#saw that post once on not paying bad thoughts any attention after like 9 pm

[letmelickyoureyeballs]

why do all the bad thoughts come when the sun is down, dark thoughts appearing when its dark

[foronceleavemealone]

Long time no see

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

A/N: This part was sort of difficult to write and it’s not that long, so idk...  I’m  not feeling that great so I say that’s the reason my writing’s lacking. The thoughts in my head don’t translate exactly how I want them to on paper (or in this case on a post). Also I just wanted to point out that I imagine OC having high-functioning anxiety so that’s why she’s a bit awkward or restless at times. And some might say that the pacing is very fast, but at least it’s not as fast as Marcus Pike poping the question. I hope that this is at least decent. I apologise for any mistakes.

Summary: After a long day Javier expects to find a lot more. His actions don’t surprise him but they leave him feeling guilty. In the end, there’s nothing bad about an apology and where it might lead someone.

Pairing: Javier Peña x OC

Genre: fluff, a tiny bit angst(ish)

————————————

It was another restless night for Javier. He thought that after quitting DEA he’d be able to have some peace, but at least this kind of of unrest was different, for a change. 

Should he have kept everything to himself? Did he do something detrimental to their relationship?  ‘She kissed me, which means that it wasn’t the wrong move, right?’ he thought. Everything seemed so perfect during that magic hour, it truly lived up to its name. 

But the way she acted afterwards perplexed him a little bit. Granted, the drive back was a bit uncomfortable because of both of them, though why did she leave the kitchen in such a hurry. She seemed almost uneasy. 

All of these thoughts were still flowing through Javier’s mind as he got ready to help his father for the day. He walked downstairs and found Chucho already eating breakfast. 

“Morning, pops” 

“Morning. Come on, eat up, we have a busy day ahead” Chucho gestured to a stack of pancakes.

“Wow, these are good. You outdid yourself, dad” 

“I didn’t make them, your friend did. Although she said she -”

“Doesn’t like pancakes” Javier finished off his dad’s sentence and slowed down his tempo.

“Exactly” Chucho looked right at Javier.

“So you saw her today. Is she still here? Did she say what she was going to do for today?” Javier suddenly really wanted to see her.

“You missed her by twenty minutes. She went out for a run, didn’t mention her other plans” Chucho paused “give her some time, she’ll come around” 

Javier didn’t say anything. He washed up both of their plates and they got to work on the property.

————————————

It took them the whole day to get things done. And towards the evening the weather started getting a lot colder and cloudier, it seemed like it was going to rain heavily, so they decided to wrap things up and go home. When they got home it was already 9 pm. It was quiet, all of the lights were off, so it seemed like nobody was home. They went to the kitchen to grab something to eat. They opted to finish the leftovers. Everything seemed untouched, not only the food, but everything in the kitchen. It looked the same way they left it after breakfast. Even the two plates were still where they were put, on the drying rack. It seemed that she had not done anything here since they left. Javier seemed a bit suspicious. 

“There’s gonna be a storm” Chucho said looking out the window “the wind’s strong” 

“She’s not home” now Javier was worried.

“Maybe she’s already asleep” Chucho suggested.

“No. It’s too early, she likes to stay up”

“I’m sure she’ll come back soon” Chucho said with a little bit of worry in his voice too “It’s not that late, she’s a grown woman” Chucho tried to reasure Javier. 

She was a grown woman and she was given a spare key so that she could navigate freely. Yes, all of that was true, but that did not stop Javier from worrying. 

Chucho retired for the night while Javier stayed up. He decided to wait for her. He sat in the living room and turned on the TV to drown his thoughts. Ten o’clock came, eleven o’clock came and still she didn’t come back. It started raining, and the further into the night it went the worse it became. Javier decided to go out and look for her is she didn’t return before midnight. He kept watching the clock like a hawk, not paying attention to the TV. It was nearing midnight and he grabbed his keys when he heard the front door open. He saw her, finally, for the first time that day - she was drenched. He suddenly felt a wave of exasparation wash over him.

“Where the fuck were you?” he starteled her a bit, she didn’t see him there.

“Out” is all she said. She didn’t like his tone, nor his wording.

“Out? That’s it? Do you know what time it is?”

“Look, Javier, I’m a grown up, I don’t have a curfew” she was a bit irritated, not to mention cold. 

“Maybe you should fucking have one” 

“If I’m bothering you that much you could just say that and I’ll leave. You were the one that suggested coming here with you, it wasn’t my first option” she looked at him. Since he didn’t say anything she went upstais.

————————————

‘Fuck’ Javier thought to himself sitting on the edge of his bed. He surely wasn’t proud of his words. He was relieved that she was safe and ok and that she came back, but at the same time he couldn’t cope with the thought of what if. What if something bad had happened... Fuck... He shouldn’t have said that. And the way she looked. Gosh... She was soaking wet, she must’ve felt cold and uncomfortable. 

It was stil raining, heavily. He looked outside the window. He saw a ray of light coming from her room. ‘She’s still awake’ he wondered whether he should go apologise. It couldn’t get worse, right? He walked over to her door and started prepping himself up not only for the knock, but for the apology itself when the door opened. She was a bit starteled, she most likely didn’t expect to find him standing there.

“Can’t sleep?” he smiled.

“The storm is keeping me up” 

“Can I...come in?” 

She stepped over to the side and let him enter her room. It smelled like her, he got distracted for a moment. 

“Listen” they both said at the same time.

“I wanted to apologise” Javi found a moment of silence and filled it “I shouldn’t have been that harsh. I’m sorry. I was worried about you”

“I was just about to go talk to you. I’m sorry I got back that late. I’m sorry for worrying you” she sat on the edge of her bed.

“Where were you? Are you ok?” he asked her gently this time as he sat next to her on the bed.

“I went...everywhere. Anywhere. I was... clearing my mind” she looked down at the carpet. 

Javier started regretting all of his actions of the prior night. He thought that they did make her uncomfortable. 

“I’m sorry about yesterday” Javier finally said.

She looked up at him.

“Nonono. I just... It’s just...” she tried putting her thoughts together. She cursed at herself that even after the whole day of thinking about this she couldn’t get the words out “I realized that I never loved Jeremy either. We got married out of... I don’t know.. fear and convenience, I guess. The only person that I always came back to was you” she took his hand and caressed it “It’s still you, Javi. It’s always been you” she softly kissed his cheek. When she pulled away he noticed there were tears in her eyes.

He tilted her chin and kissed her ever so softly, like she did yesterday. She pulled him in closer. Their lips lingered  not wanting to break the kiss. But suddenly they were starteled by thunder and pulled away. They both giggled. 

“It took us this long, huh?” he said while wiping away a tear that rolled down her cheek while she sniffled.

“Yeah, a whole eternity” they both smiled “stay with me for a while” she said moving up the bed and making room for him to sit next to her “I can’t sleep and I don’t like th-”

“Thunderstorms” he finished her sentence “I know” he sat next to her. 

“We even finish each other’s sentences, we should have come to this conclusion earlier” she smiled.

“I guess we were both a bit clueless” 

“How long have you known?” she asked playfully tapping on his hand.

“Years. But you got married. So I just never thought you felt the same way” 

Once again she remembered her marriage. Was it a mistake? Sometimes it seemed like it. She had feelings for Javier since the academy days, but she was so scared to admit them. They were friends and partners, he didn’t seem to show any interest, she also didn’t want to be seen as a fool. So she just let the feelings linger, savouring the moments she shared with Javier without making an obvious move. And then she met Jeremy and he seemed like a decent guy. Most importantly she thought that having someone else in her life would simply evict all of her feelings for Javier. So she did marry Jeremy, but it truly was a union of convenience in the end. Neither one of them wanted to be lonely, and they got along fine at first, so they kept each other company. However the marriage did not dull her feelings. On the contrary, every time she saw Javier again her eyes would not only light up but burn with affection and her heart would do backflips trying to tame both the regret and the joy. And when they  parted ways she would always yearn for him in a way that made others around her wonder if she was sick. And faintly she was. She was lovesick. She still had the watch that he had given her, so that was her medicine. She would wear the watch, stare at it not exactly for the time, take it to work, then take it back home. 

“I think we can both say that marriage is no guarantee for love” she paused ”Is that why you gave me your watch?” she picked up the silver watch off the bedside table and rubbed it with her thumb.

“It is” he smiled to himself “how long have you known?”

She smiled and looked at Javier.

“Ages. That’s why I’ve kept it” she showed Javier the watch “kept me going” 

He moved a little closer and she looked into his brown eyes. Gosh they were so beautiful. Warm and serene, but most importantly they looked like home. He slowly kissed her. It felt right. Every kiss was tender and sweet, filled with feeling and emotion. They did have so many years to catch up on after all.

“I love you” he said in between kisses.

“I love you too, Javi” 

[geejaysmith]

Kat and I have amazing conversations sometimes and I felt they had to be shared. Also, alienfuckers, dad jokes, Maxwell’s alternative lifestyle and other headcanons, and Ace Attorney: Doug Eiffel edition. Full transcript under the cut.

Gill [Yesterday at 6:05 PM]: On an Unrelated topic: after the finale the crew remembers "OH YEAH, EIFFEL ACTUALLY HAD A FACE-TO-FACE CONVERSATION WITH ALIENS" and now in addition to all the other reasons to want him to Remember they're really freakin' curious to know how that went

Kat [Yesterday at 6:11 PM]: Minkowski: so what did they look like Eiffel: me (They do seem to like his body, they had a few models to choose from when talking to Cutter.)

Gill [Yesterday at 6:13 PM]: Eiffel, probably: at least the aliens think I'm cool I know what was meant by that but your phrasing made me think "In a shocking turn of events, it is the aliens who are attracted to the human." The aliens... are alienfuckers

Kat [Yesterday at 6:17 PM]: I don't think that's their jam but that WOULD be just his luck

Gill [Yesterday at 6:18 PM]: It is unlikely, but also: it would be hilarious

Kat [Yesterday at 6:21 PM]: the aliens keep sending me mental sexts and i crave death

Gill [Yesterday at 6:22 PM]: And lo another shitpost transforms into a fanfic concept, like a humble irradiated lizard becoming Godzilla: "would you fuck your clone?"

Kat [Yesterday at 6:28 PM]: leave him alone has the man not suffered enough

Gill [Yesterday at 6:28 PM]: No

Kat [Yesterday at 6:29 PM]: sigh

Gill [Yesterday at 6:29 PM]: Dance for my amusement, Douglas And also because I earnestly suspect that in the case of Eiffel and an interested alien-consciousness-in-the-form-of-a-Xerox-copy-of-him the answer would end up being "yes"

Kat [Yesterday at 6:34 PM]: idk i feel like it'd be more like "Oh what you spend two fucking years trying to drag us into the star because you can't be assed to make an appearance but you'll teleport across the galaxy for a booty call? Fuck you and I mean that figuratively" later sluts

Gill [Yesterday at 6:36 PM]: Bob is a bad datemate Is this entire train of thought brought on by the fact I still think of the person who expressed they shipped Bob/Eiffel in the tags of the "Take your double to Disneyland" post? Perhaps

Kat [Yesterday at 6:39 PM]: i don't know that you can have this at the same time as 'what if the aliens' bodies are still the people suppressed' without it getting Fucked Up but that's your perogative I guess as long as I don't have to hear about it family can't walk w me tonight so i need to hit the treadmill for a bit. ttyl

Gill [Yesterday at 6:41 PM]: See u in a bit! But ah yes, I hadn't thought of that til you brought it up Points at one explanation of Dear Listener manifestations for some ideas, points at a different explanation for ideas that would become unintentionally Pretty Fucked Up under the first explanation Although there is comedy potential to be found in Eiffel and Eiffel-2 having the "are we down with this" conversation In the /Justin McElroy voice, "someone just discovered they have ~the world's worst fetish~" sense

Kat [Yesterday at 7:33 PM]: a different terrible concept: eiffel with his pop culture references restored will likely be called upon to testify at the united nations

Gill [Yesterday at 7:37 PM]: O h  g o d Ace Attorney: Doug Eiffel edition

Kat [Yesterday at 7:46 PM]: i mean they're gonna have to tell the world SOMEHOW and i'd think the international court would want to know and he's the one with the subconscious recall implanted sidenote if the DL can do that mental transfer could they have just... asked them to reupload whatever their most recent scan of eiffel was there are so many ways around this that's why it failed to get much of an emotional rxn from me

Gill [Yesterday at 7:47 PM]: Minkowski and Lovelace trying to get him to practice his testimony bc if they hit enough subconscious recall triggers they can at LEAST get thru an explanation of the aliens without Eiffel going off into a tangent Once they're off the Dear Listeners' script though all bets are off

Kat [Yesterday at 7:48 PM]: here's a list of preplanned questions your honor we're not responsible if you ask anything else

Gill [Yesterday at 7:51 PM]: Eiffel, maybe: now Goddard didn't send up us there to bring home any xenomorphs but let me tell you, with the Decima project? They might as WELL have let a facehugger get up close and personal with me The translators rapidly swapping notes on late 70's sci-of cinema because a handful of them actually know what he's talking about

Kat [Yesterday at 7:54 PM]: Minkowski headdesking behind him Eiffel English isn't most of these people's first languages

Gill [Yesterday at 7:57 PM]: The news cameras are all dead-focused on Eiffel. He's hit his stride and is picking up steam. "And it was right around the time I was coughing up my liquefied respiratory system that I thought to myself, gee, I'd MUCH rather get a face of alien wing-wong than deal with this!" Minkowski is off to the side. She is visibly restraining herself. No poker face in the world can hide how hard she is longing for death. Whether it is hers or Eiffel's is a subject of contentious debate.

