#that is if they haven't entered it already way too many people push themselves to do more when they're clearly not up for the task

[ronin-deactivated19851026]

actual photo of me, mirrored:

but fr tho my cervical issues are so fucking annoying. they got better after i started wearing braces and fixing my overbite. at least, the nerve area around my ear doesn't get pinched in a way my whole arm gets numb anymore, that's a major progress finally i can play vidya whole day again but other than that, i can literally show this screenshot when asked "how are you doing?" in regards to my neck pain. literally shows every area on my face that is numb, inflamed, tickles, itches, contracts, and hurts all the time. it's so annoying and what i hate about it the most is how it affects my hearing and probably also contributes to the brain fog in one way or another idk high chances that my arteries got pinched too and my brain literally doesn't get enough oxygen, but i still haven't done tests to confirm that

on top of that, a dumb habit that i should cease for good is sitting on my legs up to 10 hours a day because it got to the point that i fucked them up so bad, i ended up constantly pulling them in my sleep and waking up from the pain worse than when i had my bone tissue drilled through with minimal anesthesia. like holy shit i used to be scared of dentists because i considered pain from getting my teeth drilled through the worst, but nope it's not, it's so fucking far from what a stiff body with a lifestyle like mine can go through

on the brighter side, daily yoga seems to be cancelling two decades of my dumbfuckery pretty quickly. more so, i manage to reach spots that i couldn't reach ever in my life before. this actually really excites me, because it shatters the concept of being "too late" for changing things that one was supposed to take care of earlier. i also have been approaching my whole life from a different, more philosophical perspective for last few years and every hardship i go through seems like a challenge these days.

i don't think i'm truly suffering like i used to anymore, at all. i may seem like i do, every time i rant or vent, because on a surface level it looks the same as before. but to me, a really thick, miserable layer of suffering that used to make me feel like i'm poisoned, imprisoned in this existence, locked in my body, forsaken and ultimately defeated, for long years and decades, is gone. venting doesn't make me feel worse, quite the other way round; it makes me feel like i'm embracing hardships, processing them, rather than avoiding, denying, and running away from them. funny how therapy and psychiatry was taking healing away from me this whole time, heh. instead i found it in places that psych-simps told will ruin me. but that's a story for some other day i guess.

[baby-yongbok]

Poetry

Chapter Six - Mr.H

Hyunjin x Fem!Reader

Genre: Fluff with a swirl of angst

Summary: The night that you see Hyunjin again after your date is full of surprises. You can keep your cool but can he?

Word Count: 5,407

A/N: Things are happening, ya'll. I'm so excited to be back in Fan Fiction land <3 + If you haven't already, I highly recommend reading the previous parts before this one so that you get the ✨full experience✨. See you next Thursday at 6 💕

Part Five

✧Poetry Series Masterlist✧

✧Main Masterlist✧

There wasn’t a moment of silence after Hyunjin left, you spent the entirety of your breakfast answering questions while giving Changbin and Serena as many details as you could before you had to leave for work. You will admit that you appreciate how involved your friends are, especially Changbin. You were almost afraid that he was going to go full big brother mode and quiz Hyunjin the moment that he met him but he actually kept his cool, let’s see how it goes next time. 

Speaking of next time, you haven’t seen Hyunjin since your date. The two of you have been texting nonstop and you even spoke on the phone two days ago but neither of you have brought up a plan to meet. He canceled your meetup this week because he had to help his roommate Felix with something upstate. You weren’t mad about it though, you took the free time as an opportunity to look into a new hobby. 

You have a bit of a tradition that you started during your second year of university, every autumn you look into building a new skill or taking up a new hobby. You weren’t sure what to get into this year until you saw a flier on your way to work yesterday. Apparently your local community center has a photography club that meets on Fridays where you’re taught everything that you need to know by a professional. There’s no way that you could turn a blind eye to such a wonderful free opportunity. So here you are, walking through the large glass doors and into the quiet lobby. Your brand new Canon camera is placed safely in its case hanging from your shoulder and your tote bag is hanging from the other. You looked up at the digital board by the reception desk to look for the room number for your class. Once you found it you made your way down the hall, humming a smooth tune to try and calm your nerves. You were more than excited but you were almost positive that the club would be filled with experienced photographers looking for community and you are far from experienced.

The door to the room is already open when you reach the room and there are a few people in there talking amongst themselves and fiddling with their cameras. You enter quietly, not wanting to draw too much attention to yourself but that fails once you get half way into the room. The group swiftly looks up at you, each one of them studying your frame with furrowed brows and that’s when you notice the elephant in the room… they’re all teenagers.

“Hi, you must be new.” One of the girls breaks the silence. “I’m Mia.”

“Hi, I’m Y/n. Nice to meet you.” You move to sit by the window, right in the middle of the row. You never liked being too far from the instructor but you also hate being in the front. 

“I’m James and this is Olivia, she’s a bit shy.” One of the boys sitting against the wall introduces himself and the girl sitting on his lap. Olivia offers a timid wave before looking back down at her camera. You smile, waving back at her. 

“Leo, stop being rude. Say hi to the new girl.” Mia pushes the boy sitting in front of her and he curses at her quietly before turning to you and waving passive aggressively. You wave back silently as you try to hold back a chuckle.

“Leo is an asshole, don’t mind him.” Mia explains before glancing down at her phone. 

“Two minutes until Mr.H gets here.” James nods his head, only half paying attention as he looks past Mia and over to you, clearly itching to ask you a question.

“Am I crazy or are you the oldest one here?”

“Oh my god, what the hell, James.” Mia’s exasperated voice echoes through the room followed by Oliva’s laugh. 

“It’s an observation, fucking shoot me.” You chuckle a bit, nodding your head. 

“You’re not crazy, I’m probably about seven years older than you guys.” 

“Oh you’re about the same age as Mr.H” You pinch your brows together softly, you didn’t expect the teacher to be around your age. “Maybe we can hook you two up, he desperately needs a girlfriend.”

“What are you going on about, James?” You shift your attention towards the person speaking, that voice sounds so familiar and you realize why as soon as your eyes land on his figure coming through the door. Hyunjin is the teacher?

“I’m just trying to get you a girlfriend, Mr.H” You watch as Hyunjin walks over to the desk at the front of the classroom, he hasn’t looked up from the packet in his hands since he came through the door. You take a moment to admire him, he doesn’t look as dressed up as he usually does, he looks relaxed and cozy. You could get used to this look. 

“Why don’t you worry about perfecting your depth of field instead. You’re not here to get me a girlfriend.” Hyunjin smiles to himself as he leans against the desk, still focused on the paper in front of him. The others in the room immediately start laughing and making fun of James. 

“That’s what you get.” Mia laughs as she moves from sitting on top of the desk.

“Whatever, Y/n is way too pretty for you anyway.” You cover your mouth as you try to stifle a laugh. Hyunjin immediately looks up at the sound of your name, his brows furrowed in confusion.

“Excuse me?” Hyunjin asks before turning his head in your direction. He freezes for a second, his eyes glossing over your frame slowly to make sure that it’s really you. 

“Oh um you must be new.” He stands, pushing a hand into the pocket of his worn denim jeans and making his way over to you. 

“Yeah I am.” You grin, playing along with him. Once he reaches you he offers you his hand and you immediately take it into your own. 

“I’m the photography instructor for this program, you can call me Hyunjin.” He smirks down at you and you nod your head. 

“I’m Y/n.” He gives your hand a light squeeze before dropping it. 

“It’s a pleasure to have you in our club.” He winks at you before turning on his heels and stalking back over to his desk.

“Why can she call you Hyunjin but we can’t?” Mia whines, earning a dramatic eye roll from Hyunjin.

“Because I’m eight years older than you.” You chuckle lightly and Hyunjin smiles at the sound.

“How do you know that she’s your age?” James argues and Hyunjin shrugs. 

“Are you guys here to question me or to actually learn something?” The group of teens sigh as Hyunjin starts looking through his bag. “I made a project sheet for today but I suppose I can save that for next week now that we have a new member. Let’s focus on questions and practice for today.”

He pulls a thick folder out of his bag and places it on the desk right next to his massive Sony DSLR camera. You feel a bit intimidated by this side of Hyunjin, he seems to be very in his element here. Maybe he’s been doing this for a while.

“Can we do an object project?” Olivia asks in a soft voice, catching Hyunjin’s attention.

“I like that idea, what do you guys want to shoot today?” You can’t help but stare as Hyunjin talks to the kids, he seems to have a pretty solid relationship with them. You stare down at his Versace bracelet on your wrist as you listen to him talk to the kids. 

“Alright so that’s what it’ll be, four photo’s of your favorite place to be in this community center. It can be a place that you have a positive memory of or just a place where you feel the most comfortable. Today's object is a clock, if you don’t have a clock in the shot then it doesn’t count. Get creative, there are no limits. I want two black and white photos and two sepia.” The kids all stand from their seats, pulling their camera straps around their necks and talking about where to go.

“Be back here in forty-five minutes. I will set a timer, please don’t make me come find you.” The group mumbles a half hearted ‘okay’ before turning their attention back to their previous conversation. You take this time to unpack your own camera, turning it on and flipping through the settings. You made sure to watch a couple of videos before coming here but everything that you learned went right out the window once you saw Hyunjin. 

“I’ll be right with you, Y/n.” Hyunjin smiles over at you before turning his attention towards Leo. He’s been so quiet that you forgot that he was there. Hyunjin kneels in front of the boy's desk, leaning into his space a bit before whispering. You decided to look away to give them some privacy. Maybe you can manage to google some quick photography tips before he turns his attention to you.

You start looking up photography quick guides on your phone as you wait for him. You get so engulfed in the article that you’re reading that you don’t even notice Hyunjin making his way over to you until he’s sitting at the desk in front of yours. You jump a bit, locking your phone quickly.  

“Well this is a pleasant surprise.” He smiles as he leans back against the wall behind him. “You missed me so much that you tracked me down?” 

You chuckle, a light blush creeping up your neck. You look over towards where the kids were earlier and notice that they’re all gone. You must’ve been so distracted by your research that you didn’t hear them leave.

“What if I did?” You tease and now it was his turn to blush. “I didn’t know that you’re into photography.”

“Surprise.” You roll your eyes at him and he smiles towards you. “I may be a little into it. I’ve been doing it for about five years, nothing too major.”

“Clearly it is pretty major if you’re certified to teach people.”

“Are you impressed by that? Because if you are then I’ll agree.” You scoff, pushing his arm playfully. 

“No comment.” 

“That means that you are impressed.”

“Are you going to flirt with me or are you going to teach me how to work this thing?” You ask, holding your camera up in front of you while smiling towards Hyunjin. He surrenders, shaking his head and taking your camera from you.

“You’re right.” He turns your camera on, studying the settings and adjusting things the way that he sees fit. You can’t help but blush a bit as his fingers press the buttons. His gaze turned from playful to focused and serious as soon as you placed the device in his hands. The way that he operates the camera is actually pretty attractive. 

Your eyes widen a bit as you realize the nature of your thoughts. This is not the time to think about all of the things that you find attractive about your boyfriend,wait, he’s not your boyfriend. Not really, not officially, he hasn’t even asked you out for a second date yet. 

“Alright, so, this camera is actually pretty simple. I’ve adjusted some settings, I’ll show you what they all do and we can get you started on practicing the rule of thirds, sound good?” Hyunjins voice pulls you out of your thoughts and you sit up straighter in your seat. You clear your throat and look up at him as he watches you, his eyes wandering over the exposed skin of your neck for a second before looking up at you. 

“Sounds good, Mr.H.” 

“How’s this one?” You ask while looking down at your camera screen to study the photo you just took. Hyunjin steps closer to you from behind, looking over your shoulder to get a look at the photo too. 

“Perfect, I think that you should be fine without the grid now. Maybe practice eyeing it yourself throughout the week and I can check it for you when we meet next Friday.” You chuckle, turning your head to face Hyunjin and he furrows his brows in confusion. “What?”

“Couldn’t you just check it when I see you next Thursday?” He grins at you, shaking his head and tonguing his cheek.

“Nope, I’m gonna treat you just like everyone else in the club.” You narrow your eyes at him, glancing down at the tiny space between the two of you. 

“Like you are right now?” Hyunjin looks down at his hand on the small of your back and pulls his lips into a thin line.

“You’re right, Y/n this is highly unprofessional. I really need you to keep your hands to yourself.” Hyunjins eyes morph into cresents as you push him away from you, scoffing playfully.

“I hate you.” You make your way back over to your desk and Hyunjin walks over to his at the front of the room.

“Are you sure about that?” He pulls himself up onto the desk, sitting and leaning back on his palms. A deep blush runs over your cheeks as he stares over at you with an equanimous smirk adorning his lips. You look down, avoiding his piercing eye contact and now it was his turn to chuckle. “The kids should be back in a second.”

Just as he looks down at his phone the timer that he set earlier goes off. You look over at the door expecting to see them walk through but no one is there. Hyunjin closes his eyes, tilting his head back towards the ceiling and humming softly. Your eyes pinch together in confusion, is he not going to go get them? 

“Are you sure they’re coming back?” Hyunjin hums in response, a small smile pulling at his lips before he starts counting.

“5, 4, 3, 2” He points towards the open door and you can hear the loud pitter patter of the group racing down the hallway. “They’re always two minutes late.” 

“We’re here!” Olivia makes it into the room first, panting as she makes her way over to her seat. The rest of the group follows behind her, trying to catch their breath as they sit. 

“Once you all remember how to breathe we’ll get started.” Hyunjin teases, lifting his head to look at the group. You can’t help but smile, something about seeing him interact with them makes you feel warm. He's a natural leader, in the way that he carries himself, the way he talks to them. He radiates a sense of comfort and confidence in this space and it’s almost rewarding to see. 

“Can I go first?” Mia asks as she stares down at her camera.

“Nope.” Hyunjin quips quickly.

“Why not.” She whines and Hyunjin offers an exaggerated sigh in response. “I want to get it over with, Mr.H”

“And that’s why you’ll be going last.” Mia groans, putting her head down on the desk and stomping her feet. Hyunjin immediately imitates her, kicking his feet against his desk and whining. The rest of the group laughs, you even hear a faint chuckle coming from Mia. 

“Always remember that I'm ten times more dramatic than you.” Hyunjin teases before sitting up completely. “Alright, let’s do this. Show me what you got James.”

“I think that Olivia wants to go before me.” James sinks down into his seat as he tries to dodge a hit from the girl behind him.

“You threw your own girlfriend under the bus? That’s cold.”

You’d be lying if you said that you weren’t impressed. Each of the kids in this club are amazing at photography, if you saw any of the pictures that they took online you’d think that a twenty year professional was responsible for the art. You’re equally impressed by Hyunjin’s teaching skills, he answered all of their questions flawlessly and made sure that you were still engaged even though you didn’t participate in the activity. 

Once class ended Hyunjin texted you offering to walk you home, of course you said yes, you actually did miss him so you couldn’t pass up this opportunity. Your house was only four blocks from the community center but it seemed a lot longer since the city blocks are massive. Usually this would bother you, you’d put some music on and try your best to get the walk over with but you found yourself settling into a comfortable stroll with Hyunjin. You weren’t in a rush to get anywhere, you were grounded, living in the moment.

“How did you start teaching photography?” You asked as the two of you waited to cross the street. 

“My mentor set it up for me, he thought that it would be a good way to redirect my emotions.” He chuckles softly, taking a step forward to guide you across the street. “I told you that I was a bad kid but I didn’t really stop getting into trouble until I turned twenty. I met my mentor's son, Chan, a couple of weeks after my birthday when I was taking pictures of Felix for his portfolio. His dad is a photographer and he took interest in me almost instantly, he taught me some stuff and basically became a father to me. He started the club on my birthday last year when he retired from the community center.” 

“So you replaced him?” You look over at Hyunjin who seems to be deep in thought.

“Something like that, I’m one of the youth counselors but he was in charge of it all. People treat me like I’m in charge for some reason. It’s probably because I’m so smart and handsome.” He sighs dramatically, pushing his hands into his pockets and shaking his head. “It just isn’t fair, it’s so hard being me.”

“Oh yeah, it’s super hard being a model for luxury brands.” You laugh, rolling your eyes at him and bumping him with your shoulder. “I would hate being a role model for the youth.”

“Hey, this is hard work.” He defends as the two of you stop at the next corner. “But, on a serious note, I do enjoy working with them. I teach two more classes throughout the week and it’s probably what saved my life. Now, I get to help save theirs. Every kid that I teach has gotten into some kind of trouble. I like offering them a space to be themselves and learn something new, I like creating the space that I wish that I had when I was their age.” 

