#there were spies on both teams he couldn’t just tell everyone the plan

[handledwithgloves]

someone just tried to get me into an argument on tiktok over dumbledore 😭 all i said was that harry’s death/fate was the only one he was responsible for and not anyone from marauders era

like girl im not bout to argue with u if u cant see the obvious 😭

[babblydrabbly]

Trust Me Pt. 1 - (Rick Flag x Reader); (Harley Quinn x Reader (Friendship))

Pairing(s): (Rick Flag x Reader); (Harley Quinn x Reader (Friendship)

Characters: Harley Quinn, Rick Flag, Digger Harkness, mentions of Amanda Waller

Rating: General

Word Count: 1.5k+

Warning(s): Language, blood/violence, car accident. 

Summary: Imagine you’re occasionally sent on Task Force X missions to back up Flag, but he knows Waller really just sends you to report back any dirt you can find on Rick. You’re a rat (No offense to Sebastian). He keeps you at arms length most of the time, and resents any attempts to be a part of the ‘team’, despite his big speech about treating each other like brothers and sisters. Still, you bond over all the literally suicidal missions, and really do watch each others’ back during the chaos. Rick Flag is torn between you being one of Waller’s spies and how much he cares about you. Part 1/?

---

You were uncomfortable with the assignment to begin with. You’d heard about what happened at Midway before you even transferred to Belle Reve, so when Waller said you’d be assigned to the next few Task Force X missions, you immediately knew why. Amanda Waller did not trust Rick Flag.

Without needing to say it, you were going to report back any and all chatter you considered insubordination between the members of the ‘suicide squad’. You were a rat. And Flag knew it right away. You were adequate in the field, but nothing spectacular; Your real job was working in the comms room during their missions. When the plane touched down on your first tag-a-long, Flag did little to hide the resentment he felt for you. 

That was fine. You didn't need to be friends. He kept you at arms length, only speaking to you directly with orders or updates. You rarely spoke at all while out with the team. 

That was, until Harley Quinn was reinstated a few missions into your assignment. During the take down of a moving convoy and extraction of an important meta-human asset, Flag looked happy to tell you you’d be driving a hundred miles out into the desert beside the bubbly criminal. He didn’t even give you the dignity of being in charge of driving. 

You sat in the passenger seat of the hummer, as Harley blasted the radio and sang without any shame at all. You had a feeling Flag could see your silhouettes  from his own vehicle one car back where he was driving with Harkness. You had literal hours to go before your four vehicle team (plus helicopter) even reached the convoy, and Harley’s energy was relentless. 

“So, where ya from, hun?” “You got a cute outfit- I’m more prone to a pop of color myself.” “Hey, you ever try peanut butter on a cheeseburger? Hear me out-”

“—Teams report.” Flag’s voice came in through your earpiece after an hour or so. Were you imagining it, or did he seem amused? The members ahead of you check in before you grit your teeth and give a curt, “Fine. Over.”

You gasped as Harley let go of the wheel to stick her body out of the open window, her blonde pigtails whipping around. She waved enthusiastically back at Flag, and you could see in the rearview as he casually waved back from his sunroof behind you. You cursed and snatched the wheel as the hummer swerved, shouting for Harley to get her ass back in the damn car! 

You heard a few chuckles and quips over the comms that made your cheeks burn, and you made a note to definitely mark this moment down in your stupid report. Fucking Flag. It wasn’t like you volunteered to be Waller’s little snitch. But you couldn’t help the smile spreading across your face. He was getting bolder. It had been less than a year, and what was once just cold shoulders and dismissals between the two of you was slowly turning into harmless jabs like this one. You even found yourself leaving things out of your reports on occasion. What use was mentioning it if it wasn’t relevant to the task force? Lying by omission for a bunch of murderers and losers— Who were you turning into.

You were pulled from your thoughts by the sudden absence of noise— Harley had stopped singing along, instead choosing to bob in her seat to the beat. She glanced at you with a wide grin. Then again. And again.

“Eyes on the road, Quinn.” You practically begged at this point. You pressed your body into your seat anxiously. The dust cloud from the incoming convoy was beginning to blow past your window. Flag’s voice crackled through the comms again to get ready.

“You’re one uptight broad, y’know that?” She said cheerfully. You didn’t know if you were meant to take offense or not. Then, “I like it! Got a real Restin’ Bitch Face.”

“Thank...you?” 

“Don’t get me wrong— When a gal’s got on a good RBF, it’s in the name. You’re a bitch. But when a broody guy like Flag’s got one he’s a ‘serious leader’ and a ‘professional’ and a ‘dreamy hunk’.” Harley went on, taking her hands off the wheel to demonstrate her air quotes literally. You gripped your seatbelt in fear as the hummer began swerving again. 

“Quinn...”

“Everyone’s always calling me a psycho bitch when I get in the zone, y’know. But then I’m just a crazy bitch when I’m tryin’a keep it fun—!”

“HARLEY!”

Your heart leapt in your throat. As Harley let the vehicle veer back and forth, your attention was suddenly taken by the flash of fire and an explosion just yards ahead of you. The hummer with two other squad members leading the line had been hit with a rocket launcher, sending their vehicle into the air in a burst of flame— and because Harley was driving like a maniac, the explosion had missed your own hummer. Harley and Flag broke the line in a single moment, dodging the car that was now overturned and engulfed in fire. 

Hell broke loose then, as it always did.

You remember Harley shouting at you to take the wheel before climbing up to the mounted gun on the roof. Chatter erupted on the comms as Waller’s team directed the helicopter above and the rest of you still converged on the target. The plan was to never stop, to keep driving and extract the asset while all teams kept up with the convoy. You remember seeing a car pull up beside Flag in your side mirror, a rifle pointing right at him through all the dust and cross fire. 

But the beauty of Task Force X was how laughably terrible these guys were at not following the plan. You catch a flash of red and blue as Harley leapt onto the enemy’s truck, abandoning her post on the hummer to go get the asset herself. Waller’s orders were meaningless in moments like this, and she knew it. They would either accomplish the mission their way, or they were dead. 

That’s what the suicide squad did— was that really you? You looked in your rearview again in time to catch Harkness collapse onto the hood of Flag’s vehicle, a splotch of red visible on his chest even from where you were. You heard Waller’s voice in your head already dismissing Boomer’s loss by the end of all this. 

But you also heard Rick, his voice concerned but steady in your ear as he ordered Harkness to hang on while he attempted to lose the car still beside them. 

You sucked in a breath, and with a sudden jerk of the wheel, you lined yourself up with the enemy car behind you— And slammed on the breaks.

---

You had to come back to Belle Reve on a separate jet with Harkness, who also needed medical care before being sent back. Harley, despite her protests to see that you were both okay, was returned to her cell without so much as a ‘good job’ from Waller. Flag locked the caged door behind her with a murmur that he’d send word about Boomer soon. 

You landed in Louisiana with a fractured arm and ten stitches along your right temple. They had to reset your shoulder too. The bruising on the right side of your face made you look worse than you felt, but you still had to keep your face still from pulling the stitches. As you shuffled down the exit stairs, dragging your duffle behind you, you were startled when you looked up to see Rick Flag on the tarmac approaching you quickly. 

His brow furrowed, he immediately greeted you with a gruff, “Hey.”

“Hey—” You said back, feeling your bag being taken from you. He peels it from your fingers, your wrists brushing. No ‘[L/N]’, no curt nod. You watched as Flag slung the duffle over his broad shoulder and gestured back to the SUV he’d driven over to receive you from the Belle Reve air field without a word. When you approach your door, you stare as Flag uncharacteristically holds it open for you, then promptly shuts it, your bag placed down in the back seat.

The drive back to the main compound was usually brief, but today it felt like an eternity. You glanced over as Flag glared at the road ahead, and you remembered what Harley said about his... What did she call it? RBF? Dreamy bitch face?

Silence.

“Am I fired?” You finally said, your voice piercing the dead quiet of the car.

Flag blinked, looking between you and the road as if pulled from his own thoughts. “No, what?”

“Am I fired?” You repeated. Then grumbled, “Feels like you’re rushing me to an exit interview.”

“You're not fired.” He replied in his drawl, still distracted. “And I’m tryin’a hustle you to your debrief with Waller so you can get home and rest.” 

He put the car in park, the silence falling over you again deafening now that the engine was off. You sneak another glance over at him to see him staring ahead, his large hands still gripping the wheel tightly. 

“Are... You okay, Flag?”

“Are you okay?” He suddenly snapped. He released the wheel, turning his chest to face you in his seat. You reeled a little, confused at the sudden anger that seemed to release like a burst dam. 

“Stitches, a broken arm. You got lucky, [L/N]. What the hell were you thinking?” He continued, voice raising. And it was like muscle memory, the way your uncertainty vanished, your body turning in your own seat to square up to Rick Flag, Colonel pain in the ass. He was chastising you now? After you just saved his fucking life?

You said as much, your face shutting down, on the defense. Typical Rick Flag. The thought was written on your face, your contempt like a flashing billboard.

Flag’s lips parted, a sharp intake of breath telling you he was about to fire back— because that’s what the two of you did— but instead  he surprised you by promptly clamping the sharp line of his jaw shut. That silence fell like a wall between the two of you once more, and Rick turned to face forward, his gaze leaving you and taking all the fire with it. You watch his Adam’s apple bob minutely, something unreadable washing over his features before he mutters,

“Waller’s waiting for you in comms. Better hustle.”

[dreamwritesimagines]

Burn The Witch 14 - Haunt [Bucky Barnes x Reader]

A.N: Thank you so much for your wonderful support and feedback my loves ! ❤ Here’s the next chapter, I hope you like it as well and please let me know what you think! ❤ Thank you! ❤❤❤

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Warnings: Enemies to lovers, fake dating, mentions of blood, sex, violence, death, manipulation, language, guns, knives.

Summary: It’s always difficult to keep secrets.

Series Masterlist

Well then.

Apparently this was how civilians dated.

You couldn’t exactly say you were very familiar with it. Your line of work didn’t exactly allow you to date and do normal couple stuff, let alone with a civilian. Spies were easier, you didn’t trust them and you knew they didn’t trust you.

Except for missions, you didn’t have any date nights unless they included going after targets.

That was why posing as a civilian was almost a relief. It was simpler, more fun, more peaceful-

Even happier.

“What do you mean you can’t give me a clue?” you asked, “It’s date night, you’re supposed to give me a clue. Those are the rules.”

“I don’t remember any rule like that.”

You slurped on the milkshake, dangling your legs back and forth on the high seat you were perched on.

“Well, how am I supposed to know what to wear then?”

Bucky tilted his head, eyeing your uniform with a grin on his face and you slapped at his arm playfully.

“Are you serious?”

He held up his hands, gesturing surrender. “I said nothing.”

“I refuse to believe you find this uniform hot.”

“Why?”

“Bucky, just look at this!”

“Believe it or not I’ve been looking at it for some time now.”

You rolled your eyes, “You’re so full of it.”

“Oh trust me darling, I’m completely sincere.”

You raised your brows, “How?”

He heaved a sigh and looked like he was considering whether he should tell you or not while you waited patiently.

“When we were—“ he licked his lips, “When—uh, back in the 40s, one of my buddies, he had this poster on the wall of the barrack we were staying in.”

You gawked at him, “A poster of…?”

“A pin up.”

“In this uniform?”

“Almost the same, yeah.”

You let out a clear laugh, “Oh my God, that’s why you reacted like that when you first saw me in this?”

The tips of his ears went pink before he dragged his gaze from yours and you awwed.

“Then it’s only fair if I ask you to return the favor and dress up from 40s.”

“As if you know any—“

“Clark Gable.” You cut him off and scrunched up your face, “Was that too quick?”

“A little, yeah,” he said, “Do you want to try again?”

“….Yes please.”

“As if you know anyone from those times.”

You cleared your throat, trying to play it cool, “I’m just pulling this idea out of thin air, but Clark Gable.”

“I don’t think I can pull off that mustache, Y/N.”

“I mean have you tried?” you asked, narrowing your eyes and he shook his head.

“Stop imagining me with that mustache.”

“You would look good!” you insisted, grinning mischievously and he heaved a sigh.

“Clark Gable? Seriously?”

“Bucky, I’m the one who’s dressed up like a pin up your buddies used to fantasize about, so I feel like you should give me some credit here.”

“Fair enough.”

“Why thank you,” you pointed out, “So? Where are we going?”

“You can ask as much as you want,” Bucky grinned, “It’s not going to work.”

You threw your head back, letting out a whine. “But I want to know!” you said, “Okay, is it inside or outside?”

“Outside.”

“A concert!”

“Not a concert.”

You pursed your lips, deep in thought, “…Flea market. You’re taking me to the flea market.”

He pulled his brows together, confusion written all over his face, “You think we used to go to flea markets on a date?”

“Picnic!”

“In the evening?” he asked and you pouted.

“It would be a romantic evening picnic.”

“Do you want to have a romantic evening picnic?”

You shook your head fervently, “I want whatever you have planned!”

“Nah, I’m putting romantic evening picnic on the list.”

“You have a list?” you asked and he nodded.

“Yep.”

“Can I see it?”

“No.”

You huffed out, making him laugh, “Aw, you’re adorable when you’re frustrated.”

“Bucky!” you whined again, making his smile bigger.

“Yes darling?”

“It’s not fair,” you insisted but before you could say anything else, you heard Tara’s voice.

“Hey lovebirds,” she said, “I hate to interrupt because you two make a beautiful couple, but your break is almost over and I’m going to need some help at the freezer.”

Bucky’s body tensed up beside yours but only for a second, and you pressed your lips together.

Right. Freezer probably didn’t bring up good memories.

“I can help if you want?” Bucky said slowly and you shook your head.

“Nope. Company policy, only staff can go in.” You leaned in to peck him on the lips, “What time will you pick me up?”

“Around 8:30.” He stole another kiss from you and stood up, “I’ll see you tonight.”

“See you tonight!”

“Have a nice day Tara.”

“You too Romeo,” Tara said as he left the shop and you followed her to the freezer.

“He is so whipped,” she commented, making you grin, “And so are you.”

Your jaw dropped, “Hey!” you said as you helped her with the chocolate milkshake container, “Not nice!”

“I can already picture how cute your children will be.”

You almost dropped the container at the mention but managed to catch it and pull yourself together.

“Oh I don’t think…” you trailed off, trying to ignore the pang at the pit of your stomach, “I don’t think he wants—um, I don’t think we—“

“Aw you really are cute,” Tara said, “Come on now. Are you telling me you never thought about a future with him?”

The image that flashed in front of your eyes was almost taunting you but you bit inside your cheek, then shook your head.

“My last relationship ended really badly,” you explained, “And Bucky has had a rough couple of….”

Decades.

“Years,” you said, “And everything is pretty complicated, I don’t think that’s possible.”

“Well, do you want it to be possible?”

You pushed your hair back and grabbed the nearest set of jars to put them on the shelf one by one, just so you could keep yourself busy.

“It doesn’t really matter what I want,” you heard yourself say, “It won’t make any difference in the future either.”

                                         ***

“A funfair,” Chloe looked up with a bright smile on her face as soon as you jumped up to sit on her desk. “He’s taking you to a funfair.”

“Wait, really?” you let out a laugh, “Oh that’s cute.”

“Who knew The Winter Soldier could be romantic?” she said, “I’d probably swoon if someone took me to a funfair.”

You could swear Keith appeared out of thin air behind you, “What?”

“Holy shit!” you exclaimed and pressed a hand over your chest, “Don’t sneak up on me like that!”

“Who’s swooning?”

“Barnes is taking Y/N to a funfair,” Chloe said, “Isn’t that romantic?”

“You find funfairs romantic?”

“Yeah!”

“Keith,” you raised your brows, “Aren’t you busy?”

“Nope, General is talking to Julian so I’m not busy at all.”

You heaved a sigh, “My meeting with him lasted like an hour, how did he let you go so fast?”

“Easy. I’m not the team leader.”

You sipped your coffee, crossing your legs and Keith grinned.

“So, did you tell her yet?”

Chloe frowned, “Did she tell me what yet?”

“Why Barnes stayed over at your place until midnight last night?”

“Y/N!” Chloe gasped, “You promised we would go lingerie shopping before you slept with him!”

“First of all, I didn’t sleep with him, and second of all, Keith nosey neighbor much?”

“It’s literally my job Y/N.”

“What happened?” Chloe asked, barely able to sit straight as Julian walked past you three to check his laptop on an empty desk near Chloe’s. You gritted your teeth, and turned to Chloe.

“Hm?”

“You have to tell us!” she said and Keith laughed.

“At least give us a base.”

“Second base?” Chloe offered and out of the corner of your eye, you could see Julian clenching his jaw.

“Nah no way,” Keith said, “The guy hasn’t been getting laid since what? 40s? Third base.”

No bases. None at all, Bucky was a gentleman and seeing that you were quite shaken up last night, he had just held you while you two watched that ridiculous action movie until you could calm down a little.

He hadn’t even asked any questions.

“Do you think he—“

“Y/N,” Julian’s voice cut through Chloe’s, “Can I talk to you for a moment? Alone?”

You pulled your brows together, “About what?”

“The mission.”

You eyed him up and down, then shrugged your shoulders and made your way to the nearest empty room, which happened to be a meeting room. He followed you inside and closed the door behind him as you turned around to look at him, already dreading this conversation.

“So?”

“So General agrees with me.”

Your head shot up, “I beg your pardon?”

“He agrees that it was quick thinking on my part when Barnes walked in on us arguing,” he said, making you grit your teeth, “Granted it wasn’t idea, but we can turn it around to work on our advantage—“

“Bullshit,” you cut him off, “Are you serious?”

“To repeat, an ex-boyfriend creates an environment of competition,” he said, making you scrunch up your nose in distaste.

“Unbelievable,” you said, “You know, just because General doesn’t see through this whole façade doesn’t mean you fool everyone else in here.”

“What façade?”

“Oh give me a break!” you let out a humorless laugh, “This whole teammate trying to be helpful bullshit. You don’t think anyone but yourself, you’ve proven you can’t be trusted and you want to take over this mission.”

“I couldn’t take over this mission if I tried,” he pointed out “I’m not Barnes’ type.”

You rolled your eyes, “Oh look at you, you got jokes now.”

“Just saying, I wouldn’t look as cute in that uniform.”

“Fuck you.”

“Y/N—“

“You’re not taking over my mission.”

“I’m not trying to take over your mission,” he explained patiently, “I’m trying to help you, is that so hard to believe?”

“I think we both know you couldn’t care less about me,” you said, “As that last mission proved.”

The amused, taunting light in his eyes was dimmed in a second as he gawked at you, brows pulled together in confusion.

“What?” he asked after a beat, “You think I don’t care about you?”

You let out a laugh, “I’m sorry, is that a trick question?” you asked, “You sure as hell didn’t care back then.”

He ran a hand over his face, “I think you and I remember that last mission quite differently,” he said, “I did what I had to do—“

“Uh huh.”

“I thought you would do the same,” he insisted, “Y/N, I was trying to get us out of there, just because I beat you to it—“

“I would never!” you snapped at him and he shook his head.

“Have you ever thought maybe that’s a problem?”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Why do you think the General put me into this mission?” he asked and you shrugged your shoulders.

“Are we going to pretend you’re here to do something else other than spying on me and reporting it back?”

“No, that’s not my mission,” he said, “I’m here to make sure you don’t do what you always do.”

“What, nailing the mission?”

“Running headfirst into danger,” he said, “You ran into world’s most dangerous assassin whom you’re playing the honeypot for, and any other spy would get the fuck out of there but what did you do? You taunted him. Twice.”

“Well I hate to break it to you, but I know Bucky better than you or the General—“

“You mean the Winter Soldier?”

“…Yeah,” you corrected yourself, “Yeah I know the Winter Soldier better than you two do. Better than anyone here.”

“It doesn’t matter,” he said, “I don’t know who told you otherwise, but not your every decision is right on missions. You keep taking unnecessary risks because you think it’s fun.”

“Maybe. But hey, at least I don’t leave people to die.”

A muscle in his jaw ticked and he closed his eyes for a moment as if it was way too difficult for him to hear and opened them again.

“I didn’t leave you to die, Y/N.”

You scoffed, “Alright,” you said, walking to the door, “We’re done here—“

“Are you sleeping with him?”

Your hand on the doorknob froze and you looked over your shoulder, “I’m sorry?”

“Are you sleeping with Barnes?”

“Who wants to know?” you asked, “You or the General?”

“Does it matter?”

“Yeah. If it’s you, I can ask why it’s any of your business.”

He shifted his weight, suddenly dragging his gaze from yours.

“I just…” he murmured, “I don’t like it.”

You paused for a moment, trying to wrap your head around the idea before you clicked your tongue.

“Well that’s a relief,” you stated, “I don’t give a fuck what you like.”

With that, you swung open the door and left the meeting room, not even looking back once.

                                    ***

In your defense, when you went to bed for a nap you didn’t think that 15 minute nap would turn into a whole two hours. You were still groggy by the time you woke up and your hair was a mess and you still had no idea what to wear and—

You were starving and way too thirsty.

You stretched out as you walked to the kitchen, still trying to pull yourself together but it was already dark outside so it was making things even worse. You flipped the switch and opened the fridge to grab the water bottle, uncapping it and taking big gulps. After you were done, you took out two slices of bread and peanut butter and jam, then quickly made a sandwich to take a bite. Leaning back, you let out a sigh and eyed the gun on the table.

You had a feeling the General would send you on another night mission soon.

You took another bite of your sandwich but your head shot up when you heard the doorbell ring and you almost dropped the water bottle but caught it mid-air.

“Shit…” you whispered and grabbed the gun to put it in the kitchen cabinet, and placed the sandwich on the plate, then made your way to the door to open it.

A fond smile pulled at Bucky’s lips as soon as he took in your disheveled appearance, “Hello there Dracula.”

“I’m so sorry,” you tried to fix your hair, “I…I was taking a nap and then I didn’t hear my alarm and—“

“Don’t worry about it darling,” he said, “You look beautiful.”

“I look like a mess,” you corrected him, scrunching up your nose and stepped aside so that he could walk in. He pulled you closer to peck you on the lips.

“Hi.”

“Hi back,” you smiled up at him and made your way to the kitchen with him following you suit.

“I’m just going to finish this and then I’ll get ready in like ten minutes, promise!”

“Not a problem,” he said as you jumped up to sit on the counter, dangling your legs, “If you want to stay in tonight—“

“No no!” you interrupted him, “I want to go to…um, wherever it is we’re going. Do you want some?” you held up the sandwich, “I could make you one too.”

Bucky stepped closer to you to take a bite of your sandwich, making you giggle.

“I mean do you want your own?”

“You’re not good with sharing?”

“Nope,” you shook your head, still smiling as he put his palms on the counter either side of your legs, caging you in.

“No?”

“Nuh uh.” You said, then leaned in to peck him on the lips again before you pulled back to take a bite out of your sandwich.

“How was your day?” you asked, and he heaved a sigh.

“Mm, uneventful.”

“Uneventful can be a nice change.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah I mean…at least your ex doesn’t show up out of nowhere,” you paused for a moment, “Or in your case, doesn’t escape from nursing home.”

He chuckled, his thumbs caressing the soft skin of your legs, making you distracted for a moment as the warmth filled you again.

“Did he visit you again?”

You tried to focus and looked up at him, “Hm?”

“Julian.”

“Oh,” you made a face and shook your head, “No. No but something tells me that wasn’t the last time I saw him.”

“Really?” he said, “I still feel like the next time he shows up you should let me know so that I can—“

“I already know what you’re going to say, and no.”

“What was I going to say?”

“Some macho showdown nonsense,” you said with a laugh, “Seriously. I can take care of myself.”

“I know you can,” he said with a sigh, “But the guy said and I quote, he would take you away from me, so forgive me if I want to have a talk with him.”

You rolled your eyes, “No one is taking anyone from anyone,” you said, “Number one, we don’t live in Stone Age. Number two, I’m quite happy with who I am dating now.”

A small smile curled his lips, “Are you?”

“I mean,” you heaved a dramatic sigh, “I would be happier if my date told me where we’re going but can’t win ‘em all.”

You pressed a kiss on his cheek and jumped down.

“Okay, I’ll be ready in a couple of minutes, knock yourself out,” you said, “There’s beer in the fridge if you want.”

“Thanks,” he said and you walked to your bedroom to open your closet, then grabbed a dress and put it on. After quickly doing your make up, you found the lipstick you were looking for and started applying it.

“Darling do you have a bottle opener?”

“Yes, it’s in the kitchen cabinet!” you called out and checked your reflection in the mirror before your mind caught up to what you had just said. Panic crashed into you, knocking the breath out of you and you dropped the lipstick to rush to the kitchen.

