#my best guess is. an errand where he asks you to crash the preps party in the park??? also there are a couple other requests (namely: him

[bidisaster-peanut-romano]

absolutely LOSING IT at how personally offended peanut is that he wasn't invited at a preps party

[smileyjaeminies]

Of point shoes and interviews

Synopsis: How can your very first interview as a dancer turn the tide between you and the cute journalist?

Word Count: 3,2 k

Genre: ballet dancer reader x journalist Jacob, fluff

Warnings: slight mention of counting calories

Member: Jacob

A/N: In celebration of The Boyz’s comeback ‘Stealer’, here is some Jacob fluff. This was inspired by a ballet gala I watched some weeks back, so I hope you guys like it!

   Applause. Roaring applause. A standing ovation, for you. The lights are blinding you, so you are not able to meet eyes with the audience, but the look of adoration is clear in your stare. A huge smile is dominating your face, and it’s not one of the fake ones you maintain while performing, no, this one is as real as can be. 

   You take a bow, again and again, Eric beaming at you by your side, squeezing your waist as a way to offer his comfort. You take his hand again after another bow and ultimately, the Primas start to make their way back, so you follow them. One day, that’s going to be you.

   Your white tutu is ruffling around you as you move further backstage, your hand still tightly holding Eric’s. He screams excitedly at you and you start jumping to meet his excitement. More of your friends join you and somehow, you find yourselves in a group hug, laughing and screaming at your successful opening night. ‘Swan Lake’ was no easy feat, yet all of you had done well. Your heart beat rapidly inside your chest, your hands shaking from stress and exhaustion. Your mind grows hazy at the thought that you’re going to do it all again tomorrow, your feet longing to stand on stage again. You were anticipating the reviews with the paper tomorrow morning, your stomach turning in a funny way at the thought. 

   People are everywhere, backstage is a mess of hugs, smiles and excited chatter. Your best friend Mina has a hold on your hand, so you turn to meet her eyes. They are shining, stars twinkling behind them and yet you can tell that she’s dead tired. Discreetly, you lead the both of you to your shared dressing room, to collapse on the shitty fold out chairs and pry the point shoes off your feet. After a few breathless moments, smiles grew on both of your faces, lighting up the room. In no time, you were rambling on about your performance and trying to get rid of your makeup, hands moving quickly for a well known routine, mouths moving even quicker in excitement. A knock on the door made your conversation die down, making you exchange a look with Mina.

   “Are you expecting anyone?” you asked her.

   “No. You?” she asked back.

   You shook your head and shrugged your shoulders. Mina was only half done with removing her makeup so you got up, opening the door and peeking your head out of it. You were surprised to meet a man before you, handsomely dressed in a suit, hair swept back and a big smile softening his features. He was almost hiding behind a big bouquet of colourful flowers, moving his weight from one foot to the other in anticipation. As you opened the door, you saw a glint of recognition pass before his eyes, making him smile even wider.

   “Miss Y/L/N, hello! My name is Jacob Bae, I’m a journalist for THE BOYZ magazine and I was wondering if we could schedule an interview with you!” Jacob rambled on, taking you aback.

   He pushed the flowers in your arms, their strong aroma filling your senses and making you overwhelmed.

   “You want to interview… Me?” you asked in astonishment.

   “Yes! I’ve heard all about you! You’re somewhat of a miracle aren’t you? A prodigy child that did a 180 turn and packed up to go to Juliard? I bet you have a lot of things to say!” Jacob said.

   “I… I don’t know honestly. What magazine did you say you write for?” you asked.

   “THE BOYZ magazine. It’s all about things young people should keep their eye out about, whether it be small businesses or upcoming stars!” he explained.

   Frankly, you had never heard of the magazine and the way he was selling it didn’t seem all that appealing to you. But his kind nature, big smile and the bright flowers were enough to get you thinking.

   “I… I’ll see what I can do. But this will have to wait until Monday. No work during the weekend besides dancing” you explained.

   “Of course! I understand.” Jacob said.

   He fumbled through the pockets of his suit, taking out a small notebook and pencil and scribbling down some information. He then handed the paper to you, making you shoot him a quizzical look as your eyes scanned the words.

   “That’s my phone number. I also gave you the address of one of my favourite cafes in town. Small, quiet and discreet, a good place for an interview!” he explained. “Would 11am suit you well?”

   “Yes, I guess that’s fine” you answered.

   “Thank you so much, Miss Y/L/N! Enjoy your night! By the way, you were amazing on stage today” he said.

   A blush rose on your cheeks at his words. It wasn’t the first time you had been complimented, but somehow his praise made you bashful.

    “I… Thank you, Jacob. I guess I’ll see you on Monday” you told him.

    He beamed at you, turning and walking away. You stood at the door of the dressing room for a few moments, watching him maneuver through the crowd of people to the exit. You smiled to yourself and to the flowers in your hands and walked back inside. You placed the flowers in front of the mirror and sat down in front of them, only then noticing the small envelope attached to one of them.

   You opened the envelope to reveal a white piece of paper, scribbled in black ink with a few words. “I can’t wait for the day you stand with the Primas. You are phenomenal. Forever your fan, Jacob Bae” 

   “Oh my God” you whispered.

   “Are you going to tell me or..?” Mina asked from beside you.

   You turned to her, handing the card wordlessly as you stared at the flowers. Oh, how the plot thickened. You felt as if you were dancing in a ballet of your own, the excuse of an interview becoming the bait for something more.

   “Well, was he cute?” Mina asked.

   “Mina!” you called, reprimanding her.

   “I thought I’d ask! Don’t be so uptight Y/N” she joked, hitting your shoulder slightly.

   You shook your head at her before saying, “We scheduled an interview on Monday”

   “You did NOT!” Mina said, placing a hand over her heart, feigning shock.

   “Oh, shut up, you’ll be asking for details within seconds!” you joked, making both of you laugh.

   “You are not wrong, friend. But first, today we celebrate us! Boys can wait!” she said giggling.

   You nodded at her words, agreeing completely. You started changing into your regular clothes, leaving your tutus to hang in the dressing room, waiting for you, waiting for tomorrow. Mina decided to step out first, trying to find all your friends and gather them outside. You hoisted your bag on your shoulder, ready to follow her out when you remembered something. Turning back quickly you retrieved the small envelope and Jacob’s note, throwing them somewhere in your bag. You would have time to think about it later.

   The air was cold outside, making goosebumps rise on your exposed arms. With one hand draped around your shoulders, you and Mina waited for some of your other friends for a night of mild partying. You still had a long way to go, so you couldn’t afford any mishaps happening to any of you.

   Some hours later, with your belly filled with food and sugary cocktails, you opened the door to our apartment, cursing as it creaked loudly. You changed quickly, collapsing on your bed without much thought, the exhaustion catching up with you. Your day had been beyond successful and your mind was light and airy from everything. 

   You remembered the envelope, stacked somewhere in the bottom of your bag and smiled. Such a random thing to happen. And who could tell where it would lead?

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

   Monday morning came quicker than you expected as the weekend flashed by in a whirlwind of prep, dancing and applause. You hated Mondays. Why did the exciting weekend come crashing every Monday? Unfair.

   When your alarm woke you up, a low groan escaped your throat as you rushed to turn it off. Your body was sore, having been overworked for three days straight and was now urgently trying to gain your attention. You knew you'd be in for some exercise later this afternoon, although you didn’t look forward to it.

