#'ofc this is happening. ofc i realise i want this right as it's ripped away. that's my lot in life'

[coldshrugs]

what i see in you, i hope you find in me

characters: io laithe (wol), alisaie leveilleur, estinien varlineau wordcount: 1.6k note: io feels out of sorts in garlemald. her friends seek to comfort her. the first part of this is directly before "in from the cold" and the second part is the following day. [read on AO3]

There is a fragile warmth in Camp Broken Glass.

The Ilsabard Contingent troops, faces familiar and foreign to Io, begin the difficult work of welcoming the Ist’s soldiers into their camp. There are wounds to mend, fires to stoke, and enormous pots of soup to simmer and disperse. Not all of her people are cheery about it, but there is a sense of purpose in each of them. This is why they’ve come all this way, faced the perils of the north, faced their bloody history.

Healing is rarely a painless act.

Io stays on the fringes. At best, she is a divisive figure in this land–at worst, she is the manifestation of Garlean terror. It’s better if she lets the soldiers process their new circumstances without meddling and, truthfully, she could do with a moment of peace.

She heads toward a building adjacent to the cookfires to escape the frigid wind. This is as good a place to hide as any. She tugs her fleece-lined coat around her more tightly and leans against the near-frozen wood.

Miles away, the Tower of Babil looms over the city, angry, crimson, and waiting for her. The next leg of her journey, perhaps the final one, will take her there.

To him.

For nearly three years, Zenos has consumed Io’s thoughts. He has stoked her rage, sometimes indirectly, most of the time for his deranged satisfaction. He reaches for the darkness in her that no one else wants to touch, let alone acknowledge, and he sets it aflame. She hates him for it, yet she is grateful to him. One feeling lays on the other, like oil on water, and she cannot find a way to blend them.

At least not one that makes her sound sane.

Footsteps approach and the crunch of snow shakes Io from her thoughts.

“There you are.” Alisaie stops at her side. She glares at the Tower for a long moment, then turns to Io. “Are you alright? Some of the Contingent have asked about you.”

Io nods and pulls her attention away from the repulsive skyline. “I’m fine, Alisaie. Trying to stay out of the way for the evening.”

Alisaie frowns. “Would you care for company? Alphinaud and I have tended the worst of the injured, and have been all but forced to rest. He’s run off to find that witless oaf he admires so much.”

“He’s not so bad,” Io laughs, and gestures for her friend to settle in against the battered building. “In a few short months, you two will be thick as thieves.”

“You are not often wrong, but I fear this will be the exception.”

Io glances across the camp. It takes a moment to spot them, but Alphinaud, Alberic, and Estinien sit on a couple of low benches, sipping hot soup from hammered metal cups. All three appear to be in good spirits, smiling and laughing as Alphinaud recounts some story or other.

Something strange and sharp twists in her chest at the sight of them. The knowledge she isn't welcome to join them, perhaps.

Her second reason to hide.

“He’s angry with me. I suppose that is his right. I shouldn’t have let them take you two.” Io grits her teeth, fighting against the knot of guilt that has resided in her stomach since the morning.

Estinien is her friend, perhaps the closest she has here besides Alisaie. She understands him, so she can hardly blame him for being upset with her. They are family to him, Alphinaud, and Alisaie by extension. No less than they are to her. He has given Io little more than one-word responses since the twins were found. She may pretend otherwise, but his cold shoulder wounds her.

“Oh, to hells with Estinien.” Alisaie waves a gloved hand dismissively in his direction. “He’ll get over it. Would he have you fire upon civilians while negotiating peace? He may love my brother like a… well, brother, but he must admit there was no ideal series of events to be had. We all did our best, and we all made it through.”

Her hand lands on Io’s arm. Her fingers must feel like ice inside her glove, but Alisaie squeezes anyway, firm and reassuring.

“Thank you, Ali,” she whispers, and her gratitude hangs as a visible breath between them. They stay tucked between the buildings until Y’shtola calls them to dinner.

○––––––––––––––––––––––––––––○

Articulating what it is like to be outside oneself is something Io cannot bring herself to do. How could she describe watching her loved ones nearly cut down by her own hand, while she occupies the body of another? While an intruder operates hers. To be the stringless puppet and the feeble voyeur all at once

She has never been more afraid.

And Zenos… Though something in her heart still quakes like a plucked string at the thought of him, a modicum of sympathy she can't seem to erase, she finally accepts what she has known for so long: there is nothing for her there. Her most monstrous facets are reflected in him, a dark mirror she's been staring into for too long, but she could never do that to someone. Never.

With nothing more she can say to the others, she retreats to her closet-sized room in one of the less-dilapidated buildings. Io shrugs out of her coat, sighing with exhaustion. The icy air bites at her skin, even through her shirt, and she moves toward the ceruleum heater struggling to keep the temperature up in the corner. There is no time to rest. The assault on the Tower is happening in mere hours, and she needs to be armored, armed, and briefed.

Someone knocks, two heavy raps. Io leaves the tepid warmth to open the door.

Estinien?

He's the last person she expected right now.

His jaw is locked, and his hard stare passes over her in quick inspection, missing nothing. Fury lingers in his gray eyes, but unlike yesterday, it’s not her he wants to burn. Is he no longer upset with her?

Unable to meet his gaze, Io looks away. “Is something wrong?”

“I came to ask how you’re doing,” he says, “after yesterday.”

Io opens the door wider, inviting him into the space. He glances at the wooden stool in the corner, then back at her, and crosses the threshold with a reluctant step.

She sits on the cot, too far from the meager rays of heat. The air is heavy between them. Something is on his mind, and Estinien is never one to hold back for long.

“Are you hurt?” He asks after settling on the creaky stool. It’s too small for him, and she bites back her amusement. This is not the time to fall back into their comfortable patterns, no matter how much she longs for them. “They tell me you aren’t, but I would hear it from you.”

“I’m uninjured.”

“And your mind?” Estinien presses, facing her head-on. He searches her face, grey eyes refusing to shy away from whatever the answer may be. She has seen him like this before, harboring an indignant, singular focus, though that was years ago. Yesterday’s irritation was a shadow of this.

“Fine.” She tucks a knee under her chin. It is almost the full truth.

“Io. You're shaking.”

“Perhaps you should blame the climate.”

He grimaces, teeth grinding in frustration. “I have seen you cold before. Do not pretend we're strangers.”

Io runs a hand through her hair. Trying to fool him is as futile as attempting to forget the last twenty-four hours. But he is here, talking to her, and she doesn't want him to go just yet. “And what of your mind, Estinien? You don’t seem yourself.”

His next breath stutters out of him, followed by hesitant words. “Before I found them,” he starts, and she knows he means the twins, “I could only see the worst outcome behind that door. How late would I be, this time? What could I have done to save them? …I prepared my grief. Then the door opened, and they were fine. Just whinging about the cold. It was easy to blame you for what could’ve happened. Easier than going back to the first time I lost family.”

He pauses and looks at her. Looks into her. And there’s the man she knows like the back of her hand. The friend she knows so well, they communicate across silence and stillness. She offers him a half-smile.

“I scoffed when you disappeared, still angry at the false burden I thought you cast upon me. Had I known what happened to you…” The words trail into silence as Estinien forces his eyes away from her to the window and the malevolent tower beyond. “I realized you, too, are… I will lose no more family, Io.”

Her sharp inhale stings her lungs. She watches him as he gazes out the window, projecting his anger toward Babil, Zenos, Fandaniel. Everywhere but her direction.

“Estinien,” she calls across the small room, embarrassed by the soft crack of her voice, and he turns back to her. “We’re alright, all of us. I would never let the twins come to harm. Garlemald has taken much from me, so much that offering aid to this land is agonizing, but it will not take them. I hope you trust me.”

He rises and gives her a firm nod, lingering by the window as if he’s not finished here. He shakes his head, clears his throat.

“Don’t let it take you either.”

That doesn’t feel like the end of it, but he leaves before she can say more.

[weirdsht]

Another yapping session lol, I haven't done this in a while. Omfg tho, I didn't mean for this thing to be as long as I made it. I'm sorry shfgsidfhsfjgsdlg

By clicking read more you will be subjected to novel spoilers and my messy long rant about LoTCF. This is your warning.

I've thought about this for a long time but LoTCF is a fix-it novel. Not sure if someone thought about the same thing or if they have talked about it yet. But I've felt this way ever since I read about Kim Rok Soo's life.

After realising what he went through and just how hard his life is made me realise why he does the things he does. Why he has such a mindset. Why he values the little things other people would not even think about.

It made even more sense after hearing how he was collateral damage from the White Star's curse. How he can't hold the things he deemed dear close to him as he will always be bound to lose it. To lose them.

Lastly, it made me realise why the novel seems all sunshine and rainbows in the long run. Sure, there are angsty moments. Some moments and arcs made me bawl for weeks on end. Made me feel as though my heart was being ripped out of my chest (Looking at you earth lore). However, at the end of it all everyone on Cale's side is okay. It's like watching one of those old-school shonen animes where you know everyone will save the day with the power of friendship.

And I know I'm not the only one who noticed that. I saw a lot of discourse about how the series would be more interesting if someone actually died. If a lot was on the line. Something like ORV.

And omg does it piss me off so much.

Because once again LoTCF is a fix-it novel.

It's a novel about starting again. About Cale finally being able to hold and protect the things dear to him.

That's why it wouldn't make sense for him to lose more.

Plus, I genuinely think that if he loses one more thing important to him (non-material ofc) that would be his last straw. He has already been through so much. And it was because of something he didn't even have a clue about. Something he essentially had no business with if White Star just wasn't a greedy mfer.

I think some people also forget or doesn't realise the fact that this is also Cale's last chance. Like Ron and Choi Han who has lost their families several times and deemed their new group as their last chance. Their last family.

It's the same for Cale.

He already lost his biological parents. He already lost his brothers.

He can't lose his new family too.

That's why no one can die.

Despite that, as a reader, I am scared though. Scared at the lengths he's willing to go to protect his family.

Because this man has no self-preservation skills despite him always saying he has no plans of getting hurt or dying. I mean, I can't blame him for not knowing his worth. His life has been shit. He always had to go above and beyond to try and grasp the things he wanted only for them to still slip away from his fingertips. Like he's trying to collect running water with open palms.

And until now, even without the curse, he does the same thing. Because it's what he's used to. Maybe he subconsciously thinks that if his efforts dwindle a little he'll lose everything again. Not fully comprehending that it's fine now. That it's okay for him to breath a little.

Anyway, my point is I'm scared that at some point Cale will try to protect everyone and everything at his own cost. Will try to convince himself that he will be fine when he won't be. I mean I've already heard spoilers from book 2 and heard that's what seems to be happening right now.

I'm just scared that a point will come where Cale won't be able to come back from the decisions he makes in the name of protecting his family.

[unofficially-ace]

Star thoughts/liveblog (spoilers ahead ofc)

- If Splashtail is holding kittens hostage have you guys tried….driving him out? It’s literally one guy against the whole of Riverclan, just keep him away from the kits and there won’t be an issue???

- The conflict is kinda stupid I can’t lie, this could be solved if everyone in Riverclan wasn’t such a dumbass

- Cloverfoot is going to die in this battle I can smell it

- I can’t believe we’re getting fascism explained to us through warrior cats

- Berryheart fell down the crunchy mom -> alt right pipeline real

- This book is making me like Tigerheartstar wtf

- Frostpaw I would die for you

- Harestar you’re the most annoying mf ever please die

- What is it with Riverclan and their camp being turned into a prison every other series

- Graysludge and Mistslime are objectively hilarious names

- What happened to Splashtail being compelling why is he just cartoonishly evil and insane now

- There are not enough supporters of Splashtail to make give this any stakes come onnnn, he has like 5 people actually on his side

- I love Berryheart she’s so fucked up

- Wtf is Owlnose doing, why is he siding with Splashtail for no reason??

- Sunbeam you are so stupid my god

- ‘She didn’t realise what she was doing’ yes she did lmao

- RIP Berryheart you were the most compelling villain of the series

- That makes 2 dead female villains and we’re stuck with the boring male one….

- Owlnose you just killed someone don’t try and make me feel bad for you

- ‘The last thing she ever did was save you’ just like Curlfeather….the parallels…

- This feels like setup for Froststar ngl

- I can’t believe Nightheart is the only guy with a braincell here

- Is fogstar going to be a thing??? She hasn’t even been mentioned once before this book

- Riverclan is so stupid it actually pains me

- Why are we still calling them Greysludge and Mistslime that’s literally so mean lol, just call them by their apprentice names

- The tension is actually really good

- Not exactly liking how Splashtail seems to be genuinely mentally I’ll and that’s why he’s evil…

- He’s fuckin dead and we’re only halfway through?? Now what?

- So glad Frostpaw got to be the one to kill him though, that was so satisfying

- Riverclan you can justify all you want but at the end of the day you’re fuckin stupid

- The second he started doing murders y’all should’ve turned on him and it would all be fine

- Hi Mothwing when did you get here

- Lol fuck those guys (fognose and breezeheart)

- Goddamn Berryheart’s funeral scene is some of the best writing I’ve seen in a warriors book for a while, these are genuinely interesting emotions to explore

- Ewww I don’t wanna think about frost having a crush on splash stop bringing this up my god

- Oh fuck yes Frostpaw and Curlfeather angst

- If the rest of this book is just emotional conflict I will be more than happy with it

- Don’t kill off Frostpaw I swear to god

- Kate Cary I’m putting my trust in you

- This scene would make an incredible animation

- Might be my new favourite chapter of warrior cats ever holy shit that SLAPPED

- Fuck off Nightheart I need more Frostpaw

- Having Nightsky and Nightheart is so confusing

- Thunderclan can’t go two seconds without an argument (usually started by Lionblaze)

- I kinda love this type of conflict, it’s much more interesting than Splashtail being crazy

- Podlight is still here???

- Tree does something as a mediator for the first time ever

- Who tf is emberstar (if they’re relevant in Riverstar’s SE then I haven’t read it lol)

- The fact that I genuinely can’t tell if Frostpaw will survive is so good

- Please let the rest of the chapters be Frostpaw I don’t gaf about the others right now

- Whistlebreeze is the cutest name

- Frostdawn!!!! Also cute as fuck

- ICESTAR REALLLLL LETS GO

- Oh my god this chapter is gonna make me cry

- Sunbeam is pregnant and I want to explode

- And that’s a wrap on ASC , genuinely actually enjoyed this book, especially the second half. The emotional conflict was really interesting I gotta be honest, Frostdawn’s almost-dead scenes were so fun and had really good tension. The conflict with Splashtail ended up getting really stale, I’m glad he was killed halfway through because I couldn’t have dealt with that being dragged out for a whole book

[123pixieaod]

oh my god your girl daniel was so amazing!!! it was such a treat to read and if you ever have any more thoughts about that universe i would love to hear it!!! <3

Anon, do I ever!!!!

Firstly thank you so much for the kind words 💖 I had never written girl Daniel before so I'm so happy you think she works :)))

Secondly, yes. Yes I do. You have either opened Pandoras Box or a can of worms, depending on which allegory takes your fancy, because I literally cannot stop thinking about insecure Girl Daniel, and what would happen next to her (so I apologise in advance for the upcoming rambles lol).

So, after the time in the gym, Daniel phones Michelle and Michelle has about zero sympathy for her because she is a Working Mother™️ and thinks (possibly correctly) Daniel is a single millionaire professional sportswoman and has no right to be having problems (again going back to this deep rooted misogyny that for a woman having a family is the most important calling for them, and everything else paled in comparison).

And basically Michelle tells Daniel that of course Max would say and think that because Daniel always acts like a 'one of the boys', even as a little child, and dresses as if she doesn't care what people think of her (jealousy now from Michelle that she never felt like she could be that free???)

So Daniel gets off the call and basically decides to change, and the first thing she does is gets fake nails put on. And she goes for these little gell ones with flowers on because Flowers are Feminine.

But at the next race weekend, walking back after the press conference with Max, she realises that the nail onher ring finger has fallen off and just starts to ... cry. Because it feels like the universe's big fat way of telling her she's never going to be desirable and no man will ever want to marry her (and ofc by no man she means Max, but accepting how utterly in love with him she is feels like defeat in a different way). And Max is walking with her to the motorhome of Red Bull/ Alpha Tauri and is slightly freaking out because 😰why is Daniel just staring at her hands😰why is she nearly crying😰 and he asks and that does make her burst into tears because she just feels so pathetic in that moment, and the only thing she can say is one of her new gel nails fell off and she walks away before he can say anything else.

That evening she pretends she's feeling a bit unwell so gets to stay in her driver room and eat dinner alone and feels slightly less miserable because she now has an Even Better Plan ™️ and so she pulls off all the fake nails (flowers? How old is she, six?) and calls her mum asking for advice and is half way through listening to her mums step by step process for straightening her hair when there's a knock on her door and it's Max holding out the lost nail. And as soon as Daniel opens the door he marches in complaining that she should be more careful and that it was under the couch and he got such strange looks from the staff so the next time she should not be so upset over a nail and instead just take another from the box and replace it, and all Daniel is able to say is she didn't buy the gell nails in a box she got them done directly at a nail salon and Max just blinks out at her. And then nods, and mumbles that Kelly orders her online and they come on a box with extra. He looks away as he gentle places the sole gell nail down on her table.

"I suppose it is a good thing then I got it for you, if you had no spares," he mumbles, cheeks suddenly warm, and Daniel just nods and stutters a "thank you" and Max nods again as if they've both been caught doing something embarrassing and leaves quickly. And then Daniel is staring at the nail that Max went back and searched for and found, just for her, and then goes to retrieve all the others she ripped off and begins to carefully glue them back on, refusing to think about what any of it could mean.

ANYWAY then it's time for Daniel's Big Plan™️. This is where she gets her hair professionally straightened and begins to smile with only her lips and tries not to laugh because Girls Don't Have Loud Honking Laughs and wears long sleeves to hide her tattoos and when she's going out she wears dresses and she finally shaves her legs and she learns to wear makeup and trims her eyebrows and waxes the hair on her upper lip and begins to wear jewellery (but only clipon earrings because her race engineer tells her she would be a fucking idiot to try and get her ears pieced and then expect them to not get infected while wearing a racing helmet).

And for a while, she feels good. She feels really good. She likes the way her mother keeps texting her photos that the f1 photographers take of her and telling her how beautiful she looks now. She likes her sister texting her advice on which shoes go with which dresses and saying she's glad Daniel's finally grown up ("usually the tomboy phase only lasts a few years, not two and a bit decades, but at least you're out the other side of it"). She gets attention too, papers writing of "Ricciardo's New Look!" and articles on her "killer figure previously hidden under oversized clothing".

She likes it and she lives for the moment at at a party when they're both drunk and Max brushes his fingers over her long, silver, dangley earrings, saying "pretty," and Daniel feels her chest contracting and Max suddenly drops his hand as if the silver burns, and he looks at her and she looks back and he blinks, Maldives-blue eyes meeting her dark ones lined with eyeliner. "Thanks," she whispers, and he just jerks a nod and then takes a step back, as if there wasn't enough oxygen for the two of them that close together.

But then it slowly turns sour. She gets tired of constantly trying, constantly waking up early to do her makeup and constantly ignoring her favourite, baggy clothes in favour of new, tight shirts and dresses her sister recommends. Her mother sends her another photo, but this time it's just accompanied with "That's a bit revealing don't you think Dani?" When she facetimes her dad with her new smooth, straight hair and makeup and a smile that's always closelipped, he looks sad as he smiles back at her.

She comes P3 at the race before the summer break, and goes out wearing a sequined purple dress her sister encouraged her to buy, which once she wouldn't even consider wearing (she knows her mother would call it borderline obscene with its plunging neck line and high hem). At the last moment, she puts on the earrings Max complimented, refusing to think about the warmth in her chest as she clips them on.

At the party, she gets drunk and finds Max, and he's drinking and Kelly is there too, and she just looks so perfect, and suddenly Daniel feels like a little girl playing dress up. It all comes so natural to Kelly. She doesn't have to try to be feminine and beautiful. She just is. And Max isn't. No matter how many dresses she buys or makeup, she wears or hair heels she nearly twists her ankles on, she won't be Kelly. That's the sort of beauty you're born with, the sort Daniel is so clearly deficient in.

She wants to leave, but Max sees her before she can and weaves his way to her. His cheeks are flushed from drink, and he's wearing a white shirt with the top buttons undone, and he looks so good that she wants to die. "Your earrings," he says, blinking at them before meeting her gaze. "I talked to Victoria. About you."

"Cheers for letting me know," Daniel tries to make a joke but it sounds too bitter to land. Max frowns, no doubt picking up on her tone.

"No, I mean... what I said about you earrings. Last time. About them being pretty."

Daniel suddenly can't breathe. The club is too busy, too dark, too noisy, too much. She wants to leave, wants to suspend this moment in Amber and let his sentence stay unfinished.

"I did not mean it."

And Daniel barks a laugh, her chest aching like it's being crushed. She's so fucking stupid.

"No wait," Max says quickly, cheeks growing hotter. "I did not - I mean, of course I meant it. But they are just earrings. They are pretty because you are wearing them, and you are pretty. I do not -"

"Hi," Kelly materialises beside them, wrapping a perfect, unblemished arm around Max's waist. "Congratulations on the podium Daniel," she says in her sensual accent, the cadence smooth and so unlike the musical, messy lilt of Daniel's Australian one.

She forces a smile. Close lip. She refuses to look at Max. She makes up some excuse about not having a drink. She leaves them.

And then the night gets even more messy and Daniel gets even more drunk and ends up on the dance floor with some creep who keeps putting his hands on her ass no matter how many times she grabs them and raises them to her waist and then a tiny voice is asking her what the fuck are you doing and she leaves and the air is cold on her cheeks and her bare arms and shaven legs and her smooth hair keeps flying into her eyes and she's hugging herself as she's walking aimlessly, and then someone calls her name and it's Max, looking exhausted but significantly more sober then before.

"I did not mean what I said," he continues stubbornly, an echo of previous words, the moment that triggered her desperate attempt to change, sparking this whole fuck up.

"I looked for you," he says with a frown as if Daniel was a misbehaving child.

She snaps, "Maybe I didn't want to see you," and he blinks as if she's slapped him, as if the thought never even occurred to him.

"Yes you did. You always mean what you say." Daniel hugs herself tighter. She looks away. She wants to cry.

"Yes," he allows after a beat. "Okay, I meant what I said but I did not say it how I meant to. I just meant that the earrings are not the things which made you pretty, that -"

"And Victoria told you to say that, did she?" Daniel says, voice back to bitterness.

"No, she didn't," Max replies, his own tone beginning to sound annoyed, like Daniel is intentionally vexing him. "But she did tell... well, she made me think, and what I think is that you are not very happy, Daniel."

Daniel jerks her head up, staring at him.