“Bucky wait—“ you started but as soon as you saw the open cabinet, your stomach dropped. He looked at you over his shoulder with a frown on his face, then turned around and held up your gun, making you swallow thickly.

“So,” he said, his gaze pinning you to your spot. “Anything you would like to tell me?”

Chapter 15

[iam93percentstardust]

Winteriron, both Tony and Bucky are insanely jealous of each other bc they think the other is super into Steve. But like, in reality, Steve's a troll and Tony and Bucky are the stupidest at seeing what's right in front of them.

I hope this is okay, this prompt really got away from me

~

“They’re idiots, Your Honor,” Steve moaned, collapsing face-down into Natasha’s couch.

“And just where did you learn that phrase?” Natasha asked from her armchair. She sounded amused, damn her, as though his real and totally valid problems were of no concern to her. And maybe they weren’t; she did, after all, have other issues on her mind, like what she was going to wear to Capitol Hill the next time she needed to tell Congress to fuck off when they tried to put restrictions on the team. Still, it was rude to make light of his problems.

“I can learn new things,” he grumbled into the expensive leather. “I have the Twitter.”

Natasha made a strangled sound that sounded suspiciously like she was laughing but when he raised his head to glare at her, her face was perfectly composed. He glared at her anyway. She probably deserved it and he was still in a bad mood.

“What did they do this time?” she asked eventually. She sounded sympathetic but he was on to her now. He squinted at her, just to make sure that she knew that he was watching her. She just raised an unimpressed eyebrow. Damn spies, never being impressed by anything that he did… not that that was really a surprise. Tony was never impressed by anything he did either and Thor was unimpressed by Midgardians in general.

“Tony has convinced himself Bucky and I were dating back before the war,” he informed her.

She groaned. “He didn’t.”

“He did. And Bucky thinks that the only reason Tony and I aren’t dating is because I haven’t figured out that Tony has feelings for me yet so he keeps trying to tell me about all of Tony’s good points.”

“But Tony doesn’t have feelings for you.”

“I know that, and you know that, but Bucky is an idiot who doesn’t know that.”

Natasha groaned again. “And Tony is even worse,” she muttered. “So what did you do?”

He looked at her.

She sighed. “Tell me you didn’t tease them.”

“In my defense!” Steve began. “I didn’t think Tony would take it seriously when I told him that of course Bucky and I were fucking like rabbits during the war. I thought he’d do what he always does and make a dumb quip and tell me that he’s going to tell the whole internet that I’m a troll.”

“I told you to stop doing that.”

“Won’t.”

“They’re never going to get together if you keep causing problems like this.”

“They’re idiots who won’t communicate with each other,” Steve said stubbornly. “It’s not my problem if they can’t figure out I’m not serious.”

“Forget Tony telling the internet you’re a troll; I’m going to tell them and they’ll believe me.”

This was not a terribly effective threat, as Steve didn’t really care if the entire world knew he was a troll or not. Unfortunately, Natasha apparently figured that out because she narrowed her eyes thoughtfully and then added, “Or I could always just say that your birthday isn’t actually the fourth of July.”

He knew she was still mad about that. “You wouldn’t.”

“Wouldn’t I?” she said innocently. “Oh and Steve? Figure it out before next week, please. If they get together next week, Clint wins the pool and I refuse to give him any more money.”

Steve stared at her. “You two have a very odd relationship.”

Her smile was downright filthy as she purred, “But a very fulfilling one too.”

~

Steve had a plan. It wasn’t necessarily a good plan—the Man with a Plan really only had a plan when it came to battle strategy—but he did have one. He just wasn’t sure if this plan was going to backfire horribly on him.

“Well,” he muttered in the elevator, “at least it’ll be funny.”

And it was. It was really incredibly funny to see the looks on everyone’s faces as he tromped into the kitchen for breakfast, declared, “Natasha! Wonderful morning!” and kissed her square on the mouth.

He turned to Clint. “Clint! Great to see you too!” Clint tried to dodge, but Steve caught him and planted a big ol’ wet one on his mouth.

“Bruce!” he began only to see Bruce’s skin tinged the slightest shade of green. “Nope! Thor!”

That was all he had to say before Thor exclaimed, “An excellent new bonding idea, Captain,” and kissed Steve before Steve could kiss him first. It was a little more thorough than Steve would have liked, but hey, it was all in the name of romance so he decided not to complain about it.

“Rhodey!”

“Take one step closer, Flag Boy, and I will personally repulsor you in the ass.”

“Got it!” And he swung back around to Sam instead. “Sam!” At least Sam was laughing while Steve kissed him. It was a nice change to being greeted as though he was contagious.

And then it was time for the big two. The two that really mattered. The two that Steve was going to personally throw off the tower if they still couldn’t get their shit together after this.

“Bucky!” Barely the briefest kiss before he was pulling away and cheerfully saying, “Yuck! Let’s never do that again, okay?”

And lastly—“Tony!” Another brief kiss before he pulled away and said, “Tony, for a billionaire playboy, you sure do kiss like a limp fish.”

“Hey!” Tony protested.

In the background, he heard Clint whisper to Natasha, “Are we sure he hasn’t been replaced by a shapeshifting alien or something?”

“That would be the Skrulls,” Thor said, sounding very amused, “and I do not believe they would be so foolish as to give away their game this early.”

“Well, it sure can’t be Stevie,” Bucky muttered bitterly. “He would never compare kissing Tony to kissing a fish.”

“Really, Bucky?” Steve said. “And why wouldn’t I do that, exactly?”

Bucky looked a little like a deer caught in the headlights. Steve probably would have felt bad for putting his closest friend on the spot like that but he really was getting very tired of the pining. And the stupidity. And the waxing poetic about the perfect shape of Tony’s ass. Like, sure, it was fine, but it wasn’t fine enough to write literal sonnets to.

“Uh,” Bucky said intelligently and gestured at Tony.

“Sorry, I don’t speak pine tree,” Steve said. “You’ll have to explain.”

“You know,” Bucky mumbled, “cause you’re dating Tony and anyone lucky enough to be dating Tony shouldn’t be calling him a fish.”

Steve opened his mouth but Tony beat him to the push. “I’m not dating Steve,” he said bewilderedly. “Where did—you’re the one dating Steve.”

“Ew, no,” Bucky said immediately.

Steve scowled at him. “Wow, you didn’t have to be so quick about it, punk.”

“Jerk.”

“See?” Tony exclaimed, gesturing between the two of them.

Bucky blinked at him. “What, like you never call Rhodey pet names?”

“That’s different, we’re friends.”

“Yeah, so are Stevie and I.”

“No—no—love story for the ages,” Tony spluttered.

“I’m not dating Steve, Tony!” Bucky exclaimed. “Why would I date him when I wanna be dating you?”

Silence rang in the kitchen.

“What?” Tony eventually whispered.

“I—uh—” That deer in the headlights look was back. But, fortunately, it was only there for a split second before Tony scrambled up out of his chair and into Bucky’s lap, seizing his face between his hands as he kissed him. A beat passed and then Bucky groaned, hands clutching greedily at Tony’s waist.

“Time to go,” Natasha declared.

Bucky stood, just enough to lay Tony out on the table.

“Yep,” Steve agreed, sprinting for the door, the rest of the team right behind him. “JARVIS, schedule the kitchen for a deep clean this afternoon. And once they’re done, tell Bucky I said, ‘You’re welcome.’”

Four hours later, Bucky’s texted response was a very smug, Tony doesn’t kiss like a limp fish at all, asshole.

[yandere-dark-cupid]

If you’re requests are open can I get a Yandere Zuko x fem reader where after the war he looks for his darling by making his guards track her down but without anyone knowing bc he doesn’t want ppl to think that he’s back into his old ways again and keeps her in the palace

Ok Angel 💜👌💜. If you want, I could continue this as a mini part to part scenario series if I have the time T.Angel. There is just so many ideas worming around this concept and just think of the crazy things the darling and Zuko is going to go through, while also keeping both of their identities on the veeery low-key. Just let me know Angel 😊☕💜.

Also everyone is going to be aged up to 18+ Btw.

Side note: For the sake of this scenario, the darling will be from the Southern Water tribe. If this Angel decides to let me continue this as a mini scenario series, then the both of us are going to talk about if the darling can be a Waterbender or not.

Warning ⚠!!!: Their is going to be some slight Nsfw in this.

Yandere Zuko: A Dragon's treasure

Five weeks. It has been five weeks since you've went missing. Once the war has ended, Zuko was planning to propose to you. But every since his coronation of being crowned the new FireLord, you just up and vanished. It was like you were never there in the first place. And Zuko has been scattering everywhere in the palace and Fire nation to find you or some type of clue. But nothing. There was nothing there. You really covered your tracks, didn't you?

Right now Zuko was in his thrown room. He was fuming- No steaming with rage. If anyone were to walk in to the room, they'll notice it was boiling in there. He tried to look everywhere in the palace. Even outside the palace. But to no avail. Zuko couldn't find you. You've made it clear that you don't want to be with him or any where near him with this type of stunt you've pulled.

Zuko took a seat on his thrown. His hands was on his head, just about ready to pull his hair out and shout in frustration. But then a knock on the door stop him. " *Frustrated sigh* State your name and your business." Zuko said with spite and a hint of venom in his voice. The person behind the door flinched at his tone of voice. "It's me Sir. The guard you put in charge of the search party for Ms.Y/N". Zuko perked up at the mention of his missing lover's name. " Come in. " said Zuko. With out a second thought, the guard entered the room. She bowed down in respect for her FireLord.

" FireLord Zuko I have an update about Ms.Y/N's whereabouts. " Said the guard. She almost stuttered. The guard noticed how extremely hot it was in the thrown room. It was a clear sign that FireLord Zuko was pissed out of his mind. " Well, " Zuko said in annoyance and anger. Zuko was beyond angry at this point. He was a whole entire cluster fuck of emotions right now. " M-me and m-my crew found some people who could be connected to Ms.Y/N's disappearance , your majesty. " Stuttered the guard in slight fear. Zuko quirked up an eyebrow at what the guard said.

Ah. So the guard managed to find the ones responsible for his darling's vanishment, or at least had some part in it. " Bring them in. " Zuko said. The guard only merely nodded, not wanting to meet the FireLord's intimidating gaze. The guard got off their knees and went to call the other guards, to bring out the people that played some part of the darling going missing. The other guards quickly brought out four other people. Those people was tied up, bounded, and blind folded. The people was visibly quivering in fear. They were very confused and scared on what they did to upset the FireLord.

The four guards forcefully pushed the four people down to the floor. Each guard took off each person's blind fold. In front of the four people, there sat the FireLord in all his glory. FireLord Zuko glared down at the 4 people in a burning gaze. So these disgusting pathetic excuses of human was responsible for his darling going missing. Zuko scoffed at the thought. After a painful intimidating stare down, Zuko finally spoke. " So your the ones held responsible for Y/N's disappearance. " Zuko spat out to them with his voice dipped in poison.

" I-if y-you're talking about a someone that has (h/c), (e/c), and (s/c) then t-they came to m-my store to buy clothes." The woman stuttered in fear. Zuko stayed quite and only listened. " If you're talking about the same person; they came to my food stand and brought some food. " the old man said quickly in fear of what the FireLord would do to him if he took so long to explain himself. Zuko only merely quirks his eyebrow. " Y-yeah, that same person came to my Shop and bought some bags and extra equipment as his they were going on a trip. " The man said while sweating nervously. " The same person came to shack a-and brought some w-weapons. " Said the short lady in fear. Zuko only hmmed at what they said.

" So you're telling me the lady you just described went to all of your stores and shops to buy something. " Zuko said still glaring down the four people. " Y-yes. " the woman squeaked in fear. The old man only nodded quickly. " Mhm. " both the man and woman said. Zuko got up from his thrown and began to walk down to his stand. " What should we do with them you highness? " Said one of the guards. " Bring them to the dungeon. I will decide what to do with them later. " Said Zuko. " I-I don't understand what did we do wrong. " Stuttered the woman in fear and nervousness. Zuko quickly turned to the woman, the woman quickly shuts her mouth. Zuko then begins to slowly walk towards her.

Zuko shot one of his hands out and grasps the woman's face in a painful grip. The woman squeaks in surprise and fear. Zuko just merely just glares down at her. His eyes is filled with a flaming rage. " You all are held responsible for the disappearance of Y/N, " Zuko spat out in anger. Zuko releases his hand from woman's face. Zuko steps away from the woman and is now in front of the four bounded people. " Since you all play a part in my- err Y/N's disappearance, you all will be punished accordingly. " The four people only shook even more at FireLord Zuko's statement. " All of you take them away were they'll never see the light of day again. " Zuko said with venom dripping from his voice.

The four guards only bowed and said a quick " yes sir ". With that they took the four people away. Now Zuko was once again left in his thrown room...... alone.

Zuko let out a sigh of frustration out. He walked towards a window that was in the room. He stared down at his people, he was thinking about something. Based on what the four people said, Zuko can conclude that his darling is no longer in the Fire nation. Zuko dug into his pocket and took out something. It was a necklace. A betrothed necklace to be more specific. You see his darling was not from the fire nation, no no no. You were from a Water tribe, the Southern Water tribe to put it. While Zuko was on his trip to help Aang defeat his father and help him master firebending, Zuko found out from Katara on what her necklace means. He found out that from the Water tribe in order to marry someone, you have to make a betrothed necklace and give it to that special someone. When Zuko found out about this type of information, he instantly got rapped up about it. Ever since he's joined team Avatar he was thinking about what life would be like when he becomes FireLord, then his thoughts were drawn into marriage. He can't help but think, his darling would make the perfect FireLady. His FireLady.

And they'll have children. They'll be lovely children. With his darling swelled up with another one of his heirs all while holding another one of their children. It'll truly be a.. delicious sight to see ~ Zuko hmmed in delight at the thought of his darling bearing his children. But... that's if he witness such a darling sight. Zuko groaned at his mood being dampened and soured. But he knows it's true. Zuko knows if he doesn't act fast, he'll lose his darling. And that lovely little scene that played in his mind, will be nothing but a mere fantasy. Besides, he doesn't want to get himself accidentally sexual frustrated.....

With that aside, Zuko begins to start planning and strategizing. Zuko walks away from the window. He calls a servant, he orders them to get one of his best generals. The servant was slightly hesitant and confused, but never the less terrified. Wasn't the war over? They pushed their question aside, because they know now wouldn't be the best time to question the FireLord. He hasn't been acting himself lately and has been been flaring up at anything these past few weeks. With out much of a second thought, they did as they were told and went to see if someone could get one of the generals FireLord Zuko was talking about.

Zuko on the other hand, went back to sit on his thrown. He knew it will take time for the general to get here, so he decided to sit and be patient for him to get here. All while doing this, Zuko began to plan out in his mind on how he was going to get his darling. He was thinking about getting some of the Fire nation's best spies to help track down his darling. Sending out a whole search team and alerting the public while cause some type of panic. Not only that but he's trying to show that He and the Fire nation has turned over a new leaf, that and he doesn't want people and the other members of team Avatar know he's basically going back to his old ways. Since everybody knows the history on how he went to the ends of the earth to find and Capture the Avatar, and he's basically doing the same for his darling. It'll put a bad name on him and an even worse name on the Fire nation. So he'll lay as low as possible and keep shush shush about it, so he doesn't rise suspicion and ruin all the hard work he's been putting in the past time he's became FireLord.

With all those thoughts in mind, Zuko decides to call the same servant from before. So he can see if his message has been delivered. The Servant said they already sent a messaging hawk out to see if they can reach the general. Zuko only hmmed and dismissed them, and told them to report back to him once the massage has been delivered. With that the servant left, leaving Zuko in his thrown room. Zuko dug into his pocket again. He took out the Betrothed necklace out. He gently creased and rubbed the engraving and creases. He took so many hours and very much effort into making this for his darling. Looking at it always made him feel calmer, it made him happy knowing that his darling will be wearing it soon. But then his darling ran away from him before he can give it to them. Zuko pushed down on the purple garnet at the thought of his darling running away from him ( the rest of the necklace's gems are made up of smaller bits of Rudy and sapphire ). Zuko let out another sigh of frustration. He began to think. Once is darling is back with him he's never letting them go...........

My God, this was a boom ass idea. Not only that, but an idea of Zuko having a bit of a breeding kink has been floating around in my mind for some time now. I had a lot of fun with this. Like I said before T.Angel, If you want me to make a mini scenarios series about this let me know 😆! Well I hope you enjoy it. Until next time my Little Tainted Angels, see you soon ~💜❤💜

[midnightsconspiracy]

Recollection

Recollection - @midnightsconspiracy

Summary: A drunk night ends with you in your bosses bed, but he won’t admit to it until someone else makes a move

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1248

Requested: Yes!!

‘The reader is new to the unit and Hank and the reader went to Molly’s one thing land to another and the reader wakes up in Hanks bed naked. She and Hank both decide not to talk about it but once Hank sees other males hitting on the reader he cannot hold back his attraction to the reader.'

A/N: Started rewatching Chicago Fire so want to start writing about them soon after I get through my current requests

Masterlist

Being new to the unit was a scary thing, everyone watching you, judging you, monitoring you to see whether you fit in or not. It was like have a bunch of spies lurking in the darkness watching and waiting for you to mess up just a little bit. You had bought it down to the fact they didn’t trust you yet, having only worked there for a few days so far, and you understood that completely, you’d been the same to newbies when you had worked in the narcotics unit. But, today you had finally proven yourself, having covered for Ruzek against an offender who had managed to get a one up on him, showing them that you could be a trusted member of the unit. That had led you to receive an invitation to the prestigious Molly’s for a couple of drinks with the rest of your colleagues, even being told that on this rare occasion the Sergeant would be joining you as well. This was a huge success in your eyes not only were you gaining the trust of your fellow detectives but potentially the sergeant too, having not really had any interactions with him since joining. His reputation was one you had always heard, through whispers of other officers and detectives, telling you of his dangerous antics and dirty tactics. But of what you had witnessed, he seemed like a decent man, always doing things with the intention of protecting himself and the unit which you admired, despite it not always being the most morally correct way. So as you entered the bar, settling down in the booth with the rest of the team, you tried to strike up a conversation with the man, wondering if his reputation really proceeded him. But he seemed to reject your small talk, instead turning to Olinsky and Lindsay smiling and laughing with them, leaving you to converse with the rest. None of them really seemed interested though, wanting to talk to those they already knew instead of you. So the only way around the problem that you could think of was to drink. And so that’s what you did, order drink after drink, the others joining in, deciding that maybe you were a fun person after all. Halfway through the night, even Voight had decided maybe you weren’t that bad, not only discussing your past job and life but making each other laugh.

At some point during the evening, things started to become blurry, the alcohol finally getting to your brain, your recollection of events starting to develop holes in it. You could vaguely picture moving over to the bar in order to get yourself another beer, being joined by your Sergeant after placing your order with Hermann. You had stayed there for what you assumed was a couple of hours, the previously friendly conversation turning riskier by the second. But it hadn’t made you uncomfortable that your boss was flirting with you, in fact, it was the opposite, you had embraced it thinking highly of the man. He was handsome in your eyes, with a friendly personality which you had found out that he only exposed once he had warmed up to you, something that you had apparently done during the span of that one evening. The last thing you could remember was walking to his car, for what you thought would be to take you home, but obviously, that was one part of the evening you had misremembered.

Because now you were in an unfamiliar bed, naked, with a figure facing away from you. How you had got there was unknown, the time between the car and now currently a black hole, absolutely nothing coming to mind when you thought about it. But one of the questions was answered, as the unknown person turned around, pulling you into them further from the hand that was now clutched around your waist. Your features struck with confusion as the person hugging you tightly was your boss, Hank bloody Voight. You froze, staring at him, not knowing how to react to the situation you were in, choosing to try and escape back to your apartment. Wiggling your body out from beneath his arms, you fumbled around the room, trying to remain as quiet as possible as you retrieved all of the missing clothes that were thrown around.

That day you went to work as normal, you tried to think back to what had happened the previous night, hoping that seeing your other colleagues would encourage your other memories to appear. But that route seemed to be a bust, still coming up empty of what exactly had happened. The only thing that did come back were snippets of your and Hank's sexual escapade, all coming back in small increments at inconvenient times during your workday. One thing that did remain consistent throughout the day, was that you and the Sergeant were both refusing to talk about it, completely avoiding each other and the subject. However the others acted as if nothing had changed, well because to them nothing had, so they went about their days, solving crime and joking with all the team. However, one new thing from last night was Detective Halstead’s ‘friendliness’ towards you. Any time you were in the break room or had a free five minutes he would come up to you, flirting in front of everyone, not caring about anyone else hearing, despite the no in house dating rules set in place. He was relentless to the point where you were wondering if this was a dare or not, making you very uneasy in the process.

You weren’t the only one who it was making uncomfortable. In his office, Voight was seething, Jay was not only acting out of line with the unit’s rules but also the fact that his detective liked you. He had originally planned to talk to you about what had happened last night, but he couldn’t stop the anger he felt from acting out in that moment. Shouting you into his office, he slammed the door as you entered, getting you to take a seat as he prepared himself for the talk he was about to have.

“I wanted to talk to you about last night,” he started, refusing to look you in the eye. Nervous about what he was saying, but still keeping his tough exterior.

“Ok?” You answered unsure whether he wanted more or less following your interaction previously.

“I don’t appreciate you leaving my bed without me knowing Y/N,” he stated, sounding harsh but the flirty glimmer in his eye gave him away completely.

“I'm sorry I didn’t realise you thought it was more than a one-night thing.” By this point, you’d guessed what he wanted, both his words and demeanour telling you. But confusion still took over, why out of all the females at that bar last night had he chosen you?

“Of course it was, I don’t do one night stands” he assured before continuing on,

“There’s just something about you that I’ve noticed since you walked in, but I just couldn’t pinpoint it until last night,” he smirked, knowing you were probably flustered from his declaration considering you were his employee and one who had just joined at that. Keeping the air of mysteriousness around him, he tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear, before leaning down and whispering the words,

“That's the last time I want you leaving my bed without me knowing alright?”

----------

Taglist: @mileika @Redpoodlern @ohitshanksgirlxo @Chazubagi@scarletsoldierrr @cindydoll2

Want to join my taglist? Click Here

[sturchling]

How MDC Actually Started

Got this idea from a post from @flufflepuffle296

It was so awesome, I had to write it out! Hope you like it! Let me know what you think!

Ever wonder how MDC was formed? This is the story of its formation, and why Marinette started the brand. 

Nino had been miserable for several days now. He and Alya had just broken up. He had realized that Lila was lying about everything and tried to warn Alya. After all, Alya had been posting Lila’s lies on her blog without fact-checking. That could ruin Alya’s credibility and really damage her chances of becoming a journalist. He had pulled Alya aside after school one day to warn her privately. “Alya, you need to hear this. Lila has been lying to you; to all of us. You should pull down those interviews with her from your blog, they could hurt your reputation.” Alya got an irritated look on her face, “Nino, did Marinette get to you? Lila wouldn’t lie to us; we are all friends. How could you accuse Lila without any proof?” Nino, admittedly, got a little defensive at this comment, “What do you mean what proof do I have? What proof do you have that she is telling the truth? Proof is a two-way street, and you are a journalist. Where are your sources?” To say the conversation devolved from there would be an understatement. It ended with the young couple breaking up and more than a few tears being shed on both sides.

 --------------

For the next several days after the confrontation, Nino was miserable. He was taking the break up pretty hard. Eventually, his friends got tired of seeing him mope. Adrien, and Marinette invite him to a music festival that weekend, hoping it might get Nino out of his funk. They knew he had really wanted to go to this festival, and that he was a fan of several of the artists that were playing there. But when they got there, while Nino was enjoying himself, he couldn’t help but feel like a third wheel. Marinette was having a hard time hiding her crush, and Adrien was still being dense, but it felt like Nino had crashed a date. So, he made an excuse to the two and wondered off on his own. It was then that he met Emilia. They were both listening to the same person’s set and just started talking. The end of the festival felt like it came too quickly, but soon it was the end of the day and everyone had to leave. Nino and Emilia ended up exchanging phone numbers and promising to talk soon. Nino left the festival a lot happier than when he arrived.

  --------------

Over the next several days, Nino’s mood continued to improve. He was constantly smiling and seemed to be much happier. He and Emilia had been texting everyday since the festival and had grown quite close. They were constantly texting, and anytime his phone went off with another text notification, his smile grew wider. This did not escape the class’ notice and they started hounding him for details. “Who is she?” “Where did you meet?” “What is she like?” Nino was very tight lipped about the whole thing. He did tell them that her name was Emilia and that she was very kind and really like music too. The class kept pestering him until one day he told them, “Since you dudes keep bugging me, me and Emilia are going on our first date.” Most of the class, except for Alya and Lila, got really excited hearing that. Alya was unhappy that her ex already had a new date, and Lila was ‘supporting her bestie’. The class pressed Nino for details and he revealed, “We are going to that little café near the Louvre at 3pm next Saturday.” The class was very happy for Nino and kept talking with him for the rest of the day.

