#riley if you’re reading this. thank you for being patient with me and letting me rant to you and for the intervention

[louiswilliamtomlinsons]

.

[ghosts-bandwagon]

the boys reaction to the reader sending them lewd photos (with consent!)

Oof fuck yeah 😎

tw: slight NSFW/suggestive themes

Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley:

Oh sweetheart, you fucked up (in the best way obviously)

He got the text that said “for your eyes only ;)” with an image following after the text, he knew better than to open it around others so he waited. Even when he was alone waited.

And then when he finally decided to open it, hands shaking just a little bit, he was in awe

You were sat in front of a mirror, legs spread and on your knees, back curved to get that flattering angle he loved so much, wearing nothing but his balaclava, your hair poking out from under the edges, doe eyes feigning innocence, your free hand disappearing between your legs

He calls you immediately, white knuckling his phone while he’s adjusting his jeans, suddenly tight, uncomfortable, and far too warm

“You have any idea what you’ve done?”

“No clue what you’re talking about, could use a hint though.” He heard the shit eating grin over the receiver and could practically see you biting your lower lip, eye lashes fluttering in feigned ignorance

“Better find you on your knees when I get home.”

“Or what?” He heard the breathlessness in your voice, knew how much you loved it when he gave you orders. Still he had to at least hand it to you for trying to keep up the coquettish act,

“Careful, pet, choices have consequences.”

(On GOD that line makes me WEAK)

After that interaction, he went silent until you woke up to a text a few days later that reads ‘Home in 5’ the text was sent five minutes ago and you heard the lock clicking at the front door

Consequences, love

John ‘Soap’ MacTavish:

The least restraint out of all of them tbh

He gets your text and sees that there’s an attachment and he calmly dismissed himself from the group, they’re at a pub, celebrating a job well done and you decided to hang back and let John have his night with his mates team

As soon as he’s alone and he opens the picture, his hand is running over his face and his baby blues are like saucers

You’re on your back, legs closed and turned to the side to show off the curve of your hips that drives him feral, you’re wearing nothing but his dog tags, with one of them between your plush lips and the other resting at the center of your chest

“Sorry, lads, gotta run.” He’s back at the table, grabbing his coat and his keys

“Already? We just got here.” Gaz shouted after him as he practically sprinted out of the building

“Shame. Be seein’ ya!”

He’s well over the speed limit and fighting his keys to get them in the lock, in a matter of seconds he’s got you in his arms, kissing the breath out of you

By the end of the night, and well into the morning, there won’t be a single inch of you that hasn’t been lavished

John Price:

Daddy? Sorry. Daddy? Sorry. Da-

John is a patient man, he can bide his time well, knowing what it does to you

So when he sees the text and the attachment that followed, it wasn’t any different. He could wait. He knew what it was. He’s a patient man. So, just like Ghost, he waited. Except even when he was alone he didn’t open it. He’d text you as if he never saw the message and it had you wondering if it had any effect on him at all.

Sweetheart, of course it did. He could feel his phone burning a hole through his pocket despite being cool to the touch. But he wanted to wait until he knew for sure he was going home and when.

He was on the way home when he finally decided to open the picture and thank god he waited

You were sat in his favorite chair, legs crossed over the armrest, back arched over the other, wearing nothing but his hat, with one of his cigars lit between your fingers, you had captioned it with ‘what can I say? I miss my man’

If he’d seen the picture when you’d sent it, he wouldn’t be thinking straight for the rest of his time over seas. No thoughts. Head empty. Just bending you over one of the armrests and biting down on your shoulder as you’re crying out his name.

And that’s exactly what he did when he saw you.

Kyle ‘Gaz’ Garrick:

Oh honey, even though your text said ‘your eyes only’ he shrugged and figured no one was around to see so he opened it and his face went hot so fast, he barely had a chance to take a good look before he locked the phone and put it in his pocket.

He backed out of his chair rather clumsily and practically tripped over his feet trying to get to the bathroom

The lock had barely clicked when he dug his phone out of his pocket to get a better look and my god you looked delectable

You were wearing his cap and his jacket, which you left open, with nothing else. You were sitting on the bed in front of the mirror, legs spread, biting your lip, tweaking your nipple with you free hand

‘Wish my man would serve me instead instead.’

He didn’t even bother going back to meet up with everyone else, he just went straight home, he scooped you up in his arms, kissing you for all you’re worth, before placing you on the edge of the bed and dropping to his knees.

And serve you he did.

[jammyjen26]

ALL PICTURE CREDS. TO THE OWNERS (FOUND THE PICTURES ON PINTEREST)!!

Simon Riley, late valentines post!

Simon unfortunately had to go on a 6 week long mission right as the month February started which made him unable to be there on valentines day.

Although you told him that you didn’t care about the holiday he decided to surprise you on his day back. He comes home and he just tells you to get dressed. (Your outfit at the end of page!)

Very confused on why he’s in a rush and telling you to get dressed, you question him.

“Why? Is something going on?”

You say as he’s undressing and rushing to get in the shower. Throwing the clothes in the laundry hamper without thought.

“You’ll find out later, mama. Be patient. Here, put these on.”

He kisses your cheek and hands you a bag with a box of shoes and clothes before heading into the shower.

You take each item out of the bag and gasp, smiling at the cute outfit once you’ve finished putting it on. You want to question him but you know how stubborn he is so you just do your hair and makeup and wait for him.

He gets dressed in an all black suit(his outfit at the end of the page also).

“Close those pretty eyes for me, mama?”

He asks as he grabs a blindfold, he notices your suspicious expression and just chuckles. Once he blindfolds you, he carries you downstairs, he sets you on your feet and locks the house door.

You can hear him unlocking the car and fixing things before your blindfold is taken off, he hands you a bouquet of money and a bouquet of red roses. His eyes light up at your shocked expression, tears welling up in your eyes.

“Simon.. I..I don’t know what to say..”

You hug him tightly and kiss him. His hands immediately find their way to your hips and pulling you closer to him.

“You didn’t have to, I told you that I did-“

He cuts you off by placing his finger on your lips.

“Shh mama, let a man love his pretty girl yeah? You deserve more than this if we’re being honest.”

He opens the car door and a basket of gifts is sitting in the passenger seat leaving you gasping once again. You can’t thank him enough, he puts the gifts in the backseat and buckles you up in the passenger seat.

“Where are we going?” You ask as he starts driving.

“It’s a surprise for a reason, if I told you it wouldn’t be a surprise.” His hand squeezes your thigh.

After a long car ride of you asking him various questions, you arrive at a restaurant. You walk in and notice how the place is decorated and there seems to be a curtain that’s separating half of the restaurant as if to not let you see. You also notice how it’s just you two and the workers.

“Did you reserve the place? No way..Simon Riley, this must’ve been so expensive.” You guys walk over to a table and sit down.

“Just enjoy it, Mrs. Riley. You deserve it.” He smirks and gives you a warm smile.

The table has wine and champagne inside an ice bucket, a champagne glass and a wine glass with plates as well. You put the napkin on your lap as the waiter gives you guys the menu.

“Woah, this is so cool.” You look around the restaurant with a big smile on your lips, not noticing the way he’s been staring at your left hand and fidgeting with his pocket.

After a great filling dinner, he blindfolds you again and leads you to where the curtains are. Walking past the curtains, he turns you around and makes you face a projector. He takes off the blindfold and a video starts playing.

It’s clips of him after his mission with Price, Gaz, Soap, Alex, Graves and more.

“Hello Y/N! We are Ghost’s aka Simon’s friends. And today we are here to deliver a message.” Price says.

“Before we begin, don’t turn around until we say so okay?” Gaz says.

Everyone introduces themselves and they both read something off of a paper.

As you’re busy watching the video, Simon is on one knee behind you. Waiting for when the video tells you to turn around.

After everyone made a speech that describes your relationship with Simon and how it’s made Simon a better person and how he truly loves and trusts you.

“And now turn around!” Everyone in the video says before the video cuts off.

You turn and immediately gasp, tears wetting your eyes as Simon is on one knee with a love sick smile on his lips. One hand holding a small box with the same ring that you’ve been talking about.

“Y/N, I seriously can’t describe how much I love you. I am a monster, I’ve killed thousands if not millions of people in my line of work. Yet you somehow still find a way to love me, my past, my scars, and even my trauma. You’ve been nothing but an angel to me, I don’t say it often and I definitely should say it more but I truly love you so much. So.. will you marry me?” He says, tears wetting his eyes as well.

“Yes!” You jump on him, making him fall to the ground.

After multiple hugs he puts the ring on your finger, as if on cue your favorite song starts playing and he starts dancing with you. You spend the day bragging about your proposal and clinging to him. Posting the proposal video on all your socials as well as his so everyone knows that he’s a taken man.

Of course you two fuck that night, the best fuck of your life from the man that you love.

————————————————————————

The pics:

[unreliablesnake]

Is it too soon? (Simon Riley x f!reader)

Summary: Simon meets you at a cemetery by accident, but by the time you go on your first date, he already knows this will be something serious.

Length: 3.9k words

Note: Simon falls fast and falls hard. / If you want to know when I post new stuff, follow @unreliablesnakefics and hit the get notifications button.

Simon couldn’t believe that it had already been a year since he lost his family. The nightmares were still there to remind him of that period of his life each night, but somehow he got almost used to having them. Being on mission after mission probably helped him get over the pain quite fast, but returning home was always a hard moment. It always brought back the bad memories that then poisoned his mind for the next few days.

Today he came to the cemetery to leave a few fresh flowers at the graves, hoping it could make him come to terms with how things turned out this year. It was only the first anniversary, but he was already three months late because of the mission he’d been on. Shit happens, he knew that, but it still hurt to know he wasn’t where he was supposed to be.

“Excuse me,” he heard a thin voice from somewhere behind him. When he turned around with a cocked eyebrow, his eyes landed on you, this sad-looking but otherwise gorgeous young woman. He gulped, but didn’t say anything, only waited for you to say what you wanted. “You dropped your earbuds when you tried to put them in your pocket.”

He looked down at your extended hand that held his earbuds just as you said. “Thanks,” was all he managed to say.

Hesitantly, but he eventually reached out to take them from you, and he could’ve sworn there was a spark when his fingers touched your soft skin. It was bad, he shouldn’t pick up a woman in a goddamn cemetery, but he couldn’t let you go. Something told him you were special, that there could be something between the two of you. So he cleared his throat as he shoved the earbuds into his pockets–this time double checking to make sure they were safe–and let his eyes lock with yours for the first time since you had spoken to him.

“Are you on your way out or have you just arrived?” he asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.

“I’m on my way out. I guess you’ve just arrived,” you said with a small smile, earning a surprised look from the soldier. “The flowers. I’m sure you didn’t come here to steal them.”

Simon looked down at the small bouquet in his hands. “You’re correct. I know it probably sounds creepy in a place like this, but would you walk with me to the graves I’m here to visit?” he asked you.

Like a curious puppy, you tilted your head to the side as you watched him. He felt like running away without a word, hiding somewhere while you left the premises. But in the end you flashed a delicate smile at him and nodded. “Sure, why not?”

The two of you began to walk, and the silence that fell between the two of you was strangely comfortable. Just having you around calmed him down. Even when he stopped in front of his family’s grave, you just stood there next to him and waited patiently for him to be the first one to speak up. As he put the flowers on the headstone, he wondered what to say. He asked you to join him, but he didn’t think this far ahead.

When he looked over at you, he noticed that you were reading the text on the headstone. “My entire family is here. They died a bit over a year ago,” he explained without you asking anything.

“I’m sorry,” you told him. “Accident?”

What was he supposed to say? The truth? That would just scare you away. But he didn’t want to begin whatever this could be with a lie, so he decided to tell you some of what happened. “No, they were murdered,” he said quietly.

This clearly piqued your interest, but you decided not to intrude his privacy. Simon felt his emotions slowly take over, and the tears began to gather in his eyes as he remembered the day of his brother’s wedding. You probably noticed, because soon you reached out to take his hand in yours, fingers curling around his in the most gentle way.

After a good three minutes of silence, he took a deep breath, then turned to you with a weak smile. “Thanks for being here with me.”

The two of you left the cemetery in another round of comfortable silence, but only when you stepped outside to the street did the cloud over his brain lift. He hadn’t even asked for your name, and you joined him without knowing his. He could be a serial killer for all you knew, yet you agreed to be by his side without a question.

Simon drew circles on your hand with his thumb while he watched you with an intrigued look on his face. How could a cute girl like you be so trusting in this world? He wondered how many people had taken advantage of your naivety before, but he sure wasn’t about to be one of them.

“I’m Simon, by the way,” he finally introduced himself.

You flashed a smile at him before telling him your name. A cute girl with an equally cute name. He couldn’t hide the grin that wanted to creep on his face, and for the first time in months he felt like going on a date with someone. With you, to be specific. He looked down at your hand that was still holding his, wondering why you hadn’t let go of it yet. There was something about you that he just couldn’t describe, no matter how hard he tried to find the right words in his mind. Special didn’t cut it. It wasn’t a good enough word to describe what he felt.

In the end it was him who pulled away his hand to take his phone from his pocket, only to unlock the screen and tap on the add a new contact icon before handing it to you. “Can I get your number?”

This was a long shot, he knew it. You probably just took pity on him, so you weren’t truly interested in him. But then you took the device and typed in the details. Once you were done, you started a call to yourself and gave the phone back to him. “Now you know it’s my real number,” you said with an adorable chuckle. “Do you want to drink a cup of coffee or something?”

“Right now?”

“Yeah, if you’re free.”

All of his plans for today had been sitting on the couch and watching some TV, maybe calling Price to see if he needed any help so he wouldn’t be alone at home. Being in the company of another human being might help him forget about his late family members, and the fact this other human was a woman like you was just the cherry on top.

So he agreed, and the two of you got in his car and drove to a café you suggested. What quickly became obvious was the lack of flirting from your part, which made him wonder if you even considered this whole thing a date. It made him sad, actually; the possibility of him misreading the situation was mortifying. How could he be so out of practice?

After an agonizing two hours that passed with a pleasant but definitely not flirtatious conversation, the two of you said goodbye and he finally headed home. He should have cooked something for himself, but in the end he decided to order from a nearby restaurant instead and watch some dumb romcom to turn off his brain for a while.

The next day passed slowly with chores around the apartment and some grocery shopping, but then his phone buzzed in his pocket. He expected it to be Price, telling him it was time for another mission, or Johnny, who would send him some meme without context. But when he glanced at the screen, he saw it was you who messaged him.

You: Feeling better today?

A smile crept on Simon’s lips as he read the short text. Even if it wouldn’t be a romantic relationship, he might have just gained a new friend.

Simon: Yeah, thanks. What about you?

You: I’m good. Enjoying my week off. Do you have plans for tonight? We could hang out.

He had to stop and think about the answer. If neither of you worked that day, you could have met in the afternoon. But you wanted to meet in the evening. His delusional side told him you just asked him out, but his rational side reminded him that you had sent absolutely no signals that would prove you were interested in him in this sense.

You: Sorry if I seem a little pushy.

Simon: No, it’s not that, I just took a quick call.

A lie. Great start.

You: So how about tonight then?

Simon: Maybe we could watch a movie?

You: Sounds good to me.

Simon: Pick a movie and tell me where to meet. Or I can pick you up at home.

You: Okay :)

God, how he wished it was a date. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been on one. And you were so good to him, he was sure you would be a great girlfriend. Hell, you were a great wife material. But he fantasized about something he might never get, so it was only good for torturing his heart.

Once he got home, he went straight to his closet to figure out what to wear. He didn’t want to be too formal, but he didn’t want to be too casual either. He had to find the middle ground, something that would grab your attention, but wouldn’t scream ‘I’m desperate, please, look at me’ either.

After half an hour he gave up and called Johnny. “Hey, so I need advice, and I know for a fact you go on quite a few dates when you’re not on a mission,” he said into the phone.

The sergeant sounded a little offended when he let out a dry laugh. “You make me sound like I was a manwhore. But I’ll overlook that for now. What do you need help with?”

“What the fuck am I supposed to wear when I’m meeting a woman but it’s not a date?” he asked.

“But you wish it was a date,” was all the younger man said, probably having a wide grin on his face.

Simon pinched the bridge of his nose. That was on him. He brought this on himself when he called his only proper friend. “That’s beside the point, Johnny,” he replied.

But he wasn’t about to let go of this topic. “No, no, no, it matters. You see, if you dress right, if you act right, you might be able to turn this into a real date.”

“I’m listening,” the lieutenant said with a sigh.

He could imagine the sergeant sitting down and leaning back with his free hand resting on the back of his neck as he took his time to enjoy the chance to teach his superior something new, something he could tease him with on their next mission. But it was a risk he was willing to take, after all he needed all the help he could get. He didn’t really know why, but he truly wanted you to change your mind and see him as a possible boyfriend. It was pathetic, that one he knew, but this was the truth. You’ve been on his mind ever since you said goodbye the day before, and he didn’t even want to forget about you.

“Here’s the thing,” Johnny began, keeping his voice down as if he was telling him a secret. And maybe this was a real secret, the trick he used to get the girls he was chasing, and Simon became a member of a possibly very tiny circle that knew about this. He was honestly grateful for the advice, and even made a mental note to go easy on him the next time they met.

With all the information he had gathered from Johnny, Simon could barely sleep that night. All he could think about was possibly fucking up things with you, that maybe he shouldn’t follow this plan, but then he realized that he didn’t have better ideas. His brain froze from the mere thought of talking to you again, as if he was back in high school when he was too traumatized by his family issues to think he was good enough for someone.

The next day he often had his phone in his hand, ready to open the messaging app and send you a text to cancel. Other times he just wanted to ask you how you were, if you were still willing to meet him tonight. His head was a mess, and he was honestly grateful that he wasn’t on a mission right now. He couldn’t focus, he wasn’t sure about anything, and if he was in a situation where his life was on the line, he would definitely be dead by now.

“Get it together, dammit,” he mumbled to himself as he collected his keys and opened the front door in the evening as he was leaving.

His phone buzzed in his hand, and before he glanced at the screen, he expected it to be a supportive or teasing text from Johnny. It could be either of those, he never knew with him. But his heart stopped for a second when he saw it was from you. You probably wanted to cancel at the last minute.

You: I might be a few minutes late. But I’ll be there before the movie begins, I promise!!!

So you were coming. He wrote a simple okay, afraid to write more than that. He didn’t want to sound desperate, even though he was truly desperate at the moment. He could only hope Johnny’s plan would work and he could turn this into a date, because there was nothing he wanted more than giving you a goodbye kiss. He wasn’t even dreaming about expecting more from the night. A kiss would be a start. A good start.

It took him half an hour to get there, arriving ten minutes early despite you warning him that you’d be late. But he wanted to be there just in case. That, and he never knew how bad the traffic would be. He was looking at his phone while he waited for you, wondering if he should text someone just to pass the time. Maybe ask Price if they were supposed to return soon, just so he would know how to plan with you. If there was anything to plan. He hadn’t known that yet.

In the end you were only fifteen minutes late, which was much less than the at least half an hour he had in mind for some reason. You were wearing a gorgeous navy blue dress under your coat, and he was seriously thinking about pulling you into a hug to warm you up a bit. Why did you dress like that when it was so chilly outside? Maybe you wanted to impress him. But if you wanted to impress him, then this could just as well be a date.

You stopped in front of him with a wide smile, your hands folded behind your back as you looked up at him. It was real torture that he couldn’t act on his instinct and pull you close to him, pressing a soft kiss on your forehead before gently pressing your face into his chest. It was so damn pathetic that after only meeting you once for a good half an hour or hour, he was already this lost in his feelings for you. He didn’t even know what you were like in real life. All he had were a bunch of social media posts that he may or may not have checked after getting home last afternoon.

“I’m sorry you had to wait,” you said before suddenly hugging him, wrapping your arms around his body.

Before his brain could catch up, he put his hands on your back and rested his chin on top of your head. You didn’t seem to mind, and to his surprise, you even mumbled something into his chest. He wanted to know what you said, but he didn’t want to end this moment. Who knew how this night would end, maybe this was his last chance to be this close to you.

“We should buy the tickets,” you told him when you leaned back to look up at him.

“Or we could stay like this,” Simon suggested with a lazy smile.

With a quiet chuckle you stood on your toes and placed a soft kiss on his chin. “Too bad I really want to see that movie,” you noted before stepping away from him.

The sudden lack of contact made him sad, but you immediately took his hand which quickly made things right. To make sure you wouldn’t let go, he laced his fingers with yours and let you pull him after you. Wherever you went, he would surely follow, he knew that much by now. He didn’t even try to hide the smile he had on his face; that big, stupid, and happy smile which was a clear sign that he was falling in love with you at record speed.

As the night progressed, he realized that he had been stressing over nothing. You were clearly interested in him as a possible boyfriend, otherwise you would have spent the rest of the evening clinging to him like that. During the whole movie you had your head resting on his shoulder, fingers intertwined and resting on your thigh, and when you went to grab a drink in a nearby bar, your eyes were always on him as you sat at a table in the corner. You had those big, beautiful eyes he couldn’t get bored of, and being with you felt like a privilege.

There was something about you that made him wonder why you let him so close this fast. Even in the cemetery you joined him without a word, then initiated tonight’s meeting before he could gather the courage to suggest it. This could be dangerous, he could have been a bad guy, but lucky for you, he wasn’t as scary as he looked in his private life. You made him soft without even trying, and you made his mind wander far away, escaping reality as long as he could look at you and touch you.

“My dad would be disappointed in me, you know,” you suddenly said, earning a questioning hum from him. You flashed a smile at him before taking the straw between your lips so you could take a sip of your drink before answering. “He always warned me about tough guys like you. Said I should be careful, that I should stay away for my own safety.”

Simon’s eyes narrowed at this. “He thought a guy like that would hurt you? Did something like this happen in the past?”

You were quick to shake your head and put up a hand. “God, no, it’s just… He always assumed they would hurt me emotionally. You know, they would cheat on me or turn out to be narcissistic assholes,” you explained with a laugh before reaching out to take his hand. “But he would like you. Actually, you would be the first guy I would confidently introduce to my parents without worrying about their reaction.”

“So you’re thinking this far ahead, huh?” he asked teasingly. You sank lower in your chair with your bottom lip between your teeth, but didn’t say a word. “Don’t worry, I’m already planning our wedding.” Your eyes widened upon hearing this, so he let out a laugh and raised your hand to his lips. “Just kidding. But I really like you. That one’s true.”

“I like you too.” Your gaze turned to your watch and you let out a sad sigh when you noticed the time. “I should get going. I have to wake up early tomorrow if I don’t wanna be late from work,” you told him with an apologetic smile.

He nodded, but he was sure you could see his disappointment. “Can I take you home? I wouldn’t want you to go alone.”

“I’d love that.”

The two of you left the bar hand in hand, and Simon didn’t miss the moments when you looked up at him with that adorable smile of yours. As it turned out, you didn’t live that far away from each other. Once he found a free spot a little further away from the building you lived in, he parked his car and offered to walk you to the door.

