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thepeakyfckingblinders · 4 years

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Never Again || Thomas Shelby x reader

credits to @saralou23 for the gif

⤠ MASTERLIST⤟

Anon requested/summary: “can I request a fic where the reader is found unconscious or faints in the shop or something and tommy freaks out? I just find protective tommy so ❤️💓💟!! Thank you, your writing is absolutely INCREDIBLE” (Thank you so much honeybun, you’re making me blush, pls, forgive me for being late ❤️)

Warnings: swearing, bossy Tommy, basically Tommy freaking out and being overprotective, me always loving him with all of my mangled soul

Author’s notes:

I hope you are okay darlings, I love you, please stay safe ♡

I’m so sorry for being this late, I have no excuses, forgive me. Also the end sucks, but I’m struggling with my writing lately, so, sorry again.

I love protective Thomas so much, he’s an ass, but he’s a softie, and I’m gonna lose my mind some day.

Behind each one of these works there are sleepless nights and something really close to multiple mental breakdowns, so, please, take a minute to send me a message about it, I need actual actual feedbacks to understand how to improve my skills and grow ♡

If you want to be added to my tag list, please, directly message me

I’m Italian, English isn’t my first language, so I apologize for every possible mistake I made. Also, please, help me improve my writing by telling me if there’s something wrong

ENJOY!

Birmingham’s gelid air hit your sensitive skin with no mercy as soon as your red mary-janes crossed the doorway of the Garrison, only to disgracefully sink into the greyish muddy loam in which the whole of Small Heath seemed to be covered.

Your fingers felt like rigid appendages burdening your already wearied arms, while you tried your best to wrap them around your coat’s edges, in a disperate effort to keep that warm tissue on your bulging clavicles left exposed by the woollen dress you were wearing. No matter how many heavy clothes you decided to put on, that implacable cold still succeeded in making you feel constantly out of forces, debilitated to the core; it had always been that way, since you were nothing more than a little girl obliged to spend one every two months confined in your bedroom, afflicted by incredibly high fever and sometimes even bronchitis.

Truth was that your body had never got used to England’s humid weather, yet, even though you poor healt had previously put you in danger, for your sake, thanks to the enormous progresses made by medicine in the past fifteen years, it was now easy to fight against the ruthless chill of those endless winters. Plus, since the earliest days of your attendence, your wardrobe had been perpetually refreshed with high-quality pieces perfectly in step with the times, for your fiancée had been literally covering you in furs and duvets of all kinds, concerned as he was that you could’ve eventually caught another bad fever, whose deathly consequences he had already experienced on his own thick skin. And for no reason in the world he would’ve even risked to lose you too.

So, as everybody could’ve easily predicted, Thomas was perennially paying attention to your wellbeing: the most famous specialists from inside and outside the United Kingdom had come directly to your country house; if one thing could be taken for granted, it was that your medications would always be settled on your side cabinet, together with a glass of fresh water, every day and every night; and, come hell or high water, he would accompany you during your routine visits to the hospital, even when it meant leaving all of his business without any prior warning.

Needless to say, you were perfectly able to do those things on your own -pheraps except for getting a crowd of world renowned doctors in your living room- and you sure as hell had tried to persuade him that there was no need at all for being so preoccupied all the time; still, he was Tommy Shelby, he simply couldn’t help it.

The concern for his loved ones’ lives kept stealing his sleep, even on those nights when there was no trace of imminent dangers on the horizon, it kept excoriating the insides of his drained brains, to the point that, more than once, you’d had to sleep alone in your immense king-size bed or reach for him in his study, curling up on one of his uncomfortable armchairs, ready to appease his fears as best you could. In short, for as much as you needed him to relax, you were still able to understand his protective behavior, against which, as a matter of fact, no one could do much; thus you at least tried not to give him more reasons to be worried by paying some extra attention to all those small things you could solve without Tommy even knowing about it. Regularly taking your iron tablets, for example. Nonetheless, it had now been already a week since the Peaky Blinders had started a brand new business involving in effect every metalworking factory in and around Birmingham, and the whole family, you and Tom included, had been so turbulently tied up with work to let every other thought and need slither on the back burner. As a direct consequence, your doctor’s latest prescription was unfortunately left lying on the bottom of your drawer, that being the fourth day in a row you’d spent without taking those pills, and, even though everything appeared to be going well until then, that one Thursday morning your period eventually came and stroke the fatal blow, having you feel so faint and aching that, all of a sudden, the few metres separating your side of the street from the betting shop seemed to implausibly dilate right under your blurred vision, a vexing sense of nausea assaulting your empty stomach led you to lean against a lamppost, your skin still crawling beneath all those heavy tissues. Dizziness and lethargy almost took over your sore mind, before you shook your head with an abrupt move in a bid to dispel those unpleasent sensations; clients would’ve arrived in less than a hour, Esme had taken John’s kids on a brief fieldtrip, Michael was already in his office, the boys were making their usual rounds of the mills, Finn and Isaiah were dealing with a couple folks in need back at the Garrison and Polly was nowhere in sight, which made you the only available blinder for the opening and, with Friday’s race approaching, there was no way the box-office could remain shut. Hence, more determined than ever, you chocked down the knot forming in your throat due to queasiness and just forced youself to put one foot in front of the other onto the dusty road, until you reached the shop door, not without the risk of tripping over multiple times in the process. Your frozen fingers clutched to the small side-wall now carring all of your weight, whilst your lungs tried to let in as much air as possible. And it worked, each plodding breath seemed to fight your sickness, also your heartbeat was gradually slowing down, thus you shut your eyelids and continued to inhale deeply for a full minute, before your trembilng hand managed to finally turn the key in the lock, giving you free access to the place.

However, the small click produced by the latch closing again did not live to reach your ears, for they were already brimful of ominous hisses, in a scant moment a bulk of hypnotic grey worms prevented you from seeing anything else, they relentlessly squirmed in front of your dilated pupils, that repulsing view sending brutal shooks straight to your clenched stomach, again. And, before you even had a chance to realize what was going on, your brain completely blacked out.

~ ~ ~

Words would not be sufficient to describe the fright taking over Arthur’s features the second your inert silhouette entered his line of sight. Just returned from their daily patrol, he had indeed noticed a small crowd waiting outside the office, cursing and fussing because of the lacked opening, and that alone had been weird enough for him to punch and kick his way up to the entrance, profanities spilling from his mustached mouth every time somebody’s elbow digged into his ribcage, inducing him to hit back so to stand his ground, only to eventually find himself powerless in front of that ghastly scene. It took him a while to recover from the shock, yet the eldest Shelby eventually regained control of his limbs and moved towards your shape with a single step.

“Polly! Pol, come here, for God’s sake!” Those hoarse yells filled the room, reverberating through the brickwalls, so loud that they could’ve been heard from the other side of the city, Arthur fell on his knees right beside you, gently placing a hand under your nape in order to lift your head. Blind panic streaming in his veins kept him for thinking clearly, he didn’t know what to do, thus he simply shook you from your shoulders, hoping in vain to see your eyes fly back open, but your neck just bent backwards.

“Where the hell is that bloody woman when I need her?!” he grunted those words in between his teeth while tigthening his grip on you, then his chest raised in a sharp move: “Jesus Christ, Polly!” He shouted once more, this time conveying all of his breath and blood towards his larynx, his abrasive voice shriveled and insisted on the last letters of his aunt’s name, until swift strides frantically hit the creaking steps, announcing Polly’s arrive. Her eyes struggled to remain open, her left palm was pressed against her forehead in a silly attempt to soothe the tremendous headache resulted from the previous night’s booze, she didn’t even have the time to put proper clothing on, since her mad niece was apparentely going berserk. “You, son of a bastard-” cursed words died underneath her tongue when she understood what was going on, soon her feet took on a life of their own, as they picked up their peace, leading her next to your body now held in Arthur’s arms.

“She’s freezing, Pol, she’s a fucking chunk of ice!” Hiccoughs shattered his worried cries, he almost whined, shifting his gaze from yours to Polly’s face over and over again, she, on the other hand, used the whole lenght of her right arm to clear in one smooth motion the closest desk. “Quick, lay her here” The deafening noise produced by those items colliding with the pavement barely grazed her hears, whilst she nodded to herself in the effort to impose some order on her obfuscated head, searching for a prompt solution that was late in coming, to the point that Finn beat it to the draw and stormed in, pointing a loaded gun to each corner of the room with fear in his cerulean irises. “What the hell’s going on?” That hysterical question echoed through the place, even though the young boy was finding it hard to get his breath, due to the crazy run he had made to reach the shop immediately after hearing that insane screaming. Nonetheless, in the space of an instant, he saw you as well and fell utterly silent, violent dismay caught him off guard, his wide eyes hesitated on your motionless figure; all of a sudden he didn’t know what to think, nor he could get the thought of your death out of his brains.

“My God, she’s as pale as death” Finn let his mind talk through that throttled murmur, regretting it right away, for silty goosebumps crawled on his skin under the pungent pressure of his brother’s instantaneous lethal glare. “Don’t talk shit, kid! Just fucking go and get Tom!”

The redhead didn’t waste any time, he somehow managed to recollect his guts and steadily disappeared behind the door previously left open. While struggling for air and internally searching for the right words to say in front of Thomas, Finn covered the whole distance between the office and the Garrison. Labored gasps coming out of his slightly parted lips in louder groans as he slammed the heavy pub’s doors open, using only his strongest shoulder; both Harry and Isaiah watched him run towards the back room where Tommy was going through the books, they did not dare spill a word and, after all, the boy didn’t even look in their direction, such was his concentration. Still, once he reached the place, all of a sudden his tongue felt dry, his well-organised speech faded away.

“Finn?! What’s wrong?” Tom’s icy eyes were now staring at him through his round glasses, the paper he’d been reading was instantly dropped, although his tone remained steady. “Y-you need to come, now! She... she’s-” A frown formed upon Tommy’s marble face at his little brother’s furious rambling, something wasn’t right, that was crystal clear, yet he wasn’t able to keep up with those hasty and stuttered sentences, so he approached him, putting both his hands on Finn’s shoulders in order to give him a little shove and maybe get some decent information. “Breathe, kid, and tell me what’s going on” That deep, adamant tone somehow sounded scarier than usual roaring inside the boy’s head, hence anxiety definitively won him over, gaining complete control of his mouth too. “It’s Y/n! I don’t fucking know, Tom, s-she looks dead!” All at once, time and space seemed to collapse around him, one single second dilated, covering the space of a whole lifetime beyond his vacant blue irises now fixed on an undetermined spot of the white wall behind Finn’s back. A gruesome, yet familiar sensation raided his petrified body, it felt like having a beast’s fangs gnawing his throat off, lacerating his flesh to the bone, he could sense every little laceration, his chest being plundered, till even his sable heart was eradicated and then mauled. A strangled wheeze barely lived through his plump lips, that being the only sound he uttered, then his black pupils shrinked and immediately twitched, nailing his sibiling’s gaze. Without receiving an order from his brain, his fists violently gripped Finn’s jacket at the height of his biceps, bringing him a span away from his gnashed teeth with a sharp pull. “Where?” He snarled liked a rabid dog, striking, if possible, geater terror in the young man who struggled to spit an almost inaudible “The shop”, before being shoved against the doorframe as Tommy dodged him and rushed out.

~ ~ ~

Polly held the bottle of her almond parfume she’d just put under your nostrils as if her life depended on it, Arthur’s rough palm, instead, began to pat your pasty cheek. “C’mon, love, wake up! Don’t play games, c’mon!” The dorsum of that same hand now poking the left side of your face, and then going back to the other, at incredible speed. You started to feel your face again when his nudges grew in intensity, until he was practically slapping you; soon a tremendous metallic taste invaded your mouth, or rather, you finally sensed it, whilst your eyelids battled against gravity to get back up. Arthur noticed it, he detected that brief flinch and it felt like being pampered with a fresh breeze after days of unsustainable heat. “Oh, fuck, I think I’m having a stroke” His tone held extreme urgency as he grasped for air, tugging with two fingers at his shirt collar; sure, he was great at knocking people off, maybe the best, yet, unfortunately, after that he’d never tried to bring somenody back with the living.

Blinding light rended your shrouded eyes, everything appeared blurred to the point that you couldn’t distinguish Polly’s features, although she was right beside you; nor your hearing was working, since the loud thud produced by the wooden door hitting the brickwall, and then your name barked by your fiancée’s coarse voice, sounded muffled to your ears. With a superhuman effort you succeeded in tilting your face towards the entrance, you recognized the navy-blue suit Thomas had chosen to wear earlier in the moring, still those nebulous images reached your brains with extreme delay, it was like watching vague movie scenes stream in slow motion. Your eyelids blinked as if a plumbeous burden was anchored to them, each flutter seemed to last a full minute, so that you perceived Tom coming to you in multiple shattered motions, while he kept calling you. The moment Tommy furiously jostled against Arthur, in order to take his place by the desk, you gradually went back to see and hear clearly, now being able to seize pure dread sailing those mesmerizing ocean eyes. “Thank goodness, y/n” His big palms envelopped both your cheeks, slightly squeezing them as he lift your neck, revealing all of his hidden delicacy that you, and you only, were able to bring out. “Y/n, love, talk to me” That order came out like a prayer, his voice betraying him once too often, his fingers shaking with worry, while one of his hands held your chin and the other went to caress your locks. Those loving strokes brushed against your skin, slowly infusing a little warmth into your gelid body, he touched you with the unbearable fear of watching you pass away in between his arms, having him struggle to breathe properly. “Do you hear me?” a single, salty drop fell from his long eyelashes and poured your lower lip, you heard his voice crack, distorting, until it became nothing more than a faint whine: “Please, love, talk to me” When his forehead pressed against yours, he finally gave in to the tears that had been held back with drastic ostination, shutting his eyes for a few instants he allowed brutal sobs to trounce his already aching chest. However, that moment of raw weakness was soon restrained, so that you returned to stare into his blue irises. Then, a small grin crossed your pale mouth and, even though your throat felt like gasoline on fire, preventing you from pronouncing a single syllable, you managed to guide your tiny hand to cup his sharp cheekbone. A burning kiss was pressed on its dorsum, before Tommy completely leant into your touch, giving you a look halfway between relief and disperation, he covered your hand with his own, holding it tight. “You’re okay, you’re safe” Those soft murmurs escaped his lips, probably aimed to placate the axphyziating terror still intoxicating his veins. Indeed, as hard as it was to conceive for everybody in that room, although you were the one just recovering from a sudden collapse, Tommy was now the one trembling like a fallen leaf, his arms rested on each side of your shape, sustaining his weight, as he barely stood on his own two feet. Slowly, you regained the necessary strenght to lift your bust, leading him to flutter in your direction, promptly enlacing his forearms around your waist in order to support your movements. “Hold onto me, darling, take it slow” His raspy voice was still unsteady and full of concern, he was holding his breath out of fear, gazing at you with wide eyes and tightening the grip on your hips as if to make sure that you wouldn’t vanish in his palms. You, on the other hand, gave him a rassuring smile, caressing his face mutliple times and placing a brief kiss on his mouth. “I’m fine, Tommy, I’m here with you” you eventually spoke close to his ear so to keep that conversation between the two of you “Let go, my love, I’m here” Your lips accidentally brushed against his forehead once he listened to you and abandoned himself to your tender embrace, gradually drowning into your soft chest while his arms clung on to your figure, his fingertips almost piercing the thick material of your dress as your cheek covered his head, totally annihilating the distance. “Don’t you ever do that to me again. Never again”.

tag list: @spidey-pal, @shadow-of-wonder, @stassaurus, @peachlle, @livvtheangel, @myjbphase, @namelesslosers, @crazyonesarethebest, @vxxn128, @keithseabrook27, @spaghettirogers, @writingstudent, @hp-hogwartsexpress , @eggingamazinglove, @geeksareunique, @cailoleaf, @simonsbluee , @hereforsmutandfluff, @starxtt, @jenepleurepasbaby, @staygold-bebold, @marvelschriss, @captivatedbycillianmurphy

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mmvalentine · 3 years

Text

The Bargain Pt 5 | Feysand

Modern AU. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 6

Rhys hadn't seen Feyre in a year.

