#okay that's a lie I fell into the biggest oc hell ever

[oshiete-me-more-sensei]

Our campaign so far, 3 sessions in

[juyeoniemyhoney]

Die In Your Arms

As long as you have Juyeon everything will be fine. Because anything that the world throws your way, you can depend on him to guide you and love you and comfort you until nothing hurts anymore, until everything makes sense, until you can face a new day. And it is without a doubt that you'll do exactly the same for him.

or

If you could just die in Juyeon's arms, you wouldn't mind.

-pairing: lee juyeon x reader

-genre: idol!juyeon, established relationship, fluff, like SO much fluff

-warnings: oc is having a life crisis and is indecisive af, some mentions of anxiety,

-word count: 1865 words

-A/N: hey guys! this my first ever fanfic for the boyz so i hope you like it! i got into them christmas last year and fell absolutely in love with juyeon. recently, i've been in my feels but juyeon and the boyz have really been keeping me happy so i decided to write this! i will continue to write for bts and start writing for all the other groups i stan so please look out for that!

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You know, when you say the world hates you, you really mean it hates you.

The worst part is that it hates you in the most painful way possible, by inflicting you with indecisiveness, with a deep-rooted anxiousness abut everything, with the incessant habit of losing interest in everything you take up within months. And it is not like you can blame the world for the problems you have, since it always looks mostly self-inflicted. So what do you do? You cry, of course. Because if no one will take pity on you, you sure as hell will.

And that is how Juyeon finds you sobbing on his couch over a goddamn piece of paper.

When Juyeon finds that the light in his kitchenette has been turned on, he is not surprised. When he sees your figure lying on the couch, back faced to him, he is not surprised either. When you turn to look at him when he calls your name and he sees the tears spilling from your eyes, however, is when a gasp leaves his lips and he drops everything to rush to your side.

"Y/N," he coos, dropping to his knees so that his face is level with yours, hand immediately coming up to cup your cheek, thumb wiping at the tears that slip from your pretty eyes.

Through the blur of your tears, you see the way he looks at you, eyes soft and gentle, almost like he can feel the pain you are going through, like he hurts when you do. The hand he has on your cheek is grounding and comforting and warm, and you feel yourself calm down a little. Because Juyeon is here and he is with you and as long as he is here, everything is going to be okay.

"What's wrong, baby," he coos again, both hands now cupping your face, swiping at your cheeks and tucking away wisps of hair that fall into your face. You begin to sit up and Juyeon's hands follow your face with you, chasing after you like if his hands left your cheeks for even a second, the dam would break again and you would burst back into sobs.

"Juyeon," you almost whine, and you hate how your voice sounds, high pitched and annoying and so unlike how it usually is. Juyeon is surprised at how you are whining too but it sparks a protectiveness inside of him and he can't help but smile because you are just the cutest person on earth.

You open up your arms when you sit up properly, gesturing for Juyeon to hug you. He does not.

Instead, he grabs the blanket that has been draped across the back of the couch and swathes you with it, wraps you up all warm and tight until you can barely move. Then, he sits on the couch and carries you so that you sit on his lap and he cradles you like you are a baby, rocking you back and forth and every time you get close to his face, he places a kiss on your cheek or your lips or your forehead and sends you the prettiest, biggest grin that has his eyes smiling and his lips stretching in the prettiest way possible.

"What are you doing," you say with a small laugh, and you suddenly realised that you've stopped crying.

"I'm making you feel better, my big baby," Juyeon replies, eyes glinting with mischief, smile gentle and words soft despite his teasing. And you feel your heart leap in your chest and your lips fall into a admiring pout. You have the best boyfriend in the world and it is not just because he is sweet and comforting and gentle. It's because he's Juyeon. And you have to thank the heavens and every single star that has brought you together because Lord knows that you'd be a mess if it weren't for this tall, sweet boy with the prettiest smile and the kindest eyes.

"Did you read some sad fanfic about me again," he teases, grinning down at you. And for some reason, you are brought back to reality. It is as if you'd miraculously forgotten that your boyfriend has a full time job. As an idol. You forget that he's just come home from a gruelling practice that has left him exhausted and sticky with sweat. And he probably does not want to deal with this; to deal with you when he's just been ground to the bone and all he wants to do is shower and lie in his bed and rest before he has to wake up hours later and do it all over again. He does not, he should not have to deal with you. And yet he does.

"No," you laugh, pausing to consider your words. "Juyeon, why don't you go take a shower first, hmm?" you suggest, wiggling your hand out of the blanket to rake it through his mussed hair, trailing your fingers down to tuck the longer strands behind his ear, then to his jaw, and finally to his chin to pull him down for a peck, to which he indulges you in.

"Why? Do I smell?" he asks a little self-consciously, face dropping into a worried frown. And you laugh because Juyeon may be holding you like you are a newborn baby, but sometimes he is so gullible and innocent you wonder if he is the true child.

"No," you reply. In all honesty, he still smells of his lavender and aloe body wash and his vanilla scented shampoo remains redolent in his otherwise sweaty hair. Juyeon looks at you then, with a questioning look, silently urging you for an explanation.

"I just— Aren't you tired? You can deal with me later," you say, already beginning to lift yourself from his arms. But Juyeon does not allow you so, frowning sternly at you and locking you in his arms.

"No, that can wait. You're sad and I need to know why otherwise I can't help you. I know you don't like depending on people. But depend on me.".

You open your mouth to protest but nothing comes out. You want to say, "I can depend on you later, Juyeon! You come first!" but you know that it will end up to nothing. Juyeon is uncannily stubborn when it comes to things like these. He always puts you first and it frustrates you to no end when you want to do the same for him but he just won't let you.

"I just don't know if I want to become a writer, or a doctor, or a nurse," you tell him instead, sitting up in his lap so that his arm supporting your back does not get tired. But it's so uncomfortable so you shift and shift and shift until you find yourself sitting on the couch, legs thrown over Juyeon's thighs, arms around his waist and head leaning on his shoulder, the blanket now covering both of you.

To be frank, you don't even know if Juyeon can help you with this problem you are facing right now. Juyeon has always known he wanted to become an idol. It has been his dream for years and years and he has never experienced the dilemma you face right now so you're not even sure he can sympathise with you. Sure, he can comfort you and he can give you advice but in the end you'll still have to make the decision yourself and that fact terrifies you down to your very bones.

"Okay, well," Juyeon starts out. You can tell he's unsure about how to go about this. It is evident in the way he picks and chooses his words carefully, scared he'll say something wrong, or something to offend you. And though he is scared, you suppose you aren't, fully trusting in the three more years of wisdom Juyeon has on you.

"Well, I suppose you have to see which one makes your heart flutter the most," he continues, tilting his head so that it rests on top of yours. "You have to figure out which one you'd rather do for the rest of your life."

The one thing that makes my heart flutter most is you, you think. But you quickly dispel those thoughts from your brain with a scolding. Juyeon is trying his best to help you, you should not be thinking these things.

"Well, I suppose writing makes my heart flutter the most," you say with a smile, just the thought of being able to put your imagination into words sparking a sense of motivation within you. But the spark quickly dies out with your smile when you realise and voice out, "But I can totally see myself being a doctor for the rest of my life."

Juyeon hums in thought before saying, "Well, don't you want to help people? Why don't you try for nursing?"

You give it a thought, a long thought that stretches out the silence between the two of you, full of thought and deliberation. In the silence, Juyeon gently moves his arm to your waist, gingerly patting a rhythm into the skin there, waiting patiently as you navigate your maze of thoughts.

"Okay," you finally say after minutes of deliberation. In your silence, Juyeon had unconsciously fallen asleep and your sudden agreement to his suggestion wakes him from his slumber with a jolt.

"You'll try nursing?" he asks, a grin already colouring his voice. You pull away from his shoulder so that you can look at him. His eyes are half-closed and you can tell he is still trying to keep awake. The grin he wears is tired but genuine and you start to feel your heart rap at your ribcage. He looks like an overtired kitten and you can't help but coo as your hands move to cup his cheeks.

"Yeah, I will. I'll still be doing biology, which I love. But I won't be quite as busy as I would be if I was a doctor. So I'd hopefully still have time to write," you explain and his grin widens.

"Okay, Bubs. I'm proud of you," he tells you as he nuzzles into your palms, fizzling something sweet in your chest at the sight. "And even if you hate every second of it, I'll be here with you, okay? And you can always change your decision," he continues.

"Just because I decided I really wanted to become an idol early in my life doesn't mean you have to decide so quickly too. Everyone's different; you're different. So don't worry too much, okay?"

Your chest warms and your heart soars and you feel like you can breathe again, like you were drowning in the ocean and the waves have finally spat you back onto dry land. You crash back into Juyeon's arms, burying your face into his neck as gratitude spills from you in words and the tightness with which you are holding him.

That's right. As long as you have Juyeon everything will be fine. Because anything that the world throws your way, you can depend on him to guide you and love you and comfort you until nothing hurts anymore, until everything makes sense, until you can face a new day. And it is without a doubt that you'll do exactly the same for him.

[elysiashelby]

In Another World - T.Shelby Imagine Ch. 15

Paring: (Eventual) Thomas Shelby x Aliena Welsh (OC)

Fandom: Peaky Blinders

Word Count: 8,982

WARNINGS: Fluff, Cursing

Summary: Aliena is doing better. She’s found some happiness again. But now she has a new worry, is she going on her first date with Thomas Shelby? 

MASTERLIST  CHAPTER 14  CHAPTER 16

A/N: This chapter is a fluff! Nothing but fluff! You guys deserve it ‘cause... It will only last for so long. Also, please check out this post-- it will clear up a lot of things and I’d love it if you guys could respond.

“Hello, my love!” I shrieked as I ran to Karl. I picked him up from his cradle into me arms. He was gumming his hand. I made all sorts of noises at the sight. It is purely because I found babies so adorable! I bounced him in me arms as I walked over to Ada, who was busy fixing herself up.

“Thank you so much for doing this, Ali!” Ada shouted. She was prettying herself up in the mirror. 

I shook me head as I pinched Karl’s chubby cheek. He grumbled ‘n swatted me hand away. I laughed as I replied. “It’s no problem really! I mean I am the Shelby Family’s maid, after all.”

Ada turned ‘round to me with a pout on herself. “I’m a Thorne now, Ali. I’m not a Shelby.”

I scoffed. “So, your brothers are not your brothers anymore. You’re a Thorne, afterall.”

“What?” Ada exclaimed as she was applying eyeshadow. “No, that’s not what I meant.” 

I turned Karl over in me arms as I sat down. Had him sitting on me knee, facin’  his mum. As I began to bounce him, I quipped. “Well that’s how it came out.” I sighed, defeatedly. “No, no. I get it. You’re a Thorne now. But remember Ada in the world that the rest of your family lives in, you’ll always be the sister to the big bad Thomas Shelby of the Peaky Blinders. Not to mention that you’ll be listed as a communist ‘cause of Freddie.”

“I’m not a communist by association, Ali. I’m an actual member now.”

I averted me gaze and gave a secret tight lipped smile. Karl lifted one of me fingers into his mouth and I gasped. “Ada, Karl has a little tooth growin’!” 

Ada scoffed as she turned ‘round while fluffing up her hair. “You don’t have to tell me that! I feel it every time I feed him.” I think she rubbed her breast, subconsciously.

We both let out a small laugh. 

She sighed before walking closer to us ‘n took Karl into her arms.

I wiped me finger on me skirt then dusted off me hands. “You still breastfeeding Ada?” I asked as I reached over to pull down Karl’s shirt that had ridden up.

She nodded. Ada was patting his back. “Yeah. I’m planning on breastfeeding him until he’s one. But, don’t worry like I told you when I telephoned ya— Freddie and I bought formula for days like this.” Ada handed Karl back to me and then walked off.

I rose to me feet and followed her into the kitchen. I’m guessing she wanted to show me where she kept the formula at. I held Karl’s arm me hand, and I waved it up and down. 

Ada reached into a cabinet and showed me the formula. She showed me how to make the bottle. 

I actually knew to make a bottle of formula because I helped me sister make bottles for her daughter, but I wasn’t confident abar it now. Different times, different amounts. 

After she made the bottle, she handed it over to me. “He’s probably getting hungry by now.”

I took it then we walked back into the living room. We sat down. I positioned Karl’s head to be in the crook of me left arm while his body laid across me lap then I put the bottom in his mouth. 

Ada reached over to Karl and smoothed out his clothes. She sighed. “He’ll drink that then fall asleep. When he wakes up, wait a little while ‘cause if you change him when he wakes up— it’ll all be for nothing.”

I glanced over at her ‘n nodded. “Okay.”

We fell into this comfortable silence as we stared at Karl. That ‘til I heard Ada suck in a breath. Me head snapped in her direction. She was red in the face. 

“Ada,” I asked. “What is it?”

She fanned her eyes before waving me off. “It’s nothing. I just hate it when I leave him.”

I gave her a small smile. I knew what she meant. He’s been her solace in crazy times, I’m sure. But, I laughed— hoping to quell some of her worries. “Haven’t you left him with babysitters before. Geez, Ada! I swear he won’t die on me watch!”

She laughed a little then finally scooted back into her seat. We fell into another comfortable silence. The clock and Karl’s gulping were the only sounds audible in the room. He eventually let go of the bottle and I brought him to me shoulder. I made sure to suppress the urge to bounce him as I patted his back.

“When is Freddie coming?” I asked Ada.

She hurriedly rose from her seat and walked closer to the clock. While playing with her necklace, she replied. “Any second now.”

Any second was actually twenty minutes later. Freddie ran in, grabbed Ada, and they both ran out of here like a bat out of hell. I scoffed to meself as I repositioned Karl in me arms. I was cradling him in me arms. I got up and walked over to the rocking chair Ada had in the living room. 

I just sat there with him as he was napping away. Staring at his face. It’s been such a long time since I held a baby in me arms. I couldn’t help but trace his features. But, he didn’t like that and started squirming ‘round. I stifled a laugh and muttered an apology. I dropped me hand and used it to support his bum. I patted his bum as I began to rock us. 

I debated humming a song, but I couldn’t decide which one. Plus, I didn’t want to wake him up. I decided to just look around the flat. It was little. Adequate enough for a little family with a newborn, in me own opinion. However, I could only stare at the room  for so long.

When I was sure Karl was deeply sound asleep, I rose to me feet slowly and walked to his cradle at the same pace. I held me breath, and when I was abar to set him down— I couldn’t help looking over his face. 

I felt like a mother who had lost her child…

I shook me head and laid Karl down. I wiped me hands on me skirt, then walked ‘round the flat. It had little life. Barely any photos on the walls, the colour of the walls were this muted grey, and there were hardly any furniture or utensils. It was like they were prepared to run at the first sign of trouble. But, it was theirs. 

I sighed while walking into the kitchen. I leaned against the counter, me palms were digging into it. Then, I folded me arms and was just with me thoughts. I was thinking abar Cillian Murphy’s filmography. All the movies he was in. 

It felt weird now ‘cause of Tommy. But, the two movies that stood out to me the most were The Edge of Love and Sunburn. The Edge of Love gave me an, probably, unrealistic idea of how Tommy was before the war. 

I smiled at the idea. I, subconsciously, raised two fingers to me lips. I looked down in shock before me hand slapped over me mouth. I stifled a chuckle which came out as a snort. 

I fluttered me fingers to rid meself of the absence of a ciggie. Then, I lifted meself onto the counter.

Sunburn was a movie I was fond of. A very young Cillian Murphy is all I need for me justification. His character was not very honorable, but when are men ever. When are people ever! 

The movie was flashing through me head, but it felt wrong. It felt dirty, in a way. Made me chuckle, not gonna lie. I didn’t even catch meself when I began comparing Cillian’s characters to Tommy himself. 

I bit me lip and hopped off the counter. I clapped me hands together softly before rubbing them together. “Let’s clean, shall we?” I whispered.

Ada didn’t ask me to clean, but I’d figured that I’d just clean up whatever I found. I wasn’t going to go into any rooms. Since that was an invasion of privacy. But, did everythin’ else. I dusted off the walk-in carpet, then swept up the ‘ole house. When I was done with that— I wiped down the tables in the living room ‘n kitchen. 

I raised a hand to me temple as I used the other to support me weight, all while leaning on the table I finished wiping. I looked over at Karl’s cradle and stood still. It’s not like I could hear his breathing, but he wasn’t fussing either. 

I tsked, dropped the towel on the table, ‘n then walked over to the fireplace. Ada and Freddie had a collection of books on the overmantle. I looked over the titles and chose the one I was most familiar with. Tess of the D'Urbervilles, it was. I had the biggest crush on Gemma Arterton and Eddie Redmayne, ‘n I watched a TV show they starred in that adapted the book. 

After watching it, I read the book soon after. So, this wouldn’t be me first time crackin’ this story open. 

“When was the last time you read a story, Aliena?” I asked meself as I brought the cross pendant to me lips and ran across me bottom one. It was the one Tina got me all that time ago. I opened the book and began readin’ aloud while slowly pacing.

‘Cause I only remember growin’ up in America, I spent most of me life with an American accent. I adapted the accent when I moved to me second middle school. I just tried it for shits and giggles, but found that me existence there was so much easier when I did so. I didn’t ‘ave to deal with people asking me to repeat meself every time I held a conversation. 

It didn’t help that me ma’ was the scouser while me pa was from Boston. The only reason I didn’t develop a Boston was due to me ma taking care of me for the majority of me early childhood. Me pa was working morning till night. 

I didn’t feel like a true scouser nor a true American. But, I can affiliate more with my upbringing in California. It’s what I can remember. 

Anyway, the point I was getting to was that— I do different accents. American, me own, Irish, Russian, and Scottish. I never said they were any good, but I did them. And I did them when I talked too much for a long time, or when I was reading.

I was in the middle of a line when I heard a little whimper. Me eyes darted to the page number I was on ‘n I hoped I could remember it. I threw it on the couch and shuffled hurriedly to him.

Tears were welling up in his eyes. I cooed and took him into me arms. “It’s alright, Ka-.” I cut meself off as I felt wetness on me midsection. I sighed and looked ‘round for extra diapers and towels. When I couldn’t find any, I whimpered and just had to take the bullet. 

I held him closer to me and practically ran to the bathroom. I shifted ‘round in there and found some. They weren’t really diapers, not in me own opinion. I set the clean nappy on the sink before getting the rag, throwing it in there, and letting the water get warm as I ran it.

I sighed while looking down at Karl. “Your mummy is a proper divvy, Karl. Forgot to leave your nappies with me.” I huffed while pinchin’ his cheek softly. “Let’s get ya changed, love.” I stroked his cheek as tears fell down. I felt the water and I deemed it warm enough. I turned off the faucet and wrung some of the water out before I held it in one hand while the other grabbed the diaper.

 “Okay, love. Let’s get you cleaned up now.” I was looking down at Karl the whole time as I walked back into the living room. 

Me gaze, finally, shifted up ‘n standin’ there was Tommy. A frightened yelp escaped me and I clutched Karl tighter.

“For-! For goodness sake, Tommy!” I shouted. I huffed before I continued me hurried shuffle over to the couch. I laid Karl down ‘n began changin’ him. 

“So, this is where you were. Had to find out from Polly. I need to talk to you.” Tommy said while looking over his ciggie. Titling it in his hand.

I scoffed. “You’d know where I am, if you’d let yourself have the time for a chat once in a while. Do you remember the last time you rested, Tom?” I blew a strand of me hair out of me face as I gave him a teasing glance. I bundled up Karl’s soiled nappy and held it up for him to take. “Go on before you ask me this favor, do one for me.”

With his hands in his pockets and leaning back, he scoffed at me. Tommy rolled his eyes before taking it out of me hand ‘n walkin’ away to throw it in the bin. Hurriedly, I took off me jumper when I was done dressing Karl then I took him into me arms. I was bouncing him in me arms by the time Tom walked back in. 

He cleared his throat, tsked, and then pointed at me. "I wanted to know if you’re feeling better.” Tom sniffed, flicked under his nose, and then looked up at me.

Disbelief was no doubt written all of it. I scoffed as I bounced Karl in me arms.

“Tommy Shelby, you-!” I scoffed again before it turned into a cackle. “You did not come here to ask me that! Why’re you blaggin’ for?” I continued to cackle long enough ‘til me knees grew weak ‘n I started folding in on meself.

Tommy’s tongue prodded the inside of his cheek as he tried to fight off a grin. He sighed loudly before walking toward me and the baby. “Fine. Ada expressed her worries to Polly the other day about you taking care of Karl, and I offered to come ‘n help.” He held his arms out and waved me to give Karl over.

I looked at ‘em up and down. “You? You are gonna help me take care of a baby?” 

Tommy gave me a look before wedging a hand between me chest to grab Karl. “I have taken care of one before.”

I threw me head back in a giggle. “Who?” I shouted. “John?”

He nodded. “And Ada. And Finn. And fucking Arthur, too.” Tommy turned Karl ‘round in his arms, so that Karl was snug against his chest. Then, he lifted the boy in the air.

“Oi! No swearing ‘round Karl. Ada will have us both for it.” I dusted me hands off before I wiped them on me skirt, and then I sat down. Tommy was still playing with Karl, throwing him up in the air. 

When I felt Karl’s head was too close to the ceiling, I whimpered. “Oh, do be careful!” He snickered. I couldn’t deny that Karl’s giggling was like music to me ears. It truly warmed me heart.

Tommy caught Karl one more time before he crashed on the couch and let Karl sit in lap. Karl began tugging on the lapels of Tommy’s coat. I watched them ‘til it was painfully that I was being stared at too. 

I met Tommy’s gaze and we held it. We held it for a while ‘til I couldn’t take it anymore. With me face heating up— no doubt, giving away me feelings, I jutted me head out with widened eyes before I started giggling. I rose to me feet and walked over to Ada’s phonograph. 

I picked a random record and put it on. “I can’t stand silence.” I said while not looking back just yet. I turned ‘round with me hands locked at the fingertips. “Are ya hungry? I can make you something.”

Tommy’s eyes flickered to me, but he looked back at Karl. “Have you eaten yet, Ali?”

I rolled me eyes while me hands dropped to me waist. I could lie and say no, but if I forced meself to eat— it could end badly for me. But, perhaps while I’m cooking I’ll get hungry again.

“No, I haven’t. So, I’ll check what they have.” I said while walking off. I looked through the cabinets and found some canned food. I could replace it another time. 

I was sitting down in a chair while I watched over the pots. I was waiting for the bubblin’ or whistling. I heard footsteps behind me and there was Tommy with Karl.

He handed him over to me which I happily obliged to. “Hello, little one. Your uncle finally decided to hand you over.” Karl just began to babble in reply. 

I looked over at Tommy, who had just finished settling himself in the chair opposite of me, and asked. “So, how is that tattoo of yours healing?” 

He finished lighting up his ciggie and said. “Nicely. I reckon that it’ll be fully healed within the week.” 

I hummed while bringing my attention back to Karl. Tommy got a tattoo some weeks ago. It was a rose intertwined with a horseshoe on his left bicep. I had a hold on Karl’s hand and I was making him punch the air between us. I made fighting sound effects as I did so. I leaned forward and made him punch me cheek softly. I threw meself back at the contact which made him laugh.

“How evil!” I exclaimed. “Why are you laughing abar that? Huh!” I hugged him as I pretended to eat his neck. His giggles never stopped as he flailed abar. I sighed and hoisted him on me hip as I got up. I walked over to Tommy, took his ciggie from his mouth, and handed him Karl. “Hold him, yeah?”

I put the ciggie in me mouth and took a puff. I used a spoon to check if the soup was burning at the bottom ‘n all that. As I turned off the stove, I took another pull. I walked over to the cabinet that had the plates and bowls in it ‘n took two out. I poured in the soup then walked carefully back to the table. 

I sidestepped, wiped me hands of me skirt, took the ciggie from me mouth ‘n placed it back in his before I took Karl into me arms. I walked back to me seat and settled down. I looked up Tommy who had just finished taking a drag.

“Should I be worried that you don’t cough anymore, Ali?” Tommy quipped.

I shrugged. “No?”

He scoffed as a small smirk graced his face. Tommy leaned forward, stubbed out his ciggie, and gripped the spoon. “Ya know, if I knew you were going to cave this early about my smoking and drinking— I would have saved meself the stress.”

I gasped, exaggeratedly horrified. “Do you know how hard I did try! You just go on and smoke the moment you’re not in me sights. Pssh. Don’t even get me started on your terrible drinking habits. You drink alcohol like it’s water! If I’m not the one giving you water, you won’t drink it!” I shocked me head and grumbled under me breath.

Tom snickered. “Watch what you say, Ali. What if Karl learns it?” He threw me a teasing glance before looking back down at his soup. 

I tsked. “I didn’t even curse, so shut your piehole!” I groaned loudly. “You’re so lucky that there’s nothing here I can throw at ya. And that you’re so far away!”

Tommy’s lips smacked before he asked. “So, you’d hit me with Karl in your arms? Show him your violent ways?”

Me eyes practically came out me head. I snorted. “Oh, that’s rich coming from you! But, yes. Yes, I would.” 

I focused back on Karl. I let him teethe on me finger for a while ‘n I was just watchin’ him. I was just reminiscing that fact that me baby niece used to do that same when she was younger. I mean, of course she did, she was a baby herself!

I shifted me eyes back at Tommy’s and he did the same. A snicker escaped the both of us.

Tommy and I ended up taking care of Karl for abar three more hours. It definitely was a sight. I mean I knew he cherished family a lot, but I never thought of him as a “family man.” I just didn’t think he’d help me out with Karl as much as he did.

I mean wasn’t it more of a big deal in the 50s and 60s? Abar the whole absence of the father in the family dynamic. The father figure just being the either overbearing brute or the couchpotato? I don’t know. All I can say is that we both tuckered out Karl. Once he was asleep— Tommy and I caught up a little more. Just talked abar the simple stuff.

Right now, I was busy adding up some numbers in the shop while Polly was talkin’ to me. 

“I’m just saying! When are you gonna be bringing home a lad?” She was smiling down at me while nursing a ciggie.

I rolled me eyes as I smiled too. I scoffed. “Polly, I don’t know what you want me to say. It’s not for me own lack of trying!”

Polly shoved me shoulder while she whispered. “It’s ‘cause you still fancy Tommy.”

Me head flashed to her direction as I stifled a loud gasp. I swatted her leg as I exclaimed. “Polly!” I resorted to spluttering for words as she cackled. Me hands were covering me forehead. I sighed deeply. “I’m tryin’, Pol. I really am. I’m trying to stop caring for him.”

I dropped me hands and looked up at her. I gave her a solemn smile to which she did the same. Polly tsked before she hopped off me desk ‘n caressed me cheek with her thumb. Polly awed before she cradled me head to her stomach.

She whispered. “You’re too good for him anyway. My sweet little one.”

I didn’t dare stop the smile that took over me face. 

“Aliena!” 

Polly and I detached from each other to see who was calling out to me. 

“Aliena, Tommy sent me to come fetch ya!” Finn shouted with a red face. 

Polly and I both sighed. We gave each other a look. A look that said, “This damn kid. Shoutin’ like we were miles away from ‘em!”

I rose to me feet and before I could start tidying up me station, Polly took me face in her hands. “Go on.” She said. “I’ll take care of this.”

I gave her a quick grin as I reached for me coat.

“God only knows what he wants with you this time!” Polly chimed as she dusted off the shoulders of me coat. Polly stepped over to Finn, licked her thumb, and wiped the dirt off his face. He shirked away while I cackled at his expression.

I sighed as I tugged on me gloves. “C’mon, Finn! Can’t have your brother waitin’ long or he’ll throw a fit.” When I was done, I put me hand on Finn’s shoulder and we began our journey.

When we were some ways away from the shop, I decided to break our little silence. 

“So, Finn,” I began. “are you still studying?”

He began to groan exaggeratedly while he attempted to rest his head on me shoulder. I scoffed.

“All right!” I shouted. “Just remember, Finn. I’m not the one you’re hurtin’.” Under me breath, I muttered. “At least you know how to read and write.” I looked back at him. Finn was already me height. We were standing shoulder to shoulder. “Oh, come ‘ere you!” 