You stare over at the crossing light as Hyunjin opens up a bit. It’s so hard for you to imagine the sweet, soft guy standing next to you as an angry teenager fighting everything that looked in his direction. You can’t help but to feel proud of him, he seemed to have really turned himself around for the better. It takes a lot of discipline to correct bad habits. 

You keep your eyes trained on the light in front of you, waiting for it to change. Just as it turns green you reach your hand over towards Hyunjins, interlocking your fingers and offering a reassuring squeeze. He keeps his gaze forward as you two cross the street silently but the smile on his face and the blush on his cheeks speak a thousand words. He squeezes your hand back, running his thumb along the back of your hand as you reach the next block. He doesn’t need you to say anything back, your actions speak louder than any sentence you could possibly speak. 

“On a different note…” He looks over at you with a grin. “What did you tell your friends about me?”

“I am not answering that.” You start to pull away from him but he pulls you into his side, letting go of your hand and putting his arm around your shoulder.

“Let me guess, you told them that I’m the best kisser in the entire world and that I’m so amazing and funny and that you can’t get enough of me.” A goofy smile adorns his lips and you sigh, covering your face to hide your blush. “Aw, she’s shy.”

Before you can protest, your phone starts ringing in your bag and you take this opportunity to escape Hyunjins teasing. Thank god for Changbin.

“Hey, what’s up.” You laugh a bit as Hyunjin presses you into his side more. 

“Hey, are you with someone?” You can hear the smile in Changbin’s voice.

“Yup, coming home now.”

“Ah, good, could you do me a favor? I forgot to grab popcorn on the way home. Serena is coming over to watch a movie and that’s the only thing that I don’t have.” You nod, looking up the block and spotting a store on the corner. 

“I’ll grab it for you, I’m walking up to a store now.”

“You’re a lifesaver. I’ll see you soon. Oh, and tell Hyunjin that I said hi.” He sings the last part of his sentence before you say bye and hang up. He’s definitely going to question you as soon as you walk through the door. 

“Everything alright?” 

“Yup, I just need to go into this store.” You lock your phone and slip it back into your bag as you walk up to the store. “And Changbin says hi.”

There’s a group of guys outside of the store but you don’t pay them any mind, Hyunjin follows you closely as you pull away from him to enter the store, you’ve been to this shop a million times so you know where everything is. You make a beeline to the popcorn and make your way over to the counter. The cashier smiles at you as you approach, making small talk as he checks you out. Once you’re done you turn to Hyunjin who’s waiting for you at the door but his demeanor seems to have changed. His arms are crossed over his chest and he has a mean look on his face. You smile over at him as you start to leave the store but he doesn’t smile back, that’s odd. He opens the door for you and you take the lead exiting first and tucking the popcorn into your tote bag. 

“Excuse me, you’re looking really good tonight.” One of the guys standing outside of the store steps over to you and you flash him a small smile.

“Thanks.” You start to walk away but he speaks up again, stepping a bit closer to you.

“Can I have your number? I could take you out.” You shake your head, replying with a firm ‘No’ before starting to walk away again. Hyunjin places his hand on the small of your back, guiding you away from the group. 

“Come on, don’t be like that.” 

“She said no.” Hyunjin speaks up, his voice is loud and flat. You’ve never heard him use this tone before. It’s almost scary. The two of you start walking away again, Hyunjin makes sure to keep you in front of him as the two of you make your way towards the corner.

“I wasn’t fucking talking to you.” The guy follows the two of you. Picking up the pace as the two of you get further from him. “Come on, let me take you out sometime.”

“Keep walking.” Hyunjin whispers to you, pushing you forward a bit. He stops in the middle of the sidewalk, turning to face the guy following you. You can’t help but to look back as you walk away slowly, you can’t just leave him there by himself. Neither of you know what that guy is capable of. 

“Do we have a problem?”

~ Hyunjin’s POV ~

I’m using every ounce of my self control to keep my temper in check right now. If this guy decided to mess with me while I was alone that would be a different story but he’s messing with someone that I care about and I don’t like that. This has always been a trigger for me, Felix always says that I get scary when I get mad protecting someone else. I really don’t want that to happen right now, I don’t want her to see that side of me but this guy is making it very hard to hold back. 

“How about you mind your business.” He yells in my face, his breath reeks heavy of alcohol, that’s not even fair. If I hit him he’s going to be knocked out almost instantly, drunk people can never take a hit. 

“She is my business.” I cross my arms over my chest and clench my jaw. I have to remember that she’s here. I have to keep my cool. “She said no, leave her alone.”

“Ah, I see, she’s yours. Is that it? That’s your bitch?” I bite my bottom lip between my teeth as his last question rings through my ears. Don’t react, not while she’s here. “She likes pretty boys, huh?”

I look back at Y/n, she’s stopped at the corner watching me. I take a deep breath and uncross my arms, turning back around to the idiot in front of me.

“Leave her alone, alright?” I turn to walk away, trying my best to distance myself from him.

“Is this your boyfriend?” He yells over at Y/n but that’s not the only thing that makes me snap. He touched me, he pushed my shoulder as I was turning away and I felt my blood boil instantly. I don’t even remember what I did, my body went into autopilot. I can hear Y/n’s heavy footsteps as I stand over the disoriented stranger. My hand in a fist at my side, I’m shaking, why am I shaking? I haven’t felt this mad in years, I haven’t hit somebody in years, this isn’t how that was supposed to happen. I was supposed to keep my cool, why did he have to fuck it up? The more that reality sinks in, the more angry I get. 

“What did I just fucking tell you?” I don’t raise my voice, I never raise my voice, there’s no need to. I bend down, making sure to keep eye contact with him as I grab his shirt, and pull him towards me. “Leave her alone.”

I can hear myself, I can hear the hiss in my tone. I can feel the anger getting to my head, I can feel myself losing to it. That’s my problem, I don’t know when to stop, once I get started it’s hell getting out of it. 

“You should’ve listened.” I don’t want to hit him again but I feel like I need to, I need to get this feeling to go away and the only way that I know how is to keep going. 

“I’m sorry, man.” He pleads, I knew that he wouldn’t be able to take the hit but that just makes it easier for me. I push him back onto the sidewalk, letting go of his shirt and raise my fist almost by instinct. Before I can lower it I feel a hand wrap around my wrist, I stop for just a second as I remember who this is about. Y/n is with me, she saw everything. 

“Hyunjin, get up.” Her voice is firm but somehow soft, I wish that I could just listen to her. I want to listen to her, maybe I can?

 Despite my desire to stop, I don't move. My brain and my body are doing two different things and for a moment I feel guilty. This is going to be how it ends isn’t it? She’s going to think that I’m a horrible person, she’s going to hate me for putting her through this. My jaw clenches at the thought of losing her, glancing back down at the man in front of me I feel anger climbing up my spine again. Why couldn’t he just walk away?

“I told him to leave you alone.” I meant for my words to come out softer than they did but I can still hear the hiss in my voice, it’s muffled by the sound of my heart beating in my ears but I can hear it. She steps in between us, trying her best to pull me back, her grip tight and her voice stern. 

“Hyunjin, please get up.” In all of the years that I got into fights there has never been a person who could calm me down. I don’t know why it’s different with her, I don’t know why but I don't resist. I allow her to lower my fist, I allow her to stand between us and guide me to my feet. 

“Hey, look at me.” I listen, taking a deep breath and turning my attention towards her. I expected her to look angry, I expected her to have tears in her eyes or maybe even look scared. My mom would always be angry, Felix would always look scared but she looks calm. How could she look at me like that after this? I don’t deserve that.

“Good, you’re fine. Everything is fine, come on.” Her hands run over my forearms, as she tries her best to ground me and by some miracle it’s working. 

She takes both of my hands and starts to lead me away from him, I keep my eyes on her as we walk over to the corner. I try my best to calm myself down, taking deep breaths through my nose and going through every grounding exercise that I was ever taught. For some reason those techniques aren’t what help me the most, it’s the look in her eyes that's calming me down. It’s the relaxed tone of her voice and the way that she’s guiding me. No one’s ever done this before. I can feel the anger in my body being replaced, it’s that feeling of electricity. That feeling that I only get when I’m with her. 

I’m not sure how long we’ve been walking but when I finally come out of my thoughts and look back I don’t see the guy anymore. In fact, I’m pretty sure that we passed her block. We come up on a busier street, nothing too serious just a couple of people going about their night. She guides me over to a bench at the bus stop and we both sit in silence. I close my eyes, running my hands through my hair and sighing heavily. 

“Let me see your hand.” Her tone is sweet like she isn’t about to check me for bruises. She reaches for my hand, running her thumb across the back of it and I hiss in pain. That’s definitely going to be a different color tomorrow. “You’re gonna need to ice that.”

“I know the drill.” I reply in a flat whisper. “I’m sorry.”

“He deserved it.” I shake my head, turning to look at her and this time I really looked at her. I let her see the worry in my gaze, I let her see the fear that has bloomed in my stomach. 

“I’m not sorry for hitting him. I’m sorry that I almost didn’t stop, I didn’t want to stop and if you weren’t there I wouldn’t have. I would have done everything that I could to make sure that he ended up in the hospital.” I allow my gaze to drift down to my hands and it’s only then that I realize that I’m shaking. I’m still shaking, it must be the fear, not the anger.

“But you didn’t.” Her hand rests over my trembling one, petting my skin softly with the pads of her fingers. I let out a shaky exhale at the feeling of her skin against mine. “I told you that I’d be there to calm you down. I told you that it would be alright if I saw you like that and I meant it.”

“You don’t hate me?” My words leave my mouth in a whisper as I bite my bottom lip. Reluctantly, I look up at her, her expression is still so soft and calm. 

“Not one bit.”

← Previous Chapter ♡ Next Chapter →

[novaonhere]

See You Later

Relationship: Cal Kestis x f!reader

Summary: Cal ends up being one of the causalities to the Ninth Sister.

Word Count: 1.4k

Warnings: Death, cussing, mention of blood, bullets

A/N: GET THE TISSUES, apologies,

Prompt: “Hey, at least I loved you till my very last breath, right? Like I had promised.”

(gif not mine)

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You sit beside Gabs, making small talk about dinner plans as you wait for Cal and Bode to finish interrogating the Senator. You and Gabs exchange many smiles and laughs, starting to share inside jokes.

You and Cal have been with this crew for a while, which happily surprised both of you. You haven't had a stable crew for a hot minute and were happy falling into a better routine with people you cared about and trusted.

This was the same crew that showed you and Cal how DESPERATELY in love you two were and finally just locked you in the ship's bathroom until you told each other. It was one of the twin's ideas, but they wouldn't tell you which one. Since then, you and Cal have been all over each other. It's been a few years since your first kiss, and things have been running smoothly, relationship-wise.

You fell in love with him more and more each day, especially since you both live a life-or-death type of lifestyle. You never know when your last day is with each other, so you make each one count.

Senator Daho Sejan sulks behind Cal and Bode, one smiling back at the girls and one giving a quick small grin. You nod to your boyfriend, knowing he isn't in realization mode just yet.

"I'm thinking we make your famous stew, (Y/N)," Gabs smiles, slinging an arm around you as you make your way toward the front of the ship. You laugh, reciprocating the friendly gesture. Cal's eyes lighten up by Gabs's words.

"Oh, we definitely should stop by the market then," Cal smiles, catching up to you. He slings an arm on your free shoulder, placing a kiss on your temple.

Of course, any nice moment in your life had to be interrupted by an explosion. Unfortunately, this one was too close for comfort. Boxes of ammo and weapons exploded in front of the crew, launching everyone backward. Everyone equips their weapons, waiting for disaster. A large ship lands just feet away from you as everyone branches themselves behind some intact boxes. Breathing heavily, you, Cal, and Gabs look at one another, the color leaving everyone's faces.

Bright lights shine down onto the crowd. You and Cal throw up your hands, trying to block the light, but keep a hand on your sabers, ready. Three ships enter your line of sight, one slowly lowering to land on the platform in front of you. The Senator takes this as a moment to shake his way in front of the crowd.

"What took you so long?" He cries out, stomping his way up towards the shadowy figure slowly emerging from the ship. "While you've been chasing shadows, I have been-" A burst of red light appears and in an instant, lands on the Senator. No, pierces through the Senator. Cal takes his free hand to push you behind him, watching the Senator slowly be dragged to the dark figure.

The figure grabs the Senator by the shoulder, hoisting him up. The red light from the saber illuminates their face.

"The Ninth Sister..." Gabs whispers out, pain and anger behind those words.

"You've been caught harboring a traitor," She says, clutching onto his shoulder harder. The Senator doesn't flinch, probably already dead. He retracts her saber back into her hand, flinging the corpse to the side. She turns to the group, both you and Cal in fighting stances.

"KESTIS!" She calls out to your boyfriend. He doesn't move a muscle but trying to Force you behind him. Confused, you try to push up next to him.

"Together," You state, making sure the rest of the crew was safe.

"Take care of everyone else," He frowns, glaring daggers at the beast. "She's mine." You nod, trusting your boyfriend.

"OPEN FIRE!" She calls out. In an instant, bullets are whizzing past your head as you duck for shelter. The twins call out and go charging before Cal can stop them. You turn to your right, reflecting bullets from one of the ships that were aimed at Gabs.

"GET INSIDE!" You call out to her. You dare peek to the ship seeing the boys trying to fire at the ship, but with the amount of armor, deemed a bit useless. As she stands up to move, she yells out. You don't hear what has been said, but feel her tackle over you. Two bullets graze way too close to your ear as you both fall onto the floor.

"Thanks G-" You choke. Gab's eyes aren't filled with light, the corner of her torso burnt and bloodied. You scream out, tears brimming your eyes.

Cal watches the scene play out as he also deflects bullets. In a fit a rage, he runs towards the Inquisitor. Everyone is screaming for him to get back, it's not worth it, yada yada. All you could hear was the two sabers bouncing off each other. Time seemed to have stopped, and this overwhelming coldness drifted over your body. Bullets flew past you, surprisingly, not hitting you at all. It wasn't until Bode pulled you back into him that you came back to reality.

The reality of a bright red light.

The reality of that light illuminating through Cal's chest.

Without much thought, you snatch Bode's gun and take two shots at the Inquisitor's head. Unfortunately, one bounces away, and one only skims her ear. She calls out in pain, retracting her saber and fleeing.

Cal's legs have yet to give out, but are so bent they're practically on the floor already. You drop the blaster and run. You've never ran so hard in your life, you thought your lungs were going to fly out of your back. Sliding up to your boyfriend, he collapses into your touch. You vision is blurred from tears as you brush his hair out of his face. It was wet with sweat.

His breathing is ragged and unsteady. His eyes are wide and staring up at yours. You look to his torso, but the sight only makes your cry out harder.

"(Y/N)," He whispers, shakingly reaching a hand up to your face. Tears pour down your face, watching the life slowly leave the redhead.

"No, Cal," You sob out, holding him tightly in your lap. "You can't leave, not now, not ever. I love you." Your lips quiver, your hands shake. His eyes start to roll back then focus on and off. "PLEASE!"

“Hey, at least I loved you till my very last breath, right? Like I had promised.” Cal smiles weakly, dibbles of blood coming out of the corners of his mouth. "I love you, do what needs to be done." And with that, he becomes cool to the touch.

Your sobs echo through the space. Your chest becomes heavy, your eyelids droopy, your face and lips chapped. You hold him tightly, bringing your face down to his, resting your forehead on his.

Bode and Bravo watch, arms crossed and winced. It took all of their willpower to start the dreaded walk over. To make it real, and not a shitty part of the show. Bode tried to separate you two but you kicked and screamed like a toddler. When he was finally able to separate you, you flung yourself into his embrace, wheezing and hiccuping from the lack of oxygen. Bravo picked up who used to be Cal, and followed you two to the ship.

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You place a singular petal on Cal's chest. Bode and Bravo helped you set up proper burials for those who had died, and they left you to be alone with Cal for one last time. You shakingly place his light saber across him, letting one of his hands rest ontop of it. You stare at him, his face abnormally white, the freckles stood out even more. His hair was pushed out of his face, and his nose seemed more crooked than ever before. His eye bags had sunken in, as if he was ready for the best sleep of his life.

Leaning down, you place a long kiss to his forehead. And with that, you took a match and lit underneath the table. You couldn't bear to watch.

