#we're on the FINAL CHAPTER. like even if it is twice the length of an usual chapter it is still the LAST ONE.

[eerna]

honestly Noragami deserves some kind of an award for being the most intense downward spiral of "it can't get any worse than THIS, right???" I've ever read. I haven't known peace since Kazuma did that stupid spell on Yukine and it's only gone downwards from there

[everythingne]

out of the woods, 5 (ls2)

With clear favoritism boosting all of Ferrari's tactics, Dhanishka makes a difficult decision after a crash causes her to see the true colors of her team. Logan sweeps in to save the day.

series masterlist

warnings/notes: mistreatment of Dhanishka by Ferrari, car accidents with very minor injuries, this chapter was originally twice the length.... i had to cut half of it for next chapter LMAO, wrote this instead of doing my finals !

(ch4) (ch6)

--

The little room they've shoved us all into for media is more crowded than I want it to be. The Chinese GP was off to a rocky start already, with downpour rains all day on Thursday. I'm looking for Charles, turned in on myself even in the room full of flashing lights as I try to hide from the world. I want nothing to do with media. I know its going to be a shit show, and my stomach churns and knots until I make eye contact with Logan across the room. A weird wave of calm hits me, before its also sprinkled with anixety.

We haven't spoke since he kicked me out.

I swallow my pride and smile at him, and though I note his smile isn't full, he does still return one. I can tell he senses my apprehension as he nods, and he excuses himself from Oscar and Alex's sides to cross the small, cramped room. I manage to slip through a wall of reporters surrounding Max, nearly being shoved aside before I'm grabbed and pulled and into the firm protective hold of Logan. Instinctively, his arm wraps tight around my waist as he brings me to his chest. My hands find his shoulders and slide across in a hug as he leans his head down to whisper,

"You look terrified, Isa." His hand squeezes my waist and leaves the skin tingly, as if he's shocked it with little electrodes hidden in his finger tips. All his lingering touches feel like that, they have since I was seventeen.

"I am." I say back to him as I pull back from the hug just enough for us to look at eachother, "It's first media day after we announced this whole... thing."

Logan nods and then sighs, bringing the hand thats not still clutching my waist up to comb through his hair, "This is probably the worst possible time to bring that up, but I'm sorry for just..."

He trails off and before he can finish, I shake my head softly and give him the tiniest reassuring smile I can muster. He quiets at the soft expression on my face as I bring one hand down from his shoulders to pat his forearm, before squeezing it as I speak,

"No, Logan. I should've told you from the beginning what I wanted. It was wrong of me to string you along like that," and I hesitate before adding, "I don't regret it, if you're scared about that, too."

He seems taken aback by my apology, but before we can say more, we're split apart by media duties. I try to turn back to say something when he grabs my wrist to pull me back to him and from Charles, who turns back with a confused look. Even I'm confused, before I'm laughing as Logan's planting a goodbye kiss on my cheek with a softy murmur of 'keeping up the look.' And no matter how hard I try, I can't find a logical defense for my blush.

So of course, Charles teases me about it, which is caught on nearly every camera in our direction as we're brought to the little media pen this time. Luckily out of the grabbing range of asshole reporters and the people who want a headline.

And the first reporter for me is luckily The Ophelia Piastri.

"Danny..!" She sings, handing me a microphone labeled 'VOGUE' as she steps in, ever so elegantly, next to me.

"Hi, Ophie." I smile, leaning in to give her a tight hug. Luckily during media I didn't have to wear my team uniform, so I had been dressed to the nines in the white and red Ferrari dress-jacket-thing, with the little cape thing on the back. I knew I looked good, which is why I assumed Ophelia had grabbed me before she went off to find Lewis.

"Since we last spoke, quite a bit has happened, but lets talk about this outfit?"

"So, this is Ferrari, of course. I cannot remember the name of the jacket for the life of me. It's a white leather trench coat with a red silk trim, Ferrari's black boots with, of course, the red trim, and a black Ferrari purse. I am completely Ferrari today."

"You look stunning, the red of the Ferrari suits has always looked good on your but this pop? Stunning, brilliant, we love to see it."

Her interview is a bit longer than I'm expecting, mostly because we keep getting off track, and then I'm pulled away and into the mass of the boring, normal interviews.

It's Sky News who comes to be annoying, some reporter I don’t recognize. I glance over to Logan, who is on my left side down a bit in the media pen and find him staring. He looks away quickly and I bite back a laugh as Charles knocks my shoulder with his to keep me paying attention. I miss the reporter introducing himself but don’t miss the way Charles tightens his grip on my wrist.

“Any specific reason you were spotted in London last weekend?” The man asks me, holding the microphone towards me and I shrug with a tiny smile.

“Just making some visits to my friends, is all. I also had some media responsibilities.” I reply calmly and catch Logan’s eye again, this time my look lingers long enough to see him try to mouth something to me before the reporter talking pulls me away again.

“A certain driver seems to have caught your eye, though, are we correct to assume there’s some heat between you and a certain Williams driver?” The man smiles almost predatory and Charles taps the back of my arm to signal me to move back as he eyes the reporter with a confused look. As I fall back, I let a soft laugh tumble out of my lips as I realize it’s fucking Anthony Davis and that’s why both Logan and Charles have stopped to watch.

“Thought my instagram post was pretty clear,” I chime once I find my footing and push my emotions back, “if that hallway stuff you released to press as blackmail against Logan to do that interview with you wasn’t already enough.”

Charles is staring like I’ve just cursed this man out, I think I can hear Lando laughing somewhere off to the side.

“We’re done with you, thanks sir, make sure to tell David I said hi.” I grin forcibly, watching as Anthony’s face grows in anger. Charles steps between us, asking Anthony to leave and I allow myself a reprieve here to look around. Logan gives me a little smile and an appreciative nod, which I return, before I’m being pulled away by PR.

-

Qualifying brings back Ferrari’s curse.

Charles tires go and he nearly crashes out right before the end and my back wing is broken by the time I’m done. With the challenges we faced, we both do qualify higher than expected which does make me feel a bit better.

After standing and talking about the car and strategy for way too long, I’m let loose to the solstice of my drivers room. The pristine and almost shockingly tidy room is a safe haven as most the chaos of this weekend and I allow myself to relax as I slowly get myself undone from the race.

I change and take my hair out of its now frizzy braid, taking the time to brush it as I stick my head under the sink faucet to wet my hair. I’m wringing it out as I hear a knock on my door.

“Come in!” I call, grabbing a towel to place over my shoulders as the door pops open and I’m greeted with the soon to be Norris’ couple.

I gawk, “How did you both get in here?”

“Charles owed me a favor for all the times I’ve snuck him into Red Bull.” Olivia shrugs as she pops her purse down next to me on the couch, “and Lando doesn’t like me walking the paddocks by myself anymore.”

“That fucking reporter.”

“Don’t.” Olivia points at Lando, who huffs, and she then crosses the room to sit next to me on the couch before Lando can snag the seat. Olivia continues to speak after pausing to sip her drink, “good take down of Anthony today, little debutante."

“Ah. Thank you.” I laugh softly, brushing my hair with the same red brush, eyes glancing over to Lando and Olivia as I try to keep my blush to a minimum. Olivia's soft compliment made my heart skip, as any praise did. It was hard to come by it in this sport and I was honestly happy it was Olivia who was supporting me like this.

“How’re you feeling? You did pretty good for a busted car. I saw how fucked that rear wing was when I was pulling in the pits after Q1.” Lando continues the conversation and I shrug, turning at Olivia's cue so she can start to braid my hair for me. It's weirdly like having my mom or sister do it, I hate how much it makes me miss home.

“It sucks I’m not higher. Wallahi, I'm so tired of this." I complain, rolling my eyes back as I try and keep myself calm. Frustration wouldn't get me anywhere here, "they’ve been harping on me all season about getting back to the level I was at in Bahrain. And they're acting as if every race since, I haven’t had terrible car issues! Sorry you guys fucked up my car!"

"Sounds like Ferrari." Olivia hums, "I think I've heard both Charles and Carlos say this same thing over the years."

"Maybe talk to Charles about it, he'd know Ferrari better than I would." Lando suggests, watching his fiance as she finishes off my braid and then squeezes my shoulders and pulling me back to rest on her chest as she lazily wraps her arms around me. Lando kicking his legs up to rest on my lap as he yawns into the back of his hand.

"I have been, he's been a huge help, but it's still ridiculous." I complain, smushed against Olivia's Red Bull tee as I close my eyes to fight off the stress migraine forming. I complain for a bit longer, Olivia convincing me to talk to Charles about my frustrations once again. But by the time I've gone off to find him, I notice his attention being held by Fred and some of the engineers. Even when I try to get him away, he's continuously pulled back with soft sorry's thrown over his red clad shoulders.

I go to bed that night with a migraine. The next day I nearly crash twice when my tires are too worn but they won't box me, and sulk in my drivers room after due to losing my podium position. Sure, I finished a lucky P9 for my car issues... but I was fighting with Max in P2 when my rear tires decided they hated me.

I ask so many times to be boxed. It’s not the first time they refuse to pull me into the pits, but it’s the most dangerous. I have no grip, I have nothing but prayers and maybe a bit of luck because I don’t crash out.

And when Aakash is not supportive over the radio, maybe I lose my cool, and maybe that’s what causes half the garage to give me the cold shoulder as I get out of the car. I do what’s needed, barely speak, don’t smile, and then retreat to my room with the hope of my anger dissipating.

When my frustrations don't wear off, even after I snag the treadmill to sprint until my legs are jello, I go to try and find Charles for our little private post-race debrief. I need him in this moment like a fish needs water, the debriefs we have been having being the only thing keeping me from losing my mind in Ferrari. I spot him in the garage still, but he's being held captive by the team. They engross themselves in deep plans for his racing, smiling and waving hands in excitement. I notice no one had come to grab me and swallow the sick feeling in my gut.

"What about Dhanishka?" Charles asks, eyes flickering over to meet mine and I feel the pull to enter the conversation until Fred shakes his head and squeezes his golden boys shoulder, saying,

"Dhanishka comes second to you, Charles. You are more important than some girl. We'll use her to help you..."

Fred's voice fades out as I swallow hard, my hands shaking immediately in a mix of rage and embarrassment. How could I have been so stupid?

And when Charles snaps his head up to meet my eyes after a moment, I've already turned to rush down the hall. Tears prick in my eyes at my own stupidity, that I felt like I belonged in this red building. Sure, it was something off hand, maybe he didn't mean it the way he said it, but it was enough to frustrate me to tears.

If I cry one more time before the end of May, someone might get strangled.

I retire to my hotel room early that night. Even when all I wanna do it party, I choose not to join anyone in the festivities, and ignore the mass amounts of messages blowing up my phone asking why I'm not at the after party. I ignore the world, let the sun set into black skies as I stay tucked in my bed--still in my fireproofs. I can't bring myself to move, a mix of anxiety in my gut and genuine pain in my body keeping me in the plush blankets. My parents call to congratulate me, I humor them with a tired smile and blame it on the time zones. I pretend I'm asleep when I see Anya tries to call me twice. I can't lie to her.

I have to ignore her so they think I'm doing fine. I can't worry them about me turning into the monster I had been after Trident again. But that monster claws at the restraints and slowly breaks them.

Hours later, not that I would know the time, someone knocks at my door. I ignore it, even as the muffled voices call for me and ask if I'm alright. I just stay still, tucked up to my chin in blankets, until someone scans a card in the door and begins to let themselves in. I jump, preparing to throw my phone in defense, when it's Danny who pops his head in.

"Just checking to see if you're alive, mini-me." He smiles, opening the door a bit more so from my vantage on the bed, I can see Charles and Logan behind him. I know they all see I'm still wearing everything I had on at the track, and I see remorse in Charles' eyes when he sees my state, but I shake it off.

"I have a bad migraine, but I'm alive." I say, choosing for that to be the reason as to why I was laying in the dark. Not because I felt too tired to get up to turn the light on, or that I felt my seventeen year old rage returning.

"Need anything?" Logan asks, feather soft, before the others can. I hate how I can see him noticing all my soft lines turning hard. I just sit there, then I shrug when I realize they're expecting an answer.

"Just some sleep. I'll see you guys next race weekend." I wave them off, yawning into the back of my hand. Logan steps into the door frame, welcoming himself in. I don't argue as he crosses the room to sit on the edge of my bed, pressing his hand to my temple.

"You're not sick." He murmurs, "just a stress migraine this time, then?"

"You--huh?" I blink and Logan smiles party, a soft blush on his cheeks only illuminated by the light in the hallway.

"You always get migraines when you're stressed or when you've got a fever, Isa." He squeezes my wrist, watching my face carefully, "If you don't feel hot when you have a migraine, it's just stress."

“It’s just… it’s been a rough weekend and I kinda snapped after the race ‘cause this migraine won’t go away.” I lie half now, Logan seems to buy it a bit more as he leans forward and gently pulls some of my stray hairs back behind my ears—settling them how he knows I like it.

“You did really well for all the issues you were having. Can’t beat yourself up over something you can’t control, Danny.” Daniel says from the doorway where he and Charles lean, I squint when I look towards them in the light and see while Danny looks full of concern—Charles looks sick.

“I know. It’s just been a hard adjustment.” I shrug and Logan nods.

“Adjustings a bitch.” he says and I laugh. About twenty minutes later they leave, after Charles runs down to grab a Doordash they force me to order. Logan calls me much later, telling me to sleep so I don’t feel like shit tomorrow.

We talk on the phone for so long he ends up sleeping in the same bed as me, arm wrapped loosely around my waist as my head is tucked in the crook of his neck. It’s safe. It’s definitely not platonic, but it’s safe, and it’s what I need.

--

-

So far it's been:

Bahrain, P3,

Saudi, P5,

Australia, P8,

Japan, P4,

China, P7,

and now it's Miami, where I land a solid P10 after Carlos clearly attempts to knock me off the track entirely and runs me into the gravel. I have to fight for my way back up from P20. I'm impressed with the run some of the back drivers give me (especially Haas and Alpine) but I'm frustrated in general with my finish.

Because what could've been more is fucked over when Carlos in P9 swings purposefully wide and damages my front wing.

"It's not fair!" I complain to Charles as I pace the length of my tiny drivers room, "I don't know what he has against me!"

"Isa," Charles sighs, running a hand through his hair, "Be proud of what you did accomplish, a wonderful ten place overtake in only seven or so laps! You did amazing tonight, even with that fuck up!"

"You've been podium every race except for Australia when Oscar beat you and Max." I snip, whipping around so hard my braid whacks the side of my face, "What I would do to be able to get up there... its just annoying some drivers have made it their agenda to get me off the track! Carlos has no reason to nearly knock me off the track multiple times today!"

"Carlos is frustrated Ferrari dropped him for you. He'll pretend to be amicable over at Mercedes but he's fucking miserable." Charles sighs, "Ferrari's been no help either, they've yet to pay him the rest of his contract."

"Well how is that my fault, Charles!" I ask, groaning softly as I bury my head in my hands and come to sit next to him. It's not like I had told Ferrari to pick me, it had been a huge surprise they had. Charles has no answer and I just huff and lean back into the couch's plush surface and hide my face.

"I'm miserable too." I complain into the air, and it's frustrating to admit it. Charles can tell I don't wanna talk about it, so he just pulls me to his side and lets me curl up there. I feel like a child, but I feel safe.

—

Miami proves to be more difficult than I expected.

I had qualified really well, starting in P4 with Max, Charles, and Lando ahead of me. I was holding my own during the race, but Ferrari wasn't clearing me to pass Charles to try and take P2. Which is honestly the least of my worries right now. Aakash has been non-exsistant on the radio today, barely answering as per usual. I was basically using my own strategy at this point, pulling off of tips I had been given by Charles for this track.

And everything is surprisingly going well.

“Woah!” I shout, turning clear of whoever is in the Alpine that’s stuck half off the gravel, I make some sort of contact but not enough to deter me, “Alpine is down on the track, hit him, I think front damage? Rear wing is still locked in DRS.”

“Understood. Possible red flag coming up, use these last seconds to try and secure position.” Aakash says into my headset and I reply back with a soft ‘copy’ as I go to turn normally but for some reason I find that I whip to the side—under steering hard. Luckily, by pure coincidence, it keeps Oscar behind me and secures a place in P3 behind Charles. But the car isn’t driveable in this state, extremely dangerous, and my hands shake as I struggle to press down my radio button while holding the wheel steady.

“My steering is going out!” I curse, trying to stabilize myself—waiting for a red flag or a safety or something. Where the fuck is this safety car for the crash?

“How bad is it?” Aakash asks and I grit my teeth as I pull into the next turn. I curse softly, breaking a bit harder than I need to but managing somehow to keep Oscar behind me. I think he knows to stay back, that something is clearly wrong,

“Terrible, terrible! I can’t fight like this!” I snap, groaning as we move now to a straightaway. Oscar comes to my left and I steer towards, Aakash is calling that the flag is flying and the safety car has been deployed, but my eyes are on Oscar as he tries to maneuver around the other side but I cut him off again—or try to.

I steer too hard, clipping the front of Oscar’s tire on the slick of the still drying Florida rain and spinning out. I feel the gravel as the car spins and then the world rocks when I hit the wall. I can't breathe for a moment, breath caught in my chest as I grip my seatbelts. No one calls over the radio for a moment, and then,

"Dhanishka, is the car okay?"

