, both from getting high and crying. He turned around and slowly walked over to his bed sliding down and sitting on the floor leaning against it.

I followed and sat down next to him all the light happiness from before completely gone and the reality sinking back in.

“Please talk to me,” I pleaded with tears starting to form in my eyes. I hated seeing how much pain my brother was in.

“There’s nothing to say,” his voice was shaky, “I took someone’s life. I fucking killed a man Will!” His voice broke as he began sobbing again.

He leaned over laying his head in my lap and clutched onto me as he cried. Running my hand through his hair I tried to comfort him.

“Shhhh,” I soothed,” It’s going to be okay. We are going to get through this. Together. I will always be here for you.”

I gently grabbed his face and guided him to look at me. Looking him in the eyes I tried to keep my own tears from falling failing as I felt a few slip.

“You saved my life. Remember that, if you hadn’t been there, if you hadn’t protected me, I would be dead. I’m sorry you had to do that but I’m so thankful for what you did for me.”

He broke down even harder after my words laying his head back down holding me tighter than before.

“I’m so sorry Will.” He said between sobs. “It's all my fault. It’s all my fault.”

I stayed there running my hand through his hair until he started to calm down and his exhaustion took over. Once I could hear him snoring I broke completely. I sat there and started sobbing myself. My younger brother was so broken and there was nothing I could do to ease his pain and it was all because of what he had to do to save me.

I don’t even know who the man was other than he was a part of a gang, his tattoos telling us that much. I figured it must have been a random attack or maybe part of an initiation. I was in my apartment cleaning with my headphones on when the man must have broken in. I never heard anything and didn’t know someone was even with me til I walked into my kitchen and saw a man there. That’s when he attacked me. I have never been so scared in my life. Turns out the man was kind of a big deal in his gang and he wasn’t going to just go missing unnoticed. David thought it best to get out of there. If someone knew where he was going or if for some reason there was a hit out on me we would not be safe there or anywhere nearby anymore.

Exhausted, I leaned my head back against the bed and fell asleep almost instantly.

A bang from the living room startled me from my sleep. Gently moving Nicky’s head off my lap I slowly got up and made my way to the living room. Turning on the light I found David there picking up a stack of books that had fallen from a shelf that he must have ran into. Looking at the clock I saw it was two in the morning.

“Where have you been all day?” I questioned him annoyed. “We could have really used you here.”

Thinking of the state our baby brother was in I was pissed he wasn’t here to help me. I was starting to get the impression he was trying to avoid Nicky.

“Why? You and Nick need someone to get rid of a body again?” Sitting down he gruffly started untying his boots and taking them off chucking them to the side.

“That’s not fair.” I snapped crossing my arms defensively.

“Fair?” He huffed standing up and swiftly coming to stand right in front of me, “This whole situation ain’t fair sister. But fair doesn’t mean shit. It never has to you or Nicky. You have always expected me to clean up your messes, bail you out when you guys get into trouble, and boy does trouble always find you two!” His voice got louder as he continued. “You need to stop babying him! Maybe, maybe if you knew the whole truth you would….” he started to trail off catching himself before he said too much.

“The truth? What do you mean?” My anger turned to confusion. What could he mean by that?

“Nothing. I need a shower” He dismissed my question walking past me into the bathroom slamming the door behind him.

Sighing I turned the light back off going to Nicky’s room. Placing a blanket over him and a kiss to his forehead I then went to my own room closing my door slowly. Exhausted I undressed and crawled into bed under the covers. I layed there staring into the darkness thinking about the last twenty four hours. We would get through this together. Although it didn’t really feel like we were together anymore.

#mayans mc #ez reyes #mayans imagine #ez reyes imagine #ez reyes fanfic #mayans mc fanfic #runaways

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general-fox-hux · 4 years

Text

Fic [4/?]

Fandom: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, post-TLJ (TFA and TLJ-compliant, TRoS will be ignored), except it’s Modern AU with magic and magical creatures

Category: Gen

Warnings: canon-typical violence; Rey’s attachment issues

Relationships: Armitage Hux and Rey (NOT Reyux)

Characters: Rey; Armitage Hux; Leia Organa; Rose Tico; Finn; Poe Dameron; Kylo Ren

Additional ‘tags’: fox!Armitage Hux; fox spirit!Armitage Hux; witch!Kylo Ren; witch!Rey

Please note:

some TRoS elements, like new characters, may appear in the future;

warnings may change and there will be chapter-specific warnings

I’m still torn about which ships are going to appear (as a side part of the story AND as a main ship) if they will, so if you’re concerned about a sudden ship happening that you don’t like, feel free to send me an ask

Summary:

Witch Kylo Ren turns fox spirit Hux into a regular fox and sends him to spy on Rey.

Rey tries very hard not to get attached to the ‘stray’ that found her.

Hux must fight his fox instincts, his hatred towards the Resistance, and his own empathy. Oh no!

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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

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Warnings: Rey’s attachment issues, animal cruelty mentioned

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That’s it, Rey thinks holding her breath, I’m never letting it leave. Tentatively, she loops her arm around the fox and only when its body doesn’t move away from her does she start breathing again. It’s like a perfect, fuzzy little heater. She hasn’t been this warm since New Year’s, which is... almost three weeks.

Rey smiles when long whiskers tickle her neck. She’ll figure it all out tomorrow.

With this thought, she falls asleep, but it feels like one moment she closes her eyes, and the next her alarm wakes her with its aggressive yelling.

‘No,’ Rey tells it, hugging her stuffed squirrel to her chest.

Except it can’t be her stuffed squirrel, because it was left in Jakku. And it’s much smaller and not as soft and warm as the creature in Rey’s bed.

She cracks one eye open and in the greyish darkness makes out an even darker triangle of an ear. That reminds her that a domesticated fox has basically broken into her flat and she hasn’t had the heart to kick him out.

‘This was a mistake,’ Rey says, meaning both letting the fox stay here and setting the alarm to three AM. Reaching out, she summons her phone to her hand and turns off the annoying sound of her own and Poe’s voices yelling obnoxiously about a new day.

There’s much to do, but she’s so tired. Glancing at the fox, Rey barely stifles a laughter seeing the way he stares at her phone as if both shocked and personally offended.

‘Yep, that’s my alarm, ginger ball,’ she confirms.

The fox stands up, which makes the blankets raise with him, cold air creeping under them. He looks down at Rey somewhat expectantly.

She sighs.

He pounces on the mattress with his front legs, his tail flicking impatiently.

‘Fine,’ she growls, getting out of the bed and sliding her cold feet into fuzzy slippers. ‘Just so you know, you are this close to getting on my Enemies List. And right now that list consists of one person. Who took Snoke’s place on that list and also literally.’

The fox gives a little huff and wags his tail.

His...? Only now does she notice she’s been using the pronoun for some time, but somehow she senses it’s how the fox... identifies? Interesting.

‘Give me like fifteen minutes, okay?’ Rey asks, gathering her clothes, and heads for the bathroom.

During her morning ritual, she tries to make a decision about the fox. If he’s somebody’s lost pet, she should look for the posters and maybe make her own. But that would probably take some time, and she needs to get rid of the fox as soon as possible. What if his owner has thrown him out? Well, in that case, there’s only one acceptable option: finding him a new owner, someone who can and will take good care of him.

She decides to look for the posters while taking the fox for a walk, for a start. If she finds none, she’ll search the advertisements on the Internet, when they’re back. If there’s no solution by then, she’s going to write her own ad and create some “found” posters. Also, she’ll be checking out the closest fox owners via forums and Facebook, so that she wastes no time on that later, if the owner doesn’t contact her in... three days, she decides. Three days is more than enough and definitely more than she can afford.

Stepping out of the bathroom, she realises she’s been a shitty temporary pet owner herself and rushes to pour a bowl of water for the fox. Feeding is going to have to wait though.

‘Ginger ball!’

She absolutely refuses to give the fox a temporary name. That would only make her attach to him and she doesn’t need any more attachments to people or animals, who always eventually leave her.

Thankfully, the fox reacts to this call, and walks into the kitchen in a brisk pace. Rey frowns; she’d expected him to either come running or not react at all. Maybe his owner taught him not to run, so that his claws don’t destroy the floors. Which is stupid, but whatever. It’s not her business. If she finds that owner, though, she’s going to take a good look at them before she gives the fox back. Maybe he’s run from them.

‘Here, have some water and we’ll go for a walk.’

The fox approaches the bowl, the way he’s eyeing it making Rey think he’s never seen something similar before. He looks up at her and back at the water.

‘It’s water,’ Rey assures him. ‘Fresh.’

She knows it’s silly but when he starts lapping up the cold liquid with his long pink tongue, she can only describe the look he gives her as utterly suspicious.

When he’s done, Rey puts on her coat and boots, and goes through the contents of a tall, narrow closet in the hall, until she finds Bee-Bee’s old leash. As soon as his eyes land on Rey again, Gingerball goes rigid, ears flattening against his head.

‘What is it? Well, come here,’ she hurries him.

He takes a step back, his tail completely still, and opens his mouth, which looks like he’s laughing and would have been funny if not for his glistening canines that look long enough to bite through Rey’s forearm.

‘It’s just a leash,’ she tries to calm him, showing him what actually is a long piece of white-and-orange, thick rope with a clip on one end and a loop on the other. Rey approaches him, holding the clip open. ‘I’m not going to hurt you with that. It’s for the walk. You have to want to go for a walk, right?’

She does hope Gingerball hasn’t relieved himself in the bedroom.

‘AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!’

Rey actually jumps at the noise the fox makes.

‘The fuck, Gingerball?!’ she hisses.

‘AAAAAAAHHH!!! AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!’ Gingerball shrieks, voice both high and a bit hoarse. It sounds like something between a baby crying on top of its lungs and a really hungry (or upset) cat. It also sounds like he’s in pain.

‘Shhhh.’ Rey kneels in front of him to try and soothe him, before all the neighbours come here to murder them both. ‘I just―’

‘AAAAAHHH!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!’

‘Please, shut up,’ she whispers urgently. Right then, she notices the direction of Gingerball’s stare. To confirm her hypothesis, she shoves the leash under his nose.

‘AAAHHH!!! AAAHHH!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!’ the fox screeches, his tail between his bent hind legs and his back in a high bow.

‘Okay, okay, no leash, I get it,’ Rey assures him quickly, standing up and folding the rope. ‘So that’s fox for “no”, huh?’

She puts the leash back in the closet. Gingerball calms down immediately.

‘That would make for an amazing alarm, though,’ Rey chuckles. ‘So am I supposed to just let you out onto the street?’

Biting her lip, she unlocks the door to the apartment and opens it. Gingerball walks over casting distrustful glances at Rey.

‘I’m sorry. I didn’t know you’d get upset,’ she tells him, before she can stop herself. She shouldn’t feel bad for him. Stupid ball of ginger fur. ‘I just thought that since you have a collar... Nevermind. No leash.’

He slips behind the door, and Rey locks it from the outside, turning on the lights on the staircase. They walk two floors down the stairs and she opens the building door for him, but instead of going outside Gingerball looks up at her and keeps staring, as if he’s waiting for something.

Rey rolls her eyes at him. She’s not going to walk with him like that. She doesn’t want to get a fine for walking a fox with no leash and no muzzle. If he attacks someone, she doesn’t want to be seen with him.

‘You can walk yourself. I will let you in when you come back,’ she says, almost pleading. No, don’t beg him to come back.

And just like that, Gingerball jumps through the open door and disappears, as if Rey has spoken some kind of secret password.

She sighs, closing the door, and then takes the stairs back up to her flat.

He’s not coming back, she thinks, struggling a bit with the lock. It really needs to be checked. Oiled, at least.

Nobody ever comes back, she thinks, shrugging off her coat and kicking off her boots.

Finn came back to save you from Kylo Ren, the voice in her head reminds her.

Yeah, well, where is he now? she responds, bitterly. Forget the stupid fox, he’s probably at his owner’s already.

Shaking her head at herself, Rey sets to making coffee and a modest breakfast. There are three slices of ham left in the fridge. She hesitates and leaves them, choosing to eat a banana.

What am I doing? He’s not coming back. Eat the ham before it goes bad.

She shrugs. She can eat the ham later, whatever. Fruit are healthier, anyway.

By the time the water for her coffee starts boiling, Rey’s already eaten her breakfast. Well, that’s one thing to do today off her list.

‘He’s not coming back,’ she tells herself before taking a sip of her hot, bitter drink. She prefers coffee with sugar and milk, but there’s no milk and no sugar left.

She moves onto the sofa, turns on her laptop and spends the next twenty minutes on draining her mug and trying to read her math notes. Leia has helped Rey with figuring out how to complete her almost non-existent education. It’s not that easy to catch up, though. Almost twelve years spent working for that beast, Plutt, just to get some food at the end of the day. Dirty, mocked by strangers, and lonely.

Also, the fact that she keeps imagining Gingerball getting hit by a car doesn’t help with studying at all. Some stupid kids might start throwing rocks at him. He doesn’t exactly avoid people, so he could fall a victim to a cruel monster who tries to set him on fire or something. There’s a lot of stories like that.

Rey closes her laptop with more force than necessary and heads for the door. It’s been twenty-five minutes. If the fox really wants to come back and is still alive and able to move, he should be waiting in front of the building.

She walks down the stairs slowly, trying to postpone the moment when she opens the main door and there’s nothing, nobody behind it.

Rey steps onto the ground floor and takes a deep breath, steeling herself for the inevitable. It’s for the best, she reasons. She can’t really take care of him, even for a couple of days. And that’s when she realises she can hear faint whining and scratching.

Rushing to the door she feels her eyes sting.

It could be someone’s dog, the voice in her head offers, unhelpful as ever.

No, I know it’s my fox! Rey thinks angrily and pulls the door open. She doesn’t have the time to worry about the possessive she just used, because Gingerball rushes past her in a red blur heading straight for the stairs.

‘Unbelievable,’ Rey mutters under her breath and closes the door again.

She can hear the fox’s claws clicking on the stairs as he runs. Rolling her eyes at both him and herself, she climbs back up and meets Gingerball in front of her apartment door.

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Rey: I’m not giving the fox a name.

