#santiago garcia oc

[romanarose]

Leather and Lace Master list

Santiago "Pope" Garcia X Fem!OC

*Completed*

(If you’re here bc I linked this in reference to a group sex fic, my apologies but I linked the wrong one in the initial post. You can find that on my masterlist, the Awakening series. This one has smut but not until latter. Sorry!)

Fic summary: While on a mission in Central America with Benny, Fish and Ironhead, Pope finds a girl tied up in the basement of a drug lord. She won't talk, won't look at him. Him and the girl get separated from the guys, and have to find their way back alone. Can Pope win Laci's trust? What happens to Laci when they get her back to safety?

Lovely lovely mood board created by @welcometostayingawake

Calligraphy by @poeedameronn

I'll have a Spotify playlist here! Comment any songs you think fit the vibe!

Chapter 1: Santiago Garcia finds a girl tied up in a basement. They get separated from his friends, can they make it back okay?

Chapter 2: Santi and Laci walk back to the meet-up point. Santi tries to break the ice, but even his charm struggles to break through to Laci.

Chapter 3: Santi and Benny board a plane back to the US. Santi reflects back on his last day with Laci. Will is being an ass.

Bonus Chapter: Vengo a Cantarle a Mi Amada

Chapter 4: Santi and Laci settle in Santi's home and share a brief, tender moment. Benny and Laci get along. Frankie has a cookout, Will keeps being an ass.

Chapter 5: Laci and Santiago find a special space for them. Santi has a night out with the guys, allowing Laci some much needed independence.

Laci before and after

Bonus chapter: Sick fic

Chapter 6: Benny and Laci spend the day together, must to Santi’s chagrin. Laci and Santi share a special moment.

Bonus chapter: Will’s perspective

Chapter 7: after a day in the park with Frankie and his little girl, Santi and Laci spend the evening in the woods, Laci suddenly very open. After things go further than Santi plans, things escalate.

Chapter 8: Santi makes his round of apologies. Later, Frankie has an emergency and Santi has to take Laci to Will, where Laci, Ben and Will have their own adventure.

Chapter 9: Santi takes Laci to one of Ben's fights. Later, Santi takes Laci on their first real date

Chapter 10: just a lot of smut, fluff, and hurt/comfort. That’s it

Chapter 11: Santi has to leave for a few days with Frankie and Will, leaving Laci with Benny.

Bonus Chapter: Santi’s revenge

Chapter 12: On a cabin trip, antics ensue, and Laci and Santi spend a special night together

Bonus stories

Friendsgiving: Laci and Santi invite the guys over for thanksgiving, and I made it as sweet as pecan pie.

Santiago can’t skate: Santi takes Laci ice skating with the guys, quickly realizes his mistake.

Christmas Tree Hunting: Frankie wanted a Christmas tree for Rosie, enlists the guys to help as he reflects on the past.

A Little Game: just some extra LaL smut

Leather and Lace and Daisies: Valentines Day special, Laci shows Santi just how much he means to her

A Reluctant Addition: Laci has a little request.

NSFW Alphabet: Santi and Laci and sex

Laci Learning to Drive: Non-canon

Continue the story with Frankie! Come read Take Your Time to see what Laci and the boys are up too!

Also, if anyone else makes art or a moodboard, I'll put it here as well! Thank y'all so much for your passionate about this fic, I love y'all!!!

When I posted the first chapter I assumed it would get a few likes and that's but not only does this story get interaction, but the people that read it are very passionate about this story, which is more important to me than anything else <3

This amazing mood board by @annautumnsoul 🥹 lots of cute things about it but the picture with Santi and his blue plaid pjs and Laci in her lil pink pjs is so fuvking cute and AAAAHHHH laci with her hand on his tummy 😭😭😭 the coloring is so nice all pastel and soft and girlie like Laci🥰

Art by @poeedameronn

[pimosworld]

Santa’s a home wrecker

Pairing-Triple Frontier boys x f!reader

Summary- A little kiss leads to a Christmas morning misunderstanding.

CW-18+, Fluff, so much fluff, Kissing Santa, Pregnancy hormones, tf boys being great parents, polyamorous relationship, navigating a mixed family.

WK-1.6K

A/N- Set in the story of us universe but obviously in the future. We jumped way ahead here folks but I hope you love this fluffy snippet into their future lives.

Not beta read

[Series Masterlist][Main Masterlist]

It’s a little easier now since they let you sleep on the end, but it’s still a chore to roll out of bed with your heavily pregnant belly in tow. You sit on the edge for a moment trying to soothe yourself as the kicks come in quick succession. 

  You try as quietly as you can to make your way out of the bedroom, stealing a glance at Ben’s large form sprawled across Frankie in the most uncomfortable way. 

  You're wrapped up in your fluffy red robe, an early Christmas gift from the boys that you’ve been living in for the last month or so while you grow out of everything else you own. 

  The house is quiet and warm as you shuffle down the hallway and smells like cinnamon apples from the pies you made for Christmas Day. 

  A peek into the spare bedroom shows you a glimpse into most of your nights when it's Santiago’s turn to put the kids down for bed. 

  He’s snoring in the chair that sits between Camila and little Santiago’s beds. Both children slumbering away as they dream about the most exciting day of the year. 

  Some rustling is coming from the living room and you round the corner to a site that will never cease to make you smile. The boys take turns being Santa every year and they never do anything halfway. Your arms are crossed as you lean against the wall staring at the rich, dark red velvet material bent over in front of the tree. Deliberately placing gifts from the giant red bag in various spots. 

  You let out a low whistle as you make your way towards the bearded man. “Santa has a nice ass.” 

  He chuckles and stands gesturing with his arms for you to come to him. It’s a bit of a struggle now to be held but he still makes you feel all warm and fuzzy as you sway in the living room in front of the lowlights of the tree. You humm as he rubs your belly, somehow the kicking stops as if the baby taking up home inside knows whose hands are caressing you. 

  “How’s mama doing?” He asks as he kisses your neck, the fluff from his beard tickling you slightly. 

  “I’m tired…someone keeps kicking me.” You sigh into his touch as he drops to his knees, his fingers kneading that spot in your back that he knows pains you throughout the day. 

  “Hey little guy.” He speaks so softly in some adorable voice he’s made up. 

  “He’s a big guy, Will…a very big guy.” You know well enough having been told ad nauseum Miller babies are big.

  “Hey big guy…I need you to give your momma a rest so she can enjoy tomorrow okay?” He holds his ear to your belly and nods. When he looks up at you all you can make out is those piercing blue eyes nestled between the red hat and white beard. “He said okay.” 

  A small tear escapes as he kisses your belly and stands again. You can’t even blame it on the hormones. 

  “Go lay down, I’ll bring you some tea when I finish here.” One last kiss to your lips and he’s shooing you away so he can complete his Santa duties and enjoy his peanut butter cookies special request. 

  ****

  Frankie stacks the pancakes high on the plate next to the stove, as he moves on to the eggs and bacon. 

  Ben hasn’t said a word just eyeing the food as you enjoy your morning tea, surprised the kids haven’t graced you with their presence yet. 

  Santi’s creaking bones enter the kitchen before he’s seen as he cracks his back in the hallway. Frankie laughs from the stove as he flips the bacon perfectly somehow never burning it. 

  “Laugh it up hermano.” He leans down and kisses your forehead before heading over to the fresh coffee pot. 

  “I’m not the one that keeps falling asleep in the chair.” 

  You hear the sound of hurried footsteps down the hallway as Camila quickly emerges into the kitchen beaming from ear to ear. She barrels into Frankie hugging him from behind as he reaches around and ruffles her long black curls. “Buenos Días papá.” 

  “Buenos Días mi amor.” 

  Frankie kisses her forehead and she makes her way over to you and Santi to say her good mornings and receive hugs and kisses. 

  She climbs into Ben’s lap forgoing an open seat as she waits for breakfast to finish. The way the two of them could eat you were worried about welcoming another Miller into the household for lack of food resources. 

  “Good Morning daddy.” She wraps her little arms around him and it’s a feeling he’ll never get used to. 

  “Good morning honey.” She stole your nickname early on when she could look so sweet at them and instantly get her way. 

  There was a rule from the beginning that there would be no distinction unless medically necessary between the fathers. They were all fathers and that’s all that mattered. 

  “Sweetie, where's Santiago?” She looks slightly uncomfortable as she leans in and whispers something in Ben’s ear. 

  “He’s not coming?” Ben looks over to you as Santi looks to Frankie now done cooking breakfast. 

  She leans in again whispering something as Ben’s eyes widen. He has to bite his cheek to keep from laughing at the situation that he knows will need to be handled swiftly. 

  “He doesn’t want to open presents from a home wrecker.” 

  You’re grateful you hadn’t taken a sip of your tea or it would’ve been all over your new robe. 

  Frankie flicks off the stove and heads over to the table. “How do you even know that word, young lady?”  

  Ben leans in whispering something in her ear and she relaxes slightly. 

  “Well…ugh.” She’s in the hot seat by way of Santi much like her father often does to other people. You lay your hand on hers and wince slightly cursing this baby for picking the most opportune moments to make himself known. 

  “Camila it’s okay, you can tell me…you’re not in trouble.” 

  “Tia Marí said Tio John kissed a homewrecker and that’s why they’re not together anymore.” It comes out all rushed and flustered and you're trying not to giggle at her panicked confession. 

  Frankie points at Santi while he still looks on confused. “Your sister is off babysitting duty for a while.”

  Santi scrubs his hand down his face. “I'm still not following.” 

  Ben places his hands over her ears so she can’t hear. “Will was Santa last night.” He grits out as she giggles.

Santiago must have woken up and seen you kissing “Santa”.

  “Daddy I can’t hear anything.” He starts tickling her as she squeals in delight. 

  “Good because if you did, you wouldn’t get any presents.” They continue their giggles as you let out a long sigh. 

  “We’re gonna eat breakfast while you two go handle that.” Frankie starts serving up plates as Ben and Camila clap in excitement. 

  ****

  Santiago is face down in the blankets when you enter his room. He was a deep sleeper so it was pretty obvious when he was pretending. His little breaths are coming in shallow like he just ran here and plopped himself down. 

  You have a seat on the edge as Santi sits in the chair beside him. 

  Santi rubs his back hoping to calm him a little before he speaks. “Hey bud, you want to tell me what’s wrong?” 

  Inaudible mumbles come from the pillow and you bite down on your tongue at the mirror image. Payback for all the time Santi made someone chase him for a simple misunderstanding coming back ten fold. 

  “I didn’t hear you mijo, que pasó.” He slowly rolls him over as Santiago rubs his red eyes. 

  “I…don’t want…I don’t want.” He’s sniffling and Santi tries to calm him so he can catch his breath. 

  “Deep breaths bud.” 

  He shakily inhales and wipes his little hands on the blanket. “I don’t want Santa to break up our home.” 

  You could kill Maria for almost ruining Christmas morning, but you know one day you’ll get to tell this hilarious story to your children when they’re all grown up. You let Santiago take the reins even though you did kiss Santa. This was not your mess to clean up. 

  “Santiago, no one is breaking up our home. I love your mama very much.” Santiago crawls over to you as you wrap him up in your arms, kissing his unruly brown locks. 

  “You promise?” Your heart breaks a little as those little puppy dog eyes look up at you. 

  “Yes we promise.” He exhales as he relaxes in your arms and you look up at Santi incredulously. 

  “Santa is my friend…he’s allowed to kiss your mama.” Santiago looks up at his dad with pure shock written all over his face. 

  “WHAT!” He balks at him as you burst into a fit of laughter. 

  “HO, HO,HO…” The boisterous sound echoes down the hallway from the living room. 

  Santiago scrambles off your lap as you fall back with an oomph. Your belly won’t allow anymore movements like that so you succumb to the comfort of his tiny car bed, as his father chases after him. 

  ****

  Camila is standing in front of the tree as Santa hands her the first gift. 

  “Well hello little boy, would you like a gift from Santa?” 

  He runs up to him with his hands on his hips as he pokes him in the surprisingly hard belly. “Next time just drop off the gifts and go.” 

  Will looks up confused by his son's words as Frankie and Benny are losing it in the kitchen. 

  Santi stands there in the same stance. 

  “Don’t worry I’ll explain later.” 

Comments and reblogs are much appreciated

Tags- @breesusbaby @luciferiorbxtch @missdictatorme @alwaysdjarin @meveispunk @casa-boiardi @evyiione @littlenosoul @the-fox-den @saturn-rings-writes @romanarose @wandasbitch22@spngingerbread21 @spookyxsam @summer-may @imonmykneessir @avastrasposts @fishingforpike @laaundromat @tanzthompson @living-in-a-daydream-24 @savvysav27 @csarab615 @scarletthefierce @paleidiot @comfortlessjoy @trinkets01 @awkwardalie @missladym1981 @soft-persephone @itspdameronthings @ghostslillady

[campingwiththecharmings]

*These weren’t necessarily written and/or posted in June, but that’s when I read them 😊

(thanks for your patience with this y'all, i'm so sorry it took so long to post. working on getting july and august recs out as well ❤️)

🔥 - explicit/mature content

Star Wars

🔥For Your Entertainment (Poe Dameron x F!Reader) - @melodygatesauthor

Gardens of Babylon (Cowboy!Din Djarin x Cowgirl!Reader) - @spacecowboyhotch (yes i'm rec-ing this again)

You Are in Love (Modern!Poe Dameron x Reader) - @alwritey-aphrodite (i will rec this every time i read a new chapter, try and stop meeee)

🔥Clandestine (Poe Dameron x F!Reader) - @the-little-ewok

🔥Good Morning (Poe Dameron x F!Reader) - @whirlybirbs

🔥favor (Poe Dameron x F!Reader) - @eyelessfaces

Rookie Mistake (Poe Dameron x F!Reader) - @groguspicklejar

🔥Never Before (Poe Dameron x F!Reader) - @melodygatesauthor

Moon Knight

🔥Prized Possession (Marc Spector x Steven Grant x F!Reader) - @melodygatesauthor

🔥The Best Kept Secrets - Marc's Story (dbf!Marc Spector x F!Reader) - @melodygatesauthor

🔥Kisses on your lovers lap (Marc Spector x F!Reader) - @sweetly-yours-and-mine

🔥Let Your Fingers to the Talking (Jake Lockley x F!Villain!Reader) - @melodygatesauthor

Spoiled Rotten (Marc Spector x Reader) - @my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction

Sprite: Savior (Marc Spector x forest nymph oc Nikini) - @spacecowboyhotch

Bubble Bath (Marc Spector x Reader) - @shewhohangsoutincemeteries

Domestic Fluff (Steven Grant x Housewife!Reader) - @xbellaxcarolinax

Fluff and Kisses with Marc (Marc Spector x Reader) - @sweetly-yours-and-mine

Her Hair Reminds Me of a Warm, Safe Place (Marc Spector x Layla El-Faouly) - @romanarose

🔥Forever Bittersweet (Marc Spector x F!Reader) - @melodygatesauthor

🔥Please (Marc Spector x F!Reader) - @melodygatesauthor

Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse

🔥take it (Miguel O'Hara x F!Reader) - @eyelessfaces

🔥apology (Miguel O'Hara x F!Reader) - @eyelessfaces

🔥willing to give (Miguel O'Hara x F!Reader) - @graysonshaven

🔥take my breath (Miguel O'Hara x F!Reader) - @whatthefishh

🔥burrowed under my skin (Miguel O'Hara x F!Reader) - @dameronscopilot

🔥Cállate (Miguel O'Hara x F!Reader) - @xbellaxcarolinax

🔥Impatient (Miguel O'Hara x F!Reader) - @my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction

🔥Little Bug (Yandere!Miguel O'Hara x F!Reader) - @melodygatesauthor

Every You, Every Me (Miguel O'Hara x F!Reader) - @astroboots (i haven't finished this yet but i cannot recommend this fic enough)

🔥Soothe & Sleep (Miguel O'Hara x F!Reader) - @spacecowboyhotch

🔥Wandering Hands (Miguel O'Hara x F!Reader) - @loganlermanstanaccount

tousled, stubbled, tired (Miguel O'Hara x Reader) - @eyelessfaces

🔥Virgin!Miguel w/a huge cock and fucks both of u dumb (Miguel O'Hara x F!Reader) - @xbellaxcarolinax

🔥Take It All (Miguel O'Hara x F!Reader) - @romanarose

🔥Make Me A Liar (Miguel O'Hara x F!Reader) - @groguspicklejar

🔥coming home (Miguel O'Hara x F!Reader) - @eyelessfaces

Triple Frontier

Blurring Out (Santiago Garcia x F!Reader) - @spacecowboyhotch

Being Will's Girl Would Include (Will Miller x F!Reader) - @missdictatorme

🔥Look What the Cat Dragged In (Santiago Garcia x F!Thief!Reader) - @missdictatorme

For Better, For Worse (Santiago Garcia x F!Reader) - @bullet-prooflove

The Last of Us

To the Rescue (Pre-Outbreak!Joel x F!Reader) - @romanarose

Waffle House penance (Joel Miller x F!Reader) - @softlyspector

Sucker Punch

🔥Needy Little Thing (Blue Jones x F!Reader) - @melodygatesauthor

The Two Faces of January

🔥The Oxford Comma Series (Rydal Keener x F!Reader) - @whatthefishh (will never stop rec-ing this fic ❤️)

Ex Machina

🔥heavenly praises (Nathan Bateman x F!Reader) - @leoluved

🔥old fashioned (Nathan Bateman x F!Reader) - @leoluved

🔥chase and pull (Nathan Bateman x F!Reader) - @leoluved

🔥indulge me (Nathan Bateman x F!Reader) - @leoluved

Thank you to all the wonderful writers for sharing their stories with us 🥰❤️

*For more recs, please feel free to check out my fic rec tag.

