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yelena-bellova · 1 year

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Twenty Years Later: Joel Miller x F!Reader - Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine: Dry Your Tears

Plot: Joel, Y/n, Henry, Sam and Ellie make their way out of the tunnel system, but Kansas City refuses to let them leave.

Word Count: 9.4k

Warnings: tlou ep.5 spoilers, implied s*ut, language, canon-typical violence, knives, blood, death, loss of a child, s*icide, (16+)

A/N: Oh, we’re really in it, y’all. This is the last chapter in which you get any sense of happiness, so hold it close to your heart. It all really goes to shit after this…

As always, and I really need people to read this, this series is 16+ and I will not be adding anyone to the taglist unless their age is listed in their bio. Gotta look out for younger eyes 👀

Good night, and good luck, my loves ❤️

———————

May 27th, 2003. Austin, Texas.

The referee’s whistle rang through the air, signaling the play was starting. Sarah had the ball, her team was one goal away from winning the season. If she nailed the shot, she’d bring them to victory.

Now, on his own, Joel was one of the loudest and proudest parents at the games. Adding in Tommy and Y/n had made them their own cheer section.

“Go, Sarah!” Y/n yelled.

“C’mon, babygirl,” Joel clapped, “C’mon.”

“Fuckin’ nail it,” Tommy cheered, earning a light knock to the chest from Y/n, “Frickin’ nail it!”

Sarah wasn’t listening to any of them, she was in the zone. She wound her leg back and kicked the ball, it flew through the air and straight through the goalie’s arms.

Y/n screamed and leapt into Joel’s arms, the whole crowd cheered wildly. Joel spun her around, this felt like a victory for all of them considering how much time they’d spent practicing with Sarah.

After celebrating with her team and taking their yearly photo, Sarah bounded over to her family.

Joel picked his daughter up, not caring if he was embarassing her. Sarah hugged him back.

“You were amazing,” he said, setting her back on the grass.

“You’re so freakin’ good, it hurts,” Y/n grinned, wrapping Sarah in her arms.

“Thanks,” the girl smiled up at Y/n.

Tommy high fived his niece, “Calls for a celebration.”

The four of them drove downtown to the ice cream shop. They parked themselves outside at a table in the shade. In celebration of Sarah’s impending graduation, her recent birthday and Y/n and Joel’s one year anniversary, they were driving down to the beach for a weekend.

“Okay,” Joel said in between bites, “I’ve got the confirmation for the hotel printed out.”

“I’m going to the store tomorrow to pick up the food,” Y/n raised her spoon.

Sarah hummed enthusiastically, swallowing her dessert quickly. “Can you pick me up when you do?”

“Yes,” Y/n nodded, “But you can’t run me into debt.”

“Can I come?” Tommy asked through a mouthful of ice cream.

“You will run me into debt,” Y/n replied with a smile.

Tommy reached into his wallet, theatrically handing Y/n a twenty dollar bill. “Beer money,” he clarified.

“Thank you,” Y/n replied, stuffing the money into her jean pocket, “What time are we leaving on Thursday?”

“I figure 9,” Joel answered, “Try and beat the traffic.”

Practical as he was, Joel was also plain excited. This was the first family vacation Y/n was joining them for.

“We’re leavin’ on a Thursday mornin’,” Tommy interjected, “There’s not gonna be any traffic.”

Joel peeked across the table to Y/n, who met his eyes with an equal level of contained enthusiasm. Celebrating one year of her in his life didn’t warrant waiting a single minute longer than necessary.

“Won’t hurt anybody,” Joel responded, shooting his girlfriend a wink.

————————

Come Thursday, the Millers and guest loaded their bags and coolers into Joel’s truck.

“Sarah?” Y/n called from the bottom of the stairs, they were nearly ready to leave and she was still upstairs, “We gotta go, babe.”

“Coming,” she yelled down, skipping out of her room and down the stairs, carrying something in her hand.

“Whatcha got?” Y/n pointed to the small package.

Sarah waved it nonchalantly in the air, “It’s an anniversary present. For you and Dad.”

Y/n’s heart swelled, “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Well, I did,” she gave a small smile, before scrunching up her face, “Just please don’t make out the entire trip.”

Snorting, Y/n wrapped her arms around Sarah’s neck and walked the two of them out of the house.

Joel and Tommy had just finished their thirty minute game of Tetris with the luggage. There were so many bags for only four days and four people.

“No,” Tommy called out, spotting Sarah’s present, “Not one more fuckin’ thing comes into this truck.”

“It’s a carry-on,” Y/n shouted back with a smile, patting Sarah’s arm after, “Be there in a minute.”

Sarah skipped off to the backseat, passing her dad as she did. Joel ruffled her hair before locking eyes with Y/n across the driveway. She looked so natural, standing on his porch with his daughter in her arms, locking up the front door with her spare key. She’d settled into the family so well.

“See somethin’ you like?” Y/n smiled, sticking her nose up in the air and letting the sun hit her.

“Somethin’ I love,” Joel replied, walking slowly towards her. He encircled her waist with one arm, his other hand holding her hip.

Y/n let her hands slide up Joel’s chest, “Your daughter has requested a vow of celibacy from us this weekend.”

Joel chortled, “That’s ‘cause one day she woke up and decided us lookin’ at each other was disgusting.”

“Well, then,” Y/n got on he tiptoes and pressed a kiss to the tip of Joel’s nose, “Save it for the evenings.”

Joel nuzzled his nose against her cheek, savoring the warmth of her skin and the promise of her words.

“What happened to beatin’ traffic?” Tommy teased from the passenger seat.

Rolling his eyes, Joel turned around to his brother and glared at him. Tommy just smirked and tapped his foot against the dashboard.

“Come on,” Y/n intertwined her fingers with Joel’s, pulling him behind her and marching them both to the truck.

“Seatbelts,” Joel ordered as he got in the front seat.

Y/n settled herself in the backseat next to Sarah, who absentmindedly grabbed her hand and started playing with it. Of all the milestones her and Joel had hit in the past year, Sarah’s casual comfort with her was Y/n’s proudest.

“Alright, gang,” Joel started up the car and backed it out of the driveway, “6 hour drive, settle in.”

Y/n and Sarah cheered from the backseat and Joel swore he could feel a physical warmth spread across his chest.

—————————

It took them all day to get to South Padre Island, having stopped for bathroom breaks and lunch on the way, but they made it in one piece.

Their hotel was modest and one of many on the strip that backed straight up to the beach. The view from the balcony was unmatched, nothing but sand and ocean as far as the eye could see.

Their first full day there, they spent all day on the beach. It was early enough in the year that the full force of summer’s heat hadn’t hit yet. Joel stayed with their cooler, messing around on the guitar he’d brought in a beach chair. Tommy switched between relaxing in the shade with a beer and flirting with whatever lucky woman was in their vicinity. Sarah and Y/n walked the shore, searching for seashells.

Leaving Sarah to keep hunting, Y/n walked back to their spot, admiring the sight before her. Joel looked more at ease than she’d ever seen him, strumming away in the cool shade.

“You’re ogling me’,” he said, trying to sound put off.

“You look happy,” Y/n smiled, pushing past the humor.

Joel peeked up over his sunglasses, taking in the wind blowing through her hair and how the sun shone off her skin. “I am happy,” he replied.

Y/n walked around the back of his chair, bending over to encircle his neck. Joel kept on playing, trying to stay focused as she pressed a loving kiss to his cheek.

Looking out on the beach, Y/n’s eyes found Tommy, buying some girl an ice cream at a vendor’s cart. She watched Sarah, crouched down in the sand and hot on the trail of a particular shell. With Joel in her arms, and her chosen family happy, she felt like everything in her world was just as it should be.

Y/n rested her chin on Joel’s shoulder, “Me too.”

—————————

They’d celebrated both Sarah’s graduation and Y/n’s anniversary on Saturday night with dinner on the beach. There’d been good food and good laughter, especially when Sarah tried oysters for the first time, managing to swallow the bite with a grimace.

When gifts were exchanged, Y/n, Joel and Tommy had compiled their money to get Sarah tickets to see her favorite band. She’d leapt out of her chair and bear hugged all three of them. For Joel and Y/n’s anniversary, she handed them a CD she’d burned a playlist to. Songs she’d heard them listen to or that the three of them had sung together in the car or while Joel played guitar.

Deep into the evening, when Tommy and Sarah had retired to their room across the hall, Joel and Y/n celebrated their anniversary privately.

Joel’s body weight Y/n’s down, pinning her hands above her head and pressing soft kisses across her face. At some point in the night, she’d slipped on his t-shirt. He was convinced that if there was a heaven on earth, he was in it.

“Promise me something,” Y/n breathed, her lips brushing Joel’s cheekbone.

Joel rubbed his nose against Y/n’s, “Anything.”

Pressed into the bed, completely consumed by the man she loved, with a soft ocean breeze flooding through their balcony window, Y/n was in utter bliss. There was nothing that could have made the moment more perfect.

“Promise me it’ll always be like this,” Y/n whispered, her urging eyes boring into Joel’s, “Even when it isn’t.”

Joel’s grip on Y/n’s hands loosened, letting her slip out of his hold with a need to feel her arms around him. Neither of them were under any illusion that life was without its problems, they’d run into them eventually. But through it all, Joel knew that the one thing that would never fade was their complete and utter devotion to one another. That was forever.

Joel brushed away a strand of hair stuck to Y/n’s face from the ocean’s humidity. He ran the tips of his fingers along her cheek, down her neck, tracing the path his lips had traveled moments ago.

“Always,” he promised, his voice soft, but determined.

The room’s energy was emotionally charged, bringing tears to Y/n’s eyes as she gazed up at Joel. He looked so beautiful hanging over her, it nearly broke her heart. She was so overcome with love for this man, she truly didn’t know if she could handle any more. Joel overwhelmed her in the sweetest way possible.

The moonlight reflected off a single teardrop that slipped down Y/n’s cheek. Joel adjusted himself in concern, taking her face into his hand, “What’s wrong?”

Y/n smiled, she’d never known one could be moved to tears by the simple act of adoring someone. “I just love you,” she pushed past the lump in her throat.

Joel’s breath caught in his chest. Even though he’d heard her say those words a hundred times, something about this utterance felt new.

He stroked his thumb over her cheek, wiping away the tear’s streak. They lay intwined, coming alive in one another’s eyes. They’d known for months, really since their first kiss, that they’d be together a long, long time…but there, in a beachside hotel, wrapped in lily white sheets and each other, they knew they could never leave one another.

Joel dove back into Y/n’s lips, his hands slipping under his shirt she wore to hold her hips. He prayed that when the day came for him to die, he’d do so in her arms, her kiss stealing his final breath.

—————————

2023. Kansas City, Missouri.

While the tensions were high the whole way, the five survivors made it through the tunnel system with no issues.

“Do you know where we are?” Joel asked Henry as they made their way through a door. He was still suspicious, nothing was ever as simple as a few tunnels and some luck.

“Yeah,” he answered, “The other side.”

Henry shone his flashlight on a dirty sign stating that it was, indeed, the parking lot to the Bank of America building. They’d made it out. Y/n huffed a sigh of relief, it was a much needed win.

The group headed for the street of the residential area, it was dark and empty allowing them the perfect cover. Joel had still insisted on no flashlights, just to be safe.

Joel led the group, with Ellie, Sam and Henry at the rear, and Y/n sandwiched between. She didn’t particularly feel like being near Joel after the conversation with Henry. She was still trying to shake the memories from her brain, twenty years of wasted energy and not a single one had faded.

Joel didn’t quite know what to do either. He felt at war with himself, a poorly docked ship being drawn out to the open waters against its will. It was getting harder to deny the increasing intensity of his pull to her. Not that it mattered, he still considered her a liar and she hated him with a passion that would never die. But seeing her with the kids, showing the humanity still left in her, had left him unsettled. It was like seeing a home he could never go back to.

“No,” Henry said, having just been signing with Sam, “No one is here. No one’s gonna be here because…my plan worked.

“So much damn talkin’,” Joel remarked from the front of the group.

“I’m just saying,” Henry continued, “I delivered. Make this right, go down the street, embankment behind the last house…and we’re out.”

Y/n and Joel wanted to believe that they were home free, but they’d seen more of the current world than anyone else in the party. Things that seemed too good to be true, almost always were.

“So we cross the river and then what?” Ellie asked, “Where ya gonna go?”

“Don’t know yet,” Henry shrugged.

“Well, we’re goin’ to Wyoming,” Ellie announced.

Joel glared back at her, earning a light hit to the arm from Y/n, who glared right back at him.

“What?” Ellie replied, “It’s a huge state, it can fit two more people.”

“Yeah,” Henry stretched the syllable, not any more keen on the idea than Joel, “Maybe we just call this one a success and say our fond farewells.”

Y/n drifted to walk alongside Joel, his stubbornness breathing a little bit of life back into her. “If you’ve got any happy pills left in your pocket,” she muttered low enough for only them to hear, “I suggest you take them.”

Joel shook his head, glancing out the side of his eyes at her. He couldn’t decide if her silence or her snark was preferable.

“No, he’ll change his mind,” Ellie said to Henry, “Trust me. This is how it goes, he’s like,” she dropped her voice and added a twinge of an accent, “‘No, Ellie. Never, ever, ever happening.”

Y/n couldn’t stop the snort before it escaped her, it physically jerked her body forward. When she looked up, Joel’s hardened stare was resting on her.

“That supposed to be funny?”

“It’s hilarious,” Y/n smiled, still trying to contain her laughter, “And you know it.”

“And then I’m like,” Ellie continued, “‘I’m gonna ask you a million more times.’ And he’s like-“

A gunshot flew past them, killing only the levity.

Joel and Y/n ran for Ellie at the same time, colliding with one another in a heap of arms.

“Move! Move!” Joel ordered, shoving both of them forward, “Go!”

The five of them dove for cover behind an abandoned car, crouching on the asphalt.

“Where the fuck is that coming from?” Henry asked, shielding Sam with his body.

“Shut up,” Joel ordered, peeking his head above the trunk of the car to scan the area. As soon as he was semi-visible, another gunshot hit one of the nearby vehicles.

Henry tried to get a look at the house where the fire seemed to be coming from, earning another close call.

“Fuck,” he muttered, grabbing Sam’s hand, “Let’s move. Let’s go.”

“Henry!” Y/n shouted through her teeth.

“What are you doin’?” Joel yelled, not budging.

“Getting the fuck outta here,” Henry called back, barely making it to the other side of the road before another shot blew past them. He rushed him and Sam back to the first car, “What do we do?”

Y/n and Joel’s brains were working overtime, trying to figure out the best possible course of action. Joel, closest to the house he guessed the gunman was inside, peeked out once more and got another near fatal shot. He was right.

“All right,” Joel breathed, “Stay here.”

“What?” Y/n and Ellie exclaimed in unison.

Joel turned to them, addressing Ellie but drifting his eyes to Y/n at the end of each sentence. “If you don’t move, he’s not gonna hit you. I’m gonna go around, try to get in the house through the back, and then I’ll take him out.”

“No,” Y/n blurted out, “No fucking way.”

“Yeah, if you go out there, he’s gonna kill you,” Ellie agreed.

“It’s dark and he has shit aim,” Joel countered, “Nobody’s gonna kill me.”

“Then he’s gonna kill us,” Ellie replied.

Joel’s eyes flicked between the kid and the woman behind her. He addressed Ellie first, “Do you trust me?”

Hesitating, but eventually rolling her eyes and nodding, Ellie answered.

Joel looked up to Y/n, silently begging her to listen to him. He’d trusted her when Ellie had revealed her immunity, now he needed her to do the same.

Y/n wanted to be unreasonable and illogical, to stew in her anger a little longer. But Joel hadn’t failed them yet on their journey, this wasn’t the place to start.

“You go around the left,” Y/n countered, “I’ll create a diversion so he won’t see you coming.”

“You stay here,” Joel replied, his voice turning to steel.

It was the first time that Y/n didn’t want to argue. She withdrew her pistol from her holster, “I wasn’t asking.”

Joel was busting his ass trying to make sure she was safe and she was throwing herself into open fire to protect him. He felt sick to his stomach.

Y/n took Joel’s reluctant nod and mirrored it, hoping she looked more confidant than she felt. They both brushed a hand against Ellie’s arm, who was terrified to let the only two people she cared about run headfirst into danger.

Joel and Y/n crossed past one another, he grabbed her arm to stop her. The pain-stricken worry in both their eyes communicated all that they couldn’t out loud.

They took up their positions on either end of the car, cocking their guns and drawing a deep breath. Joel nodded to Y/n, signaling for her to move.

Y/n jumped out from the car and ran for the one directly across from her. A gunshot kissed the air behind her, she slid into the asphalt behind the vehicle like it was third base. She could feel the fear creeping up her spine, threatening to break her, but breaking wasn’t an option. Tess’ last wish rang in her ears; keep Joel safe.

Spotting the next car, in the row, she made a beeline for it, dodging two shots on each side of her. She kneeled behind the trunk, peeking out just enough to fire a distracting shot towards the house.

“C’mon, Joel,” she whispered.

Joel was making his way down the street, Y/n serving as the most perfect and unwelcome distraction. Every shot sent a cold shot of panic through him, terrified that the gunman was going to be too quick for her. Just before making it behind the house, he snuck a look over his shoulder and caught her racing across the street, dodging more fire. It urged him to move faster.

Y/n was getting closer and closer to the house, praying that Joel had made it. When she made a clean run to the next car, she assumed that he’d put a stop to the fight. A final shot rang out, but it had come from a different gun. Joel’s gun.

Y/n slumped against the car and exhaled, he was safe.

Joel felt grief pass over him, a drop of it trickling down his throat, as he grabbed the old man’s rifle. He was about to stick his head out the window and signal to Y/n that they were clear, until a sound caught his ear.

“Anthony…Anthony…” a staticky voice called, Joel tracked it beside the old man’s body and found a walkie-talkie, “Anthony, hold them where they are.”

“Fuck,” he muttered, rushing to the window, “Run!”

Y/n stood up, Joel’s voice reassuring her they were in the clear before she registered his words.

“Run!”

Y/n bolted back toward Ellie, Sam and Henry. In the near distance, she could hear the sound of a truck. The same one they’d been dodging for the past day.

“Run!” Joel urged, watching Y/n’s shadow run straight towards the threat.

The truck’s headlights shone down the street, shining right on Y/n. She collided with Ellie, wrenching the girl ahead of her and racing back towards the house. Behind them, the fleet of trucks were beginning to plow through the rows of cars.

Determined, Joel started to fire at the truck’s windows, trying to take out the driver.

Blindly, Ellie and Y/n began to fire their pistols at the main truck after them. Without being able to take proper aim, their attempts failed, but they kept trying.

Ellie’s gun ran out of bullets as the truck began to gain on her. Y/n wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pushing her to go faster. Ellie tripped, bringing Y/n down with her. Y/n enveloped the girl in her arms, putting her body between the truck and Ellie.

At that exact moment, Joel had fired a perfect shot, taking out the driver and causing the truck to crash through the front of a nearby house. He’d bought them mere seconds, a whole fleet of cars were behind them and their passengers were about to surround Ellie and Y/n.

“Come on,” Y/n urged, pulling Ellie to her feet, “Move.”

They’d barely made it two steps before they were thrown to the ground again by a blast. The crash had somehow started a fire and both the vehicle and the house surrounding it were set ablaze.

The smoke filled Y/n’s lungs, restricting her airways and letting dizziness to set in. The only clear thought ringing through her head was Ellie, save Ellie.

Joel watched helplessly as Ellie and Y/n lay on the ground. He could feel his heartbeat in his throat, waiting for them to get up. Henry, a godsend in that moment, darted out from behind a car and pulled them both to their feet.

Y/n stumbled back to the car Henry had sought as protection, blindly reaching for Ellie and making herself a barricade once again.

“You okay?” Henry asked them both.

“Yeah,” Ellie muttered, Y/n gave a breathless nod.

Up above the flames, Joel watched a group of rebels walk through the smoke with guns drawn on his window, calling out orders to raid the house. They’d found him.

“Fuck,” he breathed, hiding behind the wall. Unlucky for them, Joel wasn’t so easy to throw in the towel and lose his life.

Below, Kathleen surveyed the damage, strolling casually amongst the flames. “Dead end, Henry,” she called, “Gonna step on out? Save us some time?”

“Is that her?” Y/n whispered, Henry nodded in response.

“No?” Kathleen asked, her tone was eerily even, “That’s all right. Doesn’t matter.”

Henry looked to Sam, who Y/n had an arm around, and knew what he had to do. “I’ll come out,” he replied, “Just let the kids go!”

“No,” Kathleen responded, “Sorry. The girl is with the two who killed Bryan, don’t think I don’t know that the woman’s back there with you too.”

Y/n shut her eyes, the back of her head digging into the car. She knew she’d die eventually, she woke every day faced with the possibility of death. But she wasn’t about to die before she could get Ellie out west.

Joel’s blood ran cold at Kathleen’s words, his hands squeezing the rifle tighter. He had to fight every instinct to fire a bullet straight through her head.

“And Sam” Kathleen continued, “Well, Sam’s with you.”

“You don’t understand,” Henry yelled.

“But I do,” she said calmly, “I know why you did what you did. But did you ever stop to think that maybe he was supposed to die?”

“He’s just a fucking kid!” Henry called back.

“Well, kids die, Henry. They die all the time.”

Y/n’s fear turned to shock and that shock turned to rage. Deep, bitter, twenty year old rage.

Joel watched carefully from his spot, feeling the anger swell in him.

“You think the whole world revolves around him?” Kathleen continued her monologue, “That he’s worth everything? Well, this is what happens when you fuck with fate.”

Henry turned to Y/n and Ellie, bracing himself for his own fate. “Get ready to take him, and run,” he instructed.

“No,” Y/n argued, “I’m not-“

“Yes,” he said, his voice like steel, “Do it.”

Y/n gave in, nodding and taking Sam’s hands with Ellie. “You stay in front of me at all time,” she instructed, reaching out for the girl, “If I go down, you don’t turn back.”

Ellie’s eyes widened, “But-“

“You don’t turn back,” Y/n repeated, forcing her voice to sound strong.

“It’s time, Henry,” Kathleen gritted, her soft voice suddenly dripping with venom, “Enough!”

Henry took a few shuddering breaths before getting to his feet, hands raised in the air. Sam anxiously started to go after his brother, but Ellie and Y/n pulled him back to the ground. The three of them sat there, Y/n and Ellie’s pulses racing as they waited for the inevitable sound, their signal to move.

“It ends the way it ends,” Kathleen said, her calm demeanor returning.

Y/n froze as she listened to Kathleen cock her pistol, squeezing Sam’s hand a little tighter.

But the bullet never came.

Instead, there was a terrible creak from the totaled truck. Ellie scrambled to get a peek while staying hidden, Y/n held up a hand to her and poked the tip of her head out. Just enough to see the car sink into the wreckage of the burning house.

Joel aimed his rifle and came to the window, watching it all happen from above.

Three ominous seconds of silence.

And then they came.

Hordes of Infected came sprinting out of the sinkhole.

Henry rushed back to their spot, Y/n and him shoved the kids in between them and sinking against the car as far as they could. One of the Infected leapt on the hood, a well-timed bullet sinking into its skull.

Joel reloaded the gun, waiting for the next shot.

“Come on,” Henry called, the four of them got to their feet and took off in the direction of the embankment.

Ellie obeyed and stayed ahead of Y/n, who was frantically cocking her handgun. One Infected was chasing after them and she couldn’t get her weapon ready in time.

Joel aimed at the creature trailing Y/n and fired. The body lurched forward, falling on Y/n and causing both her and Ellie to topple to the ground.

Somewhere in their fall, Y/n and Ellie had lost sight of Henry and Sam. Y/n kicked the dead body off of them and glanced up towards the house, she knew who was acting as their guardian angel. But that didn’t mean she didn’t have a job to do as well.

“Car,” Ellie yelled, having quickly crafted a plan in her head.

“Stay low,” Y/n responded.

The two of them army crawled their way through the chaos, screams of both the living and Infected filling the air.

Joel tracked their movements, shooting down any Infected that even looked in their direction.

Ellie and Y/n ran the final distance and dove into the abandoned car through an open window. As Infected began to crawl across the behicle, banging against the windows, one of Joel’s bullets took each one out.

“Get to the back,” Y/n instructed.

The two of them crawled over the seats, taking shelter in the very rear of the vehicle. Ellie’s eyes were wide with terror as she watched the scene play through the dirty glass.

Joel saw them make it in, but his relief didn’t last long. He watched as one of the Infected snaked through the window and into their car. His breath trembled, taking aim and realizing he couldn’t do a damn thing to help them.

Y/n and Ellie heard the dreadful snarling together, their heads turning to watch the Clicker flip through the front seat of the car. Y/n raised her gun and took aim.

Click.

She was out of bullets.

Joel’s brain switched off, his primal instinct to protect taking over as he fired relentless shot after relentless shot, trying to take the Infected out.

The Clicker acrobatically made its way through the car. Ellie blindly reached for the door handle, whimpering in fear as she couldn’t open it. Y/n kicked it with her boot and it swung out, she shoved Ellie roughly out of the car. Y/n slid out, slamming the door behind them and feeling the slam of the Clicker throwing itself against the window.

Joel had lost visual on them briefly, but saw the swing of the car door and how it was still rocking. They’d trapped it.

Somewhere in the noise, a child’s cry could be heard. Y/n’s eyes darted around them, finally spotting Henry and Sam trying to fend off a group of Infected underneath a car.

“Help! Get the fuck away!“ Henry screamed, kicking at one of the creatures, “Get the fuck off me!”

Ellie looked first to Y/n, who was already pulling out her knife from where she hid it in her boot, before they both looked up to where Joel was. Y/n could barely make out his face with the distance.

Joel looked down, knowing that they couldn’t possibly be making eye contact from so far away, but knowing that they were on the same wavelength.

They had to work as a team.

“Go!” Y/n yelled, and they were off.