I threw me arms ‘round his shoulders ‘n pretended to put him in a headlock. 

He protested, more like begging me to stop. I didn’t stop teasing ‘em ‘til we got to the office, company headquarters, whatever. Just a few men work here. Men who were intelligent enough to handle the legal stuff and keep their mouths shut.

Finn and I marched right to Tommy’s office. Finn knocked on the door and Tommy shouted for us to come in. 

“I brought her, Tom.” Finn said as he took off his cap. Looking just like the eager little lad he was. 

Tom looked up at us. “Good job, Finn. Now, piss off.” Tommy motioned to the door with his ciggie. “Aliena, come here.”

I turned to Finn and pinched his cheek before walking over to sit in a chair. I settled meself while taking off me gloves. I let out a deep breath before I asked. “So, what am I doing ‘ere, Tom?”

He didn’t answer me yet. He was still working on whatever paperwork that was in front of him. So, I took in his appearance.

Tommy looked tired yet not. Like a boy who was not gonna admit to being tuckered out since he was having so much fun. He wasn’t any thinner or bigger. So, I think that’s a good sign. Tommy had his coat hanging, but his suit jacket is draped ‘round his chair. 

I looked away after a couple of seconds of staring. I resorted to admiring me fingernails and humming a random song. 

When Tommy, finally, cleared his throat— me head snapped back to him. “I had Finn get you ‘cause I wanted to tell you…” Tommy intertwined his fingers as he leaned back into his chair. “That I’m taking a day off tomorrow.”

I blinked.

And then I began to blink rapidly. 

And then me hand slapped over me mouth as I tried to desperately stifle me laughter. 

Very strainiously, I asked. “Why the fuck did you need to tell me abar this?” I giggled loudly. I took a deep, calming breath before I sat up straight ‘n looked Tommy in the eyes. He had such an amused look on his face. “I was fucking working, Tom! What the hell is this about?”

Tom leaned forward, resting his clasped hands on the desk. “It’s simple. I’m taking a day off to rest and I want you to rest with me. Tomorrow’s your day off too, so unless you have plans… You should be available to join me.”

I can’t deny that me eyes widened a little before me face contorted in confusion. “What are you up to Thomas Shelby? Huh? Why aren’t you planning a boy’s getaway or somethin’?” 

Tommy averted his gaze to the left while dropping his jaw a smidgen ‘n widening his eyes. “Because I want to spend the day with you.” 

I glared at him. I trusted this as much… You know what, I don’t have a metaphor for this feeling. It felt like he was asking me out on a date, but he wasn’t asking me out— like directly! Tommy would have explicitly said this was a date, no? I think he just wants to hang out then.

I sighed as I fell back into the chair. I rested me right elbow on the arm of the chair and rubbed me forehead. Me eyes flickered to Tommy’s. “Fine. Yeah, alright.” 

Tommy pursed his lips a little before he nodded. “Good, it’s settled then. Be ready by 10.”

I scoffed, me jaw dropped dramatically. “Is Tommy Shelby plannin’ on sleeping in?”  

He rolled his eyes as he muttered. “Shut up.”

I stuck me tongue out at him and then relaxed again. “So, is there a dress code for this occasion or what?”

Tommy rubbed his fingers together as his gaze dropped to the side. He looked back at me and said. “I could care less. Just don’t come in your work clothes.”

I glared at him again. Me gaze dropped to his little bar cart as I asked. “Do you have a plan as to what tomorrow entails?” I started picking at me skirt. Picking it up and smoothing it out repeatedly.

Tom tutted. “I was thinking we would walk around London. I’ll take you shopping or something like that. Then at 12:30, we are going to eat at a fancy restaurant called The Barge.” He gave me a pointed look as he continued. “Is that alright with you?” 

I gave him a tight-lipped smile as I nodded. I tsked and sighed as I rose from the chair. “Okay, then. I’ll see you tomorrow. At 10. Not wearing me work apparel.” I turned ‘round and waved him with the back of me hand. “Night, Tommy!”

“Night, Ali.”

I had a smile on me face the whole walk home. I couldn’t help it. It felt like a date. 

It felt like a date. But, it wasn’t. Right?

I ran into the house ‘n immediately darted for the phone. I phoned Cassie. 

“Ali, what’s up?” Cassie asked once the operator put me through.

I stumbled with me words. I didn’t know how to phrase this. The word “date” just kept running through me mind. “I-uh! So, Tommy…”

“Dear God, Ali! Did you both get into another fight? I told you I didn’t want to hear it if this happened again!”

I scoffed and shouted. “No! Cassie, no! We didn’t get into a fight. On the contrary, Tommy has asked me to spend tomorrow with him.” 

Cassie got quiet. “What?” She whispered.

“Yeah.” I said breathily. I brought one of me hands up to me forehead. “He didn’t explicitly ask me out. Like he didn’t say the word date, but it feels like he asked me out on one.” I squealed as quietly as I could into the phone. “Oh, Cassie! What if this is actually it?” 

Cassie sighed, quite defeatedly— might I add. “Aliena, sweetie. Let’s not throw this out of proportion just yet. Did he tell you this was a date?”

I sighed as I turned ‘round and rested against the wall. “No.” I quipped childishly.

“Then, it’d be safer for you to go in this without that kind of mindset.” 

There was a silence between us.

“I don’t want you to get excited then get your feelings hurt, Ali.”

I tsked as I closed me eyes and held me forehead again. I ran that same hand through me hair as I said. “Yeah, your… You’re right.” I shook me head as if I was shaking those thoughts out of me head. “So, ever heard of The Barge?”

Cassie scoffed. “Of course, I have. I go there sometimes for seafood.” 

I hummed. “Okay. Well, what kind of setting is it? Actually, don’t answer that. Lemme guess, aristocratic.”

Cassie laughed, dryly. “That’s a nice way of saying only rich people eat there. But yeah, it is. So, I would suggest wearing something semi formal. You know something that would not-!”

I rolled me eyes. “Yeah, I know what semi formal is, Cass. I wear something that would make Angie suck her teeth, but not tell me to go and change.”

“That sounds good.”

I huffed before saying, “Thank you for helping me. And bring me back down to Earth.”

“Anytime, babes. I hope tomorrow goes well for you.”

I laughed dryly while looking up at the ceiling. “I do too.”

I hung up the phone not too long after ‘n went upstairs to shift through me clothes. I had decided on a black dress with puffed long sleeves, a square neck cut, and a slit on me right thigh. I wore decent sized heels and I was going to keep me hair down. As for makeup, I was going to keep it light.

A nude lip, foundation, winged eyeliner, mascara, and some white in the corners of me eyes. I was debating putting some white on me lids too. I decided against it after I tried the look out. 

The next morning, I woke up ‘round six ‘n made meself breakfast. After that, I took a bath and washed me hair. It was fucking baltic, la’, but I fucking did it! After I was done, I kept me hair wrapped in a towel as I got ready. 

I put on me matching black undergarments. Bra, panties, and I almost put on a garter belt— but then I remembered the slit in the dress. When I had those two on, I lathered me legs and arms in lotion ‘n then focused on drying me hair. I just kept wringing the water out of me ends as much as I could. 

I, then, brush out me hair which caused me to repeat the whole wringing me ends process. After that, I hurried to begin putting on me makeup. It took up more time than I thought it would since I kept fucking up the eyeliner. I’m blaming me nerves. Any other time, I’ve been perfectly steady-handed.

I threw me lipstick down and checked the clock. It was 9:45. I groaned exaggeratedly as I rose to me feet. I quickly put on me dress as carefully as I could manage ‘n then put on me heels. When I was done, I went back to me desk and brush out me hair one more time. I took a deep breath.

“I feel like somethin’s missin’.” I muttered to meself. I snapped me fingers as the idea came to mind. ‘Jewelry!’

I dropped to me knees and pulled out me box of jewelry. I debated between me ma’s set and me papa’s set. I, ultimately, decided on the pearl set. I struggled to put them on as I stumbled to me feet. 

I was putting on me right earring when there was honking outside. Jitters shot through me body. I took a deep breath. I finished fastening the earring in and I smoothed out me dress.

I hurriedly grabbed my clutch and ran down the stairs. I was putting on me coat when Tommy honked for the fifth, sixth, seventh time. I huffed before shouting, “Hold your fucking horses!” I opened the door and flailed me arms out. “Jesus, Tommy!” 

I walked over to the passenger side, his head following me the whole time. I slid into the car with a loud sigh. “Good mornin’, Tommy.”

He didn’t reply. He was still lookin’ at me up and down. I gave him a goofy grin in return. 

Tommy cleared his throat. “Good morning, Aliena.” And with that, he started up the car again ‘n we were out.

I fiddled with me coat as I asked. “So, where are we headed first?”

Tommy scoffed while tilting his head to the side. “ How about you stop worrying about it and you just sit there ‘n look pretty.”

I rolled me eyes and tried to stop the smile that wanted to envelope me face. I cocked me eyebrow as I looked at him. “So! You think I looked pretty.” I teased in a sign-song tone. I threw me head back as I laughed. But, then I quickly sobered up and said. “You can’t take it back!” I looked back down, picking at me coat while humming.

Tommy looked at me, emotionlessly. I gave him a toothy smile in return before me hand smacked over me mouth and I looked away. 

Tommy sighed. “Do you ever not laugh?”

I shrugged. “Don’t know.” I tilted me head in thought. “Huh.”

‘When was the last time I didn’t laugh? Like I used to not laugh this much. Does it have something to do with my mental illnesses?’ I thought.

“Well, come out with it.”

I looked at Tommy and shook me head. “Is nothin’. I’m just a giggly person.” There was a short silence between us before I broke it. “Wait, ‘ang on a mo’! Haven’t we known each other for abar three years now? Why are you complaining abar me giggling now?”

Tommy replied, calmly. “I have aired my grievances before.”

I tsked while crossing me arms. “So, why are you still complaining abar it?” I grumbled.

Tommy looked at me before ruffling me hair. “‘Cause you still give me the same vague answer.”

I gasped horrified and scrambled to fix me hair. 

Eventually after a very animated car drive, we made it into the city. True to his word, we strolled ‘round for some time. It wasn’t ‘til I clocked some very nice looking shoes did we stop and go into the shop.

I tried preventing him from buying me the red heels, but he wasn’t having it. It was confusing the hell out of me, to say the least. And once we went in that store, we were going into every other store. I’d say he bought me like two new dress, four new work blouses, four skirts to match, two new pairs of stockings, and a necklace.

“Tommy! Enough now! What are we going to do with all these bags at the restaurant?”

Tommy gave me the most mocking facial expression as if the answer to me question was so obvious! “Stop fussing, Aliena.” Tom turned ‘round and motioned his arm in a wave, like he was calling someone over. And he actually was. Two men walked up to us with peaked caps.

Immediately, me hip dropped to the side and me arms folded. Tommy handed them all the bags in his hands then took the bags I was holding ‘n gave ‘em to them too.

Tommy cleared his throat curtly ‘n pointed his finger at them as he gave them orders. “Now, boys, take these to the car and drop them off at the betting shop. Tell Polly to put these in Aliena’s room.” He waved his hand, turned toward me, gripped me by me arm, and then we walked. 

“Why were they here, Tom?” I asked, slightly miffed. 

“Well, the more obvious answer is for protection. You know that.” 

I rolled me eyes. “Of course, I know that. You think I don’t know you ‘ave men following me ‘round sometimes when I’m out of the city with me mates. Well, I do. But, what I don’t get— is why they were here if you’re here?” 

Tommy sighed. “I only called them here, so that they would get the bags.”

I squinted me eyes and attempted to playfully put me finger in his face. “That better be the truth. Or I’ll kick ya shin.”

Tommy scoffed while throwing his head back. “Deal.” Tommy pulled out his watched and read the time. With his grip still on me arm, He sighed ‘n said. “Right, come on. Don’t want to be late for our reservation.”

I shook his hand off, to which he gave me a pointed look. “Don’t give me that look. Give me your arm right, will you!” I wrapped me arms ‘round his and we continued walking.

I could tell we were finally at the restaurant ‘cause of the huge ass sign. I let out a sign of relief. “Finally, we can sit down.” I whispered to meself. 

Tommy hummed in response. Not that I was looking for one. 

We walked up to the receptionist. They asked us for a name to which Tommy gave him and we were shown to a booth. A rather secluded booth. Red flags were popping off in me head, but I didn’t want to seem paranoid— so I kept it to meself.

Tommy motioned for me to enter the booth first, so I was going to— but I had to take off me coat first. Tommy helped me as I took it off. He held it for me and kept his hand out for me. I tucked me dress under me bum as I slid into the booth.

Another flag was raised as he chose to sit so very close to me. Hardly had any arm space. So, I slid over a little more. 

The waiter gave us each a menu and said they’ll be back when we’re ready. I looked it over and debated just getting a salad. Ya know for… Appearance sake.

Then, I saw there was a lobster dish and caviar. I was sold. I. Was. Sold. As for drinks, there is no soda! So, I’m going to leave that up to either Tommy, or I’m getting water. Do they serve apple juice here? No.

Because I was making jokes in me head, me hand kept flying to me mouth to both stifle me giggles and hide me smile. Luckily, I wasn’t audibly giggling. Time and place, Aliena!

I looked over to Tommy ‘n asked. “Do you already know what you’re getting?”

Tom sniffed before replying, “Yep, have you figured out what you’re having?” 

I nodded, but then I began to double-check the prices of everything. Getting the lobster dish and the caviar was like getting two main courses, right? It was, actually, pretty expensive. So, maybe— I should just pick one. Unconsciously, I started to nibble on me fingernail. Not trying to bite it off or anything, just biting down on it softly, repeatedly.

Tommy grabbed me hand and took it into his. “What are you fussing about now? Show me what you want.” 

I pointed to the two dishes while being hyper aware of the fact that he was still holding me hand. Oh, was I fucking freakin’ out in the inisde!

“Right then. We’ll order both.” Tommy let go of me hand and settled himself in his seat. While reaching for his ciggie case, he muttered. “Not like I’m paying for it.”

Me eyes practically bulged out of me head ‘n I had to will me hand not to slap over me face. I leaned into him and whispered. “Thomas Shelby, are we doing a runner?”

Tommy smirked as he placed his ciggie in his mouth. “Not exactly.” He lit the bloody thing and closed the lighter with a loud snap.

I furrowed me eyebrows in confusion as I tried to think of another possible reason. While I was thinking the waiter came back.

“Can I take your order?” He asked.

I was abar to say yes when Tommy cut me off. “We’re not ready quite yet. But, we’d like to order some white wine.” 

I rested me left elbow on the table, me thumb ‘n pointer finger were shaped in an L-shape as I used it to support me head. I looked at Tommy with an eyebrow raised. I waited ‘til the waiter left to ask. “And why are we not ordering yet? We were ready.”

“It would be rude to have our food be done first.” He looked at me, deadpan.

It finally clicked. “You doin’ a deal, Tom?” I asked, full with spite.

“A little one, yeah.”

I sucked on me teeth and looked away from him while I cradled me temples with me right hand. I wanted to be more upset, but I wasn’t. This was just typical Thomas Shelby behavior. I dropped me hand after I let out a calming breath. 

“Right.” I said. “So, am I to be eye-candy during this deal or do I have job? Have to seduce him or something like that? Follow him out of this place.”

Tommy shook his head as a little chuckle escaped his mouth. “Nope. You’ll be doing none of that. I’m just killing a bird with a stone.” 

I snorted at the expression. Me hand went to covering me mouth. “That’s not-!”

“I know.” Tommy quickly replied. “I asked you to come out with me today because you mentioned we haven’t talked like we used to, and you’re right. This was the perfect opportunity to do so… While sweetening my deal with Mr. Daniel Taylor.”

I smiled as I shook me head. I locked me fingers, rested both of me elbows on the table, and then rested me chin on me hands. “So, this is what you meant when you said I should sit here and look pretty.” 

A smile tugged at the corner of Tommy’s mouth. “Yes.” 

I watched as Tommy took a drag from his ciggie before I dropped me arms and straightened me back. 

It took Mr. Taylor quite some time before arriving. The wine came before him, for Christ’s sake. 

Tommy placed his hand on me back, signaling for me to stand with him. 

“Mr. Taylor, nice to see you again.” They shook hands then Tommy motioned his hand toward me. “This is Ailena Welsh, my companion this evening.” 

I shook Mr. Taylor’s hand ‘n exchanged greetings. I’m happy to say we ordered not too long after. I did just as Tommy told me too. To sit here and look pretty. I didn’t jump in the conversation nor did I maintain eye contact with the man. It seemed that this was “Danny” from season three. The future leader of the Birmingham City Council. Just like mentioned in the episode, Mr. Taylor had interests in steelworks in Cradley Heath. Tommy offered to help him get his products to carmakers.

That’s the jist of it. After tuning into those parts of the conversation, I focused on the expensive meal in front of me. I absolutely loved the caviar. It suited my tastes perfectly. I had to contain me joy, though. Didn’t want to look comical in front of the client, after all.

“Oh, we’ve been chattin’ up a storm, Mr. Shelby. I don’t want to leave your missus out of the conversation. How is the meal, dear?” Mr. Taylor asked me.

I covered me mouth as I hurried to swallow down the bite of scran I just took. I only spoke once I was sure me mouth was clear. I dropped me hand ‘n said. “Oh, it’s lovely.” I nodded me head for emphasis.

“How is the caviar? Have you had it before today?”

I shook me head. “No, today was my first time tasting it. I thought it was delicious.” 

“Oh, well. I’m glad that it suited your taste.”

I nodded and gave him a polite smile. Tommy reached under the table and squeezed me hand. Almost reassuringly. Luckily, after that little “inclusion,” the conversation ended ‘n it was back to only them. Fine by me, to be honest. 

It seemed that this meeting was coming to an end when a man walked up to Mr. Taylor and whispered something into his ear. Mr. Taylor stood up as did we. “Well, looks like I’m needed elsewhere. It was a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Shelby.” They shook hands ‘n then he took my hand. “And it was nice meeting you, Ms. Welsh.”

I let out a little, “Likewise.” 

Mr. Taylor let after that. Me eyes darted to Tommy and I asked, discreetly. “He’s still paying the bill, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, thank God.” And with that, we sat back down. “That seemed like it went well.” I chimed.

Tom was busy lighting another ciggie. “Yes, it did.” 

Now I was busy debating whether to ask him if he knew there was a loo in this joint, if I should just walk ‘round ‘til I found one, or just hold it.

“If you need to use the restroom, there’s one for ladies ‘round the corner.” Tommy muttered. 

Me head snapped toward him. “Huh?”

He sighed before smiling. “I said if you need to use the lavatory, then there’s one over there.” He pointed to a door, which a woman came out of.

“Oh.” I looked back at ‘em with a pout. “I knew that.” I got up and walked to it. 

 After I handled me business, we left the restaurant ‘n began walking again. On the way, I had to beg Tommy to go through the park. I just admired the scenery, honestly. I’ve been in the park loads of times with the girls. But only the lord knows when I’d get a chance like this again.

I was walking a little bit ahead of Tommy. I was taking big steps while twirling ‘round. “Oh, come on, Tommy! Live a little!” I shouted as I was still twirling.

“I live plenty.” He rebutted.

I rolled me eyes as I said. “Boo!” I put me thumbs down for emphasis, but it ended up making me laugh. I twirled front and started teetering me head from left to right with me hands locked behind me back.

Just as I turned me head ‘round, a gust of wind blew through me hair. A very picturesque moment, if I do say so meself. If only I had a hat.

I hurried to fix me hair which made Tommy laugh. “Oh, do one!” I shouted. I swatted his chest once he walked up to me. Tommy was still laughing as he helped me fix me hair. I stuck me tongue out at him.

“You know. I’d say you are more petulant than Ada and Finn combined.” He quipped as he was still helping me.

Me jaw dropped slightly. “Isn’t that just a sophisticated way of calling me the biggest brat you’ve ever met?”

Tommy snickered with a shit-eating grin on his face. “Can never get one passed you, can I?”

I glared at him. “No. No, you can’t.” I shook me head before I bursted into a fit of giggles. 

After that whole fiasco, I made sure to stop twirling ‘n stuff. I walked side-by-side with him. I had a really strong urge to hold his hand, but I fought it. I’m just used to doin’ that is all. I hold all of the girls’ hands whenever we’re out. Angie tried fighting me off at first, ‘cause— manners. But I broke her down! Tina just went along with it, though. I’m guessing she just wanted to avoid conflict.

We made small talk, but mainly basked in the silence. It was nice. I was focusing on kicking a pebble when I heard Tommy scoff.

“What?” I asked while not looking up.

“What did the pebble ever do to you?” He asked in a teasing manner.

Me head shot up and I stopped kicking the pebble. I shouted in surprise since I walked ahead of the pebble, but sighed in defeat as I decided to just keep walking. 

Tommy shook his head.

I pouted. “You made me lose it.”

“There’s plenty more. Choose another.”

I pouted harder while crossing me arms. “No, that one was mine.”

Tommy sighed while shaking his head. I could see his grin from the corner of me eye which made me smile as well.

The moment we exited the park, Tommy made it clear that we were going home. I shrugged and accepted it. The car ride was, for its majority, silent. I had me eyes closed and I was letting the wind flow through me hair.  

I like it when the wind froze me ears. My comfort action wasn’t sucking me thumb rather I played with me ears. I played with me pa’s ears too. I missed being able to do it from time to time.

When I felt that we were near the house, I sat up straight ‘n opened me eyes. Tommy parked in front ‘n I opened the car door.

“Well, thanks for the day out. And for the fancy meal. And for the new clothes.” I was abar to step out of the car when I remembered a certain promise I made. I pivoted me body ‘round and kicked his shin.

He hissed. “The fuck!”

I cackled as I jumped out of the car. “Said I’d do it, didn’t I?” I skipped over to the pavement and then twirled ‘round to get one last look at him.

He was shaking his head. “Ali!” He called out to me. 

I threw him a mocking look. “What?”

He beckoned me with two fingers ‘n I’d be lying if I said that that didn’t have no effect on me. So, I walked up to his window ‘n repeated meself.

I stared into his eyes as he said. “Your hair looks better when it’s down. I wanted to tell ya that.” I blinked in response. Flabbergasted, I was. “I had a nice time too. Night, Aliena.”

I whispered. “Night, Tommy.” He started up the engine and I instinctively stepped back. I watched as he drove off before a hand came up to me hair ‘n I stroked a strand of it. A smile creeping up on me.

I ran up to me room soon after ‘n threw meself on the bed. Me thoughts were racing a million miles per hour. 

What the hell was today? Why did he decide to spoil me of all people? He could’ve taken out Polly, no? Or, his brothers? But it wasn’t just a free business lunch, he bought me clothes and a necklace. 

Oh my god, the necklace! It was a simple locket necklace, but it was jewelry from him, nevertheless! Whose picture would I put in it? I would have put me parents in it, but…

And I can’t bloody well put Tommy in it! Maybe I should put Polly and Cassie. 

I twirled a strand of me hair ‘round me finger.

Maybe I should start wearing me hair down more often. 

I grabbed me pillow ‘n squealed into it while kicking me legs.

You know, this could be boiled down to an inferiority or superiority complex. I have rich friends who shower me with expensive gifts ‘n maybe this was a show that he could do it too now.

I shrugged me shoulders with an facial expression to match.

Who cares. His attention was practically all on me today ‘n it felt like a date.

Even though, it really wasn’t.

I began squealing in me pillow again!

TAG LIST: @amirahiddleston @nemesis729​ @salvatoreitmeanssaviour @tlfshelby1 @halepea @lilymurphy03 @marsfireeyes @masumiyetimziyanoldu @i-love-superhero​ @thatweirddaydreamer​ @xxbeckybeexx-blog

[straighttohellbuddy]

World building is the best tbh. I’m forever world building and now I have several worlds to play in and my neurodivergent brain cannot stay still enough to focus on one lmao. SLOWBURN ROMANCES ARE MY LITERAL JAM LIKE PLS!!! I LOVE THEM!! Also!!!! Concepts!!!! Pls share!!!! I love learning about the worlds of my fave fics and I can hands down say right now that this fic will literally shoot to the top of my list of favourites which means you’ll occupy the top three spots. Sorry to hear that ur feeling rough, so am sending u the biggest hug. I’m not okay but I’m taking care of myself today so that I will be 🧡-🐈‍⬛

alsjfsldkjf i have too many worlds TBH, literally one of the best parts of my 2020 was writing for the classic rock fandom and writing one of my good friend’s ocs alongside mine, like there’s so many different worlds that our two characters have now, i’m like 26k deep into a high school au that i need to get back to at some point, and then i wrote a oneshot abt the high school au but they’re adults, and then there’s also the original timeline, and then there’s the present day in the original timeline where they have kids and i probably care too much about people who aren’t real...... hahaha

OKAY OKAY OKAY HERE WE GO I’LL GIVE KIND OF AN OVERVIEW OF THE ALBUMS AND A FEW SONGS BUT IF U WANT ME TO GO IN DEPTH ON ANY OTHER SONG JUST ASK!!!

yes i have a playlist for each, if you wanna hear how i interpret the vibes of the songs. if you interpret them differently, thats awesome!! i’d love to hear y’all’s opinions on them!!

testing one two - the first ep they release, the song titles are mostly themed (fast forward, press play, pause, rewind), but are mostly things y/n has been working on for a while but never got around to finishing, things they are rather proud of. i see you shiver with... is the first song they wrote specifically for the album, and it’s the last song on the EP because it’s a Rocky Horror reference; i see you shiver with...

a n t i c i p a t i o n - first full album!! the vibe is Hopeful But Hesitant it has all the songs from the ep, plus some new ones!! collabs with youtube musicians troye and dodie, and y/n’s label sets up a collab that turns into a genuine friendship. the breakout dance hit is what else is there to say ft. Troye Sivan, which is about not knowing what to make content about when it feels like you’ve already told the world everything. it featured the prechorus and hook

You, know, ev-ery-thing about me / gave it all for free / my life in HD / So, let’s dance, let me see your hips sway / we’re gonna be okay / what else is there to say?

So say that you love me, say that you love me, say that you love me / let’s die hand in hand. / I’ll tell you I love you, tell you I love you, tell you I love you / supply and demand. 

personally, i also conceptually enjoy srs bsns which is a really upbeat song about how they don’t care if people don’t take them seriously because they know in their heart that what they’re doing is good

hyperfocus - 2nd EP, a pretty substantial departure from their usual style, but also happens to quietly be Corpse’s favourite, and is actually y/n’s most polarising, because it has both the Grammy award winning HEARTBURN and the o brother where art thou which was written partially as a joke to capture a fond moment of them and 5SOS dicking around together in a hotel. written while on tour wit 5SOS, im writing the reader as having ADHD (because I have ADHD and i can do what i want), and the backstory is that they’d changed the medication/dosage they were taking, and as it’s their first full tour, they were under a lot of stress and were in a weird place mentally and emotionally, and hyperfocus is the result of that. i’m going through some stuff has HUGE agoraphobic vibes. 

HEARTBURN has the same vibes as Florence + The Machines’ Howl. It’s about being a demon without saying that or directly implying that unless you know demons real well. This is when the pressure for them to confirm their identity got real bad, and it was their way of working through those emotions.

tear in existence in the shape of a person / when i’m seeing clearly i can’t see myself / world can’t swallow what it can’t get it’s teeth into / got everything i wanted but i ain’t got my health

Got heart-burn--- / I’ll tear me apart / I’ll tear you apart / I’ll tear me apart. 

SCREAM gets rereleased as a remixed single featuring Fall Out Boy the following year. It won the MTV music award for best collaboration in 2018. 