**If you’d like to have your fic removed from the list, I completely understand, just let me know

[wardenparker]

Summer Rose

Professor!Santiago Garcia x female OC Co-written with @julesonrecord

Rating: E for Explicit 18+ Word Count: 6k Warnings: OC is named (Daphne Antonelli) but has minimal physical description. Age gap 10+ years. Both parties are consenting adults. Alcohol consumption, mutual pining, professor/student, oral sex (f and m receiving), 69, sexy mythology references, vaginal sex, protected sex, fingernails/scratching, a bit of biting. Summary: Daphne is having an absolutely terrible day and has missed office hours to turn in her final paper to Professor Garcia. When she turns up on his doorstep to turn in her assignment, the professor she's been crushing on for ages offers her a supportive ear -- and help relaxing. Notes: A little collaboration between myself and my beloved Jules featuring a character we've working on (Daphne) and today's wet daydream of college professor!Santiago. Honestly this is just a bit of porn with the barest thread of a plot, and we're not sorry. Also, just a disclaimer that I have no clue how one finishes a masters degree, but it doesn't matter. We're here for the porn, not the threadbare plot.

Twilight is beautiful on campus. Santiago has always thought so, even before he had the letters after his last name that demarcate him as faculty. He enjoys the blush of the sun fading, the purple of the dusky sky fading to blue-black, indigo, then glitter with starlight.

He likes walking home after class this way; a quiet moment to ease his mind after lectures and before grading. This late in the semester, it will be one of the last walks before the summer term. As he passes through the quiet neighborhood and climbs his front doors, he glances up, spies Orion's Belt in the heavens. He thinks about introducing the story next time he holds his Mythology and Myth-Making class. Did he include it this year? He can't remember. He'd been... distracted.

His phone pings with a text as he sets his messenger bag on the dining room table and undoes his cuff buttons, rolling them up. Too damn hot for this, damn dress code rules... He peers down at the message, and notes it's from an unknown number. His students know to text him if they have an emergency, so he opens it straight away.

Hi, Professor Garcia. I know that it's after office hours, but the fact is...I missed office hours altogether. Would it be an inconvenience to call you and explain? Otherwise I'm not sure how to get my final paper to you. Thanks, Daphne Antonelli (Mythology and Myth-Making)

Santiago lifts an eyebrow. He recognizes the name. Oh yes, he recognizes it. In fact, he's called it to mind more often than is probably appropriate, along with the image of a very beautiful graduate student with a focused stare and drop-dead gorgeous eyes. She was an attentive student, responsive, ready to answer questions but never one to hog the spotlight, making insightful, empathetic, and razor-sharp questions. It was unlike her to miss anything, never mind not visit office hours. They'd spent many such visits over the semester. Short. Professional. Of course.

So why does his heart rate increase, his teeth sink into his bottom lip as he thoughtfully taps the phone screen, spelling out a careful, professional text?

Hi Daphne. As this is your final paper, I would really like to have it ASAP as I am required to submit grades on Monday. Why don't you swing by my home to drop it off?

Feel free to call, he types, then deletes before sending. He wanted to hear her voice. He did need that paper. No reason why he couldn't do both in person. No reason at all.

He had had his graduate students over for a spring dinner after midterms so they know how and where to find him. The bonfire that night had lasted for ages, as tipsy grad students who were feeling feisty with a full meal in their bellies debated the cultural implications of different myth origins and the similarities of some creation myths that they had just been discussing in class. Daphne had been amongst the students that night, animatedly defending her points with unmatched ferocity that was impossible to ignore.

The text that comes through a few moments later takes a while for her to decide on, judging from the continuously undulating bubbles indicating how long she was typing compared to the brevity of the eventual message.

Thank you for understanding. I'll be over shortly so the rest of your night isn't interrupted.

Satisfaction. He tosses the phone down and leans over the table with a slow sigh, taking a look around the room. The same old familiar wall-to-wall bookshelves line the tidy bungalow. The same pendant lamps up, tacky, that he'd meant to change when he bought this place... four years ago. His degrees might be hung in his office upstairs, his clothes are here, he shaves here, but who does he have here, really? Nobody. Warm sheets for a night and then no one. Nothing. There was no reason to bother, really—

And then Daphne. Daphne with her slowly blossoming smile that melted from shy to beaming when he said hello to her on campus. Daphne with her neat notes in the margins, Daphne with the legs that had so often been tucked primly next to his as they leaned over a book or paper together, never touching but so close, close enough so that he could smell her perfume: cinnamon, orchid, incense.

"Fuck," he mutters to the table. There's no way of hiding from himself, not really. He pushes off the wood and stalks to the kitchen for a beer. He cracks it open efficiently and takes a long swallow, Adam's apple bobbing. He wants her. That much is clear. How could he not? She was intelligent, fierce, gorgeous. He could fool himself all he wanted, her coming here was a bad idea. It's been a long semester, keeping her close but not too close.

But, he realizes with a jolt, she's about to graduate. This is her final, his course is over. He is... well, technically by Monday, no longer her professor.

"Fuck," he mutters again, this time to a magnet of a catfish, his only catch from a weekend out fishing with the guys.

It's twenty minutes later precisely when his doorbell rings. There was no sound of a car outside on the street or dramatic slam of a door, but when he opens the door there is a bicycle leaning against his front gate and a frazzled looking student on his front step.

"Hi, Professor." Daphne stands on his step with a mix of anxiety and embarrassment on her face and she digs into her bag right away to pull out a manila folder with his class name and number written on it alongside her name. "I'm so sorry about this. I know it's technically late and that you'll have to dock points for that. It's completely my fault."

"Hey, hey, easy." He lifts a palm and lowers it soothingly, taking the manila folder gently. "There's no need to be sorry, accidents happen." Then, as he knew he would, he asked, "Would you like to come in? It's the end of semester, though. Maybe you have a party you'd rather get to?" He smiles fondly, bumping his shoulder against the doorframe and folding his arms to show off his tanned forearms, shirt sleeves straining slightly.

Yeah, he's still got moves. And he wants to show them off. To Daphne. Who is no longer his student. Who's staring up at him with the anguish slowly sliding from her face. He wants to remove it, stroke her stress away with his thumb, ease it out of her slowly—

Fuck, he's screwed.

"I'm not really – I mean, I haven't –" She doesn't get invited to parties, is what she's trying to say. Not that she doesn't enjoy parties, because she does. She absolutely does. The night they spent here at his house just sitting around the fire talking and sharing a meal was one of her favorite graduate school memories. But she isn't great at socializing with the other students in her program, she's found. There is something a little odd about Daphne, and it has reverberated through her life to keep her just a little on the outside of normal.

Maybe that's why she nods, accepting the invitation with swallowed thanks, and steps inside her professor's house. Her professor who has more than a decade on her in terms of age but has never held his years of experience or knowledge over her head. If they were colleagues, she might have even considered him a friend. As it is, being his student, she's stuck in a sort of limbo with a useless crush and fond memories. "I've had kind of a crazy day," she admits sheepishly. "Even if I had been invited to any of the parties on campus, I don't think I would be going."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, Daph," he says, with real sympathy. "Is everything all right? I just opened a beer, would you like anything?"

"A pipe burst at my place and my landlord is claiming I'm liable, then my computer crashed in the middle of doing one last edit on your term paper and the tech office gave me grief, it's just...it's been a long day." She barely even nodded in agreement that a drink would be a huge relief, but he is immediately retreating to his refrigerator to grab her a beer. "Oh, and my summer plans fell through today." Her shoulders sag, the stress of the day dragging her down and determined to keep her there. "I'm just lucky I got up to take a shower first thing this morning or else the day would've been even worse."

"Oh, Daph, that's a rotten one," he says, placing the opened beer on the coffee table and settling his hands on her shoulders. "What happened to your summer? Surely you're going off to some incredible internship, you're more than qualified." And she is. He'd have recommended her to any program she wanted, and had, in fact, written her a letter of recommendation earlier in the year. "You know I'm not going to dock points, right?" he asks more quietly. "None of today was your fault, sweetheart."

Sweetheart. That shouldn't burrow into her chest and bloom into warmth like it does, and Daphne's eyes drop to the floor immediately to carefully focus on the toes of her boots instead of looking him in the face. That's your professor. Don't be creepy. "I had that internship lined up in London with the publishing company but they pulled the rug out from under me." She shrugs, feeling more vulnerable in the moment than she wants to admit. "Apparently the CFO's kid decided all of a sudden that he wants to be an author, so they rescinded my offer. He's going to get it instead."

His chest pangs. He hates that there is nothing he can do to fix this for her -- because she's right. That's the cherry on top of an extremely long day, and all he can do then is what feels most natural, which is to lift her chin up with the crook of his finger, his voice soft, gentle. "Hey."

When she meets his gaze, he watches them flicker slightly, scanning his face as he drinks in hers. Her eyes are so pretty. Like fresh honey dripped from a spoon.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," he says again, and means it. "You deserve that spot, but you'll find something better, okay? Hey, look at me." She had turned away slightly, embarrassed or perhaps made shy by his praise, but her eyes fix on him again, golden and fringed with thick lashes. "I promise, you will. There's lots of ways into this world, and you're too talented not to break in. Okay? You want to sit down, tell me about it?" His fingers clasp around her delicate elbow, ready to guide her to the couch.

"There's not a lot more to tell, to be honest." Two people with two beers steer almost mechanically toward the couch, and Daphne finds herself being seated on his plush leather sectional just before he sits down beside her. This spring has been chilly and he still has a throw blanket out, which he pulls close to them as if to have it at the ready. "No summer in London means I'm going to have to either go back home and figure out my next step there, or find a new place here and do the same. Because I'm sure as hell not staying in the place I'm in now. As if the landlord weren't bad enough, now the plumbing is going."

"Huh." He trails his arm over the back of the sofa, sipping his beer thoughtfully. "What kinda guy is this-" Asshole, he wants to say, but quells it, "Fellow? Any chance he'll back off? Perhaps once he... calms down, he can be reasoned with." He's approaching the boundary of reason himself. He can see it, taste it, the drip of something sweet down his throat. "Beautiful woman like you? You could convince a man of anything."

The pffft sound that comes out of her mouth goes with a wave of her hand, but she does accept a sip of the beer that he's brought her with a grateful sigh. "The apartment is a piece of shit anyway, if I'm honest. I hate it there. It's just that it's affordable." There's a moment's pause where Daphne's eyes widen in panic and she deflates again with a groan. "I already put in my notice at my job, oh my god."

"Hey, hey, Daphne." He puts his beer down and reaches for her, wrapping one arm around her waist, cupping her flushed cheek with the other hand. "C'mon, it's going to be okay, I promise, but for right now, I need you to relax, okay? Can you do that for me, bebita?" They're so close now, almost nose to nose. He's lost in her eyes again, but he can feel the burning heat of her little cheek in his palm.

She had been so sure she was going to start crying instantly with that realization, but two searing hot hands on her skin steady her. His touch is grounding, pulling her away from the edge of panic and drawing her into his aura so effortlessly that she didn't even realize how close he was until she felt his breath on her skin. "O—okay—" He can't know that the thing keeping her from having a complete panic attack on his couch right now is the fact that all the blood in her body has rushed to her aching clit, but damned if it isn't working. Daphne nods vaguely, trying to keep her head from swimming, but all she feels is his hands on her and the way his coffee brown eyes have turned to oceans in front of her. "Okay," she repeats softly.

"Okay?" Santiago nods, his breath coming a little fast. "I'll help you. I'll help you relax, sweetheart. You tell me to stop any time, okay?" He leans closer so slowly, their breaths mingling. He can almost count her eyelashes. Her nose is sweet and soft as it brushes his, but it's nothing compared to her plush lips. They seal against his and he feels the world fall out from under him. Something deep and ravenous unlocks and spills out all over his inside. He barely chokes down a groan.

There is no doubt that this is the most surreal moment of Daphne's life, and it isn't as though she hasn't been in some weird situations before. It's a miracle that she managed to get her beer bottle onto the nearby coffee table without spilling or knocking anything over, but she needs her hands for this. For a year and a half she's been working on a master's degree and avoiding too much contact with the one professor who makes her mind fog up and her daydreams wander, until finally she had landed in his classroom.

And now on his couch.

Kissing him.

If it were anything besides the most surreal moment of her life, she might have jumped backward or at the very least, pulled away. But Daphne has imagined kissing Santiago Garcia far too many times to do anything but sigh in response and open up for him like a summer rose.

"It's okay," he repeats soothingly between kisses: to himself, to her, to the waiting tension in the room. "I've got you, cariño. I've got you now, there you go, so sweet for me. So pretty. Beautiful, smart girl." He deepens the kiss, tasting her lips slowly, reverently, one hand sliding slowly down her soft sweater to rest on her waist and squeeze gently. He brushes his thumb over the soft material and then flicks it open, wanting closeness, to drag his palm up her thin blouse, wide and slow across her back.

The sound that bubbles out of her is a plaintive moan, unsure but wanting, and one of her hands grasps for steadiness on his arm even as the other instinctively sinks into his curls to keep him close. The battle is want versus wisdom, and it takes longer than she's proud of for Daphne to drag her lips from his and pant for a breath that still has no prayer of clearing her head.

"But." The fog in her mind has settled thick and heavy like the arousal in her core, and even as she's trying to straighten herself out she's still clinging to him with digging fingers and sharp nails. "You'll get fired," she manages to breathe out a few seconds later. Her only real protest being that she doesn't want him to get in trouble over a whim – which is surely all this is to him.

"Baby, no, no," he shakes his head, almost laughing with relief that that is her only concern. "No, you're graduating. I'm not your teacher any more. You handed in your paper. We can finally do what I – what I've been—" Shit. This is going to sound so bad. "What I've been thinking about since I met you," he admits.

Santi leans his forehead against hers, sighing. "I'm sorry. It's so inappropriate, but it's true. I've been waiting so long to kiss you, baby girl. Let me kiss you." He brushes his fingers over her knee, lifting her skirt just a little. "Let me make you feel so good, my little nymph. Do you even know how long you've been haunting me?" His mouth brushes her again, gently, over the corner of her mouth, the edge of her jaw, the flutter of her pulse, which smells delicious, deep and floral, her scent.

His cock aches against his zipper.

"Fuck." This time Daphne groans, sinking further into the couch, and feels herself giggle softly in disbelief more than she's actually aware of making the sound herself. "You've been haunted?" She challenges, eyes burning with courage now that she's heard his confession. Heard him beg. Did he really just beg for her? "Do you know how long I put off taking your class because I didn't know if I could even concentrate around you?"

Using the opportunity of her gently reclining body, Santiago leans in for the catch. "I never could," he murmurs into the hollow of her throat, his hands sweeping her skirt up, revealing her pretty legs, and god her thighs, so plush and luscious in his hands. He takes a moment to stroke there, brush the hem of her panties with his thumbs. "Never. You came in with Eros and made me Apollo." One thumb slips gently under the gusset of her panties. "Are you running, little nymph, hm?"

"Fuck—I—no, I—I don't even think my legs work now," she huffs, all at once tense as a bowstring with desire and measurably more relaxed as the reality of the man she's wanted forever finally touching her exactly where she wants him.

Well, not exactly. But it's not going to take long to get there at the rate they're going.

"What should I..." Daphne's head falls back on the sofa cushion as his thumb strokes her slit and she moans. "Santiago is a lot of syllables to moan."

"Santi. You can call me Santi from now on," he murmurs, removing his thumb from her panties only to twist the thin white cotton things, Jesus, so fucking wet, around his fingers and slide them down, down. He tosses them to the side and shucks off her high heeled boots while he's there, his eyes locked on where she glistens for him, needs him. "But you can call out any god you want to, bonita." He flicks his gaze to hers and smirks. "Show me how much you were paying attention, yeah?"

If she can even remember a single name from his class at this point she'll be shocked, and the cool air of his house on her overheated cunt is enough to have her squirming instinctively underneath him. Her brain has pretty much given up the ghost already, overstimulated in the very best way possible far before the rest of her body feels the same. Although she has a feeling that it will get there. "Santi..." Trying it out, there is a sweetness on her tongue and heaviness in her core that really is just a whine waiting to break free. Daphne's hands have found their way to his shirt front, fumbling to free the buttons even while she's nearly shaking with desire. "If you get to touch me, I want to touch you, too."

His lips find hers again, almost impatient to taste her again. "You can touch me, I want you to," he mutters against her lips, lifting her blouse hem from her skirt as she takes care of his buttons. Santiago doesn't pause, doesn't make it easy for her or for himself, drowning himself in the touch of her, the sweet little noises emanating from her throat, the ones taking a running leap on the way to begging for everything he's ready to give. He lifts her shirt over her head and begins tugging down her skirt an inch at a time, his fingers dragging slowly over her hips, her now bare legs.