   You walked out to your kitchen, opting for some quick breakfast to save you time. You stared mindlessly at your closet for too long, finally figuring out an outfit out of jeans and a loose sweatshirt. You pulled on some comfortable shoes, remembering you had to run some errands after your interview and after grabbing your keys and locking the door, you were off.

   You decided to catch a taxi, as the cafe Jacob had chosen wasn’t far, yet you didn’t feel like walking today. The sky was cloudy above you, even though the clouds were white and not heavy with rain. You tried to make yourself brighter. This opportunity could mean a lot to you, and as your friends would say ‘Any publicity is good publicity’.

   You paid the fare, climbing out of the taxi to find Jacob standing in front of the cafe, a single rose at his hand. He smiled seeing you arrive and you mirrored his expression.

   “Good morning, Miss Y/N!” he greeted you warmly

   “Good morning! Please don’t call me Miss… It makes me feel old. You’re probably older than me anyways!” you chirped back.

   “Of course. Y/N then. This is for you” he said, offering you the flower.

   “Thank you” you said, feeling your cheeks heating up “And thank you for the flowers on Friday. I don’t think I ever thanked you properly, they were very beautiful.”

   “It’s really not a big deal. I’m glad you liked them. Shall we go inside?” he asked.

   You nodded at his words and he smiled at you. He opened the door for you and you giggled at his extravagant gesture. Leading you to the counter, you scanned the items, trying to find something to your liking.

   “I’m getting the most extra thing today. Pay is up to the magazine. I would urge you to do the same. Have you had breakfast?” he asked.

   His suggestion made you laugh, but it also got you thinking.

   “I think I’ll just have some tea.” you said.

   “What?? Don’t you want to treat yourself? I bet you had a tough weekend.” he said.

   “That’s true, but I also have a calorie count. I ate some pretty shitty breakfast, so now I’ll have to deal with the consequences” you explained.

   “Are you serious? You count calories on everything you eat?” he asked, clearly shocked.

   “Well not everything. But I have to be careful or else I’m going to make Eric’s life hell. Eric is my partner by the way. He’s the one who lifts me and swirls me around” you explained.

    “If you put it like that… Tea it is. But I’m still getting the extra thing” Jacob joked.

   You laughed at his words, shaking your head at his shenanigans. After placing your order, you moved to wait for your things as Jacob paid. The barista smiled politely at you as he placed your cup in front of you. You nodded back at him, muttering a small thank you.

   “I bought cookies!” Jacob announced excitedly, showing you a packet of cookies.

   “Ohhh, they look yummy!” you said.

   “One cookie wont hurt, right?” Jacob said, sending a wink your way, making you chuckle.

   Once his drink was ready, he led you to one of the nearby tables. You settled in, taking a sip of your tea and collecting the sleeves of your sweatshirt to your elbows. Jacob was settling in opposite you, placing his phone neatly in the middle of the table and you noticed that it was already ready to record. He took out the small notebook you had seen a few days back, ready for his notes. You watched his actions, studying his face as it relaxed, the easy smile falling from his lips as concentration on the task at hand took over.

   “You ready to begin? I promise I won’t keep you long” he assured you.

   “Ask away! I have all the time in the world” you told him.

   The smile on your lips landed on his as well and you could almost see him change before your eyes. He became professional, dropping the small talk and teasing, to replace them with well structured questions that helped introduce you, your background and your work to his audience. He allowed you to talk freely, making sure you had said everything you wanted to say before moving on to the next question.

   You had just finished telling him how you were good friends with both Eric and Mina even outside of work and how your relationship with Eric needed to be pretty steady for both of you to dance well. Jacob kept nodding at your words, only pointing out things once or twice and scribbling notes down on his notebook.

   “Are you single?” Jacob blurted out suddenly.

   You were just taking a sip of your drink and you almost choked at the sudden question. You tried to compose yourself, drinking another sip of tea to give yourself some time. You placed the cup on the table only to find Jacob’s wide eyes shifting from you to the notebook in front of him. His cheeks were starting to burn, you could tell and he kept fumbling uncomfortably in his seat.

   “I… I’m so sorry, Y/N. I don’t know what to tell you, my editor-in-chief put that in, I thought I had crossed it out. I’m so so sorry” Jacob apologised, his eyes avoiding yours.

   You smiled a little at his flustered state, realizing you were watching yet another side to Jacob. The thought made a warm feeling spread in your chest as you took your gaze off your cup to meet his eyes.

   “Off the record, yes. On record, I will not answer this question” you reply with a smirk.

   Jacob let out a sigh, still keeping his eyes down. You deliberated what you could say to lighten up the atmosphere, or at least comfort him. A smile? No, he wasn’t looking at you. A joke? What if he felt even worse? Your inner turmoil came to a stop when Jacob spoke up.

   “Can we just… Forget this happened?” he suggested.

   You wasted no time to nod, sending him what you hoped was a comforting smile. He still seemed preoccupied, asking you the next question without the layer of interest you were accustomed to. However, you replied to the best of your ability, hoping that the flow of your words would help Jacob relax.

   Indeed, he seemed more present for the next question, going back to nodding and keeping notes. The awkward moment was forgotten and you were soon back in the routine you had created. He finally asked you to send a message to his readers as the final question of your interview. You paused for a few moments, collecting your thoughts before answering.

   “I guess I would just like to tell people that it’s never too late to discover your passion. It’s also okay to lose it for some time, to struggle, to question it, to change your mind. There are infinite possibilities and all of them lie in your grasp. Choose a path and if it turns out to be the wrong one... Well that’s life. It’s okay. I know you’ll figure it out, I know you can do it” you finished.

   “Wow, Y/n, that’s very inspiring” Jacob said, stopping the recording on his phone.

   “Is it? How did I do? I hope you were content with my answers!” you said.

   “You were phenomenal! All your answers were really good, I really enjoyed watching your thought process unravel! And the way you talked about your colleagues? That was heartwarming!” he told you.

   You couldn’t help looking down, his praise making you shy. That was the second time it had happened, and even if you weren’t a bashful person by nature, you weren’t about to complain. Moments passed in silence as Jacob tidied his things back in his bag. You weren’t sure if you were supposed to go yet or not, so you waited patiently for him to guide you.

   “Okay, last question” he said, turning to face you.

   “I thought the previous one was the last question?” you asked, cutting him off.

   “Well this one is off record, if that’s okay” a nod from you urged him to go on, so he asked, “What are you doing after this?”

   “What does that have to do with anything?” you asked back.

   “No, no, remember this one is off record. Also, I’m the one asking questions here” he said, a joking manner to his words.

   “Well, if you have to know, I have to buy some new point shoes and ribbons and then maybe I’ll grab lunch somewhere” you told him.

   “Marvellous!” he exclaimed, getting up from his chair.

   “Are you leaving?” you asked him.

   “Well yeah, we have to buy you point shoes, ribbons and lunch!” he stated matter-of-factly.

   “Who said I want company?” you teased him.

   “Oh, this isn’t just keeping you company. It’s a date” he announced, sending a wink your way.

   You had to keep your jaw from falling to the floor. As taken aback as you were, you wouldn't exactly say you were about to deny his offer. On the contrary, you had been attracted to Jacob from the moment he appeared outside your dressing room. But, Jacob didn’t know that. So you decided to tease him further.

   “And if I refuse?” you asked.