"What?"

"Happy," he repeats, brows knitted together. "I do not think you are happy."

Nobody has said that to her. She has been praised or accused, her new look attracting attention and labels and names. But in all the rush and noice and chatter, nobody had said that.

"I am happy," she says after a pause, mind racing. "Of course I'm happy. Why wouldn't I be happy?"

His lips thin. "You do not smile any more. Not like how you used to."

Daniel barks out a laugh, feeling something in her chest constrict even further.

So then they have a Big Argument and Max says he does not understand why she has changed her appearance so much if it's making her so miserable and he does not like how she dresses and acts because she's not laughing or smiling anymore and she is not happy. Daniel snaps back that maybe she doesn't give two shits about what he thinks (the irony burning her from the inside out) and the argument gets even worst and eventually Daniel storms off and Max doesnt follow her.

When she gets home she just lays on her bed and cries and doesn't even bother taking off her makeup, even though she knows her mother would scold her and say she'll get spots.

It's summer break and Daniel watches as Kelly posts photo after photo of Max on holidays with her family, and Daniel just... gives up. She didn't care. It was never possible, because she's not like women like Kelly. She's Daniel, and no amount of straightened hair or revealing dresses will change that.

So she throws it all out. She bags all her new clothes into bin bags and leaves it anonymously outside a charity shop. She throws out all her makeup. She gives her straightener to a alpha tauri worker for their daughter. She lets the hair on her upper lip grow back. She goes back to her baggy shirts and ancient ripped jeans and frizzy hair. She stops caring, and it's one of the most freeing things she's ever done. She's Daniel again, Daniel with the crazy curls and oversized shirts. Daniel. Herself again.

Everyone is disappointed. Her mother barely speaks for the entire facetime they do, her lips thin in disapproval as she takes in Daniel's altered style. Her sister snaps at Daniel for wasting her time looking for advice if she was just going back to not bothering about how she looks. The papers declare "Babe-cardo is gone" and publish photos of her wearing dresses and make up as if it's a eulogy.

She is nervous to see Max again, waiting for his expression to fall as he sees she's back to being messy, ugly Daniel. Instead, his face lights up when he walks into the meeting room and sees her. They haven't spoken since their fight, haven't even texted, but Daniel blurts out a stupid joke about how even under the Mediterranean sun Max still has the colouring of a sickly Victorian child, but Max laughs and then Daniel laugh, back to her honking laugh which makes everyone turn and look at her, and just like that she knows her and Max are back to normal.

Only it's more than normal. When everyone else looks at her like she's a let down, Max smiles as if he never quite wants to stop looking at her. When some reporter asks in a patronising manner if she was trying different hair textures to see which is more aerodynamic, Max replies before Daniel can even begin to form a polite PR answer, pointing out George now has a middle parting, and surely that's much more important news then Daniel's curls, and everyone laughs and looks at George as he blushes and tries to stammer out a response. But Daniel just looks at Max, who looks back from across the opposite side of the interviewing coach. And she grins, and then Max grins back and laughs softly, looking away.

And this is pretty much the point where the tags on the fic begin. Max and Daniel are somehow closer than ever. Max keeps giving her compliments, which is new, but they're always such Max compliments Daniel can't help but laugh as he says them. Like "you are only a few seconds behind me, they is very good" or "Daniel, is your bagpack new it is very lovely and big" about a rucksack he's definitely seen her with about a hundreds time before (((but the compliments are never about her physical appearance, which Daniel never actually realises and possibly Max doesnt even realise it either. She's just Daniel, and it's her smile and her sense of humour and her liveliness which makes her beautiful to Max, not how she styles her hair or which clothes she wears))).

So then Daniel finally wins a race and Max is the first to hug her tightly and tell her how amazing she is and how lovely her drive was and of course if be hasn't had engine problems then she would've had a proper fight on her hands but he is sure it is the first of many podiums they'll share and Daniel's just laughing and hugging him back and on the podium she gets Max to do a shoey but holds her shoe to his lips and watches as the champaign runs down over his lips and the buldge of his Adams apple moves with his swallowing and she suddenly feels very drunk and slightly ill, knowing she can't have any of it but now after making her peace with it.

And down below Kelly is like 🤨🤨🤨 and doesn't understand because Max definitely didn't desire Daniel when she tried to be pretty (not very successfully either, she thinks) so how could he find her desirable now in a sweaty race suit and with inked arms dusted with dark hair and wild curls which are more frizz then anything else and a smile which seems almost cartoonist its so unnaturally big???? But she knows what she saw, watching him gently brush a few wayward curls away which had been glued to Daniel's forehead and cheeks by the champaign, watching him drink from her shoe, watching him smile at Daniel as if she's the only thing he can see.

So that night she gives him an ultimate. He has to stop seeing Daniel, or else she'll leave. And Max is like wtf Kelly isn't like other girls she's secure!!! And it's just Daniel!!!! And Kelly just snaps its pathetic and embarrassing how obviously he pines after the weirdo, and Max just goes very still and Kelly tells him Daniel is probably a lesbian anyway from how she dresses (we bringing all types of internalised misogyny in this fic🫠) and they wouldn't make any sense but him and Kelly are perfect, and Max just nods because he doesn't... him and Kelly make Sense. She's beautiful and classy and his dad tells Max that he picked well with her and people in f1 always tell him how lucky he is to have such a beautiful girlfriend and his mum writes "Max and Kelly" in letters now and somehow Max nodding is equating to him texting Daniel, Kelly dictating exactly what to say.

And Daniel gets the text and just sort of feels herself falling apart and it's so unfair because he said her earrings were pretty and then took it back, how could Kelly possibly think she's a threat to her?? But Daniel does what Max asks and doesn't text him and he doesn't text her and at the next race they acknowledge each other as nothing more then professional coworkers and Daniel wonders if this is what heartbreak is like, and how losing Max as a friend is a thousand times worse than when she admitted to herself he'd never find her desirable.

She goes back to Monaco for the two week break. She buys a photo of a shark, this one swimming and alive and looking so real she swears his eyes follow her. She hangs it in her living room. She loves it. She buys flowers. She cleans her apartment. She tries to learn to bake.

Then, a knock on her door. She's half way through baking a possibly unsaveble batch of brownies (she got the salt and sugar mixed up :((( ) and opens the door with an old Red Bull apron, a lá a Red Bull PR Christmas videos from years back, and hair in a wild mess and tattered Aussie slippers and there's Max. And even before she can comprehend he's standing there with a bouquet of especially drooping flowers he's marching in past her, going to the cabinet to get a vase all while complaining about how awful the florists in Monaco are and how they fucked up his order and how one day he will take her to the Netherlands, proper, not just for a race, and show her the tulips fields and then she will get proper flowers and and and and -

And Daniel is just standing by the still open door, staring at him, distantly wondering if she's astronomically fucked up the oven temperatures and this is CO2 poisoning. Max suddenly stills, stopping mid sentence to worry his lip before turning and blurting out "You're not a lesbian, are you?"

And Daniel is so shocked she bursts out laughing and Max's cheeks flood warm and he quickly says that of course it would be fine if she is, he has lots of gay and bi friends and besides, he knows he likes Daniel in a lot of ways and he would be happy having her as a friend because she's his best one and he -

And Daniel takes pitying on him and finally says no Max I'm not a lesbian and Max just sort of nods and looks away, and Daniel finally shuts the door but can't stop staring at him and then she laughing again, but in delight and happiness and joy as she finally realises what he said and what he meant, and then Max is laughing too and she can still feel the smile on his lips when they kiss.

And they have wonderful, pent-up-longing-finally-released make out session in her kitchen and then Daniel's alarm goes off and they spring apart as if they're teenagers caught misbehaving and Daniel looks at Max and Max looks back at her and then she grins and he looks so relieved and smiles back.

"I have wanted to do that for a long time," Max admits softly, cheeks blazing as he helps Daniel cut the brownies into squares. She looks at him but he won't meet her eye and then it somehow comes out in mutters and blushes that he's liked her for literal years, but of course she would not like someone like him, she's too cool and free and extroverted, and he moved on and Daniel just can't believe it (((Max loves her for things which aren't her physical appearance!!!)))) and tells Max he's an idiot and when he looks up at her in surprise, she kisses him.

And then Max tries her brownie and Daniel is weirdly afraid something mightve changed between them now but he takes one bite and makes a face and tells her she has always been a bit of a shit cook but this is astronomically shit and Daniel laughs and playfully shoves him and then tries a piece and can't even pretend to enjoy it. They throw it out and Max orders from their favourite Chinese and then life gets bigger and bigger and Max doesnt care if Daniel dresses smart or casual or shave or wears make up, but the one thing he insists on is she not straighten her hair again because he likes to wind the curls around his fingers and tug softly on then. Daniel somehow smiles even more and her laugh is even louder but she no longer cares, and the shark painting in her living room continues to watch her with bright, black eyes and Max eats all the ice cream left in her freezer that she hasn't been able to touch and each time she thinks she can't get any happier, Max will or complain about her thick hair clogging up the shower drain or ban her from cooking unless he's there to supervise and keep the salt and sugar separate or or or

And it goes on like that, happy and in love :)))

[kynrki]

SUPER SAD SONGS!

021. confrontations!!!!!

WARNINGS: swearing

its was 6pm, and kazuha had walked into the gym right on time. she looked around and saw sunghoon. she smiled and ran up to him and gave him a tight hug. “hi sunghoon” she said as she smiled at him.

she then heard a sound. it sounded as if someone make their thraot clear. she looked around and saw sunoo and her smile dropped but it quickly picked up as she didnt want anyone to notice. but sunoo did. “hi sunoo” she said with a fake smile. sunoo nodded.

“what did you wanna talk about?” she asked as she looked back at sunghoon. anyone could clearly see how she had heart eyes for him. “well uh-“ “cut the shit, whats your issue kazuha” sunoo cut sunghoon off as he crossed his arms.

“i-i- i dont know what you’re talking about” kazuha laughed nervously. “let me see” sunoo said as he stood up and started walking around the girl in a circle. “threats to sakura about doing all this? ruin all yn’s opportunities? oh and lets not forget, making sure yn didn’t debut? does any of those ring a bell?” sunoo continued as he stood right in front of kazuha, slightly looking down at her with a cold expression.

“w-w-what? how do you even know about all those things!” kazuha shouted in frustration. “we know alot, now are you gonna explain yourself?” sunghoon said as he looked at kazuha with cold eyes. she felt her heart break slightly. she had lost. she truly had. it was like the world was working against her in all ways. “agh that stupid bitch yn, if she wasn’t here then none of this would have happened. dont you see, she ruined my life! she took all the opportunities i could have had, even you sunghoon. im in love with you, but ofc you had to like her. she took everything from me, now its my turn to make her pay.” kazuha said as she grabbed her hair in frustration.

sunoo and sunghoon sat in silence for a while. “why” sunoo asked after a looking at sunghoon for a bit. lazuha sighed softly. “im so tired of being in yns shadow. she was always the one that did the best no matter what, but i’ll give it to her, she practiced hard for everything. she did her best so that she could excel and you could see it but im jus so tired of yn taking everything away from me. the thing that makes it worse is that when she didn’t get the debut spot, she didn’t even seem sad about it. she instead said i deserved it and carried on with her life like normal again which to me is such a huge thing to do. if i didn’t debut i would probably be crying rn yk?” kazuha said as a few tears dropped from her eyes.

“but dont you think you’re going the wrong way about this? like youre creating all this jus so she could feel some sort of remorse but cant you see its not working. yn would’ve shown so much already if it was different but she isnt. and that’s because shes a mentally strong person.” sunghoon said as he felt bad for kazuha.

“i know i have no excuse for what i did, i jus think i was so blinded by the fact that i got it and she didn’t that i wanted her to feel bad. as if all her hardwork went for nothing and that she was useless. it felt so good being in power for once.” kazuha said. “i understand but you need to realise that not everyone is the way you are and how you think.” sunghoon said. “i hope you know this means im not forgiving you at all, but thank you for telling us all this. you need help kazuha. you’re not mentally okay” sunoo said as he sighed and left the gym.

“sunghoon?” kazuha said after they sat in a while in silence. “hm” he hummed. “im sorry” she said softly. sunghoon sighed and walked towards the door. “i shouldn’t be the one youre saying sorry to. youve caused years of healing to sudden be ripped open again. yn needs the apology not me. i hope you know management will be told about all this.” sunghoon said coldly as he left kazuha in the room alone.

masterlist | previous | next

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

PAIRINGS — idol!park sunghoon x idol!fem!reader

SYPNOSIS — yln yn and park sunghoon are sworn enemies ever since highschool. unfortunately for yn, she had undeniably huge feelings for sunghoon and wrote love songs for him. now they both are out of school, one being an idol, the other still writing songs in the comfort of their home. what happens when yn accidentally leaks one of her songs that miraculously ends up blowing up? and why does her voice sound so familiar to sunghoon?

TAGLIST (closed) — @yunki4evr @ijustmetyouandthisiscrazy @thisisnotjacinta @trsrina @liliansun @shinsou-rii @seosracha @notdrunkbutdazed @shoooobin @vatterie @kimmchijjajang @ilvsoup @sungookie @vampsvngie @winteringdream @hikyeom @raimbows4u @gfksn @enhasengene @luviehyck @nyfwyeonjun @allcra @luveuly @jwsflower @jihyoscrown @wooniy @fadedluvv @jakelux @enheyy @y4wnjunz @yjwluvs @kyanmeai @indelicate-macalino @sophhloaff @02zluvbot @lowxkie @ohmyhuenings @nomniki @lost-leopard-beanie @captivq @cosmicwintr @ahnneyong @diamondx211 @cyuuupid @lvepsh @xtra-cheese @jeongintwt @butterflyy-ningg @dasa3040 @meiiiwa

[ballorawan740]

SCP Scenarios: SCP 173 (The Sculpture) x Reader | NEW CHARACTER

SCP Scenarios Masterlist | My Works Masterlist | Main Masterlist | Rules | My Original Post | Request | Socials

(Don't ask about that GIF)

I did change 173 slightly in a way that he can move his limbs and communicate verbally, so Peanut here would be a tiny bit OC

First Encounter

You both met in 173's cell

For some reason, when you blinked, 173 just stood in front of you

Like, this peanut didn't kill you or anything

It was more as if he was interested in you

He somehow found the ability to talk

Even patted your head to your surprise

This also supposed the whole of the facility since they've only observed 173 spanning everyone's neck and teleporting

And they've never seen him move his arms since he's a literal peanut statue that secretes poop (and blood I guess)

Your feelings for him

You began to realise you fell for him after someone had mentioned how often you visited the statue

Definitely would try to hide it, to begin with (Cuz it's odd that y'all be falling for a peanut statue)

But later on, you decide to drop hints about it to your crush, Peanut

He looked as if he was clueless

But he definitely has gotten the hint way before you even realised your feelings for him

Because you make him feel butterflies

If anyone tries to flirt with the statue, you would become furious (Cuz you paid for this statue)

Most likely would tease you at times

His Confession

Probably would plan it out

Which didn't work at all

So 173 would just do it out of the blue

To which you agreed of course (Cuz y'all need some Jesus! At least you weren't like Clef when he- nvm)

Definitely surprised the foundation as well since nobody has ever fallen for this statue before (Aside from Clef)

Some would give you both odd looks while others were more curious about your relationship

Probably would conduct tests between the both of you

Only because they want to see if 173's behaviour would change

Like if someone blinked while standing behind you

Date

Since the foundation doesn't let 173 out of his cell, most of your dates would be in there

173 would be similar to 035 since he's pretty chill and laidback

You both would be laying on the floor and looking up at the ceiling

Probably talking about a lot of BS

Probably would tell you his favourite method of killing (which totally isn't snapping necks)

You both would tell each other about your day and peanut would joke around a lot

Is rather sassy as well so if anyone judges, you can always count on 173 to save you

Most likely by snapping their necks

Or sassing them out to the point of no return

When he gets jealous

It's rare to see 173 jealous since he's quite laid back and doesn't really mind who you're with

If 173 does get jealous he would most likely snap their neck

Or just teleport behind you and just stare at whoever is hitting on you

Or he would bend down to their height (if they're short ofc) which does are them off quite a bit

Would definitely drag you back into his cell to which surprised the researchers

Because they found out that the cameras were working and they heard screaming coming near/from his cell

Peanut can be slightly possessive of you

Especially when he knows somebody is hitting on you on purpose regardless of whether they knew you were taken or not

Most likely would ask you who you are hanging out with and for how long

When there's a containment breach

There's a 50% chance that he caused the breach

Whether he did it or not he would look for you

As he's looking for you he would snap some necks

Even gave 682 a heart attack

More than once actually but we don't talk about that here (cuz that hurts 682's heart)

Could care less about every other SCPs/workers

If you were hurt peanut would hunt down whoever did it to you

Probably would stroll down the facility instead of teleporting

To which you giggled

The look on the researchers' faces when they saw 173 frolic across the hallway and back into his cell was priceless

You were even there to witness it and everyone looked at you like they've just seen a ghost

Yandere!173

Would lock you up in his cell

Probably would tie you up as well

Definitely would torment you by teleporting in front and away from you

Sometimes would blindfold you

Not even the researchers could get you out

They've even asked 131 for some help and it didn't work as effectively as they thought for whatever reason

If you somehow managed to escape your freedom wouldn't last long

173 would manipulate you to the point that you felt that there weren't any way out for you

So in the end, you just stayed in his cell (probably regretting life choices while you're at it)

At least he's nice enough to let you eat proper food served in the foundation (had to make that clear in case y'all didn't get the hint and thought he gave you smth else to eat)

His younger sister

You're both alike and very close indeed

The foundation was shocked at how alike you both were

And you both were inseparable

So every time there's a breach and they see either of you, they know the other is just around the corner

You both would be sassy, sarcastic and funny

The foundation would be entertained by your remarks

Although you may or may not snap necks like peanut, you do display some form of curiosity towards the foundation staff and the SCPs

Like that one time when there was a containment breach and you leaned in rather close to this rookie and he just screamed as he laid on the floor

He did get quite a lecture afterwards but you decided to just tease him whenever you both meet

When his kid says their name for the first time

Would be joyful af

Nobody would hear the end of it

Like imagine the last words you hear is 173 telling you how his kid spoke their name

Like it took them so long to just get the pronunciation right

Tries to get them to swear late on though

Much to your dismay

173 is a cool and laid back type of dad so you wouldn't have to worry too much when you're away

Unless it's about being a good influence then you should (Not that it matters anyway...)

Probably would teleport to whoever/whatever just tp tell them about it

Even bothered 682 to the point that the lizard begged the foundation researchers to remove either of them

When his S/O is angry

Would run/teleport 10000000000000000000 miles away

Especially if you're mad at him

Probably because he broke your favourite cup and didn't tell you about it because he know that your best friend gave it to you as a gift (Don't say y'all don't have friends)

Would try to calm you down after a while though

Which didn't work too well because you still wanted to rip his head off

If it was somebody else who made you mad he would probably be entertained

Unless it affects himself of course

Probably would try to hold you back and get you to calm down

In which you wanted to rip off his head as well which ended so well for peanut

If 173 cant run anywhere he would just hide in the corner and cry

Probably would as the researchers for some help as well

They don't because they don't want to die either

When someone tries to steal you away

When peanut finds out he would hunt down whoever tried to steal you without hesitation

Would snap his neck and everyone else who were involved or knows about it

Takes you back to his cell

Checks if you were hurt even though you were looking at the kidnapper's @ss

Would try to stay by your side at all times even though he knows he can't

Stares at the researchers every time they talk to you

If it was a D-class they would die in an instant

Has a burning hatred for certain kinds of people

When his Pregnant!S/O gets hurt by accident

Cries without a doubt

Would bandage you up without a doubt

Would cheer you up by doing weird dances and impressions

Most likely would tell you off as well but your puppy eyes get to him

So he would just take that back and just baby you

Would kneel down to talk to the unborn child about your bad behaviour

You swore you felt it kick

173 would get all excited and more protective than usual

Wouldn't let anyone near you unless you were going into labourr

Meeting a Fem!Dragon!Hybrid!Reader

Would be quite curious about you

Finds you rather cute because you're so pure, kind and small

Wants to adopt you without a doubt

The researchers would have mixed feelings about you being in the same cell as 173

Peanut was lowkey terrified when you breathed fire

Was somewhat ok with you crying lava and levitating objects for a bit

Somehow managed to get 343 and/or Scarlet King to help you improve your telekinesis

Definitely would play hide and seek with you and some others

They don't get a say otherwise peanut would snap their necks

When he accidentally kills you

It was when some guy unintentionally pushed you which angered 173

Like he teleported to him and his friends

You tried to explain but 173 didn't listen so he proceeds to snap everyone's necks

Trying your best to defend the poor guy, you stepped in front of them which lead to 173 snapping your neck as well

The guy was shocked but managed to run before anything happened

Word got around that 173 had snapped your neck and was now permanently depressed

Like, he stopped snapping everyone's neck for quite sometime

Felt so guilty that he went to 049 to see if he can fix you

But he wasn't able to so he went to SK and God

They were transported to another facility so they weren't able to do much for this statue

Yandere!173 x Evil!Reader

Not as dense as some of the other SCPs but 173 wouldn't have guessed that you worked for another GOI other than the foundation

Since you used your knowledge of 173 to your advantage, 173 would find out rather late

173 found out who you were working with since the late arrival of the Black Queen came by to collect you

173 would try and kidnap you back into his cell at the Foundation but failed miserably

Would try and warn the foundation but they couldn't get you back either

Since you were with the Black Queen, 173 was plotting to get you back without any distraction

The foundation realised how dangerous 173 has become and isolated him far from the other SCPs

At times, the foundation would use your name in order to get 173 to work with them which worked 50% of the times

Trying McDonald's Sprite

Would be confused about this 'Sprite' from McDonald's since he doesn't eat or drink anyways

173 would be rather curious about this beverage and does give it a try

Finds it tasty and you soon realise he has officially become a sweet tooth

Was probably a mistake but if you ever needed to bribe 173, get him some Sprite that's specifically from McDonald's

Like that one time you bought him Sprite from Tesco's, he said it tasted more disgusting and refused to finish the drink

You should probably give him some apple pies, pancakes and some other sweet stuff from McDonald's

Sometimes the foundation would even give him some Sprite whenever the cleaners are cleaning his cell

Would find it amusing that the only way to get him to stop snapping necks are Sprite

When his kids swear

Would 100% be ok with it

173 probably is the one who taught his child to swear

Probably would let them drink alcohol at a young age as well

Maybe around their teenage years, but would let them try a sip if they're under 10

Wouldn't even be mad if his kid swears accidentally

Peanut would most likely encourage it

Doesn't mind if his kid swears at others, but the others would probably complain

When Child!Reader scares him

Wouldn't be hard to scare 173 tbh because you're so small

You'd be running around and giggling while doing whatever

Until there's some silence

173 would probably brush it off at first until he didn't hear a sound for 20 minutes