"Fuck you." Is my reply as I grab my restraints and slowly unclick them. It's agony to move as I take out my steering wheel and pop it on the top of the car, hoisting myself up and nearly buckling back down into the car in pure pain. I manage to get myself out by the time medics arrive, they take me to medical to get checked and it's like I'm not even worried about. No one from Ferrari comes to check on me.

I limp myself back to the paddock, guarded by McLaren employees and followed closely by Lando and Olivia--who is softly scolding the FIA in her phone. Her voice thick in frustration over Ferrari's dismissal of me, her hand on my lower back supporting me as I walk. Once they get me back to Ferrari, Olivia forces her way in to escort me to my drivers room.

"I'm gonna get them fined for this bullshit." Olivia mutters, helping me sit down on my bed. I don't reply as she hands me a change of clothes and then gives me a soft hug, the painkillers slowly kicking in and making my dull pain fade. Once I feel a bit better, I wave her off to go home and she reluctantly does.

And my migraine flares when Aakash knocks, entering my room. He's still got his headphones on, and I bite back about thirty insults as he crosses his arms.

"Feel better?"

"No." I huff, "and your precious car is fine."

"Listen, we're pushing you because we need you to be a better driver." The mechanic looks at me, arms taught over his chest and I wish it was still Ami in charge of my comms.

"I don't understand what you want from me!" I shout in frustration, my hand itching to throw my helmet across the room at him. I’m not violent, I never have been, I don’t understand why I’m so short of breath. It feels like the rage in my belly fights to be fed by all the oxygen in my lungs, my hands shaking as he slam my helmet down and punch the plush surface of my bedding.

“Dhanishka—“ Aakash tries and I whip around, pointing at him and watching his face fill with shock as I finally snap under the pressure of the weekend.

“No, listen to me! [You all love Charles, treat him like your golden child! He coughs and you all run to get medicine, but when I am out there and I am struggling and nearly dying, you do nothing! I fought with a broken wing and a fucked up steering wheel and what help did I get?!]” I snap at him in my mother tongue, watching his face fill with something like horror as I step even closer, “[None of you were there for me! You all went to coddle poor Charlie—he was fine! I was the one who suffered for you! Where is my help? You have all done this the whole season!]”

“[Charles was frustrated—]”

I cut Aakash off, screaming, “[And I nearly killed myself out there because none of you would help! Do you think I wasn’t also frustrated?!]”

“Listen, I—“

“Get the fuck out of my room! I’m not doing media! I’m going the fuck back to my hotel.” I snap and Aakash listens, quickly ducking out of the room. I rip off my suit and throw it in my bag and I get changed into my street clothing, only pausing to touch up my makeup. I pass by Charles coming back from podium with a cold shoulder and shove through the crowd to my car, digging out my keys and getting in. I sit there, hands tight on the wheel for a while, and my fingers start to go numb as I feel like my brain is shutting off and going into autopilot.

I just sit back and watch, like a movie goer, as the world around me fades in my mind.

I come back to my senses sharply, knees digging into the tile as I’m sitting on the floor in the bathroom. I can feel the remenants of a panic attack shaking off my limbs, leaving them staticky. My hands shaking at the slamming at the door to my hotel room.

“Isa!”

There’s only one man who calls me that.

I try to shout that I’m gonna let him in but the words are caught in my throat, and I hear him echo and think I’m going crazy as I whine into the bathroom air. Then I realize I’m clutching my phone tight enough to shatter the screen and Logan’s contact is up—blazing bright into my face.

“Lo…?” I wheeze and I hear him pause mid knock before he shuffles and—

“Isa?” He crackles into the phone screen and I nearly sob at the familiarity of his voice.

“I-Give me a second. I’m coming to the door.” I whisper, slowly raising to my feet and stumbling out into the hall as my senses fight to try and come back to me in full. My hands are numb when I un-deadbolt the door and I barely have enough time to step back after I pop the door open. In a flash, Logan is everything around me, tucking me against his chest, his hand carding through my hair, kicking the door shut behind us and sighing softly.

“Oh, Isa—“ He murmurs into my hair and I feel the numbness snap away in favor of tears as I bury into his grasp and sob. I have cried more since starting F1 than I have in my entire life.

“Oh, Isa, I’m so sorry they’ve turned you into me.” Logan presses his hands to either side of my face, lifting me back so I can look at him. I remember how a week ago I was afraid of loving him, how I was terrified I'd lose him, and yet here he was as stubborn and comforting as always.

"I can't do this Logan." I hiccup, letting him bring me into his arms once more, kisses trailing my forehead as he keeps me locked in tight, "I can't take another day of this comparing bullshit! They hate me, all of them in Ferrari. I don't even know if I still have Charles."

"Charles aactually spoke to me this morning about getting you out of Ferrari." Logan murmurs into my hair and I step back, wiping my face as I blink at him.

"What?"

"Ferrari is using you as a way to push Charles up and he hates it. He was seeing who is staying in what teams for next season. Alex might be moving, Williams might have an open seat, and I might've helped to convince them to write 'Dubey' on it." Logan wipes some tears I missed and smiles, kissing my forehead again and I lean into every soft touch of his, "Obviously, they still need to talk to you, but I can set up that meeting if you need help with that."

When I don't reply with words, but rather the quick press of my red lips to his, his eyes widen in shock and a giggle erupts from the back of my throat.

"Have I ever told you that you're amazing?" I whisper, watching blush peek on his cheeks as he wipes a few more tears from my splotchy face and grins.

"A few times, but I don't mind hearing it over and over again.” he grins.

--

f1 made a new post!

liked by oscarpiastri, anyadubey, logansargeant, and 697k others...

f1: hours after it was announced that @ scuderiaferrari is being investigated for mistreatment of @ dhanishkadubey, Dubey announced her departure from the team in the next season, citing 'differing opinions' as the reason for the split.

dhanishkadubey: love u tifosi thank u for an incredible rookie year so far <3

logansargeant: 👀

user1: run girl run

user2: that didn't take long.

charlesleclerc: je te souhaite le meilleur pour ton avenir, petite étoile xx

user3: WAIT?? IS SHE CONTRACTED FOR 2025 BC IT DOESNT SAY SHES LEAVING ENTIRELY??

user4: WHO IS TAKING MY POOKIE.

--

taglist (open, and thank you to those on it now!)

@chasing-liberosis @justsomejess @struggling-with-delia

[startrekfangirl2233-writes]

You're Electric

Dance Like We're Making Love Part 2

Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw x Reader

Description: It takes only a few weeks to completely drive Bradley Bradshaw under you're skin. You want nothing more than to jump him, to feel if the filthy promise in his gaze will be fulfilled by the heat of his skin. So when you wear a sexy little dress to dance practice one night, it's little wonder that you get exactly what you want, and more.

Disclaimers: Female! Reader, Dancing, Sexual Themes, Kissing, UST, Phone Sex

Warnings: This story does not start explicit but does get there. Minors do not interact. This story is 18+.

Word Count: 3911

A/N: Here we go! The sparks fly, quite literally between Rooster and his girl during this installment. It's hot, hot, hot and I hope you all have your men or men-adjacent pleasure aids available because you might need them after this chapter. After all, what's sexier than a mustachio-ed pilot? A mustachio-ed pilot all over you!

AO3: Cross Posted Here!

My Masterlist

Previous Part | Series Masterlist | Next Part

You spend the next few weeks smiling. Even when Bradley's not texting you, you seem to always be thinking of him. You meet him after work at his place again and again to practice and each time you feel the attraction sparking between you more and more. But he never lets you get any closer to him. He just leaves you at your car with more of those toe-curling kisses. You're starting to get really tired of phone sex and you have a feeling that Bradley is too. If you have to fantasize about his mouth and mustache on your skin for one more night, you're going to lose your mind.

You feel completely keyed up, like your skin is too tight for your body. You can't relax and even the orgasms you give yourself provide unsatisfyingly brief periods of relief. The only cure for the itching energy creeping under your skin is Bradley's hands, or his mouth, or his dick. You know he's packing under his pants and you cannot hide how your mouth waters at the thought of having his length down your throat.

It’s with a single goal in mind that you go all out for your next Saturday morning Tango class. You wear a sunny yellow dress with a plunging neckline and a high slit. It's the kind of dress that you can't wear a bra or underwear under. The kind of dress you would never have been bold enough to wear before you met Bradley. A confidence you’ve never felt before inhibits your body as you step out of your car and head to the studio.

You turn heads from the moment you walk through the door. All of a sudden, every groomsman wants to know your name. Men who hadn't looked twice at you just a week before are now looking at you like you're a ten course meal. But you don't care about any of them. Their gazes feel greasy on your skin, while Bradley's hungry gaze makes you feel incredibly sexy.

You can feel his eyes on you as you greet Melissa and catch up a little with the other bridesmaids. You have to dodge a couple of groomsmen as you do so, but it's a small price to pay for the heat and possessiveness in Bradley's gaze. You finally step up to him when Maria asks you to find your dance partner.

"You look beautiful, Tiny." His husky voice suffuses your entire body with heat as he stands near enough that nobody else can hear what he says.

"Tiny?" Your voice is curious as you whisper while Rodrigo and Maria begin the lesson.

"Yeah, baby. Tiny, as in Tiny Dancer, the song by Elton John." You have to stop yourself from jumping him where he stands. Tiny Dancer was Carole Bradshaw’s favorite song, he'd told you just last night. It makes you melt a little, hearing the nickname that feels like an endearment dripping from his tongue.

His fingers glance lightly over yours as the two of you wait your turn to dance. Just like last week, you're intensely aware of every inch of Bradley's form as he stands next to you. But this level of awareness comes with a hunger you've never felt for a man before. It's a hunger Bradley feels too, if the way he paws at your waist when you finally get to dance is any indication. He tugs you into his body a little too close for polite company, using his hands to trail teasing touches over your skin through the thin fabric of your dress.

With each twirl of the dance, Bradley tugs you in closer and closer until you're breathing the same air. The two of you are nearly chest to chest when the music cuts out and jolts you out of your trance. You're staring right into Bradley's eyes, the heat of his gaze dripping through you and settling at the apex of your thighs. Awareness trickles in slowly and you pull your hand from Bradley's before you get questions that you’re not sure you’ll ever have the answer to. You feel flushed, heat settling high on the apples of your cheeks as you retreat to the corner where Will is standing with your legs as shaky as a newborn colt's.

"Are you doing okay over there?" Will’s looking at you with concern naked in his eyes as he says the words. You take a swig from your water bottle and try to think of something to say. 

But you come up short, murmuring, "I dunno, Will," with your voice a breathy whisper.

"You and Bradshaw seem to have ironed out all of your issues, at least, right?" You just have to snort at that. But before you can respond, Rodrigo and Maria are collecting the class together again. So you tuck your water into your bag and walk back over to your partner.

He really looks too good to be true today. The two of you are inadvertently matching today. Bradley's Hawaiian shirt is white and covered in yellow flowers. He's paired the whole ensemble with white dress shoes and white slacks. It's an incredibly sexy look and you have to force yourself to not press your thighs together as you take his outstretched hand.

That's how the remainder of your dance class goes. His hands stay just chaste enough while his eyes shoot filthy promises to you with each glance. It's almost a relief when everyone else files out of the room. It feels like there is finally enough room for you and Bradley and the tension surrounding you both. But before you can drag him to the corner and kiss him until your mind is filled with only him, Maria and Rodrigo are having you resume dancing.

If your veins were filled with molten lava earlier, now they are filled with pure electricity. It zings through your veins at every touch, from the way you can just feel the feathery sensation of Bradley's mustache against your bare neck as he dips you to how you can feel the solid line of him against your ass when he twirls you into his arms. The scent of him surrounds you along with the heat of his skin until all you can feel is Bradley and all you can smell is sweat, musk and spice. He smells so good that you have to tamp down your urge to lick at the line of sweat dripping down his strong neck.

Before you can blink, class is over and Maria and Rodrigo leave you with a reminder to keep practicing. In truth, the only dance you want to do with Bradley Bradshaw is between the sheets. You keep your hands from touching him, because you know that if you start, you won't be able to stop.

"Hey, Tiny." Bradley, obviously doesn't have the same compunctions because he slings one big hand around your waist.

"Rooster." Your voice is playful as you keep packing your things.

"We were pretty good together, right?" You shrug, gasping at the warm wet press of his lips against the top of your shoulder.

"Yeah, we were. Maybe all of that practice has been paying off?" You keep your voice light, ignoring how you can feel his hard length poking into your ass.

"What do you say we practice a little bit more, sweetheart?" He growls the words into your ear, and you can't help but feel happy for his arm still securely around you. If it weren’t there you’re sure your knees would give out.

"Yeah, I could practice a little more." You practically moan the words out.

"Come to mine, now? I'll make you dinner?" You slip away and nod, grabbing your bag as you step under his outstretched arm propping the door open.

"What's on the menu, Roo?" The short-form of his callsign makes his eyes grow dark as he gazes at your pursed lips, still parted the way you said Roo.

"Whatever you want, Tiny." He opens the passenger side of the Bronco for you, and you smile up at him for the sweet gesture.

"What if what I want is you fucking me in this car?" Your voice is brash and confident, the arousal running through your veins making you lose your brain-to-mouth filter.

"This isn't a car, baby! It's The Bronco!" Your laugh fills the cab as you look at the indignation on his face.

"Fine, Roo! You want to fuck me in ‘The Bronco’ then?" You crook your fingers into quotation marks as the name for his car leaves your lips, but drop your hands at the heat in his eyes.

"Imma fuck you in the Bronco, Tiny. Fuck you so hard you're dancing on my cock, mindlessly chasing your own pleasure. And," His palm leaves hot traces over your thighs as he shifts the Bronco into gear and begins to drive, "you're going to love it so much that you're going to get wet the minute you see this car every time after."

His confidence has your heart rate picking up even as arousal pools thicker in your gut. 

"We'll see about that, Rooster." You're teasing him, you know, sitting there with the air conditioning blasting over you and peaking your nipples until they're visible through the fabric of your dress. He knows it too, if the way his hand traces lightly over your thigh is any indication.

By the time Bradley parks in his driveway, you're so turned on that you're sure a single touch will have you coming on the spot. Just as you'd requested, he helps you into the backseat and joins you. For several long moments, you stare at each other. You're caught, captivated by the sun dripping through his curls as it sets over the ocean.

"C'mere Tiny. Been thinking about kissing you since I saw you walk in wearing that dress." You launch yourself into his lap hurriedly, letting your shoes thud to the upholstered floor as you straddle his waist. You dip your head down, trying to catch his lips with your own, but have to stop when his hands slide up to cup your breasts.

"Baby, you're not wearing a bra?" His voice is reverent as he drags his knuckles over the pebbled peaks.

"C-couldn't!" You stutter out while greedily sucking in air. It's a struggle to breathe, your entire body aching for relief even as the object of your desires is mere inches away from you. "You'd see lines under this dress."

"And what about panties, huh, Baby?" Bradley peppers kisses down your throat, his voice reverberating over you as his hands carefully ruck up your dress. Each sliver of your skin exposed to his eyes has you shivering in excitement. Your hips cant unconsciously with each gentle touch until his big hands grip your hips just tight enough to have your eyes snapping open.

"You danced for hours while wearing this sexy little dress, all without wearing panties?!" His voice is awed, even as he draws your pussy lips apart and slides one long, thick finger through your folds. 

"Tiny, baby. You're so wet!" His smile is wicked as he circles your clit lightly before popping his finger into his mouth. "And you taste so good, baby."

You moan at his words, pulling his finger from his lips and lapping at them with your tongue. It tastes so good, your slick and his saliva in combination. His groan at the wet warmth of your mouth has your hips grinding shallowly from where you're perched on his lap. The rough material of his slacks feels so good against you that you can feel yourself growing impossibly wetter.

"God, Tiny. Baby, look at you go. Mmmm, you look so good grinding down on my cock like that." He tugs you in closer, as he growls the words, using his hands to position you against him until you're grinding over the hard length of him. 

Bradley feels so good that you're on the brink of coming within moments. You're panting and babbling, the sounds barely coherent even to you as your brain whites out from the building pleasure sneaking through your veins. The final straw for you, is when you feel two calloused hands expose your breasts and roll your nipples between deft fingers. You come with a scream, slumping against his chest.

"Fuck, darling." You feel the rumble of his voice as you prop yourself up on shaky arms. "Baby, you soaked my pants when you came."

You're blushing, you're sure as you try to cover your face with your hands. You're pretty much naked in his lap and that's what mortifies you? Sure enough when you slip back on his lap, his pristine white slacks are translucent at the crotch, the material clinging to the bulge of his cock.

"Don't get shy on me now, Tiny. C'mere." His hands are gentle as they pull you in, but so is his mouth as he whispers compliments to you. Compliments which he leaves with the softest of kisses on your skin, marking your neck and breasts, arms and wrists with the words until you're sure you are glowing in the stuffy air.

"I can unequivocally say that was one of the sexiest, hottest things I've ever seen." You crash your mouth to his, laughing even as he licks into your mouth. 

"Let's go inside the house, baby. Let me show you just how much I liked seeing you fall apart on me?"

"Sure," you gasp as he laps at one of your nipples, giggling as he slips the straps of your dress up your shoulders again. He tugs the hem of the dress down until you're decent and steps out of the car. But before you step out, he puts your shoes on your feet.