   You were still in your seat, Jacob standing above you, ready to offer his hand to help you up. You watched doubt flash in front of his eyes, but he composed himself very quickly. A gentle smile adorned his features as he told you,

   “Then I will let you go on your merry way. I would never force you.” he said, his expression stern, deprived of all the joking mannerisms.

   You were very satisfied with his answer. He had passed the test, if your teasing could be counted as such. But, as much as the acts of chivalry were cute, you were more than capable of doing things yourself. You decided to let him know that by pushing your chair back and getting up.

   Now, you were up, you were almost at eye level, Jacob’s eyes searching for yours. You saw his hand fall to the side of his body, almost defeated. Just as he was about to say something, you reached for his hand, locking your pinkie with his.

   If he was confused, he didn’t say anything, opting to just look up from your hands to your face. You beamed at him, only to then say, 

   “Shall we?” 

   Jacob smiled back at you, taking the lead to walk out of the cafe. At that moment, you decided that this Monday would get a pass.

[sorcererinthestars]

Let’s Go Steal a Yacht

[UPDATED 2021.] Written for the 2020 @rtwritingcommunity‘s Secret Sunshine event for @leftsmitteninbritain! Just edited for 2021. Safe now! Please enjoy some unrestrained summer fun on this lovely August eve!

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25569448

-- The sun over the Los Santos skyline was relentless. The heat this week hadn’t been less than 90 degrees and it scorched every citizen that walked down the roads, turning skin red and blistering and making everyone sweat. Like every smart citizen of Los Santos, the Fake AH Crew had been mainly squirreled away inside their frozen fridge of a penthouse apartment, air conditioning blasting.

But Geoff’s birthday was coming up and that required a big bash. Michael bent over the proposed plans, scrunching his nose up as he pointed at the phone where they had all scribbled down ideas.

So far, the list was pitiful. “We can’t go out to bevs, J,” Michael sighs. “He doesn’t drink anymore. That’d be weird, right?”

“Only as weird as you make it,” he shrugs, glancing to Gavin, Jack, Trevor, and Alfredo who were sitting lazily on the various penthouse couches, watching with various degrees of boredom. Geoff was out on an errand — they should have at least half an hour of uninterrupted time to discuss.

“What if we did like — a heist?” Jack asks, snatching the phone from Michael. Gavin just grins at his immediate pout, but Michael hands the phone over anyways. “Like, combine something fun with a little mayhem.”

“Geoff does love his mayhem,” Gavin nods. “What do you have in mind?”

“There’s a bunch of rich kids who are running a coke scam across the border out of their yacht,” Jack explains, gesturing to the map of the city and pointing at a spot on the Los Santos waterfront. “It’s a pretty low-bit operation. Not much drugs, but it’s sort of just an excuse for the Harvard whiz-kids to blow off some steam. But they do it off of a massive yacht. I’m talking three-floors, two hot tubs, helipad sort of shit. Mommy and Daddy must own it, but the kids run it.” She grins up at them. “Seems like the sort of thing Geoff’ll like, right?”

“So… you’re thinking that we make a run for the yacht, take it and the drugs, and then have a full-out bev party with their built in pool?” Gavin’s all smirks, sitting back and putting his feet up on the table.

“Not to be a downer or anything,” Trevor says smoothly, “but won’t killing the sons and daughters of some filthy rich people like — cause more problems than a few pounds of coke and a boat we could buy is worth?”

Jack shakes her head. “I know these types of kids. I’ve been scouting out the yacht on my morning flights. It’s not stocked for a fight. I think the kids know it’s a matter of time before one drug lord or another rolls them over for their stock. It’s not meant to be a long-term operation. It’s not like they need the money. I figure, load up on some guns, be intimidating, blare a megaphone from my attack chopper, and they’ll roll right over.”

“Give Geoff a fun day out without any actual violence,” Jeremy hums. “I’d like to actually shoot at someone, but it’d be fun to pretend, anyways.”

Jack chuckles a bit. “Can you live without blood and guts for one day, Rimmy?”

He huffs out an overexaggerated sigh, but then laughs. “Yeah. For Geoff.”

“For Geoff,” they agree. And the plan is set.

—

A few days later, on the day of the fight, Michael meets Gavin in the door of their shared bedroom. He leans against the doorframe, watching as the other gathers some of his camera equipment and places it in a waterproof bag. “So,” he purrs, announcing his presence. “Does that mean I get to see you in a skimpy bathing suit?”

Gavin doesn’t even have the decency to jump. But he does smile, moving over to the man as Michael shuts the door soundlessly behind him. “Guess it does. I’m sure you’ll like the view,” he grins back mercilessly.

“Don’t be an ass,” Michael teases, grinning with sharp teeth as he runs a finger down Gavin’s skin. Already tanned and lovely, Gavin really didn’t need much more sun. But his lips were still warm as he leans over to brush a kiss against Michael’s.

That wasn’t going to fly, and Michael shamelessly yanks him forward for a breathless kiss that leaves them both chuckling as they break apart. “And there’s more where that comes from later,” Michael demands as they step back. “I want no less than half an hour of uninterrupted Gavin time on a beach chair.”

Gavin laughs, eyes bright. “Is that so?”

“I want a frozen drink in one hand and my boyfriend’s hair in the other,” he says brazenly, laughing openly. “Is that too much to ask?”

“Sounds great,” Gavin smirks, eyes dancing, giving him one more kiss on the cheek. “Now get out. I’m sure more things need to happen and Alfredo’s going to need three people to tell him he shouldn’t bring a sniper rifle to a yacht.”

“Bet you fifteen bucks Jeremy is going to throw him into the pool and by the end of the night, neither of them are going to be able to stand.”

“Fifteen bucks. Jeremy can stand. We’ll have to fish a passed out Fredo from the pool.”

“You’re on.”

—

The best thing is that Geoff has absolutely no idea that half their heist prep bags are filled with birthday decorations, swim trunks, food and drink mixes, and all sorts of other goodies. He’s all gung-ho with the idea of shaking another drug gang from their territory and as far as the birthday boy is concerned, they’re going in loud and will return home for dinner and a movie.

They take a speedboat and a few jet skis out to the yacht, moored about a mile off shore in the deeper waters. As soon as they get close, they can hear shouting echoing over the waves. Probably emphasized by the whop-whopping sound of Jack’s blades overhead as she hovers in her copter.

“You have ten minutes to fully vacate this vessel!” Jack shouts. Only her boys can hear the glee in her voice as it echos, amplified by the speakers she has attached to the helicopter. The yacht erupts in chaos, scantily clad men and women racing around. Through the scope of his sniper, Alfredo can see drinks and things being tossed overboard.

“Leave the drugs and we’ll let you go,” Jack continues to order as people continue to scream and race around. Jeremy and Michael drive their jet skis in circles around the yacht, their screams of laughter erupting as shots pock the water around them. They’re going much too fast to be hit by an untrained hand.

“Should I take the shot?” Fredo asks lazily, gun in his hand. He doesn’t expect to receive a yes, and he’s right, Geoff waves his hand, just chuckling. It’s cooler out on the water, and if he spends his birthday just chilling and watching a bunch of rich bitches freak out, that’s fine with him. “Let ‘em squirm.”

After five or so minutes, they start to board the yacht. Any stragglers who try to fight them are immediately knocked out. There’s no need to kill, not in this adventure — that would bring down more trouble than it was worth. With any luck, the kids will tell this story to their friends back at their hoitey-toitey universities and no one will have to die.