Joel shot with more precision than he ever had, this was the most he’d ever had at stake. As Y/n and Ellie moved through the crowd, he took out every Infected that were heading for them. He worked as a machine, but the terror he felt was the most human sensation he’d experienced in years.

Y/n shed her humanity, becoming more beast than woman, mercilessly ripping through the throats of any Infected that came near Ellie. She swung onto one’s back, stabbing her knife into its head, and let the collapse of its body land her back on the ground.

Joel and Y/n worked seamlessly together, ground and aerial coming together to protect the one thing that couldn’t be lost. Or in Joel’s case, two somethings.

Ellie and Y/n finally made it to Sam and Henry, there were two clickers still clawing at them. One dragged Henry out from underneath the car, Ellie got behind it and stabbed it. Y/n wrenched the Clicker attacking Sam backwards, staring into where its eyes would have been as she sliced through its heart.

A bullet whizzed past her head, landing in the monster’s skull. Joel needed to be sure.

“Come on, come on,” Ellie helped their friends to their feet, “Go! Go!”

Y/n shoved Ellie in front of her again and they fled the chaos, climbing into the lawn of the house Joel was in.

“Stop!”

The four of them turned to see Kathleen with her gun aimed at Henry, but her eyes flicking between him and Y/n. They didn’t have time to fear for their lives, they clocked the same Clicker who’d almost gotten her and Ellie creeping up an old piece of furniture behind Kathleen.

Kathleen heard the sound, turning around just as the Clicker shot through the air and latched onto her. They watched in terror as the creature claimed the resistance leader’s life.

Joel hurried out of the house, running faster once he saw Y/n and Ellie. He stopped a second, watching as Kathleen lost everything she’d fought so hard for, but didn’t care so long as his people were safe.

“This way now,” Joel yelled, grabbing Y/n’s arm to urge her forward, “Move!”

The group took off, leaving those who had sought to kill them to their fates. Joel and Y/n ran together, keeping one hand on each other the whole time. Their grudge was suffocating, choking under the weight of their undeniable devotion to one another.

————————————

The motel the group landed was a haven to their weary eyes. They broke into one of the rooms and tried to get it through their heads that they were safe. Joel had made sure that no one followed them, they were miles away from any Infected. They could breathe.

Once Ellie and Sam had been squared away with food, they went into the bedroom and began reading Ellie’s collection of comic books. They were either bouncing back spectacularly fast or burying their fear.

Henry, Joel and Y/n sat out in the main room, trying to come down from what they’d just been through. Since fleeing the hellish nightmare, Joel and Y/n hadn’t left each other’s side. She hadn’t even bothered with putting space between them when she sunk down onto the floor. They were pressed against one another and neither of them minded.

“You think they’ll be okay?” Henry asked, picking at a bit of his food and watching his brother from the next room.

Y/n’s eyes drifted to Ellie, she was growing more and more worried about the girl’s psyche. She’d seen so much in such a short span of time.

“Yeah, I think,” Joel answered, “It’s easier when you’re a kid, anyway,” he met Henry’s stare with intention, “You don’t have anybody else relying on you. That’s the hard part.”

“Well,” Henry looked down at his food, “I guess we’re doin’ a good job then.”

Y/n and Joel both looked to the kids, Ellie was helping Sam to read one of the pages.

“What’s that comic book say?” Joel asked, “‘Endure and survive?’”

“Endure and survive,” Y/n repeated.

Henry chuckled, “That shit’s redundant.”

Joel shook his head, this was as close as he’d come to laughing with another person. “Yeah, it’s-it’s not great.”

Y/n gave a small smile, not quite to the point of being able to laugh about any part of the day.

Joel turned to look at her, drawing her gaze to him and focusing on the two quirked corners of her lips. It used to be his favorite game, making them rise until she’d complain her cheeks hurt. Tonight was the first night that he’d been able to make her smile again, and the little bit of his old self that was on life support took a breath.

Y/n let her eyes drift across Joel’s face, resting in the way he returned it. It was a dangerous fucking place to be, but after what they’d just gone through, she was too tired to fight her way out.

A loud laugh from Ellie snapped them out of whatever moment they were having.

“Look,” Joel turned to Henry, “I don’t know exactly how we’re gettin’ to Wyoming, we’re probably walkin’. But,” he stopped, still uncomfortable with the full spectrum of his emotions, “You know, if you want to.”

“Yeah,” Henry answered instantly, “Yeah. Um…yeah, I think it’d be nice for Sam to have a friend.”

“Oh, trust me,” Y/n smiled, looking on to Ellie, “You won’t find anyone friendlier than her,” she glanced at Joel, “Then again, we don’t set the bar very high, now do we?”

Henry laughed under his breath, even Joel couldn’t stop himself from smirking. “No, you don’t,” Henry replied, “I’ll tell him in the morning. New day, new start.”

“We’re not getting anywhere if we’re carrying them on our backs,” Y/n remarked, dusting the crumbs off her jeans and getting to her feet.

Henry got up with Y/n and heading into Sam and Ellie’s room. He knocked on the door and began to sign to Sam.

“Whatever he’s saying,” Y/n pointed to Ellie, “Same goes for you. Real adventure starts tomorrow.”

Ellie rolled her eyes lightly as Y/n approached, letting her take the comic out of her hand and place it on the nightstand. “Hey,” she said, “Is Joel’s brother like him? All grumpy and constipated?

“He is,” Y/n started, a flood of pleasant memories hitting her, “Way more fun. Not a stick to be found up his ass.”

Ellie snorted, Y/n knew she’d fall in love with Tommy in a minute. Everyone did.

Y/n ran a hand over Ellie’s head, they weren’t close enough for a hug but she wanted the girl to know that she had someone that cared about her. If Joel was her protecter, Y/n wanted to be her comfort. The oasis she could run to in the desert.

“Get some rest,” she ordered.

“Why?” Ellie cocked an eyebrow, “So you and Joel can have more time to cuddle?”

Y/n knew she’d be paying for her unconscious choices as long as Ellie was around to witness them. She lightly pushed her forehead, sending Ellie back on the bed in a fit of giggles.

“Will Livingston dies a slow and painful death if you ever bring that up again,” Y/n retorted, giving Ellie a pat on the leg after, “Goodnight.”

“Night,” Ellie called in a teasing tone.

Y/n stopped by Sam’s bed, tapping his hip to get his attention. She signed ‘endure and survive’ back to him, Sam nodded with a smile.

“Practicing,” Y/n beamed, earning herself a thumbs up, “Goodnight.”

She left the room before Henry, Joel hadn’t moved from their spot against the radiator. The door had been open the whole time.

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, “‘Stick up my ass?’”

Y/n leaned up against the wall and crossed her arms, almost relaxed. “I said what I said,” she smirked, “She called you constipated.”

Joel shook his head at her, fond memories of her and Tommy ganging up on him filing his head.

He wouldn’t tell her that he’d heard the whole conversation.

Henry exited the room, shutting the door behind him. “I don’t know about y’all, but I’m exhausted,” he said, staking out the far right corner of the room for himself.

“Yeah,” Y/n sighed.

Joel rose up from the ground, already dreading trying to do another bed time shuffle with Y/n. He glanced over at her, first spotting the blood seeping through her bandages.

“Your hand,” he said, crossing the space between them.

“Huh?” Y/n furrowed her brows, holding it up to examine it, “Oh, shit. I didn’t even feel that.”

Joel was hesitant to grab it, but was itching to fix it up. “Adrenaline,” he settled for.

“So much for sleep,” Y/n grumbled, bending down and picking up her backpack.

Joel followed, setting the corner table back on its feet along with the two nearby chairs. Henry was already asleep in his corner. Joel sat down across from Y/n and watched as she pulled out the first aid kit. As she unpacked the supplies, his fingers began to twitch with nervous energy.

Y/n picked up on his fidgety state, stopping what she was doing to look at him. “Are you really that much of a control freak that you need to do this?”

Joel didn’t know what he was, just that he needed assurance that she was going to be alright. The only satisfactory way to do that was to do it himself.

“Fine,” Y/n scoffed, sliding the kit across the table to him, “Have at it.”

Joel unpacked the same supplies they’d used yesterday as Y/n unwrapped her hand. He was glad she’d taken extra gauze from his stash back in Massachusetts, they were running low.

“How long do you think it’ll take to get to Wyoming on foot?” Y/n asked as Joel grabbed an alcohol wipe. She’d already clotted, but the sites still needed to be cleaned.

He bristled, “A long fuckin’ while.”

“And are we measuring that in miles or kilometers?” Y/n asked, her tone deadpan.

Joel nearly smiled, gently rubbing the wipe over the bloody surface. Y/n hissed as it made contact with her skin, digging into her chair and drawing a deep breath after.

“Killed, like, four Clickers,” Joel decided to joke, never looking up from his ministrations, “Can’t handle a little wipe.”

“Says the man who can navigate his way across the country, but couldn’t explain a siphon to a fourteen year old,” Y/n remarked, matching his wit.

Joel peered up, a small smirk playing on his lips, mimicking the one on Y/n’s. This was the longest they’d gone without fighting during a conversation. One shift could turn the almost peaceful moment to a shipwreck.

“What happened out there tonight?” Joel asked, his mind still spinning from anxiety.

“Ran out of ammo,” Y/n answered, she know immediately what he was referring to, “Perfect timing, huh?”

Joel scoffed and ran a second alcohol wipe over her wounds. “Yeah,” he muttered, unsure of what else to say.

“But there was this weird guy hiding out in an abandoned house who took care of things,” Y/n remarked, her eyes traveling from her and Joel’s hands to his face.

Joel paused and met her stare, surprised that she was acknowledging his effort at all.

“Thank you,” Y/n continued.

Joel shook his head, returning to his work, “You don’t need to thank me.”

“Would you rather me say ‘Fuck off, you dick. I can take care of myself?’”

“That would fall in line with what you usually have to say,” Joel replied, reaching for the gauze pads.

Y/n nodded in reply, a smile pulling at her cheeks. She didn’t know what the hell she was doing, only that she was traumatized, tired, and in need of someone to talk to. If that someone came in the form of Joel, then so be it.

Joel tried to focus on Y/n’s wound, breaking it down into steps. Sterilize, gauze, wrap. He couldn’t get caught up on the fact that they were getting along. As benign as the it sounded, it was leaps and bounds ahead of where they’d come from.

Y/n, on the other hand, had nothing to do but sit and wait for him to be done. She watched how precisely he placed the gauze pads, as if one inch off their assigned spots would cost her her life. It reminded her of how precise he’d been with his lips, his hands. Every touch had carried purpose, the ultimate goal to make her know how much he loved her.

This touch, so warm and gentle, felt the same to Y/n.

Much like the day before, it took a lot of effort on Joel’s part not to get caught up in the feel of Y/n’s hand against his. He wrapped a fresh strip of bandage around it, weaving the roll between her thumb and under her palm. Back at the house, watching her narrowly avoid Infected had choked him. Every five seconds, she’d been brought to the edge of death, only for one of them to strike back at the very last moment. It had drained any and all energy left in Joel’s body, and had brought on a whole new set of questions.

If he were to lose her or Ellie at this point, what would it do to him?

He anchored the bandage down, sealing Y/n’s wound, and tried to escape the scenarios his mind was creating. They were alive, they were safe, and they would make it to Wyoming. If that was what he needed to keep repeating to himself the whole way west, he would.

“At the risk of inflating your ego,” Y/n examined his work, “Well done.”

Joel didn’t respond, he simply handed her the supplies to pack up. He was caught between a rock and a hard place, or rather, what he wanted and what he knew he couldn’t have.

Y/n threw the kit back in her backpack and came back to where they’d been. Joel was already kneeling down on the ground, removing and balling up his jacket. She didn’t want to land herself in another situation where cuddling up to Joel was a possibility, she also didn’t want to infringe on Henry’s personal space.

“You mind keepin’ an ear peeled?,” Joel asked, it was like he could read her mind, “In case I roll over on the wrong side again.”

“Yeah,” Y/n replied, coming to sit beside Joel with just enough space between them. Close enough to protect, far enough away for clear minds.

Joel stretched out one arm just above Y/n’s head. It wasn’t the closest they’d been in the past day, but it was certainly the most intimate. Y/n was facing him, the top of her hair nearly grazing his forearm. Every signal in his brain told him to roll over, put another wall between them, but there was a stronger thought that cancelled the noise.

He simply didn’t want to.

Y/n adjusted herself on her jacket and was left with nothing left to do but stare at Joel. The lines on his face were deeper, his features had grown sharper, yet somewhere underneath it all…she could still see the man she’d fallen in love with in the heat of an Austin summer. Perhaps that was what was playing with her mind the most; how she got glimpses of Joel as he was before morphing into the new version. She used to wonder what age would do to them and she knew that if Cordyceps had never mutated, Joel’s frown lines would be smiles lines. The skin underneath his eyes would wrinkle from deep laughter. And in the times where his brow would crease with concern, a single kiss from her would have relaxed the muscles.

It was enough to bring her to tears.

“What’s wrong?” Joel asked, his voice gruff but his words filled with concern.

It was all wrong. All of it. Everything that had happened to them. Everything the world had become. Risking their lives every day for a future that wasn’t guaranteed.

It was all so horribly wrong.

“I’m just tired,” Y/n spoke past the lump in her throat, “Really fucking tired.”

Joel wanted to reach out, place a finger underneath her lashes to catch her tears before they fell. In another life, he’d have taken her in his arms and grazed his lips across her ear. He’d have called her Rosebud and told her to sleep, that he wouldn’t let anything hurt her.

But he’d lost the right to act on such feelings a lifetime ago.

“Get some sleep,” he replied, it was the only part of the urge he could listen to.

Y/n shook her head, smiling with sadness, “It’s not that kind of tired.”

Nothing else needed to be said. Joel understood those six words better than any other. His exhaustion went so far past his backaches or cracking knees. His soul was seeking rest that it would never find.

It wasn’t lost on either of them that it took nearly dying for them to start drifting back to one another. The hate faded into background noise, or ceased to exist at all. They picked up their anger when they were safe, because it took effort. It took effort to stay mad, a fire requiring constant attention. But protecting one another was natural. At the end of the day, all that had transpired between Joel and Y/n would never come in the way of saving one another. Hate was a choice, care was an instinct.

Joel’s soft gaze traveled across Y/n’s face. “Try,” he encouraged, his voice barely above a whisper.

Y/n nodded, her eyes still resting on Joel. She knew if she stared at him a minute longer, she’d no longer be able to choose hate.

Though she’d never know it, Joel felt the exact same way. He was becoming weaker and weaker for her with each moment they spent together.

They didn’t bid each other goodnight, they didn’t even fall asleep at the same time, despite sharing the same exhaustion. Joel stayed awake a few extra minutes after Y/n drifted off. He watched her frown relax, her brows unclench and her chest rise and fall, keeping the same steady beat that used to lull him to sleep.

—————————

Y/n had scooted closer in her sleep, her and Joel’s bodies still not touching but their breaths mingling together.

Had they awoken with the sunlight peeking through the blinds, strips of the warm glow across their eyes, urging them awake, they wouldn’t have backed away. It would have been the first time in twenty years they’d have woken up to one another. They wouldn’t have been mad.

Instead, they startled awake to the sounds of screams.

Joel and Y/n sat up in time to see Ellie fall out of the door, a snarling Sam jumping on her and pinning her down. Henry woke not two seconds after them, barely able to register the sight.

Sam was infected.

Joel was the first to reach for his handgun, but Henry was quicker and yanked it away. He had it aimed at Y/n and Joel before they were even on their feet.

“Nope, nope, nope,” he warned.

“Joel!” Ellie’s heartbreaking scream filled the room, “Y/n!”

Joel and Y/n took one step in Ellie’s direction and Henry fired a shot at their feet. Joel shoved Y/n behind him, she clung to his arm.

“Joel!” Ellie shrieked again, begging for help from either adult, “Y/n!”

Before they could have a coherent thought, it was all over.

Henry turned his gun on Sam.

He fired a single bullet.

Sam collapsed to the floor.

Ellie sat up with tears in her eyes.

Joel lowered his hands, but Y/n still kept a firm grip on him.

“Ellie,” he breathed, his heart was racing, “Are you okay?”

The girl looked to her guardians, shocked and heartbroken.

They took a cautious step towards her, but Henry put a stop to it as he trained his pistol back on them. Joel threw his arm back out in front of Y/n, not knowing what the man might do.

Distraught seemed too small a word to describe the expression on Henry’s face. He was gutted.

Joel ensured Y/n was still fastened to him before he cautiously held out his hands to Henry, “Easy, easy, easy,” his voice was barely audible, “Henry, gimme the gun. Henry, gimme the gun.”

“What did I do?” Henry choked out.

Joel shushed him, as one would a wild animal on the verge of attacking.

“What did I do?” Henry asked again, “What-what-what did I do?”

“Henry,” Y/n nearly whimpered, her breath trembling as she did, “Henry, stop, please.”

Henry stared through his tears at his little brother’s body, blood spreading across the floor, “Sam?”

Joel urged with a new desperation as the realization deepened, “Henry, gimme the gun.”

“Henry, please,” Y/n let go of Joel, taking a calculated step forward, “I know. I know.”

“Gimme the gun, Henry,” Joel continued.

Henry’s eyes, still focused on his brother, glazed over as he raised the gun to his temple.

“HENRY, NO!” Joel cried out.

Y/n rushed past Joel, “HENRY, I KN-“

It was too late.

As it happened, Joel jumped forward, wrapping his arms around Y/n and pulling her into him.

“No!” Y/n screamed, she lurched forward as if she could still save him.

Y/n’s eyes were flooded with tears, her sobs tearing her apart so hard that they came out silent. When the noise finally came, it was a guttural cry that might come from a wounded animal. Y/n’s knees gave out on her, Joel caught her and helped lower her to the ground. He kept his arms tight around her as she wailed.

When Y/n came to, and she realized Joel was holding her, the rage reignited. “Get off me,” she yelled, clawing her way out of his embrace.

Joel let her go, shrinking back slightly at the sudden reaction. Ellie watched, consumed by terror as her rock crumbled under the weight of the trauma.

Y/n crawled towards Henry, avoiding the blood, and clung to his shirt. She wept into his still warm body, wishing that he’d have let her finish her sentence. It could have changed everything.

The three of them sat there, waiting for their grief to come to a managable level.

“We gotta go,” Joel said eventually, the words feeling heavy in his mouth.

“We can’t leave them here,” Ellie muttered, wiping her sleeve across her eyes.

Y/n was sitting beside Henry’s body by then, waiting for him to breathe air that would never reach his lungs.

“Gimme a minute,” Joel said, getting to his feet and moving mechanically out the motel room door.

Time moved slow and all at once to the three of them. Joel went into the maintenance closet and found two shovels, bringing them back to the room where nothing and no one had moved. Him and Y/n, trying to spare Ellie what little trauma they could, carried Sam and Henry’s bodies across the road and to a patch of grass. The two of them began to shovel shallow graves, burying their friends.

The job was nearly done, they were just patting the soil back down when Ellie returned. She’d retrieved the few posessions they still had, dropping Y/n and Joel’s coats and Y/n and Henry’s backpack at their feet. She came to kneel at Sam’s grave, taking it in before setting his magnetic pad atop the dirt.

Standing back up with a weight no child deserved to carry, she turned to Joel, “Which way’s west?”

Joel looked off to his left and nodded, Ellie set off in the direction.

Y/n could feel herself slipping into a heavy numbness, a grief filling her that few could understand. She felt like she had one nostril, barely taking in oxygen, above the waters that slammed into her. But as soon as she saw Ellie’s handwriting, the words ‘I’m sorry’ written across the magnetic pad, she lost the fight.

She understood Henry’s fight.

She understood his decision.

And she understood his guilt.

She dropped her shovel where it was, picked up her jacket and slung her backpack over her shoulder, following Ellie and leaving Joel by himself. He was the last person she could stand to look at right now.

Joel watched her leave, any softness that had existed between the two of them a few hours ago had disappeared.

He leaned against his shovel, staring down at the dirt and Ellie’s makeshift headstone. Having done what they’d just done, having known Henry and Sam, watching them interact….it gave Joel the answer to the question he’d pondered the night before.

If anything happened to Y/n or Ellie, he wouldn’t know how to carry on.

And that was the most terrifying feeling he could have had, because he’d had it before.

Ellie had snarked, sassed and snuck her way into his heart. Y/n had always been there, his affection never fading over time despite her perceived betrayal. But he’d buried her, another name in the long list of people he’d lost over twenty years. To have her come crashing back into his life had been unexpected and unwanted. He couldn’t stop himself from letting her consume his mind, just as she had the first time.

Now here he was, a child and the woman he’d loved relying on him, killing for him, and he wanted to run.

“Let’s go,” Ellie called out, she was even beginning to sound like him.

Joel startled, looking on to see Ellie and Y/n waiting for him. Y/n refused to look at him. They were right back to where they’d begun their journey. Perhaps even further, she’d met his gaze even after the ambush that had brought them back together. Something had shifted in her that Joel couldn’t figure out, nor did he think it was best to look too deep.

He put on Henry’s backpack, feeling the weight of it, and slipped his jacket through the strap. He gave a parting glance to the brother’s graves and headed off to join the women.

Despite their failure to keep their pasts hidden, the three of them had scars the others didn’t know about. Intricate pieces of them that had made them who they were in the Cordyceps dominated world. But past the secrets, there was a loyalty too real to deny. They were too deep in to quit on each other. Trudging westward, with grief still fresh and fragile in their palms, they were all each other had.

If one of them died, they all would.

———————

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redlittlefoxari · 4 months

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Astarion Epilogue An Adventure in Making Life: Chapter Nine: Secrets Don’t Make Friends

Relationship: Astarion X Tav

Warnings: NSFW 18+, smut, blood, violence, sex, blood drinking, pregnancy.

Summary: Karlach barges in on Tav while she's about ready to come down for dinner. Spotting a Fully naked, and pregnant Tav.

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People who wished to be tagged: @ofmyth-andmagicart @lunaredgrave

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12 weeks pregnant

Karlach’s eyes moved from your small baby bump to your face and back to the bump. There were so many emotions on her face, warring for control, the most prominent ones being hurt, confusion, anger, and happiness. They all tore across her face, and seeing her in this state broke your heart.

“What the fuck is going on.” Karlach walked further into the room, raising her voice as she did. “I thought you said that it was hard for elves to get pregnant? All that on the road earlier, and here you are, Pregnant.”

You quickly picked up a towel to cover yourself. “Keep it down.” You hushed her. “I know this looks bad, but let me explain.”

“Keep it down? Keep it down!?” You hushed her again. “You better get to explaining why didn’t you tell us? Does Astarion even know?”

“Oh, he knows…” You walked over to the bed where your clothes were laid out and sat down.

“So what, the two of you decided to have a child and found a sperm donor or something?” She waited for you to reply.

“No, it’s his child one hundred percent. Long story short, if a vampire has had enough blood and is sated, they can produce children.” You placed your hand on your stomach. “And if everything alines with elves, we can produce children, so one night about twelve weeks ago, Astarion had enough blood, and an elven soul was looking to be reincarnated. So now I am pregnant with a half-vampire baby.”

Karlach’s jaw hung open in surprise. “So why didn’t you tell us? That's amazing; we should be celebrating!”

Karlach closed the distance between the two of you, taking a seat on the bed next to you. She was a good foot and a half taller than you, so her tower form loomed over you a bit as she waited to hear why you and Astarion felt the need to keep this from them.

“I was scared.” You looked down at the floor. “Elven pregnancies are already high risk. and you mix that was a Vampire where we don’t have a whole lot of information… I don’t know.”

“But you're okay now… aren’t you? You’re so far along now; wouldn’t it be okay to tell us.” Her voice was low, an attribute that you didn’t see often in her.

“I don’t know. I’m still scared something could go wrong.” You could feel tears in your eyes starting to form. “What if I tell you all, Put it out into the universe, and something bad happens… what if I lose them and have to tell you all that they're gone…. I have to go through the loss of telling you over and over again.”

There it was, the fear that you kept to yourself. Not even Astarion knew why you were so adamant about keeping it a secret till you hit fourteen weeks. You just kept telling him you didn’t want to overshadow Gale’s celebration, but the truth was you feared that once you celebrated with friends, some cruel god would take the baby away from you.

You remember stories your mother had told you growing up that she herself had suffered three miscarriages until she finally conceived you. She had kept you secret until she couldn’t anymore, and that was well into her second trimester. It was just something that elves feared since it was a rare gift to have children, and most elves never got the chance to experience it. With the added factor of the baby being Astarion’s, your fears skyrocketed.

“Hey.” Karlach placed her hand on yours; it was warm, whereas yours was cold, the water on your skin making it hard to get warm.

You looked up at Karlach, her smile reaching her eyes, which also had tears in them.

“If any god even thinks of doing that, I’ll go to whatever plane they're on and kill them myself.” You let out a small laugh at her declaration. “I get why you did it… Gods, so when that arrow hit you… the two of your reactions make sense now.”

“We were terrified that we lost them…” The thought sent a jolt of fear to your heart. “I don’t know what I would have done if Astarion didn’t hear the heartbeat.”

“The little guy has a heartbeat…” Karlach stared at you in wonder. “Gods, that’s amazing…. You're amazing. May I?”

She gestured to your stomach, and you nodded. Her warm hand slipped beneath the towel to touch the swell of your bare belly. She wouldn’t feel anything, nor would Karlach be able to hear the heartbeat, but it felt nice having her be a part of the secret and her support. It also didn’t hurt that you were freezing, and she was nice and warm.

“You won’t be able to feel them kicking for a while, not till the third trimester.” You smiled at Karlach’s wonder.

“I just can’t believe that there is a child growing in there. What do you suppose it’s going to be? Boy or Girl?”

“I’m not sure. There is no way to tell short of asking a divination wizard, but I don’t want to know… I like to be surprised.” The thought of a boy scared you, though. You knew nothing about being a boy, and the idea of Astarion teaching them all his ways of being mischievous was scary.

