#mischief1

[og-uglyduk]

Divine little babies. Keep me focused. #gshock #revolution feed yourself not your imaginary friends #mischief1 #mschf1 https://www.instagram.com/p/B1OrzAfHHSG/?igshid=1dghbnmteguq3

[jodiereedus22]

First Meal

A/N: This was requested by an anon! Hopefully you’ll know who you are when I post this!! thank you the ask! it meant the world to me! sorry this is a little late, but I hope you like it!!!

Word Count: 786

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You couldn’t even imagine what Daryl had gone through being taken prisoner by Negan and held at the Sanctuary, but you were so thankful that he made it out alive and made it back to you.

You knew that something went down in the Sanctuary just by the bruises and cuts all over his body, but he wasn’t ready to tell you yet, and that was alright.

You and Daryl had been together for quite a while now, and even to this day, he had trouble being vulnerable. But that was okay, because you knew eventually, he would open up to you, when he was ready, all you had to do was be patient, and you had all the patience and time in the world for Daryl, and he appreciated that.

But you wanted to show him that he wasn’t alone without making him feel pressured into telling you what had happened, so you planned a little surprise for him.

So, you asked him to leave the trailer for a little while whilst you set it all up.

It ended up taking a bit longer than you initially thought it would, but you were so happy with the outcome, now all that was missing – was Daryl.

You did a sweep of Hilltop until you found him in his own little world, sitting on a bench making bolts for his crossbow.

You walked up to him and without saying a word you extended your hand out to him.

Raising his eyebrows slightly in confusion, all you offered was a warm smile – a smile you never knew melted his heart.

He placed his hand in yours and let you lead him back to the trailer.

Arriving at the trailer door you stepped aside to let him open the door, as he looked over to you with curiosity in his eyes.

Daryl wasn’t a fan of surprises, but he trusted you with his life.

“It's okay,” you reassured him with a gentle hand placed on his cheek and another warming smile directed at him.

Daryl gave one of his rare smiles – although less rare with you – and he entered the trailer.

Daryl opened the door only to stop right on the threshold of the trailer.

You came behind him slowly and gently wrapped your arms around him in a loving and protective embrace.

“Is this okay?” you asked, worried that this was too much too soon.

“It’s just that, while you were there, I’m sure you didn’t get anything to eat, and I wanted to make your favourite to welcome you home and to show that I’m here when and if you need me, to show you how much I love you,” you rambled.

For Daryl, this was too much but in a good way. Never in his life had he had someone so devoted and loving towards him. And as he stared at the steaming spaghetti in front of him, candle illuminating the trailer in a soft warm glow he realised – not for the first time – but this time it really resonated with him deeply that …

“I’ll always need ya (Y/N),” Daryl revealed, turning around in your arms.

Now standing face to face, the closest you had been to one another for what felt like a lifetime and far too long – you placed a loving hand on his cheek as you gazed into his beautiful blue eyes.

“I’ll always be here,” you assured him.

Without a second passing your lips met in a gentle, loving yet needy kiss.

You weren’t sure who initiated the kiss, just settled with the fact that you both naturally gravitate towards each other, and you relished it.

You sunk into his kiss taking all of him in. His touch, his smell, the love you felt emanating off him.

You drank each other’s presence up like a man dying of thirst.

The moment only ending what you heard Daryl's stomach start to grumble.

You broke away from the kiss - but still close enough that your noses touched – with a small giggle and a smile on your face.

“I think that spaghetti is calling you,” you said amused as you and Daryl made your way into the trailer, closing the door, creating a world with only you and Daryl in it, and enjoying the meal together.

Not many words were shared, but the moment was perfect. Stealing glances over the table, capturing each other’s hand, holding onto each other while you ate.

You knew Daryl would eventually tell you about his time in the Sanctuary, but for now, all you wanted to do was be with each other in the uninterrupted moment of bliss, happiness, and love, and have it last a lifetime.

Taglist: @fxlminare @crossbowking @viraloutbreakcontrol @coffee-obsessed-writer @bluesfortheredj @shutupimtryin2write @fearthewalkingbitch @selenedixon @cbarter @cole-winchester@alyisdead @hopplessdreamer @infinitewcr @blogsporadicartist @mtngirlforever @sassi-luna  @twdsunshine @momc95 @emo-potato-virgil @sourwolf-sterek32 @tatertot1097 @wilhelmjfink @coffeebooksandfandom @twdeadfanfic @cutiepiemimi13 @kickin-with-dixon @feartheendlesssummer @twdeadlysins  @apocalypse-haven @baseballbitch116 @trashcanband4 @mblaqgi @additction-survivor25 @mel-2a @spaghettyrogers @xxboesefrauxx @sapphire1727 @little-miss-mischief1 @wontlookaway @bunnymother93 @auntiebyn @saintsisterwriter @theunofficialduke @Lilo-1988 @imaginecrushes 

[adamdriverwrites]

Carpe Noctem || Part 4

Plot summary: Mob boss’s daughter & bodyguard au ft. Kylo Ren. Based off this plot bunny (x)

Warnings: none today, kids

Word count: 5329 (prepare yourself)

Pairing: Kylo Ren/Reader

A/N: Here is part 4 finally! NZ is in quarantine, so i’ve been trying to write and gif a lot more! expect another update soon! let me know what you guys think!

Taglist: @helloimindelaware, @dandydragonz, musicalcoffeebean, @driverficarchive, hazydespair, @mp938368, @maybell88, @bikinibrattoms, @fanfic-fangirl, @stillreadingfantasy, @um-well, @OnevergrowoldnevergrowoldO, @jay-ta-blog, @wildwood-trails, @stephhaniee14, @flowerniche, @sanfranciscroc, @little-miss-mischief1, @pami-yui, @lex-bb13, @deepblueswift13, @allknowingnerd, @shawnme-boy, @whymalu, @simonsbluee, @jons-angel, @whymalu, @mixtapes-books, @amazing1rl, @ambrosia-v-black, @souriemickey, @toads4days, @xsar-bearx, @lunarlung, @bubble-t-r-o-u-b-l-e, @cutiepiepotatoes, @bangtan-savage

Masterlist here

Just family.

If you weren't so opposed to the idea of making a scene, then you would have confronted your father about why he was such a deceiver.

It was clearly not strictly family. After you had gone to your room to change, you met your siblings down in the formal dining room, where they had been drinking and waiting for you to arrive. You all moved to the dining room. Roman, Ares and Lyon  sitting on either side, your father taking his legendary seat at the head of the table. However, with Kylo sitting next to your Dad, the only space available was opposite, also next to your father.

Phasma was also seated at the table, thankfully separating Ares and yourself, which you did not mind one bit. In fact, a part of you was almost excited to catch up with Gwen after all this time.

As you stared at your food in front you, silence permeated the room. Save for the lone conversation between your siblings, few words exchanged, otherwise it was a tense, quiet affair. The dining room was huge, with a table fit for easily 20 people and with the 7 of you spread around one half of it, you still had a sizeable space between each other.

You gathered it was your fathers disposition that put everyone on edge. Sitting at the head of the table, nursing a glass of amber liquid. His food completely untouched as he watched everyone. The only one who seemed completely unperturbed by it was Kylo, eating the rack of lamb with a citrus and blue cheese salad without a care in the world it seemed. He was his usual stoic form, though unperturbed by the lack of conversation or apparent awkwardness that lingered, he ate dinner and kept to himself.

Your mind wandered to what Hux had told you about him earlier. About how he was your fathers sword and shield, apparently unflinching in his ability to spill blood. You had been gone for a number of years, and before you left for good you were still rather young - however you were perceptive. Due to your perceptiveness however, you knew he hadn't been around for a long time, not since you were a kid. So where the fuck did he come from?

"Is it always like this?" As conversation ensued at the other end of the table,  you leaned over to Gwen to whisper quietly.

She chewed through a piece of meat, swallowing before answering, "We don't usually have dinner like this. Ever, really."

You nodded, not really receiving an answer to your question - you wanted to know if everything was usually this tense. Or if the day of Mallory's funeral was such a reason.  "Good to know that we won't have to be subjected to this too often then."

"Don't worry," Phasma smiled down at you, "This isn't awkward because of you."

Your eyes drifted down the table, Roman and Ares laughing about something quietly to themselves - Lyon's eyes however - were locked on you. A hard stare as he pushed his food around his plate, haphazardly shoving some into his mouth before looking over at your Dad.

"Sure." you offered, though not completely convinced of her assurance; however kind of a gesture it was intended to be. You knew it was because of Mallory's funeral, that was the predominant proverbial wound, though your presence was pouring salt into said wound.

It made it so much worse, this you were sure.

Roman's voice quietened your internal monologue, speaking your name to gather your attention. You looked over to see him looking at you. "I'm going to Starkiller later on. You wanna come with?"

Starkiller was one of the only legitimate businesses your family had. One that wasn't used to launder money like the Supremacy, it was purely for profit. Though as you grew up you guessed it was your father's way of keeping your brother out of trouble. He had something to do, something to look after, and it was away from the dangerous dealings that could prove fatal. It was a club on the outskirt of your father's turf, under Roman's management though you didn't think he did much 'work' while there.

"What time were you thinking?" You spoke quietly, as not to disturb other conversation happening at the table and not to alert anyone eavesdropping. Your eyes flickered over to your new bodyguard, eating quietly, not even looking at you.

Roman shrugged, "After dinner sometime."

You nodded, "I'm a little jet lagged still. I might have a nap and come later?" You didn't want to go particularly, and you were definitely not jet lagged. To the contrary, you felt quite awake, you just had other ideas and perhaps it could prove a useful alibi.

"Sounds good." He smiled, then went back to eating food off his plate.

"How's school?" It was now your father's voice that pulled your attention. He looked at you while he asked, still not having touched his food. Only nursing a glass and looking over his family.

"It's going okay, thanks."

Phasma piped in next to you. "What do you study exactly? I don't think I've ever actually asked."

"I have a double major; law and psychology." You nodded, it sounded like a brag though you didn't intend for it to be. Although other members of your family looked down on education, others did not.