Michael joins up with Jeremy as they’re wandering around the main deck. Jeremy has his obnoxious yellow ‘Bigness’ mask over the second part of his face and Michael has paint drawn like war lines across his face in a pattern he’s affectionately named ‘Mogar’. Lingering twenty-something’s spook as they see them, racing away.

At the end of the day, Jeremy only has to throw one sod overboard. He screams as he falls the six-something feet over the back deck, hitting the water with a thwap that seems painful. Michael screams jeers after him, Jeremy laughing warmly with pleasure.

They watch as the guy swims frantically towards the circling speedboat of rich kids, who pull him on board and race away.

“Did you see that idiot?” Michael laughs, spinning Jeremy around and removing that god awful cowboy hat. “He almost pissed himself when you grabbed him.” 

“Rumors of the Rimmy Tim go a long way,” Jeremy cackles. “I wasn’t even carrying my gun.”

“You’re a god awful eyesore, J,” Gavin’s voice filters through their coms. “I’ve disabled any tracking they have in the helm, plus gps positioning. Stand by, gents — this party is just getting started!”

Geoff, standing at the bow on the top deck, lazily wraps his arm around Jack and grins. “A very merry birthday to me,” he hums. “How much coke did we salvage?”

“About $50 grand worth, I’d say,” Jeremy says from the lower decks. “Not bad for an hour and no bullets.”

“Damn,” Geoff smirks. “I love to be King.” He runs his hand over the rail of the yacht. “Alright boys, let’s scuttle this thing and head home.”

“Scuttle?” Alfredo bursts, incredulous. “No, no. Everyone gather at the hot tub in the rear of the boat — ”

“Aft, Fredy!” Gavin protests. “Gotta be sea-worthy!”

Alfredo sighs and Trevor just kisses him on the cheek with a smirk. “I’ll throw him into the sea myself,” he whispers in his ear.

“....aft, then. Jack wants to say something.”

“Something you can’t say over coms?” Geoff asks with a raised eyebrow, but at Jack’s bright grin of insistence as she pulls on his arm, he laughs and shakes his head. “Okay, I’m coming, I’m coming. But you better get this out past the twelve-mile marker soon or we’re going to have the LSPD on our asses.”

“Pulling out,” Gavin hums. “This thing is run entirely on auto-pilot. Auto-ship? What’s the correct word? Anyways, I’m steering it out now.”

Even as he says it, the ship starts turning and heading out towards the open waters. They all rock a bit, but quickly find their sea legs as they head towards the aft, where Jeremy is already pulling off his heist clothes to reveal yet another glaringly purple-and-orange outfit — this time a pair of swim trunks — and falling into the hot tub.

It’s sickeningly hot, but it doesn’t stop him from wanting to take advantage of the bubbles.

It doesn’t take long for them to arrive, Gavin poking at his phone to make sure they’re not going to crash into, like, an underwater bomb or something. Geoff glances around at all of them, specifically at Jeremy with swim trunks, and lets out a bit of a sigh. He can’t help but grin. “Guys…” 

“Happy birthday, Geoff,” Jack smirks from off to his left, pulling out something from her bag. It’s a firecracker, and with a tug, confetti and sparks fly out over the deck. “We’ve got snacks! Diet Coke! Party favors! And best of all…”

Michael moves over and, waving his arms in an elaborate parody, tries to encompass the entirety of the yacht they just stole. “A yacht, just for you!”

The others erupt into cheers as Geoff turns a bright red. Redder even than the sunburn that already marked his cheeks, anyways. “Boys, you didn’t have —”

“Stop,” Jack teases, shaking her head. “You know we did.” She squeezes his arm and pushes him towards the hot tub. “Now, relax.”

—

Two hours later, Geoff had discovered the massive built-in grill and was working on preparing his own birthday feast. They had protested, telling him this was his day, but he was having a blast. Gavin had hacked into the speakers and music was pumping. Currently, Jeremy and Jack were racing each other on jet skis around the yacht, screaming and yelling at one another as they zipped past with incredible speed.

Michael was focused on a different sight — namely, Gavin’s face as he leaned over him as they both sipped on fruity, icy drinks. The booze was sliding through their veins, making the world a looser, happier place, even if Trevor kept prompting him to drink water to keep him from burning in the sun. Their hair was both wet from their journey into the water, but now they were just relaxing in the warmth.

“You’re tanning,” Gavin teases, nosing into the side of his face and kissing his ear just a bit. Michael just laughs. “I’m fuckin’ from Jersey, man, what do you expect.” Gavin’s resulting musical chuckle makes him blush a bit.

“Whores,” Alfredo comments dryly as he strolls past, but his grin shows he’s only teasing. He’s got some fruit concoction in one hand and was making beeline towards where Trevor was waiting for him on another deck chair. Everyone knew he couldn’t resist making a playful comment, but it doesn’t matter. Michael was feeling real good, and teasing wasn’t going to stand. 

He lurches up, dumping Gavin unceremoniously from his lap. “What did you say, you ass?” he calls, stumbling after Alfredo, who bursts out into laughter and flees to the dock. Gavin sits up and throws something at Geoff, who turns from the grill with amusement.

“Catch me if you can, bastard!” Alfredo laughs, dodging his attempts at capture with dexterity that no one should be capable of with so much booze inside him. But Michael has the dogged persistence of a man who loved to cause chaos, and it’s not long before he’s captured Alfredo in a tackle hold that sends the other squirming.

“God!” Michael grumbles, “You’re disgusting, you ass, so fucking sweaty! Have you gone swimming yet?”

“No!” Alfredo shouts, struggling, and they grapple for a few moments, laughing, before they lurch towards the edge of the dock.

No amount of struggling and playful yelling could stop this — Michael chunks Alfredo unceremoniously over the side of the dock. He spirals, arms and legs akimbo, until he splashes into the warm water of the Pacific with a yelp.

Everyone on board erupts into laughter as he surfaces, sputtering out insults and making sure he didn’t get water up his nose.

“Dick,” Alfredo mutters as he climbs back on deck, sprawling into the sun as soon as he lands there, spitting out water. Michael leans over him with a playful grin. “Don’t call me a whore again,” he says with his roguish grin and returns to Gavin’s waiting arms, who was giggling the whole time.

—

It’s truly insane just how much booze they get through, even if Geoff isn’t imbibing. The day trails on with a mixture of swimming adventures — Jack finds a few sets of snorkels in one of the unfortunate college student’s stuff — and launches into teaching a few very drunk boys the wonders of fish and coral. They are pretty decent swimmers even with a few bottles of booze inside them and only once does a rescue need to be made for Gavin, who is rapidly losing his ability to stand.

Geoff serves them an elaborate feast of steak, burgers, and dogs, supplemented with potato chips, potato salad, and regular salad. A true barbeque, and they eat like animals, ripping into it all.

Jeremy finds himself leaning against Jack at one point in the meal, and she gently puts more water in front of him and kisses him on the top of the head. She’s feeling good herself, nowhere near losing control but enough to be a bit more free with her affection.

She loves these idiots from the bottom of her heart. It warms her even more than the sun to see Geoff smiling so brightly, Gavin and him laughing about something foolish, Jeremy and Michael holding hands even as Michael tosses bits of bun at Alfredo to catch in his mouth, Trevor kissing him on the cheek every time he manages to catch one. Even if Trevor and Alfredo were their own little couple, they were family. They were her family.

Michael catches her smile and returns it. He looks tanner now, sunburn catching the tip of his ears and the curve of his shoulders, but it’s just great to see him so relaxed and happy.