Kat [Yesterday at 7:58 PM]: someone at an elementary school: hey Garcia, is that your dad

Gill [Yesterday at 8:01 PM]: Anne, who was four the last time she saw her father in person, gets one look at the man weaving an intricate Star Wars metaphor out of crimes against humanity and recognizes him instantly, but signs back "I have never seen this guy before in my life."

Kat [Yesterday at 8:04 PM]: good call kiddo

============

Gill [Yesterday at 8:10 PM]: Honestly I love the concept that no matter how much Eiffel may drive them up the wall sometimes the rest of the crew would meet Anne and immediately be ready to kill a man for her sake

Kat [Yesterday at 8:15 PM]: as far as we know he's the only crewmember with kids women in the military... it wouldn't be easy even if you wanted one, which idk if any of them did

Gill [Yesterday at 8:15 PM]: Wait wait, brainwave: it is actually AMAZING that Minkowski had no idea Eiffel had a child because... does he seem like the kind of guy. Who would ever resist a Dad Joke.

Kat [Yesterday at 8:15 PM]: haha fair

Gill [Yesterday at 8:16 PM]: Eiffel: Actually, I have amazing self-restraint when I choose to exercise it. (Various noises of disbelief.) Eiffel: have you ever heard me tell a dad joke? No? I rest my case

Kat [Yesterday at 8:21 PM]: biggest plot hole of the series more like it was too painful a memory but still

Gill [Yesterday at 8:22 PM]: If he ever patches that connection it'll open the floodgates

Kat [Yesterday at 8:26 PM]: He'll become the Maes Hughes of the gang, except with fewer war crimes

Gill [Yesterday at 8:27 PM]: ...has anyone on this crew done war crimes? SI-5 excepted of course, they have obviously done war crimes

Kat [Yesterday at 8:32 PM]: yeah SI5 is war crime central I'm not sure about some of the other stuff executing a prisoner? idk about Minkowski

Gill [Yesterday at 8:32 PM]: Also my thought

Kat [Yesterday at 8:32 PM]: she wasn't a formal pow though it was an ongoing engagement I don't know the rules

Gill [Yesterday at 8:32 PM]: Minkowski Has Done One (1) War Crime (Goddard Futuristics attempts to bring that against her in the court case only for Maxwell to stroll in like lol what's up gang)

Kat [Yesterday at 8:37 PM]: does Goddard in its current incarnation last long enough to sue anyone i mean i think you could sue them for attempted genocide

Gill [Yesterday at 8:38 PM]: Look I have had one semester of business law You were the one who almost went to law school Also re: other characters being parents, the only one I could see going kiiiinda either way on the subject is Lovelace and it wouldn't have been terribly high on her priority list prior to the Hephaestus mission I can see characters having the opinion that they could see Minkowski as a mom but she and her husband both strike me as understanding themselves and one another as being more career-oriented

Kat [Yesterday at 8:44 PM]: yeah if she wanted to rise in the ranks of the military... that would probably be a strike against her

Gill [Yesterday at 8:44 PM] And the implication she's got a Complex about her parents having both left promising careers to raise her Also, Lovelace: Well I always said I could see myself settling down someday, maybe have a family if I met the right person, but when I took the job with Goddard it was legally dubious whether I could actually do that- Eiffel: Because you're an alien? Eiffel: Eiffel: ...wait a sec

Kat [Yesterday at 8:54 PM]: ha It's ok to be gay in space

Gill [Yesterday at 8:56 PM]: Alternatively it's Hera who said that bc didn't connect those dots right away, meanwhile Eiffel saw Lovelace in a flannel shirt once and Knew Immediately Eiffel may be dumb but somehow his Bi-Fi has yet to fail him

Kat [Yesterday at 8:59 PM]: Hera doesn't grasp  human sexuality nuances

Gill [Yesterday at 9:01 PM]: Funny addition to above thought: Eiffel put together that Jacobi was gay after like three days on the Urania, was the only one on the Hephaestus crew to do so, and just never felt it was relevant to bring up Hera, my child... you have much to learn (Also, Hera, probably: I'm experimenting at the moment, I'm looking for a torrent so I can download lesbianism)

Kat [Yesterday at 9:04 PM]: I don't know which option is funnier, that Jacobi is just Really Fucking Obvious but Eiffel was the only one paying attention or that it was super subtle and everyone's like How Did You Do That lovelace's righteous fury overwhelmed her gaydar, she was too mad to go 'same hat'

Gill [Yesterday at 9:07 PM]: Eiffel: I have something to confess to all of you... Jacobi: Eiffel literally not a single person on this ship is straight Eiffel: Oh I was just going to recount a PG version of my wild younger days, let's just say I know a thing or two because I've seen a thing or two.

Kat [Yesterday at 9:07 PM]: Jacobi on Earth: Just matched with myself on Grinder a-fucking-GAIN

Gill [Yesterday at 9:10 PM]: Jacobi: Oh I definitely picked up on it but who wants to go playing into stereotypes by speculating on what may or may not be a promiscuous history? Eiffel: Promiscuous? Look I've got notches in my belt but mostly I just ended up laying in somebody's bathtub at a house party while just conscious enough to nod along to someone else's relationship drama. Eiffel: to several sororities, I was the Gay Bathtub Wizard.

Kat [Yesterday at 9:11 PM]: Maxwell on day one of orientation: So if SI5 is paramilitary what's their stance on alternative lifestyles? Jacobi: I was recruited in a gay bar.

Gill [Yesterday at 9:12 PM]: Her asking the question has my brain going in several different directions

Kat [Yesterday at 9:13 PM]: I think she was recruited right after dadt was repealed... if obama exists in this universe fantasy obama

Gill [Yesterday at 9:15 PM]: One part of my brain: Maxwell is also gay Another part of my brain: Maxwell is exclusively attracted to nonhuman persons Yet another part of my brain, most adjacent to number #2: Maxwell voice, who in their right mind would build a robot that can't fuck? The 4th part of my brain: Maxwell wants to know how chill they'll be with her living exclusively off energy drinks and frozen yogurt for weeks at a time

Kat [Yesterday at 9:15 PM]: honestly I figured whatever it was it was MUCH weirder than just being gay

Gill [Yesterday at 9:15 PM]: Maxwell: I have plans to take over the world with my army of battle bots and rule as their robot queen.

Kat [Yesterday at 9:16 PM]: Maxwell: wait if you were recruited in a gay bar does that mean our boss frequents those or did he just go there to get you Jacobi: Believe me the question haunts me also Jacobi: sounds great i'm in

Gill [Yesterday at 9:16 PM]: Or, Maxwell: I am not joking for an instant when I say that I for one welcome our alien overlords "When I was 13 I tried to get myself abducted by aliens" except it's not a joke it's an actual minor headcanon of mine Also I almost typed "adopted" rather than "abducted" which shows you why Alana would probably want to do that

Kat [Yesterday at 9:19 PM]: she did say she's on bad terms with her family

Gill [Yesterday at 9:20 PM]: She grew up a pastor's kid in a tiny rural town in Montana, hearing that they don't get along is the furthest thing from a surprise to me. The surprise is that Maxwell has a restraining order against them

Kat [Yesterday at 9:21 PM]: tht implies the court found reasonable cause to issue one wack anyway i had a long day, i'm gonna call it a night

Gill [Yesterday at 9:21 PM]: o/ But yeah that Maxwell empathizes with nonhumans, apparently more than with most regular humans, that makes perfect sense to me I can see her frustration with the AI Ethics board in her last job Expressing Their Concerns and her suppressing flashbacks to many a Creationist rant, and trying to keep her eye from twitching visibly, and no I am not projecting I am just coloring in blank spaces in the narrative with my relevant life experience

[versuswhitescar]

Malam Manor

We all grow up with that once upon a time, crap. When you're little, you believe it. Who believes it as an adult? I mean, really? We have smartphones, rumbas, and clap on lights. No one meets a 17-year-old vampire who supposed to be 52. But I have, and I found his tapes by accident. Now I'm living a filliping ounce upon a time that Anne Rice would drool over. If I don't find the f-ing cave his sister is trapped in, I'm going to be enjoying a lot less sunlight for damn sure.

I know if I could figure out the details, I'll find the cave. And the murderer and maybe be spared, or I fail, and I'm the next Elena Gilbert. I sure hope not.

I'm just a damn tutor who needs money for her master's degree. Why did I even think that posting a flyer online was a good idea? Hell, my only tinder date turned out to be a 300 lb guy catfishing for a date to his sister's wedding. I stupidly, no innocently thought I'd get some pimply high school sophomore struggling through R and J and Shakespeare word salad.

Man, was I wrong? Mr. Cain Haywater answered my ad. Normal name for an average guy, right? Well, who the hell names their kid after the first murder in the Bible, but I'm getting off track. My ancient 98 jeep with more rust than metal is not going up the hill to the "Malam Manor." Later I Google it and turns out the word is Latin for bad. I should have asked Siri sooner. Too late, Cain Haywater a ward of the state. Because he's 17 and wicked rich is paying me 50 bucks an hour to help write his family's history.

This house is unusual in ways I can't even begin to describe. Its windows seem to follow you like eyes while I rev up the circle drive. The brick looks like it's from out of the Hogwarts rejection pile. The height makes it at least three floors, and there's a damn covered entry that carriages pulled under in the 19th century. Besides the semi-creepy outsides, even though it looks well maintained, I'm coming here close to 9 pm. Ounce, the sun is down on the hottest July night in history. I should have done a business major instead of English lit. Follow your bliss, my mom said. What does she know she's a nail tech for the last 12 years. She probably has brain damage from the polish fumes.

I can't imagine anyone hears my lame knock at the gigantic door. But I swear to God it seems like a cat or something opened the door. I thought maybe the heat melted my brain, but it looked like a fuzzy ken doll. It darted behind a curtain. Before I could investigate Cain, hold my breath beautiful, Haywater stands ten feet in front of me in his large foyer in black jeans, skin-tight grey shirt with a badass blue tattoo that seems to have a deep center that radiates over his forearm. I'm shook in so many ways I can barely speak "Nyx, Nyx Jackson?" My name never sounded so smooth coming out of any humans mouth ever. That was when my brain should have clicked over to reality that he wasn't human. He hadn't been human since 1989.

Sadly only 2 hours into my best tutoring gig ever, I discovered Cain Haywater was indeed a real vampire. And his beloved twin sister Danielle, Dani, as he referred to her, was just as dead only traped in a watery caved transformed into a rusalka for the last 34 years. I was Cains's last chance at finding her cave and the wort boyfriend a girl could ask for. Jefferson Granton. A 200-year-old vampire that he needed to kill. My life wasn't fair and only made worse by the fact that I'm sure I'm going to fail, and my last meal was crappy ramen.

It was my stomach and too much curiosity that made me start playing with the vintage tape recorder Cain had on the black walnut desk. He heard my growling belly and while he searched for food. I pressed play. Big mistake, I'm not sure where he went to kill the food, but I listened to almost one side of a cassette tape. The quick spark notes, once he came back with cheese, apples, and fancy crackers to catch me, went fast.  