He knew that, because his social media sent him a reminder that he had posted a photo of her finished tattoo a year ago, and he had not heard from her since.

Not that she had any obligation to contact him, of course. In fact, this was why he made the six month rule with his clients- he knew how easy it was to become attached to someone who you have been vulnerable around. And he didn't want to influence anyone like that, particularly not Feyre, who seemed to be having a tough enough time as it was. So although he thought about her often, after she left the shop that last time, for the most part he tried to let her fade into a pleasant memory, and not to dwell too much on whether she was okay out in the world.

But Rhys knew he'd never forget Feyre, because after she was gone he had actually started to paint again. Had locked the door of the studio behind her, arrived back at his apartment and stayed up all night with his crusty old oil set. Paper had never been particularly interesting to him, so he had painted his coffee table. Swirls and eddies of colour like Feyre had drawn on his arm in the gaps between his black line tattoos.

Over the next few weeks, Rhys' plain and understated flat became a frenzy of line and pattern and colour. He started posting photos on his instagram and to his great surprise, they garnered more attention than some of his better performing tattoo posts. He was even commissioned to paint shop fronts and feature walls in restaurants.

By the end of the year, Rhys was still in the studio most of the time but spent a week out of every month painting murals around the country, like he had always wanted to do. So no, he would not be forgetting Feyre, ever.

In May, Rhys got a contract in Berlin. It was one that he was slightly apprehensive about, since apparently it was a team effort and he didn't have much experience collaborating. He didn't love the idea that several people who had never met would be trying to create something cohesive in a short amount of time. On the other hand, it was an all-expenses paid trip and he was about due for a holiday.

Rhys landed in Berlin early in the morning, and had a couple of hours to kill before his meeting. He spent some time wandering around the strangely grey, concrete world, and found these amazing rainbow bursts popping up unexpectedly on street corners and in alleyways. Rhys found he rather liked it.

When eventually he walked through the tall glass doors of the building he'd been directed to, Rhys wondered about the team he'd be working with. There were a number of very well respected German street artists, and if he had to collaborate, he hoped it would be someone who he might recognise.

He was utterly unprepared to walk into the room and see Feyre sitting at the table, deep in conversation with a man with dark skin and white hair.

"Ah, here he is. Feyre, this is Rhys," the man said, while Rhys stood with one hand still on the door handle and gaped.

Shock registered on Feyre's face, but then it settled into an easy, broad daylight grin.

"Thank you Tarquin, we've actually met." Feyre's fingers trailed over her tattoo as she spoke, not taking her eyes from Rhys'. "Remember me?" she asked, with a little tilt of her head.

"I, uh, yeah of course I do," Rhys said. "I wasn't expecting to see you here." "Nor I you," she said.

"Rhys, good to meet you in person," Tarquin said, extending a hand. "I know we've only spoken on the phone before now, and I'm so glad you could come over for this project."

Rhys shook the contractor's hand, and settled into the chair that was pulled out for him. He nodded and smiled at Tarquin, but then found his gaze snapping back to Feyre like a magnet. A rose petal blush stole over her cheeks.

"I am so excited to finally have the two of you here," Tarquin said. His voice was slightly accented, and very warm. "As you know from the brief, my company has just settled its headquarters here in Berlin and we want a summer themed mural."

"I'm sorry," Rhys interrupted. "It's just the two of us?" Tarquin nodded. "Originally I wanted a whole team of artists, but then we redid the budget and it was decided we'd just hire two." "I'm curious, you have so many wonderful artists here in Berlin, why did you fly us out from New York?"

"Actually," Feyre said. "I live in Berlin now." Rhys blinked. "Oh," was all he could think to say.

Tarquin prattled on for another forty minutes about his company, the 'feel' they were going for, their target audience and so on. When Tarquin had first approached Rhys, Rhys was genuinely interested in his work but now that Feyre was here sitting opposite him, he couldn't take in a damn word. Couldn't even remember what he already knew about the business, just sat there wondering what had happened in the year since he had last seen Feyre.

How was she? Was she still with that whatshisname boyfriend? Had she been tattooed by anyone else this year?

Finally Tarquin stopped talking and told them he'd take them on a tour of the building, show them the mural site, and then let them settled in. He stepped out to take a phone call, and left them with a mood board he had collated for the painting. Then Rhys was left alone with Feyre.

And for the life of him didn't know what to say to her.

He just sat there, swallowed, and tried to stop staring at her. She noticed, and blushed.

"What are you looking at?" Feyre said, looking down self-consciously. A curl fell over her face. "I'm sorry," Rhys said. "I just didn't expect to see you." "Me neither," Feyre told him. "I mean, I moved cities, I moved continents and yet here you are."

Rhys nodded. "Here I am." He cleared his throat. "So ah, when did you guys move over?" "Just a few months ago," Feyre said. "And it's just me. I broke up with Tamlin." She shifted in her seat. "You were right. It got worse, and then better." "Oh, good," Rhys said. "I mean- not good, I'm sorry to hear that."

Feyre laughed. "No," she said. "It is good. And I'm really enjoying living here. I can't believe you're here." "I thought I'd never see you again," Rhys said. Feyre's eyes flickered. "You thought about seeing me?" she asked.

Now it was Rhys' turn to colour. "I... I just wondered if you might get in contact later in the year. You know, let me know how your tattoo's healing and all. Is it alright?"

"It's great," Feyre said, holding out her arm for Rhys to inspect. "I know I said I might call, but I just couldn't," she confessed. "As the months went on I got so embarrassed."

Rhys cocked his head. "Why?" he asked. "Because I had such a crush on you!" Feyre said. "And I bet every girl you tattoo falls in love with you, I didn't want to be one of them." She laughed, and looked away. Rhys just stared at her.

"You... had a crush...?" he started to ask, but then Tarquin breezed back into the room.

"Sorry folks!" he said. "Important call, but terribly rude of me. Now. Let's get on with that tour huh?"

And then he ushered them out of the room, and didn't leave them until they were all saying goodbye and Feyre was heading toward home in one direction and Rhys was going to his hotel in the other.

No matter. They had all week to get reacquainted.

****

Thank you so much to everyone who has been commenting, I've been astounded by the love you guys have been giving this story and I appreciate you all very dearly!! I thought it would be a little niche one, I wrote it because I like art and tattoos, and I really didn't think it would do this well. Would love to know what's working for you, so I can keep bringing it to you :)

MASTERLIST

TAGLIST: @ghostlyrose2 @highladysith @stardelia @feysand-loml @tillyrubes10 @ratabrasileira @live-the-fangirl-life @maybekindasortaace @annejulianneh111 @thebonecarver @rowaelinismyotp @loosingdreams @whythefuckdoiexist @inejsarrow @swankii-art-teacher @sjmships @courtofjurdan @teddytdr @positivewitch @thalia-2-rose @darling-archeron @rapunzel1523 @fairchildjace

#feysand #feysand fic #acotar #fluff #mine

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utterlyhopeful-fics · 4 years

Text

Midnight Magic

A/N: Wrote a smutty part 2 to accompany you lovely folks! 🥰🥰

MASTERLIST

Henry Cavill x Reader

Also, if I keep tagging you and you’re not interested or want to be tagged; please let know!

Word Count: 1855k

Warnings: MUCH PROMISED FLUFF, dirty talk, implied smut, foreplay, kissing, language, teasing

***********************************************

Y/N wasn’t someone to demand attention but tonight was a different story entirely. Whether it be the holiday magic in the air or the sheer happiness exuding from her beaming smile, they’d never know for sure. She glazed into the fireplace awaiting the arrival of her midnight kiss to show up. The embers flickered uncontrollably creating a spellbinding illusion of comfort. The cerulean blue hue of her dress was majestically magnificent, custom designed to perfection leaving little to the imagination. Paired with a sexy high slit revealed the majority of her right leg; just enough access.

This New Year’s Eve Henry had the peculiar notion to get dressed up as if they were enjoying the evening out. Y/N almost died of happiness then and there seeing the childish reflection in her husband’s hypnotic orbs. 2020 was one helluva year and though it brought them closer than ever as a couple, Y/N wasn’t blind to the hardships occurring throughout the world.

His loins stirred excitedly as lust glazed over his features growing semi-hard. The only barrier holding them from going at it like teenagers. He licked his lips in anticipation eager to have his wife all to himself. No lavish parties or parades of people to entertain this year, just the lot of them, alone and horny. He continued admiring her from afar pouring two flutes of champagne for the pair.

“You look positively scrumptious this evening, Mrs. Cavill.”

Henry silently crept from behind sneaking up unsuspectingly slow. Goosebumps riddled her gorgeous skin rippling in masses. His breath ticked the tiny, delicate hair adorning her neck shooting a pleasurable surge to her limbs. Both endlessly love drunk on one another. His sensational touch alone kicked every sense into overdrive, heightened every emotion he emitted. Y/N reached back entangling her fingers with his newly deemed ‘quarantine curls’ she’d loved to tug on. Small bites traced down her neck leaving small marks in his wake of destruction.

“May I add how delectable you are in a tuxedo, Hen? My god, my poor ovaries must be working overtime.”

A salacious smirk broke out on his lips eyeing her lustfully.

“You haven’t the finest clue what I want to do to you right now, my love.”

Her hips grinded back on their on accord knocking the air from his lungs. All his remaining blood rushed to the tip of his cock as his belly stirred in playful chaos. They swayed back and forth to the melody playing in the background both reflecting on their last year together.

Henry lined himself up with the shell of her ear wrapping his bulky arm firmly around her waist drawing her as close as possible.

“I’m truly astounded this is our 12th year celebrating as a couple.”

Y/N smiled thinking back when they first met. The year was 2008, Henry was a newly promoted regular to a Showtime series called The Tudors. Y/N was a brilliant writer, the brains behind the complex operation. Henry considered her the beauty and brains; Y/N hated when he talked down about himself saying she’d never once doubted the man who became a wonderful husband and even better daddy.

One unparticular day he’d spotted her struggling to balance a pretty hefty pile of scripts and tumbled right into him. Luckily, his super-size and strength kicked in just in time catching the eye of the attractive stranger. In that moment, Henry knew there was something about this woman he craved to figure out. He was just the lucky bastard on the reciprocating end.

“And thank god your parents volunteered to take the kiddos for the evening. Some private adult time is just what the doctor ordered. We owe them BIG time.”

Y/N winked leading him to decipher the meaning behind her blanket statements. She stepped from his grasp breaking his hold on her. He whined at the loss causing Y/N to eye him curiously.

Oh, you little tease.

Henry’s frisky nature broke through lighting the atmosphere around them. Due to the ongoing pandemic and what not, Henry and Y/N found themselves in wintry London at their main hub of a home. Henry’s roots were deep-rooted and his plea so passionate as she agreed to move across the world with him. Their lives halted for the better allowing the family to spend more time than usual as a unit. Though initially hectic and overwhelming, they were secretly thankful for these little moments with their four children. It was a time they so dearly valued at their imaginative ages.

“Oh, I bet my pops could sense the sexual tension oozing off you, darling. You smell mouthwatering.”

“Hush! Besides it is completely natural to pursue a sexual relationship with my husband outside of our children. Gotta keep you coming back for more…”

“Oh sweets, you have no earthly idea how bad I want to fuck you every day of my existence. You are absolutely divine and somehow all mine.”

“I can’t take all the credit. Nobody’s ever made me cum the way you managed to figure out. You play me like a damn instrument.”

“With pleasure.”

“Ugh, you’re insatiable.”

“Oh, come on. Your sex drive is just as insane as mine. Admit it!”

Y/N bit the inside of her lip collecting her thoughts. Henry pried and teased her ribs forcing her to his whims.

“Fine, fine, you win! I’m a ravenous feign when it comes to you. You’d think having kids would cool my jets but then I see these gorgeous faces I birthed and it’s like I reset. Poof, just like that.”

“Well you’re a phenomenal Mum and quite the MILF too.”

Henry inhaled her perfumed scent taking a long sip of bubbly; anything to keep him from combusting.

“Let’s toast, love. We must.”

“My my, how time flies when you’re having fun.”

Her manicured fingers reached for the chilled glass looking up at Henry and his three-month-old beard. She rose her glass slightly higher in preparation for his speech. Her eyes gleamed with pride as she admired her husband.

“Thank you for loving me, Henry. Seriously, you changed my life in so many profound ways.”

