#so there's my defense for why some of the clothing folds don't make sense

[soutsuji]

Outfit swap!!! Not sure where the blood came from

[sp00kycrumpet]

Find A Way. (3/4)

Pairing: Joel Miller x f!reader

Rating: E

Tags: season 1, soft!Joel, reader was besties with Maria, idiots in love refusing to admit it, pre-established relationship

Warnings: swearing; character death; spoilers (if you haven't watched the series/played the game)

(Part One) (Part Two)

Will also be posted on my AO3

You couldn't believe it. In your search to find Joel, you'd somehow found his brother instead. All through dinner and your evening with them both, you tried to work out how to bring it up. Maria leant you some clothes to change into, and you were grateful to finally be clean and warm. You padded back downstairs, fingers playing with Joel's necklace as you got lost in your thoughts. Tommy was in the kitchen, tidying up after dinner.

"Hey, didja want somethin' to drink? I think we still have some wine around here." You nodded a little with a smile, thanking him. Tommy poured you a glass of wine, talking about how people were making their own alcohol within Jackson now. He turned to hand over the glass, his eyes falling to the necklace sat around your neck.

"Where'd you get that necklace?" He asked quietly, something in his eyes as you glanced at it.

"Oh this? I was given it." You replied, Tommy frowning a little. You knew Joel never took it off, if this was the Tommy Miller who was your Joel's brother then he'd surely recognise it.

"Who gave it you?" He asked, folding his arms loosely over his chest. The same defensive stance Joel took, there was no doubt who this man was before you. You licked your lips, watching Tommy as Maria came in.

"Woah, serious conversation?" She asked, sensing Tommy's apprehension. Tommy glanced over at her, his posture softening slightly at being around his wife.

"I was just askin' where she got that necklace from." Maria turned to look at it, tilting her head slightly.

"That is an unusual looking pendant." She commented, pouring herself a glass of orange juice. Tommy hummed in agreement. You took a sip of your wine, toying with the glass between your fingers.

"The guy I was looking for gave it to me before he left Boston." Tommy inhaled at that, his eyes not leaving your face. You could tell he was torn between believing you or assuming the worst and Joel was dead, his body looted. His jaw clenched a little as he tried to formulate an answer.

"Oh that's romantic. And you told me you don't know what is between you!" Maria laughed a little, looking at Tommy in confusion when he didn't say anything else. "Tommy? What's wrong?"

"That's Joel's necklace." He muttered, Maria blinking in confusion before looking at you. "If you look on the back of it, there's two deep scratches where he damaged it at work one day, caught it moving some wooden beams and damn near broke his neck." Lifting the pendant slightly, you turned it over and saw that Tommy was right. There was indeed two deep scratches on the back. You looked up at Tommy.

"Why are you here and with my brother's necklace around your neck?" His tone seemed cold, you shifted on your feet uncomfortable. Maria scolded him for being so stand off-ish before glancing at you. You took a breath, placing your wine glass down.

"Because Joel left me in Boston to go on a mission to get a battery for a truck. He couldn't get hold of you and he was losing his mind. He gave me this and promised he'd be back for it but he never showed. So I left to try and find him." Maria's eyes went wide, her gaze moving between you and Tommy.

"Joel Miller is the guy you've been seeing?" You nodded a little.

"I know it seems hard to believe but I'm telling the truth. I didn't intend on coming here, but when I realised I couldn't find Joel. I figured I'd just keep moving… and I ended up here. Almost poetic I set out looking for him and instead find his brother that he was looking for." You twisted your fingers together, Tommy nodding a little before apparently deciding to believe you. The two of them shared a look before Maria faced you, reaching to squeeze your hand gently.

"Well that'll make finding him again easier." She gave a little smile and you couldn't help but worry they were keeping something from you. The topic was dropped for now, instead talking about the cottage Maria was letting you have and her asking if Tommy would mind helping you if anything needed fixing up. He agreed and seemed less irritated now, a smile working over his face.

The next morning, you found Tommy in the kitchen making breakfast.

"Hey, look I'm sorry for bein' a bit of an ass last night. I assumed the worst when I saw that necklace and shouldn't have." You shook your head, watching him.

"Honestly I was wondering if you were the Tommy that Joel spoke of so often and was so desperately trying to find. And how to bring that up. Such a small world that I set out to find Joel and instead found you married to my best friend." Tommy laughed slightly, plating up some bacon and eggs for you.

"Weird, huh?" You nodded, thanking him for the food and sitting down to eat. "Although not as weird as thinkin' my big brother actually let someone close enough to him that he'd hand over that necklace. Joel hasn't dated since Sarah's mother left. The outbreak made him cold. Although for a while I thought he and Tess had a thing. Guess not. But… I'm glad he has someone." You gave a little smile.

"Had. I can't find him, remember?" Tommy paused, making a little noncommittal noise in the back of his throat.

"Joel has a habit of turnin' up when you least expect it. I'm sure you'll find him."

After eating, Maria handed you a bag of clothing and the keys to your new home. It was small, two bedrooms and needed cleaning but it was quite homely. The living room had a fireplace and a small kitchen dining room. You loved it instantly. Tommy helped fix the window shutters and got some cleaning supplies, Maria joined you later in the day with a small box of groceries that would keep you going for a bit while you got settled. You agreed to help where you could around Jackson, Tommy was impressed with your shooting ability after he took you to the range to practise and you blew away half of his troops without even trying. He talked Maria into letting you be part of the daily patrols under the agreement it wouldn't be every day and you could help her with keeping the town running. You seemed to settle in easily, splitting your time between learning patrol routes and your team, and spending time with Maria to learn the ins and outs of Jackson. You were still holding out hope you'd find Joel, catch a glimpse of him while out patrolling and hunting. Maria found you a radio to use and you would scan stations in case his voice came through. As the months went by, you started to lose hope and just focussed on your new life in Jackson. It felt wonderful to be able to spend time with Maria like you used to do before everything happened. Winter passed and Spring crept in, flowers were peeking out through the grounds, birds would chirp and everyone seemed to be happier as the days got warmer. You made a couple of friends, spent most of your time working or helping people out. It felt nice to be needed and to be doing work that wasn't trading expired drugs for a morsel of food.

By February, Maria was ready to give birth, joking she couldn't have a February baby and risk them being born on a leap year. She asked you to be there when it happened, as well as Tommy. You agreed and helped get a bag together for when she needed to go. Excitement for new life took over your days, constantly hanging around Maria's in case it happened. You were woken up in the early hours one morning by Tommy hammering on your door. Maria had gone into labour suddenly, Tommy panicking and grabbing you to watch her while he fetched the doctor. You ran over there, greeting your friend with warm towels and blankets ready. She looked like she was struggling and already tired, you set everything around her including water bottles and anything else you thought she might need. She cried out in pain as the contractions got closer together and more intense. You held onto her hand, trying to help talk her through it and repeat that Tommy was on his way back now. But the baby had other ideas and wanted to be out as soon as possible. You sat between your friends legs, encouraging her and praising her as you saw the baby emerging. You grabbed blankets and a soft towel for once the baby was out. You'd never done anything like this before but figured Maria knew what she was doing. You helped ease the baby out the last few inches, careful cleaning his tiny face before wrapping him up just as Tommy burst through the door. You smiled up at him as Maria gave a tired sigh of his name. You handed the baby to Maria and moved away for the doctor to step in and help. You glanced down at yourself and realised you were a little bloody. But Maria and the baby were both doing fine, Tommy cut the cord before finally having a cuddle with his son. You excused yourself to go downstairs and wash your hands. You couldn't believe you'd just done that, of all the things the apocalypse had forced you to do - midwifery wasn't on the list of things you'd expect. You stood by the back door, taking in some fresh air as you dried your hands. You never heard Tommy approach until he placed a hand on your shoulder.

"You doin' okay?" He asked softly, you smiled up at him and nodded.

"Yeah. Can tick deliver a baby off my Apocalypse Bingo card now." You chuckled, draping the towel over your shoulder once your hands were dry.

"Thank you. I don't know what we'd have done without you." You smiled, patting Tommy's arm gently.

"It's what friends do Tommy. We help each other." Tommy nodded, you let out a breath as you looked out at the garden. Tommy watching you before he pushed a hand through his long hair.

"Look. There's somethin' I need to tell you. At first I didn't because I didn't wanna give you false hope." You looked up at him, your breath catching in your throat.

"What is it Tommy?" Tommy steeled himself, ready for an outburst if you got angry.

"Joel was here." You stared at him.

"What?" Tommy nodded, shifting his weight on his feet before fixing his gaze on you again.

"About a month or so before you showed up. He turned up outta the blue with this kid by his side, said she was some Firefly bosses daughter and he had to take her home. I was sceptical… we had a fight because he didn't act as supportive as I'd hoped when I told him about Maria bein' pregnant. Selfishly I assumed he'd be happy but I guess you never know with Joel." Tommy leaned against the doorframe beside him. "I found him hidin' in a store tryin' to repair his worn out boots with tape. I gave him some new ones and he admitted the truth to me. That she was special, that he was afraid to take her himself because he's been havin' these anxiety attacks and he's slower. Dude's only 56 but actin' like he's 96. He told me someone was waitin' for him at home, but he wasn't sure he'd make the journey back to them again." Tommy glanced at you, you inhaled sharply as you watched him. Tommy nodded a little. "Imagine my surprise when you arrive with Joel's necklace and a similar story to the one he told me." You could feel your hands tremble at the revelation. Joel had been here. So close and yet still so far. That had been so long ago though, you didn't dare think about how long. There was a look exchanged between Tommy and you that you both understood as assuming the worst case scenario.

"Thank you Tommy." You said softly, Tommy nodded.

"I just thought you outta know. I don't know if he will come back but if he doesn't… know he left here with you in his heart still." You smiled slightly, that did make you feel a little better. You heard the baby cry from upstairs and glanced at Tommy.

"Go on dad. I'll see myself out, I got first patrol in two hours so I should probably go shower." Tommy embraced you tightly, thanked you again for your help before dashing off upstairs to Maria and his son. You smiled to yourself before turning to let yourself out of the house, it was an emotional evening and you wanted to just crawl into bed and sulk in self pity for a little while. You stood in the shower, trying to wonder where Joel could possibly have gone and if he'd come home. Or if Tommy had finally told you so you'd stop spending your life waiting for Joel, just in case. You went out on your morning patrol, ending up being sent home early when you almost got swiped off your horse by a low branch. You explained about Maria's baby and your team were less pissed off, but still irritated they were a body short. You slept the whole day once you'd gotten back, a mixture of exhaustion and your brain just shutting down as you tried to accept that you were never going to see Joel again. Maybe you'd finally accept the pestering from a fellow patroller to go out to dinner as a distraction. You burrowed yourself into your blankets, cursing yourself for not telling Joel how you really felt that day he left. You let yourself spend the day relaxing and just sulking, allowing yourself to just be in your feelings for the first time since Joel left.

(Part Four)

[leiawritesstories]

A Rose As Red As Blood, 2

thank you to everyone who's been reading <3 you have my heart

Word count: 2.5k

Warnings: language, wolves, injury, bickering

enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When the prince's footsteps had faded enough that Aelin was certain he was gone, she allowed herself a few moments to sink down to the floor and release her despair. Why the hell had she done that?

To save her father, of course.

And for something else--some hint of something she didn't know how to name, a strange, unearthly sense that she'd been called to this abandoned wreck of a castle, called to its surly wretch of an owner.

Aelin dried her tears with the hem of her skirt, stood up, brushed off her clothes, and flexed her hands. Stay in the castle or else, that damn prince had said. Not waiting for an answer, as if he expected her to heed his demand.

Well, he certainly couldn't expect her to keep a promise she'd never made, could he?

She pulled two more pins from her hair and slid them into the lock. She'd picked it once before; she could and would do it again. It was a little tricker from the inside, but she had the lock open in a handful of minutes, and she swung the door open cautiously, careful not to let the metal screech and alert anyone who might be nearby that she was leaving.

When she was certain the prison tower was empty, Aelin crept down the stairs, stopping in the shadows at the base of the staircase to check for a clear path. Satisfied, she slipped out into the corridor.

And her heart leapt straight out of her chest at the clearing of a throat behind her.

"Shit!" she yelped, whirling around, hand instinctively going to the knife strapped to her thigh.

The gray-haired, kind-faced woman in the hallway folded her arms across her chest and leveled a maternal kind of stare at her. "Now is that any kind of language a lady should be using?"

"Who are you?" Aelin knew she was being rude, but her defenses were fully armed.

"Philippa, the housekeeper." Philippa raised a gray brow. "Who are you, and why aren't you up in the prison tower like the prince said you were?"

"Prison towers and I don't get along well," Aelin replied.

Philippa chuckled. "So it seems." She held out her hand. "Come. I'll show you to your room."

"My...room?" Aelin took her hand away from her knife.

"I would never allow a lady to stay cooped up in that drafty old tower," Philippa tutted. "And I've been with the Prince's family since he was a fussy little babe, so he can't tell me what to do." She beckoned. "Now, you can come with me or run away, whichever you please, but you should know I have a very comfortable bed prepared for you, as well as a hot dinner. At least eat something before you run off into the forest; it's not pleasant at night."

Aelin considered. "Dinner?" Her stomach growled in agreement, the traitor.

Philippa nodded. "Just dinner, I promise. The Prince won't bother you; he scarcely leaves the west wing these days anyway."

Still a little wary, Aelin decided to follow the housekeeper. One meal, one room, maybe one night of sleep--that couldn't hurt her escape plans, could it?

Philippa led her through the halls, stopping in front of a beautifully decorated wooden door. "Here you are, dearie."

Aelin stepped into the room, half-expecting the prince to appear and drag her off to the tower again, but she only found...luxury. The room was beautiful, tastefully decorated, none too gaudy, and exactly what she'd dreamed of as a child wishing she was a princess. Philippa quietly left, closing the door with a soft snick behind her.