Back in May of 1986, he and his twin sister were graduating from Xaiver highschool. Somehow she latched on to an older college guy that wandered into town on a semester off to find himself. Jefferson Granton was mesmerizing, according to Cain, tall blond lovely to look at and even more interesting to listen to. He swept naive Danni off her feet on a cross country trip. He had a long term plan. One he had been cooking up for at least 100 years when Cain's family made a fortune in lumber and now stocks.

Jeffy boy started life as Jacarde Gulomar in the Brittany region of France. He accepted the gift of eternal life from a Norse vampire who wanted a mate. Jeff never entirely made his fortune and became a bad luck symbol for the covens all over Europe. Eyes on the new country to the west, he hopped a ship and arrived to wonder the grandness of the US just after the civil war. Comming upon early decedents of the Haywater clan. William Percy Haywater knew the deal equipped each member of the family with a hawthorn stake, holy water, and a warning against a freshly minted newly named Jefferson Granton.

No one fell for him until Danni, with all her beauty and openness, fell in love, and became a target for her trust fund. By the time the twins were 17, their parents were dead at the fate of a drunk driver, and a deaf Aunt looks after them. Danni fell under Jefferson's spell forgetting all caution to follow to the whispering cave. Now oddly in the middle of the mind-melting story, a flash caught my eye, and I met the grandfather like ken doll Cain shared his mansion with.

Pere was a domavoy who kept Cain and Malan safe as much as he could. Cain respects and adored him, so I was polite. Over the next three weeks, I moved in search their land every day when Cain joins me and feasts on Pere's cooking skills. His little face sparkled at each new dish he made for me after decades of blood bags. On steamy Saturday, July 31st, I finally found, or more fell into the mouth of the cave. Much of Cain's memory was erased on the night he watched Jefferson murder Danni while he hogtied in the corner of the damp cave. Only to meet a fate worse than Danni by forcefully being turned and compelled to kill and drain his Aunt of all her blood. Jefferson helps smooth it all over with some compulsion and tricks, but Cain secured his wealth in the next few days only to vanish. He picked a small fishing village in Maine, where he met Gabriel 100-year-old vampire who taught him to live and gave him advice on how to avenge Danni. Gabriel's plan centered on Cain coming home as his namesake's son Cain Haywater II. The mansion and his tie to Danni or Cain's greatest strength. It was clear why Jefferson failed to control them.

The night I stumbled into the cave, I wore my Danni look-alike costume Pere helped me pull together. I looked like a backup dancer on a Wham video. It was. It was to trick Jefferson, but oddly I caught the attention of another creepy creature a leshii in the woods. I thought it was Cain because the voice fit, and I felt drawn to the being. Only when it had led me halfway across the land did I catch a glimpse of its eyes. Pure white scalaris was not a hint of iris or pupil. Taking off back towards the cave, I felt two forces moving me one I can now sense with Cain, and the other I was damn sure was Jefferson. He'd been down a rough road probably because, in life, he was a bit of a narcissist. Only to have that enhanced by his Vampire Life, he thought I was Danni, and he'd Follow Me to Hell to get that money. Once we made it to the rippling silver pond within the cave, I laid eyes on Daniella. My wham costume was a joke compared to her beauty.

She swept as close to us as possible, shouting silently in my brain to turn now. Cain stands between me and Jefferson stake in hand slowly I fell to the wash of a cool breeze flowing over us which I knew mixed with my warm body temp to engulf Cain it was in that moment I saw the vague outline of a man just like he left a speakeasy in 1926. He became more gas-like to almost solid, yet I could still see right through him. He is handsome except for that visible gunshot wound to his right Temple. Why was I surprised that we now have a ghost to add to the mix. Pere spoke of the cave as whispered he claimed someone took their life after the 1920 stock crash here he was with eyes for Danni.

The extraordinary power Cain had wasn't just his home or his connection to his twin. It was that he could feel loved. He survived and lived by keeping his Humanity. I saw beautiful sparkling Jefferson with his flowing blonde hair realize it too. Cains power made the cave hum Jefferson was cocky, and that was very clear. He charged expecting to deflect the steak easily, but with Danni's strength and God help me my feelings for Cain. He drove the stake straight and true into Jefferson's lean chest.

Before I can blink Cain without a blade from his boot and with incredible strength severed the head like clockwork Cain without a new Zippo lighter and flicked it on to Jeffy. Making a roaring vampire candle. Can quickly turn to glance behind making a connection with Danni. "find your bliss" I heard in my head, and I knew Cain heard it too. The 1920s gentleman back into Danni as they drifted further back into the cave. We're only water held the floor we stood still.   "Nyx?" his velvet voice floated over me. I can only gape open mouth, watery eyes, and some snot beginning to flow. At that moment, my stomach rumbled loudly. He smiled a genuinely genuine smile with all the years that he waited. I knew without any doubt Cain Haywater would be in my future Tech probably my whole life, and I smiled too.

Let me know what you think and If you want more 

[sofreakinmanyfandoms]

Rebound - Chapter 4

@cryforfandoms, I know I have you beta-ing this, but it’s time to post it and I literally just finished writing it five minutes ago. I promise to have the next chapter done early enough for you to read it in advance.

That said...this has literally no editing because I got sucked into a Stony A/B/O fic and I’m dying to get back to it. I almost didn’t get the chapter done because I couldn’t pull myself away. 

Why did writing this take so long? Because I hate totally BSing things, and that’s what I did. The farm is a real place in Queens, and some of this is stuff they have listed on their events page, but I’ve never been that far north on the east coast so I’m basing pretty much everything off of my experiences on the mid-western farms I visited while in college.

Word count: 1338

Warnings: Alcoholism starts to rear its ugly head. There are many thirsty thoughts. I mean, reader is spending the day with Steve, of course there are thirsty thoughts.

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

Was this a date? If it was, what were you supposed to wear? Heck, if it wasn’t, what were you supposed to wear? You stood in front of your closet mirror, a frown etched into your brow. With a sigh, you finally settled on your favorite sweater and some soft leggings. At least you could be somewhat comfortable physically if not mentally.

A knock on the apartment door brought you out of your admittedly less-than-productive thoughts. Opening it, you found Steve standing there in the same jacket he’d been wearing earlier, though he’d changed into a light blue button-down and… good grief, were those leather motorcycle pants? Either the man knew exactly how to make himself look his most attractive or he was completely oblivious to the effect he had on the straight female and gay male populations. You suspected it was the latter, which somehow made him even more attractive, and you almost hated him for it.

“Any recommendations for what jacket I wear?” you asked him, motioning him into the apartment. “You know, since I have no idea what to dress for?”

“Um, something fairly warm,” he said shyly, rubbing the back of his neck. The man would kill you with how oblivious he was before the day was over. “It’s a little chilly out and we’ll be taking my bike. Oh, and shoes you can walk in.”

That caught your attention. Mr. Innocent’s leather pants were functional, not aesthetical. “You have a bike?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, “bought her in high school and fixed her up when I got back from the war. I’ve found that just riding for a stretch of time on the highway helps clear my head pretty well.”

“Okay, then.” You grabbed one of Clint’s leather jackets from the closet (might as well wear something that would protect you if the hunk of masculine perfection turned out to be a bad driver) and slipped into your most comfortable pair of boots. “Lead the way.”

Your eyes widened at the two of you exited the building and your eyes fell on the sleek black Harley.

“When you said you had a bike, you really meant you had a bike. She’s a beauty.”

“Thanks,” he beamed, a hint of pride coming through. “I try to keep her nice.”

“You’re doing a great job from what I can tell.”

You mounted the bike behind him, wrapping your arms around his waist. Even through his clothing you could feel the flex of his abs when he shifted his weight for turns. How had you not noticed those muscles when you woke up this morning? If you couldn’t have alcohol to distract you, at least you had this specimen to keep your mind occupied.

Though you hadn’t asked where you were going, the ride was longer than you had expected. It was almost 40 minutes before Steve slowed and pulled into… a dirt parking lot. It wasn’t even gravel; it was straight up dirt with grass growing where it hadn’t been worn down by people driving over it.

“Well,” Steve said as the two of you dismounted, “we’re here.”

The sign said “Queen’s County Farm Museum,” and you fought back the urge to groan. What kind of date was this supposed to be?

“I, uh, wasn’t sure what sort of thing you’d like,” Steve said, seemly sensing your lack of enthusiasm, “but they’re doing a fall festival today. Haunted house, hayrides, live music, petting zoo – they’re even keeping their corn maze open late so people can do it in the dark.”

A fall festival with Halloween-type stuff? That… actually sounded kind of fun. You gave him a smile and linked your arm in his.

“It’s perfect. Lead the way, Steve.”

----------

Face painting. They’d even had face painting. You laughed as you looked at Steve, his face painted like an orange striped kitten. Your own panda design was getting itchy as it dried, but you didn’t mind. You hadn’t felt this light since the early days of dating Brock.

You’d started with the hayride. A lovely elderly couple had sat next to you and the lady had told you how she and her husband had met on a hayride nearly sixty years ago. They tried to go on one every year in memory of that first meeting. It had been a really sweet story, even if her implication for you and Steve had made the two of you blush.

The pumpkin patch had been next. You’d found a pumpkin small enough you could carry it back with you, but round enough that it would still make a good jack-o-lantern. It had taken almost an hour and Steve had looked ready to smash the next pumpkin you rejected before you saw it. He’d been so relieved you’d found one that he’d almost tripped over five others on the way to pay for it.

Then you’d found the face painting, followed by a trip into the haunted house. It was geared towards kids so you didn’t think it was very scary, but Steve had definitely jumped and grabbed your hand a few times. It had been that much funnier with his face paint on.

You’d probably never admit it, but the petting zoo had been your favorite. There were two baby goats that were just the cutest things you’d ever seen and a foal that seemed to really want to eat Steve’s shirt.

Now it was almost 9 pm and the two of you had just made it out of the corn maze. Steve was slightly freaking out because he’d stuck his hand in a spider’s web and couldn’t quite get it all off. The farm was closing for the night, so the two of you made your way back to his bike. You subtly reached out and brushed a spider off the back of his shoulder. He probably shouldn’t ever find out it was there.

The ride back was as peaceful as the wind down a highway on a bike surrounded by traffic could be. You kept your pumpkin tucked carefully under one arm, and Steve was careful around corners since you only had the other arm around his waist. At least, that’s what you assumed. (He was actually doing it because your grip tighten around him on the turns, and he was trying to draw out the time he could feel you pressed that much closer to him.)

He dropped you off with a smile and a request to see you tomorrow evening whether Clint let you back in The Archer or not. Why not? After all, he was practically a Greek sculpture of a man and you needed something to distract you anyway.

But even as distracting as the day had been, once you were alone in your apartment the images and emotions all came back. You needed a drink and you needed it now. With a sigh, you grabbed a coat and slipped your boots back on. It was too late to buy any hard liquor, but the convenience store at the corner had beer. That would have to do.

----------

Clint came home after a long day at the bar, ready to collapse in bed and sleep until the sun was high tomorrow. What he wasn’t ready for was the sight of you passed out on the couch, surrounded by a dozen beer bottles.

He tried to unclench his jaw as he pulled out his phone and dialed Steve’s number.

“Hello?” Steve sounded like Clint had woken him up.

“The point of not letting her in the bar tonight was so she’d have a night of not drinking.”

“Huh?” The man sounded genuinely confused. “What are you talking about, Clint?”

“Y/N. I thought you were taking her out so she could have a non-alcoholic distraction?”

“I did,” Steve insisted, suddenly sounding much more awake. “There was no alcohol involved, I promise. We went to a fall festival. It was a family thing, there wasn’t even hard cider.”

Uh oh. Clint sighed. “Then we have a problem…”

[maevefiction]

Your Light in the Mist - Chapter 6

I had said goodnight and closed the door on a still speechless Tom, then slid down the back of it and hit the floor with a gentle thud. I sat there like a rag doll, arms hanging loose at my sides, chin resting on my chest as my synapses fired like a fourth of July fireworks show gone awry. I felt like one of the Synths from HUMANS when their code went bad.

Half an hour went by before the world began to come into focus again, and I slowly began to take the vast amount of shit that required my attention into consideration. I rubbed my eyes with the heels of my hands.

“Am I insane? How the hell am I going to tie up all my loose ends and do two seminars in two days? What the fuck was I thinking?!?” My phone buzzed. I pulled it out of my bag…it was Tom. Right. That’s what I’d been thinking. I tapped the answer button.

“What can I do to you, Thomas?” I slapped my hand to my forehead when I realized what I’d said. Nothing like a classic Freudian slip to start off our very first phone conversation.