The sap in him was beginning to show as his eyes watered with unshed tears; “My love, it is I who should be thanking for you the unending shower of love and affection. You are the beautiful mother of our four wonderous kids who are the absolute lights of my life because of you. You’re a woman worthy of many praises than my silly ramblings. Cheers to you and for another adventure of a year!”

She swatted his chest immediately shutting him up; “Don’t say that! I am just as equally lucky to have found someone who gets me for …me. It’s a wonderful feeling to have you by my side even if I did have to kiss a few frogs.”

“No doubt I the best possible selection.”

Y/N played along jesting back; “I wouldn’t go that far, maybe the easiest?”

Gob smacked Henry’s wit was rapid fire; “If memory serves, you were there too. And just as ravenous.”

“I was about to get nailed by an insanely hot British man. Can you blame me?”

“One look from you and I was a bloody puddle. I had to recite rugby players to keep from losing my shit.”

No matter life’s challenges the past years of their lives, their resolution to stay equals and lovers was stronger than ever. A sinful glow overcame Y/N as she stared directly up at him; “Cheers to you fucking me stupid then?”

“As you wish.”

She refused to glance away maintaining his smoldering gaze; her Y/C eyes screamed sex. His pupils dilated just as his heart speed up voraciously. Both subconsciously tilted their heads oppositely neither daring to move first, unwilling to yield. Y/N challenged his masculinity testing him. Many words could be used to describe Y/N but priss wasn’t one of them.

“Oi, you are a true keeper.”

Y/N checked the matching wrist watch completing her outfit; “T-minus 15 seconds until 2021 is here.”

Still unbreaking of her gaze, Henry stayed silent taking in the beauty of his wife. He could stare at her for the rest of his god given days and die a spectacularly happy man.

10,9,8

“Oh Hen, another marvelous journey with you. Can’t wait to see what 2021 has in store for us.”

7,6

She stared down at his inviting pout unable to look away nor did she truly want to.

“Maybe thinking about another baby?”

Her eyes bulged from her skull as shock illuminated from her pores.

“You’re joshing me?”

His lack of response was more than confirmation enough.

5,4

“There’s something so ridiculously sexy about you being pregnant. I always knew I wanted kids but with you, oh with you I want to have as many as humanly possible. Our very own football team.”

Confusion stamped her features at his terminology. Sometimes Henry forgot they were from different countries.

“Football as in soccer. You know the game with the checkered ba—”

Y/N cut him off; “Jeez baby, save your mansplaining. I’ve been on this side of the pond long enough to understand your oh so clever references.”

3,2

The pros and cons bounced around in her head, doubt never far behind but the mischievous joy coming off him was tantalizing; “Let’s do it.”

2,1

Cheers rang ecstatically from the television as fireworks commanded their attention but they only had eyes for one another. Henry closed the gap kissing her feverishly. He was forever seared into her brain ruined for all other men. Lost in the moment, Y/N barely had time to set her glass down untrusting of her own balance anymore. Henry followed shortly behind. Now with her newfound freedom, Y/N wrapped her arms around his neck locking him in place. His questioning tone was almost cause for concern before his façade shattered.

“Really? I do so enjoy seeing you round with my babe. So, fucking irresistible.”

Henry’s jacket was long removed strewn over the couch. That left him standing only in his tight button up and trousers. Y/N merely leaned back his direction bringing his attention towards the zipper aligning her spine. Henry chuckled undoing her dress too easily watching the zipper flair apart. He couldn’t resist admiring the flex of her muscles and how striking she was. Tugging the material over the curvy hips, Y/N noticed Henry was far too overdressed.

“Take off your clothes, now.”

“You bossin me round, babe?”

His muscular tush ignited in minimal pain as her hand connected with his ass whipping rather harshly. A small red welt appeared instantly. Henry stood shocked as Y/N’s smug smile decorated her face.

“You really shouldn’t push me. I don’t like my authority questioned.”