  --------------

Adrien and Marinette were very excited for their friend. They also wanted to make sure that the date goes smoothly. They thought the best way to know how the date goes, is to be there themselves. They spent the rest of the week coming up with their plan. When Saturday came, Adrien and Marinette arrived at the café about ten minutes after Nino or Emilia sat down, and slipped into booth so that Nino had his back to them. They were far enough away that they hoped the couple wouldn’t notice them, but close enough that they could still hear what they were saying. What Adrien and Marinette hadn’t anticipated was the arrival of Luka. Luka walked into the café and immediately noticed Marinette and Adrien trying to be discrete. He walked over to their booth, and Marinette immediately dragged him down into the booth. She quietly explained the situation to Luka, and he decided to stay for the rest of the date as well.

  --------------

That Monday, Nino came into the school and walked right up to Marinette and Adrien, who were talking with Luka in the courtyard. “Dudes! The date went great! We had such a fun time and we have a lot in common! We even decided to go on another date on Saturday. While Nino continues going on about his date, the three friends exchange eye contact. A silent pact was made right there, to continue their spying on Nino’s dates. So, the small group of three kept spying on Nino and Emilia during their dates.

  --------------

Eventually, someone became suspicious of their activities. But it wasn’t Nino or Emilia. It was Chloe. Chloe had noticed that Adrien kept disappearing every Saturday. She had no idea where he would be every single Saturday. They didn’t have school, there was no fencing on the weekends, and he didn’t have Chinese lessons on the weekend either. It couldn’t be photo shoots this often either. So, one Friday, Chloe stopped Adrien on his way to class and demanded to know what was going on. When Adrien filled her in on their weekly stalking of Nino and his girlfriend, Chloe was very interested and wanted to join the little group. And so, the group of spies now had their fourth member. The small group continued to stalk Nino and Emilia on all their dates. The group felt a little guilty about being so invasive, but this was incredibly entertaining. They were just happy they hadn’t been caught yet, because that would be embarrassing.

  --------------

Then, one weekend, Emilia arrived at the usual café before Nino. She had noticed that the same group had always been at the café for every single date she and Nino had been on. She had also noticed how much this group was desperate not to be seen by either of them. She approached them and asked, “What is going on? You guys are always here during our dates. What are you guys up to?” Que the group beginning to panic that they had been caught. They hadn’t thought up an excuse in case this happened and now they were regretting it. In her panic, Marinette managed to blurt out, “We’re starting a fashion business!” Emilia looked at them skeptically, “Really?” It was too late to stop now, so Marinette continued with the story, “Yes! I am the head designer, Chloe and Luka are the models and Adrien is going to do the PR!” Emilia didn’t look convinced at all.

  --------------

Emilia hadn’t bought their story about the fashion business. But she didn’t think they meant any harm, so she would just let it go. She turned to leave, only to stop as Nino arrived and walked over to Emilia and the small group. He seemed confused when he saw his friends, which he was. “Hi dudes. What are you all talking about?” Before the small group could answer, Emilia jumps in saying, “Oh, these guys are starting a fashion business.” Nino is a little surprised by that, but just says, “Cool. Can’t wait to see what you dudes come up with!” With that he takes Emilia by the hand and heads to their usual table.

  --------------

Now the small group was really panicking. They didn’t have many options right now. The first option is that they continue the lie and try to hide their real intentions. The second option is to admit to the spying and tell Nino what they had really been doing. Neither option sounded very appealing. But then, Chloe interjected, “Well, why not make the lie come true. We could actually start a fashion brand. Then we aren’t lying to Nino, and most importantly, he will never find out we were stalking him. Marinette could finally launch her fashion brand. We would all get some work experience, and if all goes well, we might even get some money out of the deal. If Marinette’s brand actually takes off, we could make a lot of money.” The group seemed very apprehensive about it, Marinette especially. But with a little more convincing from Chloe, the rest of the group agreed to give it a try. Marinette spoke up, “Wait, what should we call the brand?” Chloe just rolled her eyes, “That is obvious, we can use your initials. Way easier to make logos from initials.” Adrien says, “Yeah, that is a good idea Chloe. Her initials would be perfect. The brand can be called MDC.” Slowly, the other members of the group started to grin. Marinette looks at everyone and says, “So, everyone ready to launch MDC?”

  --------------

After that, MDC took off pretty quickly. With the daughter of the mayor of Paris and Adrien Agreste backing the brand, how could it not do well? It wasn’t until a few years later, that Nino found out how all of this had happened. It was during an interview with the small team that this whole story came out. After Marinette finished telling the long story, Chloe summed it up, “Essentially, this whole thing started because we were spying on a friend of ours’ on his date and his girlfriend cornered us one day. It made us all panic and then Marinette just blurted out that we were starting a fashion brand. So, we actually started one to keep Nino from finding out.” Nino and Emilia were sitting at Nino’s place watching the interview and they were shocked. This is the first they had heard about any of this. The couple got a good laugh out of the story. To think that MDC, a now major fashion brand, never would have been made if Emilia hadn’t cornered Marinette and made her panic. So, that is the story of the formation of MDC. It wasn’t a revenge plot or anything dramatic. It was simply the result of Marinette panicking. It was without a doubt the best result of any of Marinette’s panicked moments.

[miakwat]

For the Kai is a spy for Chen Au does the ninja ever get suspicious about Kai? What does Kai do when everyone is searching for the spy? (Since Kai has the tattoo and Skylor can easily hide it) When the ninja find out Kai works for Chen do they feel betrayed? I'm sorry for all the questions this Au just really interest me.

Don’t worry about it haha

I’m actually glad somebody’s interested enough in the au to ask questions!

-

For your first question, I feel like the ninja as a whole won’t be suspicious of Kai since, well, he’s Kai. He’s built his identity around protecting people he cares about and would never work with the villain right?

Moving on, while the ninja (for the most part) wouldn’t be suspicious of Kai, Garmadon would. Of course, it’d start off as concern for Kai when he’d notice Chen and Clouse taking and interest in him. He tells the ninja to never let themselves be left alone with Chen and/or Clouse, but while he warns them he notices Kai stiffen. From then on he starts to notice Kai look nervous whenever Jay starts throwing accusations, and how sometimes he’d sneak off past or right before curfew. He decides to keep a close eye on Kai after a while.

(Ok I know I said none of the ninja would be suspicious of Kai, but I kind of want to bring up how I’ve been throwing around the idea of Jay being at least a bit suspicious of Kai. Towards the beginning of s4, Jay was very openly suspicious of the other elemental masters, and since he hasn’t worked with Kai, Cole, or Lloyd since Zane’s death he probably hasn’t entirely ruled out any possible betrayals. His suspicions never really lead anywhere and eventually he shrugs off any suspicious activity from Kai as stress (or maybe he follows Kai one day out of suspicion and finds him meeting up with Clouse).)

-

Second question time!

Kai nearly gets away with not showing his tattoos during their search for the spy. He’s the fire ninja. A protector of Ninjago. He wouldn’t fall to Chen’s side now would he?

The search goes relatively similar to canon. Skylor willingly shows her back and covers up her tattoo using Chamille’s power, Shade runs, and everyone decides to call it a day thinking they’ve found the spy.

That is, until Garmadon speaks up.

He insists on Kai having to show his back due to his growing suspicion. Kai sort of takes Skylor’s place and starts ranting about Garmadon’s lack of trust in him, and is backed up by Lloyd (and maybe Jay, but I feel like Jay’s lingering suspicions of Kai would hold him back). While Kai’s arguing Skylor comes up with a plan to use Neuro’s powers to haze everyone’s memory of Kai’s tattoos. Kai’s reluctant to try since he doesn’t even know if it’ll work, but he goes through with it anyway.

All goes as planned, nobody realizes he or Skylor are spies, and they all go back to their rooms.

Although, Neuro notices somethings wrong later that night.

-

As for your final question, most of the ninja absolutely felt betrayed by Kai (granted, at different times since I want his reveal to be spread out for some reason).

Zane didn’t feel any betrayal after the tournament. PIXAL had been running when Kai had first dropped by and was able to pick up that he was being blackmailed. Because of this she was able to relay Kai’s situation to Zane and he made it his goal to get out of the factory and let Kai know he’s OK. (Zane absolutely felt horrible about being the reason Kai was being blackmailed.)

Cole felt betrayed, angry, and above all, confused. He had found out Kai had betrayed the team during his power extraction ceremony and all he could think about was why had he done it? Why had Kai gone behind their backs and worked with Chen? Why had Kai contributed to their pain?

Cole was extremely angry at Kai up until he saved Zane who later explained Kai’s position. After he found out about the blackmail, Cole made it his mission to let Kai know Zane was OK.

Nya was devastated after Kai practically walked her right into Chen’s hands. She kept denying that it was actually Kai who was working with Chen. That the real Kai would’ve helped her off the island. Or that he was being forced into working with Chen and that she’d help him out of it.

Of course, by the end of it all she was right. He wasn’t siding with Chen willingly. When she found this out she was more than relieved.

Jay was the least affected by Kai’s betrayal because he kind of saw it coming. Not to say he wasn’t hurt, but his suspicions paired with the circumstances he learned about Kai’s betrayal (if we go by my rough idea of Jay following Kai to a meeting with Clouse)? Kind of watered down the surprise. He’s definitely relieved after learning Kai was blackmailed, but makes a joke about not having to fight him now that he knows Kai’s still on their side.

Lloyd was one of the worst hit with Kai’s betrayal (only second to Nya). He found out while being pitted against Kai and Skylor as the final round of the tournament. Chen revealed both of them as spies and Lloyd couldn’t bring himself to genuinely fight Kai. Most of his attacks were aimed at Skylor, leaving him vulnerable to Kai and led to his defeat. Lloyd can’t even look at Kai when the time for his ceremony comes around.

Lloyd cries (he doesn’t know whether they’re tears of joy or not) when he found out Kai was forced into the role of being a spy.

Garmadon can’t help but feel bad for Kai. He’s been in his situation before. He knows how it feels to have Chen get into your head and twist your thoughts (although, he didn’t know Clouse was literally doing that). He never felt betrayed by Kai’s actions, he was disappointed and a bit angry, but he understood Kai’s situation.

-

Feel free to send in asks about this AU whenever! It gives me an excuse to hurt these LEGO people :)

Tumblr deleted my original response this is so sad

[princecharmingmendes]

Heart by Heart | Chapter I | Raul Mendes

                                           *secret agent AU*

Y/N and Raul have been friends ever since they could remember. And falling in love with your best friend can be pretty tricky and messy 99% of the times, add that to the fact they're constantly risking their lives side by side on the field since they're both secret agents, and the best team that's ever existed. Perfect recipe for disaster.

Helloo, this is the first chapter of this series and I'm super excited about it. Please read the warnings on this one, if you don't feel comfortable with the contents listed on the "warnings" section, please read something else, there are a lot of other works on my masterlist and on the "fic rec" hashtag on my blog. I plan on posting a chapter weekly, which means new chapter every Thursday (and maybe a sneak peak every monday). Please give me some feedback and I hope you guys like it as much as I did. I'll stop rambling now, byee. Happy Reading!

                                                     masterpost | next chapter

*Word Count: 3.4K+;

*Warnings:  cursing, descriptions of violence, blood, injuries, hostage situation and a whole lot of teasing. Please don’t read it if any of this subjects make you uncomfortable, feel free to check my masterlist for other writings. 

*Posted: July 1st, 2021.

                                                     -*-

Raul Mendes was a pain in the ass. Y/N loves him way too much for her own good, but he was a pain in the nonetheless. 

He was the only person she knew who could be in a possible life-or-death situation and still make fun of her through their communicators. And sure, that made the whole thing lighter and less scary, and sure, he was the best agent she’s ever met, but damn did he get on her nerves. And Raul always knew how to get her frustrated or squirming, he enjoyed it more than he was willing to admit. Sure, they’ve been friends for a long time and she should be used to him, but it never got easier. The fact he had a killer smile, the looks of a legit greek god and had this whole tough guy exterior, but secretly had a soft spot for her did not make her case any less complicated.

Y/N and Raul knew each other ever since they’re basically born. Their parents met when they worked together at a company of secret agents, it was only a small corporation back then, and they were known as the best agents at the time. After they retired from field missions and eventually desk jobs, they became only advisers and emergency contacts. But despite that, they kept their friendship going though all the years and that’s how Y/N was introduced to the triplets. They’re always together, doing everything with each other and protecting themselves. And of course she loved Peter and Shawn with her whole heart, they’re like family to her, but Raul was different. Y/N wished it wasn’t, but there are certain things in life you can’t exactly control. Like falling in love with your best friend.

And it’s not like she stood a chance, to be honest. Regardless of his looks, he treated her like she hung the moon and stars on the sky. Sure, he was a tough guy, who rode motorcycles and wore leather jackets, and wouldn’t admit alive that he cried while watching Lion King. But he took care of her when she was upset or having a bad period, he would take her driving around town at midnight on random occasions just because he knew it would make her feel better, and would always be so mindful of everything involving her. And yeah, he teased her endlessly, but it was part of it and in reality, Y/N didn’t mind it that much. 

So when they started growing older and decided to follow their parents career, it only made sense they trained their asses off and got the job together. The company their parents worked for grew a lot, a team that was originally formed by 15 agents turned into a massive business, with over 100 employees, doing various functions. Shawn was picked for a more diplomatic field, always in meetings with important people and traveling around the world. Peter became a tech engineer, developing the coolest gadgets and weapons imaginable, something out of Totally Spies! Raul was clearly a field agent, an expert on body combat and weapons, best out of the four when it came to their physical test. And Y/N was the one who guided the operations, the hacker and responsible for strategies, also for the tech part and best sniper out of the three of them. 

That made her and Raul an unbeatable team and the best duo ever. Their chemistry on the field was recognized by their bosses on the first week, basically glueing them together for every future mission and it worked. For the company. But it only dug her little crush deeper on Y/N’s heart. And obviously no one knew it. She was a spy for fucks sake, she knew how to lie and she wasn’t going to be the one to tell him. Raul didn’t date, working on this field made  everyone’s love life a bit harder than it was already, and he never seemed interested enough in anyone with the same career to have a long lasting relationship with. That didn’t mean there where a lot of people interested, which made Y/N’s heart twist in her chest. 

“Sweetheart, you still with me?” Raul’s voice came through her earpiece bringing her back to reality.

“Of course I am, you idiot, I take this job really seriously” Y/N replied rolling her eyes as if she didn’t just daydreamed a bit. 

“Oh sorry, doll, didn’t mean to insult you hard working” he chuckled “but could you please check in the corridor number 6, half the team is heading down there right now”

“Sure” she quickly typed on her computer changing cameras really quickly, perks of being Peter’s best friend is that she could usually take extra stuff and the newest gadgets on the market “It’s clear and, by the way, you look pathetic with this glasses”

Raul laughed clearly amused, throwing his middle finger up in the air in the direction of the security camera he found “Oh really? Tell that to Peter, he’s the one who created them” 

“Technically their still a prototype, so make sure to let him know”

Raul scoffed playfully as he climbed another set of stairs, the man and woman with him following without questioning, used to his ways of leading “Of course, I’m sure he’ll like to hear your fashion critiques to his million dollar glasses”

“I’ll write it down, now careful, you’re approaching the level where they’re at”

“Sure, mom, I’m always careful” he said in a hushed tone signaling to his teammates to keep quiet and try to find the possible security team they left to watch the hostage.

“Shut up” Y/N said trying to hold back the smile from stretching her lips, already letting the airway team know to be ready to pick them up as they approached their target. 

They’re currently in the middle of a mission where they needed to recover another agent who got caught up in an ambush two weeks ago, and now they’re being kept as a hostage. Raul’s leading a team to retrieve the agent as quickly and as silently as they could, two with him and three other on the opposite side to meet halfway. All that while Y/N’s on the under construction building across the street seated among her gear, gun in hand following their every step and guiding them through the camera system and the big windows that other building had. It’s not the worst mission they’ve ever been, no apparent violence or blood bath, just a simple rescue mission, but they still felt a little jittery and always worried about each other’s lives. And through the years, they noticed that their copying mechanism to make this less stressful (at least a tiny bit) was through light banter and jokes. That somehow brought a bit of normality to their very non ordinary job. 

Y/N did her best to keep them hidden while they crashed into the building as quietly as possible, trying go unnoticeable since they didn’t have enough munition or people on the tactic team. It would also prevent them from moving the target around or opening fire. And despite the fact Raul kept on trying to joke around and that she’s been doing this for at least four years, the fact that they’re working with a less experienced and fresh out of the academy crew made her a little jittery. Not that she didn’t trust Raul to command everything and boss everyone around if things got messy, she just didn’t want him to get in the middle of a crossfire again. 

He had the terrible habit of playing the hero in the most inconvenient times, like when they were little and a guy twice his size, with three friends mocked her pigtails. He didn’t stand a chance, but he went after them anyway. They ended up having to run as fast as they could so they wouldn’t end up with a black eye or something. And that was nothing compared to the stupid shit he could do on field. And Y/N couldn’t be more pissed whenever he came home with more bruises then he should just to play Superman or something. Sure, that was admirable and the fact that he put everyone on his team on his top priority was definitely something fantastic for a captain, but not for Y/N’s heart. 

And for that reason, she was always extra careful, but when he had a newbie joining him on the field, Y/N tripled the attention to avoid putting the kid in danger, and, consequently her best friend. 

Raul was quick to take down two man on their level without raising much alarm, grabbing their munition, dragging the unconscious bodies away from where they’d be easily seen and moving forward to another set of stairs. He was a very skillful agent, with great physical development and worked great under pressure, with quick thinking and a natural leader. So it didn’t shock her when he was able to do that as if it was the most natural thing in the planet. While Raul was more of a passionate person, Y/N was more rational, was analyzing every possibility and coming up with creative solution, she was also really cold on work (she just had one exception) and was a quick thinker, great person to rely on. It’s almost as if the complimented each other and that’s why it worked. That’s why when she tells him to shoot, he does without thinking, or to jump, he wouldn’t blink before doing it head first. 

And that’s why they’re able to reach the hostage without much trouble. 

“Told you to chill out, I knew we could make it” he murmured through their coms and she giggled, shaking her head incredulously.

“You should watch the entrances while your teammates take care of the hostage”

“That’s why I have you, sweetheart” he said with his infamous smirk stretching his annoyingly pink lips.

Y/N shook her head when she felt her face warming up a bit, stupid boy “Well, actually I’m pretty busy calling for our ride, so watch your own back this time, you’re a big boy, I’m sure you can do it”

Raul scoffed but did as she say either way “fine, are we clear?”

“On your floor yes, climb three more levels and meet me on this side of the street, don’t stall champ, they’re going to notice there’s something wrong with the cameras and their man who aren’t responding, so be quick”

Raul chuckled as he helped balance the hostage on Roman’s arms and signaling them to climb the stairs again “Yes, ma’am, anything to keep you from frowning and scolding my ass”

Y/N rolled her eyes smiling, sighing in relief that half of their mission was done and it went as smoothly as it could have been “Great, now get your ass out of there now, Raul” 

The tactic team started moving to the floor they’d have access to jump, and everything was going too smoothly to be true, not even a minor inconvenience. And that was not normal, at all. That’s when Y/N started getting worried. 

Everything was great until Seth, from loosing a lot of blood and being severely dehydrated, started loosing his conscious, making Roman’s job a lot more complicated and making everyone move slower. And while that was happening, Y/N saw when one of the guys saw his partners laying limply on the corner of a hallway and finally the pieces clicked. Luckily she was able to caught it quickly enough to be able to mess up their coms, so instead of a dozen men, they’d have to deal with two. She was also quick to let Raul know, so he jumped into action, telling everyone to rush and grabbing Seth’s right side, basically carrying him alongside Roman up the stairwell. 

But as they’re almost reaching the door, Raul heard footsteps rather close, rushing Roman up the rest of the way, warning he’d be right behind him, that he was only to be a bit far back so he could hold whoever was coming. 

He ran downstairs, quickly blocking the door to the staircase with a fire extinguisher, running all the way upstairs to reach his teammates and jump to go home. But as he had just reached the door, his colleagues waiting for him with their gear (and also his) ready to cross to the other building, he felt the barrel of a gun touching the back of his head. Raul raised his hands in surrender, his teammates staring at him with horror in their eyes as they aimed their guns to whoever was behind him, but he knew they couldn’t do much before he got shot. He also knew they’re too young, apart from Roman and Cara, who were both holding Seth up, they weren’t experienced enough to do something like that. But before the person could pull the trigger, they grunted in pain and Raul felt the barrel slipping away. 

He turned around to watch the guy on his back in the floor, clutching to his left ribs, a little pool of blood already forming underneath him and gun long forgotten. Raul looked around to see if it was anyone from this guy’s side or anyone on the stairs, only to be met with silence and a single security camera with the green dot on, meaning Y/N was still in their system. He shook his head in disbelief, dragging the whining man outside of the room, quacking his gun down the stairs and managing to lock the door so they could escape safely. 

“Still with me, baby?” Y/N’s voice teased mimicking the way he said it earlier. 

Raul shook his head with a smirk on his lips, before moving to where his teammates stood still a bit shocked with all that happened in front of them “Wouldn’t dream of leaving you, sweetheart”

“Alright boys, the helicopters are coming for us, meet you all on the roof in three” Y/N said through the coms for the whole team, quickly shifting to a line only the captain, Raul, could hear “and if you dare be late just to make a big entrance or another dramatic scheme you can think about, I swear to God I’ll leave you behind”

“You wouldn’t dare”

“Try me” Y/N sing sang picking up her stuff and quickly shoving them down in her backpack, gathering the rest in her hands before turning around to climb to the rooftop. 

As she climbed the last set of stairs, Y/N saw their helicopters approaching as the seven agents she was waiting for used a special gun to shoot a line to her building, before locking them in place before zip-lining their way to meet her. She helped Seth, the agent that was kept hostage climb up the little wall since he was in a pretty bad shape, throwing his arm across her shoulders and basically dragging him to where they thrown the stair to climb up to the helicopter with the medical team waiting for him. Cara and Roman climbed first since they’re going to report what they saw and assist Seth as best as they could. Roman grabbed him and the rope stair, shouting to pull them up so he could be taken care of. 

Raul was the last one to arrive, as always staying behind to insure everyone got there safely and no one would try to kill them or anything. He graciously climbed the all as if it was nothing, pulling the gun from the string and cutting it so no one could follow them up there that quickly. Raul told everyone to climb onto the helicopter and they’re quick to follow his order, only one person stubbornly waiting for him, as always. He held back the relieved smile from stretching across his features, noticing how warm and relaxed he felt only by seeing Y/N standing besides the hope ladder. She looked worried, a frown on her beautiful face and Raul wanted to smooth his fingers over it as if it would ease all of her troubles away.

She nodded as soon as he was close enough, Raul being quick to pick up the heavy backpack she was carrying and leaving the rest to her “Are you okay?”

“What? Of course, Why do you ask?” he knew why she was asking, hell, his heartbeat was still a bit too fast to be normal, and yeah, partially was because he was standing in front of Y/N, but on the other hand he almost got killed. She only arched her brow at him and he sighed in defeat “Of course I am, doll, you know me, I’m always okay” 

“That’s what’s scares me the most” she said with a sad chuckle and started climbing the rope ladder to the helicopter and Raul was quick to follow behind.

“Dude, that was insane, I can’t believe you didn’t miss or accidentally shot Raul from across the street!” the youngest guy from the mission shouted as soon as they reached them on the vehicle, Raul closing the door behind them. 

Y/N only giggled in response “yeah, a bit crazy, isn’t it?”

“That’s because she’s the best, Tommy, but she won’t believe it” Raul said as he sat on one of the vacant seats, waiting for her to join him. 

“Oh shut it” she said unable to stop the smile from forming.

They kept on talking about the mission for a while, Tommy and the other two kids who recently joined still high from the adrenaline, but Y/N couldn’t be more worn out and Raul was quick to catch it. He leaned closer to her and she automatically laid her head on his shoulder, a movement that was almost mechanic to both of them. He gently grabbed her hand that was placed on her knee and interlaced their fingers together, letting her play with his hand to pass the time. 

