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dotcie · 1 year

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— BAD DOG. [2]

》 PAIRING: simon 'ghost' riley x f!oc 》 NOTES: taglist is open! please let me know if you want to be added or removed. if you don't care about my OC, you can skip her backstory on ao3. 》 WARNINGS: 18+ | MDNI | hair pulling 》 CHAPTER: 3.9k | 2/? [masterlist] | AO3

Before she met Laswell, Jane did media monitoring for the DISA.

It paid well for a job straight out of undergrad. Had reasonable hours, pleasant enough colleagues. She commuted the twenty minutes from her shitty apartment in Kingman Park to the Pentagon—arrived at seven forty-five with a cream cheese bagel and a skim milk latte. Wrote reports, emails, and memos. Hours and hours of political speeches, barking rifles, and screaming civilians ingrained in her brain.

''Like a fucked up collage of the human greed for oil and retribution,'' she once called it over an almost empty espresso martini. Condensation pearled off the glass's rim and pooled on the table of an overpriced speakeasy bar, so unimpressive it was not worth remembering its name. Her questionable Tinder date had been late, his small-talk rather boring; No, she didn't like her job. Who ever did? But rent was expensive in DC, and Jane had student loans, expensive taste, and maybe eight hundred dollars in her checking account.

She covered newsstreams out of Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan. Iraq, and Yemen. Algeria. Libya.

Ate lunch at her desk—usually a salad and a protein bar, four busy screens in front of her.

Had meetings with Cairo, Beirut, Amman, Baghdad, Sana'a, Algiers, and Tripoli.

She joined the white-collar crowd on their evening run around the Mall after work. From the Capitol steps to the Lincoln Memorial, around the reflecting pool. Two times, sometimes three. Always depending on the restlessness that hummed in her bones and tingled in her fingertips.

Jane shoved her damp hair up with a clip and hopped on the blue metro line afterwards; sweaty and breathless, body humming with spent energy. She stopped at Whole Foods on her way home; bought dinner-for-one and a four-pack of sugar free Redbull. Put on noise canceling headphones without listening to anything on her way home—spying into warm lit windows and other people's lives.

She ate in bed, crouched over her Macbook, the TV always set to CNN. She practiced Arabic. Scrolled through subreddits about zero-day exploits, but never commented on them. Went to bed late, woke up early. Got up the next day and did it all over again.

Washington is a big city, in a big country, in a big world, and nothing ever changed. Jane just sat in her gunny-covered cubicle and watched whole cities crumble to dust like sandcastles. The local newspapers only covered a watered-down version of the turmoil overseas, but the mental images were always in the back of her head—no matter how loud she turned the TV.

It's all part of a grand plan, she told herself. Just another rung on the ladder, an essential middle-step in her career. It was comfortable and disturbing. Exciting enough, but nothing impactful.

Nothing with an edge.

The job had a sky-high turnover; a bad impact on employees. Turns out, swallowing the documentation of invasions, and civil wars, and an endless flow of American exceptionalism was only manageable for a couple of months. Jane became miserable and angry. Tired and strung-out. When handing in her two-weeks notice without a back-up plan, her supervisor accepted the neatly printed note with tired eyes and an annoyed flick of the wrist.

Her therapist blamed her sense of weightlessness for everything she did afterwards: the thrill-seeking, the risk-taking. All her screw-ups in pursuit of sticking her fingers in better pies. When the agency sent her to the embassy in Urzikstan, Jane canceled her rent-controlled apartment lease early and donated most of her belongings to the Habitat For Humanity in Capitol Hill. Burning the boats, she called it.

For months, no one could get a hold of her.

Analyst positions for counter-terrorism overseas will chew you up and spit out your bones, a friend in the IOC had warned her. Jane was up for it anyway—of course she was. She had witnessed a few horrendous things through screens in Washington, but nothing compared to the situation in Sakhra. Like most soul-crushing things in life, it all wasn't real until it was.

The first time she experienced the ruthlessness of the real world, a local contractor whose family was killed by American soldiers blew up half a base with some DIY C4. 12 soldiers dead, 24 injured. If not for Laswell yanking her into the shadows behind a M1A2 when panic erupted, she would have been trampled to death under the burning afternoon sun.

Instead, Jane heaved, and coughed, then sank to the dusty ground with ringing ears. Kate towered over her with a drawn P890, yelling all-too-calmly over the wailing of sirens: You have twenty seconds to get it together.

They made her take time off two years later, after a black site she was stationed at suffered another, similar attack. Jane was resentful of it, but she wanted to keep her clearance, so she left with the next supply plane and said what she needed to say to pass the psych evaluation.

She considered moving back into her grandparents ranch in Arizona. Maybe traveling through Europe, starting a new hobby (rock climbing, pottery, crocheting); but there was no real drive or push behind it. Instead, she bled in secret. Fucked strangers on her frameless king-size mattress and worked out too much in her unfurnished apartment. She got offers; a few private-sector contracts she knew she couldn't entertain. Jane wanted to stick it out with the agency—and Laswell. Especially with Laswell.

The first question Shepherd asked her when she stepped into his office was if she had any family; a partner, kids, siblings. Parents to take care of. The General asked bluntly, but Jane was used to force as the most efficient method to get answers.

She had spent three years interrogating Al-Qatala members and contacts. Trading money, safety, and threats for intelligence. Sleeping through the sound of gunfire, bystanding interrogations, interpreting intelligence, and snooping in places Americans aren't supposed to. Jane had left her old life behind and dove head-first into a tunnel vision.

No. She had no one.

When saying it out loud she almost sounded proud.

Working for the General is different. Non-official cover work for SAD intel suits her better—scratches a certain itch, too. Like finally tasting blood after biting your tongue for years.

Laswell has been helpful, the additional training too; but nothing ever prepared her for the void between long-term missions. When the work is done and restlessness returns in weird jet-lagged hours of the fading days. When there are no objectives to sink her teeth into. No foreign streets to roam under false identities. No predictions to be made, no strings to pull.

She's stuck in Iceland now, attending debrief after debrief. Her target is dead, the missile prototypes returned to the lab, but that isn't enough. They want to know everything. First the higher-ups at the Headquarters, then the Senate Intelligence Committee. They want the process. The months of searching, the people involved, the rules she broke.

She did a good job, she got what she wanted, but she is part of Shepherd's system now, and he didn't approve of her moving forward with the operation.

Since she returned to the lab, he hadn't answered any of her calls.

Ghost is nothing but a silhouette in the low light of the crescent moon; sitting against a weathered wall of heavy concrete, a half-burned cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth. Insects batter against a naked lightbulb overhead—the light orange and warm against the dark of night, casting long, unproportionate shadows over the smoking area.

The sky hangs bruised and stormy over Vatnajökull, a million stars dotting the night. It's quarter to one, and the grounds of 102 are deadly still—so still, that the sound of a nearby metal door opening and closing shut remind him of gunshots piercing through the air.

Years ago, he would have flinched at the sound, but there is not much left that startles Simon Riley anymore.

Jane tips her head back in annoyance as she steps outside, cradling her phone between ear and shoulder. ''Listen—,'' she scolds into it, patting the outside of her clothes for the pack of cigarettes she bought from one of the kitchen workers yesterday. ''Louise, right? Louise, with all due respect—''

She takes a deep breath of restraint when she finds nothing but a crumbled straw wrapper in the pockets of her leather jacket. Sharp words spill on the other end of the line, and she squeezes her eyes shut, pinches the bridge of her nose. ''I'm not going to argue with some mid-level bureaucrat, get him on the phone— No, no, you listen! I need a black passport, don't— Fuck—''

Jane's grip on the iPhone loosens with the sound of a disconnected call echoing blatantly against her ear. Simon can hear her mutter a spool of curses, the sound of gravel screeching under her feet, and how all sound seizes as she pauses at the sight of him.

The smoking area is dimly lit, but there's no mistaking the broad-shouldered figure with the cramped up skull mask looming in the corner of the building. Simon appeared in her sight so suddenly, so unexpectedly, that Jane would not be surprised if he materialized out of thin air. It would suit him; Ghost that he is.

Smoke pools out of the soldier's mouth, the balaclava pulled up to his nose; exposing a sharp chin with a shadow of stubble forming its way up a jaw set tight. He is hunched over, his elbows digging into his thighs. He doesn't look up to see that the expression on her face is one of mute surprise, or that her eyes narrow at the sight of him.

''Thought you'd be gone already,'' she calls over, lounging near the door she slipped out of.

''Change of plans,'' he returns easy and low, eyes glued to the book in his calloused hands.

It's only been a few days, but his voice is as deep and as resonant as Jane remembers; it fills the air and makes her blood rush with the mental images of his fingertips digging into her skin.

There's always a certain quietness after she's been fucked good—the world stands still for a moment, and it helps to quench the thirst, to fill the void.

Jane needs to hold something in her arms sometimes. Something unattainable and distant. Something unwise. Something like him.

''Mind if I bum one?'' She nods to the lit cigarette between his scarred fingers, stepping closer.

For a split second, she thinks he's going to ignore her—then he dog-ears the page he was reading and abandons the book onto his lap.

Simon looks up all casually and unfazed, shakes his head.

''Last one,'' he says, half-lidded stare fixed on her in that particular Ghost sort-of-way. The way he always gets when you rip out the half-assed social niceties and expose the weirdo underneath.

Jane exhales through her nose, leaning against a pole holding up the roof. The urge for frustration refuses to be ignored, so she buckles, comments: ''Of course,'' like she's taking notes on the irony of it all.

''Stop pondering, will ya?'' Inhaling another mouthful of tar, Simon stretches out along the bench, crossing his booted feet at the ankles. The set of dog tags around his neck clink together when he scratches the underside of his chin. "No point in gettin' all antsy."

She shoots him a cold, hard look for it—the one that makes his blood sing, makes him remember the expression in her eyes when she told him she wanted her target dead.

''Thank you, Simon, for your unsolicited wisdom.''

The subtle fuck you isn't boarded in her voice, but it throbs under every word of hers. He doesn't bother scolding her for saying his name again, but the bitter taste of disapproval sure does coat his tongue. He's not foolish enough to argue with her when she's like this; all gutted and pent-up. Ready to hiss, bite, and lunge at his throat.

The familiarity of it all stirs something up in him. For a moment, Ghost almost believes that it's sympathy, maybe—or at least a pinch of pity. A distant part of his mind remembers the dogged woman he faced when they first met; working out of a one-room shithole in a broken-down, brutalist apartment building somewhere in the Balkans. Reviewing surveillance logs, transcripts, and maps in shorts and a sports bra because the AC was utter rubbish. He recalls her hunched figure and unwashed hair as she worked out of the tiny living room—the space a mess of cables and empty microwave meals, her tech always charging. Her curtains always closed, dust dancing in the beams of light that crept their way inside.

Two days after the exfil, he barely recognized her anymore; with fresh clothes, twelve-hours of sleep, and hair neatly cut to a shoulder-length. It was like meeting a stranger, a whole different woman. He was certain, then, that the only way out for her was the same as his: leaving rotten and zipped up in a body bag.

Simon holds his half-smoked cigarette out to her, and she lets her head roll to consider the silent peace-offer. Her expression bleeds into something less angry in the face of him, and she hates that it makes him snort in response.

Jane gives him the illusion of thinking it over before breaking away from her frozen stance and closing the distance between them. She takes the stub, and sinks onto the wooden bench next to him.

''Thanks.'' — ''Mhmh.''

Even with some distance between them, Simon towers over her. He doesn't make a sound, doesn't attempt to embarrass himself with comforting words and distracting small-talk. He's quiet—a man of few words and fewer smiles—but that's what drew her to him in the first place. There's caution behind his eyes, and his words are always cleaved off at the knee. A person weathered and hardy. A man who, just like her, has seen things most wouldn't even believe.

They both fall quiet passing the cigarette back and forth, and for a moment he thinks that the conversation has faded out completely. Simon's eyes return to the book in his lap, trying to find the spot where he left off before she interrupted him, but—

''Do you think I went too far?'' Jane keeps her eyes forward, burying her free hand in the left pocket of her jacket.

Simon hums in response, dark and low. ''Doesn't matter what I think,'' he says in a way that makes it clear he believes it, too.

''But you are somewhat capable of forming opinions, yeah?''

It coaxes a half-huff, half-laugh from him. He gets it. Logically, he gets it. Everybody is somebody's dog, hanging onto a leash; but he's military, and he much prefers to not comment on any of it.

''You ignored authority,'' he starts, then pauses. ''Whether or not it was worth it, all y'can do now is handle the repercussions.''

''That's not an answer.'' Two dimples appear on either side of Jane's frown as she tucks some loose strands of hair behind her ears and leans forward. ''Forget I even—''

''I think," he interrupts calmly, but stern, ''that your self-doubt won't help you.''

Jane keeps her gaze flat, level. Perhaps if she mimics the face of apathy, Simon won't be able to see that she's hanging onto every word of his. What he says resonates; a quiet truth echoing through the air between them. The regret in her chest strikes like a bomb and for a moment, she fears the possibility of Shepherd cutting her TS/SCI clearance once and for all. She's been ignoring the thought, avoiding any evidence of worry that could shape her suspicions into something tangible, something real.

''Just thinking ahead'' she says quietly, scuffing her boot against the pavement below. "Little catastrophizing, worst-case-scenario planning."

"Doomsday prepping?" He offers and gets a little smile for that.

His chest tightens at the sight, an aching warmth interweaving his thoughts with sympathy. He looks away then, trying to collect himself. Seeking control, reaching for reason. Better judgment. Something else.

Jane studies his side profile for a moment, and Simon suddenly feels like she's too close, too comfortable in his presence. It's only a split second, the length of a heartbeat, but it's enough for Jane to take in the way he blinks his intrusive thoughts away.

''Why are you still here, anyway?'' She asks in a change of tone, plucking the cigarette from his fingers.

''Taking a break,'' he drawls, words dripping slowly as molasses from his mouth. There is no further explanation offered, no words wasted on reasons or truths. Simon blinks languidly, his lips pressing together as he closes his book for good.

''Because of Soap?'' There's an off-tone in her voice. ''I thought he is getting better already?"

Simon exhales roughly. ''No,'' he says with a lazy shrug. ''Yes.''

It's short and curt, but she doesn't let his vague hostility deter her. Jane just stares at him, impatience reflecting in her eyes, and he's not used to it; all the questions, the curiosity.

''Do you know,'' he continues slowly, taking the cigarette back to keep his hands busy, ''the number of classifications and regulations I'd have to ignore to tell you shite like this?''

It's easier than admitting that he failed his psych evaluation for a second time in three years.

Price is doing the paperwork for him, because they apparently want to negotiate some kind of terms for him. No rumors, no records, no further questions asked. Simon would be mad about it, if he wasn't so bloody tired.

It's been years of regaining control and gripping bloody bathroom sinks. Endless hours of running, shooting, yelling over comms, and saving Johnny from the stupid, stupid shit he gets up to when nobody's there to keep an eye out for him. Simon is not a reckless man—at least not when he doesn't let his rage blind him—but you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

He's not sure why he hasn't been able to admit to himself that his life has been nothing but fear, rage, vigilance, wanting, and searching, wanting, and never finding what eases the pain.

He knows that Price goes back to a Rosewood desk with whisky and cigars in the upper right drawer, before driving home to a house and a woman that were once his. Laswell has a wife named June and a flourishing garden waiting at home. Gaz goes back to a two-bedroom flat in London, decorated by a girl he met during the siege of the U.S. embassy in Urzikstan. Simon doesn't have anywhere to be—nobody's waiting for him—so he stays. For Soap, he tells himself, and everyone who's paid to listen.

The Scot's injuries happened under his watch, so he might as well play messenger for his moms, sisters and one-thousand nephews until he can travel back home. It's what a good Lieutenant does. It's what Price would do.

''Alright,'' Jane says cold, flatly. ''It's none of my business anyway.''

She declines the last drag of the cigarette when Simon offers it to her, and he can't help but feel like he's been rude; like he just ruined something delicate. A particular flavor of guilt clings to the underside of his tongue, and he's willing to answer whatever her next question might be in order to make it up to her.

He stubs out the cigarette, and it takes a moment or two before he realizes that his guilt is the reason she gave in so quickly in the first place.

''I'm not gonna tell ya,'' he says, prompting a smile to tug at the corners of her mouth; like she doesn't fully believe it, but is willing to play along.

He is too exhausted to not condemn her for it, so he covers himself in heavy silence. Simon doesn't break eye contact, doesn't move—his dark glance intervenes with the amusement in her eyes, and when the quiet stretches on for too long, her eyes dart to his exposed lips shamelessly.

''Anyone ever tell ya' to mind yer' own business, Spade?''

It coaxes a genuine laugh out of her. Simon is not sure he's ever heard her laugh before; the way the sound bubbles out of her throat, limpid and clear, and then almost turns into a snort.

''I like you,'' she says pointedly, with purpose.

"You're just bored.'' — ''And you aren't?"

Simon remains silent, and the glint in her glance grows bright, pinning. Like she just learned a secret; an inside joke.

It's unhealthy, this habit she's developed of digging her fingers in his wounds. She feels like a parasite trying to crawl under his skin, and she should probably feel far more ashamed of how much she enjoys the thrill of it.

She has heard the stories, of course. The legends about the masked, faceless man; the perfect soldier, the silent killer. Everyone affiliated with Shepherd or Shadow Company in the slightest is aware of Ghosts' reputation, and Jane had been curious to meet the man. Dead-eyed, mass of muscle. A walking depiction of death.

The warning signs about him are written in blood, telltale stories, and that half-lidded stare of his; Stay away, they say. Keep your distance.

''Don't—,'' he starts with the exhaustive sort of contempt: the kind that says he is tired and bored of this tedious game. ''Don't look at me like that.''

Jane bats her eyelashes at him. ''Like what?''

''Like you want something from me.''

''Maybe I do—''

"You don't,'' he interrupts, tongue like a blade. ''All bark no bite, last time I fucked you.''

In some twisted ways, his fury excites her. The insistence on his dominance, too, and Jane laughs out loud at words that don't sting. She's practiced; chin tipped up, meeting his disapproving stare with a smirk.

''You ever let anyone kiss you, Lieutenant?''

He looks away, hisses through his teeth in frustration. ''That what you want?''

''I think,'' Jane retorts in a tone both cruel and tender, ''you want it, too.''

The hard look in his eyes lets something uncurl in her. Something satisfied, something real.

''You do,'' she says again, and then he's on her; hand tangled in her hair, pulling her close. His grip on her scalp is not gentle, nothing about him is, and she smiles—shows teeth—at the broad display of it.

Simon stares at her for a long moment, a frustrated hum forming at the back of his throat. She can feel his breath on her face. Almost hears the whir of the wheels turning in his head; calculating, calibrating.

''You don't know what you're getting yourself into,'' he finally says, loosening his grip.

''I've done worse,'' she spits out, pulling away.

It happens somewhere between her leaning back and him not wanting her to. It happens and it's familiar, and new all at once; the way he stops her from turning away, pulls her closer by a fist of hair. He kisses her like he does everything else: a little cocky, a little mean. Their teeth clack together, and Simon kisses Jane long and searching—like he was waiting for it to happen.

Like he means it.

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tnicc · 3 years

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Dirty Secrets |SCREAM| Intro

Stu Macher x OC x Billy Loomis

WARNING: This book will contain SMUT, drug use, death, and the typical illegal teenage lifestyle. Please don't interact if under 16.

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟑, 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫.

When living in California you can almost always expect the summers to be filled with unbearable heat and constant sweating. But on this particular day the temperature had risen so high that after a few minutes under the blazing sun you would feel your body overheating as your skin burnt to a crisp.

While most people in the small town of Woodsboro chose to stay inside where they could be kept cool by their box air conditioners, the same couldn't be said for a gang of upcoming freshman who couldn't fathom the thought of wasting one of their last days of summer inside.

The Woodsboro town park was a hot spot for kids of all ages. While the younger ones played on the swings and in the sand boxes the older ones had picnics and sat on benches as they discussed the schools latest gossip.

For Stu Macher, Billy Loomis, Sydney Prescott, Randy Meeks, and Tatum Riley the park was a hangout spot away from the prying eyes of their fellow peers. Instead of sitting on benches and picnic blankets like the other kids of their age they preferred to sit up in a large oak tree where the sun was blocked and their conversations could be kept private.

"I think I might be dying." Tatum groaned as she laid her head back on the rough bark behind her. Her hand that wasn't gripping onto the tree branch under her reached up to wipe a stream of sweat from her forehead.

"I feel you Tate, this has got to be the hottest day we've had all year." Sydney sighed as she glanced over to her blonde friend who looked just about ready to pass out.

"You know Tatum, I know a way we could cool you down." Stu spoke up from his spot next to Billy, wiggling his eyebrows at the girl while the other looked at him in confusion and disgust.

Randy shook his head in disappointment while Billy smacked Stu on the back of the head causing the taller boy to wince.

"I believe you're talking about the term "I know a way we could warm you up." For one, and for two Tatum would never do that with you." Billy said as he shared an annoyed look with Sydney.

Even though they were only entering their freshman year Stu still made it his mission to flirt with any girl he would come in contact with. Sometimes he took it a little to far. This was one of those times.

"Ewwwwww Stu. I would never do anything like that with you. You're like a brother to me." Tatum scoffed in disgust as she laid her head on Sydney's shoulder causing the girl to smile before resting her head on top of hers. "Besides, you're not really my type."

Sydney would never admit it, but she had it bad for Tatum Riley.

Randy suddenly spoke up, changing the topic of conversation as he pointed at something in the distance.

"Hey, who's that? I haven't seen her around before." He said causing the group to all look where he was pointing.

On the other end of Randys finger there was a girl sitting on a bench, her hair as bright as the sun gently blowing back as a much needed cool breeze ran through the park. She looked around their age with blonde hair and a book clutched tightly in her hand as she glanced around the park, seeming to be taking in the new scenery.

"I haven't seen her either." Sydney said causing Tatum to nod in agreement before adding in a quick "She is very pretty."

"She's got to be new." Stu, who still hadn't taken his eyes off the mysterious new girl, said. "I would remember her, trust me."

Billy rolled his eyes before quickly starting to climb down the tree.

"Where are you going Loomis?" Randy asked in confusion as he watched his friend descend the tree.

Stopping in his tracks Billy looked up at the group who now had all eyes on him and let out an exasperated sigh.

There were really slow sometimes.

"I'm going to talk to her." He replied. "You knuckleheads coming or not?"

Stu didn't waste a second before following Billy, the rest of the group right on his tail.

Once they all reached the group they started making their way towards the unfamiliar girl who now had her attention turned to the book in her hands.

Once they reached her they waited for her to notice their presence, but after a moment with not even a glance Stu cleared his throat loudly causing the girl to jump.

"Oh, hello." She said as she took notice of the group of kids around her age standing in front of her. Her heart was still beating fast from the small jump scare she got but she couldn't help but return their amused smiles with a shy one of her own.

"Hi." A girl said. She had short dark hair and a blonde girl clinging to her arm. "I'm Sydney. We saw you sitting over here and couldn't help but notice we haven't seen you around before."

"Yeah I just moved here about a week ago with my brother and this is my first time being out of the house." the girl said with a small chuckle. "I'm Caroline by the way. Caroline Porter."

"Well it's nice to meet you Caroline, I'm Tatum." The blonde girl who had been clutching onto Sydney said. "You're really pretty by the way."

Caroline blushed a bit at the unexpected compliment and smiled.

"Right back at you." She said before making room on the bench and patting the seats next to her. "You all can come sit if you want."

Billy went to speak but was cut off my Tatum.

"Why don't you come to our tree with us?" She asked as she pointed at a big oak tree over her shoulder. "The shade keeps it cool and there is more privacy to talk."

"That sounds great." Caroline blushed in embarrassment as she said her next words. "But I don't really know how to climb a tree."

"It's no problem cutie, I can help you." The tallest of the group said as he held up his arms in a flexing pose. "I'm pretty strong and you look about as light as a feather."

"And you are?" Caroline asked with a raised eyebrow, desperately trying to hide her amusement at the boys antics.

"That's Stu." Another guy spoke up with an eye roll before Stu could answer himself. "The groups certified idiot. Don't even pay him any mind." He then stuck out his hand, completely ignoring Stu sticking his tongue out at him. "I'm Randy Meeks. It's nice seeing a new face around here, we don't see em much."

Caroline looked shocked at Randys words. "Really? I'm surprised. It's a cute little town."

"Yeah it is." Sydney shrugged as she started walking with the group, including Caroline, to the tree. "That's the thing though. Most people don't want to live in small towns anymore. It's all about the big cities."

