#the fun thing is these two images work in either order. i kept flipping them

[mjulmjul]

[wintervvidow]

apricity pt. two

apricity - the warmth of the sun in winter

warnings: angst, blood, violence,

pairing: bucky barnes x female oc

word count: 2,956

A/N: part two is here! I did unintentionally rush through this chapter because I am so excited to start the civil war segment of this story. feedback is welcomed, let me know how you are liking it! thank you for reading!

MASTERLIST

Bucky’s cheek stung after the third slap from Pierce, the flesh bright red and warm to the touch. He continued fighting his restraints as he had been for the past hour. He had just been wiped, HYDRA needed to start fresh. Sweat trickled from his hairline to his jugular as he yanked and squirmed in the chair.

Alexander lost his patience an hour ago, Bucky hadn’t stopped talking about the girl on the bridge, “She doesn’t love you! If she did, she would have come back for you. We’re trying to correct the world, and we need you to do that. You want to be useful, don’t you?”

Bucky stared ahead emotionless, ignoring Pierce’s words. She loved him. Her eyes told him so, the look on her face from the bridge continued to haunt him even after being reprogrammed. He knew her. She was good. She was home.

A hand came down against Bucky's face again, harder than the last, “You are an asset. She is what we are fighting against. The world deserves freedom and that is what HYDRA is doing. You don’t do your part and I can’t do mine.”

Bucky softly murmured, voice raw from screaming, “But I knew her.”

Alexander clenched his fist as he stood from his chair placed in front of Bucky, “Wipe him again.”

Soon the air was filled with Bucky’s screams again, torturous and raw. Brock Rumlow looked on in silence, taking in the sight before him. This, he could work with.

~

The team consisting of Florence, Steve, Natasha, Sam, Maria, and Fury were littered throughout the vacant underground room, lights dim and the air heavy with stale humidity. Steve and Sam stood while the remaining few were seated at a long conference table. Fury had documents scattered in front of him, Maria with a laptop, typing away intently.

Fury held an image of Pierce from the ’80s in his hand, “This man declined the Nobel Peace Prize. He said peace wasn’t an achievement, it was a responsibility.” Fury threw the picture onto the table, “See, it’s stuff like this that gives me trust issues.”

Natasha speaks from her chair next to her fellow redheaded friend, a solemn expression on her face, “We have to stop the launch.” Alexander was planning on using Project Insight, which consisted of three helicarriers that patrolled the Earth to eliminate threats, deployed after the Battle of New York, only this time it was being planned to be used as a way for HYDRA to eliminate any threats to themselves. The operation was now turned against them.

Fury looked at Natasha with an eyebrow raised, “I don’t think the Council’s accepting my calls anymore.” He flipped open a briefcase, revealing three data chips.

Behind Florence, Sam spoke with arms crossed tightly over his chest, “What’s that?”

Maria flipped her laptop around, showing the team a diagram of data, “Once the helicarriers reach 3,000 feet, they’ll triangulate with Insight satellites, becoming fully weaponized.”

“We need to breach those carriers and replace their targeting blades with our own.” Fury gestured to the case in front of him.

Maria flipped her laptop back around, “One or two won’t cut it. We need to link all three carriers for this to work because if even one of those ships remains operational, a whole lot of people are gonna die.” The entire team grimaced.

All eyes were on Fury as he spoke, “We have to assume everyone on those carriers is HYDRA. We have to get past them, insert these server blades. And maybe, just maybe we can salvage what’s left.”

Florence and Steve shared a look, Florence knew Steve wouldn’t let that happen, “We’re not salvaging anything. We’re not just taking down the carriers, Nick. We’re taking down S.H.I.E.L.D.”

Fury snapped back at Steve, “S.H.I.E.L.D. had nothing to do with this.”

“You gave me this mission, this is how it ends. S.H.I.E.L.D.’s been compromised. You said so yourself. HYDRA grew right under your nose and nobody noticed.” Steve’s face was set, his entire body taking on the posture of command.

Fury gestured around the room with his hands before setting them back on the table, “Why do you think we’re meeting in this cave? I noticed.”

Steve’s face remained cold, “How many paid the price before you did?” Florence read between the lines, she knew what he was asking and it felt like a punch to the gut.

Fury bowed his head as Florence looked away, “Look, I didn’t know about Barnes.” No one did.

Steve scoffed, “Even if you had, would you have told me? Or would you have compartmentalized that too? Like Florence.”

“Hey, she did what she had to. You did not go through what she did.” Florence looked to Fury with kindness in her tired eyes, silently thanking him.

Steve interrupted the tender moment, continuing his speech, “S.H.I.E.L.D., HYDRA, it all goes.”

“He’s right. It all has to go.” All eyes darted to Maria, a silent understanding that Steve was right. This was the beginning of the end.

Fury looks around, eyes landing on Sam, “Don’t look at me.” Sam nods his head to Steve, “I do what he does, just slower.”

Steve stood at the head of the table, staring at Fury as he leaned back in his chair, “Looks like you’re giving the orders now, Captain.”

The team was given their tasks, parting their separate ways before the mission.

Florence found Steve outside, standing on the bridge lost in thought.

Florence sided up next to him, “Hey, I know you probably hate me right now, but-”

Steve cut her off, turning to face her, “I don’t hate you. I don’t. I’m just struggling to wrap my head around the fact that he’s been alive this entire time and you haven’t told one person. Not even me.”

“Steve, I tried. After I ran, I tried to go back for him but he wouldn’t let me; told me to run and to never come back for him. So I had to go into hiding. Seventeen years Steve. It’s not like I could walk into a government building and tell them without HYDRA catching wind. Hell, I could have been walking straight back into HYDRA. You have to understand that everything I’ve done has been to protect him. Everything.” By the end of the redheads’ speech, she was choking back tears, hands trembling at her sides. She bit her lip to quell the emotions running through her.

Steve placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, “I know, I know. I’m sorry.”

Silence fell over the two friends as both reminisced on the past, staring off into space.

Flashback:

Florence climbed the stairs behind Bucky and Steve to Steve’s family home. The mood was somber, Florence’s black funeral dress grazing her ankles as she stepped up the last step, standing next to Bucky.

“We looked for you after. My folks wanted to give you a ride to the cemetery.” Bucky’s tone was soft as he spoke to the heartbroken Steve.

“I know. Kinda wanted to be alone.” Steve stared at the ground as he spoke, never making eye contact with either Florence or Bucky.

Florence cocked her head to one side, gaze softly inquisitive as she looked at the small-statured man in front of her, “How was it?”

“It was okay. She’s next to dad.” The blonde’s tone was monotonous and quiet, understandably so.

Bucky shrugged his shoulders, “I was gonna ask-”

Steve cut him off as he reached his front door, hands fumbling in his pocket for the key, “I know what you’re gonna say, Buck, I just-”

“You can put the couch cushions on the floor, like when we were kids. It’ll be fun, all you gotta do is shine my shoes, maybe take out the trash.” Bucky reached down to move a brick, grabbing the key to the door and handing it to Steve, “Come on.”

Steve took the key, finally looking him in the eye, “Thank you, Buck. But I can get by on my own.”

Florence looked to Bucky, silently telling him to comfort their friend. Bucky nodded, speaking again, “The thing is, you don’t have to.” Bucky’s large hand clapped Steve on the shoulder, “Cuz me and Florence? We’re with you till the end of the line, pal.”

The moment was broken up by Sam, approaching the two old friends, “He’s gonna be there you know.”

“We know.” Both Steve and Florence were painfully aware of that fact.

“Look, whoever he used to be and the guy he is now, I don’t think he’s the kind you save. He’s the kind you stop.”

Steve looked to Sam, “I don’t know if I can do that.” Florence knew she couldn’t. Everything she has ever done, Bucky has always crossed her mind- how to help him, save him, protect him; always concerned about his well-being. And now she was forced to go against him.

“Well, he might not give you a choice. He doesn’t know either of you.” Sam twisted the knife with his last sentence, Florence and Steve grimacing at one another.

Steve spoke, looking at Florence for a last time then at Sam, “He will.” The blonde looked over the bridge, “Gear up. It’s time.”

The team changed into their gear and split up to where they were appointed: Natasha infiltrating a meeting with Alexander as a congresswoman with Fury as backup and releasing all HYDRA files, Maria preparing to order the attack to bring down the helicarriers, and Steve, Sam, and Florence to board the helicarrier to replace the targeting blades.

Sam called out to Steve as he walked away, "Wearing that?"

“No. If you’re gonna fight a war, you have to wear a uniform.”

~

Florence ran through the ship deck as fast as she could, doing her best to not get shot. Her earpiece kept her up to date, Natasha had just started releasing all of the files; her and Natasha’s secrets were now public along with the rest of HYDRA’s. Steve had already made it to the helicarrier, the redhead had gotten caught up with a HYDRA agent on the ground.

Florence was late to the party, Steve, and Bucky already furiously exchanging punches. She got to the top of the carrier as fast as she could with the help of Sam, her feet moving without thought. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Sam deploy his parachute after being kicked off by Bucky, now he was grounded.

Steve and Florence were on opposite ends of the carrier, Florence quickly making her way toward the two men.

Bucky threw Steve off of the top-level, Steve landing below with a thud, shield long gone in the Potomac beneath them.

Florence stared ahead, Bucky finally noticing her arrival. Both looked at the other in silence, gauging the situation at hand. His eyes were void of all emotion, this was not Bucky. The Soldier had a mission to kill her and Steve. Florence had a mission to keep Bucky alive, no matter the cost. If he was alive that meant there was hope to save him. You can’t save a dead man.

The silence was erupted by Florence, her mouth moving before her brain could stop, "Bucky, don't do this. You don't have to do this."

Tears welled up in her eyes unwillingly, the dam threatening to burst. Even if she knew deep down that he had been alive this entire time, a sliver of her always thought he was dead. Maybe her subconscious came up with that thought to protect herself, to make herself feel better about not being able to get him out. And she did try to get him out; she tried like hell. The first five years of her seventeen-year stint of being on the run was the worst. She was constantly moving locations, barely sleeping. And when she did sleep, she dreamt of Bucky- he was always screaming at her to go, save herself, and leave him behind. That was a detail that she would never tell Steve; if they even made it out alive of this situation. Steve wouldn’t understand, he was too stuck in his ways, he would have tried to get him out anyway. He would disregard any command in order to save Bucky even if the demand came straight from Bucky’s mouth. He would never truly understand why Florence did what she did. Maybe it was better that way.

He furrows his brow, lines etching themselves between his steel-blue eyes, "You're my mission."

A single breath is taken before he swings at her, metal arm glinting in the light as she dodges his punch, sweeping under his outstretched arm. She wasn't going to fight back. She couldn't.

Bucky turns violently, eyes hard, set on her. He lunges again as her weapon clatters to the ground of the helicarrier. Now Florence was defenseless. Although it's not like she was fighting back anyway. She'd let him kill her. If that kept him alive, she'd do it. It's not like he remembers her anyway, you can't mourn a person you don't remember.

She takes three steps back, her back colliding with the wall behind her as Bucky stalks forward. His breath fans across her face as he stands in front of her. She notices a stall in his motions, practically seeing his brain malfunction. His head was fighting with his heart.

A fist flies next to her head, Bucky purposely missing as he punches the wall again. His face twisted in pain, he was fighting himself. He couldn't do this. He knew her. His body knew her, pieces of memories played through his brain as he continued to punch the wall, a ring, her hand in his, dog tags being placed around her neck, all of it hurt. Florence was frozen in place as Bucky's fists continued flying next to her, "Go! You need to go!"

He remembered her.

Just as Steve ordered Maria to fire at the carrier, Bucky shoved Florence, causing her to tumble over the edge, joining Steve at the bottom of the carrier as it went up in flames. The carrier was under fire from all sides, jostling violently, causing Bucky to fall along with her. He landed away from Florence and Steve, being pinned under the debris.

Steve got to his feet, swaying as he stumbled over to Bucky who was struggling under the weight of the metal beam. Steve wedged the beam up, freeing Bucky. The girl remained on the ground, curling into a ball from the pain of the impact of the fall.

Florence rose to her feet as Steve told Bucky that he knew them. Bucky’s metal arm reeled back, punching Steve in the face as he screamed, “No I don’t!”

“Buck, we’ve known you your whole life.” Florence’s voice trembled as he hit Steve again, effectively knocking him to the ground.

Steve stood again, “Your name is James Buchanan Barnes.”

Bucky punched Steve in the face for a final time, the force knocking him off the carrier and into the river below. Florence scrambled to stand in front of Bucky, making him really look at her. To truly see her, to see what he was doing. Her face was bleeding, soot smudged across her forehead, sweat mixing with tears and blood flowing down her face.

“I’m not gonna fight you. I love you.” Florence’s body shook with sobs as Bucky tackled her to the ground.

His frame towered over hers, his body heaving as he spoke, “You’re my mission.” His fist flew next to her head, once, twice; never actually hitting her. Florence could see the struggle in his eyes. He was a broken man without a home.

“You don’t love me. You left me!” Bucky’s fist continued flying next to Florence’s head, the plexiglass cracking. Pierce’s words looped in his mind, she didn’t love him. She left him. She abandoned him. She was his mission.

Florence took a heaving breath in, “Yes I do, I do love you. I tried to get you out, I did, you wouldn’t let me, I tried, I-” Bucky interrupted her by pressing his flesh hand against her throat and applying pressure.

He leaned down, only inches between their faces as he applied more pressure around her throat and choking her. He grit his teeth as he choked her harder, brunette hair dangling in his face. This was it. This was Florence’s last chance, “It’s okay. It’s okay. I love you, it’s okay.” If these were the last words Bucky would ever hear from her, she was okay with that. She needed him to know that it was okay. He was doing what he had been forced to do, it wasn’t him. She needed him to know that she understood.

The hand from her throat disappeared, Bucky leaning back above her, staring at her with glassy eyes. Florence struggled for breath as she watched Bucky process her words. Debris fell around them, Bucky hovering over her to protect her from the falling particles. A large engine fell next to them, shattering the glass and sending Florence falling straight into the Potomac, Bucky hanging onto the carrier from a beam as he watched his lover fall into the water below.

Bucky dragged Steve out of the water with his metal arm while the other balanced Florence against his shoulder, ignoring the burning pain of his flesh arm as her head rested on his neck. He placed the two unconscious Avengers on the riverbank, taking one last look at them before he disappeared, becoming a ghost yet again.

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[novelconcepts]

Jamie & Dani short prompt- Online Dating au meeting online and being from bad past relationship. Thank u

This is probably a bad idea. It is, isn’t it? Almost certainly.

Why is she here?

Dani Clayton has been playing this particular set of thoughts--bad idea, terrible idea, why would you do this?--on repeat for three days. Ever since setting up that dating profile. Ever since realizing there isn’t much use in setting up a dating profile if you’re not going to use it. 

Oh, it’s all fun and games, building the thing. Find a photo that accentuates all the best parts of your face--Dani, after an hour of careful consideration, wound up going with one that accentuated her hair, more than anything, but she suspects the same idea counts. Then, the profile. What do you like? Teaching, long walks, new experiences, bad coffee. What don’t you like? 

Men, she’d thought, and snorted aloud into her wine before settling on: Deep water, accordion music, expectations, being called Danielle. 

A little more flourish, tipsy keystrokes, a casually-framed short-version of her life. Perfect. And then...well, then you hit the publish button, don’t you? You decide, for better or worse, to jump off this diving board and see just how far you can stand to swim before the energy gives out on you.

The faces appearing before her hadn’t been bad, certainly. Pretty, most of them. Interesting, a few. Still, she hadn’t swiped right on any--once or twice, because she’d forgotten which way meant yes please, but mostly because no one seemed quite...right. Which, she’d thought, was silly. The whole point of an app like this is to cast as many nets as possible and see what comes up. The whole point is to have fun. 

But every time she’d hovered over a promising image, a woman who likes dogs, or plays the violin, or goes rock-climbing in her spare time, she’d thought of him. Eddie. Who had taken one yes to a single date, and tried to make a whole life with her out of it. 

Eddie, who had taken her two decades to pull away from. 

What if the women here were the same? Not Eddie, exactly, but--presumptive. What if they believed a swipe-right was as good as a marriage proposal? What if she got bound up in conversation, and then a date, and then a relationship with someone else who just didn’t fit right?

Left. Left. Left. 

And then: the mistake.

She hadn’t meant to swipe right. Exactly. She hadn’t planned, maybe is the better way of putting it, on swiping right. She’d only wanted to look at the woman’s profile a little longer. Only wanted to inspect the facets this woman had put out on display with almost resigned simplicity. 

Some people, Dani had by now realized, wrote poetry and paragraphs to describe themselves. 

Jamie Taylor had bullet points.

“Gardener. English. Likes: Plants. Stories. Tea. Dislikes: Bullshit.”

The end. That had been quite literally the sum of it. Gardener. English. No bullshit.

But the picture, somehow, Dani hadn’t been able to look away from. Not because of carefully-arranged lighting, not because of a curated model-clean image--but because the woman appeared to have posted the photo almost under duress. It came in profile, as though someone else had done the job, her head turned toward the camera as if interrupted. Her hands were buried in a flower pot. Her clothes were simple--a tank top, a silver chain resting against the jut of collarbones, a pair of worn-looking jeans with holes in the knees. Her eyes--some fascinating color Dani couldn’t quite place--looked somewhere between amused and irritated. 

She looked real. 

Stupid, Dani thinks now--because that was probably the idea, wasn’t it? This woman, Jamie, had planned to look exactly this way. Real. Vexed at the idea of putting herself out there. Reluctantly available. 

It was a ploy, certainly--but one that seems to be working, because not only did Dani accidentally-not-accidentally swipe right, she found herself texting the woman. For hours. She’d expected much less, had figured this Jamie person would be as brief in text as she had been in bio, but...

Jamie had talked to her. Willingly. Teasingly, with more humor than truth, maybe, but with no sign at all that she was sick of Dani’s questions, bad jokes, nervous assessment that I really don’t do this, I honestly don’t get it. 

I don’t, either, Jamie had replied, and that had felt like enough of a reason to keep testing the waters. Enough of a reason to keep the conversation going back and forth, back and forth, until nearly two in the morning.

Shit, she’d said. I need to be at work in four hours. 

Shame, Jamie had replied, her tone already searingly familiar over text. Own your own business, make your own hours. Far wiser approach. 

I’ll make a note of it for when I found an elementary school, Dani had replied, laughing. She hadn’t said she’d already been in bed for an hour, the phone resting on the pillow beside her head so she wouldn’t miss the buzz of a new message. It had seemed perfectly reasonable at the time, with wine-warmed blood and the happy haze of good conversation. Jamie made her laugh. Jamie put her at ease. Jamie might not have been real, but she felt real, and that was good. 

Better than anything she’d felt in years, if she was honest with herself. 

Still, when the next day had come and gone with no message, she’d thought, Fair enough. Jamie had been good virtual company for one night. It was more than she’d expected to get out of this app.

Far more than she’d expected, particularly when Thursday night rolled around and her phone buzzed.

Teacher, yeah? No school on Saturday?

Correct, Dani had replied, as amused by the out-of-left-field text as she was irritated with how her stomach had flipped over upon receiving it. You have figured out the complexity of the American school system. 

I am a genius, Jamie sent back, followed quickly by: Drinks tomorrow night? 

Drinks. A thing that people do. A thing that adult people do for date reasons. 

She isn’t real, she’d thought, even as her thumb was punching back: How’s 8? Miller’s?

A mistake. Definitely a mistake. Because the app had been a lark, and the conversation had been too easy, and the fact that she can’t quite pick out the colors in Jamie’s eyes from a single photo is making her crazier than she’d like to admit. 

A mistake, saying yes. A mistake, suggesting the local pub-like establishment around the corner, whose beer-and-burger specials had kept her fed on too many evenings spent working late. A mistake, because once this goes south--as it’s absolutely bound to, as everything Eddie-shaped always has--she’s going to lose her favorite hangout in the deal, too.

And yet: here she is. Standing at the door, wondering if the outfit chosen for the evening festivities--tight jeans, pink blouse, hoop earrings--is too much or not nearly enough. 

What am I doing here?

Maybe, she thinks with mingled alarm and hope, she won’t even have showed up. Maybe it’s all part of the ruse: look approachable, look human and normal, look a little too beautiful in the most grounded way possible--then, cheerfully, invite a woman to drinks and just don’t show. A fun story for whoever comes next. Can you believe she thought I’d want to meet her after one night of texting?

“Dani?” 

English, Dani thinks with a sudden rush of heat. Right. Somehow, she hadn’t quite been prepared for the accent, which--coming out of this woman, draped with languid ease at a table--is truly a little more than Dani thinks she can handle just now. The accent, combined with the mess of curls dragged back from her face, and a dress sense that manages to be both casual and deeply attractive at the same time, is...

“Jamie,” she says, her voice a little lower, a little more hoarse, than is truly necessary. The woman pushes up from her seat, a small-framed figure in a black button-down, suspenders, ripped jeans. She’s pressing a hand toward Dani, offering a firm shake as though they are business partners, not an off-the-cuff bad idea of a date. “You look--”

“Never been here before,” Jamie says, almost apologetically. She gestures for Dani to sit before dropping back down in a sprawl that implies exactly the opposite of what her mouth is insisting. “Wasn’t sure about the, ah, dress code.”

“You--you did fine,” Dani tells her, wishing suddenly she’d gone for a dress. Or a  different human body altogether. She feels too tightly-strung, too anxious for the easy smile on Jamie’s lips. “Um. You’re very. In person.”

“Very,” Jamie repeats, a hint of uncertainty in her voice. “Is very American for wish I’d gone left, after all?”

“No. No. Absolutely not. That.” Bit too forceful, she suspects, judging by the smile spreading into a grin. “No, it’s just--your picture didn’t--tell me you’d be so...”

“Clean?” Jamie suggests innocently. She raises her hands, wiggling her fingers in a small wave. “Scrub up fine, when I need to. Seemed to call for it.”

“And you...sure did answer,” Dani says stupidly. “The. Call, I mean. I’m sorry, I really don’t do this often.”

Something seems to soften in Jamie, her smile less teasing as she leans across the table. “Hey, no worries here. Same person you were talking to the other night.”

Dani nods, embarrassed, and flags down a server. Drinks ordered, she draws in a deep breath.

“I mean, I haven’t done this in years. Or. Ever, I guess.”

“A first date?” Jamie asks. When Dani doesn’t answer, she adds in a knowing tone, “A date with a woman?”

“Both,” Dani says honestly. “My last relationship was--well, I mean, we were engaged--”

Jamie whistles under her breath, reaching up to scratch her head. “Blimey. What happened?”

“He’s...him.” It’s too much to go into on a first date, too much to explain, even though talking to Jamie over text had been so dangerously easy. “My best friend growing up, but that was...growing up.”

Jamie nods thoughtfully, tilting her chin in thanks when the server deposits two full pint glasses and a basket of fries on the table. “Rough time, sounds like. I can relate. My last relationship also did not go well.”

“Was he also a man who thought you’d be all too happy to quit your job and take care of a bunch of babies?” Dani asks, perhaps a little too bitterly for the occasion. Jamie flashes another grin, sipping her drink.

“She was a woman who thought I’d be all too happy to take the fall when she got busted for possession.”

Dani gapes. “Oh. Oh--I didn’t know--I’m so--”

Jamie shrugs. “She wasn’t wrong. I was nineteen, and deeply stupid. Live and learn, as the poets say.”

“Which poets?” Dani asks, smiling a little. Jamie’s brow furrows.

“John...Lennon, possibly? Hard to say. Anyway, relationships are a chore and a half, but the greatest people in the world tell me thirty is too old to play musical bedframes, so. Here we are.”

No bullshit, thinks Dani approvingly. For what little she’d put into her profile, Jamie evidently hadn’t been lying about that.

“You haven’t been in a relationship since you were nineteen?”

“In my mind, I was still in the relationship at twenty-four, when they let me out. She didn’t agree. Found out she’d been married two years, by then.” Something darkens in Jamie’s eyes for a moment. She sighs. “Like I said. Not my finest. But I am, as they say, a shining beacon of reform these days.”

“Now, when you say they,” Dani teases, grinning. Jamie nods decisively. 

“John Lennon. Definitively.”

There it is, thinks Dani, watching Jamie pop a fry into her mouth. There, the easy roll of conversation from the other night. As though they’ve known each other forever. As though two people who have thus far failed irrevocably at relationships make a perfect match.

Easy, she thinks. Don’t go wild, now. 

“So,” she says, when the comfortable silence between them has grown a bit too comfortable for the setting, “who are the greatest people in the world? The ones who tell you thirty is too old for...did you say musical bedframes?”

Jamie laughs. The ring of it curls gently around Dani’s head like a soft hand, a sound she’ll find herself replaying later with a skipping heart. 

“Not many willing to put up with a grump of my caliber, but Hannah and Owen fight the good fight. So long as I at least pretend to try.”

“Let me guess. They set up the account for you?”

Jamie makes a sort of gesture in the air with the hand not holding her glass. “Threatened to bury me in puns and children, respectively, if I kept putting it off. Owen’s still grumpy about the photo choice.”

“I liked it,” Dani says without thinking. Jamie raises an eyebrow.

“Well, you did swipe as much. Mind if I ask why?”

Walked into this one. Still, she doesn’t mind as much as she probably should, not with the genuine curiosity in Jamie’s eyes. “You looked--don’t laugh.”

“No promises,” Jamie says, but with the gentle tone of one who knows exactly how much to tease before it’ll hurt. The idea warms Dani in a way she’s not quite ready to look at yet.

“You looked real,” Dani says. “Like you weren’t going to play games, or waste anyone’s time. Like you just wanted to be happy in peace.”

“That is,” Jamie says, holding out a fry for Dani to take, “sort of the idea, yeah.”

There’s an almost puzzled cast to her smile, like she didn’t entirely expect this answer, and is pleased by it at the same time. That same sense from the photo sweeps over Dani now--that this woman is authentic, even if she’s not always shiny, that she’s kind even if not entirely clean. That she doesn’t have any interest in muddled expectation or living a comfortable lie.

“And me?” Dani asks. She doesn’t entirely mean to--but she’s sure, in asking, that Jamie will answer. Jamie is unlike anyone else she’s ever met, the first person she’s ever known to meet each question head-on. 

“Honestly?”

Dani nods. Jamie seems to consider it, turning it over in her head as she twists a fry between her fingers like a cigarette. 

“All of it.”

“That’s,” Dani begins to laugh, “that’s not--”

“No,” Jamie says, and she isn’t smiling, exactly. Her eyes have a sort of shine Dani likes very much, but there is no hint of teasing in them now. “Really. All of it. You’re...very pretty, and that’s--but the way you described yourself. Like you didn’t care to be anyone in particular. You like new experiences, and bad coffee. You hate being called Danielle. I...I wanted to know why.”

“It’s not my name,” Dani says simply. Jamie gives a brief laugh, her hand moving across the table to lightly brush Dani’s fingertips. 

“I wanted to know why all of it. Why do you like bad coffee--”

“It’s the only kind I know how to make,” Dani says automatically. “Just sort of leaned into it.”

“--and teaching--”

“I want to make a difference,” Dani says. 

“--and where you most like to go on those long walks--”

“Anywhere I can breathe,” Dani says. Her fingers are hesitant, tracing the tips of Jamie’s. There’s something electric about this, about barely touching, about barely knowing someone and still wanting to give them neatly-packaged secrets shaped like the mundane. 

Jamie is smiling. “See, that. I like that. All of it.”

It’s nothing, Dani thinks reflexively. A collection of details. A sparse approximation of a life. Eddie knows all of this, and then some, and never matched up to knowing her.

But this woman, leaning across the table with one hand outstretched, looks so different. Watches her with steady interest. Is listening to every word Dani says, though the bar is growing crowded around them, and soon, conversation will become a task instead of a gift.

“Would you,” Dani says, feeling certain that some mistakes are not as bad as they seem, “like to take one of those walks?”

“Tonight?” 

“Yeah. Tonight.” Emboldened by the smile, by the curl falling into Jamie’s eyes, by the knowledge that she still can’t quite make out what color those eyes are, Dani takes her hand. It’s so easy, she thinks she could do it even without looking. “Right now.”

No bullshit, she thinks. No expectations. Just Jamie looking at her like she can’t quite believe what she’s seeing. Dani can’t blame her. This isn’t at all what she’d thought she was getting, walking in tonight. 

But there’s something about it--something about the feeling that she’s been here before, or should be here forever, or will always find her way back to a woman who looks at her just like this--that almost makes her feel brave. Almost makes her feel wonderful. She rises from the table, laying cash beneath her half-empty glass, and feels a pleasant jolt in her chest when Jamie follows without another word.