The same electricity which has been coursing through your veins all night is back, the buzzing energy making you ache even though you'd just come minutes ago. The things this man does to you. It's that electricity which has you leaping into Bradley's solid, strong arms the moment the door latches shut behind you.

You kiss him, fiercely, moaning at the feeling of his mustache against your skin. This time, your dress comes off fully, leaving you bare in his arms in his foyer. His mouth is everywhere at once, and if you could think, you'd wonder how Bradley is doing that, how he can make you feel so good without a single curl out of place.

You feel hot all over and all you want is Bradley. You're chanting his name as he sucks on your nipples. You barely notice that you're moving at all, at least until your back makes contact with cool cotton and his hot hands leave your skin.

"Bradley?" Your voice is quiet, hushed, as you look up at the Adonis you want to ravish you.  He's shed his shirt and has a look on his face that you've never seen on another man, his whiskey eyes dark as they drink in your mussed hair, perked nipples and puffy, wet cunt.

"God, Tiny. You're so beautiful, baby doll. Been thinking about you like this since the day we met. All I've wanted to do since that day was get my mouth on your pretty skin. But you have to tell me what you want, baby." 

You keen at his words, at the naked adoration dripping through his tone.

"Roo!" You kneel on the edge of the bed and pull him in by the belt loops. "I want you, Roo. I want your hands and your mouth and your big dick. Roo, I want them everywhere." You drag his hands to your dripping cunt, mewling as he presses one thick, long finger into you. "God, yes, please. Want to feel you on my skin for days after this. Want to remember how you feel."

"Baby, Tiny." Braldey's groaning into your ears as you rub his length with your hands. "I thought you wanted to go slow."

"Fuck going slow," You gasp at the way his teeth drag across your nipples. "I need you now, Roo."

"I gotta open you up, baby." He sounds just as strung out as you feel.

"I fucked myself with a dildo before class, Roo. It was at least as big as you. Maybe bigger. Just put your dick in me, baby, please!" You're writhing under him, drunk on the sensation of him on you.

You sob when his skin leaves yours, gooseflesh rising as the cool air of the room hits your superheated skin. But your sobs soon melt into a relieved gasp turned moan as Bradley finally buries his length in you. The blunt pressure of his cock makes your mouth part in a silent scream. You were wrong. He's way bigger than your favorite dildo. His length brushes against your sweet spot and when his hips begin to slowly piston and in and out of you, you see stars.

"Fucked yourself with a dildo, huh, sweet girl? At least as big as me, sweet girl? Maybe bigger?" His voice is a growl, his fingers gripping your hips so tightly that you're likely going to be bruised in the morning.

Your fingers scrabble for purchase on his broad shoulders, digging in hard enough that you're sure you're leaving marks. But you don't care about that right now. You're getting what you wanted. His eyes are gentle, in complete contrast to the sharp motions of his hips and you tug him weakly down for a kiss. Bradley’s hands are even gentler as he kisses you, and you gasp as his hips still. 

His weight feels amazing over your body, his mouth searching as he feathers kisses across your face and chest.

“Why’d you stop, Roo?” Your voice is breathy and a little whiny as you run your fingers gently along the welts already forming on his shoulders from your too tight grip.

“Baby, sweetheart?” His lips are bitten red when you can finally see his face.

“Yeah, Roo. M’right here.” There’s something unreadable in his gaze. 

“Am I being too rough with you, sweetheart?” 

“I’m a big girl, Bradley. I can take it. I asked for it, remember?” That unreadable expression has taken over his entire face. “What’s going on, Roo?”

“I’ve been told before that I’m too rough in bed.” Your gasp is understanding, even as Bradley pulls out of you and you shiver at the loss of his skin on yours.

“Roo. Come on. Look at me?” He’s got one thick arm draped over his forehead, and if you were more artistically inclined you’d want to sketch him on the spot. He looks like a work of art with the sunlight slanting over his bare hips, and shining over the slick painting his hard length.

When he doesn’t move, you drape yourself over his chest, humming happily at the feeling of his arm curling securely around you.

“If you’re ever too rough with me, I’ll tell you. And you weren’t too rough just now. I asked for it and you gave me exactly what I wanted.” You’re pouting as you kiss his collar bones. “I was so close to coming too, when you stopped.”

But you’re more than content to feed the electricity in your veins and relish in the comfort of his touch. 

“M’sorry, Tiny. Guess I really killed the mood, huh?” 

“You didn’t kill the mood, Roo. I’m happy you told me. This thing between us,” You trail your fingers over his pec, “is just as much about your pleasure as it is about mine. So however fast or rough you want to be, I accept it. It turns me on, when you’re a little rough, Roo.”

“It does?” But you don’t even get to nod at his statement before you find yourself on your stomach on his cool clean sheets. Your ass is being carefully cradled in his hands as he kisses your wet pussy. Each lap of his tongue makes you shove your hips back further into his grasp until he groans and begins to eat you out in earnest. That’s when you cum again, your fingers clutching so tightly to the sheets that your joints are white with the pressure and your mind is consumed by pleasure. You grin at the feeling of his lips against your bare shoulder, humming as he tugs you up onto your knees. 

“Can you cum again, Tiny?” His hands are gentle as they map your torso, cupping your breasts tenderly.

“Only if this time you cum with me, Bradley.” You gasp at the insistent nudge of his cock, moaning as it presses into you.

“I can do that, beautiful.” This time, it feels different. Bradley’s murmuring sweet nothings into your skin, and your orgasm builds and builds. You’ve never felt so cherished, so wanted before. It has your head spinning, your need clouding your mind and loosening your tongue. Each sharp thrust has moans spilling out of your mouth. You feel like your skin is too tight, the slow pistoning of his hips into you sending your orgasm further and further out of your reach. Until, that is, his hands slip down to trace circles ever so gently over the swollen nub of your clit. You cum with a scream, your walls fluttering with the intensity. It feels like you’re underwater, wave after wave of feelings crashing over your body until they finally, finally subside to a relaxed, bone-deep weariness.  

You come back to yourself to the feeling of a warm damp cloth dragging gently over you skin and the feeling of kisses pressed all over the bare expanse of your back. You feel cherished and indescribably gorgeous. It’s all because of the man who holds you close as he pulls the sheets over you both.

“That was…” In truth you don’t have the words, you’re still lost in the onslaught of sensations only Bradley Bradshaw has ever been able to pull from your body.

“I should feel flattered, right, Tiny? That I’m so good in bed that it steals the words from your head?” You have to laugh at that, silencing him by pulling him into a kiss. It’s gentle, the heat between you dissipating into sleepy, languid, softness.

“Let me make you dinner, baby?” You peck his cheek, the one with the scar, and sit up.

“After a shower, Roo?” You hold your hand out imperiously, waggling your fingers until you’re being caged between cold tile and Bradley Bradshaw with hot water raining over you both.

“You’re killing me, Tiny. I’ve been thinking about you since Greg and Sophie introduced us. How am I supposed to keep my hands off of you now? And when we have an entire wedding to get through?” You can barely hear him with the hiss of the water cascading down.

You kiss him softly. “You don’t have to keep your hands off me during dance class. And, for every social event we have to do together, if you’re good, I’ll meet you back here and give you a blow job. Does that sound like a plan?”

You don’t get a response, because your words are swallowed by his kiss. It’s still up in the air what you and Bradley Bradshaw are to each other. Hopefully it’s enough that you have until the wedding and after it as well, to figure that out.

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[gayuu-the-necromancer]

Chapter 9

You Must Not Fall In Love...

Victor: "Come along, Miss Robin. Don't stray away from me, okay?"

Victor: "If the darkness of the castle engulfs you, you may not be able to come back."

We parted from the Crown members and I followed Sir Victor, who leads me into the hallway.

Kate: "Yes, Sir Victor."

Victor: "Just call me Victor. It makes me sad that you only call Wiliam by his first name."

(....William and this person are both clearly of high rank, and asking me to call your names without a title is a little)

Kate: "....Okay. Please guide me, Victor."

(I feel so rude)

Victor: "This is the common room. This is where everyone drinks, plays, parties, and holds strategy meetings."

Victor: "Oh and don't touch the glass on the third shelf from the top, the one on the left. Dangerous things will pop out."

(What will pop out....? Blades? Pistol?)

Victor: "This is Roger's laboratory and infirmary and if you are injured, this is where you will be treated."

Victor: "Crown's mission is fraught with danger. But fortunately, we are all still alive and well. Miraculously."

(Does this mean that life-threatening missions are a daily occurrence....?)

Victor: "This is the hall. Balls and soirée are held here, but the castle is unique and guests are rarely invited."

Victor: "We also employ a small number of elite servants, people we trust."

Victor: "To protect the secret you've come to know."

(Why was the mansion unlocked when they are going to such lengths to keep it a secret....?)

Victor: "And finally, this is your room."

Kate: "Huh...?"

We were shown to a room that was clean, white and classy as if it were inhabited by the upper class.

Kate: "Did someone live here before?"

Victor: "No. While you were being introduced to everyone, I instructed the servants to prepare a room for you."

(In such a short time! I didn't even feel the presence of a servant....)

Kate: "...Ah."

Suddenly, I spot a typewriter on the desk and my voice leaks out.

Kate: "How did you know I use a typewriter?"

No one was supposed to know that I had been practicing for months to be able to do substitute writing work as well.

Victor: "Oh really? I didn't know that. I just thought it would be useful to write the report. Looks like another coincidence."

Victor blinked at me curiously and then looked at me meaningfully.

Victor: "Miraculous coincidence happened twice....on the same day."

(Two coincidences...?)

Victor: "I feel like it's fate that you're here."

Victor: "Anyways, it's not good to stay in a young lady's room too long. Ring the bell there if you need anything."

Victor: "Your personal maid will be at your service. Oh, and instructions are in writing."

Kate: "....Thank you for everything, I understand."

Victor: "Then again, not a few of the Crown guys are immoral."

Victor: "Letting someone into your room could be tantamount to surrendering your body, so be discreet."

(The last thing I want is someone to attack me....)

(I don't see them as being that hungry for women though....)

Kate: "Okay, I'll keep that in mind."

Victor: "Let me conclude by saying thank you."

Kate: "Thank you?"

Victor: "Yeah....thank you for talking to us."

Kate: "....No no. I'm just doing this for myself."

Victor: "Yet, you still tried to have a chat with us even after you saw the scene with your own eyes."

Victor: "And you also think we're all reasonable people, don't you?"

Victor: "....Since you're you, I'll give you one piece of advice."

Victor: "After a month, if you want to get back to your normal life....don't let them take over your heart."

Kate: ".....Why not?"

Victor: "Well, the cursed ones are destined for their tragic end."

Victor: "If you wish to have the kind of happiness that pure maidens dream of, do not fall in love with them."

(Love...)

The outlandish story baffles me.

Kate: "I didn't think like that...."

Kate: "But, my duty here is just to prove that I'm trustworthy and go home."

Victor: "....Suits you, who have free wings."

While nodding, Victor narrowed his eyes dazzlingly.

Victor: "Nevertheless...if you still choose to share your fate with them, then..."

Victor: "Darkness will gladly welcome you."

My body trembled at his fascinating smile.

Victor: "....Goodnight, Kate."

Kate: "Goodnight, Victor."

Like that, my sinful life began with the sound of the door slowly closing.

If life were a fairy tale, it would have been easy to be happy...we don't have to do anything we aren't allowed to do.

For example...a forest you must not enter, a door you must not open, a secret you must not know.

And...a love you must not fall for.

However, the world of darkness that suddenly appeared invites me to peek into the abyss.

What would happen to my heart and body if I touched those beckoning fingertips?

I have a definite feeling that something will change decisively.

What lies beyond breaking the 'don't do' taboo.

I still don't know yet.

[crying-cinderella]

A long-awaited update for "London Calling" Chapter13 has been long in the making, but it's finally here! The TL;DR version of life is on A03- the somewhat lengthier version is here: Long-Covid is no joke. And here we thought we'd all be over it by now. While both arms and wrists and fingers and all of that have made a full functional recovery, I had another spill that set me back a bit in late April. (Nothing broken this time, because toes don't count) but enough to keep me out of commission for a while. It's difficult to get steady lasting work when you've got crappy chronic fatigue amongst other issues. And yes, I've got a really good- albeit way over-worked- disability attorney working with me to try and file...the first filing was rejected because this state doesn't recognize 'fallout from long-covid' (lay-terms) as a valid form of disability. Nevermind the cardiac incidences and the TIA. We're working on it. I've moved houses/residences again. The upside is it's back to the original place I started. My ex-non-spice-spouse-ex-current-semi-partner... that's an even longer story- has graciously given the house we used to share back to me. And he drops in once or twice a week to check on me. It's a very, very complicated situation. That I just don't have the energy to get into. Still working on finishing that non-FF-novella. Still tweaking the formatting for e-pub/self-e-pub. The novella itself is finished, has been edited, proofed, etc. But because it doesn't have chapters- and reads like a fictional memoir told in two timelines- the present happening and the protagonist's flashbacks of what's happened- it's difficult to find a formatting guide that suits what I have. If anyone has any recommendations for how to format a non-chapterized work of fiction for e-pub...please let me know. (Still basically flipping a coin on Smashwords vs Amazon too.) This chapter of London Calling is sort of the wind-up. I think. Chapter 14 is fleshed out, but I still have limited technology. (When you're not getting steady work...replacing your laptop among other things becomes a low-low-priority.) I do, however, know now how this story ends. And if it comes together the way I suspect it will...then I think we're looking at 19 chapters. This Chapter that went live today is just over 13,000 words. So I apologize for the length. I hope you're all enjoying life! Thank you all for your continued support! https://ko-fi.com/cryingcinderella

[luckynumberg]

You end how you start

Have you ever read a book and left it to take dust right before the last chapter? And have you felt like you would've been better off doing that than reading the mediocre or unsatisfactory or just dogshit ending?

That second one stings more, because you were invested: you wanted to see the perfect ending to the perfect story and then what you got was so disappointing it may as well have spoiled the entire thing for you. If you've seen the last episodes of "how I met your mother" you know that feeling well I'm sure. I know that's what I'm thinking of, anyway.

But would you have been able to go on without knowing what happened at the end? Could you have managed to put that book down, not watch those final moments, not know what happened next? I know I couldn't, and that's past tense for a reason. I've had the displeasure to live a story that wasn't given an ending: middle of the second act, happiness, sadness, tension, drama, beauty and all of a sudden the credits roll.

No chance to see what came next, not for me, I was shut out of the theatre and the show was over. What do you do without an ending? Did they find their happiness? Could it have been fixed? Who was the villain? Could it have been like I wished it to be? Why did it happen like this?

That's the biggest question of all: why. If that's what you're left with when those unexpected credits roll then you weren't just watching, you were so engrossed you may have as well have been part of it all. And we all know that a shitty ending, even when you do get one, is one that pushes things forward leaving questions unanswered. Like "how I met your mother", for example.

We're very much focused on beginnings, in life, but we're scared shitless by endings. But that's what we need to function: closure, something to make sense of what happened, to answer those whys that we're inevitably left with so that even when the ending isn't one that we like we can at least make it make sense.

We crave sense, meaning, logic in the things that happen to us; our minds go to quite literal insane lengths to answer questions we cannot. And since in life the credits never roll, that meaning is what we need to take the ending we were given and start again with its pieces. "You end how you start," and you cannot start to put together a puzzle you do not have the pieces of.

I find myself making a request here: please, whatever your situation and your reasons may be, if you have to end things give reasons. To your partner, to your family, to your friends, to the people that love you and even yourself: give these people the blessing that are your motivations so that they can make sense of something that will be inevitably hard to accept (and for the love of all that's holy be honest, otherwise it won't do the trick). There may be anger and tears and screams to be had, but they will all make sense in due time thanks to the fact others know the reasons behind your choices.

Thank you, and I hope you can live life with good endings throughout. You can't end if you don't start, and can't start if you don't finish what you started. "Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do. [...] Do said twice, twice..."

[theravenclawlover]

Welcome to the Industry of Porn

Paring: Avengers X Female!Reader

Warnings: +18, heavy smut, drinking, slight angst in later chapters, fluff if you squint, and my English as usual.

Word Count: 3,101.

Summary: AU where the Avengers are Pornstars. It’s pretty self-explanatory.

Chapter: 6.

Chapter Title: Metal Fingers and Flexible Girl.

A/N: I gotta admit, I did a lot of changing for this chapter. That's why it took me so long to get it ready, and also I've been actually reading from the stack of books I have. I finally got around to finishing "The Outsider" by Stephen King, I liked it.

"You gotta be shitting me?" said Cassie as she looked at you incredulously while a small grin played on her lips.

"Why are you making it sound like it's a bad thing," said Bucky as he raised his hands in the air, but then he grinned, "I am really good at my job, thank you very much."

"Jerk," said Cassie as she rolled her eyes at him.

"Nobody's questioning your job, I just didn't think Stark was going to be putting me with the ones that have more time here? I thought maybe the other way around. You know what I mean?" you said as you looked around with your cheeks turning a bit red.

"Oh, so you wanted easy, like Spidey or maybe even Scott?" asked Natasha as she laid her head on Steve's thighs. The man blushed lightly as one of his hands went to her hair. They had told you that they weren't dating, but you and Cassie—even Bucky—were eighty-five percent sure something was up.

You blushed a little as you nodded but you shrugged not sure if telling them that it didn't matter or yourself.