"See you soon," You hiccup out, trying to hold it together. Slowly, you turn around and head back towards the ship.

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A/N: Great, now I'm depressed.

[ingenio-academy-if]

Can you give brief summaries of the ROs personalities and their romantic routes please? Thanks!

Hello! thanks for the ask! I am more than happy to provide that information, however, before we start a quick PSA.

I reserve the right to change any of these statements that I'm making in this post. The game is in early development, I am still learning new things about my characters every day! Changes are to be expected.

Are we all good on that? okay? okay.

This ended up not being brief at all...

Zane:

When you were friends Zane was a calm, loyal friend. A bit blunt and doesn't have the habit of smiling at strangers, but he was kind and mischievous.

Now he is simply cold. Angry, Very tense. He will not go out of his way to help you out, and honestly, he'll be mean. It all comes from a place of hurt though... and well, something else too.

His romance route is all about forgiveness. It's going to be a slow burn with some delicious tension once you've broken through the initial hatred he'll feel towards MC at the start of the story. But afterward, it'll be a tender love that the two of you will need to navigate together as plot shenanigans happen.

It will be easier to romance him in the poly with Aimé.

Evander:

Evander is aloof, he makes it very clear that he has absolutely no interest in being here. He doesn't really want to be in this class! But, he can't go against his father. He is a bit socially dense, having a hard time understanding the subtleties that happen in communications with other people. But he loves being right, and you will catch him smugly smiling whenever he is.

His romance will be tension, he obviously wants you but something is holding him back. Goes out of his way to be meaner because he doesn't know how else to push you away. Entering a relationship with him will reveal a childish side of him that he hides from others. And it will help him realize that hey, maybe he shouldn't just give up on himself and those around him.

Aimé:

Aimé's whole theme is love. They love fiercely and hard, they crave softness and understanding. They don't want to be alone yet find themselves somehow isolated in the school. They also don't speak of their past, how they got turned into a vampire, when. They can be pretty airheaded, but they're so so SO polite!

Aimé's romance will be sweet and cute, they will be happy to have you around. There's just one problem. Their fanclub, and well society too since vampires are thought to be evil bloodsuckers but lets focus on the real issue. Actual people will try to stand in the way of your blossoming relationship, and you need to come to terms with the reality that dating an immortal might get... tricky.

Nova:

Nova is a go-getter, a top-grade student, with that you'd think that they're the serious type. But no! They're pretty bubbly, they love interacting with people. But most of all, they love being in charge and they love a good challenge. If your mc gets popular, she might view them as a threat, which will excite her a lot.

Nova's romance route will be a whirlwind romance, you can start it off quickly and she is all-in almost immediately. She will try to treat you well but issues will arise that are connected to dating a werewolf. She will be a jealous and slightly possessive lover.

Kane:

Kane is weird. They are happy to see you before you even know who the hell they are. They treat you like an old friend who they haven't seen in years, a person that's important to them. Yet if asked they dont reveal why that is. Something about them isn't right, they want to get close to you, but for what reason?

Kane's romance can be a whirlwind romance, similar to Nova, you can start it off early and then have all the secrets revealed when you are already in deep with Kane. Or, you can slow it down and learn the truth before being in a relationship with them, but after you've started having serious feelings for them. Kane's route will have many secrets, and suspicious behaviours, you just need to decide if they're worth it.

[jamesbuchananbarnesslut]

Monster Hunter Ch. 1

Pairing: Will Ransome x Female Reader

Words: 1,516

Summary: The year was 1893 in Aldwinter Essex and William Ransome, vicar, has been battling with his towns people and the myth of monsters. Especially, after strange things keep happening in town, most recently an earthquake and even children and locals reporting the sighting of a blackwater beast. Although Will, himself doesn't believe in monsters he's been struggling to convince the town people otherwise. The problem further escalates when men of the town all begin having similar dreams and describe the same woman appearing in them. After each person has these dreams, they seem to be weaker either physically or mentally and, in most cases, have been found dead. The dreams also only started occurring after a new spinster named Y/N moved in on the outskirts of town. With all the increasing rumors, Will is forced to step in and begin to decipher what's happening especially whether he believes these things are real.  

Warnings: yes there is smut in the first piece, but it’s just with Will’s wife. Fingering and P in the V

Tiny Tag List: @venusofthehardsells @spooky1980

Notes: This story first of all wouldn’t be happening without @venusofthehardsells she was the on who first introduced me to these Tom Hiddleston photos. Which in thus created a thirst and need for a fic. But the fic is now a series! I also have not actually read The Essex Serpent and have no idea how the show is going to go, so this is my OWN interpretation and telling of his character. Please enjoy, like, reblog, and leave lots of comments!

Master List

Series Master List

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Will's P.O.V

I had spent another long grueling day arguing with the members of my communion about whether the myths and monsters circulating our small town were real. The rumors began last summer and only thus worsened. I'm at my wits end with it all, and just need a way to qualm what the town is currently feeling. As I worked my way back into my office, I couldn't help but think that the new spinster, Y/N, on the outskirts of town had to have something to do with this all. Considering she had moved in around last summer when the blackwater beast stories first presented themselves. But now that she, herself, was appearing in men's dreams, and then a lot of those men found dead. It was suspicious and she surely has something to do with it all, maybe if not monsters and myths than some type of black magic or witchery.  

By the time I made it back to my office I couldn't help but pull out my hidden bottle of gin and pour myself a drink before I sat down. I manage to swallow the drink all in one swig and end up pouring myself another. Sitting down at my desk with the bottle, I press my fingers to my temples and hunch over the desk. Pondering what's been happening to my small town and why everything's suddenly topsy-turvy. I also can't help but think about how this is going to further affect the towns faith in God, especially thier view him. While my thoughts are still swirling, I throw back my second drink and decide to pour another.  

As if I have a chance to relax though, there's an overflowing pile of paperwork on my desk I still need to sort out. As well as a stack of mail that's been neglected for far too long. That's when I decide it's time to down my third drink and start sorting through the paperwork and at least categorizing it. By the time I finish organizing I have a stack of marriage certificates, christenings, new memberships, and even a decent amount of death certificates. The mail will have to wait until the morning I haven't been home all week; I keep falling asleep in my office or waking up somewhere in the pews. But I know my wife is beginning to worry and I should probably make my way home before I get stuck here.  

I pour myself one final drink for the road, throw it back and begin to push myself to my feet. I tuck the gin back in its hiding place within the bookshelf and begin to shut down the building while heading out. Specifically, blowing out all the candles, turning off oil lamps and locking the doors. Even in a buzzed stupor those are things I never forget.  

I stumble down the steps of the church and make it to the cobblestone street heading towards home. Even though there aren't many streetlamps providing light, there's a clear sky and a full moon making everything gleam and glisten in the dark. As I continue my march home, I pass one of the local pubs and see none other than Y/N, herself outside it. Conversing with John Smith, one of the older blacksmiths. It seems to be a deep intimate moment, that I interrupt by holding my gaze towards them too long. Catching their attention and weird glares back. I tip my head to them and continue walking, hoping I haven't soured their mood.  

By the time I make it home, I can see all the oil lamps are off and two candles going, one in my bedroom meaning the Mrs.'s is up reading or waiting for me. And one in the kitchen, she must have put leftovers out for me. How many times has that this happened this week? I don't want to disturb anybody, so I enter the house through the rear door that leads directly into the kitchen. There's a plate of cold food on the table for me, that I scarf down ravenously. With how little I've been home; I really haven't been eating either. Once I'm done, I rinse off the dishes, setting them aside to be washed in the morning and blow out the candle.  

I slowly make my way upstairs and begin to plot ways to get myself out of this argument with my wife. Maybe because the kids were still sleeping, she'd put off the spat and wait till she sent them off too school or her parents. Either way I wasn't prepared to walk in and find her sitting naked in the candlelight. It's almost like she knew I'd finally make my way home tonight. That or she's been truly waiting each night like this for my return home. Either way I didn't deserve a woman as good as her.  

Her sultry voice broke my shocked stupor, "I was beginning to wonder when I'd ever see you again."

I run my hands through my hair, a nervous habit, and work up a response, "you know, I can't rest easy until I convince everyone that this blackwater serpent isn't real. And now I have reports of Y/N appearing in men's dreams and a lot of those men begin found dead within a couple days or weeks shortly thereafter."

I must have been running my mouth because by the time I look to my wife again she is already up from the bed and stripping me of my clothing.  

"I understand that this is a huge deal honey, but you can't keep burning the candle at both ends and pushing yourself like this," she states while finishing pulling the reaming clothes from my body. "Come, join me in bed maybe if I provide my wifely duties, I can help break you out of this stump." Which is followed by her hands caressing my chest and moving up towards my neck, face and into my hair. Where she pulls my gaze to hers to get a clear look in my eyes. I know she can see how tired and stressed out I am.  

I let her pull me into bed, she makes it so I land on top of her, and I can't help but agree that now would be a good time to have sex. It also means she isn't mad or at least she's trying to amend things this way instead. I begin to kiss her and settle myself in between her legs where my member begins to harden against her. Our kissing becomes passionate, and I feel her entrance slicken. I slide my fingers along her slit and begin to spread her wetness around causing mewls to spill from her mouth into mine. Once she's decently wet, I slip a finger and then two into her, working them at a steady pace. While I move my lips to her chest and tell her she must quiet herself or else she'll wake the children in a hushed mummer.  

After I feel her cum around my finger, I work that same hand over my member, making sure to get it nice and wet. Then I line myself up with her entrance and push in slowly, while putting my hand over her mouth.  

"You just can't help yourself tonight my dear," I mumble into her ear while giving her a chance to adjust to my member in her. She bites my hand, a clear sign I need to get a move on, and I begin to push myself in and out of her tight channel. The pace isn't slow for long though and I begin pounding into her. Her whines spilling out but muffled behind my hand.  

"I know your close again, cum with me yeah?" She nods and with that I drop my hips lower changing the angle. Which immediately triggers her orgasm, causing her tight channel to milk me and pushing me into my orgasm. I pump my seed into her and then roll of to the side. Pulling her tightly into my arms I drift off into sleep thinking about Y/N, John Smith, and the rumors circulating our small town.  

[imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl]

Love On-Set (Pt. 02 of 10)

Pairing: Dacre Montgomery X Reader

Summary: You knew acting on Stranger Things season 3 would be a challenge, and you also knew, from the start, you'd have to work closely with Dacre Montgomery. But is wasn't a big deal for you, since this is your job and you're determined to act professionally. You had it all figured out, or so you thought, until the moment you were out face to face with Dacre. Then, this job became a lot harder than it was supposed to be, since you can't seem to focus whenever you're around Dacre. And you'll have to be around him a lot until the end of production.

Word count: 2.9K

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{Dacre Montgomery Masterlist}

{Stranger Things Masterlist}

×

Feelings

On the next morning, you make your way to the back of the hotel, where a van will come to pick you up. You're talking to Vicky through the phone, listening to her advice and tips for today. She won't be around as much this time, she wants you to build your own connections, but she will be aware of everything that's going on. The co-stars you'll be working with today are a few feet ahead, chatting, and they haven't noticed you yet. You don't mind though. They've been acting together for two years now, you wouldn't have anything to add to their conversations anyway.

“(Y/N).” The voice makes you turn around, seeing Dacre as he walks over you. “Morning.”

“Vicky, I gotta go. Talk to you later. Bye.” Quickly, maybe too quick, you hang up, focusing on Dacre. “Hi. Good morning.” Nervously, you gesture at the others. “You should go stay with them. The van is almost here.”

“I'll introduce you to them, c'mon.” With a hand on the small of your back, barely touching you though, he guides you to the small group of people. “Hey, guys. Good morning. This is (Y/N), our Amy.”

“Hi there,” Joe says, reaching out his hand which you shake. “I'm Joe.”

“Natalia.” One of the girls says. You already know their names, but decide to let them formally introduce themselves. “These are Charlie and Francesca. But you can call her Fran.”

“Hello.” You mutter, shaking their hands before stepping back to stand beside Dacre.

“Heard you two shot together yesterday,” Joe says, typing something on his phone before putting it on his pocket. “I was there earlier but I think I left before you got there.”

“Yes. And I must say (Y/N) was amazing.” Dacre speaks before you can, and you blush at his compliment. You didn't do much, you think, it was just a simple scene. More complicated things will come.

“Thanks, but you were great too. I'm just trying to keep up.”

“It's good to see you're modest,” Francesca remarks, giving you a small smile.

“Just saying the truth.” You're still speaking when the van arrives, and the guys gesture for the girls to get in first.

You move to the back of the van since it's always been your favorite seat, resting the script on your lap before buckling up.

“May I seat here?” Dacre gets your attention, and you look away from the window, meeting his eyes.

“Sure.” You don't want him to feel like he has to be around you just because he was the first person you met from the show. But you won't just push him away like that. “Did you sleep well?”

“I managed.” He answers. “You?”

“I did.” Once again, you fall into silence. There isn't much you can talk about other than work. “Excited about today? Amy and Billy will have another confrontation.”

“Poor Billy. Amy's going to steal his heart.” He puts a hand over his chest and you giggle.

“He kinda deserves it. After breaking so many hearts.” Shrugging your shoulders, your mind goes through the scenes of the day. You'll have another one with Dacre alone. “I–”

“Hey. Why are you guys seated all the way in the back?” Joe asks, turning his head to look at you and Dacre. “Come–”

“They're talking. Let them be.” Natalia pulls Joe back into his seat, giving you a stare and a smile.

Blushing a little, you exchange a glance with Dacre before looking down at your hands. “You can go be with them if you want.” You decide to let him know.

“I'm alright here,” Dacre affirms. “Is there anything you want to talk about our scene today? Any ideas for something we could do better?”

“The director wants tension, so we have to focus on that.” Opening the script, you easily find today's pages, since they were marked. “Like here. You could keep stepping closer and I'd keep pushing you away. They're both nervous since they're talking about the Mind Flayer, but it would break that tension with a different kind of tension.”

“I like that. It can work.” Dacre leans over a little to read, standing closer. “Amy could give Billy a push, what would make him a little mad, but not the usual kind of mad. James wants me to convince the audience Billy will have strong, true feelings towards Amy, so I think it will help. He won't be as aggressive with her as he is with everyone else.”

You only get half of what he says, suddenly distracted by his voice. “Yeah, I like that.” You watch as his fingers trace the paper, following the dialogue lines. “You have a nice accent by the way.”

“I'm Australian.”

“I noticed.” When you turn your head to look at him, and he does the same, you take in how close he is, quickly looking back down. He has nice eyes too. “I think it'll be fun.”

“I hope I won't make you uncomfortable. Basically, all of our scenes together involve some kind of proximity.”

“You won't.” Uncomfortable is not the word to describe it. Dacre does make you a little nervous, but any girl would be nervous acting with someone who looks like him. You realize he probably misunderstood your gesture from before, looking away from him so abruptly. “I don't feel uncomfortable. And I agree with you. We should get to know each other, I think it would help.”

“It would.” The van bounces suddenly, what gets a tiny exclamation from Joe. “So. What's your favorite color?”

The silly question makes you giggle, putting a lock of hair behind your ear. “Pink. Definitely. But I also love blue and lilac.” Taking a deep breath, you decide to look at him, just to make sure you'll kick away whatever he was thinking when you averted your eyes from him. “Yours?”

“Red.”

“Only one?”

“Yes. I'm a normal person, unlike you.” Despite the sassy comment, Dacre is smiling, sustaining your stare.

“So you're normal? That's a shame. I don't befriend normal people.” Closing the script, you take a look through the window, admiring how the sunlight gives everything a golden shine.

“It was good while it lasted then.” He says, and you bite your lip involuntary. “Who's your favorite character in the show?”

“Amy.” You're quick to answer, turning to look at him again. When the car takes a turn, the morning sun casts its light right on Dacre's face, illuminating it. His blue eyes get your attention, and you notice they remind you of LA's beach, near your house. Shaking your head lightly, you snap back into reality. “It's my character. I own her that much.”

“That's favoritism. You can't pick her.”

“Who would you pick then, Mr. Montgomery?” He giggles at the name.

“I like Maxine.” He answers. “She's badass and I admire her for enduring such an awful step-brother.”

“I like Dustin. His voice is funny.”

“Here I was thinking you had a deeper reason for liking Dustin.” Dacre fakes a disappointed tone, but a small chuckle escapes his lips.

“You're a deep person then.” You conclude, giving him a quick glance.

“You can say so. Aren't you?”