In the time between hyperfocus and working on it, Y/N releases several singles, including a cover of Tell Him by The Exciters to be featured in To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. They also take time to sort out their health, do a little bit more YT stuff, and travel internationally to do festivals. 

working on it - is kind of a middle ground between their original stuff, and hyperfocus, like pop-punk meets horror-pop meets whatever you’d classify halsey as. the first three songs were mostly written before the fic starts, so before they’re getting back to YT, but the last three, nightmare scenario, designed to hurt (touch me), and not scared were all written after they’d started hanging out with sykkuno and corpse. 

in-universe, imposter syndrome was originally something else, along the same lines of tired that they’re hiding that they’re a demon, but after meeting corpse nd sykkuno and having people who know, and lowkey being influenced by corpse’s music, the song changes directions, and YO OKAY YO::

I literally am so fucking flattered, my darling friend @bingusmode​ wrote lyrics for imposter syndrome and I’ve been yELLING about them ever since i’ve read them!! (also bunnie is fantastic and lovely in general 10/10)

if you thought you saw me 

i’d think about it twice

cuz while i know i’m naughty

everybody thinks i’m nice

cutest giggles get me

places that i long to be

but it’s not long before

everybody hates me

when you figure out i’m fucked up

you’ll probably think that can’t be right

but babe my image runs to save me

cuz i’m ugly day and night

nothing good about me

not the angel that i seem

cuz i’m a piece of shit

and i’ll ruin your fuckin dreams

i’m an impostor babe

you better run for your life

cuz there’s a bloodlust runnin through me

and you’re dripping off my knife

there’s no one here to save you

cuz you ate up all my lies

so beg me while you can

and draft up all your goodbyes 

if any of y’all are inspired by anything i put out, feel free to take it and run!! you have my blessing!! i am so overwhelmingly flattered by people who like my stuff enough to create because of it, directly or indirectly! lyrics, art, songs, anything!! legit! I love you!!

okay so designed to hurt (touch me) has big House of Memories by Panic! At The Disco vibes, and YES it’s about Corpse. YES it sends mixed messages. YES it has greek myth imagery and YES that imagery is confusing. not sure if any of these sets of lyrics actually go after each other but also idk??

will my fall from grace be graceful / as each move i see you make? / propped up on pedestals side by side / beneath our feet they shake / i’m the only one to hear you ask  / “What have they done to me?” / My boy, your wax throne is sun-drenched / you’ll fall in the name of your legacy.

eyes like yours watched rome burn / while hands like mine lit the pyre / we both heard me say we’d go down in flames / now you’re turning me into a liar / since you smile like that, like you can’t feel the sting / and we both know i can’t feel the fire

been telling myself i’m designed to hurt / but, baby, aren’t we a sight? /

check your reflection, your angles, apollo / you’re icarus in the right light /

we’re on the edge, i’m not scared to fall / we’ll take refuge in the night /

been telling yourself you’re designed to hurt / but, baby, doesn’t this feel right?

also, albumtouralbumtour is a reference to Bohemian Rhapsody.

OKAY AND FINALLY

n o s t a l g i a - the album the reader’s working on during the fic.

literally as i was writing this, bunnie sent through some FIRE lyrics for how the light gets in, (@bingusmode) i am going to be thinking about these on REPEAT for the next MONTH BRUV

little bit of darkness, treat me like a toy 

i got my hopes up and got them destroyed

bitter taste of regret sitting heavy on my tongue

can’t believe i let you convince me that you were the one

sitting here in silence, fabric running thin

petals burning in my lungs and stealing oxygen

embers from a cigarette falling to the floor

god i can’t take anymore

so i stumble to the window and pull the shades

and the moon pours in like you threw a grenade

i can’t understand why

i keep trying

cuz i never seem to win

but having any hope is how the light gets in 

from there, moment before impact ft. Billie Eilish is a club anthem along the lines of bad guy or COPYCAT, bass heavy with a drop that’s out of this world.

powdered pain, i’m in your veins / i’m the sting, the drip, the thing / you’re craving, but you hate to see me misbehaving / i heard my breakdown got you high / it’s true, but baby i can’t lie / i never got that rush, that burn / that makes you feel alive, i had to learn / to pick the slippery slope down which i fell / plan my pitstops on the way to hell / to pick my padding before i spiral / so if i break it’ll be in style

watch my misdirect, now freeze, / notice you can’t see the forest for the trees / you’re so desperate for my demise / but baby, i’ll make you watch me rise.

this is the moment before impact

controlled chaos, crash land / take a breath, trust the plan / i know you hope i’m not okay / you get off on my audio misery

controlled chaos, crash land / take a breath, trust the plan / i need you to know i want it this way / my breakdown won me a grammy

and this is the moment before impact

ur my favourite - interlude ft. sykkuno is probably one of my favourites, it’s just really soft, just a snippet of a conversation between the reader and sykkuno, maybe one of them told a joke and they both just sound real happy and sweet. its nice. it’s a nice moment.

means something is also for sykkuno!! it’s about how good-strange it is to be open and honest with friends, and how they usually aren’t but they’re glad they can be open and honest with him!!

meanwhile, i don’t think about u - interlude ft. CORPSE is a phonecall between corpse & the reader right after they announce they’re going to feature on acting like that, where corpse asks if they do this sort of thing to spite him, to which the reader responds ‘do i consider you when i’m making decisions about my career? no, corpse, actually i don’t think about you at all’ which then directly contrasts the song that ends the album, which is (how it feels to be) beautiful fireworks, which is essentially ‘i know how hard it is to exist like this, to be the centre of attention, to give off light and bring people joy, even when you’re in pain. i’m here for you. i love you.’

okay, i swear im done now, i’ll get back to writing the fic! (also i cannot BELIVE i managed to figure out how to embed those playlists but im so happy) edit: it didn’t actually work when i posted the ask, so anyways im sorry but y’all are abt to be spammed with playlists because i care too much abt this fic

[saiilorstars]

Princess

// Part 1  • Part 3 //

Ch.2: Charms 

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Female OC

Story Summary: Steve asks his new friend to help his best friend Bucky deal through all the memories Hydra has left behind in his head. It’s just that Bucky doesn’t see how she’s going to be able to do that.

Chapter Summary: Bucky struggles to avoid Chloe and put those wrong feelings to rest. Meanwhile, Chloe is still under the idea that she's done something so wrong that Bucky won't see her anymore.

Taglist: @ocfairygodmother​ @anotherunreadblog​

[There’s a part 2 because someone asked and I can never say no :)]

There wasn't a lot of things that made sense. One of those things was Bucky suddenly choosing not to continue seeing Chloe after a week or so. It was simply too much and for him, that was saying something. He just couldn't understand how the hell all this happened, much less why it had to happen.

Chloe Winters had been sent to help him and he chose - no, no, some part of him chose - to like her just a bit too much. He tried to get past it, focus on what she was instructing him to do. It wasn't like he was short on bad memories to focus on but it seemed like each time he and Chloe were in the middle of the sessions, his mind liked to seek out new details about her that he hadn't noticed before. Her long tresses of blonde hair actually had strands that were slightly darker than others. She actually had a half-formed dimple on her left cheek. It didn't always come out but then again, when did he ever make her smile? That honor mostly went to the annoying silly-putty man. Angel Face. That annoying nickname Sam appropriated on her God knew how long ago actually started making sense. There were just times when he was lucky enough to see a mischievous glint in her otherwise angel eyes.

Bucky was sure that if Steve were to find out what was running through his head these days, he would laugh to the moon. But no. No one could find out. Absolutely nobody.

It's why he had to quit the sessions. Perhaps he could gain some type of control over this if he wasn't so close to Chloe. Control. What a terrible word that was. It could possibly haunt him for the rest of his life. He hadn't had control over himself in years and that would stop now. He would have control of himself at least in this aspect of his life, more for Chloe's sake than his. She was young, she didn't need any of this, much less from him. He still vividly remembered her reaction during their last session which was what ultimately pushed him to do one good thing in his life after all the bad.

"You're really not focusing," Chloe had noticed straightaway his lack of attention.

Even with his eyes shut, Bucky imagined the frown she often put on that was more or less of a pout instead. When he opened his eyes, he confirmed. It was alarming how quickly he began to memorize some of her habits. Whether that was part of the enhanced abilities he had or his brain was just that attuned to her, he was not sure. He didn't want to know either.

"Okay, c'mon!" Chloe huffed, inadvertently fanning him with her breath. There was remnants of a sweet cinnamon scent in the air. Her eyes snapped open and met his, not looking the least bit bothered by their incredible closeness. They seemed to narrow, actually. "You want to tell me what's going on or are we just going to keep dancing around in these sessions?" She didn't mean to sound angry but she was a bit frustrated that this wasn't working anymore. It meant she wasn't working anymore. She wasn't able to help him. Recently, she found that she really liked helping him. It certainly brought out some of those nice personality traits Steve swore he had. Chloe was personally interested in seeing that charming smile Bucky was rumored to have. She'd seen some of the old photographs circling through the Smithsonian museum and yes, he really did have a charming smile. She wanted to see it in person (not at her though, of course not). Moreover, if Bucky was capable of producing one of those smiles, it meant he was on a road that would ultimately lead to recovery.

But clearly she was failing to help him.

She got further confirmation when Bucky practically recoiled from her. He'd realized it was different being this close to her when they both had their eyes opened and were looking at each other. Foreheads touching, locked gazes, knees brushing against each others and her sweet floral scent? How was he supposed to control himself when all the odds were against him?

It was flat out terrifying how much he was affected by her. Even when his mind was frazzled, he couldn't remember another moment like this in his life. What did Chloe possess that she had him bitter sweetly suffering for her? Moreover, why couldn't he stop?

Was this just another consequence of Hydra? He lost that trait in him that once allowed him to glide through women like nothing? That's stupid, he concluded. As if Hydra would ever take that into consideration. No. This was all him. So it begged the question again...why was it happening now? This was the worst time possible.

"Are you just going to keep staring at me or what?" Chloe's sharp tone pulled Bucky back to the present...a torturous present. Her frustration was evident in her narrowed eyes. That was something else he learned about her. She was very easily irritated.

"I can't..." He decided, pushing himself up from his seat.

"What—" Chloe frantically followed his movements and rushed up to her feet. "What's going on? Did I do something? Did I not do something I should've?"

There was the other thing, a trait that often upset Bucky. Each time Chloe felt like she'd done something wrong, she panicked. And when she panicked, she frantically tried fixing it like she had something to prove. He was a bit familiar with that. Someone else used to do that back in the day.

"Should we change something? Do you want me to change something!? Just tell me-"

"Chloe stop before you can't breathe," Bucky had to practically command her before she actually went blue in the face. "I just don't want to do this anymore."

"But why not?" She bit her lip. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No..."

She didn't buy it. "People always tell me when I do something wrong so if I did do something wrong, just tell me so I can fix it. You won't hurt my feelings. I'm very used to this."

That twisted something in his stomach. She should not be used to that. No one should ever make her feel like that. Bucky tried ignoring the flash of anger that crossed him.

"What did I do?" Chloe asked again, her tone softening as she waited to hear the mistakes she so clearly believed she made.

"Nothing," Bucky assured her even though it wasn't completely the truth. Se had done something but she hadn't at the same time. The best thing he could do was to remove himself - he had the option to do so.

"Well, that's just a lie—"

"We're done, Chloe." Bucky turned away before she blinked at him with those big eyes of hers. Removing himself quite literally meant removing himself from the situation. Until he discovered a way to end these confusing thoughts, he would have to put some decent distance between him and Chloe.

~ 0 ~

In the following days, Chloe tried her hardest to figure out where she'd gone wrong. She honestly thought that she'd done everything like she was supposed to. She'd taken things very seriously and done what she could to help ease Bucky's nerves. Where had she gone wrong? It wasn't long before she noticed that he was trying to keep away from her. She was thoroughly stumped.

"You can't get upset over it," Sam said to her one afternoon. "Guy like him? His mind's all over the place."

"I'm not upset, I'm...irritated," Chloe admitted. At first she'd been truly upset that it was her fault Bucky decided to end the sessions but she slowly came to the same conclusion that Sam suggested. "I'm irritated because he won't help me help him. I can't tweak my strategies if I don't know what's wrong with them."

Sam shook his head at her. "Oh c'mon, try to forget about it for a while."

"I can't," Chloe admitted with a heavy sigh.

"Why not?"

Chloe didn't answer straightaway. There was too much going on in her head and for once it wasn't because of the Hive Mind. She wasn't one to dwell so much but this one...this one had her. She couldn't get rid of the urge she felt to help Bucky. She helped a lot of people in the past but there was just something different this time 'round.

Just forget the charming smile, she berated herself as that's what was keeping her tied to the problem. It wasn't. There was plenty more and she hated to admit it. But she would be the biggest idiot if she ever admitted that to Sam. He would have field day with that information.

"I just can't," she whispered.

Sam watched her carefully as a heavy feeling fell over her angel face. "Hey, I got an idea. A distraction."

"Yeah, what do you have?"

Sam smirked. "A bet."

For all her troubles, Chloe Winters loved a good bet.

~0~

Endless huffs and groans carried out from the compound's training room. Some of them were a bit worrisome and others made it sound like there was a child or rather an angry teenager who wasn't getting her way. Bucky wasn't sure if it was normal to immediately recognize those sounds but the reality is that he did, and perfectly too. He could've walked away - or he could've kept walking - but he didn't. With a heavy sigh, he came into the right room - a training room - and found Chloe resting her head against a a long, black staff. She was frustrated.

She was obviously training, or perhaps trying to, he'd caught her a few times in the room with Dimples. Today it seemed like she was on her own. She was wearing fitted black pants and a black jacket with the outstanding silver zipper in the middle. Her long hair was parted into two double-dutch braids that ended at the nape of her neck. Even upset she still looked—

"I can feel you staring," her eerie calm voice actually startled him. The irony.

"Sorry, I was—"

Chloe pulled her head from the staff and looked his way with sharp eyes. "Watching me fail? Yeah, I think you've been getting a show from me lately." She turned completely to face him.

"I already told you that you did nothing wrong—"

Chloe waved him off. "Fine, fine. But listen," she twirled the staff in her hand around, "Can you just tell Steve that you decided you didn't want to continue with the sessions? Because if he asks me one more time what happened, I'm going to forget that I love him dearly and I'm going to kill him."

As much Bucky fought the urge to — and he really did fight it — his lips curved into a smile that soon turned into an actual chuckle.

"Don't laugh!" Chloe pointed at him but her own growing smile defeated the purpose of her scold. "I mean it. He's been driving me crazy with all these questions. And don't even give me the crap that I stand no chance against the Captain America because I swear to you that I would find a way."

"I have no doubt that you would," Bucky's words were honest and he only realized it after he'd said them. For some reason, instead of things being chill and distant between them, everything seemed to melt away. He eyed the staff she was holding a bit too tightly. "Are you alright?"

Knowing where his attention had gone to made Chloe pull the staff behind her back as if that would completely hide it from view. "Let's just say that I may have made a bad decision..."

"I think I'm no stranger to that." He should stop talking and leave but his feet were glued to his current spot. It became permanent when Chloe smiled at his comment.

"Sorry," she bit her lower lip. "I know that given your situation, you must think that my problems are petty..."

"I don't," Bucky shook his head. He didn't blame her for her thought logic but he most certainly wasn't going to let her believe it was true. "What's bothering you?"

Chloe upheld his gaze until the warmth on her face got the best of her. She appreciated his interest even when things between them weren't as great as they could've been. "It's this bet I made with Sam. I'm supposed to beat him at a spar using—" she brought the staff from her back for show, "—this. But here's the thing..." Her entire face fell flat. "I suck." Once more, Bucky lost the battle with against laughing. Chloe tried her best not to look as irritated as she would've been had somebody else laughed at her. "I'm not kidding! Staffs just aren't my thing."

"Then how exactly have you been putting up a fight?"

"I used to be a gymnast when I was younger so I've sort of transferred some of those moves into my fighting skills. Plus, I know combat I just...don't do well with staffs for some reason." She narrowed her eyes at the staff beside her. "I hate them."

"Why'd you bet with him in the first place, then?"

"Because I make bad decisions!"

This time Bucky didn't laugh but he couldn't say the same about the smiling. He just couldn't stop. He was used to doing a lot of fighting but he was beginning to suspect that this one wasn't going to be so easily won. In fact, when he volunteered himself to give Chloe pointers and she beamed...the fight was nearly lost.

"So what exactly is this bet anyways?" He asked after she'd handed him her staff. "And how do I make sure that Sam loses?"

Chloe laughed. It was angelic too. Goddammit this is ridiculous, Bucky inwardly huffed. Maybe he was exaggerating or something — nobody could sound that type of beautiful by just laughing.

"Well, if he wins then I have to be that wing-woman I said I'd never be and go dancing with him," she explained, completely missing the deep frown that crossed Bucky's face.

"Dancing?" How exactly was that supposed to help anyone?

"It's this ruse we both do when we want make someone jealous," Chloe shrugged. "Last time, I scored a date with a CEO guy. Didn't last but you get the idea. It works."

"Yeah..." Bucky struggled to keep his teeth from visibly gritting together. How could he hate an idea so much when he wasn't even involved?

"And if I win, then he buys me dinner from my favorite place."

"Doesn't sound like he's giving up much," Bucky said, barely hiding the sour tinge in his tone.

Chloe smirked. "That place is extremely expensive. I like expensive things. And be assured that if I win, I will make him spend hundreds of dollars."

"But you said you're not good..."

"Right. So I'm going to need those pointers of yours." Chloe made a gesture with her hand for Bucky to get started. She was all ears.

"I need to see how you're fighting with a staff before I give any advice," he tossed her the staff back and watched her fumble to catch it. "Well, there's one thing right there."

At his subtle teasing, she brandished the staff at him like it was a sword. "Watch it," she warned, her eyes slightly narrowing. "I told you that I"m not an idiot. I don't know how to fight with a staff all that well but I do know some things."

"Let me see them."

"...what?"

"Let me see what you're doing." Bucky pulled his arms behind his back and put on a stance of waiting.

Chloe lifted an incredulous eyebrow at him. He was serious. "In the history of an unfair fight, this—" her finger switched between him and her, "—takes the cake. You're not doing this to me."

"Just do it."

Chloe huffed but prepared herself for an attack. She wouldn't dream of winning against him but the least she could do was give him a good whack for pulling this on him. When she went in for the first try, Bucky easily deflected it and still took notice of her mistakes. One of the first things he noticed — and perhaps was most amused by — was her easily irritability. She wasn't huffing nor growling but her face was as red as tomatoes each time he took the upper-hand.

He finally grabbed the staff when it almost hit the side of his head but even that wasn't very strong either. He swiftly snatched it from her hand and brandished it against her forehead. "You're dead," he announced.

She rolled her eyes and pushed the staff off her. "Tell me something I don't know. Sam's going to kick my ass and I'll have to be his wing-woman. Don't be fooled, there's a lot to the job."

"You don't need to become better overnight, you just need to know enough to beat him."

"And how do I do that?" Instead of verbally answering her, he wielded the staff against her but before he actually did anything with it, she pushed it aside. "I don't care if you were the Winter Soldier, if you actually hurt me I will get you back for it. It might not be now nor that obvious, but I did grow up with an older brother so I know my way around tricks."

At this point, Bucky wouldn't even try to hide his amusement. He laughed. Chloe smiled triumphantly. She'd been working her way to that line and it felt good seeing it pay off. She hadn't seen his charming smile but hearing his laugh was just as good. She wondered how he sounded back before anything happened to him. It must have been nice to see.

She cleared her throat when the warmth on her face was too much. "So, tips?"

Bucky nodded. "The trick to this is simple—"

"I'm sure," she folded her arms, smirking when he rolled his eyes at her.

"Stop trying to learn all these different moves to win. You only need two max."

"Okay, so what would you recommend?"

"Like I said, something simple. I'm guessing that because Sam knows you're, uh, not that good with the staffs, he won't be expecting you to actually do something. He'll most likely watch you fumble and maybe laugh a bit—"

Chloe's face had fallen flat the moment he stated going off on that tangent. "Anytime you want to actually show me something would be great." She saw the smirk on Bucky's face too late. The staff had suddenly come across her legs and knocked her flat on her back. Just as she raised her head, the staff pushed against her throat.

"That good enough for you?" He looked down at her with such a sarcastic expression that in that moment, Chloe forgot all about charming nonsense and glared with glowing blue eyes.

"Some people have the courtesy to point this—" she tapped the staff, "—at your chest, not your throat! That hurts!"

"It's what anyone would expect," Bucky pulled the staff from her throat and offered her his flesh hand instead. "But you can't deny and say that it's not simple enough. You can definitely get it."

Chloe took his hand and was easily pulled to her feet. "Did you forget the part where I don't own any of that super soldier strength? You have seen Sam, right? I didn't fight in a war - I was a gymnast for God's sake! I still am but with an alien Hive Mind inside my head!"

"Don't sell yourself short, Chloe," Bucky said, earnestly. "I've seen your fighting skills and they are good. You just can't be good at everything." That would make her insanely perfect. "But you can beat Wilson. I know you can."

Chloe blushed all of a sudden. Stop that, she snapped at herself. It was one thing to think about smiles and another to, well...do that. He wouldn't be the first man to 'believe in her' - this was the home of the Avengers. Steve Rogers was chock-full of 'believe in you' speeches and Tony wasn't that far behind (in his own spectacular way he delivered the speeches just as fine as Steve did).

But she met Bucky's gaze and felt her entire body warm up.

"So, um...what-what do you think I should do?" She asked. She crossed her arms over her chest as she fought the inner battle of her self-consciousness.

"Exactly what I just did. Use the sweep strike first then the downward thrust. You can't do the latter if you don't do the former. Try it," he tossed her the staff which she barely caught. "And use all of your strength. You should be fine with one blow because the staffs are pretty dense themselves. Try it."

Chloe clutched the staff with both of her hands. "I swear to God if you laugh—"

"Why would I laugh?" The smile on his face betrayed his intentions.

"How the hell are you friends with Steve Rogers, a.k.a. the nicest man on the planet?"

"I'm not nice?"

Chloe took all her annoyance and put it into her moves. She swept the staff down below but instead of doing what had been done to her, Bucky grasped the staff and used his grip on it to pull her towards him. She yelped when her entire body did a spin and her back hit Bucky's chest. "What the fuck just happened?" Her wide eyes blinked several times.

She felt Bucky's body rumble behind her as he laughed. She looked at their position, still trying to figure out how the hell it happened. His metal arm was wrapped around her waist while his other hand held onto her staff. As annoyed — and confused — as she was, there was a mighty tingle that ran down her back. If she stayed perfectly still, she could feel his breath tickling the side of her neck from his laughter. It seemed like she had a very good talent at making him laugh. She'd take it.

"Having fun there, Sergeant?" She looked up at him with a smirk on her face.

"Maybe," he admitted. He was. He really, really was. It was the first time he had a good laugh since...a very long time ago. He met Chloe's waiting gaze and found her delightfully close. Her pink lips were still curled into an alluring smirk that was begging for someone to cover with their own. He swallowed hard. That'd been a very dangerous thought.

"Glad to hear it," Chloe whispered, sounding a bit distant. Apart from the charming smiles and laugh, she was discovering the blue of his eyes. She was at a much better angle to gaze into them and she was not disappointed.

Someone cleared their throat at the head of the room, breaking them apart in a second. Bucky thanked his lucky stars that it was Dimples and not Steve because he wouldn't hear the end of it.

"I came to see if you needed some help with that stupid bet you made with Sam," Seren awkwardly folded her arms over her chest.

"I got it, thanks," Chloe was quick to say with a tight smile. Goodbye is what she wanted to say. Unfortunately, things went in a very different direction.

"I tried giving her some advice, but feel free to help her," Bucky pulled his arm from Chloe and handed her the staff back.

"Bucky, wait—" Chloe reached out for him but he was already crossing the room. She groaned as soon as he was gone. "Well thanks a lot, Seren!"

The ginger lifted an incredulous eyebrow at her. "What?" She didn't know whether to laugh or not. "I just wanted to help—"

"You could've helped by keeping your orange head out of this!"

"Chloe!" Seren frowned, one of her hands raising to her ginger hair. "That's not nice."

"Go tell Steve or something."

Seren rolled her eyes. "Chloe, you can't do that."

"Do what?"

"That. Whatever I just walked into, it shouldn't be happening." Seren shook her head, putting on that motherly tone Chloe often came across with. "It's not right and you should be focused on helping Bucky."

"Yeah, well, he didn't seem so against being that close," Chloe smirked.

"Chloe," sighed Seren. "I just feel like Bucky has a lot to deal with and you should try to help him not..." Her hands did an awkward gesture that had Chloe nearly laughing, "...you know...try to kiss him or something!"

"Oh, but would that be so bad?" Chloe bit on her lower lip. The more she considered the idea, the more inclined she was to it.

"Oh Chloe, don't set yourself up to get hurt," Seren genuinely wished her friend would think things through before she tried to do anything. She could only hope that Chloe would heed her advice.

~ 0 ~

He'd seen Chloe kick Sam's ass and seeing Sam's stunned face was such a priceless moment that Bucky would be placing it at the top of his best memories. Chloe had been so proud of herself that even the loser himself had to laugh with her in the end. He offered Chloe to buy her dinner there and then and while it had been a purely platonic offer, it fouled Bucky's mood in a second. He didn't want to admit it but somewhere inside he knew he seethed with jealousy that someone else had the opportunity to buy Chloe dinner and he couldn't.

It was just one of the many opportunities he'd lost because of Hydra. Losing himself was always the biggest loss he suffered but now that he was 'back' to the world, living decently he started discovering that there were other losses he hadn't even considered. Taking a girl out to dinner was just one of those losses he was discovering. And it hurt. For centuries the only pain he felt was an physical one and somehow that seemed to pale in comparison. This type of hurt was carried around all day, all the time, and enhanced whenever she was around. He could be near her for a few minutes before he had to make himself scarce to avoid any trouble.

Chloe noticed straightaway. She had hoped that after their moment training things would be better for them, maybe even their sessions would start again. She just didn't understand what the hell was going on with him. She started to think that Seren was right — Bucky simply had too much going on and she couldn't get mad at that. If anything, she just wanted to help him. Because as much as he tried avoiding her, she could tell when his thoughts were getting to him. It actually pained her to see him in pain.

You're going to drive yourself crazy if you keep going on this path, she inwardly sighed. She had to face facts. Whatever problem Bucky had with her, she would never find out. She simply had to move past it.

But as soon as she walked into the lounge room and saw Bucky pacing back and forth with a clear problem on his mind, she knew that it was going to be impossible. His pacing was slightly heavy with his feet dragging here and there. It was like whatever was going through his head was distracting enough to interrupt his walk.

"Bucky?" She called but, unsurprisingly, he didn't even notice she'd come in. She heard him muttering things but couldn't make out what he was saying. "Hey, Bucky!"

He said nothing but did wave her off, and rather harshly too. Chloe didn't think it was on purpose — something bad was occupying his mind and if she could take a guess, she'd pick Hydra as the number one option.

If she could see in his mind at that moment she would catch all the flashes of dark moments passing through his head. He'd been lucky enough to have most of these episodes at night (never mind sleeping) but today...he wasn't that fortunate. He couldn't rid himself of the flashes, the voices, the blood. It was overwhelming him.

"Bucky, c'mon!" Chloe sprinted towards him, catching him just as he turned around. "What's the matter—"

"I need to be alone!" He practically yelled.

"And I need to be stronger...apparently!" She said as he so easily walked her back in his pacing. "C'mon, talk to me!"

"I can't!" He finished his pacing once again and turned in the opposite direction.

Chloe watched him do two more rounds before she decided to help him whether or not he wanted it. He needed it. She waited for him to turn around again then promptly slapped her hands to his temples. Bucky blinked twice before a funny feeling came over him and his eyes fell shut. The 'funny feeling' wasn't anything to do with his latest affection for Chloe.

The memories started slowing down, giving him the chance to breathe for the first time since the last hour. He could see a warm blue glow around him that even though he had no idea what it was, it just made him feel good...relaxed. An odd faint noise filled his ears but it was difficult making out what it was.

"You're good, trust me," he perfectly heard Chloe's voice over the noise. He could open his eyes but for some reason he didn't want to; whatever power she had over him (her literal power) was much too peaceful to let go. With that mentality, his body easily followed her movements and before he knew it, she was gently sitting them on the couch, her fingers never once lifting from his temples.

"It's okay, you'll be okay," she whispered. He felt her forehead press against his just like she would in their sessions.