"Ain't that right." Tatum snorted before glancing over to Billy who still hadn't said a word despite being the one who wanted to talk to Caroline in the first place. " Billy, you ever going to stop staring creepily at the girl and introduce yourself."

Stu frowned before looking at Billy who was in fact staring Caroline down.

Billy scoffed and didn't say anything before looking Caroline, who had turned to look at him, in the eyes. "I'm Billy Loomis. And what Meeks said was right, It's nice seeing a new face around here."

"Especially one as pretty as yours." Stu butted in before Caroline could say anything causing her to roll her eyes in amusement and the rest of the group to let out sighs of disappointment.

Stu really didn't know how to shut up.

"Real smooth pretty boy." Caroline snickered as they reached the tree, missing the way Stu turned to the rest of the group with a goofy smile on his face as he mouthed 'She called me pretty.'

"Now you gonna help me up here or what?" She asked, looking up at the taller boy with an amused look.

While she was only 5'2 he towered over her small frame with the height of at least 6'2, maybe taller.

Completely ignoring her question Stu stared down at her with a wide smile on his face. "You think i'm pretty?"

"That's seriously all you got from that?" Billy asked as he watched Tatum, Sydney, and Randy start making their way up the tree. He knew he would have to help Stu get Caroline up, the Macher boy was to clumsy to get himself up there let alone another person.

"Well duh." Stu said before grabbing Caroline by her waist causing her to let out a surprised gasp before he started making his way up the tree with her under his arm. Billy went up right after them in case something happened and he had to catch her.

Stu could could fall on his ass for all he cared.

Once everyone was back in their respected seats with the exception of Caroline being sandwiched between Billy and Stu they all began to talk.

"So Caroline." Tatum started. "Why did you move?"

"Better yet, where did you move from?" Randy asked as the group stared at her in interest.

"Well, i'm actually from New York. I had some....family issues so as soon as my brother turned eighteen he packed all our shit and got us out of there." She explained as she nervously picked at her finger nails, a habit she had picked up from her older brother Ace. She hated talking about her family so she really hoped her new friends wouldn't pry.

"Oh i'm sorry." Sydney frowned. She hoped that whatever Caroline had went through wasn't to bad.

If only she knew.

"No no it's okay." Caroline rushed to assure her. "Everything is fine now and I've lived with it my whole life so it's nothing new. My parents just aren't the best in the world. I have Ace though so that's all that matters to me."

"Well you have us now." Stu said giving giving her a side hug causing her to smile and the others to nod in agreement.

"Yup, your problems are ours now." Sydney said as she reached over to squeeze the girls knee.

Caroline just smiled. Was this what it was like having actual friends? It was weird, a lot different from her loner lifestyle back in New York.

"We got your back." Billy said as he sent the blonde a reassuring nod.

It was obvious to her that Billy wasn't the type to talk much so him speaking up warmed her heart.

"So you single?" Stu randomly asked, breaking the heartfelt moment up as he tried to bring some light back into the conversation.

"Well that was a great way to ruin the moment." Randy scoffed earning a nod from Tatum and a glare from Stu.

"Yeah." Caroline answered the question honestly.

"You wanna date me?" Stu asked, his goofy smile growing wider.

"You know what? Sure, it's not like we just met or anything." She said with smile causing Stu to gasp excitedly and the rest of the group to hold in their laughter because they, unlike Stu, could see she was being sarcastic.

"REALLY?!" He asked happily, the idea of dating a girl as pretty as Caroline clouding his mind.

"No." Caroline snorted causing him to frown and everyone else to burst out laughing. "I was only joking. Couldn't you tell?"

"No." The boy grumbled as he clasped his hands together in his lap. "Not at all."

"I'm sorry Stu." She apologized, genuinely worried she had hurt his feelings before Billy spoke up.

"Don't worry about it, Stu is terrible with sarcasm."

"Am not!" Stu exclaimed before looking down at the groups newest member and putting a finger in her face. "Mark my words blondie, you will be mine."

Tatum and Sydney let out snorts while Randy and Caroline raised their eyebrows.

"Oh yeah? I wouldn't be to sure about that." Caroline replied.

Stu shot her a challenging look.

"Oh i'm sure of it." he said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Yeah whatever you say, it's not gonna happen."

"Yes it is."

"No it's not."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Caroline?" Tatum interrupted the twos playful bickering with a wide smile. "I feel like you are going to fit in just fine here."

Caroline smiled widely at that, wanting nothing more than for it to be true."

Because if there was one thing Caroline Porter wanted most in the world, it was the idea of fitting in and having people to call friends.

A real family.

"So onto a more important note." Randy snapped the girl out of her thoughts. "What's your favorite scary movie?"

#billy loomis smut #bucky barnes #billy loomis fanfiction #billy loomis #stu macher #stumacherfanfiction #scream movies #scream franchise #scream 1996 #tatum riley #randy meeks #stu matcher x reader #fanfic #smut fanfiction #scream fanfiction #stu macher smut #sebastian stan #sydney prescott

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middleearthpixie · 3 years

Text

Damaged Goods ~ Chapter Twenty-Nine

Author's Note: Just a reminder that this story takes place following the events of the miniseries Stay Close and will contain spoilers.

Title: Damaged Goods

Fandom: Stay Close

Pairings: Ray Levine x OC female Theodora (Theo) Bailey

Summary: Following the events of Stay Close, Ray Levine has come to the US to begin a new life and is staying with Theo Bailey, the friend of a friend, who is quickly becoming his best friend and Ray is starting to wonder if there isn’t something more there between them.

Like Ray, Theo has her own demons and although she wonders the same thing about Ray, fear of repeating past mistakes keep her from moving forward. Or do they? Somehow, these two damaged people will come together and discover that maybe—just maybe—second chances are worth the risk.

Theo quits her job and comes home to a surprise…

Warnings: none

Rating: T

Word Count: 3,121

Tag List: @tschrist1 @i-did-not-mean-to @lathalea @bitter-sweet-farmgirl @linasofia @fizzyxcustard @legolasbadass @kibleedibleedoo @xxbyimm @ocfairygodmother @exhausted-humxn-being @shalinizhara @rachel1959 @laurfilijames @sketch-and-write-lover @sherala007 @enchantzz @knitastically

If you’d like to be added (or removed) to the tag list, please just let me know!

Previous chapters can be found here and AO3

Heavy gray clouds blotted out the sun, which suited Theo’s mood perfectly as she sat in her Jetta staring at the Zone’s front doors. The parking lot was three-quarter’s full at not quite nine in the morning. On Tuesdays, Riley taught Zuma and it was easily the most popular class the Zone offered.

“So, walk away tomorrow. Just tell him you quit and he can go fuck himself.”

Ray’s words echoed in her head. It was tempting, really. She had other errands to run, such as getting her passport and whatever other documents she needed in order to leave the United States and begin a new life with Ray in England.

But at the same time, she didn't want to leave Mrs. Adler hanging. She was Theo’s absolutely favorite client and she would miss her terribly. Somehow, Theo wasn’t at all certain she’d be able to find work as a trainer in England. And even if she did, Mrs. Adler could never be replaced or replicated. She was truly one of a kind.

With a sigh, she climbed out of her car and moved to the back to retrieve her bag and her jacket, which she wriggled into first before hefting the duffle to her shoulder. She bumped the rear door shut with her hip, set the alarm, and started out across the slushy parking lot. It was in the upper thirties this morning, but the temps were supposed to drop into the teens by dusk, with more snow on the way. It was shaping up to be the snowiest winter the shore had seen in years.

Theo was halfway across the parking lot when she spotted the blue Accord and without hesitation, she marched right up to it and rapped on the window. Kevin McClintock smiled as he pushed the button to lower it. “I come in peace, Ms Bailey. I promise.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I just wanted to keep working with you, I swear. I was sore as anything after our session, but when that went away, I felt better than I have in a long time.” He moved to open his door. “So, if you’re taking on any more clients, I’d love to have my old slot back.”

“I’m sorry, but I’m leaving here in the next few days. I’m relocating.”

“Oh, no…” His shoulders slumped and he sank back against his car. “Where?”

“Europe.”

His eyes widened. “That’s a serious relocation. Let me guess, you’re going with the British guy.”

“I’m not telling you anything more than that. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” She stepped around to continue on toward the gym.

To her aggravation, he fell into step beside her. “How much longer will you be here? At least maybe you can set me up with a routine?”

“I can’t, no.” She didn't look at him as she strode on. “Today is my last day and I’m booked solid.”

“Can I hire you for a one-on-one?”

At the door, she stopped and spun about. “You lied to me. You dug into my life, into Ray’s life, and for what? Because my jerkoff ex couldn’t stand the thought that I’d moved on? Well, too bad for him and too bad for you. Now, for the last time, leave me alone!”

She threw open the door and stomped inside, leaving him to stare after her. As she rounded the front desk, Heather actually took a step back. “Are you okay, Theo?”

“I’m fine, but if a doofy-looking blond guy named McClintock tries to get any time with me, tell him I said to fuck off.”

“A goofy-looking blond guy?” Heather’s eyes went round. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.”

“I’ll get fired.”

“Heather, we’re all getting fired.”

She shook her head. “Not me. Tony told me this morning the new owners want me to stay on they’ll help me to pass the certification test to be a trainer.”

Theo narrowed her eyes. “What?”

She nodded. “I met with Katie, the new general manager, just a little while ago.” Heather pushed up onto her toes and peered out across the floor. “There, by the squat racks—that’s her.”

Theo turned in that direction and saw an unfamiliar brunette in camo leggings and a dark green tank, and camo Vans. “Huh… so, we all get fired and you replace us. How nice.”

“Wait,” Heather leaned against the counter, “you were fired?”

“Yes. Me, Riley, Donna, and AJ all were. But you know what, that’s fine. I really don’t care.” Theo shouldered her bag again. “Let me know when Mrs. Adler shows up.”

“I will.” Heather frowned slightly, then added, “I’m sorry, Theo. I didn't know.”

“It’s okay. It really is for the best. I’m moving to England with Ray, so…”

“Really?” Heather’s eyes lit up. “He’s that gorgeous English guy who came looking for you last week, right?”

“That’s Ray.”

“Oh, I dump this place in a heartbeat if he wanted me to run away to England with him. I think you’ve got the better end of the deal.”

That brought a genuine smile to Theo’s face. “I know I did. Anyway, I’ll be in the locker room if anyone needs me.”

She left the front desk to go around and back into the locker room, where she moved to her locker and opened it, smiling at the picture of her and Ray that he’d taken on the beach last week. Was it only a week ago? In some ways, it seemed it happened only yesterday, but in others? She’d swear it happened at least a year ago.

With a sigh, she sank onto the bench opposite her locker. Ray moved in with her before Thanksgiving. And since he was new to the States and she refused to spend holidays with toxic people—which ruled out most of her family—she introduced him to a quiet American Thanksgiving, with a laughably small turkey and all of the other necessary side dishes. Their conversation had been stilted at best—

“So, what do you think of America so far?’

“Noisy. Big. Easy to get lost in.”

“Yeah. Sounds about right.”

From there, when she was Christmas shopping, she was in the mall, trying to find gifts for Donna, AJ, and Riley, when she came upon a bracelet while finding earrings for Donna. It was woven leather in varying shades of brown leather and she thought it would look nice on Ray’s large wrist, so she bought it for him,

His look of surprise on Christmas morning stayed with her. “You didn't have to do this, Theo,” he’d said softly, staring at the colorfully wrapped package in her hand.

“I know,” she’d said, “But I thought it was perfect and I couldn’t resist.”

Then he’d turned red. “I’m so sorry, but I haven’t anything for you.”

“I don’t expect anything, Ray. Don’t worry about it.”

He still looked rather uncomfortable, but then he’d opened it and when he looked up, his eyes were soft. “It’s lovely… I mean… thank you.”

He’d held it out. “Put it on me? I’m afraid I’ll be all thumbs.”

As she touched him, it was then she felt it. The soft jolt, the spark of attraction. She’d thought he was a good-looking guy from the moment they met, and their relationship had begun to grow comfortable. But this was the first time she found herself looking at him as a man instead of as her roommate.

It was then when she wished they were more than roommates, that he saw her as more than that. She wound the leather twice about his wrist and fastened it and looked up to find him gazing at her with an odd expression of his own. Had he felt it back then? She had no way of knowing, but she did know that not a day passed when that leather band wasn’t wound about his wrist.

And now they were a couple.

Not to mention, he didn't sleep on the sofa any longer, nor did he find himself buried under their laundry, either.

Which reminded her, she had a ton of laundry to do when she got home.

That made her smile as she carefully peeled the photo from the inside of her locker door and tucked it into her bag.

“Thee?” Donna came around the corner, “there’s someone here to see you.”

“It’s not a big, doofy blond guy, is it?”

“No. It’s actually a rather hot black guy. Name’s Ty Evans?”

“Ty?” Her spirits shot up into the stratosphere at the news and she tucked her bag under the bench before hurrying out to the front desk.

“Well, you are a sight for sore eyes, Beautiful!” Ty grabbed her around the waist, lifting her off her feet in a tight bear hug.

“What are you doing here? Thought you were overseas until summer at least?”

He set her down, his smile melting away. “My sister passed two days ago, so I’m here on bereavement leave for her funeral.”

“Oh, Ty, I’m so sorry.”

“Thank you. She’d been sick for a while and… well… now I… it’s over for her.” He drew in a deep breath, then looked back at her. “Have you thrown Ray out yet?”

“Funny you should mention him.” She slipped her arm through his and steered him over to the smoothie bar. “Because not only have I not thrown him out, he and I are kind of a thing now.”

Ty’s eyes widened and disbelief rang through his, “No shit?”

“No shit.”

He clapped his hands. “That is awesome news, Beautiful. I’d hoped this is what would happen, but I didn't think it would happen this quickly.”

“What?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, “there was a reason I suggested you to each other, you know. Ray’s a good guy who just found himself in a little bit of a mess and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, so I thought I’d try to bring you together.” He did a little dance. “And you both owe me huge now.”

“Tyler, are you serious? Were you really playing matchmaker?”

“Yeah. Look, I knew you were seeing that loser and I thought maybe Ray might make you rethink what you wanted. You get to know someone when you’re together twenty-four-seven and under the conditions we were under in Iraq. And when he’d told me about what happened—” his eyes narrowed—“he did tell you about happened in England, right?”

“He told me,” she nodded, moving around the counter to take down a cup and filled it with water, “he’s been nothing but honest with me, since the day he moved in.”

“And now you’re together and that’s great. I’m happy for you both.”

“Thank you. I’m pretty happy, too.” She handed him the cup and then filled one for herself. “He’s asked me to come live in England with him.”

“It’s that serious? Damn… boy moves fast.”

She laughed, shaking her head. “Ty, you have no idea. But, when it’s right…”

“I’m happy for you. Where is the boy today? I went by your apartment, but no one was home.”

“He said he had some errands to run and then he was meeting with Drew Kaparski.”

“Who?”

“A PI he’s been working with since he’s been here.”

“Theo?” Heather came over. “Mrs. Adler is here.”

“Oh, shit…” She turned back to Tyler. “She doesn’t know I’m leaving yet, so I should go.”

“Yeah, I have a few errands of my own to run,” Tyler said, easing off the stool. “But I couldn’t be in town and not see you. When you and Ray get settled, update me. I’ll come visit you guys in England.”

“Absolutely.” She embraced him, giving him an extra tight squeeze. “Take care of yourself and stay safe, okay?”

“You, too. Let him take care of you, Thee. He’s a good man and you deserve one.”

She stepped back. “Love you, Ty.”

“Love you, too, Thee.”

She threw him a kiss and walked over to Mrs. Adler. “Good morning, Mrs. A.!”

Mrs. Adler looked over at Tyler, her dark eyes narrowing. “That doesn’t look like your Englishman, Theo.”

“He’s not. He’s one of my best friends in the world, though. And he’s the one responsible for bringing my Englishman into my life, so he’s really okay.”

“Oh, well, in that case…”

Theo smiled. “Let’s go get you warmed up on the treadmill.” She turned to see Tyler heading toward the door and he paused to throw her a wave. She waved back, then looked back at Mrs. Adler. “I assume you’ve heard that the gym is changing ownership in a few weeks.”

“I have.” Mrs. Adler climbed up onto her favorite treadmill and set it at two and half miles per hour. “And I’m hoping you will be staying on.”

“That’s the thing, Mrs. A. I won’t be.”

Mrs. Adler gaped at her. “What?”

“I’m not staying here. Today’s actually my last day. Ray is planning to return to England and he’s asked me to go with him and I said I would.”

Mrs. Adler stared for a long moment, then beamed at her like a proud parent. “Oh, Theo! That’s wonderful!”

“So, Donna will take over your training until the new owners come in and then, I don’t know who it will be.” Theo tried to ignore the slight pang at the thought of not seeing Mrs. Adler again. They’d worked together for the better part of the last three years and she’d miss her terribly.

Their session went by so much faster than normal and when it was over, Mrs. Adler hugged her tightly and said, “Good luck, love. And I wish you nothing but happiness with your handsome Englishman. Keep in touch and I want to know when you get married, when you have children… all of it.”

“I will,” Theo promised, not wanting to ruin Mrs. Adler’s good mood by reminding her that she was fifty and not having children any time soon, or getting married for that matter. She and Ray hadn’t been together long enough to even consider such a thing just yet.

Once Mrs. Adler left, Theo took a deep breath and marched toward Tony’s office, where she found him at his desk, on the phone. He held up a finger, said, “Hold on, Ana, I have someone in my office,” and lower the phone. “What’s up, Thee?”

“I quit. I’m taking my old ass out of here and going to England. Enjoy LA. I hope you have nothing but success. Have the payroll company send my last check directly to me.”

She didn’t wait for his answer, but turned and strode out of his office with a smile, retrieved her bag, the rest of her things out of her locker, and went out to her car. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders and as she turned out of the parking lot, she turned up Springsteen’s Out in the Street and sang along with the Boss as she drove home.

The parking lot behind her apartment was empty. It wasn’t often she could park wherever she wished, and she smiled as she pulled up near the seldom-used detached garage at the far end.

Next door, Mrs. Landry was out on her front porch, sweeping ice melt from the steps. She smiled and waved, tucking a loose iron-gray curl behind one ear as she said, “Good morning, Theo!”

“Morning, Mrs. Landry.”

“You’re home early.”

“Yeah. I kind of quit my job today.” Theo skirted several large snow and ice drifts as she came around to the sidewalk before Mrs. Landry’s house. “I wanted to ask you if you’d be okay with my subletting my apartment for a while?”

“Subletting?” Mrs. Landry’s broom went still. “Where are you going?”

“You know Ray, the guy who’s been staying with me?”

“The nice young British fellow who shovels the walk for me?”

“Yeah, him.”

“Oh, I like him. I have to confess, I wasn’t crazy about you two shacking up, but he really is a nice boy.”

Theo bit back a smile at the phrase shacking up, and let it pass as she nodded. “He is a nice boy. And he’s asked me to come stay with him in England for a while and I said I would. So, if you don’t mind, I’d like to have a friend of mine take over while I’m gone. Her name is Donna and she’s single and doesn’t have any animals and she’s close to my age, so there’ll be no wild parties.”

“How long will you be gone for?”

“I honestly don’t know. That’s why I asked her to stay here. That way, if everything goes to hell, I’m not homeless.”

Mrs. Landry smiled. “Tell her to come talk to me and I’ll let you know. I like her, it’ll be fine.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Landry.” Theo turned to go to her own apartment, calling, “You’ll like her. You’ll see,” over her shoulder.

She opened the front door and stomped the remnants of snow from her boots as she made her way to her apartment door and unlocked it. Just inside the door, she kicked off her boots and whisked off her hat, tossing them both onto the breakfast bar as she came around it. As she shrugged out of her jacket, she froze, the hair along the back of her neck standing at attention. Something was wrong. She couldn’t place it, but the air, the atmosphere, just felt… off.

Swallowing hard, she turned back to stare at the sofa.

Scott sat up and rested his chin against the sofa back. His face was an absolutely mess—he sported two black eyes that came with his broken nose, and his lower lip was swollen, with flecks of dried blood clinging to it, and an ugly purple bruise mottled the lower half of his face.

“What are you doing here? How did you even get in here?”

“There is not a lock made that I can’t pick, honey.” He smiled. “And as to what I’m doing here? It’s pretty obvious, isn’t it. Theo? I’m waiting for you.”

“You need to go, now. I’m pretty sure you do not want to deal with Ray again, or will you just try to sic the cops on him once more.”

“No. I’m not doing that. And I’m not leaving, either.” He lifted his hand and the pit of her stomach fell away as he rested an evil-looking handgun again the back cushion. “As for your loser boyfriend,” he gestured at her with the gun, “call him. Tell him he needs to come now. Now.”

#richard armitage #stay close #stay close fanfic #fanfic #ray levine #ray levine x oc #romance #friends to lovers #damaged people #healing #love story #some smut

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marvelgurl · 3 years

Text

Off-Limits: Part 9

Characters: Tom Holland X Reader Osterfield, Harrison Osterfield, Holland boys (mentioned), Dr. Riley Cotter (OC)

Word Count: 4780

Warnings: Fluff, Angst, Therapy, Mild Anxiety/ Panic Attack

A/n: Sorry there was no update on this series last week, Life decided to be a bitch and get in the way.

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As always Feedback is more than welcome. The Good and The Bad. I really helps me.

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You don’t know how long you were standing in the middle of this giant hug but when it was over, it seemed like it was too soon. After everything that has happened the last couple months, there was this sense of peace that finally came over you. Now you were going to work hard to keep it like this. You know it’s going to be an up-hill battle, but you know that you have an amazing support system behind you.

“Hey, what are you thinking about?” Tom’s voice brought you out of your thought.

“Just how lucky I am to have all of you. I’m starting to realize that I can’t do this on my own. I have built up so many walls around myself that I need to learn to break them down to let the people that I care about most back in.” You looked down at your feet, you didn’t want to see the reactions on their faces.

“We are all here for you Y/n. No matter what, we will help you in any way that we can.” He pulled you into him and kissed the side of your head.

Not being able to trust your voice, you just smiled. You leaned into Tom resting your head on his shoulder. It was getting late, and you guys have had a long day. Harrison could see that you were tired.

“Y/n I think it’s time to go. You look like you are about to pass out right here.” He let out a small chuckle.

“Okay.” you let out a yawn. “Goodnight guys.”

“Goodnight Y/n.” The boys said in unison.

“Goodnight Darling.” Tom gave you one last hug before letting you go with Harrison.

“Goodnight Tom.” You walked to the car with Harrison. Tom didn’t go back inside until your car was out of sight.

You started falling asleep on the drive back to your flat. After Harrison parked the car, he came around to get you out. You stopped him from trying to pick you up, you got out of the car and wrapped an arm around him for support. Once you had gotten into your flat you let go of him and turned to him.

“I have a surprise for you.” You gave him a sleepy smile.

“I’m sure it can wait until morning Y/n.” he chuckled.

“No, it can’t. Follow me.”

You turned and pointed down the hall. You dramatically walked like Gollum towards the spare room. This caused Harrison to double over in a laughing fit, but that also didn’t stop him from pulling out his phone to record you. You were currently using the spare room as an office, but you wanted Harrison to feel more at home. You also didn’t want him to have to sleep on the couch anymore while he is here. Once outside the door, you were still in a crouching stance. You reached up to the doorknob before looking up to him with a scrunched-up face.

“Are you ready Harrison?” You said in your best Gollum voice.

“Absolutely not, but I am loving this.” He gestured to all of you. “For someone who was dead tired less than a minute ago, you sure have a burst of energy.”

“Well, I am just excited.” You stood up and started talking normally. “I just wanted to do a little something for you. You have done so much for me, that I want to return the favor.”

“You didn’t have to do anything for me. You’re my sister I would do anything for you.”

“Exactly! I’m your sister and I would do anything for you too.” You moved back to the door and opened it. “Come on, go in.” You gestured for him to walk in.

Harrison hesitantly walked around you into the room. You had gotten him the full set up, a queen size bed, nightstands, dresser and a television. Even after he wasn’t staying with you anymore you would have a full guest room/ office.

“Oh my…” Harrison was speechless. “When did you…? How did you…?” He was walking around the room in awe.

“Well, it wasn’t easy I can tell you that much.” You said as you slightly sat on your desk. “I had to do it over a few days. Do you remember when you had to leave to help Tom with movie stuff for a few days?”

“Yeah, you did this when I left you?”

“I didn’t do most of it.” You lifted up your hand, it was almost fully healed now. “I had a lot of help, I did more of the decorating part. So, I hope you like it.”