Just to be sure you got home safe. His hope to get a goodnight kiss had nothing to do with this.

He couldn’t hold back the short laugh that erupted from him for no reason. What was so funny? The fact he oh-so-desperately wanted to taste your lips? Whatever it was, he knew you were the root of the problem. If he wasn’t here with you, he wouldn’t be laughing at stupid things like some idiot.

“What is it?” you asked with a curious smile.

But he only shook his head. “Nothing.”

You came to a sudden halt and pointed at the building next to you, telling him that was your stop. “But seriously, what’s so funny? I want to laugh too,” you said with a pout.

Were you even aware of the effect you had on him? He highly doubted that. So he put his fears aside and leaned down to kiss you, his hand simultaneously moving to the back of your neck. You didn’t resist, in fact you deepened the kiss, even playfully biting in his lip while you tried to devour him.

Simon knew he had to stop this before you would do something you would regret later. This was only your first date, you were in no rush to get to the bedroom, no matter how badly his body craved yours.

“You said you had to wake up early tomorrow,” he said when he pulled away to your disappointment. “Go to sleep, gorgeous.”

You flashed a sad smile at him, but you nodded. “Goodnight, Simon,” you said quietly.

He flashed a supportive smile at you as he gently grabbed your chin to make you look at him. “Sleep tight. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

Once he got home, Simon took a look at his phone. He could only roll his eyes when he saw several messages from not only Johnny, but Kyle and Price as well. The rumor mill was working at full speed that day apparently. But then his eyes noticed one that wasn’t like the others.

You: Is it stupid that I think I’m already falling in love with you after our first date?

A smile appeared on Simon’s face when he read these words. You were a little drunk, so this must be drunk honesty.

Simon: I feel the same way. If it’s stupid, then we’re both idiots.

You: I love you.

You: Or is it too soon?

You: Oh, gosh, it’s too soon.

You: I’m sorry.

Simon: Hey, calm down, it’s okay. I love you too.

Simon: Now go to sleep.

[qtboni]

#.QTBONI‘S — RULES & MASTERLIST !

the curated collection of my written works, organized by fandom and characters. these stories feature mature adult themes and content, and every character depicted in the works is written as an 18+ individual.

「 this is a multi, n/sfw content blog <3 minors & ageless blogs dni! 」 + please read all tags and content warnings before reading!

SERIES

1000 followers event

FICS

⋆៹ SIMON RILEY ᵎᵎ

love language ꒰ despite his difficulty in expressing his emotions, he still finds ways to show his love for you ꒱

melting into your arms ꒰ him melting into your arms after a rough day at work ꒱

shattered hopes ꒰ he lashes out on you and was very dismissive over your efforts for him ꒱

rebuilding hopes ꒰ after an argument with you, he feels a deep sense of remorse for the pain he caused ꒱

loved imperfections ꒰ he reassures your insecurities with loving words ꒱

sweet dreams, my love ꒰ he woke up to you sleeping far away from him in the bed so he pulls you back to him ꒱

a lil' vampire you are ꒰ you bite him with your canine teeth and he gets feral for it ꒱

wild cowboy ꒰ he indulges you in your pretty lil fantasies of him being a cowboy ꒱

shying away ꒰ he encourages and guides you on what he wants to do to you ꒱

atrapada ꒰ kidnapped and tortured in front of him, he has to endure all of it until he gets his hands on your captor ꒱

⋆៹ KÖNIG ᵎᵎ

rest well, mein liebe ꒰ he lets you rest on his shoulder, and him also resting on top of your head ꒱

love in the emergency room ꒰ you were brought into the emergency room and he was your emergency contact ꒱

bloodstained love ꒰ yandere slasher au, he comes home to you after killing someone and asks you if you're proud of him ꒱

⋆៹ CAPTAIN PRICE ᵎᵎ

cocoa kisses ꒰ he craves warmth and safety, which he finds whenever he comes to you, the person he loves ꒱

what'd u call me? ꒰ fatherfigure au, where you accidentally calls him dad ꒱

⋆៹ VARIOUS ᵎᵎ

hug me close ꒰ having cold hands for cuddles ꒱

our journey begins ꒰ their reaction to the news of your pregnancy ꒱

💬 | hi bb !! i love sharing my thoughts and hearing from you . so , please feel free to reblog and engage with my content as much as you like ! ur interactions are always appreciated . thank you <3 alsk please read the rules thoroughly b4 you interact or send in a reqs . extra note , my prev username was @tsunagi | person in pfp is not me , it is @/yuprntae on ig .

˒ ៸៸𓂃 RULES ! 彡 ·˚

dni if u are a person that fits in the basic dni criteria ( ___phobic , racist , etc. ) , and leaves negative comments ; get out , do not leave traces of you here .

when requesting a story / idea , please provide a clear and concise description of what you're looking for . the more details you provide, the easier it will be for me to understand your request .

when requesting smth under the topic of nsfw , pls do be considerate of your language and phrases . i hve received some asks that are so explicit , it was hard for me to read it over .

pls be patient . while i do receive your reqs , allow time for me to consider and respond to it cz im like a slow writer LMAOO .

if maybe i missed a tag or a topic that is / are NEEDED to be put to , please don’t hesitate to chat or ask with me and i’ll gladly look through it .

read the warnings (cw/tw tags) first if you’re going to be reading my works ! some of them may contain sensitive topics or any type of topics that might trigger you . i don’t intend to cause any kind of harm to my readers so please, don’t forget to read through it .

while i occasionally engage in flirtatious banter on my blog esp w/ petnames , it should be understood as purely in jest and not meant to make anyone feel uncomfortable .

if you're not comfortable with my type of language or humor , please feel free to unfollow me without any hard feelings . i respect everyone's boundaries and preferences in this regard .

be respectful pls . it's important to treat everyone with kindness and dignity in and out of my blog . refrain from making judgmental and insensitive comments .

criticism abt me or any of my works are not welcome unless specifically requested .

do not distribute my works far outside Tumblr w/o my permission and credits . you are not authorized to translate or copy any of my works. plagiarism is forbidden .

˒ ៸៸𓂃 MSG FOR U ! 彡 ·˚

want to be mutuals w/ me ?? sure sure !! js send me a msg in my dms or inbox <3 as long as you're 17+ & also an ff writer ofc , it should be no problem (exceptionally when i follow u and u follow me back 🤗)

i put my heart and soul into the stories that i write, and i work hard to fulfill your hunger as quickly as possible HAHA /hj .

as an aspiring writer , i get my inspiration from my daily life occurrences . sometimes, it can be challenging to find motivation to write, which is why i've made the decision to start ( somehow ) share my personal stories as a way to practice and improve my writing skills . i've found that writing about my experiences and feelings is cathartic and healing, and i hope that my stories can provide comfort and inspiration to others who can relate <3

pls respect me as i am a human person like you & continue on showing love to everybody pls :)) my blog and my works are wholeheartedly dedicated to my fellow fanfic readers and writers . thank you guys for the endless support !! you guys make my days feel worth it sm . not kidding :((

© qtboni | 2023: please do not use my works without my permission . do not plagiarize , repost , or translate any of my writings as well as my theme . thank you .

[massivedrickhead]

Bechloe Week 2021 - Day 5

July 30th: “You don’t know who I am, do you?”

Read on AO3

This is heavy heavy angst. It’s pretty sad (imo) and also kinda long. So, you know, read at your own risk.

-

With a throbbing in her hip, and a tight pain across her chest, Beca eased herself out of the cab she’d taken, and looked up at the entrance to Barden Nursing Home.

Although she visited several times a week, it seemed like they added more stairs each time she came.

“Can I give you a hand ma’am?”

“Well that depends, Raheem,” Beca said. Her voice wasn’t as strong as it had once been, but anyone who knew her could still detect the bite of sarcasm that filled almost every sentence. “Are you going to call me ma’am again, or are you going to call me Beca?”

Raheem smiled at her from his driver side window.

“Come on Mrs Mitchell, I can’t call you that. What would my grandmother say if she knew I was disrespecting my elders?”

Beca laughed and shook her head. “If you insist.” She held out an arm for him to take, and he left his cab immediately.

Truthfully, she didn’t think she’d make it up on her own anymore.

The doctor had given her a year, give or take, but she knew her own body.

This would be her last visit to Barden Nursing Home.

“Do you want me to wait with the cab?” Raheem asked when they reached the entryway.

“No, no,” Beca said. “The girls are meeting me here, they can drive me home.”

“I’ll see you next week then?”

Probably not. “I’ll give you a call.”

Raheem was Beca’s favourite driver and he happened to be the owner of the cab company, so he always made sure he was the one to drive Beca to her destination.

His mother had been a fan of hers, he’d told her during one of their first journeys, which made her feel older than she was. Or older than she thought she was. It still surprised her when she looked in the mirror and saw an old lady looking back at her.

She didn’t really recognise herself anymore.

Now that her hair was grey, her back slightly hunched, her joints sore and swollen.

They had taken her drivers licence a few years back due to her deteriorating eyesight, and her hearing wasn’t what it was.

And now her lungs were shot. Her liver. Her heart.

Her body was failing her, worsening by the day.

She was in almost constant pain, but she still had her mind. Her mind remained as sharp as it ever was.

For that, she was grateful.

Most of the time, anyway.

Leaning on a cane, with a bunch of flowers in her other hand, she made her way through the reception area.

“Morning Beca,” one of the nurses greeted her warmly. “She’s in her room today, didn’t feel like being social.”

“Thanks hun,” Beca replied. “How is she?”

“One of her better days.”

Good, Beca thought. That’s good.

If today was going to be her last visit, she wanted it to be a good one.

She knocked on door 216, and waited for a response.

“Come in,” came a voice that was both achingly familiar yet totally alien.

“Hi,” Beca said, smiling warmly as she entered the room.

Chloe was sitting in a chair by the window, a blanket over her knees.

Her once red hair was now silver, tied in a neat ponytail. She was still looking outside, but Beca knew her bright blue eyes were now milky and flat. Clouded.

Chloe turned to face her visitor.

“Can I help you?”

Beca felt something hard lodge itself in her chest.

She would never get used to this feeling. She never wanted to get used to this feeling.

She waited for a sign of recognition. A smile or a twinkle, but there was nothing.

Chloe simply looked at her with a patient curiosity.

Well, Beca thought. That’s that, then.

“I was just wondering if you would like some company? I’m new here and I don’t really know anyone.” She placed the flowers in an empty vase of water that she knew the nurses had left there for her, like they did every time she visited.

“Yes, okay. That would be fine,” Chloe said. “I’m Chloe Beale.” She held out her hand for Beca to shake.

Beca shook it, trying not to let the stab of pain show on her face at the sound of Chloe using her maiden name.

“Beca Mitchell,” Beca said, fighting the urge to cover Chloe’s hands with both of her own.

Even after all these years, Beca still wanted nothing more than to pull Chloe into her arms and kiss her.

She couldn’t remember the last time they’d really kissed. The last time they’d lain in bed together while Chloe ran her fingers through Beca’s hair. The last time Chloe had been Chloe.

Chloe’s diagnosis and the progression of her illness had been sudden and devastating and brutally quick.

It was so cruel, Beca thought almost every minute of every day, that she still had Chloe so close yet she couldn’t have been further from her.

“I’m afraid you can’t stay too long,” Chloe said. “My daughters are coming to visit later.”

She remembers the girls, Beca thought. That’s good.

Some days Chloe had no recollection of their daughters. Some days, Chloe had no recollection of any of them.

But once in a while, God, it was so rare now, Chloe would remember Beca and who they’d been together.

“Is that so?” Beca asked. “How old are your daughters?”

“Oh, I don’t know, middle-aged-ish. One’s older than the other,” Chloe said, waving a dismissive hand. “Of an age where they think they’re old but they don’t know they’re actually still very young.”

“Hmm, they must be the same age as my kids. What are their names?”

“Well there’s Blake and, um… shoot. I had it. Begins with a B…”

No it doesn’t.

“No it doesn’t,” Chloe said, shaking her head. “Hayley.”

Riley.

“Riley!”

Beca smiled. If only I could get you to remember me so easily.

“Do you have grandkids?” Beca asked.

“No,” Chloe said with a sigh.

Yes you do. You have four, and they’re beautiful.

“Do you?”

“Yes,” Beca said. “A little too much energy for me to handle these days.”

Chloe seemed to study Beca for a fraction longer.

“You know, you look a lot like my wife. Older, of course, but there’s something about the nose and the smile…”

Beca laughed because if she didn’t she would cry. “Is that right? Well to be honest I wasn’t going to say anything, but you look a lot like my wife.”

“How weird,” Chloe said.

“She was beautiful, just like you,” Beca said, fiddling with the wedding band she still wore.

“Is she still with us?”

Beca looked into Chloe’s eyes, searching for some semblance of the Chloe Beale she had fallen in love with. Searching for a glimmer of recognition. A spark. Anything.

“No,” Beca said. “We lost her a few years ago.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Chloe said, placing her hand on Beca’s as if that’s where it was meant to be. “How awful for you. You must miss her terribly.”

Beca let out a small laugh and tears filled her eyes.

It was unbearable to mourn someone who was sitting two feet in front of you.

“More than anything. We had,” Beca swallowed hard but her voice still broke when she spoke again, “the best life together. She was my best friend… my everything.”

Chloe squeezed her hand. “How lucky you are to have felt love like that. To have loved so strongly that even after all these years you’re still…” Chloe trailed off and looked out of the window again.

“Did… is your wife still with us?” Beca asked, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.

“My… sorry, what did you say?”

“Is your wife still alive?”

“Oh, I don’t have a wife dear,” Chloe said, smiling. “This ginger is single and ready to mingle as my grandkids would say.”

Again, that knife in her heart.

Her grandkids were back, replacing her wife, and with them a spark of the old Chloe.

“Maybe you’ll meet someone here,” Beca said, the sadness taking hold of her now. Settling into her bones in the same way that the damp made her hip throb. “It’s never too late.”

“God, you’re crying, are you okay?”

“Perfectly fine,” Beca said, smiling. “Just thinking about my Chloe has made me go all… well… foolish is probably the best word.”

“Your… Chloe?”

“My wife,” Beca said. “Her name was Chloe.” She swallowed as she looked at the uncomprehending face before her. “She was beautiful. So beautiful. Red hair and bright blue eyes and she was kind, and good, and safe. She was my best my soulmate. And she had a voice like an angel. I’d give…” Beca swallowed again, “I’d give anything to hear her sing again. To hear my Chloe sing again.”

“Beca…”

“Do you know what she said to me the first time we kissed? She promised I would never lose her. We were in a tiny apartment in Brooklyn and she promised I wouldn’t lose her. But that’s the kind of promise only a kid could make. They have no idea, how could they?”

“Beca.”

Chloe’s hand gripped Beca’s and squeezed it. Tight.

“My… Beca?”

And there she was. Back like she’d never gone away.

“Chloe? You… you remember me?”

“Of course I remember you,” Chloe said. Then her eyebrows furrowed, and she looked around her room. “This isn’t our house.”

“No.”

Chloe swallowed and nodded. “I’m… I’m not well, am I?”

Beca sniffed and shook her head.

“Alzheimer’s?”

“Ah ha,” Beca said, fighting to keep her voice steady.

“Like my mom… How long?”

“T-two years,” Beca said. “I tried to take care of you but then I fell and broke my hip and I just… I couldn’t manage on my own anymore. The girls insisted. You’ve been here for about a year. You… you seem happy.”

Beca knew this lucidity wouldn’t last.

Chloe would be gone again, and probably soon.

This was her last chance.

“I love you, Chloe Mitchell, do you hear me? My heart belongs completely to you. And one day… one day soon, I’m not gonna be able to come and visit you anymore. And there may be days where you remember me, but you won’t remember I’m gone, and you’re gonna feel hurt and betrayed. You’re going to think I abandoned you,” Beca squeezed Chloe’s hand again, “but I promise you, if it was up to me, I would never leave your side.”

“So stay,” Chloe said, her voice breaking. “Stay with me.”

Beca gave her a sad smile. “In a few hours, you won’t remember me, baby.”

“How could I ever forget you?”

“Mom?” A voice spoke up from the doorway, and Beca turned to see Blake and Riley standing there. “Is everything-”

“Girls!” Chloe said, brightly. “Come in and meet my new friend Beca.”

No.

Not yet.

Please, not yet.

“Your new friend Beca?”

Beca forced the smile back onto her face, and she stood up.

“Nice to meet you,” Beca said, looking into the faces of her daughters. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

She turned to face Chloe.

“You’re leaving?”

“I should let you have some time with your girls,” Beca said. She took Chloe’s hand in hers, and looked at her wife for what would be the last time. “It was truly a pleasure meeting you, Chloe.”

“I’ll see you again I hope?”

Beca smiled. “Of course. You’ll remember what I said?”

Chloe tilted her head, her eyebrows pulled together in confusion.

“It’s okay,” Beca said. “I know you heard it. It’ll come back to you when you need it.”

“Okay,” Chloe said, still confused. “Do you think… would it be okay if we hugged? You can ask the girls, I’m a hugger.”

She heard a small sniff and she saw Riley quickly leave the room.

“Allergies,” Blake said, quickly.

“Of course we can hug,” Beca said. “I’ve had a wonderful afternoon with you Chloe.”

Chloe stood, her blanket slipping off her lap, and she wrapped her arms around Beca, and Beca hugged back as tight as she dared.

She buried her face in Chloe’s neck and breathed in.

She still smelled like Chloe.

“You know Beca, I think we’re gonna be really fast friends.”

And everything inside of Beca broke.

“Hey, what is it?” Chloe said, softly as Beca clung to her and cried.

“Mom, it’s okay,” Blake said. She stuck her head out of the door and called to her younger sister.

Chloe shot Blake a look of confusion as this apparent stranger sobbed into her shoulder.

“You’re okay,” Chloe said, softly. “Come on, now, you’re okay. I’ve got you.”

“I love you,” Beca whispered into her ear, choking it out between sobs. “Don’t forget that, okay? I love you.”

“Okay, that’s, um, very nice,” Chloe said.

Beca’s chest started feeling tight as she struggled to get air into her lungs.

“Why don’t you sit down? We can call a nurse and-”

“No,” Beca said, quickly, struggling to suck air into her useless lungs. “I just need… in my bag.”

“Here,” Blake said, handing her her inhaler.

“Thank you,” Beca said, taking several deep puffs from it. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have… I’m sorry, Chloe.”

She looked at Chloe again, and knew with certainty it was for the last time.

She had gotten a couple of minutes with Chloe - the real Chloe - this afternoon and that was more than she could have hoped for.

“It really was lovely to meet you Chloe,” she said.

“Yes, you too,” Chloe replied, although she sounded less than convincing. “See you another time?”

“I look forward to it,” Beca said.

“Riley, why don’t you make sure… Beca, here, gets to where she needs to be,” Blake said, looking between her parents with pain in her eyes.

“Sure,” Riley said.

When they were away from the room, Riley pulled her Mom into a hug.

“That was a rough one, huh?” Riley asked.

“Unbearable,” Beca said. “She was… she was back. I had her back for like, five minutes. And then…”

Riley kissed her on the head. “Come on, I’ll get one of the nurses to get you some tea and when we’re done we can drive you home.”

Beca frowned. “It’s Thursday. Is Blake not doing dinner?”

“No, she is, but you don’t usually feel like company after a bad visit,” Riley said.

Beca waved a hand of dismissal. “I wanna spend some time getting climbed on by my grandkids. Will your new lady be joining us?”

Riley blushed like a teenager, despite being in her forties. “Not tonight, Mom. It’s a bit soon for a family dinner.”

“Oh come on, you’ve been dating for months! I want to meet her, I have so many embarrassing stories to tell!”

“I know you do,” Riley said. “Which is why we’re gonna wait a few more weeks before we scare her off. Don’t worry, there are endless amounts of family dinners ahead of us for you to embarrass me at.”

Beca smiled. “Okay,” she said.

She hadn’t told the girls she was sick. They had enough in their plates with Chloe, and she didn’t want to add to it.

When the time came, yes, she knew they’d be hurt. She knew that hurt didn’t even come close to covering it. They had all but said their goodbyes to Chloe, but they had no idea that Beca would be beating her to the afterlife.

She knew if she asked them, they’d rather she told them.

It was cruel to blindside them, but in a way wasn’t it crueler to have them watch her slowly waste away in a hospital? To leave them saddled with medical bills that their inheritance would only just cover?

Because she knew her girls, they wouldn’t just let her slip away. They’d want her to fight, and Beca was too tired for fighting.

No. She wouldn’t do that to them. She had already written letters for all of them - including Chloe - and she had left instructions with her solicitors that they would get handed out after her death.

In her will, she’d left most of her money to her daughters and Blake’s four kids, along with a lump-sum donation to Barden Nursing Home.

Her affairs were in order.

The girls didn’t need to know.

“Mom? Are you ready?”

Beca smiled as her daughters approached, and she gratefully took Riley’s hand when she offered it.

She was quiet on the drive back to Blake’s house.

“Sure you’re up for dinner, Mom?” Blake asked, glancing at her in the rear view mirror.

Beca smiled and nodded.

That night she basked in the attention of her grandkids.

The two twin boys - Jackson and Christopher, aged seven - kept trying to explain their favourite show to their grandmother.

They kept acting out scenes, speaking in odd voices, shooting each other with fake guns.

Beca tried to follow along but really she just wanted to watch them play.

The youngest - Davey, four - sat comfortably on her lap.

“Gram read it?” He said, holding up a book.

“Again?” Beca asked.

“Please?”

“Okay,” she said.

“Grandma!” Christopher said, pulling her attention back to him. “Grandma! Look! Then the bad guys do this!” He aimed a finger gun at his brother and deepened his voice. “Prepare to die!”

“Ah ha,” Beca said.

“Gram,” Davey tugged at her sleeve and then placed a hand on his book.

“Sorry,” Beca said, picking up where she left off from.

The noise and distraction was welcome.

It kept Beca’s mind from wandering. She needed a few hours where she wasn’t mourning Chloe.

It was working until ten year old Anne walked into the room, looking far too somber for any ten year old.

“Who’s upset you then?” Beca asked. “I might be old but I can still throw a punch.”

Anne smiled, but only just. “Is grandma better yet?”

Beca frowned. “No, honey. I’m sorry.”

Anne had been the apple of Chloe’s eye right up until the moment she started to forget her.

Blake and her husband David had made the decision early on that the kids shouldn’t visit Chloe. It would be too hard for them to see their grandma and have her not recognise them.

“Is she going to get better soon?”

Beca let out a small sigh. “I don’t know,” she said.

Anne’s face fell, and Beca’s heart broke.

She wished she didn’t have to leave these kids behind.

“Listen, your grandma loves you very much. And so do I. And we always will, no matter what.”

Davey started to fuss on Beca’s knee, and she turned her attention back to him.