"Wow, interesting choice. Impressive." Phasma shot you a little smirk.

"You going to be ready to be my lawyer soon?" Roman joked from down the table.

"Or mine." Your father spoke up.

You gave them a half smile in return. Unable to tell the truth- that you had no intention of being a lawyer, it was just something you were studying because you wanted to possess the knowledge of the judicial law system and all the rules in place. You didn't particularly have intentions of breaking the law but if you did... then it would prove extremely fruitful. Psychology was another interest, you found it imperative to understanding your enemies - not that you had many of those either. Yet.

But you were the daughter of Andrew Snoke, and being made to feel so powerless in your youth gave you a complex as you grew up. You needed to acquire knowledge like no one had in your family before, and maybe then you would feel worthy. Powerful.

Dinner passed by quickly. As soon as everyone had finished, your father offered to move it to the office in the west wing of the manor for more drinks. You were going to decline, playing the excuse of jet lag almost immediately, however, you decided to acquiesce and have one drink. For Mallory.

Lyon and Ares started racking up the polished balls on the pool table, setting up for a game. Roman talked lightly with your father, pouring drinks from a crystal decanter for everyone who wanted one. Kylo was back to a dark corner of the room; finding a seat to watch over everyone and smoke a cigarette. He didn't fraternize with the others, or try to relax with a friendly game of pool. Always stoic and always working evidently.

You followed Gwen, finding a seat near the tall open windows facing the backyard. Curtains parted slightly, cool breeze blowing in faintly. Too dark to see out but the fresh air helped ease your mind, if only for a moment.

"Here." Gwen offered you a cigarette from her pack and you kindly accepted. A horrible habit, you knew, but to you it was a small price to pay for stress relief. A hit of nicotine helped your thoughts calm down, and deprived any ill feelings purchase in the forefront of your mind. You could have a few moments not totally at the behest of your anxiety or depression.

"Thank you." You accepted, along with the flame she held up so you could light it. Inhaling deeply, you gave yourself a second to appreciate the reprieve before you exhaled. And then braved to ask Gwen a question. "So come on, be honest with me."

Her pale eyes met yours, and quirked a brow. "I almost always am."

A short laugh escaped your lips. "Thanks for the honesty." Your eyes drifted around everyone, to see if anyone was paying particular attention. "But I mean... how serious is my Dad about all this bodyguard shit?"

"I'd say pretty serious. He assigned me to Roman after all."

This made you sit forward. "Really?" That was particularly serious. "I thought it was a sexist thing, that he didn't think I could take care of myself but, huh..." You sat back in the chair, thrown for a loop. You didn't think it was really that serious. Sure, there were aspects of Mallory's death suspicious but he was on high alert. Enough to warrant some of his most ruthless and trusted men - and women - to become glorified sitters for his children.

"You've all been assigned someone."

"Why didn't I get you? Why did I get him?" Your eyes shot over her shoulder, the furthermost corner of the sprawling room. Kylo sat with your father, drinking. His dark eyes trained on you; already watching.

Always fucking watching. You pulled your eyes away immediately, though you were positive he would not have been able to hear a word from the distance, or over your siblings shouts and taunts. His eyes were on you regardless and it made you uneasy.

Any hint of a smile covering Phasma's lips instantly dropped. The furrow in her brow set in again. "Well... you're you." She took a drag of her cigarette. "And as much as I hate to admit this, he's the best. Snoke is just being cautious."

"The best at what exactly?" You took a drag of your own cigarette, ashing in the crystal ashtray on the coffee table between you. Something flared in Gwen's eyes, what, you were not sure. Worry? Anger? Jealousy? Or was it fear? You had no idea.

"You're smart. I think you already know." She looked like she didn't want to talk about the subject anymore. You weren't sure if it was your father's presence, or Kylo's that deterred her from spouting any more honest truths.

Your mind went to Hux, and the words he had so freely spoken before dinner had you wondering. Calling Ren your father's right hand man, the problem solver.... a rabid animal.  You knew your family was bad. By conventional terms with a modern sense of morality, they were evil.

Criminals, murderers, extortioners, torturers, tax-evading, wealth-hording, gun-shipping, drug-running psychopaths to be exact.

And as bad as you all were, everyone in the Snoke manor was scared of only one person; your father. He was a much older man now, and though he still held a significant amount of power over everyone in the house - it appeared he now had passed the torch on. All physical bouts and messy jobs were now Kylo's to execute, and it seemed he did them perfectly.

You had never seen or heard of him before. You wondered how new he was exactly, and how quick he had risen in the ranks to become your fathers most trusted man. He would have had to prove himself immensely, and the concept of what that possibly entailed both scared and intrigued you. You wondered what types of violence your father found to be grounds for proof of trust.

You made a mental note to ask Armitage how long he had been around, along with a few others things flying around your brain. Weirdly, they were all questions about Kylo Ren.

You decided to cool your thoughts, and continue small talk with Gwen. You asked about your brother, and what her new schedule was like since it hadn't appeared he had changed much. She confirmed that she spent most of her nights at Starkiller, watching your brother party with his friends.

You shared a few jokes at the expense of your family, especially when Lyon lost a game of pool and almost snapped the pool cue over his knee in anger. A glare from your father and his anger simmered down almost immediately. You finished your cigarette, though enjoying talking with Gwen you were thoroughly over this fucking situation. A drunk sausage fest with your family in which none of them even wanted to talk to you, to spend time with you. Your father could hardly stand the sight of you.  

You gave him the benefit of the doubt - he had buried his daughter today, and looking at the face of your other estranged one was certainly not a priority he had to have. You expected nothing on arrival, and had already had a few days of drama free bliss. Really, your sisters death had the opposite reaction on your Dad than you thought it would.

You supposed you would enjoy it while you could. You thought it was going to be utter chaos here, loud arguments between you and your father, leading to a crescendo in which you would be forced to leave once more.

You decided to bid Gwen goodnight, finishing your drink in two big gulps you braved the walk to your father. Zig zagging around your brothers and the Snoke enforcers, you found your way to your Dad and Kylo. His eyes were focused on the drink in his hand, amber liquid swirling in a glass slowly. Kylo noticed you before he did.

"Dad?" You pulled him out of his reverie and he looked up. "I think I'm going to head to bed, I’m not use to New York time yet."

"Oh." He nodded, "Okay. Sleep well, kid."    

You gave the faintest smile, eyes shooting to Kylo who stared you up and down. A curious look behind his eyes - like he knew you were lying. Though your father seemed completely fooled. You left immediately, trying to ignore the awkward goodbye with your father, you snuck out the doors and headed to your bedroom.

Checking your phone, it was only about 10 p.m. You figured jetlag would set in eventually, but after today’s days events you felt wide awake. You didn't want to go to sleep yet. Maybe you couldn't.

You shed out of your funeral clothes, getting changed into something far more comfortable. A white cropped t-shirt, dark jeans, and your trusted leather jacket. Slipping on some fresh socks and swapping you shoes for your black doc martins. You checked your appearance in the mirror before sighing. You looked good considering everything you had been through today. 

Usually you looked like shit.

Grabbing keys, money, phone and smokes you locked your bedroom door, turned off the light and left out the window. It may have been almost ten years since you had done this, but it was a tried and true trick for sneaking out when you had more than 10 people staying at your house at any given time. Especially when some of those people's job were specifically to make sure people didn't get in or out without the family's knowledge. There was no way in hell you were going to make it out the front door without anyone finding out.

Or worse, Kylo.

You were hellbent on deterring his body-guarding for as long as you could; hopeful it would serve as eventual proof to your father that you did not need to be looked after. You didn't even want to think about how uncomfortable he made you feel.

Not in a bad way, you weren't scared of him like everyone seemed to be. But being in such close proximity was jarring in a certain way, despite his stoic, murderous presence, you couldn't stop staring at his face. At that scar, at those deep, brown eyes.

And at those lips.

He was hot, in an unconventional way, and you almost never found men sexy. For this reason alone you wanted to stay as far away as possible. You didn't even want to broach the reason of whatever the fuck had you thinking about Kylo Ren's lips.

There was a large trellis that covered almost the whole wall underneath your window. Covered by thick ivy vines that sprawled up most of the 3 story Snoke manor, you used this to sneak in and out of your room up until you were sent off to boarding school. And even when you came back for a Christmas once. It was a trick you had learned from watching Mallory sneak out when you were younger.  

You poked your head out first, making sure you couldn't see anyone on a perimeter watch, another thing your father's lackeys did sometimes. Seeing the coast was clear, you positioned your feet and then moved out, leaving your window open for entry later. Making sure your footing was placed carefully and with a strong grip, you made your way down the side of the house. Your bedroom was on the second floor, though your house was notorious for high ceilings and you were pretty high up off the ground. Adrenaline kicked in and cooler heads prevailed as you made the climb down to the ground. Once your feet touched the grass underneath your window, you breathed a sigh of relief.

The garage was big enough to house all the vehicles of the multiple people who lived at your house. The entrance was under the south wing of the house, which was an easy, quick walk from your room. You made it there in a minute or two, careful to stay away from windows in case you were seen by anyone randomly gazing out. Opening the last garage door, the one that housed your precious car, you hopped in and started it up. Leaving the lights off, you shifted gears and made it out onto the driveway. Careful that anyone looking out a window or wandering around the property wouldn't be alerted by bright car lights. You were trying very hard not to be seen and you were hoping your hard work was going to pay off.

You had spent years perfecting this technique of Mallory’s.

You drove down the long, winding driveway guided by moonlight alone, until you reached the end. You flicked your lights on and took the exit onto the road. You exhaled a deep breath, one you didn't know you were holding. Paranoia relieved a little bit as you made your way down the street, your eyes still glanced at the rear view mirror looking for car lights that might follow.

You were half worried that Kylo would be trailing you, someone seeing you slinking around the property in the dark and sneaking out would definitely pique interest. You didn't want a bodyguard, especially one who's presence made you uneasy. In which way in particular, you weren't sure. But you wanted to be alone right now. 

You had been alone for years and years on end before this moment - what had changed now that you needed a bodyguard? Mallory's death? Most likely. Being back in the country could've proved you to be an easier target too, you guessed.

