#❤️Piece of cake! || Request Accepted | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

drabblesandimagines · 7 months ago

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You said it yourself for the request trope: "forbidden love of best man and bride" 😉 Of course, with who else other than LEON S. KENNEDY!!! ❤️❤️❤️

Forever Hold Your Peace

Female reader x Chris Redfield, x Leon Kennedy, angst Leon feels like he can’t breathe. There’s a phantom pressure around his throat, like any breath he takes in is barely skimming the top of his lungs.

It’s not the tie – he’s checked, loosening it several times before doing it back up again. He hardly wears a tie, it had never been his style, really. That, and too obvious to be used as a weapon against him in hand-to-hand combat.

Not that he’s expecting to get into a brawl today.

A heavy hand slaps down on his back, jolting him out of his train of thought. “You look more anxious than me.”

“Nah,” he turns and steps back, creating a bit of distance between him and Chris. “You’re just projecting.”

“Maybe.” Chris approaches the mirror in two long strides and sighs. “You know what? I’d kill for a cigarette.” “Want me to go grab a packet?”

“Nah,” he shakes his head, straightening his tie in the mirror. “I quit. Promised I’d be shot of it by the honeymoon. You could do me another favour, though.”

Leon lifts his arms wide, gesturing to his appearance. “Being your best man not count as enough favours for a lifetime?”

“Technically this falls into the responsibilities of a best man.” Chris squats down and Leon braces himself to hear the fabric rip - they’d spent an afternoon being fitted at a tailor, Redfield’s thighs and forearms were never gonna be accommodated off the rack – but it holds true. He stands upright, a silver giftbag held out in offering. “Could you take this to my bride-to-be?”

“Oh.” There’s the phantom squeeze again. “Don’t you… want to?”

“I can’t. It’s bad luck to see each other before the ceremony,” Chris shrugs, holding the gift bag out again in expectation, but Leon still doesn’t try to take it.

“And you believe in that?” He scoffs as he puts his hands in his pockets.

“No… but I’m not jinxing anything today. It won’t take long – the bridal suite’s the floor above. Please?”

Leon sighs and accepts the gift bag at last.

You take a tentative sip of champagne to calm your nerves. It was the first moment all morning you’d been on your own – the room being a hub of activity since your alarm had gone off. The wedding planner had hit a snag with something or other and Claire had hurriedly offered to go and sort it in your steed.

This is it - in over an hour’s time you’d be Mrs Redfield. You hadn’t thought the day would ever come, but now, as you sat in your wedding dress that made you feel like a princess, sat at the dressing table in the bridal suite, you allow yourself to get a little bit excited. It had been a long engagement and you’d been fine with that, truly. What did a piece of paper saying you were husband and wife matter anyway? But Chris had returned from Romania, stoic and silent for a few days before mumbling in bed late one night that he wanted to start looking at venues. Soon after, a date was booked, a wedding planner hired, invitation cards sent out, food and wine tasting, a visit to a bakery when you’d smeared frosting on each other’s faces as you taste-tested what would be your wedding cake and, finally, bought your wedding dress – none of it had felt real. There was bound to be something that came up, a mission that would take him to foreign soil and mean the wedding had to be delayed.

There’s a hesitant knock at the door and you swivel on the stool, curious who it could be.

“Come in!”

The door opens, slowly, and a suited Leon S Kennedy walks in.

“Leon.” You hitch your skirt up to get to your feet, inexplicably feeling silly in the dress that had made you feel like a princess moments before. “Hi.”

“Wow. You look…” He trails off, breath caught in his throat at the sight before him.

“Terrible?” You tease, wanting to break the awkward silence.

“No.” He replies quickly, leaning back up against the door to close it. “You look beautiful.”

“Oh,” your cheeks prickle with heat at his compliment. “Thank you. You look great too.”

“Yeah, reckon I scrubbed up all right.” Leon chuckles with a shrug, before remembering the gift bag in his hand. “Er, here.” He straightens up and walks forward to meet you halfway across the room, holding it out.

“You shouldn’t have.” You accept it, your fingers brushing over his and goosebumps running up your arm at the contact. “Thank you.”

“I didn’t.” He answers, abruptly, pulling his hand back and slipping it in his pocket. “I mean, I… There’s a card downstairs in the box. This is from Chris – he asked me to drop it off.”

“He did?” You can’t help the giddy smile that crosses your lips and Leon casts his eyes down to the ground – it’s not for him. You place the gift bag down on the table and pull out a small jewelry box from within, a notecard on top.

We made it, sweetheart. All my love, Chris x

You open the box carefully – scared of scratching off your nail polish – and find a simple silver heart-shaped pendent on a silver chain.

“What is it?”

“A necklace,” you hold it aloft in demonstration. “I didn’t get him anything, I didn’t even think to. Isn’t that awful?”

“You turning up at the altar will be gift enough for him, I’m sure.” Leon jokes, but he knows it lands flat from your polite laugh as you place the necklace carefully back in the box. “Aren’t you going to put it on?”

“Oh, erm, I don’t think I can, what with the veil and the hair, I’m scared I’ll detach something. Claire will be back soon anyway.”

Leon steps forward. “I can help?”

“Honestly, I’m sure she won’t be long.”

“I want to. Call it part of the delivery service.” His hand hovers over the jewelry box, awaiting permission.

“Okay.”

He picks it up, delicately, and steps right in front of you, before fiddling with the clasp of the chain. He’s careful as he holds both ends of the chain and reaches around your neck, impressed by how steady his hands are when his heart is pounding in his chest.

He withdraws one hand and hooks a finger under the chain, nestling it so the pendant sits just right in your decolletage.