Does check around his cell to make sure you're still there

Panics because he can't see you

Until he turns around and had a full-on heart attack because you jumped on him

The researchers definitely hear a screech coming from his cell

They all started laughing once they found out

When the reader pole dances/aerial silk dances

Very similar to 035

Would be in awe of you dancing for him

If you were pole dancing he would probably watch you with those eyes~

Most likely end up in you both performing in another activity

If you were aerial silk dancing, 173 would probably be amazed

Would try and dance with you but fails terribly

Because he keeps dropping like dead flies

Most likely broke his back

Sometimes the researchers wonder how it's even possible for 173 to break his "bones"

Having a Pregnant!S/O

Would crack a lot of dad jokes here and there

Follows wherever you go

Rubs your belly whenever he can

Definitely would make a full conversation with the unborn child

Sometimes would read stories that do make you feel sleepy

Does whatever you tell him to do

Cracks some necks if he can't give you what you need

Would cry whenever you have your mood swings

During labour, you grabbed his arm so hard that it almost broke him

When you try to commit suicide

Would teleport to your side at an instant

Wouldn't let you out of his sight ever again

173 would try to cheer you up which may or may not work

Definitely would kill whoever made you feel this way if any

Make you stay in his cell for a while

Maybe even permanently

Wouldnt let anyone touch you

If you had any scars 173 would cry

Peanut would try his best to stop you from feeling that way

Having a Hopelessly Romantic/Easily flustered GN!Reader

Would definitely tease you

173 would find it adorable that you fluster easily and is hopelessly romantic

I'd say he's pretty hopelessly romantic to a certain degree

Will kill if anyone teases you

Because your adorable flushed look is only reserved for him

Although he would tell all the other SCPs about you

049 and 035 get it the hardest but 035 is completely fine with it

049 would rather just stay in his cell than to hear 173 talk about you for 200 hours

Probably knows more about you than peanut himself

173 would boop your snoot whenever you have that cute look

When you're about to be executed - Yandere!173 x D-Class!Reader

173 would snap everyone's neck and kidnap you back to his cell

If anyone ever mentions your name, 173 would instantly snap their necks

And if they ever tried to find you, he would know and would hide you somewhere else

If you ever tried to flee, 173 would teleport to your side and bribe you to stay 'home'

By bribe, I mean he would force you to return by teleporting the both of you

If anyone sees the both of you, 173 would stalk them to no end

Would torture them if they were to tell the foundation about this

Not even the other SCPs could help

When you curl up in their lap

Would find you the cutest thing on Earth

Aside from 999 of course

If he's exhausted from doing nothing, he would probably just rub your head/back

Definitely would tickle you whenever he can

Finds it comforting when you do curl up in his lap

Thinks that you're so cute to the point that he would kill for you

When you kiss his neck

10000000000000% loves it

Would definitely be vocal because he has no shame

Most likely would ask you to do it again

Even if you were in the middle of talking to someone and they hear him

If you were in the mood, you could tease him with neck kisses for hours on end

Probably would ask you to move on to the next activity but you know he loves being teased

Then after that go back to cuddling

173 would scream but the last time that happened the whole foundation went deaf and you gave him the cold shoulder for a while

Definitely cried about that so he tries to restrain himself

But you feel bad so you just carried on

[i-lovethatforme]

Babes when 😭

https://twitter.com/ao3tagsbot/status/1560084139469971457?s=21&t=K5BHxzj5WhhjhokiCtQvEQ

And also could you pretty please share a few lines from one of your WIP? (Bonus if there’s anything you can share from DMIHOM or IYLMLML, but I’d take anything from you 💕💕💕)

And also also where you thinking about possibly doing a sequel or something for Ghosts because that is like just 😭😭😭🥰🥰🥰

cackling!!!! and you're so right for that... the make up break up make up break up... it's peter mj gold!!!! as long as it ends w lovers and ty!

also ofc here you go!💕💕💕

this is a longer snip of a new untitled until i bully wake into thinking of one for me or open spotify on shuffle:

“No.”

“Peter -”

“No.”

“You haven’t even heard -”

“I don’t need to hear it, man. You want me to go with her?!” Peter practically spits. It’s probably the angriest he’s ever been at Ned if he’s honest and Peter doesn’t like it, so he dials it back a little.

“Okay, calm down, Rocky,” Ned scoffs, as he furiously types on the keyboard. Peter knows he doesn’t need to be his guy in the chair right now, so he’s probably talking to Betty who will no doubt be trying the same tactics on Michelle.

“I’m not asking you to fall back in love -”

“Woah, woahhhh,” Peter squeaks, missing the lamppost with his web. He saves it. Kind of - he’ll pretend he didn’t see the child laughing. “Who said love? It was never love.”

Ned sighs and Peter just knows his face is a picture of annoyance but Peter holds his ground. He was never in love with Michelle. They were friends. Best friends. And sure he loved her but he wasn’t in love with her. 

But then, of course, he had all these feelings before he realised she was a backstabbing traitor. So. No, he doesn’t want to go to // with her. 

“Fine,” Ned says with an obvious roll of his eyes. “If it’s not about love, then what’s the big deal? Open the door for her, hold her hand when people are watching, try not to kill each other over the appetisers.”

“You are the worst best friend I’ve ever had,” Peter groans. 

“I’m the only best friend you’ve ever had,” Ned mutters. 

Peter lets it go even though Ned knows he heard him. The people next door probably heard him. The criminal Peter is on the hunt for probably heard him. 

And it’s not like he doesn’t want to help Ned out, he really, truly does but there’s a part of him, a shallow, insecure part, that doesn’t want to say yes because he just knows there’s no way Michelle would ever even - 

“MJ already agreed.”

Oh.

Oh - wait.

“She what?!”

this is from the last chap of dmihom 💕💕💕 (i might have shared this part already but we are in spoiler territory right out the gate w this one so sorry) (also nsfw lol):

Her fingers swipe across her clit quickly. There’s no resemblance of a pattern anymore and she can’t tell if she wants to come before he enters the room and pretend she was simply chilling and ever so slightly sweaty - or if she wants him to come and finish her off.

“Oh come on,” he groans, his voice sounding far too familiar in the way that drives her insane and she figures one, she’s spent too long trying to picture two guys as one and two, she never had a choice - she was always going to wait for him. 

“How was it?” she pants. 

“I can barely remember my name, MJ, let alone anything that happened five seconds ago.”

“Dramatic,” she drawls, trying to hide the longing in her tone but it’s useless. She’d be surprised if Spidey couldn’t hear her panting from four blocks away. 

“Want some help baby?”

and this is the next chap of iylmlml 💕💕💕:

Although, somewhere in her mess of thoughts - of wondering whether she should hate Peter for not coming for her, wondering whether he's only talking to her as Spider-Man because he's lonely and not at all because he wants to, or wondering if she'll ever get over the want to talk to him all the time. 

Somewhere in all that mess, she wonders if she'll ever not be head over heels for him.

ghosts 💕💕💕: rip me atp! but i am thinking about it! venom peter my beloved xxxxxxxxxx

[migilini]

Could you please write one of those Tiktok "I tried to kiss my bestfriend / crush" challenge for either Charlie or Owen. Thanks!

Crushtok - Owen Patrick Joyner

A/N: Yes ofc I can! I never wrote for Owen so let me know what you think! I hope you like it :)

Words: 1.9k

Warnings: tiktok and noise (so none really)

Requests are open!

MASTERLIST

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The sun poked through curtains and you swore that you had heard birds the day before but it was loud, uncomfortably so. All you heard was the clacking of metal and the rattling of the machinery that the construction in front of Owens Appartement made. All the unpleasant noises woke you up in the early morning. Grumbling, you tried to block out the noise with a pillow pressed against your face.

"That's not gonna work sleepy beauty" a lower voice croaked, catching you completely off guard so you let out a quiet shriek. "Oweenn why do you have to scare me badly in the morning?" You whined and took the pillow away from your face.

He sat on the other side of the couch, just underneath your feet and looked absolutely tired. His blonde hair was standing up in every possible direction, his normally piercing blue eyes trying their best to stay open. By the way, he was looking at you with a little smirk on his lips, you figured that you didn't look any better.

"Because it's 6 am on a Saturday morning and I didn't want to suffer alone. So lucky you for visiting me this week!" Owen exclaimed and hit your leg in a joking manner.

"I've got thrown out by my landlord. I'm not here on my own terms..." this earned you a shocked gasp from the boy sitting in front of you. "And there I was, thinking this friendship meant something to you." You just rolled your eyes with a smirk.

"Do you want to come back to my bedroom? With some music playing it's much quieter than out here." Nodding tiredly, he held out a hand to help you stand up; you only noticed when you nuzzled into his bed that he didn't let go of your hand.

You woke up a couple of hours later, quiet pop music filled the darkroom and it was hot, your bare legs sticking to the duvet covers. You turned around and faced a back with broad shoulders that were just moments ago pressed against your back. Groaning, you stuck your legs out of the bed, the cold air cooling you down immediately. Owen stirred next to you and sat up slowly.

"Morning part 2." you chuckled and automatically pushed some of his hair out of his face.

"Mornin" he mumbled back.

"You were right it's much quieter in your room."

You stood up, stretching your limbs, before heading back into the living room where all your stuff was stored, quite impractically but it was stored.

You heard a shower running, that gave you the perfect time to change from your big shirt and little pants sleep attire to a more comfortable day outfit. After rummaging through your boxes, that you packed in a freezy, you choose some brown cotton pants with a white body and to top it off your favourite purple cardigan that Owen gifted you one Christmas. With some extra time, you put on your glasses and started to search for a new place to stay.

"So what do you wanna do today? I have nothing going on so..." you stopped listening as Owen walked into the living room shirtless. He wore some blue sweatpants that hung quite low on his hips, his chest still sparkling from the water.

You would have probably started to drool if he wouldn't have worn his hair in a towel bun.

You let out a laugh that made him stop in his tracks.

"What?" he stared at you intensely.

"Oh, nothing princess... nothing. We uh... could look at some apartments for me and just go for a drive?"

"Am I that bad of a roommate?" he said and plopped down next to you on the couch his arm resting on the top comfortably.

"No but I would really appreciate a place to store my stuff properly." you continued to scroll through places to stay.

"This one looks good." he pointed out and put his finger on the screen, you hadn't realised that he rested his arm just above your shoulders so it took you off guard when you suddenly felt his arm on your neck.

"Mhmm, but you cant look at it today... This one though has a viewing in the late afternoon."

"Then that's our plan for today."

++

"Y/N! Y/N!" Owen screamed loudly from the kitchen "Come here real quick."

With your phone still in one hand, you waddled over to your best friend. "What's the emergency?" you looked up at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Do this TikTok with me." he pleaded and looked at you with a slight pout, shoving his phone in your face. Your eyes scanned the screen and then you scoffed, "First of all since when are you on lesbian TikTok? And secondly, that's a bit... explicit... don't you think?"

"W- Our lips don't have to touch! I don't have anybody else to do it with! Y/N Come On!" he yelled after your figure who left the kitchen with a shaking head and hot cheeks.

Your thought didn't stop racing for the rest of the day. Did Owen want to kiss you? Or was he just so comfortable with your friendship that he really didn't care? You hated that you were a cliche, falling in love with your childhood best friend. Growing up you were always the one rolling your eyes at your parents who thought that you and Owen would make just such a cute couple but here you were, sitting on his couch, your heart beating in your chest and extremely conscious of his presence.

Little did you know that Owen felt the exact same. Over the years and especially puberty, he started to develop feelings for you. At first, he tried to deny them, telling himself that it's just that he's used to you being around but then he left to pursue his acting career and he missed you more than everything in the world. Not a single day went by when he didn't think of you or tried to call you. Ever since then, he tried to be close to you in one way or the other, he didn't care if it was just his leg touching yours or your body heat warming him up.

Due to the fact that you were both anxious people, neither of you ever made a move. He missed your longing stares and you missed the way he was checking you out every time he looked at you.

His friends finally talked some confidence into him and so he took little steps into what should eventually lead to him confessing his love for you. He started to flirt more with you, give you loads of compliments and asked you if you wanted to do some TikTok or lives with him.

Tapping on your shoulder made you look up from your phone, the TikTok you've been watching looping on your screen. Owen stood next to you, his phone pointed to you, a mischievous smirk prominent on his face and whipped cream can in his other hand.

"No." you tried to be serious but a chuckle escaped your lips. Owen turned the camera to him and sprayed some cream into his mouth then stared at you with squinted eyes, the whipped cream flowing out of his mouth.

You stared at him for a couple of seconds, your brain in overdrive, hands sweaty and heart beating rapidly. An idea washed over you and you tilted your head before leaning in close. Owen's eyes went wide and he nearly choked on the cream. But you weren't gonna kiss him seconds before your lips would have met, you halted. Then you slowly took the can of whipped cream out of his hand and sprayed it all over his head.

"You didn't!" he gasped with a full mouth while you laid on the floor, holding your stomach in laughter. Something wet hit your face that stopped you from laughing further. Owen had a massive grin on his face, one hand dripping slightly and his hair, less creamy.

"Be cautious Joyner" you warned standing up on your tiptoes to be as close to him as possible, your pointer finger pressing into his chest "I know where your bed sleeps."

You tried to back out of the situation, knowing damn well that it can easily get out of hand with you two and a whipped cream match would make a lot of mess. But Owen being the child he is, didn't back out, instead, he ripped the can out of your hand and sprayed it down your back.

The war ended peacefully. The cans of whipped cream, yes you found more cans, laying somewhere in the living room both of you covered from head to toe, breathing heavily. Owen held his hands up in surrender and looked up to your position on the coffee table.

"Ha! I win! Told you I didn't want to do the TikTok." you smiled triumphantly. "I say loser cleans this up." before Owen could protest you sprinted to the shower. Lucky for you he actually started to clean up when you walked out of the bathroom, dressed in comfortable sweats and one of Owens hoodie, your damp hair falling over your shoulders.

"Hey Y/N?" Owen asked somehow nervously. "Yes darling?" you answered with a bad British accent.

"Can you come here for a second?"

"Owen I'm not doing that TikTok with you, you just saw how that ended," you argued but made your way over to him. He stood in the middle of the room, his phone propped up on a shelf.

"You have something on your face." you chuckled and whipped away some dried leftovers from your previous war.

"Can you react to this song? I don't remember where I know it from" he asked, his voice shaking slightly. You furrowed your eyebrows at his odd behaviour just moments ago he was normal and now he acted very strangely.

"Sure." he pulled you in front of him, his hands resting on your shoulders.

'Baby, you're like lightning in a bottle

I can't let you go now that I got it'

“Sounds like BORNS…” you whispered more to yourself than to him and continued to listen to the song “Are you sure you just haven't…” you turned around to face him.

Owen took this as his opportunity to cup your face with both of his hands, softly pressing his lips to yours.

Your breath hitched and it took you a second to realise what was happening. The confidence Owen had just moments ago vanished when you didn't kiss him back immediately. Why should you? You never gave a hint that you liked him like that as well.

Just as he was about to pull away and apologize profusely, you overcame your state of shock. Your arms grabbed his hips to pull him closer, deepening the kiss. You felt him smile against your lips. Your stomach erupted with butterflies, your whole body tingled and your cheeks felt hot.

He was the first one to pull away, resting his forehead on yours. Both breathing heavily, the filming camera was completely forgotten, you looked in each other's eyes.

“I wanted to do that for so long,” you admitted and unconsciously bit your lip. Owen gulped heavily, “Me too but, what the hell! I mean how crazy is that?!”

[wiypt-writes]

Stark Spangled Banner

Stab Me In The Front Part 3: The Redemption Of Ransom Drysdale.

Intro: It’s the Public Launch of Harlan’s book and SIP have pulled all the stops out. Once again there’s a clash of wills between Katie and Ransom, but this one is firmly a score draw…

Warnings: Bad language. Mentions of rape and violence.

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC Katie Stark

Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction and classified as 18+. Please respect this and do not read if you are underage. I do not own any characters in this series bar Katie Stark and the other OCs. By reading beyond this point you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer.

A/N: Huge thanks to @angrybirdcr​ for the banner!

Part 2

Stark Spangled Banner Masterlist // Main Masterlist

November 2015

Fiasco.

That was the only word to describe the operation in Dubrovnik

The computer banks they were working on exploded as soon as Sam and Rhodey tried to extract any information. Thrown backwards, stunned, they luckily escaped any severe damage thanks to their armour but it didn’t stop Steve from worrying.

"You okay?" he asked, stepping forward as they both straightened up.

The movement saved the Captain’s life. There was no pop of breaking glass or crack of gunfire as alll the windows in the room had been blown out in the explosion, and no doubt the gun had a silencer. The only sound alerting any of them to the fact something had happened was Steve's pained grunt as he went to his knees.

Sam dropped with him, forcing him below the level of the window sill as he tried to stand again.

"Don't move," he ordered, as his hand pressed to Steve’s back, blood seeping out through his fingers.

Natasha sent three bullets speeding on their way before Rhodey tore past, shattering what was left of the window on his way out.

"Sam," Steve protested, trying to get up, but Sam pushed further, shaking his head.

"They're fine," he said firmly, "they've got this. Just stay down until I can tell how bad this is."

Natasha walked over, kneeling down. “Cap, you need evac?" she asked, but Steve shook his head firmly.

"I'm okay," he panted.

Natasha glanced over at Sam and he nodded to her as she started to talk into the coms.

"Evans, get in here with a couple of those compression bandages. Cap's been hit."

Reluctantly, Steve settled under Sam’s hands, face drawn with pain and concentration, completely focused on his team as ever.  Sam kept his hand pressed against his back trying to stop the bleeding.

“That bullet should have killed you.” Natasha said grimly as she looked at the trajectory. “If you hadn’t moved…”

“Thanks Romanoff…” his said between gritted teeth, fighting the urge to roll his eyes.

“What I’m trying to say…” She repeated patiently. “Is that this was a set up…whoever he is, he’s got a hell of a grudge.”

Steve groaned again. Not least because of the agony in his back from the wound but also the realisation that he had been so stupid. They should have spotted this was as set up right from the start. Fucking Crossbones and his stupid fucking hockey mask…why would he want to target an old warehouse of all places?

And he’d made the decision to go in shorthanded as well. Katie was busy prepping the ‘Colour of Revenge’ launch which was due to take place in little under a week, Vision and Wanda had remained at base, neither of them particularly ready for a field operation, Wanda still working on channelling her powers and Vision…well, he was still ridiculously conspicuous. And, as they’d initially decided it was recon only, Steve had pulled Natasha, Rhodey and Sam in on the job along with a couple of the support staff, thinking it would be a quick in and out to gather intel on what it is Crossbones is intending on stealing next.

Rhodey’s voice crackled over the connection. "Um, guys?" He sounded oddly grave. "We've got civilians."

Steve didn't wait for the bandages. He twisted out from under Sam’s grip and bolted for the doors, barking instructions to the support team, ignoring Sam’s calls as he ran.

“You all need to get back inside!” Rhodey was instructing as Steve emerged from the building, voice loud from the speakers on his suit “This is not a drill. For your safety, step inside."

“It’s Captain America…” Steve heard someone say as he began to stride forward, Sam and Natasha hot in his heels,

“No sign…”  Rhodey turned to him. “You alright?”

“Perfectly.” Steve said, his mouth thin before he turned to the crowd. Thankfully, at that point the local authorities had arrived having been called by the support team, and Steve pushed through the throng of people to speak to them.

“How is he really?” Rhodey asked, looking at Natasha then Sam.

“Being stubborn…” Sam said, scanning the surroundings as the civilians reluctantly began trickling indoors, directed by the Police on Steve’s instructions. 

Ironically it was the suddenly widened eyes of the bystanders around him that was the only warning they got as to what was coming. Sam just managed to spin round extending his wings to shield Natasha from the shot as another one bounced off Rhodey’s suit.

“Take cover!” Rhodey said as he took off, followed by Sam. The pair scanning for a shooter.

The screams and various yells from the public rang out all over the area and it was then that Steve felt himself run cold. One of the bystanders was down, blood seeping from a wound in his abdomen. As he watched the medics moved in Steve tapped Evans on the shoulder.

“Keep the emergency crews covered” he instructed, looking up to see Sam and Rhodey circling the sky. "Rhodey, Sam report," 

"No sign of anyone Cap" Sam announced wearily, "He must have taken that last shot and gone.”

With a frustrated groan Steve spun back towards the Emergency relief to coordinate with their chief with regards to a clear up.

**** "You know, when a man gets shot, he's supposed to accept medical assistance before running back into a fight," Katie looked at Steve as he walked down the ramp of the jet. “Why are you not on a gurney?” “Because my legs work.”

“Steve…” she sighed gently, “I’ve been so worried.” “Which is why I told them not to call you.” he looked at her softly.

“Yeah, not gonna fly.” she shook her head “That’s not the deal and you know it. You better not have shouted at Sam too much.” “Define too much.” Sam quipped as he walked past and Steve rolled his eyes before he turned to the man.

“We need to…” he only got 3 words into his sentence before Katie shut him down.

“No, you need medical.” she said, in a tone that meant it was not up for debate. Steve glanced down at her and gave a resigned sigh, and then winced involuntarily at the movement. “Come on” she said gently, nudging her self under his arm as she guided him away from the jet and across the landing pad, through to the facility. Once inside she pushed the button for the elevator.

“You don’t have to put on a brave face in front of me.” she looked at him and immediately his body language changed.

“I know.” he said softly “But it ain’t the first time I’ve been shot. It tends to happen.” Katie glared at him as he looked down at her, eyebrow raised slightly “Yeah, and the last time I nearly lost you.” “I’m fine.” he insisted, his face softening as she stared at him, green eyes alight with worry. “You know, I still have an old bullet…” “Yeah, yeah, it’s embedded too deep near your spine to be easily removed.” she said, “I know, you told me that when we first started hanging out. Remember? It kept setting off the metal detector in Tony's lab.” Steve gave a huff of laughter, instantly regretting it as the movement jostled his wound.

“Tony was pissed because he couldn’t figure out what was doing it.” Katie watched him “I think you took pity on him after a month as he was threatening to have them all ripped out and replaced.”

“See, I did have a sense of humour back then after all.” Steve chuckled a little as the elevator arrived, immediately stopping as another sharp pain shot up his back.

“I never said otherwise.” Katie smiled, bustling him into the elevator when it opened, slapping the button for the medical floor. As the elevator doors shut, Steve leaned his shoulder and head against the wall. Now that they were alone and away from any of the staff that had been bustling about Katie knew he’d give in and sure enough, he took a deep breath and gave a small cry of pain. She moved behind him and started undoing the buckles of his harness, letting the heavy straps slide forward over his shoulders and fall to the floor.