However, you had been gone for so many years, and being the black sheep of the family did provide one comfort - no one outside the family really knew who you were.  You were a taboo subject, rarely talked about and never seen. You weren't involved in the family business like your brother's were, and didn't go to classy fundraisers and socialite parties like Mallory did.  

Not to mention you took Brazilian jiu jitsu for years when you were a kid - and you remembered some shit. You weren't lying when you tried to convince your father that you would be fine on your own.

It didn't take long to enter the city, and then find the towering skyscraper that was the Finalizer. It was a tall, dark building with gothic architecture encompassing the facade, contrasted beautifully with its elaborate but minimalist, neutral toned interior. A 5 star safe haven for the rich, famous and criminally inclined. Your father had made sure whatever secrets were experienced within, never had a chance of escape.

You pulled your vehicle into the valet area, shifting into park you hardly had enough time to grab your stuff before a young man opened your door for you.

“Welcome to the Finalizer, ma'am.”

You gave a half smile in thanks, walking forward to the grandiose gold double doors that served as the entrance. Another young man opened them with a smile, welcoming you to the hotel.

Gold light from over hanging chandeliers illuminated the room. Bright mosaic patterns intertwined with white marble made up the floor. An expansive room with nothing but elevators behind a desk with two more people behind it. You were glad you remembered the pass code, unwanting to make conversation with people you didn't know. Not today.

You made a beeline straight for the elevator, stepping into the mirrored room, throwing a smile at the girl behind the desk as you passed. The numbers for all the floors were illuminated by a dim light, the top 3 floors reserved penthouses for permanent residences given out by your father. The very top floor was for family, a sort of unusual halfway house. For when his children couldn’t stand being near him but lacked the funds to move into their own abode. It was Roman's home once upon a time, then it was empty save for the odd weekend or two when your brothers were too drunk to leave the city, and then eventually Mallory’s home. You didn't know what your father was going to do with it now. If your sisters body hadn't been found in it then you would have been tempted to move in.

Although, depending on how bad it got at home - maybe you could be easily convinced.

A small keypad was situated next to the floor buttons, and you entered the pass code for your sisters floor, something that wasn't required of irregular hotel stayers who had simple key cards for their rooms.

The elevator rode all the way to the top, and you were lucky to be alone. The surge of the lift paired with the g-force, you felt your heartbeat rapidly fasten. You tried to peg its inception down to the anxiety that now clouded your mind. You were about to enter your sister's apartment after all.

The last place she was when she was alive.

You remembered your father telling you the place had been cleaned after the forensic evidence had been collected. You hadn't been here in so long that you hardly remembered it. You were shipped off to boarding school long before you were old enough to spend drunken weekends here.  

The doors to the elevator opened right up into the apartment. Separating with a 'ding' it revealed the almost pitch black penthouse. A little stream of light from the lift exposed a golden beam down the otherwise dark hallway. You turned the torch on your phone to it's brightest setting, walking out into the penthouse. The doors shut behind you as you found the light switch, and the penthouse was suddenly bathed in light.  

Tall, white walls of the hallway gave way to an open planned penthouse. Floor to ceiling glass revealed the neon New York skyline below. The spacious living room gave way to a kitchen on the far left and bedrooms on the far right. A garden laden outside area showed numerous seating with a table, a hot tub, and an infinity pool that disappeared off the edge.

It was clad in dark fabrics and white paint. A shiny, new, modern penthouse that was starkly different than the Snoke manor. It was sparse with furniture, minimalist in its decor; simple but effectively pretty. Mallory had kept the place nice and tidy, artwork and pictures littered the penthouse walls, giving it a burst of colour that was proof of her bubbly personality living here.

You shed your jacket, throwing it over the back of the couch, your items discarded along with it. Your eyes darted around the apartment, eager to find something out of place, unusual enough that you would notice. Though, your lack of experience with the space provided some trouble.

Mallory had taught you a lot growing up - how to escape down a trellis on the side of the house to avoid being detected was one of them. One of the others was having a good hiding spot.

Andrew Snoke was a controlling father growing up, especially with his daughters. And even more so with his favorite, Mallory. You didn't blame her for turning to drugs in her turbulent youth, not with the pressure she was under. Your brothers had done all that and worse and they hadn't been crucified for it.

And because of all of that, Mallory had taught you that hallowed out books, sun-glass cases in underwear drawers, and envelopes behind hung pictures were all great hiding spots.

You made your way to the bedrooms, finding the master that Mallory called hers. Everything was clean, put away, though a glance at the walk-in closet and the mass of designer dresses it was easy to deduce her presence. There was a large bed in the middle, side tables either side. Various artwork hung on the walls and the long, wooden shelf in the room was littered with pictures of her and her friends.

You noticed a few of them by face, probably knew all of them by name the amount she talked about them - though you couldn't tell who was who. Mallory's smiling face was what caught your eyes and cause you to still. Shining, bright eyes and a wide smile that you were familiar with. One that you would never see again. Your throat tightened at the thought.

You darted over to the side tables with purpose, to forget the overwhelming sadness creeping into your mind and replace it with something productive instead. You rifled through its contents, opening drawers and quickly sifting through objects. Pushing things to the side you safely checked for a false bottom of each shelf, but found nothing in particular. Moisturizers, sleep masks, and a pack of cigarettes - though nothing special.

You continued your rampage through her room, looking behind artwork hung on the walls, looking under the bed, under the pillows, in between the mattress and the bed frame, then moving to the closet. You checked in her boots, making sure nothing was concealed in there, before becoming desperate and looking in her shoe boxes and the pockets of her coats. Heaving a sigh of contempt, and resigning to the notion that there was nothing in this room you decided to move on.

You made your way to the kitchen - checking cereal boxes, and the freezer, large tins that she kept nestled in the pantry. You checked anything and everything you thought could be a possibility, but nothing seemed suspicious. Nothing was awkwardly placed, nothing moved every so often that dirt patterns formed; everything was normal.

You ventured over to the living room. You checked behind the artwork first, and behind one you find a safe built into the wall. Your interest was piqued momentarily before realizing these were in all your fathers properties - and housed usually large amounts of cash, jewels, important legal documents and the like. You were looking for something in particula, and figured it would not be inside a safe your father had access to. 

You knew Mallory kept a journal, she had as a teenager, and once she grew up and tried to stay sober she had one documenting her thoughts. Something her sponsor told her might be able to help with her sobriety. You hoped if anything her diary would hold some impertinent information. Anything.

However, you were not inclined to think a diary she wrote in everyday was kept in a safe in the living room. Too many processes for something so ridiculous as a journal. You figured she was still like she was growing up - in that she preferred to hide things from the prying men in our family - but she wouldn't go to those lengths. Not if our father had the code to said safe.

You would ask him about it later, but resigned to not give up. It had to be somewhere. You were confident it was not in the safe.

A large flat screen was set against the wall, a wide fireplace underneath. Built into the wall either side were some bookcases, not housing anything but photos, some CDs, and ornaments that Mallory had collected over the years that obviously meant something to her. And a card from you, from her last birthday. Nothing pretty or pink, or particularly special but simply declaring your love for your sister.

You placed it back on the shelf, eyes moving over to a trophy from Mallory's high school days, a cheer-leading trophy, sitting next to it a picture of her winning prom queen, next to her tiara that she blatantly kept. You smiled, if only at the ridiculous nature and stark reality of how different you two were. Things she cared about weren't even on your radar - you two didn't have anything in common. Lived on different continents in fact, and still the two of you got together and it was some of the only moments you felt you were truly happy. You would drink, or maybe smoke a little pot together and would end up in stitches of laughter, faces and sides burning in pain. You were definitely going to miss her humor.

A smile curved your lips and you glanced over, eyes catching a gold trophy that caused you to still. You had seen it before, you remembered it briefly, and as your eyes shot down to the engraved tag, it read your name.

Your hands gripped the trophy, a gold metal showing a girl doing a roundhouse kick in a martial arts stance. "Holy shit." The words flew from your mouth without thought.

Mallory had kept it.

~~~~

You and competed in over 6 different competitions, fought in over 22 different matches, becoming the champion for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in the tri-state area for girls under 18. And you were only 13 years old at the time.

Years and years of rigorous training had led to this point, years of your youth spent on grueling grappling techniques and perfecting your punches. To this referee now announcing your name, a round of applause from all the parents in the stands stung your ears. He shook your hand, handing you the trophy. A flash from a camera blinded you momentarily, and you searched for familiar faces in the crowd.

Your eyes locked with Mallory's. She was standing up, clapping as hard as she could, a proud smile on her face. You looked at the seat next to her - reserved for your father.

It was empty.

Your heart dropped. You mustered a smile, praying for it to be over so you could go back to the changing rooms and release the tears that pooled in the corner of your eyes.

You locked your gaze with Mallory once more, and noticing the look on your face, and you glancing at the empty seat next to her, her mouth uttered an apology, providing a sincere look.

You bit your lip, squeezing the trophy as hard as you could in your hands until it was over. Once you were clapped off the stage with the girl who came 2nd and 3rd place, you ran to the changing rooms to find a lonely corner you could get out of your fighting robes.

You prayed for the tears to go away, to any God who was out there that could show one ounce of mercy to you. But no one answered. You were alone, and once one tear fell it was hard to stop the rest. Your father couldn't even come to your championship fight? He never devoted any time to you ever, and you were doing this because it made him vaguely proud in some way. Even still, he couldn't give you one second of his fucking time?

He had given you nothing, and you had done this all for him.

You sniffled, throwing your bag over your shoulder and haphazardly slipping your shoes on, you exited the changing room to meet Mallory outside the stadium.

"Oh my god! Congratulations!" She swept you up in a hug, perfume wafting through your nostrils, your face was buried in her blonde hair. "First place? Hell yes!"

You scoffed. "Yeah..."

She dampened at the sight of you, facade falling slightly. "Oh, come on, kid. Let's go get some ice cream, my shout."

"I don't know," you hitched the bag up your shoulder, "I don't really feel like ice cream."

She sighed, stepping forward to grab your hand that clutch the trophy. "I'm so sorry he didn't come, okay, but-"

"Did he say why?"

"Well, he just said he was busy and he had to-"

"He's always too busy." You interrupted her again. "He doesn't give a shit about me. I haven't seen him in weeks, and he's the one that put me into this martial arts bullshit!"

Mallory's weakening facade was demolished, and she burst into tears. "I'm so sorry."

You sighed deeply, though it had been evident you had been crying you chastised her regardless. "Why are you crying?"

"Because," she wiped her tears away, shifting her large handbag further up her shoulder, "Because I'm sorry. I'm sorry for Dad, for how he is and how he treats you." You weren't sure how but it seemed like she got even more upset. "And I'm sorry that I was fortunate enough to be nourished by her growing up and you were too young to experience-"

"Whatever." You cut her off again, before she could finish, she was crying with sympathy, empathy, whatever the fuck it was that caused her tears. If she finished her sentence you knew you would be reduced to the same fate. "Can you please take me home? I'm done."

You glanced over to the side, a stadium bin free standing. You walked over, taking one last look at the trophy before you threw it into the trash can. You glanced at Mallory, and then walked to the car park where she had her vehicle.You didn’t look back.