If this a mistake, she thinks as they step out into the brisk evening air, it’s one she’s hungry to make. 

[oh-for-fic-sake]

Breeding A Human Chapter Two

Masterlist

Its a few weeks since Kal has claimed you and ...He might be more unstable then you first thought. But your learning to navigate him but your question now is what does it mean to be mated by a kryptonian? And better yet can you reverse it? 

Warnings: Adult Situations 18+,Swearing ,Manipulative Behavior,Yandere,Non Con WHEN I SAY NON CON I MEAN NON CON DON'T LIKE IT DON'T FUCKING READ IT STOP READING SHIT YOU DON'T LIKE!!, Breeding Kink, Mentions of Forced Pregnancy, Angst, Spanking, Threatening Behavior,  Threats of Violence

A/N: So found this hard to write....well I couldn't write it in one go had to take a few breathers whether that’s good of bad I'm not sure, was a bit of a bugger to keep the mad yandere theme going but I hope I succeeded xx

Taglist: @thatdamncutegirl @sofiebstar​ @iloveyouyen​ @thefangirlsblog​ @lux-ravenwolf​ @thatgirly81​

You sat down on the floor in the living room against the wall hidden, things are...Hard. Your neighbor who spotted you and Kal the other week had told your other neighbors and friends who told their friends who told their friends and on and on. There had been small snippets in the news and media about superman possibly having a lover but everything was still rumor and speculation...Well it was until yesterday someone must have got access to the police report of the incident at the house. Because yesterday your face was plastered all over the papers and this morning you awoke to reporters pounding on your door at seven am each hounding you for the scoop wanting an interview with 'Supermans woman'. You wasn't sure why but it seemed Kal had all but abandoned you to deal with it, probably wanting to see if youd say something to them; tell them the truth it was a test. You wont, you cant the retribution and backlash wouldn't be worth it, you didn't want to imagine Kals reaction...He would flip his shit....Again your not sure you would survive superman's displeasure again as his 'mate' your corrections were of a very specific nature.

So here you were alone hiding in your own home with your wooden blinds shut tight trying to ignore the crowd of people outside snapping photos of your home and calling for you to come out and chat. The papers yesterday had all plastered a photo taken of you both when he saved you from the water all those months ago. The headlines all along the same lines of 'confimred Superman's human lover. The secret love affair' and 'Love at first sight? Superman's girlfriend finally revealed!' And your personal favorite just from the sheer cheesyness 'The star crossed lovers! Krypton and Earth collide!' There was many other shitty headlines they must have just found out it was true after digging around.

Each knew who you were and where you lived, some of them had interveiws from 'witnesses' from the day he pulled you from the water 'He wouldn't let her go not even to the paramedic's. You could tell he was shaken up it must have been terrible for him to see her in the water like that!...You could tell there was something there between them, I have no doubt they were a couple already! They were even bickering!. He even protected her from being arrested for jumping in after the little girl! No one could get near her...He was probably in shock he just held her close ~It was so romantic seeing him protect her like that you could tell it was true love~' you scoffed bullshit! If only they knew what followed. Some even questioned if you were fucking secretly married!

You sat wiping your eyes crying softly, your life had gone to shit in a few short months and you was at rock bottom. Trapped in your own home by a media frenzy who wanted the story ...What could you tell them? the truth? 'superman stalked me, isolated me and manipulated me into thinking I was borderline schizophrenic convincing me I had ptsd and was going mad then raped me when I found out he was a fucking nut job and when the police showed up I was to scared to say anything because he was upstairs'

Somehow you didn't think they would buy that, they wanted a fairy tale! not the truth and if you did tell the truth you'd get a shit tonne of hate. And Kal? Well you didn't want to risk angering him again. He threw fits at you, bouts of anger that always terrified you and each time you were reminded. He was not human. Nowhere near it! He nearly perforated your ear drums from shouting at you last week you couldn't afford to anger him. So instead you opted to remain silent.

In the days since his rape mating Kal had stuck around he was here each night he didn't leave anymore either...Well not properly, he still flew off into the night to maintain order in the city and save people from disasters around the world but he didn't leave to go home a night. He did however leave in the morning and he was out all day like clock work almost like he had a job. Each day would start with him in your bed sometimes just watching you other times you awoke to him slipping between your thighs using your body to satisfy himself, you tried not to resist it was hopeless he would do what he wanted.

He claimed you were his mate and as his mate you had a duty to please him, he said to think of yourself as his wife and he had very traditional views on how his home life should be, bare foot in the kitchen sprang to mind. Preferably pregnant to, he was obsessed with wanting you to become pregnant and you do mean obsessed. After fucking you full to the point of pain he spent hours just watching your stomach, following his release with his all seeing gaze as it traveled into your womb willing it to hit its mark. He is adamant that he wants to see the exact moment that you conceive, the creation of his child! And you can never forget what he is doing either. He holds you in an elevated position trying to get the best chance all the while rubbing your stomach and ribs giving you a monologue of what his cum is doing, where it is how close he is to fertilizing you. It made you feel sick but what could you do? Fight him?

He was very pleased with himself always claiming that this was right, it was how nature intended and that it was just taking you longer to feel the bond you had because you was human. Kal was sure once you became pregnant  that tiny ounce of kryptonian blood in your child would kick start your own mateing bond for now you had to trust him. So obsessed and desperate to have you 'bred' he helped himself to you as and when he saw fit, his 'love making' literally lasted hours he called it many things 'sex, fucking, lovemaking' but it was rape however you refrained from calling it that now he got all angry glowy eyes which was...Not fun especially when the molten eyes were inches from yours as he held you down and 'corrected' you with his cock, splitting you open mercilessly and unprepared trying to breed you like a bitch in heat. And true to his word he had kept you quiet not from holding back oh god no. He now had a solution if you began to struggle or get to 'fiesty' he would simply place fingers in your mouth and pin down your tongue as a painful reprimand to 'bring you back in line' and it usually did in a few short moments to frightened to struggle much longer in fear of him snapping your jaw.

You had tried to run a few days after your first time, hoping that you could at least get a one way plane ticket you doubted he would rip open the plane and risk everyone just to get to you, he seemed to need his golden boy image to cover his tracks. Unfortunately as you tried making your escape your neighbor was in the garden biting at the bit to talk to you wanting to know the ins and outs. You had real trouble trying to get out of the conversation she was a determined gossip.

"So you wrangled yourself a hero?! Wow tell me whats he really like? Where did you two meet? Was it the bridge? I bet it was the bridge! That’s so romantic! Him saving your life and falling in love, it sounds like a real life fairy tale! I'm almost jealous" You had shivered if only she knew, you wanted to just ignore her and run off but you'd already stopped and turned to her you cursed yourself for it when you looked to her. Mrs Ellis AKA the local rumor mill, well known for getting into everyone else's business, she was kind enough but two faced and nosy. She was married and in her early forties with one adult son who was just as bad as his mother. You plastered on a shy smile just give her a few tit bits to mull over and you'd be out of here!

"No it....I'm not sure how it happened he just managed to make himself apart on my life...I didn't have much say to be honest" she had giggled and covered her red cheeks fanning her self.

"I bet! I'm sure no one can stop that man when he is determined! We heard it infact~" you blushed and looked away scanning the sky apprehensively you really didn't want to be caught out of the house by him, he wont like it as his mate you were supposed to rely on him for everything therefore had no reason to leave. Seeing the conversation start to halt before she got what she wanted she smiled again continuing.

"We were all worried around here for a few weeks... We thought you were going off the deep end can you believe that? None of us suspected your strange behavior was just because you had yourself a new man...It was because you were with him wasn't it?" and there we go the snooping disguised as friendly chat. You looked around quickly okay you had enough you needed to leave.

"I...Yes yes it was...Mrs Ellis I'm sorry to be rude but I'm kind of in a rush-" her face lit up"OH! are you sneaking out? let me guess going to cook your man a slap up romantic meal?! you know I did the same to Earl when we first got together! Oh to be oung again~ just remember good food is the way into a mans heart~" you smiled at her and moved your hands in a shrugging gesture.

"You've caught me Mrs Ellis! He has no idea what I have planned...So if he comes over could you try and stall him ...Stop him from coming looking for me? just say I've popped out...."

"Huh? why would he be looking for- Would he be worried about you?!~ oh that is so sweet! your so lucky to have him fawn over you, Must feel so nice having him all macho and protective~. That being said I can understand why you've been so skittish. I'd be skittish to if I was dating a man like that." You frowned at her confused man like that? Did she know? would she believe you if you told her?

"A...A man like what?" She gasped placing a hand to yours thinking she had offended you.

"Oh no! Oh honey I didn't...I didn't mean nothing by it! I'm not one of those 'alien go home' lackey's I merely meant him being a hero..He's bound to have enemies so I would have been careful to and I'm sure you both didn't want the media knowing but they will find out soon honey...Sorry I'm getting this all wrong...All I'm trying to say is I'm happy for you! Right well I won't keep you, you go get your man his dinner! But if you ever need anything or just to talk pop round and we can have a chit chat- even bring him I'm sure he and Earl would get along as us women have a chat!" you thanked her and made your way half way down the lawn with promises of talking to him about it...But no you had absolutely no intentions of going round there...or staying here for that matter?If all went well youd be out of the country by tonight!.

It was when you got nearly three houses down the road your heart stopped ,there it was the boom of him reentering the atmosphere above. You turned looking at him he was hovering staring at the house, looking for you from here you could tell he was becoming aggravated. You got another two steps then your neighbor gave you away gasping and giggling at you then shouted across the open lawns.

"Oh y/n I think you have a visitor~ should I get my ear plugs ready?~" You closed your eyes feeling Kal’s gaze snap to you ignoring her comment you moved your hand clutching your bag tighter, he would know and you were going to be in for it! The street seemed to get quiet, the people that had been out doing yard work now staring as he barrelled down towards you stopping a few feet above you then lowered down to the ground smiling eerily at you.

"Mate? I thought you were staying in today...You know I'm not keen on you going out without me knowing..." he was quick to wrap himself around you ushering you back towards the house glanced over you and frowned slightly seeing your larger bag.

"Just where do you thing your off to...with your passport?" You could hear the growl creep in to his voice.

"Just in to town...Want some wine is all and sometimes they say my license is fake so I take my passport to...I didn't think you'd be home till tonight" Mrs Ellis laughed shaking her head at you.

"Oh dear why not tell him, even with all this feminism there is nothing wrong with wanting to feed your man!" Kal turned his head to the woman putting on a charming smile, his eyes lit up happily and he turned back to you.

"Cook? You were going to cook for me? Oh mate that’s- thank you love that very thoughtful" you shook your head seeing he was taking the white lie to heart, he must think you were going to start complying with this fucked up 1950s house wife shit show. Mrs Ellis laughed and waved a hand

"Oh dear stop being so fussy!" She turned to Kal rolling her eyes

"Of course she doesn't want to admit it! but she just told me she was off to get groceries she wanted to cook for you...I swear these younger women and their distaste for traditional house wives, seriously raising a family is just as important as any career!" he moved towards you winding an arm around your waist tugging you to his side

"I couldn't agree more~ Family is everything" he spun you around placing a kiss to your cheek in front of the older woman making her coo, he was curling around you putting on a show, making the display look ...Romantic pulling you to him tucking you under his arm. His laugh was all the warning you got before he spoke loud enough for the other neighbors on the near by lawns to hear.

"Really love? Well I thank you, truly I love the idea of you trying to take care of me! but you know I don't need you to do that my love~" he paused to give you a wicked smile self assured in his next little public claim over you

"No no ,I'd much prefer to come home to you ready to try again after all our child wont make itself" Your eyes widened he had practically fucking shouted it! Your neighbor gasped

"O-oh my y/n you failed to mention that you were trying for a baby!..That’s wonderful! you know you'd make an excellent Mother" He stopped and through her a shinning smile

"So we are going to go public love? I mean you were talking about me? And you are Mrs Ellis if I'm not mistaken?" He moved you across to the woman and held out a hand.

"Its very nice to meet you properly ma'am...I’m-" she flushed red and took his hand

"S-superman- I know who you are-" he smiled laughing moving to press a kiss to the top of your head.

"Oh please call me Kal...After all we are going to be neighbors isn't that right love?" You took a deep breath and nodded slowly unable to say anything he was cunning.

"N-neighbors your moving in?" He laughed and squeezed you to him.

"Absolutely! I practically have already...Well I'm afraid that we must be going as I said before our child wont make themselves...Well not on the lawn anyway~" he winked as the older woman blushed fanning herself

"Oh my~ ah and don’t worry about any visitors haha we wont call anyone..If you get my meaning just have fun deary~" he smiled again Thanking her before ushering you into the house slamming the door with finality you knew that Mrs Ellis was already inside on her phone to her friends.

Once inside he quickly grabbed your chin squeezing pinning you back against the wall seething.

"You try to leave this house-Leave me again and I'll melt all the fucking locks and hinges on every door and window~" you whimpered as he moved fishing out your passport and burned hole through it to make a point, you wasn't leaving.Ever. Well...there was one way out.

You can honestly say that was the first time it had truly sunk in. The first time you had considered other more permanent options. It was just a fleeting thought...Until it wasn’t and you sat back really considering it a few days later. The question was could you do it? Could death be an escape from all this madness? From his madness? You shook your head.No. No no you can’t think like that yet...There must be a way! And escape but who the fuck could save you from Superman? Who was it you needed to call? You'd given up for the time being you needed a plan but ass the days became weeks you were loosing hope fast. If you were gonna do it, it had to be sooner rather then later you doubted even you'd be able to do it if you did fall pregnant. Because god help you if you failed and only killed the child...

You yelped as another loud knock was at your door calling out for you to just answer a few questions. You tucked into a tighter ball whining wanting them to all go away. Suddenly there it was, the sound that made your stomach go cold, Kal had come back you heard the people outside calling out to him in a mad rush, but they sounded less threatening less pushy. You felt him looking at you huddled up in the corner peeking through the walls of the house.

Kal moved slowly down to the ground landing softly in the front yard he turned seeing you there cowering in the living room. He growled at your distress and snapped his head to the reporters a frown on his face. He wanted to burn them for upsetting his mate but instead settled for sweeping them with a fierce look. They each instantly calmed that was then he spoke evenly giving them a sharp look. They disregarded his stern gaze and all bombarded him with questions he knew they wont leave until they had something

"I'd ask that you leave my mate and I alone this...Human kryptonian mating bond has been difficult for us to navigate...And we are not ready to give statements yet..."  he hoped that admitting to a mating bond would give the reporters enough but sighed when it hadn't.

"Mating bond? Like soulmates?" He looked to the reporter and gave a stiff nod

"Yes...As you can imagine with us being...Me being who and what I am it is difficult...And, I find myself driven on...Baser instincts when it comes to her. My need to protect her is....Very hard to control at this time and you have terrified her! She is cowering in her own home so for your own safety I'd ask you to leave" The reporters fell silent when he growled out his last words all thinking the same thing. Did he just threaten them? Rightly or wrongly they didn't want to stay and find out He stood tall arms crossed giving the large group a fierce stern glare ,they each nodded and began to back away all muttering apologies and agreeing to his requests.He turned to you again you felt him you were looking right at him shaking in fear, these animals have frightened you his poor sweet mate. You must have been terrified with them pounding on the door shouting at you all day.

But then again that's what he hoped for, he wants you to move willingly. That is why he decided against just stealing you away while you slept. Now that he was here with you the urge to fly of into the sunset with you had died down, he hopes that if you still want to leave this house you will ask him to take you away.

That way he could take you to his prepared home in Kansas a small ranch miles away from ...Well everything! It was perfect and if anything goes awol he shouldn't have to chase you down and correct you, oh no you'd come crawling back! It was nearly a twelve hour walk across flat crop fields of course he wouldn't have a vehicle on the property and if you did try to leave hoofing it for all that time it was flat ground surrounding the property one high fly and he'd have your location asap and have you home for a punishment.

Maintaining the place shouldn't be hard the crops he could do himself in seconds when the time came..Everyone always did call him a farm-boy and it was true he was a farm-boy at heart. There was electricity but no phone there's no internet either he would bring you books and films or supplies for any hobby you'd like and you could redecorate until your hearts content. But bottom line was you'd be safe not only that being so far from everyone meant your children would have space to practice there abilities unhindered. Soon. He whispered to himself very soon.

He smiled at you, trying to calm you even if you couldn't see it. He gave one final scowl to the crowd who whether it be instinct or primal fear of him,  they had listened and began leaving. He stayed outside the house guarding you as they slowly trickled away.Once they were all gone he moved up to the house knocking.

"Love....Love they are gone now, come on open up little mate....Mate stop I know your scared and upset but please I've dealt with it your safe now.....My heart?...I will break the door if you don't let me in...One...Two..Two and a half ...Three...Okay you asked for it-" you opened it with a quick scrabbling motion. He smiled quickly stepping over the threshold collecting you in his arms kicking the door shut. You trembled against him they had frightened you! He admonished. You wept into his chest, you had no choice he had smothered you. He held you tightly hushing and cooing at you whispering soft words of encouragement.

"My sweet little mate don't cry, shh I'm here now and I made them leave see?" You nodded at him still shaken you wanted to leave, you wanted out! of this house, the country this whole situation.

But there was no escape! he will not let you leave him, but maybe if you asked he would come to? let you at least move to an new house that didn't have so many bad memories, tho you were better in a sense you wasn't as paranoid or frantic you knew it was him and he didn't hide anymore he flaunted it as much as he could. He was now trapping you in a different sense creating an image of being a consenting loving couple just like the stupid papers said. You sobbed pressing your palms to his chest leaning back to look up at him.

"I-I can't stay here! Kal please...This house I just can't...Can I?...Can I go see that house?...The one in central city?-" he tensed squeezing your arms making you wince growling at you his eyes becoming a bright red for a second then dimmed back to his normal aqua.

"NO! NO YOU MAY NOT!" You cringed trembling he grit his teeth you looked down tears starting anew shaken to the core, this man, this alien terrified you he was obsessive and a fantasist, he was strong, far to strong just one misplaced squeeze of a finger and you were a goner. He took a breath and moved pinching your chin softly making you meet his gaze.

"I'm sorry love...Your not leaving me, I couldn't bare to lose you not now..Not ever" your heart dropped to your stomach at his words you knew that you couldn't escape him but you couldn't stay here either! you swallowed blinking and tried to reason with him, plead with him to grant even the smallest of mercies.

"Then...Then somewhere here! A house they don't know! Please please I can't stay here! They will be back! Please Kal I'm begging you, I'm scared Kal I don't want them to know where I live...Please?" he stayed silent looking down at you he supposed letting you look for somewhere in Metropolis wasn't a bad idea, you were already referring to him for permission. Trusting his judgment letting him take the lead as a good little female does, acknowledging him as your mate and higher up. He could just turn down all the options until you ask him to choose then he can finally bring you home willingly just as he planned.

"I will think about it...I may have just the place for us~...But that is for another day for now its time for us to try again...I still haven't bred you today and your ovulating again" you closed your eyes as he moved closer taking a deep breath smelling your neck then lower pressing the tip of his nose to the top of your breast.

"You smell-your scent is...UGH fuck its divine your skin it just releases it-its like a fucking drug!" You trembled looking down with little hope already knowing how this ends before its begun. He moved back a step and pressed a hand to your stomach, he still hadn't taken it was a shame but he would not let it faze him, he had a plan and he would continue filling you until you were carrying his child.

"Come love things will be better once your growing with my seed" you whimpered at the thought and shook our head.

"Kal I don't want I'm not ready-"

"Of course you are! I can fucking smell it your body is screaming out for me! Stop saying stupid things!" He snapped before you even finished your sentence, you looked down trying to hold back tears and shook you didn't want to do anything with him, yet refusing will only drag out the whole ordeal making it painful.

You knew that last few weeks had been a dream for him a fantasy of his own making. Being with you making sure you were 'safe' he was always happy sleeping in the same bed after rutting and filling your tight little cunt for what felt like hours. He had hoped that you'd be pregnant by now but never complained for long he enjoyed the intimacy, loved holding you down and painting your insides marking your womb as his territory in the most carnal and depraved ways.

He was a monster driven on pure feral instinct, he had explained it may be hard for you to fall pregnant due to the kryptonian's past that was his excuse to fucking you every which way filling you as many times as he could until your stomach was distended and swollen. He had explained in his lust fueld rants as he impaled you down onto his fat shaft that he wasn't sure why his kind had resorted to the artificial chambers to produce children. He did however assume it was because there was a problem with conceiving naturally. You'd once asked snidely if it was even possible for him to impregnate you it had been a bad day and you for some reason wanted to provoke him, make him as upset as you.

It did the trick he became enraged with the possibility but instead of pulling out from your bruised body and leaving in a mood like you'd hoped. He had done the opposite and had fucked you for nearly twenty four hours straight, the only break you had was to use the bathroom and that had driven him further into his frenzy claiming you were trying to dispose yourself of his cum. Trying to wash away his hard work! that you were refusing to fall pregnant as if by some magical way you had control of it! He had been brutal in his thrusts once you began to chafe he had kindly provided you with his own freezing cold saliva again making sure you felt thoroughly punished with each almost violent thrust.

You'd bled that night. He had been to rough and had torn you. 'Nothing you didn't deserve' at least that's what he had said. It was your fault apparently for resisting him and wriggling to much, you had laid there and cried sobbed your heart out for hours. It was hour later when he began to get worried as the bleeding slowed but did not stop he had held you tightly stroking your tummy. He shushed you before doing the most traumatic thing he'd ever done to you. Something you'd never forget or forgive him for putting you through. The tear was small but bled quite a bit and was in a tricky spot seemingly at the back of your opening each time you moved the bleeding picked up again so he had decided to cauterize to wound. You'd screamed and thrashed crying louder then before kicking out at him as he held your legs wide and 'healed' you. That was the first time you'd begged him to kill you. He brushed off your pleas just thinking that you had a low pain tolerance. But it wasn't, in that excruciating moment you wanted him to do it, to just hurry up and end you but he had laughed you off and gotten you an ice pack instead ordering you to lay splayed with your wound covered while he had a shower and left you in the bedroom alone.

That had been just over a week ago and was the last time he'd had you he was almost certain he had taken and wanted to let you recover but with his eyes he could see you had not been fertilized and was now once again determined to have you again despite the wound nearly completely healed you were terrified of going through that ordeal again.

He moved you both into the house away from the door moving you to the stairs. You twisted in his grasp trying to capture the banister as he made his way up the stairs he just sighed continuing forcing you to let got and screech at him.

"No Kal! Please KAL NO!" he clicked his tongue at you and began scolding you moving to tug you up the stairs by one large hand engulfing your bicep tugging harshly making you cry out as your hand slipped off the polished wooden post and you stumbled hitting your knees on the step before you and cried out again.

"F-FUCK AH NO! KAL NOT AGAIN PLEASE" you took a breath trying to make him see sense

"K-kal I-I'm not healed enough-" he just raised his arm pulling your back up he was stoic as he dragged you behind him warning and cooing at you all in one as he spoke.

"Love! what have I said about all that noise?..Now that's enough if they phone the police again you wont be answering the door in a sheet! Oh no ,I'll be answering it with you split open on my cock! And let everyone in the street see how good your cunt looks wrapped around it! now stop all this silliness you know that I will win in the end~" his voice was stern and exasperated like trying to talk sense in to a naughty child.

"K-kal I'm not refusing you please PLEASE JUST JUST LISTEN!...Your supposed to wait at least two weeks after you tear- even after birth its two to four weeks-pleas I don't want to, if we do and something goes wrong kal I might not be able to give birth properly later!" You panicked trying to convince him to say anything that would make him stop for a second. He smiled and pulled you closer tucking your head to his chest.

"Oh love no~no its not the same I healed you remember? It helped you! it wasn’t stitches I closed the wound my love your fine now and besides you’d have another nine months to heal...I'm not going to fuck you once your pregnant well not there anyway~...I’d never ever risk our child like that now trust me!" You cried really not wanting him to get angry like last time but you couldn't help but struggle against him it was just a natural reaction you did want it! Not only that you had anxiety over it now that he had hurt you accidentally, it brought home the fact that he was an alien. He moved to hold both of our arms tugging you forward and up onto his shoulder. He was worried he didn't want to break your fingers by tugging to hard when you latched onto the door frames and such.

"No! can we-KAL WAIT!-No can't we have dinner first or-or something Kal please- Please not now! not now!" You yelped kicking and slapping at him trying to get him to put you back down quickly becoming desperate to get away. He laughed twisting you out of the door frames reach as he entered the bedroom.

"Nonsense why eat now just to build up an appetite when I'm filling you~ Now I really would be quiet if I was you I'm not sure if all the media have left or not you don't want them to overhear and have an article about that now do you?" you froze gobsmacked was he teasing or being serious at this point you couldn't tell he would do and say anything to get you to be compliant, all you could do was whine and panic you knew it was futile to resist but it was ...It was hard.

You snapped at him trying to bite  at his neck as Kal had made it into the bed room and was lowering you. He caught your jaw swiftly.

"Bit at me again my love and I will bite back much harder" You struggled feebly against his hand on your jaw he gave a quick shake of your face.

"Understand?" You looked up tearfully

"I said do you understand female?" You shuddered at the dark voice the pure alpha male tone he managed that shamefully aroused you, you nodded meekly as much as you could with the vice like grip on your face he just nodded with a quiet 'good girl' then proceeded to launch you through he room you landed with and indignant squeak you rolled over to your back watching him approach through teary eyes.

"I am growing tired of this love...I have decided that I should resort to some more...Traditional methods with you" you held up your hands willing him away he mocked you slightly as he stood at the bottom of the bed moving to pull himself free from the suit.

"W-what do y-you mean?" You choked on a sob eyes cast over him seeing just what was awaiting you as his cock strained against the fabric.

"Oh my love come now your a clever girl~ I'm sure you'll realize soon enough...I don't know why your whimpering so? And kicking up such a fuss you always enjoy it in the end why all this fighting? I make you cum don't I? make you see stars as I make love to you? I don't have to,  I could just rip into you unprepared, fuck you dry but do I? No because I love you and I want our love making to be pleasurable for the both of us...Shh come on love...I wont dry fuck you...I promise....It would be to much for your tiny body....Look ok just lay back I promise I will be gentle this time~" his reassurance did nothing to calm you as he slipped completely out of the suit letting it fall carelessly to the floor. "I said lay back...Do not test me mate"

You weighed up the options and shuffled back to the head board whimpering as he approached you the muscles above his huge cock were tensing making the thick angry rod slap on his stomach leaving tiny spots of pre-cum across it the veins throbbing bulging much like the rest of him. He tilted his head at you waiting at the end on the bed.

"Mate come on~ won't you lay down for me? Be a good girl I've told you I'm not going to be rough today I promise-"

"Your always rough! You always hurt me!" You shouted already panicking not wanting him to touch you at all you cowered from him trying to curl tighter into a smaller ball willing him to leave you alone. He clenched his jaw neck twitching then dropped his head looking to the stiff cock jutting out and sighed.

"..I will admit our size difference can cause our lovemaking to be uncomfortable-" you growled at him

"NO! NOT JUST THAT YOU HURT ME KAL EVERYTIME YOU FORCE ME!"

"THEN YOU SHOULD BEHAVE!" You squeaked covering your ears his voice so loud it hurt, he sighed moving a hand through his hair. He hated this, your fear and refusal of him, he tried not to get mad but it was frustrating dealing with it, you-he his soul was bonded to yours yet you didn't feel a thing! He always got the brunt of it! It wasn't fair!

"I'm strong! And I-I struggle with my strength and humans! Especially you! I don't mean to hurt you but- your mine! My mate and I have a right to fuck you and fill you as I see fit. Now lay down just lay down LAY DOWN!" You tensed as he raised his voice he was going red and quivered. You feared one day he would accidentally snap a bone or-or puncture something whilst holding you down...Maybe that's why you did it? So he would kill you put an end to all this? It was the only way you were getting away.

Your thoughts were interrupted as Kal gripped and ankle and pulled ripping the leg straight and yanking you down the bed before flipping you to your stomach you scrabbled trying to get away but he struck you. His heavy palm landed o your cheeks your leggings offered no protection as his hot hand spanked you. You screamed out tensing your ass as he continued

"Its time you behaved! Time you realized your place! You are my mate-my lover mine! You hear me? MINE! And you will start to act like it or face consequences! Now get your clothes off and lay down like a good loving MATE, I'll not have you ruin a chance to conceive because your being a silly little human! These games stop now!" You wailed kicking out at him hurting your own foot scrabbling pulling the covers beneath you trying to get away but all you did was bundle the sheets at your tummy. Your foot throbbed from connecting with his hard frame one foot was still in his grasp he used it to tug you closer landing sharper blows to your thighs you wailed sobbing and rolled trying to throw him off but he twisted his hand placing you back on your front. His hand seemed to get heavier with each blow bruising and stinging your flesh all in one you screeched high as he moved and struck you harder still on the underside of your cheeks his large palm covering both at once, finally he stopped and threw your foot down to the mattress in frustration you cried sobbing pitifully in to your pillow that you'd dragged down in your bid to crawl away.