Nothing is exactly torn away, not specifically, but the pile of clothing that collects beside his living room sofa accumulates quickly and haphazardly — shirts and sweaters and everything else discarded blindly as they drown in kissing each other and swallowing those moans that make their way to the surface over and over again. With that building freedom Daphne finds a buried courage — not that she is a timid lover by any means, but there is an eagerness below the surface here that she hasn’t felt in so long. When the only thing left between them is the flimsy pair of boxers that do nothing to disguise how achingly hard he is, Daph bites down on his bottom lip to pull a groan out of him and soothes it away by sucking on the same spot as her fingers slip under the waistband of his last remaining piece of clothing.

"Fuck," he hisses, hips jumping forward so that the weeping tip of his cock brushes against her hand and he groans. He sits up straighter, caught in a web, aching to touch her – at least take his boxers off, fuck – but loathe to move away from her curious little hand. He settles for sitting up on his knees, staring at the place she's touching him, watching her explore him as though in a trance.

Taking advantage of the momentary shift, Daphne sits up along with him and nudges Santi backward so that he is on his back now instead of her. His curls are mussed and his eyes are so black with lust that he looks positively debauched before she’s even had a chance to touch him very much. Once he’s on his back, though, Daphne hooks her thumbs in his boxers and peels them away, groaning at the sight of him. Harder than diamonds and leaking precum like an eager teenager, a sly smirk rides across her face knowing she did that to him. “I want to suck your cock,” she admits, gaze flickering between his length and his blackened eyes. “You have no idea how many hours I’ve spent imagining sucking your cock under that desk in your office.”

Santiago closes his eyes a moment. Is he fucking dreaming? Or is his most fucked fantasy coming true before his eyes?

"Probably almost as many as what I've spent imagining what that wet little pussy tastes like." His voice is a low rasp, but he pulls himself together enough to halt her hand on his throbbing dick. His fingers squeeze around hers, gliding over the rigid shaft slowly, with control. His breath fans over her forehead. "You want this, baby? Hm? Gonna have to give me something in return. Come here," he urges, a low purr, her very own siren. "Come here and give me a little taste, cariño."

“Even Kama had to worship a lover in order to find his release,” Daph breathes, having spent an entire semester doodling images of the Hindu love god’s sugarcane bow and bird companions in her notes while thinking of all the various ways her professor could be worshipped.

"Kama was burnt alive by Shiva, sweetheart, and I don't plan on doing any different to you. Come here, that's it." Santi helps Daphne turn in his lap, both of them facing the wall. He guides her hips over his face as he lies back on the couch. Thank fuck it was big enough, for this and more, and then her perfect pussy is hovering over his face, tantalizing him. At heart? Santiago likes torturing himself, loves the thrill of giving into pleasure. Perhaps that too, is why he waited so long to take this girl into his bed. Perhaps that's why he's slow and sure as he spreads her lips, flattens his tongue, and tastes her indulgently, from clit to hole.

Daphne's momentary flash of composure is gone again as soon as he tastes her. Her legs shake on either side of his head, thighs pressed to his ears so her moans are muffled but it isn't on purpose. It's just been so long since she had a man between her legs who knew what the fuck he was doing that just having her clit noticed is a vast improvement. Daphne's body sags momentarily before she is shifting all her weight to one hand and wrapping the other around the base of his cock to stroke his base with the pressure that he showed her – the pressure he likes – while she takes as much of him as she can into her mouth.

When he moans it's with a growl into her pussy she can feel vibrate all the way up through her lungs.

She's not fucking sitting, and he knows it's because she's still, however minutely now that her moans are ringing sweet and clear across his living room, in her head instead of fully in her perfect body the way he wants. Licking up her slick almost lazily, he drags his nails lightly up the outsides of her thighs before firmly catching her hips in hand and pressing her into his waiting mouth, his evening stubble scraping across her folds. Only then does he give her a real reason to moan, encouraging her to grind while his laps at her clit with his tongue, filling his hands with all the gorgeous skin he can reach.

"Sit," he grunts, "Fuck, baby, I wanna to go to the field of fucking reeds with this pussy on my face, come on, you can do it, give it to me."

Come on, carińo, I know you can come for me, such a good fucking girl, he thinks, his brain a hazy lightning storm at the sensation of her hot throat squeezing around him as she swallows. Fuck, he could let her do this all night, but he's hungry for her pleasure and he's so close, he can taste it. Santiago lifts her hips with a final loud suck and trails a finger around her slit, teasing, almost pressing, but only just, his thumb running circles around her clit. With a deep breath he lifts his mouth, slips his tongue and a single finger inside, fucking into her with slow, measured movements.

The overwhelming pleasure of having more than just the tip of his tongue inside her pussy has Daphne moaning so earnestly that she pulls off of him cock with a lurid pop. "Dammit—I—fuck, I'm going to cum—Santi, baby, oh my f—" The shaking of her legs and the coil in her core twist down on each other so her thighs tighten and he breathes into her like he's going to devour her whole as she falls apart at the seams.

Oh yes. He really likes hearing her moaning that, but not more than the way she gives in as her orgasm rocks through her, grinding her hips down, into his waiting, eager mouth, helping her ride him through it until the aftershocks ease. His voice is barely a scrape when he lifts her up, his aching cock swinging between his legs as he presses forward, eager for her mouth. "Did so good, baby, such a good girl for me. I need to fuck you. Need to fuck you, baby. How do you want it?"

"Any way." Daphne gasps, trying to wrap her head around any kind of how that's more artful than just sinking down on him right here and now. When she does wrap her head around it, though, she groans in a less ethereal tone. "Let me grab a condom." Like any sensible, sexually active college girl, she carries one in her regular purse. Emergency cock wrap, if you will. She just never thought she'd actually need it.

"Wait, I got it." He scoots up a moment, digging into the small table beside the couch. From the drawer Santi draws out the foil pouch and rips it open, quickly rolling it on before turning his attention back on Daphne, who's watching him with drowned eyes, eyes deep and longing and still so lovely.

"Lie back, sweetheart. You ready for me?" He slowly glides the head over her silky wet folds, smearing her slick across his tip.

Deciding she absolutely does not need to know how many other girls have been fucked on this couch -- possibly at the end of their own courses -- Daph pushed herself up on her elbows to kiss him fiercely. Tonight is not to be wasted. Tonight is to be a fantastic memory. "I'm ready." Her nails drag down the base of his scalp, having caught a near purr from him earlier when she did the same. "I want you to fuck me, Santi."

Almost before his name is out of her mouth, he's pushing inside her with a low rumble, his head falling back slightly into her hands. Her nails scrape sensation over his scalp and down his spine, and her cunt is licking flames over him, so warm and perfect he almost comes right fucking there, but halts, breathing damp against her lips, his teeth nipping her lip possessively.

They hold like that, frozen together in the heat of the moment as he regains his composure and she adjusts to the stretch and fill and thickness of his cock inside her. The only movement, in this long moment of coming together, is the languid slide and tangle of their tongues together as they drown in the intimacy of feverish kisses.

Gradually, Santi comes down enough to get restless, eager again. He nips and bites down over her jaw and descends on her throat, sucking a mark low on her collarbone as his hands pay some long overdue attention to her pretty, heaving tits. Mine.

When the mark on her neck is soothed with his tongue, he sits up slowly, his eyes a glittering black, his lips parted. He looks like he's about to devour her. He takes one of her calves in his hand, eyes never leaving hers, tipping her knee up towards her head and then out, spread wide for him. He grips her ankle in a warm hand. Then, with a grunt, he's pulling back and pitching forward hard enough for their skin to clap obscenely, fast enough to make them both soon begin to tremble.

The position that he's in has him almost entirely out of her reach, just close even to graze her nails over his chest as he thrusts into her at a pace frantic enough to make them both pant and heave. Her back arches off the couch with a keen and her hands grapple with the couch cushions for purchase to hold on tight as Santi fucks her so deeply and insistently that she can practically feel him all the way up in her throat.

"Gripping me so fuckin' tight, baby, Jesus," he says through his teeth, his jaw tight, streaks of pleasure raking down his chest with her sharp, clinging nails. Keeping his relentless pace, he bends forward, pushing her thigh up, testing her limit. When he's low enough he seizes her mouth with his, grinding deep.

"One more for me, pretty girl, one more," he whispers huskily, his other hand skimming down her body to rub at her clit.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, so good baby, oh my fucking god—" Something in Daphne's mind short circuits, and the rambling begins in earnest the higher and higher she climbs toward a second orgasm. Tripping over her own tongue and throwing her hands up over her head as he slams into her so hard that either they are moving up the length of the sofa or the entire sofa is moving, Daph is completely lost in her pleasure. That volcano of pleasure building in her core is damn near ready to explode and the only thing she wants more than to erupt is to take him with her.

The second her expression breaks and she cries out for him, he's gone. He thinks he's done even before she clamps down on his cock like a goddamned vice, ripping his orgasm from him in a half dozen hard but increasingly languid strokes.

His upper body grows heavy, and with a groan he grinds in deeply just once more – never mind why – and leans his forehead on her soft breast, pulling out of her with a sigh. His entire body is basking, floating. If she puts her hands in his hair again he might even fall asleep.

There's a moment of quiet as he ties off and disposes of the condom, and for a split-second Santi disappears around a corner but he comes back with a warm, damp kitchen cloth to clean them both up with before curling back around her on the couch. "Goddamn," she huffs, giggling softly to herself as his arms come around her.

"Tell me about it," he says sleepily, flipping the throw blanket over the two of them as they settle, kiss, explore lazily what before had been greedily consumed. "Still not sure I'm not dreaming," he says, only half-joking, tracing her lips with a smile. "Did I really get so lucky?"

"I'm not sure how you're the starstruck one out of the two of us," Daphne teases, even though it's through a thin veil of honesty.

"Bonita, I've been increasingly starstruck all semester," he chuckles. "You have so much to look forward to. Shit, you're definitely going farther places than I am. I'm just happy to be here," he presses a kiss to her left tit, "To enjoy-" to her right nipple- "The satisfaction of being right." He kisses her forehead and studies her, his lids heavy. "Do you need anything before you fall asleep, baby girl? You wanna sleep here or in bed? I can't let you bike home this late, querida, so don't even try. Besides, you can shower here, my plumbing is fine." He smirks here, as if anticipating the swat he's earned himself.

"It's not that late." Daphne wrinkles her nose at herself. The protest was just good manners. She doesn't actually want to leave. She wants to wrap up in him and breathe in this comfort for as long as humanly possible. When he levels her with a disapproving look, Daph just ends up grinning. "Let's go to bed," she suggests, catching his lips as he drags them along her jaw. "And when I wake you up in the morning with my lips wrapped around your cock again, you'll be glad your back isn't sore."

The laugh bursts out of his chest with delight, easy and real. "All right, baby, all right, and what makes you think I won't beat you to it?" Santi pulls her to her feet, wrapping the soft blanket securely around her shoulders before guiding her upstairs with a hand at the small of her back.

No matter which one of them beats the other two it, they both know they aren't done. Whether it's a weekend, a week, a month, or even more. This night is just the beginning.

______

Master Tags: @pixiedurango @chattychell @winter-fox-queen @lady-himbo @artsymaddie @princess76179 @paintballkid711 @missminkylove @pedrosbrat @ew-erin @sarahjkl82-blog @sharkbait77 @justanotherblonde23 @lv7867 @recklesswit @mylittlesenaar @f0rever15elf @gallowsjoker @steeevienicks @athalien @sherala007 @skvatnavle @thatpinkshirt @jaime1110 @girlimjusttryingtoreadfanfics @goodgriefitsawildworld @greeneyedblondie44 @littlemousedroid @harriedandharassed @churchill356 @ajathegreats-blog @haylzcyon   @beardsanddetectives @kirsteng42 @ladykatakuri @adancedivasmom @madiebear @tanzthompson @emilianamason @bigsdinger @xocalliexo @pedr0swh0r3 @avaleineandafryingpan @charlyrmv @avidreader73 @iceclaw101 @loveslide @elegantduckturtle @becsworld @julesonrecord @its-nebuleuse @itsrubberbisquit @mikeyswifie @guelyury @lizzie-cakes @for-a-longlongtime @vabeachazn @purplerain04 @weho2kcmo @madnessofadaydreamer

My Masterlist!

[penvisions]

the melting point {chapter 14}

Pairing: Frankie Morales x Baker! Reader (ex EMT! Reader)

Summary: The group takes the day off and goofiness ensues on the beach!

Word Count: 3.8K

Warnings: slight sexual tones, teasing, play fighting, play wrestling, kissing, love confessions (oh yeah, i went there)

A/N: just a little something to get back into the swing of things with this story, these characters mean so much for me but it is one of my less angsty fics and my life has been a little hectic so it was hard to focus on them, but they are back and i hope you like this installment

ao3 link || series masterlist || main masterlist

The restaurant was fancy.

It must’ve taken a lot for Frankie to get a reservation here, you mused as you were led by the hostess to the bar to get a complimentary drink while they cleared a table for you. You were in a black, sleeveless dress and chunky heeled boots. Frankie was in a dark green button down that had faint, black paisleys dotted on the fabric. The lighting was low and soft, creating a nice environment to take in the way he looked across the booth from you. He had forgone hid cap tonight in favor of slicking his hair back in a delicious way.

“I’m so glad I can finally do this, you deserve it.” His smile was a little shy as he looked over the menu in his hands at you. You felt a blush creep up to your cheeks, a nervous giggle sparking into the air. You had no idea why you were nervous, this was Frankie. One of the most easy-going people in your life, one of the most important. But your revelation of feeling so much for the man had been in the back of your mind since it had made itself very apparent. Your nerves were alight with the realization, turning you into a bashful mess of a person.

The drinks had just been delivered to the table and your appetizer order was placed when a server was approaching you with a cool, professional air.

“Excuse me, but there is someone requesting to stop by your table.”

You and Frankie shared a puzzled look, unsure of who would know where either of you were let alone ask to approach. He was stealthy as his eyes roamed the visible part of the restaurant but when he didn’t notice anything out of place, he brought them back to you. Your expression was slightly controlled though there was a furrow to your brow that he could see behind the frames of your glasses.

“Request accepted, I’m curious.” You smiled politely but not unkindly at the server who had begun to shift their weight from foot to foot, the situation obviously being something they had yet to encounter.

It was a few minutes after they left when the food critic from the other night approached the table with a martini in her hand.

“Darling! I’m so happy to have run into you out in the wild,” You stood as soon as you recognized her, wanting to properly greet her. The drink in her hand was lifted away from her middle as you both leaned in and embraced loosely. She leaned in and did the whole air kiss to both sides of your face and you mimicked her friendly greeting with a smile. You were glad to see her, truly.

“I’m so glad you came out the other night, it meant so much to me!”

“Of course, I never pass up a chance at something new and exciting in this city.” She took a sip from her drink and her eyes wafted over the table, making sure you had your own. “It was such a good time, but you simply have to introduce me to this handsome gentleman. You two were the focus of attention once things had concluded.”

“Oh! This is Fransisco Morales, he’s-“

“Her boyfriend,” He had stood, sliding himself out of the booth at the attention. He took her hand but was pulled forward in a loose wrapping of arms around his shoulders and the same movement of air kisses she had done with you. He didn’t seem phased by the forwardness of the woman. Being cordial and kind, though you could see the twinge of pink that had bloomed on the back of his neck. You tried to keep the wide smile from taking over your entire face, warmth washing over you at his words. “Pleasure to meet you.”

“You two are the cutest!” She held her drink up and you retrieved your own from the table as did Frankie, clinking the glasses together in a toast for whatever notion she had popping into her head.

“I’ll let you two get back to your evening,” She caught sight of the server approaching the table once again with your appetizer and two sharing plates. “We’ll be in touch, I’ll let you know when the article is due to come out, should be next months edition and a blurb in the paper!”

She was gone in a flurry of her long dress, short gray hair catching the low light as she sauntered off as if she hadn’t just told you incredible news.

“Querida, did she just-“

“The next edition. Holy-oh my god. Frankie, she’s going to put my event in the next edition of Edible,” A poof of air left the booth as you settled heavily into it.  He busied himself with unwrapping his utensils from the cloth napkin and reached over to do the same for you. “That’s-I think I’m going to cry.”

His head shot up at your words, concern flitting across his large, brown eyes as he watched you bring a hand up and press a finger to the bridge of your nose just below where your glasses sit. You closed your own eyes and he could tell you really were trying not to shed tears. He was standing and rounding the table in heartbeat, situating himself beside you with an arm wrapped around your shoulders, the first bite of the evening forgotten on his forgotten fork.

“It’s okay, sweet girl.” He pressed a kiss to your temple, resting his forehead against the side of your face after he did so. “This is good news, you did such a good job with the event and she loved it. Let her tell the world. You deserve to be seen.”

“Frankie, I-“ You turned to look at him, resting your forehead against his own as he ducked his head down to allow you to. “This is so amazing. I never anticipated any of this….I never anticipated…you.”

“You’ve got me, sweet girl.”

The rest of dinner went smoothly, filled with easy conversation and jokes, anecdotes about childhood antics and favorite fall activities. When the bill was asked after, by a very gentlemanly Frankie who insisted on paying, the server told you that it had been taken care of.

You found yourself pressed up against the side of his truck outside the restaurant, his plush lips devouring your own before he began to trail open mouthed kisses down the length of your neck.

-

The next few weeks flew by, the end of summer approaching fast despite it meaning little in the way of a weather change. You had hit a few milestones.