This is the closest he’s been to you in years, your signature scent overwhelming his senses - of course you’d want to wear it on your wedding day – and somehow his hand is now on your cheek, tilting your head up to meet his eyes.

He shouldn’t.

He really shouldn’t.

But he does, pressing his lips softly against yours.

For a moment, you reciprocate. Your hand automatically lifts to tangle in his locks before you regain your senses. “No.” You pull back, mad at yourself, mad at Leon. “No – this isn’t fair. You had your chance, you had multiple chances. You said you didn’t want a relationship.”

“I couldn’t give you this.” He gestures to your dress. “Not with my lifestyle.”

“I didn’t care about any of that!” Your voice breaks, tears burn at your eyes.

He scoffs, now defensive. “And look where we are – at your wedding.”

“No. Just because Chris did what you were never willing to do-”

“What, paint a target on your back?”

“Open up. Compromise. Literally anything.” And the dam breaks, tears trickling down your cheeks. It hadn’t even been a relationship, not in any proper sense of the word. Late night fumbles, broken promises, a note left on your pillow that he couldn’t give you what you wanted, despite never having the discussion.

“I couldn’t.”

“You didn’t even want to try!”

The door opens and Claire strides in, dressed in a vibrant red gown, tucking her cell in her black purse as you hurriedly try to wipe your face.

“Crisis averted and nearly time to head downsta… Leon - what are you doing in here?”

“Chris asked me to drop off a gift.” His tone is blunt.

“Y-yeah,” you sniff, hooking a finger around the chain to lift up the pendant. “It’s perfect, right?”

“Oh, he got it!” Claire squeals, taking a step forward to get a closer look. “He was so worried you wouldn’t like it.”

“No, I love it.” A rogue tear rolls down your cheek.

“Oh, sweetie, your make-up.” Claire fusses, heading towards the box of tissues on the dressing table. “Sit down.”

“Sorry.” You mumble, sitting down heavily on the stool. “I haven’t ruined it, have I?”

“Not at all.” She smiles, beginning to dab at the tear trails on your face. “Leon, shouldn’t you be heading back to Chris?”

“On my way.” He mocks a salute, before dipping both his hands back in his trouser pockets.

“Leon,” you call and he swings back round embarrassingly fast on his heels at your voice. “Can you thank Chris for me? Tell him I love it. And him.”

He nods and leaves.

“Should anyone present know of any reason that this couple should not be joined in holy matrimony,” the minister begins as you stand opposite Chris at the end of the aisle, your eyes flickering from the loving gaze of your groom to meet the best man’s icy blue eyes for a moment, your heart skipping a beat, “speak now or forever hold your peace.”

Leon clenches his fists.

-- Thank you for all your wonderful support, @porcelainseashore ❤️❤️

Masterlist . 1,000 followers event Comments and reblogs make my whole day!

#ghostdogwrites #leon kennedy x reader #chris redfield x reader #chris redfield x you #leon kennedy x you #leon kennedy angst #ghostdogwrites 1000 followers trope event

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apollodarling-writes · 11 months ago

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Can you write a dialogue between Yandere High lord Rhysand from ACOTAR and male reader about after reader escaped and ran away from his wedding/mating ceremony and Rhysand catches reader agian maybe you could add smut of Rhys forces reader to accept the mating bound and then Rhysand goes through a feranzy and Reader going through heat. If it to much you don’t have too and I couldn’t see if your requests are open or not 😊❤️❤️❤️❤️

yan! high lord rhysand with a male! reader who ran away from their mating ceremony

cws : yandere themes, dubcon elements if you squint, forced mating bond, reader in heat (i hope i did this well enough), rhysand in a frenzy, kidnapping, mind-break implied, mean! rhysand, dom! rhys + sub! reader, toxic! rhys, reader whimpers, throatfucking, magic used to aid in a penile and anal stimulation, darkness used for added stimulation, idk the extent of rhysand's powers but i imagine he can do wtv the hell he wants, uhhh dacryphilia, overstim, possessive! rhys, kinda degradation??, the term pretty is used but its in a degrading way, he calls you little mate, spanking, handjob, ball-fondling??????, literal marking, mate marking, a little bit of blood bc of biting,

mdni !!

author note : this is my first time writing for an amab reader. if its not any good, im so so sorry. i did try really hard. idk much about amab anatomy or what it feels like so pls forgive me. i hope this was good and i hope it was what you were looking for!!

it was safe to say that rhysand was livid. after all that he’s done for you, he only asked that you accepted the mate bond, but you couldn’t even do that. a snarl tears through his lips as he orders his inner circle to immediately begin searching for you. feyre was long gone— he’d made sure to ship her back off to tamlin after he’d made a deal to use the cauldron to create a mating bond with you.

rhysand was sure that you knew. it was no wonder that you’d try to run from him, but he thought you knew better. this was supposed to be a special night for the two of you. you were supposed to go through with your part of the mating ceremony, the two of you would fuck on every surface of the home he had built for this purpose specifically, then he would announce you as his husband— his mate. but of course, you just had to be a brat.

rhysand tugged on the bond, a spike of fear being sent through from your end. he was silently glad that he hadn’t taught you everything he did feyre— he could enter your mind whenever he pleased without worrying about you shutting him out.

“i’ll find you, little mate. you can’t run from me forever.”

he makes sure to send a fraction of his rage through the bond before shutting it off completely. that’ll send you into a state of panic, make your movements sloppy, blah blah blah. it’ll be a piece of cake.

it doesn’t take long before azriel finds you. shit, azriel has been keeping his mate captive, so it’s no wonder he’d be so willing. rhysand is quick to winnow to your location — only a few miles from the border of the night court. you must've had help...