"It doesn't really matter, but it was my way of thinking like 'baby steps'. But I think I'll be fine with Robocop over there," you said you stuck your tongue at him which turned into a smile. He rolled his eyes at the overused nickname, but he couldn't help himself but smile when you did.

He just knew it was going to be fun.

When the morning came to officially start working at Avengers, you woke up feeling a little bit nervous, yet a weird wave of excitement came with it and you were sure why. You've seen the man naked more times than you can count with both your hands, and you knew what he could do; you've seen that from your phone and from that one time you got to see Steve and Bucky go at it, granted, it had been a little because they used that prosthetic hand that looked somewhat real—he liked his metal one better after he grew to see it as a good thing and not a bad thing. You were nervous because you were only a couple of hours away from having the man fuck you in front of cameras, but the excitement was because the man was about to fuck you not just with his dick, no, those fingers were more than ready to be inside of you and that was enough motivation to get your body ready.

You walked into the kitchen to find Wanda, Natasha, Cassie, Peggy, and Gamora eating breakfast as they conversed.

"…that way the outfits don't clash, oh hey sleepy head, good morning," said Cassie as she saw walk toward the pantry door.

"Morning, what were you guys talking about?" you asked as you took out your favorite cereal.

"Cassie has this idea for our photoshoot tomorrow, and is pitching the idea to us before she goes to the makeup and costume department," said Gamora in her soft yet hard voice.

"Oh, fun," you said as you set your bowl on the kitchen island and took a seat between Wanda and Cassie.

"Are you nervous to get Barnes all to yourself," asked Peggy with a salacious grin. You shifted on your stool as all eyes turned to you.

"Nervous, but I'm sure I'm not the only one that's probably gotten a little nervous about having a one on one with him," you said with a small shrug.

"You are the first one aside from Rogers to get to fuck him as a one on one. Sure, we all have fucked Barnes once or twice but there's always more people involved," said Natasha as she sipped her orange juice. You stared at her with wide eyes at the new information.

"So that's why he was all grins last night," said Cassie as an afterthought.

"Well, now I'm even more nervous."

"Just think about his metal hand and you'll be fine." Peggy still held that damn salacious grin.

"Alright, we are going to pick up the scene from the point you open the door."

Anthony and Joe were both talking to you and Bucky as they directed the new scene which was the one that contained the sex scene that you had been dreading yet awaiting with utmost want.

"So, we're good?" asked Joe a last time before heading to his directing chair. You and Bucky nodded and then walked to your positions.

"Silence in set…and…ACTION!"

You opened the unlocked door of the apartment, gun in hand as you were ready to fire in case anyone jumped to attack you. Your eyes roamed the room quickly and noticed that it was clear, but something told you that the whole apartment was not. You had been sent to follow one of the many leads SHIELD had on the Winter Soldier. With cautious steps, you moved around the room and checked any room that you thought he could be, but as you moved to walk past the kitchen a foot knocked your gun off your hand. Before you could fight back, the man you had been looking for tackled you to the clear space of the living room. You grunted as you landed on your side, but quickly recovered and elbowed the man on the face. It startled him for a second, but it was enough for you to push him with your feet as you turned on your back. He landed backwards but his hand was right next to your gun which he grabbed and aimed at you, but you quickly kicked it back and sent it to the kitchen behind him. And then your knee met his jaw. You ran past him toward the kitchen to grab your gun, but the man got up faster than you could run, and he grabbed you by the waist and dragged you to the kitchen island where he threw you against, making you let out a grunt as your tummy connected with the border of it.

"Who the fuck are you and what do you want?" he growled right next to your ear which made you shiver.

"I was just sent here to be of help, Captain America has been looking for you for a while now," you said as you struggled under him. He was pressing his whole body on top of yours while his metal hand took a hold of your head from slamming it against his face.

"Fuck the guy a couple of times and now he wants to bring him to his place," he said with almost a chuckle in the back of his throat.

"Fine, don't come with me but there are others that are also looking for you and I'm sure they will not be as nice and good looking as me," you said as you relaxed under him because you were starting to ache all over. Sensing your body relax made him relax which had his hips lower down to touch your ass.

"is that a gun or are you actually happy to see me?"

The man groaned as you pushed your ass against his groin. He grabbed ahold of your hair and pulled your head back that way you were able to see his face.

"Don't do that," he growled so close to your face that some of his spit landed on your cheeks, but you couldn't help the wicked grin that spread on your lips as your eyes looked at his dark ones that made his deep blue eyes a lot more alluring.

"Why? Am I getting you too excited, Soldier?" you pushed yourself harder against him and this time he pushed back. It made him close his eyes momentarily at the friction, but you had seen it and it had sent a ridiculous amount of slick down to your underwear.

"You wouldn't be able to handle me, princess." He had meant it to sound like a warning, but it only made you take it as a challenge.

"Trust me, you won't hurt me, I'm a big girl."

It seemed it had been enough teasing for the man because as soon as you said those words with the dirtiest grin directed at him, he turned you around and pulled you into a bruising kiss. He still had you pinned down which made it impossible for you to roam your fingers through his long hair, and the kiss had you practically moaning with need.

"Only a kiss and you ready to be on your knees," he said as he literally pushed you down to be on your knees. You happily waited for him to take his cock from its tight confinement.

"You're probably not that big, sweetheart," you said in a mocking tone, and you knew you were just making the man build up until he snapped and used you in all the ways he wanted.

He didn't respond with his words, but rather with the presence of his cock right in front of your face.

"Nothing to say now? Open up, princess," he practically purred with a grin as you obediently did. Your eyes followed the movement of his hand as he grabbed the thick and long cock and guided the tip of it inside your waiting mouth and tongue.

The dirtiest, sluttiest, and neediest sound erupted from your throat as the taste of his pre-cum touched your taste buds. You grabbed the base of his cock as your other hand grabbed his balls while your mouth eagerly sucked him off.

"Fuck, someone's eager," he gasped with his head thrown back as your mouth had him in the clouds.

His hands were on your hair as he helped you down his cock when you started to take him down your throat and his eyes were on you. But when you looked up at him, he could've cum, because your eyes were teary, a little red, cheeks red, sweaty, and your lips were wrapped around the girth and length of his cock.

With a whine as you sucked on his tip, he pulled you up before he could cum, and you stumbled a little as he turned you on your stomach and bent you over the same spot you had been previously pinned. His big hands roamed your body before both hands landed a nice smack to each asscheek which made you yelp but at the same time, your ass was ready for more if he wanted. Instead, he took a hold of your pants and dragged them down your legs, revealing the soaked garment of your underwear. He pulled your legs apart and kneeled down, his hands—one cold and one warm—spread your cheeks open, and as you bit your lips expectantly, his tongue met your soaked sex. You moaned as his tongue greedily explored your lower lips. He was eating you out like a starved man, tongue lapping at you, lips sucking the best he could, but the second you saw stars was when the cold hand that was helping him spread your cheeks for him, slowly made a path down your thigh and then up toward your clenching hole. You were moaning, your head kept lolling to the side as if you couldn't find a comfortable position, and your hands were clawing at the flat marble while your eyes were shut tight. But when his cold metallic fingers started to tease you as he lapped at your tight asshole, you shrieked at the harsh contrast from all the warmth that you were feeling.

"Oh fuck, please," you whined as his metal fingers kept teasing you, never fully dipping inside of you.

"So needy," said the brunet as he smirked when he pulled back to see how his fingertips glistened from the silk he was collecting. You whined when you felt his hands leave you, but then you moaned when two of his fingers plunged inside of you with a slow thrust which made you feel the stretch more than if he had just gone for it.

"You take my fingers so good, doll," he groaned as he saw how your pussy sucked his fingers in greedily. He was obsessing over the sounds you were making, the way your slick dripped down whenever his fingers tried to pull back, the way your legs were quivering as you tried to keep steady, and the way you kept muttering things to either him or yourself had him grinning like a mad man. He was obsessing over how much he wanted to grab you and fuck you senseless, but not before you came around his fingers. Good thing you were close.

"That's it, gorgeous, cum around my fingers, I bet they feel really good," he said before he gave a bit to the lower part of your asscheek which made you yelp, but it might have also been because of the ways his fingers picked up speed. You tried with all your might to keep your legs open, but when all the build-up finally snapped, your knees buckled under you. The Soldier noticed before you could collapse, kept you steady, and his fingers moved so fast that the squealing of your pussy drowned the shriek that came out of you when you came around his fingers.

"Fuck, doll, that's it," he grunted as some of your cum landed on his lips and cheeks due to the rapid motion of his fingers. He waited until you were breathing alright before he pulled his fingers out of you. He stood up and turned you around, your eyes were hooded, and a small smile was on your lips.

"Open up, princess." You opened your mouth obediently as his soaked fingers went for your mouth. You moaned obscenely when the taste of you was on your tongue, and your eyes never broke contact with him as he stared at the way you sucked his fingers off like you had his cock not long ago.

He picked you up and sat you on the kitchen island, and he positioned himself between your opened legs and pulled you down for another bruising kiss. You pulled back as he took the rest of your clothes off while your hands did the same to him. In no time both of you were fully naked and panting into each other's mouth. He pushed you back against the cold marble, your legs wide open for him and he grabbed ahold of one of your legs while with his other hand grabbed his cock to tease your sensitive sex.

"Look at you—" he inserted the tip of his cock which made you whine at the stretch it gave, "—you've only had my mouth and my tongue and you're already dazed out. You sure you can take my cock, baby girl?"

"How about you fuck me already, all this talk is making me believe you're scared your cock won't be enough," you said as you held a glare that only made the man growl and push the rest of his thick cock inside of you.

You both groaned loudly, and not letting you adjust to his size, the man started to savagely thrust into you, one leg held by his metal hand while your other legs hung in the air. You took ahold of it, and pull it down from your ankle, that way you spread yourself even more.

"Fuck, look at that—" the man let go of your leg "—hold it too."

You obeyed, and now you held your legs wide almost like a full split while the Soldier grabbed you by the waist while he proceeded to bury his cock with a hard and deep pace. His eyes were glued to the sight of his whole cock going in to then come out fully slicked of your juices. You looked at him to see how his eyes roamed your pussy and his dick which made you blush but due to your already flushed skin, it went unnoticed. It seemed he was hypnotized by you, and with that in mind, you pulled your legs down to the point you were now doing a full split on the kitchen island.

"Oh fuck," he whined as the sight of you became too much for his mind to withhold. He was fucking you harshly and you could only take it all and before you knew it, you were cumming with a shout of a 'shit' as you struggled to keep your legs spread while two of his fingers found your clit.

The man was speaking but just watching you squirm, moan, whine, and curse while you came around his cock. He couldn't hold his own orgasm anymore and after a couple of harsh thrusts, he pulled out, and with the loud grunt, he came all over your spread legs, torso, and a little over your tits.

You kept your legs spread like that for a minute as you came down from your own high.

"You know, I still need to bring you in," you said as you slowly shifted into a sitting position. The man only stood in front of you, eyes roaming your body, looking at your cum-covered body.

"He thinks because I'm now free of HYDRA's control I'm going to go with him and try to be better?" he asked with an annoyed expression, "there's nothing aside from him there."

"That's not entirely true," you tilted your head with a grin on your lips, "as far as I'm concerned, now we are friends, and by the way, I'm Agent Violet."

"You make it sound like you fuck your friends," he said with a huff for a laugh as he approached you.

"Well," you shrugged as he pecked your lips, "we just like to enjoy the moment."

"You really know how to sell what your selling."

"CUT," shouted Joe, "print it, that's in."

"That was perfect you two," said Anthony as he approached you and Bucky while both of you were handed a robe which you took with a smile.

"Thank you."

"No need for a reshoot later, the rest of the day should just be the other scenes and we'll call it a day until tomorrow," said Joe as he stood next to Antony.

He let both you and Bucky go and get clean up before the next scene.

By the end of the day, you were ready to collapse on your bed and sleep till the next morning. Which you weren't sure if you were ready for, after all, Thor was a bigger guy than Bucky.

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[kaiparker-avengerssmut]

Their Doll 14

Sweetheart

B.Barnes x Stark!Reader, S.Rogers x Stark!Reader

series synopsis:  y/n Stark, all records of her non existent, and yet Hydra still find her. When she is kidnapped by a certain super-soldier and no one believes her, she finds herself searching for unexpected familiarity in her not-so-distant past.

Series Warnings: smut, violence, torture, swearing

Chapter Summary: y/n and Steve have some time alone

Warnings: smut, lots of smut. Sweet sex. Maybe some swearing, knowing me there’s probably some

A/n: The timeline in this has been altered, as there I things I wanted to include but I also wanted this fic to follow the storyline/timeline of Winter Soldier and Civil war.So for purposes of this fanfic, Peter Parker was discovered by Tony at a much younger age - when he was bitten - and has been an intern with him since, almost like a protégée.(For the purposes of this story Peter was bitten much younger too - more like when he was 9 or ten rather than 14/15)

Masterlist | Series Masterlist

"Hey, sweetheart." Steve grinned, pulling y/n into a quick kiss as she walked down to breakfast. She gave him a warm smile, leaning onto his touch as Steve wrapped and arm over her shoulders and pulled y/n into him.

"What just happened?" Clint mused, a frown settling on his face as his eyes flicked between the two of them. Nat quirked a brow, Thor smiled like and idiot and Tony rolled his eyes.

"I- I think they just kissed." Bruce supplied, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Finally." Nat muttered, pushing her food around her plate. Thor was still grinning, the curl of his lips boyish.

"What are you so happy about?" Steve asked, brows raised but tone playful.

"Just the fact that Tony here," Thor clapped Tony on the shoulder, "owes me 100 dollars now." Thor confessed, Tony's unamused expression making everyone laugh. Of course y/n's came out silent.

"You bet how long it'd take us to get together?" Steve inquire, and Tony smirked.

"No, I bet you wouldn't get the balls to ask her out because you're frigid and have no clue how to talk to women." He explained.

"I talk to Nat!" Steve countered.

"Nat doesn't count, she's a coworker. And most probably gay." Tony said flatly, and Nat merely shrugged when Steve looked to her for help.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Clint asked after the silence had ensued the room. Tony began to speak but Thor cut him off, earning the Asgardian God a glare.

"We're going to find Bucky." He said optimistically. Y/n instantly perked up, eyes flickering between the super soldier sat beside her and her dad across the table.

"What? Don't look at me!" Steve exclaimed, hands held up in surrender. Tony breathed a heavy sigh.

"That's not what we're doing. Finding my daughter's HYDRA escapade is merely a bonus, and that's if you could even call it that." Tony dismissed and y/n sent him a look at could kill. "Today, we are invading a HYDRA base, so I want everyone on their best behaviour." Tony said, eyeing up the avengers in the room. "And you're not coming." He added hastily, pointing a finger at y/n.

"How come?" Nat asked for her.

"Y/n has already been kidnapped by HYDRA twice, I don't feel like it's a good idea to give them the opportunity for a third time." Steve answers before Tony could.

"What is it with everyone and talking over me today?!" Tony complained, pushing back from his seat and dumping his empty coffee mug in the sink. "Meet at the quinjet at 12." Tony turned to leave, not even making it to the door before he was turning around to face steve and y/n again. "And you're not coming either." He said pointedly at the super soldier.

"Wha- why not?!"

"Because of your emotional attachment. I can't have you freaking out and falling onto a river again just because you had some minor nostalgia." Tony said dramatically.

"That's not what happened." Steve defended.

"Close enough." Tony waved off, leaving the room without another word.

...

"How are you?" Steve asked, perching himself beside y/n on the sofa whilst placing the bowel of popcorn on the coffee table.

Shit. We should be with them.

"I know, Doll. I know." Steve sighed, sinking back into the cushions and slinging an arm over the back of the sofa, behind y/n.

I just feel guilty.

"I get it, trust me, I do. I spent years feeling like this before I got the serum. I changed my form five times before Dr Erskine found me." Steve admitted, placing a soft kiss on y/n's cheek as a method of reassurance. "Now," he spoke after a moment, "what are we watching?"

Y/n grinned at that. She'd been catching Steve up with all the movies he'd missed, and at the same time checking out a few of the ones she'd missed in the four years she was with HYDRA.

A classic, one of my personal favourite movies. Or at least it was.

"And what is this movie called, darling?" It was that moment that y/n pressed play, eyes lighting up with excitement when the film begun to play. When the title screen flashed, Steve smiled slightly, having heard of the movie from all the avengers. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone flashed on the screen, y/n smile widening at the familiar words.

We're not stopping until we finish all 8 movies, just so you know.

Steve shook his head playfully. They'd been told the mission would last a few days, maybe even a week.

"Good thing Tony has lots of popcorn then." Steve muttered, settling back into the couch as y/n curled against his hard chest.

They barely began the fourth movie before Steve's hands were wandering slightly, skimming over y/n's thighs and tracing small circles into her skin with his thumbs. His lips kissed along the back of her neck, up to her ear.

Y/n turned her head slightly, giving steve a questioning look. He have her a mischievous smile, dipping his head down to her neck and continuing to kiss the smooth skin. Y/n gasped when his lips hovered over the scar, lightly brushing over the raised skin.

"M'bored." He mumbled, hands inching even higher until they skimmed the bottom of her shorts. Y/n let out soft sighs, leaning into Steve's touch. Her eyes fluttered closed, mouth open in a silent moan when his thumb slipped into her shorts and brushed over her now damn panties. He smirked against her skin. "Looks like someone's not so bothered about finishing the movies anymore." He murmured.