Henry’s mood shifted at her use of roleplay knowing he was in for a well and good night. Henry stripped removing his boxer briefs last. Y/N strutted towards her bedside dresser pulling out a pair of metal handcuffs. Dangling them in front of him, she grinned bashfully; “You’re going to sit your ass on that bed and I’m going to tie you up now. Got it?”

~~~~~~~~~

Tags: @thedeadhearted @giveusbackourbucky @henry-cavill-obsessed @onlyhenrys @omgkatinka @thereisa8ella @threeminutesoflife @homewreckingwreck @gemini0410 @maan14@bluegalaxyprime @sofiebstar @whyyykitkat @encounterthepast @readermia @ly-canthropewrites @scorpionchild81 @henrythickcavill @snowbellexx @stephartrave @agniavateira @cap-barnes @henryfanfics101 @mary-ann84 @westcoast-nightowl @poledancingdinos @justaboringadult @peakygroupie @nalathefirefly @vikingsbifrost @bloodyinspiredfuck @moderapoppins @cooldiva1234 @icedcoffeeismythang @titty-teetee @summersong69 @kaatelyyynn @missursulacalmet @michelehansel @iloveyouyen @shyshu @star017 @raynosaurus-rex @radkesgirl83 @starrynite7114 @wheretheriversrunintothesea @i-love-scott-mccall @darkbooksarwin @ellieseymour70 @designerwriterchic @studywithrosie01 @dangerouslovefanfic @lebguardians @crazybutconfidentaf @hen-cavill @cavill-sass @oh-for-fic-sake @icedbottles @buckysgoldenheart @brexrif @gryffindorwriter @laketaj24 @foxyjwls007 @lawsofthejungle @henrycavillfanpage @kaboogie21 @fangirl199812 @gothicninibalor @qualitynightkoala @strictlybuckybarnes @toomanyfandomsshreya@hersilencescreams-blog @viking-raider @sesamepancakes @madbaddic7ed @fuckoffbard @funfickgirl22 @inlovewithhisblueeyes @wolvesandhoundshowltogether @hoeforhenry @henrycavills-babe @abschaffer2 @loving-this @one-of-those-fanfiction-blogs @lovelycavills

#henry cavill #henry cavill x reader #henry x reader #henry x you #henry x y/n #henry cavill x you #henry cavill x y/n #my writing #midnight magic #henry cavill imagine #henry cavill oneshot #henry cavill fluff #henry cavill fic #fanfic #fanfiction #henry cavill fanfic

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madzfm · 3 years

Photo

˛ ⠀ * ⠀ ★ ⠀ JESSICA ALEXANDER . CIS FEMALE . SHE / HER ⧽ ⠀ have you seen the 786 latest post ? sources say they have some serious dirt on the child of a big time COUNTRY MUSIC STARS . they haven’t revealed who it was yet but my best is on MADISON DARLING ! ever since that last update about how she ALLEGEDLY GOT CAUGHT SPORTING A BABY BUMP LAST YEAR BEFORE GHOSTING EVERYONE i don’t put anything pass them . i mean , these celebrity kids are just out of control . they do whatever they want , whenever they want and are ungrateful in the process !! i mean take MADDIE for example , they’re a TWENTY THREE year old DANCER , and what did they do to get there ? have famous parents ! like hello , just because you HAVE BEEN IN MUSIC VIDEOS WITH A-LIST MUSICIANS doesn’t mean you actually deserved it . i’m glad the 786 is taking them down a notch . it’s about time someone does .

𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐆𝐋𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐂 / 𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓 / 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒

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hey ... hey ... how y’all doin’ ? i’m sooo excited to be here , besties ! sorry i’m late with the intro , it’s been a looooong weekend for me but i’m eager to get the ball rolling . so here’s the rundown , the google doc has a full bio + more stats + headcanons but i don’t expect anyone to actually read all that nonsense so i’ve tried my best to sum it up below ( it’s still kinda long tho i’m sorry y’all i ramble too much ). i’m always down to talk plots & threw a few wanted connection ideas at the bottom , so feel free to hmu on discord any time <3 but yes okay let’s get into it

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━━ ˊ * 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 . .

𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞. madison dallas darling . 𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞(𝐬). maddie , mads . 𝐝𝐨𝐛. april 14 , 1998 . 𝐚𝐠𝐞. twenty - three . 𝐳𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐜. aries sun , libra moon , leo asc . 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫. cis female . 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐬. she / her . 𝐬𝐞𝐱𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. bisexual . 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞. nashville , tn . 𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭. 5ft 5in . 𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. high school diploma . 𝐨𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. dancer / realty tv personality . 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬. robert “robbie” darling - father . dixie darling - mother . delaney darling - sister . 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐬. compassionate , imaginative , family-oriented , devoted , generous , sympathetic , idealistic , self critical , naive , competitive , indecisive , impressionable , elusive , sensitive .

━━ ˊ * 𝐛𝐢𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐲 . .

tw : things like shitty controlling parents , injury , & pregnancy are mentioned

born & raised in nashville , tennessee , madison is the daughter of two country music icons ( basically blake shelton & miranda lambert ) & has only ever known a life in the spotlight . her parents were a widely adored it couple who shared their lives with millions of viewers across the world with their reality tv show . at 7pm cst you could tune in to watch robbie & dixie raise their two daughters - having some good ol’ wholesome family fun while juggling responsibilities that come with being famous artists . to any outsider looking in , they seemed like the perfect family . a loving father , a supportive mother , two prim & proper daughters that collected accolade after accolade in every pageant & talent competition they ever entered . but you shouldn’t believe everything you see on tv , even if it’s deceptively labeled as “reality” .

when the cameras weren’t rolling , the darling sisters were left under their mother’s restrictive control . dixie darling treated her daughters more like dolls than living beings , madison & delaney were basically pretty little accessories . while robbie never dared to mistreat his daughters , he was around a lot less than the show made it seem - often touring the world rather than spending quality time with his girls . plus , dixie & robbie seemed to endlessly fight with one another - nearly every childhood memory madison has of her parents involves them yelling . if she wanted to see them looking happy & in love , she’d have to tune in to the fabricated reality on their own show to get a taste of what a happy , loving family looks like .

you can’t be a child of dixie darling without being exploited in some way . while delaney was pushed into the music scene , madison was shoved into the world of dance . she took every class that was offered & practiced for hours upon hours to perfect her craft . her sister had taken after their folks with the singing voice of an angel & the looks to rival that of miss universe , meanwhile maddie was good for two things : dance & doing whatever her mother said . so when dixie said to twirl , she twirled , when she said do a grand jeté, maddie asked how high & then over performed like the good little girl she was trained to be .

it wasn’t until her parents got divorced & maddie moved to miami to be with her sister , her father , & her father’s new girlfriend that she sort of came out ( or more accruately described as dragged out ) of her timid , non - confrontational , subservient shell . with a longer leash , she had more freedom to roam far & wide . no one tried to tell her what to do or who to talk to & considering she was just a privileged teenager with endless funds & the status to get away with just about anything , you can imagine how badly that went . every mistake she made was broadcasted onto people’s televisions or headlined in tabloids . it was stressful , growing up & messing up all under the watchful gaze of millions of people who felt entitled to berate her for her poor life decisions . just because they watched her grow up on tv didn’t mean they actually knew anything about her . & yet so many people shared their unsolicited opinions on her & her life . it drove her insame .

maddie wasn’t handling the stress of being well known very well . she wanted a break from it all , to just go somewhere far away where no one knew her name & just live by herself . it was a silly dream . nothing she’d ever actively pursue . but the universe has a funny way of giving us a taste of what we think we want just to teach us a lesson .

so over a year ago , maddie found out that she was pregnant . it was a shock to say the least . she kept it a close guarded secret from everyone but her sister for awhile . not only was it a life changing development , but it was one thing that she was determined not to share with the rest of the world . with the idea of running away in continuous loop in the back of her mind , she came up with a plan to buy herself some time . she faked a really bad injury during a performance & let the media run with saying she might not be able to walk , let alone dance ever again . pushing the cover story even further , she claimed to be in need of intense physical therapy & sought after it in a luxurious private lodge in new zealand . that’s where she stayed during her year away , letting no outsiders come visit while she figured out how she was going to move forward with this baby growing inside of her .

so maddie finally got the break she was looking for even if it wasn’t under the circumstances that she would’ve liked . but she adapted to the situation . in her time away , she went through the entire pregnancy but it was basically decided for her by her parents that it was best to give the baby up for adoption . the little girl would be in good care by a couple that was a family friend of the darlings . better to bless someone who wanted a baby but couldn’t have one than for maddie to keep her daughter when she wasn’t in a place to take care of her . it broke her heart , honestly . she had grown quite attached to the baby & even entertained the idea of being a single mom even though she knew her own mom would never let that happen - it would go against the strict narrative that they try to put out there about the darling family .

after a year away , maddie is back in miami without anyone knowing what really happened . she keeps using the “injury” as the excuse for her absence from the spotlight . anyone really close to her might be able to tell that something’s off , but she’s trying so hard to act like everything is fine & nothing has changed at all . she might even be able to get away with her lies - if it wasn’t for that damn 786 website threatening to spill the tea & make her life hell .

━━ ˊ * 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 & 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬 . .

a wannabe good girl gone bad but harbors a deep rooted fear of being a disappointment & a failure due to her mom’s strict parenting style . so like she wants to be rebellious & come across as carefree but internally she’s panic screaming always ( honestly relatable like same , girl )

well - mannered in a sweet southern belle kind of way with her please’s & thank you’s & calling everyone ma’am & sir out of respect & what not

biiiig mom friend energy . she just wants to make sure that everyone is taken care of . she can get very protective & a little helicopter parent-y with her friends . it probably has something to do with control issues that she doesn’t realize she has but we don’t have time to unpack that rn akjsdbk

before her year away i want to say that she was a lot more people please-y / overly eager to please ?? like rarely said no to people that asked for favors , always agreed to any plans people invited her to out of courtesy , & what have you . but now i see her as being a little less patient than before & a little bit more unhinged & quick to shut down or snap

guillable ! naive ! dumb as hell ! believes that everyone was raised with the same values as her & has a big of a heart like she does so she’s easily subjectable to getting her feelings hurt & i say let it happen !!

wants to be mysterious so bad but there is very little known about her & her life that isn’t public knowledge . she could get shit on by a bird & it’ll probably become a twitter highlight idk she just wants to believe she’s imperceptible & acts all evasive in order to keep her private life private but that rarely ever has the desired effect

one of those annoying rich & famous people that’s like “i wasn’t meant to be famous . i was meant to have a normal life & be a normal person” but like !! she is actually so out of touch with reality & probably couldn’t tell you how much milk is at the grocery store because she has people to do mundane day to day things for her . spoiled little privileged rich girl , let’s be real . her dad tried to keep her humble , idk what happened

dance style / career is pretty much inspired by maddie ziegler but also not really bc i am very picky & choosey about which aspects of her career i’m pulling from

boring on social media because she hardly ever posts & is very short with her captions & tweets when she does make an appearance online every blue moon

dodges questions about what she’s been up to while she was gone like she’s in the matrix or something . all that pr training her mom put her through when she was younger is coming in handy because she has not given a single honest , straight answer in the months she’s been back . would rather talk about anything else than herself right now so don’t be surprised if she pulls some random subject changes out of her ass if people get nosy . i’m sure the common conspiracy is that maddie was so embarrassed by the fall on stage that she went into hiding

delaney is the kim kardashian & britney spears of the family while madison is the kourtney & the jamie lynn xoxo

━━ ˊ * 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 . .

ride or die , bad influence , frenemies , family friends , good influence , confidant , rival , girl squad , non judging breakfast club , childhood friend , unlikely friend , exes on good terms , exes on bad terms , neighbors , pr friendship , pr enemy , social media mutuals , party buddies , secret friend , secret hook - up , crush , friends with benefits , adventure buddy , enemy with benefits , dance partners , mentors , mentees , sibling like relationship , will they won’t they , people suspicious of her & her supposed “injury” , father of her baby 👀 jk ..... unless

#786intro #template credit to yeonjvnz on deviantart !#they're linked in the source <3

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settersloveletters · 4 years

Text

— her remora; oikawa tooru

⤷ growing up with a silver spoon in your mouth, you were thought to have everything. that is, until you meet a man that went by the name oikawa tooru

➳ pairing: oikawa tooru x f!reader

➳ additional characters: akaashi keji

➳ genre: fluff

➳ word count: 4.5k

➳ warnings: toxic-ish parents

➳ written by: kiri ♡

— notes; this was inspired by two tiktoks found here & here it was too cute not to write and so i spent abt 5 hours writing this in one go. enjoy!

— more notes; also thank you to @loneveenas and @thelittlebirdthattoldyou for beta reading this!

remora [rem-er-ah]: an obstacle, hindrance or obstruction

Since the moment you were born, you were given everything in life. From your ever-growing trust fund to your luxurious lifestyle that included maids upon maids to always having someone at your beck and call. Yes, you were raised to have everything handed out to you on a silver platter. But the one thing that was never given to you was to choose for yourself. Your whole life, your parents chose everything for you. The staff who watched you grow up more than your parents ever did, the frilly outfits that they deemed ‘feminine and graceful’, — but in your eyes were atrocious and did not suit you one bit — even the ‘friends’ you had growing up. All looked at carefully by your parents who wanted to raise the perfect daughter to showcase to the world.

Not once did you ever get to have a voice for yourself. You were seen as the object of perfection, and that meant doing whatever your parents wanted. Being taught that ‘good girls listen to their parents’, you held your tongue whenever you disagreed with something they planned.

“(Y/N), darling, your harp instructor will be there thrice a week and your dance instructor twice a week. Make sure to be on your best behaviour,” your mother cooed, over the phone. “Remember, you were born to be perfect, because—”

“Perfectionism is key, yes mother I understand.” your mother stayed silent on the other line and you knew she was unhappy with something.

“I thought I told you that interrupting is rude and impolite (Y/N). I’ll be adding on more etiquette lessons to your schedule.”

Your shoulders deflated, “I’m sorry mother. I’ll do better.” After another quick reprimanding, your mother hung up, her final sentence being, “Remember the upcoming gala your father is hosting (Y/N). It will be here in 2 months time, so please be sure you perfect your lessons by then.” Resisting the urge to slam the phone back onto its stand, you clenched your hands into tight fists.

You were trapped in a birdcage, with no way to escape. Or so you thought.

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Taking a deep breath of air, you hopped out of the carriage and onto the fresh pavement. After telling a white lie to one of the new maids — that your mother told you to go fit some dresses she had made for you — you found yourself at your city square. You brought your hand up to lift your hood onto your head. Although you rarely went out — another rule set by your parents; you have no reason to socialize with the common folk — you were still well-known because of your parents. The wealthy men and women that frolicked in the square would definitely tell your parents if they had seen you out here. The moment you relaxed your shoulders, they tensed up once again at the presence of someone behind you. You looked over to see the same maid you had tricked into leaving the estate. You blew a puff of air, ‘No matter where I go, mother and father are always with me.’

As long as this maid was with you, you wouldn’t be able to relax. Just this once, you wanted to be off on your own, without anyone, especially your parents, reminding you of who you were. “I need to go visit my harp instructor to ask a question. In the meantime, could you go to the boutique and check on the dresses.”

The maid looked skeptical, “But Miss, I was told to always stay with you when we ventured outside the estate.” You gave her a tight lipped smile.

“Yes, and I was told by my mother that I had to be home before noon, which leaves us with,” you looked over to the clocktower that stood in the center of town, “barely an hour. What I need to discuss with my instructor will take at least thirty minutes and if we don’t get back in time you may be held responsible.” The young maid’s face went pale and she nodded her head before quickly running off to the boutique that certainly had no order of dresses your mother had ‘wanted’.

