#‘my dad is definitely dead and everybody should give up all hope RIGHT NOW’ and

[therainbowwillow]

I love Epic The Musical very dearly but I do wish just a little bit that we’d gotten to watch Telemachus’s antics in Pylos. His gay awakening(?) over Pesistratus? Athena disguised as an old man?? Nestor and Menelaus?! HELEN! He really has a bewildering time away from Ithaca lol

[boygiwrites]

Harley D. Dixon 24

An amazing edit inspired by this story! (Cred to Cora_Line99) Harley D. Dixon's Pinterest Board! Harley D. Dixon's Playlist!

📖Chapter List.

Author's Note.

Almost a whole MONTH later, and I've finally got the next chapter to share with you guys. 😭 To make up for the wait, I made this one extra chunky. Just over 10,000 words. Enjoy reading!

"What about you, Maggie?" Lori's voice comes from downstairs. "Can we get you anything?"

"Naw, that's okay. I just wish my Dad was here, that's all... House feels so wrong without him."

Plodding back down the stairs, I find the three women sitting in the living room together, still talking. They look like a group of friends like this. I quietly take a seat next to them on the vintage sofa, hugging a cushion to my chest. I think I'd rather be out in the woods, laying in a patch of sunny dirt or climbing a stumpy tree, but I wouldn't make it five feet past the fence, not with Dale on watch. So I'm better here.

"He always knows what to do." Maggie muses sullenly. She got a weighty, tired look about her. "Guess I feel wrong without him, too."

"You're doing your best." Lori reassures her. "Those three, they're good at what they do. I'm sure they'll be back with your Dad soon."

She gives a little huff. "Good at killin' folk. We heard what happened to Shane, y'know. Not like it's a secret."

She's right. Ain't a secret. It's the opposite. Everybody knows Rick shot his best friend in the chest and my Dad finished the job. 

"It sounds bad." Jacqui stammers, 'cause it does. "But there was no way they were gonna let him take off with Harley. No way in Hell."

"I'm not sayin' they would've," She lilts, "And I don't blame 'em. But I'm just wonderin' what that might do a person, what it means for 'em."

"It means they'll do whatever it takes to protect their own." Lori calmly explains. "Whatever happens after that is worth the trouble."

"Rick's a good person, Maggie. So is Daryl. So is Glenn. Life is so different for us now that goodness doesn't look the same, anymore."

"I've never had to kill for my family." She fiddles with a stray thread on her jeans. "Life ain't thrown that at me, yet."

"Well, one day, it will." Lori says truthfully. "And when it does, you'll still be a good person, too."

"There was a moment, with Glenn." Her gaze flits between two vague points on the floor as she speaks. "At the pharmacy. We'd split up to save time. I was in the back by myself, pickin' around for meds, and these... these two cold hands grabbed me. They were so much stronger than I thought. I couldn't pry 'em offa me. I couldn't... I had my gun on me but I couldn't. Glenn had to do it for me."

I've had those hands on me before. I can tell she can still feel them on her, too, by the way she shivers. Gross. Best to ignore it.

She shakes her head. "I guess the definition of murder's a lil' skewed nowadays. It ain't always in cold blood like the bible says."

"It isn't." She agrees. "Putting down Shane wasn't all that different from putting down a walker, and we just have to be okay with that."

My body goes cold all at once. I lock eyes with her across the room, dark and cutting. She got no idea what it was like watching him be lured, tricked, the life beaten out of him punch by punch. Nobody should be okay with that. It ain't the same. "How can you say that?"

He was human. I know, 'cause when I held his hand, it was warm. He could think, and feel, and hope. He could bleed.

She gapes a little, glancing at the other women like they'll know what to say. "I— I just meant—"

"He weren't dead." He was somethin' more complicated than that. I know he's gone, but Rick said he'd cherish his memories of him, the good ones, the old ones that are a little harder to recognise, so I will too. "He was sick and hopeful and alive. He was in pain when he died."

"Sweetie," Jacqui breathes beside me, brushing back a lock from my temple, pulling me into a hug. "We know that."

"I'm sorry." She sighs. "I can't... I can't imagine what that must've been like. For any of you. That was insensitive of me to say."

"It weren't nothin' like killin' a walker." I definitely ain't the brightest crayon in the box, but I still know what I saw was murder. It's just somethin' that you can feel, like my heart stunting right before the blood shot out Shane's back. Lori can pretend all she like, but it was different. Rick's a murderer, through and through, and so's my Dad, and so's almost everybody else, but we can still love 'em.

"I guess I just wish it was." She confesses a little sheepishly. "It'd make things a whole lot easier that way."

As Jacqui releases me, I frown, thinking of Dad. "Well, he is a murder. That's what we gotta be okay with."

Looking like somebody who doesn't, she mutters, "I know."

"Whole world's gone to horseshit." Maggie comes out and says, in a sudden way that almost makes us laugh. "Makes sense we would, too."

Jacqui grins, quirking a brow. "And we got that famous tater soup to get us through it, too."

"I think if anybody'd understand that, it'd be Harley." I feel my cheeks flush under her warm, green gaze. "How was Beth, by the way?"

"She seemed," I hesitate, afraid of saying the wrong thing. I'm good at doin' that. I could tell her that her baby sister thinks all she's good for is dyin', that she's revolted with herself just for bein' alive, but that's not the important part. "She seemed like she was sorry."

That surprises her, like she ain't think it was possible. Her face lights up a little as she asks, "She talk?"

I give a nod, making Jacqui snort, impressed. "We been tryna crack her since yesterday. Hardly given us a second glance."

"This is good." Maggie decides. "Y'know, that girl ought'a be sorry. Scared me and poor Daddy half to death, pullin' that stunt."

Maggie's real tough on the outside, 'cause she likes it that way, but it's obvious how on the inside she been worrying for Beth. Losing family to a gunshot, or a bite, or an unlucky mistake is awful enough, like the massacre at the barn, but to have 'em taken away from you 'cause they wanna be — That's a whole other brand of pain. I know they'd all be devastated if Beth had really died.

"Speaking of Herschel," Lori says, "You think he'd know anything about getting Harley a hearing aid? Types, sizes, things like that?"

"Ended up getting worse, did it?" She hums, even though she already knows, just so she can make a sympathetic face. "Well, I don't think his veterinarian knowledge will shine too bright there, but we had some old family friends who were deaf and hard of hearing." She says this part like Carl did, as if the existence of other deaf people will make me feel better. It don't really. "Picked up a thing or two."

"You wouldn't happen to have any spares left over, would you?"

"Naw," She regrets telling us, "They all lived separate to us."

"Hang on. That works." Jacqui butts in. "You got a whole list of addresses Rick and Daryl can hit for a hearing aid."

Oh, she's right. Search wouldn't be so blind that way. It's a strong start, and Rick and Dad have proven a strong start's all they need.

"Yeah. Suppose we do." I'm sure it ain't feel the best, having your old friends' houses looted, especially knowing the reasons they wouldn't exactly need their belongings anymore, but that don't stop her from giving us her blessing. "When they're back, I'll write 'em down for you."

"That would be an incredible help." Lori smiles, reaching out to cup her shoulder. "Our group would appreciate it very much."

"Told y'all," She drawls with her own weaker smile, grabbing her hand, squeezing it. "Ain't no trouble. Your problems are our problems."

It's starting to feel more like there ain't two groups on this farm, just one bigger, stronger one. I think if anybody were to look in on us without knowing who we are, they'd have a great deal of trouble tryna figure out who belongs to which side. I like that.

She gives her a grateful look before pulling away, nodding lightly. "The same goes for you."

"Thanks, Maggie." I mutter shyly, forcing myself to at least say that.

"Wouldn't just leave you hangin' like that." She tells me. "If you need a hearing aid and we can help you get one, it's as simple as that."

"Hey, I just had a thought. Do I have to learn sign language?"

Walking down the pebbled path with Carl in the late morning, lugging heavy buckets of water, I send him a deadpan look.

"English is hard enough, y'know." He says with a grunt. "But if that's gonna be your language, I'll learn."

When we reach the gate to the cow paddock, I toe the peg off the ground and push it open. "How 'boutchu just stop talkin' altogether?"

"Eugh. No." He cringes, following me through. The gate clicks shut behind us. "That sounds awful."

We make our way through the wispy, dry grass, trying our best not to spill too much water along the way. It ain't like we can't get more — The well on this side of the farm is conveniently walker-free — but we promised Maggie we'd do a good job filling the troughs for her. They're these bathtubs made of metal that cows and sheep like to drink from. They must have real big stomachs to handle all that water.

"You saw Beth, didn't you?" He asks as we haul the buckets onto the ledge, tipping the water in. "She's sad, isn't she?"

"Nah, she's more than sad." I explain. "She's, like, depressed. Doesn't wanna live."

He pulls back with a pout, squinting against the sun. "Doesn't wanna live?"

"Don't wanna live, wants to die. Same thing." I shake the last droplets out. "She's in shock. S'why she cut herself like that."

We fall back into step together, but I almost trip over myself when he comments sadly, "Kinda like you, right?"

"What?" I exclaim, "No. That's stupid."

The herd of black cows start to meander over at the sight of fresh water, the deep honk of their moooos carrying on the breeze.

"It's not stupid." He counters rather weakly. "Since Shane and Sophia died, you've been more than sad, too."

Just like his Dad, Carl pays more attention than I thought he did. I huff, "Well, ain't everyone?"

"I guess." He holds off on blurting his next thought, until he just can't hold it in anymore. "You're not gonna do what Beth did, right? Because that's what would make me sad. You're my best friend. Even if you were only in second grade. I-I won't have anyone to push on the swing, otherwise. I won't learn any new facts about mushrooms. I'd rather read you my comic a hundred more times than seeing you do that."

I stare at my boots as they scuff the dirt, step, step, step, so I don't gotta look at his round, freckled face.

"Mom and Dad say I have to be nice to you. But if I need to slap you to get those thoughts out your head," He warns, "I'll do it."

That makes me snap my head up. He puffs out his chest a little, juts his chin out. He don't look like the slapping sort at all.

That's an honest to god chuckle coming out my mouth. A soft, fond one. "You don't gotta hit me, Carl. I swear it."

As we come to a stop in front of the crumbling well, he tests out the feel of my answer in his head before nodding. "Good."

"And me, I'll hit ya, anyway." I joke, giving him a shove. "So hurry up and fill yer bucket, 'fore my hand slips and catches yer cheek."

His mouth lifts into a tiny smile. I don't got a real good way of saying it, but I'm lucky to have a boy like him as my best friend. I wouldn't lie to him like that. We lost Sophia already. Another grave would break him. It'd break everyone. My Dad would wanna stop living, too. Much as I can't handle the constant blows life keeps sending us, I can't handle that, neither. So, no. I won't do what Beth did, even if I really want to.

We make the back-and-forth trip from the trough to the well a handful more times before they're filled all the way up.

Before we leave, we give the cows some friendly scritches on their huffing snouts. They seem happy with their simple lot in life.

On the way back up the hill, we pass the oak tree again. Really, it's a graveyard, but I like calling it the oak tree better 'cause it don't feel so terrible to say. But in the end, it don't matter. It feels terrible anyway, 'cause there's Carol kneeling in front of the white roses, sniffling into her hands. Me and Carl share a look. She hasn't left the RV in days. I ain't sure what she does in there, but I imagine it looks a lot like this, shedding misery all over herself. I guess she decided to finally visit her daughter's grave. I bet she ain't even believed it was real 'til now.

I grab Carl's hand to tug him along so we can leave her be, but she's heard our footsteps. She looks up at us.

"You know," She croaks, sounding like she ain't slept for days, neither, "We'll see Sophia in heaven someday. She's in a better place now."

His fingers coil tighter around mine. We both know Sophia's actually just in that hole, which ain't a better place than anywhere.

"Heaven's just another lie." He blurts. My eyes go wide. You ain't meant to say that part aloud. "And if you believe it, you're an idiot."

I yank on him again, giving him a stern look, but he ain't budging, and Carol already heard him loud and clear anyway.

"That's a very nasty thing to say." She scolds him tearily, before standing and hurrying away.

As soon as she's out of earshot, I turn on Carl with my bucket reared back and smack him with it, but he dodges and I smack him again and he dodges, and the scuffle goes on like that for about a full minute. "You damn moron, why'd you go and tell her that? Now I'll really hit ya!"

"Well, it's true, isn't it?" He bickers, tryna steal the bucket off me. "No such thing as heaven. You die, you rot in the ground, and that's it."

He quickly side-steps another swing, so I just throw it at him and it clatters at his feet. "But you don't go tellin' people that!"

"I'll tell my Dad you threw a bucket at me!"

"I'll tell my Dad you're a stinkin' jerk-face!"

"That's a swear word!" He annoyingly quips, before taking off in a sprint up the path to escape me.

I snatch up my bucket and set off after him. "Hey! Get back here!"

I sure got a big mouth and a meaner streak than any other kid I ever met, but even I wouldn't've said that to Carol. Believing in heaven ain't gonna get nobody killed, so I say let her be an idiot in peace. All he managed to do was make her sadder than she already was.

I'm much faster than him so I'm about to grab the back of his shirt when Lori quickly steps in.

"Hey, hey, hey." She grabs my wrist and pulls me back from him. "Stop it. Both of you, this is ridiculous."

Before she's even finished speaking, Carl gets his defence in. "Mom, Harley threw a bucket at me."

As I roll my eyes and shake Lori offa me, she raises her brows. "Well, Carl, from what I heard from Carol, you might've deserved that."

"You can't go around willy nilly, calling people names." Carol tells him, her mouth a thin line on her tear-streaked face. "It's not right."

"Think about it. We've all gone through a big loss recently, and Carol doesn't need this right now. It doesn't matter if our beliefs—"

"But you know she's—"

She shushes him. "Don't talk. Just think. It's a good rule of thumb for life. Now you're gonna apologize to her, okay?"

I try not to get a little kick outta watching him begrudgingly recite, "I'm sorry I called you an idiot for believing in heaven."

No you ain't, I feel like saying just to annoy him, but I hold my tongue in case that gets me in trouble, too.

"Thank you." Carol accepts his apology 'cause it's the good thing to do. "I just hope you'll learn some manners from this."

Right as he's about to turn back into sassy Carl, Lori talks over him with a simple, "He will. And Harley, you think about your manners, too."

Oh, come on. "I only hit him 'cause he was bein' bad!"

"That's the problem, honey." She mutters awkwardly. Oh, right. That sort of punishment is bad. I forgot, but I don't even know why. "I'll have to talk to your Dad about that... In the meantime, you guys gonna get along or do we have to sort something out here?"

We mull over whether or not we wanna keep fighting, but we're the only kids here and we're best friends, so the choice is already settled.

She takes our silence as a positive. "Good. Now, go play nicely for a while. Shouldn't be long before the others get back."

Carol follows after her, much to my satisfaction, to go sit at the picnic table together, and not to slink back into the RV. I hope I'll see her around more often now, for her sake. Ain't good to be cooped up like that. Rick said that once.

Stuck with Carl again, I wordlessly drop my bucket in the dirt and sit against the fence. He could go play on his own, read a comic or somethin', but instead he follows suit and settles at my side, a non-annoying distance between us.

He quietly suggests, "You wanna bet a cookie on how long it's gonna take for 'em to get back?"

And of course, I say yes.

Carl's fallen asleep on my shoulder by the time the cars appear at the end of the driveway. I shake him awake, ignoring his blubbering, what, what is it. I get up and go running down the hill to greet them. It took them about an hour to get back. That means I earnt myself a cookie. There's Herschel, sitting in the passenger seat of Rick's car, by the looks of it, totally alive. Dad's truck lurches to a stop nearby. He hops out, and as I clock the brooding look on his face, I realize I got more than just a cookie to be worried about. 

"Daddy, what's wrong?" I ask cluelessly, a little sad I didn't get the chance to hug him. "You ain't hurt, is you?"

Carl jogs up to my side. A few others gather around as Dad yanks the back door open and, holy shit, hauls a full-grown man out by the elbows, throwing him into the grass. We both jump back as if the stranger's diseased. What in the Hell?

As Rick comes around the car with a coil of rope slung over his shoulder, Lori exclaims, "Who the Hell is that?"

The door slams. The man groans in pain as he's forced to his feet by both men.

Ain't no friend of ours, I got that much figured out. He got a bag over his head and two vague pits for eyes, skinny torso, a bloody leg. 

"Oh, fuck," He panics as they drag him like a sack of bricks through the crowd. "Oh, fuck, please, no."

Rick simply grunts, "Welcome back, Jim." 

My jaw drops. This crippled man, it's Jim. They found him. Or they ran into him. Or they—? Did they capture him? As Glenn guides Herschel outta the car and Maggie rushes over to them, I stay with everyone else, tailing Rick and Dad and Jim, 'cause yeah, that's really him. Those are his lanky limbs and that's his dark arm hair and his broken wrist-watch right where it always was. I weren't expecting this at all.

"What's going on?" Dale demands to know. Exactly what I'm thinking. "What on Earth are you—?"

"Please," Jim begs. "My leg — It- It needs surgery. The tendon, it's fucked— I can't—"

"Ran into some fellers in town." He gruffly explains. "He was runnin' with 'em. Got his leg daggered on a fence."

"Running with them?" T-Dog gapes in confusion. "Wasn't he shacked up in some dingy little tent, last we knew of him?"

"Please, my leg— My le-leg, it hurts so bad—"

"He got a story to tell, alright," Dad growls, taunting him through the fabric, "But man ain't so loose-lipped as he used to be, is he?"

"Man, I duh— I don't even remember saying those things about your kid," He whines, "I swear. That was so long ago now."

"You got nun' to swear on, ya useless shit. You keep talkin', you won't even have yer life to swear on, ya hear me?"

"Oh, fuck," He goes back to chanting, "Oh, fuck, please, no."

Dale scoffs, "So, what, he's back with the gang, now, Rick? This is insanity!"

"We keep him in the shed 'til he talks." Is all he offers as explanation. Lori grabs me and Carl by the shoulders and pulls us back, away from the struggle of limbs and blood, as Dad kicks the shed doors open. They're gonna lock him in there, like a prisoner.

They muscle him inside. We keep hearing cries of, you assholes, I need surgery, as they tie him to a post with the rope.

"Shut up!" Dad snarls, forcing him down. "You ain't worth a damn q-tip right now, let alone surgery!"

"Ran into some fellers?" Jacqui repeats with uncertainty to Lori, who's got no clue what it means. "I thought it was just us around here."

I did, too. Us, cows, sheep, and the sky. But there's fellers out there too, now. I don't think anybody likes the sound of that.

"No, please! Please!" Kicking and thrashing, like that day in the parking lot again. "I'm gonna bleed out before I can tell you anything!"

Rick retorts with one last brutal tug to the rope, "You best start gettin' your story straight, then."

"No, you fuh— you fucking assholes! You can't do this! It's inhumane!"

The doors close on him without mercy, sealing him inside the stuffy darkness.

"He's right, Rick." Dale argues, trying and failing to get a good look at his sweaty, blood-speckled face as he braces the doors with more rope. He got that spooked predator feel about him that I only ever saw on him once or twice before. "He needs medical attention, and now."

"Herschel repaired his calf muscle last night." He shakes his head, turning to face the group. "Pain's only gonna help him talk."

I break away from Lori and wrap my arms around Dad's waist, burying my face against his ribs. He instinctually cradles my head.

"Listen." Rick holds a hand out in front of him, his gaze dark and feral, chest heaving. "For the safety of everybody here, I've decided this is what has to happen. I'm not taking chances anymore. We found Herschel in town, holed up in that bar just like Maggie said, but we weren't the only ones. Couple'a big-mouthed tough guys got in the way and I dealt with 'em. They was with a bigger group, and we picked up Jim on our way out. Camped in the woods for the night. So far, he's told us a whole load of nothin' about these folks."

"What do they want?" Andrea asks, lookin' ready to go hunt them down right here and now.

"What we have." He answers with a shrug. "Source of food, water, stability. It's gotten bad in town. Nothin' left but walkers and rats."

I glance up at Dad through my screwed brows, 'cause bad folk steal what they want from the people who got it, and that's scary. I don't want those men to take our fresh cheese and bread, our swing, our wells. He gives me a strong look, soothing his hands through my hair.

"It ain't like they know where we are." He reassures us all. "I doubt they're gonna be ridin' down here like Jesse James."

"Not yet," Dale scoffs, unamused. "How long until they do?"

 Jacqui adds, "We got that horde to think about, too, don't we?"

"I am figurin' it out." Rick scolds loudly, scaring everyone into silence. "Christ's sake, I killed my best friend yesterday. I am trying."

There's nothing to argue against that with. Trying is all Rick Grimes does. He does it for us. Nobody can fault him for that.

"But, Rick," Lori apprehensively mutters, as if he hasn't quite thought it through yet, "There's a dying man in that shed."

"I know that, Lori." He quips a little harshly. "Of course I know that. You think I'm enjoyin' this?"

"We should at least start considering what his future is gonna look like." Dale suggests.

"Yeah, man." T-Dog agrees. "I mean, he talks. What then? What's the plan?"

"The plan is he talks and then I kill him."

When Rick says this, I feel like I'm looking at someone who looks an awful lot like the Rick Grimes I care about, but ain't actually him. That's how I'd expect someone to announce they're going on a supply run or taking next shift for watch, not that they're gonna end someone's life. Maybe Maggie was right about him being changed after murdering Shane, because I ain't never heard him talk like this before.

Another murder. My second one. Shane first, now Jim. I'm going to be ready for this one. I'll be strong.

"You can't." Dale lies. We all know it only takes a bullet, and we got plenty of those. "You can't, Rick."

"I don't recall asking for any feedback." He sounds tired. "There is no discussion on this. Not this time. He talks and then I kill him."

As he walks off, the group share startled, disturbed looks, because nobody's okay with this, right? Nobody's actually letting this happen? But the fact is anything Rick says is gonna happen is gonna happen, 'cause Shane's dead and we need a leader, and without anybody really hashing it out or realizing how it turned out this way, seems like that's gonna be Rick from now on. He's doing this to protect the people he loves, same reason he killed Shane, same reason he does everything. It's like Jacqui says. This is what goodness looks like now.

Dale goes running after him, probably to waste his breath some more convincing him to change his mind.

With Rick gone, the next person everybody looks to for guidance is my Dad.

"I'm with Grimes." He warns before they can hassle him. "I wanted that skinny bastard dead the day we left the quarry, y'all know that."

Rubbing at the fine wrinkles on her forehead, Lori sighs, "I don't like this."

"Can't we just take him out to the main road once we're done with him, give him a canteen, send him on his way?"

"Nah, we've done all that before." He frowns. "And his new boys, he'll go crawlin' back to 'em, tell 'em things we'on want 'em knowing."

"Man, this is fucked." T-Dog tsks, turning away.

Dad retorts, "Yeah, what else is new?"

"Look, there's nothing we can do. Did anybody really like Jim, anyway?" Andrea levels in that blunt way she got. "No. So, I say fuck him. The guy's good as dead anyway. It's clear where his loyalties lie, and it sure isn't with us. Now, who's gonna stand watch?"

"I will." Dad answers. "Gimme 'bout ten minutes, I'll take up watch. T can take graveyard."

"Maggie has a plan for that hearing aid, Daryl." Lori says as heads up. "You might wanna go check that out when you can."

He nods in thanks, reminding Andrea not let anyone near the shed, before grabbing my hand and walking over to the house with me. I glance over my shoulder at her, arms crossed over her chest, holster back-lit by the midday sun. She'll be good at ignoring Jim's pleading.

As I turn back around, Dad asks, "How ya been while I was out, chicken?"

"Fine. Helped cook. Did chores." That's not what's on my mind, though, or on his. "Jim gon' die, ain't he?"

"Yeah," He tells me straight. He don't add much else, 'cause there ain't really anything else to add. "He's gonna die."

Unlike some of the others, I know I can't stop it. I couldn't stop the bullet that killed Shane, so why would I be able to stop this one?

People who don't fit in right, people who put us in danger, they get killed. Jim got a whole new group. They ain't lookin' to be our friends. That's danger. Sum' I learnt from all this is that you're better killin' off the problem before you get hurt by it. It's what we do with vermin, like rabbits and bugs. Maybe that's a morbid thing to say. I know Dale would think so. Jim's just a normal man, dyin' in a shed. He ain't killed nobody. But neither did Shane, and look at all the damage he done anyway. Maybe if we killed him to start with, it wouldn't've been so cruel.

"Alright." I settle on. I wouldn't stop it, even if I could. I said I weren't gonna be stupid ever again. So I say fuck him, too.

Dad glances at me. He knows this is how it's gotta be, so that's where the conversation ends.

We step up to where Glenn, Maggie, and Herschel are standing together at the bottom of the porch steps. He looks a little shaken up, his shirt grimy and his suspenders wonky, but he's still standing, which is all that matters. It could'a gone a lot worse for him.

"Bethy's gonna be fine, Dad." She says sweetly. When she notices us, she smiles. "Hey. Thanks for your help, Daryl."

Dad gives a little shrug, 'cause he never liked thanks. "Don't worry 'bout it."

It's clear how much Herschel is loved by his family. I wish my Grandpappy Dixon could'a been a little more like him.

"But I heard from one'a the women you got somethin' for me about a hearin' aid?"

"Oh, right." Her mood dampens a little at the mention of it, but she knows he means no harm. "We were talkin' about it earlier. I offered to give y'all the addresses of some people we knew who might have what you're lookin' for. None of 'em are too far from here."

"That's good of ya." He nods, grateful. "We got our hands full with that shit-sack Davison, but we'll find the time."

Glenn frowns in confusion. "Wait, what's all this about? A hearing aid?"

"It's for Harley." He explains and looks down at me, squeezing my hand. "That gunshot messed her hearin' up pretty good."

"Oh, man. That's unlucky." He gives me that soft, mushy look everybody been giving me. "So you're, like, deaf in that ear?"

"Yeah." I murmur, nervously tugging on the nub under my hair. "And half-deaf in the other'un."

He looks at Dad. "Let me know if you need any help searching, man. Anything I can do to help."

"I'on know if Rick's gonna be up for it way things are, but I'll head out sometime tomorrow if I can. Won't fuss if you wanna join."

"And that business with your friend there in the shed," Herschel says, "Whatever you do with him, please just keep it to yourselves."

"Well, we weren't plannin' on a public execution." Dad shrugs. "Rick'll wanna do it in the barn, I reckon. Y'all won't see nothin'."

"Good." He sighs, even though none of this is good. "I'm not saying I like it, but I know better than to impede on your... politics."

"That what it's called, huh?" He murmurs sardonically.

"C'mon. Let's get you inside now." Maggie gently guides him away. "Thank y'all both again. I'll get that list to you when you need it."

As they climb the porch steps together, Dad gives me a kiss on my forehead and tells me he's gotta go guard the shed now, handing me off to Glenn to walk me back to main camp. Because I guess they don't want me��impeding on the politics, neither.

Dad's not actually on watch. I get that now. I watch the little shed sit there in the distance. There's nobody standin' outside the doors, and they wouldn't just leave Jim unattended like that. So that would only mean that he's inside the shed, doing what people do when they're tryna make someone talk. I can't see through any of the boarded-up windows or the little loft space that looks in, but I don't need to.

Jim don't deserve this, but I think we're a little past getting what we deserve. It ain't my fault he's suffering.