Y/n turned around quickly in his lap, connecting their lips in a desperately slow kiss. Steve moaned against her mouth, hand travelling up to tangle in her hair whilst his other hand grasped her thigh and hooked it over his lap, so that y/n was straddling him. Her arm intertwined around his neck when she felt the bulge pressing between her legs, pressing down against it and grinding her hims.

Steve groaned, detaching his lips from hers and trailing them along her jaw, her neck, pulling down y/n's shirt collar slightly to kiss at her collar bone. Y/n threw her head back, hands grasping the bottom of Steve's t-shirt and tugging it over his head. Steve broke away from her for only the time it took to get his shirt over his head before his lips were latched to her skin again, teeth nibbling lightly at her collar bone before his kisses were trailing back up to her ear.

"Are you sure this is okay?" He breathed, biting her earlobe lightly. Y/n nodded, hands trying to find the bottom of her own shirt. Steve pulled away, hands cupping both her cheeks and forcing y/n to look into his eyes. "Are you sure this is okay?" He asked sternly, but his nose brushing hers affectionately said otherwise.

Y/n remained eye contact, nodding slowly so he understood. A massive smile spread over Steve's face, his lips connecting with her's in a passionate kiss, mostly teeth and tongue.

Before they new it, clothes were gone and Steve remained in only his briefs, kneeling on the floor in front of y/n. He picked up her leg, placing a soft kiss to her ankle, then her calf, then her knee. Finally, he reached her core, where he placed a teasing kiss over her clothed clit that made y/n buck her hips up.

"None of that." Steve chuckled, pressing an arm to her stomach to keep y/n's hips pinned to the sofa. He moved away, kissing the inside of her thighs teasingly while she gasped and sighed above him. Steve smirked against her, hooking his thumbs into the waistband of her panties before slowly pulling her down her legs.

Steve buried himself between her thighs, eating y/n out like she was his last meal and he was a man starved. Y/n's mouth was permanently open, the lewd moans she would be making substituted with silence as Steve's tongue lapped around her clit, down to her entrance and back up again.

It had been nearly a month since y/n returned from hell, and they hadn't done much more than kiss. Y/n and Steve had decided to keep their relationship secret for a while, knowing that it may stun a couple of their teammates and not to mention how unpredictable Tony's reaction was.

As much a steve wished he could hear y/n moaning - no screaming - his name, Steve was just happy that he could finally get a taste of the girl he loved. Of course, she didn't know his feeling ran quite that deep yet. He moaned into her core, her taste, her sweetness, one he could devour for hours and still be unsatisfied. One of the things spurring him on were Bruce's words: in a few months, her voice should start to return.

Y/n came with a sinful arch to her back, and Steve happily lapped up everything she gave him. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, heavy breathing echoing in the room and Steve fumbled to get out of his trousers and boxers. When they were off, he cooed gently in y/n's ear when she gasped at the size.

"I'll go gentle. If you need me to stop, for any reason, tap me three times with two fingers anywhere and I promise I'll stop." He assured, rolling a condom over his length.

The brightest smile spread on steve lips when the hoarse sound staggered from y/n as he pushed in. We're getting there, he thought. Her eyes widened, an excited sparkle to them in the realisation that she made a noise.

Steve's strokes were slow but powerful, bringing both him and his girl to the edge very quickly. The speed of their release could also be due to the fact that neither of them had been laid in a little while too. Steve's grin never left, the hoarse sounds still coming from y/n. She seemed pleased too, but was way to wrapped out in the feeling of his tip nudging her cervix to care.

When they came, Steve cried out y/n's name with a grunt and a groan, collapsing on the sofa beside her as both avengers tried to catch their breath back.

"That was...amazing." Steve sighed, smirking when he felt y/n nod against his chest, which she'd now curled into with a leg thrown over his waist. Steve pulled a blanket over them both, carding a hand through y/n's hair and rubbing smooth circles into her scarred back.

His fingers ran over the dips and bumps of the raised flesh, a pang of guilt eating at him when Steve realised everything she'd been through. He sighed deeply, sinking further into the sofa as y/n nuzzled into his chest further, he steady breathing telling him she was already fast asleep.

Steve could feel his own eyes drifting shut now, his long eyelashes scraping over his cheeks as sleep pulled him under. Little did Steve know, that the next few weeks would be full of sex with his girl, the act something she'd become obsessed with because she could make a sound whilst he was buried balls-deep within her.

It ended up driving the rest of the team mad, especially Tony. Y/n would try and pull Steve out of conference meetings, tease him throughout briefings and debriefings, keep him up all night when they had nothing to do the next day, just so she could hear her own voice again.

And don't get steve wrong - the sex was wonderful, like entering heaven, but the tiredness that ensued and pulled his whole being down like an anchor wasn't so great.

Everyone noticed it, but Steve would brush them off - after all, he only wanted to see y/n happy, and he loved hearing her voice, no matter how strained it currently was.

So when the team got back from their mission the first time they slept together, devoid of Bucky, Steve and the rest of the team decided to keep the rest of their missions to find the winter soldier on the down low. The shear disappointment steve had seen in y/n's eyes when they told her shattered him, made him want to cry as tears slipped down her reddened cheeks.

[ack3rlady]

The Universe Had His Back - Chapter 4

Worlds Collide

Summary: Reader and Levi finally meet but in an unexpected way.

Chapters: Three | Four | Five

Master List

Warnings: Fem! Reader, Angst, Fluff, Modern AU, Reference to Anxiety, slight swearing.

Word Count: ~ 2.1k

Inspiration: Every Second - Baekhyun

TW: The chapter contains descriptions of an anxiety/panic attack. I'm sure everyone has different experiences, but this one in particular is based on how my lovely boyfriend helps me navigate the ones I get. :)

Tags: @sooibian, @queenofcurse; Anyone else who'd like to be tagged, please let me know!

____

Levi’s POV

Levi felt like a fish out of water. The bright lights, attendants too chirpy for his liking, multiple strangers running their grubby hands over the same clothes were all making him nauseous. He wanted to turn around and flee at the very moment entered the store.

He remembered being here before, when he was with you at this exact place buying a tuxedo for your own wedding five years ago. You had forced him try on way too many of them, finding faults in each one and leaving him riled up. Many hours later when he finally walked out of the trial room wearing the perfect black suit, he was greeted by a teary eyed you. Honestly, he couldn’t tell the difference between the one currently on him, and the various others he had worn right before. But he couldn’t complain upon seeing the glee on your face.

Flashback: Five years ago

“I’m really not liking this shitty bridezilla side of you.”, Levi protested as you pushed him towards the changing rooms with the nine tuxedos you wished for him to try on – nine more than the number he was comfortable with.

“Can we just pick one and be on our way? No one is going to give a shit about what I look like when you’ll be standing beside me in all your glory.”

“Stop trying to butter me up. We're not leaving till we have the perfect tux. So, stop whining and put these on.”, you declared.

He yelped when you shoved him into a stall. ‘God, this man is infuriating sometimes!’ You smiled to yourself, listening to the constant muttering coming from inside. It was so adorable to imagine his knitted brows, scrunched up nose and his pouty lips while he complained incessantly. How you loved to annoy him! And why wouldn’t you? He looked terribly cute when he was pissed.

A few minutes passed and he emerged wearing one of the ensembles you chose.

“As much as that scowl paired up with the suit makes you look like a sexy spy, something isn't right. Can you please try the next one?”, you bat your lashes at him.

He shook his head at the melodrama and turned on his heel with a loud sigh. The next one wasn’t right either. Neither were the many others he wore after that. Oh, he was so livid! He threatened to leave every few minutes, but one pleading look from you would melt him, and he’d return to try on the next outfit.  You knew that your puppy eyes made him completely malleable. And he knew that you knew.

Finally, he dressed into the last piece you chose. Your eyes went wide when they fell on him. He looked celestial! The contrast of the velvety black suit against his porcelain skin, his grey eyes sparkling against the dark fabric, his chiseled body being accentuated by its impeccable fit – you were about to marry perfection. With glistened eyes, you engulfed him into a sudden embrace that made him tense up because of the many heads that turned towards you.

“Oh, just stop overthinking it and hug me back! Levi, you look perfect. I can’t believe I get to marry you!”, you squealed as you squeezed him tighter.

“Don’t think you’re getting away with putting me through this. Might as well call Zacharius and tell him you’re missing work tomorrow.”, he said as he finally wrapped his arms around you.

“Why?”

He leaned in slowly and breathed into your ear causing goosebumps to sprout all over your body -“Because you’re not going to be able to get any work done after I’m finished getting my payback.”

.

Present day

Levi didn’t realize how long he had been day dreaming for, following Furlan around the store until a handful of suits were shoved in his face.

“Try these on, will you?”, he requested.

“Tch! Let's just pick one and get the fuck out of this shithole. I’m not wearing these filthy clothes.” Levi comically flinched thinking about the amount of germs that just made their way on to his body by this uninvited contact, earning Furlan a quick smack on his shoulder.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake! Stop being dramatic and try them on!”, he pushed him towards the trial room giving him no opportunity to respond.

Levi entered one of the stalls with hopes to end this misery as soon as possible while Furlan waited outside. He emerged in a few minutes wearing the first one, a jet-black suit. Furlan rejected it saying it was too similar to what he was planning to wear himself. Then he wore the second one, a deep navy-blue. Furlan shot that one down too. Levi was starting to get worked up, complaining relentlessly under his breath, plotting the murder of his younger brother . When he put on the next set, a sharp charcoal grey three-piece, he decided it was the one he liked the least. He got out of the stall ready to rebuff this one himself before Furlan could.

“What the fuck were you even thinking while choosing this shitty -” He was interrupted by a loud gasp behind and turned to look at the source.

His breath hitched when that peachy fragrance that he had adored for years hit him like a truck. There you stood, just a few feet from him; your face ridden with shock. You were wearing a gorgeous floor length emerald gown that hugged your body at all the right places, your wavy hair cascading down your shoulders.

Levi’s heart began pounding against his chest at the stunning sight before him. He wondered if you could hear it from where you were. Your eyes were blown to twice their size, cheeks flushed, breath shaky. You looked like a deer in headlights. He opened his mouth to say something when...

You bolted.

He turned to Furlan in bewilderment as if to confirm if this had all really just happened or if it was his mind playing games.

“Are you going to just stare at me, or go after her?”

Before the future groom could even finish his sentence, Levi took off.

.

Reader’s POV

After finding Suki by the store entrance, she and you headed back to the couch you were seated earlier. You started browsing through the dresses again, only to find her constantly checking her phone.

“Will you please just choose something so we can both leave soon? What is wrong with you today?”, You were starting to get annoyed at her sudden withdrawn behavior.

She quickly apologized and grabbed a couple of gowns for you to try on before dragging you towards the trial rooms. You could hear muffled mumbling coming from the neighboring stall while you were changing into the gown Suki chose for you but you didn’t give it much thought. You were pleased with how the gown looked on you wondering when you last felt this attractive. Upon walking outside the stall to compliment her on her choice, you were greeted by her and Furlan chatting in the waiting area. Surprised, you were about to say hello just before someone emerged from the stall beside yours.

Levi? You let out an involuntary gasp causing him to turn to you. Grey eyes met yours. Did he just gasp too? The perpetual scowl on his face vanished and was replaced by raised brows, wide eyes and a mouth slightly agape. He looked like he was about to say something.

It felt like you lost control over your body. You were suddenly in motion, rushing towards the nearest escape you could find; Suki trailing behind. Right as you reached the store’s exit, a hand harshly grabbed your shoulder.

“You can’t leave in that dress! We’ll get in trouble for shoplifting!”, Suki panted, finally catching up with you.

She was right. But you were incapable of thinking straight at the moment. So, when you spotted a restroom, you barged inside pulling her in with you and locking the door shut.

It felt like the air was devoid of oxygen. Your breathing began to get laborious. Seconds later you were sitting on the toilet with its lid down, gasping for breath. Your right hand failed to find the comfort of your absent wedding band, that was back in the drawer of your nightstand, by blindly clutching your left ring finger.

“Are you okay? What is happening to you?”, a terrified Suki looked like she was about to cry.

“Panic...attack...”, you managed to blurt out between breaths.

She paced around the room not knowing how to help you. You were starting to feel dizzy; tears running down your face, sweat building up on your forehead, the lack of air starting to get to your brain. There was a soft knock on the door.

“Oi! Suki, let me in.”, Levi demanded from the other side.

You begged hey with your eyes not to open the door, but she did it anyway. He walked in and silently motioned her to wait outside, locking the door behind him when she left. He took out a handkerchief from his pocket, rolled it, and ran it under cold tap water keeping his eyes on you the whole time. He quickly moved to kneel in front of you, as you sat wheezing. Bringing the cold cloth to your face and pressing it against your forehead and neck, he held one of your hands with his free one.

“It's okay. I’m here.”, his soothing voice was already starting to calm you down. But you were in no mood to let him bask in the satisfaction of still having that effect on you.

“You being here... has caused this.”, you glowered while choking on practically nothing.

“Still the same old brat!”, he smirked.

Before your pathetic mess could puff out another ridiculous remark Levi angled your face towards his by cupping your cheeks with both his hands.

“I’m kneeling on this fucking filthy floor for you. So, just shut your mouth, focus on me and let me regulate your breathing.” You accepted defeat and nodded.

“Inhale.

Exhale.”

You did as he said, taking slow and deep breaths of air as he guided you. A few minutes later, your breathing was almost back to normal.

“I thought I showed you how to deal with these episodes. Did you forget?”

“I didn’t think I’d ever have to deal with one without you.”

Well, you didn’t.

.

His hands were still around your face, thumbs gently stroking your cheeks as you tightly gripped the fabric of his blazer with your fists and looked into his eyes. It was like time had frozen and the whole world had come to a halt.

Suddenly, reality struck. You were seeing Levi for the first time since your divorce. Your eyes welled up and you couldn’t prevent the tears from escaping. His sinuses were stinging too. Before you could snap out of it, his hands on your face snaked around you and pulled you into an embrace, one hand caressing your hair, and the other steady around your back. You felt overwhelmed, almost wanting to push him away.

“Just stop overthinking it and hug me back.”, he mirrored your words from five years ago.

And he didn’t need to ask twice. You held onto him for dear life as while sobbing on to his shoulder.

“I miss you.”, your voice quivered.

“I miss you too.”

“Really?”

“You have no idea.”

.

Time passed as you silently sat there taking in the precious moments. You were paying attention to all his features one by one, as if trying to memorize them. His smooth black hair, bright grey eyes; did they always have a tinge of blue in them? His sharp nose, delicate lips, strong shoulders... wait, what is that?

“Fuck! Levi, I ruined your suit!” It was stained with your tears.

“That’s fine I was going to toss it anyway”, he replied, with a wave his hand.

“What? Why? It looks wonderful on you! The blue really brings out your eyes.”, You were sure you sounded like a shy school girl.

“Oh. You think so? Um... Th-Thanks.”, he tried to hide his blush behind a fake cough, causing you to chuckle. He still stuttered awkwardly every time you complimented him, even after all these years.

Levi turned to you again, in all your huffing and puffing glory following your episode - eyes swollen, nose clogged, face probably redder than a tomato.

“We need to talk.”

________

Chapters: Three | Four | Five

[omgbigfluffwriting]

Let Me Be Myself Chapter 3: Memory Lane

A/N: this was written for @daydreamingatnight209 for Pom’s server swap.

Summary: Spencer and Reader take a trip down memory lane courtesy of their inquisitive kids.

“Hey, Mom, how did you and Dad fall in love?” My daughter asks Y/N. I snort, remembering that it started with a dare. Y/N snorted herself. “Aunt Emily said it was ridiculous.”

I glanced at Y/N, wondering what she was going to say. This was the first time any of our quints had shown any interest in how they came to be. “It started with a dare.” Y/N finally says. “Mine, to be accurate.”

“Yours?” Our daughter echoes in disbelief which makes her siblings start listening in as well. I'm surprised Emily actually said anything on the matter.

“Yes, mine.” Y/N said with a chortle as I remember.

----- Memory Start -----

“Come on, Einstein, it's just a prediction! Most often, they don't come true.” Y/N tried to convince me as I doctored my coffee. I snorted.

“You expect me to walk into there for something I know won't come true?" I hissed. My dearest wish has never happened. I wished last year on my birthday that Y/N would finally see that her current boyfriend was an asshole. “Wow, that's actually a new low for you.” I took a measured sip of my coffee. “Why won't you take Reginald?”

She sighed. “I tried, Spencer. Every time he makes up an excuse as to why we can't go.” I rolled my eyes as I made up my mind to go with her. Reginald's continued excuses are the reason I’m going with her. I’m also her best friend...though I wish I weren't friend-zoned.

“I’ll go but Reginald’s still an asshole.” I said as I added a bit more sugar to my coffee. What can I say, I like it sweet.

“Thank you, Spence!” she exclaimed and kissed me on the cheek. I blushed and thankfully, she didn't notice that my face had gone as red as my cardigan sweater. “I don't know what I would do without you.”

“Let’s hope you never find out.” I muttered before taking another sip. “Is Reginald working late tonight?” Y/N nodded miserably. He was probably cheating on her, the bastard. I’d seen him making out with his current receptionist the other night. “Come over to my place. Let's finish the Tenth Doctor tonight.”