That was the first time he'd done that, he must be getting frustrated with you now he moved over clutching your throbbing cheeks digging in his fingertips to border pain.

"That is what I mean about traditional methods... You will be a good mate, a good obedient female, wife and mother! You will do as you are told when you are told or I will bring you to hand. Right now I am telling you, get your clothes off and ready yourself! Its time to be bred woman..Now move before you really have something to cry about!" You got up on hands and knees shaking through your sobs and tugged off your tshirt. It was no use maybe you should just give in...Find something in this fucked up relationship to cling to...Could you ignore him?  and the things he did if you had a baby? A child to fawn over and use that to forget your fear and hate of its father?

Kal shifted pleased you were doing as you were told and he couldn't wait to see his marks on your ass. He should have spanked you weeks ago! It seemed to do the trick getting you back into line. Sure it was a little ...undignified but you needed a firm hand! He had known that for a while but had been putting it off worried you'd stray to far from him...But who was he kidding? he loved you and you him, you were mates and once pregnant you'd feel it to he knew you would you had to...and even if you didn't its not like you could disappear with his child, the world knew you were his the league knew and were keeping tabs on you and if all fails and the ranch in Kansas doeskin work there's always the fortress.

You were strange and confusing, for a few days you'd be docile and compliant a perfect house wife, cooking and cleaning letting him do as he pleased. Then you'd act up and need a little reminding of your place, he thought he could fuck the point across to you but spanking had yeilded better results already. He bit his lip as you curled your fingers around the elastic of your leggings and pulled them down slowly revealing a red bottom. His cock jerked. Fuck that was- there was something sexy about your meek demeanor doing as you were told, pulling your own bottoms down and showing off a beautiful round blistered little ass.

Once the bottoms where at your knees Kal moved forward grabbing them and yanked pulling them completely off. You moved to lay down as he had been ordering you to but he caught your tender ass in his hands you whined when he did, his hand caressed your sore bottom reminding you of his ownership.

"Now if you'd been good you would be allowed to lay back and be ravished nicely I'd make you cum before fucking you.... But now your not ,oh no now your in for a harsh fuck-getting a fucking with a sore ass!...I'm sorry love but this is for your own good,you have to learn mate" he moved a hand across your back fisting it in your hair and tugged craning your neck back you whimpered tears falling from your eyes and you pleaded trying to reason with him.

"K-kal I'm sorry please please don't hurt me- I don't mean to-"

"shh shh my love I know...I know its your human flaw...But you must understand you cannot fight me you can't fight this" he moved his hand in your hard releasing the tendrils and rubbed your scalp slowly with sting fingers almost lovingly.

"We-we can never be apart not now! I've mated you bonded to you on such a deep level, I just wish you'd understand...I love you! And I know you love me so why fight this? You could have everything human women ever dream of! A home, a husband and children! But you-why don't you accept that! Its what I'm offering you! What I want...Its what I'm OWED!" He moved his hands to your hips and brought you back against him his hard cock slipping between your legs running the top of it past your folds in slow fucking motions rocking you across him you cringed but bit you lip not wanting to provoke him further.

"After everything Ive been through!!..I you...You think growing up here was easy for me? Oh no I had to hide love! These powers they- I didn't understand what I was! I kept to myself was ridiculed bullied and cast out! For staying away protecting them!! Then as I grew it got worse! Alone traveling the only person I had was my human mother! Then I saved earth but it wasn't enough! ITS NEVER ENOUGH FOR YOU!" As he spoke he began grunting slipping his hot throbbing cock between your labia ghosting your clit making you whine trying to move away but his hands held you controlling your motions as he pressed his head into your shoulders continuing he rambles letting go of some of the baggage.

"I was hailed a hero and fucking turned on when the bill came through!..I saved your race- your planet...Fuck I died! I DIED! To save you again broke my Mothers heart and even then you couldn't let me rest! All you humans do is take take take! Your spoilt and selfish...But now,its my turn!OH FUCK YES AUGH" he moved faster bringing a hand around your front moving to your swollen clit as much as you tried to resist him it was to much, his fingers plucked away at your little nub like a vibrator pulsing on your sensitive flesh before jerking it between his fingers pulling and pinching as his cock ran lengths over your now weeping hole. You grunted softly dropping your head low as your legs trembled under the pleasure you stomach clenching and tensing with his torturous movements, the walls of you cunt quivered contracting wetting his cock even more as it begged to be filled.

"That’s it-fuck yes that's it mate get me nice and ready~ nice and wet ready to fuck you full again~I will save you you know, save all of you again and again ,but I know I will still be told to leave! But I wont not when I'm finally finally given something! Something of my own! To cherish, To love! A mate! You you've given me the prospect of a family and love and acceptance if only you wasn't a human! Why did you have to be human?! You are being selfish just like the rest! But no more...You will not be a selfish woman any more my love~ I've seen your heart-you love and care and want everyone to be better~ I will save you, I will guide you to be better, we will be better~ you'll see!" You moaned as his fingers moved down to press his crown against your twitching muscles you jerked forward moaning crying out again

"NO! NO PLE-KAL PLEASE DON'T PLEASE IM NOT-IM NOT READY I DON'T WANT IT!" He growled grabbing you around your throat squeezing threateningly you gulp as he slowly closed your airways.

"Stay very still~ don't you move love its time~ time to do your duty-your job! Time for you to accept me and my seed to be full and dripping and claimed" you winced gasping for air his voice was different darker more menacing it frightened you more then anything he had ever done he sounded mad truly and utterly stark raving mad. In the panic you moved bringing both hands to his wrists for a second ignoring the thick shaft poised at your waiting hot core.

"K-kal? Kal your-ah fu-fuck I cant- kal breath!" You tried gasping out words to him, you were unable to breath properly fighting his grip for air especially when his hand returned to torment your clit flicking and twisting it almost harshly. You bucked whining unable to stop your grinding as he chuckled his hot breath fanning over you back. He moved leaning over your back harsh words whispered into your ear.

"You know I could just fuck you passed out~ it'd be easier." He chuckled kissing at your earlobe taking it between his teeth and sucking then released.

"But I wont~ I like the sounds you make when you try to deny your body...When you try to ignore my cock as it plunges into your hot little cunt splitting you open and lodges itself inside you spraying your insides drenching your womb until I'm certain no more can fit...Pumping you full like a little whore~" you moaned as  the head of his girth pressed at your opening instantly making your body lurch towards him. He chuckled and moved releasing your neck before you could catch your breath you yelped loud as he bucked forward spearing you back onto him. You clenched your fists into the covers below you embarrassed at how easily he entered you, your juices making his... journey much easier.  He left your clit alone but you still quivered this time around his cock that stretched your insides.

"AAAHH AH FUCK YES THATS IT! GOD GOOD GIRL...SUCH A GOOD MATE!" You whimpered as he pulled back and began rocking slowly making you feel every deep thrust as his head bounced off of your cervix, something you were now used to. You winced as he ploughed into you latching onto your neck suckling dark marks int to soft skin,  biting at your shoulders hard leaving the indentations of his teeth growling and grunting the whole way. You moaned as he tilted his hips and began rutting faster and harder you blushed hearing the wet slurping sounds as your sopping cunt fought to have him inside you. It made you feel sick

"Okay love see Uggghhh fuck yes that’s- oh fuck now remember deep breath one two THREE! Ahughh my god shit shit I'm there, I'm there! Fuck!" You hissed grunting painfully as on three he slammed you back jamming his cock past your tiny soft opening like he did every time he could and held still for a few moments. He caught his breath hissing you simply stayed still at this point what will be will be. You gasped when he began his assault humping and fucking you hard and fast there was no messing around he wanted you full, to cum again and again inside your womb. A man on a mission you squeaked as each thrust of his hips made him slap against your hot bottom his thick thighs punishing you out side as his cock brutalized your insides. It was a terrible mix of pain and pleasure as his heavy full sack swung hitting your engorged clit on each motion of his pistoning hips. He moaned louder and louder as you bit your lip you didn't want him to hear you cum. But you was going to! His body covering yours the sloppy kisses to your neck and the pants his growls in your ears as his cock toyed with your insides swelling and throbbing setting fires in your nerves you bucked back to him you couldn't help it! Maybe you were mates? Maybe that's why you couldn't resist him in the end?

You reared up as he got to much your body shuddering and tensing muscles feeling like they would snap under the pressure. He chuckled feeling you squeeze him trying to milk him.

"See?~ I told you in the end you know who you belong to~ now cum! Cum for me! Your mate your lover cum for your husband!" You did in one silent scream you bucked grinding back on him clamping down on his cock just as his balls tightened and released you shuddered whining as he held you firm against him his sack pressed tight to your little bud almost pinching it between your  two body's. He grunted through laughs looking down rolling his hips slowly making sure you got everything!

"Good...I will never get tired of this~ your body so tiny ans tight but perfect...Made just for me the perfect size for me to breed you~ I love you mate so so much and I will never let you go ever....Now just here move forward..." he shuffled forward kneeling on the bed and pulled you from your doggy position the held your legs spread wide over his knees cock still fully seated inside your core.

"There we go....Yes I know your all tired already just let me do it ...Right there we are stay!" And stay you did. He wasn't done once was never enough he would go as long as he pleased. It was only a few moments later he had sat his ass on the soles of his fee and began thrusting again holding your hips dragging you up and down his flexing thighs feeding you the length of his cock readying you for the second load of the night.

You wept silently into the covers as he moved your body to suit him ,separating yourself from the act trying to ignore the way his meaty cock dragged along your insides sparking the lustful tremors all over again, trying to drown out the sounds of his grunts and praise than and the sounds that escaped you every few breaths quiet gasps and mewls. It was hard but you knew you could blank all of this at least until you came again which you would, you always did maybe that what mates are? He could rape you and you'd still enjoy it? You cant deny the man made you cum again and again, he forced your body to accept him and gave you mind numbing orgasms. Is that what it meant to be mated by a kryptonian? To be raped and feel sick and ashamed of yourself,  to be a fuck toy! A brood mare! No you will not-you will not live your life serving this aliens sex slave fantasy....You were not sex on a shelf!

Clark looked at you as you curled up around the sheets pulling them to your lightly bulged stomach. You were beautiful the red hand prints for your spanking during your love making glowed a light pink and your skin was still decorated with his cum. You'd fallen asleep exhausted before you could run and wipe yourself down like you usually tried to do as soon as he was done.

He growled nostrils flaring this was how he liked you most, fucked out on the bed wearing his cum like a fucking perfume, proof of his love scattered in bites and bruises he had sucked into your skin and finally his hand prints littering your hips waist and arms, he had proven himself to be a strong male again; the perfect male to father strong and healthy children. There was a shiver down his spine that stopped right at his cock, yes he would be a perfect father and mate if only you could feel things like he did.

He growled when the scent of his cum got a little too strong moving to lean over you from above you from the head of the bed, he needed to check and make sure you held his seed long enough! you were curled on your side. He tutted the scent had spiked because you was leaking , he watched as a steady slow stream of creamy seed was escaping all over the sheets, he grumbled 'Its no use on the fucking bed!' he had no choice he had to move you.

You groaned in your sleep but other then that didn't stir he smiled he had done well today! You were in a deep sleep he sat up at the head of the bed legs together and settled you to rest on them, he pulled you up until your shoulders leaned on his abdomen sitting you up slightly then once settled he bent his legs feet flat on the bed taking you with them. He held your knees and pulled up curving you, angling your center up on his thighs. He wanted so desperately to keep you full, his need to breed you was almost painful.

He hoped that his plan will work, he had summarized that your failing to conceive was...well it must be a punishment! He had tried to force kryptonian life mate ideals onto a human, that would never work...No he had to have you as a human to, had to marry you then-then you would be fully his accepting him as your husband and fall pregnant! That was what human women did! What they were taught to do even the nursery rhyme 'First comes love, then comes marriage then comes a baby in a baby carriage!' The idea of children after marriage was so ingrained to young girls that it has to be the reason it must be it! He couldn't think of anything else.

He wasn't sterile! He can't be he was a strong fit healthy male and he wasn't shooting blanks either he-his it just never seemed to take. It must be some strange clause in the mating because he has had you so many times fucking you until your overflowing. 

He has been careful to hold you still like this to give you the best chance and to watch you making sure your not getting rid of him now...But it just something was wrong by all the times he has cum inside you, bypassing your cervix and flooding your womb he should have taken root! He sighed looking you over again sniffing the air, you weren’t leaking anymore he would hold you like this for a while longer then lay you down to rest himself. He didn't need sleep as such but there was something humbling about waking beside you, hearing your soft snores and for a moment all was right in his world. The sun peeking through the blinds, the glow lighting up the room and he could pretend he was waking beside his wife. Sometimes he would close his eyes smiling and listen to the heart beat of one of the neighbors and pretend it was that of his child in the other room sleeping soundly. He opened his eyes looking down at you with a soft grin kissing your head then placed his chin on your shoulder looking down to your slightly bulged stomach still full of him. Today was not the day. But he stayed still watching his seed hopeful.

You woke up the next day the sun peeking through the partially opened blinds letting streams of the golden rays flood into the room. You groaned back aching you twisted slowly realising why. Your hips had been placed on not one not two but three pillows tilting your weight to rest on your shoulders you were tilted quite far, causing your back to bow and curve as if you were leaning forward. You blinked waving your arms around still half asleep you heard a page turn beside you, grunting you rolled over to your side hissing at the knots in your back pulled.

Kal was lounging on his side curved around slightly looking down he was you reading?... He tilted his head scanning the page and spoke still not looking up.

"Morning love..Did you sleep well?" You scoffed

"No...My back hurts...did you keep me like that all night?" He chuckled at you a grin on his lips.

"Yes...I have to try and keep you full how else will I get the job done? You seem to enjoy thwarting my efforts.." he finally looked up at you.

"But..I understand, well I figured it out a few days ago actually...You know I love this picture...The day I found you" his smile was bright it unnerved you.

"What-what are you? I-is that the daily planet?!"

"Yes...I popped out and got it this morning there is a cute little piece on us~ right here" You scrabbled up onto your knees ripping the paper away from him.

"Hey I was reading that!" You quickly scanned the page he was on...Another article on the both of you, 'Children before Marriage? A first hand account from neighbor Mrs Ellis' fuck. You swore and cringed dreading what she was going to have said but had the paper pulled from Your hands by Kal.

"That’s enough of that love! Don’t need you getting worked up! Not with today's plans anyway....now up and at em shower then get ready we have a very special day ahead of us!" You slowly turned to him a sinking feeling in your stomach.

"Why-Kal whats going on? That article who wrote it? I don't understand whats it about!?" He opened his mouth and looked down to the words.

"Nothing much, just that we are trying for a baby already and a few tid bits from what I told the press yesterday that your my life mate and as a inter-species couple we are still finding our way! It would seem a Clark Kent had managed to sneak back and wrangle an interview! I don't really mind it clears up some confusion." You frowned but Kal just grinned and leaned over you, trying to avoid him you shifted back and fell to the pillows behind you he laughed and rolled over you.

"Mate as eager as you are to be beneath me now is not the time~ we are finally making us official!" He leaned in taking in a huge breath smelling you still not pregnant but ovulating with any luck tonight was the night he just had to tread carefully now until today was done no point in letting you act up when he took you out.

He moved kissing your lips opening his eyes letting the red seep into them the threat he now knew worked not that he'd ever do it but you didn't seem to know that , he moved his mouth opening and closing in a sloppy kiss coaxing you to obey and open your mouth. You were getting better slowly. He was looking forward to today, would there be a frenzy? Yes. Would he regret it absolutely not. He had mated you as a kryptonian, fucked and claimed you as he believed his own race does to their mates. Now it was time to mate you as a human complete your binding as life mates then maybe you will finally fall pregnant.

Today unbeknown to you was your wedding day. Kal suckled your tongue groaning as you whined pressing your hands to his shoulders pushing but he crawled up over you rubbing his hands on your legs then stomach. He pulled away leaving you breathless and smiled, he always did love seeing you flushed and panting, pride flooded him as he looked on at you. His mate, his lover and today you would become his wife!

"Now I want your hair up today....Curly but leave a few curls around your face.And secure! We are going flying" Flying? Good with any luck he'd fucking drop you on a telecom's tower and it'd put you out of your misery! Unaware of your morbid thoughts He moved back off of you completely and walked around the bed to the bath room you cringed watching his half hard cock swinging with each step...You wish he would get some other clothes here and cover up you didn't need to see the object of your torture every morning. You shuffled back clamping your legs shut tight after seeing his cock half hard. Kal looked down with a chuckle.

"No...not now love! Gosh you are an insatiable thing aren’t you~ no that is for later for now you just relax as I said today is a big day for you...For us now hurry up"

[eddiesfaerie]

Mirrorball

Summary: Your first time meeting detective Flip Zimmerman is out on the dance floor. (5.2k words) 

Warnings: slightly NSFW? (this takes place one year after the events depicted in the film Blackkklansman, so possible spoilers!) mentions of the KKK, mentions of police, f!reader, implied age gap, drinking, Flip is an asshole and a brat tamer and it shows but he’s also a ✧ gentleman ✧, thigh grinding(?), mentions of sexy stuff, early 80s grooviness, disco shenanigans, me making myself horny

A/N: this is very loosely based on mirrorball by taylor swift. that song just makes me think of Flip so I just literally had to get this out of my system. totally down to write more of these two if anyone would want that 👀. Flip Zimmerman is THE disco king. Pls enjoy <3

Part 2 

The cool September night nipped gently at your skin as you made your way into the local disco. Dressed in your best white baby tee, the best fit flared jeans you owned, and the perfect white disco heels your blood was pumping and you were ready to dance the night away. You didn’t bother bringing your trusty denim jacket because as soon as you hit the dance floor, which would be immediately upon entrance, you knew you would have no more need for it.

No matter how excited you were for your weekly escape on the dance floor, this was the first night butterflies fluttered in your stomach without relent. You shook your head, remembering almost too vividly the conversation you had over the phone with your old college friend, Patrice. She would also be attending the disco tonight with her boyfriend and her boyfriend’s… work partner.

This is where things got tricky for both you and Patrice. Her boyfriend and her boyfriend’s work partner were cops. Not exclusively cops, (they made sure to always distinguish themselves as “detectives”) but still, cops. And you and Patrice did NOT fuck with cops.

That was until the KKK bust about a year ago. Patrice battled with her personal morals for a long time on whether she should pursue her relationship with Ron, but you had encouraged her to see where it went. She clearly had feelings for him and he cared for her as well, so for once you told her to follow her gut, no matter what his job was. And after that infamous KKK case was closed (or more so, thrown away) Ron was more of a detective than a cop and well, that was good enough for Patrice. And you were happy for her.

Now, this is where things got tricky for you. You had already planned to go dancing tonight; seeing as it was Friday night and dancing at the disco was your weekly Friday night activity. Patrice said she would be joining with Ron and now, somehow, mysteriously, suspiciously, Ron’s partner, Flip Zimmerman, who just so happened to be as single as you and quite literally the most beautiful man in Colorado Springs, was also tagging along for the ride. This would either be the most awkward, third-wheeling night of your life or… well, that was about the only outcome you could see coming from tonight.

You had never actually met Flip before, but based on what you've heard about him from either Patrice or Ron, you could not imagine a disco being this man’s idea of a fun time. He seemed old, even for his age. Sure he was older than you, but he seemed like an actual old man. Grumpy, stubborn, sassy and just plain rude to everyone and anyone. A total grouch.

You rolled your eyes as you approached the door, your last chances for bailing leaving you as you waved to the bouncer, a familiar face, entered the building and headed straight to the bar for your first drink of the night.

//

Ron and Patrice pulled up to the disco in their car, Flip hot on their trail in his truck, parking next to one another in the parking lot. Flip’s knuckles were white against the steering wheel from how hard he was gripping it on the way over, he felt like crashing his truck just for an excuse to not come but he felt like he may regret that decision sooner rather than later.

You’re going to be there.

Flip’s never met you, but he’s heard about you through Ron and Patrice who never seem to stop bothering him about it. He appreciates the effort but they’ve gone from endearing to straight up fucking annoying. Flip loves Ron, his brother-in-crime, so to speak, and he has a soft spot for Patrice as well, but he could not imagine you to live up to all the hype they’ve given you at this point.

No offence, of course. You were just some kid to him.

A knock at his window startled him, erasing any image of you he was trying to conjure up in his mind. What would you be wearing? What colour would your eyes be? Would you dance? Did you like to dance? Did you drink? What drink do you typically order?

“Zimmerman!” Ron said, pressing his forehead against Flip’s window causing Flip to roll his eyes and unbuckle himself from his seat which he hadn’t even done yet, so wrapped up in overthinking the night ahead of him, overthinking about you.

“Can’t open the door if you’re pressed against it like that, Rookie.”

Ron backed away, going to wrap his arm around Patrice’s waist as Flip got out of the car and slammed the door behind him a little louder than he probably should have.

“M’not even a Rookie anymore, partner.” Ron teased, pulling Patrice alongside him as the three of them made their way into the disco.

“Yeah you keep telling yourself that, Rookie.” Flip grumbled, causing Patrice to giggle and Ron to shoot her a glare. The trio made their way into the joint and loud dance music quickly flooded them.

The place was absolutely packed, even for a Friday night. Made it seem like Colorado Springs was the most happening town in the West. Sweaty bodies moving and grooving to the music like it was still the seventies. The giant dance floor took up most of the main floor, one side of it lined with a bar that was clearly stocking any drink one could think of. A short staircase near the back of the dance floor led to a slightly elevated platform filled with a large seating area lined with couches and booths for people who just wanted to enjoy the atmosphere, music, alcohol and/or drugs. Flip wondered which crowd you would be a part of.

Patrice said your name and Flip froze, “she should be around here somewhere. I know she got here before us.” Patrice said over the music.

Ron nodded and Flip felt his hands get clammy. Why the fuck did he come to this, he wondered? He loves a good disco just as much as the next person, but this weird blind date situation was not sitting right with him. The three of them made their way through the dance floor towards the staircase at the back, trying to get a bit of elevation to have a better chance at spotting you.

The song changed and the crowd erupted in a cheer, it was a popular one, Flip knew that. You would have to be living under a rock not to. As they climbed the staircase and came to rest against the banister, the crowd made a bit of room near the middle of the dance floor for a duo who started to groove together hypnotically to the beat. Patrice giggled and clapped her hands, covering her mouth to hide her wide smile.

“Oh my god, that’s her.” She laughed giddily, tugging on Ron’s arm. Flip looked to the two girls dancing, the two who once seemed so far away and swallowed up by the crowd, now seemed so much closer and clearly in his line of sight. Which one were you…

“The one in the jeans.” Ron answered, reading Flip’s mind. He gave him a knowing smile and went back to casually grooving with Patrice as all three of them watched you dance with a girl you didn’t even know.

//

You both laughed at each other as the song went on, your bodies moving with ease as you danced around and with one another, tugging on each other's arms to spin or saucily moving your bodies just close enough together for people to stare. You didn’t know her, the song had just come on and you both gasped at the same time. She looked at you and asked you to dance, why would you say no? She was pretty and you felt a friendly competition coming on. And it was hardly a competition at that, she clearly had you beat, but it was all in good spirits, it was just nice to lose yourself with someone else to one of the most popular songs of the last three years.

//

You shimmered and shined from the side lines where Flip watched you. He felt dumbstruck, like a complete fool, watching you dance with another woman. The way your jeans clung to your body, yet swayed alongside your feet.

Christ, you were a fucking vision, Flip thought. Now the nerves were really going to get the best of him. Soon enough you would find the three of them and he would have to have a conversation with you about something other than that crazy fucking dancing you were doing. And he didn’t even know you, how the fuck was this an ideal situation to meet someone in? Why did he let Ron and Patrice convince him to do this? Why were you so fucking beaut-

Flip pulled out his pack of cigarettes from his flannel pocket, popping a single cig out and lighting it quickly, trying to calm his nerves before they got the best of him. He took a long, long drag and continued to watch you through the cloud of smoke he blew from his mouth.

The song abruptly ended, sending the crowd in a light cheer before the next one transitioned seamlessly into the stuffy, humid air. Some people around you and your lady-friend applauded you both and you seemed a bit embarrassed, maybe not having realized people were really, really watching. Flip thought that was cute. He watched you hug the girl goodbye as she headed off with her friends again, and you headed to the bar.

Fuuuuck, fuck.

“Anyone want a drink?” Flip asked, worrying his lip between his teeth as he kept his eyes trained on you, bringing the cigarette back up to his lips and rubbing his clammy hands together to appear more... normal?

“Oh yeah, could you get me a-”

“Great, I’ll get that.” Flip cut Ron off, just needing an excuse to get away and see you up close without out right saying: Okay time to go make a complete fucking fool of myself to our ‘mutual’ friend.

Almost a head taller than everyone else on the floor, it was easy for Flip to keep his eyes on you as he sauntered over to the bar, mentally giving himself a pep talk that he didn’t usually need. Well, he didn’t usually hit on women in bars or clubs or discos, he was fine being single, it was actually women that pursued him, making it easy for him to charm them even though it never lasted longer than a few weeks at a time. But now he was the one making the move and it scared the shit out of him. Uncharted territory.

The closer he got to you, the more he could make out of your features, and the more he was regretting his decision to come and see you all by himself. He needed encouragement, maybe liquid encouragement, which he stupidly hadn't gotten yet. It should have been the first thing he’d done when he got here. And this fucking cigarette wasn’t helping like it usually did.

A few bar stools away from you now, (the bar seeming to drag on into infinity), he realized there was some schmuck sitting next to you, who you weren’t even paying any mind to. What a perfectly good seat gone to waste.

“Beat it, pal.” Flip grunted, cigarette between his lips, tapping the man roughly on the shoulder. Either the guy recognized him as a cop or just wasn’t in the mood for any trouble, he got up and left immediately, leaving the spot next to you vacant and cold.

//

You heard him coming. You knew he was watching you. You saw all of them come in and watched observingly as they made their way through the joint and up the steps. You had seen them from the corner of your eye as you put on a little show with your new friend. You liked the way Flip looked when he was entranced, you like the way it felt for him to devour you with his eyes.

“Beat it, pal.” That was the first time you had heard his voice and you tried to suppress the shiver it sent up your spine. So deep and bassy. You kept your head straight ahead, occasionally looking down at your drink, fiddling with it in your hands.

It felt like the man who was sitting next to you flew off his chair and it was suddenly filled with the most radiating, warm energy you think you had ever felt emitted off another person. Cigarette smoke filled your senses and fogged your mind, you could see him blowin git out of his nose in your peripheral vision.

Flip had come to sit next to you, his thighs so wide that his knees nearly spread enough to knock into yours.

“Detective.” You greeted cooly, taking a sip from your drink and avoiding eye contact. Flip greeted you back just as cooly, throwing your name back at you. You don’t think your name sounded so good falling off of someone’s lips before. You internally groaned.

“Quite the little show you put on out there with your friend.” Flip said, taking another exaggerated drag from his cigarette, cheeks hollowing out slightly.

“Stranger.” You said, taking another sip, continuing to avoid his burning stare. You could feel his eyes on you and the temptation to look was almost overpowering, you avoided it like you would Medusa.

“What?”

“She was a stranger, I don’t know her. Didn’t know her. She gave me her number.” You giggled into your glass, taking your final sip from the now empty glass, setting it down on the countertop.

Flip bit his lip. Why were you so fucking sexy? You wouldn’t even look at him. He suppressed the urge to grab your face and turn it himself to make you look at him. Maybe you’d like that, he thought.

“Two mojitos. With ice.” Flip called to the bartender. You turned to look at him then, while his head was turned away in the opposite direction. You soaked in what you could before he turned back to look at you.

His hair practically begged for your hands to run through it. It looked soft, wavy and just stupidly perfect. He was wearing the world’s tightest red flannel with a white shirt poking from underneath the unbuttoned collar. The buttons strained against his chest, god he was probably so fit, how big did he have to be to make the buttons look like they were about to burst? Even his biceps were pulling the material taught. His thighs, which you had noticed when he sat down next to you, were equally big and covered by a lovely denim, you did love a man in jeans. You giggled to yourself, which caused him to look back at you.

Fuck, those eyes. Honey, caramel, cinnamon, chocolate, brown sugar.

“What’s so funny doll?”

“I just didn’t take you for a cocktails kind of guy.” You laughed again. You weren’t trying to make fun of him, you just couldn’t help it. It was the alcohol, not the nerves, you told yourself.

