#//thank god for the happy bits in between the sad parts because I’d be done for without them
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It brought an immense amount to comfort to Efa’s heart to know he was willing to meet her where she was, as far as her experience with science went. She had trouble admitting it, but it was a visceral insecurity of hers, when she stood next to Viktor: an academic inadequacy, which she was afraid would turn him away. A relieved look came over her, offering him a trying smile as she let his words wash over her. “You don’t know how much it means to me that you feel that way,” she said. “Hopefully my varied hobbies prove to be worth your time.”
Seeing Viktor continue to eat sparked something in her, reminding her to take another bite. She was so engulfed in the conversation, it nearly slipped her mind why they were there to begin with. She cut a bite of her waffle, taking it and following it with another swig of juice.
“Oh, they would’ve been best friends, I’m sure of it,” she reinforced, taking another bite. After a moment, “I was easily attached to other people as a kid, I couldn’t really help it. I really liked playing with the other kids in the Lanes, but my parents were cautious. I know, though, had little Efa kicked someone’s ass for little Viktor…” She squinted one eye, dwelling on the thought. “They would be in it for life after that. I’d show you my favorite spots. You’d be coming to my house all the time, like, every day if your mom let you. My mom always liked meeting my friends, whatever friends I had. You could meet the farmhands, the animals… everyone. A whole new ring of friends for little Viktor.” As she paused to take another bite of her waffle, she smiled to herself, relishing in the thought. “Who knows, honestly. By now we would have been friends for, like… fifteen years at least. Not sure—I don’t know how old you are and I’d hate to ask,” she disclosed.
There was something consistent, almost rehearsed, in the way Viktor traced her back as she wept. She slowly released a breath she had been holding until he tightened his embrace around her, and she allowed herself to relax in the weight of it. “Thank you,” she whispered. She brushed away the remainder of her tears, taking in a long, slow breath through her nose, then exhaling. As she continued to dry off her tears, she gave him a heartened look. “You’ve been very kind to me, I appreciate everything you’ve said—I trust you. I’m fine. I promise, I’m done crying now,” she reassured, yielding a small laugh.
when Efa agreed to go to dinner, viktor felt even more excited than he had before. ever since he was little, he’d dreaded endings, afraid they meant he’d never see the people he said goodbye to again. to know she still wanted to spend time with him made him thrilled.
grabbing his coat from the rack near the door, he led her out of the lab, locking it behind him before they made their way outside. it was cold, and when he noticed she had no scarf, he offered his own, unwilling to let a friend go cold.
“here we are,” he declared when they reached the diner, the bell jingling when they stepped inside. “it’s never too busy here, which i like. order whatever. i’ll pay.”
( @efa-solheim )
#//THE WAY IT SOUNDS LIKE VIK TOO WHATTTT#//and the female voice is strangely close to what I had in mind for Efa??#//crying and throwing up#//thank god for the happy bits in between the sad parts because I’d be done for without them#arcane#arcane oc#arcane rp#oc#oc rp#rp#Viktor#viktor arcane
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If I could be so selfish— I’d also love an angsty thing with wolfram. Like maybe he and reader fell in love after everything in Germany and are TRYING to make it work, but cannot be together (wolfram has sieglinde, reader works for the earl) so their time together is extremely limited despite their best efforts. Torture me with this 😭💔 thank you 🙏
torture YOU? I tortured MYSELF with this!! p l s ;A;
A night off means a night at a ball, which usually means one of the few times you can take advantage of the fact that you have no duties. In turn, typically these are the nights you get to spend the most time with WOLFRAM.
God, you love him so much. The thought of getting to be with him even for a short while is what carries you through the drudgery of your days. As much as you’re honored getting to work for Ciel Phantomhive, and as much as you adore him, sometimes the days tend to blur together in a symphony of sameness.
And… you’d be lying if you said you didn’t want Wolfram with you more often. It’s just not easy; as precocious a child as she is, Sieglinde is still a child, and most of Wolfram’s time goes to her. Most of your time goes to serving your earl.
You love your life. You love your job, you love your friends, you love Sieglinde… sometimes you just wish things would be easier, that the stars would align ever more often for you and Wolfram to be together.
But strangely enough, when you look around the ballroom shortly after entering, you don’t see your beloved anywhere. Thankfully, Sieglinde is in a corner with her spider walker, excitedly chattering with Lizzie, so you ask her. She says that he went out into the foyer, “… and I think you should talk to him, (Name).”
Well, so you should.
When you make your way there, your darling is sitting at the bottom of the stairs with his head in his hand. You can definitely see why Sieglinde thought you should talk to him, if he looked similarly before leaving the ballroom.
Quietly, you walk over and take a seat next to him. “There you are,” you hum as you bump your shoulder against his. “You look very handsome tonight, my love. You don’t have a smile to match, though.”
“No.” He straightens up a bit and sets his hand on his knee, shaking his head. “My smile does not want to be a part of this outfit.”
You reach over to set your hand gently on top of his. “Oh, that’s not good. What’s wrong?”
Although he doesn’t move too much, the good news is… he doesn’t move too much. He isn’t shying away from you like he’s occasionally done in the past. “I’m sad.”
Oh. Maybe that’s not surprising. He hides so much, though, you’re glad that he feels comfortable enough with you to admit it bluntly.
“Why are you sad, sweetheart?”
The way he purses his lips, tightly, gives the impression of someone who’s trying not to cry. That surprises you, because you… you’re actually not sure you’ve ever seen Wolfram cry. He holds it together so well, even when other people would be breaking apart. Even when he probably should be breaking apart. It’s probably all that training, and that makes you angry for him.
It looks like he goes so far as to bite his lip to keep any tears from coming. He seems to be gathering up the courage to say something. Finally, his hand shifts beneath yours, and before long, he’s holding it as if he thinks you’re going to slip away if he doesn’t.
“I miss you, Liebling,” he murmurs. Then, his face turns pink and he looks away. “I can… tell you something secret? Embarrassing things?”
You think it’s likely only embarrassing to him, so you nod. “You can tell me anything, Wolfram.”
A small nod, like that’s what he expected your answer to be, before he says anything else. When he does, he sounds tired. “When we were starting… these things? Between us, I mean. I was very happy.”
You give his hand a squeeze. “I was, too. I still am.”
“I am…” He sighs. “When we were starting, I was thinking that… it would be different than it is now. The old life I had was over. This is my new one. Old Wolfram dies, better Wolfram gets to live. And I kept thinking… it was that thing from storybooks. Happily ever after.”
He looks back over at you again, and there’s a look of… shame on his face. As if he thinks it was stupid of him to believe in something like that. “The story never keeps going, after the prince and princess find each other. The book just is letting you make your own story, with everything being perfect and wonderful and no problems ever again. They stay together. Big castle. Children. Never sad ever again.”
His eyes drift closed. “But you and I, we’re apart most of days. And I’m sad, because I miss you. Gives me much shame, but… when we were starting… I thought we would be like the prince and princess. I would take care of Sieglinde, and you would have your job, and I… get to lie down in bed with you every night. I thought, finally, I would have… something good. Something more.”
After a long moment, he carefully tugs his hand out of your grasp. Both hands fidget, and he takes a deep breath. “Life gets in our way, over and over. I want you to be able to do things you want, and I love Sieglinde. She is my whole world.” A small, bittersweet smile settles on his lips, then he looks back toward you. “But you are also my whole world.”
“Oh, Wolfram. My love.” You lean in, and thank God, as soon as you put a hand on his cheek, he leans in for a kiss. Even when he’s sad about all of this, it’s not bad enough that he doesn’t want to be with you. “You’re my whole world, too. And so is my work.”
You give him another kiss. Your thumb runs lightly over his sideburns, and he strokes a hand through your hair. When the two of you part, he stays right where he is, warm breath against your lips. “… I thought I had a fairytale. That maybe sometimes they might be come true.” His voice is soft and sounds seconds away from breaking into pieces. “What will we do?”
Just hearing him ask that makes your heart melt. He’s simple, he knows how to follow orders, but… he’s hopelessly lost with anything complicated. He doesn’t have answers.
To be fair, neither do you. You don’t want to give up your work, and there’s no way you could even think of asking him to neglect Sieglinde. You love that little girl just as much as he does. This whole situation is so complex.
What are the two of you going to do?
“I don’t know.” It’s a confession that weighs on your heart and mind. You’ll have to think about it, and in the meantime… you have no idea how to comfort him or yourself, except to remind him that he’s not alone in the way he feels. “I miss you so much, too. The thought of getting to see you is the only thing carrying me through sometimes. Getting to be with you makes me feel like real life is a fairytale… but… I know it’s not.”
You gingerly put your arms around him, pulling him into an embrace. There’s nothing that immediately comes to mind as a solution, and maybe you don’t need one just this second. Maybe all you really need right now is to be together.
The two of you press into one another, music filtering in faintly from the ballroom.
“I love you,” Wolfram says quietly. And he holds you a little bit tighter. “So much. Du bist meine ein und alles.”
You hold him a little bit tighter, too. “I love you so much, too. You’re my one and only.”
His breath catches as if he’s about to start crying. “(Name), I’ve… I’ve waited my whole life for you, I think. I don’t want to let go.”
“So don’t.” You bury your face in his neck, and feel his face against the top of your head. Come hell or high water, you will make this work. You’re not letting go of him either. “You don’t have to. We’ll… figure something out. I promise. For now… w-we have the rest of the night.”
At least, as long as the two of you are together, there’s no way the night could go to waste.
You’ll just… have to think of something to keep that promise.
#tehgreatboo#Black Butler#Kuroshitsuji#Wolfram#Wolfram Geltzer#reader insert#romantic#angst#drama#MY HEAAAAAART#one hell of a queue
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so i’m gonna have a lot to do for olga in the coming days which be explained below the cut. warning for like, major lb7 spoilers like please do not look if you want to avoid anything story related but also warning that when this goes into effect, this blog will be a walking minefield of spoilers
so it was confirmed via the chaldean that olga marie is u-olga marie, that she was always a servant (but didn’t know it) and rather than being the big baddie, she was in fact one of the seven apostles of the alien world (which is CHALDEAS yes the very thing she was flung into in part one) who had the title ‘god’ and was meant to act for the alien world itself. she regained her memories in part 2 of lb7 however, at the end of the lostbelt, olga sacrificed herself in order to try and stop ort. as confirmed by the conversation between the chaldean and kirei, while olga’s saint graph can be reconstructed her her body returned (most likely with the priestess who is probably a part of olga), her soul had been effectively destroyed and if she did come back, she would be ‘ an empty husk who is a shadow of her former self’
fun times!!
the biggest thing though is that olga is the same person, her and u-chan are the same which means i can update olga’s canon point but in the worst way possible nasu why did you do thIS BUT WHEN I EVENTUALLY DO THIS (which will be when i’m done rewriting everything) there are some key things to note
her heart had been ripped out by tzec, which daybit then used to wake up ort. as such, she won’t have that organ with her in isola, since this happened before her death in canon and she was around without it
due to the fact olga’s soul was destroyed, i’m gonna use mfrp magic and say she has it again but it’s in a ‘dormant’ state. as such, olga will be acting ‘soulless’ for awhile until it ‘wakes up’. (because if i just went the soulless route and wanted to revert that, i’d have to do a reset and the tiny mage has come too far for that). think about mashu in the beginning before romani started helping her: she’ll be kinda blank, not really expressive or emotional, and be blunt but not in a malicious way. somewhat doll-like but her smiles will not be for they’ll always be somewhat sad like seen here yet she won’t be aware of this
this WILL have effects on her bonds in isola. olga will know that some people had a meaning to her, but she can’t feel that nor will she really be able to do anything about it. she also will be approaching things more logically rather than emotionally
appearance wise, she’ll change too. her eyes will have diamond pupils, her hair extremely long and with an orange gradient at the end. she will not have her crowns, outfit, nor her horns due to gestures at lb7 ending but i’ll probably sketch her new isola appearance. everything else though can be seen here
In regards to olga’s memories and what she does remember, such is still a bit murky right now so that won’t really have much of a bearing until further translations come out
anyways thanks for emotionally ruining me nasu i hope you’re happy
#ooc tbt.#lays on the ground#i don't like winning#being an olga fan is suffering i want off this rIDE
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pspspsp can I just request an immortal reader who's life is just dull/sad as hell since they've seen their loved ones leave or die in front of them so many times
but when they meet SBI or anyone, their life just suddenly brightens up? (Platonic and it can be any type of fic!)
(A/N): I got waaaayy too carried away with this. Star god reader my beloved (also, I’d imagine that your cloak looks like this guy’s but on the inside with the outsides being any color of your choice (credit goes to original artist))
If you want more god!reader content with the dream smp, @wooloo-inc has a really good series about a male!nature god!reader (aka, the god of dilf collection)
In the beginning when DreamXD created you (which if you think about it, that makes him your father, but I digress) from stardust and meteorite shards, you were a ball of fun loving sunshine (well, starshine?)
You loved watching over all of humankind, admiring their determination and bonds with other humans (both romantic and platonic)
Your older brother, the god of the moon, told you about how they viewed you and you were amazed
“Oberon?” You ran up to your older brother and tugged on his cloak making him hum in question, not looking up from his parchment scroll. “What- what do the humans think of me?”
He scoffed and glanced at you with his lily white irises, “why are you on about them again? They are lowly creatures compared to us, filled with greed and misfortune.”
“They worship us and that’s how you speak of them?”
“(Y/n) believe me, you have not seen the brutality they are capable of. War, famine, greed, plague, genocide, it’s all something you have not witnessed before. You have only seen the good in those things.”
“But Oberon, I wanna-” he lightly smacked the side of your head, “use proper English. We are gods and you will behave as such.”
You huffed, “I want to know about how they view us! I do not care about the bad things they have done! Plleeeaaassseeeeeee Beri?” You willed the stars that constantly gleamed in your eyes to shine brighter as you fluttered your eyelashes at him. He may seem like he hated everyone and everything (especially his siblings), but he had a soft spot for his youngest sibling. He just stared at you for a bit before he sighed and shifted in the massive throne so that you could hop up onto his lap. With a wave of a slender pale hand, he conjured up various images of humans with stardust gazing at the stars and the moon with carefree swipes of his hand.
“They view us as… poetic of sorts. They compare us to romance,” an image of two human males kissing then gazing into the stars laying down on a cliff came into view, “fortune tellers,” an image of the Aquarius and the Capricorn constellations popped up making you squeal in happiness. He chucked and changed the picture to a mother and son standing over a grave looking up in amazement at a shooting star, “and most importantly, as a sign of hope.
“They see us as complementary, the moon and the stars cannot be as beautiful without the other. We hold the power of the night and everything it touches, (y/n). This is our kingdom, do not forget that,” the image changed to the moon surrounded by stars and swirling blues and purples of nebulas.
You looked at the images with awe, absorbing every word that fell from his mouth. “Beri?” He once again hummed, his deep baritone voice sending vibrations along your back. “Will we be together forever?”
His lanky arms wrapped around your much smaller frame, “for all of eternity. The moon is nothing without the night sky and all of the stars it holds.”
Centuries passed and your fascination with humans only grew from there
When you eventually asked if you could meet a human Oberon reacted angrily and forbade you from speaking of humans again in your shared palace, worried for your safety
When he caught you attempting to sneak out, he locked you in your room for months on end
Humans wondered why the stars hardly appeared in the night sky anymore, forming the theory that they had somehow angered you
They prayed to you more and more, begging and groveling for forgiveness
They left more offerings at shrines
You heard their every word, feeling your heartbreak with sorrow and guilt for your lovely humans
You snuck out of the palace that night determined to make it up to the humans
You quietly snuck past the main room where you and Oberon used to sit on your thrones together and control the night. The large doors were cracked open showing your older brother watching the night with boredom. As you passed, his voice startled you, “I just cannot stop you can I?”
He appeared in the doorframe looking at you emotionlessly, his eyes glinting with hidden pain. “Do you realize how cruel of a place that world is? How cruel humans are?”
“I do not care, brother! They are in anguish because they think I am angry with them! Because you locked me in here!”
“I have told you time and time again, they are ruthless creatures. Humans are constantly clashing with their own kind for the slightest bit of power, they’re greedy creatures! Have you forgotten what happened to Arachnia?”
A shiver went down your spine at the mention of your fellow deity. She wanted to be with humans but they stripped her of her grace and virtuosity, torturing her when the moon would rise. That is the reason spiders attack humans in the night when the moon and stars show themselves and are dormant in the daytime. However, that did not deter you.
“I have not forgotten what happened to Arachnia, her tale fills me with grief. But not all humans are like that! They are compassionate, loving, and sweet creatures deep down, each and every single one of them!”
“They were not showing compassion or love when they tore Arachnia limb from limb! When they languish in riches while millions die around them! What part of that is compassionate?”
“Sure they do bad things sometimes, but have you forgotten the love they hold for each other? The determination and hope shining from within them when they pray to us? Have you forgotten that?”
“THEIR ACTIONS ARE NOT JUSTIFIED IN ANY WAY!”
“AND OURS ARE? YOU ARE BLIND, OBERON. HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN THE CRUELTY THE GODS HAVE SUBJECTED HUMANS TO? WHEN OUR FATHER TOOK YEARS AWAY FROM THEIR LIFESPANS SOLELY BECAUSE THEY STOPPED WORSHIPPING HIM AS OFTEN AS THEY USED TO? WHAT PART OF THAT IS JUSTIFIED?”
He just stared at you with angry irises and his chest heaving before he ran a hand through his long ivory hair and turned around, the flowing white cape flowing wildly behind him with unseen air. He walked back into the observation room and back to his throne. Without a second glance to you, he worked on the transition of power between the sun and moon. You could imagine your sister Aelia grinning brightly as she rose the sun for the day.
“You are to never return here if you step foot out that door. You will still have control of your duties of the night. However you will never return. Do not come back groveling for forgiveness when I have given you constant warnings of their cruelty. If I see your face show up here, I will make sure father smites you down. Now get out of my sight.”
You huffed and whipped around to the front entrance, the stars that constantly twinkled and the nebulas that constantly swirled in the inside of your cloak illuminating the white floors below you as you ran. You left the palace without a second thought, leaving your old life behind in favor of spending it with the humans.
When you came crashing to the Earth in a shooting star, you were amazed by the beauty of it up close and in person
It was everything you expected and then some
You heard the humans cheering and thanking you in their prayers when the stars returned brighter than usual
You being completely enamoured by all of the humans, even if they recognized you or not you loved them all unconditionally
You set up a little cottage in the tundra where you could see the night sky clearly with the occasional aurora borealis
From the roof, you controlled the stars
The tales of you defecting from the heavens was a popular one, and you became somewhat of a symbol of the hope that humanity should hold for themselves and compassion
Occasionally sending shooting stars over humans you knew were stargazing
You have met many lovers, friends, and even your own adopted kids over the next millenia, all of them accepting your immortality and everlasting duties
But it’s all the same in the end: they come, they leave, and they die
With each death of your loved ones, you could feel your will to keep going dissipate
The stars grew dimmer gradually in the night sky
The humans gradually stopped worshipping you as you disappeared from the night skies
You became a distant memory for elders to tell children
Disappearing from the face of the Earth for a few centuries when you could not take the constant deaths any longer
Nobody knew where your cabin laid so you were undisturbed for centuries on end, left to your grief
That was until a knock sounded at your door
The knock startled you out of the comfort of your bed. Reluctantly, you left the warmth of the multitude of blankets and donned your cloak to hide your unkempt appearance. When you passed the mirror hanging in the hallway, you could see that your face was shrouded by darkness with the exception of a single glint where your eyes were caused by the lone star that was a constant reminder of your position. Before you fell into a deep depression, the stars would illuminate your entire face if you put your hood up.
You opened the front door without a care in the world. If the beings on the other side were humans that would take you away and torture you, you didn’t care. You’re long past the point of caring for your own well being.
On the other side was a man of average height and long shaggy blond hair pulled into a slick ponytail. He was dressed entirely in green with a green and white striped bucket hat placed on his head. Past you would’ve been cooing at the object, but now you dully looked at the man in front of you. You glanced behind him and your eyes widened at the huge black wings sprouting from his back. You know who he was the second your eye caught the black feathers; he was the Angel of Death.
“Hello, Angel of Death.”
He tried to peer into your shrouded features, only seeing two pinpricks of light where your eyes should be. He gave you a friendly smile, brushing off the snow that gathered on his shoulders. “(Y/n), the God of the Stars and the Night Sky. Giver of compassion to the human race, it’s an honor to meet you.”
“Why are you here? Last time I checked, my last lover died centuries ago.”
“Yes, my condolences. They were lovely when I guided their soul to the afterlife.”
“You still have not answered my question, Angel of Death. Why are you here?” You grit out the last sentence through a clenched jaw. He has no right to talk about them when he assisted in taking them away from you. Him and your cousin, the Goddess of Death Kristin. They took everybody you loved away from you. You knew that their deaths were unavoidable since they were human and you were immortal, but you still couldn’t help but resent them.
“The Goddess of Death sent me. The God of the Moon and the Goddess of the Sun sent her a request to send me to check on you.”
You stared at him for a few moments before you saw him shivering slightly and sighed. You always had a soft spot for humans, even if the being in front of you was not a human in the slightest. He reminded you of an old friend. You stepped aside and gestured lazily inside the house, “come in.”
He started to visit more and more over the next century
He eventually befriended you about half a century into the visits
It was extremely difficult to do because of how guarded you were, but he managed to break you out of your shell
You realizing how kind he was and how much he cared for you
You quickly came to the realization that he was immortal as well after reading up on the Angel of Death
After another fifty years, he became your best friend
You both opened up and comforted each other about everybody you both lost over the years
When he adopted Technoblade and then Wilbur not long after Techno, you were extremely hesitant to get close to them
Even going as far as telling Philza that you thought that it was an extremely bad idea
Mortals always end up leaving in the end anyways, it’s best to avoid the endless cycle of hurt that came with having mortals around
You told him about your own adopted children that have died over the years
You refuse to meet them, cutting off all communication with Philza for a year or two
Eventually meeting his three adopted kids when you reluctantly accept a dinner invitation one day
You attempted to appear cold and uncaring, but your love for humans (especially baby humans) shone through when an infant Tommy started to play with your cape
It seemed that the stars and the moving nebulas within the fabric entranced him
From then on whenever you visited Philza, you always held Tommy until he was too old for you to do so
Becoming very attached to the blond with your strong innate parental instincts
You introduce Techno to mythology, sharing stories of your personal interactions with certain gods and entities throughout the years
You teach Techno how to cope with the voices as you constantly hear multiple prayers to you from humans at the same time
You arrange a meeting for Wilbur with the Goddess of Music when he asks you about her
Arranging for her to start giving him lessons in exchange of a favor that will be cashed at a later date
You help raise all three of them, often taking them off Philza’s hands for a night or two
Their favorite activity with you is watching you raise the stars and turn the sky dark
They always loved to watch you move the stars and summon shooting stars for them
The stars gradually returned to your eyes and a constant ecstatic smile slowly became synonymous with your face again
Humans started to worship you again when the stars in the sky became brighter
You became your old self again after centuries of feeling lost
To repay them for everything they’ve done for you, you decided to rearrange the stars for one night
One night of having a different star pattern couldn’t hurt
Sure, it’d make a few theories pop up among the humans, but those are fun to overhear sometimes
The young boys and Philza behind you watched in awe as your eyes started to glow brightly and you slowly moved your hands gracefully raising the stars with the moon, your cloak starting to flow with nonexistent winds. They’ve seen you raise the stars thousands of times, but it never ceases to amaze them. It was just so… entrancing.