“As much as I would love to, you and I both know he hates our Doctor Who nights.” she replied. I hated knowing that I’d be a healthier choice for her to have a relationship with than Reginald.

“Actually, who names their child Reginald? Even Elton John had the sense to change his name!” I exclaimed as we went out into the bullpen.

"Not everyone is Elton John, Spence." Y/N wearily replies as she sits down at her desk across from mine.

----- Memory End -----

“You had to coerce Dad into going?” Our first daughter asked, bringing me back into the present. Our other kids were laughing uproariously at Y/N’s recount of convincing me. “I thought coercion was wrong.”

“Honey, your mother didn't coerce me. There's actually a difference between coercion and persuading, which you’ll find out the definition of in a few years.” I said, smiling at the memory. “Besides, I got what I wanted in the end.”

"And what was that, Dad?" One of our two boys asked.

"I wanted your mother and by extension, you." I simply said as I squeezed Y/N's hand lightly to let her know I loved her. She gave me a smile and leaned her head into the crook of my neck.

----- Memory Start -----

We walked into the fortune teller’s tent. I was still highly skeptical about it. I still believe that most fortune tellers prey on human emotions, it’s a profiling turned carnival trick and that it’s not adequately rooted in science. She took one look at us, rose to her feet and bluntly asked, “When’s the wedding? You two make a lovely couple.”

Awkwardly I answered, “We’re...not together.”

She smirks at me and says, “Yet. Fate wants you two together.” I blinked in surprise at her declaration that we were supposed to be together.

After telling her that we weren't interested in a full session, we walked out of the tent. Suddenly, “Oh shit, tonight’s date night!” came out of y/n’s mouth. I raise my eyebrows at her. Twice a month, our team held Date Night, which gave established couples a chance to relax and have fun. I always volunteered to babysit Henry and Michael on those nights because I didn't want to see Y/N with Reginald.

The fortune teller came out and said, "Mr. Reid, a quick word before you and your friend leave." I nodded and went back into the tent, while Y/N went shopping since our task was completed. “You need to go to date night tonight. I'm sensing that this is the chance that you've been waiting for all year.” I blinked in surprise again.

“It’s Doctor and how did...” She pointed to my FBI ID Badge. I had forgotten to take it off when we left work.

----- Memory End -----

“But how did you two get together?” our three daughters ask in unison. I laughed. Whenever the kids were inquisitive, they were my kids. “And how did you know this would be your chance to sweep mom off her feet?”

“A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell.” I stated.

“In Dad speak that means you think we're not old enough.” Said our second son. I could see the disappointment on my children's faces. I wasn't going to share everything about what the fortune teller had said to me that day.

“No, it means I haven't told your mother how I knew.” I calmly replied. “And there are some things I would rather keep to myself.”

----- Memory Start -----

I had totally spaced on Date night. I found a sexy number that I had gotten for my birthday and hadn't worn (as Reginald hated it) in the back of my closet. It was a rose-gold colored knee-length bodycon dress that showed a healthy, tasteful amount of my cleavage (which wasn't much, thankfully).

“You are not wearing that tonight.” Reginald said as he walked by my room. I frowned, bristling at the imperious demand.

“I will wear whatever I want.” I replied, deciding on the dress in that instant.

“You look like a skank in that dress.” He said and then left to make his own preparations. I ignored him and put on the dress. The moment he saw me in it, he refused to speak to me. When we got to the bar that the team was at, JJ raised an eyebrow.

“And here I thought Reginald wouldn't let you wear that.” JJ remarked.

“It looks good on you!” Penelope gushed. “Spencer chose well.” I looked at her, shocked. “Wait, you didn’t know Spencer got it for your birthday? He saw it and knew it had to be yours.” I shook my head.

“That's why he refused to put a gift tag on it.” JJ explained. “He knew Reginald would never let you wear it as we all did. How...” I grinned, emboldened by the knowledge that Spencer had gifted me this dress.

“I told him I would wear whatever I wanted.” JJ and Garcia both beamed.

“Good.” both women remarked as they took sips of their drinks. I was drinking a piña colada and despite Reginald being an ass while ignoring me, I was having fun.

He seemed to be getting into an argument with Prentiss and Rossi when I looked for him. I frowned since that likely meant he was drunk. He'd pick a fight with Bigfoot, if Bigfoot existed, while he was drunk. “Where’s Spence?” I asked. After he had finished speaking to the fortune teller alone, I tried to get him to tell me what she’d said and my best friend immediately clammed up.

“He’s here somewhere.” JJ remarked as Reginald came up to us. This surprised me as Spencer preferred sitting for his godsons rather than come to Date Night.

“We’re leaving.” He growled. “Doctor Noodle Boy is here.” Again I bristled, this time for the nickname he gave Spence.

“No, we just got here. If you want to go, go. JJ and Penelope...” I started with tears threatening to fall. Why had I not heeded Spencer's warnings about Reginald?

“I said we're going.” he restated, raising his voice. 

“Let me go to the bathroom first.” I said. He nodded and I ran to the bathroom, intending to cry my eyes out but before I got there, I was pulled into a warm, minty embrace. It was Spencer.

“Spence...” I cried into his shirt. He lifts my chin and tenderly wipes away my tears.

“F*** him.” Spencer said. “Leave him and be with me. I don't know when I'll have another chance to convince you.” Spencer murmured before kissing me on the forehead.

On a preserving whim, I decided to leave Reginald. I pulled Spencer's head down, stood on my tiptoes and kissed him just as Reginald stomped towards us. “You wore that for him, didn't you?” Reginald snapped. I gathered my courage which was boosted by Spencer standing behind me.

“We’re over, Reginald.” I said.

“We’re over when I say we're over.” he growled, forcefully grabbing my arm. “We’re going, NOW!” However, Spencer looked at him.

“I’ve been very tolerant of you up until now for Y/N’s sake. Get your hands off her before I break your fingers.” Spencer said coolly.

“Make me, *Pretty Boy*.” Reginald challenged.

“Don’t touch what's no longer yours.” Spencer hissed and broke Reginald’s wrist, ignoring his howl of pain as he escorted me away. I looked back to see cops escorting Reginald outside. When we got back to the dance floor, ironically, ‘You Shouldn't Kiss Me’ was playing. “I knew that dress would look gorgeous on you.” he whispered as he led me onto the dance floor.

We danced to song after song like we were the only two in the room. “I hate to interrupt,” Rossi said coming up to us some hours later. “But the bar’s closing.” Spencer gave me a final twirl.

“Now, how about that Doctor Who marathon?” he murmured. I beamed at him in response and nodded my head. He intertwined his fingers with mine and we walked to his car.

“Thank you.” I murmured, holding onto his hand tightly.

“For what?” Spencer asked.

“For everything. You were right. He was an asshole.” I said, twining my arms around his neck.

----- Memory Start -----

Our kids were laughing uproariously at Reginald’s wrist being broken and my admitting that Daddy was right. “It wasn't that funny.” I mumbled.

“Y/N, you rarely admit you are wrong so yes, it is funny.” Spencer said as I rolled my eyes. I was waiting for the kids’s bedtime to break some welcome news to my husband. I was pregnant again.

“What happened next?” Our kids eagerly asked in unison.  Spencer’s lips quirked into a small smile.

“Your mother broke her foot while we were on a case.” he said with a chuckle. “Not to mention the fortune cookies with dinner that same night.”

----- Memory Start -----

I fell down, my gun falling from my hands as I heard a loud crack. I tried getting up but couldn't. Prentiss directed Spencer to carry me before cautiously going into the house.  I groaned as Spencer lifted me up, held, and carried me bridal style. “How is it that now we're finally a couple, odd things keep happening?” 

“The fortune teller said Fate wanted us together.” Spencer replied as he carried me to an SUV. I groaned at his answer.

“How can you be so...blasé about all of this?!” I exclaimed as he drove to the emergency room. What happened to our man of science?!

“I knew from the moment I met you that you were the woman I’d love for the rest of my life.” My eyes widened. I hadn't expected that answer out of him. “You know, I want kids.” He said as he drove.

“Where did that come from?” I asked. Spencer said nothing. “So do I.” I admit as I keep my eyes on the road to distract me from my pain. 

--

Thanks to my foot being broken, I had to hobble on crutches which meant I couldn't fly. It had something to do with what Spence had done before I was hired, apparently. Prentiss arranged for me to have a ride home with JJ as I lived in the same general area. “Could you drop me off at Spencer's?” I asked, seeing Reginald on my doorstep. JJ nodded and turned around. I slowly made my way up to his apartment after she dropped me off and knocked on the door. 

When he answered, he said, “What's wrong?” as he let me in.

“Reginald is waiting for me on my doorstep.” I replied. Spencer made a disgusted noise before kissing my forehead. 

“When is that guy going to learn?” He mumbled. Then he brightened. “I was just about to order Chinese, want some?” I nodded in agreement. While we waited for our food, Spencer asked, “Doctor Who or Star Trek?”

“Star Trek.” I said as I realized I didn't have any clothes. Fortunately, Spence was one step ahead and had earlier bought me a change of clothes besides pj’s from the store. He also handed me a hoodie sweater.

“This is yours now, Y/N.” I unfolded the sweater to see that it was his Caltech hoodie. “I figured that bastard wouldn't give up.” he said as we settled down to watch Star Trek Voyager. We only had to pause it once in order to get the food and we ate in companionable silence.

When I took our dishes in, I saw a hastily written note taped on top of a couple fortune cookies. It said, ‘Doctor, these are for you and the Mrs.’

Mine read, ‘A good marriage requires falling in love many times — all with the same person.’ I agreed with the sentiment. Spencer’s read, ‘If I know what love is, it is because of you.’

“That is so true.” he murmured.

----- Memory End -----

“It’s still true.” Spencer replied as he looked at our kids who were making faces at us for kissing.

“Don’t I know it.” I replied.  “Not a day goes by without me thanking the Lord that you were there when Reginald tried to force me to go home.”

“Me too.” Spencer said, kissing me on the forehead, like he had been ever since that first night.

“Moom!” Our daughters said, embarrassed. Our sons groaned.

“Our love only grew stronger, Y/N.” my husband reminded me. I smile at the five kids, soon to be six. I couldn't keep quiet any longer.

“Come December, there's going to be a new Reid.” I announced. Spencer’s eyes widened at my news. The kids looked delighted.

“That’s wonderful!” Spencer exclaimed, hugging me. Then in my ear, he whispered, “Remember that time we had to share the same bed on a case?” I chortled.

“How could I forget?” I replied.

----- Memory Start -----

“I'm sharing a room with who, Prentiss?!” I exclaimed in shock. Prentiss had just informed me that I'd be sharing a room with my new boyfriend.

“There aren't enough rooms, so you're rooming with Reid.” Prentiss repeated, “I didn’t expect any protest considering he is your boyfriend.” She shrugged and I followed Spencer to our room. But I received another shock when we entered the room. There was only one bed. Thankfully, there was a couch.

“I’ll take the couch.” I said, not noticing that Spencer was behind me.

“We can share the bed.” he murmured. When I started to protest, he added, “We’re only sharing a bed, it isn’t the end of the world.”

“I thought to save it for my husband.” I absentmindedly said. 

“Oh, so you think I won't be your husband? Don't worry, I’ll behave. I'm only joking.” he promised.

“I know you will. I trust you with my life so I can trust you with my virtue. Okay, we can share the bed.” I agreed. He put his arms around me. I leaned into his embrace.

----- Memory End -----

“You were the one that didn't behave.” he reminded me quietly. I grinned, remembering the rest of that night. That had been the night that the quintuplets were conceived.

“You could have said no.” I replied. I felt his chest rumble with laughter.

“I should have made you promise to behave too.” He mumbled. I laughed as he kissed my neck. 

“Mom, what happened next?” Our three daughters asked.

“I nearly lost your father.” I said.

----- Memory Start -----

Tears fell down my face. I was pregnant with Spencer's child after two months of marriage and he was in the hospital in Texas with another neck injury, this recent injury courtesy of Reginald. “Hey, you okay?” JJ asked.

“What if he doesn't pull through? I can't do this without him.” I sobbed.

“Do what?” JJ asked again.

“I’m pregnant, JJ.” I said, still sobbing. “I can't raise this kid without him. Diana won't be much help...”

“Y/N, the doctor wants to talk to you.” Emily called out before JJ could say a word of reassurance to me.

Reginald’s bullet narrowly missed Spencer's carotid artery and hit Spencer a few inches below it. I didn't need to worry about him, since he went to prison for assaulting a federal agent. I was told I could visit but was warned to not excite him as he needed to rest. Angry, I went to visit Reginald.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?” Reginald asked smugly.

“Your stunt. You could have killed him, Reginald. If he dies, you better believe I will be pushing for you to go to Death Row.” His eyes widened.

“I only wanted you back,” he explained. 

“How does killing the man I lo-” I pause, considering my words carefully. “How does killing the man I love get me back?” I demand. “Let me tell you something, Reginald, if you ever loved me, you will let me go. Never contact me again.” I left after that. I went home, cried, ate ice cream, cried and went to sleep.

Three weeks later, I was beginning to show when Spence woke up. The funny thing was JJ had to drag me to the hospital because I did not want to see him unconscious again.

I entered his room to see him sitting up, animatedly chatting with Luke. Luke smiled and got up. “I’ll just um...” he left.

“Spence...” I breathed in relief and kissed him. “If you ever...”

“I know, I know. You’ll kill me.” he murmured softly. His fingertips brushed the curve of my growing belly. “Are you...” he asked excitedly.

“As of yesterday, ten weeks pregnant.” I answered, just as excited as he was. 

“Um, love, you don't look ten weeks pregnant.” Spencer said. “You look thirteen, maybe fourteen weeks pregnant...”

“Shut up.” I muttered.

----- Memory End -----

Our kids were howling with laughter at my telling daddy to shut up.  I laughed too because it had been funny.

“I was right after all though.” Spencer said as he held me in bed after we’d gotten the kids to bed. “Five children...” 

“I’d never been more terrified in my life than I was at the moment we found out I was pregnant with quintuplets.” I muttered. Well, that was a lie. I had been so petrified at the idea of raising Spencer's child on my own if he died. There was no way I could have raised all five on my own.

----- Memory Start -----

“Ready to see our baby, Einstein?” I asked Spencer the day of my second ultrasound. Spencer smiled at me and nodded as he tenderly tucked a lock of my hair back into place behind my ear. I noticed Spencer’s enlarged eyes and shocked expression first before hearing the doctor’s words.

“That would be babies, Mrs. Reid.” the doctor dryly stated as he looked at the ultrasound screen . Both Spencer and I stared at the screen in shock.

“Babies?!” I repeated dumbly, seeing a pair of fetuses on the screen.

“I was only joking! Do twins even run in your family?” Spencer exclaimed and then asked. In fact, yes, multiples did tend to appear on both sides of my family.

“They do, Spence.” I said softly. “At least they’ll have each other growing up.”

“Looks like quintuplets.” the doctor informed us. Both Spencer and I paled. That meant a high risk pregnancy.

----- Memory End -----

Pulled out of my reminiscing by Spencer's lips on the top of my head, I took a look at the ultrasound photo. “Seven, Einstein. There's possibly twins in here.” I said as I pressed his palm to my still flat stomach.

“I’m glad I accepted your dare, Y/N. Happily married to the woman I love and adore more than my own life with seven kids to boot.” We were both wrong. Later, we would find out, much to JJ’s and Garcia's amused delight, I was pregnant with triplets so we had eight energetic, bright, and happy children.

“Now will you tell me what the fortune teller told you?!” I asked in exasperation. Spencer smiled. “And don't give me that ‘A gentleman never kisses and tells’ shit you gave the kids earlier.”

“She told me that I needed to attend Date Night the night that we got together.” Spencer said, shocking me as he drew patterns on my tummy with the pad of his finger. “Why, do you regr...”

I put a finger to his lips and remarked, “If you love me, Spence... don't ever finish that sentence.”

“Your wish is my command.” Spencer said, kissing me tenderly as one of our babies kicked.

[twhstuckylover]

AS DARKNESS FALLS

CHAPTER 2

SUMMARY: Henry is trying to live with the curse he was given. He believes he is doomed to live eternity in the shadows. But when someone comes into his life, he starts seeing the light.

Previous Chapter: 1

WARNINGS: There are dark themes in the first couple chapters. Death and other serious topics will happen, so if you are uncomfortable with these things, no not read! If you are under the age of 18, please do not read. It is not appropriate for teens and children!

A/N: This is the first time I’ve really written any sort of smut, so it most likely isn’t that well written. This is unbeta’d, so all mistakes are mine! I hope you all enjoy this! Let me know what you think of it! Thanks for reading

WORD COUNT: 2241

PAIRING: Vampire!Henry x Secondary female character

RATING: 18+ (smutty goodness and death)

TAG LIST: @viking-raider @angryschnauzer @dancingwendigo @henrythickcavill @raspberrydreamclouds @mary-ann84 @demivampirew @littlefreya @feelmyroarrrr @angreav @la-rousse-folle @inlovewithhisblueeyes

If you would like to be added to or taken off the tag list, let me know!

I do not give permission to post my story to any other social media site. I don’t give permission to use my story in any way other than to read it and enjoy it.

WARNING #2 Again, there are dark themes in here. If you are not comfortable with death or smut, please don’t read this! If you are under 18, please do not read!

