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#that is the only thing that would ever give me peace - knowing that brian is happy and doing well and playing the blues
bbbrianjones · 1 year
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRIAN JONES [28TH FEB 1942]
"I can talk about almost any subject. Lots of reporters say I’m an interviewer’s dream. But it’s on travel that I like to talk about. There are hundreds of places all over the world that I’ve always wanted to see. Egypt’s Pyramids, Sydney Harbour, Honolulu, the North Pole. I could name lots more. If I ever get the time and the money I’d like to seek out every corner of the earth." - Brian Jones
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posallys · 2 months
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all right here is my word vomit live watch
IMMEDIATELY i am slapped in the face by toby stephens as poseidon i am FERAL
THE LUKE AND PERCY PARALLEL “LOOK, YOU DIDN’T WANT TO BE A HALFBLOOD” OH MY FUCKING GOD
THE MISSING LUKE AND PERCY TRAINING SCENES OH DEAR LORD THANK YOU THANK YOU
“When am i ever going to use this” percy i LOVE YOU
“So you can use them against your opponent” OH BOY
Finally some action i love a good sword fight
But where's annabeths necklace imma kill people
Ooh some god strength okay okay tasty
HELL YEAH POSEIDON POWERS FUCK HIS SHIT UPPPPPP 
“I WARNED YOU. IF YOU'RE NOT CAREFUL, YOU'LL FIND OUT WHO I AM” OH I LOVE THE ENERGY YESSSS FUCK YEAH
GO OFFF PERCY 
“AND YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE JUST A KID”
Ares didn't curse him i hate it here
OH WHAT IS THAT VOICE
OH MY GOD THE CABIN SOMEBODY SEDATE ME
this can go one of two ways
“Violent seismic activity” MMM YUMMY
UH HULLO THIS IS NOT WHAT I EXPECTED ALECTO!???
I lied there was a secret 3rd way this could have gone and it happened 
OOP THERE’S THE NECKLACE
“Where's the glory in that” wow tell me you don't understand Percy's character without telling me you don't understand Percy's character 
“I don't have an appointment” THATS SO FUCKING ICONIC OF HIM
Wait i kind of fuck with this olympus i was picture all white and pristine but this FUCKS
“SHOULDN'T THEY BE JUST AS AFRAID OF US AS WE ARE OF THEM” OH MY FUCKING GOD. OH MY GOD. HOLY SHIT 
“you're learning fast” OH MY GODDDDDDDDD
“Things that are small and scary….” BROOOOOOOOOOOO
the show has rights for the luke and percy content and posally and percabeth and that's IT
LANCE REDDICK ❤️❤️❤️ greatest of all time rest in peace ❤️ (you'll always be Cedric daniels to me)
Ohhh king he does a bad ass zeus
Where's poseidon though DONT TAKE HIM FROM ME 😭😭😭
Lance ily
Lance reddick zeus you're perfect to ME
OHHHHH YES GOOD SHIT
percy jackson king of audacity 
AGHHHHHJJJDHH POSEIDON I LOVE YOU BRIAN BROMEN OH FUCK YES IM. SNKDKKWKWJFKMQ3LI4HRND IM VIBRATING NRJNW OHMYGID
IM THROWING UP OH MY GOD
“I SURRENDER” OH BROTHER DO I HAVE THOUGHTS THOUGHTS TOO MANY THOUGHTS FUCKKKKK
OH MY GODDDDDDDDDDDD IM GOING TO PUKE
TOBY STEPHENS LOVE OF MY LIFE
I HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE UNWELL IN MY ENTIRE LIFE
SHUT UP NOBODY TOUCH ME
“OBEDIENCE DOESNT COME NATURALLY TO YOU DOES IT” ohhhhhhhh brother call me an ambulance 
“I must take some of the blame i suppose” so you CAN read the books you just chose not to for the other 7 episodes….
THE SEA DOES NOT LIKE TO BE RESTRAINED FUCK YEAHHHHHB BROTHER
HIM ONLY UNDERSTANDING THE WORD FATHER IM GOING TO KILL MYSELF IM SOBBING 
POSEIDON SMILE IM DYING 
I DIDN'T LEARN IT FROM CHIRON AND THEN POSEIDONS FACE OH FUCK IM PUKING SHAKING CRYING
IM SO SO SO UNWELL IM LITERALLY INCOHERENT 
“Ares is a moron, as you noticed” STOP I LOVE HIM THERES THAT ASSHAT POSEIDON ENERGY IM LOOKING FOR
“of course we dream, why do you ask” “DO YOU EVER DREAM ABOUT MOM” I AM DEAD I DIED I ASCENDED IM FLOATING LEVITATING FLYING OH DEAR LORD OH MY GOD IM SO SO SO ILL
TOBY STEPHENS THE MAN THAT YOU ARE POSEIDON THE MAN THAT YOU ARE OH MY GOD HIM GOLDING PERCYS HEA DIM VIMITING SHITING MYSELF KILLING DYING DEAD DJFICJJWOKDKDJN FUCK ME FUCK FICK
TOBY TOBY TOBY YOURE PERFECTVTHE PAIN THE FACIAL EXPTESSUINNS IM DYING DEAD
THE PEARL KILL KILL KJAJDJWKKDJJDJDUEJJ2NH3H
I AM HYPERVENTILATING 
Not to be greedy BUT WHERE IS THE QUEEN AMING WOMEN WHERE THE FUCK WAS IT YOU CANNOT GIVE ME ALL OF THAT AND THEN NOT GIVE ME THE MOST FUCKING ICONIC LINE OF ALL TIME WHAT THE ACTUAL ABSOLUTE FUCK I AM GOING THROUGH SO MANY EMOTIONS WHATBTHEFUCK
there's still 20 minutes left taylor breathe it can still happen 
PERCABETH HUG MY RELIGION
annabeth luke percy trio is SOOOOO interesting to me
I hate percy knowing :( ur a bit too perceptive buddy but it's okay 
“I DIDN'T THINK YOU'D GIVE THEM TO GROVER TO WEAR” SHOOT ME IT WOULD PROBABLY FEEL ABOUT THE SAME
THE GODS ARE MY ENEMY, YOU IM HERE TO RECRUIT OHHHHH BROTHER
OH HELLO BACKBITER LORE OKAY
LUKE I GET YOU I UNDERSTAND
I MET YOUR DAD *SLASH* OH THEY GOT HIM THEY GOT HIM GOOD
LUKE PERCY FIGHT MY EYES HAVE BEEN BLESSED IN THIS DAY
PERCY APOLOGIZING HONEY UR TOO SWEET
ANNABETH OH FUCK OH HELLO
So tell me what are the plans for ttc now lol
I HEARD EVERYTHING ANNABETH HONEY COME HERE I NEED TO HUG YOU
I must ask….where the FUCK was this energy the rest of the season this episode is literally so insane it almost makes up for the rest of everything
“How does she feel abt all of this” ooh yummy i like the foreshadowing 
“I imagine she's thrilled” WRONG thalia would stomp freddy chases head in if given the chance
LEAH UR BRAIDS ARE GORGEOUS
stop percy had HEART EYES 24/7 FOR HER IM GOING TO COMBUST
“JUST BE A KID” IM SOBBING
THE SEARCHERS LICENSE IM CRYING SOBBING UR PERFECT GROVER 
“I'LL FIND YOU” FORESHADDDDDDDOWWWINGGGGGGGG
“NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS WE MEET BACK HERE NEXT YEAR”, OH I LOVE THEM IM CRYING SOBBING OH MY BABIES
MONTAUK IM GOING TO KILL MYSELF FUCK DUDE U CANT DO THIS 
i want poseidon to be there i know he wont be but i NEED it
Stop honey percy ilyyyyy you're such a sweetheart im kissing ur forehead and tucking u in
OH HELLO “IT'S TIME TO WAKE UP” WOOOOAHHHHHHHH OKAY
“WE'RE STILL DOING THIS” LMFAOOOOO
“TURNS OUT IM PRETTY GOOD AT THIS….COME FIND ME” CRAZY 
……MOTHERFUCKER if they dont show gabe dying im gonna riot
WHERE WAS THE REST OF MY POSALLY 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 YOU CAN'T GIVE ME SOME AND THEN TAKE AWAY THE LITTLE FROM THE BOOKS
WHERE IS SALLY MURDERING GABE HELLO
AHHH END SCENE LOL AH THE BOX
THE IMPLICATION THAT IT WAS ALL POSEIDON……..WHAT IF I DIE OH MY GOD
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ofdaisy · 2 months
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Anyone else thinking about how Brian wrote “i could be the rainbow in your sky, shooting stars above you every night” and “do you ever think maybe i could be one of those things that you hate at first but eventually learn to love and then trust and then touch and then cut” and “you are abandoning you, i am abandoning me” and “but you’re a killer and im your best friend” and “make sure you kiss your knuckles before you punch me in the face” and “love has no bounds” and “i will take what i can get, i’ll take what i am given, but we both know that i’ll need more” and “i fell in love cause no one saw me the way you did and no one’s seen me that way since” and “one day you will find someone who will love you like you deserve, but tonight i’m the only one left” and “i wanna feel that same sense of calm, i wanna feel that same sense of peace, it felt so real before you got here, it’ll be restored after you leave” and “there’s no doubt in my mind that if you could then you would try to crack my ribcage open and pull my heart right through” and “i could see myself never fully recovering, and i could see myself dying for you” and “when i wake up i think of you” and “we’re both trying, you gotta give us that” and “i totally get you, i was a birdcage and you were meant to fly” and “you know that i would go anywhere for you” and “found my love, born to obey her, on the way, i think of kissing you every day” and “i’m gonna get on my knees, would you kick me in the face please?” You guys get it right.
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i dont know how to explain it but to me udad and hnoc are like opposites of each other. (Under read more, cause it is loooooonnnnng)
With udad the situation everyone is in is bonkers shit. The world they live in is absolutely shithole of a place that exploits everyone but the richest of the rich and the people there cant escape even after their death. Every single one of them is bitter and depressed and wronged and just wants to survive and they'll do anything to survive even if it meant killing the other one. All the natural part of that world is long dead and only thing exists is this cold dark metallic hellscape of a city that swallowed its own planet like a cancer. Almost all the songs are just how everyone was exploited, used, wronged, and discarded they were. Ulysses is a drunk fallen 'hero' completely guilt ridden by their role in Illium's fall. They had lost everyone and everything even before the album began. They spent so much of their throughout album getting their shit beat in. They, Heracles, and Orpheus go to Hades (Ashes) in hopes to be freed whether as a request, through theft, or through a deal. And Ashes all but set them all up to die for their own amusement (which btw very sexy of them <3 but that is besides the point). There seemed to be no hope for them.
And yet, despite everything the ending is so hopeful. We know that Ulysses would die, if it wasnt obvious from the title of the album itself it certainly becomes obvious when we learn how their world works. And yet they died a happier ending, they escaped the curse of their city and died reunited with their love. Ulysses died under an oak tree in a grassy fields, among nature which was thought to be dead since The City's takeover. Ulysses died being warmed by sunlight, a right denied to so many others like them. Ulysses died at dawn.
And then there is hnoc. Hnoc starts heroic. Arthur, Lancelot, and Guinevere take over Camelot from the corrupt Stone clan through their skills and teamwork. They turn it into a place of safety with all three of them incharge. Their lives are hard and filled with violence and hatred and fear and the world they live is harsh and unforgiving. But they still have each other, and they still care for the people around them. There is nature like scorpions and vultures despite it being a space station. The album has songs about love and being in love, about hope of peace, about power of faith. Everyone wants to survive and they are willing to work together to do it. Arthur is embittered by his "daughter's" death but still has his partners to keep him grounded and is ruler/sheriff of a powerful town with lots of knights working for him. What is more, the tragedy that hardened both Arthur and Gawain can be healed because the person they mourn isnt dead, he is Mordred and he is here to make amends. Arthur, Gawain, and Galahad go to Merlin (Brian) to seek aid, and he gives them advice that truly could have saved them, because Merlin really did wanted to save them and the entire station. There seemed to be hope for them.
And yet in the end it meant nothing. It was all for nothing. Alfred and Gawain did not listen to Brian's advice and ended up sealing theirs and everyone else's fate. Galahad did take Brian's advice and it destroyed him in a self sacrifice that ended up being for nothing. Mordred tried so hard for peace but at the end seeing the hatred and cruelty of his world hardened him to the core. Gawain's hatred turned peace talks into war and turned him into sawage barbaric monster he thought Saxons to be. Arthur's hardened core did not let him hope that his child could ever return to him and ended up not giving Mordred even a chance. What could have saved everyone Fort Gallfridian ended up turning into what destroyed Fort Gallfridian whether it be the GRAIL or Mordred. Almost all of them died a pointless avoidable death. And Arthur? Arthur lost everything. He lost his partners, he lost his chance to embrace his son, he lost his home, he lost his people. He may have survived but at the end he lost everything. High noon over Camelot. We didnt understand what it truly meant (all of them dying in the sun) until it was too late.
Ulysses shoots once, and it led to their happy ending. Gawain shoots once, and it led to everyone's tragedy. 3 shots all for Ulysses and it killed them. 3 shots for Arthur, Lancelot, Guinevere, and it hurt Arthur but never killed him. Ulysses was the only one who got to die under the sun, Arthur was the only one who didnt die in the sun.
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wandamaxim0f · 6 months
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Brian 'Otis' Zvonecek one-shot — Peace
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Words: 1.2k
Otis x Female reader
TW: the tiniest bit of angst and lots of fluff! Also: pregnancy, anxiety, mentions of panic attacks
A/N: finally dared to post this one! I really like how it ended up, but please keep in mind english is not my first language so there may be some mistakes. I wrote this one with Peace by Taylor Swift in mind, enjoy!
Taglist: @winchesterszvonecek
And you know that I'd (...) give you my wild, give you a child
Your hands were shaking as you went to grab your cup of freshly brewed tea, the chamomile smell soothing you before you could even take a sip. You did your best to focus on the way the tea tasted, and how the warmth went through your mouth and down your throat, really trying to keep yourself grounded and not give into the panic attack that you felt around the corner.
Silly panic attack. You felt the clink of your wedding band against the beige cup. Your wedding ring, of all things. You two were married, and had been for almost a full year. Turning your head, you found the fridge with all of its magnets and notes. Some were sweet and loving, both in your handwriting and his, knowing some days one left for shift without seeing the other.
“I love you”; “Stay safe”; “Come home to me” were some of the messages the both of you had left, a reminder you had someone waiting for you after your shift at the Intelligence Unit, and he had someone waiting for him after his shift at firehouse 51.
A photo from your wedding day caught your eye. You two were married. He wouldn't leave. He wouldn't step back. He had literally signed up for this. He had scribbled down his signature on a paper that was securely put away on a folder full of important documents, and he had vowed to love you until death do you part.
The door opening startled you, even when you had woken up early to talk to him. Not that you could really sleep, anxiety keeping you awake and turning and tossing in the bed sheets; the smell that came from his shirt that you were wearing doing nothing to calm down your mind.
“Baby” called Otis, as soon as he closed the door and saw you sitting down at the kitchen island. He knew something was going on. Usually, on your days off, he would just get home and find you asleep in bed, not drinking tea in the kitchen.
Immediately, he dropped his bag and his arms found your figure, pulling you into his warm embrace and stepping in between your legs, holding you to his chest as his hands caressed your back in the way only he knew how.
“Are you okay?” he asked, already knowing you weren’t, by the way you clung to him, embracing his body with your arms and legs, and let out a shaky breath against his chest. Still, he gave you the choice to not speak about what had you up on your day off, not until you were ready.
You split from his hug, knowing you wouldn't speak if you found refuge between his strong arms. “We need to talk” you said, finding his now worried brown eyes.
Otis swallowed audibly, and a neutral expression took over his face, trying to hide the fact he was terrified. Were you going to leave him? Was your marriage over? Or did it still stand a chance? Had he messed up? Forgotten a date? Forgotten your birthday? Valentine's? Anniversary? He quickly crossed those options, your anniversary was still a month away, he already had the reservations for the weekend getaway done, and your birthday had been three months ago, he had gotten you that necklace you liked. And February was still away, so there was no chance he had forgotten Valentine’s.
“I’m sorry” he blurted out, his heart shattering at the idea of letting you down, of disappointing you “I don’t know what I did, but I will make it up to you. Please don’t leave me” he was not above begging, not when it may make the difference between you staying in his life or giving up on your marriage. Not when you were the single best thing that had ever happened to him.
Your heart melted into your chest, and tears gathered in your eyes. His forced neutral expression switched into a worried one when a tear escaped your right eye, and his thumb was quick to catch it. Whatever it was, it could not be good if you were this distraught. He had seen you in some of your worst moments, and he could count on one hand the times he had witnessed such distress in your pretty eyes.
“Babe?” he called, preparing himself to beg you to talk to him if it came down to it. You were worried, and he wanted, he needed to help you out.
“I’m pregnant” you whispered, your voice so low, Otis thought he had misheard you.
“You... what?” He exhaled, trying as hard to not let his hand find your lower abdomen, since he wasn’t sure you were happy.
Sure, the two of you had discussed starting a family, but that conversation had been held ages ago, at the early stages of your relationship. He remembered you saying you wanted to have kids, and how that was a deal breaker to you; and he remembered getting home and pestering Joe about how he had found the one.