With the bakery, you had hired two more counter employees. Allowing you to teach Louise the basics of the kitchen and how to mise recipes she wasn’t comfortable or confident in completing herself for you to pick up. You still did a majority of the decorating, something she was struggling to get just right, but she and the girls delighted in sampling the treats that didn’t make it into the case. The September issue of Edible had come out and in it was an article on your bakery with a blurb about you and the upcoming events similar to the first one you wished to host in the remaining time frame of the year. It brought an influx of tourists in and allowed you to make the most of your time in the kitchen. The last farmers market would be the one after next and you were excited for the lull of responsibility. It was still a lot to be around so many people, the shop filling and lines becoming a normal occurrence on Saturdays.

With your injury, you were free of those pesky stitches and had gotten back to standing and walking normally. You hadn’t been cleared for running quite yet with your knee still a little tender, but had picked back up with the arm and upper body workouts to keep up some of the muscle tone you had left over from working in the medical field.

With Frankie, things were great. He was more attentive and you had actually gone over to his home for family dinners with Lex a few times. She was always excited to make desert with you while Frankie cooked dinner, she liked you and she had told you as much after each meal. Once you’re cleared for it, she wanted to go hiking and camping with you. Something she and Frankie did once a year.

It was Sunday and you were so excited to be going to the beach with your friends, everyone deeming the last drawl of summer something to celebrate. You were checking the tote bags over and over again, Lex following your every step as she ‘helped’ to make sure everything was set for the trip. It would be a few hours drive down to the coast, Frankie’s truck loaded down with umbrellas, beach chairs, towels, and a cooler or two. His backpack was the heaviest, while Lex and you had opted for tote bags for your own things.

She had shown you the packet of temporary tattoos she spent her allowance on earlier that week and had all but dragged you into her bathroom when you arrived the night before for dinner. She had insisted you help her apply them to her arms and legs with childish joy, the flowers and butterflies ‘soooo pretty, we’re going to match!’. Frankie had watched from the doorway as you two sat on the lip of the tub and made sure they were exactly where she wanted them, a soft smile on his face the entire time.

You had looked over to him at one point and blushed upon seeing the goofy way he was watching you and his daughter bond. Thinking about it now made butterflies blossom in your stomach, nervous excitement encompassing you as you thought of how happy he looked in that moment and that you had brought that side of him out.

She was already in her bathing suit, a one piece that she had thrown a pair of shorts over and a baseball cap much like her father’s. Her new brightly colored temporary tattoos on display much like your own as you were in similar clothing.

“Tio Santi! Look, I got a hat like papa’s and tattoos like Pastel!”

She had taken to simply calling you ‘cake’, it was rather endearing and you loved the nickname. You were beginning to love her like she was your own, quiet nights in her family home helping to establish a close bond. You would both tease Frankie about his cheesy movie choices but then get way into them and gasp at all the jump scares, Frankie was a big fan of monster B-movies, something about the hokey nature of them riveting to the beautiful man.

“Oy dios mio, you do, mi amor! You look perfect!” Pop leaned down and caught her mid lunge at him, hugging her tight and swinging her around. He would be riding with you and the Morales’ family. While Will, Benny, Morgan, and Luciana would be riding together. Everyone was coming, it was going to be a good day.

-

The sun was warm on your skin as you laid out, bikini allowing for all of your tattoos to be out in the open and it was a good feeling. The shade of your sunglasses allowed you a bit of privacy as you gazed out over the amazing setup the guys had assembled out on the sand. Morgan was beside you, laid out much the same way you were atop a large blanket that had been put down on the sand. Off to the side was a collapsible shade and some lawn furniture. There was a table set up as well, where the guys had loaded down with stuff to grill and snacks. You had even made some cookies and the cooler was full of plenty of drinks.

Your gaze was trained on a shirtless Frankie, who was currently trying to show Lex how to balance on the boogie board she had insisted on bringing along, but every time it gained buoyancy, she let out shrieking laughter and bailed out. It was a rather funny scene, Frankie too large to show her how to operate it properly. With a grin you stood and removed your sunglasses, but you had grown up around the ocean so you felt comfortable without the aiding prescription.

“Lex, wanna try the board with me?” You moved to pry your surfboard from where it had been settled in the sand, already waxed up and ready. She looked over to you and quickly ran off from her father. He heaved a sigh, smile on his face even as he dove to retrieve the board she had abandoned as a wave began to pull it along into the ocean.

“Pastel, that’s dangerous! Papa said that waves can be scary!”

“Don’t worry about that, I’ll keep you safe if you wanna go out. Or do you wanna watch me first before you make up your mind?”

“I wanna see you do it! Papa isn’t the best at balance.”

“Hey! That’s not fair! I’m more attuned to the sky, and you know that, Alexia.” His hands were on his hips the second he deposited the abandoned board underneath the shade. His mock serious voice had her giggling and she ran over to him and jumped up, he caught her and proceeded to fake body slam her in the sand. “You think your papa isn’t strong? I’ll show you.”

Benny appeared beside them, leaving Will and Pope to start the grill and make sure it was all set for cooking. He slide into the sand and acted as a referee for the play fight, watching for any ‘infractions’ as close as possible. With a very real groan, Frankie found himself the target of a hard kick and he laid out on his back, Lex quickly took advantage and climbed up on his chest and raised her arms in victory.

“We have a winner!!” Benny make a racket as he cheered on before scooping the girl up into his arms to allow Frankie the chance to catch his breath. You kneeled down beside him and placed a chaste kiss to the corner of his lips.

“Wow, you really lost to a child. How’s your ego?”

“’s fine, got you to help inflate it.”

“Oh-o, is that right?”

Suddenly he was lunged up and forward, pinning you in the sand much like he had done with his daughter, his swim trunks hushing with the movement. His hat went flying from his head when you managed to gain your bearings and he found himself on his stomach with your hips straddled over his backside, his hands pinned behind his back. You were giggling like mad, the sound only fueling the way he felt so encompassed by you, his cock stirring in his trunks. He was thankful you pinned him down on his stomach, because he was sure to never hear the end of it if he popped a boner in front of literally all his friends. No matter the stimulation of his beautiful girlfriend easily manhandling him and pinning him down in a mock fight.

“We have another winner!! Mante – one. Fish – negative two.” Benny announced as he set Lex down atop the blanket beside a watching Morgan and Lucianna, handing drinks to each of them.

“To be fair, I woulda let her pin me down too.” Pope hollered as he used a pair of tongs to carefully place slabs of ribs atop the grill, the sizzling immediately smelling delicious. His words made you realize the way you were sitting left very little to the imagination, your bikini bottoms having ridden up high on your thighs, pulling the fabric taut over your bottom half. The momentum of movement having jostled your chest and Frankie was quick to tell him to shut up as he glanced over his shoulder at you.

“Sweet girl, you gotta get offa me or I’m gonna have to drag you away…”

“Nope, gotta show Lex what’s what with the board.” You made a show of leaning down to place your hands atop his shoulders, whispering in his ear as you did so before pushing off of him. You were well aware that he could feel the softness of your chest along his back and the wetness that had gathered at the front of your bikini bottoms as you did so, but you winked at him before gripping the board and taking off toward the shoreline.

He just lay there for a moment, not moving.

“Fish, you good?”

“Just…give me a minute.”

Laughter rang out from the entire group.

“Papa, you got beat by two girls. But it’s okay, we still love you.”

More laughter sprung up.

-

You were wading out on the water, getting a feel for the current and watching as small waves built up before cresting in just the right way. A shadow out of the corner of your eye caught your attention and another person on a board drifted over to you. It was Mark and another person, boards facing your own as they approached. There was the sweet, smiling face of his daughter settled in front of him, a friend of his beside them on his own board.

“Well, hello hello!”

“Hi, nice cake lady!” The little girl enthusiastically waved at you, her wet hair hanging in a mess from the top of her head. “Daddy won’t let me surf all by myself, but this is still so cool!”

“Howdy,” You smiled at them, aware of the way his friend’s eyes were trailing down you body and focusing on the way your bottom was securely sat were you straddled your board. “It’s a good day for it, I’m sure he’ll let you take over if you ask nice enough, sweetie!”

“That event really was something, sorry I had to leave so early,” Mark seemed more reserved, though no less focused on you. “Someone had a lil anxiety about her first sleepover-“

“And daddy came rescue me!” She was so cute with a slight blush on her face. “This is uncle Randy!”

“Pleasure to meet you,” You reached over and extended a hand toward the man. He looked remarkably similar to Mark, same dirty blonde hair and tall build. He was attractive, but not your type, too young for you, you mused. He leaned over to take your hand in one of his own, a wide grin showing his teeth.

“Mark goes on and on about you, about your bakery. Pleasure is all mine.”

“Oh gosh, it’s just a way to pay the bills, but thank you all the same.”

“Looks like a wave is beginning to crest, daddy!” The little girl pointed off into the distance.

“Well, boys, gotta catch this one. See y’all later!”

You maneuvered your board to face the shoreline and began to lean down across the top of it, paddling to line yourself up as it neared. You pushed off, board catching the current that it was creating as it gained momentum. You faintly heard to two men chatting as your board moved with the wave, gaining speed. The wave crested, creating a tunnel at the far end and you jolted up to your feet, stanch wide for balance. The race against the curling of the tunnel had adrenaline coursing through your veins in the only way that surfing could provide you and a large smile broke out across your face. You reached a hand out and the tips of your fingers caressed the curve of the wave as you rode it out.

The tunnel closed in around you and you wiped the board up the wall of it before managing to escape the chase of it after you, the board bouncing with the force of the whitewash behind you. You rode along it for the faint few minutes of its life before it waned. Lowering yourself back to the length of the board as it vanished into the smooth ocean once again, you looked out toward the closer shore and spied the group of people you called family cheering you on. Lex was atop Frankie’s shoulders, her arms waving over her head as you faintly made out her excited words of being next.

The rest of the day was just as lovely, the cookout exquisite. Mark, Randy, and Sophia, you learned was her name, joined your group and even brought over their own modest set of chairs and towels to make it a larger group. You took Frankie’s hand with your own and guided him down to the shore where the sun was beginning to set. He was watching you with such a soft look that it made your heart stutter in your chest and the words were bubbling up before you could help it.

“Frankie, I-“

“I love you, sweet girl.” His plush lips gave voice to the very same thought that had been consuming you for days now. You felt heat rise to your face despite the familiarity you had with the man beside you, and you ducked your head to brush your hair back behind an ear. One of his hands came up to cradle your chin and he lifted your face so he could see the shy smile you were sporting. “I mean it, I love you so much and I want to make you happy.”

“I-I love you too, Frankie.” You leaned into his space, his arms wrapping around your body to pull him flush against his front. His lips found yours and you could feel the wide smile he adorned himself. You teased him as you parted, the feel of him all-encompassing and making your body buzz with warmth and a heady, dizzying feeling you wanted more of. “I’m so lucky I death glared at you the first time we met and got your attention.”

His full body laugh jostled you and you tucked your head into the crook of his neck and your own, soft laugh mingled in the air with his own.

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taglist: @tanzthompson @clevergirl74 @sullyosully @bitchwitch1981 @anoverwhelmingdin

[lulutaylorsimaginarium]

MasterList

The Chain

Summary: When the guys get stuck in a situation and hunted down by a drug lord. Frankie makes a call he really doesn’t want to make to the only person that can help them

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

Part Six

Part Seven

Part Eight

Part Nine

Part Ten

Part Eleven

Part Twelve

Part Thirteen

Part Fourteen

Part Fifteen

Part Sixteen

[justafandomgvrl]

Masterlist

Vax'ildan

Severe dislike to lovers one shot

Vex'ahlia

nothing yet

Percy

Fake Lovers to Dating

Kiss to Distract Guards

Keyleth

Caught Making Out

Headcanons

Playing With Their Hair Headcanons

Grog and Pike Platonic Headcanons

Pet Sitting

Lockwood

Unnamed Chapter One

Unnamed Chapter Two

Headcanons

Valentine's Day

Sharing a Bed

First Kiss

Requests

Lockwood x Lucy x Reader

Stargazing - Poe Dameron

Headcanons

Cramps - Kanan Jarrus

Sniffles - Steven Grant

Read To Me? - Steven Grant

Is That My Shirt - Steven Grant

Hallways - Steven Grant

Road trip - Jake Lockley

Since When Did You Care - Marc Spector

Kitten - MK System

Sharing A Bed Headcanons - MK System

The Blood Lake - MK System

Moon Knight - Gods of a Feather coming soon

You Don’t Know Me - Miguel O’Hara

Angels Tears - Blue Jones

Thoughts - Blue Jones

You're Bleeding - Leto Atreides

Cold Hands - Santiago Garcia

December 2023 - Santiago Garcia

Over Again - Llewyn Davis

Touchstarved - Jonathan Levy

Pathological People Pleaser - Jonathan Levy

Art Deco - Jonathan Levy

Not Afraid Anymore 🔞 - Jonathan Levy

Then and Now - Nathan Bateman

Pets - Nathan Bateman

Not A Christmas Person - Nathan Bateman

Flower Fields - King John

False God - King John

Cola - William Tell

Tattoo Artist AU Pt One - Laurent Leclaire

Tattoo Artist AU Pt Two - Laurent Leclaire

Please make requests!

I will NOT write adult x minor sorry!

[femmeanonymelives]

Isn't it lovely? (Santiago Garcia x OC)

Santiago Garcia x Singer/Songwriter!OC

Mentioned platonic Frankie Morales x OC

(Santiago refers to her as the nickname "Songbird," but real name is Valerie) Inspired by the song "Lovely" by Billie Eilish (with Khalid)

Series Masterlist

Ari's note: This is pure angst and fluff. Some adult language, usage of alcohol and some spoilers for Triple Frontier. This song somehow keeps showing up on my Spotify rotation. It is very beautiful and heartbreaking. I wanted to write something that deals with this song and somehow it reminds me of Santi.

The rain putters on the window seal. 

Seattle.

 The warm air fills the room with comfort from the cold, rainy weather outside. Started playing with the keys of the keyboard that someone that I loved bought me for my birthday. Pulls out a small yellow notebook with song lyrics. A familiar tone that I used to play around with when we hang out together.

“Happy Birthday, songbird. You can finally become the real Piano Man,” he joked before taking another gulp of beer as he played with my then-shaggy, long black hair. It was my birthday a few years earlier. A few days before the boys went down to South America and fucked shit up there. Santi hosted the festivities at his house. The boys, their partners, and a few of our mutual friends met up and had dinner. Santi wanted to make his present special. 

“Honestly, Frankie could have made that joke, but you honestly made the joke somehow shittier,” laughs softly as I play my legs in his lap. He gives the classic “you know you love me” smirk as he gives me a soft kiss.

“Frankie would have requested Sweet Caroline, but knowing you,” he holds my chin in his hand as he makes look at him in his sweet brown eyes, “you would be performing in stadiums soon, not in a bar. I will be by your side when you headline your first show.”

I moved to Seattle a few years back after the guy I last loved left me for a trip that, according to him, “broke him from the inside out.” I did music before I met him. Choir and piano lessons since I was six. If you are talking to my mother about my musical talents, she blames my father who was a musician that performed at the family bar. Started writing some wanderlust type songs, but never really got anywhere in Florida.

Frankie was the one who introduced us. I am the girl “who can sing Taylor Swift better than Taylor Swift without making it annoying.” He was the pain in the ass that Frankie would constantly tell him to ask me out. He saw I brought out a softer side to Santi, even though Santi is a horrible singer.

When he broke it off with me, he blamed how the fucked the mission was from the beginning, how Tom fucking died, how he was worried what was going to happen to him and his squad, and he was worried how we was going to explain this to me. He wanted his share of the money to go to me so we could move and start my music career.

“Songbird, I fucking love you but I need you to understand that I am doing this to set you free. You don’t need me anymore. I am sorry.” He kissed me like this was the last kiss that he was going to ever take with me. Four years of passion, long-distance phone calls, and stale beer thrown away like Tom’s body near the Andes.

That was the last time I saw him. 

Three Years Later

I am back in humid Florida, visiting family and Frankie and performing at a local music venue. I step up on stage. Getting a warm welcome from my hometown crowd. Under the bright stage, I see Frankie and the boys… and then I see him.. Drinking a Bud Light in one hand, and wearing an old baseball cap. His hair and stubble is more gray. He looks tired, not wanting to be there. Worried that Frankie brought him to a trap. I move towards the piano and start playing the song that somehow people are recognizing themselves to. My soft, yet powerful alto voice sings the lyrics when I was alone by myself in Seattle.

“Thought I found a way

Thought I found a way out (found)

But you never go away (never go away)

So I guess I gotta stay now

Oh, I hope someday I'll make it out of here

Even if it takes all night or a hundred years

Need a place to hide, but I can't find one near

Wanna feel alive, outside I can't fight my fear

Isn't it lovely? All alone

Heart made of glass, my mind of stone

Tear me to pieces, skin to bone

Hello, welcome home”

As I look up into the crowd, I stare into his eyes like I did years ago. Making me realizing that the song is hurting him the same way he hurt me all of those years prior. I tried to focus on anyone, but him. Tears swell up as I think of us at our happiest as I sing aloud.

“Walking out of time

Looking for a better place 

Something's on my mind

Always in my head space

But I know someday I'll make it out of here

Even if it takes all night or a hundred years

Need a place to hide, but I can't find one near

Wanna feel alive outside I can't fight my fear

Isn't it lovely? All alone

Heart made of glass, my mind of stone

Tear me to pieces, skin to bone

Hello. Welcome home

Whoa, yeah

Yeah, ah

Whoa, whoa

Hello, welcome home”

I hear a mass applause from the crowd as I quickly wipe my tears as I look towards the crowd.