“hello, little mate.” rhysand purrs, fingers darting out to grip your collar. he watches with a sick pleasure as your eyes widen with fear, your hands desperately trying to claw his off of you; it was futile. rhysand winnows the two of you back to your home feeling his cock grow hard the more you struggle against his grip.

“if you want to be a brat, then i’ll fuck it out of you.” rhysand growls. “but first, you’ll make me something to eat.”

rhysand ushers you to the kitchen, his grip shifting to the back of your neck as he harshly pushes you forward. a cold chill runs down your spine as you make him something simple— you didn’t want to further incur his wrath. after plating it, rhysand quickly eats it, his gaze shifting to you.

even an idiot would realize that they’d fucked up royally. with the way rhysand’s gaze darkens, hungry and lustful in nature, your senses picking up on the pheromones he was subconsciously releasing. the scent of him was heavy-- citrus and sea numbing your mind as your body grows hot. your cock sits heavy in your pants, straining against the fabric as rhysand pounces on you, his wings encasing the two of you as he presses himself against you.

rhysand rocks his cock against yours once, twice, three times, before slipping his hand into your pants. his digits wrap around your length, smearing pearls of precum along your shaft as he strokes you. a whimper parts your lips and rhysand takes the opportunity to slot his lips against yours. his tongue is quick to claim the new territory, his free hand gripping your hip as he pulls away from you. with a wave of his hand, you stand bare before him, body glistening with a sheen of sweat.

"on your knees, little mate." an unseen force followed by a metallic twang forces you to kneel before him, jaw slackening as far as your bone structure would allow. rhysand's dark eyes are blown wide as his clothing dissipates, his hand reaching down to cup the base of his manhood. it was unbelievably large-- based on his wingspan, you knew it would be above average, but this? it was monstrous. you briefly wonder if it would tear you in half.

rhysand slides the tip of his cock along your tongue, the magic swirling around you flattening the muscle in your stead, and one hand cups the back of your head as he bottoms out. tears spring from your eyes, the rough pads of the high lord's fingers gingerly brushing them away as he coos at you. "you can take it."

a gurgled protest on your end elicits a throaty groan from the man above you, his cock throbbing as he slowly thrusts in and out of your throat, a rippling pleasure taking over his senses. rhysand's pace gradually increases, drool dripping down your chin as he wields the darkness around you to prep your ass and stroke your length. the pain and pleasure of both send you into a frenzy-- the pathetic whimpers you release only stimulate your mate further.

"fuck... doin' so good for me, baby."

it doesn't take much for you to cum; the cool touch of his magic combined with the stimulation on your g-spot became too much, your body quickly becoming overstimulated.

"baby, im gonna cum." rhysand announces, his eyes screwing shut as his thrusting becomes more aggressive and powerful. "fuck, fuck-- keep crying for me. y'look so pretty."

rhysand's hips still, thick ropes of cum spilling down your throat as he roars in pleasure. his lips curl into a sneer as he directs his attention to you, and with another wave of his hand, you're bent over the counter. "d'ya think you'd ever escape me? i'm the most powerful high lord there has ever been, and will ever be. you will never, ever fucking escape me."

rhysand brings a heavy hand down on your ass over and over, stinging your flesh and forcing a sob from your throat. "i-i'm sorr-"

"i know you are. you're always sorry." he snarls, his thick cock slotting between your walls and slowly filling you to the brim. the darkness curls around your manhood once more, stroking it agonizingly slow as he speaks. "have you ever thought about how your actions make me feel? hm?"

your mate chuckles mirthlessly as you shake your head. "i know you don't-- because i've been blessed with a pitifully selfish mate."

rhysand suddenly begins thrusting into you at a harsh pace, the sensation bringing tears to your eyes as your fumble to grip onto something. you whine as your mate orders the darkness surrounding him to bind your hands behind your back, wrapping an arm around your midsection to hold you upright. "feel good, pretty boy?"

you babble in response, too overstimulated and fucked dumb to form a proper sentence, causing rhys to smirk victoriously. "do you think any other man in this world could fuck you as wonderfully as i do?"

all you can do is sob in response, coming undone beneath your furious lover. your seed spills to the flooring, your cockhead flushed an angry red as the tendrils continue their onslaught.

"rhys!" you cry. "'ts too much!"

"fucking take it. i know you can," he pants. "tonight is about me; i'll be gentle the rest of this month, but you've really pissed me off, little mate."

you feel your mind begin to slip at his words, melting into a pretty mush as he fills you up-- his hips never once stopping despite the growls he releases and the way his fingers dig into your flesh.

"that's it, pretty boy. give into the pleasure." rhys purrs, pressing your back to his chest and stroking your cock himself. his magic teasingly cups your balls, gently kneading the soft flesh and bringing you closer and closer to your next release. "cum f'me, baby. i know you can do it."

your mate's lips trail along your shoulder, nipping an sucking as if he were searching for a spot in particular. his teeth sink into an area on your throat that has you screaming in pleasure, your body tensing and twitching in his grasp as you release into his hand. "there we go, baby. wasn't so hard, was it?"

rhysand's tongue darts out to soothe the area, lapping at the blood that dribbles from the wound and staining his teeth crimson. he reaches his hand up, licking your cum off of his fingers, then presses tender kisses to your shoulder.

"now you can't leave me."

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amomentsescape · 10 months ago

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Hello :) please may I request a extra fluffy Jervis Tetch x reader one shot with reader being obsessed with Alice in Wonderland and their outfits are nearly always influenced by it and the characters? ❤️🥰

Alice and the Hatter

Jervis Tetch x Reader

Summary: Jervis only wants to fuel Reader's love for Alice in Wonderland by showing them just how much they care.