Leaving Aelin alone with her whirling thoughts and half an escape plan.

To Aelin’s great surprise, the door swung open easily, its oiled hinges making nary a creak as she pushed the weathered, glossy wooden door open just enough to peer into the corridor. She cast her eyes side to side, exhaling with relief when she found the hall empty. No footsteps, no servants popping out at her, no mysterious shadowy forms lurking in the nearby alcoves. Inwardly, she shook herself. Of course there are no shadowy forms, Aelin! This is not a nightmare.

Cautiously, she raised the lantern in her hand high and crept out of her lavish bedroom suite, leaving the door just barely cracked open behind her. She tiptoed down the quiet, low-lit corridor, thankful for the light of the few flickering lanterns along the walls–it helped reassure her that this was just a normal castle, albeit a strangely abandoned-looking one.

But that was beside the point. Aelin was in the process of escaping, not thinking about the growling rumble of the prince’s voice. Or the imposing height of his form.

Hells.

Shoving away that traitorous train of thought, Aelin focused on her escape route. As she reached the end of the corridor where her bedroom was located, the hallway divided, going both left and right. With a deep breath, she took the leftward corridor, praying it would take her to some convenient side entrance–or better yet, the kitchens, where she could swipe food and then make her escape unnoticed. Luckily, this hall was better lit, so she lowered her lantern, still keeping her footfalls as silent as possible on the polished wooden flooring. The floor, she noted, was surprisingly well polished for such an abandoned place–perhaps whoever lived here, lurking in shadow and secrecy, still employed some staff?

Apparently that was correct, as the next thing Aelin registered was a truly fantastic odor wafting up the hallway and into her greedy nostrils.

Swiftly as she dared, she followed that glorious scent, her body carrying her down the corridor and to the left, depositing her in the bustling, delicious-smelling hub of the castle’s kitchens. Perfect. Now to slip through the bright, warm room before anyone noticed her.

Aelin snagged some bread, apples, cheese, and chocolate (a necessity) from the pantry, then grabbed a spare apron, tying it around her waist so she blended in with the handful of maids and cooks who were rushing about the kitchen preparing a lavish meal. Just as she’d hoped, nobody paid any attention to her so long as she kept something in her hands and strode with purpose, pretending to have some important task she was doing.

Until the worst possible thing happened.

“Has the bloody clock stopped?” grumbled a male voice. “I thought dinner was always at the same hour.”

Aelin’s blood froze. That same voice had ordered her imprisoned in this castle in place of her father. Had first demanded her father’s life.

All for a single blood-red rose.

“Now ye just calm yerself,” the cook retorted, her tone that of a mother brooking no surly children. “Dinner’s just goin’ up to the table now, so ye get yerself gone from my kitchen, Prince.”

Prince. Aelin shoved away the thoughts that arose at that word. Hoping that neither the prince nor any of the kitchen staff would notice her, she stepped quietly into the shadow of the kitchen’s back entrance, keeping her eyes and ears alert for any sign of someone seeing her.

The prince grunted something under his breath, whirled on his heel, and stalked out of the kitchens, his stride seeming almost predatory in Aelin’s half-terrified mind.

The clamor in the kitchen resumed, and Aelin slipped out the back door unnoticed, exhaling deeply with relief once she was outside. She briefly considered leaving the lantern behind, then realized she would probably need it for light, as evening was rapidly darkening into full night, and the forest around the castle was dark and dangerous. Still, she had no better escape route, so she braced herself against the cold, burrowing into her cloak, and raced down the pathways, running headlong towards the forest.

She had to get out of that cursed place before the man–the prince–realized she was not, in fact, staying in his gloomy castle forever.

Frosty, dead leaves and twigs cracked and snapped under Aelin’s feet and icy branches snagged at her arms, her cloak, her face as she ran through the forest, breath heaving. Once she thought she was a fair distance into the woods, she slowed her reckless pace, still hurrying but paying more attention to where she stepped, raising her lantern to see through the deepening darkness. She found a footpath and stuck to it, grateful to have that little bit of direction in the wildness of the forest.

Aelin strode along the path as swiftly as she dared, her boots crunching through the fine layer of snow. Gods, she disliked forests in winter; it was always so bothersome to navigate the winding paths without tripping over roots and branches, especially with the added slip factor of snow and ice.

The path opened suddenly into a clearing, allowing some moonlight to cast a faintly silvery glow over the ground.

And to illuminate the silver fur and gleaming yellow eyes of the wolf staring directly at Aelin.

Shit.

The wolf loped forward.

Aelin stayed in place.

The wolf took another stride forward.

Aelin stepped sideways, reaching for a nearby broken-off branch.

The wolf snarled, its luminous eyes tracking her movements. It crept closer, predatory, closing in on her.

Panicking slightly, Aelin hastily opened the lantern’s case, yanking out the candle and throwing the glass at the wolf, which bought her enough time to light her branch on fire before the wolf, stunned and a bit scratched from the lantern, growled deep in its wild throat and lunged for her.

Aelin shrieked, brandishing her flaming branch at the wolf. It snarled, sidestepping her blazing weapon, and snapped at her. She felt its hot, fetid breath against her body and screeched, waving her arms and the fiery branch for all she was worth. It kept the wolf just enough at bay for her to still be able to breathe.

Until she sensed the other wolf creeping in from the side.

Burning hell.

Hardly aware of herself, Aelin reached blindly for another nearby branch, grabbing it and lighting it afire from her other branch, and brandished both makeshift torches at the wolves, clinging to her last scraps of bravado.

And then another wolf slunk up, and another behind it. The whole godsdamned pack must be there.

The wolves circled around Aelin, keeping a short distance away from her and her flaming branches, snarling and snapping and sending cold fear shooting through her blood.

Then they lunged.

Aelin screamed, whirling in a circle with her arms extended, flames crackling through the coldness of the night. More than one wolf yelped as the fire singed its nose, and a few retreated, pushed back by the power of fire. But the hungrier wolves remained, lunging and snapping at Aelin, keeping her trapped between three or four hungry, feral creatures.

She kept lunging back with her fiery branches, running on sheer adrenaline and terrified instinct.

Until one wolf’s paw swiped across her side, sending her sprawling onto the cold, hard, snow-and-ice-crusted ground.

One of her flaming branches went flying, colliding directly with a wolf’s side. A pulse of wicked satisfaction thrummed through her as the wolf yelped in shock and pain, dropping to the forest floor and scrambling to put out the flames that burned into its fur and flesh.

Then the wolves closed in around her prone form, growling and snapping, angry now. And she was trapped.

Aelin flailed with her one remaining branch, desperate.

It slipped her grasp, flying into a snowbank and sizzling out, steam curling up from the blackened end of the branch.

The lead wolf, yellow eyes glinting wickedly in the moonlight, tipped back its head and howled, the sound freezing Aelin’s blood cold in her veins. Then it padded closer, circling her predatorily.

The wolf lunged, jaws snapping.

And a male form hurtled through the air, an animalistic growl ripping from his throat, and flung the wolf clear across the clearing.

Aelin scrambled backwards as fast as she could, stunned by the inexplicable appearance of the prince–the prince!–and even more stunned by his inhuman ability to tackle the wolves. The wolf he’d hurled into a tree was curled up on the ground, whimpering. The prince turned towards the next wolf, grabbing its opened jaws and yanking hard, grunting. Even Aelin heard the crack of the wolf’s jaw snapping.

Furious, the other wolf still in the clearing sprang onto the prince’s back, snarling, its claws raking lines down the prince’s muscled shoulders. Blood as red as the roses in his garden bloomed through the fabric of his shirt. He growled and tumbled backwards, forcing the wolf to release him, and tackled the beast to the icy ground, rolling over and over as he wrestled with it. The wolf howled in furious pain as the prince grabbed hold of its forelegs, yanking the animal’s limbs ferociously. Aelin heard bones creak and flesh tear, heard the wolf’s howl of pain as the prince slammed his fist into its side.

The wolves withdrew then, tugging their injured pack members with them, fleeing from the prince’s wrath and inhuman strength.

Panting, Aelin curled herself into a ball, breath coming in shaky gasps as she watched the prince slowly turn around. A near-feral gleam lit his eyes, which were a brilliant shade of forest green, and his posture was strong despite the bloody slashes down his shoulder and back and the dirt and bruises splotching his face, arms, and clothes.

Then he collapsed to the forest floor, groaning faintly in pain.

A horse whinnied, trotting nervously into the clearing and snuffling at the prince. So that was his horse, then.

Shakily, Aelin rose, stumbling over to the prince’s side. “You…you saved me,” she whispered, her voice creaking and cracking.

His pine eyes cracked open and fixed onto her face. “You…ran,” he wheezed, wincing and swearing filthily at the pain.

“You kidnapped me,” she snapped. “I’m still going to get you back to your horrid gloomy castle, though, because you need help.”

He tried to push himself up. And failed. “Leave,” he whispered.

“What?”

“Leave.” Somehow, he managed to glare at her. “You wanted to.”

She scowled. “I still want to, you ass. I just can’t leave a man here to die in the forest.”

“…deserve it,” he croaked. “Go.”

“No,” Aelin hissed. “Damn it, I can’t!” She swore softly. Then she turned to the prince’s horse and stroked its neck, speaking soothingly. “C'mon, my boy, let’s get your master back to his ugly castle, shall we?” She could have sworn the prince huffed something resembling a laugh at that.

“Don'need–”

“Shut it before I make you, you big lout,” she snapped. “Now please do help me, because I can’t lift you on my own.” With some effort, she looped the prince’s good arm around her shoulders, braced her arms around his waist, and half-pushed, half-yanked him upright. Once he was standing, she awkwardly got him onto his horse, having to manhandle his leg over onto the other side of the horse as the prince slumped in her arms, losing consciousness.

Shit.