There was a moment of silence, then a sharp intake of breath that was deliciously tantalizing…which I desperately tried to ignore as I scrambled to recover.

“Whoops. Perhaps I should rephrase that. What can I do FOR you, Thomas?”

“I…I…” He cleared his throat. “Christ, Maude, are you trying to kill me? It took me all this time to cease picturing you strutting naked through your suite and regain enough of my composure to hit the call button.”

I grunted out a hmpf. “If it’s any consolation, I’m still sitting with my back against the room door. Because that happens to be where I landed when I slid down it after closing it in your face. Now my legs are asleep and I’m not quite sure how I’m going to get up.”

“Serves you right, you wicked temptress.” He laughed, then paused. “I know you’re ridiculously busy, but I…well, I suppose I just wanted to hear your voice again so I could reassure myself that this unimaginably marvelous day actually happened and I didn’t dream it all.”

I groaned. “Really, Hiddleston? How the fuck I am I supposed to top that? Anything I could conjure up would pale in comparison, so I’ll simply state that I understand and concur.”

“Good. Now, shall I pay you a visit and help you attain a more desirable position?” I didn’t need to see his face to know he was smirking.

“Thomas. Stahp. I have no time for a cold shower break.” He laughed.

“I guess that makes us even, then. I’ll let you get back to work. Goodnight, Maude.”

“Goodnight, Tom. And if you find you need something to keep you occupied, feel free to make me a list of at least five websites you like the looks of. Don’t forget to include exactly what you like and why you like it.”

He huffed. “Did you just assign me homework? Because it sounds very much like you assigned me homework.”

“Let’s call it project participation instead. Better?”

“Marginally.” He paused for a few seconds. “May I call you tomorrow after your seminar?”

“I’d be rather pissed if you didn’t.”

“And I’d be terribly disappointed if you weren’t. Goodnight again, Maude. Try and get some rest.”

“You too. Goodnight again, Tom.”

I hit end call and began the arduous process of hefting myself off the floor. It was even worse than I anticipated, and I was reasonably sure I bore a strong resemblance to a newborn calf standing up for the first time. Once I felt steady enough, I pulled my dress over my head, yanked off my bra and grabbed a T-shirt off the floor. I sniffed it…not bad. I slipped it on, grabbed my messenger bag and plopped down at the desk.  

***************************************************   My first mission was to find a videographer willing to work on extremely short notice. I’d decided to have these last two seminars recorded, hoping one or an edited combination of both would be good enough to post on my website for sale. Consulting was out of the question, but there was no reason to not make some residual cash after so many years of perfecting my lectures. Plus, it alleviated the bit of apprehension I felt at pulling the plug on everything in the blink of an eye. I found one that was open until 11 PM and had experience with marketing production - Kamana Media. I dialed the contact number, fingers crossed.

The rep seemed very excited when I told him what I wanted, but balked when I casually mentioned that I needed it done tomorrow and Wednesday. It took some seriously high levels of Maude-schmooze and tripling their normal rate, but they’d be at the hotel tomorrow morning at 9 AM.

Next came editing my presentations to remove all references to consultations, followed by a search for a shopping cart that worked with both my merchant account and design software. Then came my favorite part…getting the cart customized, adding items, and figuring out how to embed the code to my site files so it would display exactly the way I wanted. The next time I looked up, it was 1 AM and I still had some text modifications to complete, in addition to a ‘hey, so sorry, but I’m outta here’ letter to post on the site and across all my social media accounts. My phone vibrated, dancing its way nearly out of my reach. I picked it up, hoping it wasn’t a last minute kiss off text from the Kamana people, though they closed two hours prior.

Went out for a night walk and noticed that your lights are on. You can’t possibly still be awake at this hour, can you? –T

I’m not sure awake is an accurate representation of my state of consciousness, but I am not currently sleeping, so…technically, yeah. –M

I waited for his reply for a few minutes, but nothing came through. Figuring he might have gotten a call or had fallen asleep, I set the phone back on the table and returned to work. The text changes were easy, but then I realized the menus needed to be adjusted to remove several links. My ability to focus was fading fast, so I cranked up the volume on my iPod, hoping it would give me enough of a boost to power through. I ignored my mother’s voice in my head saying ‘Turn that down, young lady. Do you want to end up deaf? Everyone will think I’m a terrible mother!’ Junkie XL’s ‘Beauty Never Fades’ came on and I sighed happily…exactly what I needed. I put it on repeat.

The third time through I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye…my phone was doing the jig again. I paused the song and nabbed it just as it started to go over the edge of the desk. There were six texts, all from Tom.

“Damn.” I frowned and began to scroll through them.

I’m out in the hallway with a little surprise for you. Hope that’s okay. –T

Hmm, you aren’t answering your door. –T

Does that mean it’s NOT okay? – T

Still knocking. Can’t be too loud, don’t want to wake the neighbors. –T

Hope you’re alright in there. Starting to fret a bit. Ease my mind and reply, please.  –T

Maude, I know you’re in there, I can hear you singing. –T

The phone vibrated in my hand as I yanked out my earbuds, got up, and headed for the door. I undid the bolt and flung it open to find Tom in a white V-neck and navy shorts with an orange-red stripe, pacing and staring at his phone. He raised his head, exhaling seemingly with relief when he saw me. I spotted a carryout tray with two cups in it on the floor, as well as what appeared to be a bag of Lindor truffles. When I lifted my head to meet his gaze and instead caught him in the act of looking me up and down, I suddenly remembered that I was clad only in a thin T-shirt and panties. His eyes finally met mine again, lips parted just enough for his tongue to slip out and graze over them. I began fanning myself with my hand.

“Is it me or is it ridiculously warm tonight?” He said not a word, continuing staring at me with an intensity that made me want to push him down and ride him like a pony right there in the hallway.

“Yeah. Anyway. I had my iPod turned way up so I wouldn’t fall asleep at the wheel, as they say, and totally didn’t hear you knocking. And my phone was on vibrate too. Not that I would have heard it ring if it wasn’t. So. Really, really sorry about that.” I pointed to the truffles. “Please tell me that those are for me. And that the beverages are caffeinated.”

He shook his head as if to clear it and smiled as he put his phone in his pocket, then bent over to pick up the carryout tray. He took two steps towards the door. “Yes, and yes. But I’m afraid you can’t have them unless you invite me in.”

I snorted, stepping back to hold the door for him. “I’d invite Freddy Kruger in if he had Lindor Truffles and caffeine.” He didn’t move. “What? Damn you British and your impeccable manners. Thomas, would you care to enter my temporary domicile?”

He grinned. “Why yes, I thought you’d never ask.” I stuck my tongue out at him.

“You’d best get in here before I snatch that tray out of your hands and slam the door in your face.” He chuckled. I poked him in the chest. “I wasn’t joking.”

He patted my upper arm. “Oh, I’m aware. That’s why it’s funny.” He set the tray on the desk. “You have quite a lovely singing voice, by the way. Have you had any vocal training?”

“Thanks. And no, unless you count the band I was in a thousand years ago when I was young and didn’t know any better. Or when I’m driving. Or working. Or in the grocery store.” I rolled my eyes. “Or everyone’s favorite, when I think of the perfect song for the moment and belt it out no matter the location or company.”

He was leaning on the desk, legs and arms crossed, head tilted. “Do you like to dance, Maude?”

“No, I don’t like to dance.” I watched his face fall a bit. Such an easy mark. “I love to dance. Sometimes I even dance and sing at the same time. It all depends upon how the spirit moves me. Right now it’s moving me towards those truffles, though. Will you do the honors and open them, please?”

I put my phone on the table, walked over to the wardrobe, pulled a pair of cut-off sweatpants out of the drawer and slipped them on. Tom grabbed one of the oversized wing back chairs and dragged it over to the desk for himself. I sat back down in my spot, pulled the earbud jack out of the iPod, put it into shuffle mode and lowered the volume from ‘dance club’ to ‘study session’. He proffered the bag and I took a handful of truffles. I unwrapped one and popped it in my mouth.

“Ung. These are SO good.” I swallowed. “How did you manage to score these at one in the morning?”

“I’ll have you know that they are from my own personal stash. Which I normally never share. With anyone. But, being that you were generous enough to share your cookies with me earlier, I felt it was only fair to reciprocate in kind.” I nodded.

“Let’s not forget about the baked mozzarella, the parmesan fries and the fettucine alfredo I ‘shared’. Totally against my will.” I devoured two more tiny balls of chocolatey goodness. “So, you travel with candy. I would have accepted Luke’s offer immediately and without question if I’d known that.”

He laughed and handed me one of the to-go cups. “Earl Grey tea with a splash of cream. I figured you’d take it with sugar but wasn’t sure how much, so I brought these.”

He pulled a handful of sugar packets out of his pocket and put them on the desk. I took the lid off and took five sugars from the pile. They were warm to the touch, and knowing they had just been so close to his skin made me a little lightheaded. Or maybe it was just lack of sleep. Sure, Maude, keep telling yourself that. I shook my head.

“Damn, did I get that wrong? Luke said you asked for tea earlier so I assumed…” I cut him off.

“Nope, I’m a tea all the way. Coffee makes me ragey for some reason. Let me guess, you travel with teabags too?” He grinned.

“Indeed I do. I got the cups, tray and hot water from the all-night gas station down the road.”

I furrowed my brow. “So you did all this in, like, 15 minutes?” He held his hands out and shrugged, blushing slightly.

“Actually, I stopped at the gas station on the night walk I mentioned when we were texting.” I put the lid back on my tea and swirled it around to mix in the sugar. He pulled a plastic stirrer out of his other pocket and handed it to me, sighing as he realized I’d most likely have guessed that this encounter wasn’t at all spontaneous after hearing what he’d just said. He smiled self-consciously.

I reached out to put a hand on his knee, but he had begun sliding out of the chair towards the desk so he could grab his beverage and it wound up on his bare inner thigh instead. I could feel the muscle tighten under my hand, his hips thrusting upward reflexively in spite of his valiant effort to resist. I bit my lip and closed my eyes, opening them when I felt his hand on top of mine through his shorts. His jaw was clenched, nostrils flaring as he tried to control his breathing. My pulse was pounding in my ears and in my head and in my chest…and, most noticeably, in my groin. We exhaled in unison. He spoke first, taking my free hand in his.

“Maude, I…I am so, so sorry…I didn’t…” I shook my head vehemently.

“Thomas. Please. Don’t you dare apologize for what was perhaps the most sexually exciting moment of my life.” I bit my lip again, leaned in closer and raised an eyebrow. “So far.” He began rubbing my wrist with this thumb, his face a kaleidoscope of emotions.

“You…you’re…you aren’t offended?” He looked puzzled.

“By the fact that just putting my hand on your thigh earned me a pelvic thrust? Um, no. Nope. Not even a little.” I squeezed his hand. “Why would you think I’d be offended by a physical expression of something we’ve been bantering back and forth about for hours? And let’s not forget that you’ve literally seen me naked already.”

He shook his head. “I’m…I…damn. That’s not really what I meant. I was more referring to the idea that I’d arrived with tea and truffles not to spend time with you, but instead as a ruse to get you into bed. I didn’t. Honestly. I just don’t want you to think less of me, or that I don’t respect you, or that this is how I conduct myself with women I’ve just met, despite what most of the world seems to believe, and most importantly I absolutely don’t want you to conclude that I think you’re just another notch on my belt and that all I want from you is sex because that couldn’t be further from the truth …god, I’m fucking this up royally, aren’t I?” His chin fell to his chest.

I let go of his hand so I could touch his face. “You most certainly are not.”

We were both silent for what seemed like an eternity, La Roux’s “Tigerlily’ playing softly in the background.

“I could be here when you call I’ll make you top of the list And in the crush of the dark I’ll be your light in the mist I can see you burning with desire for a kiss Psychobabble all upon your lips”

He slowly raised his head as the chorus repeated, wrapping his fingers around my wrist and holding my hand to his face. I’d heard the song a hundred times, and sung it nearly as many, but suddenly the lyrics held meaning I could have never envisioned. The look in his eyes told me they resonated with him as well.

I slid the hand that was still on his thigh out from under his shorts and got up from my chair, closing the space between us in a single step. He looked up at me, eyes wide, as I climbed into his lap and straddled him. I felt his arm wrap around my waist as I leaned in and touched my lips to his. They were warm, and soft, and I couldn’t resist running my tongue across them. He opened his mouth to me in invitation, and I accepted with boundless enthusiasm. He tasted of chocolate, with a faint hint of something spicy I didn’t recognize. He bit my bottom lip before thrusting his tongue out to meet mine, and I seized the moment to capture and begin sucking on it. He groaned loudly and yanked the tie from my hair, freeing it so he could bury his fingers in my curls. Time seemed to have come to a screeching halt as we devoured each other, completely lost in the moment, until our teeth crashed together with such force that it made my ears ring and brought us back to reality.