“Like it? I love it.” He came over and hugged you. “I may never go back to mum’s.”

“Woah let’s not get too caried away here. As much as I love you, that’s going to be a firm no.”

“Oh, come on, you don’t want to live with your favorite brother?”

“Haz you are my only brother.”

“Then by default your favorite.” He had a big grin on his face.

“I am so not awake enough for this anymore.” You gave him a pat on the shoulder before heading towards the door. “Goodnight Haz.”

“Thank you for this Y/n. Goodnight.” You walked to your room for some much-needed sleep.

The next morning, you were up earlier than Harrison, so you decided to make breakfast for the both of you. You grabbed two plates and mugs, setting them on the island for when you were ready for them. You made a quick breakfast of bacon, eggs and hash browns before starting on making the tea. When you were almost done Harrison came out of his room, his hair was all over the place. You couldn’t help but smile.

“Wow… You look amazing.” You were trying to hold in your laughter.

“Well thank you.” He attempted to fix his hair but only made it worse. “That bed is amazing. It’s better than the one I have at home.”

“Well, I’m glad you like it.”

You put food onto the plates for the two of you. Then you handed him his cup of tea. You both sat down to eat. Harrison could tell there was something on your mind, just by the look on your face he knew.

“What do you have planned for today?”

“Umm… I was able to find a therapist. I figured that it’s time that I try to deal with things like an adult.” You were just pushing your food around at this point. You ate a fair amount but all of a sudden you weren’t hungry. “I umm... was wondering if you could maybe…”

“Go with you?” You didn’t look at him, just nodded. “Yes, I will go with you.”

“Really?” You finally looked over to him, with a shocked look in your face.

“Don’t act so surprised.” He gently pushed your arm. “I would do anything for you. You know that, right?

You had decided that you should take the doctor’s advice and go to see a therapist. In all honesty you didn’t think it was going to help. You were going to give it a chance though. You had found one close enough to your flat that you could walk to, his name is Dr. Riley Cotter. Today was your first meeting with him, and you were nervous. You had initially asked Harrison to come with you instead of Tom because there are things in your past that you just needed to keep quiet, and right now you were kind of wishing you hadn’t asked Harrison to come.

You and Harrison were standing outside of his office. Your appointment was in a few minutes, but you couldn’t bring yourself to go inside.

“Are you okay?” Harrison noticed you shaking.

“I… I don’t know if I can do this.” You started rubbing your hands together, in an attempt to try and steady them.

“How about we sit here until you’re supposed to go in, then if you don’t think you can, we will go back home. Okay?”

“Yeah, let’s do that.”

The both of you sat down on a bench outside, Harrison wrapped his arm around you and pulled you close to him. You sat there for a few minutes before you heard the door to the building open. You looked up to see a man standing in the doorway. He looked over to you and Harrison with a smile.

“I’m guessing putting a bench in was a smart idea.”

“Yeah, sorry I just needed a few minutes to calm my nerves.” You said as you stood up, pulling on the sleeves of your jumper.

“That is completely fine. Take your time. I’m here when you’re ready.” He gave you a reassuring smile.

“I think I’m ready.” You looked to Harrison who stood up.

“Y/n.” You looked back up to the man. “For the first couple of sessions, I don’t allow my clients to bring other people in. I just want you to be able to talk freely. I want you to feel like you can say certain things and you can’t do that with someone else here.”

“Oh… Okay.”

Harrison gave you a look as to ask if you were okay. You just nodded your head and walked to the door where Dr. Cotter was standing. Once inside, the building had an open concept. It was wide open; it didn’t feel like what you thought a therapist’s office would feel or look like. It looked as if you were just walking into someone’s home. You were looking around for a while, just scoping out the place.

“Y/n?”

You looked over to where Dr. Cotter is standing. There were a few different places to sit. Over to the left side there was a large couch with a few matching chairs around a coffee table. Off to the right by a large window was a table with a couple of chairs.

“This doesn’t feel like a therapists office.” You gestured to your surroundings.

“I know. I wanted to make my office different. I get a lot of clients in here that absolutely hated the whole stereotypical, leather couch and single chair with a wall of books behind it. I do still have that, but I want my clients to feel like this is a safe place for them to come in and be themselves. I want them to be able to talk freely, and the environment plays a role in that. That’s why I have different areas. So, any place in particular you want to sit?” He stood there explaining with his hands behind his back but gestured with one hand when asking you were to sit.

“I guess the couch is fine.” No matter where you sat down, you were still going to be nervous.

“Okay, just let me grab a few things and we will get started. Would you like some tea or water?”

“Tea please.”

He walked over to a small kitchenette, putting a kettle on to boil. He grabbed out three cups, one of which was a to go cup. You were confused for a minute. He made the tea in the disposable cup first and walked outside, you guessed he gave it to Harrison. That made you smile; he was out there for a little while. Once he came back inside, he went into another room, coming back he had a couple of things in his hands. He came over to you and handed you a notebook, he set down his notepad and pen before going to get the tea.

“Thank you.” He handed you your tea and sat down in one of the chairs.

“You’re welcome.” He gave you a smile, then picked up his notepad. “So, let’s get started, shall we? I’m not going to pressure you into telling me anything. Like I said earlier this is supposed to be a safe space for you. When you are ready you can tell me as much or as little as you want. I will be writing down notes, one of the few things that will never change when it comes to therapy.”

“Okay. I… I don’t know where to start.” Once again you started shaking, you wrapped your arms around yourself to try and calm down.

“Let me just say this. You can quickly lose yourself because you’re silent about things. Everyone thinks that their world is crumbling around them, but when you talk to someone about what you’re going through that’s when you realize that you are not alone in this.”

“Well, if that’s the case. I lost myself a long time ago.” You took in a deep breath, before letting it all out. It was time to start getting things off of your chest. “I guess that happened when I thought that jumping into a relationship was the best thing I could do. Boy, was I wrong.” You let out a small chuckle.

“Why do you say that?” His brows furrowed together, in a curious fashion and not a critical way.

“Well, back then I was trying to run from my own feelings. I have been in love with a guy that I have known forever. I didn’t want to face my feelings for him. I ended up trying to get over him by dating the wrong guy. All though I didn’t know that at the time. He was so sweet to me in the beginning, I was an idiot to think that it was real. It was one of those too good to be true situations. I knew it was, but I stayed with him. After about a year, it was like a switch flipped in his brain. I didn’t know what I did but shit hit the fan.”

You needed to take a breath before you could keep talking about this. When you told Harrison and Tom “everything” it wasn’t exactly everything. You didn’t really want to face this right now. You just wanted to get up and leave. You may have also looked towards the windows and door for an escape. Dr. Cotter could see it too.

“Y/n, you don’t have to keep going. I can see the gears turning in your head. I can see that this is making you uncomfortable to the point that you are about to bolt out the door.” He leaned closer to you to look you directly in the eyes. “Therapy isn’t a sprint that you have to get done in one day. It is going to take you a long time to deal with any issue. Even the ones you think are small, they can bring up so many emotions for you. Let me ask you this. Have you tried explaining any of this to anyone that you are close too?”

“I did, but I didn’t tell them everything. Faking a smile is so much easier than explaining why I’m sad and broken.” You looked down at your hands before moving onto something else. “Nobody knows how depressed I truly am. Or how alone I really feel. It’s so hard being your own best friend when you secretly hate yourself more and more as the time passes.” Tears had formed in your eyes; you were trying to hold them back.

“Why do you think you are broken?”

“I don’t know how to explain the reason I feel this way, I just do. I know I have so many issues and problems that I have to deal with. My brain is so messed up from the shit I have gone through. I can tell you right now that I don’t think that you can help me, I feel like I’m too far gone.” You got up and started pacing. You raked your fingers through your hair. “I just hate feeling like this, I hate that I have put myself in a position where I can say or do one wrong thing and I’m on my own. I know that the people in my life say they will be there for me no matter what, but I have a hard time believing them.”

“No one is too far gone. We just have to help you to learn see that.” He just looked up at you for a second, just searching your eyes. “Not everyone in your life is going to leave you Y/n. You have to know that.”

“How am I supposed to believe that? If I were them, I would have left me a long time ago, and not turned back. The thing is I just need one person, to never give up on me. Just one.” You stopped to look at him, holding up one finger. “With the way I was going and still kind of am going, it’s only a matter of time before they see it too.”

“I can tell you that your brother Harrison.” He pointed towards the door. “He’s not going to leave you; he’s not going to give up on you. I know I only talked to him for a short amount of time, but he cares about you so much.”

You sat back down, putting your head into your hand. You were still trying to fight back the tears but so far you were fighting a losing battle.

“Here.” You looked up to see him holding a tissue out for you. “I think that you have done enough for today. Honestly, I didn’t think that you were going to tell me anything. Well not for a few sessions anyway.”

“I just need to start letting things out. I can’t keep them bottled up anymore.”

He picked up the notebook that he had handed to you earlier. “Here’s a good place to start then.”

“What is this for?” You took the notebook from him.

“That is for you. I would like you to write at least one thing a day. It could be a page, a paragraph, a sentence, a word, you could even draw a picture if you want. I just want you to do something. Most people don’t like expressing their feeling to others in the fear of getting hurt. You don’t have to show it to me if you don’t want to, but I would like you to at least try.”

“I will, and I’m sorry I was all over the place. It all kind of came out so fast.”

“Don’t apologize, I was able to keep up with you. I can tell that there is a lot of things that you need to get out, you just don’t know how. That’s why I am here to help you, and that’s another reason I give people these notebooks.”

You just smiled at him. Then the both of you just walked to the door. When you walked out Harrison was on the phone, but as soon as he saw you, he hung up.

“Hey, is everything okay?” He saw the redness in your eyes, and instantly pulled you into a hug.

“Yeah, I’m okay.”

He pulled back slightly, looking at you. You brought your hand up to wipe the few tears that had fallen out when Harrison hugged you. He took one hand off of you and waved to the Doctor, you did the same. As you walked back home, the both of you held onto the other. You needed this sense of comfort right now.

You walked in silence; you didn’t want to talk after that. You could tell Harrison had something on his mind though. Just by the way he kept looking at you. Once you finally got inside your flat you asked him about it.

“Harrison?” You leaned with your hands braced on the back of the couch.

“Yeah.” He looked over too you.

“What’s wrong?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Haz, I have known you your entire life, I know all your little quirks. So, what’s going on?” You crossed your arms and just looked at him.

“While you were in with your therapist, I got a call from Tom.” He was avoiding eye contact, so it wasn’t a simple phone call.

“And?”

“He has to go to New York for a week or so to do reshoots, and he was wondering if I could go. He also doesn’t want to leave you alone. I don’t want to leave you here either.”

“Haz I will be fine without you for a week or even two. I think its time for me to start taking charge of my life again. I am doing better. Go with him to New York, I will be fine.” You gave him a smile, a fake smile but a smile none the less.

“Are you sure? I can tell him you’re not ready.” You quickly cut him off.

“Harrison, if you don’t go, I will personally kick your ass all the way to New York myself.” You pulled out your phone and dialed Tom’s number.

“What are you doing?” You held up a finger to Harrison and mouthed “I’m on the phone” before turning away.

“Hello Darling.”

“Hello Thomas.”

“Oh no, what did I do?” You could hear a hint of fear in his voice.

“You haven’t done anything, but what you are going to do is make sure Harrison gets on the plane to New York with you.”

There was a moment of silence between the two of you, while you waited for his response.

“Are you sure love? I can ask Harry or Sam to come with me.”

“I’m fine, plus this week will be my first week back to work. So, I won’t even be here ninety percent of the time. I don’t need a babysitter; I have gotten better. if you feel so inclined to have someone here with me, you could always bring me Tessa.” You had a real smile on your face now. You absolutely Love her.

“Alright. I will let Tessa watch over you.” You let out a squeal and did a small happy dance. “You have to promise me that you will let me know if something happens, or if you need me or Harrison to come back.”

“I promise but like I said I will be fine. I talk about Tessa all the time, everyone at the studio wants to meet her. Which means she won’t be stuck here; she will be with me all day. Plus having Tessa with me will make my week a lot brighter.”

“I know, you love her. I think she loves you more than she loves me though…” He paused for a few seconds. “Maybe its not a good idea for her to spend a week with you…”

“Thomas Stanley Holland! Don’t you dare!”

“I have no idea what you’re implying.”

“Don’t you dare dangle Tessa cuddles in front of me just to take them away.”

“I would never do that to you.”

“Umhm. When do you guys leave?”

“Tomorrow morning.”

“Oh wow, that’s so soon. Maybe you guys should just come over and stay the night here and I can take you to the airport tomorrow.”

“That sounds like a good idea. I will be over there later. I still need to pack for myself and for Tessa.”

“Okay, I will see you later.”

“See you later Darling.”

You hang up the call. You look to Harrison with a smile on your face.

“Go pack for your trip Haz.”

“Yeah yeah.” He just waved you off as he walked to his room to pack.

A few hours later, Harrison is on the couch watching tv, while you are in the kitchen making dinner. You were making a quick caprese chicken in pasta, I was one of the many meals you learned while you were in the states. One of your friends was obsessed with food and cooking, so you asked him to show you some good recipes, which he gladly did. You had pulled out three plates just in case Tom hasn’t eaten by the time he gets there. You were just about done when you heard the knock on the door.

“Harrison, will you get the door please?”

“On it.” He got up quickly and went to the door.

The next thing you hear was the little nail taps on your hardwood floors. You knew it was Tessa. Which means any second you would hear Tom next.

“Hello Love.” He said as he came up behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist.

“Well hello to you too.” You were trying to focus on finishing dinner, but Tom wouldn’t let go. “Tooom, I need you to let go. I’m trying to get this done.”

“No.” You could hear the pout in his voice. “I’m not going to be able to do this for a week, I have to do it as much as I can.”

You turned around in his arms. “I promise if you let go, I will let you be as clingy as you want. I’m almost done.”

“Ugh… Fine.” He let go of you.

You turned back a round to finish. You moved the pan off the stove and started plating the food. Tom came in to help you take the plates to the table. You grabbed two beers and a bottled water, taking them to the table. You gave the boys the beers and kept the water. You were really trying to not drink as much. So far you have been successful.

After dinner you guys decided to watch a movie. You were slightly sitting/laying in the corner with your legs up on the couch, but as promised Tom was laying down with you. His head was on your chest, his arms wrapped around you. You were playing with his hair, making him slowly start to fall asleep. Harrison was sitting on the love seat with Tessa cuddled up next to him. You couldn’t help but smile, everything was perfect.

Once the movie was over Harrison got up to go to bed. You both said goodnight, Tessa came over to you, putting her face on the couch and looked up at you. You knew it was time for her to have a potty break, but when you tried to get up Tom’s grip tightened.

“Tom, I need to get up.”

“No. Too comfortable.” He mumbled.

“Tessa needs to go out, then we can go to bed.”

“Okay.” He laid there for a few more seconds before getting up. He looks so tired.

“Tom, go lay down. I can take her out really quick.”

“Are you sure? I can come.” His eyes were still closed, while he was talking to you.

“I’m sure. Go to bed, I will be there soon.” You gave him a quick peck on the cheek before taking Tessa out.

When you came back in, you made sure Tessa had plenty of food and water out. Then the two of you made your way to your room, leaving the door open enough for her to come and go. You looked over to see that Tom had already passed out.

You looked to your desk to see the notebook for Dr. Cotter. You walked over and finally sat down to write in it, but you didn’t know what to write. You just sat there for a while staring at the blank page. When your pen finally moved, it was like as if someone else was controlling it.

I don’t know what to write in here. I know I should write my feelings but the feelings I am having right now, I know they are temporary.

I am happy that I have my brother, my boyfriend and my Tessa here. Tomorrow will be here soon to ruin it. Harrison and Tom will leave for New York. I will still have Tess, but I just feel like something is going to happen. I don’t know what it is, but I just have this pit in my stomach.

That’s just my life at this point though. The feeling of something is going to happen, just not knowing when. It’s one of the worst feelings in the world, but I don’t know how to stop it. That scares me so much.

You got up closing the notebook and turning to your bed. Tessa had already made herself at home on it, walking over you gave her a few head scratches. You got in and moved close to Tom, you gave him a kiss on the forehead. His arms instantly tried to find your waist, pulling you as close as he possibly could, eventually you were laying on his chest. You don’t know how long it took you to fall asleep, but the sound of Tom’s heartbeat was lulling you to sleep.

Series Tags: Open

@aidinniram, @houseofflufff, @justafangirlduh @thevelvetseries @bella03riv @call1800coochie @shrutipatel08 @adriannauni

@sarahjoestewy-blog @thenoddingbunny-blog @just-levyy @bornforfangirling

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anjanettexcordonia · 4 years

Text

Lady Liberty

*Trigger Warnings* -NSFW, Fluff Pairing: Riley x OC, Liam x MC, Liam x Riley Word Count:3,348 Excuse any grammatical errors or misspellings. My first attempt at fluff. Disclaimer: All characters belong to Pixelberry & some dialogue.

Thank you to @texaskitten30 for pre-reading & helping me get through my writers block at the end!

Summary: Riley turns Liam down for drinks after their initial meeting at her bar. They have a serendipitous meeting later that night. Will Liam find is way to Riley’s heart?

Song Inspiration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMEOOgotuEs Love You Like The Movies- Anthem Lights

“Sorry I’m late. Thank you for your patience, Miss?”

“Uh, Riley”

“Charmed to make your acquaintance, Riley.”

“The pleasure is all mine. It’s nice to meet you. Now let me put your order in. Be right back!”

Later that evening, a little after the bar has closed, you’re finishing up when someone taps you on the shoulder…

“I think we are about ready to head out. I just wanted to thank you… and apologize. I know we kept you late, and my friends can be demanding.”

“Demanding? Nothing I couldn’t handle.”

“I got the feeling that you could take care of yourself. If you don’t have any other plans tonight, maybe I can make it up to you by buying you a drink. We’re about to go to a club.”

“Oh? Which one?”

“We were hoping you might have some advice about that. We’re not from around here.”

“I recommend going to the hottest club in town Kismet.”

“I would love to show you guys around but I’ve already made plans tonight. ” Riley replies. Liam looks down at his hands. “It was very nice to meet you Riley. I hope you have a wonderful night.”

After her shift is over, she quickly changes into her short emerald dress and walks out of the bar with her bag and phone in hand. Riley couldn’t wait to see Ezra, they had been dating for two years. And this was the night! Her life was about to change, she could feel it.

Ping. Riley pulls her phone out to check the text message she received.

Ezra: I’m sorry.

Riley: What’s wrong? What happened Ez?

Riley waited for a response. Nothing. She pressed the call button. The number you have dialed is no longer in service. Please hang up and try your call again. End.

Riley stood up and raced to hail a cab to her apartment. Riley burst through the door moments later. It’s dark and silent. “Ezra? Ezra where are you? EZRA?” She screams his name while she checks every room in the apartment.

When she gets to the master bedroom, an envelope propped up against the pillows catches her eye.

Riley.

She tears the envelope open and pulls out the handwritten letter.

“Riley,

I’m sorry for what I’m about to tell you. I received a job offer in California. I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want to uproot your life in New York. I’ve always loved and always will. I know you were expecting a proposal and for that I’m truly sorry. I hope you find the person that deserves your whole heart. I’ll always carry a piece of you with me.

I’ll always love you,

Ezra”

Riley sits on her bed, her legs threatening to give out beneath her. Riley crumbled the letter in her hand while she seethed with anger. She shot up off the bed and ran to his dresser drawer. She threw open the drawers with a force that pulled the drawer completely off its track and threw the drawer across the room. The drawer hit the wall and splintered into pieces.

How could he do this? I would have gone with him. She wondered to herself. She was confused, hurt and angry. She had to get out of her apartment, their apartment. Riley grabbed her keys and marched out the door. She had no idea where she was going.

An hour had gone by of Riley wandering around the busy streets of the city that never sleeps. She found herself in Battery Park. Exactly where she was supposed to meet Ezra. Where he was supposed to propose. She sat on an empty bench and stared at the beautiful symbol of freedom in front of her. The Statue of Liberty.

“Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” Riley whispered and the tears started. She put her head in her hands and let the tears flow, the more they flowed the harder she sobbed.

“Are you okay, miss?”

Riley snapped her head up at the smooth baritone voice. “Uh.. yeah sorry.. I..uh..” she wiped her face with the back of her hand. “Riley right? From the bar earlier tonight? It’s me, Liam, you were my waitress”

“Oh yea, did you and your friends ever make it to Kismet?”

“We did. Not my scene.” Liam shrugged. “Is everything alright Riley? I didn’t mean to disturb you but didn’t seem okay.” Fuck. Riley thought. “Yeah just a shitty night. What brings you to this view?” She asks, attempting to change the subject. Who is this stranger? And why does he care why someone is crying on a damn bench. “The statue was the one place I wanted to visit before we leave tomorrow but my friends weren’t interested.” Liam shrugged. “This is where I was supposed to be tonight but things didn’t go as planned for me either. What do you say we go see her together?” Riley smiled. Oh fuck. What are you doing Riley? Ezra just left a few hours ago. There’s something about this stranger though. Riley pulls out her phone and makes a few phone calls to arrange a boat. Twice in one night. Not a coincidence Li. Fuck she’s gorgeous. I need to know why she was crying. Who did that to her? There’s something about her and I have to find out what it is. The boat reaches the dock and they board. “Wow this is nice” Liam was surprised by the elegance of the boat and the fully stocked bar in front of them. “I have connections,” Riley said, grabbing two champagne flutes and a chilled bottle of Dom Perignon. Liam took the bottle from her, popped the cork and filled both of their glasses. By the time they reached the statue they were on their second bottle of Dom. They were enjoying laughing together and forgetting all their troubles. They found solace in the company of strangers. But they weren’t strangers. Their souls knew each other. Maybe in another life. Riley thought.

Lady Liberty drifted into view. “Wow,” Liam said in awe. “She’s gorgeous.”

“That she is.” Riley said while she downed her glass of champagne. “I need something stronger. What do you say to some..umm..” she scans the bar “Johnnie Walker? Rocks?”

“Neat please and yes thank you.” Liam said. He continued to stare up at the symbol. “Riley, what’s your dream?”

“Dream? I don’t understand.”

“We’re complete strangers in the city of dreams under the largest symbol of freedom in the world. You can’t be standing here without a dream. So tell me what’s your dream?” Liam turned to look at Riley. Riley could feel his crystal blue eyes seering into her like he was seeing her deepest darkest corners of herself.

“My dream.. “We are asleep until we fall in love”. True love. A love I don’t think really exists.” Riley’s eyes were huge. She didn’t mean to say that. Way to go Riley! You idiot. Liam cupped her face in his hands and leaned towards her. So close she felt his breath against her lips. She couldn’t resist. She knew she should stop but she didn’t want to. She melted into his touch on her cheeks. “He stepped down, trying not to look too long at her, as if she were the sun, yet he saw her, like the sun, even without looking. ” Liam whispered before he pulled her into a passionate kiss. An instant electricity flowed through his veins. Riley pulled away from the kiss reluctantly. “Tolstoy” she smiled. “I should tell the captain to take us back.”

“Oh uh yea” Liam slid his fingers through his hair.

“We can’t use the cabin on this boat. We can go back to my place or your hotel.” Riley winked as she pressed an intercom button and informed the captain to take them back to shore.

They decided to go back to Riley’s place. Liam didn’t want Drake, Maxwell or Tariq to disturb them. And he wanted to learn more about her. Hopefully he remembered in the morning.

They made it hand in hand to Riley’s building. They rode the elevator to the penthouse and walked through the door. Riley lived in a spacious three bedroom modern penthouse. It had large windows all around overlooking the Hudson River and 10 foot ceilings. Riley must be well off Liam thought. Good to know. How does a waitress afford a place like this?

“This view is unparalleled Riley!” “Thanks” Riley kicks her shoes off and flops down on her Restoration Hardware Cloud Sofa. Liam turns around and sees her lying comfortably on the couch. “We have the same couch. Restoration Hardware? “Yep,” Riley laughed, “best twelves g’s I ever spent.” Liam laughed. He sat down and pulled her ankles in his lap.