Y/N sighed and mumbled after a while, when most of the kids were too distracted to pay attention “Are you really okay? Don’t say that you’re always fine, I mean it”

Raul had mastered the art of the poker face. He could easily be having the worst time of his life, but he would never let it showcase always with a quick sarcastic remark and an easy smirk on his lips, ready to flirt with anyone to distract them from the real problem. Raul was not the best when dealing with feelings and emotions, always thought it was easier to push them away, but Y/N saw right through him. She always did, ever since they were little. After that, he never tried to hide it again from her, always being as honest as he could with her about how he was, and obviously it didn’t always work, but she understood and respected it. It’s not like he needed to say anything for her to know. 

But at the same time, she didn’t know that he would always be fine, as long as she was safe and right next to him, the rest didn’t matter. 

“I promise you I’m fine, you saved my beautiful ass and we’re going home, I’d say we’re fantastic” he said after a while, pressing a long kiss to the back of their laced hands. 

That seemed to be enough to convince Y/N, since she huffed through her nose and let out a tiny giggle, before leaning closer to him and Raul took it as a sign to drape his arm over her shoulder pulling her closer to his chest “your beautiful ass is really annoying, you know that, right?”

“Oh, I do, but you love it anyway” he said with a giggle, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head, as she just showed him her middle finger, making him laugh even more. 

Yeah, he was definitely fine. For now. 

                                                     -*-

*Please reblog or like this post if you liked it so I’ll know.

*I’m sorry if there are any spelling mistakes.

*Please do not repost this without giving me the credit, this is a completely original piece and I do not give permission to copy this!

*Hope you guys enjoyed it!

*xoxo

-🌙

[fellintotartarus]

my brown-haired boy (3)

Summary: Reader has to navigate the difficult reality of having a crush on Spencer and trying to raise a kid with him. 6.5k words

A/N: This is it! Thank you so much for the support on the previous 2 parts and I really hope you guys enjoy this last part.

Warnings: explicit discussions of sex, angst, curse words, alcohol consumption.

part 1 | part 2 

-

The first time Spencer asked you if Max could stay with him for the weekend, you nearly passed out on the spot.

“Y/N?” Spencer asked.

You blinked. There was no reason for him not to be able to, right? So why the hell did it make you so nervous?

“Um… yes,” you said hesitantly.

Spencer eyed you warily.

“Are you sure?”

You exhaled sharply, nodded, and said, “Yes.”

Spencer’s eyes lit up and he thanked you before running off somewhere, presumably to gush to someone or make plans.

It was November, four months since Spencer had met Max. They took to each other impossibly, Max always asking after Spencer and vice versa. On more than one occasion, you’d had to call Spencer over in the middle of the night to calm Max after a nightmare.

And then there was the issue of the palpable tension between the two of you. Nothing could just be what it was. Every phone call had to end with a longing sigh, every glance with a burning passion. You found your gaze lingering on his lithe arms when his sleeves were rolled up, on his jawline as he examined a crime board, on his hands (god, his hands) as they flicked over a page.

It had bled obviously into your work life, too, where, entirely too often, you had to be snapped out of a stupor by one of the girls.

You hadn’t told anyone, though. Your first and foremost responsibility was to Max, and you hardly wanted anyone thinking that you were going to jeopardize that. 

Right now though, it was Thursday and you were wrapping up a case in Grand Rapids and you desperately wanted to be home with your son, who you had incidentally just handed over to his father.

The team had taken the news in stride. It was still incredibly strange to them (justifiably so, honestly), so they tended to avoid the topic so as to not accidentally bring up anything sensitive. This mistake had already been made once (your cheeks burned at the memory of Derek asking why you and Spencer showed up to work together so often) and everyone was quick to learn from that experience.

Your phone rang and you looked down to see your mother’s contact light up the screen. You excused yourself from the conference room and quickly answered.

“Hey, mom.”

“Hi, darling. Max wants to say goodnight,” she said, sighing and sounding slightly apologetic.

“No worries, mom, we’re in a lull anyways. Put him on, would you?” you appeased her.

“Mommy!” came a shrill squeal from the line.

“Hi, mouse,” you lilted. “Goodnight, baby. Sleep tight. I’ll be home tomorrow.”

“Is daddy there?” Max asked impatiently.

“I- yes. He’s right here,” you said, slightly taken aback, and walked back into the conference room. You walked up to Spencer and unceremoniously handed him the phone, shrugging when he looked at you inquisitively. He stood up and started out of the room, putting the phone up to his ear as he walked.

JJ glanced over at you and said, “What was that about?”

You frowned. “He didn’t even say anything, just ‘Is daddy there?’” You ripped at the corner of the page in the case files you were working on. JJ smiled sympathetically. “Henry went through the same thing. Honestly, he still prefers one of us on and off.”

You shook your head. “But I--” you sighed. “I don’t know.”

Spencer came back into the room a few minutes later, smiling apologetically and handing you back your phone

“What was that about?” you asked, trying to sound casual.

Spencer laughed softly. “He just wanted to tell me about that thing that happened at school.”

You looked at him expectantly. “Wh- well, what happened?” you asked.

Spencer looked at you confusedly and said, “He didn’t--” but he was interrupted by Hotch, who came in with a new directive in the case.

You were visibly sullen the rest of the day. JJ assured you it was normal, but you couldn’t help but think that Max was taking to Spencer more than he ever liked you.

You were short with Spencer, too, even though you knew it was through no fault of his own that Max asked for him instead of you.

Sensing your worry, Hotch came up next to you at the precinct’s coffee machine.

“It’s just because he sees Reid as more of a friend than anything. Trust me, as soon as he has to tell him to go to bed or eat his vegetables, you’ll have equal footing again,” he said with a small smile.

You reciprocated, nodding your head with a small, “Thanks,” desperately hoping he was right.

The case wrapped up rather quickly, and you found yourself avoiding Spencer on the jet home the next day. You could feel his eyes burning into the back of your neck and could see JJ, who sat across from you, exchanging nervous looks with him over your shoulder.

“Hey,” you interrupted her conspicuous staring contest. “Spence has Max for the weekend. Girls’ night?”

JJ’s eyes lit up (and you only later thought to realize it had been completely mischievous) and smiled. 

“Sounds amazing.”

You grinned in response and your phone dinged.

Pen Garcia

Did someone say girls’ night at Y/N’s?!!

You stared at your phone, mouth agape.

Pen Garcia

I have an alert system any time anyone on the plane says girls’ night.

You blinked in disbelief.

“So it seems that Pen spies on us and is overwhelmingly ready for girls’ night.”

JJ nodded. “Oh yeah, that old thing. It scared the shit out of me the first time.”

You laughed, “You can say that again.”

The plane landed sooner than you would have liked, and you turned to Spencer as you were both getting off the jet and said curtly, “I’ll drop him off at six.”

His eyes caught yours and for a second you completely forgot you were feeling resentful toward him.

You hated it. It was like time froze and the only thing you could think of or focus on was him. It was pretty easily tunnel vision, and every time, your breath caught in your throat and your cheeks heated to an impossible pink. Each time, it became somehow easier and harder to snap out of it. The better you got at it, the less you wanted to. You tore your gaze from his and walked side by side back into headquarters.

Spencer looked slightly concerned for you. He walked a little faster to be slightly ahead of you and turned his head a little, the expression on his face clearly asking if you were okay.

You nodded softly, pulling him to the side. “Six, okay? And Spencer, you’re his dad. This can’t just be a fun sleepover.”

Spencer looked slightly confused, but agreed. “Y/N, I know that. Don’t worry.”

You smiled and thanked him before walking off to your car and driving home. 

As soon as you put your key in the lock, you heard the little footsteps thundering toward the door. You managed to catch your son in a hug while kicking the door shut behind you.

“Hi, mouse!” you smiled and kissed his chubby cheek. “You’re gonna spend the weekend at Daddy’s. Does that sound okay?”

To say Max’s face lit up would be an understatement. He squealed excitedly, jumped up and down, and said, “Yeaaahhh!” in a way only a 5 year old could.

You giggled, said, “Okay, mouse, go get your toys packed up,” and walked over to the dresser in his room to pack a weekend bag.

You sighed, thinking of the way Max was clearly more excited to spend time with Spencer than with you. You thought of what JJ said, that Henry went through it, too. You hated to think it, but it was different. Henry grew up with both Will and JJ. You were Max’s only parent up until 4 months ago, you had raised him by yourself, and it was so painful to see someone who only showed up those 4 months ago take over your son’s life so easily.

You mentally scolded yourself. There was quite literally no way Spencer would have gotten involved sooner. Not only that, but you were the one who decided to involve him in the first place. You couldn’t think like this.

But everything about Spencer was infuriating. He was absolutely perfect around your kid, he was devastatingly attractive, and he didn’t fucking know it. He still acted as though Max wasn’t completely infatuated with him, he licked his lips and scrunched his eyebrows with such little care it almost seemed on purpose, and you were sick of it. You wanted to be able to make it through a day without having to exist so consciously around him, where you could just breathe and stop worrying about him being right there.

You shut the dresser just a little too harshly, snapping you out of your conflicting mess of festering emotions. Sighing, you finished packing Max’s things and led him to the car.

Spencer, for some god-awful reason, lived in DC proper, making your drive to his house overwhelmingly unbearable. The drive wasn’t long, but the traffic was awful and you wanted to poke your eyes out by the time you pulled up to his apartment.

Getting Max out of his booster seat and walking him up the stairs, you said, “Alright, Max, I’ll pick you up on Sunday, okay?”

Spencer was waiting at the open door and Max ran to him. You were suddenly choked up, feeling like the day a few months prior when you left Max at school for the first time.

After Spencer finished greeting Max and managed to pry him off of his legs, he said, “Say goodbye to Mommy, Maxie,” seeming almost worried that Max wouldn’t be enthusiastic about it.

Thankfully, however, Max walked over to you and gave you a squeeze and kiss on the cheek before saying, “Bye, mommy!”

“Bye, baby,” you said, breathing a sigh of relief. You nodded goodbye to Spencer before heading back down the stairs.

On your way back home, you sent a text to the girls’ night group that Pen added you to the day you started at the BAU.

You

Mine at 9?

You received affirmative texts from all the women before you even pulled into your driveway.

The next two hours were filled with tidying (your mom, like a saint, did a lot of the cleaning when she stayed, so all that was left to you was picking up and wiping down the occasional counter), picking up an exorbitant amount of booze, and, even though you were staying in, picking out an outfit that didn’t scream I’ve been a single mom for five years.

You let yourself dwell on your perpetual problem longer than you probably should have. Every time you thought of Spencer, your heart hurt. You didn’t know why you couldn’t just put these feelings aside and let it be a normal co-parenting/coworker relationship (as if there was such a thing). 

You were snapped out of your thoughts (that seemed to happen quite a bit these days) by excited knocks at your door.

You put on your best face and opened the door to the three women standing on your front porch. Upon seeing you, all three of them cheered and pushed their way into your house.

“I have the movie picked. Tonight we will be watching After because it is the worst movie ever created based on the worst book ever written based on the most popular One Direction fanfiction ever, and I will have you know that I kept up with that fanfiction while it was being released and the movie does it zero justice,” Penelope said in one breath. “Not that there was any justice for it to be given in the first place,” she shrugged.

The other three of you were nearly in tears as she rambled, already indoctrinated on her severe opinions on the movie/book/fanfiction.

After one shot and one drink each, you hit play on the movie and let it play in the background. 

“You know, Pen, I still remember in high school when you got caught writing lesbian Harry Potter smut on a library computer,” you said, inhibitions obviously already lowered.

Emily’s mouth fell completely open. “Penelope… please tell me this is true.”

Penelope looked completely betrayed, cheeks red and eyes wide. “Y/N, high school is off the table. Or did you want me to tell them about that one time I found you with your hand down your pants with a copy of Twilight?”

Screeching laughter echoed throughout the small house while your face burned red and you slapped a hand over Penelope’s mouth.

“Truce, okay, truce!” you yelled over the noise, laughing yourself and trying to calm everyone down.

After a few more drinks that left you all pretty incapacitated, the conversation strayed naturally to your sex lives. Because that was something you had as a single mother of a five-year-old.

JJ began, “Hottest sex Will and I ever had was at this fancy hotel room in New York before we had Henry. I tied him up and--”

Emily interrupted, “Woah, okay, that’s definitely enough detail.”

“Well, what about you?” Penelope said, poking Emily in the cheek.

Emily leaned back into the cushions and stared at the ceiling before saying, “It was with this girl back in the Academy. We were new recruits, so there was just something so hot and new and fun about handcuffs. Honestly nothing has topped that feeling since. I mean, there’s been better sex, sure, but nothing as all around good as that.”

Penelope went next. “I’m honestly surprised Kevin and I dated as long as we did, because the sex, even if it was adventurous, was wildly mediocre. Just aggressively okay. But the best sex would probably have to be with this old hacker I worked with. He was so rough and somehow caring at the same time? Anyways, him.”

Everyone looked at you expectantly and suddenly you could vividly feel every drop of alcohol in your system. The ceiling spun dangerously and you felt yourself opening your mouth and speaking before you could stop yourself.

“He soft dommed me. Told me shit like ‘good girl’ and ‘you take it so nice’ and held his hand around my throat and made me finish like four times. It was ridiculously good.” you sighed, only barely registering that you told them more about their coworker of several years than they would want to know.

Penelope said, “Oh god, that sounds nice.”

You sighed. “It was so nice. Haven’t had any since, though.”

“And what was the context of this?” Emily said, surprisingly coherent for the number of drinks she had.

“Oh, it was the one-night stand with Spence in Vegas,” you said as if they should have known.

SIlence. And then, “Oh, I take it back. I take it back,” from Pen.

Emily sat straight up. “Wait, you’re telling me Spencer, our Spencer, is a dom?”

You shrugged, nonplussed. “Maybe not as a rule, but for sure that night.”

JJ held her hand up to stop any more conversation. “No. I am done with this conversation. That man is my little brother and I cannot hear this.”

“Agreed,” from Penelope.

“Whatever. It’s not like I told you guys I accidentally maybe fell in love with him,” you chuckled, almost to yourself.

The air in the room sobered quickly.

Pen scooted over to you. “Baby. What?”

You looked over at her. “Oh, it’s not like it’s a big deal. He likes me back. We kissed. Once--” you held up one finger emphatically as if to prove your point (god you were drunk). “Only once. And it was just to get it out, you know? ‘Cause we can’t get involved like that. Not with Max.”

You giggled. “And it only hurts a little, right? Because Max likes him better than me now, but I raised Max by myself for five years and I think I deserve a little more credit than that! So Spencer is all of the sudden this perfect dad but there’s so much tension and I don’t know how much more I can take.”

A few tears slipped down your eyes and you broke into sniffles, all three of the girls quickly shuffling next to you and taking you in their arms. You leaned into Penelope’s ample chest and looked up at her through tears.

“Pen, these make a fantastic pillow.”

All of you laughed a little before JJ spoke. “Y/N, I know you think you’re doing right by Max by not being with Spencer. I know it. But, babes, if you let this tension continue, nothing good will come of it.”

Emily nodded. “I know both of you well enough to say that even if a relationship failed, you two are way too invested in Max to let anything come between that.”

You shook your head. “I know you guys just want me to be happy. But growing up without a dad sucks. And I don't want to put Max at the tiniest risk he could lose that now that he has it.”

At that moment, someone on screen said something incredibly stupid and the three of you burst into hesitant giggles, lightening the mood ever so slightly.

JJ pulled you up and said, “Come on, let’s get you ready for bed,” to which you nodded and smiled lazily.

“Thank you,” you whispered, nuzzling into her. She pulled the sheets back and wrestled you out of your pants before tipping you unceremoniously into your bed.

“Oh, Y/N. Thank me when this is resolved.” she sighed, pulling the sheets up to your chin as you fell asleep.

-

Sunday, you overslept and were in a massive rush to get Max from Spencer’s on time. You barely had time to shove a piece of toast in your mouth before jumping in your car and taking off nearly an hour behind schedule.

By the time you parked at Spencer’s apartment, it was definitely an hour past when you were supposed to pick him up.

You practically sprinted up the stairs and knocked frantically at his door.

As soon as the door opened, you pushed in, explaining yourself at the speed of light.

“I’m so sorry, Spencer, I slept in and lost track of time--”

“Woah, Y/N,” Spencer interrupted, grabbing your hand. “Have you checked your phone? Your mom came and got him to take him to the zoo.”

You gasped. “Oh my god I forgot about that. She texted me last night right before I passed out and--”

“Y/N, don’t worry about it. Seriously.” Spencer assuaged you.

You nodded, taking a breath, and noticed your hand in his. You felt your nerves come to life, every single groove of his hand being mapped by yours. You gulped, your eyes flicking up to his.

The air in the room was incredibly thick, and you could almost feel his pulse. God, it was ridiculous how much tension there was. It seemed like something straight out of a romance novel or--

His eyes dropped to your lips and your breath hitched. You felt your eyes fluttering closed and his breath ghosting your face before you pulled away suddenly.

“Spencer,” you whispered, tears playing at the corner of your eyes. “You know we can’t.”

His forehead dropped to yours and he closed his eyes, sighing. “I know.”

“There’s no good solution here, is there?” you asked.

Spencer chuckled emptily. “I don’t suppose there is.”

You pulled away slowly and completely, smiling softly, not really meaning it, and stepped out the door.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” you said.

“See you tomorrow,” he replied.

-

And that’s how you ended up with JJ on your couch, the both of you sharing an obscenely large tub of ice cream.

“I just don’t know what to do anymore,” you sighed dejectedly.

JJ stabbed her spoon into the ice cream and left it there, taking your face in her hands and saying, “Y/N, it’s not healthy for anyone in this situation to keep repressing these feelings. You’re both too professional and respectful to let anything get in the way of Max.”

“I don’t understand why I can’t just let it go! It’s just a stupid crush and I’m letting get in the way of everything!” you ranted, letting out an exasperated groan.

JJ rubbed your back and said, “You know it’s more than that, Y/N. And that kind of thing is not something you just get rid of.”

“Just tell me what to do, Jayje,” you whined.

She chuckled. “Y/N, you know what I think you should do. But if you’re serious about getting over it, you have to stop acting like there’s something there. Stop putting yourself in situations that perpetuate your feelings.”

You responded by groaning again, this time into a pillow.

“Why does this have to be so hard?” you asked softly, turning your head over to JJ.

She just gave you a sympathetic look in return, saying “I know, babe,” and continuing to rub your back.

-

True to JJ’s advice, you stopped avoiding Spencer like there was anything wrong. Hotch had been right about Max equalizing once he realized Spencer was not just a friend, so at least you didn’t have to worry about that anymore. It was hard, but you managed to stop catching Spencer’s eye illicitly, the lingering touches and gazes.

If you were honest, it made it entirely worse than before. You felt like you were living a lie, especially since Spencer practically looked like a kicked puppy at the realization that you were detaching yourself.

You came up to him in the office one early December afternoon and said, “We should start planning Max’s birthday party.”

Spencer looked up at you. “Oh, there’s a ‘we’ now, is there?”

You looked at him confusedly. “Spencer, what the hell are you talking about?”

He pulled you into the copy room and flicked the lock. “So I’m just Max’s dad now, huh? Nothing else?” he said, coming dangerously close to you.

You squared up against him and said, “Spencer, nothing can happen between us and it would be stupid to keep up the Pride and Prejudice-style longing! It was a one-night stand and we are coworkers,” you nearly yelled. “Or have you forgotten the FBI fraternization rules, SSA Dr. Reid?”

“I’m not the one who shamelessly leaned in for a kiss three separate times, now was I?” he responded, just as harsh.

“That was both of us and you know it, Dr. Reid.” you said, your voice low.

“You’re punishing me for something that isn’t even remotely my fault! If you hadn’t begged a stranger to sleep with you, we wouldn’t be in this situation!” Spencer yelled.

“So now we’re playing the slut card, huh? Are you really suggesting my son is causing the problems right now? Let’s get one thing straight, Spencer if I hadn’t begged you to sleep with me you wouldn’t have a son. You wouldn't have the son that I raised for five years by myself! You don’t get to act like a bitch baby just because you can’t get in my pants again.” you snarled.

“You know that’s not what’s happening here. And you can hardly pin the blame on me, Y/N, you know full well there was no way of us getting in touch!”

“It was a mistake involving you in this.”

“It was a mistake fucking you!”

“How dare you fucking say that? You know what that means. You can’t get involved in my kid’s life for 4 months and then decide you don’t want anything to do with us! Fuck, you, Reid, fuck you.” You stalked out of the copy room, face stony, and sat at your desk, not noticing every single pair of eyes in the bullpen trained on you.

Your phone buzzed. 

Pen Garcia

Y/N, I heard that all the way from the hallway.

Pen Garcia

Do you want to grab lunch and talk about it?

You sighed, looking around the room and seeing how everyone was purposefully avoiding your gaze. You were too numb to even cry. Every single moment you had at the BAU had been tied to Spencer and Max and it had culminated to this one awful tipping point.

You quickly scratched out a note to Spencer (look I’m not going to stop you from seeing Max but it doesn’t sound like something you want anymore. text pen if you want to help with the party. don’t talk to me unless it’s about work or Max.) and left it at his desk.

You walked up the stairs to Hotch’s office and poked your head in. He seemed to be waiting for you.

“That sounded bad.”

You sighed. “Yeah. I don’t know. I expected too much of him, I guess.”

You paused and looked at Hotch. He seemed sympathetic (or as sympathetic as he was allowed to be toward a subordinate that just disrupted the entire floor).

Finally he spoke up. “Why don’t you head out for the rest of the day?”

You swallowed and nodded. “Thanks, Hotch.”

You to Pen Garcia

Please.

-

The next week passed very uncomfortably. You and Spencer were just civil enough at work to not need a reprimand, but not enough that you didn’t make everyone aware that you two were very much still at odds.

He picked up Max for the odd sleepover with minimal interaction and Max could tell something was wrong. He didn’t say anything, but every time you or he brought up Daddy, the tightness in your face and voice was a dead giveaway, even for a five-year-old.

Everyone on the team tried multiple times to get you guys to make up, but there wasn’t even enough passion in the animosity. You would just stare at him and walk off.

It was fucking awful. Just when you were getting used to having someone around--someone in any capacity--he fucking ruined it. Sometimes, when you were trying to fall asleep, you’d lay in your bed and replay his words in your head.

It was a mistake fucking you.

You’d let the tears roll down your temples into your hair and ears as you imagined a world in which you hadn’t done just that. You imagined a world in which you were new to the BAU, no baggage, no complications, just your outstanding application and a new job. You imagined a world in which Spencer wasn’t this person ridden with so many memories and unfortunate connections. 

But, god, for him to say that knowing that meant Max not existing? That’s where you took issue. You desperately wanted to move on and forget about it but that was proving impossible. Everything reminded you of him and what happened. But the worst part was that you still had feelings for him.

Before, you would glance at him and feel wistful, thinking of what could be but what couldn’t be. Now, it felt like someone twisting a knife in you. You’d see him, you’d wake up in the morning and think of him, and for a glorious second, it was all pure. A simple crush. Then it came crashing down. The things he said, the way he acted around you, and you would just collapse inside.

Spencer had come up to you a few times, but you were unclear on his intentions. For a second, it seemed like he was going to let you have it again, but then he’d see your face and his expression would soften and he’d walk away.

On more than one occasion, you had seen or overheard another member of the team going in on him. Apparently the contents of the argument were well known because you had yelled so loud. They all seemed to passively side with you, which meant Spencer must have really fucked up because they had known him for years and you for months. Derek pulled him aside and told him he was way out of line, Hotch demanded he make amends, and Emily just glared.

You took only a small comfort in the fact that the team had your back, because that didn’t change the fact that you and Spencer were not speaking. The day of Max’s party was quickly approaching and you were already exhausted thinking of all the pretending you would have to do. Your mom knew very little as to why things were tense and knew not to ask. It seemed that problems with baby daddies ran in the family now.

Max’s birthday was December 9th and the day you finally broke was December 7th.

The team was in the conference room working on a group consult. Preliminary deductions were made, leaving everyone in silence, glancing over the case files for more information. You glanced up a few seats over to see Spencer looking at you with so much emotion. You couldn’t place it, but you had absolutely had it.

“Dr. Reid, do you need me to transfer? Because I can’t do this anymore and I’m begging you to stop being such a fucking ass,” you seethed quietly, just loud enough for everyone else in the room to hear.

Hotch started to object, but you felt the tears welling in your eyes, so you calmly pushed away from the table and excused yourself to the bathroom, Penelope following closely behind you.

As soon as you pushed the door open, a sob escaped your throat, echoing throughout the bathroom. Penelope quickly pulled you in her arms as you broke down into tears.

“I just don’t know what to do, Pen, I can’t take this anymore,” you gasped through sobs.