As quickly as she could, Aelin swung herself up onto the horse, ignoring the pain lancing through her side, and snapped the reins. “C'mon, boy, get us home.”

~~~

TAGS (please lmk if you want to be added/removed):

@live-the-fangirl-life

@superspiritfestival

@thegreyj

@wordsafterhours

@elentiyawhitethorn

@morganofthewildfire

@backtobl4ck

@rowanaelinn

@house-of-galathynius

@tomtenadia

@julemmaes

@swankii-art-teacher

@charlizeed

@booknerdproblems

@chronicchthonic14

@earthtolinds

@goddess-aelin

@sweet-but-stormy

@clea-nightingale

@autumnbabylon

@darling-im-the-queen-of-hell

@llyncooljones

@silentquartz

[husbandohunter]

Dear Father [Genshin Impact/Diluc x Reader]

Synopsis: Wherever you are wherever you may be, even if you are beyond my reach, I only wish to see you again. -from a letter lost in the wind.

(A story where you and Diluc somehow managed to meet Crepus)

Genre: all fluff

"I know how late I am to father's day but here's my father's day take on Genshin Impact! Just let Diluc be happy for once T_T Mihoyo pls."

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

Discovering Master Crepus' old belongings was like wandering in a domain surrounded by ancient artifacts. Each piece holding the memory of someone you've never met.

The paintings. Master Crepus loved to paint. Typically birds were the main muse of this portraits since they deeply embodied Mondstadt's values for freedom which shows you how much he cherished this city just like his son did. In almost every hallway you walked through there was a collection of his paintings, some belonged to another artist but the majority was an original work. Diluc didn't have the heart to sell them.

Elzer. He was one of the oldest workers who served under the Ragnvindr name, ever since Master Crepus had appointed him during his earlier days. You were told that he treated everyone, both staff and noble, with equal respect. Almost all the denizens of Mondstadt knew this man for he was not only noble in riches but also in the soul.

"I'm sure he would have loved to meet you in person. Now that I think about it, you and Master Crepus are quite similar. Haha, it seems that Master Diluc was selective in terms of who he wanted for his future bride."

Elzer adds with a light chuckle but the statement only made you more curious. A man who affected the lives of so many others, he must have been a wonderful person.

Diluc. The bloodline Master Crepus left behind after his death, a piece of himself and the heir to the whole wine industry, his son Diluc. Although you could see the resemblance in appearance, both of them were men of prinicples and values, putting Mondstadt first before anything else and you suddenly realized if that was the reason why Diluc was so protective of this city. As if, it were everything he had? You could tell he loved Master Crepus very much, not because he said so, rather the painful expression buried deep within his crimson glare whenever someone brought up the topic. Diluc was skilled in hiding himself, it's something he practiced over the years of working alone, though he lowered his guard as long as you were the only one present.

Even so, he had many conflicts still wringing him internally and you didn't want to push him until the day he felt ready to personally tell you himself.

But it would be nice if he opened up, just a little bit.

There were times when you would worry since Diluc had the tendency to hide his feelings for the sake of not troubling you. He wanted to keep life simple and bright, bringing the best to the table while making sure that you lived safely out of harm's way. You couldn't seem to get him to understand that as lovers, you would be happy to help him, in anything. Unconditionally. It was natural for you to feel the need to force yourself in every once in a while and there was nothing more you wanted to know than the story of the man who raised him.

You would even jest on the idea of what it fel like to meet Master Crepus in person. Were you able to reach his standards by any chance? Would he have liked you just as everyone claimed? Of course, they were only silly indulgent thoughts so you quickly dismissed them in the end. Bringing back the past was impossible no matter how badly you wanted it. You closed your heart on that possibility.

On a lovely evening, while you and Diluc were taking your time off Angel's Share to make a stroll around Mondstadt's quiet streets, a strange merchant called over to you. She displayed various antiques ranging from different sizes to designs, none of them seemed to haven been carved in the same place but distinct cultures throughout Teyvat. The only thing they had in common was that they were all equally beautiful to the eye.

However a particular item of what looks like to be a heart locket snatches your attention and you instantly became mesmerized, allured by it's mysterious charm.

"Ah, the locked heart caught your fancy, my lady? It's said once you open it, you will be set free."

"It's magnificent..." you muttered, staring unabashed at the shining surface.

Diluc who was observing from behind folded his arms and tilts his head, "How much is that?"

Although you intended to simply inspect the choices, your lover immediately offers to pay. They all already gave the impression of a hefty price and you didn't want him to spend his fortune on things that deemed unecessary. Still, this wasn't the first time it happened. Diluc would always insist whenever you protested against him from buying anything, it was just a way of expressing his affections towards you. Mora was never a problem and you were priceless. That's how he sees things. You had to remind yourself to be careful when stumbling upon a bustling area full of salesmen next time.

"Five hundred thousand mora."

He purchased it without hesitation.

On your way home, Diluc noticed that something was amiss. You couldn't tear your gaze from the locket as if it had hypnotized you by the golden smooth surface. He had to ensure you didn't run into anyone by accident, tugging your arm closer so that it gave him an opportunity to lead you where you yourself could not. Surely it must have been the appearance but instead of being drawn by, you were drawn in. Completely.

I wonder...what will happen if I open it?

"(Y/n)?" Diluc narrows his eyebrows together. Did you like it that much? No, he knew you weren't the type to be so etranced by jewelry, this was certainly different. Even the merchant seemed a little suspicious when she approached you and Diluc couldn't ignore the heavy sense of aminosity that was emitted around her aura. He couldn't think within her presence but now that his mind was much clearer, he was able to use his skillful judgements.

"Wait...! Don't open it yet-"

However, he was too late.

The wind picks up at an alarming speed and you both brought up your arms to block the debris that had flown in the way. They swirled in non-stop motion until your worlds were engulfed with not even the sky in sight. Amidst the turmoil Diluc latchest onto you and holds your body close his chest as he was determined to protect against any force that dared to hurt you. Something heavy knocks his head and he winces, tighting his hold even further. Your voice could hardly be heard with all the noise that rung around and eventually you discovered the the world wasn't disappearing. You both were.

The last thought you had was the image of Master Crepus and you didn't know why.

---

"Diluc? Diluc?"

He faintly heard his name through a series of echoes. Diluc fights to regaind concousness, feeling your grip upon his shoulder while trying to urge him awake.

"Diluc are you alright?"

Your worried face was the first thing he sees other than the fog that looms above. Diluc blinks a few times in an attempt to ease his migraine, using one arm to force his body into a seating position as he allowed himself to be supported by you at the same time.

"Does your head hurt?" You ask, palming gently against his forehead to feel the heat. Even if her was usually very warm, there was no unusual rise in tempurature, something must have hit him instead, "Here, maybe this will help."

Bringing out your hand you concentrated on generating the water through your fingertips. Having a hydro vision meant you were capable of healing magic which Diluc appreciated since he often came home late at night with injuries hidden behind his sleeves. But nothing came out and he became even more suspicious of the situation.

"Eh? What's going on?" You blurted out, patting down your clothes and your pockets, "My Vision, it's gone too!"

"Mine as well," Diluc flexes his fingers to test his own element, "It seems that our powers were sealed once we entered this domain."

"A domain that prevents you from using a Vision? That doesn't sound very comforting," you scratched your head, suddenly remembering the cause of your current problem, "The locket...it's all starting to make sense now. Ugh, I should have listened to you earlier, I'm sorry Diluc."

"No (Y/n), you don't have to apologize," he interjects and you returned a curious glance, "I should have stopped you the minute I discovered there was something strange. I was too careless."

"You felt that too? I thought I was the only one," your tone and face mimics one of surprise. The fog continues to dance around, enclosing the two of you to the small area. You lifted your head and looked above in deep contemplation, "When I saw the locket I couldn't tear my eyes off of it, like something was pulling me in. Like...there was a spell casted on it."

"What do you mean?" he asked in an inquisitive manner.

You nod, "I can't put my finger on it bit Ifel that the locket wanted me to..." balling your fist upon your lap, you stared intensely at the floor as if drilling holes into them while digging into the depths of your mind for any specific clues. Initially you thought the locket was so captivating that you were simply charmed by it's craftmanship. But tere was more than that, you began deciphering, there was also a need for fulfillment. A yearning desire, "to know. The locket was calling me to know."

'Once you open it, you will be set free.'

"To know..." you trailed off. How strange. No matter how much you tried to rationalize, you were always brought back to the same square as if the locket knew exactly what you wanted. What you were lacking. Because the one thing you wanted to know most about was the person you've never met, "Someone very important to you."

The fog dispersed.

Diluc instinctively puts an arm in front of you defensively as he scanned his quick and thorough eyes around the area. It didn't take long for him to know exactly where everything was. In fact, the abrupt change isn't what puts him on high alert, but it was how familiar everything looked to the point he evaluates if there was any reason to be skeptical or if he should be breathtaken.

"What a beautiful house," However you didn't recognize it. Diluc knew because he had yet to meet you during the time he lived in this estate, "I wonder who does it belong to?"

"Father's old mansion...how?" Diluc breatlessly mutters, as if seeing the supremecy of Celestia for the first time. When years passed after his father died, he chose to sell off the majority of his belongings, the mansion being on for example. Currently it was in the possession of a well-known business associate that used to be a friend of Crepus. The mansion would likely have looked much different due to the renovations it gone through but Diluc remembers the picture as if this were yesterday. Everything was in tact. The vine yard, the gazebo where they drank tea, the hill that he and Kaeya used to race on when they were kids-

Revelation burns in his pupils as his eyes expanded.

"Welcome home, my son."

Both you and Diluc fall wordless at the sight that appeared like a miracle's blessing. Crepus stands at a distance, the graceful smile complimenting his warm features. He looked exactly how the court artists portrayed him in the Ragnvindr's family picture. Sharp face with gentle eyes and an aura that was as pleasant as what Elzer described.

"So this is why the locket was calling to us," you whispered, "I guess the mora really was worth it after all."

"...Fa...ther...."

You snuck a glance at Diluc. From behind the resemblance was as clear as dawn, like you were staring at a carbon copy of Master Crepus himself. Almost. He was a less hardened version of Diluc during uncommon situations. It made you think just how much you didn't know before his father passed away. What kind of person was this man during his days as a knight? You never had the chance to know.

"Father is that really you?" Diluc couldn't help his voice from trembling, paralyzed in place when he could hardly make sense of what stands in front of him. The person he longed to hear from, the person who left the world too quick, Diluc was afraid to get his hopes up in case his father suddenly disappeared and everything was just an illusion conjured by his mind. He was already used to being betrayed and dealt with disappointment too often. Which is why he learned to trust only himself. But, right now, can he really trust himself?

Feeling your hand gently on his shoulders, Diluc was brought back to reality. You smiled with warm reassurance that bled into your voice, "It's okay Diluc. Go, I'm here for you."

There was the faintest light shining in his eyes as emotions swell in his chest. Ever since you came Diluc never had to feel alone anymore, truly, you were the light that was brought back into his eyes, to his life when he gave up the thought of seeing it again. If he couldn't trust himself then at the very least, he could trust you.

"Thank you," he embraces you wholly like you were everything, and you were, before letting go and taking off to the otherside.

The air hits him in a rush and knocks the ones out of his lungs, "Father!" Diluc yells with tearful eyes. For the first time in a long while he was finally letting his feelings run free, "Father!" A name that felt foreign upon words that is pushes him forward, wanting to claim the truth that was smiling from afar.

"Father!"

Crepus lifted his arms and openly catches Diluc when he crashed into him. Here. He was here. He certainly was.

"Haha its been a while hasn't it my son?" He begins, encasing Diluc in a hug like he did the day he turned eighteen. Crepus was a tall man and his genes seemed to have went through. Back when they were younger, Diluc managed to only reach the blade of his shoulders, just barely. Now they were practically the same height, "Look how much you've grown over the years. There were so many things I planned to say but I don't know where to start."

Seven years. That was how long Crepus spent alone with his thoughts. He saw what happened through that time span, the truth about the Knights and Kaeya's origins. To say that none of that bothered him would be a lie. Especially when his son was the most impacted throughout all the events.

"Father I...I-" Diluc tries to speak but the words dissolved the moment it reached his tongue. He wasn't the type to be very good at expressing emotions. None of it could simply be communicated by sentences. For him, actions spoke louder yet somehow, they still wouldn't be enough. Nothing can comprehend the weight of seven years.

Crepus seemed to have understood and fills in the gap instead, "I have also missed you and Kaeya. More than I can even say. It must have been so hard for you both to endure it all by yourselves. Life hits us when we least expect it but despite that, you still chose to persevere."

Diluc clenches his hold, face buried in his shoulders and mouth quivering as he barely answers, "Yeah."

"You're both my pride and joy no matter what happens, as a father I cannot be more proud," before knowing, everything that was said came out naturally from his spirit. Crepus may have his own set of things to share but he knew what Diluc needed the most, "So please don't stop relying on one another, don't always think that you have to do everything alone. Stength is a virtue. However, its okay to let go and allow new people to come into your life. I don't need to be avenged, as long as you and Kaeya are happy, its all I ask for."

As if the world had been lifted from his shoulders, Diluc allows himself to break just this once. On the outside, he was known to be an unstoppable force, the Mondstadt tycoon, the uncrowned king and a hero who serves at night. But here you saw only a boy who dearly missed his father as he hugs him tightly. Although you couldn't hear their conversation clearly, just watching them from where you stood was enough to make your eyes glisten from pure happiness.

"You finally chose to open your heart, right Diluc?" You quietly note to yourself, "You don't have to carry everything by yourself anymore, you're free."

'Once you open it, you will be set free.'

He was able to dwell in this one in a lifetime experience, all because you unlocked the heart and dispersed the fog inside.

They spent a good amount of minutes bringing the distance back together after being seperated for so many years. You made sure to make minimal movements in the consideration of their time. It was only temporary until Crepus noticed you standing in the distance and he gave you a quick glance. Your whole body tenses in response, suddenly feeling guilty as if you were a third wheel who didn't belong in the moment between two family members.