Had you not seen his small smile, you would've freaked out. But he was smiling, and his eyes were shining with tears, so that was a good sign, right?
“I’m pregnant” you repeated, louder this time, and allowing your own hand to find your nonexistent bump.
Otis let out a high pitched scream, before hugging you tightly. His arms pulled you closer and out of the kitchen stool, picking you up and spinning you around the living area, excitement washing over him. Finally, he put you down, and his hands cradled your face, whipping away any tears.
“We’re having a baby” he whispered, happiness dripping from his words, before he started peppering your face with kisses.
“We’re having a baby” you repeated, giggling at his affection, your hands now holding his biceps.
You couldn’t understand how you could’ve been that panicked, your husband wanted desperately to be a father, but only with you. Now you let yourself feel the happiness that you had put away on a cage in your heart, and the world felt more colorful than ever.
The next morning, as you untangled from your still asleep husband, you made your way to the kitchen to get some breakfast. A new note on the fridge caught your eye, and butterflies came alive in your stomach.
Last night, Otis and you had sat down and tried to guess an estimated date in which your baby would join you, a date he had scribbled down on a piece of paper before adding “Best day ever”. Next to it, a note he must've put up while you headed towards the bedroom “Get on desk duty”.
Years ago, the idea of desk duty would’ve killed you, hating the idea of being away from the action and the adrenaline it provided, but now you were beyond happy to spend your whole day at the district.
“You two were leaving without saying goodbye?” Otis’s sleepy voice called out as he walked into the kitchen. Without saying another word, he sank to his knees and kissed your abdomen “Leaving without saying goodbye to your dad is actually kind of rude. Guess your momma and I will have to teach you some manners once you’re out of there, bub” he spoke, his hands firm on your hips.
You laughed, a hand coming to caress his hair, and he looked at you with nothing but adoration and love shining in his eyes. How could you have been so worried? You would be okay. The three of you would be okay.
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quixotic-writer · 2 years
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What’s on Your Mind?
Request: anon
Song inspo: Say It To My Face — Maty Noyes
Summary: Q seems to absolutely drive you up a wall. But the thing about him that drives you absolutely insane: the way he makes you feel. The more you suppress it, the more irritable you are. Everyone has their limits, and so do you. The truth will be revealed
Warning: Smut ahead!
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When you took this job, you weren’t sure what you were signing up for. Working for someone who made your stomach twist in an animalistic way wasn’t what you had in mind at all.
You were his assistant. The one needed to keep tabs on his emails, organize all his appointments, ensure he’s paying attention during meetings, and the one who filtered information to him. It irked you how disorganized he was and he seemed to have a disdain for you as well. You were constantly at creative rifts in the road and bickering about how to handle a variety of situations. Some days he tempted you to just put in your two weeks and leave, but something continuously compelled you to stay. Something in your gut made you stay and stopped you from ever placing that pretty piece of paper that said ‘I quit!’ down onto his desk.
The thing that made you the most upset: the fact that his smug aura was attractive. You often found yourself at a crossroad between telling him off or telling him that you wanted his clothes off. You went with the former, using it as a shield to hide all those hidden feelings. When you wanted to punch his teeth in, you really just wanted to grab his face and smash your lips together and kiss so hard that it would suck the soul out of his body. When you wanted to strangle him, you wanted it the other way around. Hand on your throat as skin on skin contact would echo through the office. When you bit your lip, half of it was to hold your tongue and the array of colorful language that you would have loved to release on him. The other half: holding yourself back from saying what you were truly feeling deep down and behind all the aggression.
You kept quiet for this long, but sometimes it felt like the most difficult hidden aspect of your job description: do not fuck your annoying boss. If anything, it felt like rule number one.
But it felt like every day, that rule became harder and harder to follow. The line between employer and fuck buddy started to become blurry.
It was quiet in the office and as per usual, Brian was late. Already you were irritated and wanting to sock him in his teeth, but you kept quiet and tried to enjoy the peace of the temporarily silent office space. The other guys would occasionally walk past, greeting you and making small talk, you asked where Brian was and it seemed that they were just as clueless as you.
“Probably hung over.”
“He’s probably stuck in bed with his cats. Those guys move for no one!”
“There was an accident on the road here so maybe he’s stuck in a bit of traffic?”
Excuse after excuse and it only seemed to pester you more. You weren’t mad at the other guys, you were mad that he couldn’t seem to even give an answer to you AND his own best friends.
When he finally walked in, he looked fine and put together. No indication of a hangover, no sense of urgency, nothing.
“Glad you finally showed up,” You mumbled as you continued reading through contracts and permits that needed to be in order once filming started back up for the guys.
“Sorry sweetheart, hope you didn’t do too much work without me,” He spoke sarcastically. The way he said ‘sweetheart’ made your stomach absolutely churn and your face heat. You pretended to show no reaction as you went back to your work.
“I hope you know that because you were late were gonna have to stay late… again.” Disdain in your voice and he sat in his chair and skimmed through some of the papers waiting for him. He leans back with a smirk as he starts reading the papers in his hand closer, and you catch each other’s eye. You quickly avert your own back to your work and pretend that didn’t happen.
The rest of the day went by and the area slowly grew quiet as each of the guys made their leave because they finished what they needed to. Sal had come in asking if Brian wanted to go out for a few drinks, but as he saw the look on your face, Brian chose the safe answer: staying in to finish what he needed to. You lightly nodded your head and went right back to work, and he did the same as well, though, slightly more irritated than before.
You could see a noticeable tension building in him with each paper that you slid to him. It was like getting a child to finish their incomplete and missing assignments. You knew it was for the better this way.
His concentrated look, the way his lips pursed together, and the stern look in his eyes was getting you worked up in a way that started to irritate you. You started looking the same way he did, and little did you know that he caught a glimpse of it and found it just as attractive as you did with him.
“Brian. I told you to keep these papers in order of when the episode airs so it’s easier to refer to and file. How many times do I have to go over this?” You reorganized the papers for what felt like the hundredth time and grabbed paper clips.
“You told me to just read through and ax whatever bits or hand write bits in, you said nothing about organizing them!”
“I had them that way for a reason, Brian.” With a huff it went deathly quiet. Out of the corner of your eye you could see him eyeing you out. You couldn’t clearly make out the expression on his face as you forced yourself to continue working on whatever was in front of you. Shuffling through the papers your mind wandered and you could still feel his eyes on you. Your face felt hot but it was another thing you attempted to ignore.
“I feel like you hate me sometimes.” He said quietly.
“Hmm?” You questioned wanting to hear what he said one more time.
“I said I feel like you hate me sometimes,” He said once again as he placed his pen down and leaned against the arm of his chair, directing his entire attention on you. When you looked at him, a single eyebrow was raised and he had a foreign look in his eyes that you couldn’t quite understand, but it made all your hairs stand on end in anticipation.
“You know, I don’t hate you…” Your face got even hotter as you saw a slight smirk growing on his face. “I don’t. I get frustrated because you do things without thinking. It’s my job to keep you organized and on track and it feels as though sometimes you don’t listen. It grinds my gears, Brian.” Everything inside of you starts to threaten to pour out, endless words pounding at the floodgates, begging to be released. It’s even harder to say all of these things when the office is barren of others, leaving the two of you as the sole solitary individuals trapped within its confines.
“Then if you don’t hate me why do you always act like you don’t like being around me or that you do hate me?” He kept prying and prying and answering more questions. You felt trapped and it all came to a boiling over. It was aggravating you because it seemed almost as if he knew the answer but he wanted to hear it directly from you.
“Because I have feelings for you, okay?!” You turn to him as you spout your confession, bellowing it so it lingers and echoes in the room. You feel as though it’s hard to swallow and as though the heat in the room got intense. A nervous sweat breaks out all over your body and Brian says nothing for a moment and has a dastardly grin on his stupid face.
“Oh… So that’s what it’s been, huh, sweetheart?” His voice changed rapidly in tone, and he finds it all incredibly amusing to see you suddenly become so small so quickly after always being this seemingly huge obstacle in his way all the time in the office. He pulls your swivel chair in closer, one of his hands resting on an armrest, the other on the backrest of it, leaning you back so that you're looking up to him and he’s looking down on you.
The tension was incredibly thick, your heart was pounding at a rapid speed as his eyes fanned over your entire being. You felt exposed, vulnerable, small. But something about this sensation was so incredibly thrilling, you clenched your thighs together and your hands rested one upon the other on your lap. This is the attention you had craved for so long, but never would you have thought it would be within the environment that you were currently situated in.
You fell silent, stumbling over something to say to answer him, but nothing coherent could be formed.
“Why so silent now?” He takes his hand that was resting on the arm rest and brings your face closer to his, “didn’t know someone who always had something to say could be at such a loss for words for once.” Just like that, his lips were on yours. You could no longer resist all the urges you fantasized about so often as you brought your hands to his face and pressed his lips harder to yours. Tongues were intertwined and melding together and you hummed at the sensations you desired for so long.
“So this is how I can get you to shut up, huh?” you joked with a devilish smirk once you both finally pulled away only to reattach them and kiss him even harder than before. His hands rubbed on your thighs and gripped at your buttoned up blouse. It was a quick jolt, buttons were flying in all different directions, leaving your chest exposed. “You dick head. You’re so impatient.” He grunted as lips reconnected. He grabbed you by your thighs, slid you off of your chair, and into his lap. As you shifted in his lap, you could feel his throbbing cock through the layers of his pants. The sensation elicited a moan from both of you.
“You sure you want this? I don’t have a condom…” He said in a quiet husky voice. You were so pent up and needy that it irritated you.
“You talk at the worst times. I’m on the pill, just touch me already.” Without another thought, his lips trailed from your lips down to your chest, taking your breast out of the cups of your bra and trailing his tongue all around your nipple and areola. The hot, wet sensation of his mouth on your tits made your hips come to life as you began to grind your hips against his hard on. Hums of his moans were traveling through your skin as he left love bites all over the exposed skin. His hands were gripping at your hips. “Fucking hell Brian.” You moaned out. Your skin was tingling for more, and it seemed he was too.
“Sweetheart, god, if you keep that shit up I won’t last. You gotta stop.” You heard his pleas but continued anyway. His forehead was stuffed between your breast as his eyes were half lidded and trained on your pussy that was continuously running over his clothed hard on. His lower lip was caught between his teeth as he whimpered.
“Why would I stop when you keep eliciting the sexiest, pathetic little moans?” He grunts and suddenly you were on his desk, his face was buried in your neck, and he was quickly undoing his belt.
“You just can’t fucking listen can you, doll?” A belt buckle had never sounded so erotic before this moment and you were quickly falling into submission, something you never thought possible as you were always having to baby him and boss him around in the office. “You act so cocky all the time, I think it’s time I show you who’s in charge now.” He reaches under the hem of your skirt, pushing it above your waist so that your naval was readily exposed for him. He quickly tears a hole into your panty hose and moves your panties to the side, exposing your soaking wet pussy to the cold air of the office space.
There was no patience in this act you were about to commit. Quite frankly, you didn’t even want to wait any longer than you already had to indulge in the sinful sensation that was fucking your employer. There was something so taboo, so thrilling, so erotic. Like something out of a naughty novel that you had read before. A fantasy you wanted played out so bad, and all of it was coming to fruition.
His cold middle finger dipped into your wetness, making you buck your hips in an aching motion that was you physically begging for more contact. He pulls his finger away, looking at the finger that was now soaked in your needy juices.
“Look at how fucking wet you are and I haven’t even done anything to you yet.” His finger is placed upon your lips, you part them and suck on his finger, reveling in the taste of your own nectar on your taste buds. All the while, you help with the final steps to getting what you truly craved: undoing his zipper and fishing his cock out of his boxers. Your eyes glimmered at the sight of it and a smirk stretched across his face seeing your reaction. “Say what’s on your mind sweetheart.” He guides the tip of his cock to your soaking wet pussy, teasing you with the head that made you tilt your head back and whimper. “Look at who’s making the sweetest most pathetic little moans. Tell me how much you want my fucking cock in you. Go on. Say it. Nice and loud for me doll so I can hear.” The taunting only made you hornier and needier. The banter you were so accustomed to was having its effects, and hell did you love how you were drowning in the lust.
“Fuck, Brian, shut up and fuck me, please! I just need you to fuck me already!” You have your legs wrapped around his waist, begging for him to sink into you, aching to feel the stretch of your pussy taking him to the hilt.
“Atta girl.” He said huskily. Slowly, inch by inch, he was sinking into you with a groan, “fuck you took me so easily. You’re an eager one, huh, sweetheart?” The sensation had you crumpling papers in your palm and your back was bowed in pleasure.
“God fuck you’re so fucking big Bri.” Your eyes met with his. Hair shagged in his face, dilated pupils signaling a carnal desire, and lip caught between his teeth as he exhaled a grunt through his nose. He could work you up without having to say or do much of anything, he was the modern day physical embodiment of eros in your eyes, and in this moment, he was all yours for the taking. You could feel his cock throbbing within you, and that was enough to make you pulse around him and pull a shaky sigh from his lungs. With a daring smile and a hunger for more, you spoke words that would send the both of you into oblivion: “Fuck me. Nice and hard. “‘Til I'm screaming.” You didn’t have to say anymore, for his smile already said what was on his mind.
He slowly pulled his hips away, just until only the tip of his cock was left in you, and then quickly snapped his hips right back. Just like that, you were seeing stars.
“Holy shit Brian! Fuck!” You screamed as you dropped to holding yourself up on your elbows.
“That’s right sweetheart, scream my name. I know you’ve wanted to. Louder. Say my name louder,” he said with a carefully enunciated tone. His hips continued to work just as hard as he experimentally angled himself until he found all of your sweet spots.
“Brian! Brian! Brian!” His name was the only thing you could seem to muster out aside from various moans as he worked his magic all over your body.
“Fucking hell you feel so good wrapped around my cock. Got me so worked up I don’t know how much longer I can last.” Papers were flying off the desk as he continued to pound into you, he was hovering above you as his hands rested at your sides to give himself leverage to continue his lustful onslaught. “Rub your clit baby, make yourself feel good while I fuck you.” You quickly listened, bringing your right middle and ring finger to your mouth, coating them with spit, and then snaking your hand down right where he told you. As your fingers circled your clit, as his cock hit you in all the most erogenous spots within you, you felt your climax building quickly.
“Brian, getting close, I'm gonna cum!” You confessed in a high pitch whine. His hips picked up in speed as he heard you cries, grunting and quickly losing his rhythm.
“Fuck baby, me too. Let’s cum together, okay? Cum with me please.” You nod your head in response. “I’ll count down from 10, okay, doll? We’ll cum together.”
“Yes! Yes! Make me cum Brian!”
10… You tried not to circle your clit so much as not to cum too soon, savoring the sensation and begging for it to last a little longer.
9… You saw the way his hair was beginning to stick to his sweaty forehead and the way his biceps shone in the fluorescent lighting of the office.
8… “I’m so close, fucking hell i’m so close Brian!”
7… “Fucking hell sweetheart your pussy feels so good on my cock.”
6… Lips were connected for just a moment, tongues swirled together to add to all the erotic sensations that flooded your nerves. The hot sensation of his mouth and the taste of stale coffee was a new shining memory forever stored in your head.
5… His thrusts were quickening at an uneven pace as the number lowered. It felt like an eternity, almost like a teasing sensation, but it would make your orgasm feel all the more satisfying as you held off from having him in your grasp for so long.
4… the heat was building as both of your moans were rising in pitch and an aching need for release was mutual.
3… His hands now were on your hips. As he thrusted, he brought your hips in. His cock was hitting you deeper and harder than it ever had, the way he was grasping at your hips was sure to leave marks, but you loved the thought of having markings only you knew about.
2… “I want you to cum… nice and hard for me…” Your eyes met his, and there was no tearing them away. He didn’t have to tell you to cum hard, you already knew you would.
1… Your fingers worked your clit as you finally reached the crest of the wave,
“Fuck i’m cumming!” You screamed as a flood of euphoria washed over you. Each pant was a moan as you reveled in the sensation. With one finally thrust, Brian was buried deep in you. You could feel his cock twitch inside of you as warmth filled whatever space was left inside of you. With each spurt, you could feel him push deeper inside of you with a grunt.
“Fucking hell you’re pussy is squeezing the cum right out of my cock. Fuck that felt good.” His head was in the crux of your neck as his hot breath fanned on your shoulder as you both bathed in the afterglow of your orgasms.
When he pulled out, you could feel all of his cum slowly seeping out of you, and it honestly made you a little horny all over again. He quickly grabbed some tissues to help clean you up.
“I knew you couldn’t have hated me that much.” He said with a deep chuckle.
“You owe me a new shirt.” You say, blushing deeply as you try to fix yourself up a bit, “and I'm not reorganizing these papers.” You looked around at all the flung papers, the ones you crumpled up, and the ones you got some… juices on.
“No rude nicknames during any of those sentences. See, proof that you don’t hate me.” He started cleaning himself up and readjusting himself. You tried to hide your smile, but there was no use. “And a smile! I’m winning big today!”
Maybe you’ll hold off on putting your two weeks in…
indefinitely.