Penelope, being the empath she was, cried with you, holding you close and rubbing your back. “Baby, I know. I know it’s hard. But believe me, you’re so strong. You’re the one that had a kid by yourself at 23 and you’re right, Spencer is a complete ass right now. It’s not your fault, baby, it really isn’t.”

“What am I supposed to do? This is my dream job, Pen, it would kill me to transfer but I just can’t take this anymore. And even if I transfer, I can’t just keep him from Max, Max loves him so much,” you cried. “Please, Penelope. I don’t know what to do.”

A knock on the door rang out.

“Y/N? Are you in there?” It was Spencer’s voice.

Penelope looked down at you in her arms. “Do you want to talk to him?”

You sniffed, collecting yourself slightly before nodding. “Yeah. I’d better.”

Penelope smiled softly. “I’ll be here if you need me.”

You gave her a watery smile in return. “The bathroom?”

“You underestimate my resolve,” she responded.

You shook your head affectionately, walking slowly toward the door. “I could never, Pen.”

You pulled the door open to see a fraught Spencer on the other side. He looked genuinely worried and upset, which caught you slightly off guard. He nodded toward the now empty conference room and turned to start in that direction. You followed closely behind him.

Once inside, he turned to face you again. “Y/N I’m so sorry.”

You waited for him to continue.

“I’ve never regretted anything more. I shouldn’t have said what I said, it was so… wrong of me. There’s no way on Earth I could ever regret Max, ever, Y/N, you have to understand that. I majorly crossed a line. There is literally no excuse for what I said,” he rambled, quiet tears slipping down his cheeks as he talked.

“Spencer. I can’t just forget it.” you whispered. “If this is what it’s going to be like every time we fight, I’m not going to be able to handle it. I care about you a lot and it hurts too much.”

You sat in one of the numerous chairs and continued, “And I was mean, too, Spencer. I hurt your feelings. I’m sorry. It wasn’t a mistake involving you. It was just a mistake ignoring these feelings and pretending they would go away. And then acting like children about it,” you added, chuckling dryly. 

Spencer was quiet for a moment, taking a seat next to you. “I really want to make this work. Us,” he said, taking your hand. “This week has been hell, Y/N.”

“It has, hasn’t it,” you replied.

“Spencer, promise me, promise me that we won’t keep stuff from each other and let things explode like this. We’re in each other’s lives for good now, whether we like it or not.” you said firmly.

“Never again,” Spencer smiled.

-

The day of Max’s party rolled around and you were awoken by a very rambunctious (now) six-year-old practically jumping on your ribs.

“Oh, god, mouse,” you groaned. “Stop that, you’re hurting me.”

Max was very quick to settle after you spoke and he nuzzled in next to you and said, “Sorry, mommy, I’m just so excited!”

You laughed, still blinking sleep out of your eyes. “Happy birthday, mouse.”

Max shot up and said, “Thank you!” before getting up and running god knows where.

The rest of the morning was filled with preparations. Penelope came over with Derek and a full car, but wouldn’t let you outside to see anything she had brought. 

Derek greeted you with a hug. “How’re you doing?”

You beamed. “A lot better.”

And it was true. You and Spencer spent the rest of the afternoon (or, really, as much as you could of it) talking. It was productive and you were genuinely hopeful. You started to think that maybe a relationship wouldn’t be as damaging as you had made it out to be.

Derek smiled and said, “Glad to hear it, Y/N.”

While Derek and Penelope set up in the backyard, you got Max ready for his party. He insisted on wearing all his favorite clothes that he had worn earlier in the week, so you had to do a load of laundry so he could wear them.

Max came meandering into the laundry room while you were putting the wet clothes in the dryer.

“Are you still mad at daddy?” he asked.

You turned to him, alarmed. “What makes you think I was mad at daddy?”

Max shrugged. “I don’t know. It was obvious.”

You sighed, contemplating what to say.

“Daddy and I had a fight, mouse. And I was mad at him for a little while, but we talked about it and apologized to each other, which is what you do when you hurt someone’s feelings, right?”

Max nodded.

“Well, we apologized to each other and now we aren’t mad at each other anymore,” you said, tossing the last of the clothes into the dryer.

“Yay!” Max exclaimed. “So you’re kissing now?”

“Wh- What?” you asked, extremely startled by the question.

“Mommies and daddies kiss,” Max explained simply.

You knelt on the ground next to him. “Yeah, mouse, some do. But Spencer and I aren’t like that. We don’t know each other very well, and normally, you only kiss people you know well.”

Max looked slightly dejected. “Okay.”

You poked him in the tummy and said, “Let’s go see how the set up for the party is going.”

Max perked up and followed you outside.

You stopped in your tracks at the sight in front of you. “Penelope. Oh my god. You’ve outdone yourself.”

The backyard was absolutely decked in decorations. Streamers hung from tree to tree, tables were set up with different kids’ games, and the goodie bags were concerningly large.

“Only the best for my Maxie!” Pen said, walking over to the both of you. You smiled and wrapped her in a hug. “Though Derek did most of the heavy lifting,” she laughed.

“Now hurry up and get ready, both of you. Your friends will be here soon!” she continued, shooing you inside.

True to Penelope’s word, as soon as you got Max dressed, his friends started pouring into the backyard. Other moms praised you on your decorating skills, which Penelope practically bullied you into taking the credit for (“single moms get enough shit as it is”).

As it was a BAU tradition to attend kids’ parties for reasons you didn’t quite understand but were entirely grateful for, the team began showing up shortly after the kids. Hotch got there first with Jack in tow, who took off for the games as soon as he saw them, while Hotch greeted you with a small hug. JJ showed up with Henry and exactly the same thing happened. Emily showed up sporting a bag that clinked too much for your liking and she winked at your questioning eyebrow. Your mom and sister were absolutely floored by the decorations when they showed, giving Penelope big hugs.

Finally, Spencer walked through the gate, and Max ran up to him at the speed of light. Spencer caught him and spun him through the air, singing Happy Birthday in a truly awful singing voice. His eye caught yours and you smiled from ear to ear.

After he dealt with Max, he walked over to you and wrapped you in a tight hug, saying, “I’m glad we’re okay,” into your ear.

You pulled away, watching all the kids run around your backyard with glee. “You know, Max noticed. He asked if I was done being mad at you this morning.”

Spencer laughed. “He’s a smart kid. I guess we’ll just have to never do that again.” “Agreed,” you chuckled. You thought for a second before adding, “He also asked if we’re kissing now. Because that’s what happy mommies and daddies do.”

Spencer glanced over at you. “Yeah?”

You bit your lip, rocking on your toes. “Yeah.”

You made eye contact that shocked you down to your toes. “It would be a big deal, Y/N. I understand that.”

You looked around before subtly grabbing his hand. “I think it’s worth it. I really like you, Spencer. You’re my kid’s dad. There obviously has to be something there with that. I want this.”

Spencer didn’t respond, just took your face in his hands and gently pulled it towards his. Your lips met and the world felt right again. You felt as sure of this as when you left Chicago for the BAU, as sure as when you’d made the decision to keep Max, as sure as when you’d first stepped into the hotel room with Spencer.

The kiss was short due to there being so many kids around, but you were still left breathless. You smiled at Spencer as your forehead rested against his. A voice to your left snapped you two out of your reverie.

“Yay, mommy and daddy kissed!” Max yelled.

Your cheeks burned and you nearly hid your face in your hands, but Spencer grabbed them, laughed and said, “Yeah, Maxie, we did,” and you just smiled.

And 12 years later, at Max’s high school graduation, you nearly hid your face in your hands when the tears started pouring down your face, but Spencer grabbed them, kissed them, and said, “Thank you.”

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[midnighttmarauder]

Secret Marriage

Pairing: Sirius Black x reader

Summary: Reader and Sirius try to keep their marriage a secret, but it’s hard to keep secrets from Harry and the Order of the Phoenix.

Warnings: none

***

Keeping secrets from the Order was much more difficult than you and Sirius had anticipated. It was bad enough that you hadn’t invited any of them to your impromptu wedding, but you felt awful for keeping your marriage to Sirius a secret. The only person that had been invited was Dumbledore, and he had served as both the officiant and witness.

“Nobody can know that we’re married. It’s too much of a risk if one of us gets captured. I won’t have any death eaters touching a hair on your pretty little head because they know about us,” Sirius said, cupping your cheek and pressing a kiss to your forehead.

“Can’t we at least tell Harry? He’s your godson, and I’m sure he won’t tell anyone,” you replied.

“If he’s anything like his father, he’s terrible at keeping secrets,” Sirius said. You laughed and leaned into his chest.

“I wish they could’ve been there,” you muttered.

“Me too, love. But I’m sure they were watching, wherever they are.”

The first time that your marriage was almost discovered was your fault.

You had just returned to Grimmauld Place from a mission that left you awake for two days. It was second nature to put your wedding band on after you had showered, and you forgot entirely that you were wearing it when you went down to the kitchen for a snack. You smiled at Remus as you prepared yourself a cup of tea.

“Hey, Moony. Anything good in the paper for once?” you asked.

“The usual. More disappearances and deaths. Looks like Ireland’s quidditch team is doing better this year, though,” he replied.

“Sirius and I have a bet going. They better not win the season,” you said, raising your mug to your lips.

You didn’t understand why Remus was staring at your left hand until you looked at it yourself. He raised a knowing eyebrow as you slammed your mug down and tucked your hand behind your back.

“Something you’re not telling me, Y/N?” he asked.

“No! It’s just a promise ring, that’s all,” you replied.

“Glad that my wedding invitation wasn’t lost in the post,” Remus said, reopening the newspaper and leaning back in his chair. You sent him a guilty smile and made a mental note to look up a spell that could hide your ring while it was on your finger.

***

The second time that your marriage was almost discovered was Sirius’ fault.

Sirius was the best secret keeper you knew, even when he was drunk—you had complete confidence that whatever you told him, he would take it to the grave. But Sirius hadn’t been this drunk since Hogwarts.

Order parties were rare. The only time that every single member was able to be at headquarters at the same time was around the holidays. Even then, it was difficult to have a party with all members present—evil didn’t stop because St. Nicholas threatened coal. But for Sirius’ birthday, everyone decided that it could wait, even for just a few hours.

“I love you all so much!” Sirius yelled, his cheeks rosy as he went around to every member of the Order and gave them tight hugs. His mug of butterbeer sloshed dangerously, and even spilled down the backs of some people’s cloaks, but nobody seemed to mind all that much. Not even Moody, who simply laughed and clinked his flask against Sirius’ cup.

You smiled and leaned against the fireplace, watching Sirius run around like a child. It had been a while since you had seen him so happy and carefree. You glanced down at your left hand and your bare ring finger, and your smile slowly slipped. You knew why your marriage had to remain a secret, and had accepted the fact that it was to keep you and the people you loved safe. But a part of you wanted to be selfish, just this once, and yell from the rooftops that you were married to your best friend.

“Y/N! My love! Why so sad?” Sirius slurred. He placed his drink down clumsily on the mantle and wrapped his arms around your waist.

“I’m not sad,” you replied. Sirius squinted and ran his gaze across your face.

“Yes, you are. You’re doing that pouty thing I hate. I can’t have my wife sad on my birthday!” he exclaimed. You shushed him and put a finger over his lips as you glanced around the room—nobody seemed to have heard. Sirius giggled and kissed your fingertip, nipping at it playfully.

“Keep your voice down! I’m just sad because I wanted to wear my wedding ring tonight, that’s all,” you muttered.

“You can wear it later. That can be the only-”

You laughed and shoved Sirius’ face away from yours. He gave you a mischievous smile and turned dramatically to face the room.

“Attention, everyone! Like I said before, I love you all. You’re all very special to me, but…none of you are as special as my dear Y/N. She is the woman of my dreams, my other half, and the only person who somehow puts up with me. I don’t know how I convinced her to marry me!” he yelled. Your heart leapt into your throat as everyone began murmuring.

“Not yet!” you exclaimed, stepping up beside Sirius and looping your arm through his. “I’m very disappointed if that was your way of asking me to marry you, Sirius.”

“I thought I already did,” he mumbled. You watched the gears turn in his head, and then a crooked smile crossed his face.

“She will be my wife, friends! Don’t worry everyone, I plan on marrying Y/N. And you’ll all be invited to our wedding! Drinks all around!” Sirius announced, patting your hand.

“Cheers to that!” you exclaimed. Everyone raised their glasses, and you blew out a sigh of relief. Sirius was going to get an earful in the morning.

***

It was nobody’s fault when your marriage was finally discovered. You thought it was Sirius’, and if you asked him, it was Moody’s. In reality, it was both yours and Sirius’ fault for thinking that you could keep such a big secret from your family for so long.

The Order had made a breakthrough on the whereabouts of a death eater hideout. Harry had stumbled upon a broken-down mansion not far from the Weasley’s burrow while practicing his flying, and when he had flown closer to investigate, saw none other than the Malfoys apparating in. Sirius sent you a wink across the table as Harry told Moody and a few other Order members what he had seen.

“We need to scope it out. It’s most likely crawling with death eaters, important ones too if the Malfoys bothered to go there,” Moody said.

“There’s probably evidence lying around that we could collect while we’re at it,” Sirius suggested.

“Good point. It’s best if only one of you goes, so as not to draw attention and in case you need a quick getaway. It’ll be a standard reconnaissance mission, just to collect information until we’re ready to go in and fight. Y/N, you’re one of our best spies. Are you up for it?” Moody asked.

“Of course,” you replied.

“You’ll be in and out in no time. We just need to know a basic floorplan, how many death eaters they’ve got there at a time, if there are any patrols. You know the procedures. Maybe we can have you stake it out for the night to see if there are any patterns,” Moody explained.

“You’re really going to send her alone? You said it yourself, that place is probably full of death eaters. They’ll capture her if they find her,” Sirius said.

“Sirius,” you began.

“No, you’re not going alone. I’m going with you,” he insisted.

“You can’t go with her. This is a one-person job,” Moody said.

“We can ask Dumbledore to borrow James’ cloak. They won’t know I’m there,” Sirius suggested.

“No. I’m going alone,” you said. Sirius slammed his hand down on the table and clambered to his feet.

“Sit down, Sirius,” Moody hissed.

“I don’t want to sit down. Don’t send her, send me instead,” he replied, pacing back and forth.

“Y/N is one of our best at reconnaissance. There’s nobody else I trust for this job,” Moody said.

“There’s got to be. Can’t you bring someone else in, or go yourself?” Sirius spat.

“That’s enough!” you exclaimed. You rose from your chair and leaned your hands against the table. “I’m going on this mission, Sirius, whether you like it or not.”

“No, you’re not,” Sirius said.

“That’s not your choice to make, is it? Mad-Eye needs me on the mission, so I’m going. End of discussion. You don’t make decisions for me. You’re not in charge here, and you’re not my father!” you yelled.

“No, I’m only your husband!” Sirius roared.

The entire room went silent as you and Sirius started at each other over the table, chests heaving. His eyes were wide with worry and the realization that he had just revealed the secret that you had both spent months trying to keep. There was a sinking feeling in your gut as you pushed off from the table and crossed your arms. When Sirius spoke again, his voice cracked with an emotion you couldn’t quite place.

“Merlin, Y/N, you’re my wife. I just want to protect you. Maybe it’s selfish, but I care more about you than I do about this mission, or any of them. I need to be there so I can keep you safe. I won’t know what to do with myself if something happens to you,” he said.

“But we’ve been on missions without each other before,” you muttered.

“We weren’t married then. It was different, somehow. I vowed to protect you, Y/N. I won’t break my promise,” Sirius said.

“You’re married?” Harry asked. You tore your gaze away from Sirius’ and nodded down at Harry.

“We’ve been married for a few months. We had a quick ceremony, just us and Dumbledore. I’m sorry that we didn’t tell you, that we didn’t tell any of you, but we were afraid of what would happen if any of Voldemort’s followers found out,” you replied.

“Having a relationship with someone in the Order is dangerous enough, but being married? I didn’t want to run the risk of anyone capturing Y/N to get to me, or the other way around. My dear cousin Bellatrix has some vendetta against me, so I wanted to keep us all safe from her,” Sirius explained. He made his way around the table and stood next to you, entwining your fingers together.

“So, my invitation didn’t get lost in the post because I never got one? Ouch,” Remus said.

“We’re sorry, Moony. We wish you could’ve been there, we wanted you all to be-”

“Relax, I’m joking. This just means you have to throw a party now that we all know,” Remus interrupted.

“I like that idea,” Sirius said, clapping a hand to his friend’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry we didn’t tell you, Harry,” you muttered.

“Oh, I kinda figured. Sirius never shuts up about you, and I’ve caught him wearing his ring a few times. He’s a bad liar,” Harry replied.

“I used to be better in school. Ask McGonagall,” Sirius mumbled under his breath.

“Well, there’s no use in keeping our rings a secret anymore, then,” you said as you pulled out your wand and waved it over your left hand. Your wedding band appeared on your finger, and you twisted it with a smile. Sirius pulled his necklace out from under his shirt and opened it, pulling his wedding band off and slipping it onto his finger.

“Hey, I’ve seen that ring a dozen times! You said it was your brother’s!” Remus exclaimed.

“See? I’m still a good liar sometimes,” Sirius said, ruffling Harry’s hair.

“Not to ruin the moment, but I still need Y/N on that mission,” Moody said. Sirius opened his mouth to argue, but you put a hand on his chest to stop him. The light from the fireplace glimmered off your wedding band.

“I’ll be fine. Consider my ring my good luck charm,” you muttered. Sirius sighed and pressed a kiss to your forehead. You didn’t miss Harry and Remus making a face at each other out of the corner of your eye.

“I know you will. I’m sorry I overreacted. And told everyone our secret,” he said.

“That’s okay. You were bound to tell them at some point,” you replied.

“Me? I’m better at keeping secrets than you are!” Sirius exclaimed.

“Mate, you literally told us that you were married on your birthday, and Y/N had to cover for you,” Remus said.

“I was drunk,” Sirius argued.

“Sober Sirius is good at keeping secrets. Drunk Sirius, not so much,” you said.

“She’s right. Remember when you told the entire Gryffindor common room that James was in love with Lily before he had the chance to tell her himself?” Remus asked.

“I was drunk!” Sirius repeated.

“Exactly. I think we need to keep you away from the firewhiskey,” you replied.

“I second that,” Harry said. “You’re really affectionate when you’re drunk. I don’t think I’ve ever been hugged so much in my life.”

“Get used to it, Potter,” you muttered, pulling him into a tight hug. Harry sighed dramatically before melting into your embrace.

“Just so you know, I’m glad that he married you. I’d be proud to call you my godmother, if it’s okay,” he said. Tears stung your eyes as you pressed a kiss to the side of his head.

“That sounds wonderful.”

[anything-goes-my-friends]

A New Beginning

The ending of ROTT broke me and I was left very disappointed in the ending of the show. I loved the movie, but the last 10 minutes didn’t sit well with me. I needed a fix-it fic with the ending I think the series deserves, so don’t be mad at me if you don’t like it. This is just what I think it needs, obviously not what everyone else thinks it needs.

In this fic Jim goes back to the day he got the amulet, but instead of giving it to Toby he takes it himself, and relives his journey with the knowledge and experience to save everyone he lost.

A New Beginning When he said goodbye to Blinky, Claire, and the others, Jim knew the journey ahead would be the most difficult thing he’d ever have to do. He needed to find a good time to jump back to, but whenever he settled on a date he thought of someone else he could save, and the date was pushed forward.

So he settled on the day it all began.

When his alarm buzzed, there were no words to explain the emotions swirling through him. With the deaths he witnessed still raw, and the destruction fresh in his mind, being in his old room seemed foreign. He remembered one of the last times he was there, recently half troll and struggling to adapt. But now, none of that had happened, but it had to him. He thought of everything ahead and smiled. But first, Toby.

He hastily prepared the meals for himself, his mom, and Toby, but nothing as fancy as the meatloaf he made the first time around. His head was buzzing and he struggled to focus on the simple task of making the sandwiches. But soon enough it was time.

The garage door opened and he gripped the handlebars of his bike until his knuckles turned white. This would prove that everything he did was worth it. Just to see Toby’s smile once more. The innocence in his eyes. He would never take it for granted again.

And there he was, his best friend. Jim let out a sound that was a mixture of a laugh and a sob and rammed into his friend to engulf him in a hug. It was worth it. All the pain he’ll endure again, and the burdens he has to bear were worth it for this moment.

“Come on Tobes, let’s take the canals today, I have a good feeling about it.” Jim took off on his bike, Toby hollering nonsense to pass the time and it was music to Jim’s ears. 

And when they reached the bottom of the canal, and he heard the amulet speaking his name in Kanjigar’s voice, Jim smiled.

“Hello again, old friend.” He whispered as he ran his finger over the familiar metal of the amulet.

<><>Time Skip to the end of ROTT with the new ending Jim created<><>

Jim read the text on his phone from Claire, asking him when he was on his way to Trollmarket. He hastily typed out ‘be there in 10’ before shoving the phone back in his pocket. He could feel the amulet buzzing in his bag, and grinned to himself. He knew what today was, he had it marked on his calendar for years. Today was the day the Titans were defeated in the old timeline. The day Toby died, and Strickler, and Nomura, and countless others. He thought of how different things had become as he rummaged in his bag for his horngazel. The door opened easily under the bridge and he started to descend the stairs.

“There you are, Trollhunter, cutting it close aren’t we?” Claire teased as she met him at the bottom of the stairs. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and she threaded her fingers through his. They began to walk through Trollmarket, all the familiar buzz that had been lost the first time. Jim had learned from his mistakes, but also knew there were some events that had to happen. Losing Trollmarket was not one he could bring himself to do. His gaze shifted to Claire, who’s white streak in her hair, the ponytail, and purple armor was the same as the day the titans attacked. But she was smiling, and there was still a light in her eyes.

“Romeo and Juliet? I would love to try out...Your brother was taken by goblins into the Darklands, I’m sorry, but I’ll get him back I promise. For now, try to get to know NotEnrique, he might surprise you...Everything we’ve done, we’ve done together, I love you Claire, and I always will.”

He had dreaded letting Enrique get taken into the Darklands, but Claire had once remarked that she was glad NotEnrique came into her life, and thought of him as a brother. He didn’t want her to lose that relationship. And saving Enrique pushed Claire to become the sorceress and warrior she was destined to be, bringing the two of them closer together in the process.

The two of them waved to Barbara and Strickler, as Barbara showed off her new ring to a group of changelings. Strickler gave Jim a nod, and he returned it with a smile.

“Strickler, I would like you to meet my mom...The Janus Order has fallen, you’ll be safe in Trollmarket...Yes, I would be honored to be your best man.”

The fall of Gunmar had been a shock to troll kind. Jim had arrived in Trollmarket knowing where the Janus Order had hid the bridge, and used that knowledge to secure it early on. Toby, Claire, and Jim had trained for months as Trollhunters, answering calls and building strength to enter the Darklands. Jim had made the mistake of going alone once, and didn’t want to do that again. So when they were ready, they entered together. Blinky and Aaarrrgghh had rescued Gunmar’s prisoners, even though they got distracted by Blinky’s brother. Claire and Toby had gone off with NotEnrique to free all of the babies, while Draal and Jim faced Gunmar. And at the end of the day, and with a battle that lived in infamy, they emerged victorious.

Gunmar, eager to avenge his son that Jim had slain, and his ego clouding his judgement, had agreed to a fight to the death with Jim. A fight that Jim won. The Trollhunters exited the Darklands with refugees and freed Gum Gums, and babies that were taken care of by Barbara and Strickler until they could find loving homes for them all. And with the fall of Gunmar, the troll world was left without direction. The Janus Order struggled to adapt now that they couldn’t take form as human, but Jim made sure they were welcomed into Trollmarket with open arms. Gunmar’s spies and allies were hunted down by the Trollhunters if they made a mess of things, and after months of struggling, peace was nearing. When Strickler was brought into Trollmarket, he drifted closer to the Lakes, and when he got down on one knee, Barbara didn’t even hesitate to say yes. He had even given Jim the ring to Angor Rot’s soul, and Jim was able to return it to its rightful owner, and set the Trollhunter Hunter free. And Claire, reunited with the real Enrique, gained a brother in NotEnrique, and her family became a little bit bigger. 

Jim never slept better after the Darklands. He was proud of his decision to go in together once they were ready, as was the original plan the first time around. Jim knew the importance of seeking help from friends, and he was able to live without that particular trauma twice.