Shane's bones are breaking again. I'm half deaf, but I hear them just fine, and the blood, the cries, the smack of fist on muscle. I thread my fingers through my hair, grip and twist and pull on it, like the memories are in the roots and I can rip them out and throw them away and be done with them, but I can't, so I just drag my hands down my face and throw my head back against the tree I'm sitting under. On the other side of the leaves, the white ball of the sun shining down. I take a few deep breaths. In and out, nice and slow, like Dad showed me.

We been through so much. Escaped and killed and hurt so much, just so we can live. If Jim were to ruin that, or his fellers were to ruin that, I would wanna beat his face in, too, 'til it was just a piece of meat balanced on a neck. That, he would deserve.

It's as I'm staring at the clouds floating across the sky, that the brim of a cowboy hat enters my vision.

I know it's Carl before I look at who it belongs to. He says something I can't hear, holding out a granola cookie to me. I assume that's the cookie he owes me from the bet, and that he's telling me I can have it, so I take it from him. He settles down to my right.

"I tried to get one without raisins," He says apologetically, voice clearer now. "But Glenn kinda ate them all already."

"'Course he did." I take a big bite. "It don't matter. I like raisins anyway."

He pulls a bit of a face, because nobody likes raisins. "I'm just gonna forget you said that."

We fall into silence after that. There's nothing to talk about except the hostage in the shed and the fact his Dad is gonna kill him soon, and maybe raisins, but nobody likes talking about raisins. You know, there's lots of different types of killing. There's mercy killing, which is what the vet did to Tank. It's what Dad does to any deer we find half-dead on hunting trips, or ones suffering on the side of the road after they weren't ran over all the way. Then there's self-defence killing. That's for walkers, and people that wanna kill you. There's killing for food. We do that all the time. And then there's murder, which is almost the same, but feels a whole lot different.

"How do you think they're gonna do it?" Carl suddenly asks, his tone dull, neither here nor there.

I pause. It. Killing Jim. I don't know how they're gonna do it, but Dad says it'll be in the barn. They got ropes and rafters in there.

"Maybe hang him." I guess, but that don't feel right. "Prolly just cap him in the head, though."

"Is that what they did to Shane?"

Bones breaking. Fist on muscle. A spike of blood. I shake my head with a simple, murmured, "No."

He knows better than to start guessing what did happen. "Well... How'd your Dad kill Ronnie?"

Huh? "How you hear about that?"

He shrugs one shoulder. "Heard Maggie talking to my Dad about it."

I didn't think anybody else knew about Ronnie. I've always been told it's a bit of a taboo story, and I shouldn't talk to Meemaw or any kids at school about it. But if anyone had a problem with mine and Dad's past, I would'a known about it by now.

"That was my Dad and Merle." I confess, after deciding I can answer this question. "They didn't shoot him. They chased him into the woods and beat him so bad he ended up dyin'. Then Merle ran away for a bit and Dad went to prison."

"Guess both our Dads are murderers." A sentence I've never heard before. "Do you ever wish you were more like him?"

"Nah. I couldn't get any more like my Daddy if I tried." I'm my Daddy's girl. I'm just cursed that way. I got his little moles and his nasty glare, his dirt blonde hair and his short temper. I got all his good parts and all his bad, painful, thrown-away parts running through me, and I poke my tongue out when I skin animals, and I hurt the people I love. I guess the only gene I'm missing is the one that lets him lock it all away. I ain't strong like that, but I don't wanna admit that to Carl, or to anybody. I don't wanna admit I'm weak. "What... What about you?"

Carl's got his Dad's blue eyes and his goodness. Oh and of course, his hat.

He considers the question for a long time. "I'm not a very good protector. I've never killed anything."

"Well, you ain't got a gun, do ya?" I try joke, swallowing the last bite of cookie. "How you meant to protect anybody?"

It don't make him laugh. "Be serious."

"Carl," I say a little frustratedly, "I've killed two walkers and watched a man die by now, and I can tell you it don't make you any tougher."

I don't know why he can't see that, especially with his parents arguing over by the fence the way they are, getting louder by the minute.

"Kinda just messes things up." I mutter. "It's horseshit, like Maggie says."

I watch Rick pinch the bridge of his nose as Lori shouts at him.

"You know what," Carl cringes, "Maybe you're right."

"Do you think they're arguin' about Jim?"

We both know they are. "Yeah."

I like Lori. She doesn't laugh at me when I can't spell something right. But if I were Rick right now, I'd bust a damn gasket and scream somethin' like, leave me alone, woman! Because the last thing I'd want is somebody badgering me on this. He said it himself. He doesn't want to kill Jim, but he doesn't have any other choice if he wants to keep us safe. He's stressed enough without this nonsense.

Instead of that, though, Rick exclaims something totally different, just loud enough for me to hear.

"You're pregnant?"

Oh, Lordy. She told him?!

Carl whirls on me like this was my doing. "Did he just say pregnant?!"

I don't get time to reply before he gets up and runs over to them, calling out excitedly. I knew he'd be happy. But I don't know so much about Rick. He threads his fingers in his hair, taking a step back. The look on his face is the same one Dale used to get when the RV suddenly started making a strange noise and he had to figure out how to fix it. I don't even think Lori meant to tell him. She just blurted it out.

"Cat's out the bag, I guess." Glenn muses lightly from nearby, as Carl wraps his arms around his Momma's belly.

She seems a little shocked, too, but she still returns the hug and kisses his fluffy hair.

I can't hear them anymore, so I walk over to Glenn and ask him eagerly, "What're they sayin'?"

"He's asking if it's a boy or a girl," He relays to me, "But they won't be able to tell until the baby's born."

"When's that happen?"

Carol approaches us with a fun little smirk. She must've overheard as well. "In about nine months, if everything goes right."

That's almost a year. Where are we gonna be a year from now? A lot can happen in one month, let alone nine. Will there still be eleven of us, or will there be less? We gonna make it to twelve? I'm not sure how having a baby at the end of the world works. I think ya need lots of medicine and a little beanie to put on their head, but we don't have those things. We only have each other, a vet, and some aspirin.

Lori and Carl walk back into camp together. He's smiling like he's swallowed the sun.

"I'm gonna be a big brother." He exclaims, as Carol gives Lori a supportive hug. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"Pretty cool." I agree, but I can't help glancing over his shoulder at Rick, who's slumped against the fence, head in his hands.

"You heard? God. I don't want this to be made a big deal out of." Lori mutters to her. "It's not good for anybody."

"Don't be silly. I think we could all do with a little hope around here. What's more hopeful than a baby?"

"I'm talking about..." She whispers this next part.

Carol smiles sadly when she pulls back. "Don't worry about that. He's out of the picture, now. Just focus on Rick."

"Hey, if the baby's a girl," Carl suggests, "Can we name her Sophia?"

"I think that would be lovely," Lori says very earnestly, looking to Carol, who seems to also like that idea. "Guess we'll have to see."

The two of them get sucked into conversation with Glenn after that, and it looks pretty serious, so me and Carl are left on our own again. He continues babbling about the baby, and I try my best to listen, but I'm distracted thinking about how Glenn's no longer keeping an eye on us like he's meant to, and Dale's facing the opposite direction on watch. We could sneak off to the shed without anyone noticing.

"And if it's a boy, we can name him Nate. You know, like Captain Nate and the Awesome Eight. The comic I read you, remember?"

I don't know what's gotten into me, but I ask him with no warning, "Wanna sneak into the shed?"

His grin fades, until there's nothing but apprehension on his face. "But we're not allowed. I thought you said you hated getting in trouble."

"I thought you said you wanted to be tough like your Dad," I retort. I do hate getting in trouble, but I wanna get inside that shed a whole lot more. I wanna see what Dad's done to Jim, see what happens to people that put us in danger. "Come on. Nobody will see us."

"I don't know, Harley." He mumbles. I never thought I'd be the one coercing him into mischief. "It might not be safe."

"Safe? When since do you care about being safe?"

He hesitates to answer. "It's just, I'm supposed to look out for you. And I'm gonna be a big brother soon, so I gotta learn how."

"I ain't your practice-sister." I scoff, feeling a little offended. "I don't need no big brother to take care of me. I taught you to shoot."

"I just wanna keep you safe like the adults do." He says more sternly now, like I'm being unfair. "Like my Dad does."

"Well, I wanna go smack the shit outta Jim," I sass, "Like my Dad does."

With that, I turn on my heel, making a beeline for the shed. It don't even take him five seconds to give in and follow after me.

"No, no, Daryl, c'mon, man, please. We used to be on the same side. You don't have to do this."

"How many in yer group, huh? I said, How many?!"

Whack!

I pull Carl with me around the corner of the shed, ducking down into the grass, holding a finger to my lips. On the other side of the wall, Jim groans. It sounds blubbered, as if his gums are swollen and his lips are fallen off. I peek through a tiny hole in the wood.

"Thuh— Th- Thirty." He answers breathily. It's dark in there, but I can make out both their figures. "Thirty. Thirty guys."

"Where?" He growls, pacing around in the shadows. "Where they camped?"

"Why— Why the fuck would I tell you, huh?" He sniffles wetly, but it's not snot. "I'm dead, anyway, man! Fuck the whole lot of ya!"

"You wanna put this whole farm in danger, is that whatcher sayin'? You're a smart-mouthed piece'a shit?"

"You're the ones who left me!" He shouts, kicking and pulling and wriggling against the rope like a feral creature itching for a fight. He's never gotten along with our group. Given the chance, I know he'd throttle any one of us. "Maybe I should want you to pay!"

"The feeling's mutual." He snarls. There's a little, wait, no, before he rears his fist back in the air, and then a disgusting cracking sound as it comes down on his cheekbone. Carl whispers in my good ear, what do you see, but I don't answer him. I watch as Dad crouches, his face mere inches from the bruised mess that's meant to be Jim's, staring him down like if he does it hard enough, he can kill him just like that. "I'm only gonna tell you this once." He warns, his voice a rumble. "My little girl is on this farm. If you breathe the wrong way. If you make a funny look I don't like. If you take too long answerin' me 'cause you're chokin' on yer own blood, and that puts her at risk..."

Jim's bloodied neck bobs under a heavy gulp, his chest shivering with shallow puffs.

"I will kill you so slow... you'll be beggin' to eat a bullet." That's far from an empty threat and he knows it. "You understand me?"

"Yeah. Yes. Yes." He nods. "I'm not tryna be smart. I'll— I'll talk."

"Let's try this again, huh?"

"They move around." He confesses. "They never stay anywhere more than a couple nights. That's all I know, but they got guns. Heavy stuff, like automatics. I used to clean them. That's why they let me stay, after they found me camping in the woods. I went with them b-because they had food, but that's all gone, now. They're branching out. I swear I had nothing to do with the other stuff. I swear."

"You just happened to be there last night, is that it? Tryna tell me you're innocent?"

"I've always been innocent."

Liar. I remember him snarking to my Dad that the trip out the quarry to save my life wasn't worth it, that it was a waste of our gas.

"If you're memory's that bad, buddy, I can crack yer head open and we can sort through yer brains together, how's that sound?"

"Like a f-fucking nightmare." He slurs. "Always is with you."

Dad's about to break his other cheekbone in when Andrea calls out his name. I pull away from the peephole just as he turns around, my heart racing as the creak of the old doors come, then their voices. I can't make any of it out like I would'a been able to before my hearing went to shit, which makes me a little jealous of Carl, but I can tell the point at which one of them walks away 'cause there's silence.

With the shed quiet and empty, Carl points above my head. "We can get in that way."

The loft. It hangs over a pile of rotten wood laying in the overgrown weeds. It doesn't look like an impossible distance to climb, so I give him a nod. He follows me out, warning me to, be careful of splinters, which almost makes me roll my eyes because he really does think he's a mini grown-up now. I ignore him and hop onto the planks. He jumps up onto the loft first and then rolls onto his tummy and pulls me up after him. He asks me if I'm alright, which of course I am, so I duck through the opening and climb down the ladder.

My boots hit the straw, then his. I can't believe we're really in here. This is way worse than sneaking into the woods.

"Who's—? Who's there?" Jim startles, peering at us through his puffy eyelids.

I step into the single beam of sunlight shining down on the dirty floor, and only then his face morphs with recognition. I stare him down. He looks exactly the same as he did at the quarry, but scruffier, angrier, splattered with blood. It's what I must look like, too.

He actually starts laughing, an empty laugh. "Harley Dixon... My fucking luck."

"Be careful." Carl mutters from behind me.

The laughter catches in this throat, a phlegm-y knot that he spits on the floor. "He's right, kid. Your Daddy thinks I'm dangerous."

"I ain't afraid of you," I take great satisfaction in telling him. I've never been able to say that to anybody before. I been scared of Merle, been scared of Grandpappy Dixon, scared of Shane. But I out-lived all of them, and I'll out-live Jim, too. "You're nothin'."

"I thought you died on the road, you know. They always do." A grin creeps onto his lips. "But not you, huh?"

Not me. I been scratched, trapped in a horde, chased, lost, stabbed, taken and shot at, but no. "Not me."

"I'll be dead soon." He lilts uncaringly. "I'm not gonna beg. No you. Not anyone. I know it's coming. Your Dad, Rick, or... Even my own leg. Something's gonna kill me, and I'm not gonna fight it." As he speaks, his head lolls to the side and he gazes out at nothing. "You can't. Can't fight gravity, can't fight nature. Can't fight death. I tried, though. All of it, I tried, and here I am. Pissin' blood in a shed, waitin' to die."

"I ain't never cared for no sob story." I scowl, moving into his line of sight, crouching down. "'Specially not yours."

He glares at me through his dark brows. "You're a little s-shit-stain, aren't you, just like your old man."

"None of us ever liked you, neither."

"Whatever happens after I'm gone," He sneers, breathing heavily, so heavily I can feel it huffing and puffing on my forearms, "You're all gonna deserve. F-for being so cocky. Thinkin' you're better than everyone else, thinkin' you can cheat death. For leaving me."

"Whatever happens after you're gone," I retort just as angrily, "We sure ain't gonna spend it missin' you."

He bares his teeth, straining against his bindings to get in my face, but I remain stony, like Dad would. "You— You should've never made it out that quarry." He rages under his breath, "They can give you all the— all the hugs and kisses in the world, but when they tell you everything's okay, they'll still be lying. It's what I told my wife and my two boys a hundred times, but it didn't matter."

The louder he hisses the words at me, the wetter his eyes get.

"They came out of nowhere. Dozens... and dozens. Pulled them right out my hands." His voice cracks. "The only reason I got away was because the dead were too busy eating my family. I was meant to die with them. I was. And you— you're just a little kid. You should've died to those scratches. You're supposed to be dead. All of you. You're all supposed to be dead."

Before I can stop myself, smack!

"You don't get to say that." I scold him, shaking out my stinging palm. "Only dead one 'round here is you."

He groans. "Shuh— S-sure."

The doors swing open. Andrea comes in, shock across her face as she realizes what's going on. She snatches mine and Carl's hands in her own and drags us out.  We stumble as she throws us ahead, shouting something at Jim before slamming the doors shut again.

"What the Hell were you two doing in there?" She asks incredulously as she picks up the rope and re-binds the handles.

"Please don't tell our parents." Carl immediately begs.

Too angry to speak, I take myself over to the swing and plop down on it, rubbing at my red palm. I slapped Jim pretty good. If only we didn't get caught, I could'a done a whole lot worse to him, maybe even broken in his other cheek. He's a bastard for sayin' those things. We had our reasons for casting him out, and he sure as shit ain't bothered figuring out what they were. He's still as smart-mouthed as ever. I ain't even feel bad his wife and kids got eaten, 'cause that's just what happens now. He ain't special for letting it drive him mad.

"Listen, buddy," She scoffs as she turns around, putting her hands on her hips. "I won't, but that was plain stupid."

"We were only talking to him." He argues innocently. "We didn't do anything."

She raises a brow. "Oh, yeah? What was that slap sound, then?"

"It was me." I admit with a bitter tone, dramatically dropping my hands in my lap. "I cracked him for bein' smart."

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you." She chuckles, seeming annoyed and amused at the same time. "You wanna die? Is that it?"

I frown deeply. Like I said, blunt. She's the only person outside my family who's ever given me a run for my money on that front. "Maybe I do," I sass her. "Maybe beatin' on somebody makes me feel a little better. You got a problem with that?"

"Not at all." She surprises me by shrugging. "I get it. But really, guys? Jim?"

"You want me to hit you instead, then?"

"God," She laughs. "Maybe if Beth had half the fire you got in you, she'd actually be worth something."

"Hell's that mean?"

"Means if you asked me for a knife like she did, I wouldn't bother giving you one. You'd find a way."

"Give her a knife?" Carl pulls a stank-face at her. "That was you?"

"She didn't have the guts to do it herself." She explains. "So I gave her the push she needed."

"Why would you do that?" He sounds betrayed when he says this, turning and taking my hand. "Come on, Harley. Let's go, now."

He pulls me off the swing and leads me away, a grumpy look on his face.

"Screw her." He exclaims. "Don't talk to her ever again. She's crazy."

"Sure thing," I murmur, too busy thinking about how I can sneak back in the shed again soon to sound all too convincing.

That afternoon, I relish in the gentle sounds of rustling leaves and little squirrels and birds chittering throughout the forest, the crisp breeze blowing through my hair. I've never really liked the cold all that much, but this is good. I remember when I was just a tot, around the first time I ever saw snow, I tugged on Daddy's sleeve and asked him, when we goin' huntin' today, but all he said was, can't, baby, all the game's hidin' away in holes. I was a little confused on that for a while. Couldn't the animals just put a coat and hat on like the rest of us? That was back when I thought the whole world was like it was in the cartoons. I learnt fast that it weren't.

"Heard you was beatin' on Carl today." Dad casually hums. I follow him along the trail, keeping an eye out for paw prints or broken twigs. September's almost over now, if it ever even was September, and Winter's on its way. Nature's one of the only things ain't changed, and I know the slim chances of finding game ain't changed neither, and so does Dad, but I think he don't care. "You wanna talk about it?"

He just wants away from the farm for a while, time where it's just the two of us. Even if we ain't catch nothing in the end.

"He was bein' a jerk to Carol." I explain, and that's putting it lightly. "So's I whooped him."

Surely Dad won't care like Lori does. He was the one that taught me to whoop stupid boys in the first place.

"Baby," He seems to struggle saying, before coming to a stop, facing me with a funny look. "You can't be doin' that no more."

Oh. He does. But, "I've always done that."

"Yeah, and so've I." He tells me. "I don't gotta tell you twice. Only time my fists ain't been swinging was when I was busy cleanin' the blood off 'em. But like I told you at that pond, I'm puttin' that behind me when it matters, a'right? That lil' scrape wit' Carl, that matters."

Only other punishment I ever got was time out. "You sayin' I should'a put him on a stump, instead?"

"I'm sayin' let his parents put him on a stump, or take his shit away, or whatever it is they wanna do. It ain't on you to dish that out."

"But Grandpappy Dixon and Merle used to beat on me, and they weren't my parents."

"Weren't on them, either." With an angry scoff, he turns back around. I chase after him. "Weren't even on me. Ain't none of us treatchu right."

I guess I should'a thought more wisely about laying into Carl. But I ain't ever practiced. None of my family have. Beat first, think later. Next to, Fuck the cops, that's always been the Dixon motto. But me and Dad, we gotta be different. There's more to us than our anger.

"Well, I'm gon' try treat everybody else right, anyway." I decide. "Next time, I'll just call Carl an idiot and leave it at that."

I hear him chuckle to himself. I guess that means it's a good plan.

It's at this moment that the honking trill of a deer sounds through the trees. Both of us stop dead in our tracks. He reaches for me, takes my wrist, pulls me behind a nearby shrub. I peek over the leaves, swallowing down a gasp. Rats on hats, there she is. A deer, with sweet black eyes like polished glass, and long, beige legs, walking through the underbrush as if she were made of it. I ain't seen a deer in months, not even when the weather was warmer. Guess I thought the dead ones ate 'em all. I almost forgot how magical they are. Merle always teased me for it, but I used to think deer were just unicorns whose horns fell off. I was always a little sad whenever we ate them.

Dad loads a bolt into his crossbow. I can't hear it, but I'm sure it makes the faintest click, because her big ear twitches, but she doesn't bolt. I watch her bow her head, munching on dead grass, as he lines the sight up with her heart.

He never hesitates to down a target, but this time he does. He watches her, too, then lowers the bow altogether.

I whisper to him, "You ain't gonna shoot?"

"Nah," He whispers back, "It's good just like this."

The deer grazes on the forest floor for a few more minutes, until she decides to move on.

After which, we do, too.

Author's Note.

Whew! Hope you enjoyed this one.

We finally ran into Jim again! Lots has changed since he's been with us, including Harley lmao. She's a menace.

Like I said in the last chapter's notes, I've been dealing with some motivation issues and just a creativity slump in general, so working on this chapter was a ride and a half 😩 Thanks for your support and patience as always. Your comments are what fuel me to write when I can't fuel myself 💙

@poetoflawed

[thisisawonderfulusername]

you’re back

five hargreeves x reader

requested: @generouswombyrat

prompts: 19- “oh, and s/he’s totally in love with you.”

again i changed the prompt up a bit, but i think it’s close enough

summary: when five returns from the future, old feelings resurface

warnings: fluff fluff fluff, a dash of angst. for once there isn’t any cursing (i’m pretty sure) lmao

word count: 1.5k

a/n: a few changes to the universe ig: five returns around the same age as the siblings, and not in his thirteen y/o body. reader is not one of the adopted ones, and not one of the forty-three. i was actually working on this all week while sitting in my classes lol. i really hope it meets expectations, i really like it myself. alrighty, enjoy!

the musical voice of tiffany darwish can be heard throughout the house, muffled through the walls of five’s childhood bedroom. you stand at the window, looking out at the fire escape you used to climb up, just to hang out with him.

with a sigh, you turn around to look at the rest of the room. it’s spotless. you assume it has been for a while now. grace definitely kept up with the whole house, even with all of the kids gone. there was no layer of dust, all of the old uniforms in the closet are still ironed. it brings you back to those days, and it’s hard to believe that it’s been sixteen years since he disappeared.

you can remember that day like yesterday, yet you were only thirteen then.

-

you looked up at the fire escape, taking a short breath. you have done this for years, and you had perfected the technique of getting your coffee and donuts past the ladder to the first platform.

the bag of donuts is held in your teeth, freeing one of your hands. the other holds the tray of the coffees, and you carefully put a foot on the first rung of the ladder, before grabbing on to the side it and pulling yourself.

it used to be a slow process, but you have mastered it by now. slide your hand up, and step up a few more rungs. when you got close enough, you placed the tray and donuts on the platform and climbed the rest of the way. luckily, the rest of the way up was stairs.

when you got to the window and knocked on the glass a few times, you expected five to open it like always, but instead it was vanya who appeared.

your eyebrows furrowed as she pushed the window open, and you hesitantly climbed in. sitting on the sill and silently dropping to the floor, to avoid the risk of his father finding out that you were here. “vanya? where’s five?”

she seemed nervous, which you thought was weird. you slowly placed the food on his desk as she played with her fingers.

“he’s- he’s gone, y/n.”

you think you’ve heard her wrong. you had to. there was just no way.

“what?” you question in disbelief, hating the small crack in your voice. “what do you mean, ‘gone’? what do you mean?” you sound more desperate the more you speak.

“he ran out.” she explains, avoiding eye contact. “during dinner. he was arguing with dad about time travel and he just- he just left.”

you fall onto the edge of his bed, feeling the tears beginning to swell in your eyes. “no.” you whisper to yourself, “no!”

before you know it, you’re sobbing, and vanya is at your side to comfort you.

-

you bite your lip as the memory rises to the surface. sitting on the bed, you focus on the lyrics playing.

i think we’re alone now

the beating of our hearts is the only sound

the music stops as there’s a loud rumble is heard outside. the whole house feels like it’s shaking and outside, there is flashing blue light that floods into the room through the window.

you run down the stairs, and into the large courtyard. there, in the sky, is a glowing blue portal type thing.

“what is it?” you hear vanya ask.

“don’t get too close!” allison’s voice, and then,

“yeah, no shit.”

luther pushes past everyone, looking up at the thing. “looks like some sort of temporal anomaly. either that or a miniature black hole. one of the two.”

“pretty big difference there, paul bunyan.” diego tells him.

“out of the way!” klaus comes running out of the house, and you quickly step to the side as he rushes forward with a fire extinguisher, spraying at the anomaly before giving up and just throwing it in. it disappears.

“what is that gonna do?” you shout over the loud rumbling.

“i don’t know,” klaus shrugs, a whine in his tone, “do you have a better idea?”

electricity starts to crackle around the portal, and klaus is falling back behind everyone again.

“everybody get behind me.” luther commands, and you don’t mind listening to him for once, but of course diego has to step in front too.

“i vote for running, come on!” klaus yells.

you watch as you can see a person pushing through before falling onto the ground from the portal.

as if it didn’t happen, the thunder and electricity in the air disappear, and all of you step forward towards the man. your eyebrows furrow as you think you recognize him while he is standing up.

“does anyone else see...” klaus points towards him, “he looks like a grown up five.”

your eyes widen as you realize that he’s right. “oh my god.” you rush forward, grabbing him and crushing him in a hug. “oh my god, you’re back!”

“they’re totally in love with each other.” you can hear klaus say it, and your face suddenly feels hot, but you choose to ignore it.

-

you’re back in his room, and the memory of him disappearing that day is replaced by all of the good times you had together. thinking about what klaus said, you think that he just might be right. you felt it when you were younger- of course you didn’t realize what it was at the time. you felt like a kid again. heart racing at the sight of him... all grown up.

yet he still looked like your five.

“i missed you.” your voice is surprisingly quiet as you lay on your back next to him, staring up at the ceiling as you play with your fingers that rest on your stomach.

“i missed you too.” his voice is quiet as well, and you turn your head ever so slightly to catch a small glimpse at him.

biting your lip for a moment, you think about what to say. “where were you?” you decide to ask, and you can tell that the question makes him tense for a moment.

he takes a glance at you, before taking a deep breath. “i got stuck in the future.” he tells you, and your eyebrows furrow slightly.

“stuck?” you repeat.

“yeah.” he gives a small nod with the confirmation, “i overestimated myself, and the consequences were like some sort of sick punishment. i should have just listened to that old man.”

there’s quiet for a moment as you wonder what he meant by a punishment. turning on your side, you look at him. “what do you mean? was it not just… normal?”

his head turns and his eyes meet yours, and you can see some sort of pain in them. “it was an apocalypse.”

you’re stunned into silence, and your lips just hang apart as you try to process his confession. “i don’t know how it happened, but there was fire and everything was just crumbled to the ground and-” he gulps slightly, and your eyes soften, “i saw all of them. dead.”

“oh my god, five.” you know who he meant, and you can only imagine what he felt in that moment. your hand meets his and you hold it softly. “i’m so sorry.”

“it wasn’t your fault.” you can feel his grip around your hand tighten slightly. “i just wish i wasn’t stupid enough to actually try that.”