You broke into a slight sweat and started to move the stars from their original positions in the sky. Shaking slightly, you pushed back against the strain and slight pain that it brought you. You’ve never done this before, so you really didn’t know what you were expecting. You felt someone put a hand on your shoulder.
“What’re you doin, mate?”
“Uh Dad?”
“Not now Techno. Mate, are you alright?”
“Dad, look up. They’re rearranging the stars,” Wilbur breathed out.
You could hear Philza gasp slightly as he watched star after star move until they locked into place. There in the twinkling night sky was each of their names gleaming brightly in small lettering. When you were done, you fell into a kneel onto the ground and rubbed at your aching head panting lightly.
You could hear the boys around you panic slightly as you regained your breath. As you heard them approach you you looked up at them and smiled, the stars gleaming brightly in your irises. “Do you like it?”
“Y-yes but gods, (y/n) are you alright?”
“I am fine, but stars, I have never done that before. Are you four ready for stargazing?”
“That was so pog, (y/n)! How’d you do that?”
“I hold the power of the stars and the night sky in my hands. My brother once told me that the night is our kingdom.” You laid down onto the grass and took off your cloak to cover up a shivering Tommy and Wilbur next to you. You sighed as you thought about your siblings; you wondered how they were doing.
“I will gladly move the stars themselves for you four. You are my family.” There was a stretched out moment of comfortable silence as you five watched shooting stars blaze by. Eventually, you saw an aurora borealis materialize above you. Furrowing your brow, you looked at it in question. They don’t appear this time of year, so why-
“Aelia,” you breathed out as you watched the greens flow above you. She must’ve sent a gust of solar wind your way.
“Isn’t Aelia the Goddess of the Sun?” Wilbur asked you.
“Yes, she is my oldest sister. She must have redirected the solar winds over here.”
“Damn, what’s with the gods changing everything tonight? You guys need to fuckin chill.”
“Tommy!” Philza scolded and was about to continue before he heard you start to laugh. They’ve only heard you genuinely laugh only a couple of times, so the sound that left your mouth immediately brightened the mood.
“Yes Tommy, I suppose we do need to ‘fucking chill’.”
“You swore! Fuckin pog,” Tommy cheered to himself as the others looked at you in slight shock at your words. If you’re being completely honest in all of the years you spent alive (which is since basically the beginning of time), you’ve never sworn once. You were raised differently than that. When you realized that the others were staring at you, you smirked at them. The stars twinkling and giving your eyes even more of a mischievous glint, “what? Have you never heard a god swear before?”
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Hey! You asked for individual character requests, so how about Vex x Reader (I thought I’d give you a break from EXU as well), where the reader has a massive crush on Vex, but is unfortunately really scared of Trinket? And maybe something about Vex helping them to relax and bond? Thanks regardless! I love your writing x
Thanks for requesting! This was definitely a fun one to write so I hope you enjoy! 😘
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You may or may not like Vex. Okay, maybe a but more than just like, closer to a major crush but how could you not? Vex’s intelligent, quick-witted, drop dead gorgeous and don’t even get started on the woman’s charm or you might just swoon. Gods above, you’ve fallen for the half-elf hard. The worst part; you know she likes you too. She’s stated so several times, flirting with you more than anyone else and not just to get something from you. She’s not shy about it and takes every opportunity she can get to make you blush. It’s great, or would be great were it not for your very reasonable fear for big hulking bears and Vex just happens to call one such bear her closest of buddies if not closer to a fur baby.
You’re not sure what to do. Trinket, you know, is nothing short of lovely but you cannot get over your fears no matter how much you may like Vex. You’ve kept your distance and retreated within your shell every time the big grizzly is around. Bears are scary. Sharp claws and teeth, super strong. They can climb, swim and run. They’re great trackers too so there’s really no getting away from them.
“Darling, do you have a moment?” You’re seated at the table scribbling away on some paperwork you needed to take care of. Someone has to assure there’s any food and drink left after Grog has one of his solo exclusive parties again. They’re not really parties and only consist of him inviting Scanlan and Vax for a night of binging food and ale until the sun comes up but you’re always out of groceries right after.
Vex peaks around the corner leaning on the doorpost arms crossed. You put down your pen and nod. Vex nods her own head to the hallways behind her and you get the message getting up and following her to wherever she’s leading you. There’s a determination in her step but she tries to cover everything else which leaves you worried just a bit. What’s she up to?
“Vex, where are we going?” You fall in line next to her as you begin to ascend the stairs.
“Don’t worry, darling. I’ve found the perfect sight I think you might enjoy and simply wouldn’t want you to miss out before the weather changes. I’d like to discuss some things with you too so, two birds one stone?” Okay that does sound like a reasonable explanation. Maybe almost a little too reasonable now you think of it. You continue walking until you’re stopped in front of a door, Vex opens it and allows you to step in.
Immediately you see the late afternoon sun shine through the clouds, casting rays of golden light upon the landscape contrasting with the darkened grey of the rain ahead. It’s an absolutely beautiful sight. You enter the room walking up to the window as Vex steps in and closes the door behind her. You hear a grumble and a soft but forceful ‘shh’ behind you.
“Just my stomach. I’m afraid I haven’t had lunch yet. Would you like to enjoy some with me?” You turn around at the offer, seeing the table to the side set with lunch for two and a huge plate of fresh fish. A brown grizzly tries to nibble on the tail of one fish in an attempt to pull it off the plates without his momma noticing and is quickly scolded.
“Trinket! What did I say! Stay hidden!” Vex scolds the bear as you squeal making a break for the door but Vex is quicker and grabs you by the arms stroking your shoulders in a calming motion as Trinket growls in shame, for disappointing Vex and being tempted by the delicious fish.
“Let me go, Vex.” You almost beg and Vex offers you a sad smile.
“I’m afraid I can’t just yet. I wanted to ease you into this but as we’re a bit short on time, we’ll have to take this route. Now calm down, just breathe, in and out. That’s it.” You do as she says, Vex guiding you and preventing a mental breakdown of being face to face with your fear in an enclosed space. Her presence makes it a little better knowing she at least is able to control Trinket to an extend and you know he won’t attack you outright but doesn’t get rid of the fear.
“Now, are you alright to sit down or am I going to have to tie you up to prevent you from running? I’m not opposed to the latter but I think we’d both prefer better circumstances.” Vex jokes, or half jokes. You know her well enough for that. You nod and she guides you over to the table, sitting you down on one chair while taking the other next to you, rubbing circles in your back to keep some nerves at bay as trinket makes himself comfortable, laying down, eyes closed but occasionally peaking, pretending to be asleep, much akin to a young child having been told to go to bed.
“Shall we eat?” Vex gestures to the set table and you have to admit the food does look divine, maybe minus the plate of fish though. You look between her and Trinket. You can do this. You’ve been in the same space as Trinket plenty of times before. Granted, those times the spaces were much bigger and there were several people between you and the bear at all times.
“Yeah. Yeah, I think I could do with some food.” Your voice shakes but Vex smiles anyway. Small steps are better than none at all. She half expected you to have made a break for the window. She took all the precautions and ‘fear-proofed’ the room just in case. Awkwardly you’re eating and if Vex has learned one thing from animals is they don’t eat when they really mistrust the company, so people can’t be much different right? Vex attempts small talk asking you about your day and such and while you replied you always keep an eye on Trinket not so successfully pretending to be a sleep even mustering a fake snore.
Halfway through Vex keeps staring at you absentmindedly playing with her food leaning her chin upon her enclosed fist. She’s got plenty of ideas running through her head but all are circumstantial. Maybe she’ll go for a hail Mary.
“Darling, do you trust me?” The question makes you look at her confused. Have you done anything to show that you don’t? You don’t think so.
“Of course I do. You’ve saved my life more than I can count. I trust you more than anyone.” You admit a bit wary of where this is going but it’s Vex and what you said is true.
“Could you close your eyes for me?” You look between her and Trinket biting your lip. You do trust Vex but within your own head a battle between that love and trust for her and your fear for the big fuzzy animal rages on. What are you supposed to do?
Vex sees your struggle and gets up from her seat. She gracefully walks around the table making sure your eyes stay focussed on her and kneels down in front of you. Taking both of your hands in hers she squeezes them softly and gives you a gentle comforting smile.
“I want you to know your trust is not misplaced so I’ll give you this.” Vex takes the necklace from her neck and puts it around yours.
“Now I want this back when we leave this room but for now you’re in control of it. Will you close your eyes for me?” She asks once more. Her expression says enough to let you know if you don’t want this you don’t have to and literally anything but closing your eyes will show her you’re not ready yet and that would be okay. There’s no shame in taking small steps or finding a different approach. She’d come to terms with that too but she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t relieved and happy when you nodded and closed your eyes.
Darkness. That’s all you see, and the occasional movement of light outside bleeding through distorting that darkness from time to time. You’re hyper focused on your other senses and you’re unsure wether that be because of closing one sense off or because you’re practically shaking with fear awaiting for that fight or flight reaction to kick in. You smell the sweet fruit from your plate, the gentle kick of the fermented grape juice, and of course the slight saltiness of fresh fish. You hear a grumbled moan and the sound of paws-no sharp nails hitting the fine stone floor step by step almost drowned out by the soft whispers of encouragement of Vex.
Trinket, as quietly and carefully as he can makes his way over to you. Vex shushes him a couple of times and the bear loyalty obeys the commands, laying down at your side. Vex takes one of your hands and you jump a little when she does so she turns to rubbing circles in the back of it as she guides your hand away from your lap towards Trinket.
“You’re doing great.” Vex can feel the gentle shake of your hand but you don’t resist so very slowly she guides you towards Trinket until your fingers touch his fur. You breathe in sharply holding your breath upon contact and freeze up, waiting for something to happen, be that a sharp claw slashing out at you, teeth munching down on you, a roar in your face but none of these come. Even Trinket awaits in suspense for your responses, his bear senses giving him enough insight in your discomfort.
Once you’ve gotten a moment to adjust Vex takes her hand off yours watching both you and Trinket. You don’t dare open your eyes yet but in the back of your mind you hear words of encouragement. You’re doing great. You got this and before you know it your fingers glide, all be it a little rigid and awkwardly, through Trinket’s fur.
“Perfect, darling. You’re doing absolutely wonderful.” You nod afraid to speak and break the spell you definitely must be under with this newfound courage.
Vex couldn’t be more proud of you. When you walked in here she wasn’t even sure she could have you be in the same room as Trinket for more than ten minutes and now you’re petting the bear. She watches as you slowly peak through one eye and when you deem the coast clear open the other too watching in amazement.
“He’s so soft…” You breathe barely audible and Vex laughs. Trinket grumbles at the compliment making you pull away your hand and jump a little but when no repercussion comes you put it back and continue petting the bear, who begins purring softly almost akin to an oversized cat. You can still feel your heartbeat in your throat but this is going relatively okay until you begin seeing spots and you start feeling dizzy. Vex notices and pulls your hand away from Trinket offering you your glass.
“Maybe that’s enough for now? We’ll take it easy.” You nod and feel the nerves subside as Trinket returns to his comfy spot by the window. It may be best not to push your luck and drive yourself into a panic attack.
“Don’t worry, darling. Before you know it we’ll have you riding into battle on Trinket’s back. Won’t you like that Trinket?” She shouts over her shoulder to the bear who replies in a happy moan. Vex pours you another glass of wine after she watches the colour drain from your face. Let’s stick to small steps. But for now, the first ones have been taken. Besides, she can’t deny you’ll look absolutely marvellous riding into battle on her favourite Trinket.
#critical role x reader#critrole x reader#vox machina x reader#vex x reader#vex'ahlia x reader#critical role#vox machina#vex’ahlia
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Back to Vegas - Chapter 7
Words: 1907
Pairing: Nick Stokes x Reader
A/N: There’s one more part after this! Thank you for all of the support to far it means a lot
CH1 CH2 CH3 CH4 CH5 CH6 CH7 CH8
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Nick rested his forehead on your bed as he clutched your hand within his two as he listened to the beeping of the machinery around you. He’d been waiting around the hospital for three hours before he was allowed to come and sit with you.
It’d been nine hours since that point. Nine long hours of him sitting by your side as you slept and he talked to you. The Doctors said you’d pull through and would wake up in your own time but there was no telling how long that’d take and only you could decide that for yourself.
They’d told Nick in detail exactly what Hannah had put into your body but the only thing he took away was “You were extremely lucky to get Y/N here on time. Any later and the result wouldn’t be the same.”
The opening of the door had Nick sitting upright, he moved one hand but kept the other intertwined with yours. Greg, Sara, Catherine and Grissom all filled into the room taking various positions around your bed.
Catherine sat opposite Nick while Sara sat at the end of the bed with Grissom at her side and Greg took a seat not far from Nick. Nick angled his body slightly so he could see all of them. They instantly noticed his disheveled complexion and very red eyes from crying.
“We heard she’s going to make it.” Catherine was the first to break the silence
“Yeah.” Nick nodded to himself and looked at you before looking back at Catherine.
“She’s strong Nick. She’s out of the woods.” Sara added as she looked over you. She could see the bruises littered on your exposed skin from the struggle and from the force at which Hannah had injected you, your hand that Nick wasn’t holding was also bandaged up.
“She still needs to wake up though.” his words were barely audible and his eyes began to tear up.
“Nick I know you want to stay by her side but you haven’t eaten in hours. Let one of us sit here while you get a bite to eat” Catherine tried to persuade the man.
“I have to stay with her. She stayed by me.”
“We really don’t mind.” Sara added.
“You don’t understand.” he looked around the room “She didn’t leave my side so I won’t leave hers. I know it’s not as severe but I just can’t. What if I leave and-” he stopped to try and compose himself by taking in a deep breath and letting it out.
“The case?” Grissom broke his silence.
Nick looked at the man with shiny eyes and nodded “Word has probably got around to you guys about a case Y/N and I worked that really brought us together. I think only Greg knows the extent of the case really and even I spared him some details.” He looked at you and started to rub a pattern on your hand with his thumb and he teared up a little but was able to keep his emotions in check.
“To cut to the chase we ended up in a shootout. We were hiding together and trying to keep calm. Some punk found us and shot me twice, once in the leg and the other in the shoulder. Luckily the guy was shot down before Y/N was shot otherwise we wouldn’t be here now, either of us. She tried to stop the bleeding the best she could and just stayed with me and re-assured me I’d be ok while we waited for the EMT’s.”
Nick’s voice was starting to get wobbly and show emotion, Greg moved to sit on the edge of his seat and put his hand on Nick’s shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly.
“She didn’t leave my side the entire time. She got her injuries checked out and that was about it. I nearly bled out, hell I was even dead for a short time in surgery. Y/N sat by my bedside for God knows how long until I woke up. After that she still barely left my side until I ordered her back to work. I didn’t want to tell any of you guys because I didn’t want to worry you.”
Greg moved his hand from Nick’s shoulder “We understand but you should have told us.”
“I know I know.” Nick took in another breath “She stayed with me through recovery and rehabilitation, I had to basically re-learn how to walk for a little bit because the bullet had torn through my leg badly. It’s all fine now. It really took me no time to build back the strength. There were a couple other incidents after that and then we were going on our first date.”
He sucked in a breath “I really don’t know what I’d do without her.”
The room stayed silent for a moment while Nick just looked at you, eventually he let go of your hand and he twisted for his coat which was laid over the back of his chair and rummaged through his pockets “I guess it’s just my luck.”
He pulled out what he was looking for and clutched it in his hand “I was just about to ask her to marry me and everything. I nearly did last night but… I changed my mind because I wanted to tell you guys first. I’ve had this ring since way before we even came to Vegas.” a tear rolled down his cheek and his throat was sore with emotion “In hindsight I really should have just done it. Last night was perfect.”
Catherine was soon standing up and moving around the bed and opening her arms to give Nick a tight embrace “It’s ok Nicky. She’ll wake up soon.” the woman could feel her own tears threatening.
Sara approached the pair in the embrace and joined in with Greg soon following and Grissom approaching the huddle and putting his hand on Nick’s shoulder. Grissom looked down at you before looking back at Nick.
“I really think she’s going to make it Nick. I know my words mean nothing but she’ll wake up, even the Doctors said that.” he tried to reassure.
The huddle was soon breaking up as Nick completely composed himself and flopped back in the chair by your bedside. Grissom and Sara had offered to feed Sam and go back to the lab to continue working the case and Greg offered to bring him some food before going back to the lab.
Catherine was the last to leave a short while after the others.
“I should head to the lab but I want you to know something.” She moved to the edge of her seat and grabbed Nick's hand from across the bed. “I could just see how well you were made for each other as soon as you walked in through the door. You know I’ve had my fair share of love stories and after a while you just know when someone’s relationship is heading for trouble or destined to be happy. You guys are made for each other.” She squeezed his hand and gave him a smile.
“Thanks Cath.” he mustered a sad smile of his own “That really means a lot.”
She stood up and grabbed her belongings “I mean it Nick. I thought she was pretty good when I met her but I think she’s an amazing woman now. I’ll catch you after my shift. Please message me if anything happens.”
The man nodded and made his promise to Catherine to message her if anything changed.
The room was not silent but after Catherine left it felt as if it was. He sadly smiled at you and leaned forward to give you a quick kiss to the cheek before leaning back in his chair.
It’d been long enough for Greg to stop by with food and Nick to eat and clean up before you woke up. Nick was getting comfy in his seat after using the bathroom when you began to stir.
“Y/N” his voice was full of enthusiasm and excitement. “You’re at the hospital.” he tried to comfort you knowing how weird it could be to wake up and not know where you are.
“Nick?” your eyes were fluttering open and trying to focus on the man “I feel dizzy. Where am I?” your words slurred.
“The hospital Darlin’. Let me go grab a Doctor.” he stood in a scramble and soon was returning with a Doctor who made him wait outside the room.
Ten minutes later he was back at your side. “Hey.” you weakly spoke
“Hey.” he lowered himself into the chair next to you and smiled. “How you feeling?”
“Like I’ve been hit by a truck.” you admitted, there was a dull ache in your head and your body hurt all over.
The man nodded in response and let a silence hang for a moment. “I was so worried.”
“I know.” you reached for his hand and curled your fingers between his. “I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry about. I’m sorry for bringing you to Vegas in the first place.”
“Never apologise for that. It isn’t your fault. We did the right thing coming back and I don’t regret it. I should have just been more careful at the scene.”
“You remember what happened?” he asked curiously, secretly hoping that you did so he didn’t have to recount the moments.
“Yeah. It gets hazy after she got me the second time and I have patches of memory of a car journey.”
He nodded sadly “Yeah. I rushed you here. I really thought I’d lost you. I don’t know what I would have done if I-”
“I’m here now. I’m ok.” you reassured the man “The Doctor said I needed to stay in for another couple of days to monitor me because they really don’t know what other effects the combination of drugs she gave me will have.” He looked you in the eyes, relief and emotion present in his. “I love you Nick.”
“I love you more.” he said leaning forward to place a kiss on your forehead “promise me you won’t go alone to a scene again.”
“I promise.” you yawned and felt yourself getting tired.
“Am I really that boring?” the man teased
“Of course not.” you gave him a weak laugh “You look pretty tired and I could really do with a cuddle.” you admitted’
“Y/N I don’t think that’s possible.”
“Why not?” you pouted slightly “Look here.” you started to try and shift over in the bed.
“Hey, slow down. It’s alright I’m comfy here.”
“You might be but that doesn’t stop me from wanting a cuddle.” you adjusted yourself over in the bed so he had some room “Get up here why don’t you.” you said tapping the bed.
“If we get caught-”
“I’ll take the blame.” the man lay down next to you and you cuddled up to his chest and let your eyes fall closed.
The man felt himself get slightly emotional when he wrapped his arms around you and brought you to his chest. He placed a kiss on the top of your head and rested his head down on the pillow. He couldn’t even begin to express the way he was feeling right now. A tear rolled down his cheek as he closed his eyes
“Thank you for saving my life.”
Next Chapter
Tag List: (open)
Nick Stokes: @wanniiieeee @pumpkinfriend
CSI:
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Here to Misbehave (Pt. 23 | S.R.)
Series Masterlist | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Finale |
Summary: Spencer’s birthday plans get interrupted by a case. Frustrated by Reader’s busy schedule, Spencer finds a unique way to spend time with her. Couple: Spencer Reid/Fem!Reader Category: Smut (NSFW, 18+) Content Warning: Mild exhibitionism, fingering, penetrative sex, unprotected sex, Dom/sub, light choking, degradation/praise, sub space Word Count: 7.3k
MASTERLIST
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Waiting for Spencer Reid was an interesting position to be in. It was also, unfortunately, very, very common. You would think the IQ points would translate to efficiency, but you’d be very wrong. The only thing that boy does fast is read, and even that didn’t follow through to text messages, considering he’d read none of the six I’d sent him in the past hour.
So, naturally, as one does in an emergency, I called him. Unsurprisingly, the phone barely rang a second time before he picked up. Talking was, as we were both aware, his forte. Without even waiting for my greeting, his groggy voice came through the receiver with a song-like sound.
“Hello, little girl.”
But it wasn’t his turn to sing, and he knew damn well why I was calling. I could hear the smirk on his face so well that I could also envision exactly what he looked like in that moment, with his fluffy hair sticking up from constantly running his hands through it and his eyes only half-open as he tried to finish reading whatever horrible thing that he had in front of him.
It wasn’t how anyone should be spending their birthday. Especially not him. There wasn’t really anything I could do about it, though that didn’t make it any easier to hear the exhaustion and sadness behind that scratchy voice.
“What’re you doing up late? It’s past your bedtime, you know,” he chastised before I even had a chance to speak. He wasn’t wrong — It was 3AM where I was. But where he was, it’d just hit midnight.
“I just wanted to wish a happy birthday to my favorite old man,” I purred back once I’d managed to calm my fast-beating heart. I wondered if I’d ever get used to the brief rush of adrenaline and relief when I heard his voice for the first time after some time away.
I hoped not.
Spencer didn’t seem impressed by my reasoning, though. “You’re sweet. Go to sleep.”
“You’re up, too,” I whined, still picturing the way he would undoubtedly pull the phone further away to lessen the noise. I almost asked if he was also picturing me but stopped when I realized that whatever he had in mind was probably a lot more exciting than reality. Then again, he often told me that moments like this were his favorite. When we’re both too tired to keep our eyes open but too happy to be with each other to let them close all the way.
“Barely,” he corrected.
“Besides, I had to stay up. It’s your birthday.”
I’d meant to lift his spirits, but the long pause after I finished made it evident that my efforts were for naught. He almost seemed even more upset than when he’d answered, and I tried to convince myself that it had nothing to do with me. It wasn’t that hard, considering he was probably staring at images or words of dead people.
“Yeah, sure feels like it.”
His tone alone ensured me it was worse than my imagination.
“Put your work down and pay attention to me instead,” I suggested as softly as I could with the neediness bleeding through, “That’s the first part of your present.”
“You’re my present?” he asked through a gruff laugh that made my heart skip a beat, “I like that present.”
He was trying. I could feel it in his voice, and I wished more than anything that I could teleport to where he was and hold him until it was too difficult for his mouth to form a frown.
“You already have me. That’d be like regifting,” I pointed out with only a pinch of self-deprecation. It was still too much for Spencer, though, who swiftly shot back the ever cheesy, “Every day with you is a gift.”
“Gross, don’t get all sentimental with me,” I ordered playfully.
He returned the energy with all the sass I always knew he was capable of. Once his whining ceased, he mumbled, “Do you come with a gift receipt?”
“No returns or exchanges allowed, I’m afraid.”
Spencer just let out a strained sigh, and in my head, I imagined how it would feel to climb onto his lap as he leaned back in his chair. I could almost feel his arms wrapping around my waist and his lips peppering kisses wherever he could reach. I could feel his love for me flowing across the country, persisting past the cell tower obstacles to make its way back to me.