Liam glided his fingertips across her silky calves. Fuck it Riley thought. She sat up and pulled herself into his lap and kissed him so deep Liam felt dizzy. “Riley” he moaned into her lips “I don’t know what’s happening right now but I need to feel you. Every inch of you.” “Touch me Liam” he ripped her dress right down the middle. “You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” They tore the rest of each other’s clothes off until they were completely bare. Liam kissed her neck to her collar bone. Riley let out a soft moan in his ear. Her nails digging into his muscular back. Liam picked her naked body up by the backs of her thighs and pushed her back into a large window. “I want the world to know I’ve been here, Riley, inside of you. You’re a masterpiece. His fingers went to her dripping core. “Mmm baby, so wet for me?” He slammed his fingers inside her and rubbed his thumb around her clit until he brought her to the brink of an orgasm. As soon as he felt her walls flutter she plunged himself inside of her. “Oh my God” Riley screamed as she came undone at his first thrust into her. “You’re so tight Riley. I could stay like this forever.” Riley pointed to her bedroom and told Liam to take them to her bed. Without ever pulling himself out of her, he walked them to her bed and laid them both down. He thrusted slowly reveling in the feel of her. “I’ve never felt anything like this, baby” Liam said as he bucked his hips into her. Her lips crashed into hers as they bucked their hips in rhythm together until they both met their release. “Liam… will you… will you.. hold me?” “I’ll never let go,” Riley smirked at his Titanic reference.

Liam laid back on the pillows with his arms wrapped tightly around Riley holding her against his chest. Liam pointed to the debris on the floor, “What happened over there? “Oh...I threw it against the wall. It’s a long story.” Riley got out of bed and grabbed her silk robe off the chair next to the bed. She tied the sash and walked out onto the balcony. She gripped the railing and took a deep breath. She had sobered up from their time at the Statue of Liberty. Liam walked out with the sheet wrapped around his waist. His arms snaking around her waist. He leaned his chin on her shoulder.

“Liam…” Riley turned around looking into his blue eyes. “I’ve never felt like this. How I feel right now with you… I know Ezra just left. And I know how I should feel but I.. when we.. touch it’s like..

Liam leaned in and kissed her. His hands going under her thighs to lift her, not breaking the kiss at all. Riley pulled back. Her arms went around his neck. “Tonight I thought Ezra was going to propose. Instead I came home to a letter saying he left the country and wanted to move on. So two years wasted. That was tonight.” Liam kissed her and walked to the bed laying on top of her. “I’ll hold your hand while the ship goes down” Liam whispers in her ear. They got lost in each other again and she forgot about Ezra and he forgot about his future.

They spent the entire night talking and getting lost in each other. He told her about his brother and the social season. About the pressure from his father now that he was the crown prince. She told him about the death of her parents and her aunt that raised her. She told him her parents had left her multiple trusts and real estate throughout the world. Liam felt a void he never knew existed being filled by her presence.

Liam woke up forgetting where he was. He looked over and realized he was still in Riley’s penthouse. She was sound asleep with her head on his chest.

“Riley..” Liam whispered. “Wake up beautiful” Riley stretched out and smacked Liam right in the face. She sat up stunned. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry!” Liam laughed. “Want to have breakfast with me before I have to leave?” Liam said.

“Sure.” She replied.

A short while later they walked into Liam’s suite at the hotel. Riley let out a whistle. “We should have stayed here last night” she laughed. Liam smirked. “Being a prince has its perks. This is one of them.” Liam called down for room service and ordered a whole spread of belgian waffles, cinnamon rolls, bacon, fruit.. He ordered EVERYTHING. “So Riley tell me more about you.” “Like what?” “Everything start from the beginning.” “It’s not that interesting Liam.” “Room service”, the attendant yelled from outside the suite door. Liam opened the door and pulled the cart in. He tipped the attendant, “let’s eat and you can tell me everything about you.”

“I was born and raised in Connecticut. My parents and my brother still live there. We’re close. My parents are both attorneys and my brother followed in their footsteps.” Riley said while chewing her waffle. Liam listened intently absorbing her every word like it was his last meal. “I went to law school at NYU but ended up with a Bachelor’s in English with emphasis in creative writing. Hence working at the bar.” She laughed. “And Ezra?” Liam asked sipping his orange juice. “I might need to add some champagne to that orange juice for this.. Better yet Vodka.” She rolled her eyes. “We met in my language and logistics class. We dated for a couple years. Nothing out of the ordinary I guess. He was supposed to propose but left for a new job. Whatever. Wasn’t meant to be.” She took a big swig of her mimosa. “Did you love him?” Liam asked. Riley just stared at him. “No one has ever asked me that before.” She pondered the answer to his question. “Before yesterday I would have said yes. But now since I’ve met you… It wasn’t love. It became robotic. Honestly I’m glad he left, because I wouldn’t have been the one to call it quits. I hope the best for him wherever he is.” She shrugged. “I wish I had done everything on Earth with you” she wanted to say.

“What about you?” She asked him. “What about me, what do you want to know?” “Everything, start from the beginning.”

“Well I was born in Cordonia obviously. My Dad is King. My mom died when I was young. My step-mom Regina is kind but ya know.. She’s not my mom. My brother Leo abdicated. He found some girl and they’re traveling the world together. I’m glad he’s happy.” “Relationships?” She sat back in her chair, full from her breakfast. “I’ve never really had an actual serious relationship. I mean don’t get me wrong, there have been women, but no one that I wanted to have breakfast with the next morning.” He winked. “Because I’m going to be King I have to have a social season to pick who will be the next queen. It’s an old and stupid tradition. But Cordonia is nothing without her traditions.”

“Social season, what's that?”

“Basically it’s just going through the motions and pleasing the nobles and the citizens of the country. And then at the end, I'm expected to choose the woman best fitting to run the country.” He replied.

She could tell he didn't want to talk about this very much. “What about you?” She asked. “No one really cares about me as a person, only as the future king. I am expected to just enter into a Cordonian marriage agreement. Which is basically, a mistress. It’s a shitty concept.” Riley didn't seem fazed at all by his admission. He raised his eyebrows quizzically. “You don’t seem to care..”

“Not really, Liam, that came out wrong. I do care about you. Not about where you come from.”

Care about me? Where did this beautiful woman come from?

He stood from his sweet and pulled her into a deep kiss. “Liam.. I.. what is this?”

“Swoon, I’ll catch you.” He said against her lips. “Come home with me.”

“To Cordonia?” “What about your social season?”

“You can join, my friend Max will sponsor you.” “But.. another country? My family..”

“Riley.. I think I’d miss you even if we never met. Please come. My soul needs you.”

What do you have to lose Riley? A whirlwind one night stand with a Cordonian Prince. I’ve never even heard of Cordonia. She made a mental note to Google it. Mom and Dad will be livid. They might cut off my trust fund. Fuck it. He might be worth it. The way he kisses me makes me feel like he is the only thing worth it.

“Okay Liam, I’ll come.” “Riley.. One night with you changed my life. They say when you meet the love of your life, time stops, and that's true.” He whispered wrapping his arms tightly around her. “It’s the romantic quotes, isn’t it?” He laughed kissing her neck. “I want to formally introduce you to my friends, you remember them don’t you?” “Yea, I remember them. I wonder how they will react. One question though.. Love of your life?”

“You want the moon Riley? Just say the word, and I’ll throw a lasso around it and pull it down. You changed my life. I can’t leave without you. I’ve been searching all my life for you and never even knew it.”

'Cause suddenly, it hits me

As I watch you make believe

I want to make this your reality

And if you'll be my leading lady

Even though I may look crazy

I'll grab your hand, ask you to dance

In the middle of the street

Learn to sign, cheesy lines

Like "Baby, you complete me"And in case you forget

Where we've been and what we did

I'll write it all down, read it out loud

Again and again

“Come on, let’s go meet Drake, Max and Tariq. We have to introduce my future queen.”

“I promise if you’ll let me, I’ll love you like the movies,” Riley said. “I’m the King of the world.” Liam replied.

#trr liam riley liamxriley mc choices

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caws5749 · 4 years

Text

Wisdom and Empathy, Ch. 1

A collaboration with @carol-thirteen

A/N: Mils and I have created an OC, named Athena Riley, who, as you’ll see, has some very special powers. She’s caring, protective, and a little nervous of what’s to come. Starting a new job, let alone a job as an Avenger, is always nerve-wracking, but maybe there’s a side bonus. A new family, friends, and maybe even a bit of romance with a certain red-headed assassin? Guess Athena will have to wait and see.

For most of her life, Athena had wondered what happened during her childhood. Most people remembered something, she had practically nothing. Some parts would come back to her, flicker in unexpectedly when she was minding her own business. One thing she did remember though was the first time she discovered her power. She hadn’t classified it as such at first. Athena considered it a mere accident, or childish imagination. It was anything but.

Athena remembered the soft breeze in her brown hair, short then, just above the shoulders. The ground beneath her was soft, but she could never be sure of it’s true substance. A small grey rabbit came into view, it hopped across the undetermined surface. Intrigued by it’s movements, the twitch of the ears, the young girl crawled on her hands and knees towards it, slowly as to not startle the creature.

As she got nearer, she caught sight of the end of the rabbit’s ear, slightly wounded and a small portion clearly missing. Her head tilted inquisitively as she continued to study the creature before her. Her small hands reached for the side of the animal, her fingertips tickling it’s fur. After she felt sturdy and confident enough to pet the rabbit, her fingers applied more pressure onto it’s back. A twinge began to form on her own ear. She pulled her hand back and immediately brought it to her now pained one. She brought her hand into view, staring at the small amount of blood that had stained her finger tip.

The bunny, in her peripheral vision, had bounced away, lively and without a care in the world. Leaving a bewildered and confused child. Athena covered her ear afterwards, without giving it a second thought.

Athena stared at herself in the mirror, something she hadn’t done in a while. Her hair was longer now, dyed blonde at the end. She ensured her hair covered her ears and proceeded to straighten her shirt at the hem with her glove covered hands. A new pair, she treated herself. The old leather ones were getting worn out and she was worried that that might have an effect on their effectiveness.

Her laptop beeped, notifying her of the completion of downloaded software. She let out a sigh before the mirror and turned her attention back to the self-given mission at hand.

Since that day as a child, Athena slowly began to realize the nature of her abilities. Though she had vowed to be as cautious as possible, the gloves that she wore provided her with a layer of protection, worried that she perhaps could pass on injuries she gained to other people. It also gave her comfort. But more recently, she came to the conclusion that maybe she could be using these powers for good.

She’d memorized his routes, his routine, his whereabouts at every second of the day. Athena knew exactly how to get a chance with Nick Fury, and she was going to get it. She watched from her spot at the little outdoor cafe table as Fury walked by, heading away from SHIELD headquarters and down the street to the secure location where the car was always parked.

The moment Fury turned the corner, far enough away from the headquarters but not close enough to beat her to the car, Athena stood, quickly following after him.

“Not many people can track me down like this,” he said aloud once Athena was within hearing range. Was that the tone of someone who was impressed?

“I’m not like other people,” Athena answered, her courage lessening slightly. But, she stood her ground as Nick Fury turned to look at her. It was silent for a moment while he studied her. If he was being honest, Fury was slightly impressed. There was something about Athena that reminded him of Romanoff.

“And why’s that?”

“I’m.. I’m dangerous, a threat. I have powers but I can maybe also use them to do good,” Athena admitted.

“Come with me,” was all Fury said. He walked right past Athena, not even bothering to see if she would follow. Athena followed him without hesitation, knowing he was taking her seriously and taking her to SHIELD. This is what she wanted.

As soon as they reached Fury’s office, he immediately had a proposal for Athena.

“I want you to work with the Avengers. I want you to be an Avenger.”

Athena didn’t quite know what to say. The Avengers were heroes and, well, Athena didn’t see herself as that. She also wasn’t expecting him to invite her to work for SHIELD, let alone the Avengers. She’d gone in hoping to help some people, not become a hero.

But also, that’s what heroes did. They helped people, and Athena wanted to do that. But there was one small problem.

“I’m dangerous, I don’t have full control over my powers. I sometimes lose control of them,” Athena explained, cupping her gloved hands together. Fury held up his hand, indicating that she stop.

“You will learn to control them, and use them for good. The team can help you do that. In fact, there’s someone I want you to meet.”

That got Athena’s attention. She hadn’t really thought about what would happen if Fury did hear her out. This was moving quickly, and she couldn’t decide how she felt about that.

“Stark is just downstairs, I’ll get him up here,” Fury said, grabbing the phone on his desk and hitting a few buttons. Athena waited quietly for a few minutes, until there was a knock on the door. She turned to see Tony Stark strutting into the room, a look of curiosity about him.

“Fury,” Tony greeted with a slight nod of his head. Nick nodded.

“This,” Fury began, “is Athena. Meet the newest Avenger.”

Tony allowed a small, cordial smile to appear on his lips, and waited for more information.

“Athena, would you like to tell Mr. Stark about your abilities?”

“I uh-“ Athena stuttered, but composed herself a beat later. “I absorb injuries. Take them away from people and they appear on me.”

“That’s interesting, do you-“

But she wasn’t finished. “I can also pass them onto others with...contact.” Athena lifted her hands into view. “Hence the gloves.” She added with little volume; with shame.

Tony stared at Athena for a moment.

“Huh,” he tilted his head. “That’s a new one.”

“She needs a testing area and a suit, think you can-“

“Oh I have plenty of ideas.” He replied, his eyes flicking to Athena next. “Can I show you around?”

Athena gave him a simple nod, he lifted his hand, gesturing towards the door and she stood up. He pushed the door open and let her walk through first.

Athena was listening at first, but somewhere along the tour she stopped. It was unreal. She was starting to regret ever having contacting Fury. She’d gotten herself into this situation, what if she wanted to get out? She doubted that they would ever just let her go. She didn’t know what she was doing.

“And here’s the lab, my lab. One of many I might add.” Tony pulled forward a stool on wheels and pointed towards it. Athena took the prompt and sat down. He pulled another up in front of her. “So, we’ve got to design a suit for you. I see you’ve already got the gloves, but I’m sure I can modify them, make them a little bit-” Tony reached out his hand to grab Athena’s, curious as to the material comprising her gloves. She flinched as he touched her, and Tony removed his hand.

“Sorry,” he apologized. Athena shook her head.

“It’s fine, sorry, I’m just not used to being touched,” she admitted. Tony nodded, studying her for a moment.

She had almost forgotten what it was like to be touched. It came to the forefront of her mind suddenly, without warning. An uninvited thought that had to play out.

After the incident with the rabbit, Athena was as equally intrigued as she was terrified. She managed to hide her first accidentally obtained injury and was able to avoid a lot of conflict until she was 17. It was her first week at her new job, everything was going perfectly. She had, over the past few years, been able to somewhat control her abilities, which she was grateful for. For the first time in years, Athena felt relatively normal. But it didn’t last long.

“That’ll be $14.50 please,” she gave the customer a polite smile and he lifted his card. She gave a quick nod before pressing a button on the keyboard. “Go ahead.”

She had been distracted, commotion outside in the parking lot, she frowned. The receipt curled out of the dispenser and without taking her eyes off of the scene outside, she handed it to him. “Have a nice day.” She mumbled.

“Do you know what’s-“ Athena was stopped abruptly when glass shattered in front of her. Her instincts kicked in and her arm lifted up to her face. The side window now had almost completely collapsed, fragments grazing her arm and cheek. She ducked down and turned towards her supervisor, the woman she was just trying to speak to. Athena crawled towards her, her breathing uneven. Her hand reached forward and took hold of the woman’s arm. A large piece of glass had found its way into her arm.

Athena noticed something. Almost immediately. It was the feeling she had gotten so many times before but this time it was different. She looked at the woman’s face and it was one of pure shock. Athena felt the stinging on her face and arm wear off as the injuries appeared on the face in front of her.

Athena pulled back her hand quickly, blinking as she flipped her arm back and forth, seeing the untouched skin.

“I-“ Athena’s thumbs gently rubbed against her own fingertips. “I’m so sorry.” She breathed. She swallowed thickly, her frown deepening.

“Your face…” The woman croaked. “It’s healed.” Athena’s attention was back to her.

“Not exactly.” She whispered, a shudder in her voice.

Athena knew what had happened, she felt it. She felt the power through her fingertips as the injuries were exchanged. She started to feel herself zone out. She had been interested in how her powers worked before, but now...now she was just scared. She wondered just how much she could take from others and just how much she could pass on, but she vowed to never let herself find out.

She found herself delving deep into her thoughts and fears quickly. She slowly stood up, still staring at her hands. “I’m so sorry.” She whispered again before she stepped over the glass on the floor and ignored the chaos around her. The sirens, the people talking, helping. She was so worried that she would hurt someone, she had already. Athena let her feet carry her away from the scene, into the streets. She was dodging people as she continued forward. Her clothing shimmering as the glowing from the streetlights reflected off the shards of glass still on her. The flickering drew her away from her hands and she started to brush her hands down her torso. The glass scratched at her skin and she pulled her hands away.

Athena heard a woman’s voice ask if she was alright. A hand went for her forearm and Athena stepped backwards and she felt it again. The scratches that she had just gained on her palms were disappearing. The woman pulled back her hand and looked at it.

“What on-“ She hissed at the stinging and looked at her hand. She stepped away, her eyes wide with her eyebrows furrowed.

“I’m sorry,” Athena whispered.

“What are you?” The woman hurried away quickly and Athena was left frozen.

“May I see one of your gloves?” Tony asked, bringing her back to reality. Athena debated for a moment. She didn’t normally ever take them off unless she was alone, but as long as Tony didn’t touch her skin, everything would be fine. She nodded, carefully pulling the glove off of her hand and setting it down on the lab bench next to her. Tony picked it up, noting how Athena had returned her hand to her side at lightning speed.

“What do you think?” Athena asked.

“Oh, I can definitely get you an upgrade on these. And as for your suit, I’m guessing you haven’t thought much about it, so mind if I play around with some ideas and once I’ve got some prototypes, you can pick whichever one you like?”

“Sounds good,” Athena automatically replied.

“Great, well, I think that’s all I needed to talk to you about,” Tony said as he clapped his hands together. “I think Fury wants to talk to you about moving and all those details, so you should head back to his office.”

Athena stood numbly, not even sure if she was experiencing real life anymore. Did he say moving? It made sense, the Avengers didn’t train in D.C, but the idea still seemed so.. Crazy. She made her way towards Fury’s office, unaware to nearly anything around her, including the stares from agents around her.

Athena timidly knocked on the open door of his office once she’d reached it, and Fury called her in rather enthusiastically.

“Let’s talk about getting you on a jet to New York, and soon. Obviously we’ll take care of all the moving, getting your things to New York. You think you can get everything packed and ready in three days?”

Three days seemed too soon, but Athena nodded her head anyway. She was sure she could get it done, she just wasn’t sure if she should. Things were moving awfully fast, and what if the Avengers realized they didn’t actually want her on the team? What if she wasn’t good enough for the team? Athena swallowed her thoughts and finished up her conversation with Fury, before heading home and beginning to pack.

+++++

Three days went by faster than Athena had thought they would, and she found herself currently on a jet, with only two suitcases. The rest of her things would be arriving in a few days as they were being driven by movers.

She sat on the comfortable seat with her knees pulled up to her chest, rocking back and forth slightly in an attempt to calm her nerves. Over the past three days, she’d gotten more used to the idea that she would train with the Avengers, and potentially be one. While her nerves had decreased slightly on that front, other fears had risen to the surface.

She’d never lived with others before, let alone with a superhero team in a huge compound. What would the others be like? Would they accept her? She was practically starting her life over, and taking that leap was risky. Athena didn’t know how things would turn out in the end, or if it would all be worth it.

She guessed she’d find out.

++++++

The jet landed sooner than she’d anticipated, and Athena grabbed her few bags and prepared for what awaited her. As soon as the ramp lowered, she was met by none other than Captain America himself.

“How was the flight?” He asked as he reached out his arm to help her with her bags.

“It was fine,” Athena answered.

“I’m Steve, by the way. Steve Rogers. I’d shake your hand, but we’ve both got our hands full.”

Athena let out a light laugh. She liked him already.

“I’m Athena Riley.”

“We’re all excited to have you here,” he shared. Athena couldn’t help but feel slightly happy and hopeful at his words.

“I’m excited to be here.”

“Once we put your things down, I’d be happy to show you around, introduce you to some of the others,” Steve offered as the two of them made their way towards the front doors of the compound.

“Sure, that’d be great,” Athena replied, eyeing the large building with slight nervousness. Steve saw her expression, and chuckled.

“I know it can be a lot.”

“It’s bigger than I thought it would be,” she admitted.

“What did you think it would look like?” Steve asked curiously. Athena just laughed and shook her head.

“Not like this.”

#wisdom and empathy #mils tag #mine #natasha romanoff x oc #natasha romanoff x femoc #natasha romanoff x original character #avengers x oc #avengers x original character #natasha x oc #collaborations #fanfiction #oc fanfiction #oc #avengers #natasha romanoff #natasha romanoff imagine #black widow #natasha romanov

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shaekingshitup · 4 years

Text

unintended

A/N: Okay. So, this was supposed to be a completely different story with more thot antics than romance. But then this idea came and I decided to choose this one instead. I’m still just practicing over here. So, any feedback is appreciated. 😊 This is my first and most likely last fic that will be with a real celeb. So, I hope y’all dig it. It will be a series. So, expect more! I'm just not certain how I feel about writing for real humans that exist. AS ALWAYS, shout out to @glittermakesmesmile for always reading first and making things make sense. She’s wonderful. Be on the look out y’all. 👀

Pairing: Trevor Jackson x Black OC

Warnings: None

Word Count: 2265

“I WANNA FEEL THE HEAT WITH SOMEBODY! YEAAHHHH I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY. WITH SOMEBODY WHO-” Jayden stopped belting out the Whitney lyrics as her music paused and her Trey Kennedy ringtone filtered through her car’s speakers.

RING RING RIIIIIIING. RING RING RING RIIIIING RING!

She looked at her screen and the unsaved number which was staring back at her.

“Hello?” she asked trying not to let the aggression creep into her voice towards whomever had ruined her jam sesh as she weaved through the madness that was LA Traffic.

“Hey girl, how you doing?” greeted her with a sweet Southern twang

“Oh shit! It’s Terrell” Jayden thought automatically as she began gushing. All aggression was temporarily forgotten.

“Hey boo! I’m just circling the block trying to find a spot. I’m makin’ a pit stop at Blue Bottle. What’s up? Can I grab a coffee for you?”

“..bring me their Single Origin?” Jayden heard coming through in the background.

“Nigga” Terrell chuckled in an incredulous tone without losing his good humor.

“Who’s that? Is that Matt?” she asked trying to piece together what was going on. She was supposed to be meeting Terrell in 45 minutes. She was barely 3 miles away from his place. She’d planned the day out perfectly so that she would be on time, for once in her life. You only win the Shits & Giggles Song Association once. I mean, how could she be late for THAT?!

It sounded like there was some sort of disagreement happening on the other end as Terrell’s voice came in high pitched and strained “No. That’s not Matt, it’s-,”

“Wait, it’s my fault. Let me tell her” said the mystery person on the line. Jayden was confused as she put her car in park and grabbed her headphones so that she could continue to have this conversation while she stood in line at Blue Bottle.

“Ugh. Okay,” Terrell relented.

“Hey Jayden. It’s Jayden, right?” spoke an unfamiliar male voice on the other line.

“Yes.. and this is?” Jayden questioned as she opened the door and was blindly greeted by a barista.

“Well hopefully, the one you grab a Cold Brew for.” chuckled out of the other end of her phone.

“NIG-GUH. Where is my henny? Cuz I can’t wit yo ass,” Terrell hollered in the background and Jayden heard some generous pouring being done.

“Okay. Can someone please explain to me what’s going on? I’m fourth in line so if you want anything I need some answers first. Who is this?”

“Damn. Straight to it. She’s kind of feisty. She gotta be a fire sign.” Jayden heard this come in muffled as if the person was trying to communicate out of her earshot. She sighed outwardly. Typically, she had more patience than this. However, LA traffic really brought out the worst in her.

“Third in line.” she said, “and about 10 seconds away from using some choice words with you myself.”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Let me explain. My name is Trevor. Trevor Jackson” he paused. Jayden waited for some further explanation. This name wasn’t ringing a whole lot of bells for her and she didn’t see the point in him being on her line. She was still confused; although, having a name did cause her to simmer down a little. She pulled her phone out of her back pocket while he spoke and was getting ready to Google “Trevor Jackson” but she was bombarded by all of the texts she hadn’t received while her phone was in drive mode.

“Okayy, Trevor who wants me to bring him coffee. What’s going on?” she asked in a genuinely curious tone and without her previous bite. She made her way through the barrage of “Congrats”, “Good luck” & “Don’t Fuck Up!” texts her family and friends had showered her in.