Keeping your head low, you strolled around the town, making sure to stay far from where the carriage stopped. Without having the eyes of someone following you, you were able to loosen your shoulders and actually breathe for once. Something you haven’t been able to do since, well, ever. Hearing the laughter of children, you lifted your head up to see a small fenced-in house a few feet away from where you stood. In the field of the house, you could see small children running around a male that looked to be your age. The young man was tossing some sort of ball up in the air for the kids. But one of the boys hit it a bit too hard, and the ball went flying past the fence, bouncing on the ground until it started to roll towards your feet. Picking up the object, you could hear the quick footsteps of someone coming towards you.

“Sorry about that,” a soothing voice rang in your ears. You glanced up to see the young man that had been playing around with the kids standing on the other side of the fence. You raise the ball up to him, without saying a word. “Thank you, are you new in town?”

“I’m sorry?”

The brunet male hopped over the fence, “This is a pretty small town, so everyone knows about everyone who lives here.” He starts to toss the ball in the air, hitting it with his fingertips. “I ought to remember your pretty face around here.”

Blushing slightly from the compliment, you reply, “You could say I’m visiting.” It wasn’t a total lie. You were in fact visiting the town square. The male hummed as a response, continuing to toss the ball up in the air. You narrowed your eyes, “You know, it’s rude not to look at someone when you’re having a conversation.”

The young man looked at you, the ball falling on top of his head due to the lack of movement from his arms and hands, “Ow. Sorry about that, Princess.”

Your brows furrowed at the name. “I am not a princess.”

“I don’t know, the princesses I know of are always wearing a hooded cape, have a maid running after them and ride in carriages.” he smirked at you.

Fiddling with said hooded cape, you tilted your head and looked at the man in front of you. “How are you so sure that I have a maid and ride in a carriage?”

He chuckled in response. “Not sure. Maybe it’s something about that panicked maid who just came out of the carriage behind you.” Pointing in the direction behind you, you turned and spotted the maid that had accompanied you during this outing. ‘Uh oh’ you thought to yourself.

“Miss (Y/N)! I had gone to your harp instructor’s residence, but he told me that you did not pay him a visit!” the maid sputtered out. “Oh, did I say harp instructor? I meant dance instructor.”

Your shoulders tensed up as you walk towards the carriage, the maid frantically walking beside you. “Besides that, shall we head home?” You entered the carriage, taking off the hood once you took a seat. Looking out the window, you could see the brown-haired man standing where you left him, staring at you. When he noticed that you were looking, he gave you a smile and a wave, “Hope to see you soon, Princess!”

You crossed your arms over your chest, puffing out your cheeks slightly. “I am not a princess,” you whispered.

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Although you had an odd first meeting, you couldn’t get the boy with the ball out of your head. There had been something about him that sparked curiosity in you. There was an urge to go speak with him again, as if the world wanted you to see him once again. Before you knew it, you were coming up with ideas to get out of the house. Luckily for you, your mother needed you to accompany her to one of the boutiques she handled. Something about fitting some dresses for the gala. “You need to look your very best darling. The night of the gala is very important for you and our family.” Paying no mind to what she said, you got ready to leave the estate once again.

Not even ten minutes into you trying on dresses, your mother got a phone call that needed her to fly out of the country. Again.

“I have to leave, (Y/N). The minute you’re done fitting these dresses you go straight back home.” she didn’t even wait for a reply from you, as she exited the boutique and entered a second carriage that appeared out of nowhere. An hour passed, and you put back on the clothes you arrived with. There were two of the house staff that accompanied you and your mother, and once you snuck past them, your feet brought you back to the small fenced-in house that you stumbled upon a week ago.

Not sure whether to stay past the fence and wait for someone to come out, you decided to walk up to the front porch of the house, knocking on the door lightly. A minute passed and you were about to knock again, when the door creaked open and revealed the same brown hair you couldn’t stop thinking about.

“Princess! To what do we owe the honour?” the male smiled, surprised to see you there.“Again, I am not a princess. However, I did come to visit. May I come in?”

He hesitated, glancing towards the back of the house, before opening the door wider so that you could walk in. “Be our guest,” he bowed, lifting his head at you to stick the tip of his tongue out the corner of his mouth. You chuckled, before recomposing your face.

He walked down the hall towards the kitchen, you following him. Your eyes stayed on the walls of the house. They were covered with picture frames. You glanced over each frame to see a variety of kids and a few adults. You noticed that some kids weren’t in some photos, and some were in a couple. One thing that was made apparent was the small brown-haired, brown-eyed boy that was in every picture. Your eyes trailed off to the picture posted right before you entered the kitchen. Crouched in the middle of the small children was the same male that took over your thoughts.

“Care for some tea?” You looked over to see him holding a small tea pot. Nodding, you walked over and took a seat at the small table. Pouring you a cup, you could smell the sweet aroma that wafted to your nose. It left a calming effect on you. “You know, you never told me your name.”

Lifting your gaze, you saw him sitting across from you, his chin placed on the palm of his hand as he looked at you. “Well it’s definitely not ‘Princess’, so you may as well stop calling me that.” You took a sip of the tea. It tasted different. It didn’t hold the same bland tea that your parents kept in the kitchen. This tea held more love. “Besides, I don’t know your name either.”

The man opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by a young child’s voice. “Tooru-nii.” The two of you looked up to see a small girl rubbing her eyes, as she held the ears of a stuffed rabbit tightly in her first. The man named ‘Tooru’ stood up and walked over to the young girl, crouching down to reach her eye level.

“Hey, what’s wrong Mika?” he asked, as he held a worried expression on his face. “Bad dream?” Mika nodded her head, a few tears could be seen in her eyes. Tooru lifted her up into his arms and carried her over to the table you were sitting at. He placed her on a chair beside you and walked over to the cupboard. Looking back at Mika, you found her staring at you with wide eyes.

“You’re really pretty,” she complimented. You smiled at the girl’s purity. “Thank you, Mika, I think you’re pretty too. You and your bunny.” She brought up the stuffed bunny to her chest and hugged it tightly.

“Are you Tooru-nii’s girlfriend?”

Your eyes widened at the question, at the same time you heard the sound of a pot being dropped and shifted your gaze over to Tooru. He turned around and smiled sheepishly before going back to what he was doing. You looked back at Mika before you shook your head. “No, I’m not his girlfriend.” Mika smiled back at you. “Oh good. You’re too pretty to be his girlfriend!”

You brought a fist up to your mouth to refrain from laughing. “Hey! I’m pretty too, Mika.” You see Tooru walk back to the table holding a cup of something and placing it in front of Mika.

Mika scrunched her nose at the brunette, “You can’t be pretty! You’re a boy!”

Taking a sip of her drink, Tooru frowned at her. “I think boys can be pretty too Mika,” he huffed out. “Right...” his sentence trailed off and you looked over to see him looking at you. You stared back at him before you gave in.

“(Y/N).” You finished his sentence and turned to Mika. “And I think boys can be pretty too.” Mika shrugged her shoulders and finished her drink before getting up from her chair and running out the kitchen and up the stairs.

“So the Princess has a name,” Tooru said, in a teasing tone. You glared at him.

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Ever since that second encounter with Oikawa Tooru, you found yourself rebelling against your parents more often just to visit the male. Befriending one of the maids, she had told you of a secret underground tunnel that led to the outskirts of town square. You used this information to sneak out at night, when all the staff was asleep, to go meet Tooru.

“Back again, Princess?” Tooru teased, when he saw you walking up the path. You rolled your eyes, but showed off one of your award-winning smiles, “How many times have I told you? I’m not a ‘Princess’.” You looped your arm through his and the two of you strolled through a small forest.

“Well, even though you’re not a real Princess,” Tooru stopped walking, crouching down to pick up a daisy off the side of the path. Turning back to you he offered you the single flower. “You’ll still be a Princess in my eyes.” You accepted the gift, a soft blush dusting your cheeks.

Before it was a weekly thing between the two of you, but two months passed and the two of you were meeting almost every night. Tooru had become your escape from the harsh rules under your parents’ house. With him, you were able to just be yourself and not the perfect little girl your parents raised you to be. The two of you were able to talk about anything and everything. He learned of your uptight lifestyle growing up, and you learned of his hardship growing up.

“Dance lessons?” the brunet asked. “I thought you said you didn’t have dance lessons Tuesdays.”

You took a seat on the grass that sat next to a quiet river. Tooru had brought you to a meadow, not far from town square. “That’s before I took a misstep while showing my parents my ‘improvement,’” you sigh, hugging your legs to your chest and placing your chin on your knees. “Now they added two more days on top of my hard and etiquette lessons.”

You let out a sound of frustration. Being met with silence, you look up to see Tooru offering a hand down to you. You looked at him with confusion. “I’m sure you’re an amazing dancer.”

Smiling, you took his hand and stood up. “I didn’t know you danced.” Leading you towards the middle of the field, Tooru positioned himself to dance the ‘Waltz’. “I may have a few moves up my sleeves.”

The two of you chuckled, before Tooru started to lead you. A few moves was an understatement. Tooru seemed like he had been dancing all his life with how easy you could follow him. You and Tooru danced alone, for what seemed like forever under the light of the moon. When the two of you came to a stop, you were out of breath, but a smile sat on your face.

“That was the most fun I had dancing since I started learning,” you said. The two of you started to walk back to town, for it was about time that you started walking back to your estate. “I didn’t even make a mistake!”

Tooru kept a hand behind you, on the small of your back as you walked. “Maybe you just needed the right dance partner.”

One of the biggest things you learned about Tooru was that he was an orphan. The house that you stumbled upon two months ago turned out to be the town’s orphanage. It made sense once you looked back at it. The picture frames that held different children in each photo. All but one child, Oikawa Tooru. He had revealed that he was abandoned as a baby, left on the steps of the house for the owners to find. Once he became a legal adult, he was able to move out of the orphanage and get a job in town. But his attachment to his old home stayed within him, and he visited the orphanage often to play and watch the young children.

When he first revealed to you the truth about him, you didn’t know what to say. “I’m so sorry Tooru. You didn't have anyone growing up?” you asked. The male smiled softly at you, “No, I had all the kids and the adults growing up here.” he sat up, on the grass. “They became my family.”

You placed a hand on top of his hand, “I’m glad you were able to find your family with them.” Tooru shifted his gaze to you, “I'm glad to have the orphanage too. Without being there that day, I wouldn’t have met you.”

You stared into Tooru’s warm brown eyes. Although his story was sad, you found no trace of that emotion in them. Instead, they stared back at you filled with an emotion you never felt before meeting him. That emotion was love.

It was then that you found yourself falling for the man. He gave you the one feeling that your own parents never once showed you. He looked out for you, when your parents didn’t — only doing so when it benefited them.

“Hey there Princess.” you smile when you see Tooru waiting for you at the end of the tunnel. “Anyone catch you?”

You shook your head, “I’m here aren’t I?”

“How was your day?” Tooru asked, as the two of you walked under the starry night. You let out a sigh.

“My parents came home today.”

“Oh yeah? How was it?”

You shrugged your shoulders — something your mother hated — “The usual. They wanted me to show them my improvement of dance and the harp.”

Tooru looked down at you, “And?”

“And what? They said I was nowhere near ready for this stupid gala,” you said. “Even though I’ve been taking these lessons for who knows how many years. I’m never perfect enough for them.”

You stopped walking and hung your head down low, feeling your eyes well with tears. “I work so hard to please them, but nothing I do is right!” You placed your head in your hands as you started to sob. “I just want someone to be proud of me.”

You could hear Tooru shuffle around, before you felt his warm arms wrap around you. Snaking your arms around his waist, you hugged tighter, as if the moment you let go, you’d be left alone again.

“I’m proud of you, (Y/N).” He caressed your head. “The fact that you’re still standing through all of this has me in awe you know?”

He pulled away slightly and stared straight into your eyes, “Your parents may pick at these little things, but everything about you from your fidgety fingers to your wrinkling nose when you laugh is perfect in my eyes. So please,” he rubbed a tear away from your eyes, “don’t cry over this.”

You pushed your head into your chest, and just stayed like that. His familiar scent comforted you in the dark of night.

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

“I-I beg your pardon?” All you could hear was a ringing sound in your ear.

“(Y/N), what did we say about stuttering?” Your father looked up at you from his desk, your mother standing beside him with her hand perched on his shoulder. They looked like the perfect couple, if not for the fact that they were only together for money. “Nevermind that, your engagement to Akaashi Keiji will be announced at the gala in three days.”

“Father, if I may ask,” you waited for your father’s signal to continue, “why am I only hearing of this engagement now? Don’t you think it’s too soon?”

Your father sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “(Y/N), do not question this. This marriage will be good for you and the family.”

“But, I don’t even know him.” Your brows furrowed. “I don’t love him, how can I marry someone I don’t love?”

Your parents stared at you. “Darling, love doesn’t make a family successful. Do you think your father and I married for love? Our parents arranged us together because it would lead to a successful partnership.”

“Your mother is correct. Look at our family now, do you think you’d be living like this without a care in the world if we hadn’t married?”

You started to blink frantically, the information coming at you too soon, “B-But—”

“(Y/N),” your father said, in a serious tone. “Do you think we don’t know about your late night rendezvous with that commoner?” You freeze at what your father said. “W-What?”

“Don’t act foolish, (Y/N). We know how you sneak out at night.” your father didn’t spare you a glance. “From this point on, you are forbidden from going out of the house unless I or your mother are with you. Members of staff will be standing at your bedroom door to make sure you don’t try to sneak out again.”

“Father. that’s—”

“No, (Y/N).” You froze, the eyes of your father staring you down. “As long as you’re my daughter you follow my rules. Do you understand?”

You didn’t reply.

“(Y/N), do you understand?” your father asked once again.You bit your lip to suppress your frustration.

“Yes father.”

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Three days had come and gone, and you spent those three days stuck in your room — given the last few dance lessons you had. Just as your father said, there was always a staff member standing guard at your door. You couldn’t even tell Tooru what had happened. Instead, you were left to think how he was alone waiting for you at the end of the tunnel.

The night of the gala your parents kept working for arrived, and you dreaded each second of it. In your dressing room, of the venue of the gala, you slipped into a soft blue gown that complimented your skin tone. The maids that were helping you did your hair and makeup. You needed to look your best. You needed to be perfect.

“Smile, Miss (Y/N),” the maid that you befriended said as she placed a necklace on you, “it’ll be a happy night. Trust me.”

Once finished, you walked down the halls of the enormous building. The minute you were introduced to the guests, you spotted your parents waving you over to another couple, and a young man that looked almost as bored as you were.

“Here she is, our perfect little girl,” your father smiled. “(Y/N), introduce yourself to the Akaashi family.”

“Good evening, my name is (L/N) (Y/N).”

Your mother pursed her lips at your incomplete introduction. “Why don’t we leave these two to chat?” Your mother smiled, as her, your father and the Akaashi family walked off.

You stayed standing with Akaashi Keiji, looking around the room at the other guests. “So, we’re getting engaged,” you said.

“Mhm.” Keiji took a sip of the champagne he was holding. “Did you have a say in it?”

You laughed, “Of course not, did you?” Keiji shook his head. “What amazing parents right?”

“The best.” The two of you laughed, and you felt a little at ease. The two of you made small talk. The easiest topic to talk about was how overbearing your parents were.

“They fired her?” you gasped. Keiji had been telling you the story of him and his lover. He had fallen in love with their family’s seamstress, and after getting caught, his parents fired her and sent her away immediately.

“Yeah, I tried to go after her, but she disappeared without a trace.” he smiled sadly. “What about you? You mentioned a commoner that you had met?”

Before you could reply, both your parents stood up on the stage at the front of the room, gathering everyone’s attention. It looked like they were just about to announce the engagement. However, the moment right before they revealed the news, the doors to the room were bust open, causing everyone to turn their heads. As if fate was telling you to turn your head, you looked to see Tooru standing in the doorway, wearing a suit that matched your dress and breathing heavily.

“Tooru?” you whispered. You started to walk forward.

“(Y/N)!” you heard your father shout, causing you to turn your head back to the stage. You could see the anger on his face. ‘No,’ you thought to yourself. ‘I’m not letting them dictate my life anymore.’