Guys don't usually like thoughtful girls, you know that. At least not the ones you went out with. People, in general, don't like that, so you learned to keep things for yourself. “We can say I think a lot. But I don't usually put it into words.”

“Why not?”

You get the feeling Dacre knows he hit something inside you. Something he doesn't understand, but he knows it's there, that it's delicate. You can tell that by the change in his voice, all the joking tones left behind, replaced by a much serious expression. Guess you can tell him, it's not a big deal. “My father once told me I feel too much. That, just like my mother, I suffocate people with all my... Feelings.” Breathing out, you can't help but remember the fight you had that day, many years ago. “It was ugly. Everyone was yelling, I was a teenager and just had my heart broken by this stupid guy so... It just kicked in. I pretty much closer some doors that day.”

“I'm sorry you had to go through that.”

“Don't be. It's not a big deal.” Isn't it? You're not sure, but you tell yourself it isn't. Going back there won't help, won't solve any problems, won't change anything.

“Of course it is. It clearly affected you.”

“How do you know it affected me?”

“Your voice changed, so did your posture.”

Gasping, you look at Dacre. People don't notice these things. They just say they're sorry and change the subject. “You're very... Perceptive.”

“Well, I don't think feelings are a problem. If he felt suffocated that was all on him. Not you or your mother.” Taken aback by his words, you can't help but smile at how kind he is. “Anytime you need to talk about anything, I'm willing to listen.”

“Thanks, you're–” The driver hits the breaks, and when you look through the window, you realize you're at the set. “We're here.”

“May the fun begin.”

An hour later, you're in a dark pink swimsuit, shooting a scene with Natalia for the third time. This is about Heather, already taken by the Mind Flayer, making her first appearance at the pool. The director, who now you know is named James, makes several changes for every take, but you and Natalia just have to repeat the lines.

“So. You were talking to Dacre.” She says in between takes, as you wait to see if there will be another one or if you can go on to the next scene. Natalia gives you a look that makes you blush. You didn't know she was paying attention to you and Dacre in the back of the van. “You two getting along?”

“Yeah. He is–”

“Alright, everyone. Heather's coming down and Billy is entering the pool. It's a quick one, so let's get it done in one take if possible.” James announces, and you lay back down in the chair, happy that this conversation was cut short. “Everybody ready? Action!”

Everything sets in motion, and Hawkins Community Pool comes to life once again. You engage in small talk with Natalia as Heather climbs down her chair, walking by.

“Is she alright?” Nancy asks Amy, eyes following Heather.

“She must be sick.” You tell her before the cameras leave you, all turning to the locker, from where Dacre is already coming from.

You know your part. Exchange a glance when he's close by and look away, annoyed.

But that's not what happens. When he comes close, you do give him the look, the cameras now focusing on you, but the whole thing vanishes. Your mind is blank as you just keep staring, a weird sensation building up when you realize you're watching Billy Hargrove right before your eyes. But when he walks by, you see he breaks character for a moment, as if wondering what you're doing. Of course he thinks you're improvising. So Billy's face comes up again, eyes lingering on you until he passes by, and you break out of your state, looking away.

“What was that?” Nancy asks, and you wonder if that's Nancy or just Natalia, because the line isn't on the script.

“Nothing.” Your answer.

“Cut!” James yells and you relax, taking a deep breath. “(Y/N), I liked what you did. Good job! Five minutes everyone.”

“What was that?” Natalia asks again, in a different tone this time, making it clear it's her who's asking. “Did you improvise?”

“Sure.” Getting up from the chair, you follow her to the resting area they set up for you. “Just thought it would give him the tension he wants too much.” Lying is not your thing, but what can you say? That your mind went blank? That you forgot the whole script for a moment and Dacre's reaction was what saved you so you wouldn't be looking like a total idiot?

“You did well then.” She takes a water bottle, taking a sip. She doesn't seem so convinced though. “Oh, we'll start gathering to go over the Starcourt scenes. They'll be heavy and everyone agreed on start working on them so it won't be so messy on set.”

“It's a great idea. When will it happen?” The Battle of Starcourt is the most complicated and longest scenes of the season, and you're glad they want to go over it.

“We have a group chat. I can add you so you'll know when we'll meet.”

“I can add her,” Dacre says and you turn on your heels, giving a step closer to Natalia. “I have her number.”

“Great.” She exclaims, drumming her fingers on the table. “I'll go find Charlie and Joe. We got a scene together later today.”

“Ok.” You mumble, waving at her as she leaves. “Nice tan.” The words come out of your mouth the moment your eyes involuntary fall from his face to his chest. “Now I know why Billy turns every head when he walks by.” Thinking fast, you manage to bring some sense into whatever you were talking about.

“You also look amazing in this–”

“Dacre, (Y/N). C'mon.” The director calls and Dacre rolls his eyes, making you giggle.

“Guess this is our cue.” He says, gesturing for you to walk before him. “Are you nervous? We're going to be face to face again.”

“No.” It comes out too fast, and you're sure he can tell you feel the exact opposite. You weren't thinking about it, but now you are. “I'm alright.” You're walking beside him, near the pool to where James is gathered with some people, getting things ready for the scene. “I think Amy–” The words get caught in your throat when your bare feet slips on a puddle, but instead of colliding to the ground, you're pulled up quickly, heart beating fast from the sudden motion.

“Are you alright?” Dacre asks, his hand still resting on the small of your back, and the other holding your arm, making sure you have your balance again.

“Yes.” Now you definitely look like an idiot. “Sorry.” When you raise your head to meet his eyes, you clear your throat and step back.

“Don't worry, I got you.”

“(Y/N), are you ok?” The director asks and you nod, walking fast over him. “Good. Let's get this going.”

This scene is the confrontation about what happened in the road. And you're supposed to be 100% focused, the lines at the tip of your tongue, but as you breathe in deeply to get into character, you can't help but feel restless. Maybe if you do manage to befriend Dacre it'll get easier. Hopefully.

“Ready, everyone.” The command comes and you prepare yourself, quickly replaying the lines in your head. “Action!”

In Amy's skin, you start walking back to your chair, carelessly running a hand through your hair when your arm is grabbed suddenly, and you stop, turning around to face the source of the attack. Anger takes over your expression the moment your eyes, or better saying, Amy's eyes, find Billy. “What the hell do you think you're doing?”

“We need to talk.” That said, he pulls you with him, away from the people.

“We have nothing to talk about.” Amy keeps fighting but still trying not to let anyone notice. Billy drags her behind the supply closet, away from curious eyes and ears. “Let go of me!” With a push, you set free from his grip.

“Well, did you tell anyone?”

“Tell what? That we saw a huge alien monster made of darkness?” You whisper-yell, looking into his eyes and giving a step back, just to figure out there's a wall trapping you. “Of course I didn't.”

Dacre steps closer, his chest pressing you further into the wall. “Then you saw it too. Right?”

It takes a while until you remember the line, and what you're supposed to do since the proximity clouded your mind. With both hands on his chest, you push Dacre away. “Yes, I did. It was after me.” You mutter as Dacre plays his part, surrendering into your push before coming closer again.

You take a deep breath, struggling to remain in character, annoyed and anxious, who can't wait for Billy to go away. “I...” He stutters. “I forgot it. Sorry, I got distracted.”

“Alright, let's roll it again from 'Did you tell anyone'. I want constant eye contact this time. Action!”

You get exactly two seconds to take in the command and set it into motion, but you do as you're told, raising your head slightly so you're staring at Dacre.

“Well, did you tell anyone?”

“Tell what? That we saw a huge alien monster made of darkness?” You've seen blue eyes before, but not that blue. It startles you a little when Dacre steps closer, and in an attempt to put some distance in between you two, you move back, hitting the wall. “Of course I didn't.” You manage to push out.

“Then you saw it too... Right?” Dacre changes his tone, and you get the idea. Billy is confused, not really convinced that what he saw was real.

“Yes. It was after me first in case you don't remember.” Keeping the annoyed tone in your voice, you have Amy push Billy away, now, slightly aware of your hand on Dacre's bare chest. Keep it professional, you tell yourself. This is a job. “And stay away from me.”

“That thing...” He steps closer again, ignoring Amy's requirement. “...What was it?”

“I really need you to stay away.” Another push, but this time Dacre grabs your arm, leaning even closer, putting a hand on the wall beside your head. You roll your eyes, breaking eye contact just for the sake of your character before she slips away again. Regaining your senses, you look up into his eyes.

“Sorry, if I'm making you nervous, princess, but I can't have anyone else listening to this crazy talk.” He gives you his wicked smile, the one that makes the girls melt.

That's it. That's the moment when Amy stands up to him, and you have to nail it because honestly, you don't think you can do this again. So you stand up straight, ending the tiny distance that was left between you and Dacre, between Amy and Billy, chests colliding and eyes burning with anger and indignation. “You think you can flash a smile and have all the girls of Hawkings at your feet but I won't fall for it.” You hiss, standing on your toes just a little bit, trying to match his height, but, of course, it doesn't happen. Dacre still towers over you. “So drop the bad boy act, jerk, and if you want to focus on the real problem here, the freaking thing coming from the sky hunting us, you're free to talk to me.” Then you leave, storming away, leaving the shooting area before turning around to get a glimpse of Dacre's acting. Billy keeps staring at the place where Amy went, which makes Dacre look straight at you. You see Billy's surprise face, filled with perplexion, not able to believe what just happened. Then, it softens, as he slowly goes back into Dacre.

“And cut! Jesus, it was amazing.” James exclaims, standing from his chair. “I don't think we should do another take, despite thinking a kiss would fit well in the scene.”

Your eyes go wide as you stare at James, who looks pleased with his work. You thought you'd have more time before kissing Dacre. To get to know him, so it won't be a mess like it was right now. You don't even know how it was possible for it to be so good as James says. You were all over the place.

“But no, it will be better on screen to build up the tension until it explodes. You did very well, you two.” James friendly touches your shoulder. “I can see you're still a little nervous, but it's normal since you basically just met Dacre.” He gestures at him, who comes to join you, and James puts an arm around his shoulder. “Perhaps you should get together and work on the kissing scene. See how you feel, how you could make it even better because every time you improvise, it gives me goosebumps and I like it. You two have chemistry.” His voice gets a little higher on the last word, and he let's go of you two. “So this is a little homework. Go over that scene and let me know if you think anything should be different.”

When James leaves, you're blushing, his words echoing in your brain. Homework? Does he really want you to do that? “Like a read-through?” You ask.

“You already did a read-through. Do the real thing. Or even better.” He turns around, walking backwards. “Get it on camera and send me so I can check how you two are doing. Amy and Billy are this season's power couple, I want it to be amazing. You're both doing great and that's why I want to take this to a whole new level.” And he sets in motion again, gesturing for someone to give him something. “Now get ready, I want to shot Heather's scene again.”

×

@baker151910 @shinydixon @dreamin-of-dacre @hanoi15 @lickmymelanin @skykittysstuff @foccus @multific @uncookspaget @kellysimagines

[midnxghtsunwrites]

SMOKESTACKS | 16, NO MORE SURPRISES

previous post

warning: ⚠ domestic abuse ahead ⚠

FOR THE SIXTH TIME IN TWO hours, Nadine's phone blares its annoying ringtone. She could only assume that those calls are coming from the same people she's been avoiding for the past week. Nadine has managed to take the week off of work to avoid seeing Gemma and/or Jax.

Now, she's sat in a bar on a Friday night, sipping on a gin and tonic and bobbing her head to the music playing over the speakers.

She glances at her screen to see the familiar name pop up.

Jackson Teller.

She was in her feelings when she changed his name in her phone and she doesn't see herself changing it back in the near future. Honestly, she doesn't know what to do. It seems impossible to avoid these people considering everywhere she turns, someone associated with the club is in her face.

Of course, her friendship with Lyla was the only constant and based on the fact that the porn star brings up Jax in every one of their conversations, he knows it too. Does she want to just wait it out until they're tired of trying to reach out to her or does she try to make another getaway?

She just got here and she loves her job and her kids and she already can't imagine leaving them.

Guess she'll have to suck it up.

"I really can't tell if you're drunk or just vibing," The voice belongs to a black woman who'd been sitting beside Nadine for the better part of thirty minutes. She has an eyebrow raised and a glass of scotch raised to her lips, "Or both."

Nadine shakes her head in amusement, "Definitely both." Sticking a hand out, she introduces herself, "Nadine."

"Amelia." The woman shakes the teacher's hand, "Why haven't I seen you around before?"

"That is a great question," Nadine jokes as she sips her drink. She's barely tipsy, which is far from where she wants to be. The conversation continues to flow as the woman is drowned out by Nadine's phone blaring obnoxiously for the third time in ten minutes, the teacher ignoring every call.

Noting this, Amelia tilts her head in interest, "Boyfriend?"

The teacher scrunches her face at the thought, "Nope."

"Girlfriend?"

"I wish."

"Almost boyfriend?"

At Amelia's teasing tone, Nadine rolls her eyes in amusement, "Definitely not."

NADINE WAS DOWN THREE GLASSES of whiskey before she felt the effects of the alcohol on her senses. She giggles, fruitlessly as she tries to drink from her glass only to miss completely and basically pour it down her shirt.

Amelia bursts out into laughter, drunk to her ass. The women had been drowning themselves in tequila shots — for reasons they choose not to admit. Apparently, Amelia has lived in Charming her whole life — she's an OR nurse at St. Thomas's Hospital and extremely talented when it comes to her job.

Nadine didn't get much more than that.

"Oh, crap," Nadine snorts as the woody aroma from the alcohol wafts to her nostrils.

Amelia points in amusement, her eyes squinted as a loud laugh escapes her, "You smell like a bar!"

The teacher nods and leans back on her stool, almost falling on her back, "That's 'cause we're in a bar, silly!"

Staggering forward, Nadine peers through the mirrored wall behind the shelves of alcohol — the clear space allows her to look at the rest of the bar patrons behind her. She takes note of the large spot on her grey shirt and groans, exaggeratedly as she throws her head back.

Luckily, drunk Nadine still has some sort of logical reasoning, "I'll be right back — I gotta clean this up before it stains."

Amelia just tilts the rim of her glass of scotch towards the teacher and sends her a dopey smile, "Have fuuun." She sings, joyfully.

"I willll," Nadine mimics as she throws cash for the drinks on the bar counter.

Fortunately, the dark spot hadn't dried in the time it took Nadine to go through the line of women standing outside of the bathroom. A lack of stalls seemed to be the verdict for the long queue. Standing there in the bathroom, she hovers over the sink, wiping a damp paper towel over her tank top.

The stain is almost out — the woody smell being replaced by stale tap water. She should've just kept the stain there if that's the case.

Suddenly, it's like time stops. Chills run down her back and the hairs on the back of her necks rise. Goosebumps line her arms as she furrows her eyebrows. There's a sinking feeling in her gut — so deep that Nadine is knocked out of her drunken stupor and forced to grab on to the ceramic sink.

Almost as if she could predict it, there's a knock on the door. Nadine blinks profusely and calls to the person, "Someone's in here." That doesn't make the person on the other side back off — no, instead, the doorknob that was once locked is twisted and pushed open.

So much for locking the door. She ponders.

The figure that enters is tall — and so familiar. It's too dark for her to see a face but for a moment, Nadine assumes that Jax found her. She didn't put it past him considering he has so many connections that probably tipped him off and she doesn't put it past him to break down any barriers between them.

This leads her to her beginning sentence, "You don't have to check up on me, Jax. I just need time to myself."

As the figure steps closer, Nadine's breath hitches in her throat. Fuck. Tears fill her eyes as she looks upon the man that's caused her so much turmoil for two years. The man she fucking ran away from. Ezra Moore in all his mysterious obscurity stands just feet away from her.

She tries not to let her gaze shift to the pepper spray in her bag.

The man smirks, sadistically as he steps further into the room, almost steps away from his target, "This place should really get some better locks."

As his patronizing tone, Nadine jumps towards her bag on the sink, only to be shoved backward by her assailant. Her back lands against the filthy tiled wall and he holds her there, a grimey hand wrapped around her neck.

There were times when she loved to peer into those chocolate brown eyes — they used to give her a certain comfort. Now, they're the epitome of terrifying.

"What? You thought you could get away from me, you little bitch?" He growls, leaning so close into Nadine that the palm of his hand pushes into her larynx and the stench of cigarettes and nasty beer invades her senses. "No matter how far you go, what name you use, or if you change your phone — I will always fucking find you."