He's staring at me. Diluc's father is staring at me! Your thoughts panicked along with your thrumming heart. What should I do?!!

"I see you've brought someone along with you," He comments, the playfulness rising in his tone, "She seems to have been waiting for quite a while already. If you don't mind, may you do the honours of introducing her to me?"

Diluc turns to see you stiffened in place with your hands tightly clasped below your stomach and heat pooling from your ear to your cheeks as you dipped your head down. His father was a kind man and he couldn't understand there the discomfort came from, yet found it endearing nonetheless. Diluc walks over to you and extends his hand, silently urging you to come with him. You complied, albeit hesitantly at first.

"It'll be okay my love," he whispered softly, causing you to be taken aback by the nickname he called you by. Diluc often reserves them for special instances and this was one of them, "Whatever the staff told you about my father, they're the truth. Trust in their judgement. Trust in me."

"Diluc..." you say, voice fading. You knew him to be someone who always kept his word and someone who would never lie to you. Taking in a short breath, you nodded, "Alright, I will," and followed his lead.

There was once a time where you indulged in the idea of facing Master Crepus in person. But never did you prepare yourself for the amount of pressure it came with. Now that you were together with his son, there was a high chance that he would also become part of his family too, sooner or later. You weren't just meeting Master Crepus. You were also meeting your future father-in-law.

"Father, this is (Y/n)," Diluc starts the welcoming exchanges. You felt his hand squeeze yours gently. He turns to you so that you caught glimpse of his face, seeing the reverance in his gaze that was hinted among his handsome features, "She's the woman I fell in love with and I would do anything to make her happy. I cherish her more than anything else."

"D-Diluc!" you flushed, your embarassment as red as his own hair. But he wasn't bothered by it in the slightest.

"I only speak the truth."

Master Crepus lets out a content chuckle, drawing both of your attentions back to him, "He can be surprising poetic sometimes but I'm sure that he got it from me. Even my wife reacted the same way," he reminisced shortly before sighing, "In truth I already knew that you were together. Staying in the after life gave me the chances to watch things from an omniscient standpoint, I was sincerely worried how Diluc would handle things when I suddenly left, I hope you don't mind. If you do, I apologize for making you uncomfortable."

"N-Not at all!"

"Haha, you're very kind. Thank you. I'm glad that my son was able to find a woman like you to be his fated partner. As a parent, it brings me great reassurance," Crepus remarked, "I know he can be stubborn and a little too headstrong when it comes to making decisions. It really must be a handful for you to deal with at times but I promise you that he means well. So please continue to watch over him in my stead, take care of my son while I'm gone."

"You can count on me," you beamed, "I'll give it my all."

"You have my gratitude (Y/n)," Crepus replies and turned to Diluc, "And listen to her every once in a while. I may have been the previous owner of our wine industry but even I always make sure to get me sufficient amount of rest. Son you know its bad to get two to three hours of sleep every day."

You blinked, "Two to three hours?"

Diluc clears his throat, "I understand Father. You don't have to say it."

Oh I think he does.

With a satisfied grin, Crepus took both of your hands together in his and gave you his blessings. The man once considered to be an artifact through the vast mansion was going to be part of the memories in your life. All of your expressions held as much happiness as the future can become now that he gave you the closure you both needed.

[xxkellsvixen19xx]

Spotlight: A Life Of A Troubled Celebrity Heartthrob Ch 2

Word Count: 5,483

As usual the party was much bigger than expected. By the end of the night almost everyone was totally wasted.

"Hey Y/L/N! I just wanted to thank you again..you know for-for everything." Sommer shouted into Y/N's ear. She was way beyond drunk at this point. Y/N tried to stay sober after she spotted Colson locking lips with Brinna, the DJ from Rock 93.9 FM. He had totally ignored her all night.

"Don't sweat it. That's what friends are for right." Y/N replied with a tight smile.

"You consider me a friend? After everything I've done to you?" She asked bewildered.

"Yeah. Why not?" She shrugged.

"Awww you're the sweetest." Sommer gushed as she gripped Y/N in a bear hug.

"Sorry to interrupt but I need to borrow Y/N quickly." Ashleigh grabbed Y/N's hand and dragged her to the bedroom.

"What's up?" Y/N asked, breathless.

"What's going on? I just witnessed Colson doing tongue wrestling with Brinna..You saw him too didn't you?" Her face fell.

"Yeah, I did but it's no biggie." Y/N tried to brush it off. "It's not like we're exclusive or anything right?"

"I'm so sorry sweetie. I know it hurts." Ashleigh hugged her and stepped back. "He shouldn't have led you on though. Jerk."

"He didn't promise me anything okay? We just kissed a couple of times so that doesn't mean anything to someone like him." Y/N sank onto the bed and started to strip off her dress.

"Are you calling it a night then?"

"Yep. I can't go out there and put on a brave face anymore. I'd rather stay in my room and have a pity party." She said morosely as she jumped under the covers.

"Okay, call me if you need me. Goodnight." Ashleigh shut the door behind her and as she turned around she saw Colson and Brinna ripping each others clothes off, as he kicked open his bedroom door. Poor Y/N she thought as she went back to the party.

"Hey Ash, where's Y/N?" Baze asked.

"She's got a bit of a headache so she's called it a night." Ashleigh lied.

"Oh I thought maybe it was because of Colson's behavior."

"Why would she care about that?" She said on defense mode.

"Forget it. It doesn't matter." He mumbled as he walked away.

The party was in full swing and most people were having a great time. Sommer and Slim were all over each other as usual and Iann even tried to flirt with Ashleigh. Colson resurfaced an hour later, it looked like he had showered and changed again. Ashleigh was a bit tipsy by now so she decided to confront him. She marched towards him with great determination, not thinking about the consequences that would follow.

Colson was sitting out by the poolside with his friends and there was a random blonde sitting on his lap. This made Ashleigh angrier than what she was before.

"Hey Colson can I have a word?" She stood in front of him, a martini in her hand.

"Hey Ash. I'm kind of busy now..as you can see." He leaned over and sucked the girl's face.

"You're a jerk you know that?!" She said with venom and her voice.

"Tell me something I don't know sweets." He laughed and took a sip of his drink.

"You're a waste of time!" She threw her drink in his face and walked away. Everyone at the table gasped

"What the-??" His face twisted in anger as he stood and went after her.

"Hey how dare you??? Who do you think you are to do that to ME??!" He grabbed her roughly by the arm.

"Ash." She said sweetly.

"What??!" He snapped.

"You asked me who I think I am and I said Ash. That's what you called me remember??"She gave him an angelic smile.

"Don't try and be smart with me or you'll regret it!" He pointed a finger at her and pushed her back forcefully, causing her to stumble back.

"Oh I will.. but probably not as much as Y/N regrets hooking up with you right now." She gritted her teeth.

"She wanted it just as much as I did. Unfortunately I couldn't unpick her lock cos it's too much work. So I had to find a well that's already been dug out. But next time she gives herself to me willingly-she won't leave my room a virgin." He smirked as he walked backwards.

He winked at Ashleigh before turning round and going back to his table. She stood there trembling with anger. How could they have all been so wrong about Colson? Everyone assumed he was a nice enough guy, yes he had a few rough edges here and there but he was a good person wasn't he? It was so easy to believe what you read in the tabloids but this time around they seemed to be right. Colson Baker was a bad boy in every sense of the word.

"Hey Olivia something is about to go down-you and Y/N need to get out of here now!" Baze came and grabbed her by the elbow and made for the fire-escape.

"What's going on?" She asked confused, as they hurried along.

"I'll explain later. Just go somewhere safe for now. Here's some money," He gave her a thick wad of cash, "Go and check into a hotel or something. I'll call you. Keep your phone on." He pushed her towards the stairs.

"Please tell me what's going on??!" She cried. He wasn't making sense and she was scared.

"I will. Promise. I need to go and get Y/N before it's too late so please go!" He turned around and walked back into the penthouse.

"Excuse me Colson but there are police officers in the foyer with a search warrant. What's the way forward?" Jax whispered into Colson's ear.

"What? Are you sure??? Stall them I need to find Y/N and get her out of here." Colson sprang into action. He ran to Y/N's room and fortunately she was wide awake. She was on Facetime with her friends when he barged into her room.

"Hey! We need to get out of here now. The police are on their way up to raid this place so please get dressed fast!" He threw off the covers and dragged her out of bed.

"What? Raiding the place? For what??" She put on her shoes, threw on sweatpants and a sweater quickly.

"No time to explain now okay? I'm going to need you to trust me on this okay?" He held her shoulders and looked at her earnestly.

"Jax is going to drive you to a safe place. I will follow through if I'm not taken in-" He didn't get to finish his statement because police bust into the room and commanded them to raise their hands.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Quite a number of Colson's friends and friend's friends spent the night in a holding cell. The police found a significant amount of illegal drugs at the condo. It turns out Travis was actually an undercover detective. They had been trying to bust a drug ring so they were interrogating Colson and his friends to try and get a name of their supplier but they were all tight- lipped.

Finally one of them let it slip that Slim knew the name of the link so they let everyone else go. Colson's lawyer, Andre showed up much later before they were released. Y/N in her disheveled state, followed behind, her eyes puffed up from crying all night. Andre had arranged for them to use the back entrance in order to avoid the paparazzi.

"Thanks for taking your time to get here." Colson snapped as he walked towards the waiting SUV. Y/N jumped into the car wordlessly. She had a lot of things to say to Colson but now was not the right time.

"I've been trying to do damage control. The story is all over the media and drug possession is a serious crime in case you didn't know." Andre said with a grave look on his face.

"I didn't have any on me okay?" He countered.

"But all your blood tests contained high volumes of-" Barry tried to say but was cut off as usual.

"I know what the freakin' test said! I don't pay you to be my father okay? So back off!" He yelled, before he jumped into the car.

Y/N was seated at the opposite end and she just glared at him briefly, then continued to stare out the window. Colson ran his fingers through his hair and sighed deeply. He needed to make things right with Y/N but he didn't know where to start. She didn't deserve to be caught up in his mess. She didn't deserve any of this.

"Y/N." He said softly.

"So you know my real name? Hmm.." She folded her arms and stared at him.

"Look I'm not good with apologies..For the longest time I haven't had the need to apologize to any one for anything. It's always the other way round." His blue eyes pierced through her.

"So you're expecting me to-"

"No!No. That's not what I meant." He held up his hands. "I don't know how to say this but-" He moved and sat closer to her and held her hands. "I'm sorry that you got caught up in this mess. This isn't what you signed up for."

"You got that right. I have a good mind to hightail it out of here and catch the next plane back to Ohio." She scowled.

"Please don't do that. At least give me a chance to make it up to you?" He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. " Please?"

"Why does it matter to you whether I go or stay?" She asked as she pulled away.

"Simply because." He said and she raised an eyebrow.

"Not good enough Baker."

"I like having you around?" He gave her his million dollar smile that caused her heart to melt.

"Fine. I will stay...on one condition.." Her face turned serious.

"Name it." He held his breath.

"I'll need you to keep your distance..just until your figure out what it is that you really want."

"I'm sorry-"

"Let me finish-if that's okay?"

"Sure." He placed his hands on his knees and listened intently.

"You can't keep toying with my feelings. I have them you know? And it hurts when you go hot and cold on me. I know that I'm not even your type and that I was easy but this can't go on. I won't allow it. I came here as your fan and not to be your babysitter so I would really appreciate it if you treated me as such. If you want something more then I would also require something more from you-like fidelity and respect-a real relationship. But I know that is way beyond you and wishful thinking on my part." She said wistfully, her brown eyes clouding with tears.

"Look sweets I'm sorry about the way I treated you but that's just who I am. I like you- a lot. But I can't give you what you want. I don't think I ever could." He said, his voice filled with regret.

"I know. Thanks for being honest." She blinked back tears. He slid over to her and wrapped his arms around her. She put her hands round his waist and laid her head on his chest for what she considered to be the last time.

"You deserve better than me Bambi. I'm no good. I don't want to hurt you so I will try my best to keep away from you. Though I'm not making any promises.." He turned to face her and smiled.

"You're hopeless." She swatted his shoulder and laughed.

"I need to ask you one last thing though?"

"Anything." She looked up at him.

"Will you go with me to the prom? I'm making a guest appearance at a high school prom so.."

"I have a few other options to consider but I think I'll go with you." She teased.

"Gosh! You have just made me the happiest guy Y/F/N Y/L/N." He winked at her and she blushed.

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

Jax had driven them to Colson's other house in a secluded area in Los Angeles. So far the press had no knowledge of his whereabouts so they would be staying there until it was time to leave for Canada on Sunday. Y/N had called Olivia to check on her and the others -they were safely guarded at the penthouse. Baze had tried to call her but she cut the call. She was still angry with him, he could have at least given her a heads up.

"Bambi are you done yet? It's only a high school prom sweets-there's no need to go all out." Colson glanced at his Apple watch again and started to pace the room impatiently. He was dressed in a white shirt, that he had left unbuttoned and a midnight blue designer suit, the latest collection from Giorgio Armani, where he was currently one of the brand ambassadors. His blonde hair was sleeked back and it accentuated his handsome face.

"I'm almost done." Y/N put the finishing touches on her face, examined herself in the mirror and when she was satisfied she left the room.

Her hair was swept to the side and she had donned a sleeveless, glittery midnight-blue gown, with a halter neck, that accentuated her curves and exposed modest cleavage and her back. She had protested to Melissa that she would be a bit overdressed for a prom but to no avail. Byron told her that they would be there briefly and after that she had to accompany Colson to his concert at Madison Square Garden where she would have to change again. This was good publicity. He had assured Y/N that she was good for Colson's image. She was a regular girl that no one knew so they could use that to their advantage. It would prove to the public that Colson Baker was a changed man.

"Wow! You look beautiful." He stared at her as she walked into the sitting room. "It was definitely worth the wait. Shall we?" He held out his arm for her.

"You're looking very handsome but that's nothing new right?" She linked her arm with his as they walked towards the elevator.

"It's nice to hear it if it's coming from a genuine reliable source." He grinned.

Melissa had selected her outfits as usual. The press would be there in and they wanted to portray the best side of Colson. Anything to get their focus off the bad publicity he had received recently. It was hard to believe that they had only been here for two days and there was already so much drama that had happened.