“What makes you say that?” He smirked, you could tell he was trying not to but you could see the way his lips twitched, then proceeded to curl around his cigarette seductively.

“Oh nothing.” You swatted the air with your hand, wanting desperately to change the subject before you accidentally mentioned how large he was and how funny it is to picture a tiny little cocktail glass in his enormous hands.

Your two glasses were quickly placed in front of Flip who handed the bartender a bill. He slid a glass over to you and your fingers brushed as you took it from him. He was warm. You wanted to touch him again. He put his cigarette out in a nearby ashtray.

“Thanks.” You muttered, quickly bringing the glass to your lips, needing more in your system to distract you from how distractingly mesmerizing he is. He had good taste, the drink was perfectly sweet with just enough kick to keep you buzzed. You both locked eyes as you took a sip from your respective drinks, your cheeks feeling hot from his gaze, it made you look away as you set your glass back on the countertop.

Why did you keep looking away from him? Flip began to worry that his presence was unwanted and he debated just getting up and letting you enjoy your evening with your new friend and refilled drink. Maybe he was coming on too intensely? He had definitely gotten that one before, he wasn’t sure how many rookies at the police dept had quit or been re-stationed because of his intensity alone. He just likes to think that they weren’t cut out for the job, and besides, if they couldn’t handle Flip Zimmerman, well, maybe they couldn’t handle-

“Do you want to dance?” His mouth cut his own train of thought off, like half of him was bored of hearing himself think obsessively and waste more of the night not on you. His abruptness made you giggle and you finally looked back at him, swaying gently from side to side in your barstool. Flip thinks he’d like to have you do that in his lap, swaying from side to side, swivelling carelessly...

“I didn’t take you for a dancer.” You maintain eye contact now. More confident than before, challenging him.

“That’s the second thing you’ve assumed about me tonight. And the second thing you’ve been terribly wrong about.” Flip chuckled, downing his drink in one final gulp. You watched the way he threw his head back, the way he swallowed, the way his throat bobbed. You wanted to touch his neck, press your lips across the delicate skin, bruise him.

“You didn’t answer my question.” Flip pushed. He was beginning to think you liked being difficult, that you liked making him work for it, liked him coaxing your answers out of you. Maybe he did. He hoped you liked it too, you little defiant-

“What if I told you I don’t dance with men?” There was a glimmer in your eye. Flip decided right then and there that you were evil, you fucking temptress. You were doing this on purpose.

Motherfucker.

Just how far could he push you before you gave in? Before you gave up on this stupid fucking act?

“Then I would be incredibly disappointed to hear that.” Flip frowned, teasingly. Maybe he should just get up from his seat and find Ron and Patrice, two could play at your dumb little game. He did in fact stand up, he straightened himself out and without a single glance back at you, he turned and walked away. The only thing stopping him was your hand wrapped firmly around his wrist. He looked back expectantly, trying to hide his knowing smirk.

So you did have a limit to which you were willing to play.

“What if I told you… I’d make an exception. Just this once.”

Oh, Flip liked the sound of that.

Without another word, Flip unbuttoned and shrugged off his flannel, placing it on the bar countertop, leaving him in just his white t-shirt that clung way too well to his body. Fuck, what were you getting yourself into? He really was huge, massive. You resisted the urge to just climb him and beg him to take you home. But you didn’t role that way, and you were not about to make that many exceptions for one man.

But he was one hell of a man…

“Keep an eye on this.” Flip called to the bartender, referring to his flannel, without breaking his eyes from yours. Honey, caramel, cinnamon, chocolate -

“Ready?” He held his hand out to you. The song that was playing faded and another came on. Without fail, you recognized this one as well and you couldn’t help the smile that threatened to split your face in two. Be it the alcohol or Flip, your cheeks burned and were growing numb from how hard you were trying to stop smiling. You looked down at his hand and bit your lip, looking back up at him through your lashes and nodded.

“Ready.”

Flip pulled you from your seat and whisked you onto the dance floor with more force than you were expecting, causing you to yelp and grab onto his bicep for balance. He placed a hand on the small of your back to steady you, now in the heat of the dance floor surrounded by glistening bodies. You let out a small laugh, a nervous one. Somehow, you forgot how to move your feet, forgot what it felt like to feel the rhythm of a song, lose yourself in the music and just move. You had been dancing with that girl, what? Twenty minutes ago? And now you could barely move a muscle underneath the intense gaze of detective Flip Zimmerman. He seemed to find this amusing.

“Come on, you’ve got this.” Flip mused, a devilish smirk tugging at his lips. He placed his hands on your hips, making your eyelids and limbs feel heavy. He helped you sway them in time with his, your eyes immediately going to his hips watching him as he watched you become more and more comfortable dancing around him.

Maybe you really didn’t dance with men after all, Flip thought.

Eventually you were able to shake off your nerves and tell yourself to just pretend he wasn’t there, or pretend he was that girl from earlier. You both began to sort of dance by yourselves but still in very close proximity to each other, the occasional graze of his hand along your shoulder, waist, hips, ass bringing you out of your head and back to the dance floor with the reality of the fact that you were indeed dancing with a cop and people were staring at you. Or maybe they were staring at Flip who just so happened to be a stupidly incredible dancer.

For his height and length at which his limbs protruded out from his body, he should not have that much control over them, that much coordination. But he’s a detective, you remembered. He fought in ‘Nam, he was a trained professional in the police force, of course he was coordinated, of course he was skilled with his body. He had to use it everyday. He had to be strong, tough, resilient, a wall of pure muscle.

Fuck, you were starting to understand why Patrice threw some of her cares into the wind when it came to Ron being a cop, detective, whatever. Flip was undeniably sexy and as you danced with him out on the middle of the floor, you didn’t think you could want him anymore than you did in that moment. The way his muscles rippled underneath his shirt as he moved to the music was utterly hypnotizing.

Before you could even realize what you were doing, you dropped low to the floor, reaching your hands to glide up his entire body slowly, slowly, slowly, passing over his muscular thighs, dragging dangerously close to his crotch, his hips, his waist, over his toned stomach, his hard pecs, scratching at his neck as you looped one hand around his throat, then strutting around him in a circle, letting your hand run along his neck, over his shoulders. You giggled to yourself stupidly, hugging him from behind, suddenly embarrassed at that little show you just put on, wanting desperately to disappear behind him. Flip grabbed you from behind, splitting his legs open and somehow sliding you between them, underneath him and then back to face him again.

He looked down at you with that same look from before; hunger, starvation, thirst. You were both still dancing even though the movements blurred in your mind, you felt like the two of you were moving in slow motion as your bodies grew closer, closer, closer together, the music fading out as well. The only sensation that seemed to knock you out of your trance was Flip’s hand slipping into yours, interlocking his fingers through your smaller ones. He was warm, so, so warm and you didn’t want to let go. You tugged on his hand to bring it up to your lips, to kiss, but he tugged harder. He tugged your whole arm, actually. He tugged your whole arm and your whole body followed, off the dance floor, through the crowd, through the back door, around the corner till you were against the brick wall, outside.

You were breathless, your ears ringing from the adrenaline of being so close to him, dancing with him but also from the loud music that was still pounding beyond those two doors next to you. Flip stood in front of you, he fished out his cigarette pack from his jeans and you wondered when he put it in his pants pocket, you remembered it being in his flannel pocket. Why were you thinking about that? Maybe you were tipsy, or drunk off of him.

Flip stuck the cigarette between his teeth and lit it effortlessly, like he had done it a million times. He probably has. He maintained eye contact with you up against that wall as he sucked and sucked the toxins out of his cigarette, his cheeks hollowing beautifully before blowing the smoke out through his nose, making you want to whimper and drop to your knees. If you had been any drunker you think you might have.

He took annoyingly slow steps towards you, and with each one you felt your breaths become heavier and heavier, like he was pressing a weight against your chest the closer he got to you. Another puff from his cigarette.

“Hold this for me.” He said suddenly, holding his cigarette out for you to take. You nodded silently, not trusting your own voice as you took it from him, your fingers brushing against one another; electricity, voltage, lightning.

Flip grabbed the back of your head, fisted your hair between his fingers, tipped your head back and shoved his tongue down your throat. You moaned into his open mouth, shameless as your lips wrapped around his, wet and slippery. His other hand, now free from his cigarette thanks to you, came to grab your cheeks between his thumb and index, pinching your jaw softly to pry your mouth open and keep it that way so he could devour you more easily.

He backed you up against the wall, his muscular thigh coming to rest between your legs, pressing right up against your most sensitive area, causing you to moan into his mouth again. He pulled your hair harder, groaned against your lips and you desperately ground yourself against his thigh, you couldn't help it, it was right there applying the right amount of pressure and you were beginning to seriously unravel for him. Putty in his hands. His mustache and goatee tickled your face but it only spurred you on more to kiss him with equal fervour, now wanting to devour him yourself. Your tongues massaged one anothers, over, under and back again, you had truly never been kissed like this before.

Flip suddenly pulled away, gasping for breath and you audibly whined at the loss of contact, your lips begging for his to come back. At your complaint, he gave you a few teasingly small pecks before resting his forehead against yours again.

“I bet you think you’re real cute, dancing out there like that.” Flip said, his voice the deepest you had heard it all night, you let out a satisfied hum. You decided then that you would do anything he asked you.

“Hmm, you seem to think so.” Your eyes boring into his, then back down to his lips again. So plump, swollen and red. You did that to him. You wanted to keep doing that to him.

“You sure are a fucking brat, aren’t you?” He spat at you with pure hunger in his voice, pushing your body harder against the wall, causing you to whimper and screw your eyes shut momentarily, the slight pain turning into pleasure. How was he doing this to you?

“It doesn’t seem to be bothering you that much, the fact that I’m a brat.” You spat back at him with equal want. Flip groaned and tightened his fist in your hair even more than he previously had.

“Honey, you have no idea what it’s doing to me.”

His voice was quiet all of a sudden. The need not gone from his voice, but his voice just above a whisper. It rumbled his chest when he spoke. You reached your hand down to palm him through his jeans and you weren’t surprised to find how hard he was there, but you gasped at its size. Flip gabbed your wrist and pinned it above your head, baring his teeth at you slightly. He was holding himself back, you could tell, it was like it almost pained him.

“Flip, please,” You begged, your first time begging on the first date. “Please, I need to touch you.”

You closed your eyes and rested your head back against the brick wall in defeat. You felt Flip’s lips ghost over the skin of your neck before he sank his teeth into the skin causing you to cry out his name. He quickly pulled his teeth away from your skin and licked around the irritated flesh several times, pressing his plush lips against the quickly purpling skin.

Flip knew you were nowhere near intoxicated enough to not know what was going on, but he didn’t want to rush you into things that you might regret tomorrow. He didn’t want to risk not seeing your pretty little face again just to get his cock in your mouth tonight. No matter how badly he wanted to see you there on the ground outside the disco, bruising your knees for him, his cock deep in your throat, tears falling down your cheeks as-

Not tonight, not tonight, not tonight.

“Come by the station tomorrow. Don’t even think about covering this up.” He murmured against your skin, referring to the hickey he left, his mark on you. Breathless and at loss for words in your swimming pool of a brain, you nodded your head with fervour at his request.

Flip pulled away from your neck to look into your eyes with such intent, such meaning. Use your goddamn words, he thought.

“Tell me you’ll come.” He wanted to add a ‘please’ at the end of his request, but it wasn’t really a request. No, he needed to see you again. This was not going to be a one off thing, Flip was sure of that. Even after just one night of dancing with you. You smiled up at him and said,

“I’ll come.” 

The double meaning behind your words made you feel hot and look away from him. You’d come as many times as he’d let you, you thought, your heart pounding in your chest at the mere idea of him taking you in any way he wanted, for as long as he wanted, as hard as he wanted. Flip gripped your chin again, forcing you to meet his dark, inky eyes.

“I’m gonna fix that attitude of yours one day.” You smiled up at him, a perfect shit eating grin to match his own. 

“I’m counting on it, Detective.”

[with-love-anu]

Not meant to be (4)

PAIRING: Sirius Black x Reader

Series Masterlist

Sirius and you started to see each other besides the project work too. It started innocently enough. He told you he was desperate to sneak out to get his mind working and you volunteered. The two of you went to the astronomy tower, listening to him point towards ‘Sirius’ the star over and over again. You giggled.

“But do you know the story behind them?” you asked and Sirius raised his eyebrows.

“No? Can you tell me?”

And Sirius watched you as you completely immersed yourself telling him the tales of galaxies far away. You could talk about anything and he would listen to every single word. You were beautiful.

You saw Sirius looking at you and your heart skipped a beat. You blushed under his gaze.

One time turned into two and then three and it kept on increasing until you met him every other day. You loved every second of it. And unknowns’ to you he did too.

You started noticing all these little things about Sirius. He wasn’t who he pretended to be. He didn’t always like being the center of attention; it set him on the edge. It made him want to act aloof and uncaring. You saw as he always looked after his friends and people in general. There were so many times he just forced Remus to go to bed and sleep, offer James a comforting hand as Lily turned him down yet again. Helping first and second years with their confidence and learning magic. Offering Madam Pince to carry and arrange the huge stack of books she was toppling under. Just helping anyone and everyone whenever he saw them struggling.

And your way of thinking about him changed. He wasn’t who he pretended to be. And it made you wonder dangerous things. Dangerous things that made your heart go wild. You were falling for him; there was no doubt in that. You felt his pain as your own and you couldn’t help it. You couldn’t stay away from him, not for long anyway. You wondered whether you two were really meant to be, whether Sirius would ever love you back.

Sirius on the other hand found it difficult to keep up the façade around you. You brought down his walls so easily. You did not seem to like the image he kept up. The charming Sirius who didn’t have a care for the world. It was him, the real him that seemed to make you smile at him in a way that made his heart flutter. And he wanted that, so so much. He wanted to stretch the moment when you looked at him as your eyes sparkled, it made his stomach flip.

He could be himself around you just like Remus or James. He couldn’t stop the wide grin from forming when you passionately talked about werewolf rights. You fit in his friend group as if you had known them forever. That did make him jealous too, even though he knew there was nothing to worry about. He would frown and subtly move you away from Remus when the two of you got so involved in talking about books that you ignored him. You didn’t understand that but Remus did. He would cock his eyebrow and Sirius wouldn’t be able to help but blush.

***

“So you’ve never had pizza?” you asked Sirius.

“No, never.”

“Oh my god, you have have to try it! There’s a muggle town not too far from here which has an amazing pizzeria, we’ll go there this Sunday.”

“Are you asking me out on a date, (Y/n)?” he said, smirking, making your cheeks go red and your eyes widen.

“No, I taking you to have some lips smacking pizza.” You said as Sirius sighed.

“Wouldn’t have said no to either, but okay.” Sirius said as your heart skipped a beat. He went back to his potion’s essay. Sirius did not do “dates.” You looked at him wondering whether he was kidding. Was he considering you two being together?

“I know I am pretty but if you keep looking at me like that I won’t be able to concentrate.” He said making you avert your eyes and blush deeply.

***

The two of you sneaked out under James invisibility cloak. Sirius had worn his leather jacket which made your heart beat faster. As the two of you walked towards the town your heart thumped in your chest. His arm constantly brushed against yours sending sparks everywhere.

As you reached there, you pulled off the cloak and took in your surroundings smiling. The stars were bright but brighter than those were the neon signs inviting you in. Sirius took your hand in his, making you raise an eyebrow at him. He just shrugged and you saw the barest of blushes there as he moved forward. You smiled. You liked it, his hand in yours. It warmer against your colder one. The two of you went into strange shops selling the cutest of things. You bought Sirius a small keychain with dangling paws, remembering how his friends always called him padfoot. He grinned on seeing it muttering a small, ‘You didn’t need to do this.’

You stopped by a cotton candy parlor, knowing Sirius never had some.

“Siri, you have to try this!”

“Siri, huh?” Sirius asked biting his lip. You blushed and playfully rolled your eyes. Sirius moaned a little on having some.

“This is so good.”

The two of you walked through the park as Sirius kept on stealing your cotton candy; talking and laughing. You finally reached the pizzeria and ordered a large pepperoni. Sirius’s eyes widened on taking the first bite.

“Why in hell did I not have this before?” he said making you grin.

“I don’t know, you tell me.”

The two of you fought a little over the last piece of pizza. He made puppy dog eyes at you and you had to give in.

Walking back to the castle, you took in the last moments of being outside of magic after so long. Sirius insisted on walking you back to your dorm and you just couldn’t refuse. You slowed down as the dorm came nearer.

“I had fun tonight.” Sirius said and you smiled.

“I did too. Meet you tomorrow?” you asked as Sirius grinned. Your heart thumped in your chest as you could not stop yourself. You moved and kissed Sirius’s cheeks wishing him a goodnight and hurrying inside. As you lay in your bed, you squealed a little. You did have fun.

Unknowns’ to you, you had left Sirius in a daze. He moved his fingers over the place where you just kissed him and smiled so widely that his cheeks hurt. He jumped into the air releasing a little “whoop”.

***

You were in a cheerful mood. You sighed as you walked towards the library. You saw Sirius behind a bookshelf and walked towards him. A girl approached him.

“Hey, Sirius!” she said in a flirty, sultry tone that made you stop right there.

“What do you want Alice?” you heard Sirius ask.

“Oh, I was thinking whether you’d like to sneak into my room tonight?”

“No, thank you.” You smiled.

“Oh come on, is it because of (Y/n), is she your girlfriend?” The girl asked and you widened your eyes.

“No, she’s my project partner. Now if you’ll excuse me-“ 

Project partner? Your stomach dropped.

“I heard that she is your soulmate too, is that true?” she asked as your heart thumped in your chest. There was a brief silence.

“No, she isn’t. I don’t know what gave you the idea. I really have to go now.” He said and your ears pounded.

After all you both had been through, did he still not… Wasn’t it your fault though? You were the one who started believing something he didn’t even say. You were the one who didn’t want to burst the peace bubble you were in. You were the one who couldn’t help but talk to him. Your head thumped with realization. It was like something was clawing you from the inside. You took in deep breaths and held the book stand. Your stomach turned as you quietly went to sit down at your usual table. You felt pathetic. You believed in him. You thought he changed. Sirius came moments later and sat down beside you.

“Hey, (Y/n)!” he said and you nodded in response. Sirius frowned.

“Why isn’t Remus here?” you asked taking out the books.

“He was busy with some homework, so it’s gonna be just you and me.” Sirius smirked at you but it slowly faded seeing you didn’t once look at him.

“(Y/n), what’s the problem, what happened?”

“Nothing, we need to complete the charms project as soon as possible. It’s taking too much time.” You said starting to add some touches to the parchment. You didn’t care if your mind burst. The sooner you would complete the project, the sooner you’ll stop seeing him, the sooner the pain would stop. You didn’t want it anymore.

“No, something is wrong, what are you not telling me?” he insisted and your head snapped towards him.

“What are we Sirius? Are we friends? Classmates? Project partners?” you spat.

Sirius clenched his eyes shut.

“(Y/n),” he whispered. “It was Alice, she is the biggest gossiper here, if I told her that you were a close friend, she would have just twisted it into something more and spread it around.”

“And would that be so bad?” you asked not being able to help yourself. It was like time stopped as Sirius’s eyes widened. The longer he took to answer the angrier you grew. You turned your head and started packing things up. You were done.

“(Y/n) I-“

“Please don’t say anything. Please don’t. I’m done, okay? I’m done pretending it doesn’t affect me, when it does, it really really does. I’m done acting like I’m not your soulmate when in fact I am. I’m done ignoring that.” You didn’t know you were crying until you felt tears run down your face. You wiped them away furiously.

“You know what? I didn’t ask for it, I didn’t bloody ask for you to be my soulmate; but you are. I didn’t want to fall for you after you rejected me, but guess what? That happened too. And I am so done with everything, because I never got anything I wanted. I never really thought it’ll be so bad, but it’s somehow worse. I’m done with you.” You took in a deep breath, shaking your head. “I’ll complete the rest of the project myself. I’ll send Sebastian to give you two a copy. You don’t have to bear with me anymore.” You said picking up everything and rushing out of the library. 

You heard Sirius run after you and call you over and over again, but you didn’t have the strength to listen. You could hear him running after you but you didn’t stop. Your eyes were filled with tears and your mouth quivered. You tried your best not to cry in front of everyone. You locked your dorm room plopping down on the bed and buried your head in the pillow. You pulled at the sheets crying into your pillow. You wanted to shout, you wanted to scream. You wanted to break everything within your eyesight. It was painful, everything was.

You heard knocking at the door and Sirius called out for you.

“(Y/n), please open up! Let me explain. Please!”

“Sirius, just go okay, I don’t want to talk to you.”

“Please (Y/n), I would leave after I’ve told you everything. Please!” You took in a deep breath as tears constantly streamed down your face. You shook your head violently.

“I’m not opening up.” You said hugging the pillow closer to yourself, making it deshape from how tightly you held it.

You heard a thump and realised Sirius might have sat on the floor.

“(Y/n), I was scared. I was so so scared of having a soulmate; of someone who I would become dependent on, that I pretended mine never existed. Because every single thing, every single thing, I’ve ever wanted has been snatched away from me. Every thing. So I pretended, I pretended that you did not exist. When you did come along the lie I told myself just shattered.”

You heard him crack as you sobbed.

“But (Y/n), you amazed me, you destroyed every single doubt I had about myself and you may call that fate but I fell in love with you.”

You heard him suck a deep breath and your eyes widened. Your mind repeated the words he just said over and over again.

“I fell in love with you. And there is no world in which I could ever deserve you. Look at me, (Y/n).” he let out a dry laugh. “I’m a mess. But I am selfish, I am very selfish too. And there is no way, no way I am ever letting you go, not again.” 

You sniffed, listening in.

“And people can say this was bound to happen all they want but I would never agree with them. Because, (Y/n), I would fall in love with you even if we were not meant to be. Even if it was not written on the stars, even if it was not tattooed on our hands. Because having you is like finally breathing and I won’t stop loving you even if you move on.”

It was all too much. You ran towards the door and opened it seeing Sirius’s teary face. You fell on the floor with a thump and hugged him so tight you were sure air would leave his lungs. But it didn’t matter, because you were hugging him right back and it was all you needed. You didn’t know how long you two cried on each other’s shoulders. When you did pull back, Sirius muttered apologies.

“I’m sorry-“ you cupped his face and shook your head.

“I’m sorry too.” You said wiping away his tears and moved to crush your lips into his. It felt like nothing he experienced before, it was soft and slow. You felt his hands on you, pulling you close. There were sparks everywhere. You weren’t some nameless face he was making out with. It was you, the girl he had come to love and the girl he wanted to call his. He gasped, pulling away as you both looked at each other smiling through the tears. Sirius pulled you in kissing you again, and again and again.

And that was exactly how the two of you were, even years later. Kissing, hugging, just holding each other through all ups and downs of life. And that was exactly what you always wanted.

A/N: My deerest peeps, yup! This journey just ended. Written for Riley’s ( @wreckofawriter ) Cliche Month’s Challenge. Tell me what you like, what you didn’t. Tell me what made you laugh and what left you on fire ;)

[woodstockbtswriter]

Voyagers

Genre: Fluff/Headcanon

Pairing: Yoongi x Reader (Female)

Summary: A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join BTS on a Bon Voyage adventure leads to once-in-a-lifetime love.

Author’s Note: All I have to say is... please enjoy! And, if you do, let me know! Thanks! 💕

GIF Credit: MONOSUGA

Part Fourteen

Goodnight?

You’d hoped Yoongi would stay and talk more, maybe even offer a more thorough explanation as to why he kissed you out of nowhere

But he seemed embarrassed and anxious to retreat

So after shyly bidding you goodnight, he quickly moved toward his tent

Leaving you standing outside the camper van, feeling stunned

Unsure what else to do, you opened the door and climbed in

It was dark in the camper, and the boys inside were already settled in bed

But Hoseok spoke up when you entered, asking if it was you

You responded automatically as you slumped onto your bed, still in a daze

You heard a rustle and could just make out Hoseok propping himself up on one elbow, looking down at you from his high bed

He inquired if you were okay, and you were about to answer him

But then you remembered there were several GoPro cameras tucked into the corners of the camper

You quietly asked if the cameras were off, looking around for any tiny recording lights

Namjoon’s voice sounded from the back, confirming that he turned them all off a few minutes ago

Then he asked if everything was alright, too

“Yoongi kissed me…” You breathed

And you felt a renewed sense of excitement saying it out loud

As soon as the words left you, you heard a bump in the dark, then Hoseok cried out in pain

Jungkook’s laugh rang out from beside him, and you realized Hoseok sat up reflexively and hit his head on the ceiling

You, Namjoon, and Taehyung laughed too, and you asked Hoseok if he was hurt

Hoseok dismissed the question, saying he was fine as he hurried to climb down the ladder

Reaching the floor, he quickly moved to sit cross-legged beside you, grabbing both of your hands and holding them in his lap

Hoseok beamed at you, practically giddy, and urged you to tell him everything

Spilling the Tea

Namjoon flipped a small light on, and you saw him, Taehyung, and Jungkook all sitting up in bed, their faces shining with interest

You suddenly felt a little shy, but you knew everyone there cared about you and Yoongi, and wanted both of you to be happy

And you trusted the boys to keep anything you told them confidential

So you opened up, and told them the whole story

How you and Yoongi had been getting to know each other, and growing close

How Yoongi held your hand at the observatory, and in the hot tub

How he let you sleep on his shoulder, and rested his head on yours

How you stayed up talking the night before, and really connected

How the producers had noticed you spending so much time together, and requested that you participate with the other members instead 

How Yoongi got the wrong idea, and thought you were avoiding him because you like Namjoon

And how when you promised him there was no reason for him to be jealous, he unexpectedly kissed you

The boys all grinned as they listened, and when you finished describing everything that happened, you expected they’d be surprised

But Taehyung said he wasn’t 

He knew his hyung liked you, and could see there was something happening between you

Hoseok and Jungkook agreed, though they hadn’t expected Yoongi to make the first move, especially so soon

Namjoon was a little surprised Yoongi had been jealous of him though, and reassured you that he knew you were just friends

But all of the boys were excited for you, and happy that their hyung had opened himself up to you

You thanked them, saying you were really happy and excited too

And you shyly admitted that you really like - maybe even love - Yoongi

When you said that, Hoseok pulled you into a crushing hug

But you had to ask them if they thought his intentions were serious, if they thought he actually wanted a relationship

After a moment’s consideration, Jungkook stated he’d never seen Yoongi with a girlfriend

And Namjoon explained that dating had been a low priority for him since their debut, because he’d been focused on his career

But he was sure that if Yoongi met someone he was truly interested in, someone he genuinely connected with, someone who could convince him that a relationship was worth it…

Someone like…

You

Then he would adjust his priorities accordingly

Hoseok, Taehyung, and Jungkook agreed, adding that they’d never seen Yoongi so comfortable, so open, so affectionate with anyone so soon

And he wasn’t one to waste any time or energy on something he didn’t plan to see through

So, based on the evidence they’d seen and how well they knew their hyung...