"Please —"

"Shut the fuck up!" He yells into her face, spit flying to land on her cheek (the way my COVID brain just threw up). "You know you can't run from me, Nadine." His voice lowers as he jerks her head to the side and leans towards her ear. His lips wrap around her lobe, bringing tears to her eyes. His grip tightens, taking her breath from her — "You've been a little slut since you left me, haven't you? Fucking Jax Teller? That little biker I've been seeing around here?"

She can't speak. She can't breathe.

Ezra doesn't care.

"Answer me!"

Whipping her head around swiftly, she shakes her head and gapes her mouth, wanting to speak but no words can make it past Ezra's tight grip. Seeing this, he loosens it for a split second so Nadine can muster a small, "No."

That wasn't the answer he was looking for, "Don't fucking lie to me! That's all you've been doing since I met you." He forces her to look at him, frowning for a moment at the sight of tears running down her cheeks, "You're a fucking liar, you know that? And such an actress. Even right now — all these crocodile tears that you've been saving for me. For two years. All that fake love. Did you even love me?"

Nadine watches in pure horror as Ezra's voice breaks and tears begin to fly down his face. This man is insane, she sobs. Thoughts flurry through her mind as his grip loosens significantly. She's so taken aback that even her mind seems to be lagging. She wants to go home where the locks work.

"I did." She whispers, cringing as her voice cracks, "I-I do. I do love you, Ezra." It pains her to speak these lies, but she has to go and the only way to do that is to feed into his crazed actions, "I love you, baby. So much." She lifts a shaky hand to cup his cheeks, willing her tears away at the thought of touching her oppressor. "I'm sorry I left you. I don't know what I was thinking."

Her back stiffens when he falls into her, dropping his head into the crook of her neck. He sobs, savoring the feeling as she runs a hand through his scalp. It was something she did years ago to help him out whenever he had a stressful day — she used to love doing it.

Now, she feels like she needs to take a shower in acid to scrub the feeling of him off.

Her neck is sore when he releases her — surely, she has bruises.

Now is her time to get away — with that thought, she swiftly thrusts her knee up in between his legs and pushes him off of her body. He falls to the floor with a pained groan, cupping his groin.

"You bitch!" He screams at her as she shuffles along quickly to make her getaway. She snatches her bag from the sink, grabs her pepper spray and unleashes hell on the man writhing on the floor. He screams bloody murder before Nadine exits the room, closing the door behind her.

Nadine tries to wipe away the messy mascara under her eyes before heading for the exit of the bar, ignoring as Amelia calls after her.

The teacher drove home in fear that her shaky hands would make her swerve into oncoming traffic. That and her blurry vision, eyes filled to the brim with unshed tears. She's spent too much of her life crying over that man — she'll be damned if he gets anymore from her.

Taking extra precautions, she checks behind her every few seconds to make sure she isn't being tailed — even taking the long way home.

When she arrives at her apartment complex, she double checks the locks on her car before making her way up the stairs, her key already in one hand and her pepper spray in the other. When she sees another figure crouched by her door, the woman jumps. She doesn't want any more surprises tonight.

As she steps closer, arm extended with her pepper spray, her eyes catch sight of the familiar dark hair and the lit end of a cigarette. Nadine holds her breath as she realizes that that cigarette belongs to the woman she's been ignoring for the past week.

With a broken voice, Nadine freezes and whispers, "Gemma?"

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[echo-three-one]

Chapter 38

THE ROAD SO FAR

The EIGHT-Thirty Appointment

John 'Soap' MacTavish

London, UK

Following the events of Shepherd's surrender to authorities, the members of Task Force 141 who went rogue in pursuit of him had been exonerated from treason. This meant that from then on, life would be a little more 'normal'. No more hiding in public, no more lack of equipment, no more secret hiding areas.

This prompted Laswell to recreate the task force she once poured her heart on, with a few changes to its jurisdiction. With Ghost, Roach and Alexandra still recovering, the remaining members were invited to celebrate their success.

"So John, now that 141 is back your main focus will be Nero. Do you want the reassigned members back?" Laswell asked Price while they exited the building. Soap overheard this because he thought he was the John being called.

"If it's still okay and not much of a hassle, then yes." Price replied.

"What about Kyle?" Laswell added.

"No. Not yet. Just keep an eye on him." Price mused and turned to Soap, who quickly turned to focus back on Alex as he pushed his wheelchair.

"Excuse me, Captain Price. Can we talk for a moment?" Samantha interrupted as they stopped on their tracks. Alex turned out of curiosity, wondering what matter they were discussing.

"Hey hey hey. What was that about?" Alex asked Soap and France, who continued walking. Laswell turned to the next right as she already finished her conversation with Price, waving at Alex and the rest of the 141.

Soap chuckled at the CIA. This was about Samantha's surprise for him and he shouldn't spoil it.

"Well, with 141 back maybe she just wanted to know where she will be now. Nero no longer needs the IP Address and she's been through a lot." France reasoned, making Alex frown.

"You know… I want her safe and all but I also want her within my reach. I've lost her far too many times already. I'm not going to lose her again." Alex grumbled making Soap and France look at each other, their faces were worried at their sorry excuse.

"I think Samantha feels the same way too. Maybe she's bargaining for staying at 141." Soap lied, making France question him quietly.

"You know what, Alex? Don't overthink this." Soap tapped his shoulders reassuringly.

"Overthink what?" Samantha inserted. They fell quiet and Samantha slowly asked Soap to let her push Alex as they moved forward, Samantha being excited of what's next.

"Well, we did a great job. I guess." Soap quietly commented sarcastically, earning a soft elbow from France.

"Ow!" he exaggerated and turned to France, his face looked bewildered.

"Way to go, John." She sneered and followed the two on their way to their appointment, riding Soap's trusty jeep.

The drive to the surprise area consisted of mostly Soap and Francine acting like couples while they drove. Soap could see the two murmuring at each other whenever Soap would argue with France on whatever's going on in the road.

"I always wanted to try out some London restaurants." she mused, looking at the place they just passed by.

"Yeah? I could see you as the fancy kind." he chuckled at his guess.

"What does that mean?" France gave him a suspicious glare. Soap looked at her, feigning surrender.

"I just said it as is. You're the kind of person who would want fancy stuff." He explained, focusing back on the road.

"I-"

"Come on. You don't have to read everything I say between the lines. Sometimes, I'm just a simple man" he whined and Alex and Samantha burst out laughing, causing the two to be quiet.

"Are you sure there's nothing going on with you two?" Samantha asked, making the silence a little bit more awkward.

Soap carefully rolled his eyes toward Francine, who was actually looking down and blushing. He really had no definitive stance on whatever's going on between them, and if you ask him, he'd love to assume that they're already together. But he remembered that he told her that he'll be patient, and that's the only thing that's hindering him from taking her to the next level.

"Well…" Francine croaked, her voice was shaky and Soap was actually worried that she was already under pressure.

"We're here." Soap interrupted, wishing he did the right thing. Alex quickly looked outside to see where they actually were.

"What is this place, Soap? Where did you bring us?" Alex asked and Soap just nodded.

"I'll let your girl fill in everything for you. This was her idea after all and we're here to help her out." Soap replied as he assisted him to his wheelchair and watched the two enter the establishment.

He then knocked on Samantha's door as she was still out of focus.

"There's a coffee shop across the street, we could wait there until they finish." He invited her for another coffee date. Hopefully this time, there would be no more emp phone wielding persons to interrupt it.

"About Samantha's question…" She muttered.

"Don't pressure yourself about it. You actually owe me for saving you, by the way." He chuckled, already opening her door.

France slowly stepped down the vehicle and turned to Soap, her head looked up to his face.

"Look John. There's no other reason I can think of that would make you wait anymore. I really enjoy your company, your personality, and I'm curious about everything else about you. So, if you've been waiting all this time ever since that night, my answer is that I'm ready." She smiled, and John's eyes widened at the sight of her. The message made him hug her tight, lift her up and spin her around briefly while she giggled at the feeling.

"Wow. You don't know how much you made my day, France!" he sighed as he slowly set her down and closed the door and made their way to the coffee shop.

"I missed these so much!" France happily chewed on a slice of blueberry cheesecake, with a few crumbs stuck on the edge of her mouth. Soap smiled as she watched her enjoy the simple things in life, a thing he was always looking for in women.

Most of his dating life were his parents setting him up on business dates and most women there were far too serious. They looked like they haven't enjoyed anything in years. Some of them admittedly loved to have fun, but their idea of fun was far too complicated. Like expensive travels and luxurious shopping sprees, none of them piqued Soap's interest.

However, Francine was the first one who begged to differ. It's like every great idea in John's activity book is enjoyable for her. Simple things such as Netflix, Cinemas and even this coffee shop date, made her smile.

"What's funny?" Francine asked as she noticed the odd smile on his face.

"Oh nothing… you just looked cute eating that whole thing. It makes me want to buy a whole cake and watch you smile and eat that all day." he mused, imagining how things would've been if they weren't in public. He could've been tasting that cake from her mouth already.

He quickly grabbed a tissue and wiped off the crumbs as Francine blushed in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry. I didn't notice it was there." she blushed shyly and looked down.

"Nah… why apologize. I was thinking you were hinting at me to kiss you. Like what most movies and cliché shows would mean." He scoffed and sipped on his coffee.

"Ha ha. Well you could try. As if I'd let you." She smiled bravely, but Soap could see her weakness behind that smile. She's raising her guard up again, and it's always like that when people are around.

"Wow. Umm that went differently." Soap commented, attempting to let France open up. This has been a common trend with her lately, toughening up when people are around but when they're alone, she's still strict but less tense.

"I'm sorry. It's just-" She hesitated and turned to the window.

"Say, how long would it take for them to finish?" She asked. Soap also turned to the building and shrugged.

"I don't know. Honestly, I'm excited for him. They make the best prosthetics around here and it'd make Alex's life easier. It'll look and weigh and bend like an actual leg." he said proudly as he turned to France who was looking at him weirdly.

"What?" he asked as he checked his phone which just beeped.

"Actually, they're almost done. And they're asking for an order. I'll just go get some for them, you stay here." He added, holding the thought, wiping his face and proceeded to the counter.

The reformed Task Force 141 would soon be back in business as papers were already approved by the board. They'll be situating themselves on American soil as their previous base was compromised by the traitorous General.

As for their last day on English soil, the rest of the team stayed in a penthouse condominium unit owned by the MacTavishes.

"Wow. This is top class!" Samantha mused as Alex plopped himself on the couch, his new leg quickly rested on the table. He's been in it for only a few hours but he already got the hang of it.

Samantha shot a glare at Alex's actions to which he shrugged on, prompting Soap to reply.

"Don't worry Samantha, make yourselves at home. We don't use this place anyway so help yourselves out. I promise it'll be fine." he eased as Samantha slowly plopped down beside him as Alex's arm rested on her shoulders. Soap actually wondered if he could do that to her too, get comfortable, open up, just normal stuff.

"I'll go get tea." he quickly said to himself as his imagination got the best of him as he walked to the kitchen. France quickly followed him to help out.

"Fancy place you got here, John. I wonder how many girls you've brought in here." She mused standing in front of him, helping with the teacups. Soap eyed her for a second and replied.

"Honestly, I can't count. I used to stay here when I studied and that was years ago." he replied as seriously as possible, looking at the changes on her face. She's actually jealous.

"Yeah. Figures. I saw your photos from earlier years. It was no doubt you'd have a lot of women over." She chuckled, nervously at it. Soap saw through her as she started to get curious about his life. A sign that she's ready to stop lowering her guard. Soap on the other hand, wanted her to feel special. Asking her out as soon as possible would make him come out as a desperate one, so he planned to do it the long traditional way. Which he actually despised, he would want to hug her so tight right now and it was already killing him.

"What about you? How many different rooms did you wake up to already?" he asked, changing the subject as she was already starting to feel bad about her question.

"Me?! Only a few. And most of them were owned by you. I've been very serious about my life choices that I never let myself loose." she sighed as Soap raised an eyebrow.

"Let loose? Like going out to parties?" He added.

"Yes. But broader. Like letting myself loose. I've always followed the path I wanted to be in, not letting any distractions bother me." she explained, blushing at it like it's a secret she was too shy to tell. Soap on the other hand, didn't quite get it.

"So you mean…" He tilted his head.

"Yes. Since birth, I never had a boyfriend." she looked down in embarrassment for the second time today.

Soap gulped. He didn't actually know how to respond to her statement. Sure he wanted to be the first one, but now wasn't the time. It would feel forced. And he wasn't a fan of forced relationships.

The kettle whistled and the two of them quickly responded to it as they both reached out for it, their hands met just by the handle.

"I'll take care of this one." She said as Soap slowly let go of her soft hands and watched her pour it on, carrying it to Samantha and Alex who were already giggling through a romcom.

"Way to go, John." he muttered to himself with a sigh as he ran his hand on his hair.

The day actually felt worse as France continued to remain quiet towards Soap as she invested herself on the television, third wheeling on Alex and Samantha.

Soap pondered about the words he chose to say to her and those he didn't over a steamy shower.

With the place having only two bedrooms, it was inevitable that France would sleep beside him but he also considered sleeping on the couch to respect her privacy or something like that.

As soon as he exited the bathroom, he saw France already tucked on her side of the bed, scrolling through her phone.

"Hey there." he muttered as she rolled her eyes to him and back to her phone.

"Hey." she said nonchalantly, her eyes dead focused on her screen. Soap quickly grabbed his nighttime clothes and slipped them on.

"Are you in any way excited for tomorrow?" he asked, trying to keep her from interacting with him.

"Yeah. A little." she said as she turned to him and smiled.

"Listen, about earlier today, in the kitchen..." he said.

"I'm not mad, John. I just wanted to say it out there so you could understand me."

"Tell me what you feel."

"Embarrassed."

"Why?"

"Because I looked like a fool earlier. When I told you I was ready and now I feel that you're the one who isn't. You told me you would wait but-" Soap placed his hand on her face, gently touching her cheek.

"France. You don't have to worry. You're still the one I'm thinking about every second. I just… wanted to do this the slow and steady way, where I would show off how worthy I am for you. I want you to enjoy the whole John MacTavish Experience." he smiled and she slowly turned her frown upside down.

Soap wanted to take a picture of that smile and plaster it all around the room as his heart started to pound like crazy, his face unknowingly moving closer to hers. They both started to close their eyes as they let their lips do the talking, but in a quiet and intimate way. Soap felt France's greed for his kiss as she slowly learned how to beg for more of him. It was true that she had no experience on these things but something told him that she's starting to learn some tricks herself.

Soap didn't hesitate to retaliate as she released a soft groan, a sign of her being content as her hands slowly grazed his arms, her thumb softly pressed his biceps, digging deeper as their tongues clashed. After a few more seconds, they both broke their kiss as they gasped for air.

"Yeah. Go sleep on the floor before we do something stupid." She giggled and Soap nodded in agreement as they quickly shuffled about, set their beds and called it a night.

Next Chapter - The SEVEN Inch Wound

Notification Squad my Beloved

@samatedeansbroccoli @smokeywhalee @enderio @bumblingbee1 @ricinbach @whimsywispsblog

[gloomyhearts]

Always by your side || Luke Patterson

Chapter five ~ the Orpheum

May 1995

His guitar sitting in his lap as he wrote notes into his journal. Her journal suited the other side of the table. Luke tried to merge her words with his and chords based of his guitar.

After all these months he didn't dared to look into the green book, he didn't want to invade into her privacy.

Softly he mumbles some of the down written words. Sabrina loves this scene, seeing him in deep thoughts his carotid visible as he bit his lower lip. She would do anything to taste his lips one time, to feel him on her, everything.

Steps approaching the entry of the garage which made Luke sit straight, before the pencil hit the floor the blonde catches it this let it looks like the pen would fly. Luke's eyes widened and he rubbed them. I must be tired.

July 1995

Today's the day. Sunset curve would play in the Orpheum with hundreds of people listening and swaying to their music.

During their rehearsal Sabrina stood in the middle of the room, examining the venue, trying to imagine the crowd in there.

Luke's smooth voice echoed through the room, happiness floating her body, a smile placed on her lips.

They made it.

A young woman cleaned the only table in the room, already vibing with the band, nodding her head to the rhythm.

Her eyes wandered from Luke to Alex who seemed pleased, even alive again. He always gives 100 percent nonetheless this is far more than usual. The smile his sister loved endless was now back in its spot, finally.

Luke made his famous guitar throw around his shoulder and catches it in front of his stomach.

It always made her weak.

The last chords escaped the speaker and the employee shouted "whoo's" and "yeaah's".