"Sam would be joking about this for years if he knew." Steve mumbled as Katie started working on his gloves. "You taking my clothes off in the elevator."

"Not the first time.” she replied calmly, pulling off the second glove and sweeping up the tangled mess of items from the floor. The doors opened and she took her place back under his arm.

"Come on, let's get you fixed up before you heal over that bullet entirely."

Peggy had told Katie once about how she had dug a bullet out from Steve’s thigh during the War with no morphine as the supply was so limited and, as he needed about 4 times the dose for it to do anything, he had insisted they saved it for the others. Now, he didn’t refuse the pain killers or the anaesthetic as the medics put him under to remove the bullet, although he probably would have done given half a chance, which thankfully he wasn’t. They were done in under an hour and he was left to recover in one of the rooms. Katie took a call from Tony, assuring him that Steve was ok and settled in a chair by his side, flicking through the tablet which held the final details of the organisation for the book launch.

It was an hour or so later when she was half way through putting the finishing touches to her speech that a slightly slurred mumble from the bed to her right took her attention.

"Hey pretty girl."

Katie smiled.

"You probably say that to all the ladies," she teased, reaching out to take his hand. He smiled at her touch and something tender stirred in his unguarded eyes.

"Just the one I'm married to," he countered, eyelids fluttering as he fought off the effects of the drug. Then he frowned. "Don't suppose you can stop the walls from wobbling?"

Katie felt her lips twitch with amusement as she stood up and reached to turn the IV drip containing his anaesthetic down a touch. Steve’s eyes almost immediately began to focus as his powerful metabolism worked to clear up the drugs in his system. He shifted uncomfortably and tried to sit up, but Katie’s hand on his chest stopped him at once.

"Lie down, Badass," she ordered firmly. "Even you don't get over a bullet to the back that easily."

With a sigh, he lay back, eyes intent on her face, bringing up his hand to cover her left on his chest, his fingers gently skating over the rings that adorned her finger. "You okay?" 

“I am now you’re awake.” she smiled “This is the second time you’ve been shot on me.” “Sorry, I’ll try not to make it so awful for you next time.” he quipped.

“Err, I’d rather there wasn’t a next time full stop, thanks.” Katie looked back at him and he smiled back at her before he nodded to the tablet that was resting on the bed by his side

“What you working on?” “My speech for the launch. Just about done.” “So you’re not winging?” He asked and she chuckled.

“Too much to say, although I’ll probably end up improvising some of it.” she shrugged. “And that is another reason you need to make sure you’re properly healed.”

“I’ll be right as rain in a day or so, I promise.”

“Good, because I can’t have my soldier unable to dance with me now can I?”

Steve smiled at his wife and reached up with his hand, to gently brush her face “No, we can’t.”

***** True to his word, thanks to the serum Steve was back on his feet the next day, but was instructed to take it slow for a while, which was easier said than done when you had the constant energy and drive he did. However, one stern gaze from Katie when he offered to help her set up for the launch was enough to make him retreat to their quarters, hands up in surrender, Sam’s loud guffaws at the way he’d literally quivered under his wife’s gaze like some sort of naughty kid echoing in his ears.

Now, he was stood in The Rainbow Rooms, simply admiring his wife as she moved around. She was dressed in a stunning floor length midnight blue lace dress, embellished with beading and detail. The plunge neckline gave him a perfect view of her cleavage (and everyone else for that matter, not that Steve cared, she was his, he knew that) and it hugged all of her perfect curves and pooled on the floor around her high heel clad feet. She’d blown him away when she’d emerged from the room before, hair elegantly twisted up, make up immaculately applied and that flash of scarlet lipstick she wore had almost sent him over the edge.

The fact she looked utterly stunning was one thing, but the other was that it never ceased to amaze Steve how at home she was at big events like this. He watched her, a swell of pride in his chest as she milled around with Tony and her Chief Editor, a nice man that Steve liked called David Jones, welcoming people to the launch. She introduced Steve to Harlan, the author, who he had instantly liked and it had left him completely puzzled about how a man like that had such an insufferable shit as a grandson. Mind you, he hadn’t been overly enamoured with Ransom’s parents to be fair. Linda seemed far too full of herself and as for his father, a grey haired weasel of a man called Richard…well, the way his eyes had blatantly travelled over Katie had set Steve’s teeth on edge. Katie hadn’t missed the way Steve’s arm had curled protectively round her waist and his lips had brushed softly against her temple in a display of gentle possessiveness and she’d simply grinned up at him and flashed him a wink, letting him know he was well and truly busted. But did he care? Not one damned iota.

As more guests arrived Katie excused herself to go and speak to the Compare for the evening, checking her timings for when her speech would be taking place, which was when Tony’s attention was drawn to Evans who was manning the door. There was a strict guest list, and it looked like he was arguing with someone who was trying to get in. Excusing himself from his current conversation he strode over.

“Evans?” Tony asked as he drew up besides the man.

“Mr Stark, this man is trying to gain entry…”

“I’m telling you, Harlan is my grandfather…” “Your grandfather could be the King of England, Sir.” Evans responded drily “You’re not on the guest list so I can’t let you in…” “This is bullshit!”

“Sorry, who did you say you are?” Tony asked, knowing full well who he was after Katie had told him all about her encounter with him in Boston. He looked Ransom up and down, taking in his long black coat which he wore open over an expensive suit, blue and black striped woollen scarf draped round his neck. But it was his face that really drew Tony’s attention. Katie had been right, he did have an uncanny resemblance to Spangles. Differences were there, but still…

“Ransom Drysdale.” Ransom responded, his teeth grit together.

“Oh, you’re the mush whose ass my sister kicked in Boston!” Tony nodded, raising an eyebrow “What you doing here?” “This is my Grandfathers’ book launch.” Ransom glared back at Tony, his jaw twitching.  “Well last I heard your grandfather approved the guest list and you’re not on it. At least I don’t think you are.” Tony made to move and took the clipboard off Evans, glancing at the names “Nope, don’t see anything down here for Felonius Gru…”

“You mean Felonius Hugh.” a voice spoke and both Tony and Evans wheeled round to see Katie stood there hands on her hips. Ransom gave a snort as he looked back at her “What are you doing here?” “I was in the area.” He shrugged.

Katie took a deep breath and stared at him, the last time she had seen him he had been on the floor getting his coat defiled by a dog. As the image stirred in her memory she smirked a little before she sighed and glanced around. There were too many people here, too many reporters to make as scene and she didn’t want the night to be overshadowed by some spoilt shit of a man who she had no doubt would get fairly loud if this little stand-off continued.

“Let him in.” She said to Tony and Evans.

Tony looked at her “You sure Kiddo?” “Yeah.” She nodded, her eyes not moving from Ransom’s.

“Your funeral.” Tony said, stepping back. Evans did the same and Ransom strode past them both, an infuriatingly smug look plastered on his harsh features.

“Cloak room is over there.” she directed him to her right.

“Thanks.” he muttered. She paused to look at him, frowning. He rolled his eyes. “What?”

“You, I didn’t know you had manners.” “I’m not a complete heathen.” he shot back, removing his coat.

“Could have fooled me.” she shrugged, “By the way, I’d kinda like my reputation to be unsullied after tonight so please try not to demand all the staff call you Hugh, it won’t look good on me or my company if they realise I’ve allowed in a complete douchebag.” With that she turned and headed back into the main room, making straight for Steve who was stood chatting to Wanda and slipped her arms round him from behind, underneath his blue tux. He glanced down at her and smiled.

“Hey, was wondering where you had gotten to.”

“We had a gate-crasher.” she said.

“Gate-crasher?” he instantly spun round “Why didn’t you come get me?” “Because Tony, Evans and I handled it…well, sorta.” “Sorta?” he frowned even further.

“I let him in.” “Why would you do that?”

“Because he would cause a scene if he wasn’t admitted, plus he’s full of shit anyway as we well know.” “We well know? Just who…” Steve trailed off as he looked around the room and spotted Ransom strolling in like he owned the place “Oh hell, no!”

With that he set off walking towards the man, his strides purposeful. He was fuming at the out and out audacity that this utter, utter prick had shown in turning up, especially after everything he had said and done in Boston, not to mention the fact he had dared to grab Katie that day when she was leaving his Grandfather’s house.

“You’ve got some nerve.” he spat.

“Hey, look, don’t rip another one of my shirts.” Ransom said, lazily “This wasn’t a cheap one either.” “Your shirt is going to be the least of your worries, trust me.” Steve snarled, his hands falling to the buckle of his belt.

“Steve.” Katie gently grabbed his arm, feeling the furious energy radiating off him in waves. “Please Soldier, don’t cause a fuss. The press are here and, I’ve worked so hard for tonight.” Steve took a deep breath and looked at his wife. Her face was pleading with him. Fuck, she was right. He didn’t want to ruin what she’d spent so long preparing for, not when it meant something so personal.

“Fine.” he said, a little gruffly. He glared at Ransom and took a step forward so that he was eye to eye with the man “But just for the record, you so much as lay one finger on my wife again, I will rip you limb from limb.” There was a silence as Ransom’s face slipped ever so slightly before he recovered and held his hands up.

“Understood.” he said.

Steve’s eyes held the man’s gaze for a few more seconds before he looked down to Katie, his expression and face softening as she looked at him with those eyes he would never tire of seeing. “I’m going to get a drink, you want one sweetheart?”

“Gin and Tonic, please. I’ll come over in a minute.” she said. He took a deep breath, not entirely happy she was staying to talk to the self-absorbed asshole but he nodded. Dropping a kiss to her cheek he shot Ransom one last glare before he headed off to the bar.

"You’re doing it wrong," Ransom said, shaking his head as he watched Steve walk away.

"Doing what wrong?" Katie frowned, turning to him.

"Marriage," he answered shortly, looking at her. "You should be fighting about the colour of your drapes or his latest affair that you’re desperate to ignore or something."

“Well if that doesn't say something about your parents…" Katie trailed off.

Ransom snorted “My parents are all kinds of fucked up Doll, trust me.” he took a deep breath

Katie sighed “Look, I’m only letting you stay because I know what a scene you’d have caused otherwise, not to mention how it would make your Grandfather feel…” Ransom shook his head, dropping his gaze slightly before he looked back at her “I’m not here to cause trouble and I genuinely was in the area. It’s just, well, this would be the first of his launches I’ve missed in years.” “Oh my God you do have a heart.” She said, looking at him.

“Don’t tell everyone.” He said with a shrug, “Listen, the last time we met, I wasn’t… well, I guess, you rubbed me up the wrong way…” he trailed off somewhat lamely, shrugging. “That’s about as much of an apology as I’m gonna get isn’t it?” Katie said after a pause. “I wasn’t apologising.” Ransom sniffed. “Simply stating facts.”

“Oh go fuck yourself with a cactus.” Katie shook her head causing Ransom to throw his head back in laughter. And it was genuine laughter too, Katie was surprised to see. His eyes crinkled up and his entire body shook. She waited for him to calm down before she looked at him, a faint smile on her face. “Here was me thinking you’d actually shown some remorse!”

“Well, to be fair, you left me on the ground where the dog pissed on my coat and left a knife in my tyre.” Ransom’s laughter died down and he looked at her, his eyebrow raised.

“Then we’re even.” Katie shrugged. She nodded to where Ransom’s Grandfather was stood observing them and Ransom followed her gaze. The old man took a deep breath and gave him a questioning look.

“Suppose I best go explain why I’m here.” Ransom sighed, and Katie was surprised to find he was actually coming across as slightly nervous. His hands were shoved in his trouser pockets but she could see from the way his shoulders had slumped slightly, and his arms were twitching which made her think that that he was balling and un-balling his fists. Maybe there was a slightly softer side hidden under that brisk exterior after all.

“You want my advice?” She looked at him.

“Not really but something tells me you’re gonna give it me anyway.” he said, his eyes turning back to her.

“Try being honest.” Katie suggested, her tone slightly softer. “Tell your Granddad you’re here for him. You might be pleasantly surprised.”

Ransom snorted but didn’t reply. Giving her one more appraising look and a small jerk of a nod he headed off to join his family before Katie made her way to Steve who was waiting for her at the bar. **** When the time came, Katie took to the stage, welcoming everyone and inviting Harlan to say a few words. The old man accepted, smiling and spoke for a few moments about the book, his inspirations, and how honoured he was that the profits were being donated to such a worthwhile cause. There had been a few shared looks amongst the rest of his family, Ransom had noticed, much to his amusement, but he knew they’d save face and pretend they actually gave a shit about the people the money was going to help when all the time they were just thinking of their bank balances.

When his grandfather stepped down, he watched as Katie stepped forward, her insufferable husband watching her carefully, all doe eyed and so evidently in love… frankly it made him want to barf.

But then she started talking.

“Most of you here will know that I was missing last year as result of a mission gone wrong” Katie spoke, looking out across the audience. “In reality, I was…” She took a deep breath, before she licked her lips. “I was held captive and tortured for information on what the Avengers were doing. And when the usual methods of torture didn’t work, they moved on to trying other things. And given the charities we are supporting tonight, I’m sure you can all guess what those other things were.”

Shit. 

Suddenly her reaction to being grabbed by him outside the house made perfect sense. Hell, what was it he was feeling all of a sudden? Was that guilt?

 No, Ransom Drysdale didn’t do guilt…

“I was subjected to an ordeal that no one should have to suffer.” Katie continued, speaking clearly and calmly “But sadly, the figures speak for themselves. I won’t bore you with statistics but it truly is frightening. And something else I found frightening is that I didn’t even know about half the charities that exist to help people who find themselves subjected to the same ordeal. I was lucky. I have an amazing support network of friends, family, an amazing substitute father in my brother and a loving, wonderful husband, or fiancée as he was at the time, who I wouldn’t have coped without. To all of you, and Tony and Steve, I would never have gotten through any of this without your constant support and encouragement, and I love you all from the bottom of my heart.”

A small round of applause and mumblings spread across the room and Ransom cast his eyes over to the Captain who was stood not far from the stage, his eyes shining as he glanced up at his wife a look of sheer pride and adoration on his face.

Yep. Utterly sickening. But yet…what was that? Was he moved? 

No, Ransom Drysdale didn’t do sentiment…

“But the point is, not everyone is that lucky, which is why I wanted to do something positive, have something good come out out of what happened to me. Giving money to these causes is one thing but the most important way of ensuring people get the support that they need is to make the world aware they exist. By Mr Thrombey agreeing to let us use his book to create awareness, well this is the kind of publicity that money can’t buy, and for that I thank you sincerely Harlan.” She looked directly at his grandfather, who raised his glass in her direction, flashing the woman a smile.

“And now, because I know this will be repeated on various press platforms, I want to speak directly to anyone who is dealing with the after effects of rape, sexual assault or sexual violence. Be it having happened to you or someone you know. You probably feel broken, alone, like no one understands, maybe you blame yourself, or maybe you just don’t know what to do to help a person you love or care about deal with their trauma. These support networks exist for you, to help you, to lend an ear when you think no one else will listen or understand, to share your experiences with others going through the same thing. The first step is always the hardest, but sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life. Tip toe if you gotta, but take the step. Please, don’t suffer in silence. Thank you.”

She finished and the room erupted into applause and Ransom glanced at his Grandfather, before he too started clapping.

**** “Was it ok?” Katie whispered to Steve as he gently helped her down the steps again, the applause ringing around the room.

“Ok?” Steve looked at her, his eyes shining with emotion “Honey, you were amazing. I’m so, so Goddamned proud of you.” he pressed a kiss to her temple, his arm pulling her closer as the Compare once again took to the stand to announce the rest of the evening’s activities. There was an auction to be held to raise more funds, then the band would start, food would be available, and then the DJ would see the evening out.

After a hug from her friends, Katie took off to talk to a few of the reporters that were around and it felt like she had hardly spent any time with Steve before the DJ started signalling they were into the last hour of the night. That was when Harlan found her to come and bid her goodbye. She thanked him again, shook hands with all of his family, before she found herself face to face with Ransom.

“It was a, err, good speech.” He offered and she smiled, shrugging a little.

“Thank you.” She nodded, taking the praise for what it was.

“I erm, I had no idea about…” He gestured with his hands, a faint flush on his face

“Why would you? You don’t know me.”

“No but, if I had I wouldn’t, well, I wouldn’t have said what I did to you outside my grandfather’s.”

“Wouldn’t you?” She asked, curiously.

“No.” he said, sincerely “I get why you reacted like you did now. I’m sorry.” “Ok so this is an apology, just so we’re on the same page?”

“Yes, it’s an apology.” Ransom rolled his eyes.

“Well then I accept it.” She nodded. “Burying the hatchet huh?” “Or in this case knife” He drawled and she laughed “Preferably not in my tyre this time. Or my back come to think of it.” “I only stab people in the front” Katie quipped and he shook his head with a smirk.

“I don’t doubt it. Goodnight Mrs Rogers.” he said, holding out his hand. Katie looked at it for a moment before she took it, his grip surprisingly gentle.

“Goodnight Mr Drysdale.” “Call me Ransom.” he said, and with a last wink he headed off after his family.

“Weird.” Katie mumbled to herself, before she felt two arms circle her waist and a soft pair of lips pressing a kiss to her neck.

“He gone?” Steve asked.

“Yeah, he was…surprisingly nice” She mused, turning to face him “Apologised for his behaviour.” Steve snorted. “Like I said, weird.” Katie shrugged.“Anyway, is it time to dance yet?”

Steve laughed and allowed her to lead him out onto the dancefloor where he took her in his arms, the pair of the swaying to a fairly upbeat song.

“You know, I did some digging.” Steve said, as he revolved them both across the space

“Yeah?”

“The resemblance between us got me curious.”

“You’re nothing like him” Katie said “trust me.” “No, I know but looks…” Steve shrugged “Anyway, I had FRIDAY do some research and it turns out that there’s a Rogers way back on his mother’s line.”

“So you could actually be related?” Katie grinned.

“It’s possible. It would make me like his great, great uncle or something, maybe.” Steve mused as he twirled her round “But trust me when I say this, that’s one thread I really aint going to pull on!”

Katie laughed as the music slowed down and the opening bars to John Legend ‘You And I’ struck up. Steve smiled and pulled her closer, one large hand clasped around hers, the other on the bottom of her back.

“It reminds me of you this song.” he murmured as she lay her head on his chest.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah…the fact you try on every single outfit you own before you decide what to wear.” “I do not.” she protested. At that he pulled back to look down at her and she looked up at him, “Ok, maybe I can be a little indecisive sometimes…” He chuckled and she moved back so she was pressed against him, as they gently swayed.

“If your mirror won’t make it any clearer I’ll be the one to let you know, Out of all of the girls, you’re my one and only girl,  aint no body in the world tonight, All of the stars, you make the shine like they were ours, Aint nobody in the world but you and I… You stop the room when we walk in, spot lights on, everybody’s staring, tell all of these boys they’re wasting their time stop standing in line, coz you’re all mine…” “Stevie…” she whispered and he looked down at her, blushing as he realised he’d been singing the words softly to her. She smiled up at him and pulled his face down to hers for a soft kiss. “Love you Soldier.” she whispered against his lips.

“Love you too baby girl…” he murmured back, before pressing his lips to hers for a deeper kiss.

“Wanna get out of here?” she looked up at him cheekily. “And leave your own gala?” he feigned shock and she smirked. “It’s my party, I’ll leave if I wanna.”

He didn’t need asking twice. Quickly and silently they headed to the cloakroom. Steve helped her into her jacket and then took her hand and led her out.

**** It was a few days later when the package arrived for her at the tower. Her secretary brought it in and Katie thanked her, forgetting all about it until she came back from lunch. Opening the box she frowned as she pulled out an envelope and a smaller box. Deciding to go with the smaller box as curiosity was getting the best of her she pulled off the lid and had to fight the loud laugh that was threatening to bubble from her chest. It was her knife, the one she’d thrown into Ransom’s tyre. Picking up the envelope she opened it and her mouth dropped open at the cheque that fluttered down onto the desk. It was for a total of Fifty Thousand Dollars, and was made out to her charity. After she stared at the numbers and the signature for a moment, she turned her attention to the note held in her right hand. The writing was actually fairly neat, but she would expect nothing less from the man who had sent it.

“I just wanted to say thank you for being part of something that pissed off my shithead family no end. Took a leaf out of your book and thought I’d put some of my trust fund to good use. It would have been slightly more but I had to replace a tyre. I was tempted to keep the knife as a souvenir but it’s quite a nice one so figured you might want it back.

Regards, Ransom

P.s. if you tell anyone I’m actually a decent person, I’ll kill you in your sleep.”

She read it and re-read it about 50 times, smiling to herself before she stood up and handed the cheque to her secretary, instructing her to have it sent to finance for the Charity Fund. She sank back into her chair, pondering something for a moment before she leaned forward and tapped at her keyboard top open up a blank webpage, biting her lip and smiling as she did. ****

“Hugh, there’s a package for you in the study.”

“Thanks Franny.” Ransom bustled over to his cupboard, grabbing his packet of cookies and frowning “This is the last one.” “I’ll make sure they’re added to the food order.” she replied. He gave her a nod before he walked out and down the hallway.

The box was fairly large. Grabbing a letter opener, his mouth full as he chewed, he slit carefully down the tape on the top and folded back the sides. He hastily swallowed, coughing slightly as he pulled out the new Burberry camel coat that was inside. Slipping it on it was a perfect fit, good quality too. Shrugging it off and draping it over the back of the chair he glanced back in the box and let out a laugh at the 4 packets of Biscoff in the bottom, and pulled out the note attached to one of them, before sitting down and reading.

“Thank you for your very kind donation, Mr Drysdale, rest assured it will be put to good use for the charity. I’m also pleased you sent me my knife back, Steve says I have an unhealthy attachment to my weapons so leaving it buried in your tyre was a real wrench. I hope the coat fits, sorry about the whole kicking your ass and the dog piss, but they really are exceptional judges of character.

Katie.

P.s Do us all a favour and have someone fix the holes in your sweaters …or even better just buy some new ones for fucks sake, hobo chic went out of fashion about 10 years ago.”

He read and reread the note again, laughing as he did so, glancing at the frayed cuff of his light blue sweater before he stood up, stuck the note into his back pocket with a smile and picked up the red packets of his favourite snack.

“Franny!” He called as he walked back into the hall “Scratch the cookies off the list...”