Henry goes to the edge of the forest that surrounds the town and waits. It’s a sick game he likes to play with himself. He sits and waits for someone to find the body.

Maybe deep down he wants someone to catch him and put him out of his misery, so he no longer has to live this sort of life.

But he knows in reality that if someone were to catch him, he would fight for his life. No one can find out about his secret. Even if he does loathe being a creature of the night. He needs to keep this part of him away from everyone. It’s safer for them not to know.

As much as he hates being a vampire, he hates how little disregard humans have for their lives even more. How much they take for granted on a day to day basis. He would kill to be a human again and not take his life for granted. There are so many things he would change if he could go back.

Maybe that’s why he plays this little game. To show the humans just how fragile their lives are and how quickly and violently they can be taken from them.

For several hours, he sits in the tree and waits for the dawn to break. He's so caught up in his thoughts that he doesn't notice the woman coming towards him.

His body stiffens when he hears, ”What are you doing up in the tree, sir?”

Henry glances down and spots a “rough around the edges“ woman staring up at him. ”Nothing that concerns you, miss.”

A smirk plays on her lips, ”I can help you pass the time while you do whatever you're doing, sir.”

He rolls his eyes, ”It would not be wise for you to be around me, miss. I would move along if I were you.”

She chuckles, ”Well, no one has ever called me wise.”

She slides her hand up his thigh and he sighs. ”Not to be rude, miss, but I want to be alone. Please leave me be!”

She moves her hand up higher, ”No one wants to be alone.”

”I do! Now, please leave!”

She shakes her head and her hand reaches her goal. She firmly grabs his manhood through his trousers and Henry lets out a deep sigh.

He runs his fingers through his curly mop of hair, ”I am begging you to leave me alone, miss.”

”I’ll leave once I take care of your need, sir.”

Henry flies down from the tree and startles the woman with his speed. A wicked smirk begins to play on his lips as he checks out his next victim.

He declares, ”You can’t take care of my need and never will be able to. No one can. Now please go before you regret coming near me.”

She pays no mind to his words and begins to undo the buttons of his pants, ”I like a challenge, sir.”

The soiled dove leans up and licks at his plump bottom lip. He leads her backward until her back is against the tree and his eyes turn almost black.

He gets a sinister gleam in his eyes then a wide smile spreads across his face. ”So be it! I will play your little game, but we're going to play by my rules. Do I make myself clear, little fawn?”

She chews on her bottom lip and slowly nods. ”Let me tell you about my fares before we proceed.”

He shakes his head, ”There’s no need for that. I'll pay you whatever your price once we are through.”

She raises her eyebrow at him, ”Well then, sir, shall we start?”

”This is the last chance for you to back out of this and leave me be. Because you will hate yourself for even glancing at me tonight.”

As she nips at his jawline, she says, ”I’ll take my chances, sir, because you're in for a real treat.”

His eyes grow a bit darker, ”I will be the judge of that, little fawn.”

Henry pushes her down on her knees and slides his trousers down his thighs. He grabs the base of his hardening member and moves it around in front of her face. He smirks when he sees her eyes go round when she takes in his size.

”Now be a good girl and wrap those pretty lips around my cock.”

She shakes her head and pleads, ”It’s too big!”

He tsks, ”Now, now! I don't want to hear that negativity. We will take it slow at first, but you will get my dick inside you in more than one of your holes.”

The harlot shakes her head again, ”I can't do it, sir!”

”I am paying for your services, so do as I say. Now take my penis in your mouth. I will not tell you again!”

She grabs the base of his growing erection and brings the tip to her lips. She licks the bead of precum from the slit and gets the first taste of him.

He groans, ”Oh, fuck! Just like that, my little fawn.”

She hums at his praise and laps at the slit again. More precum comes forth and she devours it. He tangles his fingers into her hair and holds her head in place.

Henry thrusts his hips forward and she finally takes him into his mouth. He pushes her head forward and makes her choke on his entire length.

She tries to move away from him, but she is no match for his strength. He keeps her in place and begins to fuck her throat. He gives her no opportunity to catch her breath with his brutal pace, but he doesn't care.

He feels the way her body is moving towards unconsciousness from the lack of air getting to her lungs. He finally pulls away from her when he sees that she's going to pass out.

She lets out a loud gasp when the oxygen comes rushing in, but she gets no rest. Henry picks her weak body up off her knees and swiftly turns her around to face the tree.

The air leaves her lungs again when he roughly thrusts his dick into her soaking core.

”Look at that, little fawn, your cunt is dripping for me! Your body craves to have me in you.”

She cries out, ”Please stop! You're hurting me!”

Henry stops his movements and lets out an annoyed sigh. ”Fine. I'll give you about a minute to get comfortable with my size but after that, you'll have to just take it. Do you understand?”

She nods in agreement and he takes out his pocket watch to see the sixty seconds go on by.

The vampire thrusts shallowly into her as the seconds go by. He smiles to himself when he hears the way her breathing changes from the pleasure she feels.

She jumps when Henry whispers into her ear, ”Ten...nine...eight...seven”

Her body tenses up again in anticipation of what he's going to do and he tsks again. “Relax or it's going to hurt still. You only have four...three...two...and one!”

Henry gives her a hard thrust and the head of his cock slams into her cervix. She lets out a loud moan and moves back into him.

He grips her hips with a bruising pressure and lets his need for release take over. He stops holding back his strength and works his dick in and out of her wet hole.

It's music to his ears as her pleasurable screams fill the night air, ”Yes! Yes! Fuck! Right there, sir!”

She throws her head back onto his shoulder and he growls when he gets a whiff of her scent. His mouth begins to water at the thought of having her blood on his tongue.

He grabs the base of her skull and shoves her face into the bark of the tree. He keeps his hand there while his other hand moves to find her clit.

The soiled dove melts into him as his nimble fingers play with her sensitive nub. ”Does that feel good, little fawn? Do you like the way my fingers rub over your clit? Are you going to cum all over my big dick?”

She yells out, ”Fuck! Yes! Oh, yes! Please don't stop, sir!”

”Oh, I wouldn't dare stop now, darling!”

The smirk comes back onto his face as he feels the way she throbs around him as her orgasm draws near. He thrusts into her hard until his entire manhood is nicely inside her then freezes.

She lets out a long whine and tries to circle her hips to get him to move, but it's to no avail. She's about to protest when he begins the assault on her clit.

She grabs at his wrist to stop him, but he moves his hand faster. It's getting to be too much for her.

He growls deeply into her ear, ”Cum for me, little fawn.”

She doesn't think twice and let's go. Her orgasm travels up and down her nerves and leaves her shaking in their wake. Her knees start to give out on her and Henry holds up her dead weight.

The high of the intense orgasm is beginning to wear off and he picks up a much more punishable pace of his hips.

The pace feels good for a brief moment until reality sets in. She moves her hand back between them and pushes against his hipbone to get him to slow down. He tosses her hand to the side and proceeds to ravish her swollen lips.

”Please slow down, sir! It's beginning to hurt again. I can't take it!”

He lets out a dark laugh, ”Too bad! I let you cum, little fawn. Now it's my turn to have some fun. Shut your mouth and take it!”

The lady of the night begins to cry and Henry slams into her harder. He grips her hair tightly and pulls her head back. The new angle of her head exposes her neck more to him and he licks his lips.

He slides his tongue up the vein in her neck and feels her strong pulse. He whispers into her ear, ”I hope you're ready for this. This is going to be the last thing you'll ever do in your pathetic life.”

The frightened girl looks back at Henry and notices how black his eyes are. Her own eyes grow large when she spots his fangs.

”Wh...wh...what are you?”

He chuckles, ”Your worst nightmare, little fawn.”

Her scream cuts through the hush of the night when she feels him plunge his fangs into her throat.

Henry begins to drink her blood and gets the immediate rush he craves when the liquid touches his tongue.

He feels his climax approaching and his hips begin to falter. He growls against her neck as his orgasm spills into her womb.

He gives her one final rough thrust then moves away from the prostitute. She crumbles to the ground and holds onto her neck. She makes herself into a ball and stares at Henry in horror.

As he tucks himself back into his pants, he sneers, ”I gave you the chance to leave, but you wouldn't listen to me. Now I have to kill you!”

The tears begin to fall down her cheeks again as she begs, ”Please, sir! I won't tell anyone about you! Please don't kill me!”

He stalks towards her with eyes full of evil and blood staining his lips. ”It's time to say goodbye.”

In a quick motion, he snaps her neck and her body goes still. He turns his head up towards the sky and lets out a large outcry of frustration.

He falls to his knees and buries his face in his hands. He hates this part of his curse. He hates taking another life to make sure he stays alive.

It takes him a few minutes to compose himself, but he knows what he has to do. Henry picks up the corpse and discreetly makes his way back to the alley to dispose of it with his other victim.

He makes sure that the coast is clear before he bounds off into the forest again. This time he doesn't stick around for someone to find them.

He's so angry with himself. How could he be so stupid and let that happen? He had a feeling that he shouldn't stay and wait, but he couldn't help himself. He just hopes no one saw him slip up in the forest.

But little does Henry know, someone was watching...

[pod95]

Prince With Benefits: Chapter 2

Pairing: Finn Balor X OFC (Ciara)

Word Count: 815

Warnings: Mature to explicit as the story goes on.

Description: After moving to the USA from England to start her career as an NXT superstar, Ciara gets to meet her long time crush, NXT champion Finn Balor. It's clear the pair have chemistry, but when tensions start to rise, will they find they want more than a no strings attached relationship?

So this is the first piece of fanfic I have written literally ever. I will be posting them here periodically, but I already have 6 chapters out on my Wattpad, AO3 and FanFiction pages.

This series will involve romance, drama and (although it will take a little while) some smutt too. Hope you enjoy it! 😊

Chapter 2: Awkward Glances

Paul continued describing the gym and all of its equipment, but I was transfixed on the shirtless figure doing muscle ups in the distance.

Finn Balor, the NXT champion. I tried to pull my gaze away and focus on what Paul was telling me, but the sight of his chiseled physique flexing and stretching had some kind of magical hold upon me. His intense, blue eyes were laser focused on his exercise, until he caught a glimpse of me, staring longingly at him.

In my panic at being caught, I snapped my gaze back towards Paul, hoping my haste did not make me seem more suspicious.

As we continued the tour of the Gym, every now and then I would sneak a glance, never daring to look for more than a few seconds. He had now dismounted from the rings and was refilling his water bottle.

"This is our Strength and Conditioning trainer, Sean Hayes," Paul informed, gesturing to a fit young man with a shaved head. "He can help you establish the best workout routine for you, show you how to use the equipment, that kinda stuff"

"Nice to meet you!" he smiled, and held his hand out for me. I shook it, while casually peering around the room for Finn. He was nowhere to be seen. Disappointed, I gave up and followed Paul to the locker room doors.

As he was telling me a little more about the Gym, the men's door opened, and out walked Finn. He had changed out of his gym clothes and was now wearing grey sweatpants and a tight black t-shirt which did nothing to hide the magnificent torso that lay beneath.

"Oh hey, Champ!" Paul greeted him with a pat on the back. "This is Ciara, she's one of our new NXT superstars. We're expecting big things. Definitely a future women's champion".

Bashful, I looked to the ground. To receive such a high endorsement from the founder and executive producer of NXT was bad enough, but the fact that he was doing so to my crush had turned my face a violent scarlet.

"Is that so?" Finn raised his eyebrows and turned his attention to me. "In that case, I guess I'll be watching you" he smirked, giving me a knowing look. My cheeks were burning. Guess I hadn't been as subtle as I'd intended.

"Great!" Paul smiled enthusiastically. "well unless you have more questions, I have a meeting to get to. Oh, and before I forget. We're holding a welcoming party tonight for all of the new starters. It's a good chance to get to know your coworkers in a more casual setting. Sarah on reception can give you the details."

Paul patted me on the back and left Finn and I alone. With my face still red from embarrassment, I continued to stare nervously at my feet before Finn interrupted the uncomfortable silence.

"So I guess I'll see you tonight then," he hesitated, noticing my discomfort, before making a quick escape. It was only when I was sure he wasn't going to look back at me that I dared to steal a glance at him. Even from the back he looked amazing. Thank God for grey joggers!

* * * *

The hot water from the shower in my apartment felt amazing, as though it were not only cleaning my body, but ridding it of the shame from my first encounter with Finn. I knew I'd meet him eventually, after all we work in the same building, but I really wasn't prepared to see him today, and shirtless no less!

No, in future I would have to pull myself together. I'm an NXT superstar, not a hormonal school girl after all.

I raided my wardrobe for something to wear. Usually this is a decision I don't think twice about, but now with the added pressure of knowing Finn was going to be there, everything in my wardrobe looked hideous. By the time my roommate Alex got home, the bedroom was littered with discarded clothes I'd tossed aside in frustration.

"Whoa! Having a clear out?" she joked, precariously stepping over piles of clothes.

"The NXT orientation party is tonight and I have nothing to wear."

"You're not normally that concerned about your clothes," she puzzled. "You've met somebody!"

"No! It's not like that!" I insisted, but my panicked eyes gave me away.

Doubtfully she smirked at me, before examining the clothes and effortlessly choosing a knee length, blue lace dress from the pile.

"This is perfect."

She handed me the dress, and with a grateful look, I turned my attention to my hair and makeup. After an hour of getting ready, I gave myself one final examination and made a silent promise to myself:

Tonight was about work and nothing else. I would remain professional and there was no way I'd let Finn distract me.

Boy was I wrong...

[elenajohansenreads]

Books I Read in 2021

#63 - Lord of the Changing Winds, by Rachel Neumeier

Mount TBR: 60/100

Rating: 1/5 stars

DNF at the end of the first chapter, around 10%. Which, you know, is a loooong first chapter, and that's part of the problem. (I counted pages for the next one, which turns out is half as long. I'm not a stickler for consistent chapter length, but that's pretty variable already.)

Anyway.

I understand that not all stories start with a bang. Some of them barely even start with a simmer. This wasn't even on the heat, it was so slow. A larger-than-I-wanted portion of that first long chapter was awkward exposition-dump tangents about the history of the town and how it was So Important because of where it was on the river, yet it was also a bit of a backwater, and oh this is the family that runs the inn, except the mother doesn't really run the inn she makes pottery and arranges the flowers for the inn and isn't that special, that the tables at the tavern at the inn always have this specially made pottery with fresh cut flowers that don't wilt as fast as they should because everybody is just a little bit magic and that's her thing, flowers and pottery?

In case you think I'm exaggerating…well, I'm not, that bit about the town and the inn takes two pages and I was bored the whole time. Whenever I thought the story was going somewhere, that the main character might actually do something, there was a tangent about somebody or something else to stop her. At least until she FINALLY abruptly nonsensically goes to the griffins. But I'll get to that issue later.

The other thing I found distracting (and detracting) from what little plot there was, was a chain of editing mistakes, inconsistencies, and word repetition that added up to a feeling of amateurish writing. And I've got receipts: the first one concerns how old our protagonist Kes is. One of their farmhands both "hired on six years ago" and "has been on the farm half [Kes'] life." So, taken literally, she's twelve. Less literally--if we assume the farmhand has been around for half of the life she remembers (because she wouldn't remember being a baby) she's fourteen or fifteen handily, sixteen would be stretching it. But she also has a sister who's starting to go gray (one of the inane character details in the exposition dump about her) and has been "quickly married and quickly widowed" twice. Well, how quickly? Did those unnamed unfortunate husbands die after a month of marriage or a year? How long between the marriages? Why were the siblings born so far apart as to make this possible? Or, alternately, just how young did the sister marry the first time around? And why is this aspect of her life brought up at all if it's a one-sentence history that isn't explored in any depth, despite it raising all these questions for me in order to have it make any sense? (I'm assuming, of course, that these past marriages aren't important, but I don't know. I do know that the book is about griffins and magic and the younger sister, not the older one.)

All of that, because the author wouldn't just say how old the protagonist is, so I have to nitpick these not-necessarily consistent details to figure it out. And I'm still not sure. Her precise age isn't important if we're talking about a month on either side of sixteen, but the difference between twelve or fifteen or twenty sure is significant to how the character thinks and talks and acts, right?

Kes acts like…I don't know, a spacey and exceptionally shy four-year-old? She can't talk, even to people she knows, and especially not strangers. She has her head in the clouds about griffins and nature and not doing anything at all that her sister or society want her to do, but not in an actively rebellious way that implies she has a spine, just that she's terrified of basically everything that might resemble normal life. And the "can't talk" part of her personality gets really grating when she's interacting with the mage and the griffins at the end of the chapter, because every time she's upset or confused, she thinks something and "looks helplessly" at the mage, and he answers her just like he's read her mind. Which apparently is a thing that griffins can do, but wow, does it not justify the protagonist not having the will to actually say what she thinks out loud, and wow, does it make for really awkward "dialogue" in the narrative. No, thank you, I know it's only been one chapter, but if you can't sell me on your protagonist in the first chapter, what are you even doing?

As for the other issue I mentioned under this umbrella, the worst offender for word repetition was "white" showing up five times across two consecutive sentences--four in the first, once again in the second. The passage was describing a griffin, and okay, I get it, the creature is the whitest white ever seen, but for pity's sake, don't say it so often!

The whole tone of this is inconsistent, hand-wavey nonsense that's scattered in ten different directions by all the things it's trying to accomplish at once. It's got no focus, so I don't have patience for it.