I was panting like I’d run a six minute mile. “Shit. You okay?”

His chest heaved as he grinned. “I am positively divine, thank you.” I responded by grinding my pelvis against him, then pushed myself up and off his lap. “Maaauuuuuuddde. Where. Are. You. Going.”

I shimmied out of my sweat-shorts and returned to my spot, grinding against him again. “Mmm, that’s much better.” I dragged my hand down his chest and stomach, smirking as I slipped it under the hem of his V-neck. “May I?”

He leaned forward and lifted his arms over his head. I peeled it off slowly, drinking in the sight of his naked torso. Tossing the shirt to the side, I leaned in and licked the hollow above his collarbone. He gasped, and I traversed to his left nipple, first biting it gently, then suckling. His long, low moan was intoxicating, making me dizzy with want. I felt the warmth of his hand on the skin of my back as he pushed my T-shirt upward. I pulled back and raised my arms above my head before he even had a chance to ask for permission. He laughed.

“Eager, are we?” His voice was deeper than usual, throaty and full of ardor.

“You have no idea.” I was blinded momentarily as he finished removing my shirt. When my view was once again unobstructed, the intensity in his stare as he gazed from my breasts to my face then back again made me wonder if spontaneous combustion was in my near future. He let out a low whistle.

“Oh, but I believe I do, Maude. I believe I do.” He took one in each hand, running a thumb over each already rock hard nipple, then pulled me forward to take one in his mouth. It was my turn to gasp, and I wound my fingers in his hair, holding him to me. He alternated from one to the other, and I felt his hand creep down my stomach, finally reaching my mound and cupping it gently. My panties were soaked through. He let my nipple go with a pop and looked up at me, eyes dark and pupils blown wide with desire.

“My apologies, you were, in fact, correct…I had no idea.” He slid his hand under the elastic waistband, whining audibly when it met skin that was waxed bare and dripping wet. He tugged at the fabric, unable to utter anything other than “Off. Please.”

I stood, pushing them down over my legs, then kicked them off. I paused for a moment to take him in, my eyes resting on the bulge tenting his shorts that made it glaringly obvious he had opted for going commando this evening. I stepped between his legs, leaning down to slip my hands under his shorts at the waist. I hesitated, knowing we were near the point of no return but hadn’t covered all our bases. I looked up at him.

“So. Tests?” It took him a moment to piece together what I was getting at.

“Yes. Last year. Clean. No one since. You?”

“2010. Clean. No one since. On the pill.” His eyes widened in surprise and I didn’t wait for him to comment. “Yes, five years. I’m very…particular.” I grabbed onto his waistband and pulled with one hand, tapping his hip with the other. “Lift.”

He raised his hips up and I eased the shorts over his erection, then slipped them off his ass and down his legs. He smiled as I licked my lips, then grunted as I took him in hand. At least eight inches of glorious purpose, and almost too thick for me to get my fingers around. I leaned in to whisper in his ear as I stroked up and down, squeezing, pausing now and again to run my thumb over his weeping slit.

“It’s no wonder Loki thinks he deserves a throne. THIS is the cock of a king.” He growled, a sound so low and deep that I could actually see his chest vibrating, and began to lift himself up off the chair.

I let go of his cock and put both hands on his shoulders, pushing him firmly back into a seated position as I nestled my knees on either side of his hips. He raised his brows quizzically, eyes narrowed.

“No bed?” I shook my head. He looked down at himself, then back at me, concerned. It finally dawned on me what he was getting at, and I supposed that his size might be a challenge for some women if they weren’t sufficiently aroused. I shook my head again and rubbed my soaked pussy up and down his shaft, groaning as the tip hit my clit over and over.

“Nope.” Groan. “I’m good.” He reached between us, sliding two long fingers inside me. I came instantly, and the look on his face was priceless.

“Di..I…did you…did you just…” I rolled my hips and squeezed his fingers, grasping his face with both hands as I leaned in to pull his bottom lip into my mouth briefly. He moaned as he withdrew his fingers and brought them to my lips. I licked at them, then sucked them clean greedily. I felt him shudder as I rose up on my knees. He breathed deeply, inhaling and exhaling for a few moments as he tried to pull himself back from the edge.

“Maude.”

“Tom.”

“Not going to last long.”

“Don’t care.”

“I…I…Mau…”

I kissed him sloppily, cutting him off, then spoke.

“Thomas. William. Hiddleston. Shut up and fuck me already.”

Before I even got the ‘me already’ out the head of his cock was poised at my entrance, and our eyes locked as I pushed down and he pushed up, meeting no resistance and fully seating himself in a single thrust. He stared at me in wonder, mouth agape, gasping and grabbing onto my hips as I began to ride him.

“Maude…that…you…how…all of me…GOD…feels incredible…you…so warm…so WET.” He began thrusting, and I squeezed, matching his rhythm. His eyes rolled back in his head for a few seconds, then met mine again. “Close. Too close.” He maneuvered his hand between us again, rubbing my clit furiously with two fingers. I rolled my hips faster, chanting his name as my walls clenched around him.

“Tom. Tom. Tom. Tom.” Words quickly failed me and my chant devolved into a monosyllabic keen. His thrusts faltered, stuttering, and he cried out.

“Oh, Maude, god, Maude, oh FUCK, oh Maude…” I felt him pulsing inside me, come jetting in long, slow spurts, the edges of my vision going dark, hearing screaming as I came that I didn’t initially recognize as my own.  

***************************************************   When I began to emerge from what I thought was a post-coital haze, Tom’s arms were wrapped tightly around my limp torso, holding me to his chest. My head lolled on his shoulder, his chin nuzzling my neck. I raised a leaden arm and set about rubbing his back. I felt him smile.

“Well hello there.” His voice was just above a whisper. As I raised my head to look at him, my body shifted and I realized he was still inside me. He smiled sheepishly when I met his gaze. “Sorry about that. I didn’t want to wake you.” I yawned.

“Mmm, I’m totally fine with staying this way forever.” I leaned back, cocking my head, puzzled. “Wake me? What do you mean, wake me?”

He grinned and kissed the tip of my nose. “It appears the vigorousness of our…activities…combined with the lateness of the hour exhausted you completely, resulting in your dozing off for a bit.”

I groaned. “Um, how long was I, you know, dozing?”

He traced my spine with his fingertips. “About fifteen minutes or so.”

I covered my eyes with my hand and shook my head. “Fuck. Me. Sideways.” He leaned in to whisper in my ear.

“Let’s save that for next time. You, darling, need to get some sleep.” I sighed, figuring he’d be out the door as soon as I was off his lap. I tried to reach my T-shirt, which was behind me on the floor, intending to use it to contain some of the mess when I got up. His was already in his hand. “Here, let me help.”

I lifted myself off him slowly, wondering how it was that my legs weren’t asleep. He gently nudged the shirt in place as his cock slid out of me. He was at half-mast. I bit my lip and rocked my hips. He chuckled as he put his hands under my arms to help me stand.

“Don’t tempt me, woman. It’s taking every ounce of my willpower to refrain from fucking you into that mattress all night long.” I whined. “But you have a very long day ahead of you and it’s well past 2 AM.” He walked me to the bathroom, closing the door after I went inside. I bundled up the shirt, tossing it on the floor as I sat on the bowl to pee, wiped, flushed, then brushed my teeth quickly. I opened the door, fully expecting him to be gone.

He was standing right outside, waiting, and kissed me quickly. “Do you have an extra toothbrush I can use?” I shook my head. “May I use yours, then?”

I nodded. “Sure. Yeah.”

I stood in my stupor, listening to the toilet flush again, the water running, him spitting…and suddenly there he was, naked, smiling, beautiful, and herding me over to the king size bed. He pulled back the covers, motioned for me to climb in and glanced at the clock.

“What time do you need to be up?” I blinked.

“Um, seven? I guess?” He set the alarm and stood next to the bed. I just stared at him. He grinned.

“Well, are you going to move over or would you prefer that I get in on the other side?” I moved over and rolled onto my side. He climbed in and nestled in against my back, arm around my waist. He kissed the top of my head.

“Goodnight, my Maude.”

I was sound asleep before I could return the sentiment.

[canemnecredite]

trading tongues.

date: 08 october 2017 @ approx. 9:30 pm location: the karavadra estate ‘ballroom,’ new rome 

As a closing event to the end of the Festival of Fides, the Karavadra family holds a little celebratory soiree for New Rome’s influential and elite. In the midst of the glamour, Adriana and Jax fall into their usual banter... but with a twist. 

featuring: jackson karavadra -- @avadakaravadra & adriana caninii 

JAX: It was a scene Jax had seen many a time, a common backdrop of many memories from his youth. The Festival of Fides was in full effect, and it wasn’t like the Karavadra family to pass up the opportunity to have a party, especially when there was a god to be celebrated. Glittering people milled about in their formal wear and sparkling jewels might set some on edge, but Jax made his way through the crowd as if he were born to be here, and walk amongst these well-connected citizens of New Rome. A smile here, a lingering touch there— it was an artform, and it was one his father had taught him from a very young age. Networking was what the Karavadra's did best... or at least they were supposed to do best. There was no doubt that Jax was the sibling that had truly excelled when it came to this particular teaching of their father's. As he moved effortlessly through the crowd, his gaze was drawn to an outlier, and he wasn't surprised to find that the very bane of his existence, Adriana, was guilty of doing nothing but sipping wine on the outskirts of the party. With a sigh, he made his way over to her. It wouldn't do if people thought he had snubbed her and her family by not greeting her. Once he was close enough, he maintained his easy smile before saying to her, "Well they'll let just about anyone into parties these days, won't they?" with a pointed look her way. He was careful to make sure that to any outsiders their conversation would look as cool and friendly as any other interaction he'd had that night.

ADRI: How tiresome it must have been to attend these gatherings again and again and again. Whether it was by bloodline or office, those ushered to the Karavadra estate adorned in all their finery knew this ritual religiously. Every few months - or every month, depending on the related party - New Rome's community of elites and influentials came together in their traditionally formal manner to meet, chat, and conduct business. Connections were invaluable assets to hold in the cutthroat upper echelons of their society. Power and glory meant something here; alas, not every single individual of what could be considered New Roman 'royalty' was so keen on participating in the delicate intricacies of retaining popularity. In this instance, Fides’ Festival was the standing excuse for the party, but that did little to alter its basic nature and intention. Adriana was stationed at her usual post -- the perimeter of the lavish hall - or was it a ballroom? Truthfully, the daughter of Mars couldn't care less about the specifics. She felt out of place among these people who fell into her family's class. She had never been a socialite. It was her name that required her attendance. Nothing more, nothing less. So she attempted pass the time without any event, but then he had to find her. Her budding stress at the sight of him was painfully evident when her huff of breath conjured a mild fog on the inside of her glass. Her eyes rolled languidly in their sockets at his witty remark. Though, she wouldn't expect anything less of her lifelong nuisance. "Jax," she greeted him curtly and swirled the red beverage with a subtle turn of her wrist - a restless tic, "I see you're enjoying yourself. You always have flourished among the petty and refined. Tell me, have you charmed the pants off any of your guests yet, or are you setting aside the only potential entertainment for this stale little reception of yours?"

JAX: As soon as she had finished speaking, Jax was already prepared to return her remarks with a quip of his own, and not a single moment separated their words. Perhaps it wasn't the most typical definition of chemistry, but it was chemistry nonetheless, just a particularly more toxic one. "Yes well, I wouldn't expect you to get along as well amongst the refined. It only seems unfair to thrust such expectations upon you." With a teasing glint to his eye, he reached to grab the wine glass from her hand and wasted no time in bringing it to his lips. After sampling the deep burgundy liquid, Jax savored the flavors as if he were the sommelier of a Michelin star restaurant. "Well it's a bit bland for me but—" he gave her a once over with his lingering gaze, "— seeing as the one drinking it is you, I suppose it makes sense." It was somewhat of a lie. There was nothing bland about how Adriana was dressed tonight, and though he was hard pressed to admit it, stunning was the only word that came to mind as he looked over the picture she made. "As for charming the pants off people," he took a moment to sweep the people that were in attendance, "I guess four phone numbers isn't the worst I've done. And what about you?" There was a pause between his words, and for a moment it might have seemed as if he were insinuating she might be his entertainment for the night. But in a moment he was speaking once more. "Anyone that strikes your fancy?"