How long did he think he could escape anyways? She was just too close and...too helpful. As soon as he breathed in, he smelled her sweet floral scent again and that Moroccan hair perfume.

"Do you want to know something?" She suddenly asked and he was unsure whether or not it was to keep things from getting awkward or simply to share something to make him feel better. "The noise you hear? It's music."

"Is it alien?" The question slipped from him before he could realize. Still, it earned him one nice, soft laugh.

"No, it's completely human. These creatures I'm accidentally connected to...for some reason, when I feel them reaching out — whether or not they realize that I can feel them — and I know that they're in trouble, I just let them hear music. It seems to calm them down. I know it does the same for me when my head feels too crazy. Is it working for you too?"

"...yeah, actually, it is." Bucky could feel his mind clearing up little by little. Nothing was going at light speed anymore. His body was no longer tense...for the memories anyways. He opened his eyes to see Chloe with her own shut tight. She was deeply focused on the task. He'd spent a lot of time trying to avoid her so that this precise thing wouldn't transpire anymore...but he failed miserably. She was so close right now, one small movement and...

"I'm glad," she smiled lightly. "I told you that I knew a thing or two about having your mind invaded. I know that my troubles, my past, could never be as horrible as yours but trust me when I say that I would do anything to help you ease your pain. When Seren first found me, I was a wreck and she was so kind to me. She did everything she could to help me. I want to do that for someone too and despite your reservations about my abilities, I am happy that you gave me a chance for a time. I promise to do better."

"Chloe, I swear to you that I didn't end the sessions because of something wrong that you did."

Chloe finally opened her eyes to meet his. "Then why?" She whispered. "I thought...I thought we were doing good but then you..." She sighed. "You're honestly so confusing, and that's apart from everything else going on. You, as in you, are confusing me. One day you're helping me out win some bet and then you vanish from me."

"Yeah, I, uh, haven't been very clear..." And how could he be? He himself didn't know what the hell he was doing anymore. Like Chloe had said, that was apart from everything else. She herself was making him so confused. The sadder part was that no matter what he tried to do about it, it didn't help him in any way.

So really, what was the point in trying to do something about it if it wasn't yielding the results he needed? The words 'Just go for it' came too late as Bucky had already leaned forwards to kiss Chloe. She had a very small moment to be surprised about it before he was pulling away. Her blinking eyes locked with his. He was utterly guilt-ridden and yet, if he was being honest with himself, he wasn't sorry for doing it. He was merely sorry for whatever kindness Chloe would rescind from now on.

"I know, you're done," he started pulling her fingers off his temples when she yanked them out of his hands. He sighed. "It's why I avoi—"

"No, be quiet," she was quick to bring her hands to his face, her fingers spreading over his cheeks. "This is why we talk, dammit. Use words." Because if had used words to explain, then she could've very well skipped the quiet admiring thing she was trapped doing. She offered him a smile that may as well have been the faint music she'd played in his head to give the same peacefulness. She pulled one of her legs onto the couch as she shifted her body closer to his.

She pressed her lips against his for a kiss that promised to last longer than the first. Bucky's mind went soaring with new thoughts and feelings. His entire body felt a raging swarm of sparks that if he'd still been just his regular self in the 40s, he would've called crazy. There was no girl on the planet that could ever do all that with such a simple act.

As it turned out, there was.

He just had to go through a couple decades first.

But here she was in the end, giving him such delectable kisses. He couldn't get enough of her. Even when her body was against his, it wasn't enough. His arms wrapped around her waist to hold her. Her hands had come down from his face to his shoulders, gripping them as tightly as she could which wasn't a lot in comparison to his strength. He wouldn't comment on that. He loved feeling that urgency she had to hold him too. It wasn't as one-sided as he once thought.

But it's still not right! The sharp voice was quick to scold. It was enough of to yank him out of the moment.

Chloe missed the warmth as soon as his lips were gone. "Hold on—"

"It's not right, Chloe. I have no right pulling you into any of this. I'm the worst candidate for you—"

"I wasn't aware that I had candidates," she made a face.

"Trust me," Bucky ran a hand down a long curl of hers. "You definitely do and each one is a lot better than what you have in front of you. I'm nothing but darkness and you don't need that."

"I would appreciate if you gave me the power to choose what I want and don't want." In any other case, Chloe would've been nothing but irritated somebody was taking decisions for her but this wasn't any ordinary case. She had to tread carefully and most importantly not invalidate Bucky's feelings. "Listen to me," she once again shifted to get closer. Her hands cupped his face and tilted his head towards her. "You have done dark things but you are not dark." Bucky was midway scoffing when she gripped his head a little tighter, forcing his gaze to stay right on her. "You feel. Whether it's gloomy and grim, you feel. You have remorse for things that you had no control over and that's more than enough proof for me."

"I don't want to pull you down with me," he whispered. "I'm drowning."

"Oh honey, who says I'd let you drown?" She smiled at him, hoping to get one back from him too.

He didn't. In fact, he couldn't look at her. "I don't need you helping me out of any affection you think you might have."

"Don't go insulting me sweetheart. The reasons for my reservations on helping you came from a source of self doubt. I get a lot of things wrong around here. I'm sure you've heard about that already," Chloe swallowed roughly. "And even if I had any type of affection for you, it wasn't the reason why I wanted to help. You think Steve didn't tell us all about you before he brought you here? Hell, you think that the world didn't know who you were in the 40s? I knew that you were good, alright? I knew that you were a good person who bad stuff done to them. So let me keep helping, please."

Bucky finally looked at her and when he did, all that Chloe saw was 'why?'. Why bother to help him at all? She shook her head at him.

"Because you deserve help," she said simply. "And I would very much like to be the one to help. And along the way, if you'd like, we could have some dinner or something...?"

A light bemusement crossed Bucky's face. "Hold on...did you just ask me on a date?"

"Oh, that's all it took to get you out of your moment?" Chloe felt her face warm up to an insane point. She would absolutely take it. "Then yeah, I am. When you are ready, I would love to go on a date with you."

"Ah, doll face, you have no idea how much I'd like that." There was an underlying regret in his tone but Chloe wouldn't let him get away with it. She'd found what would help him get out of his 'gunk' and she would use every thing she had at her disposal.

"Doll face?" She grinned. "Is that my nickname? Did you finally come up with one for me?"

"No," he said and watched her pout dejectedly.

"What? Why not? I like it."

"Because...because I already had one for you way in the beginning." If he was finally putting everything out there, he might as well bring out the last bit.

"What is it, then?"

"Princess. And to be fair—" He started just as Chloe's eyebrows quirked into a not so pleased reaction, "—I thought of that the first time I met you. You were an absolute princess. Long, curly blonde hair and rosy cheeks? Are you kidding me?"

Chloe rolled her eyes but the playful smile on her face helped him relax. She wasn't going to be upset over it.

"You make the perfect facial expressions, and — no offence — but you kind of seemed like an air head in the beginning." He laughed when she gasped in offence and shoved him on the chest. "I was wrong, clearly!"

"You're a jerk! No—" she jabbed her finger to his chest each time she spoke, "—you're a flirt, a-a show off and I heard that you're a know-it-all too!"

"Stop talking to Steve about me!"

"Take the nickname back!"

"I don't think I will," he declared. And there went the adorable pout. "Because it's not all to do with your appearance anymore. You're a princess, and if I was lucky enough...I'd call you my Princess."

Chloe's face softened. "I'd like that," she whispered.

Bucky's gaze lowered. "Me too..."

"So let's take this step by step," Chloe's hands once more cradled his head. "Let's focus on your sessions. We can resume them and do everything we can to ease your recovery." Her fingers gingerly brushed her fingers through strands of his hair.

As much as he fought it, he let his eyes fall shut. She may have had the softest fingers and, well, he had a lot of fingers comb through his hair before the war happened. (He would never in his life admit that to her though, not unless he was suddenly stupid).

"Can we do that?" Chloe's voice filled his ears once more. "Help you?"

'Anything you want' nearly rolled off his tongue if he hadn't caught himself. His eyes snapped open and before he knew it, he was nodding. He wanted her and in order for that to happen, he needed to get better. He couldn't be anyone's 'someone' if he wasn't complete. He would dare to believe that he did deserve some type of help. He had to because then it would make no sense for him staying alive after so much.

"Help me please," he whispered.

Chloe smiled softly. "Of course. But can you do something for me first?"

"What?" He knew something good was coming the way she blushed in an instant.

"Can you...can you smile for me?" Her sheepish question was outright surprising.

"Smile?"

"It's just...I've seen countless pictures of you and people always said that you had a charming smile. Steve talked about it too. It's stupid, I know," she said, her eyes quickly darting to the side out of embarrassment.

While she was embarrassed, Bucky was soaring with smugness. "Really? Is that why you wanted to help me then? For one smile?"

"Shut up," she said quickly, her hand reaching up to her hair to tuck some of it behind her right ear. "Never mind. Let's just forget it and we can do another session or something."

"No, no," he reached out to her to stop her from getting off the couch. "You're doing so much for me, if I can pay with a smile then...why not?" He laughed.

Chloe blushed all over again but it all seemed to stop when he actually smiled at her. He did it with so much ease that she wondered at what point did he learn how to do it. Was he a young boy? Probably. It had to be.

"So c'mon, Princess, can I squeeze in a session right now?" He had the audacity to ask sweetly. He knew exactly what he was doing and Chloe would make a note to get him back for it later. "Well—"

Chloe practically lunged on him, her lips landing perfectly against his. Bucky swiftly caught her by the waist and pressed his metal hand against her back. He met her hungry kisses and matched them with his own. Neither really considered the idea that their impromptu makeout session could be cut short if someone were to walk in on and find them in their compromising positions. Chloe threw that thought out the moment she was able to wrap her legs around Bucky's waist and felt his hands roam her body. There was no concept of 'space' for either of them. All they knew was that they needed to be close to each other as possible and they suspected that this would be the reality for a long, long time.

Author's Note:

I swear that I'm trying to get my ideas sorted for this fandom and I'm not just writing crap. It just takes a while.

[callsignbaphomet]

△ hmmmmm, imma say screw the rules and ask ya three aimed at whoever ya feel like :3c What’s the most embarrassing thing your parents have caught you doing? What’s the biggest lie you’ve ever told without getting caught? What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever done in front of the mirror?

LOL three questions so three different OCs.

“Okay so when I was very little and human, of course, I loved to go fishing with my dads. Property they owned was huge and a river passed right through it. So we’d often go fishing. Now, we were a cattle ranch and like a lot of ranches we had several animals and one of these was a very old and very cranky chicken. We just called her Devilbird. Every time she laid eggs she was a nightmare to deal with. We’d gather eggs from all chickens except her. At one point one of my dads said we should just kill and eat her but my other dad had a soft spot for her. Anyway, one time the three of us went fishing and when we came back I was asked to get some herbs from the garden. That little herb garden is close to the chicken coup but the shortest route is to walk past the chickens.

One of my dads failed to mention he saw Devilbird had laid eggs so in order to reach said garden we’d have to go the long way. I took the short route and as soon as I walked in front of the chicken coup that crazy ass bird starts chasing me while flapping her wings so I ran as fast as I could. I’m screaming and yelling and she’s gaining up on me and I trip and fall right in front of my parents and that chicken starts pecking and scratching as hard as she can so one of them grabs a blanket and throws it on the chicken and but she starts attacking him as well while my other dad comes in and gets me back in the house. Long story short, we’re locked in our own house till Devilbird calms down and goes back to her eggs and I was crying mostly because I was scared and scratched up to hell.

Look, nobody ever wants to admit they get chased by a chicken but it’s embarrassing because I tripped and fell in typical horror movie fashion in front of the two toughest men I’ve ever known in my life.” - Ginger

“So one time I was visiting my parents I was home alone ‘cause Lo hadn’t arrived yet, Mum was working, Da was working so I had nothing to do but just watch tv. In comes my cousins as asks to be driven somewhere and I said no. She can’t drive till she’s 21 and her girlfriend didn’t know how to drive. Eventually I fall asleep and wake up when my phone rang and it was her.

She decided to be a little shit and take my car and crashed it and totaled the fuckin’ thing and then called me to help her. If she would’ve gotten caught driving she woulda been in serious trouble so I pretended like I was the one driving and said a fox came outta nowhere. Here’s the thing: she and her girlfriend were bruised up but I wasn’t and my parents and my aunt and uncle are not stupid. So when asked I just said my back hurt some but it wasn’t a big deal and they were bruised up because they got into a fight with some other girls earlier so I was driving them to the hospital where my mum works to have them checked out. Everyone bought it but something tells me the whole “my back hurts a little” thing didn’t convince my mum but it’s really hard to lie about that sorta shit when your mum’s a doctor so I think she let it slide.” - Jelani

“Opening wide and watching my teeth sharpen-change-whatever in front of a mirror. It doesn’t hurt but it feels like something or someone’s putting pressure on your gums. It’s trippy as hell watching some dull and flat teeth get longer and sharper. Do it only if you’re sober though. Makes for a bad trip, don’t recommend it.” - Angelus

[existentialburden]

all of the oc asks? (i’m on mobile so asks are weird)

oh!!! okay okay uh which oc oh no uhhhhhh Enny again!

how does your OC act around different people and how does their personality change to match the environment they’re in? how do they act with: friends, family, strangers, children, or their lover(s)?

Enny is a sliding scale. with the mains, she’s spiteful, cold, and just flat out mean, carefully choosing her words before speaking so everything comes out the way she wants it to. with alt Kodi, she lets any exhaustion show and she’s more relaxed, talking about her interests more and casually teasing him. with Echo, she’s vulnerable and, while still restraining her emotions, tries to at least express things through a more emotional lens- and she’s WAY more honest with him than a lot of people. with [REDACTED], she’s more playfully snarky, both teasing and calculating during their games and just generally teasing outside. she’s also extremely soft and relaxed around him, watchful but not really wary. with strangers, she’s tense and her voice actually has more inflection than most times because she’s using more intense tones for their benefit- usually she’s more deadpan (when her voice does get a tone it stands out), but that tends to drive people off. she doesn’t trust strangers so she just acts to blend in. in emotionally-charged scenarios she’s either loud or very quiet depending on the emotion- if other people are angry she goes quiet, if SHE’S angry she gets loud, when she’s happy there’s not a lot of volume change but she taps her fingers or sort of moves in place, and when she’s worried or upset she fiddles with things in her hands or digs her nails into her arms. that’s more body language than personality but!! I like those details!! make me happy.

does your OC prefer to take the lead or follow orders? with everyone or just with certain people? is there a reason for this?

Enny prefers to be in control, taking the lead. she had Zero Control when she was younger and in order to make sure that never happens again tends to force her way into positions of power. can’t be hurt if you’re the one at the top. once she’s comfortable around a group this fades but she always at least likes a say in everything.

how easily is your OC embarrassed? what subjects make them flush and why? what event has made your OC the most embarrassed they’ve ever been?

she’s not embarrassed by a lot. being made fun of gets no embarrassment, getting caught in a ramble isn’t as embarrassing as it is frustrating that she lost track of how long she was talking..... but oh boy the topic of love. she shows love and care through actions so hearing someone she cares about just bluntly say “I love you”? fucking WILD how could they just SAY THAT like it’s a FACT that’s not how this works why do they love her what the fuck. that’ll get her flustered. feelings and shit. she’s also highly embarrassed about her creepypasta self-insert fanfiction from years ago but that will never see the light of day again so it’s no big.

does your OC have any triggers? why do these things trigger them? what are they like when triggered and how do they calm down after?

slamming doors, people yelling (specifically adult men), and her old name, but only when it’s used in reference to her- seeing people talking about main Aila isn’t an issue, but being called Aila herself makes her a little panicky. in a certain au, the distinct Mind player teal is a minor trigger as well. the first three are because of her father’s abuse, and the last one is because of an incident with a Mind player that uh. didn’t go great. slamming doors make her freeze up and she stops breathing entirely until she can calm down, people yelling makes her close to tears, frozen, and again not breathing, as well as leaving her unable to speak until a bit after she’s calmed down. her old name also makes her freeze up for a moment. enclosed spaces help her calm down because they feel like a safe zone since she can see what’s coming and she used to hide in her closet. select trusted people also help her calm down, like alt Kodi, Echo, and [REDACTED], but alt Kodi helps the most by just being there since she associates him with safety, too. Echo does NOT apply to the Mind player teal and he’d just make things worse for that specific one because of the situation.

are there any emotions your OC doesn’t know how to deal with, doesn’t understand or hates having to feel? any reason behind this?

...most? Enny DESPISES feeling afraid and has a real rough time calming down when startled, and she hates feeling like she’s helpless. she doesn’t understand love for a while, too, and affection with her is weird and she can’t deal with it. she also hates feeling jealous or envious mostly because it’s a reminder that other people got to have things she didn’t. she doesn’t understand love because she’s repressed as fuck and she can’t deal with feeling any sort of affection because she’s never really gotten to express it or felt like she got it back from other people.

does your OC have any skills that people wouldn’t expect them to have? do they have a hobby or pastime that others would consider strange or weird? how did they learn this particular skill or pick up this hobby?

!!! I mean, it’s weird for Enny, but she can paint! she learned how to paint from Cece before the ship got built and it was her first true “downtime” hobby that she stuck with. she can also carry a tune surprisingly well! what’s more surprising is that she DOESN’T know how to play chess.

how well does your OC take care of themself? do they tend to put others before their own well-being and if so how often? what is their favorite way to pamper themself?

she.... is not good at taking care of herself. she doesn’t exactly put other people before herself? she’s just not good at self-care. the ship got her a proper meal schedule, and sure, she brushes her hair, and those are two points in her favor and both things she has up on me! but her sleep schedule’s fucky because of nightmares, she doesn’t always actually take time to relax, she doesn’t think positively of herself, she doesn’t do things for the sake of enjoying herself, and she slips back into Consumption habits more often than most people on the ship, if not all of them. her self-care is occasionally going to stay in alt Kodi’s room or the other way around to swap snack stashes and vent and just hang out. it’s calming for her. sibling bonding time.

what are some of your OC’s favorites? favorite food, color, season, stuff like that! give some general simple facts that tend to get overlooked!

Enny loves dark chocolate, black licorice, autumn, rainy days, dark blue-ish grey, and bubblegum. she likes cola sodas and small spaces, and prefers pens that click over pens that have caps. she also writes in pen rather than pencil, and she was left-handed before she taught herself to be ambidextrous! she prefers enclosed spaces over open areas because she can’t keep an eye on every direction in an open area. she also prefers audiobooks over reading words and loves mysteries, and likes thunderstorms :).

does your OC like to sleep alone or do they enjoy sharing their bed? have they been to any sleepovers? have they ever been camping? what did they think of the experiences if so?

she gets real fond of sharing her bed, exclusively with people she really trusts. [REDACTED] has shared-bed privileges. she’s never been to an actual sleepover and she’s never been camping! she has stayed at alt Kodi’s before, without any of the sleepover activities, and that was always nice.

when your OC says “I had a bad day” what does that tend to mean? is it really as bad as they’re saying or are they being a bit dramatic?

if she says “I had a bad day” she had a BAD DAY. she does like to be dramatic sometimes, but when talking about her day it’s exactly as bad as she claims it is. a bad day is “I got attacked by something/someone and feared for my life and stayed shaken all day” or “I had nightmares again last night and couldn’t calm down so I spent the entire day trying to hide away and then someone had to come calm me down and they saw me panicking and I Don’t Like That” or “a Mind player impersonated my therapist and took some of my memories and called me a horrible person just like my father and said I could never be redeemed”.

is your OC a good liar? how easy is it for them to tell lies? what is the biggest lie they’ve ever told and did they ever get found out? on the other hand, what is the biggest lie someone has told your OC and did they believe them?

she’s an excellent liar when she wants to be. lies are easy to tell and easier to explain for her. the biggest lie was probably during the Main Timeline Incident when she tried to convince Hope that the Time players were acting fucky and needed to be taken down- that one went over pretty neutrally because while Hope didn’t help her, she also didn’t go tell everyone because she wasn’t sure if that was the truth or not. if not that one, her accidental lie claiming she was in love with Kell because she just straight-up Did Not Know that wasn’t love. or the lie to herself that she had Absolutely Zero Attraction To Girls. repression’s a hell of a drug. the biggest lie she’s been told would probably be the aforementioned Mind player pretending to be Echo. that one was SO FUCKED and she fell for it. or, again, her convincing herself she didn’t like girls at all nuh-uh no way.

how religious is your OC? do they pray to any god(s) or do they not believe in that kind of stuff? what is their view of religion in general? where do they believe people go when they die? if your OC is not religious why not and what do they believe in otherwise?

she’s not religious at all. she’s neutral on religion and has a number of death theories- one is just straight-up SBURB dreambubbles because SBURB’s real so why not. another is you join the ranks of the horrorterrors when you die. in the same au as before she became an Actual God and dead players did in fact start showing up at her door so uh. that. that’s what happens. she guesses.

what is something from your OC’s past they’re the most ashamed of and why? what is something they’re really proud of? and lastly what is something in their past that could make them shake with dread?

she’s ashamed of how she used to treat Kell and alt Hurlii, and also kind of ashamed about... being abused? she knows she’s not the one who should be ashamed about that one but. :/. she’s also ashamed of jumping straight to “put main Kori out of commission” with the Main Timeline Incident. she’s proud that she’s made it as far as she has and just surviving, and also proud that she’s been able to open up to Echo and get therapy for her trauma. I think we all know what could make her tremble at this point though.

what does your OC do on their days off from working, school or whatever else it is they may do? do they enjoy relaxing, shopping, hanging out with friends? what is a normal day like for them?

she used to hang out with alt Kodi whenever she could, but on the ship, she goes and hangs out with [REDACTED], distracts herself with busywork, and spends time with her crewmates. she’s trying to be more social.

what was your OC like as a baby? what were they like as a child? a teenager? an adult? how do you think they’ll develop ten years into their future? twenty years? will they live to old age?

she baby. as a kid she was pretty quiet- one of those “pleasure to have in class” sorta kids who did their work and kept their mouth shut. she didn’t have a lot of friends. she got snarkier as she aged and became sort of a bully; she was still quiet, but the quiet angry type. as an adult she mellows tf out after getting therapy and still works on y’know, being a person, but definitely starts accepting herself a lot more and starts being The Trusted Adult. she’s going to provide a safe area for kids and accidentally adopt them along the way babey. she definitely grows to old age as a god tier :).

does your OC have any bad habits? does your OC have any addictions like smoking or drinking? how did they fall into these habits and why?

if digging her nails into her arms counts, that’s a habit. she also relapses into Consumption more than the others- frantic note-taking and knowledge absorption to an extreme. she doesn’t really know how the arm thing got started, but something about the sharpness of digging her nails in was supposed to ground her or something, and now she doesn’t even notice that she’s doing it. so it doesn’t work anymore and just leaves marks sometimes :(.

what does your OC think is their best trait? what is actually their best trait? what about their flaws? are they one to admit these flaws or do they like to pretend they’re perfect?

Enny thinks her best trait is her problem-solving ability, but I think her best trait is her resilience. both are very good, though! she has plenty of flaws and she doesn’t like to bring a lot of them up, but she admits them more than she thinks she does. she’s VERY aware of them though. she thinks she’s selfish, aggressive, deceptive, and generally unpleasant to be around. she thinks she’s way worse than she is tbh.

What is your OC like in bed- 

sleepy. that’s it. Enny does NOT fuck.

what’s a sentence that would make your OC’s day better? one that would make them laugh? one that would make their day worse? why? what words would you have to say to them to completely ruin their day?

depends who’s saying it! a simple invitation to hang out from some people would improve her day, but from others it would make things far worse. generally, a compliment doesn’t hurt, or an “I like being around you” or something. she tends to laugh at things that are light jabs at people and sometimes sudden tone shifts. most mentions of her past would make her day worse, and any mention of her dad is a no-go. if you want to ruin her day entirely, compare her to her father.

how much effort does your OC put into their looks? do they care much about how they’re dressed or what their hair looks like or are they not bothered? could they be considered a snob or a slob?

she puts probably an average amount of effort into her looks. depends on the day and what’s going on and how she feels, but it’s generally consistent. she keeps her hair neat, makes her outfit match, enjoys having the option of makeup with no one to say whether she should or shouldn’t wear it, and just goes about her day. but she doesn’t spend too much time on it. I’d say she’s somewhere in the middle. more snobby than me, but I’m a massive slob :P

what additions would your OC make to their body if they could? let’s say, if they don’t have a tail would they want one? wings? horns? do they wish they could shapeshift?

!!! I’ve gone over this in a roleplay before! she honestly doesn’t know what she wants because she’s never thought about it before, but if she happened to suddenly and mysteriously gain shapeshifting she’d spend a lot of time just trying to find anything that felt right without being her original form. eventually she’d settle back into her og form with minor changes, maybe dye her hair instantly or something. definitely dye her hair. she’d totally fuck around with a monster form too. and I mean, who would say no to shapeshifting? she would like having the option to change everything at the drop of a hat. to not be herself, and then be herself again, and then maybe try out a snake tail and have fun with that, and then-

what inspired you to make this OC? how long have you had them? how have they changed in the time you’ve been developing them?

originally she was just for a fun “opposites” AU, and I’ve had her for about... 2 years? 2 years. what really made me latch onto her was a suggestion from a friend :). she’s gone from a one-off character who was primarily bitter to my favorite good good child who is still SO BITTER but wants to do good things. plus I like her more than Deux now and that was NOT the case back then.

what traits of your own do you see in this OC? are they a little bit self-inserty? don’t be shy, we all put parts of ourselves into the creations we love!

we both get panicky at slammed doors and at people yelling, along with feeling vulnerable when we can’t keep an eye out in every angle. we’re also both ace. a lot of her interests are the same as mine, and her finger-tapping, nail-digging, and pen-clicking are all from me. we also both have to think about our facial expressions, though they come a bit more naturally to me than to her. we’re both real fond of [REDACTED], we both like monsters, and we both have too many thoughts at once. her general demeanor isn’t really me, though. she mostly took all my little details. oh shit we both wear glasses too :P and we both changed our names.

what is your personal opinion of this OC? do you love them or are they your trash child? are they your baby?

I love her so much. you don’t understand how much I love her. she’s absolutely my favorite child!!!

are you writing anything with this OC or planning on writing anything for them? do you RP with them or are they just for fun to mess around with?

I both write stuff with her and RP as her! she’s my faaaavorite. I write about her in AUs (horrorterror Enny, monster AU, superhero AU, etc.) and in canon, and I’m hoping to write more once I have more time on my hands! she’s also my D&D character in a current campaign. and I rp her on her character blog @eloquentbarrister :P

how important is this OC to you? are they a character that’s helped you through some pretty tough times or could you scrap them without feeling a thing?

she’s, uh... she’s real important. I vent through her a lot and thinking about her calms me down.

do you enjoy working on your OC or are they a bit of a chore? we all have that one character who is hard to develop!

every day I think to myself “hm, what does this action say about Enny?”, so when it comes to her I love working on her! I could write essays about her! her goals are vague in certain aus which is the only bad part but so are mine, really.

ramble a bit about this character! 

that’s all I’ve been doing this whole time :P but!! she’s so good in every AU. learning how to be vulnerable and talk to people. learning how to be comfortable with herself. giving a huge middle finger to her past, at first trying to run from it and anything she did back then, and then going “yeah, that was a thing that happened, and it was fucked up, but I’ve come a long way”. she’s so good. she’s SO GOOD. monster AU Enny is fun too bcause the plot goes from “various monster kids relentlessly interact with the changeling kid until she considers them friends and the changeling learns to trust robot dad, learning how to play an instrument along the way” to “changeling becomes best friends with a god, does some drugs in the woods, and then watches the apocalypse go down with a big ol smile”. D&D Enny is very good because she’s a halfling warlock with a fun affectionate relationship with her patron and won’t stop adopting children despite barely being an adult. she wants to kill the gods and it’s very fun and cool tbh. also HORRORTERROR ENNY......... KILLS ME.......... ughhhh I’d love to ramble about her but I’m also WRITING her and wanna share that writing y’feel? just. aaaaaaaaa. Enny “Enlightener” Delmirain’t!!!!!

