#trying to get my final three chapters all done or at least close to done before i get back into posting!

[dollsome-does-tumblr]

i don't know how people who write long fics all the time do it because the past month has absolutely lain waste to me

[endless-ineffabilities]

The Bolter (part three)

Steve Rogers x f!reader

synopsis : Steve carries out his decision to return to Peggy, aiming to live out the rest of his days with her. But this means he's leaving everything behind - he's leaving you. Did he make the right choice? Will there be anything left with you to come back to?

in this chapter : The reader returns to New York for the first time after Steve left, reuniting with Bucky. We see a little more of what the reader and Steve went through while on the run.

themes/warnings : pining, tension, unrequited love, two sad saps (reader and Bucky) trying to get over trauma and heartache :(, language, brief mention of injuries

word count : <2k

masterlist ▪︎ previous chapter ▪︎ next chapter

2024, three months after Steve's departure

You just finished your second mission since the final battle.

Since Tony. Since Nat.

Since... him.

Only three months, or rather, three long months. You don't know why Sam was worried that you are apparently overworking yourself.

He keeps calling you up, checking in from time to time, making sure that you are allowing yourself to relax. Have a little break. Stay with them in New York for a while. Maybe even have a couple of sessions with the therapist Bucky is seeing.

He must have done a darn good job at convincing you, or maybe you were just exhausted, because you arrive back in New York soon enough.

And Bucky comes knocking on your door not long after.

Your eyes meet, both of you blocking your doorway. Not a single word needs to be said - the understanding you two share runs much deeper.

Two kindred abandoned souls and whatnot.

You step aside to let him through and close the door behind him. His hair is trimmed shorter now, and with his getup, he could pass as just another civilian. It takes another beat of silence before he finally asks, "So how are you?"

You snort at how ridiculous his question sounds. He knows. "How are you?" you counter, eyebrows raised in a challenge.

"Touché," he says, shrugging off his leather jacket and placing it atop your kitchen island. He knows his way around. He's been here before, on the many nights you both shared drinks with Natasha, Sam and... him.

Damn it. You curse internally. It's okay, his name was Steve. He's not the fucking boogeyman.

He gives you a quick once over, immediately noticing that you're putting a lot of your weight on your left leg.

"I fell out a window," you sigh.

"Fuck's sake," he grimaces, shaking his head.

"Hey, we can't all be super soldiers, Buck. My muscles are just a bit softer than yours."

He presses on, still concerned, "Checked in for your physical yet?"

"Booked it for tomorrow," you respond. "But it shouldn't be too bad."

You feel his eyes continue to scan you, but in a non-invasive way. He's checking for more injuries, more signs of wear and tear. He's a lot like Steve, but his gaze is different, less commanding.

More broken.

"Anything new?" you have to ask to distract yourself, and he picks up on it right away. About Steve. He hasn't shown up like he said he would. You had been dreading it - the possibility of seeing a much older Steve, after he got to live out his life in this timeline.

He promised he would try and find you. A version of him, at least. White-haired and wrinkled and weary, but still your Steve. He said you would see him again, in what would be his future and your present, and say a real goodbye. Maybe even tell you all about his life and his girl.

You thought you blocked all that out, but sadly it did not slip your mind. You remember. And you didn't want to be there when it happens.

But nothing did, and you didn't know whether to be worried or relieved.

"Nothing," Bucky shakes his head. "But Dr. Banner is keeping track on whether there are any anomalies in the timeline, specifically in where Steve went back. Everything seems to be normal."

He's fine, and he finally got his normal. And you should let go.

As if he can read your mind, Bucky says, "It's hard to let go, isn't it?"

He's struggling. Of course he is. Bucky also has an old skin to shed, and bones to bury. You never encountered the Winter Soldier back in the day, but you heard of him.

Once you got to know Bucky, you never needed to know anything else. This is who he really is, and he's a good person. He's your friend.

And Steve trusted him. He believed in him. That would have been enough in your eyes, if anything.

"What makes you think I haven't let go yet?" you smile weakly.

He exhales, smiling back. Because, he seems to say, I know you.

Stepping forward, he opts for putting a hand on your shoulder first, unsure. He squeezes gently once, but then changes his mind and pulls you in for a hug at the last second, careful not to add any stress on your leg.

It takes the breath out of you, with his vibranium arm wrapped around your midtorso.

"I'm glad you're back," he mumbles against your hair.

Bucky knows that only you would really understand. The others, maybe they loved Steve too. Admired him. But it was different with the two of you.

Clint can move on with his family. Sam has his new responsibilties. Thor is out of world. Wanda has her own burden to bear. The world will go on as it always has.

But not for us, you think. As he held you tight, you decide that you will help Bucky through it. You will make sure that he gets the peace that he deserves and he is able to let go of Steve. Even if doesn't happen for you, this would be enough.

You offer him a drink after a moment, and he accepts without hesitation.

This is how it starts. This is how the two of you begin to move on.

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2017, ten months after the Avengers' Civil War

"Where were you?" Steve's voice came from somewhere in the room. He was seated in the small living room of your shared cabin, blinds drawn shut, almost out of sight.

You twisted around, and let your duffel bag fall to the floor. Squeezing the bridge of your nose, you let out a shaky breath. "What the hell, Steve, you nearly scared me."

You rummaged through the cupboard, looking for your stashed whiskey. "Nearly," you repeated in jest, when you heard him making his way to you.

You got a much better look at him then. His hair had darkened due to its length, and his beard was thicker. You were going to need several swigs of hard alcohol to resist jumping his bones.

"I was worried," he said, and his tone was gentler. It made you feel guilty, and you didn't know why. "I came back from Wakanda and you were gone."

"I wasn't gone, Steve. Sam needed help getting away with something, you know how it is. We don't exactly have a set schedule on when and where to go, given our fugitive status."

"I know, I know," he said right away, frustrated. What's wrong with him? "But you could have called, left a note - "

"A note could have been intercepted."

" - anything. Just to let me know how you are. You could have been taken in for all I know - "

"You really think I would let them take me in?"

He threw a stern glare your way, propping a hand on his hip. Based on his stance, you thought of how it looked like Captain America was about to give you a good scolding.

But you beat him to it. You were just too tired, and your arm was killing you. "Look, Steve, I had to help Sam and you were still in Wakanda checking up on Bucky. I didn't think it was a big deal. I thought I would be back here by the time you - "

"What's wrong with your arm?" he interrupted you, his practiced eyes easily noticing the damage, and reached for your forearm. "Take your jacket off."

Your eyes nearly bulged out of your head before you can catch yourself. "What?" you squeaked, but you knew just what he meant.

Steve was on full Captain mode, always looking out for anyone he feels responsible for. That's all it was. You had to remind your hopeful self that it was nothing more.

His hands were waiting by the neckline of your jacket, asking for permission. Ever so polite, even when his mood is sour.

You can ignore a lot of things, compartmentalize your emotions. You're used to it all, not getting too attached to anyone or anything as a result of your chosen life.

But you couldn't ignore the burning feeling his fingertips left behind as they grazed your skin. When he guided you to the couch so he can take a better look at the bruises on your arm, you were seated close. The closest you've ever been to each other, but he didn't look fazed at all.

Of course not. This doesn't mean the same to him, as it does to me.

You watched him the entire time, his long eyelashes almost grazing his cheek as he looked down at his work. His brows furrowed in concentration. Once in a while, he mumbled something that sounded like, never should've happened, or gotta watch out next time.

It didn't take long for him to fix you up nicely, your arm disinfected and wrapped in gauze.

After you thanked him, you stood from the seat, ready to compartmentalize that moment too. Because that was not the time to go falling for anyone, especially not someone who was just too good for you.

But he grabbed your hand before you walked away, looking up at you as he stayed seated.

"Steve?" There it was again, that burning. That warmth. If he didn't notice the goosebumps on your skin before, you were sure he saw them then.

"I - " he hesitated, before finally deciding on, "I'm glad you're okay."

You tilted your head, smiling. "You're not getting rid of me that easily, y'know."

His worried and serious expression drops and he smiled, eyes all crinkled.

And that was one sight you won't ever be able to ignore.

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

A week later, Natasha dropped by. Sporting a brand new white-blonde hairdo that suited her just as fine as her signature red.

You teased her about it, saying how she must have been waiting for an opportunity like this to have an excuse to drastically switch out her hairstyle.

The two of you sat on the bench on the patio while Steve chopped up wood in the distance, looking like a right ol' lumberjack.

He looked too damn good, and it annoyed you. He wasn't making any of it easy.

"You could switch your hair out too, you know. It helps in going incognito," she reached over and twirled a strand of your hair.

You swatted her hand away playfully, grinning, "Oh, but my face is too memorable so it might not even work."

"Oh really?" she smiled, with that mischievous glint in her eye. "Well, Steve certainly seems to think so."

"Uh, what do you mean?"

"He looks at you like you're his sun or something," she stretched out, amused by the obvious rush of blood to your face.

You shook your head profusely, because of how wrong you thought her assumptions were. "He looks at me because there's no one else around here to look at. Not for at least fifty miles or even more."

"Honey, please. It's my job to know these things."

"Oh, is it now?"

"Mhmm," she patted your knee, tilting her head in Steve's direction without turning to look at him. "I'm willing to bet Tony's LA mansion that he's looking at you right now."

"No, he's not - "

"Then prove me wrong."

But you turned, and you couldn't prove her wrong.

Your eyes met Steve's and when he realized your attention was on him, he simply smiled.

Like you were his sun, Natasha had said. But she was a bit off the mark.

You were never Steve's sun, but he was yours.

Read part four here ~

taglist (let me know if you wish to be added!) : @vicmc624 @littleliyah16 @babezawa @klammykayla @justsebstan @blue--ingenue @numblytemporary @bradshawass @delicious-xx

It will be a bit more of jumping back and forth through time, before we see everyone back together (even Steve? 🤷🏻‍♀️)

It's the start of a potential Bucky x reader. I gotta be careful here because I might just flip and want the reader to be with him instead.. who could ever look over Bucky???? He's going to make it hard for us that's for sure.

[axelsagewrites]

Aemond Targaryen*Missed You

Pairing: modern!Aemond x f!reader

Word count: 2693

Part two to Poloraids smut

Warnings: teasing, semi public grinding, make out, dry humping, nipple play, roleplay, dom Aemond, p in v sex, smut 18+

Masterlist here

After Aemond’s risky phone call on Tuesday you spent the next three days desperately waiting for him to arrive. You made sure to send him the remaining polaroid express the next morning per his request but now all you had to do was wait.

Three days had never felt so long but as you sat in your Friday classes your mind was anywhere but the class material. All your kind could do was think about all the things you missed about Aemond. His smell, his tight hugs, his laugh, his adorable smile, and of course his hands all over your body. 

"Well, I think that about covers chapter 16," your lecturer said as the slides flickered off and the classroom went dim as everyone began to pack up, "Have a good weekend everyone and don't forget your papers due on Tuesday next week,"

Unlike your fellow classmates who groaned at the idea of studying over the weekend you didn't care as you'd done it all in the past couple nights as a way to distract yourself from your impending visit. You quickly rushed from your lecture hall to your dorm, saying a very hurried goodbye to your friends who all had been made aware of Aemond’s visit and wolf whistled as you ran out the class.

As you arrived at your dorm you saw your roommate sara putting on her makeup at her desk that acted as her vanity. “You are going out tonight?” You asked, trying to seem casual as you unpacked your bag.

She hummed her yes as she finished applying her lipstick, “Yeah, are you needing the room tonight?”

“Well, it’s just,” you said as you felt your face grow hot. You weren’t sure why the idea of admitting you wanted her gone to get laid was so embarrassing, but you found yourself tripping over your words, “It’s just cause Aemond, my boyfriend, I told you about him I think, well he’s coming over so like I just wanted to know- “you rambled as sara spun round in her chair, mouth dropped before quickly turning into a smile.

“The dorm is yours tonight,” she grinned as she jumped out her chair, “Its about time you got some, look at you go,” she said as she shoved your shoulder with a jokey grin that at least helped settle your nerves. “Sit, sit,” she said as she led you over to her desk chair, “When does he get here? How much time do I have?”

“Time? For what?” You asked as you quickly checked Aemond’s text, “He said he’s like an hour away,”

Sara sighed, placing her hands on your shoulders, “I can do it in 40 minutes. We gotta make you look good. You’ve not seen him in how long?”

“Four weeks,” you said with a deflated sigh, “It’s been hell,”

“Just trust me. Im gonna have you looking gorg for him getting here,” sara said as she began to take your hair out your pony and get to work. You hadn’t expected to become close with sara after your first week here but surprisingly as she did your hair and makeup you seemed to click instantly. Finally, something in common you thought but also wow she was doing a good job.

For the first time in the month, you had been here you got dolled up and now you remembered why it felt so good, “Right im gonna go now so you can get changed and be all hot and ready for Aemond,” Sara said as she snatched up her bag, “i’ll just crash at Jaces so yous will have the place to yourselves,”

“Thanks, you’re the best,” you said as you stared at yourself in the mirror.

“I know,” sara grinned as she headed to the door, “Have fun and be safe. This room can’t fit a crib,”

You laughed as she shut the door before turning towards your drawers to fish out some lingerie. Aemond had made comment over the phone that the dark red bodysuit looked particularly hot so that was a no brainer. After that you quickly slipped his hoodie over the top and before eventually deciding on a plaid skirt to complete the academic aesthetic you had tried to achieve at college. As you slipped the skirt on your phone buzzed.

Aem - Just parked outside your building love. Where should I go?

You – i’ll meet you down there 2 secs Aemy

You quickly grabbed your keys and phone before practically sprinting to the elevator. When you finally got outside your eyes scanned the parking lot and you instantly grinned when you saw Aemond stood leaning on his car he had affectionally named Vhagar. You could see his smile from the steps of your building when he spotted you rushing down the steps.

“Hey- “Aemond went to say as you flung yourself into his arms and he began to chuckle as he wrapped them tight around you, “i’ve missed you too sweetheart,” he said, kissing the top of your head.

After a few moments you pulled back, your eyes slightly glazed over despite him finally being here, “Im so happy you came,”

“Me too love,” Aemond said softly as he gave you the first kiss in a month. It was slow and soft and perfect but not what you wanted to do in the middle of a parking lot, “Lets head in love,” Aemond said, reading your mind as you began to lead him to the doors. “You look stunning by the way,” Aemond said as he held the front door open for you.

You giggled as if it was your first date as you lead him to the elevator, “You’re gonna make me blush,” you laughed as you pressed the button to the fifth floor.

Aemond moved to step behind you as the doors shut and you gasped when you felt his hands suddenly grab your hips, pulling your ass to grind into his now apparent hard on, “Maybe I like it when you blush,” he said, leaning down to let his breath fan against your ear.

“What if the door opens!” You squealed, moving to push his hands away but he slipped them down only to slip them up under your skirt.

“How can you look that good and expect me not to touch you?” He asked, kissing your earlobe as his hands squeezed your upper thighs, “You’ve got me hard just from looking at you love,” he said, his hand ghosting over your panties, “You shouldn’t be such a tease,” Aemond said despite his fingers now rubbing over your clothed clit making you whine lowly.

The growing want in your stomach outweighed any risk in your mind as you counted the floors you passed. Luckily as each floor passed the doors did not open but as you passed the fourth floor you used all your will to shove his hands off just before the door opens.

And thank the gods you did as the door opened and you were stood face to face with your RA Cregan Stark who would have defiantly torn you a new one for doing that in an elevator. You quickly rushed out of the elevator, Aemond keeping close behind you to try hide his hard on for any passersby. You quickly unlocked your door and shut it even quicker behind Aemond as you were both finally alone. You turned your back for a moment to lock the door and as soon as you turned back Aemond’s hands were cupping your face, stepping closer till your back was against the door. His lips crashed onto yours and wordlessly you both knew what the other wanted.

Your hands tangled in that soft white hair you had missed so dearly while Aemond took the opportunity to slip his hands up your skirt once more. You gasped as he grabbed your ass, squeezing it tightly as he began to grind his cock into you, desperate for friction.

Aemond’s hands only left your ass to slip under the hoodie but as he felt the soft lacey fabric he pulled back with a cocky grin. “What’s this? He asked as he suddenly pulled the hoodie from your frame. The cool air hitting your nipples made them instantly perk as Aemond’s hands ran up your sides before landing on your breasts. “So, fucking hot,” he muttered as his lips crashed back onto yours, this time hungrier if that was possible as he began to squeeze your tits. “Such a fucking tease,” he mumbled against your lips.

You whined into the kiss as your hands to fell to his shoulders, pulling at the collar of his top. Aemond broke the kiss for only a moment to pull it off, tossing it to some corner of the room as his lips latched onto your neck. You moaned as he began to suck soft hickeys down your neck while his fingers began to trace the outline of your nipples. “Been dreaming about this,” he said as he left another hickey just under your collar bone, “squeezing these,” he said, his fingers beginning to roll your nipples between them making you gasp, “and fucking that desperate little pussy of yours,”

You whined as one of his hands moved to rub your clothed clit. “You want me to fuck you, don’t you? Fuck that cunt of yours till you can’t walk,” he said, his movements speeding up, “Isn’t that right princess?”

“Yes,” you said, not caring to hide your moans as you felt the pleasure bubbling in your stomach, “Please Aemond,” you began to beg, “I can’t wait any longer,”

“Naughty girls have to wait,” Aemond chastised, a smirk mixed between his desperate kisses, “Good girls earn what they get,” He said as he began to walk backwards, one hand gripping your hip tightly.

You moaned into the kiss, desperately following his steps to what you thought would be the bed, but you gasped as Aemond suddenly sat down, pulling you to straddle his lap on your desk chair. You whined when he moved his hand, but Aemond soon pulled you closer till you were grinding desperately onto his covered hard on.

You heard Aemond’s grunts and groans as the friction increased. His hands squeezed your hips tightly, grabbing your ass till you wondered if his fingerprints left bruises. “You want my cock?” Aemond asked, his breath rugged as you desperately nodded, “Then be a good girl and earn it,” he said, gently pushing your hips back.

You blushed as you quickly slipped off the chair making Aemond smirk in satisfaction as you took your place between his knees, “That’s my good girl,” Aemond said as your hands quickly undid his trousers. You pulled his trousers and boxers down just enough for his cock to spring out. It was already red around the tip, desperate for your touch as it twitched when you reached up to stroke it gently, “You wanna suck it baby?” He asked making you nod shyly, not even glancing up at him as your eyes were stuck on his length, “Okay love,” Aemond said, his hand moving to the back of your neck to gently guide you forward.

You started with a few kitten licks, just enough to make Aemond moan under his breath. Your hands moved to hold the bottom of his shaft as you slowly began to take him in your mouth. Aemond groaned as he felt his tip slip in, his hand resting on your head as the other clenched so hard his knuckles were white as you started to increase your pace. You reached your hands up to gently squeeze his balls making Aemond curse under his breath, his hand tightens in your hair, “Fuck you’re so good,” Aemond moaned before suddenly pulling you off with a pop as salvia covered his still hard cock, “Can’t cum yet baby. Didn’t come all this way to lose it in your mouth,” he said as he stood up, holding you by your jaw to gently lift you too.

Aemond lent down, kissing you deeply as he walked you back till your thighs hit your desk. You could feel yourself get wetter with excitement when you remembered how often he had brought up this very moment. Aemond pushed your hips, urging you to sit on the desk to which you gladly complied. His hands dug into the flesh of your hips as his tongue slid into the messy kiss.

Aemond pulled back for just a moment to grab his cock, sliding his tip slowly up your slit, “This is what you’ve been thinking of right?” Aemond said, smirking as you moaned, “Me fucking your brains out on this desk. Like some kinky professor roleplay. You even dress like the naughty schoolgirl,” he said, his fingers toying with the hem of your skirt before slipping under to squeeze your thighs, “You’re dripping at just the idea,” he said as he ran a finger up your slit, pushing your panties to the side.

“Please,” you whined as you began to press kisses along that hard jaw you had missed so much, “please sir fuck me already,” you said as your fingernails dug into his shoulders.

You practically saw his face light up at the idea, “All you had to do was asked baby,” he said before slowly pushing his tip in, going as slow as possible to stretch you out, “Aw does it hurt?” Aemond said, fake pout on his perfect lips as he noticed your gasps. You bit your lip, nodding slowly as you tried to ease in the cock you had been desperate for weeks, “Too bad,” Aemond said before suddenly pushing all the way in.

You gasped but Aemond did not wait as he began his thrusts. His hands grabbed your hips for control as you sunk your fingers into his hair, pulling his lips to yours to try disguise your moans. You knew it probably did little since with each thrust the desk hit against the wall harder. All you could do was hope everyone was at class and wrap your legs around Aemond’s hips to pull him in deeper.

Aemond groaned at the new depth as he moved one of his hands to your mouth, shoving two fingers in making you look at him doe eyed, “Suck,” he commanded, his breath hoarse. He moaned as you complied, swirling your tongue around his digits before he pulled them out only to start rubbing quick circles onto your clit making your breath catch.

Aemond covered your loud moans with his kiss as you felt your body tighten, your orgasm not far away. Aemond’s spare hand moved to squeeze your tit before his fingers began to squeeze your nipples.

You felt your nails scraping down his skin, your body tightening as you felt your orgasm crash through your body. Aemond groaned as your cunt squeezed around his cock, his thrusts becoming quicker and sloppier as he chased his own peak. As Aemond fucked you through your orgasm he soon reached his, spilling inside you as he gasped for air.

Aemond’s head crashed down onto your shoulder, and you could feel the sweat covering his skin. “Thank god for the pill,” You muttered, a dazed smile on your face making Aemond laugh against you skin.

Aemond kissed your shoulder before pulling out of you, grabbing a box of tissues sat on your desk to clean you up, “I missed you,” he said, his gaze soft as he stroked your cheek.

“I missed you too,” you said, wrapping your arms around his shoulders to pull him into a deep hug. “I hope I didn’t scratch too hard,” you said as your eyes landed on the scratches inked into his skin.

Aemond chuckled as he tightened his arms around your frame, “It was worth it baby. So fucking worth it,”

“Worth it enough for a round two?” You asked, pulling away with a raised eyebrow.

