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be-missed · 10 months

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Not Strong Enough (Chap 6)

Jenna Ortega x Fem!Reader

(pictures not mine)

Summary: Jenna was visiting her mom in the hospital to drop off the food that will be eaten for the hospital party, but she met a resident surgeon and she thought "God forbid I ran into an accident, but I want her to open me and stitch me up." While the surgeon tries her best to keep her fan girling low-key.

Warning: curse words.

A/N: uhm, hi thanks for waiting, enjoy!

Words: 2.6K

Masterlist

Chap 1 | Chap 2 | Chap 3 | Chap 4 | Chap 5

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Chap 6

"What the fuck is happening?" Ava said as she enters the breakroom, Y/N is breathing with the help of a paper bag, Beatrice on her side guiding her how to properly breathe, and Camila in front of them with her phone out capturing every moment that Y/N is losing.

"You should've entered earlier Ava, Y/N was panicking because Y/N is going to have dinner with Jenna's family tonight" Camila exclaimed while checking all the photos that she have earlier of Y/N.

Y/N then crumpled the paper bag and throw it to Camila "You asshole, are you really my friend? You should be helping me!" while Camila just laughed and said "Beatrice is by your side, and helping you breathe is a one man job anyway" smirking to herself while Y/N answered "Okay, that's it, I don't give you the permission to talk to Jenna."

And as if on cue, the breakroom door then opened and Jenna entered.

"Who am I not talking to?" Jenna asked Y/N with a raised eyebrow and a smile. Y/N then started to look at Bea while Ava kicked Y/N under the table and whispered "Get your shit together."

"Hey" Y/N said while she waved to Jenna and invited her to seat in their table. The girl who just entered put a paper bag in the middle of the table, "Here are uhm, some cookies that I baked earlier, just a small treat for you all."

Ava started to open the bag and bring out the container with Beatrice helping her, Camila is still standing in front of them and said "So Jenna, as I promised you last time, I'm gonna show you my Wednesday Dance."

Jenna then looked at Y/N who was shaking her head and said "Please say no..." Jenna doesn't have the chance to answer when they heard the Bloody Mary Sped up Version in Camila's phone.

Camila stood up in front of them, tapping her foot with the beat. Beatrice was shaking her head and trying to not laugh, Ava was eating a cookie and enjoying the act, while Y/N landed her hand on Jenna's thigh and whispered "You don't have to do this" with a sad smile.

I'll dance, dance, dance,

With my hands, hands, hands

Camila started to dance, Jenna was nodding her head to the beat, Beatrice palmed her face, and Ava is clapping. Y/N's phone vibrated and got a message from their co-surgeon that all of the residents are needed in the surgery room.

Above my head, head, head like Jesus said

"Uhm, Bea & Ava, I think we are needed in the surgery room, we need to get going" Y/N said tapping the table to get the attention of the three of them, "Okay, show is over Camila, you can wait for us in here so that we can go home together" Beatrice said, while walking out with Ava.

Y/N looked at Jenna and said "Hey, will you be okay here? I'll be going back to you after, okay?" Jenna then nodded and replies "Duty calls, yes, I'll be waiting for you. I think me and Camila might bond for now."

With what she heard, Camila jumped up and down. But before Y/N reached the door, Jenna pulled Y/N and kissed her on her cheek and said "Work well."

Jenna then went back to the seat and Camila is side eyeing her, "What? You are creeping me out" Jenna said, "What was that for?" Camila asked the other girl with her eye brows raised, "Nothing, Y/N told me friends kiss each other's cheek so we just kinda did... for fun..." Jenna answered, not really telling the truth that she just wants to kiss Y/N, but Y/N did tell her about that so...

"Okay, friends... So did Y/N showed you her collection of her funko pops?" Camila asked Jenna, "Uhm no, actually I haven't been into her house" and that surprised Camila, "WHAT? She have all of the funkos of your character and what do you mean you haven't been to her house?"

"Funkos... of all of my characters?", Jenna thought, "Why would Y/N have funkos of my characters?" Jenna asked, "Well in the first place, she is like one of your biggest fan, she also went to some of your movie premiers but not lucky enough to get your autograph, and like she have a massive crush on you ever since, so like..." Camila ended with a shrug, Jenna was just listening to this new information that she is getting.

Camila then continued "Yeah, and we were like so surprised when you released a Nighttime Routine with Harper's Bazaar and Y/N was like, viewed that a hundred times and was like so dreamy about it. You know, I thought she knew that because like, you know, you are her friend so I thought you'll advise her with that, but I guess not since she fucking screamed at my ear when she refreshed her YouTube."

There is only one thing in Jenna's mind, "What the fuck?" and as for the Harper Bazaar's video, she saw Y/N all smiley while watching Melissa, so she contacted her agent if she can also do that video, and Jenna did that because she was just jealous on how Y/N is all smiley watching the video, before Jenna gets to ask Camila again, the three surgeon enters the breakroom.

Y/N went towards Jenna and asked "Do you wanna go home? Your mom said she'll be with your dad and you can come home with me..." and Jenna just nodded her head and said their good bye's to the other doctors.

Inside the car, Jenna is looking at Y/N and its creeping Y/N somehow, since she feels that Jenna is hiding something, "Why are you looking at me like that?" Y/N asked, "Nothing, I just learned something new today, and also, can I come to your house?" Jenna asked.

Y/N stepped on the break, "I'm sorry, uhm... Yeah sure, we can have dinner in my house next time" Jenna accepted the answer "That sounds fun, I can't wait" and smiled at Y/N.

---

Getting home, Y/N got acquainted with Jenna's family, seating at the sofa talking to Jenna's dad, going to the kitchen to help Jenna's mom, running around to chase Jenna's nieces and nephews, talks about social issues with Jenna's siblings.

Jenna pulled Y/N next to the stairs, away from everyone, "Are you good?" Y/N asked, "Yes, I just pulled you to the side to let you breathe, you're like a talking machine out there" Jenna answered with a smile, appreciating the effort that Y/N puts to get to know her family.

"Well, I mean your family is nice and they are fun so, I can't say that I'm getting tired, I actually enjoy it" Y/N says and leans her back to the wall waiting for Jenna to say something, but instead, Jenna just walked closer to her and smiled at Y/N.

Y/N feels a big hole inside her stomach is forming while Jenna just situated herself between Y/N's legs and rest both of her arms in Y/N's shoulder. "What are you doing?" Y/N swallowed and asked Jenna with a shake in her voice, "Nothing, just situating myself" Jenna answered and assisted Y/N's hand to rest in her hips.

Jenna rounded her arms tightly into Y/N's neck and played with the baby hair in her nape. Jenna stared intently to those beautiful eyes that she adored ever since Y/N greeted her in the hospital. Y/N's breathing becomes quick, with her proximity to Jenna.

"Hey relax, it's just me and you" Jenna said quietly and tries to help Y/N to slow down her breathing "Relax, it's just me and you, yeah?"

After a few seconds, Y/N relaxes her arms and tightens it hold around Jenna's waist that made them closer than they were. "I like this" Y/N said that made Jenna smile and said "Then probably you'll like this more."

Before Y/N gets to process what Jenna said, the other girl kissed her in the lips that surprised Y/N, she was like a stone for a second and Jenna felt that Y/N is not reciprocating the kiss, so she started to pull away, not until Y/N's arms tightened and kissed Jenna back.

Jenna's pushed Y/N's head towards her and tilts her head to make the kiss deeper and keep Y/N in her arms and her lips longer. Y/N bit Jenna's lip and pulled away slightly util their foreheads are touching.

"Dinner's ready, come to the table now!" Jenna's mom yelled from the kitchen.

Y/N and Jenna are just staring at each other with a lingering smile plastered in their faces.

A knock on the wall beside the stairs stopped them from their own bubble, "Girls, dinner is ready, come on."

The whole family started to sit in their places, while Y/N and Jenna got situated, Aliyah said "Y/N, i think your lipstick is smudged, here wipe it" and handed Y/N a tissue with a smirk in her lips, and the whole family looked at Y/N looking like a deer caught in headlights while Jenna reached for the tissue and wiped her own lipstick in Y/N's lips.

"Okay, let's dig in" Jenna's mother said to ease the situation.

The whole dinner was filled with chatters, laughter, and banters with each of them enjoying the food and the company of each other. To note, Jenna kept her left hand situated into Y/N's lap the whole dinner and eats with her right hand that made Y/N's heart beats so fast.

After the movie, everyone gets up and started to say their good nights and went to their room, as for Y/N, she started to walk towards the door and said her good bye's and thank you's to the family.

"Are you leaving?" Jenna asked while Y/N is holding her hand, "Sad to say, but yes, I need to sleep to" Y/N said with a sad smile "Can you like stay? Please" Jenna said and squeezed Y/N's hand "...please" Jenna added and she sounded so small.

Y/N answered "Sure, I would love to" and the two of them went up and straight to Jenna's room, "I don't have any clothes though" Y/N stated and Jenna answered "Don't worry you can wear mine."

The both of them got inside Jenna's room and Y/N's eyes roam, trying to embed every detail that she can see "Here, think my clothes can fit you?" Jenna said while handling Y/N her oversize clothes "Yeah, your clothes would totally fit me." Y/N replied with a smile and went inside the bathroom to shower and change.

After minutes, Y/N went out and saw Jenna was now under the covers using her phone, "So you're a right side of the bed sleeper?" Y/N asked that made Jenna look up, and wow oh wow, Y/N looks so cute in her clothes, and also the first time Jenna saw Y/N with house clothes. Y/N looks soft and small without her white coat and her formal clothes on, Jenna thought.

Y/N got situated beside Jenna. The two just looked at each other, wiggling their eyebrows at each other and smiling, "What?" Jenna said "Nothing" Y/N answered.

Jenna seated closer to Y/N and reached for Y/N's hand, "About earlier... I uhm. I'm not sorry for kissing you, just so you know. I have been wanting to do that ever since" Jenna said, "It's okay, I'm not sorry too" Y/N said, so what Jenna did is to lean in and kiss Y/N again, which Y/N gladly reciprocated, but before everything got out of hand, Jenna pulled away and remembered what Camila said to her earlier and plan to tease Y/N.

"So, what's your favorite show of mine?" Jenna asked with a smirk, "Huh?" Y/N played it off and tried to act like she doesn't know it "Camila told me earlier that you like my movies and you have a crush on me" Jenna added. If Y/N was not red earlier, well she is definitely now, heat creeping up her cheeks and pulling Jenna's blanket to cover her face.

"Come on don't be shy now, you just kissed me" Jenna stated as she situated herself on top of Y/N and started o tickle the other girl. Fits of laughter can be heard, "Okay, Okay stop please" Y/N said while giggling "I'll tell you my favorite show of yours" Y/N added.

Stopping her movements, Jenna helped Y/N to fix her hair, "Ok, so what's your favorite?" Jenna asked, "Iron Man 3, I really like how you sat the whole scene" Y/N stated, and Jenna slapped Y/N's arm and exclaimed "Be serious oh my god!" Y/N laughed and answered "It's The Fallout, honestly, I love Vada."

It surprised Jenna since the answer she got commonly are Scream or Wednesday, so she again asked Y/N "What makes you love Vada then?" Y/N shrugged and answered "Well first of all, she is a trauma survivor, and I loved how the movie showed a different perspective of how a teenager cope to such trauma" and Jenna did agree to Y/N, "But most of all, Vada is a girl kisser so..." Y/N added.

"You can't be really serious, yeah?" Jenna answered trying to get off of Y/N, but Y/N held Jenna's hip to stay in place "Stay on top of me, I'm starting to like your weight on top of me" Y/N said with a loving smile.

With that, Jenna situated herself and lay herself down on top of Y/N.

"On a serious note, I'm really just curious" Y/N started caressing Jenna's back "I don't know, I just need to be sure okay. Don't laugh at me please" Jenna lift herself up and look at Y/N "Please just say it."

"Do you like... like me or I don't know, I mean, do you like me as you know... do you like envision me as your girl friend or something, I mean not to jump into conclusions, but like you know, I just want to know like, are we dating? Or like a winter thing?" Y/N stuttered and Jenna just looked at her.

"I just brought you to our family dinner, yeah?" Jenna asked.

Y/N nods,

"I hold your hand and rubs your thigh at dinner?" Jenna asked.

Y/N nods,

"I kissed you, in the lips, hard, and deep before dinner, yes?" Jenna aksed.

Y/N nods,

"I invited you inside my room, let you wear my clothes, I lay on top of you, kisses you again, and listen to you talk, yes?" Jenna asked for the last time.

And Y/N nods for the last time.

Jenna sighs and sits, "Yes, I like you Y/N. I also want to be your girlfriend, and yes, we are dating, if you want to. I mean, if you don't want to dat-"

Before Jenna finished her sentence, Y/N kissed her and yelled "YES! Oh my god" Y/N is now doing her happy dance while Jenna just smiled at the girl "Okay let's get to sleep now."

Y/N lay down Jenna on top of her, "Good night" Y/N whispered and Jenna answered back "Good night and sweet dreams" and kissed Y/N's collar bones.

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Chapter 7

A/N: FINALLY I FINISHED THIS. Hope you enjoy! Open for Comments and Suggestions. To those people who leave comments on my work, I really appreciate you, thank you! Also added a word count just because I feel like this is my current longest story (really not sure, I just feel like it, lol).

What's your favourite show/movie of Jenna?

#jenna ortega #jenna ortega x fem!reader #jenna ortega x reader #jenna ortega x y/n #jenna ortega x you #fanfic #fiction #jenna ortega imagine

181 notes · View notes

mimisempai · 4 months

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I'll find you at the end of the road - Chap 7/8

Chapter summary - First date?

Has the long-awaited moment arrived?

On Ao3

Rating G - 2627 words

Chap 1 - Chap 2 - Chap 3 - Chap 4 - Chap 5 - Chap 6 - Chap 7 - Last chapter

Crowley's apartment - 2024

I WANT TO MEET YOU!

FOR REAL THIS TIME!

Crowley turned the drawing over and saw that Aziraphale had added a few words.

Answer me after 6 pm, I'll be waiting by the mailbox.

Crowley looked at the clock, it was 4:10.

He grabbed his notepad and pencil and headed for the lake house.

Arriving a few minutes after 6 p.m., he went to the mailbox, scribbled quickly in his notebook, tore out the page, and after placing it in the box, raised the small flag.

The flag lowered almost immediately, telling him that Aziraphale was there and marking the beginning of another conversation punctuated by its movement.

Lake House - 2022 - 6:07pm

Aziraphale paced around the mailbox, avoiding looking at his watch every minute, wondering if he'd scared Crowley off with his request for a meeting.

What if Crowley didn't want to see him?

What if the correspondence was enough for him?

The flag suddenly rose, startling him.

With a shaking hand, he grabbed the small piece of paper from the box, read Crowley's reply, and then grabbed his pen.

C:How?

A:Pick a place. I'll be there. I promise. How about tomorrow?

C:That's not tomorrow for you. You'll have to wait two years.

A: I don't care. I'll wait. Meet me tomorrow at the restaurant of your choice and I'll be there. I'll be two years older, but I'll be there.

C:What will you do all the time?

A: Thinking about you. Restoring a lot of things, reading a lot of books, praying I don't lose my hair....

C:Are you sure?

A: I've never been more sure of anything in my life. I've lost so much time already. I don't want to waste any more with you.

Crowley suddenly felt almost dizzy.

He realized that Aziraphale had had two years to prepare for this date, while Crowley had less than twenty-four hours. He took a deep breath before closing the mailbox.

C: See you tomorrow night.

A: See you in two years. Where do you want to go?

The Ritz - 2022

Aziraphale entered the restaurant and was immediately greeted by a smiling hostess.

He smiled back and said softly, "Good Evening, I'd like to make a reservation for two."

She flipped through the reservation booklet before saying in an apologetic tone, "Well, I'm sorry, I'm afraid it's extremely difficult to get a reservation this time of year. I mean, it depends on when you want to dine here."

Aziraphale replied with an amused smile, "Two years from tomorrow. September 15, 2024."

The hostess blinked several times, then closed the book before replying with a broad smile, "We should be able to accommodate you, sir."

Crowley's apartment - September 15, 2024 - Morning

Crowley prepared to leave for work. He looked at the outfit he had prepared for this evening. He couldn't remember a time when he hadn't been this excited for a date.

In fact, he couldn't remember ever being this excited.