“I can’t wait to see you again,” he whispered, his first purely sincere statement of the night.
It was an unfortunate choice, too, because it also reminded me of the biggest bummer that I unfortunately had to share.
“Oh, I meant to tell you, it’s midterm season, so…”
He was, thankfully, not as bummed as I was expecting. He was almost certainly thrilled to have a chance to sleep spread out on his bed without having to satisfy the very needy girl beside him, but he still managed to come up with enough bratty energy to scoff, “Are you telling me that I don’t get my gift when I get home?”
“It’ll just be a few days. Promise,” I spoke through the biggest, cheesiest smile I’d had yet. “You’re very distracting, Dr. Reid.”
“When are your exams?” His enthusiasm gave away just how disappointed he was with the news, but any frustration was clearly aimed at my poor professors.
“My last one is on Wednesday.”
The gasp that left him was too funny not to laugh, followed by exasperated, blubbered nonsense that didn’t ever get much clearer. I barely managed to understand him when he cried, “Don’t they know Halloween should be a national holiday?!”
“You should call my professors and yell at them.”
He actually considered it for a moment, but then returned the same silly intonation, “Maybe I will.”
“Do it. You’re probably more qualified than them to teach me, anyway.”
After a short silence that was filled with more sexual tension than I’d expected considering how the phone call started, I heard Spencer gruffly comment, “You’re a cocky little brat tonight.”
It was so familiar to me that I jumped on the opportunity, giggling through my sleep deprived delirium, “I’m in rare form for your birthday.”
The explanation earned me a chuckle, but not much else. At least, not that I could see. The static on the other end of the phone sounded a lot like the way it looked when Spencer leaned his face against his palm and tried to see something that wasn’t there.
But I was there. Sort of. We’d done a lot more with a lot less, after all. So, that’s what I offered him.
“You know… we could have a redo of the last time I called you late at night on a case.”
“That did not end well for me last time,” he droned. I tried not to laugh at the manufactured memory of Spencer holed up in a hotel bathroom because he just had to have me in whatever way he could.
“Only happy endings for your birthday. I promise.”
But then, as it always did, work got in the way. Filled with only the greatest sadness and regret, Spencer quietly but honestly replied, “As much as I would love to, I don’t think it’ll be possible on this case.”
“Is it that bad?”
“Unfortunately.”
I bit my lip because there was nothing I could do. I couldn’t help Spencer with his work any more than I could fix the distance. All I could offer him was a safe home to return to. He would always find that with me.
“Well, in that case, I will be equipped with cartoons and kisses upon your return,” I offered with grace.
But I wasn’t the only one in rare form. Without skipping a beat, Spencer corrected with a smug sadness, “You mean your return. Considering you’re abandoning me on my birthday.”
“Oh my god, the drama!” I cried before remembering that it was, still, in fact, 3AM. The light grimace I gave after remembering would be the only apology my neighbors would get from me. I was too busy building a narrative happy enough to drown out the horrors in front of him. “You’d think I was the one who was away all the time.”
“I’m allowed to be selfish; it’s my birthday,” he sang, and I soaked in the sound, storing it away for any rainy days.
“Fine. What do you want, brat?” I asked in the worst attempt at an impression I’d ever given.
He was just waiting for the question. Drawing out the first couple of syllables, he laughed through the stupidest birthday wish of all time.
“I want… you to go to bed.”
“Ugh!” I yelled again, not even bothering to feel bad about it that time. My exasperation fell on deaf ears, both from a willful desire to ignore my suffering and a literal ringing from the constant yelling.
Still, that impossible man drummed up enough compassion to gloat with a simple, “I love you.”
“I love you, too, jerk,” I grumbled, only to be swiftly corrected with a playful, “Try that again.”
“I love you, too, old man.”
He was satisfied enough with that answer, despite the sarcasm dripping from it. He still knew that the words were true, and that was all that mattered. Any punishments that might be necessary for my broken promise to behave for his birthday could always be doled out later. When the distance between us was narrowed to inches and clothes could be removed like cheap wrapping paper.
“Thank you, little girl. Sweet dreams,” he whispered, reminding me once more of just how empty my bed felt without him. I stared at his pillow for just one second before I threw myself into it. He chuckled at the sound of rustling sheets over the receiver but said nothing else.
“You get some sleep tonight, too, okay?” I asked, uncharacteristically and openly vulnerable in a way that used to scare me.
Spencer’s voice was filled with pride and love as he answered, “You can’t see it, but I am giving you a pinky promise.”
“Good.” Burying my face in his pillow again made it easier to remember that it wouldn’t be forever when I said, “Bye, Spencer.”
“Goodnight, little girl.”
—————————————————
Autumn on campus felt pretty similar to the rest of the year. I wished that it were different, a little more exciting, to reflect how I felt about the impending holiday. But no, it was just students stumbling into their usual classes and hectically scheduled midterms with hangovers and a total lack of holiday cheer.
It was, in a few words, a complete bummer. The only thing that kept me going through the last of my exams was the knowledge that I’d be seeing Spencer. Unfortunately, he was still doing that rather annoying thing where he refused to answer my text messages. It wasn’t until he ignored even my most ridiculous threats that I realized something was going on.
The ‘Read’ notification sat menacingly on my screen, and I was so fixated on it that I almost didn’t notice the familiar mop of brown curls visible in the front row of the auditorium. But once I saw it, the phone was forgotten faster than ever before. I ran down the steps at a ridiculously dangerous pace, dodging the others still grumbling from their previous exams.
I landed in front of him with only enough breath left to sneer, “You’re in my seat.”
“Surprise,” he said with my favorite smug, self-assured smile.
“Adorable. Now move,” I ordered with a wave of my hand. As much as I loved the guy, I wasn’t about to change my seating arrangement for him. It was beginning to make sense, though, why my friend told me that she wouldn’t be sitting with me today.
“Fine,” he sighed, taking his sweet time moving seats and watching me happily bounce on my feet in the meantime. I snuck behind him into the seat before he’d even fully stood up. That little amount of friction between our bodies seemed to be enough to cause the tension to mount. It’d only been seconds, but I was already seriously considering abandoning the class. To hell with the professor who’d already seen me.
But Spencer’s eyes locked on mine, and he leaned onto the armrest with that same silly smirk.
“It’s a workday, Dr. Reid,” I whispered, forcing my arm next to his and watching the way his pupils grew as I came closer.
“I might have pulled a few strings,” he replied just as quietly, keeping the illusion of secrecy despite many prying eyes around us, “Might’ve told Hotch I was invited.”
“But you weren’t,” I snorted.
Spencer’s head hung in just a little bit of shame, but his wide smile never waned. It was still there, bright and pure in its simplicity as he softly admitted, “Yeah. I lied. But I’m here now.”
There were no complaints about that fact, either. His pinky reached out to mine, twining together in the dim light of the auditorium. Somehow, for a brief second, I forgot about everything else. The noisy chatter meant nothing to me, the two of us lost in some alternate pocket universe that felt safe and warm from the cold air outside.
But time resumed, and I watched as Spencer took his eyes off of me first, turning instead to the lecturer watching us with a knowing glint in his eyes.
“Good morning everyone! We have a special guest with us today.”
I wanted to pay attention to his little introduction, but I couldn’t. Every word that was said about him sounded so clinical. It felt so empty compared to the truth I knew about him. He was so much more than a collection of publications and PhDs.
He was… indescribable. Even as his mouth formed a flat line and his awkward handshake was granted to the crowds of disinterested students, all I saw was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Even if it was only from the shadows of his greatness. Then again, I don’t think he’d ever let me feel that way.
Speaking of…
"Dr. Reid, the only thing I ask is for you to give these wonderful students a chance to show you what they know,” my professor started with a laugh before he so kindly continued, “So go easy on them."
In any other situation, I might have let it slide. I would have accepted the fact that Spencer was far beyond my intellect and not stand up for myself. But this time, Spencer was on my turf.
"All due respect to Dr. Reid, I don't think he needs to go easy on us,” I called from the front row, only audible to the other dutiful students that cared enough to sit up front. I heard Spencer laugh beside me, shaking his head just a little bit at the challenge. He didn’t say anything though, and I returned my eyes to the professor who was already familiar with my antics as I boasted, "At least not on me."
While Spencer caught on to the fairly obvious double entendre, shifting his crossed legs closer, the professor just wrote it off as my usual academic pride.
“I did try to warn you that that one might get competitive,” he commented. At this point, everyone had definitely figured out my relation to the man next to me. It was kind of hard to hide a bullet wound from your school. But again, I was so caught up in the man beside me that I didn’t even feel a little shame at their playful teasing.
Spencer’s commentary was the only thing that mattered, and he gave it with a dreamy sigh. "I'm not offended at all. I'm sure she's very clever."
The little bit of light left in the room started to fade, and once I was shrouded by the shadows, I felt confident enough in my plan to dig through the bag at my feet to pull out probably the nerdiest item in it.
A fucking back-up clicker. Which, I promptly handed to the man beside me.
“You’re in seat B4,” I whispered gruffly, earning yet another snarky chuckle from my boyfriend.
“Is that a challenge?”
I didn’t answer. Not him, anyway. What I did answer was the question that had appeared on the screen.
“Ms. (Y/n)?” My professor called, recognizing my seat number without even looking up.
Luckily for me, today was nothing but a review day of the midterm I’d already taken. While I knew all of the questions and, what I’d hoped were the right answers, Spencer had to read the questions from scratch. Really, it didn’t give me an edge. It just put us on equal playing ground.
As I gave my answer, I watched in my peripherals as Spencer’s eyes narrowed and tongue peeked out from lips that I still hadn’t gotten the chance to kiss today.
It was a bad thing to think about, because my brief reverie of the things that mouth was capable of reminded me of another one. I didn’t even notice another question had appeared on the screen, and when I heard the familiar buzz of an attempted answer, I shared my Professor’s temporary confusion.
“Ah, Dr. Reid,” he laughed, probably already regretting welcoming the bastard here, “Please explain the answer.”
But there was another thing working in my favor: My boyfriend’s giant fucking ego. Really, it should be impossible that someone who was normally super insecure could enjoy showing off as much as he did. My professor didn’t mind, because Spencer’s long-winded answer was a wonderful review of… basically the entire course, and I didn’t mind because it granted me the one thing I needed.
Time. Time to slowly remove my jacket and reveal the sweater underneath. Spencer’s eyes caught the motion, glancing over only a couple of times while he managed to give his answer. It wasn’t until I started to remove the sweater that he cut his answer short.
His throat clearing told me he wanted my attention, but I was still just too distracted for him. I fanned my chest that felt warm for reasons other than the temperature of the room, guaranteeing his eyes would stay there long enough for me to catch the next question before he had a chance.
Or so I thought. Because before the question appeared, I made the positively stupid mistake of meeting his gaze. As soon as I did, my mind was stuck there, drowning in molasses and honey and—
“Dr. Reid, please feel free to continue to do my job for me. Lord knows I would love a break,” the professor joked, and I almost felt guilty for just how genuine he sounded. Not like Spencer would have noticed passive aggression if it existed.
Not like either of us would have cared. Per usual, we were so lost in the space of B4 and B5 that we didn’t care about the rest of the alphabet. All we cared about was winning. It was growing more and more obvious to me, though, that I would have to become a little more ruthless if I wanted to bring down the bona fide genius.
The sound of his voice rang through the auditorium loud, clear, and confident. He didn’t need to worry if he was right or not, because he knew he was. The smugness was grating to my ears. I knew I couldn’t trick him into making a mistake, but there was one thing I could do.
I’d learned one thing very well in my time with Spencer, and that was how to manipulate that pretty little voice of his.
For example, if I wanted to hear it catch in his throat and come out a few pitches higher, all I would have to do is touch him. The riskier the touch, the higher his voice would go. Which was why I spread out the jacket over my lap, making sure that our legs were close enough that it covered him, too. Then I waited, calmly and kindly listening to him drone along until there was a natural enough inflection to hide evidence of any nefarious actions. Just as his voice started to rise, I slid my hand over his knee.
Spencer barely stuttered, just enough for me to know he was affected, but not enough for anyone else to notice. He took the loss with grace, quickly ending his answer with a summary that contained only half as many words as he would have normally provided.
He kept a few for me.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he hissed, shifting close enough to me that I could feel his breath on my ear.
“All’s fair in love and war,” I hummed. His breath caught again when I began stroking my thumb over his leg that had just started to bounce.
“This is wildly inappropriate.”
“How perceptive,” I returned with my own little smirk. The interaction caught us both, trapping us in the alternate dimension that existed when we held each other. His hand found its way to mine, and his thumb brushed over the back and sent goosebumps shooting over my skin.
I’d practically abandoned our pursuits altogether when I heard my friend’s voice as she took the question that we’d both missed. I should’ve been upset for losing after all that I’d gone through for my strategy to succeed, but it was hard to feel anything other than butterflies when Spencer was still looking at me like that.
Even when I looked away, he stayed, patiently waiting for me to take the final question in the review. I granted him a chance to take it, but he just shook his head, implicitly asking me to take the win for the both of us. Even when we were competing, we were always on the same team.
There were no more distractions as I explained the answer as simply as I could. I was positive the rest of the class was tired of hearing our voices, but Spencer never stopped smiling. I could feel the pride rolling off of him, his hand growing tighter around mine as he took in a deep breath.
“Very good, (y/n),” my professor announced, signaling the end and initiating a large sigh of relief from everyone else.
Spencer sighed too, although his was with a different kind of relief; a dreamy, soft sound as he muttered under his breath, “Just like I said. Very clever.”
The air felt positively electric, and I never hated my class more than I did in that moment. The rest of the period ticked by so slowly that I almost swore the clocks were broken. Once we were allowed to leave, Spencer insisted on sticking around to thank the professor for his hospitality.
I knew it was necessary, but that didn’t mean I had to like it. I tried to be as patient as possible, even though it seemed pointless. Spencer’s little grin told me he knew very well what he was doing. The conversation had dragged on for practically five minutes of agony while I idled by the door.
But then my professor passed, and I felt the adrenaline course through my veins in seconds. As anticipated, we didn’t even make it out of the building before the tension broke. We’d barely even made it down the goddamn hallway before I shoved his scrawny ass into the first empty classroom I found. Once the door clicked shut behind us, the roles were quickly reversed.
I hadn’t seen him that excited in so long that I’d almost forgotten how easy it was to get swept up in his undertow. I couldn’t keep track of his hands or his mouth as they marked any bare skin they could find. But no matter how frantic and uncoordinated the movements were, they never ceased to send chills down my spine.
“This is wildly inappropriate, Dr. Reid,” I managed to slur between sloppy, heated kisses. It was barely comprehensible through the pent-up lust that had driven us there in the first place, but it still felt worth saying.
Spencer, however, made his feelings very clear with a gruff, forceful, “I don’t care.”
His hands were already roaming over my hips, pulling me so close to the edge that I nearly fell off the counter entirely. While I was laughing at his haste, he was busy leaving angry marks on my collarbone, pulling the top of my shirt down to grant him more access. And despite how badly my body burned with desire and need, I drummed up just enough self-preservation to force out a few, regrettable words.
“Take me home.”
Even though I tried to make it sound more seductive than a normal request to stop, it brought the momentum to a halt. Spencer immediately stopped his kisses, but let his hands continue to stroke loving patterns over the sides of my thighs.
“Don’t you have other classes?” he asked. The feeling of his breath against my ears making me second-guess my already voiced decision. But as enticing as the idea was of having him now, having already waited over a week, I knew we could have so much more fun with a little bit of privacy.
“Don’t you have work?” I teased, hoping that it would spur him to take the action we both knew was safer. At the same time, I couldn’t stop myself from wanting to poke fun at the academic in him.
“Unless this is your way of telling me you've always wanted to fuck a girl in a lab because, I must admit I'd be more than happy to oblige."
Spencer’s whole body tensed as he imagined just what it would feel like to take me in such a public place. After a couple seconds that I can only imagine were filled with fantasies and a reasonable fear, he pulled me from my seat on the counter and placed me back on the ground.
“Let’s go,” he said, pulling me by my wrist towards the door.
I only barely managed to stop him with both hands on his arm. He turned back to look at me like I’d done some horrible thing, but I was too busy trying to stop the laughter that was spilling from my chest.
“You’re uh—” I cleared my throat, pointing to the very noticeable tent in his slacks before I keened through the giggles, “You’re gonna have to do something about that.”
With a quick glance down, Spencer remembered the very unfortunately obvious trait of the male anatomy. “Fuck,” he stated plainly.
I couldn’t resist.
“I mean, I’m down,” I joked one final time.
“Shut up!” Spencer laughed, too, trying and failing to adjust himself in his pants while I just enjoyed the show.
After all, we both knew that once we were alone, he would get a reprieve from my ridicule. He would get whatever he wanted.
—————————————————
The chaotic clashing of hands and mouths continued seconds after we’d reached our destination. The empty apartment had all of the sounds of our desperation echoing back to us, and after soaking in the melodious noise for a few seconds, I snapped back to reality.
“Okay, she doesn’t get home for another 30 minutes at the earliest so, we’d better hurry,” I urged, trying to shove Spencer off of me to convince him to move. It barely worked, with his arms clutching tighter the harder I struggled to get away.
Wrapped together just like that, the two of us barely made it a few feet before we almost tumbled to the ground. That was just enough of a reminder of our lack of coordination for Spencer to finally, begrudgingly, release me. Kind of. His hand still held tight to mine, and our laughter still combined the whole way to our bed.
From there, Spencer felt confident in our privacy to answer, “That’s fine. I usually tear open my gifts pretty quickly.”
It was a very good metaphor for the way his hands worked over my clothes. I didn’t even try to pinpoint the moment where being naked no longer made me feel nervous. I let the scar tissue show because neither of us were going to look at it, anyway. We were too caught up in the slight shifts and nuances of our faces as we rushed towards our one mutual goal.
“I missed you,” I mumbled, the words feeling as natural as breathing itself.
“I missed you, too,” he returned, and I felt the raw emotion, the sincerity and desire in every syllable. But once it was over and he had finally managed to remove everything but my underwear, all that was left was an all-encompassing, mind-altering level of lust.
“God, watching you in class was so fucking frustrating,” he strained, his upper lip curling with disdain as he watched my body squirm against the sheets.
“Why’s that?”
“I wanted you so badly.”
There was no denying that it was the honest truth, and I didn’t even want to try. I wanted to gloat and bask in the confirmation that his presence was dangerous for my academic career. Not to mention my sanity.
“Like I said. You’re very distracting.”
Then, to prove my point, that brilliant bastard shoved his hand under the band of my underwear. He only held me softly for one second before he slid his fingers through the slickness and thrust them roughly into me. It hadn’t been that long, but the emptiness I felt before was even more apparent now that I had any part of him inside of me again.
“Am I?” he chimed with a smile.
I wanted to be bratty, to fight the tension that was building and appear unfazed by his ministrations, but there was simply no pretending. Not when my body was already on the verge of spasming around his fingers that seemed to stroke the perfect place within me with every movement.
“Jesus Christ,” I sighed. I should’ve known better than to give him ammunition.
“You’ve resorted to blasphemy already?”
Spencer partnered the tease with a ruthless thrust, burying his fingers to the knuckle inside of me and holding them there. He waited until I ran out of breath and struggled to take another while also trying not to scream in a mixture of frustration and devastating need for more.
“I thought I told you we had to hurry?”
“We’ve got time,” he shot back without pause, “You’re just being a needy little brat.”
“Yes, I am,” I whined just as quickly, “I’m a fucking brat and I need you.”
He almost seemed disappointed in my compliance. His fingers began moving again, eliciting noises that were louder, higher, and sweeter after the anticipation. He tried to draw the attitude out of me by stopping again, waiting for a quip that didn’t come.
“Awww, no fight?” he cooed.
“I can’t. It’s your birthday,” I grumbled before biting my tongue. The pressure was becoming so unbearable I thought I might honestly draw blood. But after another few seconds of torture that felt like a lifetime, Spencer withdrew his hand completely.
He was testing the limits, watching how far I would let him go before begging. But even when he took the same soaked fingers and began rubbing me from the outside of my underwear, I only opened my mouth to steal quick, soft breaths and give pitiful whines.
“Oh, I like this…” he laughed, apparently having gotten past his concern about my sudden compliance, “I could get used to you behaving.”
The song-like cadence got to me, threatening to spark and ignite everything I was holding back. I almost bit back. I almost let the desire scorch my throat with a few choice words for the very rude genius, but I didn’t. The only thing that stopped me was the feel of cotton sliding down my thighs as he removed the final barrier between us.
“You’d miss my misbehaving,” I said with a chuckle. The sound mixed with another, a deep moan that filled my chest when I felt him press himself against my entrance. My back arched, causing him to slip inside of me just enough for us to both lose our words.
“I don’t know…”
If I’d wanted to say anything, my mouth wouldn’t have let me. It was too busy singing his praise while simultaneously begging him to silence it. My lips floundered for a kiss that he hung just far enough away from me to deny. Satisfaction was painted over every feature as he started to enter me, brushing his lips against my mouth every few seconds just to pull away before I was granted the intimacy I sought.
“You do look rather cute when you’re begging.”
It was strange, the way my body started to predict his movements. I met him in the middle of every motion, and I swore even our breath became synchronized in its rapid firing. It wasn’t until his hand rested over my throat we broke the rhythm. I wasn’t going to complain, letting the energy flow down my spine that arched towards him on instinct. His hips never stopped, and I could tell by the way his breath hitched and his fingers grew tighter around my neck that the new angle was as wonderful for him as it was for me.
“You look so sweet when you let go of every ounce of self-preservation and dignity you have and put your life in my hands,” he whispered with an affection that almost seemed odd considering the context. But then there was something else in his moans, a genuine gentleness that made my already arrhythmic heart beat faster.
“You know I’ll take care of you, don’t you?” he asked as his movements stayed calm and careful. Loving and safe.
I didn’t even notice my eyes had closed, but it ultimately didn’t matter. Because when I opened them, I saw the same man that existed in every image behind my eyelids. The only indication he got that I was still capable of communication was the gentle curve of my lips that dropped open in a pleased sigh as his hips continued a slow, tender pace.
It still felt like too much, but not in a bad way. It was too much in the sense that I was reminded once again just how ruined he’d made me. And the smug little shit knew it, too.
“You don’t have a single thought in that pretty little head, do you?” he cooed, dragging his hand up the column of my throat to force his fingers against my tongue. True to my word, I didn’t try to fight back. I soaked the digits that still tasted like me with my jaw left open. His pupils dilated as he watched the spit pool in my mouth that awaited his instruction.
“You just want to be used. Like the perfect little doll you are.”
Unlike my own, his smile was more of a smirk. A crooked, ever so slightly wicked quirk that made my muscles tense around him in their own version of an affirmative answer. He took it, happily. His body crashed into mine, but it merely felt like an extension of myself returning home like the waves meeting the shore. I could feel him claiming his rightful place at the deepest parts of me, making his home with every powerful motion of his hips.
I could hardly breathe, let alone think. I didn’t want to. It felt unnecessary.
“My sweet little girl,” he muttered with an unbelievably chaste kiss in the center of my forehead, “You’d do anything to make your daddy happy.”
I felt detached from myself in a way that didn’t feel me with fear or pain. I could feel myself through his hands, strong and working the pliable flesh of my thighs as he held them up so that he could drive into me harder.
His eyes, also only half open, burned with intensity. I could feel the determination, the undying desire to grant me a serenity that no one else could. His need for me to feel safe and loved with the seemingly contradictory brutality.