You gasped as Aemond suddenly pulled you from the desk, shoving you to land on your bed with a giggle, “Oh more than just two rounds doll. Just you wait and see,”

Taglist: @clairacassidy @valeskafics @starkleila @ammo23 @thatsgayyouknow

[crystalskiesandcherrywine]

And all the pieces fall, right into place // Part One

So Feyd Rautha is still on my mind and that’s my second try of writing about him and an Artreides!Reader.

This will get smutty later on, but not in this chapter.

Summary: As the Princess of House Atreides, you don’t shy away from what ever must be done for your family. Your impending union with a Harkonnen, though anticipated, doesn't unsettle you. However, the events take an unforeseen twist, placing your fate on a precarious edge. This sudden shift brings about consequences far beyond what you could have ever envisioned.

English is not my first language.

All feedback is welcome <3

Part two // Part Three

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

There are so many songs that make me think of our favorite psychotic Harkonnen, but I stick with „Found“ by ††† (Crosses) for now.

_____________

Na Baron Feyd Rautha x Atreides!Reader

FxM

1.349 words

___________________

The dim light wandered through the corridor, veiling most of the space into a velvety dark. The earthy brown and green tapestry on the wall illumined ever so slightly by the flowing arms along the wall. But even if there would be no light, you know the way by heart, having followed it more times than you can remember. Your feet shuffled along the floor, finally stopping at a closed door almost hidden at the end of the passage. Before your knuckles can touch the polished wood, a slight gap appears.

„You are late“ Paul says, and pulls you in, closing the door behind you at once.

„Well, you can take it up with our Father. I love him with all my heart, but with him being in the library for so long there was no chance of getting past him earlier“ 

„He seems to spend an awful amount of time there nowadays“ Paul muses and lets himself fall on a cushion on the floor. 

„That’s true. I believe he hides from Mother.“

Both of you cannot suppress a laugh. Since Lady Jessica is with child she seems quite easily irritated with everyone, especially with the Duke. 

„Well, at least she will have a new baby to take care of when we are gone“ 

„Let's drink to that“ Paul says, and produces a bottle of wine and two glasses from a cupboard. 

The liquid is the perfect ruby color, reflecting the light on the walls. It feels like all of your home planet has been distilled into the glass in your hand: the sweetness of the sunshine rays, the vibrancy of the hills covered in forests, the deepness of mountain lakes you wandered with Paul & Duncan, the acidity of the soreness after training with Gurney and the light twinge of bitterness of the goodbyes Paul and you were to say so soon. 

„We have about a fortnight still“ he says, as if reading your mind. 

„How about you stay out of my thoughts, “ you reply, but there is no sharpness to it. He is right, your future is about to unfold, but now you are here still, far away from the harsh and unforgiving Giedi Prime where the man you were promised to awaits.

„I really should go there and tell them off“ Your father sighs, his eyes still resting on the book he has had for half an hour without reading a single word. 

„And what good would it do? Let them, they will need the memories to sustain them through what’s to come“ Lady Jessica says with a benevolent smile. 

Her hand rests on her belly, instantly protective of the new life. But she feels the same unease as the Duke, with hints of trouble in the air being almost tangible to her. 

_______

You regret the last cup when you wake up the next morning. Your mouth feels dry and ashy, your head throbbing. Your handmaidens say nothing, but a vial with medicine is placed wordlessly on your nightstand. You gulp it down and rush to the private dining room, where your mother and Paul are already there. 

A servant plates some bread on your plate but is dismissed by Lady Jessica with a stern look. 

„No, please. Not now“ you whine „ We practised for so much already“ 

Lady Jessicas looks at you sternly „And yet there is a need for more“.

Your eyes wander to your brother 

„Don’t look at me for help. I had earned my breakfast already“

With a sigh, you sit upright and focus on your mother

„Give me the plate“

Like in a trance, her hands move as she grabs the plate from the servants' hands and puts it next to you. 

„Good, now what else do you want?“ 

_______

Days pass by in training, between the library and the combat space, with afternoons free for you and Paul to do as you please. To sit at the cliff just outside your ancestral fortress, with seagulls rushing over your head, while you look at the waves crashing at the shore is something you cannot believe to be able to leave without. The hours spent in comfortable silence are so precious to you that you almost can’t find back the tears prickling in your eyes. A servant comes running to you one of those afternoons, visibly distressed. 

„My Lord, my Lady“ he finally gets out between snapping for air „You are requested at the guest hall at once. Please come“ Paul and you get up, exchanging a glance. In the hall, the fireplace is lit and everything is a buzz with servants carrying silver plates, candles and chairs. Your father stands next to the fire, his hands clasped behind his back with the message scroll he holds so tightly his knuckles are almost white. He turns around, and his expression is carefully neutral.

„There has been news for you today, my children. Paul, you are to leave for Arraki with me in a week. We will meet the Fremen delegation there and your wedding is to take place in Arrakeen. You, my daughter, however, will be gathered by Baron Vladimir Harkonnen and Na Baron Feyd Rautha here. Baron Vladimir and his nephews will arrive the day after tomorrow. They will take you to Giedi Prime after the wedding“ 

Paul seems as confused as you are. You were to travel as a family to Giedi Prime so that your wedding could commence after Na Baron's Birthday celebrations. But now he and his family make the effort and spice to travel to your home. This news leaves you puzzled and unsettled. „Now go to Lady Jessica at once“ he says and with a bow of your head, you rush to her chambers. 

Lady Jessica seems calm, compared to you. But she has years of Bene Desserts training that you are yet to acquire. She holds out her hands to both of you. „Something is not right“ she admits, „but there is nothing to gain in worrying now. We have too much to do“ 

And with this, your packing begins.

_____

Metal plate touches the ground with a soft thud, revealing a row of Harkonnens soldiers, all in their full combat gear, looking out of place in the middle of the green field their vessel landed on. „Quite a show“ Paul signs to you and gets a „Behave now“ as a reaction from your mother. 

They march in unison and behind them a grotesque floating figure is revealed, followed by multiple tubes, connected to dark glass orbs. Baron Vladimir Harkonnen floats, with his drape touching the ground and collecting the morning dew on the edges of it. His face is soft and plump but also full of hardness, small eyes beading at you with a hostility you cannot understand. Glossu Rabban, a mountain of muscle, follows slightly behind him, glancing between your family and the surroundings. Light breeze reaches you, carrying the smell of the sea foam and shells and raising the banners of your House behind you even higher. You lift your chin a bit, trying to mirror it and your gaze falls on the man next to Glossu. His skin is so fair that it looks like snow on a mountaintop, unblemished and almost sparkling. His uniform is tight, with black leather at his shoulders, knees and boots, which only makes his skin more striking. You are aware of his reputation, so his calm pace doesn’t fool you. Behind this facade of tranquillity is a person who is rumored to be the most ruthless soldier in the known universe. His eyes seem to look straight at your parents when suddenly his head turns to you and his dark blue eyes meet yours. For a split second, the corner of your mouth twitches nervously and he catches that, causing a hint of a smile on his face. He doesn’t look away as if to test you, so you try to withhold his gaze with the same amount of pride. His lips form a proper smile now, with the promise of a story yet to begin.

________

to be continued ...

[prettybrunette3]

National Anthem ♡

hello all! this is my first multi-part fic, and I hope you like it! part two will be posted very soon :)

part two!

part three!

warnings: toxic snow, bribery, fem!reader x young!coriolanus snow, use of Y/N, that's it for this chapter!

I hope you enjoy! this is national anthem ♡

The capitol streets were bustling with the obnoxiously ignorant, blind-sighted chatter about the games this year. People in all the most unnecessary of extravagant clothing, smiling, laughing, and celebrating death. It was sickening, truly. Hearing them talk about their favorite tributes and the gruesome details of their death made you want to rip all your hair out. 

Surprisingly, you were not a stranger to this life. Born a capitol brat, you shouldn’t let this get you to your breaking point at all. A senior in the academy this year, you vividly recall the students being mentors in previous years; the thought of helping a child to their death made you want to vomit. 

So, you tried your best to get your single errand for the day done as fast as possible. Your goal: to find a dress for the gala in a few days. Nothing too showy, but not too modest. A dress that screams, ‘I’m pretty, but smart. I am a district doll.’ As the President’s daughter, appearance and impression were the two most important things drilled into your head. 

Your father, President Stirling, was a new favorite of Panem. His pride for the land, his love for the people, and his goals for the future are what got him elected. He was a very clean-cut man, always showing how much he loved his family. 

You knew better though. He was a cold man, one who hardly showed affection behind closed doors, a man who had spoken very rarely to his daughter. You didn’t really know much about him, always locked in his office and never really caring about you. Unless, it was about your appearances or impressions. 

Scurrying through the mall, you quickly find your go-to dress shop, a more quiet and less popular location. This dress shop has all of the current trends, but they always had something different about them that you loved. You hated capitol fashion, but it was your only option as the most looked upon girl in Panem. At least they all had a unique look to them. 

Entering the store and smelling its sweet fragrance, you hurriedly got to work. Giving every dress you liked to a worker, she put it in the dressing room for you. A common customer, they adored your business. They adored your money. 

Dress after dress, you had finally found a winner. A thin-strapped velvet dress with jewels adorning it in a beautiful pattern. It was a deep red, floor-length dress. Happy with the way it adorned your body, you took it off and handed it to the shop worker. Swiping Daddy’s credit card, you smiled at the workers and thanked them sincerely for their help. They handed you the dress across the counter and you started to make your way home. 

Navigating the large mall, there were people everywhere. You did your best to hide your face, sunglasses and all. The President’s daughter was always known as the Princess of Panem, a girl that the younger children looked up to. It was hard to be unnoticed. 

Swerving and dodging people to the best you could, you made it outside at last. Unfortunately, your presence had become known and now none other than Lucky Flickerman was awaiting you outside. Probably one of your least favorite capitol citizens, always pushing you for personal answers to appeal to the audience. 

Trying your best to spot your driver without being noticed, you see the blacked out SUV parked right down the street. It was a different car that dropped you off, but this SUV was still branded with the President’s logo. You open the doors to exit the mall, and Lucky Flickerman is already on you. 

“Is that the anticipated gown for the Gala, Ms. Stirling? What color is it? Just a peek? We’d love to see it!” 

By the time he was done getting his jumble of questions out, you had already reached the SUV. Opening the passenger door, you quickly threw the dress in the back. However, you noticed your driver was a different man than usual. 

“Coriolanus? Did my dad send you as my driver?” You took the sunglasses off your face, confusion taking over as you awaited his answer. 

Coriolanus Snow was your father’s newest intern. A charming man, certainly. He was handsome, smart, and cunning. You had a schoolgirl crush on him since he started working for your family, but you pushed it to the side. You didn’t want to be just another nuclear wife with a nuclear family in the capitol. You just weren’t ready to accept your inevitable fate. 

“Yes. The other driver wasn’t aware he was supposed to wait for you, and he returned home,” Coriolanus says. He puts the vehicle in gear and begins to take you both back to your estate. 

“Oh, that’s odd. He’s never done that before,” you say. He was a nice man, you had actually gotten on with him quite well. You weren’t sure where communication went wrong. 

“Yeah. He was fired immediately after he stepped in the door.” Coriolanus doesn’t look at you, just keeps his gaze on the road ahead of him. 

You didn’t expect much less from your father at all, but still your chest ached for the nice man. After all, he talked to you more than your own father did. 

You looked at Coriolanus for much too long after he said that. You admired his slicked-back blonde hair, his prominent jawline and you took in all of his aura you could. The Snow family had a newfound power in recent years, and boy did he know it. He was dripping in luxury. He carried himself with such seriousness and coldness that it drew you in. 

You broke away from your trance, looking forward at the road as well. It was hard to focus on anything but him when you were around Coriolanus. He too was a capitol brat, one of the worst. He supported the games in all their glory, though he was never too extravagant about it. He’s a few years older than you, meaning he’s seen more of the games. He probably accepted the fact that they were never going to end. 

Stuck in your thoughts once again, you hadn’t even realized you reached your estate that quickly. The car stopped, and Coriolanus opened the door and shut it quietly. He headed to your side of the vehicle and opened your door, holding out his hand for you to grab. Blushing, you smiled and took his hand, slowly exiting the car. He opened the back of the car, retrieved your dress, and you two headed into the house.  “Thank you, Coriolanus. You didn’t have to do all that,” you speak gently. “It’s a part of my job, Y/N,” he says coldly. You wonder if you’ll ever get past his emotionless wall. You enter the house, and Coriolanus hands the dress off to a helper so they can take it to your room. 

“Lovely seeing you today, Miss Y/N,” he says before walking back towards her father’s office. He strides when he walks, hands in his pockets and chin up. You smile to yourself, before heading up to your room.

The next day at the academy was dragging. Excitement bubbled in your stomach for the Gala the next day, and all of the classes were giving you a headache. You didn’t need them anyway - your success was guaranteed thanks to your father. 

As you were finally dismissed from your last class, you gathered your things and headed for the door. Cascading down the stairs, your best friend Bridgette Sinclair joined you. 

Both of you had been friends for years, taking a fancy to each other's' company. She was a shorter girl, with dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. A true capitol beauty, you had always thought. She too was born into the power she had, and she too believed all the same as you did. She didn’t act arrogant, never bragged on any of her assets. You loved her like a sister. 

“I say, we go to the park and discuss the Gala tomorrow! I can’t wait to see you there, Y/N.” You giggled with the girl, allowing your teenage personality to peek through. 

“Let’s go to my house instead, I’ll show you my dress!” You smiled and jumped up and down, finally allowing yourself to be true to how excited you were. 

She squealed in response as you waited for your driver. You hoped and prayed it wasn’t Coriolanus, Bridgette would never shut up about it. She knew about your crush, and she wanted you to talk to him so bad. Every time she’d hear about him, see him, or even just think about him, she would always tell you and then laugh at your blush. 

The both of you sit and gossip until the black SUV comes to pick you both up. Fingers crossed behind your back, you open the door with your other hand, and almost roll your eyes. Coriolanus is your driver again, of course. His blue eyes look at you through the rearview mirror as you sit down, not breaking his gaze even when Bridgette sits next to you. 

“Still no new driver I guess, yeah?” You look back at him through the window as he suddenly stops staring. Bridgette laughs and grabs your hand. 

“Uh- yeah no. Not yet. Your father is a particular man,” Coriolanus says, hesitantly. 

He slowly starts to take you both back to the estate, the car ride consisting of awkward stares from Coriolanus as Bridgette pesters you through hushed whispers. You almost feel as if he’s hearing everything she’s saying. You smack her quickly and quietly in hopes she’ll shut up. 

Arriving at the estate, Coriolanus does the same thing as before and opens the car door for you and Bridgette. However, his hand is only offered to you, not her. A strange action for him, you had always known him to be cold but still very polite. You took his hand and exited the vehicle before running into the house with Bridgette, looking back at Coriolanus as a ‘thank you’, before heading inside. 

“Y/N I have got to see your dress. I won’t tell anyone what it looks like, just please show me!” Bridgette plops onto your bed, anticipating your dress like a child on Christmas morning.

 You smile and head into your closet to retrieve the gorgeous gown. Grabbing it off the hanger, you slowly unzip the protective bag off of it. Bridgette’s eyes widen as she gets up to feel the dress, jaw dropped to the ground. She feels the material all in her fingers, gently admiring everything about the highly anticipated gown. 

“Oh my God Y/N. It’s beautiful. I absolutely love it!” She starts smiling widely before getting a mischievous grin on her face. 

“You know who else will love it,” she says, giggling slightly. 

You zip up the dress and hang it back in the closet, getting flustered by Bridgette’s continuous mentioning of Coriolanus. As much as you wished he had noticed you in the same way, you knew it would never happen. You were just like every other girl in the capitol. Nothing special about you. You wished he would see you as something special, but you were sure he didn’t. 

“If you don’t stop mentioning him, I'm going to strangle you, I swear.” You point at her, smiling sternly. She puts her hands up in a ‘it wasn’t me’ motion, before you plop down onto the bed next to her. 

“I really wish he did say something to me, just once you know? He is really handsome,” you admit. You hardly ever opened up about your feelings for him, just felt like getting it off your chest. 

“I know, Y/N. But I'm telling you, in a dress like that, with looks like yours, you won’t go unnoticed. There is simply no way he won’t stare at you tomorrow. And believe me, I noticed him looking at you in the rearview today. And! He only gave his hand to you for help out of the car. That had to mean something!” Bridgette sits up on the bed, you shortly following. She shakes your shoulders and tells you to be more confident in yourself. 

Hours pass by discussing makeup and flirting tips and all the other girly topics you could think of. All in preparation for the gala, of course. You discussed which shoes to wear, which hairstyle would look best, what color lipstick, everything. You knew you would feel pretty tomorrow, just maybe not pretty enough for him. 

Bridgette left after all the discussion, being picked up by her own driver. As you were walking back to your room after taking her to the door, you spot Coriolanus in the hall. He was passing off cash to a man you had never seen before. You quickly hide in the doorframe and try to listen as best you can. The man is short, seems friendly enough. 

‘Maybe a new hire?’ you think to yourself. Then, you’re finally able to pick up their conversation. 

“Just let me pose as the driver for a few more days. I won’t tell Mr. Stirling. Just leave the premises when you’re supposed to pick her up, and return back to the house in however long it would take you to pick her up yourself. Just this last time,” Coriolanus quietly whispers. He’s practically begging the poor man, shoving wads of cash towards him. 

‘Are they talking about me? He wants to drive me around? Is that why he’s been my driver?’ Thoughts are running through your head a mile a minute. So fast, you weren’t able to notice the conversation being over, and Coriolanus now heading your way. 

Too late to try to hide, you slowly start to reveal yourself as if you had just been walking to your room. He spots you immediately, eyes getting wide. You smile at him slightly, before trying to reach the stairs. However, he speeds up and grabs you by the shoulders, pressing you against a nearby wall. 

“Did you hear any of that, Ms. Y/N? Be honest with me.” His eyes piercing into yours, quickly darting from your lips and back up. He looks absolutely insane. 

“I- uh no. I don’t even know what you’re talking about I swear,” you lie. His eyes are scanning your face frantically before he releases you. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Y/N. As I'm sure you’re now aware, I'll be your driver. Be ready at 5. I’ll pick you up.” He slowly stares for just a second before walking away. He’s wearing a long coat, taking long strides. Something about him is so addicting. 

You catch your breath for a second, slowly starting to put the pieces together. He knew you were listening, and now you knew you were correct. He wanted to be your driver and he was bribing the new hire! Oh you couldn’t wait to tell Bridgette about this. 

You hurriedly headed up to your room, changing into your PJs and getting ready for bed. Your mind continuously running on overdrive, you couldn’t seem to focus on anything, except the fact he was taking you to the gala tomorrow. Did he like you?

Getting into your bed, it wasn’t long before you fell asleep, Coriolanus heavy on your mind. 

[willalove75]

Alcina's New Maid Pt. 8 Lady Dimitrescu x Reader

Summary: Lady Dimitrescu brings you in as one of her maids, at least, that's what you thought she brought you to the castle for.

Warnings: 18+ minors DNI, depression themes

Tags: flirty, fluff, slow burn, smut, angst.

Notes: Part 8! This kinda ends in a cliffhanger I'M SORRYYY but this shit was getting way too long😅😅 I am going to try and get chapter 9 done as soon as I can so you guys aren't waiting on it for too long!💕💕

Click here for the rest of the series

The following morning Alcina calls on one of her maids to have a carriage prepared.

"Daughters!" She calls from the foyer of the castle. Bela, Daniela and Cassandra appear in front of her.

"I have some things to take care of outside the castle. Bela, I am placing you in charge until I return."

"But mom!" Daniela cries.

"No fair she always gets to be in charge!" Cassandra argues.

"My decision is final." She says, quieting the arguments of the two girls. "Bela, please keep an eye on things, I shall be back before dinner tonight."

"Yes mother." Bela replies.

"Where are you going?" Daniela asks, looking up at her mother.

"I have a few matters I must discuss with Lady Beneviento."

"Aunt Donna!" Daniela says with excitement.

"Can we come? I want to see Angie!" Cassandra says, making Alcina chuckle.

It's always trouble when the three girls, well, Daniela and Cassandra mostly, get together with Angie.

"Not this time girls." Her response is met with a chorus of disappointment. "I must be off. Please try and behave yourselves while I'm out."

The three girls hug Alcina and she gives each of them a kiss on the top of their heads, wrapping her arms around them. Alcina exits the castle as the three girls swarm away.

You're awoken by a knock on the door, you turn towards the sound and roll back over, pretending to be asleep; desperately hoping whoever is at the door leaves. Much to your dismay, the door opens and the room fills with the smell of breakfast. The maid puts the tray on the table and you wait for her to leave. To your dismay once again, you see the maid walk around your bed, shutting your eyes before you can see who it is you pretend to stay asleep, avoiding any kind of interaction.

The maid walks over to the windows and pulls open the thick curtains, allowing the sunlight to spill into the room for the first time in nearly a week. Even with your eyes closed the light is blinding, your eyebrows knit together and you groan.

"Y/n." You hear a familiar voice.

Opening your eyes, squinting as you look up, you see Zina standing next to the bed.

"I have been very patient, but I can not watch you lay here another day. It's been almost a week."

There's a part of you that knows she's right, but there's a bigger part of you that doesn't want to move and is content with staying in bed until you die. A lump begins to form in your throat and your eyes begin to gloss over.

"I can't." You say softly.

"You can, and you will. When was the last time you showered?"

"A few days ago." Embarrassed, you avoid her gaze and stare at your pillow.

"What on earth has gotten into you? This is all very unlike you."

Pausing for a moment, you take a deep breath.

"You were right. About everything." You say as tears fall onto your pillow and your voice grows thick.

"You became too attached, didn't you?"

Nodding your head in response, Zina exhales deeply.

"Did you listen to a word I said-"

"I did," you say, cutting her off as your voice cracks. "I did, and for a while it was fine, but then I started feeling like I was special to her, and then I got scared because I didn't want to end up like the rest of them. I told Alcina how I was feeling and she told me I was special," Zina's face changes from looking like she was about to scold you to a look of curiosity. "She told me I was different from the others. And I was stupid enough to believe her. I was dumb enough to believe her lies-"

"Lady Dimitrescu is a lot of things," Zina cuts in. "but I can tell you for certain that a liar is not one of them. She is most likely the only person I've ever met that refuses to speak a single lie."