Trevor took his time providing her with an explanation. He was measuring out his words and how he would respond “Look, I know that you’re scheduled to shoot your Song Association episode with Terrell soon and that’s great! Congratulations on the win, uh, by the way! But, I had a mix up on my end. I thought that I was supposed to meet him today at 2 pm. Instead of next Saturday at 2 and I’m actually going to be unavailable at that time. So, I was thinkin maybe I could go first since I’m already here. Then, Terrell can just shoot yours afterwards? Plus, my mom’s here to watch me do this because she’s a big Terrell fan and it would mean a lot.”

Well when you play the mom card. Jayden thought

The boy was lucky there was only one register at this Blue Bottle and that the person ordering right now had a lot of complicated orders or his lengthy answer may have caused him his Cold Brew.

“Okayy. That makes sense,” Jayden says, “ I blocked off the rest of my day to be here so I can hang around. I get to watch yours right? I mean you’re not gonna just ask me to bring you coffee and then make me leave?” she giggled as a way to relieve the nervousness she felt about the situation and then she waited because she was certain this Trevor guy nor Terrell would ask her to leave. Right?

She was met with silence. Absolute and complete utter silence. There was no sound whatsoever on the other end.

“Hello? Helllo? Did y’all put me on mute?” Three seconds later there was roaring laughter and she stepped forward. She would be next in line real soon.

“Yes! I’m sorry I accidentally put you on mute. But thank you! Thank you! My mother and I truly thank you.”

“It’s okay! Does your mama want anything while I’m here?” Jayden asked.

“Oh, yeah. Uh please get her the tea. I promise I got you when you get here.

“It’s fine,” Jayden responded. “Well, I guess I’ll see y'all soon. It’s my turn,”

“Thank you Jayden. I really mean that.”

“Not a problem” she said.

17 minutes later Jayden was sitting in her car in the Guest Parking garage that Terrell had told her to park in when she arrived.

“Here” she texted.

“Meet me at the elevator” was her reply.

Jayden grabbed the drink carrier and her mini black backpack and headed for the elevator. By the time she made it to the door, Roxy was there to let her in.

“Hi Jayden” she said.

“Oh my goodness, hiii” Jayden said as she gave Roxy a hug with her free hand. It was just sinking in that this was real. She was really about to be on Song Association. She loved watching the series & was ready to come for Miss Amber P Riley’s perfect score. She definitely didn’t have the perfect vocals to match. However, her competitive nature was not going to let her miss out on this opportunity to fuck this game up.

“Hey girl, thanks for being so cool about today,” Roxy said as they stepped into the elevator. She pressed the button for the fourth floor. “We’re going to be doing lots of filming today so we can get this content out on schedule.”

‘Yeah, it’s no problem,” Jayden responded, “ Like I said,I already set aside the rest of my day for this. So, it’s really not a problem. Plus, this way I get to say I saw this Trevor guy on Terrell first!” she laughed.

“You’ve really never heard of him before?” Roxy inquired.

“Mm-mm” she shook her head in the negative.

“Wellll, you are definitely in for a treat,” Roxy smirked. The elevator dinged to let them know that they had made it to the fourth floor.

She took a right out of the elevator and led the way down the hallway until they made it to unit 414. Roxy opened the door and Jayden was immediately met with fresh air. After the heat of the LA sun, the cold air was refreshing.

“Miss JAY-den!” Terrell called out to her once he heard his front door shut. He set his glass down on the table. She couldn’t help it. She broke out into a full faced grin. She couldn’t even see anything but his hallway and all of her teeth were already on full display. She followed Roxy deeper into the apartment and when she saw him she was so overwhelmed that she wasn’t sure what to do. Terrell hopped off of his stool, removed the drink carrier from her hands by placing it on a nearby table and greeted her with open arms. In that singular moment, Jayden felt welcomed and as if she was the most valued individual in that room. So, of course it was at that time that she made the fated mistake of looking over Terrell’s shoulder and got a real good look at a well-groomed and delicious piece of chocolate. Trevor gave a slight wave which she returned with a smile.

“MM. I am so glad that you’re here.” Terrell said as he rubbed circles in her back and gave her all of the reassurance she needed to be there. She was still nervous. But she was starting to think that this was all planned and for a purpose.

“I’m so glad to be here!” she replied as he released her from their embrace.

“And BIIIIIIIIIITCH. This is a WHOLLEEE ASS LOOK! We gone talk about this later boo. But can I get a twirl?” Jayden did one better. She retreated back towards the hallway and came back in full runway flair. She strutted into the room, twirled and looked over her shoulder as she headed back towards the entrance. Finally, she strutted back one last time and gave Terrell a smirk. His energy was contagious. She had nearly forgotten that there were other individuals in the room.

“Oh yeah. Definitely a fire sign,” Trevor commented as he reached for whatever concoction Terrell had prepared for him prior to her arrival.

“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry. Where are my manners?” She reached for her drink tray and provided him with his Cold Brew, “Trevor, I presume?” she asked as she stretched the drink out to him. He responded with a smile of his own.

“That’s me.” Trevor verified nodding his head. He took the drink with his left and shook her hand with his right. “Thank you Jayden. I really do appreciate everything. What do I owe ya?”

“Oh no, that’s fine. Don’t even worry about it.”

“Nah, I got you. What’s your venmo? Cashapp? Zelle? I got you.” Jayden ignored his queries and responded with his own.

“Where’s your mama?” Just then, an older Black woman with tight skin, a tight body to match and some of the kindest eyes Jayden had ever seen came from around the corner. She was really out here showing that Black don’t crack and she wasn’t even on camera!

“Hi Mrs. Jackson, my name is Jayden.” she smiled and handed the older woman her tea, “here’s your drink ma’am. I got some sugar too just in case you’re like me and like it sweet.”

“Thank you so much sweetheart. I love sugar. I need just enough to keep the diabetes at bay” Mrs. Jackson responded as she too embraced Jayden in a hug. “Your timing is perfect actually. I was just heading out.” she said.

“Oh no, is everything okay?” Jayden asked hoping she wasn’t being too nosey in her first impression.

“Oh yes darling. Trevor’s brother Ian has an event today too and I told him I would be there. But, I refused to miss the opportunity to meet this young man and see my baby boy get a few songs in on this game.” Mrs. Jackson clarified. “Thank you so much for this tea. Trevor, did you pay this young woman for this?” she asked sharply. Jayden could tell two things about Mrs. Jackson off the bat: 1) she was kind 2) she was no nonsense . The look she gave her son spoke volumes. It said “I know I raised you to be polite. I don’t care who you singin for but you better be respectful and don’t expect nothin from no one. Not even a damn coffee.

Damn. Jayden thought.

“I’m working on it ma.” Trevor told her. “Okayy baby” Mrs. Jackson said while continuing to stare at her son. The lecture left her eyes and was replaced with a knowing look while she smiled at her son.

Well Miss Jayden, I mean it. I do appreciate it, and good luck to you on your game too. I’m sure you’ll be wonderful,” she said as she hugged the young woman one final time. Mrs. Jackson continued around the room saying goodbye and hugging everyone. “Terrell, make sure you don’t go easy on my baby boy. He got this. We been practicin’, ya know.” .

Jayden watched the woman, enamored by the similarities between Mrs. Jackson and her favorite aunt. Jayden was so caught up in her thoughts, she initially missed Mrs. Jackson’s final goodbye to her, catching only enough to ask the woman to repeat herself.

“I’m sorry Mrs. Jackson, what did you say? Jayden stammered out flustered as she had gotten so in her own head.

Mrs. Jackson paused before scurrying out the door to support her first born “ I said I’ll see you soon baby”, giving the young woman a wink and mischievous smirk before disappearing out the door.

Jayden stared at the door, mouth opening trying to figure out what the woman had meant.

………………………………

TAG LIST: @twistedcharismaaa @mygirlrenee @glittermakesmesmile @sarcastic-sunshines @chaneajoyyy @shewrites02 @ghostfacekill-monger @raysunshine78 @shewritestheblues @scrumptiouslytenaciouscrusade @fd-writes @eyeknowmywrites @thadelightfulone

#shaekingspeaks #black oc #trevor jackson #trevor jackson x oc #fics n shit

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msjr0119 · 4 years

Text

Marshgate Prison

Part 4

At Marshgate Prison, New York City- Riley Brooks begins a new job as a Prison guard. The inmates and guards who work there have kept many secrets hiden. Will she become involved in these secrets? How will she react to the common riots that constantly take place in the rough prison.

Book: The Royal Romance, AU.

All characters belong to Pixelberry unless stated otherwise (OC- they belong to me):

Drake x Riley, Liam x Beth(OC)/Olivia/Celine(OC), Leo x Beth, Maxwell x ?, Savannah x Bertrand.

A/N: Oh my goodness, this series has been on hiatus for months and months! I’m so sorry! Even though this part has been stuck in my drafts! It’s a bit of a ‘filler’ chapter. It gets better after this. If there’s any spelling or grammar mistakes please bypass this. As a few of you already know, I recently found out that I was pregnant and at the moment I have what they call ‘baby brain’ 🤣

Please do not read if you are under 18! By doing so you are consenting that you are over this age 👍🏼. If any of the warnings below affect you please do not continue to read.

Warnings ⚠️ : adult language, mention about an attack (past tense), slight smut.

Word count: 1,800ish

Tags- I’ve completely forgotten who was on the tag list without looking back at previous chapters. As always if you want to be removed or added just let me know:

@pedudley @loveellamae @kacie-0156 @annekebbphotography @ladyangel70 @bascmve01 @texaskitten30 @i-bloody-love-drake-walker @kimmiedoo5 @walker7519 @lodberg @cmestrella @hopefulmoonobject @axwalker @rafasgirl23415 @notoriouscs @yukinagato2012 @dcbbw @qammh-blog @nz1091 @cordonianroyalty

Catch up here in case you need to refresh your memories.

******

“Excuse me?”

“You heard us Drake, you’re a free man.” Savannah and Maxwell jumped up, she ran over towards Liam and Constantine hugging them tightly- that tight that they both felt like they were suffocating. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

“Walker, what are you doing still sat there? Get your belongings and escape before we change our minds.” Liam said sarcastically, before dragging him out of the office. Walking to his cell, it was robotically- normally inmates would be running and doing the great escape. But not Drake Walker. He was still in shock, that the Warden had allowed him to be released early. Especially after the confession of love from his guard in front of everyone on her ‘death bed.’

Liam joined Drake in his cell, he was going to miss his closest friend that he had made in Marshgate. He knew that it was highly unprofessional to be close to an inmate, but there was something about Drake. They just instantly clicked.

“How are you feeling?”

“I don’t know. I know that I was innocent, but this felt like home. Don’t get me wrong I’m excited to see my nephew and to see if anything could happen between myself and Riley.”

“Talking about Riley. Are you going to visit her?”

“Of course I am, Liam. Why wouldn’t I?”

“Just wondered. I think it’ll be a nice surprise when she’s out of hospital to see you.”

“What are you suggesting?”

*****

Leaving the prison with his family, he hesitated before getting in the cab. Turning back around it still hadn’t fully sunk in that he was a free man. The memories of the place, bad yet also good would remain in his mind.

“Are you ready to meet Bartie? Or do you want to see Riley first?”

“I need to see her, Sav. I know we left the hospital before but I need to go back. I’m staying with you guys- I’ll take Bartie out tomorrow if that’s okay?”

“Of course, lets go. Drake? I really like Riley- I know I’ve only met her a couple of times, but don’t hurt her.” Looking disgusted due his sister’s comment, he shook his head.

“She’s the only one that’s given me a chance, even knowing what happened. I’m in love with her Savannah, I’m not going to let her down.”

****

Arriving at the hospital, Liam met them there- bringing along some chains for the facade.

“Hey, beautiful.”

“D-Drake?”

“I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too. I know I said I’d stay safe, but it was an accident. I didn’t have my baton- I don’t know where it went. How’s Hana?”

“Why the fuck are you asking about her? She did this to you.”

“It was an accident, Drake. I’m going to be unemployed aren’t I?”

“I don’t know how she is. I haven’t seen her. No you’re not. You still have a job. Did you mean what you said? About loving me?”

“I do. I thought I was dying- I had to let you know how I felt.”

“I’d never let you die. I love you too.”

“Time’s nearly up Romeo. Hey, love. How are you doing?” Liam hated interrupting their moment together. His heart sunk, seeing how affectionate Drake was with her. How attentive he was holding her hand. They barely knew each other, but what was in front of him- was true love. Love at first sight. Something he and his estranged wife had never had.

“I’m fine. Glad to see you up and about. We’re a right pair aren’t we? More like the chuckle brothers rather than prison guards.”

“Heh. The nurses have explained that you could be discharged in a couple of days. I’ll try and twist an arm so you both can see each other. I’ll give you both five more minutes before visiting hours end.” Stretching out to grab her colleagues arm, her baby blues were surrounded by sorrow.

“Liam, I can’t repay the favour. Not until I’m back at work anyway.” Referring to their little arrangement, Liam didn’t care anymore. He had fucked Olivia without getting caught well before Riley was on the scene.

“This is about you two. Not myself.”

Drake felt appreciative towards Liam’s approach about the forbidden love. Watching him leave, he just wanted to blurt out that he had been released. To scoop Riley into his arms, take her home- give her a bit of TLC. But they had an agreement to wait. An agreement between everyone at Marshgate including Drake’s family.

“I can’t believe that you are here.”Cupping his cheek, her thumb grazed his cheek- as he placed his hand over hers.

“I can’t believe that you nearly got yourself killed after minutes of working at Marshgate.”

“I don’t know what happened to my baton Drake. If I had it, I’d have been able to defend myself better. Does anyone know about us?”

“The Warden. But he’s cool with it.” Shrugging his shoulders, he acted as if it was normal- nothing out of the ordinary.

“What?” I’m sacked. Surely he’s lying.

“Your blood pressure is rising, calm down. He doesn’t give a shit. I promise you.”

“If he’s so cool with it, I’ll just come in to your cell then and fuck you.”

“Not quite...”

“What do you mean?” I mean I won’t be there.

“We’d still have to be secretive. Like Liam is with Liv.” He hated lying to her, he felt like the shittest person alive. Hoping that she wouldn’t hate him once she found out the truth.

“Okay. I can’t wait to get back to work then.” Rather than replying before he put his foot in it- he lent down, kissing her softly. Savouring the taste of her lips, he knew that he wouldn’t be able to see her as often as he liked- not without his ‘fake’ guard anyway.

“Liam will be back any second. I don’t want to leave you, but....”

“But you have to. Don’t worry. I’ll see ya, when I see ya, Walker.”

“See ya later, screw.” Winking at her, he couldn’t help but use the prison slang term for her job role. Placing one last lingering kiss on her lips, he was soon escorted out by Liam. Biting his lip he tried not to show that his chin was about to tremble, the tears that were so cleverly held back were now ready to burst.

“This plan will work, don’t worry about it. Trust me, Drake.”

******

The morning after, Drake woke up in Savannah’s apartment. A mixture of feelings were roaming throughout his mind. It felt weird sleeping in a normal bed after all this time. Hearing familiar voices clearly rather than through a pay phone with a faint line due to the background noise of the inmates. Then there was feelings about Riley. The girl that he had instantly fallen in love with. The forbidden love between an inmate and a guard. She was glued into his mind. Paranoia was also lingering, wondering what it would be like walking the streets as a free man. Would people recognise him? Would they gossip about him? He was innocent, but still in a way felt guilty. Making his way through to the kitchen his heart sunk seeing his nephew for the first time in person.

“Bartie, this is your Uncle Drake.”

“Hey, little fella!”

“It’s okay, sweetie. Give uncle Drake a cuddle.” The little boy looked up-to his mother for reassurance before running in to his arms. Drake held him tightly, and placed a kiss on to his forehead. Not wanting to let him go.

“Do you want to go and feed the ducks at the park after breakfast?” Bartie nodded, “Uncle grumpy”. The smile that was on Drake’s face would now be hard to erase. This was the life, having his family with him in person. Now all he had to claim the girl as his own.

******

A few weeks later, Riley was feeling down. Her cousin Celine had moved to New York City after hearing about Riley’s attack. They hadn’t spoken in years, and Riley was frustrated that she was ‘mothering’ her. Most people would feel grateful for the help- however, Riley just seemed to be looking after herself as well as Celine. After a quiet shift at work with Liam, she just wanted to go home and go to bed. For her own safety, they advised her not to guard the women- especially to not be anywhere near Hana. For now, anyway.

“Don’t go home. We are all going out for drinks. I think you should join us.” Liam attempted to persuade her. He didn’t want to force it up on her, and push her away. Riley always made an excuse up, even used the common shit one ‘I’m washing my hair’.

“If I invite Celine along, will you leave me alone?” Liam blushed at the mention of her name.

“Sure, invite her.”

“Why are you blushing at the mention of her name, Liam?”

“Your cousin is beautiful. I can’t deny that.”

“I hope that your wife or Olivia haven’t somehow placed a wire on you. Or you’d have no balls left.” Fixing a fake smile, she held his hand as they walked out. “Let’s get drunk.”

Riley didn’t want to go to the bar with Liam and the rest of the guards- her heart felt empty. Believing that the alcohol would blank the hurt out even if it was short term. Deep down she had wished that Hana had finished the job. Drake Walker has been transferred to another prison- those words kept roaming through her mind, ever since she had returned to work. They never left.

“Hey, let’s celebrate for surviving your first riot at Marshgate, and for you coming back fighting.” Riley rolled her eyes back. Feeling paranoid, she could hear her other colleagues whispering about her - biting her lip she didn’t want to cause anymore issues within the work place. Liam kept checking his phone, for updates- a smile crept up on his face.

“Would you like to dance Riley?” Please say yes and stop being stubborn.

“Why are you asking me? Why not Celine? I mean you’ve had your tongue down her throat all night.” Smirking she wouldn’t like to be in his position, leading three women on. Even if one of them was sleeping with someone else- his brother. Feeling slightly jealous, she made sarcastic comments in order to to prevent her feelings being known.

“Because I want to dance with my colleague. Is that so wrong?”

Riley agreed, forcing the shot down her throat- she placed her hand into Liam’s. Twirling her around he whispered in her ear- I’m going to twirl you again then briefly let go of your hands, I’ll grab you after. Close your eyes, embrace the music.

“What?”

“Just do it, Riley.” Following his commands, she felt like a twat- closing her eyes, dancing in a dive bar. Turning back around, Liam didn’t grab her as promised. Instead there was an aroma of a freshly picked bouquet lingering around her. Stumbling due to the sudden smell, she soon felt somebody grab her- she knew it wasn’t Liam’s hands. Fluttering her eyes open, she believed that she was hallucinating.

“Hey, beautiful. Surprise!”

#trr au marshgate #drake x riley #drake walker #riley brooks #liam rhys #liam x riley #savannah walker #celine brooks #maxwell beaumont #constantine rhys #trr fanfic #tw adult language #tw slight smut #tw attack past tense

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alj4890 · 4 years

Text

Kiss Prompts

(Maxwell Beaumont x Nadia Park) with the prompt: A gentle kiss that quickly descends into passion, with little regard for what’s going on around them as requested by Anonymous. (Thomas Hunt x oc*Amanda) with the prompt: Staring at each other’s lips for a moment before moving closer, as if drawn together by some unseen force also requested by Anonymous. And the prompt: "I shouldn't be here." As requested by @krsnlove

(Maxwell x Nadia) (Thomas x Amanda) in a The Royal Heir/Red Carpet Diaries/Perfect Match crossover Fan Fiction

@lxaah11 @alleksa16 @penguininapinktuxedo @blackcoffee85 @stopforamoment @hopelessromantic1352 @krsnlove @annekebbphotography @hopelessromantic1352 . @sunflowergirl05 @desireepow-1986 @greywitchyshots @lilyofchoices @moodyvalentinestories @emceesynonymroll @my-heart-beats-for-ya @aworldoffandoms @ab1901 @lolablackwrites @flyawayboo @i-bloody-love-drake-walker @trappedinfandoms @kate-mckenzie

Masterlist

A/N Another day has come. Plans are made. Some are beautifully executed. Then there’s always that one, teeny tiny little unforeseen occurrence that makes it all fall down.

Part 1

A Not So Perfect Match (Part 2)

The Beverly Wiltshire, Amanda’s suite, very early morning…

“So?” Maxwell poured himself a cup of coffee. “How did each little conversation go yesterday with Ryan?”

“What?” Amanda yawned behind her hand. “Fine, I suppose.”

“Fine, huh?” He waggled his eyebrows. “I’m assuming there was a lot of flirting.”

“You would be wrong.” She muttered, reaching for the cup of tea he prepared for her.

“What do you mean?” Maxwell sat down across from her. “He didn’t flirt once while talking to you?”

“Not at all.”

His brow creased in thought. “Maybe he is a method actor and has to stay in character throughout the shoot.”

“Or maybe he isn’t attracted to me.” Amanda countered, yawning once more.

“That’s impossible.” Maxwell declared. “You’re the whole package! Sweet, intelligent, pretty, supportive, sense of humor. Who wouldn’t love you?”

A tender smile peeked out at him from behind her teacup. “That’s sweet, but I think we can add Ryan to the list of men who don’t see me as the whole package.”

“I’ll talk to him.” Maxwell decided. “Make him see how great you are.”

“Maxwell, look at me.” Amanda leaned over the table. “I don’t want a man who has to have everything positive pointed out to him by someone else. If he was the one, wouldn’t he able to see all that for himself after hours spent around me?”

“Yeah, but, he isn’t in date mode. He’s in acting like me mode.” He countered. “A little nudge is what is needed to open his eyes to you.”

“It isn’t any big deal.” Amanda promised. “In fact, I don’t really feel anything for him either. He’s still handsome and charming, but I can actually talk to him like he is just some average guy.” She shrugged. “No love lost on either end.”

Maxwell stood steadfast in his belief. “But you belong with someone charming, great sense of humor, and handsome.”

She reached across the table and squeezed his hand. “Why do I need that when I already have a best friend with all those attributes?” Her lips curved into a smirk. “A girl can only take so many charming men in her life.”

“You need the Royal Romance Treatment.” He responded, squeezing her hand affectionately. “If I could do it for Riley, then I’m doing it for you.” He reached for the plate of eggs. “And Ryan Summers is Hollywood Royalty.”

******************

Thomas Hunt's new home, still early morning...

"Hellllloooo!" Rachel called out. "Thomas?"

She shut the front door and walked throughout the downstairs, pausing to admire each room she passed.

"Thom--"she stopped at the sight of the stranger in the kitchen.

He turned around and flashed a friendly smile. "Can I help you?"

Rachel blinked at how cute she thought he was. "I was looking for my brother."

"You must be Rachel." He walked forward and held his hand out. "I'm Steve Petellier, the architect Thomas hired."

"You designed this?" She said, not bothering to hide the awe in her voice.

"Guilty." He leaned closer as if to impart a grave secret. "Though most of this is all because of your brother's ideas."

"Yes, but you made his ideas a reality." She responded. "It's beautiful."

"Thank you." Steve smiled even more at her. "Your brother should be out in a minute. He had to take a phone call."

He returned to the blueprints he had spread out on the kitchen table.

Rachel set her box of pastries down on the counter and tried to catch peek at what he was working on over his shoulder.

He glanced up and grinned at her interest. "These are a few ideas for his guest house."

She blushed at being caught sneaking a look. "Oh."

He stood up and pulled a chair out for her, apologizing for not doing so earlier. "Would you mind giving me your opinion?"

"Mine?" She stuttered. "I'm not sure I could give one worth having."

"You did just say how beautiful this is," he reminded her. "Though I would love to hear more compliments, I would like some constructive criticism on these."

She nervously tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Of course."

He smiled again, causing her heart to beat a little faster.

What is wrong with me? I never have such instant attraction to--

"Ms. Hunt?" Steve tilted his head to the side when he heard her shortness of breath. "You okay?"

"Yes. Fine." She closed her eyes briefly at her inability to talk like the intelligent woman she prided herself on being.

"It is, Ms. Hunt, right?"

"Huh?" She shook her head. "No. I mean yes. I'm single. I mean...please feel free to call me Rachel."

She longed to bury her head in her hands.

Steve didn't bother to hide his amused smile.

"Good to know." He placed a rendering of the outside of his first drawing in front of her. "Rachel, what does this one make you think of?"

She missed his question completely. Something about the way he said her name just...sigh...she never liked it as well as hearing his voice utter the two syllables.

I've become a romantic idiot.

"Pastries!" She abruptly jumped up.

"The house reminds you of pastries?" Steve asked.

"Yes. NO!" She stilled, trying to get a grip. "I brought pastries. Would you care for one?"

"Thank you." He reached into the box she shoved in his face. "I'll admit these are my weakness."