~~~

The two of you had made your way home, driving in silence. You remembered that day vividly now. Mallory was 8 years older than you were, so she had her license, and her own car. A whole life of her own. She was in college, eager to drink and socialize with her friends.

And then something changed.

You had never been close when you were younger, but after that day she had made a gratuitous effort of being in your life. Of supporting you emotionally and providing wisdom and comfort when you needed it. Of being a constant in your life, even when you left for boarding school. She was the only lifeline you had in this family. She had taken the role of father, and mother, and adopted those qualities to try give you a better life.

And she had kept it.

You clutched the trophy in your hands, even tighter. She must have picked it out of the trash, put it in her handbag and then followed you to the car.

And she kept it all this time. Never telling you about it, never trying to offer it back to you. She kept it as a proud memento on a shelf in her living room for herself. Your throat tightened, your lip trembling as you felt tears gather in your eyes. You couldn't hold it back, irrevocable sadness you had been keeping at a simmer turned into full on misery. You wept for times passed, over memories you shared with Mallory and the reality that you would never create any more. You cried over the possibility of the suspicious circumstances that surrounded her death, that someone could have taken her away from you before her time.

And you cried because you were alone, once again.

[thepokyone]

Locked

(gif not mine)

Pairing: Loki x Reader (ft. the Avengers)

Content/Warnings: Angst; fluff; Clint being a bit of a jerk

Words: 1603

A/N: Well, the long awaited sequel to Spinning has finally arrived. I kinda drew inspiration from Imagine Dragons’ song Next To Me for this fic, so make sure to check out that song because it’s honestly awesome. Anyways, enjoy!

Part 1

For several moments, you weren’t completely sure if Thor was planning on attacking or congratulating Loki. Jane seemed to be thinking along the same lines, moving to place a restraining hand on Thor’s chest, but the thunder god finally relaxed and gave his brother a beaming smile. “Well congratulations then, brother!”

“Thank you, Thor,” Loki said smoothly, pulling his sleeve back down. “Though, if you don’t mind, I would like to get to know my soulmate, so if you could take your friends elsewhere…”

“Oh, right, of course. Come Jane, Darcy. Stark has put in a new microwave, it even speaks to you!” Thor said happily. Jane looked amused, as did Darcy, who sent you a discreet thumbs up before pulling the door shut behind her.

Your fingers tapped nervously against your thigh. “So…”

“Would you like to sit?” Loki offered, waving towards the couch.

“Sure, yeah.” You accepted the invitation, taking a seat on the couch and tucking a leg under you. “So you’re stuck here, huh?”

“There are worse fates, I suppose,” He mused, stretching an arm across the back of the couch. “What about you? Where are you from? I’ve been reading up on Earth’s geography, though I can’t promise I’ll recognize the place.”

“Well, you know where Thor was first banished to? New Mexico? That’s where I live, I went there for college which is how I met Jane and Darcy,” You explained. “We’re a pretty unlikely group of friends, to be honest.”

Loki’s lips flicked upwards into what could almost be called a smile. “I had noticed. So you were there when Thor was mortal?”

“No. I was actually visiting family and missed all the action, believe it or not. Just my luck.”

“It’s probably for the best, I did try to kill him. I’m thankful that you weren’t there to get caught in the crossfire,” He admitted.

“That’s one thing I don’t get. Why do you hate Thor so much? I mean, it’s obvious that he cares about you,” You pointed out.

That gave Loki pause. “I suppose we just never really gotten along. He’s Thor, the oh-so-perfect Asgardian prince, and I’m Loki, the frost giant who will never be good enough.”

“That’s not true,” You said softly, honestly surprised he had confided in you like that. “Loki, adopted or not, the two of you are brothers. It’s obvious that Thor doesn’t care that you’re a frost giant, he just cares that you’re his brother. And for the record, I don’t care that you’re a frost giant, either.”

He didn’t appear to be convinced. “We’ll see.”

You ended up moving into Stark Tower a couple weeks after meeting Loki. Both he and the other Avengers wanted to make sure you were safe from external threats, which considering your soulmate was Loki, was probably a good idea. It was only natural for you to want to, anyways, since that’s where your soulmate was, but the fact that you were hanging around a gang of superheroes took some getting used to. Not to mention the fact that one of the most hated men on Earth was your soulmate, but that was a whole other can of worms.

There was a learning curve when it came to being around super spies and technical geniuses, but you ended up learning pretty quickly. In fact, there were three things you learned within your first week. One: never leave food unattended, otherwise it will get eaten. Two: don’t attempt to sneak up on Natasha. It didn’t end well for Tony and you doubted it would end any better for you. And three: never leave Clint and Loki alone in a room together.

Understandably, Clint didn’t particularly like Loki. Saying Clint loathed Loki would be a more apt phrase. Unfortunately, this meant Clint would pick a fight with the god of mischief which ended with Clint getting his ass handed to him or Loki stalking away to sulk for a few hours.

About three weeks into you moving into the Tower, however, things went a bit too far. You had spent most of the day with Natasha, the two of you having a girl’s day getting to know each other better, and when you returned you were intent on going straight to find Loki. He could usually be found in his room, or the library, or even the common room on the rare occasion that he was feeling like speaking with the other Avengers. However, he was nowhere to be found.

“Have any of you seen Loki?” You asked, addressing Tony, Clint, and Steve who were discussing their latest mission. “I can’t find him anywhere.”

Clint choked on the water he was drinking, causing the other two men to give him confused glances. Tony shrugged. “No, I haven’t. I’m sure Reindeer Games is around somewhere, just use your compass. That is what it’s there for.”

“I saw him in the library this morning, if that helps,” Steve offered. “But I haven’t seen him since, sorry. Clint?”

The archer cleared his throat. “Oh, um… no. I haven’t seen him.”

“He’s probably just with Thor or something,” You said with a shrug. “Thanks anyways, guys.”

You gave them a wave before wandering off, deciding to just chill in your room and watch some Netflix, though you couldn’t rid yourself of the distinct feeling that something was wrong. You had been encouraged (mainly by Steve) to follow your gut, especially if you thought something wasn’t right, so you glanced down at your compass and started walking in the direction it was pointed.

It took a little bit of trial and error to figure out what floor Loki was on, though you figured once your compass stopped wobbling uncertainly that you were in the right place. You were surprised that he was on the floor devoted mainly to training and gym activities and followed the compass on your skin towards the showers.

He wasn’t anywhere to be seen, and the floor was quiet as the Avengers were all off eating dinner. “Loki?” You called, padding through the shower room. There was no answer. “Jarvis, have you seen Loki?” Perhaps you should have asked the AI first.

“He appears to be in the sauna,” Jarvis responded promptly.

“Well what’s he doing in there?” You muttered, mostly to yourself. You jiggled the handle of the sauna door - it was locked. Something was definitely wrong. “Jarvis, can you unlock the door to the sauna?”

“Of course,” Jarvis said, the lock clicking a moment later. You yanked the door open, immediately assaulted with a wave of nearly nauseating heat.

You barely had to go in to find your soulmate, slumped against the wall by the door. “Loki? Are you okay?”

He stirred at your statement, glancing up at you warily. You let out an audible gasp at his appearance - his skin was completely blue and his eyes were red. The heat must have forced him back into his natural frost giant form. “No.”

“Jarvis, turn off the heat in the sauna,” You ordered, crouching down to drape his arm over your shoulder and heave him up. “Let’s get you out of here.”

You had to half-drag Loki out of the sauna, and he was heavier than he looked. “Here, lean against the wall,” You ordered, yanking open the curtain to the nearest shower and turning it on, making it as cold as possible. “Get under the water.”

He managed to stumble over, and you got significantly doused whilst preventing him from falling face-first on the tile. The icy water seemed to revive him. “Y/N?” He asked.

“Yeah, it’s me,” You confirmed. “Are you okay?”

“I’ll live,” He said, still leaning heavily on you.

“Here, we need to get your shirt off. It’ll help cool you down,” You ordered, and you jumped as his form flashed and a majority of his clothes vanished, sans what appeared to be a pair of swim trunks. “I thought you couldn’t do magic?”

“I can do some. Not a lot. Don’t tell Thor,” Loki admitted. He seemed to be regaining his strength, at least enough that he was speaking coherently once more, and it was only now that he realized his skin was blue rather than its normal pale color. He looked down at himself, then back at you, then at himself once more.

“It’s okay,” You assured him.

“I look like a monster,” He spat, disgust in his voice. “It’s not okay. Not to mention you should have frostbite from touching me.”

“Well, you don’t want to give me frostbite, do you?” You asked. His head gave a brief shake. “I figured as much. I believe you have more control than you think you do, Loki. And I don’t think you look like a monster.”

He snorted. “You’re lying.”

“No, I’m not. I’ll prove it.” You pulled him down into a kiss, only moderately surprised when he didn’t jerk away and instead wrapped an arm around your waist to deepen the kiss. His lips were cool, moving in perfect sync with your own.