 I see Santi and Frankie gone. I focused on the rest of my set that focused on songs from my album and a few covers of Fleetwood Mac.

After the show, I head backstage towards my dressing room. I see Santi standing there, mad and regretful at what he did to me. His knuckles are bloody, which he fought with Frankie in the parking lot. 

“Songbird, listen to me-”

“Don’t… just don’t call me.. the bullshit you pulled forfeits the right to call me that.”

“Valerie, I am sorry. I fucked up. I should have told you the truth from the beginning.”

“Santi, it is not that… you fucked up this relationship by using Tom’s fucking death for a reason to end it… That is not a good enough excuse for me. Why are you here?”

“When Frankie told me that you were coming into town, I was scared shitless. The money was for you.”

“Santiago Garcia, don’t be fucking with me about this. The one time I see you are telling more bullshit.”

“Val, that money for you and I to spend a life together.” He takes a deep sigh and runs his fingers through his hair. “That money was for you to actually start your career.”

“Bullshit… absolute bullshit! Stop lying to me just to save your own ass.” He grabs my arm and pulls me back in my dressing room. He locked the door.

“That song.. You wrote that about us…”

“I was hurting. Frankie was the only of you assholes to reach out.” Santiago is shocked; he knew Frankie and I were close, but never knew the impact that our relationship had. “Ben couldn’t even look me in the face when I saw him in Seattle.”

“So you wrote a fucking break-up song, Val? I know I was a dick by how I treated you, but I am telling the truth” He sounds more hurt than angry. The song made him seem like the biggest asshole in the world.

“I wrote it because you left me the minute you came back. I was angry. I was in a town by myself, wishing you called and said that you made a fucking mistake, but you didn’t.” Santi grabs me by my now-long dyed red hair and kisses me like he did three years earlier.

“I love you, Val.. and I am sorry for what I did.” 

I walked out of the door; not being able to stay there another second without crying. As I head to my rental car after grabbing my stuff, tears stream down my eyes as I whisper to myself in the car, “I love you too.”

[artemiseamoon]

Sneak peek: Is this how it ends?

Next chapter is in the works, I’m about 70% done…loose eta is 10/16 on A03!

Fic info

Pope adjusted the volume on the record player, lingering there until he got it right where he wanted it.

“Light those.” He ordered.

The butler quickly lit all the candles on the long table, then took a step back, almost blending in with the wall until he was called for something else.

Eyeing the dinner spread, Pope moved closer to the table and sniffed the open bottle of wine, then put it down. As he heard oncoming footsteps, he faced the doorway and waited for them to enter.

Rhea adjusted the front of her dress again, catching the lingering gaze of one of the guards. She shot him a sharp look, then crossed her arms as they guided her into the kitchen.

Pope slid his hands in his pockets, his eyes greedily drinking her up. “Good evening, Hermosa.”

“I rather be in my own clothes.” She commented with a long stare. She felt boxed in, the guards on either side of her giving her very little space to herself.

Pope dismissed them with a flick of the hand, but they didn’t go too far away. From the corner of her eye, she could see one by the doorway, and another in the hall. Pope stepped into her space, lightly cupped her face with one hand, then leaned in to kiss her cheek.

When she reeled her head back, he didn’t move or step away. He didn’t even release his touch, he just smiled at her.

“Still angry?”

“Can we just get this over with?” She looked him in the eye, then moved to the seat furthest from him.

Pope watched with an amused expression, then motioned to the wine as he sat. “This dinner is special for you, all your favorites.”

[of-house-atreides]

Supernatural Frontier | Chapter 2: The Cabin in the Woods

Series Summary: Former Delta Force soldiers, Santi, Frankie, Will and Benny, meet with fellow hunters, Dean and Sam Winchester, and team up for a rescue mission. Their objective: kill the demons, destroy their army, and save as many people as they can. Little did they know they'd find an angel in the pits of Hell, and that they'd have to put their lives on the line to save hers.

Chapter Summary: The girl wakes up. Santi warms up to her.

Pairings: TF!boys x OFC

A/N: Please note that I am French so there might be some mistakes here and there.

Words: 7089

Warnings: PTSD, nudity, mentions of blood, eventual poly relationship...

Minors DNI!

Masterlist

Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 (coming soon...)

Tags: @moonchild-cupcake @littlenosoul

Please leave some feedback and reblog if you like it!

The feeling was too great. It overwhelmed him. He didn’t know it. He didn’t understand what was happening to him. He thought it was just exhaustion. The adrenaline leaving his body. The horrors he had witnessed haunting his mind, the evil sticking to his skin. He had plunged in the dark and had returned with its treasure. Like a pirate, killing and maiming his way to the hold of a haunted ship. What had he been fighting for all these years if not for her? She was all the answers to all his questions. Everything he’d been through seemed worth it now. She washed all his regrets away, erased them from his memory.

Will had always believed he had left the war behind, not for the hopes of a better life, but to put his skills to better use. He wasn’t killing other human beings anymore, he was killing real monsters, real demons. He was making his own choices. Every time he pulled the trigger now, he did it because he chose to, because he needed to kill a monster to save a person. Not because his generals had put someone’s name on a list. It wasn’t just his country he was protecting anymore, but the world, the people. He had always been good at his job, been good at death, but he didn’t want to do it any longer. He couldn’t. Hunting was just another kind of job, another kind of death. One that wasn’t as bad. He had seen what humans were capable of, and it had broken him. And sometimes, when he would look in the mirror, he would wonder if he was just as bad as the people he had been ordered to kill. Sometimes, he wondered if he would see them again one day, with black eyes, just like he wondered if he would one day look back at his reflection and see only darkness in his own. But still, he hunted. He hunted to help the vulnerable, to rescue the defenseless, to save the innocents. He did it all. He did it all to get to her. She was it. He knew it the moment he stepped foot in that room and laid eyes on her. She was the most vulnerable, the most defenseless, the most innocent.

She was his redemption.

Benny kept a close eye on his brother, checking in the rearview mirror if he had moved at all. They had been driving for hours, and yet Will hadn’t moved a muscle. He was holding her, her head resting on his lap, his eyes focused on her thin face, his large hand cupping her cheek. Every breath she took he took with her, like she was allowing him to breathe.

He was waiting for her to wake up and yet he hoped she wouldn’t. He wanted her to be in a safe, warm place when she opened her eyes, wanted her to be able to run from him, from them, and see they weren’t going to hold her down and tie her up. He didn’t want her to feel trapped by the size of the car, or scared by the dark of the night. He wanted to be able to give her clothes and access to a bathroom. He wanted to give her a sense of safety, her dignity, and her humanity back to her. He wanted her to trust him.

He wondered how bad it would be, once she woke up. Because he knew she would be scared. He knew it would take time for her to trust him, and his friends. It wouldn’t take days or weeks, or months. It would take time. And patience. And he would do anything to make it happen as soon as possible.

The feedback of the walkie startled the two brothers. They jerked on their seat then sighed out of annoyance. Will let out a little laugh. On the other side, Santi’s voice was tired and low, probably because Frankie was sleeping next to him.

“They rent cabins not far from here.”

“Yeah, I remember,” Benny nodded. “We hunted a Wendingo in those woods once.”

“Fuck, don’t remind me,” Santi chuckled, earning the same reaction from Will. “Let’s see if they have a cabin for us.”

Finally coming to a stop, the three men jumped out of their vehicle with unspoken relief. They stretched out their arms and legs as quietly as they could in the cold silent night. Benny had to hold back a very loud tired sound that almost escaped his throat as he extended his arms above his head. Frankie was still sleeping on the passenger seat, his forehead resting against the foggy window of the car. Santi didn’t waste any more time and went in to ask the dreadful question. Every second he was inside was agony to his weary friends.

“I don’t think I can get back in the truck,” Benny whined, almost praying for a miracle.

Will turned back to check on the girl, still sleeping on the back seats, before turning back towards his brother.

“Me neither.”

The door of the front desk opened to show Santi holding up a key like it was a medal won after a great victory.

“Thank God!” Benny laughed, releasing a shaky breath, almost falling to his knees.

“How many beds?” is the first thing Will asked.

His friend smirked, ready to defy his eternal pessimism.

“Six.”

Benny straightened up as his breath caught in his throat, while his brother raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“Six?!”

“And that’s not the best part.”

“What?” Will said, doubtful he could do better than that.

“Ask me how many bathrooms there are.”

“How many bathrooms?”

“Five.”

“You’re kidding,” Will shook his head.

“Nope. It was the last cabin they had.”

“And how much is that costing us?”

Benny rolled his eyes, annoyed by his brother‘s restless negativity. Santi dug his hand into his jeans pocket and took out a credit card in the name of Hector White.

“It’s not costing us anything.”

“Come on, Will, aren’t you tired enough?” his brother scolded as he put a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s just go to bed. Wait… how many double beds?”

“Four.”

“Ha-ha!” Benny jumped, like he’d just won the lottery. “Perfect, let’s go.”

The younger brother got back into his truck, gesturing for his brother to hurry up and for Santi to lead the way. It only took a few minutes to get to the cabin, but those minutes were the longest. Benny could already see himself in bed and sleeping for the next few days. The little wooden house was the furthest away from the road, deep into the forest, but that didn’t scare the hunters. When they parked the trucks on the designated spots, Frankie was awake. Their relief could be seen on their faces. It was such a comfort to know they wouldn’t be hiding in a cheap motel, sleeping in uncomfortable beds and taking cold showers for the near future. That cabin was a luxury they couldn’t usually afford, both for financial and practical reasons. And it put Will’s mind at ease as well, knowing the girl would have a safe and clean place to wake up to. The last thing he wanted was for her to think she was trapped in another tiny, smelly, dirty prison.

He carefully wrapped his coat around her before he carried her out of the vehicle. Quickly, he walked up the stairs and crossed the porch to enter their new temporary home. It was luxurious indeed. From the outside, the place just looked like an oversized log cabin one could find in the woods, dusty and dirty, stocking the usual hunting and camping gear. The kind of place people owned on the side, to escape the city for the weekend. But, perhaps, it would look better in the daylight. However, in the inside, it looked like a palace. Or at least, as close to a palace they would ever see. Will almost felt ashamed to walk on the beautiful rug with his muddy and bloody boots.

The entrance was a large square. The hardwood floor was covered by a giant beige rug, and in the middle stood a high glass square table on which had been placed a vase of obviously fake white lilies. Above it hung a chandelier with candle shaped lightbulbs. The walls were adorned with paintings not unusual for a vacation home. They weren’t unpleasant to look at, but no one really did want to look at them. He was surrounded by three archways. The one on his right led to the living room. It looked pretty comfortable, especially with that big TV, but that wasn’t what he needed at the moment. The one on the left led to the kitchen, and the one before him led to a staircase and a hallway.

“There’s a bedroom with a bathroom over there,” Santi said as he pointed towards the hallway. “There’s another bathroom next to the kitchen. Everything else is upstairs.”

“Let’s go upstairs then,” Benny yawned, knowing Santi had already claimed the bedroom on the ground floor.

It happened naturally, like it always did when they didn’t have to flip a coin for it. Benny entered the first bedroom he found. Frankie picked the second one, and Will was left with the bedroom at the end of the hallway. It wasn’t as big as the others, but at least he had the best bathroom, with the modern shower and the large bathtub.

He settled the girl on the bed, not caring for a second about staining the clean sheets. He brought the covers up to her chin, before turning on the night lamp and turning off the room light.

“And where are you gonna sleep?”

He turned around to find Santi in the doorway, his bags in his hands. Will gestured towards the couch.

“There are six beds in this place and you’re gonna sleep on the couch?”

“I can’t leave her alone.”

“Take the single beds.”

“She’ll be more comfortable here.”

Santi sighed. He sounded desperate. He put Will’s bags down on the dresser before he leant against it and crossed his arms over his chest.

“What’s your deal with her?” he asked, although it didn’t sound like a question, because he knew Will didn’t have an answer.

“Don’t know. Don’t care. I’m keeping her.”

“Keeping her? She’s not a pet, Will.”

“She’s staying.”

Will’s aggressive tone and the seriousness in his eyes concerned his friend the most.

“Nobody’s making her leave.”

Will nodded. To him, that was the end of the conversation. That was the end of the issue.

“Seriously, though,” Santi started and Will sent him a warning look. “You do realize this isn’t… I mean it’s weird, man.”

“What do you propose we do?”

“Exactly what we’re doing now, just… be careful.”

“I will be, okay? I just… I just know she’s not what they said she is. She’s not dangerous.”

“How do you know?”

“I just do. Did you see her down there? She’s not a monster.”

Santi frowned and tilted his head to the side as he stared back into his friend’s eyes, hoping he would see and understand his worry. He spoke his next words quietly.

“Maybe she was the biggest monster there.”

Will opened his mouth, but then closed it without saying a word. He looked down at the floor as he clenched his jaw in frustration. He made his way to the couch and sat down, his eyes remained focused on his boots, until they moved back onto her.

“I guess we’ll see when she wakes up,” he said, giving up, too tired to keep debating, as he knew there was nothing he could say to make him understand what he knew in his heart.

“I guess we will,” Santi repeated in a whisper. “Do me a favor, though. Get some sleep.”

Will nodded. “Yeah, I will.”

Santi chuckled as he pushed himself off the dresser and exited the room. Will had always been a terrible liar.

***

Spinning in darkness, untethered, floating like a leaf in water, drifting away in the infinity of her unconsciousness… she rose slowly from the deep sleep she had been forced under. It didn’t feel like waking up, because she hadn’t really been asleep. It was another kind of slumber. She emerged from the shadows of her mind, yet felt like she was drowning in them.

Memories echoed in the obscure chambers of her consciousness, compelling her to return to her comatose state. She didn’t want to go back. That was the only thing she was certain of. The only thing she knew. She fought against it but found herself unable to go back to the peaceful darkness. She was too weak for it. And trying made her feel worse.

She had been taken to the deepest corners of Hell, and they had used every weapon, performed every experiment, put to the test every theory, used up all their ideas… And the lack of satisfactory result never discouraged them. In fact, it became just another excuse to use new tools and new methods to torture her. They quickly learnt how to subdue her, how to make her weak, and her power mute. She had lived most of her life trapped between spells and sigils that had paralyzed her, body and soul. She had only known pain, had only felt their touch, the cutting of their knifes, the breaking of her bones… In Hell, there was no music but the sound of cries, and no song but the demons’ laugh.

That was all she knew.

They had driven her mind away, broken it like they had broken her body. Except it couldn’t heal the same. She was immortal. She was eternal. They couldn’t find a way to stop her heart, so they stopped something else. They had pushed her to meet her end. She had done it to herself.

She had put herself in a box where they couldn’t reach her, where she wouldn’t feel the pain, or their hands on her skin. She had turned herself off, had used those sigils and those traps to her advantage and had locked her mind away. The only way she could escape them. The only death she could ever have.

But something had changed. Now, she was free. The chains had disappeared. She could no longer feel the effect of the sigils on the walls, the traps on the floor and ceiling. She could no longer hear the screams, no longer feel the pain. She could no longer recognize where she was.

It was warm, and soft, and comfortable. And she wasn’t hanging from the ceiling, nor was she chained to the corner of a cold cage. She was lying down, but she wasn’t tied to the surface. It felt weird. Like she could actually move.

***

The sun rose and set on an eventless day chased away by the merciless night. Resting, relaxing… those were not words part of the soldiers’ vocabulary. They almost didn’t know how to do either of those things. They could appreciate a warm shower and recognize a comfortable mattress when they had one, but they were used to the opposite. So when they woke up from their restful sleep, they felt even more tired than they were when they went to bed. It didn’t help that it was almost midnight when they woke up. Or maybe it did help. Because even though they were used to living at night, it was just a good excuse to get back into their comfortable beds.

Will stayed up as long as he could, and he tried not to fall asleep, but he was human, with human needs, and no man, as strong as he might be, could stay awake, as exhausted as he was. But when he woke up the next night, unlike his brothers, he never went back to sleep.

He was awoken by a whimper. It startled him. Like he had just caught himself falling asleep at the wheel. He almost fell off the sofa. His eyes immediately searched for her, fear driven, as an irrational thought crossed his mind that perhaps she had vanished in silence, escaping the house and the attention of the four very skilled men who had been trained to not let such a thing happen. But she was still there. Sleeping. Her chest rose, and when he saw her breathe, so did he. He let out a sigh of relief before running a hand over his face.

He was staring, he didn’t realize it. Once again hypnotized by the sleeping beauty. He came to dread her waking up. The apprehension made him uneasy. Still panic settled in his heart as if he could feel the moment getting closer with each agonizing second that went by.

And then, he heard another whine. Suddenly, finally, she flinched, and his heart stopped.

A grimace twisted her face. A whimper broke the silence. And he froze like a deer in headlights. Like any movement from him would make her pain worse.

Her eyes shot open as she sat bolt upright with a cry that stuck in her throat. She gasped, like the air burnt her lungs. She whined as she found herself free to move and breathe without pain, the surprise almost as painful. She grabbed her wrist and looked down at herself, ignoring the dirt and blood covering her skin, instead focusing on the fluffy cover that kept her warm.

“Hey.”

Although he spoke calmly and as quietly as he could manage, she jumped, and as she saw him, the confusion on her face vanished and terror came to replace it. She seemed to shrink under his gaze, as if she was trying to make herself disappear.