But it wasn’t contradictory. The power behind every movement, the insistence on being as close to me as he possibly could, might have caused some physical pain, but it was nothing compared to the pleasure of sharing this space with him. Of sharing my body with him just to see what he would do with it. I already knew, but I wanted to feel it again and again. Because with each stroke of his hand and thrust of his hips, I felt it.
Spencer had free rein to do whatever he wanted, and he chose to love me.
“I’m so close. You know what I want,” he pleaded despite holding all of the power. He handed it to me with a low groan, trying to kiss my lips while he commanded, “Do it. Come for me.”
My body obeyed his command, falling to pieces around him with shockwaves breaking over every inch of me. My vision went white, crafting a halo of light around him as he also found himself reaching a peak that seemed different than the times we’d shared before.
I tried to figure out what had changed, what about this time made it unique. But as the euphoria faded, all I saw staring back at me was the same face as always, radiating a joy and understanding that warmed damp, chilly skin. Spencer’s release provided a similar warmth within me, and my body clung to him even tighter despite the exhaustion.
My breathing took its time to even out, but I was in no rush to leave him. I would have stayed like that forever, with Spencer covering me like the silliest, boniest blanket. If it wasn’t for the dead weight he eventually dropped on me, we probably would’ve spent the whole day lost in the covers. But he could thank the scars for me being a little less forgiving.
Of course, thankful is not the word to describe him at all. Whiny was more like it. Even as I turned our bodies together so that I would still be sitting on his lap, he did nothing but groan and bitch about it. That is, until I silenced him with a kiss that barely brushed over his lips.
That was enough to turn his frown back to the dopey smile I loved so much.
“Happy birthday, old man,” I purred, enjoying the way his hands grabbed me tighter at the loving nickname. But age wasn’t what was on his mind. I could see it in the way his eyes tore past my defenses and he held me closer like we could actually become one if he tried hard enough.
“I’m so in love with you, it’s infuriating,” he whispered.
“I’ve heard that one before.”
Spencer wasn’t in a joking mood, though. All of his humor seemed to be expended earlier in the day, and now he was just left with all the mushy, romantic innards that I normally kept at bay.
It wasn’t that bad, though, I thought as his hands framed my face so our foreheads would touch. There were worse things to be trapped with.
“It’s true,” he mumbled with his voice still high and slurred together, “I look at you and there is just… nothing that can be said that would ever explain the way it feels.”
“Gross,” I joked.
“Get used to it,” he returned. And if that wasn’t enough to make me laugh, he stuck his tongue out in the most childish display I’d seen from him since he’d fucking licked my hand on our picnic. It was also just charming enough that I was willing to let the sappy stuff slide.
“I’ll be nice to you this time,” I grumbled. “But also, speaking of time, you’d better hurry up if you don’t want to do the walk of shame with an audience.”
Spencer’s arms fell limp with a dramatic cry before he used them to cover his face once more.
“Ugh. Go,” he ordered. Despite his words, he still made me fight against greedy hands to wrestle my way out of bed. It would have been smarter to let me go quickly. I really don’t know what he was thinking, but he would learn his mistake soon enough. Because as I was finishing up in the bathroom, I heard a very amused voice chiming down the hall on the other side of the door.
“Good afternoon, Spencer.”
I debated not opening the door and freeing Spencer from the unbelievably uncomfortable position he’d just found himself in, but ultimately decided it was too cruel. Still, the stalling had taken up enough time that the poor guy felt compelled to reply.
And, of course, the only thing he could think to say was a pathetic, high pitched, “Hi.”
Somehow managing to contain the absolutely riotous laughter I felt in my gut, I opened the door with the straightest face I could muster.
It wasn’t enough. Spencer saw the pleasure I took in his humiliation and practically shoved me out of the bathroom to take my place behind the doors. While I found the action endearing in the most awkward way, my roommate was mostly just confused about how the fuck I’d managed to find someone as stupid as me.
“I didn’t know he was coming,” she said once she managed to smile at the silly situation.
Clearing my throat, I tried to sound sincere in my bullshit apology. “Me either, sorry.”
In a way, I think the fact I couldn’t pull myself together worked in my favor. Normally, she would have scolded me (albeit playfully) for not alerting her of what she might be walking in on, but this time, she just tried to withhold the smile that still stretched over her cheeks despite her best efforts.
“You’re fine,” she sighed, giving in to the desire to go against her usual grumpy demeanor before retreating to her own room. “Have fun, you hooligans.”
Once her door clicked shut, I heard shuffling on the other side of the door next to me. Spencer’s shadow was visible from the light peeking out underneath, and I waited a few more restless seconds before I announced, “You can come out now, Spencer.”
Cautiously, the door creaked open just enough for his head to poke out and confirm that I wasn’t trying to trick him.
“I’ve never been a hooligan before,” he said with a bounce in his step and his eyebrows halfway up his face. To think that he was the same man who threatened to arrest me for existing at a nightclub was, in a word, hilarious.
“Well, good news for you,” I purred, and the sound must have reminded him of my more devilish nature, because his jubilance quickly shifted back to an obvious anxiety. I wrapped my arms around him even when it meant that his muscles tensed, dragging him down so I could whisper in his ear, “I was just about to ask if you wanted to help me play hooky.”
“And do what?”
It felt strange to say that I hadn’t really thought about it. That the second I’d seen him I knew that the day would be good and free and fun. That everything felt so perfectly fine that I didn’t even want to challenge it with a schedule.
Spencer looked at me, his answer apparent in the way he started to relax the longer we stayed wrapped up in a shitty apartment hallway. It didn’t matter what I said. Spencer would have followed me, just like I would have done for him.
And without the angst or uncertainty of what could go wrong, there was only one thing left for us to do. With a shrug and pout, I proposed the riskiest plan we’d had yet.
“Whatever we want.”
—————————————————
| Finale |
#spencer reid#spencer reid fanfic#spencer reid fanfiction#spencer reid smut#spencer reid imagine#here to misbehave#h2m#spencer reid x reader#spencer reid x y/n#spencer reid x you#spencer reid series#reid series#spencer reid request#criminal minds self insert#criminal minds smut#dr spencer reid#reid request
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I Wish You Would | CHARLIE GILLESPIE
Requested by anon: “hello🌼 could u please write a charlie x reader imagine when he posts a picture on his instagram story with a girl to makes his crush jealous, but she end up distancing herself from him bc she's hurt and respect what she thinks is his relationship” PAIRING(s): Charlie Gillespie x fem!reader WORDS: 2,445 WARNING(s): angst w a happy ending, some language SUMMARY: “I wish you knew that I'd never forget you as long as I'd live."
A/N: hi, everyone!! really, really sorry that this took so long. haven’t had the best march tbh, and writer’s block is a bitch. && this isn’t very good, either, but i had to get something done. love u <3
TEN HOURS EARLIER
“And… post!” Charlie taps his phone, grinning brightly.
Owen cheers from behind him, his voice meshing into the humdrum of the bar they’re currently at. “I’m so proud of you!”
His friend laughs, spinning around in the bar stool to face him. “She’ll finally understand what it feels like!”
Owen nods frantically, taking another sip of the drink in his hand.
Charlie copies his movement – a part of him knows that he is absolutely hammered, but the bigger part of him doesn’t care. He’s had a long day, and he deserves this.
Besides, how else would he and his best friend have thought of this wonderful plan if they didn’t have a billion drinks in their system?
PRESENT
A knock on the door pulls Y/N from her thoughts. “Come in!” She yells, but her voice comes out feeble and hoarse, probably from all the crying she’s been doing for the past hour.
As the door swings open, her best friend, Savannah, pokes her head in. “Hey, babe. You all right?”
Y/N sniffs. “M’fine.”
Savannah enters the room, closing the door softly behind her. She walks to the window, opening the curtains, and Y/N groans when light floods into the previously dark room.
She sits on the bed beside Y/N, and Y/N rests her head on her shoulder as she pulls the covers up to cover their bodies.
“I’m sure that they’re not dating.” Savannah says, wrapping an arm around her best friend.
Y/N chuckles sadly. “You don’t have to lie to make me feel better, Sav. I mean, in the photo, he was kissing her cheek. Literally. And he put a heart between them.”
Savannah sighs. “That’s so not Charlie, you know… kissing random girls in bars and posting pictures with them.”
“Yeah, that’s so not Charlie, because she’s not a random girl. Her name’s Francesca and she went to high school with him, so, technically, she’s known him longer, and probably better than me.”
“I – I had no idea.”
“Yeah.”
“Y/N, babe, just tell him about how you feel. I’m sure that he likes you too.”
“If he liked me, then he wouldn’t be kissing Francesca!”
Y/N exhales, as Savannah gulps, not knowing what to respond. “Y/N, I – I swear, he’s crazy about you. I don’t know what happened between last Friday and today, but I swear – the Charlie that I know – has eyes for no one but you.”
Y/N rolls her eyes, feeling a pang in her heart at Savannah’s words. “Savannah, we kissed and then he ghosted me for a day and now he’s posting pictures of him kissing another girl! I think he has eyes for everyone!”
Savannah bites her lower lip, not knowing what to respond, again. Her best friend feels tears prick at the back of her eyes when she says, “Maybe I’m a bad kisser.”
Savannah’s eyes widen, and she sits up, straight. “No. No. Babe, no. Don’t say that, ever. You’re a great kisser, okay! You’re an amazing kisser. Your lips are fine as hell, believe me. He’s the one with crusty ass lips. They’re not even lips, they look like… like… peanuts.”
Y/N stares at her best friend for a moment, before saying, “Peanuts, Sav? Really?”
“It’s the first thing that came into my mind!” She says defensively, before the girls break into a fit of laughter.
“I’m never talking to him again, ever.” Y/N says after they’ve calmed down. “I’m never even gonna look in his direction. Fucking asshole.”
*
Charlie sighs, taking another sip of his coffee. It’s eight in the morning, and he’s normally a morning person – he loves the mornings, the peace, the quiet, and the feeling that comes along with it more than anything, but right now, he just feels… sad.
On regular days, he would be talking to his best friend, Y/N, about everything that’s on his mind. But today’s different.
Last Friday, Y/N kissed him, and long story sort, it was the best thing that’s ever happened to him. After work that day, they went to get some food at a drive through, like they usually do. All throughout the ride, they made plans to go hiking once the production for season two finishes. She drove the car to a lookout, and oh, god, it was so pretty. The midnight sky was littered with stars, and since they were at the edge of town, there was less pollution, and they could see bits of the galaxy, too.
But, for some reason, the girl next to him seemed more beautiful than anything he’s ever seen, and after they finished eating, he just sat and stared at her talk about the last book that she’d read, for a while. He knows that it was terrible that he wasn’t listening – but how could he pay attention to anything when she looked like that, especially with passion illuminating her face like times square on New Year’s Eve?
She had looked at him as if he’d just grown a third head. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Li – like what?” He’d asked, embarrassed to be blatantly caught.
“Like that…” She’d said and kissed him, and it felt like he was seeing colour for the first time. Although, the next day, everything turned to shit.
Now, it’s Monday, and she’s nowhere to be seen. He desperately wants to know if his and Owen’s plan actually worked (no reason that it wouldn’t), and he feels so impatient right now, and he misses her. Also, his massive hangover isn’t helping, either.
He hears his name being called, and sees Kenny smiling at him.
“Hey, so we’re gonna do a different scene today, since Y/N and Savannah are out, is that okay with you?”
His heart races. “What happened to them?”
“Y/N’s sick, and Savannah’s taking care of her.”
“Oh. Yeah, it’s okay with me.” He says, feeling his heart sink to the bottom of his stomach.
*
“This is the last time I’m asking you this…” Y/N sings, wiping her nose with the sleeve of her sweater.
“Put my name at the top of your list!” Savannah sings, using Y/N’s straightener as a mic.
“This is the last time I’m asking you why!” Madison joins.
“You break my heart in the blink of an eye, eye, eye!” Jadah sings, jumping on the bed.
As the second verse comes on, the girls sit on Y/N’s bed, huddled close to each other.
“You know, I’m feeling better now than I did when I woke up.” Y/N says, resting her chin on her knees.
“Taylor Swift can fix anything.” Madison says, leaning her head on Y/N’s shoulder.
She nods. “And y’all. Thanks for being here.”
Jadah grins, wrapping an arm around her. “We couldn’t let you have a pity party all alone!”
Savannah laughs. “I’m gonna kill him, I swear.”
“As relieving as that would be, don’t. I’ve decided what I should do.”
Madison quirks a brow. “You’re gonna kill him yourself?”
“Madi! No. I’m gonna distance myself.”
Savannah tilts her head. “I think that maybe you two should talk it out.”
“I don’t think so. I need space, time to figure it out. My head feels like a mess. And I respect him and Francesca, and I’m not gonna dip my toes between them.”
The other girls solemnly nod their head.
“You do realize that that’s not actually the saying?” Jadah says, after a while.
“Don’t embarrass me, kid.”
*
Charlie exhales, watching his breath crystallize to tiny ice particles in front of him. Even though, he’s a Canadian, he still feels cold. Although maybe it’s not due to the weather, but due to the coldness in Y/N’s eyes.
He watches her chat with Jeremy a few feet away, both of them discussing something that is out of bounds to him. He knows that it’s probably decisions regarding their characters, considering Y/N’s character is Jeremy’s character, Reggie’s love interest, but a part of him feels like it’s shit about him.
He has no reason to feel that way, of course. He hasn’t spoken to Y/N in four days, and this morning, when he saw her after for what feels to be eternity, he was blatantly ignored. He had only watched helplessly as Y/N exited the room the moment he entered and had sunk into his chair feeling like absolute shit, especially with everyone’s pitiful stares.
Charlie’s mind keeps replaying each moment, torturing over every tiny detail, wondering what he did wrong.
And that’s when it hits him: she really doesn’t want him anymore.
Last Saturday, he had hopelessly watched her with her long-term boyfriend of god-knows-how-long – he had come to surprise her on set, and it was Charlie that was more surprised. Because he thought that they were over, for good. And it wasn’t like they seemed like they weren’t dating. They were acting just like they used to when they were dating, and he was too close to her for his comfort. They still laughed the same, joked around the same, and were just as inseparable as they used to be.
A question kept rising in Charlie’s mind, like an icicle to his heart: why would she kiss him when she already had someone else? Why would she give him hope, and then take it all away? Why would she dangle his hurt in front of him?
So, he decided to give her a taste of her own medicine, and posted a picture with Francesca, his high school friend, who he had run into that night.
Owen sinks into the chair beside Charlie. “You okay?”
“I’m starting to believe that our plan didn’t work.”
*
“Hey, uh, Y/N?”
The girl in question hears Charlie’s voice, and turns around, avoiding looking into his eyes.
“Can we talk?” He says, and for a moment, her defences are down again. He looks so… tired, almost like he’s going through the same things that she is. Almost like there’s an explanation as to why he broke her heart, why he ruined something that had the potential to be extraordinary, why he made her feel so bad about herself.
And she almost believes it, too. Like the fool she is.
She presses her lips into a thin line, and says, “Nothing to talk about.”
As Charlie opens his mouth to protest, she smiles and walks away.
*
“Okay, Charlie, you two need to talk it out. This is too much. Both of you are obviously hurting, and there’s obviously some serious miscommunication here.”
Charlie shakes his head at Savannah’s words. “She hates me.”
“No. She could never hate you.” She says, thrusting her phone in Charlie’s face. His eyes squint to read the text on the screen – from Y/N.
Sorry – forgot to leave a note. Drove down to Dad’s, gonna stay here for a while. It’s too painful – honestly, you know what? I’m still very, very, very mad at him. But I’m also missing him very, very, very much. So, I need to flush it out. Flush him out. He might be a jerk, but he’s still one of the best people that I’ve ever met. Love you, okay? Will return when the time is right.
Charlie’s eyes widen, and he stares at Savannah’s face for a while. “There – there is still hope!”
She nods frantically. “You should call her –”
“I’m gonna drive down to her dad’s house, too!”
“That works, too.”
*
A frantic knock on the front door pulls Y/N from her thoughts. She stops typing on her keyboard, and flips the lid shut, keeping it on the dining table in front of her.
She runs to her dad’s door, knowing that it’s him, back from his shopping. She opens the door, saying, “Let me take those for – Charlie?!”
Y/N’s heart swells at his sight as he grins sheepishly.
“So, there’s been some misunderstandings… can I come in?” He asks, and Y/N pauses, considering.
He sighs, and adds, “Please?”
She stares at him.
He juts his bottom lip out. “Pretty please?”
“Fine, come in.”
He closes the door behind him, wordlessly following Y/N, who feels like she might hurl right now. They sit on the couch, and it’s really, really awkward for a few seconds.
Y/N sighs. “You said you –”
“Yes. Yes, yeah. OK, so – I, uh, I –”
She couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Why would you do that to me? Do I really mean that little to you?”
“I could say the same about you!”
“Really?”
“Yes! I saw you with Shahid that day, I know that you two are back together –”
“Shahid?!”
“Yes!”
She stares at him, baffled.
“So…so… Francesca….”
“I only posted the picture to make you jealous! She asked me if I wanted to go out with her and the rest of my high school friends, and of course I went, and she saw that I was being a little… unsocial. So, I told her about how the girl that I’m completely crazy about has a boyfriend! And a long term one at that, too! And then Owen came up with a brilliant plan, and I guess you know what it was. Now, I’m realizing that it might not have worked.”
She stares at him for a moment, before she bursts out laughing. Charlie throws her a confused look.
“You – you thought that Shahid – Shahid, my best friend since we were in nappies, Shahid who is married to this amazing man, and at whose wedding I was the maid of honour – you thought that I was dating him?”
“He’s gay?!”
“Bisexual. Oh my god, I have to tell him. This is hilarious.”
Charlie bites the corner of his lower lip, feeling his cheeks heat up. “This is really embarrassing. But you two act like you’re dating!”
“No, we don’t. You’re just being insecure and jealous. I’ve known him forever, and yes, I am the most comfortable around him. Because he’s my family. He’s my brother. Oh, god, I can’t believe that you were jealous of him – wait, have you thought that we were dating this whole time?”
“Kind of. I thought you guys broke up when he didn’t visit you on set during the first two months of production.”
“He was helping feed kids in Somali.”
“Oh. Oh. God, I feel so –”
“Dumb? That’s because you are.”
He grins sheepishly, his cheeks crimson.
Y/N smiles. “But I forgive you. And I wouldn’t mind if you took me on a proper date this time.”
“Deal. Also, promise that we’ll always talk it out before… you know… doing anything?”
She laughs, and nods. He wraps his pinkie finger around hers.
“Well, Owen’s plan did kind of work, though.”
#charlie gillespie#julie and the phantoms#jatp#charlie gillespie x reader#charlie gillespie x y/n#charlie gillespie x fem!reader#charlie gillespie imagines#charlie gillespie fanfic#charlie gillespie fanfiction#charlie jatp#jatp fanfic#jatp fanfiction#charlie gillespie + reader#charlie gillespie + y/n#luke patterson#luke patterson x reader#charlie gillespie oneshot#savannah lee may#jeremy shada#madison reyes#owen joyner#owen patrick joyner#jadah marie#carolynn rowland
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money sense — zhongli oneshot
pairing: zhongli x gn!reader tags: fluff, established crush on zhongli and everyone knows except him, a little bit of crack, ambiguous ending but it’s not sad summary: funds are running low so aether dumps zhongli at your door one day and asks you to teach the man how to haggle. wc: 1.3k
It was a little past three in the afternoon when Aether arrived at your door with Paimon, screeching incessantly. Startled by the sudden intrusion, you emerged from your workroom to see a familiar trio by your door.
Your heart skips a beat when your gaze lands on Zhongli, standing beside Aether while engaging Paimon in what could only be described as a one-sided argument. You take a few seconds to calm yourself down whilst also finding amusement in the trio’s predicament.
Before you could even raise a hand in greeting, you get interrupted by Paimon.
“We have no money left!” Paimon cried, clutching dramatically at her little head. “Y/N! Please teach this guy how to haggle, you’re the only one we know who’s the best at getting discounts!” Clinging onto you, the guide points an accusatory finger at Zhongli, with an angry pout on her face.
Aether nodded along furiously, crossing his arms as he sighed heavily while looking at Zhongli who seemed to not be the least bit bothered by their lack of Mora. Certainly, being an ex-god, the man had his quirks.
One that was simply unacceptable for a group of travellers.
Lack of money sense.
“Please Y/N, we’ve seen you haggle at the harbour and getting nearly half off,” Aether said earnestly, admiration shining in his eyes. It took you less than a second to remember what he was talking about. No doubt, he was referring to the time you spent almost an hour at Xigu Antiques, bargaining as if your life depended on it.
Unsure of whether you should be embarrassed or flattered you simply put both your hands up in surrender while ignoring the subtle rise of blush on your cheeks when you meet Zhongli’s strong gaze. The man nods his head at you in greeting and you hastily nod back, hoping that you didn’t look too eager when you did so.
“I’m flattered, but are you guys sure you’d want me to teach him how to haggle?” You ask, tearing your eyes away from Zhongli’s face as you spoke directly to Aether.
“Please.” Aether and Paimon say simultaneously, in all seriousness. It was almost comical, the way Aether and his guide were absolutely in sync for once.
“I agree, I believe haggling is part and parcel of Liyue Harbor’s culture and learning such a skill would certainly become a benefit.” Zhongli’s deep voice resonated easily in your small home.
You realised that your guests had been politely standing by the entrance, save for Paimon who was always quick to break a few rules. Heat rose to your face as you gestured for them to come in.
“P-please come right in! I’ll make some tea right now!” You stumbled across your words, embarrassed that you had forgotten your manners. As you were about to make your way to the kitchen and make tea, a warm gloved hand lands on your forearm, holding you in place.
“It’s fine, Y/N. It was our fault for intruding upon you.” Zhongli assured, his sweet half-smile causing your heart to race.
You nod meekly, not trusting yourself to speak without stuttering. You rubbed at your skin where Zhongli had touched, feeling the goosebumps that emerged.
“Then I guess we’ll leave him to you then, Y/N!” Paimon announced gleefully. The little guide floats towards your face and leans in to whisper in your ear.
“Good luck!” Paimon whispers, winking secretively.
Rather than luck, you wished you’d have a stronger heart.
“I believe these tomatoes are of the highest quality. Fresh and grown with care, these tomatoes are suitable for Y/N’s diet. Farming is a skill honed with years of experience as such I will buy all your tomatoes.”
You wanted nothing more than to knock yourself unconscious with the nearest pillar.
It had been an hour since you began your shopping trip with Zhongli for groceries. It was supposed to be a simple lesson, teaching him how to pick which store to buy from and how to obtain a discount from the store.
Yet, Zhongli and his infinite knowledge were attempting to burn a hole through your wallet.
“Stop!” You throw the vendor an apologetic smile and drag Zhongli away by the arm.
“Zhongli... We’re supposed to be buying only what we need, and obtaining a discount.” You explained once more, hoping he’d understand. “I understand you hold great respect for excellent farmers but this,” You gesture to your wallet, “Has only 500 Mora.”
You hear a snicker behind your back and immediately lower your head, shoving your wallet back into your pockets.
Zhongli was quiet for a moment as he stared at you intensely. You were beginning to wonder if you had something on your face.
“I see... It was my mistake. I’ve only been seeing things in the perspective of a seller’s ideal customer. Please continue to teach me how to haggle, I am certain I will do better this time around.” He said, “So, please continue the lesson... Y/N Sensei.” Chuckling to himself, you watch Zhongli head back to the store with your face bright red and your mind short-circuiting from the witnessing Zhongli’s laugh.
An inexplicable warmth bloomed in your chest as you jogged to catch up to Zhongli.