You turned towards Keiji. “I’m so sorry,” you said to him. He shook his head at you. “Don’t be; go get your happily ever after.” You gave Keji — your new friend — a smile that said ‘thank you’ before you lifted up your gown and rushed over to the man who had your heart.

“(Y/N)!” your mother shrieked out. But you didn’t care at this point. This was your chance to finally escape your parents’ wishes,and to finally do something you choose to do.

“What are you doing here?” you asked, taking Tooru’s head once you reached him.

“I came to rescue you, Princess.” he winked. You laughed and the two of you ran down the hall. Stopping briefly to take off the heels that were aching your feet, Tooru held them in the hand that wasn’t in yours. You could hear your mother and father shouting at you, but you didn’t care.

Oikawa Tooru was giving you a way out. No, he was your way out.

#haikyuucreations #haikyuu #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu oneshots #haikyuu x reader oneshots #oikawa tooru x reader #oikawa tooru oneshot #oikawa tooru x reader oneshot #fluff #admin kiri

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jovialyouthmusic · 4 years

Text

Silver Service

Anton is moved to a new location, and all is made ready for the lantern festival at Valtoria. Madeleine has questions for her mother, and progress is made in solving the mystery of the gunman in the cathedral.

Word count 2752

A/N warnings - implied smut so still NOT SUITABLE FOR UNDER 18s

15 Up in the air

Anton paced his small cell. Instead of lying in wait to take the King hostage, he was in prison. Luckily he had a card up his sleeve – the documents that supported the fact that at the time Constantine took the throne, his own grandfather, Alfred, came out of exile in Monaco to make a counter claim on behalf of the Severus family. He had disappeared in mysterious circumstances, and Anton’s parents never returned to the country. His mother died when he was very little, and he was brought up largely by his father, who had died some five years ago.

His father had drummed into him the idea that he should be on the throne, that Constantine was corrupt and despotic. He had died a bitter man, making Anton swear that he would gather his forces and take power. In his childhood the Nevrakis family had visited them twice, and he had met his intended queen when she was a baby. They had brought with them copies of the ancient agreement that stated that should the Severus and Nevrakis heirs be of a gender and age to be betrothed, that a marriage would be binding subject to the signing of the documents that they brought with them. That and the clause in documents held by both Nevrakis and the Crown that stated that should the ruling line (in this case the Rys family) not have an heir by the end of the first year of a new monarch’s reign, that the Crown should be claimed by the Nevrakis, gave him what he thought was an iron clad claim. It just would have been a lot easier had Constantine or Liam abdicated in his favour, or died in power or just before being crowned.

He heard the key in the cell door, and it opened to reveal his lawyer and three guards – one prison guard and two King’s men.

‘Prisoner, hold out your hands’ intoned the prison guard, revealing a pair of handcuffs. He scowled, but his lawyer made a reassuring gesture.

‘It’s alright Mr Severus, you’re being transferred to you new quarters.’ She said ‘Until you reach your destination, you must, by law, be restrained. Once you are there, you will be afforded freedom within your own suite and will have access to outside space. I can assure you it is a far more suitable place than this cell’ He held out his wrists and felt the cold steel click around them. He glowered at his escort party.

‘I demand to know the names of these men’ he asserted ‘When my claim to the throne is acknowledged, the manner in which I am treated will determine whether they are rewarded or reprimanded’ He held his head high as one of the men stepped forward to escort him outside.

‘My name is Parker, Mr Severus, and my colleague is Marcus’

‘Make a note of that’ Anton commanded his lawyer, who nodded and took out her cell phone and tapped away for a few seconds.

‘Follow me please’ Parker directed, and he lead the way, flanked by his lawyer and followed by Marcus. They walked to the end of the corridor to the first locked gate, and beyond past three more, and in the lobby, two more guards waited. Anton was handed back his belongings and signed himself out of the prison into the custody of the King’s Guard. He was hurried swiftly from the outside door to a waiting van in the prison courtyard. No photographers could record his release, and he did not see if any other vehicles accompanied the van, due to the small high windows in the van. He was strapped in to a four point seat belt that doubled as a restraint when locked.

‘This is outrageous’ he growled ‘If there was an accident I would be unable to escape’ Marcus made a grimace.

‘Don’t worry, Severus, there are contingency plans’ he replied before he spoke into his security microphone ‘All stowed away’ he intoned, and the van lurched into motion.

------

‘So you sent him to High View?’ Olivia asked Liam as they travelled to Valtoria, the Royal limo flanked by King’s Guard vehicles. It was comprised of outrider motorcycles and SUVs, and Regina was to follow an hour later with a similar retinue. ‘I presume you’ve closed it to the public’ She referred to a manor that in the past had served as a summer residence for the Royal Family before Constantine’s father chose Applewood. It had consequently been converted into half self catering, half stately home, and was open for visitors to look around. It had fallen out of favour as a tourist destination in the last few years, and had been largely converted into apartments and cottages for both short term and holiday lets, though it struggled to make money. It was located on a small peninsula an hour’s drive from the capital, accessible only by one road and surrounded on three sides by sheer sea cliffs.

‘Of course, Livvy’ he answered ‘All the bookings have been cancelled and transferred to other properties and everyone has been cleared out. Anton will be staying in a first floor apartment, and the main ground floor flat will be staffed by the Guard.’

‘Will he have his own staff?’ she asked

‘Just the bare minimum – cook, cleaner and personal assistant’ he answered. ‘We had to negotiate hard not to allow him any more than that’

‘And the security arrangements?’ she asked ‘Will he be allowed visitors?’

‘His movements will be monitored round the clock. At night he’ll be under lock and key, and any visitors have to be approved – Bastien or Lewis, myself and Anton’s lawyer will be consulted in every case. The outside of the castle is already monitored by security cameras, and the guard will randomly deploy surveillance drones.’ She sighed heavily

‘I suppose that will do’ she said ‘Perhaps we can enjoy the Lantern festival somewhat, but my nerves are on edge’ Liam put his hand on her arm

‘I know exactly what you mean’ he said ‘I can barely imagine being free of Anton’s machinations. I live in hope that we can refute his claim’

------

The manor bustled with activity not seen for decades. The housekeeping team were kept busy directing nobles to their rooms or suites and fulfilling their various demands and requests. Gladys had done an excellent job – all was spotless and floral arrangements adorned every room and corridor, though a few had to be moved for various guests suffering from allergies. The festival was to be held the following day, allowing time for guests to settle in and eat before retiring for the night. Marquees and stalls were being set up, and folk could either eat in the marquees or picnic in the grounds. The Valtorian public were intrigued to see the grounds of the Manor after so many years of it being private, and crowds were expected.

There was no formal dinner that night. Instead, caterers had been brought in to set up a giant informal buffet, and apart from a table for Liam, Regina and invited guests, everyone was free to sit where they wished at tables set for six. Bastien and Sophia shared a table with Drake and Riley, and Damien joined them with a pretty young woman accompanying him – a minor noble that Bastien had only come across once or twice.

‘Hey, there’s Adelaide’ Drake commented as he sat with a plate piled high with food, nodding at a table on the other side of the room. ‘She doesn’t look so well – has she been ill?’ Damien looked round furtively, and Bastien made a discreet cough. Sophia glared across at the Duchess, who she knew Bastien had some involvement with in the past. She sat at a table while her daughter picked her out some savouries. The older woman looked across at them and gave a weak smile. Drake chuckled ‘Maxwell will be able to relax, Addy doesn’t look like she’ll be chasing him tonight’

Sophia amused herself by looking round the room and identifying as many nobles as she could. Some months ago Bastien had given her files on many of them in order for her to help him with a little surveillance. She had been serving drinks and listening to gossip to glean useful information for him on the social tour when Liam was deciding on a bride. Neville Delacouer sat with Lady Penelope, and Rashad Domvallier sat at the same table talking to Lady Kiara Lady Hana Lee sat with a minor noble but looked bored at his attempts at conversation. Olivia sat with Liam and Regina, and Lord Domvallier senior sat next to the Queen Mother. They had been seen together a few times recently. He had been a close friend of the couple and had been widowed only a year ago.

‘Should Olivia be sitting with Liam?’ Sophia murmured to Bastien as the other on their table talked. ‘Tongues will wag’

‘I think they want that to happen’ he said ‘The sooner folk get the idea that she’s close to the King the better.’

‘But it’s rather complicated by Anton’s claim, and the betrothal agreement’ she pointed out. Bastien shrugged.

‘I think they deserve a little diversion from all the drama’ he said ‘and hopefully we’ll find a way round that yet’ He looked up as one of his men approached the table.

‘Sir’ he said ‘Lewis sent me to fetch you. We’ve made a breakthrough concerning who hired the assassin at the cathedral’

--------

The conversation between Madeleine and her mother had been challenging. She had already arrived at Valtoria when Madeleine booked in to her suite – or rather, their suite. Her usual icy calm demeanour cracked when they met in their shared lounge.

‘Mother, where the hell have you been?’ she snapped, not caring that she looked pale and thin. ‘Why didn’t you answer my texts?’ Her mother stood, gripping the back of a chair for support.

‘I’m sorry Maddy, I was ill’ she replied faintly

‘Why didn’t you tell me?’

‘I didn’t want to worry you, darling. You really couldn’t have done anything’

‘But I’d at least have liked to know’ she fumed ‘Did you see a doctor?’

‘I – I was in hospital, Maddy’ she admitted, tears starting to her eyes. ‘Please don’t ask me anything else. I’m back, and I’m fine’ She sank into the chair, fumbling in her pocket for a handkerchief.

‘Hospital?’ Madeleine tried to keep her composure ‘and just where was that hospital? Why didn’t they inform me?’

‘I can’t…’ the Duchess held the hankie to her face, dabbing at her eyes. Madeleine scoffed.

‘At least tell me whether you left the country or not’ she asked, and her mother nodded faintly.

‘Let me guess, it was one of your assignations’ she said, and paused in thought. ‘Was it some weird sex game that went wrong?’ Adelaide’s eyes grew wide with horror but she didn’t deny it. Madeleine squeezed the bridge of her nose and screwed her eyes shut.

‘Really mother, you should know better’ she said in a strangled voice ‘Did you have to pay anyone to keep it quiet?’ There was a shake of the head at this question. She couldn’t look her daughter in the eye, and tears started to flow.

‘Can’t you show a little compassion, Maddy?’ she pleaded ‘Maybe give me a hug?’ Madeleine sighed in exasperation

‘How can I be sympathetic if you won’t tell me what happened?’ Adelaide made a big effort to stem the tears, taking a deep breath and sitting straighter.

‘I just wanted to protect you, Maddy. The King may have told you he won’t marry you, but he hasn’t married anyone else. He has to have an heir, and maybe you could make some sort of arrangement’ Madeleine’s eyes opened wide.

‘You really think so?’ her tone was sarcastic. ‘I offered him a Cordonian marriage and he turned it down, what makes you think he wants me to be mother to an heir?’ Adelaide wrung her hands together.

‘He may have a change of heart’ she said hopefully.

‘Well, you’ll be interested to know that I brought the subject up again, and yet again he turned me down.’ She sniffed and Adelaide’s face fell.

‘Oh my baby’ she sobbed ‘I can’t understand it. You’re pretty, and clever, and your father and I made sure you got the best training. You’re the best Queen Cordonia could hope for’

‘Yes well, maybe if you’d allowed a little space for the possibility that I might fail, I’d have some idea what to actually do with my life now’ she said bitterly. ‘Not that I don’t appreciate you pushing me to be my best – but your ambition was rather specific.’

‘I’m sorry Maddy. Everyone needs a purpose – heaven knows I should understand that’ Madeleine sighed.

‘What was so bad you couldn’t tell me?’ she asked ‘You’re my mother, it’s not like I’d stop talking to you’

‘You’d be so disappointed though’ she replied, downcast. ‘and it might have repercussions’ Just then there was a knock on the door, and a one of the staff entered to let them know food was being served.

‘This isn’t over, mother’ Madeleine said sternly ‘I’ll get to the bottom of this ‘

------

‘So Lucretia was the one who hired the gunman?’ Bastien said incredulously. Damien looked puzzled.

‘That doesn’t make sense. She was in league with Anton, why didn’t she just go with his plans?’

‘I don’t know’ said Lewis ‘It took quite some time, but we managed to track back the payment he received, and it couldn’t have been anyone else.’

‘It looks like we have to question her again’ said Bastien. ‘But as Anton is under control, I don’t think we all need to go right now.’ He turned to Lewis ‘But I think you should go and have a word with her, see what you can find out. If she’s stubborn, then I’ll go to see her. Damien – it’s up to you. Will your work schedule wait longer? I’d appreciate your help, but it’s not essential’

‘I’ll go with Lewis if we go now’ he said ‘If we move swiftly we may even be back in time for the festival’

‘That’s fine by me’ answered Lewis.

‘Very well’ replied Bastien ‘Keep me informed, let’s see if she’ll co-operate this time’

-------

The next day Sophia woke alone, hearing the shower running in the bathroom. She rose and opened the curtains to the tall windows, and found herself looking out over a sea of marquees, tents and stalls on the lawn outside. People bustled about setting out goods and firing up grills and ovens, and flags and bunting adorned the temporary structures. Bastien came back into the bedroom, naked and towelling himself off. He joined Sophia at the window, wrapping his arms around her and kissing the nape of her neck.

‘Good morning my goddess’

‘Bas, people will see’ she protested ‘Go and put some clothes on’ Her body betrayed her by melting back into his embrace. He smelled clean and his skin was still damp.

‘I don’t care’ he murmured in her ear ‘And I don’t have to get dressed just yet’ He snuck his hand under her nightdress, skimming his hand over her belly. She could feel him pressing hard against the small of her back, but she grabbed his hand and pulled his little finger to the side, just enough to make him yelp in pain and surprise.

‘You just showered’ she scolded ‘You’ll have to do it all over again’

‘Come and shower with me and that’s two birds killed with one stone’ he insisted, this time bringing his hand to her backside and squeezing her cheek. She laughed, turning round and throwing her arms around his neck.

‘You are a persistent man, Mr Lykel’ she sighed, and stretched up to kiss him on the lips. The kiss lingered and she pressed herself to him.

‘I notice you’re not saying no, Miss Turner’ he said in a low tone, picking her up easily off the ground so that she had to wrap her legs around him and cling on to stop from falling. She squealed in protest as he carried her off to the bathroom. His gait was an undignified waddle, but he kept hold of her all the way.

‘I can never say no to you’ she laughed as he shut the door and bore her to the shower.

Next Chapter 16 Under Pressure

#silver service #protect and serve #bastien lykel #OC x Bastien #sophia x bastien #anton severus

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thosequeenboys · 5 years

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Put a Little Love on Me (Joe Mazzello x Reader)

Summary & A/N: This fic was written for @acdeaky for the Secret Santa event, based on her request for a ‘homecoming, friends-to-lovers’ story.’ I selected our lovely lovelorn Joe. The event was expertly planned and organized by @sohoneyspreadyourwings - Sabrina, Darling: so appreciate your clever idea and caring efforts to help us celebrate the holiday season! And, MANY thanks and props to the amazingly creative – and supportive -- @warriorteam1924 for providing story and title song ideas! Happy holidays to you all!

Warnings: Here at The Fluff and Angst…

There’s no place like home…Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz was right, you mused, as you pulled your suitcase, clutching your purse through Heathrow Airport with one goal in mind: curling up in your own warm bed in your tiny apartment and falling into a deep sleep tonight. A museum fundraising consultant, you just wrapped an exciting gig at Tate Modern, rushing out of your last meeting to get to the airport on time. Security took forever, and once you grabbed your bags and put on your shoes, you felt panicked upon hearing your flight was boarding--you had to go to the bathroom-and of course, the gate was the last one at the end of a long corridor.

As you glanced at your phone to check the time, you saw a message on your screen from your oldest and dearest childhood friend, Joe, an actor, who was taping a new show in LA. You and Joe had been through all of life’s benchmarks and vicissitudes together: graduations, career ebbs and flows, romantic ups and downs, friend drama -- and every emotion under the sun. You socialized with each other’s families and knew them all intimately. As kids you set up intricate stories playing Pirate Ship and House. Joe always added humor and mischievousness into the pretend games. As college students, you travelled cross country. Joe and you could always pick up where you left off, though these days, you often weren’t in the same place for very long. It had been months since you had seen each other. Nevertheless, you trusted each other implicitly. You knew each other’s phone passcodes. You served as each other’s emergency contacts. You had exchanged home keys in case of emergencies.

You glanced at Joe’s message:

CHANGE OF PLANS

CHANGE OF PLANS. You were dying to stop and read more, but you had two literal streams of urgency to address. You tossed your phone into your bag and moved your uncomfortable self as quickly as you could. After ducking into a bathroom and accomplishing mission one, you tore out of the doorway and resumed your quick clip, eyeing yellow gate signs in your peripheral vision.