They felt confident promising you that Yoongi was definitely serious about you

Hearing their affirmations brought happy tears to your eyes, and Hoseok “aww”ed when he noticed, giving you another tight hug

Real Talk

You were so relieved that the other members confirmed your hope that Yoongi liked you

But knowing how he felt about you was only one part of the equation

Because before you started a relationship, you knew you had to consider what dating an international idol would really be like

So you asked the boys, not knowing when you’d get another chance to talk with them so candidly

A relationship with one of them would be hard, all four boys concurred

Besides the hectic schedules, endless workload, and constant traveling, there was extremely limited privacy, constant scrutiny, and immense pressure to maintain the right image

Some of which you’d already experienced

But, Namjoon encouraged, it wasn’t impossible

And he knew that Yoongi would give his all to make things work, and would care for you deeply

As long as you did the same

You appreciated the honesty, and thanked the boys for their insight and encouragement

Hoseok squeezed your hand, swearing that he and his brothers would be there for you and help you in any way they could

Namjoon, Taehyung, and Jungkook all nodded, and you felt your eyes start to water again

Hoseok wiped your tears, chuckling, and suggested that maybe it was time for you to go to sleep

You reluctantly agreed, and Namjoon turned out the light as soon as Hoseok climbed back into his own bed

Then, slipping under your covers, you whispered another “thank you” and a “goodnight” into the darkness, and four voices softly answered “goodnight” back

The Morning After

The heat of the bright sun shining directly in your face woke you in the morning 

You burrowed beneath your pillow, attempting to block out the light, but it was too warm inside the camper

Giving up, you kicked off your blankets and opened your eyes

Namjoon was already sitting up, and Hoseok was stretching in bed, his shirt lifting to expose his tummy

You’d slept fitfully and were still tired, but you knew you weren’t going to be able to sleep anymore, so you decided to get up, too

Hoseok headed to the public bathroom to shower, and Namjoon, Taehyung, and Jungkook went outside to give you privacy while you used the camper shower

When you were clean and dressed, you went outside and found Jimin making friends with two friendly dogs that had wandered into your camp

You greeted Jimin and the sweet pups, then joined Jin who was lounging in a camp chair drinking pumpkin sikhye

Jin offered you some, and you enjoyed a sip of the sweet rice drink

It was another beautiful, peaceful morning in New Zealand, and it was nice to take a moment to just relax and enjoy it

Then Yoongi appeared, freshly showered and dressed for the day, and your heart gave its usual excited response

He really needed to stop being so cute

Not making eye contact, he casually sat next to Jin and asked to try his drink

You offered Yoongi a “good morning” and a smile as Jin passed him the bottle, but he only nodded, pulling out his phone and starting to idly scroll through it

Feeling unsure, you sat in silence, the three of you sharing sips of the sikhye until it was gone

Then Hoseok returned from the showers, and Yoongi joined him as he squeezed espresso packets into water bottles to make instant Americanos

As Yoongi walked away, Jin looked at you, an eyebrow raised

Even though he wasn’t yet privy to every detail, he knew enough to be curious about what he just witnessed

You gave Jin a weak smile, not knowing what to tell him

You weren’t sure what was up either

Maybe Yoongi just needed his morning caffeine fix

Maybe after his coffee he’d be more friendly, you told yourself

But before you could think too much about it, the rest of the group gathered around and began preparing to leave

The activity for the morning was a helicopter tour, and everyone needed to ride in the SUV to get to the pickup site

In typical fashion, the boys wanted to play rock-paper-scissors to determine seating order

Jin elected to drive and Namjoon won the front seat

Hoseok, Jimin, and Jungkook lost and had to squeeze into the third row

Which left you, Yoongi, and Taehyung in the second row

Yoongi climbed in behind the passenger’s seat, and Taehyung nudged you to sit in the middle, barely concealing his conspiratorial smile

Giving Taehyung a look, you slid across the seat, settling next to Yoongi, your shoulders pressed together 

But he kept his gaze fixed out the window

And you felt a tiny twinge of doubt 

The car was packed with all eight of you, but as you rode along, Jimin said that it was fun to be together in one vehicle 

Your group had been divided between the camper and the SUV the whole trip, and even back home the members rarely rode all together anymore

The other boys agreed, and began reminiscing about sharing vehicles while filming past music videos

You always enjoyed hearing them discuss their memories

But you were distracted as you sat between Yoongi and Taehyung, pulling your shoulders and knees together to make yourself as small as possible

Yoongi was acting normal with the others, talking and joking, but he’d yet to interact with you directly

And you couldn’t help but wonder why

Was Yoongi being shy and awkward because he kissed you last night and now he didn’t know how to act around you?

Or was he regretting kissing you…?

You forced the thought from your mind

No, you were probably reading too much into things

You were just letting your insecurities influence you

There had to be a perfectly reasonable explanation for his sudden change in behavior

You’d had a good reason for acting similarly the day before, afterall

But whatever it was that was inhibiting him, you hoped it wasn’t going to last all day

Because honestly…

You weren’t sure you could stand another day not being close to him

Previous - Next

Taglist: @bucky-thorin-winchester @yvemoon @serpentiinequeen @neilpoetssociety @narcissism-iskey​

[garbagevanfleet]

Learn To Leave A Room (series)

PART TWO 

Pairing: Jake & female!Reader Warnings: general sexiness, but nothing too risque yet Summary: Balancing relationships is hard work - God forbid someone throw a wrench into it. Notes:  oh my god, im sorry guys. sexual tension is my favorite thing in the whole world. 

MASTERLIST

“I am not ashamed, the story goes. I swear I will learn to leave a room without touching every part of your face.” — Marcelo Hernandez Castillo, “How to Grow the Brightest Geranium,” published in Breakwater Review

“Obviously you have to talk to him.” 

Despite being nearly noon, it’s still too early for this conversation. Lucy has dragged you back to the diner, hoping to nurse your collective hangovers with some coffee and a greasy breakfast, but all you had really wanted to do was crawl into your own bed.

“You can’t just leave things like they are. I mean, he is still your boyfriend until you actually break up with him, right?” she tries again. You know she’s right. She’s always so insightful about these kinds of things, and hung-over you is a little annoyed by her sound logic. 

You had told her a very selective recounting of what had happened last night, leaving out anything to do with Jake. You weren’t ever planning on telling her the rest.

You and Lucy had stayed over at the Kiszka residence, cuddled up together on the couch, but you - very luckily - did not have to see anyone else before you had left. 

“I know. I will eventually,” you assure, staring down at the half-eaten cheeseburger you ordered and wondering if you can take another bite. You opt instead to pick at it with your fork. “Mostly I want him to have to think about it all for a while. Get in his own head.”

She giggles at you. “Mind games,” she says in the way of agreement. She’s silent for a moment as you watch her stir her milkshake with her straw. “I’m sorry he did that to you. I could tell that you didn’t want to invite him; I shouldn’t have pushed you.”

You shake your head at her. “It’s so not your fault. I think it’s good that I figured out who he really is early on. You know, before I actually got to like him.”

“You didn’t really like him?” Her tone is sheepish. 

You shake your head. “It was fun at first, but no. I will miss the regular sex though,” you add, making her laugh. 

“Well, I guess you’ll have to just kick him to the curb and get back out there. You’re going to find someone that’s going to treat you right.”

You nod in agreement and give her a thankful smile, but somehow you feel that you won’t be joining the dating scene for a while. 

+++

Mitch never does text you, so you decide you won’t either. It feels a little unresolved, but you’re honestly grateful to not have to deal with the confrontation. He had never left anything at your house, and you hadn’t taken more than one or two pictures together, so you forget about him pretty easily.

You do feel anxious off and on, but you don’t think it’s from the breakup. You can’t quite put your finger on it, but you pick up an extra-long shift at the cafe to fill your time. Fall is the start of the busy season for baristas, so you very infrequently have a moment to dwell on anything at work. 

After a long day of steaming and steeping, you cannot wait to get home and wash off. The most you ever feel like yourself is in the shower - it’s always a mental cleansing process just as much as a physical one. Soft music starts to play from the speaker on the bathroom counter as you connect your phone. 

You turn the water to the perfect temperature to warm you up from the walk home, and it feels borderline euphoric as you step under the spray. You let the water wash over you, but the second you close your eyes, you snap them back open with an anxious feeling. 

You try it again. You lean back, close your eyes... but to the same result. 

You stand and stare blankly at the shower wall. 

“Fuck,” you breathe. Every time you close your eyes, all you can see is Jake looking back at you from across the living room. 

The lights on his face, the contrast of his dark hair against the white door frame - you can even hear the music that was playing. All of it. It’s haunting you.

You rub the heels of your palms into your eyes, trying to will it away, but you can’t stop your brain from playing the image back to you. 

“Fuck,” you whisper again, a bit more desperately this time and slump against the cold shower wall. You stay there, staring at the tile in front of you until you realize that the issue isn’t going to go away. 

You give up and wash your hair, absent of the task. A slight annoyance slips over you because you can’t even enjoy the ritual with your mind so preoccupied. You take a deep breath and let your eyes slip closed as the warm water rinses the soap away. 

He’s waiting for you in the black, but this time you’re on the patio with him, watching him smoke his cigarette down to the filter. It’s only for a moment, but in that moment you can smell the smoke. Feel the leather of his jacket. Taste his skin. 

You remember the intensity in his eyes as you sucked his thumb into your mouth and you try to recall every little thing about how he looked at that moment. You groan at yourself, realizing just how stupid you are for ever letting yourself feel like this. 

When you step out of the shower, you promise yourself that you won’t think about it anymore, but you still do. You try to bargain with yourself. 

You won’t think about it again after tonight, you think, but you know it’s a lie.

You blow dry your hair in the mirror and stare at the spot on your neck that Mitch had left you with. It’s faded to the point that it’s nearly undetectable, but you can see it. You want to hate Mitch for it, but somewhere in the back of your mind, you’re acutely aware that if he hadn’t done that, you would have never had the time you did with Jake. The party would have just been normal and you would still have Mitch’s number saved in your phone. Jake was right, who knows how long you would have kept dating him, despite the lack of interest on your part. 

You lay down in bed with your warm pajamas on, your feet dangling off the side and your cell in your hands. Jake’s contact information is pulled up and you flip to the Messages tab. You’ve only ever messaged him a couple of times; once when he asked you about a song you had been playing that he wanted to know the name of, and once when Josh and him were coming to pick you and Lucy up and he was messaging that they were waiting outside. 

You lay the phone face down on your chest and stare up at your ceiling. Your heart is fluttering as you think about what would happen if you called him. Right now. 

It’s just a reckless idea - you’d never do it - but that doesn’t stop your eyes from flicking to the clock on your nightstand. 

It’s 11 pm. Would he even answer? What would you say if he did?

You roll your eyes at yourself, suddenly embarrassed at how stupid you’re being. The covers are chilly as you slip into them, but thankfully, they warm up quickly. You fall into a pleasant sleep, and even though you had sworn you wouldn’t dream about it, you still do. 

+++

You wake up to your phone notifying you of a message, but you ignore it for a few minutes, trying to force yourself back to sleep. It’s five minutes later that you realize it’s not happening, so you reach a hand over for your phone. 

Lucy   10:23 am

What are you up to tonight?

A smile finds your lips. She’s always had an uncanny way of knowing when you needed her, and some girl time was exactly what the doctor ordered, you think.

Absolutely nothing. Wanna hang? you reply. You crawl out of bed and allow yourself some time to stretch your muscles before you head for the bathroom. You’re brushing your teeth when you hear a new message come in. 

Lucy   10:41 am 

For sure

Movie at Josh’s. Pick you up around 5.  

Your heart jumps.

“Fuck,” you rasp, but your mouth is still full of toothpaste, and now your mirror is dotted with white speckles. You finish brushing frantically before texting back.

Maybe just a girl night?

Because your life is currently such a mess, you’re not at all surprised that Lucy takes nearly half an hour to respond.

You lunge for the phone the second you hear the notification sound, nearly dropping the Poptart that you’ve just finished toasting. 

 Lucy  11:10 am

Don’t be silly, I already got the movie 

You have no idea how that prevents you from just watching it alone with her, but you don’t want to make her suspicious, so you don’t press any further. 

The rest of your day is spent acting like a middle schooler. You are not ready to see Jake Kiszka again. What if he says something to you in front of Lucy? Explaining it to her would be a nightmare. What if he was just drunk and doesn’t actually have any interest at all?

You’re not positive you’ll see him, so you try to convince yourself that you probably won’t. It decidedly does not work.  

You pointedly try not to think about what you’re going to wear, but despite yourself, you already have an outfit picked out by the time 4 pm rolls around. You try to reason with yourself as you eye your makeup bag.

“It’s a movie,” you remind yourself into the mirror. “We are just watching a movie in the dark and you are not putting on makeup.”

You try to be firm, but you’re weak and you end up glaring at your reflection as you apply mascara. 

Lucy is late when she arrives to get you, but it doesn’t matter, because you still feel like you haven’t had enough time to worry about everything thoroughly. Feeling unprepared, you climb into her car. 

You try to calm yourself by listening to everything Lucy is going on about as she tells you about her week. You know that she can tell that you’re nervous because she starts talking about her cat - a subject that always makes you feel better.

She’s so used to being at the Kiszka house that when you get there, she doesn’t bother knocking. She just lets herself in and hangs her coat and scarf on a hook by the door.

“Babe,” she calls out into the house, and Josh emerges from the kitchen and sweeps her into an embrace. You try not to listen to their loved up talk, you don’t feel like you have the stomach for it with the state you’re in.   

Josh greets you with a polite hug. You smile back genuinely until you realize that you have no idea if Jake told him anything, and suddenly you have a whole new nightmare to explore in your head. You try to talk yourself through it as you follow them through the hall to the living room.

He didn’t give you the shit-eating grin that you would expect to receive if he did know something. You’re also pretty sure that he would tell Lucy, and Lucy would absolutely ask you about it. You breathe a relieved sigh as you settle in on the couch.

Sam is sitting the wrong way in a reclining chair, his long legs hanging off one of the arms. He looks so gangly that you can’t help but laugh at him and he gives you a cheesy smile back. 

Since the recliner is taken, you get cozy with Lucy sandwiched between you and Josh, and a fuzzy blanket across all your laps. You want to ask if Jake is going to be joining you guys, but you chicken out. What if Josh does know about what happened at the party, and by some miracle, he just didn’t tell Lucy? You don’t want to seem like you’re thinking about Jake - even though you absolutely are - so you just stay silent. 

You try to get into the movie. You and Lucy both love anything in the horror genre, but you’d already seen this one in theaters with her, and you try not to be annoyed that she’d pick a movie you’ve both already seen, presumably just so Josh could see it as well.

It’s considerably less scary the second time around, so about halfway through, you find yourself bored. You excuse yourself to use the restroom, mostly just so you can stretch your legs, as the couch isn’t that big and fitting three people on it is a squeeze. Lucy asks if you want them to pause the movie, but you wave her off, telling her you’ll be right back.

You head up the stairs and down the hallway, and you’re just about to turn the corner to the bathroom when the breath gets knocked out of you with a thump. It doesn’t hurt, but a shocked noise escapes your lips before you can stop it. A pair of hands find your hips instantly to help steady you. It takes you a second to realize that you’ve just slammed into Jake - face first - but as soon as you do, you hold your breath. You must have a horrified look on your face because he breathes a laugh.

“Fuck, I’m so sorry,” you squeak. “What are you doing here?”

Deliberately slow - like he’s trying to make sure you’ve got your balance back - he pulls his hands away. Through a disbelieving grin, he says, “Well, I live here. It’s more like ‘what are you doing here?’.”

You can feel your face turning pink. “Right. Lucy and I are here for a movie,” you explain. You haven’t made an effort to step back away from him, and you can’t bring yourself to yet. His hair is wet and slicked back, and you’re annoyed it looks so good on him - you always look like a drowned cat when you get out of the shower. 

He hums in understanding but doesn’t say anything else. He just raises his eyebrows at you expectantly. 

Just above a whisper, you chance, “Are we going to talk about it?”

He feigns consideration. 

“We could,” he says with a nod, his lips stretching out into a mischievous smirk. “Or we could pick up where we left off.”

You subtly pull the sleeves on your sweater down to your wrists in an effort to hide the goosebumps that are rising on your skin. You open your mouth, but you’re truly at a loss for words. You had a full week to think about this, but you realize you never got around to allowing yourself to figure out what you’d say to him. He gives you an ample amount of time to think of a response, but the only thing you can do is stare at his lips.

“What’s the matter?” he asks, his voice is like silk. It’s quiet, but commanding. A tone you’d use if you had someone's wrists cuffed to your headboard. “Where did all that confidence go?”

He didn’t have as much control the last time you were this close to him, but he definitely does now, and you can tell that this is exactly how he’s comfortable.

“Pretty sure my liver cleared it all out Saturday morning,” you reply, swallowing hard. The words had come out softer than you’d intended. He’s smug as he seems to give you a once over, and your chest tightens under his gaze. 

“That’s a shame.” 

You can smell his shampoo as he brushes past you - something minty and pleasant. The sharpness of it helps ground you a little, but as soon as he disappears down the stairs, you slip into the bathroom and slump against the closed door. The whole exchange only lasted a couple of minutes, but you’re left feeling exhausted. You consider staying in the bathroom forever - maybe setting up a nice nest of towels so you never have to see anyone for the rest of your life, but then you remember that you have your favorite kind of yogurt in your fridge at home, so you’ll have to come out eventually. Instead, you just stand in front of the sink and splash cold water against your face as you try to collect your thoughts. 

You don’t see him the rest of the evening, and for that, you’re simultaneously grateful and annoyed. Multiple times you think about marching back up to his room, but that's as far as you get. You still have no idea what you’d say or do once you got up there. 

Lucy takes you home after the movie, and she offers to stay the night, but you tell her you’re wiped and that you’re headed right to bed. You go to get out of her car, but she places her hand on yours where it’s rested on the center console. 

“Hey, so Josh and I were talking,” she starts, and your stomach tightens. You’re suddenly positive that she’s about to tell you that she knows everything, so you hold your breath. 

“About birthday plans. So he was thinking that since I’m going to be leaving in a week, he’s going to throw me a party at his house next Saturday,” she finishes excitedly. You smile at her, trying not to look scared. 

Lucy’s birthday is in early November, and every single year since you met, you’ve spent it together. This year, however, her parents surprised her with a trip abroad. You had been planning on having a nice dinner together just before she left, but you suppose that it is more efficient to just have a party with everyone.

 “That’s great,” you agree, squeezing her hand. 

“I’m so excited, I’m just hoping you can help us plan it all?” She gives you her best puppy eyes. “Since I’m going to be so busy packing and making sure I have everything together.”

You take a deep breath and nod in agreement. “Of course. You can count on me, Lu.”

She beams at you and leans in to give you a cramped car hug.

When you’re back in your room, you shoot Josh a message asking what he’d like you to be in charge of. Your body feels tight, so you head to the bathroom and draw yourself a bath, setting the water as hot as it will go. 

Josh K    9:38 pm

thinking probably cake 

You frown at your phone and shoot back,  just cake?

Josh K    9:41 pm

yah 

You set your phone down on the tile by the bathtub and roll your eyes. “Idiot,” you say out loud through a smile. You undress and sink into the water slowly, and it’s so hot that it turns your skin pink, but the slight pain is grounding. A message notification sounds from beside you, so you extend a wet hand to grab it.

Josh K    9:48 pm 

Lucy wants to do decorations herself n sam threatened suicide if he cant dj

You huff a laugh. What are you getting her for a present?, you send back.

Josh K    9:51 pm

secret :)

Josh K    9:52 pm

maybe just birthday sex 

You leave it at that, grateful that Lucy has someone so loving in her life. You think she deserves it, even if it does gross you out now and again. 

You spend the rest of your time in the bath willing yourself to relax and trying to figure out why the last three words Jake said to you upset you more than the entirety of your last interaction with Mitch.

PART THREE

Taglist: @myownparadise96   (message me to add yourself if you want!)

[unstoppableforcce]

waves crash. ships don’t. ( epilogue )

The Mandalorian x reader

waves crash- masterlist here

this is the end of the line y’all, I’m so glad you could come with me on this journey. what was supposed to be small snippets turned into my first finished fic in a long time! let’s see what I do next, I hope you’ll join me then too!

Cara just didn’t understand.

The child had been in her care for approximately 16 hours since Mando and you stopped by Nevarro and dropped the child off with her and Karga, citing a particularly dangerous mission on the horizon, something you couldn’t bring the child into. They just needed to watch the kid for a day, at most, just until you could settle what needed to be settled.

That wasn’t what Cara didn’t understand. In the six months since they had left that stormy planet, Mando and you have had to leave the child under their protection twice when your mission to get him back to his people got too risky to have him around.

This was relatively normal.

What the child was doing, that was what she didn’t understand.

She lived through the child attempting to Force choke her out, she watched the fireworks when he burned the fire trooper to death, she had seen him heal Karga and so much more. This was not strange in the magical power respect, this was strange in the child respect.

It walked around the small cantina crawling with bounty hunters, banging his goddamn womp rat head on surface after surface.

Cara had to stop it from grabbing the metallic leg of one of the droids who entered the cantina and crashing its head against its calf. It was the strangest impulse that overcame his little green body.

It didn’t make any sense. She just didn’t understand.

“It’s like it has a death wish.” She cursed, setting the burlap bundle onto the table in front of Karga. “I swear, just wants to bash its own head in.”

“It’s just a child, let it be.”

The child grabbed a puck off the table and stuck it into its mouth, sucking the metal with a cooing voice which only made Karga bellow out with a laugh.

“Going to be just like Mando with these pucks.” He joked, grabbing the puck back and instead flipping on the hologram to distract him.

“Not if he keeps hitting his head against anything he can.”

“Just tell them when they get back.”

She scoffed, leaning back in the booth. “If they’re coming back.”

“Of course they’re coming back, why wouldn’t they?” He furrowed back, stopping his extension of a hand to order a drink, the words catching him so off guard.

Blowing out a breath from her lips, “If I was traveling around the galaxy on fun quests looking for an ancient people with the love of my life and I could leave this little creature somewhere it would be safe, I wouldn’t come back.”

“Mando is a man of honor and purpose.”

“Well, I wouldn’t come back.” She chuckled out as the kid hobbled to her, headfirst, “Not for this monster.”

“It’s a wonder they left it in your care.” He mocked, shaking his head, finishing ordering his drink when the communicator on the table began to buzz. “That them?”

Cara checked it while still trying to hold the stubborn child back. “Yeah, they just docked.”

“Do you stand corrected?”

“I wouldn’t come back.” She reiterated, grabbing the child and shaking her head. “I’ll be back.” She huffed, sliding out of the booth.

“Ironic.”

She just rolled her eyes and kept walking, the child bouncing along in her arms the entire way to the docks.

The Razor Crest had a few more scratches on its hull than the last time it docked, but minor, nothing that would require repairs or anything, eventually they would just blend into the natural character of the ship.

She considered letting the kid down to run up the ramp by itself, but something stopped her before she got the chance. Just far enough around the corner, she was able to spot the quiet moment she was about to intrude on and hang back, keeping the child quiet against her chest.

He had been sat on a crate in the hull, something that wasn’t there last time she went to pick up the kid, so she could only assume it had been whatever you left to obtain. And you had been knelt in front of him, wrapping a bacta patch around his wrist.

It was such a personal moment, she even felt bad eavesdropping as she waited, but she couldn’t help herself.

“That was stupid.” You cursed out first in basic, then followed it with a string of colorful insults in your native tongue, hands working faster to wrap and secure the dressings.

“I know.” He spoke solemnly back to you, the voice low through his modulator, so low Cara was barely able to hear it over the sounds of muffled coos in her arms.

“Don’t do it again.”

He huffed out a breath, almost strained like he was in pain as you pulled the wrap tighter around the wound. “I thought the beskar would take it.”

“Well it didn’t hit the beskar.”

He didn’t need to be told that, he was the one who felt the sharpness of the blade tear through his shirt and skin as he lunged in front of you to take the hit. There wasn’t much of him not covered in beskar, the guy had managed to hit the few inches of unprotected landscape.

But he could manage the small wrist wound. Had he not, it would have been a much larger wound across your neck, he was confident about that much.

One last tear with your teeth at the patch and he was all taped up. But as you stood to gather the rest of the supplies in the small medicine box, he grabbed your wrist and stopped you.

He held your hand tight with his and pulled you in closer as he stood to his own height directly in front of you.

Cara peered around the corner just in time to catch the brief motion, you standing to press your forehead to the equivalent of his on the helmet, shutting your eyes as your skin gently collided with the cold metal. His gloved hand wrapped behind your neck to keep you just as close, the two of you consumed by each other so silently.

It was a solemn expression that painted your face, but Cara nearly swore she saw a brief upturn at your lips.

You two held there, just with each other, for only a few curt seconds before pulling away. She knew very little about Mandalorian culture, she knew even less about you and where you came from, but even she could recognize the action as something so intimate, certainly more intimate than she had ever seen Mando be in the entire time she had been with him. Even since you came along.

It was beautiful. Which was probably why she felt so bad having witnessed something she imagined existed only between the two of you. Something special, something personal, something yours.

Or maybe not just between the two of you.

The child tugged on the armor which kept it contained to her arms, readjusting in her grip to hit its head firmly on her chest plate.

She felt like she was beginning to understand its new and strange habit.

Mando descended the ramp mere seconds later and she had no time to pretend she wasn’t just intruding. And while he went stiff when her presence caught him off guard, he quickly relaxed when he saw it was just her and the child.

“Mission go alright?” She questioned, looking back up the ramp as she set the child onto the floor. Immediately it took off towards where you were working in the weapons closet, not quickly, just a slow hobble, but adorable, whether Cara would admit to finding it so or not.

“Yeah, fine.” He added back just as short, following her stare now, watching as the child hit its head against your calves while you worked.

There was still a smile being suppressed on your lips, but less effort went into keeping it hidden this time, the two of them could very easily see it. The scar on your bottom lips stretched but you didn’t seem to mind it while you worked.

“The kid’s been doing that head thing all day.” She explained, clearing her throat to catch Mando’s attention back from you. “Couldn’t get him to stop.”

“Yeah.” If she didn’t know better, she would say it sounded like a smile cutting through the steel around his head. “Don’t know where he got that from.”

“Me either.” She chuckled quietly, earing a quizzical tilt of his head her way that she felt better ignoring. “I like this for you.”

“Like what?”

“Just.” She blew out a breath, watching as you picked the child up and retreated further into the ship to where she could no longer see, the last image she caught being you with a smile as the kid tried to headbutt you directly. “This.”

He saw it too. He was staring. He was always staring. 

“Yeah.” He nodded, “I like it too.”

Cara knew why he came back for the kid.

-> my ko-fi

(if you enjoyed and would like to help support me, feel free to buy me a coffee, or just ignore this little message if it’s not your cuppa tea)

tags: 

@im-the-nerdiest-of-them-a11 @bva14 @steve-thotgers @bonkybaaarnes @persephonehemingway @scintilla-morningstar r @sarcasm-n-insomnia @jellyfishpoptart @tedpicklez @morgannope @vaultingphilosophy @fan-g0rl @theladyofmanyfandomsofficial @ginger-swag-rapunzel  @afootnoteinyourhappiness @sinon36 (thank you all so much for your continual support, I hope you enjoy’d it all to the end!)

[neon-dynasty]

Kamigawa was a failed endeavor. Released in the autumn of 2004, Champions of Kamigawa promised some new things for Magic the Gathering, and the return to some old things as well. Most importantly, in my opinion, it showed that Wizards was paying attention to what fans were interested in (outside of Magic) and wanted to provide a way of relating to the fans. However, just about everything they did with the setting and game either couldn’t live up to expectations or outright failed. Here’s why I think the original Kamigawa block failed, and why I think a return would be a resounding success.

This came out much longer than I’d expected, so hit the jump.

For its entire existence up until 2004, most of Magic’s settings were a hodgepodge of fantasy tropes, and the storyline had been following or tying into a single thread for years. Kamigawa was the first setting to truly be free of the ongoing Magic story. Nowadays, however, Magic is known for its settings based on real-world places and cultures. Just this past year, we’ve visited Eldraine (Arthurian Britain), Theros (ancient Greece), and Ikoria (less a real culture and more about giant monster tropes). Back in 2004, however, visiting a clearly defined theme world like this was something that hadn’t been done in a long time. In fact, it’s something the franchise traditionally shied away from. 1996’s Mirage block took place in Jamuura, a continent on Dominaria based on sub-Saharan Africa.1995’s Ice Age was set in a Viking-inspired Terisiare. (You could say that Arabian Nights and Portal Three Kingdoms also count, but those were more wholesale copies than homages.) Based on ancient Japan, Kamigawa was the first herald of a new worldbuilding philosophy for Magic, one that would see the creative team at Wizards of the Coast put their own spin on familiar cultures and mythologies, while still keeping them distinctly their own. Kind of like Disney movies.

The mechanics also promised to shake things up. While I don’t remember any of the card announcements, Kamigawa block introduced many new pieces for the game. Samurai and ninja had their own keyword abilities in bushido and ninjutsu, and most of the sorcery and instant cards dealt with arcane and spirits. Legendary had its own theme as well, with 138 unique creatures (139, if you count the other Yamazaki brother) and 39 other permanents, with a number of cards that cared about the supertype. Finally, there were flip cards, a mechanically and visually interesting way of getting more value out of those creatures and introducing a sort of sidequest to your game. 

Kamigawa was gearing up to be something special in Magic. But as I said at the very beginning of this piece, it failed.

The mechanics were kind of a disaster. Splice onto arcane was parasitic and to get any value out of it, you’d need to go all-in on overcosted cards. Bushido, sweep, offering, and most of the rest of the keywords were similarly underwhelming, either providing minuscule value or actively getting in the way of what you wanted to do. Putting the legendary supertype on a card is a downside when Commander doesn’t exist and singleton formats are not a popular way of playing. It doesn’t help that having too many legendary creatures in a set thend to make them feel less special, as well. Flip cards, while cool in theory, wound up being a logistical mess that didn’t add much to the enjoyment of casual games, and barely saw tournament play. All of this meant the cards didn’t really impact Standard, and Limited was a clunky ordeal more often than anyone would have liked. Following Mirrodin block, the most powerful three sets since Urza’s block, was also a tall order, and one that almost no set was equipped to fulfill. 