“If I wrote grandma a letter, would you give it to her?” Anne asked. “I don’t want her to think I’ve forgotten her.”

Tears filled Beca’s eyes, and she smiled. “Of course. But you should give it to your Mom or aunt Riley. They’ll see her before I do.”

Anne nodded, and went off to her room.

The rest of the night continued the same way every Thursday night dinner did.

Blake complained that Beca ate too little and that her husband ate too much.

The twins would devour anything left too close to them, and Anne would pick out any bit of vegetable she found, no matter how small it had been cut up.

Then Beca would attempt to help with the dishes until she was told to cut it out, and Riley would drive her home.

Before she left that night, she hugged and kissed each of her grandkids, and told them all she loved them beyond comprehension.

She kissed Blake’s cheeks - standing on her tiptoes to do so - and briefly cupped her face in her hands. She told her she loved her too.

She patted David on the arm.

“You’re a good man,” she said. “You’ll take care of them.”

“Jeez, Mom, what’s got you so morbid?”

“Just the joys of ageing,” Beca said.

She didn’t know why she was feeling so sentimental that night, but she put it down to the emotion of the day.

In the car, Beca was quiet again.

“Something’s up with you,” Riley said.

“Today was tough,” Beca said, her head on the window. She turned to look at her daughter, and she seemed to transform in front of her eyes and back again. “Has anyone ever told you how much you look like your mom?”

“You, every day since I was born,” Riley said, laughing as she ran a hand through her short, ginger hair.

“This new girlfriend of yours,” Beca said, “is she nice?”

“What? Yes, Mom, of course.”

“She treats you well? She’s kind? She doesn’t blow up at wait staff or lose her temper in traffic?”

“She’s great,” Riley said. “Look, you can meet her soon, okay? She’s just a bit nervous around parents. She… she didn’t get on great with her own. They weren’t cool when she came out.”

Beca let out a sigh. “Poor girl. You’d think my generation would have grown out of that. Apparently not. As long as she makes you happy, and treats you well, then that’s all that matters.”

Riley laughed. “What, are you trying to make sure I’m married off before you kick it?”

Beca laughed too. “No. I just want you to be happy, my girl.”

“I am,” Riley said. “And not because I’m in a relationship, but because I just… am.”

Beca smiled. “Good. I’ve… I’ve had a very good life, Ri. And I don’t think I realised how good it was, how lucky I was, until your Mom got sick. I wish I could go back and just… enjoy it. Savour it. Those moments I spent with your mom where we would just… talk. And be with each other. I wish I could tell myself to appreciate each and every one.” Beca wiped her eyes. “Promise me you’ll do that?”

“Mom, you sound like you’re giving me some goodbye speech.”

Beca smiled and shook her head. “Promise me.”

“I promise,” Riley said. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m sure,” Beca said.

They pulled up outside Beca’s home.

“You want me to walk you in?”

“I’m not that old yet. I love you. You know that, right?”

“Of course I do. I love you too, Mom.”

Beca smiled at her daughter, and leant across the car to kiss her cheek.

“See you tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” Beca said. “I need to pop into town and pick up a prescription.”

“I’ll take you.”

Beca smiled. “You’re a good girl. See you tomorrow.”

Riley waved and watched as her Mom walked into her house and shut the door behind her. She drove to her girlfriend’s, her heart heavy with sadness for her parents.

Maybe tonight she should tell Sarah that she loved her.

It was true, she had always just been too scared to say it.

She wasn’t sure what she was afraid of anymore.

Beca’s house was as quiet as it always was these days.

She made a cup of chamomile tea, and popped open the Thursday PM slot on her pill caddy. She took the handful of pills and swallowed them with a mouthful of tea.

Then she settled herself in her favourite armchair, and turned on some music.

She was tired.

Really tired.

It had been such a long day.

She felt a tightness in her chest, but it wasn’t any worse than usual so she thought nothing of it.

The song changed and the opening notes of Titanium played out.

This was considered an oldie now.

Beca smiled, and closed her eyes as she remembered the first time she sang that song with her wife.

God, what a life they’d had.

She didn’t open her eyes again.

[retroellie]

Dating Ellie Williams Headcannons

Summary: Headcannons for dating ellie 

A/N: Have this because my last imagine was ass... I think i like writing headcannons way more than imagines lmao 

Warning: TLOU2 spoilers, Mentions of death, PTSD, and NSFW/dirty talk 

Word Count: 1.8k 

- She fell in love with you when she first saw you 

- She had just come to Jackson after the incident with the fireflies 

- You being around the same age as her tommy asked you to show her around and tell her what’s what

- “Ellie this is Y/n, Y/n this is ellie.” Tommy introduced y’all 

-Her heart stopped when she saw you, she couldn’t help the blush that was forming. 

-She couldn’t stop looking at you when you were talking about the shops and sights around Jackson 

- It seemed like you were liked around town, you were friendly to everyone and everyone knew who you were

- She will never forget the thing you said to her when you guys were in front of her new home 

-”Tommy told me a lot about you and i just want you to know, you're safe now.” 

-She felt for the first time she could let go, relax for a minute 

-You helped her move into the garage, trying to make her as comfortable as she could be 

- She wrote about you a lot in her journal, writing poems and drawing pictures of you 

-You guys hung out a lot with Jesse and Dina but she would much rather hang out with you alone 

-You two had become really good friends by the time you guys were 16, i mean Ellie opened up to you more than she did anyone 

-Opening up meaning talking about her interests and some of her favorite childhood memories 

-She was honestly too scared to tell you about her immunity and even more scared to tell you about her past, afraid that she was gonna scare you away 

-You introduced her to cat and you definitely regretted it because cat liked her 

-When they started dating cat was definitely the third wheel because you and Ellie were so closer

-You held Ellies hand when she got her tattoo, she couldn’t hide the blush than but blamed it on the pain 

-You guys shared the same love for music, you showed her most of the music she listened to 

-You would sleep over at her place a lot 

-You guys would watch movies, talk about space and dance horribly to old music 

-Y’all could never get bored of each other

-When you spent the night at her place you would sleep in her bed with her but it was as friends, Ellie didn’t want you sleep on the floor and you didn’t want to force her out of her own bed  

-Ellie would always get so embarrassed when you slept over, she would always go into a gay panic 

-By the time y’all were 18, she was head over heels for you 

-You two were still best friends but her feelings got in the way  so she was distant 

-It got to the point where she didn’t want to be with anyone else, it was either you or no one 

-She didn’t really have time for relationships so she didn’t really mind it 

-She would play guitar for you when you came over, even attempting to teach you 

-Everything she owned was yours and everything you owned was hers 

-”God damn it, where is my Walkman” 

-”Oh, I took it. Mine broke.” 

-Ellie bashed on everyone you liked, Little did she know you liked her 

- You liked the boy who worked at the bar? She had something to say about him 

-You found out she liked you when you two were dancing one night 

-Your arms were wrapped around her neck and hers around your waist, it was like a scene from a movie 

-You both felt the tension, it made the butterflies in your stomach go crazy 

-”I’m just a girl.... not a threat.” 

-”Oh ellie... I think they should be terrified of you.” 

-Next thing you know her lips were on yours 

-The kiss felt like it went on forever until you pulled away, panting for air 

-No words exchanged just a smirk and her pulling you out of the church

-She didn’t waste anytime, She’s been waiting for this moment 

-Now that you guys were together, you guys were too powerful 

-You guys spent a lot of time in her garage, i swear you basically lived there 

-You guys could spend hours tangled up together or have heated make out sessions that lead to so much more 

-Soft kisses and 80s movies 

-endless sex i swear this woman is going to be the death of me 

-I have said this before but this girl is always horny, i mean she still has raging hormones  so she’s always on top of you 

-She tries to highlight her tattoo when pleasuring you because she knows it drives you crazy 

-She loves when you sit in her lap, it’s both cute and hella sexy to her

-Her kisses make you lightheaded, like you gotta sit down for a minute after she kisses you 

-She finds your body fascinating, like it sounds cringey but she love everything about you body 

-She likes to explore your body a lot, like what gets the best reaction out of you 

-She’s kinda new to sex, she’s had a fling or two but nothing long term so now she really has to get this shit down

-She’s the top, i said what i said 

-Joel has walked in on you two lots of times 

-”Hey elli... OH FUCK. SORRY, I’m sorry.” He says while covering his eyes 

-You both have to stop for a minute just to laugh your asses off 

-Y’all were really loud too so like y’all got complaints a lot 

-”Sorry, Y/n came over for a minute.” Ellie says busting through the door 

-”Yeah i know, i heard y’all.” Joel joked 

-She makes really bad cheesy pick up lines to you 

-”You know I’m jealous of your heart, because it’s pumping in and out of you and I’m not.” 

-”I’m literally gonna break up with you.’ 

-She never fails to make you laugh

-Her with her fucking puns mama, you can’t hide from her silly side

-Joel is a proud dad, he loves his lesbian daughter and her girlfriend 

-Later on into the relationship ellie fully opens up to you 

-You were tracing her tattoo one day, feeling the bumpiness of it 

-”What happened?’ 

-She debated on telling you, Joel said not to tell anyone 

-She gave in through, telling you about riley, her immunity, her and Joel's trip, even David 

-She ended up crying, you’ve never seen her that broken down before 

-You held her most the day, giving her all the kisses she needed 

-When Joel died, you were basically always with her. Not wanting to leave her alone 

-You were the one that found them. You shook ellie awake,  Letting her sob into your shirt 

-You brought her home, she could barely move. She was in so much shock and pain 

-You cleaned her up and took days off of rounds just to lay in bed with her all day 

-The nights were the worst 

-She would wake up in tears, sweat drenched her body. She would bury her face into her chest, crying her eyes out 

-”I saw him. All the blood..” 

-”I know baby, it’s okay. I’m here.” 

-you guys were still so in love with each other at 20, maybe even more if that was possible 

-The trip to Seattle and trying to kill Abby really brought y’all even closer, seeing sides of each other you guys never had 

-The fear and the defeat you both felt on that trip, it made ellie more in love with you that you stayed 

-You two lived in a small farmhouse after the trip to Seattle, it was nice and quiet 

-You lived like two cottagecore lesbians out in the middle of nowhere, it was a good change 

-Ellie would love to paint you with flowers, she found that you and flowers together created a perfect masterpiece 

-Ellie was kinda a city girl so you had to teach her a lot of stuff, you mostly read books about farms because you didn’t have a clue either 

-You guys lived without pants, like no one was there to see y’all, no one to impress so like fuck it, who needs pants 

-Ellie loved waking up to you in the kitchen, with messy hair and nothing but her t-shirt on.... Yes please 

-To save water y’all would take baths together, it mostly always turned into bath sex 

- Ellie was glued to your side, like wherever you went she was there with you 

-She was very distracting, always kissing up your neck or moving your hips on hers 

-I swear this woman was distracting without meaning to be 

-When she was doing farm work and her tattoo would stand out, it made you want to jump on her every single time 

-Sex with her back then  was great but sex with her now was so much better 

-She really matured a lot, she knew what she wanted and just how to do it 

-Your pleasure came first to her, she loved the feeling of being able to pleasure you 

-Don’t worry, you didn’t leave her out. You made sure she felt just as good as you 

-She wasn’t shy so dirty talk was her thing 

-”Just one more time baby, i wanna see you cum on my fingers one more time.” I’m so gross im sorry AHDS

-She would fuck you on literally everything in the house 

-No one was near to hear y’all and y’all could do it anywhere and at anytime, it was fucking heaven for y’all 

-Y’all were together a lot and although ellie loved it, she knew you liked your alone time 

-She would go into her painting room and play guitar or draw, doing anything to keep her busy 

- After a hour or two went by you would come in and sit on her lap, hinting that  you were getting a bit lonely 

-You were always there for her when she went through her attacks, telling her it was going to be okay and you were here with her 

-”Y/N! I- I can’t.. can’t breath.” 

-”Ellie baby, you're okay. just keep taking deep breaths for me, okay?”

-Seeing her like this broke your heart but you were nothing but patient with her,  she was really thankful for that 

-You never talked about joel or even riley, you knew those were sensitive topics so when she did talked about them you listened and allowed her to rant 

-”You know, I think Riley would’ve really liked you.” 

-”You think so?” 

-”Yeah, she would’ve liked your weird taste in music.’ 

-Ellie dreamed about what it would've been like in a normal world

-She could see you two meeting at a movie theater, hitting it off and eventually getting married, Maybe adopting a kid or two

-She was so in love with you, no matter what you looked like or what your body type was. She loved you 

-

-

-

!Credits to gif owner!

[shewillreadyou]

Me before you: Chapter 5: Love on the Brain

A/N: This is a TRR AU. Liam is already married, but see’s Riley and wants his cake. Drake takes an interview and surprises Riley. Enjoy!

Disclaimers: Most characters are property of Pixelberry

Warnings: Language, adult content, sexual content, IF YOU ARE NOT 18 JUST DON’T. 🍋🍋🍋

Word Count: 4849

Catch up: 

Haven’t met you Yet  

For Real 

Excuse me Miss

It’s Getting Late

Prompts: None

Pairings: Drake & Riley

Song inspiration: Love on the Brain- Rihanna

Be Kind: Hit the heart button, leave a comment or reblog. It makes a writer so so happy.

There was a knock on his door as he moved around his room to pack for his weekend trip. “Come in,” he said with a raspy voice. It was one of the things she liked most about him. She wanted to hurt Liam, she wanted him to feel the way he had made her feel everyday for years, like she wasn’t enough.. When she stepped inside his room she closed and locked the door. She sauntered over to his bedpost where he looked to be packing a bag. “Carsyn, what’s up?”

She felt her nerves gather in the pit of her stomach. She needed to just say it before she lost her nerve. “Drake, you know that I have always had a thing for you.” He stopped what he was doing and looked at her incredulously. “Yeah right, you’re the queen of Cordonia. Why would you ever give me a second glance?” 

She moved around the post and let her baby blue robe slip off of one of her shoulders. “Why wouldn’t I? You are strong, loyal, brave, smart, and sexy. You seem like a man who has it all figured out.” He laughed humorlessly. “Carsyn, what can I do for you?” he asked. “Right, straight to the point,” she cleared her throat. “Drake, I just want to feel good, desired, like a woman. If you know what I mean.” He didn’t. “What does that have to do with me?” He was oblivious. She let the robe fall to the floor as she stood uncomfortably close to him. She ran her finger down his lips. “Fuck me, Drake.” 

He swallowed thickly as he took a step back. “Carsyn, that will never happen. You are my best friend's wife.” She pulled the ribbon that unlaced the front of her lace teddy exposing her breast. “Come on Drake, what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him. Besides, Liam is a big boy.” She moved closer to him and he rolled over the top of the bed to put some space in between them. “Listen, Car, this is all very flattering. But really, I can’t. I have a girlfriend. I think you should go.” She rounded the bed grasping his strong arms. “All that proves is that you like sistas. What does she have that I don’t?” He couldn’t believe this was happening. He was sure he was being pranked. “Uh, my heart. I’m a one woman man Carsyn.” She pouted. He passed her robe to her and walked over to open his door. “Bye Carsyn.” With an exasperated huff she made her exit. 

     Drake put his ear buds in and closed his eyes. The 747 took off smoothly and before he knew it he was in the air. He was on the way home, to the States, to her. It had only been a few days but he missed her like crazy. He wasn’t ready to show his hand to Liam quite so soon. He had thoroughly impressed Robert from DHS. They called him back the next day. They wanted a second in person interview with him on Friday. After a conversation with Bianca, he agreed to come back under the guise of Bianca being sick. He only packed casual clothes and planned to shop for something to wear to the interview when he arrived. He had told her about the video interview but didn’t mention the in person interview. He wanted to surprise her. They had spoken on the phone, texted, or video call everyday since he’d left. He took a redeye, timing it perfectly so that he could text her to say goodnight right before she laid down. He hoped she wouldn’t get suspicious when he didn’t text her first thing in the morning. 

When he landed he noticed that he had several missed texts from her. 

He responded while he waited for his Mom. He only ever packs a carry on. He figured he’d be back on a plane for Cordonia by Sunday night. He rolled his luggage to the curb when he saw her blue Chevy Silverado approaching. She would take him back to the ranch and then he would be able to drive into the city to surprise Riley. He was happy to see his Mom. Their relationship had grown so much closer the older he got. She was still the same ole Bianca though, she wanted to know when he would settle down, get married and give her some grandbabies. 

“Mom, you have Bartie. Besides, if Riley and I get married she might not want kids right away. So you are just going to have to be patient.” 

Riley started her day listening to voicemails and checking emails after grabbing her coffee from the coffee shop in the lobby of her office building. She had a couple of conference calls and a marketing meeting about the  new handbag account she was leading. Her morning was routine by all accounts until she returned from the restroom to find an edible arrangement on her desk. 

She pulled a note from the pick and it read:

I REALLY MISS YOU,

But probably not as much as you miss me. I’m pretty fucking amazing.

-Drake

She smiled from ear to ear as she plucked a pineapple flower from the arrangement. She picked up her phone as she settled into her plush desk chair to text her thanks. This time he responded immediately.  Maybe she was really in her head. Maybe her friends were right. She was really trying to convince herself that they were moving too fast and maybe subconsciously trying to create some space in between them. It would be easier to push him away. It was her most toxic trait. But it was different this time. Being with him felt different. It just felt right. 

He roamed the aisles of Jos A. Banks. It’s where Riley had suggested when he said he needed a new suit. They looked at the website before he had left for Cordonia and she thought that he would look great in a blue suit, so blue it was. Maurice, a clearly fashion forward gentleman helped him and he was able to get rushed alterations. He left the store with a Kenneth Cole navy blue herringbone slim fit suit, white dress shirt and several ties. He knew that the tie could make or break his look. He wasn’t big into image but he knew that it mattered in this circumstance. For some reason he felt lucky around Riley and he thought she should be the one to make the decision about which tie he wore.

He glanced at the gunmetal fossil watch on his wrist and noticed that he had just enough time to swing by the florist and make it over to her office. He had never gotten her flowers before and wanted these to be special. Maybe moving forward flowers from the supermarket would be acceptable, but not today. She got his edible arrangement earlier today and had sent him a text to say thanks. She didn’t suspect a thing. He’d hoped that she would be as happy to see him as he was to see her. He’d left in such a haste before that it had been constantly on his mind. 

“That will be $124.83,” the bubbly blond squeaked from behind the counter. 

He quickly paid before retreating to his Jeep. His Mom would have a fit if she knew how much he spent on the same flowers he probably could have gotten for $40 down at the Kroger. He shrugged off the thought as he pulled into traffic. His phone rang and he sent it to voicemail when he saw Bastien’s number. He was off the clock and did not want to concern himself with the crown at the moment. He had 28 minutes before she would be off work. He drove through an automatic car wash before taking a couple minutes to dry him off. Jax. It’s what he called his Jeep. It made him feel connected to his late father. When it was all clean and shiny he hopped in and headed to her office. He had driven by earlier and noticed that her car was parked in front of the building instead of inside the parking structure. This meant that she was running late this morning. He smirked as he maneuvered into the parking space directly in front of the door. He ran his fingers through his chocolate mane, used breath spray and the cologne he stashed in the glove box. He rolled down the window and played Bruno Mar’s, “Just the way you are” on repeat. He walked around to the passenger door to retrieve the roses from the front seat before leaning against the vehicle and waiting for her to appear. 

He saw her before she saw him. She looked like a goddess. She was wearing a pink 2 piece suit with pink pumps. She was talking to her assistant, Lexi when Lexi spotted Drake. He held the roses up to conceal his face before he thought to himself, “what am I doing? She is going to recognize the Jeep.” Lexi touched Riley’s arm before she motioned to Drake. She froze. He would give anything to know what she was thinking at that moment. He wanted to run to her and gather her in his arms but he decided to play it cool. When she gathered herself she hurried out the revolving doors before pausing. “Couldn’t stay away, huh?” Clearly, she was trying to play it cool too. They both burst out into a fit of laughter. “What can I say? Maybe I missed my girlfriend.” He handed her the roses. Before she could say thank you he tugged her close and took her mouth in a desperate kiss. The roses laid securely in the crook of her arm, her free hand found its way under his shirt. When he broke the kiss she was breathless. When she could speak again she simply said, “my place.”

He walked her to her car and opened the door for her. Once she was inside she rolled the window down. “I’ll beat you there,” he challenged. “You sure?” she smirked and he leaned inside to sweetly kiss her lips. He was sure that the route she took home added a few minutes to her commute. He got to her place before she did. He was waiting at her door when she approached. She bit her bottom lip and looked at him with hooded eyes as she undid the button on her blazer. His length stiffened and his eyes went wide when he realized that she wasn’t wearing anything underneath. “You know I let you win, right?” He looked around and made sure no one else was watching before he pulled her close attempting to cover her nakedness before he took her keys from her hand and fumbled through opening the door. 

Once inside she jumped into his arms wrapping her legs around his waist. Riley kissed his neck as he panted,”slow down il mio amore. You have me all night. Let me take care of you,” he said as he lifted her petite frame onto her quartz countertop. She shivered, head lolled back with her eyes clenched tightly. Her body quaked when he ran his hands down her legs to remove her strappy heels. He peppered her with kisses from her feet to the inside of her thighs. White heat pooled in her center as she twitched with anticipation. His strong hands flanked her hips, sliding her thong off. He pecked her thigh and looked up at her with a teasing smirk knowing exactly what she wanted him to do. He could feel the heat radiating from her center. He stopped and her eyes sprung open. It was unbelievable how ready she was. They had an undeniable connection. Her body was responding to him like it never had to anyone else.

He slipped her blazer off and tossed it over his shoulder before Riley reached for him pulling his white t-shirt over his head. She drank in his chiseled chest with hooded eyes and began to blush furiously. “What?” Drake said in a low raspy tone. “This is happening.” He smiled at her, “Oh, hell yeah, this is definitely happening,” he said as he kissed from her tummy up to her breast. She ran her fingers through his hair watching for a reaction when he saw the stretch marks on her waist hips and tummy. He didn’t seem to care. He took her stiffened nipple into his mouth. Noticing the apprehension on her face. “What’s up?” he asked before he went back to sucking the other breast. “Nothing, everything is perfect.” He moved back down her stomach as he threw her leg over his shoulder. “Good.”

He spread her thighs and plunged his tongue into her center. “Drake!” she screamed, caught off guard by the sudden movement. “Oh my God!” she belted as his tongue and fingers worked in tandem. “I’m gonna..ohhh shit Drake!” Her voice echoed in the large apartment. “Do it!” He encouraged her. He used his free hand to unbuckle his belt and pants, freeing himself. He stroked himself as his pants slipped around his ankles. He kicked them off as he pulled her to the edge of the counter. “What are you--” she quickly figured it out. He rubbed the head against her entrance and she gasped. “Fuck, go slow,” her suspicions were correct. Not only was it not small but it was easily the biggest she had encountered. 