*****

Part 4

**Original Posting**

[chaoticspacefam]

6.  “How do you think this will all end?” for D'leah, please <3

Pinky once again picking THE juiciest possible combo of prompt + characters, everybody go thank her bc I had a blast with this 👀 I’ve been wanting to write a oneshot for this part of the story for a while and this is the perfect excuse mwahaha 

@palepinkycat here you go! Sorry this one took a little while, I haven’t had time to sit and write it out till now, but hopefully it’s a decent enough length to make it up to you! 👀

I have more to say about the body language I described in here (namely the significance of the “under chin” snuggles & also why D’leah Yelled At Abe When He Tried To Do It To Her At The End), but I have a Worldbuilding tag somewhere in my mentions so I’mma save it for that basically. More Tomato Lore gonna drop sometime in the next week or two once I’m done with the drawings skshsks I tried to do one for this one too but it was not coming out right so maybe some other time XD

I’ve seen a lot of fics explore what it’s like to have a Force bond and communicate with it but I’ve seen very few that deal with the “what if it breaks when one of them dies” side of it, so this is my take on what happens and how it probably feels for the “surviving” party; I usually describe my Force bonds as a sort of ethereal “thread” type thing that then connects their emotions/souls/however you want to see it and yadda yadda, so...you can’t tell me that snapping that thread wouldn’t fucking hurt ;-; For extra heart hurty, the song quotes were the main two songs I listened to while working on each “part” of this fic, so you can use them for ambience if you want ;)

As always I use the Coruscant Translator for (most of) my High Sith, translations are included on the bottom however :) (since the quote from the prompt is said in Sith, they’re gonna talk in High Sith sometimes being well...Sith :3)

Abaron is the best brother-in-law, I do not make the rules. D’leah you need to apologise to this man immediately 😂 she does, immediately after this (not shown) dw, I swear

Timeline/Setting: 3729 BBY (roughly/according to the still-holey timeline I’ve been working on since the “canon” one was released) Immediately post-Valkoriate takeover. As in, literally just happened slash is happening as this occurs.

Warnings: Character Death mention (Kissai), Breaking Force Bonds, Plenty of angst (it was from an “angsty” prompt list, after all! 😬) , possible slight gore (?) in the form of description of a former  injury from a concussion grenade (just to be safe lol), and ofc some Cuss Words (™) 

^^ these are ur warnings, click past this cut at ur own risk and I am not responsible for how you react bc you chose to pass the warning k thanks ^^

“Don’t care if he’s guilty, don’t care if he’s not. He’s good and he’s bad and he’s all that I’ve got. Oh lord, oh lord, I’m begging you please...don’t take that sinner from me -” ~ The Civil Wars, “Devil’s Backbone”

It all happened so fast, they had to react fast if they were going to save the twins, and D’leah knew that. She’d tried so desperately to help her husband, pouring as much of her Force energy as she could through the bond they shared. It had always worked before, why wasn’t it working NOW?! D’leah didn’t know, but she could feel him growing weaker and weaker by the second. 

D’leah - his voice was so distant and faint, she almost didn’t want to acknowledge the reality of it. No, no no, he wasn’t dying he couldn’t be dying, no no no…. D-Don’t do this. Sai… her grip on the control cluster tightened until her knuckles turned pale, they were already in the air. It would be easy to do what she knew he was about to ask...but it would mean leaving him to his fate. Could she do that?

Dimly, D’leah could hear Abaron chattering to the girls behind her as he made sure they stayed in their seats, but she couldn’t hear the words any of them were saying, there was just him and that horrible, ominous weakness bleeding from her husband’s end of the bond. 

You need to run… Kissai urged her. PROMISE me. The girls-

I can’t...not without you! her mind-voice caught as if the words were difficult to form, she felt him slip further away and frantically tried to bolster his strength up again, but somehow, she couldn’t put her finger on how, it only seemed to make the other Pureblood weaker. Sai, snichi… she pleaded, and she could feel the barest attempt at a smile from her husband as he gave her his final farewell, 

Nu aki j’us, D’leah. RUN. For me...

His words were far weaker now, more forced, as if even Kissai knew he was running out of time to convey his plea. D’leah realised with a growing sense of horror that they really didn’t have another option, she had to protect their daughters. She reached towards the navcomputer to punch in the quickest hyperspace code she could think of that would get them as far away from Imperial Space as possible, but never managed to get there. 

The pain hit her so fast that D’leah had no time to prepare for it even if in reality, she’d known it was coming. First, came the white-hot metal rod of pain that jammed right down the center of her spine. Every nerve ending felt like it was on fire and it was this that was enough to cause her to cry out in pain and lose her grip on the ship’s controls as the Pureblood was thrown sideways in her seat. She managed to fall with just enough grace to get herself out of Abaron’s way and as she hit the floor and the pain kept coming, she faintly heard the man curse in High Sith as he lunged across to take her place in the pilot’s seat before they nose-dived into Force-only-knows what, out here in open space like they were. 

Then she felt the thread of Force energy between herself and her husband straining, threatening to snap, and before long, it did. D’leah knew logically there was nothing she could do to stop it, and that trying would make it hurt more, but she was desperate and on reflex she could not help but try. Frantically, she reached out with her own Force energy and clasped for each thread as it tore away from her, bit by bit, as if clutching at the strings would somehow, futilely, keep him here. Would let him live. But still, the pain came again, and again, and she fancied that the sinews of flesh being ripped from bone when she lost part of her face to that concussion grenade had been less painful than this. “No...no no no no please...please! NO!!!” Everything else was so faint and far-away in comparison that D’leah didn’t realise that her scream had been out loud this time, her fingers fumbling for her heart, though she couldn’t rightly tell if that was where the pain was truly coming from and it was simply a reflexive reaction. 

For a long while she clenched her teeth through wave after wave of pain, and while it didn’t stop, it became easier with every breath for D’leah to push it into the background. Slowly, the Pureblood’s blurry vision cleared and she realised the twins were staring down at her, wide-eyed in horror. 

She needed to get up. She needed to go to them, she needed to be strong. For them.

Saarai reached for her first, but she scooped both of them up into her arms as best as she was able, all but falling into the seat where the twins had been huddled moments before. The girls both clamored to settle themselves as close to her as they could without pushing the other out of her grasp too. D’leah held onto them as tightly as she could, only vaguely aware of Saarai’s voice as she chattered a question up at her, catching every second word or so. “Moooom!” as she reached up towards her again, and “Dad...gonna find us...right?” 

Their mother shushed them softly, adjusting her grip to fit both of the twins, as best she was able, beneath her chin. Safe. They were safe there.

“Shhh, shh-shh, my little one.” she croaked shakily, a tremor passing through her frame as she tried to keep her voice steady and convincing through the lie. “He’ll catch up later, don’t you worry.” 

They sat in silence, D’leah clutching them against her chest as if they, too, might disappear if she let them go for even one second, and Abaron took over piloting the ship so that she didn’t have to. He’d practically done all the work already, anyway. She risked a glance down at her daughters, and caught the wary glint in Saarai’s golden eyes, the sideward glance at her sister, and she knew that they knew it was a lie. But she had not the heart to tell them that yet. Not now, through the tears that had begun to stream from her eyes despite her attempts to hold them at bay. She did not mean to cry, but what else could she do??

Saarai’s tiny fingers reached up shakily, when she realised what they were, to brush the liquid tracks from her chin and the spurs on her jaw. It only made her cry more and hold them tighter.

“Nunchi woiunoks, oi ai utja…” she breathed soothingly, hoping it was convincing enough for the twins. “Mom’s got you...nothing is ever going to hurt you while I’m here.” She held them like that right until they landed.

“The daughter of a lawyer, told the fallen priest “it’s a cold, cold place in the arms of a thief”, And tapping at the arrow in her heel, she said “LEAVE ME ALONE! ...but just don’t leave me here, alright?” Alright..” ~ Iron & Wine, “Arms of a Thief” 

By the time they arrived at their destination, some planet called “Rishii” that she doesn’t ever recall knowing of before - but perhaps that’s a good thing - and Abaron managed to find them a place to stay, the pain she had felt had dulled to more of a phantom throbbing than anything else. But her consciousness felt vulnerable and empty without Kissai’s own Force presence winding around hers, she felt alone, even though physically she was not. D’leah had sung and rocked the twins to sleep, with some effort, and glanced down at them as they slept, Ni’kasi’s arms curled around her sister as she burrowed under her chin for comfort beneath the blanket their mother had tucked around them.

The pain was gone, and in its wake came the FURY. It bubbled to the surface all too quickly, and D’leah began to tremble again, a growl rumbling deep in her throat as she realised that first, the girls were theoretically out of danger, and secondly, she still had a ship. She could go back. 

“I’m going to kill that fucker.” the Pureblood wheeled for the door, only to find it blocked by Abaron, who seemed to have pre-empted her outburst. She stopped short, a hiss slipping past her teeth as her lip curled back to show her fangs briefly. “Abe. Move.” she snarled, resisting the urge to shout so as to not wake Saarai and Ni’kasi from their slumber. The tips of Abaron’s jaw spurs shook as, for once in his life, he declined to follow her order. 

“No. My Lord, I can’t let you do that.”

It took every ounce of her self control not to do worse, but as it was, D’leah tried to lunge for him so she could force her way past, he might not have been taller than her but he was stronger, and heavier too. The man reacted just as quickly, his own hands closing around her wrists to push back and keep her in place, his own feet firmly rooted in the doorway as he grunted. “D’leah! Listen to me, please!” 

The tears threatened to come to the surface again, her eyes burning hot, though this time the matriarch forced them down, though her voice still quivered as she spat, each word punctuated with a quiver in her voice.

“You have no idea how I am feeling right now!”

“Not wholly, no.” Abaron argued, releasing her arms as she dropped them back to her sides, her remaining spurs still rattling softly in agitation. “But I know that going back there now is foolish, my Lord!” 

“Get. Out. Of. My. Way!” D’leah hissed, though she didn’t have the strength left after the manic dash away from Kaas to call the lightning to her fingertips and lend to the threat she was trying to punctuate. “H-He is sitting there, on our homeworld, w-with our people’s blood on his hands!” she tried to shove him again, but her fist connected dully with the plated armour on the other Pureblood’s chest and didn’t make much of an impact on him. “They’re all dead and y-you just want me to -!!” 

“I’m trying to protect you, my Lord!” his teeth flashed back at her, yet another thing she would not have stood for if she was half as lucid as usual. He continued on further, his voice a low, agitated growl as he lowered his face to hers as if to punctuate his point. “That is my charge, it’s what you bid me to do and I will not have you risking your life for such a foolish venture, you’re not thinking straight! We are the only ones left! It’s my duty to make sure that all three of you stay alive!” 

She flinched at the reminder. Them, and Vowrawn, perhaps...if he was sneaky enough. But Abaron was right, going back would put him at risk, too. His eyes searched hers frantically, and his hands remained raised as if Abaron wasn’t completely sure he wouldn’t need to hold her back again. D’leah was in half a mind about it herself, she wasn’t sure how to react now. And what her brother-in-law said next put the nail in the coffin, so to speak: 

“Dias dari j'us minti pa saû iki wisa qorit?” he urged, the words a muttered whisper.

The Pureblood matriarch felt her anger fizzle out almost instantly as the realization sank in. The girls....they were only children. They were far too young for this. Too young, they were too young for this talk of death and loss and grief; too young to have to understand if she left them here and did not come back either. Their father’s passing would weigh heavily on them for the rest of their lives, they didn’t deserve to have to lose their mother, and on the same day, too...

She deflated, her shoulders sagging in defeat, and another tremor wracked her frame as she dropped her own gaze to the floor for the moment. “Abe...I-” 

“I know.” he sighed, relaxing as he stepped up to draw her against his chest sympathetically. She almost didn’t react, until she felt his chin brush the top of her head and she realized what he was trying to do. Despite his attempt at the gesture being comforting, D’leah jerked herself away from him to growl warningly. “Dari nindz.”

He looked momentarily taken aback, holding his hands up amicably as he apologised. “I was just...I thought you needed-” “Nu sûa nindz zo ardira!” she snapped at him, but mercifully, turned away from the door and stalked further inside once more.

____________________________________________________

Sith translations, in order:

Snichi... - please... 

Nu aki j’us. - I (romantic) love you.

Nunchi woiunoks, oi ai utja. - Sweet little one, it’s alright.

Dias dari j'us minti pa saû iki wisa qorit? - How do you think this will all end? 

Dari nindz - Don’t.

Nu sûa nindz zo ardira! - I’m not a child!

[junmyeonning]

“I Want You Right Now”

Type: drabble

Pairing: Kim Junmyeon (EXO Suho) X unnamed OFC

Rated: M

Summary: she just can’t resist him when he comes back sweating from the gym.

Word count: 900ish

The sound of the front door opening and closing gets her attention, as she looks up from her phone to find her boyfriend Junmyeon just returning from the gym apparently.

He just gives her a smile and a 'hey' as he enters the room, heading towards the connected bathroom and stripping along the way.

Her eyes widened at the sight. Him coming home all sweaty, giving her that sweet smile and stripping and showing his glistening back... How is that supposed to be okay?

She gets up after him, getting closer and closer to the left-open bathroom door. Definitely an invitation, she thought.

She hears the shower running and him humming some song as she gets rid of all her clothes, smiling to herself in excitement.

As she slides the shower door open and enters quietly, he was too focused to realise what's happening when she suddenly hugs his torso from behind.

"What the-" he visibly jumps in surprise, tilting his head to the side to look at her. She just smiles in return.

"Hey," replying to what he said earlier. He chuckles then goes back to washing his hair, making her pout when she didn't exactly get the reaction she wants.

So working on that, she starts peppering kisses on his back and running her hands along his ripped abdomen. She feels how his abs are even more defined after exercising. Obviously.

"Baby, what are you doing?" He just laughs.

"What do you think i'm doing?" She gets closer to his ear and says in a low tone.

Before he can reply she spins him around to face her, with his back against the tiles now. He's shocked as he looks down at her, not really used to her being so demanding.

"I want you right now," her face is very close to his as she looks at his lips then back to his eyes, "please?" She bites her lips seductively, making him feel entranced.

Without any word he grabs her face in his hands and pulls her in for a deep kiss, their tongues clashing as it gets more heated. She moans into his mouth and he bites her bottom lip before letting go.

"Now let me," she pulls away from his mouth to start a trail all the way down to his neck, planting kisses and sucking spots there. He moans when she bites a little harder, leaving an obvious red mark behind.

"Mhm someone's excited," he smirks when she gets back a little and they meet eyes. He holds her face again and gets impossibly close, "that's hot."

They kiss again passionately, tasting each other and enjoying the warmth of one another. Her hands rest themselves on his arms as they get more into it, heavy breaths mixing and water trickling down their faces and bodies.

"Hot huh?" She mumbles, still standing close with their faces centimetres apart. She continues, "Can't disappoint..."

Her hand reaches down and suddenly grasps at his already awakened cock, drawing out a gasp from him as he wasn't expecting the sudden touch.

"O-oh..." he lets out a breathless laugh. "You never disappoint baby..."

His mouth drops a little open from the sensation, his eyes are half closed now as he looks at her, while she's moving her hand along his length.

"How come you're so hard? All that for me Junmyeonnie?" She laughs a little in playfulness, slowly increasing the speed as she pumps harder.

"Ha... of course- ahh... who else..." he bites his lips while dazed in pleasure, her knowing exactly how to please him and how he likes it, her thumb occasionally going over his sensitive tip.

She looks at his now redder pillowy lips after he lets them go of them, and how inviting they look as it makes her kiss him yet again, never getting tired of his taste.

His moans are swallowed into the kiss, but due to the pace getting quicker he can't concentrate anymore as his mouth just drops open, breathing heavier and panting as he feels himself getting closer to his climax.

"Ahh... i'm so close..." She bites her own lips as she feels too turned on by the situation. He looks absolutely wrecked, flushed cheeks and brows scrunched in pleasure, alongside the water droplets just streaming down his face and body.

"Oh Junmyeon," she moans at the sight, eager to get him off even more. So she stops and gets on her knees, then holds him again as he's directly in front of her face now.

He looks down at her wet naked form under him, on her knees pleasuring his flushed cock at a faster pace than before. He can't contain his moans as he feels he's about to explode, pretty sounds coming out of his mouth as he's almost there.

"Let go baby, come for me," she coaxes him into his orgasm, adding a final touch by putting just the tip inside her mouth and sucking.

One of his hands immediately hold her head as he comes with a louder moan, spurts of his warm liquid shoot down her throat while she continues milking him out.

His body shudders and he feels too sensitive as he pulls himself away, leaning his head back against the shower tiles and catching his breath.

"Wow." He says after some time, which makes her giggle as she stands up from her previous kneeling spot. He looks at her with a small smile, which soon enough turns into a cocky grin.

“Go wait in bed… just give me a minute and I'll come fuck your brains out sweetheart.”

[robotslenderman]

Eternal Hearts Liveblog: Part 4: Chapter 7-8

An actual thing I told a friend when I started this draft: “These chapters have been a real let down in comparison [to the face-sitting/dick-key-ring guy chapter]. Altho I’m on the necrophilia chapter now so things are looking up!”

And we start off with a body in the trunk.

RIP Charley.

Don’t worry, he’s not the body involved with the necrophilia, because it wouldn’t be problematic enough otherwise.

WARNING: DEAD DOVE, DO NOT EAT! This a liveblog of Eternal Hearts, which is a book that got de-canoned about a week after publication for good fucking reason!

Today’s warnings are: Necrophilia, necrophiliac rape (”but Dusty, isn’t necrophilia by definition rape?” buddy I didn’t say the corpse was the one not consenting. This is, like, rape squared), fridged WLWs (I wish that was the worst thing that happened to this particular WLW), me pretending Sascha Vykos has a period kink until Lucy refuses to let me lie to myself any longer (it makes sense in context. Unfortunately), corrective rape mention, and the current chew toy of the universe getting kidnapped after we know somebody’s been hinting about wanting to rape her (not Becca).

Yeah it’s rape all the way down.

This chapter is worse than usual. At least dick keyring guy was funny, this chapter’s just...

dear fucking god shoot me now. “The necrophilia chapter” does not prepare you for what is coming (it’s not me. I’m not coming. I’m as dry as the Sahara)

Godspeed, you poor bastard. May god welcome you through the Pearly Gates, although I’m not sure Heaven exists in this shitty shitty universe.

Oh yeah and he wants to murder Becca, clearly.

Trust me, Lucy. WE KNOW. Dude’s gotten laid twice and all he can think about is his sister and it’s the only way he can get off, ewwwww.

Like -- full disclosure? Brother/sister incest, when consensual, has never really fazed me at all. There’s way sicker shit out there (see: this entire fucking novel) than two adults consensually fucking and I really don’t care. “Ooooh, they’re ~*~SIBLINGS~*~, aren’t I an edgelord?” no man I honestly don’t give a shit.

But there’s that, and then there’s... this.

Touching David’s dick or being forced to touch his dick is gross no matter how distant you both are in the gene pool.

Poor Becca. Poor, poor Becca.

Jesus fucking Christ. Do I really need to comment on this one?

David reminisces on his first rapes of Becca. He uses the word “nymphet” which, if you’re well read enough, you’ll recognise as the same word Humbert Humbert uses to describe Dolores in Lolita, specifically a word that he used to describe sexually attractive (to him, mind) ~13YOs.

So he raped her that night and ofc he thought she liked it (which is why he’s calling it “rape”, obviously). Loud sigh. And we get descriptions of the rapes -- Becca takes escalating precautions to protect herself up until she threatens him with a knife, at which point the rapes stop. Because nothing says “I wanna have sex with you” like locking your door and threatening your bro with a knife.

So he’s raped her three times.

Now he wants revenge for her telling Emmet to check him into rehab. Specifically, revenge with his dick.

So David goes to Becca’s house, presumably to rape her, because that’s all he can fucking think about. He is hyperfocused on this bullshit.

Luckily for both Becca, there’s nobody there. Except the girlfriend, who’s dead, because the poor fuck got stuck in a room with Sascha fucking Vykos. And a creepy AF vampire.

(David briefly fantasises about Emmet and Becca banging each other bc... Reasons I guess???)

Anyway, David breaks in and meets a creepy vampire.

Look, let me tell you upfront here, spoilers galore: the Eternal Hearts wiki page lied. This isn’t actually Isabel, it’s Sascha, even though “Isabel” hears a sound and calls out to “Sascha”, thinking it’s Sascha, because of... idk, Reasons???

Look, consistency isn’t this book’s strong point, okay?

Anyway they’re Sascha Vykos, not Isabel, but we don’t actually find that out ‘til chapter nine. So Sascha’s hanging out there, pretending to be Isabel, and is like “ohh hey, I heard a noise, is it... ME???”

Oh yeah, and “Isabel” has beheaded Becca’s girlfriend and is drinking the blood out of the severed head like an edgelord.

I’m choosing to believe that Sascha Vykos brought a blood bag over to indulge a period kink and that the blood between their thighs has nothing to do with the severed head they were just sucking on.

(Blame the author, not me, I’m just the fucking messenger.)

Saschabel starts masturbating. With their fingers. I think it’s really important to stress that they’re using their fingers, given what’s coming up later.

They know David is watching, they’re taunting him. They also think the poor corpse is Becca and are like “hey why don’t you eat me out and taste your sister’s blood?” because Saschabel just HAPPENED TO HAVE A BLOOD BAG IN IT WITH BECCA’S BLOOD LA LA LA I CAN’T HEAR YOU

Even David is like “yeah, no.” And also has a surprising amount of sense:

And then:

BLOOD BAGS ARE GREAT FOR PERIOD KINKS AM I RIGHT

Aaaaand then Saschabel grabs the severed head and then starts --

oh

oh

AAAUGH

OH GOD

WHY

WHY

WHYYYYYYYY

There goes the blood bag/period kink idea. God fucking DAMN IT. You couldn’t let me just HAVE THIS for ONCE, could you, Eternal Hearts?!?!

David realises that the corpse isn’t Becca because its (her? fuck) tits aren’t big enough. Also he has a huge boner. Saschabel has noted this fact.

Saschabel also somehow knows that David wants to bone his sister, because...??? idk. Auspex or something.

and uh

then David starts making out with them.

?????????????????????????????????????????

because what Saschabel was just doing was... really hot? yeah nothing turns David on like corpsefucking I guess. And also lapping up the blood on Sascha’s stomach. dear god dude you’re not even a vampire what the fuck you’ve got NO EXCUSE.

David is about to screw Saschabel senseless but Saschabel is like “lol, no, you’re gonna do the corpse first.”

David is like WHAT.

Saschabel is like “(:” and also makes a pun about heads.

Honestly that terrible pun is the most tasteful part of this whole chapter.

(Actually no, scratch that, Saschabel compares David’s expression to an “untipped waiter” and that is genuinely funny. Dude’s about to be raped by proxy with a corpse and his reaction is compared to an untipped waiter.)

(Yeah that isn’t funny at all but look, if I don’t laugh I’ll cry so I’m choosing to laugh.)

David finally gives in to Saschabel’s threats and goes to town and we get to hear about it in sordid detail, which I will spare you. And thankfully, after an explicit couple of paragraphs, we cut to chapter fucking eight!

Thank. Fucking. CHRIST.