Admittedly, while I love the card game, I absolutely adore everything else about Magic. The storyline intrigued me when I started playing during Onslaught block, and knowing that there was this vast body of lore kept me hooked. Hearing that there was a Japanese-inspired setting coming up was pure hype for someone who’d also been into anime for years and video games for years before that. The early 00s were an interesting time for entertainment, as Japanese animation had finally infiltrated American mainstream media. Pokémon had been a successful card game for years (another story for another day), and Yu-Gi-Oh had just hit the scene in America after doing well in Japan for a few years. With all this and a burgeoning internet, fans of anime, video games, and Japanese culture had certain expectations. To say Kamigawa did not meet them would be an understatement. 

The general setting was based on an older Japanese culture, one which didn’t see much representation in media. Samurai, ninja, youkai, along with other popular figures and tropes were either later inventions or had a more solidified image hundreds of years after the source material took place. While I remember many Magic the Gathering fans being worried that the game would take on an anime aesthetic to capitalize on what was popular with the wider geek audience, they actually took it in the opposite direction. Instead of bright colors and bold outlines, Kamigawa was a dark and gritty place, which was made even more evident by the increasing demand for realistic detail in the art department. The kami themselves, one half of the conflict, were alien and foreign to behold. These weren’t based on images that otaku would have been familiar with, Japanese or Western, but based on much older stories that had been phased out of the public consciousness.

In short, there is no “in short.” There are many reasons why it didn’t succeed, but ultimately, it came down to being something that no one really expected or wanted. Instead of taking the cheap, easy, and profitable route by leaning into anime culture, Wizards bucked the trend and used a setting that most Magic fans would not have been familiar with, forcing it to fit within the franchise. They also filled the block with parasitic mechanics that were clunky and actively detrimental to play. And yes, I’m leaving out dozens of other reasons why Kamigawa failed, but those are the main ones that I personally feel hurt the setting. 

Sadly, as public-facing employees remind us constantly, Kamigawa is a very difficult sell to the higher-ups. It was one of the company’s biggest failures, and they can’t use tweets and Tumblr asks from enfranchised fans as justifications for its return. And yet, the requests still pour in. I believe that the reasons for this desire are the key to a new set based in Kamigawa. 

Let’s start with the biggest one: Commander. In many ways, this format is kind of the anti-MtG. It’s a long, drawn-out process that uses decks built with your whole collection, rather than the newest releases. Cards that are awful in most other formats are amazing in Commander, and one of the biggest drawbacks a card can have - the Legendary supertype - is a major boon here. It’s also the current most popular format for old and new players alike. I think that more than anything else, Kamigawa’s legendary theme is what draws new players, as Commander enthusiasts will inevitably find some interesting cards that would never have worked well in the old days.

I also think that Wizards of the Coast has learned a lot since 2004 (and whenever they started work on the original block). Remember, Kamigawa was the first of its kind: a real-world inspired setting completely separate from what the entire franchise had been doing for years. There were bound to be mistakes, and they’ve clearly learned how to rectify them. The following setting, Ravnica, used an Eastern European city aesthetic to compliment its two-color guild theme, but was still constrained by the block structure. Upon our return there, they changed the block structure to better fit what the themes and story wanted. On the other hand, Zendikar, their D&D-inspired adventure world, was beloved for its fast and fun mechanics, as well as the feeling of exploration on the cards and in the media. The return, however, involved destroying all of that in favor of an extradimensional war setting. Guilds of Ravnica and Zendikar Rising each supplied what the fans wanted out of those settings, to varying degrees of success. 

Wizards also keeps showing us glimpses into Kamigawa through Core Sets and supplemental products. Tamiyo showed up on Innistrad and Ravnica. They printed new shrines (compatible with the old Honden) in Core 2021. Yuriko, the Tiger’s Shadow, is one of my favorite commanders of all time, and she’s from the 2018 Commander set. They still value the setting, and don’t seem to be interested in ignoring it to the point of obscurity (like, for example, Mercadia). 

And, obviously, there are the rumors. With a blog name like mine, you have to have known this was coming. The three planeswalker concepts from surveys could point to anything: Commander products, supplementary sets, etc. However, I think that the web domains for Kamigawa Neon Dynasty point to a full set of some kind.

Interestingly enough, the events of the original Kamigawa block take place in Magic’s very distant past, so it’s been a tantalizing prospect to see how the place might have changed in the past few thousand years. Skipping over medieval fantasy and bringing it past the present into a cyberpunk future might be an excellent way to go about it. Aesthetics from early 90’s anime could still be stylistically unique in Magic, while keeping elements from the old setting would root us to the original block. I could see the new story centering around a conflict between one faction clinging to ancient traditions and another pushing magical technology to its futuristic limits. After all, Tamiyo still dresses in old-fashioned robes and reads from scrolls, and the moonfolk were known to be almost completely isolated from everyone else. I wonder what the kami would look like, if we even saw them at all.

Ultimately, I think that Wizards is in the perfect spot to try Kamigawa again. Between their worldbuilding experience, the rise of the Commander format, and a willingness to push the aesthetics of their game in different directions, there’s a lot of reason to hope that we’ll be heading back sooner or later. 

Please feel free to let me know if I missed something or got any details wrong. And please discuss what you’d like to see in a return to Kamigawa, either new stuff or old. 

[dragongirl642]

Sunstreaker/Sideswipe x human!female!reader (bayverse) part 5

Recap:

Once he was calm, we hurried to collect the Allspark. That humming in my chest, just kept getting stronger and now it was accompanied by a sense of urgency from Starblaze but also this feeling of awesome power.

One thought crossed my mind. 'I got a bad feeling about this.'

-------------------------------------Recap end------------------------------------

I was riding an ATV following the transport units. My speciality is mobile battle. The modified ATV's two sub-automatic machine guns being my best friends in battle. Closely following my cousin's truck, I could clearly see Lennox sat in front of me, through the open back of the vehicle. He was briefing the unit on possible hostiles and giving the oh-so-positive, 'it's better to live to fight another day, than die doing a heroic stunt that gets you killed' kind of speech.

The Allspark and Sam were riding with Bumblebee up ahead. We were heading to Mission City; whilst there it should be easier to contact the copters and get the hell out of the Decepticon's reach. Keller agreed with the idea, so here we were.

Starblaze and the twins sent me encouraging pulses over our bond. 'Wait...I can feel the twins now too...must be a Gaian thing.'

I was busy watching William until I heard the roar of engines ahead. Holding the handlebars of my ATV steady, I twisted to look behind me. A blue Peterbuilt semi-trailer truck with flame decals (Optimus Prime), a silver Modified Pontiac Solstice GXP (Jazz), a black Modified GMC Topkick C4500 (Ironhide) and a Yellow Hummer H2 Search and Rescue SUV (Ratchet) were coming the other way. The songs bursting out of Bee's radio signalling that these were the other Autobots. They passed us and I heard the squeal of tires as they made u-turns at breakneck speed. 'But then again they don't have necks to break in that form'. They began gaining on us from behind.

My ATV's inbuilt radio crackled, orders to fall back and hold the rear; I complied. I slowed and allowed them to pass me. William threw me a thumbs up from the back of his truck, I sent back a small wave. We continued in this formation, Mission city in our sights.

As we joined the main highway, civilian cars either side. I heard metallic clicking behind me. Yet again I twisted to look and wished I hadn't. 'Scrap'. I faced forward and hit the throttle. Shooting forward just in time to avoid the metallic fist that came down were I had been moments before. I powered forward passed the Semi as it transformed into a tall, powerful looking Autobot. 'The red and blue really suit him'. He began skating and turned back to face the threat. I weaved my way through the other Autobots and came up behind Lennox. He looked at me as I jokingly called, "Definitely a Decepticon...get ready to have some fun", as I flicked the switch on my ATV's dash to power up my guns. The blur of motion as the chambers spun and set, hitting home. One recruit went completely white. 'Hope he doesn't throw up...too late...that's gonna be a mess to clean up later'.

We made it to the city. The communication with the Nellis Air Force base lifting spirits; help was on the way. The first transport units sending out fire teams to clear buildings and set up sniper points. The Autobots transformed and we spread out. I parked further up the street with my guns pointed towards the highway. The whine of an F-22 Raptor was heard. 'Thank God they're here...wait that was too quick, something's wrong'. I opened my mouth to call my cousin just as smoke flares were sent up. The Raptor changing course, heading straight for our position. I set my guns, plotting its trajectory. Good thing too...it was a Decepticon. The Black Autobot, Ironhide, called a name; "Starscream". Bumblebee and Ironhide picked up a truck as the jet transformed into a grey Seeler, 'seekey, seekser, oh...seeker I think it was'. Ironhide ordering everyone to "fall back". Starscream shot at them and the resulting explosion almost blinded me. My battle goggles tinting automatically. As the smoke cleared I could see that Bumblebee had been decapitated. Ironhide had been blasted backwards so poor Bee took the brunt of the shot.

Starscream stood over him, ready to give the finishing blow. Ironhide was coming around and the other Autobots were already springing into action, but an idea came to me, 'stupid but brilliant, as they say'.

I gunned the throttle, shooting forward at speed. I opened fire. Bullets distracting the seeker as I did one of those idiotic heroic stunts Lennox was talking about. Using a crushed car as a ramp, I leapt with my ATV, straight for the astonished Starscream. Knuckles white with the effort it took to stay seated as the wheels of my ATV struck his faceplate. I kept the throttle on as they gave him tyre burn. Also sending me into a backwards flip. 'This was not part of the plan'. Starscream fell back and holding his face transformed and flew off while I held on for dear life to my ATV. Thankfully it landed right way up, so I wasn't about to be a (y/n) pancake yet. But the resounding crack upon impact wasn't the most reassuring sound in the world.

Lennox sending me the radio version of an angry face. I just sent him back the radio version of a wink face. 'You gotta have a sense of humour in this job, otherwise I would've gone mad years ago'.

The sounds of battle crashed around me as I gunned the throttle once more. The familiar feeling of adrenaline filled me as I differed to my training, the battlefield becoming a blur.

I was moving, running, ducking through showers of bullets and firing my second sub-automatic machine gun, (I'd taken them off the ATV when it was scrapped by a Decepticon bullet shower). Just as I was about to turn a blast of wind rushed past, accompanied by a figure, 'no make that two'. The silver Autobot, Jazz, was being carried off by Megatron. The huge 'and I mean HUGE' scary looking leader of the Decepticons. Jazz was fighting bravely but I could already tell he was going to die. You would have to be able to fly to rescue him. 'WAIT A MINUTE'.

I ran for the building they were heading towards. Dropping my gun, I performed the transformation sequence as I ran. "Gaian fusion, partner up!" The transformation was quicker this time, maybe because I was in the middle of a battle.

With a powerful downthrust of my wings I was airborne and heading for the two mechs.

"You want a piece of me", I could hear Jazz's taunts. I raised my bow and drew back the string a glowing arrow taking form. It was growing the longer I held the bow taught, but I didn't give it time to grow. I let loose just as Megatron began to reply, "No I want..." The arrow hit his left servo. He yelled in pain and dropped Jazz, grabbing his injured servo with his good hand. On reflex I dived. My fingers finding the grooves in his armour, I took hold, and beat my wings furiously to slow us down. It worked and I deposited him on the floor. Floating before him I gave a quick nod before spotting my cousin over his shoulder.

Mouth agape, all surprised, he was quite the sight. Staring at me like I'd just turned into a 'wait'. The comic picture was broken by the sight of an injured brawl returning to his feet and aiming his gun for Lennox's unprotected back. I swooped forward. Shield at the ready I blocked the incoming fire. Ironhide, Ratchet and Jazz rushing back in to re-engage.

"How?...What?...When?...WHAT?" Lennox was spluttering and gaping like a fish. I composed myself, ready to tell him everything when he honestly surprised me. "You know what, tell me after we don't die" and he ran off.

The blur of battle setting in once more...this time though...I fought using my powers. Slash and parry, let loose a volley of small arrows, block, shield at the ready and begin again.

Startled once more out of my trance, by an almighty crash and the audible cracks of something very important. Glancing over my shoulder, Megatron is standing there, Optimus injured, sitting in a small pile of rubble, leaning against a damaged building and Sam running for his life. All the nearby soldier's radios crackled to life, Lennox's voice sounding from all around. #(y/n)...protect Sam#

I took the order to heart. 'So sweet of him to include me though' I thought, and vaulted over several cars to run beside the teen; along with Ironhide and Ratchet. Sam threw me an incredulous look but kept running. A Decepticon made a swing for him, raising my shield up to block the attack we slid under the blade. We kept running. The pounding in my ears almost drowning out the sound of Starscream engaging our two Autobot protectors.

A thump crashed behind, "Give me the cube boy!" Megatron was chasing us, 'well that's just fragging great now isn't it'. We didn't see the SUV till it was too late. I pushed Sam ahead, he fell and dropped the cube. A wave of power being discharged, hitting me and several machines; bringing them to life and causing general mayhem. While I dropped to a knee in pain. Heat flaring within my chest. The feeling of a sparkbeat began, then failed, then began again.

"Go Sam" I choked out before collapsing.

He ran on, darting into a relatively undamaged building. I lay there, wings twitching and body wracked by painful spasms. Images flashing through my mind, a planet wracked by war, a desperate plan, a secret, a void, "You will do my will"...and a dark voice. "They will never follow you brother". I watched helpless as two vast beings fought. Then the one who spoke last held out a hand, 13 pinpricks of light appeared and formed into, what I recognised, as cybertronians.

"Behold my Primes, they will be your undoing brother unless you turn back from this foolish path, return...please". The last part almost a whisper.

"NEVER!" The dark voice ringing in the void. It hurt.

A flash and the dark voice screamed, in pain and anger...slowly it faded, drifting away, swallowed by the void. I felt that kinder presence turn to me, "What you have seen young one, learn from it. You have felt the power of the Allspark and carry part of it within you, use it wisely." I felt myself being dragged away.

"Wait...what do you mean?" I called but no answer came. I was falling into a dark all-consuming abyss. Then a small spot of light appeared. I recognised it before it spoke. "Come back...partner" Starblaze. I followed and the light grew enveloping me.

I opened my eyes. I was lying on the ground, cheek pressed to the hard asphalt. Just in time to see my cousin perform another one of those heroic stunts'...on a motorcycle no less'.

Blackout fell and I slowly sat up. A headache slowly fading. 'When you're in the middle of a battle, you're not supposed to black out and hope for the best.' Silently berating myself, I stumbled to my feet, a cascading waterfall of dust and rubble falling of my body. 

Swaying I summoned my bow. Pulling back the string and taking aim. I could feel the F-22 raptor pilots panicking above as Starscream appeared in their midst. Lennox and the ground forces fired on Megatron, so did the remaining raptors. They were trying to expose his spark, but though he fell back there was still the protective layer of his spark chamber to contend with. 

I released the arrow. It struck home, burning through the final protective layer. Megatron howled in pain, Optimus using that moment to strike him. Grappling the two titans almost crushed Sam. I saw Optimus's dermas move but I didn't hear what he said. Nevertheless, Sam thrust his hands upwards, pushing the Allspark into Megatron's spark. Another white hot flare built in my chest and Megatron's spark shone and pulsed erratically. The Allspark burning up. Eventually it went dark and Megatron fell to the road, offline.

I ran over to Lennox, out of the corner of my eye, spotting Sam pick something up from the ground. He looked at me with a smile. I was not prepared to be picked up and spun like some doll by an over energised cousin. 'He's still in a battle high...great' I internally rolled my eyes.

When he put me down, he gave me a look up and down. I cocked my hips, giggled and gave a spin to show off my new look. My wings buffeted his face and he promptly sneezed. 'Who said I don't have a childish side'. The other members of the unit were looking at me in awe. One cheeky lad at the back even wolf-whistled.

"Ok, now I've seen it, is there any way to unsee it" he stated.

I performed the motions while calling "Power down" and with a flash of light I was back in uniform.

I watched as the Autobots and Sam gathered around Prime for a speech. I just smiled and turned back to my cousin. Opening my mouth to speak and finally explain my whole crazy story when I felt a tug within my heart.

Starblaze exuding waves of calm while the twins were frantically asking me whether I was ok. I responded yes and then their alt-modes just rolled, all calm like, out of a nearby alley and transformed.

With panicked yells everyone raised their weapons at the newcomers. "Whoa, hold your fire, hold your fire!" I called running in front of everyone, arms raised in the classic I-am-defending-this-person position. Lennox marched, like two steps, over to me, "Who are these guys?" He then studied me up and down, noting how I was calm and obviously protecting the trio, he rolled his weight onto his back foot and leisurely said, "Friends of yours?"

'How does he stay so calm?' I questioned in my head. I gestured behind me, "This is Starblaze, my Gaian partner and his siblings, the twins, Starocean and Starwave. I'll explain later Cousin..." I put on the most sweet voice I could, "I have something I need to discuss with dear Starblaze here." now I turned to Starblaze, "AND WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN, I'VE BEEN FIGHTING FOR MY LIFE AND YOU'VE BEEN CHILLIN' IN AN ALLEY THIS WHOLE TIME!" I was going into rant mode. "YOU COULD HAVE DECIDED TO HELP AT ANY MOMENT BUT NO..." Starblaze raised a hand for silence, cutting me off mid-rant.

He just looked at me, completely unimpressed, and said, "You're a competent fighter, I said we would come if you were in danger, you weren't. You are still alive are you not?"

'Oh that just takes the cake' I geared up for a real rant, I could feel my face going red as blood rushed to it. Some of the other soldiers, having realised these were friends, wore broad grins on their faces, just waiting for the show to begin.

"Should we run", said Starwave. "Probably" replied his twin and they slowly backed off hands raised, leaving their older brother to face his partner's fury.

Of course they didn't get off that easy,

.

.

.

The Autobots had noticed the new arrivals.

[drunk-onsunlight]

Day #4 of Promptmas

Chapter 4:  Look out the window at that storm

Summary:

Ice skating date? Cute coffee shop I found online and passed the address to Peter so he could take MJ there. Spidey finally meets Black Cat in person, or something like that.

Chapter 1: Beautiful what’s your hurry?

Chapter 2: I’ll hold your hands (they’re just like ice)

Chapter 3: Mind if move in closer?

Concept: Ice Skating

Dialogue: “If you sing Jingle Bells one more time…” & “Do you mind?” “What? I’m cold”

December 20th

The day was particularly cold and MJ was trying not to kill Peter. He was on his tenth time humming Jingle Bells and it was just 9am. MJ opened the curtains and took a look outside, the snow was falling down slowly. She loved the view of the city she grew up in during winter season. The phone on her pocket vibrated with a new message, her friend was informing her about that guy that was bothering MJ so much, people saw her as a villain when she was trying to help the city. Not that she cared what people thought about her, maybe they will found out one day. She needs to make a plan for tonight, she can’t let them create whatever they are trying to do If that implies hurting people, innocent people like her friend.

“Michelle?” she had been so distracted by her message that she didn’t notice Peter calling her name

“Parker?” She placed her phone back on her pocket and turned around to face Peter. He was standing in the middle of the living room looking at her with an expression she couldn’t read properly

“What would you say if I tell you that I want to go ice skating… with you” the invitation took MJ off guard but she actually liked the idea

“yeah. Why not? Is Morgan going?” Was this a friendly invitation or actually was Morgan going and he still wanted them to bond even more?

“No, she is not coming. But if you want to invite her…” She really liked Morgan but she wanted to spend some quality time with Peter. Uni, Black Cat and her part time job ended up in not seeing her roommate a lot and she missed spending time with the loser.

“No. It’s fine. What if we go grab something to eat and then go ice skating?”

“Rockefeller Center?”

“There is no better place to go ice skating than Rockefeller Center, loser.” It was close to 10am, while they found something to eat it could be close to midday and maybe they could walk to Manhattan to be there late afternoon and finally ice skate together.

“I want to show you a place I found. I think you’ll love it” Peter’s eyes were shining with excitement.

“Then let’s go” They gathered their belongings and went out to the cold day.

They were walking quietly when she heard a little sound next to her, a mumbling of a song. Oh, no. not again.

“Peter, if you sing Jingle Bells one more time I swear to god I will push you while skating and I’m making sure you die” it wasn’t the fact that he was humming the song, it was that she seriously hated the song.

“Why you hate Christmas carols so much?”

“I don’t hate all of those but that specific one doesn’t make any sense. It’s the same verse over and over again” Peter didn’t say anything, he just looked at her for a few seconds and kept walking. They fell into a comfortable silence, MJ loved that. At first when they moved together there was awkward silences that none of them knew how to fill, but now it was different. They could be studying at 1am in complete silence, just the sound of their keyboards and the company was enough, no words needed.

“Here we are” Peter stopped on a corner. There was a really nice looking coffee shop there.

“Mighty Oak Roasters?” she didn’t recognized the name and when she took a look inside, she noticed a normal cafeteria with a particular bar and a huge machine on the back corner

“Yeap. Come on in!” he held the door for her and she moved inside the coffee shop

“Bar or table?”

“Bar” Not that she was thinking about how a date with Peter would be in this exact same place he picked for her, not sure why just yet but sitting with him at the bar made her feel more like a friendly thing and not the image she totally could see in her mind on one of the tables

“Welcome to Mighty Oak Roasters. What do you want to drink?” A very nice girl asked them with her sight on a small notebook on her hand. The huge menu was right in front of her behind the bar hanging on the wall

“Is our first time here so what do you recommend us?” Peter spoke first making the girl look at him

“Well… the coffee shop is focused on vegan pastries and using freshly roasted beans for coffee and self-sustaining tea” the girl was looking between Peter and her. Every time the waitress looked at Peter she stumbled over her words and tended to blush, MJ have seen that reaction many times. Peter was a handsome man, she wasn’t blind, she noticed him since high school and saw him grew up into a man, a handsome one for the matter. But above the whole situation with the waitress, MJ was very impressed. Peter knew MJ so well that he found this vegan self-sustaining place.

“Can you bring me matcha latte, please?”

“For me a mocha, please” Peter didn’t even looked at the menu, he was focused on MJ. He knew how to read her after so many years

“I’m impressed, Parker”

“I knew you would like the place” he was very proud of himself

“Not you first time here, right? You didn’t even look at the menu to order” his confidence dropped a little but kept it cool

“I found the place one day, it looked nice and searched for it later” that wasn’t the full story, MJ knew that much but she wasn’t pushing it either.

The tea was amazing and according with Peter, his mocha was pretty good too. They chatted while on the coffee shop about how their part time jobs were going. MJ decided to finally tell Peter about that photoshoot an agent had offered her to do and he was very surprise but supportive. He told her about how his job in The Bugle was demanding more of him, he never spoke about his famous Spider-Man pictures so she never asked. She told him about a few cases they were working on the lawyer’s firm with a new guy called Harry Osborn and his awful attempts of flirting with her.

The hours passed and soon it was afternoon so they decided to go to the ice rink. It was a half an hour walk, just to give it time for the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree to light up. When they finally arrived it was late afternoon, the air was colder than before and she could see lots of families already ice skating in the rink.

“You ready?” Peter turned around to talk to her. He wasn’t wearing a scarf given that he gave his to the snowman they built with Morgan, but he didn’t seem cold. He looked perfectly fine while she was very cold, she kind of missed wearing her leather suit beneath her clothes

“I was born ready, Parker” MJ knew that phrase always made Peter laugh

“oh. Get out of here!” she loved when he tried to mock her while trying to hide his laugh

It wasn’t the first time they went ice skating but it was the first time alone, they always went with Ned and Betty and even May. Peter was a little clumsy at first but after ten minutes he managed to do a little flip without MJ having to lift him off the ground. MJ used a little bit of her Black Cat abilities to show off. While Peter moved around trying to do his flip, she was skating backwards when she decided to show Peter something she used as Black Cat.

“Hey, loser. I’m going to do a little something over there. Try not to kill yourself while I do that, ok?”

“I’m not gonna die! Maybe I will do another few flips over here”

MJ skated backwards again, gain speed as she went around the rink without stop looking at Peter. Suddenly she opened her arms, then used her left toe to turn while lifting her right foot from the floor, that caused her to turn around in the air once and land on the outside edge of her left foot smoothly, then stopped in front of Peter with an easy smile.

“How did you do that?” Peter was looking at her like she had grown two more heads

“Saw it on an article about ice skating flips and seemed easy enough to try it” It wasn’t an easy flip, she knew that but she did that flip every once in a while when swinging through the buildings, it was easy to do that while trying to escape. The rope attached to her hip making her perfectly stabilized, her high heels allowing her to turn around once and land sometimes on another building, sometimes on the next corner of the same one.

“Easy?  If I try that I probably end up breaking my neck”

“Yeap, you are too clumsy for those things, loser”

They kept trying to do more flips for about half an hour with Peter falling to do most of them and MJ laughing while he seated on the floor.

“Peter you are a mess! You’re going to be all bruised tomorrow. We should go home and get some rest”

“Sounds like a very good idea. Now can you help me stand up and stop laughing?”

“Why? Is really fun to see you trying to get up on your own”

“MJ!”

“Okay! Fine!!!” She took his hand and helped him get up. They moved to the door where they have left their shoes and put them back on. The ride home was full of laughter from MJ and lots of blushes from Peter. They got home by 8, they reheated the pizzas they made from the night before and watched some TV on the living room.

“I think I’m going to sleep. I’m tired. Thanks by the way, the coffee shop and the ice skating, I needed that”

“Any time, MJ. Sleep tight”

“And take care of those bruises, loser”

“will do”

She headed to her room and closed the door behind her. She checked her phone to see if her little friend was fine or if he had any news. She just had a new message from him “u comin’?” She was tired but she also needed to check on him, the situation was getting worst by the second. She replied a quick “yes. Stay safe” and putted her leather suit on. She looked herself in the mirror while adjusting her silver wig and black mask on, she looked exhausted but this was more important, she could sleep tomorrow, she didn’t have any plans after all.

She checked that nobody could see her and then climbed out her window. Her belt had everything she needed for her little mission.  She climbed the wall and got to the rooftop of her own building. She saved her claws, the same ones she used to climb walls, and searched for her phone do a quick call

“Hi, Em. Where are you?” He was the only one that knew her real name and that was dangerous enough

“I’m going out but I need you to tell me what you saw or heard to go safe” it wasn’t time to do small talk and he knew it

“Prowler, something about some equipment to improve his damage on the city, something big Em. But in small amounts so it doesn’t call anyone attention. He was going to take the money tonight to a new place”

“where?”

“Commodore Barry Park at eleven thirty. But please, be careful”

“Like always. I will text you when I have the money”

“Bye Em. Take care”

She ended the call and threw her rope to the next building. She wasn’t as fast as Spider-Man was with his webs but the rope did perfectly fine and she used more the claws to climb than any other artifact she carried with her. She started moving to Brooklyn as fast as she could, she knew the park and knew that it didn’t have lots of places to hide a group of people with weird costumes on. It was going to be an easy task to find them.

She was at the park at eleven, the place was surprisingly empty, maybe it was the low temperature, she was freezing too. She decided to make a round on the park, she moved between the trees, her black leather suit helped her to hide on the shadows, but her wig made it a little more difficult so she needed to think where the moon was placed so her hair could camouflage with the moon.

She found a place above a small building that was near the park and soon she saw the Prowler walking through the park and placed himself under a big tree. If she moved quickly, she could take the money and run without making a big show. When she started moving closer to the Prowler she heard an explosion close to them. The prowler rolled his eyes and spoke to some kind of intercom but she could hear what he was speaking. A few seconds later a second figure with four mechanical arms appeared to her right, his suit was simple, like a mechanical octopus. Too late to get the money from the Prowler now, she will have to do the same from a few days ago, go directly to the warehouse and take the money from there.

A second louder thud shook the three where she was and now she could see the source of the sounds. Rhino was running to the small park and of course, spider-Man was after him. The Prowler and the Octopus man exchanged a look and then turned around and moved to opposite sides. The Prowler walked under the tree she was so she took her chance and jumped right behind him.

“I have heard a lot about you, Prowler” She always tried to change her voice when being Black Cat. He turned around to see her.

“Cat, you are not a myth then”

“I can be a nightmare if you want me to” She walked around him and put her chest closer to his back, she placed her right hand on his shoulder and moved down his arm, when she got to the bag in his hand she moved quickly. She pressed the little button on her palm and her claws popped out, her left hand was on his neck and her right was holding the briefcase handle. A third thud sounded, but this time Rhino took a tree to the ground with him. Prowler saw Spider-Man first so he released the briefcase and ran past Rhino.

“You own me Cat!” the Prowler screamed and looked back at her. His scream made Spider-Man look at her, the robotic eyes in his mask moved like he was trying to focus on her.