Rainbow Academie - September 15, 2024 - 5 p.m.

As he was packing up after his last class of the day and looking forward to the evening ahead, he was jolted from his reverie by Eric's arrival in the classroom.

His friend exclaimed, "Thank God you're still here."

"Of course."

Eric continued sheepishly, "I'm sorry, I know it's not your week, but could you take the detention I'm supposed to supervise? Muriel called me because they're not doing so well. You know, ever since they lost their friend, it's been a little difficult for them, and today is a bad day, and I'd like to be there for them..."

Crowley looked at his watch and sighed before replying, "Yes, I can, but one hour, no more. I've got a date."

Eric hugged him and replied, "Thank you, thank you! I promise, it's just an hour, no more. But I want to hear all about this date tomorrow, okay?"

Crowley shook his head and chuckled, "Okay, okay, go meet Muriel! It's important to be with your loved ones when they need you."

Before he left, Eric threw over his shoulder, "I don't know who that is, but I've never seen you smile like that, Crowley, and it suits you! Bye!"

He was gone before Crowley had time to answer.

A little over an hour later, he was walking briskly to his apartment. He entered hurriedly, ran into the room and undressed, throwing his clothes everywhere.

Harry followed, curious, while Crowley muttered, "He waited two years. What's a few more minutes? Isn't it?"

He continued his preparations, but at a slower pace. He put on a dark red V-neck sweater, a shade he knew would bring out his eyes, or so the saleswoman had told him, and black pants that flattered his figure. He looked at himself in the mirror two or three times, checked his hairstyle, then shrugged and left the apartment.

A few minutes later he left the building and drove his Bentley to the restaurant.

The Ritz - 15 September 2024 - 7pm

Crowley paused before entering. He took several deep breaths to calm himself. He was ready, a little nervous but confident.

He opened the door with a firm hand.

He took off his coat and scanned the room with his eyes.

There weren't many tables, but before he could find Aziraphale, the hostess approached him.

"Good evening, sir, may I help you?"

Crowley cleared his throat, "Yes, I have a reservation. Anthony. Or Fell, I'm not sure which name it was made under."

The hostess checked her book and looked up with a big smile, "Oh yes! You're the..." she paused before pulling herself together, "Follow me, please."

Crowley was led to a table for two.

It was empty, which surprised him a bit.

The hostess turned to him and said, a little embarrassed, "I hope you'll forgive me, but I have to ask..."

"Yes?"

"This reservation is kind of... legendary. It's been here longer than some people of the staff. There's always been intense speculation about who made it and why, and whether you'd actually show up. Some team members even made bets..."

Crowley looked around and saw that waiters all over the room were giving him furtive glances. Chefs and kitchen helpers peered through the kitchen door. Crowley felt suddenly very embarrassed.

The hostess apologized immediately: "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have... I'll have the waiter take your drink order right away."

A short time later, a waiter returned and poured Crowley a glass of champagne.

"Compliments of the chef."

Crowley nodded his thanks.

Just before leaving, the waiter gave him a small smile: "Good luck."

Crowley began to sip the champagne, hoping to calm his growing nervousness.

Some time later, his glass was empty and he was still waiting, alone at the table. The waiter approached to refill his glass, but Crowley stopped him.

He was aware that the restaurant staff was watching him, whispering among themselves. Two hours passed, other customers lingering over dessert, coffee, intimate conversation at candlelit tables.

Crowley was still alone.

After a long moment, he pushed back his chair and stood. Everyone looked at him sadly.

He walked forward, expressionless, and picked up his coat, saying nothing to anyone before leaving under the sad gaze of the hostess who watched him go.

Crowley returned home alone. Behind the closed door of his apartment, his stoic facade began to crumble, and he could barely hold back the tears that welled up in his eyes.

He picked up a piece of paper and started to write, but in the end, he didn't have the heart.

Not now.

Lake House - September 16, 2022

The weather was gray and windy this morning as Aziraphale stood outside his mailbox and unfolded Crowley's note.

"YOU WEREN'T THERE."

The antiquarian shook his head, confused, and let some time pass before answering.

A: I'm so sorry. I just don't understand.

Something must have happened.

Look, I've got two years ahead of me. I'll try to make things right.

C: No, Aziraphale... You don't understand. It's too late for that. It's already happened.

I'm not upset. I mean, I was at first.

But now I just feel stupid... for forgetting how much a person's life can change in two years.

And for expecting yours not to.

For expecting you to wait, to stand still, to put your life on hold for me.

A: But I can do it. I can wait for you. I know I can. I won't forget.

C: Maybe you have. Maybe, wherever you are, you're busy and happy and living so fully in the present that the dinner you planned two years ago just... slipped out of your mind. Just as you forget impossible fantasies when they're over, when you move on to real life.

A: You mean I should get on with my real life?

C: I mean... I think we both should.

After seeing his words, Aziraphale hurried to reply, his hand trembling with emotion.

Please write me, answer me.

Aziraphale placed his letter in the mailbox and raised the flag.

The little flag stayed up.

An hour later, with the flag still up, Aziraphale opened the mailbox to find the note he'd put there.

Hours, then days, then weeks, then months passed as Aziraphale wrote and mailed letter after letter. Eventually, there was a pile of his letters in the box. They kept piling up, unanswered. Until the box was so full that Aziraphale couldn't put any more letters in it.

The Dirty Donkey - February 2025

It was late winter and everything outside was covered in snow.

Crowley sat at a table with Eric, Anathema, and Newt.

They met here at least once a week after work.

As Newt and Anathema bickered as usual, Eric leaned over to Crowley and, placing a hand on his arm, asked gently, "Are you okay?"

Crowley mustered a half-smile and answered honestly, for Eric was one of the few people who could read him, "I'm better."

"Still writing your mysterious pen pal?"

Crowley, his throat tightening, couldn't answer and shook his head.

Eric just said, without insisting, "Sorry, Crowley, if you need to talk, you know my phone number."

Crowley didn't answer.

Later, when he got home, he found a message on his answering machine.

"Hello Crowley. This is Furfur. I'm in town. I had to come in for a meeting."

Crowley started to press the button to erase the message when Furfur's voice continued, "A real meeting this time. I swear to you. Call me. If you feel like it."

The next evening, Crowley and Furfur sat in the pizzeria where they'd met a few months ago. Neither of them really felt well.

Furfur said quietly, "I didn't think you'd come."

Crowley replied wryly, "Nothing personal, but..."

Furfur interrupted, "You couldn't say no to a free meal."

"Exactly."

They both laughed, lightening the mood a bit.

Then Crowley asked, "So how did your 'meeting' go?"

Furfur looked slightly offended by Crowley's emphasis on the word "meeting" and replied, "I told you I didn't make it up, it really happened. They offered me a job, with a bigger firm. I'm going to be a legal advisor on wealth matters," he smiled proudly before continuing, "Call them if you don't believe me."

A little later they arrived at Crowley's residence, which was on the way to Furfur's hotel. They stopped at the door.

Furfur said softly, "I took this job because I wanted to. This has nothing to do with you. With us. This is not an ambush, Crowley."

Crowley nodded and replied quietly, "Well, that's great news. Congratulations, Furfur. I'm really happy for you."

Furfur smiled, "Thank you, and thank you for agreeing to meet me."

Crowley leaned over and gave him a quick good night kiss. Furfur looked surprised and pleased.

Crowley looked at him, it was comforting and familiar, almost tempting when he felt so lonely, but then his eyes slipped to the tree behind Furfur. Its leaves swayed in the night air. It was the tree that Aziraphale had planted.

Crowley looked at it for a few seconds, remembering the day it had appeared, the joy he had felt then, and in that moment he knew.

He closed his eyes and shook his head before saying sheepishly, "No, I'm sorry, Furfur, but I can't. I thought for a moment I could... but I can't."

Furfur nodded and said, "I know. Don't be sorry. I didn't expect anything. I didn't lie to you."

A little ashamed, Crowley apologized again, and after a tearful goodbye, he watched Furfur leave.

As he made his way back to his apartment, he muttered to himself, "I may not be able to meet Aziraphale, but I can't lie to myself either."

Lake house - 2023

It was so cold that the surface of the lake was frozen.

The mailbox was covered with snow. Aziraphale, who had been walking outside, reflexively looked into the it. Even after all this time.

It was empty, of course.

He closed it slowly, feeling sad as always, so sad.

Distracted, he first didn't notice Harry moving quickly away, towards the forest until he finally looked back and saw it.

"Harry! Come back!"

Harry took off running.

Aziraphale ran after him, but soon, in the density of the forest, he no longer saw the rabbit. Aziraphale ran straight ahead, still calling. He tripped over a stump and fell into the snow, got up and called again, looking around distraught.

Harry was really gone.

Aziraphale was about to run again when he suddenly stopped.

He'd just realized something.

Harry was about to find his new owner.

Aziraphale knew what to do.

A few days later, he was talking to Muriel in the living room.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Aziraphale replied wistfully, "Yes, I have to move on, I can't stay here. I... I can only think of him."

Muriel nodded, understanding, and added simply, "If you need help, you can count on me."

A few weeks later, Aziraphale tidied up the house with method and determination. He taped boxes together and tossed his belongings into them. He bagged the trash, swept and mopped.

As he tidied up, he found the pile of Crowley's letters. He looked at them for a moment, then wrapped them up and shoved them in the bottom of a cardboard box before carrying the box up to the attic and sealing it.

Real Estate Agency X - London - 2023

Aziraphale checked the address on the business card in his hand before entering and heading for the reception desk.

"Hello, I'd like to speak to Furfur, sorry, Ferdinand Stamper. I don't have an appointment, but tell him it's Aziraphale and it's urgent."

A few minutes later he saw Furfur arrive in the entrance hall and he beckoned him to follow him into an adjoining meeting room. He barely greeted him and didn't seem very happy to see him.

Aziraphale didn't wait and asked him directly, "Are you still interested in renting a house on the lake?"

He didn't wait for an answer and threw him a bunch of keys.

Furfur looked confused as Aziraphale continued, "This is what Crowley wants."

Furfur asked in an irritated tone, "How can you know that? How do you know what he wants? Besides, we're not even..."

Aziraphale shook his head, "I don't want to know, but believe me, this is what he wants."

He waited no longer and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Later, when Furfur opened his car, something in the distance caught his eye. A rabbit was walking slowly down the road, looking a little lost until it came right up to him.

Furfur recognized it.

It was Harry

_________

You want to curse me? But what if I told you that in five minutes... you'll have the rest of the story?

_________

Still not beta'd

Still not my native language

Still hoping you'll enjoy this story 🥰

Still thanking you for bearing with me 😝

Ineffable Husbands masterlist : here

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cheesybadgers · 8 months

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Narcos Fic: Old Habits Die Hard (Chap. 22)

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 23, Chapter 24

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Masterlist

Pairing: Javier Peña x Horacio Carrillo

Words: 6,985

Summary: As Horacio's and Javier's stay in Manizales comes to an end, Elena has some words of wisdom and an unexpected offer for their future.

Warnings: 18+ ONLY. Discussions of coming out, grief, parental loss, canon-typical violence, religious themes, brief non-explicit sexual references, smoking, swearing.

Notes: As promised, here's the second half of their Manizales adventures. I'm still wrestling with editing chapter 23 at the moment, plus life has been kind of busy/stressful lately, so not sure when it will be ready to post. But the finish line is definitely within touching distance now ❤️

Thank you once again to anyone still reading/commenting/making moodboards and playlists or drawing, I'm blown away when my fic inspires others to create. I'll be making a proper masterlist once the fic is finished, where I'll link to everything people have made or have suggested playlist songs etc., plus there'll be my own playlist and moodboards.

Feel free to drop me a comment, whether it's about the new chapter or an older one, I'm always happy to chat 😊

I’ve also added to my OHDH trivia post to cover this chapter if anyone is interested.

Chapter 22: Past, Present, Future

The early morning mist transformed into drizzle in the time it took Horacio to run around the farm boundaries, the spray cooling his clammy skin as he worked up a sweat. He left Javier to wake and shower at his own leisurely pace, a routine they had settled into since arriving here. Although two mornings ago, both Javier and Alejandra were suspiciously worse-for-wear, and Horacio didn’t see much of either of them until after lunch.

Today, they planned to join one of Fabián’s tours, which included a coffee-tasting session. So, even if the exercise hadn’t woken Horacio up, the caffeine certainly would.

The rain eased off once back at the finca, sunrays now straining to break through the low clouds as Horacio showered and dressed, somehow still beating Javier.

Tempting aromas from the kitchen let Horacio know his Mamá was already up and about after making the children breakfast before Alejandra dropped them off at school.

As he sat down at the kitchen table and poured himself a glass of orange juice – his usual coffee would wait for later – both cats, Caturra and Bourbon, took turns rubbing themselves against his legs.

“You and Alejandra loved that stray cat when you were young,” said Elena, who had appeared from the larder with her arms full of eggs, chorizo and arepas. “What was her name?”

“Estrella.”

“She was the next best thing to a jaguar, and you were desperate to see one back then.”

“I remember. Never did, though.”

“Not many get the privilege these days.”

“Can’t say I blame them for keeping out of sight.”

Horacio remembered his Abuela Margarita telling him stories of how the jaguar, snake and condor were the original creators of the world and how the jaguar was tricked by man into parting with its power of fire. The feline creature was forced to survive on its cunning and strength alone, prowling around the mountains and jungles of Colombia, waiting patiently to exact revenge.

For too long, Horacio had stalked, clawed and mauled his prey all over Medellín, seeking vengeance on those who betrayed his country and its people. He was an apex predator maintaining balance and order in the food chain, not out of choice but necessity. A reluctant warrior backed into a corner until a palpable sense of duty kicked in when the threat was too real to ignore.

But whatever the unseen truth was, jaguars gained a reputation as ferocious killers, feared by humans until they became the hunted rather than the hunter, gunned down and chased into hiding and a life of solitude. An act of cowardice by the jaguar on the face of it, but these days, Horacio liked to think of it as an evolutionary advantage, the opposite side of the fight-or-flight coin.

“It’s understandable, yes. But a life in the shadows has its drawbacks.”

“True. But there can be a certain kind of freedom in the dark. Especially when those with flares want you dead.”

“Not everyone offering light wants that, Mijo.”

Horacio, who had focused on the floor for most of the conversation, finally looked up, hazel eyes mirrored back at him with extra shades of wisdom. His dour expression softened, and his shoulders sagged in concession. “I know.”

“Whilst I’ve got you here…” Elena trailed off, disappearing upstairs before returning with a small wooden trinket box.

She sat down at the table and extracted a gold chain from the box. “He’d want you to have it.”

Horacio stared at the pendants that swung back and forth like a pendulum clock as Elena held them out towards him. His cheeks hollowed, and his lips formed a sharp pout from how tightly he held his jaw in place. “Mamá, I can’t. Not after everything. Not after I ran away.”

“What are you talking about?”

“After I was injured, I went into hiding...in Laredo, Texas. And I quit.” He grasped his hands together and bowed his head as though in prayer, but he wasn’t sure even God could help him now he had confessed his sins. “I’m sorry I kept it from you. And I know you’re probably wondering why I went –”

“Javier.”

Horacio froze, undecided if he was caught off guard by the mention of Javier’s name or how he could hear his Mamá’s smile as she said it, as though it was the most glaringly obvious response anyone could ever have given.

“It’s okay, Mijo. You don’t have to explain yourself. He told me about the ranch whilst you and Alejandra cleaned up on your first night here.”

“That’s how you knew?”

“Well, not only that. I might be older these days, but I’m not blind.”

Elena chuckled, but Horacio could tell it wasn’t at his expense. So, he allowed his jaw some leeway, unclenching his teeth and facial muscles, almost appreciating the ache left behind. A chain reaction surged through his body, tension unknowingly carried for decades ebbing away now the secret he once believed would follow him to his grave was not only out but wasn’t being held against him.

And so he threw caution to the wind and let the floodgates open. He told his Mamá about Madrid and working on the ranch, about their plans for the future, about life in Laredo and even the crucifix, just in case she had noticed its absence and assumed the worst.

Talk of the crucifix prompted Elena to take one of Horacio’s hands in hers, where she deposited her gift of gold before he could refuse. “Take it. Please.” Her hand formed a dome over Horacio’s, fingers gently squeezing.

Once Elena withdrew, Horacio unfurled his palm and stared down at his very own El Dorado. “After my injury, I’d dream about this sometimes. And the stories you and Abuelita Mirabel told us about Bochica. I wish it’d been as easy as striking a staff to stop Escobar.”