Y/N was not sure if she would go along with this whole plan of being Colson's girlfriend, but Byron said it was pure speculation. He just wanted to lead the press into thinking that but Y/N could not understand how it would help. Byron said he would give her time to think it over and they would discuss it further tomorrow morning.

They arrived at Mira Vista High School's hall just before they were about to crown the prom queen and king. The honor was given to Colson of course and people were falling all over themselves to get a glimpse of him. They had prepared a corner table for him, his guards were surrounding the area and they were not permitting anyone to get close.

"And now ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. It is my utmost pleasure and honor to welcome America's golden boy, every teens rock-idol-please help me welcome to the stage the one, the only superstar of all time: Colson Baker!!!" The MC announced and all the students went wild as Colson stood up and walked to the podium. He pulled Y/N along with him although she tried to resist at first.

"Please." He mouthed over the noise. She nodded her agreement and stood with him.

They could hardly contain their excitement. The girls screamed and the guys hooted.

"Colson, Colson, Colson!" Was resounding all over the school hall causing the walls to vibrate.

"Thank you. Thank you all so much. I love you guys." More screams and "We love you too Colson."

"Well I'd love to sit around and chat a bit-but as the saying goes the show must go on." He spoke into the mic. "So my lovely date over there-and I will announce your homecoming king and queen, then we gotta bust outta here cos we got a concert to go to. Is anyone coming out to Madison Square tonight?? I will be giving out ten free tickets tonight so keep your fingers crossed. But most definitely the king and queen deserve tickets right?"

The crowd roared.

They crowned the prom king and queen, then Colson and Y/N opened up the dance floor. He put his hands round her small waist and she looped hers around his neck. She rested her head on his chest and it felt like home. Like she belonged here, in his arms. He smelt so good and his masculine scent was intoxicating, causing her senses to reel. The DJ was playing Lover by Taylor Swift. Colson started to sing along as he looked at her pointedly.

𝑪𝒂𝒏 𝑰 𝒈𝒐 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒈𝒐

𝑪𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆?

𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓, 𝒂𝒉 𝑻𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆

𝒀𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒚, 𝒎𝒚, 𝒎𝒚, 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓

"So I got a private performance..I feel kind of special." She smiled as she put her hand on his chest.

"You are..Thanks for doing this sweets." He whispered into Y/N's ear as they danced, sending shivers down her spine. "I owe you one." He brushed his cheek against her soft one.

"I'll hold you to that." She said softly.

"Baby you can hold me to anything." He laughed and it made him look young and carefree.

"You should do that more often." Y/N said as she smiled back at him. His smile was contagious.

"What laugh? Smile? I know it seems I have everything in that I could possibly want-and don't get me wrong I am grateful but-" He shook his had sadly, " You know what let's not talk about this right now okay?" He kissed her forehead.

"Okay," She touched his cheek lightly.

"Smile." He said as he put his head closer to hers and snapped a photo of them. She pulled out her tongue instead.

"I'm soo going to post this pic." He chuckled as he typed wildly on his iPhone.

"Go right ahead." She swung her hair back and grinned at him.

"Hey sweets..let me sign a few autographs and take a whole lotta selfies, then we can get out of here. I'll be right back-don't move." He led her back to the table and left her seated with Jax.

He made his way back accompanied by his other guards and he melted into the crowd. It was evident that his young fans still loved him by the way they interacted with him. He always grabbed the attention of everyone in a room, people were instantly drawn to him like a moth to a flame. When he was done the guards cleared the way for him as he walked back over to Y/N.

"You're ready to get out of here Bambi?" He put his hand on the small of her back and steered her towards the exit points.

"You look tired?If you're not up for the concert I can get Jax to drop you off at the condo?" He asked with concern.

"What are you kidding me right now?? I wouldn't miss your concert for the world! That's what I'm here for after all!"

"Okay, okay let's go then." He laughed as he entwined their hands.

The press ambushed them as soon as they walked out of the school hall and they were inundated with questions. The body guards pushed them through forcefully and Colson protectively cradled Y/N's head on his chest and she kept it there until they jumped into the limo.

"You're okay?" Colson cupped her face.

"I'm okay Baker. Still in one piece as you can see."

"Good." Silence fell as their eyes burned into each other and the air became electric. Sparks were flying and the attraction was undeniable. They both seemed to wrestle with their feelings but common sense took over.

"I want nothing more than to kiss you right now.." He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbed. "but I can't-I will respect your wishes.' He dropped his hands from her face, as if burned.

She turned her head aside and the moment was lost.

They arrived at Madison Square and as soon as they stepped out of the car Colson was whisked away and she didn't see him again until much later. Melissa led Y/N to the dressing room, where Ashleigh and Sommer were also getting ready and helped them to change into casual outfits.

"Hey stranger!" Ashleigh hugged Y/N as soon as she entered the room.

"Hey you, where have you been?" Sommer hugged her awkwardly.

"Hey..I'm glad you guys are okay." Y/N said as she sat in front of the dresser and allowed Melissa to work her magic. "I couldn't come back to the penthouse because of the press and I had to go to some prom with Colson. We came straight here after."

"So you and Colson..?" Sommer asked.

"No. Nothing like that." Y/N stressed.

"So Travis is a detective.." Ashleigh swayed the topic of discussion, picking up that Y/N was uncomfortable.

"Yeah. Who would have thought huh?" Y/N mused. "Is Slim still-?

"No. They let him go. Insufficient evidence." Sommer tried to make light of it.

"Right girls you're all done . Let's get you to the concert." Melissa announced.

"Yeah! That's what we came for." Ashleigh shouted excitedly.

"Group hug." Sommer said and everyone huddled together and ended up taking photos.

Jax led them to the VIP section where they had a pretty good view of the stage. They were served drinks of their choice and the tables had champagne on ice, tequila and drinks they couldn't even pronounce.

Colson was on stage performing hit after hit and doing what he does best. Sweat was dripping all over his lean body and girls in the audience were about to pass out just by looking at him. He seemed oblivious to all of this as he continued with his performance. One lucky girl was hurled onto the stage and screamed her head off when he started grinding on her.

"This next song is dedicated to all my fans. But especially my ultimate fans that made it through to the competition. I'd like to bring them out to the stage so you can all meet them. C'mon guys." Jax ushered them onto the stage and left them standing next to Colson.

"You guys ready? You all remember the routine right?" He whispered to them and they nodded. "Great. Let's do this." They positioned themselves behind Colson and he started to sing.

He lingered behind Y/N a little longer than necessary and when he decided to kiss her at the end of the song the audience went crazy. It was a spur of the moment thing and he hadn't planned to do it. Y/N blushed furiously and hid her face in his shoulder and he laughed.

"Sorry about that sweets. Blame it on the adrenaline." He whispered in her ear before he walked back to the center of the stage.

"Everybody give it up for my Ultimate Fans!!" He gestured towards them and they took a bow before walking off the stage.

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

The sun blasted through the windows causing Y/N to groan and wince in pain. She couldn't remember when or how she got home last night. Her head was pounding and felt like it belonged to someone else. The room was spinning slightly and it hurt when she opened her eyes. Alcohol was bad. Especially when it was free.

She managed to drag herself out of bed and went to revive herself in the bathroom. After a cold shower she felt a bit better, but her head was still hammering. She downed a few painkillers and made her way to the kitchen and bumped into a half-naked blonde standing by the kitchen sink.

"Hey." She said and scampered off.

Y/N held her temples and took deep breaths. Her heart was being squeezed but she tried to tell herself that it didn't matter. What Colson did or who he did didn't matter. But the more she tried to bury the pain the more evident it became. She steadied herself on the counter and drank a glass of water but the pain manifested its ugly head. She rushed out of the kitchen with tears streaming down her face but what she saw next only caused her more pain.

Colson was standing just outside his bedroom door making out with the mystery blonde. She was clinging onto him like her life depended on it.

"You made my night sweets. Hope I run into you again next time I'm in the neighborhood." He said to her as he gave her a final peck.

"See you around Colson." She crooned and blew him a kiss before descending the stairs.

Y/N stood transfixed on the spot unable to move. Their eyes met and Colson simply winked at her before closing the door in her face. She trudged back to her room and threw herself on the bed. Then she made a decision-she had to go back to the penthouse. There was no way she would stay under the same roof with Colson while he continued to play ping-pong with her fragile heart.

"I can't do this anymore." She said to herself.

With her bag packed she hauled it downstairs and went in pursuit of Jax or any other driver that would take her back to the condo. She found Jax in the kitchen, giving the cook instructions to take breakfast up to her room.

"That won't be necessary Jax." She came up from behind. "I'm going back to the others-at the penthouse."

"Is Colson aware of your intentions?" He quirked his eyebrow as he towered over her.

"Why would he even care?" She lashed out. "Sorry Jax. I shouldn't be-"

"That's quite all right Miss Y/L/N. I know Colson can be a bit too much to handle sometimes." He winked at her, his brown eyes twinkling mischievously.

"Do you wan't to leave now or after brunch?" He lifted her heavy luggage off the floor.

"Now please." She pleaded as she followed him out to the car.

"I'm risking a lot by taking you away without Colson's knowledge. You do know that right?" He looked at her through the rear-view mirror.

"Really? He could have fooled me." She muttered under her breath.

"I know it may seem like he's a bit of a...jerk but he's under a lot of pressure. He doesn't have any real friends, except Slim maybe-but he's good kid. Just be patient with him. He'll come around sooner than later." Jax was fiercely loyal to his boss.

"I'm sorry but I can't play his games anymore. It hurts too much. I just can't." Her voice broke.

"I understand." Jax replied.

"I can't allow my self to get in too deep. I might not make it back out. So it's better this way. I need to keep my distance." She croaked, fighting back tears.

"It's not a question about keeping your distance but about whether you two can stay away from each other." Jax stated.

"We've only known each other for less than two weeks. I'm sure we can manage." She bit her bottom lip and her heart leaped. Even she didn't believe that.

"If you insist." Jax said and began to hum tunelessly to himself.

Y/N sighed and leaned her head back on the seat. She must have dozed off somewhere along the way because next thing she woke up in her room at the penthouse.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile somewhere in Los Angeles a grouchy Colson had finally woken up and decided he wanted to take a certain doe-eyed raven beauty to a late lunch. But alas, when he opened her bedroom door he was met by a soft breeze that wafted through billowing curtains.

"Bambi?"He called out from the landing. No response. "Y/N?" He made his way down the stairs and met with Jax who was sitting on a chair in the sitting room.

"She isn't here Colson." He said from behind a newspaper.

"What? Where is she? Where did she go?" He grabbed the newspaper out of Jax's hands and scowled at him.

"No point in taking your frustrations out on me. You should blame yourself." Jax reprimanded him. He was the only one that could do that and get away with it.

"I don't want her to get too attached." He pulled on his hair and sat on the couch.

"You or her?" Jax raised his eyebrow.

"What? Her obviously!" He scoffed.

"Right. If you insist." Jax started to hum tunelessly, as he usually did when he wasn't buying a story.

"Stop that humming. It's working on my nerves." He snapped.

"If you really want to know she's back with the others at the penthouse."

"But the press is crawling all over that place. She should have stayed here. Why did you allow her to leave??" He demanded.

"Because she wanted to leave after seeing you with that blonde-and I can't blame her." Jax grunted. "You should at least show her some respect."

"I promised to keep my hands off her so I needed a distraction." Colson paced the room like a caged animal. He didn't consider how his actions would affect Y/N, he was too self-absorbed for that.

"Your little stunt that you pulled on stage made it to the entertainment page. Evidently.." Jax cleared his throat and straightened the newspaper.

"Let me see that!" Colson took the paper and there it was for all the world to see-him and Y/N, their lips firmly glued together, her fingers buried in his golden locks. His blue orbs closed as if he was savoring the moment, not wanting it to end.

"You got what you wanted." Jax observed.

"I-not exactly..I was just caught up in the moment that's all." He put his hand behind his neck.

"Really Colson? And you aimed straight for Y/N's puckered lips. Interesting." He straightened out the paper and continued to read the article.

"Bryon is going to have a fit." Colson sighed as he leaned back on the couch.

"So since it's official that you and Y/N are an item-officially not unofficially. Then I think it's time to clean up your act." Jax put the paper aside and looked at Colson intently.

"Yeah..for the first time you could be right." He said, thoughtfully weighing his options. "Truth of the matter is I'm a sex-addict Jax. I can't control it. Especially when hot, sexy girls throw themselves all over me.. I can't resist them." He shrugged helplessly.

"What a load of bull manure!" Jax spat out. "I don't believe that crap for one second." He said with distaste.

"It's true man..I have a problem.. a real problem" He expressed with his hands.

"Rubbish." Jax replied. "You need to stop making excuses for your bad behavior Colson. The drugs, the alcohol, treating women like toilet paper, the bad attitude-IT needs to stop. Only you have the power to change it. No one else." Jax said with concern but he knew his sound counsel was falling on deaf ears.

"I need that in order to survive in this industry. You don't understand-forget it." He said with a wave of his hand.

"Actually I do. I'm 33 and I was your age once.. I was once an addict and and alcoholic. My wife took my kids and left me. I hated her for a very long time but now I understand why she did it. It took me a while but I finally cleaned up my act. I did it for my family and most importantly I did it for myself. I needed to get clean and stay clean for me. I just hope you can do the same before it's too late." He stood up and walked out leaving Colson to his thoughts.

[roselen-mylady]

In Another Life

Bucky Barnes x reader ° part eight

Summary: Waiting 88 years to find your soulmate? It was cruel. But it was a cruel fate Bucky would have to face whether he accepted it or not. Bucky was a tortured man all his life and he wasn't even granted the solace of having his soulmate at his side. All he had was the promise of one in another life. They were separated by two different times.

But the pain in their lives were connected.

Y/n had been alone ever since she could remember. All she could depend on was the soulmate that was destined to be at her side. Yet when the snap occurred she lost him.

And Bucky never got to meet her.

After the rather unsuccessful trial, Y/n asked Nat to help her find the showers, figuring the routine act of showering couldn't hurt in easing her busy mind. Y/n dropped the bag off in a room Nat told her was free to use and once grabbing a new set of clothes, they headed off making friendly chatter as they went. But Nat was quieter than usual, an unconscious frown settling in her lips. 

"Wow, if I had known the showers here were so nice I wouldn't have insisted on going home after training." Y/n marveled at the spotless shower room, ogling at the appeasing design. 