They needed this. Summer just meant shorter nights which pushed for more intense heists with a shorter getaway period. She knew more than anyone the lengths to which they were working to be better, better, better. Geoff had said it themselves — they were Kings of Los Santos, but at what cost?

But today, it was a break from that. It was time for sun and surf, for snorkeling and barbeque dinners, for unrestrained booze (within reason, of course) and even less restrained smiles.

Her family. Criminals all, but criminals who lived and loved same as anyone.

—

As the sun sent cascading beams of color across the sky, Geoff rolls his shoulders and grins from where he was enjoying reading his book without assholes interrupting him every ten minutes. “This yacht is the best fuckin’ birthday present a guy could ask for. Better than dicks.” 

“What could be better than dicks?” Michael teases from where he was trying to see if he could balance on a surfboard in a handstand. Gavin’s request. Sometimes he wonders why he gets himself into this mess.

He drops into the water with a crash when a very sunburned Gavin turns to him. “Geoffrey, you’re going to miss the best part!”

“Best part?” He blinks, putting his book down a bit. “What do you mean? There’s more?”

Jeremy’s all grins. “Yeah. Fireworks.”

Of course there are fireworks. And not just any fireworks. Big ones, ones that are illegal all across the county and into California and beyond. Ones that could set forest fires. But for guys who play with real explosives, these are nothing.

He’s just about to ask where they are when Jack comes strolling back over to them, her Hawaiian shirt tied across her bikini top. He has to practically force himself to listen to her instead of losing himself in how pretty she is.

“I’ve rigged them,” she grins, shooting the Lads two enthusiastic thumbs up. “Alfredo helped.” His diabolical laugh when he comes out from behind them and how bright Alfredo’s eyes are is never a good sign for anyone’s safety.

“If anyone knows anything about rigging about thirty wires together in one long fuse, it’s Fredo,” Trevor teases from his place on the deck. Alfredo refuses to look ashamed, just grins like a loon. “Gonna be a hell of a show. Short, though.”

Geoff rolls his eyes, but they can see the smirk he tries to hide. “Okay, assholes, get going then. I’m not going to miss the giant fireworks show on my birthday.” The other Lads race over, following the Gents as best they can when they’re all pretty shit-faced. Michael and Jeremy need to hold onto each other, giggling as they try not to fall down, but with the help of one another they climb the stairs to the top deck and look across the way. There’s a bunch of rockets — nearly literal rockets, not fireworks — strapped to the roof of the rooftop deck across the ship, a good 100 meters away.

“Here goes nothing,” Alfredo says once everyone is assembled and looking up into the beautiful night sky. He slams his hand down on the button and watches as the fireworks erupt up into the sky, exploding in a burst of color and sound.

It’s not the most professional fireworks show. It’s loud and hot and they have to dodge a bit of flaming debris. Michael is literally whooping, jumping up and down, grabbing Jeremy’s arm. Gavin squawks, diving behind Geoff and watching with wide eyes as the leader of the Fake AH Crew watches the sheer destructive force his boys put together, just for him.

“That was awesome, boys,” he grins as it finally settles down. “Good as dicks.” The night air grows quiet and they’re left, just them, the ocean, and the sizzling debris in the water. Smiling at one another, sunburnt and heat exhausted and drunk and looking towards bed, they start turning as one towards the stairs.

[pickybearcub]

Getting to know Spiderboy: Chapter 15

Pairing: Peter Parker x OC (platonic) Genre: Friendship/ Adventure/ Family Story summary: Ten minutes. Ten minutes was all it took. She found his backpack in the alley and left before he got there. Now, before Peter knows it, Ned thinks he has a secret girlfriend and Spiderman has to be her kibble runner.

Chapter warnings: Flash is still a jerk. Cuteness and fluff near the end. A/N: Made some art for this chapter (will post later). GIFs not mine, story dividers by @whimsicalrogers​

Catch up here

Ned: Liz invited me and Peter to a party at her house!

Nadia was a little surprised. Why wasn't Peter the one texting her this? A thought later and she chuckled. The teenager was probably still freaking out slightly.

Nadia: You know, I'm actually going there tonight too. Liz ordered some cupcakes for her party.

Ned: Oooh! What kind?

Nadia: That's a surprise. :)

She typed out the text and sent it to Ned before getting back to wiping down a few tables. Her phone buzzed again, but she finished cleaning up and headed to the back room of the café before she took out her phone again to read the text.

Peter: You're going to Liz's party? I thought you agreed to swap patrols today?

Nadia: I told Ned I'm delivering cupcakes.

Nadia: Don't worry, I'll be long gone before you even get there.

Peter: Oh, ok.

Nadia: It's going to be a party full of high schoolers. Why would I stay?

Nadia chuckled before shooting one last text to Peter and getting back to work.

Nadia: Have fun. You deserve to relax after dealing with Ned the whole day. And talk to Liz!

Nadia: The cupcakes are one of the recipes we made for the bake sale. I give you permission to share it. ;)

Nadia prepped the cupcakes and tied the boxes together, three in each hand. She pulled up a Google street view of the address she was given on her phone. Since the party was in the suburbs, she could easily open a portal somewhere she wouldn't be noticed. The sun was just beginning to set when she arrived at the house. Knocking on the door, Nadia was greeted by the smiling face of a short blonde-haired girl.

"Hi!" The girl chirped.

"Hey. I'm Nadia Capelli and I brought over some cupcakes for Liz Allan." Nadia replied, holding up the boxes in her hands.

"Oh! Here, let me help you with that!" The blonde hastily took one set, before stepping back and calling over her shoulder, "Liz! The cupcakes are here!"

Nadia noticed that a few other students had already arrived and were loitering around the living room, hallway, and backyard.

There was a bit of shuffling before the familiar face of Peter's crush popped out from where Nadia assumed the kitchen was. "Nadia!" The younger girl smiled and rushed to the doorway, taking the second set of boxes from the older girl.

"Come inside! Uhm, the pizza won't get here 'til a bit later, but we have some soda in the kitchen." Liz invited, stepping aside.

Nadia shook her head and gave an apologetic smile. "Oh no. I couldn't. Besides, I'd be a bit out of place with all of you kids." She chuckled.

"You make it sound like you're fifty." Liz laughed. "You can't be that much older than us, Nadia. Aren't you eighteen? Nineteen maybe?" She guessed.

"Older, actually." Nadia grinned. Liz looked a bit surprised.

"Really?" She shrugged. "I swear you don't look like it. Anyway, how much do I owe you again?" She asked while reaching a hand into her pocket. Her brow furrowed before she turned around. "Betty! Is my purse in the kitchen?"

"Hey, actually," Nadia called Liz's attention. "Just give the payment to Peter. He can hand it to me tomorrow or I can get it from his aunt." She held out a piece of paper listing the prices of the different muffins and the total bill.

The girl seemed a bit unsure, "I'm not really sure if he's coming to the party, though. He's been a bit busy lately with his Stark internship. Ned mentioned he was thinking of quitting the school band too." The same blonde girl from earlier appeared behind Liz, holding a purse. Betty gave Liz her bag and took the boxes of cupcakes in exchange.

"Really? I didn't know." Nadia frowned. One of the reasons she'd agreed to take turns going on patrol was so that Peter wouldn't feel the need to quit his extra-curricular school activities.

"You seem really close to Peter," Liz said casually as she pulled some bills from her wallet.