Later, after you had punched Clint for locking Loki in the sauna, you’d claim that you and Loki had your first kiss out in Central Park and not under an icy shower. But the two of you knew, and many months later Loki admitted to you that that moment was when he realized he had fallen in love with you. You smiled, said you knew, and told him you loved him too.

Life was good with the man you loved. And you never had a directionless compass again.

Tag List:  @the-crime-fighting-spider @micachu1331 @esoltis280 @ilvermornyqueen @teaand-cookies @alittlebitofmagic @bluebird214 @lovely-geek @fleurs-en-ruines @loki-god-of-my-life @awesomehaylzus @ldyhawkeye @ldyhawkeye @small-wolf-in-the-snow @the-bleeding-rose @momc95 @loki-laufey-son @hp-hogwartsexpress @haven-in-writing @alivingfanlady @micachu1331 @little-miss-mischief1 @pepperr-pottss @t-talkative @lady-loki-ren @usedtobeabaker @val-kay-rie @inn-ocuous @xclo02 @ex-bookjunky @stone2576 @dkpink123 @loki-laufey-son

[bbparker]

BTS of I Found You (Loki Laufeyson)

2,200 Followers celebration!

A/N: sorry this is late! I’m terrible but its all updates from here! I figured i’d release this before all of my other... things ahaha love you all and I cant wait for you all to see all my new works!

Warning: SLIGHT spoilers for my fic :D

//Masterlist//

“Welcome everybody! I know it’s an early morning but let us try and get through these two scenes before lunch, okay?” Parker asks, looking down at some of her actors.

Tom to the side and (y/n) sitting in the lazy clothes a few chairs from him.

“Is there any questions before we start?” The director asked, giving (y/n) a side glance as she knew the girl would definitely have a question. As promised (y/n)’s hand went up as Parker nodded for her to continue.

“Look I read the script and it’s not looking good, Parker. I mean, why, in the ending does (y/n) and Loki have-”

“(Y/n), darling, let's not question it. It’s a great ending!” Tom interrupted smirking at her. With playfully narrowed eyes, (y/n) laughed lightly.

“For you maybe, Hiddleston. You get to go-” Parker quickly interrupted the actress, huffing.

“Just roll with it (y/n). I swear it’ll make sense later on.”

“If you’re sure…”

——————

“Going for a take! Camera? Sound? Mark it!”

“This is scene 1A, take 1” The clapperboard sounded as all waited in anticipation for the very first scene to begin.

“Annnnd, action!” Parker yelled. The camera moved and took in Chris walking in to witness (y/n) being disturbed by the character ‘Jeremy’.

“I’ll give you five seconds to remove your hand from my girlfriend before I kick your ass seven ways to kingdom come.”

“Look, man, no problem. I didn’t know she had a boyfriend, let alone one that isn’t her soulmate.”

The atmosphere changed as Parker was aware that (y/n) had started making face at Chris because the camera wasn’t on her.

“Yet, if she didn’t I’d still kick your ass. Especially if I was her soulmate. Didn’t your momma ever teach you it’s not nice to touch girls without their permission-”When Chris paused during his line, Parker watched as a smile crept up his face before he finally broke into a laugh. (Y/n) turned to face the camera behind her with her face pulled together to make a fish face with cross eyes.

Hands on her face, Parker called. “Let's go again!”

—————

“Okay first scene together, we can do this right?”

“Yes, we have great chemistry.”

“Are you flirting-“

“Action!”

“It’s you…”

“Excuse you?”

“You’re Loki?”

“Sorry, did you want Thor? I have his number?” Tom pulled out a phone as (y/n) broke into laughter and head was thrown back as she clapped.

“Cut! My gosh, someone get me a coffee!” Parker’s head was thrown back, ready to go back to bed after all of this. The various makeup artists, costume and hair stylists stepping in the fix up the slightly windswept hair.

“Stop making me laugh Tom, this is serious!” (y/n) slapped his arm, making Tom laugh.

“Well, if I’m too charming for you-”

”Action!”

“You’re Loki?” She narrowed her eyes slightly.

“You weren’t listening.” Loki deadpanned.

“No! no, sorry I was I was… it's just… well-”

“Spit it out, mortal.” Tom completed his blocking by moving ever closer. (Y/n) showed the Loki character her ‘tattoo’ behind her ear as Loki stepped forward. The camera on (y/n)’s face, Loki out of focus behind her.

“Why pray ask, would you, a Midgardian, have my name in our ancient language behind your ear?” (Y/n) turned back quickly only to come within a very close distance of his face.

“Do you truly not know what…” Knowing that Parker was about to yell cut (y/n) quickly got her last words in.

“Do you truly not know what I had for lunch? It was a romantic moment between us Tom! Dammit!” Multiple laughs echoed amongst the film crew, Parker simply throwing her script down and walking away for a nap.

———

Now came for the moment Tom would carry her over his shoulder. Picking her up as the rigs slightly took the weight off of his shoulder, Tom adjusted slightly before asking (y/n) if she was okay.

“Yup, let's get this show on the road! By the way, its a nice view from here if I do say so, Tom!”

“Action!”

Tom/Loki started walking over the rubble as (y/n) delivered her lines.

“Release me, or I swear by all that is mighty I will tear you limb from limb. God or not, do not test me Loki beca-” He tripped, taking (y/n) down with him.

Wheezing out any air remaining in her lungs, a worried Tom stood and looked down at her.

“Holy shit, (y/n), are you okay?” She simply laughed and wheezed.

“Were there always four of you?” Parker comes running up next to them, excited. “Wow, that might make the final cut!” (Clearly it did not make the final cut)

“Your concern for me is overwhelming Parker. I swear after this is over, my mental health will be out the window…” Parker shrugs and mumbles, “most likely.”

————

“Alright! The final scene, 25C, take 1.”

The camera inches in slowly as (y/n) and Loki stand opposite each other.

“Where am I?” Tom asks as Loki, slowly inching forward, towards the beautiful maiden at the end of the bridge.

“Where do you think you are?”

“It looks like home, but it's not. You look like you’re here, but that's impossible. You reside far from me, this must be a dream.”

“Would you rather be elsewhere?”

“Nowhere.”

“Nowhere?” (y/n) was confused, this wasn’t in the script but knowing Tom sometimes improvised for Loki she went along in character. Loki/Tom stepped closer, the camera pausing as they moved slightly around (y/n) to capture Loki/Tom’s emotion. A slow and hesitant hand came to lightly touch a familiar braid in (y/n)’s hair, dark and light meeting.

Parker screams cut and nearly runs herself into a wall out of frustration.

“Hiddleston! I thought we talked about not giving away the ending to ANYONE, not even your counterpart. The Russo brothers would have my ass.” Tom simply shrugs and laughs at the now pouting (y/n).

“Unfair.” She mumbles.

Parker swiftly turned to face the camera recording behind the scenes as she smiles devilishly. Swiftly she swipes her hand across and turns the camera off. A black screen remains.

MASTERLIST

I FOUND YOU - LL

TAGS

@saharzek @nerdyandexhausted  @iamwarrenspeace @jahanana  @asexualmarauder @theharrisontomytom  @shippingfangurl  @ironmanlover24 @come-with-me-and-imagine  @alwayshave-faith  @savmontreal @somebody-stuff  @sev7en  @wildefire  @geeksareunique @loki-god-of-my-life @realgreglestrade @httpmcrvel @esoltis280 @kenzie-cold-greenkale @ldyhawkeye

@magellan-88 @curious-trickster @bonza-bear @bittersweet97blog @willow-days02 @little-miss-mischief1 @arawynn   @adventuresofnight @mymourningtea  @spudsandbandit @nightcrawler0213 @somebody-stuff @aqswdefrgthzjukilop @puffellumps @jasura   @magmas @dumpsterofsin @trilloku-blog   @pokemaniac1 @childishmonster05 @anise-d-castle6 @antisocial-psycho @melodicartist612 @stone2576  @loki-laufey-son  @say-my-name-assbut @somniare-spiritus @tangle-of-ivy  @littlelunaticfringe @gigglesforme @a-spot-of-who-lock @cuteandnerdythings @theunwantedwriter @danisstudyblr @markusstraya @samandstuffworld   @chipmunkchick13-blog @fanderrawr @the-monochrome-jester @greenqueerqueen @darling-parker @parkerrpeterr @songofgratitude

[og-uglyduk]

New and old products in the shop. Take a look, pick something up. still a bit chilly, grab a new bomber jacket. But remember Summer is around the corner it's never to get a great new swimsuit or trunks. #mischief1 #mischiefstreetwear #highendfashion #dreambig #gobigorgohome #hashtag #designer #designerfashion #highendclothingline https://www.instagram.com/p/BumoZ7_npIG/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ipxb7btl8cln

[og-uglyduk]

Ha @therock this time its real! Wish you the best on all your endeavors brother 🙏🏼your truly an inspiration #mischief1 #therock https://www.instagram.com/p/BsZXyDQHcVX/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1eto5e2paeyjz

[jodiereedus22]

Prompt 3

“I’ll keep you warm.”

This was requested by @rhyatt-deauxtreve

I hope you enjoy it!!!

It had been a long hard winter, travelling from station to station, in blizzards you had never witnessed before.

On top of everything keeping vigilant against the whisperers, which added more stress on to the situation.

So, there you all were, trudging through snow that came up to your knees, not just trying to keep yourselves warm, but the children.

“How much further?” you called out to Daryl, having to speak up over the whirling of the wind and snow.

“Not much further now, jus’ beyond that treeline,” Daryl replied back.

You glanced behind you to make sure everyone was keeping up as you all continued on your way.

Relief flooded your body as you finally saw the gates of Alexandria.

You walked up to Daryl, wrapping your arm around his waist and his around your shoulder.

“Home,” you sighed contently.

Daryl looked down to you and smiled.

“Come on, let’s get everyone warmed up,” Daryl said as you all made your way inside the gates.

You greeted the rest of your family that were already within the gates, still holding on to Daryl, when you both felt something hit your backs.