“Relax, you’re definitely ready.” He wrapped his arms around her waist lifting her before slowly impaling her. He grunted as she stretched around him. He thrust several times before pinning her against the wall. “Raye, we have to change positions. You’re so fucking tight, I’m not going to last.” He walked her over to the living room draping her over the arm of the couch on her side. “I told you it’s been a while.” Drake rested her leg on his torso as he entered her again. She noticed that he was going even deeper in this position and moved up a bit. “Are you scared?” She was. “No,” she lied. “Then, stop running from me,” Drake said gravelly as he picked up speed. “You could have told me you know,” she whimpered as she whined her hips. “Oh, you knew,” he quipped.

He pulled out, “what are you doing?” He easily lifted her body and re-positioned her on the couch. “On your knees,” he demanded. “No, you sit.” He liked that idea even better. He sat on her couch stroking himself as she straddled him. She slowly settled on top, guiding him into her. He hissed when they connected. She began to bounce on his lap and his eyes sparkled as he watched her perfectly perky breast slap against her torso. He took her breast into his mouth as pure pleasure coursed through her body. Their bodies were sticky with sweat and she screeched every time he thrusted roughly into her. They heard a loud thumping on the wall before he placed his hand over her mouth to muffle the screams. She bit his hand, and he pulled it away. “I can be quiet,” she said as electric pleasure shot through her body. “Sure you can.” She began to contract around him as he grabbed her waist to slow the tempo. “Shit, Raye. I’m close.” They finished together with one final scream. They cuddled for a while in silence before Riley spoke. 

“That was...well damn. I’m famished.” She rose, going to the kitchen before tossing him a cold water from the fridge. I took out some chicken but only one breast. Drake joined her approaching from behind opening the freezer to check out their options. “I have shrimp. That thaws quickly.” He snaked his arm around her waist, kissing her neck. “Let me cook. Relax, you worked all day.” She turned to him, noticing that he was erect again. “Are you sure you can cook like this?”  He smirked. She stroked him, he twitched and hardened in her hand before she fell to her knees and took him into her mouth.  

Later

Drake prepared a decadent pasta dish with shrimp and chicken before they showered and headed to bed. As her head lay upon his chest he ran his fingers through her hair. She listened to his heartbeat and felt comforted by his breathing. “What was that look about earlier?” he asked quietly. She lifted her head to look at him. “What do you mean?” He shifted to look her in the eyes. “You looked nervous. You said everything was perfect but your eyes said something else.” She closed her hazel eyes and took a deep breath. “Yeah, that. So, I know it’s a little late for this, but I forgot to eat my birth control this morning.” He went pale as a ghost. “Jesus fucking Christ, Raye!” She started cackling at his response. “I was joking, I have an IUD. I’m sorry babe, I was trying to lighten the mood.” He exhaled. “You are trying to give me a fucking heart attack.” “Oh, no kids, noted. I looked like that because I used to be a bit bigger than I am now and when I lost the weight… well, I have stretch marks you know. I didn’t know how you would respond.”

 “Il mio amore, I don’t care about that. You are breathtaking. Don’t worry about that. A real man wouldn’t worry about stretch marks, and I absolutely want kids, but after I’m married.” A soft smile spread across her face. “He wants to be married and have kids. Check and check,” she thought to herself. She wanted to ask him about that before but didn’t want to scare him off. She also didn’t want to get into a committed relationship with someone who didn’t want to have children.

“But Raye, while we are communicating there was something I needed to talk to you about. Something happened and I want to be upfront about it.” Her blood ran cold. She leaned back to look him in his eyes. “I’m listening,” she said in a brittle voice. 

He could see the tears forming in her eyes. “Carsyn came to my room to seduce me before I left.” She felt instantly nauseous. Was this all a mistake? Did she just give him her precious gift for him to turn out to be the very thing that made her cautious in the first place? Did he wait until after so that he could score before breaking her heart? Her thoughts raced. She was not even sure she heard the rest of what he said. When she was able to focus again she uttered, “did you sleep with her?” in a defeated voice. “What? Fuck no! Absolutely not. I wouldn’t do that to you. I couldn’t do that to Liam. She’s hurt and lonely and confused.” Riley gasped for air. She didn’t even realize that she was holding her breath. Drake wrapped his strong arms around her, reassuring her that she was safe with him. That he would handle her heart with care. She was relieved. She felt like she could breathe again. 

When she thought about it logically and took the emotions out, she couldn’t imagine that he returned Carsyn’s affections. He didn’t have to tell her. He is not her past. He could be trusted. She quickly went to the kitchen. He sprung from bed following, to find her in the  liquor cabinet where she poured a tumbler full of bourbon. She swallowed it in one gulp. “You ok Raye?” She looked at him thoughtfully, “yes, I just need a moment. But tell me this, is it the first time this has happened? Like has she made a pass at you before?” 

He moved to the couch pulling her into his lap. “No, it’s the one and only time that it’s happened. I shut her down and put her out of my room.” She was quiet for a moment as she twirled his hair around her fingers. “Wait, then why are you here? You never said, did you quit?” her eyes lit up with hope. 

“No, I didn’t quit.” She deflated.  “I have an interview with the Department of Homeland Security in the morning. Actually, I need you to pick my tie. “Drake!!! That’s awesome. Her voice boomed excitedly. There was another thump on the wall. “Fuck off!” Riley yelled. “That’s my girl,” Drake laughed. “What time is your interview?” He stood and pulled his shirt back over his head. “11 am.” He looked around the room. “What are you doing?” Riley asked. “Where are my shoes?”

She lowered her head and bit her bottom lip. “Raye? Do you know where my shoes are?” he asked in a husky tone. She didn’t answer; she smiled at him and nodded her head. He tackled her, pinning her to the couch. “Drake!” she squealed. He nipped at her neck before kissing her sweetly under her ear. “What have you done with my shoes?” he growled.

“Don’t laugh at me. I’m emotional right now. But I hid them. I figured you couldn’t leave me again if you didn’t have shoes.” 

“Il mio amore, you know I have to leave eventually, right? But, also know that I don’t want to leave.”

She pointed to his shoes, they were on the balcony. “I know, but do you have to go right now?” 

“Raye, I was just going down to my truck to get my bag. I’ll stay here with you all weekend if you want.” He untangled himself from her and moved towards the balcony to retrieve his shoes. 

“Yes please,” she could hardly believe she’d have him all weekend. “I called into work on Monday. So, I have to go in tomorrow. I pushed my Monday meetings until tomorrow. But I can wrap up early. “You don’t have to do that. I am sure I can keep myself busy, I will go see my Mom and maybe take my favorite girl to lunch,” he smirked as he headed out the door. 

She closed her hazel eyes and tilted her head backward and took several cleansing breaths. She’d say a prayer that Drake got the job. She was still getting to know him but she was pretty sure he was it for her. She only hoped he felt the same way. She would have never thought that she would fall so hard and so quickly. But there she was, sitting on the verge of a panic attack at the thought of him leaving again.

He let himself back into the apartment rescuing her from getting lost in her own thoughts. He had his rolling bag, a garment bag and a shopping bag. “There is room in my guest room closet,” she took his rolling bag into her bedroom. “You, uh have a lot of clothes. When I move in you’ll have to make space for me,” he joked. Her heart warmed at the thought and for a moment she wondered how it would be to have him there all the time. “Do I need to try on the whole suit for you to pick the tie?” he yelled from the guest room. She entered the room to find him standing with his belt unbuckled, his jeans hanging low on his waist. She leaned against the door frame admiring him. He turned to her, holding up 5 different ties. “Navy with white diagonal stripes.” she could picture him confidently entering the interview. 

“Wait!” She disappeared into her bedroom. When she returned she was holding a small black box. “Here, these are for you. I was going to wait until you formally accepted the position, but they would be the perfect finishing touch tomorrow. He opened the box to find a set of Gold Christian Dior cufflinks.

 “Gee, thanks Raye. But these look expensive.” She smirked, “of course they were. I can’t have my man walking around in cheap ass cufflinks.” They both laughed before she admitted to getting a deal on them.     

After laying out his suit, shirt, tie, socks and shoes, they headed back to her bedroom where she watched him strip down to only his boxer briefs. She bit her bottom lip as he pulled his shirt over his head noticing the deep V that disappeared into his jeans. 

She thought to herself, if she took away the clear physical attraction, would they have enough to make a go and a real long lasting committed relationship? She thought that now was as good of time as any to bring it up. “Drake?” she said innocently. “Yeah Raye?” He settled into bed next to her, his Sauvage by Dior cologne wafting in the air. “You smell great,” she smiled shyly. “Thanks, but that’s not why you called my name, I know it.” She smiled thinking of how well he seemed to know her already. She also couldn’t think of the last time she had smiled this much. 

“You’re right. I didn’t want to bring it up so soon, but do you think you’d be up for talking about where you see this relationship going, or at least your hopes, desires?” she asked as she nuzzled into his side. He cleared his throat. “Well, I honestly was waiting on you to ask. I didn’t want to scare you off. I think since Liam got hitched, my family, our friends have been expecting me to settle down. I always thought I’d settle down when I met the right person. I thought it would be in the future, like years from now. I never thought that I would meet my person in the States. I assumed I’d be in Cordonia forever.” 

“And now…” 

“Now, I can’t really imagine life without you. I want to be where you are. Raye, tell me, honestly, if I get this position, I mean my Mom is here and my business is mostly here. I could personally check on my investment properties, but that is all a bonus. The biggest part of why I’d take it would be so that I can be here with you. Is that what you want? Should I move back to the States?”

“Drake, I would like nothing more. I had Wyatt put in a good word for you. I have to be honest. I want to get married, and start a family. Like soon. Does that scare you?”

“No, well how soon were you thinking?” he asked as he gently stroked her bare arm.

“I don’t know. I never thought I would meet anyone who would be worth giving myself to for the rest of my life. You have been a breath of fresh air. But, I am getting older. Maybe married in the next year or two, kids almost immediately after. How many kids do you want, Drake?”

“Uh maybe 3 or 4.” 

Her eyes widened in shock. She choked on her saliva and started to cough.

“Are you ok?” 

“Yeah, that’s a big family.”

“I know. It’s always just been Sav and I and I always thought it would be fun if we had a couple more siblings.”

She was floored. She knew that she wanted to be with Drake and if it meant a big family she was sure that she would get used to the idea. She only ever considered 2 children because she never wanted to struggle to take care of them. She never considered that her partner would be wealthy in his own right.   

“I mean, I guess. So, back to you taking this job as DHS? Where would you live? On the ranch with your Mom?”

“That would probably make sense financially, but it would be an hour of driving everyday.”

“You could move in with me,” she blurted. She immediately regretted her words. “He is going to think I am rushing him,” she thought.

“Well, I was going to say I could start looking for places nearby, but if you don’t feel like it would be too much… I mean I don’t want to impose. I would cover the rent and utilities.”

“I don’t need you to do that. But thank you.” 

“I know that you are an independent woman and that’s hot and everything, but if we are talking about marriage, you are going to have to let me lead. We can make decisions together, but I won’t have you taking care of me financially.” His voice was calm and low but authoritative. She had never been with a man who wanted to take care of her. It turned her on. She straddled him and sweetly kissed his lips. “Is this happening? Am I dreaming? Are we talking about moving in together and getting married?” He smiled against her lips. “This is happening.” 

They made love again and she fell asleep in his arms for the first time and she couldn’t wait until it was her reality every night.

@txemrn​​​ @pixie88​​​ @secretaryunpaid​​​ @khoicesbyk​​​ @blackkingliamstan​​​ @mom2000aggie​​​ @shannonwrote​​​ @hopelessromanticmonie​​​ @chemist-ana​​​ @rideordiechronicles​​​ @lucy-268​​​ @dcbbw​​​ @darley1101​​​ @maurine07​​​ @sfb123​​​ @bbrandy2002​​​ @kingliam2019​​​ @schnitzelbutterfingers​​​ @lem-20​​​ @choicesficwriterscreations​​​ @no-one-u-know @jessiembruno​​​ @queenrileyrose​​​ @thefrenchiemama​​​ @somersetmummy​​​ @axwalker​​​

TRR: @twinkleallnight​​​  @bebepac​​​ @mainstreetreader​​​ @romereadingshop​​​ @romewritingshop​​​ @lem-20​​​​ @texaskitten30​​​

[avengerscompound]

The Tower: Family - 15

The Tower: Family An Avengers Fanfic

Series Masterlist PREVIOUS //

Pairing:  Avengers x OFC, Bruce Banner x Bucky Barnes x Clint Barton x Wanda Maximoff x Steve Rogers x Natasha Romanoff x Tony Stark x Thor x Sam Wilson x OFC (Elly Cooper)

Word Count: 1841

Warnings:  Pregnancy

Synopsis: With new powers, Thor now living on Earth full time, a wedding to plan, and Natasha and Wanda expecting, a lot is changing for Elly and her large and rather unconventional family.  When Elise’s parents try to reestablish connections, Elly questions what being a family actually means.

Chapter 15: First Day

“El, honey, time to get up.”

It took a moment for Steve’s words to seep through into my sleeping mind and when they did I became more aware of my nausea than of the sun coming through the window, how cozy and warm I was, or the press of Steve’s lips against my forehead and the touch of his hand on my arm.

I squeezed my eyes tight and curled up into a ball groaning.

“I know, sweetheart,” he soothed, rubbing my arm.  “Everyone is up and eating breakfast.  Do you want me to help you to the bathroom?”

I nodded my head a little and he scooped me into his arms and carried me to the bathroom.  “You gonna throw up?”  He asked.

I nodded and he placed me on my feet in front of the toilet.  I stood staring at it for a moment as he gathered my hair back and rubbed my back soothingly.  My stomach churned and I dropped to my knees and heaved into the toilet bowl, emptying my stomach.  Steve stayed with me, rubbing my back and holding my hair off my face.  When it seemed like my stomach was empty he flushed and helped me to my feet.

“Here’s your nausea medication,” he said, taking the lid of a bottle.  I held out my hand and he shook a pill out into my palm and poured me a glass of water.  As I took it he turned on the shower.

“Alright, sweetheart,” he said, pressing another kiss to my forehead.  “Take a shower and get dressed.  We’ll have toast and your vitamins ready for you so we can take the kids to school.”

“Thank you, Steve,” I mumbled.

“Of course, honey,” he said.  “We don’t want you to miss this.”

He left the room and I showered as quickly as I could.  When I was done, I dressed in a simple dress and braided my hair before heading downstairs.

“Mommy!”  The twins squealed, running over to me and slamming into my legs.  They were wearing matching blue gingham shirts and dark blue shorts.  Riley had her hair in pigtails, while Pietro’s sat in wide curls.

“You dotta hurry, mommy,” Pietro said.

“We dotta doe to schoowl,” Riley added.

“I know, babies,” I said. “We can go.”

“Come drink some ginger tea and eat some toast,” Natasha said.  “We have time.”

“Mama,” Riley whined.  “We wanna doe.”

Natasha started laughing.  “Riley,” she whined back.  “You have to be patient.”

I chuckled and took a seat, and took my vitamins as I sipped the ginger tea Wanda had poured for me.

“How are you feeling this morning?”  Bruce asked.

“Getting there,” I said.  “Pills have started kicking in, so that’s good.”

He rubbed my back with one large hand and I smiled at him.  “You’re going to be very popular at the school.”

He chuckled.  “Yeah, I considered pushing into just Bruce so I wouldn’t draw attention, and you know, maybe I’d fit through the door easier.  But Hulk wants to be there.”

“Yeah, I’m not surprised,” I said and finished my piece of toast.

“Weddy now?”  Riley asked.

“Yeah, bug,” I said.  “I’m ready.”

“Alright, family,” Steve said, getting up and moving the puppies into their playpen.  “Assemble.”

We all got up and went to the elevator riding it down to the lobby.  We left through the back entrance and Natasha engaged her powers, cloaking our very large group as we walked to their preschool.  Wanda used her powers to make sure no one accidentally walked into any of us.  Riley and Pietro were buzzing the whole way there, babbling happily about making friends and reading books.

When we arrived, Natasha lowered the cloak surrounding us and we checked them in.  We immediately started drawing looks.  Even the staff who had been prepared for our arrival kept glancing over.  It was easy to tell that the parents in the halls were holding their kids back from approaching us.  That all went out the window when we entered the twin’s classroom.

It was full of kids with their parents doing various activities.  Some were looking for their desks, some were reading in the corner on the comfortable couches, some were hanging up backpacks, and some parents were soothing their crying children and assuring them they’d have fun.

When Steve and Tony entered the room some kids looked over.  They all wrinkled their brows like they were trying to work out how they knew the two men at the front of the group.  When Thor came in, more kids looked over and understanding started to dawn on some of the kids and a couple made happy squeak sounds.  It wasn’t until Bruce ducked through the door that they all broke.

They all squealed and ran over, little groups of kids choosing their favorite Avengers to speak to.  They all crouched down to get on the level with the kids as they were inundated with questions from the class.  Riley and Pietro looked confused and Pietro ran over to my side and tugged on my hand.  “Mommy…” he whined.

I picked him up as the headteacher approached.  “Hello!”  She said warmly, extending her hand to me.  “I’m Alicia.  You must be Elise.”

“Yes,” I said, shaking her hand.  “Sorry about the chaos.  We all wanted to see them off.”

“It’s fine.  The first day is always a little chaotic, and this gives them all something exciting,”  she said.  “And who are you?”

Pietro hid his head in my chest and Riley grabbed my free hand and began tugging on it.  “I don’t think they’ve seen their parents get mobbed by fans before,” I said.

“Plus I’m a new person,” Alicia added.

“This is Pietro,” I said, bouncing Pietro on my hip.  “Piet, this is your teacher, Alicia.”

“Hello, Pietro, welcome to the class,” she said, before crouching down to Riley.  “And I bet your name is Riley.”

“It is!” She squeaked, like her teacher had just done a particularly amazing magic trick.

“How about you two find your bag pegs and your desks?”  Alicia suggested.

“Daddy…” Pietro whined, looking back at the group of kids who were swarming around the others.  Clint managed to pull himself out of the pack and took Pietro from me.

“I got you, buddy,” he said.  Pietro scrambled up onto Clint’s shoulders and we took the twins into the nook that had the kids bags.

“Why dose kids do dat?”  Pietro asked as Riley tried to find her name.

“Well,” Clint said, and looked over at me, with his helpless puppy expression.

“Remember when we were on Asgard and everyone knew who you were and they were very nice to you?”  I asked.

“Yeah, dey cawled me a pwince,” Pietro said.

“Well, it’s a bit like that.  Mamma, Daj, and all your daddy’s are very well known because they go out and save the world all the time.  People like them.  Especially kids.  So the kids are all just excited to see them because they like them so much and they’ve never seen them before,” I explained.  “You’re gonna see some will have pictures of them on their bags and lunch boxes.”

“Pied!”  Riley called.  “Wook - dares daddy Steeb.”

Pietro began to wiggle down and Clint put him on the floor and the twins went from looking for their pegs to looking for their parents’ pictures on the other kid’s bags.  In the end, they found two daddy Steves, three daddy Tonys, a daddy Bruce, a daddy Thor, Two mamas, one Daj, and a daddy Sam.

“Aww, man, no me,” Clint complained.

“Well there’s no me either,” I said, nudging him.  “Or Bucky.”

“Damn, poor Buck,” Clint said.

I shrugged and looked out through the door.  “He’s got a bunch of kids looking at his arm.  I bet tomorrow there will be a tonne of Winter Soldier Merch.  Plus you’re all gonna be invited to every kid’s birthday party now.”

“Sweet,” Clint said.  “I love cupcakes.”

“Mommy, how come day don’t tawk to you?”  Riley asked.

“Oh,” I said.  “I’m not an Avenger.  That’s all.  I never did any saving the world.”

“Well, that’s not technically true,” Clint corrected.  “Your mommy definitely did.  But we kept it a secret.  So the kids don’t know her.”

“Oh…” Riley said, putting her finger to her mouth.  “Is a secwet.”

I laughed and rubbed her back.  “Did you find your peg?”

Riley bounced over to the peg with her name on it.  “Hewr.”

“Hang up your bag then, bug,” Clint said.

Both Pietro and Riley hung their bag up and we went back into the main classroom.  “Alright, class!”  Alicia called.  “Let’s all go to the story area and we’ll do some introductions.”

All the kids reluctantly pulled themselves away from the Avengers and took seats on the couch and little cushions in the reading area, while the parents stood around the area. Alicia took a seat in the sofa chair.

“Everyone’s moms and dads will be going home or to work soon and they’ll come back at the end of the day.  We’ll play an introduction game when they’ve gone,” Alicia explained.  “But there’s a special situation today.  You’ve all been talking to the Avengers, haven’t we?  Do you know why they’re here?”

Pietro and Riley started bouncing up and down on their cushions and Pietro put up his hand.  Alicia laughed.  “Yes, I know you two know,” she said.  “You see everyone, Riley and Pietro have seven daddies and three mommies.”  There was a group gasp around the room.  None of the parents really reacted in surprise.  The news that we were in a ten-person polyamorous relationship was old now.  It was probably more of a shock just seeing Steve walk into the room in the first place.

“So you’re going to see them all around a lot more, just remember they’re here because they’re Riley and Pietro’s mommies and daddies.  You need to remember how when you’re tired or upset you might want to go straight to your parents.  Riley and Pietro might need that too, and even though you might want to talk to Iron Man, he might just need to cuddle with Riley and Pietro or take them home.”

“Did any of you kids have any questions?”  Steve asked.

There was a little while where the kids asked questions.  There were a couple related to how a kid could have ten parents but most were just questions about the Avengers or asking them for hugs.  It was pretty cute and eventually, Alicia called for the last questions.  All the kids said goodbye to their parents and we were all shuffled back out of the room.

“You think they’re gonna be okay?”  Bruce asked, looking back over his shoulder.

“They will be fine,” Thor said.  “I am sure we will all be regaled with stories when we retrieve them.”

“Now,” Sam said, wrapping his arm around Steve’s waist.  “We have four hours with no kids.  What trouble shall we get up to?”

// NEXT

[areiton]

a bright pure pain - stevetony fic

I wrote a short fic set in the Tattoo AU created by @pineapplebread​! 

Read on AO3 

~*~ 

It’s Bucky, who starts it. 

Bucky who lies in bed with Sam, and traces his fingers over the black lettering, and Sam watches him, dark eyes calm and warm and when Bucky murmurs against his throat, “Tell me,” Sam did, spun out stories about the man he loved, before the sky exploded and tore him away. 

Riley came first, and maybe, truthfully, Riley is the one who starts it. 

~*~ 

Sometimes, when they’re out, Bucky will reach out, his fingers brushing over the plane of Sam’s stomach, over the smooth stretch of skin where he knows Riley’s name sits. Sam goes still, always, when it happens, his gaze tracking his boyfriend. 

It happens often enough that Tony notices, because Tony notices everything, tracks the metal hand on Sam’s ribs, the way that Sam’s gaze ticks to Bucky, his smile a little sad. 