This chapter introduces us to Tony, who is a vampire hunter because he’s an adrenaline junky.

Tony daydreams about his guns, then gets horny:

Dude don’t fuck your prey, that’s just --

I changed my mind, fuck your prey as much as you like, it’s gonna be less rapey than this insinuation because at least if you rape a vampire they’ll rape you right back so we won’t feel as gross.

We cut to Odette, the woman Tony is thinking rapey thoughts about, who’s tailing Lucita and thinking about how she could run like hell right now if she wanted.

(PLEASE, RUN. RUNNN. RUN FAR AWAAAAAY)

And then she gets a flashback about being raped by a camp counselor, because... idk why not ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

This is actually really sad, because Odette is absolutely torn about running away from Victoria -- wanting to be free, but also too scared to leave, and too devoted to Victoria to leave. And also Victoria’s clearly been using Auspex on her, and Odette is scared of her mind reading powers.

Lucita seems to spot Odette, and turns around and heads towards her. But before she can reach Odette:

I presume this is Tony, the guy who wants to rape her.

Poor fucking goddamn Odette.

End chapter eight!

[setoslut]

maybe the thief king x reader? I don’t see a lot with him

Character: Thief King Bakura

Time Period?: ancient Egypt

Warnings: none

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

I hope you liked my idea for it and if not just send in another ask that you want!

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Thief King Bakura 

Like any other story, headcanon whatever

You and Bakura, soon to be ‘Thief King Bakura’ in the upcoming years- were ‘childhood friends’

Or whatever the term was called in scientific Egypt

This might be unrealistic but let’s go with the flow because I’ve gotta make this head canon some how-

When y’all were about 8-9 ish

Apparently Thief King Bakura is 27, and Atem is 18 big yolo-

There was an order issued to bring forth some of the most Devine? Beautifulest? Children that they could find and bring them to the castle to prep them to be Atem’s potential wife

And Ofc you were chosen and you never got to see Bakura since that fateful day

You’re last memory of Bakura is him reaching out to you and shouting you a promise you’ll never forget

“I’ll come for you Y/N! I’ll find you and I’ll steal you away from here! For ever! And we can live in a palace together okay! I promise”

That memory will forever be engraved into your mind

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay so fast forward about 9-10-11 years? Atem’s turning 18 which is the day for him to choose his wife that’ll rule by his side till the day they die-

Which also means that Bakura would be turning 23 today

Yes I changed his age sue me-

Okay so yada yada yada

Orientation or whatever the coming of age ceremony is passed and now it’s time to chose a wife

So far Atem hasn’t seen anyone worth while, too ugly, too fake, too big, too bony, too greedy, too-

Wait a minute

Who?

Who? Who is that?

Yep, you guessed it

It’s you:)

You’re literally the meaning of true beauty and the definition of perfect in Atem’s eyes

As well as Bakura and me 🙈

And you’re not stuck up?

Perfect

so he decides that you’re the perfect bride for him so you get taken to a separate room that has a balcony thingy that over looks the side of the garden

And you can’t help but reminisce all the memories spent with Bakura back from when you two were kids

How you longed to see him

And how you still hoped that he kept his promise

Don’t get me wrong- it’s nice living in the palace, wonderful even. But you aren’t with the one you want to spend the rest of your life with

Nor are you cut out for it.

You need some excitement and adventure in you’re life

And that’s what Bakura gave you

S i g h

Snapping back to reality you see a rustle in the bushes to the mid right back? Of the garden, kinda on the edge?

Great explanatory skills amirite?

Leaning forward slightly you see a tuft of wild spiky white hair, that low key looked kinda soft, emerge from the greenery attached to a body of a man with scars litering his tanned face and body

But you recognise that hair from anyway

Surely it’s-

“Bakura” you breath out airily as he swiftly and silently climbs up to where you’re at and gives you a massive smirk as you he grips your forearms tightly, but not enough to harm you

“Told you I’d come back to steal what’s rightfully mine”

But before y’all can catch up, Atem walks in with priest Seto

And poor babey thinks you’re in trouble but Priest Seto the hot Slut- thinks you’re working with him, tbfh he’d think that no matter what-

N E W E I G H Z

Atem calls for his guards whilst him and and priest Seto, albeit reluctantly, go to help you

But plot twist for them-

“Unhand her this instant!” Atem yells which is futile, because now that Bakura has you? He is NOT letting you go anywhere without him

Or outside at all

“Sorry Pharaoh but I’ll be taking my prise possession back” you can literally hear the smugness and the smirk in his voice

“She does not belong to you!”

“Actually” Bakura licks his lips “she does/ I do”

Poor Atem is struck still-

Oh well this isn’t an Atem angst this is a Thief King head canon so let’s continue-

Without sparing any last words, Bakura flees, leaving without a trace, with you tightly in his grasp, just as the guards turn up in and around the area

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once you’re a safe distant away you both stop behind an abandoned building North West of the palace

You brings your hands to his cheeks and slowly and carefully start to trace his scars

“Oh Bakura” you frown, concern in your eyes “what happened to you?- How did this happen to you?”

“Well” that familiar smirk adorns his tanned face “ I am Thief King Bakura”

Instead of you running away like he thought you might, you stayed and gave him a soft smile with a small shake of your head as a small chuckle seeps past your lips

“Oh My Thief King” these a hint of amusement in your voice before it disappears without a trace,

“ I always knew you’d find me and steal me back” you say 😌

“What would I do without My Thief Queen? I wouldn’t be complete, so consider your self lucky”

even though his words were slightly harsh his tone wasn’t, and you understood him enough to realise that

“I guess not”

You slowly wrap your arms around his neck

“I can’t wait to make new memories with you”

His arms sneak around your waist to rest just above your hips

-Reduced to a mumble-

“we’ve got plenty of kisses to steal from each other as well”

Your lips are inches apart

“Then I guess we better get started”

Your lips touch in a slightly soft but rough kiss that is filled with so much passion and longing to last a life time

You both slowly pull apart as y’all need to breath

Y’all are slightly short of breath as a thin string of saliva connects you two

Cheeks flushed you keep your forehead pressed against his as you whisper

“My Thief King”

“My Retrieved Thief Queen”

••~~••~~••~~••~~••~~••~~••~~••~~••~~••~~••~~••~~

{ Rip pharaoh- he will be missed 1998-2020 }

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

It’s currently 6:58 AM and I’ve had no sleep so I think I may have misspelling a few words and a few things might not make sense but I hope it’s eligible- if not I’ll fix it later

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

[massivelycreepypineapple]

Wickedly Vicious and Vile

Part 1 to Wonderfully Gentle and Loving

Request: hello. i have a request dean x reader. in the Christmas pagan God episode, I want dean and Sam to hunt reader down because she is kidnapped for the God's sacrifice. When they are being tortured, reader is dragged from her chair in front of dean and sam and is being tortured in front of dean by the gods son (sexually too), who ofc is swearing and crying. then they start to torture dean and the reader is crying too. is that alright? i love your writing ♡

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Fem!Reader

Warning: Allusions to sexual assault.Torture. Angst. Dark fic. Please don’t read if it’ll trigger you in any way.

A/N 1: I just want to say that I am in no way romanticising sexual assault and torture. My heart goes out to anyone who has been hurt. I hope with all my heart you guys find the peace you deserve.

A/N 2: Thanks for the request, Anon! It’s my first dark fic, hope this is alright.

Word Count: 2280

❅ ❅ ❅

Sam, Dean and Y/N had come into town on a hunt a couple of days ago. They had learned that evil Santa was creating havoc by killing humans. It so turned out that the Christmas pagan gods have turned up this year, using human beings as sacrifices. The trio spent their time interviewing people and collecting evidence and researching. They had just gotten back from interviewing the Carrigans. They knew there was something shady about those guys. They had made a game plan to break into their house that night and investigate, when Y/N decided to go on a supply run to get some things before the hunt.

But it had been almost three hours and Y/N wasn’t back yet. It was driving Dean crazy. How long does a supply run even take? She only had to get medical supplies. They had planned to kill the pagan gods that night but she just had to disappear. Sam didn’t seem all that fazed but as the third hour nearly struck he too was becoming restless. Having had enough of waiting, Dean decided they should go look for her. There was this unsettling feeling in his stomach and the sooner they found his girl, there was less of a chance that he’d shit a brick. 

But nothing went according to plan for the Winchesters. They managed to track Y/N to the Carrigan’s basement but everything went south after that.

______

Sam and Dean were each tied to a chair in the dining room. There were tools laid on the table that could only mean one thing. Pain. Intense, scary pain. They heard a struggle from the adjoining room, when the door opened to reveal Y/N dragged in by the Carrigan's son, James. She was beaten up badly, with blood trickling down the side of her mouth. A large angry bruise was forming on her forehead. She sported a black eye on the right and the worst of all, her clothes were torn and battered, meticulously ripped apart to reveal just the right amount of skin. 

Dean felt himself tear up at the sight of her. It was like he could feel her pain. He felt the rage build up inside him. “YOU SON OF A BITCH! LET HER GO!” he yelled and struggled in his restraints. 

The young man only laughed at that. He didn’t dignify it with a response. He treated Y/N like a rag doll, forcing her to sit on the chair and proceeded to tie her up like the brothers, barely giving them a second glance as they yelled profanities at him. Madge and Edward stood there smirking at the whole scene. They knew what was going to happen, they decided to let James have a little fun before their feast.

He walked in front of Y/N crouched down facing her. She was barely conscious, her breathing was shallow. He caressed her so tenderly and smirked as he watched her try to recoil from him. She whimpered when his hand graced over the bruise on her forehead and without any warning he pressed his fingers into it really hard making her yell out in pain, jerking her out of her semi conscious state. He watched on with fascination as she whimpered some more. He then got up and walked to the table.

Y/N was in agony and looking at Dean and Sam tied up, made it all worse. She wasn’t sure how they’d get out of this one. This could be the last case and she didn’t even get to kiss or hold Dean one last time or hug Sam and tell him what an amazing friend he was to her. All she could think about was how the last thing the three of them would see would be the other getting tortured. Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when James came back with a knife and a bowl, slowly began cutting away what was left of her top from the neck. The tip of the knife graced her skin and he applied light pressure, watching in awe as the blood trickled out the wound and into the bowl. Y/N screamed in pain she didn’t have the energy to beg him to stop. But she could hear Dean crying out for her.

“NO! STOP THAT! YOU BASTARD! STOP!” He’s never before wanted to hurt someone the way he wanted to hurt these people. But hurling insults at them wasn’t working and he resorted to begging. 

“Please, I’ll do anything, just stop hurting her.” Dean Winchester rarely begged, but he would get down on both knees and beg his heart out just to make him stop hurting his Y/N.

“Now, now, don’t interrupt my boy.” Chided Edward. “He needs to focus. It’s his first time taking control after all.”

“Just wait till I get my hands on you, you filthy bastard! I’ll be sure to kick your godly balls really hard!” He spat at him and struggled some more and then suddenly felt a tight slap on his cheek given to him by Madge.

“We don’t curse in this family, my dear.” She said as if to petulant a child. 

“Bite me!” Spat Dean who got hit once more. 

Sam was trying his best to keep it together through it all. He knew it was up to him at this point to figure out an escape. He was busy trying to get out of his restraints, doing his best to not let Y/N’s and Dean’s cries get to him. He couldn’t give in to his pain now. It was up to him to save the two people who mattered the most in his life.

Y/N felt the man push her torn top apart, “No, please. Don’t do this.” she whispered half sobbing. 

“Shh, love. It’ll be over before you know it” He said, his voice smooth as honey.

She knew what was coming. She knew if this happened there was no going back and she’d lose herself. She saw him walk behind her and place his hands on her shoulder. She felt disgust at his touch. She looked up at Dean to see he was no better. She looked into his eyes, wishing he wasn’t here to see this. 

“Well, Dean. Why don’t I give you a little show, huh?” Said James and grinned wolfishly. “Teach you how to pleasure your girl.”

Dean was openly crying at this point. Tears and snot streaming down his face. He couldn’t do this. He had never before felt so helpless in his life. He shook his head frantically, choking back a sob. “Stop, please stop!” His voice trailed off as he cried harder. 

Things just went from bad to worse from then. Soon James’ pants came down and he made Y/N do things that she would forever be sealed in her memory. Dean could do nothing but hear her strugglin, crying and begging for him to stop. He promised hell upon them. His heart shattered into a thousand pieces and he didn’t know how anyone of them could recover from this. 

Then suddenly it stopped. “You know, Y/N” James began, “I don’t think it’s fair that your boyfriend and his brother only watch the show. What do you say we make them feel noticed?”

“Y-you stay a-away from them, you fucking bastard!” She said her voice hoarse. Her throat burned as a result of the things he made her do.

“Nah, I think I’ll go with my plan” He smirked. “And you’re gonna watch!” 

He held her hair tightly forcing her to look at Dean. Madge walked towards him with a knife and another bowl. She was giddy with barely controlled glee. She ripped her shirt apart, button flying away. Dean flinched at that, struggling to get away. But it was no use. He yelled in pain as he cut deeply into his chest collecting blood in the bowl. She kept repeating the ordeal, making him scream out in pain. Y/N was crying harder hearing his pained cries. Watching the love of her life get tortured felt worse than what she went through. 

Sam was begging them to stop. “Please, please just let us go! Don’t hurt them anymore!” 

But it only fell on deaf ears. 

“This is not your run of the mill sacrifice!! This is fucking rape and abuse! It’s not how you work!” He screamed.

“Well, we like to mix things up a bit” Edward grinned at Sam.

The gods were clearly more amused with Dean and Y/N. Making sure to fuck with their relationship. They had no inhibitions and would do anything to get their entertainment. It was their godly right apparently.

When Madge seemed to be done, Y/N noticed his entire front was bloody and his breathing got shallow. “I’m so sorry, Dean!” She wailed. 

His eyes barely opened as he struggled to get out, “I-i’m f-fine, Sweetheart. I-it’s g-going to be ok- okay. I-I P-promise.”

Edward had grabbed some pliers ready to pluck his tooth out. He walked over to Dean and grabbed his jaw, forcing his mouth open. He went to pull his tooth out, but just then the doorbell rang. The Carrigans paused and looked at each other wide eyed and unsure of what to do.

“Somebody gonna get that? I think you should.” Said Sam, hoping they’d go. He finally had a chance to escape and help his family. 

The Carrigans sighed in frustration and left the room to see who interrupted their ritual. 

Meanwhile Sam managed to get out of his restraints and rushed over to Dean to help him up. Once he was free, Dean pushed away from Sam and rushed to Y/N as fast as his wounds would allow him. When she realised what was happening, she reached out to Dean desperately in need of the one person who could comfort her right now. She was beyond tired, the trauma of what happened was catching up with her and she was losing consciousness and before Dean could get to her she slumped down in her chair.

“Y/N!” He whispered yelled at her, patting her cheeks lightly to get her to wake up, but to no avail. “Fuck.” He muttered. Sam crouched down next to him to check on her himself.

“Dean, she just lost consciousness. But we need to get to a hospital immediately before you bleed out and something worse happens to her.” 

He didn’t reply, he simply shrugged out of his jacket and wrapped it around her, hiding her exposed body. He laid her gently on the floor slightly hidden from view. He remained crouched down next to her for a few seconds. He jerked away when Sam placed a hand on his shoulder.

 “Dean, we got to move. They’ll be here any second.” Sam whispered. 

“Let them come” Said Dean as he stood up slowly and turned around. He made his way into the adjoining room and spotted the Christmas tree, Sam following him. “I’m going to kill these sons of bitches if it’s the last thing I do, Sammy.”

He didn’t leave any room for argument, “We need evergreen stakes right? Here’s a whole bunch.” He said, breaking the tree. Sam rushed to help his brother, knowing that he was in one of his zones. Nothing can stop him from getting his revenge for Y/N. And honestly? He wasn’t complaining. He wanted these assholes dead just as badly. 

With the crash of the tree, the Carrigans rushed into the room and within seconds a fight broke out. Sam was able to hold his own, while Dean was struggling with the overwhelming pain in his body. After what felt like ages, Sam managed to kill Madge and Edward and rushed to help Dean with their son.

“She sucks really good, Dean. You’re a lucky man” The asshole grinned with blood dripping from his face.”You were there. You saw!” 

Dean didn’t react to that. He had gotten into this calculated zone where every step he took was planned way in advance. He was like a machine whose only mission was to destroy the vile thing in front of him.

Sam had never seen Dean this angry before. He had beaten him up pretty badly despite being hurt and as the bastard laid there in pain, Dean lifted his leg and placed his foot on his dick slowly added more and more pressure making him yell out in pain.He then took the sharp end of a branch and slowly drove it into his stomach knowing just how to miss all the vital organs so he’ll suffer longer. Dean looked up at Sam and threw him the car keys.

“Take Y/N to the car, I’ll be there in a min.” His gruff emotionless voice came through. 

Sam watched in horror, he didn’t know if he should stop Dean or let him have his revenge. The latter won out knowing just how vile and disgusting the man bleeding out was. He let Dean have this. He quickly grabbed the keys and made his way to Y/N and picked her up gently. He carried her to the impala and placed her on the back seat watching over her and checking how bad her wounds were. 

Dean made his way out and got in the back seat letting Sam drive them to the nearest hospital. He held Y/N in his lap tightly, afraid she’ll disappear again. He needed to be there with her. He made a silent promise to her and himself that he would do everything in his power to make this better for them. It won’t be easy and it sure as hell will be a long one, but he’d be there for her. Every damn step of the way.

❅ ❅ ❅

TAGS BELOW @hobby27 @akshi8278

[what-is-your-plan-today]

Riding High Ch 9: I Must Be Doing Something Right

Chapter Summary: Frank surrenders Mary to Foster care, but soon realises he’s made a big mistake. Can Fliss help him set it right?

Chapter Warnings: Bad Language words. A very rude and offensive game of Cards Against Humanity...so...be warned.

Chapter Pairings:  Frank Adler x OFC Fliss Gallagher

A/N: Contains SPOILERS for the film!!!!! If you haven’t seen it please be aware of that before you read on. This is a REALLY long update so apologies, but I couldn’t see a way to cut it without losing the key narrative.

As always I’m a ho for a REBLOG and COMMENT! 

Series Masterlist  Main Masterlist

Chapter Song: Stop Crying Your Heart Out by Oasis

'Cause all of the stars, are fading away, just try not to worry, you'll see them some day. Take what you need,and be on your way, and stop crying your heart out

7 days. 7 days is all it had taken.

He’d met the Foster Family on Sunday after Cullen had tabled the suggestion and agreed to the proposal that evening, ignoring Fliss and Roberta’s pleas to think about it for a few days at least. He didn’t want time to think, he was NOT going to surrender Mary to Evelyn, and if that meant she had to live with this nice family, in a posh house in Tampa, with a pool and a piano, then so be it.

The details were thrashed out between all attorneys and the state departments on the Monday and Tuesday, being finalised on the Thursday. Both he and his mother were given weekly visiting rights and once a month Mary was to come stay with him for a weekend, with longer visits during the holidays. Frank was offered his choice of date to surrender Mary into care. He chose the following Monday. When Greg asked him if he wanted more time, convinced he could get Frank at least a fortnight, he shook his head. The longer this dragged out the worst it was gonna be…like pulling of a band aid. Better to rip it fast and suffer a short, period of pain than drag it out.

His mother had been unable to resist one last shot as she left him on the steps of the court yard and her words were rattling around in his head as he stood watching Mary with Fliss as she hugged the woman tightly.

“I've been thinking a lot about the word called ‘compromise’. On one hand, good challenging school…on the other foster people. They can watch sitcoms with her. Take her to Olive Garden. Teach her to say ‘irregardless’ The only saving grace is, I suppose, is that she is better off than she was. Goodbye, Frank.”

He was clinging onto that. That she WAS better off with a family than his mother. And probably him if he was honest. Mary would understand that soon. He hoped. At the moment she was still in denial, insisting that Frank was going to change his mind. He had explained to her time and time again this was a court decision, not his. Greg had explained it to her, the foster parents had explained it to when she had met them during the week, hell Fliss had even explained it to her but nope, she wasn’t having it. Even before when he told her to go and say ‘see you later’ to Roberta, not goodbye- because it wasn’t goodbye- Mary had laughed and told the woman this entire thing was stupid and that she would be back with Frank later that evening.

And she was doing the same to Fliss now.

“You’ll be back for a visit before you know it…” Fliss said, brushing Mary’s hair off her face, blinking back her tears as she knelt in front of the girl “And Monty will be waiting for you.” Mary shook her head “Look, we all know this is ridiculous, Frank isn’t gonna leave me there. He promised I wasn’t going anywhere and he’s never broken a promise to me yet.” “And he still hasn’t.” Fliss said “This is a court order, not Frank’s. Now you promise me that when you get there you show all these new people you’re gonna meet what a wonderfully funny, smart and incredible person you are. And then, when you come back I want you to tell me all about it.”

Mary shrugged “I’ll see you at the weekend I expect.”

She moved back and looked at Frank like he was an utter idiot before she headed for the car. Fliss stood up and wiped her eyes, looking at Frank. “You gonna be ok?” she asked him.

“No.” he said honesty “Nothing about this is ok. At all. When she finally realises this isn’t some huge big joke or that I’m not gonna change my mind, she’s gonna flip.”

She stepped forwards to give him a hug, but he kept it brief, knowing that if he stayed he’d break. And he couldn’t. Not yet.

Fliss watched them drive away, before she turned back to her office, shut the door and curled up on the chair, arms hugging her knees as the tears coursed down her face.

***** “Hey… come on.” Frank said, kneeling in from of Mary, his large hands gently on her waist “I'm only 25 minutes away.”

He watched as the tears filled her eyes, the realisation that this was happening had sunk in finally, and he watched her heart break as she stood there, begging him.

“Please don't leave me here. Please.”

“No.” Frank sighed, bowing his head. “You're going to a brand new school. A better school.”

“I don't want to. I want my crummy school.” she sobbed.

“And you got Fred…” Frank carried on, fighting back his own tears.

“Please.”

“And once a month you can come back and stay with me and Fliss and Roberta…”

“I want you and Fliss and Roberta now!” she said loudly.

“And in a few years, if you want...you can come back. You can live with me.” he looked at her, smiling encouragingly.

“I wanna stay with you. Frank, you promised me.” Mary stomped her foot, angry tears pouring down her face.

“Come on. Don't do this.” Frank said softly, rubbing the tops of her arms and shoulders.

“You promised me.”

“I know.” he said, bowing his head blinking back tears. He had, and he’d broken that promise. And he felt like shit. “I know.” he repeated lamely, his left hand gently resting on the side of her face, brushing away her tears.

“Please, Frank. Why are you leaving me?” she sobbed as he took her face in both his hands and looked at her.