The raven haired boy said his all time favourite line "Thank you, we're Sunset Curve, tell your friends."

"To bad we wasted the tightest we've played on sound check!" Bobby describes.

"Wait until tonight, man, when this place gets packed with record exces." Luke's voice full with excitement.

Alex was now standing with the boys as Reggie complimented him, "Alex, you were smoking." Well he's not wrong

"Oh no. I was just warming up. You guys were the ones on fire," he spoke.

"Could you just own your awesomeness for once?" Reggie was always the one who said what I thought.

"Huh?" Luke hushed and then Alex made his move, he'd always made when the siblings talked about one of his crushes. He bent a little bit down and smiled with a warmth nobody had ever seen before.

"All right, I was killing it" the boys erupted in chuckles.

"Okay, well, I'm thinking we fuel up before the show. I'm thinking street dogs" Luke suggests.

Oh please no, those dogs will kill you further or later.

Alex and Reggie agreed to him in seconds.

Bobby made his way over to the woman, the other followed moments after.

"Hey Bobby where you going?" One of the boys shouted after him.

Alex and Luke walked through Sabrina's body and she still felt sorrow and emptiness.

"Vegetarian, I could never hurt an animal." This was an absolute lie. He was the one who invented the band barbecue in his backyard.

"You guys are really good" the woman states. Sabrina was standing next to her, facing the boys on the opposite.

"Thank you" Luke pushed the corner of his mouth up, radiating more power than the sun.

How can he be so cute?

"I see a lot of bands. Been in a couple myself. I was really feeling it"

Who is this girl, she's smart. Sabrina thought.

"That's what we do this for. I'm Luke by the way" he switched from one food on the other looking like a shy school girl on her first day of school.

"HI I'm Reggie"

"Alex"

"Bobby" they all introduced themselves.

"Nice to meet you guys" Luke wet his finger and stick it into Bobby's ear. Sabrina giggles at the scene.

"I'm Rose"

"Oh ah." Reggie grabbed his CD and held it over to her.

"Here's our demo. And a t-shirt size beautiful." He'll never change this charmer. Alex groaned at his pick up line.

Rose holds the shirt in front of her body and says a "thanks."

"I'll make sure not to wipe the tables down with this one."

"Oh, good call. Whenever they get wet, they just fall apart in your hands." Because of his statement Sabrina slapped her forehead.

"Don't you guys have to go get the hot dogs?" Bobby broke Alex flow.

"Yeah," Luke agreed and added, "he had a hamburger for lunch." this retord made Sabrina chuckles.

With that the three boys left the others behind and made their way out. The ghost follows them short after.

"That's what I'm talking about."

"The smell of Sunset Boulevard?" Alex asks sarcastically.

"No" Luke remarks chuckling.

"It's what that girl said in there tonight. About our music, all right? It's like an energy. It connects us with people. They can feel us when we play. I want that connection with everybody." his arms resting on either side on his friends shoulders.

A moment of silence felt over the group

"Then we're gonna need more t-shirts," Reggie cuts in. The shaggy brown haired boy snickers at his silly statement.

"Let's go boys" Luke shoved them into the direction of the street. They passed a few girls which began to shriek after the teenage boys.

They arrived at a car what seemed to serve the ingredients next to its battery.

they're not gonna eat that right? The blonde girl glued to their heels.

She glanced over their shoulder as Alex placed a few pickles on his hot dog.

"Man I can't wait until we eat someplace where the condiments aren't served out of the back of an Oldsmobile." Alex explains pointing into the trunk.

He walked over to who seemed to be the owner of this beater.

"Sorry, I got some pickle juice on you battery cables," he apologized.

"No problem. It'll help with the rust." The man assumed, slapping his palm against the blonde's upper arm. The boy was speechless, frozen in tracks.

"That can't--"he stutters but decides to leave it.

"Okay what?" he whispers in defy belief while turning to his friends.

The trio enter a café down the street to scoff the hot dogs.

"This is awesome, you guys. We're playing the Orpheum!" Luke beamed with joy.

"I can't even count how many bands have played here and then ended up being huge. We're gonna be legends!" He adds.

"Eat up, boys," he held his hit dog in the air.

"Cause after tonight, everything changes" the other two clapped their dog's on his and then they all took a bite.

Alex stopped chewing and his view changed quickly, he was disgusted by the taste of the meal. Reggie on the other hand licked off his finger.

"That's a new flavor" his mouth still full of food.

"Chill man. Street dogs haven't killed us yet." Reggie knitted his brows as he shakes his head, so they went on.

Sirens erupted in the far, people shouting and rushing through the room. A scenario Sabrina knows all too well.

No this can't be true.

Sabrina paced up and down beside the couch the boys passed out, trying to grab them and shook them back to life.

They have so much ahead of them.

Please wake up. She screams.

No no no.

She kneels down next to them stopping on an equal level. Their faces inches away. She gave Luke's cheek a small kiss. His nose scrunched a bit and she felt his chest move one last time. Tears streaming down her cheeks, she let them all out.

Taking this moment in and then she's gone.

[caslikescoffeeandfreckles]

Do you have fic recs of your favorite destiel fics? I haven't read destiel give in a while and since I can not leave the house I might as well read some and I only trust you for recs

I am honored??? That someone values my opinion???

You didn’t specify any tropes so I just dug through my AO3 bookmarks and picked my favorites lately. They vary by length and rating so just make sure you check the tags for each one before you start reading!

1) La Hantise by @wanderingcas

Summary: Castiel’s mother dies, leaving him the family home that sits abandoned on the moody coast of Maine. He’s forced to return to the past ghosts of his trauma, as well as meeting the mysterious and nomadic Dean Winchester. Dean offers to help Castiel fix up the house so he can sell it, which quickly becomes problematic as Castiel begins to develop feelings for Dean; especially when details of Dean’s troubling past come to light.

This is a story about the sea, second chances, and two broken, forgotten people building a love between them while restoring a broken, forgotten house.

Note: I love Sam!! She’s a wonderful writer and her current project is an infuriating suspenseful maybe ghost story???? maybe not??? WHO KNOWS! But Dean and Cas are well-written and both have very interesting backstories. Definitely recommend!

2) While You Were Sleeping

Summary: A Destiel version of While You Were Sleeping! Castiel is alone and floundering. He has a crush on one of the passengers who passes through his subway station every morning. When the man gets pushed onto the tracks, Cas saves him. But when they get to the hospital there's a mix up and Cas finds himself engaged to a complete stranger. Enter, the rest of the family, including big brother Dean. How will Cas navigate the relationship with his supposed future in-laws? What will he do when Sam finally wakes up? And why can't he stop thinking about Dean?

Note: this was such a sweet read, just enough angst with a satisfying ending

3) Not a Bad Thing

Summary: In which Bela makes a bet that Castielle can't have a one night stand. Castielle proves her wrong, of course, and wins the bet, but then she ruins it all when she asks the girl to spend the night.

Note: this is a femslash AU which are really hard to find but I LOVED this one so much I scarified by already limited sleeping time

4) Undercover Boyfriend

Summary: Two men, one lie, and a whole bunch of trouble.

Castiel Novak’s in serious trouble. His sister’s destination wedding in Mexico filled with several days of activities, is in only two days. And everyone expects to meet his underwear model Alpha boyfriend — the one he invented. Now Cas has to produce a half-naked hottie or suffer the worst humiliation of his life. But Cas just doesn’t date those kinda guys! Or even know any for that matter.

Undercover FBI agent Dean Winchester’s cover is blown and he needs to disappear fast. When he ducks into a bar he runs into Castiel, a comic book artist, one very hot, but geeky Omega. And as luck would have it he just happens to be looking for an Alpha.

Could they be the solution to both their problems? Or will trouble find them on the sandy beaches of Mexico?

5) The Purrfect Catch

Summary: Alpha Dean Winchester is surprised to see a newspaper ad written by his neighbor, Omega Castiel Novak, requesting potential Alpha mates. The challenge is simple on the surface: the Alpha who can obtain the single key from Novak cat’s neck, will be Castiel’s new mate. The cat spends a good amount of time lounging on Dean’s porch, though Dean’s half convinced its only for the snacks he feeds him. Dean isn’t the kind of Alpha Castiel wants, but at least Dean can enjoy watching Alpha after Alpha chase after the feline in the hopes of winning Castiel’s heart.

Note: this is one of my new favorites! I really love this trope and I’ve reread it several times!

6) What Greater Gift

Summary: Story idea: The most wanted woman in town has announced that she’ll only marry the one who can open her front door with the key around her cat’s neck. Many men try to hunt the cat down, chase and trap it, but to no avail, the cat is simply too quick, smart and clever, and always finds a way to evade and avoid them.

You are the first one to figure out the obvious: Do not chase the cat. The cat is befriendable. Get the cat to trust you, to genuinely enjoy your company, and you can hang out with the cat. You may eventually be allowed to touch the cat. The cat will freely let you take the key.

Note: this is the same trope as #5 and I’ve reread is several times too!!

7) The Ed Sheeran Effect

Summary: Dean and Cas—inseparable best friends since sixth grade—find themselves dateless only weeks before their high school prom and eventually come to the realization that the only option left is to go together. Wanting to give his fresh out of the closet best friend the date of a lifetime, Dean pulls out all the stops and soon discovers what he's always felt towards Cas is a lot more than friendship.

Note: I’m not usually one for long form high school AUs (they remind me too much of my students) but I really latched onto this one

8) Poisk Istiny (Finding Truth)

Summary: A rival family is stealing the Patricolo Family’s Boston shipments and collecting a neat payday five hours away on the streets of Brooklyn and Manhattan. Their Don, Dean Winchester, is wary about reaching out to a long-time New York ally. The Russian Bratvas do things differently. The young Pakhan, Castiel Krushnic, is hard-nosed and violent and while violence is mainstay in any underworld family, this boss has a special flair for it. It leaves an uncomfortable taste in Don Winchester’s mouth.

Encouraged by his Consigliere, Bobby Singer, he finally relents. The Pakhan is quite different from what he was expecting. Dean learns the man’s secret by accident and decides to keep it to himself. They have bigger fish to fry as they discover traitors in both of their organizations while their enemy ups the stakes for each of them. After members of each family are kidnapped, the stakes get even higher.

Betrayed from within leads to exposing long held secrets and when long denied desires are unleashed it puts each of them on a path that will change their lives forever.

Note: THIS ONE IS SO GOOOOOOD. Cas is a total badass I would die for him and I love the way he and Dean bond just fuck yes all around

Hope you like any of these! If not, just let me know what kinds of fics you like and I can try to find more specific ones for you!

[starxdame]

Hey stranger

Matt Murdock x OriginalFemCharacter

One shot, angst

Fandom: Daredevil

Word count: 3194

Spoiler & Warnings: none

Language: english (i haven't checked for grammatical errors yet)

••••

(gif, not mine)

Matt walked in the shop, he was just looking for some groceries when he heard a voice he never thought he would heard again.

"What-" he mumbled while turning around, searching for the source of that sound

"Mike, don't touch that! Come here, we'll get ice cream, yeah?" that voice distracted Matt from feeling a kid coming his way and bumping into him, she turned around as Matt grabbed the kid before he could hit the floor, letting him go immediately after the boy had found his balance

"I'm sorry sir" the little boy said before running towards the girl who called him a moment earlier. A couple feet away she stood still, looking at the kid and the boy she found herself in front of, she couldn't believe it. "Matt" she called him.

"Lizzie" he was left spechless, a chuckle left her lips "You remember" she said, Matt frowned before talking against "Of course", she was quick to get closer and hug him tight "It's been so long". They chatted until the kid from before, Mike, said he wanted to go to his football practise, in that moment.

"Sure we'll go now honey, take my shopping cart" Lizzie pointed to the kid the cart, not too far

"I guess i have to go" she sighed with a little smile

"Is he yours?" Matt asked, maybe in not a touchy way but, he didn't really think twice

"Mike? No he's my sister's kid, i'm babysitting him for today" she replied

"Oh okay" Matt paused, she nodded and looked for the kid who was coming back to her

"You wanna go out for a coffee sometime?" he said tapping his cane on the floor a couple of times, a nervous tick he had

"Sure" she replied smiling, she caressed his arm lightly

"How about tomorrow?" he couldn't wait, he felt like a teenager again

"Sounds good to me" they both chuckled, and planned on the little date for the next day

[ten years ago]

Foggy ran to the bathroom, Matt and Lizzie turned one toward the other thinking the same thing, but no, he wasn't threwing up, the boy screamed at both of them to follow him

"I just hope he's not naked" Lizzie said laughing, standing up and giving her hand to Matt who agreed and took it

"I'm sorry but, you wouldn't suffer like i would" she pointed out, "Right" he laughed freely, they were so, SO, drunk, that they couldn't stand up by themselves, they stumbled at every step, risking to fall on the floor anytime.

As they entered in the bathroom they noticed Foggy sitting in the bathtub, his legs up to one side, in his hand the bottle almost finished

"It's SOOOO comfy, get in here!" he said jumping out and grabbing Matt's hand, dragging him halfway in, Matt held onto Lizzie who almost fell on him, the two boys hitting their heads against the wall.

"Okay, easy" she said keeping herself standing by resting her hand against the wall, right above Matt

"I don't wanna crack my head open like you two dumbasses", she moves them and sits down in between, passing her hands on their heads

"You two are really, really dumb" she commented shaking her head, inspecting their heads to see if they had actually got hurt. She was definitely the "momfriend", has always been, caring and keeping an eye out for them.

"And you just got that now??" Foggy asked, a confused expression on his face

"Fair enough" she said moving a little "It's weirdly comfortable" Matt pointed out, out of the blue. Oh yeah, they were wasted.

"I KNOW" Foggy screamed back, making the other two jump and laugh like kids.

They talked for hours, they were exhausted and at some point they simply passed out, leaning one against the other.

Not much time later Foggy moved, jumping out to threw up in the wc, groaning while going back to sleep, his head resting against the side of the tub. Lizzie moved too, waking up Matt, who confused and dizzy moved following her movements. She lied on her back with her legs stretched, Matt cuddled up on her side, putting his head on her chest and resting his hand on her stomach, she took off his glasses and randomly played with his curls, she always wanted to do that, the thin lock escaped her fingers as she moved her other hand to rest on Foggy's arm, who was sleeping too.

Hours later the strong light coming from the windows of the living room woke up Lizzie. Groaning she tried to move, but couldn't, a weight held her down, when she opened her eyes she found Matt holding her tightly, with both his arms around her body. She couldn't really remember much of what happened the night before and just the thought of trying to concentrate on it made her feel as if the headache started to grow in her head, pounding hard, she closed her eyes again. Her fingers started playing with his hair just like she had done hours before. She didn't notice but he had just woken up and a smile grew on his lips as she continued the touch, it was so relaxing and intimate, he didn't want to move, this had been the closer interaction they've had, ever.

His head was feeling heavy, and he could shut all the noises from outside only if focusing on her, her hand moved down to his jaw and gave it a caress, Matt who was still smiling got distracted, someone walked in: Foggy.

"ABOUT TIME!" why was he so loud? she groaned bringing both her hands to her hears

"Oh no, don't" he knew what she meant but scoffed and continued

"NO THIS IS WHAT YOU GET FOR THROWING ME OUT" again, he was hurting his own hears but he was enough stubborn to ignore it and keep doing it

"What are you talking about? You left." Matt commented while sitting, Foggy looked at him confused, non believing him

"You really did, you got out to threw up and then fell asleep outside" Lizzie confirmed, Foggy hummed and then talked "Mh okay", he simply said, disappearing behind the door and coming back a moment later "Ah and...just get together already,! Stop acting as if you didn't enjoy this night like crazy and took advantage from it, you pigs" he pointed at the two still in the tub and then left, they laughed awkwardly, later falling into a deep confused silence, did he just exposed them like that?

[now]

It's 3 pm.

She's waiting sitting on a bench when he comes her way

"Hey stranger" Lizzie says smiling,

"Hey to you" Matt hugged her, loving every second of it, he missed her, he smiles letting her go

"Let's go" They met and immediately hit it off, they stay for a while in a cafe, then they start walking around. They chat the whole time of good times, memories, difficulties, not many filters between em, it was as if nothing had changed, but they surely had. A couple of hours had passed when the temperature started to drop, the wind was cold, freezing. Sadly the date would have had to finish like that. They both took a cab, and when it stopped in front of Matt's building he realized he couldn't have let her go like that

"You wanna come and see the appartment, you can see my upgrade" he commented chuckling,

"Well, it would be mean of me to refuse, right?" they both got out after paying and he made it's way in the building.