“Pardon me, but I’d like to buy 5 tomatoes,” Zhongli said, glancing over to you. You nodded and smiled back at him, encouraging him to continue.
“That’d be 600 Mora.”
Boring your gaze onto Zhongli’s side profile, you could only hope that he had learned from his previous mistake.
“My partner here only has 500 Mora, would it be alright if you’d lower the price for them please?”
You smack your face into your hands, sinking to the floor. The mention of yourself being Zhongli’s partner barely made it through your mind as the barely-contained giggles from the vendor filled your ears.
“I-I’m sure... I can make ah... ha... an exception t-today.” The vendor managed to get out.
“Y/N, he agreed to the discount,” Zhongli stated, satisfaction practically rolling off of him in waves.
Through the gaps of your fingers, you see Zhongli turn and pause. Possibly because you were crouched on the floor and he had no idea what he had just done.
“Do you not have 500 Mora? I thought you-”
Unable to take it any longer, you stand up quickly and hand the money over, receiving your bag of tomatoes in exchange.
“Thank you...” You mumbled to the vendor, red-faced, holding on tightly to your bag of tomatoes.
“My pleasure! I wish both of you happiness!” The vendor grinned.
Before you could protest, Zhongli had intercepted.
“Thank you for your kind words.” He replied, graciously accepting the handshake offered by the vendor. Shaking your head in disbelief, you chuckled to yourself as a form of comfort and took upon the chance to gaze upon Zhongli unabashedly while he was distracted.
As the hustle and bustle of Liyue Harbor reached its evening peak, the setting sun cast a warm glow against the city, illuminating everything within reach, golden.
Yet, your focus was only on him.
Everything about him ensnared your senses and forced you to only look at him.
His dark hair that faded to ombre at the tips shone a bright gold in wisps and his eyes that seemed to hold an abundance of intellect and mysteries only made you fall for him more.
You let out an appreciative sigh, unaware that Zhongli’s conversation with the vendor had long since ended.
“Y/N?”
You blinked a few times, snapping out of your trance.
“I think we’ll end today’s lesson here.” You hastily respond, giving Zhongli a warm smile. “You did well.”
“Naturally. I was taught by the best.” He replied smoothly. “Though, I think I much prefer to call you partner rather than Sensei... I guess imitating Childe wasn’t for me.” He muttered, resting his chin between his pointer finger and thumb.
You could only laugh as he fell into deep thought.
Surely, one day you’d have the confidence to let him know about your feelings.
“Then I’ll head home first, Zhongli.”
“Of course, goodbye Y/N.”
As you waved goodbye to him, you could only think about the next time you’d see him again.
end.
This is my first genshin impact fic and it’s for geo daddy who still refuses to come home. anyways, hope you guys enjoy this one-shot and feel free to raid my inbox lol i’m looking for mutuals on here :3c
#genshin impact#zhongli#zhongli x reader#zhongli scenarios#zhongli imagines#aether#paimon#genshin impact x reader#genshin impact imagines#genshin impact scenarios#genshin zhongli#zhongli-cafe-writes
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Falling for you
The second installment of my drabble series. Let me know what you think about it. A big thank you again to @fortheloveoffanfic for being my beta 💗 Happy reading everyone
Also here are the songs played at the pub:
Bean Pháidín , Tell me Ma-Gaelic Storm , Galway Girl - Fiddler's Green
Summary: A few weeks later finds the reader in all kinds of embarrassing situations - mostly tripping over stuff or falling over people - right in front of Lee
Warnings: none, besides fluff, clumsiness and a little tinge of jealousy
Words: 2231
Another day on the set of the second installment of the Hobbit series and already you felt like the clumsiest of all people on set. Either you’d slip, trip or let stuff fall to the ground. But it wasn’t random, it only happened whenever you were around Lee or in his close proximity.
James and Martin had made fun of the fact that it would only happen with the tall actor, but you waved them off and of course Benedict chimed into the scheme.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re falling for the King, luv.” he said one time while the four of you had been granted a break from filming. “You make a fool out of yourself because there’s that one person that makes your heart skip a beat.”
Angrily shuffling your food around the plate, you glared at the British actor. “Well thank you for the vote of confidence. If you hadn’t said it I wouldn’t have known I was such a joke on set.”
“What Ben means to say, dear,” James started, putting his hand on your arm. “is, that when you feel something for another person you get clumsy, do crazy things or fall all over yourself because you can’t concentrate around them. All three of us went through that when we met the women we knew would one day be our wives. It has nothing to do with you being bad at your work, the opposite, actually.”
Reluctantly you nodded your head, feeling like you just made a fool out of yourself again in front of those that were your friends. “I’m sorry, it’s just that I’ve never been like that before and I fear if this happens more Pete will get tired of me messing up. I don’t want to lose this job.”
“You won’t,” Martin said with so much conviction, you couldn’t help but give him a small, teary smile. “Peter isn’t like that. He values your work as part of the crew and how you bring up new ideas or possible changes. Now if you were to set the whole place on fire that would be another case.”
Ben and James laughed softly and you couldn’t help the giggle escaping your lips when you listened to him. You were very lucky to have friends like them or you’d probably would have resigned after the first incident. “Thank you, you have no idea how much I needed this.” you said sending them a grateful smile. "But now I got to head back to work. The king on his throne is waiting for me."
All three laughed before Martin called after you. "Be careful up there and if you fall, fall in his lap, that's a lot more comfortable than the ground." he joked when you had turned back to the three actors but waved him off with your own middle finger. You knew he had a knack for putting his fingers up for the camera when he shouldn't and you were sure there were some scenes he snuck his middle finger in, just like he always did.
A chorus of laughter followed as you righted your work bag and made your way back to the set with Thranduil's throne.
Orlando stood underneath it, grinning up at Lee dressed up as the Elvenking and waited his turn. "Looking good, dad." he called with a chuckle and you could see the tall actor grin.
"Thank you, son. I feel very good up here." he answered leaning back on the chair, trying to fix his robes and wig as best as he could while a few strands were hanging in the branches of his crown.
Peter saw you emerging from the mass and called you over. "Ah, Y/N, good that you're here. Lee's just had a bit of a stumble up the stairs but we'll be doing a few headshots of him and well, you see the mess."
"Sure, I'll get right on it." you told him, taking a deep breath and steeling yourself so you'd be as relaxed as possible while working on fixing the actor. When he saw you approaching, Lee stood up and made to walk down, but you halted him with a motion of your hand. "Stay, I'm coming up so there's no repeat of that."
He stayed standing, watching you make your way up the stairs. Thank God there were handrails just in case. "If you insist
I could have come down, didn't want you to fall to your doom, dear mortal."
"Charms get you everywhere, huh?" you asked him with a grin as you ascended to the Weta built throne, pointing to the seat so he would sit back down again, keeping his long legs tugged to chair so you could start your work on his hair.
"So far it worked out rather well, I think." He told you, smiling as you gently pulled a strand away from the branch of his crown.
You couldn't help the small smile forming on your face as you listened to his jokes while you freed the last of his hair and righted his crown. A final touch of powder over his nose and you were finished. "Now, you're all done and you're looking regal again." You packed up your bag and turned to descend the stairs when you lost your footing and if it hadn't been for Lee's swift reaction, you would have tumbled down.
Short puffs of breath were leaving your mouth when you held on tightly to his shoulders, his arms circling your waist as you had fallen into his lap with that move. "Hello there." he whispered, watching your shocked face, eyes blown wide with fear. "You okay?"
Biting your lip, you couldn't help but enjoy the feel of his hands on your hip, the warmth spreading through your clothes. "I-I'm sorry, I, the stairs…I guess…missed steps." you brokenly mumbled, apparently having forgotten how to talk when you looked into his blue eyes. The contact lenses only intensified his gaze.
"Yeah, they're dangerous." Lee agreed, his head leaning closer, the rest of the world around you forgotten.
Yet before he could close the gap, Peter interrupted you with a loud whistle. "If you two turtledoves are ready, we'd like to continue." he called out to you with a chuckle. Of course everyone had seen that and you already felt the heat of your blush rising all over your body.
Carefully, yet hastily you scrambled off of Lee's lap and made your way down the stairs and to the back of the set. You would have loved for the ground to swallow you up when Benedict had come over and grinned at you.
"So, I don’t think you will tell me what that up there was.” he said matter of fact, knowing you wouldn’t even be able to describe it.
“Nope,” you said, eyeing the actor and PJ going over the next scenes with a dummy. “I’d rather leave it like it is. This is just too embarrassing."
He put his arm around your shoulders pulling you close. Martin was just walking around the corner having seen the whole thing and he instantly knew you'd be shutting down, only doing your work and nothing more, keeping your distance from Lee. The Brit found the eyes of his friend and co-Sherlock-actor, nodding once, then twice. They were your friends and could see that the sparks between their fellow actor and you were there, now they only needed to kindle the fire.
"Oh, this is wonderful." you gushed, looking around the Irish pub everyone decided to visit at the eve of their day off. "It's been too long since I had so much fun besides being on set."
Already the ciders and beers and whisky were flowing and everyone was laughing and singing with the band that played that night. James had decided to take a row of tables next to the musicians so the cast and crew that wanted to go there would fit into the seats.
"You all deserve a time off after the amazing work you did." Peter said, raising his pint of Guinness for a toast. You all followed suit, calling out a shout of "Hear, hear."
Laughing and listening to all the stories everyone was telling about their time on set, you enjoyed the feeling of warmth that spread through you. Not because of the alcohol but because of your family away from home.
"Are you enjoying the music?" James asked after a short while, himself listening to the tunes and words from his home country.
Nodding your head, you clapped your hands to the rhythm and smiled as a few people started to dance to the songs you couldn't understand the lyrics to. “What is she singing about?” you asked him, leaning in so he could understand the words with the louder music.
"It’s a really old Irish song, dating back hundreds of years in Ireland. This is one of the funny old Irish songs that is sung by a woman, and she sings about another woman." the Irish actor tried to explain over the loud music. "Back in the day women would get together and sing this song about the woman in town that was married to the man that they all wanted to be married to. ‘It’s a pity that I’m not Phaidin’s wife,’ and this woman who’s married to him, they hate her, and as the verses go on, they talk about what they’d like to do to her, like they want to break her legs and get rid of her and do anything to be this man’s wife. It’s a fun song. Irish music is like that. When you translate the words, sometimes it’s like gruesome and dark, but they’re meant in a lighthearted way."
You were always blown away by the way such a story could be shown in a nice tune. "The music is so lively, you'd never guess it's such a sad and dark story behind it."
"That's just the way the Irish are." James grinned at you before another song was starting.
"For our next song we'd love for you guys to get up, dance some more and just have fun." the female singer announced and waved to all patrons in the pub. The violin, banjo and drum began to play the first chords before the singer joined in. "Tell me ma when I go home, the boys won't leave the girls alone."
Benedict and James smiled at you, holding their hand out and pulled you from your seat and onto the provided dance floor where others had already started twirling around. "Let's dance and have some fun." the Brit said, giving you a twirl.
You couldn't help the smile that found its way on your lips as you danced around with the two actors, unbeknownst of the dark blue eyes following your moves. The dance was exhilarating and both James and Ben led you through the steps, jumping and twirling with other patrons until you were out of breath and another song was over.
When you came back to get something to drink you saw one of the seats being vacant. Lee was missing from the group of merry friends and you leaned over to Orlando, who had been sitting besides him. "Where did your dad disappear to?" you asked him, mirth coloring your words as you took a large sip of your drink.
He turned to you and smiled, patting the seat next to him, so you didn't have to stand. You were grateful for that with your feet aching from all the dancing you did with his fellow actors. "He said he needed to get back to the hotel, his flight back to the States is taking off early." Orlando said and your face must have shown your confusion as you didn't know Lee was needed back in America. "Shooting for Guardians of the Galaxy is starting in a few days and he wanted to get back earlier so he arranged it in the last few days. Peter knew about it, I'm surprised he didn't tell you."
"Oh, no, I really didn't know and Lee hadn't mentioned anything before." the disappointment colored your words and you sank back down in your seat. You couldn't help the feeling that it was something that recently happened and especially something you did or he would have been open enough to talk to you.
The British actor patted your leg and grinned. "Don't worry, he'll be back before you know it. Once he's done with that movie Lee's going to annoy us again with his dad jokes."
Nodding your head, you tried to feel confident, but still you didn't know why he didn't at least wait until you were back at the table to say his goodbyes. No he just left without so much as a word. Of course you were only there doing his make - up and hair but you had hoped that in the time you worked together you at least had become friends. Giving the dark haired actor a small smile you made your way back to your corner seat, staring off into space and trying not to get too drunk on your cider while thinking about why not even Peter had bothered to tell you his Elvenking was leaving the set sooner than planned.
Taglist:
@fortheloveoffanfic @toomanystoriessolittletime @omgkatinka @fuck-yeah-hope @wholelottatiffy @axshadows @a-really-bi-girl @madbaddic7ed @maggiemoo1892 @pinkzsugar @agniavateira @mary-ann84 and everyone else who wants to read this.
#lee pace imagine#lee pace x reader#drabble#the hobbit rpf#lee pace#the hobbit#the hobbit imagine#series
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Scenario: Buckman’s wife never wants to participate in the Jubilee? She's the only benevolent ghost, neither vengeful nor bloodthirsty despite her murder. She loves George but seeing her husband & children commit such gruesome deeds is too painful. Have they become the monsters the Union troops were? Has she failed in her marital & motherly duties? She didn't marry a murderer nor raise her kids to be. But she & George make it work, for better or worse. She’s the gentle beauty beside the mayor
Oh nonnie, how bittersweet this is! Ugh I love Buckman so dang much and I would legit suffer in silence for this man. Thank you for your request! I hope this will suffice, because I was getting a tad sad writing it lmao, we cannot have that.
A snippet for your troubles.
Mayor Buckman x wife!Reader snippet
Rating: None Length: 938 words
You never thought you would end up here, living on in the afterworld against your own will because of how vengeful your husband was. Sure, you shouldn’t have been technically married to the man in the first place what with the affair you both had, but that was buried in the past along with your corpses. You were still bitter from the thought of Crow going behind your back, conniving with the Mayor to assure your return to the living world once every year on the anniversary of your deaths, it was tiring. You wanted peace but knew you couldn’t find it, you never would until the curse was satiated and Crow made sure of that.
The reason you stood here every year in the hot Georgia sun, allowing these college kids to come and end their lives so recklessly, was because of your husband. You loved him, God, you really did. He made you the happiest person on the planet both in life and in death, no matter how horrible his tendencies became. He wasn’t like this when you were both alive, but once those monstrous troops came to your town and murdered your beautiful child in cold blood, it changed you both but in completely different ways. George became bloodthirsty for revenge and took his daughter’s murder to the point where you couldn’t tell who was worse: the man responsible for her death or her father.
This year, as you had every year, you only wandered the grounds of Pleasant Valley in sorrow as the others gorged on the victim’s bloodied body parts, the sadness apparent in your eyes as the remaining college kids run around as if they’ll escape alive from this place. You mourn what your family could have been and what it’s turned into.
Buckman finds you halfway through the excitement of the jubilee and notes your sadness, his hand gently caresses your back as he walks up to you. He offers you a kind smile as he stares down at you for a moment.
“Darlin’ what’s got you lookin’ like a sad little puppy dog, hmm?”
You hesitated, do you want to argue about this, again and again, each year? You let out a sigh and shook your head. “Honey, you know what I’m going to say and I’d rather not get into it,” you replied sadly.
He looked at you for a moment longer and knew exactly why you were here, but he just smiled at you again and this time, he looked a little sadder as he slipped his hand on the back of your neck, resting his forehead against your soft hair. “I know, sweetheart, I’m sorry…”
“Why can’t you just...stop?” you asked, a twinge of hope in your voice as you sniff back some tears.
Buckman sighed and placed a gentle kiss on your head. “Crow made it clear. We can’t rest until all 2,001 lives are avenged. Eye for an eye, darlin’, you know that.”
Your tears slid down your cheeks and nodded once. “Here’s for tryin’, though.”
The mayor smirked and slipped his fingers in between yours, pulling you along toward the edge of the stables where it broke off into the large field just up ahead. You had so many memories of that area where you two would share in your evenings, where you first fell in love with him, where you shared your first kiss together. Everything hit you at once as you thought of how happy you could have been, just you and Buckman, your boys and your daughter, but it was never meant to be. Life smiled upon you and then struck down with misfortune so suddenly that you barely had time to mourn.
“Why can’t we just pretend to go back to the way things were? Before you and the boys became so intent on killin’?”
Buckman swallowed. “It’s easier said than done, sweet thing, you know it, you know how much I tried to be good? I tried so hard to be good. But-”
“I know, Buck, I know.” You knew this entire time that it would be hard to go back to the way things were, but no matter how much blood was spilled, no matter how many lives he took, George was still there with you and never planned on abandoning you. He took your vows more seriously than anything in his life, and you loved him for it.
There had been screaming coming from behind you both and then silence. The look on your face spoke volumes and you had wondered how many souls were left to reap until you and your husband could rest eternally, but until then it was a test of strength. No matter what you did, it wouldn’t break, so all you could do was hold your head up strong for him, for yourself, for the kids, for the town. It was your duty as the wife of the mayor, right?
If you had come this far then you could make it just a bit further, you had your husband still here with you, even though he had been different, he was still so vulnerable when it came to you. It was like night and day with that man, but your love for him and your boys was what kept you here, you figured.
You were always going to be here for your husband, for better or for worse, that was the vow, and you were still madly in love with him, it was inevitable that you two would be together forever. But after all, how bad could it possibly be?
#tinalbion writings#mayor buckman#mayor buckman x reader#mayor buckman imagines#mayor buckman headcanons#2001 maniacs#slashers x reader#slashers imagine#slashers headcanons
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A Family Affair | Euro 2020 Football Fanfiction
Life is beautiful and life is cruel. A window into the souls of the victorious and the vanquished. In a way, football did come home during the summer of 2021. Follow along Amelia’s journey, navigating the football world as a tactical analyst for the italian football team, with a brother and father part of the three lions. Will Amelia leave Italy and come back to England? Will she leave the Serie A for the Prem? Will she set aside the bianconeri stripes for new colours, leaving behind friendship for love? Maybe she can have both...
EEEEEEK here's part two!!! Part two sees more of Amelia's beautiful brain, the love she has for her team, and her brother, & her friendship with Kyle Walker. Hope you guys love it as much as i do - please let me know what you think - i'd love to hear from you all!
Love always,
Steph xx
UPDATE as of 31/07: I've made some additional editing changes due to some feedback about the confusion between ben white (her brother) and ben chilwell (not her brother LOL). Nothing has been added to the story, just the addition of either surname has been added where i think it could be more straightforward - for future readers!
Part 2. | seconda parte
warnings; none - just a whole lot of feels.
word count; 1469
writing tools; third person until dashed line, first person thereafter.
next update; Wednesday 28/07 5pm AEST. Updates are twice weekly (Sunday & Wednesday)!
Tags (as requested by users); @footballffbarbiex
link to fic masterlist here
11 July 2021 | The Final Match.
The players for both national teams lined up side by side down the tunnel. Chiellini & Kane, both confident in their teams ability, captaining with great authority and mentorship for the ten men stood behind them. Amelia stood at the back of the tunnel, watching the scene ahead of her. Her dad, walking up the centre aisle between the two teams, shaking the hands of his players, confident in his preparation. A gentle hand to her brother's shoulder, saying everything it needs to say. It was the same hand that rubbed the back of her neck as he walked past, communicating the same thing. Go your hardest, you’re ready for this.
It was her turn, she started at the back of the line, and in true Italian style, a kiss was placed to both cheeks of every player up the line. When she reached Jorginho, a player she came to appreciate for his technical mindset and intellectual approach to the game, she kissed his cheek and turned to the player opposite him - her brother, who was trying his hardest to face forward and pay his little sister no mind. She knew what he was doing, but she wasn’t as heartless as the rest of the England squad probably perceived her to be. Reaching out, she rubbed her hand along the back of his neck, just as her father did to her, leaned in and pressed a kiss to his cheek, before continuing down the line of her players to the front. Shaking hands with Gareth Southgate, who no doubt had come to realise who the girl was in relation to his team, and a kiss to both cheeks of Mr Mancini, she walked out and took her place on the bench, ready for the game of her life.
120 minutes of football later.
Life is both beautiful and cruel. Whilst she hadn’t anticipated the early goal from Shaw, Amelia had predicted every play by the english and made sure her team was there waiting for them to turn and run. They knew to never let Harry Kane have the space to move the ball, to make sure Mason Mount was marked at all times and to pay attention to the silky smooth skills of Raheem Sterling. They knew that every player on the english side had the talent and skill to shoot and score, no matter if they're a striker or full back. In the end, the endless taunts from the british crowd and constant reminder of “it’s coming home” only fuelled the Italians further and pushed them harder, to their limits. Eventually both sides met with equal force and completed extra time at a draw, leading to penalties. All of Amelia’s preparation with Gianluigi Donnarumma would present itself now. She went over the preferred sides of the penalty takers she presumed would be stepping up for their country, and reminded him of all he has achieved & what there is still left to be done. After all, they are the masters of their own fate.
Donnarumma’s block of Bukayo Saka’s penalty rattled her bones and sent a chill down her spine. They had done it. The boys had finally brought football back to Rome for the first time since 1968, and while she can’t take all of the credit, she knows she single handedly played a part in this victory. As soon as happiness filled her body, guilt and sadness flooded her heart. She had been part of the problem that caused her brother so much pain. Her dad knew how to handle rejection, this wasn't his first rodeo, and could see with an open mind just how they had managed to achieve greatness. But her brother had truly believed they had it, that football was coming home to England.
After being surrounded by her boys, cheering and hugging her, screaming in relief that they had done it, Amelia took a step back and took a deep breath in. Looking over to the players in white consoling each other with looks of understanding and pats on the back, hugging those with the unfortunate fate of missing their penalties, she found her brother.
_____________________________________________________________
Squatting down with his elbows resting on his knees and hands covering part of his face, his eyes showing disbelief that the moment had escaped them. Jordan Henderson, the figurative big brother to my big brother, leaning down whispering what one can only assume is words of encouragement and strength to him. A voice to my right startles me, not because I wasn't used to the noise, but because it was a voice I haven't heard directed at me with anything other than venom in a very long time.
“He wants you to be there for him, don’t ever think for a second that he doesn’t want you around.” Kyle Walker speaks into the open, whilst looking around at the fans still in the stadium. The fans behind us right now would be watching with speculation, wondering why the english player is talking to an italian so soon after defeat.
“I don’t think he doesn’t want me around, i just don’t think he wants me around right now” I spoke back, trying to reason with myself and Kyle as to why i haven't gone up and offered my condolences to my brother.
“I think the only thing that can pull him out of this is you. He was beating himself up last night after your argument, and while he turned it into motivation for today, it's still weighing on his conscience. He’s happy for you, we aren't that mean so as to deny him the pleasure of being proud of his little sister...even if she is working for the enemy”
“You’ve always been one to be the voice of reason, whilst still being the clown I grew up to know and love”
“Does this mean we’re friends again? I’m sorry about last night” Kyle admitted.
“Last night wasn’t what ended our friendship...we stopped being friends the day you left Spurs.” I joked back to Kyle. I turned to look at his over-expressed shocked face and walked backwards a few steps while giggling, before turning and sauntering over to my brother who was now surrounded by some more teammates. Upon seeing me and noticing my solemn expression, finding comfort in the fact that I wasn't there to rub my win in their faces, the boys left my brother to himself.
I stood there, staring into the eyes of my brother, who after a few minutes reached out and pulled me into him as though I was a life raft and he was stranded in the ocean. We stood there, hugging, saying everything we needed to say through the way we were gripping to the backs of each other's team colours.