“Bochica might have saved his people from drowning, but he couldn’t save them from the conquistadors and their gold-digging.”

Horacio rolled his eyes and sighed. “I know you don’t approve of Madrid, Mamá. And I know I’m no Bolívar, but –”

“Mijo, what are you talking about? I know you had your reasons for Madrid – even the second time. That’s not what I meant. And no one’s asking you to be Bolívar.”

A salient monument dedicated to Simón Bolívar stood in the centre of Manizales. The statue was half-man, half-condor, each entity synonymous with the other as national symbols of freedom and sovereignty. It still stung for Horacio to be reminded he had worn the Colombian coat of arms on his uniform sleeve every day, the proud condor flying above the motto Libertad y Orden (Freedom and Order) with Dios y Patria (God and Country) sworn beneath. But unlike Bolívar and Bochica, Horacio was unable to liberate his people.

Instead, he had sought refuge in two countries that had interfered the most with Colombia's autonomy. He had made a home on the land of the former Empire and used the gringos to his advantage when it suited him, never mind allowing one of them into his heart and bed.

Elena pressed her hand tenderly to Horacio’s cheek, the conflict in his mind apparently written all over his face. It was an action he had been on the receiving end of throughout childhood, but one that still had the power to soothe him as though no time had passed since.

“You’re also forgetting Chibchacum’s role in Bochica’s story,” she continued. “He was the one punished to carry the world on his back for creating the flood in the first place. Bochica did the best he could in terrible circumstances, and that’s all anyone could ask for.”

Memories re-surfaced of Abuelita Mirabel sitting between Horacio and Alejandra on the sofa, a blanket spread across the three of them, where she told of how every time there was an earthquake in Colombia, it was the weight of the world shifting on Chibchacum’s back. Little did Horacio know that would become a feeling he was all too familiar with when he was older.

But his Mamá was right; he wasn’t Chibchacum or Bochica. And he certainly wasn't Bolívar. But neither was his Papá.

So, he took a deep breath and raised the chain to unclip the fastening. From there, he attached it behind his neck, letting the deity and the angel finally rest against his skin.

“Beautiful,” Elena said, her eyes suddenly glossy and the corner of her lips twitching.

“Thank you.” Horacio held his Mamá’s gaze until it was necessary to look away and clear his throat. “What else is in there, anyway?” He swiftly motioned towards the box.

Elena passed it over to Horacio so he could look for himself. Nestled inside were his Papá’s wedding ring and lapel pins, his Abuelo Ignacio’s St. Michael’s cross, rosary beads, an old pack of Deportivo Independiente Medellín trading cards, a postcard of an orange grove with handwriting Horacio recognised as his Mamá’s on the back, and a black and white photograph of a young boy draped in a police jacket that was far too big for him. Behind him stood his father in the rest of the uniform the jacket belonged to.

“Is that Papá and Abuelo Ignacio?”

Elena laughed. “Of course!” She got up again without explanation, re-appearing with a photo album this time.

She flicked through it until she found what she was looking for. “Where do you think we got the idea for this from?”

She was pointing at an almost identical picture. The two boys in the photos had the same thick dark hair and charcoal eyes, a resemblance that would carry through into adulthood – although Horacio built up more muscle than his father ever did.

Horacio smiled. “I remember that being taken. It was my first day at school.”

“It was his idea before you set off for school, and he set off for work. He made sure I was ready with the camera when you came downstairs in your uniform.”

“I never knew it was his idea.” The dejection was evident in Horacio’s voice, even if he tried to hide it.

“He might not have said it much, but he was so proud of you, you know. And so am I.”

Horacio swallowed hard with his eyes shut, anything to hold himself together. “I used to take this when you weren’t looking,” he managed to get out, gesturing towards the photo album. “Same with some of the other old albums we had. Well, I kept a couple of them, actually.” He chuckled at the thought of the albums currently residing on a shelf in Madrid. “I always went back to the photos and his uniform for some reason.”

“You didn’t have to hide it from me.”

“Neither did you with us.”

“I know. But you were both so young. You didn’t need that burden on top of everything else.”

“You could never be a burden, Mamá.”

“You and Alejandra were busy forging your careers. I had to stay strong at work, helping people worse off than me. So, I saved most of it for my prayers and Día de Todos los Santos.”

Horacio remembered attending Mass and his Papá’s grave every Día de Todos los Santos. But it was different to Día de Muertos. They weren’t welcoming his Papá home; they were praying for those in purgatory and heaven. And as much as he liked to think his Papá was a saint, there was always a part of him terrified that if he didn’t pray hard enough, his Papá would never be cleansed of his sins.

“I was in Laredo for Día de Muertos. Javier’s father – Chucho – had a box like this for Javier’s mother – Mariana. He used it to make an ofrenda for her.”

Another piece of the puzzle seemed to click into place for Elena in a look that combined realisation with sympathy. Another loss, another parallel, another explanation.

“A beautiful tradition,” she concluded.

“Yeah, it is. One that remembers the people we’ve lost as we knew them and welcomes them back home.”

“A bit like this, you mean?”

“Something like that.”

“Whilst we’re here…there’s something else I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.”

“Go on.”

“Money from the house sale in Medellín has been sitting in a bank account since I moved here, along with some left over from your Papá. The plan was to split it between you and Alejandra when I’m gone, but…why wait?”

“What? But Mamá, that’s your money.”

“Technically, half of it is your Papá’s. But he’s not here. And who better to put that money to good use than his children?”

“Even though I wouldn’t have children of my own to return the favour one day?”

It was a question that had lingered on the tip of Horacio’s tongue since arriving here. A question he had tried to ignore for a long time before that, if he was honest. He learned of Juliana’s first pregnancy from his Mamá, who had heard the news from a friend of a friend. That was all she said on the matter, but Horacio was never sure whether he imagined the traces of disappointment in her voice that it wasn’t his child.

“Horacio, do you really think that matters to me?”

There was no disappointment in Elena’s tone now, just incredulous confusion that made Horacio regret his words.

“Even if I wasn’t surrounded by my amorcitos every single day, I would want you and Alejandra to make your own choices. Live your own lives. If that doesn’t involve children for you, then so be it.”

Horacio nodded, his lungs expelling a freeing breath he hadn't been aware was trapped in the depths of his rib cage. “Have you spoken to Alejandra about the money?”

“Not yet. But I know the farm needs repairs, and they’ve always got plans for this place. Same as the ranch.”

“I don’t own the ranch, though, Mamá.”

“No. But from everything you’ve told me about Chucho, he obviously trusts you with his business. And I don’t imagine you and Javier will want to live in a guesthouse for the rest of your lives. Visas don’t come cheap, either.”

Of course, she was right on all three counts. Horacio had a lot of on-the-job training ahead of him. He would effectively be starting from scratch again. But Chucho had welcomed him with open arms into his home and livelihood. It wasn’t implausible that if Horacio had ideas for the ranch, Chucho would take them on board.

They hadn't discussed living arrangements yet, but Horacio was confident neither he nor Javier had envisaged the guesthouse as a permanent solution. And then there was the small matter of Horacio’s visa. The paperwork upon which their future in Laredo hinged. He tried not to think about all the different ways it could go wrong or what they would do if it did. But that was a problem for another day. A problem that would no doubt be made easier with extra money in tow.

So, he ignored the whispering ghosts of his ancestors because his Mamá was right; he wasn’t doing this for his Papá. And he certainly wasn’t doing it for the people of Colombia, past or present.

“Okay,” he said in the end. “But only if Alejandra agrees to it, too.”

The sound of a throat being cleared caught them off guard and drew a temporary line under the conversation.

“Morning,” Javier greeted as he hovered by the kitchen door. “Hope I’m not interrupting.” Of course, he knew he was and an apology with his eyes was all he could offer Horacio for the time being.

“Good morning, Javier. And on the contrary! How do you feel about calentado?”

Whatever Javier had been expecting Elena’s response to be, for some reason, it wasn’t that. He looked towards Horacio for the slightest hint about what he had walked in on.

Horacio wanted to explain everything – and later he would – but for now, he ushered Javier to sit down.

“Er, sounds perfect, thanks,” Javier told Elena as his foot found Horacio’s under the table.

And as the three of them chatted and helped prepare breakfast, Horacio had to admit Javier was right.

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The coffee tour took up the rest of the morning. It was no wonder Horacio had always been particular on the subject when he knew which were the best beans and blends to be found in Colombia. He still had occasional pangs for his former life, but the weak instant shit the gringos brought with them to Carlos Holguín wasn’t one of them.

Naturally, the heavens opened before the end of the tour – bad for the tourists but good for the soil – and by the time they had returned to the finca, another shower was required.

They showered together, the finca empty for a change. Plus, they had nothing to hide anymore – at least not with the people that mattered the most. That hadn’t quite sunk in for Horacio even after he told Javier everything. Even when his last defences buckled, and he broke down in Javier's arms, letting himself be held. Even when he was kissing Javier, slow and deep, in his family’s bathroom, their breaths heavy and desperate in such a confined space.

One thing could easily have led to another as Horacio pinned Javier against the cold tiles, bare skin seeking out bare skin, emotions running high. There was no doubt they wanted it to, and in almost any other circumstance, it would have.

“Not here,” Horacio whispered, his voice shaking and his forehead falling against Javier’s as he was hit by a sudden clarity of thought. “I’m sorry.”

Javier hushed lightly, cradling Horacio against his shoulder. “Hey, it’s okay.” He kissed across damp hair, running his fingers through thick strands that always became curlier when wet. “We don’t have to do anything.”

Light strokes soon morphed into lathered hands as Javier washed and rinsed Horacio’s hair, massaging the shampoo into his scalp and soothing away stubborn remnants of tension.

Although a niggling knot remained, an unspoken question and an uninitiated conversation. “When I was talking with my mother earlier…” Horacio began, closing his eyes and tilting his head back to let the hot jets cascade down his neck and shoulders.

Javier hummed in encouragement, his lips following the water droplets, enveloping Horacio in a blanket of warmth from all angles.

“She reassured me she wouldn’t be disappointed if I never had children.” Horacio let his words hang in the white noise of the shower, giving Javier time to adjust to the change of subject.

“Did you think she would be?”

“It crossed my mind. So much has been passed down through the Carrillo side of my family. From my Abuelo to my Papá. From my Papá to me.”

“Don’t know if you’ve noticed, but four of your nieces and nephews are around here somewhere.”

Horacio let out a light huff. “Like I could forget. But…they’re Alejandra’s, not mine.”

“I know. But I think you’re forgetting the real question here. Would you be disappointed?”

“Back when I was younger, when I was with Juliana, I might’ve said yes. More out of expectation than anything else. But with you…I think we ripped up and threw away the rule book a long time ago.”

“Thank fuck for that. We’ve never been very good at following rules anyway.”

It didn't take long for them both to laugh at such a flagrant understatement.

“So, you do feel the same then?” Horacio asked in earnest.

“I was less than an hour away from getting my very own white fucking picket fence. If I’d wanted it, I could’ve had it. But that wasn’t my idea of the American Dream.”

Horacio turned in Javier’s arms, and the last seed of doubt was finally plucked from his mind. His lips captured Javier’s again, a statement of intent for their future. A future they no longer had to hide from their families.

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Javier seated himself in the large wooden gazebo at the end of the garden, which doubled as a viewing platform over the steep valley below. For once, sunlight had won the battle against the mist, and the sky was a brilliant shade of blue. It made it possible to see for miles, giving the illusion of being high amongst the surrounding trees alongside the raucous birdlife living in their branches.

It was their penultimate morning in Manizales, upon which Javier had changed a habit of a lifetime by getting up with Horacio. They had penned in some sightseeing of the city later. But for now, Horacio had gone for his usual run, and Javier started the day with possibly the best coffee he had ever drunk.

“May I join you?”

Javier looked up from his cup and cleared his throat. “Oh, er, of course.”

As Elena sat down, the sun glinted off the silver jewellery bonded to Javier’s chest, making them squint at its reflection. He instinctively brought a hand to his neck in a fumbled effort to shove the crucifix beneath the open collar of his shirt.

“You don’t need to do that, you know.”

Fuck. He'd been busted.

However, Elena's voice contained no traces of judgment, and it quickly put Javier at ease. He lowered his hand to his knee, giving a brief bob of the head before taking another sip of coffee.

“I still wear these.” Elena raised her left hand, showing off a sparkling diamond ring above a plain gold band. “The amount of awkward questions about the whereabouts of my husband these have caused over the years. Yet I still can’t bring myself to take them off. Although…”

With her right hand, she took hold of the top ring and wiggled it off her finger, then did the same with the second ring, with more force required this time.

Javier wasn’t sure what was happening until the dappled morning light fell on the inside of the ring he held up to his face.

Suerte que encontré a mi media naranja

(Lucky that I found my soulmate)

“It’s beautiful.”

“Eduardo wasn’t a man of many words, but he had his moments.” Elena’s smile took on a wistful appearance as Javier passed the ring back.

“My Pops is the same with his wedding ring. He insists on wearing it every day, which isn’t really compatible with the day job.”

“I can imagine. I hear it became Horacio’s day job, too?”

“Yeah,” Javier said with an involuntary grin. “I know it might be hard to believe, and I know it’s not what he expected, but it suits him.” Literally as well figuratively, he managed to stop himself from blurting out.

“I can’t remember him ever saying he wanted to be anything other than a police officer. My parents ran a textile business, and Eduardo’s mother was a nurse. But Horacio followed his father, who followed his father like it was their birthright. I always worried about Eduardo, especially if he was running late or was called to an emergency. Then it was the same with Horacio, too. So much blood spilt on our doorsteps, on our streets, in our churches.”

Elena promptly picked up her cup, the balm of hot fruit tea required before she could continue.

“Whenever the phone rang – or I heard a knock at the door – I prepared for the worst. It happened to so many friends and neighbours. So why not my husband or son? Of course, it was Eduardo’s heart in the end. But once Search Bloc made Horacio a walking target, it was only a matter of time. I’d spent years expecting it, but what I hadn’t accounted for in all of my fretting, pacing, and prayers…was you.”

“Me?”

“He told me what you did. How much trouble you and your partner got in for it. How you got injured yourself. How…you saved my son and his men.”

“We couldn’t save them all,” was Javier’s sole response to the lashings of praise he still wasn’t convinced he truly deserved in light of how the ambush came about in the first place.

“You saved more than your superiors were willing to, by the sounds of it.”

Javier scoffed. “Well, I can’t argue with that.”

“Good. And as for the ranch…he’s always liked to keep busy. Just like his father, he could never sit still and relax for long. I can see it. I bet he looks the part.”

“He does, actually.” That was allowed, Javier told himself.

“I thought something had changed after his injury, even if he wouldn’t tell us much. I hoped he’d seen sense, but I knew he was prepared to die for that mission of his – that obsession. I’d almost accepted it, to be honest, especially without Eduardo around to stop him. So, when he told me he’d quit, you were the only reason that made sense.”

“Ever since my Mamá passed, I tried to change things – or control them, at least. Anything to not feel that…helpless again. But it didn’t work like that. Walking away was the only choice left.”

“But it was a choice you both made. That can’t have been easy. I may not have known you very long, but it’s already clear to me you’re good for each other.”

“Even though I’m a gringo?”

“We all have our flaws.” Not only did Elena catch the humour in Javier’s eyes, but she matched and surpassed it with her own. “But to answer your question properly…I would say the complicated histories of our homelands have more in common than meets the eye.”

Javier hummed as he had flashbacks to high school of learning about Laredo starting life as a Spanish colonial settlement before a bloody tug-of-war between Mexico and America – and independence from both – had broken out. There was no denying he had benefited from certain privileges of owning an American passport, and he’d always accepted the gringo label without much pushback. But deep down, he knew it was only half the story.

“You’ve shown each other new paths,” Elena continued. “Safer and happier ones. And that’s what counts.”

“Not quite sure what my new path is yet, to be honest. I’ve spent so long running away from Laredo. I’ve forgotten what it means to live there.”

“It took me a long time to accept my place was here now rather than Medellín. Whenever there was a bombing, or a shooting, or a kidnapping, I had to stop myself from getting on a plane. But Horacio worried I’d be a target because of him. He didn’t want me there. And what could I have done anyway?” Elena let out a self-deprecating huff at the mere thought.

“You wanted to protect your son.”