“You’re okay,” he quickly added, holding up his hands before him to show her he meant no harm, “it’s okay.”

She whined as he stepped forward. He stopped.

“My name is Will. You’re safe, I promise no one here will hurt you.”

He could see she didn’t believe him, or maybe she just didn’t understand him. She was trembling, holding back tears, as if she was afraid to move or make any sound, as if that would lead to more scary, more painful things.

He hesitated, for minutes, he just stood there, holding her gaze, nodding at her, whispering promises, begging her to calm down. But she wouldn’t. She just wouldn’t. She just looked at him with her big wet blue eyes as if he was going to do unspeakable things to her. And the more she looked at him, the more scared she got.

“I p-“

She fled. She fled like a rabbit scared of hunting hounds. She pushed herself off the mattress, away from him. Tangled in the sheets, she struggled to get out, and fell on the floor, but she never stopped. She dragged herself in the corner of the room, between the wall and the old-fashioned wooden wardrobe, dragged the sheets with her, brought them up, covered her body under them, hid inside them.

Will sighed as he gave up. He really had no idea how to deal with this. He knew PTSD. He knew how to help soldiers, veterans coming back from war, but this? An angel tortured by demons? He had no idea what she had been through. No idea how to help her. But he knew he had to be patient. And kind. And gentle. And he couldn’t make her do anything she didn’t want to. Even if she needed to.

He slowly walked up to her and she pushed herself against the wall like she wanted to melt and disappear into it. He had never heard such broken cries. As if she knew no matter how much she tried to fight back, how much she begged, how much she cried, the pain would inevitably come. So he had to make her understand it wouldn’t. He had to make her understand he wasn’t one to bring pain.

He sat with her. Without saying a word, he just sat there. And he waited. He waited for her to understand.

***

Hours passed and they hadn’t moved. Slowly, though, she came out from under the sheets, eyeing him, wondering what kind of game he was playing. Usually she could tell what they would do to her that day by who was holding the knife or the room they took her in. But this was new.

He seemed to have fallen asleep, and a thought she hadn’t had in a very long time crossed her mind. She could run. She could try and run. And she might have tried it, had she been certain her legs could carry her out of there. She might have tried it, had she been certain he was really sleeping. She might have tried it, had she known for a fact the door was unlocked. It could be a trap. It was most certainly all a trap.

She moved, slightly, just to see if she could get a reaction out of him. Little by little, and it took minutes, she got herself on her hands and knees and slipped out of her corner. What she was doing terrified her, but her survival instinct pushed her to move, pushed her to seize her chance.

Slowly, quietly, she made her way to the door. She kept looking b      ack at him just to make sure he was still sleeping. Then she got on her feet and almost fell down. This was a terrible idea. She wouldn’t go anywhere in that state. She could barely walk. But she tried it anyway. Because even if they caught her, at least, maybe, they would be mad enough to put her back to sleep.

The door opened, and the empty hallway smelled of freedom. A wave of relief surged through her, but she still had miles to go. She staggered her way to the stairs, falling down a couple of times, but always getting back up. She gripped the ramp tight and was careful with each step she took down the stairs. She could see the front door and she knew it was too good to be true. But she didn’t give up. Even when she fell down again, her knees hitting the soft rug. Even when her legs were too weak to get her back up. She didn’t realize she was crying, because she had spent so much of her life with wet cheeks, and she worked through the pain, because she had known worse. She dragged herself to the big door, pushed herself up enough so that she could reach the handle and pull. And pull.

But the door was closed.

A broken sob escaped her throat as she collapsed to the floor and broke down in tears. She cried until she couldn’t breathe anymore. She cried until she felt a pair of hands around her waist.

She yelped as she was lifted off the floor and the stranger helped her sit up. She was expecting to see scary black eyes and the sadistic smile of the bored jailor that had played this cruel trick on her, but instead was met with the gentle brown-eyes of a man with dark disheveled curls. He looked nothing like Will, but for the pity in his eyes. He sighed as he looked at her, and she felt shame as his eyes travelled on her dirty self. She was only wearing a large brown coat and it had opened up on her way downstairs.

She flinched and shut her eyes as he brought a hand to her face and cupped her cheek. When she opened them again, when the pain never came, when all she felt was the soft touch of his hand on her skin and the gentle rub of his thumb wiping away her tears, fear had made place for confusion, and she dived into his eyes and saw the promises they were making her. She wanted to believe them. She wanted nothing more than to believe Will’s words; that she was safe here. So when the man moved his hands onto the coat, she didn’t move, and she let him button it up in silence.

“Do you want to go outside?” he asked, a question needing no answer, as he knew she wouldn’t give him any.

He slid his fingers in his jeans pocket and retrieved the keys to the door. She gasped when he scooped her up in his arms, but found herself holding on to him. She didn’t know why but she held on to him. The air outside was fresh and wet and she sobbed as it hit her skin and saw the sunrise in the horizon before them, behind the forest. She couldn’t remember the last time she had set foot outside. Had felt the wind in her hair. She buried her head in the crook of his neck to shield her eyes from the natural light. They would have to get used to it again, after all those years in the darkness.

The stranger smelled nice. She didn’t know what it was, but it was different. It was a strong rich smell that had her rub her nose against his collar bone. He smelled clean. He smelled alive. It filled her lungs with unspoken relief. At least, it didn’t make her sick. She shivered at the contact of his skin. He was warm, almost burning the hand she had wrapped around his neck. She wasn’t used to being around the living. She only knew cold death.

There was a swing on the porch and he thought she might enjoy it, perhaps the rocking would calm her down. Soothe her.

She was still trembling in his arms, and he knew it wasn’t because of the temperature. She needed pants… well, she needed everything. He could hear her sob, feel her fingers tap on his skin, and slowly move up to his hair until eventually she slid them in his soft curls and mindlessly, gently, started to pull on them. He rested his cheek on her icy forehead as he hushed and whispered promises, telling her everything was going to be okay.

Eventually, her breathing settled and her sobs disappeared, replaced by the quiet sounds of the calm forest. Her shaking now was mostly due to the cold morning, and while her fingers were still playing with his hair, her free hand had, at some point, seized the collar of his shirt and hadn’t let go.

That was the only thing she could control, the only thing she possessed. That bit of fabric attached to a man she didn’t know, trapped inside her tiny hand like it was a source of power that could allow her to stop time and remain like this forever. It was the shield she had put up around herself, the walls she had built for protection, the leash around his neck to pull on should he or anyone try to end this moment.

She pulled on it when Will ran out of the house in panic and found them on the porch. She pulled on it even though Santi, as Will had just called him, tightened his hold on her and told her it was okay. She pulled on it when Will knelt at his friend’s feet and took her face in his hands. She saw his lips moving, but a sudden ringing in her ear stopped her from hearing him. She whined as she shut her eyes in pain and once again chose to find shelter in Santi’s arms, hiding her face in between his neck and shoulder.

“What happened?”

“She tried to leave. Freaked out when the door wouldn’t open.”

Will sighed. “She’s not scared of you.”

“I don’t know what to tell you man. She keeps smelling me.”

“It’s the cologne I got you for your birthday,” Frankie said as he joined them, cigarette in hand, leaning against the doorframe.

“You didn’t get me anything for my birthday, pendejo.”

“She awake?” Benny asked, appearing behind him with a hot cup of coffee in his hand. “She a monster or what?”

“She can barely walk, Benny,” Santi answered.

“Yeah, she doesn’t exactly look like the most dangerous creature on earth…” Frankie said.

“She looks like she needs a shower.”

“Shut up, Benny,” Will spat as he leant forward to retrieve the girl from Santi’s lap.

She gasped as she felt his hands on her and quickly wrapped her arms around Santi’s neck, desperately holding on like Lucifer himself was trying to snatch her from her safe place.

“Come on, man,” Santi complained. “She’d just stopped crying!”

Will stepped back, obviously frustrated, as Santi stood up. The sudden move made her panic.

“It’s okay, baby,” he hushed as he made his way back inside the cabin without giving another look to his friends.

He took her back to Will’s room where he laid her on the bed. It was one of the hardest things he ever had to do. She just wouldn’t let him go, and her cries made it harder for him to put her down. They came to a compromise. She got back under the covers, and he remained by her side as he held her hand. She played with his fingers for a while until they moved onto his wrist. She seized it and, little by little, started pulling him towards her. Gently, at first, then forcefully. He kept telling her that it was okay. That she was going to be okay. After a while, the words started to make sense to her. Not that she started to believe them, but her brain heard the words, and understood their meaning. Reality was still blurry. But her senses were slowly coming back to her. Eventually, he gave in, and climbed into bed with her. He slid under the covers and brought her to his chest, and she surprisingly didn’t hesitate to embrace him. She laid her head close to his neck and started tapping her fingers on the exposed skin of his chest.

Will appeared at the door with his hands in his pockets. He took in the sight before him then looked away.

“We’re gonna go into town, get some food, some clothes… you need anything?”

“I’m good.”

“Right…”

Silence settled awkwardly and he started to rock on his heels.

“Get her some girl stuff, will you?”

“Girl stuff?” he chuckled. “Sure. Try and get her to take a bath, yeah? I looked around, there’s everything she needs in there,” he said as he pointed to the bathroom.

“Sure,” he scoffed. There was no way that was going to be easy.

Benny called for Will from down the stairs and the older brother waved goodbye before he disappeared in the hallway. Santi heard the front door close behind them and the car drive away. She didn’t move. She didn’t move when Will stepped in, and didn’t move when he stepped out. She just laid there, running her fingertips on his skin. She just held on to him.

She held onto him when he sat up, when he got out of bed. She held onto him when he took her to the bathroom. But when he tried to put her in the tub, she let go. She fought against him, suddenly, startling him, and he was unable to stop her from falling on the cold hard floor tiles, hitting her head on the edge of the tub.

“Shit!”

She pushed against him when he knelt to check her forehead, she screamed in panic. She tried to get up and run but he easily caught her, causing her to fight back even harder. She cried and begged, and he hushed and comforted, but she wouldn’t calm down. He had no idea what he had done wrong.

Frankie arrived soon after, running in, worried about all those screams that echoed from the bathroom.

“Close the door,” Santi told him.

Bad idea.

Once closed, the girl’s screams got worse. She never stopped trying to escape Santi’s arms, and started kicking Frankie as he tried to approach them.

“What’s wrong with her?”

“I think she’s scared of the tub, just lock the door.”

“Are you kidding? She thinks we’re gonna drown her or something and you wanna lock her in here?”

“I don’t want her to run away, just lock the door and help me calm her down!”

Frankie had been right, though. She did lose it when he locked the door. Somehow finding more strength to fight them off.

“Show her the water, show her… damn it,” he hissed in frustration as she almost managed to slip away, “just show her it won’t hurt her, will you?”

Frankie sighed. He made his way to the tub and turned on the tap, putting his hand under the water.

“See? Look. It’s just water, it won’t hurt, look. It’s just water.”

He kept shushing, repeating the same words over and over again because he didn’t know what else to say to make her understand. Her screams, her cries, her begging just wouldn’t stop. And all the while, he wondered why on earth would she be afraid of a bathtub. He stepped back into the corner of the room, still facing the tub. Steam evaporated from the water filling it while her cries worsened.

“We’re gonna get you in the tub, it’s not gonna hurt, it’s going to be nice and warm, and we’re going to get you cleaned up, wash away the blood, wash your hair, you’ll feel so much better, you’ll see. It’s not going to hurt. I promise. It’s not going to hurt.”

She screamed as he stepped forward, and every kick and punch from her broke his heart. But Frankie helped him take her coat off and finally get her in the tub. She fought all the way in, water splashing everywhere. They had to pin her down to keep her from getting back up once they had finally gotten her to sit. Her hands gripped the edges of the tub, as if she was afraid they’d push her under the water. Santi covered one with his own.

“We’re not going to hurt you,” he said as he caressed her skin. “Will said there were some products around, grab some,” he instructed Frankie, who came back with everything he could find.

Bottle after bottle, body wash, shampoo, conditioner… he opened them all and only kept the best smelling ones. He made her watch as he brought them to his nose then asked her to do the same.

“See? Smells good, right?”

The water had gotten cold by the time she was calm enough to let him bring a bottle to her face. But that wasn’t an issue, on the contrary. The water had also gotten quite dirty.

“We’re gonna change the water, okay? So you’re not too cold.”

She watched, with fear, but also a bit of fascination, as the water disappeared around her. She brought her knees to her chest and rested her chin on top of them. Santi took the showerhead and explained to her what he was doing as he turned it on and checked the temperature. She was still scared, but her panic had gone, and although she was still wary of him, she let him do it. She even let him bring the water to her face and hair.

“Close your eyes, I won’t be long.”

When most of the blood and dirt had been washed off her skin and hair, he filled the tub again and asked Frankie to find a washcloth. He could see she wasn’t completely at ease, but hopefully she would remain calm until she saw they wouldn’t hurt her.

Frankie had sat on the other side of the tub and rested his forearm on the edge. He watched as his friend put the cloth in the water and brought it to her face. She jumped and moved back, but then let him clean her face.

“Did you pick the bottle you wanted?” he asked, as he showed them to her again. “This one?”

It was a kids body wash that smelled like strawberry, that he could use to wash her hair as well. After he was done with her face, he handed the cloth to her, but she only gave him a confused look.

“I’m sure you’d rather do it yourself.”

He shouldn’t have been so sure, because she didn’t move. She only looked back down at the water. Santi sighed.

“Right.”

He started with her arms, and she started looking at the bubbles that had appeared in the water, like she had never seen any. He did her back as she tried to grab some, only to watch them explode under her touch.

“Do you wanna do your legs?” he asked again, but still, no answer. She was too captivated by the bubbles. And it smelled good too. Perhaps, that was why she seemed so calm as he touched her.

“I think she’s lived through worse things, Pope.”

“That doesn’t mean I get to touch her like this.”

“I think she’s used to it.”

“It doesn’t make it right!”

“I know that.”

He reluctantly brought the cloth to her legs and she didn’t move when he reached her knees. When he looked up, he found her eyes on him.

“Come on, baby, you can do your thighs, yeah?”

She tilted her head to the side, like she was considering it, but she was just trying to understand. Eventually, she stretched her legs, revealing her upper body to them. They looked away.

“Take the cloth. I’ll wash your hair. Deal?”

He didn’t wait for her to answer because that would have just been a waste of time. She watched it float in the water as he did his best to clean her very dirty and tangled hair. To his relief he remembered Frankie had handed a detangling spray to him earlier as well.

Frankie had spent the entire time looking away from the girl. He didn’t know why but she freaked him out. At some point though, as he dipped his hand into the water to check the temperature, he saw she was looking at the ring around his finger.

“You like it?” he asked as he removed it and handed it to her. She gave him a puzzled look. “Go on, take it. Take a better look.” But she never did. She had learnt long ago not to take anything that was handed to her under any circumstances. She jumped and moved away when he reached for her arm, but didn’t fight back. She watched as he placed the ring in the palm of her hand. It was big and heavy, golden, with details all around it, an eagle in the middle. She looked at it for a while. It could have been seconds, it could have been minutes. Time had taken another meaning inside that bathroom. But at some point, she handed it back to him.

“Thank you,” he said as he put it back on his finger.

In a surprising move, she took the cloth out of the water, and handed it to him. He sighed.

“Alright.”

He wrung the cloth out before bringing it to her neck. Then down her shoulders. Down to her cleavage. He watched carefully for any sign of discomfort, but she seemed lost in thought, her eyes looking once again at the bubbles in the water.

“Frankie,” Santi warned.

“I know.”

He ran the cloth in between her breast and onto her stomach, down to her thighs. He was meticulous. He slowly brought it back up to her breasts. She didn’t move. He made it quick. When he was finally done, she brought her knees back up to her chest, and he looked over at Santi who was still struggling with her hair.

“Do you need a hairbrush or something?”

“Maybe. Hand me that detangling spray you found earlier.”

“If we hurt her, she’ll lose her shit.”

“I know, I’m doing my best here.”

Santi started to wish he had waited for Will to come back and make him do it, because he definitely hadn’t signed up for that. When Will and Benny came back with food and clothes, he was still struggling with it. But at least it was clean.

“That shit ain’t working,” he said angrily, feeling like throwing the bottle out the window.

“Just let me do it,” Will said as he removed his shoes and stepped in the bathroom.

He knelt before her first, and asked her if she was okay. As expected, she gave no answer.

“Let’s just get her out of the water first, we can deal with her hair out there.”

He grabbed a robe that was hanging from the door and Frankie left them to join Benny down in the kitchen and help him with the groceries. Will emptied the tub and asked her to get up, promising they wouldn’t look, although they weren’t sure that information mattered to her. Seeing she didn’t move, Santi leaned over and whispered in her ear.

“Let me help you.”

He put his hands on her waist and she instantly turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck, surprising him once again.

“Oh, okay…”

He helped her back onto his feet, allowing Will to get her inside the large white warm fluffy robe. Although she wouldn’t look at him. She kept her focus on Santi. Will tied the belt around her waist and once his hands were off her, she hurried back into Santi’s arms.

Will sighed. “Come on.”

They took her back to the bed where they sat with her, Will behind her, armed with a bunch of hairbrushes and detangling products that didn’t work, Santi before her, holding her hands in his, whispering the same thing over and over again.