“They are going to be beautiful judging by who their parents are.” Karlach pulled her hand away. “I understand why you kept this a secret, but why not tell us now? We’ll all help you keep this little one safe. Auntie K will be its number one bodyguard.” Karlach puffed out her chest.

“You are right, I suppose I should let you all in on the secret now since you know.” You reached for the white dress that would show off your bump and hesitated.

“I know you’re scared, but you got this. Astarion would never let anything happen to you or the baby.”

“I know. I just don’t want to mess anything up… He hasn’t really had a family. At least not one that he remembers.” You grab the fabric and bunch it up on your lap. “He doesn’t remember his mother and father. the family Cazador made was not even close to something that resembled a family; he just beat them and used them as slaves.” The thought burned white hot in your mind as you thought about everything that monster put him through.

“But now he has you.” Karlach’s voice was comforting. “And the baby.”

“And if something happens and I lose the baby, It’s like I’m taking another thing away from him.”

“You wouldn’t be taking anything away from me.” Astarion said in a quiet tone.

The two of you jumped as you turned to see Asatrion at the door, leaning on the door frame. He pushed off of the frame using his shoulder and entered the room, stopping just a few feet from where you and Karlach were seated on the bed.

“Karlach, would you give me and my fiancee some privacy? I need to remind her of something important.” His eyes never left yours as he spoke.

“Fiancee?” She looked at you.

“Oh yeah, I forgot about that part too… sorry.” You didn’t look away from Astarion.

“We’ll you told me most of it.” She stood up and walked past Asatrion, reaching the door and pausing. “I won’t tell anyone… that’s for you to decide when and where you want to do so.”

She shot you one last smile and walked out, closing the door behind her as she did. The two of you stared at each other for several moments. You spoke first, not wanting to be in silence any longer.

“Were you listening the whole time?”

“Yes, When I noticed Karlach was gone, I hurried up her to get her before she got to you, but I was a few minutes too late.” He took a seat next to you. “Now, what is this about you keeping the baby a secret because you don’t want to take another family away from me?”

“It’s more than just that. So many things can go wrong, and if they do, I’ll be responsible for taking another family from you.” You spoke, and Astarion laughed. “How's that funny?”

“Because that is a silly thing to think and say, my love.” He cupped your face with his hands. “Karlach was right. I would not let that happen.”

“You can’t know that We attract bad. luck everywhere we go, pretty much. You’ve already lost so much of the family before you were a Vampire… the one when you were.”

“That one wasn’t a family. Cazador made us to be his slaves to make a small man feel big.” He scoffed. “The rats and bugs that often crawled around me were more family than he ever was. As for my family, before I was a vampire, I don’t remember them, so I have no comment on how they treated me.” He kissed your lips gently. “You and our child growing inside of you are my family, and there is nothing anyone will do to take that away from me. I would rip whoever apart if they tried.”

“So you think we should just tell everyone?”

“I think it is time to stop being so scared, darling, and start living; you are not your mother and are far past the point of losing this child. For gods sake, you got shot in the stomach, and our child shrugged it off like it was nothing. They are far stronger than you give them credit for.”

His statement makes you laugh. “You are right; they are. Just like their father.”

“Don’t forget their mother, too. How many arrows have I pulled out of you these past fifty years? Probably hundreds. The sacred tissue alone was probably enough to keep our child safe.” The two of you laughed lightly.

“What if we lose them?”

“Darling, it was a miracle that we conceived this baby, to begin with, so there must be a god out there that wants us to grace this realm with our beautiful child.” He kissed between your brows.

“I didn’t think of that…” You were beginning to feel foolish. Pregnancy brain, along with the fears your mother placed in you all those years ago, probably didn’t help you think clearly. “Next time, just hit me over the head when I’m not thinking clearly. “

“Will do, but it’s not entirely your fault. The standard practice for elves to keep this sort of thing a secret is kinda hammered into you.” He stood up and walked over to his bag. “Now, if we announce that we are going to be parents, I want to be a little more dressed up than this.” He gestured to what he was wearing. A white flowy shirt and standard black pants he always wore.

Asatrion reached into his bag and pulled out a red embroidered top. Gold was sewn into the top in a pattern that looked like dragons fighting amongst fire. It was gody and over the top and something that screamed for others' attention.

“Do you have anything else?” You also stood, dropping the towel from around you, and stepped into the white dress you were holding.

“What’s wrong with this?” He looked offended.

“It makes you look less like soon-to-be father and more like douchy Vampire lord.” You turned towards him, doing a twirl. “Something subtle like this, maybe?”

“Fine, I’ll wear my dark blue doublet.” He put the gody monstrosity back and pulled out a blue doublet with gold stars sewn into the fabric. He put the doublet on and huffed at you. “Happy?”

“Very.” You wove your arm into his so that the crook of your elbow was touching his. “Now, let's go; our child is telling me it's time to eat, and we don’t want to keep them waiting.”

“Of course not, the others certainly, but not our child.” Asatrion said as he smiled down at you.

The dress put you on full display. Your once smaller breasts were accented by a low neckline that plunged down past the bottom of your breasts. The fabric was smooth over your belly and showed the bump of where your child sat in the safety of your stomach. And a long slit just the length of your dress where you could feel the coolness of the tower.

“I’m never wearing pants again.” You said, reveling in how you felt free and not constricted by any waistband.

“And I told you that I’m fine with that it makes it easier to have you whenever I would like; all I would need to do is bend you over and pull up your skirts.” Asatrion leaned down and bit your ear.

You shuddered. “I don’t think we have time to test that… Our baby needs substance.”

“Of course, But after we are fed, I’m going to eat you alive.” He growled his statement into your ear.

A wave of heat went through you. Astarion kindling your arousal. “We better eat fast than.”

You began moving to the dining hall. Each step becomes more complicated than the last. You fought with every fiber of your being to go towards the Dining hall wearing this dress. To tell your friends that secret that the two of you had been keeping all this time. The questions that they would surely ask. You stood at the door and hesitated.

“Are you ready?” Astarion looked at you, eyebrows raised.

“I will be once my heart stops beating so damn fast.” You took a few steading breaths and then nodded to him to open the door.

Astarion flung the door open wide, and you watched as everyone stopped their conversations to look at the two of you. From where everyone was sitting, they would not be able to see the bump that was protruding out from your dress. You watched as Karlach was practically buzzing next to Wyll in excitement. She really was trying her hardest not to let your secret out.

The two of you walked forward toward your friends slowly, fear still gripping your heart. Astarion reached with his other hand and patted your arm. “Everything will be fine.”

“What took the two of you so long?” Gale sounded annoyed as he stood from where he was sitting. “I thought when Karlach went up to get you, you would come down, but then she came down and has been acting like that every since.”

You looked towards her to find that she had a hand placed over her lips and looked like she was going to explode.

“I’m sorry, Gale, it’s my fault. I was having some personal issues I needed to work through.” You had reached the head of the table where your friends were sitting.

You unlaced your arm from Astarion’s and made it easier for everyone to see your baby bump. The whole table stared in shock as Astarion pulled out your chair so that you could sit down. You took your seat. and the table was still silent as Astarion also took his next to you.

Astarion looked around at everyone’s faces. “Well, go on, one of you say something. It’s almost as if you’ve never seen an elf pregnant with a Vampire’s child before.” Astarion grabbed a wine glass and took a long sip as the table erupted with questions.

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unrequitedloveletter · 6 months

Text

Thunderstorm- Mike Schmidt x gn! reader

All right! I said I would go feral if I didn't get the chance to write for Mike Schmidt after seeing the fnaf movie yesterday. I wasn't kidding and I really like the rain/thunderstorm + slow dancing and softness fic tropes so I used them!

I will say right now that my requests for Mike are open! My requests for Mike are open through the rest of the week and might be open through the weekend but I haven't made any concrete decisions yet. Fall event requests are open for him too because I have no sense of self preservation in terms of fic writing and I would love the chance to write a few of the prompts listed there with Mike.

Fic type- fluff!

Warnings- none!

When you wake after falling asleep while watching a bad mid-sixties horror movie, you are somewhat shocked to find that the mild rain that has been occurring throughout the day has turned into a full blown thunderstorm. Never do such things grace the city and it is a shock because it was three when you'd fallen asleep, five when you woke up, but it looks like its nine with how dark the sky is.

When you wake, you laugh a bit at yourself. Of course you'd fallen asleep--the horror movie you'd decided to watch had been a combination of laughable terror and drift-to-sleep boringness. It was a doomed combination from the start.

Slowly, you peel yourself from Mikes side, replacing your body with a couch pillow and pressing a feather light kiss to the side of his head as you proceed through the low light of the living room into the kitchen, ready to call the local pizzeria and make an order so that you can both say you ate something half-decent for dinner.

You order in a whisper so as not to wake Mike, make sure you have two twenties in your wallet to cover a large pizza, a medium--which you'd ordered so that you had lunch at work for the few days to follow, and you'd split it with Mike so that he had something to eat on his shifts--and a couple of drinks.

When the call is done, you start to debate making tea. The kettle will scream and wake Mike, however, so unless you use a coffeemaker absent of coffee, it's kind of out of the question.

Then you move to your fridge and start pondering the drink options.

And then you feel arms wrapping around your waist, a chin pressing against your shoulders.

"'S late, isn't it?" Comes Mikes voice, tired and groggy and handsomely so.

"Nah," you respond, closing the fridge. "Just looks it--Utah never gets thunderstorms in autumn. Clock said it was five when I woke up, now it's not gotta be too much after 5:15. Ordered us pizza for dinner."

Mike laughs as he presses his lips against your shoulder. "Mmmmmm," he hums happily. "I love you, Y/N."

"Damn right you do, Mikey. Did you sleep okay?"

"Never do," he says. "Did you?"

"Never do," you echo.

You feel his grin, sigh as you look at the counter in front of you and sigh contentedly when you feel Mikes lips against the back of your neck.

"Just us," he whispers. "No stress. None of that outside world bullshit. Just us."

You nod, leaning back against him as the two of you start to sway. "Just us," you whisper back, turning around and pulling him into a hug, the swaying continuing even as you do so.

Moments like those are rare, but they're sweet. You and Mike are both so busy--you with work and friends and family and Mike with trying to keep a job and look after his sister while also dealing with his aunt and her bullshit--and so you never get to just...decompress. It's lovely to get that chance, and you cherish it like you know you're meant to because you never know when again it'll occur.

"I love you, Mike," you whisper, pulling away from the sway-hug and offering him a grin. "So much."

You've been together since a few months before you graduated high school, were waiting to have Mike and Abby move in until you'd paid off the mortgage you took out when you were eighteen and in need of a place within an hour of your college campus because you didn't want to ask Mike to help you pay it. Moments like those hadn't been frequent since the two of you would poke fun at the worst of your teachers and panic about studying for calculus tests.

Life had been so much simpler then, but you'd loved every bit of it and it's complexity for moments like that one. You cherished those moments, every hug, every kiss, every slow dance in the dimmest kitchen lights.

"I love you too," he says. "'M sorry I've been distant lately."

You shake your head. "It's fine," you say, because it is. "I'm just happy you're here now."

Mike nods. "Yeah. Love you too much to leave you behind. You've been stuck with me twelve years now, and just because I have yet to propose doesn't mean you're not stuck with me for the rest of our lives."

You laugh, pull him close. You press your forehead against his and it's all just so...perfect. Things feel good. They feel like they have a shot at being okay, and you have to believe they will for both of your sakes.

In that moment, though, you have Mike. Mike has you. That, in and of itself, is enough.

#mike schmidt x reader #mike schmidt #five nights at freddys #fnaf #five nights at freddys movie #fnaf movie

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maskyartist · 3 months

Text

Feel like I need a list of my current Trolls AUs just to get em in line so here’s a guide for y’all as a treat :)

===

EAT OR BE EATEN - The Putt Putts have turned predators to prey, as lack of food has caused them to become desperate to eat. They lure Bergens and other large creatures, sentient or not, into the Hole in Fun to turn them to meat for their people. As such the Putt Putts have become entirely carnivorous and a touch more feral then normal.

This causes…complications when being reintroduced into modern society. (Post-band together main plot)

===

EXPLOSIVE KINGDOMS - The Putt Putts meet Creek, the supposed “last survivor” of the Pop Trolls that were separated from them during the cave in. Viva decides it’s time to fight back. No longer will they sit and wait. This is no mere culling. It’s an act of WAR! Their plan? Rig Bergentown to the nines with explosives, and cause it to crumble. No kingdom to rule means no people to rule over. Whoever is caught in the crossfire is none of their concern.

It’s a shame it happens a week before the Royal wedding between King Gristol and his beloved, Bridget. Now it’s up to Poppy and Branch to talk down their respective siblings from a potential genocide. (Takes place post-World Tour/pre-Band Together. Still ironing out timeline details)

===

BABY BIRDIE BRANCH - Clay returns to the Pod a month after his departure, aiming to reconcile and repair what he’s broken. He knows he made a mistake, but he’s ready and in a better headspace to try and fix it.

He didn’t expect to find Baby Branch alone and grey and oh so sad.

Clay and Branch are both lost in the cave in, causing Branch to become a Putt Putt Troll. While he loves his big brother, and the kingdom they’ve built, one thought stays clear in Branch’s mind.

The girl he saved that day…is she okay? (Takes place during Trolls 1)

===

THE ROYAL PARTY - The brothers succeed in their attempt at the Perfect Family Harmony and become closer then ever because of it. John Dory’s leadership is less opposed, he listens to his brothers, things are going well. Until the escape and cave in causes the loss off the Royal Family, save for baby Poppy.

Because of their power, the brothers are elected leaders, with John Dory as the head of their group. For some time, things are peaceful. The brothers do their best to handle the Pop Village in their own, inexperienced ways. John Dory is in charge, with Spruce as his right hand man, Floyd as the people person, Clay as Royal advisor, and Baby Branch as their adorable face. Things are good.

Until John Dory discovers the Pop String, and an idea forms.

What if they had all the Strings? What if they were in control of all music? What if he, the leader, the oh so perfect leader, showed the world just how good things could be under his control? His brothers don’t need to know what they’re doing is wrong. It’s his word, and as king, his word is law.

History repeats, after all. (Replaces World Tour)

Lemme know what y’all think and if u have any questions, send em in the ask box! :)

#masky says #trolls dreamworks #trolls AU #just like havin em all laid out #this also helps me know what y’all like more #idk I wanna know what y’all are interested in! it ain’t fun talkin about aus by urself #trolls band together #trolls brozone #trolls branch #just covering major bases here #trolls clay #trolls Viva

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judysxnd · 1 year

Note

Hi love

Can you write a jealous pedro for us? Maybe one when they run into reader's ex

Hiii, thanks for your request!

Before I start, I just want to say something. I’ve been receiving more requests, and I’m so happy and thankful for that!! But it also gives me a lot of anxiety as I pressure myself to write as fast as possible so that you won’t wait too long. Also, as I rarely like what I write, I’m also scared, and it makes me more anxious to write about the requests (it is very challenging).

I used to take requests when I was writing on Wattpad about teen wolf, and it got very overwhelming and eventually I had to stop writing, because it was really too much for me. As I don’t want to do the same thing here, I am going to take it slow. I will write all the requests I have, but, I will take my time, and I will write first the ones that inspires me the most, and not in the order I received them. I hope you will understand. I really really appreciate all your comments, the requests you make, you have very good ideas. I am truly thankful, you don’t even know how happy it makes me. But, I already struggle a lot in my everyday life, so I’m trying to take it easy on the only hobby I have, because this is the only one that I have left (and I don’t want to lose this one). I really appreciate you, thank you!!

Okay let’s get to the good part now!

(Y/e/n) = your ex’s name

Well well well, guess who doesn’t like what I just wrote? Yep, it’s me. I like the ending but not the rest of it. I struggled a little with that one. I actually struggle writing about jealousy, I don’t really know why! Hope you like it either way!

——————————————————————————————

Flashback

Music blasting, drinking beers, randomly singing and sometimes dancing, you both ended up talking on the couch around midnight. As you’re both very comfortable with each other and after drinking at least three beers, you can talk about everything. You were talking about all the great things that happened this year after the terrible year you had just before.

“What do you think our exes would say if they were seeing us right now?” You asked laughing.

“Oh- they would be so maaad” he laughed

“Right? Like I think he would be so jealous because I managed to get my shit together without him”

“Hell yeah, I think she would be jealous of our relationship”

“Oh yeah! Like we both have different interests in our careers but it doesn’t interfere with our relationship, like we don’t have to break up for that” you said sarcastically

“Agreed” you high-five and laugh “I remember she didn’t like that I was putting myself and my career first” he paused “but we both do it now so shame on her” you both burst out laughing

“I’m legitimately curious to know where they are at right now, like, did karma take care of them?” You both laughed again

“Yeah no, it’s too much drama I’d say”

“Agreed, breaking up when everything is fine can only bring him drama”

“Wait” he looked at you

“Yep, we were in love but he wanted to break up because he wanted to work in this big firm at the other end of the country and I may add that he didn’t even want to try here”

“What do you mean here?”

“I don’t remember the name of the firm but it’s here too. But he wanted to go in New-York, not even talking about it to me, not even asking me if I wanted to go with him, nothing”

“Damn”

“I’m glad we broke up”

“Cheers to that”

You spent the rest of the night talking about random stuff, imagining what your life would be if you were not actors, trying to create a fictional world, making a list of your favorite movies and songs, really doing random things.

End of flashback

“Pedro come on we’re going to be late for the movie!”

“We’re so not” he said arriving next to you

“It’s starts at nine and it’s.. eight thirty”

“and.. we have at least to drive twenty minutes”

“I’m good to go” he laughed

“Okay, I put my shoes on and let’s go”

“And who’s not ready right now?” You both laughed

“Don’t you dare” you pointed at him, laughing

After almost twenty minutes, you arrived at the theater.

“See? We’re on time” Pedro teased as you both entered. He put his hand on your shoulder as he let you come inside first, holding the door for you.

“You got lucky”

“Sure sure”

“Should we buy some popcorns?” You asked

“Oh yeah!”

“You buy the tickets and I buy the popcorns, deal?”

“Deal. And take two, don’t want you eating everything” you pretended to be offended.

You were waiting in line to buy popcorn when you heard a voice calling you.

“Y/n?” You turned around to see the infamous (y/e/n). You were surprised, and not happily surprised.

“(Y/e/n)? What are you doing here?”

“Going to watch a movie, I think that’s what we all are doing here” he joked. It didn’t make you laugh.

“No- I meant, what are you doing here in LA?”

“Oh yeah, well I came back a year ago, it didn’t really work in New York so they transferred me here” you couldn’t believe what you just heard. He threw your relationship away for literally nothing.

“Oh”

“And what about you?”

“Well, I finally made it in my acting career”

“Oh that’s great, congrats” he said. He seemed surprised, like it wasn’t true.

“Thanks”

“and.. do you have anyone.. right now?” You stared at him for a few seconds.

“Yes”

“Oh.. that’s good, that’s good” there was a brief moment of silence. “You’ve been together for-”

“None of your business” he stared at you, confused

“Well.. I’m glad to see you you know, it’s been a while.” He smiled, getting a little closer to you. You couldn’t believe what he was doing. “Maybe we could go grab a drink sometime? To catch up?” He said holding your hand. You were staring at his movements, not believing what was happening.

You didn’t see Pedro arriving next to you. He got really confused when he saw the scene happening in front of him. Jealousy was forming with a little bit of anger.

“What’s going on?” He asked, looking at the both of you. You immediately removed your hand. Yes finally, you thought to yourself.

“Hm.. Do you remember my ex we talked about a few times? Well there he is..” you said faking your happiness.

“Hi. You are?” Your ex asked to Pedro which made him laughed. He obviously knew him, but decided to go on that road and pretend not to.

“I’m her boyfriend” Pedro said angrily, putting his arm around your shoulders.

“Oh so you’re the one okay. How long have you been together?” He asked, only looking at you.

“More than a year now” Pedro answered making your ex looking at him

“Wow okay” he was shocked

“Well I wish I could say it was good to meet you, but we have to go” Pedro quickly said before you ex had the chance to say something else. Standing in front of him made Pedro feel so angry. He knew the story, what happened between the two of you, and the fact that he had the balls to try again after almost two years was unacceptable. How could he think that he had a chance again?

“Hm can I talk to you for a second before you go?” He asked to you, grabbing your arm, trying to pull you away from Pedro.

“Nope, I’m sorry, I can’t let you touch her” Pedro said, removing your ex’s arm from yours

“Who do you think you are?” You had to stop Pedro from slapping him. He was about to take him down.

“Okay I’m both stopping you right here” you said. “Pedro, he is not worth it.” You said, putting your hand on his stomach, trying to calm him down and to prevent him for making a mistake. “As for you” you said turning to face your ex. “I cannot believe you have the balls to ask me out again. No no. I cannot believe you have the balls to even talk to me again! After what you’ve done! You really think I want to do anything with you?” Your ex tried to talk, but you stopped him. “I don’t want to hear anything. Just stay away from me” you grabbed Pedro’s hand and left, going to actually watch the movie you came for.

You entered the room, sat down in the back, in the middle. There were not that many people with you. Your heart was racing, and Pedro saw that. He put his hand on your thigh.

“You okay?” He asked you

“Yeah, yeah.. didn’t expect that for sure” you joked

“Yeah me neither. I can’t believe that” he said now looking at the screen. You were looking at Pedro very thoroughly. You saw the anger on his face, how he was trying to contain himself not to get up and slap your ex.

“You’re jealous”

“Hm?” He now looked at you. “What?”

“Don’t pretend you’re not” you smiled

“No- I didn’t hear what you said”

“You’re jealous” he was confused

“What like that’s suppose to be surprising?” You didn’t expect his reaction, it made you laugh. “I come back to you to see your ex, standing in front of you, actually touching you and trying to get back with you! Like I shouldn’t be jealous!”

“I didn’t say it was a bad thing” you joked, grabbing his hand “that’s actually pretty hot” he smirked. “But.. can we forget about that and enjoy our movie?”

“Yes please” he said, getting comfortable in his chair. You got as closer as you could to him, still holding his hand and putting your head on his shoulder.

#pedro pascal #fanfic #imagine #pedro pascal fanfiction #pedro pascal x reader #oneshot #pedro pascal imagine #pedro pascal x y/n #pedro pascal one shot #pedro pascal preferences #pedro pascal x you #jealousy #jealous!pedro pascal #jealous!pedro pascal x reader #gif

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piss-pumpkin · 5 months

Text

🌲home🌲

Older!Dipper pines x reader

~3.2k words Chapter 1 of Douce amere,

Master list

The air in Gravity Falls was different. Maybe nostalgia clouded your perception, and maybe that was okay. It still smelled like pine and cedar and adventure here. And the day had that electric feel. It was the day they were coming.

Your alarm blared, and you groaned in response, grasping under your pillow to find your phone and silence it. Nine AM, on the dot. An early morning at the start of summer was a punishment in itself, but you had good reason today. Their bus came in at noon, and you had to be ready, meet them at the stop with the Grunkles and gang. You stumbled out of bed, and started to get dressed.

Half of you wanted to just wear pyjamas and spare yourself the trouble. The other half wanted to dress as nice as possible to snag attention. They hadn’t seen you in person in a year, even him. You sighed at yourself for giving into the stereotype, but you did want to catch his attention. No pyjamas today.

As you started to brush your teeth, you could feel the anxiety. As exciting as it was to start a new summer with them, it was scary too. What if they’ve changed? What if I’ve changed? You texted and called a lot, but…

You shook your head, trying to clear the thought. They were friends. Always were and always will be. You hoped.

Still, that wasn’t the only pain. You were older now. It was one of the last summers you’d be able to spend here with them before high school ended. You had to squeeze every bit of fun out of it while you could. Time seemed to slow here, but it still passed. Summer still ended eventually, despite everything.

You shook your head again. The very beginning wasn’t the time to think about the end.

Dressed and ready, you grabbed an apple and started to the mystery shack, a few hours before they were set to arrive. “Bye, Y/n! Have a good day!” you aunt shouted from the kitchen.

“Bye, Susan, you too!” You called back. She was incredibly kind to let you stay with her, lazy Susan.

The shack was close, and the soft grass folded under your shoes and wet them with dew. “Y/n!” You hear Soos call from the porch. He was still sporting the question mark shirt, but it was under a suit jacket, and the hat he wore was the fez Stan had given him all those years ago.

“Soos!” You shouted back, waving as you jogged your to him.

“Dude, I am so stoked for today, you don’t even know,” he said, leading you inside.

“Dude, I know too well,” you laughed. “Ugh I can’t wait, I should have slept in more.”

Wendy popped her head in from the break room, “amen, man, I’ve been here since seven.”

You cringed, and clenched a fist near your chest, “My condolences.”

The mid morning passed quickly though, despite everything. There was still that static feeling, and it only grew as the day went. And eventually, the time did in fact come. The time to go to the bus stop and meet them. You had to. All of you. Stan, Ford, Soos, Wendy, none of you were willing to prolong the meeting any further. The only shame was that Candy and Grenda were still out of town.

…

The bus was rolling in, all to slowly for your liking. For everyone’s liking. You could feel how the people around you were buzzing with excitement too. One year was far to long away from these people. Your people. The bus came to a stop seemingly at your feet.

The door seemed to slide open agonizingly slowly, but against all odds, it opened. Out came Mabel, screaming.

”Aaaaaugh! Guys!” She yelled, jumping out of the bus and skipping the stairs. She threw he luggage aside as she managed to envelope everyone in a group hug before they had time to respond.

Stan was the first to recover, quickly leaning into the hug. “Kid, you get taller every time I see you!”

Ford laughed, “You almost beat Stan and I.”

You almost spoke, but your eye caught on the second person leaving the bus. Dipper had a wide smile on his face as he watched the scene. With a sigh, he placed his bags with Mabel’s and joined he hug.

“Dip!” You found yourself exclaiming, along with Wendy. The both of you maneuvered to let him in the centre of the hug.