Rey, five seconds later: *gives the fox a name*

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Foxes make the cutest, most ridiculous noises. Tell me this is not how Hux fights: make yourself bigger/taller + scream louder

#POV Rey #fox!Hux fic

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becuzpurple · 5 years

Text

Chapter 25, pt. 3 - My Everything

Turns out that even though Tumblr ate my queued draft, it still posted at the right time - yay!

Also...trigger warning for brief mention of multiple pregnancy losses.

I hope you all enjoy!

(previously... ch. 25, pt. 2 - Bailey’s & Ice Cream)

It was nearly 11pm when I heard his soft knock at the front door. I took a breath to steady my nerves, then hurried over to let him in. Once the door was open and I saw him nothing else mattered, and we were at once in each other’s arms.

“I’m so sorry, Ed, I- .”

“ -shhhh. It’s ok.”

“No, I was awful...the things I said, and then I just left...?”

“It’s OK, you were upset and needed some time.”

I shook my head. How could he be so kind after what I did?

We stepped apart but I didn’t let his hand go, needing his touch as reassurance. He somehow knew and gave a squeeze as we moved into the living room.

“The kids are at my parents’ for the night.”

“Ok.”

We sat on the sofa, turned toward each other. He had a leg tucked under the other, as he often does. I kept a toss pillow on my lap, on which our hands were still clasped.

“I’ve made a mess of everything. Ed, I’m so sorry.”

“No, no, I should’ve...I told you I’d be there for you when things get rough, but I didn’t do that, and I’m sorry.”

“I blindsided you,” I shook my head. “You have every right to be upset.”

“I didn’t come through for you, love. I won’t let that happen again, I promise.”

How do I even deserve him?

“You’re really too good to me.”

“Nooo,” he murmured, squeezing my hand. We shared a look before coming even closer together. I needed to touch him, to feel him - a physical sign of reassurance, I suppose, and it appeared that he did, too. I laid my head on his shoulder while he rested his free hand on my knee. We sat together like that, tentative and hopeful, until Ed finally broke the ice.

“Hey,” he murmured, his voice soft and soothingly low. “I…can I ask you something?” We both were hesitant to disturb our fragile peace, but things needed to be said.

I lifted my head and met his eyes, nodding.

“Do I...does being with me bring more stress to your life? Because that’s the last thing I wan -”

“ - no! You...you’ve brought happiness back to me. I feel loved, and I’m in love, and it’s...it’s so good. Ed, I’m really, really happy with you.”

He was quiet for a few seconds, studying me, so many questions evident in his eyes.

“That’s good...I feel that way, too. But, you’re so unhappy tonight, and I don’t understand why.”

“It’s...it’s all me. I think, well, remember when I told you about...my anxiety?”

“Yeah. I was wondering if that was it.”

I nodded. “It was...pretty bad today. When it gets like this I tend to hyper-focus on...something until it’s huge in my mind - like, way out of proportion. I don’t even realize it’s happening until it’s seriously out of control - like tonight. And then I panic and just...want to disappear, or want everything else to disappear, so that feeling will go away. I think that’s why I was like that, like telling you you’d be better off with someone else, and when I just...left. I was trying to make everything just go away. God, I’m so sorry, Ed.”

I covered my face with my hands, completely appalled at myself.

“I’m trying to understand...? You wanted me to go away? Like, how? Like breaking up? Is that why you said I should be with someone else?”

“I - I don’t really want that, I swear. I was panicking and saying anything to try and make that feeling - that fear - go away. It was my stupid brain being a bitch and I didn’t mean any of it. Please believe me.”

“I do, I believe you. I know you, and I...whatever that was, I knew it couldn’t be right. I promise I believe you.”

“OK,” I nodded. I felt like such a piece of shit.

But, love, what has you so upset?”

I took a breath while trying to sort out my thoughts. Ed remained the picture of patience with me.

“You...you’ve become very important to me. You’re my everything.”

He gave a hint of a smile, then, and very slightly nodded and squeezed my hand, still in his, showing me he knew exactly what I was feeling.

“I never thought I’d feel like this again.”

“But, you’re worrying about something.”

“I’m probably being irrational or paranoid or something, I don’t know. But, since Jason died...I’m really, really freaked out about losing anyone else who’s important to me...including you, now.”

“You’re not going to lose me, Kate.”

“But how do you know? Anything can happen, right? We could break up, or what if something...bad happens to one of us?”

He held my face in his hands, fingers splayed out and thumbs tenderly brushing my cheeks. “Sweetheart, you’ve been through something really horrible, and I can’t imagine how hard that must have been...and still is. I get why you have this fear, now. You’ve seen first-hand how tragedy is so...random.”

I nodded, glad he seemed to get it, but also pretty sure I was about to hear a counterargument.

He affectionately combed his fingers back though my hair a few times, and then rested his forearms over my shoulders so that we were face-to-face, quite close. “I don’t mean for this to come across as insensitive at all, but...we’re all gonna go someday. And knowing that, wouldn’t you rather live your best life than hold back?”

“What do you mean?”

“OK. Umm, do you ever regret marrying Jason?”

What? “No.”

“Of course not. The fact that he’s gone now doesn’t make you wish you’d never married him, right? You had a good life together...a beautiful family. And in the same vein, worrying about losing...me, or anyone you have a relationship with shouldn’t stop you from keeping that relationship. That would lead to a lot of hurt and regret, I think.”

He was right, and I knew that, logically. But a part of me was trying to protect myself from reliving the pain of the worst loss I’d ever experienced. I didn’t think I could endure something like that again, and I was really scared that once he was aware of my pregnancy issues, then it was only a matter of time before I’d be headed that way again.

Still, he needed to know.

“You’re right, and I do know that, but part of me is...pretty terrified.”

He shook his head, obviously trying and failing to understand. “Why?”

Taking his hands again, I mustered up the nerve to tell him. “Earlier tonight you said that you want it all...with me - a family, and children, and - ”

“ - Yeah, I...I shouldn’t have dropped that on you like that, both of us being so upset. I guess I was kinda panicking, too, though, and it just - ”

“ - it’s...no, I know - I know, it’s ok, I - I get it. But you...did you mean it?”

He took a breath through his nose, not breaking eye contact with me, and gave my hands a squeeze. “Yeah.”

I was so afraid he’d change his mind after hearing me out, yet my heart still swelled, because god knows, I wanted that, too. He smiled at me then, albeit a bit nervously, and how could I not smile back?

“I...I know I did it completely the wrong fucking way, and it’s probably too soon, too, but I - ”

“ - Ed. I’ve been thinking about those things, too.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. And I worried that it’s too soon, too, so I didn’t say anything. But, I probably should have, because it might have saved me from my damn anxiety-brain. But, no, instead, I just worried more, and then assumed things, and everything built up, and got worse, and...god, I feel so so stupid.”

“Kate.” He murmured, shaking his head. “Nothing about you is stupid - please stop saying that.”

“OK,” I nodded.

“Good. And this is good, though, yeah? We both want the same thing?”

“Yeah, but…”

“No, no ‘buts’...”

I took a steadying breath. “I’m sure my perspective is completely...fucked up, so I need you to tell me if it’s a real ‘but’ or not.”

He kind of half-heartedly huffed out a small, uncertain laugh. “Alright.”

I didn’t know how to start, and shook my head in frustration. “Sorry. OK, umm, yeah. So, you mentioned that one of the things you saw in our future was children...babies. Our babies.”

“Umm, yea…?” His eyebrows shot up then. I saw surprise, and then the question in his eyes.

“Ohhh, no. No honey, I’m...I’m not pregnant.”

“Ahhh, ok.” He made a small, self-conscious laugh. “When you said ‘babies’, and seemed kinda...nervous, I thought maybe…”

“I know, but...no. I’m sorry, no.” Damn. Am I sorry for inadvertently misleading him or for not being pregnant? Both? Jesus...

“What I’m trying to say - and doing a terrible job of it - is that...well, that’s something that might not be very easy for me - having more babies.”

He was quiet, his face etched with uncertainty.

“I haven’t told you any of this yet, but, I have a history of fertility...problems. We - Jason and I, we - you know, we wanted more kids. It’s weird, because I didn’t really have any trouble getting pregnant with the twins, so we assumed it would be just as easy as it was then.” I frowned, feeling that familiar heartache and frustration all over again.

“But, it wasn’t.”

“No. We tried on-and-off for...like, god, almost 6 years? I...well, I actually did get pregnant a few times, but I miscarried them pretty early on.”

“How...how many times?”

“Three.”

“Oh, god, love. I had no idea...I’m sorry.”

“Thanks...yeah. I needed a lot of help getting pregnant, but then, even when I did…” I shook my head. “We saw specialists, did all the testing…and they couldn’t find a reason for any of it. ‘Unexplained infertility’, ‘unexplained pregnancy loss’. I...well, so...I think you should know all of this before you make any big...life decisions.”

He brought his fingers to his mouth and started slowly shaking his head. “No, wait,” he murmured. “Are you...do you think I wouldn’t want to be with you because of this? Is this what...oh god, is this why you said I’d be better off with someone else?”

“I know how you feel about having a family, Ed, and now we’re...starting to see this as being a very permanent kind of relationship. What if I can’t have any more kids? I’d hate to do that to you.”

“Whoa, wait, hold on.” He shook his head adamantly. “How...that’s not doing anything to - fuck, love, you think...like I’d blame you?”

“I don’t know...I guess I’d blame me. I just know how important family is to you, and I wouldn’t ever want you to...miss out on that because of me? Or...change your mind about us down the road because of it?”

“No...how could...I’d never do that!”

“But you want kids.”

“Yeah...but I...Jesus...” He rubbed a hand through his beard, visibly disturbed. “I’m not with you for the purpose of having children. I - I love you and want us to spend our lives together, and that is not dependent upon whether we have babies or not.”

I started to reply - about to question him on how he’d feel if he never had any children, but he cut me off before I could begin.

“- wait.” He fervently waved his hands in order to stop me. “You’re only focusing on what you think I want. But, this isn’t just up to me, right? You - you get a pretty big say, considering that you’re half of us and it’s your uterus.”

Good points...

“For all I know, maybe you don’t want more kids. Maybe you feel like you’ve already been there, done that.”

“No,” I shook my head. “I don’t feel like that at all, I just don’t know if I ca-”

“- stop. Let’s not focus on the ‘maybes’ right now, OK? I want you - you’re the one. But what do you want, Kate?”

I closed my mouth then, realizing that I’d started to fall right back into listening to that unhealthy anxiety-monologue, focusing on the negative, and not on what was actually right in front of me.

“I’m sorry, I - ”

He shook his head slightly, watching me with a small smile. “Stop apologizing, you’re amazing. But tell me what you want.”

What I want. I knew, but I was still hesitant to say it without a qualifier - an excuse or a way out for him, just-in-case. Which I knew was ridiculous, since he’d already basically said he wanted the same thing. Finally, with a very nervous smile, I just said it.

“I want...you - I want us. And, if possible, I’d love to add...to us”.

There were a few beats of silence as we stared at each other, and then he let out a barely-audible breath - he’d been holding it. I’d been holding mine, too.

“Then we both want the same things.” He practically whispered it, and then we shared an OMFG-grin for a few seconds.

“This is...wow?”

“Kinda crazy, yeah?”

“Do you think it’s...is it too soon for all of this?”

“It’s kinda how we do things though, innit? Seems to work for us.”

“Yeah.”

Without warning I found myself wiping tears from my eyes.

“No, don’t cry, sweet girl.” He cupped my face in both hands again, gently brushing his thumbs across my wet cheeks. “I love you.” He pulled us together and kissed me so gently, almost reverently, on the mouth. When it ended I could see that he was pretty emotional, too.

“I love you,” I whispered back, and returned his soft kiss with one of my own.

He exhaled again, much more loudly this time, looking elated, relieved, overwhelmed, and exhausted all at the same time.

“It’s late. You probably have a lot to do before your flight tomorrow...er, today, I guess.”

“Oh! No, I forgot to tell you - I canceled it.”

“Your flight?”

“Yeah. After you left earlier I...well, I didn’t want to leave without fixing this.”

“Ohhh, hon, thank you. And I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologizing - this is where I belong right now.”

“OK.” I started fiddling with his hand in mine, sliding my fingers between his, lightly tracing each one with the tips of my own. “When do you go back?”

“Dunno, I didn’t reschedule it, yet. I figure we’ll work that out later.”

“But you have a lot going on at home, though…?”

“It’s fine, nothing was set in stone.” He captured my roaming fingers in both of his hands, brought them to his lips and peppered them with the sweetest, softest kisses.

With my other hand I tenderly combed through the copper curls at the back of his neck, eventually guiding those beautiful lips back to mine and whispered, “Stay tonight.”

-------

likes, reblogs & feedback are LOVE!

There will be a pt 4. :-)

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bobowhooo · 5 years

Text

Hard feelings

Genre : Rom-com/ Smut/ Highschool!AU

Starring : Exo, OC, and other OC highschool assholes

Pairing : Baekhyun X OC and OC X sehun shhhh

Summary : Prom, the biggest night of any shallow teens life. The day the boy becomes a man and the girl becomes a woman. And naturally, as a queen bee always should, I had a terrible fucking time.

One shot. (bang)

“Hey, bestie!” Jayde yelled happily as she stepped out of her new 2019 honda accord, given to her for her eighteenth birthday. I let out a breath before locking my convertible. For some reason, i wanted to shoot her for how cheery she sounds. My eyes traveled to jayde’s legs, clad in form-fitting, light pink, Pepto like high waisted jeans, walking over to me with a wide smile on her dewy fresh face. Despite the fact that inside I want to barf all over the loud costume she thinks is an adequate outfit, she looks terribly happy right now, So I’ll put on a smile and let it slide.

“He finally did it! He finally asked me to go!” She hugged me up when her heels tapped close enough to me. I stumbled a bit into my car and threw my hands around her waist. About three months ago jayde got involved with the schools biggest douche bucket, QB of the football team, known for fucking three girls in the empty party planning club room. You know, that type. They made out one time at a party after they bonded over their favorite sex position and jayde claims it was love at first french kiss. They have been “on and off”, you could say, ever since then. But, to be blunt, “on and off” was really just him doing whatever the fuck he wanted to, and her crying in my neck about it. Anyways, now that the prom is coming up, she’s been on her best behavior to make sure she’s the one he asks. And to my surprise, she succeeded.