"Then why would she tell me that? Why would she say that I was special and then throw me aside like I was nothing? Why would she do everything she did for me and then act like I didn't even exist and then go and fuck another maid?!" You sob, tightly holding onto your pillow.

Realizing the situation in front of her was not what she expected it to be, Zina sits on the edge of the bed and gently stokes your hair.

"I cannot speak for the Lady and her actions, but what I can tell you is that she has not been herself this last week either. I know I said I did not want to get involved in your affairs with the Lady, which is still the truth, but I will offer you some advice."

Turning your face towards her, you look into her eyes, eager to hear her next words.

"Have you tried speaking with her?" Zina asks.

"I did, right when she started ignoring me. And she looked right through me, like I didn't exist and just walked away, like I wasn't even there."

"Did this all start after your second encounter with Stefana?"

"Yeah, and Mother Miranda."

Zina's pupils dilate, a look of concern crossing her face.

"Mother Miranda?" She quietly asks.

"Yeah, when she came to work in the lab or whatever. She found me in Alcina's bed after I got my stitches. She said she wanted to use me for a Cadou experiment and Alcina freaked out. I mean she didn't scream or anything, but her eyes, she looked terrified."

"You are very lucky to still be alive y/n." She says, visibly shaken.

"Well I told Mother Miranda that Alcina bought me from my uncle so I was her property, not just an employee. Finally she agreed to not take me to the lab but Alcina was so freaked out and I don't know why. I don't even know what a Cadou is or anything that they were talking about."

"In time you will learn, but it's not my place to explain the horrors of Mother Miranda. That was quick thinking, telling Mother Miranda about your purchase, it's probably the only reason you weren't taken into the dungeon, whether or not the Lady wanted you to go."

"After all of that, it was like I stopped existing to her. I don't know what I did." You say, defeatedly.

"As I said earlier, I won't speak on behalf of the Lady, but something tells me it's less of what you did and more of Mother Miranda's interest in you. You should try and speak with her again."

"What do I even say? 'Fuck you, you broke my heart?' that won't go over well."

"No, that certainly won't."

"What do I do? Let her tell me why she did what she did? And then what? I just magically forget about what happened and everything is sunshine and rainbows? How could I forgive her?"

"Whether or not you forgive her is something you must figure out on your own, no one can help you make that decision or make that decision for you. My advice is this: speak to her. She's out this morning and will be returning before dinner. She brought you your dinner last night, correct?"

"Yeah."

"Although I don't participate in the maidens gossip, I've heard that one young maid found her sitting outside your room in tears."

"Good." You grumble.

"Y/n." She scolds you.

"What? She does all of this awful shit to me and I'm supposed to feel bad when she cries?"

"I am not saying you aren't allowed to be angry, you are certainly entitled to every feeling you have towards her at the moment. That does not mean however, it's acceptable to lack all empathy. You can be both empathetic and angry towards her, they are not mutually exclusive feelings."

You go to retort her statement and pause, letting her words sink in before you respond.

"I guess." You say.

"Speak to her. Tell her everything you just told me, tell her how her actions made you feel. I've worked alongside the Lady for many years, it's not often she cares for maidens, but on the rare occasion she does, she listens."

"I'll think about it."

"Very well. Now, get up." She says, pulling the duvet off of you, you groan in protest. "Go on, go get a shower and for the love of the Black God please eat something. I didn't think it was possible for someone to survive on eating three bites of toast for a week."

Looking over at Zina you want to protest, but the look on her face is similar to one a mother would give their child when they won't listen. Knowing it was no use fighting her, you take a deep breath and muster the energy to finally get out of bed.

Making your way into the bathroom, you turn towards Zina before shutting the door.

"Thank you."

She gives you a nod and walks out of your room. Neither of you notice, but a little fly quickly buzzes out the door right before Zina closes it behind her.

The carriage pulls up to Lady Beneviento's estate. After she exits, Alcina is greeted by the familiar figure dressed in black, a matching black veil covering her face.

"Donna." Alcina says with a smile.

"Welcome." Donna says, although Alcina can't see her face, she can tell it was said with a smile.

Donna leads Alcina into the house and Donna's doll, Angie, runs into the foyer.

"Who the fuck let a tree in the house?!" She says with a screeching laugh.

Alcina lets out a low growl as Donna softly scolds the doll.

"Would you like some tea? I was just making myself some." Donna asks.

"Yes, that would be lovely, thank you."

Alcina takes a seat in one of the larger chairs in Donna's living room, Donna had it brought to her house for Alcina years ago so she could be comfortable when she visits.

"You better not break that chair!" Angie squeals as she runs around the house.

Alcina rolls her eyes, trying to ignore the doll.

"Angie, be nice." Donna quietly says as she walks in with a tray holding a teapot and two cups.

Donna takes a seat across from Alcina and pours tea into both cups. The teacup looks dwarfed in Alcina's large hands, making Angie cackle. After removing her veil, Donna fixes her hair and Alcina smiles at her sister.

"What brings you all the way to the estate sister?" Donna asks.

Alcina looks down into her cup. Donna was the only one of her siblings she would be able to speak to about what's been going on. Truthfully, Donna was the only person she knew that she could speak to about any of this; but Alcina never thought about how she would explain the situation without sounding weak or pathetic.

"What's wrong Alcina?" Donna asks.

"I came seeking your advice." Alcina admits.

Donna's face lights up, it's not often that Alcina asks her for her help. In the rare occasion she does, Donna is both grateful and excited to help where she can.

After taking another sip from the tiny cup in her hand Alcina puts it down and lights a cigarette and takes a drag.

"I- I'm not good at these things. I have a very, very difficult time with being, open. Talking about my feelings." She says, rolling her eyes, bringing the cigarette up to her lips once more.

"I know, take your time." Donna says with an encouraging smile.

Alcina deeply inhales and slowly blows the smoke out of her nose.

"There is," she begins, carefully choosing her words. "Someone, a woman, I've grown to," she pauses "care for." She says with an exhale. "But, I've done something unforgiveable."

"Did ya kill her?!" Angie pipes in.

With her eyes narrowing at the doll, Alcina replies "no, you detestable plaything, I did not kill her."

"Well sorry for asking!" Angie says sarcastically. "You literally drink blood wine, I'm sorry if my question pissed you off you-"

"Angie that is enough." Donna snaps.

Alcina glares at the doll as she runs away before looking back towards Donna, taking another drag from the cigarette.

"Please, Alcina, continue." Donna says softly.

"I, I don't know how to fix it. Donna, I don't know what to do." Alcina says as her eyes gloss over, she snuffs out the cigarette in the ashtray on the table. Another thing Donna keeps around for Alcina when she visits.

Donna can count on one hand the amount of times she's seen Alcina cry in all of the years she's known her. Her heart melts a little as her older sister lets some of her walls down.

"I would love you help you Alci, but I need to know what happened."

Alcina gives Donna a brief overview of how you ended up at the castle, how you quickly became her handmaiden, she tells Donna about Stefana and how she's tried to kill you twice now, and tells her that Mother Miranda was infatuated with you.

"After Mother came I was terrified, Donna. It's the most terrified I've been since that clumsy maid broke the window in the library and almost killed Daniela all of those winters ago." Donna nods her head, remembering when Alcina told her about the incident. It made her want to vomit when Alcina described in great detail how she tortured the woman before sticking her in a wine barrel.

"So I abandoned her. I acted like she didn't exist. My plan was successful for the first few days, but then, she was all I could think about. There was nothing I could do to get her out of my head, I it was driving me absolutely mad. I was angry, unsatisfied, really." Donna nods her head as she follows along while Alcina pulls out another cigarette and lights it, taking a long drag, exhaling the smoke as she speaks. "I couldn't bring her to my chambers, Black God no, so I invited one of my newer maids in. I was satisfied enough but I still only thought of her." She pauses and take another drag, slowly exhaling the plume of smoke, reliving the moment. "When I opened my chamber door to let the maid out, there she was, walking back to her room. And the look on her face when she saw," Alcina looks up, blinking away tears. "The look on her face, Donna, it almost broke me."

A few tears roll down Alcina's cheeks, Donna hands her a handkerchief and she puts out her cigarette, carefully blotting the tears as she pulls herself together. She adjusts her posture, sitting up straight once more, reclaiming her poise.

"I thought maybe it would take a few days for her to move past it, but after that, she stopped showing up to meals, she hasn't gotten out of bed in almost a week-"

Angie runs into the room and sees Alcina wipe away a stray tear.

"Holy shit! You cry?! Who knew there was a heart under all of that cold, icy-"

"I will snap you in half you little twig!" Alcina roars, standing up to her full height, rage beginning to blind her.

"Alcina!" Donna yells.

Alcina looks at Donna and recognizes the look of fear in her eyes. Looking down, Alcina didn't even realize her claws have come out. The only time Donna had seen Alcina's claws in action was during a brutal attack when huntsmen stormed the castle while she was visiting. It took Donna weeks to be able to cope with what she saw. Staring at her claws in shock, Alcina retracts them and looks at her sister.

"Donna- I'm-" she goes to reach for her sister but pulls away and puts her face in her hands. The elegance that radiated off of her moments ago completely vanished. "I'm sorry." She says softly, sitting back down as she tries to hold back her cries.

Donna stands up and looks at Angie, pointing out of the room, silently telling her to leave. Walking up to Alcina she wraps her arms around her the best she can.

"It's okay." Donna softly says. "I know it was an accident."

"Oh Donna," Alcina cries. "what do I do? Gods if I were her I'd never speak to me again."

"This may sound silly, but, have you tried talking to her?" Donna asks.

Trying to gather herself once more, Alcina wipes her tears and lights another cigarette, taking a long drag from it. Her tone is stoic yet her voice shakes as she speaks.

"I brought dinner up to her chambers last night and she didn't even look at me. Her back was turned but I knew she was awake, I heard her heartbeat race as soon as I entered. I wanted to say something, to do something, but I didn't know what to say, I didn't know what to do. So I left, without saying a single word. Right before I shut the door I heard her sobs and it shattered my heart," She brings the cigarette to her lips and deeply inhales and releases the smoke from the corner of her mouth. "I just sat on the floor, in the middle of the corridor and cried."

"You should talk to her."

Alcina looks away as she blots away the tears once more, desperately trying to steady her trembling lip by bringing the cigarette to them.

"Sister, I mean this in the most loving way possible, but if you truly care for this girl, you will put your pride aside and apologize to her. Even if she doesn't forgive you, it's something you must do."

"I have been incredibly selfish." She says in defeat, taking another drag from the cigarette before crushing it into the ashtray.

"Yes, it certainly seems that way."

Alcina removes her hat and rakes her hands through her hair.

"What would say? 'I apologize for throwing you away like you meant nothing but really you mean everything to me please forgive me?' If someone said that to me after doing what I did to her I would laugh in their face."

"You and I both know you would do more than laugh in their face." Donna says, giving Alcina a knowing look. Alcina lets out a light chuckle. "Tell her why you did what you did, your reasonings behind them. Not to justify your actions, but so at least she understands why."

"What if she doesn't forgive me?" Alcina says quietly.

"Would you forgive you?" Donna asks.

"No, I don't think I could."

"Do you love her?"

"Yes." Alcina whispers as tears roll down her cheeks.

"Then you must try to speak with her, you won't know what will happen for sure until you do."

Alcina shakes her head.

"What am I going to do if Mother decides to use her to punish me? If she tries to hurt her, just to teach me a lesson?"

"Then my dear sister, you have a difficult choice to make. You either protect the one you love and stand up against Mother, or, you be the obedient daughter and let Mother do as she pleases. There will come a time where you will not be able to do both."

Looking into her sisters eyes, Alcina smiles.

"Thank you, Donna."

"Of course Alcina, you can always speak to me, about anything."

Alcina smiles and grabs her sisters hand, gently squeezing it.

"Come, lets take a stroll through the gardens, they're especially lovely this time of year." Donna says, standing up.

Daniela and Cassandra run to Bela's room and bang loudly on the door.

"WHAT?" Bela yells from the other side.

"Bela open up!! It's important!" Cassandra says.

Bela opens her door to see her sisters standing in front of her.

"What? What happened?" She asks, worried.

The two girls push their way into Bela's room and close the door.

"Hey! Get out!" Bela says, trying to push the girls back.

"We figured out why mom has been so weird and why y/n hasn't left her room!" Cassandra says.

"Wait, really?" Bela asks, surprised. "Wait a minute, how? Do I even want to know?"

"A little fly told us." Daniela says, giggling at Cassandra.

"Did you spy on them?!" Bela says.

"No, well, not on mom, gods no. She would know immediately, and she would kill us. But a little fly may have overheard y/n talking to Zina." Daniela says.

Bela crosses her arms, disapproving of her sisters antics.

"Well do you want to know or not?!" Cassandra says, annoyed.

"It's some real juicy stuff!" Daniela says.

Bela rolls her eyes.

"Well, I guess what's done is done. What did they say?"

Daniela and Cassandra recall the conversation Daniela's fly overhead, how you thinking you were special to their mother was just you falling into her usual trap and how their mother said that she was in fact special. They talk about what happened with Mother Miranda after they left their mother's chambers and how their mother completely ignored your existence. They also tell Bela that the night she didn't walk you to your room was when you saw another maiden leave their mother's chambers and that's why you've been locked in your room for the last week.

"Wait, so, mother-"

"She cheated on y/n and broke her heart!" Daniela exclaims.

Cassandra elbows her hard in the side

"Ow!"

"Shut your trap Dani, we can't let anyone hear us!"

"Mother has to feel guilty, I mean, how could she hurt y/n and be okay with it?" Bela says with disbelief on her face.

"Because mom can be a huge bitch." Cassandra says, folding her arms.

"Cassandra!" Bela scolds her. "Don't talk about our mother like that!"

Daniela turns to Bela.

"Bela, she hurt y/n, she loved mom and mom went and cheated on her."

"There has to be an explanation for this, I need to hear mother's side! It's unfair to judge based off of only one side!" Bela says, defending her mother.

"Bela you're such a suck up." Cassandra snaps.

"I am not! Plus Cass you're the one who said they weren't 'really together anyway' a few days ago! What happened to that?!"

"That was before I knew they were in love you idiot!"

"I still want to hear mother's side of the story."

"Mother would never talk to us about that, she's far too private." Cassandra says.

"Then what are we going to do?" Daniela asks.

"We have to get them in the same room somehow." Bela says, deep in thought.

"Oh! That's a good idea!"

"What good would that do? They're just gonna fight, or say nothing to each other." Cassandra says.

"They've avoided each other for so long, they need to talk." Bela says.

"Oh! Why don't we trick them into going into the same room?" Daniela suggests.

"That's actually not a bad idea." Cassandra says.

"How are we gonna do that though?" Daniela asks.

"I think I have an idea!" Bela says.

As you're walking back to your room from the kitchen with Zina, a lunch tray in your hands, you spot Daniela down the hall.

"You're alive!!!" She yells as she runs up to you and wraps her arms around you.

"Yes, I am very much alive." You say, trying to hug her back and balance the tray. "I'm sorry for how awful I was to you kiddo, you didn't deserve it."

"It's okay, I would have acted the same way if that happened to me too." She says, her eyes going wide as you look at her confused. "I mean, you know, if I really wanted to be left alone like you did."

Her choice of words confuses you a little but you don't think too much into as Zina gives Daniela a knowing look.

"Well, anyway, I gotta run." She says, avoiding Zina's look. "But y/n, I have a surprise for you later, now that you've finally come out of your room!"

"Okay," you say with a laugh. "Come get me when you need me."

Daniela swarms off and Zina shakes her head.

"Those girls are always up to something."

"They certainly are."

The girls are gathered in the library going over their plan when they hear the doors open, the familiar sound of their mothers footsteps echoing through the castle.

"Mom's home!" Bela says.

"Okay, Dani, go take care of y/n, we'll take care of mom."

The girls go their separate ways, Daniela making her way upstairs through the back halls and Bela and Cassandra going to greet their mother in the foyer.

"Mom!" Bela says.

"Good afternoon girls," Alcina says, immediately realizing Daniela is missing. "Where is Daniela?"

"Probably doing something stupid." Cassandra says.

Alcina laughs and pulls the girls into a hug.

You're about to leave your room and you hear a knock on the door, you see Daniela standing there when you open it.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Surprise time!"

"Can we do it in a few minutes, I was just about to-"

"NO!" Daniela says, trying to collect herself. "Nope, sorry, can't do, we gotta do it now."

"Okay..?" You say, having no idea what she's about to do.

Daniela pulls out a blindfold.

"Here! Put this on!"

"Do I really need a-"

"Yes! Yes you do! Now come on!" She says, pulling it over your eyes.

"Alright, alright. Now what?" You say as you position it over your eyes.

"Can you see anything?" Daniela asks, waving her hand in front of your face.

"Nope, just black."

"Good."

Daniela grabs you by the arm and pushes you to sit on your bed.

"Okay, now wait here for a minute."

"Okay-"

"And no talking!" She says.

You chuckle and Daniela shushes you.

Downstairs, Bela and Cassandra look up at their mother after she lets go of them. Alcina notices a mischievous look on their faces and raises an eyebrow at them.

"What are you girls up to?"

"We have a surprise for you!" Bela says.

"Oh, you do?" Alcina says as she gives them a look.

"Yup, you gotta put this on though." Cassandra says, pulling out a blindfold big enough for Alcina.

"Girls, is this really necessary?"

"Yes!" Cassandra says.

"Please mom?" Bela says, looking up at her mother.

Rolling her eyes, Alcina hands her hat to Bela and takes the blindfold and ties it around her head. She motions for her hat and places is back on her head.

"Now what?" She asks.

The girls each grab one of her hands and begin to lead her up the stairs.

"We're going upstairs?" Alcina says.

"Yes!"

"We'll tell you when to duck!" Cassandra says.

"Thanks." Alcina says, unamused but with a smirk on her face.

"And no more talking!" Cassandra says, Alcina grumbling in response.

Since Alcina knows the castle like the back of her hand, the girls walk their mother around for a minute before finally reaching your chambers; hoping she doesn't know where they're taking her.

The three of them stand outside the open door and Daniela gives them a thumbs up, Bela puts her mothers hand on the doorframe so she knows to duck and gently pushes her into the room.

You hear footsteps approach as you sit blindfolded on the bed, your room is suddenly filled with the scent of Alcina's perfume and you stiffen, your muscles in your body tensing.

Alcina ducks into the room and takes a few steps, Daniela sneaks around her and stands with her sisters outside of the door. She recognizes the familiar drum of your heartbeat and her posture stiffens, slowly turning towards the sound. The girls nod to each other and Daniela grabs the door handle.

"Okay, take them off!" Cassandra says as they quickly close the door and run away.

The two of you slowly remove the blindfolds, your eyes meet for the first time as they adjust to the light. You look into her eyes, desperately wanting to move your gaze, but you can't, your eyes are stuck staring into hers like magnets.

Alcina is the first to break eye contact when she closes her eyes and gently shakes her head. Her eyes meet yours once more, you try to gauge her inscrutable look but you're met with a stone wall. You feel your heart leap into your throat while you simultaneously feel a lump forming over your vocal chords. Alcina opens her mouth to speak but quickly closes her mouth and looks away. You try and speak but no words leave your lips. She takes one final look at you and turns to leave.

Watching her walk towards the door you feel your heart shatter again, but you also feel anger, frustration. As she reaches for the doorknob you break through the lump restraining your vocal chords and speak.

"So that's it? You're not going to even say anything to me?" Your voice cracks.

"Would it make a difference?" She says, her voice is cold but you notice a slight shake to it.

Looking down at your hands in your lap you quietly say "I don't know."

After a second you look up and see her standing in place, her hand resting on the doorknob. Your eyes focus on her hand, anticipating her wrist to turn and for her to open the door to leave.

An internal war rages on inside Alcina; she can almost taste the release of walking out of the room, but her heart is screaming at her to stay. Donna's voice pops into her head.

"if you truly care for this girl, you will put your pride aside and apologize to her."

With a shaking breath, she drops her hand from the doorknob and hangs her head.

[hollandorks]

haven

battinson! bruce wayne x f! reader

interlude three

Summary: After the sudden deaths of her mother and grandmother, y/n is forced to return home to Gotham…and to the man who broke her heart three years ago. Back in Bruce Wayne’s inescapable orbit, she vows to get to the bottom of her former best friend’s new cold personality. But Bruce’s secrets aren’t what she’s expecting.

a/n: I'm alive!!! I don't want to talk about how long it's been since the last chapter because it's a little bit embarrassing. Anyways, I'm back! Hopefully! So here's a brief little Bruce POV to hold you over until the next real chapter, which should hopefully only be a week or two maybe? (Also, I apologize in advance....)

Series Masterlist

word count: 1.2k

Despite everyone who was trying hard to keep her alive, y/n felt utterly alone. 

Bruce's POV

“Bruce, my dear boy, I don’t tell you often enough, but you are…so stubbornly stupid it makes me feel twice my age.” 

Bruce startled and whirled around to face Alfred. The older man was leaning casually along the work station where Bruce’s video equipment was, his cane next to him, legs crossed at the ankles. 

Bruce opened his mouth and then closed it again. 

It was noon now, and he still hadn’t been to bed. He’d been out late staking out Maverick’s again, hoping to catch a lead on Frank Gallo or anyone that could lead him to the man, when Alfred’s call had come. Security breach. Elevator. The panic had almost killed him. Alfred’s next call came in when Bruce was almost home, telling him that everyone was safe. So he had changed direction and left to clean himself up to make an appearance as Bruce instead. 

And still the fear lingered. Someone had been in his home, feet away from y/n, and he had yet to find any proof of how they had done it. 

He wouldn’t–couldn’t–sleep until he was certain she was safe. 

“What did I do this time?” Bruce finally asked. He turned back to the security footage he was pouring over. It terrified him that they could have been so close to y/n. That he could have been too late. That he could have–

He shut the thought down as quickly as it came. No use dwelling on it now. 

“What haven’t you done? You imploded the most important relationship you have–repeatedly, if we’re being honest. You keep secrets from her but toe the line so recklessly it’s going to blow up in your face. You let your emotions get the best of you. And that’s just lately. Shall I go on?” Alfred recrossed his ankles in the other direction. 