[thecrystalquill]

Love/Hate

Pairing: Draco Malfoy x Slytherin!Reader

Warnings: none

Word Count: 1,500+

Summary: Draco and (Y/N) hate each other; it's easier for Draco to hate than to love. But when push comes to shove, a little love might be just what they need.

A/N: Hey! Finally it's Part 4! Might be a while until the next part (writer's block is catching up to me) but enjoy this one!

Masterlist    Series Masterlist

Chapter 4

•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•*•

‘What's the spell for disintegrating something?' (Y/N) thought; she had been studying for the last two hours and her brain had started to become too tired to function properly. The library was quite full with other students hoping to finish their homework before the Christmas holidays or fit in some last-minute studies, and a few were being a little distracting – those few were sitting right in front of (Y/N) and happened to be her friends.

“My parents said they might get me an owl – I’d want a tawny owl but I think they’d probably get me a barn owl.”

“Wouldn’t it be great if we were allowed dogs here? I’d definitely have one.”“Not at all! You know what dogs’re like, they’d be fighting and they’d need walking and attention – which no one would have time for – and they’re so much louder than cats or owls—”

“Guys…” (Y/N) groaned tiredly, resting her head on her hand, “if you’re gonna keep talking, could you at least do it quieter?” She picked up her quill again as her friends raised their hands in surrender. “Also, what’s the spell for disintegration?”

“Deletrius – the eradication spell,” Maven answered boredly as she reopened the potions book she’d forgotten about.

Gasping, (Y/N) mentally scolded herself for forgetting as she scribbled down the spell; charms was usually one of her best subjects, but lately she’d been forgetting things that she already knew and lost focus too easily.

“You doing anything over the holidays, (Y/N)?” Penny asked, a quieter Hufflepuff that (Y/N) didn’t know so well, but treated her like her other friends just the same. 

Looking up from her papers, (Y/N) stuttered for a response. “O-oh… um… n-no. no I’m not, er, doing anything. Nothing special.” She cleared her throat before folding away her papers and putting the lid on her ink. “Hey, Naida, where was that divination book you found last week?”

The red-haired girl looked her way and blew a curl out of her face, "Over there, fourth shelf." She yawned, pointing in the general direction. 

Nodding, (Y/N) got up on her hunt for the textbook for yet another class she'd been struggling in.

Draco was sat in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express, staring out of the window as they neared the station. "Mother and Father already wrote to me," he told his companions boastfully, "they said we're having a Christmas party.  Mother's very excited, but I'm sure it'll be just as boring as anything. Your families have been invited, haven't they?"

Crabbe and Goyle nodded, then Blaise decided to speak up; not letting Draco dominate the conversation. "Yeah, my parents said it's gonna be fancy, have to dress up. I bet we're gonna have to… like… dance." He frowned, the others groaning in agreement; because, really, who wants to do that?

"Well then, you'll just have to avoid your parents at all costs, won't you?" Draco offered with a smirk, knowing all of their parents would be eyeing them all night.

Blaise was about to respond, when the train came to a stop, cutting him off. 

The boys collected their things and exited the train, starting their search for their parents. Draco looked around for a minute, before finally making his way to his parents, who had already collected his trunk from the train.

"Draco," his Mother smiled as he appeared in her view, she gave the boy a small hug then pulled back to see his face. "How are you? Your classes are going well, I assume?"

"Yes, Mother." He nodded with a half-smile, which disappeared when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

His Father looked down on him, patting his shoulder in so-called affection. "Draco," he nodded. 

Clearing his throat, the boy straightened his posture before replying. "Father," he nodded in return. 

"Has everything been going well at school?"

"Yes Father," he said simply. 

"Well," Narcissa began, clasping her hands together, "let's head home now, shall we? I'm sure you've had a long day, Draco."

As they were about to leave, Draco looked back, catching sight of a pretty (y/h/c) girl carrying a single case, leaving the station alone.

It was the 24th of December, just before the Malfoy Christmas eve party was due to start, and Draco was in his room fixing his bow tie and combing his hair. There was no doubt in his mind that tonight would be boring, he’d much rather spend the evening in his room, reading a book before bed. Unfortunately, he’d be drinking fancy flutes of bitter champagne and being forced into boring conversations with even more boring adults, or being made to dance with snotty pureblood girls that he probably already knew (and didn’t like at all).

"Draco, hurry up will you? Our guests will be here soon." His Mother called from downstairs. 

Taking one last look in the mirror, he took a breath and made his way out. He found his parents by the door, looking elegant as always in their expensive outfits and shining jewels. They always dressed in their finest clothes for these occasions, and never wore the same things twice; this party wasn't a celebration, Draco knew, it was simply an excuse for people to present their wealth and class, and try to show how much better they were than everyone else there. So, Draco was wearing his best black dress-robes, with his expensive polished black shoes, and his new diamond cuff-links.

As the guests started to show and music had started to play, a few forced dances later Draco stood with Blaise off to the side, occasionally sipping champagne as their parents talked. "So… this is… nice--"

"It's bloody boring, Blaise, don't even try."

"Well I'm just saying, it could be worse, right?" He half-defended, setting down the flute and putting his hands in his pockets. "You know, it'd be really bad if--"

"Dracey!" A shrieking voice interrupted them, their eyes widening in horror.

"Damnit, Blaise! You summoned her!" Draco scolded as he prepared himself for his worst nightmare. Turning around, he was blinded by a sparkly hot-pink dress (and there was really nothing hot about it). "Parkinson," he greeted through clenched teeth, with a tight-lipped smile.

The girl beamed at him as she stepped closer - because personal space isn't a thing. "You look so handsome tonight, Dracey," she complemented as she put a hand on his arm. 

"Thanks," he replied, subtly shrugging her arm off and sending a panicked glare to Blaise as he slowly shuffled away. 

Pansy started to twirl a pink nail in her hair and gave an almost-flirty smile. "What do you think of my dress? Don't you think it looks lovely?" She asked as she grabbed the puffy, knee-length, sequin covered skirt.

 "Yeah… er sorry but I have to go… look for… my… er… Mother's earrings. She lost one earlier so… I should grab her a new pair. Bye." He ran off into the crowd, putting as much distance between them as possible.

 "Wait! Dracey-Poo! Come back--"

He made his way to the garden patio, reminding himself to get back at Blaise when he finds him. It was dark by now, and cold. His breath fogged in the air and snow had settled over the grass, the steps had been enchanted to keep dry and so he sat down to the side, in the shadows where (hopefully) no one would see him. 

The sounds of the party could still be heard, but it was thankfully much quieter. As Draco sat there, his mind started to wander. 'How could this party possibly get any worse?' He thought, 'Maybe if (Y/L/N) came along it'd be worse? Well, probably not. She'd be far more entertaining.' He huffed at the thought; he shouldn't even think about wanting her here.Glancing through the glass doors to the party, the blond caught sight of the horrific pink dress running by. '(Y/L/N) would say something funny about that; she'd probably say she looked like a bedazzled flamingo pulled from a carnival or something.' He laughed at the thought, appreciating her sense of humour - then tried to shake off any more thoughts of her. Which wasn't working very well.

He saw a man walking passed, he was short and plump and had a ridiculous twirly moustache, in one hand was a polished cane and in the other was an almost empty glass of wine. ‘(Y/N) would say he looked like an evil Mr. Monopoly.’ He recalled her bringing the game one year and, though he made fun of it, thought it seemed like a fun way to spend free time. The more he thought of the insults that she would throw if she were here, the more ridiculous the whole even seemed to Draco. He couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to have her there; wearing a beautiful long dress in her favourite colour, her hair pulled into a beautiful style, and smiling her beautiful smile. Again, the boy ignored his drifting mind; (Y/N) would never go to an event like this, a meaningless boring party to show off wealth and arrogance and pride. She'd much rather spend quality time with friends - as Draco would rather be doing now. He sighed at the notion; 'Besides,' he thought, 'she's probably having more fun than I am right now anyway.' 

 Unfortunately, though, she wasn't. 

Tags:

@salmonoctopus

@kaibie

[blindspot-repata]

High School Blindspot

Chapter 1 - Meeting friends

"Natasha, I didn't see you arrive yesterday, what time was it?" Her grandma heard when Natasha opened the door last night, but she wanted to know about the girl. She was worried, for a few days her granddaughter showed strange, quieter and sadder behavior.

"Don't worry, Grandma, it wasn't too late." Natasha tried to reassure her grandmother.

"Honey, I would never get into your dates, but you know I don't think Ricky is the right guy for you. You should date someone like Edgar, who is a golden boy.”

“Oh, grandma! You know he's just my friend.” The girl hurried to jam on a toast and hurried off. “And there's more, he's dating with a girl.”

"But that can change, my daughter! I'm sure if you give a signal it will be in your hand.”

“Bye!” - She blew Grandma a kiss and hurried out the door.

Edgar was waiting for her on the sidewalk. It had been that way forever, she and Edgar, inseparable. He was her great support when she and her brothers came to live with their grandparents, the circumstances were not good, they were taken from their parents for bad care and abuse, exposure to alcohol, drugs and violence. Edgar was there, met her in the neighborhood, helped her get in school, hugged her every time she needed to cry, and didn't want to worry her grandparents.

Natasha has also always been the support for Edgar. When he first saw the girl she was scared and not very friendly, but he was always solicitous coming softly and won her friendship. When he lost his father in a car accident four years ago she was by his side at the funeral at the seventh day mass, she helped him overcome the loss and showed him that over time the pain subsided. It was her first fuck with her, at age 15, they took a bottle of whiskey to the basement of Tasha's grandparents and got very drunk, the next day the hangover was so much that both swore never to drink alcohol again. For a while Edgar felt a platonic love for the latina, even rehearsed a way of declaring himself to her, but never had the courage. Over time he gave up and dated other girls and she, other boys. Today they were just best friends and confidants.

The two faced together all the adversities that appeared, after all was 1999, the end of the millennium and it was still not easy to be young in New York, much less for a black boy and a girl of Latin origin. Prejudice was everywhere, but they always defended and supported each other.

“Late again? Let's go or not take the first class. If Inspector Weitz sees us arriving late again this week, we're screwed.”

"I couldn't wake up very early today, I was too tired."

“What's this around your neck?” Edgar saw on the girl's neck a bluish mark that wasn't there yesterday.

“It’s nothing.” She didn't want to tell him what Ricky had done this time, better not get him into her problems. Natasha pulled the zipper on her sweatshirt higher so that the mark didn't appear.

"Natasha, you can say anything you want to me, you know." - The boy always made a point of showing her that he was there for anything.

“I know. Thanks. I just don't want to talk about it, not now.” She didn't want to worry him, because he already had his own problems, but she didn't know how long she could hide from him everything that was going on.

“I think I can already buy my car.” Edgar worked in a machine shop after class and had been raising money to buy a car. “I talked to Mr Nigel yesterday and he said he gives me an advance of what is missing so I can get my car.” The boy showed excitement in his face.

"Hmm. I won't even have the honor of walking with you anymore. It's gonna be a mess, all the girls wanting to hitchhike in your car.” Natasha always played with him about girls. When he became head of the school soccer team she kept mocking him, which would catch all the cheerleaders. But it was just a joke, she cheered and vibrated with him with each achievement. "By the way, how's Sarah doing?"

“I don't even know.” Edgar shrugged. "I don't think she wants anything more from me, she keeps avoiding me. You know, I won't insist on someone who doesn't really want me. And you, all right?”

“Yes,I'm ok” The girl shrugged.

Ever since Rick had met some weird guys at his new job Natasha began to feel a little afraid of his behavior, because whatever she did or said, he got violent and nervous. The girl had tried to break up more than once, but he was violent and she couldn't. After last night she swore to herself that he would never come near him again.

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Remi couldn't help but stare at him, those blue eyes enchanting her from the first time she walked through that door. But she thought it was silly, because he was a very popular boy and she always saw him with the sophomore blonde, that cheerleader. She knew a guy like him would never notice her. Helen had never encouraged her to date, on the contrary, she said they needed to win the world and not get involved in a relationship that only shows how weak you are. She had not always listened to this, but she avoided lasting involvement, for she was not even worthy of a love relationship.

“Hi, how are you?” The clumsy geek sat beside her with a stack of books but hands and Remi watched. “Oh many books, right? I'm working on research and I need all of these, believe me. You could be part of my team, I've seen that you like chemistry.”

“Oh, I don't know. Can be. If I won't disturb you.”

"Of course not, Stuart is in the project, but he's a little clumsy and sometimes spoils the experiments. I prefer to work with girls because they are more organized, but he's a good guy, I put him on the line.”

“I know what they look like, I have a brother who is only big but still looks childish in some ways.”

“Your brother is that blondie, wow! Hum, I've seen him with you.”

“Yes, that's him.” RemiRemi laughed, because she had already seen how Patty looked at him, seemed to devour him with eyes. The brother really liked was a trouble. Helen had put them to practice martial arts from an early age, and Roman thought he should punch anyone who crossed his path. Since moving to this school two weeks ago, he has been on the board twice.

“What are you looking at? Kurt?” Patty followed the direction of Remi's gaze and saw her staring at him. “He's a good guy and will still find the right girl.”

“I'm not looking at him.” Remi felt his face turn red when she saw the boy look in her direction and linger looking at her. The girl looked down and didn’t look in his direction anymore.

Kurt had noticed the fledgling girl from day one, but saw it as an impenetrable iceberg. She was beautiful and mysterious and was always accompanied by her twin. Since she arrived he hadn't had a chance to exchange a word with her, he needed to work it out. He'd seen her talking to Patty, maybe if he talked to her, but the nerd was always in the lab and into her crazy experiments.

“Hey, Ed! Do you have footeball training today?” Kurt addressed the dark-haired young man who was storing things in his bag.

“No. I'm thinking of looking for Natasha to leave soon.”

"I'm coming with you, I need to talk to Patty, maybe they're together."

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“Hey, I finally found you!” Natasha went into the lab and saw that Patty had bequers and tubes bubbling, some appliances with bright lights flashing, and there were also open books on the bench.

“We are working on a new project and we can't stop now, because we are in the middle of the reaction. Stuart, what did you do here? I told you it wasn't time to add the acid yet!” Patty always stressed about the boy's clumsy way.

“Hi. How are you getting to work with them?” Natasha addressed the shoulder-length brunette girl. "Your name is Remi, isn't it? I'm Natasha. “The latina appeared after the brunette confirmed.”

"Sometimes I think she's trying to refute Lavoisier's Law." They both burst out laughing.

“Patty! What did you do this time?” Rich had just entered the lab and looked pretty stressed.

“What are you talking about?” The geek frowned.

"Those experiments of yours are pulling all the energy from the building and shutting down the computers in the computer lab! I’ll start by turning off these gadgets with these lights here that must be the bad guys.”

“Don't touch my multimeters!” Patty slapped Rich's hand backward. “I'll fix this, I can not go off so it will disturb everything.”

Patty did what the boy asked by releasing the energy he was consuming from his experience.

“It's time to go. Give me five minutes that will be all right for your computers.”

“Hey babe! Have you ever met the computer lab?” Rich addressed Remi, who remained silent. “ I can introduce you and show you new programs and windows that were recently installed.”

“Rich! You have no way! Let Boston hear that!” Natasha scolded him, because she knew Rich loved to sneak and also knew how jealous Boston was.

“Boston may also like to participate in the presentation of the new programs, you are also invited, bravely.” Rich headed for the latina. "We close the lab door ..." The boy leaned toward the girls and put his hand over Remi's.

“No, Rich! I already met your fame and won't stick with me!” Remi took his hand from hers and walked away.

Rich watched as the rookie girl Remi seemed to be her name, glanced at the lab door and looked at the newly arrived figure.

"Hey Stuble, hi Eddie, you've been missing computer classes!" Rich thought the blue-eyed boy was handsome and sexy, but he knew how much he loved girls.

“Hi Rich!” Kurt greeted the boy with a little disdain. “Patty, what are you up to this time?” then she noticed the short-haired brunette girl standing in front of the bench next to Natasha.

"Hi." Remi greeted him with a shy smile that shook his structures. How perfect the girl was!

“Hello! Can you understand Patty's nuts?”

“Hey, Kurt! They are not crazy! You are all a bunch of misinformed, if you want to start drawing the formulas on the board and you will understand everything that is happening here!” The blonde girl always made a point of trying to explain to friends what she was working on.

“It’s boy necessary!” The answer was in unison.

“I will enjoy that you are all here and I will make an invitation!” Patty was addressing them all at once. “Freddy, my brother, is having a party at my house on Saturday. My parents traveled and released the house, since they don't break anything, you are invited! Your brother too! Patty addressed Remi referring to the handsome blond boy. And, Rich, take Boston! You two can take your girlfriends. Natasha ...

"I won't take ..." She was referring to Ricky. The latina didn't intend to leave the boy to this party. She just wanted to have fun with her friends.

Remi noticed Kurt's disquiet when Patty talked about his girlfriend, but the boy didn't answer Patty at all.

“ You go?” Kurt was addressing her.

“ I don’t know?” “She was still wondering how fun it could be to get fit, make friends. “I’ll see if I can.”

"Make an effort, her brother's parties are fun." The boy smiled and she lingered admiring the crooked smile that formed on his face.

The class dispersed and Remi went to meet his brother who was waiting for her in the courtyard. She risked a look back and saw Kurt talking and laughing with his friends.

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