“You’re safe. We will never hurt you. You can trust us. I promise.”

Will managed, by some miracle, to fix her hair around noon, and they wondered if she was starving just like they were. Santi gently took her chin in between his fingers and made her look up at him.

“You hungry, baby?”

As usual, she didn’t understand the question, and moved towards him for only response.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he assured her, wrapping an arm around her. “Come on, let’s get you something to eat.”

[eddiemunscns]

Introducing Callie Meyers in Halfway Happy (Set prior to the events of Triple Frontier)

Everyone processes grief differently. Callie was learning how to process hers. Little did she know that Frankie Morales would be the missing puzzle piece.

Tagging: @starcrossedjedis @steveshcrringtons @acabecca @steve--harrington--gal @reyofluke-ocs @cas-verse @fakedatings @samwilsonns @sgtbuckyybarnes @aemondism @arrthurpendragon @valdrinors @drbobbimorse @asirensrage @malafvma @richitozier

[pimosworld]

The ties that bind

Pairing-Dave York x f!reader x Frankie Morales

Series Summary-Dave is a private investigator who tracks down soulmates. He's tasked to find Frankie's, but what happens when he finds you and wants you all to himself?

CW-18+,NSFW,MDNI, Fluff, teasing, shower sex,Dom Dave, MMF dynamics, voyeurism, Unprotected piv,Protective best friend.

WC-3.6K

A/N- Happy Frankie Friday. I know it’s been awhile but I have not abandoned these three. New chapters will be slow going because life happens but I still have a lot in store for them.

[Main Masterlist][Series Masterlist]

Not beta read

Chapter VII

You don’t remember the last time you woke up this peacefully. It almost feels like you’re dreaming being squished between these two bodies under a mountain of Egyptian cotton comforters. All you can see in a cloud of fluffy white is two distinct brown mops of hair. You want to run your fingers through it, the way you did last night. You think better of yourself and decide not to wake them for your own personal reasons. 

  Speaking of not waking them. You’re in a precarious position, you try to sit up against the headboard to extract yourself from the covers but a large hand pins you down. Frankie huffs a little and slides even closer to you. He seems to be still in dream land as does Dave so you quickly drape his arm across you. It buys you a moment to slide up just as he gravitates towards the other man. It makes you laugh how desperate he is for a warm body to snuggle up to. It’s a little bit more of acrobatics to climb over them as you land softly on the carpeted floor. 

  The only clothing item of yours in reach is your tight black dress from the night before so you opt for Dave’s dress shirt. You glance down at your phone tossed aside on the loveseat and curse yourself when you see a litany of notifications. You definitely need to call your best friend and fill her in on the details. Maybe not all the details but at least let her know you’re okay. 

  Alicia

  So? 

  Call me

  Missed call

  Are you alive? 

  You better have got dicked down by one of them

  I’m just kidding 

  Missed call 

  Only slightly kidding babe

  I’m gonna come down there and bang on your door

  Incoming call

  “Hello.” 

  “Oh my god, why do you even have a phone?” You feel slightly bad at the panicked tone. 

  “Sorry.” You say in a hushed voice. 

  “Why are you whispering?” 

  “Just…let me step outside.” You glance around and see the two men still sound asleep and head out into the balcony. 

  “Outside? Outside where?” Her shrill voice cuts in as the morning sun blasts you. 

  “The balcony Alicia.” You glance down hoping no one can see you but it seems way too high for anyone to notice. 

  “Those rooms don’t have balconies.” She says. 

  “The penthouse does.” All mischief in your tone as you hear her sharp intake of breath. 

  “The fucking penthouse!” She shrieks and you instinctively turn around as if they can hear her through the phone. 

  Your laugh sets hers off as you bounce giddily on your feet. “Yes, that’s what I said.” 

  She takes a deep breath and you prepare yourself for the influx. “So what was it like? I mean did you even do anything or did you guys just talk?…Who am I even kidding of course you didn’t just talk. Did you fuck both of them?” She’s completely spiraling now and you can’t even remember her first question. “Holy shit did they fuck each other? I’ve always wanted to be with two guys, you just checked something off my bucket list.” 

  “Okay, okay, breathe.” Your stomach hurts from laughter as you fidget with the hem of Dave’s shirt. “I’m not sure how me doing something checks it off your bucket list.” 

  “So you’re saying?” You shake your head at the slight lilt in her tone. 

  “I’m saying….I had an amazing night and I’d like to talk to you about it in person.” She groans but concedes. Much like your friendship you always understood each other. 

  “You know? It’s a beautiful day to hit the beach.” 

  You sigh as you look out onto the horizon. The aquamarine shore gives way to the dark blues as the water grows deeper. “Ya it is, we should go.” 

  “Yes…all of us should go.” Her insistence leaves no room for argument and you wouldn’t dare pass up an opportunity to let her blow off a little steam. You may have forgiven them but you know your best friend had some words for them since that night at the bar. 

  “Okay babe, I’ll talk to them when they wake up and come up with a plan.” 

  “When they wake up!? Your pussy must be molded from the gods if you fucked them to sleep.” 

  You groan as the balcony door opens and you nearly drop your phone. “Text you the deets, gotta go.” 

  You hear the tail end of a sentence as you hang up the phone. Dave is smirking at you as he leans in the doorway, dressed in his black boxers and nothing else.In the daylight he’s a marvel. His thick thighs that bracketed you between him. His defined waist and the small tuft of hair just below his belly button, his toned chest and that smirk he’s giving you because you realize you’re staring. 

  “See something you like?” His morning voice drops with want and you bite your lip as you nod your head. 

  He crosses his arms over his chest as he dips his chin. “Well I see something that belongs to me.” 

  “Oh sorry.” You gesture down at the shirt and your exposed thighs. “It was the first thing I saw.” 

  “I wasn’t talking about the shirt hummingbird.” He stalks toward you, wrapping his arms around your waist as he pins you against the window. You’re too high up for anyone to see anything but his body shields you as he runs his hands along your thighs, dragging his shirt up with them. He dips his head as you wrap your arms around his neck bringing him into you. It’s so much better than that first kiss, it’s uninhibited as you moan into his mouth. The cool contrast of his hot hands and your body against the cool window is exhilarating. Frankie would be getting quite the show if he was awake. 

  You snake your hand down his chest to palm his cock through his boxers and he whimpers. The sound almost brings you to your knees. 

  You push him back gently as you glance over your shoulder…it would be selfish to wake Frankie and you certainly can’t fuck on this balcony, at least not the first time with him. Sensing your thoughts he pulls your chin to face him. “You want to take a shower?” Your words are still caught in your throat so you nod as he releases your chin. He takes your hand in his as you glance down at your phone. You blink twice seeing the time still counting down on the call. I thought I hung up? 

  You raise the phone to your ear and give him an apologetic smile. “Hello?”

  “So you’ll give me the details after the shower.” You give her a hushed yes as she laughs on the other end. “Molded from the gods.” 

  “Okay bye.” 

  ****

  You’re leaning against the bathroom wall admiring the way his back flexes as he turns on the water. Holding his hand under the stream until it’s the right temperature. In your haste last night you didn’t really get a chance to look around the room. The large ceiling to floor windows and the marble tiles. The crushed velvet couches and the large work desk. It’s the most expensive room you’ve ever been in. The large dual shower with the rain water setting makes it look so luxurious. You may be getting ahead of yourself but you could get used to this. 

  “As much as I love the way you look in my clothes, I need this off.” He steps in front of you, his large hands work the small buttons of his shirt as he pushes it down your shoulders. His hands are cold from the water and he sees you shiver as his fingers graze your exposed breast. His lips find your shoulder as the shirt falls to your feet. He leaves little open mouth kisses down your arm and across your chest as he backs you up into the shower, helping you over the small ledge so you don’t trip. 

  “Well I need those off if you’re going to join me.” You gesture at his boxers and he slowly drags them down his thighs as he holds your eye contact. It’s hard to concentrate on one thing as your eyes flit down to his cock settled heavy between his thighs. His hooded gaze as he stares you down, challenging you to stay focused. 

  He steps into your space, the steam rolling off him as he steps under the water. His hands find your waist as he pulls you into him, dipping his head to your neck as he breathes in your scent. The water cascading off his body onto yours as he holds you close. It’s pure torture as he teases you, his cock between your thighs as he grinds your hips into him, the tip just barely brushing against your clit makes you gasp and he catches it with his mouth over yours. 

  “Dave please.” You whimper as he uses your body and he chuckles against your mouth. 

  “Patience hummingbird…we’re supposed to be getting clean.” He’s enjoying this, the slow build of anticipation as he turns you to face the water. 

  He squeezes some of the fancy hotel soap in his palms that smells like tea tree and vanilla. His lathered hands work their way over your shoulders and across your rib cage as you lean back into his broad chest. You can feel him achingly hard against your back but he has all the patience in the world apparently. He cups your breast in one hand as he rolls your nipple between his fingers, reveling in the way you hiss through your teeth. 

  He’s got you so keyed up you forget that you have cards to play as well. 

  You reach back, stroking his length as he thrusts into your hand. You chuckle as he curses under his breath while you steadily work him over. “You want to play this game sweetheart?” He grits out as his hand travels south, one arm snaking around to trap you against him. 

  You’re pinned but you can still manage to move your wrist as he dips his fingers between your folds, rubbing your clit with his thumb. An inaudible sound escapes you and you clamp your hand over your mouth. 

  “Don’t be quiet now hummingbird.” He growls in your ear as he pumps his fingers in and out. He pulls your hand away from your mouth as you pant out his name. 

  “I don’t want to wake…fuck.” You try to gather yourself as he curls his fingers. “Frankie.” 

  “Oh honey you fucked Frankie already.” He taunts you as he takes you apart. His words and his actions have you on the precipice of your climax. 

  “Fuck I’m so close..” The wet sounds of your bodies rubbing against each other and the cascade of the shower have thoroughly disguised your eager onlooker. 

  “Come for him.” You gasp at the sound of Frankie’s voice as Dave chuckles in your ear. Your hand grips his wrist as you try to cling to the last bit of sanity you have left. He swallows your cries with his lips as your head falls back to his shoulder. Relishing in the way he has you wrapped up so tight against him. If not for his strong arms holding you up you’d be in a puddle on the tile floor. 

  The sound of the other shower springing to life registers as Dave whispers praises in your ear. These men are seemingly already in some kind of easy morning routine where they can peel all your layers back. It’s almost not fair how comfortable they are sharing you when you wanted them to squirm a little. But you asked for this. 

  Dave’s hands haven’t left your body as the steam builds clouding your vision. His fingers grip and pull at your waist as you feel the faint evidence of their hands on you from the night before. It’s like he’s burning his memory into you, not wanting to let you go for fear that this is all some dream. He spins you around and presses you against the cool tile wall. You gasp and he chuckles as he flashes those pearly white teeth at you.  The stark differences between him and Frankie have you reeling. You can tell he’s having too much fun playing with you as he stares at you with those deep brown eyes. The water drips off his dark hair as it rolls down the slope of his nose. He’s fucking beautiful.

  You don’t know which way is up as you brace your hands against his chest when he dives down to kiss your neck. You can hear a groan from across the room as he wraps your leg around his hip, angling it just so that he can continue his torturous teasing. The slick sound of Frankie working himself over as Dave glances back and bites down hard on his lip to keep from coming at the sight. 

  “How rude of me.” He pants out as he turns your body slightly, nearly lifting your other foot off the floor. “I’m blocking the view.” 

  You let out a soft moan as Frankie’s eyes bore into you while Dave stretches you open. Notching your thigh higher up on his waist as he rolls his hips into you. You just might pass out from the sensations as shivers rack your body. 

  “Dave…fuck, it’s so…” He takes the words out of your mouth as he picks up the pace, practically working in tandem as Frankie feverishly fists his cock. You struggle to keep your toes on the ground as the lewd sounds of your moans echo off the walls. 

  Dave slows his pace as he glances over his shoulder. “I bet he’s thinking about how fucking tight this pussy is.” 

  Fuck. Frankie thinks he might have died and gone to heaven or he’s getting dangerously close to passing out from the steam and exertion. He doesn’t want to come before you but the way Dave is whispering in your ear and pushing you against the wall, he’s not sure how much longer he’s gonna last. The ripples in his back as he flexes his muscles. The way he grips your thigh and the way your toes curl when he hits that spot deep inside. It’s better than any porn he’s ever watched. He knows what it feels like to be inside you, to know what it sounds like when you’re close to the edge. 

  Your mouth hangs agape against Dave’s arm as your eyes rove up and down Frankie’s body like it’s a work of art. You look like a similar figure as the water rolls off the both of you and you cling to him for dear life desperately trying to keep your eyes from rolling in the back of your head. 

  Dave’s lips meet yours in a soft and sweet kiss. A complete juxtaposition to the way he’s dismantling you before you’ve even had your morning coffee. 

  “I think he wants us to come first hummingbird.” He smirks at you as he leans in whispering in your ear. “Maybe next time you’ll let us fuck you together.” 

  Frankie doesn’t hear the last part, but he can hear you as you come apart for the second time. Dave’s strong arms holding you against the wall as he works you through it. He can see the brief stutter as he fills you up and that sends Frankie over the edge as he lets out a loud groan and spills onto the tile below. 

  You’re floating as a blast of cold water washes over you and you faintly hear Dave curse, or Frankie you’re not entirely sure at this point. Your nerves frayed and your body spent from the overstimulation. 

  ****

  Two sets of the saddest brown eyes are looking down at you when you come to. You’re wrapped in the fluffiest white robe you’ve ever seen in your life and seem to have been deposited back in the bed. The looks of horror turn to utter confusion when you start laughing at their still slightly damp appearance with matching white towels wrapped around their waist. 

  It’s like the beginning of a wet dream you’re sure you’ve had before, two gorgeous men, half naked standing before you and all you can do is manage a small smile to let them know you’re okay. 

  “Jesus Christ hermosa…you scared the shit out of me.” Dave quickly shoots him a look of disapproval and Frankie corrects his previous statement to “us.” He’ll have to get used to that of course. 

  “I’m so sorry, I got a little carried away.” The bed dips as Dave sits down next to you, cradling your head in his large palm. 

  You place your hand on the outside of his gently brushing your fingers along his knuckles. Hopefully reassuring him you’re perfectly alright. Better than alright in fact. “Don’t be sorry honey, that was amazing.” 

  He’s slightly more taken aback at the pet name. Perhaps the first time you’ve used one with him. He wants to relish in it but maybe you’re just delirious from nearly getting heat stroke, or maybe it’s just comforting to you. Either way he’ll never correct you. 

  “Don’t encourage him.” Frankie is still standing above you, looking less than amused. He hands you a glass of water as you sit up against the headboard. 

  “I seem to recall someone else encouraging as well.” You raise an eyebrow at him and he seems to concede defeat at that. He joins you on the other side and you feel pleasantly cozy, trapped between them. 

  Dave looks down at you slowly, as you start to close your eyes. “We’re gonna have to set some ground rules, seeing as though we almost killed her.” 

  Frankie just hums in approval as he glances down at you. 

  You’re just gonna rest a little more and hope Alicia isn’t too mad that you want to spend a few more moments in your penthouse paradise. 

  ****

  You can tell she wants to say something 

  You could always read your best friend like the back of your hand. It’s almost driving you nuts that she hasn’t said anything. Instead she just smiles at you as you walk hand in hand down to your favorite spot just near the edge of the water. The boys in tow behind you whispering to themselves, yet everytime you turn around they just offer you the same smile as if everything is perfectly normal. 

  To the outside world everything is. It's just two couples, setting up camp in the white sand on the perfect sunny day. The aquamarine waves gently kiss the shore, calling to you as you take off your swim cover up. Not missing the way Alicia’s eyes dart to a few forming bruises on your exposed body. 

  You shoot her a look of drop it and she concedes as she takes hers off and lays it out along the sand. She knows you won’t be joining her as you silently fall into your normal beach routine, her laying out in the sun as you walk towards the waters edge. 

  “So…is Po-I mean Santiago be joining us?” Frankie finally breaks the silence as he nervously adjusts his cap, glancing over to Dave who looks like he’s going to make a break for the water to join you. 

  “Nope.” She pats the sand on either side of her and you hope for their sake she at least had a goodnight.

  You turn your back to them and walk confidently toward the water until the warm sand starts to meet the waves and you dig your feet into the cold dense grit. The sound of the water as it gently kisses your calves and the seagulls above you are all you care about at this very moment. 

  ****

  “She looks happy.” 

  A firm statement Frankie can tell as Alicia keeps her eyes trained on you standing in the water. Dave glances over waiting for her to continue, not wanting to speak until he’s certain he’s supposed to. She has a protective air about her that he respects and also is genuinely terrified of. 

  They both know how fiercely you love each other and with that comes a lot more at stake. Frankie knows more so than Dave that Santiago and Alicia’s relationship thriving is directly tied to how they proceed. She would never put you through the torture of  continuing to date his best friend if things didn’t work out between the three of you. 

  “I don’t think either of us could come back from another heartbreak.” She picks up a small handful of sand and watches it fall like a slip of an hourglass. 

  “We don’t intend on breaking her heart.” Dave says as sincerely as he can without letting on his nervousness. 

  “I’m sure you don’t intend to…but you didn’t intend on lying and you both did a bang up job of  that already.” She levels him with a look and he opts to bite his tongue on that one. Frankie has the decency to look embarrassed even though Dave really should have come clean. 