Warnings: Mentions of Reader wearing a dress, mentions of past judgment towards Reader (not from Jervis)

Word Count: 1,089

A/N: This sounds like the perfect match for Jervis!

"Darling, I am growing rather impatient out here."

You tried to stifle your giggle behind your hand.

Jervis always had a hard time waiting to see you in your newest outfits. If it were up to him, he'd be in that fitting room with you right now, helping you into the silk dress.

But you enjoyed torturing him just a bit. Making him wait to see the full outfit with the shoes, jewelry, and other accessories always filled you with a sense of excitement. Jervis always praised you and made you feel so warm, making it impossible to not crave it every time.

Unfortunately, you weren't always met with such positivity in the past.

Your love for Alice in Wonderland started back when you were a child, having fell in love with the novel right away. And when you watched the Disney film, it only solidified that passion for you.

Your friends and family thought it was sweet that you found something you loved so much. But as you got older, they began to make remarks about it being childish and odd.

You were an adult now; you were supposed to like adult things.

This caused you to feel judged in a way that almost made you stop your obsession altogether. But meeting Jervis quite literally flipped the switch for you.

You've never met anyone in your life who accepted you and supported you as much as he did. You swore that you could wrap a plastic bag around your legs and he'd say that you were absolutely stunning.

And loving Alice in Wonderland only fueled that connection between you two.

The first moment he looked at you, wearing a light blue top and white pants with your hair styled softly, his eyes went wide. You'll never forget how he looked at you that day.

It was scary, falling in love with one of Gotham's most notorious criminals. But Jervis was willing to prove to you just how much you meant to him in every way.

Impromptu trips to the store to get you any clothing item or piece of jewelry your heart desired, waking up to the smell of freshly baked cakes for a tea party later, and even gentle massages with words of praise were all things Jervis regularly spoiled you with.

Of course, not all of these adventures were easy-going. There was a part of Jervis that liked being a criminal. He often stole from stores if he saw something he thought was perfect for you. And Jervis would not hesitate to discard lives like trash if it meant doing something that would make you happy.

It was scary at times, but you and Jervis were one and the same. There's a part of you that also enjoyed the thrill.

With that being said, you still loved the down time you both would share instead too.

Every night, he'd ask you to read to him from the Alice in Wonderland novel, staring up contently at you.

He was just as loving behind doors as he was out in public. He always said you were his muse, and Jervis had a way of making you believe it.

You finally met someone who loved the book and fantasy world as much as you did. It honestly felt like a match made in heaven.

Jervis pulled you from these thoughts with a soft knock on the fitting room door.

"Darling, please don't make me wait any longer. I am dying to see you."

The slight rasp in his voice had you melting.

You took one last look in the mirror and pulled open the door, meeting Jervis's relieved face.

His eyes widened a bit as he took you in, a growing smile spreading across his lips.

You had found the perfect dress at this store. A baby blue silk dress with a white sash fit wonderfully across your waist. The material stopped right at your knees and flared out a bit, accentuating your figure beautifully.

You had even found a pair of black heels that fit perfectly with the dress. You felt like a princess, like you were in your own wonderland.

Jervis took your hands in his and pulled you close to him, his eyes lifting to meet yours.

"You are the most remarkable person I have ever met," he spoke softly, lifting your right hand to his lips.

Even after all of this time together, you still couldn't help but flush at his words.

He raised your arm up and made you do a little spin so he could get a better look at your outfit.

"I feel like I look just like her," you remarked, referring to the character you adored so much.

He chuckled a bit. "I would say even better."

He took a couple steps back and admired you some more, making you feel a little shy once again.

"I think you're missing something, however."

You tilted your head in confusion at this.

"What?" you asked softly.

It was then that Jervis pulled out a small black box, handing it to you.

"For you, my love."

You could feel the smile that graced your features stretch even more as you took the box and began to undo the elegant ribbon wrapped around it.

Once the lid was off, your eyes were immediately fixed at the glittering sight before you.

In the box sat an antique necklace, the pendant being a small clock that was ticking along with the seconds.

You could feel your jaw drop open at its beauty. Out of all the accessories and clothes Jervis has gotten you, this really took the cake. You had always rambled on and on about finding something like this, and now seeing it right in front of you only proved to you that this was the perfect choice. There was no way you were ever going to take this off once it was on.

"Jervis..." you whispered, still completely in awe.

"It took me ages to find it," he responded just as quietly.

You gently traced your finger along the gold exterior, relishing in how the cool metal felt against your skin.

"I love you," was all you could get out.

There was not another thought in your mind other than this.

You looked up at him and found him still gazing at you, his eyes a bit glassy.

"As do I love you."

He pressed a warm kiss to your lips, only pulling away to help clasp the exquisite piece of jewelry around your neck.

As you played with the little clock hanging against your chest, Jervis was already leading you out of the store, ready to start the surprise date night he had planned.

#jervis tetch x reader #gotham jervis #jervis tetch #gotham fandom #gotham x reader #gotham

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atths--twice · 2 years ago

Text

Next chapter is ready. Hope you enjoy it.

The day spent at the wedding leads to a discussion and hopefully, some healing tears.

(Not sure if this chapter needs any type of trigger warning, but just in case… TW for discussions of narcissistic behavior and actions that come with it. ❤️)

Chapter Five

“Do it! Do it!” the crowd chanted as the bride and groom cut the cake.

“Hey!” Torin, the groom, yelled as he stepped back, holding up a hand. The crowd quieted somewhat, murmurs and laughter still heard. “I want to say two things to your… requests. First, look at my beautiful bride.”