There they were, at last. Dipper and Mabel, Mabel and Dipper. Here. Home. You smiled, barely hearing the words around you as you buried your face in Mabel’s hair and Dipper shoulder. They smelt a bit musty from the bus ride, and a bit like Mabel’s strawberry shampoo. This was the place to be. You squeezed tighter. So did they.

…

Walking back to the shack was nice, pleasant, nostalgic. Dipper and Ford talked science, while Stan interjected to call them nerds. Soos and Wendy were chatting, and You and Mabel were catching up behind them.

It wasn’t like you didn’t call and text, but there was so much you had to just say. But Mabel was, on occasion, a stinker. She had a smug grin on her face as she drifted back a bit behind he others, prompting you to follow.

“So Y/n, are you gonna do anything about your crush on-“

You threw your hand towards Mabel, and covered her mouth before she got his name out. She immediately started to lick it, but you stayed strong. Your head whipped in front of you to Dipper and the rest of them before looking back to Mabel, who’s smirk you could see in her eyes. “Dude, what the fuck?” You whispered. Or maybe it was more of a hiss. “Don’t just say that! Not now!” You wiped your wet hand on your pants.

She giggled. “Fine, fine,” Mabel shrugged, still smirking smugly. “Just trying to help is all.”

You pursed your lips, and squinted at her. “Somehow I don’t believe that… and who says I need help?” You turned your head away from her with an uplifted chin to add an air of smug snottiness to your question.

“Uhh, the fact that you’ve been pining for like, two years, and are still single?” Mabel said dryly. You could still hear the shit eating grin in her voice, “But hey, what’s a professional matchmaker to that, hmm?”

You winced, “Okay you have a point.” You snapped your eyes back to her, and smiled, a slightly evil and cunning smile. “But this summer, I have a plan… this is the one I can feel it.”

Mabel faked a gasp, pressing her palm to her open mouth, “My gosh? A plan?” She mocked. “You sound like Dipstick now.”

”Oh god, don’t say that,” you laughed. “This isn’t like his plans, this one is simple, honestly.

Mabel looked quizzically at you in response. Her hands started to come it her eyes, nearly forming her skepticals.

”No really, don’t even with that,” you said, swatting her hands down. “I say plan but it’s really just… an idea. I’m just gonna flirt, like a lot. Like really smooth, hopefully. Or try to, at least.” Saying it out loud, you almost felt embarrassed, a slight heat creeping onto your cheeks.

Mabel on the other hand, looked ecstatic. Her head was on a swivel looking between you and Dipper. “Okay, that’s a plan I can get behind,” she said. “I think you could have moves, I see the potential.”

You stifled a laugh, “Glad to hear it, glad your rooting for me.”

”Of course I am!” She said, hands flying into the hair for effect. She turned to you as you walked, and pointed to your face with one hand, the other resting on her hip. “And I will do my absolute best to assist your noble quest whenever possible, should you choose to call upon my services!”

You played into the bit. “Appreciated, you are like my loyal knight and this is a war which we must win together.” You clasped her pointing hand in yours, “We will prevail!”

Mabel’s eyes lit up, “Fuck yeah we will!” She yelled. A bit too loud. Dipper and Soos turned their heads in front of you, shooting you curious looks.

Ever smooth, you shot them back a snap and a finger gun. Dipper only smiled, giving Soos a light punch punch the arm before drifting back to walk with you and Mabel, at your side. He laughed, “Fuck yeah you will what?”

You smirked, and stroked your chin with faux smugness. “Mmm, wouldn’t you like to know, Dip.”

Mabel chimed in, “Yeah, we got secrets, we’re scheming!”

Dipper rolled his eyes as he chuckled, “God, that has to be a new record for you guys, we’ve been here a whole five minutes and you’re already plotting shit.”

You smirked, and did your best to maintain eye contact. “Hey, I always am, it’s how I keep life interesting.”

”Life is very much that when you’re involved,” Dipper laughed.

You could feel Mabel’s eyes burning into the back of your skull as she held her tongue and listened to your banter. Involuntarily, your smile widened.

”And I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said.

You laughed, “You couldn’t even if you wanted to.”

He blushed, his cheeks turning a slight pink colour, hopefully at your comment. First blush of the summer, hopefully the first of many you’d get from him, he was rather cute when he blushed. You were particularly fond of how the corners of his mouth curled up when he did, in the slightest of smiles.

”Welcome home, kids!” You heard Stan yell in front of you. He turned around to walk backwards toward the shack so he was facing you and the twins. “Finally, am I right?”

Ford kept his back to you, but turned his head so you could see his eyes, “we’ve been looking forward to you kids coming back for a while, if you couldn’t tell.”

”Stans been driving me up the walls talking about you guys for months,” Wendy chuckled. “Y/n too for the last few days.”

You couldn’t help yourself, ”Hey, I did not!” you defended.

Soos snickered, “dude, you totally did.”

You pursed your lips and hummed lowly in disapproval. They were probably right, but that wasn’t something you’d outwardly admit. “Yeah whatever, nerds, that’s not how I remember it.”

Stan cackled, ”The congratulations, you got Alzheimer’s before the seventy year old man!”

You grumbled, trapped in this conversational corner. Mabel smiled, and elbowed your side, “Awww, somebody missed us!”

Dipper spoke too, “That much?” he asked, a little too innocently. Innocent enough to be mocking.

You scoffed, “like you guys are any better.”

You all moved inside the shack to get settled in the living room, all still chatting. Dipper and Mabel’s suit cases were leaned against a wall by the stairs.

Mabel pushed Dipper hard on the back towards you. “You’re right, Y/n, this little rascal hasn’t shut up about you guys for a week.” Dipper whipped his head around to glare at her, as if a threat. She snickered, “especially you, Y/n,” she teased.

Dipper spun his head back around to look at you, and rubbed the back of his neck. “Not like that-“he sputtered, a blush in his cheeks.

You smiled. If you had to guess, you’d call if fifty/fifty it was actually not like that. You hoped anyway. Fifty/fifty on a good day, twenty-five/seventy-five against you on most others. “I believe it, Mabel is a half reliable source at best.”

”Hey!”

Stan chimed in and spoke to Mabel, “Hate to agree with Y/n, but they are completely right, sweetie.”

…

The conversation moved, and you all caught up with everyone. As much as you already had, having arrived a few days before the twins, there was always more to say, more stories to tell. A lot can happened between summers.

And eventually, it simmered down, and the twins started to try and settle in.

There was a double edged sword to that, being, the twins still shared a room despite their age. It was slightly more annoying now then it was when they were twelve, especially to you, who occasionally wanted to hangout there with Dipper, and divorce yourself from Mabel’s match making antics from time to time.

Mabel took her bags up first, running up the stairs with haste and excitement. You walked up behind Dipper, catching his attention, and did you best at a little bow. “May I help with your bags, m’lady,” you asked.

Dipper grimaced and recoiled, but a smile crossed his lips. “You sound like a redditor,” he snickered as he started to pick up his suitcases.

You shrugged, “Your loss.”

He smiled, “I wouldn’t let m’lady strained their perfect hands.”

You laughed as you walked with him up the stairs. “Ew, yeah, I hear it. Never again, no more m’lady, too neckbeard for me.”

”Good, because I took a lot of psychic damage from that,” he said. “You can mimic the Redditor mannerisms with freakish accuracy, right down to the face.”

You put your hand to your chest, feigning hurt. “I take incredible offence to that, I do not have Reddit face,” you scoffed.

As you approached the door to the attic, you stepped in front of Dipper to open it for him, who had full hands. Mabel was already laying on the bed with Waddles, kicking her feet in the air as she laid on her stomach. There were already posters on the wall and stuffed animals on the bed, too.

Dipper barely batted and eye, moving to his side of the room with a small comment, “you work fast.”

Mabel shocked, ”You know me, they call me sonic in the-“

“Buddy,” you cut her off. “You finishing that sentence would actually kill me.”

She smirked, and rolled on her back to face you. “There’s a joke there about finishing, but I don’t wanna look for it.”

”Everyday you find new ways to disgust me.”

“Imagine living with her,” Dipper added, taking folded clothes out of his suitcase.

Mabel grumbled, but said nothing and instead rolling over and looked at her phone. Waddles oinked beside her.

“Hey, it’s summer, I can imagine it perfectly well.”

Dipper laughed, and sat on the bed, looking at you with a smile. “Yeah… you do pretty much live here in the summer, huh?”

You sat down next to him, and grabbed the old musty pillow that rested at the head. “Good thing or bad thing?”

He looked away, and laughed slightly, “Good thing.”

…

The day went by, remarkably fast. The sun set, the energy simmered, people left. Soos and Wendy went home, leaving you chatting with Stans late at night. You didn’t quite want to leave yet. Instead, you nodded and snapped a finger gun to Stan and Ford, and quietly ascended the stairs to the twins room.

Mabel was sleeping already, snoring lightly. Not loud enough to bother you much. Dipper though, was reading. A small lamp in the bedside table illuminated the small space by his bed, where he sat upright against the headboard. “Dip,” you said quietly. “What are we reading?”

He looked up from his novel with wide eyes, as if broken from a trance. “Oh, God- y/n,” he stuttered, startled. “Are you staying over?”

You bounded over to the bed and took a seat next to him, nestling your feet under the blanket. “Yeah, but that’s not the point,” you said, leaning on his shoulder and glancing at the books pages. “What are we reading?”

His skin was warm on your hands and arms as you leaned on him. His loose t-shirt was soft, too. He stammered a bit, “Oh, well- it��s a mystery novel, a murder, detectives…” Dipper looked at you for a flicker, as if checking to see if you were still interested. “There’s these two brothers that are the main characters, and this one guy who’s their partner.” Dipper taps the pages, and chews his lip. “But I have my suspicions about one of them.”

You hum slightly in a hushed laugh. “So tell me now, who’s the killer?”

Dipper rolled his neck, cracking it. “Man, I really think it’s the partner guy, but it’s awful because one of the brothers is in love with him.”

You winced, “oh shit.” You knew the feeling, empathy for a doomed character. “That kind of sucks for him.” Dipper nodded, and turned the page. He was maybe halfway through the book. you read along with him, trying to gain whatever you could from the out of context scenes. “So should I pick it up, or wait for you to finish it so I can read your next book with you?”

Very quickly you felt heat radiating from him. You did your best not to pull away in the inherent embarrassment of closeness, pushing though the fact that you made him blush again to stay leaned against him, your chin rested gently near his collar bone. “Well I mean- this one is really good, I’ll admit, but I may have just spoiled it for you…”

You waved your hand as he turned another page. “Eh, I don’t mind too bad. Mystery isn’t even my main genre, I just love the book club,” you said. It was nothing but true, it didn’t matter the quality of the book if you were reading it with him, or anyone really. But mainly him, or sometimes Mabel. Even if it was the worst book ever written, it was at least fun to discuss it and make fun of it together.

“Well in that case, yeah I’d recommend it,” he said. “Wanna borrow my copy when I finish?”

”Mmhmmm,” you hummed, tired. “Or I could just read with you, I guess. I’m sure the first half wasn’t that important.”

Dipper shook his head, a slight and baffled smile forming across his lips. “I disrespectfully disagree with you,” he said, turning the page.

You yawned, “That’s… rude.” Your eyes were sluggish as they followed along with the words. Dipper started to turn the page again, before you were ready. You quickly cut him off, “Hey, hey, wait for me, I’m tired, alright?”

He turned the page back, “Alright, alright,” he yawned in response.

You pawed at the pages when you finished, and on the next one, Dipper waited for you to do it again before turning it. And then, again.

And somewhere along the way, you fell asleep, sitting with him on his bed, head leaned on his shoulder, and feet warmly huddled under the blanket. It was summer, and everything was okay again, home, in gravity falls. Whatever the summer held for you, whether it be mystery, adventure, love… you were ready. Whatever summer could throw at you, you were ready

Next chapter

Hello! This is a part of my Multi chapter dipper x reader story, I love it a lot, it’s one of those fics that’s like my baby. This was the first chapter written so yeah, it’s kinda rough. I really don’t wanna reread it so if there’s spelling errors lmk I guess😭

#dipper pines #dipper x reader #dipper pines x reader #gravity falls #gravity falls x reader #my writing #Douce Amere #x reader

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bellaxgiornata · 11 months

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Falling For the Devil [Part thirty-nine: "The Secret Santa"]

Pairing: Matt Murdock x Fem!Reader

Summary: You join Matt, Foggy, Marci, and Karen for another yearly game of Secret Santa at Josie's.

You're absolutely terrified of what might be in that little black box.

[Series of one-shots about Reader meeting, falling for, and dating Matt Murdock.]

Warnings: 18+ for this series; contains humor, fluff, romance, angst, smut (like...a lot of it later in the series), language, some violence

Word Count: 2.6k

a/n: This is a fun and naughty little secret Santa installment with the gang at Josie's! And one of Reader's gifts certainly gets used in an upcoming smupdate... You can find the entire list of the installments for this series on tumblr here. And if you're enjoying it feel free to let me know!

Pulling the door open to Josie’s, you shivered from the contrasting warmth radiating from inside the bar with the cold December night outside. Tonight you noticed the bar was surprisingly fairly empty as you stepped inside, even if it was a Wednesday night.

You heard your name almost immediately and your attention shifted to the right, landing on your group of friends all huddled around their usual table. Karen was smiling at you, excitedly waving you over. For a moment you remembered the night you came here when you'd thought Matt had invited you out on a date, spotting all of them sitting in a similar fashion to that night. A smile made its way onto your face at how much had happened since then as you shifted the bag in your hands that was hiding your Christmas presents for the Secret Santa game. Matt beamed at you as you walked towards the group, his head seemingly tracking your movements. You smiled back at him before focusing on everyone around the table.

"Hey, sorry I'm late," you apologized to the group, sliding into the chair beside Matt as you placed the bag on your lap. "I was talking to Ellison about extending a deadline on something, it…took longer than I expected."

Matt visibly tensed beside you but he said nothing. Instead, one of his hands pushed a beer towards you on the table, the movement catching your attention.

"Already grabbed you a drink," he told you.

Still smiling, you murmured, "Thank you."

"Well at least you're here now, only thirty minutes late," Karen teased gently from your other side.

Across from you and sitting beside Foggy, Marci clapped her hands together over the table excitedly. There was a mischievous glint in her eyes while she glanced around at everyone. "So, do we all remember the rules?" she asked. "Close your eyes and no peaking when we put the gifts on the table," she reiterated firmly, her attention shifting to Foggy as she shot him a pointed look.

"Yeah, Matt!" Foggy called out.

Matt chuckled beside you, shaking his head. "Alright, you caught me. I peak every year behind these," he joked, pointing at his dark glasses.

Marci’s attention returned to you, that glint still in her eye. "Last year we went tame when you joined us for Secret Santa," she said, shooting Matt a look beside you, "because he asked us to. So we wouldn't send you running away scared." She wagged a finger at you and you felt your palms sweating against the bag in your lap. "We didn't necessarily do tame this year," she warned you.

"Well now you might send me running away," you joked nervously.

Matt's shoulder bumped yours lightly, catching your attention. You turned, taking in the warm smile on his face as he gazed back at you.

"You'll be just fine, sweetheart," he assured you.

“I already gave her a heads up,” Karen told everyone. “The other week after we drew names. I didn’t want her to be too startled and I wasn’t sure Matt would say anything.”

Marci once again glanced around the table, raising a brow as she did. “Alright, everyone ready then?” she asked. When everyone nodded she smiled. “Okay, we all close our eyes and keep them closed until all the gifts are on the table. And let’s be mindful of the drinks already on here,” she said, her attention once again shifting to Foggy beside her.

“Hey,” he said, “in my defense, I spilled that drink on myself last year, not you.”

“But it was my drink,” she countered.

One of his hands rose from his lap, patting her shoulder lightly as he smiled lovingly at her. “And if I knock it over again this year, I’ll buy you another, babe,” he assured her.

Beside you, Matt cupped a hand around his mouth and called out, “Get a room!”

Marci’s head snapped in his direction, that mischievous glint back in her eye. “You might be the one needing to get a room later, Murdock,” she teased, turning her head and shooting you a wink. And then her expression returned serious, leaving you a bit nervous at her comment. “Okay, everyone close your eyes and put your gift on the table. Not directly in front of you either!”

You joined the group in closing your eyes, hearing the sound of rustling as everyone removed their gifts from wherever they had been hiding them. You slipped your own gifts out of the bag, carefully trying not to bump into Karen too much as you tried to push it on the table away from you. When your gift was on the table, you waited patiently with closed eyes for the rustling to stop.

“Everyone’s gift on the table?” Marci asked.

A chorus of affirmative responses came from the group. Soon everyone was opening their eyes, taking in the sight of the wrapped presents before you all. The moment you spotted yours, you felt your heart speed up. It was a black box with a bright red bow on it, your name written in silver sharpie. You just knew whatever was in there was going to make you nervous to open in front of everyone.

“Why don’t we go around the table this year?” Foggy suggested. “To make it easier than trying to guess numbers each time we take a turn.”

“Okay, who wants to start us off then?” Marci asked.

Beside you, Karen perked up, practically bouncing up and down in her seat. “Oh, I will!” she quickly volunteered.

Eagerly she reached out, finding the two gifts with her name on them. They were wrapped in the most obnoxious Christmas paper you’d ever seen–vibrant elves. You got the feeling the wrapping paper was chosen either intentionally or because it was Matt and he didn’t know or care.

And neither did Karen. Tearing through the paper swiftly, she unwrapped a small box. Immediately she was laughing behind a hand as she held it up.

“Wine condoms?” she asked.

“Well hey,” Marci said, fighting down her own laughter across the table, “at least on the nights you drink alone and can’t finish a bottle, you’re still getting the opportunity to open a condom.”

You snorted loudly, throwing a hand over your own mouth at her joke. Matt beside you was laughing quietly, his shoulders shaking as he bit his lip. Karen rolled her eyes, grinning, as she focused on opening up the second gift. It was a coffee mug that she pulled out of the box next, covered in writing on one side. Her eyes scanned over it quickly before she laughed, glancing between Foggy and Matt.

“Okay, one of you guys clearly got this for me,” she said.

“What’s it say?” you asked her.

She glanced back down, reading from the mug as she spoke. “I’m not arguing, I’m just explaining why I’m right.”

“Hmm, sounds accurate,” Foggy joked, drawing his beer to his mouth as he glanced away. “Definitely wonder who could’ve gotten you that.”

“Yeah,” Matt mused beside you, amusement in his tone, “I really wonder who could’ve gotten you that, Karen.”

“Dicks,” she joked, balling up the wrapping paper in front of her. “Okay, who’s next? Foggy?” She glanced at you and said your name, her brows raising questioningly.

Your eyes darted towards that intimidating black box and you smiled nervously, gesturing a hand to Foggy. “How about Fog goes next?” you answered quickly, hoping to postpone opening your gift for as long as possible.

“Ohh!” Foggy exclaimed, rubbing his hands together. “I am so ready for this!”

Marci slid the gifts you had gotten for Foggy along the table towards him and you watched silently as he opened the first box. Once he'd torn off all the paper on the first gift, he slowly lifted the lid. His head tilted curiously to the side as he reached a hand in and pulled out a tie.

“It’s a tie,” he said, mainly for Matt’s benefit as he sat beside you with his head cocked to the side, brows furrowed. “But I don’t quite understand what’s on it?”

He held it up to himself, as if he was wearing it, and Karen, Marci, and you all lost it simultaneously. A round of laughter broke out at the table as Foggy glanced downwards at the tie, still trying to make sense of it. Poor Matt was still confused beside you.

“What?” Matt asked. "What's so funny?"

“It–it looks like his shirt is open,” Karen wheezed out between laughs.

“And he has a hairy chest!” Marci finished, wiping tears from her eyes.

A large smile slid across Matt’s face, one of his hands readjusting his glasses on his nose. "Please don't wear that to court," he begged Foggy.

"Oh, I don't know, Matt," Foggy disagreed, grinning as he shook his head. "I look quite sexy in this. Might even give you a run for your money on court days."

You were still fighting down laughs as Karen reached out a hand, pointing to the other gift in front of him.

"What's in that one?" she asked curiously.

Foggy set the tie back down and focused on the other gift. You chewed your lip nervously as he unwrapped the paper to reveal yet another box. Carefully he opened it, and then he reached in before slowly holding up the set of handcuffs. Marci gasped excitedly beside him.

"Oh my God, we needed new handcuffs!" she exclaimed while Foggy's face reddened a bit. "We broke ours on Halloween!"

Matt cleared his throat loudly. "Information I could have done without," he said, raising his beer to his mouth for a drink.

Grinning wide, Marci reached out and grabbed the package with her name on it. It looked almost similarly packaged like the gift for you.

"Okay my turn," she exclaimed excitedly.

She quickly untied the bow before sliding the ribbon off. Without hesitation, she opened the box–and her eyes practically lit up.

"We have two sets of handcuffs now!" she squealed. "And oh, this looks fun." Her hand darted into the black box and pulled something out.

Your eyes went wide as Foggy's face further reddened, drawing his beer to his mouth and glancing down at the table. Karen was openly laughing on one side of you while Matt was sitting on the other side of you with raised brows behind dark lenses.

"Do I want to know?" he asked.

"No–" Foggy began, but Marci cut him off.

"It's one of those butt plugs with a tail–it's a pink bunny tail," she said.

Matt's brows somehow rose even higher onto his forehead as he also glanced away. Just as Foggy had done, he took another drink of his beer and remained quiet.

You, across the table, were now feeling ready to bolt. If that was what was in the box for Marci which looked similar to yours, you didn't even want to know what was going to be in your gift. You were sure you'd be redder than the ribbon when you opened it in front of everyone.

"Okay, Matt's turn," Marci announced, putting everything back into her box.

You reached out across the table, sliding the wrapped package towards Matt. He thanked you softly before he began tearing the wrapping paper open. Eventually he tore it all off, his hands fiddling with opening the box next. And then he reached in, feeling around curiously before he held up a pair of cozy socks like he always wore, except these weren't plain. You grinned at the sight of them.

"Socks?" Matt asked, head tilting to the side. "But judging by the laughter beside me, there's something on them."

"Avocados," you told him. "It says 'I want to avo-cuddle' on them."

"That seems tame after what Marci just opened," he mused, setting them down.

He reached in and pulled out a pair of boxers next. Your eyes went wide before you began laughing at what was written on the ass.

"So boxers, but clearly something is on them as well," Matt said. He turned, shooting you a smile. "I think I only trust you to tell me what it is."

Grinning, you said, "They're green with a bunch of avocados on them. But on the butt it says–" you paused, laughing, "–'Back that Hass up'."

He cracked up, shaking his head as he set the underwear back. "I'm sure you'll appreciate these, sweetheart." His gaze shifted down the table towards Foggy, grinning. "Thanks, Fog."

You bit your lip, fighting down your laughter still at the boxers and the mental image of Matt wearing them. Across from you, Marci grinned devilishly and pushed the black box towards you. Instantly your smile faded and your pulse sped up, anxiety washing over you. Beside you, Matt's head canted curiously to the side, his covered gaze landing on you. No doubt he noticed the change in your body.

"Your turn," Karen teased, placing a hand on your shoulder briefly.

Nervously you reached out and began untying the bow, watching as the red ribbon fell to the table. With shaking fingers you lifted the lid just enough so you could see what was inside. Your eyes immediately went wide, your heart somehow thrumming even faster in your chest. Karen leaned in beside you to take a peak before a hand flew to her mouth, covering a giggle.

"I don't think I want to know," Foggy said from across the table. "Judging by her face."

"I do," Matt said, leaning closer towards you, his forearms resting on the table as he smirked at you.

"Go on," Marci urged slyly, "tell your man what's in there."

And clearly Marci was the one who bought you this, judging by that coy, smug look on her face. You took a deep breath, trying to fight back the growing flush on your cheeks.

"It's uh, silk wrist ropes," you told Matt awkwardly, noticing the upward twitch of his lips. "They're red. And a, uh–" you cleared your throat, "–a flogger."

Matt's smirk only grew further on his face. Across the table, Foggy was choking on his drink. Marci clapped a hand roughly on his back as you quickly lowered the lid back onto the box, too nervous to keep looking at the items. The way Matt was staring at you while you picked up your own beer and took a few deep drinks felt like he was burning a hole in the side of your face.

"Yeah, I definitely didn't need to know what was in there," Foggy muttered.

"Maybe you should bring those with you on your road trip," Karen teased, gathering up all of the wrapping paper from the table.

Your face only flushed further at that thought.

"You know, I think I might go use the restroom," you said in a rush, face feeling as if it were on fire as you quickly slid out of your chair.

"At least I didn't go with the glass dildo!" Marci exclaimed.

A few people around the bar turned and stared at you at that particularly loud comment. Your eyes widened in horror as your friends laughed.

"Oh my God ," you muttered, burying your face in your hands.

"Yeah, Marc," Matt said from next to you with a wide grin, "you'd have definitely scared her away last year."

Marci laughed loudly as you turned, darting off to the bathroom. From behind the bar counter you even spotted Josie good-naturedly laughing at you and your pace quickened.

#matt murdock x reader #matt murdock x you #matt murdock x fem reader #matt murdock series #matt murdock fic #matt murdock fanfic #daredevil x female reader #matt murdock x fem!reader #fftd

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late-to-the-party-81 · 8 months

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The best laid plans...

AN: This silly little fic was written for @buckybarnesbingo Square C5: A picture of Bucky waiting against a wall, holding a gun. I hope you enjoy the sass and crack. Thanks to @drabbles-mc for cheerleading and beta-ing

Dividers by @firefly-graphics. Moodboard by me, with robot image by Rafael Amarante

Master list| BBB Master list

Summary: Bucky and Nat had a date night planned, but you know what’s said about best laid plans?

Relationships: Established Bucky x Nat, Established Sam x Steve, Cap Quartet friendship.

Word Count: 2.4k

CW: Crack, Sass, Snark, Flirting, Innuendo, Swearing, Robots being smashed, a bad-guy getting his come-uppance, Sam and Steve are like a pair of horny teenagers, Bucky is done, Nat is always right.