[boymeetsweevil]

Another draft because FS is taking too long

Title: two wrongs don’t make a right (so what do two douchebags and a dweeb make?)

Douche/fuck boy Jimin and Jin, weirdo!OC

Jimin waits until the girl’s tiny frame disappears down the hallway in a blur of overly familiar stained sweats before turning to stare down a very sheepish looking Jin.

“You can’t tell anyone about this, got it?” He rakes a hand through his hair, mussing it and making him resemble a cockatoo.

“Dude, relax. I get it, you have a rep to maintain. Everyone ventures outside their type for a first time.”

Jin winces. He knows he’s known for being incredibly picky—only ever sleeping with 4.0 girls (the number referring to their maximum dress size and minimum GPA). Someone even did a story on it in the Hot Takes section of the school magazine. He’s still not sure if it’s a moment he should proud of.

“About that…” he trails off and tugs nervously at the throw blanket he hastily clothed himself with when Jimin burst into their shared living room only to catch him in a rather compromising position. With that girl of all people.

“What?”

“Itsnotthefirsttimeanditwontbethelast”

Jimin blinks slowly, trying to process the flurry of words and Jin’s ashamed tone. When what Jin said finally hits him, he grins darkly.

“Man, c’mon. Don’t joke like that about her, its not nice.”

“Jimin, I’m—,” Jin looks around the hallway suspiciously before dragging Jimin into the dorm and slamming the door shut. “I’m being serious, okay?” Jimin’s jaw drops and he begins to sputter.

“But…why her?”

The first time Jimin encountered you was during a particularly late night in the stacks of the library last semester. The year was starting off hard and he was getting his ass kicked in one particular introductory psych class.

At around 1 in the morning, he had one more problem to finish on his take-home exam but was desperately stuck. He remembered seeing someone who he recognized from class sitting in the economics section. He thought it was odd initially. Usually no one sat there because the smell from the librarians’ bathroom often carried over. And no one wanted to study to the smell of coffee shits.

Taking a break, he grabbed his laptop and wandered around the stacks to find the classmate. When he found you, you were in the process of packing up, struggling to get your earphones into the headphone jack of your phone while also carrying a stack of periodicals and a burger from the campus grill, which happened to be leaking ketchup onto your already dingy tracksuit. He approached you carefully.

“Hey, you’re in Professor Kang’s class, right?”

“Huh?”

His voice startled you and you lost your precarious grip on your stuff. The poorly wrapped burger fell to the floor and bled a little onto your white converse. The periodicals fluttered down around your feet.

“Shit, sorry. Lemme help you,” he offered as he put his laptop down. You gasped from your spot already crouched on the ground.

“No, please, it’s really okay. Please, I’m fine, I don’t need—“

But he already had one printout from the stack in his hand and automatically turned it over. When Jimin looks back on the memory, he thinks that this may have been the biggest mistake he’s ever made in his life.

He would later find out after a nervous google search that the paper in his hand, and probably 80 percent of the papers on the ground, were called fursonas. While a handful might have been somewhat decent, most of them were of overly buff rabbits with bubble butts raised for the viewer or tigers fisting weeping, veiny dicks over pastel backgrounds. The one he held was of a duck, or something, with a weight lifter’s body with an obscene expression on its face while tentacles swarmed it from all angles. The implications of what might be happening in the picture made Jimin’s head hurt.

“Oh my god, what the fuck. What the fuck,” he whispered. He was so stunned that he let you rip the page from his hand.

“It’s called fur-centric hentai and its art,” you hissed. The line sounded mechanical and well-practiced if you asked Jimin. He watched you gather the rest of your belongings quickly, burger included, before leaving him crouched in the economics stacks.

Jin snaps his fingers in front of Jimin’s zoned out face only to have him be brought back to reality with a look of slight disgust.

“What’s your problem, fix your face,” Jin snapped.

“I’m just trying to figure out why you chose her, of all people. You remember that story I told you about the Econ stacks. I was so scarred, I got a C on that test.”

“Pretty sure you got a C because you didn’t realize there was a second page of the homework.”

“Well, if she hadn’t thrown her weird animal dicks all over the place, I would have realized there was a back and finished the assignment”

Jin sniffs and drops the blanket he was wearing, before walking over to the kitchen to get a drink, naked as the day he was born. Jimin follows on autopilot.

“Maybe you should stop trying to yuck my yum,”Jin says over his shoulder.

“Oh my god, don’t say it like that. I’m just saying, man. She’s weird. And gross. And more importantly not.Your. Type.” He enunciates each word with a poke to Jin’s bare back while he gets them some beers.

“You think I don’t fucking know that? That’s why I keep it discrete. Why do you think I told you not to come home every Tuesday and Thursday at until after 8:30?”

“You said you had lab.”

“How the hell could I do a lab in our apartment?”

“It…It could happen.”

“I’m a poetry major,” Jin pinches the bridge of his nose at his roommate’s stupidity, “Damnit Jimin.”

Jimin purses his lips when he realizes he might be even dumber than he thought.

“Wait a second, you’ve had lab,” he makes giant air quote gestures, “for, what, 2 months now? You’ve just been fucking her this whole time?”

There’s a beat of silence as Jin takes another swig from his beer. “Yeah,” he finally says. The matter of fact air of his response makes something glitch in Jimin’s brain.

“What the hell, dude? That’s a lot of repeat service. Does she have something on you? Is that why you’re doing this? Did you break an expensive-ass vase or something?” Jimin stops to think, his mind running wild with possibilities. “Holy shit, are you being pimped out?”

“No. God, would you just shut up?” Jin sighs quietly. “I’m sleeping with her so much because she’s the best I’ve ever had.”

Jimin takes a step back at the defeated sincerity in Jin’s tone.

“How? What about that time with that other girl--what was her name?” Jimin runs a hand through his hair trying to remember any name of one of many the girls Jin has had a fling with. “Oh! Irene or something? What about her?”

“I mean, Irene was fine. She gave pretty good head. But last Thursday I thought I came harder than I’ve ever come in my entire life.”

“You ‘thought’?”

Jin looks up wistfully somewhere behind Jimin’s head at the memory. “Well then she came over the following Tuesday and rocked my shit,” he smirks. “And then that was the hardest I’ve ever come in my life.”

“So she gives good head. Who cares? There’s plenty of girls on campus who give good head and also don’t draw furry porn for a living and wash their damn sweatpants.”

“You don’t understand, dude. It’s not just the head. It’s the head, and the handjobs, and the pussy. It’s everything.”

Jimin raises his eyebrows incredulously. “The pussy is better than the handjobs?” He has to try hard not to look impressed. Meanwhile Jin is smilng, almost relieved now that the secret is out and he can talk openly about the mindblowing sex he’d been having.

“The first time she jerked me off, I passed out immediately after I came and woke up late to the class the next afternoon.”

Jimin narrows his eyes but motions with a hand for Jin to continue.

“The first time she blew me I couldn’t even walk afterward.”

“Wait...was that the day you told me you thought you had a sprained ankle? The one that healed after 24 hours?”

“Yep.”

The smug tone and the second stupid lie make Jimin want to rip his hair out. “Why do you lie so much,” he whispered, pain in his voice.

“I wasn’t lying, I really thought I had a sprained ankle.”

“From a blowjob?”

“That’s what I said.”

“What about the, uh, the pussy,” Jimin asks after realizing the FBI probably won’t come through the doors and snipe him for talking about vagina.

“The one time she let me hit it raw, I cried.,” Jin says, absolutely beaming.

“Oh, come on. You can’t be serious.”

“I am, though. I think she was gonna let me do it again today.” Jin closes his eyes and smiles softly while Jimin looks on, unamused.

“So? What happened today? She underperform or something?” There’s a hint of jealousy and a lot of curiosity in his tone, but Jimin would deny it if anyone asked him.

“No, asswipe. She got spooked because you showed up when you weren’t supposed to.”

“Well, sorry for ruining your lies,” Jimin snaps, cracking open his own beer.

“You think this is a joke?” Jin shoves Jimin in the chest roughly. “We didn’t get to finish because of you. Now I have to jerk off with my own hand. That’s pathetic”

“And what were you doing before you met her? Listen to yourself, she’s making you crazy. No one is that good in bed.”

Jin stomps over to the couch and settles down before turning and looking at Jimin over the backboard.

“You know what? You go and sleep with her 3--no--4 times. And if she doesn’t completely fry your brain, I’ll pay for any and all of your takeout for the next month. But If she does, you gotta switch mattresses with me and not come by the dorm until after 10 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from then on.”

“Dude, gross I don’t want your sex soaked mattress. It’s the same as yours anyway. Minus the ten gallons of old jizz on it.”

“No, it’s not. You have that, like, Tempurpedic thing.”

“True,” Jimin nods thoughtfully, “But don’t you think it would be weird if the roommate of the guy she was fucking started trying to get in her pants? Also, I could just lie and say she didn’t do it for me. Then you’d be forced to pay for my food and—Hold on. If she’s so good, why are you so willing to pawn her off to me?”

“Why do you ask so many stupid questions? First of all, she’s not mine just because I’m sleeping with her. I’m just telling you to go see if she’ll let you. I mean, there’s no guarantee. She barely even gave me a shot.”

“She barely gave you a shot? But you’re, like, the campus prince”, more air quotes, “How did this even happen?”

“Well, to make a long story short, we were both high at her sorority and I’d heard rumors about her from Wonho, so I went to…talk to her in her room.”

“Wonho is Wonho, though. He’d fuck anyone if the weed was good.”

“That’s where you’re mistaken, my friend. He has a diverse and sophisticated palate. He knows what he’s talking about when it comes to weed and sex. Once I took him up on his suggestion and she said yes, I never looked back,” Jin says with a dreamy voice.

Jimin watches the back of Jin’s head loll on the sofa. When a soft sigh emerges from where the older man is sitting, Jimin recoils and runs out of the kitchen, away from the couch.

“Are you jerking off right now? Dude. Not cool.”

“Get the fuck out, then. It’s Thursday, which means I’m getting off by 7:30pm and I don’t give a rat’s ass who’s here when it happens.”

“Fine,” Jimin huffs and reluctantly stuffs his feet back into his sneakers where they lie by the door. “I hope your dick chafes.”

Jin purposefully releases another, louder moan and Jimin runs out of the apartment.

“I’ll have an order of the half crispy, half spicy and a large coke. Thanks,” Jimin says to the clerk at the grill before checking his phone for the 8th time in the hour.

8:01 Jimin - Are you done yet?

             (8:10 read by Jin)

8:11 Jin - yeah but round two starts soon so

8:11 Jin - *middle finger emoji*

Jimin quickly shuts down his messenger app and opens up Flappy Bird while he sits at a table and waits for his order number to be called.

“Stupid asshole and his stupid dick, kicking me out of the stupid apartment. Fuck you, dickhead,” Jimin mutters to himself.

“What did you just say?” 

Jimin’s head whips up at the infantile voice coming from the seat across from him. Jeon Jungkook is sitting at his table, eating a veggie burger. Who the hell orders a veggie burger from a chicken place?

“Were you talking to me,” Jungkook asks again, pushing his bulky glasses up with a finger.

“Jeon, why would I be talking to you? A better question is why the hell are you talking to me?

[maraudersbish]

Snitch (Oliver Wood x OC)

PART TWO

Pairing(s): Oliver Wood x Slytherin!OC Warning(s): Slow burn words:1313 Note: This is a filler chapter, but I hope you’d still enjoy it

•▪•

Phoenix’ POV

After practise we headed back to the castle for breakfast.

Because of what happened before practise, practise didn’t endded up as I want it to be, my head was not in the game and it was a mess.

People went to their seprate ways, some went back to the common room, some are still in the shower and some went to the great hall for breakfast. When the door to the great hall was opened, Laughter was all I could hear.

“What happened here? what do I missed?” I asked Levana, my friend who’s laughing her head off as soon as I get to my seat. Lev wasn’t on the Quidditc team, so she always went to the Great Hall first and saved a seat for me.

“Weasel, turned into a skunk” she said between laughter pointing to the Gryffindor table.

“What?” I look at the Gryffindor table and notice one of the twins’s hair Is green, and the longer I stand in the great hall, the stronger the smell hit my nose.

“Disgusting! This smell is also coming from him?” Lev nod

I turn back my eyes to the gryffindor’s table and noticed Wood’s talking with the other twin who’s laughing so hard, his face look like tomato.

But the laughter died down and everybody start to eat peacefully. I tried to focus to the joke that Levana made, but my eyes are already focused to the boy on the opposite table, and I remember why I used to have a crush on him.

He is beautiful, passionate, kind, talented. He is good. And that’s the reason I couldn’t be seen with him. It will only damage his reputation.

The first week I distanced myself from him had been hard, he was my first friend, my first believer, my first crush, and my first heart break.

I didn’t have anyone to tell my problems to, so I keep it to myself, everything was going smoothly until my first quidditch match.

He did something small that left a huge impact on me. He smiled. And at that moment, my walls crumbles down, it was ridiculous. I didn’t know what to do with myself. But then, I came to the  decision that if I keep on annoying him, he will not shatter my walls.

It was hard, I felt so bad about it, because he has been nothing but good to me, and I treated him like shit. No one notice what I actually feeling. No one but professor Snape.  

He become one of my closest family, he listens to my rant, my cries, and my stories. At first, I didn’t expect him to treated me the way he did since I know what my dad did to him.

he told me could relate to my stories, he knows what I’m feeling, since we kind of had a same love story where our crush ‘hate’ us because of something that we did, and base from snape’s story, it didn’t end well.

I didn’t want mine to ended up like his.

I should stop staring at him before he caught me stari– too late. He cought me. I didn’t know what to do– he has beautiful eyes, wait what?

He raised an eyebrow at me and I quickly turn my attention back to my food.

Stupid he is going to think that I like him or something, gosh.

I flash my gaze to his seat and found him staring at me. Why was he staring at me? I know I’m blushing like crazy I hope he didn’t notice, when I looked at his direction, he was talking to his friends. Thank merlin.

After breakfast I rush to the dungeon to get to the common room and prepare for the classes. I meet my roommates Janet, Peggy, and Edith .

“Phoenix! This is for you” Janet said as she hand me a piece of paper.

“Who’s this from?” I ask, a bit sceptical.

“Dunno.. there’s no name on it” she shrugged.

My roommates and I aren’t really close, no one ever seen us actually talking to eachother outside my room, so who the fuck knows who to deliver a letter to give to me.

“Okay…Who gave it to you?” I asked, more sceptical than before.

“It was inside my potions book” she replied.

“Huh? Thank you, Janet” She nod and left the room along with the others.

I slip the letter into my robe pocket before rushing to the North Tower for divination with professor Trelawney because if I’m not, I’m going to be late, Half way to the north tower, I bump into a wall and landed on my butt.

“Merlin’s beard! watch your steps!” said a familiar Scottish accent.

Nope, not a wall.

“Bloody hell! I’m on the floor in pain and you don’t want to say sorry to me?”

“Why would I? you’re the one who bumped into me” he raised his voice. “Geez, now thanks to you, I’m late for Trelawney’s class” he sigh before walking away.

That filthy little asswipe! I thought in my head. I tried to get up but my back hurt so bad, I tried to stand again and ot only make it worse.

“What are you doing?” I know that voice, its Fred or George.

“Oh, you know. Just chillin, see, I just, I got bored so here I’m sitting in the middle of the corridor…” I said trailed nonchalantly.

The twins raised they eyebrow, one of them try to say something but I cut him off “your evil friend make me fall to the ground and then walks away without saying sorry!”

“Do we have an evil friend?” said George, I think.

“No, I don’t think so, Georgie” said, well if the first one is George then its Fred.

I give them a death stare. Arse.

“Wood fucking made me fell” I hiss

“Fell?”

“Do you not hear what I said?” I snapped.

“Well, we new that, we just want to hear you say it” said George.

“Dicks” I mutter

“Whoa, whoa. Watch your mouth there little missy” Fred scolded.

“I never thought this day will come, the day you’ll admit your feelings for our Ollie” George smirked.

“Excuse me?”

“You fell for him” George said, playing dumb.

“She literally fell for him” Fred added.

“He made me fall to this bloody hard floor, and now my arse hurts and I cant bloody walk, not even get up, and now I’m bloody late for Trelawney’s class” I spat at the twins who’s grinning like a maniac.

“Ooohhhh…. why don’t you tell us earlier ? here let me help you” Fred said helping me up.

I roll my eyes and told them that its no use to go to the class so I ask them to just bring me to the hospital wing and they willingly obeys.

“Thanks guys” I said to them as they help me to get on the bed.

They looked surprised at first, but then they smile and say “You’re welcome” in unison and not gonna lie, its kinda creepy when they do that.

“Wait, aren’t you guys are supposed to be in class?” I ask them. and they just look at each other and inhale deeply.

“Don’t tell anyone okay? Its our biggest secret” they said with a serious face. I just nodded “we’re on the free period..” they whisper to my ear before giving me a huge grin.

I gave them the look and roll my eyes and closing them

They let out a chuckle before high-fiving each other.

“Shhhh, out boys!! I can’t do my work when you’re still here!” said madam Pomfrey.

“See you Black! bye Poppy!” they said at the same time, again.

“Wait.. could you tell Trelawny that I can’t attend her class” I asked them.

They gave me a thumbs up and left the hospital wing.

●○●

Part one

[gumnut-logic]

Gentle Rain (Part Six)

Title: Gentle Rain

Warm Rain Series

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

Part Six

Author: Gumnut

24 - 26 Jan 2019

Fandom: Thunderbirds Are Go 2015/ Thunderbirds TOS

Rating: Teen

Summary: Sometimes it is so gentle, you don’t realise it is happening.

Word count: 2937

Spoilers & warnings: Virgil/Kayo, Scott/OC, spoilers for Warm Rain up to this point in the timeline.

Timeline: Six months after ‘The Proposal’, almost a sequel.

Author’s note: For @scribbles97  I had so much fun with this one sitting on my back porch on a gorgeous sunny day. Many thanks to both Scribbs and @the-lady-razorsharp for help on this bit. Also for @vegetacide for some plotwork we did for further into the story. Next chapter is half written and I’m still having fun :D I hope you enjoy this fic that has a mind of its own.

Disclaimer: Mine? You’ve got to be kidding. Money? Don’t have any, don’t bother.

-o-o-o-

It was like some kind of daydream caught in a whirlwind.

The week had passed with medical consultations and chats with Scott over the network. His eyes lit up when he smartly inquired about Kayo asking her to Tracy Island.

“So you coming?” Was that expression hopeful?

“I’m considering it.” She bit back a grin. Why should she make it easy?

His eyes narrowed at her. “What could I offer to entice you?”

“Oh, you’d like to entice me, would you, flyboy?”

He really did have a beautiful smile. “I think I could.”

“Then entice away.”

He posed thoughtfully. “Now what would a gorgeous looking young woman like yourself find attractive on a tropical island. Let me think.” He tapped his lips with a finger.

She choked on a laugh. “Really?”

He held up a finger as if struck by a thought. “Marshmallows. We have the biggest, fluffiest marshmallows in the Southern Hemisphere. Absolutely delicious roasted over a slow fire.” He licked his lips.

Her eyes almost fell out of her head. “Scott Tracy, you are a flirt.”

“Yes. Yes, I am.”

“And brazen about it.”

“Do you mind?”

That brought her up short, but she didn’t hesitate. “I think I can handle it.” And she was grinning.

His voice dropped an octave. “Good.”

She shivered.

Wow.

She still got one over him. He never did find out if she was coming to visit or not. She held him at arms length the entire week, taunting him.

He seemed to enjoy it.

Kayo picked up the game and swore Virgil to secrecy. Virgil threw up his hands and refused to be drawn in to any of it. The fact he was called out to a rescue two minutes later aided and abetted her little conspiracy.

Scott left the hospital two days before she did. Now it was her turn and she found herself aboard the Tracys’ private jet, all leather and luxury. Virgil was flying while Kayo attended to her, and it was just the three of them flying over the stark red brown landscape of the Australian Outback.

She had luggage, a new hoverscoot, and a belly full of butterflies. There were popular rumours about where exactly Tracy Island was and what you would find if you ever managed to actually get there. Mansions, a secret city…heh, one website claimed Tracy Island was on the other side of a wormhole somewhere in the Bermuda Triangle. Another claimed it was easy to find by tracking birdlife.

Em didn’t really know what to think. The concept of a tropical island was steeped in stereotypes in any case. Perhaps palm trees would be present. The rest was likely up for grabs.

Kayo sat opposite her, occasionally looking at her with just a touch of concern. Em hadn’t said much since they had left Perth airport and she probably looked terrified.

For crying out loud, you’re a fully qualified professional, you’ve faced down much more in your life than a family of billionaires. Hell, she once stared down a patient holding a knife in her face. She was Em Bloody Harris, stop being such a wimp.

A little focus and a little spine.

She straightened and Kayo looked up. “Are you comfortable?”

“Yes, thank you.” Conversation. “Are you all pilots?” A frown. “Do you fly?”

A small smile crept across Kayo’s face. “Yes, and I most certainly do. Though I’m not surprised you haven’t heard of my Thunderbird.”

Em’s eyes widened. “You pilot a Thunderbird? Which one?”

“Thunderbird Shadow.”

The Thunderbirds were well known across the world as angels of mercy. They appeared at the most desperate moments, often long before any other rescue organisation could possibly have made it. There was the grey, blue and red rocket plane, the green behemoth that nursed all the equipment, a red rocket, a yellow submarine and the Voice Who Answered. There was also rumour of another plane, but sightings were rare and little was known about it. Em’s eyes widened. “You’re the ghost Thunderbird.”

The smile widened just a touch. “You could say that. We take our security very seriously.”

“Yet you’ve invited me.”

Kayo raised an eyebrow. “You checked out.”

It was hard to work out how to feel about that.

“Em, I don’t invite on whim. I thought you would like to visit and I know I will enjoy your company. The background check was just procedure.”

Em dropped her voice to a harsh whisper. “Please don’t tell them. They don’t need to know.”

She could tell by the security specialist’s reaction that she knew exactly what she was talking about. Equally quiet. “They won’t hear it from me.”

“I don’t blame International Rescue. It wasn’t your fault. The only one deserving blame was the bastard who caused it all. I hope he rots in hell.”

“He is.”

Em stared at her. “He’s dead?”

Kayo’s expression was horribly cold. “Yes.”

“How?”

“Classified.”

Blink. “Okay.” She swallowed. “I hope he suffered.”

The other woman didn’t answer, but something sad flickered briefly over her face.

“It is awfully quiet in here. Should I be worried? You two aren’t plotting a mutiny or anything, I hope.”

It was like a switch had been flicked. Kayo’s expression changed completely, smiling up at Virgil as he entered the cabin. “No need for a mutiny, love. I have plenty of other ways to get what I want.”

Virgil didn’t quite roll his eyes, walking past to grab a drink from the fridge. “Can I get you anything?” He waved a bottle of water in their general direction.

“No, thank you.” They chorused together.

Virgil looked back over his shoulder. “Do you have any idea how creepy that sounds?”

Em bit her lip, but couldn’t help parroting the sweet innocent smile Kayo sent her fiancé’s way.

His gaze darted back and forth between them, more alarmed by the moment. “Okay, I’ll just be upfront piloting the plane. Don’t summon the devil by accident.” And he stepped smartly back into the cockpit.

Em turned to Kayo to find the woman fighting back a grin. Em’s lips twisted as their eyes locked. A heartbeat and they both burst out laughing.

-o-o-o-

“Skies are clear, winds 20kph and from the south. You are cleared to land, Tracy Two.”

Through the open patio doors, John could hear the distant engagement of T2’s VTOL. Nowhere near as loud as her Thunderbird sisters, but strong enough to lower her safely onto Thunderbird Two’s runway.

He estimated no more than fifteen minutes before Kayo and their visitor would arrive in the lounge.

Sooner the better before Scott burnt out Thunderbird imPatient’s hover jets with his irrational ‘pacing’.

The slickly repainted hover chair now sported a pale blue-grey chassis with a slash of cherry red and sky blue down each side. The number one had been neatly inscribed in Thunderbird font on both sides. How Virgil had fit it in the last three weeks, John had no idea.

They had been horribly busy. Alan had been forced to take on Thunderbird One much to Scott’s annoyance. They simply could not function without her. As it was, Virgil had been burning most days at both ends, between rescues, hospital visits, and Tracy Industries on top of his regular duties.

They had only just gotten back to rhythm after Virgil’s accident. Now they were a man down yet again for at least another two months, probably more.

At Christmas.

Christmas never failed to increase the need for International Rescue. It was called the silly season for a reason. The collective IQ of the planet appeared to drop around this time of year, regardless of religion. If John could believe in astrology, he might have been inclined to blame the cosmos, but in reality it was often just stupidity.

At the moment he was seriously considering leaving the missing fishing boat caught in a cyclone off Broome, in the north of Western Australia, to the local authorities. They should never have been out, they had received clear warning, and yet had gone out anyway.

But IR’s sensory systems were far more advanced than any other. He had already interfaced with TB5 in an attempt to short cut a location, but the electrical activity in the cyclone denied him a lock at that distance. Thunderbird Two should be able to get a fix on the fishing boat’s transponder within a few hundred kilometres and with TB4 on board she should be able to render any assistance required.

He watched Virgil bring the light jet into land smoothly knowing that in a moment he would have to ask his brother to fly out again.

Gordon was already on his way to the hangar.

And Scott was spinning around in circles.

“You’re going to make yourself sick.”

“I can take eight Gs in a spiral dive. This is nothing.”

“Fine, but can you stop anyway?”

His big brother sighed and slowed to a standstill, staring at the toes of his left foot, stuck out awkwardly in front of him.

Over the last hour John had become acutely aware that something was bothering his brother above and beyond his injuries and resultant incapacitation. He had become fidgety, restless and agitated. It was out of character. Scott was a ball of energy at most times, but it was controlled energy, channelled and targeted at need.

Apparently, he had sprung a leak and, like a dropped garden hose, was bouncing around the room, out of control.

“Is there something wrong, Scott?”

“No.” Sharp and abrupt and so obviously a lie, John was almost insulted his brother thought it would work at all.

“Could have fooled me.”

“What?” He was poking distractedly at TB imPatient’s controls. The hoverchair did a sudden donut and backed ungracefully down the steps into the sunken lounge.

“Can you please not kill yourself on my watch. Virgil would be pissed.” That usually meant a pissed Kayo, never a good thing.

It was so much more peaceful in space. In space there was a comms off switch.

-o-o-o-

One minute there was a massive expanse of Pacific Ocean, next an island appeared out of nowhere.

Em stared out of the window at the dual spiked volcanic rock in the middle of blue water. As they drew nearer, she could make out the remains of the volcanic caldera, the hints of coral beneath the lagoon and the house amongst the rocks.

As the jet angled into land, her side of the plane dipped towards the ocean giving her a stunning view of the little island paradise. Knowing the pilot, probably on purpose.

Yes, there were definitely palm trees.

“Wow.”

Kayo smiled at her. “It’s home.”

The runway came into view, lined by palm trees. Em frowned. That didn’t quite look long enough...or wide enough. “K-“

The underside of the plane echoed mechanical movement, and a sudden roar above that of the jet engines started up. Their speed dropped off abruptly and Em felt her stomach shift inside her. The nose of the plane lifted and they descended vertically.

Kayo was watching for her reaction.

Em arched an eyebrow. “So not your average personal jet?”

The other woman smirked a little. “I’m sorry, but you’ll find that the Tracys don’t do ‘average’.” Was that pride? Perhaps just a little?

Em couldn’t help but grin.

Several butterflies were firmly stomped on.

Their speed slowed to almost a standstill as the ground approached, the jet hovering before gently touching down on the tarmac. Then, to her surprise, the jet’s wings folded back on themselves and they taxied between two lines of palm trees towards a cliff face.

She couldn’t quite see from her angle, but it appeared the cliff opened because moments later they were trundling through an entrance.

And past the massive bulk of Thunderbird Two.

She couldn’t help but stare.

“Damn.”

It was whispered, but Em heard it anyway. Kayo was up and out of her seat in the next breath and disappeared into the cockpit without another word.