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apenitentialprayer · 3 months
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Re Brian Holdsworth quote. What if the drug addicted cousin always asks for money and never pays it back, burned all their bridges, and when once was kicked out by his wife he was put up in a hotel by a family member and he then proceeded to do drugs in it and trash the entire room with garbage and smash the tv and window? I want to love like that quote, I want to love like Dorothy Day, but I just don’t know how in moments like these where, if I extend my hand it won’t be grasped, it will just be cut
Hello, friend. Happy Third Sunday of Advent. I want to say first that it is really good to desire to love as Dorothy Day loves, because she tried (and, like all of us, failed) to love as God loves.
I can't comment on your exact situation, even with the detail you gave me, because it's still only a glimpse of that entire situation. I don't know your economic status, your marital status, your housing status. And I don't know how you specifically have been wounded.
I would definitely pray for, and try to practice the virtue of, prudence. I personally believe we're responsible to not assume the motives of random people we see on the street when we consider giving them money; but things are a little different when you have enough information to recognize patterns. So I would ask myself, "What can I give to this cousin, and how can I give it in a way that ultimately benefits them more than it hurts them?"
I don't know what their current living situation is like. Do they need food? Clothes? Given what you said about their previous history with this, I would make peace with the idea that these things are gifts rather than "loans" before giving them whatever you think you can give. If you are afraid that your act in giving will result in them asking for more than you can give, do you have the ability to form hard boundaries? (I don't feel comfortable buying booze or cigarettes, and I've had to practice giving firm "no"s instead of my naturally conflict-avoidant "Well, I don't know"s).
I also want to say that it is completely natural to be afraid of reaching out and getting cut, to use your phrasing. I will point out, with no judgment towards you, that the model of Jesus seems to be reaching out even if you're going to get cut. I am reminded of Jesus healing the ear of the high priest's servant Malchus, even though it is later said in Scripture says that these servants would beat Him after the arrest (and at least one tradition says that Malchus was among them). Or Christ, arms stretched wide for the world on the Cross, asking God to forgive His crucifiers.
Being vulnerable is scary. Putting yourself in a position where you are vulnerable is even scarier. And it is very unlikely we will ever do it perfectly; we will all fail to some degree. I am not telling you what to do. But I would ask myself "What opportunities do I have to help this person, no matter how small?" We are lambs being sent out among wolves, called to be as wise as serpents even as we are innocent as doves, to be harbingers of God's forgiveness and representatives of His reconciling love. And this requires us to really discern our specific situations and figure out what good we can manage to perform in the complexities of life.
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bisexualdawnsummers · 3 months
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I saw somewhere that one of the reasons why people hated Michael is because he's too whiny and rude towards Justin. But imagine being in his shoes, tho. As someone who has a best friend I'm willing to ride or die for, I also think anyone will never be good for my best friend and I'm always suspicious towards anybody lol. Because I knew how hard they've worked, how much they suffered and how long of a journey it was for them to get this level of somewhat peace in their life. If anyone is ever trying to give them more stress in any way, I'm suddenly so pissed lol. For people who doesnt get it, Michael could definetely could come across as "posessive" & "overthinking" (the whole narrative of "He wanna fuck Brian so bad its pathetic" doesnt help either, which makes me roll eyes so bad because from time to time, it's mostly Brian that inniciate their physical contacts first so) but you can't help but always looking out for this particular one person that makes your life worth living, when you know they can be reckless like Brian especially. Especially with how escalated Justin's family life situation is after he met Brian. Through Michael's lense, Justin is a stranger with baggages that he doesn't want Brian to carry since he knew and understand Brian already has a lot in his plate. Guaranteed, I can't all justify every thing that Michael said and did in regards to Justin and I'm ok with that (part of liking Michael is to accept that he just makes human mistakes as a grumpy 30 years old gay Italian man lol), but the hatred that he receive literally degrade his existence into just "Another pathetic best friend that's in love with the main character" is just sad to see.
Yeah, I've always thought the idea of Michael being a big old meanie to poor little Justin as a bit overblown. Could Michael be snippy with him? Sure. And he occasionally went too far with some of his words, but his tendency to speak before thinking is one of his character flaws, and should hardly detract from his better qualities.
What a lot of people like to overlook/ignore is the fact that Michael was actually one of the first characters that tried to look out for Justin in a way. I think it's like ep. 2 where Justin comes looking for Brian again and when Brian ducks out on him, Ted and Emmett say that Justin is Brian's problem not theirs. Michael is the only one to act like a responsible adult and not let this teenage kid wander around on his own. He takes him to the diner and makes sure he has a ride home. Of course, it doesn't end very well when Michael tries to warn Justin off Brian. Justin is bratty to Michael in that moment. And Michael does come off jealous and a bit whiny, but I think in some way he was trying to look out for Justin. I don't think he was entirely selfishly motivated. He's probably witnessed Brian break countless hearts over the years, and was trying to save Justin a bit of grief by telling him the truth. He wasn't lying when he told Justin he wasn't Brian's boyfriend. Brian doesn't do boyfriends, he barely does repeats.
Also, I can see how Michael, or anyone in his situation would be annoyed by Justin's sudden and inescapable presence. Imagine being someone close to 30, and one of your friends sleeps with a teenager, and then that teenager shows up at your mother's house. The kid is not only stalking your friend but everyone in his life in hopes of getting closer to him. Anyone would feel a bit overprotective, and a lot frustrated.
And yeah, a lot of people like to downplay Michael's importance in Brian's life, reducing him to the guy with the hopelessly unrequited crush on his friend. But their relationship is so much deeper and more important than that (whether romantic or platonic). imo, if someone doesn't understand Michael's place in Brian's heart, then they just don't understand Brian.
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dailyaudiobible · 7 months
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9/11/2023 DAB Transcript
Isaiah 8:1-9:21, 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, Psalm 55:1-23, Proverbs 23:4-5
Today is the 11th day of September, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian and it is wonderful to be here today with you as we gather again, another day, another step forward. Another opportunity for God to speak to us through His word, another opportunity for us to listen. So, let's dive in. We have been getting ourselves moved into the book of Isaiah, and I guess we’re moved and we’re about little over 10% through the book it’s a longer book. So, let's move forward into Isaiah for today, and Isaiah for today will be chapters 8 and 9.
Commentary:
Oh man, this Psalm today, wow. Okay, so, we have some important things to look at. I’m gonna read a verse from our reading from the Psalms today, and I know that as I read this, thousands and thousands of people will immediately go, that is how I feel right now. And so, let me read this, “fear and trembling overwhelm me, and I can't stop shaking. Oh, that I had wings like a dove, then I would fly away and rest. I would fly far away to the quiet of the wilderness, how quickly I would escape, far from this wild storm.” Have you ever felt like that? Like I know what that feels like, those moments or situations in life that kind of accumulate and then they come on so suddenly and are so overwhelming that it is our desire to fly away, like that's the only thing we want to do is fly away to a place of peace and rest. And it's interesting because just a few lines later in this poem, we encounter one of the most famous passages of Scripture. Cast your cares on the Lord, give your burdens to the Lord. He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. So, here's the thing. There's this confessional outpouring of being overwhelmed and wanting to fly away, that we can probably all identify with and that many of us are walking through like at this very moment. And then this passage of comfort that comes just a few lines later, maybe where we go to, or maybe what we’re told, cast your cares on the Lord, He will take care of you, He will not let you fall or slip. That’s a famous passage that we go to, but there are interesting things about famous passages, because they're not like, it's not a magic spell. You saying that verse doesn't do it. Us listening to and obeying the instructions contained within the verse, do it. We may be overwhelmed and turning to a Scripture for comfort. But this Scripture tells us what to do when we’re overwhelmed. Cast, give, give over, release your burden, your care to the Lord. Just saying the verse, give your burdens to the Lord and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall, won't do it. Give your burdens to the Lord and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. This is a collaboration. We are invited, as we always are with God into the dance of relationship. We can say this verse, all day long, but if we’re not willing to let go of the burden and cast it on the Lord then, then it's not gonna work. If we want to get to this part where we won't slip and fall and that God will be taking care of us, then we will have to give our burdens to the Lord and trust Him. Not for an hour to catch our breath, fully trust God, release our expectations, invite Him to show us the next step, allowing Him to take care of us. So, the verse at the beginning of the Psalms today talks about being overwhelmed and wanting to fly away to a place of rest. And then this verse tells us maybe how to access that place of rest without having to sprout wings. There's another poem in the Psalms that talks about the Lord sheltering us under his wings. Maybe we don't need wings to fly away and flee, maybe we need shelter under the wings of the one that will take our burdens and show us what to do.
Prayer:
And so, Father, this is like an everyday thing. Anxiety is blanketing humanity right now. We are all feeling the disarray, the unsettledness, that underneath it all, something's not right. And we know this is true and You have shown us that there is a different way to be a human being. We can collaborate in life with You as we were intended, and that there are a place for all of these human emotions that we feel because of the things that we encounter. There’s a place for this anxiety that lives as a ball in our gut. There’s a place for this pain-and-suffering and emotion that lives in our heart. You are that place and we can run to that place and cast, let go of, release these things to You, so that we are no longer carrying the burden alone. Come, Holy Spirit, show us how to do this, how to rest in it, how to live in it, how to accept it as a reality, how to allow You to lead us on the pathways of peace. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Prayer and Encouragements:
Good morning, Daily Audio Bible family. This is Summer the Songbird in Nebraska. Today is Thursday, September 7th. And Brian, today you said, God will redeem anything that He touches. Let’s not keep things off limits from His touch. Oh, mercy, is that a good word. So, Lord, I come before You and alongside my DAB family and lift up prayer requests big and small. Liza on the East Coast, oh Lord. We ask for a miracle. We ask for miraculous healing. We ask for freedom from this pain and this cancer, comfort from You where her family is not providing it. Work a miracle in her life. Be glorified through Liza’s full recovery and long healthy life. In Jesus name. Also, I want to lift up His Green Thumb in Nebraska. And ask for an update on your job situation. Shout out to Biola in Maryland and God’s Smile who always make my heart leap when I hear your voice. The light in me, the spirit in me just leaps when, when you call in. And we love You Lord. We love this family, we love this community, be glorified through it. In Jesus name.
Greetings to you my DAB family. This is Walking in the Light in Tennessee. This is a post that I, I don’t know, just came out of nowhere, but I felt like I needed to share it. And I wanted to offer a word for today, whoever you are, wherever you hear this, your word for today is to soar, S-O-A-R, soar. And I think I thought about it, or God dropped it into my spirit because so many of us are chained to our circumstances, our family issues, our problems, the things that keep us bond, if you will. And chained to, I don’t want to say the bottom, but certainly not soaring. And so, it’s a word for me too because I love the idea of looking up, being up, lifting up, holding up. All of those things are up. And so, we really want to live a life that is lifted up. And so, your word is soar. So, how will you soar. I don’t know. Maybe, some new colors, some new friends, maybe try a different dish, maybe you know, open a book or a different book. Just do something different, something that keeps you from being chained to the same ol, same ol. Give God a chance to move in your life and give the Holy Spirit a chance to interject something new. So, soar today. Soar, that’s your word. This is Walking in the Light in Tennessee. I love you guys. Wish I could just lift each one of us up. But I know that we have our challenges, but we shall do our best to soar. Walking in the Light in Tennessee, Still Walking in the Light. Have a great day and God bless you all.
This is Willow from Indiana. Oh Liza, I heard your call. Please remember that our enemy will use anything he can to torment us, and this includes friends, words from a friend. Be on your guard, put on your armor. I know you have the shield of faith, use it to quench all the fiery darts of the enemy. Dear sister, Father, I pray protection around my dear sister. I pray that You would answer her prayer for more time to finish what she has planned. And I pray for her pain to die down and her sleep to be sweet. And I definitely pray discernment for her doctors so they can get her the medicine that she needs. And I pray this protection around you. I love you sister. In the name of Jesus I pray.
Good morning DAB family. This is Paula calling from Albuquerque. I just finished listening to today’s podcast, September 8th and I think the sister that called, I recognize your voice but don’t ask me your name. At the end, you were calling to encourage the mom of the 18-year-old who had said he’s now atheist. I know that I am not the only one that is walking in those shoes. But I want to thank you for your testimony. It just gave me such encouragement this morning, as I know it did others. My daughter, as I’ve called in before, my daughter is in a same-sex relationship now. Says she doesn’t believe everything in the Bible, but she knows she’s a child of God. Well, that still gives me hope. And I do believe that God will bring her back. My son too, he may not be in that same sin, but he too is redeemed. They both received Christ as young people. Your son, the mom of the 18-year-old, he will come back. He has to sow his wild oats and do his things, be a prodigal if you will, just like we did. And we all are back, and we all love the Lord. To those that are listening that don’t know Him personally yet, this is your opportunity because today is the day of salvation. Thank you, I love you all. And I continue to pray as I listen.
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knowlessman · 10 months
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okay, so they got bakugo un-sasuke'd, but it's worth noting that the sasuke counter is at 2 and we're only halfway through the show (at time of writing)(also as far as I know the show that it's named for never went past 1). anyway, bnha s3e11-13 -- (well, assuming the sasuke counter counts when he got caught by the slime monster even though that time it wasn't because the villains wanted to turn him evil and have their leader use him as their next vessel)(…no wait I think Tomura is sposed to be the next vessel. beh. anyhow…)
Ra's Al Ghul giving me Bleach vibes, first glance anyway
"you didn't rescue me, I rescued me through you!" whatever
"tomura is your mentor's grandson!" …is he gonna say "search your feelings" next?
tbh, wouldn't have been too surprised if All for One was able to manipulate Endeavor somehow, but idk. maybe the flat-out-evil-but-not-designated-as-villains characters in this are just smarter than I'd like them to be. : /
shame Spirit Bomb doesn't seem to be a thing, huh
"izuku midoriya! he's the one you passed it onto, isn't he!" o_o well. him knowing that is uh, is pretty bad, innit?
…the end? -- "the ringleader, they're leading him into the Maiden right now!" -- The -- WHAT
all might, pointing at camera: "next, it's your turn." the Mic, from his couch probably: "yeah, all might, show those reporters who's boss!"
keeps not skipping the OP gonna miss this one when it goes, probably : /
"she put her child into foster care so she could keep heroing" …I've heard Vegeta described as the second-worst father in DBZ before, but… I don't know anything, this shit's realer than anything I can speak about by a long shot
lol, iida still has that damn mustache on
speak of the 'geeta. : |
"you didn't smash yourself up this time! I'm so proud of you" he didn't do - I mean it was his plan, yes, he didn't not do anything, but he didn't use his power at all. I think he's sposed to have found a way to use his powers without smashing himself up? but problems never seem to show up that require powers without requiring him to spend his body -- speaking of which, HAY MELISSA, ABOUT THOSE GAUNTLETS…? -- used to watch inuyasha; got past where the first movie apparently was; some guy from it showed up; was like "who the hell is this guy?"
(eyecatch) cannot ever get over how ridiculous best jeanist looks
who the hell is Brian the Sun? looks it up facepalms …well played
I would never have expected either of bakugo's parents to be ned flanders in a zillion years, but I guess this answers something. : / jesus christ, though. and I guess they're presenting his mom as more or less just fine? and not even a little bit comparable to endeavor? calling bakugo weak, of all things, and talking about him "being praised for nothing?"
is midoriya's mom the only parent in this show who gives a shit about - okay nvm that's doing a disservice to jiro's parents and I guess probably todoroki's mom. just, after seeing endeavor and seeing bakugo's parents and I guess maybe jiro's (who maybe are just fine with it for convenience since she's not a main character - actually hang on, are we gonna see how this plays out with uraraka's as well? kinda think maybe we should, she hasn't been getting much screentime) -- …point being, momdoriya is the only parent so far who seems the slightest bit protective at all. …maybe that says something about how this setting's society is, with the Symbol of Peace and all? idfk
…gonna be honest, I'm failing to see where the logic is with "we're gonna have the students stay at dorms at the school now" in the first place. amazed that that apology seems to have convinced momdoriya tbph
…so, is Bakuswole actually not related to bakugo at all?
'XD "shit, I'm not incognito in this form anymore"
(bakugo just. I guess. mugged kaminari? somehow? he got him to use his ult? how even. bakugo doesn't have. …what?)
"it's like a mansion!" I thought your parents owned a construction company, uraraka. do they actually just work at one?
room… presentation… um, sure, just invade everybody's privacy th - oh jesus christ don't make us see mineta's room -- 'XD laserguts's room looks like a webkinz room. …or animal crossing ig -- …well, the good news is, we don't have to see mineta's room -- "kaminari's is so gaudy!" you mean it's the only one so far that actually looks remotely like a dorm -- mineta you're not allowed to make cogent arguments, stop making us remember you're in this show -- huh. the choji of this show cooks. he gets to have two character traits. good for him.
…is asui supposed to be autistic rep? "I can't help but say everything that comes to mind?" …idk.
anyway, cutting off here for tonight
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eponymous-rose · 3 years
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Talks Machina Highlights - Critical Role C2E123 (Feb. 2, 2021)
After last week’s thoroughly relaxing and brief episode, tonight’s guests are Sam Riegel and Liam O’Brien!
Brian, to Sam: “You look like Tim Curry moved to Nantucket to become a sommelier.”