“Yes. But it wasn’t just that. Medellín was my home and my work. And many of Eduardo’s friends and colleagues were killed. Their wives were sisters to me after his death. But I couldn’t return the favour from down here. Not in the same way, at least. I sent cards, flowers, food parcels, even money sometimes. But it never felt enough.”

“It never does.”

“No. It doesn’t. But I did what I could. And being there for Alejandra and the kids made me feel useful. I got involved with the church again. Worked for a small charity. Even though we’ve been protected from the violence here, the repercussions of it spread far and wide. So many displaced families in need. At least I was making a difference somewhere.”

“I thought I was making a difference. And maybe sometimes I was. But I don’t think it was ever really my fight.”

“Perhaps not. But maybe it helped lead you to the right one.”

“Maybe.”

Javier’s mind drifted back to the family history his Pops told him over the phone in Madrid, not just about his Mamá but his grandparents too. Not to mention all his Pops had done for the local community over the years. He thought of the stories Señora Romero had shared and the kindness she had shown him and Horacio. They had all made a difference in their own ways. And they had done it without leaving their cities, let alone their countries.

As Elena excused herself to ensure Mateo and Sofía weren’t starting another civil war in the kitchen, Javier nursed his coffee cup and surveyed the meandering scenery below. For the first time since he told Stechner to go fuck himself, he could see the outline of a path emerging in front of him. He wasn’t exactly sure where it was leading yet, but at least it was something. Something closer to home.

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Their last day in Manizales came faster than Horacio had expected, presumably a side effect of waiting for the other shoe to drop any minute. Miraculously, it never did.

“Knock knock.”

Horacio looked up from the bed where he was wrestling with the zip of his suitcase – and currently losing. “Morning.” Another tug, but it wouldn’t shift. “You just gonna watch me?”

“Because you’re usually so good at accepting help.” With a dry smile and shake of the head, Alejandra came to the rescue with less heavy-handedness than her brother, unjamming the zip in seconds.

“I’m better than I was.”

“Can’t argue with that.”

“And thank you, by the way.” Horacio stood up, lifting the case from the bed and bringing himself face-to-face with his sister. “For everything.”

Alejandra nodded, maintaining eye contact with Horacio long enough to be distracted by the sunlight dancing across the gold chain around his neck. “It suits you.”

“Thanks. Better than it collecting dust in a box.”

“I don’t just mean the necklace.”

The subtle glow of Horacio's pupils mirrored Alejandra's before he stepped forward, pulling her into a tight embrace. “Take care of yourself, okay?” He leaned down and kissed her on the top of her head.

“You too. And don’t leave it so long next time.”

“We won’t. I promise.”

“If it helps, I can sweeten the deal with a stay at one of the hot springs around here. They’re always giving me freebies for supplying their coffee. One of them has private thermal pools and everything.”

“You don’t have to bribe me to visit.” However, the thought of it being him, Javier, and a jacuzzi was enough for him to re-think his position on taking bribes. “Plus, I wanna see what you do with the place.”

“So you can take inspiration?”

Horacio rolled his eyes. “You wish. If you think you can handle the Texan climate, you know where we’ll be.”

“Don’t worry, I can and I will.”

“We about ready?” Javier appeared in the doorway with the rest of their luggage, pausing at the threshold. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt.” Again.

“It’s okay; your boyfriend was just inviting us all to the ranch.”

It had only been an innocuous comment, but Alejandra managed to stop both men in their tracks with one word, a bashful look passing between them at the novelty of it.

“Oh, er, that’s great. The more the merrier.” Javier recovered just in time, although the flush in his cheeks showed no sign of abating. “My Pops always makes enough food for the population of Texas, so you’d be more than welcome.”

“Likewise here, Javier. As long as you bring more aguardiente next time.” She winked and drew him in for a hug.

“I think that can be arranged.” Javier broke away first so he could look at Alejandra properly. “And thank you…for everything this week.”

Alejandra gave a bob of the head once more, her smile widening as she glanced from Javier to Horacio, the depth of their gratitude beyond words but written all over their faces. “It’s what big sisters are for.”

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After eating enough breakfast to last them for most of their journey to Medellín – the rest supplemented by Elena’s homemade empanadas and cocadas – they were stood back on the front porch again.

There was a chorus of goodbyes this time, ones that didn’t have the foreboding air of finality about them as they had done in the past.

Horacio allowed his Mamá to clutch him with all her strength, the scent of her perfume transporting him straight back to childhood.

“You take care of each other, you hear? And keep me updated on your visa. You know where I am if you need anything.”

“Don’t worry, Mamá. I will.”

“Y no olvide su español.” (And don’t forget your Spanish)

“No lo haré, Mamá.” (I won’t, Mamá) Horacio barely managed to suppress a tone of amused exasperation, given that he had been surrounded by almost as many Spanish voices in Laredo as in Colombia.

“Javier, you heard all of that. So, don’t let him forget.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Javier received the same treatment as Horacio with a bracing hug.

“Don’t be a stranger, Mijo. And don’t fret about finding that path. Just remember to follow your heart.”

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

The light was fading fast, leaving behind a watercolour blend of ambers, yellows and reds that blazed against a backdrop of purple haze and the ethereal silhouette of ancient mountains. The glimmer of city life below felt distant, as though they had left this world altogether and now lived above the clouds.

Which was fine by them as they caught their breath; Horacio draped over Javier’s lap in the passenger’s seat, the culmination of their release glistening across their stomachs.

“Just like old times,” Horacio panted as trails of kisses became interspersed with heady laughter.

“Well, not exactly.” Javier’s thumb and forefinger delicately held the silver and gold pendants at their chests before untangling the chains that had become knotted during their tryst.

“No.” Horacio brought his forehead to meet Javier’s, an instant tonic to the painful twinge gripping their hearts as memories of their last visit to this spot resurfaced. “I told you we’d make up for lost time this past week, though.”

“Yeah, I figured you meant in the hotel. Or even back in Madrid. Not the minute you parked up in Medellín.”

“Like you were complaining.”

“Fuck, no, I wasn’t. Less likely to be overheard up here than in the hotel anyway.”

Once Horacio had regained enough feeling in his limbs to dismount and sit back in the driver’s seat, Javier reached for the glove box. He took out their emergency stash of cigarettes and lit up.

Horacio attempted to clean himself up as best he could and did the same for Javier. “So, this is why you brought those with us.” He nodded towards the cigarettes.

“Obviously.” Javier took a long drag and exhaled with a deep sigh, his body latching on quickly to the nicotine, his mind still blitzed.

They passed their shared smoke back and forth in comfortable silence, basking in their afterglows and the aftermath of the last few days.

“You still like it up here then?” Horacio asked after stubbing out the butt in the ashtray between them.

“Yeah, I do. Don’t think I’ve ever seen it looking so beautiful.”

“Me neither. Funny how the same view can look completely different in a new light.”

Javier hummed in agreement, their gaze now fixed on each other rather than the windshield, the irony not lost that they were back in the same spot where it could easily all have ended.

"I can think of a way to make it even better, though.”

“Go on.”

In a flurry of movement, Javier zipped up his jeans, pulled on his shirt and got out of the car. He rustled around in the trunk until he retrieved a couple of spare towels they had packed for emergencies, along with their jackets. It wasn’t quite the thick blanket from the ranch, but at least it was a mild night.

They sprawled out on the grass behind the car, lying atop the towels and wrapped in their jackets. Javier propped his head on a folded sweater with Horacio resting against his chest at an angle that allowed them both to take in the cityscape below.

“How about we just stay here forever?” Javier rasped between slow, sensual kisses.

Horacio moaned against Javier’s lips as he went back for more. “Don’t tempt me. At least we didn’t book an early flight tomorrow.”

“Good point.” Another string of kisses, each more addictive than the last.

“Although,” Horacio began once they had calmed down, his fingers tracing patterns across Javier’s torso, "we’ve got a lot to sort out once we’re back in Madrid.”

“I know. But at least we ripped off the band-aid.” One of Javier’s hands found Horacio’s and slotted their fingers together.

“I spent so much energy worrying about this trip; I was almost expecting something bad to happen.”

Javier raised their linked hands to his mouth and brushed his lips over Horacio’s knuckles. “But it didn’t.”

“No. In fact…I think I know what I want to do with the money.”

“Oh yeah?”

“If you and your father agree to it, that is. And I can find a good lawyer.”

Javier lifted his head slightly and turned in Horacio's direction, urging him to continue.

“I was thinking….what if we bought the corn farm? The three of us, I mean.”

“Are you fucking serious?”

“Yeah. I think I am.” Horacio couldn’t help but laugh now he’d said it out loud. “Like I said, I’d need to check everything with a lawyer about my visa first. But there is an option for investors. And you still have some of your money from the ranch, right?”

“Yeah, I do. And obviously, you can count me in. But…shit, Horacio. Are you sure? I mean, it’s your inheritance.”

“It's nothing Alejandra isn't doing with her share. And well, if your father bought it outright, an empty cottage would go to waste on our doorstep. Last I looked, it needed a bit of maintenance, but it wasn’t in bad shape.”

Now, it was Javier’s turn to laugh. “Got it all figured out, huh?”

“Something like that.”

“It’s funny, ‘cos, er...I’ve been thinking, too. About something your Mamá said.”

“About what?”

“About looking closer to home for a new path. And I think I might have found it.”

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

They only meant to stay until they got too cold, but their shared body heat let them doze until sunrise. The watercolour skyline re-emerged from behind the mountain tops, gradually bathing Medellín in a heavenly half-light, stirring them awake as it reached their hideaway.

The plan was to freshen up and have breakfast at the hotel before dropping off the hire car and heading to the airport after lunch. But there was something Horacio needed to do whilst the city wasn’t fully awake, whilst the low sun felt like a gift from God Himself.

As they pulled up a stone’s throw away from Horacio’s old family church – a few blocks down from his childhood home and former apartment that Trujillo had cleared after his hasty exit from Carlos Holguín – Javier hesitated, unsure if this was something Horacio needed to do alone.

“Come with me,” Horacio said after stepping out of the car as though he had read Javier’s mind. “Please.”

That was all the confirmation Javier needed to follow.

They walked silently along a well-kept pathway that forked off in multiple directions. It was maze-like and disorientating, but Horacio took purposeful strides despite how long it had been since his last visit.

He halted at a large marble slate engraved with a crucifix and the CNP emblem. There were some dried old flowers in a vase at the base of it, where Horacio knelt down and swapped them for the fresh bunch of marigolds he’d carried from the car.

“A gift from Mamá,” he whispered. “She’ll be back again soon.”

Horacio remained on the grass and brought his hands up to the back of his neck, where he unhooked the gold chain. He studied it between his fingers, then clasped it in his palm and bowed his head.

The cemetery was empty at this time in the morning, the loud rustling in the trees drowning out the murmur of traffic beginning to burst into life.

Javier watched wordlessly a few feet behind Horacio, almost beginning to feel like he was intruding.

“Pray with me.”

“Are you sure? What if someone –”

“I’m sure. No one’s here but us.”

Javier checked around them once, then twice, just in case. Even if someone did happen to come by, two men praying over a grave wasn’t exactly the most compromising position they could be found in. But it was better to be safe than sorry.

Once satisfied, Javier joined Horacio on the grass. They couldn’t get away with how they had done this in private, but Horacio dropped his right hand to the floor beside him, palm outstretched.

Javier took the hint and discreetly placed his left hand over the top, encasing the gold necklace between them.

With heads lowered and eyes closed, they prayed. An unspoken acknowledgement of all they had lost and how it had led them here. They honoured memories made, those that would never be, and those they could still make together despite everything.

Horacio’s eyes fluttered open as the sunlight fell on the headstone above him, forcing him to blink away a glassy sheen. His hand stayed connected with Javier’s on the earth, his present and future by his side, giving him strength to finally make peace with his past.

He rose to his feet and made the sign of the cross on his chest before running his fingers along the embossed letters of his father’s name. “Te quiero mucho, Papá.”

Javier gave as much time as was needed until risking a gentle squeeze of Horacio’s shoulder. “You ready?”

Horacio looked from the gravestone to Javier, the charcoal of his irises burning with the fire of conviction. “I’m ready.”

#Narcos fic #Narcos #Javier Peña #Horacio Carrillo #Carrillo #Javier Peña x Horacio Carrillo #Pedro Pascal #Maurice Compte #Narcos fanfic #Narcos fanfiction #Narcos fan fic #My Fan Fic #My Narcos Fic

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jamesunderwater · 5 months

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20 Qᴜᴇꜱᴛɪᴏɴꜱ ꜰᴏʀ ꜰɪᴄ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇʀꜱ

Thanks for tagging me!! @gracelesslady23 @annabtg @kay-elle-cee this was very sweet to get to do.

Ao3 Username: itsjamespotter

1. How many works do you have on A03?

31, wow! How wild, that feels like a lot.

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count?

162k!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Show and Tell (3k, wolfstar smut)

Dead To Me (91k, wip lily evans angst)

Tall Dark and Glasses (3k, jily fluff)

"you have no idea how long i've been wanting to do that" (1k, prongsfoot smut)

Bring Your Kid to Work Day(s never end when your godfather is Sirius Black) (2k, good godfather sirius black fluff)

5. Do you respond to comments?

I try to, or at least have the goal to, but admittedly I'm very bad at it. (not to use it as an excuse but my adhd is fully to blame.) I plan to go back and catch up on all of them soon & have a dream of being much better about it, though. I do intentionally make sure I eventually respond to the ones for my WIPs, at least.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

well, since dead to me hasn't ended yet (kidding kidding kidding kidding!!!) lmao I really thought I was gonna have a hard time finding a fic with an unhappy ending but I evidently forgot who I am. I dunno how to choose between: 1. i don't even know where you end and i begin (500 words, canon prongsfoot....you get it) 2. Promises to Keep (1k words, dorlene with canon ending....you get it)

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Okay listen, do I technically have a fic that mentions living happily ever after in the last line? Yes. Am I choosing that fic? No. I'm choosing Happy Holidays, You Filthy Potters, because 1. smut, 2. sassy young Harry, and best of all, 3. sassy good godfather sirius black 😉

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I've gotten a couple of comments about Lily in Dead To Me but I've decided it's not my problem if people don't have critical analysis skills 💀

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I do! I write smut for a number of different ships and plan on doing others! Uhhh, what kind? the fact that I don't really know what that means probably means it's pretty vanilla 😆 there's a lot of going down on people 🤐

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Haha, no, but if I did I'd probably do PJO/HP

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge. that would be so heartbreaking.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, but that's SO cool that people offer to do that for some fics!!!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I have!! @charmsandtealeaves and I co-wrote a fic for a jilychallenge last year, before we were even friends! It was my first time co-writing a fic, which was very cool and different, but also didn't feel that foreign to me -- I think because I've spent a lot more years doing para RP than I have writing fics. It was fun to kind of riff off another writer in a different way. I would definitely do it again!

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Okay, this is kind of tough because I only recently got into Prongsfoot, and they are the definition of soulmates... But because I ultimately see Sirius as more of an ace/aro character, Jily wins the place of favorite ship in my heart. <3

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Well, I really only have two WIPs posted on AO3: Dead To Me and Just This Once, and I have all of DTM outlined and plan to finish it by fall. Just This Once might be a while, but I also have a plan for it and would like to finish it at some point... But I guess there's a chance I won't finish it -- I do have a lot of other multi-chaps I am going to be starting soon.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Hm. I like to think I'm good at getting into the minds of my characters, really thinking through their motivations and emotions and then expressing those to the reader. I also think I'm fairly good at dialogue. I really like writing banter so I hope others think I'm good at it, haha. And based on what I've been told, my smut isn't half bad 😆

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Oh, definitely writing descriptions of any kind. I never remember to describe the scene and when I do, I think it feels clunky. I'm not great at writing in a more direct way, either; I struggle to express a character's emotions without getting a bit flowery with it. Just generally, I think my writing could be tighter, you know? I'm sure I'll realize other things I need to work on as I write more long fics, too.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Ah, haven't done it yet, so don't have any thoughts to share.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

HP -- Jily on the Neopets forums... never 4get <3

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

If we're talking finished works, I'd have to say Tall Dark and Glasses, which I wrote for the masquerade event for Jilytober last year. To me, that fic has a certain je ne sais quois that is hard to replicate. But unfinished? Dead To Me, hands down, and once it's finished it will be very hard to ever top it. It's imperfect and there are a lot of edits I'd make if I were to go back through and polish it up, but it's the first multi chap fic I've ever written, and beyond just feeling immensely proud of that, the story itself and how I'm writing it is one of the most heartfelt and meaningful things I'll ever write in my life.

these were such a pleasure to respond to, thanks again for the tags! <3 I'm tagging: @goldenbi @abihastastybeans & @nodirectionhome-ao3

#hp #me #my writing #jily #wolfstar #prongsfoot

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ladysomething · 7 months

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I love everything that you’ve written for F1 so far (you are just the most incredible writer, I could read all of the fics you’ve written a million times and never get bored) but you’ve truly outdone yourself with Where You Go, I Go!!!! I literally read chapter 2 like 4 times last week and I’ve just been counting down the days until I could read chapter 3 (but I pinky promise I do not mean that in a “write faster” kind of way, I mean it in a “I was excited that I audibly squealed when I saw you posted today” kind of way). And ABO is something that I hardly ever read. But you just do it SO well. I LOVE the world you’ve built. And this fic is just SO incredible. I wasn’t sure how you could top the first two chapters, but eek CHAPTER THREE. The way that Charles going into pre-heat prevented any questions about Max and his intentions from getting answered (the tension is buildingggg) and Pierre showing up and Charles getting claimed, oh my god every scene was incredible and I am SO EXCITED to find out where this is going, because I genuinely don’t know what to expect!!! Thank you so, so much for sharing this fic with us!!!