Bucky came to a halt a few feet from the bunker entrance, his back pressed to the smooth, grey concrete with his assault rifle held in his right hand. Snowflakes swirled around him.

This was not how he’d intended spending his Friday, but here he was. The bad-guys never had any respect for his plans, the bastards. Or rather his and Nat’s plans. Not that they’d had anything major organised, just a quiet night in, the pair of them, the cat’s, a box set, some wine and some blini’s. Maybe a little ‘something-something’ later on, if he played his cards right.

But, here he was, in the freezing cold - and god-knows he hated the cold for many legitimate reasons - waiting for the signal from Nat, before the pair of them stormed in to save Sam and Steve from whatever-the-fuck mess the pair of them had managed to get themselves in to. If Bucky recalled the briefing notes he’d skimmed over on the way here, it was robots of some sort. Which was better than aliens, and a one hundred percent improvement on wizards. That Strange guy gave him the willies, despite Tony’s assurance that his cough friend was on their side. He still wasn’t sold on Howard’s son’s judgement, despite the years that had passed since the ‘Siberia Incident’.

Robots, though - he could handle those. To steal a line from Bruce, with robots he could “smash”, and not feel bad. Not that he felt bad when he punched aliens. Or wizards. But robots were like Nazi’s. Not sentient in Bucky’s humble opinion.

He did briefly wonder how Steve and Sam had managed to get themselves captured, but that knowledge would wait for later. They’d probably got distracted from the mission because they were making out or something equally as stupid. They could at least keep the PDAs to a minimum in the field, like he and Nat did. Although he did get it - Steve could let himself be seen now, in a way he hadn’t been able to back in the day. And Bucky wasn’t blind, Sam was an attractive man, even if he did act like a cocky dickhead about it ninety nine percent of the time.

“Stupid Steve and stupid Sam.” He hadn’t even realised he’d muttered under his breath until a slightly tinny voice sounded in his ear.

“Be nice, Yasha. They are our friends after all. Even if they did ruin our date night.”

Bucky’s lips twitched upwards at Nat’s admonishment. “Can you blame me, malyshka? I was looking forward to a night-in with my best girls. All cuddled up together, all cosy. Maybe a bit of kissing, a bit of…”

“Okay, cool it lover-boy. I don’t think Al and Liho would be appreciative of your kisses.”

Bucky’s smile broadened and he let a bit of ‘40’s’ into his voice. “Is that your way of saying that you would be?”

“I plead the fifth.” He could hear the smile in Nat’s voice. “Now, get ready. I’ve almost reached the East Entrance. We need to breach together.”

Bucky rolled his eyes, glad that Nat wouldn’t be able to see.

“Not my first time out, Natalia. Just because Steve likes to go in without a plan and Sam seems to have adopted his technique, doesn’t mean I’ve lost my sense of strategy. I’m ready on your mark. As always.”

“The way it should be. But James, don’t roll your eyes at me. You know how it annoys me when you’re passive aggressive. Now…breach!”

Bucky pushed away from the wall and kicked in the door. He rolled through the opening, coming to a halt on his knees, gun raised.

There wasn’t anyone or anything there.

“No bogies here, Nat. You?”

“Nothing. It’s suspiciously quiet.”

Bucky rose to his feet and slung his rifle over his shoulder.

“I’ll work myself toward the centre and meet you there. First to find our disaster gays buys pizza.”

He heard Nat laugh over the comms, clear and unaffected. “You always make it so easy for me, kotenok.”

“Only because you’re easy for me.” Bucky couldn’t help but tease her. He could imagine the faint pink blush dusting her cheekbones about now. She was probably doing that cute nose wrinkle too.

“Bucky!” Nat hissed, but her tone didn’t hold any real censure.

“Okay, okay. I’m all business now. I promise. See you soon.”

Bucky pulled one of his knives from its sheath, gave it a cursory flip to check the balance, and then made his way toward the next door. If there was anything behind it, it would know Bucky was there - he hadn’t exactly been quiet when he’d come through the first door. He placed himself on the hinge side of the door, noting that this one opened towards him, and with a steadying breath, he pulled it open.

Immediately, laser blasts peppered the space Bucky would have been standing in if he’d opened the door like a normal person. He observed the rhythm of the shots for a few seconds, then rounded the door, his knife flying forward from his hand. There was a satisfying thunk, followed by a crash as the robot landed on the floor. Bucky walked towards the pile of metal, taking in its form as he pulled his knife from its ocular sensor. Why mad scientists had to mimic human biology by putting the CPU in the most obvious place constantly baffled him, but at least it made it easy.

He didn’t have long to ponder though. He heard a whirring noise and looked up to see four more robots bearing down on him. Sheathing his knife, Bucky unslung his rifle, holding it in his right hand. With his left he picked up the late robot to use as a shield. He felt the impact of the laser blasts, and peaked around the metal shell to aim his weapon. He squeezed the trigger, letting off three bullets at a time, and kept moving forward. One of the robots wouldn’t go down, so as Bucky approached it, he decided to use the one he was holding as a bludgeon. There was the screech of metal on metal, and the fizzing of wires as they broke, still sparking, then there was a pile of twisted steel on the floor. He opened his comms.

“Everything okay, sweetheart? I’ve had a few tin cans to deal with over here.”

“Doing fine, baby. Hang on…” Nat went silent for a moment, but Bucky knew it was just because she was concentrating. He heard the high-pitch whine of her Widow’s Bite deploying, followed by a hollow clang sound and then she was back. “How many have you taken out?”

Bucky looked around him.

“Five.”

“Ha! Six. I’m winning.”

“Malyshka, our competition isn’t about numbers, remember?” Bucky drawled, letting a small amount of condescension into his voice.

“Yours might not be, but mine is.” God, he loved this woman. She challenged him everyday and he couldn’t get enough.

“Always gotta be the winner, huh?”

“No ‘gotta’ about it. Just ‘am’, kitten.” He could see her smirk in his head. She was probably coyly twisting a lock of hair around her finger as she spoke as well. “Now, I gotta get into that next room.”

The comm line went quiet again and Bucky smiled to himself as he thought about all the ways he was gonna worship her when they got home. After he’d torn a strip off Steve and Sam for being idiots. However, he had to find them first.

He wasn’t surprised to discover more robots as he entered the next area of the bunker. They weren’t too difficult to deal with, especially considering how frustrated Bucky was feeling. A couple of laser shots grazed his jacket, the burning leather smell filling his nose unpleasantly. A replacement jacket was definitely coming out of Steve’s pocket.

Six more robots lay in a sparking, dented mess on the floor, but he just walked around them, moving forward. It was only a minute until he came upon a bulkhead door, the mechanism for opening it on his side. Bucky could also see that the door was dented, hit from the inside in what he assumed was an attempt to open it from the other side by someone exceedingly strong. It would take a lot to deform it like that.

“If you’re not behind this door, Steve”, Bucky muttered under his breath, “I’m gonna kill you.” He reshouldered his rifle and grabbed hold of the bulkhead wheel. It was tightly closed and the metal groaned under Bucky’s hands as he turned it. “Fuck Sam and fuck Steve, idiotic, stupid idiots.” He didn't know exactly what he was going to find when he got in there, but he wasn’t too worried. They might have some scrapes and bruises, at the worst be unconscious, but they were tough and no two-bit robot maker was going to get the best of them. Not for long anyway.

The catch on the door fully opened and Bucky pulled it ajar. He slipped through but came to a dead halt at what he saw. This was definitely not what he expected to find. In fact, he was so taken aback that he didn’t notice the door swinging shut behind him, until he heard the clunk.

Sam and Steve leapt apart. Steve’s short blond hair was sticking up all over the place, evidence of Sam’s fingers having been threaded through it. Both their lips were kiss swollen, and their chests were heaving. Steve pulled the shield across his lap. Sam just used his hands to cover his crotch.

Bucky pinched the bridge of his nose and screwed his eyes shut. “Really, guys? You get stuck in the lair of a mad robot inventor, so you just end up making out like teenagers?” Steve flushed, his ears going bright pink, but Sam just gave Bucky a grin.

“What can I say, man. Stevie boy can’t keep his hands off me, even when we’re in mortal danger.”

Steve shot Sam a glare. “It wasn’t like that. We tried to get out, but the doors were too thick, and glass didn’t want to break either.” Steve waved over to the far wall, which was half glass, and appeared to have some kind of observation room on the other side. There was a door in that wall too, as equally as dented as the one Bucky had come through, giving credence to Steve’s story that they’d at least attempted to get out before getting bored and starting to get handsy with each other. “We knew you’d come when we didn’t check in, so we were just waiting. But you’re here now.”

“Unfortunately, though,” Sam drawled, “Because you let that door shut behind you, we’re now all stuck.”

“As long as you two don’t start sucking face again.” Bucky made a gagging noise.

“No chance of that, Bucko. Don’t you know that cyborgs kill the mood,” Sam fired back.

Bucky raised an eyebrow and cocked his hip. “Nat doesn’t seem to think so.” He held up his left hand and wiggled his fingers, the vibranium plates clinking and servos whirring. “In fact she…”

“...Would most likely kill you for having this conversation.” Steve cut him off. “And speaking of Nat…”

Steve pointed into the observation room, where the door into it had burst open and a man in a white lab coat and goggles was staggering through it, a very angry Russian redhead sat atop his shoulders. Nat rained blows down onto the man's face before doing her patented twisty thing where she spun herself down and hurled the guy across the room by his neck. He crashed into a table which had various electronics and tools across it, and didn’t get up. Nat, of course, landed on her feet and tossed her hair back. At that moment, Bucky didn’t think he could love her more.

Nat walked over to the control panel, a swagger in her steps. She peered down at it for a few moments and then pressed a button. The door to the side of the glass opened with a creak and Nat sauntered over and pushed it further open.

“I win, kotenok.”

Bucky reached in a few long strides and, in an uncharacteristic display of public affection, wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her close.

“How do you figure that, sweetheart? I was obviously here first, and we haven’t done the final count of robots dispatched.” He smiled down at her and brushed a stray lock of hair back from her face.

“But I took out him,” she jerked her head in the direction of the felled robot creator, “and you got yourself trapped in with Dumb and Dumber over there. I think that means I can rightly claim the win.”

Somewhere behind them, Sam shouted out “Hey!” but both Bucky and Nat ignored him.

“You think, do you? I’m not sure I agree.” Bucky’s lips twisted up into an amused smile and Nat reached up and bopped her finger against the tip of his nose.

“Of course you don’t agree. You’re always wrong, Yasha. Now, let’s get home and you and I can try and salvage the rest of date night. You owe me a pizza.” She slipped effortlessly from his hold and spun away. Bucky looked over his shoulder at Steve and Sam and shrugged his shoulders, as if to say ‘what are you gonna do?’ and followed in her wake, picking up their unconscious captive and throwing him over his shoulder on the way.

They got outside and as they neared the two jets Bucky looked over at Nat, silent communication passing between them. She jogged towards the jet they’d arrived in for their rescue mission and Bucky peeled off toward the one that Sam and Steve had used. He jogged up the ramp ahead of his friends, and as he reached the top he pressed the ramp close button and dumped the robot maker on the floor.

“Um, Buck… What are you doing?” Steve called out to him through the narrowing gap. Bucky grinned back. “It’s only a two hour flight back to the compound. Surely you can wrap your legs around your boyfriend for that long.” He shot a wink at their outraged faces as the ramp closed and then whistled to himself as he made his way to the cockpit.

Childish? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely.

Bucky sat down in the pilot’s seat, put the headphones on and switched to his and Nat’s private comms channel as he started the jet up.

“So, malyshka, what do you want on your pizza?”

Tag list: @km-ffluv @christywrites @alexakeyloveloki @doasyoudesireandlive

#winterwidow #bucky x natasha #buckynat #crack #late writes #samsteve #cap quartet

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laurenairay · 2 years

Text

This is My Home - N. Hischier

A/N: I wrote this for @antoineroussel’s word prompt challenge, so here we are! I started writing this before PK retired, ergo he is still on the team. Just a bit of domestic fluff and a slice of home life.

Player: Nico Hischier

Word: Xenial (adjective) – warm, welcoming, and hospitable

Word count: 2.6k words

“I found the fresh baguettes!”

“The part-baked ones?”

“Yeah, that’s the ones! Managed to get all four, just as you asked.”

You grinned as your boyfriend walked into the kitchen, baguettes in hand as promised, and lent up to thank him with a soft kiss.

“Aww, only a little kiss after I braved the streets of Newark for you?”

“Oh yes, so brave, Nico Hischier risking everything to make it through the supermarket,” you said dryly.

Nico just laughed, pressing a kiss to the side of your head. “So mean to me. I don’t know how I’ll survive.”

“I’m sure you’ll think of something, oh brave and mighty Captain,” you teased.

He rolled his eyes fondly, shaking his head. “Is there anything I can do to help? Any more prep you need doing?”

“Well, the dressing is ready for the salad, the salad is ready in the fridge, the pasta bakes are both in the oven on low, and I’ve nearly finished making the garlic butter – maybe you could slice the baguettes just deep enough for me to put the butter in ready for later?” you suggested.

“Done,” he grinned, nodding, “I’ll also wash up the million pans that you used.”

“Oh hush, you try cooking enough minced beef, onion, grilled peppers and homemade tomato pasta sauce for nine hockey players and little old me,” you shot back, laughing.

“Touché!”

Nico leant his head down, pressing a slow soft kiss to your lips again before leaving you with your heart racing, barely able to get yourself together again by the time he was gently slicing into the baguettes next to you.

This evening was a big night – the first time that the two of you were hosting a dinner party together. Even more so, it was in the apartment that the two of you had just moved into, your first home together, and you’d only just made it feel like home when Nico asked if you minded hosting something together. Just a small thing, he promised, for a few of the team. When you’d eventually gotten the whole story out of him – he wanted to do something nice for some of the core older guys and the younger guys, all those without partners of their own, as Captain now that the team could mix again – there was no way you could say no. The hope in his eyes and the fact that he was even asking in the first place made your decision for you. You knew that dating the captain of an NHL team came with responsibilities, came with a role of your own, and if you could do something as small as hosting a dinner party then you absolutely would. Maybe you weren’t quite a Michelin star chef, but you could hold your own – there were a few recipes that were home comforts that you knew you could adapt to pack with veggies for the team, and the pasta bake you eventually decided on was one of them. At least you hoped Jonas, Gravy, Dougie, Nate, Mikey, Jack, PK, and Dawson (the eventual guest list) would like it?

Sure, you hadn’t cooked for that many people before and certainly not with hockey player appetites, but you’d doubled the usual recipe so that would be okay, right? Damn, what if you hadn’t?

“Baby, what if there’s not enough food? I know how much you guys eat! I don’t have any back-up!” you groaned, “I don’t want to leave our guests hungry at our first dinner party!

“Woah, schätzli, breathe. They’re going to love the dinner, I promise. Like, they’ll all just be happy to have a meal cooked for them,” Nico said, smiling.

You knew he was trying to reassure you, really you did, but that did not help in the slightest.

“Really? Just happy to have a meal cooked for them? Should I have saved myself the stress and just made a huge vat of kraft mac and cheese?” you asked dryly.

Nico’s eyes went wide, cheeks flushing as he realised the implication of his words, and he quickly took your hands in his. You knew he knew how hard you’d been working on all of the preparation today, but right now his words weren’t what you needed to hear.

“The effort and love you’ve put into this food could never be replaced by kraft,” he insisted, pursing his lips at the brand name, “I really didn’t mean it like that.”

You drew your bottom lip into your mouth, hesitating briefly, but eventually nodded. Your boyfriend hadn’t meant any harm, you knew that, and the last thing you wanted to do was take out your frustration on him.

“Alright, if you say so,” you said forced-lightly, “I just hope everything goes smoothly.”

“It will. I promise. Tonight is going to go well,” Nico said firmly, a small smile tugging at his lips.

As always, you were unable to stop yourself returning that familiar smile, Nico just smiling a little wider before he leaned down to press a soft kiss to your lips.

“How long have we got before the oven timer goes off?” he murmured, warm hands leaving yours to clutch at your waist.

“Mm, 30 minutes, why?” you asked a little breathlessly.

Nico just grinned sharply, hands sliding down to cup your ass before he lifted you up. You shrieked slightly, batting at his shoulder while he laughed, wrapping your legs around his waist regardless.

“Dreadful, awful man,” you mock-scolded, sliding your arms around his neck to draw your faces even closer.

“Yes, yes I am,” he smirked, “How about we rectify that?”

The promise in his eyes made you shiver.

Eventually, the two of you made it back into the kitchen, nearly the full half hour after Nico carried you down the hallway, and you knew at least some of your guests would be arriving shortly. Your boyfriend took out the required 8 bowls and cutlery sets, putting them on the kitchen island ready for serving the food up, while you placed the pre-prepared garlic breads into the oven too, hoping the delicious smells would travel through your apartment by the time Nico’s teammates arrived.

“Drinks? Should we get them out now?” you asked, trying to think of anything else you’d missed.

“I already stocked the fridge with beers and wine and sodas – we can just give the guys what they want when they arrive. Relax, schätzli, everything’s under control,” Nico said warmly.

“Easy for you to say,” you mused, nudging him with your hip.

Nico just nudged you back, grinning. “You look beautiful, the food smells amazing, and all I need to do is set the cutlery out – everything else can be done after the guys arrive. It’s all good.”

He was right. You knew he was right. So you tried to let his words sink in, forcing yourself to relax until it actually felt real.

Wait.

“Salad tongs! I need to find the salad tongs!”

Nico just groaned before laughing as you darted over to the drawers again, but you just ignored him. Whirling round with a triumphant smile, you brandished the almost-forgotten tongs like a sword, Nico giving you a teasing round of applause, but before you could retort, the doorbell rang. Your boyfriend sent you a reassuring smile to calm the nerves you knew he knew were simmering under the surface, and left you to put the cutlery and salad tongs out on the dining room table. To be honest, it gave you enough time to steady yourself as Nico greeted his friends.

You knew being so nervous was a little silly, but you’d never cooked a homemade meal for guests before. Like, this was your home, with your boyfriend, and it was his friends coming over to celebrate the two of you. It was important, right? It didn’t matter that you’d met them all so many times during the couple of years you’d been dating Nico, but it was different this time – this was your first home together, and you wanted it to be special. So so different from just heating up catered food. This was your food, and you wanted them to like it. Was that silly? Really?

“There you are!”

The sound of Jonas’s voice brought a smile to your face, breaking you out of your thoughts as you laid the last of the spoons down.

“Jonas! I’m so glad you could make it,” you said happily, hugging him tightly.

He just laughed, hugging you just as tightly in return before letting you step away. “Whatever you’re cooking smells amazing. I already reminded Nico that he’s clearly punching in this relationship.”

Hah, as if.

“Oh stop it, it’s nothing complicated. Just good homely food,” you grinned, “Can I get you a drink?”

“I think your lesser half has that covered – but I did bring you a bottle of wine, to say thanks for hosting,” Jonas smiled.

What a thoughtful man. Nico really was lucky to have such wonderful friends.

“You really shouldn’t have – but thank you. I’ll put this in the kitchen!”

Jonas trailed after you, glancing around the apartment that he had yet to see in full, Nico just smiling as he saw the two of you.

“I see you found each other,” Nico grinned, passing Jonas a freshly-opened beer.

“I just followed the sound of someone working hard,” Jonas shot back, teasing.

Nico stuck his tongue out in retaliation, making you laugh – and then the doorbell rang again. You stayed in the kitchen chatting with Jonas while Nico did his hosting duty again, and in no time at all he returned with Dougie and Ryan, both of them smiling widely.

“Hi! Welcome!”

“Thanks for having us all,” Dougie grinned.

“It smells amazing in here,” Ryan added.

“We shouldn’t have too long before food is ready,” you said simply.

“PK’s clown car was pulling in as we were walking up, so they should all be here soon,” Nico mused, reaching into the fridge for a chilled bottle of white wine.

Ah yes, PK had drawn the short straw (by having the biggest car) and had been the lucky person to pick up all the younger guys – you could only imagine how rowdy a car with Nate, Mikey, Jack, and Dawson would have been. Poor PK.

“Here, just a little something to say thank you for tonight, and as a little housewarming gift,” Dougie said, smiling.

He drew out a beautiful crystal vase from behind his back, Ryan revealing a gorgeous bouquet of flowers, making you gasp softly. Oh how thoughtful! That was the last thing you were expecting.

“That is so sweet of you two – thank you, so much,” you said, still a little stunned.

They both shrugged, looking pleased with themselves, Nico murmuring his own thanks as he passed them a glass of wine each. As the doorbell rang for, hopefully, the final time, you busied yourself filling the vase with water and arranging the flowers in it to stand proudly.

Your first home, your first dinner party, your first vase. Everything was happening tonight.

“The party has arrived!”

You turned around with a grin at the sound of PK’s booming voice, allowing yourself to get wrapped in a warm hug, squealing as he lifted you off your feet.

“It’s good to see you too, PK,” you giggled, once he’d placed you back down on the floor.

“How could I miss an evening at Chez Capitan?” he grinned.

“What can I get you to drink?”

“Well unlike the two giants and the other Swiss, I will actually need to drive the babies home, so I’ll just have the one glass of wine now, if that’s okay?” PK mused, ignoring the crows of protest from the younger guys.

“Of course! I picked up a bunch of sodas too, so you’ll have plenty of choice later,” you explained.

“You are a goddess and Nico does not deserve you,” PK said bluntly.

“Well that I do know,” Nico chimed in, making everyone laugh.

By the time all the guys had a cold drink in their hands (and by the time PK had given you a marble drink coaster set and the young guys had given you the basket of gourmet cookies, chocolates and candied fruit they’d put together, bless them), the food was ready.

“Alright, guys, if you can all take a seat at the table?” you called out to get their attention.

Jack’s whoop made you laugh, Nico just rolling his eyes. Jonas led the way, leaving you and Nico alone in the kitchen.

“Tell me what you want me to do. It’s your show, boss,” he said with a soft smile.

Boss. Hah. You could get used to that.

“If you could get the two large dishes of pasta bake out the oven while I lay the bowls out, then I can serve the first dish into everyone’s bowls while you chop up the garlic bread fully? Then I put all the garlic bread in those baskets we bought while you take out the bowls? I need to get the salad out of the fridge as well.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Nico mused.

You just rolled your eyes fondly, passing him the oven mitts as you headed for the fridge. The plan sounded more like a military operation and you knew it – but it was better than having half a dozen bodies to dodge around.

Thankfully the two of you got all the food to the table without dropping anything, although PK did have to smack Dawson’s and Nate’s hands away from the garlic bread while you were still bringing dishes in, and when you finally sat down with your drink, you felt a small weight lift from your shoulders.

“Alright, we’ve got two giant pasta bakes with minced beef, grilled peppers, onions, and homemade tomato pasta sauce, a giant leafy salad with homemade dressing, and four big baguettes baked with homemade garlic butter for a very tasty garlic bread, if I do say so myself,”

“My god you’re amazing. I’ll say it again, Nico doesn’t deserve you,” Jonas grinned, making your cheeks heat up, Nico just laughing.

“Please, dig in. And help yourself to the second dish of pasta bake!”

“So tonight went well, yeah?”

Nico smiled broadly around his toothbrush in answer, making you giggle as toothpaste foam dripped into the sink. He laughed softly himself, spitting and rinsing his mouth & toothbrush before smiling properly at you.

��It went so well. I told you it would, no? The boys were gushing about how good your cooking is, and I know you know they appreciated all the effort,” Nico nodded.

“I just wanted everyone to have a good time, in our new home together,” you said simply, cheeks dusting with heat.

“Schätzli you were so xenial, so warm and welcoming, and I’m so lucky to have you in my life wanting to spend time with my friends like that,” Nico said softly, “So lucky.”

His sweet words sent a pleased warmth through your body, and you couldn’t help the smile that spread across your lips.

“I definitely wouldn’t mind doing it again, for special occasions,” you shrugged.

“You’re amazing,” he sighed happily, making you laugh and bat at his bicep.

Ridiculous man. Your ridiculous man though.

“Can’t have them getting too spoiled though. Especially the young guys,” he added.

You just laughed again, rolling your eyes. Whatever he wanted to do as Captain for team dynamics was up to him – if you could help by cooking every now and again then you would, but the rest of it you were staying out of. It was just better that way, for your sanity if nothing else.

“Jonas is the exception though, right?” you asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well duh,” he grinned.

#my writing #nico hischier fic #nico hischier imagine #nico hischier fanfic #nico hischier x reader #hockey writing #hockey fic #hockey fanfic #nhl writing #nhl fic #nhl fanfic

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eggcompany · 2 months

Text

Will is such a good boy

Hannibal leaves Puppy!Will in Duncan's care for a whole week. Will does so well except for the last day. Sometimes a pup gets a bit horny. Thankfully Duncan is willing to help the pup.

“Hello.” Duncan said plainly as he welcomed Hannibal, who had several bags hanging from his arms, and a sleepy looking Will. Will was dressed in slip on soft shoes and green forest pattern pajamas and was holding a big snuggly looking blue bear stuffed animal.

“Hi Will, that’s a cute bear.” Duncan said and ruffled Will’s hair as he passed. Gently rubbing the bottoms of his flopped ears.

Will walked right over and flopped down in Duncan’s chair and snuggled up all close with his bear.

This wasn’t the first time Duncan had babysat the pup but this would be the longest time by far. Hannibal had asked him to baby sit for a whole week while Hannibal settled some business a few states away. Duncan obviously agreed since Will was just about the most exciting thing in his life now that he’s retired.

Hannibal set down all the bags and turned to his friend.

“This one is diapers and changing pads and powder and all that. This one is mostly food and formula and there’s a list of places he likes to eat from. This is clothes. This is toys. And this is Big stuff. You have all my numbers and where I’ll be and I am very late. Thank you Duncan. Bye bye puppy see you in a week. Be a good boy for Papa.” Hannibal kissed Will’s forehead and was out the door. They already had their big goodbyes at home.

Duncan smiled and waved and said a small “safe travels”.