“well...” you pause for a moment, not exactly sure what to say. “you’re back now, and that’s all that matters.” of course it’s not all that matters. he must have gathered so much trauma over the sixteen years he was stuck in a literal wasteland… you couldn’t imagine having to go through that.

he’s quiet for a second, before he turns on his side as well and your eyes meet. it was like staring into the past. “it is.” his agreement is surprising, but it makes you smile softly.

a long silence falls, and it feels like you’re just staring into his eyes for what could be hours, but in reality it was only really a few minutes or even less.

you take a shaky breath. “can i kiss you?” the question slips from your mouth unexpectedly, and you nearly slap yourself in the face. “god, i’m sorry, i didn’t mean-”

you aren’t able to finish your apology for the words you blurted out because he had leaned forward and caught your lips in his.

it seemed like something you were waiting for for years. maybe you were. it felt right.

it doesn’t last long enough for you, but you feel like the oxygen has been sucked from your body as you open your eyes to look at him. a small smile spreads across your face.

“i’m glad you’re back.”

taglists

main: @horrorklaus @megasimpleplan4ever  

tua: @rasberrymay @noodlextrash @atomicpillar @malfovs  @andreasworlsboring101​  

five taglist: @anapocalypseinmymind @five-hargreeves-official @insatiable-ivy @coffee-e-addict @xplrreylo @fandomfreakff @colie-babi @flowertoty @avovada @badwolf00593

[rosaliestark01]

Dusk Till Dawn - Part 7

Peter Parker x Reader

Summary: Peter and your friends realize that you’re in trouble, meanwhile Tony seeks advice from the other Avengers

Warnings: angst, injured characters, angry!Y/N

A/N: @annies-marvel-imagines will no longer be posting more parts, but she will still receive credit.

Tony paces around his lab, clearly thinking hard. Lately, that was where he spent most of his time. Currently, He was working on an upgrade for your suit. Usually, he'd have finished the upgrade weeks ago, but for some reason, it is never good enough, and he inevitably ends up scrapping it and starting over.

"Tony, you've been working for hours," Pepper says as she steps into the room. "Vision ordered pizza."

"I'm not hungry," he mumbles without looking up. This time, he was sure that he'd be able to finish the upgrade. Then, he'd be able to move on to upgrading Peter's suit, then his own.

"You've been saying that a lot lately." Pepper sighs as she walks up to him and places a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Does this have anything to do with Y/N?"

"You mean my daughter who hates me?" He mutters under his breath, but she heard it nonetheless.

"She doesn't hate you. She's just going through a tough time." Pepper was a teenager once, and she'd had times where her relationship with her parents wasn't perfect, despite them wanting the best for her. All she needed was time, and maybe you do too.

"Pep, she can barely look at me." In all his years of raising you, Tony had never thought that your relationship with him would ever become what it is now. "Did I do something wrong?"

Pepper didn't exactly know what to say to that. She didn't think that Tony did anything wrong, yet how could she make him see that?

"Come and eat. Maybe we can all talk about it downstairs," Pepper finally said as she leads Tony to where everyone else was waiting.

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

"Happy?"

Harley was currently poking Happy with a selfie stick he had found under someone's car in an attempt to wake him up. Unfortunately, it wasn't working, and Peter was starting to lose it.

"Dude, he's out cold," Harry groaned in annoyance that Harley actually thought that poking him could possibly wake him up. Harley rolled his eyes as he stood up, leaving the selfie stick next to Happy's motionless body.

Meanwhile, MJ was becoming fed up with Peter's constant pacing. She, and the rest of their friends, could clearly see that he was starting to lose his mind with worry, which was the least helpful thing at the moment.

"Sit down," MJ said to him in hopes that he'd calm down enough to think clearly. None of them could really be in the right state of mind while their superhuman friend was in panic mode.

"I can't-" He argued, and both Harry and Ned had to sit him down on a nearby bench. He seemed calmer, but not by much.

"Peter, just think for a second. Something isn't right," Ned exclaimed. It was pretty evident that something bigger was going on than just you going missing and Happy being knocked out.

"Yeah." Harley agrees, nodding his head while deep in thought, "Y/N goes missing, and Happy is out for the count."

"So someone took her?" Betty asks. Everyone was thinking it, but she was the first to say it aloud. It was scaring them how real this was starting to feel.

"Eloise," Peter huffed angrily. He should have known that she'd ruin everything, yet he allowed himself to let his guard down.

"Pete, Ellie didn't take Y/N," MJ sighed.

"Then who else could have?" He yelled. He was sick and tired of everyone seeing Eloise as an innocent misguided girl when in reality, she was the devil in disguise."I have told you guys since she moved here that she is bad news, but nobody listened! Now Y/N is gone, Happy is hurt, and I'm never going to see the love of my life again and-"

"Why would Eloise take Y/N?" Harley asked, not disagreeing with Peter though not wholly convinced. "What use would she have with her?"

"That's what I'm going to find out?"Peter stated as he stood up, his friends following close.

"You can't do that by yourself," MJ stated.

"I'll call Mr.Stark." ------------------------- "I dunno. It seems pretty clear that Y/N can't stand to be in the same room as him," Bucky stated bluntly, causing Steve to give him a light slap on the head.

"Buck," Steve scolded, but Bucky wasn't the only one who thought so.

"He has a point," Sam chimed in, although not wanting to be hit on the head like Bucky.

"Hey." Nat chastised. She's seen first-hand how much Tony cares about you. "It's pretty clear that Tony cares about Y/N. She is his daughter, after all."

"Does Y/N have a diary?" Rhodey asked, causing Pepper to glare at him.

"You're not going to read Y/N's diary," She states firmly. You deserve better than that. "That is a breach of privacy."

"So she has one?" Rhodey asks but quickly quiets down as soon as he sees the glare Pepper sends his way.

"Hey, it might give a reason for why she's so distant," Bucky mutters to the group, which provides mixed reactions. Few nod their heads in agreement, while few shake their head. Either way, they all have one thing in common, which is your best interests at heart.

"It might also give her a reason to distance herself even more. We want to gain her trust, not break it," Pepper argues sternly. She looks at Tony for backup, but one look at him tells that he is desperate for things to go back to the way they were.

"I'm gonna look," He finally says while getting up. Pepper gives him an incredulous look, so he continues, "Guys, this has gone too far. Whatever is wrong with Y/n has put her in danger. If Peter hadn't sensed that something was wrong, Y/N could be dead right now. I'm going to look."

For the past two weeks, he couldn't stop thinking about what could've happened at the bank. You could have died if Peter hadn't shown up. He was worried beyond belief that you'd not only die but die hating him.

"We all care about Y/N," Steve said, bringing some relief to Tony that at least someone was on his side. "She's a good kid, and as much as I disagree with invading her privacy, I do care about her safety. I think that any information could help. We need to get to the bottom of this."

Sighing, Pepper realized that maybe Tony and Steve were right. Something was going on with you, and she worried that it might get worse if something wasn't done soon.

"Well, I think it has something to do with that friend Y/N has been hanging out with," Bruce notes, causing everyone else to mumble words of agreement. Y/N hadn't started acting out until that troublemaker showed up.

"Agreed," Wanda said. "Nothing but trouble."

Everybody hesitantly makes their way into your room, and Nat's eyes immediately land on two flash drives, a red and a blue one,  next to your computer.

"Maybe these could be something?" She says, plugging the red flash drive into your computer. Suddenly, everything made sense. The flash drive was full of files about you that belonged to Hydra. It had almost everything to know about you, but the most concerning one shocked everyone.

"She knows I'm not her real dad," Tony sighs. Everybody, except for Pepper, seemed to be speechless. None of them woke up in the morning knowing that they'd find out that you weren't really Tony's daughter, much less discover that you had HYDRA files on your computer.

"What do you mean you're not her real dad?" Bucky asks, just as confused as everyone else.

"And you never thought to tell Y/N yourself?" Steve interjects sternly. This was something you had a right to know. Obviously, you'd get upset from finding out from someone else."Do you know who her real parents are?"

"That's not important," Tony snaps, causing Steve's blood pressure to rise. It seemed important enough to you for you to start shutting everyone out.  It's no wonder you couldn't trust anyone.

"It sounds like it is," He says coldly.

Before Tony could argue further, his phone started ringing. Judging from the ringtone, he could tell it was Peter, so he answered it quickly.

"What-?" Tony's exasperated voice was cut off by Peter's panicked rambling.

"Mr.Stark, Y/N's gone, and Happy is unconscious in the parking lot."

Everybody froze as soon as they realized what Peter was saying. Something had happened to you, and that was more important than finding out that Tony wasn't your biological dad.

"What?! What happened?"

"I don't know! She said she was going to the bathroom, and she never came back, and now Happy is lying unconscious in the middle of the parking lot, and I don't know what to do!"'

By now, everyone was panicking. This was definitely a million times worse than the bank incident because nobody knows where you are, who you're with, or what you're doing.

"Okay, just stay there. Someone will come to get you."

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

"Are you going to tell me what the emergency is?" You ask Ellie as she drives you towards the city. You didn't need super senses like Peter to know that this was beyond suspicious. It wasn't sitting well with you at all.

"Your dad is hurt," she muttered, but you heard her nonetheless.

"My dad?" Worry began to flow through you until you remembered that Ellie had no way to know something like that.  "How? He was at the compound-"

"Your real dad," she agitatedly reminded you as she rolled her eyes. It made your blood boil how rude she was being. This wasn't like her at all, and you couldn't help but want to get as far away as possible.

The rest of the car ride was silent until you arrived at Ezekiel's apartment. It didn't look any better than when you were last there. In fact, it looked more run-down than it was before.

The moment Ellie pulled out a key to unlock the apartment, your suspicion grew tenfold. Why would she have access to his apartment?

"What happened?" You sighed as you both entered the apartment to find Ezekiel sitting on the recliner with a bloodied rag pressed to his side. It looked like he had the injury, but the pain didn't seem as apparent as it should. Your "dad" wasn't any better than she was, but that didn't mean that you let him get hurt. Still, he gave you the same weird vibes that Ellie did.

"Tony Stark happened," he barked. He suddenly stood up and began going through his drawers and sloppily throwing. "We need to get somewhere safe."

"Not until one of you tells me what the hell is going on," You say. Things were going so well until Ellie showed up. Now you have a headache and a possibly massive problem in the form of two suspicious individuals.

"Stark found out that you've been meeting with me," he explained, but you weren't buying it. The only people who knew were You, him, and Ellie. You even made sure that you weren't being followed.

"How?" You ask, crossing your arms, waiting for a good enough response.

"I don't know, but he showed up at my apartment and beat the living hell out of me," He retorted, his face scrunching up in anger.

You look at Ellie, who is standing by the door. To anyone else, it seems like she's just standing there, but you've had enough training from Nat and Bucky to know when someone is blocking an exit.

"I don't believe this." You mutter to yourself.

"You think I just happened to end up like this?" Ezekiel yells. You couldn't believe that you were stupid enough to fall for this. Their constant push for you to turn your back on your family was a huge red flag that you ignored. Not to mention you haven't forgotten that time that Ezekiel forgot your mom's name.

"What do you need my help with?" You ask, realizing that the only way out of this is to play along.

"I need you to help me destroy the Avengers."

TAG LIST:

Those who want to be added or taken off can message me or @annies-marvel-imagines. Crossed-out tags mean that Tumblr won't let me tag you.

@eridanuswave @perspectiveparker @spidey-reids-2003 @ilovespideyyy @purplekitten30 @slytherinambitious @mxdblxod @grapesauze @elephants-bubbles-brachosauruses @thegayseance @whiskeywinter89

[wickedw3asleys]

Late Night Talks (blurb)

bestfriends!/platonic! Fred x Reader x George

AN: Good night everybody! I thought about this before going to sleep so I decided that since I wasn't able to post my writings for a few days I decided to give you this small blurb of bestfriends!fred and george, so i hope you'll like it!❤️

WARNINGS: nothing... kind of fluffy i guess... it's just a scene of what i imagine doing being the twins' bestfriend :3

You opened the twins' door to their bedroom and rushed into it, not even bothering to knock or say anything.

"Y/N!", George screams, covering his naked chest.

"Georgie, I have seen you in worsts attires, darling...", you sigh, jumping on his bed.

"You should quit that nasty habit of yours of entering our room without knocking first!"

"What's wrong?", asks Fred, joining you on his brother's bed.

"I can't sleep... again... and now I'm mad about it, and I know you guys are sleep deprived too, so you're keeping me company", you say, opening the book you've previously had brought with you.

George put a shirt on an sat next to you and Fred on the bed, "Give me that!", he says, aggressively taking his pillow from under you.

"Merlin, boy, you surely chose violence tonight...", you laugh.

He sighed in fake annoyance and put his pillow on your legs, just to lay his head on it and silently ask for you to caress his hair; a habit he quickly took whenever he was sad or in a bad mood, or even to just relax.

Fred laughed at his brother and slightly kicked him in the ribs, earning a whimper from him.

You loved going to their bedroom late at night when you had nightmares or you couldn't sleep at all. You knew they also had very bad sleeping habits so they are usually awake for most part of the night, unless you came to their room. The moment you get in, you start your usual late night talks and soon end up sleeping all together in one bed, as if you brought them the comfort they also brought to you to finally sleep comfortably.

"So, what's today topic?", Fred asked, stretching his full body and laying down next to you.

"I may have or may have not seen Harry snogging your sister earlier today...", you say nonchalantly, leaving the twins speechless.

"Pardon me, you WHAT?", George says, suddenly getting up from your lap.

"Huh? What?", you say as if nothing had happened.

"Oh, don't play innocent with us, you sneaky harpy!", Fred exclaims, pointing his finger at you.

"Come on! Spit it out!"

You nervously laughed at the two insisting pairs of eyes on you.

"Well... I may or may have not heard that Ginny had a slight crush on him for a few years now... And well, I suppose it was the same for Harry... So... They started dating..."

"NO! That does not give him the right to snogg her! AND DATE HER! What if she was forced?! HUH?!", George starts panicking.

"He's so dead!", Fred gets up from the bed, but got quickly interrupted by your hand firmly grabbing his arm.

"Boys, calm down! No, she was not forced and no, you're not going to kill Harry!", you say, helping Fred sit down again, "They finally talked and after your sister's big disaster with Dean, I think Harry can be good for her! So calm down!"

"B-but-", George starts objecting.

"But nothing! I truly think so...", you warmly smiled to them. You always loved the way they were so protective of Ginny, but they could get pretty dramatic sometimes... Way too dramatic.

"How long has all this been going on?!", Fred asks, his face now between his hands.

"Uhm... A few weeks... A month, perhaps..."

"A MONTH?!", Fred cries dramatically and pull his face down with his fingers.

"Come on, you're going to hurt yourself...", you take his own hands away from him.

"How come no one has told us?! Does mom know?! DOES DAD KNOW?!", George gets up, visibly frustrated.

"Yes, yes, they all know! And you're the last ones to know about it because you two are insufferable dramatic gits that would have started screaming bloody murder the second you'd see Harry even holding her hand", you firmly say.

Fred and George lower their gaze, knowing that you're right. They supposed that they were happy for her; they had been there for Ginny when she and Dean broke up, and made sure Dean would definitely remember it... But they knew Harry wasn't like him. Knowing him like they did, they were pretty sure he would be almost as protective as them of Ginny.

"Are they doing okay?", Fred asks, finally relaxing and laying down to his inicial position.

"Yeah! They look pretty happy together; of course Harry is still that awkward boy we all know, and she's good for him. And he's good for her, he knows how to treat her..."

"Yeah, he better do...", George says, laying his head on your lap again, arms crossed.

"Leave them time... It's too soon to say more anyways...", you say, caressing the boy's hair again.

"Do you think Ron will talk to Hermione too?", Fred asks.

"Ron? Why would he talk to her?", you laugh.

"You're joking, right?", George laughs too, "He's been deeply and madly in love with her for YEARS!"

"You're mad!"

"It's true!", Fred sits up again.

"Oh, yeah? And says who?"

"LITERALLY EVERYBODY!", he exclaims, throwing his hands in the air, "He drools every time he looks at her"

"Come on, you're seeing things"

"No we're not! You'll see when he finally declares himself!", George boops your nose.

"Whatever you say..", you laugh, slowly sliding down on the bed so you're laying down, never pushing away George's head from -now- your stomach.

The three of you took a deep breath, relaxing a bit more and chatting for a few more minutes, before you saw Fred being the first one to fall asleep.

"Come on, Georgie, time to sleep", you slightly slapped him on the forehead, chuckling.

"I was about to, until you interrupted me, you brat!", he gave you a slight slap back.

"Okay, shut it now", you say, slapping his forehead again.

"Y/N, I swear on Merlin's name-", he starts before getting interrupted by your fake snores, "You're unbelievable..."

He chuckled and turned on his other side, head still on your stomach and now facing you; he looked at you one last time and closed his eyes too, thinking about how lucky he was to be able to live and cheer these kind of moments with you... and his brother, of course...

[moonofthenight]

Welcome to New York

@spookypotato and I (thank you again <3) wrote a fic for the server event that is going on at the moment and I wanted to share it here too, enjoy!

*

O'Darwin and O'Knutzy belongs to @lumosinlove

*

CW mentions of food and beverages 

It knocked on Leo’s door at 2pm sharp, which didn’t surprise him at all; Kasey was always so dead on time, it scared him sometimes. The two had planned this day for over two weeks now and since Finn and Logan had their date today, Leo used the free flat to invite the other goalie over. He closed the fridge before he made his way into the hallway to open the door.

“Hello Knutty, long time no see,” laughed Kasey as he pulled the blonde in for a short hug.

“Come in, come in. I got everything prepared in the kitchen.”

“I hope you can still live here after today.”

“Honestly Blizz? No one is as bad as Finn and Logan at cooking, believe me. What they are able to do to food shouldn’t be possible.”

“I don’t even want to know.”

To prevent that from happening, Leo chose a simple meal to start with. When Kasey asked him to teach him how to cook he was a bit surprised at first, but he actually enjoyed the idea of teaching someone. 

“Let’s start with chopping the vegetables, that should be easy, non?”, Leo suggested. It was better to know now, if this would be like the times he tried to teach Logan and Finn.

Surprisingly, the following minutes weren’t a complete disaster like he had expected, Kasey was actually quite decent at cooking and followed Leo’s instructions without trouble. It was fun to spend time together and their cheeks were still a bit red from all the laughter when they went over to the kitchen table.

Just as Leo was about to sit down his phone rang, “I’ll be back in a minute.”

It was a text from Finn.

Alex will be home over the weekend too, just wanted to let you know.

He was halfway through typing out an answer when he got an idea.

Don’t tell him Lo and I will be there

What? Why?

Let's bring Nat and Kase as a surprise. It won't be as obvious if he thinks we all can't come

I love you

Knew you'd like it, lyt

***

They had lost Kasey and Natalie in the airport, when Finn decided to buy Leo and Logan each an 'I heart NY-boys' shirt. A quick call told them that the couple was already outside.

It was colder in New York, the sky was grey but Finn felt warm when he stepped out of the airport. New York was home to him, it would always somehow be, and bringing Leo and Logan with him, especially Leo, since he hadn't been able to bring him as often yet, felt amazing. A warm body snuggled under his arm and he smiled.

“It’s cold,” Logan pouted and hid his face in Finn’s chest.

“I thought you were used to it. I'm pretty sure you even quoted Elsa on that once, baby."

When Logan just continued to pout, he gently leaned down to kiss his messy airplane curls, "If you let me go you can have my jacket.”

Logan was quiet for a minute, “No, you’re warmer.”

Leo chuckled and grabbed their suitcases, “Kase and Nat are over there. I think they spotted the taxi, let’s go.”

Logan peeled himself off of Finn, still pouting a bit but the thought of a warm car seemed to do the deal. Finn and Leo followed quickly, helping Kasey to put all their bags into the back of the car before getting in themselves. Finn leaned forward to tell the driver their destination.

It was quiet for a while after that, everybody was quite exhausted from the flight, Logan was already dosing off on Leo’s shoulder; he carefully moved his fingers through the brown curls, a loving look in his eyes.

“Thank you,” said Nat suddenly, looking at Leo.

“What did I do?”

“For coming up with the idea,” Kasey added, “We haven’t seen Alex for three months now, so, thank you for thinking of us.”

Leo smiled at them, “It’s unfair that you can't see him regularly and I thought it might be a nice surprise for him.”

“I hope he will like it,” Nat said sleepily, resting her head on Kasey’s shoulder.

“I’m glad my brother found you two, I really am. I mean, the distance sucks but he’s so happy with you. He deserves that more than anything,” said Finn and bumped his shoulder lightly with Kasey’s, careful not to wake Nat.

“I’m sorry.” Kasey said and Finn wasn't sure if it was to himself or someone else.

“What?”

“Well, I knew I loved your brother since Tampa and I didn’t have the guts to do something about it. It probably would have saved us some time.”

“Nah, who knows if everything would have worked out like it did now. Sure, maybe you could have saved some time and pain but I’m just glad you found your way now.”

“Thank-” Kasey started but got interrupted by the driver, “We are here, sir.”

Finn reached for his wallet but Kasey was faster, “Take it as some kind of thank you.”

Finn smiled at him. “Will we do it as planned?”

"Yep, we will wait around the corner, you go in."

Natalie and Kasey walked as quietly as possible but the loud noise of the three other suitcases was enough to drown out the rest anyway. The moment Finn knocked on the door, it flew open, as if the older O'Hara had been behind it for some time. 

"Bubbles!"

"Alex!", Finn screamed with equal enthusiasm, laughing at the silly nickname. He threw his arms around his older brother and just held him tight. Finn missed him too, it's not easy if you grow up in a close relationship with your brother and suddenly you are miles and miles away.

Finn didn't want to let him go just yet and decided to continue their hug. It had been too long, really.

Alex just laughed and squeezed him tightly. "Come in, Mum and Dad already made tea and coffee and they bought your favourite- Leo? Logan? What are you doing here?"

At that Finn stepped back, looking at his brother sheepishly, but determined.

Alex's confused face made Logan chuckle, "Hello to you too, Red. How are you doing? I'm good, thank you. I missed you too." Alex rolled his eyes but gave them both a welcoming smile. "Finn can't go a day without us, so he asked us to come with us."

"I did not say that!"

"Mhh, whatever makes you sleep at night, sweetheart," Leo leaned down to kiss their pouting lover. Finn rolled his eyes at him. 

Alex still seemed to be trying to piece everything together, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Guess I just forgot," Finn shrugged and moved past his brother to greet his parents, pulling Leo with him. The taller boy had of course met the O'Hara's but he was still nervous. They had barely made it into the room before both got tackled by hugs.

"It's great to see you Haley," Leo said when he let go and received a loving pat on the cheek as a thank you. They switched places and her arms were replaced by a firm grip around Leo's shoulders.

"Where is my other boy?" Finn's mother asked, going up to her toes and looking around the room.

"Here," Logan said, who came into the living room right that instant, Alex close behind him. "There you are! Oh, come here I haven't seen you in ages!"

"Why do you get so excited to see Logan? You weren't that excited with me. Betrayed by my own mother, I can't believe it!" Alex complained, holding his hand over his heart. 

His mother snorted at Alex's dramatic reaction. "Stop whining and make yourself useful, get some tea for Leo. You still prefer tea, right?"

"Yeah I do, thank you," Leo said with a smile and then blew Alex a kiss, who just subtly flipped him off in return.

The six settled down shortly after and Leo sent out a quick text to Kasey; not a minute later the doorbell rang again.

"Alex, would you be so kind?"

Alex gave his mother a quick nod, before making his way over to the door. He was expecting the mailman but the people in front of him were most definitely not a package. Alex just froze in place and he was pretty sure his mouth fell open too. 

"Hi, baby," said Kasey with a soft exhale, his smile as bright as ever. 

"Wha- I- What?" Alex still hadn't moved.

"Surprise!" said Natalie who threw herself at Alex, jumping up to wrap her legs around the boy's hips. He caught her easily and after another minute of shock, tears formed in his eyes and he pulled the blonde impossibly closer to his body. Alex put a hand on her cheek, kissing her softly. He blinked rapidly and looked up when they parted and Natalie jumped down to the ground again.

"That bad to see us, eh?", said Kasey softly, who still stood in the doorway and watched the whole interaction with a warm, fuzzy feeling around his heart. 

"God, just- come here."

Alex didn't care about anything at all when he finally locked his lips with Kasey. His hands immediately went into the soft long hair of his boyfriend, craving as much closeness as possible. After another moment, Alex pressed their foreheads together, catching his breath. 

The rustling behind them, broke through their shared breaths, "We'll give you a moment to catch up," Haley told them, a knowing smile on her lips as she ushered the other men into another room.

Somehow his mother always knew what was going on. He turned back to his partners, still unable to grasp that they were actually here, in New York City, with him.

"Missed us?" Nat asked as she stepped up close to Alex again, slotting herself underneath the already held out arm of her oldest boyfriend.

Resting his head on hers, he gestured for Kasey to join their group hug. "More than I could ever put into words."

"Love you, Alex." Kasey breathed out as he felt his boyfriend's arm wrap around his waist, snuggling his face into Alex's neck and placing a few soft kisses there.

Another arm was placed around Kasey's waist as Natalie gathered her boyfriends closer to her, breathing in the familiar smell of Mango Shampoo and of the sanitizer Kasey always uses after flights. It mixed with Alex's aftershave, that she still couldn't assign anything else than home, love and safety. It was Alex.

"Love you." she murmured, not willing to move her head further away that was necessary to get the words out.

Alex smiled at them. Oh, how he had missed this. How he had missed them.

"Love you both."

[falcor-thee-luck-dragon]

Love Cuts Deep

Chapter 10- These Are Strange Times

Summary: Could something positive be truly on the horizon? With the random intrusion of though-to-be-dead Scott Lang at the Avengers Facility, your hope for seeing Bucky again may have yet to be a possibility.

Warning: yeah nothing enjoy the ride

Masterlist

-Five years since the Blip-

Throwing on a dark sleeveless top, you suddenly feel the overwhelming urge to sneeze which evidently causes your little furry companion to startle at the unexpected noise. The furry tigress lets out a meow of protest that pulls forth a humored snicker from you, while the little beast sends you an annoyed look.

Recovering her bearings in a flash, she walks across the short wooden dresser like a model strutting on the runway, her thick mane of mahogany and dark chocolate fur glossy and adequately brushed to perfection, just how your spoiled Main Coon, Silver, likes it.

She purrs happily as she begins playing with Bucky’s dog tags that lay across the small dresser top.

“What are you do..? Oh give me that you little shit.” Silver ignores you until she’s rudely lifted and placed firmly on the carpeted floor before you snatch up the valuable memorabilia. Placing it around your neck where it belongs then glancing down to give her a casual shrug, “Don’t give me that look Silv, I bought you a cool bird feathered cat toy like three days ago. What happened to that?” Silver meows, running her head against your worn out old boots as you smile, “Guess it’s as good as dead huh, you little beast. Now you staying or coming with me to find Nat?” Nothing but purrs of affection.

You lean down to gently rub her head before standing up fully and heading for the door, Silver hot on your heels. Soon you’re both traveling down the hallway until you finally reach the large study. Natasha’s on a conference call with Carol, Rodney, Okoye, and the last two guardians of the galaxy, Rocket and Nebula. And by the looks of it, nothing new has been reported. How disappointing.

Soon they all log off, leaving Natasha alone with Rodney who stays to give Nat a little insight into Barton’s violent whereabouts from the last couple years since he’s been rouge. Apparently he took out a whole cartel in Mexico, so he’s been busy. Definitely not keeping up with those group therapy sessions Steve makes you go to to help cope with the loss. Not that you’ve actually been that consistent with them if we’re being real here.