“That’s so great jay!” I said with a sweet smile. “You know, you should thank me too.”

Her smile faltered slightly and she gave me a confused look as if she doesn’t understand. She should.

“Ehh come on jay. You and I both know how much everyone in school shipped us together, if I didn’t pass on him he would be begging on his knees to go to prom with me right now, and not you. No offense.”

“Y-yeah, true! Thank you!” She said with a giggle. “But you have baekhyun anyways, you don’t need him.”

“Say that things name again and I’ll bitch slap you so hard, your dead dog will feel it.”

Jayde gasped as she covered her mouth with her manicured hand, scrunching her eyebrows in shock and fear. I shot daggers at her face then her shitty pants and stormed away with a tinge of anger. How dare she mention him while im gracing her with my presence. Is she like, dim or some shit? I’m pretty sure this school is making a big mistake by letting her graduate. I climbed up the stairs to the entrance doors of bellewood high. Every time I enter this building I wonder why I haven’t transferred to some random prep school yet. But then I remember my dad’s “I want you to live a normal life like I did.” Speech. I don’t get how you can work hard to make sure that in the future your children get the opportunities you could never have, just to push them in a school less than that of a wonderful opportunity. Don’t get me wrong, this is certainly a school for upper middle class, and I guess that’s good enough for right now. but some people just didn’t get that memo. Which is unfortunate, to say the least.

I pushed open the doors and swayed my way into everyone’s eyes. As always, stealing everyone’s attention. A slight smirk made its way on my face. What an attention whore I am. Usually, I stare straight down the hall as I strut to my locker, but in the corner of my eyes, I saw people not looking at me, but pass me. What kind of freaky twisted nightmare is this? I stopped before turning around, only to bump my chest into someone.

Oh, you have got to be kidding me.

I eyed the person stealing people’s attention, which by the way is practically my birthright, and scoffed.

“Gina.”

“Piece of shit, I mean, baekhyun.”

“Real original.” The boy said to me with less than no emotion. His fresh and fragrant scent blew passed me as he walked away as if he never even saw me in the first place. Another scoff accidentally made it’s way out of my mouth and I softly stomped my foot. I hate how powerless I feel against him, but at the same time, that’s what’s so attractive.

Baekhyun, the school’s golden boy. He’s pretty much good at everything he does and still stays humble while he’s at it. Although he’s definitely not oblivious to how perfect he is. He’s the kind of guy that comes in your dreams to sweep you off your feet. Except he’s right in front of you, somewhere on the football field, or in the school’s latest musical. Yes, you heard me correctly, the school musical, I remember just how wet I got watching him play don lockwood in singing in the rain. Recently though, he’s become even more of a player than before, after a rumor that his magical fingers brought the most popular girl in school to a very obvious climax in biology.

Good times. I would do it again in a second, If everything between us didn’t go to shit.

As I made my way to my locker I caught a glimpse of baekhyun in what looks like a forced interaction with my ex right hand. The beast-like bitch shoved her way in between me and baekhyun not too long ago so I dropped her like any person in their mind would.....and maybe almost ruined her life in the process. I guess some could say that’s the reason why baekhyun left me the way he did. I personally have no opinion on it because I refuse to acknowledge the huge L baekhyun and that skank bag maeline are trying to serve me.

With all that being said, prom is coming and my ex-date is now stuffing his tongue down my ex-friend’s throat. I have no one to go with. Me! I have no prom date! Gina hwang! Genie of the bellewood high! Even the weird girl, angie tice, that’s deaf in one ear got a fucking date! I mean he’s a weirdo too but that’s beside the point!

Ehem.

Yes, as I was saying, it’s really out of the ordinary for me, the most popular girl in school, to be in a date emergency for one of the biggest nights of my life. But in my defense, my fondness for that hoe bag had me blinded into thinking that I wouldn’t need a back up plan.

Note to self: boys will be boys, no matter how much you want them to be men. NEXT TIME, I WILL BE PREPARED!

I huffed and unlocked my locker, placing my bag in it neatly as I thought about who the fuck could save me from my crisis. I don’t need any real feelings to be involved. Just someone that looks cute with me hanging on their arm in my expensive prom dress. Someone that will make baekhyun eat his heart out.

There’s that adonis in the drama club, and that sexy ass soccer player. But to be honest there’s a rumor going around that they’re happy for each other, if you know what I mean. But I don’t believe that. Besides, who wouldn’t go straight for me?

“Ahah! Stop it loeyyy!” Jayde spoke playfully to chanyeol as he continued to kiss her all over like an excited puppy. I rolled my eyes and slammed my locker, grabbing their attention.

“Oh, it’s dumb and fucker.”

“Genieeee.” Chanyeol said dragging my name. “Found a date yet?”

“Don’t patronize me, asshole.” I turned my head in a pissed off nature. Who does he think he is? At least my date won’t have the IQ of negative 12.

“She’s in a bad mood honey bun.” She spoke in a sweet voice, talking as if I wasn’t standing right here.

I scoffed and turned away. “For your info, I have a date, he just, doesn’t know it yet.”

“Thanks, coach!” I said while running off the field. Soccer practice has become particularly grueling lately, now that the next game will be against our biggest competition. Berkwood high, our rivals since before this school was even a thing. Everyone from that school is a complete asshole, in all honesty, they’re stuck up attitudes make you want to choke them to death, then do the same to yourself. Surprisingly the soccer players are worst than the football players in this case. Probably because most of their football players aren’t the sharpest tools in the shed. Our football team always wins against theirs, but their soccer team is better and much harder to beat. Too bad for them though, because lately we’ve been on a winning streak, and I don’t plan to stop that any time soon. But with all that being said, I have been so busy prom is the last thing on my mind. Which translates to - “I don’t have a date or a tux, so im not going.”

I sprinted into the locker room and went straight to taking off my soccer jersey. No matter how much I love soccer, I hate the dirty feeling I have afterward. Sweat, grass, and a dank odor, all things I hate when I'm not on the field.

“Nice abs.” I jumped from the sudden voice filling my ears and interrupting my thoughts. I instinctively covered my stomach with my arm before looking up at the intruder.

“Gina.”

“Sehun.”

“Just what the hell do you want?”

“You.”

A fantasy. “What?”

She looked at me with a smirk and her pretty eyes were low. Im pretty sure I fantasized about this before, but I have a lot of those so I can’t say for certain. she gave a little pout before reaching out for my arm. revealing my abs again.

“I really need your help, sehun.”

“You and I both know when you need help it means I might end up either getting my ass beat or getting expelled.”

“That won’t happen this time. I just am in a prom crisis.”

“What do you mean?”

“Me and baekhyun broke up. Didn’t you hear?”

“I heard, but I thought it was all just a stupid rumor.”

“No, he dumped me after mae made up a stupid rumor that he slept with her. And I kind of.....tried to ruin her life after that. So now he thinks I'm some kind of monster, or whatever.”

“Ahhh I seeee, so im your last resort.”

“W-well, y-yeahh.”

My eyes traveled from her face to her body, the only reason I'm hesitant is because I don’t want her to see how excited I actually am. To be honest, I have had my eye on her since I first came to this school, but baekhyun swept her up before I gained the balls to say even a word to her. No girl has caught my attention since I met her, so this is the moment I’ve been waiting for. All I ever wanted was one night with her, one night, and she’ll fall in love. I just know it!

“Well, you’re in luck. I’ve been so busy lately, I haven’t had the time to find a date.”

“Oh my god! That’s perfect! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

She hugged me in excitement and I felt self-conscious about how sweaty and smelly I must be. I don’t think she minded though.

About an hour later, I was clean and walking down the busy halls. I can’t help but think I should tell baekhyun about the fact that I'm going to prom with his ex of what? like a week? Me and him are friends so I owe it to him don’t i? But then again everyone on the football team and soccer team are friends, so does it reallyyy matter? Fuck it, we’re friends but not so close that I owe him an explanation for this. What I really should be thinking about is what I'm going to wear. It’s late but I think i can still get my hands on a tuxedo.

“Sehun! Get your ass over here!”

I looked to the left side of the hall at baekhyun yelling at me with his arm over that mae girl. He looks like a complete asshole if you ask me, i still don’t know how gina ever fell for him of all people. I walked over to him with only one thing on my mind.

Should i tell him?

“Long time no talk! Where you been?”

“Yeah, I’ve been busy on the field. We have a big game coming up.”

“Oh rigghht the game. Well, good luck with that.” He gave a bright smile to me as if that was going to put more umph to his words. The hell is he so happy for?

“Yeah, thanks.” I said as i side eyed mae.

“Oh! that reminds me. Do you have a date for prom yet? I'm asking because i could always help you out.”

“N-no need. I have a date.” I said startled by the sudden question. Is he always this nice? I never expected a sentence like that to come from him.

“Oh? Who’s that?”

“Oooh! I know!” Mae randomly barged her way into our convo. “It’s that girl from the volleyball team that goes to all of your soccer games!”

I was surprised by her answer but ended up scowling in my head. Who could be friends with such a big mouth, good lord. I don’t even know what girl she’s talki- never mind, i do. But still, could she just shut up. “It’s not her. I’m sure she has a date by now though.”

“Just tell usss, we’re going to see you there anyway.” Baekhyun said before lightly hitting my arm.

He’s right, everyone is going to see us there. There’s no reason to hide it any longer. I looked down at my feet and murmured gina’s name.

“Who?” Baekhyun asked with a confused pout.

“Yeah, who?” Mae asked like some kind of echo to baekhyun. This just might be the worst couple I’ve ever seen, and that says a lot since i go to high school.

I rolled my eyes discreetly before clearing my throat. “Gina.”

It felt like after the mention of her name they both went on pause. Baekhyun looked completely shook as he looked at me, making no other movements. Mae looked the same way but with a tinge more anger probably due to baekhyun’s reaction.

Is it really that big of a deal?

“Well, if you will excuse me.” I said quietly to the two statue-like people standing in front of me. “I have a tux to rent.”

My hand ran through my hair when i walked out of my last class. Today was unexpectedly a success, to be honest. Sehun of all people not having a date yet is a pure miracle. I mean, you can’t blame me for thinking that since he’s almost as popular as baekhyun. You would guess some girl would be up his ass about the prom by now. All that aside, I’m just glad i don’t have to go stag or attend the prom with one of those cringe “gal dates” on some, my prom date is my best friend shit. Plus i don’t hang out with losers so why would any of my friends not have a date. It would just never work.

I reached for the door with my right hand. completely ready to get out of this trash ass school until i felt someone grip my left hand. I could tell it was baekhyun by how soft the palm of his hand is. He still has calluses on his fingertips from trying to learn how to play the guitar with chanyeol. He still owes me a love song. And i still want it.

“What do you want, baekhyun?”

“So i guess i’m going to see you at prom with sehun tomorrow.” What he said wasn’t a question in the slightest. I looked at him as his head was a bit low. He looked genuinely hurt by the situation. But what did he expect from me? Did he want me to not go to prom, or go alone and sad, while i watch him dance with the bitch that made up a fucked up rumor to get between us? “I-i understand. I guess it just didn’t hit me that you’ll be there with someone else.” He added after locking eyes with me.

“Well, that’s unfortunate. It definitely hit me hard that you’re going with maeline of all people.” I pulled my hand out of his and folded my arms.

“There’s more to that story than what it looks like. I didn’t do it to hurt you.”

“Save it. Don’t come to me like this. Remember who broke up with who. Despite what i tell people.”

“Gina.” His eyes had so many emotions in them it pissed me off. Who is he to break up with me and still have me feel helpless with just one look. He’s like hurting me. I don’t get hurt though. I hurt people. This isn’t me.

“I don’t care what you have to say baekhyun. At this point, all i want to do is go to prom, get my crown, and fuck sehun for being such a good date.”

Even i winced a bit after saying that. Although, i hope he feels just as bad as i do. Yes, I know. I'm a bitch.

Baekhyun’s puppy-like eyes filled with something other than hurt before he looked away from me for the first time since he made eye contact with me. “You’re right. Why am i here with you?” He said with his cheeks heating up most likely in anger. “I should be with my date right now. I think i’ll take her to my parent's cabin after prom too.”

“B-but, that’s our place.”

“No, it isn’t, there is no ours. Because there is no us. Not anymore. I get it now. Your feelings were never as deep as mine.”

He sniffled and took a deep breath before storming past me and bumping into my shoulder out of the doors behind my back.

Tonight is the night. I just hope it lives up to my expectations, because if not i can guarantee I'm going to scream in someone's face. My mom always told me her prom was sooo amazing because that was the night my dad told her he loved her. Now, i definitely won’t be hearing that tonight, but in my defense getting the prom queen title will be better. I think. And i know my mom can’t relate to that. So ha!

I smoothed out my dress while staring myself down in the mirror. The dress i picked is a dark red satin, strapless, open back ball gown with high slits. It’s like what a really sexy princess would wear. Which is pretty much my aesthetic. I smiled at myself in complete satisfaction with how i look right now. Im so fucking hot. How can people even handle me?

“Honey! Your date is here!”

Deep breath in and a soft slow one out. Why am i nervous? I asked myself as i walked out of my room and to the stairs. I always wanted this moment to be with baekhyun. Him, at the bottom of the stairs, and me ascending down like an angel in the disguise of a really fucking hot teenage girl. His face in complete shock because of how stunning i am, and me smiling as if i don’t know how good i look, even though i know for damn sure im drop dead gorgeous. I was daydreaming so hard when i reached the stairs i almost had a heart attack after missing a step. if my hand didn’t death grip the wooden rail i would have definitely face planted by now. I gave a shy smile to my parents and sehun who were staring at me. I probably looked like an idiot just now, but with the way sehun is looking at me, im going to guess i didn’t look thaaat bad. I continued my slow walk down the stairs so everyone could bask in my beautiful presence. I took sehun’s hand when i got to the bottom and kissed him on the cheek as thanks. A flash hit my side profile and i whipped my head towards my mom to scowl at her.

“I'm sorry honey you just looked so gorgeous.”

I dropped my scowl for a sweet smile and nodded. “Naturally. I guess i can understand that reaction.” I spoke smugly.