“I am so proud of you, you put up one hell of a fight Ben. Certainly made my job harder” I spoke into his shirt. He was the taller of the two, but I wasn't that short. Almost immediately after, I felt him push more weight onto me and sink a bit lower so he was in my neck, shedding a few tears he didn't want seen by those around us. Not even 5 seconds later, he stood up straight, wiping his eyes and offering me a smile.
“God, I wish you weren’t better at your job than I am at mine” he joked back to me. I smiled up at him, shaking my head.
“I would say you’re wrong but the medal that's about to be around my neck would say otherwise” i joke back with him. I was not about to dull my sparkle for someone else's sun to shine, whether he is my brother or not.
“We have to talk about everything that went down last night but i’ll let you enjoy your night with your team” Ben says as we turn and begin to walk toward the stage being set up for the ceremony.
“Thanks Ben, family dinner on Sunday? Tell your friends to come, you and i both know mum will have enough food to feed everyone without even trying”
“Of course, I'll put it in the lads chat & see who’s still around. Kyle will see it in our family chat - who even put him in there anyway!?”
“Honestly...I think it was mum. You know she loves her son, Kyle.”
As I walk back to my team, and into the arms of Fede and Jorginho who wrap me up in an Italian flag and start jumping around, I can't help but smile and laugh at my amazing life. Who knows what the future has to hold, but for tonight, the azzurri are the champions of europe and the trophy is coming home, to Rome.
Part 3. | parte terza
#football imagine#football fic#jadon sancho#ben chilwell#mason mount#declan rice#kalvin phillips#ben white#jack grealish#tyron mings#connor coady#kyle walker#jordan henderson#dele allí#eric dier#ben chilwell imagine#jack grealish imagine#mason mount imagine#football one shot#tyrone mings imagine#x reader#a family affair fic#steph writes#stephspurs#italian national team#jorginho#federico bernardeshci#federico chiesa#jorginho imagine
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Our Little Secret: Part Six - A.R.
Word count: 5976 Summary: After Lenora’s funeral, Arvin learns some news about her. Y/n and Arvin have sex for the first time and ends up being way past her curfew...
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WARNINGS: SMUT, FINGERING, DIRTY TALK (mild), READER'S FIRST TIME
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I attended Lenora's funeral as her best friend.
No one knew about Arvin and I and we were keeping it for a different reason now. Not in case Lenora found out but to keep everyone else sane in this crazy time.
I had taken a week off school, helping the Russell's around the house with cooking, cleaning and some company. Emma was absolutely distraught, only coming out of bed when she needed the bathroom or needed to eat - even then it wasn't promised.
Ma was so busy with helping Daddy while I was busy helping the Russell's, we hardly got to see each other. But we both knew after the funeral things would calm down.
Arvin was handling his sister's death strangely. He wasn't sad. He didn't cry. He would go out on car rides, asking to be alone a lot of the time. I didn't know what he was doing and to be honest, I didn't want to know.
At night, once Earskell had went to bed and well after Emma had went to bed, we'd stay up, sitting outside on the patio in the old rocking chairs with some tea and listen to the radio quietly humming in the background. We wouldn't really speak much. We'd just be in each other's presence. We'd kiss. Then I'd go home.
But today was her funeral. I had a standard funeral outfit on: a black dress with tights and patent shoes with a black ribbon in my hair. I had been crying all day so my tears stained my cheeks and my eyes were red and puffy.
Emma was much the same as me while Arvin was trying to be strong for us, only a few tears leaving his eyes during the ceremony. He held me close to him, his hand just above the curve of my waist to not draw attention to us. We stood by together as Emma cried over her casket.
"Oh Lord, there's just some things we can't understand..."
She cried, kneeling to the floor and caressing the wood with her soft hands.
"But you take her into your arms..." She had to stop speaking because of her sobs.
I watched, tears falling from my face and I looked up at Arvin, rubbing my hand over his back softly. He stared numbly at the casket, only the ever-so-often squeeze of my waist indicating he was okay.
"Now I ain't somebody for sayin' prayers or..." Earskell talked, coughing and then clenching his jaw.
Arvin looked over to his Uncle and then removed his arm from around me, leaving me feeling cold without him. He slightly bent over and helped Emma to her feet, holding her by her arm and then wrapping his other arm back around me, this time on my waist.
"Let's go home." I said in almost a whisper.
Emma and everyone else nodded. I pulled away from Arvin and when he looked at me I looked back as if to say it was okay. He nodded slightly and helped his Grandma to the truck. I followed loosely behind the three of them, giving them some space to be with each other in the fresh air.
As I walked behind them through the grave yard I thought about everything.
What did she have to tell me? What happened with the preacher? Why was she so ashamed? Why did she want to end her own life?...
There were too many questions and none of them I could answer. I was supposed to be her best friend and I felt like I had let her down. I had let her down.
***
"I think it'll be real good if you went out for a night, Emma." I sighed, sitting next to her on her bed.
It had been a few days since the funeral and she was still lying in bed, only getting up for the bare minimum. Even for food she wasn't getting up for, which I was cooking each night.
"I don't have the energy, y/n." She croaked.
"I think you need a bath. And a nice new dress. And your hair did and your friends around you. There's a church day out at the beach on Saturday. I think you should go." I said with a smile.
She laughed lightly, "Honey, I hardly have five dollars to put together, how am I supposed to buy a new dress and get my hair done?"
A grin grew on my face, "Luckily I am here to help with that."
***
Saturday rolled around and I showed up early morning with two new dresses for Emma. She had gotten her hair done the day before and she was feeling a lot better. She showered and I met her in her room when she came out. I lay the two dresses on the bed and she looked in confusion.
"Pick your favourite and I'll see you in the living room." I smiled simply then left her room, closing the door behind me.
I waited in the living room with Arvin who was reading the newspaper, a cigarette bouncing between his lips and an ash tray.
"Ma asked for me to be home at 9 tonight." I said with a sigh.
Arvin looked up from the paper, "Really? That early?"
"Yeah. She does not like you." I groaned.
"Damn...I'm guessin' there's not much I can do about that, huh?"
"Not really...don't you have work today?" I asked.
"Only a small shift. Just gettin' back into it after the accident and then obviously..." He gulped.
"I know...well that'll be good." I smiled.
"Yeah."
"I'm ready!" Emma called from her bedroom.
"Come on out!" I beamed, getting up from the couch.
She clicked down the hallway in her red kitten heels. I gasped with delight. She chose the poppy patterned dress that flowed lightly below her knees. It fit her perfectly. A silver cross hung over her clavicle and her hair was pinned up nicely.
"Emma Russell, you look absolutely divine!" I grinned.
She blushed, "Really? I do love this dress, I can't thank you enough y/n."
"It's no problem at all. I'm just glad you're feelin' better and havin' fun. You deserve it."
She took a deep breath and smiled, "Thanks, darlin'."
Arvin got up to drive her to the church and he complimented her with an embrace.
"I'll be back around 11pm. It's late but the girls are all hitchin' rides with the men after their poker."
"Well I'll be gone by 9 so I'll see you tomorrow? I hope you have fun, Emma." I hummed, hugging her tightly.
"Thank you so much. Have fun!" She waved as Arvin opened the door for her.
We both watched as she and Earskell talked, going to the truck. Arvin closed the door slightly, leaning forward to me.
I giggled and cupped his face, bringing his lips to mine. It was soft but meaningful. His hands lightly touched my waist before we both pulled away.
"Have a good day at work and drive safe, alright?" I said.
"Thanks, y/n. I'll see you later. Bye." He flashed me a smile before leaving the house.
And I was left for nearly a whole day by myself.
***
Arvin's POV
The working truck pulled up to the car park outside. I jumped off the end along with everyone else and we said our goodbyes. As I headed to the truck I saw an officer standing by, looking at me.
"Need to have a word with you, Arvin." He announced.
"About what?" I asked, standing a few yards from him.
"It's uh...it's about Lenora." He spoke awkwardly.
I took a deep breath and looked away for a second, "What about her?"
"I came by here instead of home so nothin's put on your grandmother-"
"Put on her? What do you mean?" I asked.
The officer removed his uniform hat which is never a good sign. He seemed awkward. He seemed nervous.
"Y'know old Dudley in the coroners? He's a drunk but...he ain't no liar."
I looked at him with a stern look, masking the fact that my stomach was flipping inside.
"Did you know Lenora was carryin' a baby?" He asked.
I tilted my head slightly, my eyes on his. This seemed real. But it couldn't be.
I continued staring at him, hoping he'd crack.
"That's bullshit. That son of a bitch is lyin'." I clenched my jaw.
"Dudley ain't a liar. He came to me privately so as your family knew...I felt he was right." The officer nodded.
I averted eye contact, feeling myself tear up. No, no, no, no, no.
"I might've put my foot in somethin' but that wasn't my intention."
He fiddled with his dark green fedora, uncomfortable with the conversation and uncomfortable with the fact he had to tell me.
"You know that preacher ain't said no words for her? Not for people that kill themselves." I shook my head and clenched my jaw.
That son of a bitch.
***
I drove home in anger and confusion. When I pulled up, I saw y/n outside on one of the rocking chairs, a mug in her hand and a blanket wrapped around her.
My mood lifted almost automatically. She looked gorgeous in the dim sunlight. I remembered the house was empty and I was happy in that y/n and I could spend time together alone but then again, Lenora wasn't there.
I walked tiredly up the steps and she sat her mug down with a pout of her plump lips.
"Hey, you okay?" She asked me, standing up.
I didn't say anything.
"Arvin?" She prompted.
I looked up at her.
"How was work?" She asked, trying to pry something from me.
"It was fine." I shrugged, walking back to lean against the post.
She bit her lip, "Is somethin' botherin' you?"
She knew me too well.
"A uh...a police officer stopped me before goin' home." I said, retrieving a cigarette from my pocket and lighting it.
"What? Why?" She asked, arms folding as she leaned against the opposite post.
I chuckled. It wasn't to be annoying. It was in anger and confusion and disbelief.
"He told me that Lenora - my innocent, God-loving, 17-year-old sister - was pregnant before she died." I stated.
She blinked at me like a deer in headlights. She didn't speak for a few seconds, her brain working to log the information properly.
"She uh...she was p-pregnant? No." She shook her head.
"Well she was." I took a puff.
"What the hell? How did I not know?" She pressed a hand to her chest.
"Don't get mad at me I'm just repeatin' what he said!"
"I'm not mad! I'm just...she was pregnant?"
I licked my lips and nodded.
She chewed her lip in thought, wrinkles forming between her eyebrows.
"I don't believe it. That's bullshit."
"That's what I said. But, apparently some guy down at the coroner's said that she was. And apparently, he don't lie." I said.
She shook her head, "Who...who was the father? Cause he'll be out there right now runnin' free!" She exclaimed.
"I don't know. I have an idea but I don't know." I licked my back teeth.
I couldn't tell her about the preacher. She clearly didn't know and I wasn't about to tell her. Because if I told her I would have to explain how I knew and stalking some guy doesn't seem like the best thing to say.
"Well that is just...wow." She rubbed her face.
"I know."
We both went silent, our heads filled with thought and worry and confusion. How could neither of us had known?
"Are you gonna tell your Grandma?" She asked.
"No. No, I'm not." I dropped the cigarette butt and stood on it.
"I think it would set her back." She agreed.
"Exactly. She don't need that right now, she's at a good place."
y/n nodded, agreeing with me. I sighed and took my hat off, running a hand through my hair. y/n walked towards me with her arms outstretched. I smiled and welcomed her. Her arms wrapped around me tightly, her chest pressed against mine. I leaned my head on top of hers and stroked her back softly.
"We didn't get to tell Lenora." She whispered.
I gulped, "I know..."
"Well if heaven is real then she'll be lookin' down at us thinkin': I told you so."
We both chuckled at the thought. But it was slightly uncomfortable to think of her that way. Dead. In heaven. I didn't like it.
"Hey," She chirped from underneath me.
I moved my head and looked at her. She reached her hands up and wrapped them around my neck.
"You were such a good big brother." She stated.
An immediate lump in my throat formed at her words. Not if you knew the things I had done or what I was planning to do...
"And you're an amazin' person, Arv. You really are." She smiled.
I just smiled weakly at her.
"And I know you feel like you have to be strong all the time but with me...with me you don't have to." She whispered, trailing her hands down then up my chest.
Reader's POV
He stared down at me with a sudden look of lust and hunger. Before I knew it, I was being pushed back against the post, gasping as the wood hit my back. Arvin kissed me ferociously, his tongue pushing into my mouth without missing a beat. I moaned in surprised but sunk into him, getting the fast-paced rhythm he was implementing.
He moved his kisses to my neck and he began to kiss and suck on my sweet spot.
"Arvin," I moaned breathlessly, tugging his hair slightly.
His hands slid down my dress and grabbed my ass through the fabric as his mouth worked on my skin.
"Feels so good." I hummed.
His lips came back up to mine and our tongues worked with each other's, pushing and swirling in some sort of dance. It was passionate and hot and I felt like I needed more of him.
Suddenly his hands roamed further to my thighs and swiftly lifted me up. I gasped as my legs locked around his torso effortlessly. He smirked up at my surprise and kissed me again. He blindly opened the door and it slammed shut behind us. He walked through while kissing me intensely.
And then I knew I was in his room. I had only been in once or twice for laundry but I knew it was his. He pushed me against the door, ultimately closing it. I moaned again and he moved his lips to my neck again.
"Want you, Arvin." I hummed.
He looked up at me with a glint of lust and hope in his eyes.
"You sure?" He asked.
"I need you." I whispered.
That was enough for him.
He brought me off the wall and to his bed, lying me carefully on his sheets, getting on top of me.
He kept kissing me, his hands beginning to lift my dress up. I sat up and allowed him to slide it off my body. Thankfully I was wearing nicer underwear this time. He threw my dress to the side and looked down at my body in awe.
He stood up from the bed, eyes burning through my skin as he started to undo his buttons on his shirt.
I felt a colour rise to my cheeks. He was seeing me in my underwear. No guy had ever seen me in my underwear before.
"You are fuckin' unreal, darlin'." He complimented, his eyes shining with adoration.
I bit my lip, "You're makin' me nervous standin' like that."
He removed his shirt and then pulled off his dirty white t-shirt from underneath. I had seen his chest before but his bruises were nearly healed and he looked even better than before. Probably since he'd been working all day. He undid his belt and then slid down his trousers, stepping out of them.
My jaw dropped. Arvin. In. His. Underwear.
"Whatcha starin' at?" He smirked.
I gulped then looked back up at him, "Nothin' much."
He shook his head and leaped on top of me. I squealed before he kissed me.
"You're a minx, that's what you are." He chuckled against my lips.
"Well then teach me how to be good." I whispered.
He pulled away, looking down at me with his dilated brown eyes, almost completely black with passion.
"Fuck, I want to."
He began to slide his hand down my body, making rest stops at my waist and my hip before teasing the waistband of my pants. I gasped and looked up at him in lust.
"Have you ever been touched before?" He asked lowly.
He slid his hand carefully into my panties. I arched my back and moaned lightly at his touch.
"N-no." I answered honestly.
His eyebrows furrowed for a split-second.
"You've never been touched before? When you look this pretty?" He quirked an eyebrow.
His fingers slowly circled on my clit, warming me up. I grasped his arm and bit my lip at the new feeling.
"Have you ever touched yourself before?"
My throat went dry.
"No." I answered again.
He smiled, "That's okay...but you've gotta tell me if you don't like what I'm doin', alright?" He asked.
I nodded with a hum.
He pulled my panties off and I felt completely exposed. Only my brasserie covered the last part of my modesty. But I felt safe with Arvin. I trusted him.
His hand returned back to my core where he continued rubbing circles on my clit. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the new-found pleasure.
"Already so wet, darlin'."
I whimpered at his filthy words and felt his finger slide down my core. He slowly pushed a finger into my entrance. I gasped and gripped his arm that rested beside my head, propping himself up.
He started moving it in and out, beginning to pick up a pace.
"How does that feel?" He asked.
"So- good." I hummed, eyes closed in pleasure.
He began to speed his finger up, curling it up to find my spot. I moaned, bucking my hips into his palm as if to say more.
He got the message and slipped a second finger in with ease. I moaned loudly as his fingers worked inside of me. His thumb grazed constantly over my clit and whatever he was doing was making my stomach flutter.
I could hear the sounds of my arousal and it added to the pleasure.
"So good for me, y/n. So good." He praised.
"Arvin!" I whined.
"What, angel?" He asked softly.
"I need you. Please." I practically humped his hand in desperation.
He smirked, "You sure you're ready?" He asked cautiously.
I nodded, "Please."
He removed his hand from me, leaving me a whimpering, pathetic mess. He slid his underwear off and my jaw dropped once again. His member was a lot bigger than I had anticipated. But to be honest, I had never seen one so I had nothing to compare it to. But my god.
He pumped himself in his hand as he got back onto the bed, kneeling between my legs. I sat up and removed my bra myself. I then took my hair out of the band and the ribbon, sitting them aside. I lay back down, attempting to make my hair look as nice as it could splayed out on the bedsheet.
"You're so fuckin' gorgeous. Can't wait to feel you." He groaned, getting on top of me.
I bit my lip and held his arm with one hand and gripped his hair with the other.
"You ready?" He asked.
I took a deep breath and nodded. He leaned down and encased my lips in a passionate but loving kiss, our lips moving slowly over each other's and our tongues swirling around perfectly. I got so distracted by the kiss that Arvin could easily slip half-way into me. I gasped at the feeling of him.
"Is that okay?" He checked, brushing some of my hair out of my face.
I nodded and hummed. He gave me a moment to adjust to his size. It was slightly uncomfortable but that soon went away when he pulled back then thrusted slowly into me again.
"Arvin," I moaned.
He lifted my thigh up to his side and pushed further into me. I tugged his hair and bit my lip.
"So fuckin' tight, fuck. Feel so good, darlin'." He panted.
"Please go faster." I whimpered.
He dipped his head into the crook of my neck and held my thigh firmly as he began thrusting into me. His pace sped up quickly and soon enough he was moving effortlessly into me.
"Feels so good!" I moaned, arching my back into his chest.
His lips came to my breasts, taking one nipple into his mouth. I gasped at the new feeling as his tongue lapped over my skin. His thrusts sped up and he completely bottomed me out, his skin slapping against mine with every push.
"Oh god!" I tugged on his hair.
He groaned, "So gorgeous, so hot - fuck."
I rolled my eyes back at his words.
In a Christian based Southern state, having premarital sex was looked down upon. But it didn't feel wrong. It felt so good.
"So tight around me," He commented lowly.
"Can we flip?" I asked breathlessly.
"'Course."
He smoothly flipped us, so he was on his back. I bit my lip and hovered over him, taking his member in my hand.
"Fuck." We both cursed in unison.
I pumped him in my hand a few times to see what it was like and how he reacted. He gripped my thigh tighter and bit his lip. I smirked, feeling a pang of power course through me.
I swiped his member on my folds, surprised at how wet I actually was. I slowly sank down on him and we both let out long groans as I bottomed him out.
"W-woah." I panted.
He sat up, shifting inside of me. I moaned a little at the movement. His arms wrapped around me and I held his shoulders. I kissed him deeply, running my hands up into his hair and his tongue explored my mouth like it never had before.
I started to move on him, up and down was my instinct. Apparently I was right.
"Fuck, darlin'." He cursed against my lips.
"Oh god." I moaned, gripping his broad shoulders for support.
He gathered my cascading hair and put it behind my back as I moved on top of him. For some reason it made emotions flow in my brain.
Love.
They way he cared for me and was gentle with me obviously set off an emotion I had never really felt before. Not romantically, anyway.
I looked into his dark eyes and stopped bouncing on him. He looked into my eyes and held my waist. He started to move my hips in a grinding motion. My mouth dropped open slightly at the feeling.
His eyes stayed on mine as I rolled my hips on his, his hands guiding me. It was intimate and passionate and I loved him. I held him as close to me as possible, our chests matching and my hands massaging his scalp.
"Arvin," I moaned.
I could feel a build up of tension in my stomach.
One of his hands slowly came down between us and started to rub my clit again. I threw my head back in pleasure, the feeling intensifying.
"Shit!"
"You close, darlin'?" He asked lowly.
"Close? To- to what?" I asked, fastening my movements.
"Fuck- to your high, baby."
His fingers kept working on my clit and his other hand still guided my hip.
"My high? Oh fuck! That feels so good!" I moaned loudly and highly.
His fingers worked faster.
"If you feel like you need to let go...then do it, baby." He groaned.
I didn't really know what he meant but the feeling in my core and stomach tightened.
"Oh god! Yes! Yes!" I moved my hips faster on him.
"God you feel so good, baby. So good around me." He praised.
I dug my nails into his back, my head going to his forehead.
"Arvin, I love you." I admitted breathlessly.
"You-you love me?" He repeated as if he was surprised.
"Yes! Yes, I love you." I bit my lip.
"y/n...pretty girl," He brushed some of my hair behind my ear.
"I love you, too." He grinned.
I stopped my movements for a second to smile and kiss him. I wrapped my arms around his neck, bringing him as close to me as possible.
He started to thrust up into me, the sound of skin slapping and my surprised moans filling the room.
"Oh! Yes! God, yes!" I squealed.
He worked a lot faster than I did. His member brushed a spot inside of me I didn't even know existed. I could feel myself clenching around him and he groaned at the feeling.
"Let go for me, baby. Come on." He grunted.
"I love you! Arvin, I- yes!"
I felt the knot in my stomach snap and the feeling in my core burn. I moaned and cursed and gripped Arvin's hair in ecstasy. He continued thrusting up into me, my wetness dripping down onto him and his thighs.
"Feels so good baby, good job." He praised.
He kept me in my high like I had entered nirvana. My mind went cloudy, my vision hazy, my hearing muffled. All I could sense was Arvin. And that's all I needed.
"Fuck, baby-"
He quickly flipped me back onto my back and pulled out of me. I was still somehow in my high but I opened my eyes to see what he was doing. He pumped his member a few times before grunting and finished on my upper thigh and lower stomach.
I watched in awe. His muscles tensed and untensed, his head was thrown back and the sounds leaving his mouth were heaven.
After he calmed down he crashed next to me and we both caught our breaths.
"Sorry about that, I should have asked you." He sighed.
"It's okay. I liked it." I giggled.
He shook his head and looked at me, "You are perfect, y/n."
I shook my head back, brushing my hand over his loose curls, "No, you are."
He smiled at my touch, "How was it?"
I laughed lightly, "Good. I didn't even know it was possible to feel like that."
He smirked, "I'm a master, what can I say?"
I rolled my eyes and smacked his chest. He laughed and then shuffled closer to me, lips decorating my shoulder.
"Did you mean what you said?" He asked quietly.
I nodded, "Every word."
His lips connected to mine in a soft, long kiss.
"I love you." I whispered.
"I love you, too."
-
He dropped the needle onto the record and waited for the music to play.
(Play now)
'Cry To Me' by Solomon Burke began to play through the speaker.
Arvin had poured us a glass of very fancy scotch each. He said it was only for special occasions. I had only put my panties and one of his button down shirts on. The warm, humid weather was enough to keep me warm. Arvin wore a white vest shirt and some long pyjama bottoms.
"I love this song." I hummed, sipping the warm alcohol from the crystal glass.
"Dance with me." Arvin stated rather than questioned.
I smiled and sat my glass down. He gave me his hand and twirled me under his arm before bringing me into his chest.
We held hands on one side while his other hand held my waist and my other held his shoulder. We swayed back and forth to the music, enjoying the post-sex bliss.