Cheers went up as Karinne, the bride, stepped back and held up her hands, dancing in place and smiling. Torin grinned at her and nodded happily.

“Behold her dress, her makeup, her hair.” Karinne pointed to each as he said it and the crowd laughed. “Do you see how stunning she looks today? Why would I ruin any aspect of that by shoving a bite of cake into her mouth? Chance it ruining a dress she might one day want our daughter to wear? Or perhaps she’ll give it to someone who doesn’t have the means to buy a dress and she wants them to have the opportunity to feel as beautiful as she did when we got married. I don’t know what the future holds.”

The crowd was really quiet now, listening intently to Torin. He smiled at them and then at Karinne who smiled back as she tilted her head, staring at him lovingly.

“My wife… my wife, you guys…” He laughed and Karinne laughed too, taking a hold of his left arm and kissing his cheek. “Karinne is the kindest, most selfless person I know. I wouldn’t do anything to cause her undue harm. Even something as seemingly innocent as getting cake on her or her dress. I love her too much for that type of behavior.”

“Awww,” the crowd said in unison.

“And the other thing?” Karinne asked, looking up at him, her eyebrows raised.

“Right,” he said, reaching for the knife to cut their slice of cake into a bite-sized piece. “She said she’d up the life insurance policy if I even thought about it. And that I should be prepared to sleep with one eye open… forever.”

“Too fucking right,” Karinne said and her mother gasped in surprise, saying her name in a disapproving tone, as everyone else laughed and cheered.

Torin smiled as he offered her a bite of cake and she accepted it graciously. He kissed her amid more cheers and laughter. Karinne fed him a piece, kissing him again, the crowd whistling and howling loudly.

Fox laughed silently as he captured every moment, zooming in close, as he thought about how much more he now liked Torin.

So many people, men especially, found it funny to do the cake smash and he hated taking those pictures. Seeing the hidden hurt and anger in the bride's face always made him feel uncomfortable and wished he could erase the pictures, but the men loved seeing them.

The staff appeared to begin cutting the rest of the cake as he looked across the room to find Dana standing with a group of children, whom she was photographing. He smiled with a nod, thinking how naturally she had taken to the task, though she did have misgivings at first.

Earlier that morning, he had arrived at Dana’s room, all of his equipment in a large backpack and another smaller backpack, which he handed to Dana. They had then walked down to the bungalows where Torin and Karinne were staying.

“I have something I want to run past you,” Fox had said to her as they neared Torin’s bungalow.

“What’s that?” she had asked.

“I would like for you to take pictures today as well.”

“What? Why? No. I can’t do that. I’m not… You’re the photographer.”

“I am,” he had said, stopping her and smiling. “But you have a keen eye and you’ve made suggestions that have panned out to be better than my own plans.”

“That hardly qualifies me as someone who could… Fox… I don’t think…”

“You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to, just as with the room service,” he had said, smiling again and she had given him a look. “But… I think you’d be good at it. You’ve been working with me for six months. You know a hell of a lot about photography and like I said, you have a very keen eye.”

“This is a wedding. At a beautiful resort. I’ve only been to one other one with you and that…”

“That wedding was crazy,” he had said, laughing at the memory of the bridesmaids fighting and then the mothers of both the bride and the groom. The bride had cried and the groom whisked her out of the room, telling everyone to go to hell. “I’ve never been to a wedding that chaotic. I don’t think today will be that way.”

“I hope not.”

“Me too. So, whaddya say?” he had asked. “You could be… like a behind the behind the scenes photographer. I’m there to take pictures behind the scenes, get the before and after, and you could be the one who gets the pictures behind those moments. The candids and most likely unsuspecting ones.”

“I don’t know,” she had said, sighing and then shaking her head again, twisting one of her long braids as she looked around. ”I just don’t want to mess anything up.”

“You won’t,” he had assured her, smiling broadly. “The camera is in your backpack if you change your mind. Let’s get going.”

Without waiting for her to answer, he had continued walking to Karinne’s bungalow. Knocking twice, the door had opened and all the women in the bridal party welcomed him and Dana inside.

He had spoken to Karinne who was wearing a blue silk robe, her hair up in large rollers as she nursed a large cup of coffee. She had smiled and hugged him, telling him to do whatever he needed to do.

As he had begun taking pictures of the bridal party getting ready, he had looked around and seen Dana with the camera out, taking pictures of her own. Smiling with a quiet hum, he had continued his work.

They had gone over to Torin’s bungalow after an hour or so, getting some pictures of him and his groomsmen as they also got ready. Though it was early, they were enjoying some whisky along with a platter of sandwiches.

“Maybe it would be a good idea to hide the glasses for a few pictures, guys,” Dana had suggested and the men had laughed, nodding in agreement.

Fox had stepped back and let her take the lead, watching how she had handled the men and how they responded to her. They had laughed and joked, causing her to smile and tease them back, sounding a bit like her old self.

They had left the bungalows after another hour and gone to the venue, to get pictures of the reception hall, the cake, and where the ceremony itself would take place.

“It’s beautiful,” Dana had said, taking pictures of the flowered arch and looking out at the surrounding green hills. “I’m sure it’s expensive, but wow… it’s beautiful.”

They had then taken a break, grabbing a quick early lunch before the guests began to arrive and the wedding started.

Now, an hour into the reception, the music played once again as slices of cake were served to the guests sitting at the tables. People were on the dance floor, laughing and twirling around, everyone having a great time.

“No drama so far,” Dana said, coming to stand beside him.

“No,” he laughed, shaking his head. “I think we’re in the clear.” He looked at her and smiled as she watched the guests, the camera held in her hand. “You having fun?”