I am a different anon than before, but I was very interested in reading your response about if you found writing long fic to be daunting. Like prev anon, I am a numbers girl, so learning a little about your writing process/philosophy was super interesting!! I have another question if you don’t mind me asking- how do you decide on your posting schedule?! Although I would literally read this whole fic in one sitting, I do love the 1+ weeks between updates because I love getting excited for a new chapter and looking forward to it, but you said in the ask that you were already writing ch6, so I’m curious what made you pick the schedule you did!!

thanks again for sharing this fic with us, we are truly all so lucky to read it!!

ahhh!!!

well firstly I can't take the entire credit for this fic. @saiyanwitcher reached out to me after I wrote Give Me That Fire and offered to beta for me. As we were getting to know each other, she asked if I'd ever consider writing an Omegaverse fic, and I said yes, and here we are. But if there is any reason why this fic is better than the others, it's all because of her! She has spent so many hours brainstorming with me, proofreading, and pulling me back from the edge when I said "I want to do THIS" and she said "girl what" (she didn't really, everything I propose she says "alright, lets figure out how we can make that work").

I'm so delighted to hear you loved chapter 3! this whole fic is sooo different to anything I've ever written, but I LOVE exploring new themes and topics and ideas in fic - you'll never really catch me doing the same thing twice. pushing boundaries is what I love about fic, but it doesn't always pay off, so I'm SO happy to hear that people are loving this fic as much as they are.

as for your question ... which, firstly, like most artists I am extremely self involved, so talking about myself is like my fave thing to do lmao. I will answer literally ANY question you could ask.

but, posting schedule. after many years of trial and error while posting long fics, the thing I've found that works for me is that I need to have a fairly sizeable amount of the story in the can before I start posting. I usually like 5-6 chapters, but, more importantly, I want to know that I have the feel of the story before I start to post, because once I post I can't go back and change things. at about that 5-6 chapter mark, I know that I'm deep enough into a story that the plot is right, the characters are right, and the tone I'm using is right, and then I feel comfortable starting to release it out into the world.

from there, I post a chapter only when I finish a chapter. so I finished chap 6 on Tuesday, and then I worked on chap 3 on Wednesday, gave it to @saiyanwitcher to beta on Wednesday evening, and then by this morning she'd done a final check and I was okay to post.

my own personal goal is to write one chapter a week, with Wednesday being the day I'm always aiming towards. so this week I was actually a little later than my "schedule" because ch 6 was giving me a headache and it took longer to write than I wanted.

at this point, I know roughly how long it takes me to write one chapter for this story (a week), but I also know some of these chapters are harder to write than others so I HAVE to give myself some extra leeway (hence the maximum of 2 weeks).

I hope that kind of explained my thought process and as I said, I'm so happy to answer any questions!

#where you go i go #anon ask #lestappen fic

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slytherinbangchan · 1 year

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Inked Dreams (NCT Dream Tattoo Artist!Au) (M)

Chap 4 out of 6 -> Second arc: Tattoo apprentice Park Jisung x tattoo artist female reader.

>>Inked Dream's Chap 1 here

Summary: A NCT Dream Tattooist!Au where the Dreamies are college's heartthrobs and most likely will steal your heart whenever you less expect it.

Cute, "shy" but very hot, flirty Jisung. A deadly combo, I promise.

This chap is steamy

Inked Dreams Masterlist~ Blog's Masterlist~

[2nd Arc: Seven Days. ("A Week" 없어.)🐹 Chap 3.]

Your phone buzzes startling you out of your sleep, and you automatically hit the snooze button on the screen before checking the time and huffing about it. Ah really... Waking up shouldn't be this annoying, even your head hurts, but guess going out for drinks on a Monday night wasn't the brighest idea either.

It's okay though, you forget about your headache as soon as you see Jisung sleeping next to you. He's not facing you right now but your heart can't help but flutter anyway.

His phone suddenly starts buzzing too, but you just wait for him to wake up and turn it off cause, judging from how the bed is vibrating right now, you'd say he fell asleep over it. “Jisung-ah~” You call him then chuckle as you try to make him roll over. “Oh god, you're heavy.” You say and he finally opens his eyes slightly, looking at you for a second before reaching for his phone under the covers to turn the alarm off. “Morning.” You say as he stretches and he looks at you again. His eyes still half closed cause of the light. He looks so puffy and soft right now. You tilt your head at him since he's not saying anything and he just points at his mouth with his index finger, making you chuckle. You lean over him anyway, and he smiles before you meet his lips. “Morning.” He finally says in a very husky voice before pecking your lips again.