Nat let herself be removed from her thoughts, a small smile escaping as she stepped further into the room. Like most gym showers they were separated by small stalls, a clouded door cutting off the occupant from view. It was well lit and simplistic, the only noticeable decoration outside of the marbled tiles being the Avengers logo. 

"Yeah, the showers are pretty nice. There’s towels and toiletries in any of those cabinets over there.” Nat explained, jerking a thumb over her shoulder at the row of neat and out of the way cabinets. Y/n nodded quietly, looking around as Nat moved to sit on one of the benches in the center of the room. 

Y/n tried to ignore the tension that seemed to build around Nat. Her eyes focused on the floor not even noticing as Y/n walked past her making her way to the cabinet. A familiar sense of worry crept into her bones as she shot another glance at Nat. 

Even the towels were pleasing to the eye, all stacked in beautiful rolls on the shelf. Y/n grabbed one, pondering if being one of the heroes was really such a bad thing. A painful feeling bubbled in her chest at the thought and she shut the cabinet with a silent exhale. The responsibilities that came with being a hero certainly weren't worth nice towels. But maybe her friends were. 

"You know in Steve's defense, he tried to tell them to wait for you." Nat vouched, looking up from her hands as Y/n moved to the showers. Y/n scoffed a little, relieved that Nat was talking again. She switched on the water, grateful for the sound it created to fill the silence between their statements. 

"Yeah, well, for Steve that was a pathetic attempt. He could talk someone into robbing a bank if he wanted to, you know." Y/n replied, sending Nat a jesting look. She received a half hearted laugh from Nat as the door closed behind her. 

She tugged off her clothes letting them pile onto the floor before tossing them onto the bench next to her clean set. Both were silent for a moment or two as Y/n stepped into the water, telling herself she was only a little jealous of the water pressure. The warmth that flushed against her skin was soothing and a soft breath slipped past her lips as she allowed herself to relax. 

However, her relief didn't last much longer than a couple of fleeting seconds before Nat spoke up again, her tone establishing a more serious mood. "Why do you still belittle yourself?" Her voice rang out clear as a bell, making sure Y/n couldn't pretend she didn't hear. 

Y/n's bare shoulders slumped and she inhaled deeply, pushing forward her palms to the falling water. Apparently her past hadn't been as concealed as she hoped. 

"What do you mean?" Y/n questioned, trying her best to keep an innocent feel to her words. But Nat wasn't having any of her games. 

"Your whole, 'I'm just a psychiatrist' thing. I'm surprised Steve hasn't figured out that it's not true." Nat remarked. Y/n knew it was an accusation but the way in which Nat spoke was calm like she was making an observation. 

"He hasn't had reason to suspect otherwise. I thought the same about you but I was wrong, I guess." Y/n confessed, any defensiveness toward being exposed washing away with the sweat on her body. It was only a matter of time before one of the Avengers found out and she was glad it was just Nat. 

A strained laugh echoed through the room and Y/n could practically see Nat's offended expression. "I used to be a spy and assassin, you really think I didn't find out everything about you when Steve brought you here the first time?" She questioned. Y/n hummed in response, grabbing the shampoo bottle next to her towel. 

"I was going to tell Steve too but, ever the gentleman, he wanted to respect your privacy." Nat explained. She shifted her legs, letting them cross as her eyes landed on the signature 'A' on the wall. 

"And you didn't?"

Nat dropped her gaze to her folded hands, picking at her fingers more out of habit than distress. "I couldn't. When you started to come around, we were receiving the backlash of the snap. There were hundreds more death threats than ever before, which I didn't even think was possible. I couldn't take the chance of Steve getting hurt because he's too trusting." 

Y/n remained silent, understanding Nat's actions. Though it irked her that the secret of her history was no longer her own, she reasoned with her irrational side to let it go. 

"Imagine my surprise when I found out you'd actually been scouted by S.H.I.E.L.D for years." Nat continued. The slick feeling lingered in Y/n's hair as she struggled to get the conditioner to wash out, her focus deviating from the routine toward Nat. 

"Why did you never accept? They'd been hunting you down since you were 13." The question sounded desperate and hurt as if the refusal was directed at Nat herself.  

Y/n sighed wringing out her hair and shutting off the water. "You don't know everything." She mumbled. "I did accept." She tucked the towel around herself before stepping out, meeting Nat's confused gaze. "S.H.I.E.L.D had been trying to get me to join since they had found out about me and once I was 14, I ran away and joined." She continued. 

A darkness settled in her eyes and she directed her eyes away from Nat, instead glaring at the floor. "Why didn't you stay?" Nat asked, her voice more tender once noticing the pain in Y/n's expression. 

"I realized S.H.I.E.L.D wasn't what I thought it was." A sick feeling settled in Nat's core as she quickly put a timeline together. 

HYDRA. 

Nat stayed silent even as Y/n moved to sit next to her. "Look, I'm sorry for not telling you. Believe it or not I have trust issues too. But by the time I got to know you guys, I thought telling you the truth would do more harm than good." Y/n admitted, lifting her eyes to meet Nat's. 

"It's okay." Nat offered her support, glancing over at Y/n. The brisk air nipped at her damp skin making her almost shiver when droplets fell from her hair and ran down her back. "I just wish you'd stop pretending you don't belong here." 

"I don't belong here." Y/n fought, her brows furrowing in frustration. "I'm not a hero. I'm not an Avenger. Everything I said back there was true." She insisted, trying to cling to the life she'd created for herself. 

"But you worked for S.H.I.E.L.D." Nat tried to emphasize as though it would change Y/n's mind. She shook her head looking away from Nat. She should've never stayed. 

"I don't want to talk about it, Nat." Y/n pleaded. The desperation in her tone overpowered any need to question further and Nat nodded, putting a gentle hand on her friend's forearm. 

"Alright, we don't have to talk about it." Her words trailed on and Y/n dreaded what she sensed Nat wanted to say. "But you have to tell Steve. The longer you wait, the more it'll hurt him." She warned.

Y/n dragged herself up to her feet offering a reluctant nod. She knew telling Steve would either change nothing or everything about their relationship and she feared the moment when she would have to find out which. 

"I will. But you can't say anything to him about this until I do. This stays between us." Y/n urged. Nat gave a small nod of agreement but Y/n could tell she would go back on her word if it meant keeping Steve safe. 

Though it hurt a little that Nat believed she'd hurt Steve, she understood her weariness. Her past had been the one thing Y/n had protected for so long and Nat wasn't sure how she would react to having to share it. But what Nat didn't know was that Steve and her came first to Y/n even before herself. 

"So, what exactly did they recruit you for? It didn't say in the report." Nat asked cautiously, trying to ease some of the tension between them. Y/n felt a hint of a smile creep onto her face, figuring Fury must've had some kind of contingency plan to protect her even after his death. 

"Well, I'm kind of a certified genius." Y/n answered, slightly amused by her explanation and the look of surprise it earned. "Graduated early and stayed at SHIELD for a year as their personal genius." Y/n elaborated looking back at Nat with an offended gawk. "What did you think I was recruited for?"

"I'm not sure." Nat replied, trying to apply this new piece of information to her memories with Y/n. All this time she was a genius? It didn't seem real with some of the stupid things she'd done.

"After my time with S.H.I.E.L.D I joined a high school for some normalcy until I transferred to college. Thankfully I'd be moved around enough classes to avoid suspicion. You must've seen all the classes on my record." Y/n explained, tugging on a t-shirt. 

Nat's brow furrowed and she scoffed, letting her shoulders slump in disbelief. "I thought you were just indecisive." Nat let out a breathless laugh. Y/n chuckled, pulling her jeans up and opening the door. Bringing her belongings out with her, she sat next to Nat to slip on her shoes. 

"Maybe that played into it. Everything was too easy for me but psychology kept my attention." Y/n turned to Nat, studying her thoughtful gaze. "Come on, I'm sure Steve is looking for us." She nudged her friend's arm, drawing her to her feet. 

"You know, for being ex-S.H.I.E.L.D, I thought you'd be easier to train." Nat teased earning a harsh glare from Y/n. 

"They wanted me for my brain, I only had to pass basic training." Y/n defended, jabbing her elbow into Nat's side. The woman laughed in reply, enjoying the pout that had settled on Y/n's lips. 

•••

As if the universe decided to have pity on them, Tony changed his mind, arriving at the compound with what he affectionately called a Time-Space GPS. Bruce seemed almost relieved now that Tony had joined, knowing the whole operation no longer rested on him. 

Or so he thought. Surely, he must've noticed Y/n adjusting his calculations and making suggestions that he would've never thought of. Maybe he just wanted to respect her secret? She gazed at said man with a suspicious glint in her eyes, not even noticing as Tony turned to her.  

"Hey, Doc. What are you doing here?" Tony asked suddenly, turning to Y/n's strangely familiar face. Her eyes flicked toward him, her face flushing in embarrassment as she readied herself for his disapproval. 

"I-I..." She stammered timidly under the gaze of her idol. Something in his eyes seemed knowing, a look that Nat gave her only minutes before and she began to crack with fear of her past being out in the open. It was out of character for her to be so anxious and Steve quickly stepped in sensing her unease.  

"She's with me." He said, his tone firm as Tony turned to him. Tony raised an eyebrow at this, confused by Steve's defensiveness. She was at risk being there but Steve didn't seem to care. 

Y/n had already gone this far with them and that made her a part of the team in his book. She may not have had superpowers or been in battles like they had but she was a hero for years by simply helping those their failure had hurt. She did what they had hoped to do but in the end never really did. She made the world better. 

"Alright…and since when did we bring civilians into this?" Tony argued. Y/n could hear a bit of concern in his tone and her brows furrowed wondering why on Earth he'd care if she got caught in the crossfire. She was a nobody to him.

"Since now." Steve fought. Tony sighed knowing fighting with Steve was pointless. He had spent years resenting the man and he didn't have the energy to fight him anymore. 

"Okay, awesome." Tony said sarcastically. Y/n watched as he held his hand next to his mouth leaning over to her. "Blink twice if you're being held here against your will." He whispered, loud enough for Steve to hear. 

Y/n's nerves dissipated and a soft smile came to her face as Steve frowned. She turned to Tony shaking her head, her suppressed laugh bringing his own smile forward. 

"I like you." She told him. He looked at her with an amused glimmer in his eye as he put an arm around her shoulders. He didn't know why but there was something familiar about her, a joy from his presence that only came from one that admired him. 

"Y'know what, I kinda like you too." He said gently, trying to figure out why he seemed to recognize the feeling. "Well, let's at least get you some kind of gear since you're gonna be stuck with us. Jeez, are we just gonna send her out there with a little clipboard? You guys are insane." Tony taunted, pulling himself away and turning a playful glare to Steve. 

"I wasn't planning on sending her into a fight." Steve tried to defend, not picking up on Tony's joke. Tony's mood changed with Steve's and he sighed, starting to lead Y/n off to the lab.  

"Yeah, well, I learned the hard way that anyone who's involved with us always ends up in the fight." Tony told him, not waiting around for a response. Y/n gave Steve a tender look as she followed Tony, her heart aching at the sight of Steve's guilty expression. As much as he hated to admit it Tony wasn't wrong. 

Was he doing the right thing? 

"What school did you go to?" Tony asked suddenly. She opened her mouth to question why he was asking but he beat her to it with a short shrug. "I saw the work you did. Lemme guess, some kind of tech school?" He inferred. 

She nodded slowly, trying to hide the stupid grin on her face at his subtle compliment. If only he'd known. They entered the lab and she stopped walking as Tony paced forward, trying to find some bracelets like Natasha had once used. 

"Midtown. I was really interested in making new technology." She explained. The mention of the school made him pause an intense feeling of grief washing over him as Peter came to his mind. He sighed trying to force the memories away. He was doing this for Peter and everyone else. 

"Why'd you stop?" He asked. Y/n shook her head, coming to stand next to the table to his right. 

"I guess other opportunities came around." She replied hoping he wouldn't question further. "But after that didn't pan out I went to college, learned anything and everything I could. I wanted to do it all and couldn't stick to one topic. Don't get me wrong, I still love science, hell, I even have the old arc reactor and repulsors I made back in the day. Just psychology was the only thing that could meet my ambition." She sighed, leaning against the table. 

Tony was silent for a moment realizing why he took such a liking to her. She reminded him of Peter. He sighed knowing he was going to do something stupid as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small earpiece. 

"Were they any good?" He asked. She laughed giving a little nod as she thought of all the cuts and bruises she got from using them. 

"Well, I could fly a few yards in the air and I'm sure those poor soda cans had seen better days but they weren't exactly Iron Man quality." She confessed. He nodded, putting out his hand to her. Her eyes fell on the piece, her brow creasing in confusion. 

"Come on, before I change my mind." He urged. She quickly took it, studying the earpiece as he looked away. Tony never really had handled touching moments like those well. It had something to do with his own self hatred, he just couldn't understand why someone would look up to him. 

"What is it?" She asked curiously, tracing over the small button behind the ear hook. He moved to lean against the table beside her, using his finger to point out the button. 

"Uh, a gift for my wife but she didn't much care for the color. It's just a prototype anyways but it should work the same. Put it on and press that." He instructed watching as she pushed off the table and took a couple steps in front of him. She slipped on the earpiece, pressing the button like he told her. 

Bits of metal began to expand from the piece and it flushed over her body covering her from head to toe. A display lit up in front of her and she gasped as a voice greeted her, introducing itself as F.R.I.D.A.Y and welcoming Y/n. She quickly retracted the helmet staring at Tony with wide eyes, completely speechless. He smirked, trying not to show how entertained he was by her awestruck expression. 

"I don't understand…" Y/n said quietly. She was overjoyed to be given a suit, something she had spent most of her teenage years trying to recreate, by her hero nonetheless. But also confused. Why would he give her something so valuable? 

"How old are you?" Tony asked. Y/n's mouth hung open trying to find the relevance of the question before looking away. 

"24, almost 25." She answered slowly. Tony nodded. She was still so young yet so smart for someone who hadn't even reached thirty. Yet, she still had the ignorance that came with innocence. She hadn't seen what most of those on the team had and he wished to protect that like he had intended for Morgan. 

"I lost a kid because of Thanos. Though it wasn't just Thanos's fault I guess, we were too busy fighting one another to get our heads out of our asses and pay attention to the real threat." He crossed his arms, staring at the wall. 

"I'm so sorry. I can't imagine how that must've felt." She said. He offered her a half hearted chuckle looking up at her. 

"You really are a psychiatrist." He said, trying to mask the sorrow that filled his heart and gaze. But Y/n had seen enough people to know exactly what diverting looked like. Tony had been right about her not experiencing horrible things and she knew she'd never understand what they felt. The only trauma she'd experienced was the loss of her family but it was nothing compared to half the universe's blood on your hands. 