She looked at him and held his gaze as she let out a deep breath.

“I am. I’m not sure how good any of the pictures are, but I…”

“Will you take a picture of me?” a little girl said, running up to Fox and stopping in front of him, interrupting their conversation. “When I’m dancing?”

“Sure! Show me what you got!” he said, nodding at her and stepping with her towards the dance floor. Dana chuckled beside him and he smiled at the sound.

Two hours later, tired but happy with the job they had done, he and Dana rode up the elevator to their rooms in silence. He walked her to her room and said goodnight, taking the backpack from her.

“I think I’m going to take a bath and then sleep until check out time tomorrow,” she said, closing her eyes and sighing.

“A good plan,” he said, nodding and smiling. “Thank you for your help today. Makes it easier when there’s more than one person.”

“Thank you for letting me, no… for giving me the opportunity to take pictures. I liked it. A lot.” She smiled and he shifted the backpack to his other hand as he nodded again.

“You’re welcome. You enjoy the rest of your evening. Order some food if you like, chill out, get some sleep.”

“Thanks. Goodnight, Fox.”

“And to you, Dana.” He smiled and stepped back, waiting to leave until she closed the door and locked it.

He rolled his neck as he entered his room and set the bags down. Yawning, he stretched and exhaled deeply. He was tired, but as his stomach growled, he knew he needed something to eat.

Calling down and ordering a cheeseburger, fries, a slice of lemon pie, and a bottle of red wine, he stepped into the bathroom and took a long shower, letting the day wash off of him.

In pajama bottoms and an old college hoodie, he took out his laptop, set it onto the table and powered it up as he waited for his food. Rubbing a towel over his damp hair, he then tossed it on a chair and picked up the small backpack, curious to see what pictures Dana had taken.

He took the memory card from the camera and inserted it into the slot on the side of the computer as he sat down. When the prompt box opened, he double clicked it and watched as the many pictures began loading as tiny thumbnails. Clicking on the first one, he leaned closer to the screen.

A knock sounded at the door a few minutes later and he jumped, his heart racing. Getting up, he looked through the peephole and saw it was his food.

“Hello,” he said, opening the door and letting the young man enter his room. “Thank you.”

“No problem, sir,” the man said, smiling as he pushed the small cart to the middle of the room.

Fox reached for his wallet and took out ten dollars, handing it to the man and thanking him again as he left.

He took the plate of food off the tray and placed it beside the laptop, wanting to eat as he looked at more pictures. He picked up a fry and moved the mouse to bring him back to the pictures.

“Wow,” he said, shaking his head. “She got some great shots. So many I would have missed.” Clicking onto the next one, he sat closer and stared at the screen, the fry remaining, for the moment, uneaten in his hand.

Ten minutes later, he was on his second viewing as he ate the last bite of his cheeseburger, leaving the majority of the fries on his plate. He picked up his glass of wine and took a large drink before setting it back down.

“Just… so many,” he said, clicking on a picture and adding it to a folder he had created.

A knock sounded at the door again, quieter than before and he turned his head with a frown. Rising, he wiped his hands on a napkin and walked to the door.

Looking out the peephole, he pulled back in surprise as he unlocked and opened the door.

“Hi,” he said to Dana, who was standing there in black yoga pants, a purple fleece hoodie, and brown fuzzy boots. Her face was free of any makeup and her hair was down in loose damp curls.

“Hi,” she said quietly.

“Everything okay?” he asked and she nodded.

“It’s weird, but as tired as I was just a little while ago, now I feel wide awake.”

“It’s been a long day being on the go, it catches up to you.”

“Yeah.” She bit her lip and cleared her throat. “Could I… could we… Would you maybe like to watch a movie or something?”

“Shit, I’m sorry. Come in,” he said, stepping back and gesturing for her to enter the room. “Did you eat?” He closed the door and locked it before looking at her.

“Yeah. I got a grilled cheese and tomato soup. It was really good.”

“Good. Would you like a glass of wine? Or some of the lemon pie I have there?”

“Some wine would be good, thanks.”

He poured her a glass of wine and handed it to her with a smile.

“Thanks,” she said, glancing around the room and landing on his laptop.“Oh, are you looking at the pictures already?”

“Yeah. Actually, I was feeling the same way as you- suddenly on that second wind. I was curious about the photos you took today, so I thought I’d check them out.”

“Oh… how bad are they?” she groaned.

“Bad?” he asked incredulously. “The last thing they are is bad.”

“Fox, you can be honest. I can take it.”

“I am being honest. Here, look at them with me.” He pulled over the other chair and waited for her to sit before sitting beside her and opening the folder of pictures. “Some of these are so good and if you hadn’t taken them… Well, just look.”

He clicked on a picture of Karinne looking down with a smile as her mom added a hairpin to help keep her veil in place.

“This is beautiful and something I completely missed as I was taking pictures of something else entirely. Look at the moment of softness that this one picture holds. The smile on Karinne’s face and her mother’s hands. The sureness of what she’s doing. It’s beautiful.”

“It’s…” Dana said, shaking her head as she set her glass of wine down. Her mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.

“This one,” he said, clicking onto the next one of Torin in his suit and holding his glass of whisky, one eyebrow raised as he stared at the camera. “This looks like it could be a picture you’d see in a magazine advertising suits or something. I’m going to see how it looks in black and white once I start editing, but I can honestly already tell it will be amazing. And this…” He clicked to the next one of all the men standing in a group and laughing, Torin’s head back and his hand on his chest. “This picture is so good. It encapsulates so much.”

“Fox…” Dana said quietly, shaking her head again.