Em was left to frown a little and stare at the giant green plane as the jet slowed to a stop in its hanger off to one side.

Thunderbird Two was high up on its landing struts, but as their jet came to a halt, there was a rumble of machinery and a chain of green cargo crates trundled past. One labelled with the number four settled beneath the giant green plane and the craft lowered, swallowing the crate whole.

Thunderbird Two was even larger that touch closer.

Kayo entered the cabin once again, her expression annoyed. “Virgil needs to fly out.” It was very clear the woman was not happy. “Some idiot went fishing in a cyclone.”

Virgil Tracy flew Thunderbird Two. It was well known. But now she had met the pilot she had trouble reconciling the kindly man with the gentle baritone, the soft smile and so much expression in his eyes every time he looked at Kayo, with the image of the superhero rescue operative of popular myth. He wasn’t what she expected.

But then a mental image of the saviour wrapped in metal, tossing brickwork with giant claws, as he busted into that hole beneath the collapsed hotel in Perth, flashed up.

Well, Superman did have his Clark Kent.

There was a hiss as Kayo enabled the cabin exit, an apparently automated set of stairs rolling into place. Virgil hurried from the cockpit, flashing her a quick smile before pausing in front of Kayo, his hands landing on her shoulders. Em looked away to give them privacy as he leant down to kiss her.

A whispered ‘fly safe’ and his boots hit the metal stairwell.

Moments later, the hanger was filled with the stirring roar of Thunderbird Two’s engines and she watched as the behemoth taxied out into the daylight. She couldn’t see the runway from where she sat and she had no idea how the huge plane managed on such a narrow tarmac, but seconds later, that roar swelled into a crescendo and the plane around her vibrated with the power being expended as the craft no doubt launched.

As the roar disappeared off into the distance, she looked up to see Kayo still standing at the exit, her back to Em.

“Kayo, are you okay?”

“Fine.” And the woman turned around a smile forced onto her face.

“Yes, Virgil.”

That earned her a glare. “Let’s get off this plane.”

That shut down the conversation. Em tried her best not to take it personally. It was obvious that Kayo wasn’t used to sharing her problems and honestly, it wasn’t any of her business.

Not much was said as Kayo helped her into her hoverscoot. The device was a smaller version of the hoverchair, less bulky now she had no legs to support. It had variable height so she could look a person in the eye if necessary. The harness supported her back, keeping her upright, while the remains of her legs were cushioned with anti-pressure in the small seat. She had chosen to wear what would have been a knee length summer dress today, the convenience of covering up her injury taken to full advantage, her stumps wrapped in soft socks beneath. The sleeveless dress hugged her overall slim figure, and was appropriate for the tropical clime

This was made abundantly apparent the moment she descended the stairs into the hanger. The hanger doors had since closed, the metal structure towering above her. In fact, the entire hanger was massive. But where she would have thought the air should be cool, it was gently warm, perhaps a remnant of the recent exposure to the outside.

Saltwater lingered in the air.

The cavern echoed with smoothly operating machinery. Some kind of automaton was interfacing with the cargo section of their jet and offloading their luggage and in the distance there was more movement of an unknown purpose. Kayo secured the plane before joining her and leading her over to an elevator.

“Gordon left with Virgil, but Scott, John and Alan are upstairs.” Kayo shot her a smile and Em managed to corral the butterflies just a little. “Did Scott ever work out whether you were coming today or not?”

“Heh.” Okay, so she was grinning now. “I strung him along quite nicely. He offered me all kinds of things to get me out here.”

Kayo actually let out a laugh. “Really?”

“I think the last offer was a Lamborghini.” Not that she would ever accept such a thing, it was hilarious to play the man.

“He offered you a Lambo?” A frown. “What colour?”

“Oh, I had a choice. Green or yellow.”

“Hah. Don’t trust him. He’s offering you Virgil or Gordon’s.”

Em’s eyes widened. “Really? You have Lamborghinis?”

Kayo snorted. “They’re boys. Did you expect anything less?”

She thought a moment as the elevator rose. “I don’t know. I never considered luxury in relation to International Rescue.”

The elevator slowed a moment before changing trajectory and travelling up at an angle. The movement was so smooth, her ‘scoot hardly reacted.

“Oh, they work for it, but the boys do have their toys.” Kayo’s smile was infectious.

“I told him I would only consider a blue one.” It had been teasing and off the cuff, but those eyes of his prompted everything.

“Points to you, Em. You picked his colour.”

And the elevator slowed to a smooth stop. She barely had chance to think before the doors opened and Kayo led her into a large lounge area.

Just in time to see Scott Tracy collide with a wall.

-o-o-o-

End Part Six.

Part Seven

[intrepidolivia]

Tarot: 0--The Fool

The Fool represents new beginnings, having faith in the future, being inexperienced, not knowing what to expect, having beginner's luck, improvisation and believing in the universe.

Pairing: NeganXOlivia (OC)

Warnings: cursing, violence, implications of abuse, threats, death

Summary: A/B/O AU. An Omega, Olivia is used as a bargaining chip to bribe the leader of the Saviors, the Alpha named Negan. Things do not go as planned.

A/N: I couldn’t get this idea out of my head. I’m not stopping on my Alexandria Country Club AU, but that one’s wrapping up in a couple chapters, so here we are....

Olivia kept her head down as Kevin tugged her toward the compound gate. The metal cuffs chafed her wrists, and he was tall enough that for every step he took she had to take two, but she didn’t dare complain, or even make a noise when she stumbled. The men at her back had no compunction about shoving or hitting her if she ‘made a fuss’ or anything that might give them an excuse.

The gates loomed high above, and the dead moaned, trapped tethered to the chain link. The scent of decay was thick in the too-hot air as they waited for the doors to open. They’d approached the compound openly, in vehicles, and already there was activity from guard towers and on the ground. The response was fast, sure, and aggressive. Clearly they were practiced. The place was enormous and imposing, and if the chatter from the others on the way over was anything to go on, the Saviors were taking over the entire area. She shuddered to imagine what sort of monster might keep a place like this under his rule. She supposed she wouldn’t have to imagine very long, considering.

They’d parked several yards away from the gate, approaching on foot. Trying to make a peaceable first contact she imagined. Kevin took the lead of course, standing confidently in front of her as they waited for someone to come down and talk to them. He kept a pleasant smile on his face, even when he turned to glare at her.

“Best behavior, Omega,” he hissed. “You screw this up for me and you’ll regret it.”

She swallowed, looking down. Knowing he’d want some sort of acknowledgement she nodded.She didn’t trust herself to try to speak, but that didn’t matter. He prefered her silence. He’d made that much clear in the weeks she’d been in captivity. Had it only been two? It felt like an eternity.

Activity at the gate distracted her and she dared a glance up as the doors opened slowly. Three men exited, all armed, but she only really noticed the one in the lead. Even before his scent reached her she knew. Alpha. This had to be Negan, king of the Saviors. The man Kevin meant to make her a gift to.

He was tall and lean, his dark eyes sharp in an achingly handsome face. His grin was wide, toothy, and predatory as he stepped out, flanked by his minions. He spread his arms wide, a barbed-wire-wrapped baseball bat held loosely in one hand.

“Well, what the hell do we have here?” he asked, with deceptive cheer. “A whole little envoy at my gate, hats in hands.” He paused, nostrils flaring, his pupils dilating as he caught her scent.

“You might say that,  Negan, sir,” Kevin said mildly. His whole manner was a lie. She’d seen the arrogance and volatility that was his usual personality. The primary reason he was in charge of the little compound of survivors was that anyone who questioned him bore the brunt of his wrath. She’d seen it when another Alpha objected to his plan to broker peace with the Saviors by offering her. And she’d felt it when she’d tried to run.

Negan’s grin widened, if such a thing was possible. “I’m guessing my reputation precedes me,” he purred. His eyes flicked to her, mostly hidden behind Kevin, and she dropped her gaze to his worn black boots. “So, I take it you’re here to ask to be in the fuckin’ fold and avoid us having to convince you?”

“Yes, sir, that we are.” She could tell Kevin was smiling from his voice. And why shouldn’t he? Things were going smoothly. “Our community has a lot to offer. Good workers, we’ve gotten some good salvage locations scouted out. We’d like to work with you, Negan, sir. I’ve even brought a down payment.”

The big man’s laugh had an edge to it as he clapped his hands slowly. “Well, will you look at this, Simon?” he asked the man next to him. “This fuckin guy is a fuckin go-getter. Why the fuck can’t we have this all the time without all the bullshit? What’s your fuckin’ name, friend?”

“Kevin. Kevin Masterson.” He was practically glowing with pride. “I’m the boss up at the old horse farm, a couple miles from here. We’ve fortified it pretty well, doing okay for ourselves. And as for our down payment…”

The yank on the chain startled her. Olivia stumbled forward as Kevin pulled her in front of him. Before she could react, he had a hand in her hair, pulling her head back to expose her throat.

“An unmated Omega,” Kevin said, undeniably proud of himself. “No idea how she managed this long, pretty as she is. Redhead, too.” He chuckled, forcing her head from side to side to prove she had no mating mark on her neck. “Might as well be a unicorn. I figure that’s worth something, huh?”

Kevin didn’t seem to notice what she did. Negan’s expression hardened as Kevin forced her forward. His dark eyes flicked to the chain, then up to her face. His jaw worked, and his hand tightened on the bat. Kevin had expected him to be pleased. He was not.

It made it all the more terrifying when he smiled, a wide stretch of teeth. “Well would you look at that. Kevin here’s giving me a sweet little Omega as a fuckin’ present.” He reached out, snatching the chain from the other man’s hand. Kevin released her hair, giving her a little shove toward Negan.

She was close enough to really catch his scent then. Leather, and something like cedar mingled with musk and whiskey. Despite herself she responded, pulling in a deep breath. Kevin, and the other Alpha at the farm had smelled wrong to her. Too sharp and sour and sickly, like metal and rust. From everything she’d heard, Negan was a monster to be feared, but in that moment all she wanted was to bury her face in his chest.

He caught her by the shoulder, steadying her, his eyes fixed on Kevin. More gently than she expected, he moved her to one side, handing off the chain to the man he’d called Simon.

“I gotta tell you, Kev. That ain’t no way to treat a fuckin’ lady,” Negan said pleasantly. “Makes me wonder what you’ve got goin’ on with your little farm.”

She saw the play of emotions across Kevin’s face. Puzzlement, then anger. He squelched it as much as he probably could. “Look, she’s an Omega we found wandering. Any other Alpha would have taken and knotted her by now,” he began.

“But not you, Kev. You haul her off in chains like a fucking dog to give to an Alpha you think’s more dangerous than you are. Not like you give a fuck, huh?” Negan rumbled. “You gonna show your belly and piss yourself, too?”

Kevin showed his teeth at that, his eyes darkening. “You’re the one going around demanding supplies. I figured you of all people would appreciate a little Omega fucktoy.”

The barbed wire wrapped bat made a sound unlike any she’d ever heard when it collided with Kevin’s temple. He went down like a felled tree, crumpling at Negan’s feet. His people reacted with shock as Negan continued, the bat rising and falling with a savage violence she’d never seen, even since the world ended.

She stumbled back, Simon catching her shoulders and turning her face away. It didn’t block out the sounds, though.

The horrible wet noises went on for an eternity. When it was finally over, the hush was unbearable.

“Now then. First of all, which of you sorry fucks has the key to that girl’s cuffs?” Negan’s voice was a knife’s edge.

Olivia didn’t dare look at what was left of Kevin, though it was easy enough to imagine given the state of Negan and his bat. Gore dripped thickly from the barbed wire, and when he glanced back, she saw blood spattered across his handsome face. She closed her eyes, trembling. Simon patted her shoulder in what she was sure he thought was a reassuring manner.

“I--I have it,” said Alan. The other Alpha. The one who’d wanted to keep her for himself. He was cowed, afraid. He handed over the small, silver key without a word of protest, his eyes on the ground submissively.

Negan plucked the key from his hand. “All right, let’s get this crystal fucking clear,” he growled. “I’m going to be visiting your fucking compound. Half your shit is mine. I fucking own you. I fucking own your shit. You fucking exist at my pleasure, and because of this dead fucker here, you’re on fucking probation.” His voice was loud, commanding. “If I get there and you’re treating women or Omegas like the dearly departed treated this little girl, we are going to have fucking problems.” He pointed the bloody bat at Alan. “Do we fucking understand each other?”

Alan’s eyes were wide. He looked like he wanted to bolt, but didn’t dare. “Yes, sir,” he said.

“Good. Then get the fuck out of here. We’ll be visiting in a week to take our shit,” Negan grated. “And don’t even fucking think of bucking up on us.”

The group fled, as she imagined they would. Alan was an Alpha, but he knew his limits, and he knew when someone else was a bigger threat. Since the world ended, Negan was the biggest threat she’d ever come across. And now, he had her.

The man strode over to her, towering head and shoulders above her. “Let’s see those wrists, baby girl,” he said.

She didn’t dare look up, keeping her eyes fixed on the ground as she held up her wrists for him to unlock the cuffs. She’d thought about running, or fighting. That was the reason for Kevin’s warning; he knew there was fire in her. Despite her situation, despite being an Omega. Faced with Negan, however, she was much too afraid to do anything.

He unlocked the cuffs, making a dissatisfied noise at the chafing around her wrists. She resisted the impulse to rub at them as the chain fell away. She tried to remain as still and small as possible, though it was a silly thing to do. She already had his full attention.

A big, leather-clad hand caught her chin, forcing her to look up at him.

He was handsome. It was unfair, really, that such a terrifying Alpha would have a face that was so very appealing. Beautiful dark eyes, a salt-and-pepper stubble across his cheeks and chin, a hint of dimples as he smiled down at her.

“There we are,” he said, his voice soft. “Damn. That dead fucker was right about one thing. You’re pretty as can be, doll. How the fuck can you not be mated?” He shook his head, grinning down at her, sharp white teeth on display. “What’s your name, doll baby?”

It took her two tries to speak, her voice lost in her dry throat. “Olivia,” she said finally.

His thumb feathered over her lips. “Well, hello there, Olivia. I’m Negan. Welcome to Sanctuary, little Omega.”

Tagging the usual suspects:  @noodlecupcakes @glittered-unicorn-lava @genevievedarcygranger @adair-donovan @feistybaby @negans-network  @ask-kakashihatake

[joohoneyhoe]

Hell or High Water || One

The sound of rain mixed with tears,

the sound of your breath in my ears.

[song inspiration: EXO - El Dorado + EXO - Exodus]

|| Chapter One || Chapter Two ||

info: byun baekhyun x oc x park chanyeol genre: pirate!au, historical!au, smut, fingering, rough sex, choking, unprotected sex, angst, implied domestic abuse word count: 4.7k a/n: Byun Baekhyun and Park Chanyeol, two of the most dangerous pirates to sail the Mediterranean. Both revered and feared by all of their kind. But, they aren’t at all what they seem, not by a long shot. 

Byun Baekhyun and Park Chanyeol, captain and first mate of the famed ship called the Exodus. Two of the most ruthless, fearless and utterly unforgiving pirates in all of the Mediterranean. Two men who fought against each other from the young age of sixteen, up until the age of twenty-seven, when Baekhyun destroyed Chanyeol’s ship, The Lady Luck. He decided to spare Chanyeol, bringing him on as his first mate, knowing he was of better use to him alive than dead. They soon became as thick as thieves, literally and metaphorically. 

You didn’t hear one name without hearing the other anymore, it just didn’t occur. Though they were like oil and water, they worked together better than anyone either of them had ever shared an alliance with in the past. I could never quite figure out what made them so compatible as leaders, thieves and warmongers. One was the ocean waves and the other, the sand on the beach. Always crashing into each other, seemingly polar opposites, but never able to separate one from the other.

Which was unfortunate for me, Baekhyun’s wife.

“Good morning, Florence.” Baekhyun greeted me as he walked into our sleeping quarters, placing a chaste kiss to my forehead as I sat on the bed. I got up and walked away from him, ignoring his gesture and heading to my wardrobe to get dressed for the day. I could feel him staring after me, no doubt put off by my reaction.

“What is wrong, woman?” he questioned, coming up behind me, his hot breath on the back of my neck, which was already damp from the humidity. 

“Nothing, Baekhyun.” I replied coolly, removing my silken nightgown and hanging it over the wardrobe door. I felt his finger glide up my spine, tracing each vertebrae along my naked back. His lips kissed my shoulder, soft to the touch, intoxicating. Old memories of the Baekhyun I fell in love with all those years ago, coming to the surface. But, the memories didn’t linger for long, the dull ache in my side reminding me he wasn’t the same Baekhyun I once loved.

He was a monster.

“You know how I feel about dishonesty, Florence.” he whispered, making my jaw clench.

“How could I forget.” I retorted, quickly pulling on my breeches and one of his white linen undershirts, covering the bruises on my body from a previous disagreement. I brushed past him, grabbing my boots and hastily putting them on. I quickly put one of my many hidden knives into my right boot, making sure it was in it’s proper place. As I moved to leave, he blocked my path, his dark eyes boring into me.

“Florence…” 

I chewed on my bottom lip as I looked up at the face of my husband. His skin honey colored and smooth, barely looking as if he was a day over twenty. He had always been beautiful to me, even now, being the tyrant he was. I admired the hoop through his lower lip, the two silver chains hanging from it, each connecting separately to the collar of his black shirt. 

I also looked over the cut along his upper lip and the bruising beneath his left eye. I had put those there, because you did not strike me without getting struck back. Murderous pirate or not, you got back what you dealt out.

It seemed our disagreements only increased with time, becoming more violent with every argument. It didn’t matter what I did, or what I said, it only ever made him angrier. But, I had refused to just lie down and take it. That’s not who I was, nor was it who I would ever be.

“You know that I love you.” he stated, causing me to let out an exasperated sigh at him.

“Your behavior says otherwise, husband.” I replied, crossing my arms over my chest. A look of shame passed over his features, but was gone just as quickly as it had appeared.

“You are no better.”

“No, I am not.” I responded, casting my eyes away from him as he approached me. His hands held my biceps, stepping in close and kissing my forehead for a second time that morning.

“I do not want to fight today, my love. I only want to spend time with you. We are here but a few days, lets just enjoy the city while we can, okay?” he requested with a smile, the one that made my insides feel like they were on fire.

“Okay, Baekhyun.” He held his arm out offering it to me, and I took it, letting him escort me from our quarters. 

The ship was bustling with activity, everyone doing their set duties before leaving to go out to the local tavern, drink too much, cause mischief and lay with unsavory women. No doubt, someone would come back with something they didn’t expect, or did, who knows. They were pirates, that was the least of their worries.

“Chanyeol, I am headed into town with my wife for the afternoon. Join us.”

Baekhyun more demanded than asked his first mate. Chanyeol put down the whetstone he had been using to sharpen his sword, standing up, his frame towering over Baekhyun substantially. My eyes roamed over his shirtless torso, his tanned skin covered in a sheen of sweat, his well muscled upper body on display for all eyes to see.

His obsidian eyes fell on me, that mischievous smirk crawling across his lips, as he caught me staring. I frowned, quickly averting my eyes and crossing my arms over my chest. I wasn’t exactly Chanyeol’s biggest supporter. He irked me in every possible way one man could irk someone.

“Sure Captain, I need to get my feet on dry land for a bit anyway. My sea legs are tired.” he joked, winking as he brushed past me to grab his shirt, sheathing his sword in the process. I walked away from both of them, heading off the ship on my own accord, ready to be on solid ground after three long months out on the open sea.

I stepped out onto the sand, feeling the salty sea air rustling my black hair, blowing it away from my face. I took in a deep breath, enjoying the smell of land and sea mingling together. This was one of the most beautiful ports in all of the Mediterranean, and my personal favorite. The Amalfi Coast, nestled between mountains, vineyards and citrus groves, facing out to the beautiful cobalt blue of the Tyrhennian Sea. If I had to pick a place to spend the rest of my days, it would have been here. As I gazed out over the beautiful city, my thoughts were interupted by Baekhyun and Chanyeol both coming up on either side of me, laughing loudly. I let out a sigh, then continued the trek towards town.

“Florence, my love, where would you like to go first?” Baekhyun questioned, his hand touching my lower back gently. “I’d like to visit the market. I haven’t had fresh fruit in a month.” I replied quietly.

“Anything for you, my darling.” his arm came up to wrap around my shoulders, tugging me close to his side. It almost felt like it had when we first fell in love, our days filled with moments just like this.

“I wonder if there are any new wenches.” Chanyeol mused, essentially ruining the moment.

“Don’t you have a wife?” I snapped.

“Don’t we all?” he retorted with a grin, his long legs carrying him further ahead of us. Baekhyun chuckled at him, but quickly stopped when I rolled my eyes and huffed. 

“Sorry.” He apologized, removing his arm and taking my hand into his instead as we came upon the market.

“Why did you have to bring him along?” I questioned, stopping at a silk stand to look over all the beautiful fabrics and clothing. He stayed close, leaning against the table as he watched me.

“He goes everywhere I do. You know that, Florence.” he reminded me, his long fingers touching a pale pink silk nightgown, feeling it carefully. I looked over at him, his eyes unwavering from my face.

“I’m well aware of that, Baekhyun. I just–I just thought today was about us, I suppose.” I said in a defeated tone, my stomach dropping a little in disappointment. His hand touched my cheek tenderly, thumb caressing it.

“It is about us today, my love.” his lips brushed against mine, the kiss brief, but filled with desire.

“Now, lets get you that nightgown. Then I’ll have the pleasure of ripping it off of you later.” he growled into my ear, my face heating up at his unbridled advances. He picked it up, placing it into the basket I had brought along. Baekhyun handed over a few coins to the merchant without looking at him, his smile widening as he took in my flustered appearance. 

“Come on, lets look around some more.” he suggested, taking my hand and dragging me along with him. 

We wandered back and forth between merchants, talking and laughing together, just like we used to. To see him smiling, teasing and flirting with me, like he still loved me the way he had all those years ago, was refreshing and made me wish it could remain that way. Though I knew it would not. The Baekhyun I knew was gone, merely an idea, a distant memory now.

This was just a fluke.

I stopped at another table, one filled with an assortment of beautiful daggers, tracker knives and shanks, my weapons of choice. My hand came down to run over one the blades, feeling the cold steel beneath the pads of my fingers as it gleamed in the hot summer sun. It was the most beautiful knife I had ever laid my eyes on, and I wanted it. Just then, I felt a hand on my back, thinking it was Baekhyun, only to turn and find Chanyeol instead. I pulled myself away from him, looking around for my husband.

“Did you get your fruit?” he inquired, taking a bite out of a bright red apple. I watched his teeth sink into it with ease, a bit of juice dripping down his chin, making my mouth water.

“Where is Baekhyun?” 

I demanded, stepping away from him, his closeness giving me a feeling I didn’t quite care for. There was no reason to deny it, Chanyeol was a good looking man. He was charming, quick witted, deadly with a sword and even deadlier with his words. Women fawned over him for a reason, one I understood all too well.

“Oh, Baek had some business to attend to. He told me to look after you until he got back.” he replied nonchalantly, picking up the blade I had been admiring, twirling it around in his fingers with ease.

“I can look after myself, thank you.” I spat back, watching his fingers work that beautiful knife so skillfully. 

“I’ll take this one.” he told the merchant, mouth still full of apple as he tossed him his money. He threw the core over his shoulder, not caring where it landed, then took my wrist and pulled me away with him. I quickly shook him off, but continued walking beside him. 

“Here.” he held the knife by it’s blade, handle out, offering it to me. 

“What’s this?” I asked, perplexed. 

“You wanted it. So, it’s yours.” he explained with a shrug as I took the knife from his long fingers with caution. I eyed him as he pulled another apple from his satchel, offering that to me as well, making me raise an eyebrow at him.

“Oh, come on, I didn’t poison it or anything. Just take it, you have been complaing about being without fresh fruit for weeks.” he teased with a laugh, tossing the apple in the air for me to catch. I let out a laugh as well, catching it by some miracle as we continued walking. 

“Where did you find apples?” I questioned before I bit into it eagerly, that sweet taste filling my mouth, making me sigh happily.

“Oh, I know a guy. You’re welcome, by the way.” he said with smirk, nudging me with his elbow. I choked on a piece of apple slightly, clearing my throat before speaking.

“Thank you, Chanyeol. I’m sorry you have to follow me around. I’ve never been exceptionally kind to you.” I admitted quietly, my head down as I looked at the beautiful fruit in my hand. Suddenly the weight of his arm landed over my shoulders, his other hand plucking the apple from mine and taking a big bite, making me scowl at him for doing so.

“Eh, you’re not so bad.” he confessed, giving me back my apple.

“Wish I could say the same.” I commented with a chuckle, taking another large bite of the fruit as we walked aimlessly. I had almost completely forgotten his arm was around my shoulders, until his fingers brushed my exposed collar bone. I ducked out from under his hold, making him drop his arm at his side.

“You hungry? I think Baek might be longer than he anticipated, so we might as well get some grub.” he suggested, quickly switching gears to avoid any awkwardness between us. I nodded, watching him pick up his pace, long legs moving him faster than mine ever could. 

It was strange being with Chanyeol like this, very strange. Normally, I avoided him at all cost, especially considering how long he had been my husband’s enemy. I had never truly gotten over that, but Bakehyun had. Maybe he wasn’t as bad as I thought he was, and maybe spending time with him today wouldn’t be so awful. But, there was one question still on my mind.

Where was Baekhyun?

I sat across from Chanyeol at one of the nicer taverns, the one Baekhyun and I usually frequented when we stopped at this port. It was probably my favorite, because it’s deck sat right at the edge of a cliff, looking out over the vast ocean. The sun was already setting, beginning to dip below the horizon, making the water glitter. 

“Hey,” Chanyeol spoke, startling me slightly as his hand nudged mine, making me look up at his smiling face. “I thought I lost you there for a second.” 

“I’m sorry. That tends to happen when I stare out at the water.” I answered, my cheeks flushing in embarrassment.

“Don’t be sorry. The water is where people like you and I belong, so it’s understandable to long for it when you’re not in it.” I surveyed his features carefully, seeing the way his eyes almost went black as he looked out at the vast ocean. I don’t think anyone loved the sea as much as Chanyeol did. Not even Baekhyun.

“Did you get everything you needed today?” he questioned, switching the subject after pulling his gaze away from the water. I nodded, still feeling as if there was something troubling him, especially for him to behave the way he had towards me all day. We were never this civil with each other. Ever.

“Chanyeol, is your wife okay?” his eyes widened in surprise at my inquiry, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth.

“Um–actually, she died a few months back. Before we left the last port, to be exact.” he revealed, my hand coming up to cover my mouth in shock. He fiddled with his tankard, spinning it around and around, aimlessly. My hand instinctively reached out, stopping him and taking his into my own. His gaze wandered up to meet mine, his eyes showing his sadness.

“Why didn’t you tell, Baekhyun?”

“I did. I told him before we left home that she was ill, and that she probably wouldn’t make it to when we were set return. He said I was better off without her anyway, and I would thank him later.” my eyes closed slowly, my heart breaking for Chanyeol and myself. Surely if he thought that about Chanyeol’s wife, his view towards me couldn’t be too far off.

“I’m–I’m sorry, Chanyeol. I didn’t know.” he gave me weak smile, squeezing my hand that still held on to his.

“It’s okay. She had been ill for a while, and I sent for her family before we departed, knowing I wouldn’t return before she…left. She deserved a better life than anything I had given her. I had only ever caused her pain, stress, and heartache. I just wish I would have let her go sooner, maybe she wouldn’t have gotten ill at all, and could have lived a happy life with a man who truly loved her. It’s a little late for that now, I suppose.” he pulled his hand away, grabbing his tankard and swallowing down it contents in one go.

“Anyway, we should get back to the ship. I’m sure Baekhyun is waiting for you.” he pushed his chair back, standing up and throwing money down onto the table top. I followed, grabbing my basket of things from the day and following him out of the tavern towards the ship.

We didn’t speak the entire trip, just simply weaved in and out of the way of drunkards and whores, Chanyeol occasionally placing a guiding hand on my lower back. Once we were at the ship’s dock, he halted, making me turn around to face him.