Bruce grit his teeth but said nothing. He restarted the security footage from the beginning and paused it frame by frame. A loud clack echoed around the abandoned station each time he smashed the button to go to the next frame. 

“Let’s change tactics then. How long are you going to let her live in fear before you tell her that the Batman is watching over her from inside her home?” 

Bruce’s jaw ached with the force of his clenched teeth. Still, he said nothing. First y/n had yelled at him, now Alfred. He knew his behavior was…abysmal to say the least. But he had more important things to focus on than everyone’s emotions, his own included. 

He had to find Frank Gallo, and take down the rest of the family, once and for all. When that was done, when y/n was safe, he would think about all the ways he had ruined his relationship with her. 

“Are you listening to me, Bruce?” 

“I am trying,” Bruce said with a smack of his fist against the table, “to figure out who the fuck broke into my home and threatened y/n!” His voice echoed loudly around him, setting the bats to fluttering and chittering above them. He restarted the footage once again. 

Alfred made a noise in his throat. “She hasn’t slept at all.” 

Something oily slid down Bruce’s spine. “Neither have I.” It was a deflection and they both knew it. It killed Bruce to know y/n was so scared. But there wasn’t anything he could do about it–other than find those responsible and make them pay. She wouldn’t want his comfort, wouldn’t want him to hover, so he was doing the next best thing and trying to end it. 

Alfred sighed. “All I’m saying is–” 

“I know what you’re saying.” 

“Then why do I have to keep saying it?” 

Bruce went back to ignoring the older man. Let Alfred think what he wanted. Bruce had work to do. Nothing would get better until Frank Gallo and the rest of his family and cronies were gone for good. 

What gives you the right to act like this? she’d asked, all of her anger turned towards Bruce like a roaring inferno. What gave him the right? He had admitted it to her right before that–I give too much of a shit. 

She didn’t know he was still in love with her. That he always had been. 

He’d hurt her so badly she couldn’t see what was right in front of her face–who he was, how he felt, what it was doing to him. If she would just open her eyes, she would know. 

Instead, she had yelled at him. 

He deserved it. He knew he deserved it. But walking in and seeing her hold Officer Martinez’s hand…it made him crazy. He had acted like the worst type of bastard without even thinking. It was pure instinct, the urge to protect her even from a guy like Martinez rising so strongly within him that it was almost as if he had blacked out. Like someone else had taken over his body. 

She rarely ever got mad at him. It had only happened a few times throughout their many years together. It was a sight to behold, her rage, and he had been equal measures impressed and angry both. 

“I don’t have time for this,” Bruce said after long stretch of silence. His voice was raw with exhaustion and emotion. “Either help me figure this out or go back upstairs.” 

He felt rather than saw Alfred bristle. He waited to get berated yet again, but Alfred merely pulled up the footage on another screen and got to work. 

They spent a few minutes in silence, Bruce’s eyes burning from lack of sleep, his thoughts churning. She hasn’t slept. He ached to go upstairs, to tell y/n that she was safe with him, that he would never let anything happen to her. 

But it already had, and all of it had been his fault. 

He knew without a doubt, just as he had known three years ago, that she was safest far away from him. And look what had happened already–the more she’d become entangled with him, with the Batman, the worse things got. She had spent three years in Bludhaven, far away from him, perfectly safe. And the minute she had come home to Gotham, come home to him…it had all gone to shit. Really it had gone to shit before that–when her grandmother had left the tower for the last time. 

Bruce liked to think that was his fault, too, not that he’d ever it admit it out loud. 

“I’m not trying to make you feel guilty,” Alfred said into the silence. His voice was gentle, almost placating. 

“Mm.” It wasn’t working, then, Bruce thought. He already felt guilty enough. 

“I hate seeing you like this. Both of you.” Alfred sighed again. “I just think that talking about it–all of it–would help you both. It might ease the strain of…everything else going on.”

Bruce couldn’t see how it could help, only how it would make things worse. But he didn’t say that to Alfred, merely nodded and kept working. 

Two nights later, all Bruce could think about was that Alfred had been right. 

He should have told y/n the truth while he had the chance.

Next Chapter

taglist:

@ktficworld @grunge-n-roses5 @anon-cat-posts @projectdreamwalker @warsaur @lachillona02 @crazyunsexycool @doetic @alexiris @that-girl-named-alex @harry-bowie-mercury @vaniasagitaa @widows-writings @missing-loki @exactlyelegantwizard @miriamnox @mavenmoon @eclipsedplanet @spencerrxids @giulia2372 @katara-is-a-goddess-changemymind @janezat @incorrectmarvelquotesss @spiritdetectivel @i-have-no-life-charlie @ilovemybabes @curseyouperrytheplatypus @lightsinmycity @yondiii @spideybv28 @fictionalmansl4t

[blessedwithabadomen]

in love with the mess - day eight

summary : Aubrey is going on tour and, for once, she's decided to focus on having as much fun as possible. Oli can be a little shit but he does nothing short of adore Audrey and... well, maybe Noah a little, too. Noah likes the flirting, as long as no one gets too close, emotionally. But what will happen when the three of them take it too far?

content : smut (oral m & f receiving), angst, drinking, little bit of fluff

length : 5.6k

tags (let me know if you want to be tagged!) : @veronicaphoenix @cookiesupplier @lma1986 @jilliemiw86 @bngurngheart @lacktoesandtoddlerants @narcissisticbehavior81 @flowery-mess @shilohrosechicken @justeli6 @starvingarsyn @floatinglikeaswan @somebodyels3 @kageyasma @spikeisdaddy

a/n : It's @spikeisdaddy's birthday today! Hope you enjoy the chapter 😉

•••

day eight

We spent the night away from each other and even though we’d all just agreed to only focus on having some fun, it felt like the loneliest night yet. I found myself tossing and turning and reaching out for people who weren’t there. It seemed stupid, really. We’d only done the whole sleepover endeavour once, yet I missed it as if it was the norm. I was tired and restless when my alarm went off. At least today involved no travelling. As much as I enjoyed getting around, I needed a restful day.

If the universe decided to be gentle with me and allow me one.

I was in the middle of trying to decide whether I should call Lia or finally get back at my roommate and whatever bad news I assumed she had to tell me, when my phone displayed a new, private message from Noah.

Noah How did you realise you enjoyed giving blowjobs

I was still in shock at the words I was reading when another text came in.

Noah Okay maybe it was rude to assume you enjoyed giving blowjobs, dismiss that part Aubrey Noah, my love, I’m going to need a lot more context for this question Noah Absolutely not Aubrey Give me your room number, I’m coming over Noah Folio’s here Aubrey FINE come to mine then No more excuses

Noah, luckily, obliged. I didn’t have to kick Oli’s arse into gear for another two hours, really, so there was more than enough time to deal with whatever Noah needed to discuss. Not that I didn’t have an idea what was on his mind. But I wouldn’t let him off the hook so easily. He’d have to say it out loud to get any help from me.

When I opened the door to Noah, he was blushing deeper than I’d ever seen him and I couldn’t help pulling him down for a quick kiss just for the sheer adorableness. Then I pushed him into the room, walking him backwards until he sat down on the edge of my bed and mustered him from above.

“So?” I asked, eyebrows raised. “What possessed you to get up this morning and type that exact message into our chat?”

“Nothing, it was just a question!” Noah exclaimed as if I would believe it.

“Sure. You just happen to wonder, out of nowhere, about giving blowjobs.”

“What if I am?”

“You’re not though.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I do.”

He tried to look stern, but the lingering red colour on his cheeks didn’t do him any favours. We were at a stalemate, staring at each other, trying to force the other to budge through the sheer pressure of silence. But he had no idea how stubborn I could be.

He broke sooner than anticipated.

“Fine, Folio made a stupid comment about when I was going to suck Oli’s dick and then it wouldn’t leave my head.”

“Because you’re interested in it?” I asked, carefully, stroking his head as I stepped a little closer. He immediately spread his thighs so I could move between them, looking up at me with wide eyes.

“I don’t know,” he answered, honestly. I could see the torment in his eyes, the question of whether he dared to go further, of what he wanted, of what Oli would let him do.

“Well, I guess you won’t know unless you try. But…” I sank down on my knees in front of him. “I could always show you how it’s done, if you're nervous about that.”

Noah’s laboured breathing was answer enough and when my hands reached for his belt, he leaned back instinctively, giving me more space to work with. I made quick work of undoing his belt, opening the button and fly of his trousers. He willingly lifted his hips so I could push the fabric down, immediately removing his boxers along with it.

Noah was hard. My mouth salivated just from looking at it.

“Thinking about doing this to Oli got you all excited, hm? He’s gorgeous, you know. I got to see it once, up close, just as hard as you are now.” My hand softly grabbed onto his dick, giving him a few teasing strokes. He sighed in relief. “He came all over my chest. But you? You get to come in my mouth. If you want to.”

I fluttered my eyes at him. Noah couldn’t nod fast enough, holding eye contact with me as I lowered my head and gave him a long lick, tasting all of him from his base to his tip.

“You want to start slow, you know?” I mused, before repeating my action. “Tease him a little. Get him all hot and bothered.” My hand was moving when my tongue wasn’t on him. “See what he’s into.”

I let my tongue twirl around his head a little and then, almost unexpectedly, engulfed it in my mouth. Noah groaned beautifully, a hand now holding the back of my head, I wasn’t even sure if he was aware of it. I tasted the precum already dripping, savouring the slightly bitter taste just because it was him before moving away again.

“Putting your mouth on him is when it gets really good. Don’t aim for too much if you’re not used to it.” I took him a bit farther into my mouth, just for a moment, then I withdrew. “Try to figure out what he's into. I think Oli can be pretty loud so that wouldn’t be a problem.” I grinned up at him, but he didn’t manage to look back at me for long.

As soon as my mouth was on him again, he threw his head back, eyes closed in pleasure. It was straining to look up at him from my position but I couldn’t help trying to see every now and then, trying desperately to commit the image to mind.

Noah was turning into a moaning, trembling mess, quickly. I was rhythmically moving my mouth over his dick now, taking him as far as I comfortably could, my hand covering the rest of his length. He was heavy on my tongue, slightly thick, perfect. His hand was fully grasping my hair now, bordering on painful, but I enjoyed it all the same. I knew he was going to come soon.

Going a little faster still, working my mouth and hand in tandem, it didn’t take much more for him to fall apart. His deep groan vibrated somewhere deep inside me as he came, keeping me in place as I swallowed it all, just as I had promised.

When I finally pulled off, Noah bonelessly fell backwards, breathing hard and I had to chuckle at how my efforts had worked out.

“So, what do you say?” I asked, even though I was unsure he was hearing me just yet. “Want to give it a try? I could shoot Oli a text right now.”

I didn’t expect him to agree.

“Text him,” he murmured. “But stay.”

I wasn’t one to refuse. My underwear was already uncomfortably wet. Now I was getting to see Noah give Oli his first ever blowjob? It was going to be the most delicious torture.

Still, I crawled up onto the bed quickly, taking Noah’s face between my hands and making him look at me. His eyes were glazed, but his mind seemed clear.

“Sure?”

He pulled me down for a kiss, not caring where I’d literally just had my mouth.

“So sure.”

Aubrey Come over. Noah wants to blow you.

Noah had barely come back to life and managed to get properly dressed again when a knock sounded through the room. Of course, Oli would waste no time at all after getting that message. I opened the door to a very flustered and out-of-breath singer, even though the way from his room to mind hadn’t even been remotely long enough to get so worked up. Apparently the idea was more than appealing to him.

“Is this for real?” he asked the second he entered the room, moving past me just to check if Noah was really there. “Because if not I got a boner for nothing.”

I didn’t know what, exactly, I had been expecting. But it surely wasn’t Noah all but flying off the bed, pressing Oli against the wall and falling to his knees.

“Someone's eager,” Oli chuckled, lifting Noah's head with two fingers under his chin to force him to look at him. “Let's see what you got then.”

I found my place on the singular armchair in the room, right next to them, seating myself on the arm rest to assure I would have the best view of it all. Noah deftly pulled down Oli's sweatpants, revealing both the fact that he wasn't wearing any underwear and that he was growing considerably harder with every passing second. For a moment, Noah hesitated, hands resting on Oli's tattooed thighs, before looking up at me. I gave him a quick nod. It was all the reassurance he needed.

If Noah had indeed not touched a single dick that wasn't his own, he did a mighty fine job of hiding it. I watched in awe as he teased Oli with his hands, then his tongue, quickly reducing the other to a man made of nothing but groans and desire. The heat between my legs was becoming almost unbearable at the sight in front of me, two absolutely gorgeous men completely lost in their lust, but touching myself wasn't an option. I couldn't risk missing a single moment of what was happening.

“Fuck, Noah,” Oli moaned. “Don't…” How voice wavered a little as Noah wrapped his lips around his cock. “Don't take me too deep, you gotta sing tonight.”

With a hand in Noah's hair, Oli tried desperately to control the other man's sloppy but eager actions. Noah's nails were clawing into Oli's thighs, desperate for something to hold onto. My hands balled into fists at my sides, my thighs clenched. I hadn't entertained the idea that watching a man I was attracted to give a blowjob to another, equally attractive man could be a major turn on, but my bodily reactions were impossible to ignore.

Abruptly, Noah took Oli deeper, much deeper, leaving him to fall apart in an instant. Under chants filled with more profanity than I had ever heard, Oli came in Noah's mouth, back arching away from the wall, eyes squeezed shut. As soon as the feeling started to subside, Oli let go of Noah's hair and sunk down into his knees in front of him.

“Fucking hell, I told you not to do that.” His voice was harsh as he scolded Noah, but his fingers were soft as he wiped Noah's mouth clean. “You better rest your voice for the rest of the day.” Oli's eyes flickered up to me. “But I think there's some more work for your mouth to do.”

Suddenly, both pairs of eyes were on me. Oli’s face showed a grin, while there was nothing but hunger to be found in Noah’s glance. If it hadn’t been so fucking hot, it almost would have been intimidating.

In a few short steps, Noah was stood in front of me, heavily grasping my wrists to study the way I was still forming fists with my hands.

“On the bed. Now.”

“Voice rest, Noah!” Oli called from where he still sat on the floor. I studied him for a moment, looking utterly fucked out, eyes still half-lidded, pants still shoved down, not even bothering to tuck his dick back in. It shouldn’t have looked so tempting, really. Then I remembered Noah’s stern voice and when I looked up at him, I knew I better do as told.

He let go of me as I stood up, letting me crawl onto the bed until I was laying on my back in the middle of it, knees propped up and slightly spread to let my skirt fall open just that little bit. It wasn’t even close to being enough for Noah. With a predatory groan he came to kneel in between my legs, roughly pushing the fabric upwards and my thighs further apart and -

“Fuck,” he mumbled, hands tightly holding onto my legs, but his eyes were fully fixated on my left thigh.

I knew he had seen a hint of the tattoo before, as had Oli, but none of them had had the chance to admire it from the position it was meant to be looked at. The snake curled around my upper thigh, its tail end right in front in the middle, going around it once and then ending on my inner thigh, the snake’s tongue out, just mere moments away from my panties, as if ready to pounce any minute. Noah traced it, all the way, fingertips leaving goosebumps in their wake. I gasped when they reached the sensitive skin on the inside of my thigh, so close to where I wanted him. But before I could even think about begging, pleading, crying for more, his mouth descended on my flesh, leaving a bite on the head of the snake that bordered on pain. I moaned all the same, the pure satisfaction of the sensation overpowering any possible negative feelings.

“You’re fucking naughty, you know that?”

I wasn’t sure if I had ever heard Noah talk like that but combined with his low voice it left me trembling. His fingers were now at the edges of my underwear between my legs and then, without any warning, brushed my clothed centre.

“And so wet. Did you get off on blowing me or watching me suck Oli off? Probably both. Probably doesn’t take much to get you in this state.”

It didn’t. Not when it came to those two. Every look, every touch, every kiss constantly threatened to soak my panties. In fact, it routinely did. I was twitching under him now, unable to keep my reactions under control at the proximity of his face to my pussy. He finally took pity on me, roughly wrecking the panties from my legs, pulling them down and throwing them some place I couldn’t see, before grabbing and spreading my thighs again. I didn’t have it in me to feel self-conscious at the way he mustered me, committing my naked form to memory, I just needed his hands or his mouth or anything.

“Stop moving,” he grumbled before finally putting his mouth on me and I couldn't hold back a shout, the nerve endings firing through my whole body, and raising my hips up to meet him. “I said. Don't. Move.”

Suddenly, an arm was draped over me. Opening my eyes, unaware they had shut in pleasure, I saw Oli, kneeling on the bed next to me with a smirk and holding me down. “Better listen to the man. You want to be a good girl for Noah, don't you?”

I simply moaned in return, letting Oli hold me down as Noah’s tongue licked my wetness, teased my clit, somehow feeling like he was everywhere at once. I was already so impossible turned on that any playing he did with me was solely for his own pleasure - I was moments away from falling apart. Especially when he decided I was more than ready for two of his fingers inside of me, lean and long and hitting my spot so perfectly. I mewled and trashed against it all, only kept down by Oli’s strong grip.

“Such a whore for a little action, aren’t you? You’d be begging and pleading if your brain was working enough to let you speak.” Oli’ voice was so low, drenched in his accent as if it was coming out thicker than ever when he was turned on. His free hand travelled to my neck, testing my reaction if he squeezed its side a little and all I could do was arch further into it, taking it all, whatever either of them would be willing to give me.

Noah’s fingers were moving faster, the noises seemingly echoing through the room from how drenched I was and then, finally, finally, he started flicking my clit with his tongue in exactly the way I needed, hard and fast.

“You couldn’t be loud on the bus,” Oli said, “but you better be as loud as you can now.”

Staying quiet wasn’t even an option. Not when my orgasm washed over me, still rising and rising with Noah’s face between my legs, my hips buckling so violently even Oli couldn’t hold them down completely. I came with a scream, all tension releasing into the feelings of overpowering lust paired with utter trust as I was surrounded by the two men I couldn’t stop thinking about.

Comin down happened gradually, my mind a haze. I whined when Noah removed his fingers but couldn’t help but moan when I saw my wetness clinging to his face, cheeks flushed red but looking so content. Oli was softly petting my hair, all dominating features about him vanishing as checked up on my, making sure I was okay.

When Noah crawled up onto the bed with us, curling up next to me, effectively caging me in between them once again, I knew I was more than okay. I couldn’t even dream of being anything else.

•••

Noah ended up pretending he had woken up with a sore throat which caused everyone to accept his choice to be on vocal rest immediately as long as it meant he could do the set tonight. Oli and I had trouble keeping our giggles to ourselves every time someone around us mentioned it though. Only after giving Noah another stern talking to about being more careful when sucking someone off next time he was on tour. He hadn’t fought back, but the rolling of his eyes had said it all.

By early afternoon, Bring Me The Horizon had completed their soundcheck and left for food somewhere else, citing to be sick of catering at venues. I declined the invitation to come along and instead grabbed a plate of whatever the location had deemed “Mexican food” and retired to Oli’s dressing room. As nice as the peace and quiet was, I was aware I didn’t have all that much time to relax. And I desperately needed to call my roommate. I’d left her waiting for long enough.

“Would you mind moving out for next month?”

The question hit me like a ton of bricks. And not just because it was the first thing she said to me instead of greeting me like, you know, a normal person.

“I’m sorry?”

I tried recalling the current date but came up short. End of January though, surely. She couldn't seriously expect me to find somewhere new in a matter of days, right?

Right?

“My boyfriend got kicked out of his place so he’s moving in here.”

“I… I have nowhere to go,” I stammered.

“Okay.”

Well, she surely wasn’t going to be any help.

“What if I say no?” I asked. Maybe I would manage to find something for March. Mid-February if I got really lucky.

“Well, l already talked to our landlord and I’m the main renter on the contract so I was able to change your name to his.”

“So you already kicked me out, basically? What the fuck?” I didn’t even bother to keep my voice down. Asking me to move out was one thing, admitting that the decision had already been made without informing me at all was very much another.

“Yeah, sorry,” she replied without much remorse at all. “You can pick up your stuff before the first right?”

I hung up. I knew that if I attempted to say anything else, I’d turn mean and cruel and as much as I felt like she deserved it in that moment, that simply wasn’t who I wanted to be.

Sitting in the dressing room, silence engulfing me, it was like my body couldn’t decide whether it wanted to let me get into a rage or break out into tears. Either way, I was restless, panicky, unable to process what I’d just been told. I stood up so abruptly, the forgotten about plate on my lap clattered to the floor loudly. At least I’d already finished my meal - I doubt I could stomach any food right now.

I needed something to do, though. The band was still gone but the time suggested that Bad Omens would start soundchecking right about now, so I ventured into the main room of the arena. Anything not to be alone. Noah stood at the sound desk, chatting with Becky, the rest of the band already on stage and fine-tuning their instruments. I joined the two of them, ready to scold Noah for talking, but he turned to me and, in the quietest voice imaginable, told me he was only whispering. Promise.

“Don’t overdo yourself at soundcheck,” I warned him still. “Oli’s going to kill you if you can’t sing.”

He simply shook his head with a smile and brushed his hand against mine as he made his way to the stage.

“Anything I can do?” I asked Becky. “Oli’s gone, so…”

“Actually, yes!” she beamed. “One of our techs is running late after visiting family yesterday so if you’d like to be the hands to my brain and don’t mind me ordering you around a little bit, you’re more than welcome to help out.”

“Believe me, you can’t be worse than Oli,” I laughed. The heaviness of my phone call was still weighing me down, but Becky’s sunny being made me feel lighter immediately. It was far from the worst way to spend my time.

***

Noah made it through his set and with the help of a lot of shutting up and taking care of his throat, I was sure the absolute majority of people never even noticed his struggles. It was still decided he’d sit out on Antivist once more, so while Bad Omen’s packed up and left, I did my best to keep busy. I was basically begging people for jobs, double-checking if Becky really didn’t need anything more from me (I was torn between believing she could handle it and wondering if I’d maybe done so badly she simply didn’t trust me around her equipment anymore), even Oli was annoyed when he couldn’t find anything else for me to do. My frantic attempts not to let a single thought occur were intermittently interrupted by Noah texting me.

Noah You’re a right worker’s bee tonight, aren’t you? Aubrey Cutest bee you’ll ever see

I cringed the very second I sent the message. Why would I even text something like that? My mind was clearly driving me insane. I was still trying to figure out if there was a way to delete my message and pretend he’d never seen it when his reply came in.