“Because the court said I have to. You know this. We've discussed this ad naus...” he stopped himself and looked down, swallowing thickly. “We've discussed this.” he looked at her, taking a deep breath.

“Come on. Come on. Please.” he said, gently moving to sweep her into a hug but she shoved him hard.

“No!”

Frank could do nothing but kneel there as she hit him again in his chest, then once on the side of his face, screaming at him. At that point her foster mother, Emma, stepped forward and Mary continued to lash out, screaming at Frank.

“Sweetheart, you know what?” she continued to talk to Mary as her foster Father, Kevin, looked down at Frank sympathetically.

“There's no easy way to do this.” he said. At that Frank jumped up and walked to the door.

“Not gonna be as long as you think, honey.” Emma was soothing her, but Mary was having none of it.

“Frank….”

“You're gonna see.”

“Frank!” Frank opened the door and paused, looking back as Mary was fighting against her foster mother who was gently holding her arms, screaming at him “Don't leave me!”

And that was the moment his heart broke into a million pieces. He had to go. Had to get out of there. He quickly stepped through the door and pulled it closed behind him, heading quickly for his truck, trying to block her screams and yells out as they still hit his ear from inside the house.

“Don't go! I need you! Fred needs you! You promised me!”

Sniffing back his tears he climbed into the truck, started it up, and then sat, both hands on the steering wheel, head bowed for a moment whilst he composed himself, before he put the truck in gear and drove off, leaving Mary behind.

**** Fliss had half expected Frank to show up at the yard again later that day, but he didn’t. Instead he messaged her telling her he needed some head space so was heading down to the Marina to do some work. Which was where she found him later that evening, working on the same boat he had been on all week.

“Hey, down there.” she said gently as she climbed the ladders up the side of the boat “The Serenity” Frank looked up at her, gave her a faint smile, before he turned back to what he was doing as Fliss stepped onto the deck of the boat, watching him carefully.

“I don't know which mistake is worst. Designing a water pump that leaks or putting it somewhere no human being can reach” he ranted as he leaned further into the uncovered pump. As Fliss took a seat on one of the raised benches at the back of the boat he stood up, part in his hand and sighed “How you design something you know is gonna fail? Gotta be devious or clueless, right?”

He dropped what he had been reaching for onto the table in front of him and glanced at Fiss who was sat watching him, her hands pressed between the knees of her denim-short clad legs as she shot him another small smile. He picked up an small wrench and returned to his previous position, crouching over the machinery of the boat.

“After the first few weeks, I knew I had to find a real family for her. I was in way over my head.” he reached for a bolt that was in the box he had resting on the side and continued his work “And every day I'd say today's the day I'm taking her to child services and every day she'd do something just…” he paused, his hands still working as a soft, yet heartbreakingly sad smile flickered across his face. “…so unbelievably cool.” he swallowed, still not looking at Fliss “Her little personality was exploding. She was funny and she was angry, and she was happy, and she was sad and was cute.” he reached for something else, his voice groaning slightly with the strain of stretching “Just so damn entertaining. And so I kept her.” his voice started to rise in tone, revealing the anger he felt at himself “Not that that's in her best interest. Not that I'm capable of raising a child.”

“Frank that’s not true…”  Fliss spoke softly, butting in but he continued his rant.

“A child that might still have a mother if I'd taken the time to notice she needed me.”

“Ok, now stop it…” Fliss’ voice was a little sterner now “Frank, we’ve been through this…”

“And now…” he stood up, reaching for a towel to wipe the oil off his hands “six and a half years later I finally got her to a foster family and you know what? It was great.” he said sarcastically “She loved it.” he tossed the towel onto the side. “I thought it would be a nightmare of abandonment and betrayal.” he hopped up onto the level of the boat Fliss was sat on and threw his hands out to the side “And it turns out it was a huge success….” he bent back down to pick up the broken part he had retrieved from the pump “I'm a fuckin’ hero.” on that he angrily launched the part out of the side of the boat where it hit something with a crash.

“Hey…” Fliss stood up and moved to gently run her hand down his arm. He was dirty, sweaty, covered in grease and he was conscious of this so went to pull away but she stopped him, her grip firm before she moved her hands to his face, her palms gently pressing against the scratch of his beard, sweat beading on his brow as he looked at her.

“Listen to me.” Fliss said, her eyes locking onto his “Mary will be ok. It’s gonna take time but…”

“You didn’t see her..” he said, stepping back out of her touch, his hand flying to his hair “She fucking hates me. She was screaming and…I just left her.” he finished, somewhat lamely “After I promised her…I promised her she could stay with me.”

With that he went to the stairs at the side of the boat, climbing them and heading down the ladder at the side.

“Frank...” Fliss moved to the side of the boat to try and talk to him again but he shook his head.

“No, Lissy…” he trailed off, holding his hand up. He sighed and took a deep breath “I appreciate everything you've done. Just...” he shook his head again and continued own the steps.

Fliss watched him go where he headed back into the little garage area, swallowing slightly. She looked up at the starry sky and took a deep breath, blinking back her tears. She knew she shouldn’t take it personally. He was hurting. He needed time. She licked her lips before she climbed off the boat and turned in the opposite direction he’d gone, deciding to take the long route around to her car so as not to pass the garage.

Frank walked into his workshop area and launched an angry kick at a box of engine propellers scattering it all over the floor. He stood up, both hands on his hips as he took a deep breath and turned half expecting Fliss to be behind him. But she wasn’t. With a sigh he made to go back outside and apologise but when he looked up she wasn’t on the boat anymore.

“Fuck…” he cursed, turning to look to his right where he saw her walking a hundred yards or so away down the side of the marina.

“Liss!” he called, and she stopped, turning towards him as he set off towards her in a jog. “Lissy, I’m sorry.” he sighed as he stopped in front of her.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for.” she replied “I understand.”

“No there is. You came her to check on me and…” he took a deep breathe “Believe me, if there’s one person in all of this that I have no right to be mad around it’s you. I didn’t mean to snap. I just…well, I guess I need some space.”

“I get it, honestly I do.” she said gently, stepping towards him and rubbing his arm “Today must have been so hard, I can’t imagine how you felt.” He fell silent. “But I meant what I said Frank, none of this is your fault.”

“I should never have let her go to that school…” his azure blue eyes misted over again, and he looked down at his feet, shaking his head. “Shoulda, woulda coulda…” Fliss said gently as he pulled his head back up to look at her “You can’t keep beating yourself up about things you can’t change, trust me, I know.”

Frank sniffed slightly before she sighed and carried on

“It’s done, Mary is with a good family, she’s going to get a good education and, yeah, it might take a while but she’ll come round and soon realise that you did what you did, not because you didn’t want her, but because you wanted what was best for her.” “I hope you’re right.” he said, his voice cracking as she stepped forward and pulled him back into her arms “Because I don’t know what I’m gonna do if she won’t forgive me…”

*****

Fliss was worried Frank was going to go off the rails, but he didn’t. He simply threw himself into his work. Night and day he was at the boat yard. They talked daily and she invited him to dinner on the Friday, in an attempt to keep him away from Ferg’s for fear of him getting himself absolutely trashed and doing something stupid like picking a fight. She hadn’t expected him to accept, however, so was pleasantly surprised when he took her up on her offer.

He was a little more subdued than normal, but they talked over the Bolognese she had made and then, Bill had popped his head in and invited them through to the house for a few drinks and a game of Cards Against Humanity

Frank’s face twisted into a grin. “You know I’ve never played it?”

“You’re kidding?” Bill looked at him. Frank shook his head.

“Oh Frankie, it’s great fun.” Fliss grinned “You get to learn a lot about people, and how twisted and sick their minds actually are.”

“Verity is the worst.” Bill said, seriously “I been with her now for almost 31 years, married to her for…” “28.” Fliss supplied.

“28…and I had no idea how warped she was until we played this a few years ago.”

Frank chuckled and Fliss looked at him and he shrugged, “ok I’m in.”

Fliss nodded and together they made their way out of the annex and over to the main house. Frank had been in it once before, and despite the fact that it was ridiculous large and fancy, he felt at home. Verity greeted her with the usual warmth, wrapping him up in a motherly hug as she looked at him and scalded him for losing weight. He sighed, he knew he hadn’t been eating properly but he didn’t look that different.

“Leave the lad alone.” Bill looked at his wife, thrusting a chilled San Miguel into Frank’s hand “He’s come here to relax not have you nagging on at him.”

Verity rolled her eyes and began to quibble with her husband whilst Fliss shook her head, grinning at Frank before she led him through to the dining room where the cards were placed in the middle of the table.

It didn’t take long for Frank to get the hang of the game, and it also didn’t take him long to realise Bill was right. Verity had an extremely warped sense of humour, that said, so did Fliss, and the more alcohol she consumed, the worse it got. He declined another beer from Bill, stating that he had to head home, but Fliss frowned at him.

“Take the spare room.” she shrugged but he shook his head.

“I’m working tomorrow, got a few things to finish so…”

She didn’t push it, and that was another thing Frank loved about her. The fact that she would take no for an answer without questioning him.

“Ok…so…” Frank leaned over, taking the cards that were face down, shuffling them so he didn’t know whose were whose “Do not fuck with me I am literally blank right now…” he turned the top card over and gave a snort “Seeing things from Hitler’s perspective…” then he turned the next card and arched an eyebrow “dying…oh god that’s bad…” and the final one “pretending to care…it’s gotta be the Hitler one!”

“Yess…” Fliss said, grinning as she took the card from him “Catching you up mum.” After a few more rounds which contained winning combinations such as “This is your Captain speaking. Fasten your seatbelts and prepare for September 11th, 2001 “ and “In the beginning there was the mixing of the races and then the Lord said 'Let there be Nazis’” the cards were finished and they all counted. Bill was bottom, Fliss and Frank had tied, and Verity was the runaway winner. After a little more chat they called it a night and Frank walked back to the annex and his truck with Fliss.

“Thank you.” he said, looking at her “Not just for tonight, which was real fun but…”

Fliss smiled and gave him a hug “Any time.”

He dropped a kiss to her cheek “Ya know, I’ll hold you to that.”

He gave her a cheeky grin as he got in his truck and Fliss watched him go, pleased to see that for the first time since Mary had left on the Monday, he seemed to be getting some of that Frank spark back.

*****

Frank parked the truck and grabbed the wrapped box of lego, the ping pong balls for Fred and the next Harry Potter book in the series (the third one) from Fliss off the passenger seat and headed up the steps. He knocked politely on the door and smiled as Kevin looked through the glass window to the left

“Hey” he smiled as Kevin opened the door

“Hi, Frank. We're errr…” Kevin stepped outside and closed the door “… having a little bit of a problem in there.”

“What?”

“Mary's fine but she's having a little bit of a meltdown.”

“Right.” Frank sighed, nodding “Let me talk to her” he made to enter the house but Kevin stopped him

“No, hang on. That's not a good idea.” he said gently as Frank looked at him, a slight frown on his face “Your visit here is the reason for the meltdown.”

“What?” Frank’s brows furrowed together

“She don't wanna see you.” Kevin said, apologetically.

Frank felt like his chest was being crushed. He took a deep breath and visibly slumped. Kevin continued sympathetically. “I'm sorry, man. This is predictable. You know, she needs time.”

Frank fought to keep himself composed. This was his first visit, it had been agreed that the first one would be the Monday, a week after she had left, then moving to Saturday afternoons, and they’d done that for a reason, to give her a full week to settle in. He hadn’t expected it to be plain sailing but he had been hoping she would calm down. He needed to see her, whenever they argued, they always talked, always sorted things out. And this wasn’t any different.

“Just give me 5 minutes with her.” he said, looking at Kevin

“I let you inside and then we're gonna betray her trust and have even bigger problem.” the man shook his head.

Frank got that, he did, but it didn’t make it any easier. He nodded, still keeping himself composed, before wordlessly he thrust the items he was holding into Kevin’s hand and turned and headed back to his truck. He got drunk that night. And as he lay on the sofa, with his tumbler of cheap scotch, he realised that the ache he was feeling was the same ache as when he lost Diane. He was grieving. Grieving for the loss of his wonderful, beautiful, annoying, smart-ass niece. Only she wasn’t dead, just gone. Gone from her home. Gone from him.

This mood continued through the week. On Tuesday morning he woke on the sofa, still clothed, with a mouth like sand paper and a banging headache. After a shower and litre of orange juice he went down to get his mail and found himself sitting on the bench near the mail boxes, simply staring into space. He was vaguely aware of someone sitting next to him, and when Roberta reached out and worked his right hand free from where it was joined tightly with his left, he let out a sigh as she simply squeezed his fingers.

Wednesday morning, after Fliss had stopped by with breakfast from the bakery not far down the road, he was sweeping up the kitchen, which didn’t seem to be half as messy anymore now there were no cat biscuits lying around after Fred wasn’t there to deposit the ones he didn’t want under the table. He opened the broom closet and his eyes fell onto the basket full of shells that Mary had collected over the last god knows how long. He stared at it for a moment before he threw the broom in the closet, slammed the door and went to get changed into his work clothes.

Thursday morning he woke to a message from Fliss asking if he fancied meeting her for lunch. He accepted her invite and headed down to the Marina. He’d there for a few hours, putting the water pump that he’d finally managed to strip out of that damned boat back together when his phone rang. He glanced at the number, it was Bonnie. Sighing he dropped it back to the desk next to him. She’d called a few times since Mary had left, Fliss had reasoned with him that he should answer as she probably just wanted to know how she was. But seeing as he didn’t actually fucking know, what on Earth was he going to tell her? He let it ring out as usual and then a little while later it beeped, signalling he had a message. He ignored that too, he’d deal with it later.

But Bonnie wasn’t giving up that easily.

*****

“Fliss?” Joanne called “There’s a call for you."

“Ok, hang on…” Fliss put down the bridle she had been piecing together in the tack room and headed through, taking the phone off Joanne “Fliss Gallagher…” “Hi Flss, it’s Bonnie, Bonnie Stevenson.” “Hi.” she said, surprised to hear the woman on the other end of the phone.

“I’m sorry to call you it’s just Frank is ignoring my calls and my messages and I was kind of worried about him…” “Oh…” Fliss took a deep breath, scratching at her head.  “He’s been a bit up and down so…don’t take it personally.”

“Look, don’t want to step on your toes because I know you two are kinda, well, anyway, I was just in the library at school today and well I saw a photo of Fred on the adoption board for the Pinellas County Animal Shelter and was a little-.”

“Hang on…” Fliss said, cutting her off, not quite believing what she was hearing  “Fred is in the Animal Shelter?” “Yeah…” Bonnie sighed “I know Mary loved that cat and I’m concerned Frank is making a mistake giving him away, Mary would-”

“Bonnie, the cat went with Mary…” Fliss said, her mind whirring

“What?” Bonnie whispered

“She took the cat with her to the foster home. Frank hasn’t turned him in, he’ll be devastated when he finds out.” she sighed, “Leave it with me…I’ll call him.” “Ok, erm…good luck.” Bonnie offered. “Thanks. And thank you for calling and telling us…I mean me…him…whatever” Bonnie gave a chuckle “I hope you get there in time…”

“In time?” Fliss frowned.

“Yeah, Fliss, it’s a kill shelter. They only keep the animals between 5 and 7 days depending on their hopes and chances of being adopted…”

Fliss felt her heart sink. Suddenly her thoughts went back to Frank and how he had told her Mary refused to see him on Monday as she was having a meltdown about him going…what if the melt down had been about Frank being taken away from her.

“Fuck…” she mumbled, “Bonnie, I’m sorry I gotta…” And at that she put the phone down. She grabbed her keys, purse and mobile and sprinted for her jeep, yelling to Joanne that she had an emergency. She dived in her car, sped off down the drive and called Frank as she went.

“Hey…” he said

“Oh you’ll answer to me, ass hat” She said, turning left onto the freeway, keying in the location on her GPS.

“Of course…” he said, his tone a little puzzled “What’s…”

“Bonnies’ been trying to call you…”

“I know, I just…” “Shut up a minute.” Fliss cut him off “She was calling because she saw a poster, an adoption photo for the Pinellas County Animal Shelter. It was Fred.”

There was a pause before Frank breathed out “What?”

“They gave her cat away Frank…”

There was a loud clatter at the other end and then she could tell Frank was running from the sounds and the way his voice sounded.

“I can’t…oh god Fliss, Mary’s gonna be devastated.” “I know, just…look I’m on my way now. I’ll meet you there…”

“Ok…” he said, and with that he hung up. *******

Frank didn’t think he’d ever driven that fast before in his life. He literally dumped the truck on the car park, haphazardly parked in a disabled bay, and ran into the shelter, straight to the reception desk.

“Hi!” he said, resting his hands on the desk.

“Hi! Can I help you?”

“Yeah. Do you have a one-eyed orange cat named Fred?”

At that he heard someone else crashing through the door and a second later there was a gentle touch his arm and he turned to see Fliss, dressed in her riding gear besides him, having taken slightly longer to get there due to being a few miles further away.

“We have a one-eyed cat.” the receptionist said after a pause “But I don't know what his name is.”

“Where?” Fliss demanded impatiently.

The receptionist turned to the woman behind her who was digging in the drawers. She turned and pulled a sympathetic face “I don't know. Today was his last day.”

Fliss groaned as Frank hung his head. Then, as a dog gave a loud bark from somewhere in the rear of the shelter, there was a violent tug on his hand and he was being dragged down the side of the desk, the receptionist shouting objections as Fliss pulled him through the door at the end. They past the rows of dogs in kennels and then Frank spotted another door to their right.

“This way…” he said, this time he was pulling her along as they headed into the cattery, but there was no sign of Fred. They continued through, and then headed into the veterinary area, trying each door one by one and the final one they entered was occupied.

“What are you doing back here?” the vet looked at him as Frank saw 3 needles on the table and let out a soft groan.

“I told him he couldn't.” he heard the receptionist say but his attention was taken by Fliss

“Thank God…” she breathed out, moving to her left and Frank heard a familiar meow. He turned to see Fred in a cat cage on the side.

The relief that flooded his system was insurmountable. He joined Fliss who was now stroking Fred through the bars as the cat tilted his head and looked up at Frank.

“Hey Fred…” he sighed, his hands falling to the top of the cage as he kissed Fliss’s head in relief and thanks…and then the anger came back.

“Who brought this cat?” he turned round to look at the helpers who were stood in the room.

“Some guy.” the one from the reception shrugged. “He said it was an allergy issue.”

He let out an angry snort and looked at Fliss “Evelyn. She’s allergic to cats.”

Fliss face slid into an expression of understanding as she turned to look at him. “Seems like Mr Perfect Foster Father fed you a load of bullshit on Monday, Frank.”

It took them half an hour to iron out the paper work which allowed Frank to bring Fred home…and because the two other cats in there, Chili and Toby, were on death row they came too, well, with Fliss that is back to the stables.

They carried the cats out between them and Frank turned to Fliss as he passed her the cage containing the black and white one, Chili.

“I’m going to get Mary back…this…this is wrong. She needs to be with me. I mean, she’s a good kid, right?”

"Of course Frank, I’ve told you before, she’s an amazing little girl.” Fliss looked at him as she shut the rear door to the car.

“Well then, I can’t be that bad a substitute parent can I?” he urged.

Fliss beamed at him before she asked “So how we gonna play it?”

He noted her use of the word we, and smiled “I’m gonna give my mother exactly what she wants”

Huh?” Fliss frowned “I’m not…”

“I’m going to give her another way to achieve her dream without using Mary…” he said, biting his lip as he turned to face her “Once you’ve dropped those two off meet me at mine as fast as you can. I need to pick up some stuff…and Roberta.”

*****

Frank jumped out of Fliss’ jeep before it had even stopped, running up the steps to the large house. He pounded his fist on the doorway and it swung open.

“Frank?” Kevin greeted him

“Where's Evelyn?” Frank demanded.

“Evelyn? You mean your mother?”

“Yes.”

“Kevin…” they were joined by Emma who grabbed his arm. ”Evelyn is in the guest house.”

Frank turned and headed back down the steps, jumping the last 3.

“Yeah, listen. I'm sorry, man.” Kevin followed “Frank, let me tell you. She was so helpful with the tutors. Mary was so distant and she-“

“Hey!” Fliss stepped out to block Kevin’s way “Look, we know what you’re up against."

She looked at Kevin who sighed, nodding “She’s tenacious…”

“Do you want your life back? “ Roberta looked at him, her gaze steady as Kevin watched Frank heading up the steps to the guest house “Go back inside.”

Frank reached the top of the stairs and wrenched open the door to see his mother sat at a desk with Mary, whilst another man was stood pointing at a book, another sat in the corner on a computer. All 4 looked up and Frank took a deep breath, shaking his head at his mother.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

Frank ignored her as Fliss and Roberta stepped into the room, Roberta carrying the box he had brought with him.

“Come on, Mary. We're going home.” he said as Roberta placed the box on the desk and folded her arms.

“No.” Mary said gently, shaking her head, eyes locked on Frank.

“You're trespassing!” Evelyn started but Frank ignored her, flipping the lid off the box, pulling out a ring bound file “You need to look at this.” he tossed it on the desk and walked towards Mary. “Let's go, Mary. Let's move. Come on.” he beckoned with his hand.

“No!” she said, sliding off her chair. She pushed the man next to her out of the way and dodged round the desk. There was a cacophony of people moving and shouting her name but Frank gently stopped Fliss as she stepped towards her.

“It's okay. I got her.”  he said, flying after Mary.

Evelyn made to follow but Fliss stepped right in her path, blocking the way, her nose inches from Evelyn’s as she stared the woman down.

“Think again, lady…”  Roberta said from behind her, her hand laying on Fliss’ shoulder, giving a squeeze of support.

Evelyn looked at the two of them for a second before she jerked her head to flick the piece of hair that had fallen forwards into her eyes before she tuned and picked up her phone. She looked at Fliss again, who arched an eyebrow, and then turned back to her phone before she stopped dead and her eyes fell on the ring bound file Frank had thrown onto the desk.

Fliss exchanged a look with Roberta, neither of them understanding what was in the file, but clearly Evelyn did. Fliss had a feeling it was something to do with the Navier-Stokes equation Frank had told her that Diane had been working on, maybe some research. Evelyn glanced over Fliss’ shoulder to the door, her breathing deep as she looked back to the file.

“This…” she said, looking at it “It can’t…”

Then she snapped out of whatever moment she has been in, going for the door but Fliss once more stepped into her path.

“You’re not going out there, not until Frank has a chance to speak to Mary…”

“You have no right…”

“And neither do you.” Fliss said loudly

“I have visitation rights…I’m her grandmother!” “Oh please!” Fliss snorted “Up until a few months ago you had never seen her. And what kind of grandmother rips a little girl away from the person who has shown her nothing but love all her life, and cared for and provided for her for over 6 and a half years? Huh?”

Evelyn raised her chin defiantly.