“What is it?” he asks, and Sam shrugs. 

“Tattoo. I got it right after I got out,” he says, easy, like he isn’t baring a part of himself, squishy and vulnerable, to Tony’s curious gaze. 

Tony nods, and turns the conversation to the mission Bucky and Sam had gone one, almost tactful in giving Sam space. 

It’s progress.

~*~  

Steve is quiet, after they’re gone, but it’s not the tense kind of quiet that makes Tony anxious, it’s--quiet, comfortable, pensive almost. He watches Steve from across the room as he makes dinner, his eyes distant, like he’s lost in memories. 

It’s still strange that they’re here, together. After--

After everything. The war and Thanos and the long empty years when he clung to bitterness and anger because it was so much easier than admitting what he wanted. After the last gasp of hope, and the months spent trapped together in the past, and that battle when Steve had knelt next to him and he lay dying--

After thinking, it wouldn’t be so bad, to die, if Steve was next to him when he did. 

Well. 

He pushes that thought aside because they’re friends now, finally, pieced themselves back together, and it was the idiotic thought of a dying man, not the rational one sitting in his living room, on his way back to healthy and whole. 

Tony makes a face, feels the scars pull. Not whole. He’d never be whole again. 

“Hey,” Steve says, soft, tugging his attention from the spiral and Tony blinks up at him. “You went away,” Steve says, and Tony flushes. He shifts a little, his legs folded under him as Steve sits down next to him and passes him a bowl of chicken chowder. It’s thick, hearty. There’s a heel of bread, oven warm and garlicky, from the bakery down in Queens that Peter knows he likes. 

He wants, more than he’s wanted anything in a long time, a cheeseburger. 

“Hey, Steve?” he says, and Steve flicks a look at him, curious and patient, and Tony almost bites back the words. 

Steve made dinner. 

They should eat it. 

“Wanna go get a burger with me?” he asks, instead, and a smile, small and real, spreads across his lips. 

~*~ 

They don’t go out often. The public adoration since the battle had been--disconcerting. 

Tony was used to being watched, to being adored. What he wasn’t used to was the fervent outpouring of gratitude that so easily tipped toward almost cult-like. 

“People need to thank someone,” Rhodey said, the one time Tony brought it up. “We’re keeping an eye on the extremists.” 

It’s enough to keep him in the Tower. If it wasn’t, the empty space at his right, the scars snaking up and over his face, shoulder and ribs--they were enough. 

His hand trembles a little, as they reach the garage, and Steve catches his hip, guides him forward until they’re standing by his old bike, the one that Tony is a little surprised to see still running. “Steve. I can’t,” he says, helpless, and Steve smiles, softly. 

“Gotta trust me, Tony,” Steve says, patient and hopeful, holding two helmets and waiting. 

He always waited , let Tony make that last step. 

“I’ll fall,” he says, the fear bright and bitter in his throat. 

“I’ll catch you,” Steve promises. 

Tony can feel this--the heat of tears in his eyes, the burning warmth of Steve’s steady gaze, the way everything settles as that easy promise settles over him with the weight of a vow. 

He nods, a jerky thing, and Steve’s smile blooms, bright as sunshine. 

~*~ 

He rides cradles against Steve’s broad chest, and it’s dangerous, he knows it is. 

Everything about their lives are dangerous, though, and this--here--the only way to hurt him, is to go through Steve, and Tony thinks Steve would rip the universe apart, to keep that from happening. 

He closes his eyes, presses back against the steady strength of him, and Steve leans into him, solid and grounding as the city whips by. 

~*~ 

Steve takes them to a greasy dinner in Brooklyn, where an old waitress named Delores delivers  messy cheeseburgers, enormous plates of fries, and a thick chocolate shake. 

It’s everything he’s been craving for months. 

Steve ignores him while he works his way through his own cheeseburger, doesn’t offer to help when Tony grapples with holding it. 

He quit offering to help after the first two months, when they got into a screaming match and Tony hid in his bedroom for three days. Sometimes, Tony was pretty sure he could see the want in his eyes, could see his fingers twitch towards helping before he forced himself still, a strained smile on his lips, but it happened less and less, and he almost didn’t mind, these days. 

Steve didn’t offer to help because he thought Tony needed it--he offered because he did. 

“Cut it in half for me,” he says, and Steve smirks, reaches over and neatly divides the burger while Tony picks at the fries. 

“Did you know?” 

Steve arches an eyebrow at him, and Tony hides his smile behind half his burger. “About Flybird’s ink?” 

Steve chews, his eyes distant and restless, but eventually swallows and says, “No. I--I kinda suspected, but there’s just some things you don’t ask about.” 

They’re quiet, lost in thought and food and Tony’s considering the second half of his burger when Steve blurts out, “I had a tattoo. For Bucky.” 

Tony goes still, eyes wide and searching. They hadn’t--the one night they’d spent together, when fighting gave way to fucking in Clint’s cramped guestroom, it had been dark. He might have missed a tattoo, then--and he hadn’t seen Steve naked even when they were trapped in the past looking for that goddamn stone, but he’d seen enough and if it was any more intimate, he might need to re-evaluate everything he’d been thinking, recently, everything he quit thinking, after they left the farm and Tony left the team, and Steve did. 

He blinks the thoughts away, focuses on Steve.  

“It--after he fell, one of the Howlies did one for me. Just a nautical star--but it was mine, it was for him and it was,” Steve huffs, smiles a bitter little thing that Tony hates . “It felt like my body, for the first time since Rebirth.” 

“What happened?” he asks, a whisper almost lost in the kitchen clatter of the empty diner. 

“Serum happened,” Steve shrugged. “Body pushed it out. I kept redoing it--poor Jones got real tired of me showing up at his tent--but it never took. I had it, when I went into the ice.” 

Not when he came out. SHIELD would have recorded that. A question burns in his throat, but Steve--Steve’s pushing himself out of the booth, muttering about the bathroom, and Tony swallows the question with the last of his milkshake. 

He doesn’t need to ask, anyway. Why Steve didn’t try again doesn’t matter, not really. 

~*~ 

It’s been seven months, since Thanos, since using that fucking gauntlet that almost killed him, that took his arm and changed his world, and didn’t change a goddamn thing, either. 

Seven months, since he spent any time in his workshop. 

“Hey, Steve,” he says, and Steve looks at him over the top of his paper because he’s a fucking luddite and still reads a paper, just to fuck with Tony. 

His heart is pounding and he wants to wave it off, wants to hide from that expectant stare and the curve of his lips, and the burning itch in the back of his mind that he’s missed for seven goddamn months . 

“I’m gonna go down to the workshop after breakfast,” he says, and Steve smiles, slow and pleased and Tony--Tony grins back, helpless to do anything else. 

 ~*~

It’s Bucky, who starts it, so it makes sense, to drag him back into it. 

“Stevie says you’ve been down here for most of a week.” 

“Yeah,” he taps his fingers nervously, and then straightens up. “I was working on a late birthday present for Steve.” 

“Not sure I wanna know any more about what you’re cooking up if it’s from your shop.” Bucky drawls, and Tony flushes.  

“I’m not making sex toys,” he says, waspish and Bucky grins. 

“His loss,” he says. 

“Stop it. That’s--we’re not sleeping together.” 

Bucky huffs, his expression all irritated exasperation, but he lets it drop. 

They aren’t sleeping together. 

Tony knows there’s something between them, something building that’s been there for so long he can’t remember when it wasn’t. 

It’s different from that night on the farm. 

It’s different even from the months in the past, when they didn’t sleep together, but everything else was stripped away and they were forced together. 

It’s different because Steve stayed, when no one else did. When the world dragged Rhodey back into its damage control, when Pepper quietly voiced what he’d known was coming, when the nightmares and panic attacks and pain pushed Happy and the kid away--Steve stayed. 

And they came back--Rhodey and Peter, Happy and even Pepper, although that was still--difficult. 

But Steve stayed, the kind of stubborn irritating persistence that used to make Tony hate him. 

Except he didn’t. Not really. 

But Steve didn’t push. Not even on the nights when he slept in Tony’s bed, shivering in the clutches of his own nightmares. 

“We’ll get where we’re going,” he says, softly, and then reaches for the vial of inky dark liquid. “Did you know the serum won’t let a tattoo take?” 

Bucky arches an eyebrow, studying it and then flicking a look at Tony. 

“You fixed that, didn’t ya?” 

Tony grins, and shakes the bottle enticingly. “Wanna be my test subject?” 

~*~

He comes back, a week later, Sam in tow for another meeting about the Avengers, and Tony arches his eyebrows, all curious and hopeful and he nods. There’s something peaceful and very very tired about his gaze, that worries Tony, and Sam stays close to him, almost cuddling him at the damn table. “It works,” he says, shortly, and Tony almost asks, what he got. 

That wounded exhaustion and Sam’s warning look keeps his mouth shut for a moment, but then, “Are you ok?” 

Bucky laughs, and it’s wet and wounded and hurts. 

But it’s happy, too, a kind of bright purity that comes from the good clean pain of healing. Tony has spent months loathing and learning that pain. 

“I’m ok, Stark. I’m gonna be ok.” 

~*~

“Would you get one, again? If you could make it stick, this time. Would you get another tattoo?” 

Steve looks at him. They’re in Tony’s bathroom, brushing their teeth. His hands smell of the scar cream he rubs into Tony’s shoulder and side, twice a day, and there’s a smear of it on Tony’s cheek, near his hair, and Steve reaches out, thumbs it aside and smears the excess onto his faded pants. 

Tony makes a face. 

Steve spits into the sink, rinses and straightens and Tony is still staring at him, eyes hopeful and impatient, familiar in a face that is still sometimes unfamiliar, and he nods. “The tattoo--it helped me feel like this was actually my body, not something I was shoved into, that was eating up Steve Rogers. It was Steve Rogers. It was a choice I made.” 

Tony nods, and something clears in his eyes. He hipchecks Steve lightly aside, spits and rinses, before he straightens and says. “I have something for you.” 

~*~ 

The vial of ink sits in his palm, a tiny liquid promise, and Tony watches him, with big dark eyes, small against the sea of pillows and broad bed, and Steve loves him. 

Loves him so much it hurts, sometimes. 

Loving Tony has been the best, sweetest pain he’s ever known. 

“Sweetheart,” he breathes. 

“We’re still working on it. On color. But. It’s--I want you to have this. You deserve to have this. Bucky tested it, and his body hasn’t rejected it, so--” Tony takes a breath. Smiles, small and brittle and Steve remembers him, before, larger than life with his grand gesture presents, with tech and suits and weapons and homes. 

This--a tiny vial of ink. 

It’s the sweetest thing Tony’s ever done for him, in a decade of gifts and sacrifice. 

He leans over, brushes his lips against his cheek, the scars unfamiliar and somehow soft under his lips, and breathes, “Thank you, sweetheart.” 

[wellhellsbelles]

would you like to ever do a riarkle enemies to lovers fic? because i've seen only like 2 enemies to lovers riarkle fics and i think it'd be really cool to see them in a different dynamic

oh WOULD I 

yes i would and i loved every minute of writing this. it’s based VERY LOOSELY on my experience as a hostess in the popular chain italian restaurant we all know and love

anyway, enjoy!!

ao3 link or read below

//

Riley doesn’t intend on making any enemies when she starts working at the restaurant.

 It just sort of . . . happens.

She’d like to think she has the supposed “Big Five” personality traits on lockdown—she’s a very agreeable person, incredibly open with others, positively extroverted, astute in conscientiousness, and her neuroticism . . .

Well, she could maybe stand to work on it a bit, but can she be calm? Absolutely.

There’s just something about Farkle Minkus that makes her want to drive a spork into her leg, though.

It’s a weird sort of dichotomy they form together, despite not being too different from one another. They hold the same sort of power in the restaurant—she’s a host, he’s a busser, and they both get paid minimum wage. While she guides the guests around the restaurant, he cleans up tables and spills, and there should be no reason for the animosity that they harbor for another.

If you ask Riley, she’d chalk it up to her first busy night at the restaurant. The night had bogged her down as she ran around the restaurant, seating guests and refilling anything they needed if she happened to be passing by them. At one point, she’d been asked to help bus tables—something she knew she’d be awful at—and he’d strolled up to her while she was trying to pick up plates, taking them from her grasp forcefully.

“Look, if you’re going to help, then actually do something useful. You’re moving about as slow as a turtle and it’s infuriating,” he had grumbled to her. “Why don’t you go be a good host and greet people with a fake smile and annoying personality?”

Yeah, that’d cinch the nail in the coffin for anyone, she assumes.

How dare he say she had an annoying personality! She was a freakin’ charm to have around, and most of the people working at the restaurant already got along with her. Why was it so hard for him to accept that fact?

Riley didn’t wish to dwell on it, so she didn’t. But she did make enemies with Farkle that night, point blank.

 //

 “Hey Minkus, mind bussing those tables I asked you to bus twenty minutes ago?” Riley calls into the headset. She’d been fed up with another busy night, and Farkle’s attitude was not cutting it for her. She nearly startled when he rounded the corner, though, his permanent look of disdain greeting her.

“You know, bussers don’t just clean tables. In fact, they actually have to listen when managers ask them to do other tasks around the restaurant,” he says, adjusting the sleeves of his black button-up that he had pushed up his forearms.

“And you know I need tables, yeah? We’re on a wait,” Riley argues back. He gives her one last glare before disappearing back into the dining rooms, and Riley hears someone whistle behind her back.

“You know you egg him on just as much as he does you, right?” Maya, one of the servers who’s quickly become her best friend at the restaurant, tells her, leaning against the host stand. Riley shakes her head.

“Not true. He started it, anyway!”

“And you can’t let bygones be bygones?”

“Why on earth should I do that?” Riley asks, incredulous. Maya shrugs.

“I dunno. Besides the fact that the two of you have undeniable chemistry? Or similar personalities? Or the same friend groups around here?”

“What do you mean ‘undeniable chemistry’? We hate each other!” Riley exclaims.

“We often harbor love under the guise of hatred,” Maya states, earning her a disgusted expression from Riley.

“Don’t you have tables to serve?”

“After your boyfriend cleans them up, yeah.”

“He’s not my boyfriend!!” Riley shouts after her friend as she leaves, the sound of chuckling fading off around the corner.

 //

 “So Zay calls out and you’re the only person who can fill his role as a host tonight?” Riley asks Farkle, exasperated. It’s a little strange to see him sans apron, standing at the host stand like he’s the same level as her.

He’s not.

“Imagine, being ungrateful that someone was able to pick up his shift so you wouldn’t be on your own. Are you always this disagreeable in the morning or is that just how you are normally?” he counters.

Riley moves to continue their argument, but guests wander up to the host stand, so she drops it for the sake of doing the job she’s being paid for. She insists on seating them in the system and then guiding them to their table, sure that Farkle will mess it up somehow. When she returns, he’s got a smug grin on his face that causes her blood to boil.

“What’s the face for?” she prods.

“Well, if I didn’t have one it’d be quite disturbing, frankly,” he snarks back. Riley would throw things at him, if she didn’t have to keep her cool for the sake of the job.

“What’s the face for?” she tries again, this time more forcefully.

“I like that you won’t let me do anything. I could make your job ten times easier by seating tables for you, but you insist on taking care of everything. Are you really that stubborn?”

“Kettle meet pot,” she huffs, turning away from him with arms crossed and nose stuck high in the air. He simply laughs and the two of them return to silence soon after, refusing to engage any further in conversation for the rest of their shifts.

 //

 The restaurant holds a potluck for Thanksgiving two days before the actual holiday. It’s a tradition set by the general manager that a lot of people enjoy engaging in, and after further convincing from Maya, Riley decides to attend. Besides, Lucas is going to be there, and she may have the smallest, tiniest of crushes on him.

Whatever. Doesn’t matter.

Riley does prepare a dish at the behest of Maya (Maya could probably goad her into anything at this point, really). She wants to do macaroni and cheese, but when she hears that Darby is going to she attempts to figure something else out, but Maya reassures her.

“Darby makes it from the box,” she explains, “And it’s always the worst. I love her, but she finds a way to ruin even the simplest of foods.”

“So it’s really okay if I make macaroni and cheese? My grandma really does have an awesome recipe for it . . .”

“Riley,” Maya says, stern, “I think I speak for everyone when I say please, for the love of god make that mac. We need quality mac this year for once.”

She doesn’t work that day, so Maya tells her she’ll pick her up right before the potluck. Riley sleeps in and then spends the rest of her hours preparing the macaroni and cheese fresh, spending a little bit of the extra time for showering, dressing, and maybe putting on a little bit of makeup.

Riley pulls the dish out of the oven with a minute to spare, grabbing a box to hold it in so it doesn’t burn her and the rest of her things, heading out the door when she receives a message from Maya telling her that she’s waiting outside. She pulls together all her things and makes a mad dash for the door, joining her friend inside the car so that they can drive off to their workplace.

Riley has to admit she’s a bit nervous—she’s been working there only a couple of months, and while she does get along with everyone, she knows she’s still new, still not quite a perfect fit in this little carefully constructed family. She hopes that this will aid to ease her anxiety and make her feel a little more solidified in their group and that she’ll just have a good time in general. This job . . . she’s grown to care for it, more than she’d care to admit.

They pull up outside the restaurant and Riley jumps out once they’ve parked, grabbing her macaroni and cheese and tailing behind Maya once she’s retrieved her own dessert from the back seat of the car. The doors click as they lock and the two of them walk inside, Maya with confidence and Riley a tad skittish behind her. They greet the two hosts manning the front, having to miss out on the celebration for a moment, and then head towards the back dining room where their party is taking place.

“Maya! Riley! Glad you two could join us,” their general manager Jon greets them. “You two can go ahead and set your food down at the tables over there and we’ll get ready to eat in a few minutes.”

They nod and do as they’re told, Riley splitting off from Maya to set her food on the table closest to her while Maya sets her dish down on the dessert table. She waits to take cue from Maya, embarrassed to be tailing her like a dog, but shakes the feeling as Maya takes a seat at one of the booths. Riley joins her, realizing one moment too late that Maya’s chatting up Farkle Minkus of all people.

“You bring anything for us, Minkus?” Maya asks, engaging him in conversation. Farkle snorts.

“God no. The last thing we need is me exploding a kitchen from my poor cooking skills. There’s a reason I’m a busser and not on the line.”

“Don’t you have a cook or something rich people can afford who can do things for you?” Maya snarks.

“Would you laugh if I say yes?” Farkle sighs, earning him a cackle from Maya.

Riley tries to restrain her curiosity, but it’s already been piqued—if Farkle is rich, then why is he working as a busser at a chain restaurant?

Whatever. Riley doesn’t care.

She spends the rest of Maya and Farkle’s conversation on the outside listening in, not really wanting to participate in conversation with Farkle because he’s, well, Farkle. Maya seems to respect her feelings, not pestering her to join, and for that Riley is thankful. She just waits in her seat patiently, ready for the eating portion of their get-together to start. Unfortunately, she has to wait another fifteen minutes for that, but half-way through she gets distracted because of Lucas’ appearance, trying her best to work up the courage to talk to him. He’s still in his work uniform—black button-up and black work pants, the sleeves rolled up mid-forearm—and it shouldn’t work for him but it does.

Right as she finally rises from her seat, deciding that she will talk to him, their general manager announces that it’s time for them to eat. He pulls them all into a quick little prayer before allowing people to start grabbing food, and by then Lucas is caught up in his own conversation with the people he’s friends with at work. Riley sighs, giving up as she joins Maya and Farkle at the buffet line their manager put together. She piles the food on her plate and then sits back down at their little booth, uncharacteristically quiet as Maya and Farkle sit back down.

“Okay, I swear to you that Yogi’s changed the recipe for this green bean casserole. It actually tastes good this year,” Maya says.

“I’ll take your word for it. I don’t do mushrooms,” Farkle tells her, wrinkling his nose at it.

“Do you not like mushrooms either, Riley?” Maya asks her, finally inviting her in to start talking. Riley shakes her head.

“No, I just don’t really like green bean casserole.”

“Holy shit,” Farkle interjects through a mouthful of food, “Darby’s really stepped it up with the macaroni and cheese. This stuff tastes like heaven.”

Riley stops, her mouth dropping open in surprise at his words. Maya’s mouth turns upwards into a brilliant, shit-eating grin that Riley just wants to wipe off her face but knows she can’t. It’s too late; the damage is done.

“That’s because Darby didn’t make it,” Maya tells him, the excitement unrestrained in her voice, “Riley did.”

Farkle registers her words, his chewing slowing down as realization dawns on his face. She half-expects him to spit it out, to retract his statement or do something else drastic, but he doesn’t. He swallows the mouthful of macaroni and cheese, sets his fork down, and meeting Riley’s gaze says, “This is really, really fantastic macaroni and cheese, Riley. Some of the best I’ve ever had. Good job.”

Riley will admit, she didn’t think Farkle would be the one to extend the olive branch between the two of them, but he does it all the same. She recognizes that her response to him will make or break the situation, but she’s not one to drop a compliment, especially one that has her blushing furiously. She can’t control it, not really, and she definitely can’t control the bashful smile that graces her face, so what the hell.

“Thanks, Farkle. I’m glad you enjoy it,” she tells him sincerely, her words startling him, too. But then he beams a grin back and Riley knows she can no longer be mad at him, not after that.

 Damnit.

 //

Friendship with Farkle after Thanksgiving is practically flawless. Riley doesn’t want to tell Maya she’s right because Maya will hold it over her for the rest of forever, but Riley and Farkle really do have a lot in common. He makes it easy to be his friend, so much so that she forgets she was ever mad at him and that she didn’t like him at all. They spend a good portion of their day complaining about someone or something from work and when they aren’t talking about that, they’re talking about outer space or their favorite tv shows or just anything.

It’s kind of ridiculous, but then again, Riley absolutely loves it. It makes working at least ten times easier now that they get along, but if anyone notices it, they don’t mention it aloud. The restaurant moves on with its day as if nothing has changed, but Riley is privy to the shift.

Regardless, their friendship is still brand new, still hanging on by a tumultuous thread. It’s something Riley can’t quite define, but it feels like the foundations are still shaky, like there’s something else that rests in the air between them when their conversations reach a lull during a slow day.

Maya voices her opinion on the subject after Riley mentions it while they’re getting ready for a costume party Sarah’s holding (“Halloween in December,” Sarah tells Riley, “It’s kinda my thing.”) Maya’s finished putting on her sexy ringmaster costume and has moved onto applying her makeup while Riley tries to wrangle and curl her hair into submission.

“It’s because you like him,” Maya tells her, working on her winged eyeliner with Bobby Fisher-like intensity.

“What? No I don’t,” Riley insists. “Farkle and I just became friends.”

“And this is supposed to deter my opinion on that? I already told you before that you had undeniable chemistry. But now you two actually get along, so now you can’t hide it.”

Riley has half a mind to make Maya mess up her eyeliner, but she’s not cruel. She’ll just remain disgruntled about the matter for the rest of the night.