Gunmar was defeated, Trollmarket wasn’t lost, Angor Rot became an ally, and his friends were alive and happy. Jim smiled as he and Claire walked past the forge, where Draal and Nomura were sparing, swapping insults that bordered on flirting, although both would deny it. Jim was most proud of saving Draal, although he would never tell anyone that. After defeating him in battle in the forge and gaining the respect of Trollmarket, Draal moved into his basement and the two of them renewed the bond that had been ripped away by Gunmar. Draal never lost his arm, was never under the control of Gunmar, and never died saving Jim’s life. He fought beside Jim as equals throughout his battles, and remained one of his closest allies and friends.

Vendel entered the forge to yell something at Nomura and Draal, but it wasn’t long before the three of them erupted in laughter. Vendel looked around and noticed Jim smiling at them, and gave a curt nod with his staff to signal a hello and his continued respect. 

“Vendell, Queen Usurna is working for Gunmar, she wants to take over Trollmarket and steal the Hearthstone.”

When it had come the time of the Eternal Night, there was no Morgana to rage war, and no Gunmar to destroy Arcadia. Jim stayed human, and stayed in Arcadia where he belonged. Blinky shortly became Vendel’s right hand, and the two of them set out on a mission to organize trollkind in the wake of Gunmar’s defeat. Dictatious had wanted to go along with his brother, but knew he was needed in Trollmarket to help the Changelings and Gum Gums adjust to a life post-war. He was joined by Aaarrrgghh in his endevor, who was happy to help others the way Blinky helped him. 

After the day the Eternal Night was supposed to be, Jim found himself wandering into the cafe Douxie worked at.

“Douxie, we need to find Merlin.”

Teaming up with Archie and Claire, the four of them set off to the tomb, where Merlin was resurrected and the next steps were taken. While they prepared for the war with the Arcane Order, Toby had stayed back in Arcadia as it’s one Trollhunter. He had formed bonds with Aja and Krel, and protected Arcadia from the threats better than Jim would’ve. He came into his own as WarHammer, and had accepted the role he chose himself.

“Claire, let’s free Morgana. She isn’t a bad woman, and she can help us in the days to come.”

With Douxie and Merlin at her side, Claire had freed Morgana and managed to settle her down enough to talk. And with her help the plan was made. The Wizards and Trollhunters traveled in time to determine the identity of the Green Knight, where Douxie was named a Master Wizard and the Trollhunter amulet was made. Deya was named the first Trollhunter, and the past was secured. And when they returned, it was Morgana that saved them from the Green Knight. She gave Arthur the rest he deserved, and when the battle was over, she left with Merlin to grieve and find themselves in the new world. Nari had stayed behind with Douxie, who had accepted his role as protector.

“There’s Douxie!” Claire briefly let go of Jim’s hand to wave, and Douxie beamed and returned it. Archie was sitting on his shoulder while Nari padded along after the two of them. Archie was mentioning something about going to visit his dad, and Douxie agreed to go along for moral support. Nari looked at Jim with a knowing look in her eyes, the way she always looked at him. He could never tell if she knew what he did, and all that he had changed, but he decided he didn’t care. She was alive, and Douxie had succeeded in protecting her, and that was all that mattered.

“We need to find the seals Nari...Do you know where the rest of the Arcane Order might have gone?...It’s over now, you’re safe.”

The Genesis Seals had been found and rehidden by Douxie, who didn’t tell anyone where he hid them. Not even Jim or Nari. They had all agreed it was for the best. When Douxie died the secret would die with him. Unable to find and open the seals, Skrael and Bellroc scrambled to find Nari and finish what they started. And with the help of Krel and Aja, the Trollhunters, and the Wizards, the two had their magic stripped away by Akiridian tech, and Jim was able to deliver the finishing blows.

Now today, the day the Titans were supposed to have risen, there was nothing but blue skies. School happened like normal, and the world was at peace. Claire and Jim finished their stroll through Trollmarket as they arrived at Blinky’s study. He was ready for them, and complained that they were the last to arrive. 

Inside sat Toby and Aaarrrgghh, who were shoving their faces with the feast that Blinky had prepared. Jim and Claire sat down at the large table and Blinky looked at him expecting him to speak. Jim chuckled and rose to make a toast.

“We have overcome a lot. The defeat of Bular, Gunmar, and the Arcane Order. Merlin and Morgana are off on their own. Douxie and Archie are protecting Arcadia from mystical threats. Aja, Krel, Steve, and Eli are off on Akiridion-5 to rule together. The Darklands liberated, our families reunited, and our loved ones close. This was all I ever wanted for all of you, and I couldn’t be happier.” Jim looked around at the smiling faces surrounding him. This was his family, the ones that had been with him since the start. Blinky, his mentor and father figure, Aaarrrgghh his loyal friend, Claire the love of his life and powerful sorceress, and Toby, the friend who had been with him since the beginning. From a time before trolls and aliens and wizards. When he had wanted more excitement in life.

There were days the burden of the what-could’ve-beens plagued Jim’s mind and he struggled to carry on with the weight of his mistakes. But then days like this happened, where he knew he had changed things for the better, and the world was better off because of his sacrifice. He wouldn’t change a thing, and given the choice to have the time stone again, he would toss it aside. This was the happy ending they all deserved, the ending he worked hard to give them all. There had been changes that brought new threats to face, new calls to answer. But he faced them all with the friends and family he chose and surrounded himself with, and he used his experience to do what he could. He was a hero, the Trollhunter, the champion of Trollmarket. He was Jim the Bular Slayer, the Gunmar Slayer, but most importantly he was Jim Lake. The first Human Trollhunter. And he didn’t think, he became.

[rocksandrobots]

Of Rocks and Robots Ch. 41 - Finale (Pt. 3)

Abigail was gone.

Not again. No. No. Not again! Judy thought to herself.

She's already lost Abigail once; she wasn't going to lose her again. She watched helplessly from the balcony's railing scanning the sky line where her girlfriend and the ninja disappeared. She had to get her back! But what on earth was going to do? Jump out of a twenty story window?

Her boss, Krei called again, unaware of what had just happened. Instead of answering Judy almost threw the phone out into the street in frustration, but paused mid-action.

Wait! Krei! Big Hero Six!  

She had the supers on speed dial because of her boss. Heaving shaky breaths she called the number.

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

The gang of teenage superheroes were huddled on top of a skyscraper. They watched from above as Mr. Sparkles was arrested for his previous attack on the city. All, but Baymax, who scanned the skyline looking for Professor Callahan's bio readings.

"Well what next?" Gogo asked.

Hiro was about to answer but he was interrupted by his cell phone ringing. It was a very sacred Judy on the other end and she was crying and rambling.

"Judy, Judy, just calm down, take deep breaths." Hiro soothed. "Now what do you mean she's gone?"

Hiro pressed the speaker button and Judy's voice rang out.

"This ninja broke into our apartment and carried Abigail away. He was dressed head to toe in black, and you couldn't see his face behind his mask. He also had, like, super strength and he just jumped from building to building as if he wasn't even human."

"Robot ninjas" Fred gasped.

"Judy, I need you to listen to me. Hang up and call the police, tell them everything you know. I'm going to send one of us over your way to investigate and we'll be there soon. Okay?" Hiro told her.

Judy agreed and the call ended.

"Sparkles called his little escapade a 'distraction';" Wasabi said, "You don't think…"

"Oooh, that would totally make sense!" Fred jumped in. "This Bosu ordered Sirque and Sparkles to create a disaster to lure us away from Abigail's apartment."

"But how would they have known we were ever there?" Varian asked.

The answer became obvious to everyone at once, but only Honey Lemon gave voice to their fears. "

Unless, they're watching us." She shivered.

"I have found Professor Callaghan." Baymax stated calmly, interrupting their conversation.

"Where?" Hiro breathlessly asked.

"He is quite far away. Just on the outskirts of the city. He's nearly out of range of my sensors." Baymax replied and pointed his finger in a southeastern direction, though none of them could see what the robot saw.

"What about Abigail?" Varian asked.

"Scanning for Abigail." Baymax said and switched his programming over to look for the professor's daughter. A minute or two passed and then the android said, "There are no signs of Abigail."

"Hmmm...it looks like they're hiding Abigail elsewhere." Hiro contemplated. "They may have taken her in the opposite direction for all we know."

"So what do we do?" Gogo asked him.

Hiro found everyone staring at him waiting for orders, and not for the first time he wondered how he wound up being the leader of their little group. He was just flying by the seat of his pants most of the time. He didn't know anymore than they did. Still he had to come up with something.

"I think… I think we're going to have to split up again. Fred and Gogo, you two head to Judy's apartment and see what you can find out."

"Here are the directions;" Baymax helpfully offered, "Sending them to your phones, now."  

"Right," Hiro continued, "also if the police are there, just cooperate with them if you can or stay out the way until they leave if you can't. Honey Lemon, I'm tasking you and Wasabi with continuing the search down by the docks. Call Globby and Carl and let them know what's going on. Baymax and I will check out the energy readings he just found. If we find anything we'll let you know and if not we'll join you in the hunt later."

Hiro was just about to climb on Baymax's back when Varian stopped him.

"Hey wait a minute. You're not going by yourself."

"Look, it's fine. I know you don't like doing the whole superhero thing. You can wait at the Lucky Cat for us, if you want."

"Yeah, well what if I don't want to." Varian challenged.  

Hiro rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and how are you going to defend yourself if Supersonic Sue is there?" Since when was Varian the cautious, overprotective one?

Varian only screwed up his face in determination. "Honey Lemon, got any more chimballs I could borrow?"

"Oh, sure." She timidly said as she unbuckled the strap of her chim-purse and handed the belt with the chemical orbs on it to him.

He strapped it on him, like a hardness so the balls were in easy reach, while Honey Lemon used a smaller handle on the top of the purse to hold her weapon.

Hiro eyed the other boy coolly. He didn't appreciate not being trusted to handle things himself, especially when Varian was no less of a disaster, but the goggle headed teen ignored his disapproval.

"So are we ready to go or what?" He asked, as if hadn't been the one to grind everything to halt by protesting earlier.

Hiro gave up. They really couldn't afford to waste time arguing. He boarded Baymax's back and Varian climbed up after him. Then everyone else left, as the three took to the sky.

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

The place Baymax took them to was a train depot. There were various rail lines with dusty boxcars sitting both on and beside them, a tall crane for loading and unloading cargo was stationed near the tracks, and an old warehouse stood in the middle of it all. It's windows were boarded up to indicate it's lack of use and large cobwebs hung from the porch railings. It was the perfect place for a hideout really.

Hiro directed Baymax to land on the roof of the building. He didn't want the villains to spot them coming in and get the drop on them. From there, they climbed down the fire escape and entered through one of the boarded up windows.

Or rather, they entered through the hole in the wall that Varian made where the window once stood. He had found Honey Lemon's labeling system on her utility belt and by combining two of the chemical orbs together he created some sort of acid that quickly and silently ate away at the wall, wooden boards, window, everything, like magic, leaving a hole big enough for even Baymax to slip through.

Hiro had to admit he was impressed as he snuck inside, but there was no time for compliments. As soon as they were in, he ran to one corner of the hallway to make sure no one had seen them come in. He ordered Varian to keep lookout on the other end.

"Callaghan is down the hall, towards the front of the building." The robot helpfully pointed out.

Hiro put a finger to his lips indicating that to the robotic nurse to lower his volume.

"Ok this way." He whispered as he motioned for his small team to follow him.

They made their way down the winding hallways with Hiro taking the lead and Varian bringing up the rear; chimball in hand just in case anybody tried to sneak up on them.

They made it to the other end of the building without incident and found Professor Callaghan tied to a chair, sitting in a dusty office.

"H-hiro?" The former villain rasped when he spotted the armored boy and his pet robot.

"Shh.. We come to get you out of here." Hiro whispered as he went to untie Callaghan.

"Hiro, you shouldn't have come here." Callaghan bemoaned.

"Well too late for that. Let's go." Hiro said. "Is the coast still clear?"

"It is on my end- wait no, some tall guy is coming this way." Varian said.

"Must be Sue's grandson." Hiro replied. "Uh.. Let's try the other way out."

"Who's this?" Callaghan asked.

"A friend. Now let's try looping around." And with that Hiro took off once more while his ragtag team followed.

He paused though, when he saw Sue sitting in another office at the other end. Through the window  he saw her with her feet propped up on the desk and a magazine in her hand.

"Varian, got anymore of that acid?" He asked.

"No, I think ice bombs are all that's left." Varian answered.

Hiro spied the top of the stairwell. "Ok, everybody downstairs then. We'll just go out the front door."

Everyone hurried out the hallway and down the staircase while Hiro stood watch. Once the last of them had gone, he turned and followed; not noticing Sue peering at them over the top of her magazine.

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

They made it all the way down to the first floor and were almost out the door when suddenly Supersonic Sue stood in front of them, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

"Leaving so soon?" She asked. "See that Stu, they were planning on taking off without even saying goodbye."

"That's not very friendly of them, is it nana?" Stu replied as he skated up behind them. They were surrounded.

Everyone went into a defensive stance, waiting to see who'd make the first move.

"Why don't you whippersnappers just give up now, and no one gets hurt?" Sue said with a wicked smile.

"Nothin' doin'" Varian shot back.

With a nod to her grandson, both speedsters started to rev up their skates. Suddenly a yellow blur was hurtling at them at high speed where Stu once stood. Everyone scattered.

Varian threw one of his chimballs down as he ran and a slick sheet of ice formed on the ground. Stu became unbalanced as he started to slide out of control and Sue had to dodge out of the way quickly.

Seeing an opening, Hiro shouted, "Baymax! The door!"

The robot shot his rocket booster at the larger double doors that stood at the end of the hanger. They shattered on impact, leaving an opening for their escape.

Hiro ran to the android, signaling his group to follow.

"Oh no you don't!" Sue yelled.

Before Hiro could reach his friend, Sue appeared next to Baymax; who suddenly, for some reason remained very still.

"Now what do you suppose this is?" Sue asked as she held Baymax's chip in her hand.

Hiro froze in horror, but Varian tried to throw another chimball at the woman while her back was turned. He got tackled by Stu before he could get his shot in.

Sue skated away to safety and held the chip aloft once more. "Turn yourselves in or I'll smash this."

Hiro pulled out his shuriken to knock the item out of her hand but was too slow.

Sue reappeared over in the opposite far corner. "Wrong answer." She said and stomped on the chip breaking it into pieces.

"Nooo!" Hiro shouted, only for Sue to suddenly appear next to him.

"Does your mama know you're playing with sharp objects boy?" She asked and next thing Hiro knew his utility belt had been removed. He turned to look for it and saw Sue standing in yet another corner of the large warehouse with the belt slung over her shoulder.

"Looking for this?" She taunted.

He tried to use his electromagnetic whips to pull down a stack of boxes on top of her, but she once more skated out of the way. He then found his gloves being pulled off in quick succession.

Now unarmed, and one man down, Hiro desperately looked around for Varian. But the other teen had been similarly disarmed in his tussle with Sue's grandson. Though that didn't seem to discourage the time displace teen who continued to fight the larger guy.

He jumped Stu and they both went rolling around on the ground.

"Ouch! Nana, he won't stop hitting me!" The bigger teen whined.

Sue rolled her eyes and went to break up the fight.

Using this as a distraction, Hiro tried to call for help over his intercom.

It didn't work.

Sue overheard him and snatched his helmet right off his head.

Hiro backed away quickly from the woman as she stalked towards him. Things had gotten completely out of control.

"Stu, once you're finished roughhousing with your new friend over there, make sure he doesn't have any communication devices on him."

"Like this one Nana?" Stu said as he fished Varian's cell phone out of his pocket. He was rewarded with a bop on the nose for his trouble.

"Ow! Hey, watch it little dude!" Stu said as he cupped his nose and the cell phone fell to the ground next to the blue folder that had also fallen out of Varian's coat pocket.

"Exactly, Buttercup." She replied, and then next thing Hiro knew she had his own cell phone in her hand. It was as if she'd hardly moved at all. He had blinked, once, saw a blur run past, blinked again and found his pocket had been picked.

She held the phone up mockingly, "Ready to give up yet?"

Then suddenly Callaghan got the drop on her from behind. He wrestled the older woman to the ground as he tried to rip the phone out of her hands.

"Hiro run!" He yelled.

"Not without Varian!" Hiro shot back as he watched the other teen struggle to get out of Stu's grip.

"I'll help you Nana!" Stu called out.

Sue stopped him. "No, I got it. You grab the other two and put them someplace safe till we get time to deal with them. I'll take care of our dear professor here." And with a grunt she kicked Callaghan off her.

Hiro ran to help the man, only for a strong arm to grip his sleeve and practically lift him off the ground. He looked beside him and saw Varian also caught in the same grip, though that didn't stop the other boy from trying to kick Stu in the shins.

"Here ya, ow!, go nana. Ouch! Oh and I found this on him too. Hey, stop that!" Stu handed over Varian's cell phone and chimballs to his grandmother, along with the notebook.

"Hey, my notes!" Callaghan shouted and ran to grab them out of Sue's hands. "Where did you get those?!"

Sue kicked him back down. "Well, don't look at me. You're the one who dragged literal kids into your affairs."

"We're not kids!" Varian shouted.

Sue gave him a reproachful look, as if she felt sorry for them. "Sure you aren't,  honey." Then she turned to her grandson and said, "Well go on, and do what I told ya, quick. We gotta move Callaghan to a new hideout before the rest of those do-gooders come looking for them."

"On it!" Stu saluted before dragging them away.

In a blink of an eye, Hiro saw Sue grab some rope and begin to tie Callaghan up again as Stu pulled them along.

The big galoot ignored both boy's attempts to squirm out of his grasp as he tried to think of a place to put them. "Someplace safe…" He muttered to himself before spotting a large wooden shipping crate over on the far end of the warehouse. "That's it!"

"This should be plenty safe for you two until someone can come pick you up!" Stu said cheerfully as he opened the crate and dropped them inside. "Oh and here's some snacks in case you get hungry in the meantime."

He threw a couple of candy bars down to them. "I always like to carry extra with me. Super skating burns a lot of calories, you know."

Hiro looked up at the villain in confusion. He would have assumed the taller guy was taunting them, but no, he seemed to genuinely care about their comfort; not realizing that being locked in a giant box was perhaps not the best thing for anyone's health.

"Stu! Time to go!" They heard Sue shout.

"Coming nana!" Stu replied and then turned to them once more. "Okay gotta go now. Bye. Nice meeting you."

And with that he closed the lid, which locked into place, leaving them in darkness.

[sergeant-donny-donowitz]

Finding Hugo: Hugo x Male!Reader

*Requested by @jiejie-eonni-onee-sama @owba-chan @war-obsessed @inglourious-imagines @tammykelly @struggling-bee @frozenhuntress67 @kwyloz @sodapop182 @marlenemarauders @what-the--curtains @taikawho @spookybearlandtaco  Let me know if you wanna be added to the IB or OUATIH taglists! :)

____________ ***Winter-1943***

You had been on the run for a year or so, ever since they took Hugo from you. Actually....it wasn't so simple. Hugo had been arrested, of course, for what made him infamous all over the western front: Killing 13 Gestapo officers. But that was just it... He'd only killed half of them. You killed the other half. You were a team, partners in crime. He loved you, and you had no doubts about it. The only problem was that he'd protect you even if it cost him his life. And that's what happened. He took a bullet for you, really. Literally, and figuratively. He took the blame for all 13 kills, and made sure you got away safely  by taking a bullet that was meant for you. By the time you realized he wasn't behind you, it was too late. But  ever since you heard he broke out of prison, you'd been looking for him. You were on the run, crossing Europe, trying to find him. You still had Hugo's knife with you. You never stopped using it. You had to if you were going to survive long enough to find him. Now, you had crossed over to Nazi-occupied France, losing your way, losing your head, and losing any remaining hope of finding Hugo.

***Meanwhile The basterds were carefully trudging through France, trying to get their shit together, really. It had been so long since they'd had a safe place to stay, running hot water, food other than stale sandwiches, which worst of all, were made by Aldo, who was a major fan of mayonaise. Which half the baterds hated. "And on top of that, it's fucking snowing!" Omar shivered, crossing his arms, clutching onto his thin sweater tightly, and clenching his teeth. "It's a...dusting." Donny looked up at the snow, which was now falling even more heavily. "We're also out of ammo. And...we've probably been spotted by way too many patrols by now. And-" Smitty tended to get more nervous the more he explained things, so Aldo cut him off, "Alright. So we're in a tight place. We been in hell, son. We'll damn sure be alright." As the sky dimmed, and the snow kept falling, they went up a steep, isolated slope in the countryside. Well, it seemed isolated. Until they saw a figure bounding down the hill. Aldo stretched out his arm, signaling the boys the stand down, in case it was just a civilian "Steady..." But in case it wasn't, each of them gripped a knife hidden in a pocket. Donny held on to his bat, of course. Hugo...well... His eyes went wide, and he couldn't believe them. "Y/n..." You froze. You were paranoid. You thought you'd been caught. But before you reached for your luger, you realized you knew that voice. It had been a lifetime since you heard him say your name.... But there it was, like a dream all over again. "Hugo!" You ran to him, wrapping your arms so tightly around him to convince yourself it wasn't a dream, that  it was real this time. He buried his face in your shoulder, his hand pressed against the back of your head as he tried to convince himself that it really was you. He took a deep breath, perhaps the only time he'd been able to really breathe since he last saw you. "Y/n..." You were frozen in time, until...well, you remember you were in France. "Now, this is touchin' n' all, but we got some real trouble, Hugo. You 'n your friend can catch up on our way to...anywhere but here, sergeant." Aldo chuckled, but signaled everyone to follow his lead to 'anywhere but here.' "Fuck a duck," Donny muttered. "We lost, lieutenant?" "We ain't lost if we don't know where we're goin, son." Aldo sighed, tired, wondering if they'd make it to the end of the week without any ammo, or clue of what to do. Wicki looked around, recognizing they were near the edge of France, not too far from Switzerland. "Gstaad." Hirschberg snorted, and laughed "We ain't takin' a vaction now, Wicki!" Wicki rolled his eyes, quickly explaining as he pushed ahead, up the slope, now taking lead "No. I know a place." "You know a place in Gstaad?" "My sister and her husband are MI6 agents. They run a small place in Gstaad, and help agents. If we can make it into Switzerland, we can make it there." Aldo stopped, "Well, that's one hell of a gamble." Hugo, for a moment, left your side. "What choice do we have?" Donny nodded, as he took a bite his last share of sandwiches. "He's got a point." And so, you were off, back up the slope, through the countryside in the dead of night. As you walked up, Hugo's hand brushed against yours, and you glanced at him with a smile warm enough to help him forget the sharp winter night. "So tell us 'bout your friend," Aldo was a little ahead of you. "This is Y/n. He used to work with me." Wicki nudged Hugo, as he had a bit of an inkling about the way you and Hugo glanced at each other, "By work you mean..." "Those 13 Gestapo officers? Half of them were his work." Hugo chuckled, though his eyes lingered on yours, with a wistful, soft smile. Sleepless endless days of secrecy and a gamble of a train ride later, you were there. It was night again, maybe nine o clock.  It was a nice little town, with towering snowy slopes, and an endless sky sprinkled with bright stars. You glanced at Hugo, and he looked down at his feet, with a shy smile. Maybe it would be a nicer place to be if you weren't being hunted. You laughed softly to yourself. You all followed Wicki, who was going off of his memory of a picture he received in a letter just before being drafted. "Here." He stood outside of an inviting wooden lodge, orange lights filtering out of a few windows, and a slow stream of smoke flowing from the fireplaces. He opened the door, and the rest of you followed. There was a man at the desk in the lobby, looking through some records. A little girl, maybe thrree or four years old. Wicki only recognized them from photographs. The man didn't look up. "Juste une minute, monsieur." "Just a minute, sir." He put the pen down and looked up. "Wilhelm?" He'd never had the honor of meeting his brother in law, but now was a good time as any. He turned back, calling "Eva!" Eva walked in, surprised to see her brother. Normally, only people with reservations were let in. And...the only ones who could make reservations were agents and spies working for the allies. Still, there was room for an exception. Especially this one. Still, Wicki's surprise family reunion was not the most eventful part of the night. Once the basterds ate, had a drink or two, showered, and were split into rooms, Aldo got down to business, poking around, speaking to a few agents who could hook the basterds up with some well needed and deserved guns and ammo. Wicki, of course, spent as much time as he could with his family. So he stayed in the room. His sister and brother-in-law, being MI6 agents, had some information to help the basterds. Wicki and Aldo started working on a plan and path back to France. Donny joined them soon after. Being the sergeant meant he had to be informed. The rest of the basterds rested up in their rooms. Still, this was Gstaad. When else would these boys have the chance to be in a place like this? They were surrounded by agents from all the allies, making this both the safest, and most dangerous place to be. But you and Hugo...it had been so long... Exploring the town  with the younger basterds sounded fun, but there were things more important to you. To both of you. You sat on the edge of Hugo's bed. He had never been a man of many words. But he never let you forget how much he loved you. Tonight was no different. He kissed you, trying to make up for all the lost time all at once. You'd showered and eaten, and warmed up a little. But that didn't erase the worries and questions in Hugo's restless mind. It also didn't erase the fact that you were covered in blood (both yours, and not yours) when you found him. "Wo warst du?" "Where've you been?" "I've just been looking for you," You paused, and smirked a little, "Mostly." You handed his knife back over to him. He sighed, smiling softly, resting his hand againast your cheek. He shook his head. He wanted you to keep it. "You found me." "I did," You smiled, annd kissed him again. "HEY HIRSCHBERG LET'S GO!" The door suddenly swung open, and both Omar and Utivich stumbled in, laughing, expecting to find Hirschberg. Hugo's eyes shot open, "GET OUT." "W....SORRY!" Omar and Utivich quickly shuffled out of the room blushing, but...that wasn't enough. Hugo glared at them with the knife in hand.   "Hugo," You put your hand on his shoulder trying to calm him down,  and he sighed. The boys looked terrified. You slipped your hand into his, though you were also scared.  "They said they were sorry, now-"

Hirschberg walked down the hall, pulling on his jacket, "ALRIGHT GODDAMNIT, WH-....what's uh..." He peeked through the door, "OH NICE!" Hugo was fuming, "GO AWAY." Now, the rest of the basterds rushed in, having heard the commotion, they thought there was trouble. Donny peered over the basterd's heads, "WHAT'S GOIN' ON?!" He saw you and Hugo and shrugged, "Aw fuck a duck." He took a breath and lowered his bat. "You uh...you three needa learn how to knock." He'd unfortunately had a similar run in. Hirschberg and Smitty had walked in on him and a...lady of the night...back in Paris once. They really needed to learn how to knock. Wicki stood there, and chuckled "Already, huh?" Hugo had told him about you, once.... Well...he mentioned you. But the way he said your name was enough to tip Wicki off about what was going on between you. He muttered through clenched teeth and impatient glares, "Gehen. Weg." 'Go. Away.' Aldo cleared his throat, "Alright, alright, everyone get the hell out." The basterds did as they were told, and just as Aldo closed the door, he peeked in "Hugo?" "What?" Normally, he was a little more formal, especially around his lieutenant. But right now...he was a little eager to be alone with you. "Way to go, boy." Aldo smirked and shut the door, and Hugo scowled. Still, he sighed, sitting down by you. He knew the basterds meant well. That was your very first night as a basterd. It was quite a welcome, but you wouldn't have had it any other way. The boys would become like your brothers, and Hugo remained your everything. That first, slightly embarrassing, night was something you all looked back on fondly and had a laugh about later. But to you and Hugo, it was just one page in a story of your own. Now that you'd found him, you were sure it would never end.