Noah You’re the bee’s knees I don’t actually know what that saying means Do bees have knees? Aubrey You’d think I’d know all about the birds and the bees but unfortunately not in the literary way

I put my phone away as Bring Me The Horizon were about to take the stage, lending my hands to a few of the workers in the most menial ways to make sure the show would be perfect. It mostly involved me holding things or carrying them from one place to another. It sort of felt like they were humouring me, but I appreciated it nonetheless.

About half an hour later, they saw me off, thanking me for my work and telling me to enjoy the rest of my night off. It wasn’t really what I wanted, but there was nothing to do. So I set out to find a vacated seat somewhere high up in the arena where I wouldn’t bother anyone and pulled my phone back out. It seemed Noah had been providing me with a string of consciousness. I scrolled through his messages with a smile until I reached the end.

Noah Wish you were here with me

What followed was a picture of his face, half of it under the water of the bathtub he had apparently gotten into, wet hair proving he’d already dunked his head all the way before, big, brown eyes staring back at me. The soft, relaxed expression on his face made me want to throw my phone away and run to him.

Aubrey I’m surprised you’re fitting into the bathtub Did you even get your feet in? Noah Very spacious bathtub

Another photo, now facing away from him, most of his body hidden under a thin layer of bubbles, showed that he did, indeed, fit quite well.

Noah Definitely place for you here too Aubrey I feel like that heavily depends on what you aim to do with me in there

I knew what I expected. Flirts. Inappropriate comments that I would give back twice fold. Dirty thoughts, dirty words. Possibly a picture or two than promised more. But none of that appeared.

Noah Make you sit between my legs so I can embrace you A little massage for those hard working muscles Definitely enough space to wash your hair Hold you close until the water turns cold Wrap you up in one of those fluffy towels Fall asleep with you

It didn’t matter that I was sitting in a massive, 11,000-capacity arena. It didn’t matter that Shadow Moses was currently making the whole place shake. That I was surrounded by people focused on nothing but shouting out the lyrics so loud they would drown Oli out. All I knew was that I was staring at Noah’s words and I couldn’t breathe.

Was this the same man that suggested all of us only being in this for a bit of fun? Who didn’t want anyone to get too close to him? Who was so convinced of his own shortcomings that he wouldn’t even dare try? It didn't make sense.

I pulled up the last photo again, just for something to do, for something to look at, while I tried to make my mind up about what to do. About whether I should let myself fall and allow this… sweetness that didn’t have anything to do with hooking up in my life. Or if I should push back, call him out on it, stay strong, keep our resolution.

I found myself zooming in on the picture. A bottle of wine. Empty. Another one reflecting in the mirror, half full.

Aubrey Are you drunk? Noah Would you mind?

There was an anger rising up in me, a bitter taste that suddenly has a clear origin. So it wasn’t real. The clarification that sounded through his text hit me in the face with force. It wasn’t him changing his mind, it wasn’t him opening up and actually wanting more. It was simply him being wine-drunk, needy and alone. I didn’t care how soft his words were. Not when I was sure he wouldn’t have typed them quite the same sober.

Noah I miss you, angel Already Come over when the show is done

I stared at the words. My heart wanted to jump at the chance, tell him yes, yes I’ll come to you, take whatever he would give me, indulge in the brief idea of this being more, him being serious, him wanting me for real. But I couldn’t. I simply couldn’t. I’d fucked up before, back in Manchester, in a different way. I wouldn’t let us go down that path again. I couldn’t let him change his mind on a whim, again, and again, and allow myself to believe.

Aubrey I’ll see you tomorrow

•••

The tears started pooling in the corners of my eyes before I’d even properly shut the door to my room behind me. Everything I’d been trying to push away caught up with me all at once. Noah being unpredictable in his actions and his words. My roommate all but kicking me out. No job lined up once this tour ended.

I dragged myself under the shower, trying to wash away the bad feeling, thinking I could hide my tears if only I stayed under the stream of water for long enough, but my hair had been washed and conditioned, my body shaved and scrubbed and taken care of and I still couldn’t stop crying. It felt pathetic and weak. I should be able to handle this better. I’d always been able to handle myself.

But it was all too much, this time around. I’d never had to deal with the loss of a place to stay, no job prospects and the reality that I was catching feelings for people who didn’t reciprocate them all at the same time.

That was a lie. I wasn’t catching feelings. I was deep, deep into them already. There was no way to deny it anymore, not even to myself. The way my belly fluttered when I saw Noah or Oli wasn’t pure sexual attraction. Wanting to hold their hands, fall asleep next to them, sharing everything I could with them wasn’t platonic. Needing to get my hands on them, have their hands on me, feel them all over and inside wasn’t a friendship.

A sob wrecked from my mouth as I desperately tried to go through the motions. Drying my hair. Putting on a shirt to sleep in. Brushing my teeth. Yet I couldn’t stop. Every time I thought I had a chance of calming down, another wave of despair came over me and held me under.

A knock on the door made me jump, then freeze in the middle of my motions. Surely no one would come around this late? Maybe someone had the wrong room. I’d simply ignore it.

Another knock. I put my hand over my mouth to keep the sobbing at bay, trying not to let the person know I was even there. Angrily, I wiped a tear away that had slipped between my fingers and tickled my lips.

“Aubrey.” Oli’s voice was unmistakable. “Aubrey, I know you’re there. I can hear you crying.”

Fuck. There was no way I’d be able to get rid of Oli, no matter how much I hated the idea of letting him in and letting him see me like this. But my feet carried me even before I’d actively made the decision and when I saw him standing in front of me, all soft and worried, remnants of make-up lingering on his face, I all but fell into his arms. I only realised that there was something in his hand when he struggled to hug me back.

“Alright, on the bed you go, I’ve got you a hot chocolate and there’s a few pieces of chocolates in the pocket of my hoodie unless you’ve just crushed them.”

And just like that, I broke out into tears once again.

Oli ushered me on the bed, making sure I was tucked in nicely as I sat against the headboard before sliding under the blanket himself, his warmth immediately transferring to me. He handed me the mug, which felt like pure love between my fingers, and then scattered a few individually wrapped chocolates in front of us. When I leaned into him, his arm wrapped around my shoulders as if it had always meant to.

“Talk to me, love,” Oli whispered into your hair and it was all it took for my worries to pour out of me. Well, most of them. The mess in my head about Noah and him stayed hidden, tucked away in the fathers corners of my brain.

Oli held me close, letting me talk and talk and drop tears on his hoodie until I’m all cried out.

“How long have you known?”

“About the roommate situation? This afternoon. The job thing… well, it’s been an ongoing problem.”

He squeezed my body against his and for a moment it felt like he squeezed at least some of the pain away. I didn’t tell him that, but I buried my face a little deeper into his neck.

“Have you talked to your parents? Moving back home and asking for help is probably the last thing you want to do, but, you know…”

The question is enough to let tears well up again. So much for being cried out.

“I…” I swallowed, trying to force the lump in my throat to disappear. “I don’t speak to them anymore.”

Oli pushed me away a little bit, just enough to see my face, but still holding onto me.

“What happened?”

Somehow, the fact that he sounded genuinely shocked made it worse.

“It turns out, dating a girl was enough for my father to assume the devil had gotten into me. And my mother just follows whatever he says. So now the only contact I have with them is my father sending my mails about how to return to the good side of life and renounce the evilness that is being queer and me deleting them unseen.”

“Fuck, Aubrey, why didn’t you tell me?”

Why didn’t I tell him? I wasn’t so sure anymore, now. I knew we had drifted apart a little over the past year, keeping in contact but never actually seeing each other. I should have trusted him more.

Oli’s hand was gentle on my face as he moved my head toward him and pressed a short kiss to my lips. “Fuck them. We’re in this together, yeah? We’ll figure it out. Promise.”

And somehow, I believed him.

[skylarmoon71]

Bumblebee (Transformers) - Chapter 1

Meeting Bumblebee and Sam was possibly the best thing to happen in your life. At heart you’d always been a nerd. In high school that really wasn’t a flex. You always sort of knew Sam. He was constantly running a little hussle on the side. 

It was adorable. 

But after the fight in the national city, things changed. Sam changed and then you met his cousin Bumblebee. You just assumed it was some kind of nickname. Your little crew had expanded. It was just you, Sam, Mickeala and Bee. You couldn’t have been happier. Especially since they were the only ones that seem to believe your theory of alien existence. 

Most people thought it was just a phase, but you were a scientist and you’d been studying the markings and messages since the battle that the government tried to cover up. 

They said it was an international attack and everyone just believed it. 

None of it made sense. 

You were determined to prove that with the help of your friends. 

“Bee! You won’t believe what I found!!” 

His blue eyes sparkled at your call, brown hair a bit tousled from whatever activity he’d been doing in the living room of the Witwicky household. You had pretty much become a member of the family. 

“Well Hello (Y/N) it’s always nice to see you. Can I get you anything?” Judy asked. You shook your head. 

“No thanks Mrs. Witwicky, I just had a scientific breakthrough. Come on Bee!!” 

You grabbed his hand, leading him to the backyard as you dropped your bag. With notebook in hand, you flipped the pages taking a seat as Bumblebee joined you. 

“What did you find?” He looked intrigued. The second his eyes landed on the symbols you drew, he swallowed. 

“I’ve been trying to decipher these for months and I think I finally cracked the code. “ 

There were a few scribbles, and next to the foreign writing was a few notes. “ 

“Bee these symbols have to be alien and I think I figured out what this one means. It says prime.” 

He was impressed that you were even able to translate the writing. 

“Of course there’s a lot more, it has to be, but I don’t have the entire message. So prime must mean something. In a lot of other languages it means savior or leader.” Your brows were furrowed as you reached for your computer from your bag, pulling up some sites to correlate. 

“Whatever it means, I'm getting close, I can feel it. I’m almost done with my radio system too. Plus John said that if I helped him with the last three cars that I could use the junkyard to hook up my portal. “ You did a little cheer. 

“It’s all starting to look up!!” 

You were overly excited, and Bee wanted to share your joy. But he couldn’t. Because all the answers you were looking for were right in front of you. It killed him not to tell you the truth, but Optimus was very clear about involving anyone else in this war. While they had an alliance with the navy, it was agreed that staying hidden, at least for the time being, was the best call. There were still Decepticons out there hunting them. Wanting to cause harm to the human race. They couldn’t allow that. 

“I’m protecting her.” 

That’s what he kept telling himself. 

Everyone around you knew the truth and Bee was worried that when you did find out, it wouldn’t be as exciting as you hoped. 

“Hey Bee, you okay?” 

You took notice of the sadden expression. He looked up, letting out a breath and he forced himself once again to lie to you for your safety. 

“I’m fine, I just did really bad on a test recently.”

“Why didn’t you say anything! It’s algebra isn’t it? I can help you. This alien stuff can wait. I have plenty of time to become a scientific genius. First I gotta make sure my best friend makes it through high school.” 

You placed all your items down with a grin, and the pit in his stomach just became worse. You literally just dropped everything to help him because you thought he was struggling. His spark felt a bit cold in his chest. 

“Come on, let’s go study.” You started shoving your items into your bag as you nudged his shoulder with a giggle. When you moved to the door, Sam came running out. 

“Bee Opti-Uh I mean your dad needs to talk to you pronto!!” 

Bumblebee’s eyes lifted, and you looked a bit worried. 

“Is your dad doing okay?” 

He almost forgot that even Optimus’s existence was another cover story. 

Bumblebee nods. 

“He’s doing better.” He assured you.

As far as you knew his father had an illness, hence his reason for living with Sam. You’d never even question why you were never able to meet him. One night you’d just sat down and told him that you understood what it was like losing a parent to an illness. You’d been raised by your grandparents. You barely remembered your parents because you’d lost them so early in life. Then shortly after you’d lost your grandfather. Now it was just you and your grandmother. 

His gut twisted, and he bid you goodbye, following Sam out the door. He hoped that this distraction would help his conscience. 

[vintagexherry]

Treasure for Three Days [5]

Pirate!Miguel x Princess!Reader

//Jealosy implied, Mentioned alcohol consumption, suggestive themes but nothing too serious

A/N: Today's chapter is short due to me being busy irl rn but we're getting closer to the end.

Previously

He doesn't even remember how he got into this position, he always leaves once his done emptying his pent up feelings to any woman he could find.

He sighs to himself.

What is he gonna do with you?

Day two [Stars shining, It's night time]

---

You hate yourself.

Guilt and shame runs through you.

"Aww, come on now, hermosa, wasn't even that bad." Miguel mockingly stated. As he watches you stare out the window while he layed down the bed, his face is resting on a closed fist.

And he's not helping.

You can't believe yourself, you just touched a pirate. Intimately even.

You hated the way your head was fogged up with lust. Can anyone really blame you? No man has even touched you like that.

Not like how he gripped your waist to kiss you.

Not like how he tasted you.

All of those were supposed to be saved for your future spouse.

While you're busy staring out the window, contemplating your life. Miguel was busy contemplating his.

He hid his nervous true self in a persona of confidence, and his not sure how long he can hold that out for. He curses his tipsy self for doing that, he curses himself for even enjoying that.

He almost forgot why you're even here. Right the necklace, treasure, and endless riches for him and the crew. Treasure... Yeah, that's what he wants.

He started to think maybe he could drink to clear his head, but he is sure as hell, the alcohol would do more than clear his head.

Whatever.

The second day is almost up, and by tomorrow afternoon, he can finally put you back in your little palace. At your little kingdom, with your little civilians. And he can get that rumoured precious necklace that's worth a thousand treasure chest.

He just has to wait.

"Do you have spare needle and thread?" His thoughts were cleared out by your voice.

Right, he forgot bout that.

"You shy?" He smirked while you covered your exposed cleavage with your arms.

"N-no, I'm trying to be modest. Unlike you."

He laughed at that sentence.

"Modest, huh? Whatever you did hours ago was far from modest bebita."

You turned your face away from him to hide the rising heat to your face.

"Well? Do you have or not?" You retorted.

"I thought princesses like you were taught etiquette and manners?" He smirked once more. He liked how you tried to hide your attitude but severely failing.

"I don't think, I own my etiquette and manners to a pirate."

"So... You don't want a needle and thread? Fine by me, At least I have something to look at instead of the ocean." He held himself back from laughing when your head snapped at his direction with a glare.

"If you can't spare me a single needle and thread, you might as well lend me your shirt."

His smirk dropped, the image of you in his belongings shouldn't affect you that much.

"No."

"No?"

"No.."

"So you'll provide me a needle and thread then?"

"....No"

"Oh, for Pete's sake!"

His smirk returned once again.

"Im sure you'll survive with a few tears in your dress. You're gonna go back to your papa's arms tomorrow anyway."

You paused, he is right, just a few more hours, and then you'll go back to your kingdom, safe and sound. That is if he keeps his promise.

"I take it that you still remember your promise? That you'll leave the kingdom in peace once you received your treasure?"

"Don't worry, you're pretty little head about it." You watch as he stood up from his bed and approached you. Somehow, you didn't paced back.

"I'm a man of my word," he said as he garnered your expression into his head, and after a second, he left, heading up to the deck. Leaving you standing there by the window.

---

[Hours passed, Eyes are asleep. Day two has come to a complete]

---

It was now morning, the birds can be heard again squaking, but you mostly hear Miguel letting out commands to the crew, just a few more hours and by afternoon you could be with your father again.

"Tighten the sails, wind is picking up."

"Get your asses up or no rum for everyone for a month!"

"With fair winds and following seas, we'll be getting our treasure, so I suggest you move."

You watch as by the helm as Miguel steers the wheel, and the crew listens to his every word.

Just a few more hours and you can finally be back to your home.

Back to your father, your people, your princess duties, and if things seem bright enough, maybe the annual ball can be held again to find you a suitable husband.

You think back the past two days, you think back to the stories of Miguel, his adventures, his discoveries. And you can't help but want to hear more. Is it even possible to ask him? Maybe it could be your last parting gift.

Minutes passed by, and the ship seemed stable enough to sail on it own for a while. Miguel signals the crew for a break.

"At this point, you might as well be a scholar for how much you think by yourself." Miguel mocked as he approached you at the edge of the deck.

You rolled your eyes at his comment.

Just a few more hours, and you'l be off this man's back.

"What? Not saying anything this time? That's new." He scoffed as he leaned his elbows at the edge of the ship while he glanced at you.

Miguel looked at you more and more.

"Heyyy, Earth to princesa?"

You held yourself back from popping a vein.

"What is it now Miguel?"

"Why the mute mouth huh?"

"Just...Excited"

"Excited, huh?" He raises his eyebrow at you then glanced back into the distance.

He should be excited too, shouldn't he? He should be jumping with joy, cheering he got the treasure, drinking with joy, and even singing sea shanties.

He should be excited, too.

So why isn't he?

He sighed through his nose and brushed it off, thinking maybe he needs a drink.

"Can you...." Your voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"...Tell me a story?" You sheepishly said as you avoided his gaze.

"Story huh? About what?"

"Anything really... Something to occupy me while we continue our destination."

Miguel blinked a few times, thinking of things he could say.

"Wanna hear how we escaped that cannibal island?"

You turned your head to him, and he smirked as your eyes shined with curiosity.

He can't lie.

He might miss this.

"Well, how do I start." He pretended to rub his chin in thought, watching you at the corner of his eye, as you eargerly wait for his story.

He chuckled.

Cute.

"For starters, you better have a strong stomach for this one."

You nodded eagerly, pushing him to continue.

"Onced we arrived at deck, my crew and I wanted to explore this 'new' island for while."

"Uh huh..."

"We got this thick forest, full of fruits and whatnot, but the next thing we knew is that -"

"Trapped!"

Miguel suddenly paused at the intrusion. He realized one of his crew continued his words for him....Uninvited.

He glared at the idiot but continued nonetheless. While you looked at him with astonishment

"Yes... We got trapped, one by one, each of us disappeared into the thick leaves an-"

"One of those traps were darts that can make you sleep!"

"And holes that are hidden using leaves!"

....

Idiots.

Didn't you ask him to tell the story?

He glanced at you, and he noticed you weren't even looking at him anymore, but to his crew who were all nothing but excited to tell you how their asses got captured one by one.

He couldn't even get a word out since every time he did, it got cut off by another person. He swears he can feel a vein waiting to pop.

Meanwhile, Miles and Hobie watch the scenario from the distance.

"..."

"..."

"A pack of gold coins, and I bet bruv in luv."

"Your joking" Miles faced him with disbelief om his face.

"Am not"

"You are"

"Am not"

"Yo-"

"Look at da way that git gets mad! And how he voluntarily tuld her a story." Hobie pointed out.

"Well... Princess did request him."

Hobie glanced at him with a smirk.

"And you think da big bad cap'n would do request dat easily? Princess or not."

Miles went quiet with that. What Hobie said was true. Knowing Miguel, he would probably just throw that person out even when they request a glass of water. Plus, Miguel seemed to do it willingly.

But still...

It's Miguel.

"I don't know Hobie... It's Miguel we're talking about."

Hobie smirk widened.

"That's exactly why, bruv."

●○●○

@yougavemeyourheartyouknow @autismsupermusicalassassin @lionhearted-soldier @hearts-4-lanadelray@sukioyakio@chshiresins @ginger23 @amelialysm

[animeniacss]

So Close Yet So Far - Mingyu x Reader - Chapter 19 - What Have I Done?

Synopsis: Your college friend, Kim Mingyu, has had a grip on your heart since the first day you met. Over the past few years, as you acquired more friendships and memories, those feelings only grew. However, recently, Mingyu has seemed a bit more distant, at least when it comes to any ideas of romance. It only gets worse when rumors fly that he's off to Japan to receive a marriage proposal! Unsure what to do, you wonder how you can keep Mingyu by your side without jeopardizing your friendship or your growing feelings. You never expected that waking up one drunken morning next to two hot angels would be your ticket into Mingyu's heart.

Genre: Romance, College!AU, Modern Fantasy, Comedy, Angsty

Length: approx. 6.8k words

Chapter 19 - What Have I Done?

Mina’s desperate attempt to say your name one more time fell on deaf ears, because you simply repeated your comment: “Don’t. Talk. To. Me.”

“Please, I just have to...”

         “What? What else do you need to take from me?!” You asked. “That’s it! We are done here! You wormed your way into our lives and took everything from us. What else do you want?!” You motioned to the two men on either side of you. “Them?!”

“Woah, wait.” Jeonghan said quickly under his breath.

“My friends?! My college degree?!””

         “No, please.” Mina gulped. 

         “No, you don’t get to say please to me for anything! I cannot believe I let myself get fooled by you! The minute you told me you came here to be Mingyu’s wife i should have know not to trust you! But I’m an idiot, I will admit. The really thought you and I could be friends. But I was wrong. So now you have everything you came here for and you still ask me for more!? Give me a break!” 

         “Hey…” Joshua gripped your shoulder. “Take it easy.” You sniffled, feeling all of the tears you were holding back in the hallway with Mingyu finally begin to spill. 

         “I’m sorry.”

         “No you’re not!” You snapped. By now, the entire room had gone silent, staring at you. Mr. Kim and Mr. Miyou were stunned to silence, watching in shock. “How can you possibly be sorry? I can’t accept your apology!”

         “You need to listen, I-.”

         “I’m done listening! Listening to you got me here in the first place!” You sniffled. “It’s okay if you never liked me, but you claim to love Mingyu and yet you make him suffer like this! I just can’t understand!” Mina finally fell silent, unable to stop you long enough to utter a full sentence. “And you invited me for what? To suffer? It’s cruel after all I did to befriend you and try to see you beyond our feelings. And yet despite all of this, for some reason, I came because I wanted to see if he was truly happy. I just want him to be happy.”

         Mina pursed her lips together. She heard her father approaching, along with hotel security. Joshua and Jeonghan immediately took your arms.

         “We got her.” Joshua said quickly.

         “No need to make a bigger scene.” Jeonghan added. You turned to Jeonghan, who motioned to the door. “Let’s go, okay?” You nodded, before your eyes finally fell to Mingyu, who was standing just behind Mina, his father standing at his side and keeping him from getting closer. You shook your head. 