Seonhui is already awake too but trying very hard not to fall asleep over her breakfast when you get to the living room. Jisung laughs as soon as he sees her and sits by her side to poke her cheeks. She scoffs and tries to push him away but she just doesn't have the energy today. It all feels kinda like a dream. Guess you need more sleep. “Are you going to class?” Jisung asks and Seonhui sighs. “Yeah, Sarang is driving me when she comes out the shower. You can come with us.” She says and Jisung nods. “Well, I should go too. Can you tell Sarang I said thanks? I'll thank her properly next time I see her.” You tell them and they nod. “See you later then?” You ask. “Of course. Don't make us work a lot today though unnie.” Seonhui pouts and you chuckle. “I'll be nice.” You tell her then look at Jisung who is tilting his head and poking his cheek. You scoff as you smile but walk towards him to peck his cheek. “Ugh, unnie... You really chose this idiot over Renjun oppa?” Seonhui asks, making you laugh and Jisung playfully pushes her. “I'm just saying... She's too hot for you, honestly.” She continues. Jisung clicks his tongue and you scoff. “I don't know... I think Jisungie is pretty hot too.” You say, guiding his chin with your finger to peck his lips and Seonhui rolls her eyes, making you chuckle again. “Anyway, see you later, yeah?” You ask Jisung and he nods. “Mhm~” He says before you peck his lips one last time.

~~~~

“Oh? What are you doing here so early?” You ask Renjun as you enter the shop. “Noona~ I'm leaving in a minute. I was just showing my friends around. Haechannie is going to use my station to tattoo his girlfriend.” He explains pointing at them. “Oh, nice. Can't wait to see how it comes out.” You tell them, then your eyes move to the third person standing next to the couple. “Hey, are you a tattoo artist too? I feel like I've seen you before.” You say and he nods as he smiles. “Yeah and yes, we've probably met before. I'm Chenle.” He says, shaking your hand lightly. “Oh! You're Chenle! I've heard a lot about you these days.” You chuckle and he does too. “Yeah, I've been hearing about sunbae too for a while.” He says and your heart flutters for a moment. Has Jisung been talking about you? It could have been Renjun too though, even Jaemin. “Yeah, Jisung really talks a lot about the apprenticeship.” Renjun says, answering your internal question and throwing a look at Chenle who just scoffs as he smiles. “Ah, yeah, sure... The apprenticeship... That's what he talks about.” He says and you scoff too. “Well, I'm gonna take a shower before my first appointment arrives, I'm not sure if you'll still be here when I'm done.” You tell Renjun. “Hmm, probably not. But I'll be back later, hopefully before Haechannie is done with the tattoo.”

You take that shower and put on the change of clothes you keep at the shop, then you sit at your station and work on some designs as you wait for your client. Renjun has left as he said he would and Haechan has already started with the tattoo. You can't help but looking at them from time to time.

At first they're all joking around but after a bit they calm down and it's just Haechan working on his girl's tattoo while Chenle scrolls down on his phone, humming to some song. “Are you seriously falling asleep right now?” Haechan asks his girlfriend and she chuckles softly. “Maybe.” She says, making the guys chuckle too, but you get it. Getting tattoos can be relaxing too. Probably Haechan is very good at it so it's not hurting more than it should, also she must really trust him and that's why she feels comfy enough to fall asleep.

They're still at it after more than four hours. So you go take a look after your last client. “Hey, how are you hanging in there?” You ask her. Chenle is holding her hand now, soothingly caressing her fingers with his thumb. “Well, it's starting to really hurt.” She says and you chuckle. “Yeah, it was about time it did, girl.” You say, making the others chuckle too. “You're a tough cookie, huh?” You ask and she giggles too, then the shop's door opens and finally Renjun and Jisung appear. “Oh, nice. You're still working on it. I wanted to watch.” Renjun says as he walks over. Your eyes are on Jisung now though. He shyly smiles as he sees you and ruffles his hair before coming closer. “Hey.” You softly say. “Hi.” He answers before leaning over to peck your lips and hug you, and the guys start teasing him about the skinship immediately, making him blush.

“Your friends are nice, they sound fun too.” You tell him as you stroke his hair while you both sit waiting for Seonhui, and he smiles. “Would you come to one of our parties then? I've been meaning to ask you.” He says. “Oh? Sure. Wouldn't that ruin your heartbreaker image though?” You tease and he laughs. “You're still thinking about that?” He asks and you chuckle too. “Kinda, yeah. I'm really curious about it since Junnie mentioned it to me, and you didn't really denied it when I brought it up.” You answer and he scoffs as he smiles softly while holding your hand. “I'm not that much of a heartbreaker, noona. At least not intentionally.” He says, leaning over to get a kiss, and you smile. “Well, we'll see about that.” You tell him and he rolls his eyes and smiles before pecking your lips.

“Wow, Haechannie. You sure you hadn't tattooed anyone for almost a year before this?” His girlfriend asks as she checks herself in the mirror and he shyly giggles. “Mhm, I promise.” He answers. “He's always been naturally talented like that.” Renjun proudly says, and finally curiosity wins over you and you stop working on your client for a second to take a quick look without leaving your station. Damn, he really is talented. He won't have any problem finding clients whenever he decides to start working.

The guys finally leave the shop after six long hours but you still have a couple more clients for the day. Jisung sits by your side to watch you work on your next client while Seonhui works on a design and, ah... Honestly you're so tired... You can feel Jisung's warmth coming from his body and it's making you extra sleepy. “Sung-ah...” You call him and he immediately sits up. “Yes?” He answers. “I'm sorry but, could you get me a coffee?” You ask him and he nods. “Thank you.” You say, then watch him leave as your heart flutters for him before your eyes meet Renjun's and he raises his eyebrows at you, making you blush. Damn, why does he always have to catch you looking at Jisung like that?

“Here, noona... I'm sorry, there was a long line at the coffee shop.” Jisung softly says as he hands you the coffee, stroking your back with his free hand in a caring way. “It's okay, at least I'm done now with that client.” You say then take a sip. “There's only one more, right?” He asks as he sweetely caress your cheek and you nod. “I'll get everything ready so you just rest in the meantime.” He says and you chuckle softly at how cute he is. “Mhm, thank you Jisung-ah. You're the best.” You tell him and he blushes lightly before you peck his lips.

The next couple of hours go by a bit faster thankfully, and soon you're leaving the shop with Jisung. “Are you hungry?” You ask him and he nods. “Let's grab some street food then before taking the bus.”

You eat on your way to the bus stop and while you wait for it, so there's not much talking going on but Jisung won't let your hand go. “So sleepy.” You tell him as you lean on him while standing in the bus and he hugs you with his free arm without saying anything, just resting his head over yours as you squeeze him softly in a hug. “Come home with me.” You say and he strokes your hair and pecks your nose. “Mhm.” He smiles as he looks at you lovingly and you tip-toe to peck his lips.

You show him around your house then tell him he can shower first while you look for something for him to wear. “These are Jaemin's but hopefully they'll fit you even though you're taller.” You tell him and his hand peeks behind the shower curtains to show you a thumbs up. You chuckle softly as you leave to the living room and wait for him.

Ah... He's too cute.

“Woah, you look nice in those.” You tell him as he walks out the bathroom and he shyly smiles as he ruffles his wet hair. “I didn't know you were close to Jaemin hyung though, noona.” He says as he sits next to you and you grab the towel on his shoulders to help him dry his hair. “Mhm, kinda. He stayed here for a bit back when I was still at college.” You explain. “Oh... I didn't know the guys back then.” He says as you distractedly move to straddle him so you can reach for his hair better. “Yeah, it was a while ago. I guess you could give the clothes back to him after this. It's about time but I always forget.” You chuckle and he does too. “Yeah, don't worry, I will.”

There's a bit of a silence as you keep drying his hair so you stop and cup his face. “What?” You ask and he blushes lightly. “Nothing... I... Did you sleep with him?” He asks, and you scoff as you smile. “No.” You answer, caressing his cheek with your thumb. “Would you care if I did though?” You ask and he shakes his head. “I was just curious.” He says, and you smile before pecking his lips. “Mhm.” You say then comb his hair with your fingers. “I think it's dry enough now.” You tell him before trying to get down his lap, but he stops you, grasping on your hips. “Jisung...” You chuckle, but he just kisses you, biting softly on your lower lip after, making your heart flutter. “Don't go.” He says, pecking your lips again down to your neck as he pulls you closer.

“Jisung...” You call him again and he moves, manhandling you to a new position where you're lying on your back but he remains between your legs. Your heart is racing as you slightly feel the weight of his body over yours. You meet his lips again as he pulls up your shirt, then he leaves a trail of kisses from your neck to your tits. You tug on his hair as he softly bites on them. His hand sneakily climbing up your back as good as he can to unclasp your bra. You gasp a bit surprised as he manages to do it, and he smiles against your skin at your reaction. “Hey, I can be good at some stuff.” He says before pecking your cheek and nibbling on your neck and you chuckle softly. “Yeah, I never doubted that.” You tell him, then cup his face to kiss him but he licks your cheek instead, making you giggle. “What are you doing?” You ask, but he just kisses his way down your boobs again as he smirks.

“J-Jisung... You can't use your tongue...” You tell him. “Mhm, understood.” He says, but he keeps licking and biting on your nips anyway. It's not like you have the will to stop him right now though. “Noona... Your heart is beating so fast.” He says while resting his head on your chest as you play with his hair. “Do you think I can make it beat faster?” He asks and you chuckle. “Yes, I'm pretty sure you can, you little devil.” You say, pushing him so he sits up again. “I'd rather you do it when we can actually kiss for real, though.” You tell him as you go back to straddle him, feeling his boner against your heat now. You bite your lower lip as you think about it for a moment and Jisung chuckles. “You were saying?” He teasingly asks and you blush. “I- Shut up... Let's watch a movie.” You say and he bites back a smile. “Sure.” He says. You purse your lips. “I mean it.” You tell him, making him chuckle. “I know... I just want to be with you, noona. Whatever you want to do is okay.” He says, managing to make you feel soft now. “Mhm.” You say before pecking his lips, and he squeezes you softly in a hug.

“I'll just play a random movie.” You inform him as he sits against the headboard in bed and you lie back between his legs. “Your hair smells like Renjun hyung's, noona.” He chuckles and you do too. “Yeah? I used the only shampoo bottle that was at the shop. It smells good though, right?” You ask. “Mhm~ Like flowers or something.” He says and you chuckle. “Yeah, I think it's jasmine.” You say. “Mhm.” He pecks the top of your head and then your cheek before breathing in your scent as he backhugs you. “I- Jisung...” You call him. He's blushing already even if you can't see him. “Did you just get hard again?” You ask as you chuckle, looking up to see his face. “It's cause I smell like Renjun?” You jokingly ask and he hides his face behind his hands. “Oh my god, of course not.” He shyly says, pulling another chuckle from you. You turn around to try and see his face behind his hands. “I'm just kidding, dummy.” You say, softly pulling from his hands and he just lets you do it. He's still blushing hard though. He fans his face with his hand as he looks up making you chuckle again. “So cute.” You say, sweetely caressing his cheek and he pouts. “I'm sorry for teasing you.” You apologize but he keeps pouting. “No, you're not.” He says and you giggle. “No, I'm not.” You admit. “You look so cute when you get all flustered, Jisung-ah. It makes my heart flutter.” You tell him before meeting his lips and he pulls you closer in a hug.

“Noona...” He calls while you nibble on his neck. “Mhm?” You distractedly answer. “I know what you said earlier but... I was wondering...” He stops so you leave his neck alone to look at him, but that only makes him blush again, so you smile softly and cup his face with your hands and peck his lips. “What is it?” You ask and he purses his lips before talking. “I... Could you... Ride me? Please?” He simply asks, making your heart skip a beat as you blush too.

He bites on his labret nervously as he awaits for your answer in the long second you take to react, but you just chuckle softly and peck his lips again. “Mhm, I'd love to do that.”

Chap 3🐹....Chap5🐹

Kindly reblog/like chapters's posts to show your support to my au please💕

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seth-shitposts · 9 months

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[Making some organization of our WIPs, so might as well do a WIP post while im at it-]

Feel free to ask any questions about ones that poke your interest or if you'd like bits from them or let us know which ones are your fave or that you're pulled toward.

---

For the longest of the long AU WIPs, there's

-Defectors AU - AU in which Kallus was assigned to the Bridger Raid and finds Ezra.

-The Aphelion Waltz - AU where the empire never came to be. Trouble in the lower levels of Coruscant sends the entire galaxy into an uproar.

-Sense of Faith, Self, & Valor - AU in which The Grand Inquisitor and Tua lived and Kallus convinces/inspires them to join the rebellion.

---

For long fics and multi chaps, we have

-The Renaecense of 264 -Kallus finds a droid abandoned by the empire out in the cold.

-Change In Plans -Prompt fic in which Kallus comes across a young lasat child in imperial custody. (Has been in our docs for MONTHS- I don't think we've spoken much on it)

-Salticidae -prompt fic where Kallus finds a lovely little creature and Zeb has to try and get over a fear before his partner gets home. (Might be a one shot, might be a multichap)

-Eyes of the Ashla -a prompt fic au. Kallus can see specific ghosts

-Insomniac Art Attack - Prompt fic. Sabine putting restless energy into good use.

-Pull You Into Dark Corners - heavy revisions needed. Nsfw. KalluZeb

-All Of Me -secret relationship. Not a slow burn, but something adjacent. This one might be scrapped and fused into other works. We'll see.

---

One Shots!

-Baby Its Cold Outside [Defectors AU AU Edition]

-Jealousy Ft. Alexsandr - AU of sorts (mainly because time line doesn't line up with the concept but it makes me giggle). Kanan has a very Oblivious Moment and is jealous of Kallus.

-Bite Me, Love -something that was originally just a silly little thought but then 3 of you within a span of 5 minutes said I should do it. Like damn alright ig (I look forward to it hehe)

-[Unnamed Gift for Lost in Derry] - In the rebellion, Kallus being loyal to Hera. (I'm so excited about this one)

-[Unnamed Gift for GreyGhost] -After a major victory and an even bigger celebration, Kallus cares after a very drunk lasat.

-"Kiss The Girl" fic - Ezra and Kanan do a few shenanigans in attempt to get Kallus and Zeb to confess to each other. Ends in disaster every time. ... or maybe not.

-Morning Haze -nsfw kalluzeb

---

Ideas/Prompts we have that we haven't had the chance to start yet. But am eager to get to.

-"I would rather set myself on fire in an attempt to burn them from daring to try and touch me than let them do as they please." - Sabine Wren (We have 2 different ideas for this one. One that's early on in Sabine doing ghost crew, between her and Kanan. And the other is her and Kallus being assigned to a negotiation together, and it's one of the first missions they have together.) (Might make them be in the same timeline, like the second being a reflect to the first and time passing. The first being far more reckless and self destructive while the second is a promise of fight, a continous call to action.)

-so so so many fulcrum trio things. You have no idea how badly HOW BADLY I need these three to be on missions together.

-in addition to the above, Jealousy ft Cassian & Ahsoka.

-sentient glimmer fics

-Sentient Bo-rifles

-Kallus surprising Zeb by making him some of his favourite foods. So much fluff.

-Fulcrum Kallus dealing with the severe isolation of being so deep in the empire.

-Kallus keeping Every Item someone gives him.

-nsfw - service top Kallus & pillow princess Zeb

-6 More Prompts we've been given that we haven't started yet but are waiting for us once we get through a few more wips first.

---

These are the ones we have thrown up on Ao3 rn that we are half way through

-Conversationalist - an Ezra Fic

-Jealousy ft Lando - KalluZeb nsfw

---

Staying in hiatus until I have the availability to bring it out is

Force User Zeb - this is a long au fic we haven't been able to touch in awhile (😭😭😭)

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personne-writes · 2 years

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Links to my main blog and my ao3 page

My stuff

(Latest additions in color)

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Forward - chap. 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 (next) My take on what happens between the Krang invasion and the time gateway. [Insert fic for the movie's bad future - Beta by @crosshatchedaces, @skelenova and @luxtoony - Work in progress]

Dad material - 1 (comic) - 2 (comic & ficlet) - 3 (comic) - 4 (comic) - 5 (comic) - 6 (ficlet) - 7 Tail's comics with future Leo and Casey Junior have sentenced me to hyperfixation. Comics are Tail's, ficlets are from me, and there's more to come, I'm not even mad about it, guys, it's great [Collab with @leosmasktails - Work in progress]

Challenges and zines (supposed to be short) for @rise-august-art-challenge - Weird for the Sunset Duo Zine by @punnybee-zines - Rise and fall for the @turtlestogetherzine - Alternate realities (poem)

Tributes (they're all short I promise) to @somerandomdudelmao - Ignoring some rules to @chiscribbs - Spin that record, babe to @luxtoony - Job description (poem)

Propaganda (it's short too I swear) for @autismswagsummit - Autistic Sweep and the following Third challenger

One Punch Man

Parallel Universe - chap. 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 Two Saitamas fight over Genos, basically. [Villain AU based on @tr333333 's comic - Beta by @anonymousedward - Currently on hiatus] I've actually received a gift from Bleedingsoul01 for this fic and it absolutely didn't make me cry!! French version here

A Ghost Story Badd is haunted by a very flirty ghost, yeah that's Garou. [One-shot - Prompted by Little1993Lamb]

Adolescence Saitama is worried about Genos but it's just Shitty Teen Squad shenanigans, really. [One-shot - Gift for @rayadraws]

I have two other OPM prompts in my drafts lmao

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Tribute to @jenirodraws - Lost woods (poem)

Detroit: Become Human

The Conversation Hank isn't getting any younger and his yet-to-be adoptive son takes action. [One-shot - My participation to @julientel 's DBH found family week] French version here

I also have a DBH collab in my drafts. Whoopsies

Mass Effect

Life goes on One shots about Shepard and Vakarian living their life after the Destruction ending. Only one chapter now, might add others later if I feel like it. French version available here

That's all bitches!

#will keep this up to date #writing #original content #rottmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt #teenage mutant ninja turtles #one punch man #opm #tloz #botw #detroit become human #dbh #mass effect

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lowkeyclueless5137 · 11 months

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uhhh question. For the Ben 10 AU. What’s stopping Idia from following his little brother in secret cause of Ghost freak or any other alien good with stealth. Before proceeding to beat the living hell out of Honest Fellow for uhhh brainwashing everyone including Ortho(unless Idia himself somehow stops it). A full blown alien beating up the fox :D! Also in Book 6. Technically Riddle and Idia are there. Epel follows too? What’s stopping Kalim from just following in secret cause of alien powers to rescue Jamil(even though uhh it might exactly work without following Epel and Rook plus Yuu in secret[also how long can he even remind hidden before A, he times out, or B, is somehow found by the staff of Shroud brothers, or C, literally when the whole Styx crisis starts])

Took me a bit to dissect the whole thing and understand from where should I even start... But it will be a bit spread out, so the order of my responses might not beat up with the questions order. Sorry for this. :'3

First up! Chap 6! I only briefly touched chap 6 on Kalim, Epel and Riddle's cases, but for Idia it was a pivotal plot point. Being separate aus, each has their turning point chapter and also the events will differ from particular Au case to other.

Now for chap 6, but make it Riddle, Kalim and Epel's cases.

For Riddle, he doesn't overBlot in his au, so he is on the rescue team, mostly because he had no idea if the Charons were bad guys or not. But with little to no trace of where they were brought, Riddle uses Rook, Epel and Yuu as an excuse to go and save the guys.

He realises too late in what bandwagon he actually broke into, but alas, there's no going back. :'3

For Kalim, he also definitely follows in his au story. He wants to save everyone and also prove Jamil that he's capable of being serious and professional. He gets dispatched on the tower with Leona and Jamil, as such he has Jamil helping with hiding and using the omnitrix. He uses the same excuse as Riddle, just tag along Rook, Epel and Yuu. It's simpler and since his timer is 10 minutes, Kalim didn't know how much it would take to fly there, nor where exactly it was that place.

For Epel, man follows close to cannon at first, but when he is in tower, Rook straight up knocks Yuu out so Epel could go ham with the aliens. Sorry shrimp person. :'3

Now for the stage in playful land event... Some spoilers for the event, so yep :3

Thing is, this time, Idia and Ortho argue about going out. Idia is very against the idea for reasons anyone would have. Ortho just wants to have some fun without the constant worry if a bad guy or some omnitrix shenanigans.