[ofstarsandfireflies]

@just-inside-her asked for this one, which was going to be part of January but I moved it off the list to fit others in so we got it this month!

Stephen has been waiting for the day for Tony to return to him ever since the man beat Kingpin and had to go into hiding.

Due to their relationship, what remains of the Avengers have been keeping a close watch on him, waiting for him to lead them to wherever Tony is.

It’s been two years, and neither of them have received word on his whereabouts or whether he’s still alive.

That is, until Stephen’s usual routine is disrupted by a letter with the Stark Industries letter head, and a message in Tony’s handwriting telling him to board a specific train and find someone with his height and build on it to make the Avengers think it’s him so they’ll leave Stephen in peace.

Stephen manages to shake the surveillance team and boards the train, finding a spare seat in front of a man who introduces himself as ‘Robert’ and smoking a fake cigarette.

This man will do.

He has brown hair where Tony had black, brown eyes where Tony had blue, stubble where a neatly trimmed beard should be and, most importantly, an English accent where Tony was American.

They talk for a while, Robert doing most of it as he can’t seem to shut up in front of this handsome stranger.

But they’re not alone.

Both Natasha and Clint have boarded the train and have even taken a photo of Robert, sending it back to HQ to the only one who never gave up on finding Tony.

Vision.

For the past two years he’s been scouring the Internet for any traces of the man who had had a hand in creating his existence.

He’s kept an eye on social media, on banking records, waiting for Tony’s name to pop up somewhere or for the billions of dollars he’d pulled from his bank accounts to appear suddenly.

But it never happened.

He’s especially frantic to find him now because King Pin just broke out of jail, and Vision knows Tony’s at the top of his shit list.

But he’s making it rather difficult to track down.

So when he receives the photo Nat and Clint have sent to him, he can’t help but think that it is Tony.

It’s only when he finds Robert’s passport photo and everything checks out that his hope dies again.

The guy Stephen is talking to is no more than a tourist.

Parting ways when their train comes to a stop, they quickly find one another again when Stephen asks Robert if he’d like a lift, taking him to the expensive Hotel where he and Tony would usually stay.

The room is beautifully decorated, and when Stephen enters the bedroom, he finds the wardrobe filled with expensive clothes, colognes and watches, gifts he knows are from Tony.

Robert has no idea what he’s doing here, but gets dressed into one of the suits he’s packed so they can go out for dinner.

After making a fool of himself when he sees Stephen dressed up, they have a nice dinner where they enjoy themselves, Stephen noticing how he’s still being followed.

It’s only after they get back that Robert points out the huge bouquet of flowers that definitely wasn’t there before they left, and an envelope.

Within the envelope addressed to Stephen is an invite to a ball two nights from now.

This is where he’ll see Tony again.

He’s waited two years, what’s two more days?

But there’s still the case of the Avengers.

They haven’t approached him yet, so he knows he hasn’t fooled them completely into thinking this man is Tony.

So, Stephen does the only thing he can think of that would put more suspicion on this man.

He kisses him while they stand on the balcony, in full view of the people he knows are watching.

And a small part of him thrills when Robert kisses him back.

He could almost picture Tony in his place when he closed his eyes.

Robert’s arms come up to hold him and Stephen stops before this can progress any further, offering the couch for him to sleep on while he makes his way to the single bedroom.

It’s as he’s undressing, he hears the doorknob of his room turning.

He pauses to watch, waiting to see what Robert will do.

It turns a little more, almost fully, but Robert reconsiders and makes his way to the couch.

And Stephen doesn’t know why he’s disappointed.

The next morning, Robert wakes to find room service has brought him breakfast, courtesy of Stephen, who has left him alone.

And since he’s alone in the room where Tony’s lover is staying, Kingpin’s men descend on it, forcing Robert to make his escape through the window of the bathroom and across the rooftop of the next building, catching the eye of everyone in the streets below, including Stephen, who is just as shocked to bear witness to what this man is doing and just who is chasing after him.

Of course he had to go and persuade the wrong people that Robert was Tony.

Unable to use his magic and cause even more commotion amongst the people when he was trying not to draw attention to himself, Stephen whispers a command to his cloak, which quickly slips down an alley, up the side of the building and plants itself on the ground, ripping out from under the men chasing Robert, catching them off guard and making them tumble down to the street.

When Robert looks behind him and sees that Stephen has somehow appeared behind him instead of the men who had been chasing him, he stops running and starts asking questions.

And that’s how Robert learns about Tony.

The man Stephen loves.

The man Stephen is putting his life and Robert’s life in danger for.

The man he hasn’t seen for two years.

And with his questions answered, Stephen sends him through a portal to the train station, a bag of necessities falling out of another portal beside him.

But Robert can’t leave.

Not now he’s in love with Stephen.

While Robert is out purchasing a much nicer suit than the one he brought with him with the money Stephen gave him, Stephen is finally meeting up with Vision, who is not happy about Stephen’s attitude the past three years, one of which he was with Tony before he suddenly disappeared.

Both of them should know that the Avengers could help in protecting them, they were both Avengers themselves, but Stephen just shakes his head.

Keeping their distance from the Avengers has been part of the plan.

No need for anyone to die just to protect a billionaire, as Tony had put it.

So, running out of questions and patience, Vision asks why Stephen has finally agreed to meet up with them.

How it couldn’t possibly have anything to do with the tourist Stephen seems to fancy.

And Stephen tells him about the ball tonight, and how Tony will be there.

Except, he isn’t.

At the ball, another letter addressed to him arrives, from a man who could only be Tony.

But when Stephen loses him in the crowd, Robert appears, putting their little operation in jeopardy

Stephen can’t just send him through another portal with so many people around, opting instead to go after Tony, but Robert stands in his way and offers his hand to dance.

And Stephen takes it.

He tries to tell him that he’s in danger here, that Kingpin’s men are still after him and he has to leave.

Robert refuses.

It’s only when Stephen tells him he was just using him that Robert lets Stephen go, and Stephen opens the letter from Tony, which contains a key and an address.

Stephen goes there immediately, having just let himself inside when the door opens.

And Kingpin walks in.

Stephen barely has time to move before his henchmen are pointing their guns at him, forcing him to sit on the couch as they wait for Tony Stark to finally arrive.

Five minutes pass.

Then ten.

Still no sign of Tony.

Kingpin begins his exposition about how being thrown in jail cost him Vanessa, about how Stark went for her to get to him like a coward instead of coming straight to him like a man.

How he will kill Stephen if Tony does not show his face in the next five minutes.

Vision has been listening in to all of this with Robert, who had tried going after Stephen before Nat and Clint grabbed him.

Robert is concerned about Stephen and about the threat from Kingpin.

But Vision’s not concerned at all, he knows Tony wouldn’t let anyhint happen and will come for him, all they have to do is wait.

But he doesn’t.

Just when Kingpin is about to give the order, Stephen spies a large medallion of the eye of Agamotto set into the wall of the fireplace.

He knows there’s a safe behind it, and upon telling Kingpin, manages to draw his attention away from killing him for the time being.

Only, when the safe is revealed, they realise they need a seven-digit code to open it.

And the only person who could possibly know it, who they have here right now, is Stephen.

Robert is trying to make Vision send his men in, but Vision isn’t listening.

He knows Tony will come.

He knows him, knows how much he loves Stephen, so he has to.

Stephen is brought to the safe, racking his brains to form a code.

Maybe a date?

Or even a word when spelled on a numbered keypad?

At his first attempt at the code, he enters 4766626

IRONMAN

The button turns red.

Kingpin doesn’t see this as Stephen not knowing.

He thinks he’s trying to buy time until Tony get there.

So he gives him one last try.

And Stephen can’t think.

What else could it be?

Avenger?

America?

Industry?

There were too many possibilities and he only had one chance.

283...

It had to Avenger.

They were the reason he hadn’t gone to them for help.

They were the reason they’d met, what they both were.

It has to be...

643...

His finger hovered over the 7.

And just as he was about to press it, he heard someone call out his name.

What.

The hell.

Was Robert doing here?

Guns turned on the tourist he’d roped into all of this, the men working for Kingpin looking to their boss, who walked up to the idiot who was now claiming to be Tony Stark.

Kingpin looked him over, noticing the details of his face which had changed drastically in the last two years.

Robert didn’t seem intimidated by him, standing up taller despite his short stature.

And then Kingpin began laughing.

Was this another ploy to await Stark’s grand return?

Very well.

There really was only one way to find out if this man was Tony.

He’d have to open the safe.

Robert tries to secure Stephen’s safety in exchange for his help, but everyone just turns their guns on the Sorcerer, who gives Robert a sad smile.

So, having little choice, Robert walks towards the safe.

Towards Stephen.

He keeps his eyes on him, wanting Stephen to be the last thing he sees before they’re killed.

And just as he reaches it, just when he sees Stephen mouth the words he’s longed to hear, Nick Fury takes control of Vision’s operation and demands for Kingpin to be taken out.

Stephen breathes a sigh of relief and turns to Robert, and then the safe where he’s completed the code.

7837436

STEPHEN

And the button turns green.

Quotes -

“Do you mind me smoking? It’s not a real cigarette.”

“What?”

“It’s electronic. It delivers the same amount of nicotine, but the smoke is water vapour. Yeah. Watch. LED light.”

“That’s somewhat disappointing.”

“Would you rather have me smoking for real?”

“I would rather you be a man who did exactly as he pleased.”

“...”

Stephen chooses Robert for his plan

“You tell me what my story is.”

“Okay, um, I think you would be diplomatic attaché. Or maybe a girl from East Germany...whose father’s been kidnapped...and they’re blackmailing you into stealing something for them. Probably a microfilm. There’s usually a microfilm involved.”

“What awaits me?”

“Trouble, certainly.”

“Danger?”

“Oh, yeah. You’ll most likely be shot in less than two chapters.”

“Is there a man in my life?”

“Have to wait and see.”

Robert getting a little flustered

“Fuck.”

“...?”

“You’re ravenous.”

“Do you mean ravishing?”

“I do.”

“You’re ravenous.”

“I am.”

Not the best attempt at flirting

“Why is all this happening? Why is everyone trying to kill me?”

“It’s because I kissed you.”

“...Do I look that much like him?”

“I am sorry I got you involved in all this.”

“Why are you involved in all this?”

“Because I’m in love with him.”

“Really? I’m not.”

Robert learns about Tony

“It’s just who he is.”

“Could you ever feel like that about someone like me?”

“...”

“I don’t regret it, you know...kissing you.”

Robert’s fallen in love with Stephen, and Stephen is starting to fall for him too.

January, February

Missed a Day? Catch up here!

Day 1 Day 2

You aren’t what you say you are -

Tony has been in hiding for two years, but while Stephen still waits for him to come back, another man catches his eye.

[puckyess]

4 Times Fate Brought You Together +1 Time You Met Him on Purpose | Ryder Donovan

Thanks for being patient! What’s your favorite part/line? My fav line is in the tags.

*** FEEDBACK IS APPRECIATED ***

Words: 8.4k

Brewers Game

You and your group of friends were the worst at actually making plans, preferring to be spontaneous and see where the days took you. Today’s adventure included deciding to attend a Brewers game an hour before it started. Seeing as how Miller Park was a little over an hour away, there was no time to debate the idea if you wanted to make it there before the second inning. At the time, it had seemed like perfect timing, a great idea.

Now, however as you stood on the crowded patio, the only tickets left for today’s sold out game, you were rethinking the whole plan. While you were a fan of the game and an even bigger fan of Christian Yelich, the blisters on your feet from standing in flip flops were not making the experience worth it. Luckily, your friends had volunteered to scour the stadium for some neglected seats. That left you standing against the railing, nursing a beer and rolling your eyes at the very obnoxious group a couple tables over.

Glancing over your shoulder with a dirty look on your face was a mistake as you realized who that group was: a majority of the Wisconsin hockey team. Your eyes widened and you quickly turned your head back to the game, but your actions hadn’t gone unnoticed by a certain blonde.

“Guys, maybe we should cool it a bit. We’re getting looks”, he tried.

“Who’s giving us looks? I’ll fight ‘em”, Mike called a bit too loud.

Your eyes on the field, you felt your face flush as his voice easily carried over to your direction. You hated confrontation and you had a feeling you were about to get one. Hoping to avoid it and trying to look innocent, you pulled your phone from your back pocket and sent an sos text to your friend, alerting her of who else was in your presence and asking how much longer she’d be gone to find seats.

You heard a “dude!” and the sound of a smack and you couldn’t help but giggle a little as who you assumed was the boy who yelled was getting reprimanded. Mike was his name and he was apparently not as drunk as he was acting, as he spied your shoulders shaking, his eyes narrowing in on the person who had gotten him thwacked by Ryder.

“Hey!” He hollered. You froze.

“Yeah, you, Yelich shirt!” And though that could have applied to ¾ of the people there, you knew he was referring to yourself. It was time to face the music so you slowly turned toward the hollering boy with your eyebrows raised.

The shit eating grin you were met with spelled trouble and you braved yourself for whatever it was he had to say next. “My friend, here,” he says grabbing Ryder and roughing his shoulder, “says he has a major crush on you. Like big time. Won’t stop staring at ya. Isn’t that right, Dono?” The blush that took over your face surely matches Ryder’s, who’s staring at you with wide, apologetic eyes. Meanwhile the boys are snickering at Mike embarrassing their friend in front of a girl.

“Really? Why don’t you tell him to come over and tell me himself? I couldn’t hear him over your loud mouth”, you retort. And with that you turn back around, heart beating in your ears, definitely not focusing on the game anymore. The noise level in the stadium raises three decibels as the guys hoot and holler at your chirp.

--

Not too much time passes before you feel a tap on your shoulder. You begin to sigh as you turn again, can a girl not watch a baseball game in peace anymore? But you suck in a breath when you see the nervous boy in front of you. His one hand is stuffed in his pocket, the other rubbing at the back of his neck and he’s shifting his weight from side to side. Despite the butterflies in your stomach, you can’t help but give him a little smirk.

“Ok you need to chill, you’re making me nervous”, you chirp, gesturing with your hands at his nervous fidgeting. He drops his hand and pauses his rocking with a grin on his face, seeming to relax a little.

“Well you see, you just completely killed my teammate back there and I’m kind of nervous you're going to roast me the same,” he says, thumb jutting back to where he came from. You peer around his tall frame and see his teammates staring at the two of you, well his back mostly, on the edges of their seats trying to gauge how the conversation is going.

“The smile on your face is teasing as you ask “are you aware we have an audience?” and the laugh he lets out is better than you could’ve imagined, especially because you had made him tip his head back with laughter.

He answers, shaking his head. “I had no doubt they’d be watching to see if I fail”.

“If you fail?”

The smirk on his face is dangerous, “Well that depends on you”.

You hum in response. “I don’t know what you’d fail at? You haven’t even told me your name, your number, what you’re doing over here in the first place...?” You trail off, proud of yourself for that spark plug move.

He’s shaking his head then with a beautiful smile on his face. “I’m here to apologize for Mike’s headassery and for my team’s lack of manners when drunk in public. Well when sober too”, he laughs, then continues, “and as for my name, I’m-“ but he doesn’t get to finish as suddenly everyone around you is shouting “kiss, kiss, kiss!” You couldn’t believe what was happening right now. Your brain was suddenly unable to concentrate on anything except kissing the boy in front of you.

The nervous look is back on his face as he leans down to you “you don’t have to kiss me if you don’t want to”,  though there’s something hopeful in his eyes that you might say yes. Instinct takes over, your hands gripping his shirt and pulling him the rest of the way down to meet your grinning lips. You can feel him smiling as well, the rest of your senses only responding to him. You don’t hear the roar of the crowd. You can only smell his cologne and the beer that he had obviously been sipping on before coming to talk to you. You can hear the beating of your heart because of him and when you pull back, not wanting to get any farther than PG on national television, you can see his bright smile directed at you.

“Wow” is all he says, echoing your thoughts out loud. You can’t imagine the look on your face right then. You feel like you’re just staring at him with a big, dumb smile on your face. Luckily the boys, as with much of the stadium have gone back to whatever it is they were doing before your world was just rocked. Your phone ringing breaks up the moment and though you lift it to your ear you barely hear what your friend is saying besides “ohmygod, Ryder Donovan, Jumbotron and I found seats”. Ryder is still standing close to you and can very easily hear your friend’s squeals.

When you hang up he has an accusing look in his eyes but a cocky grin spread across his lips. “Don’t know my name, huh? It sounds to me like you very much know my name”.

Cringing, mostly at the fact that your friend had literally squealed over the boy staring at you expectantly, but also at your own embarrassment.

“Hey I never lied about that. I only pointed out that you hadn’t told me your name, not that I didn’t already know it. But I do have to get going to my seat. Don’t want to have to stand here with your friends any longer. I have a game to watch!” you say with a wink, leaving Ryder’s mouth open, his number never making it past his lips. He hadn’t even gotten your name.

KK

If there was one good thing about the abrupt end to the NHL season it was that you got to watch playoff hockey in the middle of September. And it gave you an excuse to be at the bar pretty much every night that week after work. You and your roommate would order a drink or two and spend the evening yelling at the TVs in the bar. Somehow in all of your excitement for game 3 of the Toronto/CBJ matchup you’d managed to forget that every Wisconsin student goes out on Thursday nights and so KK was a bit more crowded tonight, especially with how early it was. Surprisingly, a lot of people had on gear in support of both teams and were already pregaming.

Once you had your drinks in hand, you began to weave your way back to what had become your high top table in the corner. It had the best view in the place and it was out of the way, giving you a little space to jump around if the game got too crazy without being noticed. Or so you thought anyways. You made yourself comfortable on your stool, focusing on the screen as the puck dropped, completely missing the head turn and stare of the tall blonde who had not left your mind since three weeks ago.

He gets caught staring, but not by the person he wants to. Cole nudges his arm, “So are you gonna go make your move or what?” he challenges. Shay is next to his brother leaning on the table.

“Don’t think we haven’t noticed you drooling over her since the minute she walked in”, he teases. “See, you even have a little wet spot”, he says poking his brother’s chest.

“Where?” Ryder asks, confused and suddenly looking down, pulling on his shirt to get a better look at whatever mystery stain his brother was talking about.

“Right there”, Shay says at the same time he flicks his finger upwards, hitting Ryder in the face.

“You’re such a child, Shay”

“And you’re such an idiot. You fall for that everytime”, he cackles. “But for real, bro, you haven’t stopped looking for her everywhere we go. She’s right here, just pull out those moves I know you have”.

Looking over at you grinning up at the TV, pointing at something and talking animatedly to your friend, he decides his brother is right and he moves to get out of his seat and make his way through the crowd to you. But just as his feet hit the floor the bar erupts into a mixture of cheers and boos and you’re up out of your seat, hands on your head, watching Mitch Marner dangle his way through Jackets left and right and then going backhand on Elvis for one dirty goal. The distress is clear on your face and your arms are flailing wildly as you shake your head, yelling at the screen with your friend. Even from across the bar he can tell you're mad and pouting as you sit back in your seat with your arms crossed over your chest and a scowl on your face. You look cute all worked up over a goal and he decides he’ll settle for watching you interact with the game for a bit more. He also makes a mental note that you’re a Jackets fan.

--

Towards the end of the second period, you lift your cup to your mouth to discover it empty. You eye the thick crowd and debate whether or not to get another drink, but with the final seconds on the clock winding down and the Jackets trailing by two goals, you get off your stool and elbow your way through the wall of bodies.

Standing at the bar you feel someone grab your elbow. “What’re you stalking me now?” the voice attached to it asks.

You whip around, yanking your arm free not realizing that the bewildered boy was harmless. Seeing Ryder’s face with his eyes wide and hands up in defense you let out a breath of relief. “You can’t go sneaking up on a girl in a bar like that” you reprimand him.

He sheepishly apologizes, acknowledging that that wasn’t his best move.

“But to answer your question, I could ask you the same thing. I for one, live here” you tell him and he looks pleasantly surprised.

“Oh yeah? And who is ‘I’ anyway? I never did get your name.”

You laugh, thinking back to your first encounter and he was right, you had knowingly left him without introducing yourself. “Y/N” you say, letting him in on the mystery.

“Y/N” he repeats, liking the way it sounds on his lips and you have to admit that you do too. “And where is it that you live, Y/N? Maybe I know the place?”

You shake your head, “Probably not. It’s not on campus”, he still looks intrigued so you continue, “it’s a little ways the opposite direction. Right next to Festival, well, attached to it. Really convenient actually, I end up going there almost every day because I decide I need something new for dinner after work”.

Just then you hear commotion and look up just in time to see a replay of Werenski taking a dumb penalty, sending the lethal Leafs power play into action. You groan and Ryder chuckles. “You get pretty into this don’t you?”

You give him a look. “If you think that’s ‘into it’ you should see me when they actually get scored on”

“Oh I have, you’ve been losing your shit over there in the corner since about the fifth minute of the first period” he says nodding over toward your table with a smirk. You should feel embarrassed but knowing he’s seen you worked up over hockey and he’s been watching you this whole time makes you feel something else instead, something you don’t quite want to acknowledge.

“See, so I was right. You’re the one who is stalking me” you chirp him. He laughs and puts his hands up again.

“You’ve caught me. Can I buy you a drink to make up for it?”. Normally you wouldn't accept drinks from guys, knowing there’s usually always strings attached, but Ryder isn’t normal by any means and you wouldn't even be mad if there were strings attached to this one, so you agree.

“If you can get her attention. I swear I’ve been waiting here pretty much the whole intermission”. After asking what you want he looks around for the bartender and flashes a smile. Within seconds he’s ordered both of your drinks and is looking at you with a smug look on his face, your mouth slightly ajar.