“But this one…” He clicked through a few pictures until he landed on the one he wanted and he smiled. “…this one is my favorite.”

It was a picture taken of Karinne’s bridal bouquet as it lay on a table at the reception. The flowers were in the foreground and in the background, slightly out of focus were Karinne and Torin. Standing together, forehead to forehead, his hands were at her waist and there was a smile on her face.

“It captures the day so perfectly. The beauty, the quiet moments that are more important than the grandiose ones. At the end of the day, the wedding was so quick, with so many things happening all at once, but what’s left is the marriage. Those flowers might be saved or preserved, but they will still be less of what they were. The marriage is opposite. It’s the beginning of what will bloom and continue to grow. This picture…” He smiled as he stared at it and shook his head. “…it encapsulates it so well. Truly it does. I really like it.”

He turned his head to look at Dana and was surprised to see that there were tears running down her cheeks.

“What? Dana, what’s wrong?”

She stood up forcefully and walked away from him, stopping by the door and shaking her head.

“Shit,” he heard her say as she drew in a shaky breath.

“Dana?”

“I… hate him,” she sobbed out and he exhaled as he closed his eyes briefly knowing that she was not talking about Torin.

Tom.

She began to pace, shaking her head and crying, trying to speak and failing. He said nothing, letting her cry and release the hurt she had been carrying inside for far too long.

“I hate… hate myself sometimes too,” she cried. “Hate what he… how he changed me… how I let him…”

“No,” Fox said quietly, not wanting her to have that thought in her head. “He’s an abusive narcissist. He knew what he was doing and he was very good at it.”

“But I let it happen.”

“No, Dana,” he continued in the same quiet voice.

“How?” she cried. “How can you say that? You saw it. You knew. You tried to tell me. My sister said it and a couple of my friends… I just…”

“It’s hard to see it when you’re in it. Hard to know it’s bad when it feels like it’s right. And it doesn’t happen overnight. It’s hundreds of little things said or done in different ways, exactly so that you don’t see it. If it was… if he was who you know now, you wouldn’t have given him the time of day.”

“No,” she whispered. “No, I wouldn’t.”

“No,” he agreed.

“He… it was little things,” she said, sniffling softly. “Things I questioned even then, but…”

“You weren’t sure.”

“So many small things…” she said. “I like to paint. I don’t know if I’ve ever told you that.

“No, I don’t think so.”

“I find it calming. I’m not an artist, but I like the things I have done.”

God, Fox thought. This asshole better not have said anything to discourage her from something she loves.

“I’d never really shown anyone. But I… I wanted to impress him, I suppose. To share more of my interests.” She let out a deep sigh and shook her head. “He didn’t say much, but it was the way he looked at them. The things he didn’t say. The frown on his face… he…”

That piece of shit.

“I put them away and played it off. Made excuses. But it hurt.”

“Of course it did.”

“After he met you, he asked me how I met you, how I had come to work for you. I told him about the day I came in. About how the picture of the little girl in the window left me curious. She was so happy and I thought- I want to know who captured that happiness so perfectly. That was part of the reason why I came in and when I did, I knew it was where I was supposed to be. It felt right to me.”

“I agree,” Fox said softly with a small smile.

“But…” She shook her head and started crying again, wrapping her arms around herself and rocking slightly. “When I told… told him that story, he… had this look on his face that made me stop before I was even finished. I asked him… what he was thinking and he said it sounded like… like I had pushed my way into your life. Like maybe… maybe you hadn’t really wanted me there, but asked me out of pity.”

“What?” Fox asked, standing suddenly to his feet, catching the chair as it tipped backwards. “He what?”

“He said that it actually went along with something that had been weighing on his mind, but he hadn’t wanted to say anything. Didn’t want it to hurt my feelings.”

“Goddamn liar,” Fox said through clenched teeth. “What did he say?”

“He said that he had been noticing, that sometimes I’m… too much.” She sniffled and closed her eyes.

“That you’re what?” he asked, the anger he was feeling causing him to start to breathe hard.

“That I…” She looked up at the ceiling and took a few deep breaths before dropping her head and closing her eyes again. “That I can be loud. That I… draw attention to myself with my voice or how I’m dressed. That I can come on strong and that I should try to… hold back from doing that and to be aware when I’m monopolizing people’s time.”

“Fucking hell,” Fox breathed, shaking his head.

“I laughed at first, thinking he might have been joking or maybe he was jealous of you… or, I don’t know. But then… I started to think about it and I…”

“You thought he might be right.”

“Yeah,” she said, her voice barely audible.

He shook his head and stared at her as she stood there looking so small and broken. He stepped toward her and then stopped when she opened her eyes and looked back at him, her eyes full of tears. Not wanting to push her or invade her space, he stayed where he was standing.

“He lied to you. I know you know that now.”

“Yeah,” she said, angrily wiping at her tears. “Took me long enough to figure it out.”

“Dana,” he said, shaking his head.

“God,” she breathed, crying softly again.

“He is a selfish piece of shit who took advantage of your kindness and happiness,” Fox said in a low voice. “He liked it at first as it drew him to you. I’m sure he liked the attention from his friends and family when they asked after you as well. But when they showed a continued interest in you, perhaps asking too enthusiastically after you, he had to put a stop to it.”

“I don’t…” She cried harder and shook her head.

“He tried to change you because he saw you as someone happy and bubbly and while he liked that, he couldn’t have you remain that way around him. He was the alpha and you… you had to become less to allow him to keep that standing. Your brightness needed to be muted, your happiness quieted, because if it wasn’t, the focus would no longer be on him, but drawn to you. Your light needed to be dimmed to allow his to shine.”