One thing post chapter 6, is that Idia respects his brother's more 'edgy' ideas, but he doesn't really encourage them unless he knows they are actually safe. He knows Ortho wants to experiment and dance around different experiences until he fully has an idea of who he really is and his own agency, but that was a red flag and Idia didn't want some sus fox guy to lure his brother to who knows where.

Definitely, he follows, but because of the 10 mins timer, Idia has to play the 'I'm joining too' card, which yeah... It's awkward af. Ortho was absolutely angry at Idia at first because it implies that Idia didn't trust him at all. But with the suit changes, Idia realised that if something did go wrong, Ortho had 50-50 chances to not have his weapon arsenal on him. Of course, he promised Ortho that he will let him do whatever his heart wishes in here, so he would be basically non-existent.

Idia also knew that after all this, he had to hold a long 'stranger danger' talk with Ortho. He never had it before because these 2 were inseparable, but now, Idia felt like this was 1 mistake he won't repeat. :'3

When the whole puppet gig is up and going, Ortho has to give the right to Idia, but right now, Idia ran off to transform, which thankfully got him out of the curse due to being a full transformation. When he would be de-transformed, the curse would start again, so Idia had to play his cards right if he wanted to beat up the sus fox guy. :D

I think I covered it all :3

#twisted wonderland #asks :3 #ben 10 au

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yell0wsalt · 4 months

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20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thanks for the tag @orangepanic

1. How many works do you have on Ao3? 43. Plus a few hidden and anon ones sprinkled about

2. What’s your total Ao3 word count? 176,024. Oh

3. What fandoms do you write for? Mainly Avatar: Legend of Korra. There are a couple My Hero Academia fics in there

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

A Lazy Winter Morning. A smutty one shot of the DepressedDuo™️ being in love like they should be

Say It. Lin and Tenzin navigating being together-ish again after a previously strained relationship

I'm Bored, Let's Fuck. Title is Tenzin's horny brain, actually. Young Linzin one shot

A Spark in the Dark. post-canon Linzin second first date

Loving You Throughout the Years. A collection of Lin and Tenzin being in love and expressing it in several ways over years of their lives

Interesting.

5. Do you respond to comments? Yes! I like to consider fandom being an open community. That can be through engaging with those who read in the comments of my fics. Besides, someone took the time out of their day to read something I wrote?! Insane. I want to be able to express my gratitude how I can.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? That's tough to say. I have several fics with pretty angsty endings.

Maybe Shinishi of the Deep, a fic in which Iroh struggles with survivor's guilt manifested in a monster. Or is it something more?

Also there is and then after, a fic in which Kuvira is about to get of out prison and she's to navigate life after.

Technically, it's to be a multi-chap with a happy ending but you didn't hear that from me

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I have like a dozen other fics with a happy ending. It is hard to decide which is the happiest. I am a fan of Hurts Like Hell and Moments Here with You

8. Do you get hate on fics? Nah. Let's consider that a pro of flying under the radar

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? I do. I've been trying to get more comfortable with writing explicit content and so I'm pushing myself with it. I don't know how to describe the type of smut I write. Characters being intimate and expressing themselves with their body when words aren't enough.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? Never have I ever

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Nope

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Another no haha

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship? I have several it's overwhelming I cannot decide. I love all the ships I write for.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? It may take me a while (more than a while in some cases hahah) but I'm determined to finish my fics.

16. What are your writing strengths? Yikes, pass.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Yes.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? In some fics, it is clear a source like GoogleTranslate was used. The language is overly polite and doesn't come out as casual speak. I'd be open to trying it myself but would prefer to be in a language I am familiar with or reach out to someone else for assistance in making the language come off natural

19. First fandom you wrote for? Avatar: Legend of Korra

20. Favourite fic you’ve written? I write for me, so I love my fics in one way or another. However, a few that come to mind immediately would be afterhours, tea in the tempest, the weight of a promise, kick dirt under your feet and swing, hurts like hell, and kiss me kill me

I would keep adding to this list, so Imma stop there 😅

An open tag for anyone who wants in!

#tag game #my fics #ao3

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frankenstein-ate-my-left-shoe · 10 months

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20 questions for fic writers

i was tagged by @stevethehairington, thanks mack!!

1. How many works do you have on AO3? only 10!

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 149,243

3. What fandoms do you write for? mainly been stranger things and one little spn drabble here on tumblr and my st/spn crossover fic

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1. Several Notes of the Most Amiable Nature - aka secret admirer au (my first fic!) 2. A Recipe for Disaster - the princess diaries 2 au 3. (Reprise) - sequel to Several Notes 4. i'm outta my head over you - my mixtape fic 5. of sunshine and starlight - PWP 😏

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? i am so super behind, but yes!!!! and i appreciate them all so so much 🥺

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? definitely it's a date, my summer challenge fic (but i am working through a follow-up that makes it a happy ending i promise 😭)

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? of all of them, i would probably say Several Notes; that one is the schmoopiest ending of them all, but next would def be outta my head.

(i don't want to count Recipe for Disaster since that's the same ending as the PD movie so... 😅)

8. Do you get hate on fics? i've been lucky to only get a little bit of screaming at me for it's a date, but not hate. they were all justifiably ASKLFAJLFASF at the plot twist, but it was all in good fun/still loved 🥰

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? yes!! my number 5 most liked fic is just PWP! and it's always been cute fluffy "real" smut so far, like the two being goofy with each other and super in love and shit lmao 10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? yeah! only the one though, my wip ST/SPN crossover fic You Will Never Walk Alone (You Can Always Reach Me); and to the previous question, my first smut was in chap 3 of this one and i am super proud of it still 😊

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? i really hope not???

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? not yet!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? nope!

14. What’s your all time favorite ship? oh fuck...honestly? it's probably steddie. my OTP is destiel, like, they are the blueprint, they are the ones i have the most history with, but in complete honesty: in my head steddie is much more fluid/blorbo-y than destiel are. dean and cas are so fuckin' good in canon and kinda rare-er for me to find a good au with them that they still seem like themselves? if that makes sense?

with steddie, they are so moldable and fit into any spot you put them; i prefer canon adjacent but anything they do seems so correct, whereas dean and cas will always be a hunter and angel you know? that's how their story has been for so long, and all my fave fics of them are canon spn universe - a spell, a different timeline, a hunt, it's always them™

idk if that makes sense to anyone else, but maybe it's because destiel have been destiel for like 11 seasons and 15 years, and steddie have so little with only one season/summer that they are more moldable but... 🤷‍♀️

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? honestly, it's probably my hispanic!eddie au, but my casper!eddie has been falling off at an exponential rate and it's bumming me out tbh

16. What are your writing strengths? i think it's dialogue? i think that's the thing i've gotten the most comments about, the wit and snark of eddie and his internal voice, or just conversations in general. i like to think through how conversations will go in a fic first, like, how exactly they would realistically speak to each other or how an accent (wayne) would come through and how best to type it out so others can 'hear' it correctly 😊

17. What are your writing weaknesses? writing out action/feelings well. maybe it's cause i get super engrossed in what i'm writing and am looking at it too long, but a lot of the time it feels like i'm just writing "he did this 😐 and then he did this 😐 then said this."

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? i do my best!!! like with the short drabble i did that started the hispanic!eddie au, i did best i could to translate the couple spanish phrases in it, but i don't speak spanish myself. my husband is hispanic and is fluent, but when i wrote that one i was much to embarrassed by why i would be asking him, that i didn't ask him to translate 😭

19. First fandom you wrote for? stranger things! the st/steddie fandom was so supportive with my secret admirer drabble that i made it my first full fic!!!

20. Favorite fic you’ve written? my fave that i've written is my mixtape fic i'm outta my head over you. i wrote so much for it in such a short amount of time for steddie week but it really came together and was all me!

i do also LOVE how my version of a princess diaries rewrite came out, but the plot is just a copy of the movie and isn't really mine you know?

not sure who all has been tagged already, but here are some no pressure tags!!: @thisapplepielife, @azrielgreen, @its-steddie-time, @strawberryspence, @sayesayes, @undreaming-fanfiction, @greatunironic, @fairyfried

#noelle writes #ask game

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formsofcontinuity · 2 years

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chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 (or, all earlier chaps on AO3)

chapter 6: geese-a-laying

It happens in the late afternoon; Lena’s sitting in her office, flush with promise for the future and touching base with various department heads after a successful press conference. With the exception of a few last minute financiers whose donations she'll need to help manage before the New Year, Lena is determined to hold off on any major work until early January. Another week won't make a difference in productivity, even with this new momentum. Maybe, for once, she can allow herself a real break this weekend.

Plus, Lena's eager to spend some time with Kara; she’s just contemplating texting the blonde to see if she’s interested in having drinks tonight instead of tomorrow when she turns on the television.

Drone footage of Supergirl at the scene of a sinking naval vessel flickers onto the screen. The ship's listing on its side in the ocean about three hundred miles west of National City after a series of explosions in the engine room, the newscaster’s voiceover explains. Mayday signals from the ship drew the hero’s attention, he continues, and Supergirl has already rescued all the sailors.

Despite how dangerous the incident sounds for the humans involved, this is all pretty routine for Kara. Lena watches the broadcast with only a hint of trepidation, already mentally preparing a text to the other woman in her head.

And then the ship just…explodes, right there on live television.

Fire and shrapnel shoot out from the hull, followed by an enormous geyser of water that plows straight into Supergirl, knocking her out of the sky. Heart in her throat, Lena watches with anxious hope for a moment, waiting for Kara to fly through the ocean spray, unharmed. It's only water, after all. Kara has dealt with far worse. But then, the water around the sinking ship starts to take on a sickening green hue, and Lena races out of her office before the anchor can finish urgently announcing that there appears to be kryptonite in the water.

Lena texts her driver from the elevator, and he’s already waiting by the time she arrives outside of the building, her face contorted with worry and hair mussed from running. Without needing to be asked, he promises that he’ll get Lena to the DEO as quickly as possible and puts the car in drive before she can even get her seatbelt buckled. Lena thinks, in a fleeting, vague way, that even her driver knows how gone she is for Kara, knows that she needs to be by the blonde’s side as soon as possible.

Using her keycard, Lena bursts into the rebuilt DEO like a woman on a mission. It’s Nia whom she encounters first, pacing nervously by the entrance; the younger woman perks up at her arrival, placating hands raised to forestall Lena’s questions.

“I knew you’d be here, but you’re even quicker than I thought.” She offers a wane smile. “She’s hurt, Lena, but it’s okay. She’s going to be okay.”

“I should have been there. I should have–”

Nia shakes her head vigorously, refusing to be party to Lena’s spiraling self-doubt. She gestures that Lena should follow her to the med-bay, and Lena falls into step beside her. “I only just got here a few minutes ago; no one could have known. J’onn was with her; he flew her here right away.”

"Why on earth was there kryptonite on that ship?"

Nia shakes her head. Alex's voice cuts in from where she's standing just outside the med-bay, watching their rapid approach. "That's what I'd like to know, too, and I'm damn well going to find out."

Alex's gaze, hardened by anger and concern, softens the minute she looks into Lena's face.

"Oh, Lena," she says. That's all it takes, and, to her own surprise, Lena is crying.

"I'm sorry." Lena wipes furiously at the traitorous tears. "Nia already told me…she’ll be okay?" Alex nods firmly. Lena whimpers at her own humiliating loss of control, and Nia places a warm hand on her shoulder. She shakes herself, straightens her shoulders. "I don't know what's gotten into me. What can I do to help?"

It turns out, there’s nothing for Lena to do except sit by Kara as the blonde sleeps beneath the sun lamps. The explosion had sent small particles of kryptonite directly into Kara’s lungs and stomach via the water, so it’s taking a bit longer than usual to clear from her system. Alex seems confident, though, that Kara will be good as new within a day or two.

Lena double-checks the hero’s vitals and tunes up some of the equipment rather than just nervously pace the med-bay. When hours have passed and Lena shows no sign of leaving, Alex brings her a cot, which Lena sets up right beside Kara, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge Alex’s knowing look.

Exhaustion overtakes Lena as soon as she lays down, so quickly that she doesn’t even realize she’s been asleep when she wakes up in the darkened med-bay to Kara calling her name.

“Lena? Is that you?”

She sits up immediately, then shifts to lean over Kara’s supine form.

“Kara? Are you okay? Do you need anything? Should I get Alex?”

Kara smiles, reaching a hand out to draw Lena closer by the forearm, “I’m fine. I’m fine. I promise.” Her voice is quiet, a little raspy, but sure, strong. She squints at Lena. “Wait a minute; what day is it?”

Lena laughs wetly, eyes tearing again. “It’s Friday, Kara, the 30th,” she reassures, then checks her watch, “and it’s about 3am.” Leave it to Kara to worry she’s slept through the New Year. “Don’t worry; you didn’t miss the party.”

Kara chuckles weakly, “Oh, that good. I didn’t miss it. Good.” Her eyelashes flutter as she fights sleep. “I’m very very tired.” She takes a breath, voice quieting even more, and if Lena weren’t so close, she probably wouldn't be able to hear her soft request. “Will you lie with me?”

The sun bed is warm and bright, a stark contrast to the otherwise dark room and the slight chill lingering in the antiseptic space. Kara smells like salt water and smoke. It’s been so long since Lena has been able to lie close to her in such an unselfconscious way, probably not since before the reveal of Kara’s identity, when they were devoted to their charade of platonic affection and still gravitated to each other like magnets anyway. There were movie nights where they’d fallen asleep together on the couch, sleepovers where Lena had woken with Kara pressed against her side, arm slung over her hips.

She’d held Kara since, of course. Lena remembers one night shortly after Kara’s return from the Phantom Zone when the blonde had clung to her for hours, until she’d fallen into a restless sleep, but that was born of desperation and fear. To lie with Kara like this, curled against her with the blonde’s fingers gripping Lena’s bicep lightly, safe and whole, feels precious and necessary, sensations buried deep in Lena’s muscle memory and new ones fluttering free all lighting up within her at once.

Lena loves Kara with her whole self, with everything she has. She has to tell her.

Alex finds them the next morning, Lena squeezed in next to Kara, head resting on the blonde’s chest, arm slung over her waist. As Lena blinks the sleep from her eyes, she lifts her head to find Kara already awake and watching her through hooded lids. Alex clears her throat from the door.

“Cot wasn’t good enough for you, Luthor?” she asks, drolly, but doesn’t press the issue further after a pointed glare from Kara that Lena thinks she wasn’t supposed to see.

She climbs reluctantly off the sun bed, helping Kara into a seated position so that Alex can run tests. Kara’s powers seem to be fully intact, but she’s still weakened from ingesting kryptonite-laced water, so Alex wants her to stay under the lamps for the rest of the day. Kara’s face falls; she gives Lena a sidelong glance.

“Can I talk to my sister privately for a moment?”

So, Lena steps out for a half hour to get a coffee from the DEO kitchen and answer a few of the many texts and calls from friends and worried staff. She also calls Daniel and asks him to draft a press release about the incident, but hold off on sending it until he’s gotten clearance from both her and Alex.

When she returns, Kara seems resigned to her fate. “We made a deal. I’ll stay in bed, but Alex has to do something for me first.” Then, she smiles, reaching out to take Lena’s hand. “Sorry if I ruined your day yesterday. I heard from Nia that you did an amazing job at the press conference.”

“Apology not accepted,” Lena grumbles, then clarifies, “You know that you’re more important to me than any press conference.”

Kara smiles and Lena, incapable, after everything, of pretending she doesn’t need to feel Kara’s arms around her again, slides gracefully onto the sunbed and presses Kara’s shoulder until the other woman lies back down. Kara holds her arms open, and Lena gratefully sinks into them.

After that, they talk. Not about the weight of their feelings–now isn’t the time for that–but about everything and nothing. It’s a couple more hours, almost lunchtime, when Kara’s eyes begin to droop.

“Go,” she murmurs. “I’ll sleep some more and then tomorrow I’ll be right as rain for New Year’s Eve.” Lena begins to protest, but Kara is insistent. “If you finish all your work today, maybe I can have you to myself tomorrow…” She tries to grin, but her eyes are already half closed.

That’s an enticing enough thought to compel Lena to gather her things, making Kara promise to call if there’s anything, anything at all, that she needs in the meantime.

Alex catches Lena just as she’s about to leave the DEO, her expression unreadable. “Something you want to share with the class?” One of Alex's hands rests on her hip, and Lena has to suppress a smile at how much she looks like Kara in that moment.

“I'm not sure what you mean?”

“Why on Earth did my sister send me out to get vodka for you at nine this morning?” Alex brandishes a small bag, shaking it dramatically by the neck, where she’s scrunched up the paper.

Lena blinks, mirroring Alex’s bewildered expression. “She did what?”

“While you were on the phone earlier, Kara asked–no, she insisted–that I run out and get this.” She hands Lena the bag. “And she gave very clear instructions that I please give it to you before you head home for the day because she knew she’d probably be asleep.”

“Well,” Lena hedges, “we were supposed to have drinks tonight…but I obviously can procure my own vodka.”

“I’m sure you can.” Alex rolls her eyes.

“Otherwise, I have no idea.”

“Well,” Alex grouses good-naturedly, “enjoy, I guess.” She sighs. “I don’t know what’s going on with her. She’s been acting very weird the last few days, and I think it has something to do with you.” She narrows her eyes. “Who am I kidding, of course it has something to do with you.”

“I’m sorry, what?” Unbidden, Lena’s thoughts drift to Kara giving her the ornament, all flush and smiling; her backtracking after their dinner to kiss Lena’s cheek; how, just yesterday, she’d held Lena’s hand and leaned into her, how they might have kissed for real then if it hadn’t been for the press conference. Something’s changing between them, coming to the surface. But Lena doesn’t tell Alex any of that.

Alex squints, then shrugs, “You two are going to be the death of me.” She turns on her heel and stalks back down the hall.

In the car on the way to her apartment for a shower and change of clothes, Lena pulls the bottle from its paper bag wrapping. It's a bottle of Grey Goose vodka; she rests it in her lap, examining its frosted body and bright blue accents in a state of deep confusion. It’s not her usual brand, which Kara knows, and there’s no note or explanation.

What is it with Kara and birds?

Lena has a niggling feeling she’s missing something, but she trusts Kara and Kara is okay and she’s sure Kara will explain eventually. Tomorrow can’t come soon enough.

Lena cradles the cool bottle in her hands the rest of the ride.

#supercorp #lena luthor #kara danvers #fluff #the angst ended as soon as it began #12 days to say i love you #kara and i are both interpreting this song VERY liberally #give kara a break she was unconscious #I have no such excuse except geese are hard

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myenemystolvrs · 2 years

Text

November 2021

completed fics that i read this month.

~read the tags~

▶ more than 1 chap

Sasunaru

1. In Good Company by weialala [M, 200K, 15ch]

“This will sound a little ridiculous, no matter how Sasuke phrases it. I see dead people is embarrassingly tacky, and I'm half-spirit seems like something Sakura might say when she's stoned sky high. So he settles for a shrug.“

2. homesick for a mountain's song by kintou [M, 51K, 8ch]

“Sasuke tries to get away from the world by buying an abandoned house on a mountain. Naruto, tired from his long days in Konoha, gets a little too excited about growing vegetables in Sasuke's garden.“