"Come on, and cry to me." I sang an octave higher.
Arvin smiled, "I love you."
I giggled, "I love you, too."
We stayed like that, dancing and singing to the parts we knew, hands all over each other, stealing a few kisses whenever we could. He'd spin me out and I'd attempt to spin him but he could never get the hang of it.
We were happy. And we were in love.
"I've never seen you like this before, you know? I like happy on you." I smiled up at him.
A one sided smile curved on his face, "No one's been able to bring it out of me before."
I bit the inside of my lip at his words. Part of me was happy and proud that I could make him feel like that but the other part felt horrible that he's felt that way for so long.
"Well get ready to be happy a whole bunch, 'cause I ain't goin' nowhere."
He laughed, twirling me under his arm and back into his chest.
"That's exactly what I want." He smirked, leaning down to kiss me.
Our lips pressed together.
But only briefly.
A truck pulled up outside. And both of us turned to look out the window.
"Wait WHAT?!" I shouted, noticing that it was Emma and Earskell in the car.
I looked at the clock on the wall.
11:57.
"SHIT!" I exclaimed.
It was nearly midnight. I was supposed to be home at nine.
I scrambled to Arvin's bedroom and hurriedly put on my dress and shoes. Arvin put the shirt I was wearing on and changed into his work trousers again. He grabbed his jacket and his keys, shoving his feet into his shoes as we ran to the front door.
"Oh! You two are still here?" Emma jumped at the sight of us rushing past her outside.
"Back soon!" Arvin shouted.
I jumped into the passenger seat and Arvin got in the drivers. He pulled out frantically and drove off.
"Oh my god. I'm dead. I'm dead." I panicked.
"Just calm down, you'll be fine." Arvin tried to soothe me, speeding through the village.
"You'll be dead, too! Oh god what are they gonna do, Arvin?" I gripped my hair.
"We're nearly there, it'll be fine." He grasped my thigh lightly.
I took deep breaths, looking out at the silent town as we zoomed past everything. The dread in my stomach grew as we drove up the road and then entered the grounds, past the gate.
"Go before they get you, alright?" I ordered, jumping out the car.
"Y/N Y/M/N YL/N! Where the HELL have you been?!" Ma shouted from the door, storming outside.
"Ma, I can explain! Let's just go inside!" I exclaimed.
"Boy, get out that car right now!" She shouted at Arvin.
"Ma! Stop! It's not his fault!" I shouted, beginning to get defensive.
Arvin got out of the car and held his hands in his trouser pockets, walking towards Ma and I. I saw Daddy standing by the door, watching everything and my heart ached.
"You are supposed to be takin' care of her! How dare you keep her away this long with no contact! How dare you!" She shouted at Arvin, pointing a finger at hi accusingly.
"Ma! He didn't do anything!" I shouted.
"I am not STUPID y/n! I know that you two have been gettin' together almost every night. I see the car bein' parked behind the gate, I see the way you two look at each other. And I do not have a problem with that! But if the so called MAN known for his sexual acts keeps my 18 year old daughter out until MIDNIGHT, I am not gonna be happy!"
"We lost track of time, ma'am." Arvin stated calmly.
"Oh did ya' now? Doin' what?"
"Ma!" I shouted.
"No! I wanna know what was so important that stopped you from comin' home on time!"
Arvin and I stuttered, not knowing what or how to say anything.
Ma scoffed and clenched her jaw. We could practically see steam coming from her ears.
"You. Inside. Now." She demanded, pointing at me.
I furrowed my brows, "No! I'm not goin' inside with you!"
"y/n, inside right now!"
"No! I'm not leavin' Arvin!" I held his arm in mine.
Her chest heaved with rage, "Arvin, stay the hell away from my daughter."
Ma went to grab my arm but I dodged it.
"No!" I screamed.
"y/n!"
"No! I wanna be with Arvin!"
"He is no good for you!" She shouted as if he wasn't there.
"You do not get to tell me what I can and can't do! I'm an adult and if I am in love with someone-"
"IN LOVE?" Ma shouted.
"Yes! In love! We love each other and you can't stop that!" I held his arm so tightly I was surprised I hadn't cut his circulation off yet.
"You are not to be with each other anymore. You are a bad influence on my daughter and I never want to see you near her again. Do you understand?" She spoke sternly to Arvin.
I looked up at him. He gulped, his eyes becoming teary, "I understand." He uttered.
"Arvin!" I scoffed.
"I'll leave you alone." He murmured, beginning to walk away.
"Arvin! What the hell are you doing?!" I shouted, my arm still attached to him as he - we - walked away.
He opened the car door and clenched his jaw, not looking at me.
"Go with your parents. I've done enough."
"Arvin, don't say that! You- you just said you loved me!" I felt tears begin to fall from my eyes.
His chin quivered, "Just go, y/n. Please."
"What? No. No! I'm not going!"
He ripped his arm away from me and went to get in the car.
"No!"
I slammed the door so he couldn't get in.
"No! You don't get to do that, Arvin! You don't get to say you love me then fuck off when somethin' comes between us!" I shouted, realising these were more sobs than anything.
"Just go inside, y/n." He said to the ground.
I furrowed my brows and shook my head in disbelief.
"y/n-" I interrupted my mother.
"No! Arvin, please! Why are you doing this?"
"We can't be together." Arvin sniffed.
"Yes we can! We can!" I went to cup his face but he moved away.
I didn't know if it was sadness or utter rage but I broke down in tears.
"You said you loved me!" I screamed, pushing him against the car.
He took it. He didn't look at me, though. But he took my babyish tantrum.
"You said you loved me!" I cried, hitting his chest.
"y/n, go inside. Please." He begged quietly.
I saw tears fall from his face.
I stopped and stood back, watching with blurred eyes as he got into the car and drove off quickly.
I choked on a sob and kneeled to the ground in a cry, letting all the emotions I had pent up go. Absolutely everything.
Ma came up to me to comfort me but I pushed her off and stood back up.
"No! You don't get to comfort me after ruining love for me." I cried, pushing past her and running to the house.
I ran up the steps and I paused briefly when I saw Daddy watching with tired and heartbroken eyes. He silently moved to the side to let me storm away. I sobbed uncontrollable sobs as I ran up the stairs and slammed my door shut, sliding down to the floor.
I thought he loved me.
-
{Tags: @notanordinaryprincess96 @imagine-yourself-happy }
#arvin russel#arvin russel x y/n#arvin russel fluff#arvin russel smut#arvin russel angst#arvin russel x reader#arvin russel mmini series#mini series#tom holland#tom holland series#tom holland fluff#tom holland smut#tom holland angst#tom holland fic#arvin russel fic#one shot#arvin russel imagine#imagine#tom holland imagine
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let’s talk about minecraft diaries rebirth.
and why it’s literally amazing. (warning: this will contain spoilers. lots of them. also, long post ahead.)
i think a lot of people hate mcdr because they were expecting a remake; but the point of rebirth is for jess to rewrite it. it wasn't supposed to be exactly the same.
honestly i went into mcdr with a closed mind. as an og mcd fan, i thought that this was going to suck ass and that i'd rant about how bad it was to my friends later. but actually watching it, i just... couldn't help but immediately fall in love with it.
ik im probably the only motherfucker that likes mcdr, but honestly how could i not? for one, garroth and zenix actually have personalities at the beginning. AND; the villagers? actually amazing. donna made me smile, visher made me laugh and cry, brendan was just bein as good as ever. like... i even didn't despise emmalyn with every ounce of my soul like i usually do?? the characterizations of them were GOOD, man.
and honestly, aphmau like--the way she spoke, her whole thing. it was reallyyy well done in my opinion. she was oblivious to things, but it wasn't overdone and wasn't done in a way to make her annoying. she's a very appealing character in mcdr, a main protagonist i do not mind following along with. her dynamics to the characters are really cool and all very unique. gonna cut it here so i don’t clog y’all’s feed cuz i got a lot to say :)
the early use of aphmau’s powers was actually pretty cool as well, it also really showed how clueless aphmau really was to everything going on around her. AND UH, THE FACT THAT SHE THOUGHT THAT GARROTH FELT FAMILIAR? GOLDEN. absolutely golden.
AND GENE OH BOY, the early introduction of gene? ik a lot of people are upset about it, but god DAMN i love it so much. his role in the story is very important in original, and i cannot express how much joy this brought me learning that he was actually getting the proper attention for it. and the fact that gene and aphmau were working together?? i mean ik gene was just trying to use her to get back to the "shadow abyss" (pretty pog replacement for the nether, gg) but god DAMN i loved every moment of it. i found their dynamic to be pretty fuckin funny to be honest, would absolutely love to see more of it.
i might be biased considering gene is one of my absolute favorite characters, but i honestly think that introducing gene this early on in the story was a good move. again, he's literally the right-hand man to the shadow lord. it makes you really wonder why he didn't have as much of an important role in season 1 or even 2 of the original mcd plotline. also, we get some of that good-ol-fashioned exposition with seeing early on how vylad and gene interact. vylad’s at a very strange point in the story right now; his motives are unclear, even to the side he’s ‘supposed’ to be taking (aka, a shadow knight.) another early introduction to a character is zane! this, my friends, is good. really good. i’d say that zane is the main antagonist of season 1 in the original series--and he wasn’t even introduced until like, episode 50. it’s not necessarily a bad thing, but him being introduced this early on really gives the audience a better understanding of what threats are out there and what our protagonist will have to encounter in the future. in the original series, there’s not much explanation as to why lords are disappearing/dying left and right--and while yes, that was supposed to be the mystery of it, having some of that early information is a better move in terms of writing.
AND IVAN?? BEING A PART OF THE JURY OF NINE?? I COULD NOT HAVE ASKED FOR ANYTHING MORE LIKE GOD DAMN that was a very pleasant surprise i'll just say that, thank you jess :)
and no i did not loop the 4 minutes of screentime laurance got in that one episode haha who would do that i would never do that anyways
SPEAKING of laurance, im so glad jess actually wrote him in this early :) she totally could have just waited for the first time aphmau visits meteli and meets him there, but no! she put him in an early episode. i dont even care if she did it just to shut up the fans about laurance but man that made me so happy seeing him, even if it was only for a bit.
okay i kinda wanna go over the guards real fast firstly; garroth. ignoring how weird the helmet showing emotions is, i really like how garroth is portrayed. he's under a lot of pressure because the village is putting a lot of the blame on him for malik's death, and he's trying his hardest to keep things running. the fact that garroth utterly refused the to take up the position of lord and even got a little snappy about it was actually really cool to see as well. and while he doesn’t have that same “reserved, quiet, observant” feel as the original mcd version of him had, this version of garroth is absolutely awesome. he’s more direct and blunt, is significantly more sarcastic, and isn’t as stiff or as much as a pushover as he is in the original. he even has a sense of humour. also, no homo, but he’s kinda adorable. plus, the desperation that he goes through during the whole thing is just--it’s really cool to see how hard he’s trying to prove himself and help the village. my rating for mcdr garroth? 9/10. the helmet... the helmet is the main thing throwin me off, i can’t lie. next, zenix. oh BOY do i have a lot to say about this man. first of all, his and garroth’s dynamic is incredible. when i saw how the interacted with each other, my first thought was: father and son. zenix has this immaturity to him that is so fucking fun and interesting to watch, and seeing how garroth scolds him is so fuckin good man. and! seeing how he interacts with the rest of the village... honestly, if jess ever picks this story up again, i would probably cry when zenix (literally) backstabs garroth. HELL, i hope that’s something that still happens, it’d be heartbreaking to witness this character that we’ve come to love hurting his mentor, the man who took him in. he’s just a really good character all in all, and much more appealing than the original mcd zenix. ...except season 3 zenix. no zenix can be better than that one. either way, zenix is amazing written to be the comic relief and he’s just an all-out lovable character in this series. finally, dale and brian. yes i’m going to group them up because there’s not much to say regarding them, but i do want to address them. for starters, we have brian; who’s already 16 when the story starts. good on jess for doing that, because in the original aphmau watched brian be born and age INCREDIBLY quick, haha. THOUGH i do feel like there’s a slight connection lost there--one of the hardest things about brian’s betrayal in the original series in the fact that we watched him grow up in phoenix drop. we were there from the moment he was born, to the second he betrayed phoenix drop. BUT OF COURSE, this version is a lot more realistic, so it’s understandable. i just think that if it’s brian who’ll be betraying phoenix drop again (if it even goes down that same route), it won’t hit as hard unless jess really takes the time to grow the connection between brian and aphmau. as for dale; gotta admit, love it. and like, i think one of the main things about how good of a call it was to make him a drunkard from the beginning is considering how much the village is struggling. the fact that the second-in-command is literally drunk all of the time really conveys the message of, “yeah. this village needs help.” plus, he’s another good comic relief character. i loved seeing molly and dale’s relationship too, it was very funny. PLUS. we were blessed with a well scene, in which aphmau had to help villagers out of the well. i don’t know about you guys, but that was one of my favorite nods to the original series. i cannot thank jess enough for that, there was a smile on my face the entire time. another amazing thing--visher’s character. instead of just being introduced to this quirky lil merchant who only had one or two interactions with aphmau like in the first one, we got to sit there and really get a feel for someone worth remembering and worth mourning over. we had a reason to be sad over his death, it wasn’t just some npc getting blown up suddenly. this was different, and this hurt. one of the major things that i hope is to come out of this is for jess to fix the major mistakes she had when writing the first series. she’d expressed how unhappy she was with some of the decisions she made, and i’m glad that she’s getting that second chance to undo the things she didn’t like. this series also gives her a second chance to really, really dig into characters and their motives. like, gimme laurance backstory in better detail. or like, garroth and zane’s relationship from back when they were kids? or how vylad died and who killed him? etc etc. she’s already done an excellent job so far, and i can’t wait to see where this goes. that is, if she ever continues it. god, i wish there were more episodes so that i could seriously let you guys know how beautiful of a series this is. there’s so much i want to say about rebirth, but i think i’ll stop here. i might say some more shit about it later, but if there’s anything i’d want you to take away from this, it’s: give minecraft diaries rebirth a chance. there’s a lot of potential, and this is a chance for jess to really change things for the better! ... but again, that is if this ever is continued.
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I was trying to imagine what Deku v. Kacchan part 3 would be like and it quickly turned into a whole fic lol! Anyways here it is...
A Hero Distracted
(now on ao3 by pearl_sailboat)
word count: 2,641
tags: manga spoilers, izuku midoriya / katsuki bakugou, angst with happy ending, vigilante deku, deku is going through it, soft bakugou, cursing
summary: takes place right after Deku leaves All-Might and the bento. But he doesn't know that Kacchan will bring him back one way or another.
Deku zipped through the sky, using blackwhip to propel himself forward, so he could put as much distance between himself and his mentor. He didn't look back, he couldn't look back. Whatever scene he'd left behind had to stay behind or else he might lose his nerve and go back to the teacher, the father-figure, who had already given him so much. Deku would not let All-Might give his life too. End of discussion.
He could actually feel the anxiety rolling off the vestiges as they watched him fly across the skyline. They were silent, probably still trying to figure out how to tell him to go back. But it didn't matter what they would eventually say, nothing was going to change Deku's mind. Nothing.
Deku was so distracted by his resolve to keep moving forward that he didn't notice the three figures floating ahead until they'd launched themselves at him. It didn't matter though, he was no longer the helpless kid he used to be. He'd left behind everyone in his life and that meant that the only one in danger was him. Yes, he thought as blackwhip shot out of him in all directions, let me be the only one who gets hurt. Let me take all the damage, let everyone else stay safe.
The thought was so all-consuming that his landing was a little rough and he flinched a tiny bit when his legs absorbed the shock. But smooth landings were at the bottom of Deku's priorities… right now he had to incapacitate these three so he could keep moving. He turned to look at his attackers, still entrapped in blackwhip, but… they were already knocked out? And when did they get so many cuts and bruises? Had they been this badly beat up when they first attacked him? Hmpf, maybe they fought over who would get to take me in… Guess there must be a pretty great reward but, still, it's odd…
Before he could finish his thought, he felt a searing pain against the side of his face and the explosion made his ears ring. Dammit, what now? He shot out blackwhip in all directions but before he could even get up, he felt a boot kick him in the shoulder. Hard.
"ARGHHHH," he cried as he moved to grab the leg attached to the boot.
He still couldn't see his new attacker but dammit, it had been a really long day and he was starting to get mad. His hand latched on to the leg and he was about to send his attacker flying over his shoulder when he felt another boot smash down on his wrist. This time he yelled so loud it almost drowned out the sound of his wrist breaking. Who was this person? They were certainly more skilled than the last three...
"You done, nerd? Or am I gonna have to break your legs too?"
That voice… I know that voice… But why? Why is he here? He can't be here… He's still h-
"Dammit, ANSWER ME DEKU!!!" Kacchan yelled behind him as more explosions went off, but this time not aimed at him.
Deku still felt like his wrist was on fire but he made himself get up. He turned around to find Kacchan smiling maniacally, suited up in his hero uniform. No, he's still hurt! He can't be out here! Why did he… oh. All-Might must've sent him. How could he? When he knows-
"Shitty Deku, you never listen, do you? Do. I. Have. To. Break. Your. Legs. Too?" Kacchan said with a small explosion to emphasize each period.
That's when Deku attacked. He didn't want to hurt Kacchan but he knew that the angry blond would never let him go. For some reason, Kacchan had decided that it was his job to protect Deku even if it cost him his own life. Idiot, he thought, not for some reason. He did it because he had too; you were weak so he had to protect you so that All For One wouldn't take the power of One For All. This is your fault. That's why he had to be strong now. That's why he didn't hesitate to connect his fist to Kacchan's face. That's why he didn't hesitate to grab Kacchan's shirt and send him fly- BOOOOM!!!! DAMMIT, how can he still attack when I'm literally throwing him?!?! And the explosion hurt. so. damn. much. Somehow, Kacchan kept firing even when he slammed into the roof's exit door, using his AP shot to blast Deku in the stomach.
"Is that ALL YOU GOT DEKU??? DON'T TELL ME I CAME ALL THIS WAY FOR YOU TO GO EASY ON ME???" Kacchan cackled.
He was seriously laughing at a time like this? Deku shook his head, he couldn't afford to get distracted by the Kacchan of it all. He shot out blackwhip again, but Kacchan dodged just like he always had.
"SERIOUSLY, YOU THOUGHT THAT WOULD WORK??? YOU'VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO CATCH ME, NERD!!!"
Was Kacchan actually… enjoying himself?!?!? Deku wasn't surprised that Kacchan would brag about always winning Catch-a-Kacchan but those memories seemed so far away… No, stop getting distrac- BOOOOMMM!!!!! Kacchan had blasted him again, Deku needed to get his act together and quickly! He took a deep breath and just as he felt Danger Sense activate, he dodged Kacchan's next explosion and launched himself forward. He grabbed Kacchan's hair and yanked him downwards so he couldn't fire. Deku was about to kick him when he felt a pain in his legs. Kacchan hadn't been able to fire at Deku's face so he'd fired at his legs instead! Nothing seemed to be broken yet but, god it really, really hurt.
"HAHA I TOLD YA I WOULD BREAK YOUR LEGS TOO DEK-" Kacchan didn't get to finish that sentence because Deku sucker punched him so hard he went flying into the closest building.
Kacchan coughed up some blood before grinning wide, "NOW WE'RE TALKING!!! OHHHHHH BUT I'M STILL GONNA KICK YOUR ASS NERD!!!!!"
But Deku was frozen. No… No, no, no, no, no, no… I - I punched him right where… right where… I wasn't thinking… He coughed up blood… No, no, no, NO, NOOO!!!! He pressed his hands to the sides of his face, well the sides of his mask, as he sank to his knees. This is why he had left in the first place. He didn't want anyone else to get hurt. The people he cared about always got hurt. It was all his f- BOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Deku's ears were ringing so bad he was pretty sure he would never hear again. The flash of the explosion had blinded him, how long it would last was unclear, but Deku knew he'd been blasted onto his back. He groaned as he registered the shape his body was in, thankful that the adrenaline was keeping him from feeling the full weight of his injuries. He lifted his head as he began to blink away the dark spots in his vision. But immediately his head was pushed back onto the floor of the roof. He heard talking but he still couldn't make out the words so he struggled against the hand. He knew it was useless but struggling was all he could do. So he fought against the hand he still couldn't completely see with everything he had.
"God Deku, give it a rest," he heard when the ringing eventually released his throbbing eardrums.
That's when he noticed that it was Kacchan's hand that held his head down and that Kacchan had him pinned to the ground. Wait, where is my mask? Deku's eyes searched for the mask but before he could find it, Kacchan took it out of his pocket.
"Looking for this? Yeah, you're not getting it back, Deku. This piece of shit lets you lock yourself away and I ain't putting up with it."
Deku rolled his eyes. Why did Kacchan care if he locked himself away? Didn't he realize that if Deku didn't, he'd be too weak to stop All For One?
"Why won't you say anything, dammit? Never thought I'd miss your nerdy mumbling…"
Why did Kacchan look sad as he said that? Nah, that must've been in Deku's head. He didn't answer that question either though. They didn't have the most traditional friendship, but Kacchan was the only one who stood a chance of bringing Deku back and that terrified him. He knew Kacchan would tear apart anything he said and would use it to convince him to go home. Right now, Kacchan was as dangerous as Shinsou; one word and Deku would lose.
"So you're mute now, is that it?" Kacchan demanded. "Fine then, I'll talk and you better fucking listen, Deku! I don't give a crap about your whole I-need-to-save-everyone routine but I thought you did! Isn't that the whole fucking reason you left in the first place?"
Deku's eyes widened in curiosity. What was Kacchan talking about? His emerald eyes were only met with a ruby glare.
"You didn't even realize, did you? Those three extras you pummeled back there, they looked like they could've used some saving themselves."
What are you talking about? Saving? Saving from who?
"So I was right then," Kacchan sighed and then looked towards the skyline, away from Deku.
When did Kacchan's voice get so quiet? It reminded Deku of how he had been at the sports festival… quiet because he was serious. Why did that tone unnerve Deku so much? Why did those words fill him with… dread?
"Deku, you ran away so you could protect people. You ran away so you could focus on defeating All For One. But were you focused when you landed on this roof? No, you weren't... If you had been focused, you wouldn't have had such a rough landing. If you had been focused, you would've remembered to pay attention to blackwhip even if the landing was rough…" Kacchan paused to look back at Deku.
Kacchan's eyes searched Deku's face, piercing into his soul as if searching for something. Then he sighed again. Why does Kacchan look so sad?
"Didn't you even wonder how they got all beat up?"
What is Kacchan saying? Why does he look so sad? Why is… why is his voice SO QUIET??? I hate this… I don't know what's happening… I hate this… I want him to go back to yelling… I want him to stop looking at me like… LIKE THAT!!!!
Suddenly Kacchan's eyes hardened and he moved his hands from Deku's wrists to his face. At first Deku was relieved because maybe Kacchan had heard his thoughts and was going back into angry mode but then he spoke. If Deku had thought that tone was awful before, it was unbearable now.
"You didn't mean for the landing to be so rough," it wasn't a question, "even though you were wearing that stupid mask, only an idiot wouldn't have noticed how you flinched in surprise. It was in that moment that you probably forgot all about blackwhip… quirks are like muscles, Deku, you know that. When you flinched, blackwhip flinched too… you slammed -"
But Deku didn't hear the rest of that sentence. It all blurred away as the realization sunk in. He was responsible for the cuts and bruises on his attackers. He had knocked them out without even realizing. Because he had been distracted. What was he even distracted by at the time? What could be so impor- Oh. That's when he started crying. It was all too much; if he wasn't failing at one thing, he was screwing up another. He had been so distracted by his own resolve to distance himself from everyone that he hurt other people. It didn't matter that they were villains, they were still people. How could he call himself a hero? He was the least deserving person of that title!