Maya helps Riley with the rest of her angel costume after her hair is curled completely, and once they’ve pulled Riley’s wings on, they grab their things and leave Maya’s house. Maya drives them to the party and when they pull up, Riley has to admit that while she knew a lot of people were going to attend the party, she didn’t know this many people would be here. Cars line the empty space around Sarah’s place and partygoers are already hanging out on the lawn, enjoying themselves as the music blasts from inside the house.

Riley feels a nervous energy course within her as they walk up the sidewalk to the house. She’s excited for the party, she really is, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t anxious about it, too. All of that washes away the moment she and Maya step inside, their friends greeting them happily and complimenting their costumes.

“Oh my god, you guys finally made it!” Zay exclaims, a wide grin on his face. “Those costumes are dope as hell!”

“Thanks, of course they are,” Maya says, winking at him slyly. “But what are you supposed to be?”

Zay flashes his teeth, revealing a set of pointed fangs on the top and bottom.

“Teen Wolf!”

“That is both lame and fantastic,” Maya laughs, then turns to search the room. “Farkle here yet?”

“Yeah, last I saw he was playing beer pong with Lucas and couple of others. Why don’t you two get some drinks and then we’ll head that way,” he suggests. Maya nods and they follow him to what Riley supposes is the kitchen. He mixes them up a couple of drinks and hands them off to them, chuckling when Riley sniffs hers and scrunches her nose in disgust.

“Jeez, how much alcohol did you put in this, Zay?” she asks.

“Enough. Now drink up and let’s go, Matthews!”

She sighs and gives in, stealing a sip as they make their way to where Farkle and Lucas are. She almost gags at the pungent liquor smell again but drinks it anyway. It’s a good thing, too, because when they find the supposed beer pong tournament, it’s not Lucas who has her heart racing.

“Maya,” Farkle greets her when he spots her, but when his gaze lands on Riley, he practically beams. “Riley! I’m so glad you could make it!”

Words seem to fail Riley right now. She’s not sure why she’s feeling so off but seeing Farkle dressed as gladiator has sent her off-kilter. He looks so damn good in his costume and she starts debating whether or not she should abandon the drink Zay gave her altogether if it’s making her act like this.

“Hey, Farkle, good to see you, too,” she finally manages awkwardly, huffing in embarrassment before backing her drink like there’s no tomorrow. So much for abandoning it.

“Whoa,” Maya gasps, rushing over to Riley’s side, “What are you doing?! I thought you told me earlier you were going to take it easy.”

“I lied. Wanna make me another drink? I’m gonna need it,” she insists, ushering Maya back to the kitchen. As soon as they’ve made it, Maya shakes Riley off of her, glaring at her.

“What the hell was that about?!” she yells. Riley opens her mouth to say something, but then closes it again as she goes through the five stages of grief in her mind. After a moment of silence and Maya waving her hand sporadically in Riley’s face to bring her back to earth, she says,

“I couldn’t be there anymore. I need more alcohol if I’m going to get through this night.”

“I don’t get why you’re acting like this? You were fine until we—” Maya pauses, then realization dawns on her face, “Oh!”

“Maya—”

“Holy shit, you don’t wanna go back there because you think Farkle looks hot in his costume. This is hilarious.”

“No it’s not! I don’t have feelings for him, I just think he looks . . . really good,” Riley tries, but Maya’s already grinning like an idiot.

“Now we have to get back there. I’m going to try so hard to set the two of you up it’s not even funny.”

“I don’t need your help! I don’t wanna be set up!” Riley exclaims, but it’s too late. Her decision has been made.

“I’ll make you a drink and then I’m gonna get you alone with Farkle. It’s gonna be fantastic.”

Riley groans, knowing she’s fighting a losing battle.

She does loosen up a bit after she’s finished off the second drink, but that doesn’t mean she’s gonna give into her friend’s plan.

And Maya does follow up on her promise despite Riley’s every effort to make it hard for them to be alone—after many failed attempts, she forces them in a spin the bottle circle. Riley only agrees to it because she’s borderline drunk and doesn’t care about a quick kiss with anyone, but when she finds out that whoever the bottle lands on is sent to the closet for seven minutes in heaven, she tries to run.

But it’s too late.

Maya’s spinning skills are off the charts, the bottle ends landing between Riley and Farkle. Everyone whoops and hollers at them except for Riley and Farkle themselves, but they still go follow the rules begrudgingly, allowing themselves to be shoved into a closet for everyone else’s entertainment.

“Go get ‘em, tiger!” Maya’s muffled yell erupts from beyond the closed door. Riley sighs.

“You know we don’t have to do anything in here, right?” Farkle tells her. “I’m not gonna force you to do something you don’t want to do.”

“Really?” Riley asks, spinning to turn and look at him, but that ends up being a mistake. She’d misjudged just how small the closet was, and she ends up pressed against him, his arms gripping her biceps when she stumbles a bit from the alcohol.

Whatever words Farkle wanted to say have since died on his lips, if his comically large eyes were anything to go by. Riley knows she’s gone though when she finds herself lost in the stormy gray irises of his, her brain actually entertaining the thought of kissing him.

It wouldn’t be so bad if I did, right? her brain asks her.

Right, her heart agrees.

Testing a theory, Riley’s hands rise to rest gently against Farkle’s cheeks. His breath stutters as soon as her fingers grace his skin, and she knows there’s no going back when she glances at his mouth before leaning in.

This is such a bad idea, she tells herself, But I don’t think I care enough to stop it.

Right when mouth is only centimeters away from Farkle’s, close enough that she can feel his breath ghosting her lips, the closet door swings open. Farkle and Riley jump apart, and whatever spell befell her has washed away, leaving confusion in its wake.

“Alright you two, get out so the rest of us can have some fun!” someone shouts. Riley nods and ditches Farkle, grabbing Maya by the arm and tugging her outside urgently.

“What the hell, Riley?” Maya grumbles as soon as they stop in what Riley deems is a quiet area.

“I think I have a crush on Farkle. I have a crush on Farkle, don’t I?” Riley asks.

“No shit,” Maya says, rolling her eyes, “You kind of made that abundantly clear tonight. But after all that hard work I went through you didn’t even follow through!”

“How can you tell?” Riley frowns.

“Because your lipstick is still perfectly fine, red as can be. If you kissed him, it’d be smudged and all over his mouth. Plus, I don’t really think Farkle would’ve survived it. I think he’d probably need to sit down for the next century in order to process it all.”

“You’re the worst,” Riley whines. Maya pats her shoulders sympathetically.

“I know, Sunshine. I know.”

 //

 Riley’s never been one to know how to act around crushes, but her crush on Farkle has rendered her absolutely neurotic. She still talks to him, of course, but she has a harder time starting conversations. What would he even want to talk about? Does he even want to talk with her?

It’s Riley’s favorite pastime, going into the land of overthinking. She excels at it a little too well.

After two weeks of utter turmoil and downright awkward interactions with Farkle, she thinks that maybe she’s just eternally hopeless. Whatever she might feel for Farkle doesn’t matter, because she can’t even figure out how to just be around him. She may as well just quit while she’s ahead and just give up on the hopes of ever being near him again.

Unfortunately, she doesn’t get that option.

Her manager suggests one morning that Farkle help her unload the boxes of wine they just got in, and when Farkle asks if she wants help, she says yes. Normally, she’s used to unloading it all on her own, but the thought of spending quality time with him is just too tempting to pass up and her brain is just dumb dumb dumb.

The restaurant is quiet as they unload each case of wine, save for the never-ending music selection on repeat with eight versions of the same five songs. But it’s nice, sharing a moment with him where they don’t have to talk about anything, just stock wine in the coolers.

Nice, of course, up until their fingers brush up against one another’s, sending electricity coursing straight through Riley’s system. She wonders if he feels it, too, but she doesn’t have to worry any longer when his gaze finally meets hers, the shock apparent on his face. They endure a long moment of silence until Riley can bear it no more, the words falling out of her mouth unbidden.

“Farkle, I really really like you. As in like like you,” Riley blurts.

“Oh thank god,” he breathes before pulling her in for a kiss.

It shouldn’t be great kiss, by all means—they’re both kneeling behind the host stand, the cooler doors open and bottles of wine still waiting to be stocked while a jazzy version of Wonderwall plays in the background. But that doesn’t matter to Riley; she’s with Farkle and they’re kissing and she never wants this moment to end.

It does, though.

“Ahem,” a voice clears their throat, causing Riley and Farkle to split. She has an oh shit moment when she thinks it might be their manager who’s caught them kissing while on the clock, but then it’s even worse when Riley realizes who it is.

“Oh. Hey, Maya,” Farkle greets her sheepishly, earning him a cackle from Maya.

“This is fantastic! I love being right!” she shouts.

Riley buries her head in Farkle’s shoulder in embarrassment, but she smiles secretly—

She loves that Maya was right, too.

[meandmypagancrew]

Maybe What You Think Of Me Won’t Change

Did you guys know that in addition to being a gifmaker and a dollmaker, I’m also a writer? I know! I am a woman of many talents most mediocre and useless. Anyway, I wrote this little fic about Clark and Farrah from We Are The Tigers, so if you’re into that kind of thing, give it a read under the cut!

It wasn’t super uncommon for Farrah to suddenly come to and not know where she was or how she got there. So when, in her drunken haze, she had a sudden moment of clarity and found herself outside by a dumpster, she groaned. In the dim light from a streetlight, she took stock as she pushed one of her braids over her shoulder. Clothes? Still on. Phone? Not dead. Purse? There. There wasn’t any vomit or blood or anything. All in all, not the worst night she had ever had.

As she got on shaky feet, she tried to remember what had happened. Marissa had picked her up, and they went to a house party at Rich’s. She had a few flashes of the party, a red solo cup in her hand, Liz doing a keg stand, Kayla and Jason trying to subtly sneak upstairs- but then nothing. Fuck. There was no one around, so how was she supposed to get home? She pulled out her phone again and clicked the home button, being greeted by a picture of Tom Holland as Spiderman- her favorite celebrity crush- and the time 3:42. It was a Thursday, but still summer, so thank God she didn’t have to worry about being up for school. 

She pushed that thought to the back of her mind. First she needed to get home. She unlocked her phone- her home screen was a picture of her and her mom when she was born, which caused her to squint, both because of the lighter color scheme being brighter and the memory of her mom- and clicked to her contacts. Family was strictly out of the question, Annleigh would kill her for waking her up, her stepmom hated her, and her dad wouldn’t be mad but he’d be so disappointed he would probably cry the entire way and making your dad cry is a soul crushing experience.

She sat back down as she scrolled through her contacts. Party friends. A guy who was her partner for a chem project last year. Former Captain Kimberly, future Captain Riley. A guy who was rumored to be a drug dealer, but was only her contact for buying alcohol. Her first try was Marissa- she got her into this, it seemed only natural she’d get her out, but it went straight to voice mail. She kept looking, her drunk mind trying to think. Her finger tapped on Bridget, a girl who had been a cheerleader at Giles Corey but transferred back to public school after her dad had been laid off. They weren’t close, but Bridget had shown her the ropes when she joined the team, and she was a night owl so she should still be awake.

Before the first ring even finished, her usual deadpan voice answered. 

“What.” She said, and Farrah struggled to not sound as drunk as she was as she responded.

“Bridged?” Despite her best efforts, her speech was a little slurred. “Canyou comeaaand git mee?”

“Farrah, it’s almost four AM.” Her voice still had no inflection. Even when sober, it was very difficult to discern where Bridget was standing, and if you were getting anywhere with her. Drunk? It was pretty much impossible.

“Yeeeeaaaaaaah… but Imm stuuuuuuck.” 

“No.” Was the response, unusually harsh for Bridget. 

“Whaa…?” She asked, though she was pretty sure she heard her correctly. It just didn’t seem right. Bridget wouldn’t just abandon her like this, right? As she had so astutely noted it was almost 4 AM- she was the only person who would be awake.

“No. I’m not your babysitter, Farrah. You got yourself into this mess, take some goddamn responsibility for your actions.”

“Buuu… butMarissa took meee dribking-“

“Did Marissa force the alcohol down your throat?” Bridget asked, a little too abruptly and Farrah didn’t respond. She knew she was right, and Bridget knew from her silence she had hit the nail on her head. “You made a choice. You deal with the consequences.”

The line went dead. Bridget’s words were true, but how the hell was Farrah supposed to get out of this? Buses weren’t running this time of night, she didn’t even know where she was, let alone how to get home- she needed help.

As she resumed scrolling through her contacts, a very depressing thought hit her. She didn’t have anyone to call. She was the girl you call for a party, not the girl you depend on when you need help. She didn’t have a single true friend she could depend on right now. There were no clutch friends. To put it quite frankly, she was completely fucked.

As she settled in against the dumpster to wait for daybreak, hoping the sun would bring with it some ideas, a memory she didn’t know she had came to the forefront of her mind. 

“I think she’s asleep.” A voice that must have been Annleigh’s said in her memory. 

She was lying down, but her eyes were closed. From the lights that occasionally shone through her eyelids, the soft rumbling, and the feeling of movement, she must have been in the backseat of the car.

“Okay.” Came another voice, male- Clark. “I’ll carry her in when we get there.”

“You don’t have to do that!” Annleigh immediately replied, and Farrah could picture the heart eyes she was almost undoubtedly making. “You’ve already done so much, helping me come get her.”

“Don’t mention it.” He replied. “I’m happy to help.”

“You must get tired of it.” Annleigh replied with a sigh. “I mean, she’s not even your family.”

“Well, first off, we are all sisters and brothers in the eyes of our Heavenly Father,” She could hear the smile in his voice, and a gentle sound of contact as if Annleigh had playfully hit his arm. When he spoke again, though, the smile was gone. “In all seriousness, though, your family is my family. I will always be there for Farrah, because I love her like a sister.”

The conversation turned to some boring bullshit about theology, so she had tuned it out. But her mind kept coming back to that promise. Did he mean it? Did he say it just because he thought it would win him brownie points? Either way, it was her last possible option, so she navigated to his contact and hit call.

After a few rings, his groggy voice answered.

“Hello?”

“Clark?” She asked, and she could almost feel him snap awake.

“Farrah? What’s happening? Is Annleigh okay? Are you okay?”

“Iiii’m fiiiiine. I need a riiide.”

Clark exhaled, and she felt a little bad for waking him up. He was probably going to do thing Bridget had. This was a speculator waste of time for everyone.

“I’m…. I don’t knoooow…”

“Do you see any landmarks?” He asked, his voice patient even though she could hear him moving about, probably grabbing his keys and heading out.

“Let me… check…” She stumbled a little bit, struggling to hold the phone and climb to her feet. “Oof, okay…”

“Farrah, what’s going on?” He asked, and she waved it off before realizing he couldn’t see her as she meandered out of the alley to the street.

“Iiiit’s fiiine. You worry too much!” 

She put a hand on the wall to steady her as she took stock of her surroundings. Sure enough, she was at a bar, but she didn’t recognize the name and found it highly unlikely Clark would either. Most of the storefronts were dark, and even the ones that weren’t, she felt like the words were spinning in front of her. 

“What do you see?” He asked, and she scrunched up her face.

“Uhhh…” She stalled but then she saw it. She thought it was maybe the most beautiful building she had ever seen in her life, down at the end of the street. “There’s a castle…”

“A… castle?” He asked, confused.

“It’s all white. It’s so pretty. It has flowers.”

“An all white building?” He tried to clarify. “The hospital?”

“No… there’s a man on the building…” She had to squint, but sure enough.

“A man on a castle that’s white with flowers?” The skepticism in his voice was so evident that even in her state she could pick up on it and it annoyed her.

“He’s golden!” She insisted, just wanting him to believe her, that she wasn’t hallucinating.

“A golden man on- the Mormon temple?” He asked, which Farrah couldn’t say for sure, but it seemed like the best bet. “Farrah, are you at the Mormon temple?”

“Nooo… I’m in front of a bar down the street…”

“Okay. Okay. Hold on.” Clark said as Farrah leaned against the wall, already feeling a hangover starting to set in. “I’ll be there in five minutes. Can you hang on for five minutes?”

“Yeah…” She replied, closing her eyes against the light filtering through the bar’s windows.

“Okay. I’ll see you soon.”

Once he hung up, she pocketed her phone after making sure it was on vibration in case something happened. She had considered doing something on her phone while she waited, but even on the lowest setting, it seemed so bright it might burn her. Out of sheer boredom, she started to undo her braids. After all, even if she slept in them, she’d have to redo them tomorrow, because they’d be messy. 

Just as she was relocating her second hair tie to her wrist, and shaking out the braid, the door to the bar opened, and a man walked out. Farrah didn’t notice him at first, busy combing her hair out, but he sure noticed her.

“Oh, hey, pretty girl.” He said and she looked up into eyes that looked at her like she was less of a person and more of a meal. Ugh. She had met so many predatory men like this, and she really wasn’t up to it right now. “What are you doing out here all alone?”

“My ride is coming.” She said, both as an answer to the question and a way of informing him that there was someone who knew where she was supposed to be, so he better not try anything.

“I can take you wherever you need to go, baby.” He was almost purring, which was about as unsettling as being called baby by a stranger twice her age. “Especially if where you need to go is back to my place.”

That statement was punctuated with a wink, and she felt like she needed a shower.

“No, thank you.” She replied, trying to walk the line between being polite enough that he didn’t think she was a cunt and murdered her, but not so polite that he thought she was into him and when she rejected him, didn’t think she was a cunt and murdered her. 

“Aw, come on, I can make you feel reeeeal good.”

He started to advance towards her and Farrah took a step back before she realized that would just back her into an alleyway, which was a dead end. She had no option but to stand her ground.

“I said no!” She almost yelled, and he grabbed her arm.

“Come on, baby, don’t be like that.” She tried to struggle against his grip, but he tightened his grip, which only scared her more. He was so much more powerful than she was.

“Get off of me!” Now she was yelling, a hint of desperation in her voice and he grabbed her other arm as well, which she continued to try to resist, but he was too strong.

“I said don’t be-“

“Get away from her!” She heard a car door slamming and while she couldn’t see who it was, she recognized his voice. The dude’s attention was fractured by the interruption, and his grip loosened as he looked over his shoulder. Farrah took advantage of that to pry herself from his grasp, running straight at Clark, throwing her arms around him and clutching the back of his shirt as tightly as she could, squeezing her eyes shut as she buried her face in his chest. He immediately wrapped one arm around her, holding her close.

“What are you, her boyfriend?” He sneered, and the fear in Farrah’s heart didn’t subside much. What even could Clark do? This guy, he looked like he could be a stunt double for Thor. And Clark? Clark could be the stunt double for Captain America- pre-serum.

“I’m her BROTHER!” He said, his voice taking on a hint of fierceness that Farrah had never heard before, and somehow she knew that he was going to protect her, whatever it took. “And she clearly said no, not to mention the fact that she’s 15! Take one more step towards us and I’m calling the cops on you, you pervert!”

There was a very tense moment, a pregnant pause where Farrah could feel Clark’s heart pounding against her forehead. He talked a big game, but he was terrified. If he called their bluff? The two of them together couldn’t even come close to taking him on, especially in her state. But he must have moved away, because she felt Clark exhale.

“Whatever. She’s a fat bitch anyway.” His voice was moving away, but Clark continued to hold on for several moments. He put his other arm around her before pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head.

“Oh, Farrah…” 

She pulled away and looked up at him, furrowing her eyebrows at the soft murmur, confused about what he meant. Before she could ask, he pulled away even more to open the door of the car for her.

“Let’s get you home.”

She obediently climbed in, again running a hand through her hair as she checked in the mirror her reflection. Her makeup was a mess and she had definitely seen better days, but the wave in her hair was gorgeous. As Clark got into the car next to her and immediately locked the door, she expected him to say something, but he stayed silent. Even as he started the car and some sort of Christian rock- Switchfoot, maybe?- started filtering through his car speakers, a little distorted because the bass was ruined. If Farrah recalled correctly, that was because when Greatest Showman came out, Annleigh adored it so much that not only did she make Clark take her to go see it in the theatres at least six different times, it was the only thing she would listen to and she would play it whenever he drove her anywhere and was not afraid to blast it.

She expected a lecture, some kind of explosion, but instead he just stared straight ahead, clutching the wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His silence was agonizing, and when she finally recognized their surroundings as he turned into their neighborhood, she braved speaking.

“Are you mad?”

“No.” He answered quickly. It wasn’t snapping at her, just a decisive statement.

“Are you sad?”

“No.” It was said the same way and she exhaled in frustration, feeling like she had to get to the bottom of this before he dropped her off, which would be soon despite the meandering streets of the neighborhood that made little sense- Clark was an expert and could navigate it like nobody’s business.

“Are you hungry?”

“No.”

“Are you annoyed?”

“No.”

“Are you disgusted?”

“Farrah, I’m worried.” He said as he pulled in front of the Victorian manor replica that she called her home. 

She was surprised that he cared so much, and surprised at herself that she also felt defensive. As he unbuckled his seatbelt to turn and look at her, she crossed her arms.

“You’re only saying that because of Annleigh. You don’t care about me. Or at least you only care about me as Annleigh’s sister.”

“Farrah, look around.” He said, and she furrowed her eyebrows, turning to him. Look at what? The dark buses that lined the pathway up to the front door? The neighbors across the street who’s porch light was green instead of normal? The empty McDonalds bag at her feet? The little pop figures from whatever weeb shit he was into on the dashboard?

“Do you see Annleigh anywhere?” Her brows still furrowed, she shook her head. Of course Annleigh wasn’t here, she would be inside asleep, like the good little girl she was. “This isn’t an act for her. I’m not even planning on telling her this happened. I’m worried about you because I care about you. Not the Farrah who’s Annleigh’s sister, but the Farrah who’s an amazing flier, the Farrah who knows all the words to Princess Bride and watches it every year on her birthday, the Farrah who hasn’t taken ballet in four years but still sometimes twirls when she thinks no one is looking. I care about the Farrah who goes horseback riding and even if she’s in a skirt refuses to ride side-saddle. I care about the Farrah who hides books in her backpack because she loves to read but would hate for anyone to find out. I care about the Farrah who sits on her phone and pretends not to pay attention to whatever’s on TV but when her dad falls asleep during the middle of an episode and then when he wakes up and asks what he missed, always knows exactly what’s going on. I care about the Farrah who found an abandoned kitten in a rainstorm and took him home and took care of him until she could be rehomed despite the fact that she’s very allergic. I care about the Farrah that named that cat Aaron Purr. I care about that Farrah a whole lot more than I care about Annleigh’s sister.”

She didn’t have a response to that. Clark had only been actively in her life for about a year, since her dad got married, but in that time he had been paying attention. She had gone through the mortifying ordeal of being known by him and she didn’t even realize. But at the same time, even though those things were all true, they all seemed so far away. When was the last time she had danced? Finished a book? Gone horse riding at all? The person he described sounded like such a nice person, she wanted her back. When she realized that, she started to cry.