3. lassitude by annie_dot [M, 11K, 3ch]

“lassitude (n.): weariness of body or mind; lack of energy, interest or spirit

For a few seconds, Naruto thought the ball of something that had been constantly growing in the middle of his chest would suffocate him, but he dug his nails in the palms of his hands and learned to breathe around it.

He went home and crawled into bed.

They win the war, but somehow Naruto still feels like he's fighting something.”

4. Leaning Towards the Sun by shherie [M, 28K, 6ch]

“After the death of his parents, Sasuke thought that nothing would ever feel bright again. But then he takes a risk and accepts a job at his old kindergarten, and finds himself quickly developing a crush on the warm, sun-shiny Naruto-sensei.“

“Naruto calls Sasuke bro because that’s what they are. They’re best bros, and best roommates, and best Mario Party partners. And really, if Naruto sometimes lies awake at night thinking about how much it sucks that Sasuke’s straight and not interested, that’s his business.“

5. show me the way that’s home by sosgay [T, 22K, 4ch]

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

▶ one shots

Sasunaru

1. After The World Fell Down by zephyras13 [M, 35K]

“Naruto has been fighting a war for the life of his neighborhood for the past four years, with no end in sight. His world is violent, arbitrary, and ruthless, but it is simple. It makes sense. And then Uchiha Sasuke fucks everything up.”

2. Familiar by KinomiAkai [T, 6K]

“Sasuke's late for his bus. A bookstore's a pretty convenient place to wait, right?”

“Naruto and Sasuke met months ago—online. Naruto's stupid and funny and Sasuke just can't stop talking to him...”

3. Online by KinomiAkai [M, 3K]

4. before today is over by oshit [T, 12K]

“Above him, Sasuke leans over the edge of the pier to watch. Naruto hears him laugh and even with his face draped in shadow, he can imagine Sasuke’s cheshire grin, eyes crinkling with mirth.

He feels Sasuke smiling at him. Naruto would pluck every star from the heavens to keep that feeling.”

5. Sasuke's "Not a Birthday Party" Birthday Party by KinomiAkai [T, 3K]

“Naruto insists it's not a party. Naruto insists that it's going to be great. Sasuke knows better.“

6. Childhood promise by fangirlandiknowit [T, 3K]

“What?” Naruto asks, making a face at him. “Is there something on my face?”

Sasuke hums, considering him.

“Alright,” he says, pushing his plate away to be dealt with later. “Give me your best pitch. Why should we get married?”

Naruto sucks in a breath, and then coughs as it gets stuck in his throat. His face turns an interesting shade of red, and he rubs at his neck once the coughing is under control.

“Oh man,” he mutters, fake scowling at Sasuke. “I was going to wait until dessert at least.”

7. Your Ass Might Be Outta This World But Your Name Still Isn't Superman by Miasen [T, 4K]

“Where Sasuke questions the life choices that lead him to take up work in a coffee shop (talk about bad idea), and there's a (hot AF) blond guy who refuses to give up his real name when ordering (not that Sasuke wants to know him or anything, it would just be nice with a name to go with his daydreams. Not that he daydreams about certain blonds. Not at all).“

8. Wedding Tradition by SasuNarufan13 [M, 1K]

“At Naori's wedding, little Naruto decides he wants to join one of the wedding traditions: the bouquet throwing.“

9. eglantine (it's just you and me) by vultuers [M, 11K]

“There's a whole sea of unsaid words between them, etched into their palms, hiding in the back of their minds for years and years. The fate has been woven for each of them beforehand; for Sasuke to find his way out of the lies, for Naruto to finally follow the Moon leading his way, for both of them to find the middle ground.”

#ficrec #ficjournal #november2021 #narusasu #sasunaru #uzumaki naruto #uchiha sasuke

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bindtorturekillme · 1 year

Text

Your Eyes, Vacant & Stained

Ch.6 - 3k

Pairing: Frank Iero x Gerard Way

"Hey!" Charlotte had popped up from behind the main counter making Frank jump a little. "Oh, I'm sorry! I hope you liked breakfast." She could not look Frank in the eyes.

"What're you doing back there?" He moved towards the desk, and she looked more nervous.

"Well, we keep the keys for anyone who comes here to valet for them, but they're all locked in this safe." She banged on the safe door with a golf club that looked modified.

Warnings

Gore, Death, Murder, WORK-IN-PROGRESS, not completed (and chapters unknown) but I know the ending, trust me guys I will write it, I just need people to love this idea with me, Zombies, Gay, mcr??

Support my AO3 with part six otherwise, enjoy ♥

The sun dragged Frank's eyes open again, sleeplessness yanked at the growing bags as he felt like no sleep was enough. But when he looked around, the room was empty besides him. Muffled sounds floated in occasionally from far away, outside the door as he covered his head again and turned over attempting to get more sleep.

Sorely interrupted by the door swinging open and Gerard's voice yelling, "Goooooood morning!" in a sing-song voice. Frank was unable to suppress his groan, but the enticing smell of a hot breakfast piqued his interest, making him peak out from under the blanket.

A wide grin was plastered over Gerard's face while Frank showed the complete opposite. Frank groaned louder and covered his face again.

"Oh, come on, Charlotte warmed it up for us and it was great." The hot smell of eggs and bacon floated into Frank's nose making his mouth water. "Plus, you never know when we're gonna get food this good again."

"You guys ate without me..?" Gerard's smile faded quickly.

"Well... I felt bad waking you." He shrugged; Frank continued to stare at him from under the blanket. "Come on, I basically made you breakfast in bed." Gerard made his way through the room to squat in front of Frank. "It's good, I promise." Frank didn't move for some time, but the smell of food made his stomach growl louder than he expected causing him to blush. Gerard's smile came back. "Come on, I promise it's good."

Frank huffed but pushed himself up and took the plate, shoving a forkful of scrambled eggs into his mouth. Then another, Gerard continued to squat and smile at him. "Do you want a bite?" Frank asked between mouthfuls of food, Gerard chuckled.

"No, I'm just glad to see you eating. We're going to need all the strength we can get before we go and check those cars in the lot."

"Where's everyone else?"

"Well, the girls are collecting the small stash of bullets for the guns they have, Ray has taken to the golf clubs and is making them heavier to smash things better, Mikey's wrapping his bat with some barbed wire they found downstairs-"

"There's a downstairs?" Frank had gone through all of his eggs and was crunching loudly on the bacon.

"Well, yeah, where did you think they store all the balls and extra shit?" Frank just shrugged, mauling the rest of his bacon. "And the girls are helping them. Ray gave them his bat for three of their clubs. He's really excited to 'play golf with their heads now'." Gerard air quoted while laughing. "If you have a preferred weapon of choice I'd suggest looking around for it now before we get going."

Frank thought for a minute, Gerard took his plate from him and stood up. "I'll let you get dressed and everything, I'll go throw this in the kitchen for you. Hopefully the keys to one of those RV's is still here. It would be nice to take some of these pre-made meals with us, so they don't go to waste." Gerard left before Frank could reply. He sat there thinking over the craziness of the past few days.

Scarlet and Charlotte seemed trustworthy enough, it’s not like we can just leave them here to defend themselves... In a world full of zombies, how can we not trust the only other living beings around? Frank sat for a long time mulling it over in his mind, surprised at himself for not questioning the trustworthiness of everyone sooner. What the fuck else am I supposed to do without them, I guess...

Eventually he got out of bed and changed his clothes, thankful again for that final shower he got before leaving his hotel room. He hadn't started to smell yet but wondered how many more days he could go without another one. Or how long it's been since the guys had taken one... He pushed the thought away and slung his bag over his shoulder, heading out into the main lobby. The front doors had been propped open and he saw Mikey and Ray sitting on the truck bed admiring their new weapons, Scarlet sat on the pavement near them looking relaxed.

"Hey!" Charlotte had popped up from behind the main counter making Frank jump a little. "Oh, I'm sorry! I hope you liked breakfast." She could not look Frank in the eyes.

"What're you doing back there?" He moved towards the desk, and she looked more nervous.

"Well, we keep the keys for anyone who comes here to valet for them, but they're all locked in this safe." She banged on the safe door with a golf club that looked modified. Frank was glad they were not relying on just guns, especially after Gerard said their ammo stash was small. "I've tried a few combos, but nothing had worked so I've been looking for it being written on a notepad or something."

"What kind of safe is it?" Frank tried to peak over the counter but was not able to see it. Charlotte motioned for him to come around the desk and squatted to the ground where the safe sat. "How did you work here and not know the passcode?" Frank squatted next to her and examined the buttons.

"Well neither of us were valets, and our boss was very paranoid, so no one knew the code except him and the valets."

"Damn, you weren't kidding when you said he was crazy before..." It was the usual electric safe you would see in any retail or restaurant, but it was clearly aged and had been used quite a bit. "What codes have you tried?"

"Well... all of his families’ birthdays, the date this place opened, his phone number minus the area code... I even tried these random numbers just to see if any of them worked." Charlotte waved a piece of paper in front of them, it seemed to be the numbers of the club members that attended the course.

Frank looked back at the keypad and ran his fingers over the keys, a few of the buttons were chipped and peeling. He pushed them in a random order, but the lock beeped loudly.

"What are you trying?" Charlotte looked just as confused as she sounded.

"Well, some of these numbers are clearly overused see," He fingered the plastic on the 3 and the 7, showing harsh cracks. "Which means the number has to have these five numbers used but with it being a five-digit code, figuring out what repeats and what order they're in is going to be the hard part..." Frank tried another random combination of the numbers and the lock buzzed loudly again.

"So... it has to have a three, seven, five, one, and zero?"

"Yup..." Frank tried again, the lock buzzed again. Charlotte stood up and walked away without saying a word. Welp, okay sure I'll just do this for you. He punched in another combo, and it buzzed again. "Ugh..." Frank groaned audibly, throwing his bag onto the countertop, and sitting down on the ground to become more comfortable.

Frank had tried three more combinations of the numbers, all causing the lock to buzz loudly and negatively at him. As he was ready to give up, Charlotte walked back in and beside him, dropping to the floor to sit too. Gerard followed close behind her. "Heard you guys have a lock problem."

"Yeah, I'm running out of combinations to guess so I'm sure I'll get it..." Frank tried another, but it just buzzed at him again.

"Hang on, let me try this quick." Charlotte scooted closer and Frank moved out of her way. In a swift movement, Charlotte punched in a combination Frank had not tried, and the safe beeped happily. The lock disengaged and she yanked open the door to show numerous rows of keys on different hook levels on each shelf. Charlotte smiled proudly at herself, Gerard was leaning over the counter, this was the first time he had taken his eyes off of Frank.

"Nice! How'd you figure it out?" Charlotte whipped out a sheet of paper and showed it to Frank. It looked like a large batch recipe for an egg-based breakfast, the number she tried had been the number of how many people the recipe would serve.

"I have never seen a recipe that could feed over a thousand people, how did you even figure it out?" Charlotte had both of her arms digging through the keys inside when Frank asked.

"Well, we used to do this all-day breakfast event where people could come as early as four A.M. to get food, or as late as like... midnight, I think sometimes one even if it was a busy night. Anyways, this was the dish that would be prepared that day, usually it would take the whole day prepare it all and make it, but it was our bosses favorite, which is why we had a breakfast day in the first place. It was a cheap meal that we could make cheaply, and old people loved it. The zero threw me off because the recipe only serves over a thousand but DUH, the zero came first!" She yanked out a few keys, her mouth holding the biggest smile Frank had seen on her. "Oooooh, I so hope one of these RV's has a shower."

"There's no showers in this whole building?" Gerard spoke, Charlotte and Frank had almost forgotten he was still here. But Charlotte laughed.

"He was a cheapskate! He thought allowing his team to shower at work would be a waste of water, especially with how much water the kitchen would use. He once yelled at them for using 'too much' water because the re-fried beans he was ordering required water in order to be made. We stopped offering re-fried beans after that." Frank laughed at this.

"Good lord, this guy sounds insane. Good job, Charlotte, I don't think any of us would've been able to figure that out." Charlotte's face turned red, and she began stammering a thank you out as Ray, Mikey, and Scarlet all walked back into the lobby talking loudly to each other. Frank and Charlotte stood up to greet them.

"Hey Frank! Any luck on the safe, Charlotte?" Ray asked sweetly, leaning over the counter just as Gerard was. Without saying a word, Charlotte spilled the keys onto the counter causing Ray and Scarlet to cheer for her. Mikey even cracked a smile, which surprised Frank.

"How'd you figure it out?!" Scarlet sounded astonished.

"Well, honestly I wouldn't have been able to if Frank didn't investigate the buttons first. But this," she pulled the recipe sheet out again and placed it on the table.

"A recipe for... Eggs, toast, and baked beans? Sounds very... Brit'ish." Ray mocked in an English accent.

"Oh! Breakfast day!" Scarlet got cozy next to Ray on the counter to look over the sheet. Ray stood still as stone. "What number was it?" Scarlet was using her finger to scan all the different numbers on the sheet as Charlotte dropped her finger onto the amount it served, and Scarlet's mouth dropped open. "No. Way. We would've literally NEVER guessed that."

"I KNOW. He might've been a dick, but he was smart sometimes, I guess." Charlotte left the recipe on the counter and moved back down to the safe. "There's a few more RV keys in here, but I know there's only three out in the gated lot."

"Oh, we scouted behind the fence while we were out there," Scarlet backed off of Ray as he started telling his story. "There were a ton more in the back lot, outside the gate obviously, and we saw some parked around the front on the road, Scarlet mentioned sometimes people would park there if they weren't planning on staying long."

"That's true," Charlotte said as she popped back up with a handful of keys again. "We should definitely check those ones before we go to the back lot, did it look infested?"

"No more than the green is." Ray continued. "Which, I assume, will be easy to avoid?" He held his breath as he waited for one of the to reply. Scarlet and Charlotte glanced at each other.

"I mean... We can avoid the green, but it's not like the back lot is fenced in, so there's a higher chance of it being more dangerous if we get loud." Charlotte replied and shrugged. "As long as we have these keys, I think we can avoid any loud noises or anything that might attract them to us."

"We are all still pretty dirty so I doubt any of them would notice our scent." Scarlet added. Frank kept his mouth shut, he had changed out of his bloody clothes, but didn't look as clean as he truly was, especially since he had narrowly avoided most of the fighting since meeting Gerard.

"Welp, we will see about that won’t we?" Gerard banged on the counter and stood up straight, Mikey had made his way to stand by him. "Now that we have the keys, I think we're ready to go searching, yeah?" He looked around at everyone.

"Um..." Frank spoke up now. "Actually, I still need to get a better weapon. Preferably something longer than that wrench I was using." Frank had left the wrench on the floor of the truck after the girls had go. He did not think much about what he would use instead, but he knew he was not comfortable using something as short as that.

"You can use my old bat?" Ray offered, pointing his thumb back to the trunk where it lay bare among the other bat and golf clubs that had all been upgraded to do more damage.

"The guns will be good as a longer weapon when we run out of ammo." Gerard suggested, shrugging. Everyone stared at him with a different phase of confusion on their face.

"Gee, you know eventually your gun is going to break if you keep using it like a bat." Mikey pointed out. Gerard shot him a scrunched look.

"Actually, I was going to look around and see if there’s maybe a fire axe in case of emergencies? Something with a sharp end would be cool, I don't want anyone else to have to hurt their hands upgrading another bat or something for me."

"Why wouldn't you do it yourself?" Mikey asked quickly, but Frank just shrugged.

"I don't really want to put in that effort." This made Scarlet and Charlotte laugh together. Frank smiled, but Mikey stayed stone-faced.

"We actually do have one! I never thought about that, it's downstairs with the clubs." Scarlet said.

"Why wouldn't it be up there? You probably wouldn't want to go downstairs when there's a fire going on, especially since the way down in right next to the kitchen which is literally probably the only room in this whole building that would set on fire." Scarlet and Charlotte shrugged together again.

"I remember when he ordered it," Scarlet started.

"Me too, but he never got it installed." Charlotte continued.

"Yeah, no he literally got it in, and it didn't come with the emergency box or whatever,"

"I literally remember him saying he wasn't going to pay more money for 'something that he would probably never use'." Charlotte air quoted.

"I remember that too! I mean, he never did use it but still..." Scarlet finished and the guys all stared for a moment. It almost scared them when the two of them got going back and forth.

"Well, I'll be the first to use it, can someone show me downstairs?" Frank poked in. Scarlet nodded enthusiastically and motioned for him to follow her as she turned on her heels and began walking to towards the kitchen. Frank scrambled to follow her as the rest of the group stayed and continued to talk about an action plan for when the two of them came back.

Eventually their talking became incoherent as they reached the kitchen, Scarlet took a sharp turn left down a hallway Frank had not noticed the previous night. The hallway was mostly empty, and relatively short, they reached a large metal door marked BASEMENT in just a couple of steps.

"Watch your step, there's no lights down here." Scarlet warned as she yanked open the door and pulled a tiny flashlight from her pocket to shine down the steps. The air was cold and dusty as they made their way down. The dusty was still stirring from when they came down earlier for the club. The metal door closed loudly behind them, making Frank jump.

"That doesn't lock behind us, right?" He asked nervously as he stayed close to her. She giggled at this.

"You are scared, aren't you? No, there's not even a lock on that door. The lack of lighting was our boss’s idea of a way to keep people out. And it worked, I don't think I've really ever seen anyone come down here, but you can probably tell from the amount of dust." Scarlet spoke through a few coughs that the dust caused as they walked through the basement. There were no windows so the darkness enveloped them quickly, making Frank constantly look behind him even though he could hardly see. He stuck close to Scarlet as she weaved them through shelves full of random golfing supplies, clothing, and cans of food.

In what seemed like the back corner of the entire basement, an unused fire axe sat upside down among huge bags full of golf balls. Frank got excited and grabbed it only to realize there was a very thick layer of dust that covered it. He peeled off the dust with his hand that he wiped on his pants, "Hold your breath." He warned Scarlet as he took a deep inhale; he watched as she did the same before banging the axe against the bags of golf balls. Dust flew up into the air and the two of them began to squint as the dust was irritating more than just their lungs. "It's not perfect, but I can spray it down in the kitchen, come on, let’s get out of here." Frank mumbled as he took a few steps away from the huge cloud of dust he just created.

The two made it back and up the stairs without a challenge. Frank did not realized Scarlet had held her breath the whole time and waited to breathe again once they got out into the hallway again. "Sorry, I thought it would clean it a little better." They examined the axe, it had significantly less dust on it than when they found it, but it looked as though there were a few layers just stuck to it from the lack of care.

"It's fine!" Scarlet seemed to be heaving a little, quite out of breath. "The kitchen has a giant sprayer at one of the prep sinks, it's by the veggie storage, I'll meet you back in the lobby?" Frank nodded and they went their separate ways once they reached the kitchen doors again. Frank had remembered seeing the giant sprayer but did not want to interrupt Scarlet, and he was thankful to have some time alone now.

He made his way through the kitchen, looking at everything again. He had never worked in food service or anywhere with a kitchen like this one, it amazed him a little to see such large kitchen appliances. Although he was the shortest in the group, minus now Charlotte, he did not feel tiny until he stood next to the refrigerators in this room. He made his way over the two giant sinks with a springing hose like faucet hanging over it. He dropped the axe in, blade down, and sprayed it with full force. The hose shook in his hand as he used the other to flip the axe over. It took some pressure, but the ace was clean, as he pulled the axe out, the wooden handle felt awful now that it was wet. I didn't even think about that, this is going to take forever to dry. Frank groaned at himself but shook the axe anyways and made his way back out into the lobby.

Everyone was still crowded around the counter; Mikey was now leaning against a wall behind Gerard and not participating in much of the conversation that just sounded like everyone talking over each other. Frank cleared his throat and got everyone's attention, hauling the axe over his shoulder.

"Who's ready to go raid some RV's?"

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