ADRI: Adriana withstood Jax's teasing with a practiced ease. While most would look upon their dynamic as a poisonous affair, there was a strange semblance of rivaling stimulation about it. Perpetually challenging one another was a thrill for each of them, whether or not they would ever willingly admit it. "It is unfair," the centurion quipped. "Gods know I'd much prefer to be scuffing myself up on the training grounds with my legionnaires, furthering their training. You know, tending to a task that's genuinely important." She flashed him a little smile from the corner of her lips. Then he moved to snatch the drink out of her hand. For an instant, Adriana wasn’t fully paying attention to what he was actually doing, and by the time this occurred to her and she dropped her jaw to speak, it was too late. Not only had he spoiled any present chance of Adri becoming slightly inebriated — her standard tactic for enduring these nauseating soirees -- but sipping out of her glass meant she may have inadvertently poisoned him via that maternal power she had thus far yet to master. Even in small doses, envy could be an unpredictable force, especially in someone like Jax would already had more than enough ego to contend with. Despite that, Adriana wasn't about to reveal what may or may not have entered his system. Her abilities as a legacy were no public matter, so the response he won was no more than an irritated glare. It faded some at the odd sensation of sensing the sweep of his gaze over her figure and was replaced by a quiet smugness after a blink. "Only four?" she smirked, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "That's fewer than I would expect of you. It would be a shame if you were already losing your touch. How ever would you survive?" But really, his appearance was impeccable. She merely refused to say so. At his almost implication, a single brow quirked higher than its counterpart, cueing the faintest glint in her eye that disappeared not a second after it had manifested. "I haven't done enough exploring to find out," she spoke simply, then added with a minor tease, "but I doubt there's anyone here that would suit my taste regardless. Too many spoiled children, conniving idealists," her hazel orbs flicked back to Jax, "and champion narcissists."

JAX: Being in Adriana's presence always gave Jax the strangest juxtaposition of thoughts. On one hand, she was someone that was actually his equal both in rank and lineage, and that was something that wasn't always easy to find. Especially now that Camp Jupiter was known for letting the Greeks walk their hallowed roads and temples. But on the other, she was far too ready to combat his every word for his liking, even if there was a part of him that was amused by their banter. As the wine made a warm path down his abdomen, there was the slightest and somewhat strange tingling sensation that didn’t usually accompany his drinking habits, but for the moment he wrote it off. "Just because it's easier to lose your life in a real fight with swords and monsters doesn't mean this particular battlefield is any less important. Tongues can be just as sharp as swords." It might have been a verbatim phrase from Jax's father, but Adriana most likely wouldn't know that. He took another sip of her wine before offering it back to her. Not because of any sort of politeness or common courtesy, but simply because he was certain he'd find her reaction amusing. As it was, her glare had only caused his smirk to strengthen. "Aww it's so cute of you to be worried about me, Adri. Don't worry. The night is still young." Perhaps her words were meant to be insults, but it was easy to Jax to appear as if she were showering him with the highest compliments known to man. "Guilty as charged," he said with a confident shrug. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the string quartet his father had hired shuffling into place to begin their mood music for the night. And soon enough their dulcet tones were filling the air. "At least I'm a champion. It'd just be sad if I was bad at being full of myself. So what category do you fall into? Underwhelming try-hard or overwhelming failure?”

ADRI: Tongues can be just as sharp as swords. Very true. Adriana was familiar with the use of personal weapons in addition to the physical ones that lined her armory. But her speech was admittedly the least developed of those tactics. "Oh, yes— it is exceptionally important. I'd say the both of us can more than attest to that." Teasing, at least with Jax, was Adriana's way of avoiding potentially unpleasant subjects. The thought of silver tongues instantly brought her grandfather to mind. He was an eloquent speaker and a master of persuasion; however, not all of his qualities were so positive. When Jax offered to return her wine, Adriana made a low grunt of disgust and waved her hand at him in a gesture of 'No thanks, you can keep it.' Of course, Jax would interpret her clever jabs as compliments. He was undeniably insufferable in that way. As the musicians settled themselves in for a night of hired play, Adriana let herself become momentarily distracted by them. She had a surprising sweet spot for the melodies of string instruments. They could change the atmosphere of a room with unparalleled finesse. Unfortunately, before she could enjoy the sounds, Jax threw another quip back at her. She returned it with a frown. "Careful. Pride is famous for tearing down the best of champions." She spoke in words apt in representation of the vengeful goddess in her line, who could be quite ruthless when it came to balancing out overwhelming displays of hubris. "At least I try. You act as though your traits are mere god-given gifts. It's a tad unbecoming, really." Adriana stopped to take a second glance in the quartet's direction, pensive, briefly reminiscing, and then engaging those thoughts. "I remember when these things used to be interesting. Watching everyone fall on their ass because we littered the dance floor with marbles was far preferential to this—" she sighed, lost for how to properly communicate her mixed feelings of boredom and isolation. "It actually used to be fun. Not miserable."

JAX: Another of Jax's smirks came over him as she agreed with his comment. "With any luck, one of those four numbers I've gotten may have a sharp enough tongue." He hoped it was rather obvious what he was insinuating at this point. But her reaction to his offering back of the wine had him internally rolling his eyes. She acted as if the plague itself had infected him. "You realize that sipping off the same wine glass isn't nearly as dangerous as trading tongues, don't you? I promise I don't have mono. And I'm told my tongue is more gold than silver," he said with an obviously suggestive air. The quartet was good, after all Jefferson Karavadra wasn't known to have anything less than the best. But still— Jax couldn't help but judge the violinist as their strokes left him wanting. For a moment he feigned a look of hurt before continuing on. "Please. My talents were ones I worked for. Sure, I'm more naturally charming than most. But you don't become as charming as I am without practicing." His ears tuned into the quartet once more, and a wince passed over him. "Just like the violinist should have practiced on his strings instead of playing with new ones tonight." Some violinists loved the sound of new strings, but he was not one of them. The mention of their pranks did bring up rather fond memories for Jax, though he acted as if he were above such things nowadays. Every now and then Leo could convince him to get in on a prank, but only after a good amount of convincing. It wasn't always obvious, but his elder siblings were most certainly his weak spot. "I'm surprised they still let us back in after all the childish pranks we pulled." He brandished the wine before her once more, placing it just before her lips. "It doesn't have to be miserable. If you'd just give up your pride."

ADRI: Adriana hooked on to Jax's insinuation quicker than she could blink. His smirk was just sultry enough to give away his words before they even passed his lips. And Adri couldn't help returning that smirk. "Maybe so, but I don't take anything at face value. You're going to have to find yourself some witnesses before you convince me." A shadow shifted in her eyes, deep behind all else and passing on the barest hint of carnal thoughts. Adriana couldn't entirely falsify such curiosities. It wasn't in her nature to push them aside. Jax's commentary on the violinist's string choice as a metaphor to his own practice intrigued her. Honestly. She knew he played the instrument himself, but she had never given much thought to how knowledgeable he must have become after years and years of instruction. Adriana might have heard the difference, but she couldn't have told you what caused the variation. "Why don't you kick him out and show him how it's done then?" she suggested jokingly— in part. The Karavadra siblings were infamous troublemakers and Adri had gladly gotten caught up in their tide when the lot of them still had the time and innocence to spare. "Yeah, they were pretty epic. It's a mystery to me how you talked so many of them down." When the wine was held at her lips, Adriana dropped her eyes to the liquid and then back up to the irritatingly tall man in front of her. "I suppose it's a sacrifice worth making..." After a moment or two of her eyes lingering on the drink, she gingerly received the glass and tipped it back to continue her earlier pursuit. "So, were you thinking anything not-so-miserable in particular?"

JAX: Jax couldn't help but push his tease it bit further. Obviously the idea of doing anything with Adriana was absurd, but he wanted to see just how far he could go. "Of course. It'd be stupid not to test the goods before buying. So are you gonna be the one verifying the purchase or should I be talking to someone else?" The first violinist wasn't a performer he entirely proved of, but taking his place would have been out of the question. Jefferson would have been irate if Jax did anything but network at an event such as this. In addition, he didn't have any particular desire to play for crowds, unlike Leo. No, he was fine just where he was. "Even if I played we'd still have to pay him. Seems like a waste," he teased back. He straightened for a moment with pride as Adriana commended his abilities with smooth-talking, but just then he caught the familiar gaze of his father, Jefferson. And he was wearing a look that Jax knew well and had come to dread. Ever since they were little, Jefferson had made Jax ask Adriana for a dance at gatherings such as this. Thankfully she'd started declining his proposals years ago, and he had been spared the agony of having to dance with her. It wasn't that he disliked dancing, if he were being honest— he quite enjoyed it, but with Adriana? That was entirely a different story. Besides, he'd never understood why Leo couldn't be the one to dance with her. Most likely it was because their father knew that Leo would buck at doing most things his father asked him to do, and Jefferson didn't want to take any chances. As it were, Jax sighed and extended a hand as a livelier, yet still dance-able tune began. "Well now that we've made out via wine glass, we might as well dance. It's not too big of a next step, is it?"

ADRI: Adriana was not remotely interested on actually following through with any of their suggestive teases toward one another. Sure, Jax wasn't rough on the eyes, but just no. "Please," her eyes rolled in sync with the twitch of humor at the edge of her lips, "If I was the one verifying you wouldn't be taking your wares to anyone else ever again, and I don't like to dwell on singular contracts." She brushed her statement off with a shrug, as is if it was nothing, a casual line like any other. Jax had a point regarding the violinist. He might as well continue to play if he was being paid for it, otherwise it was wasted spending from the Karavadra funds, which a man as astute as Jefferson would certainly manage with precision. He wouldn't be too thrilled if his son disrupted his system. Adriana could sympathize with Jax along those lines. Family patriarchs were a force to be reckoned with. There were some matters that you couldn't challenge, because they would keep pushing them without a care for their progeny's personal opinions. In such cases, it was best to just indulge them. So when Jax offered Adriana his hand, no notes of shock lit up her features. She stared at it and then him, and then back again lingering with her eyes, calculating how she wanted to respond. Refusal would have been her default, but tonight was exceptionally boring without, apparently, anyone interesting to engage. Speaking generally, dancing was not her favorite pastime. It wasn't that she was poor at it, not at all — in fact, she quite graceful on the dance floor, to the majority's surprise — however, she had always been a fighter at heart. She sought thrills and action, not pointless spinning and twirling about in a room full of people. Nevertheless, the quicker pace of this particular tune and her eagerness to simply do something spurred her to break free of years' worth of stubbornness. At first, she appeared hesitant, hazel eyes still lingering on his hand, the debate turning in her mind. Then, she flicked her eyes upward to meet his, nursing another sip of wine to taunt him as she did so. "I've taken bigger leaps." A pinch of the burgundy remained in the glass when it left Adriana's lips. She swirled the bit of it and subsequently presented it to him in exchange for her hand. "Let's hope you haven't forgotten where those steps go."

JAX: Jax couldn't contain the snort of amusement that escaped him at Adriana's words. "Please. There's inflated ego, and then there's delusion. I'd say you've ventured into the latter if you really think so highly of your test run." Certainly Adriana was strangely attractive, but that didn't mean she was anything that would hold his interest for more than a single round. But the fact that he was thinking of such a situation was absurd anyways. Sleeping with Adri was something he would never lower himself to. However, Adriana's acceptance of his forced offer to dance was rather surprising, and he quickly realized he didn't actually remember the last time they had done such a thing. It must have been when they were far younger. A single momentarily raised eyebrow was the only indicator of surprise he gave, before he spoke. "I knew you'd give in to my irresistible charms one day. Just try not to step on my feet, or I'm dipping you and then dropping you," he finished with a smirk. In an instant he was pulling her by the hand towards the dance floor near the quartet. And then his hand had slipped firmly around her waist, and in effortless moments he began to lead her in a waltz. Ballroom dancing had only been one of many tutored subjects he and his siblings had been forced to endure. As always Jax had been a diligent student, and it showed in his smooth motions. "With any luck, the steps lead us right off a cliff. That put a nice early end to this," he said with a nod towards their joined hands. As the music filled the air, and the crescendos of the tune went on, Jax followed the pace and tone they set, taking Adriana with him. "Show us those fancy feet, then. Hopefully you can manage it without a sword in your hand." As the first swell came, he led her into a twirl, hoping that she wouldn't fall and embarrass the both of them.