“Damn it” MJ cursed under her breath. She didn’t want Spider-Man involved in any of her business. His distraction made Rhino run away but he didn’t follow him, he started moving to her.

“You must be the famous Black Cat, right?” she could tell that he was changing his voice an octave lower, just like she changed her voice but she didn’t care who he was in real life

“If I’m famous then I’m not doing my job well enough” she needed to escape with the money so she started to use her most useful weapon, her charm. She wasn’t an idiot, the leather suit made all her curves stand out, her long legs with high heels made her taller than most men and she used all she could to escape from situations like this one without hurting anyone

“Well, famous for me. I have being searching for you, some petty theft, you are on and off the scene, not making big deals or causing lots of trouble. Wonder why” he knew basic information about her, she could handle that

“Well, I know more about you” she moved closer to him. She was taller than him for very little, maybe without heels he was taller, just maybe “you are an Avenger, one of the old ones. Not as old as Thor or Iron Man but old enough to have their respect. Very close to Iron Man, Doctor Strange and Capitan America. Connections with Wakanda because you are kind of a genius and you probably have rejected bigger projects to keep an eye on New York, so you probably live close too. And half the journalist love you, the other half hates you” She have studied him, there wasn’t enough information but what she got was enough to set him off

“Now I’m ashamed I don’t know any more information about you” he was following the conversation how she needed it to go. She moved to his back, let the briefcase on the grass and placed her hands on his waist

“Do you mind?” Spider-Man flinched at her touch and tried to move away from her. She could feel his hard muscles under the red and black suit

“What? I’m cold and you seem hot enough to help me warm up” she spoke to his ear and she felt him flinch. One of her claws climbed up his arm

“Easy Cat, those claws don’t seem friendly” she had to laugh at that. He knew what she was doing and she was ready to run away if necessary

“Just like those web shooters, I have seen what they can do”

“That’s why you are standing behind me?”

“Very good. You are a genius after all” she heard a little laugh behind his mask but his robotic eyes didn’t show any emotion

“Just very observant. Learned from a friend” she thought about Peter, how at first she observed him all the time and with the time, he learned to look around and take mental notes for later. He appreciated that tip as a photographer with The Bugle

“Very useful. So I should stop all this and just go, right? No need to distract you. Too smart and observant for that, Spidey” She grabbed the briefcase from the grass and started moving to a corner of the park

“Just one question before you go”

“Shoot” She walked backwards not running but not giving him a chance to get her

“Why?”

“Why are you Spider-Man and not a regular citizen?” she didn’t wait for the answer. She threw her rope to a nearby building and did the same flip she had done early on the ice rink. The toe of her foot gave her the impulse to jump while her other leg spun her around on its own axis to land on the corner of the building the rope was holding onto. With her claws she climbed the wall and searched for Spider-Man but didn’t find him.

She made her way home close to 1am. As soon as she arrived, she took her suit of along with her wig and mask, the briefcase was next to her window. She tried to be really quiet, she didn’t wanted to wake Peter up. She put on one of Peter’s shirts she had stolen from him a lot time ago. It was one of his science pun shirts and she liked the soft fabric and maybe the fact that when she took it, it smelled like Peter.

She was lying down on her bed, tired of the day but couldn’t sleep. She couldn’t stop thinking about Spider-Man and Peter. Spidey was nothing like Peter but at the same time there was something familiar with him, something that made her think about Peter when she touched him, when he question her for her actions and when he didn’t answer back to her.

“God, I need to sleep. I’m mixing everything up and that’s definitely not good” She spoke softly to the celling. Thinking about Peter was kind of an issue, but comparing Spider-Man and Peter was insane. Peter had clumsy movements when Spidey was agile in every one of his. Peter was shy while Spidey openly flirted with her. Peter had a strong moral compass while Spidey let her go even when he though she was a thief. They were totally different and she was just wasting time thinking about them.

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Thanks to @spiderman-homecomeme fro the amazing opportunity to write :3

[hello-im-not-a-possum]

Who said black cats were just bad luck? (Prompt: Stars)

Nathan Arch and Joey Drew had been ‘friends’ since the pair were young boys. Nathan was a studious child who even at a young age, took his family’s image and reputation seriously and saw supernatural forces as nothing more than silly superstition and myths. Joey on the other hand, was an energetic and mischievous little imp of a child who believed in the supernatural forces. So naturally, they hated each other on sight at first.

In childhood, the boys’ relationship was strained even further by their parents forcing them to be the best of friends when the pair barely had anything in common aside from their mutual dislike for having their afternoons, weekends, and summers being ‘wasted’ in each other’s presence.

This had led to Nathan bullying the smaller kid, nothing like punching or kicking the impish boy, Nathan Arch was no brute. But he did make fun of Joey, a lot. Most often by mocking his supernatural interests, calling them silly and childish as well as occasionally ruining the boy’s belongings whenever he was too irritated to deal with him. Joey of course didn’t take this lying down and had retaliated by playing nasty pranks on Nathan; shaking up soda bottles, putting creepy bugs in his things, drawing rude pictures into his school books, things like that.

Nathan compared the ritual circles in Joey’s father’s books to something like “wishing on a shooting star, but this one is just drawn on the ground with chalk.”, and Joey would fill his school bag with earthworms. Joey would tie Nathan’s shoes together and laugh as he fell on his face, and Nathan would throw one of Joey’s sketchbooks in a muddy puddle.

Then, ‘the incident’ happened and Joey returned from visiting Henry’s hometown with an injured leg and now had a haunted look in his eyes.

The boys’ petty rivalry was snuffed out soon afterwards; Nathan knew that guilt would eat him alive if he tried anything and Joey seemed to wrapped up in his own struggles to even bother trying to mess with Nathan. Either out of pity, guilt, or a mix of the two, Nathan did try to reach out to Joey, whether it was with a ‘get well soon’ card that came in a gift basket or seeing him in person at the hospital, but it was obvious that it was a bad idea for him to push anything further.

Whether their parents decided it was in poor taste to continue to shove them together in the hopes of them being friends or some Doctor gave an order for Joey to rest, the two drifted apart shortly after the incident. 

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A few years later, Nathan Arch had gotten into a good college and was just setting up his side of the Dorm when he heard someone else come in.

“Archie? Is that you? How long has it been?!”

Turning around to face his new roommate, Nathan Arch’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the man he hadn’t since childhood. Joey carried around a cane now for obvious reasons, he had gone from a pipsqueak of a child to a beanstalk of a young adult, and he was a lot neater (at least, appearance-wise) than he was as an unruly little imp. But the mischievous spark had been re-lit in his eyes.

“Drew? Why, I haven’t seen you in ages!”

He hesitated for a second, what was he supposed to do? It wasn’t like he could just pretend that their history was nothing but dust under the rug, but at the same time, he’d much rather carry on a conversation that matched Joey’s upbeat tone... No, this was just like medicine, swallow it down first and fast, and then it does its job.

“Joey... About how I treated you when we were kids... I’m Sorry. It was petty and cruel of me to take out my frustrations on you when neither of us had any say in the matter of how our lives went. And I deeply regret it, I can understand if-ACK!”

He was cut off by Joey crushing him in a bear hug.

“I forgive you, you verbose, pompous airbag.”

Rolling his eyes at the insult, Nathan hugged Joey back.

Having Joey as a roommate was an... interesting experience. It was a mostly positive one as in spite of his cheerful demeanor and strong preference towards the arts as opposed to business or something of that sort, he was not a man child and did follow the rules and assigned chores of the dorms.

Compared to other students at the college, Nathan probably lucked out when he got Joey, but there was just one little thing about Joey that bothered him, nothing too serious, just a little itch of a problem.

For the most part, Joey talked about his father’s arcane tomes and spell books a lot less than he used to as a kid, but now on the once in a blue moon occasion where he did speak of the occult, he took it a lot more seriously. Perhaps even more seriously than christian priests teaching the word of God. The man treated magic how Nathan wished Joey would treat money; warning against using it frivolously, not using it when he didn’t need it, and looking into the pros and cons of each and every spell before using it.

It didn’t come up often enough for Nathan to be too nervous, but there were a few instances in college where Joey’s occultism was strongly noticeable, and not just on Halloween...

While Nathan was mature enough to keep his thoughts to himself, some things could never change. Like his views on the supernatural. He still saw magic as something fictional, but he also saw how important it was to Joey, and part of him feared that bringing up his opinions about magic would send the two back into being rivals, so he kept his mouth shut.

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While the four years of college flew by a little too quickly for Nathan’s liking, he was pleasantly surprised by how well those four years had not only repaired his and Joey’s relationship. Going from near strangers with an unpleasant history to genuine friends who kept in touch with each other even after college was just a memory in the rear-view mirror of the past. Heck, Joey even was the best man at Nathan’s wedding! And he had the pictures on his mantle piece to prove it!

Nathan was looking through a scrapbook Joey had made and sent to the happy couple as a wedding gift. It contained various pictures of the dates the two went on and the last few pages were pictures of the proposal itself. Nathan smiled as he flipped through the book, wondering what kind of gift he should make Joey in return for his own wedding (if he ever decided to marry).

But that smile fell into a concerned frown as he saw the last page; symbols he recognized from Joey’s spell books: a long forgotten language within a circle that entrapped an upside-down star. The ‘explanation’ was that this was a good luck spell wishing him and Tessa a happy future as husband and wife.

He sighed, closed the book with a little more force than he meant to, and flopped down on the couch. As if she could sense that he was upset, Tessa had come into the living room right as he tossed the book to the other end of the couch.

“Nate? What’s wrong?”

“I’m scared, Tess.”

“About Joey?”

“Yes, I had assumed that he’d grow out of this silly superstitious nonsense sometime when he genuinely matured into adulthood, but if anything, he’s gotten even worse! It’s one thing to go to church every Sunday or to read a Torah, but at best what he’s getting himself into is setting himself up to be scammed by every phony fortune teller on the block and at worse it’s genuine devil’s worship!”

Tessa nodded in sympathy.

“So do you just need to get this off your chest or do you want advice, Dear?”

Unbeknownst to the couple, a shooting star past by outside.

“Well, as much as I’d like to get advice, I don’t know what on earth could work, Joey and I were practically at each other’s throats all the time before ...his incident. While “magic” was there for him for his entire life... I want to help him out of this but I don’t want to lose him as a friend. I just wish I could understand him and why he’s so invested in all that sorcery-crap!”

“You know Nate, sometimes I feel the same way.”

“The floor’s all yours, Doll.”

“I think I can understand the appeal of just wanting to snap your fingers and make every problem you have get carried off by living furnature or whatnot but magic always seems like it’s out to get you! I wish I knew why anyone for that matter would see magic as anything other than trouble.”

The pair sighed in unison and it was Tessa’s turn to flop down on the couch.

“So Tess, where did you get the new hat?”

“New hat?” she raised an eyebrow and reached up to her head “I don’t remember getting a new ...hat...”

She took the pointed witch’s hat off of her head and looked at it in pure disbelief before looking back to her husband and practically jumping back in fear.

“Tessa?! What’s wrong?!”

“Nathan... D-don’t panic, but...” she fumbled around in her purse for her compact case before pulling it out and clicking it open, handing it over to her husband.

Nathan’s jaw dropped open by a cartoonish degree as he saw his reflection; white fur was quickly sprouting up all over his face, getting framed with black fur that spouted on the rest of his body. In a matter of mere seconds, he didn’t even look like a human being anymore! He looked more like that fat cat character in the comics he saw Joey draw.

He looked down at himself and screamed when he saw that the rest of his body had also changed, and when he looked back up to his wife, he screamed again as he realized that she too had gone under some kind of transformation.

Her normally brightly colored attire was replaced by a floor-length black dress. She was still human, or at least, much more human than he was, but she looked simplified in a sense, more like a living drawing of herself. Her pie-cut eyes were filled with concern as she saw the fear in his eyes.

“Oh don’t tell me...”

Nathan bit his lip and nodded.

[sherrybaby14]

A New Pet

Summary: John Wick picks out his new pet.  

Warnings:  SMUT!  Plot?What Plot? PORN, Dom/Sub, I’m gonna go ahead and label this as NONCON, but it’s more like dub-con IMO (PLEASE DO NOT READ IF THIS OFFENDS YOU)

Pairings:  John Wick x Female Reader

A/N:  This is not canon-compliant….let’s say it’s a few days after the first movie, ignoring the second and third.

The animals were asleep. That made cleaning the empty cages easier since at least you didn’t have to hear the barking, the poor dogs begging to be played with.  It broke your heart and you wished you could take them home with you every time your shift ended.  

You worked in silence, scrubbing the metal when the sound of the door opening startled you.   A quick glance at the clock told you it was way too early for another worker to show up, and you weren’t open for the public to look at the adoptable animals for another few hours.  

Maybe you’d forgotten to lock the door.  You pulled off your gloves as you walked around to shoo whoever arrived away.  

“Sorry, we’re closed for another few hours.”  You stopped walking when you saw what was in front of you.  

A man.  What a man he was, with his dark hair hanging over his face.   You gulped as you took him in, he was dressed in an all black suit.  Not the normal attire people wore at six in the morning, or at an animal shelter in general.  

“I’m here for a new pet.”  He ignored your previous comment.

“Ummm…”  You looked down at your yoga pants and t-shirt, wondering if some gala had gotten out.  “You can come back around ten.  That’s when we open, someone can help you with the adoption process.”  

“Why can’t you help me now?” He rolled his shoulder’s back, making you feel almost tiny.

You realized you were staring and dropped your gaze to the floor.

“Uhh, I’m just here in the morning.  I clean the cages.  I don’t know anything about the paperwork.”  You scratched the back of your head.  

“That doesn’t sound like a fun job.”  You heard him step closer.

“It’s not a job. It’s community service.”  Why were you explaining yourself to this stranger?  

“Oh.” He moved close enough you saw his feet on the ground. “Were you a bad girl?”  

“What?” Your head snapped up.

Intense dark brown eyes stared right into yours.

“Community service?”  His jaw clenched. “Were you a bad girl?”  

“I…uhh.”  You swallowed and struggled to think of a response.  

“It’s a simple question Y/N.”  He moved even closer. “Were. You. A. Bad. Girl?”

Your heart fluttered at the use of your name.  Suddenly the sexiness of the man was replaced with terror.  You darted to the side, hoping to get to the door.  But his hand reached out and grabbed your arm.  He flipped you around so your back was against his chest.  He leaned his mouth next to your ear.  

“Because I’ve been known to correct bad behavior.” His words sent a chill through your spine. “Do you need some obedience training?”

“No. It was trespassing I didn’t know it was private property!”  You were doing this gig to make sure nothing went on your record, how did he even know about that?  “Who are you? How do you know my name?”

“You’re wearing a name tag.”  He relaxed his grip on your arm. “And you can call me Sir.”

You felt relief as you looked down and saw the name tag.  He ran his hands up your arms and you found your heart fluttering.  

“I wasn’t lying.”  He ran his hands up your arms.  “I stopped by a few days ago to look for a pet and I saw the perfect one.”  

His head moved to your hair and he inhaled deeply. You tried to lunge forward, fear and confusion running through your veins as you tried to comprehend his words, but his hands squeezed down and pulled you back before you made it a step away.  

“I anticipated some obedience training would be necessary.”  One of his hands covered your face, muffling your scream.  “But don’t worry.  I’ll give you the care and attention you need.  Now if you scream, I will knock you out and I don’t think either of us want that, do we?”  

You nodded your head, your brain still struggling to keep up with what was happening.  What was he talking about?  

“I could tell the second I saw you how submissive you are.”  He moved his hand from your mouth and placed a palm on each of your shoulders.  “The way you won’t make eye contact, how you try so hard to behave.  You want to be a good girl, don’t you?”  

“I…”. You didn’t know what to say.  “No.  I’m not like that.”  

“Of course you are.”  One of his hand snaked down your stomach. “And I can prove it to you.”  

You gasped as his hand pushed under the waist of your pants with ease.  Your mouth hung open as he cupped your pussy and ran two fingers over your slit.  You should have pushed him off, moved away, struggled.  But instead you froze.  

His hand appeared in front of your face and he showed you his glistening fingers.  

“What a good pet you will be.  See how wet you are from just a short conversation?”  He ran his fingers over your lips and you parted them, tasting yourself on this strangers digits.  

You blinked with shock, the short exchange kept you on your toes you hadn’t even noticed the tingling in your pussy.  

“That’s a good girl.”  He pressed down on your tongue and you realized you were sucking. Then the tingling between your legs grew more intense.  “And good girl get rewards.”  

His other hand slid down the back of your pants.  He grabbed your ass, but continued his descent until he got to your cunt.  You moaned around his hand as a finger slid inside you with ease.   Your body fell forward and you put your hands out on the counter.  

Your head started to spin as he slowly pumped his finger.  How the hell was this happening?  This was wrong he was a stranger. It didn’t matter that he was walking sex.  You tried to spit his finger out and step away.                          

“Don’t go back to misbehaving.”  He removed both fingers and his hands went to your pants, pulling them down with your panties.  

“Wait.  Stop.”  You spoke the words, but kept your hands and feet in place, your mind struggling to fight your arousal.  “You’re a stranger.  I don’t even know your name.”  

“You want to know my name.”  His hand tapped your knee and you lifted your leg as he pulled off your shoe and slid the pants off, repeating the process with your other leg. “Well you’ll have to earn it.  Do you think you can do that?”  

He grabbed your shoulder and spun you around.  His eyes bore into yours and he screamed power as he grabbed your t-shirt and pulled it over your head.  You didn’t try to stop him while your brain screamed how wrong this was and your pussy grew even damper.  

Your bra was unhooked and you let it fall to the floor, realizing you were staring at him you dropped your gaze on instinct.  

“No.” His order was short and to the point so you snapped your chin back up.  

There was a wave of approval in his dark brown orbs and you felt your body and mind agree on the satisfaction that brought you.  

“That’s my girl.”  His eyes went to your chest and he licked his lips.  The action made you squeak with anticipation.  “Very eager.”  

His hands went around your thighs and he lifted you up like you weighed nothing, you brought your hands to the back of his neck as he set you on the counter.  Your mind went wild with what he looked like under the suit and you tugged at the jacket.  

“No.” He grabbed one of your wrists and moved your arm to the counter. “Another thing you have to earn.  Do you want that?  To behave and get more rewards?”  

Shame ran through you over how this stranger was making you feel, but you nodded your head lightly.  

“There’s nothing wrong with embracing who you are.” His hands went to his pants and he unzipped them.  “One of the many things I am going to teach you.”  

“Why me?”  You still didn’t quite understand the sexy stranger’s actions or why you weren’t fighting and screaming for help.  

“I already told you.”  His hand reached into his fly and he pulled out a massive cock, easily the largest you had ever seen.  “You’re my new pet.”  

That didn’t give you any answers, but you were more amazed by his dick and what it was going to feel like inside of you.  No longer caring about the internal struggle.    

“Don’t cum until I tell you, or else you will be in trouble?”  He lined up at your entrance.  “Do you understand?”

You nodded your head, not being able to take your eyes off of him, your legs shaking with desire.  He pushed in and you gasped, shocked that he fit as you gripped the counter.   The image of him sliding inside of you was one of the most erotic things you had even seen in your life.  

Moans and whimpers left your lips as he continued filling you.  

“You have a beautiful pussy.”  He moved his hands to the top of your thighs and squeezed his fingers down.  

“Fuck.” You gasped when the shaft of his cock disappeared.  Having taken his entire cock in one stroke.  

You whined when he began pulling out, wanting the friction but the fullness at the same time.  He didn’t get very far before he slammed back in.  You arched your back and cried out.  

He kept the movement, short deep thrusts, but increased the rhythm moving faster each time.  Your toes started to curl as the muscles in your body tightened.  The need was gathering like a sponge.  

“Remember, not until I say.”  He grunted as he went even faster.

“Please!”  Your head swam. “I can’t.”

“Yes you can.”  He did not slow his assault on your pussy.  “You can fight it.”

“But I don’t want to.”  Your orgasm was cresting and you wanted nothing more than to flow with the wave.

“NO.”  His sharp order made you open your eyes, you hadn’t realized you’d shut.  He was staring right at you, his look enough to give the command.

You cried out and bit your lip, uncurling your toes and trying to relax, but all that did was keep you hovering on the edge.  The desperation of the orgasm started to claw at you and you fought to keep it back, his strokes turning tortuous as you denied your body what it craved.  

Then his look turned to approval again.  And your heart grew warm.  Tears started pouring out of your eyes as you kept your body on edge for him, waiting for his permission.  

“You’re doing so good.”  He moaned.  “Do you think you deserve to cum?”  

“Yes!” You cried. “Please?  Please I’ll do whatever you want!  I’ll be good for you.  I’ll behave.  Just please.”  

Each word made the dam you’d built in your body threaten to break.  Your lungs started to burn and you worried you’d forgotten how to breathe.    

“Alright.”  He went even faster.  “Let go.”  

It was instant.  Pleasure and warmth and stars and moons flooded your entire body.  You were certain you were screaming, but you couldn’t hear anything.  You saw his beautiful face, but it was blackened with dots.  You could feel his cock exploding inside of you, but each squirt of his cum made you numb.  You knew you had a tongue, but there was no taste in the air.  You were completely undone, the only thing that let you knew you were alive was the pure ecstasy.

When your vision stopped swirling with the rest of your senses you realized the barking and howling coming from the dogs in the back.  The man had already tucked himself away.  This was the strangest and greatest morning of your life.  

“Come on.”  He handed you your shirt.  

You looked up at him with confusion.  

“I’m taking my new pet home with me.”  His lips almost curved into a smile.  

You noticed it wasn’t a question, but even if it had been you were certain what the answer would have been.  

[bee-kathony]

The Reckoning | Sam & Caitriona - One Shot 

Sam and Caitriona have months of sexual tension built up between them and then the day comes... the day they film their first sex scene for the show. “The Reckoning” is more than just an episode for them -- it’s time for everything to come out into the open. What really happened behind the scenes while filming this episode? NSFW xx

She was in their trailer, hands sweating and heart pounding. Today was the day they’d both been waiting for for months — the filming of their first love scene. Of course, they’d rehearsed and blocked the scene, they were ready. But, nothing would prepare them for the actual moment.

Caitriona had never filmed a love scene quite like this. She had been partially nude in her love scene with Tobias for the first episode, but it was all so technical and with Tobias it was work — strictly professional.

Sam had just gone to get them coffee before they were called to set, so she was sitting alone in their trailer, waiting for him to come back. She didn’t mind having to share a trailer with him, it made things more fun.

Like the time they had come back after a long afternoon of riding and fallen asleep sitting next to each other. Caitriona had woken up with her head resting in Sam’s lap, having no idea how she got there. When she’d moved to sit up, her hand pressed close to Sam’s crotch and he groaned involuntarily. There was no hiding his obvious arousal and Caitriona apologized profusely.

The sexual tension between them was there. Anyone with half a brain could sense it. But they hadn’t acted on it. Not yet at least, not even a kiss. There had been many times Caitriona had wanted to kiss Sam and just get it over with. They were doing things out of order and so this love scene they would film this week was technically after the big wedding episode. Episode number nine, “The Reckoning”.

Maybe if Caitriona and Sam had just slept together already, she wouldn’t be so nervous. Nervous for him to see her and for him to feel and kiss her body. It wouldn’t be the first time Caitriona had been naked in a room full of people, however — her model days had made her comfortable with that at least.

It was the actual acting out a love scene that made her brow slick and her stomach quiver. Not only that, but that it was Sam on the receiving end. Someone she had grown close to over the past months and considered a good friend.

She wasn’t oblivious to the way Sam felt about her. Caitriona had caught him looking at her on multiple occasions, and she knew he had a soft spot for her. He was always volunteering to get her coffee like today, or rub her feet after a long day of walking and hiking up hills to get to location.

Caitriona would be lying if she didn’t admit she had a soft spot for him too. He was kind, generous and incredibly attractive. She had first hand experience with him in the kilt, and she was actually shocked to find out what Scotsmen wore under their kilts — or lack thereof.

It had been a long day of horse riding, and their mares weren’t cooperating. They’d done the same scene over and over again, and Caitriona was growing restless, wanting to plant her feet on solid ground. As the director called cut for a twenty minute break to let the horses rest, she had waited for someone to come and help her off the horse.

Sam swung down, throwing one leg over the other and his kilt had caught between his thighs, rucking up just enough for Caitriona to have a complete view of his cock. She should have looked away, averted her eyes, but there it was in all it’s glory, bigger than she’d imagined.

Offering her his hand, Sam helped her down off the horse, his hands resting on her waist until she had two feet on the earth.

“Are you alright, Cait? You look a bit funny,” Sam smirked.

Caitriona blushed, feeling her stomach quiver at the memory of what she’d just seen.

“I’m fine, just saw something I shouldn’t have,” she tried to laugh it off and then someone was calling Sam’s name and he left her on her own.

After they had finished filming for the day, she had gone back to her trailer, locked the door and settled on the couch. Sam was still in hair and make-up and would be for at least another half hour.

Her eyes fluttered closed, bringing back the image of Sam from earlier that day. She had seen how big he was, how thick and he wasn’t even erect. Her thighs clenched just imagining what it would feel like to have that inside her.

Caitriona traced her hand slowly over her breasts, feeling her nipples grow hard. She kept her eyes shut, and focused on him. On Sam, touching her, kissing her, and sliding his thick, throbbing cock deep into her wet folds. Her hand moved down between her legs, pushing her costume out of the way and two fingers slipped easily inside.

She bit down on her bottom lip to keep quiet — the trailers had thin walls after all. Her fingers moved in and out, and Caitriona imagined that it was Sam’s cock inside of her, pushing her over the edge. She thought about how big he would be when fully erect, how hard he would feel in her small hands. As Caitriona pictured him above her, his toned body rocking back and forth, she came fast, her moans dying against the palm of her hand.

Caitriona was trying not to think about that evening as she sat here alone in her trailer now. She was thrown out of her head when a light knock came from the door and Sam walked in, carrying two large coffee cups.

“Sorry, it took longer than I thought,” Sam said and handed her one. “Everyone’s still getting the scene ready. Should be about twenty more minutes.”

“Sounds good,” Caitriona smiled and took the first sip of her coffee. It tasted different than normal, stronger…

“Did you put—“

“Whiskey in the coffee?” Sam smirked and drank his own, sighing as he swallowed. “Aye, I did.”

Caitriona loved whenever they were on set and Sam’s accent was still thick, it was that accent she heard when she dreamed of him after late nights.

“I thought we both could use some liquid courage today,” he said, sitting down beside her on the small couch.

“You’re right about that,” Caitriona said. “How do you feel about it?”

Sam settled back, one arm sliding along behind her and he sipped his coffee, really thinking over the question.

“We’re good mates,” he said. “I feel comfortable with you, and besides, I dinna have a problem with having to kiss you all day.”

Caitriona blushed and then hit his knee playfully. “Oh shut it,” she grinned and flipped her hair behind her shoulder. For the scene it had to be down, and she was glad because it made her feel more free — loose.

“It’ll be our first kiss, you know,” she smirked and glanced at him.

“Oh, I know,” Sam matched her grin. “I’ve been thinkin’ about that though.”

“And what about it, exactly?” Caitriona asked and took another sip of her coffee, letting the whiskey burn her throat.

“I just dinna want our first kiss to be on camera, you know? It feels rather — impersonal, you know what I mean?”

“I do,” Caitriona nodded. “What are you proposing we do instead?” She asked, setting her coffee cup down on the table.

Sam sat up, his arm moving to rest beside her, his fingers touching her waist.

“Well, we’re alone now,” he said quietly as if speaking louder would break some kind of spell. “Wouldn’t you rather have it like this?”

“I suppose,” Caitriona said and slid her hand into his, she always felt more comfortable when she could touch him.

Sam moved her hair behind her ear, then cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing across her lip. She had pictured what it would be like to kiss him so many times, and now it was finally happening — and not in front of cameras.

Caitriona closed her eyes, and waited. And waited. She was just about to open them again to find out what was taking him so long, whenever he pressed his lips to her cheek. And then her other cheek. Sam’s lips dotted her face with kisses, tiny little ones all over. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she squeezed his hand to let him know it was alright.

Slowly, Sam pressed his lips to hers, barely moving. Tingles of electricity shot from her lips down to her arms and the hair on her body raised in goosebumps. Sam slid his hand into her hair, tilting her head and deepened the kiss. Caitriona moaned, feeling his tongue parting her lips and she let him in.

Carefully, she was laid back onto the couch and Sam was hovering over her, sliding his tongue against hers. She wanted to open her legs and let him take her right then and there, but it wasn’t the time. Instead, she wrapped one arm around his neck and pulled him closer. He moaned too, deep sounds coming from his chest as they continued to kiss. It was unlike any kiss they had either felt before, something different.