It was still very early in the morning. The sun hadn’t reached over the horizon yet.

Duncan walked back to the puppy who was already asleep. He slowly brought his hands behind Will’s back and under his thighs. Duncan easily carried the pup to his bed, slipped his shoes off, and tucked him in.

Will would probably sleep until at least eight. Maybe nine. So Duncan took the calm time to unpack and look through everything Hannibal had packed. Diapers, pull ups, wipes, bottles, sippies, shorts, cozy sweaters, a few pajamas, plenty of panties, a couple brushes, and everything else a pup would need.

Duncan took out one green bottle and a blue sippy cup with paw prints on it and put them on the kitchen counter. He got a box of milk flavoring mix and put those next to the cups. The man pulled together an outfit for when Will woke up. It consisted of a pull up (if needed), some plain green panties, a pair of loose black shorts that looked quite comfy, and a big fluffy yellow sweater.

Duncan busied himself with cleaning up a bit more and placing some toys around and finding a good Disney movie to put on.

Just as soon as Duncan sat down to rest a bit before the puppy woke up, he heard a small whimper.

Duncan hurried to the bedroom and peaked in. Will was stretching his arms up and arching his back and had his legs all the way stretched out and his toes and tail strained too. Will yawned and blinked open his eyes and looked at Duncan.

“Papa...” Will said and wagged a bit. He smiled a little bit. Duncan walked to the edge of the bed.

“Hello detka, ready to wake up?” Duncan fluffed up Will’s hair and petted down his tail. Will’s huffed and wiggled.

“Yes, Papa. ‘M hungry.” Will said and flashed his sharp pointy canines. Duncan thought it was so cute he booped his nose and said

“Oh what scary teeth. So sharp.”

Will giggled and made grabby hands at his papa.

“Okay pup, bottle or sippy?” Duncan asked as he picked the other up onto his hip.

“Sippy cup! Juice!” Will wrapped his arms around Duncan’s neck and stuck his face in the older man's neck, his ears tickling Duncan’s face. Duncan smiled as he carried the pup to the kitchen where his blue bear was waiting already.

“Bear! Bear!” Will wiggled until he sat down with the toy in his arms.

“Let’s get you dressed before you play with your cuddly. Put the bear down for a moment.” Will was happy to lift his arms up and let Duncan undress him.

Soon enough Will was dressed in his day clothes.

The day went smoothly. They ate, played inside for a while, went outside for a nice long walk, took a nap (Will took a nap in Papa's lap while Papa read a book), and had dinner. Nighttime came around and Duncan bathed (Will sat in the steamy air in his birthday suit) and then Will would get washed up and brushed. Will got wiggled into his pajamas. He would snuggle his blue bear while watching a cartoon on TV (because daddy didn’t need to know if he broke rules at Papa’s).

Duncan was happy as can be watching the pup wag his tail sleepily and snuggle in his blue button up PJ shirt and matching underwear. He was almost asleep when he heard a small noise and opened his eyes back up.

Will was looking at him expectantly. He wasn’t wagging anymore and he looked sleepy.

“Time to go to bed?” Duncan asked and reached out to the pup who just looked at him and didn’t move.

“Will? Something wrong detka?” Duncan dragged the limp babe up into his lap.

“Hot. Scratchy. Wanna be not clothes please.” Will said in his usual patched up English. Duncan thing for a moment. ‘What does that mean?’ Oh yeah. Will. Odd Brained pup.

“Okay Pretty. You can sleep in whatever you want.”

From then on each night Will would strip down to his panties and ask for a “Papa Shirt” and go to bed in one of Duncan’s sweatshirts.

Everything was fine. Everything was good. Duncan took Will out for walks and let him throw stones in the pond and let him roll around in the dirt and was fine with changing Will when he had an accident and started wearing his pull ups. Duncan was happy and Will was having a good time. He ate and giggled and played with his blocks and Bear. Will let his papa pet his thin little tummy and rub his back.

That was until the sixth day. Will had stayed at Papas for five days before. But never six.

Will was fine all morning. Fine at lunch. Happy going on his walk. But when dinner rolled around Will looked nervous.

“Where Daddy? Car?” Will said as he looked out the window toward the road. Duncan was in the kitchen fixing him a plate of food and sighed.

“Will, detka, puppy, daddy isn’t going to be back until Monday. Two more days but you get to stay here with me! I know you miss him but only a few more days.” Duncan explained in a gentle tone. He didn’t want to upset the pup. Will was always so tender hearted. Will looked back at him and his bottom lip trembled.

Duncan quickly made his way over to the teary eyed puppy, abandoning the meal.

“Oh baby, it’s okay. It’s okay. Daddy’s going to come back very soon. He didn’t leave you, he’s going to come back in a few more days. It’s alright.” Duncan said as he pulled Will into his arms. Will immediately started to cry and sob. He’d been left behind by people before, before Hannibal found him.

“I wan daddy! He left me ‘hind! I don’t wan papa! No! No!” Will said and struggled in the older man's arms. Will scratched and pushed at Duncan until he let the pup go. Duncan had to jump and grab him though. Will tried to pull the front door open.

“No, Will. You do not run away. Come here and calm down. Daddy did not leave you, he went on a trip. You need to just breathe. Here, poor baby. Always so emotional.” Duncan said as he pulled the struggling pup over to his chair and up into his lap. Will stopped struggling and sobbed and hid himself in his papa’s chest.

Will eventually tired himself out and fell asleep. Duncan continued to hold him though. For almost an hour he just watched the puppy sleep. Duncan went and placed the pup in his bed and covered him up. He watched Will sleep for a while before slipping outside with his cellphone.

“Duncan? What’s wrong?” Hannibal’s voice came through the phone's speaker.

“Nothings wrong. Will just got very upset thinking you abandoned him. He cried himself out and is sleeping now. He attempted to run out the door. I’m unsure about what to do to help him.” Duncan explained and took a long breath of the cold night air. Hannibal sighed on the other end of the phone.

“If he acts like that again tomorrow, call me. Has he been rubbing on things? He might be sexually frustrated.” Hannibal asked.

Duncan thought back to the last few days. One morning Will had woken up with wet underwear but Duncan had just cleaned him up thinking he had an accident. And then sometimes Will would rub his crotch up against his bear plush. Duncan never said anything though because he assumed it was normal for pups.

“Some what. He hasn’t been humping chair legs or grinding on the bed or anything like that. He sometimes wakes up with wet panties or rubs himself in that blue bear kinda absentmindedly. He’s never acted like this any other time he’s stayed with me though.” Duncan explained. Hannibal hummed on the other side of the line.

“Yes but he usually needs to get worked over every few days. He can usually hold off for about four or five days. Would you be comfortable... well getting him off, to say it crudely?” Hannibal asked. He really couldn’t make his way back to Duncan’s yet. Duncan thought for a moment.

“Yes, I can do that. Just tell me how he likes it.” Duncan said and walked over to peep in his window. Will looked like he was still sleeping.

Hannibal explained that usually just jerking the pup off would hold him off but since he hasn’t orgasmed in a while that there’s a small vibrator and a bottle of special slick in a bag in a side pocket of Will’s Big bag. Duncan agreed and went back into the house.

Duncan walked over to the puppy who was sitting up in bed frowning. Duncan petted through his hair and rubbed at his ears.

“Hey puppy... daddy called while you were sleeping. He said you might be frustrated.” Duncan said and sat down in the edge of the bed. He ran his hand down the back of Will’s neck and down to rest on Will’s bare thigh.

“Fustrated?” Will said questioning. He tipped his head to the side and looked down where his papa’s big callused hand was laid against Will’s hairy thigh.

“Sexually frustrated. Daddy says you might want me to help. Do you want papa to touch you Will? Make you feel good?” Duncan said and moved so he could rub deep circles in the tender fat on the inside of Will’s thigh. Will jumped and squeezed his legs together and his tails poked out straight behind him and his ears tensed.

“Papa...” Will whined and leaned forward to push the top of his head against Duncan’s shoulder. Duncan cooed and pet his hair.

“Aw poor baby. You really need it huh? Since you’re such a good perfect little pup you can have it however you want. Tell me what you want, Will.” Duncan said against Will’s fluffy hair between his ears.

Will whined and moved to swing his leg over Duncan’s lap. Will kept his face nuzzled into Duncan’s neck, he sniffed and drowned himself in the strong smokey cigarette scent.

Will panted lighted as Duncan ran his hand up the inside of Will’s shaking thigh while his other hand continued to pet and rub the pup’s head.

“Papa~ hode on! Only- only daddy can- can touch my parts! He said so...” Will said after Duncan cupped the front of his cute yellow thong. The older man could feel the pup’s hardening cock.

“Baby, you’re a good boy. Such a good boy. Let me take care if you. Listen to Papa, little one.” Duncan said lowly right into the fluff of Will’s trembling ear. Will was shaking as he held onto Duncan’s biceps. Will let out a shaky whine.

“Papa... pease pease pease take care a me.” Will said and rubbed his hips back and forth against Duncan’s hand.

Duncan smiled and fluffed Will’s hair before pulling away. Duncan ran both his hands up under Will’s shirt and pulled it up off him. The older man spent some time rubbing at Will’s nipples and petting down his chest. Will whined and ground his hips against nothing, his cockhead peaking out over the top of his panties. Will gasped and whined loudly when Duncan slid one hand to grab and rub Will’s ass and put his other hand down the front of Will’s panties.

“So pretty. Such a pretty cock. Maybe if you cum you’ll feel better. Poor puppy.” Duncan whispered into Will’s ear before mouthing at it. Will cried out and thrusted feverishly against Duncan’s rough palm. Duncan wrapped his fist around Will’s little prick and moved his hand slow at first. He went slow until Will’s leaking precum made the slide easier.

Will trembled and shook as he held onto Duncan’s shoulders. Will kept his eyes shut and his tail shook rapidly behind him.

“Papa! PAPA!” Will called out and opened his eyes.

He held onto Duncan’s eyes for a moment before he melted. He screamed out and then clunked against Duncan’s chest. Duncan used one hand to work him through his orgasm and his other hand rubbed Will’s back.

Will calmed down after a few minutes. Duncan cleaned his hand and Will’s tummy and cock and kissed his head.

“You did so well puppy. Such a good boy for me. I’m sure daddy’ll give you a treat.”

Hannibal did give him a treat when he arrived later that day. Many many many treats...

#fanfic #egg_company #smut tag #polar 2019 #nbc hannibal #hannibal lecter #will graham #hannibal nbc #duncan vizla

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girlinlotsoffandoms · 3 months

Text

day nine - survivor’s guilt

notes: here's day nine! sorry its up so late but the upside, you'll get 2 stories in the same day pretty much.

read on AO3 or below

“Hello?”

A familiar voice flitted through the speaker, instantly energizing everyone in the room. “Stella.”

“Oh my God, Kelly?!” Stella grabbed her phone and pulled it closer. “Wha…but…the plane—the plane crashed. Your plane….what?!”

“I wasn’t on it. I’m OK.”

The emotion in his voice told them he was the exact opposite.

“The airline called, they told us your boarding pass had been scanned!” Stella couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Brett rubbed her back comfortingly and Stella took a breath, knowing she was getting worked up. “God, Kelly, we thought you were dead. What the hell happened?”

A sigh came from over the line and everyone could hear the shudder Kelly tried to hide. “I uh, I was on the plane at first. I made it all the way to my seat… but turns out the airline double booked a few seats including mine. The guy who also had my seat, his name was Bryan—his wife had gone into labor with their first kid and he was trying to get home before the baby was born. So I gave him the seat.”

“They managed to get me on a different flight that left about half an hour later so it didn’t seem like a big deal. We didn’t even know about the crash and then all of a sudden, our flight was being grounded in St. Louis. I guess American Airlines is grounding certain flights until the cause of the crash is determined. They’re trying to get everyone on different flights but there’s no telling how long that will take.”

“You weren’t on the plane,” Stella said quietly, sighing in relief. “Are you okay?”

“I don’t think any of us are okay right now, Stell.”

“Right, I know,” Stella said, sniffling. “I just…. god Kelly.”

“I know.”

Stella was crying again but this time, the tears streaming down her face were tears of relief. Stella was too emotional to keep talking but no one was ready for Kelly to hang up.

“Kelly, it’s good to hear your voice again,” Boden said. “Now is there anything we can do to help you?”

“Thanks, Chief.” Kelly paused and there was a commotion on his end of the phone. “I have to go. Make sure Stella’s okay for me until I get back?”

“You’ve got it Kelly,”

… … …

Three hours later, Kelly Severide was finally back in Chicago. The flight was easy but after the day’s events, tensions were running high for staff and passengers.

It had been the longest day of Kelly’s life. His brain wanted nothing more than to go home and sit in silence, away from everyone else, but his body and his heart wanted nothing more than to hug his wife.

Getting an Uber was next to impossible, the line wrapped through the arrivals area. Thankfully, one of the guys who sat in Kelly’s row offered him a ride and Kelly jumped at the chance.

If he got a strange look for asking to be dropped off at a firehouse, he didn’t care.

Kelly had texted Stella on the ride over, making sure she was still awake. Even though she’d said she was, he wasn’t expecting her and the rest of the crew to be waiting for him on the apron when the car pulled up to Firehouse 51.

He had barely made it out of the car before Stella had rushed to him and wrapped him in the tightest hug she could manage. It was a hug Kelly returned just as fiercely.

After a day of unimaginable loss and trauma, Kelly and Stella could both finally take a breath.

… … …

The days following the plane crash were rough. Stella was dealing with the trauma of thinking Kelly was dead by not letting her husband out of her sight and Kelly? Well, he wasn’t really dealing with it.

As more details came out about the crash, the more withdrawn Kelly became. The list of passengers and crew members who died had been released and with that came the sorrowful stories from the loved ones left behind. News stations had gotten word that there were a few original passengers on the flight who had given up their seats, narrowly avoiding the same fate as the 248 passengers and crew members, but thankfully those passengers’ names were kept under wraps.

The last thing Kelly needed was a media circus surrounding him.

Boden gave Kelly a few days off, all but ordering him to talk to the CFD psychologist and get his head on straight. As good as Kelly was at hiding his emotions, Boden knew the man well and could read him easily. It was clear Kelly was struggling; how could anyone come that close to death and not be shaken up?

Stella took a few days off to stay with Kelly. Her nightmares about the plane crash were reason enough to take a few days off but Kelly wasn’t sleeping at all. He’d go through the motions and, even on the nights when he didn’t get out of bed for hours at a time, Stella would see the dark circles under his eyes grow darker every day.

After the emotional comedown of learning Kelly was alive, Stella started researching survivor’s guilt. Kelly Severide wasn’t great at sharing his feelings (though he’d gotten exceptionally better in recent years) but he still felt them and Stella knew he’d be feeling this for a long time.

Survivor’s guilt was something they saw all the time as first responders and Kelly was showing a lot of the signs.

He’d met with the CFD psychologist once already but nothing changed. He needed help, he needed to talk about everything, but Stella knew pushing him to talk wouldn’t end well. She just had to be there for him and hope he’d come to her when he was ready to talk.

That day came the day of Bryan’s funeral. National news had been covering the plane crash exclusively and that extended to the funerals of the victims. They showed footage from Bryan’s funeral, including parts of the eulogy his widow, Vanessa, gave, and put pictures of the once happy couple and the newborn son Bryan never got to meet on the screen as her words played in the background.

It was the pictures of the baby that broke down the carefully constructed walls Kelly had put up.

Stella had run into the living room at the sound of breaking glass. She saw Kelly’s hands shaking, glass from his broken beer bottle on the floor beside him. She hurried over to him and cupped his cheeks. “Hey, talk to me, please.”

And he did.

Like word vomit, Kelly told Stella everything running through his mind. He talked about how happy and thankful he was to be alive and home with her but those feelings were always accompanied by crippling guilt that he had survived when so many others had not. The biggest thing bothering him had been Bryan.

“I gave him the seat because he needed to get home and be there for his wife and their new baby. The backup flight would’ve gotten him to the hospital in time, or at the very least alive.” Kelly said quietly. “But I let him have the seat and now his son has to grow up without a father.”

“Hey, look at me.” Stella waited until Kelly’s weary eyes were on her before she started speaking again. “What happened to Bryan and the others was tragic and unimaginable but you are not to blame. You gave him a chance to get home to his family and I’m so sorry that wasn’t able to happen. You did a good thing and I know Bryan was grateful you gave him the chance.”

Kelly sniffled and ran a hand over his face. “I’m tired Stella. I don’t want to feel like this forever.”

“I know,” Stella answered softly. She played with the hair at the nape of his neck. “And you won’t. We’ll get you some help, get you someone to talk to, and you’ll be okay. I’ll be here with you, every step of the way. I promise.”

Despite the overwhelming and conflicting thoughts and emotions crashing over him, Kelly found himself believing what Stella was saying. She always saw the best in him—always believed in him—and if she thought he could get through this then maybe he could.

#febwhump #sev whump #kelly severide #stella kidd #stellaride #mayday mayday #chicago fire #girlinlotsoffandomsfics

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leviackermanscleaningbuddy · 1 year

Note

Hi, so last time i asked a pretty sfw question.

So now I'm back to ask the pack, but this time it's gonna get pretty nsfw so buckle up. My question is have all nine of you done "it" all together like together-together.

Anyways, i love this series can't wait for the next one.

- <3 -

"I was buckled up, but I still wasn't ready." Chan chokes on his sip of water, and you slap him on the back until he stops coughing.

"Oh I was ready." Jisung rubs his hands together gleefully, expression devious. "I'll tell you all the dirty details of group fuc-"

Hyunjin promptly claps a hand over Jisung's mouth and tackles him to the couch.

"You should let him answer." Seungmin points out boredly, scrolling on his phone, entirely unbothered. "Someone's gonna have to. And if he's that excited about it, let him do it."

"Mmmmmhpfh mmm!" Jisung yells unintelligibly, something probably along the lines of 'yeah, let me!'

"Don't let Jeongin answer though." Seungmin adds, pointing a finger in the youngest's direction, even while his eyes are still glued to his phone. "He still can't say the word penis without giggling like an eighth grader."

"Hey!" Jeongin straightens up, glaring at the beta. "That's not true."

"Say it then."

Jeongin slumps back in the couch, arms crossed across his chest, face pulled into a pout.

Seungmin hides a smug smile behind the screen of his phone.

"I vote Christopher answers." Minho drawls, glancing at the head alpha even as he looks at him wide eyed, like a deer caught in headlights. Minho smirks. "You are the head of this pack, aren't you? Take one for the team."

"Oh my god." You roll your eyes. "You all are children." You straighten up and glare at all of them. "I'll answer."

Changbin clears his throat, and you note the red tips of his ears.

"Be tactful please." Chan sighs from beside you, looking like he has a migraine coming on rapidly.

"When am I ever not tactful?"

"Do you want a list?"

"No."

"Okay. Then go on."

You roll your eyes once more.

"Yes. We have all done it together together." You consider your words, trying to think of the best way to describe what you want to say. "It's not like media portrays it to be, I guess? It's not like the human centipede or anything if that's what you're thinking."

"Oh my god." Chan groans from beside you, rubbing his temples.

"Gross." Jisung, finally released from Hyunjin's grasp, wrinkles his nose in disgust.

"Well-!" You throw your hands out, looking at them with open exasperation. "I'm just clearing up common misconceptions okay? If any of you think you can do better, please, feel free."

Chan motions for you to continue, his expression full of regret.

"Basically it's like-" You think for a minute and then continue. "-we're all in the same space, doing the same thing, but in smaller groups? But then eventually, it all kind of comes together? Like, maybe the alphas team up to take apart an omega, yeah? But everyone else gets to watch. And then maybe Minho gets to tell Jisungie what to do to Changbin, while someone else gets to do things to Minho at the same time, etc. Does that make sense?"

"Basically, it's not just a line of dicks in holes." Jisung interjects, and everyone groans.

"Really?"

"Still think my human centipede reference was bad?"

"Hey! They wanted to know!"

Chan absolutely looks like he needs a pain pill and a stiff drink at this point.

"What did I say about being tactful?"

"Oh, I thought that rule only applied to noona."

"No. That rule always applies to you." "

"My bad."

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harrygoeswest · 1 year

Photo

Trigger Warnings: sweary sweary language, bullying

Word count: 12,550

Chapters seven & eight

nine

“You know, that woman is so delusional sometimes.”

I looked at Geri, and then followed her gaze towards Lorraine who was ushering children into the hut for the start of the late kid’s club.

I grunted. “I can think of many, many more words than delusional to describe her.”

“Does one begin with a ‘C’ and end in a ‘T’?”

“Number one on the list actually.”

Geri sniggered. “I thought so.”

“She’s just rude and entitled and needs a smack round the face.”

“Violence is never the answer, Floss.” She teased, wrapping an arm around my waist.

“It should be.”

We watched as Lorraine made her way over to the car park from the hut, me with a much more unwelcoming demeanour than Geri. She kept her distance from me, as she should, but she made such a big deal out of it, feigning a look of terror in order to gain some sympathy from the other parents. I couldn’t tell you what she needed sympathy for, but I’m sure she was going to make it about the little explosion I had the week after Easter.

Debbie rubbed her shoulder as Lorraine passed her by, and everyone kept asking her if she was okay.

“You’ve got to be joking me.” I scoffed.

“You gotta give it to her - she puts on a good show.” Geri muttered, still watching her.

“I haven’t done anything wrong.”

“I know you haven’t. She’s up to something.”

Lorraine made it to her car and rummaged around inside the boot for a moment, but quickly locked it back up. Then she started walking towards us.

“Oh no,” Geri said, barely audible.

I squared my shoulders. I didn’t know what she wanted but I was ready for whatever nonsense she was about to come out with.

“Florence,” She started, holding a piece of paper in her hand. She was facing away from the other parents now, so her expression was completely different from the look of terror she’d been acting on seconds before. “This is your final bill.”

My brows furrowed. “What?”

“The final payment you owe me for the morning child care.”

I narrowed my gaze. I knew I was all paid up. I paid in advance, not post-term and I always had done. “I don’t think so.”

She was glaring at me. “I think I know how much you’ve paid, Florence. And it’s not enough.”

“Are you seriously trying to embarrass me in front of the other parents?”

“Not at all, it never even crossed my mind.” Her voice and her face didn’t match.

“Really?” I retorted. “This isn’t just a big show to get the other parents on side and make you feel better about yourself?”

“You sound ridiculous, Florence. How else am I supposed to tell you?”

“In an email? Or on the phone, in a text, literally any other way.”

“I like to tell people in person.” She shrugged.

I snatched the bill from her. “I have paid this and I am going to prove it to you.”

“Well, you have until the end of the week.”

“I’ll do it whenever I fucking like, thank you very much.”

The other waiting parents were muttering between one another now. I knew I probably hadn’t shown myself in a very good light, but I didn’t care. The woman was evil and needed to be knocked down a peg. Or ten.

Lorraine finally stalked off, and the first thing I did was make sure the other parents knew I wasn’t pissing around. Silently. I glared at them.

“What a cunt.” Geri mumbled.

I didn’t say another word until Ruby appeared, with Oscar right behind her.

“Hi Mummy!” She shouted.

“Hi, baby.” I cooed, and stroked a hand over her hair. “Hi, Oscar.”

“Hello Ruby’s mum.”

“How we doing - did we have a good day at school?”

“It was okay. We don’t really like Mondays because we have to do P.E.”

“Oh wow, she’s definitely your child.” Geri laughed.

I smirked. “Shush you.” I said, and turned back to the children. “Are you ready to go? I need to make sure Oscar gets fed before his daddy comes to get him.”

“Yep! We’re ready!”

“You’re looking after the dentist’s kid?” Geri whispered.

“Yeah. Because we can’t send them to the morning club anymore I need to get some time back, and so does Harry. So on Mondays I look after Oscar and on Wednesdays and Thursdays Harry looks after Ruby.”

“Right…” Geri looked suspicious. “I thought you were scared of the dentist?”

I wasn’t sure if she was generalising or if she meant the new sexy dentist specifically. “I am.” It was still true either way. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I loaded the kids up into the car and drove home. The first thing I did inside was turn the oven on, and then I helped Ruby change into some play clothes before I let her and Oscar run riot in the garden before dinner.

Geri’s comment about hating P.E had amused me somewhat, because Ruby actually loved being active when it was all on her terms. As soon as someone else told her she had to do exercise she wasn’t interested. Perhaps because the word ‘exercise’ implied it was more a chore.

I dipped in and out of the garden, keeping an eye on both them and their dinner. Oscar seemed to be such a calm child in comparison to Ruby, who never stopped talking or moving. Oscar simply sat there and did whatever she told him to.

The children ate their dinner quickly, eager to get back outside and play. I gave them choc ices for dessert to cool down, but as per usual they seemed to get more of it around their faces than actually in their mouths. I made sure Oscar wasn’t covered in chocolate by the time his dad came to collect him.

Harry knocked on the door at just gone six o’clock. He was still in his scrubs, head to toe, hair a little scruffy, and for the first time I noticed a stubble on him.

He smiled as soon as he saw me, eyes again drawn to the t-shirt I was wearing. He cocked his head, smirking. “Is it?”

I looked down at myself and laughed when I realised which t-shirt I was wearing. It was grey with the words ‘THIS IS MY DOG WALKING T-SHIRT’ printed on the front. “By the weekend it will be.”

“Getting a dog-,”

I shushed him, panicked. I looked over my shoulder and then pulled the door closed behind me, taking a step outside.

“Ruby doesn’t know yet.” I whispered.

“Oh shit,” he laughed, “sorry.”

“It’s fine. She’s been banging on about it for months but I’ve never agreed to it in words to her.”

“I see. I’m sure she’ll be over the moon.”

“Bloody better be, he’s cost me an arm and a leg.”

Harry continued to smile at me, but I didn’t know what else to say. I felt like an obscure statue in a local park.

“How has Oscar been anyway?”

“Oh right, yeah.” I’m an idiot. “He’s been an angel, actually. He’s so calm.”