“Oh- oh, no, no, Farrah, please don’t cry-“ Clark started to panic, placing a hand on her back as she dropped her head into her hands as he continued to move around as if looking for something. “I didn’t mean it as a bad thing, I just think you’re an amazing young woman and if you keep getting into bad situations like you did tonight, I don’t know what’s going to happen-“

“Help me.” She managed to get out through her sobs, and he suddenly stilled.

“What?”

“Help me. Please.” Once she started, it seemed like she couldn’t stop, even though the plea had to be filtered through sobs and snot. “I know I’m in trouble, but I don’t know how to stop- I can’t stop. I know everyone hates me, even my friends, and I know that it’s gone too far, but I’m scared, Clark, I’m so scared-“

“Hey, hey, shhh…” His voice brought her to an immediate halt, bringing her back to earth. She looked up at him, and even with her smeared mascara, snotty nose, tear stained cheeks, and red, puffy eyes, he didn’t turn away. He didn’t recoil in disgust. He offered her some napkins from a fast food chain he must have found somewhere with an encouraging smile. “It’s going to be okay. I’ll talk to your parents with you about it. If you have to go to rehab, I’ll visit you there and write. A bunch of my friends have sisters about your age, I’ll introduce you to them and maybe you’ll really hit it off and find some better friends. It won’t be easy, but I promise you don’t have to do it alone. Just say when.”

She accepted his offering and transferred her makeup from her face to the little caricature of the Grecian from the Little Ceasers logo, thinking hard about it. Right now was not an option, even with the sun beginning to appear on the horizon, she didn’t want to wake anyone up. But she also knew if she waited too long, she would lose her nerve. She was already starting to waver as she pulled herself back together. Surely things weren’t that bad, right? She could handle it on her own. But Clark was still looking at her for an answer.

“The day after tomorrow.” She finally said, and he seemed a little confused about the random time, so she explained. “The cheer sleepover is tomorrow night. You’re picking Annleigh and I up in the morning. When you drop us off, my parents should be home.”

Understanding the timeline, he nodded. It would give him enough time to research how to be a support system for her, and it would give her enough time to figure out how to backtrack, and tell Clark she didn’t really mean it and she was actually fine. That decided, she sling her purse over her shoulder and opened the car door to get out.

“Farrah?” He asked as she put her foot on the sidewalk, and she turned a little to look at him.

“Hmm?”

The light in the interior turned on when she opened the door, so she could see him clearly for the first time all night. He looked tired, but still as charismatically cheerful as ever, the human equivalent of a golden retriever. 

“Chin up, buttercup.”

He gave her shoulder a playful punch and she couldn’t help but smile back before fully getting out of the car. As she walked up to her door, she thought that maybe it wouldn’t be too bad after all. Maybe he could help her find the girl he saw again, and she could be better. As she opened the door she looked back. He was still waiting and gave a small wave. She waved back before taking a deep breath and stepping inside, hearing his car start up again and drive off as the door closed behind her.

[bbrandy2002]

Little Shit:

Part 1: Wrapped Around A Finger

This is for week 96 of @wackydrabbles prompt: I can't -- I have a deadline. Prompt will be in bold.

Okay, so I couldnt fit all of this into the 2000 word limit and had to break it up and didn't have the heart to cut.

@kingliam2019​ you made a request for a Little Shit story on New Year’s Eve and it only took 5 months to come up with something, so this one is for you.

If you're unfamiliar with the Little Shit series (because it has been over a year since I wrote anything for it) Nikolas is Liam and Riley's 5 year old mischievous son who just can't help from wreaking havoc, especially toward Drake. He enjoys getting a rise out of him even if he does love his Uncle ... for the most part.

Warning: Crude Language. Mention of Covid and vaccinations.

Word count: 1928

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

Returning from the stables one afternoon, Drake was stopped at the palace door by security -- again -- for not wearing the required mask to enter.

“Mr. Walker, I’m afraid you need to have a mask on before I can allow you inside. I have to tell you this every day.”

“That because I fucking live here,” Drake grumbled as he snagged the offered surgical mask from the guard. 

“Not in the common areas, Mr. Walker.”

“You know this whole virus thing is just a conspiracy and Liam is using it to control all of us, right? He’s gone mad. This shit’s never gonna end.”

“I understand, sir.” The guard waited patiently as Drake begrudgingly slipped the mask over his face. “Perhaps, though, there is an alternative, one where you wouldn’t have to wear one anymore. They’re offering free vaccines in room 105 today. If you get the shot, you won’t need to wear a mask when you come inside,” the guard cajoled.

Drake let out a humorless laugh.“I’m sure that’s exactly what Liam wants: make a guinea pig out of me. Pump me full of that radioactive shit and in five years I’ll have a tail growing out of my face. No thanks.” Drake disregarded the information and moved past the man.

“But, sir .. .they’re giving away bottles of whiskey to the first 100 recipients. Last I heard, they were close to reaching that number. Top of the line stuff too.”

Drake turned on the heel of his work boots, glaring back, before asking skeptically. “Whiskey? They’re giving away alcohol to get this damn shot?” The guard nodded in response.

“Glenfiddich -- 1955, I believe. The King paid for it himself.”

Drake’s eyes widened in disbelief. “That’s a $90,000 bottle! And they’re just giving them away if you get this shot?”

“I … um … yes. His Majesty wants to reward those who are doing their part to create a healthier and safer Cordonia. He won’t rest until every last citizen is vaccinated from this dreaded virus. We can all fight this … together. What do you say, Mr. Walker? Will you help stop the spread?”

“For a $90,000 bottle of whiskey? Hell yeah! I’ll grow two tails out my heads for -- hold on a damn minute …” Drake burrowed his eyes into the guard who was sweating bullets, desperate for him to leave. “Where the hell is Nikolas at? This whole thing reeks of him..” Drake’s eyes began darting around the perimeter in a feverish search for the little prince’s battery operated car. “That little shit is blackmailing you, isn’t he? I should have known.”

The guard straightened and answered in a solemn tone, “I’m a serious professional, Mr. Walker. And I take your accusations of being anything but, demeaning to the loyalty and oath I’ve given to the Crown. How dare you stand there --”

“Okay, okay. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to suggest otherwise.” Drake ran a hand down his weary face in frustration. “It’s just that kid is the bane of my existence. I’ve had a long, hard day at work and I’m in no mood for his fucking stunts.”

The guard waved him off. “Nah, don’t worry about it. I’ve heard all about the stuff he’s pulled on you.” He leaned in closer and spoke in a hushed tone, “Between you and me, he’s a little pain in my ass too; always coming down here acting like he runs this place. If you ever need help teaching that kid a lesson, I’d be happy to help.”

Drake arched a brow. “Loyalty to the crown, huh?” The man regarded that retort with an awkward shrug. “Yeah, he needs his ass busted, that’s for sure. Liam thinks he just needs a little more love. I’d like to show him the Bianca F. Walker way of love.” He slammed his hands together.

The guard chuckled. “I’m with you on that. He needs something done; he’s out of control … Anyway, you should probably head on up there and get your shot -- and whiskey -- before they’re all out. I wish I’d have waited to get mine until today.”

Twisting his face in doubt, Drake walked around the corner and leaned up against the wall as he pulled out his phone. Something just didn’t feel right, and he determined the safest thing to do was shoot off a quick text to his best friend.

Drake: Liam, are you really giving away Glenfiddich, 1955, to get the Covid vaccine?

He waited a brief moment until a response came through; he looked down at his phone and read:

Liam: Yes.

Drake: Is that all you have to say about that?

Liam: Yes.

Liam: I am in meeting for Cordonia.

Drake tilted his head to the side and scratched at it as he stared at the odd message. He typed out another response.

Drake: What kind of meeting for Cordonia? And with who?

Liam: Top secret. Can't tell you.

Drake: Uh-huh. Where’s Nikolas?

Liam: With Riley and baby in Vallteria

Liam: Shit. Valtoria

Drake: What’s the capital of the United States?

Liam: Damn it Drake I’m in a meeting!

Drake: Then hurry up and answer

Liam: Washington D.C.

Drake: Who shot me at the costume ball?

Liam: You son of a bitch. IM IN A MEETING!

Drake let out a heavy groan and decided to just call Riley. He knew without a doubt Nikolas took Liam’s phone again. If he called Riley, though, there was no way the boy could pretend he was her.

Picking up almost instantly, Riley answered cheerfully, “Hello. Queen Riley speaking.”

“Riley, it’s Drake. I was just wondering if you and Liam were really giving away whiskey for getting this shot? Sounds a little fishy to me.”

There was a moment of silence, then a clicking noise, followed by a long beep, before Riley replied. “Yes. We. Are. Giving. Away …. Whiskey. Get.The.Shot.Drake.”

“The hell is wrong with your voice?”

“I.Am.In.Valtoria.”

“Riley, why the fuck are you enunciating every word?”

“I. Have. A. Cold. And. Must.Talk.Slow. Nikolas.Is.With.Me. And. I. Must. Get ... Going. Bye. Drake ...You. Ass. Hole.” 

Drake rolled his eyes and slipped the phone in his back pocket. “He’s got her phone, too. Damn that evil-ass kid.” He hesitantly made his way down to room 105; it wouldn’t hurt anything just to open the door and see if there was anything legit about this. As he approached, a lovely lady he knew from the kitchen exited with a big smile on her aging face and a bottle she cradled in her arms; he recognized it almost instantly as the Glenfiddich.

“Miss Milly,” Drake greeting kindly and held the door open for her. “You’re looking as lovely as ever.”

“Oh, you.” She laughed bashfully in her grandmotherly voice as she stepped into the corridor. “You’re always flirting with me, Drake. One of these days, I’m going to make you take me out on a date, buy me dinner, and give me a peck on the cheek at the end of the night.” 

Drake smiled back fondly at her. “You just tell me when, Miss Milly, and I’m there.” He motioned to the bottle in her hand. “Say … couldn’t help but notice that bottle of whiskey you’re carrying around; where’d you get that at? That brand doesn’t come cheap.”

���Ohhh, I know. But I heard they were giving shots in that room right there.” She pointed with a crooked finger. “And they said I was the 99th person to stop by, and gave this to me after getting my shot. I couldn’t believe my luck. And they only have one bottle left. I can finally put my grandson through college.” 

“That’s great! And you said there is still one more bottle left?”

She nodded her head. “Yes. But you better hurry. One of the chefs is on his way here for a shot as well.”

Drake hurriedly kissed her on the cheek and opened the door. Thank you, Miss Milly!” He stepped inside, then stopped and whipped his head back out the door. “Milly, wait. Have you seen Prince Nikolas today?”

“Yes, he left with the Queen after breakfast this morning. I believe they mentioned going to Valtoria.”

Drake rubbed his hands together anxiously and thanked her. He’d known the cook for years, she’s the sweetest person he knew. There was no way she would cover for Nikolas, and Drake couldn’t imagine the boy would have any dirt to hold over her head.

When the door shut, Nikolas grinned mischievously from a dark alcove where he was parked in his black 12V Mercedes Benz S63. “This is the day I’ve been waiting for.”

He set his laptop and both parents' phones in the passenger seat and slowly pulled out. He paid $100 to Milly and asked her to put the bottle back in his father’s liquor cabinet and rolled a few paces to room 105.

======

After filling out medical forms, the palace doctor ushered Drake behind a curtain where a long rectangular table and folding chair sat. Taking the seat, Drake watched the doctor slip on a pair of gloves and pull a small tube of lube out of his lab coat pocket. Drake furrowed his brows in confusion. “Heh. What’s the lube for?” he chuckled lightly. “I’m just here for a shot, man. Nothing else is going in me.”

“Just relax, Mr. Walker. It’s all part of the process.” A squirt of clear liquid was squeezed onto the doctor's two gloved fingers as he held them up. “On your medical forms you denied having a physical exam in the past year. I just need to do a quick exam and check for rectal polyps.”

Drake started laughing in amusement, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You’ve got to be shittin' me. So let me get this straight. I can’t get a shot until you stick your fingers in my ass to check for ‘polyps?’ Yeah, that’s happening. What a bunch of horse malarky.”

The doctor let out an annoyed huff. “I see you didn’t read over the information forms. They never do,’ he mumbled. “Look, if you want me to wait here all day while you figure out what to do, I can’t -- I have a deadline to finish here. Now if you’ll move along, I have another patient waiting; you’re free to go.”

And Drake knew he was. But that expensive bottle of Glenfiddich was calling his name. He glanced over to that one last beautiful bottle sitting atop a desk on the far side of the room, calling his name. Selling it for even half of what it was worth would afford him enough to move the hell out of the palace and get the freedom from Nik he desired. Rubbing a hand over the scruff on his chin, Drake's timid gaze turned from the bottle to the doctor. He could handle a finger or two in ass for a few seconds if t made him $90,000 richer. 

“Okay. What do I need to do?”

Nikolas quietly typed on the keyboard of his laptop from the opposite side of the curtain. The images from the hidden cameras plastered on the wall where Drake was seated popped into view on his screen. Feeding a link to, and overriding the broadcast feed at the CBC, Nik crouched down low and waited with little beady eyes for the exam to begin. “Perfect ...Okay, Doc, let’s see if you can get a hole in one.”

----------

Permanent Tags:

@burnsoslow​ @dcbbw​ @ao719​ @jessiembruno​ @texaskitten30​ @janezillow​ @merridithsmiscellany-blog​ @mskaneko​@callmeellabella​ @queenjilian​ @sirbeepsalot​ @drakexwillow​ @jovialyouthmusic @forthebrokenheartedthings​ @bebepac​ @kingliam2019​ @lovablegranny​ @cordoniaqueensworld​ @amandablink​ @liamxs-world​ @choiceskatie​ @iaminlovewithtrr​ @hopelessromanticmonie​ @charlotteg234​ @annekebbphotography @txemrn​ @thecordoniandiaries @alyssalauren​ @cordonianroyalty @monsoonbloom12 @mom2000aggie​ @theroyalheirshadowhunter​ @princessleac1​ @kimmiedoo5​ @graceful-leah​ @iam-the-kind-and-thoughtful​ @thegreentwin​ @gkittylove99​ @neotericthemis​ @pink-diamond13​ @walker7519​ @natureblooms24​ @yourmajesty09​ @gabesmommie1130​ @sweatyrysconnoisour @kat-tia801​ @debmcg1106 @choicesstan650 @emkay512​ @royalromancer​ @queenrileyrose​ @cordonia-gothqueen​

[flowerpowell]

Unexpected (Drake x MC)

PART TEN

A/N: Hello from my hiatus! I’m still not active but I thought I’d schedule a new chapter so you dont have to wait so long. I’ll reply to comments to this and previous chapters when I can. Thank you for being patient with me and I hope you’ll like this chapter; I’d love it if you left some feedback for me! Characters belong to Pixelberry (except for my OCs)

Rating: PG

Word count: 2253

Tagging: @gardeningourmet​ @delightfullypinkglitter​ @hopefulmoonobject​ @akrenich​ @blackcatkita​ @desireepow-1986​ @dcbbw​ @kingliam2019​ @the-soot-sprite​ @mskaneko​ @thequeenofcronuts​ @dr-ethanjramsey​ @badchoicesposts​ @burnsoslow​ @annekebbphotography​ @alesana45​ @addictedtodrakefanfic​ @walkerduchess​ @ao719​ @texaskitten30​ @lodberg​ @cordonianroyalty​ @emichelle​ @siriusxxvideos​ @i-bloody-love-drake-walker​ @samihatuli​ @choices-lurker​ @i-miss-trr​ @drxkewalker​ @nikkis1983​ @innerpostmentality​ @msjr0119​ @bascmve01​ @mind-reader1​ @edgiestwinter​ @drakesensworld​ @queenjilian​ @princessleac1​ @saivilo​ @yukinagato2012​ ♥

“Dad, you can’t just punch people like that,” Riley gave Drake a pack of frozen spinach and he held it near his eye. Riley’s father sat on the other side of the room and studied him warily.

“I can do what I want, that man here brainwashed you!”

“Dad! He didn’t brainwash me, what are you talking about?”

“Trent, honey, maybe we should--” a woman sitting next to him, Riley’s mother as Drake guessed, tried to calm her husband down but he didn’t let her finish.

“I spent years and years raising you. Giving you food, money, clothes, home. And you get married without even telling us about it? Your husband didn’t even care to follow our traditions! He never asked me for your hand. None of you contacted me. I did not approve of this marriage and I do not approve of it now.”

“But Daddy,” another woman tried to cut in and Drake thought it must have been Riley’s sister. She looked more like their father while Riley looked more like her mother. They both had dark hair but Riley’s was long and with red ombre while her sister’s were much shorter and almost black. The ladies had also different eye colors, Riley’s bright blue ones contrasted with her sister’s brown eyes.

“Shush. I’m speaking,” the man scolded his daughter and Drake knew he already hated the guy. He hated him from Riley’s stories but after meeting him in person, he hated him even more. “When you said you wanted to go to Europe I thought you wanted to do something valuable, learn something, make money. But instead, you marry the first man you meet. You’re such a disappoitment, Riley. You always were. How silly I was to believe maybe you’d change.”

“Dad!” The sister stood up but one look from her father silenced her for good. Drake looked at Riley; her eyes were fixed on the floor, not willing to make any eye contact.

“Okay, that’s enough,” Drake stood up to face Trent. “I will not let you speak to her like that. This is my home and if you have a problem with us being married you can complain somewhere else. She’s my wife now and you’re not allowed to insult us. She is not, and never has been a disappointment.”

Riley looked up at him, shocked. He was angry. She never saw him that angry. He looked like he was ready to fight and when she glanced at her father, he looked like he was ready to kill Drake. Her mother and sister both looked equally shocked.

“Don’t you dare talking to me like that. You take my daughter away, brainwash her and insult me?”

“Your daughter is not your property, she can do whatever she wants. And now I ask you politely to Get. Out. Before I call the cops,” Drake hissed. Trent looked at him before shaking his head.

“You did this to yourself, Riley! You ruined our family!” He said before storming out. His wife ran right after him.

“Holy--” the sister started before pulling Riley in a hug. “Are you okay? Are you?” She looked at Drake who nodded in response.

“I’m Danielle, Dani for friends,” she extended her hand and Drake shook it.

“Drake. Nice to meet you. I’m going to... I’m gonna make some tea,” he looked at Riley worriedly before leaving the sisters alone.

“I’m sorry, I had no idea we were coming to you, Daddy said it was a business trip,” Dani whispered to Riley, still holding her close.

“It’s okay. I know what he’s like.”

“Sooo... I’m not gonna yell at you, even though I should, but why didn’t you tell me you got married??Drake seems like the best guy for you!!”

“Dani, you’ve known him for like five minutes,” Riley chuckled, sitting on the couch and pulling her sister with her.

“That’s enough, I can read people, you two are so good together. And the way he stood up for you? Don’t tell father but it was ah-mazing!”

“Dani...”

“Okay, so how did you meet? How did he proposed? Ooh, do you have any pictures from the wedding?”

“Dani... I need to tell you something...” Riley started and Dani’s face fell. She needed to tell someone. Someone she could trust. The only person knowing the marriage was fake was Liam, Drake’s friend and Riley felt like she needed somone on her side to know that too. She quickly told her everything, about the restaurant, Bartie, accident, Madeleine, Bianca, weird videos from Karlington. At the end of her story, Dani didn’t seem moved.

“Well, if you ask me, that marriage is totally not fake. No fake husband ever looks at his fake wife like Drake does.”

“Like what?”

“Like he loves you and wants to protect you. Like he doesn’t want anything bad to happen to you. Like he cares, like he--”

“Oookay, that’s enough. You’re too much of a hopeless romantic and see love everywhere,” Riley shoved her playfully.

“Yeah, yeah, lie to yourself more,” Dani answered and Riley bit her lip. She wasn’t lying, was she? Their marriage was fake and they didn’t have any feelings to each other.

Or did they?

~~~~

After four cups of tea and three hours of catching up, Drake drove Dani back to the hotel she was staying in with her parents. Despite hating Riley’s family, he liked her and he was happy that Riley had at least one person in her family who was normal.

When he came back home, Riley was in the kitchen, washing the dishes and cooking something.

“Hey...” he started, entering the kitchen and smelling something good.

“Hey.”

“What’s that? Smells amazing.”

“It’s just some rigatoni with beef. And some spinach on the side,” she motioned to the spinach Drake put near his eye a few hours before. “I wanted to apologize for my father. He’s not aggressive, he just hates when things are not as he wanted them to be.”

“It’s okay,” Drake shrugged. “It’s not your fault, you don’t have to apologize. How are you?”

“But I do have to. I’m sorry he was so harsh and rude and--” she bit her lip as her voice wavered slighly. She tried not to start crying and Drake noticed her efforts.

“Hey, it is not your fault. You’re not responsible for what your father is doing,” he wasn’t sure what to do or say, he just wanted her to feel better. Without thinking too much about it, he wrapped his arms around Riley and pulled her close. He felt her tears on his shirt and he wanted to yell at her parents for upsetting her so much.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have,” Drake whispered, pulling away slighly, worried he crossed the line. They were a fake couple after all.

“No, it’s... I needed that,” she answered and he pulled her closer again. She snuggled against him, allowing herself to be vulnerable at least for a few minutes before having to face the reality again.

At that point she wasn’t sure how fake their fake relationship was. She didn’t know what that strange feeling she felt towards Drake was and where it came from, the only thing she knew was that for the first time in forever, she felt safe in his arms.

~~~~

“Dani, you look okay,” Riley rolled her eyes when she saw her sister was smoothing her dress for the tenth time since they arrived in the palace the next day.

“Maybe you should’ve mentioned it that Drake’s friend who married you two is a flippin’ king!” she hissed and started fixing her hair. “Do I bow? Is my dress formal enough? Should I cover my shoulders?”

“Dani,” she chuckled, “Liam is not that kind of King. Just be yourself and treat him like a normal person he is.”

Dani sighed and Riley’s eyes met with Drake’s. He smiled at her and she smiled back.

The day before was a weird day for their ‘relationship’ and Riley felt like something broke, as if the barriers were not there anymore. They went to sleep together, without arguing or even teasing. He pulled her close wordlessly and she felt relieved she didn’t have to ask him for it. For some unknown to her reason she found comfort in his closeness.

“Good morning everyone,” Liam greeted them, interrupting Riley’s thoughts.

“Hi, this is my sister, Danielle, I told her everything and she said she wanted to help with the investigation.”

“Nice to meet you, Danielle. I trust you’re enjoying your stay in Cordonia?” Liam smiled as he took Dani’s extended hand and kissed it.

“Dani is fine,” she blushed when Liam finally let go of her hand. “Cordonia is beautiful, your majesty.” She curtsied awkwardly and Liam chuckled.

“Liam is fine.”

“You said there was some news?” Drake asked and Liam reluctantly turned his attention from Dani to his friend.