They laid there for a few minutes, the only sound in the room the smacking of their lips. Hands wandered over skin, and Caitriona arched her back off the couch, feeling something hard between her thighs. She was just about to find out what it was until a knock came from the door.

“Caitriona! Sam! We’re ready for you on set!” Came the voice from one of their crew members.

They both jumped, and Sam sat up abruptly, his chest heaving. Caitriona slid up on the couch, pushing back her hair from her face. They met each other’s eyes and smiled, unsure what to say.

“That was better than having it be on camera,” Sam said. “Loads better.”

He stood up, awkwardly adjusting his trousers and then held his hand out to her. “Guess we better get on set or they might start wonderin’ what we’re up to in here,” he winked.

It was a closed set, which meant there was less people in the room. There was still more people than Caitriona would have liked, however — the camera operators, the director, the man who held the mic and a few other crew members. At least she wasn’t doing this alone, Sam was there with her.

Their director, Richard talked them through the take, and everything he needed from them.They would begin with where they had finished yesterday — Jamie takes Claire’s hand and rubs his fingers over the ring he gave her. The director didn’t want to stop them once they got going for this scene, only repositioning the angles after each take.

Caitriona and Sam took their places, waiting for their queue. Caitriona placed her hand on Sam’s chest, and she smiled at him just before the director yelled, “action!”

They started the scene and it wasn’t Sam or Caitriona anymore, but Claire and Jamie.

Jamie rubbed his fingers over Claire’s hands, slowly moving across the ring he had given her.

“The key to Lallybroch,” he said softly.

“What?” Claire asked, bewildered.

“Your ring,” Jamie smiled and kissed her hand. “I had the blacksmith fashion yer ring from my key.”

Claire looked down at it, as if seeing if for the first time, then back at Jamie.

“Why didn’t you tell me that before? When you gave it to me?”

“I wanted to wait until I took ye back to Lallybroch,” Jamie said wistfully. “So ye’d know the place was as much yers as mine.” He dropped his head, a sad expression crossing his face. “Now, I dinna ken when, if ever we’ll get back there.”

“Jamie, I—“

“I thought,” Jamie interrupted her, staring into her eyes. “It doesna pain me as much as it once might have.” He slid his hand up to cup her cheek, running his thumb over her chin. “You are my home now.”

Now was the beginning of the end. Sam leaned in, closing the small distance between them, and Caitriona brought her hand to rest in his curls. Their mouths touched and it was a relief. Sam moved her hair aside, kissing down her neck.

“I want ye, Claire,” Jamie breathed heavily, dotting her shoulder with kisses. “I want ye so much I can scarcely breathe.”

He pulled her hair back, looking into her eyes. “Will ye have me?”

“Yes,” Claire kissed him. “Yes, I’ll have you.”

It was almost a race to take the rest of their clothes off, pulling on shirts and shifts. Claire’s shift puddled around her waist as Jamie threw his shirt aside. They embraced, kissing so deeply they could barely breathe.

Caitriona felt like she was in heaven whenever Sam’s mouth touched her breast, lightly flicking his tongue on her nipple. She knew she was in character, and that this was part of their job, but she couldn’t help but feel aroused at what he was doing — how he was touching her. As if he wished it were Sam instead of Jamie doing this to her.

They continued with the rest of the scene, and Caitriona pushed him down, only thin material a barrier between them. She rocked her hips hard, trying for friction of her own. Claire was supposed to grab a dirk and hold it against Jamie’s neck, making him promise to never lay a hand on her again.

It was hard enough to try and remember lines when she was staring down at Sam, rocking her body against his. It was even tougher when she felt Sam’s cock grow hard underneath her.

The dirk clattered to the ground, and she rode him hard, pushing her hands against his chest. Jamie leaned up, moving her arms and he held her, thrusting upwards. Caitriona’s heart was pounding as all the tension in her that had been building up for months was set to release.

Just as Sam leaned in to kiss her, she breathed out, “Sammmm.”

Then she was flipped around, her back moving against the rough carpet and her legs spread wide. Caitriona felt him then, the modest pouch that was too small for him had come off, and so it was Sam’s cock that slid across her entrance as he thrust. Claire’s moans and sighs, were really Caitriona’s moans and sighs. It was too much, but they needed to at least get through one take.

A few more thrust from Jamie, a few more romantic words and then it was over. They lay there, as Sam slid his finger down Caitriona’s throat. Their breaths were heavy and they looked into each other’s eyes, feeling something had shifted between them. Caitriona touched his lips and then leaned in, kissing him as he smiled.

“Cut!” Richard yelled and it took them a moment to break out of the spell of the scene.

Slowly, Sam moved off of her, pulling his plaid around his waist to hide himself. Caitriona sat up, pulling her shift up around her arms.

“That was perfect, guys,” Richard said. “I think we got some really good footage there. We’ll take a twenty minute break to reset and then we’ll come back and reshoot from another angle, sound good?”

“Yeah,” they both said, still feeling out of breath and light headed.

Sam stood up, then reached out to help Caitriona. He didn’t let go of her hand, but instead led them through the set, through the studio, and out the door in the direction of their trailer. Once the door was closed and locked, he released her hand.

“That was—“

“I think we—“

They both spoke at the same time, and laughed, feeling some of the tension release.

“You first,” Sam said.

“That was easier than I thought it would be,” Caitriona said and grabbed his hand again, intertwining their fingers. “I honestly forgot the cameras were even in there.”

“So did I,” Sam said. “Caitriona,” he said her name softly, like a prayer. “We don’t have much time.”

“So what are you waiting for?” She arched her brow and took a step back, pulling on his hand.

Sam sat down on the couch, and pulled Caitriona to straddle him. They were hesitant at first, kissing slowly, savoring the moment like before. But soon they grew hungry, as those feelings from set returned — the fire in their bellies.

Caitriona was suddenly grateful for her shift, and really grateful at how easy it was to remove when Sam slid his hands under the material and lifted it up and tossed it onto the floor. She laughed, feeling the effects of the whiskey and getting drunk in Sam’s eyes. He was only wearing the kilt, haphazardly wrapped around him. She moved her hand between their bodies, feeling that he was hard again.

“I felt it earlier,” she whispered and kissed him.

Sam’s hands moved to rest over her breasts, lightly stroking the tops.

“The sock fell off, and I didna want to stop to put it back on,” he said. “Hope ye dinna mind.”

“Not at all,” she grinned and pushed back the plaid, revealing the subject of her fantasies. His cock was thick and throbbing now, just as she imagined it would be. She ran her finger over the tip, feeling the wetness as it collected at the head. Sam winced, his hips thrusting up into her hand.

“Caitriona,” Sam said reverently and then moved his hands to rest on her waist, slightly lifting her up. With his cock in hand, she positioned herself over him and slid down, moaning she did.

“Fuck,” Sam grunted, his eyes shut tight and head resting on the seat.

“Look at me,” Caitriona said and he opened his eyes. She started to rock back and forth like earlier, only this time, he was inside her.

He filled her in a way she didn’t even know was possible. She could feel him stretching her, opening her up. Sam’s hands gripped her sides, pushing her down against him as she moved. She slid her hand into his hair, holding onto his curls and pushing his head down.

Sam opened his mouth, taking one nipple into it, sucking gently. Caitriona pulled on his hair and he sucked harder. He had a taste before, but now he could touch her all he wanted. Sam squeezed her breast from underneath, trying to take as much of it in as he could. Flicking her nipple with his tongue earned him low groans from Caitriona so he did it over and over again.

She placed both hands on the seat behind him and pushed down harder. “God, Sam,” she moaned and looked down to see him nibbling on her breast. She had wanted this for so long and now it was finally happening. To see him touch her, kiss her and want her in return.

“I’m close,” she said and began to move faster. Sam placed a kiss to her breast before finding her mouth. One hand moved in between their bodies to find that hard nub and he rubbed it in steady circles.

Caitriona started to shake, trying to keep her eyes open long enough to watch Sam fall apart. His mouth parted, sweat dripping down his back as he came inside of her. Caitriona felt her orgasm overtake her, the most powerful experience she’d ever felt. She rocked gently against him as her pussy clenched his cock.

They both breathed, that sense of relief washing over them. For so long, they had both been afraid to tell the other how they really felt — worried it would change their relationship. But this was always supposed to happen one way or another.

Caitriona kissed him, then ran her hand along his scruff. She stared at him, as if for the first time. That strange scot she had met at her audition with the sweat stains under his arms — the man that had gripped her in a bear hug. Her heart hadn’t stopped pounding since they entered their trailer.

“How much longer do you think we have?” She asked.

“I’d say about seven minutes or so,” Sam shrugged and placed a kiss on her nose.

“So enough time for another round?” Caitriona smirked, running her fingers lightly down his chest. At that question, she felt his cock twitch inside of her.

“Christ, Balfe,” Sam’s chest heaved. “You’re trying to kill me.”

“We don’t have time to waste, Heughan,” she kissed him and Sam was already standing up to lay her back down on the couch, pushing deeper inside of her. “We’ve wasted enough of it already.”

The day of reckoning had come.

[writethehousedown]

When the Sun Sets on Us: Chapter 2 (Scyvie) — Phryne

A/N: Hey y'all! I’m back with the second chapter of When the Sun Sets on Us, a beach town romance between hopeless romantic Scarlet and Yvie, who’s ‘just visiting’.

Last Chapter: Scarlet pined over one of her customers.

This chapter: Yvie’s friends meddle, Scarlet makes a bold move.

Enjoy!

        “Oh my god, get over it, bitch.”

        Yvie grumbled, smoothing down her towel, needlessly brushing sand off the surface, like she wouldn’t end up coated in sand anyway.

        “I just feel like two little x’s at the end is a bit much,” Yvie said into the towel, avoiding Vanjie and Brooke’s exasperated looks.

        “So, you was gonna just put “hi scarlet” just like that?” Vanjie threw her hands up, “You know, like serial killers do? You wanna be like a serial killer?”

        “I just thought it was nice and like, professional.” Yvie kicked her flip flops off and sat down on the towel. “I can’t just lead with hi, hello, kiss kiss.”

“Professional?” Vanjie exclaimed, looking to Brooke for back up. “You want professional or you want pussy?”

“That’s not what I meant.” Yvie rolled her eyes. “Also, your hat’s blowing away.”

        “Oh shit,” Vanjie turned her head, only to find her hat stumbling through the breeze before resting against a sleeping man’s back. She bolted toward it.

        “Yvie, we’re just saying that you have shitty instincts and you need our help.” Brooke uncapped the sunscreen, squirting a liberal amount on her arm. “You’re like, hopeless trying to talk to her, even if she is kinda weird.”

        “She’s not weird,” Yvie mumbled to herself.

        Brooke paused, her arm still white and streaky with the sunblock. “What would you know about not being weird?”

        Yvie chewed her lip. Admittedly not much.

        “Okay,” Yvie drew out. “But tell me how it’s less weird to answer her question ‘so where are you from?’ with ‘Denver’ and a little mountain emoji and a little leaf emoji instead of just saying ‘Denver’?”

        “Because it’s playful and fun.” Brooke gave Yvie a stern look. “And it’s accurate. And you do smoke a lot. And because of the emojis the conversation continued into learning that she does too, which seems about right.”

“Still…” Yvie tried to reason, coming up short. There was a part of her that understood how Brooke and Vanjie were right. They did help her have a great conversation late into last night with Scarlet, which only ended because Scarlet had to be up early for work the next day.

But sometimes it was a bit much.

“Still what?” Brooke began on her next arm. “As the people here, who actually have a successful relationship, verses a person who only knows how to catch feelings and then wait for them to fade, I think we know more than you, Yvangeline.”

“Really, my full name, Mom?” Yvie joked, kicking sand Brooke’s way.

“You’re stupid,” Brooke said through an unwilling laugh.

When they’d finally set up camp for the day and Vanjie returned with her hat — describing the horrors of her hat blowing once more so it was now atop a child’s sandcastle, which disintegrated the minute she pulled her hat away, and how she had to run away before anyone saw — Yvie was back to texting Scarlet, who was apparently on her unauthorized morning break, which was not a real break because it only happened when her manager took his usual mid-morning twelve-minute bathroom break.

“What’s she saying?” Silky laid her open book across her bare stomach.

“Work sucks.” Yvie sighed. It really did sound like it sucked. Scarlet had already plunged sand out of a toilet, trying to figure out why sand wouldn’t just flush. “Ooh I should tell her about McGregor.”

“No, nuh uh.” Silky reached over and grabbed her phone, tossing it to Nina, who tossed it to Brooke, who handed it to Vanjie, who sat on it.

“You all really think I need four degrees of separation from my phone just to tell a story about my boss?” Yvie huffed and threw herself over Silky, fruitlessly reaching for her phone.

“You think you’re gonna get a girlfriend in this century by responding to her shitty boss with your criminal boss, who got arrested for running an illegal cat trading business?” Vanjie called back. “What does any normal person say to that?”

McGreggor was not a cat trader by trade, but rather an old man with a long, white ponytail, laced with plastic craft beads, who managed the art supply store on campus, which Yvie worked at. Occasionally, Yvie was asked to feed the store cat, Randal. Technically, Yvie had to testify that she had no part in the criminal cat trade, or no knowledge of these cats. She only had knowledge of Randal, who was keenly aware of the other cats in the back room, where McGreggor kept the large canvases and rolls of paper — which Yvie was, under no circumstances allowed to stock — as well as forty-four cats, seven of which had been imported from Canada.  

“I don’t know, maybe that she really likes cats?” Yvie offered, sitting back on her towel. “Besides I don’t want a girlfriend.”

“What?” Silky pulled her head back, her face pinched.

“You go on and on all the fucking time about wanting a girlfriend,” Vanjie added, leaning across Brooke, pointing at Yvie. “Don’t fuck with us.”

Yvie let out a sign. “Okay, yeah, but not like this. I mean we’re here for a few days and then what? We go home and I’m miserable because I caught feelings and I can’t do anything about them.” She shrugged. “I just don’t want to deal with it.”

“Well you clearly already got feelings because I see her text ‘Ok break over’ with a sad face and her name’s got that sparkly heart next to it.” Vanjie held up the phone, as though Yvie needed it as proof, as though she could see if from this far away.

“You put that there last night,” Yvie mumbled, fingering the edge of her towel.  

“Upon your request,” Brooke clarified, pushing her sunglasses up her nose.

“Whatever. I just don’t want something serious with someone I’m never gonna see again anyway.”

“Okay, yeah.” Brooke conceded. “Fair point. This isn’t like Grease.”

“Nope, Brooke’s a moron,” Vanjie said, resting her hand on Brooke’s thigh. “You never know until you know, Yvie.”

Yvie groaned. She never wanted to know.

***

Scarlet leaned over the front counter, peering off at the beach, her palms growing sticky despite all the times she’d wiped the counter down. It was like the chipping paint was sweating just as much as she was.

“The ocean isn’t going nowhere, Scarlet.”

Scarlet ignored A’keria’s remark, instead focusing her attention on that same group of girls from last night, all settled down on the beach. She squinted, making out Yvie, who was little more than a speck from this far away. She could nearly see her pass something to Silky.

“Who’s doing beach runs today?” Scarlet asked herself, pondering the schedule, pondering the thought of handing Yvie a long island iced tea, like she had last night, pondering the exquisite and less probable thought of the two of them enjoying a cocktail together on the beach.

“Ugh, don’t remind me.” A’keria narrowed her eyes. “It’s too hot for this shit.”

A’keria.

A’keria was the one scheduled for beach runs.

“Lemme switch with you, please, Ki, I really—”

“Be my fucking guest.” A’keria shot back, unsheathing a stack of plastic cups and loading them into the dispenser.

Scarlet turned around, resting her back against the counter. “Wait, really?”

“Yeah, fuck this heat. If you want to be out in the sun and sand and shit and give me all this AC, then go for it.”

Scarlet ran an order to and from the beach. And then another. All while A’keria enjoyed what was supposed to be Scarlet’s cushy, air-conditioned job of cleaning and sanitizing the laminated menus for the sit-down lunch and dinner service. It was a mindless task, typically performed sitting at the bar, chatting with Kyle the bartender about his wife and whatever was on the boxy old TV precariously hung over the mirrored back bar. Usually they watched Dr. Oz followed by The View.

By the time Kyle finished making the third order, Scarlet was already feeling the heat, pressing a wet paper towel to the back of her neck, head thrown back, as though orienting her face toward the AC across the room would help her feel it more.

And for what? To talk to a beautiful girl who replied sporadically to her? Maybe. If she was lucky. But Scarlet could have nothing more than another wholehearted, half thought through fantasy on her hands, wrapping itself around her brain and squeezing. Hard.

Scarlet grabbed the basket of nachos that just came out of the pass-through window. At least now she’d have someone to serve and some scorching, air wavering heat to distract her from thinking about Yvie, the image of a bead of sweat traveling down Yvie’s arched brow now in the forefront of her mind.

No.

Scarlet wasn’t going to indulge.

Scarlet had work to do.

        She placed the nachos in the center of her tray with the two daiquiris Kyle just finished pouring on either side of it. She looked up, taking the Mai Tai as well. “Where does this go to?”

        “It’s someone named Nina and her description is ‘directly in front of the restaurant, between the boardwalk and the ocean.”

        A’keria snorted. “That’s where the beach tends to be.”

        Scarlet ignored A’keria’s offhand comment. Nina sounded familiar. She searched her head for why that name was ringing bells, though she couldn’t picture what this Nina looked like or anything she could have said.

        “Scarlet?”

        “Hmm?” She looked up from her tray, now mindlessly filled. “Oh sorry.”

        Kyle looked between Scarlet and the tray, then back at Scarlet. He rested his elbows on the bar top. “You maybe wanna take two trips?”

        Scarlet waived him off. “Uh, thanks. But I’m a strong, capable woman,” she teased. “I can handle five drinks.”

        A’keria let out a snort and shook her head as Kyle held his hands up in surrender. “Sure thing, kid.”

        With that, Scarlet hoisted up the tray, balancing one edge on her shoulder, her palm flat in the center. She walked out onto the boards, looking both ways before crossing, hearing Kyle ask A’keria if she was supposed to do beach runs today, and A’keria explaining that “Scarlet has a crush on someone,” as though that clarified everything.

        Once she hit the sand, it all came into focus. Partway down the beach sat Yvie and her friends, one of whom was Nina, who if Scarlet remembered correctly, was the one who paid last night too. She had to catch herself, readjusting her hand on the tray as she stood in the sand, her left foot sinking in only slightly as she connected all the dots, the reddening, maddening warmth spreading across her chest and up to her ears once more. Nina ordered drinks. Everyone was getting drinks. Everyone included Yvie. She was going to see Yvie again.

        Like the night before, the conversation was loud — about some man who traded cats, which deeply intrigued her — but quieted into a handful of low giggles when she came into sight. And Yvie, the way her heart jumped when she saw Yvie sitting cross-legged on her sand covered towel, a novel precariously open in her lap. She blinked a few times, peering up at Scarlet, her face growing a touch red.

        “Shit,” Vanjie muttered, before throwing her phone back across the way, toward Yvie.

        Scarlet swallowed to refocus before pulling the tray off her shoulder, resting it against the flat of her forearm instead. “Uh, hi again guys!” She surveyed the group, trying to give equal attention, or really, trying not to get caught staring at Yvie. “So, I have two frozen strawberry daiquiris…”

“That’s mine,” Silky raised her hand.

“Perfect.” Scarlet walked toward Silky and crouched slightly in front of her, just about to reach for the drink when her phone dinged, causing her to jump and reach for her back pocket, immediately thinking it had to be Yvie’s response finally getting through to her, maybe due to an issue in signal, maybe she typed something out and forgot to send. Scarlet’s mind spun, sweeping up any passing thought about Yvie in its wake.

“No, shit, shit.” Scarlet hissed, the tray tipping off her arm without her other hand to hold it in place.

Tipping off her arm.

And spilling all over Yvie.

Five drinks and a plate of nachos in Yvie’s lap.

Scarlet could die. She could just die and be buried under the sand where the washed-up jellyfish were. Buried with a driftwood headstone, etched with a description of her lesbian panic over a pretty girl possibly texting her back, which caused her to tip a full tray of drinks and food all over said pretty girl. She shall never rest in peace.

“Oh my god. Oh my god,” Scarlet breathed out, tossing the tray down and falling to her knees, picking a half empty plastic cup off of Yvie’s lap. “I’m so so sorry. God. Fuck.”

Yvie shook her head, chuckling. She sat up and brushed the chips off. “It’s okay.”

“I’ve ruined your book and your shorts and your bikini and I probably ruined your phone.” Scarlet tried to collect pooling frozen margarita off of Yvie’s towel, feeling herself sputtering out of control, completely helpless to stop herself. “And your towel’s ruined too. Everything’s going to be stained forever, trust me, that food coloring stains everything. And you’ve got food all over you. I’m sorry. I’m just so so sorry. I don’t even—”

“Hey, hey, stop.” Yvie placed her hand over Scarlet’s halting her motions as she shifted onto her knees as well. “It’s literally all okay. Shit happens.”

The thought of Yvie’s hand on her own barely permeated the thick layer of embarrassment Scarlet had built up and reinforced every time she looked up and saw the red food dye sinking into Yvie’s acid wash shorts. “I’m sorry I ruined all your things. Let me just clean it up and then I’ll go—”

“Scarlet it’s fine, we’ll just clean it up.” Yvie began scooping up chips with both hands, placing them inside the empty plastic cups on Scarlet’s tray. “There’s nothing we can’t just clean up.

Nonetheless, Scarlet left mortified. Just watching Yvie begin to wipe guacamole off of her chest with the dirty towel as she left with the ruined food and drinks made her shiver, made her bones feel like they were rattling, scraping against one another as she walked away. Then jogged away. Then ran into the restaurant. She threw the tray down on the bar top before running back to the walk-in freezer.

“Redo all of ticket 103,” Scarlet called to the kitchen and the bar before closing the freezer door. She kicked over a crate to sit on, settling her aching body down, breathing in and out rapidly, surely working herself up more. She felt her throat tighten. Each breath pushed out more tears. She stared up at the ceiling and blinked to clear her eyes. It didn’t work.

She’d ruined everything by being too eager, too dedicated to something that probably wasn’t real anyway. Too quick to push logic aside in favor of emotional release, in favor of the text back she so wanted. She really couldn’t wait just five minutes to hand out the drinks before looking at her phone?

Well, she ruined this. It was done now. Over. Finished. Time to move on, Scarlet reasoned, pulling herself up off of the crate, coming out of the walk-in, only to be met by Kyle and A’keria and their pressing looks.

“Did I not say to take two trips?” Kyle admonished playfully. It wasn’t as though they were busy or losing too much money from remaking drinks. “What happened?”

Scarlet shrugged, not looking to describe the scene that now replayed in her head without her permission. She felt her eyes well up again, her nose burning and red. She took a deep breath.

“Things happen,” she said, as though she were unsure.

Kyle’s lip flattened. “What does that even mean?”

A’keria stole a rapid glance at Scarlet. “Sometimes shit happens Kyle.” She offered Scarlet a sympathetic look before turning back to Kyle. “Sometimes things just be that way.”

Kyle pondered the sentiment before nodding, accepting it. He pulled two more cups out of the stack and filled them with ice. “Sometimes it just be that way.”

***

“So, you threw your book down to help that girl who literally dropped all that shit on you—”

“Dropped all that shit on you because she thought you were texting her back,” Vanjie interjected before returning the floor to Silky.

“Thank you, Vanjie,” Silky said before her tone turned lecturing again. “Dropped all that shit on you because she thought you texted her back because she likes you. And then you help her clean up that shit she dropped on you. And then you hold her hand for no good reason.” Silky paused to take a deep breath. “And you’re still gonna tell us, the people of this jury and also your judges, that you don’t have feelings for her?”

“I’m on trial?” Yvie felt herself growing whinier by the minute, like she had to convince her friends — and herself — that nothing happened.

“We’re just trying to lay out the arguments for you, Yves,” Nina added.

Yvie snorted. “So, do I get a lawyer?”

“Are you so unsure of your actions and the completely obvious feelings behind them that you feel someone else has to defend you?” Brooke said pointedly, turning the page of her magazine.

“Well shit.” Vanjie flashed wide eyes at Yvie. “You have actions you can’t defend, Miss. Bridges?”

“How many times do I have to tell you I’m not doing any deep feelings here?” Yvie took off her sunglasses and undid her ponytail. “Casual, sure. But I’m not, like, trying to be in love over here.”

“It didn’t look that way.” Brooke flipped another page.

“Why are you two ganging up on me?” Yvie whined.

Vanjie laid her legs over Brooke’s. “Because you and that Scarlet are both morons and you’re literally perfect for each other like you’re practically already girlfriends.”

“Based on what?” Yvie was growing exasperated, ready to end this conversation and head to the bookstore two blocks down and buy something new to read. Or really, go anywhere to avoid this conversation. This conversation would be a lot easier with alcohol, she thought. Though their alcohol had all been dumped on her accidentally, so…

“Based on what we all saw! Happening right in front of us!” Silky folded the corner of her page and closed the book. “You don’t know shit about what’s right in front of you, but all of us know what was right in front of us.”

***

        Scarlet was back on the beach, this time, as insisted by Kyle, who expressed adamantly how much he hated making frozen drinks, with only three drinks on her tray.

        “For the last time. And this will be the last time—”

        Scarlet’s tuned into the conversation, recognizing Yvie’s voice, though raised, threaded with what seemed like anger.

        She’d be lying if she said it didn’t go right through her.

        Yvie stood up, pointing at her friends, as though she were jabbing them from a distance.

        “We are only here for three more days. So, I’m not going to start a real relationship with Scarlet, find out I have all these deep feelings for her that I can’t do shit about, and then leave broken hearted. I’m not gonna do it.”

        They were talking about her. They were talking about Yvie liking her. Enough to talk about having a relationship. Scarlet’s blood fell still as she thought it through. She didn’t hate her. How did she not hate her? God, she got lucky. So entirely lucky. Maybe she could…

        “No,” she muttered to herself. She shouldn’t think like that.

        Well…she already looked like an idiot in front of this girl. What’s once more.

        Looking like an idiot once more meant losing whatever shred of dignity she’d rebuilt while crying in the walk-in.

        Fuck it.

        “What’s one date, Yvie?”

        Scarlet saw five heads swivel around like an owl’s, felt ten eyes on her at once. The words suspended in the air, like the salt in the breeze. They hung around Scarlet, letting her breathe them in and out, before languidly floating over to Yvie, like a gas expanding until it filled the space between them. Scarlet barely registered Vanjie whispering ‘oh shit.’

        Scarlet came around to face the group, trying to steady her breathing. “Oh, also I have some drinks.”

        She passed them out slowly, her movements mechanical. She tried to focus all her attention on handing out the drinks. She was sure she’d feel faint if she gave the question of a date with Yvie any more energy than it had already stolen from her.

        Scarlet straightened up, holding her tray limply. “Well, I guess I’ll go get the rest—”

        “Okay,” Yvie said.

Scarlet pivoted to face her, forgetting the end of her sentence. She was far too occupied by the thought of Yvie saying okay. Scarlet waited for clarification.

“Yeah, okay, just a date couldn’t hurt.” Yvie rubbed the back of her neck, studying Scarlet, probably looking for a reaction.

Scarlet took a sharp inhale. An eye-crinkling smile pulled at her lips. She couldn’t help but laugh, just laugh at her own joy. “Wow, okay, okay,” Scarlet fumbled for the words. “That’s so great, just so…so I’ll see you after my shift?”

Yvie nodded vigorously. “Yeah, definitely.”

“Definitely,” Scarlet repeated. “So, um, I’ll go back to work, and I’ll see you then?” She pointed vaguely back toward the boardwalk.

“Definitely.” Yvie smiled back at her.

Scarlet turned and ran back toward the restaurant, desperately needing to share this with someone, feeling the good news swell inside of her. She’d definitely track down A’keria and yell the whole exchange at her before pestering her about what she should wear tonight and maybe getting off a half hour early to run home and get ready.

Shit. She forgot to tell Yvie when she was getting off.

***

        “So…” Nina cocked a brow. “When does she get off work?”

        “Uh, well,” Yvie continued to stumble, despite now sitting down on half of Nina’s towel, enjoying a long island iced tea, the alcohol only a touch calming. It was like the air of Scarlet managed to linger. “She texted she gets off at six.”

        “Huh, she’s quick,” Silky laughed.

        “You’re nasty.” Yvie stuck her tongue out at her.

        “You better save it.”

“Anyway,” Vanjie drew out, interrupting Silky’s exchange. “Y’all are precious.”

“She’d be a lot more precious if she remembered to deliver my nachos,” Brooke grumbled before laying back on her towel.