Upon hearing ‘Final boarding, British Airways Flight 1907 to JFK New York’ you sprinted down the corridor and arrived at the gate panting, lining up behind the last few stragglers. The agent welcomed you and you smiled, handing him your ticket. You inched your fingers into your purse to grab your phone as you stepped forward down the boarding plank.

Your heart started to flutter as you read the rest of Joe’s messages:

Taping postponed, long story

Headed back to NY

Catch up when you get back.

HOT DATE TONITE!!!

You threw your phone back into your bag.

As you proceeded onto the plane, you felt your heart pounding, as those last three words kept repeating in your brain like an uncontrollable tick. HOT. DATE. TONITE. As you walked down the aisle, you felt tears well up in your eyes. Sad and jealous feelings were kicked up like the autumn leaves that fluttered skyward when you and Joe jumped into the big pile his dad raked up every Autumn. The emotions cascading through you overtook any rational thought, but you tried. Of course he has a date. Why wouldn’t he have a date. He should have a date….you tried to convince yourself. But the problem was, you admitted as your vision became blurry through your tears, it wasn’t a date…with you. It never was. You didn’t let yourself think about it often, but when your guard was down and the thoughts crept in, you rationalized it was for the best, adding all the usual platitudes: you wouldn’t want to risk ruining the friendship; you probably weren’t the best match for each other anyway; you knew each other too well and would drive each other crazy; your careers were too complicated; it just wouldn’t work.

With shaky hands, you hoisted your suitcase to the overhead bin and crawled into your window seat on the 777. You wiped your eyes and took a deep breath, which hitched as you fought your emotions. The Captain came on, “Uh…sorry folks, we have a bit of a delay. Looks like we’re about 15th for take-off.”

The entire plane groaned. Good thing you had an engaging novel to keep you entertained-and distracted. You read, but your concentration didn’t last. You finally let yourself think about the offer presented to you in the middle of your trip-a full-time job at The Getty Museum in LA. You’d be able to settle down and not have to run from gig to gig-and through airports with a full bladder. You needed to make the decision in the next few days – a scary, fork-in-the-road decision that would shape your career, your future and your home. You closed your eyes and conjured images of a possible West Coast future: I’d be safe and warm if I was in LA. California Dreamin’… (1)

Your thoughts of LA led to images of Joe who had been living there the last few months. You retrieved your phone and started to type your response to his texts:

On the plane at Heathrow

Due to land JFK 6:00 EST

Let me know when you’re free so we can catch up

Your finger swayed over the phone keyboard. You would wish any other friend a fun-and successful-date. Here you were hesitating. Your conflicting feelings were out in full force. You decided to don your Big Girl Pants. Seriously though: you were over adulting at the moment. You quickly typed the final line.

Have Fun!!

You sent the text and shut off your phone just as the plane turned the corner to the take-off runway and picked up speed, sinking you back into the seat. Feeling drowsy as the plane lifted through the clouds, you let sleep take over. You woke several hours later to a neck ache and a meal. You ordered a glass of wine and settled in with your book.

Once the wheels touched down in The Big Apple, on the other coast, you turned on your phone. A few texts from friends and news updates appeared. Nothing from Joe. Of course not, he must be on his date, you sighed. Perhaps, finally, your separate lives would prevent you from maintaining the relationship and the easiness - and comfort - you always found with each other.

Your warm bed feeling more tangible, you got yourself through customs and out to a cab, which whisked you toward home as the skyline’s lights flickered outside your window. Suddenly out of the corner of your eye, you saw a light beaming in your purse. You pulled out your lit phone and saw the message from Joe:

Wrong date. Sigh.

Wrong lots of things, but now I realize what’s right.

Welcome home. Talk soon.

Wrong date? What the heck did that mean? Did he mix up the day for his date? What else is wrong? Did something happen with his show? And what is right? Thinking about it all made you more tired and emotionally overwrought. You put your phone away and vowed to keep it away for the rest of the night.

The cab stopped with a sudden halt in front of your apartment building. You paid, gathered your bags and walked slowly toward the wrought iron lantern fixtures that adorned the front door and gave off a welcoming glow. It was after midnight London time, and your body felt ready to fall into bed, the weighty duvet-covered comforter lulling you to sleep.

You dug into your bag for your keys as climbed the steps. You opened your front door and saw the small light on your entry foyer table on. That was strange. But before your tired brain could slip into worry, you heard a familiar voice bellow ‘Hello, Madam’ in a British accent. And you breathed. Your face lit up instantly. Your body relaxed and felt energized all at once, because you realized: that voice, in your apartment tonight, unexpected, has always, always been the voice to ground you, warm you, soothe you, entertain you….love you. The voice of home.

Joe emerged through the kitchen, with a wide grin, carrying a wood tray with Hunan Delight take-out containers and a few lit votive candles. You were entranced, but also a bit perplexed.

“Um, Hi, uh, wow, this is a pleasant surprise.” You uttered, truly shocked.

He walked past you a few steps into the living-dining area and put the tray down on the dining table, which he had set with placemats, dishes, cloth napkins, wine glasses and silverware. A low bouquet of freesia and tulips in yellows, pinks and purples dipped gracefully over a small glass vase. A bottle of Moscato was breathing. After unloading the tray and flashing you a wink, he moved over to the stereo, and you followed him. He pressed the button and the familiar strains of one of your favorite songs filled the air and Joe, ever the showman, able to emote and entertain in any setting, moved his hands in grand gestures as he sang along…

“Put a little love on me, put a little love on me. When the lights come up and there’s no shadows dancing I look around as my heart is collapsing ‘cause you’re the only one I need…to put a little love on me.” (2)

You sank into a chair watching him sing, enjoying his performance and letting the words sink in. His playfulness and grandiosity turned serious and a bit sullen as the song progressed, and you could tell he was getting emotional. By the last chorus, he had trouble getting the words out and he stopped singing. The song ended with Niall’s voice framing the moment.

When the track finished, he stared at you and started to speak:

“So, finally, for once, I ended the date tonight- such a bad date - before we finished our drinks. It was just so wrong. And then, afterwards, I had an entire conversation with myself, quite engaging actually, complete with jokes, historical and pop culture references, and a dollop of self-pity, followed by a kick in the ass – the Uber driver must have thought I was high. And I realized, I admitted, finally – it’s you I was really having the conversation with. I knew just what you’d say. And it’s you, I wanted the date with. It’s always been you. You’ve always been what’s right. Always.”

You covered your mouth, feeling tears welling again. “Oh Joe…..I’m so happy. I…I can’t believe it,” you said as you stood up. You felt that time and reality were suspended. You stopped for a moment and replayed the last few minutes over in your mind, testing reality. Finally, you spoke: “I have to admit, when you wrote me you had a hot date, I felt really upset …..i finally admitted that I wanted your date to be me.”

“I’m so glad you felt that way. And, hey, thanks for jinxing my date,” Joe huffed, jokingly. You both laughed. “I felt it was time to just be honest. I worried if you’d feel the same, but…I…felt it was better to know. And, I figured wooing you with your favorite song by your favorite celebrity crush, would hopefully seal the deal.”

You laughed. “It most certainly did.”

“It was the perfect song, though, I gotta hand it to that dude,” Joe smirked. “So…will you…will you…put a little love on me?”

“A lot of love” You smiled, and then more tears started to drip from your eyes.

“Babe…what’s wrong?” Joe touched your arm with concern.

“It’s good actually…I have this job offer from The Getty and…”

“OhmyGod! That’s fantastic!” Joe leaned into you and gave you a hug. “Are you interested??”

“I am, but it’s hard to picture my life changing so much. Not travelling. Leaving my family, my home…it’s a lot of change to imagine. And, that California sun will wrinkle me like a raisin.” You smirked.

“True on all counts. It’s an adjustment. Well, LA’s felt like my second home for a while now….so we can create a new home together on ‘the OTHER coast’…. Home could be the Pennsylvania Turnpike, Indiana’s early morning dew, high up in the hills of California. Home is just another word for you. (3) Let’s celebrate your new job – and our journey - with some Hunan Delight.” Joe kissed you gently on your cheek and pulled the chair out for you, before taking his own seat.

You sat and poured the wine. Raising your glass, you said, “Here’s to us-past us, present us, future us.”

Joe raised his glass and clinked yours, “Here’s to love.” (4)

Song Notes

1. California Dreamin’ by The Mamas and The Papas

2. Put a Little Love on Me, by Niall Horan

3. You’re my Home, by Billy Joel

4. Here’s to Us, by Halestorm

#joe mazzello #joe mazzello x reader #joe mazzello x you #joe mazzello fanfic #secret santa #bohemian rhapsody #borhap fanfic #borhap fandom #bohemian rhapsody fan fiction #queen fanfiction #queen band #queen #friends to lovers #homecoming

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badcowboy69 · 4 years

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Homeward Bound part 5

Whew yet another chapter in my ongoing saga about my courier six, Travis Blackfox, rediscovering his family. Still in the important “banter” phase. Next chapter should be more interesting with new discoveries for my dear boy.

@fuzzyelves here we go...lol hope you like it

You can find the previous four chapters in the writings section of my blog. Chapter put under the cut due to length. Enjoy!!!

The pleasant aroma of food filled the air as Travis and Riley stepped out into the hallway. Instantly, Travis felt his mouth water and his stomach growled hungrily. Eagerly, he strode towards the dining area, his boots clunking loudly on the wooden floor. He came to a halt a few feet away from the dining table to look over the impressive spread of food: a bowl full of mashed potatoes, a plate piled with ears of corn, a loaf of bread, and the main course, a platter with a small mound of prairie fowl which Riley noted the pieces were larger than what you might get from an average chicken.

Travis’ parents entered the room and his mother immediately began filling their glasses with ice water from the clay pitcher she was holding. “Help yourselves, boys, and don’t be shy asking for seconds or even thirds. There’s plenty to go ‘round,” Mrs. Blackfox said with a warm smile while leaning into the kiss her husband planted on her cheek before taking his seat.

“Oh dang!” Travis exclaimed under his breath. “Ain’t gonna think the spread at the Tops is so great anymore after seeing this!”

“Reminds me of family gatherings back in the day,” Riley reminisced in a low tone while impulsively pulling out Travis’ chair before taking a seat himself. “This is really kind of you,” Riley directed to Mrs. Blackfox with a grateful smile. “Thank you so much for your hospitality.”

“Y-yeah, much obliged,” Travis chimed in while scooting in his chair. “This is really amazing.”

“Alright y’all, ‘nough chatter, let’s get to eatin’!” Dante exclaimed with a chuckle as his wife gave him a playful shove.

“Ain’t gotta tell me twice!” Travis responded hungrily and began to pile food onto his plate.

About mid-way through the meal when the food consumption and small talk slowed, Tracy set her fork down and directed attention to her son. “Travis, since you got here we bombarded you with constant questions. Is there anything you’d like to ask us about?”

Travis paused from shoveling more food into his mouth and glanced from her to his father. There were a million possible questions he could ask and so many things he was burning to know. However, he wasn’t one that enjoyed being put on the spot and hastily blurted, “Yeah...what...uhh...wh-what kind of critters y’all got here?”

His parents blinked in surprise and even Riley was a little taken aback by Travis’ unusual question. “Of all the dang things ta ask, ya ask about critters! Why don’t that surprise me?” Dante chuckled, his pale eyes shining. “Ya always had a deep fondness for all animals. Well, lessee...we got ‘bout thirty head of brahmin...maybe ‘bout ten bighorners. Got a few grazers and a small flock of prairie fowl. Also got us five steeds and one dog.”

Travis grinned broadly hearing about the assortment of animals on the ranch. “Oh man, that all sounds great! Ain’t quite sure what steeds are exactly, but…”

“Don’t forget our newest addition, Dante!” Mrs. Blackfox eagerly interrupted. “We got these new critters from a caravan a little while ago. They had these tiny, furry baby things in a basket and they were simply darling. Ain’t never seen anything like them and I fell in love with them instantly! Your father bartered with the owner and we managed to obtain a pair. We were told they’re good for keeping vermin out of the feed and such. They’re called cats and sort of remind me of teeny versions of Maulers.”

Travis practically choked on his drink and stared in wide-eyed disbelief at his parents. “D-did you say cats?”

Dante arched an eyebrow and nodded slowly, wondering what made his son so incredulous. “A’yup. Fella said he picked ‘em up at some corn farmer’s place miles west of here. Said they’re newly introduced into the area. Why? Y’all got ‘em in New Vegas?”

“Do we got cats in Vegas? Shit, we got plenty seein’ I was the one that what brought ‘em back from the Boston Commonwealth in the first place!” Travis replied excitedly. He began to fidget and his eyes darted about looking for a glimpse of the cats. “Where they at? I wonder if they’re from Pepper’s litter? Are they in here anywheres? No, they can’t be otherwise you’d be sneezin’,” he babbled, directing the last sentence to Riley as he pushed his chair backwards to take a look under the table just in case.

“Boston Common-what?” Dante asked then suddenly rapped his knuckles hard on the table to get Travis’ attention, putting a stop to his frantic search for cats. “Hey!”

“Commonwealth,” Travis repeated while righting himself and scooting his chair back to the table. “It’s a far off place on the east coast of the country. ‘Bout three thousand miles or something. Took me two weeks to get out there on my motorcycle.”

“Motorcycle? Shit...son, is there nothin’ you ain’t done?” the cowboy chuckled and took a swig of his beer. “Ya always did like to tinker. All the projects you started and never finished are still in the barn. Glad to hear ya finally got something completed for once. You build that car out front too?”

“No, Mister House gave it to me, but I did help in fixing it and getting it running. Reckon that’s a story to tell y’all later on.”

“Back to this Boston place,” Tracy excitedly chimed in. “What in the heck enticed you to drive three thousand miles?”

“Cats! Found out about ‘em in a book Mister House had. I asked him about them and he said that as far as he knew they didn’t exist anymore, but he wasn’t entirely sure. I started putting the word out over the radio to anyone that would listen. I was curious if anyone saw or heard of a cat. I mean we still got dogs, there had to be cats, right? Anyways, got a response from some fella in a place called D.C. saying he saw some up in Boston. Gave me the coordinates and I planned the trip and went.”

It was evident this topic greatly excited Travis as he continued on with his tale. After breezing over the two weeks it took him to drive across the country, his entire demeanor suddenly changed. No longer did he look lost and distraught. Instead, his expression was that of pure happiness. However, getting to the part about staying in Diamond City is when his emotions simmered down slightly. It was there his cat quest shifted in a completely new direction as it was where he noticed, met, and hooked up with Riley. As wonderful as that meeting was, he had to keep their romance quiet until he knew how his parents would react. Still, there was no way he really could continue the story without mentioning something about their friendship. Coming up with a quick solution, Travis instead skipped to the part where Riley assisted him on the quest and took him to the small town of Covenant to see the legendary cats.

Travis soon lost himself and carried on and on about how awesome the encounter was, the lemonade making Mister Handy named Deezer, and even Riley’s allergies. All the while, his parents hung on every word with Tracy absently gathering a small handful of her hair and twirling it between her fingers while Dante crossed his arms in front of his chest as an amused smile danced faintly on his lips. They were both glad seeing their son finally showing some excitement tonight even if it was simply over cats.

However, while Travis continued to ramble on, oblivious to much else other than what he was talking about, Riley thought he detected a knowing glint in the rancher’s eyes. Though Travis’ praise of Riley helping him achieve his dream of seeing cats was simply that, it was evident there was something more by how his voice would go up slightly with every mention of the redhead. If Riley noticed, surely Dante did too and he suddenly felt a wave of nervous uncertainty fill him. He wasn’t exactly sure on how to read Dante as the man seemed to be quite the mystery.

Before Riley could worry himself over something that might not even be there, he heard Travis begin, “Kinda funny that I had gone all the way to Boston in search of pu---”

Without even hesitating, Riley began to purposely cough once he realized what Travis was about to say. It was a tasteless joke of Travis’, proclaiming he had gone to Boston in search of pussy, but found dick instead. When Travis’ good friend, Arcade, heard the phrase a while back, the blonde doctor stated that he gets the humor Travis was going for, but for a gay man making a remark like that was a bit unusual and very out of place. Since then, Travis stopped with the joke, but today it seemed like it wanted to surface again for whatever reason. Being in the presence of his folks, regardless if Travis remembered them or not, Riley knew the comment would be in very, very bad taste.

Fortunately, the subtle distraction was all it took to divert Travis from making a huge error in his choice of words. After making sure Riley was alright, Travis didn’t pick up where he left off and instead unwittingly ended his story in a more tasteful way. “Thanks to a good friend of mine who’s got access to a Vertibird, I was able to bring back a bunch of cats to Vegas! I got a few at my casino and the rest got spread around to my friends in the Mojave. It’s really cool to see they made it out this way and that y’all got some!”