They talked some more, until things got a little more personal

"It's not bad, maybe a little messy" she commented biting her lip lightly

"It's not like many people will come here anyway, so" the sound her mouth made, like her tongue had just clicked. He froze, sounds getting blurry

"Hey" she called him, her hands on his face brought him back, her cold fingers traced lines down his warm cheek

He moved slowly, leaning in, teasing her lips with his. She leaned in as well, pushing him towards her with her hands. The moment they connected, everything slowed down, they weren't rushing it, they were tasting every second until they had to stop, to split, just enough to breath, their forhead one against the other. They chuckled softly and held each other close for a while.

This was the moment every insecurities would collide and love, as simple as it is, rises.

Lizzie's hands were on him before his could leave her body, she reached for his shirt, Matt smirked as she quickly unbuttoned it, passing her hands through his chest, she felt something with the tips of her fingers: little flaws on his body, not that she had ever gone this far with him but it surprised her, if not for one quick mistake, she had never seen him naked, or ish and it was like he didn't have those at the time they knew each other, she couldn't knew but she felt it.

She stopped for a moment but he wanted this so bad, always have, this moment, her, he tried to bring her back. He took some steps back till he gets to the bed, he sit on the edge, bringing her closer by holding the fabric of her dress, snapping her back to him, to the moment, all her attention on his beautiful figure. His hands at first fell on her hips, guiding her to sit on his lap, then reached for the zip on her back, she ran her hands through his hair, caressing its way down to his neck, bringing herself closer to him, sitting closer. His lips connected with her shoulder, leaving wet kissed down to her arm and then back up to her neck, shivers left where his hands had just passed on her back, uncovering it, making the dress fall off. A light giggle made him bring his attention to her lips, grabbing a little roughly her jaw, intensifying the kiss from the start, she moved closer wanting more, they had missed so much of each other, today was the day, their chest touching, his hands holding her hips so close even their stomach were one against the other, short breaths, hearts never felt so full. Panting filled the room, the sound of clothes being thrown to the floor, the sheet been moved, grunting, the bed creaking, moans. Their names filled the room in a moment of pure silence. It was intense. They remembered every single time they had wanted more from each other and never had.

In the dark room Lizzie's fingers found her way to the marks she had found earlier on his body, but she didn' ask yet, she just sat between his legs, she leaned in

"I was in love you" Matt said quietly, just a moment before Lizzie's lips could connect with his. She felt like her heart had just skipped a beat, and Matt knew it, and it petrified him. Was. In all this she had completely removed all those years, she acknowledged the distance and left it behind for just that moment, but never imagined it would have hit her so damn hard. Why did he even say that.

"I fell a long time ago and never really got up" she breathed out all at once, she wasn't sure about anything in her life, but she never dubted her love for him, simply never needed to doubt, it was what it was. Of course, she lived her life but it was as if her feelings kept themselves alive under the surface.

"All these years?" Matt asked calmly, she moved back, sitting as she was before he took this subject into the conversation

"I guess" she knew it wasn't the true, she didn't need to guess, her heart started beating faster

"You guess?" he replied a little annoyed, and she panicked and so she took a moment to herself, she did what she always did best, escaped as long as she could, she stood up

"You thristy?" she asked already walking into the living room, looking back when she had arrived behind the kitchen counter, he just gave her a wave as to say no, she took a glass and poured some water

"This appartment is not bad at all, y'know?" she commented standing in front of the big windows in the living room, sipping her water

He hummed lightly, walking right next to her "I guess" his tone, these smartass answers are what she hated and loved the most about him, she scoffed

"C'mon, really?" she asked keeping her gaze and her half smile towards the glass, what did he have to be like that

"Do you still love me?" his voice was quiet, he cut the crap, straight up asking it, he was nervous and his voice made it so obvious, but she was so scared to admit it, to say it that she overthinked it so hard and made her hear annoyance in his voice, which there were none. She was being paranoid. She sighed

"Why did you wait after that, to ask?" her hand patted nervous against her thigh, they both knew what she was implying, he scoffed not believing what he had just heard, he moved in front of her and took her face in his hands

"Hey! I've changed alright but- i'm not like that. I wouldn't..." his voice was soft like his touch, his face had fallen, he was genuinely disappointed that he made her think that. He frowned and pouted with his lips.

She sighed "Right...sorry" it felt like a punch to see him like that. Lizzie looked away, her gaze not anywhere specific, everything was just blurry and dark, his hands resting on her shoulders now.

"I love you Matt" she added, nodding for herself "I do" her low voice cracked, she was quick to escape his hands, he stood still for a moment, just what it took her to go back to the bedroom and slip inside her dress, wear her shoes and take her purse. Matt stopped her by gripping her wrist, he should have said something, but he got distracted, she waited longer than she should have, in silence, waiting for him to do or say something. A kiss, even if it would have been bitter, would have been better than to walk out shattered like she did. She slipped from his touch and he listened to everysingle step she took, down does stairs, the way her heart was beating fast, her shaky breath, the long breath she took once she was out on the side walk.

"Such a heartthrob" Elektra commented appearing coming down the stairs, he knew it

"I told you not to come here" he said, his mind still with Lizzie

"Oh but this was so much interesting than just calling" she brushed his arm lightly, making him snap and slam her against the wall

"You shut up." He insisted, the rage was growing inside of him, he takes a deep breath

"Now, this is the you i wanna see when we're fighting out there" she added chuckling but he was in no mood to keep up with anyone's crap

"Get the Hell out of here" he insisted before letting Elektra go, his voice was low but firm.

"Whatever, see you Grumpy" she added walking out, she was intrigued but it took so little for him to go back to being boring that she didn't care to stay.

Matt got dressed and called Foggy to meet him at Josie's. The moment he walked in the other could tell it had been a bad day

"Hey, we would have liked your help, you know? A new client came in this afternoon, seems like a good one-" Foggy tried to put it out there, to test the ground, but Matt stopped him halfway through

"Lizzie" Matt voice betrayed him, breaking, he took a sip from his drink

"Lizzie?" Foggy asked confused, then he realized "That Lizzie!? What happened?" he asked lifting his eyebrows in misbeliefs

Everytime her name was being said it felt like a punch in the guts, and Foggy couldn't really, why was he acting like that, what had happened.

"You mean...The Lizzie that brought you back to yout feet after the thing with Elektra, who is still in town?" Foggy had just blown his own mind, and was still confused, Matt nooded ligthly

"Damn Matt, it's the come back of your exes" it was a little funny, but he didn't laugh, just smiled a little, just because he knew, Matt was not really there with his head

"She never was" Matt stated with a low voice and a sigh, exhausted, still not really there

"What do you mean?" Foggy asked confused again

"We were never together...Liz and i" again, her name

"But you two liked each other, admit it" Foggy commented, he waited a while but it felt like Matt wasn't even there anymore

"Listen, she really cared for us, she was our friend. She spent almost a month trying to help you get your shit together, Matt. She never left you not even when you told her to, she was a hell of a friend, a keeper." Matt didn't say a single word, so Foggy kept going

"I think she was just our friend at first, but then you swept her off her feet, all those times i left you two alone, you grew close, it was obvious."

As Foggy kept talking Matt's face gave many different signals, he remembered perfectly what he was talking about, he never found the courage to tell her, and she never did either, until he asked, and acted like an asshole

"I met her" Matt finally spoke

"I figured that out...and?" Foggy leaned on the table

"We catched up a little and then we-uhm" Matt wet his lips, now he imagined her, he could have just let it go but, no, he had to ask and ruin it all

"Oh!" Foggy exclaimed "Wow, well, it was time!" Matt had stopped again, full of thoughts, he should have done something

"And then something obviously went wrong...what was it?" Foggy waited for more

"I told her that i was in love with her and-" Matt stopped, his head was spinning, his thoughts were blocking him

"Wait. So she knows now" Foggy stated

"I said i was" Matt pointed out, he repeated it, in a lower voice, why did he say it like that

"I acted like an asshole, i asked and asked until she said she still loved me and then i didn't say anything, i didn't stop her and she left" he sighed bringing his hands to his face

"What?" Foggy was following but was hoping to have it got it wrong, the other sighed again

"I love her Foggy" Matt murmured, before taking another sip from his drink, he zoned out again. Foggy was not surprised but he also did not know where to start, he sighed ordering other two drinks.

•••

I gave it a try.

I haven't posted my work in so long and might start to post more. Please, feel free to give me some advice.

[thesagedahlia]

🐏 Aries Season (Mar. 21-Apr. 19) ♈

🔥

Some of you may be lacking discipline or direction when it comes to your next path in life, this can be referring to self employment, getting a new job, or getting a business plans together either, solo or with others. It seems to be discontentment with what has been achieved so far & a wishing to do more. Some of you may have been in contemplation, planning, & introspection of what your next moves are, & now is the time to raise to the exciting challenges of building your quality of ambition. Some may have been holding themselves back due to lack of ambition or confidence. This is a chance to be optimistic about making progress, & come out of a negative energy, major stress, anxiety, & worry. You can really take off in whatever you're setting your mind to, but you need the self-confidence & logical planning. Don't operate from a blocked intuition, or a disorganized stance; it's easy to get delayed by things that are a hindrance in your life (this can pertain to relationships; romantic, platonic, & business). It's possible that some of you are focusing on loss or staying attached to what you're used to, which can to to cause more delay in your efforts. Don't allow yourself to overlook your achievements, blow up your failures, & know that it is okay to have a balance between the two.

🐏

Be careful if you are making choices out of pleasure if you're lacking the mental clarity. People may be engaging in the use of their skills for evil, manipulation, conman tendencies, or even infidelity, & some have been making choices out of pleasure & secrecy or in spite of another. Someone may have or will be receiving some type of info that creates transformation within a dilemma or this communication is about one's specific transformation. All is emotional for whoever this resonates with, and is regarding a transition that is harmful and unhealthy, that will prompt to change this dynamic. An outcome that is out of one's control has transpired & someone will be gaining a lot of public support & communications.

🦁

Other people's jealousy threaten to interfering in someone's life & could be hiding within a loving social circle. Some of you may have made choices in order to gain compassion by way of flattery. Be careful who you let close to you around this time, as you may make bad choices in support of other people. There is also the possibility that situations of affairs & infidelity may come out for you. Someone may have messy ambitions or wanting too many things. It is quite possible to enter into conflict within your relationships that are keeping you from making better choices. There may also be worries regarding opening up to new experiences, or discovering new opportunities & exploration of finding out the truth after scandal, breakups, or adversity.

🏹

Someone may be restricting themselves after much delay & disorder. Progress has been halted after much upheaval, & someone may be feeling trapped because of broken promises, not finishing what was started, impatience, & instability. There may have been a secure defense or security created in one's authority, after dealing one necessary trials & tribulations. Some were even dealing with abuse & pain, whether emotional or physical, that is hidden or disguised as something less threatening. This may have been a red flag for those dealing with this, & may have needed intuitive guidance to pinpoint it. Communication regarding these changes will bring forth the transition into a more liberating time.

🌍

Some partnerships may be dealing with some disorder or upheaval, after some unwelcome changes, delays, or external forces bring revelation or trauma, even loss or a shaken up foundation that illuminates a relationship that is destined for nothing positive. It may have been a situation that has kept either party on edge & in a defensive state. Some can be dealing with those refusing to compromise in situations where it is greatly needed. For others, it has caused lack of self-protection, physical burnout, or even a mental breakdown. The struggle that you may be dealing with may have caused a wave in your hope & faith in it working out in one's favor. Outcomes regarding this have been uncertain & it has caused vulnerability, low self-esteem, & lack of confidence. It's possible someone overlooked a situation in the hopes that it's outcome would change, but it hasn't gotten things to go anywhere. Deception & manipulation may have been used to keep things together, yet emotional/mental turmoil, emotional detachment/coldness, & conflict, has caused disregard for consequences. There may be a need to break free & end conflict, but only one party is open to healing things & making things work. Make it important to put your self preservation first, so if there is a decision to be made regarding this, don't wait too long to make it. If contemplation is needed, you may need to have a clear mind about how you plan on reacting.

🐂

There may be some combative or hostile energy within a situation, where you may be dealing with a partner who is jealous, a cheater, or possessive. Communication with a person may be sharp, impulsive, direct, or assertive, even aggressive. There may be much introspection, day-dreaming, or fantasizing about a solution that requires intense focus. A light ending to small conflicts is sudden & painful, & it could be after an outburst of repressed aggression. Corrupt or decaying conversation/communication with an ungrounded or wicked individual has slowly begin to lack and playfulness or innocence. There may be growing conflict within a couple or a tension building between two parties.

👰🏾

You may be reaching an end of hardship or are overcoming adversity. Some may be recovering from revelation of the truth heartbreak, betrayal, trauma, or loss. Bad things are being cleared away from your life, as you take a rest & contemplate the lessons that were needed to be learned. You may have been quietly preparing to move or end the conflict surrounding you. There may be a peaceful resolution after uncovered crime or major sacrifice that may leave someone in a state of regret. For some, there may be some ending to these hardships that have begun to grow out of control, or receiving news where you may make the decision to do so. This may be in the form of breaking away from dominant people, & ending or interruption in communication somehow, & this can pertain to family or traditional values. Your suspicion may have overwhelmed all areas of your life, even deep family connections & loyalty to them.

🐐

There may be some past influences, situations, or relationships that are needed to be revisited by a passionate individual. It feels like communication about reconciliation or reunion, & there is action being taken on an opportunity to sweep someone off their feet. There is much energy & passion with this person & they may be cited by impulsive actions as well. This can be strictly financial or in relation to a new job, but overall it is an opportunity for happiness or stability; a strong foundation is what is pushing this approach & is creating a base for the future. In the past, it may have been confusion about meaning in life, lack of trust in the universe, or hopelessness, as well as confusion about commitment or promise to discover this, which is leading to a sudden transformation of this individual. This feels like a masculine energy who is moving away from tradition, or leaving home to desire a family of their own, which may have caused conflict between desires & tradition for some time before this change of pace.

🌬

Some of you may be developing more hits intuitively when it comes to those you let into your space. The balance within your energy is bound to be thrown off due to deceptive or envious forces. Things will become illuminated to those seeking some sort of truth, & this can be directly related to relationships, whether romantic, platonic, business related, or familial. Someone could either be engaging in the deception, or it is happening to or around them. There may be a little bit of a revelation, whether outwardly or internally, someone seems to be coming in to awareness to this, if they haven't already. There is a dark, manipulative energy that is causing a betrayal, but it feels hidden. This can be someone that is impulsive, rebellious, or direct, that is causing stunts in someone's growth, as well as the people around them. The more spirituality that is studied, the easier it will be to point these energies out. For some, self doubt is a manifestation of being around this energy, as well as self-esteem & for others, unhappiness within families or negative influences of the family are coming up. This person or group of people seem to use emotionality to keep a person binded it to the situation, & this is what caused delays in stability. The situation is empty, & there is only a matter of time for it to become destructed by deception. Treachery is a warning for this time, & it will be an ongoing stress that will be taking on too much. Good fortune is followed by this conflict, as this situation is not meant to be & will be easily forgotten is one wishes is to, otherwise it will continue to create creative blocks and unhappiness.

👭🏿

There some stagnation or incompletion within empty affairs that seems to be involving a 3rd party. Someone is going through some psychic or empathetic development that may be allowing one to see a situation for what it is. The negative may have been overlooked within it, or someone was reluctant to rock the boat, but for some, cheating or gossip of cheating, or just plain deception, is what has brought once to this point for this time period. A dominant feminine energy is seeing a love letter or compassionate communication as having an overpowering force over them, that have a deeper or underlying meaning to it that may be unpleasant. A feminine is dealing with difficulties concerning a masculine & it may be like jumping down a rabbit hole of secrecy. It may have been an obstacle to learning this because it was masked & overlooked.

⚖

It seems like for some, things around them are delayed, disrupted, or lacking in change or control. External forces may be causing for further delay or stagnation to some action that is wanted/needed to be taken. Whether the action is being referred to as a creative force, a new passion, the acceptance of challenges & new beginnings, or even a new initiative in something, things may have been halted as if it isn't time yet. Past influences or childhood memories may be what is behind this inspiration, & there may be some support behind it as well. There may be an understanding of authority in a sexual relationship for some, others can have this relating to moral authority. The flow of communicating this may have been a burden, or someone may be communicating their suffering. Inexperience could cause confusion, or there could be growing confusion surrounding this situation, & this can keep one restrained.