How did Caleb and Veth approach the ally-ship with the Tombtakers? Sam: “I mean, we got some information, and I think we got a little closer to Lucien and knowing whether he has any of Mollymauk inside of him, which is I think the most important knowledge that we’re seeking right now. Is there someone to be saved inside there? We got glimpses, and we got a little hint that Mollymauk is maybe still in there? Maybe? And we got a little more insight into their plans, so that was useful.” Liam: “We know why we were having that fucking dream.” Sam: “But other than that, it was just a road trip with assholes.” Liam: “All our plans have been ripped in a new direction, and it’s just been improvisation.” Sam notes that it feels like we’re always about to rip into Caleb’s backstory, but haven’t yet followed that thread all the way through. Liam: “It’s partially frustrating, to be sure, but also I like the idea that-- his whole shit has been selfish, it’s been dealing with the trauma that he’s been through and not the greater world, and that’s been shifting somewhat.”
Does Caleb think the book was worth it, and is he still interested in reading more? Sam: “How do you ask Caleb not to read a book?” Liam: “Caleb has spent enough time with the Nein to know you shouldn’t put a hand on a hot stove. After what happened with the book, he knows it’s a terrible idea. But maybe. But it’s a really bad idea. But reserve judgment, but it’s a really terrible idea. I think that Caleb is very aware that mages and people like him very easily fall prey to their curiosity and it can lead to bad places. But there is still that amount of scientific endeavor where you think there is value in knowing and learning, and maybe we can ride that line. He was True Neutral at the start of the campaign, and maybe he’s Chaotic Good now, but part of him is hubris, even if it’s a little bit, still.”
What about Otis has drawn Veth’s focus? Sam: “I mean, he’s a little shit. She was curious about Otis because he’s a small like she is, and in talking to him, he seemed to be real creepy, but he was just creepy and distant and didn’t value his past or family or anything like that. She sees someone who’s like her, but so not like her, and maybe that scares her a little bit more.”
How does Caleb feel about Beau being on this ride with him? Liam: “The dream is another example of how Caleb had very narrow vision of the things he wanted to do. It used to seem so massive to him, but now... To have Beauregard involved feels right. If anyone in the group is going to stop him from grabbing something he shouldn’t, it is probably Beauregard. She’ll punch him in the fucking face to stop him, which I think he needs, to a certain extent. They’re two different kinds of nerds, and I kind of like that, that this group of nine philosophers, they’ve reached out and somehow grabbed the two nerds in the party.”
How do Caleb and Veth see the Somnovum? Sam: “I mean, they seem real bad. Anything that’s a quorum of powerful entities heading towards your planet to unleash an energy of any kind, typically bad? I assume they’re bad, or at least the Tombtakers wish them to do ill.” Liam: “I think they want the kind of peace that comes from snapping your fingers and turning people to dust. Caleb sees them as a cautionary tale; they’re the worst-case scenario for arcane inquisitiveness.” He sees Allura Vysoren as the antidote to that.
Why the staunch refusal to use Halfling Luck? Sam: “I don’t like Luck! I just don’t like Luck. I think it’s cheap, I think it’s a cheat, I think it’s stupid. It just feels like a do-over.” Liam: “I am your antithesis! If I ever voice a halfling, I am going to hammer that feature!” Sam: “What I love about D&D is that you don’t know what’s going to happen. If you roll bad, okay, that’s it. If you roll well, it makes the success more enjoyable to know that it’s a pure success and don’t one where you’re like well actually... it’s so stupid. If someone was about to die, I would probably use the fuckin’ Luck feature. Well. It depends who. If it was Travis, yeah, no, he’s fucked, sorry.”
Liam drops that he’s picked Sam’s character class and race again for a hypothetical campaign three. Sam: “It’s not what I was thinking for future characters, but I’m excited to explore.”
Cosplay of the Week: an amazing Mollymauk by KatofValkyrie!
What was it like to bring the Tombtakers into the tower? Liam: “It is complicated, because he does not like him. Lucien’s just a fucking dick. But Caleb also knows that Molly’s in there somewhere. That tower’s only for the M9, and Lucien’s not in the M9. Their situation with these people is shitty, it’s terrible. Caleb doesn’t feel like they have the upper hand. He doesn’t like that they’re even going on this journey per se, because life is bigger than his bullshit. He feels like they’ve been losing over and over again, so it was a gamble to try to get on equal footing.
What spurred Veth into making sure she and Yasha have some one-on-one time? Sam: “Yasha hasn’t been getting a lot of moments to shine. Now that she’s back, I just got the impression that Yasha feels out of place sometimes, or timid, or unsure of herself. When Veth was Nott, Nott certainly had her share of those moments. I think she sees a kindred spirit and wants to make sure that she’s been giving all the opportunity she can to flourish and thrive. Dani, you’re just laughing at my mustache, aren’t you?” Dani: “Yes, that’s the only thing I’m laughing at through this whole bullshit.” Sam denies all knowledge of trolling, but eventually admits, on the topic of Yasha and Beau getting together: “They’ve made me wait this long... I’m going to make them wait a little bit longer!”
What was it like to show his friends the upper floors? Liam: “I kinda expected somebody to sneak up there before that. That being part of the tower is not even a conscious choice of his, it just is. The reason Caduceus has creeped Caleb out for a long time is because he talks about how-- Caduceus is a really kind person and wants Caleb to let go of the past. And in a really simplistic way, turn that frown upside-down. And that’s just not who Caleb is, and it’s not who everybody is. There is something to be said for trying to stay open and positivity, but thinking you can shut out the past, especially a traumatic one, is just not true. When things happen to us, we carry them. But to candy-coat it and say, ah, I’m free, or everything is good, or I’ve turned the corner... life is way messier than that. It’s not flipping a switch, it’s not bad-to-good, it is such a work in progress. Even when you make strides and start to get to a better place, you can backslide a lot. So the tower is who he is, and the tower is 7/9ths love for his friends, and 1/9th hope, but there’s still a percentage of him that carries everything from the past, and knows that he should, and knows that he should not go back to where he was. And the way to do that is not to say everything is rainbows, but to remember it. The tower is just like an extension of who he is. He’s never going to forget the past, and he’s never going to be like, I’m good, or I’ve turned a corner. He should remember the past, and he should do better, always.”
Does Veth still believe it’s possible to get Molly back? Sam: “Well, she was a person trapped in another body for many years, so has some experience there, and definitely believes that the spirit and soul of Molly is in there and just needs to be unlocked somehow.”
Fan Art of the Week: an amazing group shot by HarpySN!
How are Caleb and Veth dealing with their guilt and fear about being in the middle of this? Sam: “It definitely was a deep conversation that might have repercussions going forward. The problem with all of what we’re doing now is that we don’t have time to deal with our petty problems anymore. It’s all high tension all the time!” Liam: “It’s true; they’re not in control of their situation at all anymore.” Sam: “It’s good to have these check-ins, but it’s not like we can do anything about them. We’re reactive right now.” Liam: “He’s not happy with where they are, but they wouldn’t even be this far if the goblin hadn’t pulled him out of the mud. So part of it is, you saved me from where I was and got me on my feet again, and now it’s disconcerting to see it all just get knocked sideways by something he never could’ve predicted. I think Caleb felt nostalgic for when things were simpler, in a way, for them, when we’re both troubled drifters.”
What was it like to see Gelidon’s return? Liam: “I am the least superstitious person at the table. Ashley’s dice suck.” Sam: “It was fun fighting a dragon!” Liam: “Two massive battles in one episode, neither of which came away with a victory. I guess surviving is a victory.” Sam: “I’d forgotten about the dragon, honestly.” Liam: “I loved it. I was so upset at the idea that we were going to stealth and not get into it.”Sam: “Mercer doesn’t keep a live dragon around and not do something with it. That dragon’s coming back.”
How do Caleb and Veth feel about going to see Essek? Sam: “He can be very helpful, I believe, but as Sam Riegel, a player of D&D, I’m super suspicious. What the fuck is Essek doing up there, so close, now? I don’t trust him as far as I can throw him. And I can throw him pretty far because he floats.” Liam: “I 100% agree with you. I do not understand what Essek could bring to what we are going through. I know the audience loves him, I love him too. He’s a really cool character. But he’s fucking toxic. He out of curiosity caused a war between two nations. And Caleb has been changed for the good by the M9 from months of travel with them. Essek has had none of that. Caleb has changed for the good, but not because of people like Essek. Essek is where Caleb came from. We kept the lid on the pot during the whole treaty at sea and it almost all went fucking sideways, and only because we pressed him into a corner. I hope that guy finds some sort of balance and peace for himself, but I do not see how his input here would be helpful. There’s other heavy hitters that I would try to pull in.”
Liam notes that the Cloven Crystal is in the Bag of Holding. Sam: “Do I have Fluffernutter, or is Fluffernutter gone?” Liam: “Nope. 300 pounds of fireworks? Gone. A dead mage, a threshold crest, and fireworks.” Dani: “Your basic essentials.”
719 notes · View notes
itjazzbicch · 3 years
Text
The Big Bang
Pairing: Hook x Fem Reader
Summary: Hook and the reader have been friends since high-school, making it together in pro wrestling and a part of Team Taz. The problems within Team Taz become too overwhelming for them, they try to ignore it and when Ricky explodes on the reader, Hook explodes on him…
Warnings: The reader gets shoved down, but that’s about it
Requested by: No one, but I hope you all enjoy! (This is my first time I’ve written for Hook, so I hope I did well!)
Word Count: 2224
Tag List: @demonqueen29 @jessiebean00 @new-zealand-chic @crowleysqueenofhell l @justamess44 @thatpanpal @hungmanhorsecarriage @irish-newzealand-idian-dutch @linziland13 @xxx-jazz-xxx @writtingrose
I DO NOT OWN THIS GIF
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“I’m not going to tell you guys again!” Taz yelled, coaching Ricky, Brian, and Hobbs, “We are a team! The best team and you all are gonna start acting like it!”
Being a member of Team Taz was killing me right now. The whole team was a ticking time bomb, except for Hook and I.
[You trying to get out of here? I can’t stand this rn] I texted to Hook who was sitting next to me.
He looked up at me with a small smile, texting back:
[I was going to ask you the same thing. Let’s get out of here]
I quickly looked to see Taz still lecturing the guys , none of them paying attention to us.
Exactly when they had their backs turned, we snuck out. Whenever we made it far down the hall, I let out a deep breath, huffing:
“I don’t know about you, but all their arguing is getting on my nerves.”
“Welcome to the club,” Hook sighed, “They are being so childish like just shut up and wrestle.”
“Yeah no kidding,” I murmured, walking slowly next to him, “Wanna go to the football field?”
“Yeah,” Hook smiled, “I’m down.”
Hook and I have been best friends for a long time, trained together and now, in AEW together.
We thought it would be awesome to be a part of the same team, but the only team there truly was, was Hook and myself.
When we made it to the football field, I went into the center and just laid in the grass.
“I just wish we could wrestle our own matches and get away from all the guys’s bullshit,” I groaned, looking up to see Hook standing next to me.
“Wanna wrestle?” Hook teased, “Then let’s wrestle.”
“A sparring match?” I smirked, sitting up.
“If that’s what you want to call it,” Hook murmured, looking away when he said, “More like a test for you. I’m obviously stronger.”
“Oh?” I chuckled, standing up, “You’re gonna get it now.
“Bring it on!” Hook encouraged, going into stance whenever I came at him with a lock up.
At first, it was a challenge to overpower him, but to gain the advantage, I stepped on his foot, then put him in a headlock, quickly doing a snap headlock take down, putting him in the grass.
“What was that about being stronger?” I teased, rubbing my knuckles against his hair, “Come on, Hook! Bring it on!”
At first, I thought he was crazy when he started laughing, but then he start tickling me!
“HEY!” I yelled out with laughter. I was trying to fight it off, but I couldn’t handle it for very long, I was way too ticklish.
“You cheater!” I screamed over his laughter, the tickling becoming too much.
I let go and ran away, but Hook jumped right up, chasing me.
“Come on! What about our match?!” He laughed, sprinting to catch up with me.
It didn’t take long till he caught up to me, both of us laughing when he wrapped his arms around my waist, reeling me in.
“Hook, stop please!” I laughed, trying to break his force, but he was too strong, tightening his grip.
“This is what you get for running away!” He laughed, somehow still tickling me.
I needed to get out of his grip and finally, I was able too. I was able to squeeze my arms down, slithering away, crawling backwards between his legs then jumping on his back, putting him in a sleeper hold.
“Time to go night night,” I chuckled, not really trying to put him to sleep.
We would play fight like this all the time, we met in high-school and our friendship never really changed. Hook was always the quiet type, but when we became friends, he opened up to me and we always had fun like we were little kids. It was only with me because of how strong our bond was, still play fighting now as young adults.
Like usual, Hook found a way to reverse. He used a lot of strength to swing me and I screamed because I almost fell off of him, but with one arm, he pulled me back up, swinging me around and holding me in both arms.
We were both out of breath, but smiling when our eyes met, staring into each other’s eyes deeply.
“Can we call it quits?” I huffed, still laughing a bit.
“When are you gonna grow up and stop being so ticklish?” He teased, tickling me one last time.
“What do you mean?” I scoffed, “You just can’t stop being ticklish!”
“Take a joke!” Hook groaned, but smiling, his voice a little deeper when he whispered, “I don’t mind. Your laugh is cute.”
“Is that why you tickle me so much?” I said nervously, feeling my cheeks heat up.
“Maybe,” He smiled, his tongue darting across his lower lip.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” I chuckled, about melting in his arms when I saw his head leaning towards mine a little.
I even let my eyes close, but we both jumped when we heard:
“WHAT ARE YOU TWO OUT HERE FOR??”
It was Taz. I forgot how loud he could yell and he about scared me half to death.
“We have to get out to the ring now! Come on!” Taz yelled louder and we just ran, following him.
When we finally made it to the stage, I wasn’t surprised. Ricky and Brian were fighting, AGAIN.
Ricky had the FTW title for some reason and at the same time, they were distracting Hobbs, which made him lose to Adam Page.
They didn’t even care about that. Brian was yelling in Ricky’s face, demanding he give him back the title. Then Hobbs came over and none of them would listen to Taz.
I had enough of this. I couldn’t stand it anymore. So, when Ricky’s hand swung back, the FTW title swinging along with it, I grabbed it.
They all stopped, staring at me and I stood in front of them all, pleading:
“Guys, this needs to stop! We’re a team and a good one when you guys aren’t bickering like children. Please, just stop! We are better than this. We really are!”
“Y/N is right,” Hobbs agreed, nodding his head.
It felt like a moment of peace between us, for the first time in what felt like forever.
Hobbs made me smile with that comment and now that everything was silent, I sighed, “Here, Brian. You’re the champ.”
Brian was smiling too, going to take his title whenever I began to hand it to him, but when I did, Ricky shoved me, knocking me to the ground.
I got slammed right into the titantron, hitting my head hard. I held my head quickly, looking up to see Ricky scared shitless because they were all ready to kill him.
“You son of a-“ Taz began to yell, but all I saw was Hook, knocking Ricky to the ground, throwing punches.
“Hook! Hook!” They all began yelling, Ricky yelling and clenching his injured neck.
“Hook! I said stop!” Taz yelled, but there was no stopping him.
I have never seen Hook so enraged like this before. Hobbs was the one able to contain Hook , turning him to Taz so he could say:
“Son, I don’t blame you for being angry. I know how you feel about her and I’m proud of you for whoopin his ass, but you need to stop.”
Finally, I snapped out of it, Brian kneeling in front of me asking, “Y/N, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I groaned, watching Hook.
His chest was heaving, his eyes animalistic and the moment Ricky picked up his head and looked at Hook, all hell broke lose again.
Hook must have had a crazy adrenaline rush in order to break free from Hobbs grip, going right back to Ricky and about punching his face in.
There was so much yelling and commotion, Hobbs and Brian now trying to hold Hook back, one of them had each of his arms. Hook was still fighting and that’s when I realized that I needed to do something.
Quickly, I jumped to my feet, running at Hook and hugging him.
“Hook,” I stressed, holding his face so he would look me in the eye, “I am just fine, okay? Please just stop. Ricky is not worth the energy.”
Finally, Hook settled down, but was still ready if Ricky even dared to stand up.
“Guys, let him go,” I asked politely, Brian and Hobbs listening.
As soon as they let go, Hook’s arms latched around me, one of his arms around my head, his hand rubbing right where I hit my head.
“You sure you’re alright, baby girl?” Taz asked, “You hit your head hard.”
“I’m fine,” I assured, “I promise.”
I laid my head on Hook’s chest, hearing how hard and fast it was pounding, that increasing when we both looked to see Ricky on his knees.
“We have to go,” I sighed, looking up at Hook, “We can go back to the football field, somewhere.”
Hook still had his eyes set on Ricky, but he quickly looked to me and nodded his head, but before we left, he gave Ricky a death stare, then he kissed my forehead.
“Let’s go,” Hook whispered to me, hearing all of the anger in his voice that deepened.
“Brian, take them to where ever they’re going,” Taz commanded, then pointing to Ricky, “And you?! Your ass is coming with me! Get the hell up!”