“Wow! This is absolutely amazing! So far this is two things now that affected our lives in some way and both were at the hands of my own son!” Tracy beamed proudly and her eyes began to glisten with tears. “To think, you were with us all along in some way...first by being the anonymous person that helped defeat the Legion, then as the person who brought us those kittens found in that caravan. It was almost as if you were subconsciously trying your best to reach out to us. Oh, Travis, if only you reached out for real…if only...” she trailed off and bit her lower lip not wanting to say what was truly gnawing at her.

However, Travis knew exactly what she was wanting to get at. His jovial mood quickly vanished and he downcast his eyes while anxiously flicking his fingers against his drinking glass. Truly, there was no excuse for him to not make the effort to come home for almost a decade. He knew it was fear of rejection that kept him away, nothing else. Countless times his friends in New Vegas begged him to take that chance. They told him even if it didn’t work out at least it would give him some kind of closure. At the very least he would learn where he had come from and maybe discover who he used to be. Still, it was never enough to fully entice him to take that big step.

Riley was quick to notice Travis’ sudden shift of mood and was about to make an attempt to save the conversation and lighten things up again when Mrs. Blackfox continued. “Listen, I know you probably have a million more stories and questions for us. We most certainly do, but I realize that this is probably super hard and awkward for you. I know it’s all overwhelming and there’s plenty of time for more story swapping later. That being said, did you boys save room for dessert?”

“N-no, thank you. Dinner was great and I’m quite full,” Travis replied with a forced grin. He knew he could eat much more, but the last thing he wanted to do right now was come off as a starving glutton in front of his folks.

“I’m fine too, Mrs. Blackfox. Dinner was fantastic, thank you,” Riley said as he passed his plate to Tracy’s outstretched hand as she gathered up the empties.

“Well, I reckon now that we got our bellies full, next thing for me to do is get the place buttoned up for the night and let the rest go as they may,” Dante chimed in. “Ain’t got too much time left of the sunlight to show y’all around proper. There’s always tomorrow for more exploring and chores and whatnot. You think your fancy pants is up to learning about ranch life, Riley White?” Seeing the redhead blink behind his glasses and blush slightly, Dante smirked. “Ah hell, looks like we got a late risin’ greenhorn city boy in the house,” he chuckled.

“Thought I told you to quit antagonizing that man,” Mrs. Blackfox groaned and rolled her eyes as she gave her husband’s shoulder a playful shove. “Don’t mind him, Riley. That’s just his way of showing he likes someone. Now, why don’t you boys go step outside and get some fresh air.” “A’yup, and mebbe y’all can explain that crazy critter ya brought. I ain’t seen one of ‘em in years,” Dante interjected as he stood and stretched. “Great meal as always, love.” The lanky cowboy leaned in to give his wife a tender kiss on the cheek before turning on his heel and making his way out the backdoor.

Taking what dishes she could carry to the sink, Mrs. Blackfox asked over her shoulder, “Are you sure you had enough to eat, Travis? Ain’t like you to skip dessert.”

“Um...n-no. I mean yes. I’m fine, thank you. Please, let me help.” Travis snapped to his feet and scooped up the remaining plates and took them to his mother. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to wash these. It’s the least I can do as thanks for the meal.”

“Nonsense,” Tracy replied, waving her hands to shoo Travis away from the sink. “You go on outside. There’ll be plenty of other chances to help out ‘round here if that’s what you want.” Taking the plates from her son, Tracy paused for a moment to stare at him. She shook her head in disbelief, never imagining that after so many heartbroken years her son was actually back from the dead and standing in her kitchen. Her blue eyes began to get moist from tears and she turned away back towards the sink. “Go on now, go outside before it gets too dark to...oh no.” Letting out a soft laugh she gave a nod towards the window. “Looks like the help is hanging around, no doubt wanting to see you, Travis. Best go and see them lest they have a stroke and die ‘cause they ain’t gonna stop ‘til they get a gander at you.”

Travis furrowed his brow while giving Riley a hopeless look. Even though he wasn’t exactly anxious to meet anyone else right now, seeing a glimpse of the ranch before nightfall certainly appealed to him. Travis pushed open the screen door and the cooler evening air greeted him as he stepped out onto the porch. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled while he looked out over the rows of corn and wheat. Various fruit trees dotted the fields and he could almost picture the livestock grazing in their shade. A shimmer in the distance caught his eye and he figured it was a creek or at least some sort of water source. That calming, pulling sensation began to flow through him again and he found himself yearning to walk through those cornfields to the creek and find a place to sit until the moon rose high in the sky.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t savor the peaceful fantasy for too long as he heard the shuffling of boots on dirt. His father was heading his way while a gray and black hound dog trotted at his side with Rex in tow. Diverting his gaze from them, Travis noticed the corrals were now bustling with livestock. Brahmin were in one pen while Big Horners were in another. He could hear the soft lowing, grunts and snorts of the animals seeming to encourage him to go get a closer look. Travis eagerly jumped off the porch, but was instantly sidetracked as the hound dog broke from Dante’s side and trotted over to investigate Travis instead. The dog gave him a few interested sniffs before giving his hand a lick. “You’re a good pup, ain’t ‘cha?” Travis asked the dog while patting him on the head. The dog wagged his tail in response then flopped on the ground at Travis’ feet.

“This cyborg of yours is pretty nifty,” Dante remarked, nodding in Rex’s direction who took his place next to the hound. “Saw some like him a few times, mostly in town as NCR passed through. Sometimes Legion had ‘em. I see the faded paint mark of the Bull on this one. Cain’t wait to hear the story in how you got this fella.”

Travis numbly nodded then felt his stomach suddenly sink as he realized two men were also making their way towards him. He was so caught up in the scenery, dogs, and livestock that he completely forgot his mother mentioning the ranch hands were lingering in the area in hopes to finally see him. They both seemed to be about the same age, early to mid-forties, and were grinning broadly and waving at their long lost friend. Not wanting to come off as rude, Travis stood and brushed the sand off his jeans with one hand while feebly waving back with his other.

“Ooowee, lookie’chu!” the taller of the two men exclaimed while snatching Travis’ hand with his and vigorously pumping it up and down. “All grown up and filled out...ain’t the lanky squirt you was before you left for Vegas.” Seeing the blank look he was getting from Travis, the cowboy smacked himself upside the head. “Shit, where’s my manners? You got that memory loss thing goin’ on and don’t even know who’n the hell I am, huh? Name’s Tim. Been on this ranch ever since you was a little kid. Dang, ain’t never thought I’d see you again! When you went missing all those years ago...well...was devastatin’ I tell ya what,” Tim said solemnly while kicking at the sand with the toe of his boot.

“Oh, Tim, quit bein’ so dramatic!” the shorter man chimed in. “I’m Brad, by the way! So glad to get to see you alive an’ well, Trav!”

Travis tried to smile as the man grabbed his hand and shook it while thumping him on the shoulder with the other. The awkward feeling he felt earlier when his mother suggested he go out to meet these people only intensified now that he was finally face to face with them. He tried to distract himself by looking over their matching black cowboy hats and their neatly trimmed moustaches that meshed with their goatees. He wondered if they could be brothers and for a fleeting moment he wondered if they could be related to him or if he even had any siblings for that matter.

Hoping to overcome his nerves, Travis thought it’d be good to ask about their relations, but the ranch hand’s sudden burst of chatter prevented him from even getting a word in edgewise. Fortunately for him, rescue from the banter and fawning came in the way of his partner almost seeming to materialize by his side holding two beers. Feeling a sweep of relief as Tim and Brad paused from babbling over the interruption, Travis twisted off the cap and gestured towards Riley with the bottle. “This here’s my friend, Riley.”

“Nice to meet you both,” Riley said with a warm smile while offering his free hand to them in friendship.

Once the introductions and handshakes were done, Brad couldn’t help but suddenly smirk and give the courier a wink. “Friend my ass, Trav. If my feelings are correct, I’m gonna bet that this fella’s your boyfriend.”

Hearing the mention of boyfriend, Riley’s face instantly turned a bright shade of red and he bit his lower lip while distracting himself with his beer. Travis, on the other hand, did his best not to show any reaction to the remark. He didn’t admit anything to his parents yet so there was no way he was going to admit anything to these people. However, when faced with a direct remark or question, he was never able to lie or hide his emotions no matter how hard he tried. Besides blushing fiercely, a dopey smile tugged at the corners of his moustache and he began to rub the back of his neck. Those actions alone spoke volumes without Travis having to say one word.

Brad’s brown eyes widened and he grinned broadly. “Oh! I knew it! I knew it! Hot damn, you sure did get yourself a cutie!” Giving Tim a spirited shove, Brad gestured with his hand and exclaimed, “Ya owe me five caps! I told ya the fella that brung him here was his boyfriend!”

“Boyfriend?” The sharp voice of Dante cut through the air making the laughter and gentle teasing abruptly stop. The four men turned to see a deeply scowling Dante stomping their way. “Whaddya mean, boyfriend?” he snapped, stopping a few feet away from his son. Dante glared hard at Tim and Brad whose jovial attitudes instantly vanished. He then gave Riley a sideways glance before focusing his burning, pale blue eyes on Travis.

Riley felt his stomach clench and heart almost break hearing the tone of Dante’s voice and seeing his towering frame looming over that of Travis. His deepest fear about this entire meeting seemed to have come true. However, the possibility of a fight that might break out now from his partner’s defensive nature was what scared him the most. He saw Travis’ eyebrows instantly lower and eyes narrow dangerously while he corrected his posture and balled his fists at his side.

The air was thick with tension and it was almost as if this were the typical cliche sort of showdown one would see in old western movies. Neither of the three men moved and scarcely dared to breathe for fear of sparking the confrontation between father and son. Riley was almost waiting for a prop tumbleweed to roll by or the recorded call of a hawk to cry out overhead. Even though those thoughts were amusing, it hardly was enough to take away the uneasy reality of the situation.

Twitching his moustache, the cowboy shook his head in disbelief and threw his hands up in the air. “Y’all have been together how long and you’re still just boyfriends? What’n the hell’s wrong with you? Y’all shoulda been married by now!”

Blindsided and bewildered by what his father said, Travis blinkled and took a step back. “Muh-m-m-married? I…” Travis stammered and looked helplessly to Riley whose wide-eyed, shocked expression only served to puzzle him more. “I...umm…”

“Pfft...lordy!” Dante snorted. “When I met your ma it was only a few months of courtin’ ‘til we got hitched. And you two are together for what…five or six months or something?”

“Y-year an’ a half,’ Travis numbly replied, his mind still racing from the entire conversation and the unexpected turn it took.

“Year and a... Oh fer the love of Pete! Even Tim and Brad done got hitched sooner’n that!” the cowboy laughed and clamped his hand on Travis’ shoulder. “I know love ain’t determined by a band of gold on yer finger or whatever, but damn, son!”

Travis weakly chuckled and put the beer to his lips with a trembling hand. He noticed poor Riley was paler than usual, still staring at the ground and biting his thumbnail. Brad was collecting his caps from Tim and their smiles and jovial moods have returned now that the tense moment was defused. Apparently Dante had an odd sense of humor and it was one Travis hoped he’ll learn to understand in the near future.

“Sorry, son, didn’t mean to startle ya about the boyfriend thing. Glad to see ya got yerself a good man...even if he’s a city slicker,” Dante chuckled while giving Travis a wink and a pat on the shoulder. Turning his sights on Tim and Brad, he made a shooing motion with his hands. “Alright you two, ya saw Travis. Let’s get back to work while we still got sun! We’ll talk ‘bout things later, Travis. Right now I gotta make sure the pens and barn’s locked up for the night.” Giving his son another pat on the shoulder, the cowboy sauntered off towards the corrals.

Travis sighed heavily and his entire posture slumped now that he was finally alone with Riley. “Shit,” he muttered before guzzling the remainder of beer in the bottle. He toed at the dirt with his boot for a few moments before turning on his heel and heading back to the porch. Dropping heavily on an old wood chair, Travis set his empty beer bottle down and rubbed his face with his hands.

“You okay, babe?” Riley asked as he leaned against the porch rail, still nursing his own beer.

“I’m whupped,” Travis simply replied as he leaned back against the chair and crossed his arms in front of his chest. He was drained both mentally and physically. The day’s events were finally taking their toll on him and Dante’s weird way of showing acceptance to Travis’ relationship with Riley took the last of his strength. Taking in a slow, calming breath, Travis stared out at the corn and did his best to relax his frazzled mind. “You know...I think I’m ready to head back to town and get ourselves a room. Get us a good sleep and come back in the morn if they’ll have us.”

“I’m sure they will,” Riley said gently while stepping closer to his man. “I know they’re just as excited to show you the ranch as you are to see it. I’m ready to go if you are.”

Travis nodded and was about to whistle for Rex, but decided against it. The dog would be better off here for the night, especially since he wasn’t sure if a hotel would be all that keen about an animal in the room. “Let’s go then. Maybe after we get settled you can give me that blow job you sorta suggested back when we first got here,” the courier teased, making Riley blush and roll his eyes with a chuckle.

Entering the house, Travis looked around for his mother and spotted her sitting on the couch reading a book. He softly cleared his throat to get her attention. “Well...it was really great seeing y’all and dinner was really great. It’s getting kinda late right now so Riley and I are gonna head to town and try and find a place to stay. I’d love to come back tomorrow and have that tour of the ranch if that’s ok.”

“Heading out? Travis, really!” Mrs. Blackfox exclaimed while putting the book down. “I didn’t shoo y’all out for dinner and I sure ain’t going to shoo y’all out now. You boys are more than welcome to stay here. Ain’t like we’re being put out or anything since you already have your own room and big enough bed.” Seeing Travis suddenly squirm at that statement caused her to lightly laugh. “Oh, come on, Travis. Me and your father both figured you two were a couple from the get go. We weren’t exactly sure how to bring it up without embarrassing y’all.”

Rubbing the back of his neck and feeling much more at ease knowing both his parents were accepting of his relationship, Travis responded wearily, “Well, thanks for the offer. Most appreciated.”

Riley quirked a brow, catching the subtle change in not only Travis’ voice, but his posture. The courier looked completely exhausted now that he knew the stresses of today was finally over. “Travis, why don’t you go and relax. I’ll get our things out of the car.”

Travis gave him a grateful smile, bade his mother goodnight, then shuffled down the hall to his bedroom. Feeling for the switch, Travis flicked it on and blinked as his eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness. He stood in the doorway for a few moments, looking around in hopes that maybe now something might look familiar to him, but as expected, nothing did. Sighing, he made his way to his bed and pulled off his boots. Grabbing the box of matches on the nightstand, he struck one and lit the oil lamp. He watched the flame dance enticingly behind the glass shade making him yearn to go outside somewhere and torch something.

At length, Travis stood and disrobed down to his boxes then draped his clothes over the chair. Flicking the light switch off allowed the gentle flame from the oil lamp to illuminate the room in a soothing yellow glow. As he pulled back the quilt, a faint smile tugged at the corners of his moustache from seeing the faded, but clean sheet that covered the mattress. He knew that once he lays down and succumbs to the comfort of the bed he wouldn’t be conscious for much longer. He had hoped to stay awake for when Riley returns with their things, but it was a losing battle.

Flopping onto the mattress, Travis instantly felt all the stress and tension leave his body. Closing his eyes with a sigh, he turned over to face the wall and pulled the quilt up to his chin. Although his body was rapidly relaxing, his mind was still buzzing with the day’s events as well as what he hoped tomorrow would bring. All things considered, his reunion with his parents went rather well. He was immensely happy that they welcomed him back into their lives and more so that they were accepting of Riley. He was anxious to see the cats his parents acquired and he was very interested to find out what exactly steeds were.

His mind next shifted to the final conversations of the evening. Hearing that Tim and Brad are married was wonderful enough, but the fact Dante was shocked Travis wasn’t already married to Riley blew his mind. Travis squirmed and felt a pleasant warmth surge through him at the very thought. The idea of proposing to Riley has crossed his mind plenty of times in the past. However, he never knew how to go about it or if it was even something Riley would want to do. There’s no way he’d say no after all this time, would he? Certainly now was not the time to ponder it and his body let him know by bringing on a large yawn. Rubbing his eyes, Travis settled against the pillow and did his best to clear his mind and drift off into what he hoped would be a peaceful sleep with dreams to match.

to be continued...

#travis blackfox #courier six #riley white #sole survivor #fallout new vegas #fallout 4 #my oc #fallout oc #writings

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