"Hmmm?" Nadia was pulled from her thoughts. She smiled fondly after a second. "Yeah. He deals with me badgering him into running a few errands every once in a while. He's sweet."

Liz paused while she counted the money before she handed it to the older girl with a smile. "I think it's nice he has someone else other than his aunt watching over him. He mentions you a lot during decathlon practice. That's how I remembered the cupcakes you sold during the bake sale a few months back. Thankfully, my mom still had your card."

Nadia nodded, "I think both he and Ned try to talk me up a little too much hoping they'll probably get a batch of free pastries in return." Both girls chuckled. "Thanks again for ordering from me. Just shoot me a text again if you ever want to buy some cookies or brownies too." With that, Nadia waved and started down the driveway. "Have a good party!"

"Thanks! And take care!" Liz waved back before going back inside. She left the front door open because a few more of her friends from school were walking up the driveway.

"Who was the college girl?" Flash Thompson asked from the doorway of the kitchen as he poured himself some soda. "She was pretty."

Liz rolled her eyes slightly. "Peter and Ned's friend."

He almost choked on his coke. "Y-You mean she's Parker's babysitter?" He shook his head before saying disdainfully, "That's totally unfair."

Liz sighed and ignored Flash, pulling another pack of plastic cups from a cabinet.

Peter's nerves only grew worse as they drove up to the house in the suburbs. He would rather be training with Nadia or going on a split patrol with her rather than be here. Music was playing loudly in the background, lights were flashing from inside the house, and a lot of people were milling around.

"This was a mistake. Hey, let's just go home." He pleaded with May, but then she started lecturing, and he jumped out of the car not really wanting to hear more of how he was "flowering". He cringed at the word.

He felt like a hypocrite when he used to tell Nadia that she had a responsibility when it came to using her powers, yet here he was with his suit under his clothes. All for the sake of popularity.

His resolve to just be plain Peter Parker during the party was wavering, but he slowly conceded to his fate when May drove away and they walked up the path to the house. Seeing Liz made another part of him made him rethink the decision and maybe just show up for a bit as his vigilante self. However, the thought of how disappointed Nadia would be really bothered him.

Peter began to argue with Ned about "spidering it up".

Whatever resolve he had to just be himself that night crumbled to dust when Flash called him that stupid name and started spewing taunts from the DJ booth, loud enough for everyone, even the neighbors, to hear.

Before he knew it, he was on the rooftop of Liz's house, practicing what he would say when he showed up as Spider-man.

"God this is stupid…" Peter muttered to himself, running a hand over his face. "What am I doing?" He looked down at the living room, where Ned was looking around, waiting for him.

 Responsibility.

Using the suit as a party trick was the absolute opposite of that word.

Happy already didn't take him seriously. If he found out, and he definitely would with all the social media, that he made an appearance at a party as Spider-man, it definitely wouldn't help his case.

And Nadia… Peter wouldn't be able to face her. She was always understanding of him, but she would still be disappointed. Peter didn't want that. She was one of the only people who treated him like he could handle himself.

He was abruptly pulled from his thoughts when an abrupt explosion caught his attention.

"The hell?..." He wondered to himself, pulling on his mask. He was just starting out to the site of the blast when his phone started ringing, Nadia's teasing face on the screen.

::Hey, Peter… I know you're at a party, but-::

"I saw it." He huffed as he ran across a sprawling lawn of grass, the sprinklers going off. "I'm on my way to check it out."

::You're on your way?:: There was a pause before Nadia came to a conclusion. :: You had your suit with you… Why would you?…:: She trailed off, suspicion in her tone. :: Nevermind… The priority is recon right now. That blast looked powerful, be careful. I'm also on my way.::

-----

Nadia had conjured a portal based on her best estimations of where she'd seen the blast. Luckily, the explosion left a hum of energy in the air that she could track. The second blast that crackled through the air helped too.

She had hoped that her choice of location to wait for the arms deal to happen was closer to the actual site.  That was the catch with knowing things. You knew general plot, but not exact times or locations for a lot of things.

She did her best to get to the site of the explosions as quick as possible, but when she got there, Peter was already getting dragged off by a van that seemed to be filled with weapons.

Thank the gods she'd practiced racing with Peter, otherwise, she would have been completely left behind. Chasing was not really something she was adept at.

"Spider-man!" She called after him as he was dragged down the street, cringing every time he crashed into something.

The vigilante looked to the side and saw glimpses of Nadia sprinting and portalling after him every few seconds.

She'd tire herself out quickly if she kept it up.

When a man inside the van started shooting at Peter, Nadia narrowed her eyes in determination. Not having enough time to levitate something as she kept following, she conjured a large sphere of magic in one hand before launching it forcefully at the back of the vehicle.

The car jerked roughly, most of the sphere hitting the inside wall, but some magic making contact with the man holding the weapon. It disoriented him enough to make him lose his grip on the alien gun. It tumbled out, onto the street, then into the yard of some house.

Peter continued to collide with trash cans as he was dragged on with the driver of the van steering erratically to try to shake the vigilante off.

It was then that Spider-man slammed forcefully into a small brick structure at the side of the road, forcing him to let go of the line he had connected to the van. When he tried to attach another to the back of the vehicle, the door broke off.

"Great…" he said sarcastically, putting up his arms in frustration.

Nadia appeared beside him immediately, panting slightly. "I can't keep up a chase like this. I'll find a way to get ahead and make a barricade a few streets over."

"Good plan. Okay, I'll take a short cut."

They shared a nod before they quickly went their separate ways, Peter leaping over an iron gate and Nadia once more portalling away.

The young woman had to conjure several more gateways before she put enough distance between her and the van to have enough time to start a barrier spell. The trap was just about ready when she heard Peter yell "Surprise!" as he leapt from the roof of a house. However, his voice was drowned out by the sound of what Nadia could only describe as the roar of engines.

The partially erected wall she was building dissipated as the van drove through it. She watched in horror as Peter was lifted high into the air too quickly for her to do anything but scream.

Peter struggled against the metal grip on his body, panicking at the height he was being carried to. Below him, he could barely make out the sparks of Nadia's magic as she tried to portal after him… Then, he was too far up to distinguish between the lights of the city and the signs of her sorcery.

He couldn't fly. It wasn't a power he had. Even physically enhanced, a fall from this height meant that he would be dead. There was a series of beeps coming from his suit before he was dropped headfirst. A parachute deployed just as he started falling, tangling him in the material as he fell through the air.

Helplessly, he struggled, trying desperately to untangle himself. Panicked yells and panted breaths left his mouth.

He saw glimpses of the sky, the surrounding city, the blackness of water below him. He thought he saw wild flashes of green over the lake before the parachute blinded him again.

There was some relief in his mind that he would land in water, but a part of him knew that falling from over a thousand feet high, even into water, was like landing on solid concrete.

A warmth suddenly enveloped him, accompanied by a bright green glow that lasted a few seconds. His freefall seemed to slow. The next split-second, he hit something solid, though nothing close to what he expected.

He felt his body being re-positioned in the air before there was a loud splash and he was surrounded by cold and darkness.

The plunge into the water was a shock. He struggled again to free himself from the material of the parachute, however, the task was a thousand times harder under water. Helplessness was beginning to flood him as he continued to sink.

There was another bright flash of green and for a moment, a sound similar to rushing wind met his ears before he was free of the parachute. The material was ripped to a thousand tiny shreds that were floating in pieces in the water around him. He swiped his hands around frantically to clear his field of vision.