Her lips curved when he bit into the powdered doughnut. Sugar covered his bottom lip.

Her cheeks burned with the thoughts she was having about his mouth.

"Rachel?"

She let out a startled yelp and spun around. "Thomas! There you are. I came by with breakfast and to see your new home."

He grimaced. "I appreciate it, but I have to get to the studio." He glanced at Steve. "I should be back in a few hours."

"No problem." He stood up and gathered his plans. "It will give me a chance to draw up some other options."

Rachel felt her shoulders slump at not being able to spend any more time with the architect.

Perhaps it was for the best. He had made her forget her true mission for coming by: encouraging her brother to date Nadia.

Holly popped her head around the corner. "Leaving boss?"

"Yes." He checked his bag for the script. "If you wouldn't mind, would you finish unpacking the books in the study?"

"On it." She then greeted Rachel.

Rachel managed to barely say a goodbye as both Thomas and Steve walked out the door.

Steve backtracked. "Hey Holly! What time are we supposed to meet at The Blvd?"

"Six!" Holly yelled back. "Addison says she can't do another late night."

He chuckled and noticed Rachel still standing there. "It was nice to meet you, Rachel."

"You too." She replied, smiling until he shut the door.

Before she could think too much about why she needed to know, she hurried in the direction Holly had vanished to.

"Holly?"

"Yes?" She mumbled, twisting her hair into a bun.

"How do you know Steve?" Rachel blurted out.

"He lived in the boat next to mine." Holly replied.

"Oh.” Holly’s words finally hit her. “A boat?!”

"Yes. I always wanted to literally live on the water." Holly admitted. "So, I saved up to rent a houseboat one year." She smiled over her shoulder at Rachel. "Steve had rented the one next door."

"Oh." She sank down into a chair. "How long have you known him?"

Holly paused in her sorting of books. "Must be about six years now."

"He seems nice."

"He's one of the best." Holly turned around, wondering why this sudden interest.

Rachel noticed her looking curiously at her. "I guess I better go."

"Don't rush on my account."

"I--Steve is so--I have to go." Rachel nearly tripped over her feet to escape.

***************

The Royal Romance Set...

Amanda wandered about behind the scenes while her friends were meeting with their acting counterparts. She had walked by the same sets over and over to the point that she was a little bored.

"Excuse me."

She turned around and smiled at the costume designer. "Yes?"

Addison held her hand out. "I'm Addison. I'm the one who keeps everyone clothed appropriately. "

"Amanda." She laughed and shook her hand. "I have to say that if you ever get tired of making the costumes for movies, that you would be in high demand in Cordonia." She pointed toward one of the ballgowns an extra was wearing. "These are gorgeous."

"Thank you." Addison beamed at her, already planning the wedding gown she would make for Amanda when she married Thomas. "It's my break right now and I know how long those meetings can go..." She crossed her fingers behind her back. "Would you like to see more of the studio?"

"Can we?” Amanda exclaimed. "I am dying to see more."

"I have access to another soundstage." Addison tried to play it casual. "It has begun to be set for Thomas Hunt's next film--"

"Brighter Than the Stars?!" Amanda apologized for interrupting. "I'm a big fan of his and read that the sci-fi romance was his next project."

Addison laughed, now planning stylish maternity wear she would create for her. "That's the one."

Amanda softly squealed. "Addison, you are now my favorite person in Hollywood." She leaned closer to whisper. "I would say world, but I don't want to hurt Maxwell's feelings."

Delighted with her excited response, Addison continued to talk to her about her life in Cordonia while answering questions about Thomas as they left The Royal Romance set.

****************

Soundstage 26…

"Wow." Amanda stared at what had to be a long hallway in a spaceship. A large window showed what appeared to be the vastness of space. A lone planet with three moons and twinkling stars was seen in the distance.

Addison nudged her. "Want to go up there?"

"Can I?" Amanda asked, hesitating. "I won't touch anything."

"Of course!" She gently urged her forward. "You're helping me out by doing so."

"I am?" Amanda stepped up on the metal platform.

"I have a couple of costumes in mind for the main character. I could use someone standing there, looking wistfully out the window, like Xo--"

"Xora?" Amanda interrupted.

"You do know a lot about this movie." Addison teased.

The duchess blushed, lowering her eyes. "Sorry. I get carried away with movies." She cleared her throat. "I read up on it when it was first announced."

"I think--" Addison paused when she heard the door open.

Amanda froze when the one she had most hoped to meet walked up to her. Without looking directly at her, he handed her the script.

"Start at page 43, after Caiden explains his findings."

"I--" Amanda swallowed. The script shook in her hand when he finally lifted his eyes up to her face.

Addison unashamedly filmed the entire encounter for Holly and Steve. And, she thought, also the future babies that will be brought into the world by the two I match together.

Her face hurt from smiling at Thomas being struck momentarily speechless.

Amanda tried to hand him back the script. "Mr. Hunt, I'm--I shouldn’t be here."

"Thomas." He finally uttered.

She smiled shyly at him. "Thomas, I'm afraid you are mistaken. I'm not an actress."

He blinked before turning toward Addison. "This is her first role?"

"You could say that." Addison winked at Amanda.

He turned back toward the now confused woman. He leaned in closer, causing her hazel eyes to widen. The gold flecks shimmered in the dark, gray-green depths, before her long lashes hid them for a moment.

Amanda looked directly in his brown nearly black eyes, nearly swaying toward him. She allowed herself to take in the rest of his handsome face before ending this charade.

"Your eyes," he muttered, “they’re perfect." He straightened from her. "Er, for the film."

She pressed the script in his hand. "Thank you, but I'm only here taking a tour."

"A tour?" He repeated.

"She's one of Maxwell Beaumont's friends." Addison explained. "Amanda is a fan of your movies and I wanted to show her your next project."

"Oh." His eyes narrowed when another thought struck. "Didn't you call me with a possible actress?"

"I did but she had to leave." Addison felt a twinge of guilt for the lie but she knew she had to keep him from taking his frustration out on Amanda. "Family emergency." She decided to admit to the deception after their wedding. Probably during the toast.

"I see." He stepped off the platform and gathered his things.

"Thomas!" Addison hissed.

He looked up. She gestured impatiently toward Amanda. "She is a fan of yours."

He rolled his eyes at this unwanted aspect of stardom. "Forgive me." He looked over at Amanda. "Is there anything you want me to autograph or..." He blinked when she smiled warmly at him.

"I won't bother you with something like that." She assured him, stepping down off the set. "I'm just happy to have met you." She held her hand out to him. "And perhaps a little thrilled you thought my eyes were perfect."

A smile tugged at his lips while he took her hand. "I hope you know that it will be impossible to find an actress with eyes that emote like yours."

"I am sorry for the mistake." She tilted her head up at him. "But you made my day with that compliment." She reluctantly eased her hand from his grasp while thanking Addison for bringing her here. "Good luck with the film, Thomas. I can’t wait to see it."

"Thank you." He watched her leave.

Addison cleared her throat a couple of times when he still had his eyes on the closed door that the duchess had walked out of.

"Professor?"

He snapped out of his daze. "Er, right. You should get back to Phelps before you're missed." He dropped his bag and quickly snatched it up. "This evening, I'll try and look over those designs you sent over."

"Don't worry about it." Addison replied, ready to drop another temptation his way. "Holly and I are meeting Steve at the Beverly Wiltshire. Those two are curious about the Cordonians."

He paused. "They're staying at the Beverly Wiltshire?"

"Hmm?" Addison pretended to be distracted by her phone. "Oh. Yeah. The whole group is there. I overheard Maxwell saying that they would be dining at the hotel's Blvd restaurant around six."

The director remained silent in thought before muttering a farewell and walking out the door.

*****************

6:05p.m. The Beverly Wiltshire...

"...I thought I saw him get into an elevator earlier, but it was some other man." Nadia concluded. "He was not impressed with my nearly running him down in the hope that he was Maxwell Beaumont."

She noticed how quiet Rachel was.

"Did you hear anything I said?"

Rachel jerked her eyes away from the restaurant. "Sorry. I was keeping an eye out for Ste--the royal couple."

"Do you think they will come down here?" Nadia rose halfway out of her barstool to look about.

"Possibly." Rachel muttered, wondering what time Holly and Addison would show up with Steve.

How could she casually bump into him if she didn’t know when he would arrive?

The two were soon seated at a table near the back.

"I think we will have a hard time seeing if they come in." Nadia mumbled.

"You're right." Rachel slumped in her seat.

*************

6:15 p.m. The Blvd's Lounge...

"An old fashioned please." Amanda slid onto a barstool and checked her messages.

Everyone was running late. Maxwell sent one more group text.

I called downstairs. They'll have us another table by 7:30.

Amanda sighed softly at an hour of waiting on them. She was tempted to go back upstairs and order room service.

"What can I get for you?" The bartender asked the person who sat down beside her.

"Scotch on the rocks."

Recognizing the voice, she looked up and smiled. "Hello again."

Ryan smiled back. "If it isn't my favorite duchess."

She laughed and lowered her eyes. "I bet you say that to all the nobles."

"You caught me." He admitted, making her laugh once more. "Seems like we are the only two on time tonight."

She grimaced slightly. "Did you get Maxwell's latest text?"

"I did along with a number of crying emojis." He held up his phone for her to see. "Should I be worried?"

"Only when there are no words along with them." She teased.

"Phew. I was about to change my charming cool guy portrayal to charming crazy guy for the movie." He joked.

"Good to know you still would have kept Maxwell's signature charm."

"I meant my charm." His smile grew when she started laughing again. "I suppose I have to adjust it to his now."

***************

6:22p.m.

"What is Ryan doing with Thomas's future wife?!" Addison hissed.

"I'm going to go with flirting." Steve whispered.

"I think it's more his I just can't help myself charm." Holly added. "Not serious flirting."

"It's going to make Thomas stay away from her if he sees them like this." Addison pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath through her mouth. "If only I could have thought of a way to lock them up on the set."

"Who? Ryan?" Holly asked.

"No! Thomas and Amanda." She huffed, flopping back in their booth. "I showed you the footage. You can't tell me there weren't sparks."

"There was definitely something there." Steve readily agreed. "After working with the man for months, I've never seen him like that around a woman. And my firm has a number of ladies that cause men to do a double take."

"He ignored them?" Holly asked.

"Only unless speaking directly to them about the house." Steve chuckled. "I at first thought that he was playing hard to get, now after watching that video, I see he just needed to meet the right person."

"Thank you!" Addison threw her hands up. "That's what I have been saying for years now."

"So, what's the plan?" Holly asked. "We go interrupt what could or could not be an honest flirtation on the very unlikely chance that Thomas does decides to show up to pursue--" her eyes widened at seeing Thomas walk into the lounge.

"Hurry!" Addison sprang out of her booth.

"What about the food?" Steve gasped when Holly grabbed his tie and yanked him out.

"This is no time to be thinking of your stomach." She grumbled.

"I’m only thinking of breathing now." He choked out.

****************

Thomas paused at the sight of Amanda and Ryan talking at the bar.

He didn't know if he should approach or--

"There you are!" Addison called out to Ryan.

Everyone at the bar turned toward her.

"Maxwell invited you to dinner too?" Ryan asked.

Thomas relaxed some at that. It was not a chance meeting or a date. They were all waiting on the other Cordonians.

As the Hollywood group talked, Amanda looked about the bar, backtracking when she saw Thomas.

The same smile he had been the recipient of earlier that day now flashed once more.

He returned it and made his way over.

Ryan called out a greeting and introduced him to Amanda.

"We've met." Thomas explained, taking the barstool on the other side of her.

She turned away from Ryan and the others, focusing on him. Addison squeezed Holly's hand at the telling action.

Thomas felt a quick burst of satisfaction when she did. He had seen first-hand that many women rarely turned away when Ryan was near and was his usual charming self.

"What brings you out tonight?" Amanda asked, after warmly greeting him.

"I had a desire to go out to dinner." He explained. His eyes briefly dropped down to her mouth. "And it looks like I came to the right place."

"Would you like to join us for dinner?" She asked. "I wish you would." A slight flush on her face and neck was visible in the dim light. "I promise I won't pester you with too many questions." Her teasing smile reappeared. "A hundred isn't too many, right?"

Thomas didn’t bother to subdue his answering smile at her invitation.

His eyes raised back to hers. "I would love to."

***************

7:50 p.m.

"Something must have happened." Nadia blew a frustrated breath. "We should have seen them by now."

Rachel handed the waiter a signed receipt. "I think you're right." She looped her arm through Nadia's as they walked through the restaurant. "We need ice cream."

"I think I'll just crawl into bed and dream about what could have been." Nadia mumbled.

"At least you'll meet the love of your life tomorrow night." Rachel added, thinking happily about one of her plans succeeding.

"The love of my--" Nadia stilled. "I completely forgot about the blind date."

"Understandable." Rachel squeezed her in a side hug. "If I had met Maxwell Beaumont and knew he and the others were here, I would only be thinking of ways to casually bump into them too." Just like I was hoping with Steve.

The two missed the large party that had been set at a table to the far left. They would have recognized a face or two.

"If you're going up to your room, I'm going to head home." Rachel reminded her of the shopping they would do in the morning before her date.

They parted in the lobby and Nadia went over to the elevators.

She stood there a few moments, watching the numbers count down. When the doors opened, she was nearly knocked over by a blur in black.

Arms wrapped around her to keep her upright. Her eyes lifted to the shocked face that quickly became thrilled at seeing her again.

"I think fate either wants you injured or us to plan on meeting so that I don't hurt you in the process." Maxwell teased.

Nadia smiled, unable to think of anything other than Maxwell Beaumont was most definitely flirting with her.

"Where are you going?" He asked, letting his arms remain around her waist.

"To my room." She motioned with her head toward the restaurant. "I just met a friend for dinner."

"Have you had dessert?" He asked.

She shook her head.

"Good. Then you will have it with me and my nearest and dearest." He took her hand and held on to it as they walked.

"I saw some of your paintings." He added as they entered the restaurant. "You're really talented."

"Really? You think so?" She asked.

"I do." He rubbed the back of his neck while grinning. "It took forever to find you online since I only know your first name and that you are from New York. There are a lot of artists named Nadia in that city."

She laughed and shook her head. "That might be the sweetest compliment anyone has given me." She tilted her head to the side, watching him flush at her smile. "I don't think I've ever had anyone go to so much trouble to see my work."

His bashful grin deepened. "Seemed only fair that I have a chance to fangirl over your talent too."

"Fangirl huh?" She placed her free hand on her hip, playfully scowling at him. "I believe I was a little more dignified when you splashed me." Her lips trembled with mirth. "I only squealed after you left."

He burst into laughter, causing many patrons to stop and look at the two. Seeing the many curious stares, he threw his arm around Nadia and guided her on to their table.

He paused during the introductions at the four uninvited guests.

Addison silently pleaded he wouldn't out them for pretending to be invited.

He smiled at her. "Okay, I know that's our awesome costume designer, Addison, and I'm assuming those are her friends--"

"Holly and Steve." Addison added.

His brow furrowed at who was sitting beside his best friend. It was not the actor he was working towards matching her with.

"Thomas." The director said when Nadia said hello.

Her eyes widened in recognition. "You're Rachel's brother."

His lips parted in surprise. "Nadia Park?"

She nodded, suddenly wishing the floor would open and swallow her whole.

He shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you. Rachel always speaks of you fondly."

Steve grimaced when both Holly and Addison elbowed him on either side of his ribs.

"You're the Nadia Rachel brought home for Thomas!" Ryan exclaimed, when her name struck him. He then noticed the death glares from his Hollywood friends. "Er, I mean, her former roommate from NYU."

Maxwell's arm slipped off her waist. He turned his head back and forth between Nadia and Thomas, hoping one would say it wasn't true.

Amanda did the same, feeling her heart sink. Knowing the polite thing to do would be to offer her seat to Nadia, she rose from the table.

"Please, sit here." She smiled apologetically at everyone. "If you'll forgive me, I will say goodnight." Her hand trembled as she rubbed her forehead. "Sudden headache."

"Amanda, wait--" Thomas rose as she quickly skirted around him.

"It was nice to see you again." She said softly, leaving his side before he could respond.

Ryan spoke up. "Let me know if we need to reschedule our dinner tomorrow night."

Thomas's head jerked around toward him.

Amanda ignored everyone staring at her in shock. "Thank you, Ryan, but I should be fine by then. I'll meet you there." With another strained smile, she turned on her heel and hurried off.

"Excuse me a moment." Thomas muttered. He tossed his napkin down and stalked after her.

Maxwell held Amanda's empty chair out for dejected Nadia before sitting down across from her.

An uncomfortable silence settled over the table. Eyes darted first at the director chasing down the duchess then back to the artist sending pleading looks to the man she had entered in with.

Unable to take another second of the strained atmosphere, Maxwell leaned forward and plucked up a discarded menu. He forced a smile at everyone else while avoiding direct eye contact with Nadia. "Any recommendations?"

*****************

"Come on." Amanda muttered as she waited on the elevator to come down.

She knew she shouldn't feel this way over a man she had known for only a handful of hours, but she wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed and not necessarily cry but at the very least be blue.

She was certain Thomas had been in the process of inviting her to see his new home when Maxwell arrived with Nadia.

And poor Maxwell! He had talked nearly nonstop about the lady he had nearly drowned. Now to see she was setup with another must have been a cruel blow.

If Nadia is as wonderful as Maxwell seems to think, then Thomas will fall in love with her too.

And I will go back to Cordonia and lead the life I was before I came here.

Alone. Utterly. Hopelessly. Alone.

"Amanda?"

Why?

She directed her silent question to the heavens before answering the man behind her. "Yes?"

Thomas cleared his throat. "My sister insisted I take her friend out to dinner."

"That's actually very sweet." Amanda mumbled. "She knows you both and probably realizes you'll be happy together."

"I don't think it will work out like she expects." He closely observed her reflection in the elevator doors to gauge her reaction to his words.

He wished she would turn around and talk to him.

Amanda bit her lip while doing the only other decent thing she could in such a situation. "You'll never know until you try." The doors opened and she nearly sagged with relief. Turning her head toward him, she nodded in parting. "Goodnight."

She walked inside and offered him a half-hearted smile. "I am happy I had a chance to see you again." She pressed the button for her floor and kept her eyes downcast.

He slipped inside right as the doors were shutting.

Her eyes widened. "What are you doing?"

He trapped her escape by placing his hands on the wall, one on either side of her shoulders.

"This dinner with Ryan," He began.

"Tomorrow night." She reminded him, needing to prove to the universe that she wasn't going to sit in her room and pine away for Thomas Hunt.

His eyes narrowed briefly at that not so subtle jab. "Is it a date?"

It sat on the tip of her tongue to say it was. Her pride practically screamed that she say yes, the actor took one look at me and fell head over heels in love. Ryan’s got it so bad for me. But...she knew deep down that Ryan honestly thought of it as a kind gesture and a way to learn more about the man he was portraying

"Maxwell set it up with the intention to be a date, but Ryan is under the misconception that it is for his part in The Royal Romance." She responded, disgusted with her inability to lie to this man in front of her.

Thomas leaned in closer. His eyes remained on hers. "And how do you want it to go?"

"I..." She swallowed and tried to think. "I intended to keep it platonic."

"Intended?" He wondered at her choice to use the past tense.

"Intend to." She corrected. "I intend to keep it platonic."

She folded her arms, eyes narrowing at his question. "I don't understand why you need clarification about what my dinners out with others are labeled as."

He lowered his eyes to her mouth once more. "If I were to invite you to dinner..."

The doors opened on her floor. She waited an extra three seconds for him to continue.

"If you were to invite me to dinner?" She prodded.

His eyes lifted to hers. "Would you want it to be a date?"

Thomas eased away from her, hoping she would answer him.

She bit down on her bottom lip and stepped out of the elevator.

Amanda paused and looked back at him. "Yes, I would."

His eyes widened at hearing her admittance just as the elevator doors shut.

****************

A few hours later...

"Maxwell! Wait!" Nadia nearly slid down in her heels as she chased him outside.

His shoulders stiffened. Unable to ignore her yelp at nearly falling into the pool, he stopped and waited on her to catch up.

She still jogged over; afraid he would end up taking off. "That blind date with Rachel's brother--"

"Thomas Hunt." He muttered.

He decided then and there to dislike the man. The guy didn't know how lucky he was.

"Yes, him." She gripped his arm while balancing to adjust the strap on her shoe. "The date was--"

"Former underwear model." Maxwell continued, counting off each job title on his fingers. "Actor. Director. Screenwriter. College pro--"

"It was set up before I met you!" Nadia burst out.

Maxwell shoved his hands in his pockets and scuffed his shoe against the concrete. "Yeah, well, it must be a pretty important dinner for you to fly across the country for it."

She placed her hands on her hips. "I came here because of you."

He snorted. "Sure, you did." His ocean blue eyes cut to her face. "My coming to Hollywood was never in the news."

"Perhaps not directly, but Thomas Hunt has been invited to a party Tommy Phelps is hosting for you. When Rachel told me that Thomas would take us both to it, so I could meet you, I jumped at the chance to get here." She let out an irritated huff. "The date was only agreed upon because it was Rachel asking me. I'm sure with how you describe your close relationship with Riley, Liam, and the others that you would have done the same if they had asked you."

Nadia almost did not think he would respond to her speech. Why she was explaining herself to this man she had obsessed over, she would never know.

"Now that you've met Thomas..." Maxwell said softly. "Do you still want, I mean, is there any spark for him?"

"Spark?" Her lips eased into a smile. "Like the kind you get when nearly knocked down at an elevator?"

His own dimples deepened. "Or partially drowned?"

She laughed and shook head. "I didn't feel any of that when I met Thomas."

Nadia covered her mouth with her next confession. "I was secretly hoping he wanted your friend."

"Amanda?" Maxwell shook his head. "She's meant for Ryan. They are perfect for each other."

Nadia took a step closer to him. "My point is that I wish it was you I was meeting for a romantic dinner for two."

*********************

An hour later at the Blvd lounge…

"What. A. Disaster. Thomas can't go out with Nadia! She's clearly crushing on Maxwell." Addison dropped her head on the bar. "Ryan and Amanda...how did I miss that blind date?!"

"Yeah." Holly hiccupped. "I keep hoping it is just as a friend."

Addison's brow furrowed at the hint of bitter sadness in her friend's tone.

"It really is a small world." Steve took a long sip of the fruity cocktail Holly had ordered for them. "Who knew that Thomas's Nadia would show up?"

"About that..." Holly squirmed in her seat. "That might be our fault."

"Our fault?" Addison sat up and leaned her head on her hand. "What do you mean?"

Holly focused on Steve. "I think Rachel Hunt might have been here with Nadia earlier."

"Why would you think that?" Addison asked.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Steve asked, leaning away from Holly.

"I think she likes you."

He snorted and shook his head. "Good one, Holly."

"I'm serious!" She narrowed her eyes on him. "I think they both came to not only see Maxwell and gang but also to see you." Holly persisted. "She overheard our time and place, then came to ask me how I knew you."

"Really?" His jaw dropped. "I- I don't know what to say." A goofy grin formed the longer he thought of the striking brunette coming out in the hopes of bumping into him.

"Do you--"

"Shh!" Addison waved her hands for the other two to stop talking.

"Addi- "

"Hush!"

"Okay, why are you--"

"Seriously, stop talking!" She ordered. "I'm about to be brilliant."

Steve and Holly closed their mouths and focused on her scrunched in deep thought face.

"Oh yes. This will work." Addison jumped up. "Come on. We have work to do."

#Thomas Hunt #choices the royal romance #choices red carpet diaries #maxwell beaumont #maxwell x nadia #thomas hunt x amanda #thomas hunt x oc #kiss prompts #choices perfect match #perfect match nadia #pm nadia park #rcd ryan summers #rcd addison #rcd holly chang

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bathtimejish · 4 years

Text

You're so Strong

Hi y’all! So, this is going to be my first written one-shot as one of my friends requested I write about it.

Warnings: anxiety, depression, mentions of self-harm, underage drinking, cursing, drugging, attempted rape, mentions of abuse, fluff

Word count: 2523

Pairings: OC (Riley Whittemore) x Dylan O’Brien (high school era, but hair like stiles :))

· This is based off SOME NOT ALL personal experiences, so I know what this is all like, and everyone experiences these things differently. Please give me constructive criticism, but if you have nothing nice to say, please don’t say it. And if you feel like you’re drowning in emotions, you can reach out to me, my messages are always open and I’m always down to help :) enjoy

Why am I even here? I hate parties.