  “Well consider that our first and last fuck up.” 

  You turn to them seated on the beach. Shielding the sun from your eyes with one hand and waving them over with the other. The brightest smile on your face as you silently plea for them to join you. 

  “I’ll consider it if you keep making her smile like that.” 

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[what-the--curtains]

Immortalities Gate

Type: Annoyed to Lovers

Santiago Garcia x bi!f!Croft!reader

Summary: Trying to make senes of what happened in Japan you search for meaning in your late fathers work. In Istanbul you find proof that he was as brilliant as you remembered, proof that he was murdered trying to find a divine source. Bloodied, bruised and soaking wet you find yourself on the doorstep of your long time friend Benjamin Miller, who was dealing with his own demons as he listened to your proposition. Despite the bad taste left in mouth from his last mission, the offer of riches was too good an opportunity to pass up. He gathers the team, and they plan to get you, and your close friend Jonah, to the borders of Siberia. Once in the frozen wilderness and upon hearing about the divine source, Santiago, Frankie, Benny and Will decide that the opportunity of immortality was worth risking their lives, one last time. 

Parameters: You were dating Sam during the whole japan ordeal, you broke up a month after, unable to look at each other without seeing the experience. It follows the same steps as Rise of the Tomb Raider but added dialogue and different character arcs throughout. 

likely a 8 chapter series

[penvisions]

the melting point {chapter 5}

Pairing: Frankie Morales x Baker! Reader (ex EMT! Reader)

Summary: Frankie learns the best way to relax with a night off from being a single parent.

Word Count: 1.1k

Warnings: mutual attraction, blurring of friendly lines, sexual themes, Frankie and his tongue

ao3 link || series masterlist || main masterlist 

The squeak of the gate should’ve signaled you, but you didn’t stir in the close hold Frankie had you in. 

Your body laid out beneath him as he lapped at your core. The sounds he was making were obscene as his hot tongue swirled around your clit, two thick fingers working into you. If you weren’t so caught up in the moment, you’d be embarrassed at the way his fingers were squelching with each movement.  The sun was just creeping up past the horizon, beginning to cast glowing light over the city and seeping in between the blinds in the kitchen. Your hands were tangled tight in his curly locks, a groan pushed into your skin when you pulled, telling you Frankie liked it. 

He was rutting against the couch beneath him, his body so hot and buzzing from his mouth on your own. He felt you flutter around his fingers, your hips bucking and knocking your clit against his nose. A wanton moan fell from your lips, loud and needy.

“Frankie, cariño, please….” You whined, not caring how pathetic you sounded, you were so close. The knot of tension in your stomach coiling and begging to be snapped.

“I got you, sweet girl, give it to me.” He latched his mouth around your clit and sucked, his fingers curling in you to hit the spot that made you see stars. With a startled shout, you felt the coil snap and your entire body tensed as waves of pleasure washed over you. Frankie grunted at the way you clenched around his fingers, imagining what it would feel like around his cock. The words he opened his mouth to say were forgotten at the sound of the downstairs door opening.

He looked up at you, mouth still hovering over your throbbing clit. Your eyes were wide though he could see how cloudy they still were from pleasure. You blinked when the sound of your apartment door opened and footsteps started up the stairs.

“Fuck.” You whispered quietly, “Fuck, Frankie I’m so sorry.”

For the barest second he was worried you were going to say you had a boyfriend or a significant other that was about to be home. He quickly tore himself from you and moved to pull his discarded shirt over his heaving chest. As he stood, he adjusted himself in his jeans, his hardness straining against the fabric as you scrambled up from the couch as well. You pushed your tank top back into place, and roughly pulled your shorts up your decorated legs.

“It’s not what you think, it’s Taylor. He said he’d-“

“Be here by morning, I texted when the plane landed but I figured you’d still be asleep.” A tall figure appeared at the top of the stairs, the boot that had been knocked down the stairs in his hands. His long hair was down and slightly frizzy, the chocolate brown of it catching the rising sunshine beautifully. His broad frame hinting at a job of physical labor, though his middle was soft underneath his wrinkled shirt. His jacket was tossed over his shoulder and hung over the backpack, giving a view of his decorated arms as well. Frankie spotted one on the man’s right forearm, identical to the one you had in the same spot on your left.

The two men looked at each other, Taylor taking in the way Frankie was breathing heavy while you were rather breathless. The flush on your skin and the way Frankie had turned to face mostly away from the entrance of the stairs told Taylor all he needed to know. With a curt nod toward Frankie, Taylor pinned you with a look that you didn’t quite meet head on. 

“Uh, I’ll go make some coffee down in the bakery while you two…yeah, just holler when it’s safe.” He tried to hide the small smirk he couldn’t fight to keep off his face. He leaned down to set the boot in his hands beside the other one before descending back down the stairs. The sound of the coffee grinder and then the espresso machine frothing milk carried up into the space.

“Oh my god, Frankie I am so sorry. You must’ve thought I was cheating when the door opened. He’s just a friend, my best friend. We um, we dated for a couple years on and off but then he had his son and it’s nothing, we’re just friends, I promise-“

“Hey, hey, it’s okay.” Frankie took in the panicked haze in your eyes, the way your hands were wringing in front of you as you explained something that really didn’t need to be explained. He trusted you, he believed you. He moved to bring you into a hug that had you immediately caging your hands between your bodies and burying your face in his chest. “You’re okay, I got you.”

“I’d offer for you to stay…”

“Don’t worry about it, carino, really. Should probably go scoop up Lex, anyhow.”

“At least let me make you a coffee. Please, I um, I feel bad about…not being able to help with this.” You reached down one of your hands and cupped his softening bulge. His next words caught in his throat as you did so. He took a second to gather himself, a deep exhale causing your lashes to flutter.

“Oh, I think letting me take you out to dinner will be sufficient payment.” He smiled down at you, reveling in the way you blinked up at him in wonder. Your curls were mussed from where you had been writhing on the couch under him, your face still slightly flushed and bringing out the freckles that dusted your skin. He was mesmerized by the hesitant smile trying to grace your lips.

“You-you want to take me to dinner?”

“I’d love to, carino. What do you say?”

“Yes!” You leaned up to wrap your arms around his shoulders and kissed him solidly on the lips. His hands tightened on your waist, loving the feel of your skin underneath them. “Yes, Frankie, I would love that.”

A few moments later, Frankie was merging effortlessly onto the highway that would take him to his mother’s house. He couldn’t help the wide grin as he looked at the cup of coffee you had made him before bidding him goodbye, your number and a little heart in black marker along the sleeve of the cup.

previous chapter || next chapter 

[lulutaylorsimaginarium]

The Chain

Summary: When the guys get stuck in a situation and hunted down by a drug lord. Frankie makes a call he really doesn’t want to make to the only person that can help them

Words: 2055

Warnings: “creator chooses not to use warnings.” If you click Keep Reading, that means you agree that you’re the right age to handle mature themes. We handle our own triggers with kindness and grace

AN: Mind any grammar mistakes even though the story has been checked. The author is dyslexic and it is the wonders of her brain.

AN2: Thanks to everyone who voted in the poll for the next series to be written. There is one more day to vote. If you want too

Thanks for reading x

THE CHAIN MASTERLIST

Part Fourteen

It was four days. She was gone four days, just enough time for Santiago to just about go insane. She would only call Will or text Benny. She wouldn’t say much. That she was okay and would be back soon.

At least that was something.

Three of them were fast asleep when she drove the car as quietly as she could up the driveway and under shelter, safely in its spot. The plan was to sneak back in, none the ware. She didn’t want to make a big thing of it. Plus Will had fixed her front door, so she could get in quietly now.

That was the plan at least

She walked up the stairs, front door keys in her hand already to go. Get in and disappear.

That was the thing about a plan.

They very rarely worked out.

“You were gone for four days” a voice said from the porch

She shrieked and spun around to see Frankie sitting in the Adirondack chair watching her.

“Needed time to level out”

“Level out?”

“Well, being ripped from my blissful almost boring life into a race against time against a drug dealer. Bear dying, Gunner dying in front of me and sleeping with your best friend who I used to loathe” she sighed over dramatically “And that’s barely been a fortnight”

“Left us high and dry”

“Oh yeah, this place is really a tin shack without power and water. Yeah, you guys have really been suffering”

She walked inside without looking back.

She really wanted to go back outside and give it to him, but she couldn’t really say why. She hoped that the time away from one another would help whatever problem or thing that was happening between them but clearly not.

Her body turned on the stairs and stormed down a few steps before her mind caught up with her and spun her the other way, continuing up.

Gabby and Frankie weren’t like this. They didn’t fight. They barely even disagreed. Maybe that’s why she left. She couldn’t handle it. She didn’t like it and for some reason they wanted to take it out on each other.

She had enough time to have a shower, hop into her bed and just about get comfortable when she had another visitor.

He pulled back the covers, pulled her in close.

“Never do that again”

“Sorry”

“You scared the shit out of me, out of all of us”

“I was only in town. Twenty minutes away”

“That’s a long time if you needed us quickly”

She rolled over on to her back and looked up at him. Santiago did look worse for wear. Tired and he looked like he hadn’t been sleeping well.

“There were just a couple of things I needed to do. You know, like quit my job. Get my stuff back here. Go see a doctor…..”

“Why?”

“My head. I thought you might get sick of taking me for walkies at night time”

“What did you tell the doctor?”  

“Geez” she laughed “I know I’m new to this whole special forces thing but give me some credit”

“We’re not special forces”

There wasn’t much light in the room but she saw it. She caught it. Gabby gently grabbed his chin and moved him towards whatever light that they had, to see his black eye

“What happened?”

“Nothing you need to worry about”.

“Not Frankie?” she asked in disbelief.

“Reina”

She moved from underneath him. Her bare feet had only just hit the floorboards when he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her back into bed.

“Pope, He can’t just hit you”.

“I stirred him up”.

“Why?”

“Thought it might help” he lied, she smirked because she knew that he was lying.

“What else did you tell the doctor?”

“I told her that I had quit my job, broke up with my boyfriend and just moved back home after years of being away”.

“What did she say?”

“She told me that I am in a very stressful situation and stress is a big cause of PTSD reactivation”.

“The sleepwalking?”

“Yes” she sighed “She gave me meds. I’ll be fine”.

“I didn’t mean for this to happen”.

“I was backsliding before you called. I’m a little messed up, Baby”

“Hey, I know some grown ass men three times your size that would have crumbled long ago. If they went through what you have been through. Don’t be so hard on yourself”

“I just don’t like being..”

“Human?”

She laughed again before he kissed her on the forehead.

“I’m sorry for taking everything out on you”

“Gab”

“No, just” she stopped “Its between Frankie and I and I put you in the cross fire because you were the one in front of me”

“It’s okay”

“We’re not just fucking ”

“I know, that’s not what we’re doing” he sighed cradling her face. So,she couldn’t hide away “I know it’s not just that for you either. No matter what you say.”

“I just didn’t expect us to be here, I guess”.

“I did. I just thought it would be a drunk once off”. He chuckled “Or a hate bang”

“YES!” she laughed “During an argument or something”.

“You’ve thought about that?”

“You haven’t?”

“Absolutely”

“But” she sighed “There are things we need to do. Like you know, get you guys home safely. That’s more important”.

“You never put yourself first, do you?”

She froze really not knowing what to say.

“What does that even look like?”

He chuckled moving a strand of hair out of her hair “I think that’s something you really need to figure out for yourself and start doing”.

“I’ll put it on the list”

He felt her take a deep breath and relax against him. He couldn’t say he didn’t like it

“Frankie did say something that I need to bring up”

“If it was brought up in anger. It’s probably not true”

He quickly rolled her on to her back, so suddenly that she gasped and then laughed

“Am I taking advantage of you?”

“Absolutely not”

“You’ve lost two friends in two weeks”

“I’ve lost people but you’re not taking advantage of me. Let’s face it, there’s no better way to feel alive, then what we have been doing. That’s the whole point of a grief bonk” she reached up and scratched his head, slowly soothing his mind.”I think grieving for Bear will come later. I’m not there yet and even if I was. It’s not up to Frankie to decide that it’s wrong. It’s up to me”

“I know”

“So” she said before kissing him “Let me grieve the way I want to grieve”

He kissed her harder then he intended but he wasn’t sorry about it either

“I think technically, it would be make up sex this time” he corrected

“They are two of the best kinds but it could even be both”

Santiago playfully bit her collarbone and growled “Don’t ever disappear again”

“I promise”

He wasn’t good with words. So, he let his actions speak for themselves and she let him.

#

She walked down the stairs the next morning exhausted but happy to see the brothers relaxing at her dining table enjoying their morning coffee. She really hadn’t had a lot of people in this place. She hadn’t had any at all. Even though Gabby loved her life. There hadn’t been a lot of laughter in this place, other than her own. She loved that this home was full of life right now.

Even if there was an undercurrent of uncertainty  

“The lady of the manor is home” Will called out happily

“Morning”

“You okay?”

“Always”

She walked into the kitchen and poured herself some coffee before Santiago walked down the stairs.

“I’m not surprised you’re home” Benny teased

“You’re not?” she asked pouring Santiago some coffee 

“I’m in the room next to yours and you guys weren’t exactly quiet last night”

She scrunched up her face  “Sorrrryyyyyy”

“I’m not” Santiago corrected

He looked over at her and saw she was blushing slightly. It was cute.  He pulled her closer and kissed her forehead gently.

“Holy shit” Will told them

“What?”

“You guys are the real deal. I just thought it was fucking”

She laughed as she sat down at the table with them

“Well, she did dump her boyfriend for me so....”

“That was not”

“Oh, come on” he laughed sitting next to her

“Did I also quit my job and move countries for you too?”

“Yeah, why not”

“Jesus” she laughed sipping her coffee

“Are you coming back to the states with us?” Benny asked excited “Are you moving?”

“I haven’t gotten that far yet”

“You can’t just stay up here all by yourself in this big house” Will encouraged

“I need to get you guys home first, okay?”

“Gabs” the brothers protested

“I have a plan, I think. I just have to figure out how to do it”

“No. You’re having the day off” Santiago told her, almost ordered

“Babe” she protested

“You’re exhausted”

“And who’s faults that. Keeping me up all night” she teased

“One day. All I’m asking is for one day. Just sleep for one day. Please”

“One?”

“But actually sleep”

“Fine”  she answered

“Thank you” he said kissing her in front of everybody, not giving a damn.

“Awwww” Will teased “You guys are cute”

“I think the word you’re looking for is disgusting” Benny answered.

She shook her head and drank her coffee before a thought clouded her mind

“Do you guys want to go out to breakfast?”

“Are you kidding?” Will answered “We’ve cooking for days. Of course we wanna go out to eat. We’re shit cooks”

The front door opened and closed behind them before Frankie was by her side putting a packet of cigarette on the table. It wasn’t the cigarettes that she was looking at though.

Her face dropped as she picked up the Zippo lighter on top of the pack.

“Where did you find this?”

“In the top draw in the kitchen” he answered with more attitude then needed  “Why?”

“It’s Bears’” The whole table went silent as she felt Santiago scratch the back of her head gently “You coming to breakfast?”

“Nah, I might skip it” Frankie shook his head

Santiago shot Frankie a dirty look but Gabby seemed unfazed

“Okay” she said calmly hopping up from the table and draining the rest of her coffee “What do you think boys? Fifteen minutes?”

“Ten” Benny offered

“Ten?” she questioned “Shit. Your cooking must have been real bad”

She had eyes on her the whole time as she walked back upstairs but she was used to that by now.

#

She didn’t notice him at first, standing in the doorway of the bathroom watching her as she was in her own little world, getting ready for the day. She spied his reflect in the mirror and gave him a small smile.

“You okay?” Santiago asked

“Always”

“Whenever you say that. I know you’re not”

“You haven’t known me long enough to know that”

“I think you forgot how long we have been in each other’s lives” he smiled walking into the room and standing behind her

“Hmm” she hummed “You know, if Benny heard us last night then so did Frankie”

“Good”

She laughed and shook her head “Can you be less of a guy?”

“No” he laughed “We’re the adults. He is the one acting like a child and this is not the time to be acting like a child. We’re still not out of the woods yet”

“You’re right”

“No one is doing anything wrong”

“Yeah”

“Meet you downstairs. The guys are hungry”

“Since when are those two not hungry” she chuckled “I’ll be down in a second”

She had just enough time to pull her hair back and grab her bag before her name was being called from downstairs. Gabby walked down the stairs laughing to herself as the guys filed out of the house.

“Sure you don’t want to come?” she asked Frankie one last time

“I’m fine”

“Do you want us to bring you something back?” she asked “Maybe a Happy Meal, to fix your mood?”

They stared at each other, not saying another word but speaking volumes, before she smirked and walked out the door

[x-johnnybaileystangirl-x]

Triple Frontier Story request/idea

I have an idea/request for a Triple Frontier story. What if Santiago had a teenage daughter that he knows about but doesn’t really see and he misses all the important parts of his daughter’s life because he is always away. So he is a deadbeat dad and when it is her milestone birthday or Christmas but he never turns up and she knows that he won’t. Also Frankie is her godfather. If someone has been wanting to write a Santiago Garcia story and needs an idea then you can use this one. I would write it myself but I find that seeing others writing a story based on an idea you created, with permission or credit of course, it just so much more fun to read than if I wrote it. If someone does then please don’t add a romance oc into it as that just ruins the idea for me.