ADRI: "And what right have you to judge my accuracy when you lack the evidence to make a claim yourself?" Adriana was determined to get the upper hand, or at least settle for a draw, on their little game of suggestive teases. Jax was very good at it. A worthy opponent, no doubt; but that was all this was. A game. The raise of his eyebrow, however brief, sparked a warm feeling of satisfaction in Adriana's bones. The pair of them hadn't danced together since they were far younger, and even then Adriana had done so stubborn and grumbling. Now, years later, she had accepted his offer willingly. Certainly, he couldn't have been expecting such an answer. How curious she was to see what he made of it. "No, I'm indulging you out of sheer boredom. And anyway, if I ever was going to dance with someone — not that I regularly would — I'd much rather do so with someone who knows what they're doing. Rest assured that your feet won't come to any harm. I'm not looking to be dropped on the ground in front of such an influential crowd." Adriana said nothing of it, but when Jax not walked, but pulled her out onto the dance floor, his eagerness left her a bit... nervous. He was quick to indulge the tempo. She nearly blanked on the placement of her empty hand when his arm slipped around her waist. It sent a quiet shock up the length of her spine, because coming from him, there was no telling what it would lead to. Would he intentionally find a way to embarrass her in front of the crowd or would he spare her that shame for his own sake — it wouldn't look positively on his part if he dropped her, after all. Fortunately, her hand did find a home on the edge of his shoulder and she fell into step with him in practiced ease. "It would," Adriana smirked at the sight of their hands clasped together, internally cringing. "Though, there are always worse things we could be doing. This is something we've done before, even ages ago, so in theory it's technically nothing new." Being a legacy of Nemesis' alter ego had its perks. Adriana had inherited an elevated skill for balance. She wasn't one who tripped or toppled easily, and on those few occasions where she did, it never took her long to find her feet again. So when Jax prompted her to spin, she didn't fret over the logistics. Whether it was a sword maneuver or a dance step, the core of the action was no different. "No one needs fancy feet to dance properly." Adriana twirled under her partner's hand as though it was as natural as breathing — swift, stable, and bold — and she came back to him it was with a renewed vigor and glint of challenge in her eye. "It takes practice and patience is all. But I suppose training with the weight of a sword in hand does lighten it some."

JAX: "Fair point." It seemed that Adriana wasn't particularly phased by his fake advances, which only made Jax want to push her further. Leaning in slightly so that his lowered voice would rumble only between them, his tone dropped an octave or so to meet his suggestive air. "Are you making an offer?" It seemed almost a bit too easy to make these advances on Adriana, but perhaps that was only because the push and pull of their bodies as they danced was heat inducing. Perhaps he should let his father know to turn up the fans, for it seemed that his arm around the daughter of Mars' waist was smoldering. "I know of at least three very nice and private closets off of this room that are excellent for— how did you put it? Verifying my wares?" It was all too fun toying with Adriana like this, and he couldn't deny the slight rush it gave him. She had said this dancing was nothing new for them, but something about this particular turn around the room had him questioning the validity of her words. Jax continued to lead his dance partner around the floor, wondering idly if Adriana begrudged the fact that per gender norms, he was the one who got to lead the dance. Another attempt to spin her later, and he was back to teasing. "Do you think I could do this enough times to make you fall on your face? To be honest it might make an improvement." It wasn't the truth. Unfortunately the years had been kind to Adriana, and given her features that spoke of her concentrated godly heritage, as was most likely the case with the Karavadra family. When the gods had frequented your family so often, it had its perks. They neared the food table, and he couldn't resist once again making a playful threat. "Here comes the hors d'oeuvres. What would you like to wear tonight? The deviled eggs or the foie gras?" he said as he insinuated the potential intention of dipping her into the bright array.

ADRI: Adriana was expecting Jax to return her teases, as he never failed to do, but when he countered her this time, the drop in his voice and the nature of his words had her blood simmering. Sure, he was still toying with her, but the directness and change in tone suggested that partially, perhaps, this was more than an insinuation. The Mars in her couldn't tear her eyes away. It was no secret that the god of war and the goddess of love were involved in an immortal affair, and while it wasn't necessarily a power, that hunger and passion could be found in a number of his children — Adriana not excluded. She allowed a taste of that flame to present itself in her eyes as she regarded him, utilizing a slight drop in her own voice for good measure. "Are you interested?" She would play along as long as she was able, far too curious to see how this played out. Her hand on his shoulder shifted ever so closer in towards his neck, and she smirked. "Well, in home as large and grand as this I would hope you had somewhere more suitable than three closets. How many bedrooms is it you have here? Surely one of them is presently unoccupied— or are you really so lax in maintaining your guests' boundaries?" Adri wasn't paying attention to the dancing anymore. How could she when frustrating Jax in this way was so much more invigorating? She might have grumbled about the conventional lead he took as the male in their scenario, but because of the difference in their heights, it made no sense to complain. Trying to take over the lead with him was bound to end awkwardly. "Mm, I'd be impressed if you could manage that. At the least, I think we both know I'd find a way to prevent my face from being smacked into the floor," the daughter of Mars chuckled and she turned again and came back, this time a bit closer than before. Despite his threat, they sly grin she sported held — as did her hands, whose grip clamped tightly at their positions. "Don't even think about it," she sneered at him, "or I'll ground you so quick you'll be seeing stars for a week."

JAX: Jax wasn't entirely prepared for the look Adriana gave him, and for a moment he thought he saw a hunger there that he'd often seen in many other faces shortly before he'd slept with them. But he'd never imagined what it might look like coming from Adriana. It wasn't disagreeable...to say the least. A small shiver of anticipation ran down his spine as her hand came closer to contacting with his skin rather than the fabric of his tuxedo, and his own arm that had wrapped around her shifted ever so slightly lower, as if he were testing the waters. In another moment he had whisked them past the food table, without so much as even threatening to drop Adriana on top of it. He was far too preoccupied with the other portion of their conversation to be concerned about teasing her with pranks as childish as that. Her question echoed in his head though. Was he interested? There was a moment when he was shocked to find that the thought of finding a nice private room or closet with Adriana didn't repulse him. In fact, it seemed to pique his curiosity. Perhaps he'd had more wine than he thought. Leaning ever so closer to his dance partner, he made sure his words went directly into her ear as the heat of his breath most likely brushed against it. "I was simply thinking of time's sake. It's a lot farther to an empty room than a dark closet. Just how desperate are you to take me on a test run?" He couldn't deny the chance to make another advance, and once again his deepened voice was filling the air between them. "But what if I wanted you on the floor? Perhaps of one of those nice rooms you were talking about?"

ADRI: Adriana almost thought she'd seen a blip of that anticipation that sent chills down Jax's spine, and a smug smirk revealed itself as reward. There was a break in their conversation, one that struck Adriana more than any other word or action that he had already thrown at her, because Jax was relentless, quick-witted. If they had wholeheartedly been teasing one another, he would have snapped back, said something to counter her threat at the idea of being dropped, and yet, he didn't. Which, in her mind, held a striking implication that her speculations about whether this was merely teasing or truly suggestive might actually be leaning toward the latter — especially when coupled with his eventual response. The hot breath on her ear forced Adriana to hold her breath and shut her eyes for a brief moment. His chosen form of delivery was absolutely diabolical— not that she was expecting anything less. Regardless, it sent a burn through her veins that was impossible to ignore and she had no choice but to shut herself out for an instant before responding because, honestly speaking, if she hadn't, she might have dragged him out right then and there. Fortunately, she had more than enough experience with that temptation to shut it down, or at least channel it into something more productive. When her hazel eyes snapped open a second later, the daughter of Mars flashed him the slyest smirk she could manage. "If I'm the one who's desperate, why are you the one suggesting we rush to a closet?" When she met his eyes once more, she took some of that suppressed ferocity to fuel the little flame in her eyes that she knew he couldn't miss. His question prompted her to mimic what he'd pulled only moments ago, as she took the tiniest step forward and leaned up to his ear, allowing her hand to drift to just the edge of the exposed skin on his neck while she answered him in a provocative hiss. "Well, don't hold back on account of me. I'm flexible."

JAX: As Jax continued to dance about with Adriana, there was a moment when the smaller details of the world surrounding him began to fall away. It wasn't because he was enraptured by the creature before him or anything of the like, truly. It was simply a byproduct of being so intensely focused on the words that were falling from her lips and the ones he was preparing in response. Her eyes having shut for the few moments they were was something he considered a victory. He was getting to her. Jax was certain of it. It only egged him on further. The brush of her hand against his neck didn't help as it seemed that the place where it had made contact was burning, not to mention the new closeness of her. As a counter-move, his own large hand inched lower, and soon enough he had found the skin of her lower back that was exposed. A benefit of having a cut out grace the back of the daughter of Mars' dress. His fingertips danced across the smoothness there, drawing lines and circles that were meant to tease and taunt. "Flexible? That's most certainly something I won't be willing to buy until tested." His hand remained where it was, as well as his voice. "Perhaps you're not desperate enough. I'm not some half-rate bargain, you know. That being said— I'll be generous. How about a tester?" he said as he inched ever closer to her, his eyes purposefully and playfully dropping to her lips. Of course, he'd never do anything of the sort in front of all these guests. And just then, the song Adriana had agreed to came to a close, but Jax lingered where he was for a moment, too invested in his tantalizing to give up so easily. But it seemed he would be forced to. Catching the gaze of his father over Adriana's shoulder, he knew he had been talking with Adriana too long. It wouldn't do to ignore the other guests. And just like that Jax was dropping his dance companion, stepping away.

ADRI: Maybe Jax was getting to her. Just a bit. But Adriana would have bet that she wasn't alone in that scenario. He continued to taunt her, allowing her step closer and dropping his hand to the break in her dress. They were evenly matched, continuously leveling the field only to take their game one inch higher. Jax was strategic, not only countering her touch to his neck, but adding to it with the aimless swirls of his fingertips — a simple gesture, and yet so thoroughly annoying. Adriana glanced toward her back quickly, not that she could actually see what he was doing, and then flicked her eyes in return to his, keeping the faintest smirk afloat on her lips. "Oh, so you do want me desperate," Adriana chuckled lowly to match the tone of his voice. "So much so that you're willing to give away free samples." Her head tilted thoughtfully and teasingly while a staged little coy grin painted her lips. "Are you sure you're not ill?" she whispered between them, following his eyes to her lips, then up again. Gods, it was tempting. Even though the idea of sleeping with him was absolutely insane, that didn't mean she wasn't curious about these outstanding qualities he claimed to possess. So for a few seconds that seemed to drag on for hours, she debated her options. And just when she'd nearly made up her mind, the music tapered to a close. Now they were just standing there. His hand was still on the small of her back and hers rested in the curve of his neck, but the distracting glamour of the melody and their dancing had fallen away, and the heat in her blood chilled with it. The flame in her eyes went dark as reality flooded in, overtaking her senses and abolishing whatever strange feelings she might have temporarily held for her rival. "Well," the daughter of Mars withdrew her hands and she settled back into the usual smug coolness he was used to, "now that that hell's over, I think you've had enough of a practice run to woo one of your four takers — easy prey. Daddy must be so proud." With a renewed smirk, Adriana padded a few steps backward, leaving with one final taunting gaze. "If you get bored, you know where to find me, but— I'm sure I'll have found someone more ambitious by then."

JAX: Now would have been the time Jax would normally say something along the lines of the sight of Adriana being the thing that was making him ill. But there was a strange and surprising reluctance to break the spell the two of them had woven. What was ever more surprising was the flare of feeling that came at the loss of Adriana's hands. Was that...disappointment? No. He wasn't that desperate. Still...he couldn't help but wonder at what might have happened had they continued. Would Adriana have broken? It didn't matter. It was a question that would never have an answer. Pulling himself back into the person he was when meeting new people at a party, he gave her a nod as she retreated. "At least I wasn't damned to it eternally. Perhaps I'll actually have to thank that violinist for saving me from certain regret. See you around...if I'm unlucky enough to see you." And with that he faded back into the crowd, returning to the guests he'd been busy entertaining before. 

[killer-barnes]

Heights

Peter Parker x Shy/Scared Reader

Summary: Even though Peter’s been busy with saving the world, you’ve been feeling neglected and unwanted. He notices and decides to do something fun to cheer you up. 

Word Count: 2,453 (my longest one so far, holla)

Warnings: heights, panic attack, language, fluff, sad stuff. Let me know if I missed any. 