Brian came to our side, walking through the tunnel with us and once we were far away enough, Brian said:
“Good job out there, Hook. I enjoyed watching him get his ass kicked.”
His comment made me chuckle, it even made Hook smirk a little despite how angry he still was.
We began to go towards the football field and once it was in sight, I stopped walking, my eyes meeting with Brian’s.
“I don’t mean to be rude, but can Hook and I have some time alone?” I asked sweetly.
“You’re fine!” Brian smiled, “Take your time. I won’t be far if you need me.”
“Thanks, Brian,” I smiled back, “And thanks for walking us out here.”
Brian gave me a simple nod with a smile, then began to walk away. When I turned around, I saw Hook stepping on the football field, kicking at the grass.
I had to jog a little to catch up, but I caught up with him, his pace slowing down once he noticed I was behind him.
“Hook,” I sighed, taking a deep breath when he turned around, a blank expression was on his face, but I smiled, “Thank you.”
Hook looked at me as if he was surprised, curious as to why I was thanking him, at first is expression gave off the feeling that He was ready for a lecture.
“You’ve always had my back,” I smiled, “And I love you for it.”
When I said the word love, a bright smile he was trying to fight appeared but there was no fighting it.
He took a few steps towards me and I thought he was going to say something, but his arm hooked around my hip, pulling me in and his lips crashed right into mine.
It was like the big bang theory blasted in my mind when I felt his lips against mine. A kaleidoscope of colors turning behind my eyes when I felt all the sweetness, a lot of built up emotion, like he had been waiting forever to do this.
My whole body broke out in goosebumps, all of those emotions rolling right off his lips onto mine and every bit of it was so strong.
I made sure I kissed him back with the same amount of passion, so much of it built up inside because there was no trying to hide the truth. The truth that I’ve been dreaming about this for years, happy that we finally gave in and crossed the barrier of friendship and turned into something more.
When my hand stroked his cheek, they were so warm, finding his jaw line and keeping it there, holding it a little tighter when our lips parted and we both gasped quietly.
Our lips were just an inch away, Hook titling his head up just a bit so he could look into my eyes. Slowly, I pushed the little part of his hair that was blocking the view of his eyes, his eyes glowing, brightening when he whispered:
“I wouldn’t have done what I did if I didn’t love you, Y/N.”
I couldn’t stop smiling when he kissed me again, whispering against my lips, “I love you.”
After one more kiss, he hugged me, keeping my head to his chest. I had never been happier in any other place like I was in his arms. Even after that huge fight, our night ended up being beautiful.
“You’ve always had my back,” Hook sighed, looking down at me, “And I will always have yours. You are my girl after all.”
Just when I thought I couldn’t smile any brighter, I did. My cheeks hot again and being raised by my smile, saying to Hook, “Wouldn’t want to have it any other way.”
178 notes · View notes
shelter me from winter’s bite
Everyone’s doing a hypothermia fic so I figured I may as well contribute. It’s one of my favorite tropes.
title taken from Brian Czyzyk’s poem “Hoarfrost” (he’s my favorite young queer poet and you should check him out).
tw: hypothermia, angst with a happy ending, whump with a happy ending
---
“Do you always have to be so damnably loud?” Geralt growls, glaring at Jaskier from across the small room. 
“My apologies for existing,” the bard snaps back. He’d only been rearranging his pack, looking for something reasonably clean to sleep in while his clothes were laundered by the innkeeper’s lovely wife. “I’ll try to do so more quietly from now on, good sir.”
Geralt huffs out a breath in passive-aggressive annoyance and Jaskier bristles. 
“Oh well, then. C’mon witcher, I know you want to say it!”
“Say what?” Geralt asks. His voice is low and threatening. He’s ready to play the game and by god he’s going to win this time.  
“It’s practically your motto at this point,” the bard hisses through his teeth, angry and bitter and tired. Geralt sees victory. Sees some peace and quiet on the horizon. “Say it!”
Geralt does as he’s told, like any good witcher would: “Fuck off, bard.”
“There it is!” Jaskier laughs joylessly, throwing up his hands. He pulls on his doublet and boots and heads for the door. “If you want me gone so badly, Geralt, then I will go. I’ll get out of your lovely white hair and leave you to mope in peace.”
“Fucking finally,” the witcher snarls, turning away. He doesn’t see the genuine hurt in Jaskier’s blue eyes as the bard quietly closes the door rather than slamming it. He doesn’t hear the quiet sob that rips its way out of Jaskier’s throat as he stands very still, shocked and suddenly exhausted all the way to his bones. He doesn’t smell the salt of his bard’s tears as he slips silently down the hallway and out into the late autumn night. He doesn’t notice the snow starting to pile up on the windowsill ahead of season.
He’s too busy being a self-flagellating moron to notice any of that.
---
Geralt is woken in the middle of the night by a commotion downstairs. He can hear several loud, panicked heartbeats and one very quiet, very slow heartbeat beneath all of those; it’s achingly familiar but the half-asleep witcher can’t quite call its source to mind. Geralt listens as the innkeeper barks out a series of sharp orders: “Meredith, you get to the kitchen and make some strong black tea! Florence, fetch a pail of warm water and two or three towels from the laundry. Josiah you lazy lout, get into the attic and fetch some blankets! The poor lad has gone blue all over!”
The witcher peers into the hallway and catches the skinny stable hand, Josiah, racing for the attic staircase. “What’s going on?”
“A farmer from the next town over was on his way over to help a friend’s sow give calf and he found-” the lad pauses to suck in a great gulp of air and launches off again “-and he found that friend of yours lying in a snowbank, muttering nonsense and shivering like a leaf. The poor fool didn’t have a cloak on him or anything, just a doublet and walking boots! He’s near-dead!”
Geralt curses and makes for the stairs, taking them two at a time until he reaches the main floor. There are voices coming from the kitchen and he follows them as if in a dream, his feet moving without aid of his conscious mind. “Jaskier? Is it the bard, Jaskier?”
“Are you the great brute what kicked him out?” the innkeeper’s wife asks, crossing her arms over her ample chest and narrowing her eyes. Geralt falters. 
“No, he- he left on his own, in a huff.”
“Wonder who could have started the huff,” the woman rolls her eyes. This isn’t about his status as a witcher, Geralt knows; this eye roll was made by a woman who knows a lovers’ quarrel when she sees one. Except that this stupid little spat might have cost Jaskier his life.
“Where is he? May I see him, goodwife?”
The woman points to a table in the corner, which has been cleared of cooking implements and cushioned with a heavy bearskin. Jaskier lies atop the brown fur, his skin frighteningly pale, his lips and fingers tinted a slight blue. Geralt rushes to his side and takes one of the bard’s stiff hands in his own. He brushes a stray lock of brown hair from Jaskier’s forehead and nearly recoils in shock from the temperature of his skin. Even colder than his hands, which are already dangerously frigid. If Jaskier cannot play his lute-
Geralt doesn’t even allow himself to finish the thought. Instead he works on rubbing small, careful circles onto the back of the bard’s hands with his thumbs, warming the skin in tiny increments: “Shh, you’re safe. I won’t let you go.”
The bard remains unmoving, heartbeat fluttering weakly, lungs barely drawing breath; Geralt fights back an overwhelming sense of panic, trying to recall whatever training he’d received at Kaer Morhen concerning freezing humans. 
“Do you mind if I take him upstairs and tend to him myself?” the witcher asks.
“Can you take care of him?” the innkeeper’s wife replies. 
Geralt bows his head, shame licking like flames up and down his bent spine, and nods. “Yes, Ma’am. I have dry clothes for him in our room and I was trained extensively for emergency situations such as this, all witchers are.”
“Alright,” she narrows her eyes. “But he’d best be alive come morning.”
“I’ll happily turn myself over to the village elders to be dealt with accordingly should the bard come to any harm,” he vows. Her eyes widen minutely and he can read the surprise in her body language, but she remains relatively calm. 
“Any further harm, rather. Alright, then. I’ll have my husband and the girls bring those supplies up to your room for him. We’ll be glad to go back to sleep.”
“Thank you for your kindness,” Geralt bows formally. She blushes despite her irritation with him and waves him away. 
“Take your bard and go, witcher, before I change my mind and spend all night caring for him myself out of motherly pity. Go.”
Geralt hefts Jaskier into his arms, heavy bearskin blanket and all, and hurries up the stairs to his room. He will not let Jaskier come to any further harm. Not by his hand. Not by his word. Never again. 
---
Back in their room, Geralt quickly undresses the shivering human, peeling away what few damp layers there are with growing disappointment. Jaskier hadn’t been prepared for a walk in the snow at all! Although, to be fair, it hadn’t seemed that cold earlier in the evening and the snow had been sudden and heavy. 
He wipes Jaskier down with a warm cloth and slips one of his own clean shirts over the bard’s head. He tries not to let his gaze linger on the way Jaskier’s shoulders don’t quite fill out the dark material. Or on the way his dark, wiry chest hair peeks out through the open laces at his throat. The witcher quickly shuffles him into clean smallclothes and wraps him in a thick wool blanket. 
They sit curled before the fire and Geralt holds Jaskier against his chest. He hums with his voice like gravel, grating out one note after the other in some attempt to soothe the bard’s aching body. Jaskier shivers and shakes violently in the witcher’s strong embrace, his eyes clenched shut with the cramps that wrack his frame as his muscles return to their normal temperature. Geralt feels like he’s holding a porcelain doll and keeps his grip deliberately loose, tight enough to comfort but not restrain.
“G-Geralt,” he groans. “Hold me, please.”
The witcher squeezes his arms more confidently around the bard’s middle, burying his face in Jaskier’s soft hair and breathing deeply. The warmth that usually emanates from his busy human body is gone and his chamomile-honey scent is buried beneath a layer of damp cold; it feels wrong. Terribly wrong. Geralt murmurs against his temple, begging the younger man’s forgiveness: “I’m so sorry, Jaskier. Gods, I’m so sorry. Will you ever be able to forgive me? I’m a fool, you know. I’m a fool witcher who never says anything important until it’s too late. I’m so incredibly sorry, my love.”
“This is a very good dream,” the bard sighs, smiling despite the pain. His eyes open, bleary and addled. “Like I was having in the woods, but better.”
Geralt raises an eyebrow and Jaskier seems to understand the unspoken question, even in his current sorry state.
“The real Geralt would never be so gentle with me, dear heart. You must be a dream, sent to me on my deathbed to ease my passage into the afterlife. There’s no other explanation for your sudden displays of tenderness.”
“It’s... It’s really me,” Geralt affirms. He runs his hand up and down the length of Jaskier’s spine, “I’m here, Jaskier. Can you ever forgive me for being so stupid?”
“I forgive you for being stupid ever other day, dear witcher. It is of no consequence to me.”
“It almost was,” Geralt frowns. “I nearly- I almost-” 
Jaskier’s arm raises weakly and his too-chilly hand presses to Geralt’s cheek. “I shouldn’t have stormed off like an idiot. I shouldn’t have kept picking the fight. We both fucked up, alright? What matters is our second chance. We got to have one, Geralt.”
“Hmm.”
“Am I wearing your shirt?” 
“Yes.” 
“Why?”
“Yours were all being laundered and this one was clean and it had been in my pack near the fire so it was already warm and-”
“Did you take care of me all night?”
“Hmm.” Geralt sighs after his hum and glances away for a moment. “What did you mean about... about the dream in the woods?”
“Oh. Well, when I was very cold and things were hazy and slow, I dreamed that you were there with me. Everything got very fuzzy and warm for a little bit, and when it was warm you were holding me like this and giving me little kisses. It was... nice. Even though I knew I was dying because you were being so soft, so considerate; saying things to me you’d never say out loud in real life.”
“I love you, Jaskier. I will try my best not to lose my temper needlessly,” the witcher swears. “You don’t deserve it.”
“Can we still cuddle like this?” Jaskier asks, leaning his weigth against Geralt’s firm chest. “It’s so nice to be held.”
“Of course. Anything you want. I’m not going to waste my second chance by treating you poorly. Not for another second, my beloved bard.”
“B-beloved?”
“Hmm.”
“Oh, well then I’m definitely still dreaming.”
Geralt lifts Jaskier into his arms and carries him over to the bed, which is piled high with their extra blankets. He tucks Jaskier into the nest against the wall and lays along the outside of the mattress. He presses his lips to the bard’s, reveling in Jaskier’s returning warmth, and smiles. “I’ll prove it’s not a dream. Every day.”
“Sounds nice,” Jaskier yawns, snuggling into the witcher’s arms and settling down to sleep. 
“It will be.”
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sylvies-chen · 3 years
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Test Runs
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Summary: Matt agrees to help Sylvie babysit a 5-month-old Brian Cruz for the night to help Chloe and Joe out, and gets a glimpse at a life with Sylvie he thought he could only ever dream of.
Words: ~5.5K
Warnings: None?? It’s just pure baby fever and heart eyes and canon-compliant established Brettsey
Tagging: @fighterkimburgess Cíara, this one’s for you. I hope you enjoy your much anticipated gift— and some very long, plot-less tooth rotting fluff :)
A/N: I don't know what this is and I'm pretty sure I zoned out while writing this so let me know what you think of this because this is the least edited thing I've ever written lol
“Please don’t be mad at me.”
Matt’s in the locker room at the end of a tiringly long shift when he hears Sylvie’s voice coming from behind him.
Their shift has been filled with an endless amount of intense calls. House fires, a harrowing ambo call according to Sylvie, car crashes galore. He’s more than ready to go home and enjoy his next few days off. He and Sylvie had even agreed to make tonight a date night, staying in with a bottle of wine and watching a movie (or, in their case, not watching a movie). It makes him even happier to be done with this shift. Just a regular, normal, peaceful night.
That’s what it’s supposed to be, at least. Only he hears his girlfriend’s voice and, instead of its usual soothing effect on him, is filled with something tense and nervous. He turns around and lo and behold, Sylvie’s standing in front of him with a perpetual wince.
“Why would I be mad at you?”
“I may or may not have told Joe and Chloe I’d babysit Brian for them tonight,” she explains nervously, her palms stretched out flat against each other. “Which means I’m going to have to take a raincheck on that date night we’d planned.”
Matt instantly finds it hilarious that she’d been so worried to tell him about it. “Sylvie, it’s fine,” he assures her. “Date night can be any night, we’ll just postpone it for another day.”
“Really? You’re not bummed out?” “I’m extremely bummed out,” he corrects her, his hands flying to her arms and rubbing circles on them gently with his thumbs. “But I’m not mad. I just wanted to spend time with you after a long shift, that’s all.”
“I know,” she sighs. “I’m sorry. Joe just kept going on and on about how he and Chloe haven’t had a minute to themselves since the baby was born and I just remember thinking how, if that were you and I, it’d make me really sad not getting to have a night off with you.”
Matt swears his heart melts right then and there. Sylvie’s compassion is pretty much endless but when she mixes it with that adorably longing look in her eye, and with words like that? Yeah, Matt’s a total goner.
Things between him and Sylvie have been going so great. They’re going on six months and not a single day goes by where he doesn’t feel like the happiest guy in the world. He knows tonight is one of their only nights off between shifts and he’d prefer not to have to share her quite yet during those nights but Joe and Chloe are their friends, Sylvie was right to offer them a kind gesture.
So an idea forms.
Matt’s always been good with kids, he’ll never complain at getting the chance to look after one. Especially not when it’s with the woman he loves. Besides, he sort of loves the idea of spending the night watching Sylvie gush over Brian Cruz. She was sort of adorable with Amelia, he can only assume it will be the same with Brian.
So much for a normal, peaceful night. (Although frankly, Matt thinks normal is overrated.)
“What if I came with you?”
“What?”
“Yeah,” he nods. “What if I looked after him with you? I’m sure Joe and Chloe wouldn’t mind, I’d be more than willing to give you an extra set of hands.”
She gives him a puzzled, slightly skeptical look. “So you mean to tell me,” she starts, “that you want to spend one of your few nights off in between shifts babysitting a screaming, crying, spitting five-month-old baby, just… because I am?”
“That’s sort of the idea, yeah,” he chuckles. “I’m good with kids, I can handle a little spit-up. Besides, I’ll take any time I can get with you.”
Ok. So maybe that was a little cheesy. It still rings true nonetheless. Spending time with her in any capacity is good enough for him-- and he has a feeling this will be a lot of fun.
She seems to think the same thing too, and smiles sweetly at him. “How did I get so lucky?”
“You just are,” he shrugs amusedly and leans in to kiss her soundly, sinking into it for a minute before he realizes he shouldn’t get carried away when they’re in the locker room. He’ll save the PDA for Stella and Severide. When he pulls away, she moves to pick up her bag and shut her locker, the two of them ready to leave. “So I’ll pick you up then? What time did they want you there?”
“5:00. But I should warn you,” Sylvie warns teasingly with a pointed index finger. “I will be singing a lot of Wiggles songs. It will not be sexy.”
He lets out a chuckle from deep in his chest and Sylvie returns the laugh as she heads out of the locker room and to her car. Even when she’s gone, Matt can still feel himself smiling like an idiot.
Like he said: Sylvie Brett makes him feel like the happiest guy in the world.
“Hey. You’re in a good mood.” Matt’s about to get his own bag and leave when he turns around to see Severide coming into the locker room.