Sehun’s hand traveled to my waist. “Yes, you look gorgeous. Like i just-”

“Hands off the merchandise kid. Don’t make me cut those fingers off.” My dad said with all the intimidation he could muster up.

my mom hit him lightly on the chest to stop him from staring at my date “Lenny.” She said, soft but stern.

“Right, well we wouldn’t want that now would we.” Sehun spoke sarcastically while trying to still seem polite.

“Let’s just get out of here!” I grabbed sehuns and made my way to the door as i heard my parents say random things in the background. I wasn’t listening though.

“A limo! Sehun you shouldn’t have!” I said with a surprised smile.

“You ordered it though?”

“Ugh, it’s perfect!” I said as the chauffeur opened the door for me. I smiled as he helped me in. A princess never gets tired of being treated like one. Sehun plopped in after me with no help from the chauffeur even though his face made it seem like he wanted it.

“So, chanyeol is coming?” The handsome boy asked.

“Yes, actually he is.”

“Oh.” Silence filled the vehicle and i already started scrolling through my phone. If this was baekhyun, he would have been talking my ear off, and i would have given the same thing back. I guess the rumor that he liked me was really just a rumor. If he did he would be more talkative right?

“I'm sorry. I'm awkward like this because i’ve always dreamed of going to prom with you. You’re probably already thinking not too good things about me.” The boy said while rubbing the back of his neck out of nervousness.

I looked at him with wide eyes. “Me? Not to sound insecure or oblivious, but why me?”

“Yeah, you. If I'm being honest i have liked you since i first saw you at homecoming.”

“That early huh? Well, how come you never made a move on me, sehun?” I said and nudged him playfully.

“Well, if you haven’t realized, im a strong believer in the whole love is timing type of thing. I watch for an opening more than i make openings. If that even makes sense.”

I was looking deep into his eyes without even noticing. His words are so genuine and his eyes are shaking and nervous. If i touched his hand right now i bet it would be moist from a small amount of sweat. He’s so sweet. I was smiling without trying and somehow our places on the seats of this limo came closer to each other. He’s so different from baekhyun, which for right now, seems like all i need.

“I just admired you from afar for a while. So im nervous because all the things i wanted are coming to me so suddenly.” A nervous chuckle came out of his mouth when i came even closer to him than before. He cleared his throat and nodded his head as if he was agreeing with himself to keep calm. “I don’t know why I'm nervous. I'm not usually like this.”

“Who would have thought the cunning star soccer player oh sehun was such a cute, nervous mess.”

“Im not.” He said looking at me with a goofy kind of smile.

“Prove it.” I looked him in the eyes intensely daring him to make the first move in the back of this limo. “I promise i don’t bite. I might scratch a little though.”

He looked mesmerized before we both got startled by the screaming heard from outside the limo. I didn’t notice that we had stopped moving until now. I sighed before the door of the limo was harshly pulled open and chanyeol jumped in without acknowledging me and sehun. We both moved out of the way instinctively as he pushed his way in. He had a bottle of champagne in hand while he pulled jayde in and onto his lap.

“Oh my god! You look so good gina!” She yelled before chanyeol moved her out of his way so he could get a good look at me. They obviously did some pre-partying before they got in here. Judging by their appearance they most likely made out on her doorstep and drunk more than half of that champagne bottle in chanyeol’s hand. Real classy.

Jayde climbed all over me with compliments and as i fought off her affection, i spotted in the corner of my eye chanyeol staring down my date in confusion. “Sehun?” Chanyeol asked with a completely surprised look.

“Hm?” Sehun asked reluctantly. He didn’t look at chanyeol in the eye when he answered which helped me understand what’s going on perfectly. He’s scared of chanyeol. And there is a high chance of chanyeol trying whip sehun’s ass for going with me to prom. So he has good reason to be.

“What the fuck!?” Chanyeol said loudly. Sehun looked so uncomfortable trying not to provoke him any more than he’s provoking himself. “Why would you go with her? Aren’t you supposed to be baekhyun’s friend?” Chanyeol asked aggressively.

“Look. They’re broken up now. get over it.” Sehun looked at him in the eyes finally with an almost cold stare. I sighed before lowering my hands from jayde’s face. This isn’t going to be good. Considering how close he is to baekhyun, this is probably really triggering for him.

“Chanyeol, let it go. Just let him be.” Jayde said in a soft calming voice i didn’t know she had. I nodded in agreement.

Oh, did i forget to say that? Chanyeol has slight anger issues. And when it comes to someone he cares about, there’s no way he isn’t going to get heated.

The huge boy jumped from his seat and grabbed the collar of sehun’s tuxedo and pulled his fist back before sehun pushed him off and a full on fight between the two broke out. I sat there and watched as jayde barged in trying to break them apart.

What a fucking disaster.

The only thing that could make this worst is-

All of a sudden the car came to a hard stop sliding us all to the other side of the limo. I was cushioned by the seats while everyone else had a rougher ride. I got up to knock on the partition. “Hey! what the fuck is wrong with you!?”

The door of the limo whipped open and the chauffeur popped his head with an angry expression. I looked at him in complete confusion.

“Everyone out. now!”

“I refuse!” I said with a pout. How could he put us out like that. No, no, how could he put me out like that!? Im the one who paid for this stupid fucking limo, plus, i wasn’t even participating in that heathen like behavior.

“I said out!”

“Okay, okay!” Jayde said as she got out first. Chanyeol pushed sehun out of the vehicle while he stepped out too.

I let my face stay in one of annoyance and confusion as i looked at the rude chauffeur. How dare he. “Ugh! At least let me stay i wasn’t even doing anything!” I pleaded.

“No! I would rather go broke then go through another wild prom night. Did your parents not teach you any manners. The hell is wrong with this generation!?”

I scrunched up my face as he pulled me out of the car with his glove covered hand. Sehun grabbed me away from the man with a scowl. “It’s alright we’ll just call an uber.”

“Tch! Good fucking luck!” The chauffeur yelled at us before hopping in his limo and hauling ass like a maniac.

Loving prom night already.

It’s been about an hour since i arrived and if I'm being honest with myself i haven’t taken my eyes off of the entrance since i walked in here. I can’t help but want to see her on the night she used to talk about with me all the time. The one night i always imagined with her.

But despite that, she’s a snake in a sexy little sheep costume. She never really loved me and i have to remind myself of that when i see her. Which will hopefully be soon. Only so i can prove to myself that i can stay strong. She’s not good for me. And neither is mae but that’s another story for another day.

“Baekhyunniee!” Mae squeaked as she jumped up to throw her arms around my neck.

“Hey...”

“Are you having a good timee?”

“You could say that. Where have you been?” i asked cutely even though i didn’t really care.

“Oh, you knowww, here and there. Want something to drink?”

I hummed a response and looked away. I wish i cared more about how suspicious she was just now. If it was gina i would have pressed more.

Speak of the devil.

I caught her eyes as she waltzed in like some kind of angel. I bit my lip when i looked from her head to the end of her dark red dress. I always loved that color on her. I sucked in breath and tried my best to look away but those slits that show her soft thighs are driving me crazy. What i would give to just fu-

“Oh, look what the cat dragged in.” Mae said as she roughly handed me my cup.

“Thanks.”

The girl snagged my hand dragged me in the direction gina and sehun were standing. I have to admit they look together. Saying that to myself will keep me from strangling him. I think.

“Oh! Genie you cameee!” Mae said with fake surprise. I rolled my eyes and gently pulled my hand out of hers only to have her swing my arm around her shoulders.

Gina smiled and touch sehun’s arm lightly. “Well of course, how could i not? I would never miss the biggest night of my life.”

“Well, i just thought since you lost one thing very important to you already. You might lose something else tonight. It might have been better to stay home.”

The beautiful girl in red cocked one eyebrow and tilted her head. “Poor poor maeline. If you want to be prom queen you could have just said so. I would have let you have it gladly. But only after you take out of my cold dead manicure.”

Gina bumped shoulders with mae before walking away with sehun’s hand in hers. “Hm, i bet she thinks she’s got it in the bag. But i know for sure she won’t win.” Mae smirked and lifted her drink to her mouth.

“Do you know....who will?” i asked only to see if she’ll say what im thinking.

“Me of course.”

I knew it. “Mae, d-did you tamper with the votes?”

“Maybe. Don’t worry baekhyunnie, you’re still prom king.” She said with a wink.

Well shit.

“here.” Sehun spoke while handing me a red plastic cup.

“Thanks. I'm sorry you had to see that.” I took a sip of my drink thinking about how he must think im a monster like baekhyun now.

“No, no, it’s no big deal. That girl deserves to be told off a thousand times. If i were you i would have clocked her by now.”

“Well, with all that being said, it did hurt figuring out that someone i thought was my friend really wasn’t. And because of the weird way i react to being hurt, baekhyun thinks im some fucked up psycho and not only that but im almost positive maeline’s parents are in the process of a divorce.”

“Goddamn. The hell did you do?”

I stared at him with emotionless eyes. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Alright, alright. I won’t press.”

We looked away from each other and stopped talking completely. Maybe i should have just told him what i did. My eyes locked on the dance floor as everyone there smiled brightly and danced about. They look so carefree. I want that.

“Sehun? Are you a dancer?” I asked before taking another sip of my drink.

“Not really.” He spoke with a shy smile.

I looked at him while returning the smile, then looked back to the dance floor. I could faintly hear sehun talk to me before i zoned out on baekhyun. He sported a black suit, no tie, and his dress shirt was opened just enough so you could see his perfect chest peeking out. I held my breath when he smiled. He looks so good tonight. How can i control myself with him looking like that?

“Gina?” Sehun called my name noticing i wasn’t paying attention. I hummed a response but kept my eyes on baekhyun the whole time. Finally, the dazzling boy locked eyes with me from afar. At this point, i tuned out everything else but him. He’s the only thing i can see, and i don’t hate it.

He smirked at me when i looked at his chest. He cocked one eyebrow to provoke me more and i chuckled a bit into my hand. I watched him leave the dance floor and walk closer to the table me and my date are seated at. I straightened up and put my hands in my lap trying to keep my composure.

“Could i possibly steal your date?”

I looked at sehun’s face with a slight surprise in my eyes. I had no idea he was going to ask that. Sehun looked from baekhyun to me like he was thinking hard on the situation. Now that we’re here like this i feel like an asshole because im not going to hesitate to get up and leave with baekhyun even though i came here with sehun. I wish i could stop the strong hold he has on me. But then again, maybe i just don’t want to.

Sehun looked upset by this but nodded again like before. He exhaled and closed his eyes before reluctantly saying, "No reason to ask my permission. She was always yours anyways."

He looks defeated and it's my fault. I shouldn't have come here with him. Baekhyun gently slid his hand in mine before pulling me up out of my chair and leading us out of the room the prom is being held in. I looked back at sehun until the crowd blocked my view of him. I messed up with him, but i have to follow my heart. We entered the empty hall silently, walking with a lot of words on our chests. Baekhyun stopped walking to turn towards me with his eyes glistening with emotion. I’m sure mine looked just the same.

"Okay. there are obvious feelings between us still. Even after everything." I said wanting to lead the conversation instead of him.

"Hard ones." He added softly.

"So, I'm just going to give up and say it. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being such a bitch, I'm sorry for the way i treated you and everyone else. Im so sorry for reacting the way i did when i heard the rumor. If only i knew how to not react to being hurt with trying to hurt, things would have been different."

"Im sorry too. Im sorry for not noticing. And I'm so sorry for agreeing to go to prom with mae. I just thought if i did it would make up for the things she was going through after what you did."

"It was my fault. I should have fixed it myself. I feel terrible for putting you in that position. I'm trouble. I don't understand why you ev-"

"Hey, you're the best kind of trouble. We all have our problems, But you wouldn't be you without them, and i only want you."

I stared at him before my eyes got heavier and our lips were pulling each other closer like magnets. It feels so good to get everything off my chest. It feels so good to not hide anymore, or have to put up a strong front. With him, i can be myself and that makes me happy. And not just my head, but my heart too. isn't that all people ask for? His right hand slid into the slit of my skirt and i slid my hand in the opening of his dress shirt. I could feel his heart beating faster the farther he got up my thigh. I think it's adorable. If i couldn't feel it with my hands i would have never guessed that i make his heart race like this.

"Baby, baby. I have something to tell you. You know, while we're getting things out in the air." He spoke between kisses.

"And what is that?" I asked while unbuttoning his shirt more for my satisfaction.

"Maeline tampered with the prom queen votes." He said reluctantly.

"Oh yeah, i know." I said, now sliding my hands down his torso.

"Wait you-"

"Who do you think i am baekhyun? There's almost nothing i don't know when it comes to the goings on in my fucking school." He smiled with an impressed look on his face and bit my smiling bottom lip. "Now, let's go to the infamous abandoned party planning room and forget about prom for tonight."

"I fucking love you." He whispered while excitedly pushing his forehead into mine.

"I love you too baekhyun."

I have a strong feeling that’s going to be the last time i see gina while she’s not with baekhyun. Actually that’s wrong, he’s always going to have her heart. I know because i can feel it in mine. Something else i know is that they aren’t coming back. Which suhcks. I exhaled deeply. Just calm down sehun, Tonight was good enough for now, Your timing was just a bit off. Next time it’ll work out. Yeah next time.

“Okay prom goers! It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for! Time to announce the prom king and queen!” The young history teacher yelled through the microphone.

I hope baekhyun doesn’t get it.

Yeah, i said it.

“Drumroll please!”

I looked around the room for any sign of the two only to find a smirking maeline. I wonder if she even noticed her date is gone. She finally started to look around the room and i quickly turned my head so she won’t come this way. But, to no avail, i could hear her heels clapping this way aggressively.

“Where! the hell! is baekhyun!?” She yelled at my side profile.

“I wish i knew.”

“Oh, you know. Now tell me! Before they call my name!”

Her name?

“Dude, if i knew, which i don’t, i would tell you.”

“And this year's prom queen and king arrreee!”

“Tell me, damn it!” She yelled louder as if that was going to change anything as she roughed up my tux. I'm not saying i would hurt a woman. But if i was a girl, maeline could catch these hands.

“Gina hwang and byun baekhyun!” The history teacher yelled again excitedly.

I clapped along with everyone else while mae’s grip on me loosened. She looked pale with confusion and i snorted up a laugh before trying my best to hold it down. She thought she was going to win.