Quickly enough, Rodney logs out, leaving a tearfully conflicted Natasha as she slouches in her comfy swivel chair. Head in her hands as she holds back the waterfall that threatens to spill within her. You take a step forward, leaning casually against a steel rimmed display area for random nick-nacks. “I’d join you in the fun, but I’m limiting my crying sessions between 1 and 2 in the morning on Tuesdays. So, uh....I brought Silver.” You smile, pointing a finger down to your loyal companion, “Well I guess she brought herself but you know.”

Natasha breaks out into a reluctant grin, genuinely happy to have a bit of positive company within her gloom, “And you didn’t even want her to begin with.” Laughs the red head, “Now I never see one without the other.”

You nod with an almost shy smile, “Yeah, she’s alright.” 

You hear soft movement making its way through the hallway behind you just as Silver meows when Steve casually saunters into the room, coming to stand next to your side as the furry beast paws at his shoes, “What are you here for? Doing some laundry?” You tease at the tall blonde.

Steve smiles at your little jab since he’s not usually always present, doing Captain America stuff and whatnot, “Just here to see some friends.”

Natasha chuckles through glossy eyes, “Well clearly your friends are doing just fine.” Steve knowingly nods paired with a small smile, both you and Natasha look relatively well kept and functional as usual. It’s just, there’s a palpable pain and hidden darkness that always appears to simmer lowly on the surface. Just enough for a skilled eye like Steve’s to notice.

“Exactly.” You add, wandering over to sit cross legged on Natasha’s desk as Steve moves to lean against the display, “But if you’re here to tell us to look on the bright side...”

“I’m gonna hit you in the head with this peanut butter sandwich.” Finishes Natasha with a pursued lipped grin as the 90 year old nods. “Um, right. Force of habit.” Admits Steve, pushing himself off the surface to find a seat next to you and directly across from Natasha. 

The three of you keep to a mutual silence for a long moment until he finally speaks, “You know,” Starts Steve thoughtfully, “I keep telling everybody they should move on...and grow. Some do.” He pauses for a moment as you frown, Natasha looking elsewhere as Steve finally continues, “But not us.”

She shakes her head, “If we move on, who does this?”

“Maybe it doesn’t need to be done.” Suggests Steve, he means well of course, but maybe he’s right after all, its been five fucking years with absolutely nothing to make for it. Nothing of any significant progress or even a possible way to fix what's happened. 

Natasha blinks through bleary eyes of saddened green while you pet Silver’s furry mane, refusing to give in to that notion, “No.” You whisper softly, causing them to look at you, “We can’t, it wouldn’t be right...at least,” You let out a gentle sigh, “at least not for me....before all of this, before I met all of you. I had nothing.” You admit thoughtfully, “Not a soul in the world who gave a damn whether I lived or died. Then I found Bucky, then I found this. This.....family. And because of it, I’m better off now then I was ten years ago.”

They keep a respectful silence as your breaths become shaky, teary eyes now trained onto Silver’s little ears, “And I know they’re gone now, believe me I fucking know it, but I’m still trying to be better.” Natasha nods in deep understanding, a couple stray tears falling down her cheeks as Steve crosses his arms.

“I think we all need to get a life.” He muses, his tone light as he tries to pull you two back from the edge of grief. You give him a friendly nudge at his annoying brotherliness, “You first.” He chuckles as you throw him a playful glare while Natasha checks an incoming call.

“Oh, hi! Hello! Is anyone home?” Speaks a man frantically from one of the security cameras, an orange van behind him, “This is, uh, Scott Lang. We met a few years ago at the airport.....in Germany?” Now you’ve got his attention.

“What the fuck?” You mutter in bewilderment at the blue tinged image of Scott as Steve and Nat share a confused glance, the three of you quickly rising to your feet while Scott keeps talking about who he is, how he got here, and what he’s learned about the world so far.

“Is this an old message?” Wonders Steve as he studies the image of Scott who’s still waving his hands up at the security camera.

“It’s the front gate.” Replies Natasha with a hopeful smile.

——

All you came here to do was shoot the shit with Natasha and maybe make some actual dinner, but here you are, laying across the study’s plush couch as Scott rambles on and on about the quantum realm. Whatever that happens to actually be, you’ve never heard of anything like that before, but then again you didn’t know aliens existed at one point. So perhaps anything's possible.

Silver brushes her fluffy head across your fingers as they dangle over the couches edge while Scott keeps at his long-winded tellings of how he got there, what it was like, that he’s been technically gone for only five hours, and now he thinks there’s a way to enter this new plane of existence and travel to a fresh alternate reality. Like through a time machine type deal, or whatever he’s on about.

Apparently he means one before Thanos. But it honestly sounds like a load of horseshit and gibberish coming from a desperate man refusing to acknowledge that this is the new shit reality. There’s no fucking way that’s even goddamn possible, right? No way. 

Maybe?

Drifting back out of your doubtful thoughts, you swiftly move yourself into a seated position as Scott begins to self doubt. Head lowering as he mumbles about how crazy that it. You start chuckling as he throws you an almost embarrassed look. “Scott.” You speak to gather his attention, “Nat gets emails from a raccoon. Your idea is admittedly a bit nuts, but nothings that crazy anymore considering all the wild shit I’ve witnessed in the past six years. So I don’t know, maybe there’s a way.”

Scott flashes a hopeful smile as his brows furrow in thought, uncertainty seeping right back into him, “So, uh...who do we talk to about this?”

——

“Stark! Miss us?” You shout at Tony as he holds Morgan in his left arm, an Ironman helmet grasped firmly in the right. He gives the four of you a less then enthusiastic nod of acknowledgment before wordlessly turning around and taking a step up onto the wooden porch.

You give Steve a shrug, “He misses us I can tell.”

Soon Tony let’s Morgan go off to play with you as you opt in to be the babysitter slash distraction from the grownups who are currently discussing if time travel and gathering the stones for ourselves is even a possibility, or even a palpable option that can be done. You skillfully listen to everything they’re saying as the little Stark shows off her array of multiple plant-life assortments picked from the local greenery.

“So I got this cone from that tree over there and then I put a frog in a glass but dad said I had to let him go so I did.” Babbles on the five year old as you entertain her constant musings.

You raise a brow, knowing her shenanigans all too well, “Is he in the garden?”

She mischievously smirks, sneakily peaking over at Tony who’s seated up on the porch, before giving you a nod, “Yeah. I made him a little house from some flat rocks I found too. I named him Froggo.”

You chuckle, “Oh really, Froggo? I like it, has a nice ring to it.” She nods in delight before walking into her tiny tent to retrieve something new as you catch either Scott or Steve saying something about a time heist, what the hell are they going on about now?

“Y/N! Look at this!” Calls Morgan excitedly while bursting out of the tent to run on short legs over to you who’s seated comfortably in the grass, “I got a cool rock from the lake but I didn’t get to show you last time cause you left early.”

Raising your brows in surprise, though you don’t exactly feel as thrilled as she is, you make sure she knows you care, “Woah! A cool rock from the lake, why Morgan I gotta see this.”

“Look.” She hands you a dull grey rock with a tiny fossil shell indentation on it, “It’s from the dinosaurs.”

Examining the small round object, you nod, “Next thing you know I’ll come back to a whole dinosaur excavation site. Impressive Professor Grant, I’m thoroughly amazed.”

She giggles in excitement, “Y/N I know what that means now.” You give her an inquiring look as she smiles proudly, “That’s from Jurassic Park.”

“And your dad let you watch that, with the big Trex eating the goat and everything?” You tease before handing her the prized object, “Next thing I know you’re going to have a whole dinosaur skeleton in your house.”

“Yeah that would be cool. Thanks ninja turtle.” Cackles Morgan as she hugs her rock, smiling brightly as you throw her a puzzled look before joining in on the laughter. “Okay, now you’ve lost me kid, I can’t say I have any idea what you’re talking about.”

She shrugs innocently, “Dad told me to call you that.” Clearly not understanding what she just called you either. A ninja turtle? The fuck is a ninja turtle?

“I wouldn’t expect anything less.” You muse before looking up to the four of them getting closer to a heated discussion, “Alright Morgs let’s go save your dad before he decides never to invite us back for dinner again.” You add, quickly rising to your feet as she laughs before racing past you, on a beeline for Tony.

You choose to stay out of the conversation and instead wait for Steve, Natasha, and Scott to start walking back towards the car. You lean against the metal as Steve round the corner before catching your eye as he goes down the three steps, “Are we banished from the castle? I was kinda hoping not cause I actually like Pepper’s cooking.”

Steve smiles, “No. He’s not gonna help us is all.”

“Damn that’s shitty.” You retort with a tinge of genuine disappointment, you don’t completely believe this shit is even possible. But dammit if you don’t want them to at least try for all it’s worth. “So what now? I’m guessing you bastards aren’t gonna let this go anytime soon. And cause Tony’s out for the count, we obviously need some different brain power.”

Steve nods while walking closer to the car, “We wanna do this right. So, yeah, we’re gonna need a really big brain.”

Scott turns from Steve to point a thumb in Tony’s general direction, face a mask of confused puzzlement, “Bigger then his?”

-

After a less then pleasant adventure to some cozy little diner in New Jersey where the four of you were subjected to Banner in his weird Hulkness body or whatever the hell he is now. Turns out he was most definitely on board for this time traveling experimentation. Of course he was, the weirdo takes fucking selfies with children nowadays. 

So here you five are now, in the giant glass and metal garage of the Avengers Facility getting things ready for whatever nonsense is about to take place next. The back of Scott’s orange van closed for the moment, keeping hidden some reactor core thing behind its doors. Scott in some safety quantum realm suit while Banner and Natasha stand behind a large intricate assembly of high tech equipment in preparation for the events to hopefully follow.

You keep an amused yet genuinely curious stance off to the side as Bruce gives you a thumbs up, nodding, you face Scott who’s walking over to the van. “Okay, here we go. Time travel test number one everybody! Scott get that bitch open!” You shout with a small bout of rare enthusiasm while he opens up the doors.

“Emergency generators are on standby.” Announces Steve as he walks into view from behind some large plastic containers covered in safety rope.

Banner nods, “Good, because if we blow the grid, I don’t wanna lose, uh..” He points a green thumb at Scott who’s getting his helmet ready, “Tiny here in the 1950’s.”

Scott’s head snaps up in an instant, “Excuse me?” He worries.

Natasha smiles while looking down at her touch pad, “He’s kidding.” She sing songs before shaking her head up at Banner, “You can’t say things like that.”

Banner turns around to face a fearful Scott as you snort at the small bout of humor that you did happen to find rather amusing. Then again, you’re not the labs guinea pig, so instead you casually shrug while giving Scott a half persuasive grin and a thumbs up of reassurance, “Bad joke.” You add as Bruce nervously laughs, “Yeah, it was a bad joke.”

Scott nods apprehensively before turning to walk over to the reactor, appearing to believe the two of you, “You were kidding, right?” Asks Natasha as you raise a brow at Bruce in question. Albeit a smidge doubtful he actually one-hundred percent knows what he’s doing.

“I have no idea.” Whisper yells Banner, confirming your suspicions, “We’re talking about time travel here. Either it’s all a joke, or none of it is.” Explains Bruce, suddenly smiling as he lifts his attention back over to Scott, “We’re good!” He shouts with a positive thumbs up of that prominently famous green.

“Oh we’re so fucked.” You mutter humorously while Natasha shares an uncertain look with you.

“Get your helmet on.” States Banner as Scott does just that, “Scott, I’m gonna send you back a week...let you walk around for an hour, then bring you back in 10 seconds. Make sense?”

Scott smiles brightly, waving him off with confidence, “Perfectly not confusing.” He muses with an almost annoyingly positive expression.

“Good luck Scott. You got this.” Encourages Steve while Scott grins proudly. “You’re right. I do, Captain America.” Then just like that’s he’s gone, sucked into the reactor like a crumb into a vacuum cleaner.

“On a count of three..” Begins Banner, “Three, two, one.” Bruce flips some switches as the machine whirs before a second later and there’s Scott. In the body of a teen. “Uh, guys? This doesn’t feel right.” Worries teen Scott as his brows furrow in confusion, clearly not aware of how he looks. This just got interesting.

“What’s going on?” Questions Steve as Bruce urgently flicks more switches. “Who is that?” Wonders Natasha as you snort at teen Scott, snickering at how absolutely ridiculous your life is becoming and the weird shit you’re adding to the list.

“Oh my god he looks so innocent, like before the world hurt him.” You muse as Natasha’s brows raise in bewilderment, giving you a side glance as she focuses back on the person in question. “Is that, Scott?”

“Yes, it’s Scott!” Protests the sassy little 14 year old before whoosh and he’s gone once again while Banner squats down out of view to mess with some more buttons. A hot second later Scott’s back, this time looking significantly different.

“Oh, my back!” Complains the short wrinkly 80 year old man, Steve sending the back of Bruce a troubled look, “What is this?”

“Hold on a second. Could I get a little space guys.”

Steve hastily jogs around Bruce as he makes his way over to you and Nat, “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Can you bring him back?”

“I’m working on it.” Mumbles Banner with underlying urgency as he flicks more switches in hopes of getting a better result, whoosh, and Scott’s gone again before reappearing as a...

“It’s a baby.” Deadpans Steve in astonishment.

You burst with laughter, “It’s Scott! Let’s just keep him this way so we don’t have to hear him ramble about how amazing you are, Captain America.” You tease playfully as Steve throws you a what-the-fuck kinda expression. “Y/N! He’s a baby!”

“He‘ll grow.” Adds Bruce as you shrug in agreement. Crossing your arms as you study baby Scott, “Steve you can change the diapers.”

“Bring Scott back.” Urges Steve as he ignores you and Banners amusement of the situation.

“Alright fine.” Chides Bruce, “When I say kill the power, kill the power.”

Natasha rushes past you while mumbling, “Oh, my God.” As you await for Bruce’s fantastic technological skills.

“And....kill it!” Natasha turns the breaker switch downwards and a moment later Scott’s back, this time fully Scott. Whether that’s good or not is debatable.

He stands there, arms open and face twisted in confusion, “Somebody peed my pants. But I don’t know if it was baby me or old me.......Or just...me me.” Speculates Scott as you snort in amusement.

“It was probably just you.”

He sends you an unsure look that’s half offended yet he can’t exactly counter that claim considering he’s just jumped between three different age groups of himself. Bruce claps his hands together before spreading his arms out wide in excitement, “Time travel!” He shouts enthusiastically as Steve shakes his head before turning to walk elsewhere, “What?” Wonders Bruce, “I see this as an absolute win. 

——

In the following weeks after Banner’s half-successful attempt at legitimate time travel, Tony and Rocket have been toiling away tirelessly on Starks actual time machine since he’s agreed to help fix the mess that Thanos left behind. The Avengers base has honestly never been busier; with Tony, Banner, and Rocket working on the giant machine. Everyone else is going about their business helping when needed and hoping for good news.

So here you are now, in the middle of the night with all light sources retired for the evening, hanging out in the kitchen with a bowl of watermelon chunks in your hand, and greatly enjoying the recently rare peace and quiet. Though soon your silent midnight snacking is disrupted when the sounds of human feet padding on tile reaches your ears from down the hallway. Dammit.

The lights flicker on in an instant, blinding your vision for a brief moment before they adjust accordingly to find the blue eyes of Steve, he yelps in surprise, hand holding his chest as he relaxes once more when he realizes it’s just you. Then he does a double take, considering you’re seated crossed legged on the counter with a bowl of watermelon, “Uh, hey there Y/N.”

You nod, awkwardly taking a bite out of your snack, “Steve.”

He raises a curious brow, deciding to step farther into the large kitchen area, “Huh, never seen anyone eat watermelon like that before, but I respect it.” Says the blonde, nodding towards the chopsticks held in your right hand.

“Yeah. Less of a mess.” He nods before taking a Gatorade out of the fridge, “Mind if I sit?”

“Go for it.” He nods before promptly seating himself next to the marble table. “So, eating in the dark? Your inner night owl keeping you from sleeping again?”

You shrug, “I can kinda see in the dark so....yeah, a bit of a night owl.” You admit with a growing frown, not sure why you suddenly feel so down in the dumbs again, “....guess I haven’t really slept well for some time now....well, now since I think about it actually, I probably don’t get as much sleep as your average person.”

“I get that, yeah....I know what you mean.” Lightly chuckles Steve in understanding, taking a small moment of silence to let his mind think of something to sway the atmosphere away from an awkward tension. Parting his eyes away from his clasped hands, he looks up to meet your stoic gaze, “You think all this is possible? I mean they’ve made some real progress and I guess Tony really knows what he’s doing. Still after all this time I can’t help but find it amazing.”

Pursing your lips together in thought, you let a small sigh emit from your parted lips before answering, “I hope so, cause if not. Well, guess that would be as expected.” You admit with a frown, “Maybe that’s just how it’s supposed to go....a fitting punishment for my lengthy list of crimes. I guess that’s fair.”

“I don’t believe that for a second.” Counters Steve as he sends you a sympathetic look, “What happened to you isn’t your fault, neither is what they made you do, or everything Thanos did to the universe....”

“Yeah, guess you’re probably right....it’s just...just so difficult to move on you know? From all of it, everything swirling in my head, and even though it’s been five fucking years now. I still think of that shit, even worse, I still think of Bucky every single day, I miss him.....I just, I miss all of them.” You admit sadly, setting your snack down as Steve takes a moment to reflect on his own losses.

Suddenly his lips curl into a humored smile as he shakes his head, eyes looking down at the table before they connect with your curious ones, “God he was so different back in the 40’s....Y/N you wouldn’t believe the stuff we got up to, jeesh, the stuff he got up to.” Chuckles Steve as you raise an intrigued brow. 

“Alright Rogers care to elaborate?” You press with a growing smile at the thought of Bucky and learning more about him, “Bucky never told me a whole lot about that time. Considering he’ll probably never get the chance, I think I’d like to learn more about him and what shit you people did back then.”

“Aren’t you from the 1950′s?” Inquires Steve with a humored grin as you wave him off.

“Yeah, yeah, I was a baby back then I don’t remember what happened okay,” You explain, “I was born in 53 alright, and let’s not forget I didn’t exactly have a normal childhood.”

Steve nods, “Right. Fair point.....Okay so..” He laughs, “There was this one time and if you knew me back in the day, of course I was getting in an unsolicited scuffle with some boys who thought it was funny to argue with the paperboy.”

Raising a brow, you begin to smile as his eyes light up, “An unsolicited scuffle?” You muse, “Or is this when skinny Steve got his ass kicked by a couple of mangy dogs?”

“Dogs. Yeah that’s probably more fitting, well you know, of course I had to step in and do something.”

“As expected.” You quickly add as he continues.

“Which I did. And let me tell you they were not a fan. Those assholes ran me for two blocks till I got cornered in some market when who would you know it.....Bucky was there, taking some cute strawberry blonde out for a date while he got groceries for his mom.” Chuckles Steve, blue eyes shimmering with the humorous memories coming back to him about his old friend.

You heart subconsciously swells with the thought of Bucky, “Clever man. Sweet talk your girl while doing something useful.”

“Exactly. I would have gotten a bloody nose if he hadn’t thrown a tomato right at the biggest guys head. That thing coated his hair like red paint, then...” Steve balls his fist as he presses it against his mouth to try and keep himself from losing it with laughter, “...then, his friend turned around and smack! Another tomato right in his face.”

Snickering in amusement, you run a hand down the side of your face at the vivid image forming in your head, “oh Bucky..”

“It was pretty damn accurate too. The other guy booked it down the sidewalk before Buck could get him. Then when he started walking towards us, the other guys took off like a couple of scared birds....fortunately leaving me with no bruises that day.” Says Steve proudly, no doubt thinking fondly on that old memory, “Then of course he told me I gotta be more careful and all that stuff, I said I was fine and he want back to shopping with that girl......huh, don’t think I ever saw her again, well....at least with him.”

“Don’t blame her, he sounded like a real ladies man back in the day, she probably got too jealous.” You joke with a small brow wiggle before your smile lessens again, God you miss him so fucking much, “Thanks Steve.....he seemed, so different. It’s just when I knew him, when I first met him that is, Bucky was very different.”

Steve’s face looses it’s once vibrant glow, he keeps a steady gaze set on you now, knowing your time with him was such a chilling contrast to Bucky in the 40’s. You sigh, “I think I would have liked to see that version of Bucky just once, but I liked the Bucky I got after everything we went through.....after everything’s that’s happened. Maybe 40’s Bucky wouldn’t even look in my direction, I’d probably scare the socks off of him anyways.”

Steve shakes his head, “No way Y/N, you’d have him wrapped around your finger so fast, not a doubt in my mind he’d do anything for you in a heartbeat. That’s just who he was, a player yes, but a kind one who treated everyone with respect through that famous charm of his.....and you, you’d have caught his attention in an instant.”

Looking down at your hands, you raise the corner of your lips into a small half grin at the thought of Sergeant Barnes losing it all to the dangerous vixen that is no doubt yourself, now that’s an interesting thought indeed. Bucky in the 40′s, how about that.

“Maybe you’re right, maybe you’re not....but I know one thing. That I’m glad to have even known him at all, he was...so special and he didn’t even know it.” You pause for a moment, lips pursing together as you think fondly of your past lover. Steve keeps silent, studying your disheartened features as you gather your words, “So if, if they can somehow do this....if it’s even actually possible to get those fucking stones again. I’ll do whatever it takes, Steve.”

Whatever it takes.

-

Tagged:  @diegos-butt @minigranger @bibliophilewednesday @holyhumorliteraturelight @lilacs-lavender @a-girl-who-loves-disney @starkssnarks @vikingqueen28 @bizarrebibitch @atomicpersonacheesecake @jmstz @staygoldsquatchling02 @marvelbros-oneshots @shawnartmendes​ @mischiefmanaged71 @jckie94​  @iamasimpingh0e

[ichayalovesyou]

El Hotel De Los Secretos Ep. 12 Reaction

We now return to Julio spewing some absolutely vile but true shit about the Alarcón family at the only living member who isn’t acting freaking awful toward him. Luckily he has Andrés holding him back. Honestly neither of those boys should be going anywhere without the other, inevitably they do stupid shit or have bad things happen to them when separated, case and point? This!

Losing my mind that no matter how prickly and destructive Julio gets Andrés refuses to choose anything other than kindness, than to heal him, than to persist. “Let’s patch the wounds on your body because the wounds on your soul…” I’m gonna lose it!! Julio is throwing an absolute tantrum and all that’s doing is letting Andrés see how badly Julio needs help I can’t DO this 😭😭😭

That being said at least Andrés has the good sense to step away. Seriously tho “I bet you’re glad [Isabel and I] are more than 40 centimeters apart now!” As he pulls himself apart from Andrés is such an UGH. It could be interpreted so many goddamn ways hnnn the queer lense is strong with this one! AGH the gay it hurts!! “Let’s just go to our room, please.” Before he finally gives up and let’s Julio burn himself out? OWW! HELLO??? Is anybody else reading into this?! 👀🔥🔥🔥😫😵‍💫🏳️‍🌈

No… NO! NO!! That’s not real?!?!! That’s some actual fan fiction bullshit! What happened Andrés?? Couldn’t bear another night staring at Julio’s empty bed even though you know he’s at least physically safe and not dead in a ditch somewhere? So you went back to the kitchen, calling him an idiot and HEA in his mostly unconscious state feebly attempts to help you CARRY him back to y’all’s dorm?! Is this REAL??? Oh my god oh my GOD WHAT?! We’re just gonna cross fade to the morning somewhere else after that?! HELLO???

Ah we are back to Chef Lupe struggling to be a good single dad and trying to tell Jacinto trying to explain to his son love isn’t only suffering. Like the teen he is blames Lupe for his mom being gone (guessing she didn’t die) but Lupe still thinks highly of her so like, who knows what the deal is with Lupe’s wife??? Man, it’s in the name of the show but damn EVERYBODY has got secrets around here.

Isabel hiding from Diego in Matilde’s room as she SHOULD. Matilde is all like “you like him don’t you” and she looks her dead in the eyes and tells her “We Are Just Friends” and honestly? Good for her (even if there’s some denial there)!! Definitely not gonna lose it over the fact that Matilde says “I hope you’re right for your sake, whoever gets involved with that waiter will need an endless amount of love to face such rage” as if Andrés didn’t just ‘face such rage’ then carry Julio to bed TWO SCENES AGO! It’s really not just the onscreen chemistry that’s making this shit feel gay, it’s the frickin narrative! I love it!! 😍

“Good morning” Julio says like a kicked puppy “there’s nothing good about it, I couldn’t sleep last night because of you!” OKAY we’re just gonna leave this here. Andrés it’s okay to say “I love you I was worried about you” DAMNIT why are they like this?! I’m gonna eat my teeth about these two idiots, istg this has been THE shippiest episode since episode since they were both walking on air about being reunited in ep.8 fr fr

Oh boy, Mercedes and Felipe are finally getting in trouble with their parents about their little escapades. Now it seems that Elisa (Alfredo’s mother) is missing?? Belén is already using her new position to get a room to herself back, I assume she was sharing with Victoria up until just now after Elisa got here.

Okay not to be Like That but I KNEW IT! I knew Andrés’s whole thing had very to actually do with Belén and mostly to do with really, REALLY wanting to be a dad and not letting that baby (or Belén) to go through the same trauma he and his mother did. He’s also apparently been told his dad was a soldier and died in the war and god this kid has such a complicated relationship with masculinity.

It’s also kinda sad really because Andrés isn’t actively being like, directly sexist, but also it’s 1908. Honey, there’s more to a relationship than being physically attracted to your wife/fiancé and her being the mother of your kid. Now granted Belén isn’t really letting it be anything other than that (because she doesn’t love him either) and that’s such a ‘young kid whose never been in a relationship in their life’ mistake. You have relationships with people of both genders that are closer to what you’re looking for baby she ain’t it! This ain’t gonna fix your daddy issues!! Bitches be out here playing house…

Oh okay LUPE was eavesdropping so now I’m starting to think maybe, is he??? Does he have a thing for Ángela cuz, uhhhhhhh 👀 the way he shoos away Benjamin all protectively that was, hmmm 🤔

Elisa wants to take Sofia to an obstetrician ohhhhh BOY 😬 now Teresa and Doctor Lazaro Vicario (what a cool name, up there with Serapio Ayala) are conspiring to make sure Sofía is not removed from the Hotel at all. Teresa has offered to “keep him company” very flirtatiously among the other things she’s offering him. Listen I hate both of these people but also Evil Couples are inherently sexy and I’d totally be here for that if they’re implying what I think they are 👀

Okay okay okay so Ayala is informing Dagoberto that Julio’s tattoo is from a high security prison reserved for violent offenders who are considered enemies of the state?! Julio is a convict??? Okay okay okay LORE 🌙 (also Werewolf!Julio is so real in my brain now lmfao).

In this show we don’t say I love you we say “I don’t mind if you get me in trouble” apparently. Andrés do you understand how fully and totally Insane you and Julio are about each other I mean, like, seriously?! Y’all have known each other for less than a month and You Are Like This? Hello?? Ffs this bitches gay, good for them good for them.

Every time part of me goes “well maybe somehow and some point maybe Belén has just a tiny lil’ smidge of genuine care for Andrés in her own deeply fucked up way” but then she goes and calls Andrés a fool to Diego while flirting and making out with him as he puts her raise on the record books and then I go “Nevermind I Am Going To Fucking Kill Her 😀” my loathing for Señorita Belén Aguará García knows no fucking bounds for reasons that are much tmi but it’s FINE.