“Unbelievable”, you mutter, but you should’ve known better. You can tell he knows what you said but he still leans down, close to you and makes a big show of saying “what was that?” And if he wants to play games then so will you, so you grab a fistful of his shirt and bring him back down to your level. “I said it’s unbelievable that you can just bat your lashes and that girl rushes over to take your order. Must be nice to be a star hockey player”. You’d be lying if you said you weren’t annoyed, firstly over the fact that you had quite literally been waiting there for a good 20 minutes and she hadn’t even glanced your way, but the minute Ryder shows up he gets taken care of and secondly you didn’t like the way she was looking at him as she quickly filled his order and leaned over the bar to hand it to him, unabashedly showing off her cleavage.

You did however, enjoy the dirty look she threw your way as he handed you your drink and leaned down to your ear to ask if you were jealous. Whether he was referring to his non-existent wait time or if he had caught the pouty look on your face, you were unsure, but instead of inflating his ego too much you left his question unanswered.

You focused your attention on the mark you had left in his shirt at the center of his chest where your fist had grabbed the fabric, wrinkling it. Your hand reached out to smooth it and maybe curiously feel the muscles underneath. Ryder looked down, eyes watching your hand the whole time hoping you couldn’t feel the way his heart was pounding under your touch. Your eyes gauge his reaction and right when you thought you might lose your own self control, the crowd saved you, cheering as Josh Anderson wedged one in past Freddie. You quickly removed your hand from his chest and cheered along with the rest of the Jackets fans. You used the moment as your escape, thanking him for your drink and then turning on your heel, “I have a game to watch!” You told him just like the first time and strolled back to your table, leaving Ryder in a stupor.

Festival

“So tell me again why we had to drive all the way across the city to get donuts that were also at the convenience store right across from our building?” Shay asks from behind the wheel.

“Because he’s stalking kiss cam girl” Dylan pipes in, making kissy faces and then retreating when Ryder shoots him a glare.

“We’re going to Festival because all I know about Y/N is her name and that she lives in the building attached to it and goes to this store all the time” he says matter of factly.

“So we’re stalking her?” Mike sums up.

Ryder just rolls his eyes and huffs out a “no” in the front seat.

“Come on dude, what’s your plan here if you do end up seeing her? What’re you gonna say when she says ‘oh what’re you doing here?’ ‘Oh ya know, I just made my brother drive all the way across the city to get these donuts and oh by the way would you want to go out with me?’” Shay asks, imitating Ryder.

“Well no”, he answers defensively.

“So what’s your plan?” Mike pushes.

Ryder looks down at his hand, suddenly regretting his decision to shove his teammates into a car after practice and travel across town to your door. Well, grocery store. “I don’t know’ I haven’t gotten that far, okay? I haven’t really thought about it”.

At that Mikey dies laughing, “Don’t lie, Rydes! As if you haven’t been rehearsing in your bedroom mirror for the past four days”. Ryder twists in his seat to eye his teammate before he lunges for him through the opening to the backseat, making Shay swerve the car as he turns into the parking lot.

“Hey, hey, hey! Watch the shoulder!” He shouts, trying to shield his shoulder from his brother's aggressive movements. Putting the car in park he tugs on Ryder’s shirt, making him sit down and then popping the locks, he’s shoving him out of the car. “We should just leave him”, Dylan mumbles when the door shuts.

--

As he rounds the corner of  the donut aisle for the fourth time, he’s shaking his head at his stupidity. What was he thinking coming to this grocery store on a Monday night and expecting to see you? He’d checked the playoff schedule and there weren’t any games tonight, but that didn’t mean you’d be spending your night at the grocery store. Letting out a long sigh he frowns and grabs the box of Krispe Kreme donuts.

Having been watching him from the end of the aisle, you decide to finally speak up, “Someone having a rough day? I’ve never seen anyone have that reaction when they grab glazed donuts”.

His face lights up when he turns to face you. “You’re here”, he blurts out. His cheeks flame as he tries to recover. “I mean of course you’re here, you live right next door..I mean..” he’s clearly flustered and though you should say something to try and make him relax a little, you can’t help but chirp him just a tiny bit.

“I do. Someone has a good memory...I’m surprised no one’s called the cops on you for loitering. You’ve been pacing around the store for a good half hour now and you look nervous as hell like you’re gonna steal something”.

“Just your heart” he says automatically. His eyes widen and his hands cover his face. “Ohmygod, I can't believe I just said that '' he draws out with a groan, hand sliding down his face. “I’m sorry. I really don’t know what’s wrong with me” he says with slumped shoulders and red cheeks.

Your head is thrown back with loud laughs that earn you stares from the couple entering the aisle. “That was smooth, Donovan'' you say and put a hand on his arm, scooching a little closer to him to let the couple pass by. He tries to ignore your touch but it’s increasingly harder to do, the longer you let your hand linger.

“ So what are you doing here anyway? Isn’t this like kind of out of the way from campus?” Curiosity fills your voice. Ryder inwardly cringes at his brother being right. Of course you’d want to know what he was doing here and you’d picked up on the fact that it was very much out of his way. instead of answering the question he poorly tried to deflect, unable to come up with much. It’s like his brain won’t function properly around you.

“Well I just needed the world’s best glazed donuts and figured I would go to a grocery store instead of a convenience store because they’re probably fresher?” he offers.

“Uh huh”, you nod, clearly not believing him. “They are prettyyyy gooood” you say reaching across him to grab a box of your own and add it to the basket on your arm, “But not the best.” And you begin to tell him about the little bakery back home that makes literally the world’s best glazed donuts as you walk through the store and finish crossing items off your list.

When you self checkout and all Ryder has is the box of donuts you swipe them from him, scanning them and pulling a pen out of your purse. He’s practically wrestling you in the middle of the checkout, protesting, saying that “under no circumstances will you be walking out of there without money in your hands for the world’s second best glazed donuts”. After receiving dirty looks from the lady behind you in line, you shove the box back into his hands and quickly grab your couple of bags. He holds the door for you on your way out and offers to take your bags and walk you back. You shake your head though, knowing that if he walked you back, you’d invite him in, and if you invited him in he’d be staying until the sun came up.

“Just take your donuts home and call it a win, Rydes”, you say, nodding toward the box in his hand. Your face gets warm at the use of the nickname slipping your mouth but the grin it earns from him is worth the embarrassment of the slip up.

“I’ll see you soon,” he says but phrases it in the way of a question.

A small smile finds its way onto your features, “Maybe,” you turn to walk away, “if you use what’s written on that box”. He suddenly remembers you writing something on the box when you took it from him moments ago. At the time he had been too worried about paying you back that he had forgotten to actually see what you had written. He glances down to see your number messily scrawled on the top of the box, a small smile creeping its way onto his lips. When he looks back up you’re nowhere to be seen.

Turning to walk back to where the boys are no doubt anxiously waiting for him he pops open the box and takes a big, victorious bite out of a donut. He casually slides into the car to find Shay, Mike and Dylan on the edge of their seats. Mike looks a little too smug as he says, “Coming out empty handed I see?”. With an eyebrow raised Ryder asks him if he wants a donut, extending the box toward his obnoxious teammate, nonchalantly showing off the number on the top. Dylan was about to complain that he didn’t get offered any donuts when he spies something out of place on the polka dotted box.

“What’s that on the top-ohmygod you got her number didn’t you? She was actually there? You lucky son of a bitch. This never happens to me” he says, sitting back in his seat and pouting.

Shay’s laughing from the front seat. “That’s the Donovan way. Pay up, Vorlicky. You owe me 10 bucks”.

“Let me see that'' Mike grumbles, yanking the box from Ryder’s hand to inspect. Ryder tried to play it cool, like he had planned it and had no doubts that he’d get your number, but he ends up gushing about it like a little school girl the whole way home. As he finishes the last bite of his donut he can’t help but wonder what your world's best glazed donuts taste like.

Season Ticket Holder Brunch

If you could only eat one meal a day, it would be brunch. There was just something so satisfying about starting your day around 10 or 11 o'clock, sitting down to a fulfilling meal of whatever food your heart desired. It would be perfectly acceptable to fill your stomach with fluffy pancakes and sugary syrup or you could go the cheeseburger and fries route; it was a win win. A week ago, had someone told you that you were going to brunch and there would also be hockey talk/players there, you would have been in heaven. But today you were feeling more like you were going to be in your own personal hell. Not only would you be in the same room as the guy you had kind of humiliated in front of his buddies, but you’d also have to look the one in the eye who you had given your number to and never heard from. Oh and then there was the fact that you’d be with the whole damn Wisconsin hockey team as a fan, a season ticket holder fan at that. You wouldn’t even be going, but as fate would have it, your roommate had just so happened to threaten your life when you had first refused to go, using the phrase “I will kill you myself if I have to”. So here you were, about to celebrate the beginning of a new season with brunch and the stars themselves.

--

His eyes had widened in disbelief the first time he had caught sight of you that day. What were you doing here, at a luncheon exclusively for season ticket holders? Cole looked at his teammate.

“You still haven’t reached out to her yet?” He asked incredulously.

“I didn’t think she was serious. What am I supposed to say?”

“Dude she gave you her number. What more does she need to do? Sack up bro”. Ryder knew Cole was right. You hadn’t thrown yourself at him like other girls did, but you had definitely made it clear you were interested in him. Hell, you had literally kissed him in front of thousands of people and yet, he couldn’t compose a text? He knew he had to speak to you today before you left, but as he watched you greet Coach Granato with such confidence, he lost his.That didn’t mean his eyes didn’t follow you everywhere you went, constantly aware of your presence in the room, even if you didn’t appear to be aware of his.

From a fan’s perspective, the whole setup was pretty cool, you had to admit. The guys were greeting guests as they entered and mingling throughout the room. You knew where Ryder was at every moment and though you wanted so badly to be able to go up to him, you made yourself avoid him. A task that was made very difficult with the warmth of his eyes on your every more. This little dance of yours continued until the presentations started, then the guys were lined up at the front of the room at banquet tables that were facing the rest of the room. There were a couple speeches from the coach and the new captains, and a really well put together hype video, which you watched none of because the whole time you kept locking eyes with the one and only, Ryder Donovan. You both were casting glances each other’s way, alternating whose turn it was to quickly look away, the question in your eyes present each time and the guilt in his.

--

When tables are released to go get their food from the buffet he searches for you. Spotting you in line with a plate in your hand he slides up next to you.

“I was about to offer you a ticket to the game but I guess you’ve already got that covered” he tries. You don’t even turn his way, pretending to survey the food even though your heart is beating a mile a minute just with his proximity to you.

“Oh is that so? And how were you going to do that? I’m assuming you lost my number? And if you didn’t, you really should”.

He hears snickers from behind him and he shoots his teammates a glare before turning his attention back to you. Clearly he’s messed up and he knows he’s skating on thin ice (haha) with you so he tries to choose his words carefully before just deciding to put himself out there.

“I didn’t exactly know what to say? I typed out a bunch of different options, some cheesy pickup lines, a simple hey, but I erased it every time. It didn’t seem...good enough” he admits. Now you look at him, his face confirming his words and you see him look nervous for the third time since you’ve met him, and three times more than you thought you ever would.

“How about a ’hi it’s Ryder’ you’re plenty good enough already, you didn’t need to think of some snazzy message, it’s just me”

“Yeah, but that’s exactly my point. You’re..well you’re you. You’re kind of intimidating and by kind of I mean you’re intimidating”.

“That’s the first time I’ve heard that one” you say, but you’re reeling at the boy in front of you calling you intimidating, as if he didn’t know who he was.

“It’s true” he defends, calling Mike over.

“Mike, is she intimidating?”

“Oh hell yeah. I was pretty shitfaced at that game and even I knew not to mess with you after you handed me my ass” he jokes.

“See?” Ryder says, gesturing to Mike as if proving his point. “Okay you’re dismissed Mikey” Mike looks annoyed that he has to leave the conversation but shrugs and follows Ryder’s orders anyway, leaving you alone with Ryder once again.

“Well just know I don’t mean to come off as intimidating”, you tell him, wanting to break the ice and ultimately let him in.

He follows you to your table and then hesitates once he’s there, not knowing if it’s okay to sit down. You pat the chair next to you and his tall frame is collapsing into the chair next to you. Once he’s sitting you can see him visibly relax a bit, noticing for the first time how tiring these events can be for the young men that serve as the entertainment.

“Are you tired yet?” You ask. He can see the concern in your eyes and his heart swells a little at the fact that you might be worried about him.

“Don’t worry about me, today is about you guys, the fans” he teases, leaning toward you to knock your shoulder with his own.

You can tell he’s trying to keep it light, but you wanted a real answer from him.  “And I thought I was supposed to be intimidating. Clearly didn’t scare you into actually answering the question” you say with a light smile. He chuckles at your remark and gives you his honest answer, leaning forward so that he can prop his bent arm on the table and rest his head on his hand, watching you.

“Yes, these things are exhausting. I’m just kind of on display the whole time and have to say the right things all the time  And obviously I’m not very good at that” he motions between the two of you, “but don’t get me wrong I’m super grateful to be in this position and I know it comes with the territory and stuff. It really is fun too, meeting everyone and seeing all of the support and excitement for the team. It’s a really cool thing we have here at Wisconsin” the passion and gratitude leaking into his voice. The smile on your face is genuine as you listen to him open up and you can’t help but think about how easily you could get used to this, to him. Your thoughts are interrupted by another boy stopping at your table.

“Hey bud, coach said you have to fraternize with all of the fans, not just your girlfriend” he says, clapping a hand down on Ryder’s shoulder. Ryder’s cheeks turn the color of the scarlet Badger polo he’s wearing. You laugh at the older Donovan’s remark before sticking out your hand and introducing yourself. Shay gives his brother one last chirp before Ryder is excusing himself.

“I thought I’d never get rid of him” he jokes after Ryder leaves. “Look I know the kid hasn’t texted you yet, but I know for a fact he’s interested in you. I’m assuming you’re coming to our game this weekend?” He asks.

“I think I can arrange that, yes” you say as you watch Ryder work the room. As if he can sense you watching him, he sends a smile your way, a slight blush on his cheeks still.

“- and yeah, that’s the story of how Carole killed her husband and fed him to the tigers” Shay finishes and waits patiently for your reaction.

You only catch the tail end of what he’s saying and are very confused, “I’m sorry what?!”

He throws his head back laughing, earning Ryder’s attention. “You weren’t listening to a word I said, Y/N. You two have it so bad for each other” he taunts. You roll your eyes but there is a definite smile on your face.

“Yeah, says you”.

He smiles back, getting up from the table since you weren’t listening anyways. “I mean it, this weekend. You and Ryder. I’m gonna make it happen” he says pointing at you and his brother. You shake your head at him but don’t protest, continuing to watch the tall boy across the room.

--

With the event wrapping up you decide to head out, having to prepare some stuff for work the next day. You want to make it a point to say your goodbye to Ryder before you leave this time, but he beats you to it as he sees you nearing the door.

“So about that ticket..” he says grinning.

“Oh are you getting me a seat on the glass or right behind the bench?” You tease.

He’s just as quick with a response, “if that’s what you want. As long as I know where to look for you”. You look away not wanting him to see the way your face is heating up. He’s getting good at this.

“D5” you tell him, biting your lip.

“D5” he repeats as if committing it to memory. “Well then I will see you there”, he says.

“Not if I see you first, Donovan” you lightly flirt. He rolls his eyes at your cheesy response, fighting the grin that breaks out on his face.

“Get outta here, Y/N, I'm starting to rub off on you”.

+1

Since the season ticket holder event, Ryder had stepped up his initiative, even texting you for the first time later that day to make sure you had gotten home alright and again apologizing for not messaging you sooner. He made up for lost time by committing all of his free time to you, texting and FaceTiming you every chance he got, even sneaking messages in during practice where you got a text from his coach telling you that Ryder would no longer be available for the next hour as he would be bag skating. The boys let him have it for that one.

Needless to say, you two had grown closer in the span of a week, feeling like you had known each other for ages and you were very much looking forward to the next time you could see him, which would be at his game. Obviously he knew you had tickets for it, but the look on his face when he asked if you would come to his game was adorable.

The gameday experience itself and attending the game as someone’s possible significant other was new in every way and couldn’t have been more perfect from start to finish. Even getting ready for the game was exciting. The moment you walked through the doors of Kohl you were in awe. It was even bigger and better than you had imagined. You were taking so much time admiring the arena that you were a few minutes late to watch warmups. Of course you wandered down to the glass and Ryder was in front of you in an instant. He charmingly tossed a puck over the glass and then was hit by Dylan against the boards. The game itself was electric. The atmosphere was alive and you could tell the boys were feeding off the energy. It was a very tight game for all three periods, but Ryder luckily found the back of the net within the last minute, putting the Badgers up 1 and sealing the victory. He immediately crashed into the glass right in front of you, you capturing the moment with the proudest smile on your face.

--

Waiting for Ryder was nerve racking to say the least. Your eyes kept shifting from place to place and person to person and you exchanged fake smiles with the people you had made awkward eye contact with. There were small groups of family members and girls waiting for the team to make their exit and you stood off to the side by yourself. You couldn’t have felt more out of place if you tried.

Soon enough you see a blonde poke of hair through the doorway of the locker room. With his head above everyone else’s you watch his eyes scan the groups for your face. You find each other immediately and across the room his silhouette starts to make its way to you. As soon as he’s in front of you he’s wrapping his arms around you and lifting you off your feet. Your laughter is genuine, having not expected him to be so open in front of everyone, despite having already kissed on a jumbortron. Once he sets you on your feet, the playful conversation starts. He counters all your quick remarks and the interactions feel as fun and as alive as they used to in middle school when you’d pass notes in secrecy to your crush.

“So what did ya think?”, the nervous Ryder from previous interactions gone and the goal scoring, talented hockey player Ryder taking his place.

A smile tugs at your lips as you decide whether or not you want to inflate his ego any, but after a 3 point night you think he’s earned a little compliment at least.

“It was amazing! This arena lives up to the hype for sure and that #27, damn he’s pretty good. Do you think you could hook a girl up? He was on fire tonight”.

“I might be able to work a little magic. I don’t know though, he seems pretty into this girl already” he drawls out, reaching for you again.

“Well, she’s feeling pretty lucky tonight”.

His teammates begin joining you two, each one giving him a hard time as they enter the picture. “Y/N! I’m glad you showed up, we thought Ryder was gonna have a heart attack when you didn’t show for the very beginning of warmups. I’m Cole by the way, Ryder talks all about you”, he says sticking his hand out.

You giggle at his comment and Ryder’s cheeks. He doesn’t deny any part of what his teammate had just said. “I didn’t know I had to follow the team schedule, but I won’t be late next time” you say, knocking into Ryder’s side.

“Are you coming out with us tonight? We’re just going for a few drinks. Nothing too wild since we have another one tomorrow, but we want to celebrate the first one.”

His question takes you by surprise, as Ryder had said he wanted to hang out after the game but had danced around what he actually wanted to do. But before you can answer he does for you. “We’ll be there, but we have to make a little stop first” he says and then realized that he hadn’t even asked what your opinion on the plans were, “if that’s ok with you?”

You didn’t have the chance to answer, again because Dylan pipes up in the conversation. “Hey, you said I would get next goal!” He whines.

Your brows knit in confusion at whatever Dylan’s complaint is in reference to, as Owen throws an arm over the blonde’s shoulders. “It’s okay buddy, I’ll take you. Ryder has a girlfriend now, so things are going to be different”, O delicately explains like he’s talking to a child, welcoming a new human into the family.

Ryder rolls his eyes at his teammates, but doesn’t dispute or even address the girlfriend comment. “Sorry, D. I’ll make it up to you, I promise. But we should probably get going if we want to make it an early one tonight”. The boys nod in agreement and all make the walk to their cars, dispersing. Ryder walks with you to the passenger side of the car and opens the door for you and you have to say, even though it’s a small gesture, it still makes you blush and earns him yet another brownie point.

After he gets in and starts to drive you ask, “So where is it that we’re going that Dylan’s so upset about?”

Of course he doesn’t give you a straight answer, wanting to keep it a surprise as long as he can. “You’ll see”.

It’s a short time before he’s pulling up in front of the Capitol building and telling you to “stay put” as he jogs around the front of the car to open your door for you. His hand is held out to help you out of the car and onto the sidewalk. You expect him to drop your hand once you’ve made it safely, but he keeps your hand tucked in his and pulls you along until you”re standing inside Dlux.

With an excited grin on his face he asks, “Are you ready for the best burger and shake of your life?”

--

Ryder was downright passionate, telling you about all of the different shake flavors they had and how he made it a mission last year to try every single one, “AND every month they come out with a new flavor! This month’s is red velvet”. Which one are you going to get?” You couldn’t decide but he assured you that no matter which flavor you chose, you couldn’t go wrong.

He was right on that, eventually leaving the shake decision up to him and he chose the flavor of the month, and it was delicious. The burgers were amazing too, in part due to the fact that you were starving. You’d barely eaten anything all day because of the nerves leading up to being with Ryder that night. Both of you finished your food lightning fast, but stayed to talk well past your plates having been cleared from the table. You only ended up leaving because the boys were blowing up Ryder’s phone with texts asking when you two were coming. When you looked down at your own phone you realized that you’d been there for a good two hours. Time flew when you were with him. He ended up paying for your meal, claiming it was in return for the donuts you had bought for him and though the amounts were very unbalanced, you agreed with the condition of you paying for the next time. He was overly satisfied with the promise of there being a “next time”.

“That was the perfect post-game meal. I can see why Dylan was upset he didn’t get to be your date tonight”, you said once you were back in the warmth of the car.

“Yeah I feel kind of bad, I did tell him next goal at the end of last season when he didn’t get to go”, glancing over at you he can see your eyebrow raised and further explains, “It’s kind of cheesy, but every time I get a goal, I come here for a shake and a burger. Kind of a reward I guess. A little tradition I started”. The small smile that dances across his face is endearing and almost embarrassed.

“Well thank you for letting me be a part of your tradition”, you tell him earnestly. You feel honored that he wanted to include you and share his tradition with you.

He just shrugs, “Well I figured I had to bring my good luck charm to celebrate. You’re coming to my game tomorrow too, right?” a little smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Your nose scrunches up at his line, but a giggle escapes you nonetheless. “That was really cheesy, Donovan. But yes, I will be there”.

“D5?”

“D5”, you confirm.

--

His hand finds yours again as he leads you to their booth in the back of KK. You can’t help but notice its view of your table in the corner that you’ve spent the majority of the playoffs at.

The boys surprisingly keep their word of only a few rounds of drinks. Ryder stays glued to your side the entire time, only leaving to retrieve you a drink. But soon he was back, an arm resting over the back of the booth, a comfortable weight over your shoulders. He used the noise level as an excuse to lean close to talk to you and you didn’t mind the close proximity one bit. Despite the bar being pretty crowded since it was a Friday night and the team being all around you, it was like you and Ryder were in your own little world.

“It’s kind of funny how things have come full circle”, he notes, ‘here we are, in KK with a Brewers and Stanley Cup game playing”.

You glance over at the TVs and sure enough, there’s a Brewers game on one and a Cup game on the other. You lean into him, a content smile playing on your lips as you think back to the first time you had met him. “I can’t believe we got kiss cammed” you reminisce.

“And I can’t believe how crazy you get watching hockey games”, he teases.

“Hey! I take my hockey very seriously, thank you very much”, you exclaim, giving his side a little jab and then settling to lean against him again. “Fate’s really got our backs, huh? First the game, then here, the grocery, and that brunch”. You revel in all of the times you had somehow ended up in the same place together, each time not knowing that you’d end up seeing the other again.

“Yeah, er, about that”, he says, taking a drink.

You can tell he’s about to tell you something that discredits something you had just said and you groan. “What is it?”

“I definitely drove to that grocery store on purpose to find you, fate had nothing to do with that”, he confesses.

“It’s true. I was the driver!” Shay interjects from beside Ryder, a gentle shove from Ryder following the interjection.

Your head tips back with laughter, “I assumed as much. Your excuse for what you were doing across town was pretty awful”

“Dude, I told you she was going to wonder why you were there and you should figure out a response before you went outside, but noooo Shay never knows what he’s talking about” the older brother butts in again.

“Yeah, exactly, you never know what you're talking about” Ryder says, quoting his brother out of context.

“Except this time”, you chirp, earning a high five from Shay.

“Yeahhh, I like this one”, he approves.

“And to think I thought this was going to work out”, Ryder jokes, gesturing between the two of you.

“Do you guys need to kiss and make up?”, Cole asks from beside you. This gets the attention of Mike and a few of the other boys, who childishly start a chant of “Kiss, kiss, kiss!” Things really had come full circle.

You’re grinning as you say, “Fate, Donovan”.

And right before his lips press against yours he says, “Must be”.

The guys cheer, almost identical to the first time, only this time the kiss is a little more heated thanks to there not being thousands of spectators and a jumbotron.

When you finally pull away from each other, Ryder says, “I’m not letting you walk away from me this time. Can I take you out on a date?”