“Congradulations! Come on up heree!”

“Looks like tonight is just not your night maeline.” Her face changed expressions quickly and her eyes watered fast. She stomped her foot and i put my hand on her shoulder.

“Byun baekhyun!? Gina hwang!?” The teacher looked around n confusion.

“Come on. I’ll buy you some ice cream, you snakey bitch.”

Maeline sniffled and nodded her head with a pout as she moved my hand off her shoulder. For some reason, she looks kind of...cute.

“No seriously, where is baekhyun and gina?!”

AUTHORS NOTE : Haiii! im sorry it took so long to give you this one shot! but it;s here finally and i hope you enjoyed it. I hope you think of my appreciation for all your love and support when you read this! Also any sehun x gina shippers send me something if you want an alternate ending. *wink wink*

Kissesss <3333 lailaa ~

#baekhyun oneshot #baekhyun fanfic #baekhyun fanfiction #baekhyun fluff #baekhyun highschool au!#baekhyun fic #exo oneshot #exo fanfic #exo fanfiction #prom oneshot

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autisticblueteam · 5 years

Text

Another Chance (Connielina)

[AO3] [Ko-Fi in Bio]

Rating: Teen

Word Count: 1503

Summary: After two days of torture, they were rescued by a familiar face—someone presumed long dead. And all of a sudden, Carolina finds herself with yet another chance to turn her life in another direction.

Notes: Breaking a long writing hiatus for Femslash February! Pulled a little inspo from the @rvbfemslash bingo boards for the reunion theme here.

“You know, that’s a good look on you.”

Carolina lifted her arm away from her eyes and squinted through the bright lights of the hospital room. The person-shaped shadow—looking small, in the elongated doorframe—raised a hand, before stepping through and letting the door shut behind them.

“Dehydrated is a good look on me?” she said, pushing herself up into a more upright position. Her visitor pulled off her helmet and set it on the table beside Carolina’s bed, next to her own; almost a matching pair, if not for the smaller size and the distinctive shade of brown.

“I was thinking more the resting thing.” Connie folded her arms under her chest, the corner of her lips quirked in amusement. “But you don’t look bad for someone who spent two days in a murder fridge.”

Carolina shook her head. Her voice was still dry and strained, but there was more colour in her face and light in her eyes than there had been only hours ago. “First of all, that didn’t sound at all like you think it did. Second, murder fridge?”

“That’s what the boys out there have been calling it. I can’t say it’s an inaccurate description, if a little… morbid,” Connie said with a shrug. Morbid was putting it rather lightly, Carolina thought, before pushing memories of the smell and the strange heat of the room to the very back of her mind. It was too early to process that experience.

“Of course they are.” Sighing, she rubbed the bridge of her nose. The lights were giving her a headache. “How’s Wash?”

“Dr. Grey’s still doing her evaluation, now he’s a little bit more coherent, but I’m sure he’ll be fine. He always bounces back from these things, he’s just… a little more susceptible to reality breaking around him, as you know.”

“Right. Good. I should go and see him soon.”

“Nope, not for a little while yet. You’re not even fit to stand until you’re properly hydrated, nourished and your leg has had time to recover from being stuck in a strain-heavy position for over forty-eight hours.” The way Connie relayed the instructions was familiar, someone else’s words parroted back in an inflection that was more theirs than hers. Carolina could hear Grey in the upbeat spike in the, “Doctor’s orders!” that ended the statement.

She sighed again. “Right.”

“Sorry,” Connie said, her voice now her own again, “I know you hate being stuck in medical, but again, you did spend two days in locked suit of armour in an attempt to kill you. Looking good or not, you need this rest.”

“I know.”

Silence.

Uncertain silence. Words caught in the air. Carolina chewed on her abused lower lip.

There had been no time for a reunion down in that room, when Connie had disabled the armour lock and helped them out of their would-be coffin. Even if there had been… what were you supposed to say when someone you thought was dead comes back?

With a silent chuckle, Carolina realised she could finally understand Wash’s awkwardness, early on.

“…I thought I was hallucinating myself, when you turned up, you know.” Barely seconds had passed in that silence, but with her instincts telling her to look at the clock on her table every other moment, that felt like an eternity. “When you started talking, I was certain I was seeing ghosts.”

“Legally speaking, I suppose I am a ghost,” Connie said. Finally, she pulled up a chair next to the bed—her hand resting on the mattress next to Carolina’s robotic one. “I’ve been off the grid since I escaped from Charon. Turns out they were about as trustworthy as Freelancer was, but you know that.”

“I do.” Tired eyes flashed to the bedside clock again, only for Connie to shift her position so that her body blocked it. A quiet sigh of relief disturbed the brief silence. “I also know that you were struck twice in the abdomen with tomahawks. You shouldn’t have survived that trip.”

“And you shouldn’t have been able to survive being thrown off a cliff without losing more than an arm,” Connie said, before adding, “But really, biofoam did its job and Charon had a vested interest in keeping me alive, so that I could give them the information they wanted.”

“I suppose we both got… lucky, then. For lack of a better word.”

“For lack of a better word.”

There was another beat of silence, before Carolina’s metal fingers curled around the back of Connie’s hand.

“…I tried to stop her, you kn—”

“Shhhh…” Turning her hand over and linking their fingers, Connie shook her head. “Don’t. We’ve never needed words for things like that before, have we?”

Shoulders dropping, Carolina squeezed her hand and smiled, faintly. “No. No we haven’t…”

“Then I don’t need them now to know what you’re going to say or to know you don’t need to say it at all,” Connie said, looking her in the eye just long enough to see the exhaustion and the relief there. The years showed on her face as clearly as any bruise or scar, when you knew what to look for. When you knew her. “I haven’t seen you in nearly a decade, you thought I was dead… there are more important things.”

“I suppose there are.” Her thumb swept in an arc across the back of Connie’s hand, unable to feel the warmth of her skin but at least able to feel the presence of it. “You saved our lives. I think that means I owe you dinner.”

Connie giggled and Carolina smiled and for a moment, everything felt a little bit more like it was going to be okay. Strange, to think that only days ago she’d been talking about the person in front of her as if she were long-dead; standing on a beach, thinking back on regrets and missed opportunities and a future that never was.

Connie wasn’t wrong that they’d never really needed words, but that only worked when they understood each other—at the time, she simply hadn’t the ability to understand. Not without her world falling apart at the seams.

But she understood now.

“Dinner, huh? You know you’re not getting out of here for a few days, right? Because—”

“Doctors orders!” they both said at once, mimicking the trill of Grey’s voice and devolving into giggles.

“I can ask them to bring another meal in, when I get my rations—” (“They’re making sure you eat exactly what you need to, Carolina.”) “—or see if the boys will risk Grey’s wrath to smuggle us in something a little more interesting?”

“…I’m not going to officially be a part of your—quite frankly, very surprising—” her own faint laugh interrupted her words, “rebellion against Grey’s rules, but I have no power to stop you doing that.”

“What can I say, maybe the guys have rubbed off on me more than I thought,” Carolina said as she typed a quick message on her COM Pad. Her other hand never left Connie’s. “Or maybe not. Remember our first ‘date’? When—”

“—the mess hall was actually making some good pizza for once and we smuggled out almost an entire pie for ourselves? Yeah, I remember making it a challenge to get you to go with it,” Connie laughed, covering her mouth in a futile effort to stop herself. “You just need the right people to bring our the mischievous side, I think. Multiply that by a bunch of rather… unique, sim troopers, and maybe I shouldn’t be surprised.”

“You don’t know the half of it. The stories I have about those idiots…” Chuckling, she set the COM Pad down and brought Connie’s hand to her lips. Connie smiled.

“Tell me those stories. Whilst we wait. The serious stuff can wait for another day. We have the time,” she said, tapping Carolina on the nose, “if you want us to.”

“I want us to if you do. I’ve… missed you, Connie; I know it hardly needs saying,” she gave her a playful look and Connie tapped her nose again, “but this time… I want to say it out loud. I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too… and I do, want to be together again. No secrets this time.”

Carolina nodded, gaze following her as she stood from her seat and leaned across the bed. Her lips hovered close enough for her to feel her breath and it made her face tingle. “No secrets.”

Connie kissed her. Her hand cupped the side of her face, brushed her messy hair behind her ear like she used to when it was long enough to create waterfalls in front of her face and hide her expressions from the world. She kissed back. Her metal fingers cupping the back of her skull and holding her there, she let herself relax.

Another chance.

The universe had given her more of those than she had ever expected.

#rvb femslash february #agent carolina #agent connecticut #connielina #rvb #rvb fic #red vs blue #my fanfiction #autistic fics by me

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beanbudd · 4 years

Text

"The end of a past, the begin of a future."

As Luca wakes up to an empty house. Maybe Aiden was off exploring the forest? As he walks out of the house he's hit with a wave of alarms going off in his head. There's a plume of smoke coming from the edge of the forest.

As he rushed to the center of the village a thought crosses his mind:

"did Aiden start-" no, surely not. He had told the kid time and time again not to play with fire. Still a bit of concern lingers in his mind.

He had finally made his way over to the center. He strikes the bell. as it sends a green hue over the forest, subconites surround from all corners of the forest. He had also learnt Aiden to go towards the bell.

"okay line up guys. Preferably lines."

The concern grew five fold when he realized something. All of the subconites were accounted for, but Aiden wasn't there. Just as he feared. Hopefully he was just overthinking this, and he's just lost.

"okay guys, make sure you stay in safety. Under no circumstances may you go towards the potential fire."

As he made his way over to the smoke his fear was confirmed. There was indeed a fire.

As he makes his way into the roaring fire he could feel a shiver go up his spine. After walking through the fire for a while he finds him. Something isn't right.

"Aiden? Aiden are you in there?", He yells into the fire. No reaction.

Maybe he just can't hear him. Maybe he's just lost and having trouble concentrating.

"Aide-" *gasp*

It's then that he could feel his throat closing up. He could feel a wait on him. No, maybe he's just over thinking. Maybe he tripped and is having trouble getting up.

"kiddo?"

"Kiddo?"

As he approached the kid he couldn't believe what he saw. He couldn't move. His arms grew heavy. He fell to his knees. If only he'd been there earlier. He started to cry. He couldn't help it. There was no point fighting them. After a while of sobbing he stops. "I've got to pull myself together. The least I can do is give him a proper burial." Right when he was about to get up he noticed something. He could still hear crying. But he had already stopped.

he searched for the source of the wailing.

There it was. A small soul, no bigger than a child hunched over the corpse.

"Aiden?"

The soul jumped at the sound of his voice.

"Dad?"

The weeping soul runs to Luca. He embraces them and tries to comfort them.

"hey hey hey, shhhh. It's okay. There's no need to be scared anymore. It's safe now. I've got you."

After comforting the soul for a while he stop for a bit.

"hey, how about we go home?"

Luca could tell both of them really wanted to go home.

As they get up he could tell that the soul was having some trouble.

"here. Take my hand."

As the soul grabs his hand they use it to keep balance.

"it's okay, we can walk a bit slower"

When they finally arrived at their house Luca put the soul on their bed. He sits next to them.

"does it still.. hurt?"

"n-no"

"okay."

"You should get some sleep and recover", He said, while trying to show a reasuring smile.

"hey Luca?"

"yeah?"

"I-I'm sorry"

Luca could tell the soul was getting choked up again. He gives them another hug.

"hey-hey, it's okay. You don't need to apologise. I know it was an accident."

"now, go get some rest"

He tucks the soul in. He turns the lights off and closes the door behind him.

He was planning on going outside. See what he could do to combat the fire. But just as he opened the door a wave of subconites came spilling in, against the wishes of three really nervous looking subconites.

They all started asking questions like:

"hey boss! Who was that?"

"hey boss! We saw you walk in with someone, are they okay?"

"did you find another lost person, boss?"

Of course they didn't recognize them. oh boy this was going to be hard to explain..

"sorry Luca, we tried to make sure they didn't see, but that was a bit hard.."

That explains why the three were nervous. Those three subconites were the ones that saved him, that terrible day. They knew what happened, and what it takes to transform a body like that. They had tried to distract the others because they knew how hard it was going to be to explain this one. How painful it was going to be.

"uhm-"

"come on guys! We should leave, so that the person Luca helped can get some good rest", Navi said, trying to reverse the situation.

"well I suppose you're right. We should get going", one of the subconites says.

"yeah guys, after being lost and hurt but the fire they're very tired and need a lot of rest to heal. How about you guys head to the village center. I'll meet you there."

As the group of subconites leaves the house, three stay behind.

"are you sure you can do this? You don't have to", Skipps says.

"well, they had to learn sooner or later. Plus, I've already gotten myself into the situation, haven't I?", He said with a nervous smile.

"okay, just... If it gets to much, just tell us, okay?"

"okay."

As the four caught up with the rest of the group, Luca prepared himself for the difficult conversation ahead of him.

Once they had all gathered Luca started talking.

"okay so..."

"the new person?", One of the subconites guided him.

"yeah so uhm... The new person isn't exactly... New.."

"what do you mean?"

"Okay so-" Luca was having trouble putting this into words.

"okay so you know that you release your soul when you die?"

"well, the more pain or general suffering the person experiences while passing, the more likely they are to turn into a ghost, instead of just a soul."

"what does a ghost look like?", One of the subconites asks.

"it differs wildly, but generally ghosts are long and snake-like, with two arms and Tufts of furr around their neck. The inside of their eyes and mouth can glow any bright color. Their mouths usually supporting fangs", He explains.

"Some people even turn into ghosts before passing, if they experience enough agony",he continued. His smile was flickering.

"are you a ghost?", One of the subconites ask. Luca could feel his throat closing up again.

"yes, I am."

"What happened?", Another subconite asks naively.

"wh- you can't just ask why someone is a ghost??", Another subconite says.

"but as I was saying-", Luca says, trying to gain the attention of everyone.

"so the new person isn't new, they're a ghost of someone you know", he continues.

"who is it?"

"I don't know if they are comfortable with me saying that just yet, but once I have permission I'll tell you", He promises.

"now, I should go back to my house to check on them."

"can we come with you?"

"no, I don't think a crowd is what they need right now."

As he walks his way back home he sits down in his chair for a minute.