Nooooo now that’s just fucked, Melinda is kicking the shot out of poor pregnant Violeta, Jacinto saves the day thank god. I hope she didn’t kill the baby because I mean, that’s fucking awful obviously. Violeta baby I hope whatever happens you end up somewhere better than here cuz this shot is ROCK. BOTTOM. You know what, maybe I take back what I said, Jacinto’s got a good head on his shoulders, probably

Wow Victoria (Elisa’s pastel pink guard dog) will really just flirt with ANYONE huh? First Pascual, then the new desk guy, and now Natalia! I wonder what Elisa meant by “do what we agreed?” That was ominous as hell. Natalia is honestly terrible with secrets (like Andrés) and just let slip Ángela was there when Sofia fell, hopefully this doesn’t come back to bite the poor dear!

Wow! Doctor Vicario may be aligned with Teresa (which makes him fucking shady and maybe even evil in my book) but he’s surprisingly not sexist for the times! I mean he’s STILL sexist but like, comparatively (kinda like Andrés y’know)? He even calls Isabel his colleague. Although I do have to wonder if he’s doing that specifically to maneuver Isabel into trusting him so that she gives him the benefit of the doubt when he inevitably dies shady shit for Teresa later? 🤔

Yet another interlude of Felipe and Mercedes being insane and horny for each other, this time with window climbing like it’s a teen movie from the 80s! Back to Ayala getting the Lore on Julio! Ohhh okay, so he’s one of the ringleaders of the Cananea riots (looking THAT up later). He’s not only a convict but an escaped one! Ayala pls don’t go ACAB on me (I have a feeling he won’t, he’s a smart guy, not just smart but wise, and the wise hate the rich because THAT is good sense).

Jacinto is having Dr. Vicario save Violeta! Vicario is helping her without question. Hey maybe I misjudged Vicario too, if nothing else he’s willing to lie for patients but he seems to want to help people idk idk he’s interesting, there’s a lot of conflicting facts about him laced together and I am Intrigued by this cagey but nice doctor 👀

So the file on Julio Olmedo says that he wasn’t a political agitator but killed an American Ranger who was trying to control the riot he was part of! That he died before he came to the prison did Julio fake his death?? I hope that doesn’t mean he lied to Andrés about his worried mom (probably not). But also… WHAT?!

Oh right, Julio got picked to serve Diego and Isabel’s little surprise romantic dinner… AWKWARD. 😂😬 ooooof.

[jesuiscalmedammit]

In The Dark – (1) Pilot chapter || [Din Djarin x reader]

“What are you doing down here?”

Letting out an annoyed groan, you put your hands on your hips and turned around to look at your host. “Looking for some clothes that aren’t soaking in my blood.”

You expected him to tell you where to find something to wear but he didn’t move. At all. Knowing him, not talking wasn’t surprising, but being this still was quite alarming. Had you crossed a line by going through his things? Well, it surely wasn’t polite but you were really just looking for clothes. Under different circumstances, he probably wouldn’t have a problem with that, but this was a special situation and you didn’t know when he would figure out the truth about you. Until then you were just a stranger to him.

When you saw his head move a little, indicating that he took a good look at your body, you finally realized what was wrong: you were in your underwear. Not seeing his face made it difficult to figure out what he was thinking about. Was he embarrassed? Shy? Confused? Or was his mind full of dirty thoughts? You hated being in the dark. You were used to it, but it didn’t mean you were comfortable with it. And then more silence followed and you began to feel anxious out of the blue. Would you finally say something?

“I should take a look at your wounds. I have a feeling you couldn’t really reach the one on your back,” he suddenly said.

Even though his voice wasn’t perfectly clear because of the helmet, you could still tell it was neutral. The fact you were almost naked apparently didn’t bother him. That was good. He clearly wasn’t planning to take advantage of the situation, although you had never really assumed he was that kind of man to begin with. Why it didn’t bother him, though, was a mystery, and for a moment you began to think about the possible reasons. Was he that experienced? Or was he just absolutely not interested in this kind of stuff?

In the end, you scratched the back of your neck to avert your thoughts. “Thanks, that would be great.” Nodding, he left for a short while to find what he needed to help then pointed at a big metal box. Once you sat down, he pulled something to sit on behind you and you heard him pack out the equipment. “Did you leave the little guy up there?”

“Yeah, but he’ll be fine.”

“You sure?” you asked as you pointed at the small creature who stood almost right in front of you. “He looks pretty interested in what we’re doing down here.”

An exasperated sigh escaped his lips before he moved to pick up the kid and put him somewhere he could keep an eye on him. “Stay here, okay?” he said before walking back to you. “Why do I have a feeling he’s gonna be a handful?”

“He’s still a child, that’s what they’re the best at.”

“I guess this means you have experience with them.”

You couldn’t help but laugh at the thought of this. “Oh, no, I usually try to avoid them,” you clarified.

The silence that followed your words made it quite obvious he was giving you a strange look under that shiny helmet of his. But once he cleared his throat, he returned to his previous spot behind you and you soon felt his gloved finger tracing your skin as he tried to figure out which bloodstain was covering an actual wound on your back.

Then he suddenly stopped, you felt another finger on your skin, and he said, “This wound is really nasty so I’ll have to clean and stitch it.” You nodded and waited while he picked up whatever he needed to do that. “Since it’s pretty deep, the cleaning part will hurt, but try to stay still, okay?”

When he put his palm on your stomach, you knew he only did it because he wanted to make sure you didn’t move around much from the stinging pain that awaited you. Despite knowing this, your body reacted without your brain’s consent and you let out a quiet hiss as you tried to move your upper body away from him.  

“I’m sorry, I–”

“No, it’s the vambrace,” you told him quickly, hoping he would understand that your reaction didn’t mean you found this inappropriate in any way. “It’s pretty cold, for some reason I wasn’t expecting it.”

“Oh.” You heard him stand up so you turned around to see what he was doing. Apparently, he decided to wrap the metal piece into some cloth he found and you were honestly grateful for him being this thoughtful. Others would have probably told you to stop whining. The next time he touched you, you didn’t even feel the cold metal anymore. “Better?”

“Yeah.”

“Great. You ready?”

Your pain threshold was high and you were used to pain, but this… This stinging feeling was the worst part of treating open wounds. Though you cursed under your breath and instinctively tried to get out of his hold, Mando held you firmly enough to keep you relatively still. Seconds felt like hours, and you were only snapped out of your thoughts by his soothing voice.

“Hey, it’s okay, it’s okay. Just try to take deep breaths. I’ll quickly stitch and bandage it then we’re done,” he said, waiting for you to nod before doing anything else.

The rest of the treatment was bearable and you didn’t move around that much anymore. When he finished, you turned around to be face-to-face with him. “Thank you. For everything,” you told him with a smile.

“Well, you helped us escape and they blew up your ship because of this so that’s the least I could do.”

Oh, your ship. Being around Mando again made you forget about that tiny little detail. Which wasn’t exactly tiny considering you had to travel somehow. You couldn’t just settle down at some randomly chosen place. But you had time to worry about that later, this is why you decided to learn about his plans first. “Where are you going now?”

“I don’t really know yet,” he began with a sigh as he looked over at the kid. “I guess somewhere remote because we need to lie low for a while. Hopefully, they’ll stop searching for us soon.”

These guys stopping soon? Everybody was looking for this child, and the bounty on its head was high enough to keep them interested until the end. But you didn’t want to make him feel bad now so you decided to keep your opinion to yourself. A part of you was sure he had already known that, though, because he was everything but an idiot.

“Is something wrong?”

“Oh, no, I'm sorry,” you said as you looked back at him. “I just got lost in my thoughts for a moment.”

A low, humming sound left his throat. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“It's just…” How could you tell him? He wasn’t about to figure it out on his own so you had to tell him the truth. But it was hard. Then again, you wanted a normal conversation which meant he had to know. Once you let out a long sigh, you decided to get it over with. “I didn't know the voice modulator in my helmet worked so well that you wouldn’t recognize my voice without it.”

“What are you talking about?”

You couldn’t help but laugh. “We've known each other for a long time, Mando. I like to think of you as my only friend in the Tribe.”

This was the moment when he finally understood what was going on. When silence fell between you again, it wasn’t the same as before. You weren’t uncertain about what he was thinking about, you knew it perfectly well. And as you waited for him to say something, you couldn’t hide your wide, happy grin.

“Is it really you?” he asked cautiously. When you nodded, he stood up and began pacing in front of you. “But how? They all died.”

“I wasn’t there when it happened. By the time I returned, they were already gone. That's the only reason why I helped the two of you because I knew it was you, Mando.”

“Where’s your armor?”

It was a perfectly understandable question, after all, you hadn’t been wearing it when you met again. “It was on my ship but it doesn't matter anymore. I'm done with that life. I don’t need reminders of the past,” you informed him once your smile disappeared from your lips.

“Why?” Since you didn’t know how to answer, you shrugged. “So what, you want to settle down now?”

“I don’t know. Maybe.”

Once again you wished you could see his face under the helmet. But he was so loyal to the Tribe’s rules that you knew he wouldn’t take it off in someone else’s presence. So what could he be thinking? Was he happy? Was he mad at you? Could he hate you for not telling him sooner? Did he despise you for leaving your armor behind? And why was he so silent? Just say something. Anything!

“I still can’t believe it’s you,” he said quietly, finally breaking the silence.

Tilting your head to the side, you glanced over at the child who was still watching the two of you. “And I can’t believe you became a single dad.”

“I’m no–” He fell silent when he followed your gaze and looked at the little guy. “Maybe you’re right.”

“Do you what’s the best thing about this beskar armor of yours? I saw the pile of armors and immediately knew you were probably still alive,” you admitted out of nowhere.

“I saw the pile and thought you were dead,” he replied without hesitation and you could’ve sworn he sounded sad and maybe even a little relieved. He took a deep breath then went on. “I kind of understand why you want to leave that life behind. With all those rules we follow it’s… easy to become jealous of average people and their simple lives.”

“It’s not just that. Having to wear that helmet all the time makes it hard to do certain things.”

He thought about what you said but didn’t ask what you meant right away. But when he realized you weren’t about to elaborate on your own, he asked, “Did you fall in love with someone?”

“It’s not–It’s complicated,” you said, trying really hard not to tell him the truth. You wanted to be honest, but definitely not this honest. You had been in love with someone way before this tragedy happened, although he didn’t have to know that.

“All right, I won’t ask,” he said eventually. “Look, I have something for the pain, but it will probably knock you out. Do you want some?”

Sleeping sounded nice. This conversation turned pretty awkward pretty fast, but this way you would have some time to come up with a believable explanation. And you could also figure out what to do next. You didn’t have a ship. You had nowhere to go. It wasn’t an easy situation. “Yeah, that would be great.”

note: i don’t know if i’ll continue this one or not, we’ll see. i just... had this idea and couldn’t get it out of my head. also, i haven’t started s2 yet because i want to binge-watch s1 and s2 together. so yeah, don’t think much about the timeline. || feedback is always appreciated. || sorry for the possible typos, errors etc.

[just-a-writing-fan]

Don't Call Me Church Girl (prologue to Day In The Woods)

Always a church girl, right?

Author's Note: This is mature content, please, please, please, don't read if you are not 18+. I have never posted smut, so I'm stepping out of a comfort zones, I am adding warnings and tags as well but please be respectful. Please enjoy and leave feedback, I love it :). Sorry it is a little on the short side

Summary: Divine Intervention? Arvin finds an angel on earth upon arrival in Cinncinati, only problem, she is the daughter of the devil's he's killed

Warnings: 18+, smut, unprotected sex always be safe, oral (male receiving), sin lol, dark content maybe (I started writing this one and stopped half through because my hand cramped really bad), cursing, uhm feminism if you squint

"Okay Cincinnati, here goes.....," The young man you had never seen mutters to himself as he gets out of the RV bus in front of the jeweler's across the street downtown where you were at the comic book store. You couldn't hear him of course but you couldn't help but see the magnificent creature. He definitely distracted you from the new Black Widow comic you had just bought and started to open, but, seeing him you put it back into the bag. You bit your lip as you watched him putting his boot on the ground and let your eyes roam upwards to admire his tush in those rugged worn Levi's. He taps the door and looks around as the driver drives away. Shit, he's coming over, you open your comic quickly again after scrambling to hastily get it out of the bag. Act natural Y/N, act natural.

"Hi," he smiles as he walks up to you and speaks. "Hi," you tuck hair behind your ear. "I like those too...uhm, there somewhere to eat around here?" "Oh yeah," you point down the street. "Where you from stranger?" "Uh.... Virginia, West Virginia....." "I'm from Tennessee but my daddy just moved to Knockemstiff to take over preaching at my great uncle's church"

When you say that he goes pale. "You okay honey?" "Oh....your dad?" "Yeah, he and I were never close, estranged really, I was so happy to move here for school, well nice meeting you-"

"Arvin....," He offers you a handshake that you gladly accept, "Nice meeting you Arvin," you give him a smile. "I'm Y/N," you introduce yourself. "Nice meeting you, Y/N...hey, mind showing me to the diner and maybe a motel? If you don't mind I mean....."

"Sure, shouldn't take long and I don't have service until later"

"oh, it is Wednesday, I forgot," he kicks off a conversation that lasts while he eats and until he checks into a room, but he signs a different name.

That evening after service just as always you said goodbye to the congregation and got trapped into conversation with the old biddies that you smiled and muttles through politely. You could never say any of these thoughts out loud, not growing up as a preacher's daughter and not now as the temporary preacher. You sure as hell could think whatever the fuck you wanted though. You hugged everyone, the kisses on the cheeks and finally you were able to go back inside and straighten up which you actually enjoyed a little bit, restoring some kind of order into a messed up world, the peace and quiet, time to think and sing. You notice the guys from earlier, Arvin, or maybe Willard, he had told you one and signed the other at the motel and you wanted an explanation. Crossing your arms you walk over to him.

"You could have came to service y'know"

"Appreciate the offer but-you’re the preacher?"

"well for now, I help when the preacher can't....I wanted to ask you something Arvin, or should I say Willard? Why did you sign a different name checking in than the one you gave me?"

"My name is Arvin, I didn't lie to you...."

"Good, I believe you and I don't like being lied to....well how long have you been watching?"

"long enough for you to see everybody off...."

"why? If you don't want to come in?"

"I like to pray alone...."

"Come on then," you go in and he follows. "Hope ya don't mind if I straighten up will you pray?" "Oh, no no, go ahead," he smiles and sits on a back pew.

After about five minutes into starting to clean you realize he is watching you and pretend to not notice until after you had swept and we're starting to pick up the hymn books that had gotten left in pew seats and strewn all about and left on the floor by the children. "Arvin, I can feel you watching me," you chuckle as you have to bend to get them, putting on a show knowing he sees. You were a preacher sometimes and all but you weren't dead.

He clears his throat and you hear him speak.

"mhm?" You ask as you continue the task, he had broken into a sweat and you noticed.

"Got time for a sinner?" "Honey, we're all sinners and anyone who says they aren't, they're delusional, what is it?" You turn to face him as you sit on the back of a pew.

"I've done something real bad, the person deserved it but now, now I've met someone who didn't deserve to lose this person and well, this girl, she seems real nice and all and God she's pretty....but she says that this person was never close to her, so, do you think she could look past it, past what I did?"

"Sounds a awful like you're talking about me, Arvin, I'm sure my daddy had whatever you gave coming to him and the Lord has a plan and works in mysterious ways.....I've already forgiven it"

"Thankyou.....also, forgive me preacher for I am having some very lustful thoughts"

"Then that makes two of us who are," you say strutting over to him slowly, "I should probably get on my knees, because, truth being told, I've been having lustful thoughts as well.....all...," You get down on your knees between his legs, "....day...."

You look up to meet his eyes and smirk, "...long....," You spread his knees.

"Y/N, I-I cant-you're a good church girl-"

"Don't call me a church girl," your voice raises, "I was made to come to church, and I choose to preach sometime but I ain't no church girl. I'm so tired of everybody telling me that's what I am. I'm my own girl, this building or any church, don't own me. Besides, Arvin, I'm a sinner too, and I'm probably going to Hell like everybody else if I don't get there first," you smile a little as you unzip his jeans then pull down his boxers and jeans together, he lifts himself to help. You lick your lips at the sight of him springing free and already having a hard on. "Ever had a girl go down on you with her mouth before Arvin?" He shakes his head no honestly, as you stand and shimmy your panties off from under your long skirt, moving the skirt up to show some skin along the way. "Have you been thinking about it too?" He again nods honestly and you giggle, shoving your panties in his mouth. "Bite down honey," you get back on your knees in front of him again and spread his legs.

You start by kissing the head of his cock which is as red as your cheeks now with your body burning, then kiss downward on his shaft and lick back up on the vein and watch as his head leaned back and eyes closed, his teeth baring down on your panties in his mouth. You lick the tip before taking the head into your mouth then decide teasing him would just be cruel. You take him in slowly bit by bit, bobbing your head and watching his face contort and eyes squeezed closed, watch his teeth biting your panties and as he grabs your hair by a fistful you can tell he's close. He snatches the garment out of his mouth and sits it on the pew, lifting you up by your hair he has a grip on gently enough to not hurt you and he turns you round, bending you over and moving your skirt up. "Fuck," he smacks your ass hard making you squeal and he can see you were already dripping down your thigh a little from blowing him and being spanked. He bends you over the pew and lines himself up at your entrance from behind, loving the sound you make at the warmth he decides to tease you back and slide his member along your folds until you're wiggling your backside into him, he takes the hint and enters you, ramming you while teasing your nipples with the one hand that isn't gripping your hip moving underneath your top. Sinful sounds filled the church until you both finished and fell into the pew a sweaty mess.

You and Arvin laid there for hours talking and you laid around many more hours after that, not sleeping, and you both got on your knees but you weren’t praying either.

[futurewriter2000]

Heartless - pt. 10

A/N: You guys are going to hate me so much hahahahhaahahahha. 

XX

::::

No dirt. No pain. Only silk and warmth. 

Your fingertips only felt the smoothness of the silk and the sheets. The cushions were so soft beneath you that you almost sunk into it. This bed definitely wasn’t your bed. It wasn’t bumpy old mattress with hard pillows and harsh blankets. It felt most comfortable you had in years. 

Opening your eyes to the beautiful morning sunlight, you saw a shadowy figure at the foot of your bed. He sat there, reading a book and you knew who this was. Most definitely, you would remember your life-long bully. 

“Mooorning, (y/n).” he glanced up with his bright green eyes, one more blue than green. 

You tried not to show how fear quickly overtook you. You felt sweaty, more than sweaty. You felt you had died and ended up in hell with him by your side. Keeping your eyes steady, cold, you answered in the same voice. “Mulciber.” you nodded and he plastered an amused smile on, still reading his thick book. 

“Wait... Let me just finish this.” he said, lifting his index finger at you as his other hand trailed down the page. 

And you waited, just as he said. You waited for him to finish reading because you didn’t know where to even start questioning about your surroundings. 

His finger stopped and slowly, he closed the book and put it on the desk next to the bed. He pulled his leg up on the bed and stared into your eyes with his blazing green colour. 

“I’m just keeping an eye on you, Potter.” he smiled widely, chuckling and shaking his head. “You, (y/n) Potter. Who knew...” he continued to chuckle.

“Quit the games, Mulciber. Tell me where I am. Why are you here?” 

“I’m your baby sitter, darling.” he leaned back on the foot of the bed and crossed his arms in front of your chest. “You and me are now bonded forever.” 

Your heart sunk. It was as if you swallowed it whole down your throat. 

“Oh, it’s not that bad, (y/n). I just know how stubborn you are.” he scooted off the bed and walked to you, his hand trailing up your leg and up to your bare left hand. “And also... you can throw a punch.” he smiled and sat down, taking a hold of your hand. 

You wanted to tear it away from him but he wouldn’t let it go. “Do you want to test this theory, right now?” you seethed at him as he chuckled.

“We are going to have so much fun together.” he kept caressing your hand and as much as you hated to admit it... it felt good. Your eyes travelled to your hand that he held and watched how beautifully, tenderly his hand brushed against your own. “You have beautiful hands, (y/n) Potter.” he charmed, his eyes glinting with a wonderful shimmer. 

“Is that it, Mulciber?” you let out a scoff. “Flirting with me?” 

“You’re in debt to the Dark Lord, Toots.” he grinned maliciously and you jumped, wanting to pull your hand away from him but he gripped it extremely tight. 

“I’d never-”

“You did though, can’t you remember?” he asked, pulling your hand to his lips and brushed it against your knuckles. “He saved you, now you owe him-”

“Owe him what?” you asked, heaving and feeling your heart beat. 

“Loyalty.” he continued to smile. 

“I will never bow to him!” you started to lose control with your temper but Mulciber only laughed and pulled himself closer, turning your hand around and caressing your forearm. 

When you looked down at your forearm, you quickly looked away, taking a deep breath in. “Oh, my God.” you let out a shaky breath, squeezing your eyes shut as tears fell down your cheeks. 

“It doesn’t look bad on your pretty little arm.” he continued to speak, trying to look up at you but you kept your head turned away from him. 

He came over to you, up until the two of you were face to face. He put his hands on your cheeks and made you face him. Your eyes, despite the fear, were fierce and strong. He brushed away the fallen tears and smiled- softly, something you hadn’t expected from him. “I’m doing this for one person only, (y/n) Potter.” he spoke seriously, observing your forehead, your eyebrows, your eyes that he found appealing the most- then your nose and your lips, soft and plush. “You never know when you’ll end up dead here so you should consider yourself lucky being stuck with me than any other of us.” his eyes now focused on you, looking into you as if he was drilling into your soul. “You stick with me, you do as I say and you’re alive.”

“I’d rather die-”

He pressed his thumb on your lips and looked even deeper, which you hadn’t thought was possible but he looked so deeply into you, that you thought you were standing bare naked in front of him. He touched every corner of your soul with his eyes and there was something you never knew you could see in his eyes; empathy. 

“You live. Your family lives.” he finished, this time removing himself from your soul and giving you the look of respect before he removed himself away from you. 

He stood up and started backing away from you, further and faster. 

“Brush away the tears, (y/n). We both know that’s not you.” he plastered his perpetual smirk. “Pull yourself together, do whatever he says.” he continued as he turned you his back and started walking to the door.

“For who are you doing this?” you blurted out, trying to reach out for him.

He looked over his shoulder and mumbled something before taking a firmer look at you and smiled. “Just do as I say.” 

And just like that he was out of the door and standing in front of his leader.

“Well?” the Dark Lord hissed in his usual cold tone.

“She’s awake.” 

“And?”

“She’s expecting you.” Mulciber said, not even looking him in the eyes. 

“Brilliant.”

:::

You jolted awake, eyes widening as your fingers beneath you gripped the marbles of dirt and pushed your whole body weight off the ground. 

You were facing him, him, the Dark Lord- the one you have dreamt about and you were staring at him- at his large red eyes that had a slit instead of a pupil. 

He stared at you with fascination. “Interesting.” he hissed, pointing his wand at you. “Very interesting.”

“I take it back!” you scrambled on your feet, swaying left and right and holding yourself against the trunk. You felt sickness wash over you from pain- so much pain that it almost burst outside of you. 

“You’d do me a fair good.” he continued calmly, trying to approach you but you only stepped back.

“STAY AWAY FROM ME!” you shouted, looking around to find your wand before remembering that your wand was half-broken. The thought of no wand made you want to cry so badly- sob even. God, you were so exhausted, so much in pain. Your bumpy bed never sounded more like a dream than it did right now. 

He was in front of you- in front of you... (y/n). He is in front of you. Do something. 

“Why can’t I get inside your mind?” 

(y/n).... Do something before he kills you.

He took a hold of your head, holding it firmly between his hands as you felt a sudden pressure inside your head- as if you skull was about to burst. 

It hurt, your head hurt, your vision... your vision??- Your vision burst into the stars...

---

It was after midnight when James sat in the living room. His head was in his hands and he couldn’t stop himself from crying. He did it every day. Every night at the same time because it was the only way he could without anybody knowing.

And with every night it came a realisation what happened to you. You cried... every night just like he did and nobody knew. He thought other’s would notice but nobody ever did and that pushed him into more tears.

He was supposed to protect you! He was your brother and everybody noticed that he stopped being your brother a long time ago. Everybody except him.

“I’m sorry, (y/n).” he sobbed into his hands, feeling nothing but tears that soaked his palms. He rubbed his eyes and tried to look up but by now his eyes really hurt. They were puffy, bloody red and broken.

And he didn’t know why he felt as if he was grieving after you but hope- hope that you’re coming back now, today, this moment, this minute, this second. He just wanted you back. He wanted you here. Too many days passed without you in it. A week- a week too much. Seven days without you were spent like seven years in Azkaban for him- especially where he was the guilty one. He was the one that shoved you away and now you weren’t here. You weren’t here with him to console him. You were the only person who ever saw him cry. You were the person who made him feel strong when he was weak. You were the only one who held him when he needed to be held but what happens when the only person who you needed wasn’t there anymore?

If it wasn’t for the sudden rumble in the hall, James would have wailed out loud from pain of losing you. He felt something was wrong. He felt it inside of him like your bones were his bones. It wasn’t physical pain- it was a strong tingle and it was so strong that it hurt. He knew something wasn’t right and by the sound that just appeared in the hall... that made him-

“James?” a sudden woman’s voice came from the hall and he shot his head to the figure, brushing away his tears.

He thought it was his mother, standing and catching him so weak and vulnerable but it wasn’t James. It was you- you in a black turtle neck and jeans.

“(Y/N)?!” his eyes widened, looking at the bag you dropped on the floor. “Oh thank God!” he ran into your arms, almost knocking you on the floor when his arms wrapped themselves around you and lifted you off your feet. “I’m so sorry, (y/n)! I’m a bloody idiot to have ever thought my life would be better without you! Merlin,-” he pulled away, cupping your face. “- I’m never leaving you again. I’m so sorry for ever telling you all the things that I said. They aren’t true. They were never true. I was being a gromless pillock, like you always call me but blimey, have I missed you- I thought you were dead somewhere and it was my fault but I love you, (y/n)-” he continued to blubber non-stop.

“James, calm down-”

“MUM! DAD!” he shouted at the stairs. “SHE’S HOME! SHE’S HOME!” he said turning back to you.

“Have you been crying, James?” you asked, cupping his wet cheeks and brushing your thumbs across it.

“You cut your hair?!” he looked at your short hair that fell down your shoulders. “And- what happened to your chee-” he stopped to observe the scratches on your skin; one specifically that stretched over your right eye, down your eyebrow and to your cheek.

“Ah, it’ll heal.” you smiled at him, slapping his hand away as he pulled you into another hug.

Then you heard tumbling over the stairs, your parents and Sirius all looking at you. Your mother ran to you first, giving you a tight hug and so on until everybody made his turn. Well, mostly everybody.

Sirius was still there standing at the stairs, looking lost and guilty. His eye has gotten better since the last time.

You smiled softly at him, opening your arms and hugging him. As soon as you did, his arms wrapped around you like he had never thought you’d come back to him.

“I’m so sorry, (y/n).” he mumbled into your neck, taking a long deep breath of you and not finding a single fragmance of coconut on your skin. But you still had your own scent, the one that made his mind go into clouds. It was never the coconut. It was you. You was all he needed.

And it was not any different for you. The way he smelled was more than wonderful. No cologne, no shampoo but him. His smell, the one you fall in love with. The one that’s warm and safe, the one that brings you home.