I opened the front door again and took a step inside. “Oscar, your dad is here!”

“He is a very placid child.” Harry agreed, hands now shoved into the pockets of his scrubs.

I didn’t know what placid meant. I pretended to. “Yeah, Ruby just orders him around and he does it. Feel like I maybe need to tell her to reel it in.”

“No, she’s fine.” Harry shook his head. “I think he likes it, he’s just happy to have a friend.”

That comment stirred me a little. Did he not have any friends before?

I realised it was rude of me to make Harry wait outside, and I was sure Oscar hadn't heard me. “Let me just go and get him - they’re in the garden. Come in,”

“Oh, thank you.”

I left Harry there while I went out to the garden to find the children. They were still playing, completely oblivious to the world around them.

“Oscar, your daddy is here to take you home.”

“Oh,” Ruby said with a sad pout.

Oscar was already standing and had started making his way towards the house.

“You still get to see him tomorrow, Rubes.” I reminded her.

“I know but it was fun having him here.” She whined, following Oscar.

“And you get to do it again next week. And you’re going to Oscar’s house on Wednesday and Thursday. So you will have lots of occasions like this to come, won’t you?”

She huffed at me. “Yes.”

“Yes. Exactly.”

Harry was still waiting in the hallway, barely having moved. “Hey, little man.” He grinned at the sight of his child.

“Hi, daddy.” Oscar smiled up to him.

“D’you have a good time?”

“I did.”

“Good lad. Say thank you to Ruby and her mum for looking after you, then.”

“Thank you Ruby, thank you Ruby’s mum.”

He was so cute I wanted to burst. “You’re very welcome.”

“Bye Oscar!” Ruby shouted. “Bye Harry!”

“Bye, Ruby.” Harry chuckled. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”

We waited for them to reach their car before I closed the door and locked us in. Ruby was standing in the middle of the hall as if she suddenly didn’t know what to do with herself.

“Ready for a bath, poppet?”

She hummed, the sound disconnected.

“Come on then.”

I helped Ruby bathe, though she didn’t play like she normally would. She let me wash her hair and scrub her down, and then she got out. I wrapped her up in a towel and dried her off, plaited her hair and tucked her into bed. A minute later she was asleep.

My house had been turned into a bombsite for Ruby’s party. Not that it was the definition of pristine on a normal day, but even for a small party with close family and a few friends, my mother decided to bring an overkill of food and drink and decorations. I left her to it.

Zara and Mickey had come, with Geri, her husband Owen and Milly. Mum and Dad had been there for hours, Frank and Diane with them. The only people we were waiting for now were Oscar and his dad, and Ruby’s other friend Scarlett.

I knew I was rubbish at hosting but I couldn’t ask Mum and Dad to host a birthday party after everything else they were doing for us, so I bit the bullet, pulled my big girl trousers up and just got on with it. Dad actually ended up answering the door more than I did. I just tried to make sure everyone had enough to drink to keep hydrated before the food came out.

Harry turned up with Oscar just as Mum was arranging all the food on the table. Of course they were the only people I actually answered the door to.

“Hello, welcome!” I tried to put on my best happy and excited voice, even though I was sure I sounded constipated.

“Hi, thank you.” Harry smiled, nudging Oscar in first. “Go on, mate.”

“Everyone is in the garden, you’re just in time for food.”

I walked through the house after them to make sure they went the right way, not that there was much room to get lost in my modest little home.

As soon as Oscar spotted the other children he was off like a shot, leaving Harry and I alone. I felt awkward and didn’t know what to say.

“Decorations are cool.” Harry commented as he gazed around the garden.

I grimaced to myself because I actually hated them. My Colombian mother had set the garden up like a Hawaiian luau (make it make sense!), with inflatable palm trees and flamingos, palm leaf bunting, lei headbands, wristbands and garlands. My dining table looked like a giant hay bale, and there were paper pineapples in every direction but I didn’t know why.

“My mother is to thank for this. I was just gonna give her a tiara and a sash.”

Harry looked at me with a smirk. “The ones she’s wearing now?”

I nodded. “Yep. Drink?”

“Love one.”

I helped Harry find a non-alcoholic beverage, sourcing one for myself too.

Mum had gone all out on the Colombian niceties, including Lulada - a smoothie-like drink which was notoriously hard to come by in this country.

“Floss,” she hurried over to me with a tray of cholados, “¿Puedes volver a ponerlos en el congelador? Se derretirán antes de que nadie se los coma.” She asked me to put them back in the freezer before they melted.

“Sí,” I took the tray from her, “las sacaré en 30 minutos más o menos.” I said I’d bring them back out in about half an hour.

“Gracias, mí querida.” Thank you, my darling. She kissed my cheek before I disappeared inside.

I stored them in the freezer in the top drawer and told myself to keep an eye on when everyone was finished with the savoury food before I brought them back again.

Back outside, I grabbed a plate and called for Ruby to come and get something to eat. Oscar was already with his daddy next to me looking over the spread with confused expressions.

“Florence?”

I looked at Harry when he spoke my name.

“Sorry, Floss.” He was obviously getting irritated having to correct himself all the time. “Er, what is everything?”

I bit back a flattered smile. It wasn’t very often I was the one someone went to for information. “Yeah, it’s all Colombian, but it’s actually more normal than it looks. So, the deep-fried things are empanadas, done the Colombian way, with chicken and potato fillings. Next to that in the weird-looking green leaf bags are tamales. They’ve got chicken, pork and peas in them, and the leaf around the outside is a plantain leaf which you can eat. And the bread is pan de bono which is cheese and yuca bread. So, it’s cheesy bread but made with yuca starch, and they are bangin’ when they’re still warm.”

Harry laughed, “Alright.”

“The pitta-looking things are arepas - Mum usually fills them with pulled pork and tomato, and they’ve been grilled on the barbecue. All this meat,” I gestured vaguely to the wide selection of charred meats, “is what we call carne a la llanera, so it’s been slow cooked on a barbecue on, like a tall round spit, and you have it with the steamed potatoes and guacamole. The two big pots are ajiaco and cazuela de mariscos, which are chicken and potato soup and a seafood soup.

“Then for desserts you’ve got cocadas which are like coconut cookies, and obleas which are wafer sandwiches with fruit, nuts, cream and chocolate. I’ve also just put cholados in the freezer which are frozen fruit cups - like a frappe but not.”

“Wow.” Harry nodded, smiling, “okay. Thank you.”

“Any time.” I smiled back.

I filled my plate up and made sure Ruby had done hers, and then went to sit with Geri and Zara while I ate.

“Floss, do you ever regret jilting the dentist?”

I snapped my head in Zara’s direction, glaring at her. “Shut up.” I made sure said dentist wasn’t paying attention before I continued. “No I don’t.”

“Really? You seem to get on so well, it must play on you a little bit.”

“No, it doesn’t. I am fine.”

“So, there’s nothing there?” Geri’s question was inquisitive. “No… flirting or anything like that?”

“We literally just look after each other’s children sometimes. Not that deep.”

The pair of them narrowed their eyes at me. “We shall see.”

I ignored them and carried on eating.

The party continued for a few hours, with Ruby opening her gifts while everyone was still there and the cholados finally being served because I definitely forgot. I disappeared for a little while because I was concerned about the state of the kitchen, but Ruby was left in good hands.

I heard so much while I was in the kitchen. There wasn’t an abundance of couples at this child’s birthday, but 3 out of 4 managed to have an argument in the living room without realising I was only in the room next door.

Zara and Mickey were first, although it was more like bickering than an actual argument. Mickey wanted to leave early for something and Zara kept saying no. I wasn’t necessarily offended that he wanted to leave early. He wasn’t too great friends with anyone here and he didn’t have any children to appreciate a children’s party.

The arguments only really got intense when Geri and Owen started digging at one another.

“Where are you going?” Geri hissed.

I didn’t know whether I should keep going with my tidying or stop entirely so they weren’t interrupted.

“I’m going home, Geri.” Owen said, not concerned with whispering.

“Why? You can’t just leave without saying anything - people will find it strange.”

“People in this village find everything strange if it’s not entirely to their view of normal.”

“I know this. Look at what Floss has had to put up with recently.”

“Floss brings most of her own troubles on herself.”

Ouch.

“Don’t be so archaic, Owen. That’s not fair and you know it.” Geri’s voice came much harsher than before. “You said you wanted to keep up appearances for Milly’s sake, and you leaving in the middle of a party because you’re pissed off with me is not what I would consider keeping up appearances.”

“I just can’t do it. I can’t go around behaving like we’re still happy and in love or whatever when you don’t want me anymore.”

“I still care about you! I’ll always care about you - that doesn’t just go away!”

“Not enough to stay with me!”

“You can’t keep me forced in a marriage this way, Owen!”

“Maybe you should’ve thought about that before you fucking married me!”

I’d heard way more than I should’ve, but I couldn’t start making noises now, one of them might kill me. I bit my lip and continued standing still in the middle of the room in silence. I had a wet pan in my hands and it was dripping onto the floor. I started drying it with a tea towel as quietly as possible.

After a painful period of silence, Geri finally sighed. “Go home, then. I’ll make up some shitty excuse as to why you’ve fucked off without saying anything.”

“Maybe you should tell everyone the truth. We are in this stupid mess because of you in the first place.”

“I wouldn’t want to deny you the pleasure of telling everyone yourself how evil I am.”

“I will never take any pleasure in telling people that my wife is leaving me. Especially not for a woman. It’s embarrassing.”

“You’re only embarrassed because it emasculates you. Get your head out your arse.”

A second later the front door slammed, and I flinched. I heard Geri’s footsteps disappear back outside. I went back to cleaning up my kitchen with tense shoulders and tinnitus.

Frank and Diane were next, although I had no interest as to what they were arguing about, nor did I care whether they could hear me or not. I did the washing up as loudly as I pleased.

Whatever the two of them were arguing about didn’t last very long, and Diane went back to the garden to enjoy the remainder of Ruby’s afternoon. Frank, however, obviously couldn’t help himself.

The door creaked when he opened it. “What’re you hiding in here for, Florence?”

“I’m not hiding.” I retorted, refusing to look at him.

Frank made a sceptical sound, but I knew it was a farce. The man’s entire life was a farce. He started picking at the leftover food on the counter. “This is all lovely but I do miss a good sausage roll and pork pie.”

I took a deep breath. “Bring your own next time, then.”

“Oh, no - I could never insult your mother like that.”

“But you’ll do it behind her back?”

I could feel Frank’s eyes burning the back of my head. “I’m just saying… We English people like to eat English food.”

I’d paused in doing the washing up, too angry to speak. I clenched my fist around the sponge, dishwater pouring out of it over my pruning hand.

“I don’t mean to offend you, Florence.”

“Really?” I scoffed. “Because you’re doing an excellent job of it.”

“Don’t be like that.”

I threw the sponge into the sink and turned a glare on him. “In future, if you don’t like the food my mother pours herself into for hours on end, don’t fucking come.”

He shushed me, that smarmy look on his face again, and he placed his hands on my waist.

I felt sick.

“Calm down, I didn’t mean to upset you. I was just airing my thoughts. I love Daniela’s food - always have.”

“Please take your hands off me.”

“Florence, come on,”

“Floss.” I corrected him through gritted teeth, trying to move away from him.

He laughed at me. “What’s got you so wound up today, aye?” He started stroking my sides.

“Lo juro por Dios, si no me quitas las manos de encima te castro.” I threatened to cut his dick off if he didn’t stop touching me.

Someone cleared their throat and knocked on the kitchen door. Frank took a frantic step back, and I could feel my face burning.

Harry was standing just outside the door, with Oscar and Ruby playing just behind him. He looked a little pale in the face, expression unreadable. “Sorry to interrupt,”

“No, no,” Frank raised his hands, “you’re fine, young man. I was just heading back out anyway - you carry on.”

I couldn’t help but notice the subtle glare on Harry’s face as he watched Frank leave the room. I was already gawking at him when he met my gaze again.

“I, um, just wanted to let you know that we’re gonna head off, if you don’t mind?”

“Oh,” I shook my head, “of course not. Um, did you both have a good time?”

“I did.” Harry smiled, though it wasn’t quite as genuine as I’d seen before. “Oscar, have you had a good time?”

Oscar stopped whatever it was he was doing with Ruby and peered up at me. “Yes, thank you.”

“You’re very welcome.” I smiled back at him.

Harry stroked a hand over his son’s floppy curls. “Ready to go?”

Oscar silently nodded.

Ruby and I walked the dentist and his son to the door and waited for them to safely get into their car and drive off, waving at them the whole time like those Chinese cat statues with the funny arms.

“Having a good day, poppet?”

Ruby stood right in front of me, her head craned to look up at me with the biggest smile. “Yes, thank you, Mummy.”

“Good girl. We’ll have a nice day tomorrow as well, just me, you and niñera y abuelo, sí?”

“¡Sí!” She shouted back, and opened her arms wide.

I giggled, leaning down to pick her up around her middle. She clung to me like a koala did a tree - her arms around my shoulders and her legs hooked behind my back. I pecked her nose and her cheek, and she did the same right back to me.

“Te amo, Mamá.” I love you, Mummy.

I hummed loudly with the proudest grin on my face. I loved hearing her speak Spanish. “Yo también te amo, querida.” I love you too, darling.

Early on Sunday morning, I pulled everything for the puppy’s arrival out of the shed in the back garden and set it up in the living room. Dad was already on his way back from Wisbech with the puppy in tow, apparently fast asleep in the front passenger seat.

I’d bought a penn for him because I couldn’t have him running riot around the whole house in the middle of the night, and I wasn’t particularly keen on having him in bed with me or Ruby.

I had to be as quiet as possible because I desperately didn’t want Ruby to wake up before Dad arrived with him, otherwise it would ruin the whole surprise. I made sure everything was ready for the dog, and then I started decorating the living room with more age appropriate decorations than the lual nonsense from yesterday. I’d bought a big pink foil balloon shaped like a number 6 yesterday before her party, and I was pleased to see it had managed to last overnight.

Mum and Dad turned up just after 8 o’clock, which was lucky because I was starting to worry Ruby would’ve been awake 2 hours before, but I hadn’t heard a peep from her.

I made sure the door didn’t make a sound when it opened, and Dad had the puppy on a short lead so there was no chance of him going on a mad rampage through the house before I got Ruby out of bed. He was keen to look around, so Dad walked him around the house for a bit to get him familiar with his new home. After ten minutes of mooching, I sat with him on the floor to calm him down a little.

“There’s that handsome young man I remember seeing!” I whispered, stroking over his head over and over while he licked up my arms. “You are so beautiful, Ruby’s going to be such a happy little girl today.”

The dog flailed around in my lap, ferociously wagging his tail and grunting with all his excitement.

“Can you do me a favour, mister?” I still spoke to the dog, stroking my hands down the length of his little body in the hopes it would settle him. “I need to go and get Ruby so she can come and meet you, but you need to be really good and really patient while I do. Can you do that?”

The dog ruffed, and I started to get antsy.

“I’m gonna take that as a yes!”

I pecked the top of his head a couple of times, and left him with Dad again while I stood up and brushed myself off.

“Shall I make her some breakfast, Floss?” My mum asked, clearly itching to get in the kitchen.

“She wanted some of the leftover obleas - it’s all in the fridge.”

Daniela nodded. “I’ll get them out and ready - make it look nice and pretty for her.”

I lifted my head slightly, biting away a smirk. “Alright.”

I made my way upstairs, lightly knocking on her bedroom door as I peeked my head in.

Ruby lifted her head up, eyes struggling to open and mouth formed in a little ‘o’.

“Buenos dias, cumpleañera.” I said in my quietest voice.

“Buenos dias, Mummy.” She grinned in a gravelly whisper.

I sat on the edge of her bed, smiling at her pretty little face. I wiped the corners of her eyes where sleep had collected, and then stroked the back of my finger against her soft cheek. “Must’ve needed that sleep, it’s nearly 9 o’clock.”

She nodded, rubbing at her own eyes. “I was tired.”

“Shall we get you some breakfast, then? Grandma and Grandad are waiting downstairs, I think they’re hungry.”

“Okay.”

I helped Ruby out of bed and downstairs, letting her go first. As soon as she walked into the living room, she saw the puppy waiting for her. He was sitting like an angel, and either Mum or Dad had wrapped a ginormous blue bow around him.

Ruby squealed, and the dog yapped excitedly, running straight for her out of Dad’s grip. He leapt into her lap, licking her face and trying to crawl all over her. I’d never seen such joy on her face and it almost brought me to tears. Dad was laughing and Mum kept repeating, “Que preciosa,” how precious and, “Hermosa,” beautiful over and over again.

Eventually the dog got so excited that he started running between everyone else for attention as well, and I did have to say it was joyous to watch.

Ruby immediately came to me once she was able to, and wrapped her arms tightly around me. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“It’s not just me - Grandma and Grandad helped get him too. He’s from all of us.”

She kept saying thank you as she skipped around the room to each of us. “I’m so happy! He’s exactly what I wanted!”

Thank God. I felt like a physical weight had been lifted off me.

“After we’ve all had some breakfast we can take him for a walk.” Dad said, stroking over her hair. “Hopefully it’ll wear him out a bit.”

“Okay!” Ruby grinned.

Seeing my baby that happy was overwhelming. I knew that in that moment, no matter what stress that animal might cause me ever the next few months while he adjusted, it would be worth it to see Ruby constantly delighted like that.

ten

We drove out to the Sherborne Park Estate at around lunchtime, parked up, and began walking. We started easy, far enough that Bongo would exert some energy for when we stopped to eat, but not so much that we’d be carrying him around for the rest of the day.

We walked through the centre of the park first, through the woods and around to the village. In the village we had lunch in the local and always popular tea room, charging up ready for the rest of the afternoon. From the village we did a huge loop, walking east all the way to River Windrush and then following it along to the Watermeadows, and finally back down to the car park through the common and Picardy Copse.

It was a beautiful day for a walk like that, and a beautiful day to celebrate my baby’s birthday with her new best friend.

Bongo was incredibly well-behaved for such a young puppy. People stopped constantly to give him attention, and he lapped it up like any good boy would. He never barked, he never jumped, he never bit, he never growled. He just basked in his new life of being the most popular dog around. In the car on the way back he stretched across the backseat, with his chin resting on Ruby’s knee and his paws poking into my thigh.

I was overly conscious about our nighttime routine with him. While he was so young I wanted him to stay in his penn because I’d read horror stories about sofas being destroyed and fridges being raided. I was desperate for that not to happen.

“Mummy, can he sleep with me in my bed tonight?” Ruby asked in the evening just before I was about to put her to bed. She was sitting at the end of the sofa with the dog in her lap, stroking over the top of his head.

“We need to get him used to his cage, muffin. If we let him sleep wherever he wants to he won’t be disciplined when he’s older and he’ll be too big for that.”

“Oh,” she pouted, a devastated sigh leaving her. She never argued any further.

I went up with her, resting my head on the side of her bed while she talked herself to sleep. Bongo had decided to join us but I wouldn’t let him on the bed, so he sat next to me, ferociously wagging his tail. Once Ruby was safely off, I took the puppy back downstairs with me.

“You’ve had a long day, haven’t you, mate?” I chuckled as he stretched out next me, his chin on my thigh. I stroked him from his head to his back over and over.

I watched TV for a little while longer, but I was tired too and eventually decided to go up early.

I ushered Bongo into the penn, gave him a couple of chin scratches and a peck on the head, and then dropped some biscuits into his bed. Obviously he ate the treats without question, and I made my escape.

Just as I reached the bottom of the stairs, he started whimpering. I stalled, guilted but the sound. My chest tightened and I tried not to turn back to him to give him the attention he wanted. I was out of sight so he didn’t know that I’d stopped, and I waited to see if he would calm down.

I knew the longer I waited listening to him the more likely I would be to give in to him, so I marched upstairs and pretended I hadn’t heard it. I readied for bed and tucked myself in, dozy as soon as my head hit the pillow.

It was quiet. All I could hear was the wind whistling through the houses from the field. I didn’t hear a car, I didn’t hear a conversation, and I didn’t hear the puppy downstairs.

Until he barked.

When he started barking, it wasn’t fully formed. It was like those little yappy things you hear on dogs that are smaller than cats. But it was still loud, and I was scared Ruby would wake.

I whined and sat up, throwing the covers off me. I hurried back downstairs while making as little noise as I possibly could, and sat on my knees in front of the puppy before he could make another sound.

I shushed him, stroking over the top of his head where he sat upright in his bed. He licked my face and hands, like it was some kind of bribe for me to stay with him. I was stupid but I wasn’t that stupid.

I waited with him for ten minutes before I tried again, because I could barely keep my eyes open, but all the events from my original attempt repeated themselves. Bongo started crying as soon as I was out of sight, and two minutes after he started barking.

“Fuck sake,” I muttered, and marched my way back downstairs.

I stood in front of him with my arms folded and a scowl on my face. “Right, let’s get one thing straight, mister. I am in charge of this house, not you. You stay down here at nighttime and you go to sleep like a good boy, and I go to bed upstairs like a normal human being. Got it?”

He stared at me, completely silent.

“Good. Now, I’m going to bed, and you will stay here quietly.”

I turned around and opened the latch on the penn. In the next second, Bongo had shot out and was on his way to the stairs.

“Oh, you little shitbag.” I said through gritted teeth.

When I found him he was charging excitedly from the landing, into my room and back again. Once he spotted me, he ran back into the bedroom and jumped onto my bed. He padded his way around it for a while and then plonked himself down in the middle of the two pillows.

I dragged a hand down my face and tried not to squeal.

Crawling onto the bed, I shooed him away with my hand and hiss-like noises. He growled playfully and ran to the end of the bed, and I took my opportunity to settle back down. Bongo curled up right next to me only seconds later.

Once again, as I was close to drifting off, I was interrupted by something else.

“Mummy!” Ruby shouted in a whisper from the doorway.

“Ruby, go back to bed.” I said without even opening my eyes.

“You said Bongo had to stay downstairs!” She argued, climbing up onto my bed. “You lied, you just wanted him all for yourself!”

“That’s not true.” I shook my head against my pillow, eyes still shut. “He was barking and escaped.”

“I think you should let me sleep in here with you to say sorry for lying to me.”

I rolled onto my back, utterly bewildered. She was smarter than me, that was for sure. “Fine, but you have to go to sleep, Ruby. You can’t stay awake all night and play with the dog - he needs to learn a routine and you need to keep yours.”

She hummed thoughtfully, over-exaggerating with it in that way that children do, and then grinned. “Okay.”

She crawled under the covers on the empty side of the bed and settled right down. “Night night, Mummy.”

“Buenas noches, querida.”

In the morning I took Ruby to school and she got upset because she couldn’t take Bongo with her. It must’ve been frustrating for her - I could understand where she was coming from. Yesterday all she’d done was spend time with her puppy, it was all the world revolved around, and now she was being dragged back down to Earth. All it took for her to calm was the reminder that he’d be waiting for her when she finished, and it was our day to look after Oscar. She ran off towards the school gates, nearly face-planting on her way there.

“Now that is a handsome boy.” Zara said once she arrived at the garage, abandoning her things in the middle of the floor and dropping to her knees in front of the puppy.

I watched with a small smile as Bongo made himself familiar with the new face and his new surroundings, tentatively lifting his muzzle up towards Zara and sniffing her before he decided she was acceptable.

“What was she calling him again?”

“Bongo.” I said, and zipped up my coveralls.

“Great name. How did something so smart come out of you - your child is a genius?”

I shook my head. “No idea. Must be something from her Dad. Tea?”

“Go on, then.”

I slipped out of the office to the kitchenette at the back of the garage and made a round of tea for us. I drank it while I was going through the pile of forms for cars that needed to be fixed. There was a lot.

“Did you notice anything weird between Geri and Owen on Saturday?” Zara asked, perching on the edge of the desk. She took forms from me as I handed them to her - jobs that she could easily do.

“Nope.” I lied.

Of course I hadn’t forgotten about the argument they’d had in the living room while I was pretending not to be in the near vicinity in the kitchen. But Geri’s issues with her husband were none of my business, and I didn’t intend to find it out without her telling me on her own accord.

“They were behaving so weirdly, I swear. He wouldn’t look at her.”

“Maybe they’d just had an argument.” I shrugged.

“Me and Mickey had had an argument, but we didn’t just not talk to each other. And Owen left without saying anything. Not a chance in hell did he leave early because he was sick. He was slurping down those frozen things that your mum puts alcohol in like nobody’s business.”

“Cholados.” I reminded her. “I think you’re reading too much into it, Z.”

“I’m gonna ask her.” She decided in that instance. “Was she at the school this morning?”

“I didn’t see her, but I don’t in the mornings very often.”

Zara wandered off with her job forms in hand, leaving me to feel more concerned than I had over the weekend. I appreciated that Zara was probably just trying to be a good friend, but I knew what Geri was like, and I knew that she didn’t like other people poking into her business. If what Owen had said was true and she was leaving him, that was something she needed to come to us with, not the other way around.

Later on Zara told me that Geri had replied to her text, but she’d said nothing was wrong and she and Owen were fine. I told her to leave everything alone after that.

That evening I was curious as to what would happen with Bongo. I couldn’t have him stay in bed with me again - it disrupted Ruby’s bedtime routine.

I decided to stay up as late as possible, putting him in his cage before I went up but staying up with him for a little while longer. He did curl up in his bed after a while of sitting and staring at me, and I turned the TV right down so I could hear his breathing.

It took a bit longer than I’d have liked, but I remained patient. He kept standing up, circling a few times on the spot and then plonking back down again. He did this maybe ten times before he finally nodded off. I listened to him snoozing for another hour before I took myself to bed.

I was glad when I got to the stairs and he didn’t cry, and more so when I got into bed and fell asleep, and was not awoken by the sound of his barks downstairs.

I don’t know what time it was when I woke up and needed the toilet, but I hadn’t heard a peep out of him. I decided to look in on Ruby to make sure she was alright before I used the bathroom.