Even though his mind was a bit foggy from the lack of air, he had enough sense in him to grab hold of the white-masked form that was being weighed down by her robes.

He held her arm tightly as they both kicked up towards the surface of the water, desperate for air.

Something dove in after them and the two would have attempted to attack on reflex if they weren't so drained. It took a moment for them to process that it was Iron Man. The hero had the two vigilantes sandwiched together, back to back in its grip as he flew over the water.

Metal hands were secured underneath Peter's armpits and Nadia was behind the teen, arms clinging around Iron Man's neck.

They were set back down on top of a dome-shaped jungle gym in what looked like a children's play area. Nadia immediately huffed and slid down to the ground, lying flat on the grass.

Peter would have panicked again, but Nadia put up one finger and groaned faintly. "Fine. Tired…"

She barely heard Peter recounting what happened, only to find out that he was talking to an empty suit.

:: You should be thanking your little trainee and the fact that this place has WiFi, otherwise, you'd be toast.::

Drifting in and out of semi-consciousness, she caught snippets of the two arguing about taking down the man with the wings, the weapons dealers, and something about college.

The suit turned to Nadia, scanning her. :: Sabrina's vitals are stable, but it looks like she conked out.::

"Wh-What?!" Peter hopped down to the ground and knelt next to where Nadia was splayed on the grass.

:: Mr. Stark is no longer connected.:: A female voice reported.

Peter jumped up, "W-Wait!" he tried as the suit turned and flew off.

His shoulders dropped, "That's awesome…" He grumbled before turning back to Nadia's sleeping form. "H-Hey, Nadia…"

"Mmmm…"

"Are you okay?" He asked, concerned. He pulled off her mask gently, noticing that the right side was cracked.

"Just… just tired." She mumbled, eyes half opening. Peter was glad to see that her hazel orbs were mostly clear.

"Can you stand?"

"Mmmm…" She hummed softly in reply, holding out a hand which the teen used to pull her into a half-sitting position.

"H-Hey, Nadia! S-Stay awake!" He raised his voice when he noticed she was leaning into him with her eyes closed again. She was still soaking wet from their fall into the lake. "We need to get you home." He whispered mostly to himself, noting how she was shivering.

Unlike him, Nadia didn't have a heater in her robes. He shook her shoulder, relieved to see that it seemed to wake her up for the moment. "Can you conjure a portal?" She nodded tiredly.

It took longer than usual and the portals sparked out twice, but the third one was stable. Stevie was barking from her living room on the other side. Peter pulled Nadia's arm over his shoulder when she didn't make a move to stand on her own.

"I can walk…" The young woman complained, though her eyes were barely open.

"Sure you can." Peter chuckled, walking slowly through the gateway, grass turning into soft carpet. It was a good thing Nadia's apartment was somewhat warm compared to the playground.

"Couch… you need to get back." She ordered as firmly as she could, feeling exhausted.

He did as directed and set her down on the sofa. The teen looked at her a bit worriedly as she leaned her head back on the couch, sighing deeply.

"Just exhausted. Swear… Few minutes…" She made a rolling motion with her hand. "Go…"

"I will, but…" He walked to her bedroom first, then her bathroom, coming back with one of her oversized shirts, flannel pants, and a large towel. He draped the shirt and pants on the back of the couch and the towel on Nadia's head, ruffling the cloth to absorb the water in her wet hair.

"Peeeeeterrr…" She slurred, putting her own hand on the towel and looking up at him with her eyebrows furrowed. "I can do it..."

He shook his head and continued drying her damp locks. Nadia gave up grumbling and just let him do as he wanted. After a minute, he stopped, pulling down part of the towel to around her shoulders. There was a pause, and they were both still. "Thanks… For-for you know… for catching me." 

Nadia only smiled softly and nodded.

"Any time. Now, I can do it." She repeated her earlier statement. "Go…" She swatted at his arm and weakly kicked the side of his leg toward the still-open portal.

Peter put his hands up in surrender, taking a few steps back. "Stevie, make sure she dries off, okay boy?" The dog barked before jumping onto the couch and nudging his mistress with his nose and paws until she sat up. Her posture was incredibly slouched, but she still managed to glare at Peter. The heat of it was dampened by her drowned look and the fluffy purple towel wrapped around her head and shoulders.

Satisfied, Peter waved, smiling, and walked back through the portal.

---

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[buckybarnesappreciationsociety]

“Always By Your Side” Part 1

Summary: Rachel Barnes out running errands, had no idea the trip would hold dire consequences.

Word Count: 1,621

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Rachel Barnes

OFC: Gracie and Grant Barnes, Tony, Sam. Steve, Clint, Nat, Wanda, William and Jackie Kaufman (Rachel’s parents,) Drs. Miller and Rittenour, Nurse Peterson

Warning: Drunk driver death, severe injuries, major, major angst (for now)

A/N:Thanks @buckysforeverprincess for taking time to beta my mess! Also, to my wonderful mutuals who tagged me in uplifting posts. Whether you knew it or not, I needed them! I love y’all to the moon and beyond!

WARNINGS ARE POSTED AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH CHAPTER. IF THIS TRIGGERS YOU IN ANY WAY, PLEASE DO NOT READ!

MY DEEPEST CONDOLENCES TO THOSE WHO HAVE LOST A LOVED ONE OR FRIEND TO DRUNK DRIVING.

THIS SERIES DELVES INTO THE AFFECTS ON BUCKY AND HIS FAMILY. ALSO, THE LONG ROAD AHEAD FOR RACHEL.

FEEDBACK IS ALWAYS WELCOME! THANKS FOR READING!

                                          <><><><><><><><><><>

Rachel Barnes decided to run errands while Bucky stayed home with their 6 year old twins, Grant and Gracie. No longer in the field, he revelled spending time with family.

Using the hands free cell phone feature in her minivan, Rachel called Bucky informing him about her trip to the bookstore.

“Hey babe, stopping by the bookstore. What are you guys doing?” Chuckling, her husband shook his head. “We’re in the common room hanging out. Doll, thought you weren’t gonna buy’um any more stuff?”

“James, the twins love bedtime stories, so I’m picking up new books. Love you honey.” “Love you too baby girl. See ya soon.”

“Daddy, was that momma? What’s she bringing us?” Grant inquired. “Guess ya gotta wait n’see.”

Groaning, the twins turned around coloring with Wanda.

On Rachel’s way to the bookstore, a drunk driver swerved, crashing into her car head on, killing him on impact.

Forward motion catapulted her into the windshield, snapping the seatbelt. Rachel sustained extremely life threatening injuries.

Glancing at his watch, Bucky noticed the time. “Rachel should’ve been here by now. I left my phone on the living room table. I’ll be back.” “Okay daddy.”

Opening the door, Bucky noticed 3 calls from an unfamiliar number. Concerned, he dialed back.

“Is this Mr. James Barnes? My name is Dr. Miller at Mt. Sinai Hospital.”

Bucky’s breath quickened. “Y-yes, th-this is James Barnes.”

“Sir, I’m sorry to tell you this but Mrs. Barnes was life flighted to our hospital. She’s in critical and unstable condition. Please come ASAP.”

White noise...drowning….breathe….breathe! . “Mr. Barnes, are you still there?

“We’re on the way.” “I’ll be at the 11th floor nurses desk.” “O-okay. Thanks.”

“Daddy, is mommy on her way back?” Wanda sensed Bucky’s agony.