You pulled away, cupping his cheeks and looking at him as you did James before. “Reset button?”

He let out a laugh. “Reset button.”

But if only it was that easy.

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

the “ ::: “ in the beginning implies as the reader was dreaming/having a flash in their head. 

[allhailthewicked]

Random JATP Headcannon: Reggie Pep-Talking Julie

 Disclaimer: Hey y’all there’s a lotta negative self-talk and body image stuff in this long and chonky puppy (like a dachshund). Am I just simply projecting in this headcannon? Si señores, señoras, y señoritas ...umm chile anyway so... on to the angst and fluff.

Julie is a bad bitch.

And we love that for her. But every bad bitch has a few weaknesses. Like popping balloons or falling for a ghost who died in 1995 or being afraid that you are going to lose everyone you’ve ever cared about. But there are days when Julie’s biggest weakness is her body. Then again Julie loves her body, she loves how her hair curls and how it frames her, and even though it can be a pain in the ass, she loves it. She also loves her smile and the gap between her teeth and how musical her laugh is. She loves how she can pull off a blazer and a dress and how her eyes sparkle in the sun. She loves how clear her skin is and her brows and her height and everything but some days she doesn't. But some days she looks in the mirror and cringes at what she sees.

Ha, it's funny to think that I can pull this off.

I'm too much of this and not enough that.

I don't really love how I look in this.

Maybe I should just change

These thoughts often seem to be swirling around in Julie's brain. But sadly those aren't the worse thoughts she has that award goes to thoughts like:

Luke would never fall for a lifer like you.

and

He’s way too good for you. Maybe you'll have better luck if you're prettier

Julie sighs flattening her crop top grabbing her sides before quickly opting to change into a longer looser shirt. She grabbed her phone from her nightstand shooting a text to Flynn.

Trouble #1💜: hey love! you free rn? i’m having a terrible bbd today and i need a distraction and a hug

Trouble #1💜: and maybe a good cry

Trouble #2💕: aww girlie i would love to but i’m in colorado at my aunt’s wedding reception

Trouble #1💜: oh shit. i’m sry i forgot.

Trouble #1💜: no thoughts head empty only body negativity

Trouble #1💜: how’s the wedding? did stacy cry when your aunt came down the aisle?

Trouble #2💕: don’t worry about it jules. a certain dead ghost boy has haunted your brain cells maybe you can go to him. i’m sure he’ll love the cuddles 😉😉😉

Trouble #2💕: stacy bawled btw but so did aunt hilda and dad pretended that he didn’t, but we all know he loves seeing hilda happy.

Trouble #2💕: it’s so fucking freezing. but the dress was absolutely gorgeous tho

Trouble #1💜: cuuuteee love that for them. well, i have to go guys maybe practice a song or two. but luke was kind of the one who started this. idk i’m just going to try and get through the day so i can rush back to my room and rewatch New Girl or something

Trouble #2💕: WHAT DID THAT BASTARD DO?!?!?!

Trouble #2💕: I WILL COME DOWN FROM COLORADO TO BEAT HIS ASS!!!

Trouble #1💜: He did nothing. I’m just overthinking ya know. Like I’m not worth it. He doesn’t need me. I don’t deserve him

Trouble #2💕: jules i’m going to be real with you. HONESTLY HE DOESN’T DESERVE YOU!!!! but he does look at you like you’re his source of life so don’t let this dead, paler than wonder bread boy hurt you!!! he’s so lucky to have you in his life.

Trouble #2💕: you are a gorgeous girl!!!! stunning. an absolutely beautiful, smart, and amazing person!! everybody lights up when you walk into the room. but you know who lights up the most. mr. boo-berry music man simping cute bright dead eyes looking ass.

Trouble #2💕: but maybe you should talk to alex if you don’t believe me. sadly he seems like the himbo with the most emotional knowledge. so maybe talking to him will help. but promise me you’ll take care of yourself love

Trouble #1💜: I promise. flynn imma just wear a bigger sweatshirt and pretend that i’m okay instead of feeling like I want to wrap myself in a blanket. it’ll be all good. gtg bye love you :)

Trouble #2💕 : THAT’S NOT HEALTHY!!! but please do take care of yourself. i’ll be back soon and i’ll talk to you later💕.

Julie grabs an old Orphuem hoodie that belonged to her mom, slipping it on noticing how she still hasn’t quite grown into it. Walking past her mirror one more time Julie scrunches her nose not appreciating how her tight jeans look on her. In fact, she doesn’t like how her nose looks today. 

Fuck I hate when I feel like this. Maybe Flynn is right. I should probably talk to Alex and at least try to avoid Luke. He doesn’t need to see me like this.

Sighing, she makes her way over to the garage. She opens the door only to see Reggie intensely focused on playing the riff he was working on for their new song.

“Is Luke around? I need to snatch up Alex, but I don’t want him to see me and worry,” she asked, starting to giggle when he snapped out of his trace as a small yelp left his lip.

Reggie spotted Julie’s Orpheum hoodie not noticing how much his eyes widened.

Julie cocks her head at the gaping Reginald before realizing he was staring at her hoodie. “It was my mom’s,” Julie whispered as Reggie nodded along, “she used to work there in college. Mom and her best friend, my Tia Maria were waitresses there. But I’m getting distracted, is Alex here? I just really need to talk to him and his dumb emotional availability.” 

“Well, it’s Alex and Willie’s 6-month anniversary, so I hope he’s not around here. But he’s like at the beach with Willie being all mushy.”

“Oh wow, they’re so cute together! He’s definitely seemed so happy since he met him,” Julie said, truly proud of her drummer but not completely masking her disappointment of not having anyone to talk to.

“Yeah, he's more free now. Plus it gives me and Luke the opportunity to rag on him on how easily he flushes when Willie teases him. But you don’t need to worry about lover boy or your lover boy,” he says while waggling his eyebrows at her. 

Julie sadly laughs trying to hide her face from the boy. As Reggie seemingly oblivious continued “Luke is at his parents. He’s been going more often trying to find sneaky ways to leave his song. Some unpublished songs Julie. He has never done anything like that since you went to his parent’s house with him. The closure is cathartic for him,” he whispered, putting down his bass. “He loves seeing his mom’s face light up when she finds another song. But you seem down Julie, what’s wrong?”

“Oh it’s nothing Reggie don’t worry about it,” Reggie cocks an eyebrow at her with a concerned look on his face. Julie looked away sighing, putting on her hood before continuing on, “I’m just a little under the weather and just needed someone to talk to, but it’s fine. I’ll be fine. I will be fine in a few hours. But don’t worry, and please don’t tell Luke.”

“Well Julie you can talk to me,” Reggie pauses puts down his bass putting his hands behind his head, legs cross, frowning slightly, “Believe it or not I can be a little insightful but seriously Julie you’re like my little sister and I hate to see you like this.”

Reggie taps on the spot on the couch next to him motioning for Julie to sit down.

“I’m not going to force you to tell me anything but if you need someone to talk I here when you are ready,” And with that, Reggie picked up his bass and started to work on what seems like a new song.

Together they sit in this calming silence as Reggie starts to pluck away at this melody taking notes of what chord progressions work and what doesn’t while Julie quietly points at chords. This goes on for about five minutes until Julie finally says something.

“Fine okay you need to promise me that you won’t tell Luke because he’ll try and fix this, and he’ll probably make me feel worse,” Reggie quickly nods before putting his fist out giving her a promise fist bump. Julie wetly laughs at this before taking her hood off, running her hands through her hair.

“You know for years I’ve waked up and then immediately looked in the mirror and some days I loved what I see those days are good. I love how I look and how I feel, and I’m just happy. But some days I don’t... some days I look in the mirror and I just see every single flaw I have, and I just want to hide in my bed and not let anyone see me. Some days I feel like I don’t deserve you or Luke or Alex or Flynn or even my family. I just look into the mirror, and I’m like why would anyone stand to look at me. And you know today is one of those days. When Mami was alive she would call a day like today a BBD. It was a code for bad body day or day when we would just wear matching hoodies, cuddle, and binged movies without telling Dad what was wrong. But he understood, he understood that Mami would take care of it and that she understood what I was going through. We did it so often until she you know... that I don’t know how to tell my dad about it. Like him making me hot chocolate like he used to won’t make going away,”  Julie sighed wiping the quickly forming tears from her eyes. Julie turned away from the concerned, so he couldn’t see how close she is to completely breaking down.

Reggie wrap his fettuccine arms around Julie pulling her into a warm hug that smelled like the lemon-lavender bath and body works body wash she bought him for the shower in the garage. The was comforting which led to Julie letting her guard down, shoulders shaking as she heavily sobbed into her undead friend’s shoulder as he rubbed her back. After she was seemingly cried out she looked up at Reggie, who looked wide eyed at her.

“I’m sorry I snotted all over your flannel. God that’s so disgusting. I’m just going to go to bed and just mope and watch Netflix. Thank for being a shoulder I could lean on. I’m sorry that I was just being annoying,” Julie whispered as she tried to wipe away the snot only to make a bigger mess.

"Hey hey hey it's okay Julie I can just wash it or like blame it on ghost ectoplasm. Julie do we leak ectoplasm?"

Julie laughed wetly as Reggie frantically looked to see if he was oozing before realizing that he was getting distracted. She quickly noticed the major shift in demeanor change as he seriously looked at her.

"Julie you are beautiful and I know that you don't feel like that now but you will eventually. And I know that you don't want me to fix you and I won't because I can't. And I know you might want to try to impress Luke with how you look or just think that your looks are all that Luke that think about, but I am his best friend and I know that he would be head over fucking heels gone for you. Even if you look like whatever a Jar-Jar looks like he would see you as the light of his world. He is in love with you and your soul and you deserve that love. But you deserve self love even more. Julie you are not a thing to be looked at then judged. You are a person with feelings and  personality and a story, a story to tell. Your body looks the way it does because of all the things you've experienced in life. Julie I know this all may sound meaningless coming from me but you are literally one of the strongest people I know and I know you can through. You will not be less strong if you reach out for help. You might be my favorite Molina but talking to Ray is smarter than you think and he can help. I just hate seeing my sister hurt like this," Reggie said before yelping as he noticed that Julie had started to bawl again.

"Wait Julie no I'm sorry. Was that too much. God I know you said I shouldn't try to fix things. I should've kept my dumb mouth closed and not bring up Ray. I'm sorry Julie don't cry," Reggie rambled nervously rubbing her back

“No no no no Reggie you didn’t say too much. You just shocked me honestly but like in a good way. I mean I can’t say that I will believe everything you said. But thank you Reg. Thank you I am so glad that you are in my life. You’re my favorite Peters and you are much smarter than other people give you credit for,” Julie says laughing at Reggie’s bright smile.

“I mean need them to underestimate me sometimes. But let’s watch something together to at least make your BBD a little better.”

Julie smilies quickly nodding before putting on the first episode of the Mandalorian and snuggling close to the older brother that she never had. 

Julie felt okay to say the least for the next couple of weeks her next BBD hit her. Julie sighed pushing herself off the bed looking in the mirror that is covered in encouraging notes from her Dad, Reggie, and Flynn. She sighed about to leave her room to go talk to her Dad again about what was going on before she notice a hoodie on the bed. It was a fleece lined hoodie that was left on her bed folded her bed saying ‘Uke I’m your father’ on it. 

Reggie Julie sighed shaking her head smiling as she picked up the little note that was left with it 

‘I knew that you said that you and mom had matching hoodies for your BBD’s so here’s one that we can wear together. I mean only if you want to I know it was something you and your mom did so I don’t want to butt in on a tradition. But it could be like a signal that you’re having a BBD. I don’t know it might be stupid but I hope you like it.’

Julie smiles at the slight awkwardness of the note before slipping on the hoodie

A/N: HEY IT’S ME AGAIN WITH THE ANGST FOR THE SECOND TIME IN LESS THAN A WEEK!!! Idk what it is but every time I write something for this fandom it turns into angst. Am I sadist? Ehhh wouldn’t be surprised but idk I think I went through something writing this lol. Also I’m sorry if some the dialouge is cringe I’m tired and I really wanted to post befire I got distracted. Anyway please let me know if you want to be added to my taglist down below by either replying to this post, reblogging this post, or sending me an ask! I would appreciate reblogs and feedback because I love reading your guy's comments and tags they seriously make my day!!! but it's fine if you don't want to :)

~✨My Taglist Isn’t Under the Cut Tonight Lol✨~

@poppin-peters, @sunset-bobby, @theobligatedklutz, @soupforfree, @iamthefryiestfrench-blog, @fiddlepickdouglas, @gay-ghosts-committing-crimes

[thebrotherssalvatore321]

Keeping Secrets Ch. 39

Keeping Secrets Masterlist

Pairing: Katie(oc)xKlaus. Warnings: None that I can think of. Let me know if I need to add one.

Katie and Klaus were spending their morning rolling around in bed, giggling and laughing when her phone started ringing. “Ignore it.” he told her between kisses when she looked over at it where it sat on the bedside table.

“It could be important.” She argued as she wiggled out of his grasp and grabbed her phone. She looked at it to see an unknown number and cautiously pressed talk. “Hello?”

“Scarlett, hey it’s me.” a male voice replied.

It took a few seconds for the voice that called her by her middle name to register. “Dad?” she asked, confused.

“Damon called and let me know you were back.” He told her. “I hope it's okay that he gave me your number.”

“Uh, yeah it's fine I’m just…surprised, I guess.” She told him as she pushed herself back to lean against the headboard.

“So I was hoping that we could get together sometime and try that talk again.” He told her.

“I’d like that.” she told him with a small smile as she watched Klaus move to sit beside her.

“I’ll come by your house this Saturday?” he asked, sounding happy.

“Actually the founder’s council has been cracking down on us vampires lately. They’ve even put vervain in the town’s water supply.” She informed him. “So that’s probably not a good idea.”

“Oh, okay.” He sounded disappointed.

“Why don’t I come to you?” she asked in an attempt to save the conversation. “You can text me the address of where you want to meet and I can come whenever.”

“What about school?” he asked with a fatherly disapproving tone.

“I’m homeschooling now.” she told him. “So long as my assignments get emailed to the school, I’m free to do as I wish.”

“Well, you always were independent.” He commented. “So when can I be expecting you?”

“Well, I don’t really have any plans so it’s up to you.” Katie told him feeling awkward.

“The sooner the better.” He told her with a bit of a laugh to his voice.

“I’ll leave tomorrow morning.” She told him.

“I’ll text you the address and see you then.” Her father told her.

“See you then.” Katie echoed back then hung up the phone. A minute later the address of a bar and grill called Rousseau’s was sent to her in a text message.

“So you’re leaving town?” Klaus asked.

“Yep.” She answered and moved around to straddle him. “I promised my mother I would find my dad and talk things out with him. I owe it to her to give him a chance.”

“Would you like me to accompany you?” he asked as he slid his hands up her thighs under the red satin night gown she wore. “New Orleans is after all one of my favorite places in the world.”

“Really?” she asked, a little surprised. “Why? I mean, I know you lived there once, that’s why my father lives there now, but what’s so special about the place?”

“It’s rich in culture. They like to preserve their heritage. There’s also music, art and really good food.” He told her as he slipped his hands down her thighs to rest on her calves.

“Good food?” she asked as she slipped her fingertips over his chest.

“Have you ever had gumbo?” he asked and she shook her head no. “You should try it. I think you’ll like it. So are you going to answer my question?”

She thought about it for a second. “This is something I need to do alone. Besides, you’re needed here…Silas…impending end of the world and all that.” she answered, slipping her finger tips over his chest, drawing nonsensical shapes over his soft skin.

“Do you know how long you’ll be gone?” he asked and the tone of his voice implied he was going to miss her.

“I’ll definitely be back before prom.” She answered. “And I’ll keep in touch.” She kissed him then pulled back and stood up to look at the framed, hand written letters that hung over his bed. “I’ve been meaning to ask you…what’s with the letters?”

“I was wondering when you were going to ask.” He told her and she looked down at him. “They are mementos.” He answered simply a little afraid to tell her they were taken off the dead bodies of his victims.

She noticed they were all love notes. “Did you take them so you can simply relive and revel in the deaths of the people they were taken from or to serve a greater purpose like making you feel something?” she asked, making him look up at her with a frown. “And there goes my nose, poking around where it’s not welcome again.”

“Your perfect little nose is always welcome in my business.” He told her as she sat down beside him. “Your understanding of my mind still catches me off guard once in a while.”

“Caroline told me that Elena said that during Stefan’s humanity-less time in the twenties, he would write the names of his victims on a wall in his apartment.” she admitted. “The only difference between that and this, is the fact that all of those letters were written from one lover to another.” She pointed out and he didn’t say anything back. “You know, vampires talk about the humanity switch like it’s a magical fix all. Damon and Stefan made it sound like all emotions cease to exist, but…even when it was flipped…when I was as numb as I was going to get, and when I really didn’t want it, there was still one emotion that tried to fight its way in.”

“And what emotion was that?” he asked, looking at her across his shoulder, wondering where she was going with this.

“The one more powerful than hurt and hatred.” She answered and looked across her shoulder at him. “Love.” He blinked, giving her the look that said she was once again doing that thing where she decoded and understood the cracks within him, the same cracks she shared. “I guess what I’m so poorly trying to say is…” she pointed up at the letters on the wall above them, “I get it.” she dropped her hand to her lap.

As usual when she did that, since he wouldn’t let himself tell her he loved her, he slid his arm between her back and the headboard and pulled her around to straddle him and pressed his lips to hers in a deep kiss, pouring it all into her. “You are truly one of a kind, Little Phoenix.”

Katie smiled and looked down at his chest letting her mind wander to lighter subjects like prom that was coming up soon. “I have a question.”

“I may have an answer.” He replied as his hands slid down her back to hold her rear.

“If I asked you to let Tyler come home would you?” his face turned hard. “Not for good, just for prom.”

“Katie…” he sighed.

“Please?” she begged giving him her best puppy dog eyes. “Caroline’s my best friend and she is working her butt off to make prom perfect for everybody. Her night should be just as perfect as everyone else’s”

“Fine, but his welcome wears off at eleven.” He told her.

“Oh, come on, prom isn’t even over until ten thirty. At least give them until twelve.” She reasoned.

“No.” he told her flatly.

“Yes.” She argued with a half serious glare.

“No.”

“Klaus…” she drawled his name out warningly.

“Katie…” he mimicked her.

“Please, for me?” She pulled puppy dog eyes again.

“You,” he grabbed her sides and moved her around to lay on her back making her laugh when he tickled her sides and moved to hover over her, “are lucky you’re cute when you’re being demanding.” She slid directly under him and wrapped her legs around his hips. “He better be out of town by twelve or he’s dead.” He told her and she gave him a bright smile.

“Thank you.” she told him, still smiling.

“You’re gonna thank me with more than just words.” He told her with a lustful glare.

“Oh I am, am I?” she asked with a laugh and he hummed. “In a minute.” She told him as she turned on her stomach and slid up to grab her cell phone off the nightstand.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked.

“Telling Caroline the good news.” She replied as she started texting Caroline. A yelp and a giggle left her lips when he grabbed her ankles and pulled her back to him. As she texted Caroline he peppered her back with kisses seeking out her ticklish spots just to hear her laugh. “Okay, where were we?” she asked as she rolled over and smiled up at him.

After a two hour flight she landed at the airport, hailed a cab and gave the driver the address of Rousseau’s. She texted her father to let him know she was on her way to the bar and grill then texted Klaus to let him know she had landed and arrived safe and sound. When she got the bar and grill and walked in she easily found Bradley sitting at a table near the window. “Scarlett.” He smiled when she walked over and sat down.

“Hi.” She greeted feeling awkward as she hooked her purse over the back of the chair and sat down.

A pretty young brunette waitress with a gap between her two front teeth walked over and took her drink order. “You should try the gumbo.” Bradley spoke up and the waitress looked at Katie. “Sophie here is the best cook in the French Quarter.”

“I don’t know about that, Bradley.” She told him with a flirty smile then looked at Katie.

“Sure.” Katie told Sophie with a nod remembering that Klaus had recommended she try gumbo.

“I’ll get that right out.” Sophie told her then walked away.

“So how have you been?” Bradley asked.

“Good, believe it or not.” She answered, still feeling awkward. “What about you?”

“Better now that I know you’re okay.” His answer pissed her off and he could tell. “Look, I know you probably hate me for leaving you with your grandfather, but I did it to protect you.”

“You thought that leaving me to come here and search for people that haven’t lived in this area for at least a hundred years was protecting me?” she asked, trying her best to contain her anger. He sighed and looked down at the table. Sophie walked over with Katie’s drink and a bowl of gumbo and set them down in front of her. “Did you know you and mom have empty graves in the cemetery?” she asked and he shook his head no. “I grew up telling myself stories about where the two of you disappeared to. That you guys were entered into witness protection and weren’t allowed to come back to me or that your bodies were buried in the woods somewhere or eaten by bears or something. Why didn’t you just come home and be a father to me?”

“Because a vampire was the last thing you needed in your life.” He told her quietly.

“And I call B.S.” she told him then took a sip of her sweet tea. “You, even as you are now, would have been better than Grandfather.”

“I was going to pay him a visit and give him a piece of my mind before I left Mystic Falls, but he wasn’t there.” He told her.

“Yeah that’s because I killed him.” she told him with a straight face and he looked at her, his green eyes wide. “Oh don’t judge me when you’re the one that killed my mother.”

“How were you able to speak with her again?” he asked clearly aggravated that she’d learned that bit of information.

“Bonnie Bennett brought Jeremy Gilbert back from the dead and in doing so cracked the door to the other side open. A witch on the other side wedged it open and let the supernatural spirits be able to interact with our side. For a while we were able to see and feel them. Mom found me and we were able talk before Bonnie fixed the balance.” She explained. “She is the only reason I’m here right now.”

“I’m really sorry I didn’t come for you sooner.” He told her seriously. “Maybe if I had you wouldn’t be what you are now.”

“Which is?” she asked as she picked up her spoon and started stirring the gumbo. It looked disgusting despite its mouth watering smell.

“A vampire…and whatever getting Hannah’s memories has turned you into.” He answered then watched her playing with the gumbo. “Would you just try it already?” he asked with a point to the bowl of chicken and sausage gumbo.

“Fine.” She answered and took a bite. “Holy shit.” She commented as she covered her mouth then swallowed. “That’s really good.”

Her father laughed. “Told you.” things got quiet and she was almost through with her gumbo when he asked, “So how’s everyone back home?”

“Well, let’s see, Sheila Bennett, Mayor douche wad and Carole Lockwood, Caroline’s father, Elena’s parents, her aunt Jenna, Jeremy and John Gilbert aka Elena’s bio dad, along with most of the other council members that got blown up in the pastors farm house are all dead. I’m sure I’m leaving some people out, but that’s all I can think of right now.” she told him. “Oh and Caroline and Elena are vampires too. Other than that there’s the impending threat of hell on earth being unleashed, but that’s another story for another time.”

“Wow.” He said, taking time to let it sink in. After a few minutes he blinked out of his thoughts. “So you said you’ve met all of the originals?”

“Yep, even momma and poppa original.” She answered.

“And you live to tell about it.” he observed.

“What can I say, the Mikaelson siblings like me.” she told him with a shrug.

“A little too much if you ask me.” he commented.

She rolled her eyes and looked up at him. “Please tell me you’re not still mad that Elijah and I found each other.”

“My family, your ancestors, devoted their lives to keeping the reincarnations from remembering Elijah.” He told her with a glare.

“I’m sorry, the reincarnations?” she asked with a frown and a shake of her head as she pushed her bowl away from her.

“You think you’re the first of Hannah’s reincarnation attempts?” he asked with a tilt of his head.

“Uh, yeah, I don’t remember any lives other than Hannah and this one.” She answered, completely confused.

“That’s because the reincarnations were never allowed to live past their sixth birthday.” She just stared at him. “Legend has it that Jonah was so disgusted with what his mother had done that he killed his daughter to keep her from turning into his mother…to keep her from suffering at the hands of the Mikealson men.” he explained. “Every Finnegan female was either killed at birth or just before her sixth birthday. I couldn’t kill you so I did my best to protect you. I had Sheila block your memories and after I turned I didn’t come back because if I did it was more likely, with a vampire in your life, that you would become one and break the dam in your mind. I hoped that you would live and die as Katie, never becoming Hannah. I hoped it would break the cycle and free the women of our family.”

After a few minutes of letting it all sink in she sighed and looked up from her empty bowl to her father. “Then I guess I should thank you for not killing me and tell you that the cycle is broken.” he frowned in confusion. “I’m no longer linked to or with Elijah.”

“Really?” he asked with raised brows.

“Yep, the link broke when my soul shattered.” She answered.

“So you’re free of the Mikaelson’s?” he asked.

“Um…” she pulled one side of her mouth up and squinted an eye. “I guess you could say that?” she scratched the back of her neck uncomfortably.

“What does that mean?” he asked a little confused.

“Klaus and I are kind of…together.” She answered.

“Klaus is not an acceptable partner for anyone, much less my little Scarlett.” He told her.

She scoffed and before he could say anything, a guy who looked to be in his mid to late twenties with espresso skin and nice eyes, walked over to them and slapped his hand down on Bradley’s shoulder. “Who, may I ask, is this lovely lady?” he asked, giving Katie a bright, charming smile.

“My daughter, Scarlett.” Bradley answered. “Scarlett, this is Marcel.”

Katie gave Marcel a wave and a polite smile assuming that he was the same Marcel that turned her father. “I hate to pull you away from your family reunion, but we have business to attend to.” Marcel told Bradley.

“Alright.” Bradley told Marcel who walked off giving the father and daughter time to bid each other goodbye. “How long are you planning on staying in town?”

“I’m flying back in the morning.” She answered. “Prom is coming up soon.”

“What time is your flight?” he asked.

“Seven thirty.” She answered.

“We’ll meet here for breakfast at six?” he asked and she nodded. “See you in the morning.” He told her and she gave him a smile and a wave and watched him leave with Marcel.

“Refill?” Sophie asked as she walked over with a pitcher of tea in her hand. Katie slid her empty glass to the edge of the table. “Would you like more gumbo?”

“No, but it was delicious.” She answered then gave Sophie a smile as she picked up her glass of tea. “Thank you.”

She was still sitting there, sipping on her tea, fiddling with her necklace, thinking about everything she and her father had discussed when Sophie walked by with a sizzling plate of fajitas and her stomach flipped. She frowned and ran to the bathroom with her hand over her mouth and barely made it into the stall before her gumbo came back up. “The hell was in that gumbo?” Katie sighed as she shut the toilet lid and flushed it.

“It wasn’t the gumbo.” She heard Sophie say from outside the stall. “You’re tea, however, had a very powerful mixture of herbs in it. A roofie…kind of.”

Katie pushed the stall door open and turned on the sink. “You’re a witch.”

“Yep.” Sophie answered.

“I’ve seen a witch roofie in action, the dude didn’t get sick.” Katie said as she cupped her hand under the stream of water and rinsed out her mouth.

“Yeah that’s not the roofie, that’s morning sickness.” Sophie told her watching her grow weaker and weaker.

“That would imply…that I’m pregnant. I’m a vampire, I…can’t…” she passed out.

Sophie watched her fall then knocked on the door letting Jane-Ann, her sister inside. “This is stupid, and risky, you know that right?”

“We will talk about this later, for now we have to get her out of here without being seen.” Jane-Ann told her.