But while she didn't experience it first hand, she did through the people she'd become close to. She saw not only every tragedy that affected them but every reaction to it. She saw the brightest in them but also the dark that no one should ever have to see. She saw the aftermath of what they did and had experienced. And in that way she was just as wise.  

"He would've been around your age. He was like you, bright and hopeful. He was going to be better than me, better than any of us." Tony said softly and Y/n listened carefully. It was strange seeing the man that once appeared godlike in her eyes to have flaws or breakdowns for that matter but she had to remind herself he was human too. 

"Well, maybe after all of this, you can give him this suit instead." She suggested. He looked up to her, his expression insecure but his eyes grateful as he chuckled. 

"Keep it. Black never really was his style anyways." Tony remarked. Y/n smiled and he smiled back, realizing just how much he had changed her life by doing that. He cleared his throat, breaking eye contact before pushing off the table and walking off. 

"Well, we better get to work. I promised the old soulmate I'd be back for dinner." He joked. Y/n nodded watching as he went before turning back to the suit. 

It shaped to her frame as if it was fitted for her which was strange for a metal suit. Judging by the way it had moved she figured it had been nanotech, similar to the suit Tony had worn in the New York fight in 2018. It was surprisingly easy to maneuver in and she instantly figured out the concept of the display, getting acquainted with the A.I. F.R.I.D.A.Y. 

She didn't understand why Tony's wife wouldn't just adore the suit even though it was a prototype. The color was amazingly detailed, mostly black with silver accents in the grooves of the metal. She supposed having Tony Stark as a husband meant being able to make specific requests as to high tech.  

Y/n grinned idiotically, letting the suit retract back into the earpiece before going out to meet the others. 

Could she be one of them? 

•••

"That's Thor?" Y/n whispered harshly to Rhodey as the hobo looking man sipped his beer. His prominent beer gut moved with him and his sunglasses slipped down the bridge of his nose as Y/n stared in distaste.  

"Supposed to be." Rhodey answered shortly. Y/n remembered Thor being the object of every woman's fantasies but the years had not been kind to him and she figured it was no longer the case. 

"I'm gonna go check in with Big Guy. Ask Tony how long this thing's gonna take." Rhodey announced, jerking his thumb back to the time machine behind them. Y/n nodded absently, catching sight of Tony as Rhodey walked away. 

"Hey, Tony! I told Rocket that we need to add more paneling the exterior of this thing or it's going to fall apart but he doesn't think so. You'd think fixing spacecraft and all he'd understand the importance of paneling!" She explained, shouting the last part back at Rocket with a glare. "But whatever." She sighed sarcastically, turning back to Tony with an annoyed expression

Tony came toward her, carrying a bit of tubing over his shoulder as he carefully walked around Thor. He rolled his eyes at both him and her statement, calling over to Rocket. 

"What's the thickness of that exterior?" He questioned. Rocket looked at him from his hanging position giving a nonchalant shrug. 

"Quarter inch. Your girl over here is just paranoid." Rocket argued, making Y/n cross her arms. Tony shook his head, walking over to him and setting down the tubing. 

"You might wanna listen to her, Ratchet. That's like half an inch short of what we need." Tony said. Y/n hummed in agreement, not caring about the annoyed look she earned from the angry raccoon. 

"It's Rocket. Take it easy, you two aren't the only geniuses on Earth." Rocket fought before returning to his task. Tony scoffed, turning to look at Y/n whose face was flushed at the comment. 

"Hey, Couch Doctor. You want me to help you start on the paneling?" He questioned. She waved her hand dismissively, looking around for the metal sheets they would need. 

"Nah, it's ok. I'll handle it. I was the one that mentioned it anyways." She volunteered, tugging off her Midtown sweatshirt and tossing it over a stack of materials they'd been using. Her arms were now exposed in the tank top she wore, allowing Tony to catch sight of her countdown. 

"Well, that's interesting." He commented. Y/n followed his gaze to her wrist. Her face flushed from uncovering her rare countdown but she tried to brush it off but grabbing some welding tools. Thankfully, it was only them and the raccoon, making her relax slightly.

"Yeah, wish I could explain it but I'm at a loss." She mumbled. Tony couldn't bring his gaze from her wrist as she gathered the welding unit and protective gear. He tried not to make it obvious while he calculated the numbers but Y/n caught his stare giving him a quizzical look. 

"That's almost 90 years ago. Isn't that around Cap's time?" He asked. Y/n paused, her gaze dropping to her countdown. She'd made her own calculations before, piecing together that her countdown would put her 88 years in the future.

However, she'd never thought about it the opposite way. There was no reason to.

Tony felt a little at fault for her sorrow and he quickly changed the subject, trying to take her mind off it. 

"I mean there can't be too many hundred year-old men in the world." He mumbled. She shook away the thought, doing her best to disregard any theroies. It made more sense that her countdown was looking into the future rather than the past, as odd as that sounded.

Trying hard to force away the thought of her soulmate, she began welding some of the plating onto the machine. It was a difficult subject for her yet it had been brought up twice in the matter of a day. 

"So, I gave you a suit. Now I gotta give you a name." He announced suddenly. She stopped her hand lifting the welding helmet to rest atop her head. 

"A name?" She repeated, raising a brow. He nodded, putting out his hands in a playful gesture. 

"Yeah, I mean a hero name. Y'know like Iron Man or Captain America, the whole deal." He explained quickly. She was reluctant but figured a simple name couldn't hurt and she finally smiled looking over at him. 

"What'd you have in mind?" She asked him, watching as he stared at the ground thoughtfully. 

"Um, Iron Girl?" He suggested. 

"Wow, I could tell you put a lot of thought into that." Y/n mused. He chuckled coming to stand next to her, leaning against the machine. 

"You're right that's a little sexist. Uh, Iron Star?" He tried. Y/n provided a small shrug in response, reaching up to pull down the welding helmet. 

"I think I'll just stick with Y/n." She laughed. He groaned letting his hands fall against his thighs. 

"Come on, Iron Star's pretty cool." He argued, rather proud of his brainstorming. Y/n shook her head, sending him an amused glance through the visor. 

"If you say so, Stark."

•••

"Do you think it'll work?" Nat questioned gently. Y/n leaned further into the couch under Nat's intent stare, sipping the water bottle she'd been given. 

"Well, with Tony's help I think we have a chance. His algorithm sure as hell makes more sense than mine." Y/n sighed. Sweat had collected on her brow and she wiped at it with the back of her hand as she closed her eyes. 

She silently wondered how she missed something like that before. Asking about soulmates was an unspoken ban. It was risky after the snap just as risky as asking about someone's family. She'd never thought to ask because Y/n kept it covered and Nat had just assumed she'd lost her soulmate to the snap. 

They'd been working for hours and Y/n requested a break, not sure how much longer she could handle Tony and Rocket bickering over loud music. Nat had come to keep her company but also out of her own curiosity about Y/n's past. From Y/n's position she got a clear few of her countdown something she'd realized she had never seen before. Had her numbers always been so odd? 

Nat shifted uncomfortably on the couch opposite to Y/n, thinking about all those who had disappeared that fateful day. She'd been there when they all vanished and she vividly remembered the dread that set in after watching such a horrific display.

Suddenly, Steve's need for Y/n made perfect sense to her. 

The way Steve's fingers numbly fell into the pile that was once his lifelong friend. The words of shock that slipped through his lips in the form of a whisper. Collapsing onto the ground with the most devastated expression she had ever seen. 

He lost Bucky and so many of his other friends. His new family. He'd lost everything  But he had Y/n. 

And now that he had someone left to fight for he couldn't let her go. Not with hope hanging in the air. 

"What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost." Nat looked up, forcing a smile as Y/n took another sip of her water. 

"Just thinking about what's going to happen when we get everyone back." She lied. Y/n swallowed quickly, pointing a playful finger at Nat. 

"I don't know about you but I'm going to take a nap as soon as this is over. Tony's horrible sleeping schedule is rubbing off on me." Y/n laughed. Nat's smile became more genuine as she watched Y/n tap her earpiece letting just the helmet unfold around her head. 

"But first I gotta fix up these protocols a bit. I have no idea what 'Last Ditch Effort Protocol' entails but I really don't wanna find out." Y/n's voice came out sort of muffled and mechanical like Tony's was as Iron Man. 

"Probably something flamboyant." Nat replied. Y/n nodded, her hands swiping at the air before her nonchalantly. 

"Yeah, no one's quite as extra as Tony Stark."

Part nine 

Taglist

@cancanmarvel

@jessyballet

@eldahae

@mc225g

@kissesofdeadforme

@wantingtobekorra

@sxphiiwrld

@lunaticbarnes

@indecisivedolly

@saiyanprincesswanue

@lextheflexsthings

[wrathfulspark]

@jjwxlf

Jaylah stared the witch in the eye as the distance between them closed in. Elidi’s first question, she did have an answer to, but stayed silent almost knowing more was to come. Tamryn hadn’t developed a partnership with anyone so this situation was most definitely unique, but of course she wasn’t going to give Elidi that satisfaction in knowing that she was Tamryns first most serious fling. “I did the same with Dallas, yes. A werewolf that she once dated. They were a really good pair and he liked me, but I’m sure she’s told you about him.” Her thoughts spoke back to Elidi with a unphased stare. By staying silent, more answers came out from the dark haired female which was what Jaylah wanted. Instead of doing the predictable, the redhead lifted her eyebrows like a surprised brat to display interest and to show she was listening.

The younger sibling stayed stone cold towards the witch as Elidi seemed to fire back questions. Her eye contact not leaving for a second to waste, they only moved as her lids narrowed when Elidi spoke about how Jaylah wasn’t Tamryn keeper but not understanding the weight of what it meant to be blood to back up her accusation. Still, her words pursed in between her sculpted lips that sealed shut to the womans surprise, and her emerald orbs stayed locked on the target, observing every word and every action behind it. Shifting for a slit second once Lupe’s name was mentioned, she snarled at the remark about her understanding anything about the incident, but realizing it was a test to see how Jaylah would predator-idly react. However, when Elidi said that she didn’t agree with Tamryns ways on how it was handled caused Jaylah to stand up a bit from her hunched posture. She looked down to fix her clothes as Elidi followed up the false empathy only to insult her in the following sentence while she debated the conversation in her head. The impulses of her nature were screaming at her to leave the pointless conversation, but Jaylah stayed before the witch while she continued.

In that moment the redhead brat was glad she stayed for she was pleased to know she had successfully gotten inside Elidi’s mind and twisted all reality and things questionable. Raising her folded arms from across her chest to over her head to lean back like a headrest, she continued to listen to the rant. Head games were common within the pack to test each other and others, but perhaps there were reasons to her madness that she had been trying to convey that was blinded by Elidis infatuation with Tamryn. The debate on whether to be helpful and form allies or to sworn enemies to keep the rotation going was beginning to stir in the same melting pot. Though the wisdom witch claimed to see right through Jaylah, she allowed those to see what they wanted to.

After stretching out in all her confident glory, the two stood in silence until the other broke the silence, that being Elidi declaring her love for Tamryn. The tension was clear though there was an ounce of communication in the air, Jaylah allowed her arms to fall to her sides.

Scratching at her hairline, she gathered to find the words to say back. The one thing she could sense from the other was honesty, and she debated whether it was wise to do the same. Her eyes shifted from the blue sets of hues back on the green grass a couple of times until it was time for something to be said.

“I know you care about Tamryn...” Jaylah deflated as she dropped her fidgeting hand down to her side where she then connected her fidgeting digits through her belt loop.

“And I know she cares about you....” Her eyes distanced themselves from the others stare to concentrate on what needed to be said.

“Maybe it’s the familiar long black hair, or the way you two look at each other and protect one another, but you remind me a lot of Lupe.” She swallowed the large lump in her throat before making eye contact and continuing, “She was half human too... and Tamryn got rid of her like... an old book.” Her eyes wandered to the romance book in hand before looking back up. “I don’t agree what she did either, but I will more than likely forgive her in unnatural ways only to leave myself broken once again like before. Listen, if you choose her, you let go a piece of yourself because it’s the most sacrificing thing you can do for the person you set as the most important thing on earth... and that’s based on both love and fear. I’m not saying I care about you because I don’t know enough to know you, but like I said, there’s a part a Lupe I see in you, so take it as a compliment because she the best thing that’s ever happened to me, she’s my saving grace and I’m lucky to have her, she’s..mi rosa especial enviada del cielo para guiarme en la tierra.”

A smile faded to taking a deep breath, Jaylah continued, “Lupe didn’t have a choice to become part of the pack, you do. If this is what you want, then you have to see not only Tamryn but fit yourself into the pack as well. Lupe is still strugging with that, but she’s trying. You have to put yourself behind which means, you have to protect me too, which means... I have to trust you.”

“I may be young and have done stupid things in my lifetime, but I know what it’s like to feel and be in true love. I know all the signs. I bet you two have had late night talks, sharing each others biggest secrets. Bet you two have made promises to one another that you’ve never promised another. Maybe done some things out of your comfort zone to prove your love, bend the rules for loyalty?... You are the closest thing to Lupe and I when it comes to you and Tamryn. I mean...how do you honestly expect me to react? The only difference between you two is that I am imprinted with Lupe, and Tamryn doesn’t even know what a soulmate is if it slapped her in the face. I barely knew what love was until I turned an innocent person, that happened to be my soulmate... and I nearly lost myself because I lost them... all because my sister didn’t approve of them. But... but I’m suppose to be okay with whatever happens b-because I’m just a beta... right? Well, you’re not in any rank so what say do you have? Oh oh, wait a minute, you’re the girlfriend... I’ve known Tamryn since the 18th century a-and you’ve known her since Tabula Rasa opened so... fuck me right?”

Jaylah began to pace as she thought out loud with all of her concerns.

“Three years ago you would have been dust based on how Tamryns mind works, Elidi. You’re only lucky enough to roam around and see the light of day because Tamryn chooses to.” Her words were beginning to build the more she correlated Lupe and Elidi together.

“You are a powerful witch, so it makes sense as to why you would be an addition to our pack. But what if it doesn’t work, huh? What if in a year or two one of you decide running with the wolves is not for you, hmm? What if.... what if I let you in and it doesn’t work out?” Contemplating emerald hues swept the ground like a mop before making their way back to Elidi, Eyes flickered with emotion as they fought the urge to show it. She took a deep breath and sucked in her tears that formed. She dismissed the thoughts of losing her mother, father, and lover all because of being naive and trusting the unseen unfortunate outcomes. “Then you’re just another person I get close to, and lose.”