“Yeah, well, I’m on babysitting duty tonight,” he explains. “With Sylvie. Joe and Chloe needed some time off so she volunteered and I thought I’d tag along.”
“Uh-oh,” Kelly teases. “I sense a little baby fever coming on.”
“What? No, Sylvie’s not baby-crazy, it’s not like that.”
“I’m not talking about her,” Severide explains. “I’m talking about you.”
“Me?”
“Yeah, you. You’re a sucker for kids, man. You’ve wanted them for as long as I’ve known you. You’re going to have that little pipe dream back in your head by the end of the night, I’m telling you,” he warns, a shit-eating grin on his face.
“I’ll be fine,” Matt grumbles in response. “I think I can handle one night of babysitting. Besides, we’re just helping Cruz. Kids are something for down the line. Way down the line.”
“So you have thought about it,” Kelly replies victoriously, raising a single, cocky eyebrow.
“What about you and Kidd, huh?” Matt knows deflecting won’t work forever, but he’s not ready to admit to himself that he has thought about it, nevermind Severide. So switching the subject back onto his best friend seems like the safe option. “You’re the ones who are married now. You two haven’t thought about having kids?”
Kelly bites his tongue, blushes slightly. It’s a rare occurrence for him, but one reserved uniquely for all matters related to Stella. “Maybe,” Severide shrugs. “But we’re not talking about me, we’re talking about you.” Matt huffs, picking up his bag and shutting his own locker. “I can handle myself. I was just giving you a heads up in case you wondered why I wasn’t at the loft. I’ll be fine, I promise.”
Matt heads out after that making a beeline for his truck before anyone else can question him about this.
Severide doesn’t know what he’s talking about. He and Sylvie are enjoying their time together right now, taking things at their own pace. Matt’s not about to ruin that for some fantasy he had that’s slowly dissipated. After all, what’s the point in wanting kids if you don’t have someone you want to have them with? After Gabby, he’d given up on that until what was once a pipe dream became something completely irrelevant and blurry in the back of his mind. Besides, six months of dating is a little soon to be thinking about that. There’s about a million steps they have to go through first, a million milestones before kids would be in the question. So yeah. He and Sylvie are not in any rush. For now, Matt is perfectly happy to be able to wake up to her for as many mornings as he can. Just him and her. That’s always going to be enough for him, no matter what. His small fantasies are a thing of the past.
At least, that’s what he tells himself as he drives home to the loft and gets ready to pick Sylvie up. He repeats it over and over until eventually, it doesn’t feel like a lie anymore.
********
When Sylvie hops into his truck, she’s wearing jeans and an old graphic t-shirt. She figures it’s best to wear something she won’t mind dirtying a little. She explains this to Matt when they’re in his truck and he nods thoughtfully at her smart thinking. He even leans over to kiss her on the cheek while waiting for one of the traffic lights to turn red. Only then does it truly register in Sylvie’s head about what they’re doing tonight.
They’re really, truly, spending an entire night together with their friend’s adorable baby.
She really hadn’t expected Matt to offer his help tonight. She doesn’t need the help-- Sylvie knows her way around a five-month-old, after all-- but he’d offered it anyway which somehow makes it even sweeter. Joe and Chloe had been more than okay with it. There’s no one more decent and reliable than Matt Casey, after all. Together, Brian Cruz is guaranteed to spend the whole night being showered with love. She’s sure of that, so she’d obviously been thrilled to have him tag along for babysitting. Until the weight of it all sinks in, that is.
Things between them have been going so great. It’d taken them longer than she’d hoped to sort out their feelings but it’d made the release all the more satisfying. They’re here now, together. And even though they’re only six months into this relationship, she knows that she’s never backing out. This is it; for both of them. It adds an extra layer to her happiness, knowing that everything she does with him will be her last firsts. It’s wonderful and beautiful in all the best ways. They’re still fairly early on in their relationship though. She doesn’t have an exact plan for the future-- it’s the only thing she can’t plan out thoroughly, unfortunately-- but she knows six months is still fresh in the grand scheme of things. And whereas she thinks a kid or two might be nice, it’s still too early to have a conversation that’s that detailed with him. Up until now, she’d been perfectly fine avoiding that talk. Now though, it’s going to be the big, plus elephant in the room. They’re getting a glimpse at what it would be like to have a kid together. It seems silly, but she’s almost scared to let her mind wander.
She goes over it in her head quietly in the car. It’s not a big deal, she reminds herself. They’ll just look after Brian, have some fun, and put him to bed at a reasonable hour. And most importantly, under no circumstances will daydreaming about their future be allowed. Ever.
They reach Joe and Chloe’s house and Matt takes her hands as they reach the front door. She’s been quiet the rest of the car ride, ever since he kissed her on the cheek. She’d gotten so preoccupied reminding herself not to get ahead of herself tonight that it’d picked up his attention, but she gives his hand a gentle squeeze as they wait for Joe and Chloe to answer the door and he smiles, thinking nothing of her quiet mood.
“Hey,” Joe greets them when the front door finally opens. His face is beaming, and it really dawns on Sylvie how excited he must be for tonight. He and Chloe haven’t been out of the house for weeks, never spending more than five minutes alone without baby Brian Cruz. “Come on in.”
Sylvie flashes a friendly smile and lets go of Matt’s hand to step inside, looking around the place. Chloe’s putting her earrings on in the mirror, preparing the finishing touches of her date night outfit. Which, in Sylvie’s opinion, is gorgeous. Saying her friend looks amazing is almost an understatement. “Don’t you look fancy,” Sylvie teases from behind Chloe. “Sylvie! We’re so glad you two were able to make it,” Chloe cheers, leaning in to give Sylvie a tender hug and then doing the same for Matt. “Thank you so much for this. We owe you one.” “Don’t worry about it,” she hears Matt speak. “I think we’re both just happy to lend a helping hand, right?”
He looks to Sylvie with raised eyebrows, and she nods in agreement. “Yes, we really are. You two seriously deserve some time off.”
“You’re right about that,” Joe nods. “I thought being a firefighter would mess with my sleep schedule but it’s nothing compared to this kid.”
“Where is Brian anyway?” She asks.
“He’s in his crib right now, hang on,” Chloe tells her, stepping into the room next to them and pulling Brian out of his crib. The little boy sits perfectly against his mother’s chest, his feet dangling slightly. He’s wearing a onesie too, the light blue fabric covered with little robots. It’s quite possibly the cutest thing Sylvie’s ever seen and she has to fight back the urge to coo at him.
“Say hi to Auntie Sylvie and Uncle Matt, sweet cheeks!” Chloe coos to her son, grabbing his tiny hand and waving it at Sylvie and Matt for him. He can’t talk yet but he flashes a smile at them and it melts Sylvie’s heart. Man. Tonight is going to be amazing and yet so tough to get through. “So there’s fresh formula in the fridge but we just fed him so he should be fine for the night. His toys are all laid out on the floor if he needs tummy time and we normally put him to bed at 7:00. If there’s anything you guys need or any questions, just call us. We’re bringing our phones with us and the number for the pediatrician is on the counter just in case,” Joe explains to them.
“Got it,” Sylvie nods.
“Ok,” Chloe nods to herself, handing Brian over to Sylvie. The small boy fits just as nicely against Sylvie’s chest but he tries to turn his head as soon as she holds him, urgently looking for his mom. Chloe stands back, staring at Brian nervously. “I gotta go now, buddy. I’ll see you later.”
“It’s harder than you expected, isn’t it?” Sylvie asks her, already well aware of the answer. Leaving your kid with a sitter is tough, she imagines, especially when it’s your first kid.
“Yes,” Chloe admits, slightly pained. “I know it’s only a few hours but we’re going to miss him.”
“We’ll take good care of him, we promise,” Matt assures them, already moving closer to Sylvie to see Brian and let his tiny hand wrap around his thumb. “Thanks again you guys,” Joe nods appreciatively.
“Of course, anytime. Now go on, have fun, you crazy kids,” Sylvie teases.
“Alright, bye!” Chloe keeps waving until their front door is fully shut, leaving Matt and Sylvie in total silence.
Matt glances at Sylvie up and down, taking in the sight of her with baby Brian, and something in his eye lights up. It sends a warm tingling down Sylvie’s spine, but he just nods at her. “He really is a cute baby.”
“I know,” she raves instantly. “Look at how small his little hands are!”
“You’re just so tiny, aren’t you, little buddy?” Matt talks to Brian, wiggling his hand.
Brian giggles, his arms wiggling amusedly at Matt’s gesture. He looks over at the front door though, waits expectantly for Chloe and Joe to come back in. A few seconds pass where Matt and Sylvie watch as Brian stares at the door. It’s almost as if everything that happens next happens in slow motion. They watch as his face turns back to Sylvie, his twinkling eyes turning sad as his face sours. The wail comes next, matched with flailing arms as Sylvie feels his body shaking in her arms.
He’s not hungry, Joe said he and Chloe just fed him. And he can’t be tired since they haven’t done anything with him yet. So really, he just misses his parents. It’s not all that abnormal for a kid his age but it still hurts Sylvie’s heart, watching this little guy wail in her arms.
“Oh no,” she blurts out, slightly panicked. “Shh, it’s okay! We’re right here. I know you miss your mommy and daddy but they’ll be back soon, I promise.”
He continues to wail, sticking his hand out and wiggling to try and get to the front door. “Who am I kidding, you don’t understand what that means,” she mumbles under her breath, beginning to bounce him.
His wailing isn’t as shrill after the bouncing starts but he’s still crying at a volume comparable to 61’s sirens. She tries her best to calm him down but it seems unsuccessful. Dammit. Sylvie and Matt aren’t five minutes into this night and Brian’s already crying.
The reminder that Matt’s there is enough to snap her out of it. Only she turns to where he was not five seconds ago and he’s gone. “Matt?”
“I’m in here, just a second,” he calls from the family room. Sylvie moves down the hallway away from the entrance to find him. When she does, he’s hovering over a small, wooden chest and rifling through it. Brian’s still crying as she pats his back and offers soothing hushes.
“I think we just broke Cruz and Chloe’s baby,” Sylvie tries teasing, her face still making a worried wince. “Shh, it’s okay Brian. You’re okay, it’s okay.” Matt grabs something out of the chest, moving to close the space between him, Sylvie and Brian. “Here,” he tells her, revealing the little, plush blue and green robot in his hand. “I figured a toy might distract him.”
“Right, good idea,” she nods, turning to meet baby Brian’s eye again as he grabs a fistful of her hair. “Uncle Matt has some of your toys, you want to play with them?”
Sylvie turns him so he can see Matt, who extends the soft plush robot and wiggles it playfully.
“I bet you like that one, huh? He even matches your pyjamas,” Matt points out.
Brian instantly becomes mesmerized with the toy, his eyes sparkling as they follow it’s trail as it moves in the air. His cheeks are still glossy with tears but he sticks out a hand to clumsily grab at the toy. The shift from upset beyond consolation to pure fascination with something so simple as a toy robot is enough to astound Sylvie-- and, admittedly, send relief washing through her body.
As soon as her shoulders relax, she feels Brian relax in her arms too. He even smiles as she wipes his cheeks clean of the tears, pointing towards the toy and cooing incoherently. Matt keeps wiggling the toy and bobbing his head along with the toy, eventually handing it to Brian and letting him play with it on his own. He squishes the robot’s rectangular head, then mimics Matt’s movements with it and moves it around in the air. Sylvie watches in happy surprise. She’s about to move her head to send a bewildered yet appreciative look at Matt but when her eyes look up, he’s already looking at her. There’s a slight twinkle in his eye, similar to the one Brian had when he saw the robot. It’s nothing but pure wonder, and her heart skips a beat.
Up until now, she’d been trying to keep herself from getting ahead of herself. Apart from the logical reasons of it being really early and soon on in their relationship, Sylvie also just doesn’t want to freak him out with baby fever. But he’s staring at her as she coddles Brian, a smile dancing over his face, and it seems pointless.
Maybe she’s not the only one picturing them doing this with a kid of their own.
Maybe, he’s just as much of a daydreamer as she is.
********
Matt’s not trying to give himself away too much. He swears he isn’t.
But damn. If Sylvie with this little Cruz baby isn’t the most adorable thing he’s ever seen, he doesn’t know what is. It’s been an hour since they arrived at the Cruz residence. An hour since they’d walked in and immediately had to deal with a screaming, crying baby Brian. Thankfully, they mellow out pretty quickly after that. Matt and Sylvie pull out as many toys as they can and try to distract him. His tears dissipate as they play around, keeping the young child preoccupied.
Sylvie, as promised, even starts dancing and singing Wiggles songs. Matt started out singing and dancing with her but Brian had tried crawling away while they were both up so he’s now sitting next to Brian, who’s on his stomach on his mat in the family room propping himself up to watch the show as Sylvie keeps dancing and singing.
“The Big Red Car rolls along the street
And to all the people that we meet, we like to say hello
Say hello! To the people that we meet!”
Sylvie sings, spins around, and does comically dramatic gestures as Matt claps along with Brian, making a few sound effects himself to help out with the number. The songs are too catchy not to sing along, so he does. That just seems to make the baby giggle even more, and he tries crawling over closer towards Sylvie.
She finishes the song and does small but amusing jazz hands, practically out of breath. “That was exhausting,” she exhales heavily. “How’s that for entertainment, little guy?”
He coos and waves his arms around in the air, trying to cheer for her. Matt chuckles and claps along himself, keeping an expectant eye on Brian.
The baby keeps wagging his arms though, and when they realize he’s asking for an encore Sylvie leans over with her hands on her knees in exhaustion. “You want more of this?” She addresses Brian, not expecting a response. “We’ve been at this for nearly an hour, I’m getting more of a workout from this than from Foster’s infamous spin classes. How is he not more exhausted?”
“Different sleep schedule, I guess,” Matt shrugs. “Don’t worry, you can tap out and I’ll take over.”
“More romantic words have never been spoken,” she replies teasingly with a relieved groan. She wipes at her brow and moves to find space on the mat but instead of the encore, Brian turns to her.
“Oh,” Matt says. “Looks like he doesn’t want more singing and dancing after all.”
The young boy starts reaching for Sylvie’s hair, grasping at the blonde strands that fall just above her shoulders. He manages to find a fistful but Sylvie pulls him in closer so he can grab her hair without yanking it. “I think he likes you,” Matt points out with a grin. “Good, my plan is working,” she teases, resting her head ever so lightly on Brian’s head. “I’m hoping to work my way up to his favourite aunt by the time he’s two. I’m going to be your favourite, aren’t I, little man?”
Brian coos in her lap, smiling wide at Sylvie. But he looks over at Matt and reaches out from Sylvie’s hold to grab at Matt’s hand too. Matt’s heart melts.
“He seems to like you too,” Sylvie adds.
“Yeah, I’ve never met a baby with so much trust in people,” Matt replies. “And so many robot toys too. What’s up with that?” He gestures at the spread of robot toys they arranged in a row on Brian’s mat.
“I think Joe was hoping he’d get him interested in tech stuff like Otis was,” Sylvie explains, a wistful sigh falling over her. Matt gets serious too-- not a day goes by where he doesn’t think of their dear, fallen friend. Thinking of where Brian Cruz gets his name from is always a sharp reminder of Otis, and this new piece of information doesn’t make it any better.
Matt throws Sylvie a sympathetic look, which is returned. There’s nothing much to say to that, nothing but to let there be a gentle and solemn moment of silence as Brian wiggles in Sylvie’s criss-crossed legs on the floor.
The silence is broken when he crawls out of Sylvie’s lap, slowly finding his way to Matt. Somehow, some way, he can sense Matt’s heavy heart and reaches to grab his hand. Brian doesn’t try to lift it, just puts one hand around Matt’s thumb and one around his pinky. He looks up at Matt, his eyes twinkling energetically.
“I bet your mom and dad tell you all sorts of stories about Uncle Otis, don’t they?” Matt asks as he lifts Brian into the air. He giggles, waving his arms and toes in his little onesie. Matt knows the kid can’t talk yet but he takes that as a yes. When Matt brings him back down from the air, he presses a kiss to the kid’s forehead and pulls back with the small smack of his lips. It makes Brian laugh even more.
Man. He really is a cute kid. Maybe Severide was right, maybe Matt’s already feeling that little pipe dream of his coming back. Because he’s sitting there with this tiny little kid in his arms, having the time of his life as Sylvie watches them amusedly, and it feels like he’s getting a glimpse at their future. The idea of a family, one with someone he loves as much as Sylvie, feels so right. It’s enough to send a warm and electric feeling throughout his body.
“This is fun,” Matt admits to her, meeting her eye with a hesitant but hopeful gaze.
Sylvie pulls her lip in between her teeth, fighting a smile. “Yeah, it is,” she nods. “It’s nice, I’m glad you offered to tag along. It’s like a little test run.”
“Test run?” Her eyes widen slightly and her cheeks heat up ever so slightly, to the point where Matt thinks he imagined it for a second. “I-- I mean, for babysitting,” she backtracks, shaking her head. “You know, if Joe and Chloe decide somewhere down the line that they need more nights out.”
Matt’s heart skips a beat.