"how did I let that happen? How was I so weak and naive? If only I was stronger. I could've saved them, but I wasn't fast enough. I wasn't strong enough.", He thought to himself. No no, this wasn't about him. He had to make sure the kid was okay.

*knock knock*

"Hey Aiden?", He said in a soft voice.

"Yeah?"

"can I come in?"

"okay"

He sits down next to the kid. He could tell something was on his mind.

"what are you thinking about?"

He looks down to his new claws, horns and fangs.

"yeah they take a while to get used to.."

"But you know, dragons have claws, horns and fangs too", Luca said. He knew he had struck the right cord.

"I guess you're right", the kid said, excitement shining in their eyes.

"wait, don't dragons have wings and a tail?", Aiden said while sinking in a little bit.

"not all of them do. some dragons don't have wings or a tail. Heck, there are even some dragons without any legs! Just defined by what you have and what you don't have doesn't make you any less of a dragon.", He said. He could practically see the excitement radiating off of Aiden.

Aiden got up suddenly and started hopping around the room saying: "I'm the dragon of subcon!"

Luca couldn't help but smile at how good the kid is taking this.

He grabs Aiden's dragen mask and gently plops it onto his head.

"come on dragon, let's take a look through the forest."

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as-breakable-as-glass · 7 years

Text

Monsters of a Different Kind

Two children lay floating on their backs in an inky black expanse of what appeared to be a void. Their heads were nearly touching and the pair almost looked like they were stargazing except there was not a speck of starlight to be seen. Instead a reset button floated above and between them and even that was dark. The light it normally emitted was muted and dull.

They had to wait for the file to reload, again. Who knew how long that would take? Sometimes it felt like only an hour passed before they could reload, other times it was months.

Without getting up or turning his head Chara asked, “Want to tell me why you reset this time?” He knew why, but he wanted to hear it from them.

He couldn’t see them from the position they were in, but he heard Frisk shift above his head. “It wasn’t the right ending.” they whispered.

Chara held back a snort. Not the right ending.

“What, exactly, are you looking for?”

“I told you, I want everyone to be happy.”

“Everyone looked happy to me last time and the time before that and before that etcetera, etcetera…” Chara waved his ghostly hand in a slow, circular motion to make his point.

Frisk was probably shaking their head above him. “It wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t what it should have been.” They murmured. “Everyone should get better than that. They deserve it. They are all so kind, each one in their own way. I can do better for them, to return their kindness.”

He dropped his hand. Yeah he’s heard this speel before. This was how the goodie two-shoes planed on repaying them for all the idiots’ kindness and friendship.

“Yes,” he replied, patience wavering, “but what was so wrong with that one?”

His question was met with silence that only stretched the more time that passed.

“You don’t even know what you’re looking for do you.”

“I know I could have done better. I could have done something to make everyone happier.” Frisk had that familiar tone in their voice they always took on when they were filled with determination.

Chara sighed through his teeth and closed his eyes. Why was Frisk so annoyingly stubborn? It had been easy enough to tolerate the first couple runs, but this was getting ridiculous!

It wasn’t like Frisk was taking so long on purpose, but Chara didn’t know if that was a good thing or not. If they were taking their sweet time, then they could be pushed to hurry. But if they weren’t, if they were being methodical, then they were likely to be stuck the way they were for a long, long time. All thanks to that stupid dream of theirs.

It was slow progress, getting the final ending, but Frisk tried so hard to make up to him that it was almost funny. They had gone so far as to promise that he could be part of their happy ending along with their little friends, but Chara didn’t believe that would ever happen. Not because Frisk didn’t mean their word- he was quite confident the sap meant even the most ignorant of their promises- but what kind of future was there for the ghost of a dead kid? Nothing that’s what. He would just follow Frisk around until they died of old age or something equally bland. Chara had no interest of playing chaperone for the rest of his existence.

Forget the ending, Chara had a job to do and he had to get to the surface to do it.

Chara felt his fists clench. The surface. That’s where he wanted to go, where he needed to go. It was like an insistent itch he was prevented from scratching. But rules and resets be damned, once Chara got to the surface he was going to scratch it bloody and no one was going to get in his way.

Cutting down the monsters was fair substitute he guessed. After all that they’ve done, they definitely deserved it, but punishing them lost its appeal after you did it so many times. It’s not like they even remember it; he and Frisk weren’t even making a difference and the monsters never learned.

Chara didn’t realize how much his frustration had built up inside him until he sensed Frisk flinch above him and the words of guilt started pouring from their mind. I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry please don’t be mad please please please please I’m sorry we’ll get to the surface don’t be mad please please don’t leave m-

“It’s all Jake, Frisk.” He said briskly. The silence afterward was painful, even for him, so he broke it, softening the edge from his words into a more gentle tone. “It’s fine. I’m not mad at you. You’re only doing what’s expected by trying to make everyone happy.”

Frisk nodded even though Chara wasn’t looking at them. It didn’t seem to matter anyway. He knew Frisk didn’t quite believe him so Chara continued, his voice as sweet as sugar. “It’s just more annoying than anything really. We’ve tried almost everything imaginable, but we still can’t get that ending.

“I almost think it’s time we did another dust run.” Ah there we go. He could tell he had Frisk’s attention now.

“…What? Why?”

“We still have more to learn Frisky-bits. We-”

“But- haven’t we learned all we can from… that? You said the last one would be our final one.”

They really were naive. You know it had almost been endearing before it had gotten so annoying.

Chara poked the top of Frisk’s head with a ghostly finger. “Hey what have I said before about interrupting me?”

He waited patiently for them to mumble a soft apology before continuing.

“It’s fine. Now, we don’t necessarily need to do kill anyone this time around, but we’re just wasting our time repeating the simple stuff. We already know what will happen if we eat Toriel’s pie and what will happen if we don’t, if we complement the Froggits or ignore them, but we still haven’t done all the death endings.”

“Do- do we need to?” Frisk asked quietly. “You speak like this is just a game to you.”

“It’s not a game, but let’s not pretend that this is real either. What we’re doing isn’t permanent unless you decide to never go back. You can just reset to the start and no one remembers what we did. And think of all the new possibilities we get to explore this way. That’s what you want right?”

Frisk didn’t say anything, but he felt their thoughts spiraling out of control again.

“Calm down Frisky-bits remember I’m not saying we have to do it this round, just what if we did? It’s for the best Frisk.”

“I know.” They whispered. “I-I don’t think I can keep doing this.”

“What? I thought you wanted this. You’re the one who wants to find the perfect happy ending. I’m just suggesting ways to find it.

“Just say the word and we can end this. We can live on the surface with everyone like the big, happy family you want.”

Frisk didn’t say anything, of course they wouldn’t. They wouldn’t stop until they knew what they wanted.

Chara carried on. Their conversations usually left him to do most of the talking and this one was no different. “I get it, you don’t want to hurt your friends. It’s alright if the idea of it is too much for you. I’m sure they will be perfectly fine with a plain, old, average ending.” He rolled over to be able to look down and meet Frisk’s eyes. “No one expects you to put your friends before yourself Frisk.”

That hit the nerve he was aiming for, the other flinched. Frisk looked nauseated, but still didn’t say anything.

Chara pulled back. See this was why he was getting so tired of this cycle. Frisk was just too easy to read now. He knew their mind just as well as he knew his own, especially since Frisk made no effort to shut him out.

Slowly he moved back down to lay next to Frisk and took their hand in his. It was a pointless gesture as his incorporeal form couldn’t actually hold anything, but they both curled their fingers around the other’s and pretended they could feel it. The action was only meant to calm Frisk down anyway, Chara knew when he was beginning to toe the line.

“We don’t even need to decide yet. It’s just some food for thought while we wait. There’s still plenty of time before our save file reloads.”

Frisk simply nodded. It looked like they were doing a lot of thinking already. Chara let them be, turning his thought towards the next run.

It wouldn’t be the surface, but it was about time he scratched his itch and serve the monsters some more retribution. Even if they wouldn’t remember it consciously, Chara liked to think a part of their souls did.

Frisk could have their perfect little ending for all he cared, their monster friends too, but not the ones on the surface. No, there was justice to be served for them and Chara was more than happy to be the bringer. There was no good left there anymore.

Admittedly Frisk was a bit of a special case, at least they wanted to do good, but they were still a weak pushover. People like them were mere pawns to be used by stronger demons. Like their parents. The thought of those pigs made Chara sick. He was glad that they were gone. He could take care of Frisk better than those demons ever could.

Chara couldn’t stop a smile from stretching across his face. Oh and he knew he was a demon too. He wasn’t much better than human scum on the surface, but at least he didn’t leave blind destruction in his wake. No, at least he had a reason. He was a demon, but he was also a demon with a calling and sometimes small things like that could make all the difference.

________

Yet again I found a drabble in my drafts that I completely forgot if I already posted :,) If I haven’t, then oops maybe I shouldn’t have been talking about Frisk and Chara like I introduced them already. (Not like it matters since they were never asked any questions, but still)

Anyway, an important thing to note is that resets work differently in Glasstale than to what you might consider canon. For one, resets are not instantaneous. It takes a varying amount of time for Frisk’s reset powers to charge. It’s actually kind of unreliable, ranging to a couple days to a couple months. (I like to think it’s because they aren’t as determined as some of their alternates but shhhh) While Frisk and Chara wait, they are stuck in a part of the void that we see as the save screen. Their void is a different part of the void than the area Gaster is trapped in. They could probably contact him if they really tried though… Chara would find that beyond fascinating.

An interesting side effect of the resets not being instantaneous, is that time moves forward between their runs. That means all the stuff that Glass and Gen have been doing is going to be new to them. If they did something drastic, like Gen quitting the guard, or Glass getting a new favorite jacket, the changes would stick when Frisk and Chara come back and they will have no idea what happened to cause it.

Ha alright so you got a drabble and an info dump hurray for long annoying posts! :D

#drable #Glasstale #Frisk #Chara #info dump #queued

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linnamonbun · 7 years

Text

Inhumane London

Mark opened his eyes, panting and sweating. He could hear his heart beat frantically, thudding out of his chest. Terrified, he looked up, and saw nothing but blackness. He raised his used to be strong hands up, in hopes of finding a way to escape this - well- he didn’t know where he was. He didn’t even know how he got there. He didn’t even remember who he was, his name, his family, his job. All he knew was that he was stuck, and running out of air. Before he could move his hands to try to find some evidence of life, Mark heard a hissing sound.

Mark looked to his right - or at least, he thought it was his right - and could see three circular balls of light coming towards him, with the hissing becoming louder and louder.

He looked up, his heart becoming dangerously fast, and pushed his hands up again, but there was nothing. Then why couldn’t he breathe? Before Mark could answer that question, he felt something bite his back. He turned just in time to see those three glowing eyes up close, now filled with the color red.

Then there was never ending blackness.

There was a roaring sounding through the streets of London.

The TARDIS landed in the alley, and the doors opened to reveal a man with a black suit and intense eyebrows.

He looked at his surroundings, entertained by how oblivious the citizens of London who were passing by were, not noticing the blue police box and himself.

“Doctor?” Bill said, walking out of the box to join the elder man. “Where are we?”

“What does it look like?” shot the Doctor, not looking at Bill, but instead looking out into the distance.

“Uh, I don’t know. A city?”

“London,” explained the Doctor, now looking at Bill with wide eyes, “But the question you should be asking to yourself is, why?”

“Um, maybe because it thinks that we need a break from fighting aliens and saving people?”

“No, the TARDIS has never done that. Besides, you asked her to take us 90 years into the future. Does this look like the future to you?” asked the Doctor, leading Bill out onto the sidewalk, where crowds of people were walking through, going about their normal weekday.

“I don’t see anything too different,” mumbled Bill, observing the nearby shops and how the people passing by were dressed, “Wait, I think I see something!” exclaimed Bill, tugging at the Doctor’s arm excitedly.

“What? That we’re not in the future?” said the Doctor sarcastically.

“Exactly. I think we’re in the past.” answered Bill, pointing to a wave of people coming towards them, “No one has a smart phone. Their flip phones. Those haven’t been popular for years!”

“It seriously took you that long to notice that? You humans are so oblivious.” muttered the Doctor, crossing the street.

“So, what are we gonna do now?” Bill asked, running to catch up with him.

Before she could get an answer, the Doctor ran up to a newspaper booth, staring at the front headline.

It read: DEAD BODY FOUND IN GRAVEYARD

Below the text was a picture of a man lying on top of a gravestone, the neck bloody and chewed up.

“Oh my god. What do you think happened?” asked Bill, looking at the Doctor expectantly for an answer.

“Let’s go find out.”

Steve stormed in the SciMachines Co. building, purple from anger. He speed walked up to Professor Sandra’s desk, slamming the newspaper on her desk, sweat running down his forehead.

Sandra continued to look at her computer screen, unfazed about Steve’s sudden outburst. “Problem?” she asked calmly.

“Depends,” started Steve, picking up the newspaper and reading it off, “”Dead body found in graveyard.” AND LOOK AT THE UNSUSPICIOUS PICTURE RIGHT UNDERNEATH IT!” he yelled sarcastically, pointing his finger at the body’s torn up neck.

Sandra still remained looking at her computer screen, ignoring Steve.

“I’m sorry, but are you not worried at all about this?” asked Steve in disbelief, putting down the newspaper on her desk again.

“Oh I am,” replied Sandra, “But luckily for us, no human will ever figure out the truth.”

“Stop right there, sir.”

The Doctor was stopped by an officer on the scene of the mysterious dead body at the graveyard.

“Oh, sorry,” replied the Doctor grabbing his psychic paper from his coat pocket and holding it up, “Detective Smith. I got called in to examine this messy crime scene.”

“Could you please stop leaving me behind?” Bill asked, running up to the Doctor and bending down to catch her breath.

“Who’s this?” asked the officer with cocked eyebrows.

“She’s my helper,” the Doctor quickly answered, “Detective Bill Potts.”

“Yeah, that’s me.” Bill quickly added.

The officer gave a last look at the two, then raised the yellow tape up to give them clearance to the scene.

Once the Doctor and Bill were as far away as possible from the officer, he added, “Follow my lead.”

Bill nodded and followed the Doctor up to the lifeless body.