“Yes, the camera footage from Madeleine came back from the laboratory. The video is legit, no photoshop, no remakes, it’s authentic.”

“Madeleine, you little--”

“That’s not all. The police officially drew back from the case. I still have my investigator and one guard incognito in Karlington though.”

“I can’t believe it,” Drake shook his head and Riley took his hand into hers and gave it a comforting squeeze. Dani smiled noticing that, mentally laughting at her sister’s poor attempts to convince her it was a fake relationship.

“I’m sure sooner or later they’ll make a mistake and we’ll catch it. All we can do right now is wait,” Liam patted his friend’s back and turned to Dani.

“Would you like some apple tea? I know Riley is not a fan and Drake only drinks it if it comes with whiskey.”

“I’d love to,” she answered and curtsied.

“You don’t have to curtsy to me, you know. It’s probably more uncomfortable to me than to you.”

“Oh, oh, I’m sorry! I just never met a King and I’m afraid I never read any Royal protocol so I’m not sure how to act, which is quite annoying to be fair because I was taught to be prepared for every possibility and now I see I failed but it’s fine! I’ll read it tomorrow and I won’t make this mistake ever again, your Majesty.”

“Liam,” he corrected her, chuckling. He didn’t know Riley very well but he could tell how different the two sisters were. Riley would sooner yell at him than curtsy and Danielle just made a two-minute speech apologizing him for curtsying.”

“Right. I’m sorry, sir.”

“Liam.”

“Shoes! I’m sorry Liam,” she corrected herself, trying not to facepalm herself. She was so focused on her mistakes that she missed amused looks that Riley and Drake exchanged.

“Shoes?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, yeah, Nana taught us that. Riley never followed that though. Shoes for shit, duck for fu--” she composed herself. “Can I get that tea, I’m feeling slightly unwell?” She started fanning herself with her hand and Liam quickly went to the back of his office to make tea.

“Well, well, well. I have never seen you so flustered before, Dani,” Riley gave her sister a questioning look.

“He’s the King,” Dani whispered in response. “I don’t know how to act around Kings.”

“Mhmm,” Riley commented as Liam came back with the tea. Dani took the cup gladly and took a sip.

“Good?” Liam asked and she nodded.

“Really good. I like the addition of mint, it makes it taste more fresh.”

“Okay, I gotta go because my mom has an appointment and I’m taking Bartie now,” Drake stood up and opened the door, turning to look at Riley. She gave him a big smile in return and asked, “Dani, you’re coming with us?”

“I can drive you later, if you want to,” Liam offered quickly.

“Yeah, I’ll come with His Maj—Liam.”

“Okay,” Riley shrugged and kissed her sister on the cheek before catching up with Drake. When they left Dani turned to Liam.

“They are so in love. Please tell me you’re seeing it too.”

“I do, actually. And I hope they will see it too one day. I’ve never seen Drake like that, he seems so much happier now, despite everything that is going on.”

“Yeah, same with Riley. But I also know she’s the most stubborn person I know,” Dani sighed and took a few last sips of her tea.

“Drake’s more stubborn.”

“We should get them together. Make them see how in love they are.”

Liam studied her for a moment and Dani felt like she crossed the line. The Royal protocol probably forbid such things. She was just about to apologize when Liam spoke.

“I’m in. Drake deserves the best and Riley seems like she’s the best for him.”

“Riley deserves the best too. We have a deal?” she extended her hand, hesitating slightly when thinking about the protocol.

“Deal.”

They shook each other’s hands and Liam smiled at the thought of spening more time with and getting to know Danielle Brooks.

[kaiparker-avengerssmut]

PART TWO

LOVE OR HATE?

WARNINGS: none really, the ending is sad I guess?

WORD COUNT: 1528

When Katie's younger sister comes on the field trip with her, they meet Officer Jake Riley. Instantly there's some kind of hatred forming between her and Jake, but, when both of their worlds go spiralling, they both have to question if it was really hate or a disguised love?

Y/n slowly climbed out of bed, rubbing her eyes and sitting with her legs hanging off the edge. She looked at the time. 10.27am. At least she got a decent amount of sleep, not that any of it was particularly good though. Ever since the whole rape incident she had been getting nightmares every night, but usually she'd have sleep pills smtp help prevent them, but as this wasn't an overnight trip she didn't bring any and Doctor Cannarts wanted to use them to help ease the pain of patients, which was fair enough. She looked to her left to see Jake and Katie day crossed legged on opposite sides of Jake's bed, laughing and chatting lightly. Y/n pushed herself up, a wavy off dizziness hitting her like a truck and she immediately collapsed. Jake saw her from behind Katie. "Hey, y/n! Are you alright?" He called, standing up. Katie was quick to follow. They rushed over to her, crouching down and trying to figure out what was wrong. "It's her ion deficiency." Katie realised. "She normally has tablets for it, but I guess she doesn't have any at the moment. We need to get her in a bed with her feet and head elevated. Jake scooped her up and put her onto her bed. "Wait." Katie said before Jake could place her down, look under the cover. Katie ripped the duvet back to reveal a huge blood stain in the bed. "She only gets this bad when she looses blood, like, for example, on her period." Realisation dawned in Jakes eyes and he put her down the the spare bed, grabbing sine pillows and propping up her feet and head. "Thanks Kates. Just tell everyone in here about my awful blood and my periods." She smiled weakly. Jake smiled slightly, "she's got her normal attitude, so that's good." Katie laughed and walked I've to the door, "I'm going to see if there's any ion tablets here." Jake have her a nod and she walked off.

"Do you need anything? Water, a diaper.." Jake trailed off. Y/n reached up and hit him on the shoulder lightly. "Get outta here." She said with a reciprocated smile.

————————————————————————

A few hours later she was up on her feet, they'd get to find any pills but Jake had gone on a quick run to a local pharmacy- with a list of meds from Doctor Cannards. Y/n sat at one of the few tables in the cafeteria, staring blankly out the window and just thinking. Thinking about what she'd be doing right now if this never happened, thinking about being a cop, thinking about Jake. Jake. Wait - why was she thinking of Jake? She hated him. He was an asshole who needed to bugger off and keep making Katie swoon. UGH.

The sound of boots interrupted her thoughts. Her head snapped round to see Jake stood in the doorway, holding a small paper bag. "I brought supplies." He said with a little smile. Y/n remained straight-faces, looking back at the window. "Thanks." She muttered as he placed the bag on the table behind her, taking the seat next to her. She grabbed the bag and look through: sanitary items, ion tablets and sleeping pills. She looked up at him. "How did you know about the- " she was cut off, "sleeping pills? Katie mentioned it. No wonder you've been so tired, you haven't been sleeping well." He said, looking down at his lap. "Thank you." Y/n said sincerely. He looked over at her, making eye-contact for the first time, "you're welcome." They shared a smile. "Jake?" She asked tentatively. "Yeah?" He said calmly. "Why do you hate me? My reason is valid. Something awful happened to me and when I see you, I-I, I see him." She said sheepishly. He didn't answer for a moment. "I don't hate you, trouble. I just- oh I don't know, it's your attitude and your harshness towards me for something I would even consider doing." Y/n nodded, looking back at her lap.

Jake stood up, "I should go find Katie, tell her I'm back." Y/n stood up too, "okay." They shared a small smile and suddenly the dizziness settled in, Jake catching her in his arms as she collapsed. "Y/n! Y/n? Are you okay?" She nodded weakly. He got her only the table and raised her head and feat, running off to get a glass of water. He fished out the ion tablets and read the box. Getting out two he handed them to her, along with the water. "Here, it should help the dizziness subside." He smiled. She smiled back, knocking back the pills and taking a gulp of water.

————————————————————————

(First person. - y/n)

"KATIE!" Jake screamed. I looked over the crowd of people and saw him, searching frantically. "Y/N!" He shouted as loud as he could. "I'm here!" I shouted back, running through the chaos towards him. His looked at me and some concern in his eyes faded. "Oh thank god I never thought I'd be this happy to see you gain." He breathed. "KATIE!" We both continued shouting, searching everywhere for her. "SHES OVER HERE!" I hear Jake shout. I run as fast as I can, rounding the corner I half to a stop. "Oh Kates I was terrified!" I exclaimed, moving towards her. Jake puts his arm out to stop me. "Y/n, stay back, the girl's infected. Mary's infected." The sorrow in Jake's voice is unmistakable. "Kates, no." I gasp, covering my mouth with my hand. Tears well in my eyes as I look at her, covered in Mary's blood and her lifeless body lying limp in her arms.

"I tried to save her. She was hit - a car. I-I couldn't save her." Katie sobbed. My threatening tears escaped, running down my cheeks. Jake spoke slowly and calmly to her, "Katie, I need you to leave her body and come with us, keep your distance and try not to touch or cough on anybody. Y/n, get your helmet on, I dint need to have two infected people to take care of at once." He was authoritative and direct, clearly in cop-mode. I pulled my helmet on and we walked to the car, getting Katie into the back. Once we got in the front I took my helmet off, leaning my head back against the headrest and letting the tears flow. "Hey, hey. Y/n, trouble, she'll be okay, she's not showing symptoms. She might not be infected or she may even be immune." Hake soothes me. I nodded and wiped the tears away, focussing on the rioters swarming the roads.

————————————————————————

It had been almost 48 hours, not long to go. Me and Jake has gone to the mystery apartment and I was currently going through what we found. Jake was with Katie, charting and completely ready for her to be fine. I decided to go check on them so I headed downstairs. Just as I got into view of her isolation cell I say her cough blood all over the window. I froze. No no no no no no no. No. This was not happening. She's fine. She only had a little while left. I scream and run off, Jake chasing after me.

"Y/n! Y/N!" I run into the tiled corridor and sink down. Screaming into my hands over and over. Jake finds me and walks I've to me, pulling my hands from my face, keeping hold of my wrists in his gloved hands. "Shhhh, shh. It's going to be fine. Doctor Cannarts thinks he's found a medicine to delay it. He thinks it may work. Katie is going to try it." I stare him in the eyes, tears streaming down my cheeks. "And what if it doesn't, Jake? What if she dies? Then what?" I shout. "It will. It will work. I promise." He said firmly, holding me there until I calmed down.

————————————————————————

I'm sat in the cafeteria, the same spot I was a couple days ago, only now thinking that my sister might die, that the medication won't work. It will. It has too. I hear footsteps and turn around, only to see Jake with blood-shot, swollen eyes. His face is red and he look broken, distraught. He just stands there, staring at me. I finally break the silence. "What is it?" I ask, confused. "Jake? Is Katie okay?" He didn't say anything, tears beginning to well up in his eyes again. I cover my mouth with my hand. "No! No no no. She fine. She's alive." I state, unable to face the alternative. Jakes looks down at his feet and backup to me, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Y/n, Katie's dead."

[flutistbyday-1]

Rags to Riches and Back Again Chapter One: Stay

Hello, all! This is an AU that I have had floating around in my head for a hot second. This is a collaboration with @kingliam2019 and @texaskitten30.

Story summary: Riley finds out she is pregnant shortly after Liam’s coronation and doesn’t tell him. She disappears from his life without a trace.

Chapter summary: We find out Riley is pregnant and see how she handles it.

This story will deal with things like abuse, alcohol, pregnancy, sex, sex work, etc. ⚠️⚠️This story and its contents contain material not suited for sensitive viewers. This story is not meant for anyone under the age of 18. If you are reading this, you are agreeing you are over 18. This warning serves as a blanket trigger and content warning.⚠️⚠️

I cannot guarantee that this story will find its finish. There will (hopefully) be regular updates.

I’m tagging my perma and people who have expressed interest in my other AUs. If you don’t want to be tagged, let me know. If you do want to be tagged, let me know.

Song Inspiration: “Stay” by Sugarland

Word count: 2,300 give or take.

Warnings for this chapter: pregnancy

April 2, 2018

Riley stared in horror at the pregnancy test in her hands. You’re fucking kidding me, she thought. We had sex once! Riley retraced her steps on the night of the coronation. She and Liam did not use protection.

Tears flooded her face. This wouldn’t be a problem if she were the Queen-In-Waiting. The people would be happy that there was already an heir. But she wasn’t the Queen-In-Waiting. She was Lady Riley, an “unfaithful suitor”. Riley stood up from the toilet, wrapped the rest carefully up in toilet paper, and tucked it at the bottom of the trash can. No need to cause another scandal.

On the bright side, Riley thought, Liam will be over the moon! For that, Riley was thankful. He’d be so happy to be a father! Riley’s heart skipped a beat. She was going to be— she was— a mother.

Riley felt this rollercoaster of emotions flood through her and it took the wind out of her. She collapsed on her bed in the train, unable to do anything besides try to process what she would do. She laid on her stomach, willing the both happy and sad tears to stop, even for just a moment. Her heart ached, as she and Liam couldn’t celebrate properly, like normal people. But she was thrilled to bring life to the world.

She decided that night to tell Liam as soon as possible. They were stopping in New York next week and they could celebrate there.

Riley wore a bright smile the day after taking the test. She knew that it would be hard to keep this secret from the press, but if she could just cross that finish line with Liam— clearing her name— they could celebrate properly. She spent the day mingling with the court with a newfound hope. They had an idea of where Tariq was and he could clear her name! She was this close to being Liam’s fiancé.

Riley was in her room on the train before realization dawned on her. It hit her like a ton of bricks. She couldn’t possibly deny that she got pregnant before she and Liam were engaged. Sure, the press had speculated, but... this was different. This was confirmation. And the press believed she was having a fling with Tariq. Oh god, she cried to herself. They would say it’s Tariq’s and not Liam’s!! Riley began hyperventilating. She became sick in her trash can several times.

She heard a pounding on her door.

“Little Blossom!”

“Maxwell,” Riley whimpered. She barely talked before heaving again.

“I’m coming in,” Maxwell announced. “I was coming to tell you— woah!” Maxwell paled at the sight before him. He rushed to Riley and knelt beside her. He pulled her hair back. “What’s the matter, Riley?” He whispered.

Riley looked up at him and the concern in his eyes made her cry again. She wiped her mouth. “Oh, Max,” she whispered. “I messed up.”

Maxwell smiled encouragingly. “Hey, there’s nothing that you and I can’t fix. We’re the dynamic duo.” He stood and offered his hand to Riley.

Riley placed her hand on her stomach, hoping she was done being sick before taking Maxwell’s hand and standing.

Maxwell wrapped Riley in a hug and Riley came undone. Maxwell was patient and let Riley get it out of her system for a few minutes before prying. “Okay, now you really have to tell me.”

Riley pulled back and nodded, wiping away tears. She sat on her bed and patted the spot next to her.

“Maxwell, what I’m about to tell you, you can’t tell anyone, okay?”

Maxwell nodded.

“I’m serious, Max. If I find out you told anyone, I’ll—”

“I get it, Little Blossom.” Maxwell grinned at her. “Pinky swear.”

He held out his pinky and Riley locked hers with it.

Riley pulled her legs to her chest and took a deep breath. “Maxwell, I’m pregnant.”

Maxwell’s jaw dropped. His eyes bugged out of his head. He didn’t speak.

Riley snapped her fingers in front of his face. “Earth to Maxwell!”

Maxwell snapped his mouth shut just to grin a split second later. “Little Blossom, that’s awesome!” He squeezed Riley tightly then detached himself. “Oops. Hey! Little Blossom has a Little Blossom! Oh, my God. It’s Little Blossom squared.”

Riley shook her head, but laughed. She waited for Maxwell to process for a few moments.

“Maxwell, I know it sounds great, but...” Riley shook her head. “I got pregnant on the day Liam was crowned.”

“Ha! I knew you two snuck off!” Maxwell exclaimed, making Riley giggle lightly.

“That’s also the night that the picture of me and Tariq was released.” Riley waited for Maxwell to connect the dots, but she could tell by the look in his eye, he wasn’t quite there. Riley sighed heavily. “Maxwell, for starters, the press may think it’s Tariq’s.”

Realization crossed Maxwell’s face. “Ohhh. Oh.” Maxwell made a disgusted look at the thought.

“Yeah,” Riley continued. “And if they don’t think that’s true, then it will look like Liam is cheating on Madeleine. And how will Madeleine deal with me?” Riley shuddered.

Maxwell took Riley’s hand and squeezed it. “Little Blossom, uh, how do I say this delicately?” He pursed his lips. “You know the, erm, arrangement Madeleine offered you?”

Riley nodded her head.

“It’s not the first one that’s ever been made. Cordonian nobility don’t believe in monogamy. I expect half the court already knows you and Liam, uh—”

“Don’t!” Riley held up a hand to stop Maxwell. “Please don’t say it.”

It was Maxwell’s turn to nod his head.

Riley sighed again. “While I acknowledge that it is the norm for Cordonian Nobility, I don’t wish to participate. The only reason I agreed was because I thought the scandal about me would be cleared already.” Riley looked down. “This is just another reason for the press to hate me, Max. I can’t do it.”

“You have to tell Liam.”

“The hell I do, Maxwell!”

Maxwell bounced up from the bed. “It’s his baby too!”

Riley bounced up as well. She stood in front of Maxwell and placed her hands on his arms in a defensive stance. “One, lower your volume. Two... two, I don’t.” Her lower lip quivered and tears threatened to spill over again.

Maxwell’s frustrations were gone and he pulled Riley into a hug. “Okay, Little Blossom. Just promise me you’ll think about it.”

Riley nodded and Maxwell kissed her on the top of her head. After a moment, Maxwell pulled back and smiled at Riley. “We’ll figure this out. We always do.”

As soon as Maxwell left, she pulled out her phone and texted Liam.

Riley: Hey, can you meet me in a few minutes? I want to see your face.

Liam: Of course, love. Come to my cabin. I’ll have Bastien escort you so it doesn’t draw attention.

Riley waited for Bastien’s signature rap at the door. They exchanged pleasantries on the way to Liam’s cabin. Riley bounced with anticipation.

Bastien stopped twenty paces before Liam’s cabin. “This is where I leave you, Lady Riley.”

“Of course, Bastien. Thank you.” Riley smiled at Bastien and stepped in the direction of Liam’s cabin when she heard Madeleine’s voice.

Bastien grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the shadow.

“I don’t care that you fuck her in private, Liam! You know this! But you will not tarnish my reputation by eye-fucking her in public and make people lose faith in the monarchy!”

Riley’s stomach lurched. She knew Madeleine was right, but did she have to be so mean about it?

She didn’t hear Liam’s response, but both figures appeared in his doorway.

“You’re right, Madeleine. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.” Liam’s face was stoic. He leaned over and kissed Madeleine on the cheek. “A peace offering, dear.” His voice dropped with disgust, but Madeleine smiled.

“Why thank you, darling.” Her voice was sickly sweet.

Riley felt a wave of nausea rise. She waited in the hall for the all clear before storming back to her room.

Bastien didn’t follow her.

April 9, 2018

The night before the Engagement Tour was headed to New York, Riley sat in her cabin, she knew what she needed to do so as not to create another scandal for her or Liam. She told Maxwell she wasn’t feeling well and would not be attending that night’s festivities. As the train was emptied, save for some staff, she called her friend who could help her change her name and to get her out of Italy. She packed up and headed out to the cab she had called and made it to the airport. She was going to fly her friends home and meet up with them there.

She was headed back to New York just her and the baby. She thought to herself as the plane left the ground, it’s what’s for the best.

Liam waited in his cabin for Riley on the train, wondering if Riley was okay after not meeting him the night before. He wanted to check on her, but Liam thought he’d just ask her at breakfast.

After not seeing her at breakfast, he asked Drake if he had seen her.

“No Liam, I haven't seen her. Maybe Olivia or Maxwell saw her. I went to a dive bar in town,” Drake chuckled. Drake slapped Liam on the back. “I’m sure she’s okay. Maybe with the bad weather we had getting here, the ride might have made her uneasy?” Drake peered at his best friend.

Liam didn’t look convinced. “I suppose. Thanks, Drake, I’ll check with them.”

He pulled out his phone to shoot a text to Riley asking if she’s okay. after a minute it came back undelivered. Hmm, that’s strange. I wonder if it’s because there's a bad signal on the train.

He stepped off the train to get a better signal and tried again, again undelivered. Worry surged through him. He called his head guard.

“Bastein, can you try to ping Riley’s phone? I’m getting an undelivered message. I’m worried.”

“Sure thing, Your Majesty. Have you checked her cabin this morning?”

Liam groaned. Of course. Drake said she may be unwell. She’s probably sleeping.

“No, I didn’t think about that, Bas. Madeline was at my door first thing in the morning, setting up more meetings while on the tour. I’ll go in a few minutes.” Liam took a deep breath. “any luck on Lady Riley’s phone?” Liam didn’t like the pause on the other end of the phone. “Bastien,” Liam prompted.

“No, Sir. It says her phone is off.”

Where is she? Liam panicked.

“Meet me at Lady Riley’s cabin.”

He ran back into the train straight to Riley’s room. He began pounding on her door. “Riley? Riley, are you okay?” His voice was more panicked than he would have liked.

“Your Majesty, if I may?” Bastien had materialized next to Liam. He held up a card. “The passkey.”

“Yes, Bastien. please.”

Liam walked in and shut the door behind him while Bastien waited outside. He looked around, and headed straight for the bathroom, thinking she was in the shower, but she wasn’t there. He noticed her makeup and toiletries were gone as his eye scanned the bathroom. Panic set in as he was he was sure she must have left. No, no, no! He thought.

As he was exiting her cabin, he saw an envelope on her dresser. With shaking hands he picked it up. It had his name. his eyes glazed over with unshed tears as he opened the letter:

My Dearest Liam,

It is with a heavy heart that I write you this letter.

I have tried to be so strong throughout this Tour, but it has become too much. I can no longer keep on doing this— Seeing her with you every day and stealing just minutes with you.

It will be better for you if I were out of the picture. I will be forever grateful to House Beaumont for their kindness and generosity towards me.

I wish you and Countess Madeleine nothing but the best in your marriage .

King Liam and Queen Madeline, Long may they reign.

Love, Lady Riley

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

PERMA

@kingliam2019

@glaimtruelovealways @kimmiedoo5 @imthequeenofcordonia @texaskitten30 @dcbbw @drakewalker04 @hopefulmoonobject @kimmiedoo5 @cordonia-gothqueen @custaroonie

JOHN DEERE GREEN

@ac27dj @we-lazystudent @my0123456789universe @maxwellisangry @princessleac1 @queenwalton @ravenpuff02 @shz256 @d0nuts-c0ff33 @marietrinmimi @losingbraincellseveryday @camersworld @cordonianroyalty @sanchita012 @thedoublemajor-blog @theeccentricbibliophile @drakewalker04 @cordonianroyalty @bloodboundchoices @axwalker @gardeningourmet @bebepac @euvickmarketing @sanchita012 @theroyalromanceforever @kate-mckenzie @the-food-hole

RAGS TO RICHES

@mom2000aggie

@marshmallowsaremyfavorite

@twinkle-320

@queen-arabella-of-cordonia

@furiousherringoperatortoad