Her eyes searched the other for a chance to read the thoughts that were going through the womans mind. She feared of rejection and humiliation and almost preferred to be enemies than a temporary high, something she had been chasing over the last couple of decades since her father passed. A thumb massaged the inside of her palm, almost to distract herself momentarily while she debated what to say next or listen to what was to be said.

“If you want to call me a liar, or say that I’m playing games with you,or or... or say that I’m weak.... that I’m nothing like my sister then fine! So be it! I don’t care! At least you’ve heard my side of things.” Taking a few steps closer to insure that Elidi would take in her next words, she allowed the space between them to get uncomfortably close, “...But if you love her, you better be damn sure you’re right about it, because there’s no taking it back. Don’t make permanent decisions based on temporary emotions, and that’s coming from me, Elidi.”

Arms resumed back to their original fold as she awaited the response, almost anticipating a defensive response and the woman to walk away.

Jaylah talked so much. There was so much to unpack and process what the beta was telling her. Not that her opinion was regarded highly but to give her the same attention she had given Elidi, even if it was clearly forced. The witches expression remained stoic, her brow quirking every now and again as the wolf spoke her piece. Her hand rubbed at her temple, her eyes shutting as it seemed Jaylah was finally done speaking. Overhead grey clouds rolled in, a heavy scent of rain lingered about the air, the wind gently tossling their locks.

"I suppose I'll start at the beginning. I am nothing like your Lupe, however if that makes this entire process easier for you than so be it." She exhaled a sigh, lucent hues examining her nails, her brow quirking as she spoke plainly, "I'm not... dust as you put it, because I am a worthy opponent. However your earlier statement is correct, I am a good witch." She paused to let her eyes meet Jaylah's own, hues similar to Tamryn's yet foreign one in the same. "Then you brought the conversation back to you. This is about Tamryn. You don't care about me, I don't care about you." A heavy sigh is pushed past her lips, her irritation getting the better of her. She's silent for a moment, wondering if that was too harsh to say while Jaylah was being passive. Even if it were true.

Elidi averts her gaze, confused even more so by Jaylah's emotions, the words she spoke now conflicting with the personality she had grown to know, the image she's seen of the beta. "We haven't discussed the pack much, so I wouldn't stress over that litltle detail. However, something you said earlier, has drawn my attention completely." The witch paused, optics intently set on Jaylah as she tucked a dark strand of hair back behind her ear.

"You said, you're young, yet you've been around since the 18th century. You're not young Jaylah, you're ignorant." Dark brows furrowed together as the words left her, her tone even, not malignant in nature but firm, "You've been around for hundreds of years and have yet to grasp the concept of change? With the things you've seen, the way the world and the people evolved. 18th century..." Her words trail off as do her thoughts, digits moving to press to the back of her nape, while her gaze lifts to the sun, a quiet huff leaving her. "People change everyday whether you have your eyes open to see it or not."

"I'll admit you're puzzling, which I don't really enjoy. I'm beginning to wonder if you're bipolar. In the nicest way possible." The book in her hands feels heavy, her grip tiring the longer she held onto the novel. This entire exchange left her feeling exhausted. "I believe you are all of those things, it's true. I don't believe you really intend on being close to me either, unfortunately I don't see myself trusting you all that much. The car crash may not be important to you, something you can easily forget about. No one died, right? Not seriously injured sure..." Bright eyes narrowed, her lips settling into a frown, "but I know you did something. You can not fool me and I don't let go of those types of things so easily. You have to right your wrongs."

"You're important to your sister and she loves you dearly, that much I know for certain, and for her I would.. do anything." Elidi let her gaze fall to the ground, her lips quirking upwards slightly, "Ella es mi única excepción, that being said, I'm willing to try to form a better relationship between the two of us, because I don't plan on going anywhere princesa."

"If that's not something you're interested in, then I'm happy to play pretend. I've grown tired of our game, Peter Pan."

[leelee10898]

Party in the USA

Hey guys, It's @leelee10898.Ive been MIA from CGW for a while, I miss it so much.. In light of the 4th of July, ive thrown together some squad shenanigans for ya!! I tried my damndest to get this finished yesterday, but no luck... I did a super fast edit, so im sorry, but this shit is gonna be flawed lol.. enjoy.

The Royal Jett touched down in Dulles international airport as the girls squealed in their seats. It was 4th of July weekend and they were excited to share it with their men, since not one of them had ever celebrated the extremely patriotic American Holiday.  "Nothing says 4th of July like celebrating in our nation's capital." Anitah beamed as she stepped off the plane, joining the group who already exited. "Well, you're the queen of Cordonia now, she is your Nation now Love." Liam grinned as he kissed her cheek. "Um no offense Liam, but this will always be our nation." Alicia butted in. "Yeah, 'Merica!" Genevieve pumped her fist. "Merica?" Liam whispered to Drake "yeah. Short for America. Just, go with it Li." Drake shook his head. Pam laughed at her friends "ok Ladies, how about we get settled and go find something to get into."

They opted to rent a house instead of a hotel so they could grill and chill the proper way. "Oh shit, there's a pool, I can't even wait to jump in that later." Alicia smirked as she winked at Leo. "Clothing optional love?" He smirked as Liam rolled his eyes. "Why are you two always naked every trip we take?" Liam huffed as the two shrugged. "Well, we could just start right now." Leo began tugging at his shorts.  "NO!" the group resounded. "Hey guys, I seen a huge fireworks tent down the street. We should go check it out." Maxwell walked outside where the group had converged, a glass of purple liquid in hand. "Maxwell, what do you have there?" Drake eyed him suspiciously. "Just some punch." He shrugged, giving the girls a look.

One by one the girls made their way inside sneaking drinks of maxwell's punch. Once they reached a nice buzz they decided to venture off into DC. They watched a parade, sampled some summertime staples including funnel cake and deep fried oreos. There was a carnival being held and they would have a fireworks display at night fall. "Oh! The zipper. I loved that ride."  They eyed the caged ride "how's your tummy feeling Gen?" Pam gave her a look. "It's good, let's do this shit!"

"Are you sure darling? This doesn't look safe." Rashad voiced his concern.  "Psh, safe shamafe. This shit is indestructible,it's probably like 40 years old." Anitah snorted.

"Yeah because everyone wants to ride a 40 year old death trap. No thanks Brooks." Drake held up his hands and shook his head. "Its ok Drake, I think the ferris wheel is calling our names." Pam winked at her husband,  who then adjusted his pants.

Rashad looked at Genevieve, and then to the zipper swallowing audibly she took his hand and led him towards the ride. "It's gonna be ok Rashad.  Do it for America." She smiled at him.

Maxwell had already been strapped in the seat and moved up Liam and Anitah also already on the ride in a cart halfway up. "Ok this doesn't seem to bad love." Liam leaned back as they slowly made their way up letting others on. "Oh it's great. Just wait until we really get going." She smirked. Liam arched his brow "what does that mean,my queen?"

"So how does this work exactly?" Leo asked Alicia. "Well, we basically go around in a circle, and flip upside down, a lot. You don't have a weak stomach do you Leo?"

"No. I can handle it. Liam on the other hand, he's going to puke or scream. Maybe both." He chuckled. "My money's on both.  Anitah is going to laugh at him." Alicia giggled.

"You know Love, thing we haven't done yet." He gave her the signature Rhys smirk "oh. Shit. Leo." She jerked as she felt his long fingers slip between her legs.

"Gen, love. I'm not so sure about this. Why does it move like that?" Rashad began to panic. "It's supposed to move like that. Just calm down,  it's gonna be so much fun." She patted his leg. "It's supposed to sound like it needs 4 quarts of oil on the rickety old Metal?" Genevieve let out a high pitched squeal. "This is going to be so much fun. If you piss your pants, I will laugh at you." Suddenly the ride jerked and picked up speed, their cart reached the top as it flipped over. Rashad let out a long girlish scream as they plummeted upside down towards the ground.

"Oh my god. Oh my god im gonna diiiiie." Liam screamed as Anitah laughed uncontrollably.  She wasn't sure if it was the thrill of the ride, or Liam's girlish screams but she was definitely enjoying herself. "Oh god. Noooooo. Help me!" He screamed again, joining Rashad in fear stricken symphony.

The ride came to an end Liam ran to the nearest trash can, head inside as he puked.  "Told you he would puke." Leo laughed as Anitah stood next to her husband, giving him a sympathetic pat on the back as the other hand gave him bunny ears for a photo.

A dizzy Rashad stumbled off the ride "see baby. That wasn't so bad." Genevieve looked at Rashad who was pale faced. "That was." He retched  "I just…" His hand flew over his face as he bolted towards the trash can next to Liam.

"Looks like those two couldn't handle the ride huh?" Drake snorted as he and Pam approached the group. "Nope. Hey how come you two didn't ride? Scared Drake?" Alicia teased.  "He wasn't scared. We just, had other plans." Pam blushed as Drake pulled her into his side. "Why are your pants unbuttoned?" Anitah questioned, before going wide eyed in realization. "How about we go back to the house, and get this party started." Leo Spoke up.

"For once, I agree with my brother.  I've had enough of this." Liam spit into the trash can. "Wait. Where's Maxwell?"

"Maxwell.  Max." They called, and he didn't come. "He will find his way back. Lets just go." Drake took Pam's hand "Drake, were in Washington,  not Cordonia how's he going to find his way?" Anitah folded her hands across her chest. "He's like a damn puppy brooks. He will find his way home, now come on." Drake grunted as Anitah finally gave in.

Back at the house Drake and Leo ran to the store, returning a short while later with a few cases of beer and some liquor and wine. Still no sign of Maxwell. "I'm gonna call him." Alicia pulled her phone out and dialed his number, they heard it ringing inside.  "Looks like he left his phone behind." Rashad lifted the phone off the counter. "I hope he is ok. Maybe we should call the police?" Pam worried, it wasn't like Maxwell to stray so far from the group.

Finally Maxwell came sauntering in, hands full of bags.  "Maxwell!" Anitah shouted as she wrapped him in a hug "where the hell have you been?" She slapped his arm. "Ouch, hey little blossom that hurt!" He rubbed his arm "I went to the fireworks tent. Look at all the cool stuff I got. "I'll be taking these." Drake reached out to grab the bags, Maxwell recoiled defensively, clutching the explosives to his chest. "No, these are mine. Don't take my toys away Drake."

"Maxwell, let me see what you have." Leo walked over sorting through the bag. "Um Maxwell,  most of these are illegal in DC. Where did you even get these?" Maxwell smiled, oh I took an Uber to Virginia. "Ok Maxwell. You can have these and these." Liam held him out a box of sparklers and some fountains.  "The rest, were putting up." He handed the bags to Bastian.

"Yeah, can you imagine Maxwell with a damn mortar? He would blow up the damn shed over there." Drake chuckled, and then shook his head.

The night went on, the group getting drunker by the minute.  Liam sat perched up on the steps of the pool, wearing American flag swim trunks and a stars and stripes bandana around his head. "Woooooo 'Merica!" He hollered as the group around him screamed " 'MERICA" back. Genevieve and Anitah danced on the picnic table in their skimpy bikinis, beers in hand. Alicia and Leo were busy in the corner. hands all over each other while Rashad and Maxwell played a game of washers.

"Hey, look what fell out of the bag." Pam beamed as she walked over with a small box. "The singing lotus?" Drake looked at it. "Huh. Looks like it plays the star spangled banner, when you light it." He pulled the content from the box and sat it on the patio next to the pool, carefully lighting the fuse and backing away.

The fireworks began to spin, sparks of red, gold and blue shot from the center while it played a very distorted version of the star spangled banner. "Oh my god. My ears, make it stop." Genevieve shouted as she held her hands over her ears.

Alicia stood up, momentarily stepping away from Leo and began to belt out the song.

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,

O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?

Gen and Anitah stopped dancing, and began to sing along. Pam joining in as well.

And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

"Play ball!" Anitah and Alicia said in unison. They looked at the burned out dilapidated flower. "Man that was a sad excuse for a firework. " drake mumbled "Just look at it." The group looked down at the melted heap of plastic and soot.

As the night went on and the sun went down, the group were pretty drunk. Pam and Drake disappeared into the pool shed, Anitah and Genevieve continued to dance and sing on the picnic table while Rashad and Liam looked on. Leo and Alicia ended up in the pool together,  while nobody noticed Maxwell had snuck off again. Anitah had convinced Liam to let her paint his face in the American Flag, so he just sat there arm slung over the chair, red white and blue face with a Budweiser in hand.

Rashad started to babble,  staring straight ahead. He made no sense whatsoever and the only thing he could do was point. "Rashad, what the hell are you trying to say. Spit it out." Genevieve snapped. Finally climbing down from the picnic table she stood in front of him waving her hands in front of his face "helllooooo?"  "Shiminag hemmeinah. Ah ma tha…" he babbled.

Suddenly a firework whizzed past Liam's head and exploded against the pool shed. "Run for cover." Liam screamed as he dove into the pool. Rashad still standing there dumbfounded Genevieve tried with all her might to pull him away, but he wouldn't budge. "I love you, but I don't feel like getting blown up." She yelled taking Anita's hand and jumping into the pool.

"What the fuck is going on out here?" Pam snapped as she and a Drake stumbled out of the shed. Another firework crashed into the shed, pam screamed and ran into the pool. Drakes pants fell around his ankles as he tried to run,  he kicked them off and joined his wife in the pool.

Fireworks were flying dangerously low, explosions everywhere as Maxwell sensed the sudden danger and ran for cover under the porch. Alicia and Leo obvious to the Chao ensuing around them, continued to have sex in the corner of the pool. Alicia opened her eyes looking above her. "Leo. I see fireworks." She gasped. "I know baby. I have that effect. " she smirked as he thrust into her. "No, you ass. The fucking back yards a war zone." She tapped his shoulder, and pointed to the disaster area. Leo loomed around the pool, their friends and family screaming. Bastien on the phone with the fire company, deftly ducked under a bottle rocket headed straight for his head. "Beaumont,  when I get my hands on you." Bastien shouted. "Im sorry bas. I didn't mean to light all the fuses." Maxwell shouted back.

Dark smoke plummeted from the pool shed where Pam was giving Drake a blow job, just moments prior. "Hope they got insurance " Leo joked as he and Alicia swam up to the group. Liam rolled his eyes taking not of their nude forms.  "Where the hell are your clothes?" He held back a snicker. He wasn't three sheets to the wind drunk, he would have been more annoyed at the situation at hand.

"Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave…" Alicia began to sing. "This again?" Drake rolled his eyes.  "Just sing along Walker." Pam kissed his lips.

"O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!" The group sang along,  just as the fire company rushed in putting the shed out.

The following Monday Liam walked into the council meeting, shoulders back, head held high. The hushed whispers began to circulate the room as Liam cleared his throat. "Shall we begin?" After the meeting a young council member approached him. "Your majesty, please may I speak freely?" Liam nodded "of course Lord Nicholas. And its Liam."

"Liam. Why Is there a faded Flag on your face?" Liam hung his head and shook it, recalling the past weekend's antics. Sighing loudly, he lifted his head. "Nick. Have you ever been to America on the 4th of July?"

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