TVDTVDTVD

Katie woke up in a cabin in the woods, crickets and frogs could be heard outside. “Where am I?” she groaned as she sat up in the cot she was laying on.

“The bayou.” Sophie told her.

“Why?” she asked with a glare.

“Because like it or not, you’re pregnant with Klaus Mikaelson’s child.” Sophie answered reminding Katie what she’d told her before she passed out.

“It’s not possible, I’m a vampire. We can’t have kids.” She sighed, feeling ill. “How would you know anyway. You’re a witch not a doctor.”

“I’m a witch with a gift of telling when a woman is pregnant. I sensed it as soon as you walked into the restaurant.” She told her.

Katie, sure that Sophie was wrong, got quiet and listened. At first she only heard Sophie’s heartbeat and her own, but eventually she heard a small, fast heartbeat and slid her hand over her lower abdomen. “Holy freaking hell…”

“Congratulations?” Sophie asked awkwardly.

“How the hell is this possible?” Katie asked, sounding like she was in shock.

“Your guess is as good as mine.” Sophie shrugged.

“So what do you want with me? Why kidnap me and bring me out to the middle of nowhere?” Katie asked, trying to think about something other than what Klaus was going to have to say about this or the thousand other questions that were running through her head.

“Marcel has been keeping my people under his thumb, but now we have you.” Katie shook her head not understanding. “Your boyfriend is famous in this town. Witches tell bedtime stories about the vampire Klaus. Marcel was nothing but an orphaned street rat until he made him what he is. Now he’s out of control. He does what he wants. He kills who he wants. We’re gonna stop him and you’re gonna help us.”

“And how am I supposed to do that? I don’t even know you people.” Katie asked with a scoff. Jane-Ann walked in. “Who are you?”

“My name’s Jane-Ann.” She answered. “And to answer your question, you’re going to get Klaus here and you’re going to get him to help us.”

“What makes you think I have any control over Klaus?” Katie asked with a glare.

“Because he’s been texting you every hour on the hour for the past day and a half.” Sophie answered holding up Katie’s cell phone. “A guy doesn’t do that unless he’s worried and people only worry when they care.”

“Prom is today.” Katie sighed realizing how stupid that sounded since she just found out that she’s pregnant.

“Yeah, Caroline’s been texting incessantly about that.” Sophie told her. “I’m sorry but you’re going to have to miss it.”

“I gathered as much.” Katie scoffed.

“We need to get started, Soph.” Jane-Ann said.

TVDTVDTVD

After performing a million different witchy tests on her Sophie tossed Katie a clear blue pregnancy test. “Just for shits and giggles. The outhouse is that way.” She told her with a point outside.

“Watch your language Soph.” Jane-Ann scolded her little sister as Katie stood up and went outside.

After taking the pregnancy test she put the cap back on it and watched as the word pregnant showed up on the screen. She headed back inside and showed it to them, then tucked it into her pocket. “How the hell is this even possible?” Katie asked herself more than them.

“Did I hear you tell Bradley that your soul shattered?” Jane-Ann asked, having been at the bar while Katie and her father chatted.

“Yeah, why?” Katie asked as if it were no big deal.

“No one, witch, human, vampire or wolf has ever come back from that before.” Jane-Ann answered. “We have no records of what that can do to someone.”

“Even still, that doesn’t explain Klaus’s roll in this.” Katie pointed out.

“He’s a hybrid, magic made him a vampire, but he was born a werewolf and is the first of his kind. Nature is full of loopholes.” Jane-Ann explained.

“Awesome.” Katie sighed and fell back to lie on the cot hoping to go to sleep and wake up from this nightmare.

TVDTVDTVD

After making sure Tyler was out of town Klaus returned to his mansion to find a note, left for him by Katherine. “Klaus, I hear Elijah has refused you the cure and in return you have refused me my freedom. Shame on you both. But while you boys sort out your problems, I have one last thing to offer you. I’ve caught wind that there is a witch in New Orleans named Jane-Anne Deveraux holding your precious Katie hostage. Hunt her down. What she has to tell you about Katie will rattle you so deeply to your core that chasing little old me will be the least of your concerns. It’s been a fun five centuries, Klaus, but I’ve worn down too many good heels running from you. Love and hate, Katerina.”

Klaus dropped everything, packed a bag and bought a plane ticket to New Orleans.

TVDTVDTVD

Twenty four hours later Katie sat on a wooden bench in a tomb in the middle of a cemetery in New Orleans. “We can talk freely here.” Katie heard Sophie say. She also heard another set of feet walking with Sophie.

“Then I suggest you start talking.” Elijah’s voice made Katie perk up, just happy to hear a familiar voice. “What did your sister want with Niklaus?” Katie tried to leave the tomb, but a couple of witches stepped in her way.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Sophie asked. “We have a vampire problem, and we need help. Marcel has an army backing him. The witches have been trying to fight back, but we haven’t had much luck. Until my sister, Jane-Anne and I met a girl, a vampire girl passing through the quarter from a small town in Virginia, the daughter of one of Marcel’s day walkers. She has a special…connection to your brother.” Sophie explained to him. “By the look on your face I’m guessing you know who she is.”

“What do you want with Katie?” he asked, his tone guarded.

“Wait, are we talking about the same girl? Bradley called her Scarlett.” Sophie asked.

“Scarlett is her middle name.” Elijah answered growing impatient.

“She’s pregnant and the father of the child she’s carrying is your brother, Klaus.” Sophie told him.

“That’s impossible.” Katie could hear the shock in his voice.

“Nothing’s impossible, especially not when it comes to a hybrid and the first being to ever recover from a shattered soul.” Sophie explained. “Let her out.” She called.

The men stepped aside and Katie whooshed out of the tomb, stopping in her tracks when her eyes landed on Elijah, looking at her with narrowed eyes.

He looked at Sophie, “Give us a moment please.” Sophie nodded and jerked her head for the witches to leave them be. Elijah put his hand on Katie’s lower back and led her into the tomb where she sat back down straddling the bench. He started pacing. “So it’s true?” he asked and she nodded. “Have they been holding you here against your will?”

“They witch roofied me, brought me out to the bayou and did all these witchy tests.” She told him then pulled the pregnancy test out of her pocket. “But even the plain old clear blue confirmed it.” She showed him the word pregnant on the test. “I thought it was just a really weird dream at first, but this is really happening…I’m really pregnant.” She tapped the test on the bench, attempting to hold back her tears, then tucked it back into the pocket of her jeans.

Elijah sat down and pulled a leg up on the bench to face her and cupped her cheek in his hand making her eyes slip shut for a second. “How are you dealing with this?”

“I’m shaking in my freaking boots.” She answered, tapping the toe of her shoe down into the tile floor of the tomb. “What if he doesn’t want it…or me?” she asked with a shaking voice. “I can’t do this alone.”

“You are not in this alone.” He assured her. “I do not believe he would turn his back on you.” He wiped her tears away. “Niklaus has never truly been happy, but I believe that you and this baby can achieve the impossible and save him from himself.”

Katie grabbed his wrist and moved his hand from her face. “No pressure or anything.”

“That wasn’t my intent.” He told her apologetically.

“No, I know.” She assured him. “I’m just…a little overwhelmed, I guess.”

“Katie I know I’ve broken my promises to you in the past, but I need you to trust me when I say that no harm will come to you or this baby if I can help it.” he brushed her loose hair behind her ear and rested his hand on the side of her neck.

She took his hand off her and held it in both of hers. “I’m trusting you, please don’t make me regret it again.”

“I wouldn’t dare.” He told her seriously.

She took a deep breath and let go of his hand. “We have to convince the witches to let me tell Klaus about the baby. It’s my business to tell, not theirs.”

“Request heard and granted.” Sophie told her as she walked in.

“What precisely is it that you want and what does it have to do with Katie?” Elijah asked as he stood up and walked over to Sophie.

“We want to run Marcel and his vampires out of town. Klaus is the key. Everything Marcel knows about being a vampire he learned from Klaus. Marcel trusts him, looks up to him. He won’t see the betrayal coming.” Sophie answered.

“Yes. Well, I’m sure you’re aware, my brother Niklaus doesn’t like to be told what to do.” Elijah told her and Katie found that she still liked to listen to Elijah talk.

“Marcel drove the werewolves out of town decades ago. Do you really think he’s going to welcome a hybrid baby to the neighborhood?” Katie placed a hand protectively over her stomach at Sophie’s words. “Convince Klaus to help us and no one has to know about the newest member of the original family.”

“That sounds remarkably like blackmail.” Elijah told her.

“Like I said, I’m desperate.” Sophie told him with a hard voice and face.

“Well, then. We have our work cut out for us don’t we?” Elijah asked with a look back at Katie.

TVDTVDTVD

“What are we doing here?” Katie had been sitting on the bench in the tomb, bouncing her foot nervously since Elijah left to find Klaus. When she heard the younger brother’s voice she stood up.

“You want to know where Katie is and what the witches have in store for you?” Elijah asked rhetorically. “Follow me.”

A few seconds later Elijah and Klaus walked into the empty tomb to see Katie standing in front of the bench with her head held high, doing a good job of covering up how much she was freaking out inside. “Before you get mad, I haven’t been ignoring your texts and calls. The witches took my phone.”

“Are you alright?” he asked as he walked in and slid his hand over her cheek as he pressed his lips to hers. She savored the moment, knowing that after she told Klaus that she was pregnant it may very well be the last time he kissed her.

When the kiss broke she looked around Klaus to Elijah, “Leave us, please?” she could tell he didn’t want to, but he gave her a nod and walked out of the tomb. “I have been wrecking my brain trying to find the right words to tell you this, but I can’t. So I need you to do me a favor.” She told him and he blinked at her as she took his hands in hers and held them to her chest. “Close your eyes and listen.” He rolled his eyes at her as if she were being silly. “Just…do it please.”

He closed his eyes and listened to everything around him. She knew he’d heard the baby’s heartbeat when he took in a deep breath, his eyes shot open and he jerked his hands from hers as if he’d been burned.

“How is this possible?” He whispered looking into her eyes as a tear slipped down his cheek. He wanted the baby, she could see it in his eyes, but if he was willing to let himself have it, to have happiness, she couldn’t tell.

“I am the first known person to come back from a shattered soul and you are a hybrid, the first of your kind. Apparently nature loves loopholes.” She told him quietly to hide the fear in her voice. After a few minutes of silence passed it became too much for her to handle. “I feel like I’m about to have a panic attack, please say something.”

“What do the witches want with you?” he asked, not putting her mind at ease.

“They want you to overthrow Marcel and get them out from under his control.” She answered.

“Why should I?” he asked with a hard face.

Before Katie could answer, Sophie and a few other witches walked into the tomb. Elijah walked over and stood next to Klaus and Katie moved to his other side, looking at the three witches blocking them into the tomb. “Because my sister gave her life to perform the spell that put the lives of this girl and her baby in our control. If you do not help us take down Marcel…so help me Katie won’t live long enough to see her first maternity dress.”

“Whoa, hey, you’re threatening me?” Katie asked shocked at what she’d just learned. “I’ve never been anything but cooperative with you people.”

“We appreciate that, but we aren’t so sure he’ll be as understanding.” Sophie told her with a hard face and a point at Klaus.

“Enough of this.” Elijah told Sophie, “If you want Marcel dead he’s dead. I’ll do it myself.”

“No. We can’t. Not yet.” Sophie argued. “We have a clear plan that we need to follow and there are rules.”

“Sophie can you guys just back the hell off and give us a minute please?” Katie asked and Sophie gave her a look that asked, seriously? “Just a few minutes then you can get back to your threats, blackmail and bullshit.”

“Fine, but just a few.” She nodded and motioned for the witches to leave and followed them out.

With them gone Katie sank down on the bench and placed her head in her hands with a heavy breath. “This is a trick.” Klaus growled being his usual paranoid self.

“No, brother, it’s a gift. It’s your chance. It’s our chance.” Elijah argued.

“You know I would never lie to you. Or is our trust really that one sided?” Katie asked as she stood from the bench and walked over to him.

“It’s not one sided.” He told her with watery eyes.

“Good, then do me a favor and put the witches out of your mind for a second. You haven’t said and I need to know. Do you want this baby?” When a tear betrayed her she quickly wiped it away.

He stared at her for a minute then said one word, “No.”

It felt as if someone snatched the air from her lungs and a pain shot through her chest. She wanted to break down, cry and let it all out, but she wouldn’t let him see how much he affected her. So she held her head high. “I call bullshit.” she told him in a quiet yet strong voice. “I know you want this baby, you want us. I saw it in your eyes.” she didn’t bother wiping her tears away this time. “You made hybrids because you wanted a new family. Well,” she held her hands out to the side, “you’ve got one standing right in front of you. All you have to do is say the word and we’re yours.”

“Listen to her, Niklaus.” Elijah spoke up making Katie look at him then back at Klaus.

“You once told me that Elijah was my first love and you intended to be my last. If you reject this baby again, that will never happen.” His lips drew together, pursed in defiance. “So, I’ll ask one more time. Do you want this baby?”

He leaned down and looked her in the eyes, “No.” he saw hurt flash in them then turn into a blazing fire that he hated seeing directed at him. He thought she was going to hit him, but she didn’t.

Instead she grabbed the silver pendant hanging around her neck in her fist and jerked. Elijah watched her grab Klaus’s hand, put the necklace in his palm and closed it. “Thank you.” he gave her a questioning look. “For reminding me that love…is for children and fools.” She shoved his hand and turned her back on him, leaving the tomb.

One of the witches thought she was trying to leave the cemetery and grabbed her arm. She grabbed his wrist, knocked him to his knees and twisted his arm behind his back, almost breaking it. “You lay a hand on me again and it will no longer be attached to your body.” She shoved him to the ground then looked at Sophie, “Proceeded with the blackmail and bullshit, I’ve gotten the only answer I cared about.” She walked over to the steps of another tomb and sat down on them, crossing her arms over her knees, rested her head on them.

Katie zoned out and lost track of how much time had passed before she felt someone touch her shoulder and she looked up to see that it was Sophie. “Come on.” She jerked her head back to the tomb. “Klaus and Elijah are gone for now, but I’m sure Elijah will be back.” Katie just nodded and stood up.

TVDTVDTVD

Katie sat on the wooden bench in the tomb listening to the witches talk about how Marcel and his vampires were out of control when one of them asked, "What makes you think you can control the hybrid?"

"She can't." Elijah spoke up and everyone looked to see him leaning against the doorway of the tomb. "I'm not entirely certain I can either." He pushed himself off the wall and walked into the tomb. "But now that your coven has drawn his ire, I have a question. What prevents my brother from murdering you instead of cooperating?"

Sophie walked over to the wall of the tomb and grabbed a straw doll off of a shelf. She took a needle out of it and poked her hand. Katie winced and looked at a spot of blood that pooled in her palm. "Are you freaking kidding me? She linked me to you!?" Katie asked angrily.

"Yep. Anything that happens to me, happens to you." Sophie told her then looked at Elijah. "Which means her life is in my hands. If she so much as sets a foot out of this town I will be able to tell." Katie gritted her teeth with flared nostrils. "Klaus may not care about his own child, but it's very clear what it already means to you. If I have to hurt Katie or worse to ensure that I have your attention, I will."

Elijah took a step closer to Sophie. "You would dare threaten an original?"

"I have nothing to lose." Sophie answered. "You have until midnight to get Klaus to change his mind."

Elijah turned and left the tomb.

TVDTVDTVD

Katie was sitting outside the tomb, getting fresh air when she heard the midnight bell toll then let her head fall back. She was staring up at the sky, waiting for the witches to come kill her when she heard someone walking up and looked up to see Elijah carrying a body wrapped in light brown linen. Curious, she followed him inside the tomb. “Klaus does not care about the child.” She heard Agnes, one of the witch elders say.

“I do.” Elijah spoke up getting their attention. “And I bring proof of my intent to help you. The body of your fallen friend.” He kneeled down and placed the body on the floor. “Which I procured from Marcel himself.”

“Jane-Anne.” Sophie sighed and fell to the floor beside her dead sister.

“May she be granted peace.” Elijah told them. “Klaus will agree to your terms.” They all looked at him. “I just need a little more time.”

“You’ve had your time. It’s passed.” Agnes argued.

“Shut up, Agnes.” One of the other witches spoke up and moved to stand next to Sophie.

“For now, accept the deal.” Elijah told them. “Katie and the child remain unharmed, or Klaus will kill you all” He turned and started walking away, but stopped and turned back to look at the witches. “And I will help him.”

TVDTVDTVD

The next morning Katie was brought back to the cemetery. “When can I have my cell phone back?” she asked as she walked in and sat down on the bench. “I’m bored out of my mind.”

Sophie pulled Katie’s phone out of her back pocket and held it up. “You can’t tell anyone about your pregnancy.”

“Duh.” Katie commented and Sophie slapped the phone into Katie’s palm. “Thank you.”

She was going through her texts from Caroline, Klaus and Bonnie when Elijah and Sophie walked in. “Klaus has agreed to help us. You’re free to go, but don’t even think about leaving town. If you do, I’ll sense it and kill both of us.”

“Ten four, rubber ducky.” Katie sighed sarcastically as she pushed herself from the bench and walked over to Elijah. When they got out of the cemetery she asked, “So, how’d you get him to agree?”

Elijah opened the passenger door of his car for her. “Unlike you I didn’t give up on him.” he answered as she slid inside and he shut the door.

“I didn’t give up on him. I’m just done wasting my breath begging people to give a shit about me.” she replied not looking at him as he cranked the car and started driving.

“Do you really think he doesn’t care about you?” he asked and she just shrugged. “He cares, Katie.”

“Yeah, well, he has a funny way of showing it.” she scoffed.

“He is scared.” Elijah defended.

“And I’m not?” she asked, raising her voice.

“You’ve been a parent before. You know how to love unconditionally. Klaus doesn’t because he’s never experienced it.” Elijah reminded her.

“Can we just…stop talking about this, please?” she asked, getting aggravated.

“Of course.” He drove her out of the city and to a plantation house. “Welcome to your new home.” He parked outside the huge two story white house with large columns, black shutters and a black door.

“Well, it’s a lot better than a tomb or a swamp.” She commented then got out of the car.

After he let her inside and gave her a tour, she picked a room with a window seat and pulled the dust covers off of the bed and the rest of the furniture.

She was sitting on the window seat, her back to the door and her head leaned on the wall, looking outside when she heard someone walk up behind her. A bouquet of six red roses appeared in front of her face and she recognized the hand holding them as Klaus’s. She took them, held her hand out to the side then dropped them to the floor. She heard him sigh then a pint of strawberry ice cream and a spoon appeared in front of her. She took it and he thought she was going to drop it too, but she stood from the bench and left the room. He followed her down stairs to the kitchen where she pulled open the icebox that was made to blend with the white cabinets and stuck it in the freezer. When she turned around he gave her a curious look. “I don’t believe in wasting perfectly good ice cream.”

She walked around the island and had to pass him on the way to the door, but he gently grabbed her arm, stopping her from walking away from him. “Please accept my apology.”

“I have yet to hear one.” She pointed out as she took her arm from his grasp.

“I’m sorry.” He told her quietly. “I…”

“Acted like a pig headed dick.” She filled in for him since he couldn’t find the words.

“That’s putting it lightly.” He told her with a nod.

She took in a slow, deep breath then heaved it out, walked back over to the icebox, grabbed the ice cream and the spoon she’d tossed into the empty sink at one end of the island and set the container on the counter across from where Klaus stood on the other side. “I’m really going to miss alcohol…” she stabbed the spoon into the pink frozen treat and took a bite. “I’m sorry too.” She admitted then swallowed. “I shouldn’t have cornered you with an ultimatum like that.”

“How long have you known?” he asked instead of acknowledging her apology.

“I found out not long after I got here. I was hanging out at Rousseau’s after my dad left with Marcel when Sophie walked by with a plate of Fajitas. The smell made me sick and let me tell you, Sophie’s gumbo was freaking awesome, but after it came back up I don’t think I’ll ever be able to even smell it again.” He smirked at her confession, a little happy she had taken his advice and had gumbo. “That was right before I passed out from the witch roofie Sophie put in my tea.”

“Does your father know?” he asked.

“As far as he knows I skipped the breakfast we planned and left without saying goodbye.” She told him. “And I’d like to keep it that way. Bredley is one of Marcel’s day walkers. Marcel sired him and I don’t know where his loyalties lie.” She took one last bite of ice cream then put the top back on it, stuck it in the freezer and washed, dried and put away her spoon. “Speaking of Marcel, can I ask what history you have with him and this city? I know you guys had to leave in 1919, but that’s about it.”

“My family and I practically ran this town. Marcel was just an unnamed boy, a slave, when I found him, named him and took him under my wing.” He told her as he walked around the island to stand across from her where she leaned her hip against the counter. “I made Marcel everything that he is. I loved him like a son, and when my father chased me and my family from here a hundred years ago we believed Marcel was killed. We each mourned him in our own way. Yet when I returned, I found not only had he survived he had thrived. Instead of seeking us out, instead of sticking together as one, he made a choice to take everything my family had built and make it his own. Now he is living in our home. He is sleeping in our beds. There’s an M he stamps everywhere but it doesn’t stand for Marcel, it’s for Mikaelson. I want it all back. I want to be king.”

“And this baby and I…Do we have a place in this kingdom of yours?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Every king needs a queen by his side.” he replied as he slid his hand over the side of her neck. “And an heir to his throne.” He leaned into her and pressed his forehead to hers, looking her in the eyes. “Stand with me, be my queen?” he asked and she pulled her head back as he pulled her necklace out of his pocket, the clasp now fixed.

“Let me hear you say it…out right, no talk of kingdoms.” She told him, not giving in to him yet.

His mouth opened to say something but he closed it. She nodded and tried to turn her back on him to walk away, but he grabbed her arm and spun her around, catching her lips with his. It took a few seconds before she let herself kiss him back. When it broke he pressed his forehead to hers. “I want you…both of you.” She gave him a small smile as she gathered up her loose auburn waves and lifted them as she turned her back on him. He put the necklace back around her neck. “And I never want to see this necklace leave your neck again.”

“Good, because I never want to take it off again.” She told him as she slid her fingertips over the smooth metal then put her hand on his cheek. “I’ll be your queen or your little phoenix or…whatever you want to call me.” she smiled to herself more than him. “You’ve really got to stop giving me nicknames.”

He chuckled, happy they were back on good terms. “The nicknames are endless because you…” he grabbed her hips and picked her up, setting her on the island next to the sink, “are my everything.” His words knocked the breath out of her in a good way this time. After taking in a deep, forced breath she caught his lips with hers and the kiss quickly turned heated and a moan left her lips as she pulled him closer with her legs. A sigh left his lips as she started kissing his neck.

She was kissing his lips and about to grab the hem of his shirt and pull it over his head when she heard someone clear their throat. Klaus stopped kissing her and rolled his eyes as they both looked at Elijah, leaning against the door frame. “I see you two made up.” Katie unwrapped her legs from Klaus’s waist.

“We were working on it.” Klaus answered with a smirk that Elijah ignored and made Katie look at the floor with a blush.

“Is it done?” Elijah asked Klaus, making Katie look up at them, confused.

“As a matter of fact, yes.” Klaus answered. “Your underhanded deal worked quite well. Marcel was only too happy to accept my blood, even as he accepted my heartfelt apologies. His man Thierry yet lives and I remain a welcome guest in the French quarter. My only concern now is this coven of impudent witches.”

“You do know I’m linked to Sophie right?” Katie asked Klaus who gave her an interested look. “If she dies I die and while I will come back, the baby might not.”

“I believe them to be honorable though.” Elijah spoke up. “They did release Katie to me, although they haven’t been entirely forthcoming. Marcel obviously has something that they need. They don’t want him dead. There must be a reason why.”

Out of nowhere a wave of nausea rolled over Katie sending her rushing to the bathroom. She was flushing the toilet when Elijah asked, “Are you okay?”

“Ugh.” She responded and rested her forehead on the toilet seat knowing it was clean since they’d just moved into the house. “Please look away.” She groaned.

Instead he walked inside, grabbed a washcloth, wet it and rang it out. “You forget this isn’t the first time I’ve seen you sick.” He pointed out as he handed her the cloth. She took it and his offered hand when he offered it.

He pulled her up. “I didn’t forget. I caught the flu back in Ireland and wouldn’t let you give me your blood.” she remembered then wiped her face and mouth and rinsed the cloth out and draped it over the faucet. “Why was that again?”

“You said it was a human experience that you needed to get through so that you wouldn’t get sick again.” He reminded her.

“And Jonah ever so politely told me I was being stupid.” She said as she put her hand on the counter and leaned on it.

“You were running a fever and not thinking straight.” he added. “Jonah convinced me to heal you while you were sleeping.”

“And I thanked you for it when I woke up.” She gave him a small smile. “At least this time you don’t have to pick stew chunks out of my insanely tight curls.”

“I didn’t have to do it then.” He pointed out with a small smile of his own, reminding her that he did it because he loved her, not because he had to. “And if I may…” he grabbed the rag and rinsed it out then wiped at a spot of puke on her cheek that she’d missed. When he was done he tossed the rag into the dirty clothes hamper behind her.

“So,” Katie started realizing that reminiscing wasn’t the best idea, “Where did you go after I woke up and you left Mystic Falls?” she asked, as she hopped up to sit on the bathroom counter, wanting to stick close to the toilet in case she got sick again.

“I’m surprised Niklaus hasn’t already told you.” he told her as he leaned back on the wall across from her in the small guest bathroom. She just looked at him and shrugged. He narrowed his eyes, thinking about not telling her. “Katherine contacted me and said she had the cure. She thought we could be of mutual use to one another.”

Katie bit her lips closed and narrowed her eyes back at him. “You were with her, with her weren’t you?”

“Katie I-” he started

“Stop, rewind and forget I asked. It’s none of my business.” She interrupted him. “I told you we needed to move on. So you moved on just like I did.”

“I tried to move on.” He corrected her. “It did not work.”

She wanted to ask why. A small part of her wanted to know if he couldn’t move on because he was still hung up on her, but another… much bigger part dedicated to Klaus, didn’t care. “Good.” She saw curiosity flash behind his pretty brown eyes. “You can do better than the colossal bitch that is Katherine Pierce. Now,” she hopped down off the bathroom counter and walked over to the bathroom door, “if you don’t mind I really need to shower.”

She was getting out of the shower when she heard the all too familiar sound of Elijah in pain. With a whoosh she wrapped the towel around herself and went to where she’d heard the sound only to find an empty room. She went back to her room and got dressed then started searching the house. After an hour she found a hidden room containing coffins, one of which reminded her of her bedroom in Klaus’s house in Mystic Falls. She noticed Elijah’s coffin missing and after searching the room thoroughly she found two silver daggers.

TVDTVDTVD

She was removing dust cloths from some of the furniture out of the need to do something when she heard the front door open and close. Klaus heard her and found here. “Where’s Elijah?” she asked flatly.

“Exactly where he needs to be.” Klaus answered and did that thing where he looked down his nose at her.

“Where he needs to be is here, with us, but he’s not.” She replied, her nostrils flaring a bit. “I searched this house over and do you know what I found?” she asked rhetorically as she closed the space between them and glared up at him. “Daggers and coffins…one of each missing and one coffin that looked suspiciously like it could me mine.” He sighed and blinked at her. “Start. Explaining.”

“The white coffin is yours.” he told her and she took in an angry breath, but kept her mouth shut. “I had it custom made when I thought you were dying and I haven’t been able to convince myself to get rid of it. I have no intention of ever seeing you in it.”