“Don’t invite me to the wedding.” You said simply. Mingyu’s mouth immediately closed as he watched you walk out, Joshua and Jeonghan on either side of you. The hotel security followed behind, seemingly making sure the three of you actually did end up leaving. When the door closed behind him, Mingyu ran a hand through his hair.

     “Ohhhh God. I fucked up, I fucked up so hard.” He gasped to himself. All he could see was your teary eyes and red face, a sight he would never unsee for as long as he lived. 

              “Don’t let that girl get you down.” His father said, a supportive pat too his shoulder. “Seems she’s crazier than we thought.” Mingyu couldn’t look at his father as he walked away with Mina’s. It took a few seconds for the rest of the party to devolve into its previous chatter, the music slowly replaying upon his father’s request. He watched as Mina immediately turned on her heel, heading down to the other side. Her friends from home immediately got up from their spots and swarmed her, comforting her from that ‘scary encounter’. Mingyu turned to the rest of his friends, and his expression only got more pained when he saw their looks of disapproval. “What do I do?” he choked out. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.” 

                “End your engagement.” Seungkwan said simply.

               “But.”

               “End the engagement.” Hoshi repeated.

               “My father will-.”

            “Don’t end it.” A voice behind them alerted all of their attention. Jihoon stood there, hands in his pockets.

            “Pardon?” Minnie asked.

          “Whos side are you on again?” Seungkwan asked. Mingyu watched Jihoon approach him, patting his arm since he couldn’t reach his shoulder. His lips tightened at the realization of the height difference, the one thing that could bring Mingyu any slight bit of amusement in this moment.

        “Don’t dig yourself into any holes. It’ll work out just fine. Just give it some more time. For now.” He pointed to Mingyu’s eyes, which Mingyu only realized now were red and wet with tears. “Keep that expression.”

        “What?” Mingyu tried to turn back to Jihoon for more information, but he too strolled out of the party room, the doors once again closing behind him. He sighed, chewing the inside of his cheek when he heard his name called one final time. He turned his head, seeing Mina reapproaching him. He gasped for a breath of air, shaking his hair.

      “Yes?” he asked. Mina rubbed her eyes, sniffling. Mingyu kept his hands at his sides, despite the natural instinct to offer her a tissue. “Are you alright?”

         “I am. I think I deserved some of that…” she said softly. After a second of scanning the area, her eyes finally landed on his, and widened when she saw how upset he was. “You’re crying?” she asked softly.

         “Can you blame me?” he asked, finally raising a finger to rub his eyes. 

         Mina sighed. “I want to go home.” she said. “I’m exhausted.” Mingyu turned to his friends, who simply turned back to the table, forcing themselves out of the conversation. He looked to the door you strolled out of a few minutes ago. Sighing, he nodded.

         “So do I.” he said softly. He knew, however, the car he was going to get into would not take him home, but to the buidling he shared with Mina. He felt as though he deserved it. 

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Mina sat on the bed in her room. She could hear Mingyu getting ready for bed himself in the other room, as he always did. She sat for a minute, listening to distant rustlings down the hall before rising up and heading down there herself. The hallway felt longer than it usually did tonight. She walked towards the door, reaching out and knocking on it once. Twice. Three times. When there was still no answer, Mina called out. “Mingyu?”

     After an eternity of silence, the door propped open. Mingyu rested himself on the door frame, and Mina felt herself take a second to take all of him in. He was in a loose tee shirt and sweatpants, his hair still a bit damp after a shower. This would be the part of the fairytale where he would smile down at her with his infectious grin, pulling her close to him and whispering sweet nothings about how amazing the night was.

     But as Mina recalled earlier in the evening, this was no fairytale. Mingyu’s smile was long since erased from the pages of her mind, and no matter how hard she tried, only blurry memories came to her now. Mingyu crossed his arms, resting his side against the door frame. Instead, he greeted her with puffy cheeks, and bags of exhaustion under his eyes that weighed his entire face down. “Yes?” He finally asked.

   “Uh.” Mina was suddenly at a loss for words. All she could picture was Mingyu staring you down in the hotel hallway. His eyes prickling with tears as he tried everything he could think of in the moment to suppress them. She knew what she wanted to say to him, she had been practicing it for weeks specifically for tonight. Why don’t you join me? We are engaged, after all. The words seemed so easy to say, but why were they stuck in the back of her throat? She opened her mouth one more time, and saw Mingyu patiently waiting for her to speak. I can’t. She thought, already anticipating the answer she feared most. She shook her head. “Never mind.” She finally said. “I’m sorry. Goodnight.”

        Mingyu nodded as Mina made her way back to her room. She heard him close his door only after she closed her own. Resting against the back of the door, she felt her legs give out all of the energy she had been trying her best to maintain through the day. Her feet were still throbbing from her heels, unable to support her anymore as she sank to the floor. Pulling her legs to her chest, she buried her head in her knees.

         When Mingyu’s smile did form clearly in her mind, you were at his side. Fighting over photos during the fireworks, playing chicken in the ocean, nestled close during breakfast the last morning as he tried to steal some of your bacon. 

         It’s okay if you never liked me, but you claim to love Mingyu and yet you make him suffer like this! I just can’t understand!

It was a cruel irony, but it was one Mina felt she deserved after what she has done. The pain in your voice sat like a dagger in her chest, and she curled up into herself in hopes to push that feeling away. 

   “What have I done?” she muttered to herself. “I’ve ruined everything. I’ll never see him smile again…”

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         Only son of Kim Law Firm celebrates new engagement – Christmas wedding in the works!

        You scoffed at the news title that was plastered on the front of the newspaper that morning and every morning since, tossing it into the garbage so you no longer had to look at the photos of the two together. It made you sick.

     It had been a month since the engagement party, and school already back into the swing for the new fall term. Mingyu had yet to show up on campus, and once again the rumors as to why began to spread. Only this time, they were backed up by evidence. Where they even rumors in that case?

     “I bet his new wife doesn’t want him on campus with some other girls…”

      “I thought the same thing! I wouldn’t let my husband anywhere near his first love. He’s probably taking all online classes.”

      “That’s so sad. He made my Korean law class just a bit more bearable, even if it was just the back of his head I saw…”

    “Why is this happening again?” you sighed, resting your head on the table of the library. You and your friends had agreed to meet up in the library that afternoon after the lunch rush came to an end. The rumors continued to follow you, latching onto you and sucking the life from your veins like vicious and toxic mosquitos on a hot summer day.

   “Don’t listen to them. They have no idea what they’re talking about.” Minnie assured, patting your shoulder.

  “Yeah.” Hoshi said. You finally lifted your head up when you heard footsteps approaching. Looking over, you saw Joshua and Jeonghan taking their seats beside you. They hadn’t mentioned Mingyu since you three left the engagement party, nor had they checked their symbols on your hands. You knew better than to ask, though each day you were itching to know even more. Maybe it was those pesky mosquitos leaving bites.

    “Please tell Jeonghan he’s in charge of dinner tonight.” Joshua said, his light-hearted comment causing you to look at him.

      “I cooked last night. You need to start pulling your weight.” Jeonghan sneered, poking Joshua’s head as he snickered in amusement.

       “I did breakfast.” He reminded. You rolled your eyes, closing your textbook. The duo was still playfully bickering until you quickly motioned your book in their direction. They flinched a bit, eyes wide as you simply set the book down and reopened to your page. “Hey!” He pouted. 

      “I’m not in the mood. You both want to keep staying at my house, you figure out the cooking.” You could practically hear the duo whine, and it only made you smirk as you flipped through the pages. 

    “You’re not a very nice tenant.” Joshua teased, but immediately looked away when you shot daggers in his direction.

Despite what had happened, and the duos hesitance to talk about it, you three had found a pretty comfortable routine in your apartment. One cooks breakfast, the other cooks dinner, and you always have a delicious meal waiting for you after a long day. At first the duo did it to help you as you got over your emotions. However, it remained this way even a month later. None of you complained. Well, until now. “I think we should get something to eat tonight, anyway.” You said. 

      Hoshi gasped, leaning forward. “Dinner party at your house?” he asked.

    “What?” Despite the shock of the question, a grin formed on your face.

  Minnie’s eyes widened. “I’ll bring the drinks.” Minnie cheered.

  “I’ll grab snacks.” Seungkwan said, and Hoshi agreed to help.

  “ Chicken .” Joshua and Jeonghan beamed. You laughed a bit.

        “Uh, okay then. We can study, then.” Closing your textbook seemed to seal the deal. The idea of having plans tonight made you feel pretty good for the night ahead. You scanned the table as everyone seemed to chat with one another about the night ahead, seemingly more excited the more options were thrown onto the table. However, for some reason, you pictured the night ahead, a thought creeped into your head. One thought that you assumed had long since abandoned you. 

              I wonder what Mingyu’s doing tonight….

🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶So Close Yet So Far🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶

       “We’ll be right back!” Joshua called, both him and Jeonghan already out the door. You waved them off, taking the time alone to set up some snacks for your friends when they arrived. The group chat was buzzing with everyone sending texts about their arrival. Hoshi kept spamming the chat with photos, and you smiled at each one came into view.

          Prawn-flavored chips.

          Ice cream.

         Seungkwan’s face.

         A blurry picture of Seungkwan’s face.

         Hoshi giving a piece sign.

           Jihoonie would totally love that last one. You snorted at Minnie’s text as it flashed onto the chat. Both Hoshi and Jihoon frantically began telling her through text that she needed to mind her business, and it only made you laugh harder. As you finished setting up the last of the snacks in bowls, you sat on the couch. Immediately after sitting, your eyes came face to face with the dust-collecting snowglobe on your book shelf. You exhaled. “I’ve been meaning to put those away.” you mumbled to yourself in hopes it would finally give you the motivation to do so. It didn’t. Instead, you were brought back to when Mingyu first gave that to you. 

         “Wow, how cute!” Mingyu smiled as you took it into your hands, examining it. “Is this the Statue of Liberty inside?”

         “Yeah.” he said happily. “It’s much bigger up close.” You laughed a bit, shaking the globe and watching as the fake snow danced around it. “I hope you like it.”

         “I love it!” You gasped. “I feel like I’m really there just by looking.” Mingyu smiled a bit as you shook it once again, continuing to circulate the little snow particles inside. “It’s so cute…” you breathed again in excitement. 

         “Yeah…” Mingyu breathed, looking at your expression brighten the more you shook the globe. He coughed into his hand. “Hey, uhm…I wanted to tell you something.” He said. Your eyes shot up to him, sparkling in excitement as you waited to hear what else he had to say. “Ah.” Mingyu laughed nervously to himself. “I-.”

         “Hm?” You cocked an eyebrow. 

         “...Want to see pictures of Time Square? It’s huge.” When he held up his phone, you gasped, nodding in excitement. Mingyu scooted closer to you, holding out his phone as he began scrolling through the pictures.

         A small smile formed on your lips as you remembered the excitement you had as he showed you pictures of New York, telling you stories of him time seeing all of the major buildings in the area. It was fascinating. “He must have wanted to tell me how he felt then, too…” you mumbled to yourself, chuckling a bit at the realization that was just a little bit to late. Eyes fell to the windchime above your balcony entrance, and the same thing: Mingyu gave it to you, tried to confess, yet got cold feet and simply told you about his trip. Again, the smile forming on your face was widening, and you chuckled.

         “...I really need to take this stuff down.” you said again, biting your lip. Before you could do last minute spring cleaning, you heard a knock at the door. Thinking it was Minnie or Seungkwan, you hopped up. “Coming!” you called. You picked up your phone, taking a minute to scan through the constant flow of messages to see if one of them said they had already arrived. None did. “Huh.” You pursed your lips, heading to the door anyway. Another knock, and you picked up the pace. “Sorry. Coming!” you called once again.

           Reaching forward, your hand gripped the doorknob, turning it and pulling the door towards you. As it swung open, you looked ahead to see a familiar head of long, black hair. A familiar porcelain face and a familiar set of moles decorating that face. Déjà vu raced through your brain, a marathon being ran in a matter of seconds. “Mina?” you finally managed to gasp out.

       “Hey.” She smiled softly. “Bad time?”

You stared at Mina in awe for a few seconds. “What…” you felt your breath catch in your throat. “What are you doing here?” You asked. Mina seemed to think of her answer for a second.

        “I wanted to talk to you.” She finally chose to say. “Is this a bad time?”

        “Uh, yeah.” You said. “My friends are coming over and-.”

        “I’ll be quick. I’m sorry. I know I always drop by at the worst time and leave a mess behind.” You felt the sadness in her voice as she said that despite her forcing out a laugh. That only made it more obvious. “Please.” She said.

        “…Okay.” You finally said, motioning her inside. Mina nodded, taking her shoes off before padding into the apartment. You motioned her to the couch, where she sat herself down. “Do you want something to drink?”

        “Oh, no. It’s okay.” She said. You watched as she looked around from her spot on the couch. Her eyes fell on every Knick-knack and souvenir she could find. “I think this is the first time I’ve actually been in your apartment for as long as I’ve known you.”

        “Yeah…” you sat down on the chair, looking at her. “Now, what did you want to talk about?” Mina seemed shocked when you didn’t continue to entertain her with some small talk, but it made her smile.

        “Right. I didn’t expect to come in and be treated like a friend after everything.” You watched Mina open up her purse, pulling out a small white envelope and handing it to you. She saw you hesitate, but it only made her push it closer. “It’s not what you think.” She finally said. You took the envelope into your hands, pressing the paper just a bit to see if it would provide a clue as to its contents. “Promise you won’t open it right now.” She said.

        “Why?” you asked.

        “Just my request...” She said simply. You arched an eyebrow.

        “Well, when will I be able to?” you asked. Mina laughed a bit.

        “When I leave, if you want.” You scoffed a bit at the vagueness of the response, setting the envelope in your lap. You looked up at Mina again, wondering if that was the end of the conversation. You could hear your phone buzzing on the table. It was only a matter of time before your friends arrived, and you were hoping Mina would be long gone before then. “I want to say one more thing before I go.”

        “Okay.” You said simply.

        “I’m sorry. Truly.” You had to suppress a laugh, looking away for a minute to collect yourself. “I’m serious. I’m sorry.”

        “You had to come all the way here for that? It could have been a text. You said that when this whole thing started. You said it at the party. Yet, you don’t seem that sorry considering you’ve continued forcing Mingyu to live a lie.” Mina nodded.

        “I know.” She said. “I’ve tried making the best of our situation. I thought once Mingyu started classes again, and interning with his father at the firm, he would start to feel better about the entire thing. I thought it would take his mind off of…” when she trailed off, you had to chew your bottom lip. Mina sighed before continuing. “But it didn’t work. It only made things worse. I’ve spent this entire two months trying to make everything feel as normal as possible. At every corner, I’ve failed.” She sighed. “But I think I’ve failed from the very beginning. I joined the game midway through and thought I could win. I told myself I wouldn’t cheat, but I snuck myself to the finish line at the very end. And now I feel dirty.”

        “You should.” You covered your mouth when those words escaped your lips. Mina looked shocked only for a second, eyes darting up at you. “That wasn’t-.”

        “No.” she said quickly. “You’re right. I shouldn’t be proud of how I acted. I told myself I would win Mingyu’s heart fairly. I didn’t want him to be with me for selfish reasons. But when I saw you and him so happy in Jeju, watching him put all of his efforts into you, and knowing that I foolishly chose to help you win, jealousy hit me out of nowhere. I acted brashly and I’m sorry.”

        “…It’s nice to know that you’re just as ashamed of your actions as the rest of us were.” You said. “I really thought we were going to be good friends like you promised.”

        “I know. I burned that bridge on my own. I’m sorry.”

        “But there’s nothing apologizing will do now.” You said. “You did what you did and now you’ve won. Mingyu is yours. He’s chosen you.” Mina chuckled a bit to herself, the comment seeming to hurt her more than you would think. “...Am I wrong?” you asked curiously. 

Mina glanced at you. “I…I can’t say.” Mina said simply. “I can only say that my methods weren’t…what I wanted them to be.” 

        A snort. “If he thinks any of that was true after everything we’ve been through, then he might not have really loved me at all.”

        Mina smiled. “You’re all he talks about.” She said. “Even now. Every story I manage to get out of him, or hear him talk about to someone else, is a story that has some connection to you.” Hearing that made you finally go quiet. “I’d be jealous if it wasn’t the only time he smiled recently.”

        You leaned back in your seat, finding the right words before you allowed yourself to speak. Was she trying to make amends? Or was she trying to gloat? You felt a weird tingle of guilt course through your veins. “Mina.” You finally said, and she looked over. “I need you to promise me something if you intend to see this marriage through to the end.” Mina watched you get up, walking over to the little snow globe collecting dust on your bookshelf, picking it up and brushing it with your hands. “Promise you’ll be good to him. He’s a good man who doesn’t want people to get hurt. He only gets mad when it’s for those same people that he really cares about.” Mina watched as you passed her the little snow globe. “As you know, he always buys gifts. After a while, when time passed and wounds heal, he’ll probably start buying you gifts. You should act surprised every time, it makes him happy.”

        Mina brushed her fingers along the globe as well, a few extra dust particles fluttering down onto the floor as she did so. “You did something selfish but I don’t think you’re inherently bad. He’ll come around one day.”

        Mina didn’t believe those words you said for a second, but you didn’t think you believed them either. You just wanted to end the conversation before the lingering feelings began creeping up on you once again. Feelings you long since tried to forget. Déjà vu was a vicious beast, it seemed. Mina finally rose from her spot on the couch, handing you back the snow globe. She watched how delicately you took it into your hands again, smiling down at it briefly before setting it away once more. “I should get going. I’ve held you up long enough. Thank you for talking to me.”

        “Sure.” You said softly, walking Mina to the door. You opened it once more, watching as she walked out. She turned to you once more.

        “Bye.” She said. You only waved, nodding your head as Mina finally made her way to the elevator. You only watched her depart for a second, before closing the door. Silence reentered the apartment, only the sound of your feet padding against the floor as you picked up the white envelope. You shook your head, opening the side table drawer and sticking it beside the TV remote, slamming it closed. “Yeah, right.” You muttered to yourself. When you felt your eyes begin to water, you walked back over to the snow globe, holding it in your hands. You shook it a few quick times, watching as the snowflakes fluttered around the plastic Statue of Liberty. The memory again flooded your mind and you smiled to yourself. 

         A loud bang from behind you startled you, your hands jolting up in shock. A scream of shock erupted from your lips and you watched as the snowglobe fell to the floor, the glass shattering around your feet. 

         “Hey! We are here!” Hoshi called, foot extended outward. He and Jihoon’s hands were filled with bags of snacks, hence his extended foot to open the unlocked door. The duo walked in just as you knelt to the floor. “Hm? Sorry, did I scare you?” Hoshi laughed sheepishly. You did not respond however, your hands frantically picking up the Statue of Liberty. In your rescue attempt, your finger nicked one of the glass shard, and you cursed under your breath. 

         Jihoon set his bags on the table, walking around the couch to you. “Hey. Are you - oh.” He watched as you looked up, smiling a bit.

         “Heh. Sorry.” you said, feeling your eyes water. “You guys scared me.” Jihoon and Hoshi shared an expression, one of pity you couldn’t see behind your watery eyes. However, you did see Hoshi come to you side, resting his head on your shoulder and rubbing your arm as Jihoon knelt down and began picking up all of the glass shards. 

🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶So Close Yet So Far🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶

        “Try it.”

        “No, Jihoon.” Jeonghan said for what felt like the billionth time. He motioned a can to Joshua.

        “Jisoo-Hyung?”               

        Joshua cocked an eyebrow as he looked down at the fallen angel before him. He was holding a beer out in their direction. Jihoon’s smile only got wider as he motioned it closer.

        “Absolutely not.” Jihoon scoffed, leaning back in his seat as he cracked the beer open himself. He pouted a bit, putting the drink to his lips and taking a sip.

        “I’m going to need eternal drinking buddies! Come on. It’s not that bad.”

        “No.” The duo said again. When Jihoon tried to encourage them again, they both responded by sticking pizza into their mouths to avoid the conversation. It made you laugh a bit.

        “You have plenty of drinking buddies right here.” You said, patting Hoshi on the shoulder. He set his beer down, already red in the face as he looked up at you. “Right, Hoshi?”

        “Aaah, yeah.” He smiled, completely unaware of what you were even talking about. Jihoon immediately leaned forward, handing him a water. “Aaaah, for me? Awwwww, Wooziiiiiii.” He giggled, and Jihoon couldn’t hold back his amused smirk.

        “Take it, dummy.” He said. It took a second, but Hoshi popped open the bottle and took a long sip, which you saw finally relaxed Jihoon. The night had been pretty eventual so far, the group eating and drinking the night away as they chatted about anything and everything. Studying, the reason for the late-night visit in the first place, was put on the back burner for loud laughter and snacking. It was much better this way. The current event was watching a very drunk Hoshi and an almost as drunk Seungkwan encourage the entire group to play a game of ‘Hongsam’.

        “Not when you’re that drunk.” Minnie said, grinning behind the head of her bottle. Hoshi shot up.             

        “Yes Hongsam.” He sang, wiggling his hips.

        “Everybody Hongsam.” Seungkwan stood up and did the same thing, hoping it would encourage the group to join in. However, when he noticed he was the only one doing it, he blinked. “Hey now….” And the room erupted into laughter.

        “Absolutely not.” You said behind laughter, sipping your beer.

        “It kind of looks like fun.” Joshua said.

        “Then you play.” You grinned. Joshua smiled at you as you took another sip, letting out a deep sigh. “Man, it’s hot in here. I’m going to get some fresh air.”

        The idea of you leaving the area perked Joshua’s ears to that instead, forgetting the game even existed. “I’ll come too.” Joshua said quickly, following you out the door. Jeonghan’s eyes, which were amused watching the drunk duo goof off, shot to Joshua as he watched his friend follow behind you, opening the door to the balcony and allowing you to step out first. He didn’t even look back, instead just closing the door behind the both of you.

“It’s about time.” Minnie said, making Jeonghan look over.

“What?”

“With Mingyu out of the picture, I was waiting for the moment Joshua would finally grow a pair and confess. Seungkwan owes me ten dollars!”

“I do not! I do not bet with the likes of you.” Jeonghan bit his lip as the room continued to fill with playful banter, his eyes locked on the balcony. He could only see the both of you a bit, the curtain blocking most of his view. Jihoon noticed the angel’s sudden change in demeanor.