"Kacch-" Deku was crying so hard that he couldn't finish before erupting into more tears.
But it didn't matter because Kacchan sat up and pulled him into a hug. He lost track of how long they sat there like that, hugging each other tight like their lives depended on it. And it did, at least for Deku. He knew that if he let go or if Kacchan did, he wouldn't survive. He cried and cried but Kacchan never pushed him away.
"Kacchan, I - I messed up!" he wailed, "I c-couldn't defeat All- All For One. I d-didn't protect my f-friends. A-and I h-hurt those people. I c-can't s-save the world!"
"No, you can't," Kacchan said.
Deku stopped crying, momentarily shocked. Before the weight of those words could settle over him, he felt a slight pain in his side. Kacchan had jabbed him with his finger, but why? Kacchan broke their embrace so he could hold Deku's face in his hands again. God, those eyes were so intense.
"You can't save the world alone. No one can. It's a big fucking world, Deku! So cut the crap and let me help you already!" Kacchan said, those ruby eyes softening just a little.
Deku shook his head, "But you got stabbed last time!"
"'Cuz you kept on fucking going on on your own!" Kacchan said, jabbing his finger in Deku's side again.
"Ouch! That actually hurt Kacchan!"
"Tch! That'll teach you to pull that crap again, nerd!"
"But Kacch-"
"Shut up! Don't you fucking realize that you trying to do this by yourself is what caused this whole fucking mess in the first place? So just. Stop," Kacchan pressed his forehead against Deku's, "And let me help you, you damn nerd."
Maybe it was because he was still in shock from all the explosions, maybe he was a bit delirious from all the crying, or perhaps it was because he was just so goddamn tired of running. Whatever the reason, Deku didn't freak out like he would've thought he would've if someone had told him he'd be this close to Kacchan. It just felt so… so right. For the first time in a very, very long time, Deku felt safe.
He leaned his own forehead against Kacchan's to return the pressure and said, "Okay."
They had so much more to talk about later but, for now, this one word was enough. It said everything that Deku couldn't yet; it promised that next time he would not be alone. It admitted that he had been wrong to isolate himself from the people he cared about. It accepted that Kacchan was right, that no one could save the world alone. And though Deku didn't yet know it, that one simple word signalled the birth of the partnership that would one day be known around the world as "The Wonder Duo."
"Okay," he said again before leaning his tired head against Kacchan's shoulder and closing his eyes.
Deku fell asleep almost instantly but not before he heard Kacchan's light chuckle. Not before he felt Kacchan lift him up in his strong, steady arms. Not before he felt the faintest of kisses on his forehead. It had been days since he'd gotten to rest so he was completely knocked out when Kacchan carried him off the roof. He slept through the shocked reactions of his classmates when Kacchan appeared at the hospital, carrying Deku in his arms. He slept through it all, but Kacchan would tell him about everything when he woke up. One day, though that day was still very far away, he would tell their children about how he'd lost his way and how Kacchan was the one who saved him. He'd tell them about how they took turns saving each other so they could save the world. One day, Deku would smile as he told their children the story of how he and Kacchan became the greatest heroes ever.
#bkdk#dkbk#bakudeku#dekubaku#wonder duo#dynadeku#twin stars#decchan#izuku x katsuki#katsuki x izuku#izuku midoriya#katsuki bakugo#mha spoilers#bnha spoilers#mha#my hero academia#manga spoilers#bnha
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You Better, You Better, You Bet - Chapter 9
As Long as You’re Mine
Ron Speirs x Juliet Fletcher
Summary: Juliet Fletcher reaches a breaking point in her life. When she is at her absolute lowest, she meets Ron Speirs, and something happens between them that neither of them will ever forget.
Word Count: 4.1K
Tag List: @vintagelavenderskies @how-are-those-nuts-sarge @iilovemusic12us @hesbuckcompton-baby @tvserie-s-world @whovian45810 @50svibes @cagzzz107 @evelynshelby @piano-isnt-my-forte If you’d like to be added, let me know!
A/N: Hope you guys enjoy this update!
Warning(s): None :)
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8
AO3 link
Chapter 9 let’s go!!!
“Okay, how does this sound?” Juliet asked Ron, who sat on her bed as she put together her story of the trial. He was careful not to recline, lest he disturb her pages of notes carefully organized atop the quilt. “Meredith Fisher confessed to the murder of six-year-old Peggy Lee in front of the courtroom before her trial began. Mrs. Fisher was arrested and charged with the murder in September of last year. Her lawyer, Mr. Harvey Cooper, originally planned to plead not guilty, but in a shocking turn of events, Mrs. Fisher herself admitted to the jury she killed Peggy Lee before even opening arguments could be made.”
“I’d read that,” Ron replied.
Juliet huffed and looked around her room at the Blue Boar. Papers littered the floor, pens were nowhere to be found, and her typewriter was mocking her. Now that the trial was finished - with such a dramatic twist - she was hard at work, trying to ensure she reported it just right. An impossible task, it felt like.
“Okay, but would you read it because I’m your girlfriend or because of the writing?” she asked.
“The writing,” he told her. “It’s simple, it explains everything.”
“It feels a bit long for the lead,” she said. “Perhaps I should put the bit about her arrest in the nut graph.”
“That does feel more like background information,” he agreed.
She pulled a pencil from behind her ear, scratched out the sentence, and began again. “So, it’d go like this - Meredith Fisher confessed to the murder of six-year-old Peggy Lee in front of the courtroom before her trial began. Her lawyer - I’m gonna take out his name and have that later - so, Her lawyer originally planned to plead not guilty, but in a shocking turn of events, Mrs. Fisher admitted to the jury she killed Peggy Lee before even opening arguments could be made. Then I’ll go into when she was arrested, the details of the murder, then the evidence the prosecution had prepared, and finish with her sentencing date. How’s that?”
“I think it’s perfect,” he said.
She chewed her lip. “Should I use the word shocking? I don’t want to tell the readers how to feel.”
“When she confessed, what was the first thing you heard?” he asked.
“Gasps,” she answered.
“There’s your shock,” he said.
Juliet had to concede that point. Ron almost didn’t believe her when she told him the story. The judge had barely gotten the words “How do you plead?” out before Meredith let out a wail like wounded animal and confessed to the whole gruesome thing. She sobbed that she was sorry, but she knew she had to be punished. She wasn’t safe. And truthfully, Juliet felt bad for her. It was truly one of the most pitiful things she’d ever witnessed.
But the one thing Juliet could never forget, the image that would stick with her for all her days, was the look on Peggy Lee’s parents’ faces. The Lees watched, dignified, proud, yet misty eyed as the person who killed their daughter begged for mercy. Their grief was profoundly felt, despite their stately manner. They said nothing. They did nothing. And they spoke to no one upon their exit from the courtroom.
“Jules?”
Ron’s voice brought her back to the present, his hand on her shoulder making her turn to look at him.
“Sorry,” she said, shaking her head. “Just...it’s so unfair. If anyone had a right to be screaming and crying it was the parents.”
“They must be very English,” he said.
“Oh, they were proper English,” she agreed. “Stiff upper lips and all. The mother did at one point hide her face in the father’s arm, but other than that, they were stoic.”
“Thinking about including that in your story?” he wondered.
“God, no,” she replied. “I’ll mention that they were there and offered no comments, but this isn’t that kind of article.”
“Just the facts, huh?”
“As usual.”
“Juliet.”
“Yeah?”
“The article’s gonna be great,” he said.
“How can you be so sure?” she asked.
“Because you care this much,” he said. He accentuated the point with a kiss to the top of her head. “I’ve got a staff meeting. Are you alright here?”
She nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks for being so patient with me.”
He kissed her again. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“See you later, Ron,” she returned.
With that, he left. Juliet started trying to condense the lead again, still feeling like it was too long. There had to be a better summary. But it was a lot to try and fit into one sentence, so she resigned herself to making it more than one line. She hadn’t chosen a headline yet, either, but she usually liked to write the article first. That way she could pick out the singular most newsworthy part and headline with that. As she organized further, the phone rang.
“Hello?” she answered.
“Juliet, it’s Lottie.”
“Hey, Lottie, how are you?” Juliet asked.
“Fine, same as usual,” Lottie returned. “Otis just rang and told me about the trial. I hope you’re hard at work.”
“Absolutely,” Juliet assured her. “I’ve nearly got the lead down. I’ve just got to get the facts organized. I’m thinking of doing a follow up story about the shortcomings of Operation Pied Piper, since Cooper’s little tidbit did prove to be true.”
Sad as it was, Harvey Cooper was right. There was no process for vetting the families agreeing to take the children. The committee had been in such a hurry to evacuate, they had not even considered that some children could end up in more danger than they were at home in the cities. Juliet found the whole thing fascinating, and it could open up a conversation about war time protocol - be meticulous or swift?
“I think that’ll be fine,” Lottie said. “But have you gotten any war news? I know I wasn’t enthusiastic about it initially, but you’re the only reporter I’ve got with the Airborne.”
Juliet bit her lip. While the prospect of war news had originally driven her to accept the Peggy Lee story, she found herself conflicted about it now. Her relationship with Ron threw a wrench in it.
“I think it’s a conflict of interest for me to cover the Airborne,” she said.
She could practically hear Lottie’s eyes roll. “Oh, come on, Juliet, don’t be absurd.”
“It isn’t right, Lottie!” Juliet insisted. “I’m in an intimate relationship with one of the soldiers, there’s no freeing me from bias there.”
“You could use it to your advantage,” Lottie said. “Obviously, you can’t use him as a source, but couldn’t he lead you to the right person?”
“I can’t ask that of him,” Juliet said. “I don’t want him to get the wrong idea.”
“What wrong idea?”
It was something Juliet had already put a lot of thought into. As badly as she wanted to cover the war - and it did seem like things were ramping up even more in Aldbourne - she was hesitant. She had actually considered asking Ron for a source and then immediately hated herself for it. She would not use her relationship to get ahead in her job. She couldn’t. It just wasn’t right, simple as that.
“That I’m using him,” Juliet explained. “If I ask him to get me a source, he might worry that it’s the reason I entered the relationship, and that’s not the case.”
Lottie sighed. “So, you just want to give up on covering the war?”
“I didn’t say that,” Juliet returned. “I’d be happy to cover something else once I get back to London, but-”
“Forget it,” Lottie cut across her. “Just focus on the trial for now and then Pied Piper, if that’s what you want.”
“Lottie -”
“Good afternoon, Juliet,” Lottie said harshly, hanging up before Juliet could protest any further.
She sighed, hanging up as well, and sitting back in her chair. She had a feeling the conversation wasn’t quite over, but she’d hear more about it on her next trip home. For now, she wanted to focus on what happened at the trial. The sentencing would be in another few weeks, so she needed to get this done.
***
Ron was right of course. The article was published and the London Pursuit sold the most copies it had in years. It surprised Juliet a little, but perhaps people were tired of war news and what better than a dramatic murder trial for a change of pace? It was morbid, sure, but Juliet knew she’d handled it as well as she could.
Lottie called, absolutely elated by the circulation numbers. And honestly, Juliet was thrilled too. She found Ron later that day and leapt into his arms as a display of her unmitigated excitement. She’d done it, and done it well! It was cause for celebration. So they went to London for the weekend - staying with Nancy of course, since she would have had a fit at missing an opportunity to see Ron - and they went to a nice dinner, champagne and everything. Juliet could hardly believe her luck. Everything was going so perfectly.
And that night, as they lay together in the afterglow, she looked at his face and knew she loved him. The kind of love she read about in books and poetry. The kind that crooners sang about on the radio. She’d found it. It was scary enough to admit to herself, but she determined that she would - one day soon if the opportunity presented itself - admit it to him.
He caught her gazing at him.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Nothing,” she replied. “I’m just happy you’re mine.”
***
The sentencing hearing was not as interesting as the trial itself, but Juliet was relieved to report that Meredith Fisher was going to prison for life. There would be no chance for parole, either. So justice was served.
However, Juliet couldn’t help but notice the look on Mr. Lee’s face. Mrs. Lee had not come for the sentencing, so it was just father. When the judge announced Meredith’s fate, Mr. Lee only closed his eyes and let out a long breath. He nodded, put a hand over his heart, and inhaled again. A single tear rolled down his cheek. It made Juliet look away so that he could have that moment for himself. To take in whatever feelings came to him. To remember Peggy and take some solace in that her killer was going away.
“I thought I’d be happier,” Juliet told Ron as they prepared for bed that night back at the Blue Boar. “But it still just feels...rotten.”
“Nothing can bring the girl back,” he said matter-of-factly.
“I know,” she replied. “But I just....I suppose you’re right. What else could anyone have hoped for in this situation?”
“Right,” he agreed.
“I’m also grateful we didn’t have to hear that lawyer make that ridiculous argument in a courtroom,” she said. “I don’t think I could bear the looks on the parents’ faces at that.”
“That would have been awful,” he said.
“Even so, it feels rather anticlimactic,” she said. “Especially for the prosecution who spent months putting everything together.”
“They still got the result they wanted,” he pointed out. “So what does it matter?
She shrugged at that. She still felt unsatisfied, as if there was something more to be done. Even though logically, she knew there wasn’t. She would write an update for the paper, and that would really be the end of it. That was when it hit her. What was really upsetting her was that now that this was over, there was no more reason for her to be in Aldbourne. Especially now that she didn’t want to cover the Airborne. It meant that she would go home to London, in turn reducing her time with Ron significantly. And that was a dreadful thought.
***
“What do you mean you aren’t coming back to London?” Lottie cried through the phone. “What about the Pied Piper story?”
“I reckon it can wait,” Juliet said, entirely unconvincing, but she hoped Lottie was buying it. Her reasons for remaining in Aldbourne had nothing to do with her job and everything to do with the man she was in love with. “And maybe with some time, I can find my own sources on war news.”
Lottie remained silent for several minutes. “So, you’ve just changed your mind all of a sudden about covering the Airborne?”
“Not completely,” Juliet lied. “I...I’m just not sure I’m quite finished here. And what if there’s something else about the Peggy Lee story that comes up? I could -”
“Give it a rest, Juliet,” Lottie groaned. “I know you want to stay for your boyfriend.”
“That’s not -”
Lottie cut across her protests. “Please do not insult my intelligence by suggesting otherwise. You want to be near him.”
“You don’t sound quite as sympathetic as I hoped,” Juliet said, giving in.
“You have a life in London, Juliet!” Lottie reminded her harshly. “You have a job to do, your mother is here, and you want to put everything on hold for some man?”
“He’s not just some man!” Juliet argued indignantly. “He’s...different from any man I’ve ever known. And what we have means more to me than anything I’ve ever known.”
She glanced down at the necklace that sparkled against her skin. A constant reminder of how much she meant to him as well.
“Oh, come off of your cloud, will you?” Lottie snapped.
“Lottie,” Juliet said seriously. “The whole time I was with Arthur, did you ever know me to put him before work? Or my family?”
“No, so why is this Ron fellow -”
“Because it is different,” Juliet emphasized. “This is it, Lottie. He’s the one.”
That seemed to stump her. “Has he...proposed?”
“No, he hasn’t,” Juliet said. “I don’t even care if he does.”
Lottie scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous, you can’t just carry on living in sin.”
Juliet rolled her eyes. “Could you please pay attention to what's important here? There’s a man in my life who I genuinely see a happy future with and I just...I want to focus on that. Is that so wrong?”
“I suppose not,” Lottie sighed, and Juliet inwardly celebrated a moment of victory. “But I can’t pay you if you aren’t working. At least be making the proper phone calls to follow this Pied Piper story. Conduct interviews of other families there who have taken in children from the cities. Part of the story is there if you know where to look.”
“No problem,” Juliet said. “You’ll be glad to know I’ve already begun. I’ve got an interview with the Barnes family next week, who are housing a little girl. I’ll ask them about how the process went for them.”
“Perfect,” Lottie said. She paused for a beat. “And, Juliet?”
“Yes?”
“I really am happy for you.”
Juliet smiled softly. “Thank you, Lottie.”
***
Spring fully thawed the winter out by the time April arrived. Aldbourne was rather charming in bloom. But Juliet wasn’t sure if it was the flowers or that she was in love. She found herself humming a lot more than she used to - these days she didn’t even need food to start a merry tune in the back of her throat. She had more energy, despite spending rather long nights in Ron’s arms. And she found her enthusiasm for work - even though her priority shifted - a great deal easier to come by as well.
The interview with the Barnes family went splendidly. They were also housing a couple of lieutenants from the Airborne, though they were not in Ron’s company. Juliet only exchanged brief greetings with them, as they were heading to work just as she was entering the house. She nearly melted at the connection they had formed with the girl - Ann - which was clear in their goodbyes to her for the day. She seemed particularly close to the tall redhead.
Juliet told Ron about it that evening over drinks.
“Yeah, that’s Winters and Welsh,” he told her. “Good officers.”
“Do they spend much time here?” she wondered, indicating the Blue Boar.
“Welsh does, but Winters doesn’t drink,” he said. “He spends most nights there with the family.”
“I can tell,” she said. “I mean, it was seriously precious. She hugged his knees and he patted her on the head and I think I fell a little bit in love with him for a moment.”
He scoffed. “Good luck, I think he has a girlfriend.”
“Has he?” she questioned.
“Yeah, the nurse,” he said. “She works for the regiment.”
“You lot have your own nurse?”
“She’s got some connection to Colonel Sink,” he said with a shrug. “I’ve never actually met her.”
“And what about the other chap?” she asked. “Welsh?”
“He’s engaged,” he told her. “Her name’s Kitty.”
“You know that but not the name of the nurse?” she questioned.
“I only know because Harry never shuts up about her,” he said. “The whole regiment knows at this point. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Krauts knew.”
She giggled. “I think that’s sweet.”
“It’s obnoxious.”
“You mean, you don’t brag about me to the whole regiment?” she teased. “Romance is dead.”
“Sorry for your loss,” he retorted as he took a swig of his drink.
“Not as sorry as I am,” she returned. “Now I’ll have to spend God knows how many hours in mourning.”
“At least you look good in black,” he said.
“My saving grace,” she agreed with a smile. She paused for a beat. “Seriously, you don’t talk about me at all?”
“I do if you come up,” he told her.
“And what do you say?” she wondered.
“Whatever’s relevant,” he said.
She rolled her eyes. “You’re impossible.”
“I prefer not to broadcast my personal life,” he said. “All they need to know is that you’re mine.”
She smiled as she leaned over to kiss his cheek. “That’s true.”
***
April was drawing to a close. Juliet stood in her room, preparing to go and interview another Aldbourne family about their process in fostering a child from London. These interviews were restoring the bit of faith she’d lost in covering Peggy’s story because most of the families were very kind, and doted on the children. They were proud of doing what they could to ensure the future of England. And the children were mostly happy. What happened to Peggy was a tragedy and an outlier.
She was just getting ready to leave when Ron entered her room. A grim shadow of doubt on his features made her smile disappear as fast as it had come. Something was wrong. He definitely had bad news.
“We’re moving out,” he told her.
She had expected this at some point, but she still blinked in surprise. Her shoulders drooped as the reality of it percolated through her.
“Oh,” she said. “Well...when?”
He hesitated. “This is off the record -”
She scowled at him, momentarily offended that he felt the need to clarify.
“Everything between us is protected, Ron,” she said sharply. “You and I are always off the record unless stated otherwise.”
“Sorry,” he said quickly, picking up on her tone. “I know that, I just -”
“When?” she demanded again.
“End of May,” he said. “I don’t know when we’ll be back.”
The if hung in the air, but remained unsaid. This was it. The moment she had been dreading since she met him. Well, maybe not that long, but since they had started getting to know each other there in Aldbourne. The war was taking him from her, like it took everything.
“I see…” she trailed off, her annoyance easing up. That was sooner than she had hoped and she didn’t want to waste any precious time being angry at him. “Um...where - wait, I can’t ask you that.” She bit her lip. “When - oh, no, you’ve just told me, that’s right -”
“Juliet.”
“Yes?”
“Wait for me.”
Once again, Ron failed to disappoint her. Despite all the reassurance, she worried that when they shipped out, he would take the opportunity to break it off with her. Instead, he was asking - in his way - for a commitment from her. She held his gaze for a long moment, waiting for him to say more. But he didn’t.
“You really want to stay together?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said assuredly.
“Oh, thank God,” she sighed, and she threw herself into his arms for a kiss.
He returned the kiss with enthusiasm, his lips fiery and desperate against hers. As if he were leaving the following morning instead of a couple of weeks. But Juliet wanted the intensity. She wanted to savor every touch, every kiss, every moment she had before he was gone. She also wanted to let him know that she absolutely would wait for him. She would do anything he asked of her. She just wanted him. Forever, if possible. And if the war robbed her of that, she would at least have the memories of kisses like these. Of nights in his arms. Of his unwavering dedication to her.
***
The arrangements were made for Juliet to return to London once Ron and the rest of the Airborne were off. On his final morning in Aldbourne, they of course made love again, only it was the after that they relished even more. Juliet etched into her brain the feeling of his embrace, the warmth of his skin, the sound of his voice. She wished desperately that she could freeze time and hold onto him for just a little longer. She had found something so wonderful and now it was being dragged away from her.
“Jules,” he said, voice low as if there might be someone listening on the other side of the door.
“Yeah?”
“We’re going to France,” he said.
She blinked and adjusted her position so she could look him in the face. “France?”
He nodded. “I wanted you to know.”
She couldn’t explain why that felt more intimate than anything they had just done in her bed.
“Why tell me now?” she asked, curious.
He swallowed, his eyes fixed on the ceiling, but his arm gave her shoulders a squeeze.
“Trust,” he said.
She pressed her lips tenderly to his chest to let him know how much she appreciated his trust. There was no longer a need to specify on or off the record. His statements were privileged. Anything he told her would remain between them.
For a fleeting moment, she considered telling him right then that she loved him. Because if he was going to France, there was a chance he would never come back. And shouldn’t he know just in case? But her heart told her to play it safe. If she didn’t tell him now, perhaps whatever power there was would protect him enough so that she could say it later. If there were still things left to be said, hopefully that would keep him alive.
There were no guarantees, of course. All they had was each other and their promise.
That afternoon, the trucks began rumbling out of Aldbourne. Juliet walked Ron as far as she was allowed. Her chest felt tight as the impending goodbye hung in the air. She hated this. It was too painful. How could it be that the very war that brought them together would also be the reason for their parting? What was fair about that? Nothing, that’s what.
A kiss from Ron drew her out of her thoughts. He held her firmly against him, almost as if he were afraid she would disappear right out of his grasp. When they parted, they were both breathless.
“Be careful,” she said.
His eyes searched hers. “You too.”
Her brain was practically screaming at her to tell him now just what she felt. But she was too afraid. Too afraid it would doom him. Too afraid he wouldn’t say it back. Or even worse, say it only because of the passionate nature of the moment. It had to be when they weren’t so desperate. When they really meant it because whatever was coming was not a threat.
“I’ll write,” she told him.
“I’ll respond when I can,” he returned.
She nodded. Her throat was dry and thick. The lack of tears in her eyes surprised her. How could she not be crying when she could feel her heart breaking so badly? She kissed him again. Just to prolong the last moment where he was only hers.
“Stay safe,” she told him.
He nodded.
With one last kiss, they said goodbye without saying it. Juliet went to the train station and headed home to London. And Ron went to war.
#band of brothers#ron speirs#juliet fletcher#ron speirs x ofc#hbo war#you better you better you bet series#Easy Company#band of brothers fic#hbo war fic
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