She had to admit, he was smart to lead with that. She found it touching that he’d had a coffin custom made for her to be buried in style…or on the even creepier side, kept with him in style. But she shook herself out of her thoughts and put the glare back on her face. “Get to the part where you tell me where Elijah’s at.”

“He was a weakness. Marcel was nervous. It was bad enough that one original returned to town, but two… His crew was getting antsy. He wanted Elijah gone. So I gave him a peace offering.” She frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. “I have a plan to keep you safe. Gain Marcel’s trust, dismantle his empire, and see to it that our baby is born into an environment free of wolf hating vampires and witches threatening to kill you.” He cupped her face in his hands. “I am taking care of you the only way I know how.” She gently grabbed his wrists and took his hands from her face. “Katie…”

“We will continue this conversation after I calm down.” she told him with a tight voice and a hard look. He let her walk away.

She was sitting at the dining table and had finished off the ice cream that Klaus had bought her when he dared to show his face to her again. She didn’t say a word as she watched him pull out a chair and sit down across from her. “Calm yet?”

“As much as I’m gonna get.” She answered, then tossed the spoon into the empty container and pushed it to the side. “Elijah’s not a weakness or a bargaining chip. He’s an asset. With that being said, tell me the full truth. You didn’t dagger him just because of Marcel, did you?”

Klaus sighed and looked down at the table then back up at her. “Contrary to his escapades with Katerina he is still in love with you, Katie.” She gritted her teeth. “I heard the two of you, reminiscing over a time when it was him taking care of you.”

“New flash,” she started with an attitude, “We have seven years of memories together and from time to time those memories are going to resurface. Yes, I look back on them fondly as I’m sure he does too, and yes I still love him, but I am not in love with him and he is not the Mikealson brother I want. You are and you know it.” He nodded, letting her know he understood and the look in his eyes told her he was sorry. “The reason he is an asset is because the old saying, it takes a village to raise a child is incredibly true. Parents are the most important people in a child’s life, but they also need aunts and uncles, people that round out their world. If you keep daggering our village this child doesn’t stand a chance.”

“It will take time, but I will find a way to get him back.” he told her quietly.

“Good.” She stood up and walked around the table to lean her hips against it and look down at him. “And if I’m not mistaken, don’t kings usually keep their queens informed on battle plans?” she asked, with an arched brow.

A small smile pulled at the corners of his lips as he clasped his hands in front of him with his elbows resting on the arms of the dining chair. “I will also do a better job of keeping you in the loop.”

“Thank you.” she told him with a nod and he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her over to stand in front of him and rested his head on her stomach. They both got quiet for a moment, listening to the fast beat of the baby’s heart. “Is there anything you wish to ask of me?” she asked knowing that he was used to doing what he wanted when he wanted and now he was having to accommodate her.

He picked his head up and looked up at her. “As much as I want to show you New Orleans I need you to stay here.” he told her. “If your father sees you out and about in the quarter he’ll start asking questions. As you’ve already pointed out he is part of Marcel’s inner circle. You need to remain a secret.”

“And if my father runs into you in the quarter?” she asked. “He knows we’re together. He’ll want to know where I am.”

“You went on a pre-graduation road trip. Last I heard you were in Chicago.” He told her.

“That actually sounds like something I would do and answers why I’m not in Mystic falls in case he went looking for me. It’s a given that my friends back in Mystic Falls can’t know the truth either huh?” she asked and he nodded, knowing she would hate lying to her friends. “Then they get the same story.” she agreed. “But if I’m going to be locked away in here I’m going to need a few things.”

“Like what?” he asked curiously.

“Internet, a laptop and a three in one printer.” She answered. “Even if I can’t make it to graduation I fully intend on getting my diploma and I have a lot of catching up to do.”

“Your wish is my command.” He told her with a closed lipped smile.

“As yours is mine.” She told him then placed her hands on the arms of the chair and leaned down, looking him in the eyes. “Thank you.” She pecked him on the lips and he smiled.

[mamawolfblood]

Total drama Surprise

14 Brunch of Disgustingness

Chris: Last time on Total Drama Island… A note from a secret admirer got Gwen and Bridgette up in each other’s business. DJ accidentally knocked his boy Trent off the airplane, sending him deep into the Earth’s crust. Leshawna showed everybody how to hang on for dear life on the moose ride. Harold showed himself to be an ace flag-catcher, until he caught sight of Heather’s… unmentionables, causing him to crash his way right off the island, but not without a little canoodling time with the fair Leshawna. And now, let’s see what’s in store for our campers on this week’s episode of Total. Drama. Island!

Iris found it odd that Chef did want her help today for breakfast. Walking and sat on the dock looking at the moon. It was calm a peaceful just the gentle sound of water. "You couldn't sleep either?" Duncan said making the teen jump. He chuckled sitting behind me. His arms wrapped me into a warm embrace. His chin ontop of her head. No words needed to be spoken they just watch the sun rise.

It was something she didn't want to end but nothing lasts forever. The campers made their way to the mess hall. Before Iris could enter Duncan grabbed her arm. "Duncan what is it?" She asked looking up at him. But the carage he gathered soon turned to cold feet making him let go. "Nothing let's see what your dad has up his sleeve today." Damb so close but no big deal. The girl thought stepping inside sitting with her team.

Iris pov

My dad  Was acting weird whenever someone tried to ask about food.  Chef would snicker and laugh along with him. " OK seriously enough, what is wrong with the two of you?" I asked making them look at me. Its no secret I get cranky when I don't get food.

Chris: Congratulations to the remaining ten campers for reaching the halfway mark in the competition! You’ll all be on the jury for the final episode.

Geoff: We got the power! Yeah!

Chris: The two teams will become one next week. But first, all the girls will be moved to the Gopher cabin and all the guys will stay in the Bass cabin. This week’s challenge is as old as history itself. A battle of the sexes [Lindsay blows a raspberry at the guys] After everyone is settled in, I’ll announce the challenge. And then, you’ll have an uh… bite to eat.[He and Chef snicker] Ready for a little good news? This week, no one will be kicked off. [everyone cheers] It’s all for reward and it’s a good one. Okay, time to relocate. Let’s move! [He and Chef snicker]

Heather started kissing up to Bridgette. It was sickening to watch so I got up and left.

(Confessional: Bridgette)

Bridgette: I was a bit worried about being the only new girl on the team. Then I figured it can’t be that bad. I don’t buy that hype about how well guys get along and how catty girls can be.

(Confessional Off)

I was sitting outside when Bridgette walked over. "Hi Bridgette have fun in the lions den." I said before laughing.

Leshawna: Nobody’s leaving until I find out who ate my pudding pockets!

Heather: I ate them. So what?

Leshawna: Whoa! Pump the brakes a minute! You’re “so what”ing me? That’s my food. No one touches my food!

Heather: Whatever, deal with it. It serves you right for leaving your junk everywhere, especially that. That is bugging me.

Leshawna: Yeah, it’d bug me too if I didn’t have anything in the front or in the back to shake.

Heather: Yeah? Well, you’ve got so much junk in your trunk, your jeans should come with a trash compactor!

Leshawna: Ooh! You want a piece of this?

Bridgette: Uh-oh.

Heather: Bridgette! It’s so good to see you! Come in, come in! Welcome to our cabin. We’re like a big family in here.

Gwen: Big and dysfunctional.

Heather: Anything you need, just yell.

Bridgette: Thanks for the awesome welcome, Heather.

Lindsay: Welcome to the club! It’ll be so much fun! As long as you do everything Heather says. Ow!

Heather [after she laughs] : Yeah, we love joking around here at girls cabin. I made sure your bunk was next to mine–

Lindsay: Hey! That’s my bed. Ow!

Heather: So we can talk and share and really get to know each other.

Bridgette: Okay, yeah! Hey, thanks everybody, I can’t wait to get to know all of–

Heather: Okay! Plenty of time to chat later! Let’s unpack.

Lindsay: This is great! I bet we’re getting along way better than the guys.

I honestly hope things are going well. This den of vipers is about to explode. If on cue I heard this.

Bridgette: Let’s build bridges, not walls!

Heather: Take your pick.

dramatic music plays as Bridgette picks Gwen and Leshwana's side

Heather: You just dug your own grave.

Bridgette: Let’s try to get along, okay? Otherwise, the guys are going to cream us, don’t you get it? Tough room.

[Chef and Chris snicker]

Heather: Stop doing that!

Chris: Let’s just tell them… Today’s challenge is… The Brunch of Disgustingness! You’ll be getting a nine-course meal. Each member of each team must finish each dish. You will not know if the next dish is grosser than the last, not as gross, or just as gross. Just that it’ll likely be… gross.

Chef: Tell them what they’ll get if they win, Chris!

Chris: The winning team spends two days at a local five-star resort where they’ll be pampered, eat gourmet nosh, and be given antibiotics against anything they may have caught while participating in this challenge! The losing team will go hungry tonight and spend the next two days here. On Total Drama Island. With Chef.

The first round was bull testicles and the point went to the girls. Oh those boys could handle a little meatball.

Chris: The score now stands at one for the girls and zero for the guys! And now, the next course in… The Brunch of Disgustingness! You guys like pizza?

Owen: I could eat pizza any time with anything on it!

Chris: Anything? How about live grasshopper pizza with tangy jellyfish sauce and live anchovies?

Owen: I could eat pizza any time with anything on it!

Chris: How about live grasshopper pizza with tangy jellyfish sauce and live anchovies?

Ok even I thought it was gross please do let me get sick.

Leshawna couldn't eat it giving the guys a point making us tied. The girls freaked on her but honestly not a big deal. "Guys its not a big deal. We will win the next round so stop complaining.

(Confessional: Chef)

Chef: I was excited about the next dish. I made it from scratch.

(Confessional Off)

Chris: All right, who’s ready for the third course? Spaghetti! Well, actually, Earthworms covered in snail slime sauce and hairballs.

I barfed when it was placed infront of me.

(Confessional )

Iris- WHO THE FUCK THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA?! THIS SHIT IS FUCKING DISGUSTING!

*static *

(End of Confessionals)

The guys got another point and now I am getting aggravated.

Chris: All right everybody. Time for course number four. No nine-course meal would be complete without soup. Today’s special is French Bunyon soup with hangnail crackers.

(Confessional: Geoff)

Geoff: I think they just use stuff from Chef’s bathroom floor.

(Confessional Off)

Bridgette gasps

DJ strains to eat

Trent gags

Lindsay: I didn’t even taste it.

Chris: The girls win again![Gwen, Heather, Leshawna, and Lindsay cheer] The score’s now tied up at two.

(Confessional: Bridgette)

Bridgette: I think the girls really made a breakthrough as a team.

(Confessional Off)

The rounds continue and the barfing too. But we made it to the final round.

"Oh god I think I'm going to be sick." I said trying to hold it down but I dont think I can.

C

hris: Wow, it’s still tied up. We’re down to the last course in the challenge. It’s delicious dolphin wieners. Hot dogs made of dolphin.

Bridgette [after she gasps] : But dolphins are our friends!

Heather: What are you waiting for? It’s already dead. If you don’t eat it, we don’t win.

Bridgette: Ooh, I can’t! I’m a surfer! I swim with dolphins!

Heather: Eat it!

Bridgette: No! I’m not doing it. You can’t pressure me.

The hell we can't grabbing a hot dog off the plate, and then proceeded to shove it down her throat.

"I'M NOT LOSING THIS BECAUSE YOU CAN'T GROW A PAIR! THE DAMB THING IS DEAD SO SUCK IT UP AND STUFF YOU FUCKING FACE!" They all looked at me Bridgette had tears in her eyes. She coughed it all up.

DJ: I’m with you sister. I’m not eating no dolphin.

(Confessional : Chef)

Chef: I slave over a hot stove cooking dolphin. No appreciation!

(Confessional Off)

Chris: Okay, enough. We’ll solve this by having an eat-off. The one who can drink the most shot glasses of fresh, delicious blended cockroach will be the winner. This unlikely satisfying blend of eight different cockroaches is vitamin rich for your balanced lifestyle. On your mark, get set, go!

Owen and Leshwana drink the cockroaches.

Leshawna groans two times

Chris: Owen wins!

DJ, Duncan, Geoff, and Trent cheer

Leshawna groans

Heather: Leshawna, you are completely useless!

Leshawna: Oh, uh-oh, something’s coming up. [puking]

DJ pukes

Trent:pukes

Chef: Grr… [retches]

Chris retches

Duncan and Geoff Puke

The “elimination” music plays.

Chris: The guys are the big winners today. And the girls go their separate ways. Two definitive cliques have been cemented. [Heather grunts and the door rattles] For now. What shocking surprises are in store for our campers next week as they head for the big merge? Tune in on Total. Drama. Island!

[violetwolfraven]

Hey :)

So, I know I just left a request already but the thing is that there's definitely not enough Blush in the Newsies Fandom, and therefore I wanted to ask for 10 ("Who are you?") for Blush in the canon era. Either some getting-to-know each other, or maybe (to make it more angsty) some kind of temporary amnesia thing or that maybe Blink's other eye slowly stops working? (At this point I'm just rambling, but I hope that's something to work with; I really like your writing)

Thank you! You’re right that we need more blush in this fandom, especially since like 80% of us see them as canon. I’m gonna go the kinda flangst route with this!

Sorry this took so long, but I struggled with and scrapped like 6 different ideas before coming up with something I felt good about. This takes place about a year before the strike.

Tw: referenced parent death, implied period-typical homophobia, referenced past child abuse.

...

Mush was woken up by a loud thud, like something hitting the floor.

He was very confused about what was going on until he looked down and saw Blink on the floor.

He was just sitting there, not quite upright, like he’d fallen out of bed and was too disoriented by getting woken up suddenly to move.

“Blink?”

He didn’t respond, and Mush was starting to wonder if he was really awake at all, or if he was... what, sleepwalking?

Honestly, Mush was starting to question if he was even awake. None of the others were, and that thud of Blink hitting the ground had been pretty loud.

Dream or not, he dropped down from his bunk, careful to land quietly next to his sweetheart.

It seemed like none of the others had been disturbed, which was probably a good thing. They all needed the rest. Jack and Crutchie were up sleeping on the roof like they always did in the summers and others all were still asleep.

“Blink?” Mush whispered.

He just kept staring at the ground, dazed, like he didn’t even hear him.

“Blink, are you okay?”

Blink flinched backward, instinctively raising his arms to shield his face, and Mush froze with his hand halfway between them.

Nightmare. It had to be.

What was it that Jack did when things like this happened?

Mush didn’t know, but he knew he had to do something. He did know something that might get Blink’s attention and snap him out of it. Something none of the others knew.

“Louis.”

Blink’s good eye snapped to attention, but not in a good way.

Mush felt a chill at how he wasn’t looking at him so much as through him.

“Who are you?”

His voice was haunted. Hollow, not even a hint of recognition there.

God, if this was what always happened when he had nightmares, Mush had no idea how Jack could ever calm him down.

He was going to try, anyway.

“It’s me,” Mush said, trying to keep his voice calm, “Mush Meyers. Your... your best friend. Ya don’t know me?”

Blink shook his head rapidly, curling in on himself like he was expecting a blow, “No. No. I’m sorry. No.”

That wasn’t good. Blink never apologized. If he was sorry for something, he let you know in more tangible ways. Actions over words.

Much needed to ground him. Now. He didn’t really know how, but... if Blink didn’t remember him, he guessed he should..?

“Do ya remember when you and me first met?” he asked, “We was 9 years old. My mom and pop had just died. I was friends with Jack, Crutchie, and Specs already, so they’d told me I could come here if anythin’ ever happened. I saw ya for the first time sitting out on the fire escape when Specs was introducin’ me to everybody. He told me not to bother ya, so we didn’t talk for a while.”

Mush paused, watching Blink’s face carefully for any sign of recognition.

He was still just staring into space, but he looked more confused than blank now, so Mush kept going.

“Everybody was upset cause Jack was in the Refuge for the first time and we was all worried, but it hit you hard cause you were alone. The others were all grouped up to support each other, but they was all avoidin’ you cause ya scared ‘em. You get defensive when you’re scared, so’s nobody can hurt ya.”

Still no real recognition, but Blink was at least looking more responsive to what he was saying.

“I offered to be your sellin’ partner after a couple days, cause I didn’t see what everybody was so scared of,” Mush recalled, “Not till you a gave me this look like you were gonna gut me in an alleyway. But I sold with ya anyway, and I kept sellin’ with ya even after Jack broke out and everythin’ got normal ‘round here. Best choice I ever made, to stick it out with you.”

Blink smiled distantly, barely, but it was there.

“Yeah, Blink, I wouldn’t be the person I am today if I hadn’t met you,” he continued, “I definitely wouldn’t know how to read people as well as I do. Remember when we were 12 and the Delanceys jumped me behind Jacobi’s? You seemed so angry while you patched me up, but I knew it was just cause you was worried.”

He was relaxing a little bit, his body language no longer wracked with fear.

Mush risked a glance around the room, just making sure that all the others were still asleep.

“You wouldn’t tell me I was your best friend until we were 11,” he said quietly, “Too damn stubborn. Ya don’t bury all your feelings like some people, but ya also never say it if you’re scared or sad or care about someone.”

Making sure it was clear what he was doing beforehand, Mush scooted a little closer to whisper to him.

“That’s why it was such a surprise when ya told me you had feelings for me last month. Asked to be a thing. You said—“

“You’re the only one what sees the good in everyone,” Blink mumbled, cutting him off, “Even people who hide it on purpose.”

He met Mush’s eyes, and it was obvious that Blink was now a lot more present in there.

“I’d be a fool to let that slip away.”

Mush hesitated, then held out an arm, knowing Blink wouldn’t take that offer if he wasn’t ready to be touched.

To his surprise, Blink went to him without hesitation, the tension leaving his body in one breath as he tucked his head against Mush’s shoulder and let himself be hugged.

He was covered in sweat, and Mush could practically feel the exhaustion radiating off him. Whatever that had been, whatever nightmare had triggered it, had clearly taken a lot out of him.

“Did I scare ya?” Blink asked quietly, after a minute of just sitting there on the floor in silence.

“No. Worried me a bit, though.”

He wasn’t lying. Mush had never been afraid of Blink. He’d been able to see why others were, with that fierce, cynical air he put up in self defense, but Mush didn’t really fear anyone, honestly, since he’d gotten good at understanding people. If you understood why someone was doing what they were doing, you didn’t have to fear even the people you hated or were angry with.

Blink, specifically, had never scared him because he’d been able to tell from pretty close to the beginning that Blink didn’t want to hurt anyone. He just acted like he did so that he wouldn’t get hurt himself.

He’d wondered why before. This was making him wonder again, but he wasn’t sure if it was okay to ask.

A part of him was scared of the answer, remembering how Blink had flinched when he tried to touch him before. He hoped he was wrong.

Blink seemed to guess where his thoughts were going and he sighed bitterly, moving up onto the bed and pulling Mush up with him.

“The nightmares are a nice little souvenir from Mom and Dad,” he admitted softly, “They’re... I don’t have them so much as I used to anymore, but... how did ya think I lost my eye?”

So Mush was right. He hated that he was, but... well, he couldn’t say he’d never guessed this before.

“That’s why ya got so weird whenever I brought up missin’ my folks way back when. You didn’t get it cause you didn’t miss yours.”

Blink nodded, “I ran away when I was 7. Wound up here. My folks came lookin’ for me a couple times, but Manhattan’s leader at the time turned ‘em away at the door. Good thing. I’d probably be dead if he’d let them take me.”

Mush didn’t want to think about a world where that happened, “Jack wouldn’ta let him.”

He smiled, “Probably not.”

That smile faded a little too quickly, but Mush didn’t know what to say to fix it.

He could barely see Blink in what moonlight was coming in through the window, but he reached over to push his hair off his face anyway, careful to come at him from the side with his working eye.

Blink leaned his face into the touch with a deep breath.

“Wish I hadn’t wasted so much time back then, assumin’ everyone was out to hurt me. I’da become friends with you a lot faster if I hadn’t.”

“I did think you was a bit of a dick when we first met,” Mush admitted, “But hey, whatever ya have to do to feel safe.”

Blink shrugged, “Well, you feel safest when you’re surrounded by people ya trust and it works out alright for you.”

Usually it did. Mush always tried to be as kind as he could afford to be, and that meant he had friends everywhere.

Blink had a tendency, almost an instinct, even today at age 15 to make people want to avoid him.

It was kind of funny how the few friends they’d told about their relationship hadn’t been surprised at all, despite how different they were. Sun and moon. Practically direct opposites.

“I’d rather you act like an asshole than end up dead. You mean a lot to me, Blink.”

“You mean a lot to me, too, Mush.”

Mush took the awkward silence that followed that as a signal to give him one last smile and climb up to his bunk, but Blink grabbed his wrist at the last second to stop him.

“Stay down here?”

He didn’t have to answer out loud for them to curl up together, cuddling on that bottom bunk.

[davidmann95]

Comics this week (12/1/2020)?

calvatronlordofall said: Today’s comics?

Far Sector #9: Another comic I won’t understand until it’s done and I can reread the whole thing but that I’m enjoying anyway. Really, really hope Jemisin continues contributing to the medium in some form after this, because she absolutely has a gift for it.

Strange Adventures #7: He doesn’t care for tyranny, folks. And JEEESSSUUUUS, Doc

DCeased: Dead Planet #6: Some quality DC Comics nonsense problem-solving, but not sure at all whether the chips are gonna fall in favor of the stuff about this I’ve been really liking or the aspects I simply don’t care about at all.

Tales From The Dark Multiverse: Wonder Woman: War Of The Gods: While I’ve seen plenty of them around the periphery in anthologies and so forth I think this is Vita Ayala’s first full work I’ve been exposed to, and tbh I can’t say I’m taken, even given the pretty threadbare-seeming material for them to work with. I’ll still give Children of the Atom a try, but my expectations have been lowered. Nice seeing Trish Mulviihill’s colors though, thought they looked familiar and it turns out she worked on my beloved Superman & Bugs Bunny.

Batman: The Adventures Continue #7: Yeah, now that it’s all said and done, definitely the best take on the death and return of Jason Todd.

Batman #104: Art’s taken a hit, but Ghostmaker’s getting more and more fun as a character the more that comes out about him. And surprising seeing Dick in his real Robin suit in flashback, Dark Designs had him still rocking that New 52 abomination. It really seems like the policy RE: costumes in flashbacks with him remains up in the air at any given time?

Anonymous said: Thoughts on the long-awaited BatCat?

Anonymous said: Bat/Cat the objectively best comic of the week. Thots.

Batman/Catwoman #1: I imagine disappointingly, quite few - both the best and worst part of this book is that King’s entire spiel on “This is gonna be such a different animal from my regular run, this is my DKR, this is my ultimate prestige statement on the characters” was pure hype, this is just the next issue of his Batman run with Clay Mann as the new main artist. And it’s good! I like it! I think it’d take awhile for anybody to tumble onto the ‘three timelines’ aspect of it if they didn’t go in knowing about it since the color of Catwoman’s suit is the only obvious tipoff for a chunk of it, but it’s still a well-constructed piece of comics in line with the story up to this point, even if it’s so in line with it that it pretty much puts the lie to the notion that this was originally conceived of as a special prestige project in the same way as Strange Adventures or Rorschach. Mostly I’m just struck now that it’s out by the guts of doing a straight sequel to Mask of the Phantasm, given that’s maybe the singularly least divisive major Batman story: everybody on every side of the Batman-loving aisle recognizes it as hallowed ground, so nobody’s gonna not be let down if you fuck it up. I really need to rewatch it, it’s been well over a decade and unlike Return of the Joker my memories of it have almost entirely faded.

Black Widow #4: The further in I get the more I’m struck by the cleverness of the central conceit. How do you construct a drama around a century-old woman whose business has her have to mostly forsake most normal human connection? Make the literal supervillain plot that she’s been forced to have incredibly intimate human connections, and now she’s just gotta deal with that on top of what would otherwise be fairly routine Black Widow stuff.

Miles Morales: Spider-Man #21: Hate to say it folks, but even discounting the severity of the delays this arc’s been a dud. Really hoping it finds its feet again soon.

King In Black #1: Holy cow, this was ass. I went in thinking “well, I’ve resigned myself to having to get this to understand the crossovers into books I’m already getting and tie-in minis I do care about, but Cates still has a baseline level of competency so it should still be perfectly readable”, but this is just...nothing. This is that modern Dan Jurgens tier where it’s so bland and perfunctory and inoffensively executed it loops back around to infuriating, except Dan Jurgens’s writing if nothing else at least doesn’t strut around in tangible self-regard as the next great sales-shattering triumph of the Punk Rock God Of Comixxx like Cates’. And when was the last Marvel event on this scale with such little hype behind it? Even Empyre seemed like it had more weight on arrival, and much as I enjoyed it I’m pretty sure that book mainly existed to fill space until we got this. Maybe it’s just the circle I run in. I swear I remember Thanos Wins being pretty fun, and I just reread Atomahawk and that was still a hoot, so it’s a shame Cates has turned out this way, and worse he’s ended up Marvel’s new golden boy. Unless my dad likes it (and if so hey, he’s not alone, I imagine this is selling gangbusters) I’m sure not grabbing another issue, so I guess I’ll have to do my best with context clues in figuring out what’s going on for...Guardians of the Galaxy, S.W.O.R.D., Daredevil, Namor, Return of the Valkyries, the Joe Fixit Immortal Hulk one-shot, Iron Man/Doctor Doom, and the next book below. Fuck.

The Union #1: I’ve only read Everything Used To Be Black And White for Jack Staff but I was definitely curious what Grist would do here, and it didn’t disappoint! Fun little story, bunch of neat character ideas I’m looking forward to seeing developed further, very lived-in feeling slice of its corner of a superhero world.

Marvels Snapshots: Civil War: An excellent little parable that I’m surprised we didn’t actually see the likes of in ‘06, and frankly worth getting a mediocre Miles Morales arc for (even if it was disappointing that that one had to be where the ball was dropped) if this is where Ahmed’s attention was going instead.

Daredevil #25: So I turned two pages at once and accidentally spoiled myself at the last possible moment for the big reveal of the issue, so that sucks. Still a great issue though - one that manages to function as a logical extension of an incredibly street-level story even though it can only possibly exist as an extrapolation of the wildest excesses of the Marvel universe - but I cannot imagine how the hell the next is gonna cleanly pivot into King in Black shenanigans.

Kill A Man: A new OGN by Steve Orlando, cowritten with Phillip Kennedy Johnson and with art by Al Morgan and letters by Jim Campbell, the reductive though not inaccurate pitch is ‘queer Creed’. But since this is likely to sail under the radar I need to emphasize this is one of Orlando’s absolute best works, a real triumph of the form that’s among the best comics of the year (good GOD does this put to shame 99% of superhero comics fight scenes by the end), and a must-buy for any fans of his work. I’m just gonna let how hard the title and solicit text go speak for themselves:

“As a child, James Bellyi watched his father die in the ring as payback for slurs thrown at the other fighter. Today, he's a Mixed Martial Arts star at the top of his game, and one of the most popular fighters in the world...until he's outed as gay in his title shot press conference. Abandoned overnight by his training camp, his endorsements, his fans and his sport, to regain his title shot Bellyi is forced to turn to the last person he ever wants to see again: Xavier Mayne, a gay, once-great fighter in his own right...and the man James once watched kill his father.”