The Doctor waved down a nearby detective, “Detective Smith, and this is my colleague Bill Potts. What do we know so far?”

The officer gave them both sideways looks, then answered, “His name was Mark Gittle. He was 46 years old. We think that he might have been killed by a dog.”

“A dog?” the Doctor asked, open mouthed, “You seriously think that a dog would do this? How stupid are you?”

“Pardon?”

“What he means to say,” Bill quickly interrupted, “is that a dog wouldn’t have most likely attacked a random guy’s neck. Well, unless it had rabies or something……” she trailed off, looking down at the grass.

“I’m sorry, but who sent you two?” the officer asked, getting suspicious.

“Ourselves.” the Doctor answered, grabbing Bill’s hand and running away from the scene. He could hear the detective yelling at the other officers to run after them, but he and Bill were too fast.

Once they were back in the city, Bill sat on the sidewalk, trying to catch her breath. “I would be really interested to know how many miles we run in a day!” she exclaimed in between deep breaths.

“What do you think killed that man?” the Doctor asked, staring out into the distance.

“Uh, I don’t know. An alien of some sort. What do you think?” Bill asked back.

“We need to find out where Mark Gittle worked. I’ve got a feeling that his co workers had something to do with it.”

“What makes you say that?”

“I don’t know. I just have a feeling…”

Steve led the woman through the fluorescent light hallways slowly.

“I don’t want to go! Please!” begged the woman, trying to fight off Steve’s grasp on her arms.

“Shhhh…..” Steve hushed, “It will be over before you know it, Daisy. I promise you.”

Daisy and Steve entered a large vacant room.

“Please! Don’t do this to me! I-I can still be useful here! I-I swear!!” Daisy cried, tears rolling down her cheeks.

“I’m sorry, Daisy. But you’re just too old.”

And with that, he left the room and locked the door behind him.

Daisy banged on the door, yelling and screaming while the gas fumes were flowing through the air vents in the ceiling. After 30 minutes and episodes of extreme coughing, she fell silent.

Steve walked up to Sandra’s desk. “It’s done. How long do you think it’s gonna take for the press to find out?”

“They won’t. We’re taking extra precautions.” Sandra answered, still not making eye contact with Steve.

“Well you better hope that this whole sacrificing people for the greater good is worth it.” muttered Steve, leaving Sandra’s desk.

“Oh it will be.”

The Doctor ran to the TARDIS console, with Bill close behind.

“Now,” said the Doctor, typing words into the screen, “Let’s find out where Mark Gittle worked.”

“And why exactly do you think this has to do with his job?” asked Bill, leaning against the console. “I mean, it could be anyone, or anything.”

“Where do people spend most of their time?” questioned the Doctor, still typing.

“Depends. Work I guess.” Bill muttered, looking down at her shoes.

“Exactly,” said the Doctor, reading off of the screen, “According to the TARDIS, he worked at SciMachines. Now tell me that that’s not suspicious.”

“I will admit it sounds pretty odd. Are we gonna go check it ou-” But when Bill turned to look at the Doctor, he was already out the door. “Don’t wait up for me or anything.” she sighed, walking out of the TARDIS.

The Doctor and Bill stormed into the SciMachines building, very alert. Suddenly a male employee walked in front of them.

“Can I help you two?” he asked, confused.

“Depends,” said the Doctor, “Are you in charge of this company?”

“No, who are you?” the employee asked, getting slowly suspicious.

The Doctor then pulled out his psychic paper from his coat pocket and showed it to him. “Detective Smith, and this is my partner in crime Bill Potts. We need to ask your boss a few questions.”

“Oh, right this way then.” and with that, the man led the two through the building and to Sandra’s desk, where Sandra was typing on her computer rapidly.

“Sorry to bother you, Professor, but these two are from the FBI. They need to ask you a few questions.” the man said, and once Sandra nodded her head, he left.

“Hello…” said the Doctor, reading off Sandra’s name tag on her desk, “Professor Sandra. I’m detective Smith, and this is my partner detective Bill Potts. Hello? Could you please at least look at me when I’m talking to you?” he asked, noticing that Sandra hadn’t even looked at him or Bill since they arrived.

Sandra immediately stopped typing, but didn’t look away from the screen. “I don’t see why I have to look at you when I have ears.” she said evenly.

The Doctor exchanged confused glances with Bill, who then said, “I don’t know if you’ve heard, but your employee Mark Gittle was found dead on a gravestone in the graveyard right down the street. When was the last time you saw him?”

“Yes I have heard about Mr. Gittle. It’s a shame, he was a hard worker.” muttered Sandra, still not budging her head.

“You don’t seem very upset, or surprised for that matter. How come?” The Doctor asked, raising his intense eyebrows.

“It’s old news, Mr. Smith. I’ve had more than enough time to mourn.” answered Sandra, expressionless.

Bill stood open mouthed, “How could you even say that? A man that you knew got murdered!”

Sandra’s eyes were still fixed on the computer screen. “Yes, I will admit it was quite a shock when I first heard the news. It’s a shame, he worked quite hard when he was here. Always got the job done…”

“How come you haven’t answered any of my questions? Let me guess, you're afraid because you know something that we don’t?” asked the Doctor, widening his eyes.

“Detective Smith, I assure you that I have no idea what happened to him. The last time I saw him was just a few days ago, when he came to work. He didn’t seem different. And no, before you ask, I have no clue who would have done this to him.” Sandra explained.

“Right, well, I think that’s enough questions to ask for the day. Doctor?” Bill asked, looking at the Doctor expectantly, but he kept his eyes fixed on Sandra, almost like he was reading her.

After a moment of awkward silence, the Doctor finally replied. “Yes, I think so. Let’s go, Bill.”

And with that, the Doctor and Bill left the building, questions flooding through both of their heads.

The Doctor glided through the busy afternoon streets, with Bill running to catch up with him.

“I don’t know about you, but that woman was very strange.” she commented in between gasps.

“Everyone is strange in their own way, Bill,” the Doctor explained as he stopped moving and turned to face her, “But yes, Professor Sandra seemed more strange than others. Which brings me to this question: Why?”

“Why? How about, oh I don’t know, maybe, because she had something to do with the murder of that guy who used to work for her? She now knows that we’re onto her? The possibilities are endless if you ask me…” thought Bill aloud, looking straight at the Doctor.

“Wait. Repeat what you just said.” ordered the Doctor, looking off into the distance with wide eyes, his mouth wide open.

“The possibilities are endless?”

“No, before that.”

“Oh. That she knows we’re onto her?” asked Bill, confused at what the Doctor was getting at.

“Of course!” he cried, grinning.

“Yeah! Wait, what?” Bill said, more confused than ever.

“She never looked at us. What if she’s the one that owns the creature that murdered Mark?” the Doctor chuckled.

“Okay, you're really creeping me out now,” pointed out Bill, “Even if you're right, how are we going to find evidence when she’s already suspicious of us?”

“Who says she’ll recognise us? She didn’t even look at us! We could walk in that building and she wouldn’t care. She’d just think that we’re her employees. It’s that employee that welcomed us we should be worrying about.” explained the Doctor, deep in thought.

“Well, that’s an easy problem to fix. It’s not like that person will be there 24/7. We just have to wait for the right moment.” said Bill.

“Oh. Why didn’t I think of that? I’m cleverer than you.” muttered the Doctor.

Bill just rolled her eyes. “Let’s just say we make it in the building without being noticed. What then?”

“One of us tries to find the creature that Sandra is keeping as a pet, while the other spies on Sandra to make sure that she doesn't get anywhere near the other.” he answered confidently.

“Oh…..so which one is me?” Bill asked.

“Depends. You want to have an adventure?” he grinned.

Bill looked through the glass doors, and saw the same employee that had greeted them before talking to another employee. She sighed and turned back to the Doctor, who was sitting on the sidewalk.

“He’s still there. How long do you think a shift is here?” she asked him, losing her patience.

“About 5 minutes till this building shuts down. We need to get in there before that.” the Doctor said, ignoring Bill’s question.

“Welp, I think we’re out of luck. He doesn't look like he’s in very much of a rush to leave. Which is strange when you think about it. I mean, when the dismissal bell rings at school, I literally run out the door, just cause I want to go home.” Bill thought out loud, sitting next to the Doctor.

“Maybe he just loves his job.” the Doctor said flatly. Bill frowned at how rational the Doctor was being.

“How come you aren’t using your imagination?” she groaned, getting more and more bored by the second.

“You lose your imagination when you’ve seen things that aren’t imaginable with your own eyes. You give up, and just pay attention to the facts. What, how, and why. I ask myself these things everyday. I don’t waste my time like humans and imagine things that clearly aren’t possible.” the Doctor explained, pressing the back of his head against the building.

“If you think we’re so annoying and irrational, then why do you choose us to travel with?” Bill asked, confused.

“For exactly that. There’s never a dull moment with your kind.” the Doctor answered, closing his eyes.

Bill was about to reply, but was interrupted by the sound of the front doors of the building locking.

“That’s weird,” she said, looking through the glass doors once again, “There’s still load of people in there. And their just standing there, as if they were statues.”

This news caught the Doctor’s attention immediately, and he stood next to Bill, examining the room through the glass. It didn’t last long, though. Cloth had dropped down on the glass from the inside, blocking their view.

“They don’t want us to know…..” muttered the Doctor.

“They don't want us to know what?” Bill asked, watching the Doctor as he looked back at her with his intense eyebrows.

“It’s obvious. Their robots.”

“Really? But they looked so realistic….”

The Doctor then took this into consideration, and grabbed his sonic screwdriver out of his coat pocket and steadied it in front of the now covered doors. He scanned it, and put it in front of his eyes, examining the results.

“Oh my god……” he trailed off.

“What? What is it? Is it bad?” Bill asked, getting goosebumps.

“If you call walking dead bodies bad, then yes, it is.” he answered, looking at Bill, who looked like she was about to puke.

“I’m sorry, what did you just say?” asked Steve in disbelief.

He was standing in front of Sandra’s desk, where Sandra was looking intensely on her computer.

“I said,” repeated Sandra, “Two detectives are investigating the murder of Mark Gittle. I have a feeling that this won’t end well…”

“I warned you about this. But did you listen? No. You didn’t.” rambled Steve, getting infuryiated.

“I didn’t call you down here to tell me that I was wrong, which I know I wasn’t.” muttered Sandra.

“So why did you call me? What do you want me to do?” asked Steve impatiently, tapping his foot.

“The authorities wouldn’t be suspicious of us if no one had told on me.” Sandra said evenly.

Steve stood open mouthed, not believing what he was hearing. “I’m sorry, are you suggesting that I told on you? I have been your most trusted colleague in this operation, and the most supportive believe it or not.” he protested.

“I know. That’s why I am very disappointed.” replied Sandra.

Before Steve could say anymore, two men came up from behind him and grabbed his arms.

“You are making a huge mistake! You can’t do anything without me!!” he cried as the two men led him out of the room.

“I have been.” mumbled Sandra, her eyes still locked on the screen.

Bill paced back and forth, trying to let the shocking news settle in.

“Dead bodies, walking? Have you ever encountered something like this before?” asked Bill, disgusted at the thought.

“I have actually. Not the same exact ones, of course, but similar.” answered the Doctor casually.

“So what are we going to do now? I mean, we’re kinda trapped out here, so I guess we could go back to the TARDIS and wait till the morning….” thought Bill aloud in between deep breaths.

“You guys know that there’s a backdoor that’s not locked, right?” asked a high pitched male voice from behind the Doctor.

The two turned and saw no other than Nardole.

“I thought I told you to stay in the TARDIS!” lectured the Doctor, pointing his finger at him.

“I got bored. Besides, I want to help you fight…..well…..whatever you're fighting…” answered Nardole innocently.

“Wait, we’re not fighting these things, are we Doctor?” asked Bill nervously.

“What, no! Well, unless they try to attack us, then yes, we may have to defend ourselves. Anyway,” rambled the Doctor, looking back Nardole, “You said that there was a back door?”

“Yes, unlocked too. Follow me.” he answered as he walked around to the back of the building, Bill and the Doctor following close behind.

The Doctor very slowly pulled the door open, and peered in. He saw just a lightly lit hallway and numerous doors on either side of it He motioned his hand for the others to follow, and walked through the door. Bill closed the door once the three were inside.

“Oh my god, there are so many rooms here. How are we going to have enough time to look through the whole building?” she asked.

“Luckily there are three of us. We’re going to have to divide and conquer.” and with that, the Doctor began opening every door. “Nardole, you go to the second floor, and Bill, you go to the third. We’ll meet up in the lobby in an hour. Now go!”

Nordole and Bill ran into the elevator.

Once the elevator stopped at the second floor, Nardole waved goodbye and stepped out. Bill stood alone, praying that she wouldn’t have to encounter a walking dead body.

The Doctor walked down the hall, pointing his screwdriver at each individual door.

“Hey!” blurted a voice from behind him. He whipped around to see an employee running towards him. He ran as fastly as possible, trying to lose him. He turned the corner and another employee hit him on the head, knocking him out.

Bill walked onto the 3rd floor, tiptoeing through the hall, being as quiet as possible. She immediately hid behind the corner of the wall when she saw two employees come out a door, and waited to emerge until the two men were out of the hall and walking down the stairs.

She then crept to the door that the employees had just come from, and pressed her ear against it. But she didn’t have to. Suddenly there was banging, like someone was pounding their fists against the door. Without giving a second thought, Bill opened the door. Before she could get a glance of what was in the room, an employee ran out and practically knocked her down on the floor, and closed the door shut.

“I surrender!” Bill said quickly, holding her hands up in the air when the man raised his fists in the air, as if ready for a fight.

The man was taken aback by Bill’s action, and put down his fists and relaxed his body. “Who are you? You don’t have the correct uniform.” he asked calmly.

“Oh, well, I don’t work here. I’m a……..” trailed off Bill, trying to think of what the Doctor would say, “Detective! I’m a detective. But I’m not supposed to be spotted.”

“Detective what? Let me see your badge!” the man ordered.

“Well, um, I’m supposed to be secret, so I don’t have my badge with me exactly. Anyway, I think it’s only fair that you tell me who you are.” Bill answered quickly, trying to not lose her cover.