🤖

Injustice within a missed relationship or business opportunity may be causing a lot of stress to someone. There is a manipulative or deceptive nature that has caused the instability within a situation, & there may be a need to rectify the corruption and karmic retribution. There is a feeling of unfairness for the lost opportunity, but a lack of accountability may have cause for its likeness to attain to slip further and further away. This could have been due to a greedy or insecure energy of not being satisfied with one's outcomes, or there was a lack of opportunities to bring back what was lost. There is a confusion about loyalty or a friendship, but one has trust in their emotions about a sudden desire or one that has ended or significantly slowed down. This friendship was a lucky discovery for a masculine, which is prompting him to want to commit to something that promises happiness and security.

🌊

An overthinking, overanalytical, or over logical masculine energy that may be needing to wait out an outcome to a situation in their life, that may bring an ultimate resolution, or it isn't needed to wait before making the decision/action. There may be a need to know about what to make of the possibilities, & they can be regarding whatever resonates. There is an opportunity for growth, awakening, & direction, but just as a seed of a flower must take time to bloom, the seeds planted to a necessary transformation needs to be allowed the time & room to grow. It may be hard for some to wrap their minds around the concept of growth or progress, because of the time it is taking to get to that point. Some masculine energy may be experiencing optimism or enthusiasm about wanting to make investments of a familial nature, & making plans for their future, even though not much planning has gone into it. There feels like a hesitation here, & it feels like out of fear of making bad investments or commitment. Someone is nening to face their fears & weaknesses, & they may need to go through some majorly dark times to achieve balance with a feminine energy that is grounded (you may be either energy here). A partnership may have been stagnated or someone was resisting the change out of fear of new beginnings (the masculine energy). There is a need for someone to have to go within themselves in order to receive clarity, & letting go of the control or stress put on the mentally.

🦀

It feels like 2 separate energies having to deal with an injustice that has happened between them. One energy is full of life optimism & feeling the thrill in a situation (they have a lot of energy), while another energy is more emotional, intuitive, & feminine. There may have been an unfairness or a corruption between 2 individuals & I could also have to do with dishonesty through communication. A childlike & charismatic energy is rushing & communicatively & there feels like the other individual is intuitively aware. There was conflict in the past regarding the feminine, which was between wanting to be social/dating, or to be isolated, but something about the feminine was a true draw for someone. For some, that masculine followed a social sphere that caused an ending here, but it was regretted soon after

🦂

Someone's intuition is increasing about a passionate new endeavor, & there awareness is coming online. It feels like a potential rebirth, awakening, or even and reconciliation brought on by a new initiative from a emotionally balanced masculine (or a masculine is gaining emotional control or maturityl. This is in regards to a conservative feminine energy who may be ungrounded, disorganized, or scare to dream (whichever description resonates) It may take some time for an awakening, as reflection needs to take place, or self-evaluation. The start of a friendship was subjected to danger because of inexperience, & it was a sudden choice to eliminate it. There was flattery & passion expressed to a feminine lightheartedly, & it ended as quickly as it began.

🐡

It's coming into a time where some are reaching comfort, happiness, & satisfaction, or others can be establishing their success or achievements & are in the mood to celebrate. Some are coming in to success in all areas, & are entering a change in status. This is an opportunity that is serving as a fresh start for some, as they are hearing or answering that inner call. Moving forward is the one thing that continues to motivate a lot of you, but there is a feeling of disappointment, lack of confidence, or disadvantage in actually achieving more than less. There is also an energy of not accomplishing enough & finding a hunger for more. One's behavior or high moral standards opens new experiences & challenges for an individual, even with inexperience (which may cause lack of confidence in one way or another). Exploring ethics, morality & receiving messages about this (whether internally or externally) is what is pushing someome forward in that direction. One's inexperience, however, may cause obstacles, which is causing caution for any upcoming challenges.

*this reading is intended for sun, moon, rising, & venus placements, & is intended for entertainment purposes only, energy is fluid not linear, roles are interchangeable, cross readers (reading for another person's sign) should pick their energy in the scenario, take what resonates, leave the rest*

[thesixswords]

Six Swords:

The Congress Ave Shuffle

1.

       As if chased away by the hundreds of eager locals vying for an opportunity to push beyond the barely-sufficient shade of their porches and awnings, the brutal August sun finally dropped from view and the lights, sounds, and smells of night in the city limits took its place. Saloon music began to plink away from within unshuttered windows, the entertainers and various adult companions began to appear from balconies all around, and the whole cacophony of glasses and boots and voices grew steadily in the cooling dusk. Pierce looked over as his companion breathed it all in with a sigh of relief - he may not have been much for the clutter and claustrophobia of Austin, but Iain looked like he'd finally found his promised land.

       Pierce couldn't blame him. After more than two weeks of walking through the rough, hot, dry Texas hills with little more than a bath and a nap, even he was looking forward to a stout drink. Pulling back out of his thoughts, he realized Iain had already wandered off and quickly fell in step behind him. Their destination tonight was hosting a rather extravagant  affair, so they were dressed to match - polished boots, clean slacks, and long coats over vests over patterned button-up shirts. Their hats were the only giveaway, newly cleaned and shaped but still worn with years of hard use. They would be checking them with their guns at the door though, so there was little to worry about.

       Of course, as much as business was business, pleasure was pleasure, and they had little experience denying themselves a good time. Tonight's struggle would be finding the balance between those two more than anything. But that was the fun of it all, Pierce told himself with a grin as he removed his hat and dipped his head in greeting. The man they were here for, a fellow who by all accounts was difficult to miss in a crowd, was the financier and host of this particular event. And for all his apparent hospitality, he'll surely regret filling our bellies.

       The fiasco was already well underway as they stepped out onto the old wooden floor, complete with a dozen liquors, twice as many freshly-baked pastries, and still twice as many more bright, flowing skirts of working girls. The shuffle of people in and out various rooms and up and down the stairs made moving about fairly safe. There was little chance of being recognized; for whatever their infamy the Six Swords had never had a single face put to them. But they were only a stone's throw in either direction from their childhood homes, and who knew who might pop up at an event like this.

       Catching a familiar face out of the corner of his eye, Pierce elbowed Iain and politely excused himself from the circle of locals they'd attached themselves to. With a quick glance around the room and a renewed satisfaction in their sense of anonymity, the two men casually made their way up the stairs and into the furthest room down the dim hallway. One could hardly expect trouble in a place like this, what with all the affluence about and their distaste of patrons strapped with weapons… but then that was why Braxton had arrived early.

       With a light nod and a heavy clasp of hands, Pierce and Iain entered the room quietly. Braxton, almost twice their age and more than twice their stature, moved without comment to his bedside and stooped low to reach beneath the mattress and frame. "Here we go boys," he offered with his typical general's mix of collected and confounded tones. "Once the speech gets underway, all eyes will be front and center for you to move into position. When the old fart's through we'll have no trouble picking him off." The briefing complete, he handed over the pair of blades he'd pulled from their hiding place, Pierce's heavily curved sabre and a paper-thin spadroon Pierce handed in turn to his partner with a look of mock disgust.

       "Oh, shut your mouth," the latter was already saying, plucking the long sword from the two fingers Pierce was holding it in as if it would infect him on contact. "You just wish you could do more than hack like a heathen with that piece of overweight garbage." Iain flicked his blade out to rap against his companion's, but Pierce was already winding around his point to nip at his exposed hand. They both chuckled a bit, then straightened up and offered Braxton another outstretched hand. "See you soon," the older man said, and turned to the window to make his escape.

       Always focused, Pierce thought of the old fellow, and with another grin and a wave of his emptied glass, they tucked the weapons in their dusters and headed towards the nearest cluster of bodies. As they slowly made their way to a small dark den of a room behind the island bar that kept customers safely away from the spirits they desired, an unwanted voice rang out. "Iain? Iain!?" Iain wasn't turning.

       "I thought that was you," the voice came again from right behind them, and a hand landed firmly on Iain's shoulder. Forcing a smile through his scowl, Iain turned somewhat awkwardly, likely because of the large blade in his coat, and threw up an obligatory hand in greeting. "I'll be," the stranger barked loudly, "I haven't seen you since they ran you out of Fort Catahoula!" "Great," Pierce was whispering as he turned to greet more strangers, "he has friends."

2.

       "This here's the meanest sumbitch I ever saw with a knife," their unwanted associate was saying to them now. It had been well over half an hour, and this man was steadily growing louder as the night settled in. Iain gave a sheepish look and patted the drunken man on the back, looking around frantically for the bottle that would end this conversation prematurely. They couldn't exactly say they had another engagement or group to be around; this was the talk of the town and they weren't residents. Spotting the object of his immediate need, Pierce leaned over into a circle of partygoers and quietly plucked the bottle of whiskey that was supplementing their mood.

       "Here we go," he offered, setting it down in front of them all and circling up a handful empty glasses. "To old friends," he said, and picked up his freshly poured drink to drain its contents. After the others greedily followed suit, he handed the bottle off to the stranger and remarked casually that they were off to mingle. "Not without meeting my other old friend," the man replied without hesitation, and circled around a few times in a stagger until he found his quarry. "Mr. Mills," he yelled out over the noise, and as the man being called looked their way, Pierce and Iain looked at each other.

       "Here's the man we should all be drinking to," the stranger said as Mr. Henry Mills stepped up to shake their hands. Moving as loosely as they could with three feet of steel hanging down their sides, each offered a hand in turn and tried their best to give no hints at the fact that they already knew this face well. "How are you gentlemen?" Mr. Mills asked as they all sipped on another round. The silence was a bit awkward, but not so much that it wasn't overlooked. Mills continued unphased.

       "Hopefully I can persuade you fine folks to add yourselves to our flock of faithful and fine servants of this great state's persisting ideals of class and culture. I know in the midst of such civil conflict many see a reason to revisit their values, to reconsider some of those staples of society we've long held dear. But here in the heart of brick, mortar, and barbed-wire we find it vital to stand true beside those things others would now call into question."

Pierce could see the distaste on Iain's face, which meant their illustrious host probably could too. "And so it follows," Pierce added with perhaps more malice in his voice than he should have allowed, but turning the attention on himself nonetheless, "That all those born to a lower class must be kept there lest the world discovers they're just people too. We get it old man." Mr. Mills looked upset by the comment, but it was too late and had served its purpose at any rate. Standing up alongside the stranger who drug him over and the handful of hopefuls on his coattails, the men at long last ambled off to find more amicable company. 

       What a character, Pierce thought to himself as he looked back over at Iain to join him in making their exit. Iain's face said the same and more, and they got up happy to be free of the burden and finished making their way to the darkest corner of the place. Henry Mills was finally circling up to his prepared speaking area, a pair of tables pushed together with a podium on top, and the two outlaws settled in for another, longer version of the hate speech they had just pried away from.

       After plenty of emotional rallying and recementing of the rather shtickish community goals of less poor people, faster, and over a larger area, things began to die out as those who had only shown for the free food and booze slipped away before they could be recruited. Keeping calm and still, Pierce and Iain waited. Eventually the would-be-politician would take his leave, so would they, and the world would thereafter be one corpse closer to a perfect place.

3.

       Another half hour passed, and at last the bar was all but emptied. Mr. Mills gave a hearty and fond farewell to the last few supporters remaining, then headed for the stairs to his personal suite. Pierce and Iain set their glasses down, looked around quickly to make sure they were free to make their move, and rose from their seats to follow. With nobody the wiser, they crept past the handful of tipsy stragglers and went straight in the door behind him.

       "Well hey there, gents," came a loud and familiar voice. Mr. Mills was put off, turning in surprise to find the pair in step behind him, and with their newest nuisance in the room their cover was blown. Swords already half-drawn, the two killers hesitated. "Holy-" the loud man was starting to say, jumping up from his seat and searching for any crevice he could squeeze his oversized gut through to escape. "You're one of them!"

       Iain cursed openly as he walked over to the man and pushed him back into his seat with the tip of his spadroon. Pierce was already at the target's throat and looking to his partner in crime for the next course of action. With a final swear to the god that put them all in that room together, Iain slid the blade towards the man's neck and sent him sprawling over backwards. With a frown of inconvenience, Pierce slid his sabre's edge slowly across Henry's throat and let him drop to the floor. The unexpected guest in the room was halfway through a window when they finally stepped up beside him. "Damn shame," Pierce said. "Do you really know him?"

       Iain looked at him, decidedly unhappy with the situation, and nodded as the poor man dropped to the dirt road below. They couldn't let him go, and they certainly couldn't rely on him to keep his mouth shut. Furthermore, he was clearly a personal friend of the old racist corpse they just left behind and would likely turn this story into a fantastic propoganda tool for the pro-slavery movement that had doubled down since the civil war ran cold.

       Left with so little in an increasingly cut-off and scorched-useless Confederacy, people had had no choice but to see their former servants as equals. There wasn't enough circumstance left for the pomp, as Braxton so eloquently liked to put it, when the Masters began begging their slaves for the secrets to less-frivolous survival. Suddenly the biggest supporters of the war effort became pioneers of a movement for equality and true freedom for all.

Pierce drug his boots over the dead man like a beat dog. And this filth almost undid it all single-handedly. Through his veiled speeches of carefully chosen words, Henry Mills had managed to restart with a vengeance what the Union had all but killed in its initial fight against secession. "Planter trash," he heard Iain say behind him in voiced approval of the extra kicks. "And his friend."

       They exited the way Braxton had earlier, using the overhang under his window's ledge instead of careening to the ground, and quickly picked up their new mark's trail. After a quick assessment of the utter mess of lines and dents he left in the street, they hauled off after him behind the bar and picked a direction. As luck would have it, the intoxicated escapee was still standing in the back alley, struggling rather helplessly at the sill of an old shop window.

       "What are you doing friend," came Iain's voice from the dark. The staggering and struggling stopped for a moment, and the reply finally came. "You're no friend of mine, Iain Tavish of the Six Swords!" Pierce shook his head and stepped forward into cutting range. "What kind of attitude is that amongst old comrades. Is this not the same kid who held the front lines solid after the massacre at Appomattox? The same soldier you'd rather have beside you than in front of you with a knife in hand?"

       "Looks like he traded that knife for something more capable of cold-blooded killing," he shot back, the stench of alcohol on his breath filling the entire humid alleyway. Then his eyes lit up with recognition and he reached for the pistol that should have been at his waist. "You left it at the door dumbass," Iain dryly explained. "And so did we, so let's handle this before I can't get them back." Drawing the sword back from beneath his duster, he aimed it directly between his opponent's eyes.

"I truly do apologize for this," Iain continued. "We're not much for a mindless death, but if you're looking out for that slaver fanatic you ain't have much of a mind to begin with." He took another step forward as if to say more, but the swagger of his adversary disappeared for an instant and became a mad charge under the blade. With a surprised hop to the side, Iain attempted to leap clear but was brought down in a tangle of fists and feet anyways.

       Iain fought hard for that upper hand, or so it seemed to Pierce from his vantage point a few steps back. "What are you doing, man? Get behind those joints!" he cheered in amusement as the two men rolled around in a cloud of dust. "Iain you cheat, stop fighting dirty!" "You know," came the heated reply between labored breaths, "You could be halfway back to your hat by now you lazy coward." He stopped to fend off a few pounding blows while straddled by the crazed man and deliver a few in return. "You could at least give him a swift kick to the saddle bags."

       Still smiling, his night's work having turned into a far better experience than he had hoped for, Pierce obliged and planted his boot right between the big guy's thighs. With a howl and a hand on his crotch, he went over like an unbalanced bag of grain and met his end quickly after when Iain rolled onto him and pushed a knife deep into the back of his neck to make him silent. It wasn't their most scrupulous moment, but the job was done snd they were no worse for wear.

       With the dust still roiling at their backs, the two men hurried back over to the bar and hotel they'd left and climbed back up through the window. There was nobody left but the innkeeper, and a quick tale of the paid-for passion of one of his employees left him happy enough to not ask questions. Tonight they would sleep well in a warm bed and wake late to a hot breakfast, but they wouldn't dare do it here. 

       By morning the place would be crawling with concerned citizens and overzealous law enforcement, and since both were bad for business they would be happily on their way back to the Good Book bar and the handful of fellow minds this newly-independent South had deemed the worst band of vigilantes ever to be born in God's finest countryside. Though they'd never admit they were fond of the name, though they'd never intended the moniker to stick, the Six Swords were here to stay and Pierce was proud of it.