“Chanyeol?”

“We’re all sleeping at the Inn tonight, this was part of the plan all along. Baekhyun left to go get everything in order, so the two of you could have the ship to yourselves.” my eyebrows raised sympathetically at the pained expression on his face. No matter what he said or did, he had loved his wife, there was no doubt in my mind about it. This whole day had just been a reminder of that for him.

“Thank you for today, Chanyeol. I–I enjoyed it.”

“Me too. Sleep well, Florence.” he shot me a wink and flashed me that big grin, then took off back towards town, leaving me on the docks alone. 

When I turned around to face the ship, Baekhyun was standing at the ship’s edge, leaning over it with a smirk on his handsome face. I couldn’t help but return it. It had been so long since I had seen a genuine smile from him, it made my insides nearly melt.

“Come to bed, my love. I think I recall a promise being made of me ripping a pink nightgown off of you.” I clicked my tongue at him, shaking my head at his shamelessness as I made my way to where he was standing. His hands reached for me, swiftly pulling me against his body, swaying us back and forth with the waves.

“I have another surprise for you.” he whispered, brushing the tip of his nose against mine.

“Oh, really, another surprise? I’m one lucky woman today.” I remarked, kissing him quickly, noticing the chains connected to the ring in his lip had been removed. He flashed me a smile, lacing our fingers and pulling me towards the Captain’s quarters, or as he liked to call it, our personal lair of sin. 

“Ok, we have to be quick.” he directed, his hand on the door handle. I eyed him suspiciously, but nodded. He opened the door swiftly, yanking me inside and shutting it behind us. I set down my basket as he began crawling around, checking under every surface in our room.

“Baek, what are you doing?” 

“AH! There you are, you little scoundrel!” he exclaimed, his voice muffled from being half way under the bed. He backed out slowly, holding something fairly small in his hands.

“Close your eyes and hold out your hands, my love.” he requested, his voice sweet and gentle. I did as he said, putting them out in front of me. I felt something soft being put into my hands, fluffy and squirmy too, making me flinch slightly.

“Open your eyes.” I opened them up and glanced down, finding a tiny gray kitten in my palms, making me immediately cradle it to my chest. It meowed softly, beginning to purr as I held it close.

“Baekhyun?” I choked out as he reached out to pet the feline.

“You always loved that damn cat we brought on to use to catch the rats below deck. Well, it had babies and this is the only who survived. I thought you would enjoy the companionship.” he explained, fingers caressing my cheek.

“Thank you.” I said, eyes watering at his kindness. I couldn’t remember the last time he had done something like this for me. It had been years.

“You can thank me by putting on that nightgown.” he replied, taking the small creature from my hands and setting it down onto the floor. It quickly scampered under the bed, hiding once again. I retrieved the nightgown from my basket of things, placing it on the table as Baekhyun leaned against the nearest wall.

“Turn around.” I ordered, motioning for him to do so with my index finger, making him chuckle.

“Kitty might wanna get out from under the bed…and soon.”

I took everything off, dropping it all to the floor and pulling on the garment. It felt cool against my skin, the fabric gliding across it smoothly. It was a wonderful feeling against my hot flesh, cooling it down substantially. I almost didn’t want it to come off, but at the same time, I did.

“Alright, you can turn around.” he spun quickly, ripping his shirt off in the process. His muscles reflected nicely against the candle light in the room, all those years of hard manual labor on display for me and my eyes only. My feet carried me to him of their own accord, fingers outstretched to feel him. It had been so long since I’d been able to touch him like this, feel the weight of him on top of me.

“You are beautiful.” 

His hands held my hips, fingers tightening around the silk fabric, lips kissing my collar bones. I sighed, my body beginning to tremble under his touch. I grabbed his face, bringing his lips to mine and kissing him hungrily. He began pushing me back towards our bed, the back of my knees hitting it before he pulled his mouth from mine.

“Can I rip this thing off of you yet?” he snarled, bunching it up in his hands, beginning to pull it upwards. 

“It’s so pretty though, Baekhyun.” I whined.

“Fine.” he yanked the garment over my head, throwing it behind him to land wherever it may. He grabbed my thighs, lifting me up to wrap my legs around him, then dropping me onto the bed. I heard the kittens claws scratch against the wood flooring, as it ran out from under the bed.

Baekhyun’s lips were on mine before I could even comment on it, his hips grinding into my exposed core, making me groan into his mouth. My fingers tangled into his hair, tongue prodding his lips until he opened up to me. 

“Please, Baek.” I pleaded, my hands moving down to untie his breeches, trying to push them from his hips. He swatted my hands away, hastily sliding out of them. His hands ran up my thighs, kneading them until he met my hip bones.

“I do enjoy it when you beg.” he snickered, taking a hand and cupping my heat, making me gasp loudly. 

“It’s been so long, Baekhyun. Please…don’t make me wait any longer.” 

“I won’t.” without any warning, he dipped two fingers into me slowly, my breath releasing from my chest. My hips undulated into his palm, but he pushed me back against the bed, restricting my movement. I desperately tried pushing him away, but he didn’t let me.

“Don’t fight me, Florence. You can let go, feel it.” he whispered into my ear, catching it between his teeth before bringing his lips to mine. He curled those long fingers, thumb rubbing me as he did, whimpers leaving my lips. 

“That’s my girl, be as loud as you want tonight.” his voice was smooth as the silk nightgown I had on previously. Cool, soft against my skin, like the ocean after dark.

“I want to hear you scream for me, only me. You are mine.” 

He pulled out his fingers, replacing them with his length and thrusting roughly. My nails scratched down his back, digging into his flesh as I cried out his name. His hand tangled into my hair, pulling my mouth to his, but instead of kissing me, he brought my bottom lip between his teeth and pulled.

“Baek, oh God! Harder!” my voice cracked, head tilting back as he rocked his hips into me, my stomach tensing as my core throbbed. His lips attached to my throat, smirking into it, giving me an extra hard thrust.

“Shh, you’ll get what you need, my love.” 

His hand trailed south, long fingers parting my folds further as he pumped into me. He put pressure on it, his cock brushing against his index and middle finger as he opened me up even more. It felt like my body was pulsing, every fiber of my being intertwining with Baekhyun’s.

My breath hitched in my chest as his fingers left me, but his thumb pressed down on my bundle of nerves. He grabbed my thigh, lifting it over his shoulder as he worked me over to completion. I pushed my digits into his raven hair, tugging on it harshly, a high pitched groan escaping his chest.

I couldn’t remove my eyes from him, looking at his beautiful sweat covered flesh. Every tendon in his neck strained, his pulse point pushing against his skin, every pound of his heartbeat visible. I leaned up, biting down on the juncture between his neck and shoulder, surely leaving a mark. 

His fingers clasped around my throat, shoving me back down and away from him. His eyes darkened, hand constricting tightly, cutting off my airflow. I whined loudly, rutting into him as he bottomed out inside of me. He hit me once more, harder than ever, feeling myself let go finally.

“That’s it, come on.” he encouraged, kissing me with vigor, the cool metal from his lip ring clacking against my teeth. I pulled my other leg up and over his shoulder, the new position causing him to lose his control. He quickly pulled out, jerking himself until he released his seed all over my stomach. 

I let out a loud breath, my body relaxing into the bed as Baekhyun got up, walking towards the wash bowl to grab the rag. I rested my arms over my head as I waited, him coming back into my view moments later. His hands were gentle as he wiped away his mess, caressing my skin as he did so.

“You did well tonight, my dear.” he praised, dropping the dirtied cloth to the floor before laying down next to me. He pulled me into his side, grabbing my thigh and throwing it over his still naked waist, fingers stroking me lightly. 

We lay together in silence, listening to the waves lapping against the ship, rocking us smoothly. It was almost like we were sixteen all over again, not a care in the world.

“I wish we could stay this way.” I expressed quietly, hand resting on his chest.

“We can stay this way all night, Florence. And look,” he leaned over the edge of the bed, grabbing something. “we have this guy to keep us company.” he placed the kitten on my stomach carefully. I pet the beautiful gray cat, it careening into my touch.

“What are you going to name it?” he asked me, scratching it’s chin as it purred. I cocked my head a little, eyeballing the feline closely, trying to determine a fitting name for it.

“Lucky. I think Lucky is a good name, since we don’t know if it’s a male or a female.” I told him, stroking the kitten as it snuggled into the crook of my neck. Baekhyun rolled on his side, continuing to pet Lucky.

“It’s a good name, Florence. Now, rest, you deserve it.” he kissed my temple, then moved down, so he could rest his head in the crook of my neck where the kitten wasn’t. I proceeded to stroke both of their hair, smiling to myself.

It wasn’t long before they were both asleep, leaving me alone to be with my own thoughts, enjoying the calm before the storm. Because that’s exactly what all of this was.

The calm before the storm.

[illnesssecretsanta]

This is for @sniffles-and-tickles! I’m so  sorry your secret Santa fell through but I’m so happy to be the substitute. I really hope that you like this :) I will admit I’m not super familiar with your OCs (but I love them) so I apologize if I mess any of the characterizations up. I'm sorry it's not SUPER long I tried.

*

“You idiot,” Switch hisses, all but shoving Kaito through the door. “How many times have I told you to tell someone if you’re not feeling well? How many times has anybody told you to tell someone if you’re not feeling well? Just don’t fucking come in if you’re sick, you moron.”

Kaito stumbles, the illness that’s been ravaging his body since yesterday had weakened him, making him unsteady on his feet.  He groans, wiping at his forehead that was beaded with sweat, “it’s not that bad.”

“You have a fever, what do you mean it’s not that bad?”

He opens his mouth to say something, to insist that she should lay off, but he’s cut off by a grating, lung-seizing coughing fit.

“And that,” she says with a grimace, “you sound awful.”

“Well it feels great,” he snaps.

She rolls her eyes, “go to bed and like...sleep, or something. I don't know.  Do what sick people do, and maybe don't get up for a while.  I'd rather you didn't give yourself a concussion because you passed out. Again.”

“Switch-“

“-Don’t be stupid. Go lie down.”

“Okay, okay,” he snaps, ultimately too tired to continue arguing.

He really does feel awful - achy, congested, heavy, freezing.

God, he’s freezing. The cold is beneath his skin and in his bones, making him feel stiff and like everything is taking infinitely longer than it should. Although, that could also be chalked up to how hazy his brain feels.

“Kaito,” Switch says, breaking him out of his thoughts.

“Hm?” He mumbles, forcing himself to tear his eyes away from the spot on the floor he’s been starting at for the last five minutes.

“Go to bed.”

He coughs harshly into the crook of his elbow.

Kaito tries to make it up to his bedroom, but he’s far too tired and feels too shitty to make it any farther than the couch. Once he’s finally lying down, he rolls over to press his face into the pillow.

He sniffles, rubbing at the itch that’s decided to settle into his sinuses.

“Hih...nggsh! Ihhh-hih! Hih-ihngtch! *snff*”

“Bless you. Don’t be gross, use a tissue,” Switch says, dropping a tissue box next to him.

“Where did these even come from?” He croaks, congestion seeping into his voice.

“I grabbed them when you were coughing up a lung. Speaking of, your cough sounds awful.”

“Yeah, no shit. You already told me that.”

“No, I told you that you sounded awful. I never specified.”

“You said I sounded awful after I coughed.”

She rolls her eyes, “just don’t die, you asshole.”

He sighs in exasperation, “good advice. Wasn’t planning on it. Now go away and let me sleep or I’ll cough on you.”

“Gladly,” she says, dropping a bottle of pills and a water bottle on his chest. “Take these. If you get me sick, I'll kill you.”

“Where-“

“-Oh my God,” she cuts him off, “I grabbed them when you weren’t paying attention, obviously.”

*

“Kaito, What the fuck.”

“What are you mad about now?” He croaks sleepily, forcing his eyes open. “And why the hell are you waking me up? I’m dying.”

“You’re not dying, you have the sniffles or something,” she says. He muffles a coughing fit into the blanket. “Okay, maybe it’s not quite the sniffles, but you aren’t dying. You are invisible though.”

“I’m...huh?”

“Invisible.”

“Yeah I heard you, I just-gtsch! IhtSCHT! *snff*”

Switch feels where she assumes his forehead is, but is met with a cry of pain (immediately followed by a nasty coughing fit).

“Oops.”

“Dammit, Switch,” he hisses, voice rough.  He pushes her hand away, and then rubs at the spot Switch had poked too hard by accident. “That was my eye, maybe don’t shove your finger into it for fuck’s sake, ow.”

“You’re invisible, how the fuck am I supposed to know where your forehead is?”

“I don’t know but it’s definitely not there.”

He flickers, coming into view for a few seconds before going invisible again. 

As much as she can’t stand her brother the majority of the time (because honestly, he’s the biggest dick she’s ever met...not that she’s much better), she still feels a sliver of pity for him, because he’s very obviously miserable and she’s not a monster.

He sneezes again, and she flinches when it sounds like they’re ripping at his chest and throat.

“Guh,” he groans, sniffling miserably.  “Switch, I feel awful,” he croaks.

“Yeah, I gathered. I think your fever went up.”

“‘Splains the...invisibleness…s’that a word?”

“No.”

“...It is now.”

*

He sleeps off and on, too feverish and miserable to stay conscious for long. When he is conscious, he's coughing and sneezing almost incessantly, which makes everything a little fuzzy around the edges.

Switch had taken on the role of reluctant caretaker, and each time he wakes, she grunts out that he shouldn’t make this a thing and to go back to sleep.  His ability to be invisible is a huge pain in the ass, because it makes making sure he doesn’t die so fucking hard, and she hates it.  

Eventually, his fever goes down enough so that he becomes visible again, and she sighs in relief.

Thank God.

Switch presses a hand to his forehead, pleased that she avoided his brain boiling (for now).

“Switch?” He mumbles tiredly.

“Go to sleep,” she instructs, standing up.

“Mmmmnh...mmkay.”

“I’m going to bed...yell if you need something.”

Kaito nods tiredly, eyes slipping shut as he falls back to sleep.

[lubdubsworld]

Tumblr prompt ( Jimin / OC)

Read Part 1 Here

Since i got a lot of requests for a part 2 on this one. This isn’t exactly a part two but a sort of a backdrop. i would probably continue this because it’s fun to write , i guess? 

Genre : Heavy Angst \ Romance

Warnings : Dubious Consent, Domestic Violence, Emotional Manipulation.

Pairing : Park Jimin/ OC

Request fic : An abusive marriage drabble with Jimin .

Rating : 19+

Part 2 : How We Met . 

I first met Jimin when i was eighteen years old. He was twenty three at the time, already one of the biggest stars in the country. His band BTS had won the BBMA, Daesangs, were generally acknowledged as the Kings of Kpop. I’d always had a crush on him, been one of those embarassing fangirls who sleep with photocards in the pillow covers. I had always been drawn to Jimin out of all seven of them, simply because he had seemed like such a very kind person.

And i hadn’t met a lot of those in my life. I wasn’t exactly very poor but my family had always struggled, as far as I knew. My mother ran a massage parlor in one of the seedier places in Seoul, and I knew that she did far more than just give ‘ massages’. Especially when she stuffed a 5000 Won note into my sister’s hand and told the both of us to stay out for a few hours.

When i was twelve, my mother let me know that I wasn’t really of any use to her.

“Your sister is beautiful. Like me. You take after your father. You’re too thin. No body at all. How will you help me with the business if you look like this. Go find a part time job where looks don’t matter.”

It was the first time i realized i wasn’t beautiful. Which was funny because i’d always been called pretty by the men who visited my mother. But her words made me curl in on myself and cry for days. It was like i didn’t magtter. Like I was an invisble person who had no value whatsoever, simply because i wasn’t beautiful enough to matter. 

When i was fifteen, I took up a job waitressing. it was another nail to my coffin. No one sees a waitress. We might as well be invisible. i had no one to talk to. No one willing enough to listen. i went on for days on end , not using my voice for anything except the generic, “ What would you like to have” , “ Was the meal okay “ and “ Please Eat well.” 

When I was sixteen , the clients to my mother’s shop began to dwindle.  My mother was becoming older and while my sister did help her, she was still underage. Which meant that there were some ‘ services’ she just couldn’t provide.  , i had to quit school because we could no longer afford to live on just part time jobs.

Times were tough and I clung to music, to help me get by. i started listening to a lot of music by different artists but Jimin’s voice always drew me in and made me drown. it felt like he too had been through a lot of pain as well. 

Like he knew what it was like to never be considered good enough. To always keep doubting yourself. And I felt , suddenly a little less alone. A little less lonely. i would replay little bits of his part in BTs songs, put them on loop, just to hear the emotions in his voice. I fell in love with him even then.Or maybe , i fell in love with my vision of him. the jimin in my head was kind and beautiful. He understood me. He listened to me. 

But it was all just one of those fantasies that helped me breathe . Nothing I ever thought would happen. Not even in my wildest dreams. 

But the restaurant i had started out at , had grown and I got a raise. they also started catering for huge parties and award shows and that meant that if i was lucky enough to be picked as a wait-staff, i could score free meals, as well a generous bonus.

It was in one of those parties that I first met Park Jimin.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What the hell?! What did you just do, you incompetent little twit?!” The woman screamed at me and i flinched , horrified. I hadn’t technically done anything. She had been swinging her arms animatedly while talking to three of the BTS members and had accidentally knocked down the Champagne glasses that i’d been carrying on a tray.

The wine had spilled , splashing out of the cut glass flutes and dousing Park Jimin’s expensive shirt which probabaly cost more than my entire existence.i just stared at the rapidly spreading stain, not sure what to do and my brain shutting down completely because it was Park jimin.

The Park jimin of my dreams. The park jimin who was kind and angelic and who would rescue me from my hell hole of a life. 

My body just froze because i couldn’t think, talk or even blink. 

“it’s alright. “ He said very softly and his gaze was so kind, so soft and gentle. He gave me a reassuring smile and i realized how incredibly beautiful he was in real life. So much more perfect than all the photos I’d seen. So gorgeous. So handsome. 

A real life prince. 

I just gaped at him as he smiled back, casually grabbing some paper towels from another waiter and wiping up the stains. 

And he didn’t stop there. He actually gently took my hands in his wiping away the spilled liquid. I could only stare as he casually knelt on the floor, ignoring all the hushed murmurs around us and picked up the broken shards of the glass as well.

“Don’t hurt yourself...” He said softly and just like that i was lost. 

And later that night, when he cornered me near the kitchens and told me he wanted to take me out to dinner, i didn’t even think to wonder,

  why me? why would someone like Park Jimin want someone like me? 

At the time , i thought it was because he was my prince Charming. 

i still think he is. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It wasn’t easy , of course dating an idol. But Jimin was strong and firm. He stood up to his agency, to his fans to everyone else who tried to break us apart. it was oddly fascinating, watching somone fighting  for  me and not just fighting me.

My mother hated him. 

“Da Som, he doesn’t seem like a nice man. i’ve met men like him. They only choose women they can control and bully. He thinks you’re easy to control. My baby, don’t believe him.”

i could only laugh at her delusional words. Jimin never even raised his voice to me! He bought me beautiful things. jewelry, dresses and pretty trinkets. But that wasn’t even the most improtant thing. He talked to me. He listened to me. He made me feel like the most important person in the world, whenever I was with him. 

I loved him.

“Don’t say that about him!” I yelled at her.

“Da som- just listen to me...”

‘You’re jealous! “ I spat out angrily. “ you’re just jealous that i no longer have to stay here with you and your pretty daughter. Are you ashamed mother?! You though unnie was the prettier one but Jimin certainly doesn’t think i’m ugly , does he? He could have any girl in the world! but he chose me!” 

My mother only stared sadly while i ranted at her. 

And i felt sad, and empty. Because my mother wasn’t happy for me. 

“She’s upset that you’re leaving her baby, that’s it. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of you. You will never miss your mother. i’m your family now.” Jimin whispered that night, drawing me close and kissing my hair. 

I slept soundly. 

That was the last time i ever spoke to her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You are a virgin aren’t you?” 

I blushed as I brushed my hair, seated in front of the dresser of his apartment. 

“Uh.. yes.”

He looked relieved. Happy almost. 

“Good. Good...”

Why did it matter, i wondered. 

“Because I want to be the only one to ever have touched you. The first and the last.” He said softly, bending down to kiss my cheeks. “ We’ll wait of course. Till marriage. I want you to be pure till then. It wouldn’t be fair if you wore white when you aren’t pure, right baby?” He smiled. 

“Yes. “ I said, not really understanding, but too drugged from his touches and his scent to think too much about it. 

“Good. Good. I’m a really fair person, Da Som. I would never be cruel to you.  I think we should always be honest to each other. You’ll always be honest with me, right?” He smiled , stroking my hair gently. 

“I...I’ll never lie to you jimin.” i said, surprised that he even thought i would.

“I know baby. I know the moment I saw you that you were perfect for me. You need me , don’t you baby? Only i make you happy, right?”

“Yes.” 

“Good girl.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We got married a week later. 

The first year of my marriage was the best time of my life. I was a good wife. I made sure that everything was perfect, the way he wanted and he always treated me like i was the most precious thing in his life. 

When we celebrated our sixth month anniversary , everyone was envious of me. Jimin had booked an entire restaurant for us and he bought me a dozen expensive dresses. He also bought me a Diamon necklace, a cartier watch and what mattered the most was that he took the entire week off. We spent it in jeju Do, exploring the tiny island and when we weren’t exploring, we were in bed. Jimin taught me the millon different ways a man could make a woman feel good and i was dizzy with pleasure and riding high from his touches. 

i was still a little tired from our lovemaking, when jimin gave me a small smile, fingers lightly stroking the bare skin of my back. 

“Your hair is getting long. “ He said casually, gripping a lock of my thick hair. 

“Oh..i like it that way, though.” I smiled brightly and his smile faded alarmingly fast. 

“You’d look better with shorter hair.” He said shortly.

I blinked a bit, surprised at how upset he sounded. 

“Oh... You think so?” i said doubtfully. Touching my hair in confusion. I liked my long hair. i thought it was a special part of me. 

“Why? You think I’d lie to you?” His voice had taken a hard edge and I turned over, sitting up a bit.

“Jimin-”

“I work my ass off so you can have the best things in the world, why would i lie about what makes you look good?” He demanded and I could only stare, not at all sure what I’d said wrong or why he was mad. 

“Jimin, calm down...”

“Calm down?! You just called me a liar and you want me to calm down? Listen, do you think I’ve got nothing better to do than sit around here with you? But i’m here... you know why? Because I care about you. Because I love you. And if you loved me back, you wouldn’t doubt me!” He said angrily.

“I’m sorry... i’m sorry if I upset you...”

“Damn right you should be. ! I give you everything! Everything. How much of it do you actually deserve huh?” He scoffed. 

i looked down at my lap, tears stinging. i felt suddenly ashamed of myself. He was right. i hadn’t earned any of these luxuries. I only had them because jimin loved me. I’d been taking for granted, all the little things that jimin did for me. And now, I’d somehow hurt the man who had done nothing but good things for me. It was unforgivable. 

“I’m so sorry Jimin...” i whispered, reaching out for him and he knocked my hand away angrily. 

“Whatever.” He got out of bed and slipped on his clothes. “ i’m going for a walk now. I can’t even look at you right now.” 

He didn’t touch me again for the rest of the week. I begged and apologized and tried to make it up to him but he stayed unmoving, ignoring my tears and my apologies. 

i felt myself sinking into depression. 

It was like i was invisible again and I hated it. I went mad, i couldn’t eat and i couldn’t sleep. Food tasted like saw dust. I was dying inside my own skin and i wanted to claw out of my body. I hated myself for ruining things. Because I had, hadn’t i? 

I’d hurt Jimin and i’d ruined things for both of us. 

When we returned back, the first thing i did was find a salon. I got my hair cut short, just the way he wanted. 

When jimin came home that night, he smiled at me for the first time in days. 

“You’re so good for me, baby. i just want to be proud of you. If you listen to me, you can be a wife that I’d be proud of.” 

I nodded, the words not even registering. All that mattered was that he was touching me again. 

I wasn’t invisible anymore. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[txnystarkimagines]

Paradox (Part 2/?)

Disclaimer: This story contains triggering content that includes: violence, abuse (both domestic and sexual), as well as emotional trauma, anxiety, and PTSD. DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE TRIGGERED. I repeat, DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE EASILY OFFENDED,OR TRIGGERED. I apologize for inconveniences caused by me.

Words: 2000+

Pairings: Tony Stark x OC, Pepperony

Warnings: Panick attack,angst

Summary:  A sick Pepper Potts on her death bed, asks her best friend Eleanor Belikov to marry her husband Tony Stark AKA Iron Man and be a mother to their child of six months Exton Stark.

Paradox Tag List: @tonystarkfanfiction  @ melizzzabeth  @lovely-geek  @fanficqueen306

Permanent Tags: @sybil-howlett @palaiasaurus64 @sherlockholmesisbae @redroomproperty @alwaysoutoftheordinary @withouthannah @metaphysicalmisha@andybubblebath @secretninjachild @whatshernamemaria @pou-noikiazeis-to-oneiro @alwaysenjoythelifeyoulive@niallandsebastianaremylife @raindancer2004  @v-esperteen  @purpledolphin-f  @sour-kangaroo1998 @princeffreeshgoddessofgreatbooty @melizzzabeth

To continue or not to? Please, feedback is very much appreciated. I need it. 

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Eleanor,was shocked no doubt. How could Pepper even say that? She couldn't fathom the thought of marrying ever again,let alone an already married man. She new Pepper was a physically sick, but this was a new level even for her.

"Please tell me this is a joke Pepper."Eleanor grimaced at the redhead.

"No, itsn't. I am quiet serious."She replied.

"No just no!"Eleanor leaned back against the seat.

"Ellie please, just hear me out."Pepper begged.

"Don't do this Pep."

"Just listen. I am dying."She shifted uncomfortably in her place on the bed. Pepper herself had accepted the fact that she was going to die but that by no means meant that she was comfortable with it. She didn't want to leave this world so early. She wanted to see her child grow up, his first steps, his first words, his first day of school and anything and everything inbetween and more. She wanted to see whether Exton would take after Tony's genius or her ordinary brain. Though no, fate worked in crueler ways than one could imagine and now almost 7 months after the delievery, she did not even have the energy to lift her child. She could never have imagined. A woman who was once stong enough,could not even pick up her own son. How weak was that? Pepper felt almost hopeless, she never though of life coming and stopping at this point but this was the reality and she needed to fill in all holes, and make sure everything was taken care of after her death. Eleanor was the only way of making sure.

"My organs are giving up on themselves, literally eating each other. In a way I am self destructing."She took a deep breath, even speaking for a  long time made her unwell. "Starks do that, they have a tendency to do that, while I am doing so physically, I know that Tony out there is completely tearing himself apart, preparing for-"Her coughs interrupted her speech.  

Her whole body shook with the coughs as Eleanor quickly got up to pour her some water. While Pepper caught her breath,she took a seat besides her on the bed. "It's okay."Eleanor pressed the bedridden woman's shoulder as comfort, only to get a sad smile in return.  

"See? Can't even speak properly. Anyways,when I'm gone he is going to be a mess, he needs someone to take care of him. He is Tony Stark, an inventor, a superhero and the CEO of the world's biggest multi national company.He will be in the lab for days. My son will be alone. With nannies. How can I let him be raised by them when he has a perfectly alive father?  When he can have a suitable mother?  I need you to raise him, and push Tony in the right direction to do so also. Please Eleanor, I am begging you. This is my last wish. "

"I-I honestly don't know what to say."Eleanor stated, disbelief evident in her voice.  

"Think about it. Meanwhile Jarvis will show you the contract. I can't speak more." Pepper could already feel the medicines she took before El came taking over. They made her whole body numb,which while did help, made Pepper even more helpless. With them she could only speak and turn her neck,no other part of her body moved. Moments like these,made her want to lash out. Scream at God. Why her? Why her when she had just started a family? Why take her away from her loved ones? She was just trying to save another person. She in no way asked for this. Killian did this to her,and she hoped he burn in hell for what he had done to her and hundreds of others,for he was already dead.