That was the first thing that came to mind when Riley stepped into the packed house. Everywhere she looked there were people around, and many were doing things that you shouldn’t do in public, “figures, they don’t actually have to worry about what people think”. As Riley steps to the left, into the living room, she fiddles with the short skirt her friend Jorden forced her into, feeling extremely out of place and insecure.

“RILEY!!! Stop messing with your outfit! You look amazing and you should own it, maybe even get laid!” exclaims Jorden from where she stands behind Riley.

“Jorden, I don’t know about this, you know I hate crowds, why are we even here?”

“Oh, chill out girl! We don’t have to stay long, Sydney texted me that this party was a total rager and that we should check it out! Now, go mingle and have some fun for once!” Jorden tells her as she walks into the crowded room.

Well there goes that, I already know she’s going to be too drunk off her ass to drive me home later.

Riley slowly makes her way through the crowded room, people pushing into her from all directions and hands trying to grab her as she passes. She finally makes it into the kitchen where she can get something to drink to take her nerves away, so she blindly grabs a drink and downs it. Realizing what she grabbed definitely was someone else’s drink, she flees the room to avoid the wrath of whoever’s drink that was, and headed to go into the backyard, where many of the party goers are in the pool or dancing in the backyard.

As she steps further into the backyard, the drink suddenly starts to get to her.

Damn, what was that? I’ve never felt like this before from one drink.

She tries stumbling into the house to get to that bathroom to she can calm down for a bit when suddenly someone grabs her arm.

“You are coming with me, you’re not who it was supposed to be, but oh well”

Riley recognizes the boy who grabbed her, as he was on the lacrosse team at her high school. Although, she can’t seem to figure out what his name was.

“What are you doooing? Where are we going?” Riley slurs out, feeling woozier by the second.

“Don’t worry about it, it’s not like you can do anything about it” the boy responds as he drags her up the stairs and into a room of the house.

“No no no no please, I don’t want to do this right now” Riley pleads as he closed the door to the room he brought her into.

“You may not want to now but just relax, it will feel good I promise.” The boy says lowly as he stalks towards her shaking figure in the corner of the room. He suddenly reaches out and grabs her arm, pulling her into him and throws them both on the bed. He starts feeling her body and making her shirt ride up and pushing her skirt up while he tries to access her most intimate part.

“NO! NO PLEASE STOP!” Riley screams out while she starts to cry. They boy roughly grabs ger mouth forcing it shut and turns her head towards him.

“Make another sound and you will regret it” he threatens her, as his hand slowly starts to make its way into her underwear. She tries to get him to stop, but with how hard she’s crying, and the hand covering her mouth, she can’t even understand what she’s trying to say. She moves her legs to try and push him off of her, and succeeds slightly, making him fall backwards onto the floor with a loud thump, and she tries making a run for the door. He grabs her by the waist and takes her back to the bed as he mutters lowly, “you’re lucky you’re pretty, or else you’d be getting a punishment for that.”

As he tries reaching into her underwear again, the door suddenly slams open, light filling the room, and the boy, who she now recognizes as Josh, her abusive ex, gets pulled off of her.

“JOSH! What the fuck do you think you’re doing? You do realize that she didn’t want this?” her savior exclaims to Josh.

“Get the fuck out of here O’Brien, we were just getting started, and she would’ve loved it” Josh growls out towards “O’Brien” who is still standing in front of Riley protectively. He starts pushing Josh out the door as he lectures him, “WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING? She’s obviously not thinking straight and that’s just wrong that you think you can take advantage of that. Get out of here, because if you don’t, I’m telling coach what you just tried to do, and all your scholarships go away.”

Josh begrudgingly makes his way out of the room, while “O’Brien” turns around and slowly walks towards Riley, to crouch down in front of her.

“Hey Riley, it’s me Dylan, we were lab partners freshman year, do you remember me?” Dylan asks calmly and slowly, and in response, Riley slowly nods her head at him. “Okay, that’s good, are you okay? What did he do to you?”

Riley suddenly starts crying harder than she was before, and Dylan doesn’t waste any time before he wraps her in a hug. She flinches slightly because of what just happened, but before Dylan can pull back, she wraps her arms tightly around his middle and sobs into his shirt. She doesn’t know how long she sat there crying, while Dylan whispered comforting words into her ear, but eventually she calms down slightly and pulls away. Dylan slowly reaches his hand up to her face and wipes her tears away, when she finally says something to him.

“Thank you, I-I don’t know how this happened but I’m glad you helped me” she stutters out, still worked up.

“Hey, hey, it’s no problem, no one should have to deal with someone doing shit to them when they didn’t consent. Do you have a ride home I can bring you to?” Dylan asks comfortingly.

Riley slowly shakes her head no, as she remembers that Jorden is probably super wasted by now, “No, my ride here is probably wasted by now, I guess I can call an uber.”

Dylan stops her from getting up as he asks her softly, “I could take you home? Some ubers aren’t trustworthy and I want to make sure you get home safely.”

Wow, he cares? Riley just smiles at him and nods as he helps her get up and leads her to his car.

********************************************************

Dylan and Riley are almost back to her house when she starts panicking, remembering that she will be home alone. Her breathing starts picking up and she zones out while biting her nails. Dylan notices her actions a few minutes later and grabs her hand from her mouth while asking, “ Hey, what’s wrong?”

“I-I uh, I forgot I was home alone tonight”

“Are you scared something is going to happen to you?”

When Dylan said that, it was like the flood gates just opened. Riley started sobbing even harder than she was earlier and hyperventilating, and Dylan quickly squeezed her hand and pulled the car over. As soon as he put it in park he rushes out of his car to her side and opens the door to crouch in front of her, asking, “what’s going on? Are you having a panic attack?”

Riley, unable to answer just nods her head yes and Dylan quickly snaps into action. He grabs her hand and forces it over her heart, his free hand going to the side of her face to make her look at him. “Hey look at me, you’re okay, I’m here with you, I need you to breathe okay? Breathe with me alright?” Riley nods and tries what he’s telling her to do but she can’t seem to calm down enough. She grabs the hand on her face with her free hand and motions to his fingers, signaling that counting can help as well. So, he follows her instructions and quickly has her start counting, with her one hand still on his heart. As they reach the tenth finger, she’s a lot calmer than she was earlier, and she closes her eyes.

“Riley, hey look at me please.” She slowly opens her eyes to look at Dylan as he continues talking to her, “I want you to know you will be safe tonight. I won’t let anything happen to you, got it?” She slowly nods, so he continues again, “Do you want me to stay with you tonight? If you say yes, I’ll sleep on the couch I promise.”

“Please do Dylan.” Is all Riley responds with, and then Dylan gets her situated again and they continue driving for a few more minutes until they reach her house.

Riley slowly gets out of his car, Dylan following closely behind as she makes her way to the door to unlock it. They both head inside as she gets the door open and Riley tells him, “I’m gonna go up and take a shower to see if I can get hi-- what happened tonight off me, I shouldn’t be long, but follow me, you can wait for me in my room.” Dylan follows her as she makes her way up the stairs and straight down the hallway, and her door is the last door on the right. As she opens it, Dylan can’t help but be mesmerized, as it’s not what he expected at all. As she goes into her bathroom with everything she needs to shower, Dylan decides to take a look around.

As he is looking at her pictures scattered around her room, something on her thigh catches his attention. He grabs the picture in the frame to look at it and when he realizes what it is his heart breaks.

Meanwhile, Riley is in the shower scrubbing everywhere Josh touched so hard, her skin is becoming irritated. She started crying again, but not as much as before, and she doesn’t want Dylan to get concerned if he hears her. When she deems that she’s clean enough for tonight, she turns off the water and grabs her towels, drying off her body and wrapping the other in her hair. As soon as she’s dried off, she moisturizes and applies her face cream, and gets dressed in a pair of grey sweatpants and a black quarter-zip sweatshirt. She takes her hair out of the towel and fixes how its looking before stepping out of the bathroom to put her clothes in her hamper, which is in the corner of her lit up room, but she stops in her tracks as she spots Dylan sitting on the foot of her bed, holding a picture frame in his hand looking upset.

Dylan notices that she’s standing there but he can’t take his eyes off the faint lines poking out of her shorts in the picture. He knows exactly what they are, cutting scars. He shocks her when he suddenly speaks up, asking her, “How long?”

“’How long’ what?” She doesn’t get a verbal answer from him, he just holds out the picture and she knows immediately what he’s talking about.

Shit, he’s going to think I’m crazy. “uh, uhm, I-I uh it’s been a while” she stutters out.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Then what did you mean Dylan, because I am not a mind reader.”

“How long did you do it for? And why?”

Riley is taken aback by how hurt he sound asking those questions, but answers him nonetheless, “I used to do it for almost five years, but I’m three years clean, and uh, I started because of my father.”

Dylan quickly looks up at her, “Your father?” he almost sounds, angry?

Why is he so concerned about me? “My dad was extremely mentally abusive, and sometimes he got physical, so I uh, he really is what developed my depression, but I’ve had my anxiety and panic attacks since I was younger.”

Dylan doesn’t answer her verbally, but instead gets up and wraps her in a tight hug as she starts to cry again. She speaks up through her stuttered breaths, “I-I’m s-s-sorry” and Dylan just tells her softly, “Don’t apologize, you did what you had to do to get through that tough time, and while it hurts to find out about it, I’m so proud of you. You are so strong, and you keep pushing. But I want to ask you one thing please.” Feeling her nod against his chest he continues, “If you ever feel that low ever again, talk to me please, you mean way too much to me for you to be in pain.”

Lifting her head off his chest she quietly asks, “You care about me?”

Dylan chuckles, his chest rumbling as he answers her, “Riley, I have had a crush on you since we were lab partners freshman year, I just didn’t have the balls to ask you out, and then you dated that douche so…”

“really?” Riley squeaks out, and Dylan looks down at her with so much admiration and love in his eyes as he murmurs, “yes.” With that confirmation Riley shoots up onto her toes and kisses him. Riley and Dylan try to push as much love and passion into the kiss as they can, as their lips mold together. Eventually they had to break for air, and Dylan breaks the silence by chuckling as he asks, “I’m assuming that means you like me back.”

Riley doesn’t answer, instead she kisses him again, softly and slow. As they separate, she smiles at him and grabs his hand leading him to her bed, where she lays down, scooting so there is enough room for him to fit on the bed too. As soon as he takes off his shoes and socks and gets into the bed, Riley is cuddling him with her head on his chest and their legs tangles together as Dylan tries to get the comforter over them, eventually succeeding.

“Thank you”, she murmurs, “for everything, when everything got bad, I thought of you and it helped me get through it, because even freshman year, you were a ray of sunshine that I desperately needed.”

“Of course Riley, but I have one more question to ask before we fall asleep.”

“What is it?” she asks curiously.

“Will you be my girlfriend?”

She smiles and leans up to kiss him again murmuring a small “yes” against his lips before kissing him again. Soon neither of them can stop smiling, so they have to stop, and eventually they fall asleep, Riley’s head on his chest, one hand entangled in his chocolate brown hair, and their legs entwined together, and they fall asleep peacefully.

The last thing Riley thought that night was;

The night might’ve started out bad, but thank fuck I have Dylan, I don’t know where I would be without him. I’m so glad he’s here with me.

**************************************************

Well there ya have it! My first one shot completed, and this was hard to write. Let me know if you have any constructive criticism, because I am well aware this is bad haha

#dylan o'brien #imagine #Dylan O’Brien one-shot #fluff #young!dylan #mental heath #Dylan being a cutie

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mrsrhys23 · 4 years

Text

Masterlist

I wished you would write where MC tells Colt she pregnant for the first time >Part One, Part Two

I wished you write a fic were Jax ask MC to move in with him

I wish you’d write a fic where Drake and MC play Fuck, marry, kill out of Olivia, Madeline and Hana

I wish you’d write a fic where Liam is the sexiest CEO in the world and MC is his private secretary who cooks him breakfast early in the morning while he’s out working out and running

I wish you’d write a fic where Riley is queen but is having doubts about whether or not she can do it and Liam is all sweet and supportive

I wish you’d write a fic where Mc tells Jax she’s pregnant

I wish you’d write a fic where Riley is really worried about the costume ball. I feel like PB did do a great job there, I find it difficult to believe they would all just go back into the ballroom without a fuss after what happened in there at the Homecoming ball I’d also like it if Riley had been shot that night as well as Drake just to make it more scary for her to go back in there.

I wish you’d write a fic where Olivia and Mc are having an affair during the social season while they’re both fawning over Liam

“Eventually… you just move on”- Ellie x Colt and daughter > Part two

“Just come back alive okay?”- Ellie x her dad.

Can you do #19 in the sentence prompt for Liam x MC

I love the right decision 😀 could you do something with “I was trying to protect you” with Constantine and either Leo or Liam you choose. Thanks babe 💕💕💕

#23 (Liam x MC)

#15 (Bertrand attempts to babysit the heir)

SR #9- quarantine (Liam x Riley)

Morgan Stark #1: I love you, 3000 (Drake X Riley)

I wouldn’t change a single thing about you (Liam x MC)

I made a bet. I lost. It’s as simple as that. (Colt x MC)

Dance Monkey (M!Raleigh x MC)

Lets say, this is completely hypothetical of course, I need help hiding a body..? (Liam x MC)

Merry Christmas (Colt x MC)

Only you (Colt x MC)

Mine (Colt x MC)

Family time (Liam x MC)

The burden of the crown (Liam x MC)

If I had you (Ethan x MC)

Nightmares and cuddles (Liam x MC)

First heartbreak (Liam x MC)

Another hard day (Ethan x MC)

Ulterior Motives (Colt x MC)

In my blood (Ethan x MC)

Too late (Ethan x MC)

Cycle (Ethan x MC)

The Witch, The Wand and The Cave

Chapter One

I want to play a game...

Chapter One

Chapter Two

It lives (Drake x MC)

Things that lurk in the dark (Prologue)

Part one

Part two

Part three

The royal romance (reader insert)

Chapter one- Homecoming

One Shot

Countdown (Liam x MC)

Chapter one- Lay me down

Hello dad (Liam x MC)

Prologue

Chapter One

Holmes & brooks (Liam x MC)

Prologue

Chapter One

(Un) happy Christmas (Liam x MC)

Part One

My new life (Liam x MC)

Chapter One

Be alright (Colt x MC)

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter five

Snapshots 1/ 2

Day three- Make you feel my love (Drake x MC)

Day four- A lovers tiff (Jax x MC)

Day five- This (Chris x MC)

Day six- Where it all began (Colt x MC)

Day seven/ day two- Hello from the other side (Colt x MC)

Day eight- Me & You (Ethan x MC)

Day nine- New woman (Liam x MC)

Day ten/ day eleven- Happy birthday (Liam x MC)

Day eighteen- First dance (Colt x MC)

Day twenty one- Slipping through my fingers (Colt x MC)

Day one: Rain (Colt x MC)

Day Two: Sometimes the alcohol does the talking (Ethan x MC)

Day Three: Cadence Dorian Carpool Karaoke (M!Raleigh x MC)

Day Four: Accidents happen (Matt x MC)

Day Five: A new chapter (Chris x MC)

Day Six: Pretty Please (Colt x MC)

Day Seven: My little fairytale (Colt x MC)

Day eight: Never off Duty (Ethan x MC)

Day Nine: The Future (Colt x MC)

Day Ten: ‘Cause the drinks bring back all the memories

Day Eleven: My wish (Colt x Ellie/ Drake x Riley) (part one)

Day Twelve: My wish that came true (Colt x MC) (part two)

Day thirteen: Park (Colt x MC)

Day fourteen: Valentine (Colt x MC)

Day fifteen: Be alright (Colt x MC)

Day sixteen: Do you want to build a snowman? (Jax x MC)

Day seventeen: We all make mistakes (Ethan x MC)

Day eighteen: Pain (Ethan x MC)

Day nineteen: My girl (Liam x MC)

Day twenty: Desire (Colt x MC)

Day twenty-one: The right decision (Liam x MC)

Twenty- two: Invasion of privacy (Colt x MC)

Twenty-three: The pain never quite goes away (David Reyes x OC)

MARCH CHALLENGE

Day 10: Trust goes both ways (Ethan x MC)

Day twelve: Drowning your sorrows (Ethan x MC)

Day twenty-three: Brave (Ethan x MC)

#masterlist

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stopforamoment · 4 years

Text

It Will Be Okay

My masterlist is at the end of my bio.

Book: The Royal Romance (After Book Three) Pairing: Bastien Lykel x OC Rinda Parks Word Count: 933

Triggers for Grief after Death of a Spouse

Author’s Note: Obligatory disclaimer that Pixelberry Studios owns the TRR characters and my pocketbook with those darn diamond scenes. OFC with all of her quirks is all mine. My apologies if Tumblr or I do something stupid when I try to post this.

Drabble Summary: I’m re-purposing something I wrote previously. This would be shortly after Bastien and Rinda meet, during the beginning of the school year. It’s Jameson’s birthday, and she’s trying to keep it together for Henry.

It Will Be Okay

“Rinda! Henry! May I help you?”

Rinda turned around, and Bastien tried not to laugh. She insisted on taking only one trip to the car and her arms were full. Rinda’s work bag had slipped off her shoulder, and she was holding her arm at an awkward angle so the bag wouldn’t drag on the ground. Now some curls escaped her messy bun and she was scrunching her face, trying to blow the hair out of her eyes.

She was a Rinda disaster.

Henry’s hands were also full, and he was laughing at his mom. “See? I told you we should have taken two trips! Even Mr. Lykel thinks so.”

Rinda shook her head, laughing at herself. “You’re right, Henry. Yes, please. Can you help me? And thank you.”

Bastien was smiling as he put the strap of Rinda’s bag back on her shoulder and took the stack of boxes out of her hands. Rinda quickly began poking her curls back into her messy bun.

“What is all of this?” He began helping Henry load everything into the backseat.

“Just some lesson plan things I’m helping Laura with, paperwork stuff, and I’m finishing up our presentation for Queen Riley.”

Bastien’s eyes darkened. “Rinda, I’m supposed to help you with the paperwork and that presentation.”

“I know. I just wanted to leave early today, and I’m going to finish this at home.”

Bastien shook his head. School ended over an hour ago and Rinda thought she was leaving early.

“Don’t worry about all of that. I’ll help you tomorrow. Just enjoy your night.”

“No, it’s okay. I—I don’t think I’m prepared enough to even go through things with you, much less Queen Riley. I don’t mind. Really, I don’t. And I can work after Henry goes to sleep. And it’s part of my job. And you have enough going on. I know you’re needed at the palace this weekend with the ambassadors coming to visit, and I wanted to help you get ahead with your work too.”

Bastien noticed Rinda’s eyes had turned aquamarine and she was nervously flicking her left thumb against her wedding ring. And she’s rambling. “Rinda, what’s wrong?” She stared at him for a moment before quickly averting her eyes. Bastien stepped closer to her and lowered his voice. “Rinda? Please tell me.”

Rinda was shaking and it was obvious she was about to start crying. Henry set his boxes down so he could walk over to his mom and hold her hand. “Mr. Lykel? Today is my dad’s birthday. Mom is cooking his favorite meal for dinner and she made a birthday cake. We’re going to hang out tonight, but I think mom brought all that work in case she can’t sleep. She wasn’t able to sleep last night either.”

Bastien sucked in his breath. He had no idea. No one did. “Rinda?” Her eyes were closed and that stoic façade was quickly crumbling.

I need to help her. Rinda, please. Let me help you.

“Rinda. I’m taking you and Henry home. I’ll call Laura, and she can pick you up for work in the morning. Henry, can you help me move everything into the SUV? Rinda, please look at me. Is this okay? Please let me help you.”

Rinda opened her eyes and once again she saw it. There was so much patience and kindness in those solemn grey eyes, and she slowly nodded.

Bastien put an arm around Rinda as he led her to his vehicle and helped her into the passenger seat. She looked so defeated and it broke his heart, but when Henry climbed into the backseat she turned to squeeze his knee. “How are you doing, Bug? I’m sorry I’m falling apart on you.”

“It’s okay mom. We’re going to be okay.”

Rinda gave her son a sad smile. This is your life now, Rinda. This whole fucking nightmare? You’re awake and it’s real. And it’s never going to be okay, but you need to be stronger for him.

Rinda knew she desperately needed something to hang onto. Something to ground her and keep her from falling. But not Henry. I won’t lean on him. I’m the one who is supposed to be taking care of him. Not the other way around. I have to be brave for him. I WILL be brave for him.

Bastien was in the driver’s seat and he spoke softly to Rinda as he reached over to help with her seatbelt. “It’s okay, Rinda. I promise it’s going to be okay.” He looked in the rearview mirror. “Henry? I’ll get you home and I can stay to help, or I’ll leave if you want to be alone. Whatever you need, please tell me. Promise?”

Henry’s eyes met Bastien’s in the mirror and he saw the relief wash across Henry’s face. He’s so much like Drake, trying to protect his mom. But Rinda isn’t like Bianca. She’s stronger. So much stronger for her son.

As Bastien started driving Rinda reached over to him, but she didn’t touch him. Instead, she held onto the edge of his suitcoat. Bastien’s eyes were focused on the road, but his fingers caressed Rinda’s knuckles. The emerald in her engagement ring pressed into his skin when he took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Rinda’s eyes grew heavy as the mantra continued to swirl in her mind. It’s going to be okay because it has to be okay.

Bastien looked over when he heard Rinda’s steady breathing. She had fallen asleep, still clutching his suitcoat.

It will be okay, Rinda. I promise.

#rinda and bastien #bastien lykel #trr choices #OFC Rinda Parks

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harveywritings92 · 5 years

Text

Bad Wolf: Werewolf! Jason Todd x reader ch 2

The following is a non profit fan based story Batman, Red hood, Nightwing etc. belongs to DC Comics please support the official release.

I gain no profit from this nor do I own anything other then OCs and whatever sprouts from my imagination. Thanks for reading!

It had been a month since whole Red-hood thing the h/c hadn't seen hide nor hair of the vigilante since, Currently Y/n was sitting on her buildings roof looking through the job section of the paper, She grumbled to herself nibbling on the back of her pen as before scribbling down a number.

"How goes the job hunt, Love?" the Irish voice of Riley her uncle's old secretary before he died, one wouldn't notice by looking at him, but the brown haired Irishman was actually 64 years old! Yet, barely looked a day over 25, Vampires always youthful folk aren't they? something to be envious of...

"Not good so far..." The only up side about working at that hellhole was no one ever asked for a high-school diploma or a degree, it might as well have been an over paying call center. "think I should start going to actual school." She hummed frowning as she scratched out another option, The vampire snorted at hearing that.

"Oh? And who woulds the young lass be paying for said schooling?" The h/c sucked her teeth she hadn't thought of that! her rent for next month will be payed on fumes and her food was running low...She was in the dog house if she didn't find work soon!

Riley watched the cogs turn in Y/n's head she was bloody lost! there was only one way to help the e/c girl out of this rut and Y/n hated that idea, she tried so hard to put that life behind her. Helping Red Hood was the crucible that set the fragile house of cards she had built up ever so carefully crashing down on her and Riley knew this, Riley knows everything.

"Well, if you're really that strapped for cash...I might hav-"

"No..." Y/n did't even look up from her paper, Riley pouted.

"Aw, c'mon love a least hear me out, it pays 5,000 cash up front."

"...ah, Alright what's the job?"

The h/c sighed as the brown haired vamp smirked smugly as the girl got up from the ledge and followed him down the fire escape, not noticing the tall figure watching from the building across the road. "By the way did one of your neighbors get a dog?" Riley asked looking around her apartment confused as he sniffed the air. "No, this building doesn't allow pets." the vamp frowned looking very unnerved "...It's faint but, your place smells like wet dog."

The h/c was lost on that, as she got change into her 'work' clothes impressed they still fit. " That's probably Pretzel's tears you're smelling, his mommy was squeezing him pretty hard." She heard the vamp chuckle as she came out of the bedroom pulling on the white trench coat, "So, gimme the details what am I looking at?" A drive and drop Y/n sighed Riley wouldn't say who hired her, but they needed person A to destination B and it needed to be done tonight.

The h/c pulled the surgical mask on looked around the alley, before ducking behind a wall when a cop car drove by, her brows furrowed as she reached the garage to see the car was waiting.

She walked in and e/c was greeted by gun barrel to the face and nervous man behind the trigger. "Unless you got an invitation I suggest you turn around right now..." he growled as Y/n just wave him off, "Easy there, I'm your driver for tonight." the man swallowed lowered the gun and unlocked the car door.