Sylvie’s a terrible liar. She knows it, he knows it, all of 51 knows it. He can tell when she’s fibbing. She gets all flustered, fumbles her words just like she is now. Only now, he can see right through it and it excites him beyond comparison. He can see it in her eyes: she’s been thinking about kids just as much as he has.
“Right,” Matt chuckles lightly, going along with it. “For babysitting.”
She knows he can see right through him and sucks in a sharp breath. She looks more hesitant than he does now. “I don’t know, a kid or two might be nice somewhere down the line,” she admits nervously. “Right?”
“It would,” he replies softly with a smile. “I’d be lying if I said I haven’t thought about it once or twice tonight.”
“Really?” When Matt nods, she smiles and her shoulders relax.
“Well Severide said I should probably keep that to myself but I don’t care.”
“I don’t want you to keep it to yourself,” she tells him firmly but kindly. “You, Matt Casey, are always allowed to share what you see in our future with me. Okay?”
“Okay,” he nods happily. “I guess this test run isn’t so bad then, is it? If we’re on the same page about things.”
“No, it isn’t.” Her eyes light up and it’s all the confirmation Matt needs that he’s not alone in his baby fever. Their eyes stay fixed on each other, a soft and exciting tension washing over them.
The moment, however, is interrupted by Brian. He’s still in Matt’s arms but Matt suddenly hears what is probably the quietest, cutest yawn he’s ever heard come from Brian’s mouth.
“It’s getting late,” Sylvie realizes.
“Yeah, his bedtime was…” Matt checks the clock and his eyebrows immediately shoot up. “Twenty minutes ago?”
Sylvie looks at the baby in Matt’s arms, surprised. “You really had a lot of energy tonight, didn’t you? You were dancing past your bedtime, little buddy!” “Well I don’t blame him, your performance was very entertaining,” Matt muses. “Maybe a little too good,” she realizes with a giggle. “Come on, let's put him in the crib.”
“Aw come on,” Matt pleads. “Just a few more minutes? I don’t think he wants to move.”
“You are a bad influence, Matt Casey.” Sylvie shakes her head amusedly. She soaks in the sight though and can’t resist. Brian is draped over Matt's chest, his head now resting on his shoulder as his eyes flutter tiredly. Matt’s hand covers the little boy’s entire back, rubbing circles on it gently as he stabilizes the boy. Sylvie bites her lip for the second time that night and Matt knows she’s going to concede. “He does seem to be comfortable there though,” she counters reluctantly.
“Very comfortable,” he corrects her. What can he say? He just wants to sit in this little fantasy of his for a little longer. He so rarely lets himself hope like this that it feels almost necessary to extend this for as long as possible. Besides, Brian Cruz is adorable, it’d be crazy if he didn’t think of a kid of his own-- at least a little-- while he’s here. “I, however, am not.”
“Well here, come up to the couch. That’ll be more comfortable for the both of you,” she tells him, her voice now hushed and soothing so as to calm Brian down and not interrupt his process of slowly falling asleep.
Matt carefully gets up and shifts onto the couch, Brian still in his arms. He leans back and lets Brian sprawl out against his chest. The boy is light, no more than 15 pounds, but it’s still enough to put a light pressure on Matt’s chest.
He doesn’t mind. In fact, it’s the opposite. He loves it.
Sylvie stands up too, clearing the toys off the floor as Matt watches Brian’s breathing, the rise and fall of the small boy’s chest against his. It’s weirdly soothing and he soon feels his breathing match Brian’s, his eyes fighting to stay open. The singing and dancing and playing around really took the energy out of both of them.
When she’s done, she looks down at the two fatigued boys, smiling gently at the sight before curling up next to Matt on the couch. She holds Brian’s hand with her index and her thumb, and runs a soft hand over his head, before Matt’s arm wraps around her shoulder and she tucks her head in the nape of his neck.
“That’s better,” Matt beams, a tired smile on his face. He moves to press a kiss to Sylvie’s forehead.
“Much better,” she agrees quietly. “But we shouldn’t stay like this forever. He’ll need to go to his crib soon.”
“We’ll put him there soon,” he tells her. “Just five more minutes, babe…”
********
Wake up.
She feels those words ring through her body like an alarm. It sends the lights in her brain slowly turning back on as she eases into consciousness.
The first thing she sees, just barely and surrounded by a tired blur in her vision, is Matt. Brian’s still on his chest, both of them sleeping soundly. She smiles to herself, noting how peaceful her boyfriend looks in this position. Everything feels so warm. She’s cuddled up next to him, he’s lying with the baby. It all seems so picture perfect. She revels in it, if only for a moment.
She looks up and realizes it’s been twenty minutes since they’d fallen asleep— and Matt had promised only five. For a minute, she considers waking him up and telling him to bring Brian to his crib. She decides against it though, choosing instead to cuddle back into him and relax.
Joe and Chloe are going to be back any minute now. But she’ll be damned if she doesn’t soak every minute of this moment in. Before they’d figured things out and gotten together, Sylvie had scarcely allowed herself to feel things for him, nevermind daydream about the life they could have. But she looks at them, sees how truly good and comfortable Matt is with Brian, and can’t stop now. It’s addicting, dreaming about her future with Matt Casey. She intends to chase that feeling like it’s her only fix, especially since now she knows he’s thought about it too. Her dreams are his; theirs.
To Sylvie, that makes for a pretty good test run.
She falls back into Matt’s embrace, the three of them dozing off. They don’t wake up again until Joe and Chloe come back.
It’s the first night Brian Cruz gets a full night’s worth of sleep.
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lokifantasies · 2 years
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The Trial PART 1
Summary: The long awaited trial against Evan Nichols has started, and the foundation of the case against him has been laid out.
WARNING: GRAPHIC TORTURE AND SEXUAL ABUSE EXPLAINED.
Character(s): Loki, Thor, Jade, & Evan
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The trial is here. It's the day that your family has been waiting for since this whole nightmare started. Unfortunately, Loki and Jade are both adamant that you remain on bed rest for the sake of the growing baby, and you ultimately end up losing the argument when you try to force them to let you come. Loki assures you that he'll be by her side for the both of you – supporting her the entire time.
In the back of your mind, you know the stress of hearing and seeing the evidence would be too much for you, and no one wants to see anything happen to your baby. Thankfully, Thor also appears to support his niece and brother – sitting on Jade's right as Loki sits on her left.
"I don't wanna see him," Jade mutters – looking down to the floor when Evan walks into the courtroom with his parents.
The teenager looks like he's injured – his leg has a slight limp, and his eye is swollen and dark. However, the seventeen-year-old has a smug smile on his face – his ego being stroked when he sees the television cameras on him. He takes his seat in between his lawyers, and they group together to discuss something quietly. Loki, Thor, and Jade try their hardest to hear what they're saying, but they're speaking far too quietly.
"I don't understand how he could have a defense," Thor says to you and Loki. "How can anyone deny that he did what he did?"
You shrug. "I don't know, Uncle Thor. I just want this to be over with."
The prosecution begins their opening statement by laying out all the facts of the case and making it clear what Evan Nichols is being tried for. His charges are as follows:
- 1st degree aggravated kidnapping
- 1st degree sexual assault (with forcible penetration)
- 1st degree sodomy
- Conspiracy to commit a kidnapping
- Conspiracy to commit a felony
- Felony stalking
- Harassment
- Attempted murder
- False imprisonment
- Assault with a deadly weapon
The first few witnesses to testify are the first responders who saved Jade from the small space she was being held in.
"Could you please state your name for the court and how you became involved in this case?" the prosecutor, Mr. Jeff Bards, began to question the officer.
"Brian David Wilson. I'm an NYPD SWAT officer who responded to the 911 call to 4892 E Graves Road," the witness explains.
"What happened upon arriving at the address?"
The officer took a deep breath before speaking. "We, the SWAT team, forced our way inside the house, and we started searching. I began to hear some muffled pleas for help, and when I followed them, I came across the fake wall in the home's basement. After removing the fake wall, I discovered that there was a small crawl-space type room."
"Can you confirm what the photo on the screen is?" Mr. Bards asks – a photo of the tiny, dark space where Jade had been held showing up on the screen.
"Yes, that is the crawl-space," he confirms
"And where was Ms. Lokisdottir located?"
"She was located in the back corner of the crawl space. She came out from hiding when she saw me, and I pulled her out of the space," officer Wilson stops to take a deep breath and gather his thoughts – trying to push his feeling aside. "Afterward, I carried her out of the house and to the ambulance that was waiting outside."
There's silence as the officer exits the witness stand – looking towards Jade and Loki as he goes to take his seat in the rows. The other officers testify – stating similar things to what the first one did. Then, everyone hears the fateful words.
"The prosecution calls Jade Pandora Lokisdottir to the stand, please."
Loki and Thor wrap their arms around the shaking sixteen-year-old – remind her that they're right there, and if she needs to, just look at them and they'll help her.
"You can do this, my love," Loki says softly. "Just pretend you're having a conversation."
"Okay," Jade nervously breathes out.
Thor hugs his niece close before she stands up. "You are so strong, Jade...just like your parents. You got this."
Jade exhales and nods – trying to walk up to the witness stand without falling. On the way, she refuses to look at the defense's side of the courtroom – disgusted as to how anyone could defend Evan.
Oh well, everyone has a right to a defense.
For a moment, Jade looks towards Evan. A smirk appears on her face when she sees his injuries – wondering who she needs to thank for the revenge. Before Jade turns her attention away, Evan takes the chance to blow a kiss towards her – excited to watch the goddess relive the nightmare he put her through.
"Could you please state your name for the court?" the prosecutor asks – looking directly at Jade.
"Um," Jade's voice is soft against the microphone. "Jade...Pandora Lokis-Lokisdottir."
"And can you tell the court how you came to know the defendant?"
Jade takes a deep breath and exhales – looking towards Loki and Thor for support. "Ye-yes. Um, we met at the mall when my parents took me shopping before the school year started. That weekend, we went out on a date, and then we started dating."
"Were you and the defendant ever sexual?
"Not...really," Jade answers. "Um, we only ever had oral sex, but that's it. I wa-wasn't comfortable with ever going any further than that."
"So, there was never any consensual sexual intercourse?"
"No."
"How long were you and the defendant dating?"
"Four months."
"During that time, did the defendant act inappropriately towards you in any sort of way?"
Jade exhales. "Yes. The last night we hung out together, he tried to force himself on me, but he ran away and drove off when I yelled for my dad."
"Ms. Lokisdottir, can you walks us through the day of September 3rd?"
Jade shakes her head and exhales nervously – looking towards Loki and Thor for their support. This is the first time she's ever spoken about what happened to her, and hopefully, it'll be the last.
"I was...at school, and Evan told me he wanted to speak with me privately, so I followed him out into the parking lot to smoke marijuana and talk in his car. When we got to his car, though, he locked the doors, and he took off from the parking lot." Jade swallows hard before continuing. "Um...I begged for him to stop and turn around – just let me go back to school, and I wouldn't tell anyone. But he didn't. He kept driving – pulling a knife from under his driver's seat and holding it to my throat. I tried to do as he said – hoping that he'd let me go, but he never calmed down. When we arrived at his house, no one was home. H-he led me into the basement and pulled a dresser away from the wall. It was a secret room behind the wall, and he made me...uh...he made me take all of my clothes off, so I was completely nude. He put a collar around my neck, and he connected it to a bolt in the floor so that I couldn't move much. He left for, I guess a couple hours, and he left me in the dark room. I remember how cold it was. It was freezing...especially since I didn't have any clothes. When he came back, he started to...do things."
"Could you explain what things were done to you by the defendant?"
Jade's eyes begin to tear up – her breathing becoming staggered as she thinks about how to word the horrific abuse she had been put through. The looks of support from Loki and Thor, however, give her a strength that she didn't know she had.
"There was...a metal bar," Jade begins quietly – biting her bottom lip to keep her thoughts going. "He had a long lighter with him, and he started to heat the bar up. He was laughing when he pressed the hot metal to my thigh – smiling at me while I screamed in pain as my skin started to burn. There's still a burn scar on my left thigh. When the bar finally cooled down, he threw it to the side. He grabbed me by the chain leash and forced me down to my knees. With his other hand, he...took his penis out of his pants and pried by mouth open. He grabbed the back of my head and used my mouth to get himself off. No matter how much I cried, and begged, and pleaded, he didn't stop. He found it entertaining. It turned him on." Jade looks out to see Loki and Thor becoming angrier by the second, but they're trying their best to remain calm for Jade's sake – knowing that they need to be her support. "After he was...finished, he uh, forced me to lie on the dirty floor. I tried to keep my legs closed, but he punched me in the face, which caused me to jump. Before I could try to close my legs again, Evan had them spread, and he began to...force his mouth...on me. I felt his teeth bite me, and I knew I was bleeding, but it seemed to turn him on even more. H-h-he reached over and grabbed the metal rod again, and h...I'm sorry...can I just...a moment?"
"Take your time," the prosecutor assures Jade – maintaining a professional composure.
Jade exhales deeply – closing her eyes and trying to gather her courage to continue.
"H-he began to use the metal rod to...assault me. He shoved it inside me – giving me cuts and bruises. I was bleeding, but he continued to thrust it in and out of me until he was satisfied. I thought he would finally be done, and I thought he'd take me home, but then I felt him begin to...insert himself...his...penis...into me. I tried to kick him off, but he held my legs as tight as he could to stop me from moving. It...I'm pretty sure he was trying to cause me pain. Finally, I stopped fighting – wanting him to just hurry up and let me go. I tried to stop crying because I didn't want him to be anymore satisfied with himself, but when I felt his fingers start to go into...the other side, I started fighting again. He pulled me up by the chain, and he forced me to look into his eyes. I remember he said that I was now his slut, and he was going to break me until I learned to love it. After a couple of minutes...he...ejaculated into me, which later resulted in a pregnancy. Evan was still wanting more though, so he turned me over and held my face to the floor as he entered my backside. Again, ignoring my cries and screams for him to stop. I lost track of how many times he did this...I think I may have blacked out or something, or maybe my brain made me forget in order to protect me from the memory, but the next thing I remember was being alone, redressed, and I heard the police officers calling out for me."
"Thank you, Ms. Lokisdottir," the prosecutor says with a proud smile.
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mymelodyheart · 3 years
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Miles Between Us Chapter 14 ~The Element of Surprise ~
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WARNING: VERY EXPLICIT SEXUAL CONTENT
Previously in The Reunion
They fitted perfectly, her softness cradling his boneless heap, making him hard as steel again. Some part of his brain must have still been functioning because he jerked and reached out for her bra to cover her when his doorbell rang. Christ!  Forcing his body to move with marginal success, he yanked her up and pulled up his jeans.
Claire slid off the table and grabbed her clothes. "Who could that be?"
"That better not be yer uncle or ..." Jamie trailed off, muttering curses under his breath, annoyed at the disturbance as he was just revving up for part two of their lovemaking. When he opened the door, a sense of deja vu hit him when he saw Mrs Fitz standing there with what seemed like a plate of a lemon meringue pie. What the fuck?
"Mrs Fitz!"
The older woman didn't bother to hide her curiosity this time as her eyes tried to peer past his shoulders. "Heard ye have company, lad, and I havenae seen Miss Claire the last couple of days."
  If you wish to read this on AO3, here is the link.
If you wish to read this from the beginning:
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  Six Days Later
Claire's heavy eyelids fluttered open, her brain still addled by sleep. It took her a while to gather her thoughts and remember how she'd made it to bed last night. She shifted slightly in bed, but there's a two-hundred-fifty pound of hard-muscled, naked male restricting her movement. Jamie's arm was draped across her waist, securing her against his chest, her legs confined under his heavier ones. She could feel his soft, steady breathing blowing warm air on top of her head, reminding her how well he'd been sleeping the last few nights. There had been no night terrors or unpleasant dreams interrupting his sleep, and she put it down to his workload during the day and their physical activities between the sheets at night.
Today was Friday, and the realisation caused a huge smile to spread across her face. Last night she'd worked late until past ten, and Jamie had found her fallen asleep in front of her laptop in her studio shed. He'd scooped her up in his arms and helped her get ready for bed, and just before sleep claimed her, he'd whispered he had a surprise for her today. 
She wondered what the surprise was and guess it would probably be a long lie-in for them and breakfast in bed. Looking back, the past few days had flown by in a blur, packed with work and catching up with her uncle Lamb during nights. Ever since her emotional reunion with Jamie, her work-related things had gone from a shamble of mess to running smoothly. It's as if the universe had decided to grant her reprieve as everyone went out their way to appease her. Even her boss John seemed to have given her space and was allowing her to work in peace. Somehow, deep down, she had a sneaking suspicion Jamie had something to do with it. 
It had all began at the start of the week when Jamie had been at work. Tom had stopped by the cottage to hand her a signed contract agreeing to his book's publication. By the time she'd told John the good news, he'd been in his element detailing his main point plan for getting the word out and announcing the book deal to Tom's adoring followers. She'd thought her boss would demand to get her and Tom on the next plane to London, but instead, John had told her he'd arranged a team to fly to Inverness for a formal meeting with their new author. As if that wasn't enough, two days later, Mary had produced enough drafts for Claire to work on and promised there would be more on the way. Her uncle, sensing work was piling, would occasionally stop by either to whip up something to eat or bring food while she'd been ensconced in her studio shed. Not that it was unusual for her uncle to perform domesticated pursuits; however, it's still surprising that he was going the extra mile to help around the house when he had the Highlands at disposal for his adventures being an outdoor person that he was.