You turned around to see a snowball fight breaking out.

And of course, you had to join in, and so you did, everyone did, snowballs were flying everywhere, by the end everyone was covered in snow.

But you were happy, there were smiles on everyone’s faces, even Daryl’s, it warmed your heart to see him so happy, although it did not warm your body.

As the snowball fight came to an end, Daryl walked up to you soaking wet from the snow.

“You’ll catch a death, come inside and warm and dry off,” you told him giggling at his appearance.

You both made your way into your home, lighting a fire, stoking it to get as much heat from it as possible.

You both stripped off your clothes and put on dryer ones.

Once finished you laid by the fire, in hopes to get your hair dry and warm you up more, when Daryl started towards to door.

“Where are you going?” you asked him.

“To get some more firewood,” Daryl replied.

“Nah, come here, I’ll keep you warm,” you invited to him, lifting up the blanket, hinting for him to come share it and the fire together.

Daryl huffed, looking down with a slight blush on his cheeks, you loved it when he got embarrassed, it was so endearing.

Daryl climbed under the blanket, pulling you close, as you both snuggled together by the fire, keeping each other warm with one another’s bodies as you both drifted off into a nice warm sleep in each other’s arms. 

Taglist: @crossbowking @coffee-obsessed-writer @bluesfortheredj @shutupimtryin2write @fearthewalkingbitch @selenedixon @cbarter @cole-winchester @alyisdead @hopplessdreamer @infinitewcr @blogsporadicartist @mtngirlforever @sassi-luna @twdsunshine @momc95 @emo-potato-virgil @sourwolf-sterek32 @tatertot1097 @wilhelmjfink @coffeebooksandfandom @twdeadfanfic @cutiepiemimi13 @kickin-with-dixon @baseballbitch116 @trashcanband4 @feartheendlesssummer @twdeadlysins @apocalypse-haven @mblaqgi @addiction-survivor25 @xxbosesfrauxx @sapphire1727 @wontlookaway @imaginecrushes @bunnymother93 @auntiebyn @theunofficialduke @mel-2a @spaghettyrogers @little-miss-mischief1 @saintsisterwriter @lilo-1988 

[jodiereedus22]

Prompt 16

“Do you think we’d find each other if the world didn’t end?”

This was requested by @of-storms-and-sadness Thank you for sending this in, I hope you enjoy it!!! 

As another busy day came to a close, you did your normal evening routine of sitting by the lake, watching the sunset on the water and mulling over the life that had been created for you by the end of the world.

You enjoyed this time of day, when everything was quiet, everyone was retreating to their homes for the evening, it gave you time to enjoy the peace without the hustle and bustle of the day.

Sitting there in your contemplative state you felt someone sit down next to you.

Knowing it was Daryl you leant your head on his shoulder and scooched up closer to him as he wrapped his arm around your shoulder, placing a kiss on the top of your head.

You sighed in contentment as you watched the stars twinkle through the reflection of the water.

“Daryl?” You broke the silence.

“Mmm,” Daryl made a noise that you knew meant he was listening, and that he was in a relaxed state, which was a rarity for Daryl, and only you really saw that side of him.

“Do you think we’d find each other if the world didn’t end?” you asked, somewhat confusing Daryl.

“Wha’ d’ya mean?” Daryl asked.

“Well, we lived such different lives, I’m just not sure if we would have met before all of this, that’s all,” you answered.

“I’d like to think so, but it don’t matter now, all that matters is that we’ve found each other,” Daryl replied back.

You sighed again, grateful for having Daryl in your life.

“You know… the one thing I’m glad of about this apocalypse is that I found you, you’re the best thing that has ever happened to me Daryl,” you confessed, moving your shoulder off his to look into his eyes.

“I couldn’t imagine my life with ya (Y/N), you’re my world,” Daryl said with a smile, cupping your cheek with his hand, leaning in for a kiss that reinforced everything you two spoke about.

You had both found something beautiful in a world where beautiful things were scarce and you both couldn’t be more grateful to have found each other and have a chance at a life together. 

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[jodiereedus22]

Prompt 5

“Who Hurt You” 

this was requested by  @dawsonfyre thank you for the request!!! 

After the great war against the saviours, the communities all got together to create a new world, a better world, and for the most part everyone was on board.

Of course, a few saviours always put up a fight, but they knew now, they were outnumbered, so they got on with what they were told, but had no problems complaining about it.

It was a particularly difficult day, the bridge work was slow, it was hot, everyone was tired and with that came rising tensions.

The particular rising tensions of Justin, a former-not-so-former saviour, liked to cause trouble wherever he could. It was nothing you and Daryl couldn’t handle as the both of you had taken over the former saviour’s home, the sanctuary.

But assaulting a kid was not on the list of what Daryl could handle, so when a fight broke out and Daryl came back with a black eye and a cut lip you weren’t surprised.

“You doing okay?” you asked Daryl, who was looking slightly sorry for himself as he grunted a response.

“Okay then, well I need to do an errand, I’ll be back soon,” you said with a smirk, kissing his forehead.

You left your tent on your way to do your errand when a voice came from behind you.

“You should keep your dog on a leash,” Justin called out.

You turned around.

“Excuse me,” you said, shocked.

“You heard me,” Justin replied as you walked closer to him.

Without even saying another word, you launched yourself at him, putting in as many punches as you could, and taking a few yourself until someone came and broke it up.

You stood back up, with your cut clip and bleeding nose, straightened your clothes and went back to your tent to clean yourself up.

As you came through your tent entrance to the bowl of water mumbling `asshole` to yourself, Daryl's voice broke the somewhat silence.

“What’s going …” as you turned around, he stopped his sentence.

“Who hurt you?” he asked cupping your face, looking at your injuries.

“It’s nothing, you should see the other guy,” you smirked being quite pleased with yourself.

“Justin?” Daryl was always so intuitive.

You nodded, and Daryl quickly turned to the exit, you knew what for, but you grabbed his arm.

“He’s not worth it, he’s put in his place now, don’t worry about it,” you told him, Daryl could see the sincerity in your eyes as he placed a kiss on your lips.

“Ow,” you exclaimed as he hit your split lip and Daryl stopped.

“I didn’t say you could stop,” you said, and Daryl lent in to finish what he started.

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[jodiereedus22]

Prompt 2

"You don’t go outside those walls anymore. Not by yourself, not with anyone else."

This was requested by anon!!!

It was that time of the week again, time for a supply run, although this time Daryl was not the one coming, he was already out on a hunting trip, so you had to go out with someone else. This time you were going with Glenn.

You had to admit it would be strange going out without Daryl, this was the first in a long time it hadn’t been you and Daryl, but jobs had to be done, and the group needed supplies, and you could handle yourself anyway, and Glenn was a good fighter, and great on runs.

But of course, nothing ever runs smoothly, while on the run, you and Glenn got caught up in a small herd of walkers, the only way to get ahead of them was to jump from car to car.

So that’s what you did, hopscotch the apocalypse way, and things were going great, you and Glenn were standing on the last car looking back at the herd that was at a safer distance away now.

You looked at each other, smiles on your faces at the achievement, Glenn jumped down first then you followed.

But you must have landed badly on your ankle and rolled it, causing your ankle to give way from under you, landing on the floor.

“Are you okay?” Glenn quickly at your side.

“Yeah, it's stupid, think I’ve sprained my ankle,” you said annoyed with yourself.

“Alright, let’s get you back, here, put your arm around me,” Glenn offered, and you did as you were told.

It was slow, but you made it back to Alexandria intact – mostly anyway.

Glenn took you to the infirmary where you were now getting your ankle bandaged up, when the door crashed open, causing you to jump as Daryl came barging through.

“Wha’ the hell happened?” he asked loudly.

“Nothing, its fine, just a sprained ankle that’s all, I'm good,” you explained.

“You don’t go outside those walls anymore. Not by yerself, not with anyone else,” Daryl ordered.

You turned to look at him with fire in your eyes, and everyone knew what that meant, Denise hightailed it out of the room, leaving you and Daryl alone.

Daryl could practically see smoke coming out of your ears and knew he had to get ahead of your anger before you exploded.

Daryl walked over to you and kneeled down.

“Look, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to get angry it’s just… I don’t like not bein’ out there with you, I know you can handle yerself, it’s more for me than you, gives me peace of mind,” Daryl explained and apologised, looking at you in hopes you weren’t too angry.

You sighed.

“I know, it's okay,” you said cupping his face you knew his anger was only because he cared for you.

“You gonna help me home then,” you smiled as Daryl got up, swooping you in his arms bridal style, carrying you back to the home that you two shared.

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[jodiereedus22]

Prompt 13

“Would you just hold still”

This was requested by @kilyra hope you like this!!! 

You had been with Daryl now for some time, watching him grow into an amazing human being, watching his skills grow, his personality grow, and his hair grow.

You liked his hair; it wasn’t necessarily the length you didn’t like; it was the fact you couldn’t see his face. His hair had grown unruly to the point where you couldn’t see his gorgeous blue eyes, so the time had come for a trim.

“Is this necessary?” Daryl groaned.

“Yes and no arguing,” you said as you got ready all the tools you needed, which was really only a comb and a pair of scissors.

Daryl sat on the chair, looking very sorry for himself, hating every minute, which you must admit, kinda amused you.

Daryl and personal upkeep didn’t really go hand in hand.

“Look I’m not cutting it, just giving it a trim,” you explained, it felt like you were talking to a child.

“Jus’ don’t see the point is all,” Daryl said, trying to get out of it.

“You can’t see,” you laughed.

“Can see,” Daryl grumbled.

“Oh, really how many fingers am I holding up,” you said as you swiped his hair more on his face than it was, giggling at the same time.

“That’s not fair, my hair was fine before you moved it,” Daryl made a stand.

“Well exactly, if you out there and it's windy, how are you going to see?” you were grasping at straws for an excuse.

Daryl just stared at you.

“Look I’m trimming it whether you like it or not,” you demanded in a mother-like tone.

You placed a towel around Daryl’s shoulders and proceeded to trim his hair, once the back was done you got down on your knees in front of him to do the sides.