"Please tell you got another set of wheels, this ones shot to hell!" He cautiously looked out the back window then ducked when a zeppelin searchlight shined in through the garage window. "Nope, your car. my rules. that was the deal." the man cussed under his breath as the h/c girl got in the driver seat.

"Now shut up and duck when I tell you." She ordered as the guy laid down in the backseat. it was a tense drive for Y/n she was held her breath as she turned down an alley and killed the engine, she watched as another cruiser passed by and quickly start up the the car.

and drove across the street into a underground parking Garage before emerging on the other side of the block and gunned towards the docks, when she pulled into the dark warehouse Y/n felt her stomach drop when she saw two of Black-mask's men waiting. The h/c was silent as the man in the back thanked her for dropping him off and said they should get a drink sometime.

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat as the guy got out. Y/n felt her heart her slam against her rib-cage as she watched the three talk, the drop off handed one of the men a USB drive, not noticing how the first guy nodded at his much taller friend. the h/c felt er breath hitch when the tall Black-mask thug pulled a knife out grabbed the guy behind while he was distracted with the other man and slit his throat.

She watched the drop offs body fall to the ground, and then the two men looked at her, the one who was given the USB pulled a gun out aiming at the e/c girl.

Y/n felt her heart sink, But the oddest thing happened... the guy aiming the gun at her must have gotten a call on his ear piece, he looked at his feet then lowered the gun and nodded at her leave.

The h/c didn't hesitate she backed up the car and got the fuck out of the docks after 15 minutes of driving she turned into a junk yard. and just sat down to breathe "What the fuck...?" She croaked still trying to understand what just happened, Why didn't they kill her? She just saw them ice someone!?

why the fuck did they let her go? after a few minutes of panicking and running through every possibility in her head. Y/n was lost and just accepted the fact that she did a good job and look the type to keep her mouth shut. (which she was.) But even that seemed too far fetch'd.

The h/c girl got out of the car walked up to the crane, Riley said his friend left the keys for her, she hummed finding them on the treads and got in the cab and started the demolition process, she picked up the car and dropped it in the crusher and watched the flattened heap of metal be rolled out into an incinerator. then she shut everything down and began her trek home.

Stupid especially at this time of night in a remote area, but anyone in Gotham knows that thieves and creatures no matter the variety usually stick to the alleys, bars or the Rose corner, [Monster district.]

if they did go this out far they were usually to bust someone out of Arkham or Black-gate and those were miles away from the scrap-yard, the likelihood of her running into escaped inmates or patients was still high, but when has that ever happened? Well, the universe decided Y/n was gonna be it's bitch today!

While she was walking on the shoulder of the road the h/c felt a chill go down her spine, she whipped her head around her eyes surveyed the darkness, silence ans stillness greeted Y/n was sure she heard something, and whatever it was.

is watching her... then she heard it the whistling in the trees, the h/c mouth felt dry there was no wind, whatever was hunting her was trying to fool her into thinking it was the wind making the noise.

The pattern was too interval and candid to be natural...And it was getting closer! She remembered her uncle had a safe bunker he used to spy on the prison and asylum, It was hidden in the woods she knew where ...if she can get to it, she'll be safe. Y/n slowly backed up towards the edge of the field careful with her movements, when her boots hit dirt instead asphalt she broke into a run.

The thing hunting her was hot on her trail, Y/n could hear it screeching behind her. she could hear it jumping from the trees at alarming speed something hit her shoulder, hard. causing Y/n to lurch forwards and roll several times before crashing painfully into a tree!

The h/c girl struggled to breathe as the wind was knocked out of her; she felt sharp rocks dug into her back and her head was spinning, pain bloomed in the back of her skull blurring her vision as the h/c looked to see what hit her.

She felt her stomach curdle when the emancipated body and freakishly elongated limbs of a Wendigo came into view, What the hell was it doing so close to Gotham?

Don't they usually avoid large cities!?...Y/n stood stock still as it looked around the clearing for her, It's common knowledge that Wendigos have motion blindness. She should be save if she stood still...

Then she realized it was getting closer to her, confused Y/n very slowly shrank back only to feel a sharp stabbing pain in her left shoulder and something wet and sticky flowed down her back. The e/c didn't need to check to know it was blood the wendigo could smell it.

and she was gonna die here eaten by cannibalistic monster, she looked up at the monster looming over her, it's bloody maw stretched almost as if it was smiling, before leaning into her face and screaming. Y/n grimaced from the smell of rot on it's breath. "I am soo gonna haunt Riley for this..." she thought waiting for the thing to kill her...Then she heard a twig snap.

It all happened fast one second the Wendigo was in her face the next, Something tore it away from Y/n and whatever that something was...was big, furry and mad...the h/c though it was wolf at first from the growls and snarls, but wolves aren't almost 8ft tall and stand on their hind legs...or wear Tactical pants!

Y/n watched the two monsters fight it out, the wendigo swiped it's claws at the new monster who managed to dodge and duck it's strikes in almost showboating manner.

The wendigo didn't like that, it didn't like that it was interrupted by this intruder or that it's prey was being kept from it, they screeched and lunged for Y/n only for the wolfman to snarl grab the wendigo's leg in his large hands and started swinging and slamming it's body into trees,rocks and the ground like it was a pillow. Y/n flinched hearing the monster's bones crack and thought she saw a few teeth fly out of it's mouth.

The wolfman started spin and threw the wendigo up against a tree finally letting go of it's very broken leg. it screeched up at black furred monster who in turned forced it's hands into it's screaming maw and started to pry it open wider...And wider, till finally the werewolf tore the Windego's jaw right off...he dropped the monster's body to the ground threw his head back and howled.

That the last thing Y/n saw before passing out, when she woke up the e/c was temporarily blinded bright light it took her a moment for her to realize it was the sun shining over the trees, The h/c blinked a few and looked around she was in a campsite laying on a foam pad, and noticed she had a familiar leather jacket draped over her, it's faded red bat symbol made it clear who it belonged to...

she looked around for it's owner and saw Jason a few feet away cleaning a gun and glaring down at his feet, she went to lift herself up but hissed in pain, his green eyes met hers and immediately Y/n could see anger, suspicion, relief and fear in the almost glowing orbs. he put the gun down and walked over to her crouched down.

"How are you feeling?"

"like I got run over by Semi..."

"Yeah I figured, stay down I didn't patch you up just to redo it all over again."

"Not to shabby Red..How badly was I hurt?"

Jason looked uncomfortable "You don't want to know." he huffed pushing her back down on to the mat, Y/n looked around started noticing the tiny details she missed, she saw a water bucket with a bloody cloths hanging out of it, her bloodied jacket was hanging off a wire along with her ruined shirt and muddy pants a few feet away,

she winced and looked under Jason's jacket she looked like a mummy in skull and crossbones panties. She heard Jason cough and looked up at him, as he glared at her tiredly "So..what I'd like to know is how the hell an office chick got mixed up with black mask?" Y/n arched a brow.

"I don't know Jay, how does random one off, turn out to be a werewolf?" She jeered the vigilante let out a sharp breath. "Answer my question..and I might tell you." he growled keeping his eyes trained on her.

"I don't know, a guy who used pick up jobs for my uncle, Hired me out to someone...never said who." She sighed glaring up at the sky thinking about how she was gonna get Riley back."But, of course you know this because you were following me."

the h/c watched his jaw set unsure if he should believe her or not, after all they let her leave that warehouse without a bullet between her eyes. "I don't know why they let me go either, if that what you're worried about..." Jason eye twitched she didn't smell nervous or agitated...She seemed to be telling truth, but that didn't put his suspicions at rest.

Black Mask spared Y/n and he was gonna find out why...He brought out by his thoughts by Y/n who looked up at him expectantly, He had some explaining to do...

Jason told her about how he used to be Robin, how the joker killed him and a group of assassins brought him back via a Lazarus pit, But not before injecting his body with lycanthropy venom to give him a little more bite to his bark, what they hadn't expected was for Jason to go feral and AWOL,

When he finally got back to his senses he traveled the world for while, learning different skills and deadly tactics he bided his time planning and eventually returned to Gotham after five years...to get revenge on Joker and Batman. In the end things didn't play out like he had pictured it... And now He patrols and keeps the gangs in check.

"That bullet I pulled out of you when we met, It was silver shouldn't that have killed you?" Jason snorted as that was the question a select few that knew about him always asked."That's just Hollywood bullshit, like just how crosses and sunlight doesn't do jack-shit to those damn leeches, anything could kill me."

He spat annoyed having to compare him to those snooty vamps, Y/n frowned judging by Jason's tone he must've had a bad run in vampires at some point. She gets that, Riley scared the hell out of her when she was younger [still does.], the way he was able to sneak up on her, the few times she's walked in on him with a Scarlet* who was nearly drained. And the blood-rages those were the worst...

She wondered if Jason was subjected to that too."We should probably get you to that place you were looking for last night.." Said man interrupted her thoughts "How did you." he cocked brow...right giant dog, he could smell a steak cooking forty miles away and tell her in it was over done or not. "It's faint..but, you still go there sometimes." He said helping her sit up being careful not to agitate the cuts on her back.

Jason helped readjusted his jacket on the y/h girl it was fricken huge on Y/n stopping above{passed} her knees the tips of his ears turned red as he watched the way it framed her breasts as she zip it up. He swallowed a got to cleaning the campsite while mentally berating himself.

*that was one time thing!...and even if it wasn't she too hurt for it.* he took a sharp breath dumping the bloody water in the bucket over the fire pit and tossed her bloody clothes into garbage bag and left them in the back of his jeep, Jason would occasionally shoot daggers at Y/n if she tried helping him. He let put her boots on after she was insistent that she wasn't gonna burst into flames for tying a shoelace!

Jason backed off and gave her space, Last night He actually hadn't planned on seeing Y/n, he was originally was headed out here to wait out his transformation, But he then had the sudden urge to check in on the h/c girl, he heard conversation on her roof, It irritated him to hell knowing that leech was able to manipulate her into a dangerous situation...But, the fact that she sounded used to it, left a bad taste in his mouth.

Jason made a note to start looking into Y/n's uncle, something wasn't adding up...He met the guy a few times as a kid. The old man kept never really mentioned having relatives, then again like anyone in the narrows he mainly kept to himself. The only person he ever really talked to was the same vampire Y/n talked to last night...

After helping Y/n into the jeep they made the trip to bunker in no time, it looked like a set of basement step dug into the side of rocks, It was nice set up steel walls, heavy doors and a military grade surveillance system, Now he really had check in on Y/n's uncle.

he was supposed to be a retired army doctor who gave cheap medical check-ups to the people living in the Narrows, But this says he had more then just medical training under his belt this bunker says vigilante or merc for hire...And if that's case then just who the hell is Y/n? was she really his niece?...or did he obtain her through other means?

"Jason?"

"Hm..."

"Are you alright? you look stressed."

"Yeah, just thinking..uh, would it be okay I stayed in this bunker...I for y'know" Y/n stared him down causing Jason to wonder if she saw through him, the h/c hummed handing him back his jacket "Yeah that's fine just don't break anything." the raven haired man relaxed then noticed her clothes or rather scrubs wouldn't be his first choice but, it was better then nothing.

He took his jacket back and put it back on ignoring the fuzzy feeling he got smelling the way her scent from it mingled with his, it made his beast want more from the h/c girl who obliviously felt nothing.

"...Probably fucking that Irish bastard anyways." Jason muttered not realizing he said it out loud till Y/n sneered in disgust at the mere thought. "Che..Yeah, He wishes." Jason's eyes widened and looked at her gobsmacked "Yes, you did say it out loud." she smirked the vigilante felt his face heat up. "And you'll be happy to know that you achieved something Riley been trying to do for years and will never get chance to."

she says winking at him, Jason couldn't help but feel a small bit of pride at hearing that...and without really thinking he smirked "I wouldn't mind doing it again, just to piss him off." he quipped Y/n face turned pink, and the raven haired man blanched "I..didn't mean..." the h/c waved him off "No, no it's fine I wouldn't mind...Just make sure we're both sober this time." She said seriously Jason coughed.

"I'll make sure on that, ...But, just to be clear this thing is just sex alright? I'm not really looking for a relationship." He said keeping his distance as h/c contemplated this. "Okay, deal and if we both find someone we go our separate ways..." She held her hand and Jason seem to be thinking it over too. "Deal." He said shaking her hand ignoring the way the tightness in his chest and the way his stomach flopped.

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Just the notes ma’am: [Scarlets or rather Scarlet harlots: Are women who purposely let Vamps drink from them in exchange for. Money, Drugs or Sex. They're basically prostitutes who cater to Vampires, It's not uncommon to find a Scarlet pregnant from one-night stands or dead from over drain.]

#Jason Todd fanfiction #red hood x reader #werewolf! Jason Todd #Batman vampire au #werewolf au #wendigo #I can't write fight scenes #dc comics #supernatural au #jason todd x reader #dc universe #batman #jason todd #Red hood #werewolf #werewolf x reader #interspecies romance

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writehardwhumpharder · 5 years

Text

OC drabble - Carson Migraine

I actually have a few drabbles written about these characters but I'll probably post them out of order.

He pinched the bridge of his nose until the bones under his face throbbed, then released it to feel a few seconds of relief. He was used to headaches and migraines of all variety. This one felt like all of them combined. Carson was almost certain that his brain was on fire but he couldn't let that distract him now. Not when there was work to be done.

Carson sat in a booth opposite Henry Morris, Riley's partner and superior. This wasn't the conversation he thought he'd be having right now. The warm smile Morris usually wore had turned ice cold. The lines in his face seemed deeper, giving him the hard look you'd expect a detective like him to have. Carson's mind started to wander, imagining Morris as one of those detectives in a mystery noir story, complete with saxophone undertones and lots of dramatic shadows. He'd wear some long black trench coat and a hat to hide his face as he walked down dark streets and alleys in the rain. His already deep voice would take on a husky tone as he slid up to the bar, ordering a whiskey, neat-

"Are you even listening to me, Mr. Hall?" Morris said, making an obvious effort not to raise his voice. Carson snapped out of his daydream and shuddered with concern for several reasons. One: Morris had called him by his last name. Two: This headache was making him way more delirious than when he initially left his apartment. And three: It was getting worse, if that was even possible.

They sat in a diner halfway between his place and the precinct. Morris had brought some ominous manilla folders with him but had the decency not to open them up until the coffee arrived at their table. Carson stared down at his mug, carefully avoiding Morris's gaze.

"Yeah I'm listening." He said flatly as he ran his hand over his forehead for the millionth time since they sat down. A photo was forcefully nudged in his direction. He didn't have to look at it long to notice it was a picture of him.

"Wow, who's this ugly prick?" Carson said jokingly. Morris didn't look amused.

"Care to explain what you were doing at the site of a murder without police supervision?"

At least Carson went to scope the place out after the police had taken all their samples. Morris knew he didn't murder anyone, but it still didn't look very good for him.

"I was looking for residual energies that might indicate who the killer was. You're welcome." Carson said. His headache was wearing down his patience along with his ability to filter himself.

Morris was seething. Before he could leap across the table and start strangling Carson the waitress approached them, visibly nervous.

"Um, can I get you two anything to eat?" She asked timidly. The girl couldn't have been older than sixteen.

"I'll get the #5 eggs and sausage." Morris said, suddenly sounding friendly and polite again. She turned to Carson who sighed before shaking his head.

"No thanks, I'll stick with coffee."

"Make that two #5's please." Morris added as the girl turned to leave. Then he looked pointedly at Carson, "You're too skinny."

He scowled at him.

"Yes, sir." She mumbled and walked back to the kitchen.

They were both silent for a second. Carson spun the little black stirring straw in his coffee idly. The thought of food repulsed him at the moment but he didn't argue.

"Where were we?" Carson asked innocently. Morris caught his gaze, staring daggers. Said daggers went on to pierce through his skull, settling behind his eyes. This headache was starting to get distracting.

"Trespassing on a crime scene is illegal. I'm a cop. And you're going to answer my questions, either here or in an interrogation room." Morris said coolly. This was the first time Carson had disrespected him outright and he wasn't having any of it. "I've been lenient with you before, Mr. Hall, but I have to draw the line somewhere."

Carson took a second to process that. The right thing to do would be apologize and kiss his ass but that wasn't really Carson's style.

"Is this going somewhere?" He said, every bit of boredom evident in his voice. He just didn't have the energy to defend himself when all he was doing was help the case. Literally, his life energy needed time to recuperate, especially after being forced to use it this frequently. Morris was silent until Carson finally dragged his eyes up to meet his. The older man slowly eased a pair of handcuffs onto the table between them.

"Which is it going to be?"

Carson eyed them cautiously, struggling a little to focus on them. The migraine was causing the light reflecting off the metal to strobe and shake.

"I forget, are the chairs at the station more comfortable than this god awful wooden bench? Who designed this anyway..." He said it with genuine curiosity, his mind wandering away again. He was still looking down at the bare wooden bench in disgust when Morris snapped, grabbing him by the hair and slamming his head down on the table twice. He could have done it a lot harder if he had wanted to. A few gasps arose throughout the diner. It had come out of nowhere, surprising everyone, including Carson. Morris made his point very clear, grabbing the cuffs from where they rested on the table, starting to stand.

Carson however stayed sitting down, staring straight ahead in shock. He slowly brought his hands up to rest on the sides of his head. The impact was little more than a tap but the motion was enough knock a screw loose in his head. The migraine he had before increased ten-fold, pressure exploding at his temples.

"What.. the hell." Said Carson. It took all his energy to choke out the words. Morris's lips were moving in response but a high pitched ringing in his ears made it nearly impossible to hear him. A full body shiver passed through him, starting at his head and traveling down through his feet. Fingers snapped in front of his face as Morris tried to get his attention. Carson didn't even look at him. It felt like his head was being split open. He moved one hand to touch his forehead with a wince. As he looked back down at the table he noticed a few red splotches on the paper mat in front of him. "What the hell..." he repeated, slurring this time.

Morris's hand found his shoulder, nudging it gently. Carson made a pathetic attempt to swat it away before bringing both hands up to his head again, digging his palms into his eyes.

"Jesus christ, I barely touched him." Morris defended himself to the staff, flashing his badge in the process. Carson made small pained noises as his entire upper body started trembling. If he was aware of the blood dripping from his nose he didn't seem to care enough to do anything about it. Morris swore, grabbing a napkin off a small stack to dab at his face. Carson gritted his teeth at the touch.

"Come on Carson, enough messing around." Said Morris, "what's wrong with you?" He asked more out of necessity than concern.

"What's... wrong... with me?" Carson forced the words out slowly with more effort than it should have taken, "what.. is wrong-" he winced, "with you?"

"Listen to me, kid, I meant what's wrong with your head?" He tried again with an impatient sigh.

"Not a kid. I'm 27." Carson mumbled. Even now he managed to be obnoxiously stubborn. Morris's face softened finally, seeing Carson was in pretty rough shape already.

"Let's just go to the station. You can clean up your face and I'll let you sit on the couch in my office and everything, come on." He grabbed Carson's arm, trying to coax him out of the booth. Or at least elicit some kind of response. Carson moaned in pain at the subtle movement to his head.

Somewhere in the back of his mind Carson knew that sitting absolutely still for the rest of the foreseeable future wasn't a realistic option. Laying down on the couch in his office did sound awfully nice. So did the pristine leather seats in his car.

"Okay, fine." Carson said quietly. He scooted out to the edge of the booth preparing to stand. That small action caused him almost enough pain to make him black out. Curling in on himself Carson laid his head down on the table, closing his eyes. "On second thought, just leave me here. I'm never moving out of this spot. Go on without me." Carson mumbled, slurring on a few words. Morris rolled his eyes at the melodrama and hoisted Carson up from the table to drag him to the station if need be. Despite being held up by the strong man Carson wobbled, his face growing intensely pale. Morris was afraid he was going to throw up or pass out. Carson had come to more or less the same conclusion.

People don't understand the cost of magic. If someone just let him get some god damn sleep he wouldn't be in this mess. The last time Carson felt this bad was when he performed several "miracles" with his healing abilities, in a span of three days. All in an attempt to pay for college. Which it did, all the way through graduate school. The strain it put on his body kept him in the hospital for a few days but he recovered.

Soul magic can use life energy the way you would use any other kind of energy. But that was unnatural. It took more effort and manipulation, like trying to swim up stream. Transfering it between living beings came easily. Using it to send a wave of force, move objects, or shield himself was immensely difficult. As long as he didn't take too much out of his own life force at one time he'd recover no problem, if he was given the chance.

Morris's car was parked right out front so once Carson was on his feet he started dragging him out the door, depositing him in the passenger seat of his honda civic as quickly as he could. Carson groaned, keeping one hand clutching at his head at all times.

"Fucking hell." He whined. His head was killing him. Morris turned on the AC and helped him recline his seat so he could lay down more. Carson wasn't looking forward to going to the police station. It seemed unfair to have to answer stupid questions while on the brink of death. Okay maybe not, but it sure felt like it. A few minutes later the car stopped and Carson looked up to see his own apartment building. Sitting up caused some more blood to pour out of his nose, getting on his grey shirt. Another diner napkin appeared under his nose and Carson took it, holding it there. Morris got out and walked around the car before opening the door for him. His hands felt weak but Carson managed to find his seatbelt and unbuckle it from his lap. Morris moved forward as if to help him up but Carson hissed, pinching his nose.

"Just.. give me a second."

It was more than a minute before the world stopped spinning enough for Carson to feel confident he could move. He braced one hand on the rim of the door in an effort to push himself up. Not wanting to waste any more time Morris grabbed his other arm to pulled him the rest of the way slowly. He kept one arm around his waist as they walked to the door. Carson staggered up the stairs, almost falling down a couple times. His head was pounding like crazy but he had plenty of experience trying to get into his apartment in a less than optimal state such as this one. He was known for being a bit of a lightweight. He gave the buzzer for his neighbor Daniel's apartment a quick tap four times, so he'd know it was him, instead of fishing around in his pocket for keys. The door clicked open immediately. Carson went to open it, moving a little too quickly. Pain erupted in his head again and Morris's grip on him tightened as his knees buckled momentarily.

"Alright, almost there."

Carson went back to holding his aching head with both hands and stopped trying to figure out what was going on all together. He did what any logical person would do and sank down to sit on the floor in the hallway. Someone next to him sighed and started searching his jacket pockets for house keys. Morris found it and opened the door on the first try. Carson looked up in dismay. It took him at least three tries to open that stupid door on a good day.

Morris's icy stare was long gone and his face seemed to be painted with genuine worry. For good reason too. Carson hummed to himself, keeping one hand on my aching skull while using the other one to inch forward on the floor. It was pathetic to watch really. Morris held the door open with his foot and grabbed Carson under the arms, dragging him to his feet. It felt like he was doing that a lot lately. Carson swayed and whimpered quietly, allowing himself to be guided into his apartment. The familiar dim lighting and smell of his citrus room freshener left Carson feeling tired. He was so close to his bed, he could just lay down, close his eyes...

His stomach clenched suddenly, the amount of pain in his head alone was enough to make him sick to his stomach. This type of thing happened on occasion. He spun and ducked into the bathroom to the left of the front door and slammed the door shut. Morris could hear muffled sounds of vomiting from the other side. To give him a little privacy he wandered through the large room that was Carson's entire apartment, turning his bedside lamp on and filling a glass with water.

Carson emerged from the bathroom looking especially pale and shaky. He stripped off his jacket and sweater on his way through his living room.

"Do me a favor and grab the pill bottle above the sink." Carson kicked off his boots and fell onto his bed eagerly. His head hurt just as much here as it did anywhere else, yet he was ten times more comfortable. Morris walked through the gap in the bookshelves to enter Carson's "bedroom" holding a glass of water, the pill bottle, and a box of crackers. He set it all on the nightstand.

"That's a pretty heavy duty painkiller you've got there." Morris commented with some suspicion.

"It's got my name on it doesn't it?" Carson asked dryly. It was a rhetorical question. He didn't hesitate to pop two in his mouth and swallow them down with the water. "You can go now." He added, closing his eyes.

"Drink that water and try to eat some of those crackers. I expect to see you at the station tomorrow. Don't think you're getting out of this."

"Make it Wednesday." Carson groaned. He needed sleep and he needed a lot of it. Morris growled quietly to himself and left, locking the door on his way out.

Carson pulled the curtains closed over the window above his bed. It was still midday and very sunny outside. He needed a dark, cold place to recover. It was finally getting cold enough outside that he could roll himself up in his duvet and not sweat to death. It took him a while to relax enough to actually fall asleep but once he did he sunk into a senseless oblivion.

#whump #drabble #OC drabble #Carson Hall #Henry Morris #migraine #pain #nosebleed #collapse #vomiting #headache #magic overuse

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