It's becoming clear this week was proving to be a period of many turning points. She had no idea what the future had in store for her and Jamie, but she knew something had shifted in their relationship, and it was definitely for the better. Though she's still the same girl who's still trying to find her place in the world and fit in, she knew she'd changed, too. A few months ago, she would have probably backed down from any forms of conflicts, citing life as complicated enough without adding more complications. But she'd learned how to respond, choose fights that are worth fighting for and cast aside that wasn't deserving of her peace of mind. She'd also learned that once in a while, it's good for her sanity to give propriety and rules the middle finger when a situation called for it. 
It's hard to believe she's planning her life in the Highlands, the place where her parents had met and found love in each other. In her quest to get to know them more, she'd spent her holidays here to be closer to their memories and live that adventure they'd so craved. Now, she was involved with a man tormented with demons. If her parents were still alive today, she wondered how they would receive Jamie. Would they have been like Jenny or her uncle, suspicious and sceptical of their relationship? Or would they have been happy with her choice just like Willie, Brian, and Ellen have been with Jamie's?
Deep in her heart, she knew that her parents would have taken one look at them and understood that Jamie was special and meant to be her life adventure. From what Claire had surmised from uncle Lamb's stories, her parents have been that kind of people, magnanimous of spirit and always saw the best in others. Jamie was like that too. He'd taken a gamble with her despite their differences and the geographical challenges ahead. Though it seemed she was helping him with his condition, unbeknownst to Jamie, he too was helping her heal the part of her that became an orphan. In some invisible way, he was repairing something in the fabric of her world that had been torn down the middle when her parents passed away. She absorbed that thought and was reminded of what Uncle Lamb once told her, that her father always had a peculiar sense of humour. With that in mind, she'd like to think that just maybe her father had sent Jamie her way on purpose. His way of telling her to let go of the past, not over-think, embrace the Highlands as much as he had and just love.
Lying next to Jamie in bed, she felt totally at peace. They might have had a crisis of faith, but she was confident they'll find their way through whatever path was laid before them. Their love wasn't and probably never going to be easy, given their journey had been emotional, tangled with roadblocks, denials and self-preservation. Still, she wanted to find her way with him. She'd just discovered this strength she didn't realise she had, and Jamie continued to surprise her with his single-mindedness purpose to be cured. Someone once said there's no fulfilment without a bit of struggle. Just like in the stories she hoped to publish one day, the heroes had to break down first and bleed before earning their happy ending. Well, if that's the rule, she couldn't envision facing life's trials and tests with any other person to stand beside her other than Jamie.
Her smile was still in place when her thoughts were suspended by a rush of heat as Jamie's hand coasted over her hip to disappear between her thighs. A sudden thrill shot through her, making her breath catch in her lungs. He shifted the leg holding her thighs down and deftly opened her to his touch, stroking the sensitive flesh in between. She felt his shaft stir against her bottom as she scooted closer to him, eliciting a guttural sound to escape his lips.
"I can practically hear the cogs turning in yer head, Sassenach," he muttered thickly, his breathing turning shallow at the back of her neck. He nipped her earlobe between his teeth and tugged. "What's going on in that mind of yers?"
"Oh, this and that and how you've been sleeping soundly ...these last few nights." She gasped out loud when he rubbed her nub with a calloused thumb. She tilted her head back to look at his face, and her lips were met by a long-drawn, possessive kiss. By the time their mouths parted, she was panting for air and squirming against him mindlessly. 
"Christ, ye're ready for me. Why did ye no' wake me up?" He thrust his finger deep inside her, fondling the spot he knew drove her wild and frantic. "Next time ye want me, wake me up."
"I-I couldn't. You were sleeping so peacefully." 
He paused his ministrations. "That's no' the answer I was hoping to hear."
Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ! "Y-yes, next time, I'll wake you up!"
"That's my lass." He sank another finger into her entrance. But as she tried to clench around him, his fingers slid out, using her wetness to coat her nub and gently rub her aching flesh. She wanted to scream at him for teasing her, but he only softly chuckled against her neck. At that moment, she needed to come more than she needed air. She hoarsely whispered his name in a plea for release. "Ach, no' yet, Sassenach ... ye listen better when I'm touching ye." She yelped when he suddenly yanked the covers away and flipped her on her stomach, the crisp morning air caressing her heated skin. "Let me see first that beautiful arse of yers." He shoved a pillow beneath her hips, putting her in a highly arousing position, her face mushed against the mattress and her bottom in the air. "Such a beautiful bum."
"Jamie ..." 
He kneaded the curves of her buttocks as he let out a frustrated male groan. "Let us talk first. This is the only time I'm pretty sure ye're no' gonnae argue with me with what I'm about to say. Ye listening?"
"Yes, yes ...get on with it, damn it!"
He laughed out loud just before his lips travelled along the path of her spine, kissing and nibbling her flesh. One hand slid around her belly and down the apex of her thighs, slipping blunt fingers into her folds as his mouth moved to her neck. He lingered there, biting hard and then soothing the sting with a lick of his tongue. Anticipation pulsated within her body, and goosebumps erupted on her skin as the weight of his erection slid against her upturned bottom, and Jamie positioned himself behind her. When he hefted her higher with his forearm, she let out a squeak. "Ye'll no' be working this weekend."
"Jamie," she whimpered. "B-but I can't."
"Oh yes, ye can." Skilled fingers stroke her sensitive nub, and with one thrust of his hips, he completely filled her, taking her by surprise. She nearly screamed, pressing her mouth against the mattress, suddenly mindful of nosey neighbours. She remembered what Jamie had told her about Mrs Fitz and muffled her moans on the covers of the bed.
"Oh, God, this is not fair," she breathed on an uneven exhale.
"I told ye last night, I have a wee surprise for ye. Ye've worked long enough this week. Ye're taking a wee break this weekend." When she didn't respond, he stilled his hips and took out his fingers from inside her. "You need a break, Sassenach. Now, for the love of God, just say yes, Jamie."
When Jamie drew out his hardness and plunged deeply back into her, heart-stopping sensations coursed through her whole body. Something about how he positioned her, the fluid, smooth drives of his movement made her mad with need. She wanted to urge him to go faster, but she clamped her mouth shut. He was deliberately torturing her and forcing her to agree with him. So she decided she was going to get her own back. Contracting her inner walls, she clenched around him. From experience, she knew the more he had to work to push into her, the wilder he would become. Just when she thought she finally got the upper hand, he paused and dropped his weight, stopping just short of squashing her. "No, no, no! Please don't stop!" she wailed.
"Oh, aye." He pushed his lower body tight to her bottom, his erection throbbing inside her. When she tried to wriggle her bum to urge him to start moving again, he firmly gripped her hips in place. "Ah, I ken what ye're up to," he whispered hotly in her ears. "I'm no' taking no for an answer. Ye owe this break to yourself."
"You don't play fair."
"Neither do ye."
Thinking she could compromise later after spending the whole morning with him, she finally conceded. "Fine. Just keep moving, for God's sake!" she hissed.
He let out a pained laugh and pressed his lips on the crook of her neck. "Good lass, ye ken it makes sense." Then cursing under his breath, he moved all the way out in one smooth slide before deliciously gliding deep back. "Christ, I can feel ye want to come, but ye're going to stay with me a little longer. Ye fell asleep on me last night, leaving me with a painful cockstand." 
"Jesus, Jamie."
"Aye," he rasped hoarsely into her hair. "I said the same thing when ye wriggled that pert arse against me and fell asleep immediately."
The way his thickness was invading her from an angle almost sent her hurtling over the edge. And it gave her a new appreciation for math. The thought almost made her laughed out loud if it wasn't for the pulsing pleasure between her legs.
"Christ ...look at ye," Jamie gritted, his voice sounding raw and almost severe. "So bloody perfect." 
He nudged her legs wider and changed his movements to short, strong strokes, increasing his pace with primitive energy that left her gasping for breath. With the sound of their slapping bodies, the earthy scent of arousal, the sweaty slide of skin, her belly began to tighten and coil.
"I just want to make ye happy, Sassenach," he groaned, bearing down his upper body more, his hips relentlessly pounding into hers. "So just say yes to my wee surprise, aye?" 
"Yes, yes, yes." Their voices sounded so far away, and her initial hesitation about taking a break from work almost forgotten. Not entirely, though. She tried to grasp that mental note about emails to be sent, but the hand gripping her hips moved, and fingers slid to rub her nub, stroking and pushing her further towards her peak. She gave in and widened her thighs to let him fill her more. But it left her no time to prepare for the release that shattered her apart, her love for him and the physical pleasure fusing to intensify the sensations blasting through her. It threatened to overwhelm her, but Jamie's presence anchored her as he followed her over, groaning her name, gripping her hips with a fierceness as he claimed her for his. 
Moments later, he pulled her boneless body in his arms and tucked her into his chest, tugging the covers over them and curving his front to her back. He held her tightly as the morning light streamed through the windows. 
Battling to keep her eyes open, thoughts of work slithered in, but it kept flittering away with her consciousness before she could dwell on it. Maybe just for a minute, she thought. But Jamie smelled so good, and his tender strokes enticed a hazy sleep to claim her muscles, dragging her down into the dark. Just one minute. 
As she eased into sleep, his whisper drifted toward her unconscious. "It's still early, Sassenach. Sleep a wee bit more. Your wee surprise will come soon enough."
..........
Claire woke for the second time that morning with an unladylike shriek when the mattress dipped and moved. Muddled, she jackknifed into a sitting position, eyes scanning wildly around the curtain-dimmed room for a trespasser. Claire knew someone was there, her gut instinct telling her it wasn't Jamie. Summoning her eyes to refocus, she collapsed with relief when she realised who it was sat at the foot of the bed.
"Surprise!" Annalise squealed, clapping her hands.
"Jesus H. Roosevelt Christ!" She swiped her bedraggled hair out of her face. "You scared me bloody witless."
"Bloody hell, you're jumpy." Annalise shifted a hip on the bed. "Jamie's bad dreams rubbing off on you now, are they?"
"That's not something to joke about," she glowered at her friend, pulling the covers up to her chin.
Annalise' smile waned a bit. "Hey, what's up? I'm not making fun of Jamie's nightmares, and you know that." Her shoulders slumped. "In case you don't know, bad dreams can happen to anyone. In fact, I had a bad dream a few days ago. I was being chased by a pirate."
Suddenly feeling bad for snapping at her friend, she mentally dispersed the sleep fog in her brain and gave Annalise an apologetic smile. So this was her surprise, she thought. Not that Claire wasn't happy to see her friend, but she'd expected Jamie's surprise to be a romantic weekend with him. She let out a sigh. "Chased by a pirate, huh? Let me guess ...sunken chest and no booty?"
Annalise perked up at Claire's feeble attempt to sound less grumpy. "Har de har har! I didn't realise you could be funny before coffee. A total package for a marauding pirate if I may say so."
"Tell that to Captain Beard," she mumbled, getting out of bed. 
"Aye, matey!" Annalise mischievously winked. "That's if he happens to be in Isle of Harris this weekend. Which is where, by the way, we're going, as in, now! So get packing!"
Claire stilled and shook her head. "Wot?" She began to shake her head, tugging the covers around her as she made her way to the dresser. "Oh no, no, no! I'm not leaving this place for any man or woman, including you, blondie! I've got a pile of work to do. You know I have deadlines."
"Oh no, you don't. You stop right there, missy! Have you forgotten you agreed with Jamie to take a weekend break?" 
Claire's eyes widened. "Oh, did he also tell you how he got me to agree?"
"No. But you can tell me later on the plane."
"Plane?" Claire dropped her face in her hands. "Oh, God, I can't believe I agreed to this. Jamie never told me anything."
Annalise stood up from where she was sitting and crossed her arms across her chest. "Hmmm, you don't look too happy to be spending time with me."
She puffed out a breath. "It's not that ..."
"We haven't had girly time in ages, Claire. Jamie thought it would do you a world of good to have a bit of fun."
"So now what? You and Jamie plotting and ganging up on me behind my back, is that it?" Claire accused. "What about Willie? Surely, you miss him more than me. When was the last time you saw him?"
Annalise grinned. "Don't worry about Willie. We have been doing a lot of catching up all night last night, and you want to know what he did?"
Claire's face crumpled in disgust as she held up a hand. "Oh, gross! Too much information. I don't want to hear about your sex life."
Annalise laughed out loud. "Fine, I won't discuss our sex life if you start packing now. Besides, you wouldn't want to waste the tickets Jamie worked so hard for, now, do you?"
Oh dear Lord, save me from well-meaning friends! She didn't really want to leave, but if Jamie had spent money organising this trip, she wasn't about to let it go to waste. But ... "How about uncle Lamb? He came to see me, and I can't just leave him."
"He knows all about the trip, and I've been told he's got a few excursions planned around the Highlands." 
"Oh, well ...if that's the case, I need to call Mary and John and let them know what I'm up to this weekend."
Annalise grinned. "Jamie's sorted it already."
"Wot?" she exclaimed with disbelief, her hands landing onto her hips. "Jamie's been planning this with you all along, hasn't he?" She shook her head. "I-I can't believe it!"
"You better believe it."
Claire blew out a breath of exasperation. "Fine! Grab my suitcase. It's in the airing cupboard."
"Yay!" Annalise whirled on her feet and pumped her fist in the air. Claire couldn't help but smile as enthusiasm began to wiggle its way through her system. Maybe Jamie was right. She owed it to herself to have a break, and probably a change of scenery was what she needed. After Mary had delivered the goods, Claire had worked herself to the bone all week and sometimes into the wee hours of the morning. She was already in her second round of edits on the extensive manuscripts Mary had submitted and must admit they were indeed making progress. As for Tom, her job with him was done, and the team organised by John should be arriving next week. It was definitely time for a bit of fun. 
On second thoughts, though it was generous of Jamie to arrange the trip, it would have been nice if he could come along too. But the idea of Jamie's condition worsening with something as simple as weekend trips away brought a feeling of melancholy to descend upon her. She had no doubt Jamie would be cured, and they'd be able to travel together one day, so she forced herself to shake off the momentary bout of wistfulness when Annalise came bounding back with her small suitcase.
"So ...you talked to Jamie. Where is he, by the way?" she asked, grabbing clothes from the dresser and throwing them in the bed. "He left early this morning."
"Oh! Jamie said he needed to be somewhere important, and he'll see you when we return. Willie will be driving us to the airport." When Claire frowned, Annalise came up behind her and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, we'll only be away for two days, and you'll see him again Sunday night."
It was apparent to Claire she'd been at a disadvantage waking up to the news of the weekend trip because if Jamie had suggested it a few days ago, she would have definitely put her foot down and refused. Unfortunately, Annalise and Jamie knew her too well; hence they'd planned this trip in secrecy.
Claire absorbed that for a few heartbeats and felt a tad of guilt. It had been a while she'd spent time with Annalise, and once her job was done in London, she'd be living with Jamie. Plus, who knew when she'd have another chance to hang out with her best friend ...just the two of them and in the Isle of Harris at that. Besides, they always had a great time together. There was no sense in spoiling their spontaneous weekend with her stubbornness. She might as well make the most of it.
Claire turned to face her friend and smiled. "Do I have time to shower?"
"Plenty of time," Annalise beamed. "While you get ready, I'll make some coffee. I know what you're like without your cuppa first thing." And with that, she danced out of the room, whistling, leaving Claire to shake her head in amusement.
Later that morning, as they drove past the motorway exit for the airport, Claire shifted restlessly in the backseat of Willie's car, watching the familiar structure pass by in a blur outside her window. She frowned. Willie must have forgotten to take the turn. Uh oh! But before she could say anything, Willie veered to a different dual-carriageway. She tried to relax back into her seat, thinking there was probably a different route to the airport she didn't know of.
Eventually, they pulled to a stop in front of a building that didn't resemble a terminal, but there was an airfield and a charter plane coming out of the hangar. When Willie stepped out of the car, a man with worn jeans, a black leather jacket and a pair of aviators waved. He looked kind of familiar, but Claire was unsure.
"Who is that?" Claire asked quietly.
Annalise followed her line of vision. "Oh, I thought you knew that guy." She frowned when Claire shook her head and squinted to get a better look. "I was told the guy flying our plane was the soon to be famous Highlands' ultimate guide to Scotland." As if on cue, the man removed his aviators and started walking towards their car, a smile plastered to his unshaven face. When he waved at them, Annalise giggled, and Claire's eyes widened in confusion. "You probably can't recognise him from afar ...it's your author, Tom Christie," Annalise announced with a satisfied smile and to her utmost shock. "He's flying us to Stornoway."
What the bloody hell? Jamie arranged this?
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 Dear Readers,
Thank you all for your readership and the feedback from the previous chapter. I'm super thrilled a lot of you enjoyed it after what I put you all through with Jamie and Claire's roller-coaster journey. I hope it was worth it all in the end.
Speaking of the end, the next chapter will be the last for this arc, and after taking a break, I will start arc three of the WONDERWALL series. I'll keep you updated here. Meanwhile, feel free to speculate what the next chapter will be. Until my next update, wishing you all good health and vibes. X
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