A/N: Alrrright guys, hopefully this turns out okay. I was thinking about making this into a series depending on how much you guys dig it. If you do, then I will post all about what I’m going to do for the series to see if you guys are interested. Sound good? As always, feedback is definitely appreciated. I never get any, so I don’t know what I’m doing wrong or right. Enjoy!

Ever since Peter told you he was the big ‘ol Spiderman, it felt like your guys’ weekly hangouts and movie nights were coming to an end. Of course you understand that he’s saving the world and stopping the bad guys, but it leaves you worried and afraid for his well being. He always seems distracted around you and it fills you with a darkness. Telling Peter would make you seem selfish, so you bury it, hoping it won’t poke its way through. 

Being the shy, reserved, person you are, you definitely had difficulty talking to Peter, especially since you’ve always had a never ending crush on him. After a while of trying to ask him if he could hang out, you stopped. It wasn’t worth the pain of going through to only be rejected once again. 

However, what you didn’t know was that Peter noticed you putting up your walls again. He didn’t want to lose you and decided he was definitely going to do something about it. Starting tonight. 

During your last period, you saw the clouds start to form with a darkness enveloping them. A lot of people hate rainy, stormy weather, but you on the other hand loved it. 

It brought a sense of calmness and peacefulness every time the clouds covered the sky. It was the perfect weather to watch a movie, or even read a book while gazing at it in all of its beauty. 

Since your last period was History and your class was watching some boring historical movie you weren’t paying attention to, you turned your gaze towards the windows placed on your left. 

I cannot wait to get home from this hell hole.

You sigh, thinking of the weekend that was coming oh, so slow. 

Too absorbed in your thoughts, the bell startles you. You pack your books haphazardly into your bag and head quickly out the door towards your locker.

As you finish up gathering all the necessary books you’ll be needing for the weekend, you hear someone call your name as your about to leave, snapping your gaze to whoever it was. 

Peter Parker.  

“H-hey, Y/N! Wait up!” He stutters, while pushing his way through the crowd of eager students. 

Your face burns like fire as his gets closer, your nerves increasing. 

When he finally reaches you, you’re too focused on steadying your breathing that you don’t hear what he said. 

“Uh, s-sorry. C-could you, uh, repeat th-hat?” 

The fuck? God, Y/N, stop embarrassing yourself in front of your cute best friend.

You think, mentally slapping your face.

Peter chuckles, sending butterflies to your stomach at that glorious sound. 

“Sure, Y/N. I just wanted to, uh, see if you were b-busy this weekend? I wanted to hang out w-with you.” He adds, stepping closer so he doesn’t get smashed by backpacks. 

Your breath hitches as he scoots over. 

Why did he want to hang out now? 

What if he’ll cancel on me again? 

What if-

Fuck, Y/N ANSWER HIM. 

Shaking those thoughts out of your head, you’re facing probably red as a cherry, you reply. 

“Oh, I-uh, s-sure, Pete. Uh, tonight?” 

“Yeah! We can even hang out at your place if y-you want. I’ll text you the plans, okay? I have to go though. I’ll see you later.” His face brightening as he heard your response.

You send a nod his way, confirming the plans as you increase the grip you held your backpack with. 

As soon as Peter steps away, you let go of a breath you didn’t know you’ve been holding and press your forehead to your locker. 

Well, this is going to be interesting…

As you walk back to your apartment, it begins to drizzle, but you don’t mind. You take your time walking home, enjoying the fresh smell the rain leaves behind. 

Heading up the stairs, since the elevator decided to break this morning, you reach your apartment. You open the door and are greeted with silence. 

Your parents usually worked late, but they would sometimes get home a little bit early as the weekend approached. You didn’t worry too much, since you’re used to practically living on your own with them gone all the time. 

Kicking off your wet shoes and flopping on the couch, you turn on the TV to see if anything good is on. After flipping through what seems like a bunch of lame ass programs, you decide on Modern Family. It gives a good laugh and you weren’t paying attention anyways, as you pull out your homework. 

God, I’m so lame… 

Doing homework on a Friday night?

Is this what it has come to, Y/N? 

Your thoughts are interrupted when you feel your phone vibrate in your pocket. Pulling it out, you see a text from the one and only, Peter Parker. 

Peter: To Y/N

Hey, so I’ll be around your place at like 8-8:30. Is that okay with you? :)

Smiling, you text Peter back.

Y/N: To Peter

Sure, Pete. That sounds great! See you then. :)

After finishing most of your homework for the weekend, you head towards your room, but not before grabbing a small snack from the kitchen. 

As you enter your room, you shed off the clothes you wore to school and changed into something more comfortable; a hoodie and warm leggings. 

Slipping the hoodie over your head, you eye your bed and decide to take a little nap so you’ll be bright eyed and ready for when Peter comes. 

As soon as your head hits the pillow, you’re out like a light. Dreaming of peaceful thoughts. 

Peter, on the other hand, didn’t have time to take a nap. As soon as school ended and he had finished talking to you, he was alerted with a robbery that was occurring in a downtown jewelry store. 

Good thing I always come prepared.

Peter thought, chuckling, as he grabs his suit from his bag. 

Swinging from one building to another, he makes it just in time as the robbers are about to leave. 

“Hey, fellas. Probably not the wisest idea to rob a jewelry store downtown, y’know? But hey, you do you.” A smug grin appearing on his face, despite being covered by his mask. 

As they robbers try to make a break for it, Peter webs two of them towards the back, pulling them both forward, which causes them to pinball straight into the other two robbers in front of them.

Passed out from the hard hit, Peter quickly ties them in webbing and places the jewelry bag safely on the counter where it couldn’t be reached by the robbers. 

Looking down at his work, proud.

Boo ya, idiots! Not in my city you don’t. 

Hearing sirens approaching, Peter swings his way out the nearest window. On his way back home to change, he was faced with a few other random needs for help. However, once he finished, he checks the time seeing that it’s almost 9 pm. 

Dammit! Y/N is gonna hate me! Ugh, I wanted to make things right again… God, Peter!

Hurriedly, Peter swings towards Y/N’s apartment. Forgetting about changing, he softly knocks on your window, seeing your sleeping form sprawled on your bed. 

Hearing light taps on your window, you bolt awake, checking the time. 

5 past 9.

You sigh, turning your gaze to the noise coming from the window. Since it was dark out, you couldn’t see who was outside, but you had a pretty good idea. 

Walking towards the window, you see Peter in his Spiderman suit, giving you an apologetic smile. 

Chuckling while rolling your eyes, you open the window, a slight breeze hitting your warm, sleepy cheeks. Peter barely makes his way in before profusely apologizing. 

“Y/N, I’m so sorry. I-I didn’t think it would take me long. Ugh, I-I’m sorry.” He stutters, guiltily looking towards your direction then towards the floor that seemed easier to look at. 

Taking a breath and wiping your tired eyes you huff, “it’s fine, Peter. Technically I’m late too since you woke me up, hmm?” 

Chuckling, Peter makes his way to you, enveloping you into a hug and drowning in your scent. 

Taken by surprise, you flinch, but slowly relax to his touch. It’s been a while since you’ve received a hug from him, let alone anyone. 

As he backs away, you already miss the warmth that radiated off of him. He takes a seat on your bed, patting the spot next to him for you to join. 

Sitting down and turning to face his direction, you see him smile. 

Diverting your gaze, you ask, “so, uh, what’s the plan for tonight? I-uh, we could just watch movies if you want, uh or we cou-” 

“Actually, I have a surprise planned, if you’re okay with that? I-uh, w-we don’t have to, I just wanted to do something for you.” He interrupted you, while nervously rubbing the back of his neck. 

“No, no it’s okay, Peter. I’d love to do what you have planned.” You inquire, smiling ear to ear on what he’s planning on doing for you. 

“Okay, follow me.” Peter replies, as he makes his way out the window he came in through. 

Oh boy…

Peter helps you out the window, grabbing your hand softly. 

“Now I want you to close your eyes, okay? Don’t open them until I say so.” Peter advised, a smile spreading across his adorable features. 

You nod your head yes, nervously moving to get a better foot placement on your apartment roof. Closing your eyes, you feel Peter move your arms around his neck, while his arms swiftly wrap around your waist puling you into his chest. 

My god, you were glad your eyes were closed. Your face is probably redder than it has ever been. Hopefully Peter doesn’t notice…

“Alright, Y/N. Hold on!” Peter exclaims.

“Wait, wha-FUCK!” You shriek as you open your eyes at the feeling of Peter jumping. 

Holy. Fuck. 

HOLY. FUCK. 

No, no, no, no…

I thought Peter knew? 

I thought I told him my fear of heights?

Shit! 

Your heart is racing a million miles a second and you can barely catch your breath, causing it to come out ragged and uneven. 

You couldn’t do this to Peter. He was so fucking excited! The smile on his face, ugh. It would tear him apart. 

I’m so weak. 

From your ragged breathing, pounding heart, and intense clutching of his suit, Peter sensed that something was wrong, especially when he didn’t hear any sort of excited scream or yelp as he took off.  

Looking back towards you, he saw your eyes tightly closed and felt a death grip that would probably leave a bruise on his shoulder. 

“Y/N, are you okay?” Peter’s voice louder than he expected. 

His loud voice startled you and caused whimpers to fall from your trembling lips. Your hands clutching harder than before to his suit as tears start to trail down your cheeks. 

“No, no, no..” Your voice slowly being covered by harsh breathing. 

Seeing you in this state, Peter decides to land on the nearest roof, knowing that being in the air wouldn’t be good for your current state. 

As he finds an abandoned roof a few miles from where they left, he tries to pry you off of him to get a better look, but you won’t let go. The grip piercing his suit. Your knuckles white as paper. 

Your breathing doesn’t die down and your whimpers increase. 

Barely breathing out, you whimper, “h-h-heights, I-” burying your head into Peter’s chest, trying to focus on something else. 

Shit. 

Peter was so caught up in the moment and wanted to have a nice surprise for you, but your fear of heights totally slipped his mind. 

You idiot! 

“F-fuck, oh shit! Y/N, I-I’m so, so sorry.” He cried, wrapping his arms securely around your middle, lifting you to sit comfortably in his lap. 

After hearing Peter’s constant whispers of apologies, your breathing finally started to calm down. All that was left was the shaking and sniffles. 

Peter lifted his head to get a better look at you, only to see your eyes closed and your grip loosely hanging on his suit, slipping ever so slowly. 

God, he felt like absolute shit. Peter cannot believe he forgot something like that! Out of everything, it HAD to be that? He’s been so caught up being Spiderman that he wasn’t able to pay much attention to you. He thought this could bring you two back to what you guys were like before. But he ruined it, at least in his eyes. 

Your stirring interrupted his thoughts, your grip ever so slightly increasing as you woke up. As you lift your head up towards Peter, he is faced with a puffy, red eyed Y/N. 

His heart breaks at the sight of you, knowing that this was his fault. His brings his hand up to your face to gently wipe away any stray tears. 

This action causes you to lean into his palm, while closing your eyes and letting out a shaky breath. 

“I-I’m sor-ry P-Pete. This i-is all my f-fault.” You mumbled, as new tears brim your eyes once again. 

Peter snapped his focus to you, stiffening. 

How could you think that? 

“Y/N, no, no. This is all my fault! If I wasn’t so preoccupied with this whole “spidey saving the world” thing, then I would’ve been paying more attention to you and been an actual friend. I can’t believe I forgot. I feel like shit. God, I’m such a terrible friend. I just love you so much and I hate seeing you hurt and I wanted to do something to show you how much I lo-”

“Y-You love m-me?” You stammer, interrupting Peter’s rambling and looking at him with wide eyes. 

Peter’s face turned a dark shade of red as he adverted his eyes anywhere, but towards yours. 

“I-uh, I-fuck… I shouldn’t of said that. I’ve ruined the night and I was planning on telling you, but-t this happened and I-” 

He was abruptly shut up by you pressing your lips to his, leaving him shocked and unresponsive for a few seconds until he devoured into the kiss. 

After a few more seconds of smooching faces, you pull back to get some air and lean your forehead against his, both equally breathless. 

Closing your eyes, you smile and give Peter an Eskimo kiss. 

“You’ve always been my everything, Pete. I love you, too.” 

He smiled so bright, it could light up the whole city. Pulling you even closer, he ended the night with a gentle and loving kiss to your lips. 

Maybe this night wasn’t as bad after all…

[loveinthewriteway]