Tears were falling from her face and landing on her hoodie. He wanted so badly to hold her and take away her pain, to remove any doubts that she had, any suffering that fucking asshole had caused her.

But he couldn’t. Not entirely.

“Dana,” he said softly and she wiped at her face with her sleeves. “I know I can’t simply say he was wrong and have you believe me, completely forgetting how he made you feel. I know that I can’t. But, he was wrong. So incredibly wrong. You are not too much, not even a little bit. He is not enough and he knows it. So he takes from others in order to be whole… to stand taller.”

“I do know that… now. It’s just…” she whispered, sniffling as she wiped her face again.

“And I did not hire you out of pity,” he continued, his voice even quieter. “Or for any other reason than I liked you.”

“I know that too. I do. It’s just…” She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I hate that he planted that seed of doubt in my head. I hate that… that I’m second guessing myself now. That I… hold back and worry about how others are perceiving me. I hate that one person can have that power. That he can…” She shook her head and blew out a breath. “That he can make me feel the way I do, like I’m disconnected from everyone and everything.”

“I know that-”

“And then you… listened to me, trusted my instincts, allowed me to take those pictures today and then actually liked them…”

She started crying again, pacing back and forth as she did. He said nothing as he watched her, cursing Tom and wishing him nothing but pain forever.

She went into the bathroom and shut the door. He heard her blow her nose and then the sink running. When she came out, she kept her head down and she held some tissues in her hand.

“Your faith in me,” she whispered, not meeting his eyes. “Hearing your praise… right now, it feels too good to be real. As if you’re telling me what I want to hear. Or what you think I want to hear.”

“I’m-”

“I know you’re not. I know,” she said, raising her head and looking at him. “I do. And before… before all of this, I would have seen what you do in the pictures. I probably would have joked that I’d be the photographer people asked for now.” She attempted a laugh, but it came out in a sob and she held the tissues to her face.

“Dana,” he breathed, closing his eyes and feeling helpless as he listened to her crying.

“I think you’re safe,” she said, ending the sentence with a small sob and he opened his eyes.

“Maybe for now,” he replied with a small smile which she tried and failed to return.

“I can’t share your enthusiasm right now. I only see what I could have done better or think that you’re just being nice.”

“I’m not. I don’t do that. You know me.”

“Yeah,” she breathed, dabbing at her eyes. “But I’m still thinking about it.”

“I know how those thoughts feel,” he said.

“I hate them,” she breathed and he nodded.

“I know you do.”

She nodded and blew her nose, putting the tissue in her pocket and using another to wipe her eyes.

“I’m so sorry you went through that,” he said quietly and she nodded again. “I’m sorry it’s… that it’s made you second guess yourself, made you feel less than you are.”

“It really fucking sucks,” she whispered and he nodded.

“I know,” he agreed. “Negative words, the ones meant to cause pain or fuel that doubt, especially spoken by someone we care about, or thought we cared about, they hold so much more power than any positive words anyone else could say.”

“Yeah,” she agreed, sniffling as tears fell once again. “It’s really stupid.”

“We’re broken that way as humans.”

“Yeah,” she repeated and then looked at him, tears shining in her eyes.

Unable to take it anymore, he walked closer and waited for her to step back if she was uncomfortable, but she did not move. Taking it as a positive sign, he put his arms around her and pulled her close. Her arms went around him almost immediately and he knew that she had needed the hug as much as he did.

“It will get better,” he whispered, rubbing her back slowly.

“You promise?” she whispered.

“I do,” he replied. “It might take awhile, but it will.”

“Yeah,” she said, letting out a deep sigh. “Yeah.”

She pulled back and blew her nose again. Walking to the trash can, she blew her nose once more and tossed the used tissues into it. Letting out a deep breath, she turned and gave him a sad smile.

“I think I should go back to my room. I’m feeling tired now.”

“Yeah. Understandable. I could walk you over.”

“You don’t…” she began and then stopped herself. “I’d like that. If you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind at all,” he assured her and she nodded. “Would you like to bring the wine with you or the pie?”

“Maybe just my glass of wine.”

“Take the rest of the bottle, too.”

He picked up the bottle and pushed the cork into it. Handing her her mostly untouched glass of wine, he then grabbed his key card from the dresser. Opening the door, he waited for her to exit ahead of him.

She walked silently beside him, sniffling a few times, one hand in the pocket of her hoodie.

When they reached her door, she inserted her key card and opened the door.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “I didn’t intend for that to happen, but thank you. For listening and… being my friend.”

“You’re welcome,” he whispered back, handing her the bottle of wine. “If you’d like to take some time off-”

“No,” she said quickly, shaking her head. “No, I don’t want to do that. I… I need to work. I need that constant right now.”

“Okay. But if you think you do and you change your mind, just let me know.”

“I will.” She smiled softly and then sighed. “Thank you for being so understanding. So… Thank you.”

“Of course,” he said, squeezing her upper arm gently. “Goodnight again, Dana.” She stared at him for a few seconds and then nodded.

“Goodnight again, Fox.”

He stepped back and smiled gently as he waited for her to walk inside and lock the door.

Sighing, his steps feeling heavy, he walked back to his room.

Pushing the food cart out into the hallway, the lemon pie untouched, he turned off the lights and closed the computer.

He brushed his teeth and used the bathroom, too many thoughts crowding around in his head.

Laying down, his thoughts traveled to Dana. He exhaled as he closed his eyes, asking the universe for help with the healing she so desperately needed.

#alternate universe #the x files #x files AU #light angst #weddings #photography #discussions #helping to heal #sadness #comfort #compassion #friendship #caring

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