        “You sure you don’t want that drink?” he asked only more time, but only got an annoyed glance in response. “Okay…”

🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶So Close Yet So Far🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶

        “I thought you were going to play Hongsam.” You said, looking to Joshua as he joined you outside. He rested his elbows against the balcony.

        “I’m not going to be the only one entertaining those two.” He joked, and you had to laugh a bit. You looked down at the world below from your balcony, before taking another swig of your drink. “Besides, it’s nicer out here.” Joshua glanced to your hand which Hoshi and Jihoon had bandaged after your cut. “Are you okay?”

“Hm?” you looked down at your bandage, a bit of dried blood poking through. “Oh, yeah.” You assured. Maybe it was the drinks, but guilt began bubbling deep into your chest as you spoke up once more. “Joshua. I’m sorry I messed everything up.”  

        “What?” Joshua looked over at you.

        “I couldn’t get you guys back into heaven. Now, you’re both stuck here until I get with Mingyu. That’ll never happen now.” You let out a dry laugh, and Joshua frowned.

        “We’re the ones that knew the risk from the beginning. Don’t blame yourself. We could have done more, too.” He sighed. “I could have.” 

        “But still-.”

        “I said don’t blame yourself. Jeonghan wouldn’t want you to, either.”

        “Okay.” You sighed, defeated. Joshua watched as you finished your beer, setting it down on the floor of the balcony. Your elbows loosened, allowing your hands to dangle a bit over the balcony, eyes staring straight ahead. “Are you guys going to live here forever?”

        “Do you want us to?” he grinned a bit when he heard you laugh.

        “It definitely is less lonely with you two here. But we’ll have to actually invest in nicer beds and maybe more space.” Joshua was now that one to laugh. “Let’s go house hunting.”

        “That means we’ll need jobs.” Joshua sighed. “I never thought an angel like me would be sending out job applications on earth.” You smiled as Joshua playfully dropped his head loose on his neck. “Oh, how the mighty fall.”

        “For someone who calls Jeonghan dramatic, you’re really dramatic.” Both of you shared a laugh in the cool night air. Joshua glanced over at you one more time. He bit his lip for a second, before finding himself unable to hold back as he asked you a very important question.

        “Can I hold your hand?” Confused and stunned expressions led him to clarify. “I want to see my symbol…”

        “Oh.” You laughed nervously, turning to him. Joshua watched you extend your hand to him, which he gently took into his own. He stared at it for a minute, as if he was thinking. It made you smile. “Did you forget how to do it?” you asked playfully.

        “Heh. No.” He assured. His thumb rubbed over the back of your hand for a second, before he finally closed his eyes. He felt what little angel power he had in his body to summon the contract seal. Is it even there? He thought to himself. If it’s not, there is absolutely no going back. One of his eyes popped open, studying your expression. You were looking back out at the skyline as you waited. The moonlight sparkled along your features, your eyes dancing along to the stars in the sky, studying each one. He felt himself grip your hand a bit tighter when you smiled, seemingly catching a constellation in your sights. I won’t be able to go back. If it’s not there, if it’s red, I’ll use this as a chance to tell her-.

        “Uh…Joshua…” the nervousness in your voice made Joshua’s eyes pop open, his cheeks flushed as he tried to pull himself from his thoughts. So much for his chance, he was to flustered now. He followed your gaze, your wide and curious eyes now staring directly at your hand. His eyes followed, and immediately, he saw the little check floating above your hand. “It’s….”

        “It’s white.” He breathed out, a mix of relief and shock. Immediately, the both of you looked up at each other, eyes wide. Joshua gripped your hand, looking down at it once again. “It’s white! It’s white again!”

        “What does that mean?!” You shouted.

        Both of you went silent, turning back to the living room. Joshua wasted no time fling the balcony door open, the loud thud of the large door crashing against its hold startling the entire crew.

        “JEONGHAN!” You both shouted, making him immediately hop out of his seat.

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        “I’m home.” The sound of the sink running in the kitchen signals for Mina to make her way down the hall. She heads that way after taking her shoes off. When she pokes her head in, Mingyu only looks in her direction. “Hey.” She smiled sweetly.

        “Hey.” He points to the fridge. “I saved some of my lunch, if you’re hungry.”

        “Ah.” Mina smiled a bit. “Thank you. That’s thoughtful.” Mingyu nodded, turning back to the sink to finish with some of the dishes he had started with. Mina rested against the door frame, watching his back silently. “Mingyu.” She said, but he only hummed. “Remember when we went to the cherry blossom festival in the spring?”

        Mingyu nodded his head, not once looking up from the bowl he was scrubbing. “With my friends? Yes.” He said. Mina nodded.

        “Would you want to go again next spring?” Mingyu shrugged at the question.

        “Maybe.” He said. Mina nodded. Mingyu then stopped the dishes, finally looking back in her direction. She instinctively stood up straight. “Oh.” He motioned to the kitchen table in the corner by their bay window. “I took the liberty of skimming through some of these when I got the mail. I was curious.” He picked one up, flipping through it casually before turning the page in her direction. Her eyes followed his finger as he tapped on a set of beautiful Christmas flowers. “These are nice.”

        Mina felt her heart speed up, eyes sparkling. He’ll come around. “You think so?!” She asked. Mingyu nodded, and Mina looked at the burgundy red flowers nestled in beautiful green leaves. The wintery background of the picture only enhanced the Christmassy vibes of the flowers. Mingyu turned the page back to him, smiling a bit to himself as he nodded.

        “I’ve really fallen in love with this color in the past year…” he said. Mina’s smile dropped as Mingyu set the magazine down on the table, making his way back over to the counters. Mina watched him grab a sponge and start to wipe some of the counters down. She looked over at the flowers once more, trying to recall where she had seen that color before. The more she thought about it, the more images flashed into her brain.

        “She does look so pretty in that dress.” Mina whispered to herself.

        “What?” Mingyu looked over, eyebrows furrowed together as he tried to figure out what she was whispering about. He saw Mina closed the magazine and set it back down, an obvious look of discomfort on her face. “Hm? Are you okay?” Mina walked over to Mingyu without an answer, taking his hands tightly. He dropped the sponge that was in his hands, glancing down at it for a second. “Hey.”

        “Let’s go on a trip.” She said quickly. Mingyu arched an eyebrow, but Mina was already dragging Mingyu out the door, slipping on the fastest pair of shoes they could as they made their way to his car in the garage.

        The drive was quiet, but not in a way Mingyu had found himself used to in the past. Mina looked out the window the entire trip, hands in her lap as she gripped her pocket book. Mingyu sighed, running a hand through his hair as he turned the next corner. 

         “She really did think she was talking to you.” Mina said, the sudden sound of her voice causing Mingyu to look over at her. She turned to him. “At the beach house.”

         “Ah….” he nodded. Mina sighed.

         “I was right on the balcony. I saw it all. Jeonghan came to get her, and she said goodbye to Mingyu.” Mingyu gripped the wheel.

         “Why are you telling me now?” he asked curiously.

         “I thought you should know.” she said simply. “I know it really hurt you, and her. Not only that, but it hurt Joshua. He didn’t do anything wrong. I was jealous.” Mingyu nodded his head.

         “Thank you.” he said. Mina smiled a bit, looking down at her pocketbook. She admired the cherry blossom keychain that jingled with every bump Mingyu hit on the drive, and she took it gently into her hands. 

        “How cute! Thank you Mingyu!”

        “I figured you’d like it since you seemed to enjoy the festival.”

        “I didn’t buy you a gift.”

        “Don’t worry. It’s from friend to friend. Thank you for being so cool with everything at breakfast.”

        “No problem…”

        “I’m hoping next year I’ll be able to take my friend to the festival. We can go together. She’s been telling me how badly she’d love to see them in person.”

        As Mingyu pulled up in the driveway of his father’s home, Mina was relieved to see her father’s car also there. Mingyu slowed the car in the driveway, and when it came to a stop, Mina was already out of the car. He watched her speed walk up the driveway, bag gripped tightly in her hands. Mingyu slipped out of the car as well, beeping it to ensure it was locked before following after her. “Mina!” He called, but there was no answer.

        Mina walked past every single worker in the house as they greeted her, Mingyu quickly following behind and saying his own greeting to them followed by a frantic slew of ‘sorry’. “Mina.” He called again. “What are you doing?” He was horribly confused to what had her locked and loaded right as they pulled into the driveway. However, when he saw Mina turn down a very familiar corridor with a very familiar set of doors at the end of the hall, Mingyu felt dread in his stomach. “Mina.” He called again, but it was too late.

        Mina swung the doors of the office open, alerting both her father and his own. Mingyu hurried behind her, finally alerting her attention to him for a second. “What are you doing?” he asked. She only offered him a smile, before turning to her and Mingyu’s fathers.

        “What’s the problem, honey?” her father asked, standing up from his spot.

        “Father.” She took a deep breath. “I’d like to end my engagement.”

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[janicho88]

I Got You - Chapter 4

Pairing- Jake 'Hangman' Seresin x Female!Reader

Word count- 2,225

Warnings- Language, mentions of domestic violence, injuries, and abuse, abusive boyfriend, hurt reader, protective Jake. If I missed something, please let me know.

A/N- Before we get any further into this, there will be a few differences from the movie. Ice was sick, but beat it, the aviators are there for a six-week training, not three. I'm sure there are going to be Naval inaccuracies. This one has been sitting in my WIP since last fall. First Jake story, I hope I can do him justice. The first few chapters will be a little heavy, but we will move past that. Thank you to @slightly-psycho-multifan for beta'ing!

Summary- When you have finally reached a breaking point, you call the one person you trust for help. He’s never seen you as more than a friend, but he is the person you know you’re safest with.  It’s been months since he has had so much as a text from you, but Jake Seresin would do anything for the Navy princess he met years ago.  The pilot knows she means more to him than he ever will to her, but he will do anything for her.

Series Masterlist

Unsurprisingly, it’s the quickest you have fallen asleep in a long time.  Sometime during the short night, you moved over closer to Jake.  It’s the weight across his chest that stirs him from the little sleep he has gotten.  It takes a minute for everything to register back with him, and what he felt was your casted arm moving across his chest as you curled into his side.  Taking a glance at his phone on the table to check how much time he has before his alarm goes off the exhausted aviator sees 6:40 glares back at him.

He yawns as he closes his eyes once more. 6:40, okay I just have to be in the briefing room at 7, I’ve still got twenty minutes, he thinks to himself.

“Shit,” he hollers while quickly sitting up.  His alarm should have gone off at 6, he must have forgotten to set it with everything else going on last night.  At Least he remembered to plug in his phone. 

His shout has you jerking awake and cowering away from the noise.  Jake immediately feels guilty when he sees the worry in your eyes. Then he notices you holding your wrist.  That was the arm you had draped over him, and he must have aggravated it when he shot up so fast.

“I’m sorry darling, I shouldn’t have done that.  I forgot to set my alarm, I have to get going before I’m late.”

While he rushes into the bathroom, you sit in bed trying to calm your racing heart. He comes back out in his boxers and a black sleeveless shirt.  Grabbing a green flight suit off his dresser, he starts talking to you as he stumbles into it. 

“I’ve got to get to base. I’m sorry, but I don't think there’s much here for food other than what we picked up yesterday. We should get some kind of a break for lunch, I’ll grab something and bring it back for you.  I’ll drop your prescriptions off then.  I shut your phone off last night, just in case there was any tracking app on there.  I will check it over later before you turn it back on.  I’ll go grab the motrin, you might want to take one to help calm the wrist back down.  I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt it.”

Your brain is too foggy to quickly grasp everything he is throwing out at you. When it all catches up, you just nod.

“It’s still early, after you take some medicine, why don’t you try and get a little more sleep.”

You try to respond, but your throat is pretty sore, so you just nod.

He disappears out the door, and is back a few minutes later with pills, a bottle of water and the crackers from last night.

“You shouldn’t take these on an empty stomach.  Help yourself to anything in the house.  Keep the door locked, and I will be back as soon as I can alright, darlin?”

“Alright.  Thanks Jake,” you whisper out.  The water helps coat your throat, but time will probably be the best remedy.

There are two stop lights between Jake’s house and base, and he manages to hit them both red.  Pulling in the first empty park he finds, he grabs his bag and is racing inside.  There is no running inside the buildings, so he is speed walking to the locker room to throw the bag on top of the lockers.  No time to mess with getting the locker open right now.  Then down the hall to the briefing room.       

Jake pauses before he opens the door taking a deep breath, he slips into Hangman.  A mask of arrogance he has perfected over the years.  Very few truly see the real Jake. Standing tall he opens the door and heads inside.

“Hangman.” Maverick calls out from the front of the room. “So good of you to join us this morning.”

Jake takes a quick inventory of available seats, and finds the only empty row is his usual spot up front. He doesn’t say anything as he walks up the aisle.

“Can you tell me the time Lieutenant?” Maverick questions. 

Stopping at his seat Jake glances down at his watch.  “7:05 sir.”

“Your watch works, so what is your excuse for arriving late?”

“I don’t have one sir.”

He can hear the snickers of his fellow aviators.  A few of them are thrilled to see him in trouble. 

“You don’t have one?”

“No sir.”

“Tardiness is not rewarded, or tolerated,” a voice from behind Jake says, “you’ll sit out the morning hop, Lieutenant.”

Hangman turns around to face his superior.  “Yes sir Admiral.”  Of course Cyclone had to be in here already.   

Maverick picks apart their dog fights from yesterday, before telling them he expects better today.  The pilots are dismissed to change into their flight gear.  Jake doesn’t bother putting his on since he won’t be flying yet, then they move to the ready room.  The first group is in the air when Coyote comes over.  

“Man, what happened this morning.”

“I didn’t set my alarm.  Won’t happen again.”

“How could you forget that?”

“Had a long night.”

“Did you even get her name this time?”

Hangman rolls his eyes at his friend, “wasn’t that kinda night.”

“Well then…”

Jake notices Rooster and Phoenix listening in, so he quickly cuts Coyote off.  “Javy, could we please just let it go right now?”

“Fine.”  His friend gets up and moves back over to listen to the radio.

Rooster smirks just before he opens his mouth, but Hangman is ready for him too.  “Bradshaw, don’t even think about opening your mouth.”

Of course the other pilot ignores him.  “The too good to be true Hangman, finally starting to fall apart?”

“I swear Chicken, if you keep talking I will…”

“You will what Hangman?” Cyclone questions walking in.

Jake closes his eyes, quickly running his hand over his face, “Nothing sir.”

“Next two should be getting ready.  Hangman come with me.”

Jake follows the Admiral to his office, and stands at attention in front of Cyclone’s desk while the senior officer tears into him.

He leans forward in his chair to emphasize the end of his rant.  “This mission isn’t a joke Lieutenant.  If that’s the way you are going to be approaching it I should just send you back to Lemoore right now. One more toe out of line and you’re gone, do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Back to the ready room, you're grounded for the day.”

“Yes, sir.”

When he returns, the second group is already in the air. He walks in taking a seat in the corner, doing his best to ignore everyone around him right now.  He wouldn’t be in this mess if he just remembered to set his damn alarm.  

When the last group finally lands, Maverick dismisses them for their break.

“You all have 45 minutes to grab lunch and report back to the briefing room.”

While the last group of aviators heads to the locker room to get out of their gear, Jake runs in for his phone and keys.  Heading out to his truck, he is stopped by Maverick.

“Where do you think you’re going, Hangman?”

 “I have to take care of something, I’ll be back before the briefing.”

“You’ve already demonstrated this morning you can’t be trusted to be on time, I don't think you should be leaving base right now.”

Hangman clenches his teeth in frustration, “is that an order sir?”

Maverick thinks it over for a minute.  “Yes, it is.  Get back to the mess hall.”

“Yes, sir.” 

He turns around and heads back toward the building, but stops shy of going inside.  So now he can’t pick you up anything, or take your prescriptions in.  Worse, he doesn’t have a way to get a hold of you to tell you what’s going on. 

Pacing around outside, he finally thinks of who he could ask.  He’s going to owe her big for this.  Picking up his phone, he hopes she answers.

“The Hard Deck.”

“Penny?”

“Yes, can I help you?”

“It’s Jake  Seresin.”

“You disappeared very quickly last night. I’d ask if it was the blonde, but she was still pouting in the corner when I checked.”

“Yeah, something came up.  Penny, I need a huge favor.”

“You know I’m not open yet Jake, and I can’t bring you alcohol on base.  No matter how crazy Mave drives you.”

“It’s not that exactly.  I was planning on running home during our lunch break, but now I’m stuck on base.  There’s…a…um…I…um…have…a…friend at my place.  She can’t leave right now.  Is there any way you could run her over something for lunch?  Just knock on the door, and tell her you know me, and I asked you to drop it off.”

“You could Doordash it from someplace.  I’m not a delivery service for your hookups Seresin.”

“It’s not like that.  I don’t want to send some stranger she doesn’t know coming to my house and freaking her out.”

“But you want me to go?  You could call and tell her what’s going on, and you were sending her food.”  Penny responds.

Too late Jake realizes that while you do know Penny, she can’t know that she knows the person staying with him..  You don’t want anyone to know you are here yet.

“I know you.  Please Penny, my dear.  I wouldn’t bother you if this wasn’t important.  I can’t call and tell her, her phone isn’t working.”

“Fine, because I have a few errands to run anyways.  You owe me Lieutenant.  What does she eat?”

“I know I do. How about a turkey sandwich, no onion.  Maybe a side of soup if you have it.  If you just let her know it’s there and leave it on the front porch she can grab it from there whenever.”

“Alright, I’ll get this over there in a little bit.”

“Thank you so much Penny.”  

After making sure Penny knows where she is taking it, Jake heads back inside.  He never noticed Maverick back inside watching him through the window. 

Hangman picks at his lunch, not much of an appetite even though he only grabbed a protein bar for breakfast.  Coyote tries to get him to talk about this morning, but he keeps avoiding the questions.

While the aviators are back in the briefing room with Maverick, Penny is about to pull into Jake’s driveway.  She decides at the last minute to go past and come back around.  She parks her car on the other side of the road facing Jake’s place and walks up to the front porch. 

Penny tries to peer in the windows as she moves closer to the house, but can’t see anything with the curtains pulled. This all just seems a little off to her.  Once she’s outside the front door, she can faintly make out sound coming from a tv.  Knocking on the door and ringing the bell, she waits for Jake’s guest to answer.  After a minute or two, no one comes, but Penny can no longer hear the television.

“Hello, I’m Penny.  I know Jake, or Lieutenant Serisen, he asked me to drop off some food here because he got stuck on base,” she calls out to whoever is in the house.

Curled up on the corner of Jake’s couch, you are frozen in place once the knocking starts.  You mute the movie, hoping whoever it is will go away thinking no one is home.  Then you hear the visitor call out and identify herself.

Your heartbeat starts to slow back down when you realize the person outside isn’t a direct threat, but you still don’t want her to know you are the one inside.  Penny’s friends with your mom, so there is a chance she could tell her about seeing you.  Why did Jake do this?  You could have just waited for him to get home.  Although your rumbling stomach disagrees, especially with the thought of something Penny made you.

A few more minutes go by, and you hear your favorite bartender call out again.  “Okay, well if anyone inside can hear me.  I’m going to go, but the food is sitting outside the door.”

You give it a few minutes and slowly move toward the front window and pull the curtain back slightly.  There isn’t a car in the driveway, so she must be gone already.  Moving toward the front door, you check out the peephole to be sure before unlocking it.  Sliding onto the porch you pick up the bag in your good hand before locking yourself inside once again. 

Penny is still sitting in her car, watching Jake’s front door, trying to figure out what is going on with the aviator she’s grown fond of.   It has been a few minutes and she just about gave up on anyone appearing, when a woman slowly steps out the door in a too big Navy sweatshirt, and leggings.  It looks like there is something on her left hand, and even from the road, Penny can make out bruises on her neck and face.  It isn’t until she really looks at the face before the woman slides back in the house that she realizes she is looking at Y/N Kazansky.

Thank you for reading!

Chapter 5

IGY Tags

@dempy @fox-bee926 @acarboni21 @novagreen04 @kmc1989 @els-marvelvsp @bethbunnyy @senjoritanana @abaker74 @mygyn @lynnevanss @m-rae23 @djs8891 @supraveng @loving-and-dreaming @mayhemmanaged @kajjaka @delightfulheroshoeflap @imaginecrushes @donna-lynn

[silveryclear]

STNAF Coraline AU ch.7

MDNI ALL CONTENT REGARDING STNAF IS 18+ AND SO IS THIS BLOG

Ch.1 Ch.2 Ch.3 Ch.4 Ch.5 Ch.6 Chapter 7

CW: Obsessive Behavior, Coercion, Murder Threats, Dark Themes

A/N: Welcome to the final chapter of this fic! From here, the story will diverge into three endings depending on the character you choose to end up with. Thank you to everyone who has supported this fic by liking, reblogging, and leaving such lovely comments. I love you all and I hope you have enjoyed this story as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it. <3

P.S. The end of this fic will hold a poll to see which ending you want first!

Chapter 7

Your whole world falls apart in an instant— yet you decide to pick yourself up and confront the monster you’ve avoided for too long.

“Scrim, I’m going in. You keep watch on Other Friend and his minions. We need to go through the door before it’s too late.”

Something akin to pride shines on Scrim’s face as he stretches his limbs, ready for action. “As you wish, human. I’ll see you at the door.”

You smile at your otherworldly furry companion. “I’ll see you at the door.”

Scrim nods his head once and climbs the palace to the other side to aid you in your escape.

You watch through the corner of the window as one of Other Friend’s cats approaches him. His face twists in annoyance and then into a pleased expression as he struts out of the room, leaving your best friend heaving on the cold floor of the dark, barren room, barely illuminated by the moonlight.

Once you see that the coast is clear, you open the window slowly to avoid any creaking that may alert any of Other Friend’s cats and quickly get inside.

You approach Friend softly, his dull eyes brightening once he sees you. “Friend!” You whisper softly, your best friend’s attention instantly on you as you kneel down and gently cradle his body. “Oh god, what has he done to you? I’m so sorry…” You cry.

You gently remove the tape covering his mouth and try to remove his restraints. Even in his battered state, Friend manages to smile. “I’m okay… I’m just glad that he didn’t hurt you.”