"Contract?"

"Yeah, help me lay down?"

Eleanor complied doubtlessly, slowly easing Pepper onto her back, as she closed her eyes,but before she told Jarvis to ask Tony to come to her in about twenty minutes.

As Eleanor exited the spacious room with her bag, Jarvis asked her, "Miss Lockwood would you like to read the documents in holograph, tablet, or hard format?"

"Hard if that can be arranged. "El answered, carefully making her way down the granite stairs.

"It's waiting in the living room, on the table along with a cup of coffee."

"Thank you!"She appreciated the AI 's thoughtfulness.

Eleanor made herself comfortable on the leather couch, besides the fire before grabbing the papers.  Taking a sip of the coffee she opened the file, starting the reading.

The first few pages were all the legal formalities,who was involved in it, and when would it start and what not.Then came the clauses.

Only after Tony and Pepper would divorce will he marry Eleanor.

If both parties agreed then the procedure will start immediately.

None of them are allowed to be a part of any sort of extra marital affairs.

Noone is to be told about the contract.

If both parties agreed to get married Eleanor would automatically assume Pepper's position in the company which would be a personal assistant to CEO and chairman Tony Stark as well as at home, as his wife.

As far as matters are concerned with Exton, no nannies will be hired, he will be raised by the couple as his parents.  

The couple is not allowed to divorce in a minimum of five years and only if Exton knows the truth about his parents and his real mother.

Exton will not be told the truth until and unless circumstances call for it or he hits maturity.

While this was only the summarized version, the documents were a lot more detailed including the details of what would happen when they agreed, what was to be told to the world and in case of interviews their history as a couple.It took her more than 30 minutes to read through. At the end, three empty lines rested for their signatures.

As Eleanor moved onto the more personal notes by Pepper on what exactly she would have to do, she heard a loud crash from upstairs. Alert, she sat up."Jarvis?"

"Nothing to worry about, Miss Lockwood.Mr. and Mrs Stark are having a fight. Mrs. Stark is telling him what she told you.  He is not in a good mood."

"Of course why would he?"Eleanor mumbled under her breath.

Biting her lips she tried to concentrate on the file in front of her, but her mind was somewhere else. She wondered what was happening upstairs. Tony was obviously angry, but how much? Would he agree?  Would he be mad at her too?  Everything was a jumble. She didn't want the fight to escalate and decided it was best to act as a cooling agent between the two overly heated people.

As Eleanor made her way up the stairs, she froze. Tony was making his way towards her.Well not exactly, as he hadn't caught sight of her yet. His whole demeanor screamed anger and frustration.  His fists were clenched by his sides, and his feet stomped as he climbed down the stairs, only to find El standing in the middle.

"You."He seethed, glaring at her as he walked closer only to stand a few inches above her on the step.  

"Me?"She whispered.

"What did you tell her?"

"I didn't tell her anything Tony. I found out about it only a few minutes before you."

"Don't you fucking lie to me.What the hell did you tell her?" He screamed at her, pushing her against the wall, with no way to escape. His arms caged her between the wall and him. Eleanor flinched at the situation, bad memories floating through her head.

"Tony please, believe me I didn't ask her to do any of this. "She grimaced,looking anywhere but at him.  

"Look at me."He ordered.

Eleanor slowly turned her head to look into his raging brown eyes, that almost seemed black with anger.  His hand traveled to her cheek, softly pushing the curly strand of hair behind her ear,where he then cupped her neck. If not for the situation she would have definitely thought he was pulling a move on her.

"You see Miss Lockwood,"He spoke softly, still caressing her hair. "If I find out that you had even one percent of involvement in Pepper's crazy plan,I am going to fucking destroy you. You are never going to be able to find a job, not even in a run down diner. So you better pray to whatever God you pray to, that you don't."With a final shove to her shoulder against the wall,the genius stormed down and into the elevator.

For a few seconds El stood there frozen in shock, marveling at what had just happned. Memories flashed through her head. Dimitri and her against the wall. Dimitri holding her in a chokehold. Similar situations moved through her mind one after another not giving her time to process them. She gasped for air,sliding down the wall, and sitting down on the step, all unknowingly as she remembered the time she broke her arm for hitting the wall to hard. Memories of Dimitri playing with her hair, threatening her just like Tony did mere minutes ago. Her heart beat fast and she could feel the blood rushing through her veins. She made the mistake of holding her breath and made it even harder for herself to calm down. In distress she fell forward, hand resting against the cool granite, her only source of comfort right now. Her curls fell around her face, shielding her away from the world, while she squeezed her eyes shut, flinching at the images that greeted her.

"Your heart rate is unbelievably high. Do you want me to call Mr Stark? Miss?"Jarvis called out.

For a few seconds, there was silence, with only her struggle to breathe as the music, as she tried to calm down enough to let out a reply. "N-" She gasped,"No."

God! She felt so weak. Two weeks. It had been two weeks, she had been without a panic attack, and this measly incident was all it took to break that streak.

Eleanor counted to ten, with holding her breath and releasing every other number. Soon enough as she reached twenty-three she was stable enough.

"Argh!" She let out a frustrated scream. What was wrong with her? He was long gone. Why was she so scared,so weak all the time? She thought to herself.

This was it. This was the moment decided. No more hesitation,no more fear,no more weakness. She had faced far worse than an arrogant man in a can. She was done being weak,she was a survivor she is a survivor,Eleanor determined. Perhaps it was that moment when she signed her life over,one again as history repeated itself. Eleanor reached down a shaky hand,still a bit breathless and grabbed the file which had fallen down a few steps. Immediately she flipped to the last page,not delaying the least bit in case she changed her mind. And then,she signed,a single drop of tear falling down next to the line as she did so.

[msbigredmachine]

Into The Deep End - Chapter 31

Sasha has always tried to play it safe, to keep her life as simple and risk-free as possible. Things change, however, when she garners the interest of a handsome, charming, younger man from a completely different world than hers. As she starts to question her own rules, is she ready to take the biggest chance of them all? Will she let herself take that dive? Roman Reigns/OC.

CHAPTER 30

Goddamn headache.

Sasha shuffled around the Grill, wishing she could just lie down and sleep for the rest of the day. Where the headache came from she didn't know but it needed to go. She needed to work and it was imperative that things went smoothly like it always did in Reggie's absence. So downing some aspirin with a cup of coffee, she ploughed on, attending to customers, telling Amber off, making sure Old Man Maurice was taken care of, plunging back into her usual rhythm until she felt some semblance of normality again.

"You've been damn cranky lately," Amber griped, shutting the cash register before facing the older woman. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," Sasha answered a little too quickly.

"Something or someone's pissed you off. Is it T.K.? Lover Boy? Whose ass do you want me to kick?"

Sasha snorted. "Ha. You can't even kick a football right, let alone someone's ass."

"Hey, don't knock me, Sash. I may be all skin and bone but I step up when I need to."

"Right." Sasha flipped the notebook in her hand and swiftly changed the subject. "Reggie says the new guy is coming in next week. You and I need to plan out his orientation."

"Can't we get Oliver to do it? I mean he hardly does anything around here anyway," Amber complained. "I may sound like a total bitch for saying this but I really think-"

But Sasha had stopped listening. A chill had swept through her spine out of nowhere. The hair on the back of her neck stood up. Something pushed her to direct her gaze towards the entrance of the Grill, and she did.

Joe stood by the door. Staring right at her.

It took Sasha a couple of seconds to establish that she wasn't hallucinating. She stood frozen as his eyes trapped hers, slowly bleeding out her surroundings and everything else around her until it was just him, and her, and the pain and hurt from three weeks ago. It felt like a lifetime and a monumental effort before her inner defenses finally broke the hypnosis. Tearing her gaze away, she wordlessly handed Amber the notebook and made a beeline for the back room.

Amber tried to stop her. "Where are you going?" She glanced curiously at the entrance. "Are you running from him?"

"No," Sasha lied, not liking the way her heart was currently racing.

"Well, he's obviously here to see you," the brunette retorted, carefully observing her colleague. "But if you want I can hold him off."

"Thanks," she said gratefully. She ducked into the back room, which suddenly felt like the safest place in the Grill. She put her hands on the long table in the corner and took deep breaths. This was the first time she was laying eyes on him in three weeks. She tried not to speculate or figure out why he was here. It didn't matter. What he did was no longer her business. At least that was what she'd been telling herself for the past three weeks and she would keep drumming it into her head until she believed it.

The air in the room changed. Shifted. Charged with that familiar tension again.

"Sasha."

She should have known. Amber never stood a chance against the will, the force, of Joe Anoa'i. She was probably still lying in the puddle he'd reduced her to with that silky, sexy baritone voice that now haunted Sasha's dreams at night.

Against her better judgment, she turned around. The first thing she noticed was the dark circles clashing unpleasantly with his grey eyes, like he hadn't slept in a long time. His beard was close to rivalling Colby's. A large bouquet of yellow roses was in his grasp. Sasha glanced at it then turned away. Even in her desolate state of mind her heart still hardened at the sight of him, at the thought of how callously he'd treated her all those weeks ago. "Only authorized staff are allowed in here," she said coolly.

She heard him chuckle; a deep, throaty, teasing rasp that always made her knees weak. "Ain't never stopped us before, sweetheart," he smirked, subtly reminding her of the steamy surprise quickie they had a couple of months back on the very table she was resting her hands on. The memory caused her to snatch them away from the surface and cross them over her breasts. "What'chu want?" she demanded, still not looking at him.

Joe knew that gesture anywhere. Her guard was up. "To apologize."

She made a derisive sound. "You show up at my workplace with flowers and that's supposed to make everything better?"

"Not right away, but it could be a start," said Joe. "I learned that you give someone a yellow rose to show them how sorry you are. I uh, got about two dozen," he added hopefully.

"You called me selfish. You accused me of wanting another man. You acted like I didn't give a damn about our relationship and made me feel like shit." She shook her head angrily, blinking back the tears that sprang to her eyes. Don't you dare cry. Not again.

"I'm an asshole."

"Good, something we agree on."

In spite of the situation, he smiled at her quick retorts. He would always be enamored by her feistiness. "I'm the one who was selfish," he acknowledged. "You were only trying to show me I needed help and I was only thinking about myself. I'm sorry. For everything. The way I treated you, the things I said to you."

He sounded sincere and heartfelt, and as angry as she was, she was glad he had at least taken the time to view the situation from her perspective. She had done the same, from his own end. With a heavy sigh, she ran a nervous hand down her apron. "It must have seemed like I was abandoning you, especially after I told you what was going on with me and you didn't walk away. It was shitty to make you feel that way."

"I understand why you did what you did. You had my best interests at heart, like you always do." He looked down at her, noticing that she'd lost a bit of weight. The blue sundress she wore looked baggier than it was supposed to be. Guilt nudged at him. "All of this is new for you. You stepped out of your comfort zone to be with me and I didn't realize how hard it must be for you."

"I shouldn't have called you a child either," Sasha said in a soft voice. "You're not. You're a grown man and I respect you so much. What you do. What you've been through. You've gone through some things older men couldn't handle and you're still standing tall."

"You've helped me through them," said Joe, "You don't realize it but you have."

"Surely I can't take all the credit," she said, wincing as she massaged her temple.

"Headache?" he asked softly, a look of concern on his face as he moved into the room.

"Yeah," she groaned, her senses tingling as he stood right in front of her. Joe gently undid the band that was keeping her ponytail in place. "This thing can't be helping," he commented. "It's pulling your hair back really tight."

It did feel better once her hair fell loose. "You're probably right," she said, as Joe's fingers glided into her hair, loosening the shape of the ponytail. God, he smelled so good it was making her dizzy. With his chest at her eye level, she fought the urge to grab his face and kiss him as it rushed over her violently.

"I like your hair," Joe complimented, coiling a lock around his index finger. "The blonde streaks are very pretty."

The sweet talk definitely was not helping her resolve. "Thanks."

Joe looked at her, her eyes shut as he kept massaging her scalp. It was taking everything inside of him not to dip his face into the hollow of her neck, to hear her moan for him as he traced his lips along that certain weak spot of hers. "Better?" he said instead.

"Much. Thanks."

Her smile warmed his heart. Gosh, he missed seeing that smile, the way it lit up her eyes. He really could not let her slip away, not again. Picking out a single rose from the bouquet, he tucked it into her hair before letting his hand fall to her shoulder. He stared sadly at her, painfully aware of how she avoided his gaze. Tentatively, he touched her face, and was relieved when she didn't shy away.

"I hate that we're not talking, baby girl. I hate that we're fighting," he whispered. "The last three weeks have been hell, Sasha." He cupped her cheek in his palm. "I miss you."

Sasha looked up, her gaze soft and yearning as she searched his own and her feelings battled within her. She knew all along that she couldn't stay mad even if she wanted to. At last, she said, "I miss you too. I've been thinking about you and how things went down between us. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," said Joe, as she rested her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. He held her close, all the tension in his body dissolving in a deep sigh as he breathed in her scent. He wasn't sure he would ever get to hold her like this again.

"We should talk," Sasha said, pulling back but not letting go of him. "I finish up in an hour. Let's go somewhere where it's just us."

Joe nodded, almost eagerly. This was all he wanted from her; another chance. "How about my place? We can order takeout or whatever you want and I'll take you home afterwards," he offered. "No funny business, I promise."

Sasha thought it over and nodded. That sounded good.

Together, they walked out of the room, pushing open the door and nearly knocking Amber over in the process. Sasha shook her head at her eavesdropping colleague. "Unbelievable."

"Sorry," Amber grinned, not looking sorry at all. Her expression softened as she turned to Sasha. "Go with him," she said. "Clock out for the day. I got you covered."

Joe smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Amber.

Sasha had always loved the view the balcony at Joe's massive Tampa home provided. It overlooked his swimming pool and the stretch of green grass fenced off from his deck below, which bordered a small lake, with a perfect scope of the skyline. The land was vast yet gave him privacy because no one could be seen for miles. He'd added a new piece of furniture to the balcony too: a wicker daybed, the shape of a pod, with soft, comfortable scatter cushions and big enough for both of them to sit in. They sat cross-legged facing one another, enjoying the outdoor ambience as they talked and ate Chinese takeout. Joe talked about the pressures of being an Anoa'i. His Hall of Fame father and uncle. Dwayne. Rikishi, Jonny and Josh's dad. Matt. Shoes that were almost too big to fill. Pain radiated in his eyes as he spoke about his cousins dying young. Rodney and Eki – Yokozuna and Umaga respectively, fellow family trailblazers. Eki's death in particular had devastated Joe because he, along with the twins, were close to him. His passing was the reason Joe had tried to stay away from wrestling. He'd known from the start that he couldn't, however. Wrestling was in his bloodstream. He couldn't walk away if he tried, and that was what scared him.

Andrea had been a shoulder to cry on during that trying time. "Sometimes I wonder when things changed between me and her," Joe commented sadly, "how we disintegrated so much. I was done with relationships after what she did. I trusted her so much and I couldn't let someone in only for them to destroy me like that again. So I went through women like underwear simply because it was easier that way. Too easy, really. But it didn't stop me from blaming myself for how it all went down between us. As much as she's responsible for what she did, I didn't help matters. I was hell-bent on making a name for myself and at the time it was all I truly cared about. There were whispers behind my back that I only got into FCW because of who I'm related to. Hell, the whispering hasn't stopped. I've been on the main roster for a while and fans are still calling me overrated. That I'm too green and I'm shit on the mic. The powers that be see me as a star but the fans don't and that's a problem for me. Nothing is more important than the fans' respect. They're the ones that keep your name and your legacy alive. So I started over-exerting myself; in the gym, in the ring. I had to show that I could take risks too. That I can stand out from the likes of Jon and Colby, who've been wrestling non-stop since they were fifteen years old. They already have a huge following from their indie days and can do no wrong in many people's eyes. I want that too. I want to be a star in my own right and by my own merit. But it looks like I've taken a chance too many and now I'm paying for it. I tried to steer clear from the demons that took Eki and Rodney but I walked right into them with the painkillers."

"It's not too late to get out of it," said Sasha. "Start by getting rid of them. You're too young to make yourself unhealthy."

"I realized that. I handed them over to Dr. Sampson. I've been talking with him in private too, him and Joey Mercury. You remember him from Gainesville, right? He knows a lot about what I'm going through because he's been there, been through worse. But I don't want to get that far. I don't want to be an addict. I'm better than that. But more importantly, whatever I have to do to get you back, I'll do it."

Sasha shook her head. "Don't do it for me. Do it for yourself."

"And for you," he repeated. He held his hands out, silently asking for hers and giving her a small smile when she obliged him. He stared down at their joined hands. "I'll never forget what I felt when I first saw you...when we locked eyes at that grocery store," he said, his voice low and pensive, "I told myself if I ever felt it again, I would go after it and never let go. We met again at the Grill and I knew it was fate. I promised to give you all the attention and all the time and all the space you needed. That's why I was so attentive to you and the kids. I didn't want to fuck this one up so I tried to shelve everything else away. I was scared you'd take off running in the other direction if you found out what was really going on with me."

Sasha just stared at him, taking in every word he said. "There's something I need to tell you," she blurted out. Meeting his questioning gaze, she took a deep breath. "My pregnancy with Mia was...complicated. She arrived on schedule but it was a difficult nine months for me. And then when I had her...let's just say I almost didn't make it."

His eyes grew wide, stunned. "You mean..." he trailed off, unable, or rather unwilling, to finish the thought.

She glanced down, swallowing. "After she was delivered I passed out. When I came to, it was the day after. I had undergone an emergency transfusion because I'd lost so much blood. The Doctor said it's not uncommon among women but basically my body isn't as tolerant as it's supposed to be, so getting pregnant and the pregnancy itself will always be difficult for me. I never bothered so much about it because I never thought about having more kids. I try not to think about it and frankly I've never known how to bring it up anyway. When your mother asked me about starting a family with you, I knew I made a mistake not telling you. She wants more grandkids and I know you want children, but I don't know if they can come from me." There. She'd said it. It was all up to him now. If this was enough to end things with her then she would accept it and they could both move on with their lives. It would take some time for her to recover but she would do it. It wouldn't be her first time picking herself up after life knocked her down.

She dared herself to look back at him, awaiting his reaction, and was surprised when he merely nodded his head. "Alright," said Joe. "If we ever get to it, we'll adopt."

She blinked. "But you want children of your own. Biological children."

"If it's going to put your health at risk then we have to find other options."

Sasha was shocked. "I can't let you do that! Why would you sacrifice something so important to you?"

"The only thing that's important to me right now is you. We'll figure out everything else when the time comes and we'll do it together."

Frustration welled up inside her. "I'm not Andrea, Joe. I don't want you to compromise your desires only for you to regret it in the end and hate me for it. It's bad enough that your mother thinks I'm with you for your money and your fame but I don't care about any of that. I want you and only you. I always have. But I got nothing to offer in return." Trailing off, she shook her head and lowered her gaze, her vision starting to sting and blur. Don't cry. Do not cry. "You are a good man, Joe. You're sweet and funny and kind and just a beautiful person, inside and out. You deserve to be with a woman that will give you everything you want. Me, I'm just a bartender-slash-waitress that lives in some shitty apartment, barely making ends meet to take care of my two kids. Ty and Mia are all I have. So if this casts doubts about you wanting to be with me then it's fine. You don't owe me anything. I can handle us being just friends." Okay, that part was a load of crap, but it was better than not having him in her life at all. That was how much he now meant to her.

Joe watched her intently for a long moment. "Baby girl, you and I both know that we're way past being just friends." He moved closer to her, lifting his hand to stroke her cheek. "Look at me."

She finally obeyed, gasping softly at the intensity that shone in his grey eyes.

"I don't care how old you are," said Joe, "I don't care if you have a hundred kids or you can't have any more. I don't care if you live in the damn sewers or you're wrinkled from head to toe. I don't care if no one thinks we should be together. We want to be together and that's all that should matter. Everything else in between, we'll work through them. Together. You're an amazing, amazing woman Sasha, and you have nothing to be ashamed of. I don't want anything else from you either. You're all that I need, baby. When I'm around you I feel like I can be myself. There's no bullshittin' with you and in the crazy-ass world I live in, I need that. Nani, I need you. I can't stop thinking about you. I can't imagine my life without you in it anymore and I don't want to. So if I have to fight the rest of the world – my own family included – to keep you by my side, I will. I will fight for you, always."

She just couldn't understand it. So many before him had walked. Her father. Tyson. Cliff. Trevor. None of them had thought she was worth fighting for. What was different this time? What did Joe see in her that no one else had seen in thirty-five years? "Why?"

Joe smiled softly. Once again, if he had to spell it out for her...he would. "Because a man fights for the woman he loves," he answered, looking deep into her eyes. "Sasha, I love you. I'm in love with you."

Silence. That was all that followed that statement because she was utterly speechless. Her vocal chords seemed to have lodged itself somewhere in her throat. She could only gape at him with widened eyes that quickly filled with tears.

Good tears or bad tears, Joe wasn't sure, and he tried not to panic as he watched them roll down her cheeks. "Fuck...Sash, I...Please don't cry. I'm sorry...I shouldn't have said anything." Man he was an idiot. They'd only just reconciled and he dropped the L bomb on her? Stupid, stupid move.

His heart sank when she shook her head and cried harder. Shit. He'd really fucked up now. It was only a matter of time before she told him she didn't feel the same way and ultimately broke up with him for good. Swallowing hard, he started to move from the daybed to give her space. "I'm sorry," he muttered, the burden of rejection crushing what was left of his fragile heart. "I'll just-"

"I love you too."

Joe stopped cold. "Say what?"

Sasha laughed through her tears at his dumbfounded countenance. "I love you, Joe. I've been in love with you for so long. I just...I didn't think you felt the same way. I mean, a man like you is never interested in someone like me. It just doesn't happen. You could have any woman you want in the world..." She sniffled, wiping her eyes. "And I'm scared. I'm scared you'll finally see that and then I'll lose you and I'll be alone again."

His eyes clouding over, Joe took her chin in his fingers. "Hey." His voice was soft and impassioned. "Forget about that. I love you. I want you. No woman has ever made me feel the way you do and I don't wanna let that go, not now that I know what I could lose. I ain't goin' nowhere, not without you," he vowed.

Sasha touched his black hair, gliding her fingers through the soft, silken texture. She framed his face in both her hands and gazed into his breathtaking grey eyes, searching for words and finding none. For there really was nothing else to say. "I love you," she whispered.

Filled with emotion, he leaned his forehead against hers. "Say it again."

"I love you, Leati. I love you so much." She kissed him softly; a trusting, sincere kiss that made the Samoan feel like his heart would burst with happiness.

"I love you too, nani." Their mouths met again and this time desire exploded between them. Joe sat up straighter as Sasha straddled him, winding her arms around his neck. They gripped and tugged each other in an effort to get closer and merge their mouths completely. Sasha whimpered as Joe's supernatural tongue worked wonders inside her mouth while his hands caressed all over her body, driving her need for him to fever pitch.

"I thought we said no funny business," she ground out against his lips, her voice breathless and thick with desire.

"We did," Joe murmured, kissing her neck with the vigor of a thirsty man who had found water. "We can stop if you want."

"Hell no. Come here." Her reply was ferocious as she guided his face back to hers. Weeks of pent-up sexual frustration were unleashed as they ravaged each other. Without breaking their kiss, Sasha unbuttoned Joe's shirt, parting the halves to caress his broad, smooth chest and torso. Joe reached behind her and unzipped her dress, unhooking her bra with a quick, impressive flex of his fingers. He pushed down the straps of her dress and bra then weaved his hand between their bodies, infiltrating her dress to tug her panties to the side. Sasha let out a gasp when two fingers slipped inside her, and a sudden possessiveness overtook Joe as evidence of her arousal promptly flooded his probing fingers.

"So responsive to me," he grunted, a hint of pride in his tone. His tongue flicked beneath her ear, lips touring the goosebumps that had sprouted on her bare skin. He fingered her steadily, high on the moans of pleasure that left her lips. "It's like your body knows it's mine. I love it."

"It's yours, baby. It's always been yours," Sasha ensured him. The kisses grew hotter, more passionate. She pulled off the band holding his ponytail and dug her fingers into his flowing long hair, tilting his head back so she could kiss him better. She brought his other hand up to her exposed breast, and he wasted no time grasping and plucking at the soft skin before ducking his head to suck on it. Her head fell back with a lustful sigh, resting her hand on the back of his head as sensation charged at her from various angles, setting her entire body alight.

Joe suddenly pulled back, breathless. "Shit, forgot I'm out of condoms."

"It's fine," said Sasha, shifting away to discard the rest of her dress and underwear.

He locked eyes with her. "You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. We've worked around it before, haven't we?" she all but growled, blinded by lust. She watched him shrug off his shirt and jeans and her eyes darkened when she saw he'd gone commando. "God you're so hot."

Joe grinned arrogantly at her starved expression. Getting on his knees, he swiped his hand between her parted legs and slathered her wetness over his erection. "You want this dick baby?" he asked, stroking himself slowly, moisture emerging from the tip of the hardened shaft. Sasha's mouth watered.

"Damn right I do," she hissed just as he grabbed the backs of her thighs and yanked her towards him, causing her to fall back against the cushions on the daybed. Draping her legs over his quads, he directed his cock slowly inside her, both moaning as he stretched her body. He gripped her waist, holding her still when she tried to move. Sasha moaned and clutched his forearms. "Baby, come on..."

Oh, how he'd missed that yearning, pleading tone of hers. He withdrew from her with the same tempo, leaving only the tip inside her. "You've missed this dick, haven't you?"

Sasha cried out, her back arching when all of a sudden he slammed into her. "Fuuuck! Yes!"

"Tell me." He pulled out again, excruciatingly slowly, then drove back in. Hard. Knocking all the breath out of her. Her mouth fell open in a silent scream. "Tell me how much you missed this dick inside your pussy."

"I missed it so fuckin' much, handsome," Sasha panted, not caring how desperate she sounded. "Put it on me, baby. Take me."

He had no plans to turn down that invitation. He took her legs and spread them far apart, and Sasha almost wept with relief when he began moving in earnest inside her. Joe was in Heaven. It had been too long. Holding onto her thighs, he thrust deeply, steadily, wanting to savor every second inside her, every gasp and moan he elicited from her. Running his tongue over his lips, he increased his pace, looking on with perverse glee as Sasha started stroking her clit in tandem with his dick sliding in and out of her, her breasts bouncing with each thrust. Sasha worked her fingers desperately, gasping with satisfaction as Joe's driving strokes filled her with sensation after amazing sensation – made even better with no barrier, physical or emotional, between them.

Joe drew her body up to meet his and sat back, their sounds of pleasure released into the open air as she sank deeper onto him. “Ride me, baby. Ride my dick,” he growled, scooping her ass in his hands.

Whimpering softly, Sasha’s arms circled his neck, her mouth meeting his with tender urgency as she grinded on his dick, her breasts molding into his chest. The two moved at an easy rhythm, their lips in constant contact. They moaned and gasped and their breaths came in heavy pants but they said nothing, never took their gazes off each other. Joe wanted more. He needed to be deeper, further inside of her. He needed to be closer to her in every way possible. The story of his life lately seemed to be just that – needing, wanting Sasha Morgan. Wanting to give her everything he possessed. So he did. Rocking into her, thrusting and spiraling them both towards fulfilment. Even when she whined and writhed and her teeth sank into his shoulder, he didn't stop, didn't give into his ecstasy until after she surrendered to her own. He wanted her to never forget this moment they were sharing. He knew he wouldn't.

They remained in the embrace long after coming down from their high – breathing hard, their foreheads touching, their bodies still intimately connected. Sasha caressed Joe's sculpted cheek and swept her lips over his, once, twice, three times. She couldn't get enough of his touch, his kiss, the way he made her feel. She never could. "You're amazing," she whispered, her voice cracking with emotion. "I love you."

Joe returned every kiss, his fingertips traveling lazily along her back. "I love you too." He continued to kiss her as he laid her down on the daybed, the light outdoor breeze drifting over their naked, satiated frames. They held onto each other possessively. Neither planned on letting the other go ever again.

CHAPTER 32