“Hey, little ones,”  holding Gracie’s hand, “Would you like to watch movies and have a pajama party?” Wanda put on a brave face. Bucky mouthed “Thank you.”

“Yay,” the twins squealed in unison. “C’mon, time for our party!!” Steve walked in the common room noticed tears streaming down Bucky’s face.

“Buck, what’s going on?” Tony, Sam and Clint joined in.

“A drunk driver hit Rachel. It ain’t looking so good. I can’t be here.”

Tony, Steve, and Clint sprang to action. “Barton, get the quinjet ready. Rogers, you go with Barnes. I’ll stay here call Rach’s parents and send the private jet for them! Go! Steve, keep us updated.”

                                          <><><><><><><><><>

Touching down on the hospital roof, Steve and Bucky sprinted towards the doors, with Clint in pursuit.

Dr. Miller and Nurse Peterson escorted them to the staff elevator.

“Mr. Barnes, the CT scan showed a subdural hematoma, a collection of blood between the covering and surface of the brain. Our neurologists has stressed how important surgery is. She’s being prepped now.”

Upset, Bucky wanted to know why they waited so long. Dr. Miller explained the surgical team wanted to pinpoint the exact area of the bleeding. Bucky gave consent to proceed with surgery.

Two neurologists, three nurses, an anesthesiologist were the first team operating on Rachel. Tony called ahead ensuring she got the best doctors on the planet.

Bucky’s leg bounced up and down, tears staining his face. “Stevie, m’scared. It’s bad; it’s really bad.” Clint and Steve rallied around him.

Entering the 7th hour of surgery, Dr. Miller finally emerged with an update. Bucky, Steve and Clint stood. “Gentlemen, please have a seat.”

“Doc, how is she?” Bucky’s eyes had lost their light.

“Mr. Barnes, your wife coded twice, but we were able to resuscitate her. Mrs. Barnes has close to 70 stitches to her hands, arms, face and neck.”

Dashing towards a nearby wastepaper basket, Bucky emptied his stomach. Wiping his mouth, Bucky asked to see his wife. Dr. Miller advised against it. As much as he didn’t want to, Steve agreed with the doctor.

“The next 24 hours are crucial. We’ve set up a private waiting room complete with coffee, food, wifi, full bathroom and a private phone. Also, there are two sleeper sofas and two lounge chairs. I’ll be back if there’s any more news.”

Blood of the innocent stains my hands, so is this my penance? Tell me what to do!!! Please, don’t take her away from us!!! Gracie and Grant need her, so do I. 

                                      <><><><><><><><><><>

William and Jackie Kaufman, Rachel’s parents, arrived at the compound. Gracie and Grant were surprised but happy to see their grandparents.

“Nana, grampy what are you doing here? We missed you.” Pulling the twins into a hug, Mr. Kaufman tried to compose himself.

“We missed our doodle bugs. My goodness, you’ve grown.” Grant nodded. “I play soccer!!”

Gracie added, “Me too!!!”

“Gracie and Grant, how would you like to see what Dr. Banner is working on? He has pizza and soda. Wanda, take our junior scientists to lab. Be sure to give them a lab coat!” Tony ran interference.

“C’mon auntie Wanda!!!! Let’s go!!! See ya later nana and grampy!!! Love you!!!” After the twins left, Mrs. Kaufman couldn’t contain her pain. Sam and Nat comforted them as best as possible.

Rachel’s dad asked if Bucky had called with an update. “No we haven’t heard anything.” Nat dabbed her eyes.

Tony’s cell phone buzzed. “Hey Steve. Rachel’s parents are here.” “Take them to the conference room, make sure it’s soundproofed.”

Once in the conference room, Tony put the phone on speaker. “Okay we’re set.”

“Hello Steve.” “Hello Mrs. Kaufman.” “How’s our daughter? Where’s James?”

“Um, he’s in no condition to talk. The docs gave him a sedative. I’m not gonna lie. Rachel’s in bad shape. You should come to the hospital. They’re saying she might not make it. M’sorry ma’am.”

Sam, Nat, and Mr. Kaufman gasped. “No, please don’t say that. We’re on our way!!!”

“F.R.I.D.A.Y., ready the helicopter. Wilson and Romanoff, escort the Kaufman’s. The twins will probably get suspicious. How do you want us to handle it?”

Mr. Kaufman didn’t know how to answer. “My mind’s so jumbled, I’ll leave that to James. Thank you for everything Tony.”

 “No need to thank me. Keep us updated.” 

                                          <><><><><><><><><><>

Groggily gazing around the room, Bucky noticed Clint asleep in one of the lounge chairs. Steve munched on a sandwich.

Steve helped Bucky sit up. “Hey pal. How are ya feeling?”

“Like I’ve been hit by an 18-wheeler. What did they do t’me?”

“Nurse had to sedate ya.” “What’d I do?”

“Nothing anyone in your position would’ve done. Rach’s parents are on the way. Try and eat something will ya?”

“Have you heard anything from Dr. Miller? How are my kids?” Bucky sipped on coffee.

“No one’s been in. The twins are fine. They don’t know anything.” “M’gonna have t’talk to them. S’gonna be hard.”

                                         <><><><><><><><><><>

Mr. and Mrs. Kaufman, Sam and Nat arrived at the hospital. Dr. Miller introduced himself. Everyone listened attentively as he provided an update on Rachel’s condition.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Barnes’ condition hasn’t changed. Mr. Barnes, Mr. and Mrs. Kaufman, Dr. Rittenour would like to have a word with you. I’ll take you to his office.”

Dr. Rittenour Chief Neurologist, requested a meeting. He wanted to know how to proceed in case Rachel’s condition deteriorated further.

“Mr. Barnes, wh-?” Bucky stopped him mid-sentence. “No stop it! Rachel’s gonna be just fine!”

Gently touching his arm, Mrs. Kaufman cautioned her son-in-law, “James, don’t you think this is hard for us as well? She’s our only child; our daughter. We’ve watched her grow from a rambunctious little girl to a wife, mother of twins.” Tears rolled down her weary face.

“I trust you to make the right decision, if necessary.” “I dunno how to do this. She’s my lifeline. How am I supposed to go on without her?”

“Please, if I may interject? The next 24 hours are crucial. We’ll monitor her closely. Mr. Barnes, would you like to visit your wife? You’ll have only 5 minutes I’m sorry. Let her know you’re here.”

Rachel’s parents nodded. “Give her our love.” “Okay.”

Drs. Miller and Chandler escorted Bucky to the SICU. His breath hitched when Rachel came into view. Bandages, ventilator, EKG, EEG machines, IV and blood drips.

Whimpering, Bucky steadied himself. Rachel’s still, bandaged form buckled his knees. Dr. Miller helped him to a chair near her bed.

On instinct, he reached for her hand, only having to pull away. “Doc gave me a few minutes wit’cha. Grant and Gracie miss ya like crazy. Your parents send their love. I’m a mess baby. Ya gotta fight Rachel. ‘Member when we first met? Gosh you were stubborn. Made me love ya even more. I’ll always be by your side. I love ya.”

Before he left, Bucky smoothed the blanket on Rachel’s bed. “Would ya like me to bring your favorite blanket and a picture of Grant and Gracie? I will. I love you with all my heart.”

Rachel Yvette Barnes faced insurmountable odds. Bucky couldn’t fathom his life without her. And if he had a say in the matter, he’d make sure Rachel didn’t give up either.

@crazy-little-thing-called-buck