You roll your eyes and laugh softly through your tears. “You’re such a bad liar.” Now that you’re close to Friend, you can see just how serious the wounds are. It makes you want to start crying all over again. “This is all my fault… I promise I’m going to get you out of here one way or another.” You keep working on the ropes that bind him, but they’re too strong to be removed manually.

Friend nods and then looks at you with a concerned and confused expression. “What… even is this place?”

“I don’t know. At first I thought I was dreaming, but it quickly turned into something much worse.” You look at Friend, caressing your palm on his cheek gently. “I’m sorry…”

He chuckles and winces in pain. Your expression grows with concern as you try to comfort him. “What are you apologizing for? It’s not like any of us would believe this place is real.”

You couldn’t help but feel guilty because you had wished that this place was real. You feel like it’s your fault it came true.

“Stop overthinking it.” Friend snaps you out of your inner turmoil. “Let’s get out of here before he comes back.”

“He have to leave through the tiny door in one of the bedrooms… do you think you could crawl?”

He lets out a breathy chuckle. “I think it’s about one of the few things I can still do right now.”

You chuckle in response, glad that your best friend is still the same as ever. “I’m going to carry you as best as I can for the time being, alright? At least until I can find something to cut the ropes with.”

You slowly open the door and check to see if the hallway is safe to walk in. You grab Friend gently, pulling him onto your back as you carefully, with small steps, make your way to the bedroom where everything started.

You huff and sigh in relief as you place your heavy friend on the bed. You quickly make your way through the darkness of the room, looking for its light switch before it was turned on for you.

Your blood freezes and your heart stops beating as you slowly turn around to find Other Friend, grinning by the door frame.

“Ahh, Sweetheart! It seems like you’ve found the second part of your surprise all on your own! How quaint.”

“Stay back!” You yell at Other Friend, running towards your best friend and shielding him from his transgressor. “Don’t take one step closer!”

“No… run…” Friend croaks but you ignore his weak pleas. You weren’t going run away. Not anymore.

Friend grins wide, eerily so. A malicious aura emanating from him stands by the door, looming above you. His voice, however, is sweet and hypnotic, an attempt to lull you into that false sense of security.

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong? Are you really protecting that sad excuse for a friend?” His voice is soft, yet condescending. “After all he’s done to you, I thought you’d be rejoicing at this.”

“Well you thought wrong! I would never want this to happen to anyone I care about! If you were my best friend, you’d know that.” You say firmly, glaring at him as you deliver the blow. “But you’re not.”

Other Friend’s face darkens at those words. “You’re right. I’m not your best friend,” Suddenly, he’s right in front of you, grabbing you by the arm and pulling you up as you thrash against his grasp. He grips your shoulders tightly and brings you close, his black, button eyes piercing yours with an expression of raw obsession. “I’m better.”

He pushes you onto a chair that materializes out of nowhere and you land on the cushions with a groan. The armrests curl around your arms, effectively restraining you to the chair. You growl as you try to pull your arms away with no avail.

Other Friends chuckles deviously as he stalks closer to you. “I know you better than anyone, darling! Did you really think I’d fall for such a simple distraction.” He leans down and grabs your chin with a tight squeeze. “Scheming with the vermin, trying to escape your lover’s grasp? While I expected it, I can’t say that it doesn’t hurt.” His face softens as his hold on your face turns into a soft caress. “However, I’m willing to let this all go… If you agree to stay.”

“You’re crazy! I’m not letting you sow buttons into my eyes!”

Other Friend laughs darkly as he leaves your side, walking towards your real best friend. Your eyes widen and you thrash harder against the hold of the chair as you scream profanities at Other Friend.

Other Friend grabs his doppelgänger’s hair and pulls on it, pressing a pair of sharp scissors against his neck. A startled gasp leaves Friend and you can’t help but tremble in fear at what this monster is capable of. “You should watch your tone, Sweetheart. Lest you’d want his blood to soil the bed we shared last night~”

The remainder stings as tears prick the corner of your eyes. “Don’t… don’t hurt him. Please…” You whimper, afraid for your own best friend’s safety.

“Oh sweetheart, why do you cry? This bastard doesn’t deserve not one tear from your beautiful eyes. He’s getting what he deserves.”

Other Friend turns to Friend, pulling his hair harder, making Friend moan out in pain. “Do you know why I’m here, Friend? It’s because you are a bad friend. You don’t know how to appreciate them the way I do. You cancel plans on them, you barely spend time with them, and worst of all, you neglected their feelings, you oblivious piece of shit. But not me. No. I know how much they’re worth and I made sure to show them every single time you were away~ which was basically all the time!” Other Friend laughs maniacally as he pulls Friend to the floor by his hair; Friend letting out a cry of pain.

The cries from Friend only make your desperation grow as you cry and scream at Other Friend to stop.

“But really, I must thank you. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have had this opportunity to meet the love of my life. So thank you for being a horrible friend, because now, I will take your place in their heart.”

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry…” Friend cries at you, begging for your forgiveness.

It breaks your heart even further. “No! Stop! I’m sorry!” You sniffle. “I’m the one who should have told you how I felt instead of running away from my feelings…” Your breaths come out shaky and uneven as tears keep flowing.

“Oh, how touching.” Other Friend says in a condescending voice. “But this is not the part in the story where you confess your feelings for each other and you run off into the sunset.”

Other Friend grins maniacally as he kneels down on Friend’s back and pulls him by the hair again, pressing the scissors to his throat. “This is the part where I remind you that you’re mine!” He presses the scissors’s tip on Friend’s skin, drawing blood as Friend cries out.

“No! Stop! Please!” You ugly cry, not caring how pathetic you may look as your friend’s life is on the line. You beg and plead in your mind, wanting oh so desperately to protect Friend from him. You think of Scrim and you hope with all of your heart and soul that he’ll appear to help.

As if reading your thoughts, Other Friend grins wickedly. “That vermin didn’t think twice before leaving this realm, right through that door.” He chuckles as you look at the slightly opened door, your heart sinking. “So if you think that help is on the way… Well, you thought wrong.”

“Choose, my dear. Either come live with me willingly and sow buttons into your eyes to spare your pathetic friend… or deny me again and I’ll make sure to end his privileged little life before I take you with me.”

Either way, you know Other Friend would end up killing Friend. There’s no way he’d spare him knowing that you’re in love with him still. He must be the only person in your heart, and he can’t have anyone interfere with that. You must come up with something.

Endings will be posted after the poll ends in the order of the votes~

[mellowthorn]

Realm of the Elderlings Ask Meme Thing

Created by @hermitknut. I spotted this while browsing tags the other day and figured it might be fun to bring it back.

Favourite RotE Book: Assassin's Quest

Why: It's difficult to pick a single favorite, but I tend to go with AQ because it is where I truly fell in love with the series. The depiction of Fitz's loneliness speaks to me on a very personal level, and Fitz's character arc is overall just masterfully written. The way all the misfortune, abuse and heartbreak leads him to putting his feelings into the dragon and ultimately isolating himself from everyone he loves, is incredibly tragic, but the built-up is done so well that I really couldn't imagine the book ending any other way.

Additionally, AQ is where we finally begin to get information about the Elderlings and are introduced to other mysterious lore elements, like the memory stone, Silver, and the rooster crown. These little hints completely hooked me in and made it impossible to put the series down.

Also it's where the Fool barged in and stole not just the narrative but also my heart.

Top Three Favourite Characters: Beloved, Fitz, Burrich (Paragon and Bee come close though)

Top Three Least Favourite Characters: Tats, Lant, Reyn

Favourite Ship (of the floating kind): Paragon

Top Three Favourite Ships (of the people kind): Fitzloved, Burrich/Chivalry, Patience/Lacey

Would you rather be Witted or Skilled: Witted

If you were Witted, what animal would you bond with?: Probably a dog, simply because dogs are the animal that I most often interact with. But ignoring practicalities, maybe some kind of a bird? An owl?

Would you rather live in the Outislands, the Mountain Kingdom, the Six Duchies, Bingtown, the Rain Wilds, Kelsingra, Jamaillia, the Pirate Isles, or Fool’s Homeland?: Kelsingra! I have a really strong fondness for Kelsingra. It's both exciting and oddly cozy, and I'd love to explore it for myself.

How were you introduced to the books? I was looking for a fantasy book with good characters, and the Farseer Trilogy was the first series that I came across. A booktuber I watch had mentioned Hobb before, so I decided to give it a try.

Share a quote you love: This is one of my favorites from Amber, from chapter 16 of The Mad Ship.

‘Half the evil in this world occurs while decent people stand by and do nothing wrong. It’s not enough to refrain from evil, Trell. People have to attempt to do right, even if they believe they cannot succeed.’ ‘Even when it’s stupid to try?’ he asked with savage sarcasm. ‘Especially then,’ she replied sweetly. ‘That’s how it’s done, Trell. You break your heart against this stony world. You fling yourself at it, on the side of good, and you do not ask the cost. That’s how you do it.’

Tagging: I'm going to start with @tragediegh, @spectrum-color, @gwenllian-in-the-abbey, @thenightisland and @everywaythatmatters. No pressure of course! And I'd also love to see even more people do this, so as far as I'm concerned, everyone in the RotE fandom is tagged :)

[thefallennightmare]

Moment of Weakness-twenty one

*credit to whoever created the gif. found on google/Pinterest *

Pairings: Mob!Bucky Barnes x reader

Warnings: language, smut, angst, fluff, affair, cheating, violence.

Summary: Reader is the assistant to New York's most feared mob boss, James Buchanan Barnes. He had the picture-perfect life: status in the mob, friends, and beautiful wife. So why can't he keep his mind and eyes off of reader?

Author's Note: so this one kind of got away from me and didn't go exactly how I planned. If I added everything that I prewrote, it would be such a long chapter and it's already late here in Wisconsin and this momma is tired. Long day of work tomorrow but updates will continue then.

Tags(closed): @splendidreads @sebsgirl71479 @mdpplgtz03 @pattiemac1 @unaxv @alana4610 @broadwaybabe18 @themayzittcha @playboystark @raajali3 @ozwriterchick @ragamuffin285 @screamingdying @themorningsunshine @kenziekugler22 @calwitch @sebastianstansqueen @stanaddict @stucky-simp03 @sleyeveryday @loustan90 @lyra-black13 @valsworldofcreativity @cjand10 @tesseract69 @batprincess1013 @subwaysurf45 @arsonfrogger @yoruse @5moremin @lipstickandtanqueray @mandijo17 @joannaromanoff @justsebstan @winters1917 @elizacusi-blog @football1921

“Sam, I swear to god,” I grumbled loud enough for the man to hear. 

“You rang?” He popped his head out of Steve’s office. 

I pointed to the spot on my desk that held my warm coffee, now missing. “Did you take my coffee?” 

Sam shook his head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” 

“Uh, huh,” I crossed my arms over my chest while adjusting all of my weight to the other foot. “What’s behind your back?” 

“Well, look at the time. I’ve got to go pick up something for Bucky,” Sam made a mockery of looking at his empty wrist before taking a large gulp from my coffee cup. 

I scoffed with a laugh and smacked his shoulder as he walked past me, out of the building. 

For the last week, the thick tension at work dissipated, felt more airy and easier to breathe. Steve, Sam, and I would spend the time hanging out and this was the first time in a while I had laughed or smiled like this. 

Only because Bucky had taken a small vacation this past week and a half with Natasha to visit her sister in Russia. He didn’t want to go, stating that he had a lot of work to get done here in New York but she begged him everyday for weeks until he finally agreed. 

There was no reason for Bucky to stay, the mob life had been quiet for sometime, everyone staying in their respective places and following orders. He did offer the three of us some time off but we all declined, saying that we would be in the office if someone needed something. 

No one did, which made the last week and a half agonizingly boring. 

However, Bucky was due back today and my heart wouldn’t stop the erratic palpitations for seeing him. The past two months we had kept the relationship between us strictly professional, only speaking when I needed him to sign something or when he needed me to pick something up for him. But that didn’t stop him from at least trying to talk to me about us. Every time I would either ignore him or push him away, repeating the same words each time. 

There is no us, not anymore. 

“Here you go.” 

Steve walked up from behind and handed me a fresh cup of coffee that I took with a large smile. 

“Thank you,” I took a small sip. 

While I took a seat at my desk, Steve sat in the chair on the other side and placed his ankle on his other knee, crossing his legs. 

“How are you this morning?” He asked. 

I shrugged. “To be honest, I’m not looking forward to seeing Bucky again. It’s been nice not having him here.” 

“Why didn’t you quit?” Steve wondered. 

The pen twirled between my fingers. “Someone made it worth staying.” 

He hummed in agreement before silence fell between us, the only sound coming from the pen scratching against the paper. Steve did this every morning this past week, watching me work with a small smile on his face. With Bucky gone, he needed someone else to watch to make sure they’re safe; me. 

Steve came with me every time I had to run an errand or was there at the end of the night to walk me to my car. We had become close again, not like how we used to be, only because I was afraid of ruining that friendship again. My heart ached knowing I had hurt him in my choice of Bucky and Steve didn’t deserve that, not again. So, as much as my mind wondered what my life could have been with him I forced myself to not think of it for the sake of my feelings. 

“So, what's the lunch plan for today?” Sam asked as he returned from wherever he went. 

My eyes doubled when I realized that I had been engrossed in work that I hadn’t realized what time it was. 

“Have you been sitting there the whole time?” I asked Steve. 

He nodded while lifting up the book he had been reading. “It helps that the company has been nice.” 

“Alright,” I stood to my feet and placed my bag over my shoulder. “What do you guys want today?” 

“Burgers from Big Mikes,” they both said in unison. 

I chuckled. “Again? That’s the third time this week. I’m pretty sure you two are the reason why his bar stays in business.” 

“His burgers are the best,” Sam said while Steve agreed. 

“Whatever you say,” I shook my head with another laugh. 

Steve stood to his feet. “Do you want me to come with you?” 

I placed a gentle hand on his arm. “I’ll be fine. His bar is right down the road.” 

With a quick wave, I was out the door, a smile wide on my face. 

What the fuck did I just see? It couldn’t have been her, right? This woman had a beer in her hand. Or what looked like a drink anyway. Plus, she looked the same size since I saw her a few weeks ago. Shouldn’t she be showing by now?

My mind was so clouded with what I had seen at the bar that I didn’t realize the hard chest I collided with until it was too late. Two strong arms wrapped around my back to catch me before I fell. 

“Oh shit,” I cursed, doing my best to save the bag of food I had almost dropped. 

“Are you alright?”

Bucky stared down at me, concern in his eyes.

I felt frozen in his embrace, the familiarity causing my heart pace to quicken. It had been so long since I felt him around me, this close, and I yearned to feel it again. My body ached for it.  

“Uh, yeah. Sorry I didn’t mean to run into you,” I apologized, voice only above a whisper. 

“It’s alright,” his voice was deep. 

I swallowed thickly, trying to gain the courage to remove myself from him. He knew that if I stayed in his arms a second longer, I would fold and give into him. 

“I should get Steve and Sam their lunch,” I held up the bag. 

Bucky nodded and reluctantly let me go.

“If you want, I can head back out to grab you something,” I offered while standing tall on my feet. 

“No, it’s alright. I ate before I came in.” 

We both stood there, unsure who would make the first move, and I drank in his appearance. His hair was a bit thicker than the last time I had seen him and he skipped shaving because his beard peppered his cheeks. Bucky had opted to dress casual today, not adorning his usual suits. The blue shirt that clung to every muscle in his chest did wonders for his eyes. 

Bucky looked fucking delicious and my body trembled with the urge to pull him into me, his lips on mine. Thankfully, Sam had shown up when he did.

“Oh, perfect. I’m starving,” he exclaimed while taking the bag from me. “Steve’s office?” 

Finally tearing my gaze away from Bucky’s, I nodded with a smile to Sam. “Yeah, let me put my things away and I’ll be in there.” 

Sam was gone, leaving Bucky and I alone yet again and he raised his brow. 

“We’ve been having lunch together in Steve’s office the last couple days,” I informed. 

Bucky stuffed his hands deep into his pockets. “Well I don’t want to keep you, go ahead.” 

With a small smile, I ducked my head and moved around him only to halter my steps when his voice spoke. 

“Do you think you could stay late tonight? Since I’ve been gone, my work has piled up and I could use some help.” 

I hesitated. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” 

He clasped his hands together. “I promise it’ll be strictly for work. I’m being truthful here, Y/N. I really need your help.”

“Okay,” I nodded before thinking about the consequences that would follow from tonight. 

With a swift turn on my heels, I scurried into Steve’s office. 

Everything was still, quiet, as Bucky scanned through the list of unread emails that filled his inbox while I rambled on about what he had missed. 

“Mr. Stark will wire you the first payment on the sixth. Dr. Banner said the first trial of his beta serum was a failure but he’ll keep trying. And Peter Parker was caught dealing on Thor’s streets again but I handled it. I had to go to New Asgard to talk with Thor but it’s fine.” 

Bucky ran an exhausted hand over his face until he sat up straighter, eyes boring into me. “Thor?” 

I shifted in my seat. “Yeah, when I was there he apologized for his actions that night. I guess he wanted to extend an olive branch by letting Peter walk away scott free.” 

“Did Thor-?” His shoulders were rigid with anger. 

“No,” I quickly shook my head. “Steve was with me so nothing happened. I was fine.” 

“Oh,” Bucky relaxed. “Good, I’m glad Steve was with you.” 

With a quick glance at my watch, I let out a tired sigh when I noticed it was nearing seven p.m., two hours past the time I should have gone home. 

“Do you need anything else from me or could I head home? I want to get there before it gets dark.” 

There hadn’t been any news on if Clint’s hit on me was still on the airwaves, but I still wanted to take precautions, just in case. 

“Sure. I’ll see you in the morning,” Bucky gave me a forced smile. “Thanks, Y/N.” 

I gave him a curt nod and rushed to my desk, hoping the memories of Bucky and I together in his office would fade. It had been unbearable to sit there for the last couple hours and not think of the way he had bent me over the desk to take me from behind. Or when he spread my legs wide for him on the couch, his tongue exploring the most prized area between my legs. 

There was even a point in the night that we stood close to each other, his scent engulfing my senses, while I had him sign some papers. Our lips were meters apart and I could feel his warm breath fan over mine. My heart was beating loudly in my ear as I nearly let it all go. 

The burning itch of desire pooled into my panties, soaking them, as I continued to think of Bucky’s skin on mine, his cock slowly sliding in and out of my folds.

I felt a warm breath on the back of my neck while I was packing up my things, Bucky’s vibranium fingers tracing up the bare skin of my arm. 

“Bucky,” I warned breathlessly. 

“I miss the way you smelled, doll,” his nose buried deep into the crook of my neck. 

I turned in his embrace and placed my hands firm on his chest. “You need to stop.” 

“I can’t,” he almost whined. “I’m trying to stay away from you but it’s too fucking hard.” 

“You’re ridiculous,” I rolled my eyes while pushing him away. 

With my bag over my shoulder, I began to button my jacket which made him reach for my hands to stop me. 

“Can I at least walk you to your car?” Bucky asked. 

“Goodnight, Bucky. I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

I removed his hands from mine and placed them onto his chest, them lingering for a few moments as our gazes locked. I let out a shaky breath and forced myself to leave, before everything went to hell.

[wrongcaitlyn]

also, since i feel bad about making you guys wait so long and i'm also not 100% sure if i'll manage a chapter before sunday (will be trying, but it's been a whileDJSD) here's a snippet of what i've already written!

and a little update on the chapter, i've got like.. 1/6 of it done? ish? and i def could've written more earlier but instead i spent an hour planning and outlining one of nico's future music videos with @wronghuntress

it's a very cool mv and i am very proud of it and just like the details and aesthetics of the next few albums are ahghsldkjsldfj im so so excited for you guys to seee!! i feel like i should be making pinterest boards for these. but that's my brain derailing me again. i will do that over summer.

so!! snippet!!

They decide on the end of July for the rescheduled concerts. Partly because it gives Nico a little over two months to mentally prepare, partly because Will has a summer class in June so he’d be able to travel with them in July (along with Leo, who invited himself along too), and partly because it worked with Alex’s schedule.

Until then, though, there turns out to be a lot to get done.

Will’s rescheduled finals have been all finished by the end of May. Apollo has set up a series of job interviews for the three main people he’s decided they need—a publicist, a tour manager, and an assistant for him (that last one was pushed for by Nico, and then Will as well, and because Apollo isn’t able to resist their combined efforts, it worked)—throughout the last week of May and early June. The Archery World Championships are from the tenth to the sixteenth, in the Netherlands, and the entire family will be there to watch Kayla. 

From there on, it’s studio work, studio work, and more studio work throughout the rest of June. It’s a lot of therapy. It’s some secret project that Apollo keeps obviously working on, but is clearly attempting to hide the evidence of. Nico doesn’t know whether he should be concerned, but his eye bags have faded slightly, and he’s returned to styling his hair rather than throwing it up in a bun, so Nico thinks that’s a good sign.

The New York estate doesn’t have a proper studio—at least, not as good as Apollo’s house in LA. Still, it has the basics, including a mic, a computer with some audio editing software that Nico’s familiar with, and a keyboard, so while Will is studying and out taking his exams, Nico is there. 

For once, he feels like he doesn’t have much to write about the situation. It scares him for a bit when first walking into the studio, expecting to open his phone to an extensive list of depressing lyrics, only to find nothing.

He tells Mr. D that during their next therapy session. There’s no concrete answer, because Nico isn’t quite sure what exactly prompts him to spill out his thoughts in lyric form usually, but Mr. D had suggested the idea that instead of falling straight to the conclusion and having to sort out his thoughts, he was instead stuck in a sort of paralysis while Will was in the hospital, and then immediately talked out his feelings in person rather than on paper afterward.

Nico supposes that it makes sense. But that doesn’t stop him from rushing to the studio as soon as he’s sure Will won’t ‘accidentally’ overwork himself once left alone for over an hour—just to see if there really isn’t anything left to say.

It turns out, there is. There always is. But the songs that he writes now feel more self-deprecating and slightly relieved rather than the accusatory, grieving tones of the rest of the album. And besides, he thinks that he’s too close to a possible release date (or, at least, the beginning of the promotional singles process) to be planning an entirely new series of songs.

He still writes them, of course. They’ll just have to remain in lyric form, for now, though.