The man hesitated for a moment, then answered slowly, “Steve. Steve Watkins. I work here at SciMachines. Well, at least I thought I did….” he mumbled, suddenly remembering what had just happened between him and his boss, Sandra.

“Oh my god, are you dead?” Bill asked, getting nervous.

“I’m sorry? How did you know about that? There’s no way you could’ve figured that out.” Steve said, getting alarmed.

Bill was lost, not knowing what to say next. “Uh, it’s pretty obvious, am I right?” she chuckled lightly, trying to act as cool as possible.

“Are you here to stop what’s been happening?” he asked, getting anxious.

“Yes, yes I am. That’s exactly why I’m here.” Bill smiled.

“I want to help you. I know everything you need to know to stop this crazy woman.” Steve winked.

Bill forced a smile, and walked at Steve’s side down the hallway, asking him questions.

The Doctor opened his eyes, and looked down.

He was tied to a chair in an office, with Sandra sitting at her desk in front of him, still looking at the computer screen.

“Good morning.” she said, as if nothing was abnormal about the situation.

“What do you want?” the Doctor asked, getting annoyed.

“I’m asking the questions. Now, what do you already know, detective Smith?”

“I know that you know that I’m not a real detective, and that my name is not really ‘Smith.’”

“Yes, I knew that when you first walked in here earlier today. What’s your real name?”

“The Doctor.”

“The Doctor? What kind of name is that?”

“An awesome one. I also know that you are using dead bodies for your employees. The question is, how? And why? What’s the point? Why not use people who have a beating heart, and a working brain? Why go through all of the trouble? What’s in it for you? Are you a robot too?”

“Stop it, Doctor. That’s enough.”

“It clearly isn’t. You brought me here for a reason, not just because you wanted a little chit chat. Why. Am. I. Here?”

Sandra tapped her finger on her desk, but didn’t move her head.

“And that’s another thing. Why are you afraid to make eye contact? Wait, I think I just answered my own question. You’re afraid, But of what? Your human. Wait. you’re not, are you? That’s why you brought me here. You knew that I was a Doctor. You want me to help you. Otherwise you would’ve killed me and made me into one of your slaves-”

“I SAID THAT’S ENOUGH!” Sandra burst out, turning her head to look at the Doctor for the first time.

Everything about her was normal except one thing: Her eyes. There were three of them, perfect circles, but were so bright that the Doctor had to look away for a moment.

“That is why I don't look at anyone.” sighed Sandra, turning back to her computer so that the Doctor could turn to face her again.

“How come your eyes don't reflect any of their light on the screen?” the Doctor asked silently.

“They don't light up when I'm staring at this. Only when I look away. I need your help Doctor. Please!” she begged.

“Well I can't help with looks. If I could I would’ve made my hair less gray.” the Doctor said sarcastically, but then added quickly, “We are what we are. I can't do anything about that.”

“But I'm not what I am, Doctor. I used to be human, just like you. But I changed the minute I walked in here and sat at this exact desk. I don't know how.”

“I'll help you only if you answer one question: Why are you killing people and turning them into walking robots? What is the point?”

Sandra didn't answer right away, and took a deep breath. “I'm trying to find a way to live life the same way as everyone else, without being judged.”

“How does killing numerous people help with that? Wait, I think I know. You want to still run your business, but without people judging you. And the moment someone suspects you, you kill them and turn them into machines, just so that you don't seem ‘'out of place.” That's just selfish.”

“I am not selfish! I just want to be normal again!”

“Taking away people’s lives isn't selfish? You have taken parents, friends, siblings. All for you and only you. You should be ashamed of yourself.”

Sandra stayed silent, then finally spoke.

“I take it you won't help me, Doctor?”

“I'm not selfish like you. I won't give myself the pleasure of seeing you suffer. Just untie me, and I will help you. I’ll find you a safe place to live, where no one will be around to look at you.”

“You mean, you can't turn me back to normal?”

“Maybe I can, but that's the plan if I can’t.”

“Untie him.” Sandra ordered, and two employees untied the Doctor.

The minute he was free, the Doctor put on his sonic glasses and grabbed Sandra by the shoulder. “Get up and move away.” he ordered, and Sandra complied, and the Doctor turned away so that he wasn't blinded by her eyes.

He then sat in front of the computer, and stated at it. “What are you?” he asked it.

A human’s face appeared on the screen.

“Oh my god, that's my face. That's what I looked like right before I sat here.” gasped Sandra, tears forming in her eyes.

“Of course. Whatever is in here, it took your face. But why? How?” the Doctor asked, scanning the computer with his glasses.

But then the face spoke.

“Help me.” It had Sandra’s voice.

“Now we’re getting somewhere.” the Doctor grinned.

“Let me get this straight: Your boss has been forcing you to take people to a room that has poisonous gas? And then they die?” Bill asked, shocked.

Bill and Steve were sitting in the employee lounge, drinking some tea.

“Pretty much. I’ve tried talking some sense to her, but she just won’t listen. And the one time I try to make her look at me, she almost killed me. Luckily for you, I survived.” Steve replied, putting sugar cubes in his tea.

“Okay, so what do we do now? We can’t just take her to the police, considering that there are hundreds of ‘employees’ by her side. They’ll kill us for sure.” Bill stated, but then she remembered something, “The Doctor! He’ll know what to do! We need to go find him, and my other friend, Nordole. Then we can make our move! Come on!” And with that, she and Steve ran out of the room and through the building.

“Doctor, what is that?” Sandra asked, her voice shaking with fright.

“A computer of some sort.” Came a voice from behind her. She turned and saw a bald man with glasses smiling at her, but he then covered his eyes with his hands, blinded by the light.

“It’s about time, Nardole.” the Doctor called, not moving his eyes from the screen.

“You said to meet up at the lobby in about an hour. And that was one and a half hours ago, thank you very much!” Nardole said sharply. “Anyway, who’s your friend?”

“That’s Sandra. Watch out, her eyes are bright.” the Doctor warned.

“Yeah, I noticed that thanks.” replied Nardole, then he turned to Sandra, his eyes closed. “I’m Nordole. Very nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too.” Sandra smiled.

“Have you seen Bill?” the Doctor asked, pulling out his sonic screwdriver and scanning the computer.

“I’m here! And I’ve brought someone with me!” called out Bill, leading Steve into the room. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Sandra, who was looking down at the floor, not wanting to blind anyone.

“You little-” started Steve, but Nardole and Bill stopped in front of him.

This caught the Doctor’s attention, and he walked away from the computer and walked up to Steve. “Is there a problem?” he asked.

“Yes there is. Why are you helping her? She has killed lots, and almost me!” Steve yelled.

“Steve?” Sandra asked, not raising her head from the floor.

“Yeah, it’s me. The one you almost murdered!” Steve shouted, spit coming out of his mouth.

“FOR A GOOD REASON TOO! YOU DON”T UNDERSTAND ME!” Sandra yelled, raising her head and looking straight at Steve, who yelled in pain when he saw her bright eyes.

“ENOUGH!” the Doctor yelled, then took a few deep breaths, “You two, shut up! Shuttity up up! Now, I am trying to solve a mystery, but I can’t if you two are yelling at each other. It’s annoying!”

Sandra put her head back down, and Steve looked at his shoes, embarrassed.

“Thank you. Now, if you can excuse me, I need to work on this computer…... thingy.” the Doctor said, sitting back down at the desk and looking at the screen.

Bill and Nardole joined the Doctor.

“What’s that face?” Bill asked.

“It’s Sandra’s, before this machine took it and gave her those LED light eyes. The reason why she didn’t take her eyes off the screen was because then they wouldn’t light up, If she looked away, they blinded people.” the Doctor explained as if it was obvious.

“Did you ever found out why she’s killing people?” Nordole asked.

“Because she’s selfish.”

“What do you mean?”

“The people were judging her because she never looked at them. So in her mind, she thought the only way to live a good life was to kill people, all so that she could be happy.”

“That’s horrible.” Bill muttered.

“It’s human nature. Humans want the best for themselves, whether they are willing to admit it or not.” the Doctor stated.

“That’s a little strong, don’t you think?”

“Bill, I’ve had too much experience with people who have chose saving their own lives over others in life and death situations. It’s disappointing, and wrong. But it’s humans. That has always been their downfall.”

“That’s not true, Doctor. What about your other companions?” Nardole intergected.

“They knew that I would save them They had hope. That’s the difference.” the Doctor said.

But before Nardole or Bill could say anything else, the computer face spoke. “Who are you?”

“Why hello. I’m the Doctor. Who are you?” the Doctor asked.

“The Doctor…...I’ve heard that name before. Have I met you?”

“I don’t believe so. What’s your name?”

It took a moment for it to respond, but then spoke loudly. “I’m the Wire.”

The Doctor just stared at the computer in horror, flashbacks running through his head.

Bill looked at the Doctor, and saw that his eyes were becoming wet.

“What’s wrong, Doctor?” she asked, worried.

“Oh my, I remember you now. But my how you've gotten older. How many years has it been? Where’s your blonde girlfriend? She was so yummy.” the Wire mocked, turning into a woman with short wavy hair and dark lipstick. The original Wire.

“How are you back? That’s not possible.” muttered the Doctor, staring at the screen with wide eyes.

“Well, I transferred through the power lines of course. Then somehow I ended up here, in this computer.”

“Then you took Sandra’s face, cause that’s what you do, isn’t it? It’s all about you getting enough energy so that you can rule the world. But let me ask you one question: How did you give Sandra those eyes? Why not take her whole face, like you did last time?”

“That was too boring, Doctor. Wait, don’t tell me you haven’t figured it out yet.”

“Figured out what?” the Doctor asked, but then turned to see Sandra, grabbing her eyes and screaming. He ran to her and turned back to the Wire. “What did you do?!”

“She should've kept looking at me, Doctor. You killed her.”

The Doctor was confused at first, then everything suddenly made sense.

“You wanted to see her suffer. That’s why you gave her these eyes.”

“What do you mean Doctor?” Bill asked.

“How bright is the sun? How hot is it?”

“Oh my god. You mean, her eyes are burning her to death?” Bill asked, shocked and disgusted.

“Yes.”

“Then why aren’t we moving her back to the screen? Her eyes will stop lighting up that way, right?”

“It’s too late, Bill. The most we can do is make her comfortable. The heat is already seeping into her brain, her head.”

“HELP ME DOCTOR! PLEASE!” Sandra begged, barely standing.

The Doctor held her in his arms and sank down to the floor. “Shhhhhh….”

“I just wanted to be happy, Doctor. That’s all I wanted….”

“Shhhh….I know…..” the Doctor whispered.

After a few moments of screaming and bucking up and down, Sandra stopped moving and took her last breath. All the light from her eyes went away, and all there was left on her face was blackness.

Bill started sobbing, and the Doctor stood up and walked back over to the Wire,his veins popping out of his forehead in anger.

“You know, I normally give people second chances. You know why? Because I know that they can change. But you have only gotten worse.” the Doctor said through gritted teeth.

“Oh please, Doctor. You think you can scare me with your words? You can't. I'm more powerful than you.” the Wire laughed.

“Goodbye.” And with that, the Doctor grabbed the computer off the desk and slammed it hard on the ground, breaking it.

“Is she dead?” Nordole asked.

“Stopped? Yes. Dead? Of course not. I don't kill if it's unnecessary.”

“You think that killing her would’ve been unnecessary?” Bill asked in disbelief.

That woman had killed loads of people. If anything she deserved it.” Bill said confidently.

“No one deserves to die, Bill. Even if the person had destroyed an entire race.” the Doctor corrected, walking away from the shattered fragments of the computer and towards Bill, Nordole, and Steve.

“Yeah well, Sandra did.” Steve said triumphantly.

“And who are you again?” the Doctor asked.

“Steve Watkins. I’m one of Sandra’s victims.”

“Oh are you now? You would think that a victim of hers would be wanting to protect her, not kill her. I mean, every other victim here is a robot thing.”

“Well, he was almost a victim of hers. Luckily though I came in and saved him from getting killed.” Bill interrupted.

“Is that so?” the Doctor asked, then walking closer to Steve said, “Tell me Steve, do you think you have right to say whether a person should be dead or not if you don’t know their background? Their story?”

Steve took a moment to answer, then replied quietly, “I suppose not.”

“Exactly. Now if I were you, I’d get out of here and report these robots to the FBI.”

“Wait, I thought you were from the FBI.”

“Oh please, don’t be so dull. Do I seriously look like an agent to you?” And with that, the Doctor, Nardole, and Bill walked out of the building and made their way back to the TARDIS.

Suddenly Bill stopped dead in her tracks and ran up to a shop window, pointing to a tie dye tank top.

“Oh my god, I need it. Doctor, can we go in there real quick? I swear it’ll only take a few minutes.”

“Fine.” the Doctor sighed.

“I’ll just be waiting out here.” Nardole said, leaning against a nearby trash can.

So Bill and the Doctor looked around to try to find an associate to help find the tank top.

“I found one!” Bill exclaimed, and ran down one of the isles. The Doctor sighed and met up with he, and froze.

“Hello. How can I help you?” the associate asked.

“Hello……” Bill trailed off, trying to read off her name tag, “Rose. That’s a pretty name. Anyway, I’m trying to look for the tank top that you have on display in the window.”

Rose was about to answer, then noticed the Doctor staring at her.

“Can I help you sir?” she asked.

“Oh, um, yes. Well, I’m with her.” stuttered the Doctor.

“Doctor, are you okay? You’re crying.” Bill said.

The Doctor touched his cheek and felt the tears flowing down his face.

“Excuse me, what year is this Rose?” the Doctor asked.

“2004. Do you need a doctor sir?” Rose asked, concerned.

“No. But tell you what, next year you're going to have a blast.” the Doctor said with a smile, then turned away while Bill and Rose walked to the front of the shop.

Once Bill had finally checked out, she and the Doctor met up with Nardole and went to the TARDIS.

“Did you know that girl, Doctor?” Bill asked once everyone was settled in.

The Doctor thought about what to say, then said, “No, she just looked familiar.”

Before Nardole and Bill could say anything else, the Doctor pulled the lever on the console, which caused the TARDIS to jerk so that the crew fell down on the floor.

“Where do you want to go now?”

#doctor who #fanfic #twelth doctor #bill potts #nardole #peter capaldi #pearl mackie #the wire #rose tyler #billie piper

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