“And all for what? Some fucking dream about a stupid maths problem that no one bar a gang of stuck up Oxbridge middle aged tossers gives a shit about!" "How dare you?" Evelyn glared at Fliss "I'm not having some jumped up, dressage riding tart speak to me like this! I did this for Mary... to give her the life she deserves… " "No you did this for yourself." Fliss shot back. "And you know what? Maybe Frank doesn’t have poshest house, or the most prestigious career in the world but kids don't need money, or laptops or huge fucking homes with a pool and a summer house! They need love and care, to know they're safe and wanted...and she gets all of that with Frank, with us..." She gestured to Roberta as she continued. "And if you stopped to listen and look at her as a person and not your ticket to fame for just one second you'd see what an amazing, wonderful little girl she is and that's down to your son." Fliss took a deep breath and wiped at her eyes as Evelyn looked away from her to Roberta almost as if she was expecting a verbal tirade from her too. Roberta simply shrugged "I got notin' to add...she said it all for me" "Frank is one of the kindest, most gentle men I know." Fliss said, her voice softer. "He has a heart of gold and everything he does is for that little girl. Maybe he doesn't always get it right but who does? He tries his best, and I'd love to congratulate you on bringing up such an amazing person but I literally have no idea how he turned out the way he did with a cold hearted bitch like you as a mother."

****

“Mary!” Frank called, sprinting after her as she ran down the drive “Mary!”

He gently grabbed her arm and dropped to the floor as she spun round “No, let me go!” she yelled at him, lashing out again with her arms the same way she had done when he had left her. Frank turned his head holding his hands up to deflect the blows.

“Stop, Mary.” he said gently as she continued “Stop, stop!”

“No!”

“Come here.” he said, his voice still soft as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him as he stood up, holding her tight.

“You lied to me.” she said accusingly

“I know.” he scrunched his eyes up, ducking his head as she continued to rain blows on him.

“No, no!”

“Stop, stop, stop!” he said softly as her blows grew weaker until she collapsed against him, crying, her head buried into his shoulder. He closed his eyes and pressed his face against her cheek. “ I'm sorry. I made a mistake. I'm so sorry.”

“You promised me.”

“I know.” he agreed, taking a deep breath, looking upwards.

“You promised.” Mary’s voice was quiet as her small arms moved around his shoulders.

“I know. I'm sorry. I’m so sorry…” his voice cracked as he gently walked them towards the house a little.

“You said you wouldn't leave me.” she cried, as his hand moved up to hold between her shoulder blades and he pressed his cheek to the side of her head.

“I made a mistake. I'm sorry.”  he stressed, rubbing her back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed him tightly and he closed his eyes, swaying her softly on the spot.

“I was so sad!” she sobbed as Frank simply stood, breathing heavily, eyes still closed as he desperately fought for composure “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too.”  he whispered into her hair as he pressed a kiss to the side of her head, blinking back the tears that were filling his eyes. God he should never have agreed to this, ever.

“They took Fred.” Mary wailed.

“No. It's okay.” Frank sniffed, bending down to place her on the floor so she could look at him “We got him. He's home.”

“What? “she asked softly, her cries stopping as she looked at him, her eyes so like her mother’s bored into his.

“He's at the apartment right now. Me and Fliss went and we got him”

“For real?”

“Yeah” Frank assured her, his right hand reaching up to wipe away her tears as he cupped her cheek softly  “he's home kicking around his ping pong ball.”

“Why did you leave me there?” she said, her sobs starting again. And that was the moment he broke. He couldn’t hold it in anymore and he too began to cry.

“Because I thought I was bad for you.” his voice was croaky as he struggled to speak as a tear fell down his cheek  “And then it dawned on me. If Mary is this amazing... smart, sweet human being... then I must be doing something right.”

She looked at him, her face contorting as her cries grew shallower and she reached out with her small hands rubbing at his beard before her thumbs crept into the side of his mouth, and she curled his lips upwards and he swallowed again, his eyes crinkling slightly at the corners.

Her hands fell to his shoulders and she looked at him “You're smiling”

He nodded and bowed his heads, his chest heaving with unshed sobs before Mary wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. He closed his eyes again, holding her close, his hand rubbing her back.

“I’m never gonna let anyone take you away from me again Short Stack.” he said, as she pulled back, her hands fiddling with the collar of his grey T-shirt.

She paused for a moment before she looked at him. “Can we go home now?”

“You’re damned right.” he nodded, as he stood, picking her up in his arms. “They made their way back up the steps pausing slightly to look at one another as Fliss’ angry yells hit their ears.

“Fliss is mad” Mary’s eyes grew wide and she looked at Frank.

“Yeah well she’s missed you too, so has Roberta.” Frank smiled as they carried on up the steps. They reached the door just in time to catch Fliss basically calling Evelyn a “cold hearted bitch” and as Frank opened the door,  Roberta and Fliss turned to face them and beamed as Mary yelled their names

“Roberta! Lissy!”

“Hey baby!” Roberta said, as she hugged the girl tightly before Mary released her and threw herself at Fliss.

“Oh kiddo…” Fliss sighed, dropping a kiss to her head. She looked up at Frank and he gave her a wink, before nodding gently to the door.

“Of all the stunts you could pull” Evelyn looked at him and he glared straight back as besides him he heard Fliss say something to Mary as her and Roberta ushered her out of the door.

“Where are they going?” Evelyn demanded

“Nowhere. Not yet.” Frank said, looking at her before he turned his attention to the two tutors in the room “You two, out!”

Once they left, Frank and his mother began to argue about the file he had given her, Evelyn refusing to believe it was real, that Diane had solved the Millennium Problem. Eventually, Frank had enough and shook his head.

“Evelyn, stop!” he said firmly. “I'm taking Mary and I'm raising her how I believe Diane would have wanted”

“We'll see about this…”

“I realize she's not normal.” he continued, his voice steady and definitive “but if Einstein can ride a bike so can she.”

“Let’s just say Diane didn't tell me, which is nonsense. It's a Millennium Problem!” his mother blazed “She would have shared it with the world. That's where your charade falls apart.”

Frank sighed and looked down, one hand resting on the surface of the table between him and his mother, the other shoved into his pocket.

“If she had completed the proof, she would have published it!” Evelyn finished.

With a deep breath he looked back up at his mother before he looked down at the file and spoke a little softer this time “Diane instructed me very clearly….” he swallowed and looked down at his left hand, his fingers tapping lightly on the table “…that I was only to publish it post mortem.”

“She died six years ago.” Evelyn demanded and he looked back at her.

“It wasn't her death she was talking about.”

He watched as his mother’s mouth fell open slightly in understanding and shock before she looked down, swallowing. Despite everything, Frank felt a pang of sympathy for her, he was taking no pleasure in any of this. His mother sank into a chair, her eyes closing as her head bowed slightly

“I tried to talk her out of it.” Frank said gently “But you know how Diane could be when she made her mind up about something.”

Evelyn didn’t say a word, she simply stared at a spot on the desk, her eyes darting from side to side and Frank could see she was suddenly coming to terms with the fact that, really, she hadn’t known his sister at all

“I called MIT.” he continued “Shankland's out of his mind about the possibility of publishing it with you.” At that Evelyn glanced up at him “He's waiting for your call. Frank nodded “You're gonna spend the next few years of your life defending it. You won't have time for her.”

Evelyn swallowed again, before she floundered to speak, struggling slightly to form the first word. “What If I say no?”  she said, taking a breath and looking back up at Frank.

He looked to the side slightly “well..” his eyes flicked back to hers, the nerve in his jaw twitching slightly “Back to Plan A”

“Wait for me to die?” Evelyn said, her voice almost amused as she fixed Frank with a look.

“I know Diane was hard.” he said after a moment’s pause, his voice remaining calm. “I know she was angry. But something really good came out of this, Evelyn. She needs you now. You're the best woman for the job. Take it”

Evelyn looked down at the file again, her brows raising slightly “It doesn't seem like Diane wanted me to have it.”

“Well, Diane didn't always think things through.” He smiled softly as Evelyn looked up at him, the fact she had spoken those exact words to Frank weeks before had clearly not passed her by. “I'll be outside. Let me know what you wanna do.”

With that he left the room but seconds later Evelyn shot out after him. He turned from his vantage point of the stairs and glanced back up at her, questioningly

“I’m not going to fight you, not anymore. Diane... she deserves for her work to be published.”

He nodded and turned to go again but she stopped him a second time.

“Frank, will you let me give you one piece of advice before you go?” 

He looked at her expectantly.

“Fliss…” “What about her?” Frank asked.

“The way she was fighting your corner before, the things she was saying, well, it almost made me proud to be your mother.” Evelyn said with a soft smile “Don’t let that girl go.”

“I don’t intend to.” Frank shook his head, one corner of his mouth twitching upwards slightly “Goodbye Evelyn.”

***** Cullen wasn’t overly impressed with Frank’s display of recklessness, calling him a “dumbass” loud enough for Fliss, Mary and Roberta to hear. Frank headed out of the house and explained what had happened and he listened, before promising set the ball rolling right away. Two hours later he called back having spoken the woman from the Welfare Department who had been managing the fostering arrangements.

“The Welfare Department are happy, given Evelyn’s lack of contention, for Mary to stay in your care and not be dragged back.”

“So…” Frank held his breath, not daring to believe what his friend was saying “She’s gonna be able to stay?”

“We’ll need to go back to court to obtain formal Guardian status so the process isn’t over just yet but with Evelyn’s seeming U-Turn, and the Foster Parents being surprisingly supportive of you, there’s no way this is going anywhere but in your favour.” Cullen’s voice was full of warmth “I’ll organise the paper work and we’ll file for a hearing as soon as possible but it could be after thanksgiving. I got another big custody case going on now so…” “But there’s no way she’s gonna be taken?” Frank pressed.

“I’d bet my house on it.” Cullen said, making Frank smile “The only potential bump in the road here now is if your mother requests formal access or visitation rights.” “Well if she does…I’m not opposed to her having a relationship with Mary, but it’s done on Mary’s terms, not hers.” Frank said softly. “And being reasonable like that will go even more in your favour.” Cullen chuckled “I’ll get the paper work sorted on Monday. So in the mean-time enjoy your weekend and take Fliss on a date will ya?”

With a laugh and assurances that he was going to try at least, he headed back inside to be hit with a barrage of noise as the 3 women were dancing in the living room to Journey “Don’t Stop Believing”. which was blaring out of the stereo. Mary was on the sofa, bouncing up and down as she sang whilst Fliss had hold of her hands, moving them back and forth as they danced. Frank leaned against the doorframe and simply watched them until Roberta moved over and dragged him into the middle of their group. Mary threw herself at him and he caught her with a loud huff which was followed by a laugh as she reached up and ruffled his hair.

A few hours and Chinese takeout later, Mary was fast asleep and both Fliss and Roberta decided it was time to go. Gently lifting Mary from where she was led with her head in Fliss’ lap, Frank tucked her in bed fully clothed (like it mattered for one night) and then headed outside. He said goodnight to Roberta, the woman hugging the pair of them before he walked Fliss back down to the jeep.

“Thank you for today” he said “I never knew you had such a fierce side…”

“Well, I spent so long being trampled and stepped on…sometimes I like it when my inner lioness makes an appearance.” she smirked at him.

“You certainly made an impression on my Mother.”

“Oh, yeah…” Fliss winced “I kinda..well not kinda, I…err…I shouted at her. Called her a cold hearted bitch…” “Yeah I heard that bit” Frank raised an eyebrow and Fliss snorted.

“In my defence, she started it, she called me a jumped up dressage tart, I mean…” “Well that’s just fuckin' rude.” Frank agreed “You show-jump.” Fliss looked at him before she burst out laughing and Frank grinned. There was a pause before Frank looked down at the floor and then back at Fliss “You know, she give me one final piece of advice as I left…” “Oh yeah? What was that? Buy a mosquito net? A Bug zapper? No, wait, she told you to get a string vest and a banjo didn’t she?”

Frank shook his head laughing before he looked at Fliss. “She told me not to let you go.” he said, holding Fliss gaze before she looked down, tucking her hair behind her ears. “Although the banjo does sound fun.” “Piss off.” she said gently with a grin, shoving him in his chest. He caught her wrist softly and then moved his hand to tangle their fingers together, looking down at her small palm against his before he looked back at her.

“You know, if this was a movie I’d use some really shit cliché here like oh, you came into my world and turned my life inside out…” he shrugged, “ but my life was already upside down and inside out, and you…” he let out a breath “you just help put it back to where it should be. You make everything better Lissy and these last few months without you in my corner..." he trailed off as her brown eyes locked onto his, shining in the dim light, his thumb gently skating the back of her hand. "Look, I know you said I wasn’t in a position to know what I want but..." He trailed off as he spotted the twinkle in her eye as she smiled at him, her hand squeezing his.

“I think it's about time you took me sailing don’t you?" she grinned.

He gave smile and nodded “Yeah, yeah I do. Does tomorrow work?”

“Works just fine sailor.” she said, standing on her toes. She placed a soft kiss to the side of his mouth and it took every inch of self-control Frank had not to grab her and kiss the life out of her but he knew now wasn’t the moment. Instead he smiled as she stepped back, and headed towards her car.

TAGS: @the-omni-princess  @momobaby227 @geekofmanythings16 @angelofhell-666 @thewackywriter @marvelfansworld  @cobalt-gear  @asgardlover75 @jennmurawski13  @jtargaryen18 @saiyanprincessswanie  @navispalace @patzammit  @joannaliceevans-fanficblog  @icanfeelastormbrewing @djeniiscorner  @ayamenimthiriel  @coldmuffinbanditshoe  @disneylovingal @madzmilllz  @sgtjaamesbaarnes @sweater-daddiesdumbdork @southerngracela  @goldenfightergir @kellymat @official-and-unstable-satan @pagesoflauren 

[justhaletwinsthings]

lads i am having Thoughts about pre-alice jasper’s relationship with peter and charlotte.

for your consideration:

peter and charlotte come to find him when things are really Going To Shit(TM) down south, that's just canon. jas and maria are pitting the newborns against each other and making increasingly violent power moves and it really looks like one of them is going to be dead by the end of the year. and, well, if you ask anyone involved it's a real toss up as to who that's gonna be.

realistically tho, it's probably jasper. bc by this point he's just... tired. he doesn't necessarily mind all the fighting and killing, and he knows that he's very, very good at it, but, well... eighty years will wear anyone down

add on to that the fact that maria's been his only constant for so very long now? that he can't quite smother his affection for her in the way she can hers for him? well, it leaves him both at a tactical disadvantage and in an awkward mental place where he doesn't even know what he'd do without her. sure he could take up control of her army and lead it in full capacity, but the fact is that he's never had the same hunger, the same drive to keep taking more territory, more feeding grounds, more people that she does. it's part of the reason she likes him so much. he’s not a threat like nettie and lucy were because he doesn't really have an overabundance of ambition in that way, not like he did in life. he's always been content just to follow her lead.

he fights because it's all he knows, because she made him, and because as far as he's aware the rest of the world is doing exactly the same thing.

but then peter leaves. peter, who was something close to a friend, who was the first person he's met since he was turned who was jasper's more than he was maria's, runs off with some silly little newborn girl and jasper lets him. he could have stopped them, hell, should have stopped them. he should have hunted them down and ripped them both apart and all of them know it. but he didn’t. it's the first time he ever consciously goes against maria, and, well, it sets a precedent.

which is why things start to escalate (see above)

peter, for his part, isn’t really expecting all that much when he makes his way back south. it’s a stupid thing to do, borderline suicidal really, as charlotte is quick to tell him. just because jasper let them go once doesn’t mean he’ll do it again; he’s loyal to maria first and foremost everyone knows that. he won’t just leave her, no matter what peter tells him.

still, he’s saved peter’s life multiple times over years and in multiple ways too. having his back in a fight, putting him back together on the rare occasion a newborn managed to get the jump on him, convincing maria to keep him on for more than the usual year, and, most importantly, letting him and charlotte flee without a fight that night all those years ago. peter owes him.

besides, peter knows they were friends. or at least as close to being friends as jasper was capable of getting back when they met. that means something.

and, well, peter was terrified when he left, even if he hid it under his usual confidence and bravado. he was so certain that he and charlotte were heading out of one war zone and straight into another, one where they didn’t know the players or the playing field and were all on their own, without friends or allies (as shitty as they were) for the first time since they were human.

but that’s not what they found. instead they found peace and freedom and other vampires that were, if not friendly, at least usually willing to leave them alone if they showed them the same courtesy. it was amazing and it was thanks to jasper that peter got to live long enough to experience it. so it seems only right in his mind that the perfect way of repaying his friend would be to let him experience it too. he just has to convince he stubborn bastard that it’s actually worth trying for.

charlotte, let it be known, thinks it’s a terrible idea. she has no real attachment to jasper, not in the way peter does. to her he’s always been more monster than man, maria’s loyal lieutenant and the one who she knew from very early on was going to kill her when she outlived her usefulness to the cause. charlotte’s never been an idiot, not even in the haze of newborn bloodlust, and even if peter hadn't clued her in it wouldn’t have taken her long to figure out that after a certain point the newborns just stopped coming back. she was terrified of jasper back then, no matter how much peter insisted that he wasn't really a bad guy, just misguided, and that’s never quite gone away.

but.

but he let them leave, no matter how much he really probably shouldn’t have, and peter’s right in saying that means something. perhaps that peter’s friendship with him wasn’t quite as one sided as she’d first thought. she hopes that's the case, for peter's sake if nothing else. besides, she knows from the look in her man's eyes that he’s doing this with or without her. better her there to watch his back than no one at all.

so they go

still, charlotte prepares herself for disappointment. or rather, prepares herself to deal with peter's disappointment, and to get the hell out of dodge when this inevitably blows up in their faces

neither of them really expect jasper to come with them, and certainly not as easily as he actually does.

for him it's a way out, something he's been looking for for a while now, even if he didn't quite realise it until the opportunity was dropped in his lap. he's not sure if he believes peter when he tells him about the world outside of the southern territories, of how wonderful and free it is, he just knows that he wants to leave and that he doesn't want to have to kill maria to do it, not really. if this is his opportunity to do that he'll take it. it's not like he has any better ideas

peter is thrilled ofc. he has the love of his life, he has the friend he thought he'd never get to see again, and he has the whole world at his feet. in his mind things are really looking up. what he does not have, however, is the foresight to realise in his excitement that things maybe aren't quite as simple as he'd like them to be

the first time they take jasper out into a city (new york, because peter is eager to show off all of his new favourite places and this one’s near the top of the list) is a Disaster(TM). peter and charlotte aren't the cullens but they're still far more integrated into the human world than jasper has been since he was, well, alive

jas, despite his age, has little experience being around so many people, especially when the sole purpose of the outing isn't to nab one of them to chow down on. he also has little practice pretending to be alive for any period of time, constantly forgetting to breathe or hide his unnatural eyes, and he definitely isn't used to feeling so many emotions all at once. it's all very overwhelming for him. he barely lasts an hour before he snaps and kills a girl in an alley, which, y’know, isn’t really a great start.

and beyond that, the group dynamic is just awkward at first. peter likes jasper and he clearly cares about him, but forging a bond of blood and brotherhood on an open battlefield is very different to actually living together. they know each other rather well but they don't actually know a lot about each other. 

jasper, for one, didn't know that peter was an irritating little bastard with a bad habit of up and leaving in the middle of the because he got a feeling or something  equally ridiculous, and then returning at complete random anything from days to hours later without so much as a by your leave. the first time it happens jas, respectfully, freaks the fuck out (though he’d rather die than admit it), utterly convinced that the idiot’s gone and gotten himself fucking murdered or something. it leads to quite the beat-down when peter finally returns, though the younger vampire takes it in stride. he’s just too happy that jasper is finally showing more emotion than blank face stoicism to be all that upset by it, honestly, especially since he’s had way worse in the past -- and from jasper himself even.

charlotte, on the other hand, sits somewhere on the other side of the spectrum in that she’s still clearly afraid of jasper. oh, she's rather good at hiding it and she's nice enough to him all told, but there's really no way of keeping these things from an empath. weirdly, jasper finds it kind of comforting. it's something he's used to, a sign the world hasn't completely turned on his head. in a way it’s as familiar as peter’s steady companionship; it shows him that the status quo he was defined by for nearly a century still exists, in some form at least, and that does a lot to keep him grounded for the first few years, difficult as they are

things start to get better over time 

jasper gets used to moving among humans and to not having to constantly look over his shoulder for the next attack. hell, he even starts to get used to having time to himself. it’s a strange and freeing thing and he doesn’t know quite what to do with it at first, not until charlotte suggests picking up a hobby. 

he takes an interest in history, reading about everything from aztec burial rites to the napoleonic wars in a way that he’d never had the opportunity to do before, both as a human and as a soldier in maria’s army. peter hears about this and starts adding museums and galleries to their travel itinerary because he’s a good bro really, even if jasper refuses to admit it. it’s some of the best days of jasper life actually, just the three of them roaming america and experiencing the things and places that they never got to when they were young

he and peter reestablish their old common ground over time. they learn how to exist together outside of all the fighting and bloodshed and find that they genuinely do like each other. peter is cheerful and brash, impulsive but loyal, and determined to make sure that they all live their lives to the fullest. if that means instigating stupid bets and competitions and dragging jasper into more petty wrestling matches than he knows what to do with then so be it. it makes jasper happy, he knows, to be treated like a person and not a just a weapon, and he likes it when jasper is happy. if anyone deserves to be it’s him

honestly it’s part of why jasper later comes to like emmett so much: he reminds him a lot of peter

charlotte too softens towards him over time. they’re quite similar people at their core really; scholarly and reticent and quick-witted. it helps too, that jasper quickly (if somewhat unwittingly) made clear just how much he cared for and worried about peter upon joining the group with that little freak out over that first disappearing act. that alone was enough to earn him the benefit of the doubt in her mind

she’s also encouraging of jasper’s interest in history and literature and whatever else in a way that no one else has ever been in his life, more than willing to sit and discuss them with him for hours on end while peter pouts and stomps and tells them how boring they are. for jasper, whose passions have always had to fall to the wayside in favour of practicality, it means a lot more than he’s capable of saying

their friendship is quieter and more subdued than the one he shares with peter, but no less valuable for it. they’re more prone to sitting quietly together than going on grand adventures, but companionable silence is something they’ve both grown to appreciate. and, well, if it ever grows tiring well peter is always available to be a subject of lighthearted mockery

the years they spend together are honestly the first time jasper can remember even getting close to being truly happy, even of the act of eating humans is prone to throwing him into deep depressions, and that really does mean a lot to him

family is a tricky concept for vampires but he’s more than happy to consider them his. if this is what eternity looks like, he decides it isn’t so bad 

and then he wanders into a diner in philly and meets the love of his life and finally experiences true joy but, well, that isn't for a few years yet