Daryl watched you the whole time, he hated the thought of someone cutting his hair, but having you playing with his hair made him relax, so in the end, he just sat there and watched you concentrate on what you were doing.

“What?” you asked where you saw him staring at you.

“Nothin’ … jus’… like lookin’ at ya is all,” Daryl said, embarrassed he said that out loud.

You put your eyes to the ground as you blushed at his words. When you looked back up, he was still staring, and a smile graced your lips.

“Um… well… there, all done, wasn’t too bad huh? Now I can see those beautiful eyes of yours,” you said flustered and moving a few strands out of the way making your point.

You smiled as Daryl grabbed your cheek to pull you in for a kiss and the smile stayed on your lips as he pulled away. 

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[jodiereedus22]

Prompt 8

“I know it hurts”

This was requested by @sourwolf-sterek32 !!! Thank you for your support, I hope you like this!! <3

When Daryl went off with Michonne you knew that everything would be fine, if there was anyone you trusted Daryl to go out with it was Michonne.

But when time started to run down, when it was getting later than he said they’d be back you started to worry, even though you knew he could handle himself better than anyone else you knew, you couldn’t help but worry.

You started pacing, contemplating going after them, but before you could make up your mind the gates swung open, and through came Michonne and Daryl, both having seen better days.

You rushed up to both of them, Michonne had bruising that was already starting to show but when you turned your head to Daryl, you almost broke down in tears.

Daryl had been injured before, but you would never get used to it, he was bleeding fairly heavily from his shoulder, you couldn’t tell if it was a bullet or an arrow, but you didn’t care, all that mattered was that you got him patched up.

Sadiq came over and escorted Michonne to the infirmary whilst you said you’d patch Daryl up.

You walked Daryl into your house, sitting him down on the sofa, making sure he was comfortable whilst you collected the medical supplies.

You knelt down in front of him.

“What the hell happened?” you asked with a worried tone, cleaning the blood away from the wound on his shoulder.

He informed you of what happened, but when he got to a certain point you exploded with horror.

“BRANDED?” you raised your voice.

Daryl nodded, tilting his head down.

“Let me see,” you told him as he stood up, lifting his shirt.

“Oh baby, I'm so sorry this happened to you, let me clean it up and bandage it,” you said lovingly, at the same time your heart broke.

You went to get some alcohol to clean the brand as Daryl hissed.

“I know it hurts, I’m sorry,” you said finishing up.

You went walked around him to face him, placing a hand on his cheek.

“I’m so sorry,” you said tearing up once again.

“Hey, it's okay, I’ve had worse, having you here with me makes it feel better,” Daryl said, lovingly looking into your eyes.

“I love you so much Daryl,” you announced.

“I love you more, (Y/N), more than I can ever say,” Daryl confessed embracing you in a warm hug that always managed to take your negative feelings away. 

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[jodiereedus22]

Prompt 4

“You haven't lost me” 

This was requested by my girl @crossbowking thank you as always for being amazing and supporting me for so long!!! <3 <3 <3

Hope you like it!! 

These last couple of weeks had been the hardest you’d faced. But not just you the entire group.

The introduction to Negan was the most brutal night you had witnessed since the world ended, you had lost two amazing people in your group, and even though you felt bad for feeling the way you did, the worst was that he had taken Daryl.

Daryl was everything to you, he was your heart, your soul, to have him ripped away from you was the most painful experience, it was like a part of you had been ripped away with him.

Every time Negan came to Alexandria, he would parade Daryl around like a prize, not allowing anyone to touch, speak or even look at him, seeing him at arm’s length and not being able to embrace him was the hardest thing.

When Negan announced if anything goes on that he doesn’t like, Daryl would be the one punished it broke your heart, you knew people wanted to fight against Negan, but you couldn’t take that risk, you needed to look out for Daryl.

So, when Rick decided to go to Hilltop to barter with the leader to join forces in standing up to Negan you went along, not to agree, but to stand against the idea, you would do anything to keep Daryl safe.

You all arrived at the gates of Hilltop, walking through you came in last, wanting to distance yourself, getting yourself ready to stand up against your family, people embraced Maggie as they entered as did you, relieved that she was alright.

When you pulled away from Maggie you saw Rick embracing someone, but the sun was in your eyes and you couldn’t get a clear view, until you moved a little closer, as did the other person, and you would recognise that walk anywhere.

Daryl.

A million questions raced through your head: How did he get here? Was he alright? What happened at the sanctuary?

Without thinking your legs were moving towards Daryl, tears pricking your eyes as you reached him.

Inches apart from each other, part of you remembered what Negan said, no touching, speaking or looking at him until you realised, he wasn’t here.

You stared right into Daryl’s eyes, into his soul and saw your own reflected in them as you broke down in front of him.

Daryl was quick off the mark to embrace you, squeezing you tightly in efforts to assure you he was alright, that this was real.

“I thought I lost you,” you said, still embraced in his arms, tears falling down your cheeks.

“You haven’t lost me, I'm right here,” Daryl said, pulling away and placing his hand on your cheek.

“You’ll never lose me.”

He leaned in to give your forehead a kiss as he embraced you once more, leaving the feeling of just you and him in the entire world. 

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[jodiereedus22]

TWD Drabble - Prompt #6

Requested by @of-storms-and-sadness

I really hope you like this!!! <3

Word Count - 419

 It was the night before the big fight you had all been gearing up for.

You knew this fight needed to happen, you all needed to get out from underneath Negan’s thumb for good, but you couldn’t help but feel scared about everything that could happen, people you could lose, despite the well thought out plan the had been made.

You laid in the bed you shared with Daryl alone while Daryl was on watch, remembering everything you had been through together, everything you had done, the people you had lost along the way, but also the good times, when you first met, how you gain each other’s trust, respect and above all else – love.

You smiled at all the happy memories you had in between the bad ones, it gave you an extra boost of motivation for the fight to come, you wanted more memories like that with Daryl.

You just hoped you’d get to have that with him.

As you laid on your side, not intending on sleep, but to rest, you left the bed dip behind you, but before you could turn around a pair of strong arms wrapped around your waist, pulling you close and holing you there.

Daryl's scent filled your nostrils, he smelt like home, you sighed into his arms, relaxing even more as he places a kiss on your head.

“What’cha thinkin’ about?” Daryl asked, breaking the comfortable silence.

“About everything, you and me, everything we’ve been through,” you loosened Daryl’s hold on you to turn and face him.

You placed a hand gently on his cheek.

“I don’t want to lose you in this fight, I want a future with you, and I’m scared it won’t happen,” you confessed.

Daryl turned his head slightly to kiss the hand that laid upon his cheek.

“Hey, I’m gonna be fine, we're gonna be fine, I promise you tha’,” Daryl reassured you, leaning down and placing a gentle kiss on your lips. Then resting his forehead on yours, looking deep into your eyes for a moment before you wrapped your arms around him, giving him a squeeze, taking in his warmth, letting it crash over you like waved on a rock.

Daryl wrapped his arms tighter around you, pulling you in even closer as your head rested in the crook of his neck as you let out a sigh on contentment.

“I wish we could stay like this forever,” you told Daryl, falling asleep in his arms, knowing you were safe and loved there.

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[thegarrisonpublichouse]

Business Comes First- Chapter 2

A Peaky Blinders fanfiction set around the end of season three.  

Chapter 1- A Woman who Drinks // Chapter 2- Tea for my Lady //  Chapter 3- Ricocheting Bullets // Chapter 4- Demons // Chapter 5 - A Country House // Chapter 6 - Numbing the Pain

Summary: Alice is a smart and savvy business woman in a male dominated world.  She uses her wit and power to get what she wants but she has burdens from her past that could hinder a business transaction in Small Heath.  

Word count: 2400 words

Author’s note: As always, feedback is always much appreciated!  As this is a longer fiction with several parts, do let me know if you wish to be tagged in the next instalment.  All replies come from @bookish-fox as this is a side account (come on Tumblr sort it out pls). With regards to this chapter, no hate intended on Lizzie!

Tagged accounts: @mariamermaid @little-miss-mischief1

Warnings: Mentions of a past trauma, language. 

Chapter 2 - Tea for my Lady

You had slept poorly; dreams had woken you, sweaty, panting and crying.  Instinctively, you had reached under your pillow and pulled out the small shotgun you kept there.  You held it to your chest, breathing quickly.  It had taken you several minutes to calm your breathing to a regular rhythm.  You looked to the clock, half five in the morning. You groan.

You had enjoyed a relaxing morning despite waking up so early; you had made a pot of tea and had a leisurely breakfast whilst reading the newspaper.  The relaxation almost made you forget about your pounding hangover and night terrors that left you feeling dislocated from reality.

After breakfast, you had sifted through your pile of paperwork and had found the telephone number for Shelby Company Ltd.  You sat by the phone and dialled the number. 

“Hello, Shelby Company Ltd., can I help you?” a woman’s voice answered the phone.  Simply through the tone of her voice, you could tell that she was exceedingly bored or irritated, but you couldn’t work out which. 

“Hello, I would like to arrange a meeting with Mr Shelby, please,” you state, putting on your ‘business’ voice. 

“Which one? There are three of them,” the woman said sarcastically. 

“Thomas.” you reply.

“Regarding?” the woman’s tone of voice was rude.  Pulling a face at the phone as if she could see you, you quickly worked out the angle you would take.  The question was, should you play the strictly business card, or mention last night’s rendezvous in order to get some time with Thomas?  Business, Alice. 

“Business.” you reply, with a tone identical to the woman on the phone.  

The woman scoffs.  “Right, he’s free at three thirty. Can I take a name?” 

“Goodfellows.”  You reply, hastily making a note of the time of your meeting on the corner of your newspaper.  “Thank you.”  You hang up the phone and you go back into your kitchen.  You placed your kettle on the hob to make another pot of tea.  You had a lot of planning to do before your meeting. 

Tommy strode into the office, pushing the door violently open causing it to slam shut behind him.  His head was pounding.  As he walked he turned his head to look into a vacant secretary office.  That woman he saw last night should be working there, he could sense that she had the skills to do it, and he, stupidly, didn’t even ask her name.  Turning a corner, he strode into his personal office. 