I tried not to lose my temper when I saw that at some point she’d woken up, gone downstairs, and brought the puppy upstairs to sleep with her. He was curled up next to her by her feet, snoring away. I knocked my forehead against the doorframe.

I couldn’t wake them up now. I’d have a barking dog and an upset child.

That morning, I made sure she knew she wasn’t to do it again.

“But he was crying, Mummy!” She insisted, a little scowl on her face. “I didn’t want him to be alone and I didn’t want him to wake you up.”

“Ruby, he has got to get into a routine with us, we can’t just let him all over the house because he cries at night - he needs discipline.”

“It was just last night, I promise! I won’t let him with me again.”

I knew at that point all I could do was take her word for it.

On Tuesday afternoon I was ready for a fight. I’d prepared all of my receipts from sending Ruby to that awful morning club, and was just waiting to pounce on Lorraine. I took Bongo out of the car and let him drag me by the lead. Geri was standing alone, which I found odd at first considering Harry was also waiting, but then I realised he was being heckled by three other mums. I didn’t know what he was saying but it couldn’t have been as funny as Debbie was making it out to be.

“What’s going on there?” I asked, tightening Bongo’s lead as I stood next to Geri.

She leant down with a smile to pet the animal, greeting him with the same cooed, “Hi, gorgeous boy,” as she did yesterday. “Just pointless flirting. I was talking to him to begin with, and then one of the mums I don’t know joined us and started asking about molars and flossing. But she was flirting so I gave up and left.”

I snorted. “Sounds painful.”

“It was really weird, I won’t lie. Like, I know he’s a dentist, but I don’t think talking about molars in a flirtatious way is going to get the bloke to like you.”

“What even are molars?”

Geri turned to me with a frown. “They’re… teeth, Floss.”

“Oh.” Was all I said.

I looked in the direction of the dentist. He was wearing scrubs on his bottoms again and a plain white t-shirt, one arm folded across his front and supporting the other, rubbing his hand into his stubbly cheek. He also didn’t say a single word, while Debbie didn’t look like she was ever going to shut up.

In the next second he glanced in my general direction, meeting my gaze. He lifted his hand away from his face by way of a wave. I didn’t know what to do, then. I’d been caught staring. I forced a smile, but looked back to the gate.

“Why are you so afraid of that man?” Geri asked. I wasn’t looking at her but I was sure she was smirking.

“I’m not afraid of him.” I lied.

“Floss, you couldn’t be more terrified of him if you tried. I know he’s a dentist, but he’s harmless.”

“Dunno what you mean.”

Seconds later, Bongo suddenly got excited, weaving through my legs and away from me.

“Hey,” I said, following where he was trying to run off to as I gripped his lead tighter, “stay here, please.”

It turned out Harry had excused himself from conversation about general dentistry to come and speak to us. Or the dog, I wasn’t sure.

“Hello,” He said immediately to the puppy, crouching down to give him some fuss, “hello.”

I watched, stunned and frozen in my place while the dentist gave the dog his full attention for a solid minute, stroking and cooing included. I couldn’t not watch - it would be almost rude not to. A good-looking man in scrubs and a cute puppy fawning over one another? They made whole calendars with this kind of content.

Geri nudged me, and I finally looked away to find that everyone else was watching him too. I felt under pressure.

Harry finally stood to his full height and smiled at me. “Y’alright?”

I nodded tightly. “Yep, you?”

“I’m fine.” He shrugged. “Much better for seeing this good boy.”

Bongo was still fighting for his attention with hand licks and standing on his back legs while pawing up Harry’s front.

We waited in silence for the children to appear, with me staring ahead and trying not to draw attention to myself, Geri picking her nails, and Harry still playing with the dog.

Then, I spotted Lorraine across the car park talking to one of the dads, and I forgot about everything else around me. “Excuse me,” I muttered.

From where she was standing it looked like she might have been trying to avoid me, but she had a fat chance of that happening. As soon as she noticed I was coming, her initial expression was shock, and then she squared herself off.

Bongo was trotting alongside me and stopped when I did. Then he did something I didn’t expect - he looked up at the woman I was ready to fight with, and immediately growled.

Interesting!

“Come to pay the money you owe me, Florence?” Lorraine goaded.

“No. How many months in total was Ruby coming to you?” I demanded.

She scoffed at me. “I don’t know.”

“Considering you’re asking me for more money, do you not perhaps think you should know?”

Lorraine opened her mouth, but never actually said anything.

“How many months?” I repeated.

“I don’t know!”

“Then go and find out!”

Her expression fell, mouth parted. Then, in a snap movement, she shook her head and marched away, scowling. I watched her as she yomped across the car park, muttering away to herself.

The dad she was talking to before gave me a judgemental look. I glared at him when I turned away.

“I have never seen you like that before.” Geri said, eyes wide but quite obviously entertained by my little outburst.

Harry snorted. “I have.”

Bongo was fussing around my legs, little squeaks coming out of him. I sighed and bent down to pick him up. He licked my cheek and then pushed his head into it.

“I’m sorry, but I am not going to be bullied by that ridiculous woman. I don’t care what she’s told the other parents and whether they believe her, she’s a cunt.”

I waited and waited for Lorraine, or Ruby, to appear from the school. Something was obviously keeping the children back but we hadn’t been told anything about it if that was the case. Sometimes they held these emergency assemblies and sent us an email about it an hour before the end of the day. If they had sent one, I hadn’t seen it.

Lorraine finally came back, cheeks pink and her shoulders slumped. She didn’t usually look so miserable. She made her way straight over to me, but she was obviously conscious of the other parents watching. I put Bongo back on the floor, and he’d already begun growling at her.

“22 months.” She said, barely audible.

“Sorry?”

“22 months.” She repeated, much clearer, followed by a defeated huff.

“Right.” I shoved my pile of bank statements into her chest and folded my arms. “Count them.”

She looked at the receipts and then at me. “What?”

“They’re all there, highlighted to make it easier for you. So I want you to count them.”

People were starting to whisper and it was irritating me. I knew we were a spectacle for the bored parents of this sleepy village, but I wanted them to see that no matter how stupid I made myself look, I wasn’t going to let other people get away with it.

Lorraine stood and counted every highlighted transaction on the papers in front of her. She held her breath at the end, the paper crumpling in her hands, and then she counted them again.

“Well?”

She swallowed. “22. There’s 22 here.”

“I thought so.” I said, snatching the paper back from her. “Thank you very much.”

“It was an honest mistake, Floss.”

“I don’t care if it was an honest mistake.” I said, folding my arms. “You were pissed off that I went mad at you in the car park, and you found the first thing you could to try and make me look bad in front of all of these people like some kind of dumb revenge. You knew exactly what you were doing, whether the error was genuine or not. Did you really think that as someone who runs her own company I wouldn’t know how to handle my fucking finances?

“I’m so sick of this fucking nonsense with you. You fucked up by trying to hide the fact that your son is a bully, and that you enabled him. Whispering shit to him about my life so that he could use it against my child. And then I called you out on it and you got angry, so you bitched about me to the other parents and then tried to embarrass me in front of them. Do you know how petty that is?”

Lorraine swallowed, “I’m sorry.”

“I know I am not the smartest person in this village. I know people think I’m crazy, but I don’t care. I have never cared what people think of me as a person. However I will not accept someone taking their dislike for me and trying to make me look like a bad parent, because I know that is one thing I’m good at.”

“Mummy!”

At the sound of Ruby’s call I took a deep breath and searched for her. She was running towards us, finally, and my face broke into a smile.

“Hola, querida,” I said, crouching down to accept the hug she always gave me.

Ruby choosing to hug me first over the dog helped me emphasise my point to Lorraine without me even having to.

When I stood up again, Lorraine had already gone.

“¿Vamos a casa de la abuela?” Are we going to Grandma’s?

I stood back at her fully formed question, laughing. “Who taught you that?!”

“Someone came in today to teach us some Spanish! I asked at the end of the day so I could say it to you.”

I shook my head with a smile. “That’s… okay. Well, did you know the most out of everyone else?”

“Yeah! No one else knew any Spanish.”

“Well, there we go. Did you learn any other phrases?”

“Hay una serpiente en mi bota.”

I narrowed my gaze and remembered one of the kids in her class was mad about Toy Story. I snorted. “Of course.”

“What does that mean?” Geri asked.

“There’s a snake in my boot.”

Harry giggled.

Geri smirked and looked down at Ruby. “Hugo?”

She nodded with a big grin.

“Alright, let’s get going. Grandma will be dying to hear about Spanish classes.” I put my free hand to Ruby’s back. “Say bye to everyone.”

“Bye everyone!”

eleven

On Wednesday when I got to the garage there was already someone waiting on the forecourt outside. I didn’t recognise him as local, and he was leaning against the side of his blue Lamborghini Huracan with his arms folded and a pair of sunglasses on that looked too big for his face.

I parked in my usual place out of the way of everything else and stepped out of the car, feeling much less glamorous than he looked.

“Good morning,” I said to him with an expectant expression, but went straight to the garage door to unlock it.

He seemed taken back by my genuine greeting. He looked at his watch and then back at me. “Are you always this tardy?”

I frowned. “I don’t know what that means.”

The strange man pushed away from his car and made his way towards me. Meanwhile, I tussled with the garage door until it finally gave in.

“Are you always this late?”

I looked at him, offended by his question. Up this close I noticed things I couldn’t see before. He was an older man but not old, maybe in his late thirties or early forties. I only guessed this from the salt and pepper hairs around his ears. He had a very square face, but in a kind of attractive way, and when he took his glasses off I found a very blue pair of eyes. He was dressed smartly, in a white dress shirt not buttoned all the way up, and black tailored suit trousers. He looked exactly like the type of person who would drive a blue Lamborghini.

Before I could respond to his rude question, he made a comment that confused me.

“Wow.” He said, taking a step back when I tried to stand straighter.

“What?” I asked with a furrowed brow, but moved towards the buttons on the side of the doorway to finish opening the garage door. It was loud while I did, too loud to hear a man speak.

The stranger’s gaze flicked between me and the ascending garage door, trying not to express his amusement.

I waited for him to finally say what was so… wow, trying not to appear as irritated as I was.

“You’re very beautiful.”

I blinked at him. I couldn’t see how that had anything to do with me being late. “What’s your point?”

Now he looked confused. “I… don’t have a point.”

I took a deep breath. “Okay,” I said around my exhale, and turned away from him to get Bongo out of the car. He was sitting in the window when I reappeared with a cocked head, and it was quite cute.

“How long will it take to sort the car?” The weird man asked, following me as I walked Bongo through to the office.

“Well, I’d need to know what’s wrong with it first.”

“There’s nothing wrong with it, it just needs a service.”

“Right,” I rolled my eyes, but he couldn’t see me do it. I settled Bongo down in his bed and then found a form for the customer to fill out. “It usually takes a few hours.”

“So I’ll have it back soon? Like, today soon?”

I stared at him blankly, and looked out into the crammed garage, and then back to him. “Not today, no.”

“Why not?”

“Because all those cars in the garage have actual things wrong with them and they’ve been waiting longer.”

“I can pay you more to prioritise it. Money is no issue.”

Must be nice.

I gave him another perplexed stare. “If you’re so keen to get it done, why didn’t you take it to an actual Lamborghini garage?”

“Because a friend recommended you. And the Lamborghini garage charges an arm and a leg for a service.”

“You’ve literally just said money isn’t an issue.”

He took a moment, unsure what to say, but his bemused smirk said it all. “Alright, fair enough. But you were recommended to me and I’d really like it to be done today. Please.”

“No.” I shook my head, handing him the form on a clipboard.

“Why not? I’ll literally pay you double whatever you would normally charge.”

“I won’t be bought. Sorry.”

“Oh, come on.” He laughed in a kind of pained way. “These other people won’t know.”

“These other people can’t afford to pay me double. That Nissan has been there for three days, and you can sod off if you think I’m not going to start on it right away because you’re too impatient to wait.”

He pressed his lips together tightly. “What’s your name?”

“Floss.”

He tipped his head. “Floss, as in the dental stuff?”

“No, Floss as in Florence.”

He was obviously confused but he was still smirking. “Well, Floss. You drive a hard bargain. Is there anything I can do to convince you otherwise?”

“No.”

“Really? My son is looking to become a mechanic, I could get him to come and help you. Maybe if it works out you could give him a job.”

“If your son is looking to become a mechanic, maybe you should get him to service your car.”

He laughed again, like he was in agony, towards the ceiling. “Come on, Floss. What’s a man gotta do to get his car serviced around here?”

“Wait.” I said, and folded my arms. “Look, I don’t mean to be rude, but we could talk about this all day and it won’t change anything, and I’ve already wasted too much time talking about it. You either leave it here, or you don’t. Your choice.”

The man looked at me for a while, and he was obviously fighting with himself. “You know it’s not very often I don’t get my own way.”

“I believe you.”

He sighed and started filling the form out, but he was enjoying himself. “You know, I quite like the idea of having my car looked at by you. And on the plus side of leaving it here, I get to come back and see that pretty face of yours again.”

I took the form from him when he handed it to me, and hooked the clipboard under my arm. “Do you need a courtesy car?”

He bit away a smile. “I might do.”

“Is that a ye-,”

“-Morning!” Zara announced herself. She was carrying a small brown paper bag and a two-slot tray with coffees on the top.

I lifted my head at her as she passed, and she wasn’t shy in eyeing up the man standing in front of me.

“Don’t worry about the courtesy car.” He said rather quickly. “Just give me a call when you’re done with her.”

“Okay.”

I was admittedly relieved to see him go, and my tense posture dropped once he finally left the garage.

Zara came to stand next to me, chewing on a croissant. “Who was he?”

“Some minted Lambo owner.” I said, looking at the information on the form. Darren was his name. He looked like a Darren.

“He was sexy.”

“He was annoying.”

“Yeah, but he was sexy.”

I grunted at her and turned away.

“What did he want?”

“A service.”

Zara’s laugh was dirty. “You could give him a right good service if you tried hard enough. And he’d enjoy it.”

I paused, narrowing my gaze at her. “You’re not talking about the car, are you?”

“No I’m bloody not, he was delicious. Let me tell you, if I was single I’d-,”

“-You don’t need to tell me, Z. Leave some for the imagination.”

I wandered into the office and left Darren’s form on the bottom of our to-do pile. Or rather, on the bottom of Zara’s to-do pile, since she usually did the service jobs.

“Cheers for the coffee.”

“My pleasure. I was running late so it was the least I could do.”

I spent the rest of the day stressed at how much work I had to do, and found myself late collecting Ruby from the dentist’s house again. He must’ve thought I was utterly useless.

I had no idea what I looked like marching across the pebbles up to the front door, but at that point in the day I didn’t really care. I knocked twice and then folded my arms.

It took Harry barely a minute to come and answer. He swung the door open, an easy smile on his face again and in a pair of bright green jogging bottoms and a white t-shirt. “Hi,” he started, and then he frowned at the sight of me, “are you alright?”

“I’m fine, I’ve just had a busy day.” I shrugged, trying not to make a big deal out of it.

Harry pressed his lips together, still frowning at me like he was debating something. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“No, it’s alright. Honestly. I really just need to get Ruby home and fed.”

He studied me for a little bit longer. “I don’t mind if you want to have a little bitch, Floss. ‘M all ears.” He flicked behind his right ear with a little smile.

I bit away my own. “I appreciate that, but-,”

“-Mummy!”

Ruby appeared behind Harry in the hallway, a big grin on her face, and she sped out to me to give me a hug.

“Hola, querida.” I said as I hugged her back. I picked her up, and she wrapped her legs around my waist and her arms around my shoulders. She was warm and it felt wonderful around me. “¿Cómo estás?”

She looked at me with a hum, playing with my hair in the ponytail I had it in. “Soy bueno.”

“Buena.” I reminded her. “You’re a lady.”

“Ruby,” Harry said, and we both looked back his way. Oscar was standing by his legs with a little smile on his face. “Do you and your mum want to stay for dinner?”

Ruby gasped and looked at me, eyes bright and warm. “Can we, Mummy? Please, please, please?”

“Er…” I was lost for words.

“Please?” She begged.

I looked back at Harry, who had a smug grin on his face, probably because he knew I didn’t have a way of saying no.

“Mummy, please?”

I sighed and put her back on her feet. “I guess we can, yeah.”

“Yay!” Ruby squealed, and started jumping up and down. “Can I go and get Bongo?”

Shit, I’d forgotten about the dog.

I met Harry’s gaze again. “I’ve got a blanket he can sit on.” He offered.

“Oh, are you sure? I’ve got one in my car if you’d prefer?”

“No, it’s fine. I don’t mind.”

I gave Ruby the key to the car so she could go and retrieve her puppy, watching carefully to make sure there wasn’t an accident where he ran off or accidentally tripped her over. She ran straight into the house with him and Oscar, leaving the key with me. I locked the car from where I stood.

“That was really naughty of you.” I said to Harry as he took a step back to let me in.

He laughed, cheeks a little rosy. “What? It was Oscar’s idea - blame him.”

I toed my shoes off by the front door and followed the dentist through to the kitchen in the next room.

Even though the house looked big from the outside, inside it was still very much like a cottage, with low ceilings and exposed beams. The kitchen was open plan with a dining room, spread from the front to the back of the house, the counters overlooking the garden, and then a four-seater breakfast table in the front window, with a cushioned bench.

In the next room was the lounge, where the children had toys spread out everywhere, of which Bongo was animatedly sniffing.

“Ruby, you keep a close eye on him.” I warned her, “And don’t let him get on any of the furniture, alright?”

“Okay!” She agreed, but I wasn’t convinced she’d actually listened to a word I said.

Harry put a large woollen blanket on the floor by the back door, folded up multiple times so that it was comfortable enough for him. “That alright?”

“More than alright, thank you.”

“What do you want for dinner, kids? Takeaway?”

“Yeah!” They screamed in unison.

I gave Harry a bemused frown. “Where are you gonna get a takeaway from in Bibury?”

“The Catherine Wheel.”

“They don’t deliver…”

He smirked. “They do to me. What would you like, Ruby?”

I watched with fascination as Harry took the children’s orders, and then he nodded me back into the kitchen and told me to make myself comfortable. I gingerly sat at the dining table, not comfortable at all.

He moved around his kitchen with ease. It was like watching a practised dance as he found glasses out of cupboards and bottles out of racks. His arms were everywhere and his legs swanned around. His back muscles rippled with every slight movement and it was embarrassing how closely I watched his every move. I was so fascinated by him I didn’t realise what he was doing until he screwed the top back on the wine bottle.

“Harry, I can’t have a drink.” I shook my head as he presented me with a glass of red wine.

“Why not?”

“It’s a school night, and I have to drive home.”

He shrugged, and sat in the chair next to mine. “It’s only one - you’ll be fine.”

I set my jaw, but I tried not to give away just how frustrated I was. Today was not the day for this. I didn’t need to get hot under the collar over this man after my horrendous day.

“What happened at work?”

I stared at him, noting the relaxed posture he held. He was sitting, but in a rather laid-back way, literally. He’d sunk into the chair, legs stretched under the table, and his right hand was resting on the base of his wine glass.

I tried to make myself as small as possible. “It was just busy - it has been all week. But things just kept coming and kept coming. I’m only one person.”

“Haven’t you got, um,” he scratched his face as he tried to remember, “Zara there with you?”

“I do, but she’s not a mechanic.”

“Oh. What does she do, then?”

“Literally everything else. Services, anything cosmetic, if you know what I mean?” He nodded, so I carried on. “If someone needs a temporary car she’ll handle it. Basically anything that doesn’t involve fixing a car, she does. But at the moment there’s a lot of cars that need fixing.”

“I see.” He nodded again. “Well, I’m sorry you’ve had a shit day.”

I shrugged. “It might not have been so bad if I hadn’t started off the day talking to some utter prick.”

Harry tapped the table. “Tell me more.”

I rolled my eyes. “He was rich. Like, richie-rich. Turned up in a bright blue Lamborghini Huracan and asked why I was late.” I scoffed. “Then when he actually looked at me he was… well, I guess he was flirting with me, and it was odd. Then he wanted to pay extra for me to get the service done faster and I told him no, and he got really funny about it.”

“Funny how?”

“He said he had a son who was training to be a mechanic and tried to get me to hire him to help.”

“That’s weird.”

“I know.”

“Also, Lamborghini garages have services where you can drop your car off and get it serviced there and then.”

“That’s what I said!” I nearly shouted. “But he didn’t want to pay for it, which was ridiculous because he was offering to pay me double the price for the service just to get it done quicker.”

“I mean… from an income point of view, that might not have been a terrible thing.”

“Harry, I’ve got cars sitting in that garage that have been there nearly a week because I haven’t had time to get to them. I’m not going to pander to a spoilt rich man just because he couldn’t be bothered to wait.”

“Alright, I guess I kind of see your point. What was the outcome?”

I grimaced. “He left it with me because he said at least he got to see me again, or something.”

Harry giggled. “God loves a trier.”

“He was a cock.”

“How do you manage to attract these weird men all the time?”

“Dunno, but it might explain why I’m sat here with you.”

The dentist’s mouth fell, and he brought his hand to his chest. “Ouch.”

I took a drink from the glass Harry had poured for me, and I had to admit it was an incredibly satisfying feeling. It made me feel warm inside. Still on the tail end of the comment about weird men, I thought about what Harry had seen on Saturday with Frank.

“I’m not having an affair with Frank, by the way.”

Harry’s head craned back a bit, eyes wide and with a tight smile. “What a statement to make.”

“Oh,” I smacked my face into my palm.

“I don’t even think I know who Frank is, but I’m glad we cleared that up, Floss.” He was laughing, breath around his wine glass making it sing a little as he took a sip.

“No, because I know you saw something on Saturday, and I don’t want you to think-,”

“-Oh, that bloke!” Harry sat forward, patting the table again. “I was going to mention something after but I didn’t want to make you more uncomfortable, which it was obvious you were, by the way.”

“Well, I wasn’t sure how it looked from an outside point of view.”

“You looked like you wanted to murder the man, Florence.”

I screwed my face up, feeling hot. “I did.”

“What did you say to him?”

“What do you mean?”

Harry swallowed another sip of wine. “I heard you say something to him in Spanish.”

“Oh,” I laughed but it was nervous, “I think I said I’d chop his dick off if he didn’t stop touching me.”

Harry nodded with a smile. “Nice. Can he speak Spanish?”

“Not as far as I’m aware. But he’d spent 5 minutes bitching about the fact that my mum only ever made Colombian food when we have a party. Speaking to him in a language he didn’t understand made me feel kind of…”

“Powerful?”

“Yeah? I guess?”

“Well, I’ll tell you it makes you superior to him, that’s for sure.”

I smiled at the table, and I knew I was blushing - I could feel it in my cheeks. “When I was little my mum always used to say she hated that man, and still does now, but I didn’t really know why. And then as I got older it started making sense. Now I hate him more than my mum does.”

“Who even is he?”

“One of Dad’s friends. His wife is also really good friends with my mum, but she’s fuckin’ blind. I think my mum told her once that Frank is a nonce, but it didn’t go down very well.”

Harry's laughter was like barking. “Did she really call him a nonce?”

“Something like that. I don’t think she realised the real meaning of the word at the time.”

“That’s funny. I do like your mum.”

I was nodding around a smile. “Most people do. She’s so Latin in so many ways, like she’s fiery and a bit loud, and very opinionated. But she’s also really… nice? Like a really good kind of nice. Kind, gentle… you know.”

“I do. My mum is the same. Just not Latin.”

That made me giggle for some reason. “You don’t think about how important it is to have a good motherly figure in your life until you’re older, do you?”

Harry took a deep breath and looked towards the living room. “No, you don’t.”

I realised then that he was probably thinking about Oscar and the lack of someone like that in his life. “Oh shit, I’m sorry.”

He looked at me with a frown. “About what?”

“That stupid comment I just made, I didn’t mean to-,”

“-Jesus, Floss.” He shook his head, laughing breathily. “You don’t need to apologise. We moved down here for a reason - I miss my mum but Oscar needed to form that relationship with his other grandparents too, and I couldn’t do that where I was before.”

I watched him for a moment, but he didn’t seem upset. “Do you miss home?”

He pursed his lips. “Sometimes. I think it was a shock to the system at first, but I maybe kinda prefer it here.”

“Really?”

“Yeah! It’s so quiet, the school is good. Well, apart from the bullying incident, but it is good everywhere else. The people are nice, excluding Lorraine. I like it here.”

“That felt like a very small list.”

“I’m serious! I can’t explain it, but it’s just… it’s lovely here. And Oscar is happy and that’s all that matters.”

I took a deep breath. “Well, I can’t argue with that.”

“Would you ever consider moving for Ruby?”

“I’d do anything for Ruby.” I said without hesitation. “I mean, we have everything here that we need - my parents are here, I grew up here and I wouldn’t want to pull her away from that, but if I needed to for whatever reason then I definitely would.

“I actually sometimes think about going to Colombia or one of the other countries down there, but my mother hated it so I’m not entirely convinced it would be any good for us.”

“I don’t know anything about Colombia so I couldn’t say, but I imagine uprooting her life like that might not be best. To move to a new town or city is one thing, but to move to a completely different country is entirely another.”

I smirked. “They your words of wisdom, are they?”

Harry laughed. “Absolutely. Although it was more observation than wisdom.”

I wished he wouldn’t use big words like that.

When the food arrived Harry asked the children to come and sit with us, apparently not keen on Oscar eating in the living room. I hadn’t ever thought about a rule like that - Ruby and I just always ate together at the kitchen table.

After we finished eating I also asked for a pint of water and necked the whole thing for sobriety purposes, not that I was drunk. Ruby thanked Harry and Oscar for having us before even I did, and then we drove home.

Even though I was exhausted we still had to take Bongo for a walk. Ruby could barely keep her eyes open and I ended up carrying her half way around. We called it a night and I promised Bongo a longer walk in the morning before work.

Chapters twelve, thirteen & fourteen

#harry styles #harry styles imagine #harry styles imagines #harry styles fic #harry styles fanfic #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles writing #harry styles smut #harry styles fluff #harry styles angst imagine

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