“Morning, Lizzie,”  he grunted walking past her sat at his desk with the morning’s itinerary.  He sat down on the other side of the desk in his chair and immediately pulled a cigarette from his pocket. 

“Morning, Tommy.” Lizzie replied, curtly.  Noticing her tone he looked up from his cig and made eye contact with her, lighting the butt without even looking.  Raising his eyebrows he inhaled deeply, inviting Lizzie to explain her curtness. 

“I didn’t see you last night.” Lizzie stated, cooly, reclining back in her chair and maintaining the eye contact. 

“I was busy,” he replied, meeting her harsh stare. 

“Doing who?” Lizzie broke the eye contact, looking down to watch her fingers intertwine together.  Inhaling, she composed herself before continuing. “I waited up for you.”

Tommy looked at the door, the wall, the desk- anywhere but here.  He didn’t need Lizzie’s scorn on him today, his schedule was full of meetings and his head was still pounding.  

“Today’s schedule, please?” He quickly changed the subject.

“Meetings with various shareholders all morning, then at three thirty, you have a meeting with…” Lizzie’s brow furrowed as she struggled to remember the name.  She reached a hand into the pocket of her dress, pulling out a scrap of paper.  “Goodfellows?” 

“Goodfellows?” Tommy’s face went pale. “Lizzie you can go now.”  Lizzie abruptly stood and left the room.  Tommy’s head sunk into his hands. Shit.  Goodfellows.  He had heard that name several times, especially on his trips to London to see Alfie Solomons. Goodfellows were kicking up quite the storm in the racing world: their horses always won.  There were several rumours circulating that they fixed the races in order to get results.  What business did they want in Birmingham? They were a force to be reckoned with, but the Peaky Blinders were too.  A deal with them could be extremely beneficial, but Tommy had learnt the hard way about making deals with the wrong people. 

You made your way to Shelby Company Ltd’s headquarters, conveniently around the corner from the Garrison.  The building didn’t look like much from the outside, but once you had made your way indoors you realised how important this building was to the family business.  The corridors were full of people ferrying paperwork back and forth, and it was never quiet.  There was a seemingly constant buzz of chatter and shouting in the background. 

You found the door with the name ‘Thomas Shelby’ engraved onto a plaque and you knock loudly with your knuckle.  It wasn’t Tommy that answered the door, however.  A tall woman with short dark hair answered. 

“Yes?” She questioned. Her tone was the same as the woman you had spoken to on the phone earlier that day.  She was significantly taller than you, and you could sense her looking down at you, scrutinising every hair on your head and every mascara coated eyelash.  

“I’m here for the Goodfellows meeting, I think we spoke over the phone.” You state, calmly, offering your hand for her to shake, “Alice,” 

“Lizzie,” she replied, denying your hand but opening the door wider so you could make your way inside.  She led you to a chair next to another door.  “Sit here, I’ll see if Mr Shelby is ready for you.”  You sit, feeling the ice cold metal of your gun in its holster against your thigh, making you grit your teeth. 

Lizzie went through the door into his office.  “Goodfellows are here, Tommy,” she said cooly.

“Fuck,” Tommy muttered, he stood up, straightening his jacket and placed his razor studded hat on his head. 

“Don’t worry, they must have sent a secretary, its a woman.” Lizzie stated.  Tommy sat back down, his nerves instantly relaxed.  If it was only a secretary, what’s the worst that could happen?

“Bring her through, Lizzie.”

“Mr Shelby will see you now, Alice.”  Lizzie popped her head around the door.  Smiling you stand and followed her through into Tommy’s large office.  His desk was facing to the door, towards you and was framed by bookcases filled with files. Tommy sat at his desk, sifting through paperwork with a cigarette hung lazily out of the corner of his mouth.  You walk towards the chair opposite him, well aware of the sounds of your shoes clacking against the hard wooden floor in the silent room, but Tommy never looked up.  Lizzie made her way behind him and started aimlessly looking through the files on the bookcases behind him. 

“Morning, Mr Shelby.” You said as you sat.  His eyes darted upward, instantly recognising your voice from the night before. His eyes met yours and you could practically see the cogs turning as he tried to remember every detail about you. 

“Alice Goodfellow,” you presented your hand to him, which he took with a confused expression.  “I trust you slept well.”  You saw Lizzie’s head dart up.

“Yes, thank you,” Tommy replied.  His composure had readjusted from the initial shock of seeing you in his office- he was now calm and collected. He leant back in his chair. “Can I get you a drink?”

“Tea.” You reply quickly.  Tommy signalled to Lizzie, whose expression towards you had hardened into one of almost contempt.  As she walked out of the room, she made it stroked Tommy’s shoulder whilst looking you dead in the eyes.  You could tell that she didn’t like you. 

“Goodfellow, eh? Must admit, I didn’t see that one coming.”  Tommy took a long drag from his cigarette, allowing the smoke to slowly seep out between his lips in ribbons of ashy grey.  Shame, that position within the Shelby Company would have to remain vacant. 

“Why? Because I’m a woman?”  You contest, shifting your weight onto your other leg to relieve the pressure of the holster on your thigh. 

“Not this again.” He smiled, “Why are you here?”

“We understand that your company has the licences to Cheltenham racetrack,” You pull out a pile of paperwork from your bag. “We, Goodfellows Ltd, have a proposition for you, Mr Shelby.”

He quizzically raised an eyebrow and stubbed his cigarette out in an ashtray.  You were about to continue when Lizzie loudly pushed open the door to his office, dragging a trolley with a tea set behind her.  As she walked, the china clattered loudly and she made no attempt to silence it.  Giving you a look, she put all the china on the table loudly, earning herself an irritated look from Tommy.

“Tea for my lady.” she said mockingly, before turning around.  

“Hold on Lizzie, we haven’t been properly introduced,” you start standing up to face her.  You offer your hand to her, “Alice Goodfellow, from the country’s most well-regarded race horse breeders and trainers, you might have heard of us.  Your boss and I met last night when he kindly escorted me home after I had far too much to drink.”

Lizzie’s face reddened as you addressed her.  She smiled slightly and walked away quickly, obviously wanting to leave the room as soon as possible.  You sat back down in your chair and watched Tommy run a hand through his raven coloured hair.  Smiling, you poured yourself a cup of tea.  Nice tea set, you took a mental note. 

“Anyway, where was I?” you took a quick sip of your tea, burning your tongue on the heat.  Fuck’s sake, Alice. “Ah, yes.  Being a mainly Southern company, we are yet to explore the northern racetracks.  We want to become a sponsor of the Cheltenham races.”

“And what would I receive from this?”  Tommy asked.  His eyes gave the impression that he was intrigued. 

“We are willing to give Shelby Company Ltd. a horse.  It will win races and therefore be a worthy investment for your bookies.”  You answer.  It was an offer he surely couldn’t refuse. Your horses won the races they competed in, it was a fact.  By simply giving your company prominence at the race, he would be earning himself millions.  

Tommy leant back in his chair, staring you straight in the eyes.  The vivid blue of his irises trapped you in their gaze, and you found yourself struggling to look away.  He seemed to sense the tension in the air, and broke the eye contact himself to pour a cup of tea.  The tea cup looked almost miniature in his large hands, but he held it with such care and grace.  His grip was steady and strong, yet gentle.  You watched him intently as he poured, it seemed that making tea was almost an art form to him, he poured meticulously, and stirred a precise amount until it was exactly the right colour.  Slowly, he added the milk, allowing the two liquids to merge into one in his cup.  

“I wouldn’t have thought you were a tea drinking man, Mr Shelby,” you say quietly, smiling in an attempt to relieve some of the tension in the room.  His eyes immediately went back to yours, locking them in their powerful grip.  Carefully, but without looking, he placed his tea cup onto his saucer.  Leaning back in his chair, he wrapped his hands around the back of his head and licked his full lips. 

“A man can’t survive on whisky and cigarettes alone, Mrs Goodfellow.” He smiled.

“Miss Goodfellow,” you corrected him quickly.  Nothing annoyed you more when people assumed that you were married.  Marriage was a touchy subject for you, having come close to it before the idea of it made you feel trapped.  You hadn’t had a positive experience with it in your past, and felt no need to try it again.  

“Sorry, Miss Goodfellow,”  Tommy smirked.  You were so clever, he could see that in your eyes and the way that you held yourself in your chair. He could see that you had come into his office, and Birmingham with a purpose, and that you wouldn’t leave until you had achieved it.  Tommy felt conflicted regarding the deal: certainly, should it all work out he would benefit significantly, but Goodfellows had built up a rather shifty reputation, and rumours could be damaging to his own enterprises.  He ran a hand across his chin, deep in thought. 

“Well, Miss Goodfellow, this kind of business deal doesn’t happen over night.” you nodded in understanding.  “I will need to consult my brothers and the rest of the family and do some research before I finalise anything, but, I do see there being potential here for a business partnership.”  

You smiled, you had this one in the bag. You couldn’t wait to call your brother Henry when you got home; he hadn’t stopped bragging about his negotiation success with Alfie Solomons for about a year now.  It was finally your turn to pull in a big deal. 

“That being said,” Tommy started, wiping the smile off your face as you felt a ‘but’ coming.  “We are a family enterprise, and therefore I cannot go into any serious negotiations with you until you are acquainted with the whole family, they are much better at judging a person’s motives and character than I am.”

“Of course, Mr Shelby, that’s understandable.  Our company would take similar precautions.” 

“Come to the Garrison tomorrow evening at nine and meet everyone.  In the meantime I’ll do some research.”  Tommy stands, indicating the end of your meeting.  You stand too, and stretch out your hand for him to shake.  To your surprise he grasps it tightly, pulling you towards him so that he could whisper in your ear.

“I can see your gun through your dress, Miss Goodfellow,” He whispers, “you don’t seem to be as innocent as you try to make out.”  He released your hand and waved you towards the door. “I look forward to doing business with you.”  Your heart raced, nerves and adrenaline pumped through your veins.  You smile sweetly at him, and exit the office.